Something went wrong. Try again later

bonbolapti

.

1752 4208 49 71
Forum Posts Wiki Points Following Followers

My friends are dead (and all I had on me was a p2020)

No Caption Provided

I’m not going to get myself lost in the hype of it. As a week has passed I’ve played enough for it to settle in. I’ve only ever played Fortnite a couple of times before, and probably missed the boat on PUBG, but I think I can confidently say that I get it.

But what helps the notion that I understand, most of all, is that the game has character. It doesn’t take much for it to be another mindless military shooter with one life to live, but making it a hero shooter is the thing that has made it stand out. Between the ‘get to the point’ attitude of something like PUBG, and the ‘please love us, we’ll do anything’ mission statement of Fortnite, all I really ask is we throw a handful of chuckleheads onto an island, and watch the banter bullets fly.

The more impressive thing about it, and this is such a little thing for me, (but clearly gets written on websites as a much bigger deal.) All of these characters are just written as people. Their personalities, preferences, attitudes towards the battle. Instead of hoaky caricatures of archetypes, they’re just written to be normalized human beings on a weird little island where they kill each other.

In the year of our lord 2019 diversity in anything shouldn’t be an issue, and Respawn proves that just by saying "look at these fuckin characters, man."

Characters such as:

Bangalore: Runs away from danger but isn’t afraid to fog up her own vision if it means killing you, hopefully.

Bloodhound: Smells your fear as long as the hovering icon is easy to read. Hopes to see you at church.

Caustic: Insert my lazy joke about being a toxic white male here, but I can admit, I can only relate to him cause I fart everywhere and like to drink coffee.

Gibraltar: Easy to compare him to Winston because he has a big dome shield. But honestly, more of a bear than an ape.

Lifeline: Repurposed snowball to be useful. Oh god, have the Overwatch comparisons already started. If Lucio gets cereal, will she sell breath mints?

Mirage: Less about using his decoys in an effective way, more-so he just likes to watch himself leave.

Pathfinder: I can’t tell if he’s genuinely happy, or learned sarcasm from late 90s sitcoms. Lets face it, in the future robots will just be happy to be included.

Wraith: Was a normal inter-dimensional soldier until one of her voices made her feel nostalgic for Evanescence. Either that or NOFX, but that band is nothing like they used to be so now she’s just miserable. This is my head-canon.

I suppose this is the part where we gotta talk about the shooting mechanic. And yeah, there’s gonna be a lot of you out there that, after playing Apex, are going to say, “Titanfall 2 is the greatest FPS ever made, chiseled by the hands of goddont@me,” and I’m just going to politely take your word for it. Being thrust into something I’m not used to and expected to perform aptly, is my least favourite part of a Battle Royale. Hours before I put this blog together, I played for a handful of matches and each one resorted in instant death the moment we touched down.

I admit that my aim has probably always been poor, because as I’ve established many times, I play PC games with a controller (admitting my own handicap). My problem is the barrier to entry feels quite large even despite the fact I might have a level 3 shotgun bolt on a peacekeeper, and my enemy is two feet away. Playing things like Overwatch or Battlefield and doing quite well makes me baffled that I’m doing something wrong. The problem is all of these shooters all play differently. They all have the same blueprint of “you’re a person and you have a gun that you shoot.” but how it aims, what the hitbox/damage is and the spread of the gun is all inconsistent between every developed shooter that I’m essentially re-learning how a game feels every time I decide to play something. When a Battle Royale gives me a feeling of very little success but a lot of room to fuck up, I thank the powers that be that I have friends to play games with to help me tolerate an otherwise painful experience.

At least we can laugh it all off that way.

To its credit, each firefight when successful, is an exhilarating experience and goes back to me earlier saying I get it. I don’t worry about cosmetic things, or building materials. I just grab a gun and then I shoot the gun. And that’s what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

I figured I wasn't really going to write a blog until I won a game, I'm glad it happened by pretty much doing nothing.
I figured I wasn't really going to write a blog until I won a game, I'm glad it happened by pretty much doing nothing.

Start the Conversation

Resident Evil 2 is FANtastic

"knock knock open up the door, it's real!"

Almost immediately, there’s an air of familiarity when walking up to the Raccoon City Police Department. It might be because the Raccoon City incident has already been done to death however many times, but it’s mostly due to the original RE2 being my gateway into the franchise. Playing it many times on different systems, there would be no surprise that my anticipation for the RE2make would be ‘HOTLY’.

I could probably sit here comparing/contrasting this one with the original, but I don’t know how fair of an assessment that will be. Despite it being a remake, Resident Evil 2 (2019) tries to make something beyond the hardware limitations of it’s PS1 counterpart, and wants to deliver a new experience with their RE engine. (If you put work into something, you might as well use it.) What is doesn’t do with fixed camera angles, it instead attempts with a flashlight. Barely being able to see in front of your character with a third person perspective, does give a level of unease, but it’s a tension made from tunnel vision as opposed to just not being able to see in front or behind you, by virtue of what the platform is capable of.

In that respect it takes moments from the original game that used to be more cinematic, and has everything play out from the character’s perspective to make it more grounded. Although that could come at a weird price. Sudden moments like the helicopter, or seeing something scamper across the window, are downplayed a little more and are only truly effective if your invested into your experience. The whole point of this version is to make an old game with modern sensibilities. I could also just as easily talk at an annoying length why Resident Evil can’t be the games that they used to be. (That’s my old-man-talking-point-TEDtalk-bullshit-subscribe-to-my-patreon.) As much as I am an old fool for wanting to wax nostalgic, there’s also the possibility that those old games aren’t what I want anymore. Or at least, the way that it used to be doesn’t (or shouldn’t?) need to be redone in the same way as its predecessor.

I think that’s why I don’t want to feel caught in a loop of going, “well the original was great because it did this and this and this better.” I’m not really sure I know what that used to feel like anymore, but I sure as shit can load up this fancy new PS4 game, and feel like I’m back in a familiar place doing familiar things.

This is all a long winded rationale for saying I embraced the shit out of this remake. I get delighted running through the game over and over again through this different lens. from RE7 onward, the franchise seems to be back in it’s shoes that it used to wear. It doesn’t start as over the top as previous instalments, but it sets a tone of unease in the beginning and builds up from that.

Start the Conversation

Uncle Lapti's 2018 End of the year games thing!

No Caption Provided

2018 has been a weird year for me, because I always feel like I’m really slow to doing more of the stuff that I love. Essentially, I’m off in my own little corner of the world, streaming, doing news podcasts and even trying to make a documentary. It’s all been feeling like one long year of hobbies more than a career, but I keep quiet and do my thing and I’ve had a happier year because of it.

(which also means, sorry I really haven’t blogged much this year.)

BUT, I will try my best to remember what words are and write up some witty dialogue for the years best games… according to me of course. Guaranteed nobody will share the same sentiment I do about some of the games on this list. Statistically, my list doesn’t matter too much, cause I’m not of a certain authority on the matter. Lord knows I’ve tried. No sir, I’m just a person that likes some videogames, and terrible jokes. (but hey, if you agree with some of this stuff, that’s great I guess!)

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO:

No Caption Provided

There are two ways to look at this. One way, I really only had a list of 8 and just needed to top it off a little bit to complete it. The other way is I’ve anticipated Smash Ultimate since E3, and felt it appropriate to throw it on the list given how I can’t seem to put it down instead of well… going to sleep for example.

