Author: Michael Durr

Well, after constantly not getting anywhere with the Watcher in Slay the Spire, I could tell I was finally burnt out on the game.  I’m not quite done with it I suppose but it’s certainly not the only game I’m going to play any longer.  I just kinda wish it didn’t take me roughly 60 hours of game time to figure it out.  But on the good side, I did start a new game or rather an old game remastered.  Final Fantasy IX.  Wait, another 80-100 hour game you say?  Yeah, I know…it seems to be the trend this year where as last year I was playing a ton of under 15 hour games.  I just have a lot of good memories with that installment of Final Fantasy and so far it is meeting that nostalgia factor.  We’ll see what happens.

This week we are getting a few more sales than usual which is nice to see.  Also, it includes DLC which is fantastic.  Lots of Castlevania, lots of Mass Effect and even a few titles that we don’t normally see (even if they aren’t necessarily backwards compatible).  There should be lots here to choose from whether you stick to BC titles or even venture off to the Xbox One stuff (I’m eyeing the Lego DC Villains Season Pass since I bought the game recently for all of $10).  Have a great week and enjoy.

Still in lockdown and I’m about at my breaking point.  If I was single, it probably wouldn’t be so bad but trying to keep this strong face for my wife and son can only go so far.  I know it sounds silly, but I don’t care….I just want to go browse the aisles at my damn local bookstore again.  That’s it.  Everything else is relative but I am sick of these walls, sick of staring at a computer or TV screen.  This comes from a gamer too, I have the hardest time even playing these days because the monotony is overbearing.  Yes, I am glad I have a job, a family, a roof over my head.  But is it too much to ask for something besides these walls?   *sigh*

Anyway,  did play some Slay the Spire and I finally beat the game with the Ironclad class (leaving me only the DLC Watcher class) on what was a pretty remarkable run.  Remarkable in the sense that I had twenty relics when it got to the final boss, Donu and Deca.  I also had Feed (which had enabled me to get to 144 Hit Points!)  but I was not able to land a finishing blow on Donu with it to get that achievement.  I mean I guess I could have waited a turn or two and maybe would have had my chance but since I never beat that pair before, I was too interested in finishing him off and then Deca.  I’m pretty burnt out at this point as getting the Ironclad over this hump took a ton of tries (probably about 15-20).  We shall see what the week brings.

Well I would love to tell you that there are plenty of sales for the Xbox 360 this week, but there are not.  In fact Alien Breed is the only 360 title on sale, and those are not backwards compatible.  So I’ll list them here to be fair but Xbox has to be aware that there are other horror titles on the 360 that are backwards compatible.  (Since that’s the theme they are going for)   Right?  I guess not, well there are some pretty good deals on the Xbox One side so be sure to check that out as well.  Be sure to enjoy your week, and stay safe.

Still playing Slay the Spire.  I did make some progress as I have now beat the game with the Defect as well.  So that leaves me with the Ironclad and the Watcher.  The Defect was fairly easy once you learned to work your focus to death and make sure you have adequate frost orbs.  Heck, I didn’t take a single hit point of damage on the final boss, that’s how much I was putting out for block.  While there is certainly skill to be had, a lot does focus on luck of cards and relics which can be frustrating.

Anyway, we do have some sales this week.  Most of these are the usual suspects, but it is nice to see Midway Arcade Origins mixed in there.  I still wish Final Exam had been added to backwards compatibility.  Maybe a Rayman or Splinter Cell titles will tickle your fancy.  Just give it a shot and there is always Bound by Flame and Far Cry 3 but neither of those are for the weak or so I’m told.  Enjoy your week among the mess going on outside and know that we are trying to do the same.  Take care.

Well, I have been playing a lot of Slay the Spire.  So much so, I feel like I’m in a rut for the most part.  I did beat a Daily Climb and have received a couple of random other achievements but it’s been very difficult.  I actually gave up on the Ironclad for the moment to focus on the Defect.  But I keep dying somewhere in the third act typically which is really frustrating when it takes about an hour to get to that point.  Even though I’ve already won with the silent, I will probably go back and play the game with him again this week as I just understand that character better (and maybe figure out a different strategy too to get some of the other achievements).

Anyway, we have a ton of sales this week.  I honestly don’t have the time (one of the problems with working from home is that you end up having to do more than you normally would from the office) to price them all out and give that to you so the link will need to suffice.  There are lots of good sales on both systems.  In this craziness that we are living through, maybe there is a title that you keep putting off that you end up pulling the trigger on.  For me, it seems to be a lot of Spire and reading to pass the time.  I’ve only gotten half-way through watching Wrestlemania personally (even though I have enjoyed it a lot so far).  It’s hard for me to get excited about anything lately but I am trying to look at the bright side in the last few days or so.  Stay safe, and keep gaming.  As I have seen a few people say, gamers have been training all our lives for a time like this, so stay inside and play another level.  Enjoy.

