Time to sit down for another YvoCaro plays: as always, these are my unedited thoughts about the video games I’m playing. These thoughts just spring up in my mind, sometimes game related, sometimes they are not.
It’s only fair to warn you that spoilers might be ahead! By the way, if you like these blurbs of gaming thoughts, you can find the previous ones here.
Gaming where the mood takes me
I’ve said it before here on the site. In fact, it was a statement I made in one of my earliest blogs: I will go where my gaming mood takes me. It’s a luxury position of course, not all of us have so many games waiting that they can afford to not play the game to its fullest. And as all people are different, many of you no doubt feel the need to be complete, and not move on to a new game before it’s done, side quest and all.
For me though, it’s the only way to keep on gaming. As always, I have lots of games across the various devices that have been played for some 20 to 30 hours, but are far from complete. And some have even less hours clocked. But you see, I really can’t stand to play a game that doesn’t hold my interest anymore. Maybe it has to do with time being the commodity that is the bottle neck.
I have a full time job, a family to take care of and my elderly mom needs some TLC as well. So when I play a game, I want that time to be super quality time. What triggered these thoughts? Well, I just cannot get myself to pick up Atelier Lydie & Suelle. (You can find the review for the game here)
I tried, you see. A game that I’m all into will keep me awake even when I’m bone tired. Even when I play in bed just before turning out the lights, I find myself unwilling to put such a game down. But with Atelier Lydie & Suelle, I keep falling asleep with the Switch in my lap, even in mid-battle. A sure sign that it’s time for me to move on!
Time to dust off the Vita
Being disappointed at the latest Atelier game I turned to my PS Vita to look at the older Atelier games I have on there. It had been some time since the device had seen some action, last time I played it was for Dragon Quest Builders. Leisurely I scrolled to the PS Store, wondering if there where still good games to be had for the Vita. What a coincidence that I stumbled upon the Big in Japan sales!
I had been wondering which device to take with me on our trip to London. The Switch would have been my preferred one, but I didn’t dare leave the device in the hotel room while we were seeing the sites in town. The Vita was a last minute decision and a good one: I bought three games in the sales and looked forward to checking them out.
Tales of Hearts R came with lots of DLC for € 7,99, and Final Fantasy X and X-2 HD remastered where two games for the price of € 12,99. Suikoden II was the biggest gamble, but for € 2,99 I couldn’t go wrong!
Sometimes finding a new game feels like Christmas came early!
If you are a reader like I am, you might recognise the feeling of finding a new writer you like, and then to discover she (or he) has written en entire series revolving around the same character. It’s the best feeling, knowing how many long hours of excellent reading are ahead.
I felt the same when I tried out Final Fantasy X! I only ever tried a Final Fantasy game on the DS years back, I think it was FF III. Sure, a nice game, but nothing that stood out to me. How different was my experience this time. Must be because I’m always partial to great graphics, this game felt like I was seeing a movie and reading a good Fantasy novel at the same time!
The soundtrack is good, the fighting is fun. The leveling up with the sphere grid takes some getting used to, but it reminds me of the abilities you can add in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Call me a whimp, but I like how the game shows the way to go next with a red pointer, and there are save point aplenty.
I do feel that perhaps I’m spoiled by the likes of Breath of the Wild: the way you can’t control the camera angles annoys me, I can only see what the game wants me to. But other then that, I’m very happy playing this older game!
What dominates your gaming adventures at this time? Are you as partial to graphics as I am? And do you move on too before you’ve got your moneys worth from a game?
As always, I love to hear from you!
I spent hours playing Final Fantasy X! It’s one out of a handful of games that I really enjoyed on the Vita. I think we’re all prone to move on from games to quickly. Reviewing games makes you stick with them a bit longer.
Oh I don’t know. My message is that you can stick with a game as long as you want to and can afford too. Playing a game I’m bored with quickly knocks me out of gaming entirely.
After the release of Final Fantasy X the series just hasn’t been the same for me. Loved that game. I spent loads of hours managing my team in Blitzball.
Yeah, about the Blitzball. I just can’t manage to get Jegts shot…. tried multiple times already. I’m guessing it’s imperative?
I got that skill in one playthrough and failed to acquire it in another. From what I remember, it’s not essential to complete the story or do well in Blitzball either.
Thank goodness! I’m giving it one more try, but then Tidus will have to do without!