BLOG
Hey everyone! Chappie here with another gamer’s log. I want to start this off by talking about some changes I will be making to the blog. First, I am going to stop writing reviews in the traditional sense for the foreseeable future. In lieu of that, I will be talking about the games I’m playing and my opinions of them in my gamer’s logs going forward. This will allow me to focus more on what I am really passionate about, making guides. Another change that resulted from this decision is that I will be posting Gamer’s Logs once a week on Mondays starting today and yes, I know today is Wednesday . As always, guides will be posted as new games come out and I will be working on adding more content to the blog in the future. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who’s been reading my guides and that your feedback has been appreciated. With the business out of the way, let’s jump into the games!
GAMES
I’ve played quite a few games since the last gamer’s log and man has it been a journey. I was able beat Shining Resonance and We Happy Few, both of which are pretty decent games. I also put a good 40 hours into Octopath Traveler and also started playing Cosmic Star Heroine on the side because why not!?!
Dragon Quest XI launched the other day and we still have Spider-Man launching at the end of the week. I went ahead and started Dragon Quest XI and will be playing that up to Thursday. On Friday, I will be switching gears to Spider-Man. I have been waiting for a long time to get my hands on this game, so it will be taking priority. When that is finished, we’ll switch back to finish up Dragon Quest XI.
Below are the games I’ve been playing broken out into sections. Under each section, I talk about how much progress I made and my feelings toward each game. This week is the first time following this format and it’s been awhile since my last Gamer’s Log so there will be quite a lot to talk about. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Shining Resonance Refrain – Played on SWITCH
After 65 hours of gametime, I finally found myself at the end of Shining Resonance Refrain (SRR). By the time I was done, I had completed what seemed like an infinite amount of side quests, spent some quality time grinding up character levels (it’s not a real RPG if there is no grinding involved), and defeated the final boss. Not to mention put some serious thought into who Yuma’s (the main character) waifu/husbando should be (the answer is obviously Kirika). Putting all of this together with combat similar to the Tales series, you get kind of what I was expecting…a low-key RPG with a decent story following the classic light versus darkness theme.
As mentioned above, combat in SRR is reminiscent of the Tales series in that enemies appear on the world map and you run into them to initiate combat. Combat also involves controlling one of four party members engaging enemies in real time using skills and items to defeat them. I bring this up because one of my favorite mechanics in the game is Yuma’s ability to utilize the power of the Shining Dragon to transform himself into a dragon. Doing this dramatically increases his attack and defense, giving you an edge in combat. As what is normally the case when wielding a strong power, there is a negative effect as well. Once Yuma’s MP decreases low enough, he goes berserk, damaging enemies and allies alike. This can be disastrous depending on the circumstance. Luckily there is another mechanic the game has called B.A.N.D. Sessions. When initiated, the Dragoneers (your party members) use their armonics (weapons that also happen to be musical instruments) to play a musical piece. The result is a buff for the whole party and it also has the side effect of calming a berserking Yuma dragon to his human form which comes in handy pretty early on when first introduced.
Outside of the previously mentioned combat mechanics, there really isn’t a whole lot to distinguish SRR from other RPGs. The main thing that bummed me out was that all of the side quests fell into two categories: fetch quests or extermination quests. This causes a lot of different quests to require the same items and some side quests were even repeatable. It didn’t take long for me to get burned out on side quests and start pushing through the story since there wasn’t much else to do. Taking all these factors into consideration, I feel that Shining Resonance Refrain is best suited for people new to RPGs/JRPGs who are looking for a good game to get introduced to the genre. I enjoyed it as a veteran of RPGs, but still found the game wanting.
Octopath Traveler – Played on SWITCH
‘My blade is unbending!’ has become my new catch phrase as of late. But playing Octopath Traveler for over 40 hours and hearing it all the time will do that to you. If you haven’t guessed already, I chose to start out with Olberic. At that much time played, I have completed chapters 1 and 2 for all eight party members and am happily grinding some more before tackling chapter 3. Thanks to some quick googling, I found a lovely grinding spot just outside of Grandport where I have defeated over hundreds of Greater Kingfishers who award a whopping 500 EXP per battle. My plan going forward is to finish leveling up the whole party to level 45, then to set out and start chapter 3. The reason I want to get to level 45 is because that’s the recommended level for each character in chapter 4. This means I would be set to the end of the game.
