Topic: Recent Retro/Misc Gaming Purchases? (Not PS4/PS5)

Just ordered Octopath Traveler II on Switch. Saw that the Switch version is out of stock at most stores and I wanted to secure a copy right now before it's potentially gone for good. I'm also in the mood to purchase Square Enix games after how freaking good FF16 is. My interest in their games has drastically dwindled the past couple of years but it's been reinvigorated now thanks to this game.

@LtSarge I take it you like playing that type of a game on a handheld (aka on the go)? Just curious since the game is visually vastly superior on the PS5, which is what I will buy it on whenever it goes on an even better sale physically.

@KilloWertz Yeah, I tend to buy turn-based JRPGs/visual novels on Switch if I have the option and the performance doesn't take a hit. I don't really feel like playing them on the TV since they involve a lot of repetition (grinding/reading) and that fits better for a handheld in my case. Although I was considering buying Octopath Traveler II on PS5 since I could potentially play it on Sony's Project Q device later this year. But I think I'll wait and see how that thing turns out before I buy games for it now.

There are some exceptions to this, such as Trails into Reverie. While I doubt it looks any better on PS5 compared to Switch, I'd rather just play it on the TV with solid performance since it's such a plot-heavy game that I want to see everything that happens on a bigger screen.

Just ordered Fire Emblem: Engage on Switch for €40. Weird to see new copies of a Nintendo first-party game at this price, especially since this game came out this year. I just had to get it at this price.

After finishing Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, I've still been in a mood to play something on the go. So I brought out my Vita, which I haven't touched in a long time. I played some ModNation Racers: Road Trip and liked it so much that I decided to check out more games from the Vita store that I still hadn't bought. I decided to get WipEout: Pulse and White Knight Chronicles: Origins on PSP. Tested both titles and WipEout is an absolute blast. I still haven't played a WipEout game yet so I might give that a go soon. White Knight on the other hand felt a bit rough in all honesty. The gameplay feels a bit too simplistic. Hopefully it becomes better later on because I've heard great things about the PS3 games and I'd like to get them in the future as well.

Went for a trip to Dublin yesterday and got some insane gaming pickups there!

My thoughts on the two Wii games are over on Nintendo Life but as for the three PS3 games I grabbed:

• Dead Space: Probably the biggest purchase out of everything I got here. I've never properly played a horror game before simply out of being too much of a scaredy cat to give the genre a go but between the constant adoration I've seen people give Dead Space, me absolutely falling in love with sci-fi horror lately thanks to a playthrough of Metroid Fusion I did back in March and generally just manning up a bit more over the past few years, I've decided to take the plunge and finally try horror games out with, supposedly, one of the best in the genre. I'll most likely save it for October/Halloween to give it that extra bit of creepiness but rest assured: I absolutely cannot wait.
• Ni No Kuni: In a fair bit of tonal whiplash, I also picked up Ni No Kuni alongside DS. I've been a big fan of Level-5 ever since I first experienced Yo-Kai Watch back in around 2015 and have been wanting to tackle a ton of their other series a ton as a result (especially given how they've resurrected themselves in the West with a ton of games like Deca Police, Fantasy Life i and goddamn LAYTON) and Ni No Kuni was No. 1 on my priority list given how much I adore RPGs and that lovely Ghibli aesthetic. And for only €8? It was a no-brainer decision for me.
• Batman Arkham Asylum: I was originally only thinking about grabbing Dead Space and Ni No Kuni as my PS3 haul this time round (especially given the two Wii games accompanying them). However, I saw this one in between the two of them and I simply couldn't pass it up when it was available for only €2. I can't say I've dabbled with the video game side of Batman all too much myself (apart from his LEGO outings) but I've heard incredible things about Asylum from those who have played it and the idea of a Batman beatemup with a focus on exploring the world and actually working as a detective intrigues me to great effect. Plus....yeah it does sound cool to feel like Batman.

Overall a great selection of games which constantly get hailed as some of the PS3's very best that I can't wait to take for a spin in the coming months!

@Fizza Nice haul!

In terms of Dead Space, I think it's a good first choice if you've never played a horror game before. The thing is that there are two types of horror games: ones where you can fight back and ones where you can't. The latter is the scariest of the two and also tends to have more jump scares. Games like Dead Space, Resident Evil etc. tend to go for a more creepy atmosphere than jump scares. That's not to say that there are no jump scares, they are just not as frequent as in other horror titles.

