Commenter Archive

I played a little bit of Hollow Knight a while back. I am not sure why it didn't stick. Maybe I will revisit it someday.

Last night, I finished Persona 5 Strikers. The final fight involves all of the characters, so I had to do a little bit of farming to get my less-used characters up to par after my initial defeat. However, I was a bit annoyed after that initial defeat, so I took a break and played Agatha Christies "The ABC Murders," based on the Poirot mystery. It was an okay game, but I felt it was a bit on-rails, even for a point and click game. I enjoyed it, and it was short. I don't think I would have finished it if it was much longer. It made a nice diversion before finished Strikers, though.

I think my next game is going to be Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's another game that I started years ago, when it was still rather new, but I did not get that far. After that, maybe I will get back to Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

I already shared my big spending on the Spring Sale. However, neither game really works on the Steam Deck, so I have not played either much. My time on the actual PC has been spend on MH Wilds with my wife. We have one last hunt and we will be finished with the High Rank Story, then on to whatever end game farming we decide to do.

Most of my remaining game time has been spent on Persona 5 Strikers, which I got during the Winter Sale. It's made by the same folks that make Dynasty Warrior (and Hyrule Warriors, and a Fire Emblem version). This game is a little bit different, though. In those games, you are heroes with an army of regular soldiers fighting against another army and controlling different map points. With Persona 5 Strikers, you are a party of four, though you still fight against large groups of minions and occasional bosses, and it is a dungeon crawl with no shifting control of objectives.

It takes place four months after Persona 5 Royal. The Main Character has come back to Tokyo, but there is some more weirdness going on. At first, it seems similar to the events of the original game, but as you explore there are differences. Instead of taking on the owner of a Palace, which crumbles when the owner is defeated, the Phantom Thieves are infiltrating Prisons where the Monarchs are stealing people's Desires. When the Monarch is defeated, the desires are freed and returned, but the Palace still stands.

I first started playing a while back, but the game did not click. I was losing frequently, and I got annoyed and took a break. When I came back to the game, it started to make sense. One of the issues is that the original game trains you to do everything you can during a single visit to a Palace. Every visit advances time, and the game has a limited number of days (with individual deadlines for each Palace). In Strikers, you can enter and leave as often as you want, and time does not advance. Time only advances with the story. This means you can go in, fight, leave, heal up, and go back in. The enemies will respawn, but you can fast travel to unlocked checkpoints. The shops will also restock after visits to the Jails. This makes it possible to farm XP and money, making it easier to power up the characters. On top of that, I managed to figure out the real time combat and generally got better at it.

Now that I understand the game, I really enjoy it. I'm probably about 1/3 of the way through. I will probably just play straight through, or I might end up revisiting my Wrath of the Righteous game (which alternates between enjoyable and tedious for me).

I work four-tens, so I normally get a three day weekend with Friday off. However, last weekend one of my dogs started limping on Sunday, so I ended up with a four-day weekend last week to take him to the vet. Confirmed our suspicions, since he is a 12-year-old corgi: arthritis.The worst part (for us, not him) is confronting the fact that he is entering his twilight years. That also means I only get a two-day weekend, which feels like nothing at all when you are used to three.

Nothing too exciting on my to-do list. My wife's car needs a new battery. We still have boxed up Christmas decorations to get into the attic. My 3D printer has been wonky, but I hope replacing the nozzle will help. It will be my first time doing it, so hopefully it goes well.

I know it's not the video game post, but I nabbed Pony Island for ~$0.75 on the Steam Spring Sale. That's practically free.

Still plowing through Monster Hunter Wilds with my wife. As somebody who was disappointed with the previous game in the series, Rise, I have really been enjoying this one. A big complaint is that the game is easier than previous games. A lot of people excuse it with "that's because you have played before," or "that's just low rank," and I am sure those are contributing factors, but I think the game is easier regardless, as somebody who has been playing since the 3rd generation. OTOH, it is probably more accessible for new players than previous games in the series. If you have a computer that can run it, and if you have ever been curious about the series, this is probably a good time to jump in.

