Ah, nice work with Metroid Prime. The fact that I never beat that game weighs heavily on my conscience to this day. Nice Fire Emblem themed avatar and banner, by the way.

No problem, man. Henry's work put on a similar filter as well. That sucks and makes it kind of hard to keep up with your gaming news. I guess you can read articles and such fine on a phone, but typing a Backloggery message or a post on Gaf is pretty much an all day process on a smartphone. haha. We're all doing just fine. How about yours? That little one is probably into everything by now.

Yeah, that all sounds like a big waste of time and money to me as the shooting stuff is what I find the least interesting and multiplayer would probably be a no go for me as well. I'll probably pick up the Pre-Sequel for my shooty/RPG fix.

I don't think you are wrong at all. I am much more interested in several other releases, including one I see you are playing - The Evil Within. So what are your thoughts? How survival is it as I have heard it can be incredibly frustrating?

I'm sure you'll beat me to Mordor. You usually do beat me to new releases. haha.

Long time no speak, stranger. Just a quick question for you - knowing what you know regarding my opinion on FPS's, but also taking into consideration that I love Borderlands 1 & 2, do you think I would enjoy Destiny? Kind of thinking about the Destiny PS4 bundle, though I would rather have a black console. Shadow of Mordor is the most compelling reason so far to get me to accelerate my next gen plans. It looks awesome! I know you're busy, but don't forget about your Backloggery buddy! haha.

Man, all of those things you enjoyed in FC2 sound like a pain to me, particularly the respawning enemy checkpoints (one of my biggest pet peeves in games). So what was driving like in FC2? In FC3, I thought the driving was loose and unpredictable, though I liked how dangerous it felt.

Between FC3 and Tomb Raider, it seems that you have specific expectations from franchise games and if they don't have those elements you have come to love, you aren't going to be fully satisfied. I think I am like that to a degree, but probably not as much with most franchises. Of course, if they took social links out of Persona 5 I would probably blow a gasket. haha. Well, I know I like that stuff from AC and thought it felt much different scaling towers or taking over outposts in FC3, probably because of the perspective.

Doesn't look like you've played FC3 for a while so did your fun run out?

I sometimes have a hard time going back to old school games, but I will check out Shovel Knight at some point (wait for an eShop sale). I see Rogue Legacy is also coming out for the PS3/PS4/Vita pretty soon and that is another that I want to check out.

Yeah, I see you've mainly been playing Fifa and Battlefield 4. There have been a few recent releases that I definitely am excited to pick up, including Watch Dogs (despite the reviews, I really enjoy most open world games), Valiant Hearts, and Child of Light. I think the rest of 2014 actually looks pretty good to me with Persona Q, Far Cry 4, and Dragon Age: Inquisition at the top of my list followed by games such as Danganronpa 2, Tales of Xillia 2, Shadow of Mordor, another Borderlands, AC: Unity, Costume Quest 2, etc. Of course, 2015 looks way better with Persona 5 and The Witcher 3.

Funny you should ask as I just started Dark Souls II and am quite enjoying it so far. I'm going with a blind playthrough to see how I do and I'm still in the beginning area. I finished Wolf Among Us and Beyond Two Souls recently, both of which I enjoyed (the former moreso). Oh, and I'm really loving SMTIV. It is probably my second favorite 3DS game after Fire Emblem, but I will disagree with you that it is better than Golden. haha. Oh, and still playing Hearthstone. Ugh.

How about you? Anything in the works that you can get excited for?

I think that ME2 would be worth a revisit for you. Now that you know what to expect, I think you could enjoy it quite a bit more. I replayed the first 10 hours or so a couple of years ago in order to access the DLC and had a lot more fun than I did the first time around. Maybe you could play it with the DLC for even more variety in locations and missions.

Most definitely. It is strange as it seems that any of Bethesda's own games are incredible, but most of what they publish for others is mediocre at best.

I was a big fan of that back in Mario Kart 64. My wife and I would play for hours and hours and 4 player battle with her and another couple is probably the best time I've ever had with multiplayer. I suppose for me racing games all start to feel the same very quickly. I mean, I've tried to recapture that Burnout 3 magic with both Revenge and Legends, but failed both times as well.

Just make sure she's destroying you in Mario Kart and not destroying Mario Kart itself. Toddlers and consoles don't mix. haha.

