I awoke with a start. A grating, groaning noise burst in my ears. It was an unwelcome sound since I hardly slept. The winds were mighty strong and assailed my balcony doors relentlessly, forcing them inward by sheer pressure, and the frame buckled audibly in harsh screeches. I got up, picked up my folding chair, and shoved it under the doorknob to prevent it from budging. Problem solved. Time to sleep the rest of my morning away. But little did I know...that it was only a precursor to the nightmare tomorrow.
But that's for another time. Today was hot and windy--a terrible combination. I waited until it was late before I went on my customary walk. There's something liberating about running in the wind. It's probably the closest I can get to flying aside from hang gliding. Since it was late, there weren't many people around either. I was alone with the setting sun in a whirlwind, lost in my music. Moments don't get much better than this.
The rest of the day I switched between watching and playing XCOM. I'm picking up valuable tactics from ChristopherOdd even though my attempts to apply the same strategy often fail. Most of my missions I end up getting killed and redo everything knowing exactly where the enemies are. It's totally cheating but hey, if it's fun, it's valid.
/eventlog
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Event Log: 4/28/14 - The Struggle Is Real
I woke up feeling exceptionally lethargic. I stayed up all night (again) watching ChristopherOdd's XCOM Ironman Impossible LP. He really knows how to play. If I screw up once (which happens a lot), it's time to reload that save again. The difficulty curve (or lack thereof) in XCOM is ridiculous. After the first mission, everything is hard. They keep amping up the challenge with deadlier enemy types. I can barely keep up. Maybe I'm just weaksauce but for "Normal" difficulty, I'm feeling outclassed. Then again, my criteria for a successful mission is no deaths so that probably has something to do with it. If I rolled with the punches, I probably wouldn't be as frustrated. As a newbie, I made a bunch of bad decisions, especially in regards to my base building. No adjacency bonuses for me.
Among my games, XCOM is the winner. It demands my complete attention. I'm hardly making progress. There are so many progression stoppers that it's hard to keep track of them all. Resources are limited and I'm constantly forced to make trade offs. Most games you can easily exploit the system but I'm afraid there's no such secret formula here. My only saving grace is that missions aren't graded by how many turns I take. Considering my constant reloading, a twenty minute mission can easily balloon to an hour. My playtime is definitely inflated.
Me and couple writer friends went online to chat on Skype. It was just to touch base. Although we've collaborated before, we are an easily distracted bunch. It's a miracle our previous works turned out as well as it did. The details of our conversation are mostly uninteresting to those uninvolved. I only remember eating apples because I was forced to type with one hand. You can tell when I'm eating something because my typing quality degrades--words go uncapitalized and I resort to text-friendly shorthand.
/eventlog
Among my games, XCOM is the winner. It demands my complete attention. I'm hardly making progress. There are so many progression stoppers that it's hard to keep track of them all. Resources are limited and I'm constantly forced to make trade offs. Most games you can easily exploit the system but I'm afraid there's no such secret formula here. My only saving grace is that missions aren't graded by how many turns I take. Considering my constant reloading, a twenty minute mission can easily balloon to an hour. My playtime is definitely inflated.
Me and couple writer friends went online to chat on Skype. It was just to touch base. Although we've collaborated before, we are an easily distracted bunch. It's a miracle our previous works turned out as well as it did. The details of our conversation are mostly uninteresting to those uninvolved. I only remember eating apples because I was forced to type with one hand. You can tell when I'm eating something because my typing quality degrades--words go uncapitalized and I resort to text-friendly shorthand.
/eventlog
Monday, April 28, 2014
Event Log: 4/27/14 - Killing Aliens All Night Long
Whenever I wake up late, I seem to lack energy for the day. I didn't do anything for most of the afternoon. I played a little bit of Xillia, a little bit of Dogma, but what really captured me was Xcom. Yeah, I'm save scumming like a scumbag but perfecting missions through trial and error has become an enjoyable meta-game.
Besides, I'm still learning the ropes. In my effort to blaze through the game as quickly as possible, I'm going up against newer and more dangerous threats all the time and every mission is in "Very Difficult" territory. It'll be awhile before I'm comfortable rolling in Ironman mode--if ever. I was playing up until five in the morning. Then I watched an LP of Ironman Insane mode. What a great watch! Kept me up until 7 though.
Earlier in the day, I was busy farming lives on N. Sanity Beach in Crash. I think I got around 60? That's a whole lot of lives.
/eventlog
Event Log: 4/26/14 - Three For Three
I wiped three games off my slate. I don't think I've pulled off a three-fer before. I was close before, but these three were definitely in the same day: Tomb Raider, Thomas Was Alone, and Stealth Inc. I set myself up real nice for Tomb Raider in a Friday night binge. Only twenty minutes and boom! Credits screen. 100% completion, baby. That's how you do it.
Thomas Was Alone was easier than I expected. I welcomed the lack of challenge. They could've been real devious about it but opted to let the player waltz past the finish line (or ascend towards freedom!). The narrative was surprisingly touching and a great lesson in personification. I can't praise the music enough. It holds a transcendental quality that fits the theme of becoming self-aware. Beautiful, heart-warming, and pitch perfect. I might download the soundtrack.
Stealth Inc. is a waste of time. It held me long enough that I beat it grudgingly, so I'll give it that. It's basically "trial and error: the game." The challenges were less about stealth and more about reflexes. I guess they're related but I associate stealth more with patience than speed. Then they start throwing portals and all sorts of random shit and it's just frustrating. I just beat it for the sake of beating it and not because I was enjoying it. Not to mention, the snide little messages that show up are fucking obnoxious when they rub in my failures. I'm so glad to be done with it. Never again.
I checked out Braid since I got it for 99 cents and damn, this shit is ruining my mind. Some of the world's seem impossible and I'm resisting looking up the solutions. I'm gonna have to sit on it for awhile. Great soundtrack though.
I managed to squeak by three stages in Crash but at great cost. I used up all 40 of my lives and there's still eight levels left. Do I need to stockpile 100 just to beat the game?
/eventlog
Thomas Was Alone was easier than I expected. I welcomed the lack of challenge. They could've been real devious about it but opted to let the player waltz past the finish line (or ascend towards freedom!). The narrative was surprisingly touching and a great lesson in personification. I can't praise the music enough. It holds a transcendental quality that fits the theme of becoming self-aware. Beautiful, heart-warming, and pitch perfect. I might download the soundtrack.
Stealth Inc. is a waste of time. It held me long enough that I beat it grudgingly, so I'll give it that. It's basically "trial and error: the game." The challenges were less about stealth and more about reflexes. I guess they're related but I associate stealth more with patience than speed. Then they start throwing portals and all sorts of random shit and it's just frustrating. I just beat it for the sake of beating it and not because I was enjoying it. Not to mention, the snide little messages that show up are fucking obnoxious when they rub in my failures. I'm so glad to be done with it. Never again.
I checked out Braid since I got it for 99 cents and damn, this shit is ruining my mind. Some of the world's seem impossible and I'm resisting looking up the solutions. I'm gonna have to sit on it for awhile. Great soundtrack though.
I managed to squeak by three stages in Crash but at great cost. I used up all 40 of my lives and there's still eight levels left. Do I need to stockpile 100 just to beat the game?
/eventlog
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Event Log: 4/25/14 - Samura Burrito
I don't like sushi. I might even go as far as to say I hate sushi. I've given it more chances than any other food product and I can say with supreme confidence that sushi and I will never see eye to eye. I mean, if I had sushi at the one of the highest tier restaurants in Vegas (Nobu) and merely find it tolerable, that's a sign I just don't like the damn thing. Drives me nuts since everyone around me is a sushi fan. My taste buds are unable to understand it. I'm doomed to be the wet blanket who prevents the group from having a sushi party.
My friend invited me out to eat with another friend and we visited a place called Samurai Burrito in Fountain Valley. It's really just a giant sushi roll. I was given two halves and I could barely finish one. I think it's the consistency. It's moist, cold, and squishy. I don't like that kind of texture sliding down my throat. Makes me want to vomit. It really took the wind out of my sails and I found it hard to engage in conversation.
Afterwards, we hung out a friend's place and played Streets of Rage 2 co-op. On the hardest difficulty (mania), the enemies are bullshit. I guess that's to be expected. Mania is one step above Very Hard after all. It was decent fun even if we didn't beat it.
After I got home, I took my sweet time trying to 100% every map in Tomb Raider. I didn't finish the game but I'm damn close to it. I stayed up til 6 to reach 98% completion. Yeah, I know. The last time I stayed up that late for a game was Yakuza 3. I was playing UFO catcher deep into the night--then morning.
Even worse? I had to get up at 9 to help my dad deliver some furniture. Since I'm typing this from the day after, I can tell you I only got 3 hours of sleep. I should probably be in bed right now. Oh well. Just 2 more percent!
