Cassylvania's Miserable Little Pile of Platinums

[Cassylvania]

12 minutes ago, DragonQuest238 said:

Yeeeeeah, I feel your pain, Cassy. I still have yet to finish Japan. Was trying to go for the 5-minute run and almost got it(my shortest time on the small puzzle was 5:34) but having to do all those puzzles is painful to a fault. The irony of it all? I picked up this game to fill out my F in my alphabet soup.

 

Oh, you don't have to bother with that in Japan. I got the 5-minute trophy without even trying in one of the later puzzles (I think France). Some of them are very small... Others, not so much.

 

Even more ironically, I'm playing three F games right now: Fill, Fear, and Flint. I might try to spell BELFRY, because that's a very Castlevania-esque word...and because I can't find a decent L game that I can reasonably finish in one month.

 

Like I said... After Halloween, I'm not doing any more events. At least not for this year. This'll be 31 games in five months! I need to sleep too, people.

 

EDIT: Oh, I just noticed this is my 1000th post. I better say something deep and meaningful. Here -- let me play you a song on my guitar.

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Cassylvania

[DragonQuest238]

On 8/30/2018 at 9:57 PM, Cassylvania said:

You can basically ignore the trophies. Most of them are obtained through normal gameplay, and the rest can be done post-game. You may want to keep an eye out for collectibles, but you're free to return to anywhere in the game (even if you might THINK you're locked out).

 

My suggestion is to play through the game blind and then use a collectibles guide to finish off your platinum. Good luck!

 

Hey, might pick up this game myself for my Y in the alphabet soup. (Yes, I have Yonder but I am too busy with other games to play it.)

[DragonQuest238]

2 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

EDIT: Oh, I just noticed this is my 1000th post. I better say something deep and meaningful. Here -- let me play you a song on my guitar.

 

That's not a guitar, even though it is considered a string instrument.

[Mesopithecus]

22 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Platinum #126 - Ether One

 

I was going to write a detailed review for this one, but then I realized I could sum the whole game up with a single screenshot.

 

 

I really wanted to like Ether One when I played it on my old account, but it is such a glitch fest   I contemplated playing it on this account but I didn't want to have to do that awful canary in the dark part again

[Cassylvania]

On 9/3/2018 at 6:25 PM, Mesopithecus said:

I really wanted to like Ether One when I played it on my old account, but it is such a glitch fest   I contemplated playing it on this account but I didn't want to have to do that awful canary in the dark part again

 

Oh, man. I forgot to even mention the canary part. That game is like one big glitchy blur to me.

 

Honestly, I can't respect -- let alone enjoy -- a game like that. There's no excuse for putting out such a broken game. If it was just on release, OK, fine. I've read threads where the actual developers of the game said they're aware of the bugs and they're working on them, but this was over two years ago. For all the crap I give games like Swords of Ditto and Foul Play -- at least they were functional. I could actually pop in the game and play it as it was intended. That's kinda the most important thing about a game, and I don't think it's unfair to ask for some quality control. This is Bethesda-level bad, but even THEY get a pass because games like Skyrim are so massive and complex that you expect them to have a few bugs. Ether One is a ~5 hour game with graphics that honestly make me want to vomit. Either way, I have a newfound respect for The Witness, and I'm almost willing to take back my middle finger icon for that game because Ether One deserves it so much more.

 

In short, DO NOT RECOMMEND.

 

I'm probably not going to recommend Fear Effect Sedna either. It's surprisingly okay for a PS1 game -- I actually really like the graphics, and the story is...interesting, I guess -- but it's about as mediocre as they come. Also, it makes me feel like I'm watching an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, because the whole cast is full of some of the most unlikable characters ever. The only way this game has a happy ending is if every one of them dies in the final scene.

 

Kinda felt the same way about Mile 22. You know, that trash movie I paid $15 to see last weekend.

 

Damn. I'm surrounded by filth. Yomawari, come back to me! You were the one ray of sunshine in my life...

 

...Oh, well... Back to our regularly scheduled programming: It's Always Epic in Phil's House...

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Cassylvania

[Jens]

[...]

