Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=8015Despite the long hours I've put in already, the game feels a lot less like a sequel and a lot more like...an add-on. Which feels like a mean thing to say, but still... The first, I don't know how many hours, was basically playing the same characters as the first game. It's possible, actually probable, that there are some new cards and that the numbers might be a little different and that sort of thing. But, it feels like the same game in the fundamentals. That would be the summary of my experience until I unlocked everything. And now, with more hours in and that sort of thing, I still feel like it's not quite a sequel even if the experience does feel somewhat different - mostly from some of the new (to me?) artifacts and how they interact. I'll be fair, the new characters are fun and different and I've enjoyed messing around with them...but the game still feels the same? And this isn't a bad thing - I mean, I really enjoyed playing the first one for sure.... I guess there's no reason to go back to it at this point?Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:46:33 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=8015&iddiary=13533https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=8015This is probably the most I've ever played a game in early access. Kind of embarrassing really, but I don't think I've been playing it all THAT much? When I first started, I wanted to complete a run with each of the main characters, especially as I unlocked them. And since then I'll occasionally play a daily run. Those have been fun, and my success rate seems pretty high?Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:24:27 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=8015&iddiary=13532https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=8014I've been sitting on this one for what seems like forever - more like five years - and I've enjoyed getting back in the world of Dunwall, though this game takes place in other locations too, as I soon came to know. I'm playing it on the PS4, and you would think this would be bad/awkward given how old the game is (10 years!), but the art direction is so good (IMO) that, other than long loading times, it really does hold up. As I write this I realize I need better language for this - the idea that it's great and timeless regardless of the technological foundation underneath it. I mean, I don't think people watch Disney's Snow White and say "oh, it really holds up". I was surprised, going in, that I had to pick a character for the rest of the game and I wonder what will happen once I beat it. Will I then be able to pick levels to play from a menu, with either character available to me? Or will this be a "play the entire game all over" kind of situation? I don't really want to play it all over again, mostly due to other games I'd rather get to, but we'll see. I guess ideally I'd like to try a few levels just to see how different the characters are? So far my only real gameplay-related disappointment has been that I misunderstood the structure of the game. The first "real" level was one that had lots of thing to find/pick up - and I assumed that most would only be accessible once I had acquired a few powers and abilities. For example, there was a rune in the water next to the boat where you start, I went for it and died to some carnivorous fish. Oh, I'll try again later when I can turn into a fish (I though), or when I can attack them (maybe I could already, I realize in hindsight). No worries, I'll come back to this later. And, there was no later. So I missed that - and many others as well. People who say the Clockwork Mansion was an amazing level are correct. It is. Very interesting and clever and, I'm sure, I technical nightmare to put together and test. I wonder if there are any GDC talks or such about it? I need to make a mental note to look around. Anyways, I'm currently in the Dust District - interesting because there's a sandstorm that blows in periodically, giving you a chance to sneak past or silently take out enemies. I've been trying to be silent - rendering enemies unconscious - with the occasional "oopsie", and I've had mixed success. This mostly means that it's been taking me forever to make much progress. So, I wonder if I played more shooty-killy, could I then get back and re-play sneaky-sneaky?Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:07:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=8014&iddiary=13531https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7997Last time I was in Japan (this year!) I didn't really have a list of games I wanted to find, but while there I was tempted, so I pulled a short list together of oddities/indie games - plus this title. It's a pinball game, and I've always liked videogame pinball games, so I thought I'd try to find it. I had no luck at all (and I tried in LOTS of places). I was able to find all the other indie games...which was nice, but this one was no luck. Once back in the US I was talking to a colleague and I mentioned this game - and he said something about the developers (or was it the publisher) sort of being in trouble and that their games were now getting attention in the collector market and that if I was interested I should pick it up sooner rather than later. So, I bought a copy (the US release) on ebay and here we are. The game is kind of weird - not in the "ooh, it's a bit perky/risqué".. I assumed that from the series (senran kagura games), but weird in that there aren't that many tables to play (only 2!, but there are variations which aren't that interesting either) - but you play horizontally and it's kind of hard to see what's going on. It really made me want to play it vertically. I've been playing the story - getting to the end with all the characters, which isn't that much fun. I mean the table play is fine and I've enjoyed that, just that it's a bit of a grind to get to the end with each character. All of this in hopes that I will unlock something fun? THere's a creepy "spray water on characters" voyeur mode - and the characters get naked (but PG - everything is covered up by hands and the right camera angles), but it gets old really fast (not that it was that interesting to begin with). The table physics feel a bit too floaty, but it's ok - and there's an interesting scoring/goal system. You have to meet certain goals in order to advance to a mini-pinball game, once you clear that you can beat the level and then move on. The end credits are also pinball...and there's lots of "smacking" the characters (who lie about inside the table play areas) with the pinball. The ending are the worst in this sense, since you're literally targetting their bosoms/read ends with the pinball...or sometimes smacking them with the paddles. Still all PG...so, weird?Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:18:02 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7997&iddiary=13513https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7915I've played this a few times in the last week - and I had not played in a long time. I was surprisingly better at the game since I last played? I just have a recollection of getting really lost and unable to get back to the pod/ship and that being very frustrating, but now...it was fine?! I was playing with my kids though, who are much better at it than I and now where to go and do stuff, so I think that really helped. Also, I've been unlocking things and I think I finally am able to play all the different types of missions. Some are more fun than others, for sure. The most recent one I unlocked was sort of a heist mission...sort of. Really it was about wrecking another dwarven mining company's stuff - but it ended with a major boss fight that was pretty fun.Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:02:56 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7915&iddiary=13512https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7994Had to stop playing because I had to return the game and Switch 2 as I changed jobs. Sigh. Was fun while it lasted!Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:57:47 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7994&iddiary=13511https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7996I started playing this a while ago now - in June. I'm only posting now because...well, the site was undergoing major maintenance. But, it's back now! So, I picked this game up earlier this year on a trip to Finland. I had no idea it existed, the metacritic score seemed decent enough, and I have a soft spot for Lodoss War since I first watched (some of it) way back in the 90s. (and watched the entire thing a few years ago). I always liked the idea/knowledge (which may not be true?) that the anime was essentially someone's D&D campaign. So, sort of like fan fiction that later gets published, but this one became an anime. I should probably look up more info so really know the history...but whatever. Generally I'm not a huge metroidvania fan, mostly because I sometimes tire of the backtracking, but also they are often harder than I'm willing to practice/train for. So, I play until I hit a wall, give it a few goes, and then move on. This has not happened yet - which has surprised me! Though to be fair, I haven't played in 6 weeks or so, so who knows what will happen when I get back to it. I think I'm about 1/3 of the way in, reaching chapter 3? And, going from memory, I think I got to a point where was feeling lost and not sure where to go next. So, not the "ugh, this boss is too hard for me", but rather - "where am I supposed to go next?". I'm actually enjoying how complicated the game feels like it is, with how much progress I'm able to make. THere's two energy systems you charge up, and you really want to be maxxed out, but you have to swap between them - and there's sometimes attacks that come in one energy type (and charge you up instead of hurting you). So, it has a mechanic I'm familiar with from 2D shooters! I'm not really following the story all that much and it's been a while so I don't remember the NPC/non-party characters, but it seems like the whole thing is going in the direction of "this was all a dream". There is an inventory system, but I haven't engaged with it much, and I seem to have interesting weapons to use so the shops have been a waste of time in that sense? Maybe it's too early for now...Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:10:31 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7996&iddiary=13510https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7995Heard about this one recently and got stuck playing the demo on itch (though it's also available on Steam) for a few hours until I got to the final (demo) ending! It's an incremental game with some interesting things going on - you have a bat and smash bottles, but you have a limited time to do so (in seconds, like max 25 or so after all the upgrades?). When time runs out you can go again or go to the shop to buy upgrades. As expected you want to get more money from smashing bottles and there's ways to do that - spawn golden bottles, champagne bottles (when they smash the corks fly out and can smash other things), and even molotov cocktails (that explode, smashing other things). There's a few things I thought where nice/clever: a. The game has two distinct phases (once you unlock molotovs, everything changes, really) - the "you smash" and the "maximize money in the time allowed". In the latter, the game mostly plays itself as the molotovs keep everything getting smashed. b. The "you smash" has rotating bottles, and since the smashing can take a few hits, there's some interest in smashing champagne such that the cork flies in a certain direction for more damage. c. The champagne corks are pretty clever - since it gives you a reason to, in the short time you have to smash, choose what to smash a little more carefully. Go for golden or champagne hoping for a productive chain reaction? Of course there's also a prestige/reset mechanic - from which you can lock a separate bat that smashes. I'm curious how far things will go once the full game is out - and what the nature of the upgrades will be. I'm really hoping for more variety in the experience beyond the simple "number go up" - in that sense the molotovs seem like they're capping the experience in a detrimental way (even as they were super fun to smash when I first unlocked them.Sat, 30 May 2026 18:16:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7995&iddiary=13509https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7994Still playing! It has an interesting structure in terms of its levels and such - the core metaphor is that you're going deeper into the planet with each level, and they're both thematic and numbered. I got to a point where there's a bifurcation - go right into what I thought was "jungle land" or left into "snow land". I went right did a few more levels, cleared the boss (it was plant/poison land) and in order to continue going deeper I was then told to go back to "snow land"! There's a fast travel/teleport system involving giant worms that can move your around, so it was easy enough to do this, but I was surprised to learn that the fork was just a "choose what order to do these" situation... and also, the entire "fork" makes little sense thematically so I'm curious to see how it's explained and communicated in the interface - will it look like a fork in the "hole" going into the planet's core? The titular ability (bananza mode!) was a bit underwhelming - you turn into a bigger DK and can now punch things you couldn't before - it lasts a limited amount of time. But, I've since unlocked a new one - DK-bird - where you can glide around (and after paying to unlock) and drop an egg on enemies. The gilding around was important/necessary in the plant/poison levels, and I'm expecting it to be similarly required in the snowy ones. We'll see!Sat, 30 May 2026 18:07:32 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7994&iddiary=13508https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7985I got to that point where I hit a monster/boss that just wasn't that much fun, and then I got a bit lost in terms of where to continue making progress, and the backtracking started to get a bit tiresome...as I explored and searched for different paths. So, time to bail!Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:04:52 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7985&iddiary=13505