/eventlog
My friend invited me out to eat with another friend and we visited a place called Samurai Burrito in Fountain Valley. It's really just a giant sushi roll. I was given two halves and I could barely finish one. I think it's the consistency. It's moist, cold, and squishy. I don't like that kind of texture sliding down my throat. Makes me want to vomit. It really took the wind out of my sails and I found it hard to engage in conversation.
Afterwards, we hung out a friend's place and played Streets of Rage 2 co-op. On the hardest difficulty (mania), the enemies are bullshit. I guess that's to be expected. Mania is one step above Very Hard after all. It was decent fun even if we didn't beat it.
After I got home, I took my sweet time trying to 100% every map in Tomb Raider. I didn't finish the game but I'm damn close to it. I stayed up til 6 to reach 98% completion. Yeah, I know. The last time I stayed up that late for a game was Yakuza 3. I was playing UFO catcher deep into the night--then morning.
Even worse? I had to get up at 9 to help my dad deliver some furniture. Since I'm typing this from the day after, I can tell you I only got 3 hours of sleep. I should probably be in bed right now. Oh well. Just 2 more percent!
/eventlog
Event Log: 4/24/14 - Run My Heart Out
Been a while since I felt dead on my feet. That's usually reserved for days spent at an amusement park. Maybe it's because I woke up earlier that I feel more tired after running? I started off briskly but towards the end, I was dragging my feet to the finish line. I was feeling like Sora and the urge to vomit was gathering in my stomach like storm clouds. Fortunately, I was able to quell it before anything messy happened.
I beat Binary Domain. The theme of coexistence between creators and their creations (or humans and robots) is better explored here than in Mass Effect even if it's wrapped in a cheesy action-movie wrapper. The game deploys cliches and stereotypes intelligently for humorous effect. I don't know if it stands up to scrutiny, but I was engrossed the entire way through. Games like Binary Domain are a dying breed. We need more B-games. They're often the biggest surprises.
Binary Domain occupied a sizeable chunk of my harddrive so deleting it made room for X-Com and Dragon's Dogma, both of which, I started. The key to clearing out a backlog is to actually play the game. Doesn't matter if it's for one minute or one hour. Having a starting point does wonders for psychological motivation. The more a game is left untouched, the more it remains so.
X-Com is a turn-based squad strategy game in the vein of Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics. It definitely scratches my Valkyria Chronicles itch. I never thought strategy RPG's would ever become one of my favorite genres but they always seem to grab me. The only thing I hate about them is that the prospect of failure is far more crushing than in any other genre. Losing means hours wasted. It's also very hard for me to resist save scumming.
I don't know if I can make accurate assessment of Dragon's Dogma since I was besieged by terrible headaches. Games are the only thing I endure headaches for (even if they're the cause!). From what little I've played, I can tell it'll be very immersive. The vast amount of loot you can carry reminds me of the Elder Scrolls and the combat resembles Dark Souls (even though I never played any of the Soul's game, so it's a cosmetic comparison). I'll have to dig in a little more.
I took an afternoon nap. I've been having vivid dreams lately--the kind that can pass for alternate reality. It makes me wonder if my dreams aren't glimpses into a parallel universe?
At night, I surprised myself by advancing a few more stages in Crash. Then I spent an inordinate amount of time farming extra lives on the first stage. I'm gonna need it.
To end it all, I watched Tetra Ninja's Let's Play of Dark Souls 2. It's a good way to fall asleep.
/eventlog
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Event Log: 4/23/24 - Rerun
Nothing interesting today. I didn't beat anything but I've beating so many things that announcing that I've beat something isn't noteworthy anymore. I made progress in Binary Domain and played a significant amount of Tomb Raider. I switched displays on my consoles. My PS3 used to be hooked up to the TV but I changed it to my monitor. The image is worse but playability is greatly enhanced. It's a trade off I'm willing to make. Besides, I have to sit so far back when using my TV that my chair bumps against my little brother's. I'm sure he prefers I stay out of his way.
Sony fixed up a glitch that enabled universal compatibility with PS1 and PSP software for the Vita, confirming that the biggest hurdle isn't technical, but a licensing issue. Some people want to shit on Sony for the mistake but since it was never supposed to happen in the first place, I find it hard to muster anger. Fortunately, I was able to take full advantage before the loophole closed and got all three Crash and Spyro games on my Vita. It was a close one. And for kicks, I bought Valkyria Chronicles 2 and downloaded it directly even though I could already transfer it from the PS3. I think Crash and Spyro were the biggest games that couldn't have been transferred. Everything else I don't care about, so I'm good. I keep hearing about Phantasy Star Portable 2 though. Too bad it's been delisted.
Had to delete Uncharted and Ys to make room for them. I think it's a fair trade off. I'm sure I backed up everything and if I didn't, there wasn't much progress to lose. I've been collecting way more than I could beat. I recently bought the Zone of the Enders collection for 13 bucks. It was cheap but I need time to play everything! It's an avalanche, I tell you--an avalanche!
/eventlog
Sony fixed up a glitch that enabled universal compatibility with PS1 and PSP software for the Vita, confirming that the biggest hurdle isn't technical, but a licensing issue. Some people want to shit on Sony for the mistake but since it was never supposed to happen in the first place, I find it hard to muster anger. Fortunately, I was able to take full advantage before the loophole closed and got all three Crash and Spyro games on my Vita. It was a close one. And for kicks, I bought Valkyria Chronicles 2 and downloaded it directly even though I could already transfer it from the PS3. I think Crash and Spyro were the biggest games that couldn't have been transferred. Everything else I don't care about, so I'm good. I keep hearing about Phantasy Star Portable 2 though. Too bad it's been delisted.
Had to delete Uncharted and Ys to make room for them. I think it's a fair trade off. I'm sure I backed up everything and if I didn't, there wasn't much progress to lose. I've been collecting way more than I could beat. I recently bought the Zone of the Enders collection for 13 bucks. It was cheap but I need time to play everything! It's an avalanche, I tell you--an avalanche!
/eventlog
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Event Log: 4/22/14 - Rest Period
I took a break from gaming after beating Infamous 2 yesterday. The weather was amazing. Warm sunshine and cool breezes--the perfect combination. You don't often get days like that. Maybe we do and I don't get out enough to notice. It made the music sound better too. There are moments in life that are perfect in every sense. That was one of them. I was filled with a profound sense of peace and nothing could bring me down. And I think to myself: maybe Thoreau wasn't such a crazy bastard after all. Learning about him was a pain but I can't deny the calming power of nature.
Without games to keep me company, I caught up with the latest episode of Game of Thrones and advanced a couple more with Hannibal. The latter is really special. They really know how to fill each scene with dread and tension. The soundtrack plays a big factor in this as well as the mesmerizing cinematography. A major character bit the bullet and I totally wasn't expecting since they were alive and well in Red Dragon. This tells me that anything can happen and that nobody's safe. The battle between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter is really heating up. It's one of the most enthralling confrontations in television.
Then I whittled the night away on a Let's Play of Festival of Blood. Didn't get to sleep until around 4. Just wanted to see the story. I wonder if Second Son would get any DLC like that?
Without games to keep me company, I caught up with the latest episode of Game of Thrones and advanced a couple more with Hannibal. The latter is really special. They really know how to fill each scene with dread and tension. The soundtrack plays a big factor in this as well as the mesmerizing cinematography. A major character bit the bullet and I totally wasn't expecting since they were alive and well in Red Dragon. This tells me that anything can happen and that nobody's safe. The battle between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter is really heating up. It's one of the most enthralling confrontations in television.
Then I whittled the night away on a Let's Play of Festival of Blood. Didn't get to sleep until around 4. Just wanted to see the story. I wonder if Second Son would get any DLC like that?
Event Log: 4/21/14 - End Again
I started the day with a light primer before diving into the main course. I booted up Crash and to my amazement, my latest save was rolled back and I lost a couple stages' worth of progress. I was so disheartened that after a couple attempts at the current level, I exited with disgust.
That's when I discovered the good news: the Crash and Spyro games are now enabled on the Vita! This means I can play with a far superior D-pad and use sleep mode in lieu of the broken save system to progress. Here's hoping it isn't a PSN store glitch. I would download everything but my memory card isn't big enough and I don't feel like forking over $100 to import a 64gb card.
I played a little bit of Stealth Inc and Thomas Was Alone. Any progress is still progress. After that was Binary Domain. For what appears to be a mindless third-person cover-based shooter, the story is way more interesting than it has any right to be. I'm genuinely engrossed. It helps that the characters and premise are interesting. I wasn't expecting the story to be this good. What a great surprise!
Finally, it was time for Infamous 2. What can I say? I beat it. Twice. I was only several trophies away from the platinum but I didn't care to replay on Hard. Now I can delete this monstrosity from my hard drive. I mean, it's a great game, but it's 15 gigs. That's a lot of space better reserved for newer hotness. I know Second Son follows from the Good ending but it would've been interesting to see a sequel based on the Evil ending.
