With my heart?
Lord on a skateboard we did it, that’s it, the year’s over, there’s nothing left to get through in 2015 (year 3 of Luigi). I’d like to thank everyone who got us this far and let’s just coast into 2016, done completely with holidays, with 5PM sunsets, with frigid chills even in almost-always-perfect San Francisco.
Hopefully you are playing some games to celebrate. Or writing a poem or falling in love or hate-eating day-two leftovers or having fun with friends online or studying grammar in a foreign tongue or baby sitting an old, crocheting woman or whatever else fills your heart with medical-grade pharmaceutical feelings of joy.
These are the games what we’re playing.
I was playing Fallout 4 recently, but I think I’m going to leave it for a while for some decent mods and bug fixes to come out before heading back into it. Instead, I’ve been slowly trudging my way through my first run of Bloodborne (currently trying to beat the Shadows of Yharnam), as well as the recent PC rerelease Sonic Lost World.
Playing something as grimdark as Bloodborne and then immediately hopping into a Sonic level based on colourful tasty treats can feel like being hit by a freight train sometimes, but both games are a lot of fun!
I can’t stop playing Rise of the Tomb Raider. I think it might be a sickness. I know I have a tendency to fall in love with games (even crappy ones), but there’s something so soothing and zen-like about exploring the Geothermal Valley and scouting for Survival Caches. It makes me not wanna finish; in order to delay the inevitable, I’ve taken to returning to old paths and gathering all the collectibles and finishing up all the Challenges.
Besides the diving. Lara will not fecking dive for me.
Otherwise I’m playing Destiny. I did leave it for Halo 5 for a bit, but there’s still no better multiplayer experience. Like a booty call, I came crawling back to Bungie, a bunch of wilting flowers in one hand and shrugging off my jeans with the other.
I’ve been a bit restless with my gaming recently, so I’ve gone back to play a couple of games that I know I enjoy, having a little bit of comfort gaming in among the big reviews season. Revisiting Danganronpa 2, replaying To The Moon and even briefly jumping back in to Half Minute Hero.
Other than that I’ve been sinking some time into playing Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires for Destructoid which should be getting some coverage toward the end of this week and playing the odd game of Peggle on iOS while travelling. I just want to get through all those challenge puzzles again.
I’m so bad at playing video games, folks. I’ve got probably six or so hours clocked on Fallout 4, and after my save being erroneously deleted I think I might wait a month or two before coming back to it. Meanwhile I’ve been dragging myself kicking and screaming through a genocide run in Undertale, as well as putting a few runs into Sublevel Zero before I sleep most nights. I went on a shopping spree a week or two ago and grabbed a bunch of Dreamcast games, so I’m finally learning Street Fighter III: Third Strike as well as finally getting around to playing Jet Grind Radio for the first time.
Oh, and that Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows DLC is dope.
I’ve been in full-blown “gotta catch ’em all” mode with Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon and Yo-Kai Watch. I’m pretty much done with Yo-Kai Watch, but I’m still trying to beat some of those post-game bosses. They’re really hard! I’ll probably have to find a good place to grind if I ever want to beat them all.
Apparently if I lived in the world of Pokemon, I would be a Mudkip. Who knew? I’m a bit disappointed that I haven’t been able to recruit Cubone yet, but I’ll manage (I guess). I like that Super Mystery Dungeon lets me see a side of the Pokemon that I don’t often get to see. They all have personalities, quirks, and opinions and it’s really fun to get to know them all. It’s like that episode of the anime where they all wash up on a desert island and Ash’s Pokemon end up hanging out with Team Rocket’s Pokemon and you get to hear what they’re actually saying to each other. Except in the game, you don’t have to listen to all that “Squirtle Squirtle!” “Charmander!” “Bulba Bulbasaur!” nonsense. Thank god.
