Fishing for Metaphors

Around this time of year, I tend to make a list of upcoming games and books I plan to play and/or read. I wonder why. Back in the days when I was a teen, I would have played anything that was given to me, including free games on the PC; and I would have read anything in front of me.   Now these days, I am more picky—really picky to the point of relying heavily on reviews, trailers, and word of mouth to determine a purchase.

For instance, looking at my Wishlist, I have been debating whether to pick  Remothered: Broken Porcelain after reading several negative reviews stating the same thing over and over about how buggy the game is.  Still, a part of me wants to go ahead and purchase the game since it’s on sale but I have been on the fence with this game for almost two years now! I am pretty sure the game is not as bad as reviewers make it out to be— but I don’t think it’s worth the time to play unpolished games regardless of its potential. Plus, I recently purchased Song of Horror and Tormented Soul. Games that are supposed to have the old school, survival horror third-person view aesthetic. They are next in line of games to play-but I do need a break from horror. As much as I enjoy horror for the adrenaline rush, too much of it is not good. So, I have been playing Strange Horticulture and Divinity Original Soul Enhanced Edition instead. I am 36 hours into Divinity! I found myself in the middle of the night playing before bedtime, trying to figure things out. Time sure flies when you are having fun. I like the game-play. It’s a turned based game that involves some strategy. Some people described the game as pen and paper experience, which unfortunately I have never played a tabletop game. But what I like most about the game is its lightheartedness on the seriousness of the plot: I am a source hunter; I hunt down evil sorcerers. The diverse voice acting makes the tone of the game theatrical and entertaining. One character sounds Russian the other sounds Southern and yes there is even an English accent thrown in the mix. It’s dramatic. Even the animals are voice dubbed by real humans which only add more charm to the game. Overall, it has good vibes with relaxing original soundtracks.

Looking back at my older post toward the end of 2022, I made a list of games to complete for the upcoming year. I accomplished some. Not all. I have completed Soma, Eyuiden Rising, Elden Ring, AI: Sominum Files, and Whisper of Machines. I also picked a game to play randomly this year: The Last Guardian, Fatal Frame IV, Zero Time Dilemma and Final Fantasy XII. I enjoyed all of them, but I am feeling a little burnt out from gaming in general. I find myself wanting to do other activities that are good for my mental health such as reading a good book or painting. Actually, I am currently reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B White. This book was on my reading list from one of my blog’s posts:Three Films that Make Me Want to Read the Book. 

Making a list type blog post and sharing it with the world feels like a form of commitment. I want to set bigger goals next year so that means I will scale back from gaming a bit. Sometimes by the time I finish a game, I don’t have the mental energy to write a review because behind the “writing scene”, there’s a lot of writing, revising, and editing. After all the hard work, I still find minor errors (*sighs*). As they say a second set of eyes are better than one. Over the years, I have learned that there is a lot of work behind maintaining a blog, and what drives me is my love for writing and creating content. When I look back at what I have written, I am amazed at my dedication. It’s something I would have never recognized if I didn’t put in the work. Most of all, I learned that I am always evolving. Sure, the blog doesn’t pay the bills, but it pays to keep me sane. So, I suppose everything balances itself out for the time being.