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.
The mini game of Blitzball
So, here I was, happily plugging away at Final Fantasy X HD. The main attraction for me being the story, I couldn’t wait for more to open up. A bit like a child asking while you are reading a book out loud: ”and then, what happens next?”
The game decided differently. First I had to play blitzball. Have I ever told you I tried a game of Inazuma before and failed miserably at it? Liked the story in that game too, but I couldn’t win a soccer match if my life depended on it. The same applied here.
They dished out an entire list of rules, and by the time I got to the middle of the list I’d already forgotten the beginning. After the one obligatory game, the game offered that I could play a game of blitzball at every save point. Heck no!
After the match I was plugging along nicely again, when the game decided that it was time to suddenly throw much stronger enemies at me. Not a problem, as I love a good fight where strategy matters. But it meant I couldn’t afford to flee from battle, I needed the have experience.
And experience I got: I literally stumbled from battle to battle, the random battles really started to get on my nerves. Especially when I had no save points for long stretches, and making a false move meant Game Over…and do the same enemy-infested part over again.
BOTW keeps pulling me in
It was at that time that my friend Sarah mentioned on Facebook that she was having huge fun in Zelda, Breath of the Wild. To me, that’s the mark of an excellent game: someone just has to mention new discoveries in Botw, and I’m right back in there!
I told myself I’d take just a small peek to see how Link was doing. And pretty soon I had all my Amiibo sitting next to me again, reading them daily to get lots of good items. After all, meals and elixirs are important: Link always has time during a fight to eat some and regain health! Now that’s my kinda guy!
Casual simulation: Yonder
That stopped a couple days when Yonder: the Cloud Catcher Chronicles was released digitally on the Switch. ( For those of you who want the physical release, you’ll have to wait a few more weeks)
Finally a game on the Switch that scratches a bit of the itch Story of Seasons ( formerly Harvest Moon) leave behind. I’ve seen comparisons with Animal Crossing too, but I wouldn’t go that far. There is only one Animal Crossing! But it’s a relaxed game to play, no fighting, lots of exploring, collecting and crafting.
Yonder doesn’t hold your hand. Or am I too used to the ways of Harvest Moon and the likes? Before I knew it, I was wondering around with barely any progress on the farm, and it was already the end of autumn! And by then, I understood a little of what the game wanted me to do.
I bit the bullet and restarted the game with a much better understanding. No, I don’t need to put fodder in the feeding trough, and I don’t need to water the crops. Nice change! The game is fun to play, and I will make a review here soon.
One point of mild annoyance: Every village has all kinds of colorful and beautifully drawn doors, but I can’t get in! And I’m dying to see what’s inside!
Hi Yvocaro, long time no speak! 🙂
First off – ahh, FFX. Quite an adventure, that game. Luckily, it’s not too long relative to a Final Fantasy game. In fact I think it may actually be the shortest of the whole series. And thank the heavens for that because those random encounters can get frustrating. One word of advice – every time you put a sphere on your spec grid (forget what it’s all called) it makes a pretty dramatic difference in your power. The best way to grind is to hover around a save point and keep blasting through enemies. If you’re playing the HD version on PC, there is a Turbo button so you can rip through each encounter for the purpose of grinding spheres and boosting magic defense, MP, etc. It saved my sanity. Good luck!
Second, Yonder has been on my list for a while now, I seriously cannot wait for it. However, I’m waiting on a physical edition which comes out mid-June. But, it gives me time to finish the ones I’m already playing 🙂
It definitely seems like a chill Harvest Moon type of game which I think is exactly what I need lately after all the freaken RPGs I’ve recently finished. Even the lack of battling is something to look forward to!
Hey Geddy, so nice to see you here! How’ve you been?
I know what you mean, there comes a time when you just can’t handle another long series of battles and leveling up! That’s why I’m so happy with a game like Yonder, though it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. No battles, no pressure. But it doesn’t have the charm we’ve come to love from Animal Crossing. Still, the Switch sorely needed a game like that!