The afterward week of Gamer Christmas

Even though I’ll call it the week, anything else from this month will also be added to this post.

Shacknews Indie Showcase

I hadn’t realized The Big Con’s Grift of the Year update released so I’ll definitely be trying that out. I really enjoyed the game even if I wish there was another option at the end.

I’m also still excited for Love, Ghostie and Lost in Play.

Passing Waters looks really cute. It Kickstarter going on right now and I noticed it has no digital/vanity item Kickstarter exclusives so I backed it immediately.

Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories also looks really good.

Paranormal Detective tempts me every time I see it, but it requires VR :(

LEGO CON

I see why LEGO Bricktales didn’t have its demo up yet. I’m happy I was finally able to check it out.

I know not too much game-wise was shown, but it was still a really fun show to watch. There’s genuinely so many LEGO Sets I’d love to get if I could afford them.

There didn’t end up being too much else, but I think it was still a really fun month regardless. If there turns out to be any last minute things, I’ll update this, but otherwise, I guess that’s a wrap :)

Edit: Of course Nintendo puts their thing super close to the end of the month!! So, to finish things off, here’s our last section:

Nintendo Direct Mini

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes looks really neat, though also a bit haunting. A very cute dog too.

Super Bomberman R2 looks fun, though, I kind of wish it had more maps like Super Mario 64.

Pacman World Re-Pac looks really fun too.

Blanc looks very pretty. I love the art style, but I feel like the story may be sad and I don’t think I can deal with my heart breaking. Let them be happy T~T

I’ve actually never played any of the Monkey Island games, but I kind of really want to try them all out at some point.

Disney Dreamlight Valley continues to look really great. I’m sad Early Access isn’t until September 6th– I really hoped for it to be sooner, but still looking forward to it. Impatiently waiting for when we can just get the Founder’s Pack. Regardless, I noticed a cute coat called the “Lacy Pink Coat” in the trailer which I hope may also have a nice dress in similar colors. I also really loved this hairstyle and hope maybe a longer version of it will exist as well.

Harvestella looks pretty interesting, though, I don’t think it’s fully my type of game.

I was kind of surprised WORTH LIFE wasn’t shown as it’s releasing exclusively on Switch and just got a new trailer yesterday, but maybe it’s because it’s releasing in like 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, on the Japanese version of the Mini Direct, they showed this fishing game which looked really cute? I have no idea what it is, but I kind of hope it comes over.

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright was also shown which I recall seeing before so surprised it also wasn’t included in the English version.

Gamer Christmas Week: Days 4 and 5

We’re on Day 4 now and the last of the “big company” showcases, unless Nintendo finally announces one. Either way, I’m excited to see what comes out of it. This is more or less the final day of the main week, but I figured I’d tie it into the next couple of days anyway due to two of the shows being extensions of ones from these last few days.

Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

I always appreciate good little Robot friends. And honestly, just relieved it’s not even more zombies… but the movement is still too similar at times.

I get the point of GamePass, but I just… prefer to actually own my games and I’m not really fond of subscription services, even if more and more things keep adding them.

I still really need to get a new Forza game already. That said, while seeing new courses was nice, I don’t think all the details were necessarily needed in the showcase… I’m in a racing game, I’m not going to see how my car is reflecting.

I always like seeing Flight Simulator even though I’ve never actually played it. I may just really enjoy scenery shots. Adding Halo is a bit weird, but you know what? I’d take Flight Simulator: In-game universes too.

I have such mixed feelings on Overwatch 2. The actual gameplay from 1 feels barely different and I honestly don’t care for most of the character redesigns, so it feels like 1 could’ve kept going for PvP and 2 could’ve focused on PVE entirely without also changing so many designs to such an extent. Offhand, D.Va’s may be the only one I really like? Mercy’s new outfit is okay, but I dislike her new hairstyle. Winston’s is also fine, but his is the only one that really looks so similar to his original design and like it was just made more detailed/sleeker. Genji’s is a situation of I prefer the new one, but I don’t really care either way. Others, I’m neutral at best.

I love rock covers of songs. I actually have this one on my playlist too. I still really want to get the Hot Wheels game, honestly.

I always appreciate the cute animal friends in games.

The little Minecraft Fairies were kind of cute.

Lightyear Frontier looks like farming while in a mech and well, if it makes the farming part less tedious than how it feels in most games, I may at least be a bit intrigued.

I genuinely enjoyed the Sea of Thieves song. I actually really liked what I played of it once I figured out what I was doing. One day maybe I’ll get back to it.

I have no interest in Starfield at all, yet want to make a character anyway because I enjoy character creation aspects too much. Ship customization looks neat too. I honestly don’t care much for super expansive worlds though, if only because my navigational sense is trash.

With the whole GamePass focus, I kind of hoped Disney Dreamlight Valley would be brought up, but oh well. This is why I prefer going in without any hopes.

PC Gaming Show

The Constructors looks interesting, but I know I tend to get overwhelmed easily and I kind of suck at balancing needs.

F1 Manager is a lot more complicated than I expected.

I get that it’s in the name, but the one thing I don’t care for in Deceive Inc. is deceiving other players. I think the powers are neat to stealth along even if there are no threats, but I don’t care for a stealth battle royale.

Nivalis looked really interesting. I would make a cute Cyberpunk cafe. I feel like it’s rare to see a Cyberpunk-themed game that doesn’t have a huge combat focus.

Please do not threaten cute puppies. (As a note, all puppies = cute. There is no such thing as a non-cute puppy)

Steam Nextfest

I did not expect Steam to have a bit of an extended thing this year beyond how previous Nextfests have gone. I always end up checking out some Demos each year, so I’m not sure how much I’ll say, but here’s some of the demos I ended up checking out specifically after the Nextfest Event started:

But I did try several before this too or even in the past so definitely check out the channel or my demo playlist). There are also ones I’ve played in the past that I am still excited for, but did not play the demo again, even if updated. I generally will only do the latter if it was still REALLY early access and I wasn’t won over originally, but not playing it doesn’t mean I’m not still excited for a game.

There are some games I was interested in that said they would have a demo that, at least at the times I checked and while writing this do not, such as Lego Bricktales, but I’ll keep checking back.

Guerrilla Collective 3.5

I feel like for the most part it was just extended trailers of stuff we’ve already seen, so I don’t really have much to say, but I am still excited for things.

Above Snakes’ trailer music was really pretty.

Capcom Showcase

Monster Hunter has shown to just not be my type of game no matter how many times I try, even with its spin-offs, for various reasons, but their preorder bonuses make me wish it was sometimes.

I didn’t really have much to talk about Day 6 due to their focuses, so I guess we’ll just have a belated Day 4 and 5. Anything further I have to talk about from Gamer Christmas month will be in the Afterward Week.

Gamer Christmas Week: Day 3

It’s time for Day 3 which also includes the Showcase I am most excited for: Wholesome Games!! Sure, I play through other games too, but I think everyone can agree most of my stuff is under that label. Regardless, I’m excited for the other Showcases too :) So, let’s begin!

Guerrilla Collective 3

South of the Circle seems interesting, but it also sounds like it may make me cry. I liked the art style a lot. Also, the carnival moment/flashback seems really cute. I really like the prizes, to no one’s surprise.

Slopecrashers looks really cool (pun not intended) and a lot of fun. I’ll definitely have to try out the demo later.

