The Backlog Check-in Vol. 320: 2/17/24: Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters Edition

[Phaseknox]

Played: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

Finished: Nothing

Playing: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

Added: Alisa Developer’s Cut, Alphadia I & II, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

Games releasing this week
Balatro
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story
CorpoNation: The Sorting Process
Death From Above
Empires Shall Fail
502’s Arcade
Flooded
Furnish Masters
Garden Life
Geometry Survivor
Inkulinati
Irem Collection Volume 2
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale
Last Epoch
Le Mans Ultimate
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends
The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology
Myth of Empires
NBA Infinite
Nightingale
9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far
Nyaaaanvy
Pacific Drive
Please, Touch the Artwork 2
Pneumata
Quadroids
Slave Zero X
Sons of the Forest
Star Trek Legends
Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance
Time to Morp
Train Valley Collection
The Tribe Must Survive
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters - Duty Eternal
Wira and Taksa: Against the Master of Gravity
Zombie Within

[canedaddy]

Played recently: Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Finished: Like a Dragon

Added to backlog: nothing

Current backlog: 35


I beat Like a Dragon over the weekend. Also did all side missions, kart racing (that last one was tough!), Part-Time Hero support and rescue, business management complete, etc.

Looks like I can get platinum if I do a little more of the can collecting minigame and finish the postgame dungeon, so I will give that a shot. My squad is pretty tough, I think we can hang. (I had thought I'd have to play all the Japanese card games and whatnot... that wasn't happening.)

WHAT A GREAT GAME! Thanks to all who voted for it as my next one. Wild that I had serious doubts after my first hour or so and it finished in my top 10 all time, probably.

[argyle]

Games added: Granblue Fantasy: Relink (ps5), Dungeon Munchies (ps4)

Last week: Finished nothing, played Like A Dragon, Gal Guardians, and ...Elden Ring???

This week: Going to finish LAD, and will probably start Granblue

I've decided I'm going to focus on the story & wrap up LAD - whenever I try to do the support part-time hero missions that have you hunt down certain enemies, they're never where they say they are and I end up spending 15-20 mins fighting random mobs (or watching my crew fight them on autopilot) and it's boring. It's actually killing my interest, which is no good, so I'm gonna hit the story & wrap it up.

I came home last week to find Tam downloading Elden Ring. I sighed at her, and when she asked me what was wrong I told her I had been actively resisting reinstalling it recently. I then started downloading it. Since then I have logged another 20-25 hours into it. That game is definitely in my top-5 all time. I started a new character because frankly I had forgotten how to play. After playing him for 20+ hours or so, I jumped back into my main and re-spec'd him to be the same class/style as my new character, only the end-game version. Grabbed a few pieces of equipment I was missing from that recommended build (the game is MASSIVE, there are caves & items hidden everywhere and I'm sure I still haven't found them all). I've got him all geared up & his equipment maxed out now, so I *think* I've gotten that out of my system...until the DLC finally drops.

Congrats on wrapping up LAD cane - glad you liked it! I've decided, my earthly life being finite and all, that there's no way I will ever play all of the Yakuza games, but I can at least tread the LAD series as a fresh start and keep up with those.

[isthatallyougot]

WHAT A GREAT GAME! Thanks to all who voted for it as my next one. Wild that I had serious doubts after my first hour or so and it finished in my top 10 all time, probably.

That game is definitely in my top-5 all time.

Both you guys talking about all-time rankings reminds me that I'm still working on mine, as I have been forever, lol. I don't remember if I mentioned it here or not, but I tried putting together my list *years* ago, and every time I sorted it and then looked at it, I ended up reshuffling things...I just couldn't get it "right". So I decided to come up the the ultimate "objective" subjective (ha) method. I made a massive spreadsheet and ended up letting each game on my list justify itself against every other game mano a mano. I go through one game and give it a win (1 point) or loss (0 points) against every other game on my list until I have a cold, hard fact (number) to give it a weight relative to every other game. But I'm so slow in doing this, and when I do it I end up agonizing over so many of the "little" decisions. I'll go down Youtube rabbit holes, read about each to refresh my memory and even sometimes go back and play some of each when it gets really tough. Yeah, I'm messed up. And to compound problems, of course I'm adding new hall-of-famers to my list every year, so I just end up feeling like I'm drowning and put it off for long stretches and then come back to it. Oh, and then I try to write reviews for each when I finish off one column that feels like it does the game justice, which takes even more time. Oh my. What has I done?!? Maybe I'll finish it before I die...

