Video Game Journal – January 25 2023

Being my gaming journal, I thought I would add a few thoughts to my video game playing. This week, I find myself in a bit of a conundrum starting a new game. With so many games I want to start playing but new releases coming out that I may want to try as well. The most likely new game I will jump into is the remake of Dead Space.

Next is the strategy-based Fire Emblem: Engage and the pirate adventure Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale. I’ve also been tempted to dive back into the world of Agent 47 with the re-organization of the new Hitman series, Hitman World of Assassination. And all this is at the end of January!

On top of that, I’ve been testing out my new Steam Deck and have been tempted to start a few games while trying it out. I’ll talk more about that later. For now, let’s dive into the games I played this week to relax and unwind.

God of War Ragnarok

Last week I was wondering if I would be able to Platinum God of War Ragnarok. I had a blast exploring the nine realms at leisure, and I got pretty close to finding everything in a couple of them. I even used a collectibles guide to help me find those sneaky ravens and chests. It only took me about 30-45 minutes of exploring to come close, so I could clear a realm in an hour.

So, what does this have to do with the Platinum? Well, after finding everything, there are only a couple of combat-related trophies left to earn the Platinum. And when each trophy is just a single fight, it’s usually the push I need to go for it. Resident Evil Village is only one trophy away, but that’s a lot of fights as I need to clear Mercenaries mode (still).

So, what did I do on Saturday night and Sunday morning?

20230125 - God of War Ragnarok - Gna battle is the challenge you expect
The battle with Gna is the challenge you expect it to be

That’s right – I earned the Platinum for God of War Ragnarok! First Platinum down for 2023!

But now, I’m faced with a bit of a dilemma. The Dead Space remake is coming out soon, and I know I’ll want to jump into that. But the new Fire Emblem game is also coming out, and I haven’t even started Three Houses yet. Both games are time sinks, so I don’t want to start and then stop in a few days with Dead Space.

As I’m writing this earlier than normal, I’m still wondering what I decided to play next. But I’ll be sure to update you next time!

Vampire Survivors

It’s been an eye-opening week for me, playing Vampire Survivors on my new Steam Deck. I had heard great things about the game as a time-killer, but playing it on this console takes the experience to a whole new level. I ended up spending about 8 hours on the couch playing it this week alone!

I’ve been using my Steam achievements as a guide to determine what to play next. Right now, it’s relatively easy to knock out a few achievements in one play-through. A lot of them involve playing with a new character and surviving for a certain amount of time, while others are for unlocking new weapons or evolving them into newer forms.

20230125 - Vampaire Survivors - Lasted past the 30 min mark
Achievements are still being accidentally unlocked, like lasting for a minute past the end of the round

With a total of 159 Steam achievements, though, I can see how it would be quite a challenge to go for 100% completion. But I may be tempted to take up the challenge!

Even though I’ve put in a lot of hours this week, lying on the couch and playing Vampire Survivors on my Steam Deck has been a real treat. I think this will be a great way for me to work through some of the games in my backlog, as well as new ones.

For example, the remake of Final Fantasy: Crisis Core piqued my interest, but I thought I would skip it. I don’t want to play it on my big screen. Playing through the original on my PSP was a great experience, and tying yourself to the couch isn’t the same. Playing it on the Steam Deck though feels like it will be a perfect fit!

20230125 - Vampaire Survivors - Tackling different achievements as I play
I can see many nights on the couch knocking over achievements

But before I move on to other games, I still have 53 achievements in Vampire Survivors to work through. I’ll be tackling them slowly but surely!

What about you?  I hope you got some great games in.  Or are you looking forward to a new one?  Let me know! 

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Until next time,

JohnHQLD