No Man's Sky is out today... and I didn't get it. That's not what this post is about—sort of. It relates, but only because this blog post is about the games I'm looking forward to for the month of August.
Much to my surprise, there are plenty of games coming out this month, but there are only two games I'm wanting to buy this month. The first game on my radar is the King of Fighters XIV for the PlayStation 4. It is coming out on August 23. If you've followed me on social media and on this blog, then you'll already know this: I love fighting games. Am I good at them? Sometimes, but not really. I do enjoy the challenge and the demo that was released last month on PSN has me convinced that I'll have a good time with this game.
The second game on my list for the month of August is a RE-release of a RE-release. Does that make it a re-re-release? Is there an official name for a re-release of a re-release? By the way, did my two terribly placed hints give away the name of the game? If not, that's okay because all I'm doing is making this post longer by not telling you the name of the game anyway, so I'll end this sentence and tell you the name of the game in the next sentence. Resident Evil 4 is finally making its way onto the PS4 and the Xbox One. I'm not sure why Capcom went in reverse order, nor do I really care to do any investigating of my own, but if someone happens to know why Capcom released Resident Evil 6 first, followed by Resident Evil 5, and now Resident Evil 4, go ahead and let me know in the comments section.
Anyway, I loved playing Resident Evil 4 on the PS3, so I'm pretty darn sure I'll end up getting it on PS4. It'll be $19.99, so it isn't like it'll hurt the bank. I think. And hope.
What are you getting this month? Did you get No Man's Sky? Will you be getting KOF XIV and/or Resident Evil 4? Are you leaning more towards Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (I still need to beat SMT IV first...) or something else altogether? Lemme know in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
With less than a day left for July's free PlayStation Plus games, I figured I'd finally write a post about what was made available in July and what will be available for PS Plus subscribers starting tomorrow.
July
Furi — PS4 ($24.99)
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell — PS4 ($14.99)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood — PS3 ($19.99)
Fat Princess — PS3 ($14.99)
Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines — PS Vita ($19.99)
Prince of Persia: Revelation — PS Vita ($9.99)
Total for July: $104.94
To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with the games we received as PlayStation Plus subscribers. Does it get any better for the month of August? Let's see...
August
Tricky Towers — PS4 ($19.99)
Rebel Galaxy — PS4 ($19.99)
Yakuza 5 — PS3 ($39.99)
Retro/Grade — PS3 ($9.99)
Patapon 3 — PS Vita ($14.99)
Ultratron — PS Vita ($9.99)
Total for August: $114.94
The game I can personally vouch for this month is Patapon 3. I bought it years ago for the PSP and I loved it. It is a fun rhythm game with a neat story and great music. Other than that, August seems to be another lackluster month for "free" games. Tricky Towers seems interesting, but I don't know how much time I'll actually invest into it considering I'm still playing Overwatch. Overwatch is life.
What do you think of August's PlayStation Plus lineup? Let me know in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
The last time I wrote about PlayStation Plus was back in March. I would say it is hard to believe that I went three months without writing about the games available on PlayStation Plus, but this is me that we are talking about here. I'll focus a tad more on what's available this month, but let's begin with what was available in April and May.