As for my own gaming time, I started up Mizzurna Falls. Inspired by the excellent game and great translation of Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 on PS2 I played earlier, there was another game that got a translation in 2021 that I had really wanted to play for a long time. It's a PS1 open world game centering on a mystery of a girl who died, another girl who has disappeared and the small town of colorful characters and how they fit into this jigsaw. It's *very* Twin Peaks in inspiration, and that was a big reason I was drawn to it. I've played through the first day. (I think there are six total) But all events take place whether you are present for them or not - the world just carries on. So you've got to make sure you're talking to characters, both in person and on your phone to make sure you're showing up for crucial events. And the clock moves pretty rapidly, so there's a real chance of missing out. There are apparently several endings, and I'm fully expecting to get a bad one on this playthrough. I'm not using a guide because of the fun of trying to uncover this story, world and characters on my own. But I may use one if I feel a second play is warranted after the first. To be clear, it's quite rough around the edges, but the ambition is really compelling for this era. Anyway, I'm not sure how I'll feel about it, since I haven't played enough to tell. But in premise, I'm very into things so far and just grateful for the work of these translators. It's another one I never really expected to have the opportunity to play, so I'm happy, however I end up feeling about it.

[canedaddy]

Well, my bluster about getting the Like a Dragon platinum has run head-on into reality. I beat the final postgame dungeon fairly easily... the last guy was tough... only to discover there's a TRUE final dungeon that is much harder and apparently requires maxing out most of your party and gear. For me, that would mean many, many hours of grinding... my dudes are around 71 and it's a long way to 99.

jfissel, you did this???

Both you guys talking about all-time rankings reminds me that I'm still working on mine, as I have been forever, lol. I don't remember if I mentioned it here or not, but I tried putting together my list *years* ago, and every time I sorted it and then looked at it, I ended up reshuffling things...I just couldn't get it "right". So I decided to come up the the ultimate "objective" subjective (ha) method. I made a massive spreadsheet and ended up letting each game on my list justify itself against every other game mano a mano. I go through one game and give it a win (1 point) or loss (0 points) against every other game on my list until I have a cold, hard fact (number) to give it a weight relative to every other game. But I'm so slow in doing this, and when I do it I end up agonizing over so many of the "little" decisions. I'll go down Youtube rabbit holes, read about each to refresh my memory and even sometimes go back and play some of each when it gets really tough. Yeah, I'm messed up. And to compound problems, of course I'm adding new hall-of-famers to my list every year, so I just end up feeling like I'm drowning and put it off for long stretches and then come back to it. Oh, and then I try to write reviews for each when I finish off one column that feels like it does the game justice, which takes even more time. Oh my. What has I done?!? Maybe I'll finish it before I die...

Ha, you are a nut. In a good way. It's much easier to just say something is top 10 all time without having to make sure that is true.

My head hurts at the idea of even casually throwing together such a list, let alone taking a serious approach like yours. I know it would have Red Dead 2, some GTA, some Dragon Quest, Psychonauts, Midnight Club 3... and then things get tough.

[crimson_tide]

I thought you were cray cray going for the plat, old man. Looks like reality has humbled you . I did plat The Man Who Erased His Name. But that was mad basic (except that billiards trophy. **** billiards). The true final dungeon nonsense made me not even try for the plat in LAD. I will likely try for it in Infinite Wealth though. The list looks relatively tame plus them cutting off the DLC trophies from the main game trophies makes it attainable since the end game stuff is a separate list this time (ie if they did this in LAD, the true final dungeon would have been in a DLC trophy list). That's like the tiniest perk of the DLC trophies being scummy paid day one DLC, the game can realistically be plat'd .

Played: Infinite Wealth solo, Lego Star Wars and Pocket Fighter with the child

Bought: Nothing

Beat: Nothing

This week: midwinter recess so it's all Infinite Wealth all the time this week, up to chapter 4 and just opened up the Pokemon...homage, Sujimon.