Still playing Slay the Spire almost exclusively.  I did beat it with the Silent, taking time to focus on Adrenaline during the first level and Poison the rest of the playthrough.  However, since then I have been playing with the Ironclad and then trying out the other two classes with very little success.  The game has a lot of luck going for it in regards to which relics and which cards you get dealt.  With the same skill, you can get to the third boss in one game and barely make a dent in the first boss in the next.  It’s frustrating and while I enjoy the game, it’s easy to see why many don’t stick with the game long term.  I might need to treat it like I did Ziggurat and play it for a week, and then put it down for a month or two and then pick it back up again.

Anyway, on to the sales which are not so plentiful this week.  Basically, on a backwards compatible level, we get the Knights of the Old Republic games, and that’s it.  The other games really aren’t that interesting and seem to be just something to put up for sale.  Enjoy your week, whether you are working from home like myself or whether you are out there on the front lines.  Just believe in the hope that this will get better, take care.

Pardon this for being a little late.  I’m currently waiting in line at the Live Chat to see if Office Depot is going to deliver me an office chair so my back doesn’t hurt as much (cause what I’m sitting on currently is not helping at all).  I’m #77 in queue.  This might be a long day.  Ooo, ooo, I’m #74.

Anyway, I didn’t pick back up Invisible Hours, it just wasn’t appealing to me.  (Not that I’ve totally forgotten it mind you but I did push it to the side)  But I actually started Slay the Spire which is a deck building rogue-liteish RPG game.  I have not beat the game of course, but I have gotten through the first and second bosses a handful of times.  In my current run, I am playing with a silent and I just started the third level again.  I spent the first level on gearing the deck towards energy and the second level on poison.  I can only hope that it’s enough to get through the third level (at least make it to the boss anyway).  I’m really digging it and since Monster Hunter is kinda pointless (nearly HR 95), it’s keeping me interested.  #63.

We do have a good amount of sales this week.  A lot of it does look like holdover from the previous week (which is good because I was looking in Final Fantasy IX for XB1).  The only thing new I can see is the two Ultimate Vault Hunter Packs for Borderlands II.  The problem with those as previously expressed is that they do not include any of the extra character classes and are merely there for a new challenge map and additional experience levels.  Pretty freaking pointless to be honest.  Hopefully the rest of you are doing okay working from home or just being at home.  If you do happen to be out (because I certainly do understand cabin fever due to the pandemic), be safe and don’t put yourself in a tight situation if you can’t help it.  Take care and try to have a good week.  Well I’m number 37 now, yeahie!  Enjoy.

As mentioned last week, I did finish Sparklite and have decided to move on to other games for the time being.  The first was Invisible Hours which I spent about 1 – 2 hours which was interesting and I’m sure I’ll continue with it but didn’t exactly grab me either.  I also took the time to play Monster Hunter yet again.  The only thing that interests me at this point are the events since they typically provide crowns (I was able to get one more large crown) at a better rate and fighting multiple monsters certainly helps the ole HR counter which is at now 93.  We’ll see where it takes us.

We have a huge sale this week, probably in response to the fact that people are spending a lot more time at home due to pandemics and what not.  Trust me when I say this, it weighs heavy on my heart and I worry constantly about my family.  However, with this being a gaming column I’m not going to spend oodles amount of space going on about it.  In the same breath, I don’t have time to write 200-250 entries of sale prices because I am having to focus on lots of things, so please take a look at Major’s page and go from there.  There are tons of games and tons of DLC as well, so there should be something for just about everyone.  Enjoy.

Well that went quickly.  I have actually beaten Sparklite, the final boss went down after about half a dozen tries.  Furthermore, I was able to clean up all of the achievements about an hour after that (which is really how all games should go).  I was really surprised by the TA ratio for this game and that only 30 something people have 100% the game.  But it’s probably the second best rogue-lite I’ve played (behind only Ziggurat) and a worthwhile playing experience.  In contrast, I tried going back and playing Monster Hunter and got positively bored after 4 or 5 fights and put it back down.  I think the next game I’m going to try and play is The Invisible Hours which I bought a while back since it was a Gamestop exclusive (as far as physical copies go).  We’ll see how that goes.

We don’t have many sales this week but that’s been the norm most of the time.  If you picked up the LA Noire Season Pass last week, you can now get the game for a decent price.  Or maybe you missed Deadfall Adventures from its time as a GWG.  Lego Batman 2 is a fantastic game, but that price is a bit to be desired to be frankly honest.  Whatever you are looking for, may you find it this week.  Enjoy.

Still playing Sparklite.  I am actually quite far in it, having grabbed 21 of the 27 achievements.  I have not beat the last boss but I would venture to say I am VERY close to doing so.  There is some element of luck when it comes to the power ups that you get but I am amassing a pretty strong character and think I have a very good shot at getting all of the achievements.  However, some of the achievements such as All of the Furnaces or All of the Beats might go beyond this week.  But it’s a fantastic game seriously, and I’m very glad I picked it up.

Well this week is kinda odd when it comes to sales.  The odd part is the only “BC” to list below are the two DLC packs for GTA IV.  Everything else is not backwards compatible.  There is probably some value to picking up one of the season passes if you already have either of the Alien games or L.A. Noire on the Xbox 360.  Else, it might be more advantageous to take a gander at the Xbox One list and see if anything suits your fancy.  Take care and have a good week.  Enjoy.