Week dedicated to a new entry among the active titles, just to take a break from Banishers, which I’m suffering through because of its repetitiveness.

In progress

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden – I’m tired, the end is not as close as I thought at the beginning
skate. – Still fun when taken in small doses. It keeps enough good ideas to stay installed on my hard drive for a long time
Pikmin 3 Deluxe – I wanted to pick something from my backlog to play on Switch in a different genre than usual

Future purchases

and Roger – the premise seems very interesting, plus it’s about a one-hour experience to enjoy as if it were little more than an interactive movie.

Conclusion

After passing the forty-hour mark on Banishers I got a bit tired and needed to alternate it with something more relaxing. Sure, skate. is fun and has great potential, but since it’s free-to-play I prefer to take it slowly, knowing that in the future it can only get more stable and potentially richer in content.

I was looking at my PC backlog when I decided to recover some titles from my Switch library that I still hadn’t started, and I went with Pikmin 3 Deluxe, also because it’s a different type of game from what I usually play.

It’s not my first encounter with this series, I played the second one on GameCube (and I don’t even want to remember exactly how many years ago), and the game immediately hooked me with its so unusual gameplay. Pikmin 4 is definitely still on my radar as a title to catch up on, and I should ask my girlfriend if she wants to try playing together since the whole adventure can also be tackled in co-op.

As for the title I added to the future purchases list, I was really intrigued by the premise, along with the fact that it’s quite a short experience, perfect to enjoy in a single evening!

Week 38: September 15 – 21

While I kept going with Banishers (which turned out to be a lot longer than I initially expected), I was reminded of the release of Skate!



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Currently Playing

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden – Still pushing through the adventure, I shouldn’t be too far from the end.
skate. – A semi-sim f2p I’m curious to see evolve. I’m definitely not approaching it like a full-priced game, but simply for what it is: a free-to-play.

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Future Purchases

Pacific Drive – This one’s been on my wishlist for a while now, and I’ve noticed it’s often on sale at pretty tempting prices on PC lately.



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Conclusion

I’ve now passed the 30-hour mark in Banishers and I’m starting to feel its weight (while also trying to keep my OCD tendencies in check that push me to clear the map of all those markers, which isn’t even that hard since the compass makes it very easy to reach them). I think I’ll finish it while still dedicating some time to side quests, as I’m really enjoying them.

As for Skate, like I said, I don’t have big expectations, and I’m not even complaining about the first post-launch days, which are clearly filled with errors and small (and big) bugs that affect the experience. If anything, I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised so far by the depth of the gameplay and the sheer amount of options to fine-tune controls and camera settings to your own preference. It might turn out to be a great “background” game for casual sessions and online trick battles with other players.

Lastly, when it comes to Pacific Drive, maybe it’s finally time to move it from my wishlist into my backlog. Still, I’ve got a long queue of other games waiting, and I’d really like to spend more time on the Switch 2: maybe finally starting Pikmin 3 Deluxe or Bayonetta 3…

Week 37: September 8 – 14

I decided to put Silksong on hold to pick Banishers back up. On one hand, I felt bad leaving it on pause; on the other, the game’s difficulty (and the frustration that comes with it) doesn’t really fit with the personal commitments I have right now, so I’d rather play something more relaxing than a more demanding game.


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Games Completed

None

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Currently Playing

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden – Continued Red and Antea’s adventure. The atmosphere really shines here, as does diving into the various cases that let us explore the lives of the settlers.

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Backlog Growing

None

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Future Purchases

None

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Conclusion

As I already mentioned, right now I need something a bit more laid-back. DON’T NOD’s game is exactly what I need at this moment: it takes the roots of the latest two God of War games but tones them down in terms of complexity and gameplay, focusing instead on story building and the relationship between the two protagonists (whose constant interplay I really enjoy).

At first, I was leaning toward following the “good” path that leads to a certain conclusion, but over the hours I slowly changed my mind. It almost feels like the game is deliberately asking you later on whether you’re truly sure about the decision you made practically right after the opening prologue…

These days I’m taking the chance to add some posts about the past weeks and trying to use this structure to keep track of my gaming backlog: what I’m playing, what I’ve finished, and what I’m adding to the backlog or to my to-buy list!

Week 36: September 1 - 7

This week, after years of waiting, there’s only one name to shout: Silksong. Team Cherry’s title, as the internet has already made clear, literally managed to crash almost every store where the game was available (surely the lack of pre-orders and preload had quite an impact), not to mention the staggering figure of over half a million active players on Steam alone.

In the meantime, while waiting for Silksong, I also kept going with the brilliant Banishers, which I need to stick with so it doesn’t risk getting pushed to the side.

