Category: Gaming Related

Lego Nintendo Switch Games – Blogtober 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

There’s one console that I always forget has Lego games. Probably because I don’t have any games for it, yet. That’s something that I hope to fix very soon, depending on what happens on the horizon.

So, today (well, tonight, thanks computer for eating the first version of this post, rush rush rush) let me run through some of the Lego Switch games that I’m planning on getting pretty soon.

The first one is an absolute must the moment I can get my hands onto it. Lego City Undercover has remained at the top of my favorites list since the first time I played it, right after I got my PS4. It’s a solid game and one that I turn to when I really want to put in some hours into a video game. To my knowledge the Switch port has the extras that are from the Wii U, which includes a few references to Nintendo properties. I’ve never played that version, so I’m game.

Another must have is actually one I’m (probably) going to sneak and pick up tomorrow if I can swing it, because it was on sale. The Lego Harry Potter Collection includes both games in their entirety. I really enjoy them both, even if they come from the pre-voice era. They stick pretty close to the films, and though I have some issues with pacing, I think they are well done. It’s been a minutes since I touched them, so it’s obviously time. A treat for finishing Whumptober early?

I also want to grab Lego Jurassic World. I’m planning on carving out a few hours to rewatch the first film some time soon, and I really have a wish to sit down and play through this. It’s one that I want to wait until I have some time to dedicate to it, so it can wait a bit if it needs to.

Lego DC Super-Villains is an obvious yes in my book. I loved just how it came together, especially with the inclusion of the original player character. It’s one of the newest and I absolute love every second of it. I still have to play it twice more on Playstation, but I can’t exactly afford to be buying it in two currencies that I don’t know the exchange rate for right now, so… it can wait.

The last games I want to add to my collection are the Lego Marvel games, though I’m not exactly clear which ones have made it onto the console and which ones haven’t (thanks internet). The Marvel games are always important to me, because they helped introduce me to Lego games. I’ve been in the mood to pick up the original game again, so this would work out in spades.

There are of course others on the console, but I’m not going to make them a priority (yet). I’ll get to them eventually (including the dreadful Lego Movie 2 Game, I feel a hate-play coming on). Until then, I guess I’ll just run around Lego Dimensions for the fourth time.

Until next time!

Lego Games – The Vita Edition – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

So I’ve said it before. I love the Lego Games. But I guess I should have specified that I loved the Lego “Console” games. Handheld games?

They drive me nuts.

In the past, there were 13 Lego games released onto the Playstation Vita. THIRTEEN. And some are actually fun! But some of them just aren’t. I’ve played several of them and completed a handful. But I still have a few that I want to get to before I let my Vita rest.

BTW, yes, I said a handful. I just… There are a bunch of them that are the one-death-per-level style, and I just don’t like that. So, those I’m going to do my best to actively avoid.

Bute before I jump into the list of what I will be playing (hopefully, at some point, in the near future), here are the ones that I’ve already played.

  • Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7: Completed to Platinum on July 31st 2017
  • Lego Legends of Chima: Completed to Platinum on May 20th 2018
  • Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril: Started in March 2017, not completed, will not finish.
  • Lego Movie: The Videogame: I turned it on at some point so it’s on my trophy list, but I’m not finishing it.
  • Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham: Completed August 11th, 2018
  • Lego Marvel’s Avengers: Started September 2017, not completed, probably will not finish.
  • Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Completed November 21st 2020

Actually, looking at that list reminds me of just how short this list is going to be…

Lego Jurassic World

I’ve had it on my mind for months to replay Lego Jurassic World. I just haven’t sat down to do it (mostly because I want to play the PS4 version, and I just can’t stream right now). It actually was the only Vita game that I didn’t own. I picked it up about six months ago, and it’s been staring me in the face to actually play it. Maybe soon. I haven’t really looked up too much about it, except that it doesn’t have perma-death, which already makes it appealing.

Lego Ninjago: Nindroids

I’m not a Ninjago fan my any stretch of the word. In fact, I still count both the Ninjago World and Level in Dimensions and The Lego Ninjago Movie Game on my lowest ranking Lego… anything lists. Maybe not the worst, but I don’t want to have any part of it.

But there’s something about Vita games that makes these more plateable. I guess it’s because there’s no real pressure, that no one will see unless I bother to connect my Vita to the internet. So, this one I’ll probably give a whirl.

Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin

Like I said about the other Ninjago game, I’m not much of a fan. But I’ve heard some really good things about this game, and the fact that it’s almost criminal that there were only a few after this one. I’ve added it to my list.