Yeah, it’s basically the Arcade Edition to the last Smash Bros release, but there’s also some pretty significant changes to the roster and a more robust custom ruleset that this can’t not be the best version of Smash so far. Ganondorf is finally playable, Isabelle is a ringer.

No Caption Provided

Back in April I said my piece of how the overall gameplay structure and presentation to Detroit is it’s big problem (I think that’s what I was writing about… April was a long time ago.) But it’s on this list because of the sheer entertainment value out of watching the game and not playing it.

David Cage wants SO HARD to be able to tell a compelling video game story, and some places it definitely works. The Connor storyline is the best part about that game, and it was overshadowed by a tone deaf robot rights story that seems to ignore what happened in our own history. I hope his next game is ‘Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat’ but it’s really just some misunderstood French guy that just wants to make a flashy interactive experience.

Detroit is a game worth heckling.

No Caption Provided

I have a confession to make. The Original God of War trilogy was awful. I was probably even the right age to enjoy a game about a shitty person that needs to murder everything and feel nothing. Luckily this new release won me over with a narrative worth caring about and gameplay that isn’t trying to test my patience.

Basically God of War finally grew up (Whether or not some fans were going to). Kratos is still not much of a sympathetic character, but he has something in this game worth caring about, even if he doesn’t know how to do that.

Christopher Judge will now spend the rest of his life being asked if he can say “BOY!”

No Caption Provided

It’s once again that time where I put a Picross game onto my top 10 list for no reason other than to keep pointing out that I love these Picross games. Cause really there’s nothing else to talk about. It’s a puzzle game where you make a picture. Sometimes they’re easy, sometimes they’re hard. Sometimes they’re little pictures that are part of a larger picture (my favourite mode.)

There’s not many ways you can talk about Picross, because almost immediately there’s nothing to really say other than “it’s fun”. It would be like someone being really into Crossword puzzles and doesn’t shut up about “Today, a down answer was balloon, Which was enough of a hint for an across word I thought was going to be Ellen but turned out to be Oprah.”

No Caption Provided

There’s something about tennis games that don’t need to be thought of as events. But I guess since it’s a ‘Mario’ game, there was a lot of chatter about “Holy shit, this Mario Tennis is really good you guys.” and that brand recognition, is enough to get a lot of people to buy it. Then those people wonder why nobody talks about Mario Tennis anymore, cause they just don’t play it themselves.

I was worried at first that the game was going to be too gimmicky with it’s mechanics, but spending enough time with it makes it feel like it’s more of a fighting or strategy game. Sure, the online mode can be frustrating since people mostly choose the characters that employ the cheapest tactics to win, but by yourself or with friends it’s a solid experience. (and a wonderful babysitting tool) Essentially this is the best tennis game we have now, unless Sega sucks it up and makes Virtua Tennis 5. At least Waluigi plays exactly like Novak Djokovic.

No Caption Provided

Yeah this game had a terrible start, but we’re not here to talk about that. While the majority of gamers on the subject enjoy being insufferable cunts about a game they’ll never play, there’s an experience in here that gives me peace. Despite the suspension of disbelief you’d probably need for wherever it fits in the timeline, this is a game that fits into the same category for me as does a Stardew Valley or Viscera Cleanup detail. Exploration, building and holotape lore are three pillars that make up the core experience, and you’re either going to plow through everything or take your time.

It’s nice to have something on my list that lets me say “This is a game for me.” It’s a weird experiment for Bethesda with an engine that clearly needs to be reworked or scrapped. Which is both indefensible and charming. For me, these games have always been about the little things more than the bigger picture and I’m heckin loving the problems of West Virginia.

No Caption Provided

I can say a lot of things that I enjoy about the Battlefield games, being a longtime fan of the franchise, but the thing I always felt Dice does really well is the older generation of weapons. Between this and BF1, combat just feels really good to me.

But by no means am I a connoisseur in what’s supposed to make a BF game good. (I like to point the gun and shoot at the guy before dying after running to point D on foot for 30 minutes.) There’s some changes that I think are great, like anyone on your squad can revive each other even if you’re not a medic. Also having a limitation on a healing kit or ammo makes having different character classes much more important. Also, I really enjoy spending time fortifying a position with sandbags so we can defend points a little better. Much like fallout 76 there’s a lot of little things about it that I enjoy. And I’m excited to see it’s long term support, especially if Dice says I don’t have to spend any real money to do so (I’d be more inclined to keep playing that way). Also what’s the point of character customization if I can’t accessorize in Shutter Shades or a cute pair of boots, M I RITE fellas?!

No Caption Provided

It’s not so much the 16bit graphics, or the traditional gameplay elements that make it worthwhile, but it’s overall package. It’s the unique way that every character’s class does something to the world around them, whether it’s about trying to barter or steal, an important item off someone. Maybe even talking some information out of them or beating them up to help another townsfolk. The same team behind the Bravely Default series tried their hand at making something new out of something familiar, and maybe I’m a shill for that kind of nostalgia. I had a smile on my face with it’s grand blend of art, music and tedious menus which I appreciate (which I’m sure is a weird statement).

I guess if you think about Square Enix trying to redefine how an RPG should be made, it’s nice that they have a team that understands the fundamentals in what made the old games good. It’s a well they can always tap into, since Final Fantasy 7 won’t be doing anyone any favours.

No Caption Provided

Look, Monster Hunter, I know. It’s one of those games that isn’t for everyone with it’s deliberate animation and it’s levels only consisting of “fight the giant shitty monster”. But this is the most accessible the franchise has ever been. Enough to feel spoiled by it. Really.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Monster Hunter since the PS2, and I always try but could never fully get into it (although MH4 on the 3DS is the closest I’ve gotten before World). It’s overall combat is easier to understand, it’s a little bit lax on the animation priority (though it still has those kinds of weapons for others that want it.) and there’s so much maneuverability that it feels like an entirely different game at times. But on the other hand, Bagelgoose is garbage and a strong enough case to take everything positive I’ve ever said, and throw it out the window.

But really out of all the games in this top 10, MH:W is the one I want to recommend the most because of its history as a hard to understand game. This is it, this is the one you want. Play it.

No Caption Provided

I think this is actually more of a surprise to me to have Dead Cells as my number one than any other game on this list, Hell I’m the type that would have put Fallout 76 above the rest out of SPITE. Dead Cells is a solid experience that just blew me away when I turned it on for the first time. It has a gameplay loop that is addicting, because you know you can do better than the run you just had. Even when your weapon drop isn’t as good as the previous one, (sometimes you’re just stuck never getting to have a shield) it just works because the gameplay is so finely tuned it makes Picross look sloppy.

Having it on the switch also just gives it that pick up and play feel of giving yourself time for a couple of runs and seeing how far you can get. I guess I have a soft spot for games that encourage you to pick yourself up and try again, while also saying “hey maybe you should try this route now.”

A lot of the games on the list this year (and probably every year) are just iterations of a thing I’m already familiar with. Tennis, Picross, Battlefield, Fallout yeah yeah we’ve all been here, and maybe you’re also the type of asshole that calls Dead Cells a Souls-like. I think it’s actually been a real solid year with great games, but Dead Cells, just has a unique experience that came at the right time, and quite frankly stole the top spot from what was probably just going to be Hyrule Warriors again.

