Those Who Forget

Okay, I know I need to start talking about the games I've played for the past two years, but I really want to take a second and discuss Hollow Knight. This is a game that I've been pretty obsessively playing for the past week and a half or so and have racked up considerably more time in it than I initially expected. I've just recently finished the game and really enjoyed it.

Hollow Knight was initially available on PC which I don't really spend any time on anymore. Fortunately, it was recently released for consoles (including PS4, where I played it) including a whole pile of DLC bundled in. I picked it up in a sale with little in the way of expectation and was really blown away with how engrossed I became in it.

It's this really dark, dank world full of slightly anthropomorphized bug characters that chitter and chirp and skitter through a series of labyrinthine interconnected passageways. In true Metroidvania fashion, there are plenty of paths, secret areas, destructible walls, and treasures to find. The Knight, your white horned, soulless-eyed protagonist unlocks a series of different powers and abilities both for platforming and for combat. Skilled explorers are rewarded with a wide variety of different new tools that allow you to peel back layer after layer of the game's expansive world.

It's also an extremely difficult game featuring a series of extraordinarily difficult boss fights. Every time I reached a new boss it felt like I was playing Dark Souls and had hit a brick wall. Endlessly repeating these boss fights forced me to learn their patterns and to devise new strategies to defeat them. In cases where I simply wasn't up to the task of defeating a particular boss, I'd simply retreat and explore elsewhere. I might find a new health upgrade or a charm that would unlock new strategies that might help me to fight a boss in a different way. Although it was frustrating for me to "give up" on bosses sometimes, it felt refreshing to get a new perspective by trying new areas and then coming back later with new strategies.

There are a lot of cool gameplay elements in Hollow Knight. At its core its built around the Knight's melee combat with his weapon of choice, a nail. However, you do have access to a series of spells as well, useable by expending Soul which builds up over time during melee combat. I found that I typically used my Soul on healing, either in between melee encounters or during carefully timed lulls in boss fights. A lot of strategy in boss fights was finding just the right moment in a boss pattern to get just enough time to land a heal. Some bosses were tough enough that there was never any time for this to happen. Of course, the Quick Focus charm made it more likely this was possible, at the expense of three notches.

Just to clarify a bit, charms are these little trinkets the Knight can collect and equip that create a lot of interesting different effects. Some modify your damage output or defense outright, but most have effects that are entirely unique. The Defender's Crest causes you to "emit a heroic odor" for instance, which really only makes sense until you equip it and try it out. A lot of these charms have interesting interactions as well that don't really come into play unless you experiment. With 40 different charms to collect, there are a lot of different combinations and builds to try. I know I've tried dozens of different combinations when tackling a tough boss one thousand times in a row.

It's just a really exciting and interesting game. There's always something new to uncover around every corner and it's always impactful. Each charm you find unlocks new gameplay options and each spell or ability either enriches the combat or gives you access to a new area in Hallownest that was difficult or impossible to access before. Beyond that, the enemy variety is outstanding with each area featuring dozens of really memorable different types of bugs with cool gameplay patterns. Bugs leap at you, explode on you, shoot blobs of goo at you, fly wildly through the air with nail-lances, throw javelins, and in one particular case split into two entirely separate parts after death and start attacking you again! Most of these designs are wildly creative and really enrich what is a breathing and fully-realized world. It's all very aesthetically pleasing and well-designed and I just can't recommend it enough as a game.

Assaulting the Cobwebs

Oh boy, do I have Things To Say about Dragon Quest VIII, Hollow Knight, and whatever else I've been playing recently. I've been positively buried in games over the past few months and it's a real shame that I haven't taken the time to really comment on any of it. I think it might be time to do a brief retrospective. And man do I dig those. Full disclosure: I chronicled every single game I finished in 2017. I did this on Backloggery as usual but I also kept a list going on GameFAQs with a reasonably detailed comment on each of the games. However, I never published it, on this blog or anywhere else. The plan was to pen a retrospective resembling the ones I'd done on this blog in 2014 and 2015, but it never quite materialized. I'd whipped out Photoshop and started crafting images for the list, but the amount of work it was going to require was discouraging and nothing ever came of it.