Edited September 30, 2019 by Jens

[Cassylvania]

Just now, Jens said:

I played this headache-fuel for 50+ hours and I'm actually clueless how this screenshot was made. Is there any "watch closer" option for solved puzzles?

 

I think that's from the Vita version. You know, in case you want Phil-on-the-go. Or if you're really a masochist and want to stack your Phils. How about it, @Jens? Do you want your Phils stacked high?

 

Well, I finally escaped from Australia. Now this booze-guzzling drifter is dragging me to Las Vegas to partake in his crippling gambling addiction. Is this all seriously from one vacation? The text at the beginning of the game suggests it is. This begs the question: how did Phil get so fuckin' rich? If you look at this house, it's clearly not well-maintained. Notice the hole in the wooden frame around his window. (His armpit is covering it up in that picture, but trust me -- it's there when he's not raising his arms in celebration.) Yes, his chair looks fancy and he has what might be stained glass above his window, but that table is plastic, and his backyard is completely barren. Plus, that's a pencil-pusher button-down at best. He probably bought it at Walmart on discount, because the pocket isn't even on the right side. I guess you could say he married into money...but the single dining room chair suggests otherwise.

 

This is indeed a great mystery... Did Phil strike it big in Vegas (and, if so, why was this the fifth stop on his tour around the world?), or is there more to this mustached maverick than meets the eye?

[Jens]

[...]

Edited September 30, 2019 by Jens

[Cassylvania]

 

1 hour ago, Jens said:

I want nothing more in my life.

 

I'd be careful, Jens. I've done quite a bit of research into this subject, and I think you should be aware that Phil may, in fact, be insane.

 

First, there are only two sensible ways to organize a scrapbook like Phil's: alphabetically or chronologically. If we look at the first four countries -- Japan, France, Russia, Italy -- a few things become abundantly clear. First, they're not in alphabetical order. Is it possible that Phil legitimately does not know his ABC's? While Phil's cognitive abilities can be called into question (see working theory #2 below), he is able to recognize the name of every structure, food, and activity in his scrapbook (as evidenced by the words he shouts whenever you complete a puzzle), which would suggest he has at least some knowledge of a basic education. So, is it possible that this is the order in which he visited each country? Well, it's possible, yes. You could physically visit each of those countries in that order, but would you? Let's look at a map.

 

 

 

Unless Phil is making bank on those frequent flyer miles, this is clearly not a man you want making your travel arrangements.

 

Now, is it possible that Phil did in fact visit those countries in the order in his scrapbook, but he didn't plan out the entire trip in advance? I suppose, if Phil has enough money to visit ten countries on six continents (five, I'm sorry -- apparently South America isn't good enough) in a single vacation, that he doesn't care if he wastes a few grand here or there for an extra flight. But then, is this really a man you want to be with? There are no pictures of any people who were with Phil -- wife, children, etc. -- which can only mean that he was likely alone the entire time. Who does that?

 

However, Phil DOES admit to buying his camera in Japan (on the first page in the scrapbook), and he admits to being "back home" -- in England -- on the last page (yes, I skipped ahead -- good thing Phil has more patience than Grover), which means Phil did actually visit these countries in the order of the book.

 

Does that make him insane? Well, no. Not by itself anyway. But let's consider the facts, based on what we know about Phil...

• Phil, who is from England, went on vacation to ten countries, beginning with Japan. He didn't purchase a camera until he got to Japan, and the one he got is barely functional and requires completing tedious, Minesweeper-esque puzzles in order to "develop." Phil seems incapable of doing this without your help.
• Phil appears to be a confirmed bachelor with no children, based on his age (mid-40's), lifestyle, and personal hygiene (messy hair, trimmed but outdated mustache, and soulless eyes). It's unknown whether he was once married, as we can't see his ring finger.
• Phil likes extravagant vacations, but lives in a modest house that is clean but not well-maintained, and likely works a 9-5 job. He buys clothes off the discount rack.
• Phil is always holding a cookie and a cup of something (likely coffee), but doesn't appear to consume either.
• Phil thinks everything is "EPIC."