Cassette Beasts has a neat art style. Rytmos also looked really neat.

ARKANOID: ETERNAL BATTLE!!!! I love Block-buster games so much. Don’t care much for the Battle Royale mode, but I am so excited just to play solo, honestly. While Tetris was most people’s main classic, I was actually never much of a fan of it and this has always been my favorite classic game. I love Arkanoid so much.

Nine Years of Shadows is definitely not my type of game, but I honestly love every time it comes up (and not JUST because of the Teddy bear friend). The graphics are so pretty.

I’m still somewhat interested in Spells & Secrets, but pretty much for every aspect outside of the actual combat which seems too big of a feature to actually ignore, though with co-op, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. More Kickstarter Exclusive cosmetics though :(

I’m not much of a plant person, but Garden In may be the one I’ve ever been most excited for. It reminds me a lot of Flower Town, from the Streetpass games, just even better.

I’ve been excited for Shashingo since I first saw it and seeing more footage has just increased it. I don’t know if it’ll help me learn Japanese or not due to most methods not seeming to work for me, but I know I’ll have fun playing regardless.

Wholesome Games Direct

So, if you remember my “blurb” from last year about Wholesome Games, it quickly became just… a list because there was just SO MUCH so I made some handy-dandy categories this time around to lessen my chance of just saying the same things I always have– if I have any additional thoughts, I’ll mention it! Essentially, anything listed I either feel like I had something neat to say and/or I’m hoping to play it:

Games I only heard about now!:
• Little Bear Chef – I LOVE HIM!!! HE’S SO CUTE!!!

• Melodyssey – Cute music score doggy T~T The game also seems neat too.

• 30 Birds – The playstyle looks really interesting. Intrigued to see more of it.
• Usagi Shima – They’re so cute T~T

• Chicken Journey – This is looks really cute. I love the art style a lot as well.
• ODDADA – I feel like I’d be so focused on placing things, I’d forget about trying to make a nice song. That’s what usually happens when I just want to place cute things.
• Bumblegum Galaxy – It seems interesting and not too… stressful? So I’d be interested to try it.
• Paper Trail – I always find these types of game mechanics interesting. I noticed there was a Demo so definitely trying it later.
• A Frog’s Tale – I genuinely just adore the art style. All the characters look so cute.
• Hamster on Rails – THIS LOOKS SO CUTE.
• Potion Permit – I’m definitely intrigued (And I love the cute dog), but I have no clue how well I’d actually do at the game.

• Olliefrog Toad Skater
• MISKA
• Pine Hearts
• Super Mini Mart
• Toroa – The graphics are so pretty. I love just looking at the scenery.
• FREERIDE – I love personality tests.
• The Courier
• Skye Tales
• Lost Twins II – I love the art style a lot. Also, the cute giant teddy bear at the end. The gameplay looks like a lot of fun.
• Gaucho and the Grassland – I’m definitely intrigued at the least.
• PaperKlay – I love the style of the game a lot.
• Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo

Games I have heard about before:
• Terra Nil – I love the art style so much in this and it looks gorgeous, but I struggled a lot with balancing things even in the tutorial so I don’t know how well I’d do in the full game.
• LumbearJack – I honestly loved playing the demo of this game. It was so fun and I’ve been excited for the main game since.
• Mika and The Witch’s Mountain
• A Walk with Yiayia
• Coffee Talk 2 – I loved the original a lot and really enjoyed the demo of 2 as well so I’m super excited for its release.
• Garden Witch Life
• Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
• Passpartout 2
• Freshly Frosted – I always think of just how cute it looks every time I see it pop up, but I feel like I’d quickly get overwhelmed.
• Wholesome Out & About – This looks so good. I’ve been looking forward to it since I first heard about it and it genuinely just looks better each time.
• Paradise Marsh – Downloading the demo as we speak.
• Lil Gator Game
• We Are OFK
• Pekoe – I want the Cute Bookshelf in real life.
• Tracks of Thought
• Critter Crops – There’s a lot of things I like in the game, but the battle system had me so nervous and I also run out of room too fast because I feel the need to hoard one of each and there’s variants.
• The Spirit and the Mouse – Another demo I am downloading immediately.
• A Little to the Left
• Kokopa’s Atlas – They said there is a Demo but there is not a Demo yet but when there is I will download it and I will play it.
• Garden of the Sea – If only it wasn’t VR exclusive.
• Kity Builder
• Garden In!
• Petit Island
• Hello Goodboy
• Harmony’s Odyssey
• Love, Ghostie
• Paper Animal RPG – The art style is adorable
• MELATONIN – I love the general Aesthetic and color scheme so much, but I am so bad at rhythm games.
• SCHiM
• Puzzles for Clef
• Bilkins’ Folly
• Lost in Play
• san Zoolin
• Townseek – I actually played the Game Jam version about a year ago now and really enjoyed it. Super excited to see it developing into a full game.
• Bloom – I find it so interesting and it honestly makes me wonder if I should ever get a Playdate. Maybe one day.
• Mossfield Origins

Games I’ve already preordered/backed/own:
• Mail Time
• PuffPals Island Skies – Possibly one of games that has had me the most conflicted that I’ve ever backed. It was very much a “this has so many things I like and so many of my friends are getting it/recommended it”, but it had some of the worst Kickstarter Exclusives I’ve seen with how expensive they were. And in a game that highlights collecting as a feature to the game, making it exclusive to a Kickstarter is insane to me. People act like vanity items are no big deal to make exclusive or tons of micro transactions in, but for games like these– where they’re wholesome and relaxing, customizing is SUCH a huge deal, and it blows my mind that people just don’t realize how much of an issue it is to keep restricting things like that. I could at least forgive microtransactions if they are at least permanent and not too pricey, but when you have $50 for a house exterior, it’s hard to not be disappointed.
• Calico – I finished the game a while back now so I can’t wait to check out the updates with the Pawsome Edition when it releases.
• Ooblets – I’ve been playing Ooblets since Early Access began. I can’t wait for the full version and to hopefully finally get Rockstack!! I’ve already noticed so many new things. I can only imagine how much stuff 1.0 contains.
• Here Comes Niko! – I actually finished the game very recently. Super excited for the DLC. Gary’s Garden looks gorgeous.
• SkateBIRD – I really need to get back to it. I’m so bad at the controls though. ALSO THAT IS NOT A BIRD, GAME.
• Kitori Academy – Still kind of bummed it also went Kickstarter Exclusives, but excited for it otherwise.
• Snacko
• Lonesome Village

Even with categories, this list is pretty insane. I was so overwhelmed in the end regardless. T~T

Also my thoughts on the cute animations in the middle in order as it went:
HOW COULD YOU PUT “TO BE CONTINUED” THERE AND LEAVE THE SAD BUNNY??? T~T
Oh… it’s continuing through… hopefully we eventually get a name. I think I would just like it as one consistent thing though.
Oh thank goodness, they met up together in the end afterall and everything worked out.

Future of Play Direct

Intrigued by Hill Agency: Purity/Decay. Need to see more of how the game plays out.

Cook Serve Forever also looks interesting. The food looks so pretty.

I really love OU’s art style and music.

Sizzle Reel time– Standouts for me were Midnight Girl and Circuit Superstars. Still intrigued by Loddlenaut too.