Maybe it's time to be a little less ambitious here. Let's just talk about it. Yeah? Does that sound good? I think the main problem is that in 2018 I barely documented anything I played at all. Sure, I have detailed notes on all the 2017 games, but for 2018 I just have Backloggery--so I'm going to be racking my brains. But that's fine. I could stand to dust out the cobwebs anyhow.

Instead of crafting a massive document chronicling two years worth of games, I think I might just be revisiting them a few at a time. I guess on some days this could mean maybe I only talk about one game if I have a lot to say, but in other cases it could be several if the games were shorter or if they weren't very much worth talking about in the first place. I think it'll be an interesting exercise, because traditionally my memory has been pretty terrible. It's part of why I started a blogging project in the first place! My thoughts seem to evaporate so shortly after they materialize. We'll see just how many things I can remember about some of these games.

From what I can glean from my Backloggery, it looks like I finished anywhere from 40 to 50 games in 2017. Episodic games skew the number a little bit depending on whether or not you'd want to count them as separate. 2018 dipped down a tad with about 38, but considering I was averaging about 30 per year beforehand, it's clear that I have a lot of games to talk about. It's insane to me that I've fallen off the wagon to such an extent that I've played this many games and haven't taken the time to write about any of them. It used to be one of my favorite things to do and I'm excited to be getting back to it.

I feel like I need a new domain name. Never dug the generic BlogSpot domain. I'll have to think on that one.

A New Day One

It has been one year and seven months since the last time I updated this blog. Where did the time go? What have I done in the interim?

Well, the answer isn't so glamorous. I haven't really done much of anything.

Okay, well, granted, I've played a lot of video games during that time, but for whatever reason, I've completely stopped writing about that. I document the games I've completed on Backloggery (for the tenth consecutive year now, wow) but my thoughts and my reactions to these games have not been recorded in any way. This is a huge change from a couple years ago, when no game I played went without some form of a documentation, whether it be a review, a brief blurb of my thoughts, or even a full-on video presentation. Admittedly, it was pretty exhausting sometimes to not only devote all of my free time to playing games but then writing about them as well. It occasionally left me with less time to actually play the games I was interested in.

But there was another part to it too. It's always been difficult for me to shake the stigma that video games are somehow less legitimate than other art forms. Why spend so much of my life on something that is ostensibly a waste of time--a leisure activity that is sapping away time from my life that could be devoted to other pursuits? I could be writing fiction, exercising more, broadening my horizons. And that's all true. But now that I'm not writing about the games I'm playing, it's not like I'm suddenly doing those things. I'm still playing the games and I'm not doing anything to comment on them or channel that activity into anything more productive.

I really enjoy writing and I miss spending time on it. I miss having the outlet to express my thoughts, reactions, and feelings to the things I'm doing in my life. Sure, I may never take this writing exercise with me to a platform that elevates my station in life--but should that really be the point? Shouldn't the act of writing and honing my craft be a reward in its own right? I believe that to be true. I strongly believe that writing, even when it concerns something as "trivial" as gaming, enriches my life. It flexes my creative muscle and keeps me mentally awake. I have been accused on a number of occasions (and in moments where I have a moment of self reflection) that I spend a lot of time in a haze. I don't want that to be the case. If I'm playing a game or consuming any kind of media, I want to be aware of what I'm consuming and what it truly is as a form of art. I have things to say! If I didn't, I wouldn't feel such cognitive dissonance when I spend so long without having an outlet to express it.

I spent a lot of time on writing and creating videos and worried so much about reaching an audience. It's nice to have an audience but I truly don't think it should be my goal. The joy of doing it should be enough. The exercise of writing and flexing my creative muscle is enough. I'm not comfortable with self-promotion. Maybe that will be a goal again someday but I think it's important at this point to simply start--to start again. I'm just going to write. Starting from today, I'm going to write as much and as often as I can. I want to set a goal of writing every day, but I know that may not always be possible. But I'm going to give it a shot.

Knights of Pen and Paper

I've been spending far too much time on Knights of Pen and Paper, far more than I ever imagined I would. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it or even call it a good game, per se, but it has a tremendously addictive quality to it, due in no small part to its origins as a mobile game. I'm pleased that it's not bogged down by microtransactions in the PC version, but the absurdly grindy nature of the game suggests the game was designed around them.

