Allen
What Have You Been Playing in November 2024?
- PlayStation 5 Pro
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
- Vampire Survivors
What Are Your Thoughts
SPOILERS AHEAD
My PlayStation 5 Pro arrived, and I was very happy. I hoped the increase in horsepower would help me run some of my games better. However, I had issues when I started the data transfer from my launch PS5 to the PS5 Pro. I tried using an ethernet cable first, but I got an error saying that I couldn’t transfer data. I tried three more times and another time over Wi-Fi, and all failed.
I deleted old games and moved the main ones I’ve been playing to my M2.SSD on my old PS5, which I then took and installed in my PS5 Pro. After that, getting my saved files off the cloud was easy.
The first big test game I tried was Metaphor ReFantazio. It was a lot easier on my eyes now, and the raw power allowed it to run at 60 frames per second. It was rough on the base PS5, getting mid-40s fps, but the upgrade has already paid off.
I had the last third of the game to go through. I did like likeory’s direction and the protagonist’s true identity. I had a hard eye roll when I found out about his existence. As the story progressed, I decided more with Louis, the main antagonist. The combat kept me interested in the game until I had some great builds to make the fights easier. It felt like I broke the game with some of the builds, and depending on your style, that may be good or bad.
I maxed out all job classes with specific farms at the final dungeon. I still had to pay attention in the final battle, but it got slowed down by the story’s revelation about More. Another hard eye roll from me when that came around. Ultimately, I wanted to beat the final boss and finish the game.
Metaphor ReFantazio got overhyped for me. I love the combat and the music, but the story and the graphics were a letdown. If this becomes a franchise, they can upgrade the weak points and tighten that up if I had to give it a rating of 7.5. It would have been higher if I hadn’t just played Persona 3 Reload a few months before; that game had the whole package. I planned to do the super boss, but I needed a break.
I fired up Vampire Survivors to turn off my brain and get something done. And then I got caught up again. It had been years since I played the game, and I didn’t remember the combinations. I took a bit of a deeper dive, thinking I was going to get all the trophies, but eventually, I just had some good runs.
Once I had the hunger for another JRPG, Dragon Quest III HD-2D was the next in line. I loved the graphics style here compared to Octopath Traveller, where everything was pixel graphics. I was never really engaged in Octopath. I was attracted to the graphics here in DQ. I needed a less mind-bending RPG to sink my teeth into, and this had been great so far. I’m taking the game in smaller chunks and slower so I don’t get burnt out quicker.
What Are You Looking Forward to in December?
I’ll be playing Dragon Quest HD-2D for the majority of December. Marvel Rivals is looking pretty cool. I’m not sure if I need to play another hero shooter, especially after the disappointment that is Overwatch 2, but I’ll give it a shot.
Greg
What Have You Been Playing in November 2024?
- Pokemon TCG Pocket
- NHL 25
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
What Are Your Thoughts?
The game I have been playing the most in November is the Pokemon TCG Pocket. Having completed a whole month of gameplay, I can say that this is a highly addictive and entertaining game. Remember that this does not follow the conventional Pokemon TCG rules and is a more condensed version to keep mobile users engaged. If you like traditional Pokemon TCG, this might not be your game.
The most important part of this type of game is getting a good amount of cards to help you build winning decks faster. How one does this depends on whether one wants to grind out the daily free packs or spend actual money to accelerate the pack opening process.
Spending money includes paying for the monthly premium pass, which allows you to open two packs instead of 1, and then dropping additional funds to get paid Pokegold. This will enable you to open many packs depending on how much real-life money you donate to the game. I kept my premium pass after the trial ended and have only spent money on Pokegold once.
When it comes to battles, having had experience with card games through Magic: The Gathering, I had a general idea of how the battles in Pokemon TCG Pocket would work. Of course, the early struggles of seeing the most effective cards and figuring out the meta were the most significant learning curve to overcome. I found the battles much more manageable once I collected enough decent cards and put together better decks.