Because of Crash, I turned on my Vita for the first time in forever. I forgot that Stealth Inc, Thomas Was Alone, and Lone Survivor were available in portable form . It took me a while to figure out the cross-save function. I think I prefer to play these games on the Vita. Lone Survivor in particular looks like crap on my TV. I also transferred my Crash save from the PS3 to the PS4. Thank god I don't have to start all over again.
/eventlog
That's when I discovered the good news: the Crash and Spyro games are now enabled on the Vita! This means I can play with a far superior D-pad and use sleep mode in lieu of the broken save system to progress. Here's hoping it isn't a PSN store glitch. I would download everything but my memory card isn't big enough and I don't feel like forking over $100 to import a 64gb card.
I played a little bit of Stealth Inc and Thomas Was Alone. Any progress is still progress. After that was Binary Domain. For what appears to be a mindless third-person cover-based shooter, the story is way more interesting than it has any right to be. I'm genuinely engrossed. It helps that the characters and premise are interesting. I wasn't expecting the story to be this good. What a great surprise!
Finally, it was time for Infamous 2. What can I say? I beat it. Twice. I was only several trophies away from the platinum but I didn't care to replay on Hard. Now I can delete this monstrosity from my hard drive. I mean, it's a great game, but it's 15 gigs. That's a lot of space better reserved for newer hotness. I know Second Son follows from the Good ending but it would've been interesting to see a sequel based on the Evil ending.
Because of Crash, I turned on my Vita for the first time in forever. I forgot that Stealth Inc, Thomas Was Alone, and Lone Survivor were available in portable form . It took me a while to figure out the cross-save function. I think I prefer to play these games on the Vita. Lone Survivor in particular looks like crap on my TV. I also transferred my Crash save from the PS3 to the PS4. Thank god I don't have to start all over again.
/eventlog
Monday, April 21, 2014
Event Log: 4/20/14 - Winner Take All
For today, I skipped everything in favor of Infamous 2. It has my full attention since it's just that good. I've got two files so I can play around with both ice and fire powers. There are pros and cons to both. The ice launch is probably my most used move but the ultra drain is the best attack in the whole game.
Character design wise, Nix is atrocious and with awful characterization too. I can't take her seriously, lightly, or in general, period.
The game is good at filling the map with things to do. I'm addicted to hunting blast shards and activities pop up everywhere. I feel like a dog running towards the next shiny thing. After getting the static thrust boost, traversal becomes a lot of fun. The less climbing I have to do, the better.
I'm annoyed that there's so many dude with rocket launchers who can hit me with pin point accuracy from hundreds of yards away though. It's like Sucker Punch double downed on these annoying assholes instead of removing them outright. Nothing like getting blasted into a pool of water--instant death.
There's not a lot of difference in terms of gameplay and mission types between Good and Evil. Playing one side is enough to get the full Infamous experience, but since I like the game so much, I'm playing both sides anyways. To this day, I've never paid for any one the Infamous games. I'll probably get Second Son for cheap later in the year.
/eventlog
Character design wise, Nix is atrocious and with awful characterization too. I can't take her seriously, lightly, or in general, period.
The game is good at filling the map with things to do. I'm addicted to hunting blast shards and activities pop up everywhere. I feel like a dog running towards the next shiny thing. After getting the static thrust boost, traversal becomes a lot of fun. The less climbing I have to do, the better.
I'm annoyed that there's so many dude with rocket launchers who can hit me with pin point accuracy from hundreds of yards away though. It's like Sucker Punch double downed on these annoying assholes instead of removing them outright. Nothing like getting blasted into a pool of water--instant death.
There's not a lot of difference in terms of gameplay and mission types between Good and Evil. Playing one side is enough to get the full Infamous experience, but since I like the game so much, I'm playing both sides anyways. To this day, I've never paid for any one the Infamous games. I'll probably get Second Son for cheap later in the year.
/eventlog
Event Log: 4/19/14 - Competition Is Good
It's impossible to divide my hours equally across seven games. Each one is designed to accommodate varying levels of investment. Stealth Inc. has levels that can be beat in less than a minute whereas Tomb Raider doesn't have a clean concept of "levels." A session can last anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours. But the biggest obstacle is that there simply aren't enough hours in a day.
I started off with Stealth Inc., then Thomas Was Alone, then Lone Survivor, then Binary Domain, then Crash Bandicoot, and then Infamous 2. I unknowingly put these games in competition with each other. It's only natural that the most fun will command the lion's share of my time, and that was Infamous 2. Crash Bandicoot gave I2 a run for its money only because the jacked up save system forced me into shenanigans.
I wasted an hour just trying to save in Crash Bandicoot. There are only two ways to save that I'm aware. The first is completing a bonus stage. This requires collecting three icons to unlock the bonus stage and then the completion of said bonus stage for the opportunity to save. Basically, the only place you can save is in the middle of a level. Yeah, I know, what the hell? Even worse, once you complete it, that's it. You can never revisit a bonus stage to save again. The other method is to collect a white gem and the only way to get those is to by perfecting a stage. That means breaking every crate without dying once.
The worst part about it? Every time I load up a game, my lives reset to three no matter how many I had before. And if I load up a save made during a bonus stage, I have to replay the level. This means I have to play several levels at once to make any kind of progress--and some levels don't even have bonus stages. I can't wait to leave this nonsense behind me.
Infamous 2 left Tomb Raider no chance. There's something about the way the game is paced that makes it hard to put it down. The same was true of the first one. Sucker Punch got me by the balls. I can't wait for Second Son.
The soundtrack in Thomas Was Alone is absolutely stellar. I'm sure everybody online gushes about it but it really does add to the experience. It's almost...transcendental.
Am I the only that gets pissed off by the messages in Stealth Inc?
/eventlog
I started off with Stealth Inc., then Thomas Was Alone, then Lone Survivor, then Binary Domain, then Crash Bandicoot, and then Infamous 2. I unknowingly put these games in competition with each other. It's only natural that the most fun will command the lion's share of my time, and that was Infamous 2. Crash Bandicoot gave I2 a run for its money only because the jacked up save system forced me into shenanigans.
I wasted an hour just trying to save in Crash Bandicoot. There are only two ways to save that I'm aware. The first is completing a bonus stage. This requires collecting three icons to unlock the bonus stage and then the completion of said bonus stage for the opportunity to save. Basically, the only place you can save is in the middle of a level. Yeah, I know, what the hell? Even worse, once you complete it, that's it. You can never revisit a bonus stage to save again. The other method is to collect a white gem and the only way to get those is to by perfecting a stage. That means breaking every crate without dying once.
The worst part about it? Every time I load up a game, my lives reset to three no matter how many I had before. And if I load up a save made during a bonus stage, I have to replay the level. This means I have to play several levels at once to make any kind of progress--and some levels don't even have bonus stages. I can't wait to leave this nonsense behind me.
Infamous 2 left Tomb Raider no chance. There's something about the way the game is paced that makes it hard to put it down. The same was true of the first one. Sucker Punch got me by the balls. I can't wait for Second Son.
The soundtrack in Thomas Was Alone is absolutely stellar. I'm sure everybody online gushes about it but it really does add to the experience. It's almost...transcendental.
Am I the only that gets pissed off by the messages in Stealth Inc?
/eventlog
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Event Log: 4/18/14 - Reduce Redudancy
I've squeezed out every ounce of value I could from my PS+ subscription. If I go by the dollar per hour ratio, I've gotten more than my money's worth. Anything more is just gravy on top--and let me tell you, there's no end to this train.
That said, I could afford to trim some fat. A few of the games do not appeal to me at all. It's surprising that the PS+ library is as strong as it is but there's bound to be a few stinkers every now and then. Trine 2 was one of them and Dyad is another one. Toss LittleBigPlanet Karting into that pile too and I'll probably never touch ModNation Racers.
I'm very selective with my purchases so I rarely come across a "bad game," but there are some that are dreadfully dull even if they're mechanically sound. I guess this is where "taste" comes into play. I generally don't discriminate by genre but boring is boring. Goodbye, free games. If I had paid money for them, I'd be more inclined to stick with it. Good thing I didn't.
Since my "multiple games at the same time" strategy proved successful, I'm going to double the amount. It's not as crazy as it sounds because three of those games are smaller titles but the other three are full retail. I'm playing Stealth Inc., Lone Survivor, Thomas Was Alone, Tomb Raider, Binary Domain, and Infamous 2 simultaneously. And thanks to a PSN flash sale, I added ten more games to my backlog including the Crash and Spyro series, Sam and Max, Back to the Future, Tales of Monkey Island, Braid, and Tokyo Jungle.
The first Crash Bandicoot is kicking my ass because the save system is utter trash. It's fun in an old-school "I'm gonna punch a wall" kind of way. It brings me back to my childhood when I played the demos endlessly. Even though I was a Playstation kid, I never did end up playing the Crash series. My brothers were mainly into Capcom fighters with a dash of Namco (Tekken, Soul Blade) and Arc System Works (Guilty Gear). They really dug light gun shooters too.
