New Loot! #47 - "The Obsession Continues..." Edition

The series in which I brag about all my latest gaming acquisitions. This post is a bit late, as I grabbed these games several months ago. My bad...

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***The Obsession Continues...***
New Loot! #47

Grim Dawn (PC)—
This one was on my wishlist for a very long time. The reviews actually sold me on this one.



Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC)—
Finally got it!! YAY!!!

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (Android)—
This was on sale. I've never played it before and was thrilled to add it to my FF collection.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (PS4)—
Pre-order. This is my first time playing a brawler and I'm not sure how I feel about it. But I love seeing the older game characters with updated graphics. That's fun. :)

Assassin's Creed Syndicate (Xbox One)—
Hubby got this free with his Games with Gold thingy. Yeah, it's totally mine. Even though it's on the Xbone. I really dislike the Xbone...

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered (PS4)—
Gotta love Humble Bundle.

Have you gotten any new games lately? Tell us about it in the comments! ♥

Until next time...

Movie Monday #46 - Fraggin' Robots (Fallout 4)

A weekly blog series all about gaming videos. Today's selection is a small portion of my own Fallout 4 gameplay. Enjoy! ♥

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***Fraggin' Robots***
Fallout 4

Hubby convinced me to give Fallout 4 a serious shot. I fired it up on the PS4 and went for it. It's fun, gotta say. 

One of the very best things this game offers is fragmentation grenades. So destructive. Especially against robots. Check it out. ▼

Throwback Thursday #3 - Let's Talk FF

The series in which I talk about old stuff: games, consoles, gear, what have you...

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***Let's Talk Final Fantasy***
Throwback Thursday

With the somewhat recent release of FFXV (I know, it's been over a year now, so not really recent anymore) and the upcoming release of the FFVII REMAKE, I thought it only made sense to talk about a series that's been around for 30 years. So let's talk!

It all began with Final Fantasy on the NES. I played that. Good game. It didn't replace Dragon Warrior as my favorite JRPG on NES, however.

Did you play FF1? What did you think?

—DLC Review— Episode Prompto (FFXV)

Some DLCs are good enough...or bad enough...that they need their own reviews. The FFXV DLCs fall into one (or more) of those categories...

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***Episode Prompto***
Final Fantasy XV

Published and developed by Square Enix

Released 2017 | Action, Role-Playing

For Xbox One, PS4 | Review: PS4

*Rated T for Teen*

HGG Score: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 6/10

Tips N Tricks Tuesday #20 - Steal Your Way to a Trophy! (ACII)

The series in which I share a gaming tip. Some are ones I realized, some are ones I had to look up. Today's tip is one that I realized in my 3rd (or so) playthrough...

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***Steal Your Way to a Trophy!***
Assassin's Creed II

There's an achievement in Assassin's Creed II called Kleptomaniac. You have to steal 1000 florins to get it. This isn't hard, really, but is a bit time-consuming, and can be very annoying when soldiers try to kill you for it. I recently stumbled across a way to avoid the soldiers, at least. This probably isn't new information to most fans of this game, but maybe it will help some newbies. ▼

—DLC Review— Moogle Chocobo Carnival (FFXV)

When I pre-ordered FFXV, I eventually went and bought the Season Pass. I knew I wanted it, but finances forced me to wait a bit. Not a big deal, since the first DLC wasn't planned for a month or two anyway.

That said, the first of the playable DLCs has been released, and though it's not much as far as "playable" goes, it's still something to do if you've already beaten the game.

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**Moogle Chocobo Carnival**
Final Fantasy XV DLC

Published/developed by Square Enix

Released 2017 | Action, Role-playing

For PS4, Xbox One | Review: PS4

*Rated T for Teen*

Language | Partial Nudity

Violence | Mild Blood
(Rating is based on the full game.)

HGG Score: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 5/10

New Loot! (#43) - "I Already Have That Game" Edition

The blog series in which I share the latest additions to my gaming library...

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**I Already Have That Game**
New Loot!

