Some Rambles on Nintendo Switch & PS5 Games I Played in 2023
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- This video took me too long to release, but I hope you enjoy my rambles! If you got a chance to play any of these releases yet I'd love to hear how they went for you.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:37 Trails to Azure
04:40 Future Redeemed
10:43 Tears of the Kingdom
14:01 Honkai Star Rail
18:25 Final Fantasy XVI
28:31 Atelier Marie Remake
34:01 Astro's Playroom
35:11 Stray
38:19 Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart
42:06 Outro
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Atelier Marie Remake (Switch) www.play-asia.com/atelier-mar...
Stray (PS5) amzn.to/47YujxP
Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart (PS5) amzn.to/3NpV7Pa
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Stray is an absolute gem . Had a cat when I was younger but he sadly passed away. The game really made me think of him and I had a smile on my face the entire time . Beautiful game
Stray was just so well executed. I kept thinking of my cat that passed away during my childhood as well. This is definitely a game for cat lovers :)
Sorry for your loss.
@@orbalology so sorry for the loss of your cat. It just shows how good of a gane it is when it brings the player that kind of emotion.
They have been producing a lot of casual games, indie titles and JRPGs that I’m not a fan of.
Emily, even you're rambling is so elegant and insightful. I wouldn't consider it rambling at all. I could listen to you talk all day. Your content is awesome.
I love your rambling format. I can listen and watch while I play a game💛 you are chill and calming person with passion✌🏼
She’s back 🙌🏽
Yay, she’s back! Hope things settle down into a more relaxing time for you with the holiday season coming up!
Tears of the Kingdom definitely is overwhelming in that same way. I haven’t heard that initial stage described that way but the choice becoming too much slowed me right in my tracks when I first played it and took forever to come back.
I hope things settle down for me soon too 😂 I'm hoping once I have larger chunks of free time I'll be able to sit down with TotK and really get to take it all in without feeling too overwhelmed 😂
It's really great to see you back on TH-cam! But even more importantly, continued good luck in the job search. As somebody with a semi-niche profession, I can appreciate your efforts in landing that position!
Fingers crossed for your academic position process!
So relatable... I was in the exact same situation in the spring. I put in lots of work for a professor position (also in a niche field) and made it to the final round of interviews. I came in second... So no academic position for me this time. But I was still really proud for having made it that far. I hope you're also proud for making it so far. I'm cheering for you :)
Thank you! I'm really honored to have made it this far & hope to share some good news soon. And if you have plans to retry the process in the future I wish you the best of luck :)
Just wanted to say it was great to hear your thoughts on these games and this was definitely an enjoyable format Hope you continue with these 🙏
your videos are really comforting, thanks
I’ve been waiting patiently and always checking for new content
Merry Christmas Emily! Hope you have a good holiday. I love all the games you discussed! Great taste as always
Thank you for another very enjoyable and entertaining video. Looking forward to part 2!
Emily, this was so enjoyable to watch. I really enjoy your approach to making your videos. There are plenty of "reviewers" out there, and honestly I'd rather just hear honest feelings about your experience. I could really tell when you hit FFXVI how much it impacted you, especially if it meant that you had taken a few weeks off from gaming at all. Like you said it was a mixed bag that was more positive, but I could tell you couldn't put your finger on what it was that really threw you off at points. Isn't that so frustrating? As a viewer I didn't realize that I had just watched you talking for 45 min until you got to your last part, because your style is very conversational in how you share everything. I had to laugh a little when you were like, "Here's the games I'll talk about in part 2" as you threw them up super fast one after the other. Anyway, I hope that your job stuff goes well - sounds like you're feeling positive about the interviews, and it is a position you really want. Will say a prayer for you concerning it. Looking forward to your next video! Merry Christmas!
Haha yeah not knowing exactly what made me feel so deflated after finishing FFXVI was so off putting. But I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this format! And thank you for the well wishes too, hope you have a great holiday season as well!
Glad to see you back. Hope everything is well
All is good. This past month was just a bit stressful 😅
@@orbalologyhope things are mostly normal again for you. It seems we have a similar opinion to FF16 in that it has huge pacing issues.