So I'm playing seven games at the same time right now. I've only scratched the surface of each. So far, I like them enough to continue playing. I wonder how long it's gonna take me to beat them all?
/eventlog
That said, I could afford to trim some fat. A few of the games do not appeal to me at all. It's surprising that the PS+ library is as strong as it is but there's bound to be a few stinkers every now and then. Trine 2 was one of them and Dyad is another one. Toss LittleBigPlanet Karting into that pile too and I'll probably never touch ModNation Racers.
I'm very selective with my purchases so I rarely come across a "bad game," but there are some that are dreadfully dull even if they're mechanically sound. I guess this is where "taste" comes into play. I generally don't discriminate by genre but boring is boring. Goodbye, free games. If I had paid money for them, I'd be more inclined to stick with it. Good thing I didn't.
Since my "multiple games at the same time" strategy proved successful, I'm going to double the amount. It's not as crazy as it sounds because three of those games are smaller titles but the other three are full retail. I'm playing Stealth Inc., Lone Survivor, Thomas Was Alone, Tomb Raider, Binary Domain, and Infamous 2 simultaneously. And thanks to a PSN flash sale, I added ten more games to my backlog including the Crash and Spyro series, Sam and Max, Back to the Future, Tales of Monkey Island, Braid, and Tokyo Jungle.
The first Crash Bandicoot is kicking my ass because the save system is utter trash. It's fun in an old-school "I'm gonna punch a wall" kind of way. It brings me back to my childhood when I played the demos endlessly. Even though I was a Playstation kid, I never did end up playing the Crash series. My brothers were mainly into Capcom fighters with a dash of Namco (Tekken, Soul Blade) and Arc System Works (Guilty Gear). They really dug light gun shooters too.
So I'm playing seven games at the same time right now. I've only scratched the surface of each. So far, I like them enough to continue playing. I wonder how long it's gonna take me to beat them all?
/eventlog
Friday, April 18, 2014
Event Log: 4/17/14 - Watch the Numbers
Today was devoted to NPD. If you don't know what that is, it's the North American retail tracker for video games. Why am I so interested? Because console wars. March heralded the release of Titanfall, Microsoft's "system seller"--or at least that's what it's supposed to be.
Despite bundles, unofficial price drops, and discounts, PS4 still won. The news holds interesting implications for the future and with E3 around the corner, I'm excited to see what happens next. So far, the Wii U isn't doing too hot, Xbox One is doing okay, but relative to its direct competitor, it's behind. The PS4, however, is a resounding smash and is breaking console records left and right. Bring it on, E3.
My game playing has decreased considerably today. I tried to play Trine 2 but I just can't. The game is boring to a fault. This is one of those cases where the graphics work against the gameplay. The backgrounds and levels are so full of shiny crap, I can't even tell what to do or where to go. Puzzles devolve into lightweight "pixel hunting" and I end up spending more time hunting down objects to manipulate than having fun.
I could try experimenting but the solutions are often unsatisfactory and somewhat obtuse for someone unwilling to jump on every piece of scenery and press every button on the controller. Don't get me wrong, some people might find the lack of highlighted solutions challenging and refreshing but it's not for me.
Great level design leads players towards the solution with minimal cues. The design in Trine 2 is unintuitive and frustrating. I was forced to look up YouTube walkthroughs. In the end, I foresaw much frustration and decided it wasn't worth it and deleted it from my harddrive. I ain't got time for boring games. Oh well, you can't win them all.
/eventlog
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Event Log: 4/16/14 - Need Backup
I made a valiant effort but it was not enough. I could not beat ibb and obb alone. Maybe if I had an extra brain, I could've used my thumbs as two independent entities as necessitated by the game design. The level of concentration and patience required to solve some of the puzzles is beyond my ability.
I had to call for backup and enlisted the help of a friend to help. I tried playing it online but the lag makes it difficult to avoid the rotating gears of death--not to mention, the lack of communication is frustrating. My online partner ditched me because we were stuck. The funny thing? My mental solution was the intended one but he/she was too busy drawing random crap with the right analog stick to notice.
ibb and obb gets a thumbs up from me. Some of the levels are truly devious. There were moments when me and my friend had no idea what to do. Eventually, we figured out everything without having to look it up. Two heads are definitely better than one. I haven't had a local co-op experience like this since my marathon run through RE6 on release weekend with my friend in San Diego. Local co-op is a lost art.
I wondered if I could squeeze another completion with Runner 2 and I'm proud to say I did. This happened like at 2 in the morning though. I wouldn't be "done" until I had completed all the bonus stages and that took me another three hours. Boom. Beat all 100 stages. I didn't touch the retro levels because I have no patience for that. A solid day, all things considered.
/eventlog
I had to call for backup and enlisted the help of a friend to help. I tried playing it online but the lag makes it difficult to avoid the rotating gears of death--not to mention, the lack of communication is frustrating. My online partner ditched me because we were stuck. The funny thing? My mental solution was the intended one but he/she was too busy drawing random crap with the right analog stick to notice.
ibb and obb gets a thumbs up from me. Some of the levels are truly devious. There were moments when me and my friend had no idea what to do. Eventually, we figured out everything without having to look it up. Two heads are definitely better than one. I haven't had a local co-op experience like this since my marathon run through RE6 on release weekend with my friend in San Diego. Local co-op is a lost art.
I wondered if I could squeeze another completion with Runner 2 and I'm proud to say I did. This happened like at 2 in the morning though. I wouldn't be "done" until I had completed all the bonus stages and that took me another three hours. Boom. Beat all 100 stages. I didn't touch the retro levels because I have no patience for that. A solid day, all things considered.
/eventlog
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Event Log: 4/15/14 - Sour Notes
Saint's Row 2 let me down in the homestretch. It started off so well but the frustration mounted near the end and I found myself muttering "Jesus FUCKING Christ" far too much. You've made a blasphemer out of me, Volition. I don't know what to say. The last few missions are kind of bullshit. I wanted to beat the game but I didn't have enough "Respect" to activate the final missions so I was forced to play godawful "Diversions" and minigames that pissed me off.
Had to waste a couple hours doing repetitive shit until finally, I could proceed. Because the game ended on such a sour note, all the goodwill it built up in the previous fourteen hours has been effectively rendered obsolete in my memory and the game will be forever tarnished because of it. Let this be a lesson, folks. The end is just as important as the beginning, middle, and everything else. Don't screw it up.
I couldn't wait to delete it from my harddrive. Objectively, it wasn't that difficult, but I was in such a rush to beat the game, I found myself literally running in circles. One of the end missions left me stranded in an underground mall and I spent twenty minutes trying to find the exit. And there were moments when my vehicle (both car and jetski) randomly blew up during a mission and I was forced to drive back to the same spot. So annoying.
Not to mention, the shooting while driving controls are ass and made even worse with cops and gangsters ramming me from behind constantly. Then there are times when I'm driving along, minding my own business when the asshole in the adjacent lane rams me from the side into incoming traffic or off the bridge. What the hell, man?
This is why I'm not a big fan of open-world games. Jank overdrive.
With SR2 down, I decided to go for something more artsy and indie and downloaded Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2 and Ibb and Obb. Ibb and Obb reminds me of Brothers since I can control the two blobs with both analog sticks. There are definitely tricky parts that require intense concentration and finger dexterity. I haven't come across a puzzle that's too hard but I'm still early in the game. I dread to think of future challenges.
Runner 2 reminds me of the auto-scroll segment of Dr. Wily's castle from Mega Man 8. I spent hours as a kid trying to beat that stage. I don't know if I ever beat it then, but I know for sure I beat when I replayed it on the PSP. I still got the juice, baby. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I don't have to worry about horizontal movement in Runner 2. My first major roadblock was the slide jump. I could not, for the life of me, get the timing down. Thankfully, they ease off on the slide jump obstacles in the later stages. I wonder if I can beat it by tomorrow?
/eventlog
Had to waste a couple hours doing repetitive shit until finally, I could proceed. Because the game ended on such a sour note, all the goodwill it built up in the previous fourteen hours has been effectively rendered obsolete in my memory and the game will be forever tarnished because of it. Let this be a lesson, folks. The end is just as important as the beginning, middle, and everything else. Don't screw it up.
I couldn't wait to delete it from my harddrive. Objectively, it wasn't that difficult, but I was in such a rush to beat the game, I found myself literally running in circles. One of the end missions left me stranded in an underground mall and I spent twenty minutes trying to find the exit. And there were moments when my vehicle (both car and jetski) randomly blew up during a mission and I was forced to drive back to the same spot. So annoying.
Not to mention, the shooting while driving controls are ass and made even worse with cops and gangsters ramming me from behind constantly. Then there are times when I'm driving along, minding my own business when the asshole in the adjacent lane rams me from the side into incoming traffic or off the bridge. What the hell, man?
This is why I'm not a big fan of open-world games. Jank overdrive.
