Billie's never ending backlog

[DrBloodmoney]

6 hours ago, popnheart said:

I took a bit of an unplanned hiatus from trophy hunting and also had a weird issue with my account (all better now), but I am officially back on the grind!

 

 #24

 #28

Rise of the Tomb Raider!

 

This one is actually a pretty big deal to me, because RotTR was the first game I played on this profile and the first game I earned a trophy in. Its been sitting in my backlog for ages because I was not looking forward to trying to get a gold star on every level in score attack, but I managed! I actually had the hardest time with the simple task of completing the game on Survivor difficulty because I am just absolutely garbage at handling large swarms of enemies with never ending bullets. I also really enjoyed the DLC and getting those trophies a lot more than I usually do when it comes to DLC. Endurance mode was the most fun for me, but I really liked Cold Darkness and Croft Manor too. I might actually still play Endurance co op with my other trophy hunter friend from time to time. I just wish there were more characters to choose from. Randomly having two Lara's together and no acknowledgement of it is kinda weird lol. Anyway, I'm super stoked about this plat!

 

Congratulations! ???

 

I loved Rise - I think my favourite overall of the 'modern' trilogy - great setting, and those DLCs were very good!

 

I know what you mean about the Co-Op Endurance mode - it felt robust enough that it could have supported being a bit more fleshed out, and having more characters (and even some little narrative vignettes or something to go along with them) would have been nice - it's a cool concept!

[Billie__227]

On 12/17/2021 at 4:03 AM, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Congratulations! ???

 

I loved Rise - I think my favourite overall of the 'modern' trilogy - great setting, and those DLCs were very good!

 

I know what you mean about the Co-Op Endurance mode - it felt robust enough that it could have supported being a bit more fleshed out, and having more characters (and even some little narrative vignettes or something to go along with them) would have been nice - it's a cool concept!

I totally thought I replied to this, but I guess I never pressed submit, I'm so sorry ?

 

I just realized that I did Shadow first, then Rise.. and once I finish the first one I will have platinumed them in reverse order lol oops.

 

I wish they would have added a bit more depth to the Endurance dlc for sure but I did enjoy it a lot more than I expected to, especially co op!

[Billie__227]

I also wanted to come here to add that I got my 25th plat!

 

 #25

? #29

 

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

 

I put off playing this for a long time because my friend told me that it legit depressed him for weeks. Somehow in all the years I didn't play, I somehow didn't really get spoiled for anything. I won't say much just in case someone who still hasn't played it yet and wants to is reading, but I am so glad I got the Plus version because the little side stories were so healing and nice and cute to watch after the jarring experience of the actual game lol. I'm just gonna pretend that the main game never happened and that all the girls got to be happy together forever in their club. This is a very easy platinum, the only drawback for me is that there is a time sensitive trophy for viewing a file that can only be accessed when the clock reads a specific time. I considered just messing with my ps4 settings to get it but ended up waiting an extra day and doing it legit.

 

Anyway, I hope none of you will judge me for it but this game has reawakened that love of visual novel games I had a phase with in my teens and I'm kinda thinking about playing another one that doesn't have horror aspects to it so I can get a happy ending lol. So if anyone has a good weeby visual novel to recommend that preferably does NOT include fan service of extremely young looking girls, I'd really appreciate it. Honestly considering playing Dream Daddy lmao.

 

In the meantime I might continue working on Assassins Creed Brotherhood, and I've been considering playing that Frogger game on ps now ?

[DrBloodmoney]

17 hours ago, popnheart said:

I also wanted to come here to add that I got my 25th plat!

 

 #25

 #29

 

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

 

I put off playing this for a long time because my friend told me that it legit depressed him for weeks. Somehow in all the years I didn't play, I somehow didn't really get spoiled for anything. I won't say much just in case someone who still hasn't played it yet and wants to is reading, but I am so glad I got the Plus version because the little side stories were so healing and nice and cute to watch after the jarring experience of the actual game lol. I'm just gonna pretend that the main game never happened and that all the girls got to be happy together forever in their club. This is a very easy platinum, the only drawback for me is that there is a time sensitive trophy for viewing a file that can only be accessed when the clock reads a specific time. I considered just messing with my ps4 settings to get it but ended up waiting an extra day and doing it legit.

 

Anyway, I hope none of you will judge me for it but this game has reawakened that love of visual novel games I had a phase with in my teens and I'm kinda thinking about playing another one that doesn't have horror aspects to it so I can get a happy ending lol. So if anyone has a good weeby visual novel to recommend that preferably does NOT include fan service of extremely young looking girls, I'd really appreciate it. Honestly considering playing Dream Daddy lmao.

 

In the meantime I might continue working on Assassins Creed Brotherhood, and I've been considering playing that Frogger game on ps now 

 

 

Congrats on Doki Doki - that's one that is clawing it's way into my "I think I need to play this" file - I tend to be pretty reticent about Japanese VNs - for exactly the reason you allude to here (If you think it feels skeezy seeing the very young schoolgirl with giant "assets" swinging about for you.... imagine how skeezy it feels for a dude nearing 40! ??)... but I keep hearing so much about how clever and interesting Doki Doki is, so hearing it didn't bother you on that front is a good endorsement!

 

Love AC Brotherhood too - that's just a great game top-to-bottom.... and for what it's worth, that Frogger game (if it's the one I'm thinking of)... isn't too bad! Wont take long to S-Rank, but it does what it's supposed to... it's Frogger, and Frogger is pretty fun!

[Billie__227]

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Congrats on Doki Doki - that's one that is clawing it's way into my "I think I need to play this" file - I tend to be pretty reticent about Japanese VNs - for exactly the reason you allude to here (If you think it feels skeezy seeing the very young schoolgirl with giant "assets" swinging about for you.... imagine how skeezy it feels for a dude nearing 40! )... but I keep hearing so much about how clever and interesting Doki Doki is, so hearing it didn't bother you on that front is a good endorsement!

Thank you! :3 I can imagine how uncomfortable that sort of thing could make you considering that even I can't play games like that as a mid 20s woman without feeling icky about it lol. Doki Doki is pretty safe though! Its a trip emotionally but there isn't really any fan service or anything like that. There is a little pop up at the beginning that says "all characters in this game are over 18" but I definitely don't believe that considering its set at a high school >.> but at least there's no nudity or anything. The story is very good and even though its a bit depressing, if you get the Plus version there are some cute little side stories that I recommend saving for last so you can just pretend the events of the actual game never happened and the girls got to be happy together forever in their little club lol.

 

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Love AC Brotherhood too - that's just a great game top-to-bottom.... and for what it's worth, that Frogger game (if it's the one I'm thinking of)... isn't too bad! Wont take long to S-Rank, but it does what it's supposed to... it's Frogger, and Frogger is pretty fun!

I'm still playing through the Assassins Creed games for the first time tbh. I got my AC2 plat and I'll probably start 3 soon when I'm done with Brotherhood. Really been enjoying them so far but I suck so bad with the controls lol.

 

And yeah, I used to play Frogger with my dad way back in like the late 90s/early 00s and I loved it. I got so excited when I saw it on ps now ? I could use some nostalgia in my life.

[Billie__227]

Apparently I'm a lifetime premium member now? Did someone gift that to me? I cannot even begin to express my thanks if so ?

[DrBloodmoney]

1 hour ago, popnheart said:

Thank you! :3 I can imagine how uncomfortable that sort of thing could make you considering that even I can't play games like that as a mid 20s woman without feeling icky about it lol. Doki Doki is pretty safe though! Its a trip emotionally but there isn't really any fan service or anything like that. There is a little pop up at the beginning that says "all characters in this game are over 18" but I definitely don't believe that considering its set at a high school >.> but at least there's no nudity or anything. The story is very good and even though its a bit depressing, if you get the Plus version there are some cute little side stories that I recommend saving for last so you can just pretend the events of the actual game never happened and the girls got to be happy together forever in their little club lol.