Fights are fast and fun. There are a lot of new tricks for dealing with monsters and ways to use the environment to your benefit. Older games really benefitted from memorizing monster patterns and learning little tells to predict what a monster was about to do. Playing at a high level (better than I could manage) really required anticipating what a monster would do to be in the right place to hit without getting hit. Wilds is a lot more reactive. The monsters tend to have more distinct tells, and the big attacks are typically well-telegraphed. Fights reward paying attention and require less memorization.

The series has always had a story (at least as far back as 3), but there is much more focus on it in the newer games, sometimes to the detriment of gameplay, especially if you are trying to play through with somebody else. But if story is important, this one is pretty good. Nothing deep or nuanced, but entertaining.

Overall, as a long-time fan of the series, who had some reservations about this game, I have really been having a good time. We still have to finish the high rank story, then I will see if the endgame keeps me coming back. The new games also tend to be supported with Title Updates that add new monsters and features to the mix, so I have that to look forward to.

Monster Hunter Wilds released last week. I have been looking forward to this for a while. I felt like Rise was a little underwhelming. It was fun, but it did not grab me like the previous games in the series. I still revisit the older ones from time to time. I was also a little bit concerned because my computer does not actually meet the minimum specs. My graphics card is good, buy my processor is just below the minimum. So far, it has been running okay, though, and my wife and I have been having a blast. There are a lot of new monsters, and the overall style is a little more realistic now. So far, there have only been two returning monsters from previous series, and they have done a good job updating them to the new style. I look forward to the weekend and diving back in.

I could be wrong, but I think that is unaffiliated with the board game. The gameplay looks different, and I do not see any mention of Van Ryder Games, who publish Final Girl.

I enjoy solo board gaming. It can be hard to get people together, and my wife is not as big of a fan of the hobby as I am (though she does enjoy it). A lot of games I play solo are co-op games, which can usually be played solo by taking on the role of multiple players. However, some games are explicitly designed for one player. One of the best examples of a true solo game is Final Girl. Last week, I got my Season 3 order from their most recent Kickstarter, so I got started playing that.

As the name implies, you are the Final Girl in a horror film. You are one girl against a killer. Their victims to be saved (or killed). Various items can be found to help you. In the end, it boils down to a showdown between the final girl and the killer, and only one will remain standing.

The game is modular. It has a core set (which is not playable by itself) that contains the items that are used across the games. Along with the core box you need at least one Feature Film. Each Feature Film comes with a couple final girls, a killer, a location, and the cards and tokens needed for each. Each feature film is based on either a specific horror icon or at least a common trope. Camp Happy Trails features a knockoff Jason who stalks victims in a summer camp. Hell to Pay takes the Final Girl to Hell to take on Razorface, who is not quite Pinhead. North Pole Nightmare takes place in the North Pole where Mrs. Claus must save Santa's Elves from Krampus. The different killers and locations typically have special rules and sometime unique requirements for victory. What really makes the game shine is that it is modular. You can combine locations, killers, and final girls from different feature films. If you want to fight not-Jason in the Hellscape or fight Razorface in the North Pole, you can.

Gameplay is about managing time and horror. Every turn you have 6 time units. During the action phase, you play cards from your hand. You roll dice to determine the degree of success. Sometimes, but not always, the actions will cost time. A few actions will actually increase your time. After you are finished taking actions, you can use remaining time to buy actions cards (move, attack, guard, etc) from the tableau to use on the next action phase. Cards that were just played cannot be purchased until the next turn. After that, the killer gets his turn. He has a default action (typically some variation of move, followed by attack), then a terror card is drawn. Terror cards are tied to the killer or the location, and they can have a variety of effects.

Just like in the movies, the Final Girl or the Killer might not die at first. The last life token for each is chosen at random, and some of them will give them extra life points, letting them come back from the dead (but only once). The game can get tense, and it can spiral out of control. As the horror rating goes up, you get fewer dice. This makes it more difficult to succeed at actions, which also makes it more difficult to reduce the horror rating. As victims are killed, the killer gains bloodlust, getting stronger and faster. You have to plan ahead to make sure you have enough time to buy cards you need and stay ahead of things before it gets unmanageable. Overall, it captures the feel of fighting from underneath against an overpowered monster, and if you are into horror, you will likely be able to find a a variation of a few of your favorite killers.

