Games Beaten

-Mega Man Battle Network 2 (Switch)

Let me be frank: I found Mega Man Battle Network 2 to be pretty disappointing. This is an iterative sequel and I would not expect big changes but I do wonder at the thought process behind some of these choices.

MMBN2 reuses many assets from the first game but that's okay. It's a nice looking GBA game. The soundtrack is fairly forgettable but fits the game and has a few standout tracks. So far, so good. One of my big complaints from the first game was the overly labyrinthine dungeons and they are more straightforward in this game (mostly). The problems come from how the devs STUFFED the parts of the game between the dungeons with the most inane fetch content. I can't tell you how many times I was told there was an item or character somewhere in one of the "net city" maps that I had to go find. So much wandering back and forth! And not just for optional side content but we're talking main story missions too. I was so over it by the last third of the game.

And speaking of the main story...it's bad. I don't have a high bar for a game like this but MMBN2 was playing limbo here. The adults in this game are dumb as rocks, the kids make bad choices, and the bad guys have no clear motivation. On top of that, the translation was really sloppy and stiff. The story and characters did nothing for me this time around.

The saving grace of this game, of course, is the battle system. The grid- and card-based battles are fun and better balanced over the first game. MMBN2 also introduces some different elemental styles that affect the way you play, which is cool, but here too the game tips its hand about the bad choices. You get the first style by progressing the story and then get another one—I had to look this up online—every 280 completed battles! I got one additional style late in the game. I was missing at least two more. The game expects you to fight soooooo many battles as you wander aimlessly looking for things and I cannot abide such disrespect for my time. I used a guide in the back half of the game just to help me know where to go and I don't regret that at all.

In the end I enjoyed playing this game but that's because of the enjoyable battle system. But everything surrounding those battles—including a stupid number of extra battles—is just not friendly to the player. I assume the series gets better from here. At this point the only reason to play this game over one of the others is to say that you did it.

-Doom [2016] (PS4)

After hearing about how good this game is for the last ten years, I assumed I would like but I did not expect to love it. Mars and hell are both very red and brown, and I feel the demons lose some of their visual identity as realistic 3D models, so its looks didn't blow me away. But the gameplay is so fun! The fights are almost always tense and satisfying despite how OP your character is, and the devs made great choices with the level challenges and gun upgrade paths that kept me engaged and trying new things all through the game. It never grew stale. Throw in collectibles, secrets, and some Metroid Prime-esque exploration and Doom is a great campaign.

Games Bought

I paid real money for games in October! In particular I bought a new game: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse (Switch). More on that later. I also picked up Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army (Switch). I often eyed the original version of this game on the PS2 but never did get it. I found this one for a good enough price that I pulled the trigger on it (though nothing like "pulling the trigger" in Persona 3, haha). Otherwise I picked up two of the PS+ games for PS5. Hunt: Showdown 1896 has a really interesting setting but is some kind of permadeath extraction shooter that limits parties to three players (we usually have four), so I rather doubt we will end up playing it. The other one is Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2...which I bought for the Switch last month! But oh well. I'd rather play it on the Switch anyway.

Games Being Played

-Castlevania: Belmont's Curse (Switch)

I really like this game so far. The bosses (I've fought two) are tough but fair. I'm in the second main area now (a cemetery).

-The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu (PS5)

I think we are nearly done with this game. We delved beneath the Mound in our last play session...and died horribly in the ancient city of Tsath but I assume this is the last area. We shall try again!

-Torchlight 2 (Switch)

Progress was a little slow in this game last month but it continues.

-Piczle Cross: Rune Factory (Switch)

I think I played this game in October...probably.