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Games Completed

None

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Currently Playing

• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

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Backlog Growing

• None

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Added to To-Buy List

• Cronos: The New Dawn (survival horror with hardcore difficulty? I’m in!)
• Hell is Us (an investigative action game with no maps, markers, or explicit directions: super curious about this one)
• Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots (I really enjoy arcade golf games; I’ll wait a bit to see early impressions from players, maybe even catch a good discount)
• Militioner (the concept - a giant cop watching your every move - is weird and intriguing. The game looks like it’s offering more than just a wild gimmick)
• Dome-King Cabbage (a visual novel set in a monster-collecting RPG world? I love this kind of crazy stuff. The visual style grabbed me at first glance)

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Conclusion

This September week of 2025 is packed with interesting releases, and the upcoming weeks won’t be any different! (I’m very curious to see how the new Silent Hill f will turn out). The number of games that inspire me, that I want to try, and that I’m sure I’ll eventually buy just keeps growing, while, as usual, time remains the harshest enemy.

To make things even trickier, I’ve had the urge for some old-school Western RPGs for a while now, particularly Pillars of Eternity, which I’ve had sitting in my library thanks to Amazon Games giving it away for free together with its expansions. On top of that, I’ve also got several Switch titles I already bought, which are now firmly sitting in the backlog.

Love the screenshots that you share on your blog.

Thanks a lot! I’ve always loved photography, and in video games I always try to take a moment to capture some “natural” shots, meaning without putting too much work into framing or special effects, but instead leaving the image as close as possible to what the player actually experiences in that moment.

The downside is that it sometimes breaks the flow of the action, so I have to find a balance between staying in the gameplay and wanting to snap a photo (whether through the controller button or the game’s own photo mode).

Update from the past month: I finished Death Stranding 2 and got the platinum in about 140 hours (a handful of hours less than it took me to platinum the first game back in 2019).

Wanting to break things up with a lighter, shorter experience, I played Wheel World on Game Pass: a fun little game, but one that definitely could’ve pushed further on the narrative side: the potential was all there.

Since I had put it on hold because of Kojima’s game, I also went back to The Alters, though it was tough to pick up at first. I had stopped just before the end of the second act, and in the first couple of days I even considered dropping it altogether because the game had thrown me into a pretty tricky situation, and after a two-month break it wasn’t easy to jump back in. But since I didn’t want to abandon it on the spot, and even less so restart from scratch, I pushed through, and I’m glad I did: I managed to finish Jan’s journey. A brilliant game, and another personal hit from developers who have never let me down so far.

Now, while waiting for Silksong, I’ve started Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. I’ve always appreciated DON’T NOD’s storytelling and atmospheres, and this one’s no different. The late 17th-century American setting is intriguing, and the story, with its investigations reaching into the realm of the dead, is genuinely captivating.

It's been over a month since I last updated this page, but once again, certain events have diverted my attention to other activities beyond simply tackling my backlog.

I had left off at completing Doom The Dark Ages and starting The Alters, while also beginning to delve into the titles available for the Switch 2.

What Happened?

To make a long story short, Death Stranding 2 was released (along with some other personal matters, but this isn't the place for that!). Kojima Productions' latest effort has already taken up almost 80 hours of my time (and I'm only halfway through the game!), so I've decided to put everything else on hold to dedicate myself to the arduous task of rebuilding and reuniting Australia.

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Gaming Updates

I'm a bit frustrated with The Wind Waker because a bug caused me to lose a good hour and a half of a rather tedious play session. That led me to pause it in the final stages of the game, and I'll wait to finish the PlayStation 5 title before I go back to it.

Regarding the Nintendo Switch, I've also picked up a few titles I've been meaning to play, such as Echoes of Wisdom, Bayonetta 3, and Pikmin 3 Deluxe. So, once I get the platinum in Sam's latest odyssey, I'll be spending the rest of the summer exclusively with my Nintendo console.

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Other Games on My Radar

Meanwhile, interesting titles continue to pop up on Game Pass, and there are a couple of indies that have piqued my curiosity (Back to the Dawn and Wheel World, just to name the ones available this month). And, I still need to finish The Alters.

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A Subscription Dilemma?

Perhaps I should cancel my subscription to avoid constantly having new titles I want to try, especially since I already have so many (considering my usual limited free time).

It’s been a month since the last update of this blog, and there have been quite a few new developments and events!

I don't want to go on for too long, so I’ll get straight to the last title I planned to start after Expedition 33: Doom The Dark Ages!

This latest iteration of the world’s most famous FPS struggled to impress me in the various previews that have come out over time, and I was really eager to see if those impressions would carry over once I got hands-on with the mouse. The answer is… halfway.

