Tony

In My Weekend Gaming Hands

It’s actually been in my hands since Monday, but a busy week means it’s been plugged in, updated and then waited patiently for someone to download some games. (I did download and play Geometry Wars 2 just because, but nothing more)

Have I switched back to being a primarily console gamer? Maybe. I have been craving some laid-back couch gaming recently and I’ve been eyeing an Xbox Series X for quite some time, so when I found one in stock, I jumped at the chance. I have been enjoying the benefits of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on my PC for some time now, but now a whole new realm of possibilities sits before me. For now, I’ll probably fart around in:

Vampire Survivors
Halo Infinite/Master Chief Collection
Forza Horizon 5

After that, I think maybe I’ll try Pentiment, or Dune: Spice Wars, or who knows what. I’m open to suggestions!

(Oh, and lest I forgot, Marvel Snap has its claws in me. DEEP)

What are you playing?

Weekend Gaming

It’s been a while since any activity was happening around these parts (except for the Resident Evil 4 Translation Guide, which gets another surge in traffic every few years when the next update/platform release/re-imagining comes around). What better way to get things rolling again than with some weekend video games?!

Gaming around these parts has come in fits and spurts for me. Since I last posted, I finished some oldies (Dead Rising 3), some goldies (RE8, technically finished last December, but I didn’t finish writing about it so we’re still going to count it), and an actual 2022 release, Elden Ring.

Outside of the last boss fight, Elden Ring has entered the pantheon of best games ever. Top Ten for sure and possibly Top Five. Elden Ring routinely surprised and delighted me. On top of the gorgeous visuals (Elden Ring Gallery) and expansive world, nothing was more satisfying than the combat. I have no idea what happened at the end, but it was well worth the time spent.

Now that it’s officially stay-inside-and-play-video-games-season, what’s on your plate for gaming? I recently started Frostpunk, which has been good so far, so I plan to get back to that. Sprinkle in a little Vampire Survivors, maybe the Resident Evil 8 DLC, and of course, Dota 2 and The International 11 viewing, and then we have a nice little gaming weekend right there.

In My Weekend Gaming Hands

It’s actually been in my hands for almost 24 hours already and yes, it’s living up to all the hype so far. This is my first real foray into a “Souls” type game and I’m learning first hand about the difficulty and frustration that entails but that hasn’t dampened my enjoyment at all. When I’m not playing Elden Ring, I’m thinking about Elden Ring. When I’m playing Elden Ring, I’m thinking about Elden Ring. So far so great.

What are you playing this weekend?

In my Weekend Gaming Hands

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these and it’s also been a while since I’ve had a new game to try out, but thanks to Gamepass I can dip in and dip out whenever I like, so I’ve decided to take Forza Horizon 5 for a spin. I also have been eyeballing Metroid Dread since its announcement, and this weekend seems like as good a time as any to jump in. I’ve also been working through the original Metroid on the Switch Virtual Console, so it’s Metroid-time all the time around here.

What are you playing this weekend?

Zen and the Art of Mario Kart

What is your Mario Kart?

In My Hands

Wow, it’s been a while since a post has gone up around these parts. Video gaming is still happening, just at a less frequent rate. Either way, the Resident Evil train doesn’t stop and we’ve got another entry in the main story line, which means a new copy is safely resting in my hands (one of which is going to be sliced off, unbeknownst to me):

This has actually been in my hands since last Friday and so far I’m about three hours in (hence the previous mention of hand loss) and so far it feels like a combo of RE4 and RE7. More thoughts to come.

The Year of Finishing Games

I declared 2019 to be the Year of Completing Games and for the most part, it was. I completed games both new and old. In no particular order, I completed:

Resident Evil 2 (twice!)
The Division 2
Destiny 2
Bioshock Infinite
Dead Rising

I had meant to write this post as a sort of end-of-the-year wrap-up, but I never got around to it. Then I figured during corona-virus-lock-down I’d put some time into it but that never materialized, either. Finally, six months into the year I started thinking about it again after I picked up Resident Evil 3.

You see, 2020 was going to be the Year of Playing New Releases. After thoroughly enjoying Resident Evil 2, I had high hopes for Resident Evil 3. It was supposed to be the Chosen One, selected to kick off the Year of New Releases. When it released with mixed reviews, it threw me off my game. If I couldn’t start the year off with a bang, what would the rest of the year hold?

It turns out that 2020 is actually the worst year in the history of years. In terms of video games, it isn’t exactly bursting with many stellar titles. Sure, Animal Crossing: New Horizons released this year, we do have that going for us, but honestly, that’s about it. (Actually, Animal Crossing came out at the best possible time, right at the start of quarantine, when things starting going south.) AC:NH might end up being my Game of the Year.

There are a few tent pole titles in 2020, like Doom Eternal and the FF7 REMake, but honestly, 2020 isn’t looking that great.

Halo Infinite anybody?

So I’m extending the Year of Completing Games into 2020 (So far this year I’ve already finished RE3, Dead Rising 2 and the B ending of NieR:Automata). I’ll be delving back into the Steam backlog and making the most out of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I’ve taken advantage of the new Steam Library organization tools to keep track of games I’m working on (and games I really need to play). Next to finish will be more NieR:Automata endings and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record.

Are you working through a backlog? Playing a new release? What are you playing this weekend?

In My Zombie Killing Hands

What’s this, a new blog post at buttonmashing dot com? It’s true, we are still around, still gaming and most importantly, still Resident Eviling.

Released earlier this year, RE3 reviewed a little less favorably than last year’s REmake, RE2. I thoroughly enjoyed RE2, it was one of the first games that I completed during 2019’s “Year of Completing Games”, so I was quite excited to jump into RE3 and then quite dismayed at the initial reviews. Most reviews said it was still a good game just not as good as RE2, so I cooled my heels until it went on sale. Which it did this weekend, so here we are.

With the game. In my hands. Time to dive in!

Weekend Gaming – Birthday Edition

I’m giving myself the gift of some gaming this weekend for my birthday. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but my gaming has been so scattershot lately. I have started a handful of games and haven’t felt anything that really feels right. 2019 was the year of finishing games and in 2020 I’m looking to be the year of playing new releases. Nothing in January really set my hair on fire, so I dabbled with some older games. I got into Dead Cells on my Switch for a minute, downloaded and started Ori and the Blind Forest on PC and actually jumped back into Hex: Shards of Fate for old-time’s sake.

I reinstalled Divinity: Original Sin. The initial hour or so didn’t necessarily grab me, but there was enough of a story that I may go back.

I finally got around to trying Tokyo 42 and that was fine but again, nothing amazing. I was hoping for a Syndicate-style game and it came close, but not quite what I was hoping for.

I picked up Hollow Knight and SteamWorld Heist in the most recent Steam Sale, so I have plenty of new games to give a go this weekend. Just have to make a decision and get going.

What are you playing this weekend?

Sewing Thimbles In Short Supply

Apparently sewing thimbles are all the rage for video game characters missing tips of their pinkies. I spied with my little eye a particularly pale pagan priest sporting this in the newly released Diablo IV trailer:

Where does one acquire rubber bands in Tristram?

So did Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite turn into a bad guy in the Diablo Universe? Was this a Blizzard homage to the BioShock universe?

Can we take bets on the next pinkieless character? Samus?