Lego The Hobbit

Honestly, I’ll probably just play this one so that I can throw it like I did my controller when playing the PS3 version last month. Because I almost did, and I may have cried when it was over.

So, yeah. Four Lego games left on Vita. I do want to finish them one of these days, probably around the time I finally finish the PS3 games. One day, right? Until then, I’ll just keep making Lego lists. I came up with at least one more idea just while I was typing this up. Hmm…

Until next time!

My Top Lego Games – Blogtober 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

(a.k.a. I’m having a headache day and this is something I can type from my bed.)

As I’ve made pretty clear over the years, I play a lot of Lego games. So much so that I have them on multiple platforms, and have completed them to 100% many a time.

The other day I was thinking about it. I’m an opinionated person. I have to have favorites, right? I obviously have a small list of games that are terrible, but what exactly are my favorite Lego games. I spent some time thinking about it, and I’ve come up with a list of my top five Lego games, in no particular order.

Lego City Undercover

This is probably my favorite Lego game of all time. There is just something about LCU that caught my eye when I started playing it. I really love that it’s a completely original story with original characters, but with enough references to many different games and film franchises to shake a stick at. The jokes are surprisingly mature, but designed to go over kids’ heads. The world is absolutely insane, so very large and expansive.

I’ve played through this game multiple times, and it hasn’t gotten old yet. I’m still trying to get my hands onto the prequel, but it’s a 3DS game and I don’t have one right now. Maybe one day…

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

I’m taking my nostalgia glasses off for this one, and it still holds up. The first Marvel game to get the Lego treatment, LMSH blew me out of the water. The cast is very large, featuring characters from the Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy… the list goes one. You end up using a variety of characters during your playthrough, and Manhattan is detailed enough to be eye catching. Also, having come out after the Avengers film, it’s fun to see characters in more… comic accurate attire.

My first Lego game, but also never my last. I’ve played through at least four times, with another playthrough coming as soon as I can get my hands onto an Xbox 360.

Lego DC Super Villains

Welcome to a Lego game that absolutely surprised me in just how much I ended up enjoying it. When I saw the original reveal for LDCSV, I was cool with it. The announcement that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were returning to voice their original characters? Okay, I’m 100% onboard. But playing it? Blew my mind. I think I finished my first playthrough it about… seven days? Something like that. It was worth every minute. I’ve since played it several times, and I’m just waiting until the holidays to purchase the Japanese and Asian versions (gotta have all the trophies).

I was just thinking as I sat here. This would have been the game I played with my Dad. He got me into Legos and into DC. Sharing this would have been perfect. Unfortunately it came out about 16 years too late for that.

Lego Dimensions

The largest and most expensive Lego game in existence, and still one of my all-time favorites. LD was a surprise favorite of mine when I first played it back in 2017. Since then, I’ve 10% the game three times, which is a feat in of itself, considering the game is about 60+ hours, on top of having to collect nearly 40 characters. I’ve talked about my love for this game before. I’m hoping that soon I can take a bit and replay some of my favorite worlds.

Also, I can’t help but remember just how crazy it was to get my hands onto every version of the game. The guy at Best Buy gave me such a weird look when I purchased (on sale prior to the cancellation of Year 3) a Xbox 360 version, a Xbox One version, and a Wii U version. He kept saying I only needed one box and just different discs, until I finally just pulled out a post from Lego stating that you had to have the system specific game pads (which isn’t true. There’s three. Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PS3/PS4/Wii U).

Lego Jurassic World

I am still surprised with how much I like this game. I think it’s because I started playing it and watching the films at the same time (as somehow I managed to never see the films completely during my entire childhood). The game is not prefect by any means, especially with the fact that it very much pushes Jurassic World instead of Jurassic Park, but it’s not terrible.

Honestly it’s a fun one that I’m about to finally play on my Vita, probably in the next little bit.

And as a bonus, here are a few that I… didn’t really like.

The Lego Movie 2 Video Game

I’m heavily opinionated about this game. TT Games changed everything with this one, and it didn’t work. They changed the entire storyline from the film, made Wyldstyle the main character, and just… lost the Lego magic. I actually hate-play this when I’m in need to get angry at something. Honestly, if I could forever skip it, I would.

It’s almost criminal that it’s the most current Lego game released. Please let LSWTSS finally come out…

Lego The Incredibles

I like to call this game Lego: Missed Opportunities. A Lego game based off the Incredibles is fine, though their choice to start the game with the sequel film was… odd. Most of the unlockable characters are entirely forgettable, and the post game was pretty simple to finish. I just… didn’t really like it. At least the appearance of the other Pixar characters was kinda fun, especially Dory.

