<–The State of the Gamer: 7/18/17          The State of the Gamer: 8/1/17–>

A weekly post updated every Tuesday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have quite a backlog of games to either play or watch, and I’m hoping a weekly article will assist with my progress as my other accountable posts have done with reading and writing.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a essentially Goodreads for gamers, so please feel free to friend me there!

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Currently Playing: 4

Title: Final Fantasy Type-0
Series: Final Fantasy/Fabula Nova Crystallis
Genre: Action RPG – Fantasy
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Date: October 27, 2011
Date Purchased: May 18, 2017
Date Started: June 18, 2017

Progress: Chapter 2

Nope, nothing this week again.  I did at least look up the leveling shortcut so kindly told to me by Cheap Boss Attack, and you can find it here, if you’re so interested in how to cheat the game by manipulating time.  I’m (once again) hoping to play this weekend.

Title: Final Fantasy V
Series: Final Fantasy
Genre: RPG – Fantasy
Developer: Square
Platform: PlayStation
Release Date: December 6, 1992
Date Purchased: Unknown
Date Started: June 17, 2017

Progress: Walz Castle

I didn’t get a chance to play this either.  I’ve been spending a lot of my time trying to catch up on my emails and blog subs.  To be honest guys…I’ve been really stressed about that.  I hate falling and feeling behind, but there’s just so much on my plate that I can’t keep up.  I don’t want this to be a bitchfest, but it’s like I’m constantly fighting fatigue, fighting lack of time, trying to figure out what I’m going to work on, falling behind no matter how well I schedule and prioritize, and it’s seriously stressing me the fuck out.  I know none of you blame me for not catching up on your blogs, but I just feel really guilty that I don’t have time to read and comment on stuff, because everyone here has been so supportive with my blog.  Like you take the time to read my ramblings and comment, and many of you are as busy as me if not busier (hell, some of you have children).  The least I can do is return the favor, but I also need to keep on my weekly posts and work on my backlog of book reviews and game reviews and try to read, write/edit, work on essays (which hasn’t happened in months), try to make time to test out my audio/video equipment, but I only have a few hours of useful, I guess I’ll call it, awareness (?) every day.  I get home from work and it’s almost a rush to work on what I can work on, because I have chronic fatigue, so I have to prioritize what takes the most concentration, because that’s the first thing that goes when I get tired so I try to do the writing/editing tasks first before something more passive like reading blog posts or watching something..  Even with medicine and the coffee I drown myself in it’s draining, and I can’t even seem to catch up on the weekends.

Ugh, sorry I wasn’t supposed to overrun my FFV section with my complaints.  I think I need to come up with a better scheduling system.  Planning and organizing is how I’ll save the day (and my sanity).

Title: Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
Series: Final Fantasy
Genre: RPG – Fantasy
Developer: Square Enix
Platform(s): iOS, Android
Release Date: June 29, 2016
Date Purchased: March 21, 2017
Date Started: March 27, 2017

Progress: Rank 28

I reached a city on the continent of Dirnado, so I’ll check that out next time I play, probably collect more missions and attempt to complete some of the ones I already have.  I still haven’t fought those three Hill Gigas’ from a mission on the first continent.

Title: The Room Three
Genre: Puzzle, Mystery
Developer: Fireproof Games
Platform(s): iOS, Android
Release Date: 2015
Date Purchased: May 28, 2017
Date Started: May 28, 2017
Date Finished (1): July 4, 2017
Playing Duration: 37 days

Progress: After first ending

I’m working on seeing the other endings.  I’ll admit I’ve been using a guide I found online #noshame, but even with that I’m kind of stuck at one point.  I’m supposed to swing this chandelier to knock over a safe, but even though I’m doing what I think should be done, I’m not able to make the action occur.  I was looking at the guide on my phone, and it was sooooo sloooooow.  I’m going to try to watch something on it so I can hopefully see what I’m doing wrong.

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Games Currently Watching: 3

Title: The Last of Us
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Action-Adventure, Survival – Horror
Developer: Naughty Dog
Platforms: PlayStation 3 & 4
Release Date: June 14, 2013
Let’s Player: ChristopherOdd
Date Started: July 23, 2017

Progress: 4%

Omfg that opening.  I am gutted.  I am absolutely gutted.  *spoiler* You even fucking play as her.  You play as the little girl, and the game makes you think that she’s going to be a playable character and maybe Jessie is going to be the one to die, and you think they’re safe, because they found the army, but then you hear that soldier’s voice, and he fucking open fires on them, and just remembering the sound of Jessie’s crying is bringing the tears.  *end spoiler*  I pretty much said everything I needed to say in the spoiler.  It’s all in the first video, which is only 18 minutes long.  You could watch it and then read what I wrote.  This game is going to rip me apart.

