deecas

I finished 'Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation' and really loved it. Short, sweet and oh so calming and beautiful. I'm not a completionist so I don't feel the need to get every bug and fish or achieve every objective.

So then I booted up 'Sonic Superstars' which I still haven't finished. And I really don't like it. The levels are bland, most of the music is easily forgettable and instead of looking forward to them, I actually dread each Act 2 boss because of how long and protracted they are. I'm currently stuck on the boss for Golden Capital Act 2 and I'm close to rage quitting. So, I'm asking myself, do I just give up because I'm not enjoying the experience? Usually when I start something, a book, a game etc. then I have to finish it. I've never felt this disappointed about 2D Sonic before (I never played Sonic 4).

Maybe I'll boot up 'Sonic Frontiers' on my PS4 instead, which is also on my backlog and give that a go.

@Diogmites thanks so much, it was a great trip!

I’m abroad for a friend’s wedding this weekend so will continue when I can ‘Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation.’ At the very minimum I’ll get a solid couple of hours in on the plane home tomorrow.

Bought it when in Japan last year - very glad I did so, to me the writing was on the wall that the Europe version was hit or miss...

After playing another 40 hour stint of TOTK, I finally beat the lightning temple, got the master sword, got all the memories, got all of the ancient tablets on the floating flower islands and I’ve just left Link at Lookout Landing, ready to head to Hyrule Castle…

… and now I’m leaving it for a month or two to continue my strategy of dragging the game out for as long as possible. Now playing ‘Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation’ and I’m loving it. Perfect summer chill game.

@Freek, I absolutely LOVED Aggelos! Such an under-the-radar gem! Enjoy it, I took it really slow because I was loving it so much and ended up devoting about 20 hours to it.

After a few hectic weeks of travel, I'm back on a TOTK binge - I've just reached the Gerudo region to do the final temple, 175 hours in after more than a year of on-off-on-again playing.

Elsewhere on PS4, I'm playing Uncharted 3 for a simple, linear game that I don't need to think too much about.

After 90 hours and playing since March, I'm about to finally beat the final boss in 'Final Fantasy XII'. As a first FF, I absolutely loved it and at one point became absolutely obsessed with doing as much of the extra stuff as possible, like the hunts. I'll definitely be playing more Final Fantasy in the future.

... alas, I think I'm now ready to move on from the land of Ivalice. It was a great ride whilst it lasted but I feel that my time will be done once that final boss is defeated. I've collected over half of the espers and I calculate I've done more than half of the hunts. That's enough for me to call it a game well played.

Next, I want something lighter and shorter as a pallet cleanser. I'm hankering after some good ol' Pokémon nostalgia, so might play around with 'Let's Go... Eevee!' for a bit. Or maybe some Wonder Boy. Or maybe even 'Link's Awakening' following this week's Direct.

Or I might go back to TOTK - over a year on and I still have one more temple to do...

As I've been going through what I hope is just an acute case of insomnia over the last ten days, I was playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Mega Drive at 2am this morning before I finally managed to fall asleep at around 4am - Sonic 2 was an easy choice as it was the first video game I ever played and I know it so well, it's basically just playing on autopilot and is thus very calming.

Otherwise, I'll continue my adventure in Final Fantasy 12, have just got to Balfonheim Port this week.

Any suggestions from the folks here on any very, very calming games that will help me soothe my currently fried and sleep-deprived mind?

@DemonKow, thanks for the message! For me, it's all about engaging story - and because I'm a politics fiend, FF12 appealed as a first FF because of the more mature, politically-driven story. And yet I'm also finding the complex gameplay mechanics a blast to get my head around. Once I'm done with 12, I'll take a break from FF but later in the year I'll give either 6, 7 or 10 a go as well. I'm still on the fence about picking up 16. Hope you had a good weekend!

This is sooooo getting a Switch 2 'definitive edition' with all patches and DLC included...

Still playing FF12: The Zodiac Age and it finally all clicked and I'm obsessed. Loving the story, addicted to hunts and now I'm obsessed with crafting the best gambit commands for the characters. A couple of people warned me off from playing 12 as my first FF but man, if this is one of the 'meh' titles in the series, then I can't wait to dive into the others!

I bought the physical Switch game yesterday despite the warnings on performance because I know this is the sort of game I would want to have portably and not stuck in my living room on the PS5. I'll wait for the major patch(es) before I play it - if there ever is a Switch 2 version with all patches included on the cart, and I like the game, then I'll probably exceptionally double-dip.

I've been making my way through the opening hours of FFXII for the last few weeks and I've just left the Skycity of Bhujerba. I'm not utterly hooked yet but intrigued enough to keep going.

... and then BAM... during a visit to my parents, I fell back into a TOTK hole. Another 30 hour binge done, taking me to around 160 hours in total with still one temple to go.

Suffice to say, poor FFXII was left by the wayside for a bit. But I'm hoping to get back into it this weekend and pick up where I left off.