Future Games Show

Tray Racers looks really cute. I love the art style. I hope you can customize a character and also somehow have a pet Phog.

The music in Wildmender’s trailer is so pretty.

The Sizzle Reel transistions feel a bit off though.

Turbo Golf Racing looks interesting. It feels like Rocket League crossed with Golf with friends.

Alaskan Truck Simulator looks neat. I’m not great at survival elements though.

I try not to mention the same game more than one per post, but I’m just really excited for Puzzles for Clef and really enjoyed playing through the demo earlier this year.

This Rain Will Never End looks really interesting as well. I do love mystery solving.

I don’t even drink alcohol, but Brewmaster looks kind of fun regardless.

I loved the cute little Hedgehog in the Bramble the Mountain King trailer. I get spooked too easily to play, but it definitely sounds really interesting from a folklore perspective.

I really enjoyed when I played Once Upon a Jester a while back. Still excited for it.

Bright Memory Infinite isn’t my type of game, but I appreciated the pink weapon skin option. All the outfits shown looked like downgrades though.

Tinykin was another demo I really enjoyed, though I couldn’t finish due to running into a bug. I always felt bad exploding the red Tinykins since they disappear after.

Sizzle Reel Standours for me: Dinkum, MythBusters: The Game, Shadows of Doubt

F1 Manager 22 looked really interesting as well.

Planet of Lana’s music continues to be super pretty.

Snufkin looks so good. Another game I’m excited for.

I genuinely love a lot of PalWorld’s creature designs, but the game mechanics just aren’t really for me…

I was already excited for today and it still blew me away. The shows were all really packed and there’s just so much I’m excited for. I think the only thing that could’ve made today better was if Disney Dreamlight Valley showed up too. Hopefully we’ll get some Early Access/Founder’s Pack date/pricing news soon.

Anyway, I’m off to go play a whole bunch of game demos. I noticed some aren’t up yet despite mentioning a demo, but maybe they’ll be up in a few days when Steam Nextfest starts.

Gamer Christmas Week: Day 2

We’re officially onto Day 2 and have several presentations to look forward to today :) Tomorrow will be Day 3 and then it’ll either be Day 4 or combined with Day 5 depending on how much I think there is to say and then we just have the Afterward Week to finish everything off.

IGN Expo

Ground Divers looks interesting, but I definitely tend to not be too great at those types of games. The graphics are so cute though and the base decorating looks fun.

SacriFire looked really pretty. I loved the art style.

Quiet Farm went off the rails so fast. I also really loved the music in the Ship of Fools trailer.

Gori Cuddly Carnage’s theme constantly reminds me of Zombie Ate my Neighbors.

I really love the artstyle of Coral Island, but it also went the exclusive digital items in the Kickstarter route :(

I played Roots of Pacha’s demo yesterday and really enjoyed it despite my utter failure at time management. I need to see if I can still use the code “Smiley” despite finishing the demo.

Super Zoo Story looks really neat. That said, the art style looks so similar to Stardew Valley, I’m surprised it’s not the same person.

Dinkum is still looking really neat. May want to look into Early Access.

I really just want to say how nice it was to mostly just have game after game over tons of interspersed skits in between. The waiting music is all really catchy too.

Netflix Geeked Week: Gaming

Desta: The Memories Between looks really interesting. I’m not sure how good I’d be at the gameplay mechanics though…

Poinpy’s art style is really cute.

Wild Things Animal Adventures looks very cute too, but I just… do not enjoy match 3 games and getting to decorate doesn’t help bypass how exhausting that type of game mode is for me.

We finally got to hear more dialogue in Sonic Prime. It was nice to see Big and Froggy too. I hope we’ll see more of the characters.

Seeing Spiritfarer just made me cry all over again.

Hello Kitty Happiness Parade looked cute, but I wish we could have seen more of it besides in the sizzle reel.

Epic Games Store Summer Showcase 2022

Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria looked interesting. I might just want to explore with friends.

Shoulders of Giants also looked interesting despite me not being a huge combat person.

I should consider trying out Disney Speedstorm. It looks really neat.

Fall Guys’ trailer just makes me want to explore the Fall Guys world and let my bean have their own little house and stuff.

Freedom Games Showcase

I liked the Chicken that popped up at the end of the intro.

I really loved Monorail Stories’ Demo. I’m not sure if I’d play multiplayer (maybe with my husband, but…), but I had a lot of fun even by myself. I remember my one worry being just accidentally progressing before I did everything I wanted to. Apparently, the game also has Kickstarter going for a few more days so I’ll have to take a look at that too.

I really like Wipeout and Ninja Warrior so I find Against All Odds pretty interesting in theory, but not super fond of the whole torn apart and blood going everywhere part. Can there be a version censored like the Deadpool 2 family version? I’d play that one.

Chicken friend has now been joined by equally cute cow friend.

Seeing more of One Lonely Outpost continues to make me fairly interested, but some parts make me so nervous because I just expect to fail entirely.

CUTE LASER TEDDY BEAR.

And another Day all done! While today was fun, tomorrow is the day I’m especially excited for and it should be quite the packed day.

Gamer Christmas Week: Days 0 and 1

Day 0 is partially because while it is a new week, I would say Thursday is technically the actual start. Either way, it’s time for more conferences– I would say I don’t have any actual things I’m hoping to see beyond maybe the date for Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Early Access, but otherwise, I’m just here to enjoy the ride :)

As always, while I do watch everything, I didn’t include anything where I just found I didn’t have much to say.

Black Voices in Gaming

Grid Force – Mask of the Goddess reminded me a bit of Megaman Starforce with the gameplay style. I always find recruiting mechanics pretty fun (and feel the need to recruit everyone), though, I’m curious if there is a limit to how many you can recruit.

OTK Games Expo

Neodash looks really cool. I just really like racing games, okay?? I hope I can have a pink car.

ARTO seemed really interesting. I’m not sure if it’s necessarily my kind of game, but the concept itself was really cool.

I was also intrigued by Below the Stone. While I’m not too big on the actual combat parts, I just… like the idea of just digging, exploring, and collecting stuff. Regardless, since it describes itself as a “punishing pixel art roguelike”, it may be a bit too much for me.

Every time Dorfromantik shows up, I find it show intriguing, but I feel like I tend to be so bad at these types of games, I’m not sure how well I’d do. The graphics are so pretty though. And I do love building cute worlds.

Cat Box Paradox also looked really cute (and the name is fun to say), but I know from past experiences how bad I can be with quick switching– I just so easily panic and hit the opposite of what I need to every time.

Fueled Up looks neat, though also very hectic. Could be fun to play with my husband though. After trying the demo though, I’m kind of scared of how much harder it can get. It’s definitely something that just… really does need more people despite being playable with less.

RoboCo also looked really cute. I really enjoyed the trailer music as well.

Ages of Cataria looks really interesting, though I think I’d cry every time someone passes away. I have no idea how I’ll decide between Humans or Elves for the Ancestry though… Why can’t I pick both? T~T Though, knowing there’s Crowd-funding exclusives is really disappointing. I really hate when games do that :/ I feel like a lot of Developers just completely overlook how much people enjoy customizing things and collecting stuff and having those time limited is a huge way to alienate those players.

Still excited for Harmony’s Odyssey. Have been looking forward to it since I first played the Demo.