With SR2 down, I decided to go for something more artsy and indie and downloaded Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2 and Ibb and Obb. Ibb and Obb reminds me of Brothers since I can control the two blobs with both analog sticks. There are definitely tricky parts that require intense concentration and finger dexterity. I haven't come across a puzzle that's too hard but I'm still early in the game. I dread to think of future challenges.
Runner 2 reminds me of the auto-scroll segment of Dr. Wily's castle from Mega Man 8. I spent hours as a kid trying to beat that stage. I don't know if I ever beat it then, but I know for sure I beat when I replayed it on the PSP. I still got the juice, baby. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I don't have to worry about horizontal movement in Runner 2. My first major roadblock was the slide jump. I could not, for the life of me, get the timing down. Thankfully, they ease off on the slide jump obstacles in the later stages. I wonder if I can beat it by tomorrow?
/eventlog
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Event Log: 4/14/14 - Lunar Eclipse of My Heart
Thanks to the Campaign save glitch in BF4 (which still hasn't been patched to my knowledge), I'm sick of that damn song.
Tonight is special since the moon turns red and planet earth blocks light from the sun. It only managed to capture my interest for ten seconds before I got bored and got back to business--which was going through my backlog. Neat effect though.
I beat Devil May Cry. The original was way harder but I can appreciate a gentle roller coaster ride. The game is in desperate need of 60fps though. There was stuttering and random hitches everywhere unlike traditional framerate drops. It's like the engine couldn't properly handle transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. If I had a decent PC... It's times like these I curse myself.
Next up was Saint's Row 2. Open world games I usually don't want challenge because the gameplay design is not well-suited for tight mechanics. It's always a slapdash of everything and I'm glad my old self thought the same since my current save file was on Casual. In the rare moments I die, it's extremely frustrating. I just wanna relax, man. I think the third one is better. This one might be more consistent in tone but it's just not refined. The city design is better, I'll grant.
It was five in the morning when someone wanted to crash my game. We did a mission together and I had to go to sleep. Thanks to him, my file has cheats enabled.
Ever since I beat Bioshock Infinite, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" has been stuck in my head. I find myself humming it everywhere.
/eventlog
Tonight is special since the moon turns red and planet earth blocks light from the sun. It only managed to capture my interest for ten seconds before I got bored and got back to business--which was going through my backlog. Neat effect though.
I beat Devil May Cry. The original was way harder but I can appreciate a gentle roller coaster ride. The game is in desperate need of 60fps though. There was stuttering and random hitches everywhere unlike traditional framerate drops. It's like the engine couldn't properly handle transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. If I had a decent PC... It's times like these I curse myself.
Next up was Saint's Row 2. Open world games I usually don't want challenge because the gameplay design is not well-suited for tight mechanics. It's always a slapdash of everything and I'm glad my old self thought the same since my current save file was on Casual. In the rare moments I die, it's extremely frustrating. I just wanna relax, man. I think the third one is better. This one might be more consistent in tone but it's just not refined. The city design is better, I'll grant.
It was five in the morning when someone wanted to crash my game. We did a mission together and I had to go to sleep. Thanks to him, my file has cheats enabled.
Ever since I beat Bioshock Infinite, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" has been stuck in my head. I find myself humming it everywhere.
/eventlog
Monday, April 14, 2014
Event Log: 4/13/14 - Double Down
I wish I could say that I beat three games in three days but the reality is that it took me four days. It's still an impressive completion rate though. It was a good call juggling those three in particular because of how diverse they were. You got a first-person shooter, a platformer, and a third-person beat 'em up. It cuts down on controller cross-contamination. For instance, in Bioshock Infinite, going down the sights is on R3, but in Metro, it's L1. Play too many FPS's at the same time and the controls start blending together.
The first one I beat was Puppeteer. The game was too easy. The basic mechanics are fun so I wish the level designs were more devious. It feels like a beginner platformer. While the presentation is charming, it's definitely overwrought to the point of annoying. I wish they would just shut up and let me play already. It's a good game, but with better clever design and a pared down presentation, it could've been something outstanding. The game is beautiful though and the motion blur is so natural. I think Japan Studio is on the right track to return to their former glory.
Metro started out great but then straddles the line between open-ended stealth sandbox and linear corridor shooter. The game is most boring when you're fighting against monsters. It reminds me of Doom. You just back up and strafe while emptying your clips into them. There's enough tools to switch it up like with molotovs, grenades, and mines, or long distance sniping, but once enemies are alerted, they run after you in a straight line.
The game is at its best when you're in a large environment with a bunch of humans and you take them all out stealthily. The level design gives you a bunch of alternate pathways to sneak up on mofos and you have to get creative to take out multiple dudes at once. Nothing like throwing a knife and executing a guy from behind at the same time. Game was a little easy on Normal. I have no idea what Ranger Mode is like, but I could pretty much take out everybody with headshots by crouching in the darkness.
The last stand took me about three retries to figure out. It's kind of refreshing for a game to not explicitly tell you what to do but annoying as well. The game is a mess visually on the PS3. I don't know if it fares any better on the PC, but there are instances where there are too many high contrast and shader packed areas where I can't see for shit. In the end, it was a decent game. If I had a nickel for every time I mistakenly threw a grenade instead of a knife... I probably would've had a dollar.
Next Up: Devil May Cry, Binary Domain, and Saint's Row 2.
/eventlog
The first one I beat was Puppeteer. The game was too easy. The basic mechanics are fun so I wish the level designs were more devious. It feels like a beginner platformer. While the presentation is charming, it's definitely overwrought to the point of annoying. I wish they would just shut up and let me play already. It's a good game, but with better clever design and a pared down presentation, it could've been something outstanding. The game is beautiful though and the motion blur is so natural. I think Japan Studio is on the right track to return to their former glory.
Metro started out great but then straddles the line between open-ended stealth sandbox and linear corridor shooter. The game is most boring when you're fighting against monsters. It reminds me of Doom. You just back up and strafe while emptying your clips into them. There's enough tools to switch it up like with molotovs, grenades, and mines, or long distance sniping, but once enemies are alerted, they run after you in a straight line.
The game is at its best when you're in a large environment with a bunch of humans and you take them all out stealthily. The level design gives you a bunch of alternate pathways to sneak up on mofos and you have to get creative to take out multiple dudes at once. Nothing like throwing a knife and executing a guy from behind at the same time. Game was a little easy on Normal. I have no idea what Ranger Mode is like, but I could pretty much take out everybody with headshots by crouching in the darkness.
The last stand took me about three retries to figure out. It's kind of refreshing for a game to not explicitly tell you what to do but annoying as well. The game is a mess visually on the PS3. I don't know if it fares any better on the PC, but there are instances where there are too many high contrast and shader packed areas where I can't see for shit. In the end, it was a decent game. If I had a nickel for every time I mistakenly threw a grenade instead of a knife... I probably would've had a dollar.
Next Up: Devil May Cry, Binary Domain, and Saint's Row 2.
/eventlog
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Event Log: 4/12/14 - Close But So Far Away
Yesterday, I felt hungry all the time. Today, I felt full all the time. I wonder if it's the lack of meat (Lent season) or because of my big run on Thursday that left me craving.
As for today, I've not a single pang of hunger yet. Just to get rid of this feeling, I did push ups and a light jog around the block even though my weekends are reserved for "resting."
What stands out most for me is the beginning and end of a game. Yesterday and today are linked in the sense that it's devoted to the one half that's in the middle--the 25-75% where the end is nowhere in sight. It's kind of annoying. I'm enjoying the experience but there are so many games to beat, I can't afford to slack around. Good thing most of these are linear. Aside from lame collectibles, I'm getting about 90% of the intended experience on my first playthrough.
I ended up beating Remember Me. I like the story. Like I said earlier, I like everything about the game except for the gameplay. I was getting frustrated near the end but things clicked and I was Pressen my way through everybody. The game does inspire ideas for possible fanfiction. With Namine, she'll slot into any story around the theme of "memory." I'm thinking about taking it into some pretty dark places--the kind of territory you wish you could forget. But I'm just mucking around in my head. Probably won't end up as anything.
I was getting shade(r)s of Mass Effect--which is no surprise since the game runs on the same engine. I think it's a really beautiful game. Makes me wanna see everything on a high-spec PC. A resolution boost would do wonders.
/eventlog
As for today, I've not a single pang of hunger yet. Just to get rid of this feeling, I did push ups and a light jog around the block even though my weekends are reserved for "resting."
What stands out most for me is the beginning and end of a game. Yesterday and today are linked in the sense that it's devoted to the one half that's in the middle--the 25-75% where the end is nowhere in sight. It's kind of annoying. I'm enjoying the experience but there are so many games to beat, I can't afford to slack around. Good thing most of these are linear. Aside from lame collectibles, I'm getting about 90% of the intended experience on my first playthrough.
