Tag: videogames

30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 16

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Day 16: Best cut-screens

30 Days Of: Gaming has been delayed entirely because I haven’t been able to think of an answer to this question.

Throughout this whole process, I’ve found that every game I’ve ever played has slipped out of my head. What happens if I forget a great one and give a dumb answer? That answer is out there in the world for everyone to see. “No Jade, you once said that your favourite game couple was Snow and Bigby, you can’t go back on that now you’ve remembered other games exist.” I’m sure you’ll agree, that’s a nightmare that we all want to avoid.

Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying I can’t think of a game with the ‘best cut-scenes’. I remember being in awe of Ni No Kuni and just how it captured the essence of a Ghibli film; how colourful the scenes were, and how pretty they were. I can’t remember, however, if they were the best I’ve ever seen, or if they’re just sticking in there because I love that game so much.

So, in the absence of me being able to give a ‘proper’ answer, let me know your favourite cut scenes! Maybe that way my memory will return to me…

Game Reviews, Games

Review: Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds

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Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is the latest game in the Hakuoki series, and is billed by developer Idea Factory as a “remastered telling of the beloved 2008 series”. Set in historic Japan, the game follows the protagonist as she’s taken in by a group of samurai while looking for her father who has gone missing. Being an otome game (literally translated as “maiden game”), the protagonist is, naturally, surrounded by attractive men – twelve of whom she is able to embark on romantic storylines with.

Read the rest of my review at Push Square.

30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 15

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Day 15: Post a screenshot from the game you’re playing right now

Much to my own surprise, I’m still playing Persona 5. I’ve been waiting for this game for five years, so I thought I’d breeze through it, but I’ve decided to be sensible (for once) and try and savour it as much as possible. Anyway! Here is probably the most boring screenshot of Persona 5 – I’m not about to break Atlus’ heart by getting my own, so have this one I found on Google.

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30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 13

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Day 13: A game you’ve played more than five times

There are actually only a handful of games I’ve played through more than once, and only two spring to mind that I’ve actually played more than five times. Both are connected in my life, so here’s a little anecdote.

When I was 11, the only gaming device or console I had was a PlayStation (violins, I’m sure, are playing), and my favourite ever game to play was Crash Bandicoot. I played it to death, and knew it off by heart. I’m interested to see if muscle memory kicks in and I still remember the levels as vividly when the remastered version comes out later this year.

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I completed it so many times, and as soon as I did, I would start again. Sometimes I would take a break to play Spyro The Dragon, but I’m not sure I ever completed that once, let alone as many times as I completed Crash. A friend who lived in my road had a brother who was as obsessed with Pokémon as I was with Crash, and I was fascinated by it (my exposure to handheld gaming was pretty minimal by this point). So, for my twelfth birthday, my aunt bought me a Gameboy Colour (in lime green, FYI). Imagine my devestation when I didn’t have any games for it. She thought it would come with a game built in, so didn’t pick one up for me.

Fast forward a couple of days and another boy in my village gave me his copy of Pokémon Yellow to borrow on a long-term loan (so long-term, that I actually still have the game some 16 years later). I was totally smitten with it, and played it constantly (luckily my dad had invested in some rechargable batteries), and completely ignored Crash. The only trouble – I completely sucked at it.

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Still to this day, I hate grinding in games. I’d much rather get from objective A to objective B and work my way through some tasks, earning experience points that way, so levelling up Pokémon by battling wild Pokémon was not something I enjoyed doing.

So, anyway. My friend’s brother proposed we help each other out. As good as he was at Pokémon, he completely sucked at Crash. A deal was made, and we’d help each other through bits we were stuck on, or give tips. His advice was so invaluable to me, that I ended up sticking with Pokémon for a really long time (Sun and Moon are the only additions to the franchise that I’ve not bought). At that time, little twelve year old me was far too impatient to go through and complete the Pokédex, so as soon as I’d defeat the Elite Four, I’d start again. And again, and again.

30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 12

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Day 12: A game everyone should play

I’m usually really bad with game recommendations, as I get so carried away with the games that I love, I forget what the other person’s interests are or what genre of games they like playing. This has lead to some disasters in the past, but my answer for this game is pretty simple.

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I think everyone should play The Last of Us. Naughty Dog’s game is simply, a masterpiece, and I’ve never met anyone who didn’t enjoy playing it. Even if action adventure games aren’t your usual sort of thing, the story is so compelling and gripping that you simply must play it. It has so much going on, from the raw emotion of the storyline to some genuinely terrifying parts, and so much more.

The Last of Us multiplayer was also the first multiplayer that I delved into, and subsequently got completely addicted to, so there’s always that too.

30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 11

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Day 11: Gaming system of choice

Finally! An easy question!

I have been a Sony fangirl since the original PlayStation came out, so these days I do 99.9% of my gaming on my PS4 or PS Vita. I regularly say my PS Vita is the best thing I’ve ever bought, but honestly, I can’t choose between them.

A very brief answer, I know, but there’s not a lot to debate when it’s such a clear cut answer!

30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 10

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Day 10: Best gameplay

Honestly, I feel like these questions are getting tougher and tougher.

Really, which gameplay I prefer depends on my mood at the time. Visual novels or point-and-clicks are good if you just want to escape but are feeling a bit lazy or sluggish; there’s no worry about failing a QTE section, or missing an attack and dying.

That being said, one game I really did enjoy recently was Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom. As a huge fan of the anime, the game did a really good job of giving me just what I wanted; to be able to fly around on the 3DM gear and slay titans. It really puts you in the place of the playable characters, and sucks you in to be part of the ongoing battles. It’s also hugely unlike any game I’ve ever played and was a really exciting mechanic to try out.

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30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 9

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Day 9: Saddest game scene

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

If you had the misfortune of following me on Twitter in January, you would have seen me have meltdown over meltdown about the ending of Final Fantasy XV.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been so affected by a game in recent years, and I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever cried so much. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific scene which I would call “the saddest”, as I spent pretty much the last third of the game having just finished crying, actually crying, or just about to cry.

Pretty much everything after the game ends just destroyed me, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get the image of the four empty camping chairs around the campfire out of my head. I can no longer listen to any version of Stand By Me without welling up (or actually crying, in the case of during the Power Rangers movie).

30 Days Of, 30 Days Of: Gaming

30 Days Of: Gaming, Day 8

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Day 8: Best Soundtrack

I’m not really one for soundtracks to games. I tend to get really absorbed and sort of block all sounds apart from dialogue out. I’ve never finished a game, then found an urge to listen to the songs from it, but I’ve never given myself the chance to do that either. Maybe that’s something I should do more in the future.

Having said that, I do own two game soundtracks on physical CD (Persona 4: Dancing All Night, and Persona 5) and another on vinyl (Persona 4 Arena). I’m not sure this is necessarily because I like the soundtracks to the games, or more because of an obsession with the Persona series, but either way, the songs are really catchy (especially in Persona 4: Dancing All Night) and good to have on whilst travelling.