No Caption Provided

It might be weird to some people that Tetris Effect isn’t on the list proper given my history with the games. There’s a lot to enjoy about Tetris Effect, it does something unique with a puzzle game that doesn’t need any real gimmicks to get you to enjoy it. But I guess if you’re talking about Tetris like it’s Lumines and touting that VR support, then the only thing I can say to that is “Sure. yes. This is a pretty good Tetris game. But while we’re here, why is there a lack of Multiplayer? Nobody is going to care about collectively building up a score every weekend to get an avatar. Tetris isn’t about chilling out and having a good time IT’S ABOUT PROVING WHO IS BETTER! ME OR DOLPHIN_BUTTER?!” “But yes, it’s a good Tetris game.”

No Caption Provided

In a world where Mech strategy is the one true video game, BattleTech is the game that I bought thinking to myself that I play these all the time, and yet I have no goddamn idea what I’m doing. So unfortunately it will now be in my steam library egging me on insisting that I give it all the time in the world to play. I imagine there’s an alternate universe where I’m some kind of popular Twitch streamer known for playing this game poorly, but you know what. At least that Bon is playing this game. So good job Bon, you heckin love the hell out of that game!

No Caption Provided

The only problem that I had with Fire Emblem Warriors is that it wasn’t Hyrule Warriors, and the only problem with Hyrule Warriors is that I bought it on the WiiU and the 3DS, so what the fuck am I doing buying it again? Oh yeah, cause it’s better than Fire Emblem Warriors. But hey, at least Fire Emblem Warriors is better than Dynasty Warriors 9.

No Caption Provided

Maybe there wasn’t a lot going on music wise that really captivated me this year, but in all earnest the OST for Octopath Traveller is one of the many elements that made the game very much what it is. From character themes to overworld sounds, it felt lived in, somber, unique. I dunno, I get sentimental when hearing it.

Sometimes a good soundtrack doesn’t have to be EPIC, or BOISTEROUS or JAMMIN, but pleasant.

But Honesty, if the soundtrack wasn’t as good as it is, the song to beat would be Hideki Naganuma’s “Ain’t nothing like a funky beat” on loop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1lNhNHdoPI

No Caption Provided

Overwatch has the unfortunate privilege of being that game I just can’t say no to. A symbiotic relationship of both pain and joy. Getting frustrated at the bad games but getting very excited about the good ones. It’ll be a three year old game soon, and I hope that’ll be the time that I really want something more out of it. I won’t be as dramatic as others might be about the state of the game or even Blizzard themselves.

I think despite all of it’s problems there’s still a game in there that I just like, I mean, I’d have to if that’s my game where I stream nothing but big Moira or Widowmaker plays. And new characters like Hammond have been a breath of fresh air and given me a new understanding/better appreciation for a whole class that I just never want to be (now find myself always having to be. Because everyone else on the team only wants to be dps) Friends and I, even pros have ranted endlessly about it, but every time I go to the computer I hover over it’s icon and say “I just can’t quit you.”

That's it! The games blog thingy! I did it!

Now I guess I'm just going back to being a hermit.

Your pal,

Uncle Lapti.

9 Comments

Social commentary of gameplay by way of future Detroit [gb 23.]

No Caption Provided

You know, perhaps there’s still not a lot we know about the game thus making it prone to a fair amount of judgement. Could be the articles about the toxic work environment within Quantic Dream. Or maybe it’s my own point of view coming into play, that Detroit is now part of a series of diminishing returns. I mean, Heavy Rain was quite the step up from Omikron but Beyond: Two Souls was David Cage thinking he was an amazing story teller. (In a very arthouse manner?)

I guess this time, the game centers around robot racism in the world of future Detroit, and the protagonists are three robots. Two of which save little girls from men, and one I guess is jumpstarting the hashtag #RobotLivesMatter. I’m getting ahead of myself, I don’t know shit about this game, but I did play the demo that came out this week.

The demo centers around the same one you’ve seen at the Playstation Experience from December of last year. A Young Conan O’Brien is sent to a fancy downtown high rise where a robo-butler decided to no longer follow the rules of robotics. In a fit of inadequacy he shot a bunch of people, and as I alluded to earlier, has taken a little girl hostage on the edge of a roof.

If you’ve seen this before, you know what’s coming. If you haven’t, then this is all I’ll really say about the scenario.

(This plot is probably a little to heavy for the average person to want to play.)
(This plot is probably a little to heavy for the average person to want to play.)

Given that this is your introduction to the game. Words are constantly flying around the screen. “Time is of the essence!” “Every second counts!” “Look for all the clues!” Everything you do either lowers or raises your chance of a successful mission. Then at the end it gives you a chart of everything you could have done, didn’t do, and have done before.

I understand that they’re using this demo as a way to teach you about the game, but since it’s first trailer at E3 2016 Quantic has really been beating into the viewer it’s whole “choose your own adventure.” With less emphasis on “This is YOUR story that YOU are creating,” and more on, “GREAT! What else you can do!”

(The book equivalent is changing to page 63 to continue the plot, but after the second paragraph it encourages you to go back and see what other pages you could be reading.)

My cynicism is leaking onto the keyboard because I detest that about the modern game with multiple scenarios. They care so much about the multiple endings you can have, that I’m not sure they put that much thought into the different outcomes.

The earliest example of why, is that you’re forced to talk to the police captain who says the same lines, no matter what you say, in no matter what order. Maybe he actively doesn’t give a shit, because he’s a minor character in a larger game. Yet if choice is so important, how you even approach the captain probably should be just as.

(You literally can’t just go straight to the deviant without the cop telling you to fuck off. The game shoves an invisible wall in your face till you do.)

Then while you’re wandering around trying to find all the clues, the probability of success floats around your head in what feels like an arbitrary number. Which is very distracting and gamey, and I hope it’s either not part of the main game, or you have the ability to turn it off.

Despite all this, my first playthrough evidently had my character fall to his death while saving the day. As he fell from the top of a tall high-rise a look of satisfaction came upon his face with the text ‘mission complete’ on the left hand side.

I felt a sense of “huh, I guess it doesn’t matter. He’s a robot after all, there’s hundreds of these things out there,” and that’s a weird feeling to get out of the game before it’s even out.

A feeling which was reinforced when the game suggested that I play it again to see a different outcome.

(And hey, if actually watching the demo be played is your thing instead of reading there’s this gameplay footage over here.)

I’m being hard on it, I don’t want to be hard on it because I really did enjoy Heavy Rain enough that I want another one of those experiences. I don’t want to be bothered with choices, and outcomes, and flow charts… I just want a good story to be told well, and it can’t do that if it keeps reminding me it’s a game.

I am become human.
I am become human.

Start the Conversation

Not an Overwatch heroes guide.

Since I’ve been playing Overwatch for a very long time, and doing crazy shit like playing competitive matches regularly on the Twitch streams, (that's misleading because I'm always competitive.) My radar is being filled with “How-tos and best tricks” of all of my favorite characters.

Given my own experience, and considering I have the handicap of playing the PC version with a controller, I’m putting together some handy notes for myself (that you’re welcome to read) as an excuse to blog. They are probably also not at all useful. I’m not setting out to point out anything basic, but it’s my own general sense of play with every Hero.

