<–The State of the Gamer: 10/30/18            The State of the Gamer: 12/25/18–>

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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What I Bought

• The Longest Journey – $2.99 on Steam
• Art of Balance – $7.99 @ Nintendo eStore
• Uno – $9.99 @ Nintendo eStore

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What I Played

Title: Octopath Traveler
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: August 11, 2018

I am so close to the end, y’all.  I spent the past month leveling all of my characters while watching Let’s Plays.  It was very efficient.  Everyone now knows ever skill from every job and each character is in the high 70’s at least.  All that’s left is to do final preparations and go to the last dungeon.  I haven’t done so because you can only save right outside before a boss rush before the absolute final, and I need time to do that.  Here’s hoping I get to before the end of the year!

Title: Art of Balance
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: N/A

I demoed this twice (the same boards) and couldn’t stop thinking about it so I bought it.  I’ve pretty much cleared as many boards as I think I’m able to so I’ve been doing the challenges.  It’s a great little game and a nice “time waster,” if you’re waiting to do something, but I played it just to see how far I could get.  With eight different “worlds” with a different gimmick in nearly all of them, you won’t run out head scratchers to do anytime soon.

Title: Uno
Series Title: Uno
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: N/A

The demo only gives you three free games, and I wanted more.  It never hurts to have stuff like this on your system since it’s not something super involved like a JRPG or platformer, and I like to play a few rounds before bed.  Along with your standard Uno deck, there’s a wintry one as well as some game-themed ones like Rabbids, Ray-Man, and Just Dance, which adds four extra cards with special moves to each.  I really couldn’t say no for the low price!

Title: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Series Title: Mario Kart
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: N/A

Lightning Ellen aka The Livid Lightning Mage and I have been making time to have a few races to relieve the stress this time of the year invariably brings.  I’d say I’m a disappointment to the States, but we all know I’m not the biggest one 😀  We’re trying to keep up a weekly schedule and of course I’d welcome the joy of losing to more people!

This brings up one of my issues with the Switch though.  You have to find another means of talking to friends and setting things up.  It’s really annoying that you can’t even say “Hi” to people when they pop on o.O

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What I Demoed

• Shining Resonance: Undecided – I’m really  interested in the story of this one and the combat isn’t terrible.  It’s an action RPG, which I’m not usually into, but I think I could handle it.  It’s $24.99 right now and that’s at 50% off.  That’s a bit to spend on a game I’m not entirely sure about.  Has anyone played it?  What did you think of it?
• Trivial Pursuit: Want – I’m a pretty trivial person and I love quiz games. How else can I show people how smart I am?  It’s $19.99, which isn’t too terrible, but also not something I can just drop on a whim.
• Word Sudoku: Pass – This one was weird, but I could see people liking it.  Instead of numbers it uses a nine letter word and you use those letters as your “numbers” by rearranging them in the same way you’d do the numbers in Sudoku.  For me it makes the process more difficult because I’ll often go through the numbers in order to figure out which one I should use, but if you want an additional challenge or you have an alternative method.  At $7.99 it might be something I’d pick up just for the critical thinking challenge.
• Swim Out: Want – I love puzzle games so this is a definite pick up for me at only $5.99.  You’re the blue swimmer and every time you move, the red swimmer(s) also move in a particular pattern.  You have to avoid them and any other obstacles to get to the other side of the pool.
• Puzzle Puppers: Want – Another fun little puzzle game for only $4.99.  You have to get one or two (at least per the demo) dogs to their appropriate food dishes and on the way pick up treats for bonuses.  You can’t “cross the streams” and you have to figure out how pass your pups through the proper path to procure your prize.
• Demetrios – The BIG Cynical Adventure: Pass – A point-and-click game were  you play a slacker of sorts living in Paris.   His apartment was robbed and you have to figure out what’s going on with that.  I wasn’t fond of the main character and just wasn’t engaged.  It’s only $9.99 but I think I’d just be bored.
• Tetra’s Escape: Want – Yup, another puzzle game.  It uses Tetris pieces to help you get your little peeps across the board.  It was engaging and fun.  Another cheap game at $4.99.
• Art of Balance: Want – I’m surprised I liked this as much as I did, but it’s another thinker where you have to figure out how to balance blocks on variously sloped surfaces.  It’s $8.99.
• Qbik: Want – This a definite head scratcher puzzle game that you have to plot out.  Well I’m definitely a plotter by nature so I’m all for it.  Yours for only $4.99!
• Forgotton Anne: Want – why are we not talking about this game?? It’s a puzzle platformer with fluid animation and Squeenix beauty. I’m definitely picking it up for $19.99.
• Uno: Want – I love that games like this are readily available on pretty much any console.  $9.99 and there are a ton of different ways you can play.

