Cassylvania's Miserable Little Pile of Platinums

[AJ_Radio]

Furi is very good. Has that awesome soundtrack to put you right in the mood. 
 

The bosses will be tough at first but eventually you will learn all the moves. Furier difficulty will have them with new moves you can overcome. This is definitely a game you need a lot of practice in. 
 

I had a hard time with that samurai guy, but eventually I was able to beat him on Furier difficulty with little to no damage. 
 

Great indie title that I wholeheartedly recommend.

[Cassylvania]

On 10/13/2020 at 2:53 AM, Arcesius said:

So, I haven't mentioned this game in a long while now, but... Furi? ?

 

It's on my list. Haven't exactly felt like tackling a hard game since all these unwelcome changes began (hence why I put Slay the Spire on pause), so I don't know when I'll get to it. I might start shifting my priorities to something like "complete all games in a series" or "complete all games that belong to a specific genre" so that I have SOMETHING to work towards. Losing levels, milestones, and 100% all at the same time really put a damper into what made me enjoy this hobby in the first place.

 

Anyway... Here's whatever.

 

Platinum #230 - Children of Zodiarcs

 

Like Fell Seal, this is another of those turn-based strategy games, but this one uses cards to determine what skills you have and dice to determine how effective they are. I guess that makes it a bit like Slay the Spire too. And it's not easy. You'll usually only have two or three party members, and you're grossly outnumbered in most battles. You can kinda save scum (okay, really save scum), but I still found myself having to load back to the main menu and reorganize my deck. I'm still not sure what the most effective build would be. A lot of times, it just comes down to pure chance whether you start the battle with the right cards or have the right symbols appear on the dice. I think Nahmi with a lot of Blitz/heal cards and as many lighting bolts as you can get is a good strategy.

 

Now, I skipped the story in Fell Seal not because it was bad, but because it didn't pull me in right away. I didn't really understand the tone of the game. It seemed like it wanted to take itself seriously for the most part, but then a fart joke would come out of nowhere. Actually, I think that was in CoZ. But they're very similar in that regard. That's the point I'm trying to make. The difference is that this game's story had me hooked from the beginning. It's...much darker than you would think. I don't think it tries to hide that fact, but yeah, you're not going to get a happy story here. This is also one of the few RPGs I've played (the others being FFTA and Ni no Kuni) where the fact that the main characters are children makes sense in the context of the world. Way too many RPGs brush that aside, like it's totally normal for a mother to allow her ten-year-old son to go on an extremely dangerous adventure to the other side of the continent. Here, I don't think the story would have been nearly effective if the characters were much older than the way they were presented (even if they never really specified their ages).

 

I'm actually going to recommend this game, but the trophies do kinda suck. Several of them are missable, and I honestly think you're better off just accepting that you're going to need to do two playthroughs. It's possible in one, but you could blitz your way through the game in a few hours once you know what you're doing. I say just do your Hard playthrough first, take your time on each mission, do skirmishes when you get stuck, and worry about everything else in a Normal run. It's not worth the headache of trying to get everything done in Hard. Also, the last arena battle is annoying. I don't really know what they expect you to do, other than funnel the enemies through a chokepoint and have them chase you around the map so you can pick them off one at a time.

 

$10 is a good price tag for this one. That may seem a bit low considering there's a significant amount of playtime here (30+ hours), but there isn't a lot TO the game, if that makes sense. Basically, the number of members you get, the maps, the enemies, the cards, the dice, the strategy... It's almost mobile in its design. It's addictive enough that I don't think you'll get bored in those 30+ hours, but you're probably not going to notice a shift in your playstyle once you have a strategy that works. (Unlike XCOM 2, say, where you're constantly having to change strategies on the fly or have a backup plan if something goes amiss.)

 

But really. That fart joke is so out of place.

