The Backlog Check-In Vol. 452: 8/31/26: Blood of Dawnwalker/Onimusha: Way of the Sword Edition

[canedaddy]

New games this week:

Aug. 31
Serious Sam: Shatterverse (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Sept. 1
Aerial_Knight's MrFreezy (PC)
Crimson Moon (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Sept. 2
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC)

Sept. 3
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game (Xbox Series X/S)
BioEden (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC)
Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
NBA 2K27 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
Orbitals (Switch 2)
SpeedRunners 2: King Of Speed (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
The Blood of Dawnwalker (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition (Switch 2)
My Hero Academia: All's Justice (Switch 2)

Sept. 4
Onimusha: Way of the Sword (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants - Ninja Edition (Switch 2)

The fall onslaught pre-GTA 6 begins! Blood of Dawnwalker and Onimusha look amazing. Anyone there on day 1 for either?






Played recently: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance, Titan Quest (picked up cheap in Gamestop B2G1F PS4 sale, along with DQ Builders)

Boycott week is in the books and I hit a good stopping point in Oracle of Seasons (want to keep that for when I need something portable to play), so I have turned on my PS5 once again. First thing I did was grab the free PS5 update for The Witcher 3 (I just had the PS4 disc, but that gets you a free upgrade to the PS5 version). I thought the enhancements they announced last week looked awesome, so I'll be going back to the game once that stuff comes out in late September.

So now I just need to decide what to play in the meantime...

[isthatallyougot]

I still need to play the Witcher games. But, given how story-focused of a series it is, I will definitely start with the first game whenever I begin. I have no issue with old games obviously, and it still looks like it would click with me. I've got them all on Steam and the original on GOG as well. One day.

I started up a really fun platformer called Grapple Dog. I didn't know much about it, but it has been mechanically excellent and the challenge has really ramped up in the later levels. I didn't expect it would be as good as it has been going in, but it has been a beautiful surprise. Who knew a dog with a grappling hook could be so fun. He's a good boy.

[canedaddy]

I'm glad my dog doesn't have a grappling hook.

I just realized argyle hasn't posted in a month or so. Has he gone the way of Phase to the great cloud save in the sky?

[isthatallyougot]

I'm glad my dog doesn't have a grappling hook.

I just realized argyle hasn't posted in a month or so. Has he gone the way of Phase to the great cloud save in the sky?

But imagine all the fun your doggo could have. Seriously though, that game is hella fun. I wasn't prepared, having gone in without any real expectations. I've only collected a little over half of the 300 gems (you don't need them all to beat the game), and some have been very challenging and super fun to get.

Yeah, I was thinking the same about argyle. Life is unpredictable and short. I sometimes think about this long-term "digital family" we have here - something only possible within the context of this modern world - and I wonder about everyone's personal lives. We all have our struggles - sometimes great - and I would assume we mostly keep those things to ourselves. Granted, when phase was really up against it, he vented here. But what can any of us do? Hopefully argyle's situation is manageable for him and he hasn't been uploaded to that cloud save yet. Maybe he's just decided suddenly that gaming is a waste of time for him and has begun his journey as argyle monk-monkey, ha. One day there will be a last post on the PS2backlog, and like all last things it too will fade away. Too grim? Blessings to all you brothers, whatever may be currently or in the future transpiring for you.

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 35 games

I think I'm approaching the end of the story in Expedition 33, but you never know with these games.

Anyone backing Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter campaign?

[canedaddy]

Anyone backing Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter campaign?

Not me, but I'm glad to see they're almost at the goal. I backed something of theirs on Fig back in the day. Broken Age?

[jfissel]

Anyone backing Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter campaign?

Not me, but I'm glad to see they're almost at the goal. I backed something of theirs on Fig back in the day. Broken Age?

That or Massive Chalice, maybe?

They made their goal - thinking of backing it to 1) support them after being back to independent and 2) vote/play some of these games that sound fun in concept.

Beat who I thought might be the last boss in Expedition 33, and then of course they add more story and I'm back to more exploration before credits roll at some point.

[canedaddy]

Beat who I thought might be the last boss in Expedition 33, and then of course they add more story and I'm back to more exploration before credits roll at some point.

I'm getting the impression this isn't a jfissel favorite.

[crimson_tide]

Platinum"d: Pirate Yakuza...ok, so I wasn't done pirating yet. Now I'm done. I went back in to mop up the remainder of the bounties and just kept plugging away for another couple hours and there was a platinum. I was way closer than I thought.

Played: FF16, DQ Builders 2 (back on that train grind, busting out the Steam Deck again!)

This week:...FF16. It's very brown. And they apparently let me write the dialogue because all they do when they aren't dismembering people is swear. Like distractingly so. Like I want them to tone it down. ME. They don't swear right. They needed someone who actually knows how to swear to write this dialogue. They do it all wrong. Clive has a cool voice at least. Also, **** the ****ing **** out of his ****ing **** of a ****ing mom. I don't mind the action RPG setup or even the no real party thing. But aside from getting revenge for IYKYK and it being pretty to look and hear, this isn't hitting the way I thought. It needs like constant kaiju battles, not squaring up for one on one sword duels every half hour or so. It feels like a very vanilla Kingdom Hearts. I'm only about 6 hours in but it's going to have a real uphill battle keeping me from moving onto FF7 Rebirth if it doesn't step it up soon...