Let me start with a premise: for me, Doom Eternal is the peak of the series’ gameplay. Extremely fast, aerial, structured in a way that forces the player to use all the weapons rather than focusing on just a few and forgetting the rest.

TDA is, essentially, the opposite of all that. The gameplay feels sluggish, grounded, and the use of all the weapons is encouraged solely by the desire to complete the mastery challenge for each one, once they are fully upgraded.

It’s still Doom, with rock-solid and very fun gameplay, but the overall experience didn’t fully convince me. Also, it’s undeniable that the difficulty level has been dialed down: TDA’s Nightmare is Eternal’s Ultra Violence, without a doubt.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t fully convinced by the mech and dragon riding sections either (very rough and thrown in just for a brief variation from the first-person action). I also found the presence of the story to be excessive, with far too many cutscenes that serve no real purpose for a plot that exists solely as a pretext to shred demon hordes with shotguns and shields.

Being able to play it for free thanks to Game Pass definitely softened my opinion of the experience, because at full price I would have found it rather unpalatable.



Following Doom, of course, comes the arrival of Nintendo’s new console, the Switch 2!

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and Nintendo fully embraced this with the first numbered console that follows the previous one, similar to PlayStation’s approach.

Mario Kart World is a title with incredibly high potential to build on over the years (hopefully with support on par with the previous installment), which remains the most successful and content-rich to date.

I also took the chance to quickly try out Pokémon Scarlet and Tears of the Kingdom: the first patched for free, and the second in its Switch 2 version. I truly envy those who can play this title with its enhanced and rock-solid graphics (after 160 hours, I’d say I’m good!).

Besides the online subscription, I also purchased the expansion pack so I wouldn’t miss the chance to dive back into my teenage years thanks to the GameCube Virtual Console! I’m replaying The Wind Waker and F-Zero GX and loving every minute spent lying in bed playing with the console in handheld mode, which to me is a huge step forward compared to the first model (I never got the OLED version).

I’ll wrap up this hefty update with The Alters, the latest work from 11bit studios, which I had high expectations for and which so far is really delivering. The idea of mixing survival and management always interests me (I’m also really looking forward to the next State of Decay), here in a sci-fi setting and with the clone mechanic, which I’m currently finding very engaging.


I have less and less time to play everything I’d like to!

I disappeared for a couple of weeks with the updates (I forgot to write about another game I finished), but I was quite busy with some changes in my personal life and one game in particular.

Let me preface this if I haven’t already: I rarely buy games on day one. Partly to avoid getting caught up in the FOMO, and partly because the gaming industry keeps proving that waiting a bit before buying a title always brings benefits, whether it's in terms of cost (unless it’s given for free), additional content, or technical polish.

Lately, though, I decided to commit to using the Bing app to earn Microsoft Points. If you do it consistently every day, you can literally "pay for" Game Pass on PC, with all the benefits of having a subscription at zero cost.

The trigger for getting a subscription (despite my already endless backlog) was a game that came out of nowhere, managing to sell millions of copies in a short time and causing huge waves in its genre. I’m obviously talking about Clair-Obscur: Expedition 33.



The debut work of Sandfall Interactive, this is the "JRPG-that-isn't-Japanese" that everyone is talking about, and after reaching the end credits yesterday, I can confirm it's with good reason.

What surprised me the most about this title isn’t even its story of coming out of nowhere with a small team, a limited budget, and a composer found on a forum, but simply the fact that this game doesn’t actually invent anything. There’s no real feature that hasn’t been seen in other JRPGs, but somehow the sum of its parts manages to surpass the entire genre landscape, boldly standing alongside sacred untouchable classics.



Expedition 33 has an amazing story full of twists, with dramatic tones and themes like death, sacrifice, and dealing with loss; a choral yet intimate and personal narrative. The turn-based gameplay introduces dynamic actions, reminiscent of what we saw in the Super Mario RPG series, with characters each having specific gameplay mechanics that make them unique. There’s an almost infinite number of builds you can create, thanks to the massive customization of active and passive abilities you can equip to each protagonist.

The world is vast and always beautiful to look at, with an artistic direction that touches on belle époque and surrealism, including a world map that strongly recalls the SNES or PlayStation era titles.



The soundtrack is already in the favorite playlists of many fans on Spotify, with tracks that are never dull and always perfectly suited to the scenes and settings, hugely amplifying the emotional impact of a boss fight or a dramatic moment.

Expedition 33 and Sandfall Interactive are that spark and glimmer of creativity that, in an industry full of squeezed-out IPs and milked-to-death franchises, along with free-to-play multiplayer games designed to monetize through battle passes and cosmetics, once again manage to demonstrate the quality and goodness of a product made with heart and passion, even without inventing anything new that hasn’t been seen before in isolation.