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Cassylvania

[Arcesius]

12 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

It's on my list. Haven't exactly felt like tackling a hard game since all these unwelcome changes began (hence why I put Slay the Spire on pause), so I don't know when I'll get to it. I might start shifting my priorities to something like "complete all games in a series" or "complete all games that belong to a specific genre" so that I have SOMETHING to work towards. Losing levels, milestones, and 100% all at the same time really put a damper into what made me enjoy this hobby in the first place.

 

Fair enough. But (and please believe me, I don't want to offend you ) you make it sound like you choose your games with completion in mind first, not the game itself. I mean, I would't look at Furi and say "well, that's a tough game", because first and foremost, it is a fantastic, gorgeous, fast-paced game that, yes, if you want to complete it you gotta put in some work, but will give you an awesome time even if you play it casually at first. 

 

What I'm saying is I understand that you are upset due to all the recent changes and how it screwed with your account, but losing a goal doesn't make a particular game more or less fun. And Furi, believe me, is one of the best indies to be found on the PS4. But I know that one is not always in the mood for a particular game, that's inevitable. 

 

Now, with my statements above I don't want to push you towards Furi in particular, I wanted to just engage in a discussion about how and why you choose your games. Is your hobby planning out Milestones, or is it enjoying games?  

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Arcesius

[Cassylvania]

On 10/15/2020 at 11:42 AM, Arcesius said:

Now, with my statements above I don't want to push you towards Furi in particular, I wanted to just engage in a discussion about how and why you choose your games. Is your hobby planning out Milestones, or is it enjoying games?

 

Well, I enjoy playing games, but there are reasons I play those games on my PS4 instead of my Switch or PC. Those reasons are starting to become less and less important to me.

 

Anyway, another one bites the dust.

 

Platinum #231 - My Time at Portia

 

So, I've brought up before how much I love farming sims, and this is probably the best one I've played on the console. It's not perfect (there are some performance issues and the loading times can be annoying), but I think it gets the edge over Graveyard Keeper and whatever the hell the Harvest Moon series has turned into. I can't say much for the story because I kinda skipped it (OK, sorry, I've been doing this a lot lately, but I like to make up my own stories when I play games like this), but you get some voice acting and it seems pretty good. The cut scenes are a little weird because they don't have voice acting and they only last for a few seconds, so I'm not even sure why they bothered to put them in the game.

 

You can play as a boy or a girl and you can marry a boy or a girl, so it's got that over HM. (In fact, you kinda have to do both for the platinum.) Lots of customization options too, and the freedom to have your spouse call you any nickname you want. Feel free to abuse that. 

 

I didn't plant any crops. Not sure if you need to. There's a dupe glitch that basically breaks the game, but I didn't mind using it. It probably would add 100+ hours to the play time if you don't. From what I hear, the glitch used to be easier to perform, but I didn't find it to be too tricky.

 

Going to try to find another game like this. I usually keep a bookmark folder on my browser for farming sims. I was thinking maybe Marenian Tavern Story or waiting for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin next month. We'll eventually get to them all, but at least this is a genre I can always go back to when I want to revisit simpler times.

[AJ_Radio]

4 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Well, I enjoy playing games, but there are reasons I play those games on my PS4 instead of my Switch or PC. Those reasons are starting to become less and less important to me.

 

A pretty nice way of saying you and @Arcesius don't see eye to eye. I will second Furi, but please don't treat this like we're trying to force the game on you.

[HelixNebula_x]

On 20/10/2020 at 1:01 AM, Cassylvania said:

Going to try to find another game like this. I usually keep a bookmark folder on my browser for farming sims. I was thinking maybe Marenian Tavern Story or waiting for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin next month. We'll eventually get to them all, but at least this is a genre I can always go back to when I want to revisit simpler times.

 

Quite different from Portia I would imagine but have you played Farm Together? Me and my SO have had a blast playing that in co-op but it does seem more like a mobile game than anything else.

 

Still, there is fun to be had there. Congrats on the latest plat as well!

[Cassylvania]

On 10/21/2020 at 11:38 AM, HelixNebula_x said:

Quite different from Portia I would imagine but have you played Farm Together? Me and my SO have had a blast playing that in co-op but it does seem more like a mobile game than anything else.