I myself find the PS5 controller comfortable. May just be an adjustment period for your hands. For TOTK, I can understand being overwhelmed but it really is a vast improvement over BOTW
I just want to say that I love your content and you’re incredibly comforting to listen to.
Keep it up ❤
Honest reviews for the pros and cons of each game - much appreciated! Good video Emily, thanks. And wishing the best for your job hunt; hang in there! You'll find one!
Always looking forward to hear what you've been up to. I'm excited to hear your thoughts on future games. Keep it up! :)
Awesome vid! Some Really good games mentioned! Really hope you manage to get the job you're hoping for! You deserve it!
Glad your back really missed the videos
I love hearing what others have played and I'm wishing you all the best with the job hut!
Nice format, looking forward to watch more ramblings.
good luck with the job hunt 😉
Love the vid, hope you get the job!
Great video! I really like this style of video. I think they're fun. Thanks for sharing! Good luck on the job hunting.
The gaming Dr. is in!
Great video, Emily.❤ Hope you have yourself a lovely Christmas month.
Good luck on the job :) Nice to see you back on TH-cam!
Congratulations on the new job! 🍾🥂
It's so nice to see Astro's Playroom in your list! Hope I can hear/read more of your Zelda TOTK adventure in the future
Awesome!😃
awesome video i enjoyed it
Really enjoyable video style, like listening to a friend. I particularly like the diplomatically restrained rage at FFXVI 😂
I can definitely understand your thoughts on FFXVI’s ending. Separating my own opinions from it, it is very dependent on having strong connections to the characters. I personally loved Clive and that cast, so it left a strong impact on me, but if Clive never hooked you like he did for me, it makes sense why it would be more deflating than anything. I love these more discussion-heavy videos, and I’m looking forward to the next one!
good luck with the career!!
Hoping for the best in your job search! As another person in a very niche field, I completely empathise with the grindy search. For what it's worth, I like this format of video, but I'm happy to watch any content you make. Too many youtubers feel like they have to be over top and way too in-depth about their reviews and it often comes across as disingenuous. I much prefer your style of calmly, but enthusiastically talking about exactly the kinds of games I like XD.
Welcome back, and thanks for sharing, as always. (I have commented before on my main account.)
Good to hear that Future Redeemed ties everything together. I kind of gave up on XBC3 early on, because I found the battle systems and grinding to be tedious. But I may check it out just to see how it ties into the previous titles and series. Also, I think that there might be some rights issues with Xenoblade, but I would absolutely love for that to be remade (and maybe even FINISHED!). It is such a cult classic and arguably one of the most epic stories in videogames.
Zelda can be overwhelming initially, yes, but honestly, it's not a game that needs to be 100%ed to be appreciated. I do have a tip for you, though, and that's to try and solve the Geoglyph puzzles in the "correct" (e.g. chronological) order, so that you don't get spoiled on major story stuff like I did. While I took my sweet time with Breath of the Wild, I found that my Tears of the Kingdom experience was better enjoyed quite linearly, saving shrines for later and progressing the main story and ignoring most sidequests and distractions.
As for Final Fantasy XVI, I hope the experience hasn't turned you off on the franchise. I haven't played it yet, but given its very different combat system and super linear progression with a focus on spectacle, it's definitely not the best example of what the series has to offer. My personal favorite is FFVIII, but I would recommend FFIV, FFVI, FFVII, FFIX, and FFX as good starting points.
Astro’s Playroom ended up being the first game I played on PS5 (which, thanks again for the heads up on the Target deal!) and I was really impressed. What a chill but well-thought-out game, and you absolutely fall in love with that controller in the process
I'm glad you were able to snag one of those discounted PS5s! It was really such a steal. Astro's Playroom really did a fantastic job at showing all the cool features the controller offered. I just wished more games utilized those features - it's sorta feeling like the PS Vita all over again 🥲
2023 had so many games new and old to play this year! I just hope 2024 is just as good Happy New Years!🎉
Hi Emily, Glad to be watching one of your lovely vids again. Hope the job hunting is going well. I did a count of how many games I played this year and it was actually over 100. I don't know where I found the time! My favorite of the games I played this year would include FFVI, Marvel's Midnight Suns, Trails into Reverie, Starfield and I am really enjoying the Avatar game at the moment. I hoping to get Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for Christmas so I can play it soon.