I'll be continuing 'Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age' this weekend on the Switch, finishing 'Star Trek: Resurgence' on the PS5 (because I'm a HUUGE Trekkie and I'm super enjoying this game) and then maybe some platforming fun - for some weird reason, 'Kaze and the Wild Masks' is calling out to me...

I'm going to get the Japanese single physical from PlayAsia because it has EN and it's only EUR 25.

I'm about four hours into Final Fantasy 12 so very, very early days and will continue that this weekend. But I'm already feeling a little overwhelmed with the boards, jobs, gambits, licences etc. I know it will all click eventually after a few hours but right now this game feels more complex than even Xenoblade 2...

I've been vegging out to Coffee Talk 2 this week - I really needed a cozy, chill game and so I'll finish that this weekend.

But I'm thinking about my next big RPG but I don't know what to go for. I'm thinking a Final Fantasy because I've never actually played one but I don't know where to start. Maybe the original Final Fantasy 7 because... it's FF7. But I'm also attracted to Final Fantasy 12 because a.) I love deep high-stakes political dramas and apparently 12 is full of that and b.) I've heard 12 described before as a 'proto-Xenoblade' and I also love the XC trilogy.

I'm in between games at the moment so went back to TOTK this week which I still, after all this time, haven't finished... and OMG, I got totally sucked back in... I've spent around 15 hours this week alone back in TOTK. On Wednesday night I was so engrossed on the train home from work that I missed my station and had to backtrack.

So you'd think I'd say TOTK for this weekend but no - I'm determined to finally finish Ghost of Tsushima, my other long-running in-between game. I think I only have the grand finale to go in terms of the story and so my Saturday evening alone will be pizza, a strong Belgian beer (as I live in Belgium) and Ghost of Tsushima on PS4. Back to TOTK after that.

I've finished Super Mario RPG this week and absolutely loved it - in terms of challenge... well, there was none. It was super easy. But that was exactly what I needed. And it has been a long time since a video game has delighted me so much. I had such a stupid smile on my face during the entire Dodo/statue minigame segment - it was ridiculous but brilliant.

So now I'm in that awkward moment where I'm trying to choose my next game. But I'm not going to rush. I have two other games on the back burner, which I return to sporadically because I want to drag the experience out for as long as possible, TOTK and Ghost of Tsushima on PS4. So I'll just play those this weekend.

Maybe I'm in the mood for something cosy next... like Coffee Talk 2...

I would also actually like to know which non-first party games (if any) hit a million or more. Is there any way to find that out?

@Arcata, I haven't actually played it but I've heard it's excellent - and as I only buy physicals, I've been waiting for a retail release as I missed the Limited Run Games version.

Narita Boy and The Legend of Legacy for me

I know their games were always all seen to be average at best but I really did enjoy them, especially Lost Sphear and Oninaki. Setsuna is my least favourite of the three. I've actually only just finished Oninaki, and I was so much more engaged and impressed with it than I had expected to be following all the 'meh' reviews it got back in 2019.

I'm still playing Oninaki, the third of the Tokyo RPG Factory trilogy - and I have to say, regardless of the very 'meh' reviews, I've super enjoyed it and found it very addictive. Yes, the story is trite and much of the dialogue is incredibly wooden and unemotional, but I've liked the art style and I've loved mixing up my daemons for the combat and expanding their skill trees. Usually story rules for me, but this game seems to have got around that somehow...

Once this is done, I think I'll start next week one of the games I got for Christmas, Sonic Superstars. And I'm also looking towards picking a happy feel-good game to help me through the dark, depressing days of January. Last year it was Super Mario Odyssey, I'm thinking this time it'll be Super Mario RPG.

I'm playing 'Oninaki' from Tokyo RPG Factory. It's kind of a tradition now in December - two years ago I played 'I Am Setsuna' in December because of the whole winter/snowy vibes. Thought it was OK, not great but also not terrible. Last year I decided to do 'Lost Sphear' in December and immeasurably enjoyed it more than 'Setsuna' ... controversial opinion I know...

And now 'Oninaki' - about ten hours in, enjoying the setting, the graphics, and the dark ideas about death and reincarnation. The story is OK, kinda missing the turn-based combat but I'm enjoying playing around with the different Daemons and working out how to best use them.

... in the end, I'm thinking 'Lost Sphear' will probably end up being my favourite of the Tokyo RPG Factory trilogy...

I've been travelling around the UK the last couple of weeks seeing friends and relatives so I needed something super calming and easy to play for while I was on the move - so I booted up Pokémon: Shining Pearl. I've been playing Pokémon since Red and Blue and as the formula never changes, I know exactly what I'm doing and I don't really need to think about it. It's OK, an enjoyable but very 'meh' game. I'll finish it and then probably never think about it again.

Also continuing TOTK, I've just reached Tarrey Town as I push into Akkala on my way to Eldin for the Fire Temple.

I'm fancying some Pokémon this weekend... I'm still knee deep in TOTK, so I think starting another open world like Legends: Arceus or Violet might be a bit much. So I might crack open a beer this evening and give Shining Pearl a go, regardless of the 'meh' reviews those remakes got.