Last weekend I promised to share the lentil croquettes recipe and here it is.

2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 tbsp olive oil, butter, or a mixture
salt and pepper
1 cup lentils, sorted, rinsed, and soaked for 1 hour
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 egg
vegetable oil, for frying

Cook the onions over low heat in a medium skillet while covered, stirring occasionally, until they are brown, soft, and full of aroma. About 15 min.
Meanwhile, combine the drained lentils, carrot, celery, and salt to a saucepan. Cover with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes Drain, reserving broth..
Puree vegetables in a food processor until mostly smooth. Add broth if needed.
Mix the lentils with the onions and half the bread crumbs. Spread out on a plate to allow to cool for easier handling.
Form the mixture into 3-inch ovals or 2 1/2-inch rounds. Roll the croquettes in the remaining bread crumbs.
Pour the oil into a skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch and place over medium high heat. Fry in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 5-8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

After cooking these and trying a soup recipe from the same book, I have the same complaint. Both dishes were bland. The cookbook's author seems to be afraid of seasoning, which is the worst stereotype of vegetarian cooking. I will continue to try recipes, but I will have to improvise some seasoning to give them flavor.

My primary game right now is Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. I have also been dipping into Forza 4 when I want something fast that doesn't require a real time commitment. This week was a new update for No Man's Sky, which added purple star systems that include new planet types, such as water worlds and gas giants. I will probably spend some time exploring those when I'm not fighting the hordes of The Abyss.

I will try to remember, but if not, feel free to call me out in next weekend's post. It's some sort of lentil croquettes that my wife picked out.

My wife and I are both getting over one of the nasty bugs that has been floating around, so this weekend will probably involve catching up on neglected duties around the house. There was supposed to be a game night tomorrow, but I'm not sure I would have the energy, and I don't know for sure if I am no longer contagious, so I am skipping this one out. Still have the Rumble though.

Speaking of cookbooks, we got a new vegetarian cookbook the other day. We eat a lot of carbs, but we don't do the best job with eating vegetables (unless onions and garlic count). I hope this will help us get better about that. We will be trying one of the first dishes from that this weekend.

I tried to get back into Elden Ring, but it just wasn't clicking for me. In hindsight, I think it's because I was really sick (COVID, flu, other?). I did not have the brainpower, coordination, or patience for it. Instead, I decided to dig into Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. It seems play like a much less horny BG3. I am finishing a few sidequests before taking on the dungeon that will (I assume) finish Act 1, but I have been enjoying it a lot so far.

I also realized that Torment: Tides of Numenera (spiritual successor to Planscape: Torment) is playable on Steam Deck. I got the game a long time ago, but never really got started. It should be easy to play through it now, though I am saving it until I finish Wrath of the Righteous. Maybe I'll also give Elden Ring another try when I get back to normal.

Some libertarian types like to describe government as a protection racket. I think we are seeing what that actually looks like.

Wishlisted both games. They sound interesting.

Persona 5 Royal is done, though I might go back for NG+ in the future. Now I plan to finish up some shorter games before getting back to Elden Ring.

Right now I am trying to finish Gundam Breaker 4. I'm over halfway through. I might not make it though. The premise of the game is fun (fight Gundams, break off parts, use parts to build Gundams), but the missions all feel the same and the difficulty is pretty low. I haven't quite gotten bored with it, but that might happen before I finish. We'll see.

Next, after discussing it the other day, I decided to finally play through Orcs Must Die. It looks like a pretty quick one, maybe a game I can beat in a week or so. I have plenty of other options after that to keep me occupied until I decide I'm ready to dive back into a 100+ hour game.

I played quite a bit of Undying. I enjoyed it, but I never finished it. I'm not sure if I just got involved in a different game or if I hit a spot that I decided was annoying. Unfortunately, I doubt it would play well on a Steam Deck, which means I would be unlikely to ever touch it. Being able to play in bed is just too convenient.

