<–The State of the Gamer: 12/26/17            The State of the Gamer: 1/23/18–>

A weekly post updated every other Tuesday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

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Story Based/Definitive Ending Games

On Hold

1. Final Fantasy V – I’m going to wait until I clear out some of the games I’m in the midst of before picking this back up.  I’ll still count this time in my Playing Duration, but I’m not going to include it in this update until I pick up the sticks again.
2. Assassin’s Creed: Origins – Same goes for this one.

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Title: Super Mario Odyssey
Series: Super Mario
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle – Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Date Started: October 29, 2017

I was hoping to count this among my finished of 2017 (and if any list needed padding, it’s that one.  I’m pretty sure I’m the sandbagger among my blogger buddies hehe), but alas it was not to be.  I’m right at the end, too, in Bowser’s Kingdom, fighting the Broodals for (what I’m hoping is) the last time.  I made an attempt, but sadly failed.  I couldn’t figure out how to knock off the legs so that the final Broodal bubble is in the right spot for pecking (that…is a weird sentence).  Of course there’s a shit ton of after game, er, afterwards, so I’ll have to figure out how I’m going to count that when I get to it.

Title: Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth
Series: Etrian Odyssey
Genre: RPG/JRPG – Fantasy
Developer: Atlus
Release Date: August 4, 2016

Date Started: Unknown

I’ve been spending most of my time playing this (in fact I was up until 2:00 am last night, ugh).  I’m on the third stratum and I’ve been able to open up the mastery skills.  Each character can pick a mastery based on job title, and while some are no-brainers, others were equally useful and having one of each would make a nice balance.  Luckily, the game gives you five mastery scrolls, which will let you bump any character under Level 20 to that point, which allows you to open up their mastery skills.  As more fortune would have it, there were five job classes that would benefit from this, so I stayed up figuring that out and naming them.  I want to collect materials for weapons before exploring the third stratum, which is called the Fetid Wasteland or something like that.  Basically, it’s the undead part of the game.

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Ongoing, Non-Story Based, and Demos Played

 Android/Kindle

Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius – I’ve mostly been sticking with the “login every day to get my lapis rewards” commitment, and I’ve been stockpiling my rare ticket summons just in case…well, you know.

I can’t imagine they’d have Cloud and not eventually have Sephiroth.  That would be fucking obscene.

Nintendo 3DS

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call – I think I picked this up to play the version of “One Winged Angel” from Advent.  Sounds about right *see above gif*

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Let’s Plays

Finished

1. Rakuen by Cryaotic – I finished this before the end of the year.  Yet another tearjerker game.  I must be a glutton for punishment.  I still need to review it, but I talk about it in my Top 10 post.
2. What Remains of Edith Finch by Cryaotic – The question posed in the title is answered to momentous, poignant effect.  Everything about this game was phenomenal: the music, the voice acting, the graphics, the story.  I was a bit wary it was going to be frightening, since your character, Edith, is exploring her family’s abandoned home, and there’s one character’s story that lends itself to the horrific, but it’s not that type of game, and what happened to Molly could be chalked up to a child’s imagination (though if that’s the case, what really did happen to her?).  There are some questions that aren’t completely answered, but left up to speculation.  This was a game that I could’ve played, but watching it was just as satisfying.

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Okami by Cryaotic

I know…I’ve been watching a shit ton of Cry’s Let’s Plays, but there’s just something about his voice.  Even when he yells, it’s not remotely grating, and, uh, it just kind of sounds good *blush*.  He could seriously do ASMR videos.  I was attempting to see what kind of face produced that voice, but Cry is apparently very careful to keep details about himself hidden (though there are cosplays of him???) for both social anxiety and privacy reasons, so I have to respect that.

Okami has been compared to Legend of Zelda, and I can certainly see why.  I was on the fence about it initially, and I’m still not sure how I feel about the “voices” they used, but the painted aesthetic is both pleasing and functional for the gameplay, as well.  I’ll stick with it, especially since it’s Cry who’s doing the playing.