 

Cheers - I’ll look out for that version then!

 

Quote

I'm still playing through the Assassins Creed games for the first time tbh. I got my AC2 plat and I'll probably start 3 soon when I'm done with Brotherhood. Really been enjoying them so far but I suck so bad with the controls lol.

Ah, yeah, AC controls can be a bit finicky - a lot of that does get smoothed out over the Ezio trilogy though - by the time you get to AC III they are much more finessed!

 

Also, if you have it, don’t skip AC Revelations before moving on to ACIII. 
It’s the finale of Ezio’s journey, and I know a lot of folks seemed to rate it a bit lower than ACII and Brotherhood, but IMO it’s actually one of the best! I love the setting of that one - it takes place in Istanbul, (well, Constantinople at that point,) and it’s such a gorgeous map - one of the most interesting cities they ever did in the series ☺️

Edited December 29, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[FilmFanatic]

22 hours ago, popnheart said:

Anyway, I hope none of you will judge me for it but this game has reawakened that love of visual novel games I had a phase with in my teens and I'm kinda thinking about playing another one that doesn't have horror aspects to it so I can get a happy ending lol. So if anyone has a good weeby visual novel to recommend that preferably does NOT include fan service of extremely young looking girls, I'd really appreciate it. Honestly considering playing Dream Daddy lmao.

If you want to get back into VNs then you need, no, have to play Steins;Gate. Here’s the short review I did for it.

Spoiler

Steins;Gate is easily the best visual novel I’ve ever played and can say it is the best VN I will ever play. I won’t go into details on the plot as it can get complicated quickly but it is the best story I have ever come across anywhere and that includes games, movies, tv series and books. Gameplay is almost nonexistent where occasionally replying to a text message will determine which ending you get. The game has 5 different endings. The first four are bad endings that are simply awful and heart breaking. By far the worst for me was Lukas ending which nearly had me in tears it was so tragic. The good news is that like so many Japanese games, the last ending is the True ending which is the best ending. And as bad as the other endings were, it made the True ending that much better. I really liked all the main characters including the one who is something of an antagonist but my favourite is Mayushii who is just the loveliest, most innocent and kind person you could ever want to meet and the way she says (sings really) tutturu when greeting people is just adorable.

The good news for you is that you can actually buy it unlike me here in New Zealand which seems to be the only country in the EU region that doesn’t have it on the store. I’ve only played the PS3 version so can’t tell you how different the PS4 version is (only what you see differs as the PS3 version is static images and the PS4 Elite version has scenes from the anime in it) but it’s easily one of the best games I’ve ever played.

[rjkclarke]

Congrats on getting Rise of the Tomb Raider ticked off @popnheart - I have been reading along the whole time, I've just not dropped a comment in here for a while and I really should have done!

 

It seems like Doc, you and I seem to be in the minority of people who actually really loved that Co-Op Endurance mode in Rise of the Tomb Raider, I had so much fun playing with that with one of my friends, it was tense, funny, and most importantly it was just really enjoyable too.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 0:27 AM, popnheart said:

 #25

 #29

 

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

 

Congrats on this one too.....

 

Made me a little interested in it too - especially as some of the same issues you and Doc have with certain types of VN's I do too.. They just make me feel a little grimy sometimes, but I'm glad that wasn't too much of a problem with DDL.

 

Okay, so I'm not the biggest VN guy ever - but I have got a couple of recommendations.

 

20 hours ago, FilmFanatic said:

If you want to get back into VNs then you need, no, have to play Steins;Gate. Here’s the short review I did for it.

 

First off I'll just +1 this....

 

Not only does FilmFanatic have an awesome username I'm desperately jealous of ..... There is clearly some very good taste there ? because  I would have been recommending you Steins;Gate as well - I love both the VN and the TV series, although I'd take the art-style of the VN's over the series I think,it has got an astonishingly good story, that will probably make you laugh and cry, not a whole lot of skeeziness either apart from one of the CG's, but contextually it's quite funny.

 

So @popnheart here are two from me - 2064:Read Only Memories and VA-11 Hall-A

 

I know neither of these are technically Visual Novels I don't think - but I think they sort of count.

 

They are both set in the same universe though - and both are great for different reasons. 2064 is basically a hybridised version of a point-and-click adventure game, and a visual novel, but probably veers more on the VN side, it's punchy has some great characters, and a really interesting and thought provoking story.

 

Whereas VA-11 Hall-A is probably closest to a dating sim mixed with a VN, mixed with a job simulator - and a little bit like the social link interactions in a way from the Persona games..... This one hooked me in massively though - if you equate this to a book - I basically binge read it in about 36 hours straight without sleep, and I was never really bored the whole time. Jill is one of my favourite characters of anything I've played all year, male or female. I wouldn't assume you'd love that the same way I did, but I thought I'd throw these recommendations out anyway if you want to dive back in with some VN's as I think they sort of count, just, sort of

 

They both have a pixel-art visual style too, so you don't have to worry about nudity, because everything looks like it belongs in a 16 Bit era game.

 

23 hours ago, popnheart said:

Apparently I'm a lifetime premium member now? Did someone gift that to me? I cannot even begin to express my thanks if so 

 

That's awesome! I'm pleased for you on that one.

 

Someone gifted me that too - which I'm super grateful for, I don't know who it was, and I probably never will, but it was a lovely gesture - so I'm really glad that someone has done the same for you!

 

Keep blasting away at that backlog!

 

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by rjkclarke

[Billie__227]

On 12/29/2021 at 10:30 PM, DrBloodmoney said:

Also, if you have it, don’t skip AC Revelations before moving on to ACIII. 

It’s the finale of Ezio’s journey, and I know a lot of folks seemed to rate it a bit lower than ACII and Brotherhood, but IMO it’s actually one of the best! I love the setting of that one - it takes place in Istanbul, (well, Constantinople at that point,) and it’s such a gorgeous map - one of the most interesting cities they ever did in the series 

I totally forgot about Revelations but I would have ended up playing it first anyhow since I have the Ezio collection, so no worries there haha. I really like the series so far and I hear the controls get better. I'll stick with a game I like regardless though, even if the controls are difficult *cough cough* Resident Evil 4 *cough* so I definitely plan to finish them all!

 

On 12/29/2021 at 11:35 PM, FilmFanatic said:

If you want to get back into VNs then you need, no, have to play Steins;Gate. Here’s the short review I did for it.

  Reveal hidden contents

Steins;Gate is easily the best visual novel I’ve ever played and can say it is the best VN I will ever play. I won’t go into details on the plot as it can get complicated quickly but it is the best story I have ever come across anywhere and that includes games, movies, tv series and books. Gameplay is almost nonexistent where occasionally replying to a text message will determine which ending you get. The game has 5 different endings. The first four are bad endings that are simply awful and heart breaking. By far the worst for me was Lukas ending which nearly had me in tears it was so tragic. The good news is that like so many Japanese games, the last ending is the True ending which is the best ending. And as bad as the other endings were, it made the True ending that much better. I really liked all the main characters including the one who is something of an antagonist but my favourite is Mayushii who is just the loveliest, most innocent and kind person you could ever want to meet and the way she says (sings really) tutturu when greeting people is just adorable.

The good news for you is that you can actually buy it unlike me here in New Zealand which seems to be the only country in the EU region that doesn’t have it on the store. I’ve only played the PS3 version so can’t tell you how different the PS4 version is (only what you see differs as the PS3 version is static images and the PS4 Elite version has scenes from the anime in it) but it’s easily one of the best games I’ve ever played.

Thank you for the recommendation! I will look into that for sure. I don't know much about Steins;Gate but the anime has been on my list for several years and I've just never gotten around to watching it. I'll update here when I end up playing the game, which I'm sure I will!

