Kraven

@Jester676 I can’t answer for the original poster, but I found the game to be boring as well. I thought the open world was empty - though I understood why for story reasons - and when you did stumble upon something, it was always a shrine. After a while, that discovery wore thin. I dislike BoTW quite a bit, but I’m glad others find it enjoyable. As for ToTK, that’s one of my all time favorite games and made exploration feel rewarding. You never knew what you were going to uncover. An in-depth cave system, underground areas, and so forth.

I agree wholeheartedly with this write-up. Monolith Soft is incredible at creating vast open worlds that beckon to be explored. Moreover, the maps they create are one giant world, with biomes and indigen lifeforms, all in a seamless transition with no loading times. You feel like you are part of their worlds. I can’t wait to see how they utilize the power of the Switch 2.

I’m honestly surprised that Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is an unwanted game by a large percentage. It’s an incredible game, and one of my all time favorites. It’s worth experiencing.

This is still one of my favorite Switch games, but I totally forgot about their DLC plans. I hope it actually comes to fruition, and sooner rather than later.

My gaming weekend is going to consist of the same games as the last several weeks: Xenoblade Chronicles X and The First Berserker. I’ve made significant progress in the latter, with only three main bosses remaining. The game is tough as nails, but fair. It’s easily the best Hardcore ARPG of the year. As for XBX, it’s really starting to impress me more and more, and becoming one of my favorites in the franchise.

Game Boy Advance takes the cake for me, but I do think the Switch 2 has a strong line-up. We also have to remember that the first year of a console is considered the window for a launch title. If you look at it from that perspective, the OG Switch and GameCube are fantastic.

I might give this a go at some point. It’s odd, I am very turned off by the graphical art style. I was back when it released and I still am now, which is peculiar because I’m generally a fan of this kind of pixel design.

I really don’t know if I like this new form of physical media. I can appreciate the innovation, but it diminishes the concept of a tangible item. With that said, I initially didn’t like the Nintendo Switch 2 cases — the concept art and logo seems too spaced out — but it’s growing on me quite a bit.

Beggars can’t be choosers, so I’ll take what I can get. That said, I would prefer a remake or an HD version. But where is Twilight Princess? Surely that has to come to the service at some point.

This weekend is all about The First Berserker: Khazan. I’m roughly 60% through the game and intend on getting the platinum trophy. Will it be possible? I’m not sure, but I believe so. My first playthrough is on normal difficulty — the highest there is — and doing a no summon run, whilst completing every side quest.

TFB plays like Sekiro and has the level design and combat of NiOH. With that said, I think this game balances all three of those comparisons and forms its own identity. It’s not reliant on its parrying similar to Sekiro, or any other gameplay element in From Software’s library. As a result, it succeeds in all of those components, it feels like it stands toe-to-toe with any game in this genre.

I absolutely love this game despite how difficult it can be at times. In fact, there have been two or three boss fights that genuinely had me questioning if I could really persevere. In some instances I was stuck on a boss fight for an entire day, tempted to change the difficulty or quitting entirely.

However, the beauty of this game is learning patterns with each attempt. Eventually, those hardest bosses can turn into a no damage encounter almost. I know these types of games — Soulslike — aren’t for everyone, and the punishment can be less fun; but if you are a fan of this genre then I encourage you to give this game a go.

Aside from that, I’m still slowly chipping away in Xenoblade Chronicles X. I’m doing an affinity mission here, a side quest there, and some story missions interspersed between them. I’ve made it to chapter six and things are heating up. I’m very excited to receive my Skell and see how much it changes the gameplay.

@Ulysses If I’m not mistaken, Nintendo said before, or maybe shortly after ToTK released, that it wouldn’t be getting an expansion. To set up expectations for something that has been stated as not happening and being disappointed that it hasn’t occurred despite knowing the answer is kind of on you.

This sounds so good. I wish we could lock in a release date.

This looks so crisp and was quite a standout in terms of power for the Switch 2. I’m not sure when I’ll pick up the new console — life, bills, and a brand new car is getting in the way — but this will be one of the first games I get, if the release date is soon, that is.

Awesome news, IMO. And the specs are insane for a Switch 2 game. I wish we could get a real firm release date, unless I missed it somewhere.