I ended up beating Remember Me. I like the story. Like I said earlier, I like everything about the game except for the gameplay. I was getting frustrated near the end but things clicked and I was Pressen my way through everybody. The game does inspire ideas for possible fanfiction. With Namine, she'll slot into any story around the theme of "memory." I'm thinking about taking it into some pretty dark places--the kind of territory you wish you could forget. But I'm just mucking around in my head. Probably won't end up as anything.
I was getting shade(r)s of Mass Effect--which is no surprise since the game runs on the same engine. I think it's a really beautiful game. Makes me wanna see everything on a high-spec PC. A resolution boost would do wonders.
/eventlog
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Event Log: 4/11/14 - Trimultaneous
I'm playing three games simultaneously: Metro: Last Light, Puppeteer, and Remember Me. If all goes according to plan, I'll beat them at the same time. I checked the game length and they're all in the same ballpark--about 9 hours each. My goal for today is get halfway in each one.
I've been playing Remember Me and it's decent, especially the world design. Not often you get to see a futuristic cyber-France. The use of memory as a theme leads to some interesting scenarios. Imprisonment by withholding memories to rob prisoners of their desire to escape is a cool idea, among other things.
It's the gameplay that disappoints. The camera goes batshit insane during combat. Fortunately, years of playing 3D games with bad cameras have taught me to deal with it. It's almost nostalgic since most games these days are first person shooters or TPS's with fixed camera angles. There's almost no branching paths and the environment is so busy that it's hard to find collectibles. Areas are extremely limited in navigation. You can't even jump against invisible boundaries. Despite all that, I'm having fun sleepwalking through the "experience."
I did hit a big snafu during a boss fight though. Basically, a QTE prompt was missing at the end sequence, forcing me to replay the last part of the boss fight repeatedly until I looked up the solution online. I'm amazed this wasn't patched yet. Anyone else none the wiser would've given up on that shit right then and there. I was a bit furious. That's two game stopping glitches from two PS+ games. Not to mention a freeze. Modern games are so complex that bugs like these are on par for course. It's disappointing.
Since I woke up early and spent the entire morning playing through Metro, I called it a night earlier than usual. I spent the entire day just playing these three games. I want to finish them tomorrow but that won't happen. I'm only halfway.
/eventlog
I've been playing Remember Me and it's decent, especially the world design. Not often you get to see a futuristic cyber-France. The use of memory as a theme leads to some interesting scenarios. Imprisonment by withholding memories to rob prisoners of their desire to escape is a cool idea, among other things.
It's the gameplay that disappoints. The camera goes batshit insane during combat. Fortunately, years of playing 3D games with bad cameras have taught me to deal with it. It's almost nostalgic since most games these days are first person shooters or TPS's with fixed camera angles. There's almost no branching paths and the environment is so busy that it's hard to find collectibles. Areas are extremely limited in navigation. You can't even jump against invisible boundaries. Despite all that, I'm having fun sleepwalking through the "experience."
I did hit a big snafu during a boss fight though. Basically, a QTE prompt was missing at the end sequence, forcing me to replay the last part of the boss fight repeatedly until I looked up the solution online. I'm amazed this wasn't patched yet. Anyone else none the wiser would've given up on that shit right then and there. I was a bit furious. That's two game stopping glitches from two PS+ games. Not to mention a freeze. Modern games are so complex that bugs like these are on par for course. It's disappointing.
Since I woke up early and spent the entire morning playing through Metro, I called it a night earlier than usual. I spent the entire day just playing these three games. I want to finish them tomorrow but that won't happen. I'm only halfway.
/eventlog
Friday, April 11, 2014
Event Log: 4/10/14 - Another One Bites the Dust
It's a little cooler today with the clouds and yet, I sweated more today than in any of my previous runs. I wonder if the warm air or if I was running harder than usual? I've rendered my right leg into a state of fucked up. Either I need new jogging shoes or lay off the intensity.
I beat Infamous. Funnily enough, I had a higher completion percentage compared to my old Evil save. I'm only missing 13 blast shards and I don't care about collecting all of them. I deleted it to make room for Saint's Row 2. I downloaded SR2 previously as part of a free trial of PS+ but never beat it. I look forward to playing it (it's often called the best one). I beat 3 and traded it so I'm kind of interested in a more toned down version. From what little I played, I really enjoyed it.
I had to restart the entire level over to get past the game stopping glitch in Metro: Last Light. I'm now in the loading screen for the next stage. Should I advance or play something else?
/eventlog
I beat Infamous. Funnily enough, I had a higher completion percentage compared to my old Evil save. I'm only missing 13 blast shards and I don't care about collecting all of them. I deleted it to make room for Saint's Row 2. I downloaded SR2 previously as part of a free trial of PS+ but never beat it. I look forward to playing it (it's often called the best one). I beat 3 and traded it so I'm kind of interested in a more toned down version. From what little I played, I really enjoyed it.
I had to restart the entire level over to get past the game stopping glitch in Metro: Last Light. I'm now in the loading screen for the next stage. Should I advance or play something else?
/eventlog
Event Log: 4/9/14 - My Brother
I finished up Brothers. My god that was a beautiful game. It worked on every level from art, design, and narrative. Y'all need to play it. It's a short sojourn but I don't mind. I like my experiences short, sweet, and extremely memorable.
Speaking of brothers, I dived into another game with famous siblings, the legendary sons of Sparda: Dante and Vergil. At first, I was a bit put off by the so punk aesthetic but it grew on me. I think it's a better all-around package than its predecessors even if the combat lacks depth. It strikes a good compromise between accessibility and complexity. The art and environmental design is outstanding too. If only I had a PC that could run it at 60fps. Alas, I must be content with the "feel of 60fps."
I've decided that this week will be devoted entirely to video games. I'm gonna take a massive bite out of my backlog. Even though I already beat Infamous, I never finished my Good playthrough. I can't, in good conscience, delete the game without doing that first. Even though its on Easy, I'm getting my ass whooped. Whose idea was it to give assholes on rooftops with rifles and rocket launchers sniper precision? Demote that man. I'm reminded of why I like this game. It's not the best open-world game, but it's one of the best superhero games. Gotta get ready for Second Son, yo.
/eventlog
Speaking of brothers, I dived into another game with famous siblings, the legendary sons of Sparda: Dante and Vergil. At first, I was a bit put off by the so punk aesthetic but it grew on me. I think it's a better all-around package than its predecessors even if the combat lacks depth. It strikes a good compromise between accessibility and complexity. The art and environmental design is outstanding too. If only I had a PC that could run it at 60fps. Alas, I must be content with the "feel of 60fps."
I've decided that this week will be devoted entirely to video games. I'm gonna take a massive bite out of my backlog. Even though I already beat Infamous, I never finished my Good playthrough. I can't, in good conscience, delete the game without doing that first. Even though its on Easy, I'm getting my ass whooped. Whose idea was it to give assholes on rooftops with rifles and rocket launchers sniper precision? Demote that man. I'm reminded of why I like this game. It's not the best open-world game, but it's one of the best superhero games. Gotta get ready for Second Son, yo.
/eventlog
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Event Log: 4/8/14 - Of Odds and Ends
With Bioshock Infinite purged of my system, it's time to move on to other things. I went ahead and put together the prologue for the next chapter of Mister Cinderella. It's looking real good and I absolutely love the last line in it. I can't wait to finish the rest of fit.
It's been a while since I woke up in sweat. Spring is heating up. I delayed my walk later than usual because of it. I think I delayed it by too much because it was basically night by the time I returned home. My night vision is rather poor so memory of my return was as fuzzy as my sight. I might have to get legit running shoes. My shin bones are absorbing too much impact. I had to slow down not because of breathing, but because my shins felt bruised. Thanks to the heat and the water, there were flies all over the place. I almost stepped into a thick cloud of them. Nasty.
I had Tomb Raider: Guardian of Light on my PS3 for the longest time but never beat it. I played about half of it with a friend in Co-Op years ago. I started over from the beginning in single-player and beat it in one day.
Despite the length, it's a rather good game with some great mechanics, although the grapple hook was a bit underused. The action parts were the most boring and the puzzle aspects were the best. The final boss fight was kinda stupid though, especially with the one-hit kill spikes. What the hell were they thinking? It was PS+ freebie so I didn't feel obligated to Platinum it (if it had one).
Then I played Metro and my opinion of it has lowered since my initial impression. So far, it's been an on-rails experience a la CoD. I think I hit a game stopping glitch because I can't figure out where to go and my partner is stuck in one place despite saying, "Follow me quickly!" Sloppy stuff.
So I decided to boot up Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and it was goddamned incredible. There's something pure about the game. No collectibles or bullshit. Just good 'ol fashioned gameplay. It's the true spiritual successor to Ico. The more I play, the more I'm impressed with every aspect of the package.
The narrative works despite the lack of dialogue. The bond between the brothers is expressed through the gameplay and it's deeply involving emotionally as a result. The game doesn't bludgeon you with tutorials but shows you the upcoming challenges with camera pans and allows the player to intuitively go about solving the puzzles. Absolutely brilliant stuff. The environments are beautiful too and the lighting is incredibly atmospheric.