Escape Academy was another Demo I played and really enjoyed. The only real complaint I had was that it’s split screen when I think screen in screen would’ve worked better or being able to toggle the split screen on and off. I did like seeing what he picked up, but it just took up so much of the screen that it felt obtrusive more often than useful.

I think the biggest surprise for me though was that this Showcase was actually 5 hours. I don’t think any other one will be as long unless it’s a bonus gameplay showcase after the initial presentation like Nintendo Treehouse.

Summer Games Fest Kick-off

For the most part, there hadn’t been too much I was interested in. I was surprised to see a Goat Simulator 3 though… I don’t think there’s even a 2. 3 feels a lot more violent though over just… silly chaos.

Midnight Suns still looks interesting, but I feel like we haven’t seen enough gameplay to really see how it all works.

Still really intrigued by Zenless Zone Zero from a mystery standpoint, but no clue if the gameplay will be fun for me or not by the glimpses alone.

Even if mostly nostalgia, I honestly always love seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pop up.

Saints Row has never really been my type of game, but I appreciate all the customization options.

Day of the Devs

Planet of Lana looks so pretty. I really love the music and the cute little pet.

Still really excited for Escape Academy. The rat being called Tumeric is so cute. The game comes out 4 days before my birthday so definitely probably going to pick it up for it.

A Little to the Left is another game I’m really looking forward to. I am very excited to earn badges. I hope there will be a way to unlock past daily ones though incase you like… can’t play every day.

Bear & Breakfast and Naiad are still looking really great too. There’s just so many good games coming out.

Roots of Pacha has actually been on my Steam Wishlist so I’m excited to try out the demo to get a better idea.

SCHiM still looks really fun too. I hope the timing won’t be too tight on some of the jumps though.

Birth intrigues me for the same reasons A Little to the Left does, but it also feels a little unsettling and I’m not entirely sure how to take it just yet from the trailer alone.

Even though this was kind of short, it was honestly really solid and may be my favorite thus far.

Devolver Digital Direct

I will never understand Devolver Digital’s skits at any point.

The Plucky Squire looked pretty interesting. I really love the art style.

Not entirely sure what I think about Skate Story, but it looked really interesting. This Penguin also looked really cute:

I guess I liked the Robot… And the end song was okay. This was probably the best one thus far if only because of the lack of over the top violence/gore, but these are still so weird.

And that finishes up the last of the first week and the beginning of Not!E3 aka Gamer Christmas. Excited to see what else this week holds.

The prelude week of Gamer Christmas

As a note, the recent Pokemon Direct won’t be mentioned here as I already spoke about it in its own post as I ended up having more to say than expected.

Sega

June in a sense is also Sonic month as we’ll be getting more information about Sonic Frontiers throughout the month. From what we’ve seen the first two days, I’m not sure how to feel just yet. I will say the gameplay looks similar to what I liked from the Sonic Adventure 1-Sonic Unleashed era which is nice, though I don’t know how I feel about a more open concept especially as some of the more float-y areas almost feel out of place. I kind of like having actual levels in addition to a hub world over everything just being out in the world.

I’m still hoping for Chao to return though. If there’s Chao gardens, I am already sold. I’d also love if we could unlock other characters to play as and just… use their normal abilities for different playstyles. I do want to highlight I don’t mean needing specific characters for specific things, but just so we can play who we want to. I always loved playing as Amy in SA1 with the only issue being constantly chased. It’s also why I am excited to see more puzzles as I did have fun doing them.

While the next parts are technically after the State of Play, as it’s all still part of Sega, I’m including it in this first section anyway. For one, Sega had its own little press conference announcing the Mega Drive 2 Mini. I think the minis are nice for consoles maybe you didn’t have or if it’s a system you really like (We got the NES one as it reminded me of how you could get games in AC. I don’t think we were able to get an SNES one, but it would’ve been nice as that was my first console. For SEGA though, I’d mainly just want a Dreamcast mini, though I had a Genesis too, but I have… so many fond memories of Dreamcast), but as I don’t replay games, it just kind of sits there looking nice so I don’t really feel excited for them. I will say when they mentioned something “new” though, I was kind of expecting a game or even more stuff for Sonic Froniters and not… a mini console announcement.

We also got to see the next first look for Sonic Frontiers showing off some of the combat. Obviously, maybe a later clip will show it better, but I do feel like we need to see everything together and not just essentially demo clips. I also just… don’t think the overhead shots look that great and I’m not even a fan of graphics, just again, something feels slightly off to me.

The combat looks okay I guess? But it almost feels more like PSO and less like Sonic if that makes sense– both in the way he moves and the enemies itself. Something about the movements just look slower, even if he has some fast skills, which feels weird. It looks more like if Sonic was in a fighting game (or some kind of MMO Class) than if Sonic was in his own game. The biggest thing is how many hits a lot of the enemies take– outside of bosses, they’re usually relatively quick to beat so you can keep speeding along, but everything about it feels slow. I’m fine with breaks for puzzles, but the combat shouldn’t feel like a slog. There’s a reason Sonic is compared to like… Mario and not Megaman.

Finally, while last chronologically of everything here (I’ll likely put any other future Sonic Frontier stuff, if I have any opinions on it, in future entries as we continue along the month), there was a Sonic Central on the 7th… and it was… something. The only long trailer were things that we’ve already seen before with anything new being so quick, you learned pretty much nothing new. Shadow for the Netflix show where we’ve barely seen anything isn’t surprising. Seeing that Knuckles will be part of some storyline with Frontiers (or what leads to it) is neat, but you could literally blink and miss it. I get that it was a preview, but when everyone is waiting for more on Sonic Frontiers, it just felt kind of frustrating.

I know there’s been a bit more information shared recently, but most of that just… doesn’t sound too fun for me. It feels a little convoluted and while I’m glad the Open World may just be some zone that does lead to levels, it still feels rather empty, and I don’t really care for the “beat bosses to get to the levels” angle. I also kind of hated the red ring collecting and haven’t been as fond of the 2D-style levels, but if it’s at least more like Unleashed in the levels than Colors, that’s certainly some kind of upgrade.

But I still find a lot of concerns specifically this tweet:

The flow of the game is basically:
Explore open world > solve puzzles to open up map > find collectibles to improve stats > fight world bosses to earn portal gears > use portal gears to unlock linear Sonic levels > complete linear Sonic levels to unlock chaos emeralds

That doesn’t sound like a fun gameplay loop to me. It feels too slow and repetitive which isn’t really what I play Sonic for? And I say that as someone who likes puzzles and collecting things! I’m curious how the “find collectibles to improve stats” will work as I was fine with like… upgrades, but I’m curious if this is like a stat selector where you pick what you want to level (Edit: Apparently there’s skill trees so yeah, not as fond of the collectibles now). It also feels odd that the more linear Sonic levels will be more towards the end of this loop and the entire way it kind of works up feels so strange to me.

Maybe I’ll like things more when we finally see more gameplay that isn’t super focused on one thing or barely a glimpse at all, but right now, it just feels kind of a let-down to me. I don’t feel I’m fully able to word why it just doesn’t seem to jive with me, but something just feels off I guess. It’s also possible I’ll like it more in practice as I did like exploring Station Square and finding upgrades and doing puzzles to unlock levels, but I also think the areas in Sonic Adventure looked a lot more interesting than what we’ve been shown of the “main hub” of Sonic Frontiers.