I can sum up the meta (before the Mythical Island expansion) as “Fuck Mewtwo and Pikachu,” and for water decks, fuck all these tails on the Misty coin flips. Otherwise, I’ve been having fun with this game as it is the perfect way to kill time (and empty your wallet if you choose) on the go or the couch at home.
NHL 25 HUT has entered season two and has introduced players from the PWHL. I haven’t spent any real-world money on packs in this game because I’m not as invested in creating a kick-ass team and collecting all the cards as I am with Pokemon. I’ve been grinding it out for cards and points to purchase packs that don’t suck. Sometimes, I take on the HUT missions and see how far I can get before it gets too frustrating to finish the task at hand.
My current roster is 80 overall, so I’m getting closer to having a decent team. I added the PWHL players I have to adjust my existing HUT average rating, which went up. So far, I’m casual with this game, so I’m not as invested in doing anything but playing a few games after work to wind down.
Teenage Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was recently added as a free game for PlayStation Plus Premium members. I haven’t played a side-scrolling beat “em-up match in years, so why not try it? I forgot how difficult these games are, especially as a solo player. However, it’s a great nostalgia trip, and I’m having fun trying to complete all the objectives thrown at you at each level.
What Are You Looking Forward to in December?
Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island Expansion
BigFreaky
What Have You Been Playing in November 2024?
- Pokémon TCG Pocket
- Pokémon GO
- Retro Games
What Are Your Thoughts?
Pokémon TCG Pocket is now in full swing!! I started the month strong with many great pulls, and I’ve also done excellently with the Luck Picks!
I am progressing slowly. I pay for the subscription that allows me to open an extra pack daily, but I’m still wondering if it is worth it. It’s an entertainment cost, and depending on the future of trading, it will be another way to connect with friends. So, for now, I’ll continue to give TPC my money.
Regarding battling, you can see the meta cards/decks running wild, and I’m forever not a fan of them. At least solo battles are a change-up, which you can be destroyed if the draw is terrible.
However, as usual, the collectability of the Pokémon is present in this digital version of the physical card game. But I’ve long given up the “gotta catch ’em all” mantra and settled for the more realistic “gotta catch a decent amount of ’em all.” This has been forcefully enforced by video games, PoGO, and physical card collecting.
Pokémon GO held its first “Wild Area” event in Fukuoka, Japan, and the following weekend, it launched Gigantamax Toxtricity globally. Once again, I had to step out of the house and touch grass to meet other people IRL at an agreed-upon time so we could battle and capture the PKMN.
We started with about 30 trainers this time, so they were a bit easier compared to the last bout of GMAX battles.
The event was another two-day adventure, but the game spawns were not very exciting. I spent most of the time just finishing the research for rewards and trying to catch some missing shinies for the dex. It was fine, but a bit boring. That is okay. One of my friends who tagged along needed quite a few PKMN and candy, which is good.
I didn’t get a Shiny Toxtricity, but my friend did, and I’m okay with that. He has a nice souvenir of the event.
Retro Gaming!!
My setup continues. I’ve only had some limited time to play. I still need to work on some cabling and getting some isopropyl alcohol to clean off some game connectors!! That damn blinking NES.
What Are You Looking Forward to in December?
Pokémon TCG Pocket will receive further updates and a new booster pack! I can’t wait. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the game. Pokémon GO will enter a new season, Dual Destiny, from December through February, featuring another Tour. This time, Unova will be the focus. That will be the first few days of March so that reporting will be done on another date.
Reshiram and Zekrom are a big focus of the season. We haven’t had any opportunities to raid them. I don’t even have a single XL candy either! We should also see Kyurem’s return, with its Absofusion with the previously mentioned Reshiram and Zekrom.
Retro Gaming—I will continue to work on my setup and hopefully get a chance to play some games. I’m having trouble finding some of my older games. I didn’t sell them or (heaven forbid) throw them away. I’ve had a house move this year, so not everything is in order. It’s a work in progress, for sure.