Title: Phantasy Star
Series: Phantasy Star
Genre: RPG – Fantasy/Science Fiction
Developer: Sega
Original Platforms: Sega Master System
Other Platforms: Sega Genesis, Wii Virtual Console
Original Release Date: December 20, 1987
Let’s Player: Hungry Goriya
Date Started: March 24, 2017

Progress: Ongoing

We’re almost at the end!  Alis and co are gathering the equipment they’ll need to face Lassic.  I’m looking forward to the finale 🙂

Title: Mass Effect III
Series: Mass Effect
Genre: Action RPG – Sci-Fi
Developer: BioWare
Original Platform(s): Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3
Original Release Date: March 6, 2012
Let’s Player: Olizandri
Date Started: January 23, 2017
Date Finished: July 19, 2017
Watching Duration: 177 days

Progress: 89%

I’m calling it finished even though Olizandri has around 9 videos left.  I’ll eventually get to the DLCs.  The last video I watched was the finale to the main story, so I think it counts.  This must have been the updated ending after (nearly) all the fans bitched about the original one.  I’m really happy with what they did, but part of me wishes I could’ve seen that original ending after sitting through all three parts.  I remember being so annoyed with it the first time, but I’d only seen bits and pieces of the story.

Oliz choose the synthesis ending, which I think is the most true to the narrative.  Shepherd already is a synthesis of organic and synthetic parts due to her resurrection by Cerberus, which I find wonderfully ironic.  The cult  corporation headed by the Illusive Man insists that their main goal is preserving humanity and increasing their (our) interests throughout the galaxy, but in a similar (if lesser) vein to SOMA, the question arises, “How ‘human’ is enough?”  I liked the synthesis ending, because no species had to be eradicated, not even the Reapers.  Even the Doctor himself failed at that (alas poor daleks…though they always come back anyway), and I was quite amused and disturbed that everyone had Mako eyes.

At first I thought I was imagining it, but I was pretty certain by the time the credits rolled, plus the internet has memes about it.

Shepherd sacrificed herself, spreading her influence and will throughout the galaxy in order to bring organics and synthetics together, and be the necessary bind between the Reapers and everyone else.  The Old Machines and Shepherd were the same, but in opposite ways.  She was a organic with synthetic parts, and they were synthetics with organic parts.  They needed both parts in order to exist, yet the Reapers required the will of a guiding mind on the other end of the spectrum in order to cease the cycle of destruction.  The little wheels are currently turning in my head for ideas around self-sacrifice, dispersion of greater will, and the necessity of a “hybrid” in order to bridge the gap between two worlds (I’ll give you three guesses what I’m thinking of comparing this to…I really should just give you one, especially if you’ve been following this blog for a while.  If it’s your first day here, I’ll give you a pass).

Of course if I want to be a morbid Mary, I could point out that the only reason the Reapers ceased their genocide was because all life is now a combination of organic and synthetic.  Homogenization was the only solution to the divide; in other words, everyone had to be the same so that violence and warfare would cease.  That’s fucking depressing as hell.

I’ll be writing a review for the series as a whole, mostly focusing on the end and its implications.  I can finally read all of the information out there about the Indoctrination Theory, starting with Athena’s of AmbiGaming and also her post about ME’s endings.

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Games Added to Backlog: 8

Title: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Series Title: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Developer: BioWare
Release Date: July 15, 2003
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Kat

This should’ve been on my backlog before, but I didn’t think of it until this Tuesday past when I hung out with my friends at a local (well, not so local for me, but you know what I mean) diner.  We were talking shocking twists in games, because I’d been raving about SOMA, and Kat mentioned there’s a huge one in this.  I threw it in my notes to add later (this is why I’m looking for a an app that ties in with a website.  It would be so much more convenient), and I also check Amazon to see how much it might set me back.  Apparently, it’s not being made anymore, and the cheapest one I can find is around $50.  I had no clue it was only a computer game.  Well serendipity strikes, because my husband had a copy sitting on his computer desk, though he said I’d be lucky  if it worked.  I like those odds though.

Title: Dragon Age: Origins
Series Title: Dragon Age
Developer: BioWare
Release Date: November 3, 2009
Date Added: July 22, 2017
Recommended By: N/A

I switched this from my watch list to my backlog.  If I’m going to play Mass Effect (eventually), I might as well play BioWare’s fantasy franchise, as well.

Title: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Series Title: Mass Effect
Developer: BioWare
Release Date: March 21, 2017
Date Added: July 22, 2017

Speaking of Mass Effect, now that I’ve finished watching the end of the original trilogy, I can add this to my growing backlog.  I’m not sure if I’ll play this or the original first, but if I decide on the latter, I”ll just add that when/if I start to play.

Title: Mario Kart 8
Series Title: Mario Kart
Developer: Nintendo
Console: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: May 29, 2014
Date Added: July 23, 2017

I don’t normally play well with others, but a lot of my blogger friends (and yes, I’m talking to a bunch of you) play this, and I want to play with all the cool kids!  I’ll probably be picking the game up soon.