But even watching the video itself gave me some concerns with highlighting the “somber” atmosphere (The energetic music, especially the songs from Crush 40, have always been my favorite part of Sonic) and highlighting of Sonic’s friends are gone and he’s all alone just… make it feel like a… I don’t know, if you wanted to go gritty but instead of making it dark, you just made it sad. At least the world looked a bit less empty in this video? But there goes my hopes for possibly playing as other characters which is still part of why I loved SA1 and SA2 so much (though, I don’t think SA2 handled it as well as it could, and yes, I actually had no issues playing as Big). I also just… have never enjoyed “hey, race this random character to *insertplacehere*” as a game mechanic so can’t say anything about that excites me. I just don’t think Sonic needs to be complicated to be interesting. At least we got to hear some music, even if it was relatively somer.

Ironically, the “best” part of the Sonic Central for me was a code to finally unlock the Amy Chao in Sonic Speed Simulator:

The Amy Rose Statue was neat too, but unfortunately the company making it has… not had the best quality, especially combined with the cost, so I probably won’t be getting it. :(

And if the Sonic Symphony happens to be playing here, hopefully we can manage to go.

Playstation State of Play

I get that Resident Evil is a big franchise for Playstation, but ignoring my own little zombie phobia, I just… don’t understand the constant need for them. I guess remakes are fine and all? I think most people who like RE are happy– my only relief was that in the remake trailer, they didn’t really focus on zombies at all– it was entirely atmospheric. Unfortunately, none of the other horror trailers followed suit.

We also had some VR trailers as well and while thankfully there was nothing I was interested in, I just… wish VR exclusives weren’t a thing. There’s a lot of reasons I’m not a fan of VR from general motion sickness, not being a huge fan of first person in general, and even just my general issue with things on my head as just… some of the reasons, but it always bums me out because there are some games I’ve really wanted to play and would work… fine with a keyboard and mouse so it kind of makes me sad I’ll never get to play them.

Stray looks really neat and I’m so curious how the plot is going to go, but I am a little worried because my stealth skill in games is kind of non-existent and part of why I was initially excited was the lack of combat which is… clearly part of the game in this trailer. I’m still mostly looking forward to it though and it’s even releasing the day after my birthday which is neat, but I may hold off a bit on getting it right away now.

I didn’t expect to see a trailer for Street Fighter 6, but I am curious about the story gameplay as it seems like… you can do more than usual? At least from what they showed of them going around New York Metro City. I don’t know if I’ll pick it up or not (I’ve been kind of burnt out on fighting games– that said, if the story mode really is much more expanded, I definitely think I am more likely to go ahead and pick it up), but Chun-Li is my favorite SF character, and she continues to look awesome. I hope the pink version of her costume still exists.

We also got to see more of Season which I have been looking forward to, but this trailer felt a lot more ominous. I’m still really interested in exploring and collecting trinkets and things, but I have a feeling it’s going to make me cry and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.

It did throw me off that it was only 30 minutes as I feel like they usually have longer shows, but I guess it makes sense as State of Play have happened more often lately.

IndieCade Horizons Showcase

Fishing with the Homies seemed kind of neat– I liked a more relaxing fishing thing… But I am very concerned about the whole fishing up body parts thing. I guess at least they help you fish once you get all the parts? But these poor people.

Pastoral was another that stood out to me, though, considering the person who made the game kept avoiding certain sprites, it kind of scared me a bit too.

Disaster Golf looked really silly, but pretty much anytime I play golf it’s a disaster so I feel like having to be fast paced would make me even worse than usual.

Bellissimo was so pretty. I really loved the art style a lot.

Broombot Battleground was another that stood out to me. Possibly because I genuinely just really want a Roomba and it made me think of playing Battle mode in Mario Kart 64.

Honestly, even though I’ve only mentioned a few, there were so many impressive games, and it really makes me want to turn some of the ideas I’ve had into something. I ended up playing a few of the ones I did mention though over on my Youtube channel. There were even several games in the trailers I thought looked interesting too, but wasn’t always able to find much information on them, unfortunately.

Acquire Game Show

I don’t have too much to say for this show, but I will say that the graphics for Adventure Academia: The Fractured Continent are really pretty. I like the character designs/art a lot. I’m not particularly good at those types of games, though.

Limited Run Games Show

This Showcase is kind of all over the place, but it still felt pretty fun. I always love seeing games getting physical releases (or re-releases) and generally prefer physical copies myself.

Also, the music during a lot of the trailers is just really great? Very catchy.

This adorable dance gif was made by Diggehpls!

DANGEN Entertainment

If anything, I really liked the music for the Show’s introduction. Very catchy.

While Lost Ruins isn’t my type of game, I always enjoy when I can just smack things with a cute plushie if I do have to fight in a game.

Abomi Nations genuinely does look pretty cute– I liked several of the Abomi designs I saw.

OneShot intrigues me more every time I see the trailer again.

Anyway, that sums up my thoughts on this first packed week! Next post will likely be Day 0 and Day 1 of Gamer Christmas Week, though, possibly more days if it feels kind of short.

My hopes for Disney Dreamlight Valley

I’ve been asked a few times now if I have heard about the game since I haven’t really mentioned it much and if I planned to play it. The answer to both of those questions, at least for the moment, is Yes. I love Disney, Disney Magical World is one of my favorite games, and this really feels like the next evolution of that, despite not actually being associated with the same series. (Yes, they’re both Disney, but DMW aka Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life had its own things before the 3DS game and has even continued into Arcades with a Rhythm game since 2) Regardless, since I’ve been asked quite a bit now, I figured I’d at least talk more on my thoughts about it.

With the game opening up Early Access this Summer which is pretty close, I’m hoping maybe during one of the conferences happening this month, we could get a date (or even a surprise “Available now!”). I’m also hoping the Founder’s pack prices won’t be too expensive– I’ve seen too many games have founder’s packs that end up being very expensive due to tacking on tons of premium currency. Considering Disney Dreamlight Valley, despite being free to play in the long run, has said that their microtransactions will only be for expansions and vanity items, I’m hoping it’ll be a lot more reasonable, or possibly even just one tier with just a set price and nothing more. I’m just not a fan of exclusives, especially if limited time.

That said, without any known price-points just yet, I am curious how it’ll be done. I feel like a lot of people consider vanity items an easy thing to shrug off, but for me, customizing my character is a big deal and I absolutely have more fun when I’m satisfied with how my character looks. They’ve already shown neat furniture and clothing I’m really excited for, especially as a huge fan of Tangled and the color pink (Always happy to see lots of pink stuff), and we know that there is a shop in the game as well, but what designates and item to be a microtransaction or just something in-game? And will it be like… $1-$5 for an item or bundle or more like $10-$20?

When it comes to solo games (IE: Anything that lacks any competitive or PVP aspects), I actually don’t mind if there’s microtransactions to speed things up or help a player along, assuming the game doesn’t feel like you need to constantly be tracking timers (IE: I need 5 of Item A to make 2 of Item B which I need to finish a Quest but I only have *insertthismuchtime* and I need 5 of Item C and 5 of Item D as well to make Item A and etc.). I’ve played games where I’ve gotten them and I’ve also played ones where I haven’t, but sometimes it’s nice to have the option.

