Viridian Dreams Forum

Given that I’m not planning to get MGSV until I have a PS4 (which probably won’t happen until next year and that is only if luck provides and the current economy stops being so craptastic takes a better turn), I started replaying the other games of the franchise. Specifically the HD collection, which was actually among the very first things I bought on sale when I got PS Plus, but I hadn’t touched it at all until now. I have already finished Sons of Liberty and currently playing through Snake Eater.

I remembered the controls of these games were very complex, but I had forgotten they could be so clunky at times, especially the shooting. It doesn’t help that more recent 3rd person shooters have streamlined a lot of actions, like returning fire while taking cover during shot-outs. After playing and getting accustomed to more recent games, returning to these two feels very awkward, it has made some boss battles a bigger pain than I remembered.

Interestingly, while the storyline of MGS2 is just as… well, weird as I remembered, it is far less confusing once you know the major plot twists, plus some of the story details/retcons from MGS3 and MGS4.

A particular thing that jumped out to me during this playthrough:
Talking about Kojima, it’s an incredibly dark irony that his time with the series is finally coming to an end, especially when you consider how he originally was planning to leave it since that game.

Well, outside of classwork, I have recently been keeping myself occupied with the following games on my PC:

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns (the recent expansion) - A bit buggy, but considering the recent release, understandable. Still fun and engaging.

Tales of Zenistria: And a Tales series game makes its way to PC! Awesome! And I will get Symphonia free upon release on PC. Nice.

The Legend of Heroes: Second Chapter - And Nihon Falcom's Kiseki Series is continuing with the Legend of Heroes storyline.

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Re:Birth 3 - Moe Console avatars, lots of humor, Neptunia series, 'nuff said.

Super Mario Maker codes? Super Mario Maker codes! These are in particular some levels I’m actually quite proud of:

Super Argonauts HD Arcade Edition:
51FE 0000 00D8 DB6D

Puente Ramírez:
B4AD 0000 00B7 FB77

The Gauntlet:
16A8 0000 003F F2F6

A gardening problem:
0F4F 0000 003F EB0C

Not sure if anyone else wants to share their codes.

This is where I would put my Super Mario Maker Stages...

IF I HAD ANY

Still need to get that game.

Currently renting Soul Calibur... 4? 5? I'm not sure. The one with Darth Vader in it.

It's pretty fun.

Gave Warframe another try combined with a 7-day Credit/Affinity booster. 18 of my 35 cheevos for the game were unlocked since that point I started again. And I'm actually missing 3 cheevos because the game isn't noticing that I hit the requirements (twice in one case) already, though other related cheevos have noted it on their counters.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game about navigation; primarily via the shock-absorbing gel that's formed a lake beneath New Los Angeles after you miss a jump, usually while trying to skyrim.

I have played it for around 100 hours. I’m currently on chapter 7, level 29, finally got a Skell some ten or so hours ago. Granted, at least 20 or so hours of that have been spent customizing things in the menus or ambling through NLA talking to the inhabitants.

It has become an addiction of sorts for me. That gameplay loop of exploration, recollection and combat, the customization of your party, your giant robot, your equipment, your arts and skills, the very beautiful and detailed world full of places to explore, the optimizing of Frontier nav… The game just massages all the OCD centers of my brain.

I have beaten it. It took me about a month, and the only reason I went ahead and finished was because I had rented the game and thus knew I was on a time limit before I might as well have just bought it.

That said, it has partially consumed my soul. I will almost certainly buy it, soon, and replay the whole darned thing from scratch.

Chapter 9 and 10 bosses are made of pain and sadness.

Chapter 12 is worse... Until you actually know how a certain mechanic in the game works.

Chap 9 and 12 (no spoilers for 12, just a general combat tip I hadn't learned until I used it to beat the final boss.) Chap 10 For Chap 12, I would suggest being at least LVL 50, yourself. I went in with a LVL 50 Skell and the rest of my party in LVL 30 Skells, and I managed.

Chap 12 Tactical Spoiler

Well, that tip about the overdrive is good to know. And yeah, if the game has a problem is that it doesn’t really explain many of its systems very well.

I was wondering if I was over-leveled for the story missions given that the chapter 6 boss was painfully easy (the road to get to that blasted zone, though… ). But it seems I’m fine after all. Better start grinding a bit more, I suppose. I was postponing battling tyrants until I got my giant robot, so I suppose I will start taking those missions more often.

Just be careful with your Skell Insurance; if you run it out, you're gonna be paying out the nose to get it back.

The Xenoblade Chronicles series as a whole has that problem. It's very, very complicated as a game under the surface, and doesn't always explain all of its deeper mechanics well. That said, the final boss in X was the first time that failure to communicate actually was the difference between victory and defeat in a story mode battle.

Potential is another thing they don't explain very well. The stat boosts two things: how often you perform Soul Voices, and the strength of TP-using Arts (like Incendiary Edge). In fact, TP-Using arts outright ignore your Melee Attack and Ranged Attack, instead basing their damage entirely on Potential.

Some players have combined this with the above Overdrive advice to solo things that should have been out of their league and perform other insane feats.

"HQ has determined that continuing this engagement is dangerous. Retreat now."

"Really? It's dangerous for me to keep fighting?"

"Dangerous for it. You're terrifying."

Finally got my hands on my first second-tier skell... then equipped it with two obscene shoulder weapons, and was amazed at the damage output.... too bad those skells are all really ugly in their paint schemes.

The lesson I learned recently: Don’t attempt to fight a Global Nemesis unless you have a fully “Skelled” party, and a good dotation of Frame patches. At least I got a rare item for my troubles.

Fire Emblem Fates; where DLC just raises further questions.

A friend gifted me Stardew Valley. Over 7 hours later, I decide to stop for the night, having spent way too much time fishing when I probably should've been expanding my farming or doing mining.

Finished Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice... and it is a great game.

If you're a fan of the series, you NEED to play it... as long as you're caught up, because it will make no sense otherwise.

Stardew Valley is amazing. Did you hear that the guy who developed it is coming up with a multiplayer patch sometime this year? You'll be able to play with your friend. I can't wait for it, personally.