The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

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Phaseknox
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Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:20 pm

The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

Played: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Finished: Nothing

Playing: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Added: Nothing

I’ve played Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for 40 hours now, and I’m enjoying it more since focusing on the main story quests, settlement character quests, raids and contracts. Nothing else in it really interests me all that much as a lot of it seems like filler to me. The world events which are the game’s little side quests are usually extremely short and dumb as they’re mostly for comedy relief, so I’ve basically stopped doing them. The main story is the real meat and potatoes of the game, and it’s quite good. And I really like Eivor, she’s a likable character. While the game overall isn’t quite as fun as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey IMO, it’s still entertaining and offers a better story and cast of characters.

Games releasing this week
Bad Dream: Coma
Before I Forget
Boris the Rocket
Buildings Have Feelings Too!
Cymatically Muffled
Dungeon Escape
Farm Manager 2021
Insurmountable
Legend of Keepers
MotoGP 21
New Pokémon Snap
Protocol
Returnal
R-Type Final 2
ScourgeBringer
Secret Neighbor
Total War: Rome Remastered
Trails and Traces: The Tomb of Thomas Tew
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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

Fam Phase, you know there was some things with Odyssey side quests. One, some were randomly generated but still kinda fun. Two, the kept adding new ones like over a year later. I think that's why you enjoyed them so much, many of them were curated and added after the fact like free DLC. And that world was so dang huge they keep just keep throwing new things in there and not muck up the kinda nebulous story. Good to know I can more mainline Valhalla...I just want to get to the end of whatever this bat**** crazy modern day story they cooked up.

Played: Enter the Gungeon, Shadow of War, Yakuza 3, Cuphead, Monster Boy Cursed Kingdom,

Bought: God Eater 3, Cuphead

This week: More of all that

So Yakuza 3 is doing its Yakuza thing. Guess the island starting chapters do go on way too long because I am way more into the Kamarucho stuff. Still looking forward to the change of pace with 4 and 5 (especially 5...bear fights and dance battles mofos!!!). Looked at God Eater 3...why are all the hair choices bad lately? And you can't even just be bald.

Oh and Cuphead is hard. It's just boss fights but the one thing I don't like so far is you are locked into purchase choices and cannot grind out cash if you need it without beating bosses to open new paths to levels. However, I need to change loadouts to help with the bosses I can't quite beat yet but don't have the means to do so. I love the clear Gunstar Heroes approach of just making almost every boss Seven Force, hate how limited I am in weapon and skill choices this far. Seeing how close you were to beating the bosses is kind of a great motivator. My old man hands can only play it for about an hour before my hand hurts though.
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canedaddy
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by canedaddy »

Bitching about the lack of bald options and your old man hands? Dang, you are turning into me. :cry: Won't be long before you're getting a cortisone shot in your arthritic knee.


Played recently: Days Gone, Ape Out

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: nothing

Current backlog: 16 (9 PS4, 1 Vita, 6 Switch)


Still riding along with Deek killing freaks and Rippers and zombie wolves and whatnot. Fun game. I still have no clue what to do with hordes, aside from run. I've taken out two camps that way, just running through them while being chased and letting the freakers do the dirty work.
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

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Finished: Wattam (platinum)

Now Playing: Immortals: Fenyx Rising PS5, something on PS4

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 40 games

Got the platinum trophy in Wattam. Not difficult, but there were a few grindy things. Another weird game from the Katamari guy, lol.

Cuphead is in my backlog, crim - not sure I like the locked-in upgrade choices. Might have to read up on that more before starting it so that I at least don't make it harder than it has to be.
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canedaddy
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by canedaddy »

So would you recommend Wattam for someone who loved Katamari but thought Noby Noby Boy was a bridge too far?
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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

I will NEVER be like you old man...you know, except the cortisone shot needing to go into my shoulder instead of my knee because of ego lifting at the gym...dang it old man, how do you deal with getting old, I can't do it ! It's gonna be the death of me, I just know it :| ... :P
jfissel wrote: Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:12 pm
Cuphead is in my backlog, crim - not sure I like the locked-in upgrade choices. Might have to read up on that more before starting it so that I at least don't make it harder than it has to be.
To clarify, it's nothing permanent, you can switch out your loadouts once you purchase the upgrade. They just are real stingy with money at the outset and you don't really know what will work best so you blind buy. If you play something like Gunstar Heroes, you can change weapons pretty willy nilly and not feel locked in. Cuphead lets you buy things but you're stuck with what you bought. Example: I bought a shotgun and the fast dash for evasion. I then decided I wanted to get the auto parry for a particular boss and barely used the shotgun I bought. However, there's no way to get more money due to how the levels and bosses are laid out. There's more bosses than levels but you need to make it through levels to get cash for upgrades and you can't rerun old levels for money. As you progress, this probably becomes a non-issue but I'm on the first island so it make things harder but not impossible. You j will probably plat this in like 39...wait, no. 37 minutes ;) .
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by jfissel »

canedaddy wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:13 pm So would you recommend Wattam for someone who loved Katamari but thought Noby Noby Boy was a bridge too far?
It's somewhere in between the games, but it shares a lot more with Noby Noby Boy than Katamari. The areas are floating squares and you can eat/poop stuff. Your goal is to take control of different characters and solve the next task. So for instance, maybe you can't progress further in the story because a large tree is upset that nothing equals its tallness. You need to start stacking available characters on top of each other until you're the same height and then talk to the tree. It'll be happy and the story can continue.

I'm thinking you will probably like it enough. What did you hate about Noby Noby Boy?
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canedaddy
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by canedaddy »

crimson_tide wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:54 pm I will NEVER be like you old man...you know, except the cortisone shot needing to go into my shoulder instead of my knee because of ego lifting at the gym...dang it old man, how do you deal with getting old, I can't do it ! It's gonna be the death of me, I just know it :| ... :P
As they say, getting old beats the alternative. That's about all I can say in its favor.
jfissel wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 3:19 pm I'm thinking you will probably like it enough. What did you hate about Noby Noby Boy?
I wouldn't say I hated it... it was fun to fart around with for a bit. But Katamari is one of my all-time faves.
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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 173: 4/24/21: Returnal Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

Well I lucked out at the Target clearance for once and scored Trials of Mana for $15! It might just be that PS2 style action rpg I have been in search of for months now...

But only after Yakuza 3. I just opened up the HLA and Hitman missions which is one of my favorite Yakuza questlines ever. Plus I am more than half done. Plus I just ditched Rikiya and his "Aniki!!!!!" annoying ass nonsense. And I just got all the Komaki moves. And...gosh dang it, looks like Yakuza 3 has finally won me over...but it's so janky and the bosses are so obnoxious...I cannot wait to get to 4. I loved 4 so very much. Looks like 2021 is becoming the year of Yakuza remasters...it just feels so good to play them. Some good ol video game ass video gaming comfort food :D
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