I'm just happy you played Dragon's Dogma and really enjoyed it. If you ever decide to go back to it, let me know. I wouldn't mind rolling a new character as I didn't really give magic much of a try.

I think there might be two new Tomb Raiders coming, one that is at least a sequel to the reboot, and another top down action game like Guardian of Light. Both will be must buys for me. I think it is a good thing that all of us are a little different. I think we all try new games that we might not have otherwise because of our conversations. I might not have played Metro: Last Light if not for you, for instance.

I too really loved that aspect of the game, though I ended up marrying Lucina which was probably pretty awkward between the MC and Chrom. I too have been thinking a bit about revisiting FE recently, though the handheld games keep piling up on me and I'm not even buying any new ones!

The vacation was good. The kids went swimming every day at whatever hotel we were at, and I used my daughter's laptop to play Hearthstone. haha. So have you gone to the beach yet?

I figured you would have a different perspective on FC3 due to your love of FC2. Coming in with no experience with the franchise, I had a blast. Of course, you know me and shooters so I enjoyed all of the changes by committee that resulted in tons of non-shooting gameplay.

I've had my own bout of ADD this summer. It is like I'm in some weird gaming limbo where I just keep playing the same games over and over again (Hearthstone and Terraria) with a few replays sprinkled in (Brothers, Limbo, Uncharted 2). It doesn't look like Valkyrie Profile or Baldur's Gate stuck. They didn't stick for me either. Glad to see that Dragon Age is still on your "Now Playing" list, even if you haven't updated it in a while. Maybe, but I think we all do at times.

I think I just really enjoyed the atmosphere and exploration in Luigi's Mansion, plus I thought the game just had a lot of character. I can see how someone who values gameplay higher than I do wouldn't enjoy it as much though.

Yeah, No Man's Sky looks incredible and I am definitely looking forward to checking it out. It is crazy that it is by the Joe Danger guys. I have some interest in Destiny as well with the Borderlands-ish loot and MMO type leveling. Right now though, I'm in wait and see mode on it.

Yeah, time and money are definitely in short supply when you start having kids. Now you probably understand why I am such a deal hunter and hardly ever buy games at release. I can teach you my cheap ass ways if you want. haha.

Yeah, I was pretty terrible back then and some of the games that I didn't finish were games that I really loved, stuff like FFVIII, Grandia, Twisted Metal 2, Tekken 2, Nightmare Creatures, etc.

The part with Welkin's sister. Man, don't tell me you made it through that dry eyed? One thing that VCII does better than the first is it gives some of your other squad-mates personalities. In VC, they really concentrate on just a handful of characters. In VCII, there are actually character specific story lines and missions for most, if not all, of your squad mates. That way, Vyse isn't just a generic machine gunner (unless you've played Skies of Arcadia that is).

Is this the same guy who loves Dark Souls, a game that punishes you all the time with crazy surprises out of nowhere? haha.

I wouldn't mind that kind of system in FE as well, though I thought the way it worked was totally fine by me.

Yeah, maybe that is just an excuse to not play it that way. In the end, I might have fun but I would feel the experience just wasn't genuine or how it was meant to be. I've only imported one game in my life and it was in English.

Hey man, sorry it's been forever since we last talked on here. It's been so long that I don't think your last comment is even still on my page, unfortunately, lol. How have things been going for you?

I see you've been getting some use of that Wii U lately. I picked up 1001 Spikes on Steam not too long ago (actually got a loyalty discount for already owning a Nicalis game, haha), and I enjoy that one a good bit even though I haven't gone back and played it for a while. I see that you've managed to finish it, though. What do you think about it overall? I think I'm somewhere in world 4 at the moment, for reference.

I'm actually pretty jealous that you've gotten to play Mario Kart 8. Quite a good number of the streamers I follow on Twitch were playing that around its launch, and it looks really fun. Those games tend to be go-to fun for me and Kacey, so the added benefit of actually having a game we can both enjoy together is a really nice thing about the Mario Kart series. It'd actually be awesome if we could both get Wii U systems and play online when we're not together. Given its strong showing at E3, I'm really wanting to get a Wii U if at all possible, though I also really want a PS4 to make sure I can get Bloodborne when that comes around. The problem with getting a PS4, though, is that I'd also want to get Guilty Gear Xrd and possibly Mortal Kombat X for it when those came out, which would necessitate buying yet another stick, so that's a lot of money, lol.

