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Monday Gaming Diary: Cleared out the Stack of Shame

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Unamused+vault+boy_7b71a7_5150636I fell for a particular bit of clickbait last week and read (or skimmed) through an article about how to become a happier gamer. Most of the suggestions I laughed at and rolled my eyes, but one really stuck out at me, and it was to buy fewer games. In my case, as a game reviewer, this one isn’t that possible. Technically, I rarely buy games, but that’s not the point of the recommendation; it’s about cutting down the need to play so many games. After reading this one tip, I looked over at my own stack of shame and felt that stressed out sensation creep up the back of my neck and head. As much as I would love to play and finish every single one of the games in my stack of shame, I know it’s not possible. Maybe if I didn’t review games and guides it would be possible, but I don’t think even then it would be since I want to play the newest hot items on the market.

I’ll hear friends recommend things, or I’ll see the Interwebs praise one game I hadn’t heard of, and I’ll get interested and buy them. Which means either that gets added to the stack or something else I was playing gets added.

This weekend was high time I actually cleaned up my office (it’s not just because my parents are coming in town either), and as I was picking up all of the games, guides, and random scraps of paper that were littered across my floor, I forced myself to take a long, hard look at my stack of shame. Sure, I want to play all of those games eventually. Maybe. Well, it would be nice if I could. But so many are monster RPGs. Others are LEGO games that will command hours from me because I’ll “have” to try to get that Platinum trophy in them. And others just never hit my radar that I need to play them when I actually get some free time.

It’s time to re-prioritize.

Most of my stack was removed and put back on the shelves. Since they’re PS3 and Xbox 360 games, there’s little to no point in even trying to sell them, although there are a few I should sell as I know I’ll never try them or finish them: Batman Arkham Asylum and Batman Arkham City. Dragon’s Dogma seemed so amazing, but ugh, I know I’ll never get around to it with all of the RPGs I really really want to play, including those I know I want to play again. coughDragonAgeOriginscough

Most of the LEGO games were also removed at this time. Only LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Batman 3 made the cut. These are more important, and if I get around to it, I’ll try to Platinum in the rest, but I’m not going to worry about it anymore. LEGO Jurassic World will release in June, and well, yeah I’ll try to Platinum in that one too. I’ll most likely be reviewing it for work and the strategy guide.

Fallout 3 and The God of War Saga also got shelved. I don’t even think I’ve removed the games from their wrappers. I feel doubly guilty about that because they were gifts.

So what remained?

I have the following games in my official stack of shame/pursuit of Platinum:

  • Dragon Age Inquisition
  • Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
  • LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
  • LEGO Batman 3
  • Resistance 3
  • Assassin’s Creed Rogue
  • Diablo III
  • Diablo III: the Ultimate Evil Edition

I can’t explain why Resistance 3 made the cut other than I loved the first two games a lot and I want to see where the story goes. Assassin’s Creed Rogue is there because I love AC games and I heard this was one of the best from the last generation of consoles. And the original D3 is in there because I only need 2.3 million gold to go to Platinum in it. Mmmmm I can just taste it.

Monday Gaming Diary: Procrastinashun

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cakebuttI had work to do this weekend, but I decided to procrastinate completely and play games I’ve already played. More specifically, I played Broken Age on the Vita. I know, I know, I played it on the PC, but the allure of Trophies was too much for me. I already know what I’m doing this time, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to speed through the game, right?

And that was true; I finished the game in less than two days. When you know how to solve the puzzles, you can do it in a very efficient manner, which greatly cuts down on the backtracking. I had hoped that the photos I took of the Hexipal puzzle solutions would provide the exact same solutions, but the solutions either change with every playthrough or with different platforms. All of the notes I had made the first time around were nearly useless, but at least I was prepared.

And really, I think that’s the only way to play Broken Age, at least in the last half. Although, I have to admit, after playing it again from start to finish, Tim Schaefer was 100% dead on with his recommendation to replaying the first act before diving into the second. There are an obscene number of hints for act 2 puzzle solutions in the first act. Maybe I only noticed them because I knew of the solutions, but I think having them in the forefront of my mind would have helped immensely.

I didn’t get the Platinum Trophy, but with the Trophies in the list, it will take at least two playthroughs to get them all. Not sure if I even want to try, as I have no idea how to finish the whole game in less than an hour, but there are so many hidden Trophies I’m very curious about.

Yes, I have a Trophy problem, I admit it. I am going to MomoCon at the end of this month, so maybe that will be a good time to play it over and over. Or maybe I’ll finish Bravely Default. I kind of want to finish that sometime this year (with everything else, I admit). I think conventions and airplane time will be the best opportunities to get a move on with that one. I think I’m nearly done; or that could be a Square Enix trick right before they open up 40 more hours of gameplay. Wouldn’t surprise me.