I am near the end of the main quest of Persona 5 Royal. Secrets have been revealed, and I understand the machinations and plots that lead my character (and the world) to their current state. Some characters are not who they seemed to be. I have to trek my way through the final dungeon and beat the final boss, then off to the third semester, which is the additional content added in Royal. I have really enjoyed the game. I think I have around 80 hours into it. Usually, by this time (or even earlier), I have reached the point of just pushing myself to the end for the sake of finishing the game (or sometimes just bailing altogether). I'm still playing this one out of enjoyment, not obligation. I might even save this one for a NG+ run somewhere down the road, though I think I will need a long break first. There are quite a few confidants that I did not get very highly ranked, including a few that I managed to miss until too close too the end of the game.

I feel like this week was my first relatively normal week since returning from eye surgery. The previous couple of weeks, I felt like a zombie by the end of the day. I think I might actually have the energy to make it to the board game meetup tomorrow. It will be nice to play after the last few months stuck at home.

We started decorating for Christmas last week, but we still have a mess in the living room of storage containers, so we need to get that finished up and stash things away. I need to see if my anti-rodent fix in the attic is holding. Other than that, I don't plan to get to ambitious.

My wife and I saw an opera based on It's a Wonderful Life. It was pretty good, but there was a fire alarm, and we had to evacuate, so we didn't get to see the end.

I sure hope Clarence got his wings.

I have always wanted to check out the Silent Hill series, but I never got around to it. I have added the remake to my wish list, and maybe someday in the future when it goes on sale, I will nab it. I have plenty to play at the moment.

I am mostly playing Personal 5 Royal. I just discovered that, to get the "true ending," the relationship with a particular character needs to be raised to a high level by a certain date. I am nearing that date, and I am not sure if I will have time to get him there by the deadline. It's not the end of the world if I don't, but I will be kind of annoyed.

There is another character whose relationship needs to be nearly maxed by a certain date to reach the third semester that was added. I got that done, but the game doesn't really make it explicit that it's required. It would really suck to get there and find out you couldn't continue.

Dang. I could have sword you were playing Balatro. I haven't tried it yet, but given what I have heard about it, and your love of Slay the Spire, I'm surprised you didn't dive in headfirst.

If Metaphor follows the pattern of the SMT and Persona series, eventually it will come out with an expanded version, and you won't be able to upgrade from the basic version, so I will wait until that comes out. Besides, I'm only about halfway through Persona 5 Royal.

I really need to get back to Elden Ring and get to the DLC. Just not enough hours in the day.

Today will be something of a return to normalcy for me. I got a haircut scheduled tomorrow. We need to do some shopping to get ready for Thanksgiving. I have a boardgame meetup on Sunday. Other than that, I will be playing it by ear.

"germs don’t exist because he can’t see them"

Is Pete Hegseth an atheist, then?

Most of my Castlevania related gaming is playing through the Ode to Castlevania DLC for Vampire Survivors, trying to unlock Richter so that I can unlock the rest of the map. I also did some stuff I missed the first time I was playing, like unlock Endless and Inverse modes and occasionally unlocking some of the Arcana that I never got around to.

I'm also spending some time with Persona 5 Royal and Gundam Breakers 4, but mostly I keep getting sucked back into Vampire Survivors.

It's not super twitchy, since it's more about making a character that can just stand around and not die. Considering it's just one thumb on a controller, it's pretty manageable. I'm not going to try my luck with Elden Ring.

I figured out ways to comfortably play on my Steam Deck while laying on my side. I am revisiting Dredge and Vampire Survivors with new DLC. Pale Reach and Iron Rig for the former and Ode to Castlevania for the latter. I played both games to burnout when I first got my Deck, but I was ready to revisit them.

My retina detached, and I had to have surgery on Thursday. During surgery, the doc discovered my retina had also torn in half. I spent the better part of Friday recovering from the anesthesia and being taken care of by my amazing wife. I have to spend all my time on my left side or face down. Next week, I get a follow up procedure to remove the liquid and replace it with a gas bubble. This weekend promises to suck.