I can't believe you're just now getting around to playing Far Cry 3, haha. How's that game treating you so far? I really enjoyed the game a lot, though it does follow that standard Ubisoft open world formula that is starting to need a bit of flavor. It's helped along by some nice characters, though, and the gameplay is very solid. I personally liked to play very stealthy when it came to doing things like taking back outposts. One thing I liked to do was challenge myself by trying to stealth takedown everybody with my knife only, which is entirely possible and really satisfying, by the way.

What else have you been playing lately? Are you looking to buy anything in the near future? Oh yeah, what'd you think of E3 this year? Anything in there that got you particularly excited?

I can understand those expectations getting in the way of your enjoyment of the reboot. For me, I prefer Uncharted to the old Tomb Raider formula so a game that had more similarities to the former was more than okay with me. So there is a new Tomb Raider game coming out, correct? I haven't really heard anything about it besides the name.

I definitely live for those kinds of moments, but for me, it isn't just innovation. I've always said that I seem to be able to appreciate games with an interesting story, evocative characters, an immersive atmosphere, and varied gameplay (a game doesn't have to have all of these elements for me to love it). I think that explains why I am drawn to JRPG's, a genre certainly now known for innovation, and free roam games. It is funny how the game part of a game is often the least important part for me, though it is still important. I mean, as long as the gameplay is fun and not broken, I am usually good with it.

In the other games, did you have kids that could join your party? I thought that was an awesome part of the game, even if it did feel a tad bit contrived from a story perspective. Now I wouldn't say best game of all time or anything, but it is top 100 for sure and that is no small task for a game these days.

Hearthstone is ridiculously addictive, but I have almost broken free of it's grasp. I still play occasionally, but don't plan on going crazy with it again at least until the expansion releases.

I was actually on vacation while E3 was going on so haven't watched many trailers and missed the press conferences. From what I've seen and heard, I'll try to put together a ranked list based on what I will certainly buy for upcoming releases (I'll include PS4 games because I'm getting one for Christmas) but that won't be until next time. Maybe your curiosity will be enough to encourage a replay within the month. haha. I haven't seen a trailer on Bloodborne myself, but I've heard good things.

Man, why the long delay for Far Cry 3 as I know you were a big fan of 2? Heck, I even played and loved FC3 and it is a shooter (kind of). In fact, I lived it so much that FC4 is probably one of my most anticipated games (not in the same league as Persona 5 mind you, but still up there). What do you think so far?

...with knowledge of what was to come so I could prepare. The cool think is that unlike many SRPG's, you could save mid-mission so you could always go back to an earlier save.

I did not see that on VCIII. I still hold out hope that it will see a US release on the Vita or something. Maybe Sega could get Atlus' translation team to do the English. I know it is but a pipedream, but even for my favorite series, I'm not sure I would play a fan translated version. It isn't that I think it is wrong, just that it is uncharted territory for me and you know what they say about old dogs. haha.

Yeah, I think I am the only one on BL that didn't love the game. Yeah, Bethesda and I have been getting along quite well recently. I guess I have never thought that combat in an RPG makes or breaks a game for me unless it is super stellar or egregiously bad. For me, I burned out on ME1 as I tried to do all of the side missions and the repetitive planets just killed my momentum. I still like the game quite a bit and think quite highly of it. For ME2, I think I had a hard time getting over the RPG elements that were stripped from the game. So which of those games interests you most? So how far did you get in ME2? The suicide mission at the end is easily the best part of the game and probably the best part of the series as well.

So what is your opinion of the MK franchise, as I think it is one of the most stagnant franchises out there and is definitely one of the biggest offenders of rehashing the same game over and over again. I am sure part of it has to do with my personal opinions of the genre, as I find racing games to me more repetitive than other types of games just by nature.

Yeah, it is tough to just let them cry themselves to sleep, but it is really the only way to make the transition. Man, 12 hours is a long sleep! You could just load up on caffeine and have one crazy marathon gaming session. haha. Kids definitely provide a lot of joy and many unforgettable memories.

I think there are more games that we agree on than disagree on though, even some games that go against popular opinion like Lords of Shadow and Tomb Raider: Underworld. Nobody is going to agree on everything. I remember one IGN poster at the time said that Henry and I shared the same brain, but we have plenty of differences of opinion as well.

So with FC2 and VC, were you enjoying the games when you moved on the first time? I won't move on from a game if I am liking it or interested in it, which may be why I am fine trading games in while you would rather hold on to them. If I quit playing a game before I finish it, you can be sure that I just don't like it very much.