 

On 12/30/2021 at 8:32 PM, rjkclarke said:

So @popnheart here are two from me - 2064:Read Only Memories and VA-11 Hall-A

 

I know neither of these are technically Visual Novels I don't think - but I think they sort of count.

 

They are both set in the same universe though - and both are great for different reasons. 2064 is basically a hybridised version of a point-and-click adventure game, and a visual novel, but probably veers more on the VN side, it's punchy has some great characters, and a really interesting and thought provoking story.

 

Whereas VA-11 Hall-A is probably closest to a dating sim mixed with a VN, mixed with a job simulator - and a little bit like the social link interactions in a way from the Persona games..... This one hooked me in massively though - if you equate this to a book - I basically binge read it in about 36 hours straight without sleep, and I was never really bored the whole time. Jill is one of my favourite characters of anything I've played all year, male or female. I wouldn't assume you'd love that the same way I did, but I thought I'd throw these recommendations out anyway if you want to dive back in with some VN's as I think they sort of count, just, sort of

 

They both have a pixel-art visual style too, so you don't have to worry about nudity, because everything looks like it belongs in a 16 Bit era game.

Thanks for popping in here again c:

I haven't heard of VA-11 Hall-A until now, but it definitely sounds interesting, so I'll check it out. I actually own 2064, I just haven't ever opened it lol. Its funny you mention that because I was actually just looking at it the other day and considering finally playing it. Maybe I'll take this as a sign and start on that next. I'm currently finally playing through the Nathan Drake collection and really enjoying it. I haven't played an Uncharted game in years and I never actually played them myself (apart from when Lost Legacy came out not too long ago), I just watched my dad play them but I loved them. I've never really seen or played anything of Uncharted 4 so I am super excited to do that next. I'm almost done with 3, and actually might finish it today! I am far from 100% completion on any of them, but story wise I'm almost done

[Billie__227]

Hey guys, I recently bought World End Syndrome and Distraint, so I'll probably have those added to the backlog soon. For now I am hoping to make the Uncharted series my next several plats until I hit 30. I've been thinking of adding my "Project Platinum 2022" list here and going into what I really want to work on most this year and why, but I don't know if that should be a separate thread. I've been considering making youtube videos about my trophy hunting experiences too, but being involved with social media really stresses me out and gives me anxiety, and last time I tried youtube and twitch I did not have a great time and seemed to attract many undesirable people lol. Even using PSN and the forum here is kinda much for me, so I dunno if I'll actually end up doing that, but it seems fun in theory. Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted. I might try to get the 100% for all the Uncharted games too but I must admit the last couple of DLC trophies for Uncharted 4 look a bit intimidating ? 

[YaManSmevz]

1 hour ago, popnheart said:

Hey guys, I recently bought World End Syndrome and Distraint, so I'll probably have those added to the backlog soon. For now I am hoping to make the Uncharted series my next several plats until I hit 30. I've been thinking of adding my "Project Platinum 2022" list here and going into what I really want to work on most this year and why, but I don't know if that should be a separate thread.

 

I'm about all of this!

 

Y'know, personally I think it's your thread, and you can add whatever you want here. Unless it doesn't feel right thematically to you or something like that, why not? Seems like it'd be easier to have all your platinum related stuff all in one place, no?

 

1 hour ago, popnheart said:

I've been considering making youtube videos about my trophy hunting experiences too, but being involved with social media really stresses me out and gives me anxiety, and last time I tried youtube and twitch I did not have a great time and seemed to attract many undesirable people lol. Even using PSN and the forum here is kinda much for me, so I dunno if I'll actually end up doing that, but it seems fun in theory. Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted. I might try to get the 100% for all the Uncharted games too but I must admit the last couple of DLC trophies for Uncharted 4 look a bit intimidating  

 

That's too bad - I'm sorry to hear that you had to deal with all that. If it's something you've been thinking about for some time though, in the very least just making a video for your own personal enjoyment and going from there couldn't hurt! I really like the ambition, and I hope all the jerks out there won't be able to keep detracting you from something that might be a lot of fun.

 

I hear you on Uncharted 4... I've seen some pretty seasoned players who are yet to make it past 90% or so, it scares me too?

[Billie__227]

Oh god, where do I even start? I'm so sorry to go on about how much I want to be active on the forum this year only to completely disappear right after. I suddenly got very, very sick and it just continued to get worse. Horrible all over body aches, but especially in my neck, back of head, and spine. Couldn't think or focus or form coherent sentences without REALLY struggling to think of words. Super nauseated with vertigo and fatigue so bad pretty much all I could do was lie down and try to sleep, but my anxiety was too bad to really let me get any rest. Finally saw a doctor bc my hypochondriac mind was telling me I had meningitis or something. They swabbed me for covid, flu and strep and all of them came back negative. I also wasn't really having any respiratory symptoms but the doctors told me that viral things manifest in different ways in everybody and since I hadn't been sick since pre covid, a simple cold could probably knock me on my ass. So they sent me home and told me to drink lots of fluids and rest. I started feeling a little better, decided to play some project diva. Not to brag, but I am absolutely amazing at project diva. I could probably do a couple of songs on extra extreme mode with my eyes closed bc I play it so much. But suddenly my extreme pain and muscle fatigue came back. I could barely keep using my arms after a couple seconds of playing one of my best songs on an easier mode. And I literally could not concentrate on it. It was like the music was all slow and out of synch with the buttons I had to press and I couldn't read the buttons fast enough as they popped up. My head was so foggy and confused, I felt like I was someone who had never played a rhythm game before suddenly giving one a try on the hardest difficulty. This was NOT normal. I went to the ER convinced I was having a stroke or something. Big fear of mine bc my grandma had one pretty young and I was there when it happened. And I had been experiencing some numbness in my face as well. They did a little neurological exam on me (follow my finger with your eyes, squeeze my hands as tight as you can, smile and raise your eyebrows etc) and weren't at all concerned enough to do any testing bc they were sure I was fine. I went home with a prescription for an antibiotic for a sinus infection bc of the weird pressure feeling in my head and around my eyes (despite my lack of respiratory symptoms) and doctors orders to pick up a 5 dollar bottle of Excederin for the migraines and body aches. Those migraine pills are like magic but I am still so exhausted and having trouble thinking and generally feel gross. But without the debilitating migraines 24/7 I've been able to work on the easier trophies in my backlog recently. I still ended up going to the doctor one more time, as the antibiotics didn't help. I saw someone who actually listened to me and asked me about my chronic pain I've pretty much always had in my bones and joints. I was referred to a rheumatologist and I found out that all these years I've lived with migraines, fatigue, body aches and random numbness and tingles hasn't actually been fibromyalgia (which is what I was always told) but actually is, in fact, rheumatoid arthritis. I have randomly been having RA attacks/flares since I was like 17 and this just happened to be the worst one ever. I know its something you can live a long life with and I'm not about to just drop dead, but I'm absolutely terrified. I might have to go on immunosuppressing meds at some point, and getting sick is my worst fear. I'm really intolerant to most antibiotics too and this would put me at greater risk of infections. Also.. I'm a gamer. I NEED my hands to work properly and not get all.. knobbly and unusable ;-; Ugh. My husbands mom has MS, which is way worse, and has been diagnosed since she was around my age so I'm very fortunate to have his family as a support system. But yeah, that's been my adventure lately. I'll keep you guys updated if you're interested. They're also sending me to a couple more specialists bc they want to check for MS and lupus too. My "about me" on psn was supposed to be a joke lol but I guess its even funnier now.

Sorry for the enormous amount of text, I just had a lot to tell. I do want to talk about the games I've played recently so please don't feel sorry for me or anything! I know that was a lot of seriousness but I have played a few new games lately and want to talk about them. So I'm gonna throw all that in here too. I don't like to spoil things or drone on about stuff people may already know about so my write ups probably won't be as amazing as some of the ones I often see here.

