Category Archives: non-wow

news, non-wow

So Apparently Overwatch Beta Has Started

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Overwatch, in case you weren’t aware, is an upcoming Blizzard game that basically looks like Team Fortress 2 except with new characters (many of whom look like they could’ve stepped right out of another Blizzard game).

Needless to say a loooot of people are excited and really want into the beta.  I’m more lukewarm about it.  It doesn’t really look like my type of game.  That’s not to say it doesn’t look like it has a fun design, because it does.  And it will probably be a good game, too, because Blizzard has always been solid.

But other than brief love affairs with Goldeneye 007 and the original Halo, shooters have never really been my thing.  I’m not “twitchy” enough for them, and in my old age, that is just becoming more apparent.

CrankyTFI’m also pretty sure the game is multiplayer based (like TF2 and most other shooters), and the older I get, the less I find myself interested in multiplayer.  Stay off my lawn, ya dang kids!

But apparently I’m opted into the beta for Every Blizzard IP Ever, so I might give it a whirl if I end up with an invite.  …not that I tried either Hearthstone or HotS when I got into the beta for either of those, but hey, this might be different, right?

What do you guys think about Overwatch?

good games that are good, non-wow

Good Games That Are Good: Pokemon TCG (For Game Boy)

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I never did manage to really get into Hearthstone.  I think it’s because I kept comparing it unfavorably to my one true card game love: Pokemon. If you are a fan like me, you caqn get pokemon card sets from Unplugged Gaming, they have really great decks available. The card buying guide by Indoorgamebase.com/know-if-pokemon-v-cards-are-fake/ is really helpful.

81sAVrsixqL._SX450_Not only did I love these things “in real life” and have a binder full of ’em, but I also loved the Game Boy conversion.  Yes, that’s right, they put Pokemon Trading Card Game on the Game Boy.  It had this absolutely ridiculous story that involved beating trading card “masters” for legendary trading cards, but frankly that’s all fine because the point of the game was just to make decks and duel people, and that’s exactly what I did.  Because despite the spartan UI and the silly story, there’s a surprising amount of depth in the good ol’ Pokemon TCG. Visit android4fun website to find the best games for android and have fun!

Oh, and good news everyone: Now you can download the game for pretty cheap in the Nintendo eShop, assuming you have a 3DS, people are loving it as much as they love the www.slotsbaby.com games.  I did that recently and have been replaying this game and having a blast.  It’s really easy to pick up and go and very addictive.

Also, some of the music is fantastic.  Some of the best you’ll find on original Game Boy.

good games that are good, non-wow

Good Games That Are Good: Grim Dawn

I said I was going to talk about it, so here we go: Grim Dawn is an ARPG (think Diablo) that is currently in early access.  That means it’s unfinished.  But don’t let that scare you away!  For an unfinished game, there’s a lot to do and a lot to love.

When it comes to the basic gameplay, Grim Dawn is Diablo but with a different set of paint: Lovecraftian monsters rather than demons, and a sort of vague Victorian/Edwardian setting.   Now seeing as I love ARPGs, I’d be sold on that alone, but what I really like about Grim Dawn is the talent point system.

maxresdefaultYou get a talent tree much like you do in other RPGs, but Grim Dawn kind of has this unique system where also have to put points in a basic skill bar in order to unlock better spells and abilities.  It’s tough to explain in words alone, but the result is that leveling and talents feels really proactive.

Also… you can multiclass!  So if you want to be a mage and also a huge warrior type, you can be both.  At the same time.  You can mix and match your talents from both classes you pick, and that, again, gives you a lot of choice when it comes to your chosen playstyle.

Overall I just find Grim Dawn to be delightfully fun to play and I’m excited to see what the final version is like.

Oh, and it’s based on a very similar title called Titan Quest, which I have yet to play but which I have heard amazing things about.  So, there’s also that!

non-wow

Hey Readers, I Baked You a Cake

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diablo cake…okay, I mean, I didn’t really bake you a cake.  But.  It’s the thought that counts, right?

I have nothing new to report in World of Warcraft because I am busy playing the heck out of Diablo 3.  I’m pleased to report that this game is the most fun I’ve had in quite some time, and since it’s a Blizzard game, it’s also fiendishly addictive so it’s all I’ve been playing.

I really love my wizard a great deal.  I’ve tried to get into the other classes and find them less fun, for whatever reason.  There’s just something about being a little bundle of arcane energy and exploding everything that’s really refreshing.

You guys won’t mind if I talk about stuff that isn’t WoW, right?  All three of you readers who are actually still here?

good games that are good, non-wow

Good Games That Are Good: Super Mario Bros. 2

Ah yes, Super Mario Bros 2.  The Star Trek V of Mario.  That weird game that was originally something different entirely: a non-Mario game called Doki Doki Panic.  Those of you who have played it know what I’m talking about, and there are many accessories to play this games as monitors or headsets that are easy to get from sites like HotRate online and others.  Those of you who haven’t, well… it’s a game that involves going around throwing beets at things.

Super_Mario_Bros_2The really fascinating thing about this game, when I was a kid and first played it, is that it’s filled with little secrets.  For example, you can throw a magical potion on the ground to make a door.  This door takes you to an alternate version of your current location for a few seconds, where you usually do things like collect a couple of coins. For more fun games just go here and try this 7s to burn online slot.

gaming-super-mario-bros-2-nes-5Here’s the catch – you can take the magical potion wherever you want (so long as you don’t drop it), and occasionally you’ll find some really unexpected stuff in that alternate universe.  Like warps to levels much farther along than you are currently.