From this, I have three working theories:

1. Phil is a criminal mastermind, spy, or secret agent who is only pretending to be a mild-mannered, blue-collar worker in order to not raise suspicion. That would explain the bachelor lifestyle, the high target locations, and the seemingly endless influx of cash from unknown sources, but it doesn't explain the poor quality of camera or why Phil would invite a complete stranger into his house to "help" him with his work. Unless, of course, he plans to off you (the main character) by the end of the game.
2. Phil has a mental condition that has stunted his intellectual growth. The constant grin on his face, the unhealthy obsession with cookies, and the need to always have his arms in the air in an overly expressive, "HOORAY, I DID IT" pose would support the idea that he is actually a six-year-old boy trapped in a forty-six-year-old's body. Thus, it's possible he never actually visited any of the locations in his scrap book. They could either be crude drawings that he made with a black marker, or ink blots from his psychiatrist. It's even possible that you, the player, are his doctor, and the game is actually a treatment for his condition.
3. Phil murdered his wife, cut up her body, and then used the life insurance policy to travel across the world and bury the pieces of her in ten separate countries. Then he took pictures of each location and hid them in plain sight -- IN HIS SCRAPBOOK -- because Phil is a sick man.

Personally, I'm leaning towards #3, but I need more evidence. I'll keep looking through the scrapbook and let you know what I find...

Edited September 5, 2018 by Cassylvania

[DragonQuest238]

6 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

1. Phil murdered his wife, cut up her body, and then used the life insurance policy to travel across the world and bury the pieces of her in ten separate countries. Then he took pictures of each location and hid them in plain sight -- IN HIS SCRAPBOOK -- because Phil is a sick man.

Personally, I'm leaning towards #3, but I need more evidence.

 

Actually, he's a sexual deviant. I found several of my favorite women(heroines of the books I read) tied up naked in his basement but, like Kathleen from my favorite book series, I got caught by the villain and now...

 

I'm being forced to watch his vacation photos as torture.

 

(At least YOU got farther than I did. That was the first "complete all puzzles in a page" category I completed. I tried to do some small puzzles in hopes of getting the speed-run trophy, but I am not just seeing it happen. All of my times are terrible, from 7 to 12 minutes. )

Edited September 5, 2018 by DragonQuest238

[Jens]

[...]

Edited September 30, 2019 by Jens

[Cassylvania]

10 hours ago, DragonQuest238 said:

Actually, he's a sexual deviant. I found several of my favorite women(heroines of the books I read) tied up naked in his basement but, like Kathleen from my favorite book series, I got caught by the villain and now...

 

Well, he clearly took inspiration from other porn stars of the 80's. But whether it's a tribute to the great Tom Selleck or a not-so-clever disguise, I think one thing has become obvious: Phil is not the man he pretends to be.

 

8 hours ago, Jens said:

Really striking once you see the undeniable resemblance. He just can't stop hiding clues to his crimes. But he got old, so now he chooses huge mind numbing puzzles which he can alter without much work needed.

 

Interesting theory. I also suspected the Riddler when I realized "EPIC ADVENTURE" could be rearranged to spell U DEVIANT CREEP. Clearly, we need to work together more often. What do you make of the following?

 

In the previous post, I hypothesized that Phil must either be mentally unstable (working theory #2), covering up a dark secret (working theory #1), or both (working theory #3). Given that we have evidence for the first two scenarios -- mentally unstable because of his erratic behavior, and covering up a secret because of the many contradictions in his rich man/poor man lifestyle -- I think it's safe to assume that our original hypothesis (working theory #3) is correct: Phil is a deranged psychopath who is trying to bury the truth about a crime he just committed. If this is the case, then Phil is the smart kind of insane, which would back your Riddler theory. That's the only way he could have gotten away with it for this long. This is also supported by Phil's vast knowledge of world geography and famous landmarks, which an intellectually stunted man may not be able to grasp.