I’m just more annoyed they included the strobe scene. Weird playing a Lego boss battle wearing sunglasses and being directed by someone else…

Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7

I don’t hate this one, per say. I just don’t like it very much, especially compared to the original. I did like that the world felt more expansive, but it just… didn’t click with me like the first game. It was much cleaner and sharper at least. And it didn’t glitch on me like the first game did… twice.

At least it did include a feature I do love. There’s a floating ghost in every room of the hub area once you compete the game, and it tells you how many of each collectable are in the room, and how much you have left. It’s a good quality-of-life update that other Lego games have started using.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

My issues with this one are very minor. The storyline is fine… but forgettable. The characters are ok… but forgettable. The hub worlds are… you get my point. It’s an okay game, but it just doesn’t work for me.

You know what really doesn’t work? The Lantern Planets you visit in free mode. I have never experienced vertigo in a video game outside of VR (which is why I won’t play any VR games), until I played this one. I really hope to never again give this one a play.

So there you have it! My top five Lego games, and four that I have at least some sort of problem with. Remember that these are my opinions and you are welcome to have your own.

Until next time!

Picking Up Games Again – Blogtober 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

You ever start playing a game, and loving it, then stop for some reason, only to return months later and say, “Wait. What was I doing again?”

I happened to do exactly that a couple times in the past few years, but twice it was funny becasue of what happened, and why.

The first one was Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch. I got my hands onto Animal Crossing about a month behind everyone else last year, right when quarentine was just starting. I played it almost religiously for several months, then stopped, just because I got bored. My island wasn’t coming out the way I wanted it to, and I got frustrated with it. Beyond that, I wanted to do something more, like play on islands that were set up like mazes, which I always found fun. But at the time, people weren’t making those, so I just said forget it.

Not too long ago, I happened to unintentionally open the game again. Now, I could have just jumped back into the game and fallen in love with my island and whatnot, and just finished it off and everything. But. I didn’t do that.

Instead, I started over. I deleted my data and went back to day one. I played every day for two months, building up my bells and slowly planning. Sure, not everything is done how I want it (can’t build a bridge were I want, but whatever). But I’m liking it more. And I have a few villagers that I absolutely love, so. I’m currently not playing for two weeks because I’m trying to get the sleep-messed hair style, and then I’ll jump back in to continue on.

The other game is one that I had considered jumping back into for awhile, but I kept on saying, no, you don’t want to. That was Pokémon Sword. When I originally got it (again, far after release date), I played it and loved it. I crafted a team of Pokémon that was well rounded. Thanks to the automatic EXP share, their levels were basically equal and everything. I ended up playing up until right after the original eight gym badges… then I stopped. And I don’t remember why.

The other night, I happened upon my guidebook for the game. I decided to boot up my Switch and play. It was then I discovered that I hadn’t playing since June of 2020. I knew it had been a long time, but over a year? That was insane. I fell right back into the game, slowly making my way to the end of my character’s journey… and got stonewalled at the Champion battle. My Pokémon are strong, and I have the type advantage, but I just can’t win. So I’m in a holding pattern for the next few days, waiting until a Mystery Gift with a level 70 Pokémon drops (or is that Oak’s Lab thing on Twitch comes back online. Whichever comes first.).

I’ve come back to games so many times in the past, and I am always beating myself up for not finishing when I was playing them the first time. One of the biggest games I’ve done that was actually Marvel’s Spider-Man. I’d originally finished the first act, then just kinda stopped for no reason. Came back about seven months later and beat the whole game to platinum in about three weeks (ignoring the DLC, because those Screwball Challenges can go to HELL). I’ll probably be doing this with Spider-Man: Miles Morales one of these days as well, as I have finished the story, but I haven’t completed it fully. It’s on the list.

Another one, and one that might be more surprising, is Lego Dimensions. When I originally played on my PS3, I loved the game. I played through the whole story, and had just started on the Level Packs when I got my PS4. So I switched over to that… and took almost a year to finally play through the Story Packs (because I hated both the Ghostbusters 2016 and The Lego Batman Movie packs, and was just not impressed with what they did with them.) It was only when I blasted through everything on my Xbox One that I finally went back and played the game to 100% completion. I finally did it on PS4, and not too long ago, because I’m worried my PS3 might be on its last legs, I finally got all the DLC trophies on PS3.

There’s one game that I’m still sitting on, and I’m just trying to get enough oomph up to actually play it. I started Lego Pirates of the Caribbean years ago, and beat the first film’s levels. But I just wasn’t enjoying it, so I stopped. About a year ago, I started again, restarted the file, and again beat the first film. And again, I stopped. I’m planning that this month, I’ll sit down and just power on through. I did that with Lego The Hobbit last month, so I’m hoping that being stubborn will get me through.

