What You Playing? – May 2025

Intro

The Selective Hearing team has been immersed in various games this month. With two-thirds of the team overseas, what games did they play on vacation? Are any of us buying the Switch 2?

Allen

What Have You Been Playing in May?

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition

What Are Your Thoughts?

SPOILERS AHEAD

Most of my month was spent playing the potential GOTY, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I remember watching one of the Xbox showcases where they showed gameplay and loving the idea of a parry/dodge system in a JRPG-like game. After learning that it was made by a small French team, Sandfall Interactive, I kept tabs on the game.

What an absolute diamond of a game! I had to wait on my physical copy a few days after launch, so I avoided any spoilers or beginner tips. I saw the review scores and felt I needed to go in as blind as possible. I knew it would be a JRPG with more interactions, like a Mario and Luigi series of games on the DS, such as Attack QTEs.

The Dodge and Parry system is excellent. Not only do you have to read enemy movements, you have to be aware of mixups and feints and adjust accordingly. The absolute satisfaction of not only hitting a parry but a successful series of parries that lead to counters is euphoric. Many times, after a parry and counter, it felt so good that I yelled out “HELL YEA” or a “F*** YOU!”

The art style and graphics are excellent. The eyes and faces are expressive, along with the stellar voice acting. The acting is so good; I haven’t felt this way about it since the Uncharted series. It is backed by an excellent soundtrack that lets you breathe in the environment or the emotion that the game is trying to evoke.

You might even find yourself jamming to some tracks; don’t take your hands off the wheel. Stay focused on the road in front of you. There are a lot of challenges, minigames, and post-game content ready for players to dive in. I could go on and on about everything that made me happy about this game, but the story kept me engaged. I never watch other people’s streams to see what they think about certain parts of different games, but E33 made me want to seek out those reactions.

Weeks after beating and completing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I still think about the game and talk about it with friends. Whether it is how they felt about specific beats in the story, their favourite team members, or their Picto load-outs, I haven’t had this type of fun and positive discussion about a game in a long time.

I first beat the story at about 40 hours and got the platinum trophy at 65 hours. I plan to do a New Game+ run for the next playthrough in a few months. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is on top of my 2025 leaderboard as my favourite game of the year. After playing E33, I felt like I needed a mindless masher, so I went back to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. I had the PS4 version way back in the day but never finished the game.

Back in February, the PS5 version was up on PSN, so I went ahead and started over and played through it again. I took a break once Pirate Yakuza and Monster Hunter Wilds came out. I was able to load the PS4 disc and get the PS5 upgrade to continue my progress.

I did like the wacky side stories and their own way of handling the main storyline of DragonBall Z. It has nice little callbacks for the hardcore fans. I would think a lot of fans who like open-world games would find that this is a great balance of Dragonball lore, collecting, and fighting. However, it does get pretty mindless that you would spam your special attacks repeatedly and focus your build around that idea. I ended up having Krillin and Tien as my teammates and switching out the main character when needed.

Krillin and Tien can spam Solar Flare repeatedly, while your controlling character, like Vegeta, can spam Big Bang Attack or Goku with Spirit Bomb. I finished and got the platinum trophy in under 50 hours. I don’t want to get any of the DLC and do the extra stories. Someone might get in a zen mode, gaining more and more levels and mashing repeatedly. I’ve had my fill.

I also digitally picked up Capcom Fighting Collection 2 and Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition. CvS2 was my fighting game back in the day, and I loved Rival Schools and Power Stone on the Dreamcast, so it only made sense to buy the collection.

I am so rusty; all my legacy brain was not helping me in some random, sweaty online matches. However, it sure was fun messing around again. Fighting games is how I first learned how to deal with tight parry windows, which I owe to for helping me get through Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I’ll have to log in and play other games in the collection soon.

Chrono Cross is always on sale on PSN, so I felt like it was a good time to pick it up. I don’t have any fond memories other than my brother playing the game back on PS1. I remember not many people liking the game back in the day, but if you treat the game separately from Chrono Trigger, then a lot of people love the game.

“What Are You Looking Forward to in June?”

We have launched a new system, Nintendo Switch 2! I’ll participate in the Mario Kart World madness and maybe Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut. I’ll also test how the older Switch games run on the new system. It would be nice to play some of these games at a reasonable frame rate.

I might get Pokémon Legends Z-A in the future, but that art style isn’t appealing. I had initially reserved the Switch 2 as my Metroid Prime 4 system in my head, but I would love to be proved wrong.

Greg

What Have You Been Playing in May?

• Taiko no Tatsujin
• Mario Kart
• Street Fighter 6

What Are Your Thoughts?