The last game to grip me from such a tiny slice was Bayonetta. Whatever platform you own, you gotta play Brothers.
It's been a while since I woke up in sweat. Spring is heating up. I delayed my walk later than usual because of it. I think I delayed it by too much because it was basically night by the time I returned home. My night vision is rather poor so memory of my return was as fuzzy as my sight. I might have to get legit running shoes. My shin bones are absorbing too much impact. I had to slow down not because of breathing, but because my shins felt bruised. Thanks to the heat and the water, there were flies all over the place. I almost stepped into a thick cloud of them. Nasty.
I had Tomb Raider: Guardian of Light on my PS3 for the longest time but never beat it. I played about half of it with a friend in Co-Op years ago. I started over from the beginning in single-player and beat it in one day.
Despite the length, it's a rather good game with some great mechanics, although the grapple hook was a bit underused. The action parts were the most boring and the puzzle aspects were the best. The final boss fight was kinda stupid though, especially with the one-hit kill spikes. What the hell were they thinking? It was PS+ freebie so I didn't feel obligated to Platinum it (if it had one).
Then I played Metro and my opinion of it has lowered since my initial impression. So far, it's been an on-rails experience a la CoD. I think I hit a game stopping glitch because I can't figure out where to go and my partner is stuck in one place despite saying, "Follow me quickly!" Sloppy stuff.
So I decided to boot up Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and it was goddamned incredible. There's something pure about the game. No collectibles or bullshit. Just good 'ol fashioned gameplay. It's the true spiritual successor to Ico. The more I play, the more I'm impressed with every aspect of the package.
The narrative works despite the lack of dialogue. The bond between the brothers is expressed through the gameplay and it's deeply involving emotionally as a result. The game doesn't bludgeon you with tutorials but shows you the upcoming challenges with camera pans and allows the player to intuitively go about solving the puzzles. Absolutely brilliant stuff. The environments are beautiful too and the lighting is incredibly atmospheric.
The last game to grip me from such a tiny slice was Bayonetta. Whatever platform you own, you gotta play Brothers.
Event Log: 4/7/14 - Break the Loop
I beat Bioshock Infinite. The ending was certainly...something. It's a rather inelegant epilogue to what was an otherwise pretty good game. I think the original is better. Something about Infinite felt too messy. The narrow corridors of Rapture lent itself better to tactics since it was easier to funnel enemies into traps. I basically played Infinite like any other shooter--a potshot simulator. No matter what the game, I always line up headshots from a distance. I don't like jumping into the fray. I always get shot in the back that way.
With such a mind-bending conclusion, I jumped online immediately to read explanations. I found one that makes sense and I'm sticking with it. The whole multiverse theory fits nicely into my story, Sora's Epic Journey. I was already using a variation of it but I've refined it further thanks to Infinite. Since I've got too many games to play, I watched a Let's Play of the Burial at Sea DLC.
The rest of the day was spent unpacking the storyline. I'll always appreciate Bioshock for leveraging the unique aspects of interactivity as indispensable tools of narrative, but it does so at the expense of personal character. Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn't really work for me on an emotional level. I was only all too aware of her existence as an NPC. I also feel the "twist" undermined their relationship. Their journey was too "epic" and not "personal" even though it was supposed to be very personal. Can't please 'em all.
Seems like .webm is emerging as the premier replacement for .gifs. If 4chan's using it, the rest of the internet is sure to fall in line. I, for one, welcome our new .webm overlords. Half the bytes and twice the quality. Ain't no stopping this train.
/eventlog
With such a mind-bending conclusion, I jumped online immediately to read explanations. I found one that makes sense and I'm sticking with it. The whole multiverse theory fits nicely into my story, Sora's Epic Journey. I was already using a variation of it but I've refined it further thanks to Infinite. Since I've got too many games to play, I watched a Let's Play of the Burial at Sea DLC.
The rest of the day was spent unpacking the storyline. I'll always appreciate Bioshock for leveraging the unique aspects of interactivity as indispensable tools of narrative, but it does so at the expense of personal character. Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn't really work for me on an emotional level. I was only all too aware of her existence as an NPC. I also feel the "twist" undermined their relationship. Their journey was too "epic" and not "personal" even though it was supposed to be very personal. Can't please 'em all.
Seems like .webm is emerging as the premier replacement for .gifs. If 4chan's using it, the rest of the internet is sure to fall in line. I, for one, welcome our new .webm overlords. Half the bytes and twice the quality. Ain't no stopping this train.
/eventlog
Monday, April 7, 2014
Event Log: 4/6/14 - Love in the Sky
I updated Love Sick. The stats compared to my other stories are ridiculous. The number of readers I got in one day are more than I get in a whole week--or even two--for Mister Cinderella. Definitely my cash cow.
I spent most of the afternoon working on it. Although it doesn't seem like it, the next chapter will resolve a major mystery. With every chapter, the future becomes more certain. My future plot plans are in state of constant flux. I'm gonna be doing some rearranging.
I capped the night off with Bioshock Infinite. I made significant progress in the single player campaign. For a breather, I fired up Metro: Last Light and it already feels better than Infinite. The stealth mechanics and level design are damn tight and it has the best gun play I've felt in years. I'm definitely down for a next-gen redux version that was confirmed by 4A Games.
/eventlog
I spent most of the afternoon working on it. Although it doesn't seem like it, the next chapter will resolve a major mystery. With every chapter, the future becomes more certain. My future plot plans are in state of constant flux. I'm gonna be doing some rearranging.
I capped the night off with Bioshock Infinite. I made significant progress in the single player campaign. For a breather, I fired up Metro: Last Light and it already feels better than Infinite. The stealth mechanics and level design are damn tight and it has the best gun play I've felt in years. I'm definitely down for a next-gen redux version that was confirmed by 4A Games.
/eventlog
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Event Log: 4/5/14 - The Winter Soldier
Today didn't start out so hot for me. In the deepest of sleeps, the strangest dreams find me, and bizarre are these happenings that I hesitate--nay, I refuse to share them with you--if only because I totally forgot what happened. All I know was that I woke up feeling uncomfortable with my imagination. I had to wake up early (comparatively) to help my dad out at the shop. It was a delivery job. Me and my brothers had to haul a heavy couch up some stairs and into an apartment. The only good part of this was that the place was by the beach. It was a cool day so it felt quite refreshing.
After that, I had a small lunch at subway. It would be the only thing I would eat for the whole day until 8:00. My brother's car, which had been messed up because of an accident, was wasting valuable real estate on our driveway. We had to put it in neutral and push it up and down until it was moved to the far left, allowing space for working vehicles. Even with three people, it was a major pain to push a car up on an incline. We had to use all of our strength. It wasn't until my brother discovered the secret by putting our asses against the bumper did we make a breakthrough.
We probably let it roll down and pushed it back up five times before we managed to move it to the side. On the last push, I had to enlist the help of my friend who had originally come to pick me up. With the task finally done, me and my friend went off to see The Winter Soldier.
Since 5:30 was packed to hell, we grudgingly bought tickets for the next showing which was in 3D. Since there was extra time, we dropped off by a friend's place and I returned the 3DS. After shooting the shit for a couple minutes, we returned to the theaters and chatted about the shows we finished. Apparently, my friend has gotten into House of Cards and House of Lies. If he likes houses so much, he should check out HGTV.
The Winter Soldier was a good movie--definitely better than the first. My problem with these Marvel movies is that they all feel like small chapters of a bigger whole. I don't get a sense of completeness that I would from other blockbusters.
After the movie, we got something to eat. I got a Philly cheese steak from Charley's. After that, we got a six-pack of Dos Equis and chilled at my friend's apartment talking about games and MMO's. I downed three before we decided to call it a night.
/eventlog
After that, I had a small lunch at subway. It would be the only thing I would eat for the whole day until 8:00. My brother's car, which had been messed up because of an accident, was wasting valuable real estate on our driveway. We had to put it in neutral and push it up and down until it was moved to the far left, allowing space for working vehicles. Even with three people, it was a major pain to push a car up on an incline. We had to use all of our strength. It wasn't until my brother discovered the secret by putting our asses against the bumper did we make a breakthrough.
We probably let it roll down and pushed it back up five times before we managed to move it to the side. On the last push, I had to enlist the help of my friend who had originally come to pick me up. With the task finally done, me and my friend went off to see The Winter Soldier.
Since 5:30 was packed to hell, we grudgingly bought tickets for the next showing which was in 3D. Since there was extra time, we dropped off by a friend's place and I returned the 3DS. After shooting the shit for a couple minutes, we returned to the theaters and chatted about the shows we finished. Apparently, my friend has gotten into House of Cards and House of Lies. If he likes houses so much, he should check out HGTV.
The Winter Soldier was a good movie--definitely better than the first. My problem with these Marvel movies is that they all feel like small chapters of a bigger whole. I don't get a sense of completeness that I would from other blockbusters.