Coming back to games after having paused is hard, but in a way I love it. I get to reexperience them almost like new, but also know what’s going on. It’s fun, at least to me. While I do love blasting through one game at a time, this method also works well.

Until next time!

Video Game Tag

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I took a few minutes today to take a breath, and realized I hadn’t come up with anything to post for today. I’ve had this tag sitting in my drafts for a good while now, so I guess it’s the best time to break it out!

(Disclaimer: I found this tag on Pinterest a good long while ago, though I don’t know who originally came up with it.)

1. What is your favorite video game of all time?

Kingdom Hearts 2. There’s something about the Kingdom Hearts series that I just love. KH2 has everything I love in spades. Good storytelling, good vocal cast (both English and Japanese), great set of worlds, and a challenge across any difficulty I choose to play on. It’s my go to game when I need a pick me up.

2. What is your current favorite video game?

Lego City Undercover. My favorite Lego game, and probably one that I could play any day of the week. I’ve 100%’ed it multiple times, and I’m thinking of doing it again because of reasons. If you’ve never played it, give it a try. My favorite part is the final part of Level 15. It’s beautiful.

3. What is your favorite video game genre?

Action/Adventures and RPGs. Considering my two favorite games… It makes sense. I also love collect-i-thons, which are basically Lego games in a nutshell.

4. How long have you been playing video games?

24-5 years or so? My dad went out and picked up a Super Nintendo for Christmas in ’95 or ’96 after we moved to Florida. I didn’t get super into gaming until high school, but I have always had a love for it.

5. What was the first video game you’ve ever played?

It was either Aladdin or Goof Troop. We had both, but I’m not sure which one came first.

6. What game have you put the most time into?

Lego Dimensions, by a WIDE margin. Between all of my playthroughs, I’ve probably put in at least 500 hours. Probably more, considering that a full playthrough is at least 60+ hours.

7. Who is your favorite game developer?

I don’t really have one. I mean, there are a few I follow (TT Games, Artifex Mundi), but I’m willing to give most anyone a shot, unless they are Activision-Blizzard, because just look at the damn news.

8. Who is your favorite hero?

Probably Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series, because he goes on a journey. I give mad props to Square for writing a character that grows up both during games and between them as well. The Sora from KHI is not the same Sora in KHIII. And I love it.

9. Who is your favorite villain?

I don’t really have one? I’m not usually a huge fan of villains. I like anti-heroes more, honestly. There are some I tolerate, but no one is immediately coming to mind to say favorite.

10. Who is your least favorite character?

… Gwenpool from Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. She is one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever had the displeasure to hear. I’ve played LMSH2 twice, and her voice is the most grating of them all.

11. What gaming systems do you have?

My currently used systems are PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. I do also have a PS2 and several Nintendo handhelds, but they currently not hooked up or unpacked.

12. What’s your favorite gaming system?

My PS4. It’s the system that basically saved my sanity. I love the innovation of the Switch, but my personally think the quality of games on the PS4 are better suited for me.

13. Do you prefer to play a guy or a girl character?

Usually a girl. It’s still not all that common to have a choice. I always do my best to design a character that is similar to me, because I like to put myself into the story.

14. Do you play with a playthrough or on your own?

It depends on the game. I enjoy having a walkthrough handy, but I don’t always use it. For certain games, I use one a lot. It just depends.

15. Have you ever been to a gaming convention?

I’ve never been to a convention that is specially for video games, unless you want to catch RTX, which I don’t. I’ve only been to a few (Megacon, Metrocon, Shadocon, and EXPcon), and most of those are primarily anime conventions. It’s a thing.

16. What game are you looking forward to coming out in the future?

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, the much delayed Lego game that I’m going to cry when we get it. I’m hoping that it gets released in February, because that will be the three year anniversary of the last Lego game released (which is also the absolute worst Lego game, fight me.)

17. What is your favorite memory in a video game?

The first time I beat Kingdom Hearts, I spent nearly four hours on the final Ansem fight. I got my final hit on him… and the try outside my window cracked and fell into against the house. Because I’d been playing while there was a Cat 1 hurricane hitting my area of Florida that day. I like to say that the tree was Ansem, therefore bad, so it needed to fall. (Also, our house was 100% fine. It fell, but it had slowed down considerably before hitting the house.)

18. What video game character do you see yourself as?

Honestly? I don’t. I look similar to Max from Life is Strange, but I’m absolutely not her. I designed my character in Pokemon Sword to look like me, but she’s kind of a pushover. I’m just not that type of person to compare myself to a video game character.