 

I've looked it, but haven't tried it yet. My main reason for not playing multiplayer games is that I like to play at my own pace, and Farm Together...is not only co-op, but looks like one of those games that you have to wait in real world time for certain things to happen, like Farmville. That's basically taking the thing I don't like about modern games and doubling it.

 

But it does look fun. I might get to it, but there are other farming games that are higher on my list now.

 

Anyway... I know you all thought I was dead, but that's only on the inside. As you can see, I've been jumping between all sorts of games, giving no shit about my completion percentage. I'm actually amazed I finally popped a trophy in Marenian Tavern Story. I think I was 15 hours into the game when that happened, which might be a new record. We'd have to ask TLOU about that.

 

Other than that, I started a new job, which is why I've been somewhat absent. Definitely like it more than what I was doing before. I get to work outside, I get to get my hands dirty, I get to get to get to get.

 

Anybody getting the PS5 on day 1?

[Rally-Vincent---]

7 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Anyway... I know you all thought I was dead, but that's only on the inside. As you can see, I've been jumping between all sorts of games, giving no shit about my completion percentage. I'm actually amazed I finally popped a trophy in Marenian Tavern Story. I think I was 15 hours into the game when that happened, which might be a new record. We'd have to ask TLOU about that.

 

Other than that, I started a new job, which is why I've been somewhat absent. Definitely like it more than what I was doing before. I get to work outside, I get to get my hands dirty, I get to get to get to get.

 

Whether you get trophies in frequent or infrequent - I don't know how to continue this sentence. All the best for your new job, hope it works out for you.

 

 

7 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Anybody getting the PS5 on day 1?

 

I'll wait a bit, until they ironed out the flaws that might be there, and maybe make a black case instead of that stupid white. There's still enough to play on the PS4 or - some heavily modded XCOM 2 on PC... stupid Omega Berserkers.

[CJ-Olly6]

On 10/14/2020 at 10:32 PM, Cassylvania said:

I honestly think you're better off just accepting that you're going to need to do two playthroughs. It's possible in one, but you could blitz your way through the game in a few hours once you know what you're doing. I say just do your Hard playthrough first, take your time on each mission, do skirmishes when you get stuck, and worry about everything else in a Normal run. It's not worth the headache of trying to get everything done in Hard

 

My take on Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 Final Mix - I am not going to torture myself over Data Org on Critical Mode. If I keep getting slaughtered by Roxas in Critical Mode(yeah yeah, I learned that you must use Reflect when he tries to one-shot you as soon as the battle begins, sue me, I was a filthy casual back then ), no way will I survive Xaldin Data Org on Critical Mode. And forget about Xemnas, both phases, Data Org or even Lingering Will!

 

15 hours ago, Rally-Vincent--- said:

Anybody getting the PS5 on day 1?

Yeah, gonna hover over the alert bar and hope it pops on Walmart.com because I couldn't get a pre-order because of all the botting.

23 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

one of those games that you have to wait in real world time for certain things to happen

Welcome to my life - FFXIV. I honestly wish they could let you double your allowances instead of having to wait 12 hours for 3 measly allowances. I don't even know how many leves I've done - I had to dupe some my Blue Mage needed to learn a skill from a levequest monster and I had to dupe leves to complete my Animus Relic quest. Luckily the only trophies I have left are 1000 leves and 1000 FATEs and I am sure to get 1000 FATEs soon what with doing the relic weapon quests(the Atma and Animus ones requires you to do FATEs) and the Yo-kai Watch legendary medal farming.

[AJ_Radio]

23 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Other than that, I started a new job, which is why I've been somewhat absent. Definitely like it more than what I was doing before. I get to work outside, I get to get my hands dirty, I get to get to get to get.

 

It is better now than it was months ago when COVID-19 was wrecking havoc across the States. I'm still stuck without one because too many employers are hesitant to hire someone who may or may not carry the virus. My mother has worked in her field for over 40 years and unfortunately some of her peers and co-workers had to be let go around the start of the quarantine.