Expansions I’m also completely fine with being a thing, but I hope not every single addition will be added to expansions. Bringing up Disney Magical World again, one of the reasons the second game fell a little flat for me was because so much was the same as the first game beyond a few new islands that really could’ve been expansions like the Pirates of the Caribbean World. I’m just curious how much these will cost, how big they will be, and if most worlds will be expansions or just some while there will also be plenty of worlds continuing to be added in updates down the line. Disney Magic Kingdoms, a mobile game also made by Gameloft, features tons of characters from the movies, many of which I wouldn’t have expected to see included such as Cinderella’s Stepfamily. Of course, there’s also characters not in that game yet that I’d love to see and hope will be part of Disney Dreamlight Valley such as Webby (They name the section in DMK with Scrooge, Dewey, Huey, and Louie “Ducktales”, yet don’t have Webby or Launchpad at the least. I would love to see Della and Mrs. Beakley as well) and well, I was going to say The Rescuers, but apparently an Event for the Rescuers just started in DMK earlier this week and I am thrilled about it.

The Rescuers is probably one of my all-time favorite Disney movies (with Tangled and Beauty and the Beast being my favorite Disney Princess movies– partially due to how much I relate to Rapunzel and Belle) and I just adore Bianca so much. Obviously, just because characters are in their mobile game doesn’t mean they’re going to be in DDV and I’m not trying to imply that’s the case, but it gives me hope that they could solely due to Gameloft remembering them in the first place. I’m also really hoping for Winnie the Pooh as well which is another series I really love– I feel like it’s essentially a given, but as we haven’t seen too much just yet, I don’t want to get my hopes up just incase.

At this point, I know there’s cute pink furniture, I know there’s pretty pink dresses, I know some of my favorite characters will be there, but I think the things I want to see most at this point are, from a customization standpoint, more hairstyles (come on, wavy/curly ponytails), and more generally, full gameplay– we’ve heard about the same demo gameplay from various news sites, but have only really seen trailers and some stills of rooms. With Early Access hitting so soon, there’s so much I’m just kind of sitting and waiting to see. I mean, I love every sneak peek that pops up, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hope to see even more, right? I know I’m also hoping to see Duffy and friends in the game, even if I may be in the minority of that. While he’s more well-known in the Japan side of things, I feel like he still has some popularity here as well. I’d love to say Unibearsity as well, but I know that never came overseas and I’m pretty sure most people who know about them here are due to the plushies in Disney Magical World and not due to importing them like I did.

I would say if I had to describe how I feel about the game right now in a few words, it’d be “cautiously optimistic”. Despite that, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. The game has been frequently compared to Animal Crossing and various farming sims and well, that’s essentially Disney Magical World too so I feel like this has a really good chance to be a lot of fun. Either way, once Early Access hits, I hope you guys will be excited for the Game blogs and Let’s Play videos to come along with it :)

The Problem with Sonic Speed Simulator

In general, when I first heard about this, I expected something similar to Sonic Runners, just made into a game on Roblox, which isn’t really my thing, but knowing Chao would be part of it, I was there pretty much immediately. (If you’re thinking: “What about the Chao on Minecraft?”– the simple thing there is I unfortunately do not own the newer version of Minecraft and can’t justify spending that much right now just for that, as tempting as it has been, because I don’t really enjoy Minecraft in general… but if I ever do get it, yes, there will be a Sonic Minecraft video immediately honestly)

I’ve never played a Speed Simulator game on Roblox (and after this experience, I probably never will again besides this one), but I actually have played some neat things on Roblox so I was willing to give this a chance. I will say that my views are definitely primarily as a Sonic fan and as mentioned, this is my first time playing a Speed Simulator game, so it’s entirely possible some of this stuff is just the norm. I also want to explain that, while I’m not a fan of microtransactions, I don’t entirely hate them if they’re used well and done fairly. The problem with Sonic Speed Simulator is they’re not. This game is so incredibly scummy with some of the paid stuff and it sucks as there’s honestly a bunch of fairly neat things about it, even if the gameplay isn’t entirely for you.

I’ll start off with the biggest positive for me: I LOVE walking around all the different levels. One of my favorite things in Sonic Adventure 1 was just walking around all the different hub areas and to an extent, that is entirely what every “level” is– there’s some Lobbies that do act like proper levels where you need to get to the big coin at the end and it’s honestly pretty neat, though, the platforming can be kind of rough depending on your speed level– the balance is absolutely not there partially due to how the game works which can make them frustrating at times. But for the hub levels themselves? It’s just a really fun time. I love seeing everything, all the Sonic models look great, and I am genuinely excited to see future Worlds added. If an actual Sonic game made it so you could pick to just… explore after finishing a level where there’s no enemies and you can just enjoy the level for what it is, I would love that.

The music is also pretty great, as you’d kind of expect from a Sonic game, and each level even now features a different song remix. I would say my only complaint here is that the looping isn’t great and sometimes the music literally just fades out and it’s like someone hit replay again after realizing there was no music playing. It’s not really enough to be jarring, but just fairly noticeable.

The problem comes with how things unlock and how Chao are used. Now, obviously, I love Chao and would absolutely be all for more interaction with Chao, but I’m actually okay with them just being floating pets. The number of colors they’re adding is really neat as well and I just, I love Chao so much, okay?? Unfortunately, Chao have stats. And yes, they have stats in the game too, but those stats are for how they perform in a single player minigame mode for your Chao, not buffs for your character. Considering there’s Races against other players, which you need 25 wins to unlock World 6– Chemical Plant, that already is pretty sketchy, but you may think, well, everyone is on the same playing field though, right? Just people who play more will have a bit of an advantage.

And for a while, that was definitely the extent of it, but it still would cause an issue if you just… got unlucky and all those people who are playing way more than you are there and ready to completely wreck you in this race because, for whatever reason, you can’t play as often (*stares at Star Stable Online Championships :|). Chao already had an issue of certain colors just being rarer and then starting with a higher base line of Rings and Experience they could give you. Evolving a Chao requires you to get 5 of the exact same Chao. You can evolve a Chao 5 times so you need to 25 to evolve it to its maximum potential. Chao are primarily gotten through Vending Machines which are just… a 1/6 chance Gachapon machine. It’s not terrible, they do use Rings (though, some of the more expensive ones are 200K+ Rings a pull…), and with the exception of like two times now, I usually have been able to get what I hoped for pretty quickly. The other way Chao were gotten is through limited time events– sometimes a Chao would only be around for about 2-3 days and cost a lot of rings (the first was 350K, the rest have been a Million, yes those prices do suck), other times you could earn them while working through an event for a Character Skin such as the Chao you could earn from Amy’s and Knuckles’ recent events.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t stick with keeping things somewhat fair because they had to full out make some Chao just… cost Robux. Robux is Roblox’s premium currency– it’s $5 for 400, $10 for 800, and $20 for 1,700 (If you’re subscribed to Roblox which is about $5 a month, the numbers because 440, 880, and 1,870). A premium paid for Chao costs 499 Robux*. About $6 I would say. Or you can get a pack of 5 for 1749 Robux– about $21. If you want to fully evolve that Chao, then you’re going to be spending around $100. Not to mention if you wanted 3-5 fully maxed out ones for using… Even if it was a Chao I absolutely loved, I would give up the idea of ever evolving it immediately at that price point. I’d just take the one by itself. These Chao also, like other limited time Chao, only stay for a few days at a time and then they’re gone. Who knows if they’ll come back. The other ways to earn Robux besides buying it, are either building an experience and having stuff for sale for Robux, selling items you designed, or getting some each month for being subscribed.
* The first pay for Chao actually was 600 Robux and did not have a discounted bundle of 5. To fully evolve it would have required 15,000 Robux.