That’s wild and will be huge system seller. Congrats on Nintendo!

I own both of these games already so I won’t pick this one up. For those who haven’t played this series, I strongly recommend it — at the very least try Octopath Traveler 2. I think it’s one of the finest RPGs ever made. The first one had interesting concepts, but it was too much of a slog. Everything that was wrong in the first game was remedied and bettered upon in the sequel. It’s simply chef kiss!

It’s a 9/10 for me. As I mentioned in my post in the “What are you playing” yesterday, I think the affinity mission structure is unbalanced and misleading, and it’s even worse that you can’t do any other quest — story included — until you complete the mission. And since some of the quests take you to locations that you are clearly unprepared for despite the quest mentioning what level you’re recommended to be, it can be daunting and frustrating. It’s almost designed in a way for you to not do side quests or anything until you progress way further in the story or after you beat the game, but my OCD doesn’t operate that way.

All of that said, the game is really freaking fun, and stands toe to toe with my other favorite in the franchise, Xenoblade Chronicles 1.

This weekend I’m playing Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. I’ve just reached chapter five. The gameplay, character development, and story are picking up traction. I’m looking forward to where the story is heading.

I do have a complaint. There seem to be many constraints starting affinity missions and having Heart-to-Heart moments with your party members. Sometimes, these objectives will make themselves known early; for example - one mentions, “Complete chapter 11” before starting, yet I’m only on the fifth chapter. Why even present the quest on the hub then?

An adjacent grievance to my first complaint are the missions themselves. Once you begin an affinity quest you cannot cancel it or proceed with any other quests. You are committed until the very end. This wouldn’t be of much concern except that oftentimes the quest, despite providing a recommended level to be at, will take you to locations you are clearly not meant to be at, and can perish at any second.

I know the world is designed so it feels like a living and breathing world — wildlife ranging in level are roaming around in their natural habitat, weather anomalies, and more. I can appreciate the mechanic, but it also hinders progress significantly. This could be remedied if you were able to continue doing story quests while having an active affinity quest, but you can’t.

Other than that, the game is absolutely fantastic.

I also preordered The First Berserker: Khazan, primarily due to early access, having three days off work, and wanting something to pass the time. I have been playing for the last couple of days and I’m quite impressed.

This looks beautiful. I’m really curious as to how the new ability will be implemented into the puzzles and the other Metroid trappings regarding abilities. I’m definitely buying this day one.

@YaGirlSkyByte That’s what I’m wondering too. Maybe this means that the use of a “primary console” won’t be necessary if you have, say, a base Nintendo Switch and a Switch Lite. That will be useful for sure.

This was the only game from the Direct that appealed to me. It looks absolutely stunning. I have no doubt it’s going to be incredible. With all of that said, it was oddly placed in the showcase—a complete random update that didn’t really need to be there considering a release date wasn’t announced. I can only assume it will be shown during the Switch 2 showcase and given a launch date then. Couple that with the new Nintendo Today app, and I think they will garnish more attention daily.

I’m glad to see they are back — they were a big part of my childhood, the same with Nintendo Power and Electronic Gaming Monthly. With that said, are they returning to printing magazines again, or is it just a digital outlet now? I haven’t found any real clarification on that.

This game looks cool. I’ve never played the Dangonrompa games, and I’ve never been a fan of visual novels, but I do like the stylistic art and combat seems solid. I’ll probably check it out!

I hardly ever buy physical games anymore, but this is day one for me, regardless of review scores. I love the Terrifier movies.

Glad to see Xenoblade Chronicles X at least make the list. Let’s hope it sells more than 800,000 copies like it did on the WiiU. This is a game that deserves more love and attention.

Also, I’m not mad about AC: Shadows. I will probably pick that up soon. It looks really good.

They are easily my favorite company within the Nintendo brand. They make incredible games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had something cooking for Switch 2.

Several days ago I finished Suikoden 1. It was my first time playing the game, and it was excellent from start to finish. It was expertly paced, with story beats that never overstay their welcome. There were well written characters that had story arcs that made me genuinely emotional. Moreover, from a gameplay standpoint, it was cinematic in a way that drew you into its world.