At my real job, we’re entering what is known as the busy season, aka hell month, aka all employees on suicide watch month. That’s right, I work in retail. So after eight stressful hours of people telling me I ruined their Christmas or I made their children cry (both of which just make me laugh, laugh, laugh), I like to come home and play a game that really relaxes me; like Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson. Nothing helps me get through the holidays better than pretending the people I’m slicing and dicing up in that game are the customers who annoy me so much. What’s that Mrs. Stevens? Your Christmas is a bust because we ran out of Monopoly sets and you decided not to order until December 22nd? How about I make it up to you with a katana to the face? Oh Mr. Peters I’m sorry. You were supposed to get that package before Thanksgiving so you could give it to your daughter as a Thanksgiving gift, as if that should be a real thing? Eat boot, asshole!
Baby life has kept me from playing any game solo for more than 30 minutes at a time, but I’ve been playing Nintendo Badge Arcade every morning while I’m in the bathroom (70 badges so far and I haven’t spent a cent), and I’ve got a new record on Super Graviton in VVVVVV (19.43 seconds!). I also finally managed to get through Plague Knight’s campaign in Shovel Knight, and was shocked by how sincerely touching many of the cut scenes were.
When other people are around, we’ve been popping in Runbow, Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, and Sportsball while swapping off turns keeping the kid happy. Juggling games and child care is like a game unto itself, and so far, I haven’t lost any lives. Maybe I should go pro.
My backlog’s now ballooning to include the likes of Metal Gear Solid V, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, the last episode of Game of Thrones, Destiny and other games which I know are really good and fun to play, and it’s all because of Fort Construction Simulator 2287 Fallout 4. About 30 of the 40-or-so hours the savegame timer is telling me I’ve had with Bethesda’s latest have been spent with the game’s gratuitously deep settlement system. On the one hand, it’s dreadfully unnecessary and essentially cuts the legs out from under Bethesda’s most accomplished main story so far (though that isn’t saying a whole lot in the grand scheme of things).
On the other hand, my Sanctuary Hills settlement is really coming along, in that romanticizing-shantytowns kind of way. Check it out below (complete with royalty-free music courtesy of Youtube’s copyright enforcement thingamabob):
I’ve spent every spare moment of the past two weeks as a post-apocalyptic hoarder in Fallout 4. Just like grandpa working on his train sets, the miniature model enthusiast in me has surfaced in a weird way and I’ve gone deep on the settlement building aspect of the game even though it’s really, genuinely, terrible. All of my settlers have cute little ramshackle apartments, access to clean water, and all the laser guns they could ask for even though I’m still not sure what (if anything) they can do for me after 20 hours in. Please send help.
After spending around ten hours getting the elderly Mama Murphy high as fuck in Fallout 4, I fell back into my own personal addictions: Halo 5: Guardians and Hearthstone. I can’t help it, I just love opening card packs, as well as the rush of having close matches which both games provide. Recently played through the first episode of Tales from the Borderlands with my boyfriend which was surprisingly hilarious, plus it fed my newfound obsession of Hunter S. Thompson, as there is a character that looks and dresses like him.
Other times I’m lying in my bed with my Vita playing through Superbeat: Xonic for review obsessively, while loud techno and metal fill the air alongside my swearing.
I want to say I’m re-experiencing Undertale‘s charming pacifist run. A game chock full of so many secrets that I’d replay the entire game to see the things I missed like Sans’ room or beating Thundersnails. Or I could say I’m replaying Bayonetta 2 and trying to unlock the other, extra hard secret characters like Rosa or Rodin.
But I’m not. I’m playing Nintendo Badge Arcade. I put a dollar in to grab the Animal Crossing badges just now, because of course I will, I have the Isabelle and signboard 3DS theme. You can also never play too much Super Smash Bros. 4, especially with Cloud on the horizon.
I recently finished up the latest Minecraft: Story Mode episode for review, and it was all right. I have a few games on my list to get to before we start working up our Game of the Year lists, like Undertale and Life is Strange, but I haven’t started either of those.
Right now I’m on vacation, away from my PC and consoles, so all I’m really playing is stuff on my 3DS and my phone. I’ve been getting through Hitman GO, which is dressed up like a cute little board game about murder. Also still chugging away at Ultimate Angler on the 3DS, because StreetPass games are always going to be the best.
