Friday! Video games! Let’s talk!
Shortly after last weekend’s wrap-up, I completed Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom on PS4. It was an incredibly well-made JRPG with an enjoyable action combat system, colorful world, a rewarding kingdom building mini-game, and storybook fantasy narrative. The final chapters did address last week’s concerns about the game’s lack of character development, but I still feel it could have been better in that regard.
With Ni no Kuni II out of the way, I’ve managed to spend ~6 hours in Torna: The Golden Country and so far I’m loving every minute of Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s standalone prequel DLC.
Torna takes place 500 years prior to the events of the core game but still has you visiting some familiar locales and interacting with a few familiar faces. The music is absolute perfection and a strong contender for my favorite soundtrack of 2018. Some of Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s tracks return in an arranged format, and they’re *so damn good*. Sometimes I find myself just exploring Gormott while letting the new arranged track loop in the background. The new battle theme is also incredible if you’re a fan of Persona.
Combat is a bit different this time around, as you can swap between battling as your Driver and Blade (unlike the core game which only allowed you to play as Drivers — and Tora). This gives it a bit more of a dynamic approach as you now have 7 abilities to play around with in longer battles, along with abilities that can only be used by those filling the support role.
There’s no more salvaging, town building, or core crystal opening. Instead, Torna focuses on key characters and Blades, makes leveling up a bit easier by unlocking abilities faster, and player exploration.
I’m only 6 hours in so far, but it’s shaping up to be a stellar experience.
What about you, folks? Any gaming plans this weekend?
Cheap Boss Attack 
I have the honor of being on-call for work so I’ll just be cleaning up a few things in Spider-Man and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. P.S. – I still don’t understand your JRPG’s no matter how much you explain but I love that you love them.
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Enjoying Tomb Raider any more than the last time we talked?
What can I say, I have a soft spot for weird, quirky Japanese stuff.
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It’s ok but it doesn’t do anything to make me want to play much after finishing the story.
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I’ve spent most of my week in bed with a few stops in front of the computer. So I haven’t gamed the way I’ve wanted. If I’m up to it later, I may try to stream some Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams on Uber Hardcore mode, as I await the Switch version to arrive in the mail. I did spend some time playing Dr. Mario on my Switch when bed ridden though. It’s something!
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Glad you’re healing up! Here’s to a speedy recovery.
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Still trying to Platinum Metal Gear Solid 2… so many VR missions!! 😱
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Those things can be brutal! Good luck =)
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Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4) and Sparkle 2 (Vita). I never would have bought Sparkle 2, but I gave it a shot as it was free on PS Plus. Turns out to be a nice relaxing match three puzzler.
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VC4 is definitely on my to-buy list later on, once I knock a few more RPGs off the backlog.
I reviewed Sparkle 2’s Xbox One launch and enjoyed it quite a bit. Very relaxing. The same developer also did Crimsonland and Tesla vs. Lovecraft, which I enjoyed a lot.
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I’m still trying to complete Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag’s story… but I keep getting distracted with the other content.
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I was the same way with that game, especially the boat stuff. Lots of sailing, singing, spearing, and diving.
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I’m jealous that you’re playing Xenoblade 2’s DLC before me :(. I probably won’t get around to it this year because I’m focused on shrinking my backlog.
I don’t think I’ll be doing any gaming this weekend. My health hasn’t been great lately and the meds I’m on make me feel sicker. Most of my time has gone to watching Arrow, Iron Fist, and Quantico. I like… 1 of the three shows.
If I do game this weekend it’ll be something I already completed before like Divinity: Original Sin 2 or Diablo III. I haven’t been in the mood to turn on my Playstation lately which sucks because I really want to finish Horizon Zero Dawn, but most of the time I’m too dizzy to focus on gaming.
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All good! The best thing about Torna is that it’s more XC2 but without all the filler. There’s no gatcha-style core crystal stuff, salvaging, and city level building; just side quests and unlocking blade affinity charts. It’s really, really good DLC, and if you liked XC2 I’m sure you’ll dig Torna.
Sorry to hear about the health problems. I know what that’s like. When I started taking antidepressants and insomnia stuff I was mentally and physically drained for weeks. Even now, 3 months later, I still have days where I’m just too tired to function.
Get well soon, man!
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Torna sounds fantastic and right up my alley. I really enjoyed XC2, but I could go without all of the side stuff. I’m glad Torna cut that out and just focuses on telling a good story.
Thanks. I’ve been really good these last few days. I think my body is getting used to the meds I’m on. That and I’m not taking them all at once anymore. I space it out so I’m not always feeling like shit. The Metformin is what’s killing me though. It’s really strong and makes me groggy and lowers my blood sugar so I have to make sure I have something sweet next to me while I take it.
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That’s good to hear, at least. I take an antidepressant when I wake up and a different one to help with insomnia before bed. I have IBS too, which makes my food digest at weird times (yay, bowel issues), so sometimes it doesn’t hit me until I’m already asleep and I wake up feeling like hammered shit. Just tired for hours and hours after waking up.
I’ve gotten 25 hours into Torna and still loving every minute. The characters are great and the story *goes places*. The new combat is also super rad.
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