Lost in Random is my fave of the few new ones I've added to the backlog recently. It's an action RPG, which usually isn't my favorite kind of game, but I LOVED this so so much. It has a unique play style that is very easy to get used to and its very story driven. Without giving away pretty much anything, you play a young girl who runs away from home and goes on a quest to rescue her sister from an evil queen. You have a big pet dice that follows you around, and you roll him during battle to unlock cool cards for you to use that give you weapons, power ups, etc. It's very cute, in a Tim Burton kinda way, and it's so good you don't even really mind the re-used character designs of NPCs lol. You could probably platinum it in one sitting, but at the time I just played through once without really looking at the trophies bc I was really determined to make my next 5 platinums the Uncharted games. (Spoiler alert, I gave up on that idea when I burned myself out playing Brutal difficulty on the first game). All I can say if you do play Lost in Random is, if you see an NPC playing guitar you should stick around and listen to his song bc it's actually pretty good haha.

I did end up getting the Platinum and 100% for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The plat wasn't difficult, but those bonus Brutal difficulty trophies are just ridiculous. Whoever thought adding that to the games was a good idea is just nuts. Even if you do the glitch that lets you enable tweaks on Brutal, it's still a pain in the ass. So yeah, after that I really needed a break and ended up abandoning the Uncharted series for now. I will get back to it soon, and I am very glad I finally knocked one off my list!

I played Kena: Bridge of Spirits. I very much enjoyed it! It almost felt like a Disney or Dreamworks movie, but with gameplay. My favorite part was dressing my adorable little friends up in different hats  still gotta go back and find a few that I'm missing, but I usually go into a game totally blind, get the full experience, then let myself sit with my feelings when I'm done and go back to trophy hunt later. Unless I really want more of the game immediately (like with Little Nightmares or Crash games). The only thing I am really dreading is completing the game on Master Difficulty. I found the combat fairly difficult as it was >.< 

I FINALLY played the Blair Witch game. Something in my head all this time was screaming "NOOOO, stay away there is a DOG its gonna DIE!!" but I kept almost buying it so finally just decided to do it. Bullet is also a german shepherd, which is my favorite kind of dog, so it was even more anxiety inducing trying to watch out for him DX I have absolutely zero sense of direction on a good day, I swear I could get lost on my own street. So this game already essentially being "walking simulator" in the woods at night with low visibility while the game messes with me and turns me around all the time was extremely frustrating, but I finally figured it out and only had to look to the internet for help once! I didn't technically get a good ending, but I kept my dog alive which is a good ending in my books.

I played, and very quickly got the plat for, Simulacra. It was really cheap and I thought it sounded interesting. It was definitely intriguing and probably would've hit different played on a phone but trophies? Yes. It will keep you interested if you like really story driven creepy little indie games, but the acting can be so bad it totally takes you out of it sometimes *cough cough greg cough*. Worth looking into if you want a short simple game that might stick with you for a while. 

I finally took the advice of a few people I've talked to here and gave 2064: Read Only Memories a try, and I absolutely love it! ;^; I would die for Turing lol. I dread going for the plat bc I'm gonna have to be mean to Turing (and everyone else) at some point. The only thing I did have an issue with was the character Jess, who is just an asshole at absolutely all times, and you have to be nice to her while she continuously acts hostile towards you no matter what if you want a good ending. I understand that her backstory is tragic and all, but I've never been one to excuse a characters absolutely garbage behavior based on their past trauma, especially when they don't really show any emotional growth the whole time. I do have empathy for characters like that, I felt awful about the things that happened to her, but plenty of people go through horrible things without being bullies and taking it out on everyone else all day every day. However.. I will feel bad being mean to her for trophies now that I do know why she is how she is. Other than that, I highly highly recommend this game. The story is unique and super complex and I think there are like 5 or 6 endings. It has a retro vaporwave arcade aesthetic and (most of) the characters are easy to get attached to as well. I especially loved the two punks and wanted to protect them at all costs lol.

Anyway, other than that I have just been focused on cleaning up some easier games in my backlog that have been there a while :3 I have decided I'd like to try and motivate myself by allowing myself to start a new game only when I've finished an old one, exceptions if I really feel stagnant and need something new, but I've been enjoying myself so far! Sorry this is so long >.<

[rjkclarke]

It's really nice to have you back!

 

I know you said.....

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

so please don't feel sorry for me or anything!

 

Sorry - can't manage that. My sister is massively struggling with rheumatoid arthritis right now, so I can't exactly,  not feel pretty bad for you, she's really struggling herself, especially with the horrendous amount of medicines that she's been put on. It sucks that you're having to deal with similar things.

 

But at your request, I will not dwell on the bad things going on for you here, I just really hope things start to become a bit more manageable for you, so you can get back to that sweet sweet gaming and slaying your backlog that you're so proficient at. 

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

Sorry for the enormous amount of text, I just had a lot to tell.

 

Please don't ever apologise for this by the way. Say what you've got to say, we're here to listen/read. I do get where you're coming from though, I do feel the need to apologise myself sometimes, when I probably don't need to either. Anyway.....erm shut up me! This is about the awesome stuff you've been up to.

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

Lost in Random is my fave of the few new ones I've added to the backlog recently

 

I'm really happy to read this, I'm very much looking forward to playing the game myself at some point - I remember seeing the trailer for it last year and just being instantly interested in it. So to see that you had a hell of a good time with it is definitely reassuring.

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

I played Kena: Bridge of Spirits. I very much enjoyed it!

 

I usually go into a game totally blind, get the full experience, then let myself sit with my feelings when I'm done and go back to trophy hunt later. Unless I really want more of the game immediately (like with Little Nightmares or Crash games).

 

You know, your perspective on this game is actually a pretty unusual one on this site - and that's a good thing, because most people would have tackled Master difficulty at the same time as every other trophy. So you often see people complain a lot about that one. Whereas you've played and enjoyed it as you found it first, so when or if you come back to it later, I don't think you'll at all get bogged down in that difficulty swamp.

 

I totally get what you mean about the Little Nightmares thing too. Especially now that I've played it, what a hell of a great game that is! I can totally see why you enjoyed it as much as you did.

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

I FINALLY played the Blair Witch game. Something in my head all this time was screaming "NOOOO, stay away there is a DOG its gonna DIE!!" but I kept almost buying it so finally just decided to do it. Bullet is also a german shepherd, which is my favorite kind of dog, so it was even more anxiety inducing trying to watch out for him DX I have absolutely zero sense of direction on a good day, I swear I could get lost on my own street. So this game already essentially being "walking simulator" in the woods at night with low visibility while the game messes with me and turns me around all the time was extremely frustrating, but I finally figured it out and only had to look to the internet for help once! I didn't technically get a good ending, but I kept my dog alive which is a good ending in my books.

 

That's also really interesting to read about - that games been on my radar for quite a while, but I've  never quite hit purchase, perhaps now I will.  I really like 2 out of the 3 Blair Witch films, so to play a game in that universe is definitely an interesting idea. I love the way you described it though - as frustrating as it sounds, I bet that whole disorientated and lost in the woods kind of vibe would be really good for a Blair Witch game.

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

I played, and very quickly got the plat for, Simulacra.

