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Post by spanky on Jan 2, 2021 15:33:21 GMT -5
Oh yeah, I forgot I played Ganbare Goemon 2-4 thanks to their new fan translations this year. I even played the retranslation of the first one. All excellent games and tremendously underappreciated in the west. I used to see previews of these games in the import sections of old magazines and just drool over them...
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Post by Woody Alien on Jan 3, 2021 10:52:51 GMT -5
Yeah I was disappointed by The Messenger as well. I didn't beat it. Too bad because "Ninja Gaiden Metroidvania" seems like a slam dunk game idea. It plays well but it is wasted on poor world design and boring enemies. I didn't really like the self-aware dialogue either. It's easy to overdo that kind of thing. The gimmick where the visuals change when you time travel was kinda cute though. I don't mind that kind of humor, and I liked a lot too the change from 8bit to 16bit to represent the passage of time, but for the rest I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed and didn't finish it, too. As much as I like metroidvanias I enjoyed much more the platformer Ninja Gaiden-esque first part rather than the second half, since I was really annoyed by having to follow these hints and having to travel back again and again to areas I've visited previously without knowing what to do.
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Post by personman on Jan 3, 2021 17:08:22 GMT -5
Ah, the tradition continues! think last I saw one of these was '17. HIGHS Animal Crossing: New Horizons- This game came out at the perfect time. Like, I seriously found this game helped me put a lid on all the anxiety of this year and it helped me keep even closer to all my friends. Otherwise its the same as usual but with nice extra things on top of a solid core. Those things are of course clunky as hell as per usual with anything Nintendo and online functionality but hey, I can deal with it. House of the Dying Sun- Really loved this one, the physics are spot on, the missions have just enough variation to keep things interesting and while the whole command a flotilla in an RTS style thing is a little tacked on it does work well enough and if you want to ignore it you can for the most part. And besides the fighter craft you fly is just freaking badass as hell. Wish you could fly third person but even the cockpit looks neat really. Many will probably call it too short and in all fairness its only like 10 missions long with a tacked on endless mode. Personally I thought it was just right but there are a good deal of optional objectives to do that could extend the life of it as well. Ikaruga- Still one of my favorite vert shooters and now its on my Switch. Can't believe I cleared this one one life back on the Gamecube, sure as hell can't do that now lol. Still love it. Super Mario 64- via the All stars collection. It's Mario, I really don't need to say anything. Didn't feel like getting all the stars though. Not sure when I'll get to Sunshine or Galaxy. Castlevania Anniverserary Collection- Love Castlevania, I like my Switch, there for this was a pretty good deal. I guess heres my quick thoughts on them all: CV1- Excellent CV2- Weird but interesting CV3- Should have went with the japanese version CV4- Yay CVBloodlines- Not bad CVA- Bleh CVBR- Gets by I guess Kid Dracula- Meh. Hylics 2- A complete upgrade from the last game. I was surprised enough it got a sequel nevermind the fact they took the formula and tweaked it enough to stand out from your usual RPGmaker schlock. It's not ground breaking just really, really solid. And really who cares we're all with this one for the bizzare art, off beat humor and great music. I do think the first game was funnier but that was about it and sure, the bar was set pretty damn low but I just respect it since they didn't really need to try this hard could have just run it through RPGmaker again and people would have lapped it up for the art just fine. Most I'll say is the optional platforming parts aren't too amazing, but they don't offend either so its a win. Also, it might have my favorite game song of last year period: Super Hydorah- My favorite indie SHUMP. Still holds true now and I love having it on my Switch. Disco Elysium- A fantastic story and shows that a role playing game doesn't need full blown RNG combat tacked on to be engaging. Its also delightfully depressing, haha. Ballistic NG- This game changed my tastes in racing games. It's amazing... just don't try to complete the campaign. They went way too overboard with it and they reward you get is terrible. But that's a small blemish with how much good you can find everywhere else in this game. Megaman ZX- I didn't really like this one back in the day. I think I fooled myself into thinking it was too easy since there was no rank system and there for no big penalty for dying or taking a lot of damage. But really I was either a master of these kinds of games or I just remember wrong because this one was a huge challenge. Honestly I think I like it just as much as my favorite Zero game, especially for its bosses which nearly all of them are just fantastic. It does feel like its