Oh wow, 100! That's great - and I hope you're gifted XC3 for Christmas so that you have the chance to play it :)
Hi just saw one of your videos and I have to say, you are the cutest gamer I have seen on TH-cam . You take care
That gatomon in the background, a lady after my viewership heart. Happy to see a new video.
glad your back safe and sound Emily. yeah i agree with you on ff16. i had to take a week or so break from playing games after i beat it because the whole experience left me drained😂😂it was a mixed bag for sure. Hope you enjoy the holiday season!
Sorry to hear FF16's ending got to you too in this way 😂And thanks! Hope the holidays treat you well too :)
I picked up the Atelier Marie physical from Play-Asia recently since they discounted it for Black Friday. One of those "Eh, it's on sale, might as well."
Stray I played with a friend last year. Rather she played, and I provided guidance as needed. Was a very...unique game.
Fingers crossed for your job Emily. Even if you don’t get it, being a finalist is still an amazing achievement and that prep will be good experience for the next one 💪
Glad to hear you enjoyed Stray, got that as a Xmas gift for my sister.
TotK was completely overwhelming and a huge time commitment, but for me it was just what I wanted. I’ve never had more fun with a game.
GL on the job hunt!
Oh I hope your sister enjoys Stray! It's really such a nice experience. I think once I carve out enough time to get back into TotK it should be smooth sailing for me (hopefully lol). And thanks :)
That Xenoblade collector's edition/figure collection is so impressive omg
I also played Stray and Ratchet this year on PS5 and god they're both such gems!!!
I hope you get that job Dr. Emily!
Welcome back! I completely agree with you on totk. I got about 8 hours in and just couldn’t take the time to uncover that whole map. Next year. I bought Stray a while ago and haven’t gotten to that either! I am so far behind. And good luck with the job!
Thank you! Def give Stray a spin, it's a really nice 4 hour experience :)
Glad you're back Emily! 🤟
FF XVI was my Game of the year!!! 💯
If you have never played xenogears you will love it. It’s a masterclass in jrpg games. It’s my favorite in the Xeno games. Good luck with your job hunting!!!
Great recommendation, my fave too in the franchise and probably one of the best stories in the (JRPG) genre too. Shame it's a little hard to get access to...
I really need to prioritize Xenogears next year. I only hear amazing things, and thank you!
Definitely get into TotK when you're ready. Started it 3 weeks ago but I couldnt put it down. I was late to the party needing to play Skyward, BotW and Age of Calamity to make sure I was caught up enough for TotK(it's what brought me back to gaming along with FF16 and coming 7 yet just sticking with Switch for now to avoid overwhelming backlog).
What helped me get my bearings was just going for all the tears first and really being more proactive with the shrines this time before pursuing Purah's direction.
Keeping the plot in mind required a pivot of focus. Im not desperately hurrying as fast as I can because poor Zelda has been stuck for 100years while Link was napping. Now that Hylia is awakened again and accessing her power, i knew that the linear aspect of time had evolved and i needed too as well.
Embracing it in that context helped me shift out of BotW focal point and into what TotK was offering me.
What also helped me was avoiding the underworld until I was forced into doing something there.
Considering there's a 6+year gap in Zelda drops, theres no need to rush TotK. With how dark FF16 looks, playing the two concurrently would be a bit much it seems. Perhaps too much strife at once took away from what could be offered.
I was thinking of picking TotK back up this weekend actually! So I'm hoping I'll finally get lost in it while I'm taking my extended PTO this month :)
Astro's playroom was such an unexpected bundle of joy it's hard to believe it's a Sony 1st party title
Loved watching this vid while I got rdy in the morning! I love hearing people talk in depth about games or almost anything that they have passion for.