April:
Dead Star — PS4 ($19.99)
ZOMBI — PS4 ($19.99)
I Am Alive — PS3 ($14.99)
Savage Moon — PS3 ($9.99)
A Virus Named TOM — PS Vita ($9.99)
Shutshimi — PS Vita ($9.99)
Total for April: $84.94
May:
Tropico 5 — PS4 ($59.99)
Table Top Racing: World Tour — PS4 ($19.99)
Bionic Commondo Rearmed 2 — PS3 ($9.99)
LocoRoco Cocoreccho! — PS3 ($6.99)
God of War: Ghosts of Sparta — PS Vita ($14.99)
Switch Galaxy Ultra — PS Vita ($11.99)
Total for May: $123.94
June:
NBA 2K16 — PS4 ($59.99)
Gone Home: Console Edition — PS4 ($19.99)
Siren: Blood Curse Episodes 1-12 — PS4 ($19.99)
echochrome — PS3 ($9.99)
Little Deviants — PS Vita ($13.49)
God of War: Chain of Olympus — PS Vita ($14.99)
Total for June: $138.44
In the first six months of 2016, a total of $670.64 has been saved for PlayStation Plus subscribers, assuming you didn't already own any of these games. Even then, it's easy to see that within a month or two you're already getting back what you paid for. Sure, not every game may be a game you want, but it's hard to deny great games such as Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Super Stardust HD, and Gone Home: Console Edition. These games alone make up for the yearly $49.99 subscription fee.
That being said, I'm interested to see what Sony gives us PlayStation Plus subscribers next month. Rumor has it that games such as The Evil Within and Resident Evil 6 may make their way to PlayStation Plus for the month of July. We'll have to wait until the PlayStation Blog says what's coming for July, but I wouldn't mind if we got either of those games, if not both. Resident Evil 7 has me wanting to play Resident Evil games or something similar, so if we got either of the aforementioned games that would be awesome. And these are just the rumors for the two PS4 games. Time to play the waiting game... Or just play video games. Yeah. That sounds much better.
If you have been following me for a while, you know firsthand how poorly I update my Twitter, YouTube, and Blogger accounts. Every now and then ideas pop into my head. They're not the greatest ideas. They're not very original either. But that isn't the point. Instead of keeping my ideas as ideas, I need to make my ideas become realities. Don't worry, I won't quote Shia LaBeouf. I did think about it though...
Instead, I'll insert one of my favorite video game quotes here:
If you're unfamiliar with this quote, it is from Viewtiful Joe, a short-lived series on the Nintendo GameCube. It was eventually ported to the PS2. I'm still holding my breath for Viewtiful Joe 3, but I digress.
The reason I am writing this post is because of an article and video I recently read and watched on Kotaku titled Final Fantasy: The Kotaku Retrospective. In this article, Jason Schreier talks about his opinions regarding Final Fantasy on the NES. What are his intentions? Here's a quote to give you an idea:
To prepare for FFXV, I’m starting a new project here at Kotaku. For the next five months, I’ll be digging into every mainline Final Fantasy game, in order, and taking a look at how the series has evolved over the past 30 years. Why has Final Fantasy resonated with so many people? What makes it so special? What exactly does it mean for a game to feel like a Final Fantasy?
To say my idea was as well fleshed out as his would essentially be a lie. I was really impressed with what he came up with. My plan was to play each Final Fantasy game, write about them, maybe make a video and go from there. What I would write and say would be spontaneous until I figured out a system to stick with. Anyway, the point of all this made me realize that very thing I said earlier: Just go for it! Who cares if it doesn't come together quite as planned? Who cares if no one sees this post or later posts? Who cares if no one watches my videos?
Do I hope people read this? Yes. Do I hope people watch my YouTube videos? Yes. Do I hope people follow me on Twitter? Yes. But those hopes shouldn't prevent me from realizing my ideas. Thank you Kotaku and Jason Schreier. You guys helped me recognize that I should follow through my ideas. I loved what Jason did with his article and video. I learned a lot from it and I enjoyed reading and hearing about his experience with the original Final Fantasy. My brother and I had talked for some time about going through all the mainline Final Fantasy games for years now. I've tried several times throughout the years, but for one reason or another I lost motivation, I lacked the desire to do so. With Final Fantasy XV's imminent release, that fire has been rekindled. I need to stop worrying and start doing and then be consistent. Not too long ago I tried doing a playlist called Final Fantasy Fridays. Long story short, I never recorded the one Final Fantasy Fridays video I did on a Friday, let alone upload it on a Friday...