 

Of course, now we have conflicting theories. If Phil did murder his wife -- which seems to be the most likely scenario, given the overwhelming evidence at this point -- would he really chop her body up and bury each piece in a separate country? If he was truly crazy, yes -- but we are going on the assumption that Phil is sane enough to make rational decisions, even if the reasons behind his actions are criminally insane. Thus, why would Phil risk carrying a severed body through customs multiple times, when he could just dump the whole body at once? It just doesn't make sense. I propose that Phil killed his wife and disposed of the body in one country, and then used the rest of the trip as a cover-up. But which country? Let's refer back to the map. Remember: we've already concluded that the order of the countries in the scrapbook is the same order in which Phil visited each country, given Phil's testimony both in Japan (the first country he claims to have visited) and England (his home country). From this, we can map out his entire blood-soaked journey across the globe...

 

 

I'm still not buying the whole Japan to France to Russia to Italy claim. Even if we grant him that he went to Japan first to pick up his camera -- possible, I suppose, if it was purchased on the black market -- his next two stops are clearly out of sequence. Why would he pass over Russia to visit France, then fly all the way back to Russia, only to turn around again and land in Italy? From there, the rest of his journey seems to make sense. At least, it's what would we expect to see from a man who has a basic understanding of world geography and flight costs.

 

I suspect Phil's wife was either killed and buried in France (in which case, it had to be premeditated) or she was killed in France and then disposed of in Russia, with the help of foreign contacts. Now, I'm not putting it past Phil to be a Russian spy, but this would make him an even bigger criminal than we ever could have imagined.

 

8 hours ago, Jens said:

So Phil is confirmed for your list under Thanatophobia? I mean the whole game revolves around death. And if you can't convince them over there it definitely revolves around the death of our brain cells.

 

It does seem like this is the most fitting category. I was more fooled by the initial appearance of this game than Yomawari!

Edited September 5, 2018 by Cassylvania

[Briste]

This might be my favorite conversation so far lol You were either up all night investigating or got up pretty early to do it. I'm really happy that you mentioned the part about customs...because that was my biggest hole in your preliminary investigations. I like the idea that he is spreading his wife's body parts all over the world...but how he got it through TSA was my concern. I know they aren't the MCU, but I would hope a body part would show up on their scanners. But then I was wondering if other countries have their version of TSA and if it is more or less efficient than ours...

 

I'm thinking this could be a love story and a large insurance settlement. After her untimely demise, he portioned her up into pieces so that he could leave a piece of her at every location. With the large insurance settlement, he decided to travel the world. He wanted her to be apart of his trip and by leaving pieces of her around the world, he'd have a reason to return. 

 

The more I think about it, a man with a mustache like that must be a criminal mastermind and he could easily figure out a way to get her by airport security. His travel itinerary is all over the place to specifically make it look like no one in their right mind would plan a trip this way. It throws the authorities off the scent of his evil genius. If the game wasn't so masochistic...I might join in the fun, however I can't in good conscience purchase something that would support first degree murder...no matter how romantic it is.

[Cassylvania]

2 hours ago, Briste said:

This might be my favorite conversation so far lol You were either up all night investigating or got up pretty early to do it. I'm really happy that you mentioned the part about customs...because that was my biggest hole in your preliminary investigations. I like the idea that he is spreading his wife's body parts all over the world...but how he got it through TSA was my concern. I know they aren't the MCU, but I would hope a body part would show up on their scanners. But then I was wondering if other countries have their version of TSA and if it is more or less efficient than ours...

 

I'm thinking this could be a love story and a large insurance settlement. After her untimely demise, he portioned her up into pieces so that he could leave a piece of her at every location. With the large insurance settlement, he decided to travel the world. He wanted her to be apart of his trip and by leaving pieces of her around the world, he'd have a reason to return. 

 

The more I think about it, a man with a mustache like that must be a criminal mastermind and he could easily figure out a way to get her by airport security. His travel itinerary is all over the place to specifically make it look like no one in their right mind would plan a trip this way. It throws the authorities off the scent of his evil genius. If the game wasn't so masochistic...I might join in the fun, however I can't in good conscience purchase something that would support first degree murder...no matter how romantic it is.

 

One thing I think we can all agree on is that Phil is a genius, and genius people always have a reason for their actions. Phil had a reason for visiting every country, and for visiting them in that order. Perhaps it is as you say -- that Phil is trying to throw off the authorities -- but flying around so erratically would only draw attention. But perhaps you have stumbled upon something else... What if Phil is dumping the body across multiple countries, but he is targeting the places with the most lax security first? (I would Google this, but I don't need to end up on any watch lists.)