missing on a lot of potential though and the map is just the most bewildering thing ever. When I'm in a Megaman mood again I'll check out the sequel. AVERAGES Bloodborne- So I did enjoy this game. But, honestly I enjoyed it aesthetically much more than actually as a game. While I did figure things out and got used to stuff I just have a hard time really loving a game that takes me like, 15 hours of pain and frustration before it starts being enjoyable. That and honestly I really didn't like the blood vial set up for healing and as cool as the bosses look I thought DS1's cast had much better fights. If I had my way I would have a tourist mode so I could just walk around and admire the environment and atmosphere without anything pestering me. Megaman Zero 1-4- Revisited these through the ZX collection. Very solid games, they hold up well but I definitely don't have the patience for them like I used to. Personally I would order them in quality as such: 2 > 3 > 1 > 4. DOOM (2016)- I'm still struggling to get into FPS. I like shooting things, I like having multiple weapons for different situations so I have no idea why they usually don't do much for me. In this case though I did have a much better time with this game than I usually do with the rest of the genre. Go figure too because the only other true fps I really liked with PainKiller which was very arena like and well, that's mostly what this game does too. Can't think of much to say on it though that anyone else hasn't and the main thing that bothered me was, well it goes on too long and doesn't shake things up enough to justify it. Lucky for it my weakness for chucky ballistics and metal music carried me through. I got the sequel recently, wonder if it'll be the one to wow me. R-Type Dimensions- Really good ports of the classics and really I like how they had that mode that flipped lives and stuff on its head. Sure, you'll never game over but just look at that huge number of deaths bringing your score down. I find that a bit more encourage to practice and get better than just having a tough part kick my butt over and over again and making me restart. Otherwise the new graphics are kinda cheap lookign these days and much of the new music is rather generic sounding even if they are just remixes of the classics. Would have been nice to have unlockables but oh well. Wipeout- With how much I like Ballistic NG I figured it would be good to check out the series that inspired it. So far this is the only one I've snagged and it's alright. Shows its age these days as expected and its a bit annoying with how kicking anything slightly just brings you to a halt. Still, not bad it'll have a cozy spot in my collection. Devil May Cry- I liked this one a lot, especially how its holding on to a lot of flavor from the 90s just as it was leaving... if that made any sense. Like, the equipment screen and stuff makes me think of an old, old, old geocities website and it makes me laugh. Anyways, it still holds up today, until the end when the camera is your worst damn enemy which knocks it down a peg. It got me really mad for a bit. LOWS
Kona- It's not bad, just kinda there. Walking sim stuff with some half baked shooting and survival stuff thrown on. Could have been worse, nice atmosphere at least. Paratopic- Guess it's barely a game but eh what the hell. Interesting little walking sim thing that left me wanting to KnoW more about it's weird little story. Hoping to see the people behind it expand on it or make something more concrete in the future. Anodyne- Got this for 75 cents on Switch. It's alright, has some interesting moods though out and there is this sense of dreAd lingering in the background but it never really does anything with it. All that's left after that is just a very typical, passable Zelda clone. I did find having a dungeon take place in a run down apartment pretty charming. Has a funky tune that gets stuck in my head too:
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2021 7:03:45 GMT -5
I probably forgot some games, but here we go:
high: -Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection, really beautiful collection, It is nice too see every game in one package. The gameplay is smooth and it is interesting to see what they tried with every sequel.
-Blaster Master Zero, really like the idea with the car and gameplay, although, it was a bit too easy
-Blaster Master Zero 2, the perfect sequel and it was an impovement in comparison to the first one
-Creaks, nice little riddle adventure game with beautiful visuals, it can be finished in one weekend
-Puyo Puyo - Tetris 2, nice idea with its story mode, they have their own "side quests" where you can see thebanter of the side characters. They added little things to improve the game. -Brigandine The Legend of Runersia, I am not a big fan of tactical game, but this structure made me a fan, I don't need to be fast and I can take my time
-The Last of Us 2, it has some issues, but it tried to be something different, that is why I like it
-Streets of Rage 4, really great game, I don't like it much as an arcade experience, but I like it as "high score hunter" experience. It just needs to have multiple endings and then, it would be the ultimate beat'em up game to me.
