Baker’s Final March

[Baker]

Baker's Final March

 

Hello everyone and welcome to my checklist.
 

I’ve had the idea of starting a checklist for a while now, and after I’ve seen a recent new checklist with basically the same idea, it was the right time to start my own.

I’ve been on this site for many years so maybe you’ve seen me around.

 

I play games I like and I complete them. That’s always been the only thing that’s important to me. This is what I did long before trophies existed, and how I get the most enjoyment out of gaming. I don’t care about Leaderboards, Trophy Rarities, Average Completion Percentage, etc..

 

When I had 200 completed games I had the idea to go to 400 completed games and then quit trophy hunting. Don’t ask me why but I just hate the number 3. So anything in the 300’s wasn’t an option. Plus there were just too many great games I still needed to play.

 

So this will be the main goal of this checklist: 

 

400 games played, 400 completed games and then quit. And I’ll be writing some reviews and updates along the way. At my current rate I expect to achieve it in about 1.5 years, so I’ll be around for a while. 
 

Let’s make it 500. There are too many games I still need to play.
 

Currently Playing:

 

 

Backlog:

 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Devil May Cry 5

Final Fantasy XVII: Rebirth

Final Fantasy XVI

Neon White

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

 

Wishlist:

 

Aeterna Noctis

Ghostrunner 2

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Star Ocean: The Second Story R

The DioField Chronicle

The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie

The Legend of Heroes: Trails To Azure

Trinity Trigger

Valkyrie Elysium

 

 

Edited March 6 by Baker

[CaptainMonkster]

Good job! I've been tempted to do one of these for a while now too but never got around to it! Good luck and your goal and hopefully you'll decide to continue past 400 if it's still fun for you!

[Deluziion90]

Followed you since I got on this website and always looked up on your profile, so I've hit that follow button immediately! Goodluck on the upcoming platinums 

 

[Arcesius]

"... some other game called Final Fantasy VII." ?

 

Nice to see that you started your own checklist! Didn't know that you were planing to retire at 400... I can understand why, but I also hope that you'll stay around even if you do retire, or that you notice that you are still enjoying this and keep going

 

Two quick questions.. Are you planing on writing something small here about the games as you finish them?

 

And.. I know that you might skip Jotun cause it looks too slow for your taste. And Strafe gotta be a pretty buggy game. But what are the reasons that make you hesitate to start 10SNX?

 

 

Also.. gotta be such a massive pain in the ass to do these posts with the PS4 ?

Edited May 23, 2021 by Arcesius

[Baker]

@Arcesius Yes I’m using this thread to write some more in depth reviews instead of the short ones I usually do in status updates. Plus if I’m playing something difficult I could write about me suffering through the game ?.

 

As for Jotun. Yes, the battle system is too slow for me, but I might give it another try.

 

I expected to like 10 Second Ninja X, but I didn’t... Although I only played it for around 10 min.

 

And Strafe... The game that’s known for terrible framerate drops. But I can handle that. The thing is the levels are randomly generated and as you might know, I’m not a big fan of that ?. But it’s a FPS and I love the platinum image which I want to put in my trophy cabinet. So we’ll see...

 

And retiring at 400 games has been in my mind for a few years now. So that’s the plan. On the other hand, I won’t be surprised if I continue...

 

@Deluziion90 Thanks man. I appreciate it.

Edited May 23, 2021 by Baker

[KN_Kirai]

19 hours ago, Baker said:

Don’t ask me why but I just hate the number 3

 

You must be losing your mind now then, given you are exactly at 333 games completed ?

 

Great seeing you starting your checklist, I'll be checking it out from time to time in the future for sure.

 

[Baker]

 #286

 

 

 #287

 

 

 #293

 

 

 #294

 

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel I-IV

 

Enjoyment: 9/10

Difficulty: -

Playtime: 250 hours

 

As a JRPG enthousiast these games have been on my radar for a long time. And now that I’ve completed the saga I can say they did not disappoint! This must be the best turn based JRPGs I’ve played since the PS2 era, along with Dragon Quest XI.

 

You can see this saga as one big game. Or you can split them up between I-II & III-IV. Trails of Cold Steel ends with a big cliffhanger and at the end of Trails of Cold Steel II you have completed that story. Fastforward a year later and Trails of Cold Steel III begins, introducing some new characters and beginning a new, but also continuing the old story. Once again it ends with a cliffhanger and then you complete the saga in Trails of Cold Steel IV.