That being said, here's an example of me starting something and not being consistent. Consistency is key. Will it be rough at first? Yes. Should that stop me? No. Final Fantasy Fridays was a lame idea. I'll come up with something else, but much like Jason, I'd like to share my experiences with each numerical Final Fantasy game leading up to Final Fantasy XV. Hopefully I can keep things interesting and fresh as I do so. If you're facing a similar situation, let's do this together. Thanks for reading!
For about a year, I've been struggling to figure out what game to play. There have been a few games here and there that I've been able to stick with to the end (either beating the game and/or acquiring the game's platinum trophy). I've managed to beat games such as Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (PS3 and PS4), Resistance: Burning Skies (PS Vita), DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition (PS4), Borderlands (PS3), Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4), Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4), Destiny: The Taken King (PS4), and Taco Master (PS Vita).
Those are more games than I remember beating from start to finish, but there are plenty of other games that I only touched for maybe two hours at the most. Games like Shovel Knight, Bloodborne, Persona 4 Golden were games I absolutely enjoyed, but eventually lost my attention. Are these games I'd like to revisit? Certainly. Will I? I'd like to.
It's been hard for me to decide which games to play, let alone which games I'd like to record for Let's Play videos on YouTube. I've been focusing too much on platinum trophies rather than games that my interest in games dwindled.
For now, I think I'll make one Let's Play video for the game(s) I'm currently playing. My idea is to somewhat build up hype for sequels coming out later this year. I pre-ordered Ratchet & Clank for the PlayStation 4 yesterday, so I thought it would be kind of neat to play the original Ratchet & Clank game. Instead of playing it on PS2, I'll be playing the HD version on PS3.
I'm also going to make Let's Play videos my favorite chapter(s) from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. This sounds like the most feasible idea I've had so far, so I'll roll with it. Once you start trying to dedicate some time for a gaming blog and a gaming YouTube channel, you begin to realize it isn't nearly as easy as you think it is. YouTube gaming channels have my utmost respect. I don't anticipate ever being big, but this is something I'd like to try.
If you own Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and/or Alpha Sapphire, then you're in luck. The Pokemon Company is currently giving away a level 100 (that's right: level 100) Celebi for owners of the aforementioned Pokemon games on the Nintendo 3DS. Celebi is one of the 11 Mythical Pokemon being released throughout the year.
To acquire your level 100 Celebi, all you need to do is start up whichever Pokemon game you on he 3DS, select MYSTER GIFT, followed by RECEIVE GIFT. After that, choose GET VIA INTERNET and you'll be on your way to downloading Celebi.
If you've already done so, I apologize for the late news. If you haven't done so, then why are you still reading this? Turn on that 3DS of yours and get a(nother) Celebi for free!
A new month means a new list of PlayStation Plus games available for free for PS Plus subscribers. Earlier this month, PS4 users were able to vote between Assault Android, Action Henk, and Broforce. I, of course, voted for Broforce. Please watch the following video to understand why I voted for Broforce. You will not be disappointed.
Now do you see why I voted for Broforce? Do you?
Anyway, enough about Broforce... here is March's lineup of PlayStation Plus games and their platforms. I'll also include their original prices and the total amount you'll save as a PS Plus subscriber.
March
Broforce — PS4 ($14.99)
Galak-Z — PS4 ($19.99)
The Last Guy — PS3 ($9.99)
Super Stardust HD — PS3 ($9.99)
Flame Over — PS Vita ($9.99)
Reality Fighters — PS Vita ($13.49)
Total for March: $78.44
March appears to be the lowest amount thus far, but you're easily getting more than what you pay for as a PlayStation Plus subscriber. Whether or not you like these games is a different story though.
With the new PlayStation Plus games list, the grand total has increased to $323.32. That's about $17.96 per game.
