The Gaming Diary: Chapter 3

[Disposed Hero]

Resident Evil 4 - I finished this and came away disappointed overall. I didn't think it was bad, just didn't live up to my high expectations. A lot of annoying combat sections which sometimes felt unfair and heavy on trial-and-error. I played it on Hardcore mode since it was recommended for those who have played the original, but I wonder if I would have had a better time playing on normal. Oh well, I'll probably run through it again sooner or later and see how it goes.

Signalis - I wanted to play through this since it was leaving Game Pass. Supposed to be a throwback to classic survival-horror which I'm always down for. Was pretty disappointed with this one though. I felt like the bones of a good game were here, just felt like literally everything about it was either poorly designed or poorly executed. Everything about the gameplay just felt a bit off to me. Way too many enemies that you can't permanently kill without using the extremely limited flares to burn them. Extremely limited inventory space with way too many items to pick up. I could go on. I'm surprised the game was so well received, but oh well.

Seas of Stars - I've got several hours in this and really like it so far. Some obvious Chrono Trigger influence which is always a good thing.

[Link41]

Luigi's Mansion (GCN) - Playing on my newly acquired HDMI modded GameCube.

[Link41]

Game & Watch Gallery 2 (GBC) - Been setting high scores in Ball taking turns with my son.

[Link41]

Rock Band (PS2) - Another great round of jams this past weekend.

[Ikariniku]

Soul Blazer (SNES) - Finally played this after owning it for some years.  I was inspired to pick it up when a Game Sack video commented on its commonalities with ActRaiser.  Its quick pace of gameplay makes it very addictive, and I'm sure I'll be returning to it all week.

[Link41]

Mario Kart 64 (N64) - Been playing in my newly renovated game room. My restored 32" Toshiba CRT has been running N64 all day today. Mostly MK and Zelda to test out the tv.

[shaggy]

Beat FF V, on to FF VI!

[Link41]

Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) - Played for two straight hours last night with the kids.

[Link41]

Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA) - Couldn't use the main tv nor the basement tv yesterday due to kids clogging up both with all the gaming with their cousins. The Game Boy Advance came in handy for a rare moments of downtime yesterday.

[shaggy]

Forgot to say, I beat FF VI and started Dreamlight Valley and Undertale.

[Link41]

Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) - Loads of multiplayer with all the nieces and nephews and my kids the past few days.

[Disposed Hero]

Sea of Stars - Finished this a little while back. Really enjoyed it. Possibly my GOTY 2023, but it's more or less a tie with the next game.

Like A Dragon Gaiden - Played through this over the holiday break. Really enjoyed it despite it being kind of a 'lite' Yakuza game. Definitely lighter on content and a weaker entry compared to other games in the series, but a weak Yakuza game is still better than most other games imo.

Quantum Break - Was looking for a quicker palette cleanse game after the last two, so I played a bit of this. Kinda janky but it seemed ok. Wasn't holding my interest very much so I moved on to something else. I may come back to it and finish it, but all I could think about the whole time was how much better Control is compared to this.

Spider-Man 2 - Got this as a Christmas gift so I started playing it. I wouldn't go as far as to say I love it, but I do like it quite a bit. These games always get compared to the Arkham games which I have always preferred. I think the dark and gritty tone of Batman just appeals to me more than Spidey.

Super Mario RPG - Was at my parents' house quite a bit over the holidays which gave me time to play some handheld stuff which I almost never do. The OG SMRPG is an old favorite of mine. The remake introduces some new changes, some of which I'm not sure I'm a fan of. The original was already a very easy game, but the remake's difficulty feels almost trivial. Still a fun time though.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Started this and am enjoying it quite a bit. Lots of unique ideas, and it seems like every level so far introduces something new. I also like the online element of seeing other players to get clues about where to find secrets and stuff.

This Way Madness Lies - Bought this on the PSN sale and started playing it last night. I liked Cosmic Star Heroine quite a bit so was hoping this would be pretty similar. It feels more like Cthulhu Saves Christmas, meaning that it really feels like a half-assed budget game. I'll probably put a little more time into it and see if it grabs me but I'm not holding my breath.

[Disposed Hero]

Spider-Man 2 - Got a little fatigued of it because I had to get the platinum trophy, but I really enjoyed it overall. Definitely left some story arcs open to continue in a sequel, so that should be interesting.

Prodeus - I guess this is what the kids these days call a 'boomer shooter,' but it's a lot of dumb fun. Very straightforward classic Doom-inspired FPS.

A Plague Tale: Requiem - Really enjoyed the first game so the sequel was definitely on my list. Haven't gotten very far into it so I don't have much to say about it yet, but I have high hopes for this one!

Dark Souls 3 - Playing this in co-op every now and then with a friend. I really like it, although a part of me thinks I might enjoy it more if I played it single-player and just explored the world on my own. I feel like I'm missing a lot by being guided through it by someone else.

[Ghost Soldier]

Arcana SNES~I'm on Chapter 3 and leveling up in the ice caves. This game is brutal, but I'm having a good time with it.

[shaggy]

I beat Undertale.  Woo hoo!