 

Still... Why no South America? Why three separate trips to Europe? And what is going on with this "African safari"? That's not even a country. And is it even legal to take photographs in a Las Vegas casino? The last picture I developed for Phil was of a slot machine that was clearly in use (and on a winning combination). Could this be a money laundering scheme? And look at his statement when asked about the city: "The most memorable stop as I crossed the USA was Las Vegas. Getting to explore the mountains was the jackpot!" We can conclude three things from this statement: 

1. Phil entered into the country by plane (we know this because he came from Australia), but he had another means of transportation to get around, and he likely traveled extensively inside that vehicle (in order for him to declare that Vegas was, in fact, "the most memorable spot" in the country).
2. Phil is a liar. Not to knock Vegas, but not many people outside the country would consider it the best location to visit, unless they have a severe gambling addiction. But perhaps Phil has ANOTHER reason for considering it "memorable"...
3. Something -- or somebody -- may be buried in the mountains. Phil seems overly excited about his chance to explore them, despite having already visited several countries with more impressive mountain ranges.

I looked deeper into the scrapbook and came across this...

 

 

WHO IS THAT LADY!?

[DragonQuest238]

I would have escaped but got waylaided by Phil's pet dog, POWGI, and now forced to solve indamnable word search puzzles. (To be honest, I didn't expect there to be 324 of the f'kers with an average of 18 words a piece. That's over 3000 words! Just finished the "Stay in School" category.)

[Jens]

[...]

Edited September 30, 2019 by Jens

[Cassylvania]

1 minute ago, Jens said:

Odin Sphere is supposed to be somewhat short right?

 

It's...not as short as you might think. You're going to get deja vu a lot. You're essentially playing through the game five times, but as five different characters, and it might wear on you by the end. Expect to see the same bosses over and over. You're going to get deja vu a lot. Still, it's a fun game. I've been wanting to buy this figurine for a long time. Just waiting for it to drop below $100, which I don't think it ever will...

 

 

Honestly, probably my favorite duo from an obscure game on the PS4.

 

9 minutes ago, Jens said:

What's your plan once you break free from Phil's basement? I mean he will notice you solving his case and Phil can't let that happen. The first DLC puzzle will be Cass in chains And everyone else's plan as well?  

 

Thinking about joining GameFly, actually. I've never considered it before because I'm a bit of a collector, but it might be worth it if I'm sifting through shorter games. If I can do one game per week, that's essentially four games a month for about $16, which is like having a PSN sale all the time. I didn't realize you could rent movies through them too. This could work out really nicely if I decide to join community events in the future, because their game selection is pretty decent. And it'd be great for games I want to play but would never pay for, like those Atari Flashback games or Ether One. Wait...

 

I dunno. Anybody use them before?

[Briste]

8 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

WHO IS THAT LADY!?

This is all starting to be clear to me...I think that Vegas is where the drama all started. Similar to Homer and Ned, when Phil first went to Vegas he fell in love with an escort...you know...the hooker with the heart of gold type. She made him feel exotic and important...of course she was just trying to fleece him for everything he had and it worked! Phil blew it. He lost everything on this floozy and gambled away his life savings. He couldn't go back to his wife with this kind of shame. He wanted her to remember him as he was when the first met...the Sonny to her Cher...the Zack to her Kelly. He was also broke and remembered the insurance policy...so he did what any rational person would do. He murdered her and dismembered her. When they got married, he had promised her a trip around the world...except for that dirty South America...and he planned to deliver. His travel itinerary was a bit screwy, but he's a grieving man...he can't be expected to think straight under this kind of pressure. Las Vegas is in the middle of his trip because he needs to end the person that brought him to this level of suffering and anguish. The lady in the photo...The fly in the ointment. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass. After he finishes the deed in Vegas, he's going to continue on and finish his quest of bringing the love of his life across the globe...and when all is said and done...Phil can finally end his own pain and hang himself at Stonehenge...Wow Phil...tough breaks my man.

 

ps....isn't Egypt in Africa? Why would it be two separate entries? Shouldn't Egypt be a part of his African photos?