By the time I finished it — 22 hours in total, with 90/108 characters obtained — my main party was between level 59 and 60, and I beat the final boss with relative ease. There were two boss fights, whilst I did beat first try, gave me a run for my money - primarily due to how they were introduced at the most in-opportune time. Aside from that, the game was quite generous in its leveling system, especially with low leveled party members. It kept the game evenly balanced.

I’m now playing Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition. This is one of my favorite franchises, yet this title is the black sheep of the family for me. I finally get the opportunity to play it.

Currently, I’m in chapter 3 and the game is excellent. It reminds me a lot of Monster Hunter paired lightly with Mass Effect. I think it’s a great combination. My only issue is the quest designs. Some side activities will present themselves as a low leveled requirement to complete. However, some of them can lead to you to places where it’s unavoidable to fight enemies that are 29 levels above you. It’s an unbalancing issue, but it’s minor in the grand scheme of things.

Additionally, I dusted off my Nintendo 3DS XL and purchased Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s comparable to its predecessor, Awakening.

@DaveJaVu Sweet! I haven’t paid attention to the library for quite some time, clearly. Thanks for the heads up!

Talk about some obscure titles that remind me of when I would randomly pick out these games as a kid at my local video store. But man, I really want Chrono Trigger. I’m not sure why it hasn’t been out over yet. Also, the GI Joe game on the NES, as well as Rygar? Cmon, those are classics.

I’m not sure if I want this, but I’ll more than likely play it if it becomes a reality. Persona 4 Golden is my all time favorite JRPG, so I wouldn’t mind replaying it at some point.

Nice tips! The first one - taking your time - is my main focus. This is the only Xenoblade game I haven’t played, so I’m going to savor it as much as possible. I’ve played about an hour so far, and it is fantastic. And man, what a freakin’ banger of a soundtrack. I’ve told my wife this morning that I’m hyped as hell due to the music and she just laughs and rolls her eyes 👀

@rjejr Good call out! I still have Rygar on the NES. I think that game rules.

I can’t wait for this. It releases a few days before my birthday so it’ll be a good present for myself. I’m happy to see these games coming back in a modern time, preserving them for a modern audience.

Just two more days! I even have the day off on its release day, so I’ll be spending a lot of time playing it.

My goodness. This is the rare time where I’ve preordered a game. I’m glad it is a success since it’s the only Xenoblade game I haven’t played. I’m also pleased to hear that there is more narrative segments because I’ve read a lot that it isn’t as heavy handed as prior releases. It may still not be, but the more the merrier. Ugh, the wait for Thursday is going to be long, but thankfully I have that day off work. And seeing as the game runs great on handheld mode, it’ll definitely be something I take to work with me and play on my lunch breaks. I can’t wait!

I decided to download the Nintendo Music app just to see what it was all about. Shockingly, it’s pretty good. There are a lot of great tracks from great games, and I’m glad to see there are more additions being added regularly. I hope Xenoblade Chronicles will make an appearance soon.

Just a heads up, I think the heading is misspelled. If I’m not mistaken, it’s meant to say “quiet” and not “quite”. I apologize if I’m coming across as rude, but I just wanted to point it out.

I’ve never heard of this game, but I am quite intrigued. The screenshots look cool, the story sounds interesting, and the trailer is the perfect amount of mysterious. I’ll be keeping my eye on this one.

My theory is that it will be a Switch 2 launch title. I know it doesn’t need it because the Switch 2 will sell gangbusters at launch even if they don’t have games for it (hyperbole), but having MP4 will only sell more units. I think it’s a no brainer.

This is a very solid ranking. I go back and forth with Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and XC3 being the best in the franchise, but that’s just a testament to how amazing this series is altogether.

This weekend I can officially say I’m playing something different other than Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. I finally beat the game and managed to obtain the platinum trophy. This is easily one of my all time favorite RPGs. It’s hard to see what game(s) come out this year that can reach this level of quality, from its writing, characters, immersion, and world building. Maybe Death Stranding 2 can stand toe to toe with KCD2, but we shall see.

What I’m playing in earnest now is Suikoden 1. This is an exceptional JRPG. I love how the mechanics of the game take centerfold, creating a world that reacts to your choices in meaningful ways. When you get to name a castle you have seized and getting to name it, in this case FARTNUGT, it feels like it is yours. Subsequently, the more characters you recruit - optional or otherwise - your castle begins to expand with different rooms and layers, so it feels like a living and breathing world tailored to your decisions.