I was in Tokyo during May, and when I was there, I followed my ritual visit to a game center near or around my hotel area to partake in the in-person competitive gaming experience since actual arcades and game centers are all but dead where I live in Canada. Sadly, I had the chance to visit a game center on a Wednesday at the beginning of the day. That meant very few players were around since they were all at work, school, or away from the game center doing whatever they did during daylight hours.

But since I was around, I took the opportunity to play a few games to kill time before catching my bus home to the airport.

The first was the arcade version of Taiko no Tatsujin. This version of the rhythm game is regularly updated in Japan with the latest chart-topping hits and whatever idol music hits big with listeners.

I got to play the game drumming along to Fruits Zipper’s latest releases and then went random selection for my other two games. Banging on the giant taiko drums is a great way to blow off some energy.
It’s not as rewarding as the table-flipping game (which I haven’t seen in-game centers in many moons), but still fun.

The second game I played was Mario Kart. I’m not an experienced Mario Kart player, but I quickly got the hang of the game. I played as Toad. I don’t know if he is the optimal driver, but he matches my driving style when playing racing games. If I had more time, I would have played a few more rounds to get used to the game’s nuances. I’ll spend money on the game for my Switch 1.

Lastly was Street Fighter 6. The main reason I go to game centers in Japan is to fulfill my destiny of eventually beating a Japanese player in a fighting game in an arcade setting. I know there are online lobbies on the console/PC version of the game, but it’s not the same as being in the same room as your opponent.

I have failed at doing this every year I have been to Japan. I have won rounds here and there but never a match. This trip was the one I had the best chance at winning a game since I switched from playing photos and went to a quicker, offensive-minded character in Juri.

Yes, I now main the feet. Sadly, there were no other players in my pool of cabinets to fight, so I burned through arcade mode several times and called it a day. On the next trip, I will go to the game center at a busier time to feed my needs and get my opponent to eat the feet.

“What Are You Looking Forward to in June?”

I don’t know. I have entered a busy time of the year with some music side projects, so I am currently dedicated to getting those off the ground. If I find time between sessions, I’ll return to Street Fighter 6 for a while.

Unlike the others, I’m not gung-ho about getting a Switch 2. The Canadian price for it is almost the equivalent of a one-way economy class seat to Tokyo. I’ll follow what I did for Switch 1: Wait about a year or so for the hype to die and buy it in Canada or Japan.

I barely use my current Switch as it is, so it isn’t a high priority for me.

BigFreaky

What Have You Been Playing in May?

• Pokémon TCG Pocket
• Pokémon GO

What Are Your Thoughts?

PokémonTCG Pocket continues to be just another log-in and open-pack game. I haven’t played matches in forever. I was a bit busy at times. That’s the best excuse I have. The art I like for sure, but I’m sure I’m missing out on a lot of fun. Hopefully I’ll get to it.

I’ve been traveling for the past few months, Pokémon GO(es) with me everywhere I go. I did catch a few special regional Pokémon and some special Pikachu, but overall, the travel months didn’t have a lot going on in-game. Hopefully, future trips will have more events.

One of my new favourite things to do is go to “Book Off” in Japan and pick up video games at an absolute steal of a price. Book Off and other related stores in Japan are second-hand stores that resell items. Even some of the most recent games, with a significant discount, are there. Depending on the scarcity of the items, they usually have a pretty fair price. I picked up a few titles for future play.

I also wanted to pick up Black Myth: Wukong, but it was too new and still too popular. The price wasn’t appealing to me. I’m sure I can pick it up on my next trip.

I also found a hidden gem of a store in Okinawa this time. They had so much stuff, and it was terrific. Prices were quite fair. I didn’t have much time to look at everything, but I had to grab these Pokémon titles.

I wasn’t 100% sure I had Pokémon Gold/Silver Stadium, so I grabbed it in case. But I for sure didn’t have Pokémon Snap yet. I didn’t have the Pokémon Ranger game either. I’m unsure if I have a system to let me play it. I’ll find out in the future, I guess.

“What Are You Looking Forward to in June?”

Will I be buying a Nintendo Switch 2? I didn’t get a pre-order and haven’t decided whether to brave the unwashed masses for a “day of” drops at local retailers. There isn’t a game I’m looking to play right away. Most likely not until Pokémon Legends Z-A comes out, and that isn’t until October.

I do have a slight fear that if I don’t find a unit sooner than later, I’ll end up without one as they inevitably sell out… but for how long will that be? I know it’s nothing like a PS5 situation, but I don’t want to be caught switch-less.