Hearing you talk about games is rly special. Thanks for making vids and can’t wait for pt2 !
A very similar thing happened to me with tears of the kingdom. I ended up getting the huge guidebook and deciding on queers from there to do next. It was rly helpful.
I need to play stray!
Oh maybe I should look into getting the TotK guidebook, I remember the cover looking stunning! And yes Stay is definitely worth playing :)
Great video, and I liked the casual format. I've only done one review, and they can be challenging. I've had Final Fantasy XVI on my to play pile since it was released, and none of the videos from my favorite content creators has encouraged me to start on it. I hope you get good news about that position; I am looking myself and much of my time is taken up with an intense coding class that I need to do to change directions (and a reason why I haven't posted much of anything). Looking forward to the console video. That is my achilles heal... collecting consoles I really don't need.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the Xenoblade 3 dlc! I’m still not done with the base X3 but have loved 1&2 and their dlc expansions and am happy to hear this continues the trend!
Oh you're in for a big treat!! :)
😍
I felt the same about ToTK. I powered through it, and put about 110 hours into it, but it took me quite a while to feel less overwhelmed and more excited about it.
Emily, I will admit when I first held the dual sense controller. I thought it was pretty big too but with time you’ll get use to it
Same here with breath of the wild!!! I am barely getting started
ToTK can definitely feel overwhelming at first. What worked for me was just doing every shrine I saw/could access and slowly expanded the map. Just focused on exploring
Welcome back Emily!
Also your FFXVI portion, as someone that loved the game immensely, a lot of the gripes you've had with it i can agree on as well! The side quest in particular i think mainly comes from the fact that CBU3, aka the FFXIV team (The MMORPG) - like to me at least since i play XIV religiously, Yoshi P and team definitely come from those roots, hence why the design was as such i feel, and having done all of them myself - i agree only some of the pay offs were worth it (i won't spoil anything)
The game was moreso about bombastic set pieces, one after another and though i loved it and mastered the combat for it - i can see why certain sentiments were given for it! Plus the latter half of the game could've easily been cut down by another 10+ hours and be fine as well! Also yes that ending was beyond emotionally draining lol.My only differing opinion is on the characters aspect, i really loved Clive, Jill, Cid, Dion, Benedikta - they grew on me a lot, specially Dion!
Like always your videos are always worth the wait and your opinions on the games you played were all very fun to hear!
Looking forward to part 2, specially regarding Anno and Coffee Talk! :) Stellar work as always Emily!
Cid was my absolute favorite, but ah :( And I agree I could see the game trimmed by a few hours to help with the pacing. Though I guess most RPG games have continued the tradition of bloating their games to extend the runtime.
And thanks! I was kinda worried rambling for 45+ minutes would be a bit too much lol.
@@orbalology Unfortunately yes :( the game could've been 30 hours with main and side stories and that genuinely would've been perfect, i think i put in about 60 hours as well for 100% completion and 40 or so of that was story, though yes, the latter half was bloated for sure.
Also the 45 minutes flew by if i'll be completely honest lol, it's fun hearing your opinions and thoughts on said games! :)
Stray was super 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Welcome back, I was worried it was something we said 😄 I loved FFXVI but I completely understand the burn out thing, its quite the epic if you do all the quests (I did). A lot of them got tedious as they went on, but the second Torgal one where you go back to the island almost made me shed a tear, I’m not even a dog person but I’m a sucker for a loyal animal companion. I loved the ending too, I thought it was very well done and quite moving. I started playing again recently as a result of the dlc and fell back in love with it, especially the fantastic sound track, man, those Ikon fights!
I am a cat person however so I predictably loved Stray too.I thought the animation was spot on and once I realised I could trip the robots by getting between their legs, my life was complete 😄
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the games in the longer form, thanks for making the time. Fingers crossed for the job news.
