The Backlog Check-in Vol. 259: 12/17/22: Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth Edition

[Phaseknox]

Played: Roki

Finished: Roki

Playing: Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards

Added: Nothing

I started playing Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards, and since it’s $10 I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it is. I don’t know why it’s being sold for so cheap, because it’s actually a fairly quality game from a production value standpoint. It seems more like a AA game than an indie, it has fairly good graphics and voice acting. The game is a linear isometric view action adventure with light RPG elements. It’s similar to Diablo III with your character traversing linear levels, fighting waves of enemies and collecting loot. You also gain XP, level and unlock attacks and skills. I’m still early in the game, but I’ve been enjoying it so far.

Games releasing this week
Blue Prince
Duelyst II
8-Ball Pocket
Mirror 2: Project Z
Naraka: Bladepoint
Project Snaqe
Ships Simulator
Surrounded
Tower Princess
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Wally and the Fantastic Predators
Wave Break

[argyle]

Games added: Need For Speed: Unbound, HOA, Alex Kid In Miracle World DX - and Switch versions of a couple I already had on other systems - Dragon Quest XI & Bayonetta 2

Last week: Finished Sonic Frontiers, played Diablo 3, Xenoblade 3, HOA

This week: *shrug*

Sonic was good, I still give it a recommend at a reduced price, but man that game was too long. Didn't help that all of the environments (save for the desert) all kinda look the same. And there were some odd design choices. For instance, there's a day/night cycle that serves absolutely no purpose except in each of the 4 main areas there's one task that requires you to do it at night. For no reason other than for them to point out that there is a day/night cycle. And there's no way to jump time, so you pretty much just have to wait around. And the plot is super dramatic - in a Sonic game? They actually make you feel bad for Eggman/Robotnik at the end. Like I said, odd.

But the game's a lot of fun overall. Nothing's really that difficult, it's basically a turn your brain off kind of game, but that's good sometimes. I enjoyed it, and it's one of only a handful of Sonic games I've ever finished, so hey. That's something.

I'm very early in HOA, but man, that game is absolutely gorgeous and extremely relaxing. It's like playing a Studio Ghibli movie. Really looking forward to putting some more time into that one.

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Stray, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, God of War: Ragnarok

Added to Backlog: God of War: Ragnarok

Current Backlog: 44 games

Probably not going to game much this week due to the upcoming holidays, but we'll see. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

[Phaseknox]

I had to stop playing Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards despite enjoying it, because there’s a glitch with the controls. The right analog stick is used to dodge roll in the direction that you press, but when I press it the character starts rolling continuously uncontrollably and doesn’t stop until I hold the right analog stick and fiddle with it. I was putting up with this for a while thinking that it would eventually fix itself since I just figured that it was a bug, but it never did even when I restarted the game. I looked up to see if it was a common issue and hopefully find a way to fix it, but I couldn’t find anything about it which makes me think that it’s an issue with my controller. My controller sometimes has camera drift when I press the R2 trigger, but that’s the only issue that I’ve had with it. I don’t know why there’s an issue with the right analog stick with this game, but it unfortunately makes the game basically unplayable because not only is dodge rolling vital to the gameplay but also because any touch of the right analog stick makes the character start dodge rolling in random directions uncontrollably and won’t stop until I keep fiddling with the right analog stick. So I guess that I won’t be able to play this game unless I get a new controller, because it seems to be a problem with my controller and not the game since I couldn’t find anything about this problem anywhere.

I started playing Demoniaca: Everlasting Night, and I had to stop playing it due to control issues as well. Not because my controller was messing up, but because it has probably the worst button mapping of any game that I’ve played before and there’s no option to change it. It’s a 2D side scrolling action adventure platform game with fighting game style combat. All four of the face buttons are used for attacks, the top two are light and heavy kicks and the bottom two are light and heavy punches. In the history of beat ‘em ups and fighting games the top two face buttons have always been for punches and the bottom two for kicks, so I couldn’t get used to them being reversed. And the R2 trigger is the jump button which I also couldn’t get accustomed to, because for 2D side scrolling games a face button is almost always used to jump. So despite the game seeming like a pretty cool Metroidvania, it was basically unplayable for me due to the awkward button mapping.

I started playing Guacamelee!, and it clicked with me right away. The graphics, music and gameplay are all topnotch. I really like its colorful cartoonish aesthetic, humor and personality. The combat and platforming is a lot of fun as well. However, when I was introduced to Tostada early in the game and it said that a second player could play as her I was disappointed that I couldn’t play as her solo. I was so disappointed in fact that I wasn’t sure that I was going to stick with the game despite liking a lot about it, because I wasn’t finding Juan to be very appealing since he’s yet another big and bulky male tank type character which I’m not fond of. However, when I made it to the first shop there was a costume select option that not only allows you to buy different costumes for Juan but also play as different characters. Some you have to buy to play as, but Tostada is free so I switched to playing as her and I’ve been enjoying the game a lot more ever since.