 

On my own gaming front...I needed an E game and Everybody's Golf was just going to take too long. I still plan on playing it, but just not right now. When I looked over the current sales on the PS store I saw Eekeemoo for $4.99 and it filled a need for both events so I picked it up. It is probably the easiest game I've ever played. It's not terribly good either, but for $5 I wasn't expecting much. There's a couple puzzles that took a few minutes to figure out but mostly it was just spamming Square to beat on Zomblings. I had to restart a level once for getting stuck in a while and I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you wanted a cheap, easy game for an event. The artwork wasn't terrible, but the sound effects got annoying. When you walk it sounds like when you are wearing warm-up pants made from windbreaker material and that swoosh sound it makes...constantly. But I got my E out of the way and my Kinemortophobia entry. Next up The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker.

 

I've never used Gamefly myself, but I know a few people who have and they liked it. It gets back to a conversation we had earlier about renting games. I used to hate to have to return them and for me it'd be the same here. It makes no sense really since I've started trophy hunting. I don't really go back to play any of my old games so there's no reason why I shouldn't...but I just don't. For what we do though it makes perfect sense.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Briste

[Cassylvania]

1 hour ago, Briste said:

This is all starting to be clear to me...I think that Vegas is where the drama all started. Similar to Homer and Ned, when Phil first went to Vegas he fell in love with an escort...you know...the hooker with the heart of gold type. She made him feel exotic and important...of course she was just trying to fleece him for everything he had and it worked! Phil blew it. He lost everything on this floozy and gambled away his life savings. He couldn't go back to his wife with this kind of shame. He wanted her to remember him as he was when the first met...the Sonny to her Cher...the Zack to her Kelly. He was also broke and remembered the insurance policy...so he did what any rational person would do. He murdered her and dismembered her. When they got married, he had promised her a trip around the world...except for that dirty South America...and he planned to deliver. His travel itinerary was a bit screwy, but he's a grieving man...he can't be expected to think straight under this kind of pressure. Las Vegas is in the middle of his trip because he needs to end the person that brought him to this level of suffering and anguish. The lady in the photo...The fly in the ointment. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass. After he finishes the deed in Vegas, he's going to continue on and finish his quest of bringing the love of his life across the globe...and when all is said and done...Phil can finally end his own pain and hang himself at Stonehenge...Wow Phil...tough breaks my man.

 

It's possible, but the location of the photo is puzzling. It was taken in front of the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, which is a popular photo-op for tourists, but not really a good meeting spot for somebody you had an affair with. If they had met in Vegas before, then why wait until now to take a picture? And why is she alone? And what is she wearing? You can clearly see something -- perhaps tentacles (?) or the bow of a viking ship -- between her body and the sign. As shown below -- in a picture taken by a real camera -- no such thing exists, so it's clearly something the lady brought with her. And if you look closer, you'll see Nevada is spelled wrong.

 

 

I'm suspecting something even more foul here...

 

1 hour ago, Briste said:

ps....isn't Egypt in Africa? Why would it be two separate entries? Shouldn't Egypt be a part of his African photos?

 

One would think. I'm sure there will be more clues once I get to those puzzles... What kind of sick game is Phil playing? Surely none as sick as the one I am!

 

1 hour ago, Briste said:

On my own gaming front...I needed an E game and Everybody's Golf was just going to take too long. I still plan on playing it, but just not right now. When I looked over the current sales on the PS store I saw Eekeemoo for $4.99 and it filled a need for both events so I picked it up. It is probably the easiest game I've ever played. It's not terribly good either, but for $5 I wasn't expecting much. There's a couple puzzles that took a few minutes to figure out but mostly it was just spamming Square to beat on Zomblings. I had to restart a level once for getting stuck in a while and I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you wanted a cheap, easy game for an event. The artwork wasn't terrible, but the sound effects got annoying. When you walk it sounds like when you are wearing warm-up pants made from windbreaker material and that swoosh sound it makes...constantly. But I got my E out of the way and my Kinemortophobia entry. Next up The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker.