 

Maybe things will start to actually change now with Joe Biden just winning the elections. We can only hope, because I am sick and tired of being isolated.

 

23 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Anybody getting the PS5 on day 1?

 

The answer is a big fat no.

 

I bought my first console for myself back in 2004 with the PS2. Had GTA Vice City, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Jak & Daxter. Just old enough to where I could drive and pay for some of my own expenses. I waited a couple years to purchase the Xbox 360, did not buy it when it came out. Came in really late for the PS3, which I bought in late 2012. Bought my PS4 when Batman: Arkham Knight was offered as a bundle, and I've been using it ever since.

 

There's not enough choices, because honestly what are you getting? Back in November 2013 on the PS4 you had Killzone: Shadowfall, Knack and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. That wasn't nearly enough for me to warrant making a $400 - 500 purchase at that time, and to me there's not enough to invest several hundred dollars for a PS5 with just a small handful of games. The fact that I'm dead broke right now is also an indication I won't be buying the PS5 day one either.

 

The PS4 in late 2013 was a heavily flawed system, I would argue it was more in it's beta stages since at the time the interface just didn't look complete. Today the system is far better, with the many system updates over the years bringing more features and better stability.

 

The same will ring true with the PS5, by the Summer of 2021 it will probably have over a dozen system updates. It can wait.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Spaz

[CJ-Olly6]

I'll buy it day one as it's supposed to let you access your PS4 library so I can play my PS4 digitals on it. I'm hoping FFXIV can be played on it so I can multitask with two games.

[det_gittes]

6 hours ago, Spaz said:

There's not enough choices, because honestly what are you getting?

 

Well, for a long time I stayed perfectly indifferent to the idea of PS5, but now I realized that if anything, I would really enjoy playing some PS4 games on it that I put down because they made my PS4 Pro sound like a jet ready for take-off, like Gone Days, Far Cry 5, Just Cause 4, RDR2 or Death Stranding (not to mention better framerates). For that I will probably get it, not day one though, but maybe within the next 6-9 months (a package deal with a double controller, which is pretty expensive for the 5th generation, would definitely be tempting). On the other hand, I've only played two games for the past 3 months and it's not just because of the sounds (I do have headphones for that), so is it worth it...? ?

[AJ_Radio]

On 11/8/2020 at 0:51 AM, det_gittes said:

 

Well, for a long time I stayed perfectly indifferent to the idea of PS5, but now I realized that if anything, I would really enjoy playing some PS4 games on it that I put down because they made my PS4 Pro sound like a jet ready for take-off, like Gone Days, Far Cry 5, Just Cause 4, RDR2 or Death Stranding (not to mention better framerates). For that I will probably get it, not day one though, but maybe within the next 6-9 months (a package deal with a double controller, which is pretty expensive for the 5th generation, would definitely be tempting). On the other hand, I've only played two games for the past 3 months and it's not just because of the sounds (I do have headphones for that), so is it worth it...? 

 

Backwards compatibility IS important. The PS5 will have to be offered at a big discount for me to buy it anywhere between now and next Spring - Summer. I don't have a working job, can't really afford to pay several hundred dollars on new hardware.

 

The PS4 Pro does make the AAA games look impressive. Could of bought one when it came out but meh, far too late at this point. I care more about framerate than graphics, which the PS5 does deliver but again, can't afford it for what will probably be quite some time.

[Arcesius]

On 11/7/2020 at 3:07 AM, Cassylvania said:

Anyway... I know you all thought I was dead, but that's only on the inside. As you can see, I've been jumping between all sorts of games, giving no shit about my completion percentage.

 

Is that why you dared to start Ys Origin? ? Good luck playing through boss rush without crashes ?

 

 

On 11/7/2020 at 3:07 AM, Cassylvania said:

Other than that, I started a new job, which is why I've been somewhat absent. Definitely like it more than what I was doing before. I get to work outside, I get to get my hands dirty, I get to get to get to get.