Then there are full scaled wars that take place, and this is where the characters you have recruited along the way come into factor. If you take the time to put these characters in your party and level them up, the stronger your army will be. And you feel the weight of your decisions in battle because some characters can die depending on the options to choose from - attack, defend, or using bows and magic.

The entire game feels like a personal journey, which many games cannot evoke those types of feelings out of me. What’s even more shocking is that Suikoden 2 is considered to be better in every facet, and one of the best games of all time. I can’t wait to experience that next.

I haven’t played Xenoblade Chronicles X, but I’ll be remedying that soon. I have played all the other titles, and I’d have to choose Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. It’s such a magical game to experience for the first time. I would have chosen 3, but I have a few nitpicks, albeit minor, that barely keep it from topping the first entry in the series.

The sales for MHW is insanely fantastic, but shoutout to Suikoden 1 & 2 for snagging the second spot. It’s a great bundle of games that I’m glad people are supporting.

@Tetsuro I agree with most of what you said. My only rebuttal would be that Nintendo and PlayStation haven’t necessarily been in competition with each other, at least from my perspective. Sure, in the early years when they were essentially the only console manufacturers, but I’ve always considered them their own separate entity and audiences. The fanbases are completely different, in a good way. PlayStation has only truly been competitive against Xbox. And PlayStation dominated them each generation aside from the first year or two of PS3’s lifecycle. PS had an incredibly slow start, while Microsoft got the jump early by releasing their console a year before if I’m not mistaken. With that said, I personally think the 360-era was the GOAT of gaming.

I went for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That said, I was debating between that and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. There are so many options, and you can’t go wrong with at all.

This shouldn’t even be a question - NA clearly has the better box art of the two.

Another weekend here and I’m still playing Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 on the PS5. 250 hours later, I’m wrapping up the game. I’ve obtained every trophy and should get the platinum within the next couple of days — a feat I’ll be very proud of. I know it’s early in the year but this will be in contention for my GOTY, and possibly even decade.

I’m also playing Suikoden 1 & 2 on the Nintendo Switch — a perfect place to play these old-school JRPGs. This is a flagpole series I wasn’t fortunate enough to play when I had my original PlayStation growing up as a kid, despite hearing about it from various social circles. In fact, I remember going to Blockbuster (yeah, I am that old!) and it never being available to rent or buy. I’m glad I get to experience it now. So far, it’s been great.

If I’m not mistaken, didn’t Monolith Soft mention that they are working on a new IP? I could be wrong. Regardless, they are incredibly talented and this new addition can only make things better (hopefully). I’m really looking forward to whatever their next game is, even if it’s a new Xenoblade.

On a side note - and this is a personal preference - I really hope if the next game has weapons and an explorable world, please show the weapon(s) on the back of your characters when traversing. Honestly, not having it in XC3 really ruined the immersion for me. I understand from a story perspective, but man did I miss having that option.

I’m stoked for this release. I only played the first and not the second, so it’s going to be a fun adventure. I was debating on whether or not to pick this up on the Switch or PS5. I decided for the Switch since I realized I’ll be doing a bit of traveling in the next couple of weeks, and there will also be a lot of down time at my job.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

I have racked up 200 hours in this game - an amount of time I’ve never spent on a single game in a continual manner without getting burned out. In terms of story, I’m roughly fifty percent through the main campaign. My goal is to have every side quest and trophy mopped up that doesn’t relate to main missions before I push onward to the end of the game.

In the last ten hours, my Henry has crawled in manure to search for a man, has built pyramids out of human remains, been so drunk that someone stole his shoes in the middle of the town square, helped a young man from being bullied by villagers, and went down to the depths of hell (almost literally) to stop demons from coming out of the pitts and killing livestock. It resulted in me in losing my entire clothing and weapons, and killing a man who lost his mind to darkness and his mission.

If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, just know that I’m considered to be the Dark Lord who has the nickname Sourdough. I’m quite literally the epitome of a Jack of all Trades. I’m not to be trifled with.

I’m also patiently waiting for Suikoden 1 and 2 Remastered.