Aww yes the Torgal one was super touching! And I'm more of a cat person than dog person too 🥲
She said the thing! 21:06
The same happened to me with Tears of the Kingdom. So overwhelmed that I just had to drop it 😅
Nice haircut! Good luck on job search! ^^
Would love to hear your in-depth thoughts about the Trails series. Perhaps a spoiler cast video if you can ever find the time for it? I would definitely anticipate that :)
Hmm, that may be something to look into :)
Hi Emily. I realize I could Google this further, but the initial results seemed to require much combing, but is there a 1 stop website that has detailed information on which discs/cartridges have the complete game? Thanks, you collecting vids are great!
If you saw my backlog you’d be appalled!!!!!🤣🤣🤣
Hey. Just stumbled along your channel and I am loving it. Right now I am on the quest to start 3ds collecting. What other consoles are affordable to collect for?
Oof, 3DS can be a little tricky to collect for now, but best of luck! Right now PS4 is probably one of the better systems, along with maybe Xbox360. Lots of good games for cheap prices. The Switch also has some good deals if you seek them out for certain titles, but that may change for the better once the next Nintendo console is finally announced.
You seem very nice, and very smart. So, I am going to subscribe :)
TotK is completely overwhelming, torn in so many directions. I enjoyed the more solitary and lonely journey in BotW. This video was a fantastic way to prepare for years end.
Yeah! There was something so beautiful about the explorative elements in BotW. While all the abilities (& other elements) were really cool in TotK, they felt rather distracting. I'm hoping that I can separate the experiences when I pick TotK back up again, and enjoy it for what it brings to the table without doing as much comparison to my journey in BotW.
I love your videos and your honesty in all of them! Your opinions in my eyes are super valid and relatable which is comforting. 😊 I really hope one day you get to experience FF7 either Old then remake or remake then old I think you’d love them. Along with that FF10 you should really try I was 10 when it came out and it sparked my love for Video games because of the narrative/love story it was the first video game that ever made me cry lol. Anyway that’s my ramblings thanks for the content !!!! I liked and subscribed keep making videos please 🙏!! 😊😊
I have big plans for FF7, and you may hear me talk about it in my Part 2 vid :)
Hi, Emily! I'm new in your channel and i really really love the way you talk about games and other topics that many people won't talk about, like personal finances. Also, i do preffer this kinda review that the technical ones, for example, that overwhelmed sensation in TOTK it's a fact for a lot of us, and just jumping to the game without a direction or really having a sense of progression can be too much.
Anyway, i'm just happy that a channel like this exist, do you have a dicord com like some others content creator? Thank you for your efforts and regards from México! (:
I don't have a discord server - not sure if it's something I can devote time to this year. But I'm fairly active on twitter these days.
@@orbalologythanks for answering! I don't use Twitter so i'll be seeing you around here! And also, i hope everything go well with the job application!
I actually loved the ending of FFXVI
Good luck with job search and I hope you get good news from the one position. Real life is definitely more important than TH-cam so i think we all understand. Overall, a great list of games you played this year and I do like this informal format.
Thanks for your no spoiler content. It helps me enjoy the video even more. Definitely looking forward to Xenoblade. Did u play the one on Wii U?
No, I unfortunately never owned a Wii U 😭
Thanks for the video! Really like hearing your thoughts, even if the games released a while ago.
Trails to Azure: I am currently playing two Trails games a year (just finished Sky the 3rd now, really enjoyed the 2nd Sky game!) so looking forward to the Crossbell duology next year😃.
XC3 DLC: I really enjoyed this and how it tied things together. The focus on exploration to power up your characters was smart I think as it can be tempting to dial back on taking in the world in a limited DLC and this pushed me past that. I do feel differently about the battle system though, I think the more limited options meant that there was only one way to play some characters (cough cough *e*) and some characters that had a useless class were unsalvageable (cough cough *h***). The main game could have made it easier to level classes I agree - I did not have too bad of a time but then I avoided bonus EXP like the plague because of it.
Tears of the Kingdom: I had a hard time at the start (and have heard others had this too) but once I picked a single thing to focus on at time (e.g. towers, shrines, upgrading armour) things went much easier for me and felt like I had broken into the game. For me this feels head and shoulders above games this year (like most Zelda games do) the wittiness and sense of fun puts a lot of other AAA games to shame while the polish really shows up games like Diablo 4 and Baldur's Gate 3.