Do yourself a favor and try it: try it thanks to Game Pass, or even thanks to the budget price, which is a slap in the face to the average launch price of a video game. Try it even if the genre isn’t one of your favorites.

Clair-Obscur: Expedition 33 is a masterpiece of its genre and a splendid video game overall that should not go unnoticed or unplayed by all video game enthusiasts.

Sometimes I feel stupid, so stupid. After over three decades of playing video games, I still fall into pretty basic mistakes, like in this case, where I waited years to play God of War Ragnarok simply because I was scared off by the comments I frequently read online. Comments that painted it as a bit of a letdown, clearly inferior to the 2018 installment.

But after finishing a few games I had lined up, I finally worked up the courage to try and complete the second chapter of Kratos’s adventure in the world of Norse mythology. And after just under 40 hours of gameplay, I can’t help but feel stupid.

I feel stupid because I absolutely loved the game. In terms of content, it’s massive, truly a “more of the same”: all nine realms are finally explorable, combat has been enriched and deepened, and the story picks up almost directly from the epilogue scene shown after the credits of the PS4 game.

The adventure as a whole certainly isn’t without flaws: even the director himself confirmed that the game could’ve easily been split into two chapters given the sheer amount of content (and the entire second half would’ve benefited greatly from this, considering how many characters are introduced without all of them getting the depth they deserve). The level of epicness also feels just slightly below that of the previous game. But these flaws, in the grand scheme of things, take a back seat when you’re holding such a content-rich and well-written game in your hands.

I haven’t completed the game 100% (and I don’t intend to, even though I’ve done a lot of side missions that help enrich the background of places and characters), and I haven’t tried Valhalla mode yet (which I plan to tackle at a relaxed pace), but I still felt deeply satisfied.

So why do I feel stupid? Because even though I know full well that subjectivity is a key factor in all forms of art (including video games, especially indie ones) I still denied myself a beautiful adventure that entertained me from start to finish, simply because I gave too much weight to opinions and criticisms that only ended up holding me back.

New progress in my gaming journey: after about twenty hours I’ve officially completed Citizen Sleeper, including the three-act DLC (released for free), which serves as the true narrative finale of the game.

I was extremely positively surprised by how the final three chapters smooth out a couple of the flaws I had read about in early reviews before the DLC was available: the fact that the game originally lacked a proper ending, and that the various characters you met felt somewhat self-contained, with their stories wrapping up without further impact.

This DLC introduces two clearly defined narrative paths beyond which the story cannot continue (unless you reload a previous save, similar to how Cyberpunk 2077 handles its endings), and it brings back many characters who, like us, must make a decision about life on or beyond the Eye.

I was moved during the credits after completing this journey, which featured excellent writing and a beautiful soundtrack I often play in the background when I want to relax during these spring days. An intimate experience shaped by the bond to a place and the feeling of being part of it.

I’ll definitely play the sequel, though I’ll wait a bit... both to see if new content is added and to decompress from this kind of fully text-based experience.

After finishing that, it was finally time, after many years of waiting and a bit of apprehension, to start God of War Ragnarok. I just began it last night and played a couple of hours. So far, the impression is very much in line with the 2018 title, and it’s clearly a direct sequel that throws the player straight into the events following the first game’s conclusion, making it definitely not recommended unless you’ve played the original.

I’ll try to form my own opinion compared to those who accuse it of being overly "Marvel-like" in structure.

Oh, and I preordered the Switch 2 along with Mario Kart World. I’ll be sinking the next five years into that title, and I can’t wait.

Ok, I’ve finished the last Night Springs episode. I’m speechless.

I thought it would be something minor, given the surreal atmosphere of the first episode or the glimpse into Jesse’s search for her brother in the second. But with the third, I was absolutely blown away.

The multiverse concept is amazing, and the idea that we’re actually playing as the actor himself (and I assume that’s Sam Lake’s real voice we hear) is brilliant. I also loved how they experimented with different types of media, shifting from comics to a text-based adventure.

There are still so many questions about the characters Remedy has created for this vast universe, and I can only hope we won’t have to wait another thirteen years to see Alan Wake 3.

I’ve reached the end of Alan Wake 2, and I can only confirm all my initial impressions. I found the game incredible, a true sequel where you can see all the maturity the developers have gained over more than a decade of waiting.

Of course, the game isn’t perfect. Some gameplay sections show their weaknesses, especially in the more exploratory moments (where you can either head straight to the next story objective or wander around hunting for side missions and collectibles of questionable usefulness). But overall, the experience is truly amazing and a fantastic example of storytelling (and honestly it’s impossible not to stay in the in-game theater and watch all of Nightless Night).