-Fight N' Rage, nice beat'em up with lots of unlockables
-Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories, it has so many issues, but I liked the game, I guess, I am really thirsty for unique things.
-Earth Defense Force 5, the best game of this gaming generation,
-Outrun, I play this game every year at least once and it always entertains me
Your highs reminded me of a few games I didn't get around to picking up this year - Mega Man Zero Collection, Disaster Report 4 and EDF 5. Nice to know they're all quality releases.
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Post by jackcaeylin on Jan 4, 2021 9:57:37 GMT -5
Your highs reminded me of a few games I didn't get around to picking up this year - Mega Man Zero Collection, Disaster Report 4 and EDF 5. Nice to know they're all quality releases. I just want to add that Disaster Report 4 wasn't as good as the previous titles. It has some serious issues regarding performance, gameplay and other stuff. It even has mechanics without a meaning. (sounds funny, but it is sadly true) I would recommend a demo, especially with the console version. It was my guilty pleasure game, because I felt bad for the developers. I mean, creating a company just to release this game and to do sequels is really romantic to me.^^ It plays and feels like a ps2 game regarding the design philosophy. I thought, I should mention it. Most fans are really disappointed at the game, but if I get the impression that someone really tried their best, then I tend to honour the game and developers even if it failed miserably. There are hints of awesomeness, but in the end it is (sadly) not a quality game. I apologize, if I made a wrong impression.
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Post by spanky on Jan 4, 2021 10:48:55 GMT -5
How is the input lag and emulation on the MM Zero collection? I've been tempted but I held off on buying the X collection because I heard the input lag is noticeable and I'm sensitive to that sort of thing...
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Post by jackcaeylin on Jan 4, 2021 11:59:46 GMT -5
How is the input lag and emulation on the MM Zero collection? I've been tempted but I held off on buying the X collection because I heard the input lag is noticeable and I'm sensitive to that sort of thing... I am really bad at the topic input lag. I never noticed them in the X collection (bought only the first half of X collection). The only game that I ever noticed input lag was in the god of war series.
I used google and everyone says that Zero collection is well made. Apparently, it is built from the source code. I only played the first one on GBA and both (GBA and PS4 version) feel the same. I tried to find negative comments and everybody says positive stuff. I apologize for the lack of an answer. Interestingly, there is not even a youtube video about it, which is surprising to me.
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Post by spanky on Jan 4, 2021 12:45:57 GMT -5
How is the input lag and emulation on the MM Zero collection? I've been tempted but I held off on buying the X collection because I heard the input lag is noticeable and I'm sensitive to that sort of thing... I am really bad at the topic input lag. I never noticed them in the X collection (bought only the first half of X collection). The only game that I ever noticed input lag was in the god of war series.
I used google and everyone says that Zero collection is well made. Apparently, it is built from the source code. I only played the first one on GBA and both (GBA and PS4 version) feel the same. I tried to find negative comments and everybody says positive stuff. I apologize for the lack of an answer. Interestingly, there is not even a youtube video about it, which is surprising to me.
Good deal. I'm more intrigued now. Yeah I don't like being an "input lag purist" nerd but the fact of the matter is I do notice it...
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Post by dsparil on Jan 4, 2021 13:54:52 GMT -5
How is the input lag and emulation on the MM Zero collection? I've been tempted but I held off on buying the X collection because I heard the input lag is noticeable and I'm sensitive to that sort of thing… I never noticed any perceptible input lag in any of those 14 games collectively (X and ZX/Zero) when I played them in portable mode. I think most of the time "input lag" is today's "the controller is broken".
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Post by spanky on Jan 4, 2021 15:22:49 GMT -5
How is the input lag and emulation on the MM Zero collection? I've been tempted but I held off on buying the X collection because I heard the input lag is noticeable and I'm sensitive to that sort of thing… I never noticed any perceptible input lag in any of those 14 games collectively (X and ZX/Zero) when I played them in portable mode. I think most of the time "input lag" is today's "the controller is broken". It's definitely a thing, maybe not in all collections. I bought the (excellent overall) Kunio/Double Dragon collection and had to savescum to beat the final boss in Double Dragon - something I never had to normally do and I play the game about once a year. I was so annoyed with my performance I played my NES copy a week later and beat it on the first try.