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What I Watched

Title: Silent Hill 3
Let’s Player: CJUGames

Date Started: 10/28/18
Date Finished: 11/4/18

I liked how this tied together with the first one and pretty much completed the story started there.  I mean you could have just SH1 and SH3 and that would essentially tell the whole tale(I guess throw in SH: Origins, too…)

Title: Silent Hill  4: The Room
Let’s Player: CJUGames

Date Started: 11/8/18
Date Finished: 11/13/18

People apparently didn’t like this one as much, and while I did find Henry a bit dry (his voice actor could’ve put in a little more effort), I still loved the story (in terms of that it might be my favorite one.  Here’s why in three…two…one…).  It had a bit of an, uh, FFVII vibe to it once everything was revealed (especially when Henry finds the thing behind the wall), and I felt bad for the one iteration of Walter.

Title: Silent Hill: Homecoming
Let’s Player: CJUGames

Date Started: 11/13/18
Date Finished: 11/21/18

This one has the lowest rating on Grouvee, and I’m really not sure why.  I’d have thought The Room would’ve been less well received. I think Alex may be my favorite SH protagonist (Henry is definitely my least favorite).  His mien is just so relatable and the choices he has to make are heartbreaking.  All in all it seemed (at least visually and thematically) like a Silent Hill game to me.

Title: Silent Hill: Origins
Let’s Player: CJUGames

Date Started: 11/21/18
Date Finished: 11/24/18

Travis is my second favorite SH protagonist.  You think he just gets caught up in it because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time (or right place depending on how you look at it), but no one just winds up in Silent Hill.  He’s the trucker who drops Alex from Homecoming off in Shepherd’s Glen at the beginning of that game, so you know he survives.

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DNF

Title: Clock Tower 3
Let’s Player: Cryaotic

Date Started: 11/25/18
Date DNF: 11/27/18

I got sort of a Silent Hill vibe from this game and initially I was pretty into it, but it lost me when it turned into a *spoiler* magic girl story, *end spoiler* and that’s not anything against those.  I just don’t think I was in the mood for it or I was expecting something else.  Maybe I was looking for more of an SH theme because that’s all I’d been watching lol.

It’s a beautiful game though and if you like jump scares and running from maniacs I’d recommend it.  It has puzzle elements that involve finding things for the restless dead in order to appease them.  I may go back to it in the future.

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What I’m Watching

Title: Stories Untold
Let’s Player: Cryaotic

Date Started: 11/29/18

I think I had this on my backlog, but I’m totally okay watching it.  It’s…eerie AF and I love it.  I’ve watched three out of four and I’m just waiting for my husband to be home so I can watch the last one lol.  The stories are separate but tie in, and I can’t wait to try to piece together how and/or find some internet theories, because those are always gold.

Title: Golden Axe Warrior
Series Title: Golden Axe
Let’s Player: Hungry Goriya

Date Started: Unknown

Yes, it is very Zelda like, but there are some differences.  Like Nintendo’s top down puzzler, Golden Axe Warrior has excellent music.  I’m very fond of the labyrinth tunes.  I actually think it might be harder than LOZ, but I’ll leave that to people who’ve actually played them both to decide.

Title: Golden Sun
Series Title: Golden Sun
Let’s Player: Olizandri

Date Started: 12/4/18

I thought I’d never heard of this series, but apparently I’d thrown it on my backlog on Grouvee and didn’t even realize it *slaps forehead*  Ah well, I’m going to keep it there and continue to watch it.  The whole reason I started this LP was because I wanted something non-scary to view and Oliz is always good for stuff like that.  I noticed this and figured I’d give it a whirl.  I think he has some of the other games from the series on his channel, too, so I’m really happy to have sort of long LPs to watch!

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I had a busy November!  Not…really writing unfortunately, but oh well.  

I finished up the Silent Hill series for Let’s Plays and found some new stuff to watch.  I’ve been playing my Switch nearly every night before bed, which is super relaxing, and hey, now it’s Christmas time.  People are getting cookies and blankets because I’m all about dat comfy life  (plus I’m broke) ♥

What games are on your wish list this year?

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<–The State of the Gamer: 10/30/18            The State of the Gamer: 12/25/18–>