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43M's Gaming Journal: A Few New Review and Red Dead 2!!!!


43M

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Okay, so I thought this might be a little fun, especially during the cold, long offseason.    Recently, Ive found myself becoming more and more interested in gaming again, after several years of not playing nearly as much,   Time was an issue and still kind of is, but my girlfriend is going to be gone for the next 10-14 months (starting in June) and I need something to fill that void.    I thought about exercising more and trying to get out on my own more, but I enjoy my new love handles and I hate most people, so I decided to pick up an old hobby.    Why am I journalizing it?   Well, its always nice to get feedback from others on games, especially games I plan on MAYBE playing.   I already have a long list, so maybe some posters on here can give me some suggestions based on the games I KNOW I want to play....

Before I get into my FUTURE plans,  Ill give a little backstory into my previous notable experiences with gaming (feel free to skip ahead if you dont care about my past experiences in gaming).

I actually got into gaming right as the videogame industry was resurging all the way back in 1987 (yes, Im getting old), when I woke up Christmas morning and found a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System from Santa, with the Mario Bros and Duck Hunt game packaged with the system.  I played the game the entire day with the game, and it was one of the most memorable experiences Ive ever had.    As most "older" gamers know, the original Nintendo had its fair share of great games, and its fair share of duds, and back then...it was largely luck of the draw.     Being that we were pretty low on money when I was young, I didnt get many games on the original NES, so I relied on borrowing games from friends and renting them from the local video store.    Games like Zelda, Mega Man, Contra and Castlevania are obvious favorites of any NES fan....but honestly, some of the bad games were some of the most memorable.     I remember going over to my aunt's house (RIP), plopping on her floor and playing Ghostbusters and Jaws....never knowing what to do in either terrible game, but somehow still enjoying them.    My one buddy had over 300 games for the original Nintendo and I was extremely jealous....even though looking back, 200 or so of them were mediocre or worse.    

In 1992 or 1993, I made the jump to Super Nintendo...again, a Christmas present.     Super Mario World was an absolutely amazing game, and for my birthday 6 months later, I received the best game ever made IMO....

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After Zelda, however, my game experiences on the SNES got a little murkier.      Again, without much money, I only got a game or 2 a year, usually at Christmas, and with no internet and not many reliable review outlets, it was largely luck of the draw.      I was able to borrow and rent some really great games, but 2 horrible games I remember getting were Home Alone 2 and Pit Fighter.     Home Alone 2 I got because I loved Home Alone back in the day and my mom thought I would enjoy it....ugh.    Pit Fighter was my fault, because I played the arcade game and kind of enjoyed it, so I asked for it on SNES....which was possibly the worst game Ive ever owned.     Beyond that, I only owned a few others, but none of the great ones beyond Mario and Zelda, like The Lost Vikings and NBA Jam (which I guess was great in its own right).

It took me awhile to make the jump to the N64, and at the time, the choice between sticking with Nintendo or jumping onto the Playstation bandwagon was a tough one.    However, two games made my decision for me....

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...while I enjoyed playing games like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Turtles in Time with friends, these games took the multiplayer experience to a whole new level.   Me and my friends sunk countless hours into both games, having tournaments with many neighborhood kids, and even one time for a good bit of money on the line.     Still some of the fondest memories ever.     Then, shortly after those games....my SECOND favorite game ever came out...

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The N64 may be my favorite console ever in regards to how much fun I had with it WITH FRIENDS.     

During the summer of 1999, I got my first job, and with my first paycheck, I went out and bought a Playstation, and the first game I bought for it was Triple Play 1997, which I played all summer.    Later that year, i borrowed a game that first got me into RPGs, and became one of my favorite games ever....

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I played FF7 before this and thought it was boring, but after FF8, I went back to FF7 and loved it.     Outside of FF7 8 and 9, there werent a ton of PS1 games I have alot of great memories with.   There were some other great games I remember, but I divided my time between the PS1 and N64, and N64 usually won out except for the Final Fantasy games.

Fast forward to 2001 when I joined the Navy...went through basic training and then to A-school, and the first time I was able to get off base to go shopping, I went and bought the Playstation 2 with Madden 2002 and Final Fantasy 10.    