FF16: I have played almost all the mainline FF games (missing some late NES/early SNES ones) and while I very much enjoyed this it ranks near the bottom for me. The battle system was fun but too easy in my opinion (particularly the retry option) and I had to make extra challenges for myself (e.g. no potions). I think the developers intended the NG+ to be where players get the challenge but I feel that a boss fight that is story-critical and challenging becomes more than the sum of its parts as the two aspects enrich each other. Based on the pre-release interviews I think they felt that people did not want action-based because of the difficult but I think they misread the fans' intentions there. My main complaint was I felt it played things too safe, the special sauce of Final Fantasy is that it always reinvents itself and tries something daring and new (compare the battle system of FF7 to FF12 to FF16 for example) and they tend to do this story-wise too. FF16's story had the issue I feel with a lot of Western games in that they ape films (and will always come off second-best because of it). Compared to powerful stories like 7, 8 and 15 it left me feeling a little flat (although I did not hate the very end).
[One note, I tend to find that (unlike, say, the Persona games) the most intense and biggest story moments of Final Fantasy games happen around the 2/3rds mark. Perhaps FF15 is more ending-heavy and maybe FF12 after that.]
Astro's Playroom: Really loved this. It seems to just exude joy and created a positive feeling that helped get past PS5's rather barren first few years.
Hope you have a blast with the Crossbell duology next year! I'll likely be picking TotK back up this weekend for another attempt at getting sucked in. I'm thinking of taking your suggestion on focusing on one thing at a time, like filling out the map first and then tackle the shrines. Hopefully that'll help me feel less overwhelmed!
I am so behind on a lot of new releases but I am really heavy into retro games knowing these newer releases will be a lot cheaper coming into 2024
I didn't have time for many games this year, something like 100 hours across the year. Astro's Playroom was honestly a pretty good highlight especially as a game that just comes with my PS5.
Outside of that I've played mostly Wargroove and Genshin Impact this year. On PS5 I'm currently playing a little bit of Modern Warfare 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy both are alright but not going to be in my favourite ever games. I've been playing Shift Happens as my co-op game lately after finishing Unraveled 2. Also working through co-op Samurai Warriors 4 (almost completed), Astral Chain, Towerfall, Blazing Beaks, and Red Rope Don't Fall Behind+. I've been casually playing through the Ace Attorney Trilogy, Cogen Sword of Rewind, Membrane, DOOM (1993), Shu, F-Zero 99, Toree 3D, TTV2, Island Maze, Car Mechanic Simulator (horrible game btw), and Mushroom Quest. Finished Mushroom Quest, Toree 3D, Unraveled 2. I tried out Crash 4, My Hero One's Justice, Klonoa, CaveStory+, Attack On Titan 2 Final Battle, Brigandine The Legend of Runersia, Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
I need to get back to finish Breath of The Wild, beat Ganon just never finished Daruk or the Goron area of the game some shrines and cutscenes. RingFit Adventure, my cardio has not been good this year. God Eater 3 I really was enjoying this game, too much ADHD though. I also should get around to getting back to and finishing DOOM (2016). And Custom Robo. I really hope to start and finish the entire 2D Metroid series this year, in part because I want inspiration and ideas for a game I'm working on as well as thinking through what will and won't work for level design.
Obviously my gaming habits have been a mess and hopefully the next year will be much better for that 😅
I know what you mean about the story conclusion to 16, damn did that suck the life and about a life time of tears out of me. I did connect a little more with the characters then maybe you did, but the points you made really hit the mark, and were deserved criticisms without being overly harsh. Congrats on finishing your first FF. Do you think you will try 7 Remake/Rebirth?
Yes! I am hoping to play Remake soonish so I can prepare to play Rebirth close to release :)
I think we already talked about this, but the ending to FF16 legitimately made me depressed. Like, it triggered actual depression symptoms that are typically dormant. I would NEVER have thought an ending to a game could do that to me, but dang. 😣
I have so many RPGS to play now; I’m currently playing Super Mario RPG (remake), but I also have Dragon Quest XI, Octopath Traveler 2, Persona 5, Y’s VIII, and more! Not to mention I want to get Star Ocean 2nd Story R and Sea of Stars. So many good games such little time
Congrats on the final stage. I recently got a new position myself and went through something similar, it can be nerve wrecking if you are really interested in the role. I hope you get good news soon.