[crimson_tide]

Hey, been busy. Work. Life. You know, nothing fun like getting super lost in a game .

Played: been all over in fits and starts with stuff here and there but Scarlet Nexus is really hitting the spot in the times I get to play it. Oh and the second TMNT GB game. Didn't care for it.

Bought: Nothing. But the foster agency brought us another 5 month old baby girl. So that's been keeping me busy I guess.

Beat: The second TMNT GB game.

So. Yeah. Nothing fun to report. Kid is cool though . Also, I cosign with Arglye's assessment of Sonic Frontiers. There are some extremely bizarre design choices (again, they break their own game with the fishing minigame). I really didn't like how they implemented the leveling up, it took forever because you can only go up one level at a time...for four attributes. Up to level 99. It's not ok. But there will be more about that game in the near future .

I really want to get into Scarlet Nexus but I can't get a good groove going at the moment between home and work stuff. But I will probably do my game of the year list after that.

[jfissel]

I started playing Guacamelee!, and it clicked with me right away. The graphics, music and gameplay are all topnotch. I really like its colorful cartoonish aesthetic, humor and personality. The combat and platforming is a lot of fun as well. However, when I was introduced to Tostada early in the game and it said that a second player could play as her I was disappointed that I couldn’t play as her solo. I was so disappointed in fact that I wasn’t sure that I was going to stick with the game despite liking a lot about it, because I wasn’t finding Juan to be very appealing since he’s yet another big and bulky male tank type character which I’m not fond of. However, when I made it to the first shop there was a costume select option that not only allows you to buy different costumes for Juan but also play as different characters. Some you have to buy to play as, but Tostada is free so I switched to playing as her and I’ve been enjoying the game a lot more ever since.

That game was great! I bought the 2nd one and it's in my backlog, hope it's just as good.

[Phaseknox]

Scarlet Nexus is really hitting the spot in the times I get to play it.

I enjoyed that game for the most part, but it kind of falls off the rails near the end and some of the bosses are frustratingly difficult. I rage quit on a boss close to the end. I’ll be curious to hear what you think when you get near the end.

the foster agency brought us another 5 month old baby girl. So that's been keeping me busy I guess.

How many children do you foster at a time, and about how long do you usually foster them for?

That game was great! I bought the 2nd one and it's in my backlog, hope it's just as good.

I have the second one too which I plan on playing after I finish the first.

[crimson_tide]

That game was great! I bought the 2nd one and it's in my backlog, hope it's just as good.

I missed this earlier, I really dug Guacamelee as well. I started the 2nd but immediately got distracted I think by AC Odyssey. Need to run it back...

The most we have had at a time was 3 fosters. And this is our fifth foster kiddo, seventh placement overall (we had one 3 different times, she's with us for the long haul now). The time varies for how long we have them. You can't foster for more than 18 months unless they are placing the kiddo with you permanently. And terminating parental rights is insanely expensive so the state is not paying that unless they have to. The teenager we have is ours for good because her mom passed and she's just in our household now. We had the two bros for about a year, through the height of the pandemic. And the new kiddo we aren't expecting for long. But the kid needs us now so we will do what we can and love her like our own until she goes home. It's a bittersweet but rewarding process. I personally love fostering .

[Phaseknox]

I really dug Guacamelee as well.

I quit playing it. Part of the problem is that playing as Tostada is strictly cosmetic as the story and characters still acknowledge the character as Juan. It was off-putting playing as Tostada, but the game still treating me as if I was playing as Juan. And while I realize that Juan is meant to be the main protagonist, they could have still come up with a way to make it work within the story to play as Tostada instead. But my bigger issue was with a level that I made it to having little dimension switching portals everywhere making navigation confusing. The concept was somewhat neat at first, but they went overboard with it to the point of being annoying. I just want to fight enemies and overcome platforming challenges through somewhat linear levels, not have to deal with gimmick-y stuff like this. I was no longer having fun, so I stopped playing.

I started playing The Ascent, and I’ve been enjoying it. It’s an isometric view action RPG that’s like a cyberpunk Diablo III. The graphics are really detailed with great lighting effects, and the mix of melee combat and twin stick shooting is fun. My only complaints with it so far are that the female character customization options aren’t very appealing (but still more appealing than playing as a dude ), and your character is a silent protagonist. This makes them feel more like an avatar than an actual character with emotions and personality, and it makes playing as them less engaging and interesting. But these are somewhat minor complaints, because the core game looks and plays really good and is fun.

[crimson_tide]

In a hilarious turn of events, I just found out that people do still in fact shop for physical video games . I have been searching for Splatoon 3 for the kid. It is sold out physically everywhere here in NYC. I never even thought to look for it because she's been asking for months about it because I thought who besides collector types buys physical anymore? Turns out A LOT of people do. Apparently I am the outlier .