That said, I watched The Final Draft (new game+) on YouTube to see its differences from the first playthrough, since I wasn’t really in the mood to replay the entire story for another fifteen hours right away. I also played The Lake House DLC, which I found equally fantastic in the way it brought Control’s atmosphere into AW2.

Now I only have the last Night Springs episode left before I can officially say I’ve completed this incredible title; one that once again reminded me of how powerful video games can be when placed in the hands of creative people unafraid to experiment.

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PS: my girlfriend and I started Split Fiction, and once again, Hazelight Studios deserves all the praise for the crazy situations they throw the two protagonists into. The story may not be as emotionally deep as It Takes Two, but the gameplay variety is much greater, and the pacing stays consistently high.

It’s amazing to still feel this excited about video games after more than thirty years with a controller in hand.

After 13 years of waiting, I’m finally continuing the story of poor Alan, and wow, I’m absolutely loving this title.

I don’t think there’s much need to talk about the graphics, which, along with Cyberpunk 2077, represent one of the highest visual achievements available today. Just like in CD Projekt Red’s title, the lighting is the real star here, enriching every setting, whether natural or urban, with an incredibly dense atmosphere and stunning light and shadow effects that alone are worth the price of admission.

But can we talk about the storytelling? About how all of Remedy’s experience over the years, constantly experimenting with live-action cutscenes and overlays during gameplay, culminates in this game?

The Stephen King-inspired atmosphere that started in Alan Wake and evolved into the X-Files-like tone of Control, now merges into a thriller-horror adventure that constantly disorients both the player and its protagonists.

I’m about 12 hours in, taking my time just to soak in every single detail of the environments, which feel alive and tangible. From the details of a small-town diner lost in the woods to the grime of a subway station (which heavily evokes the early moments of Max Payne - not to mention the unmistakable pulp atmosphere that echoes through Alex Casey, played by Sam Lake himself).

And what blows me away even more is that Remedy is still an independent studio. I see Alan Wake 2 as a miracle of technical prowess, storytelling, and atmosphere: something that I don’t know how many other studios could have pulled off.

Just fucking wow.

The moment has finally arrived. The credits roll (for the second time, actually), marking the end of my journey in Cyberpunk 2077 after about 90 hours.

I say “second time” because I wanted to see two different endings: first, the one provided by the DLC, and then I went back to experience an ending tied to the base game, which I personally felt more connected to.

OBVIOUS SPOILERS ABOUT THE ENDING FOLLOW

The ending where Reed offers me a cure left me with a bitter taste in my mouth: waking up after two years in a coma, unable to install any technological enhancements, becoming, as Misty puts it, “just another face in the crowd.” It’s a bleak ending for V, who finds their relationships practically shattered and a city that has changed: Vik’s clinic sold to a megacorporation, Misty leaving for Poland, Panam blocking us out of pain from our disappearance, Judy moving on and starting a new life. We’re left potentially alone, with only a promise from Reed about working for the FIA: an outcome that’s about as far from V’s aspirations as possible.

The second ending I saw involved leaving Night City with the Aldecaldos, returning to the nomadic life that was initially abandoned. However, I wasn’t entirely sure if V actually had little time left to live, as hinted by Alt just before “reloading” us into our body during the final events of the game’s last mission.

I really liked how, despite being an open-world game, Cyberpunk has a definitive ending, where you aren’t allowed to keep playing after the conclusion unless you reload a previous save.

I’ve already expressed how much I loved the city, so much so that the game will remain installed on my PC just so I can keep roaming around, taking on gigs and side missions to keep breathing in the atmosphere of a city that, day by day, devours the humanity of its inhabitants. (And where, in fact, the only truly happy fate for its characters is to leave it behind, just like Judy had already done after the events at Clouds.)

Four years of waiting was a long time for this game, but at least I was able to experience it at its peak quality and technical refinement, and I couldn’t be happier, even though it’s still not a perfect game in every aspect. From a narrative standpoint, for example, it doesn’t offer many significant deviations; the story follows fairly set paths with only slight variations and very few real consequences. In fact, all endings can be seen simply by making a choice right before the final mission (provided you’ve completed certain side quests).

Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief (since this experience lasted over two months for me) and focus on other titles in my backlog, specifically, finishing Citizen Sleeper and finally playing Alan Wake 2!



Now Playing:

> Citizen Sleeper - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo Switch
> Loop Hero - PC
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PC

In queue:

> Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition - PC (also for my channel)
> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5 (or PC)
> Ghostrunner II - PC

Did I disappear? Not at all! I haven’t posted anything recently simply because there weren’t any major updates, so I didn’t want to make a post just to say that I was still doing the same things… not that it’s too different now, but there have been some updates, so let’s get into it!

