The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

Thanks argyle! And I think I'm with Phase. I am currently in no rush to get a PS5 if Miles Morales is going to be on PS4. I want one for Ratchet though :P. My wife asked if she should pre order for Xmas and I was like nah. I looked at both it and the Xbox S and there's not anything really grabbing me except Miles so I will just wait it out. Also, still ain't paying full price for games ever again if I can help it.

I was curious because everyone talks about Xbox game pass like it's the second coming. I looked at the lineup tonight out of curiosity...aside from the first party stuff which I have no interest in, isn't it and PS Now the same basic thing except game pass lets you download everything instead of streaming? Because they both have lineups with some big highs but the vast majority is really kinda whatever.
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

I might end up getting a PS5 sooner than I really want to if the disc drive in my PS4 stops working. It stopped reading discs right side up, so I put it upside down and it read discs again. But tonight it stopped reading them upside down, so I put it right side up again and it’s working. However, there’s obviously something wrong with it and I have a feeling that it’s going to stop reading discs completely no matter how I place it, and if that happens it will become a digital only console and I won’t be able to play my large library of physical games on it.

Thankfully I have hundreds of digital games so even if I can’t play my physical games I still have plenty of games to play, but most of my physical games are what I want to play the most. However, I can go without playing them until I get a PS5.

Not being able to play Cyberpunk 2077 when it comes out will be unfortunate since it’s my most anticipated game of the year, but I will just get the PS5 version at a later time.

Hopefully the disc drive in my PS4 will continue to work so that I won’t have to worry about any of this, but I have a feeling that it’s not going to.

In other news, I stopped playing Ary and the Secret of Seasons. This has more to do with me not feeling well than with the game itself, but the pacing of it is pretty slow and was making it hard for me to stay invested when I’m not feeling up to snuff.

You need to physically traverse somewhat lengthy open-ish outdoor areas to reach destination points, but the problem is that these areas are fairly empty without much to do in them but travel across them which is a little dull. Things are a little more interesting when you come across small towns and villages with NPCs to interact with some of which give you little side quests, but these are few and far between. It doesn’t help that the game has a bit of a lifeless feel to it, everything feels a bit artificial and sterile. NPCs aren’t animated, they just stand in place like mannequins. They also look like mannequins with an odd plastic look to them. Enemies in the environments just stand still in place as well until you get near them, then they come after you.

Combat is so basic that it’s not very fun to engage in, and the only time that it’s really necessary is when enemies have to be defeated to advance. Enemies out in the world can be avoided since fighting them doesn’t reward you with anything.

The game in general just has a weird vibe to it like a European developer attempting to make a Japanese Nintendo-like game, but missing the mark. The opening cutscene has a Disney or Dreamworks like appeal to it, but unfortunately that kind of goes away in the first town area and feels more like an attempt to mimic a JRPG without really pulling it off.

While the graphics and overall art style aren’t bad, they do look dated and would have benefitted from having more of a stylized cel-shaded look instead.

The highlights of the game are its story, main characters, dungeons and season shifting abilities. The dungeons with their platforming and puzzle elements are especially good, but unfortunately they only make up a small part of the game. A good amount of the game seems to be traversing large empty outdoor areas that seem like they were designed to be explored, but ultimately just feel like wasted space.

If it sounds like I’m a little disappointed with the game, it’s because I am. It’s just not as good as the trailers and gameplay videos make it look. It’s definitely not bad, I still think that it’s a colorful, cute and fun third person action/adventure/platformer - but it’s definitely on the low budget side and is missing the pizazz and production values that a game like this needs to feel like an interactive animated adventure. The extremely long load times, bugs, jank and technical issues don’t help matters any either.

And finally the whole story arc of Ary making herself look like a boy is completely pointless, and has me confused why they did it. To be fair they somewhat gave a reason at the beginning of the game, but didn’t follow through with the reason after that.

The bottom line is that the game is not worth $39.99, it should have been $19.99-$29.99. If any of you still have an interest in it, I would suggest getting it when it’s $19.99 or less.
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by jfissel »

Hmmm, that sucks about Ary. I may still pick it up for cheap down the line.

I was able to secure a PS5 pre-order from Target, so hopefully that holds up. This will be my first console/handheld purchased on day 1, if you can believe that.
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argyle
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by argyle »

I managed to get one of the Sony preorder invites and I used it to nail mine down today. In addition to the exclusives on the way (Ratchet & Clank is supposed to be "launch window", so probably first 3-4 months or so) I'm really anxious to play some of the current gen games with the faster load times and other enhancements. Besides, I've gotten the PS2, PS3 and PS4 at launch - I see no reason to stop now. :P

Unfortunately I haven't been able to secure one for Tam yet, due to the blunder of retail preorders Weds afternoon. Hopefully the rumors of Sony releasing some more to stores is true, and I have the guys at my local GS looking out for me. Speaking of, I swung by tonight and they said if I bought a couple of gift cards & left them with them they would lock me in preorders for the Xbox SeX as soon as they go up. :D

Yeah, I think I've mentioned it, but I have sold a LOT of stuff out of my collection while I've been quarantined and still have more to sell. So I figure I may as well go ahead & upgrade us both.

EDIT: Heads up! Get a year of PS+ for $28 & change: https://www.cdkeys.com/playstation-netw ... slickdeals
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed
if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I
became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the
desire to be very grown up.” ― C.S. Lewis

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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

Thanks Argyle for the ps+ cheap! I used cdkkeys before so I trust it (normally I am overly skittish about online stores).

I never had a new system day one either. But I really am not going to buy anything for it until the games were cheap. But I have some PS4 stuff to play until prices drop. Also since went all digital, who knows how long before prices drop (of course I would get the disc free one). I'll have Miles, Yakuza 7, FF14, Horizon 2, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memories (yes, I am looking forward to this rhythm game day one because I love Yoko Shimomura's music and my wife taking me to see the KH concert live last year at the end of the school year with Yoko Shimomura coming out to play was a top 5 life experiences moment...I love my wife she's so ****ing baller...) I think that's more than enough to hold out a bit until Ratchet.

But a day one experience might be nice too...I should just be strong :? ...
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argyle
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by argyle »

crimson_tide wrote: Sat Sep 19, 2020 10:49 am Thanks Argyle for the ps+ cheap! I used cdkkeys before so I trust it (normally I am overly skittish about online stores).
You're welcome! I always research a bit before I jump on a deal like that myself to make sure the place is legit. And if I ever post anything here, I've done it myself first so I know it's good. :)

Oh! I meant to respond to your question about Game Pass earlier. The biggest difference is the day-1 release of games it gets - all first party games and also quite a few indies. It has saved me a good bit of money just on the indie side. MS is also expanding their first party offerings quite a bit with the new studios they've picked up, so those offerings are more enticing than the old Halo-Forza-Gears schtick. But even beyond those, they have a great selection of recent third party offerings that cycle through, and they just seem to be improving that as they go. Off the top of my head I played through Rage 2 around the first part of this year on it, and I wanna say my Just Cause 4 playthrough was on it as well. Of course there are several I've tried and didn't like so I didn't get that far in them, but that's a benefit too - I didn't have to specifically buy them to find that out.
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed
if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I
became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the
desire to be very grown up.” ― C.S. Lewis

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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 141: 9/12/20: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Edition

Post by jfissel »

I got 2 years of PS+ from that deal, was looking for one before mine needed extending in early December. Thanks, argyle!
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