Tracer: My reaction time is already not the greatest, so Tracer is a character that I typically want to avoid. Zippin' and Bippin' is a hell of a lot of fun, but I don’t add much to the team, and I’m really bad at standing beside cliffs.

Genji: I look like a bad-ass but play like Beverly Hills Ninja. I don’t expect to improve.

Doomfist: I was never good at Street Fighter and I miss 100% of the shots I take.

Mcree: When you have six bullets that you gotta make count, I distance myself from the action and line my shots up as best as I can. The slow cowboy is effective as long as nobody pays attention, but I might as well just pick the sniper class instead.

Pharah: What I’ve come to find is that flying in the air and shooting with a controller is a lot like patting your head and rubbing your belly. My best bet to really go up into the air, shoot a couple of rockets and immediately go back down instead of lingering. People are much more savvy at dealing with Pharah than I can anticipate. It’s a shit-show.

Soldier 76: If I’m bad at aiming that day, and the team still needs DPS, I switch to the guy with the AIMBOT. That "Since I’m not handsome I can at least be handy" attitude works wonders at distances and higher ground, But I’m always flanking, I can’t help myself.

Sombra: I think a good Sombra player is constantly moving around the map like a mosquito and hacks the enemy at every turn. Currently trying my best to learn her. Should always put a teleporter down, and always get behind them, but I'm occasionally forgetting about the teleporter, or cloaking myself. Thanks to her hack buff I can always walk up to Pharah and punch her in the head now.

Reaper: I know I choose him because of the tank counter, but I really choose him because I’ve given up on myself. I’m pretty sure I’m still playing Reaper the right way.

Junkrat: My Junk brings all the boys to the yard, and then I trap them and blow them up. Obviously favor this character because he’s less about aiming at them directly and really about playing a game of pool. Banking shots off the environment or anticipating where the opponent is going to be is pretty much key. Traps are only effective half the time, but usually work when I think I put them in the dumbest of places.

Mei: For a character with Anti-bully voice lines, She actually a huge one herself. Best at keeping the point alive as long as my team is right around the corner, cause I just have to sit there like a frozen paperweight. Ultimately though, I’m actually a better sniper with mei than I am with the actual snipers.

Hanzo: Worst Hanzo NA. Can’t aim for shit, can’t even E for shit. But when I get that headshot it’s the most satisfying feeling. Also happens to be the one character with the most skins that I really like. It’s conflicting to play so bad but look so good.

Widowmaker: Apply what I said about Hanzo to WM. While I at least try my best with Hanzo, I feel like I’m playing a prank with this character. To be fair though, I have been adjusting my analog stick sensitivity to get a better feeling with aiming. I think it has improved with other characters, but WM still has a long way to go.

Torbjorn: The creature of habit that I am means I always put the turret in the same places that I do in every map. Either it just works for me or I’m not adventurous enough. Also, Torb can sometimes be a secret weapon when it’s the last minute of taking the point that the opposing side has developed a false sense of security. Shatter their dreams.

Bastion: I forget this one all the time. Even when putting this blog together. Bastion is good at gatting, but is super low on my personal list of characters I would bother with on Defense. Again, it’s a controller thing.

Reinhardt: German engineering at it’s best, please don’t ask me to be a tank. Plz plz plz. If you remember the short about young Rein where he was super ambitious and headstrong, barely supporting his teammates, then you can imagine that’s how I play. I’m just never as successful at attacking the enemy. I’ve learned to not be too much of a hero, just keep my shield up and let the others do most of the work.

Roadhog: I think most of my hooks are by accident, but it’s the only skill I carried over from League of Legends. Self heal is set up as my itchy trigger finger, I’m never not self healing because it helps to be that cautious. Everyone who’s ever played hog knows how effective he is around edges and deep pits, but it sure as hell sucks to be on that receiving end.

Orisa: More fun than Bastion will ever be, but if anyone on the other team is fast, I will fall apart instantly. Just let me stay in the corner and shoot my gun. Therefore only effect when taking a point, don’t ask me to push a payload.

Winston: I can admit that I really hated this big ape at first. But I’ve come to realize just how effective he is against squishy assholes. (I clearly couldn’t have typed a better sentence.) Good Winston play is knowing when you’ve overstayed your welcome attacking the team, jumping back and forth between getting heals and attacking is sure to make you insufferable.

Zarya: I can’t lazer in a straight line to save my life. I have a pet peeve that a person just needs to jump up and down to avoid getting hurt. I suppose I should be applying the same methodology to her that I do with Junkrat. One of those characters that I moan and complain about but am actually decent with in Mystery Heroes.

D.va: I don’t like the way she attacks, but I sure do love to fly at people and push them around. Rethinking this strategy because it's probably not the greatest, but I secretly like using d.va when she’s out of meka more. So excuse me while I blow up my meka, Roadhog has a date with my pea shooter.

Ana: If my aim is good than I’ll take my chances. Ana is a really good mother and an even better sniper. Using the scope is actually harder for me, so most of the time I never bother. Just pay attention to the team and rarely try to shoot at the opponents.

Lucio: The day I found out you just need to hold the button down to wall ride was amazingly a year too late. I Like this kid, a lot of spunk, but I think if you’re playing him to be a healer and not being annoying to the other team, then frankly you’re playing him wrong. (because really, you can do both at the same time anyway)

Mercy: Nope. Causes me too much stress.

Symmetra: Fun in special cases. The kind of character that leaves a lot of people salty, and it’s really weird that the development team talks about how she’s going to get reworked because she’s not exactly hard to deal with. More fun in arcade mode than Quick play. Though I'm sure all you really need to do when playing Sym is by running laps with your gun out. It’s a lot like fishing.

Brigitte: New so I don’t have that much of an opinion. Fun when playing on my own, but zero confidence when being support for the team. If my play-style with Reinhardt is any indication, Don’t expect me to be helpful as I’m currently swinging my mace around like a maniac. IF I KEEP DOING IT AND YOU GET HIT, IT’S YOUR OWN FAULT.

Zenyatta: Typically the support I like to choose because I can be at a distance and see everything. Kinda like that whole Iris narrative. Charging up a shot is effective but rare in some cases, cause I don’t want to get caught being a sitting duck for either my teammates or I to be killed. Just keep discording everything and scream when you do.

Moira: For the same reason I choose Zenyatta. I actually switch between the two. If one isn’t working for me in a match then other one surprisingly will. Playing Moira is tempting to attack, but you’re better off focusing on healing. Don’t throw a death orb unless it’s a preemptive strike or the opportunity is too good to pass up. Left click and right click are perfect harmony though. I also have forever ruined Moira by relating her heal spray to pee. It just looks like it, but somewhat awkward to shout things like “Gimmie your pee!” Or “I’m out of pee!” I’ve made that bed and I willingly sleep in it.

That’s all I have for now. But like I said, I play a lot of this game on Twitch these days. Ensuring that I’m the only other person that plays Sombra. So keep fit and have fun.

Your pal,

Bonbolapti.

1 Comments

Streaming newbie post mortem blog gb.22

No Caption Provided

Since the weekends these days kind of feel like a house arrest, I have some time to kill and I’ll try and remember what it feels like to experience the joy of blogging once again.

So if you’d like something to read, I’m essentially giving myself a post mortem over a foolish venture into streaming.