The concept of the game is really clever and interesting. It's essentially a pixelated D&D campaign in which you create not just the characters from the campaign, but the players assuming their roles, as well. You can create Hipster Clerics, Gamer Paladins, or even have Grandma assume the role of the party's Druid. It's a really clever concept that I'm just wild about. Each of the players has their own passive trait that might make them more appropriate for certain classes. Although you only have access to a limited pool of players and classes at the game's outset, you have the ability to unlock others as you progress through the game. 

Just like a real D&D campaign, the scope of the game is decided by the Dungeon Master, which is again a character that can be customized by spending in-game gold, imparting one of a selection of different buffs. As the player-created party traverses the map, the events in question are narrated by the Dungeon Master. Much of the dialogue between the DM and the party is pretty funny and helps to lighten things up a bit between long sessions of grinding, which the game features quite prominently. Quests fall into a few different categories, but all boil down to slaying dozens of monsters to progress, whether this is in the course of escorting an important NPC, collecting artifacts,  or traveling in general. In fact, there's a good chance you'll encounter enemies just when moving from place to place. This is where the game gets very repetitive, when you find yourself fighting wave after wave of enemies with no dialogue or story whatsoever.

I wouldn't mind the grinding so much if not for how little diversity there is in options for your classes. Much like a MOBA, each of the classes in the game only has four abilities at their disposal, each of which can be assigned a skill point upon leveling. I've not encountered any sort of cap for these skills, but they do seem to reach diminishing returns after level 10 or so, at which point it seems prudent to spread your skill points around a bit. The game is not exactly easy so not all party compositions necessarily work. Some sort of healer is required, and a tank helps a lot too. Fortunately, the game provides you with a few different options in both cases, although this doesn't seem like the case initially. I had no idea at first that I'd be able to unlock any new classes.

The combat reminds me of Dragon Quest or Etrian Odyssey. It's in first person perspective--sort of. You can see your players assembled at the gaming table with its various accoutrement (many of which are upgrades purchaseable with in-game gold) and behind the DM is a backdrop associated with whatever locale your party has traveled to. During monster encounters, you'll be pitted against 1 to 7 baddies of various shapes and sizes. Enemies much above your level will be quite challenging and may sometimes even one-shot a party member. This is pretty annoying when you find yourself without any Phoenix-Ups (heh) or a revival spell of some kind. Therefore, you need to grind. A lot. And not just for experience, either. You'll find yourself needing to grind for money, too. In some cases, you'll end up in situations where you don't even have enough money to travel or to resurrect dead party members, which is really annoying. If you don't have enough money to revive anyone after a complete party wipe, you even lose experience! Aaaagh!

What I do like about the game is that you're able to put together your own party from a decent little pool of character classes. The classes themselves are not the most clever in the world but they're interesting enough. The paladin can generate threat to tank while boosting defenses and healing himself. The rogue can hit hard with double strikes and stealth to decrease threat and increase crit chance. The bard can sing songs to heal party members or buff attacks. The berserker gets passive crit and damage and has the ability to attack wildly at random while healing. The archetypes are pretty standard but they fit the flavor of the game. 

I feel like the game has so much potential and it's a wonderful idea but it's really hampered by lack of originality in other areas and some extreme repetitiveness. Still, I might be intrigued enough to finish it (and man, I've spent so much time on it already) but I'm not sure I'll be able to carry on to the sequel. (Not a bad deal for $2.50 on Steam, though.) 

Azure Striker Gunvolt

So, I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of years playing Mega Man games. I've played the entire classic series, about half of MMX, all of Mega Man Zero (and Mega Man ZX), so I've become pretty familiar with Inti Creates as a company. They've developed most of the more recent Mega Man titles instead of Capcom--and, more recently, they've developed an original IP in Azure Striker Gunvolt, which reads as something of a successor to Mega Man Zero/ZX and Mega Man X. And hey, it's pretty good, too.

What I like about Gunvolt is that it's not just a copy of previous formats. It's much less shooting-focused than Mega Man X because of the way Gunvolt's tagging works. Enemies can be tagged with fired shots, up to three times. These tags make enemies vulnerable to Gunvolt's lightning attacks, which emanate from his Flashfield, toggled on with the R button. In fact, lightning will straight up seek targets that are tagged, meaning there's no aiming element at all once tagging has been done.

