Shopping List

My Video Game Shopping List: More JRPG Games

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Looking back this year, all I played are RPG games, and going forward I will continue to play lengthy games that require big-time investment. There’s something addictive about it, especially when you started learning and appreciating the battle system of the game on top of great storytelling.

So far, I have put in 49 plus hours in Tales of Xillia. And just finished the game as Mila Maxwell. I have yet to play Jude Mathius’ route. Yes, you can select either one to complete the story. The replay value is great for gamers who want to get the most out of their money. I remember I only spent 20 dollars on the limited edition which came with an artbook and a soundtrack which is so cool because these days we don’t get an artbook or a video game instruction pamphlet anymore.

Like books, I do feel accomplished for beating a great game. And will probably look into other Tales games afterward. Its cinematic cut scenes are high quality and refreshing. I found myself sometimes just watching the opening trailer over and over before hitting the Continue button. Games like this reminded me of why I started hunting for quality games in the first place. Will give Tales of Xillia a proper review at a later time.

So here are three games in my shopping cart:

1) Sakura Wars

Videogame shopping list

Out of pure curiosity, I want to see what the hype is all about. A few random gamers on Twitter kept praising the game saying how it missed the radar. You know how fanatic gamers can get defensive about their games. It’s like religion. So, being the skeptic that I am, I want to play the game for myself. Then I can make the decision and write it on my blog because I’m a passionate gamer and I don’t have anything else better to do such as wasting time on social media! Oh wait, I think I am a hypocrite. I did hear about the game on Twitter where busy adult gamers randomly tweet video game stuff.

2) Neo: The World Ends With You

video game shopping list

My brother told me about this game and anything brother likes is most likely good. In fact, I used to go to him for video game recommendations and it never fails. So, this one is going on my backlog once I purchase it! Plus, according to an article, I read recently, it didn’t sell well. I’m all for advocating for niche games so they are definitely getting my business.

3) Tales of Arise

Well…no mystery here. I actually enjoy the Tales series and appreciate quality games so I know the chance of being disappointed is slim. Unless, the series becomes like Dynasty Warrior games, then I might get tired eventually. Right now, a good story and some pretty visual gameplay that are manageable are what I’m looking for. Games like Elder Ring can wait. I’m just not in the mood for another soul-like game. All thanks to the git gud fan base. I still have not completed Dark Souls II DLCs. It is a shame because I love Fromsoftware as a game developer. They produce some high-quality games for sure. But like any business, you got to cater to your customers to keep them coming back, and sometimes that’s not always good for developers and gaming enthusiasts.

Yes, I know it’s all PS4. I am not in rush to buy PS5 and I am a PlayStation fan. It’s really all about the innovation and the story for me more than the competitive play. It just happens that the PlayStation console wins my time.

Well, that’s it for now. I know I am a little late, and a little tardy as I normally post on Mondays. I am only human. Hope you found something interesting on this list!

My Video Game Shopping List: Video Games to Cool Down in Summertime

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We had a heatwave which made it unbearable to play games without sweating and most older apartments and houses where I am from don’t come equipped with AC. Typically, the temperature tends to be on the mild side throughout the entire year. This year was odd. It was unusually cold in the winter and scourging hot in the summer. Luckily, it was only brief. Call it Global Warming or it’s just Mother Nature’s way of throwing a tantrum and trying to burn things alive and reduce them back to ashes–I need to find games that will cool me down quickly, and not burn me. Even just looking at a burning building in Sekirko: Shadows Die Twice, I feel dehydrated. As a result, there’s not much I could do other than literally be a couch potato with an ice pack on my forehead, drinking iced water to keep cool. No seriously, I was on the couch staring at my ceiling-fan spinning round and round like a merry-go-round. The heat was slowly turning me crazy.

I am back with my 3-list post. I browse games and window shop all the time for games. Writing this 3 list post is always fun for me and it gives me a break from thinking about things too deeply. So let’s go! What’s in my shopping bag?

1)Tales of the Black Forest

There’s no mystery by now if you have been following this blog that I really do love horror–the suspense and emotional stories that come with it always make me feel as if I gained something out of it and that is appreciating life. Want me to elaborate on what I meant by that? Check out my Kwaidan‘s analyses where I break down the stories and defined horror. So, when I find a horror game that looks interesting to me, I automatically put it on my shopping list. Tales of the Black Forest made it on my list for the price which is currently $1.59 on Steam. It’s a deal, I think. Whether you are on the budget or not as I am at the moment due to moving expenses–this is a deal worth checking out.

2) ABZU

I got this game for “free” for having PlayStation Plus. It’s one of those free games that sit in your library as long as you are a member. On Steam it is currently $9.99. I don’t really think it’s a bad price for the content. Normally, I don’t play this sort of game to past time, but the summer heat does get to me and I don’t think there is a more perfect game to dump myself in the ocean to feel refreshed mentally.

3) Ori and the Will of the Wisps

I have seen a couple of gameplays and bloggers writing about this game and I have always wanted to play it. If I were to make a video game purchase, I think I’d go for this one which is currently $14.99 on Steam. The visual is stunningly beautiful and the adventure, I am sure, will help me escape from the summer’s heat. In addition, the undertone of the plot seems positively mystical, which is something I prefer lately. With all the chaos going on, watching Death Note the anime got to me. I’m not in the mood for a battle of the wit where teenagers make big godly life decisions over another life or simply, I’m just not in the mood for dark content at the moment. I still have a couple of more episodes to go before I give it a proper assessment.

Well, that’s it for my 3-list post. It was fun looking for games to play like always. Now I just need to sit through and play one of them. Currently, I am playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Playing a calmer game on the side might balance things out for me. There are times, I cannot sit and play for a long time because of the heat. And then I often wonder in my youth why my favorite season has always been fall.

P.S

I did not purchase any of the games above but decided to resume Dragon Quest XI. Game has a calming effect compared to Sekiro for obvious reasons.