I have played a fair amount of things since the last time I’ve even written one of these, but I’ve been wanting to focus so much more on doing video as of late. From that time I enjoyed Nier Automata even though I have some grievances about the kinds of things it is. ( though I doubt I’ll touch up on them, since that time has come and gone. Unless of course I bring it up again in a GOTY capacity.) To my annual play through of Actraiser. Which mind you is still one of the greatest SNES games ever made, classic Enix is almost underrated.

I noticed that the last time I actually wrote something was about getting the Switch for the first time, which I am enjoying here and there. Plenty of TetrisxPuyo, Splatoon 2, Recently trying the Octopath Traveler demo, and from what it gives me, I am eager to see this game when it goes gold.

basically me.
basically me.

Today I’m writing about being late to the party on the whole streaming thing. I suppose I have been thinking about doing it for some time and flirted with it here and there, but I often get discouraged about doing something that thousands of others pretty much do.

Also the whole, adding more to my plate thing… I don’t think I should be playing video games in a way that makes me busy.

[Keeping in mind that I play a lot of Overwatch of course. When that’s the game that you sit there and play a lot of while thinking “I should get into streaming” there’s pretty much a daily queue of everyone else doing the exact same thing. So where’s the niche? I could constantly bring up that I play the PC version with a controller, but that's only because I'm a scrub?]

I started with Final Fantasy XII (Late to the party with streaming but I just couldn't wait for ZombiePie to get to it, so I took matters into my own hands.) Being a huge fan of that game, I had it in my head that this was the thing that will get me into it. I wasn’t really banking on the idea that I was going to sit there and be entertaining, but have things to talk about as they happen in the game. What better way to break my streaming cherry than to play a game behaving like I know what I’m talking about.

[I realize after typing this stuff, that I have streamed games plenty of times before, but I guess I'm making a comparison of only doing that for friends vs thinking of streaming for a wider audience.]

You’d think that years of theatre, film and podcasts would prepare me for talking about a subject on my own for longer than an hour, but I very quickly learned how important it was for me to have things to bounce off of.

Sure I could constantly go for the low hanging fruit about how shitty of a character Vaan is, (which we’ll have to have a separate conversation about how I firmly believe Vaan is only the way he is because he’s supposed to represent you, the player. You’d figure that was a Waypoint think piece by now.) or gratuitous conversations about Fran, but I suppose there’s just a disconnect--or a self awareness with the fact that I want to play through the game as I normally would while also being put on display.

So I b-lined it.

I just kept going without doing sidequests, like I wanted to get off this track that I made for myself, but the only way off was forward. Cause I would start thinking to myself, “What’s actually going to work here? Always be in a new area every time I stream? Don’t bother with grinding for experience points or gil? Just stick to one team you don’t need to level up everyone?”

basically also me?
basically also me?

And archiving was a different story... Being on twitch, but not being a special twitcher, means that my archive doesn’t stay up for very long. So the obvious answer to that was to just export to youtube, but then each of these streams averaged around 2 hours. So then the question I asked myself was, “Is it worth it to archive the whole thing? Or should I be cutting these down?”

When I’m the one person on my own, I know I can’t be that entertaining, even if there is the crowd of people that just want to have a very long video to sit in front of as the do something else. ( When I have a friend that listens to my podcasts, and this is what he tells me, that’s get into the back of my mind.) So then every once in a while I would edit for time or add some sort of visual for visuals sake.

Then at some point, I was just happy to be near the end. Eventually finishing with 18 parts and around 36 hours. Wondering if I even learned anything from this experience.

I think I learned that FFXII is actually a pretty short game.

I don’t know if I want to add some sort of addendum that video production is a blah-blah-passion but I clearly don’t want to end it there. I want to continue to learn these things like bit rates and Ps, (I have friends living in areas that are still in the internet dark ages after all. compromising quality to allow people to watch? There has to be a better way!) and finding my comfort zone. I know now that what works best for me, is to not upload an entire archive if I’m by myself. So now as I play through Fallout 4, I'm going through the process of editing down a 2-3 hour stream to 20 minutes or less just so I can make more work for myself.

Which only makes sense as a video freelancer, practice makes perfect.

But most importantly doing a thing I want to do, and learning to have fun with it (I get backseat game’d when I play Overwatch (jk jk) so I’m learning to have fun with it).

Plus, I secretly link a bunch of dumb videos of mine in this blog post like a gawdamn shill.

Start the Conversation

Switching to a more social Link (gb.21)

No Caption Provided

Perhaps I went dark a little longer than I should. As you know, last weekend was the launch of the Nintendo Switch, and though I don’t necessarily indulge in launch day shenanigans of consoles, I got caught up with the hype and ended up buying one. (Though the hype was more for Breath of the Wild than the Switch itself, but if I was going to play “The best Zelda game ever made” then I might as well ‘go for broke’ to play it.)

The night before launch was a hassle that seemed to get increasingly stressful over time. Thanks to pre-orders there didn’t seem to be a lot of places where I felt a ‘walk-in’ was a very good option.

But then right around 10 at night (I guess, I just know it was some time late in the evening) I had it in my head, thinking that a place like Walmart was going to be overlooked. I mean, I sat there stressed out about the idea of waiting in line at a Best Buy or EB, wondering if getting a Switch at launch would even be a possibility. To sit there and think “what if, nobody went to Walmart.” was like an epiphany. As if I somehow convinced myself that I would be the only one in line.

But being realistic here, the line in front of the store was actually quite modest. More or less 10 people sat there. Some looked as though they were out all night, some brought the comfy furniture to sit on, others (like me) probably just arrived.

What a relief, to see that I was kind of right.

From there it was a matter of patience. Us older folks waxing poetic about Nintendo consoles of old. (Which I’m sure was unintentional, but here we were waiting. What else were we going to do?)

When the doors opened, I walked in like the poor boy who had saved up just enough money for the Switch + Zelda, and a ride home.

Now, having this console for a week I can say that it’s pretty good despite a small amount of flaws. My gigantic hands were a number one concern given the baby-sized joycons. But the grip is comfortable enough, as well as holding that thing in ‘portable mode’.

That first weekend seemed impossible to connect the thing to wifi, but suspiciously has sorted itself out since then. Or so I’m lead to believe. There was a period over the weekend where I wandered around downtown Vancouver looking for hotspots it might be able to connect to (even one I found that was suspiciously called "Nintendo"), yet I haven’t really done much aside from tweet or window shop at the store. But we’ll see how bad the problem really gets when the Splatoon 2 multiplayer demo hits.

...But a lot of the problems with the hardware have already been talked to death, and it wouldn’t be constructive of me to just say, “I also have a joycon that disconnects when I rest my feet on the coffee table, getting my knees in the way of the controller,” But I will say that the Switch isn’t as bad as a video going around youtube is leading some to believe. But, I mean, all I can really do is say that my experience with the console has been pretty great so far.

----

But let’s talk about Zelda. Yeah, I want to talk about Zelda. Sure It’s the “Best-Zelda-Ever-10/10-buy-twelve-copies-cheeky-monkey!” But everyone has been finding their own reasons as to why that is. Sure, I get lost in the overworld map, constantly changing directions on my way to the objective to see what else I can find. Sure, implementing a more ‘puzzling’ mechanic has put a unique twist on the experience. But the thing that really gets me, is the thing that I’ve wanted since they’ve started making these Zeldas in 3D.