Yeah, I have a habit of buying games more than once. This time I bought Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection, which I already had for 360. I had planned to get the AC games for PC, but honestly, Ubisoft doesn't seem to give a crap about PC, at least as far as the AC games go—poorly mapped controllers, no achievements, other issues that I don't know about personally since I only have one AC game for PC and I haven't even played it yet (Rogue, in case you're wondering). So I was pretty thrilled to discover the PS4 release of ACII, AC Brotherhood, and AC Revelations. They also included two short films, one that takes place before ACII (Lineage) and one that takes place after Revelations (Embers). All in all, a great addition to my library.

*All things AC belong to Ubisoft, who in no way endorses this blog. You may now go about your day. Thank you. 

Until next time...

Movie Monday (#35) - Simple Traversal (DmC)

The blog series where I share a gaming vid. These are most often me, playing a game. Usually not well.  

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***Simple Traversal***
Secret Mission
DmC Devil May Cry (Definitive Edition)

I've spent many, many hours playing DmC Devil May Cry. First on the 360 (over 600 hrs, believe it or not), then on PC, and then the Definitive Edition on PS4. For some reason, I just love this game. (And yes, I've reviewed it. You can find that HERE.)

Anyway, I've embedded a video below, from the Definitive Edition. It's one of the Secret Missions that the game features. This particular one is part of the platforming involved in this game. Enjoy! ▼

—Demo Review— NieR: Automata DEMO 120161128

I have NIER for 360 but I've barely played it. Honestly, it lost me somewhere early on. Regardless, the clips and trailers for NieR: Automata were just too intriguing for me to ignore. When I saw there was a demo, I grabbed it. 

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***NieR: Automata***
DEMO 120161128

Published by Square Enix
Developed by PlatinumGames

Full game to be released March 2017
Action, RPG | Demo for PS4 | Full game for PS4, PC

*Rated M for Mature*

Blood | Partial Nudity | Strong Language | Violence

(Rating is based on the full game.
More details can be found at ESRB.)

HGG Score: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 8/10

New Loot! (#41) - "Take My Money" Edition

Yet another post in which I tell you of my latest gaming finds...

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***Take My Money***
New Loot #41

Yet again, the PC peoples got me with their sales and whatnot. I'm so easy...

From Steam (the Thanksgiving sale they had...I think):

• Battleborn: Digital Deluxe Edition - Not a very popular game, but I had fun with the Closed Technical Test and the Open Beta, so I bought it. 
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition - I have this for 360, but I'm hoping to mod it. Why? 'Cause I wanna be able to actually beat it.
• The Witcher Enhanced Edition - Already owned it through GOG, bought it again. I'm weird that way.
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition - Another I already owned and bought again. There's something broken in my head...
• Tales from the Borderlands - Yeah, I'm still not sure why I bought this. Again. I bought it from GOG a few weeks ago, yet... Yeah. I have on 360 too. I think my Borderlands addiction might be a bit out of control... 

From Steam's Winter Sale (in effect now through Jan 2):

• Ys I & II Chronicles+ - I've had this on my wishlist for a while. Figured I'd grab it while it was under $5. 
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - I started playing this on 360 and for some reason never finished it. I'll finish it this time. Plus it was under $3. 
• Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition - another that's been on my wishlist for a while. Grabbed it for less than $10.
• Mass Effect - one of hubby's favorite games. Figured I oughtta give it a try when it's under $5. 
• Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe Edition - another of hubby's favorites. Pretty sure he said this was his favorite of the three games that are currently out in this series. It was under $5 in the Winter Sale. Plus Steam let me bundle it with the first game and gave me an extra discount.
• Final Fantasy VI - 'cause I didn't have it yet. Enough reason and it was half off, putting it under $10. 
• Tales of Zestiria - yet another from my wishlist that I just couldn't resist in this sale. It was under $15, and well worth it, if the reviews are to be believed. I grabbed one of the DLCs as well. 

From GOG: 

• The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - Game of the Year Edition - I own so much Witcher crap. Games, books, soundtracks, comics; the list goes on and on. Granted, most of that comes with the digital versions of the games from GOG, but the books I buy as they're translated and released here in the US. Everyone had to know I'd eventually get this game. I had to wait a bit for the price on the GOTY edition to drop. Then it went on sale [again] for $30. Now it's mine. All mine. Mwahahahahaha!!!!!!