I do hope you'll give another Final Fantasy game a try. FFX I think does a great job of feeling modern enough and giving the classic feel of the franchise.
Thanks for the rambles.
Thanks! I hope to share some good news sometime soon.
And I will actually be talking about another FF game in my Part 2 video! But FFX is one that I've been meaning to get to. I started it on the PS2 and then the Vita but never got very far. Now I have it on the Switch so hoping to see it through someday lol.
@@orbalologyFingers crossed! 🤞 I'm sure you would be such a great/fun addition to the (any) team too.
Haha fair enough. If it'd not clicking it's not clicking, I definitely get that and it's nice to hear you gave it a go! Ooh, sounds great! Def looking forward to the video, love hearing your thoughts (often very relatable) of course no pressure 🙂
Welcome back Emily! How've you been?
Ah, I'm alright. It's been a stressful last couple of months & hoping some uncertainties will settle sometime soon 😅
Welcome back 🤓
Over the summer this year, youtube started sneaking in music from a game called crystar into my playlists. Been waiting for a sale online but noticed prices started to go up on it for switch. Noticed on sale on the eShop this week and went for that instead and enjoying to sofar. The gameplay loop a little repetitive so im trying to play it inbetween other games so i dont get burnt out on the hacking and slashing 🥴
Writing this comment though, because i was listening to the soundtrack beforehand and i don't think I've done that before. Listen to a game's soundtrack before actually playing the game 🤔
Ah interesting! I've yet to play my copy of Crystar but I'm looking forward to when I eventually get to it. I don't tend to listen to OSTs prior to playing games most times, though the exception is a lot of the Falcom OSTs - I play those all the time and tend to hear them before the games have even localized lol
I quite like this format myself. I know traditional/produced reviews are inherently subjective, but it feels like they're always trying to be more objective at the same time and speculate about what the viewer (or more accurately, many viewers) might want. It's kind of a strange combination, to me. I like hearing someone just talk about how they felt about a game without a goal like that. In a ramble I like that someone can just say they weren't in a mood for, or didn't like something that would be insignificant to most players. I think we all have little feelings that make us enjoy or not enjoy games, but if you put that in a 'review' you feel like you need to filter through the feeling or be able to defend it. We all have our own fluid/changing likes/dislikes in games, and I like it when those come out. It is more like personal game journaling. I relate well to your position, too- job and gaming are my major priorities, but some hobbies to expand on gaming sound nice. I find your format inspiring (in that 'do what you want to do, not what you may perceive that you're supposed to do in a space' kind of way), plus I enjoy that you don't have distracting edits and lots of volume variance ^^; The footage is nice to have though :3. I'm a fan.
Thanks, I appreciate your kind words & perspective on game reviewing/rambling :)
I definitely agree with a lot of what you said about FFXVI. I thoroughly enjoyed my time, but it struggled most with pacing for me. 10 hrs could have been cut from the main story (or those more bloated fetch quest story missions could have been more focused on developing the supporting characters + Clive). Still a Top 5 GOTY for me, but certainly has its ups and downs. I'm curious if you have plans to tackle a particular FF game next! Also, so happy to hear you enjoyed Astro's Playroom!! It was great to hear your thoughts on a lot of the games you played in 2023, Emily. Wishing nothing but the best with your job search endeavors!
I may be talking about a certain game that was originally on the PS1 in the next chat video~
And thanks Rusty for the well wishes! I appreciate it and hope the holidays treat you & your loved ones well :)
Funny you mention about Final Fantasy XVI burning you out. I absolutely adored the game from start to finish, I had a bit of gripes with the pacing of the side quests especially towards the end, but I was in love with the story and characters. However, I also felt burnt out and very lost after I finished it. I played non-RPG's to help me combat it - Vampire Survivors surprisingly helped a lot with the burn out. I find whenever I find myself through these burn out stages - normally find myself in those stages from finishing a game I absolutely love or finishing a couple games that were disappointing - that playing something of a completely different genre really helps. Or I just go back to a comfort anime for a bit haha.
