XboxERA's 2022 Backlog Challenge |OT| New Challenger Approaching!

Mort · June 8, 2022, 3:37pm

The leader gets bogged down in long ass JRPG’s?

PhantomFox · June 8, 2022, 7:41pm

profjjj:

…orce: tons of dialogue, endless clicking to advance dialogue (which is mostly presented one line at a time), lots of JRPG tropes, tons of hidden quests/items that require you to either run all over the place talking to every single person on the map frequently (or use a guide), boss fights that are nigh impossible unless every party member is wearing specific debuff protection, achievements that require multiple play throughs and/or save scumming, etc. Despite all that, I really loved it. In fact, I started part II immediately after finishing part I. If you like this genre then I highly recommend it. I own some of the Trails in the Sky series on PC as well, but have never completed any of them. So now that I am sort of hooked I have hundreds of hours of the Trails series to get through. Ha.

06/08/2022:

BadMoodJones · June 8, 2022, 8:34pm

Fricking finally able to get a point. Finished Arkham Knight last night on my VCR Xbox One. +1 Didn’t 100% it but rules state I don’t need to. (Riddler trophy ptsd) Cheers.

PhantomFox · June 8, 2022, 8:39pm

Nice! Updated the previous post.

Mort · June 8, 2022, 11:40pm

Awesome!

PhantomFox · June 14, 2022, 10:12pm

Welp, couldn’t help myself. Bought a bunch of games from the Deals Unlocked sale. Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mega Man 11, and Child of Light. -3, that puts me at last place.

06/15/2022:

Mort · June 14, 2022, 11:13pm

PhantomFox · June 15, 2022, 10:41pm

Ok, finished SteamWorld Dig 2, so that’s a +1. Really nice game, enjoyed the mining and metroidvania aspects.

Mort · June 16, 2022, 12:26am

Well, I wanted something quick before I tackle the next game so I dug into the backlog and found Storm Boy. A very quick and easy completion but it was a nice little story. Beutiful, sweet and sad. Liked it!

That’s a +1, @PhantomFox !

PhantomFox · June 16, 2022, 1:32am

06/15/2022:

peter42O · June 16, 2022, 1:47am

Holy shit!!!

Mort is in second place. The world is coming to an end. lol

Joking aside, congratulations Mort. A few months ago, I said that profjjj was going to run away with this challenge but nope, we’re having a competition!!!

profjjj · June 17, 2022, 12:46pm

Just finished Trails of Cold Steel 2. +1
But I also just bought the last two games of the Trails in the Sky series after realizing I only owned the first one. -2
So that’s a net -1 for me.

I enjoyed Cold Steel 2, but probably not quite as much as the first one. Part of that is probably due to playing them back to back with no break, but part is that some of the plot devices/tropes really started wearing on me after showing up multiple times. Another part is that the game JUST WOULD NOT END. Ha.

Light spoilers coming. I thought the end of Act 2 would be a natural conclusion for the game. But no, after Act 2 comes the Finale. Surely that’s the end right? No. After the Finale comes the perspective shift with the two Crossbell characters (who I had never seen before having not played the Crossbell games). Still not the end. Now we go back to the school for the Epilogue. It was nice to go back to the school for a bit, but the Epilogue ends with a massive dungeon which seemingly has the sole purpose of letting players grind to get ready for New Game +. I’m sure when the game released fans were thrilled to see the Crossbell characters and happy for that last dungeon, but by that point I was REALLY ready to roll the credits.

I am definitely going to take a JRPG break before going back to Trails in the Sky. I’m also going to take a break from gaming for at least a few days. The Cold Steel games have consumed every moment of my free time for the last four weeks or so. I need to do some other things for a bit.

Mort · June 17, 2022, 2:09pm

The backlog is shrinking! It might not be noticeable outside of an electron microscope but you know…

Yeah, taking a month or two off is a good idea.

peter42O · June 17, 2022, 2:26pm

Hahaha. Slowly but surely.

PhantomFox · June 17, 2022, 2:28pm

profjjj:

… Crossbell characters (who I had never seen before having not played the Crossbell games). Still not the end. Now we go back to the school for the Epilogue. It was nice to go back to the school for a bit, but the Epilogue ends with a massive dungeon which seemingly has the sole purpose of letting players grind to get ready for New Game +. I’m sure when the game released fans were thrilled to see the Crossbell characters and happy for that last dungeon, but by that point I was REALLY ready to roll the credits. I am definitely going to take a JRPG break before going back to Trails in the Sky. I’m also going to take a break from gaming for at least a few days. The Cold Steel games have consumed every moment of my free time for the last four weeks or so. I need to do some other things for a bit.

06/17/2022:

peter42O · June 17, 2022, 2:29pm

I should be back to 0 next week some time once I complete Alan Wake Remastered. Went through chapter one yesterday. Four more chapters to go.

CasualMason · June 17, 2022, 2:54pm

Ok so I am finally getting around to it. I am going to start FF13 thru Returns. Only played FF7 so this is all pretty new to me. If anyone has tips, shoot them my way. Really excited to play this. The gaming heavens SHOOK when this came out on 360 back in the day.

CryOn · June 17, 2022, 4:31pm

FF13: You have to use the paradigma system. It’s essential so try to understand it as soon as possible.

13-2: Chichu and almost every Chocobo are very good monsters to have in your team. The story bridge to Lighting Returns is behind a paid DLC.

Lightning Returns: Don’t be annoyed if your time runs it. You can farm time if necessary. The Cloud DLC is a very good costume to use and can help in the early game, but you have to buy it with cash.

CasualMason · June 17, 2022, 6:36pm

Awesome! Thank You. I bought the DLC which was only a $1. Funny…it still has these old symbols. Blast from the past:

NierlyCrazy · June 18, 2022, 12:04am

At this rate, I might go neutral by the end of July… maybe. lol

I shall have my vengeance, I swear!