Despite, Zelda games always pining to be an experience like any other, they’ve always been so devoid of life. I suppose I need to be clear given that there’s been villages since time immemorial. Most NPCs in Zelda games do not feel like they inhabit the world that they were put into. A small handful around 2-3 houses to give you the illusion that you’ve walked into a village. Then when you are done, and you move out into the field, there is nothing. An empty planet.

Twilight Princess is an example, wherein Hyrule Castle boasts an ever busy town square, but not a lot of people talk to you, nor do they go anywhere. Kakariko village is incredibly misleading in the sense that it’s more of a hamlet (Or whatever you can call something smaller than a hamlet).

Well.. I guess Majora’s Mask has a good argument for a living breathing world considering the NPCs in that game have 3 days of activities, but I never played that game, so I’ll have to take your word for it.

The point is, Breath of the Wild is a gigantic world inhabited by so many people. I’ve played this game for a week and I’m still bumping into characters I’ve never seen before. Characters who have their own destination, their own reason for venturing out in the world like you. Whether they’re looking for a mate, scavenging forests for hearty truffles, or they’re just so dang proud of their donkey.

There’s a bunch of examples that I get excited about, when I think about them. Paya being a strong example, of someone that continues to develop over the course of the game. A Teen who deals with emotions and infatuation in the most innocent way. She updates her diary throughout the course of the game, and it fills with the perspective of a young person going through the paces of her own thoughts about a guy she just met.

Going to the Zora domain and being taken aback by the fact that they know who you are. Experiencing the culture of the Gerudo while they in-turn experience you.

Or even this delightful exchange with a man on a bridge.

The thing is... I could go on just as much about the exploration, the shrines and dungeons and whatnot, but I’ve longed for a civilization in Hyrule that isn’t just bubbles in between vast empty territory. Breath of the Wild takes place in a world where a calamity happened 100 years ago, and actually continues to live.

So yeah, every single NPC has been the coolest part of BOTW for me.

----

If you really think about it, This is all I've given myself time to play. I have been playing Mobius Final Fantasy on the side, and once I'm done with BOTW I will be running head first into Nier: Automata. but dang guys, too much games to play. TOO MUCH.

Start the Conversation

GB20. A scary time for ROMANCE!

No Caption Provided

It's bloggy time again!

*IN THREE DEE*
*IN THREE DEE*

As the number one authority on all things Resident Evil ( I know I know, other people will/can/do claim that title just as much.) It’s about time I break my legendary silence on the seventh title on the series.

I may have said this before, but I was very hesitant on this game when it was first announced. The original reveal during a VR segment at Sony’s Presser at E3, left me worried about it’s focus. A virtual reality trip to spooky town isn’t really up my alley at all, but that detail was a moot point in the grand scheme of things.

This is what happens when you play through the evolution of a series (or even de-evolution if you prefer). Regardless of how you felt, it seemed to be going into a specific direction, and for them to say “we’re gonna focus on the horror part this time.” The immediate reaction is to go, “we’ll obviously they’re going to fuck it up.”

But the more of RE7 I played, and I’m sure a lot of people echo this sentiment, the more it felt like a de facto Resident Evil game. It’s like they put you in a room and tell you nothing to surprise you at every corner, but the more corners you turned the more of those typical RE tropes appeared.

Which is by no means a bad thing, but there’s a weird placebo effect happening at the beginning that goes away once you realize that, yeah, this has always been a Resident Evil game. It’s just that they’ve finally managed to find a balance of what that is, in a world where Shinji Mikami is no longer there to guide it.

This is what happens when they take a step back and think about other stories they can tell in the world inhabited by Bio-weapons. They can finally create a game with brand new characters and not treat it like a side story. (Which on the subject, the Revelations games are a great thing to throw characters into but as long as they keep that bizarre Syfy channel mystery of the week motif.)

And you know… this has probably been the first game in the series with the strongest story telling.

The only thing now, is that I'm skeptic about how they're going to fit this game into the franchise. It works beautifully on it's own, but then they introduce things that already exist in a way that makes you question exactly what is going on and why.

I guess Capcom's plan for the series is to make you on edge to see if they're still going to make it go bad some how.

I guess we'll find out in spring?

No Caption Provided
Fighting!
Fighting!

Fire Emblem Heroes, now marking the third game in the line of Nintendo-attempted phone games, is a fine way to pass the time. At least for me it has been. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be mad that it’s not Fire Emblem-y enough, or not enough of a phone game.

Sure, it’s got a fair amount of different currencies and items or whatever. But the gacha style dump for collecting other heroes in the series is ultimately not what I ended up staying for.

Frankly, it’s good to pop in and do a match or two to pass the time, as there’s not much of a game to hunker down and play the hell out of. If I had to play the long game of collecting every single character I’d be exhausted at the notion that I’m not collecting orbs fast enough, and the orbs just feel too damn pricy.

I mean, I also got a 5 star Marth, so didn’t I technically beat the game?If anything, FE Heroes has reminded me to continue playing through the Fuller FE experience that is Fates, which hasn’t grabbed me as much as Awakening has, but I’m near the end of Birthright and I might as well see it through (At this point also not feeling like playing through Conquest, but If I felt absolutely necessary, will play Revelations). I have to ask though, for those of you that have played Fates, have you played ALL of Fates? Or just one out of the three?

As good as I find these games to be, the fatigue can really set in quickly because I have to send so much time grinding levels. Interestingly enough, I only purchased the dlc map that rewards extra experience points. The story map that I’m in right now I feel a little under leveled, and I’ve made it too far to feel like I should dumb down the difficulty.

No Caption Provided

The big thing I told myself I’m going to try this year, is Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII. It actually caught my attention a long time ago, around when Austin left Giant Bomb and Alex tweeted at him saying they had a copy.

I sat there for a long time, hoping that they would do a quick look of it.

Over the weekend there was a Koei/Tecmo weekend sale on Steam, and much to my surprised RTK13 was sitting there at 50% off. What was a boy to do but spend a little money. And I recently played it for a bit on the appropriate occasion that is Valentine's day.

I don’t really have the time, but I had the urge to play something a little more complicated.

For those that do not know about Romance of the Three Kingdoms might be more aware of the Dynasty Warriors series that is also based off of the same story. You know, the tales as old as time that is the Historical Period in which three kingdoms inhabited China. Then it all becomes a blur to me, and I’ll be inaccurate about a lot of details I’m sure (I certainly butcher a lot of pronunciations in the video above.)

From my time with it so far, I appreciate the Hero mode being a tutorial of sorts to help me get a grasp on the game. There’s a lot of stats to pay attention to, that would be very overwhelming with the regular mode.

But you know, it’s very becoming of a tactical sim. You build up the economy and military of your area, and then wage war against others. Raising your renown, and then spreading your Dynasties name.

Sometimes you debate, sometimes you duel. Both are done the exact same way. (It’s hilarious to watch a debate play out the way it does though) You build up your troops and you push them along the play field up against the other troops, and hope you have the better stats.

So far it’s not as intimidating as I originally thought it would be, but once I’m done with Hero mode, all bets could be off. If it’s something that you could be interested in, give the video a watch. I don’t know if I do a good enough job representing the game, but I can at least assure you’ll spend a lot more time on menus and maps then actually going to war with everyone.