Anyways, this was all very fascinating to me.  More so than any other classic Mario game, SMB 2 felt like the world was full of really weird hidden mysteries.  Sure, the original SMB had the hidden warp pipes in 1-2 and SMB 3 had the whistles, but something about stumbling on warp vases in that dark alternate universe was really mysterious.  It may be the weakest of the original NES Mario “trio”, but it sure made up for it with the hidden surprises factor.

Also you could play as Toad.

Which is awesome.

meta-wow, non-wow

I Kind Of Think I’m Done With FFXIV

Yep.  I think I’m pretty much done with A Realm Reborn.  Oh, there’s nothing wrong with it.  It’s pretty fun.  It’s very good looking.  There are a lot of things that it does better than WoW.  But when it comes down to it, well… I’d still rather be playing WoW.  Or Diablo 3.  (I’ve kind of been playing a LOT of Diablo 3 as of late.)

So yeah.  It’s certainly not something I’d be averse to trying again in the future, especially when I have more time.  But for now… I think I’d rather be in Azeroth.  Or Sanctuary.  (Mostly Sanctuary.  Can’t lie.)

Playable Triple Triad was a really nice touch, though.  Now, if only I was any good at it…

good games that are good, non-wow

Good Games That Are Good: Diablo 3

Yup, it’s finally time to talk about the game that has devoured my life recently: Diablo 3.

Diablo_III_coverI’ve long been a fan of ARPG lootfest style games like this, but I didn’t actually start playing D3 until the expansion hit.  Various things about it kind of turned me off to it, and I preferred to stick with spiritual successors like Torchlight.

Then the expansion came out and with it a ton of quality of life changes.  I picked up the game and was pleased to see that it was an extraordinarily fun romp, especially for couch co-op (yes, I first played this game on console with a controller.)

Not only is Diablo 3 a very solid, well… Diablo-clone (to use a phrase coined by the very series itself) but there are a lot of little things about it that I like.  The music is unsurprisingly fantastic, as are the cinematics – those are two things that Blizzard has pretty much always done right.  But I am also very fond of the way that the game’s difficulty is so adaptive.  You can set it on an easier mode or you can make it devilishly difficult, and the latter will have your character rolling, jumping, and teleporting around frantically as you try to dodge the dangers all around you.  Throw in the account-wide paragon system and you have a game that is also very friendly to those with limited time.  The result is a game that is as hardcore as you want it to be.  And that’s a really good thing.

If you haven’t played Diablo 3 yet, then now’s a fantastic time to do so.  The new season recently started so everyone’s kind of getting back into it.  Check it out – and be prepared to get addicted.

non-wow, thoughts

That Weird Problem When A Game Is Really Fun, But…

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Have you ever had that problem?  Have you ever had a game that you find really fun, but there’s a “but” attached?

That’s kind of where I am right now with FFXIV.  I’m having a lot of fun with it.  But… work is busy, and I’ve been playing other games, and if I had to drop something right now it would probably be FFXIV.  Not because I dislike it.  But because, well, my time is limited.  And right now I’m feeling other games.

So as it stands, I’m not so sure I’ll subscribe once my free month is up.  Granted, I’ve got two weeks left on my free month, and a lot can change between now and then, so nothing is final.  But right now I’m not seeing at as something I’ll play long-term.  Not right now, anyway.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing absurd amounts of Diablo 3.  Especially wizards.  At some point I’ve gone and gotten myself addicted to wizards.  It’s magic, I ain’t gotta explain nothin’.

non-wow

[FFXIV] I Really Like Quests In This Game

I’m still putting along in FFXIV.  My tiny little archer is now up to level 18 and just snagged himself an airship pass, so that’s exciting.

I have to say, I really like the way there’s a kind of overarching story in this game so far.  It feels more cohesive than WoW’s… which perhaps is to be expected, since WoW is a colossal beast that’s been growing for the last ten-plus years.  But it’s neat that FFXIV makes you feel like the hero of a single-player game which just so happens to be massively multiplayer.  In WoW, sure, I’m the commander, but I’m well aware of the fact that there are millions of commanders.  FFXIV somehow feels more intimate.  Like you really are special.  It’s a different way to go about it and I’m enjoying the change.

Also, the game is gorgeous.

And my character is gorgeous.

COVW9uKUsAAUfg7.png largeGorgeous.

non-wow

[FFXIV] I got some sort of Kill Shot move and it’s awesome

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I’m a huge sucker for execute-style moves in games.  You know, like Kill Shot, and whatever the Paladin one is called.  So anyways in FFXIV I definitely have one now and it is fan-friggin-tastic.

Two things I like about this game so far;

  • You can get food that will get you an EXP bonus as part of your well-fed bonus.  WTB this in World of Warcraft.
  • There are things called FATEs, which are basically outdoor activities that you can jump in and out of and that get you tons of bonus experience for killing things nonstop.  Actually, the fact that I can kill things nonstop is one of the things I like a lot about this game.  I’m just running around shooting things.

I only played a short session today because I got to the point where for the life of me I can’t figure out where some of the quests want me to go.  So after Running Around Shooting Things™ for quite some time, I decided to log out for the day.  I am a level eight archer on Day Two of my little excursion, so I think that’s pretty good.  I mean, I assume so.  I wouldn’t know, I guess!