 

You know, you could've done Enigmatis for an E. I actually liked the first game. Artifex Mundi gets a bad rap here, but the ones I've played have been decent hidden object games, and I love the spooky feel. Reminds me of those old Nancy Drew games on PC, or 1996's interactive classic, Goosebumps: Escape From Horrorland.

 

In fact, if I wasn't already committed to two E's for this event, I might play the sequel.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Cassylvania

[DragonQuest238]

4 hours ago, Jens said:

I purchased this small indie game called Dragon Quest XI because I am weak.

Are you serious?

 

Then again, I may decide to just break my freaking vow not to plat Dragon Quest XI first because I want to play that game. Phil is doing me no favors, now that I found a trophy where you have to solve a puzzle without single mistake. My fingers are twitchy and I keep making a mistake.

 

I think the dog has been spiking my sodas with stimulants to make me have a heart attack. Found out my blood pressure was shooting up like a rocket. Now I have to go to the dentist soon and I bet it'll be high again. On the plus side, the dentist won't fill my teeth so I can hold off on the needle for a bit. On the minus side I have to do to the doctor and he'll tell me I have to eat salads for the rest of my life and throw out all of my meat because the fatty acids are killing my heart rate and I'll die in three years. *sigh*

 

(It really happened. During my last visit to the tooth doctor, the blood pressure machine gave me a really high blood pressure reading twice. The third time it went down to a point but now I'm scared for my life. )

11 minutes ago, Cassylvania said:

You know, you could've done Enigmatis for an E. I actually liked the first game. Artifex Mundi gets a bad rap here, but the ones I've played have been decent hidden object games, and I love the spooky feel. Reminds me of those old Nancy Drew games on PC, or 1996's interactive classic, Goosebumps: Escape From Horrorland.

Enigmatis was my favorite series in the Artifex Mundi camp. The series rapped up with something straight out of Temple of Doom. I really enjoyed it.

[Cassylvania]

Platinum #127 - Fear Effect Sedna

 

 

I have no clue what I just played. Confusing plot, extremely unlikable characters, bare bones gameplay, and hilariously broken dialogue. I should probably feel ripped off, but I strangely enjoyed it.

 

Just a warning for those of you who like playing the same weird shit as me: the worst thing about this game is the main menu screen The default cursor position is "Start Game," which actually means NEW game, and then it selects your first (and likely only) save file and asks you if you wish to overwrite it. So, if you're like me and instinctively spam the X button until the game loads, congratulations -- you just lost all your progress. That happened to me about halfway through the game. Fortunately, I had a backup save at the beginning of that chapter because I was worried I might miss a trophy. I would have been EXTREMELY pissed to have to do the whole game over, because it's not exactly worth playing a second time. (Not even sure it's worth playing a first time, to be honest.)

 

Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm going to make myself a reindeer and fish guts sandwich.

 

 

[DragonQuest238]

Glad you got through that. I tried to reason with Phil but he kept laughing at me every time I kept seeing red on that damnable trophy. And that picture you showed, I completed in over 75 minutes. I was hoping to get Las Vegas traveler trophy next as it has the least amount of pictures, but my GAWD they are HUGE!

 

So I bribed his attack dog, POWGI, with some snacks. Turns out I could complete 21 word searches in the same amount of time I did one of Phil's pics. I now have surpassed 50% of the trophy clearance and will probable knock out two more categories tomorrow at the doctor's office. (You know how they are.)

 

To be fair, you are farther along than I am in Phil's epic adventure and I hope we can have him locked up by the end of the year.

 

(POWGI was created by the same company as Phil, Lightwood Games. Maybe we can sue them for mental abuse? )

[Cassylvania]

1 hour ago, DragonQuest238 said:

Glad you got through that. I tried to reason with Phil but he kept laughing at me every time I kept seeing red on that damnable trophy. And that picture you showed, I completed in over 75 minutes. I was hoping to get Las Vegas traveler trophy next as it has the least amount of pictures, but my GAWD they are HUGE!

 

Some of them take me two hours. For the 5-minute trophy, just try the middle puzzle on the far right of France (Grapes from the Loire Valley). Make sure you're using the smart cursor, and just spam the X button, along with L1+R1 to see where you need to go. I managed to finish it in 3:17.

