From d32ae302252bebec09d2c826db088586f778d33f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Jo=C3=A3o=20Marques?= Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2024 16:45:18 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] [post] Played this month Nov 24 --- abxy-posts.html | 13 +++ abxy.html | 44 +++++----- abxy/feed.xml | 119 ++++++++------------------ abxy/played-this-month-nov-24.html | 130 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ feed.xml | 2 +- 5 files changed, 203 insertions(+), 105 deletions(-) create mode 100644 abxy/played-this-month-nov-24.html diff --git a/abxy-posts.html b/abxy-posts.html index 22c0ad3..5a769ef 100644 --- a/abxy-posts.html +++ b/abxy-posts.html @@ -67,6 +67,19 @@

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Played this month – November 2024 ↗

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Fantasy lives on

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update

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14/12/2024

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Played this month – November 2024

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Fantasy lives on

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14th December 2024

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opinion

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1 year of ABXY

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1 year of ABXY

And many more to come!

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Played this month – September 2024 - - - - - -
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Persona

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Rough beginnings

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28th September 2024

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It doesn't end here!

diff --git a/abxy/feed.xml b/abxy/feed.xml index f169d20..455cfd4 100644 --- a/abxy/feed.xml +++ b/abxy/feed.xml @@ -1,4 +1,39 @@ -Jekyll2024-12-07T20:17:49+00:00https://joaomarques.website/abxy/feed.xmlJoão Marques | AbxyUX/UI Designer & Frontend developer. Author of the gaming blog ABXY.1 year of ABXY2024-12-06T00:00:00+00:002024-12-06T00:00:00+00:00https://joaomarques.website/abxy/1-year-of-abxy<p>As you guessed by the title, this week marks one year since I released the <a href="https://joaomarques.website/abxy/welcome-to-abxy">first post of ABXY</a>! The idea was to release this post on the exact day, but well, let’s just pretend today is December 2nd. In that post I shared my vision for this project, and after <a href="https://joaomarques.website/abxy-posts"><strong>32 posts</strong></a> I can say it turned out to be pretty much what I had in mind - a place where I can document and share my opinions of all the games I play, be it in a review format or via something more casual, such as the “Played this month” rubric. +Jekyll2024-12-14T16:43:59+00:00https://joaomarques.website/abxy/feed.xmlJoão Marques | AbxyUX/UI Designer & Frontend developer. Author of the gaming blog ABXY.Played this month – November 20242024-12-14T00:00:00+00:002024-12-14T00:00:00+00:00https://joaomarques.website/abxy/played-this-month-nov-24<p>As expected, November was for the most part a month dedicated to the latest Atlus magnum opus, Metaphor: ReFantazio! However, as usual, there was some time to squeeze a few smaller games in between. So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve been playing: +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<h3 class="u-mt-0 u-mb-1">Metaphor: ReFantazio</h3> +<p>RPG / Xbox Series X +<br /><br /></p> + +<p>At this point in time, with 60 hours clocked in, I think I’m near the end of the game. At least it’s what the game’s calendar tells me, as I’m currently heading into the last month, from a total of five. Still, comparing with a Persona game this one feels more streamlined, which is a good thing since it was my main issue with <em>Persona 5 Royal</em>. I have so many things to say about this game, most of them good, but I’ll save for an eventual review. +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<h3 class="u-mt-0 u-mb-1">Undertale</h3> +<p>RPG / Nintendo Switch +<br /><br /></p> + +<p>This was a game that I had for a long time in my list. Looking for a quick break from <em>Metaphor</em>, I decided it was the ideal time to play it. I think <em>Undertale</em> needs no introduction, as its a quintessential indie game. Created mostly by a single person, quirky, inventive and with a great sense of humor. In it, we play as a human who falls into the underworld, where the monsters live, and our goal is to escape it. During our journey, we discover the truth about the underworld and the long standing conflict between humans and monsters, as we meet the most absurd and charismatic characters. Seriously, the writing of this game is its strongest asset, with its music coming in a close second. I finished the game in around 6 hours, but since it’s so short, I’ll play it again in the future to see its “good ending”. +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<h3 class="u-mt-0 u-mb-1">Sonic R</h3> +<p>Racing / Sega Saturn +<br /><br /></p> + +<p>In the sequence of the Sega Saturn 30th anniversary, I was challenged by a colleage from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheGamesTome">The Games Tome</a> to do a “Deep Dive” review of <em>Sonic R</em>. Since it made years since I last played it, I decided to pick it up again to have a fresher perspective on it. This game is from a weird era in videogames, when the developers were still figuring out how to work with the third dimension, as so, its controls are everything but conventional. We control Sonic and some of the other characters in its universe, racing in 5 circuits with many hidden paths and secondary challenges. So far so good. But when we pick up the controller, we quickly understand that this isn’t quite a racing game, neither a platformer. It’s something in between. The first minutes are truly awful, but by the end, (as in, one hour later) when we finally understand its mechanics, it actually becomes fun and engaging. Lastly, it’s impossible to talk about Sonic R without mentioning its fantastic eurodance soundtrack. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWoekUxnZ7w"><em>Can you feel the sunshine?</em></a> +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<h3 class="u-mt-0 u-mb-1">Bomb Rush Cyberfunk</h3> +<p>Action-adventure / Nintendo Switch +<br /><br /></p> + +<p>As a fan of <em>Jet Set Radio</em> I had this game under my radar since it was announced, but its steep price, for an indie game, made me forget it for a while, until now. I finally got it during this last Nintendo eShop “black friday”, in a sweet 50% discount deal. Being completely honest, from what I’ve played so far, I was expecting more. Sure, the music and style are top-notch (all they had to do was to copy <em>Jet Set Radio Future</em> sense of style though), but the gameplay could be better, and the camera isn’t amazing either. Keep in mind that these are only early impressions. My opinion might change later on. Let’s see. +<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p><br /> +And that was November! With 2024 almost done, the next edition of this series will be the last one, as I’ll change the format starting next year. I’ll save the details for January. See you next time! +<br /><br /></p>As expected, November was for the most part a month dedicated to the latest Atlus magnum opus, Metaphor: ReFantazio! However, as usual, there was some time to squeeze a few smaller games in between. So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve been playing:1 year of ABXY2024-12-06T00:00:00+00:002024-12-06T00:00:00+00:00https://joaomarques.website/abxy/1-year-of-abxy<p>As you guessed by the title, this week marks one year since I released the <a href="https://joaomarques.website/abxy/welcome-to-abxy">first post of ABXY</a>! The idea was to release this post on the exact day, but well, let’s just pretend today is December 2nd. In that post I shared my vision for this project, and after <a href="https://joaomarques.website/abxy-posts"><strong>32 posts</strong></a> I can say it turned out to be pretty much what I had in mind - a place where I can document and share my opinions of all the games I play, be it in a review format or via something more casual, such as the “Played this month” rubric. <br /><br /> A lot happened during this time - not all related to games, but let’s stick with that for the context of this post - as I learned how hard it is to run a blog. At least I improved my writing skills and speed as a consequence. Part of the difficulty was my perfectionism and “impostor syndrome” always getting in the way, but even looking back at everything I wrote, I’m happy with the end result. <br /><br /> @@ -446,84 +481,4 @@ The codec radio is without question the most quintessential narrative device of <h3 id="great">Great<span class="u-ft-sans">✦✦✦✦✧</span></h3> <p>Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is simultaneously rooted in its origins and way ahead of its time. It’s simply one of those kinds of games that words alone can’t quite describe. The only way to understand it is to play it and fall for its ingenious metaphorical traps. -<br /><br /></p>After a whole life wondering what was so special about the Metal Gear series, for many people to consider it one of the best in videogame history, I decided to finally give it a chance at the beginning of this year. I started back in February with the first Metal Gear Solid (which I loved but didn’t have enough time to write a review of it) and then jumped immediately to its sequel. After watching its 12 minute long opening cutscene, I had to give it a break. That break ended up lasting a few months, enough time to get over my Metal Gear induced hangover. You see, these are relatively short games, but insanely dense in terms of narrative and gameplay mechanics. While impressive from a technical standpoint (for a 2001 game), Metal Gear Solid 2 simply wasn’t clicking for me in the same way as the first. I had to force my way through, hoping for a silver lining along the way. What I ended up finding was way more rewarding and mind-blowing than I ever expected. Claustrophobic freedomA day at Gamescom 20242024-08-27T00:00:00+01:002024-08-27T00:00:00+01:00https://joaomarques.website/abxy/gamescom-24<p>Since I started to follow with more attention the videogame industry, I had this somewhat farfetched dream of attending an E3, which was for around 20 years the pinnacle of the medium. That dream never came to life since the days of E3 are now long gone. While <a href="https://joaomarques.website/abxy/the-game-awards-2023">The Game Awards</a> absorbed some of the space left by it for the big and surprising game reveals, it was Gamescom who assumed the role of the biggest gaming conference in the world, growing considerably year by year in terms of attendance and relevance to the industry. -<br /><br /> -For me that was perfect, since a trip from Portugal to Germany, where the Gamescom is hosted, was way shorter and cheaper than to the United States. The dream was back on in a more attainable form - a win-win situation. With that in mind, I decided that this would be the year where I would attend Gamescom for the first time. I’m here now to tell you how it went. -<br /><br /></p> -<h3 id="the-logistics">The logistics</h3> - -<p>Going to an event of this magnitude required some preparation. From the accomodation to the experience while visiting it, many aspects had to be considered to take the most out of the day. This were my main considerations: -<br /></p> -<ul> - <li>Cologne, the city in the western part of Germany where all this happens, is a very expensive city. Flight directly to there and stay at the city can become