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Post by dsparil on Jan 5, 2021 6:01:09 GMT -5
I definitely believe it can happen, but I've noticed that input lag gets blamed for a lot of things that might not be related at all. The one that sticks out to me partly because I didn't actually like the game overall was complaints about lag in Bloodstained particularly on Switch which I never experienced even before it was patched. I think it that case the bit of wind up weapons have coupled with the port's general poor quality was being interpreted as lag. The other thing is that very small amounts of real lag can throw off your rhythm in a game you know backwards and forwards but wouldn't be noticeable for someone without that experience. Plus, going from a CRT and wired controllers to an LCD and wireless controller will add a few frames depending on the display and potential wireless interference.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2021 7:27:06 GMT -5
Your highs reminded me of a few games I didn't get around to picking up this year - Mega Man Zero Collection, Disaster Report 4 and EDF 5. Nice to know they're all quality releases. I just want to add that Disaster Report 4 wasn't as good as the previous titles. It has some serious issues regarding performance, gameplay and other stuff. It even has mechanics without a meaning. (sounds funny, but it is sadly true) I would recommend a demo, especially with the console version. It was my guilty pleasure game, because I felt bad for the developers. I mean, creating a company just to release this game and to do sequels is really romantic to me.^^ It plays and feels like a ps2 game regarding the design philosophy. I thought, I should mention it. Most fans are really disappointed at the game, but if I get the impression that someone really tried their best, then I tend to honour the game and developers even if it failed miserably. There are hints of awesomeness, but in the end it is (sadly) not a quality game. I apologize, if I made a wrong impression. Not at all - perhaps I should have used the word 'enjoyable' rather than 'quality'. I played the demo already on Switch and whilst it did run less than ideal I did find the series charm was present. My take away from the demo was to pick it up on PS4 since I imagine it will run somewhat faster which is all that really bothered me - I haven't been able to see a comparison to see if my assumption is right. That I would be getting it on PS4 is the only reason I didn't pick it up already to be honest (same with EDF5) since I'm not a huge fan of the system. I do see considerable passion in the game with the developers breaking off and working on something they want to work on, rather than chasing the popular market. I was always a fan of IREM and the truth is there just aren't many games like this around and I'm happy to support them in continuing the series.
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Post by halftheisland on Jan 5, 2021 7:40:16 GMT -5
A lot of mine are more general experiences than game-specific, but been thinking about this question over the past few days and wanted to get something down.
High
Nintendo Switch
This was the year I finally gave in to my impulses and treated myself to a Switch, and I honestly couldn't be happier with it. I've never been one to care too much about being ahead of the curve, having all the latest tech and graphics etc. so the fact that it's a good deal lower-powered than the competition has never bothered me. As a console, it's fit perfectly in to my strange pandemic lifestyle and the fact that I can be playing a game on the TV, whip it out of the dock and near-seamlessly continue playing in handheld mode when my partner wants to use the big screen is still nothing short of magical to me.
It is by no means perfect - I'll cover the eShop in particular elsewhere in this post, and I've had occasional issues with the JoyCons being a little finicky about being too far from the docked console - but it's fast become my favourite way to play games this year.
The Computer Game Show
Working from home since March has meant an end to a lot of my podcast listening, as I no longer have the half-hour or so drive to work and my brain doesn't work well just sitting listening to something. The one thing I'd really missed was a gaming "bantercast" and having been a huge fan of the long and sadly-departed Midnight Resistance podcast, which shared a presenter and significant portion of the fanbase with this, it seemed like the perfect thing to pick up.
I've since worked my way through around 120 episodes of the archives up to 2018, and have found a huge comfort in the (mis)adventures and amiably love-hate relationship between the four presenters. The style can be fairly confrontational at times and is not one for everyone, but it's filled a real gap that I hadn't realised was missing in my gaming life. It's been great for recommendations for lesser-known stuff, and even where they're covering the big marquee games that I don't care about, it's still a pleasure to hear people talk so passionately and with such clear love for the medium.