After the movie, we got something to eat. I got a Philly cheese steak from Charley's. After that, we got a six-pack of Dos Equis and chilled at my friend's apartment talking about games and MMO's. I downed three before we decided to call it a night.
/eventlog
Event Log: 4/4/14 - Tying Up Loose Ends
These days, it's not enough to just beat the game. Devs are always throwing in post-game content for completionists to mess with. Although I successfully became champion, there were a few odds and ends I had to take care of in Pokemon Y, the most significant of which was the Looker side mission. To cap off an excellent adventure, I had to immortalize myself in the perfect PR video:
I spent an hour making this video. It was time well-spent. Since I borrowed the game, my progress will be forever lost to the bitter magic of overwriting. Though my save will be lost, it shall forever live on in my heart. Such is the life of borrowed time.
With Pokemon out of the way, I decided to progress in Bioshock Infinite. I was shocked by the two weapon limit. I thought imitating Halo went out of style years ago. Considering the flexibility of the combat in the first two, this addition was an unwelcome subtraction. Performance is also atrocious on the PS3. I leave the framerate uncapped since screen tearing doesn't faze me. All the stuttering between checkpoints is maddening though. It's times like these I wish I had a high-spec PC.
To finish off the night, I caught up to the latest chapter in Inari, Konkon, Koi, Iroha. I like it. It's light and breezy even if the main character is a massive crybaby.
/eventlog
I spent an hour making this video. It was time well-spent. Since I borrowed the game, my progress will be forever lost to the bitter magic of overwriting. Though my save will be lost, it shall forever live on in my heart. Such is the life of borrowed time.
With Pokemon out of the way, I decided to progress in Bioshock Infinite. I was shocked by the two weapon limit. I thought imitating Halo went out of style years ago. Considering the flexibility of the combat in the first two, this addition was an unwelcome subtraction. Performance is also atrocious on the PS3. I leave the framerate uncapped since screen tearing doesn't faze me. All the stuttering between checkpoints is maddening though. It's times like these I wish I had a high-spec PC.
To finish off the night, I caught up to the latest chapter in Inari, Konkon, Koi, Iroha. I like it. It's light and breezy even if the main character is a massive crybaby.
/eventlog
Friday, April 4, 2014
Event Log: 4/3/14 - The Champion Returns
There's something great about the word "Champion." It means you're the best. I became Champion in NBA 2K14 and now I'm Champion of the Pokemon League. I defeated the Elite Four, got my Star Wars parade, and beat the wandering king. Total game time? 43 hours and 55 minutes. I sure took my sweet time. Of course, there are two extra dungeons that require the mark of Champions to access. Until I've conquered those dungeons, my work still isn't done yet. [Goes to check post-game content.] Seems like it's just catching some rare Pokemon. I might pass. Guess having a secret boss a la Gold/Silver might be retreading well-worn territory. Whatever. I'm the best.
On my run, I decided to do something different. Usually, I'm too damn exhausted to greet people passing by. Since a runner waved to me earlier, I decided to do the same to others. Funny how a simple acknowledgement injected me with more energy. It takes barely any effort to wave but it becomes a simple communication of positive goodwill. It fulfills my basic human interaction quota for the day.
/eventlog
On my run, I decided to do something different. Usually, I'm too damn exhausted to greet people passing by. Since a runner waved to me earlier, I decided to do the same to others. Funny how a simple acknowledgement injected me with more energy. It takes barely any effort to wave but it becomes a simple communication of positive goodwill. It fulfills my basic human interaction quota for the day.
/eventlog
Event Log: 4/2/14 - The Extra Mile
I'm disappointed there's no trophy for beating Dead Nation on Undead. Considering all the pain and effort we went through, I think we deserve a ping! and trophy icon for our troubles. It was trying, but me and my friend finally beat it. Undead is damn tough. I was basking in a RE5 Pro-esque afterglow. Anytime you beat something difficult, there's a real sense of achievement. I checked my ranking on the leaderboards and I'm #92 in Online Coop. Not bad. I certainly got my money's worth out of this PS+ freebie. Is Mercenary Kings next? Maybe.
I started some work on the next chapter of Love Sick. I didn't do much. I usually type in a sentence or two every hour. I work really slow. I'm still pounding the rough draft into shape but it's almost content-complete. After that, it's about revision, revision, and revision, baby. I watched another episode of Hannibal. Compared to the realistic style of True Detective, Hannibal is extremely flashy and operatic. I love it.
/eventlog
I started some work on the next chapter of Love Sick. I didn't do much. I usually type in a sentence or two every hour. I work really slow. I'm still pounding the rough draft into shape but it's almost content-complete. After that, it's about revision, revision, and revision, baby. I watched another episode of Hannibal. Compared to the realistic style of True Detective, Hannibal is extremely flashy and operatic. I love it.
/eventlog
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Event Log: 4/1/14 - April Fo--Never Mind
I thought about making a long and elaborate joke post but that would be too much work. If I could add an addendum to last night's post, I finished the latest season of The Walking Dead in one go. I liked the last half better than the first half. With all the showrunners swapping in and out, it feels like TWD has been shuffling between identities. I hope Gimple has the show on lockdown. Mazzara had a bad run. I feel like AMC execs have no clue what they're doing with the hottest property on TV. Blows my mind that such a midtier show has such a high following. So much potential squandered.
I did my walk and it was cold as hell. The day after a rainy night is bloody cool. I was whipped my cold winds for an hour. When I got back home, I could barely type because my fingers were so numb.
I finished off the rest of True Detective and man, that was one helluva show. I stayed up all night reading forum posts about it. I was still trying to make sense of it all. I was kind of disappointed by the lack of thorough detective sleuthing, but it was an amazing character study. Kudos to everyone involved.
/eventlog
I did my walk and it was cold as hell. The day after a rainy night is bloody cool. I was whipped my cold winds for an hour. When I got back home, I could barely type because my fingers were so numb.
I finished off the rest of True Detective and man, that was one helluva show. I stayed up all night reading forum posts about it. I was still trying to make sense of it all. I was kind of disappointed by the lack of thorough detective sleuthing, but it was an amazing character study. Kudos to everyone involved.
/eventlog
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Event Log: 3/31/14 - Undead Mothers
Undead got really hard really fast. Me and my friend were stuck in the same checkpoint in Dead Nation for almost an hour. We barely beat one level for the day. We were getting flashbacks to our Resident Evil 5 no merchant run. I can't remember the last time we tackled such a difficult spot together. The harder the game, the tighter the bond. True brotherhood is forged through shared hardship and bloodshed. Ain't no friend better than the one stuck with you in the trenches.
How I Met Your Mother is finally over. Seems like a lot of people feel trolled. Maybe because I wasn't so invested in it but I didn't mind--although some of the stuff was sloppily hand-waved. It is what it is. The last few seasons declined so I wasn't expecting a spectacular finish. It was decent enough. I'm looking forward to the spin-off.
/eventlog
How I Met Your Mother is finally over. Seems like a lot of people feel trolled. Maybe because I wasn't so invested in it but I didn't mind--although some of the stuff was sloppily hand-waved. It is what it is. The last few seasons declined so I wasn't expecting a spectacular finish. It was decent enough. I'm looking forward to the spin-off.
/eventlog
Event Log: 3/30/14 - Saving the World
I had Chicken Alfredo for dinner. Remembering what I ate is important. Associating events with smells and tastes makes it easier to recall significant events. It's why people have some many fond memories of food. I'm not a foodie though. I eat for one reason: to survive.
I finally tackled Team Flare's headquarters in Pokemon Y. Saving Kalos from this so-called "ultimate weapons" was such a diversion. I'm here to become Champion, not a hero. After many battles, I defeated the big baddie. Whoever wrote the scenario forgot to justify the villain's motivations. Dude kept talking about people stealing even though Team Flare was the only organization that was stealing anything. By all accounts, Kalos is an extraordinarily peaceful world in true Nintendo fashion. There's no evidence of this supposed strife that necessitates a worldwide purge. That's a failure of storytelling.
I captured Yveltal but there's no room in my party. Only one more gym and then the Elite Four. I'm so close to becoming Champion I can taste it. Just one last push!
/eventlog
I finally tackled Team Flare's headquarters in Pokemon Y. Saving Kalos from this so-called "ultimate weapons" was such a diversion. I'm here to become Champion, not a hero. After many battles, I defeated the big baddie. Whoever wrote the scenario forgot to justify the villain's motivations. Dude kept talking about people stealing even though Team Flare was the only organization that was stealing anything. By all accounts, Kalos is an extraordinarily peaceful world in true Nintendo fashion. There's no evidence of this supposed strife that necessitates a worldwide purge. That's a failure of storytelling.
I captured Yveltal but there's no room in my party. Only one more gym and then the Elite Four. I'm so close to becoming Champion I can taste it. Just one last push!
/eventlog
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)