And just to give an idea on how the Chao base reward limits can vary (these are all unevolved):
-Common Chao – +10 Experience, +1 Ring
-Uncommon Chao – +20 Experience, +1 Ring or +15 Experience, +1 Ring
-Rare Chao – +30 Experience, +2 Rings
-Epic Chao – +40 Experience, +5 Rings or +25 Experience, +5 Rings
-Event Epic Chao – +60 Experience, +8 Rings
-Legendary Chao – +75 Experience, +15 Rings
-Event Legendary Chao – +100 Experience, +20 Rings
-Limited Time Ring Legendary Chao – +30 Experience, +10 Rings or +100 Experience, +20 Rings
-499 Robux Legendary Chao – +350 Experience, +75 Rings
-Exotic Chao – +60 Experience, +15 Rings
-600 Robux Chao – +250 Experience, +50 Rings
-Code Special Chao – +30 Experience
-Collectible Special Chao – +350 Experience, +75 Rings

Please keep in mind some do vary slightly and so these amounts could be slightly off.

The only Chao that comes close to the Robux-costing Chao is the Collectible Special Chao, which is currently just the Green Hill Master Chao which requires you to get all 19 Chao in Green Hill zone. You have a limit of 20 Chao unless you expand your inventory for them– a price which goes up each time. You would literally need to not have gotten Chao from any other area AND managed to get the Chao you needed without doubling up more than once to achieve that. Obviously, you can delete Chao (but that hurts my soul) and of course, the Chao Garden had limits in the game, but besides collecting one Normal, one Dark, and one Hero Chao, you didn’t really NEED to have every single possible Chao… but that annoyed me in the Sonic Adventure games too. If you’re going to have different Chao, at least let me have one of each color XP

Regardless, since you can only get the one, you can’t fully evolve it with means it still can’t get to the full potential of a purchased once. I don’t even min-max Chao– I just use my favorites even if that costs me against certain things, but if you encourage collecting and/or have a PVP feature, this comes off really really scummy. And Sonic Speed Simulator does both of these things. On top of that, you have to buy a pass to have 5 Chao following you, otherwise you can only have 3. If it wasn’t for the PVP features, I could at least maybe argue, well, it’s just to progress faster, but progressing faster is kind of important when you’re required to win Races for things.

The game also features a Rebirth system because what better way to wall content than by forcing people to do everything over from the beginning multiple times which essentially stalls your level cap unless you buy the Unlimited Levels Pass… Unfortunately, even if you buy that pass, you’ll still need to use the Rebirth system despite it saying it’s to not have to deal with the rebirth system because most worlds (and their respective lobby that you need to complete) require Rebirths. This blows my mind because if they just had it so you required levels instead, then this wouldn’t even be an issue. I’ve seen people bring it up to the Developers with no response and it’s probably one of my biggest issues. The entire pass feels like a scam.

It’s just kind of frustrating as there’s many ways they could make money (such as some of the avatar items sold in the level) without it being things that cause the game to be pay the win. I had hoped with it being a licensed game, maybe it’d be done fairer, but there’s just so much scumminess with how it’s balanced and the limited time for how grindy the events are that really bring the game down. I know Roblox games can have stories (unless maybe it’s a faux pas with Speed Simulators) so I kind of wish they felt more like… levels and storylines as you play and not random limited time event for a while.

Gamer Christmas kicks off with a new Pokemon Trailer

So, as E3 isn’t happening this year, I have decided to call this year’s game-related announcements of the month what E3 always feels like in my heart: Gamer Christmas. It gives me that same warm and fuzzy feeling as I see friends happy with announcements whether I care or not.

I will admit I expected a bit more than a trailer, but I suppose it makes sense that more information may be saved for a Nintendo Direct and Treehouse Live stuff, especially with the game releasing in about 5 and a half months.

One thing that is especially throwing me off this time around with Pokemon Scarlet/Violet is that I actually don’t know which to pick. I generally pick from the moment I see them with very few adjustments otherwise (The only time I recently switched later is with Pokemon Sword/Shield– both my husband and I wanted Sword initially, but then literally all the Pokemon I was really excited for were exclusive to Shield with the one exception of Slurpuff who wasn’t even new to the game. To keep us with the two different versions, it just benefitted for me switching over having to try and trade someone for several party members.

I initially wanted to pick Scarlet because, well, one, it’s closer to Pink, and two, I liked the fancier font, but the more that’s shown, the more it seems Violet is closer to what I prefer aesthetically, even from the emblems alone.

This gen is also the first in ages where I still have not decided who my favorite starter is from all three– the last time I had this problem was Johto. I will say I have mixed feelings on the two Professors– I don’t really like when the version differs to such an extent to begin with (and it genuinely feels like we’ve long passed the need for two versions– it’s one of the few positives I could say about Pokemon Legends: Arceus)– I can deal with exclusive Pokemon but when you extend that to exclusive gyms (Pokemon Sword/Shield) or towns and just, characters in general, I find it really frustrating. The in-game explanation doesn’t make it any better.

The website says that it “allows multiplayer gameplay with up to four players”– we have no clue to the extent or if it’s even online or local only, but this sounds nice for the most part. I would guess it may only be outside town areas or story parts though, especially if more things are exclusive per version. I just hope there won’t be any forced multiplayer battles. It’s possible both Professors are there I suppose, just you only interact with the one that matches your game type. I would think there wouldn’t be overlap story-wise though as I don’t think having four friends battling out to become Champion would be fun, though I’m sure I’m in the minority with that feeling.

The other big revelation from the website is: “You can experience a new style of adventure, with a world that you’re free to explore at your leisure and not in an order dictated by the story.” And as I continue to be an outlier in the Pokemon community, I’m not that excited for it. I actually like linear progress to an extent as someone who will get side-tracked and immediately lost. I like to do everything, but without any order of where to start, I quickly become overwhelmed and that takes a toll on things. Being able to play with friends may at least help a bit though.

Moving onto the highlight of the Trailer for me: The Pokemon! I don’t care for either legendary design-wise (Can we go back to not having exclusive legendaries too?), but I will say I have liked all the regular Pokemon so far. Pawmi was easily my favorite of the bunch, looking like a chubby Rabbit-Teddy Bear hybrid and I just need a super soft mochi plush of them immediately. Lechonk (amazing name) and Smoliv were also cute, but PAWMI.

LOOK AT ITS CUTE FACE.