 

Spooky - and not the Blair Witch kind ? I was literally looking at this last night as I was browsing the latest sale in a feverish Insomniac daze. I can go for the odd distractingly bad bit of acting on occasion

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

I finally took the advice of a few people I've talked to here and gave 2064: Read Only Memories a try, and I absolutely love it! ;^; I would die for Turing lol. I dread going for the plat bc I'm gonna have to be mean to Turing (and everyone else) at some point. The only thing I did have an issue with was the character Jess, who is just an asshole at absolutely all times, and you have to be nice to her while she continuously acts hostile towards you no matter what if you want a good ending. I understand that her backstory is tragic and all, but I've never been one to excuse a characters absolutely garbage behavior based on their past trauma, especially when they don't really show any emotional growth the whole time. I do have empathy for characters like that, I felt awful about the things that happened to her, but plenty of people go through horrible things without being bullies and taking it out on everyone else all day every day. However.. I will feel bad being mean to her for trophies now that I do know why she is how she is. Other than that, I highly highly recommend this game. The story is unique and super complex and I think there are like 5 or 6 endings. It has a retro vaporwave arcade aesthetic and (most of) the characters are easy to get attached to as well. I especially loved the two punks and wanted to protect them at all costs lol.

 

 

You can imagine that I'm either one of them - I don't really care. ??

 

Oh this makes me so happy to hear.... I freaking love that game, I'm happy that I was one of the ones that suggested checking it out. Also, you absolutely hit upon something I meant to write in the review I started writing of 2064, back around December-ish and forgot to finish, and ought to go back to. Which is that whole Jess issue, because you're totally right, she is quite the arse, to everyone. I could empathise with her too, but just like you, I also found her real frustrating.

 

All the other characters though, so good! There are so many memorable and awesome ones. I totally get what you mean about not wanting to do the bad ending because being an arse to Turing and all of the nice people is just not an appealing idea. I felt like a jerk too as I was doing it, when you hear Turing react in like a really crestfallen way. Like if you tell him he's weird for watching Bos Ross, even though it's pretty funny and adorable in a way, that a sapient machine is even interested in painting at all.

 

As you had a good time with 2064 I feel pretty confident that you're going to love VA-11 Hall-A - I'm not actually sure whether I like that more than 2064, but it's got a hell of a good story. They live in a shared universe too, as Tomcat, Lexi and Jess appear too...... but, Jess actually does have a bit of character growth as it's set after 2064.

 

See - now I'm doing an enormous amount of text, my turn to apologise haha , it's good to have you back though, your backlog doesn't stand a chance!

Edited March 16, 2022 by rjkclarke

[YaManSmevz]

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

Oh god, where do I even start?

 

I'm so sorry to hear that, that's a really rough hand. It's great though to hear that your in-laws have a good understanding of what you're going through and can offer support, that truly means a great deal. I can only imagine how scared you were wondering what the hell was going on! I hope it eases up on you some.

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

Lost in Random is my fave of the few new ones I've added to the backlog recently. It's an action RPG, which usually isn't my favorite kind of game, but I LOVED this so so much. It has a unique play style that is very easy to get used to and its very story driven. Without giving away pretty much anything, you play a young girl who runs away from home and goes on a quest to rescue her sister from an evil queen. You have a big pet dice that follows you around, and you roll him during battle to unlock cool cards for you to use that give you weapons, power ups, etc. It's very cute, in a Tim Burton kinda way, and it's so good you don't even really mind the re-used character designs of NPCs lol. You could probably platinum it in one sitting, but at the time I just played through once without really looking at the trophies bc I was really determined to make my next 5 platinums the Uncharted games.

 

The Tim Burton shout alone means I'm gonna watch a video for Lost in Random after this?

Also...

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

(Spoiler alert, I gave up on that idea when I burned myself out playing Brutal difficulty on the first game). All I can say if you do play Lost in Random is, if you see an NPC playing guitar you should stick around and listen to his song bc it's actually pretty good haha.

I did end up getting the Platinum and 100% for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The plat wasn't difficult, but those bonus Brutal difficulty trophies are just ridiculous. Whoever thought adding that to the games was a good idea is just nuts. Even if you do the glitch that lets you enable tweaks on Brutal, it's still a pain in the ass. So yeah, after that I really needed a break and ended up abandoning the Uncharted series for now. I will get back to it soon, and I am very glad I finally knocked one off my list!

 

Agreed pretty hard on that one! I did the same thing, ready to tackle the first three Uncharted games consecutively, but once I was done with Brutal and the speed run for Drake's Fortune I wanted to get as far away from anything Uncharted related as I could!

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

I FINALLY played the Blair Witch game. Something in my head all this time was screaming "NOOOO, stay away there is a DOG its gonna DIE!!" but I kept almost buying it so finally just decided to do it. Bullet is also a german shepherd, which is my favorite kind of dog, so it was even more anxiety inducing trying to watch out for him DX I have absolutely zero sense of direction on a good day, I swear I could get lost on my own street. So this game already essentially being "walking simulator" in the woods at night with low visibility while the game messes with me and turns me around all the time was extremely frustrating, but I finally figured it out and only had to look to the internet for help once! I didn't technically get a good ending, but I kept my dog alive which is a good ending in my books.

 

Sounds more interesting than I'd initially assumed... shame on me then, I'll have to have a look!

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

I finally took the advice of a few people I've talked to here and gave 2064: Read Only Memories a try, and I absolutely love it! ;^; 

 

Yoo I'm gonna get into that one myself! I bought it in the indie sale after a recommendation from, appropriately enough, this guy right here:

 

2 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Please don't ever apologise for this by the way. Say what you've got to say, we're here to listen/read.

 

Who is incidentally 100% right - this is your thread to talk about whatever you'd like, and anybody here reading is interested in what you have to say. Don't forget that?

 

3 hours ago, popnheart said:

Anyway, other than that I have just been focused on cleaning up some easier games in my backlog that have been there a while :3 I have decided I'd like to try and motivate myself by allowing myself to start a new game only when I've finished an old one, exceptions if I really feel stagnant and need something new, but I've been enjoying myself so far! Sorry this is so long >.<

 

It's great to see that you're still puttin in that work! Mr. Clark already said it best, so I'll just quote him again:

 

2 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

See - now I'm doing an enormous amount of text, my turn to apologise haha , it's good to have you back though, your backlog doesn't stand a chance!

 

[DrBloodmoney]

11 hours ago, popnheart said:

Oh god, where do I even start?

 

Holy Crap love, that's a freakin' rollercoaster you got sent on!

 

Terribly sorry to hear that - there's nothing more infuriating and deflating than not being properly understood or listened to by the medics - glad they finally got a successful diagnosis, though that's a rough one of course. Hopefully now you have a handle on what it is, they'll be able to help you manage it more effectively.

 

11 hours ago, popnheart said:

Lost in Random is my fave of the few new ones I've added to the backlog recently. It's an action RPG, which usually isn't my favorite kind of game, but I LOVED this so so much. It has a unique play style that is very easy to get used to and its very story driven. Without giving away pretty much anything, you play a young girl who runs away from home and goes on a quest to rescue her sister from an evil queen. You have a big pet dice that follows you around, and you roll him during battle to unlock cool cards for you to use that give you weapons, power ups, etc. It's very cute, in a Tim Burton kinda way, and it's so good you don't even really mind the re-used character designs of NPCs lol. You could probably platinum it in one sitting, but at the time I just played through once without really looking at the trophies bc I was really determined to make my next 5 platinums the Uncharted games. (Spoiler alert, I gave up on that idea when I burned myself out playing Brutal difficulty on the first game). All I can say if you do play Lost in Random is, if you see an NPC playing guitar you should stick around and listen to his song bc it's actually pretty good haha.

 

 

I super dug Lost in Random too - that game just feels brimming with weird ideas!

 

The combat system is such a strange amalgam of different elements - it feels like it shouldn't work on paper, but it ended up being super fun, and it's such a strange world and story they created!

 

BTW - after Lost in Random, I pretty much went through Zoink's whole catalogue, buying up all the ones I hadn't played - I haven't got to all of them yet, but I'd definitely recommend Flipping Death, which is a different kind of game, but has a lot of the same sense of humour, and definitely the same focus on whimsical oddness!