There are so many good things about this game. The characters, the story, the world, the music, the amazing battlesystem, it’s all done very well. But let me highlight one thing: Turbo Mode. Have you ever replayed an old Final Fantasy game thinking ‘I can’t remember this being so goddamn slow, I wish I could speed up the battles’? Just as the FF VII and FF IX ports this game has a double speed mode, which cuts down playing time immensely.

Speaking of playing time. It took me around 250 hours to complete these games, an average of around 60 hours per game, not counting the 40 hours I had to idle for a play 100 hours trophy. This is a very low completion time. Why you might ask? Well let’s get to the two things I did not like about these games to explain it.

 

The pacing. The pacing in this game is so slow, it’s just cutscene after cutscene after cutscene. Maybe it’s just me but I feel like a lot of games have that in the past few years. Like cutscenes are more important than gameplay nowadays.
 

The missables. If you want the platinum trophies you need to follow guides. There are so many missables that even missing one thing could end up having to play an entire new playthrough. Luckily there are 4 awesome walkthroughs on this site ??.

 

Because of these two things I’ve played these games like this. Skip! Skip texts, Skip cutscenes, onto the next checkmark on the missable list, while playing in Turbo Mode to do it all as fast as possible. Now that doesn’t really sound like fun. But every game requires two playthroughs. Once I’ve completed my first one, while hopefully getting all missables, I did my second playthrough on Nightmare difficulty and took my time to enjoy the story. Still with Turbo Mode on ofcourse. They should put that in all turn based games ?.

 

Overall an awesome experience.

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by Baker

[Baker]

✅ #336
 

 

Rise & Shine

 

Enjoyment: 7/10

Difficulty: 6/10

Playtime: 10 hours

 

Let’s keep this short. I had my eye on this game for a few years. I knew there was a Ironman trophy for beating the game without dying. Not really something I like to do. There were conflicting statements on the internet about if you could save scum this. So at that point there was only one thing left to do. Recommend the game to @Arcesius so he could unknowingly test it out for me. And so he did…

 

Just kidding ofcourse. Am I? ?

 

The game looks amazing. It was fun, short, and thanks to save scumming, easy. Only the final level could cause some problems. But I only needed to redownload my save a handful of times.

 

Now what to play next?

 

I’m thinking of trading in all my physical games this week. I expect to get around €80-100 worth and then I want to pick up Ys: Monstrum Nox and Yakuza Remastered Collection. 

 

Or I postpone the trading and work on my backlog. In which case I’ll probably be playing Devil May Cry 5 or Shadow Warrior. Decisions, decisions…

 

 

Edited June 13, 2021 by Baker

[Deluziion90]

You're going pretty hard past weeks gg and congrats!

[Arcesius]

I... feel... used...   

 

Seriously though, I gladly tested it out for you  Would have played the game even if save-scumming would not have been possible. As you correctly mentioned, only the last chapter could have been problematic after practicing the other ones for a bit. I feel like games like this one are easier to play on PC since you can move the aiming-cursor to where you want to shoot. 

 

In any case, congrats on finishing the game! Was a fun, albeit short experience  

[Baker]

You might notice there are quite a few posts missing here. After a post got deleted, which I still think was unnecessary, the thread derailed a bit. So after discussing this with @Beyondthegrave07 in PMs I thought it was best to delete all the nonsense and try to keep this checklist drama free.

 

Now what I really wanted to post this morning was a poll. But I still can’t figure out how to do it ?. I’ve decided to put some time in my backlog so the poll was going to ask which game to play next. I’ve been thinking about it for the last 4 days but I can’t decide. Continue with Devil May Cry 5 or start Shadow Warrior?

Edited June 20, 2021 by Baker

[Deluziion90]

1 hour ago, Baker said:

You might notice there are quite a few posts missing here. After a post got deleted, which I still think was unnecessary, the thread derailed a bit. So after discussing this with @Beyondthegrave07 in PMs I though it was best to delete all the nonsense and try to keep this checklist drama free. Because, as we all know, there is already plenty of drama on PSNP.

 

Now what I really wanted to post this morning was a poll. But I still can’t figure out how to do it . I’ve decided to put some time in my backlog so the poll was going to ask which game to play next. Continue with Devil May Cry 5 or start Shadow Warrior?

 

Devil May Cry 5!

[Arcesius]

9 hours ago, Baker said:

Now what I really wanted to post this morning was a poll. But I still can’t figure out how to do it . I’ve decided to put some time in my backlog so the poll was going to ask which game to play next. I’ve been thinking about it for the last 4 days but I can’t decide. Continue with Devil May Cry 5 or start Shadow Warrior?