What are your thoughts about March's PlayStation Plus free games lineup? Let me know in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
If you own Pokemon X and Y and/or Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, then you might want to go to your local GameStop and pick up a download code for Mew. The unfortunate thing about Mew is it only knows Pound and is already maxed out at level 100. But, hey, that's one more Pokemon to add in that Pokedex.
Anyway, I hadn't realized there was a full list of the Pokemon we should expect this year. It is the 20th anniversary of Pokemon after all, so you'd think I'd be up to date about all things Pokemon. You weren't either? Now I don't feel so bad.
For those wondering, the full list can be viewed on the Pokemon website here. If you don't want to click on the link and see the fancy page, you can read the following list to maybe encourage you to visit the website. The layout is actually pretty cool.
Mew: February 1-24 at GameStop
Celebi: March 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Jirachi: April 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Darkrai: May 1-24 at GameStop
Manaphy: June 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Shaymin: July 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Arceus: August 1-24 at GameStop
Victini: September 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Keldeo: October 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Genesect: November 1-24 at GameStop
Meloetta: December 1-24 via Nintendo Network
Personally, I only recognize 3 out of the 11 Mythical Pokemon being distributed this year. Navigating through the website, I have discovered that all the Pokemon will be level 100. Still, it's kinda cool that we will be able to have these Pokemon free of charge—you might have to leave the house to get some of them, but whatever, right?
I'll be sure to post when a new Pokemon is available and how to get it.
Starting mid-February, I will post the games received as a PlayStation Plus subscriber. I'll also list the current prices of each game on the PlayStation Store to give you an idea of the amount of money you're saving. Of course, if you already own the game or don't care about the game, then it doesn't really matter.
January Hardware: Rivals — PS4 ($19.99) Grim Fandango Remastered — PS4 ($14.99) Dragon Age: Origins — PS3 ($19.99) Medal of Honor Warfighter — PS3 ($19.99) Nihilumbra — PS Vita ($9.99) History Legends of War: Patton ($29.99) Total for January: 114.94
Of the six games given to PS Plus subscribers, I already owned Grim Fandango Remastered and Dragon Age: Origins. Unfortunately, I don't really care to try any of the other games I managed to acquire last month.
February HELLDIVERS: Democracy Strikes Back Edition — PS4 ($19.99) Nom Nom Galaxy — PS4 ($14.99) Persona 4 Arena Ultimax — PS3 ($39.99) GRID Autosport — PS3 ($29.99) Nova-111 — PS Vita ($14.99) Lemmings Touch — PS Vita ($9.99) Total for February: $129.94
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is the only game I owned in this month's list. Besides Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which I already own anyway, I didn't care much for February's PS Plus games either. Still, we ended up getting $129.94 worth of games this month. In total, we've gotten $244.88 in games. Essentially, PS Plus has paid for itself already.
I'll make sure to post March's list much earlier. I'm barely getting back into blogging, so that's my excuse for writing this post so late into the month.
What are your thoughts about January's list and February's list? Let me know in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
It's hard to believe that the last post I wrote was about my lack of blogging. One year later, this post may be pretty similar to the last one I wrote.
Despite the lack of writing, I'm still playing games. I gave up on recording Let's Plays and writing about games because of school and work. It also stopped being fun. Gaming in general had stopped being fun. I had too many games and too little time to play them, let alone decide which ones to make Let's Play videos for.
The story remains the same (to some degree) today. Lately, I've been playing more multiplayer games and indie games. I've discovered that I have a commitment issue with games. That's a little sad considering I grew up playing JRPGs. I can't even remember the last time I actually finished a JRPG. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
Even though I have less time to play games, write about games, and record Let's Play videos, I still want to do these things. It's a fun hobby to have. It's also nice to take a break and get lost in a game, much like getting lost in a book or movie. I'd personally like to write and record on a weekly basis, but I honestly don't know if I can even commit to that. I'll do my best though. Rather than stress out about it, I should have fun with it. I don't know where this will take me, but I might as well enjoy the journey. I keep coming back to it anyway.