 

 

11 hours ago, popnheart said:

I did end up getting the Platinum and 100% for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The plat wasn't difficult, but those bonus Brutal difficulty trophies are just ridiculous. Whoever thought adding that to the games was a good idea is just nuts. Even if you do the glitch that lets you enable tweaks on Brutal, it's still a pain in the ass. So yeah, after that I really needed a break and ended up abandoning the Uncharted series for now. I will get back to it soon, and I am very glad I finally knocked one off my list!

 

Lol - I think I did the same as you - I managed Brutal for the original game, but it was such a rough one to get through, that I put the brutal runs of the future games on hold... and they remain on indefinite hold to this day ?

 

The games are really fun, but man... they are not messing about with those modes! 

 

 

11 hours ago, popnheart said:

I played Kena: Bridge of Spirits. I very much enjoyed it! It almost felt like a Disney or Dreamworks movie, but with gameplay. My favorite part was dressing my adorable little friends up in different hats  still gotta go back and find a few that I'm missing, but I usually go into a game totally blind, get the full experience, then let myself sit with my feelings when I'm done and go back to trophy hunt later. Unless I really want more of the game immediately (like with Little Nightmares or Crash games). The only thing I am really dreading is completing the game on Master Difficulty. I found the combat fairly difficult as it was >.< 

 

I know exactly what you mean - even on Normal, some of those bosses - especially the early one at the Woodsman's cottage, and the one at the end of Act II - are seriously difficult fights.... much more than you might expect, given the 'cutesy' tone and visuals of the game!

 

Master difficulty is genuinely difficult - there were some bosses that took a lot of tries, but it's one of those games where you do tend to just learn the patterns pretty well as you keep failing, and it's doable as long as you just keep at it... definitely a much tougher platinum than I expected going in though!

 

 

 

[Billie__227]

20 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Sorry - can't manage that. My sister is massively struggling with rheumatoid arthritis right now, so I can't exactly,  not feel pretty bad for you, she's really struggling herself, especially with the horrendous amount of medicines that she's been put on. It sucks that you're having to deal with similar things.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister ;^; I know how bad the pain from the disease itself is, I don't even want to imagine what adjusting to all the meds might do v.v I guess I'll find out. I've been given time to think about things and look over all the info they gave me but I already have a follow up appointment and they really want me to get treatment since they caught it while I'm still pretty young.
 

20 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

You know, your perspective on this game is actually a pretty unusual one on this site - and that's a good thing, because most people would have tackled Master difficulty at the same time as every other trophy. So you often see people complain a lot about that one. Whereas you've played and enjoyed it as you found it first, so when or if you come back to it later, I don't think you'll at all get bogged down in that difficulty swamp.

Oh man, I see other trophy hunters do that with all sorts of games all the time. One of my best friends is really into trophy hunting and they will look through a games trophy list before starting it and try to map out a way of getting as many trophies as possible in their first go. I know my way takes longer, but I prefer letting myself go in blind and getting fully immersed in a game and its story with no spoilers or anything. For me, the game comes first. Trophies are a fun secondary thing that give me motivation to get the most out of all my games and play them again multiple times :3 no shade to anyone who does like to knock out as many as they can in their first playthrough, it's just not my style. I'm not the best gamer, so I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed this one as much if I had started off on the hardest difficulty ;-; 
 

20 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

That's also really interesting to read about - that games been on my radar for quite a while, but I've  never quite hit purchase, perhaps now I will.  I really like 2 out of the 3 Blair Witch films, so to play a game in that universe is definitely an interesting idea. I love the way you described it though - as frustrating as it sounds, I bet that whole disorientated and lost in the woods kind of vibe would be really good for a Blair Witch game.

I was always interested in it bc I loved the films too, but I'm always put off by horror content of any kind where a pet is involved. Always so stressful. I did enjoy the game though! It definitely has that indie horror game feel in a Slender or Outlast kinda way, which some people might not like but I personally really enjoy from time to time. I will say it can be super annoying when you realize you've spent like an hour going in circles only to look at a tutorial for help and find out you've been repeatedly walking right past what you need to do haha. But it does do that panicky lost-in-the-woods-at-night-while-being-watched vibe pretty well, especially if you play it in the dark with headphones. I would recommend if you're interested and see it on sale :3 I do think you can get the dog killed though so keep that in mind if you're a baby about cute animals like I am >.<
 

20 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Oh this makes me so happy to hear.... I freaking love that game, I'm happy that I was one of the ones that suggested checking it out. Also, you absolutely hit upon something I meant to write in the review I started writing of 2064, back around December-ish and forgot to finish, and ought to go back to. Which is that whole Jess issue, because you're totally right, she is quite the arse, to everyone. I could empathise with her too, but just like you, I also found her real frustrating.

 

All the other characters though, so good! There are so many memorable and awesome ones. I totally get what you mean about not wanting to do the bad ending because being an arse to Turing and all of the nice people is just not an appealing idea. I felt like a jerk too as I was doing it, when you hear Turing react in like a really crestfallen way. Like if you tell him he's weird for watching Bos Ross, even though it's pretty funny and adorable in a way, that a sapient machine is even interested in painting at all.

 

As you had a good time with 2064 I feel pretty confident that you're going to love VA-11 Hall-A - I'm not actually sure whether I like that more than 2064, but it's got a hell of a good story. They live in a shared universe too, as Tomcat, Lexi and Jess appear too...... but, Jess actually does have a bit of character growth as it's set after 2064.

Your recommendation definitely settled it for me c:

I thought maybe I just messed up in the beginning bc I straight up asked her if she was Tomcat the first time we met, which really offended her lol, but I did look into it and I guess she's just like that regardless.

I thought Turing's interest in Bob Ross, plants, painting, etc was just precious and I am gonna feel awful being a jerk to him about anything, but maybe I'll do all the bad stuff next time, get the worse endings over with, and try to make my last ending a good one. Maybe its silly but I always like to leave a good ending for last if I can, so when I'm fully done with a game I feel like I left all the characters happy ?

I have plans to play VA-11 Hall-A too, especially now that you've said that. That makes me really happy bc I feel like Jess has the potential to be a really likeable character if they develop her more.

 

 

18 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

I'm so sorry to hear that, that's a really rough hand. It's great though to hear that your in-laws have a good understanding of what you're going through and can offer support, that truly means a great deal. I can only imagine how scared you were wondering what the hell was going on! I hope it eases up on you some.

As much as it sucks, I will admit I am relieved to finally actually have a diagnosis after all this time. Maybe I will actually find some relief now if I get treated properly. I'll admit, I'm pretty freaked out but I'm trying to be brave about it all and stay positive. It definitely helps to have support from family, and you guys being so happy to read my ramblings also makes me feel a bit better ;^; so thank you.
 

18 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

The Tim Burton shout alone means I'm gonna watch a video for Lost in Random after this

Yes! It's so good, I think anyone could have a fun time with it regardless of what kind of games they normally play. Do let us know what you think of it if you end up playing it for yourself :3
 

18 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

Yoo I'm gonna get into that one myself! I bought it in the indie sale after a recommendation from, appropriately enough, this guy right here

He has good taste for sure c: probably the best visual novel style game I've played in a while.


 

 

10 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Terribly sorry to hear that - there's nothing more infuriating and deflating than not being properly understood or listened to by the medics - glad they finally got a successful diagnosis, though that's a rough one of course. Hopefully now you have a handle on what it is, they'll be able to help you manage it more effectively.

I know I've said it a lot here already, but thank you for the kind words. It does feel pretty validating to know that all the pain hasn't just been in my head due to my anxiety and stuff like I was told often as a teen when it first started. Doctors dismissing the feelings of their patients is super upsetting for sure but maybe I finally won't have to deal with that anymore.
 

10 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I super dug Lost in Random too - that game just feels brimming with weird ideas!

 

The combat system is such a strange amalgam of different elements - it feels like it shouldn't work on paper, but it ended up being super fun, and it's such a strange world and story they created!