Start the Conversation

Uncle Lapti's 2016 GOTY-GO!

No Caption Provided

2016 was the year where I had a lot on my plate. In fact, if I try to look back everything it’s mostly a blur of surprise that anything happened this year. I had school, work, other work, being on shows, doing podcasts and videos... So when I wanted to write a game blog or whatever, I had a very small window to get something done before weeks go by and I feel like it’s no longer relevant to my interests.

I still want to write in long form about some of the games on this list, but for now I want to trudge through my best of, because if I get anything done by the end of this year, it’s a gawddamn list.

10. Watch_Dogs 2

Maybe I’m putting it on this list as an act of sympathy toward the game as a whole. Even though, let’s be honest here, Watch_Dogs 2 didn’t have that high of a bar to clear. It didn’t really achieve the impossible by having quirky/fun characters, and most missions didn’t feel like a pain in the ass when I just had gadgets to do the work for me. (Yeah, I spent most of the game just getting an RC car to do all the work for me.)

I mean at the same time, Watch_Dogs isn’t quite the hacker fantasy that I want it to be, and it might never be due to open world nature that it wants to nail down first. Still it’s fine enough, and actual quite memorable as a game and it was worth going back to. So maybe it’s not so much 10 on the list as it is me giving it a quaint little shout out.

9. Final Fantasy XV

No Caption Provided

This game, on the other hand I felt, had a bar that it needed to clear. The entirety that was FFXIII left such a bad taste in my mouth, it made me question if the franchise was ever worth going back to. Final Fantasy has been so far removed from the traditional RPG for so long, it makes me wonder why they even make these anymore.But here I am putting it on the list, because it definitely surpassed my expectations. The roadtrip and the effortless battle system aside, the game actually has a story being interested in. Though a good chunk of it is the movie, the short anime webisodes, dlc and cut scenes on their way to being patched in, I feel invested enough to go back to it. It might not be the game for fans and newcomers that it claims to be, but it says a lot for them to salvage a failed Nova Chrystalis thing and put something together (mostly comprised of little things) that has a lot of heart.

8. No Man’s Sky

Maybe it’s on this list because I’m a contrarian. It had too much hype towards release and didn’t really live up to anybody’s expectations, but it’s not fair to think of the game as ‘exactly what I would have wanted.’ It’s weird, because it’s visually interesting, calmly isolating and it came out at a time where I just needed something to be nothing.

It’s an exaggerated walking simulator with no audio logs trying to keep your attention, which is what the witness felt like to me but without the boring puzzles. Instead I just wandered around galaxies finding stuff at my own pace, and felt content.

I had gone back to it, to see it’s foundation update which I feel is an interesting start to the games additional content. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

7. Firewatch

It took me a really long time to accept this type of game. With Gone Home, I had the petty complaint that out of all the interactable objects, I couldn’t pick up my own bag, which made me feel like a stranger in what was supposed to be my own home. And the unforgiving pace of ‘Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture’ couldn’t bring me to see it through to the end, though I feel it is a wonderful Audio play.

Firewatch was both wonderful in it’s pace and it’s story telling. Giving you two characters always interacting with each other at every appropriate moment. Even while it was stringing you along a narrative, it managed to gamify enough so I didn’t feel completely alienated or confused on what to do next. Even managing to unravel a subplot as the most basic junior detective felt, pretty cool. It’s just a shame I never got a better pay off in the end.

6. Battlefield 1

Yeap, it’s battlefield, and yeap I’m a huge fan. BF1 continues to scratch the itch that I need scratched every once in awhile. The scale continues to be impressive, and the visuals have come a long way in being second to none, as DICE seems to be doing something that no one else can. Frankly there’s not a lot to be said about a game that continues to maintain the same amount of quality for me, So I’m just going to let it sit pretty in the middle of this list. (or you can just watch this video again.)

5. Dark Souls 3

I decided to get back into the Dark Souls after, quite frankly, being burnt out with the franchise. A game with the MO encouraging you to pace yourself really felt like they just kept making these games more frequently that I was willing to keep up with them.

So when 3 came around, I sucked it up and it was just like riding a bike. Everything felt like second nature to the point where the game was kinda easy for me. That’s not a knock by any means, it just felt good to know that I wasn’t getting frustrated with the game as much as a new comer would be. Unless they actually made DS3 to be easier, in which case, ehhhh. I still really liked it. You can tell that the developer learned things along the way to make the gameplay really solid. From Software is an amazingly underrated developer that makes me feel like I’m going to get caught saying “I liked them before they were cool.”

What they need to do is go back to making Armored Core amazing.

4. Overwatch

No Caption Provided

I know what at least two different people are probably thinking “This isn’t number 1 on your list? OMG!” or “feh, Overwatch is OVERrated and a terrible choice.” I mean, I’m imagining someone out there is the latter. (Given how much this game is talked up, I’m sure it’s exactly that scenario.)

I always wanted to be part of an online game like this. A community of gamerz competing against each other to be top banana or ice queen from hell and it has it’s ups and downs. But at least I’m a part of that. I can’t do the DOTA 2 or the CSGO thing with a drive to be good. I love just jumping on and having matches with friends, figuring out the best way to beat the other team, despite our team composition. There’s something to be said that even though some team compositions are better than others, there’s really no wrong way to play as long as you know what you’re doing. I love playing this with friends, this is what I wanted.

3. Bravely Second

The Bravely series is essentially what you’d consider the traditional Final Fantasy game at this point, right? Your four warriors of light painstakingly traveling across the world running errands and fighting bad guys. What helped me a lot with this game, was immediately getting into it when I finally got around to beating the first game this year. Having those characters fresh in my mind, made Second much more enjoyable.

The characters are the strongest asset to this game, and I think the developer realised that given every opportunity they could pack skits into. Travelling to familiar locations and new places that they apparently never thought of going to in the first game was an interesting way to look at the world, and bringing back old asterisk’s by introducing a difficult choice to getting them were cool scenarios as well. I mean Second takes place two years after the first game so a lot of the things they do make sense, characters and scenarios are in it because of course they would be, it’s a direct sequel to a game that gave me more of what I wanted.

(Oh, and it’s still a pretty solid case for street passing.)

2. Picross 3D round 2

I know what you’re thinking, “BON! THIS ISN’T NUMBER ONE ON YOUR LIST? YOU SEEM TO LIVE AND OR DIE BY THESE GAMES.” Yeah, and you’re not wrong. Picross puzzles are just amazing and they always will be a surefire addition to any of my game of the year lists (though I haven’t played Picross e7 yet, which is probably why you don’t see it on here). The challenge in their simplicity is why finishing these puzzles feel good, and adding that 3rd dimension to make your pictures more like objects were a smart direction for the series, and the concepts they introduced in round 2 make it even more captivating to my puzzle loving brain.

Though, dare I say it hasn’t taken the top spot, because I don’t savour these puzzles as much as I want to. Which is crazy because round 2 is packed to the brim with puzzles, and you even get additional ones with amiibo support. But I go through it too fast, barely a week goes by and I finish only wanting more. My only replayability is with the fact that I don’t have every single rainbowy gem thing. (which is a chore more than it needs to be sometimes.)

I mean, who am I kidding, even after I beat it, the game is still really fun to go back to… So what could have possibly taken the top spot?

