The Backlog Check-in Vol. 302: 10/14/23: Sonic Superstars/Spider-Man 2/Super Mario Bros. Wonder Edition

[Phaseknox]

Played: Baldo: The Guardian Owls, Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark, Legend of Ixtona, Phoenotopia: Awakening, Pinstripe, Wargroove

Finished: Nothing

Playing: Persona 5

Added: Nothing

I’ve been playing a lot of different games lately, but none have really been keeping me interested for too long. However, I started playing Persona 5 and I think that I might stick with it. It didn’t instantly grab me because I didn’t really like how it began and you play as a silent protagonist, but it has been appealing to me the more that I play. The story and characters are interesting, the visual style is flashy and stylistic, the voice acting is good, the music is cool, the turn-based combat is fun and the mix of modern urban life/high school sim and otherworldly dungeon crawling is a nice change from most other JRPGs. So far I don’t like it quite as much as Persona 3 and 4 because it seems to be missing their charm a bit, but I’m still early in it so that could change as I play more.

Games releasing this week
Acres
Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express
AirportSim
Alaskan Road Truckers
Backrooms Break
Bish Bash Bots
A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection
Cafe Owner Simulator
The Caligula Effect 2
Cavern of Dreams
Chaos on Wheels
Endless Dungeon
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - West Balkans
Forgive Me Father 2
The Gap
Gargoyles Remastered
Harmony’s Odyssey
Hellboy: Web of Wyrd
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue
The Jackbox Party Pack 10
Kingdom Eighties: Summer of Greed
Kona II: Brume
Laika: Aged Through Blood
Legendary Creatures II
Life of Delta
Mail Time
Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage
Mummy Pinball
Outpath
Overpass 2
Sea of Survivors
The 7th Guest VR
Slay the Princess
Sonic Superstars
Spider-Man 2
Spirit of the Island
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
Skull Island: Rise of Kong
Strike Force Heroes
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Sushi Ben
Tennis On-Court
Tricky Tanks
TrinityS
The Troop
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness
Warm Snow
Wizard With a Gun
World of Horror

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Code Name: STEAM

Added to Backlog: Octopath Traveler II

Current Backlog: 41 games

Saw Octopath Traveler II on a Prime day sale last week and picked it up. Didn't get much time to play Code Name: STEAM much, so I need to get to it before Friday.

[Phaseknox]

I’ve been enjoying Persona 5, but it’s the original game and not Royal so I’m going to quit playing it and buy Royal since Royal has gameplay improvements and added characters/content that are significant enough to make it worth getting despite having the original game.

[canedaddy]

Saw Octopath Traveler II on a Prime day sale last week and picked it up. Didn't get much time to play Code Name: STEAM much, so I need to get to it before Friday.

Excellent. Hope you dig Octopath.

I played Code Name STEAM. What I wrote at the time: "Loved this at first but in Chapter 6 it turns extremely annoying. Too bad." Good thing you're an actual machine playing a game about machines.

I’ve been enjoying Persona 5, but it’s the original game and not Royal so I’m going to quit playing it and buy Royal since Royal has gameplay improvements and added characters/content that are significant enough to make it worth getting despite having the original game.

Good call, from what I hear.

Oddly, as much as I enjoyed P3 and P4, I do not have any interest in P5. Something about it just doesn't grab me at all even though I've heard it's good.



Played recently: Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: Save Room, Sega Genesis Classics

Current backlog: 34


Still enjoying Amalur, when I get a chance to play it. Great to revisit some fun storylines and weapons (chakrams!).

[isthatallyougot]

I'm still plugging away little by little with Broken Age. I haven't had much time to play recently. I'm really enjoying it when I do though. I think I'm not so far away from the end anyway. Another fine Double Fine.

[Phaseknox]

Oddly, as much as I enjoyed P3 and P4, I do not have any interest in P5. Something about it just doesn't grab me at all even though I've heard it's good.

Do you have any idea why it’s not grabbing you despite liking Persona 3 and 4? Could it be the somewhat over the top flashy, slick and stylistic presentation, because that’s part of what wasn’t grabbing me about it before I played it. And after playing it I admit that it’s a bit much at times, but I still kind of like it since it adds some pizazz to everything.