Cyberpunk 2077
Reaching Act 3, I followed the advice everyone gives: stop and start Phantom Liberty. If I was already blown away by the artistic quality of Night City, once I arrived in Dogtown, I found myself stopping for minutes just to take in the scenery, starting with the path through the underground parking lot, and even more so when the area opens up to reveal first the market and then the shantytown made of unfinished buildings and stacked-up containers.

The story is also more direct and linear, keeping me completely hooked to the screen.

Moreover, the new patch that adds a new graphics mode has significantly improved image quality and clarity, greatly reducing (or completely eliminating) some ghosting effects, which were mainly present in holograms and scrolling text.



Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Still on pause.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
I’m still playing it at a relaxed pace, mainly because once you get high-level upgrades (and the Tatra, the only heavy vehicle in the game), the difficulty curve flattens out. At that point, the challenge is more about route planning and fuel management. A new patch just dropped, adding more QoL improvements, like the ability to open the map while using the drone, a feature I had been hoping to see! And at the end of February, a new season is coming! (Though I still need to finish the base game maps before I can start Season 1.)

Ring Fit Adventure
Still playing consistently, and I’ve now reached the max training level. My character is at level 56, and I’m in World 8!

Pokémon TCG Pocket
I’ve started to drop it. I’ve completely stopped doing battles since I lost interest, and even the collecting aspect is getting a bit dull. The new expansion has finally arrived, adding some very interesting (and obviously rare) cards, but I’m not sure if that will be enough to keep me engaged. They also added card trading, but the community is really upset because the feature requires a lot of resources just to make a single trade, making it impractical unless you’re looking for one or two specific cards.

Stardew Valley
We made it through our first year!

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NEW STUFF!

Citizen Sleeper
I grabbed it on Steam for €1 in December and started playing a few days ago. It’s amazing! The atmosphere is super engaging, and the characters’ stories keep making me want to learn more. I also love its mechanics, which feel a lot like a board game, with dice management for actions that progress different quests.

I’ve read about the game’s structural limitations (especially compared to a masterpiece like Disco Elysium), but that’s not a big deal: I’m just treating it as a narrative adventure without expecting major consequences. I’m also very interested in the second game coming out these days, and I’m already considering getting the artbook, since I absolutely love the game’s art style.

A big plus is its very static gameplay, which allows me to switch tabs and look up words I don’t know, so I don’t miss any part of the story.

No Man’s Sky
Yesterday, the second part of the World Update dropped! Every major update keeps pushing the game’s quality even higher. I only played for about an hour just to check it out and test it on my new setup. Seeing it run at 144 FPS on max settings is definitely a sight to behold.

I really wish I had the time to play it properly, but I keep putting it off… and it’s already been 9 years!

I haven’t taken many screenshots, so I’m just sharing the ones from Cyberpunk. (It would be nice if the forum had better image gallery support, so posts wouldn’t end up a mile long!)


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Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PC
> Citizen Sleeper - PC
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo Switch
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

In queue:

> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5 (or PC)
> Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition - PC (also for my channel)
> Ghostrunner II - PC

This year I think I’ll change my approach to this gaming journey: I spent most of 2024 unemployed, which gave me the opportunity to play, try, and complete a huge number of video games. However, this period couldn’t last forever, and my daily life has drastically changed compared to a few months ago, with a routine now back to the classic pace of an adult life with a full-time job.

Needless to say, the time I can dedicate to this passion needs to be reconsidered, and I have to make the most of the time available, especially given my other interests, both personal and shared with my girlfriend.

All this to say that once I finish Cyberpunk 2077, I think I’ll take a long break from extremely lengthy titles to focus on shorter experiences, around 20-30 hours at most. Wandering around Night City leaves me absolutely amazed, but I’m well aware that if I continue like this, I’ll need to add at least another 100 hours to the 40+ I’ve already spent roaming the city streets, exploring as much as possible and checking out every point of interest. At the same time, I have no intention of rushing the game just to see the credits roll.


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I’ve also taken a break from Lonely Mountains: Downhill because its highly try-and-error structure was quickly wearing me down. At first, I found it fun and relaxing, but as the missions got harder, I started feeling the frustration: the player essentially has to repeat the mountain over and over until they memorize it, pressing the “restart” button dozens and dozens (and eventually hundreds) of times. What frustrated me most was crashing occasionally not because of the track’s difficulty but because of the camera. It often doesn’t allow you to see the path until the very last second, and sometimes it’s unclear where the cyclist is precisely heading. This forces you to restart from the checkpoint or the beginning due to poor visibility and limited room for maneuvering.

On the other hand, I’ve been playing Expeditions more because, in contrast, it doesn’t have any try-and-error mechanics. Even the most challenging missions can be tackled calmly with a well-equipped vehicle. This means that even the wildest and most remote explorations, missions, or vehicle upgrades are achievable with good planning and patience to take your time.