Im going to stop there for now in regards to my past with gaming.   I may type more later, but my early days were easily the most memorable.    I definitely have some fond memories of playing games after that too, but I dont get quite as nostalgic about them as I do for my pre-2000 era gaming days.

END GAMING HISTORY RANT....

So, from this point on, it will be all about the games I am currently playing and games I plan on playing going forward.   I will comment on the games I am playing, and possibly ask suggestions on future games.  Just a heads up, alot of the games I am playing are older games I never got a chance to play that Ive always wanted to, as you'll see from the first game I just beat recently, and even the game I'm playing now.

 

 

Edited by 43M
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Completed Games

Dragon_Age_Origins_cover.png  Review Score:  7.7

FF_XV_cover_art.jpg  Review Score:  8.2

 

Horizon_Zero_Dawn.jpgReview Score:  9.4

Spider-Man_PS4_cover.jpg Review Score:  8.6

Witcher_3_cover_art.jpgReview Score:  9.3

 

Xenoblade_Chronicles_X_-_Boxart.jpg Review Score:  8.4

God_of_War_4_cover.jpgReview Score:  9.5

SaintsRowIV.jpg Review Score:  6.5

 

FFVIIRemake.png Review Score:  9

Dishonored_box_art_Bethesda.jpg Review Score:  7.2

TombRaider2013.jpgReview Score:  8.8

 

 250px-Kotorbox.jpgReview Score:  5 or 7.5

Rise_of_the_Tomb_Raider.jpgReview Score: 8.5

Shadow_of_the_Tomb_Raider_cover.pngReview Score: 7.8

240px-Kingdoms_of_Amalur_-_Reckoning_covReview Score: 8

Call_of_Juarez_Gunslinger.jpg Review Score: 7.6

220px-Wolfenstein_The_New_Order_cover.jp Review Score: 7.4

Ghost_of_Tsushima.jpgReview Score: 9

Final_Fantasy_XII_Box_Art.pngReview Score: 7.7

 

220px-Horizon_Forbidden_West_cover_art.j Review Score: 9.1

Infamous-cover.jpg Review Score: 7

Infamous_2.pngReview Score: 7.5

Infamous_second_son_boxart.jpg Review Score: 8

DMC1FrontCover.jpgReview Score: 6.8

DMC2FrontCover.jpgReview Score: 4.7

Devil_May_Cry_3_boxshot.jpg Review Score: 8

DMC4COVER.jpg Review Score: 7.7

Devil_May_Cry_5.jpg Review Score: 8.2

220px-Cover_art_of_Star_Wars_Jedi_FallenReview Score: 7.8

The_Witcher_EU_box.jpg Review Score: 8.1

Witcher_2_cover.jpg Review Score: 8.6

220px-SouthParkTheStickOfTruth.jpgReview Score: 6.3

Nathan_Drake_Collection_cover_art.png Review Score: 8.7

Uncharted_4_box_artwork.jpgReview Score: 9.2

Batman_(Telltale_Games)_logo.pngReview Score: 8.8

Maxpaynebox.jpgReview Score: 7.2 (1 & 2)

220px-Max_Payne_3_Cover.jpgReview Score: 8.9

Red_Dead_Redemption.jpgReview Score: 8

 

 

Edited by 43M
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Dragon_Age_Origins_cover.png  Review

 

So, I initially got Dragon Age Inquisition at Gamestop on a 5 for $20 used games deal, and thought I would give it a try.   I played DA: I for about 5 hours, and then people kept suggesting I at least go back and play the first one so I know some of the backstory and characters that show up in Inquisition.     So I went back to Gamestop and got the Dragon Age: Origins Complete Edition with all the DLC for $20.    I started playing it about April of 2018, but I got really busy when summer rolled around and kind of fell out of it (and gaming in general) and never finished it.   Then, in February 2019 I started playing it again and finally finished it.   For years I heard great things about Dragon Age Origins and always considered buying it, but was concerned I wouldn't get into it.   Its honestly harder for me to get into games that take place in medieval times or the past in general (unless their is a fantasy twist to them).  Im more into modern and futuristic settings, but for as cheap as the games were, I thought Id give them a chance.