The second large area may be either the first floor or the basement. So any reason why Luigi's Mansion isn't receiving much attention? Just too much other stuff or are you not all that interested in it?

Not being an FPS fan, I look for as little shooting in an FPS campaign as possible. You will probably think I'm crazy, but I got about 10 hours into Half-Life 2 and quit. I just wasn't having very much fun with it. I know many people consider it one of the best games of all time, but it just wasn't for me. As you can see, my opinions about FPS games really should be ignored. haha.

That is cool that you have a BL goal. I don't really have one, but I am +4 on the year which is uncharted territory for me. I too think that FFVI is better than VII, but I still think quite highly of the latter and I think part of my love for Crisis Core is due to me being such a big fan of VII. I was so obsessed with FFVII before I played it that I convinced my brother in law to buy Tobal No. 1 just for the demo (I didn't own a PS1 at the time) and I still think that the moment we summoned Leviathan in the demo is one of the most impressive things I've seen in a game. I understand that. The old me played about 50 PS1 games, yet only finished like 6 of them.

Yeah, I didn't really think of the control differences but that too is a huge issue. Well, I think Vita sales have been low, but steady and the 3DS is still carrying Nintendo, so I'm not sure we have anything to worry about for the foreseeable future.

I'm glad that VC really connected with you in every aspect this go. Yeah, the feel good ending really made up for the heart breaking scene earlier in the game. Man, I've been known to shed a tear over a story here and there, but someone turned he faucet on for that particular moment. haha. Yeah, I really the variety in the stages and mission objectives. Funny, as what you see as a complaint I actually appreciated. Sure, I got destroyed in mission 7 or whatever when you-know-who showed up, but it was an awesome surprise and I didn't mind restarting the mission...

I don't think anyone could be as bad as me at responding on this site haha.

I still haven't spent a whole lot of time with the Wii U compared to my other consoles, but I have spent some time playing Wii games on it, which has been nice. In fact, I used some Club coins to download Mario Kart 64 through the Wii mode's shop. Still trying to decide if I want to transfer all of my VC games from my Wii over to my Wii U. I'm loving the Wii U's interface, though I can't really comment on the online since my internet connection constantly goes back and forth between connected and not connected. For some reason, the Wii shop had no problem connecting, but I can rarely get the Wii U online features to connect. Of course, I think it's obvious that the highlight so far for me has been Tropical Freeze. I loved Returns, but TF is even better imo. The great challenging gameplay I expected, amazing level design, excellent visuals, and of course that superb soundtrack. If Nintendo offered the soundtrack on Club Nintendo, I'd gladly give them all my coins haha. What were your overall thoughts on the game?

As for Yoshi's New Island, I thought it was great actually. No where near as great as the original, but I don't think it's any where near as bad as some critics said. It may not always have the best level design, but I found it satisfactory in that regard, and I really enjoyed the gameplay. I even enjoyed a handful of the themes in the game and don't think the soundtrack is as terrible as many have said. I won't go as far to say it's a game I could easily recommend to people since I'm known for really enjoying games that the majority hate on, but I think it's worth checking out at some point.

btw, do you plan on picking up Mario Kart 8 this week? I have it preorderd, and me and a buddy are taking a half day off to play it haha.

I wouldn't likely like it as much as DKCR, but I would still like to play it as it looks like a lot of fun.

So the awe and wonderment don't add to your fun? Experiencing something new and different is fun for me. That isn't to say that I didn't have fun with something like Galaxy 2, but when something has a "been there, done that" feel, it isn't as fun as when I am constantly being amazed. I too am in love with a lot of modern games, but they are ones that really blow me away. After getting out of the initial vault in Fallout 3 and seeing the world, then actually having to scavenge just to survive felt like nothing else I had done in a game before and I was blown away. The entire end sequence of Red Dead Redemption was just so surprising and so perfect that I couldn't help but fall in love. The helicopter chapter in Uncharted 2 was so white knuckle exciting and cinematic that it was one of the most amazing moments I had experienced in a game at the time. Yes, I have fun with everything I play but those moments are what make gaming my hobby of choice. Funny that we are so different in what we look for in a game.