1. Hyrule Warriors Legends

That’s right, my favourite guilty pleasure known as the Dynasty Warriors franchise mixed with the Legend of Zelda, felt new again on the 3DS this year. And don’t tell me about it’s flaws that come with being on the 3DS, because I do a lot of portable gaming and it being a downgrade is an excuse for what is still a pretty solid game. [Note: I also have to say, after playing it on both a new 3DS and a regular one, the poor quality between versions has not really been as terrible as many outlets have reported.]

I guess it’s really just game I’ve wanted, the way I’ve needed to play it. Always having enough time to play a couple of levels in the middle of transit/school/work has made it my favourite go to, despite other titles like Picross or Fire Emblem or Pheonix Wright. And those adventure maps, as silly as they can be, have added a lot of replay value to a straight forward game.

I can’t say that this being my game of the year would be a popular choice, but it’s a great choice for the platform that I spend the most time on. I would only be kidding myself if I didn’t acknowledge this game as the one I’ve spent the most time with. Dynasty Warriors games get a lot of flack for being what they are and ports to the 3DS are going to get flack for being downgrades of the original, but all that is meaningless when you enjoy the game for what it is.

I don’t know if they will ever make a sequel, but if they do there’s a lot of potential to make it amazing, and hopefully it can be a future title to see on Nintendo’s Switch.

"I'm just here to RING-IN the new year."

Honorable Mentions

Let it Die, is too soon of a game for me to consider for my GOTY list because I also don’t have that much time to play it. But it’s worth considering because the style of Suda 51 games is still worth your time, even though the last game of his that I really enjoyed was also my first. Killer 7 was something that stood apart from everything else Grasshopper Manufacturer has made since it’s release, but Let it Die brings back that feeling I had all those years ago. Maybe it’s the Grim Reaper trying to relate to young people. Maybe it’s the dungeon crawling and murder death that you have to fight through as you reach the top of the tower. But the fact that it IS free to play means that I can’t recommend this game enough as something worth trying. If you are a PS4 owner you must do yourself the service and check it out. Because it’s the end of 2016 and Punk is still not dead.

[Shout out to Wakusei Abnormal to being one of the 100 bands in this game that really caught my attention.]

Super Mario Run, is one of those ‘on the fence’ kind of games. It’s a $10 runner game that is arguably too short and not worth your time. That’s probably what I want to say if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve been playing too much Toad Rally since I got it. Racing against another player’s level data is kind of addicting, and I finally found my edge over the christmas weekend spending time with family. For that it’s worth talking about. It might not be worth the price point that it is, but it does it’s single hand gameplay well enough, so it’s worth mentioning.

No Caption Provided

That’s it, that’s all I wrote. There’s a lot that I’m looking forward to in 2017. Right now I can’t wait to get my hands on Resident Evil 7, because I’ve played enough of the demo at this point to be comfortable with it’s direction. I may never want to play it in VR, but as a long running fan of the franchise, doing something new with new characters is something they’ve needed to do for a while (though I have happily defended its direction in the past.)

Yakuza games coming out next year is also something that needs to be mentioned. It’s the best japanese crime drama that I’ve ever witnessed, and it’s a damn shame that the franchise will never be as popular here as the fanbase wants it to be, but as long as they get released states side then we’re all winners.

So keep that in mind… in 2017, we’re all winners.

2 Comments

[GB.19 blog] I can't put RPG and battlefield in the same sentence because it sounds weird.

No Caption Provided

If Bravely Default was a test in patience, the kind of patiences which requires you to start over repeatedly, then Bravely Second is actually more of that, being the same world two years later.

HAH.

That’s a poor joke, because what else are you going to expect from a direct sequel.

This website doesn't have a wide selection of screenshots to choose from, but wow! so pretty!
This website doesn't have a wide selection of screenshots to choose from, but wow! so pretty!

Months ago I forced myself to push on through Bravely Default, because I had that game for years and never bothered to finish it. You could probably blame it in part of learning what the game is, which begs me to ask the question “Why do game developers have to sometimes justify quirky little game mechanics that don’t really mean anything to be part of the story?” That’s a long question, but it’s not as long as trying to explain how all those street passes your getting are part of the story.

Actually there was something I read, a review I think, that claimed Bravely Second suffered from nostalgia and I figured that was a weird thing to say. That’s kind of like saying every direct sequel to a franchise has a nostalgia problem, doesn’t it? You can’t really escape the same locations and people that exist in the same world.

So, walking up to someone you recognize on the street and say hello to isn’t going to take you back is it?...

Well I guess it can, that happened to me when I said hello to someone recently.

Anyway, Bravely Default wasn’t as bad as I was lead to believe. But I practically do monotonous things for a living so the nature of that game was the opposite of deplorable, WHICH turns out is not PLORABLE. (not even a real word.)

With the second game they doubled down on the personalities of the characters, and this is based solely on the amount of skits they’ve created getting the characters reacting to each other in various scenarios. So much of that happens at the beginning at this game, that I would almost consider it to be more of a stage play with RPG elements.

Strangely enough, the whole game is actually episodic which is always a weird thing coming out of japan, because chapter breaks always have intros and outros. But, if you’re going to do something like that. Do something silly to break it up a bit more, like a commercial or something.

She's so cool.
She's so cool.

[Edea, walks out with a bowl of cereal and says, “They’re Mrgrgr-great!”]

Second also has it's "charm" thanks to the dopiness of the way characters are written, but seems to rely far to much on catch phrases and pun-ishing dialogue. It hit critical mass when party saved the day at a hot springs and the emperor suddenly had to explain himself.

Anyway, I’m still trudging along with this game. I took a break recently, because of other video games, But Bravely Second is at least much better than the first game. As neat and weird as the new job classes are it’s neat that they give you the option of having the old ones again (though it’s a bit unfair to make you choose between two old classes as a moral choice.)

No Caption Provided

Battlefield 1 does what the franchise as a whole does really well, but even better! That’s all I really want to say that I haven’t already said in that little video I put together. (Something I don't get to have a lot of time to do, so it's always fun to make these thingies. enjoy! :D)

No Caption Provided

I probably shouldn’t have been compelled to resub to FFXIV, because I’m not in the best place financially or jobwise. But since all of my friends were already doing it, I gave in and put myself down for the month of October (and then some.)

It was a long time coming. When I bought the Heavensward expansion I subscribed for a month, but never bothered to play it on account of being too busy. Life happens, blah blah blah. So I finally got around to it, and pretty much reached the end of the expansion and all that. I’m pretty much prepared to compare my time with FFXIV to when I eventually play FFXV, two drastically different games in every sense, but I’ve spent more time with XIV and played that with friends.

It was also curious to me that I enjoy the idea of dressing up my avatar for Halloween because that’s not something I would actually go out of my way for. I hate dressing up, I even when to a party dressed as Abraham Lincoln, and all I had to do was shave off a little bit of the beard.

But you give me an online game with a festive theme, and I will gladly shove a pumpkin on somebody’s head and punch Ifrit in the face.

The spirit of halloween isn’t exactly lost on me, but in my older years I’d much rather do that in silly online spaces than to subject myself to a costume. That’s just the thing I want to throw out there.

And now the regular photo gallery of my FFXIV character follows:

ALSO: I have a question for anyone else playing FFXIV. I'm I the only person that plays Au Ra? I really feel like I am. :(

Start the Conversation