extremely costly. I went for the most logical and affordable solution by staying at the neighbour city of Bonn, 20 minutes away by train. Luckily the event ticket came with a free transport pass for the region during the day of attendance, covering the commute expenses. -<br /><br /></li> - <li>When entering the venue of Gamescom, one thing became abundantly clear: all food and drinks in there were also ridiculously expensive. I came prepared for that though. After a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Gamescom/comments/wvm828/can_i_take_food_with_me/">quick search on Reddit</a> I found out that consumables from outside were allowed, as long as they weren’t alcoholic or contained in glass. I was able to save some money and time as well, as I took the chance to eat during the queues to try some game demos. -<br /><br /></li> - <li>It was difficult to visit the entire venue in just one day. Not only it was massive in terms of area, but moving from hall to hall was a challenge on itself due to the massive crowds. I did a plan beforehand in order to prioritise what I really wanted to see and experience, but outside of that I simply didn’t have enough time to explore more what else Gamescom had to offer. In retrospective, two days would be the ideal timeframe to a more complete insight on the whole event. -<br /><br /></li> -</ul> - -<h3 id="the-event">The event</h3> - -<p>Gamescom had a lot of things to offer for a single day, to a point of being almost overwhelming. There were merchandise and artist alleys, cosplay contests, retro gaming areas, game tournaments, meet and greets, talks with game creators and many more. However, the main draw of the event was without doubt what they called of “Entertainment area”, where the companies present there put their best suits and presented their upcoming games in gigantic, colorful and captivating booths. I didn’t have opportunity to visit all them, but it was still possible to get some insights from an overall perspective.</p> - -<ul> - <li>There was an evident huge investment from asian companies besides Japan, most noticably the south korean Krafton, that was there mainly to promote their new social simulation game <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6x864OOErk"><strong>InZOI</strong></a> by flexing its powerful character creation tool. Hoyoverse from China also had a strong representation, promoting their hallmark games <strong>Genshin Impact</strong> and <strong>Honkai: Star Rail</strong>, beside their recently released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b_37whBVvA"><strong>Zenless Zone Zero</strong></a>, by offering enormous gift bags that turned their visitors into mobile outdors. Really clever, I must admit. -<br /><br /></li> - <li>Household names like Ubisoft or Capcom also had a noticable presence there. The first was promoting <strong>Assassin’s Creed Shadows</strong> and <strong>Star Wars Outlaws</strong> while the latter put their money almost entirely on <strong>Monster Hunter Wilds</strong>. Actually, the promotion for that particular game was so heavy that there were outdoors everywhere inviting people to their booth, even outside the boundaries of the venue, being spread around the digital advertisement panels of the city itself. -<br /><br /></li> - <li>From the big three console manufacturers, the only one who was there in a substancial form was Microsoft, showcasing <strong>Avowed</strong>, <strong>Indiana Jones and The Great Circle</strong> and <strong>Starfield Shattered Space</strong>, to name a few. Sony was nowhere to be seen and Nintendo presence was limited to the Indie hall, supporting a few developers to showcase their titles for the Switch. Sony’s absense seems logical as they don’t have any upcoming flagship title, but Nintendo actually have a new Zelda about to be released, it seemed odd for them to not take the chance to promote it. I assume they are saving all their PR efforts to the reveal of their next system. -<br /></li> -</ul> - -<p>Beside the entertainment area, there were also a lot of interesting things to explore on the indie and retro gaming areas. On the indie one, there were simply too many games to try out, it was impossible to catch everything. I was able to briefly try two titles, <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1830430/Grimoire_Groves/"><strong>Grimoire Groves</strong></a> and <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1594060/Victory_Heat_Rally/"><strong>Victory Heat Rally</strong></a>, but both seemed to be still in a rough state to be honest. On the retro gaming area, there were a few booths of projects and entities dedicated to the subject, like the <a href="https://x.com/retrogamer_mag"><strong>Retro Gaming Magazine</strong></a>, selling some of their editions (sadly only in german), and the Sega Saturn focused podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6Uj3gD5KMQ4r4dJOjsknRF"><strong>SHIRO!</strong></a>, whose booth was obviously composed by several Saturns ready to be played. Unfortuately I didn’t spend as much time as I would like in this areas, but I will pay more attention to them if I ever return to the Gamescom in a future edition. -<br /><br /></p> - -<h3 id="the-demos">The demos</h3> - -<p>What’s better than see new games? Playing them. I had the opportunity to watch exclusive gameplay of two titles from Bethesda and try out in first hand two other from Sega/Atlus. Here are my impressions from each one of them:</p> - -<ul> - <li><strong>Starfield Shattered Space:</strong> This is an expansion that promises to deliver in areas where the base game was severly critizised for, particularly the environmental design, that will be composed by a handful of carefully crafted planets instead of a multitude of randomly generated ones, and the story. In visual terms, every footage they’ve shown looked way more eye catchy than everything the game offered before. -<br /><br /></li> - <li><strong>Indiana Jones and The Great Circle:</strong> A brand new game focused on the famous movie franchise where we impersonate a digital recreation of a young Harrison Ford, from a first person perspective. I have some reservations regarding that first person view, as it doesn’t look ideal for platforming. On the other hand, it’s the best choice for shooting and puzzle solving. I wonder how they will integrate seamlessly all this mechanics in the final product. -<br /><br /></li> - <li><strong>Metaphor: ReFantazio:</strong> This was by far the game I was most anticipating to play at Gamescom. Being from Atlus, it carries a lot of heritage from their previous games, starting by its development team, lead by the director of Persona 3, 4 and 5. Metaphor however is set in a medieval fantasy universe, contrasting with the contemporary setting of Persona. During the 15 minutes demo, I was able to experience a bit of the dungeon exploration and combat, that introduces a action oriented style, combined with the traditional turn-based one. From my limited experience, it works perfectly and it will make grinding much more fun and effortless. In the audio-visual department I have nothing but praise. In my opinion few companies make better game user interfaces than Atlus and Metaphor is here to prove it once again. -<br /><br /></li> -</ul> -<figure class="c-post__img"> - <div class="c-post__video"> - <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vgtv1orwhmU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""> - </iframe> - </div> - <figcaption>❖ In the Metaphor: ReFantazio demo it was possible to explore a dungeon and even fight a boss.</figcaption> -</figure> -<p><br /></p> -<ul> - <li><strong>Sonic x Shadow Generations:</strong> The last game I tried out during my time at Gamescom. Sonic Generations is essentially a remaster of the 2011 original for modern platforms, but what makes it interesting even for me, having played it back in the day, is the all new Shadow Generations. The model seems to be similar to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, essentially a compilation of two separated, yet related games. The demo available allowed me to experience two levels of each and my lasting impression of the new Shadow levels was really positive. They look great and play great, what more can I ask? -<br /><br /></li> -</ul> -<figure class="c-post__img"> - <div class="c-post__video"> - <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6lw7EAV-by4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""> - </iframe> - </div> - <figcaption>❖ The new Shadow levels are for sure the most interesting part of this new Sonic x Shadow Generations.</figcaption> -</figure> -<p><br /></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><br /> -Overall, going to the Gamescom was a fulfilling experience, even if a bit tiresome and overwhelming at points. I’m not sure if I’ll return next year, but I know (and I hope) this won’t be my last time here. -<br /><br /> -Lastly, I also participated on the latest episode of The Games Tome podcast, where I talked more in depth about everything I mentioned here (in 🇵🇹). -<br /><br /></p> -<figure class="c-post__img"> - <div class="c-post__video"> - <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B0MnYMpNpT8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""> - </iframe> - </div> - <figcaption>❖ My participation at The Games Tome podcast, in an episode dedicated to this edition of the Gamescom.</figcaption> -</figure> -<p><br /></p>Since I started to follow with more attention the videogame industry, I had this somewhat farfetched dream of attending an E3, which was for around 20 years the pinnacle of the medium. That dream never came to life since the days of E3 are now long gone. While The Game Awards absorbed some of the space left by it for the big and surprising game reveals, it was Gamescom who assumed the role of the biggest gaming conference in the world, growing considerably year by year in terms of attendance and relevance to the industry. For me that was perfect, since a trip from Portugal to Germany, where the Gamescom is hosted, was way shorter and cheaper than to the United States. The dream was back on in a more attainable form - a win-win situation. With that in mind, I decided that this would be the year where I would attend Gamescom for the first time. I’m here now to tell you how it went. The logistics \ No newline at end of file +<br /><br /></p>After a whole life wondering what was so special about the Metal Gear series, for many people to consider it one of the best in videogame history, I decided to finally give it a chance at the beginning of this year. I started back in February with the first Metal Gear Solid (which I loved but didn’t have enough time to write a review of it) and then jumped immediately to its sequel. After watching its 12 minute long opening cutscene, I had to give it a break. That break ended up lasting a few months, enough time to get over my Metal Gear induced hangover. You see, these are relatively short games, but insanely dense in terms of narrative and gameplay mechanics. While impressive from a technical standpoint (for a 2001 game), Metal Gear Solid 2 simply wasn’t clicking for me in the same way as the first. I had to force my way through, hoping for a silver lining along the way. What I ended up finding was way more rewarding and mind-blowing than I ever expected. Claustrophobic freedom \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/abxy/played-this-month-nov-24.html b/abxy/played-this-month-nov-24.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c8cca47 --- /dev/null +++ b/abxy/played-this-month-nov-24.html @@ -0,0 +1,130 @@ + + + + + + + + Played this month – November 2024 ● ABXY + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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Played this month – November 2024