Enough about all of the things we disagree on though, as I think that Fire Emblem fits both of what we love. The core gameplay felt familiar, but the presentation was so new and different and I was blown away from the opening movie on. I don't know if the characters getting married and having kids had been done before, but this was an aspect that I thought was awesome and innovative.

So will I be able to figure out from checking the stats on items what is good and what isn't. I had to hit Wikis for the first game because it wasn't clear to me if one item was better than another until I got used to the way the game worked. I honestly don't know for sure when I will start Dark Souls II but I am definitely looking forward to it. My next RPG may be Tales of Xillia though.

It wouldn't be very fun if it did, would it? haha. Hopefully your daughter continues to sleep better. So when do you think you will move her to a full crib? I think life gets easier after that.

Yeah, I look forward to some of those encounters that really require strategy. I think FFX had the perfect turn-based battle system. It was so fast and so easy to switch characters in and out. I really can't wait to play it again.

It must have been some detour. I guess we all have different tolerances for different things. I am pretty patient with games that I am enjoying. Not sure if I told you before, but 15 hours into Brutal Legend and one mission from the end, I ran into a game breaking glitch. I restarted and played the whole thing through again and I still love the game. We'll definitely find out sooner or later, but I'm guessing I will be alright with BD.

That is interesting. I can definitely see someone not liking it because it was shallow, but I certainly didn't think it was bad. I guess that goes back to you valuing mechanics while I value innovation. There were some missions that were of the linear variety, but there were others where you went throughout the city. Man, seems you don't have any good memories of Gravity Rush while I have nothing but.

I went into Tomb Raider with no expectations. I thought the game was quite well done and I felt there was a good amount of exploration (trust me, I 100%'d the game so explored every nook and cranny). I felt there were a decent amount of optional areas that existed just for optional stuff and had nothing to do with the story whatsoever. Funny, as I didn't focus much on cover based shooting as I preferred to use other tactics to get by enemies. I meleed quite a bit in this game (provided there weren't machine gunners which would really chew you up quick). I would give it an 8.5 or 9.0. I didn't think any of the characters outside of Lara and Roth were great, but I didn't think they were awful either. I'm not used to our opinions being so different on games. haha.

Nothing wrong with that. We all love games for certain things. For instance, I really enjoyed Remember Me for the characters and story. You would probably hate it because of the fighting mechanics.

Sounds like TF definitely fit into the definition of what you prefer these games - a familiar formula perfected.

I may have mistyped as VC isn't my favorite RPG last gen, but my favorite JRPG. I seem to be the black sheep when it comes to HR as I just thought it was okay. Seems that everyone else loved it. I think Xenoblade is fair game, though I don't know about classifying Darksiders II as an RPG. Awesome seeing DD on there though. We'll I can't let a list go by without adding my own. Here is my top 10:

1. Fallout 3
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Dragon Age: Origins
4. Valkyria Chronicles
5. Dragon's Dogma
6. Dark Souls
7. Mass Effect 3
8. The Witcher 2
9. Tales of Vesperia
10. Cannot decide between Mass Effect 3/Fable II/Dragon Age II/Oblivion

You should. haha. I keep trying to convince Henry to play it and if he does, I think I will go back to it yet again. Loved that game.

I guess advertising really does work, eh? haha. I think the same thing at times, but I usually get the itch to buy and once I do, I just add it to the backlog. At least you are playing your games shortly after purchase instead of letting them collect dust while they drop in price. Anyway, I usually only feel the need to purchase a game shortly after release if it is in one of my favorite genres, and then I can usually resist the urge unless I can find it for some sort of sale.

You are not the only one like that, as I think Greg feels much the same way. I definitely value innovation more than perfecting a known formula. A familiar game with minor improvements just feels iterative to me. I mean, I've played every Mario Kart since Mario Kart 64 and while I loved that one, each one since has felt like a major let down. I've played every 3D Mario except for 3D World yet none have even come close to SM64 for me. If a game has an interesting story and cast, I can overlook rehashed gameplay to a degree. If a game has a ton of gameplay variety (like I often find with sandbox style games), the feeling of doing something over again that I did in the last game is somewhat mitigated. I think with the lack of innovation, that is why I have gravitated to RPG's and open world games. It isn't that I don't try, but I just can't appreciate a game that perfects a formula like you do. I suppose that the different opinions that Greg and I have regarding Rayman Legends is a perfect example.

No big deal, man.