 

I mean... Shadow Warrior seems to be a very fun game... So maybe go through the tedium of however many playthroughs you still have left in DMC5 first, enjoy SW afterwards! ?

 

You know that I'd finish a started game first in any case ?

[Copanele]

Devil may cry 5 obviously, because its best to finish what you hate ASAP

 

Nah, seriously though, go with Shadow Warrior. Take your time with DMC5 because it only gets worse from where you are ?

 

[Wild-Arms-R]

3 hours ago, Copanele said:

Devil may cry 5 obviously, because its best to finish what you hate ASAP

 

Nah, seriously though, go with Shadow Warrior. Take your time with DMC5 because it only gets worse from where you are

 

DMC5 = 2eZ.

 

On that note am I the only one who found DMC4SE the harder plat?

[Copanele]

1 minute ago, Wild-Arms-R said:

DMC5 = 2eZ.

 

On that note am I the only one who found DMC4SE the harder plat?

Not at all, DMC4 IS the harder platinum by far.

I just know that Baker suffers greatly every time he has to do ANOTHER playthrough  it's not about the skills, it's about the patience to get through all that.

[Wild-Arms-R]

4 minutes ago, Copanele said:

Not at all, DMC4 IS the harder platinum by far.

I just know that Baker suffers greatly every time he has to do ANOTHER playthrough  it's not about the skills, it's about the patience to get through all that.

True that, the both games start hard but by if your hell bent on getting the plats you won’t even need to worry about being good enough to earn them.

 

I mean you gotta beat each game what like 5times. 
Who can’t get good in 5 playtrus is beyond me.

Tho it would suck so bad if you ended up hating the games cus their very heavy on playtime.

 

Oh and Shadow Warrior looks hard n fun so maybe you should go play that one and try doing a mission par day on DMC5 to make the grind less grindy?

Edited June 17, 2021 by Wild-Arms-R

[Baker]

I’m playing DMC 5 and after one mission I’m already tired of it ?.
 

My biggest issue is I’m not getting any S Ranks. I’m playing on Devil Hunter and I’m getting in the 4500 points range all the time. I haven’t delved into the combat system nor am I abusing the CP exploit but I expected to get at least a few S Ranks along the way. I did get quite a few on Human.

 

I’m thinking of buying the Super Costume pack and blasting through all difficulty modes. And then tackle one mission at a time on every difficulty going for S Ranks. In the end it will take me more time to finish this game but I will have more fun going for it.

 

Edit: Yeah bought it. Current plan is to run through DH, SOS, DMD, HOH & BP with the Super Costumes and then taking another break before the real challenge begins.

Edited June 17, 2021 by Baker

[Baker]

[Devil May Cry 5]

Well my plan worked as anticipated. I’ve run through all the difficulties (except HAH) with the Super Costumes. And that was actually a lot of fun. But now I have D Ranks on all the missions on all difficulties (except Human). 
 

I’ve now done 6 playthroughs of this game and I’m looking at 4.5 more, if I can S Rank everything first try. Which ofcourse I won’t because I’m terrible at these types of games. I’m probably looking at another 10+ playthroughs. And that’s a very low estimate… ?
 

This is probably the worst trophy list I’ve ever done. I can’t remember DMC4 being this bad. I also have the feeling DMC5 playthroughs take a lot longer to complete.
 

I want to take a break from the game again, but now that I’m used to the controls again and know how to quickly run through the missions I guess it’s better to stick with it until it’s done.

 

Edit:

 

Well that’s 1 mission done, 20 to go. But this already took me quite some time, also thanks to those awful loading times, and attempts. It seems even though I don’t get hit and finish the fight with S-SSS rank I don’t get enough style points to get a S Rank. @Copanele I need some tips here ?. What am I doing wrong?

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Baker

[Copanele]

Ok wooshing in to the rescue!

 

The main problem at dmc5 is that there are some missions with a faulty ranking system. These are mission 5,8,10,12 and 18. There are some "tips" to get guaranteed S rank:

- no damage is required

- try to stay in SSS style mode as much as possible, eventually drag it out with taunts and shitty attacks, but Don't overdo it. S or SS won't do. The quicker you finish a fight the less points you get (but not always thanks capcom wtf) 

- Avoid fights that won't give you guaranteed SSS. For instance at the very start of M8, you will have 2 random scythe dudes. Just avoid them and be on your way instead of fighting them, because you will get a measly S against them and that fucks up your final score. 

- m10 is the worst mission by far. If you take damage you can quit app and reload to resume yourself from the last checkpoint. This doesn't work in Hell&hell mode. 