And there we go, another tag in the books. Like I said, I’ve been kinda sitting on this one, and I kept forgetting it existed until today. (Also, I’m totally burned out because of Whumptober and Blogtober prep, so expect the next couple posts to be at about this quality. Sorry!)

Until next time!

Reviving My PS3

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, that’s quite a thing.

I was scrolling through r/LegoGaming the other day on Reddit when I noticed that several people were finishing PS3 Lego games. And it got me thinking.

I know I’ve beaten and 100%’ed every PS4 Lego game, and last year I did the same for all the releases on Xbox One. (Not including Lego Worlds, because I just can’t with that game.) But I honestly couldn’t remember when it came to my PS3.

For a bit of history, my PS3 was a gift that I didn’t really do much with, unless it was playing Kingdom Hearts. It would be over a year from when I got it to me getting my first Platinum game, and that was Lego Marvel Super Heroes. At the time I was just playing every once in a while. I didn’t have that drive yet to collect trophies. I just played when I wanted to.

It really wasn’t until the end of 2016 that I even realized that people seemed to love trophies, and it was in 2017 that the drive to get trophies kicked in.

Around that time, I’d started to finally get into Lego games… and then I got a job, saved up, and went out and bought a PS4. So, my PS3 games were completely neglected.

I’ve come back to my PS3 from time to time, finishing up a couple games here and there, but nothing crazy. Honestly, I didn’t even realize just how many Lego games from the PS3 era I’d completely missed playing (or in the case of one, completing).

So when I was scrolling Reddit today, and I cam across two different people who had finished two PS3-era games, it got me thinking. I hopped over to PSNPro and doublechecked, and then kicked myself. It’s not one game I’m missing.

It’s six.

Okay, like five and a half. But it’s still a lot.

The “half” is Lego Dimensions, the game that takes like 60+ hours to complete, because it’s the size of like three regular Lego games combined. I’ve talked about it on my blog before that it’s one of my favorite games, so I was surprised to see that I left it uncompleted. I did get the Platinum trophy, but I did the bare minimum to get it. I’ll come back to this in a bit.

Two of the games I wasn’t exactly surprised to see that I haven’t touched were Lego Lord of the Rings and Lego The Hobbit. I may have mentioned it before, but I’m not a Tolkien fan. No disrespect to any fans, but none of his books ever caught me. I’ve tried both Fellowship of the Ring and The Hobbit, multiple times, and I just couldn’t get interested. These two going unplayed isn’t surprising. I have played Hobbit on PS4 and Xbox One, so I know what I’m getting into. I just need to sit down and do it.

The other non-shocker was Lego Star Wars III. I will not lie and say I haven’t avoided this one. Over on the Lego Gaming subreddit, the early Star Wars games are treated like they are king, but I just have never been able to get into them. I’ll give this one a go, but I know it’ll be like 30 hours I won’t be able to get back when I’m finished.

Then there’s Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. It’s one of the first games to have trophy support. I never picked it up originally because I just didn’t want to deal with the late 2000’s gameplay. I much prefer the more modern style, especially when voice acting is a thing. Oh, and I really didn’t want to live through Indy 4 again. I did that in theaters and almost screamed.

Finally, there’s the game that I’ve actually started about four times. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. So the problem with this one is that it was made before hub worlds, but it desperately needed one. The game play is somewhat annoying, and I remember seeing some trophies that made me want to scream. But since I’m already 17% into it… I should finally suck it up and just play the thing. It’s only been taunting me since 2015.

So. Six games. Two I’ve played before, one that I’ve started and stopped multiple times, and three that I honestly haven’t really touched. I already own them all (five on disc, PotC is digitally downloaded), I just have to take care of them.

And that’s the plan. There’s five months left in the year. With Lego fans still waiting for news or a release announcement of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, this would be the best time to knock these out of the park.

I’ve already started work on Dimensions… but I’ve also discovered two problems. One: the PS3 version just isn’t as stable. I’ve already crashed about five times during the transition between level and adventure world. (For those who have not played Lego Dimensions, when you complete a Level Pack level, you automatically go to that franchise’s adventure world. From there you can return to the main hub world.) Because of this (and the major stuttering I’m having), I’m purposely going to just finish the level packs and story packs and calling it complete when I get all the trophies, instead of going for 100%. It’s not required to get every gold brick, and while I’d like to, I just can’t take going through two plus hours of babying the game just to complete one of the thirty adventure worlds. I’ll save that for my PS4 replay.