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Fantasy lives on

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+
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14th December 2024

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update

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+

As expected, November was for the most part a month dedicated to the latest Atlus magnum opus, Metaphor: ReFantazio! However, as usual, there was some time to squeeze a few smaller games in between. So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve been playing: +


+ +

Metaphor: ReFantazio

+

RPG / Xbox Series X +

+ +

At this point in time, with 60 hours clocked in, I think I’m near the end of the game. At least it’s what the game’s calendar tells me, as I’m currently heading into the last month, from a total of five. Still, comparing with a Persona game this one feels more streamlined, which is a good thing since it was my main issue with Persona 5 Royal. I have so many things to say about this game, most of them good, but I’ll save for an eventual review. +


+ +

Undertale

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RPG / Nintendo Switch +

+ +

This was a game that I had for a long time in my list. Looking for a quick break from Metaphor, I decided it was the ideal time to play it. I think Undertale needs no introduction, as its a quintessential indie game. Created mostly by a single person, quirky, inventive and with a great sense of humor. In it, we play as a human who falls into the underworld, where the monsters live, and our goal is to escape it. During our journey, we discover the truth about the underworld and the long standing conflict between humans and monsters, as we meet the most absurd and charismatic characters. Seriously, the writing of this game is its strongest asset, with its music coming in a close second. I finished the game in around 6 hours, but since it’s so short, I’ll play it again in the future to see its “good ending”. +


+ +

Sonic R

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Racing / Sega Saturn +

+ +

In the sequence of the Sega Saturn 30th anniversary, I was challenged by a colleage from The Games Tome to do a “Deep Dive” review of Sonic R. Since it made years since I last played it, I decided to pick it up again to have a fresher perspective on it. This game is from a weird era in videogames, when the developers were still figuring out how to work with the third dimension, as so, its controls are everything but conventional. We control Sonic and some of the other characters in its universe, racing in 5 circuits with many hidden paths and secondary challenges. So far so good. But when we pick up the controller, we quickly understand that this isn’t quite a racing game, neither a platformer. It’s something in between. The first minutes are truly awful, but by the end, (as in, one hour later) when we finally understand its mechanics, it actually becomes fun and engaging. Lastly, it’s impossible to talk about Sonic R without mentioning its fantastic eurodance soundtrack. Can you feel the sunshine? +


+ +

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

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Action-adventure / Nintendo Switch +

+ +

As a fan of Jet Set Radio I had this game under my radar since it was announced, but its steep price, for an indie game, made me forget it for a while, until now. I finally got it during this last Nintendo eShop “black friday”, in a sweet 50% discount deal. Being completely honest, from what I’ve played so far, I was expecting more. Sure, the music and style are top-notch (all they had to do was to copy Jet Set Radio Future sense of style though), but the gameplay could be better, and the camera isn’t amazing either. Keep in mind that these are only early impressions. My opinion might change later on. Let’s see. +


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+ +


+And that was November! With 2024 almost done, the next edition of this series will be the last one, as I’ll change the format starting next year. I’ll save the details for January. See you next time! +

+ +
+ << More posts +
+ + + + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/feed.xml b/feed.xml index aaba68e..a35b241 100644 --- a/feed.xml +++ b/feed.xml @@ -1 +1 @@ -Jekyll2024-12-07T20:17:49+00:00https://joaomarques.website/feed.xmlJoão MarquesUX/UI Designer & Frontend developer. Author of the gaming blog ABXY. \ No newline at end of file +Jekyll2024-12-14T16:43:59+00:00https://joaomarques.website/feed.xmlJoão MarquesUX/UI Designer & Frontend developer. Author of the gaming blog ABXY. \ No newline at end of file