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Monday Gaming Diary: Podcasting Fool

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furious-fourcast-29-in-defense-of-dudebro-games-600As I’m sure you’ve read me saying numerous of times, I’m on a weekly podcast with a few other SGR writers, The EvilCast. Just ignore the fact that we’re a podcast on a website that isn’t exactly functional anymore. That isn’t the point. The point is that the four of us still get together on a weekly basis to yell at one another over the week’s gaming industry news. If that isn’t a sign of BFFs, I’m not sure what is.

In addition to the EvilCast, I participated in two other podcasts last week. I’m still exhausted.

The first podcast of the week was the Power Button podcast with MattG (occasional writer here) and Blake. We discussed games we find ourselves binging on, whether it’s during severe downtime or just for pleasure. I’m sure all of you know which games I talked about the most.

Next up was the Furious Fourcast with Scott Grill, Max Parker, and Jen Bosier. Topic of the week–defending the dudebro. Over the last couple of years, Jen and I have noticed several negative nancies slamming the “dudebro” games for whatever reason. What’s worse is that many of them are bashing games they haven’t even played and know nothing about. And of course there are some who disdain the dudebro because it doesn’t appeal to their artistic sentiments. That’s fine, but to each their own, and we set out to discuss why we love the dudebro so much.

I had a lot of fun podcasting with these folks, but damn that was hard on this introvert. Plus, it really cut into my gaming time. I only had time to finally nail down that platinum trophy in The LEGO Movie Videogame!

Give these episodes a listen, and if you like them, subscribe to their podcasts. These guys put out great content for your ears each week.

Monday Gaming Diary: Achievement Hunting

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270590-SouthParkHeaderI’ve never really thought of myself as an Achievement hunter. If there are some Achievements I think I can easily get, I’ll go for it. Will I sit and try to do something over and over and over to get them all like prized Pokemon? Not really. The LEGO games are really the only place where I try that, and that’s mostly because I have this thing about getting the 100% mark on all LEGO games. Over the weekend, I finished South Park: The Stick of Truth, and I think I was the victim of an Achievement glitch for two Achievements. I know for sure a glitch prevents me from getting one.

For whatever reason, I’m really, really mad about it.

I know Achievements mean nothing in real life, that it just adds some silly arbitrary number to a Gamerscore no one cares about. I know all this. I’m still frustrated I couldn’t get those two Achievements.

So like a stupid child, I’m spending free time going back through the game and picking up other Achievements I didn’t get at the time but know I could get with a little time. Not only that, since I’m not sure about one Achievement being glitched, I’m considering playing the game again with the purpose of redoing my plan for that Achievement as well as to take a different course with one decision you have to make in the game.

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

Part of it is this game is extremely fun and I don’t want to stop playing, even though I need to turn back to Lightning Returns. Other part of it is I’ve developed a stupid obsession with this game. I really hope this doesn’t lead to future obsessions with Achievements. I don’t got time for that!

Monday Gaming Diary: Playing 3 RPGs at once…how long till I go crazy?

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You're doing what now?

You’re doing what now?

Not sure whose bright idea it was to pit me in three RPGs at once, but that’s where I am. Not only that, but all 3 RPGs couldn’t be more different from one another, in both gameplay and story, and two of them came from the same studio. I’m somehow playing Lightning Returns, Bravely Default, and South Park: The Stick of Truth. The pool is open for when I go insane.

Two are turn based, but they employ different modes of turn-based play. LR claims to be turn based, but the ATB gauge gives it a far more action-RPG feel. In addition, LR has the weirdest ways to level up and learn new skills than I have ever played, and that includes the mind wave slot machine in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

Whenever I sit down to play one, I really do have to relax my mind and run through a quick little tutorial to remind myself how this one works. I don’t have as many issues with Bravely Default, since it implements very typical traditional turn-based play with a slight spin on taking turns. With LR and SP however…wow. So many different commands and so many different concepts between them. I die in the first battle almost each time because I have to use that first fight as a reminder.

And I may be adding Final Fantasy X HD to that mix soon. Maybe I should play that on the Vita so I have four different consoles covered. I can’t be bothered with taking discs in and out of consoles. That’s precious seconds of time lost that I need to devote to these potentially long games!

Monday Gaming Diary: I Love Strategy Guides Way Too Much

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Goddamn timer.

Goddamn timer.

My dedication to strategy guides occasionally goes beyond the prudent call for playing something that I will like or for something that is even good. Right now I’m playing something I absolutely hate but wanted to like, and it hurts me so much that I hate it that I literally have to talk myself into playing it instead of hunting down all of the collectibles in The LEGO Movie Videogame. I am sadly talking about Lightning Returns – Final Fantasy XIII.

After my rage from finishing Final Fantasy XIII-2, I knew the only way I would play the last game (this will be the last game, right?) would be for the sake of strategy guides. Despite how much I despised where the story went in FFXIII-2, I had hopes that the finale would be better. Not sure how, but the story actually got worse.

After watching the intro sequence that left me utterly confused, I opened up the game’s Datalog to fill in the blanks, as I’ve always had to do with FFXIII games. My heart sank. My head bowed. I wanted to drop the controller. Instead, I found myself hoping things would improve. Somehow the story steadily worsened, and I don’t think it’s going to climb the other direction before this travesty is over.

It doesn’t help that I don’t like the gameplay either. I thought Square Enix perfected the paradigm party system in FFXIII-2, but they’ve had to twerk it again to something even more confusing with some FFX-2 flair. On top of that, there’s a timer, one of the three things I loathe in video games.

As I continue to play, all I feel is pity for the poor strategy guide writers who had to pour in hours in the name of strategy guides. I genuinely hope they liked it to ease the pain at least a little.

At least the strategy guide so far is fantastic. It may help prevent me from destroying the world in the game on purpose.

Monday Gaming Diary: Must Stop Delaying Lightning’s Return

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legomovievideogameI fully admit I’m dreading playing Lightning’s Return. I was so angry with how FFXIII-2 ended that I literally threw my PS3 controller on the floor. If it wasn’t for the strategy guide, I would completely ignore that this game exists. Square Enix taking forever to ship me the game really didn’t bother me too much, as I really did have another game to review for Action Trip. It hasn’t helped that a friend has warned me that the game has two features I utterly despise: a timer and stealth. I know I have to play to see how bad these elements are, and the strategy guide should help me overcome them, but ugh, it’s just not gearing me up.

So I buried myself in burning through the story mode of The LEGO Movie Videogame, telling myself I really had to do so for review purposes. (Really bummed there isn’t a guide for one, by the way.) I finished the game on Friday, freeing up the weekend for Lightning, right?

No.

I realized that I am sooooo close to finishing the story portion of LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins, which is the 3DS prequel to the Wii U game. Must play and delay the inevitable…

I never did finish The Chase Begins thanks to needy children, but I’m going to be good and not play it tonight. This Lightning Returns strategy guide ain’t going to review itself. Now that I do have the game, I no longer have a real excuse. I should probably play this game with wine nearby, shouldn’t I?

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