Hardcore Gaming 101 forum
Yes, this place! Other than the Game Finish Challenge I know I haven't been the most active member of the community here, but as with the podcast above it's been a real pleasure to keep up with the discussions and go back through some of the archives and read people talking with real passion about games I never even knew existed. Taking part in the Game Finish Challenge has also made a huge difference to me in my own gaming habits and has really reawakened a love of gaming in me this year.
A specific shout-out to dsparil, whose seeming quest to play and review literally every indie title released on Switch has thrown up a number of hidden gems I'm looking forward to buying and playing this year.
Specific Games
Dragon Age Inquisition - this came at a time when I really needed something long and epic to sink my teeth into, and it delivered far more than I ever could have imagined. After 140-150 hours, playing it every single night for weeks on end, I don't think I've ever felt so immersed in a game world or so attached to its cast of characters.
Celeste - I didn't think I had it in me to complete a game like this, but I'm so glad that I did. I've never played a hard game as perfectly balanced or fair as this - with very few exceptions I never got frustrated at the game or felt it unfair, just compelled to push myself a little bit harder to get through the screen.
Deus Ex - the game that made me realise just how compelling games could be, I still vividly recall playing and replaying the demo that was included on the cover of PC Gamer (UK) some two decades ago now. Revisiting and finishing the whole thing this year, it's amazing how despite all the (more clear with 20 years' hindsight) flaws and issues, this is still a game that pushed itself to do more than we imagined was possible. There have been many worthy contenders over the years, but for me I suspect there will never be anything quite like it.
Mid
PS4 Pro
I bought this late last year to replace a baseline PS4 which had gone to the great scrapyard in the sky, and while I've enjoyed it a fair bit it's definitely fallen out of favour for me this year. It's not really the console's fault, and there are plenty of solid games on there, but somehow these days I never particularly get the urge to boot it up for a serious play session, and it's largely been relegated to serving duty as a very expensive Netflix box.
The Next Generation
While I've never been one that needs to be at the forefront of the curve, I've always still found a real excitement in the launch of new consoles and the leaps forward in gaming experiences that come with them. This has been the first time I can recall where I just haven't had that - very little that was showcased around the PS5 pre-launch had me feeling like I would be really missing something by not investing in the console, for example.
I think there's a combination of things here. The Switch taking up a huge part of my gaming life has made me realise I really don't need another console right now, for one. There's also the knowledge that while I could get away with / have a perfectly pleasant time with my current TV setup, moving to the (now) current gen would really require an investment in that side as well, bringing the total cost to well over £1000. While this year has been good to me, I still don't have that kind of money to throw around on something I'm not all that excited for.
Switch eShop
Love the sheer variety available, but the curation, wishlisting and notification of sales really needs a step up. The wishlist process in particular just seems arduous when compared to how seamlessly the Steam process, by contrast, makes it. Just for example, I got an email from Nintendo the other day to say that 41 games on my wishlist were on sale - great! Except it doesn't tell me which ones, or by how much, or for how long. I still have to log on to the eShop (either in browser or on console), navigate to my wishlist and browse through it to see all the details. The emails I get from Steam, in contrast, have all the relevant information and clicking on the links takes me right to the sale page. I know it's a minor thing, but it's just another little issue that makes the process slightly more awkward and inconvenient than it needs to be.
Specific Games
Wargroove - on paper, this should work for me, but every time I try and settle in to it I just end up feeling frustrated. The maps are slightly too large, the voice acting quickly gets annoying, and it somehow doesn't quite capture that core gameplay loop that made the Advance Wars series so compelling.
Breath of the Wild - I honestly thought about putting this in the "lows" section, but on balance I did get enough out of it to save it from that fate. That said, having spent something like 60 hours on it I still can't help but wonder if I'm playing the same game that everyone else seems to view as a 10/10. The shrines are fun but never for long, exploring the world is great but constantly interrupted by combat and weather. I've never clicked with the combat at all, and the weapon breaking in particular is just the most frustrating mechanic I've encountered in a long time. Even with the powers of all four Divine Beasts and around 60 shrines done I still feel underpowered in fights and, while I'm now in the endgame, the thought of working my way through Hyrule Castle is making me dread going back to finish this off.