- for Nero, punchline is the best arm, to combo a monster in the distance while you combo another. 

- for Dante, do as many different rebellion into balrog/king cerberus combos as you can, if you fight a fury just nuke it with meteors or SDT it (this one sounds good XD). 

- As V, hug the wall and mash. 

 

Other than that... You gotta learn the level layout. I know the game is a pain but once you learn the level properly it gets easier. 

Except Hell and hell, screw that mode! 

 

Hope that helps abit. 

[Baker]

Got a few more questions.

 

What’s the best way to quickly build up style as Nero? Right now I’m going into fights with charged guns and max exceed, do some sword  and grab combo’s, turn on devil trigger, rinse and repeat. But I usually only go to SS rank like this, and then it drops down to A rank very quickly…

 

I’m planning to do no hit runs, is that enough to get guaranteed S Ranks even though your style points are low? That way I could use some safe strategies, like running around with charged guns…

 

For BP: Does Nero have some OP attack I can spam to quickly rush through it? I’ve done Dante and V already. I find it weird less people have completed BP than have the platinum.

[Copanele]

For Nero:

Throw your punchline. 

Basic combo-launch-basic air combo-air taunt-forward lunge attack - 2hits,delay,mash-launch-2 hits mid air, short delay, hit-grab. Also mash that exceed maybe you get a timing and rev your sword. 

While you do that, charge up your gun for charged shot lvl 3 that does absurd amounts of damage and really fires up your style. Better map your gun to L1 or R1 or whatever feels comfortable for you. 

 

Sorry if it sounds like chinese ??it's the best way to describe it. 

 

No hit runs have like 95%chances of giving you S rank, BUT if you have a shitty overall combo(like A), you wont get S

 

For bloody palace, conserve your DT and go ham through the early stages to build up your time, then a combo of ragtime+buster arm to get rid of the late nasty enemies. Charged Buster Arm demolishes all enemies and most bosses'health. 

 

Now i wanna reinstall dmc5

[Baker]

10 minutes ago, Copanele said:

For Nero:

Throw your punchline. 

Basic combo-launch-basic air combo-air taunt-forward lunge attack - 2hits,delay,mash-launch-2 hits mid air, short delay, hit-grab. Also mash that exceed maybe you get a timing and rev your sword. 

 

Sorry if it sounds like chinese it's the best way to describe it. 

What!? ?? Lol, I’m not good enough to do combo’s like this.

Edited June 20, 2021 by Baker

[Copanele]

37 minutes ago, Baker said:

What!? Lol, I’m not good enough to do combo’s like this.

Ok

Attack your enemy, launch him and attack him mid-air. Every time you do this add one extra button, whatever you want (taunt, gun, down slash, buster grab) 

 

That's the easiest stuff you can do as Nero for SSS. 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Copanele

[Baker]

 #295 
 

 

AI: The Somnium Files

 

Enjoyment: 8/10

Difficulty: -

Playtime: 25 hours

 

Let’s go back 2.5 years. Casually watching some Youtube video’s I came across a random top 10 best stories in videogames video. The games picked out were games with amazing stories but there was one game I’d never heard of before: 999. A quick google search later I came to learn it was part of the Zero Escape trilogy, which are Visual Novels. So I checked the Ps Store and all three games were on sale, which was a fortunate coincidence. I asked for some opinions here on the forums and everyone basically said the same thing: The games are great, get them! And so I did.

 

I did not expect to like it much, because at that point I looked at VNs as games that were only played by stackers that want to climb the leaderboards, but I was wrong. The games were amazing, and the best part was it actually had quite a lot of gameplay in it. So I went looking for more of these types of games and not before long I was playing Danganronpa, Phoenix Wright and recently 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Amazing games!

 

I also tried a VN that was just reading by pressing X: Chaos;Child. That was definitely too boring for me, I skipped through the entire game.

 

On to AI: The Somnium Files. Without spoiling anything you’re playing as Date, a police detective that has an AI left eye called Aiba and because of a Psync machine is able to go into people’s minds/dreams trying to solve the murders he is investigating. The gameplay is in the dreams where you need to break ‘mental locks’ to continue by solving puzzles, which is heavily inspired by Zero Escape & Phoenix Wright.
 

The story is dark with loads of murders, many cliffhangers, and was done very well. But one thing stood out for me: The humor. There also is a lot of humor in this game, they’re all basically sex jokes, but it had me laugh out loud multiple times. 
 

Pornoooo Mag!!!

 

 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Baker