ALYSSA LOST IN SPACE

This is a bit of a different post from my usual stuff, but I really want to incorporate more book content, game content and just more sff related goodness, so I thought this would be a good place to start. I’m kind of a geeky gal, and I want my blog to reflect that.

Video games are a big part of my life, and if I’m not watching or reading something (or y’know actually trying to live up to that author title), I’m probably playing something. I’ve mentioned this before, but the level of escapism that some games provide is really helpful for keeping my stress low (and I need that at this time of year, believe me!).

Currently Playing

I’m so excited for the new Pokemon game coming out next month, so in preparation, I’m catching up on some of the entries that I missed. After Black 2 I kind of lost interest in the Pokemon franchise, and I wasn’t all that interested in X/Y. Pokemon Go definitely revived my love of Pokemon and I was obsessed with Sun/Moon. I played the Moon version and I think it’s probably the best Pokemon game to date. I loved exploring the islands, the pokemon designs were great and the game mechanics were so much better (no more HM slaves, FINALLY). I’m about to finish Pokemon Y and then I’ll be picking up Let’s Go Pikachu.

I’m also playing through the second of four routes in Fire Emblem Three Houses, which is such a good game. If you have a Nintendo Switch, I would absolutely recommend it. Amazing voice acting, fascinating lore and an engaging story, and I’m loving the gameplay. I was never a big fan of the tactical sort of games – I think the fact that I play games for stress relief plays a big part in that – but in Three Houses it is straightforward and easy to understand but also robust enough to keep it engaging when you play the same map 20 times. I am so glad I decided to pick this up, and I hope to get through all of the routes by the end of this year.

When I’m in the mood lately, I’ve been playing some Sims 4. I have mixed feelings about the Sims games, but maybe because I’m a writer and storyteller I’m drawn to the idea of making a bunch of families and having their stories play out. It’s been a fun, chill game to jump into when I don’t really want to use my brain, which is not a glowing endorsement of the game, but it’s the sort of game that provides a very unique experience for a specific player. I also love building things. I love games that can inspire you and create that environment to be creative. And Sims 4 is more than capable of that.

Speaking of, I decided to start a gaming Instagram account to curate a collection of my video game screenshots (of which there are many). If you like that sort of thing, you can check out my profile @lootandlevels.

The Dreaded Backlog

Steam sales are a dreadful thing, and I’ve accumulated many, many games for a low price, and that’s really made my game library unnecessarily long.

To keep my game library in check this year, I’ve got the same sort of restrictions as I do on my book buying – I can’t buy a new one until I finish an old one. There are many new games that have come out this year that I’d like to play, but I want to make sure I’m at least attempting to clear some games off of my backlog first. The next 8 games I’m hoping to play (and beat) are:

• Bravely Default (Nintendo DS) – Started but put down when I got to a grindy point. Heard so many good things, so I want to beat it!
• Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (Nintendo DS) – Technically a replay that I started and I’m about half-way through.
• Divinity: Original Sin (PC) – Another game that I started and didn’t finish, but it was a lot of fun and so different from the rest of the rpgs I’ve played.
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PC) – Yup. Started it. Got stuck at a boss and didn’t feel like grinding, so I stopped playing.
• The Room (PC) – Started this as sort of a co-op puzzle-solving game with my sister and we have yet to finish it!
• Dragon Age Inquisition (PC) – Played half the game and just…stopped. Love the world and the characters, but the gameplay I find a little repetitive.
• Star Wars Battlefront II Single Player Mode – I had a lot of fun with the multiplayer, though I will concede that it is the literal definition of loot box hell. But I’m Star Wars trash, so I forgave it for that. Really want to play the single-player mode for the story and because I literally cannot get enough of the Star Wars narrative.
• Assassin’s Creed (PS3) – The first game! Started it, but I’m feeling the age in those mechanics, so it’s a little harder for me to get into. But I’m also obsessed with stealth, so I’m trying to give it a shot. If I enjoy it, I hope to play through most of the games in the series!

Noticing a pattern? The last couple of years I’ve started a lot of games and picked up something else without going back to finish them. Rinse and repeat, to the point where I’ve started a shameful number of games that I haven’t bothered to finish. Hence, the backlog. That is definitely something I want to sort out, whether or not I decide to stop playing or beat the game, I want to be finished with all of these.

Chat with Me!

What games are you playing right now? What games are on your backlog? Do you have a habit of changing games or do you have to play them through to completion? Let chat in the comments!