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Refining My Hobbies Makes Me Happy

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Time is precious. And time is wasted when you are doing something you don’t enjoy. What better way to spend time with something that gives you a little cheer and excitement? My two main hobbies are books and video games, but sometimes I feel like I’m overgeneralizing these two interests. There is a specific genre of book I like to read, and a specific videogame genre I like to play — one that is perfectly catered towards my personality. I feel like I have found a good balance.

With that being said, I am very happy with the books I am currently reading, and I am so excited to add more to the list! Meanwhile, I have also made a list of video games that I am interested in playing! At first, I started playing Demon’s Souls (Ps3), but I realized I couldn’t capture pictures because I didn’t have a capture card. So I put the game aside for now. While playing Demon’s Souls, I recalled reading an interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki, who said Demon’s Souls was inspired by Shadow of the Colossus, which prompted me to wonder what has genDESIGN been up to? Lo and behold!

GenDesign’s Untitled game

Being a fan of Shadow Colossus, ICO, and The Last Guardian, I know I am going to play a good game. The trailer looks amazing!

Another game that I am interested in is Duskbloods, which happens to be an exclusive Switch 2 game. Now, I get the feeling I will be getting myself a Switch 2. I don’t know, though. Over the years, I had grown somewhat tired of FromSoftware games and its vocal fan base. Playing challenging games for the sake of challenge is not my cup of tea. Hopefully, FromSoftware doesn’t forget players like me who play for the environment. If I do become a Switch 2 owner, that would give me an excuse to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3, as well as other awesome titles.

There are plenty of other games I find interesting, but I highly doubt I will get to play them. For example, I am interested in adding PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse.

I played the first installment and appreciate the overall game’s craftsmanship. The art is pretty. The story is also interestingly funny even though it’s a horror visual novel. You could read my honest review here, if you haven’t already: PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo Review–I Found A Good Soap. I was laughing the entire time when I was writing the review. I wonder if readers can tell?

Another game I am interested in adding to my collection is Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. There’s a demo for Kunitsu-Gami, if you are curious. It’s a beautiful and strategic game. I don’t think there is a physical copy, but if you are interested in playing something new by Capcom, it’s worth checking out. I probably will get my copy on PSN because it’s still on sale until March 12, 2026. Although I am sure the Steam version will go on sale again eventually.

Help carve a path for the Goddess (screenshot from the demo on Steam)

I suppose I should have titled this blog post Games I Want to Play in 2026 because I already made one for books for this year. However, the entire point was that I found a way to refine my hobbies. Am I going to force myself to complete games and books as if I am on a tight deadline? No. I do what I can without pressure; become more selective of how I spend my time; and play a game based on my mood. This approach makes me happier. As the saying goes, “The tree that bends doesn’t break.”

Now I go to go deal with the Tyrant in Resident Evil Remasted 0…He looks like he spends way too much time in the sewer. Whew, he stinks! Someone could use a good soap.

Rebecca facing the Tyrant

Goetia Review (PC): I’m A Nice Ghost

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Old habits are hard to die. Like black coffee, video game is one of the things that get me out of bed. Here I am talking about it when I said I will keep the hobby to myself. One nice thing though is that I did not rush to write a thoughtful review after I finished the game. Instead, I took my time to write here and there when I can without feeling the pressure to meet deadlines. This blog is supposed to be fun, and fun it should be.

Someone once told me a decade ago, if I want to play games for the story then I should sign up for Steam. And so, I did. However, I can’t say I played enough indie titles to abandon AAA Games entirely. While I enjoyed games such as Cat Lady, I wish I could say the same about Goetia. The story wasn’t all that interesting enough to keep me on my toes. If you were to ask me to summarize it, it would require some painful backtracking because putting the story together feels like a chore. I didn’t think it was necessary to throw in some excerpts from books to help flesh out the story. Most of the time I asked myself what am I reading? How does this item tie in with the story? On top of this minor annoyance, the font style in some letters made it hard to read.

My eyesight is not bad, but typically I do wear glasses when I play games. There’s a problem with the font if I have to squint to read the pretty letters.
Does this book have something to do with the actual story other than just a place to hide a clue?

This brings me to gameplay: The puzzles were difficult but not in a good way. For instance, if the character is not good with music theory why include a music puzzle? There’s a difference between being challenging and being sadistic. It rubbed me the wrong way. All in all, I had to follow a guide for this game. And I learned that I am not the only one who felt this way! Talk about incohesive gaming experience. Not good. On the positive side, the game excels at atmosphere, although I can’t say I was scared playing as a ghost named Abigail! Should I be frightened of myself?

floating orb near scary statues
I am the floating orb in the game…

It’s a shame I wasn’t demonic. Instead, I was a nice ghost, which made me realize even if you were a demon or a ghost, you will always be in the right! That means smashing the dishes, slamming doors, and screaming are all justified (I hope I am not the only one who thought this was funny). On a serious note, the sound production in this game is soothing. I can see how this helps those who suffer from anxiety. This game is great with a cup of tea. You can check out my short playthrough to know what I mean.

Overall, it was a relaxing game. The greatest part about this game is learning a new vocabulary. I guess I am not demonic or gothic enough because I didn’t know what Goetia is before I played the game. Well, now I do! I noticed there is part II, but I didn’t like the game enough to want a sequel so I am going to pass. An explorative horror game with a lot of free agencies to roam is just not my cup of tea, but I sure love the ambient, horror theme!