Glad to see all the Like A Dragon love up in this club!!!...sorry, I will be making Usher references for months most likely because my wife would not stop talking about that dang ol halftime thing.

I don't know that I could ever do a ranking, izzy. I find it way easier to rank franchises since I am a creature of habit and like going back to things I am comfortable with. So Ratchet, Like A Dragon/Yakuza, Kingdom Hearts, FF I can rank as a series but I find it difficult to even rank within them what is even my favorite. I have some weird outliers like Rocketknight Adventures, Dragon Force, Dark Cloud 2 and of course The World Ends With You but I would still have to do it by franchise if I ever made a top five list I think.

[isthatallyougot]

Ha, you are a nut. In a good way. It's much easier to just say something is top 10 all time without having to make sure that is true.

My head hurts at the idea of even casually throwing together such a list, let alone taking a serious approach like yours. I know it would have Red Dead 2, some GTA, some Dragon Quest, Psychonauts, Midnight Club 3... and then things get tough.

Yeah, I figured all those you mentioned would be high on your all-time rankings, given the dialogue over the years. And I wouldn't say I'm a nut "in a good way". From the inside, it's more like a compulsively torturous way, lol. And to be clear, I surely do know the general gist of my list in terms of the hierarchy of 'greats within greats'. I mean, I could easily do a rough list, but I want as precise a list as I am able to muster - again, I'm most definitely broken in some comical ways.

I don't know that I could ever do a ranking, izzy. I find it way easier to rank franchises since I am a creature of habit and like going back to things I am comfortable with. So Ratchet, Like A Dragon/Yakuza, Kingdom Hearts, FF I can rank as a series but I find it difficult to even rank within them what is even my favorite. I have some weird outliers like Rocketknight Adventures, Dragon Force, Dark Cloud 2 and of course The World Ends With You but I would still have to do it by franchise if I ever made a top five list I think.

Oh I'm the same when it comes to series...in most cases. For example the Souls series (Demon's, 1, 2 & 3) occupy one spot on my list. They have their differences, but how I feel about them is ultimately the same, and it would serve little purpose to differentiate them on my all-time list. I can and do distinguish between them *within* that ranking, but there's no reason for me to isolate them when they are not only so similar in an objective sense, but more importantly for my list of subjective appreciation, are virtually identical, and I could easily view them as one multi-chaptered game. The Uncharted series is another one that is a single entry on my list, for example. And Ratchet and Clank, like you, is a single entry for the games that made my list. (There are some that didn't, but they're the non mainline entries like Deadlocked, etc. - even though I did enjoy those too.) For an opposing example, Mario platformers are all over the place and don't "go together" for me in terms of my general sentiments towards them. They're different enough that I can't group them as one.

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Windbound, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 43 games

I have put in so many hours for Infinite Wealth, lol. In chapter 10, 77ish hours played. So much stuff to do!

Well, my bluster about getting the Like a Dragon platinum has run head-on into reality. I beat the final postgame dungeon fairly easily... the last guy was tough... only to discover there's a TRUE final dungeon that is much harder and apparently requires maxing out most of your party and gear. For me, that would mean many, many hours of grinding... my dudes are around 71 and it's a long way to 99.

jfissel, you did this???

Listen, I am not the best role model when it comes to trophies. But no, I am missing 3 trophies besides the platinum - level 70, last dungeon, and millennium tower - so you are past me! Congrats on beating the game!

I've decided I'm going to focus on the story & wrap up LAD - whenever I try to do the support part-time hero missions that have you hunt down certain enemies, they're never where they say they are and I end up spending 15-20 mins fighting random mobs (or watching my crew fight them on autopilot) and it's boring. It's actually killing my interest, which is no good, so I'm gonna hit the story & wrap it up.

Congrats on wrapping up LAD cane - glad you liked it! I've decided, my earthly life being finite and all, that there's no way I will ever play all of the Yakuza games, but I can at least tread the LAD series as a fresh start and keep up with those.

Definitely don't do stuff that isn't fun in these games, plenty of other side stuff to enjoy!

[argyle]

Yesssssssssssssss

[isthatallyougot]

Yesssssssssssssss

That looks really good. I wonder who the developer is? Might ought to check it out.