 

Huge congrats on that end! If we are to spend 8 hours a day working, we better try to at least do something that is somewhat fulfilling, or fun, or at least somewhat bearable ? Are you doing some gardening, or did I interpret too much into your description? 

 

 

On 11/7/2020 at 3:07 AM, Cassylvania said:

Anybody getting the PS5 on day 1?

 

I would, but I didn't bother pre-ordering one and now it seems like no retailers will have any stock whatsoever for a while... I'll get one as soon as it's available, but I guess no one knows when that will be. 

 

I actually wanted to get a digital version, since I don't buy physical games, but my girlfriend pointed out that at some point we will want to watch Disney movies and whatnot with our son as soon as he is old enough... she's right, so I'm spending the extra 100 bucks. 

 

 

On 11/8/2020 at 2:40 AM, Spaz said:

There's not enough choices, because honestly what are you getting? Back in November 2013 on the PS4 you had Killzone: Shadowfall, Knack and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. That wasn't nearly enough for me to warrant making a $400 - 500 purchase at that time, and to me there's not enough to invest several hundred dollars for a PS5 with just a small handful of games. The fact that I'm dead broke right now is also an indication I won't be buying the PS5 day one either.

 

Well, you know that I don't really play games at release.. I plan on playing my pixelated, low frame-rate PS4 games on the PS5 ? Honestly, I can't think of anything out there that is so worth the price. Spending 499$ for a device that I use almost on a daily basis, for years...? Yeah, it's a no-brainer. And reduced loading times? Yeah, bring it! 

 

 

[Grotz99]

9 hours ago, Arcesius said:

Well, you know that I don't really play games at release.. I plan on playing my pixelated, low frame-rate PS4 games on the PS5  Honestly, I can't think of anything out there that is so worth the price. Spending 499$ for a device that I use almost on a daily basis, for years...? Yeah, it's a no-brainer. And reduced loading times? Yeah, bring it! 

Going to grab that sucker when I can just so I can play PS4 games without it sounding like an airport and having super slow load times, since I have the original version PS4. Playing PS5 games in the future once they go on sale is just a bonus.

[Cassylvania]

On 11/7/2020 at 5:04 AM, Rally-Vincent--- said:

Whether you get trophies in frequent or infrequent - I don't know how to continue this sentence. All the best for your new job, hope it works out for you.

 

It's pretty awesome. I used to come home every day and say, "I don't get paid enough for this." Now I say, "I can't believe I get paid for this." I'm sure it won't all be rainbows and sunshine, but this has been the bright spot in an otherwise miserable year.

 

On 11/8/2020 at 2:58 AM, CJ-Olly6 said:

I'll buy it day one as it's supposed to let you access your PS4 library so I can play my PS4 digitals on it. I'm hoping FFXIV can be played on it so I can multitask with two games.

 

Any updates? I tried to get it day one, but failed, as did most people. I think I actually had the chance to pre-order it at one point, but I don't see a reason to rush. The only PS5 game I'd want to play right now is Demon's Souls, and...well, I just did that.

 

But we will come up with a fun challenge run when I get to it. Maybe SL1, if they haven't tweaked too much.

 

On 11/10/2020 at 2:22 AM, Arcesius said:

Is that why you dared to start Ys Origin?  Good luck playing through boss rush without crashes 

 

Is that a common problem? I regret starting it, but mostly because I hate the story and I didn't realize the grind was THAT bad. In fact, I'm going through several games now that are really testing my patience. I think if I could take one of them back, it'd be Ys Origin. I should've just started with YS VIII, but this was cheaper...

 

On 11/10/2020 at 2:22 AM, Arcesius said:

Huge congrats on that end! If we are to spend 8 hours a day working, we better try to at least do something that is somewhat fulfilling, or fun, or at least somewhat bearable  Are you doing some gardening, or did I interpret too much into your description?

 

Nah, I'm a dirt scientist. That's my official title. It's going to suck in the winter, but at least I'm not stuck in an office all day.