If I like a game enough to finish it, I am going to finish it when I first start playing it. If I don't, I will move on and never to touch it again. I usually trade in such games anyway. So how far did you get in Lone Survivor? For me, the game really fell apart in the basement. Up until then, it wasn't so resource management intensive and it was more story driven. I forgot that PS+ is required for online play now. Funny, as that is the least important part of PS+ for me. haha.

I knew you liked R3 way more than me. I would probably give it a 6.0. I think that Metro had a much better story, better characters, and better atmosphere; plus the stealthy parts added some nice variety. Kind of funny how we see the same games so differently. That is shocking to hear you say that R3 set the new standard for FPS campaigns in your book. For me, the original Bioshock is exactly how a shooter should be done in this day and age.

Taking those games off your list might feel therapeutic. I've recently given some thought to removing 13 or more games that I won't likely ever get to (PC, PSP, and PS1 games plus possibly a few others). Well, if you are going to finish any of them, I definitely recommend Crisis Core and Jeanne D'arc. Do you have a soft spot for FFVII at all?

That is a good question regarding the future of handhelds. To me, they offer such a different kind of game than most of the casual stuff that is on iOS and Android platforms. I guess if the same types of games on the Vita and 3DS were offered on other devices, I wouldn't have a problem with playing them elsewhere as I don't have any particular attachment to hardware. Of course, with $5 being about the most that users are willing to pay for a game on those platforms, there won't be many games that are as deep and satisfying to me as something like Awakening or Golden. I hope that somewhere and somehow, those experiences that we love so much will continue on.

I was surprised at all of the parallels to WWII in the game. I empathized with some of the villains which was a nice touch, but it made me wonder if this was intentional by the developers given Japan was an Axis country. Now, just because VCII isn't as good as VC doesn't make it an unworthy sequel IMO. I still loved the game and when I was doing my revised top 200, it was coming in around #150.

I think part of our differences in opinion come from the fact that you loved 2, while I thought it was okay and significantly less interesting than the first game and while I too found the ice planet interesting, it paled in comparison to something like the frozen mountains of Skyrim.

So what did you think of DKCR? I really enjoyed it so am pretty sure I would also enjoy Tropical Freeze. Of course, somewhat same-y sequels often suffer a bit in my eyes as I typically prefer the first game in a series when everything feels new and fresh. It is interesting how different people treat different games in comparison to past experiences. It is very rare when a game cracks my favorites and I have a hard time even imagining a game overtaking Mario 64 as my favorite 3D platformer of all time. With you, many of your favorites are games you've recently played. With me, P4 is the last game to crack my top 10 and before it, the list had stayed the same since 2001. So how do you compare? I just look at how much fun I had with a game and how it made me feel. Sure, Galaxy 2 may be a better game than SM64 for instance, but it didn't come close to capturing the feeling of awe and wonderment that SM64 gave me.

I have no idea when I'll get around to it. As usual, I'm lagging behind but that is fine by me. The longer it takes me to finish my console backlog, the longer I can put off making the jump to next gen. I've even thought about waiting until after I play through P5 if I can manage it. Anyway, being that mechanics aren't as important to me as they are to you, I wonder how I will feel about DkS? For me, outfitting my character and exploring were my favorite parts of the game, so we'll see how this compares to DkSII.

I have a pretty high tolerance for that kind of thing so hopefully I will feel as you do about the latter parts of BD and not like Dylan, who was so turned off by some choice he made that he probably won't ever go back to it to finish it.

Well, I'm still having a lot of fun with Devil Survivor Overclocked so Awakening hasn't ruined every future SRPG for me. Still, I do think that playing more of these user friendly, modern strategy games has made something like FFT feel outdated.

I'm fine with it and couldn't even tell you what I got rid of anymore. Stealth, Inc. was certainly a good time. The name is a bit deceptive though, as it was puzzle platformer through and through. Yeah, the levels all were kind of same-y, that is for sure. Still, it was more about the gameplay in this one and while I did replay a few levels for better grades, in most of them I was just happy to make it through.

We definitely differ there as mechanics are rarely the most important thing in a game for me. For that reason, the combat didn't bother me at all. Actually, many of the later encounters could be skipped. The nice thing is that you really weren't penalized for skipping battles too as most of the upgrade crystals could be earned through the side activities and through exploration. Really, the gravity altering exploration was the best part of the game for me and I had a ton of fun exploring each section of the city. IMO, Gravity Rush is a much more realized experience than AC. The mission structure was much more varied and the exploration much more satisfying. Did you go into the game expecting a deep combat system?

