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Gaming Diary – Why didn’t anyone tell me Odin Sphere Leifthrasir was a love story?

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Odin Sphere Leifthrasir

The first week of summer after school is always a bit rough, because summer camps haven’t started and the little one’s daycare closes for the summer. We had a week to kill without any set plans and I still had to get some work done. Since I couldn’t leave the two of them unsupervised without fighting, I did a lot on my laptop and decided it was time to pick up my Vita again. I thought about going through a LEGO game, since I need something mindless for two reasons:

  • gotta keep at least one eye on the kids, and
  • I need a break from heavy, hardcore open-world games.

I love what I have played of Horizon: Zero Dawn thus far, but it’s too much to get into right after playing Mass Effect Andromeda. Right now, I need something light, something that won’t take a billion hours to do everything, and something mindless.

As such, I purchased LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the Vita (gotta get them double-Platinums!). And then the game took forever to download. While waiting, I decided to give Odin Sphere Leifthrasir another go. I played it a wee bit back when it released, liked what I played, but moved on to something else. I bet it was another game review.

Regardless, I’m playing it now AND HOLY COW I CAN’T PUT IT DOWN. I loved Dragon’s Crown, also done by Vanillaware, so I knew I’d at least like the combat. They’ve vastly improved the formula, but more importantly, the story is absolutely amazing. If someone had told me way back when that this was a love story, I would have played this long ago. I stayed up well past 1 a.m. last night because I had to see if Gwendolyn and Oswald got a happy ending. I had to. I couldn’t go to bed until I defeated the final boss of Gwendolyn’s story.

Now I’m on to the next story, and I’m delighted that it’s another love story. I could see me replaying these chapters several times just for the stories. Who knows when I’ll get to LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens now.

Gaming Diary: When the Stack of Shame Becomes Shameful

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PS4 stack of shameI really did enjoy my job when I reviewed video games, but it was rough on my stack of shame. Either the deadlines I had didn’t allow me enough time to finish a game I wanted to, or I had to stop a game in order to review this new one. I am going through my stack bit by bit now that I am out of the reviewing biz, starting with the games I have strategy guides for. I wrapped up Mass Effect Andromeda recently, and now I’m carving out time to play Horizon: Zero Dawn. That’s the last strategy guide I currently have from 2017 that needs to get done. Yes, I have a ton from 2016, but baby steps, people. Baby. Steps.

The problem is, if I start to think about what I should tackle next after HZD, I start to realize how ridiculous my stack has become. A good friend has threatened to spoil everything in Dragon Age Inquisition if I don’t finish that, so I need to put that higher in the stack. But I never did finish Tales of Berseria, and that game was really good. Then I think of Dragon Quest Builders, Dragon Quest Heroes, and World of Final Fantasy, which then leads me to Final Fantasy XV. Holy crap, I really want to finish that game! Oh wait, I never did start The Witcher 3. OMG I NEVER OPENED NIER AUTOMATA OR THE LAST GUARDIAN. What about Fallout 4? Aw crap, I never did finish The Division, and I loved that game! Shit…there’s also that thing called Breath of the Wild…

That’s usually when I turn to tea or wine, and then text a friend asking if they want to still play Gears of War 4 together. Procrastination, my old friend, you’re always there when I need you.

At the very least, I don’t have any games to review to make this hole even deeper. I also don’t have any future games on my radar until the fall, and so far, it’s only one—the next Assassin’s Creed game. That should help, right? (Humor me, please.)

Mass Effect Andromeda Strategy Guide Review

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I’ve said repeatedly that the game Mass Effect Andromeda did not win me over, but how was the Mass Effect Andromeda strategy guide? Prima Games certainly brought their A-game to the Andromeda galaxy, but it wasn’t completely perfect either. The guide is incredibly well put together, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for, and the strategies (and bonus tips for extra narratives) are spot on.

However, the book is missing some key points that would make this great guide excellent. Find out why in our video review below.