 

BTW - after Lost in Random, I pretty much went through Zoink's whole catalogue, buying up all the ones I hadn't played - I haven't got to all of them yet, but I'd definitely recommend Flipping Death, which is a different kind of game, but has a lot of the same sense of humour, and definitely the same focus on whimsical oddness!

I was surprised by how easily I adjusted to the gameplay, that's for sure. I was like "oh, this looks complicated" at first but it actually worked so well and fit with the style of the game so perfectly. It made me super nostalgic too in a weird way, maybe bc I really loved movies with that cute but creepy style when I was a kid. 

I will have to look into that! I don't think I've heard of it until now. Thank you for the recommendation c:
 

10 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Lol - I think I did the same as you - I managed Brutal for the original game, but it was such a rough one to get through, that I put the brutal runs of the future games on hold... and they remain on indefinite hold to this day 

 

The games are really fun, but man... they are not messing about with those modes! 

Oh, it's just awful. I have that same drive to fully complete the Uncharted games that I do with the Crash Bandicoot and Resident Evil games bc they were favorite series of mine from my childhood, but I am super put off by the Uncharted games right now. I have gone back in to get some easy trophies in the meantime but I probably won't attempt a Brutal run or even a Crushing run on 2 or 3 for a LONG time. Feels like no one even thought to play test "Brutal" difficulty at all to make sure it was possible before just slapping it on there.
 

10 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I know exactly what you mean - even on Normal, some of those bosses - especially the early one at the Woodsman's cottage, and the one at the end of Act II - are seriously difficult fights.... much more than you might expect, given the 'cutesy' tone and visuals of the game!

 

Master difficulty is genuinely difficult - there were some bosses that took a lot of tries, but it's one of those games where you do tend to just learn the patterns pretty well as you keep failing, and it's doable as long as you just keep at it... definitely a much tougher platinum than I expected going in though!

That first boss was such a sudden jump in difficulty I was actually on the verge of rage quitting lol. Not even due to the fight, just bc of having to redo the whole part before the fight where you have to go to the area where the fight takes place. I hate it when games do that >.< I get more fed up with repeatedly doing the little things first like walking/picking up items etc. to initiate it than I do with actually repeating the fight itself.

 

I am both dreading and looking forward to it for that exact reason. I love when harder difficulties on games are actually hard but not unfair, and you can learn exactly how to play by keeping an eye on your own past mistakes.
 

[Billie__227]

Updating this a bit late buuuuuuut

 #28 / ? #32

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

I wanted to love this game. I really did.

I grew up playing the first Sly Cooper game on my ps2 like crazy. I loved it. I honestly can't count the number of times I played it. But with the 2nd one I can honestly say I have not longed for a trophy hunting experience to be over or just forced myself to push through to the end like this since I played Akiba's Beat. I had tried to play the 2nd game as a kid too when it came out, but never got past the first area bc I'd lose interest. This time I finally decided to stick with it bc I always did like the story of the first one and wanted to see where it goes but.. ugh.

It's like they took all the things everybody disliked from the first game and decided to put only those things in the sequel (i.e. the Bentley hacking minigames and driving random vehicles etc). I guess it was kinda cool to actually get to play as the other characters for a few seconds but when you find out that Bentley's only purpose is to walk to random terminals to hack things and Murray is only there to beat people up and open doors, the excitement is lost. I was perfectly content playing as Sly in the first game and dreaded any time they would throw in a Murray or Bentley level bc I knew I'd have to do some stupid shit and this game just did the same thing in that regard, but even worse. I also liked the individual levels in each area in the first game. The "missions" made every area just like one really long level that felt extremely tedious. They obviously tried to give it an open world vibe or something, but it just felt like a whole lot of walking back and forth and in circles doing the same things over and over. The game doesn't usually just load you back to the hideout after every mission like in the first one but makes you walk yourself all the way back through hordes of enemies that now take multiple hits and scream for backup and gang up on you if a single one sees you, and their line of sight sometimes seems to extend through walls, around corners and all the way across the map. The boss fights weren't all interesting different styles of gameplay this time, but mostly just repeatedly punching or slapping with Sly's cane. The voice acting is pretty horrendous sometimes. I really liked Carmelita's original voice and I was sad to see that go. I was annoyed by Neyla's bad British accent and just Neyla in general. I don't usually throw the term Mary Sue around, but she was like a 14 year old emo girls edgy self insert furry OC or something lol. I also feel like the animation got.. worse? Is it just me? It didn't even feel like the same art style outside of cutscenes. The story was fine I guess but not as interesting as the first. Sly and Carmelita are still cute, and I found myself genuinely upset by what happened to Bentley at the end. That would've messed me up emotionally if I'd finished the game as a child lol.

The one saving grace of this trophy hunting experience is that you aren't forced to get all the collectibles and the platinum is very easy if you're willing to sit through the game for it. Wouldn't recommend if you don't care about the Sly games but if you do want to give it a try for nostalgia bc you loved the first game I wouldn't not recommend it either, I'd just tell you to go into it with low expectations and expect to be frustrated often lol. I don't know if I will play the other ones. Definitely not any time soon, but probably one day bc I cannot handle leaving things unfinished and just need to know what happens.

Edited March 29, 2022 by popnheart

[Billie__227]

Hey guys, I haven't got any new plats or 100s lately, but wanted to do a quick check in anyway.

 

I've been messing around with a bunch of my older games recently and cleaning up a lot of easier trophies I hadn't gotten around to with the help of trophy advisor. Hoping to finally check a few games completely off my list by the end of the year that have been hanging around too long for my liking. I did just play and finish the original God of War for the first time and really enjoyed it, but I think it'll be a while before I go for the plat. I think my next milestone will be finishing up the Ezio Collection, and then probably the 2nd LEGO Harry Potter game just to be done with it lol. I'd really like to clear up what I've got left of Portal Knights and Dauntless, because they aren't really games I wanted to play, but played anyway because old friends of mine wanted me to play with them. Though I've also come to the realization that I don't really care about reaching 100% completion on my profile anymore. I would like to achieve it, obviously, but I don't want to stress myself out over it or care so much about trophies that I avoid games with trophies that are now unobtainable. Sure, I could make an alt profile for games I can't ever fully finish due to servers being down or something but I like showing off every game I've enjoyed regardless. I was considering removing The Last of Us from my trophy list bc I haven't earned any trophies yet but I am enjoying the game so far and I want to finish it. Before I knew it was kinda frowned upon, I deleted Greedfall and Let it Die from my list bc they were at 0% and not really my cup of tea right off the bat. Now I'd kinda like to reinstall them and give them a fair chance without worrying about trophies. I wish I hadn't deleted them the first time but I did and it makes me feel kinda sad to know I was getting that wrapped up in trophies. I never want to become one of those people since I genuinely love gaming for the games. Trophies are just an added bonus.

 

I've also been toying with the idea of changing my name on PSN again bc I recently became aware that there is a small business called "popnhearts" and I feel bad to know that people might look for them and get confused coming across my gaming profiles and mixing us up >.< thoughts? 

[Billie__227]

New name, who dis??

So yeah, I finally changed my name. Really wasn't feeling the old one anymore and also like I said I found out a small business had the same name and I felt bad that my random stuff would come up if you searched for them ;^; are we able to update the titles of the threads we start or do I need to make a new one? I'd rather not if I don't have to >.<

How are you all doing? I have been great in my personal real life other than some pretty bad RA flares but when I get online I have not been well so I've been taking even more of a breather from the internet than usual. I couldn't even focus on my games anymore bc I have been so paranoid about being online literally at all but I want to be able to get back into my main hobby again. I did platinum World End Syndrome a few weeks back and was floored by how good it turned out to be. May do a little half assed write up on that soon if anyone is interested, but for now I just thought I'd pop in for an update. 