 

I guess I'm weird, but I've always liked getting paid to work outside and spending my free time inside. I think most people are the opposite...or would at least prefer to spend both outside.

 

On 11/10/2020 at 11:51 AM, Grotz99 said:

Going to grab that sucker when I can just so I can play PS4 games without it sounding like an airport and having super slow load times, since I have the original version PS4. Playing PS5 games in the future once they go on sale is just a bonus.

 

That's my main reason too. I'm just out of electrical sockets, unless I move the Switch to another room. I'll try again on Black Friday and leading up to Christmas, but I don't mind waiting until 2021 if I have to. I have about a dozen titles that I'd still like to get to this year.

 

I need to make progress in something, though. I made the mistake of starting one too many grindy games, and now I'm paying the price. I miss the days when I could come home and be like, "Okay, let's finish this game tonight!" Instead, it's like I'm debating which of five or six games I could make some minor progress in, knowing that there are still 40+ hours waiting in the wings...

 

I don't know how people play more than one game at a time.

[BrandedBerserk]

On 2020-11-10 at 2:22 AM, Arcesius said:

Well, you know that I don't really play games at release.. I plan on playing my pixelated, low frame-rate PS4 games on the PS5  Honestly, I can't think of anything out there that is so worth the price. Spending 499$ for a device that I use almost on a daily basis, for years...? Yeah, it's a no-brainer. And reduced loading times? Yeah, bring it! 

Well worth the price. Not only do games load faster but they also perform much better. Games that struggled to hit 60 fps on the ps4 pro now do it with ease. Then you add the quick navigation with no lag or slowdowns whatsoever with the ps5 ui and you have a better experience overall. 

[AJ_Radio]

On 11/9/2020 at 11:22 PM, Arcesius said:

Well, you know that I don't really play games at release.. I plan on playing my pixelated, low frame-rate PS4 games on the PS5  Honestly, I can't think of anything out there that is so worth the price. Spending 499$ for a device that I use almost on a daily basis, for years...? Yeah, it's a no-brainer. And reduced loading times? Yeah, bring it!

 

I already know you play mostly indie titles that offer a challenge and you generally don't play AAA games. Buying a PS5 just for those is sort of pointless for me. I already got some indies I've already done for trophies on Steam, which don't take much processing power, RAM or CPU. Getting the latest and greatest on the PC requires that I spend at least $1000 getting custom parts from Newegg.com and tinkering with my settings a bit. A PS5 is a much cheaper option, but with the global pandemic still being a major problem, I'm pretty much broke. It's going to be a poor Christmas for me this year.

 

19 hours ago, BrandedBerserk said:

Well worth the price. Not only do games load faster but they also perform much better. Games that struggled to hit 60 fps on the ps4 pro now do it with ease. Then you add the quick navigation with no lag or slowdowns whatsoever with the ps5 ui and you have a better experience overall. 

 

I've already seen several videos of people on YouTube having problems with their PS5, so I'm just going to wait until around Summer - Fall next year and I'll see how the console holds up by then.

 

I don't want to see another mid-generation upgrade like the PS4 got, although the Slim I don't mind at all because I can save much needed space with it.

[CJ-Olly6]

22 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Any updates? I tried to get it day one, but failed, as did most people

Yeah, epic fail too. I tried to get it when Wal-mart stocked it online but the bots got a hold and I couldn't add it to my cart before it ran out.

[Arcesius]

On 11/18/2020 at 5:57 AM, Cassylvania said:

Is that a common problem? I regret starting it, but mostly because I hate the story and I didn't realize the grind was THAT bad. In fact, I'm going through several games now that are really testing my patience. I think if I could take one of them back, it'd be Ys Origin. I should've just started with YS VIII, but this was cheaper...

 

I'm not really familiar with the game myself, but I know that those crashes are the only reason @BB-BakkerJ hasn't managed to get the platinum yet. I don't remember how many attempts he got in, but it was ridiculous that it crashed every. single. time. 

 

Do you have a physical or digital copy of the game? 