What am I playing? More like what aren’t I playing, right?!
But, can we talk seriously for a minute? I’m begrudgingly playing Fallout 4. Have a bunch of people above me already talked about Fallout 4? I haven’t bothered to look, but I bet they did. You’re probably reading this article while you take a break from Fallout 4. It’s goddamn everywhere.
I’m not sure I have a lot of nice things to say about it but I’m still playing it. I guess that counts for something. I think it’s my favorite Ubisoft game ever.
The missus and I are currently burning through The X-Files, just in time for the new mini-series in January. You know, I’m amazed at how well the entire show holds up (though, I say this as we currently work our way through Season 7, a.k.a. David Duchovny’s last full season, a.k.a. it all goes to shit) and I’ve totally fallen back in love with Gillian Anderson, reigniting my first TV crush from all those years back. Not even her awful wig in those new trailers can diminish it, now!
Anyway, as part of the binge, I played The X-Files FMV game in its intended place during Season 3; between Wetwired (where Scully goes coco-bananas due to broadcast signals) and Talitha Cumi (the finale where Mulder befriends that guy from The Invaders). As a game, it has all the hallmarks of why FMV failed, but also it works remarkably well in trying to emulate the show within such limitations; especially when it came out just as The X-Files loosened up, got cool, and put out its best work.
Also, I’m currently playing through Breach & Clear: Deadline, which isn’t too bad considering the Steam Sale price. It’s a spin-off of a tactical shooter in the vein of Rainbow Six/SWAT/Doorkickers, but the fact it involves rushing zombie hordes makes a lot of your tactical decisions, and the very title, a tad redundant. But, hey, it’s actually a fun little game if you’re not too cynical about the planning and light RPG elements.
Also, also I’m still playing PAYDAY 2 because I’m a monster on par with Hitler.
If you’ve followed my quickposts of late, you know I have been on a huge Castlevania binge, which will be concluding soon with Rondo of Blood, Order of Ecclesia and then Symphony of the Night’s Maria Mode. I also recently finished Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.
I’ve also been playing Child of Light, Fire Emblem: Awakening and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS. This will be my third time through Awakening, which is starting to become something of an annual tradition for me. It’s just such a charming game and I usually lose Vaike along the way, but maybe he’ll live this time. Sadly, I can’t marry Tharja, but Nintendo will let me marry her prior incarnation in Birthright next year.
Smash is the main obsession right now, though. Just unlocked Jigglypuff and I’m maining Zero Suit Samus, Robin and Pikachu so far. Mostly Zero Suit Samus since Samus is the best ever when she’s not in Metroid Other M. Robin is an interesting challenge with the limited use of tomes and swords, I just have to get over Robin not looking like my Robin in Awakening. It’s like seeing a Commander Shepherd, but it’s not your Shepherd.
I’m hoping Shovel Knight and Shantae get to join the fray through the Smash Ballot, too. If some sulky, spikey-haired, fake soldier with glowy eyes can get in, the Cerulean Spader and a bellydancing half-genie are fair game. I guess we’ll see.
My experience of Fallout 4 as read by SNL’s City Correspondent, Stefan:
The hottest new experience in video games right now is Fallout 4. This post-apocalyptic thrill kill club has it all. Ashes. Crab people. Mad Max Scarecrows. And just when you think you’ve seen it all…what’s that? Teddy Bear Night Light! (It’s that thing where you kill a Glowing One then cover it in teddy bears.)
Thanks to The Old Hunters DLC, I’m back into Bloodborne. I left off months ago with a new game+++ save file, so I had to start fresh and work my way back up to even access the expansion, much less make any real progress in it. Far too many hours later, I’m so close to the end. I’ve done everything but take out the optional boss, and I can hardly imagine that ever happening without summoning a near-flawless co-op player. It’s such an unforgiving fight! As much as it’s a total slog and I’ve become exceedingly impatient, I’m too stubborn to give up.