GOG gave me (as part of their Monstrous Winter Sale): 

• D&D Neverwinter Nights Diamond - Seems interesting. This was the game they gave to everyone just for stopping by and checking out the sale. It was free for 48 hours. 
• Shadow Warrior Classic Redux - Um...it was free for getting 5000 points in the Winter Sale. I don't actually have an opinion on this one...
• Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut - Again, seems interesting. This was the free game for reaching 15k EXP. I bought Witcher III so I got a crap-ton of points.
• Stasis - Again, no opinion on this one. It was free for getting 30k points. I did that with one purchase. Go me. 

And because I just can't help myself:

• Final Fantasy XV Season Pass (PS4) - I preordered the game, so why wouldn't I get the season pass as well, right?

Gotten any good games lately? Tell us in the comments. ♥

Until next time...

Movie Monday (#33) - FFXV

The series in which I share gaming vidz, or game-related vidz, that may or may not be me playing the game...

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***Final Fantasy XV***
Movie Monday #33
Double Feature

I'm here again with a couple short gaming vidz for you, my lovely fellow gamers. I got FFXV on release day and I've been playing ever since. I've already got so many videos it's not even funny. 

Except it is. Funny. I'm getting such a kick outta this game. Burning and electrocuting these guys is HILARIOUS. 😆 See for yourself. ▼

New Loot! (#40) - It's here! It's here! It's finally HERE!!! Edition

The series of posts in which I tell you, my lovely readers, all about my latest game-related score...

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**It's here! It's here! It's finally HERE!!!**
New Loot! (#40)

Oh my freaking heavens, the day HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! It is November 30, and just yesterday I received my copy of Final Fantasy XV. I'm playing it now, as you read this post. (Yes, I scheduled this post, 'cause I KNEW I'd have no time for blogging once my game arrived. I was right.)

I also got the Blu-ray edition of Kingsglaive / Brotherhood over two weeks ago and I've watched them both multiple times.

Gotta go now. Not sure why, since at the moment I write this, I have no game to play and all that demands my attention is my kids and my housework. Pfft.

Until next time...

Throwback Thursday (#2) - How Old = Retro?

My newest blog series, in which I go on and on and on about old games, old consoles, and other old things...

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***How Old = Retro?***
Throwback Thursday

Have you ever wondered, how old does something have to be to be considered retro?

By definition, retro is anything that involves, imitates, or relates to something from the recent past.

I think we can all agree that arcade games, Atari, and NES are definitely retro: classic 8-bit graphics, tinny music, and main storylines short enough to play in one sitting.

But a phrase like 'recent past' is highly subjective. Everyone's opinion on what constitutes 'recent' could be very different. Technically, yesterday is the recent past.

With that in mind, could we now consider the Xbox 360 / PS3 to be retro with the advent of Xbox One / PS4? Those earlier consoles first came out in 2005 / 2006 respectively. That's 10-11 years old.

Huh. My youngest child is ten.

The original Xbox was released in 2001, and honestly, it feels a bit retro to me. But from a personal standpoint, I consider the original PlayStation (released in 1994) and anything older as retro. To me, playing FFVII-IX, Tomb Raider I or II, Gran Turismo I or II, the Dino Crisis games, or Sled Storm is retro gaming.

And this doesn't even get into PC gaming. Many old games have been ported to PC. But what about old PC games? I have no experience with them at all, my PC gaming only dating back a year or two. I would love some input on retro PC gaming in particular. ☺

What do you think? How old do you think a console / game needs to be before you consider it retro? Let us know in the comments section below. ♥

Until next time...

—Game Review— Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

I'm a Final Fantasy fan and this was one I was really looking forward to. Other than the graphics, I think it lived up to my expectations. 

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***Final Fantasy Type-0 HD***

Published and developed by Square Enix

Published 2015 | JRPG

For PS4, Xbox One, PC | Review: PS4

(Originally released for PSP in 2011)

*Rated M for Mature 17+*

Blood | Drug Reference

Suggestive Themes | Violence
(Click HERE to see the ESRB rating details.)