 

Also, I recommend alternating between small and big puzzles. It's the only way I've managed to keep my sanity.

 

1 hour ago, DragonQuest238 said:

So I bribed his attack dog, POWGI, with some snacks. Turns out I could complete 21 word searches in the same amount of time I did one of Phil's pics. I now have surpassed 50% of the trophy clearance and will probable knock out two more categories tomorrow at the doctor's office. (You know how they are.)

 

To be fair, you are farther along than I am in Phil's epic adventure and I hope we can have him locked up by the end of the year.

 

(POWGI was created by the same company as Phil, Lightwood Games. Maybe we can sue them for mental abuse? )

 

POWGI looks fun, and I really like the trophy names. Might pick that up sometime, if the price is right. I would really like to see more puzzle games on the PS4 that aren't broken pieces of trash like Ether One. (Sorry, devs -- fix your product.) It pains me to say that The Witness is still probably the best out there.

 

I think Phil is just a game you need to slowly chip away at. My plat goal is, say, the first week in November. This way, I just need to do a puzzle or two every couple of days, and I don't have to worry about where he's going to fit in the Halloween event. Because he has no business being in there. He belongs behind bars.

 

Well, I took last night off to watch some football. Instead, I felt like I was doing laundry. @Briste, you were right to worry. I don't know if the helmet-to-helmet rule came into play, but that had to be a record for most penalties in a game. Also, Julio got hosed on a clear catch. Other than that, it was a pretty disgraceful game, I feel dumber having watched it, I award both teams zero points, and may God have mercy on their souls.

 

So glad I don't have Matt Ryan on my fantasy team this year, because I would be having to put up new drywall today.

 

Let's see if Everyblah blah Rapture makes me feel the same. Onto game #2 for the Halloween event!

[DragonQuest238]

15 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Let's see if Everyblah blah Rapture makes me feel the same. Onto game #2 for the Halloween event!

 

It is slow and the collectibles are a bit tricky to find, but I promise you that since you need to play with the sound off to catch audio cues(like phones ringing), you will enjoy the experience for the most part.

 

Going to see who wins the race for my 50th platinum, Dragon Quest Builders or LEGO Harry Potters Years 1-4. In the meantime, I finally completed those two miscellaneous trophies. Thanks for the advice, Cassy! I used that picture you mentioned(the one in France) to get both Fast Exposure and Black and White(the latter took me 25 resets because I have a twitchy finger and had to train myself to go slowly and not hit an incomplete square) and also the second Las Vegas picture(the pinball one). I am probably going to just do this game and POWGI when I am out of the house because I have to focus on my PS4. (My controller died and I have to charge it again because I let it run on its battery for 90 minutes while doing Fill-A-Pix on the Vita. Whoops.)

Edited September 8, 2018 by DragonQuest238

[Briste]

18 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

Well, I took last night off to watch some football. Instead, I felt like I was doing laundry. @Briste, you were right to worry. I don't know if the helmet-to-helmet rule came into play, but that had to be a record for most penalties in a game. Also, Julio got hosed on a clear catch. Other than that, it was a pretty disgraceful game, I feel dumber having watched it, I award both teams zero points, and may God have mercy on their souls.

The whole night was brutal...from the 45 minute delay to start, to the first play of the season being a penalty, to Atlanta getting stuffed at the 1 on their first drive of the season (Devonta Freeman is on one of my teams ) to 15 penalties by half time. Both QB's were brutal with Ryan being especially bad...I went to bed at about midnight just after Atlanta had taken the lead. I really hope that is not a sign of things to come. I'm really looking forward to Sunday but that game was just yuck....a simple 'wrong' would have done just fine...

 

The Infections Madness of Doctor Dekker (TiMoDD for short?) is ok...the game is literally you just interviewing insane people to figure out who the murderer is. The thing that sucks about it is you pretty much have to use a guide to play it. There really is no skill to this game at all and I could see how it might be really boring for someone. I'm ok with it at this point since I'm treating it more like a movie. Thankfully I have a USB port keyboard, so it makes typing in the questions so much better. If I had to use the PS4 controller, I'd probably go mad. I should be able to get through this and TMNT by Sunday night...we'll see.