Of course, there is a downside to using Flashfield--it rapidly consumes EP, the resource through with Gunvolt wields his electricity. Fortunately, EP can be instantly replenished simply by quickly double tapping down on the d-pad. There is a brief animation when this happens and it therefore cannot be done while moving, which makes it difficult to do in hectic boss encounters. EP does slowly regenerate over time, however.

EP isn't used just for the Flashfield, though. It's also consumed when Gunvolt uses special techniques like Air Hopping and Air Dashing--both of which are unlocked by crafting mechanical components consisting of pieces collected from the game's levels. Additionally, EP is consumed for Prevasion, a mechanic in which Gunvolt blocks damage entirely as long as he has EP left to discharge. It is for this reason that it is extremely important to avoid getting hit, because once his EP has been completely depleted, he overheats and is unable to recharge for several seconds. This renders Gunvolt much less effective in combat, much less mobile, and much more vulnerable to damage.

Mega Man X is firing off massive charged shots while rapidly dashing and wall-jumping through stages. Mega Man Zero is more about getting up close and personal with the Z-Saber while performing similar feats of speed. Of course, MMZ is much more unforgiving and in fact awards you ranks for your competence at completing certain levels. Azure Striker Gunvolt strikes a balance between the two. It's not altogether as challenging as Mega Man Zero, but there is still that emphasis on being as efficient as possible. There are challenges to complete that reward upgrade parts and you are still ranked on your performance--but these ranks are somewhat less important this time around.

What makes Gunvolt feel so different than X or Zero is his emphasis on using electrical powers and his use of flashy special skills. The majority of the damage Gunvolt deals comes from his electricity. His shots really only serve as a means to an end. Balancing the use of electricity and maintaining a stack of three tags on bosses while rhythmically recharging EP is a unique play style that really sets the game apart. Of course, the traditional MMX dashing and air-jumping mechanics are still there, but it is a game that has its own identity even so.

I'm playing the sequel as we speak and I'm intrigued at the inclusion of a secondary character. I'll probably have some things to say about that as well sometime soon.

And now for something different.

Oh man, that whole video thing. It's become a bit of a drag, I think. On the one hand, I really enjoy the writing/presentation aspect of it, but I really dislike how laborious and time consuming the process is. And I feel like it turns every game I'm playing into a project of some kind when sometimes I Just want to zone out and have fun. These statements are a tad hypocritical I guess, since my rate of video production has slowed dramatically. But still. That's why.

So what am I going to do now? Am I done with videos forever? I don't know. There's a chance I'll do them again, but it's not something I feel like prioritizing right now. I'm still playing a lot of games and I do want to talk about them, but probably in a much more casual way for the immediate future. I'm feeling like making changes in life in general, recently. Y'know, things like eating habits, fitness, outlook, stuff like that. And saving more money so I can eventually afford video games. (I still don't have a Switch.)

But you know, on the other hand, I do miss blogging. Ever since I started doing the video thing (and even sometime before that), this blog ceased being a repository of my thoughts and whims. I'm not saying I'm going to be starting a daily blogging exercise like I did a few years ago (or maybe I am?) but I do have some interest in dropping casual thoughts on stuff that's going on in my life and of course games that I'm playing.

I felt at one point that I needed to legitimize this blog by resorting to posting only "article worthy" entries with full-length reviews. That gradually evolved into making videos and the blog for a time just because a collection of links to those videos with no articles whatsoever. I don't know. I can't do it all. There's not a lot I can do in general!

So, what am I going to be talking about for the future of this blog? How often will I be updating it? Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. I'm feeling immensely directionless in my life lately and I am in dire need of structure. It would makes sense, then, to resume daily blogging, but I'm not certain I necessarily have it in me. The problem I frequently ran into in the days that I did that was a tendency to "phone it in" on days I wasn't particularly feeling it. At the same time, forcing myself to write daily was creatively rewarding and really got my thoughts flowing. There are certainly pros and cons.

I originally planned to talk about some video game stuff today but I think I'll save it for next time. When that'll be, who knows. I'm operating without a plan today.

Ocean of Wisdom ~ Abzû

It's been some time since I put out any kind of video, so I decided I'd break the silence with something short for a change. This is the shortest video I've done, but the game itself barely clocks in at two hours, so I think that's justified. It's also a really pretty, relaxing experience that I'd highly recommend.