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Meanwhile, our farm in Stardew Valley is about to celebrate its first year, as we’re halfway through the winter month. I’ve reached the bottom of the mine (while my girlfriend has become a fishing expert), and completing some sections of the Community Center has unlocked new parts of the map. This has only added more to discover and do! It feels endless, and the cold Sundays we spend at home playing fly by as we celebrate earning more and more each day. If only real life were that simple!


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I don’t have much to say about Pokémon TCG Pocket, but only because I’m missing a single card to complete the new expansion, and it just doesn’t want to show up (not even in the mystery draws!). The luck I had last month seems to have completely disappeared, and now starting the game to open a couple of packs has become a simple routine action without much excitement. Still, it’s just a mobile game to fill in dead or less engaging moments.

I’m trying to stay as consistent as possible with Ring Fit Adventure: I can feel and notice that it’s at least somewhat effective, so I want to stick to three sessions a week with enough regularity to make it a natural routine in my weekly schedule. I’ve never been a gym fanatic, but I’ve always wanted to take care of my body, even for purely health-related reasons. Plus, it helps reduce stress, which is undoubtedly the most important aspect not to underestimate.

So, this is a bit of a recap of this first (or second) week of 2025, along with some thoughts on how things will go in the future. This will affect the types of games I’ll focus on moving forward, whether among the ones I already own or those I’ve been somewhat interested in.

Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PC
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo Switch
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

In queue:

> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5 (or PC)
> Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition - PC (also for my channel)
> Citizen Sleeper - PC
> Ghostrunner II - PC

2025 is here! What better way to kick it off than by doing a recap of what I played over the course of the past year? This is just a summary post before resuming my weekly updates, where I track my gaming journey, the milestones it reaches, and how it evolves over time.

The data here on HLTB isn't fully complete, as I’ve been tracking my gaming activities for much longer (first on a Google sheet, now on Notion). This is a breakdown of the titles I’ve played, organized by platform.

PC:

- Vampire Survivor – Paused
- Subnautica – Abandoned
- OlliOlli World Rad Edition – Paused
- If on a Winter’s Night, Four Travelers – Completed
- Blasphemous – Completed
- Ghostwire: Tokyo – Completed
- Palworld – Tried
- Elden Ring – Completed
- Inscryption – Abandoned
- Vampyr – Abandoned
- The Invincible – Completed
- Expeditions: a Mudrunner game – Ongoing
- Arcade Paradise – Completed
- Fallout – Abandoned
- Indika – Completed
- Animal Well – Paused
- XDefiant – Tried
- Industria – Completed
- Laika: Aged Through Blood – Completed
- Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree (DLC) – Completed
- Cat Quest – Completed
- Zenless Zone Zero – Tried
- Shadow Complex – Completed
- No Man's Sky – Paused
- Ghostrunner – Completed
- Still Wakes the Deep – Completed
- Amnesia: Rebirth – Completed
- Loop Hero – Ongoing
- Slay the Princess – Completed
- Factorio – Tried
- The Plucky Squire – Completed
- Pools – Completed
- Silent Hill 2 Enhanced Edition – Completed
- Signalis – Completed
- Crow Country – Completed
- Alba: A Wildlife Adventure – Completed
- Lonely Mountains: Downhill – Ongoing
- Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) – Ongoing
- Mouthwashing – Completed
- Lego Builder’s Journey – Completed

PlayStation 4 - PlayStation 5:

- Nier Replicant – Completed
- Yakuza 3 Remastered – Completed
- Silent Hill: The Short Message – Completed
- Lego City Undercover – Completed
- Yakuza 4 Remastered – Completed
- Yakuza 5 Remastered – Abandoned
- Hogwarts Legacy – Completed
- Astro Bot – Completed
- Stardew Valley – Ongoing

Nintendo Switch:

- Balatro – Ongoing
- Nintendo Switch Sports – Ongoing
- Ring Fit Adventure – Ongoing

iPhone - iPad:

- FTL - Faster Than Light – Tried
- Pokémon TCG Pocket – Ongoing
- Monument Valley III – Completed

When all is said and done, 2024 brought a total of 55 titles played, most of which, as you'd expect, were on PC. This will likely remain the case in the future, as I’ve decided to keep PC as my primary platform due to its many advantages, like the practically infinite backward compatibility, the ability to use it for other applications outside of gaming, and more. My only hope is that the economic landscape doesn’t worsen even further, especially considering how the current GPU market has absolutely insane prices. And judging by the leaks regarding the 5000 series, it doesn’t look like things will improve anytime soon. But, as long as there’s almost no competition for NVIDIA, it’s “normal” for the market to go in this direction.