The other issue is that my PS3 isn’t in the best condition. I was gifted it used from Gamestop, which I’m totally fine with! Seriously. The problem is that it has seen better days. I can hear the fan from a mile away when it’s on, and it is getting slower with updates and loading. I’ve cleared what I can off of it (basically any game or game data that I’m not coming back to), but it’s just not what it used to be. I’m starting to get worried.

So that’s my main reason that I’m spending the next few months blasting through these games. I’m worried that I might one day wake up and my PS3 will have moved onto console heaven.

I’m about 20 levels away from being done with Dimensions, which amounts up to about ten hours. Two level packs (Sonic the Hedgehog and Mission: Impossible) and all the Story packs, which are six levels each (Ghostbusters 2016, Fantastic Beasts, and The Lego Batman Movie). Once I’m done with that, I’m going to coin toss for either The Hobbit (which I’ve played before and know basically what needs to be done) or Pirates (because I’ve started it before and I have an idea of how to play). By the time this post goes live, I’m hoping to have at least finished the level packs, then I can make my way through the (in my opinion) three weakest packs in the series.

I’m just hoping my PS3 can make it that far. Fingers crossed!

Until next time!

One A Day In May – Update

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

At the beginning of May, I came up with the idiotic idea to get a platinum trophy every day.

And I succeeded!

And it sucked.

So. Thirty one days of a new game a day. It sounded crazy. But I had a bunch of UK PSN codes burning a hole in my pocket, so I made heavy use of that account.

Due to the fact that I mostly played vaperware, I’m not gonna go through every game. Just some of the highlights. And yes, there were very few highlights. I really didn’t think this idea through very well.

There were three standout games over the course of the month. Yes, you read that right. Three. There were two others that weren’t total trash, but that’s about it. (And by trash, I don’t mean the games were completely awful. They just had easy or exploitable platinums.)

The two games that I would say were at least decent were Heal and Mahjong Adventure. Heal is a puzzle game with an intriguing story, through it was very finicky. I thought it was pretty good, though without a guide, you could get lost in sections, as there were no direction as to what to do. Mahjong Adventure is just your standard Mahjong tile-matching game. I enjoyed playing this one, mostly because I love playing Mahjong on my phone, though there were several times I had to use an in-game powerup, because the puzzle would be unsolvable otherwise.

As for games that I actually think were worth playing…

From studio Artifex Mundi, I played two games. The first was Demon Hunter: Revelation, which is actually the third game, but the first two didn’t make the jump to PS4. I wasn’t impressed with the story in this one, but some of the puzzles were fun. If you play through this one, I really recommend just skipping the cutscenes and using a guide. You’re not missing much.

Also from Artifex Mundi was Skyland: Heart of the Mountain. This one was slightly better, though I still have to suggest skipping cutscenes. There’s a lot of different, AM-stereotypical puzzles, but for the most part they worked well. The collectables were annoying, mostly because once you complete a chapter, you can’t go back if you missed something. Just a heads up, the voice acting is horrible. But then again, it always is horrible.

And then there was one. The only game this month that I can highly recommend (though, I also suggest using a guide for the collectables, because there are a lot). That is Concrete Genie. This is a tale about a young teenager named Ash in a small seaside town, who is heavily bullied by several local teens. Through art, he is able to express his feelings and keep his head up. When the town is overcome with darkness, his art and his courage are what helps drive it back.

This game was actually surprising. I picked it up on launch day in October 2019, but didn’t start playing it until September 2020, where I got through the first part of the game… then stopped. I picked it up again for this challenge, and I am glad I did. It’s a wonderful story wrapped in a tight game that just works. The collectables are plentiful, but they also aren’t a total pain to get. You just have to use the world around you. The only issue I had with the game was that they added a combat element for the back third act, and it just didn’t really fit, in my opinion. But if that’s my only complaint, I really can’t complain.

There are also VR trophies, and the game is entirely playable in PSVR, though it is not a requirement. Which is good, because I can’t play in VR without getting horribly sick.

The rest of the month was spent playing quick puzzle games and platinum bait, as well as a trilogy of games that can only be called horrible, mostly for their writing. There were some walking simulators that were somewhat fun, and a couple of dating sims that I blasted through (thank you, speed exploits), but on the whole, it was a waste.

And really, I didn’t try to do what I had initually set out to do.

One of my goals for May was to try to clear up some of my backlog of games. Instead of doing that, I ended up playing a bunch of horrible games that I’m never going to look at again. And that’s a shame. I have a couple games I’ve been sitting on for such an occasion. I was hoping May would inspire me to take the leap. Instead, they sat on my account unplayed, or still in their boxes on my shelf.