I can't even tell you what I've played in the last 3 months. haha. Anyway, everything is good with the family and with gaming. One game that I think we also need to talk about is Tomb Raider. I know you weren't too high on it while Henry loved it, and I have to side with Henry. I thought the experience was fantastic in every aspect. What about the game didn't connect with you?

I wasn't too big of a fan. Out of the 2013 sequels that didn't receive stellar reviews, from best to worst I would go Arkham Origins, GoW: Ascension, Dead Space 3. I wouldn't say it was garbage or anything, but I think it lacked creativity and scares. I mean, toward the end when you go all the way through those ruins, and then you go all the way back the exact same way you came just reeked of lazy design.

Yeah, Valkyria Chronicles is a true gem and the best original RPG for the PS3/360 gen (not really sure what to call it anymore). That is interesting that your praise for the game all revolves around the gameplay, as the first thing I would mention would probably be the characters (Welkin and Alicia are fantastic), the surprisingly mature story, and the unique setting. Regardless, VC is definitely the complete package and while I don't think that VCII measures up to it in any facet, it is still a highly enjoyable experience that is quite the triumph on the PSP and I think that with how much you are enjoying the first game, it is a must play.

I can understand DkSII being that the first is one of your faves and I can understand Bravely Default too, but I am surprised you had to have Mario Golf at launch. It is a game that I am sure I would enjoy as I had a great time with both the N64 and GC versions, but it is also a game that probably hasn't changed much from those previous iterations as well.

I remember those days of 4-6 hours of sleep a night as well. I would usually stay up until midnight and play anyway, and I wonder how many years of my life I took off for the sake of playing more games. haha. So she's not hungry and doesn't need changed, she just wants to hang out? I think we went through that with one of our kids as well, and that is when we started making a conscious effort to keep them up during the day a bit more to try and encourage sleeping at night.

Many of those games haven't been purchased and have been free on PS+ too. Anyway, it is kind of weird to be on the + side of purchases vs. games beaten.

The cool thing about Terraria is that if you do choose to try it, the Vita version would probably work perfectly for you. I might re-buy it if it goes on sale. I've only heard good things about Starbound, but there hasn't been much news recently about a Vita or console release.

That is mighty high praise for BD's combat system. As of now, I think my favorite would be FFX (I also recently purchased the HD remake for the Vita). In the demo, I think I could just end a battle quickly by having all characters use future moves immediately, though I didn't ever fight a boss so I can see how the strategy would play in there.

Man, I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get back to me. I can usually bang a reply out in 30 minutes or so and a half hour certainly isn't that hard to find when video games are concerned. haha.

Nothing wrong with that. There are games that don't grab me either. For instance, I liked Lone Survivor somewhat after my first play session but tried to go back to it and once I got to a new area, the experience just wasn't doing it for me so I moved on. Guess a horror game doesn't work all that well if you don't find it scary. So what features of PS+ do you find worth paying the subscription price for if you don't play the free games? I was pleasantly surprised to see Soul Sacrifice free this last week as it wasn't on the announced list of free games for May, plus I look forward to getting a Vita version of Limbo which I will likely play again.

I guess I don't know how much you enjoyed it, but I would probably only give Metro a 7.5 as I thought it was good, but not great. The atmosphere was easily the best part, and I did enjoy the experience a lot more than Resistance 3, which is somewhat of a similar game in subject matter and genre.

Yeah, that is pretty basic. You like shooters more than me though so that makes sense. I tend to play the class that plays the least like a traditional FPS. Yeah, the DLC might be the only thing that would get me to buy the Vita version as I already played through the game twice.

That is interesting that all of the RPG's you listed for those systems are remakes. So did you play many original RPG's for either the PSP or DS? You are definitely on the right track with the current gen of handhelds having finished Pokemon, Fire Emblem, P4G, and SMTIV. That is admirable that you still have PSP and DS games on your list of games to be played. I think I am moving on to Vita and 3DS RPG's and calling it good on last gen handheld games. If you've seen my revised Most Wanted list, you may have noticed that 6 of the 8 numbered games are either for the 3DS or the Vita (I think when I do jump into Minecraft, it will be on the Vita).

I was watching and was planning on giving you a hard time when your last full comment turned to "3 months ago", but you have officially dropped off of my Dialogue Box so there goes my grand plan.