Just wrapped up Final Fantasy XVI myself, was a fantastic spectacle albeit a little too shallow in some aspects like gear variety. I would heartily recommended the free trial of Final Fantasy XIV on PS5, you have the base game and first 2 expansions which is essentially 3 complete experiences and stories that build on each other. It can be overwhelming but it’s truly a personal journey. ❤
I was considering trying out the MMO! It's been so long since I dabbled in MMORPGs, and from what I hear FFXIV does a great job at facilitating a single player experience. I've also considered getting a PC sometime next year... so I may wait on the free trial and play on there.
My experience with TOTK was different than most, BOTW was such an unique experience which I enjoyed every step of the way and couldn't wait to go back. My problem was that once I was back there, it all felt like "Oh, been here done this". While it has some great new things like all the underground area and the new physic mechanics, in the end it felt too similar, that vast fantastic world, even if changed, was not unique and unexplored anymore.
Boy has the video game landscape changed. This is fucking hilarious.
Stray was my first ps5 game i played haha.
I avoided your FFXVI recap until I beat the game, and I just did. I agree with you about the ending. it left me confused and I’m lacking closure. I don’t really like having to look up interpretations after a game; when a game is over it should be over. Oh well, it was still enjoyable overall. 7.5/10 for me.
Xenoblade Future Redeemed especially feels like a trip if you've played the Xenosaga games, I really hope Bamco realizes this and puts out an HD collection of it
Bandai Namco has to know, right? And with them listed in the credits for Future Redeemed... they really need to make an HD collection happen sometime next year 🙏
@@orbalology totally, they basically already have an audience ready for them
Definitely go back to tears of the Kingdom and keep playing it's amazing you will not regret it I did everything
I stopped play TOTK after six hours I really need to get back to it as well. I'm hoping Trails of the sky comes to modern consoles as Ive been collecting all the trails games on switch hoping the remake it. So many great games you've been playing while you were away nice mix.
Ah I wish the Trails in the Sky games would come to the Switch as well. The Evo version on the PS Vita were great and would make a perfect collection on the Switch. I just worry that Japan will get this but not the west because of the localization right issues between Falcom, xseed, and NISA. I think this is the reason we never got Cold Steel 1/2 on the Switch localized :(
I e-mailed Xseed about releasing their Falcom games on the Switch or the next Nintendo console.
They replied, "Unfortunately, we don't have the capability of taking on a huge undertaking like that, but if Falcom were to ever create the Switch ports themselves, we would love an opportunity to work on them."
I don't understand why Xseed can't at least put the first two Cold Steel games on the Switch since Falcom has released them in Japan.
@@user-od5th6zd2f right I want a complete set and they are clearly doing well in sales.
You actually do a great job talking about the trails games! You convinced me to buy Trails from Zero and Azure. I feel like most fans of the series kind of turn possible new fans away by saying you have to play the sky trilogy first because those games arent that accessible for everyone.
I'm glad to hear I helped push you towards the Crossbell games - they're really fantastic. The Trails fandom can be a mixed bag, especially on social media. But if anyone is interested in any entry of the franchise that's always a win in my book.
@@orbalology Also thanks again for letting me know about videogamesplus otherwise I wouldn't have been able to buy a physical copy of trails from zero at MSRP. Crazy how fast that game went up on the resale market.
I feel u with the motion blur uncharted 4 was my 1st real experience with feeling ill from the setting especially when the game starts off with it on max but yeah i normally turn it off 😊
Yes, u definitely feel hemmed in at beginning of BOTW2, but it gets better as u solve shrines and open new areas.
i have so many games that i havent gotten a chance to play my copy of xenoblade chronicles 3 but im still playing the first game
It's always difficult managing the backlog! But I hope you're enjoying the first game at least - the story in that one is really great :)