I’ve kinda taken a bit of a break from playing much of anything since May 31st, since I got so burned out. Now that I’m mostly back to normal, I’m probably going to jump into some of the games I didn’t get to over the course of the month. I want to finally finish Erica (so I can finally delete the app from my phone, and yes there is an app to play this game) and blast through Life is Strange 2 (since I accidently loaded it, so it’s on my trophy list). Actually, looking through my downloaded games, there are a lot that I haven’t finished yet. Maybe that should be my goal for the back half of the year.

Regardless, I’m never doing a gaming challenge like this again. Give me Febuwhump forever.

Until next time!

One A Day In May

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Because I don’t have enough on my plate already.

Back in 2019, I decided to set myself up with a challenge. A task, if you will. I was just settling into life in California, but I was feeling uninspired. What I decided to do was obtain 100 Platinum trophies over the course of the year, with the goal to end on Halloween. The reason for that date was because I had hit 100 Platinum trophies on Halloween the year prior. I figured that hitting 200 on the same date would be cool.

So I set myself to my task. I played a variety of games, both major releases, and a LOT of quick cheap puzzle games. It was in that year I played the majority of the Artifex Mundi hidden picture games, as well as most of the Powgi puzzle games. I finished #150 in July of 2019, right before I started my job (that I would eventually quit, but I’ve told that story before). For #200, I planned to finally finish Lego Batman 2. And I did! I was only two days late. I couldn’t find the last item, so I thought I glitched, and by the time I did, the day had rolled over, since I kept forgetting to reset the time zone on my PS3.

Most of 2020 was playing on my Xbox with my Lego Challenge. I didn’t really set any big gaming goals.

But this year is all about goals. At least, ones that I can actually obtain.

On the first of May, I ended up playing one of the newest Artifex Mundi games. On the second, it was this little vaporware game that was off a “quick platinum games in April list.”

By the third, I had an idea.

I have a big backlog of games, both long and short. I have a lot of quick little ones that will take no more than an hour with a guide, and ones that I will probably never complete because the platinum will take too long. So, I decided to get through some of my backlog.

Throughout the month of May, every day, I am aiming to get a Platinum trophy. For the most part, that means playing a 30min-2hr quick game. On days I’m not streaming, I’m trying to finish some of my longer games, the ones that have been sitting around for way too long.

I’ve mostly finished my list for the month. It’s pretty crazy. Plus I’ve carved out time to write and read, and taking into account that Wednesday and Thursday I’m probably going to feel like death (because second vaccine shot and I know myself). There are so many games that I’ve kept myself from playing for various reasons. But now I’m going ahead and playing.

At the beginning of June, I’ll give you guys a rundown of what I actually played. Yes, a lot of the games will be cheap crappy games, but a couple will probably surprise. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Until next time!

What I Learned from Doing an All Day Stream

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Lesson One: NEVER AGAIN.

Okay, I’m being sarcastic. I’ll do it again… at some point.

For those not in the know, last Friday I did a full Platinum playthrough of The Lego Movie Video Game on my Twitch stream. That’s 100% of the game. All levels completed, all items collected, all characters unlocked, and all miscellaneous trophies achieved. Considering the length of the game, I planned on the stream taking about nine hours. I knew this was a crazy idea, but it was something that I’d always wanted to do, to do a long stream with a game I actually knew.

I ended up taking almost twelve hours total, but there was a full two hours that the stream was offline, and other times that the timer was paused. Reason being I was having internet issues. Turns out if my mom and I are on the same wi-fi connection, I can’t get Twitch to remain stable for more than ten minutes.

I was actually pretty proud with my official time, which was 9 hours, 16 minutes, 55 seconds, just under sixteen minutes over my estimation. I was careful with using the timer, turning it off immediately when the stream started stuttering, and I waited until I was sure that everything was back up before I unpaused the timer. I also made sure that the timer was running before unpausing the game as well, so my time was probably lower.

I also took break every hour or so, for about five minutes. The reason was, I didn’t want to strain my eyes. It’s been over two years since I was diagnosed with iih, but I still overcompensate with keeping my eyes safe. I knew I didn’t need to take as many breaks as I ended up taking, but like I said, better to be safe than sorry. It worked out in my favor as well. My eyes didn’t bother me until the next day, which is normal for me now. (Yes, I need a new prescription, but I’m waiting until everyone in my household has had the vaccine, for safety.)

