Games Beaten
-The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
TotK is a great game. The mechanics are rock solid and used in interesting ways. It looks and sounds great (though only the very end has great music) and the world is huge and full of side quests and adventures and secrets. The story and characters are better this time around too. I played for 80 hours but could have spent 50 more doing new things and exploring uncharted areas and I'm happy for the people that want that, but for me it's just too much game. It was fun but I'm done.
Games Bought
Christmas! That always brings new games and this year was no different. The Switch, unsurprisingly, saw the most games. I got several myself, namely Signalis (a sci-fi horror game), Octopath Traveller II (which supposedly fixes my complaints from the first game), and Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (a game I still cannot believe exists). My kids Sonic Superstars (which we tried briefly; not sure how I feel about the simultaneous co-op), My Universe - Pet Clinic: Cats & Dogs (which would have been an atrocious game in my day but seems pretty competent, if a tad dull), and Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition (which no one has tried yet; I think they forgot about it). My oldest son also got Spider-Man 2 for the PS5 and he's been playing that. (I will get around to that game eventually but I need to play Miles Morales first.) He also received Gotham Knights (PS5) from an out-of-town family member. I've heard the game is aggressively ok but fails to really understand the Batman property or use the characters in meaningful ways. After Christmas was over my wife decided to download Baldur's Gate 3 (PS5) and is currently playing it as I type this. I'd love to play the game myself but man alive, I don't know when I will have time to do that.
Topping things off, I did grab a couple of the PS+ games: LEGO 2K Drive and Sable.
Games Being Played
-Depixtion (Switch)
TotK really ate into my time for this game, so it's been nice to get back to those sweet, sweet Picross puzzles.
-Destiny 2 (PS5)
Christmas time and related exhaustion ate into our usual Destiny time last month, so I'm trying to catch up on the story content for the current season.
-Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
2024 is the year we are going to finish this ridiculously huge game! And probably not that far off too.
I like how you put it. Tears of the Kingdom is fun, but it's too much game. I hope the next Zelda is more traditional with actual dungeons and no breakable weapons and doesn't take a third of a year to beat.
Right now I'm mostly playing the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster physical edition I got for Christmas.
Yes! I would love to have a more traditional Zelda (that isn't a remake), maybe with some kind of unusual art style. I want the hook shot! And eight dungeons!
That's cool that you got the physical edition of the Pixel Remasters. I am very tempted to try to get the whole series through 12 physically on the Switch, just to have it, but it would be quite expensive to do.
Yeah there's no reason why the Pixel Remasters were as expensive as they were. But that's why I asked for the physical copy for Christmas. So I wouldn't have to buy it myself. :)
Unfortunately Aonuma said "Why would you want to go back?" when asked about traditional Zelda. That worries me. Not sure why they can't make an openworld Zelda that has dungeons in the world that are traditional dungeons with items you can obtain and then use in the open world.
Yeah I saw that interview. Not very happy about what he said, but game developers often change their minds so who knows. I think you can have both a open world Zelda overworld and actual dungeons. The only side effect is that you might not have such a bloated game, but that's a good thing to me.
Honestly, I'm still playing TotK here and there. I prefer it over BotW. I don't mind that there's a ton to do, although it wasn't fun having to wait six years for the game. Seriously, though, I do hope we get a more traditional 3D Zelda next, but what form it takes is anyone's guess.
TotK would have been a godsend when we were kids. So much to keep doing! Alas, it turns out there are other games to play! Lol.
I'm eager to try out Lego 2K Drive. It being on PS+ suggests it might show up on Game Pass soon. Hoping.
Gotham Knights looked interesting but I'm much more keen to try Marvel's Midnight Suns, the strategy game by Firaxis.
I wouldn't mind playing midnight suns...except I still haven't played the newer Xcom games!
I love the XCOM games even though they get too hard for me to beat them. Phoenix Point too.