Title: Super Mario Odyssey
Series Title: Super Mario
Developer: Nintendo
Console: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Date Added: July 23, 2017

I may be pre-ordering this, but then again I might not.  I have a bunch of other games I could spend my money on like Final Fantasy XII: Zodiac Age or Breath of the Wild that are already out.  Either way of course I have to have the next game in the Mario franchise, though it is curious that the system came out long before the game.  Usually it’s included.

Title: Shovel Knight
Series Title: Shovel Knight
Developer: Yacht Club Games
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Release Date: June 26, 2014
Date Added: July 24, 2014

Nearly everyone and their mother has told me I need to play this game if I love platformers, which I do.  It’s described as paying homage to 8-bit classics such as Megaman and Castlevania, two games I wasn’t really good at, but I’m still willing to give this a try!

Title: Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance
Series Title: Disgaea
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. & NIS America, Inc.
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Release Date: March 26, 2015
Date Added: July 24, 2017

The picture has it for the PS4, but it’s also available on the Switch, too.  This along with quite a few others was recommended to me through Twitter.  I sent out a “give me games to play” message on there and Facebook, and the Twit was far more productive.  This was an easy add, though I’m surprised I haven’t played any of the other games in the series/franchise before.  It seems to be a pretty popular RPG, and you know how I feel about RPGs.

Title: Katamari Damacy
Series Title: Katamari Damacy
Developer: Namco
Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 (PSN)
Release Date: May 18, 2004
Date Added: July 25, 2017
Recommended by: The Well-Red Mage

The mages are currently running a month long series where they discuss their favorite games per genre.  I just read and commented on the one for puzzle games, and I had a lot to say.  Puzzlers are my second favorite genre after RPGs, but surprisingly, I’ve never played this one.  Oh, I’ve heard of it alright, and I’d meant to play it, but if I don’t note things down, I won’t remember them.  I have to thank the mages for reminding me, and you should definitely check out that series.  Time and tide may wait for no man, but blog posts are forever 🙂

Total Games in Backlog: 129
Change from Last Week: +8

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Games Added to Watch List: 6

Title: Outlast
Series Title: Outlast
Developer: Red Barrels
Release Date: September 4, 2013
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Cheap Boss Attack

This is the first in a slew of horror games CBA recommended to me due to my love of story based stuff.  I’m pretty sure Christopher Odd has a Let’s Play of this and the following games.  I do need another one to watch since I’m done with Mass Effect 3 (or mostly done that is).

Title: Alan Wake
Series: Alan Wake
Developer: Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
Date Released: May 14, 2010
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Cheap Boss Attack

An author’s simple vacation with his wife turns into a battle of light vs. dark.  Sounds like my kind of getaway.

Title: Beyond: Two Souls
Developer: Quantic Dream
Date Released: October 8, 2013
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Cheap Boss Attack

A girl with mysterious powers is on the run from the law.  I figured this would have a series, since the title has a colon, but the “franchise” section is blank.

Title: Heavy Rain
Developer: Quantic Dream
Date Released: January 25, 2010
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Cheap Boss Attack

I never pegged this game as something I’d want to watch.  I didn’t know it was story heavy…as the rain *skips away*  I’ve heard of it of course, since I don’t perpetually live under a rock.  It looks like the story line changes based on the player’s decisions, so I better make sure I find a good Let’s Player.

Title: The Fall
Developer: Over the Moon
Date Released: May 30, 2014
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Cheap Boss Attack

The blurb makes some pretty heavy implications that this has similarities with SOMA.  Either that or I whenever I hear “AI” now I think about that.

Title: The Witcher
Series Title: The Witcher
Developer: The Farm 51
Date Released: October 30, 2007
Date Added: July 18, 2017
Recommended By: Cheap Boss Attack

I recently added the book to my TBR list, and I was going to try to read that before watching the game, but it seems like they have different plots..

Total Games on Watch List: 36
Change from Last Week: +4

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Games Purchased This Week: 0

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Miscellaneous

I guess I could’ve/should’ve put this in the Games Purchased section above, but it’s technically not a game, though I suppose I’ll have to buy some of them if I want to play it.

Yes, I am finally in possession of a Nintendo Switch, and I have Mr. Panda to thank for tipping me off that Amazon Prime had some available.  I did spend a bit more than the retail $299.99 (about $80 more), but it arrived today, and I’m quite overjoyed.

I need to get a cover for it, since I’ve heard it can become damaged very easily, and I’ll try to pick up some games in a little bit.  I definitely want Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8.  Also, once I know my code, I’ll publish that here, too!

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What are you currently playing and/or watching? Is it something new or old?  Is it a first time run or a replay?  What’s the genre?  Would you recommend it?  What’s on your radar to play next?

<–The State of the Gamer: 7/18/17          The State of the Gamer: 8/1/17–>

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