The Backlog Check-in Vol. 100: 11/30/19: Happy 100 Edition

[Phaseknox]

Played: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Finished: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Playing: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

I finished Dragon Quest XI which took me around 80 hours. It was definitely a long adventure, and I enjoyed the majority of my time with it. However, its design structure was repetitive throughout. You travel somewhat linear outdoor areas on foot/horseback (you eventually get a boat too), reach a city/town/village, talk to several NPCs, go to a dungeon, defeat a boss, lather, rinse, repeat. The environment graphics change, but you're essentially doing the same thing throughout the entire course of the game.

Everything about it is rather archaic and straight forward which is part of its appeal and charm giving it a classic JRPG feel, but also makes it feel a little dated and lacking in overall gameplay variety. It didn't help that it took roughly 50 hours (when a certain event occurs) for it to start presenting any kind of a challenge considering that the main gameplay outside of running your character around is the turn-based battles.

The main draw of the game for me was the story and characters, both of which were really good IMO. However, despite a few dark moments in the story the game felt like it was made for a younger audience. It realistically could have been rated E10+ instead of T.

The experience was entertaining and fun throughout, but it was the story and characters that kept me engaged more than the actual gameplay. I enjoyed the traversal, exploration and combat, but the story and characters are what really made it for me.

There's post game content that I'm going to play now, but I admit that after playing for 80 hours I'm ready to move onto something else.

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Added to Backlog: Spider-Man GOTY & Persona 5

Current Backlog: 33 games

Up to nearly 120 hours in Odyssey - getting close to the end of the story and I've done at least 95% of the side stuff.

[canedaddy]

I haven't played anything since the last post... crazy busy with move stuff. Our belongings have been loaded onto a truck and are now headed east, and I'll be following them Friday.

Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving.

[isthatallyougot]

I was away on a long Thanksgiving trip with my kid, but I got back a few days ago and I'm sick as a dog. Ugh.

Anyway. I finished the campaign of RE:Revelations and really enjoyed it. I'm about to wrap up Paper Mario (N64), still playing Harvest Moon TToTT.

Are any of you guys going to do any year-end reviews/personal gaming year countdown?

[Phaseknox]

Are any of you guys going to do any year-end reviews/personal gaming year countdown?

Yeah, but I can only do a top 5 this year since that's about all that I finished. I played a lot of games, but didn't finish them.

[isthatallyougot]

Are any of you guys going to do any year-end reviews/personal gaming year countdown?

Yeah, but I can only do a top 5 this year since that's about all that I finished. I played a lot of games, but didn't finish them.

I have to start putting mine together. Running out of 2019.

[jfissel]

I intend to do a ranking of my (current) 8 games completed in 2019. I have a decent amount of time off this month, so a 9th game isn't out of the question.