Low
PC Gaming / Laptop
I need to start here by emphasising that this is nothing to do with the state of the PC gaming market right now, which by all accounts seems to be pretty robust. Rather, it's the realisation that my laptop which was mid-range when I bought it is no longer up to the task of tackling almost anything new to market, even a lot of smaller indie games. While I have enough older games to play from now until the end of time, it's been a bit of a sad realisation that I probably have to give up on what was my first real gaming platform.
On the point about indie games actually, I feel like a lot of indie developers would do well to spend more resources on optimising games for lower-spec machines. Some of the things I've tried and failed to play seem more down to an assumption that there will be a surfeit of processing/graphical power to throw at the games, and with a bit of work could surely work on older, mid-range machines. Surely there must be plenty out there like me who can't justify the cost of a gaming machine but would still like to keep up with some of what's happening?
Bad Habits (a new set)
While taking part in the Game Finish Challenge has been really helpful in breaking me out of a rut and I've really enjoyed actually finishing so many games this year, I worry that I may have become slightly too obsessed with playing games that can be finished. I've always deeply enjoyed the more open-ended simulation / city builder / grand strategy games and notice a distinct lack of those in my gaming diet over the past couple of years. I know I can be the sort of person to get obsessive about metrics and tracking my own media consumption, so probably need to spend a bit more time with games that don't always have a defined end state and enjoy some gaming for the sake of the experience alone.
This has been a lot longer than I had anticipated, so will leave it there and say I'm looking forward to what 2021 has to bring!
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Post by 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 on Jan 5, 2021 8:40:08 GMT -5
Even with the powers of all four Divine Beasts and around 60 shrines done I still feel underpowered in fights and, while I'm now in the endgame, the thought of working my way through Hyrule Castle is making me dread going back to finish this off. I've had the exact opposite problem with BotW. I feel you're way too strong too quickly. Urbosa's fury pretty much just destroys everything, and being able to stop enemies with the Stasis rune basically meant I rarely had to use my really strong weapons. At a certain point I was just overflowing with high-end weapons and nothing to 'waste' them on. There's also so many arrows found in the world that I could kill Lizalfos and Wizrobes by just hitting them with their weakness. Which is fine, since the combat isn't that interesting anyway (one of the main things I hope they improve on in the sequel). Hyrule Castle and the final boss are both pretty easy, FWIW. Also, regarding the eShop. I've made it a point to just check it every couple weeks or so and add things that interest me to my wishlist. It's possible that stuff that I don't know will interest me in the future won't be wishlisted and thus buried, but I feel I have to at least do this with the amount of stuff that comes out. Then again, even better storefronts like Steam have this issue just because the sheer amount of games available, so I'm not sure how they can really improve this (outside of not approving of blatant shovelware, which they really should start doing).
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Post by dsparil on Jan 5, 2021 8:45:22 GMT -5
halftheisland Thanks for participating in the game completion challenge! The rules for Civilization type games could use the most tweaking since they don't come up. I think that many do actually have some kind of victory condition or a set of scenarios. The game that originally prompted them, I think Railroad Tycoon, literally has no scenarios and continues on indefinitely. For comparison, Transport Tycoon ends at the 2030 in victory if you last that long. Are there any games in particular you're thinking about? I personally lean towards including rather than excluding so maybe it'll turn out that there's a way to make it work. Switch eShop - It's always been such a mess which makes a site like Deku Deals so important and is luckily multi-regional. The ironic thing about the sale emails is that the ones in the US give you more info but only seem to tell you about one game! Breath of the Wild - I felt a little lukewarm about it mainly because of the lack of proper dungeons. Weapon durability was a huge issue for me at the beginning of the game, but I remember getting to a point where I was leaving equipment behind because I had so much. Weapons in the environment also regenerate after every blood moon. The one thing I've noticed since it came out is that so many other games of its type have poorer exploration and pushing that one element further might be it's greatest legacy.
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