The game had alot in common with BioWare's other flagship series, Mass Effect, in regards to dialogue options, character development and decision making, which I was all a fan of.     I really liked all the characters, especially Morrigan, Ogrhen (sp:) and Allistair, and while the main character felt a little bit dry because of the lack of a voice actor, he was still a pretty good character that was developed pretty well.    The story was pretty damn good and flowed well from beginning to end.   Even the DLC additions added a good bit to the lore and world of the game.    

My main issues with this game came with the gameplay.   Now, its pretty old game, but there are other old games I still enjoy the gameplay on much more than I did with Dragon Age Origins.   Not that it was bad, mind you, but there were numerous times I was taken out of the gameplay or just got frustrated with it.   For instance, while the tactics screen was nice at times, in certain battles, it just felt useless or poorly done.   I was extremely annoyed that you couldnt map a command for reviving a character with one of the mages when someone was knocked out.     Another thing that annoyed me was how limited the options were when you got into a really tough section.    Several times I had to actually lower the difficulty for a certain battle because it was going to be impossible on normal (and no, these werent areas where the enemies were a much higher level).   I am largely a casual gamer. so maybe if I had been more into really learning the ins and outs of the battle system, I couldve found some tricks that made my life a little easier,  but based on what I actually knew how to do and how I played, there were some areas that just got frustrating.   I didnt like lowering the difficulty to get through an area, but I didnt have another choice.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed alot of my time with the game, but by the end I was happy it was over.    Maybe I just wanted to get into something new after playing the game for 70+ hours (more including the DLC), but like I said, the gameplay did frustrate me, as Im usually more into more action oriented gameplay, as opposed to the command based combat of DA:O.      Down the road, I MAY actually go back and play ALL of the Dragon Age games on PC.     I heard that Origins especially was much better on PC...plus there are some mods I would like to try.

Bottom line:    If the gameplay were a little more engrossing and certain areas of the game didnt drag on quite as long, this couldve easily been a 9 to 9.5.    

Gameplay:  5
Story:  8
Graphics:  7 (relative to its time)
Value/Replayability:   9
Personal Enjoyment:   7

Final Score:    7.7

Edited by FourThreeMafia
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Great run down memory lane. 

But if you are willing to play FF XV, and you played Zelda / Mario on SNES, you should play Secret of Mana / FF IV / VI / Chrono Trigger on an emulator for CT / FF IV - and as it’s been re-released, FF VI / SoM on the SNES classic.   Obviously it can’t compare graphically but it holds up in 2D sprites / Mode 7 3D sprite background effect.   The story and gameplay just are out of this world better. 

Edited by Broncofan
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58 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

Great run down memory lane. 

But if you are willing to play FF XV, and you played Zelda / Mario on SNES, you should play Secret of Mana / FF IV / VI / Chrono Trigger on an emulator for CT / FF IV - and as it’s been re-released, FF VI / SoM on the SNES classic.   Obviously it can’t compare graphically but it holds up in 2D sprites / Mode 7 3D sprite background effect.   The story and gameplay just are out of this world better. 

I want to say I've played Secret of Mana, but I cant remember.   It was either that or Legend of Gaia....but it's been so long.

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40 minutes ago, ET80 said:

I really tried to like this game, but didn't. Hope you do, maybe it's just me.

I got it dirt cheap at Gamestop and alot of people like it.  Worth a try, at least.

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You really need to add red dead redemption 2 to your list, it's a prequel so it doesn't matter if you played the original but it really is one of the greatest games I've ever played, the level of detail and immersion is incredible at times.

Also persona 5, amazing jrpg... But wait til next year for that one because they are making a deluxe edition that has some extra content and a new character.

Edited by rob_shadows
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57 minutes ago, rob_shadows said:

You really need to add red dead redemption 2 to your list, it's a prequel so it doesn't matter if you played the original but it really is one of the greatest games I've ever played, the level of detail and immersion is incredible at times.

Also persona 5, amazing jrpg... But wait til next year for that one because they are making a deluxe edition that has some extra content and a new character.

Well, here is the thing...I have Red Dead Redemption, but never finished it.   I might go back and do so at some point, and then Ill do the sequel.

I was actually going to inquire about Persona 5 and put it in my "Games Im Considering" section.    Im not really into anime, but Im not really against it, either.     I may try it at some point, though.  

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