The biggest issue I had was I’d planned on taking no more than a thirty minute break around noon. We ordered Jersey Mike’s as a treat and everything. Unfortunately, what should have been a fifteen-twenty minute wait from order to delivery turned into over an hour (not the driver’s fault, just busy at the store). That threw off my plan by a lot. By the time our sandwiches arrived, I just sat on the couch and ate with mom, instead of eating at my desk.

But delays aside, it was a lot of fun. I’ve played The Lego Movie Game four times to completion before, so it was fun to go back and blast through it. I was remembering all the things I didn’t like as I played, and why I don’t really want to play it half the time. But at the same time, I was playing through history, as this game came out around the same time as Lego Marvel Superheroes. The different between the games is hilarious (one is amazing, the other… leaves a lot to be desired). My biggest thing I like was playing some of the tasks in the overworld, which are a definite plus. Of course, those tasks aren’t the greatest but still.

Something I did notice were some bugs that I’d never experienced before. I ended up caught in a wall a few times, and a required item spawned in above my character, rendering it inaccessible. Luckily for the latter, going to another hub world and returning reset the issue. I also kept on hitting invisible walls in places that they never had existed before, and I had several things not load properly. I’m not sure if this is because I was playing a digital copy of the game, but it was mildly inconveniencing.

On the streaming side, I did have people pop in! I had a wonderful conversation with several people, include someone who left and returned to see me finish, when I was doing my 15 required vehicle builds in the bonus room. It was nice to share the moment.

Was the stream successful? Unfortunately, not. I was hoping that by playing for a long time, I would get more viewers. I didn’t, due to my frequent pauses and internet issues. My average viewer count dropped, which is a problem (I need it to be 3, it was 1.4, now it is at 1.1).

But it’s ok. It was my first time. Nothing is perfect the first time.

I did decided I’m going to hate-play The Lego Movie 2 Game completely on stream, mostly so I can scream at it. It’s always fun to hate play something. I may end up play more Lego games on stream as well, including Lego City Undercover and Lego Dimensions.

So, my experiment failed. But I’m cool with it. Next time, things will be better.

Until next time!

I’m Doing Something Insane Again…

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Forgot book challenges. I’m doing something insane again, and not the least bit sorry.

The other day, I was looking through my games, trying to decide what I would play next on stream. I was being undecisive, flipping through both my Playstation and Xbox binders. And then I came upon my copy of Lego City Undercover on Xbox and something hit me like a ton of bricks.

I wanna play through all the games again.

Of course, I had to make it annoying for myself first through.

I decided that I wanted to play through everything on PS4 again. The problem is, I’ve played all the games on my main account. And then it hit me: I have more than one PS account.

So, starting soon (mostly offline because of course), I’ll be playing through all the Lego game released on PS4. This will include all DLC, and will be to Platinum on every game. Yes, that includes Lego Dimensions. Because I apparently hate myself.

Here’s the only problem with this idea. I own all the games on disc on Xbox. But I don’t on PS4. But the bigger issue is that I ended up selling most of my PS4 games when we moved to California, because of a money issue at one point, pre-pandemic. So, instead of owning all sixteen games, I currently only own seven: six games I bought digitally, Lego Dimensions, my disc copy of the worst Lego game ever created, The Lego Movie 2 Video Game, aka the biggest waste of time that ever existed.

I’m lucky to say that everything is on sale right now, so by next week, I’ll be at sixteen, as soon as my GameStop order with my newest copy of the Lego Marvel Collection arrives (I’ve only bought every copy of Lego Marvel Superheroes in existence on four platforms, don’t judge me).

As of today, I currently have the Lego Movie Video Game, Lego The Hobbit, Lego Batman 3, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lego The Incredibles, and Lego DC Super Villains digitally, alongside the aforementioned games that I have on disc. The three Marvel games are coming from GameStop, Lego City Undercover and the Lego Ninjago Movie Game from Amazon, and Lego Jurassic World and both Lego Harry Potter games from Target. That’s sixteen games, plus DLC for some of them.

I’m planning on playing some of them on stream, and others offline. The first one that will be streamed will be a full platinum run of the Lego Movie Video Game on either Friday or Saturday. If you’re curious, that’s about nine hours straight. It’s been a long time since I played a game for more than four hours at a time, so I’m going to also be playing another game off stream, though I haven’t decided which yet. Might as well get used to the long play time.

So yeah. I’m doing this again. I’m not rushing to complete this, because we still don’t have a date for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Though if we do get one, all bets are off.

Keep an eye out for more Lego stream updates. This will be a fun little trip.

Until next time!

Note: Do to time issues, I’m only going to be posting new blog posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next little bit. I’ll let you all know when I switch back to my three day a week postings, but that probably won’t be until May at the earliest. Thanks!