For those who haven’t heard of Octopath Traveler (there may be some of you out there), it’s a traditional turn based RPG following eight adventurers who travel together. What makes it unique is that each character has their own story you play though over the course of the game and for each story, that character is the main focus. All of the stories and cutscenes play out with just the involved character. Your other party members do make an appearance in combat and there is some small banter between them, but that’s really all the interaction there is. At first, I didn’t know how I felt about the game devs going in that direction with the game, but after spending some time with it, I’m really enjoying myself. I feel invested in each character’s story and that keeps pushing me forward to see how each individual’s journey plays out in the end. I will talk about this more as I progress further in the game.
We Happy Few – Played on PS4
I would summarize my relationship with We Happy Few to be one full of love and hate. Over the course of 40 hours, I managed to complete every side quest I came across, fully explore the game world, and complete all three acts that make up the game’s story. We Happy Few is a survival based RPG set in an alternate history where Germany managed to invade England during the war. After sometime of occupation, England was given an out to end said occupation. The out was so bad, that a new hallucinogenic drug called Joy was developed to keep everyone happy and help them forget all of the bad things that happened. You get to play as Arthur, Sally, and Ollie over three acts as they each set out to escape this community that is on the brink of collapse.
One of the things I really loved about this game are the side quests. Most of them were well done and had a great side story that made them worth completing. Side quests are found by exploring the world which is procedural generated at the beginning of each playthrough. That basically means that each person will have a unique experience to them where monuments and locations spawn in different areas compared to someone else’s game. Side quests also trigger randomly so it’s likely that you won’t get to experience them all on one playthrough alone. The other thing about We Happy Few I enjoyed was just the world itself. Walking around on Joy makes everything colorful and full of life. When not on Joy, the illusion is gone leaving you to face reality. This can also also lead to being called a downer and getting chased by an angry mob of townsfolk wielding shovels, rolling pins, and cricket bats.
Some of the things that really put a damper on my experience were the frequent bugs, frame rate drops, and long loading times. The bugs I encountered ranged from preventing me from completing certain side quests to spending an eternity sitting on a bench. After waiting for time to progress, the option to get off the bench disappeared leaving me to watch the doped up citizens of Maidenholm wonder about. When I wasn’t experiencing bugs, the game would freeze for a couple of minutes as the framerate tanked. Most of the time it fixed itself, but occasionally the game would just crash. Then when loading the game up again, I would be waiting there for 120 seconds waiting for the game to load. If this was just a one time thing, no problem. The issue for me was that it took this long also when switching areas. Then while exploring, the game would randomly decide it was time to load again. When all is said and done, I’d still recommend giving We Happy Few a shot. The side content and world was more than enough to keep me coming back and I can’t wait for the future DLC content to release.
Cosmic Star Heroine – Played on PS4
I first came across Cosmic Star Heroine last year when it released in April and added it to my games to watch. Recently it was in a PSN sale so I figured I would bite the bullet and give it a shot. I was looking for a game where the story really grabbed me, but also where I could put it down and pick it up as needed and this seemed to really fit the bill. Set in a futuristic dystopian world, this turn based RPG follows the protagonist Alyssa L’Salle. She is an agent of the API (Agency of Peace and Intelligence), who discovers a couple of mysterious devices while on a secret mission. The devices have the ability to hack into a person’s brain and take it over via mind control. Fearing what the API may use the device for, Alyssa decides to steal back the devices and find a way to counteract them. This of course results in her being labeled a traitor and listed as a rogue agent.
I’m about 5 hours in putting me in chapter 5 and am really enjoying myself so far. The story is pretty linear with a couple side quests thrown in here and there. So far I managed to escape the API with the device, meet a kick ass rock singer, and battle a giant robot in the middle of a city. Being an indie game, it’s estimated to be a total of 15 hours long, so I will talk about the combat in a future Gamer’s Log.
Dragon Quest XI Echoes of an Elusive Age – Played on PS4
I’d like to start this section of by stating that this is the first Dragon Quest game that I have played. It’s a turn based JRPG following a silent protagonist who is the chosen one meant to defeat the darkness. I know, it’s the same thing for 80% of every RPG out there, but this one does have some charm to it. The world is colorful and vibrant, which makes it really easy to get lost exploring every nook and cranny. I feel as though I have become a barrell bandit…no barrell is safe from my quest to obtain loot! I have put around 5 hours into the game and am making some headway in the main story. My only complaint is that the first couple of hours started out really slow and took awhile to speed up. I will go more in depth with this one later on down the road.
This brings the fifth Gamer’s Log to a close. Go forth and game like you’ve never gamed before! MUUUHAHAHA (diabolical laugh) Chappie signing off!
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