 

 

On 11/18/2020 at 5:57 AM, Cassylvania said:

Nah, I'm a dirt scientist. That's my official title. It's going to suck in the winter, but at least I'm not stuck in an office all day.

 

Haha, nice! Love the title ?

 

 

5 hours ago, Spaz said:

I already know you play mostly indie titles that offer a challenge and you generally don't play AAA games. Buying a PS5 just for those is sort of pointless for me.

 

I don't think it's pointless. I mean, many games going forward are only going to be released on PS5, I want to play Demon's Souls, and for PS4 games, let's just say that there are certain games with ridiculous loading times that I think already make a purchase worthwile. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is such an example, as is Warhammer: Vermintide 2, two games that I'm currently playing (although I don't know if those games would be affected since I'm playing them in coop... )

 

Btw. a quick remark... the latter, Vermintide 2, has probably dethroned Remnant: From the Ashes as my favorite coop-game. Holy shit... @BrandedBerserk I'm so glad I started this one, even if it's a pretty big time sink. 

 

But I understand that if finances are tight, there should be better reasons to make such a purchase. I'm fortunate enough to work a job that wasn't affected by Covid at all, and so does my girlfriend. Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time in that regard... 

[BrandedBerserk]

Glad you're enjoying it @Arcesius, even after nearly 200 hours of playtime the gameplay never got old. Definitely my favorite co op game as well. 

[Baker]

3 hours ago, Arcesius said:

 

I'm not really familiar with the game myself, but I know that those crashes are the only reason @BB-BakkerJ hasn't managed to get the platinum yet. I don't remember how many attempts he got in, but it was ridiculous that it crashed every. single. time. 

40+ attempts, 40+ crashes ?. Man, I get a bit jealous when I look at recent platinum achievers and see there are some new ones. I’m wondering if they also had to deal with those crashes. That said, I’ve just redownloaded the game so new attempts are incoming! 
 

I really liked the game though. Awesome music, I thought the story was pretty good, and the battle system is fast and fluid. But it is a bit of a grind, you’ll be playing this 10 hour game for 100 hours.

Edited November 19, 2020 by BB-BakkerJ

[AJ_Radio]

10 hours ago, Arcesius said:

I don't think it's pointless. I mean, many games going forward are only going to be released on PS5, I want to play Demon's Souls, and for PS4 games, let's just say that there are certain games with ridiculous loading times that I think already make a purchase worthwile. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is such an example, as is Warhammer: Vermintide 2, two games that I'm currently playing (although I don't know if those games would be affected since I'm playing them in coop... )

 

Always the optimist aren't you?

[Cassylvania]

16 hours ago, Arcesius said:

I'm not really familiar with the game myself, but I know that those crashes are the only reason @BB-BakkerJ hasn't managed to get the platinum yet. I don't remember how many attempts he got in, but it was ridiculous that it crashed every. single. time. 

 

Do you have a physical or digital copy of the game?

 

I have the digital version. I heard there were some stability problems, but I didn't think they were game-breaking. From what it sounds like, most of the crashes are from dying and retrying during Boss Rush, so I guess you could just master every fight to avoid it.

 

I doubt I'll have the patience if it crashes more than once. I don't have it in me anymore for button mashers.

 

12 hours ago, BB-BakkerJ said:

I really liked the game though. Awesome music, I thought the story was pretty good, and the battle system is fast and fluid. But it is a bit of a grind, you’ll be playing this 10 hour game for 100 hours.

 

My problem with the story is that I hate every character (except the ones you play as). I started with Yunica, who was fine, and Hugo seems to have some good dialogue. My issue is that every other character is useless, and yet they act like they're the real heroes of the game. Like I'm the one killing the monsters, I'm the one defeating the bosses, and then they just show up and are like, "Hey. You can go home now. We got it from here." YET THEY DO NOTHING.

 

I'd have a lot more respect for them if they fought alongside you for part of the game. This really should've been made for co-op.

 

And THIS GAME should never have been made at all...