[Destructor-8]

16 minutes ago, Billie__227 said:

New name, who dis??

So yeah, I finally changed my name. Really wasn't feeling the old one anymore and also like I said I found out a small business had the same name and I felt bad that my random stuff would come up if you searched for them ;^; are we able to update the titles of the threads we start or do I need to make a new one? I'd rather not if I don't have to >.<

How are you all doing? I have been great in my personal real life other than some pretty bad RA flares but when I get online I have not been well so I've been taking even more of a breather from the internet than usual. I couldn't even focus on my games anymore bc I have been so paranoid about being online literally at all but I want to be able to get back into my main hobby again. I did platinum World End Syndrome a few weeks back and was floored by how good it turned out to be. May do a little half assed write up on that soon if anyone is interested, but for now I just thought I'd pop in for an update. 

 

Yeah you can change the title when you edit the very first post of the thread. I've kept with your updates so glad things are doing better. It's great to see the progress on some cool games. I know a few of the others here have been pretty busy recently with other things.

[MrFudge]

On 17/04/2022 at 4:30 AM, Billie__227 said:

I don't want to stress myself out over it or care so much about trophies that I avoid games

I always breathe a sigh of relief whenever I see someone take a healthy step back from trophies. I’ve met far too many people for whom trophies not only infringe upon their gaming life, but their real one too…so I’m glad to hear it  

 

On 17/04/2022 at 4:30 AM, Billie__227 said:

Before I knew it was kinda frowned upon, I deleted Greedfall and Let it Die from my list bc they were at 0% and not really my cup of tea right off the bat.

 

Trophy hunters will find a way to frown upon literally anything, I highly recommend giving no shits. 

Also for what it’s worth, untidy profiles are by far my favourite to look at since they actually tell a story. My own is very rocky, but each peak and trough remind me of something, and I can genuinely identify entire phases of my life through something as stupid as a few untouched trophy lists smattered together. 

 

On 17/04/2022 at 4:30 AM, Billie__227 said:

I’ve also been toying with the idea of changing my name on PSN again bc I recently became aware that there is a small business called "popnhearts" and I feel bad to know that people might look for them and get confused coming across my gaming profiles and mixing us up >.< thoughts? 

 

Lmao. Personally I reckon the best play would have been to keep the name but change your entire profile into some kind of virtual clown that spins a sign on the side of a road to advertise something. That way you coulda given them even more business  

 

44 minutes ago, Billie__227 said:

May do a little half assed write up on that soon if anyone is interested

I’d always encourage you to type out your thoughts if you feel like it, even if it feels like nobody is listening. This is your thread after all.

These kinda threads are some of my favourite to read, and I almost always check them out whenever I’m browsing the front page. I might very rarely comment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t take an interest. And I’m sure there are plenty of other lurkers like myself, so don’t be dissuaded  

[Billie__227]

17 minutes ago, Destructor-8 said:

 

Yeah you can change the title when you edit the very first post of the thread. I've kept with your updates so glad things are doing better. It's great to see the progress on some cool games. I know a few of the others here have been pretty busy recently with other things.

Thank you for that! And for keeping up with my thread :3 

[Billie__227]

4 minutes ago, MrFudge said:

I always breathe a sigh of relief whenever I see someone take a healthy step back from trophies. I’ve met far too many people for whom trophies not only infringe upon their gaming life, but their real one too…so I’m glad to hear it  

I definitely needed a little break there. Kept telling myself "I will not start a new game until I 100% an old one I've already started". That just made me avoid my games until I got on a new game kick just for fun and enjoyed it immensely. Played World End Syndrome, Distraint, and I'm currently playing Child of Light. No regrets!

 

6 minutes ago, MrFudge said:

Trophy hunters will find a way to frown upon literally anything, I highly recommend giving no shits.

Lol! You are so right. Its so stupid. Someone else's gaming habits don't affect my life at all. Never understood the weird elitist behavior. I've decided not to put games I didn't care for back on my list. But also to not let myself be discouraged from playing games I DO want to play bc of difficult trophies. I'll likely never have 100% completion anyway with Outlast 2 on my profile lmao.

 

9 minutes ago, MrFudge said:

Also for what it’s worth, untidy profiles are by far my favourite to look at since they actually tell a story. My own is very rocky, but each peak and trough remind me of something, and I can genuinely identify entire phases of my life through something as stupid as a few untouched trophy lists smattered together. 

I relate to that tbh. I can look back at chunks of trophies I got at certain times and remember where I was in life at that point and who I was playing with. Its kinda nice.

 

11 minutes ago, MrFudge said:

Lmao. Personally I reckon the best play would have been to keep the name but change your entire profile into some kind of virtual clown that spins a sign on the side of a road to advertise something. That way you coulda given them even more business  

Darn! What a missed opportunity!

 

12 minutes ago, MrFudge said:

I’d always encourage you to type out your thoughts if you feel like it, even if it feels like nobody is listening. This is your thread after all.

These kinda threads are some of my favourite to read, and I almost always check them out whenever I’m browsing the front page. I might very rarely comment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t take an interest. And I’m sure there are plenty of other lurkers like myself, so don’t be dissuaded  

Aww, thanks for the support! I'm mostly a lurker too bc I'm awkward af lol so no worries.

[Billie__227]

Going to be gaming a lot this next week I think, but my internet is shut off atm so it'll most likely be a while before my profile updates unless I can connect to a neighbors wifi for a min lol >.< 

 

In the mean time..

 

# 29 / ?# 33

 

World End Syndrome

 

I love me a good weeb trash VN, and have sat through many weird and awful ones in my search for hidden treasures, so I was prepared for this to be another one of those overly lewd dating sims that makes me end up feeling weird and uncomfortable lol but this was SO good I can't even express it.

 

First of all, there is only one panty shot in the entire game which I appreciated bc these sort of games can get pretty yucky sometimes. This one was mostly super cute with a horror twist and every character was so well written with their own complex storyline going on in the background. I actually cried a little at the end. To get the true ending, you have to play through each girls story. The first ending will always be the bad ending. This is supposed to happen so don't quit! After the bad ending you realize the entire game was all just prologue and you're suddenly given 30 in game days to explore the town and run into the girls in different locations and unlock different scenarios. The endings are set for you to play them in a certain order, each one unlocking the next until the story is finally fully revealed. You have the option to fast forward through bits you've already seen so each playthrough becomes shorter. I highly recommend looking for a spoiler free guide that tells you exactly where to go each day in order bc if you mess it up you can get the bad ending again.

 

Anyway! As for the actual story, you play as a male protagonist who is running away from his old life and escaping to a small town where he wants to start over. But this town is known for the legend of the "Yomibito", dead people who come back to life every hundred years with no memory of dying and continue living their lives like nothing happened. They eventually snap and go full on murderous homicidal zombie. And of course, this is the 100th year lmao. Each ending brings you closer to finding out who the Yomibito is and oh my god this game is so well written and put together, I was so absorbed it felt like I was just watching an anime. This is one of those games that is going to live in my head rent free forever. I honestly think any anime style visual novel is gonna be a disappointment now. Its a million times better than Doki Doki, which I loved. Usually I have a hard time getting into dating sim style VNs bc the protag is always male and its obvious the games are meant for men and it makes me feel kinda weird but in this case the protag is actually a well written character all his own, not just a self insert. I loved it. I don't even care that I now have a trophy for a girl calling me a pervert 10 times forever on my profile now. (I swear I didn't do anything, she's just like that!). But yeah, if you don't mind a little tiny bit of fanservice in exchange for an awesome story and characters, please give it a try! Also, the soundtrack is incredible.

 

Also, if anybody has any lesbian VN recs or even just something with a female protag in general I'd really love to hear about it. I know its kinda cringe lol but I love these styles of VN bc I love both story driven games and romance in games.