This game gave me my first real experience of melancholy. A sort of bittersweet sadness, born of what was and what could have been.

To the Moon is an awesome little narrative. One of the games that reminded me that there’s room to feel feelings in games. And the main theme song (I think performed by Laura Shigihara?) is one of my favorite pieces of music to come from a game.

It still exists, but a lot of communities shut down after official matchmaking was implemented.

Back in the golden days of community servers, it sure as heck didn’t.

Maybe I’m crazy entitled, but I feel like if I’m spending a few hundred dollars on this piece of hardware, I shouldn’t have to pay an additional fee to get some of its basic built-in features to work well.

Embracer doesn’t really make a game good or bad. The harm they’ve brought to the industry has more to do with their acquisition of studios and then closing them down after realizing they’ve overextended themselves. In the early days, they were looked at as a potential boon to the industry, offering pay stability for studios with their size, but obviously they made some poor choices and have done irreparable damage to many developers’ lives.

I mean, GW2 (by Arenanet, owned by NCSoft) has had a lesbian couple since the first Living World season, and had a non-binary character in the 3rd expansion. They have inclusivity in a way that doesn’t feel hamfisted or marketed; it’s just in there because they feel like their world should have all sorts of people.

I think Heavensward was a moment where you really got to feel like the Warrior of Light. ARR was a little short on that (focused largely on the Scions and Alphi), and that’s actually an issue some people had with SB. ShB and EW really lean in hard with the character power fantasy.

It also had characters that players actually cared about, and so the consequences felt more “real.” I thought it was a step above ARR’s story, especially since I played ARR before they redid the quests to cut out a chunk of the busywork and optional dungeons.

Stormblood is where I first “fell off” of FFXIV and it took me a 3 month break before coming back to complete it.

I don’t think the story is bad, it just doesn’t have the same high of Heavensward. I think it tries to tell 2 stories, kind of as companion pieces to one another, in a very disjointed manner. But I enjoyed the added locations and a lot of what the expansion added to the game.

If you can get past the level 64 quests and still feel motivated, then you’ll find that the rest of it goes by easily. If you’re struggling to enjoy it, feel free to take a break and do some of the side content that you may have skipped, like lower relic weapons and normal raids.

I’m a shorter dude (5’8"), so while I’m in love with my Steam Deck, it’s definitely a little much for me sometimes. Heavy to hold up, and I carry it in the OEM case. That being said, I’m a HUGE fan of the new case and basically only use the inner case, leaving the outer shell at home.

Specifically the form factor. I have a lot of nostalgia for the GBC and SP, and the smaller size means it’s much easier to carry and whip out while traveling. Currently, my Steam Deck is used for when I’m on a long (6+ hours) flight or when I’m staying somewhere for a weekend. I don’t feel great about bringing it out while taking a bus or train, and it’s a bit much to bring out while sitting at an airport gate for 45 minutes.

That being said, I would hate to split all my saves and progress between the two systems, so maybe I’ll just remain on the Deck.

I have a Steam Deck and love it… But part of me really likes the idea of the Pocket (not necessarily the aluminum one). It’s rough, cuz I’ve never gotten into FPGA stuff before, and this run is going to be a one-time thing. I guess I’ll hold off until the regular plastic ones are available again?

They’re just fun little nods to PlayStation’s history. Previous AstroBot games have been fun little 3D platformers, with little tidbits that pay tribute to the PlayStation and its various controllers and accessories and even major series.

This is just saying that there are going to be a ton of references, hinting at the scope and budget of the game.

Mine is mostly a machine for travel. It’s a godsend on flights, or for keeping up with an MMO like FFXIV when I’m gone for a week or longer. It’s also handy for group things when we have a TV (Jackbox for family, or Moonrakers: Luminor for my board game group).

RGG Studio has been stellar, but yeah, I haven’t really played much else from Sega lately.

You realize that AAA is used to refer to the budget, scale, and expectations of the game, right? And that it’s more of a reboot than a remake, meaning it’s probably not going to be an arcade style game. They’re talking about their aims for the game, and trying to justify charging $60-70 for it beforehand.

I used to type like that a lot, back in the era of AIM and FB chat being my primary social and communication outlets. Not sure why, but if I had to point fingers, I’d say it was an attempt to look not-too-tryhard and to emphasize the feeling of it being like a chat. It’s off the cuff, not super planned or thought-out or composed.

Great game, would highly recommend it to anyone who has fond feelings for JRPGs.

I understand Jaffe not being happy that the games are going in a different direction than he imagined, but he’s also the guy who thought Drawn to Death needed to be made.

I ordered the Limited Edition as soon as I could get past the store errors, and it’s out for delivery right now! Unfortunately I’m out and about, but look forward to playing it soon.