Unsurprisingly, this was my first and only screenshot from my initial watch:

Pawmi is officially the first on the list for my Scarlet/Violet Party. As for the game itself, I still have some reservations, but I’m cautiously optimistic and there’s a lot I like (I think PLA just has me extra down which you’ll see more of why in my upcoming “second round” of thoughts after I finish it). I’m still a bit bitter over getting my hopes up during the initial trailer thinking it’d be Detective Pikachu 2. Still hoping for that to come out soon enough at least…

Roughly a year in review of PSO2NGS

While it’s technically still another month before it really hits a year, as the anniversary event is currently happening, I figured I’d talk a bit about my thoughts now. If I wanted to keep it short, I’d say my feelings on the game are currently both bored and overwhelming, which may be weird as you think those would be on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but it’s about the best way I can really describe how burnt out I feel and how even the most fun parts of the game unfortunately became stale for me.

I feel like most people complain about the lack of Story content, but I’m actually okay with it. The Story is one of my favorite parts, but considering the global release and all of it being fully voice acted, it doesn’t surprise me that there’s a delay in when we see the next parts. That said, we did get more to start even in the original PSO2 on the Japanese server and I think that’s part of why people are surprised. Maybe it was weird small bites, but it still was quite a bit more even if it was shown in a confusing way. I also felt like there was more to do offhand like with Alliance/Team Bases and having a room to decorate.

As it is, due to the Battle Point system, I’m actually not even excited for the upcoming story content because I’ve been struggling leveling up due to not being able to play as much. This is partially because my husband had already gotten burnt out due to the repetitiveness of the events (which… we’ll get more into later) and New Genesis just… isn’t made to play solo unless you really want a challenge. In terms of difficulty, it reminds me of going to certain higher level expert areas in PSO2 by myself (or attempting to with the Ally/Friend system) and like, could I do them? Sure, eventually, but it wasn’t fun and very slow and just… kind of tiring after a while. I’ve mentioned before that fighting in games is always one of my least favorite parts– it’s something I find repetitive and boring to begin with so drawing it out just makes it all the more exhausting, so with NGS kind of making it so every fight feels like it requires more people to not be there for way longer than needed, it’s put me in a rough place because I don’t really want to go at it solo and most people have moved on from the quests I need to do which makes it harder to find people hanging out where I’m still working on things.

Another issue is that I’ve found Force, pretty much the only class I’ve ever really enjoyed, just… doesn’t feel as good? Obviously, it’s hard to say fully objectively between having more skills in base PSO2 and it still being kind of early, but I find myself struggling a lot with PP management partially because there’s very little reason to actually charge attacks beyond wanting to unleash something specific– you don’t necessarily do as much damage, yet it feels like everything uses a lot of PP. Making things worse, the basic attack does nearly as much as my techniques do, even when using the super-effective element.

My gear maybe isn’t min-maxed, but it’s still pretty good and I have my armor units nearly completely maxed with all good augments and a 5* Rod with good augments as well. At best, I’m only missing out on a handful of extra points I could get into things and aren’t really worth the grind (or meseta). It also feels hard to be motivated to work on them when 6-Star items will be available soon enough– at the same time, the power increase is so minimal, it also just feels kind of disheartening to have to go through everything all over and have to re-get so many augments because you can’t transfer them yet. I hate how much upgrading works in PSO2 and while NGS makes it a little less awful with how you can increase Augment ratings, it’s just… not fun? It’s grindy and very boring and I’ve never been fond of games where I have to constantly upgrade my equipment. Leveling up my character feels exhausting enough without having to add so many other aspects I ALSO need to level up and take care of.

In general, I hate having to constantly upgrade gear, but when I need to also consider extra things (in PSO2’s case, augments) and level them all up as well instead of just… a simple click of the button and being done because I finally got better version of something, it’s just an aspect of the grind I’ve never cared for and very quickly gets old for me– I am absolutely the type of player who, if I had the meseta, would rather just buy a fully upgraded item off the marketplace because of how annoying I find it all.

But what has really gotten me down are the downgrade in what my favorite part of the initial PSO2– the Events. Decorating-wise, it’s still really nice and I love seeing how Central City gets decorated.

Unfortunately, that’s where most of my event enjoyment ends. The events generally consist of the following:

  • A decorated town
  • Enemies having a special mark on their head indicating that defeating them will get you points.
  • A dressed-up Rappy
  • A short quest series from the event NPC
  • Mischief Symbols – While available from I believe the second event onward, they were adjusted starting from the Spring event which I’ll talk about later.
  • Stellar Grace – Weren’t around from the start, but have been part of the last several events.
  • Earning points to trade in for items.
  • Maybe some event drops.
  • Since the last event (Spring), an event specific map.

And honestly, it just being any enemy with a symbol on their head that helps earn points got boring very quickly. It feels no different than when I’m playing the game normally which makes it not really feel like a fun break so much as more of the exact same thing. Mischief symbols, for the longest time, were my favorite part of the event– they added a cute touch in making things more decorated and usually had a fun effect. Unfortunately, since the last event, they just… put them out in the open which… I don’t really care for?

The World itself isn’t really decorated for the events– at best, maybe some seasonal changes (so like, different tree colors), but no real decorations. The mischief symbols, being like silly hidden objects, are now just kind of spread out randomly for your Mag to direct you to and it just feels out of place and only done to make it take longer.

It just feels like permanent versions of the Stellar Grace drops which, while they do give boosts for finding certain ones, I just found boring to keep looking for. Making them look slightly different doesn’t help make it less boring. Having them only around for certain amounts of time and only being able to find so many also added to making it less fun for me.

We finally got Event maps which I hoped I’d be happy about, but they still feel lacking? I don’t know if it’s due to the Open World environment or maybe just the lack of decorations, but nothing about it feels that special which kind of bums me out. It feels no different than doing some of the other UQs in the game. At least you can do event maps whenever (though, who knows if you’ll have people to queue with) unlike the randomness of other UQs, especially when there’s no longer a schedule except for the few times when we actually get one.

Obviously, I’m sure most people don’t even necessarily use the official NGS site that much, but can I just say how… irritating I find it? I find it annoying to navigate and multiple times now, things I genuinely found useful were removed– the forums, UQ schedules, and heck, they FINALLY set up the Scratch Tickets page to be similar to the Japan one where we could see the items in full instead of just through character previews and then removed it after a weeks to just be a text list. I don’t know why the site wants to be absolutely useless, but it sucks. And I know the forum was replaced with Discord, I also know there is a fan discord that has it set up to notify when UQs go up (though, honestly, I really need to be able to plan at least a day in advance so it really doesn’t help that much), but I don’t want to constantly have to join Discords for information. One thing that was nice about forums is you could poke in and find out things without having to join and do all this other stuff or have the window want to scroll away when you’re trying to read in its infinite page chat history.

In general, it’s just been tiring. I’m overwhelmed due to being behind on some quests and levels as we keep getting more, but the grind isn’t fun, the events aren’t fun, and I still can’t even get a nice ponytail yet. It just feels like there isn’t anything to grab me to make me want to finish leveling and the general issues of soloing it as well doesn’t help. Adding in the limited time of the events where I just need to do the exact same fighting to rack up points for limited time items doesn’t help.

I always liked how silly and crazy the events in PSO2 were and how there always seemed to be people ready to help, how we could get through our Bingo Cards in a few runs, and drops could be found pretty cheap on the shop. But everything here feels so generic and I have no idea why. I don’t really have advice for it and I’m sad to not being having fun with how much I enjoyed the original PSO2 and waited so long for it to finally get here, but besides how pretty the world is, I’m already tired of exploring it. Somehow, the randomness of the maps in PSO2 were still more engaging for me.