However, there’s one visual effect that they added to the palaces (dungeons) that I don’t like and find distracting - the otherworldly screen filter. Basically there’s a kaleidoscope type overlay surrounding the edges of the screen in the palaces to give off an otherworldly feel, but it’s just an annoying visual effect covering parts of the screen that bothers me because it’s constantly there. It’s the equivalent of the red blur overlay screen effect that surrounds the edges of the screen in some first person games to indicate that you’re injured. It’s purposely bothersome in those games so that you heal yourself to make it go away, but you can’t make it go away in the palaces in Persona 5.

It bothers me so much that it’s almost a dealbreaker, because you spend a lot of time in the palaces and they’re long. Constantly seeing a weird screen overlay visual effect covering the surrounding parts of the screen in them is both annoying and distracting. I kind of got used to it after a while, but only enough to tolerate it. I looked on the internet to see if it bothers anyone else, and it does. I knew that I couldn’t be the only one bothered by it. I also looked on the internet to find out if there’s an option to turn it off because games often let you turn off certain visual effects, but unfortunately there isn’t.

There’s another visual effect in the palaces that I find a little annoying as well - the pink puddle splashes that the characters make when going through them. It’s another visual effect added to signify that you’re in an otherworldly realm, but it just looks weird and out of place like the kaleidoscope screen overlay visual effect does but it’s not as annoying and distracting. These are really my only complaints in regards to the visual presentation of the game, but they’re definitely annoying and the palaces would be a lot more appealing to go through without them.

As for the game itself, I haven’t been liking it quite as much as Persona 3 and 4. It’s lacking their same charm a bit IMO. Also, I don’t like the theme of being sneaky thieves as much either. But I still really like it, it’s similar to Persona 3 and 4 in a lot of ways and is a quality turn-based JRPG. I think that if you like Persona 3 and 4 that you will like it as well for a lot of the same reasons, but I can’t say for sure of course.

[canedaddy]

Do you have any idea why it’s not grabbing you despite liking Persona 3 and 4? ...

Also, I don’t like the theme of being sneaky thieves as much either.

That might be it. Playing as sneaky masked thieves isn't very appealing unless we're talking about the Sly Cooper gang.

Also, the cat thing is a lame mascot compared to Teddie.

[Phaseknox]

Do you have any idea why it’s not grabbing you despite liking Persona 3 and 4? ...

Also, I don’t like the theme of being sneaky thieves as much either.

That might be it. Playing as sneaky masked thieves isn't very appealing unless we're talking about the Sly Cooper gang.

Also, the cat thing is a lame mascot compared to Teddie.

It’s funny that you mention Sly Cooper, because that’s what the game seems somewhat influenced by with its similar cel shaded visual style and thief theme. The whole Phantom Thieves stealing hearts theme with them ripping off their masks to summon their personas is a bit odd and admittedly not quite as appealing as the themes in Persona 3 and 4 IMO, but still works within the game and probably shouldn’t prevent you from playing it. As for the cat mascot (Morgana), he’s cute with a funny personality. He’s not quite as appealing as Teddie, but I still like him.

[argyle]

Games added: Callisto Protocol, Airoheart, Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled, Crash N-Sane Trilogy, TMNT Cowabunga Collection, Ace Combat 7, Cursed to Golf, Spiritfarer, Pac-Man World Re-Pac, Risen (PS4 remaster/remake/rerelease/whatever)

Last week: Finished nothing, played Ghostwire

This week: Mainly Ghostwire, will probably wrap it up. Not sure what's next, plenty of options.

Most of those pickups were from the really good sales Gamestop was running last week, with the exception of Cursed to Golf - that was a Limited Run Games preorder that finally came in.

Absolutely loving Ghostwire. Cane, you mentioned that you don't like horror games, and it isn't really. It's spooky, but it's definitely not survival horror and it's not gory (and has almost no jump scares). I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I am - I had read that it was a 15-20 hour game, but I'm closing in on the 30 hour mark right now. So much to do, and so much fun. A definite hidden gem.

[jfissel]

Saw Octopath Traveler II on a Prime day sale last week and picked it up. Didn't get much time to play Code Name: STEAM much, so I need to get to it before Friday.

Excellent. Hope you dig Octopath.

I played Code Name STEAM. What I wrote at the time: "Loved this at first but in Chapter 6 it turns extremely annoying. Too bad." Good thing you're an actual machine playing a game about machines.

I'll keep a look out for chapter 6. It's not hard right now, but these types of games can ramp up quickly in difficulty. I'm not above following a guide for the later levels, lol.