 

Platinum #232 - Marenian Tavern Story

 

Have you guys seen Groundhog Day? It's one of my favorite movies ever. OK, now imagine that movie, but you're Bill Murray and you're at that point where you're dropping a toaster in the tub just to get the day over faster. That's this game. Every day is the same thing. You wake up, go to one area to kill monsters/gather resources, go back to town, buy all the supplies you can, cook everything you have, and then sell it all so you can do the same thing the next day. Yes, I realize a lot of farming games are like that, but there are other things going on in those games that make those worlds interesting. Here, there's almost no reason to do anything other than every trophy requires doing it x amount of times. But you'll be out of game long before that happens. I didn't get my first trophy until almost 20 hours in and I was already getting sick of the grind. Imagine how I felt after 80 hours.

 

Is there a story here? I...guess. No, let me try to explain the story. I'm going to give it as much attention as it deserves.

 

You play as Patty. Probably the worst name ever for a protagonist. While playing around outside, your kid brother bumps into a statue that falls over and reveals a Pokemon, who turns out to be the God of Poverty. He puts a curse on your brother so that your family's tavern goes under, so now it's up to you to take over the family business and create a five-star restaurant from the ground up.

 

To increase the rank of your tavern once, you have to complete three tasks: killing an area boss, making a certain amount in sales, and feeding the God of Poverty. These tasks become increasingly harder (more time-consuming) each time, and they all require food. You need it to level up, make money, and satisfy the Pokemon. Why they keep him around is beyond me, but apparently the writers thought this game needed a mascot.

 

This might all sound like a tedious waste of time, but that's the end of this sentence.

 

I found every character bland, annoying, and unlikable. I was done with the story by the time muscular bunny girl showed up. I have no clue how you're supposed to legitimately win some of the boss battles, but there's an item that revives your entire party to full health if you die and I never came even close to running out of those. I'm just going to assume they expect you to wipe repeatedly.

 

Making food is a pain. There are over 650 recipes and the game doesn't tell you what you need for most of them. I was so braindead while playing that I actually had to look up how to make a BLT. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how you're supposed to know that some of these recipes even exist. Sometimes you'll get clues, like "Sushi rice wrapped in a deep-fried bean curd," so I'll put in beans and it turns out there aren't even beans in the recipe. Bean curd is tofu. Why don't you just call it tofu then?

 

And for those of you sticking your nose up at me, that dish also requires something called Eastern-style sauce and you have to cook it in a pot. Would you have thought of that? Didn't think so. Shut up.

 

Would I recommend this game? That depends. Is there somebody in your life you really hate that you can gift it to? I mean, you're probably only going to hurt completionists because anybody else would check out after a few hours, but I could see a few people spiraling into madness as the realization of what they need to do for the platinum slowly starts to sink in. How is this even at 20% rarity? You know how? Because anybody who popped a single trophy has already committed themselves to the long haul.

 

If this game ever gets DLC, I'm quitting gaming forever.

[AJ_Radio]

9 minutes ago, Cassylvania said:

Have you guys seen Groundhog Day? It's one of my favorite movies ever. OK, now imagine that movie, but you're Bill Murray and you're at that point where you're dropping a toaster in the tub just to get the day over faster.

 

Yes, many times over. I had the VHS tape that my parents bought, then got the DVD of the movie. Still watch it at least a couple times a year. Great film.

 

What About Bob? is actually my favorite Bill Murray movie. Talented actor. Love his old stuff. Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Robin Williams, Bill Murray, Jerry Seinfeld, loved these guys to death. Miss the days when Hollywood made these comedy films that had a sense of charm and flair, and weren't dumbed down to have a bunch of toilet bowl humor which is basically today's comedy in a nutshell.

 

15 minutes ago, Cassylvania said:

If this game ever gets DLC, I'm quitting gaming forever.

 

Still sucks Indivisible had to go out like that. But I definitely encourage to keep moving forward, you got a great trophy profile and a great thread. I really appreciate all the commentary you've provided.