I also got one of those $20 PlayStation TVs and, after scrolling through the online system library, I’m now just playing old favorites like What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord? and Patapon. Worth it.
People can pretty much see what I’ve been playing through reviews, but in addition to the Bloodborne DLC and Xenoblade Chronicles X, I’m peppering in some Final Fantasy XIV and Destiny. The latter is really winding down though as Bungie hasn’t introduced anything new in a while, and since my normal raid group is starting to get pissed at the triple-RNG involved in hard mode (getting the item, then getting the right level, and the right roll), they don’t play as much.
Beyond that my wife and I still play Pikmin 3‘s bingo versus mode on occasion, as well as Black Ops III via split-screen.
Whenever I’m in the middle of college finals, I tend to gravitate towards games that can be played in the space between cram sessions. And every year since 2012, the game I pick to fill that void is the regular Call of Duty release. I am part of the problem.
Black Ops III is difficult to come back to after the similarly-themed Advanced Warfare. The gun sight that lit up enemies and the corner-friendly boost in Advanced Warfare were cornerstones of my almost 1:1 K/D ratio (impressive for someone who is normally very bad at shooters), and losing those tools in the transition to Black Ops III was a blow. Plus, as of Thanksgiving, we’ve officially hit the point where people have those maps memorized from every angle.
Call of Duty‘s progression system continues to be immensely satisfying on a macro and micro level, culminating in a cycle that’s difficult to escape when there’s an upgrade perpetually right around the corner, so it’s not like I’m going to quit any time soon. I barely have time to play anything else!
I’m still playing Dragon Age: Inquisition. Is it just me or does this game not have an end? Sure, I picked it up in the summer almost a full year after release — but I’ll be damned if I haven’t given in to my completionist mindset trying to pick up every last shard. Is it worth it? Almost 100 hours into the game and at this point contemplating ways to conjure up a mass kool-aid suicide in Skyhold just to keep something — anything — moving along in the plot. That Cullen though. He’s no Alistair, but you can’t deny that fur mantle. BioWare – 3; Caitlin – 0 (let’s not forget about Thane).
Reporting live from Santa Teresa, New Mexico! This forced vacation has allowed me more game time than usual. On the way over here in the RV, I played Eldritch Horror and Dungeons & Dragons with my lady and her brother. On the digital front, I brought my laptop and I’ve been playing more Killing Floor 2 and some Downwell. If you think the latter game is difficult, try it on a bumpy ass RV with poor weather stripping.
Before the trip, I finished Rise of the Tomb Raider, which I enjoyed, but might as well have been called Tomb Raider: The Exact Same Narrative Beats as the Last Time, or even Tomb Raider: Why are the Only Good Parts of the Story Buried in Shitty Audio Logs? Obviously, I have some thoughts about this. You’ll be hearing from me soon. And gosh, I haven’t even started playing Fallout. I might just wait until next year.
I’ve been eclectic. I jumped into some first-time-in-months Rocket League that dulled after winning at least 10 in a row. I turned on XCOM, got in that save where I was naming everyone after Destructoid staff, remember I’d fucked up last time I was streaming it, and proceeded to watch everyone I work with impaled and vomited on by chryssalids (only Caitlin and Darren survived by virtue of having been in the infirmary). Kicked around some Downwell but it wasn’t pulling from the cloud save and knocking off rust sans Levitate style was taxing. Stopped myself from mindlessly playing more Resident Evil 4.
After all the hit ’em and quit ’ems I settled into some The Testament of Doctor Mabuse because I wanted to watch more Fritz Lang and fell asleep during Stromboli. All substitutes for Rififi and other Criterions not in Hulu’s collection. I’ve also been watching that Jessica Jones program, the only superhero thing I’ve seen since Guardians of the Galaxy (and before that, the first Avengers, and part of some X-Men movie in the airplane window reflection of the guy in front of me). I appreciate the reduced scale and attempts at not sharing the same visual style as others of its ilk (all the action looks the same! They’re all shot and edited the same!), I’m torn on always having “Basketball Jones” stuck in my head.
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What in Sam Hill are YOU playing?