Be sure to also check out our unboxing video of the Mass Effect Andromeda Pathfinder Edition Strategy Guide as well!

SGR Rating: 4/5

Authors: Tim Bogenn, Long Tran, Loren Gilliland, and Will Murray
Publisher: Prima Games
Editions Available: Paperback, Collector’s Edition, Pathfinder Edition, eGuide
Acquired via Purchase

Gaming Diary: Do I Replay or Not?

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Mass Effect Andromeda

Finished my guide-review playthrough of Mass Effect Andromeda over the weekend. I did enjoy this experience more than the review playthrough for a few reasons:

  • No rush, so I could actually get through every single side quest;
  • I was able to romance a character; and
  • I wasn’t crammed full of the main story because I could do every side quest.

Was the ending any better? Oh hell no it wasn’t. In fact, after playing the rest of the side quests, I’d have to say that it’s almost worse. So many questions are never wrapped up, and a few huge side quests are never resolved. At least I knew none of that the first time I played. This time, I’m really irked that the main story was Mass Effect: Halo AND major side quests weren’t wrapped up. That’s not a good recipe for an epic game, BioWare. You know how to make some good side quests, I’ll give you that, but your storytelling needs major work.

Now that I am finished with it, obviously, Horizon: Zero Dawn is next on my plate. However, I’m torn about playing MEA a second time. Part of me wants to explore different conversations with different dialogue choices, different main story choices (maybe this time I’ll let Sloane Kelly die…), and different romance options. Another part of me doesn’t want to go through the boring story again. Also not sure how much I really want to run all over creation again completing side quests.

Considering how many backlogged games I have to finish, including Dragon Age Inquisition, I shouldn’t consider a second playthrough of MEA at all. Somehow, I can’t help myself. It’s a Mass Effect game; I’m supposed to play it until every option is exhausted.

Gaming Diary: Now I Get the Softcore Porn Comment

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Back in February, BioWare GM Aaryn Flynn made a flippant comment about Mass Effect Andromeda being “softcore space porn.” It was in response to people questioning the ESRB rating, which included nudity. It’s not partial nudity, as it has been in the past. Some people took Flynn’s comment as a joke and others quite seriously. Flynn had to backpedal a little bit as a result.

Considering Mass Effect and Dragon Age have always had mature themes, especially when it comes to romances, I expected that perhaps they were pushing the envelope a little further. Instead of silhouettes and assumptions, perhaps see a bit more of the scene unfold. I wish they had pushed that envelope with Garrus, but what’s done is done.

When I reviewed the game, I did not have time to pursue any relationships. My character flirted with everyone possible, just to see how far it could do with casual conversations, but she didn’t complete a single allies/relationships quest. There simply was no time in the window I had. Last night, I completed a romance, and I get the softcore porn comment now. Boy, do I ever.

Jaal Romance

Actually not the romance scene.

It’s not porn, really, but it’s definitely stuff you would see late at night on HBO or Cinemax. I was not expecting that at all. You have no idea how glad I was to be playing alone in my office, with no one watching. My romance was with Jaal, and it did not include seeing his full frontal. You don’t even see Ryder’s full frontal, just lots of boob. But as it continued for far longer than any other BioWare romance scene, my eyes widened with how far it went. I ended up texting a friend about it, and we compared romance stories. He romanced Cora, and he said it was more intense than he expected. I shared about Jaal, we snickered, told obscene jokes, and went on our merry way.

I’m not saying this is bad at all, so put down your torches and pitchforks. I’m mostly saying this as a warning, that maybe don’t play the romance parts with kids in the room. If you have a non-gamer spouse or roommate, you might want to warn them.

I am so unbelievably happy I did not play this scene during Extra Life with Chris and Blake. Chris didn’t even watch me play any part of Dragon Age: Origins until we happened to have a naked scene. Immediately he pounced on it like an older brother, yelling what I was watching, and teasing me to the point I know my whole face turned red. I can’t imagine how he would have reacted watching this Jaal romance.

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