HGG rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 8/10

Screenshot Saturday (#14) - Battleborn Open Beta

The Battleborn Open Beta was super fun, so here are a few screenshots for you to enjoy. I hate that it was first person, but I still got some cool shots. Enjoy! ♥ 

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***Battleborn***
Open Beta

Oscar Mike (I ♥ him.)

Movie Monday (#7)

Being part of an open beta means lots of fun, glitchy gaming vidz. Here's a boss fight from Battleborn. In this one, I'm Oscar Mike. He has grenades. Grenades are fun. Enjoy! ♥ 

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***Battleborn***
Open Beta

*All things Battleborn are © 2K Games/Gearbox Software. These companies do not in any way endorse this fan blog.

Until next time... 

Screenshot Saturday (#9) - FFXV Episode Duscae

With the release of FFXV right around the corner (haha! Not 'til September, lol!), I thought a few screenshots from the Episode Duscae demo were in order. 

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***Final Fantasy XV***
Episode Duscae DEMO

Gorgeous setting

—Demo Review— Final Fantasy XV Platinum Demo

Demos don't typically warrant a review all their own. They're often little more than the first chapter/mission of a game, or a timed portion. Buying the game unlocks the full version which has already more or less been downloaded to your system because you downloaded the demo.

Final Fantasy XV, however, is different. It got two demos, neither of which are parts of the final product, but are more like additional chapters to the game's storyline.

I've gotten my hands on both demos and each deserves its own review.

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***Final Fantasy XV***
Platinum Demo

Published and developed by Square Enix | Released 2016

Available for PS4 and Xbox One | Review: PS4

HGG Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 4/10

Did you know...? (#1)

And now I begin a new series of posts in which I share little gaming tidbits because.... well, 'cause I want to. These bits of info will probably be old news to many gamers, but I'm sure I'm not the only one making the switch from one console to another, or someone new to the gaming world in general. Either way, this is my blog and I'll post any old bit of outdated info I want. :D

Here goes...

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**PS3 plays PS1 games**

If you own a PlayStation 3, you can get your retro gaming on by grabbing a PS1 game (lots of cheap ones in used game stores, on Amazon, or Ebay) and plopping it in. Yeah, this is probably old news to most of you PlayStation Zealots, but for those of us just finding our PS groove—again, or for the first time—this is epic.

First, make sure you create a virtual memory card on your system. It has two virtual card "slots" just like the PS1s, which means you can only have two "active" memory cards, but you can create as many memory cards as you can fit on your hard drive. There's a "memory card utility" section under "game" in the dashboard. It's kinda self-explanatory from there.

All you do then is put in the game you wanna play and have fun. It really is that simple. It doesn't work with PS2 games, unfortunately, unless you have one of the early PS3 models—if memory serves, the 80 GB models were the ones that played PS2 games, but don't quote me on that.

Until next time... 

New Loot (#27)

Hubby's been on a retro gaming kick and decided to buy me every Final Fantasy game he could find for consoles, except for the online-only ones. I did not object.

Here's a brief list of the ones I've gotten in the last couple of weeks...

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***Final Fantasy***
Published/Developed by Square Enix

• Origins (FFI/FFII) - PS1; rated T
• Chronicles (FFIV/Chrono Trigger) - PS1; rated T
• Anthology (FFV/FFVI) - PS1; rated T
• Dirge of Cerberus: FFVII - PS2; rated T
• FFVIII - PS1; rated T
• FFIX - PS1; rated T
• FFXII Collector's Edition - PS2; rated T

image © Square Enix*

I already had Type-0 HD Collector's Edition (PS4; rated M), FFX/X-2 Limited Edition (PS4; rated T), and FFXIII/XIII-2 Collector's Edition/Lightning Returns (Xbox 360; all rated T), so that means the only one left to get is FFVII. I tried to order that, but the one I bought ended up being VIII instead of VII (seller error), so I need to find a different copy of VII. I'll probably just buy it in the PlayStation Store. It's only $10 there.

You know what? Screw that. I'll get the Steam (PC) edition of FFVII. That way I can mod the heck out of it. They also have FFIII. I'm pretty sure I'm getting ALL the FF games for PC, so... yeah. I probably didn't actually need to get all the retro disc games. LOL

*Square Enix does not in any way endorse this fan blog.

Until next time...