In other non-procrastinating news, we got a review copy of the Bloodborne strategy guide! I am dropping that in the mail to Chris today so he can get to work on that as soon as he can. I’ve pretty much given up on trying to find time for Pillars of Eternity because I’m a horrible person, but I will not drop the ball for The Witcher 3. It helps that I’m not reviewing that game for work.

And speaking of reviewing games for work, I need to get on that Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. I hear it has a Grammar Nazi! DLC of the Year, right there.

Monday Gaming Diary: I choose to not have time

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we-are-our-choicesI give up! You win! I just can’t get the time to properly review this guide or game. I want to break down and sob, but then that would just be procrastinating even further. I walked/jogged a half marathon on Sunday, and while listening to podcasts, I thought a lot about the games I want to finish and just don’t seem to have time for. I always tell people that you have the time to play games or do things, it’s just what you’re willing to make time for. And really, this applies to me just as well.

I am choosing to work on game reviews instead of the RPGs I want to finish, just like I chose to set aside lots of time at the beginning of the year to play Dragon Age Origins: Awakening and Dragon Age 2. I chose to play The Order: 1886 twice to review the game and then the guide to get the Platinum trophy. I choose all the time to sit down and pick up my iPad for a quick round of the Mortal Kombat Kard Game. I choose to not stay up until midnight lately (because I’m so damn tired) to work on games and guide reviews. I choose to spend more time with the family than hole up in my office in front of the TV.

I could just as easily choose to throw hot dogs at my family and hole upstairs with Pillars of Eternity or Dragon Age Inquisition. I could choose to not review everything thrown my way and choose to work on my backlog. I really don’t have to accept every review that comes knocking, but I feel the need to. I choose to.

Just like I choose to go work out every day, which also cuts down my video game time. It’s become really important to me, and I don’t want to give it up. I’m not able to work out at night or on weekends, so this when I do so. And I choose to do it.

I also chose to play way too much Broken Age last week and the Mortal Kombat Kard Game. Dear God I need help with some of my choices.

Monday Gaming Diary: I’m NOT set for the summer. I have too many RPGs!

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ScreenshotWin32_0019_Final

Cullen has been wondering where I’ve been.

I really really really envy Chris right now in his ability to be so complacent with the games he has, knowing he doesn’t have much else on the schedule to review until the Fall. He can sit back, relax, and play his current list to his heart’s content. It’s times like these that make me wish I didn’t have kids or that I didn’t do this for a living.

The not having kids wouldn’t help much, because since I review and write about games as my main job now, I can’t rest my laurels and catch up with the games I want to all the time. I know, boo hoo, poor me has to play so many games. Total #firstworldproblem and #gamereviewerproblem, I get it. Really, I do. But it is a problem for me, when I want to be able to squeeze in games for myself as well.

The biggest problem is that most of the games I want to find time to play are friggin’ RPGs. Here is the current list of RPGs I want to play or finish:

  • Dragon Age Inquisition
  • Bound by Flame
  • Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
  • Pillars of Eternity

And this is all before The Witcher 3 releases! I’m just screwed, that’s all. Or I’ll just deny I’m in this stupid predicament and make it worse by playing more Mortal Kombat X and Diablo 3. Denial and procrastination always makes things better.

Everything is fine, la di dah… I don’t have these games to review for work or Pillars of Eternity strategy guide to review at all. Nope, it’s all good, and this cake is both delicious and healthy. AND A LIE.

Monday Gaming Diary: Reuniting with old friends in Mortal Kombat X

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kenshi-mkxAfter turning the difficulty down at bit and running through the tutorial in Mortal Kombat X, I’m having a far more pleasant experience in getting through the story mode. I’ve played a lot over the last few days, and while learning some of the new characters’ abilities is fun, whenever a chapter stars a character I used a lot way back in the day, it feels like putting on a comfortable shoe. Even though I’m not playing these characters on a similar game device and the combos are not the same, for whatever reason, I’m far more comfortable playing as Subzero, Sonya Blade, and Kitana than any other characters.

I just slip right into their special move repertoire and can easily repeat the button presses. For any other character, I’ll try my own combos, see something cool, and then I can’t recreate it or find it in the move list. I can’t find it most likely because I don’t follow what they name certain moves.

I haven’t worked my way through the entire story yet, so there are plenty of characters I haven’t played as. I could find a new character that I love more than Sonya Blade, I’m sure this is possible. But for now, I feel as comfortable with her as I did over 20 years ago with all of those hours playing Mortal Kombat on my Game Gear. It was unreal how easily I just slid right into her move set without even looking over the complete list first. Kitana was the same way, and so was Subzero. I suppose that’s why I’ve seen Subzero dominate my leaderboards in the Faction section. Well, that and he’s crazy popular; always has been.

I also picked up a fightpad to play the game with, and I like it, but the location of the L1/R1 buttons is taking me a long time to get used to. I did try to go back to the DualShock 4 controller, and that suddenly felt way too heavy. So bizarre.

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