I can also add that Dead Space was also my first proper horror game and I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't find it that scary compared to many other games like Outlast or SOMA, i.e. games that you can't fight back. Worth mentioning is that the game gives you a lot of ammo and health items on Easy difficulty. So even though you're new to survival horror, it'd be best to start on Normal so that your playthrough will at least be interesting and not too easy.

Another thing I'd like to add is that if you play enough horror games, you will become "braver" over time. I was also reluctant to playing horror games at first but now I like playing them. It'll take time but if you keep at it, you'll eventually want to play more of them. There are so many genuinely fantastic games that shouldn't be missed out on just because they're horror experiences.

@LtSarge Thanks for the tips! It was a toss-up between Dead Space and RE4: Wii Edition/RE1 Remake for my first horror game personally and, while I'm definitely going to be grabbing the RE games in due time, I know a heck of a lot less about Dead Space so I imagine it'll be infinitely scarier as a result which I'm very much looking forward to!

Also, whilst you're here, I may as well ask a question regarding both Dead Space and Arkham Asylum; do you need an internet connection to play them? The back of the box lists them as having 'Network Features' and I'm not sure whether that means the old online features of them are mandatory in order to play them or if you can completely ignore in terms of a casual first-time playthrough

@Fizza No, you don't need an internet connection to play them. I think the Network Features refer to leaderboards or logging in to their services for optional content or something along those lines.

So I kinda lost some motivation in regards to keeping up with my Evercade VS collection following the Capcom collection being a pack-in EXP exclusive late last year. They’ve had a decent 2023 though and have just announced Demons of Asterberg for a December 2023 release. Buzzing about this as this was the game I wanted on Evercade. I might even unbox the console and play it for the first time! 😅

@colonelkilgore I bought the Megadrive version. It's a fantastic little game.

@LN78 nice dude, from a big Castlevania fan that means a lot. The Evercade version also comes with the rogue-lite prequel Asterbros which is a nice little bonus too.

@Fizza I’m not a particular fan of horror games but Dead Space is great. I played it through using only the basic weapon to get a gold trophy and can’t imagine playing it any other way; it almost seems to easy to use all the other weapons!

A brilliantly atmospheric game though with an interesting story. The sequel went a bit away from horror more action which I didn’t like and I never bothered with the third because of the online co-op sections. The first game can be played in isolation no problem though!

And Super Paper Mario was one of my favourite games on the wii! The basic premise is really neat but the game has so much to it. The optional dungeons at the end were really cool too.

Just ordered Live A Live and Monster Hunter: Rise on Switch for €30 and €25 respectively. I honestly only wanted to get Live A Live as I've been eyeing that game since it came out, but I figured I could give MH: Rise a go at that price. Old Monster Hunter never clicked with me. I remember playing Tri on Wii and that was such a slow game. I've heard that Rise is quicker in a lot of regards, so maybe the series will finally click with me this time. Either way, I'm looking forward to playing both games!

@LtSarge Yeah, with the wirebugs in Rise, you basically become Spider-Man. And navigation is way quicker with your Palamute mounts as well.

The old games are like trudging through molasses in comparison.

@Ralizah It genuinely sounds like major improvements! I've also heard the hunts don't take as long and that you don't need to prepare for them as much. I'm actually getting quite excited to play it!

On a side note, I did also give Monster Hunter: World a go years ago and it was really fun. I think it was around the time my PS4 hard drive stopped working, so I lost my save file and I ended up abandoning the game. But if Rise appeals to me, I'll probably play World next.

I've been wanting to get into Monster Hunter for so long because I think I'd like this series. I just need to find a good entry point.

@LtSarge Yep. The game basically tells you where monsters are, meaning there's no need to hunt for them, and a lot of the planning/preparatory elements from previous games were streamlined in World and Rise. The emphasis is very much on pushing the player into fighting sooner than later.

There is still exploration, though. You'll find spiribirds and other creatures around the map that'll power up your character for the hunt.

It's probably THE best entry point from an accessibility perspective.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD Collection - wasn’t even aware that they got the HD collectors treatment on PS3 so was a real nice surprise when I stumbled on them.

@colonelkilgore Oh are you planing to play the game or just have it in your collection?
I suspct the later

@oliverp 🤣 well, it wouldn’t be the first simply-collection purchase (or the last for that matter 😅) but no I will be playing these. I’ve been jonesing for some spec-ops stealth action since finishing off the Metal Gear Solid series a few years ago and these are the perfect remedy by all accounts.