On Switch, I'm well back in the TOTK groove - two temples done, four hours in a row exploring the Depths this week and now swanning around doing some side quests and shrines.

On PS5, I just bought the gorgeous Everspace 2 Stellar edition - I played the original on Switch and it was fiiine but its roguelike nature bugged me. The sequel is supposed to be more akin to an RPG which is much more up my street. And I refuse to buy an XBox just to get Starfield...

Will wait for the retail release on 5/12. I always prefer to buy retail if given the choice.

I'm FINALLY out of my TOTK funk and I'm back in with all arrows blazing. Done six hours this week and will be cracking that second temple in Zora's Domain tonight. I knew it would come back, just needed to ride it out.

This week I had a scare when I randomly put on my Sega Saturn but none of the discs I put in played. After a minor freak out, I realised that because we've had some house renovations recently some dust might have got into it. So, I carefully cleaned the laser and thank God that did the trick and games booted up normally again afterwards.

So, I'm ignoring the Switch this weekend and giving my beloved Saturn some attention - I've already been playing Panzer Dragoon, Sega Rally and Daytona, and this evening I plan to do a Guardian Heroes run. Maybe Earthworm Jim 2 tomorrow.

Just got home from holiday and over jetlag, and really thrilled and honoured to be picked for this month's star letter! Thanks so much! And it's great to see that I wasn't the only one to suffer from TOTK overload...

I tried again on holiday to get back into the swing of things but I never had enough time to really get back into it. Now I'm home alone for a week, I'll give it another go and will do what several people mentioned here - try to avoid choice overload by only focusing on the main story objectives. Second temple, here I come...

After 70 hours, have finally arrived into Zora's Domain for my second temple. Elsewhere, I'm one of those suckers who bought Sonic Origins Plus... just so I could finally have a physical copy of Sonic CD. I've never played it and will do this weekend, probably tomorrow. Not sure how I'll find it though - I didn't really like the Sonic CD levels in Sonic Mania. But I owe it to myself as a lifelong Sonic fanboy to finally play CD and give it a fair go.

@MarioBrickLayer, I also loved it! … and you’ve just reminded me that I need to go back and do a shrine there… thanks!

Finally did the wind temple in TOTK and since then I’ve been pottering about. Have spent the last few hours of the game exploring the Great Plateau. Now I’m trying to decide where to go next - towards the Zora, Gorons or Gerudo. I’m thinking the Zora will be my next port of call.

Elsewhere, maybe a racing game - either Horizon Chase Turbo or some Sega Rally on the Saturn.

I finally did the Wind Temple after 45 hours in Zelda… and five days later than I had planned. But now I’m starting to feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of things to do so I think it’s time to take a break for a bit. The news about Sonic Superstars has inspired me to boot up my Mega Drive and play Sonic 3 and Knuckles again. And then maybe Sonic Generations on the PS3.

@Ploppy, yes I do indeed have the 3D controller! Best way to play Nights Happy gaming and happy weekend!

Home alone this weekend with the other half at a conference in Switzerland so absolutely more TOTK until the wee hours of the morning probably... 35 hours in and I still haven't done my first temple. I'm just pottering around, visiting villages to see what has changed since BOTW and doing shrines. But I WILL do the first temple this weekend, that's the goal.

Thinking about also firing up my Sega Saturn and playing some Nights into Dreams to break up the Zeldathon...

Ugh, really disappointing... and to rub more salt in the wound, I'm still waiting for my physical copy from LRG to ship, even though it has been 'ready' for over a month now...

A little late to the party but of course TOTK, about 25 hours in. But I also don't want to neglect Ghost of Tsushima on PS4, which I'm slowly but surely getting through, so I'm playing a bit of that too.

For a break from the open world-thing entirely, I'm also thinking about starting a platformer that's currently sat in my backlog. Maybe Panzer Paladin or Curse of the Moon 2.

I also recently tried The World Ends With You: Final Remix. I saw the potential in the story and characters but HATED the touchscreen mechanisms. They're so finicky. So I put it down. Maybe one day I'll pick it up again.

@dugan, I got to the end credits of Sakuna in about 40 hours but I really took my time... to the point where I think I was massively overpowered for the final boss, it was a walk in the park. But I loved the story and the aesthetics. Really, really beautiful.

Finished Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin this week and really, really enjoyed it... more than I thought I would. Still making my way through Ghost of Tsushima on PS4. And my partner and I will start Persona 5 Royal on Switch tomorrow evening as we're heading to Japan on Wednesday and we thought it would be cool to play Persona 5 together whilst we're actually physically in Tokyo!

I'm going to Japan in two months (dream trip) so I'm playing as many Japanese or Japan-set games as possible to get in the mood. On Switch, I'll be doing Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin this weekend, as well as aiming for more progress on my slow-burning Ghost of Tsushima playthrough on PS4.

Just finished AI: The Somnium Files (on Switch) and that was absolutely brilliant.

Wait... so is this the same or different from the Spanish version that was advertised a few months ago, which I then pre-ordered on Amazon Spain and is supposed to be released on 09/04?