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Games Added to Backlog

1. Cat Quest – The “action RPG” description made me shy away from, but after talking with Drakulus about it, I decided I’ll give it a try.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – This is Drakulus’ professed favorite game and my IRL Eyes of Seraphim has been singing its praises for years.  So much so that she’s the person I most associated with it.  I was never big on open world RPGs, but oddly enough, it was Super Mario Odyssey that sort of changed my mind on that. While not an RPG, it’s sort of “open world-lite” with its sandbox kingdom effect, and since I’m also interested in Breath of the Wild, it would be a bit hypocritical to say I don’t play open world.  I also made a purchase this week that would make me an even bigger hypocrite, but more on that when we get to it.
3. To the Moon – I had to check and see why the hell I added this.  Cry has an LP of it up, but upon looking at the description, I figured it was something I could play on my own.  It features two doctors traversing the memories of a dying man to fulfill his last wish.  Sounds epic.
4. Miitopia – Saw this while I was wandering around Best Buy this weekend.  It looks cute, and I’m surprised I didn’t add it before.
5. Phantasy Star Portable 2 – I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Phantasy Star isn’t unknown among my IRL friends!  At the NYE party I went to, my friend Chris (also my BFF’s fiance), who runs Nerd-Base, was wearing a Phantasy Star shirt o.O  We started talking about it and the Sega Master System, because that’s what he had growing up.  One of the best parts of being an adult is realizing that console wars should be left in the childish past.  I didn’t know that the second Phantasy Star was out on newer consoles, and if I don’t get to play it anytime soon, perhaps Hungry Goriya will do an LP?? 😉
6. Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky – Side scrolling RPG.  It has a low rating on Grouvee, but so does FFBE and I really like that *shrug*  I have Geddy from Nostalgia Trigger to thank for this add, per comment discussions!
7. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F – Geddy threw this one my way, too.  I think it’s a music type game with a 90s anime title 😀
8. Golf Story – I’ve never heard of a golf (or really any sport) RPG.  It sounds cute.
9. Doki Doki Literature Club – I have this currently on steam.  I think I came across a video about how it’s super messed up, or one of my blogger buddies mentioned that.  I know I was talking about it with Cheap Boss Attack who has to finish it, too.

Total Games in Backlog: 176
Change from Last Week: +9

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Purchased

1. Doki Doki Literature Club for $0.00 on Steam – As mentioned above, I picked this up on 12/29/17.  I should really be concentrating on bringing down my backlog instead of adding more games to my collection, but what can I do when shit is free?
2. Final Fantasy XV for $31.99 at Best Buy –So I finally pulled the trigger on the latest numbered Final Fantasy this Saturday .  I’ve heard so many mixed reviews that I have to play it for myself.  CBA loves it and apparently the villain (Ardyn) has a tragic back story, which you all know I’ma sucker for (*cough* Sephiroth *cough* *cough*).  Even though I know a major spoiler for the game, I’m not shocked that Squeenix did it, since it seems to be a signature move with them by now.  I’ve been listening to  the version of “Stand By Me” by Florence + the Machine which is used in the game for weeks now, and I actually didn’t spend any money on in, because gift cards FTW.
3. Steam Card for $20 at Best Buy – Not technically a video game, but used to obtain video games.  Since I could use my gift card to buy it, I bought it.  Once I spend $5 on Steam, I’ll have full membership.
4. Nintendo eShop Card for $50 at Best Buy – Same as above.  I had almost $200 in BB gift cards.  (TSN’s a little bit spoiled.)

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Miscellaneous

Ah shit!  I completely forgot to buy that PlayStation 4 cover with my Amazon Gift Cards D: I just remembered it…hold on a second.

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What is this crap?!  They all have Cloud on them.

It has my Seph, too, but I want a Cloud free cover.  Oh well, I’ll check back in a little bit.

In addition to purchasing a game and digital download cards at Best Buy, I also bought that two year gamer subscription for $30 after I’d paid for everything, but the employee ringing me up was awesome and reversed the transaction so I could get the discount.  I only wound up paying an additional $10 for everything, and it’s why I got FFXV for so cheap.

I considered picking up Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but I have a shit ton of RPGs to play already, plus I might be able to borrow it from my local library, which is now loaning games for free!  I’m excited because they have RiME.  I might grab it next time I’m there.  I would’ve bought FFXIV: A Realm Reborn if they’d had it, but they only had Stormblood, and you need to have ARR first.

I was going to do this at the end of this update post, but I decided it should be its own separate thing.  More than likely by the end of the week I’ll have my 2018 plans post up, so  I can discuss (re: figure out) what I’m going to work on in gaming this year.  I want to try to streamline my game playing like I have my book reading with me playing just one long term game and two or three smaller ones.  As always I love suggestions, and I pretty much own all of the systems save the Wii U and Xbone, the latter of which I don’t think I need (though if you’re giving one away, I’m not going to say, “No,” lol).

Oh I never did a “What Should I Buy Post,” did I?  I think because I just wound up going to Best Buy and using my Amazon GCs for books and a tiny desk cycle.  I feel like I bought something else.  I kind of wasn’t paying attention, because I didn’t have to spend actual money.  You can still give me suggestions like I said above, and maybe I’ll make a matrix of sorts…then populate it with tall, beautiful silver haired men…I mean, uh, I’ll make a list of potential games to purchase o.O

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Do you have some gift card goodness to share?  Have you added more to your backlog in the new year?  Have you already posted your wrap-up plan ahead articles?  Let’s discuss gaming shenanigans in the comments!

<–The State of the Gamer: 12/26/17            The State of the Gamer: 1/23/18–>