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Out of these 55 titles, 5 were abandoned for a variety of reasons:

- Subnautica: A bug prevented the main storyline from progressing.

- Inscryption: Boredom.

- Vampyr: Boredom (a shame, as I really enjoy Dontnod’s titles and want to try Banisher).

- Fallout: After repairing the water chip, I just didn’t feel like continuing.

- Yakuza 5 Remastered: I burned out after starting it right after finishing the fourth game.

5 were tried:

- FTL - Faster Than Light: I enjoyed it so much that I decided to purchase it for iPad (since I had redeemed it for free on PC), but I only played a couple of matches because progression isn’t synced between platforms.

- Palworld: Tried it at launch via Game Pass out of curiosity. Maybe I’ll buy it one day if it becomes deeper in terms of content and mechanics.

- XDefiant: Yet another “free-to-play CoD killer,” and we’ve seen where that’s heading.

- Zenless Zone Zero: The aesthetics and action gameplay intrigued me, but the FOMO inherent to the genre felt overwhelming, so I only played a few hours before dropping it. A shame, really, as I enjoyed the game, its story, and characters a lot.

- Factorio: A brilliant but monumental title. It requires a tremendous amount of time to truly grasp and create something functional. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of time, and while I was enjoying it, I didn’t even finish the final tutorial mission.

4 were put on hold - these are games I haven’t abandoned entirely and might return to when I feel like it:

- Vampire Survivor: After countless hours and nearly completing all the base game content with its patches, I decided to take a break. I’d love to get all its DLCs and dedicate dozens more hours to it.

- OlliOlli World Rad Edition: I love skateboarding, and this game’s adorable aesthetic (100% inspired by Adventure Time) is fantastic. I haven’t finished the single-player campaign yet and would like to complete it.

- Animal Well: A magnificent Metroidvania. It was an incredible experience, and seeing the Reddit community uncover secret after secret was an integral part of the fun. I reached the first ending and just need to push further to continue delving deeper myself.

- No Man's Sky: I always have the same issue with Hello Games’ title: I try it, have a blast, but then abandon it, thinking, “Once they finish adding content, I’ll dive in fully without worrying about changes mid-playthrough.”

9 are ongoing, games I’m actively playing with varying frequency - these are the ones I’ve been discussing in my posts:

- Pokémon TCG Pocket: I’m having a blast, especially since I can collect thousands of cards without spending a dime. That’s the main reason I never got into collectible card games before.

- Balatro: The surprise hit of 2024. Incredibly addictive, and playing it on Switch with touch controls makes it perfect for quick sessions, even before bed. I haven’t bought it on iPad for fear of becoming even more addicted.

- Nintendo Switch Sport: Bought on sale this summer, my girlfriend and I occasionally enjoy competing, especially in volleyball or sword fighting. The first time we played, we had a multi-hour session and woke up the next day with completely sore arms!

- Ring Fit Adventure: As I mentioned in a previous post, I use it on work-from-home days to counterbalance a somewhat sedentary lifestyle while waiting for better weather to get back to running.

- Expeditions: a Mudrunner game: After spending hundreds of hours on SnowRunner, I’m enjoying Expeditions even more because of its exclusive focus on exploration rather than the constant grind of hauling materials from point A to point B. I’m playing it leisurely, waiting for the second season patch that will add a winter-themed map!

- Loop Hero: One day, I’ll finish the final act. I still need to unlock all the village tiles to maximize my character’s potential and finally reach the end!

- Lonely Mountains: Downhill: I’m now on the fourth (and final) mountain before tackling the last paid DLC!

- Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty): The “surprise” of the year. After waiting four years (still stings to think about the money spent on the gorgeous One X dedicated to the game), I can now fully appreciate the stability and quality of this title, and I’m loving it. It’s tough not to cancel evening plans with my girlfriend to spend hours in Night City taking screenshots of everything I see.

- Stardew Valley: After returning from winter holidays, we picked it back up—and wow, we had a four-hour non-stop session without even realizing it! We absolutely love everything about it, and as always, who knows how much more there is to discover and how deep its mechanics go!

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I think I’ll stop here with the list of games, skipping a detailed breakdown of the completed titles; otherwise, this post would never end! (and kudos to those who made it this far!) There are still tons of games I want to play and try, and the backlog just keeps growing (especially on PC with all the free titles from Epic Games and Amazon Games—it’s so easy to snag titles from my wishlist; Dredge and Ghostrunner 2 are just two examples of games offered this holiday season).

Happy 2025 (both in gaming and beyond) to all of you!

And here we are with what I believe will be the last update of the year! (During this final week of the year I might be busy and not have much time to keep things going).

Let’s start with the adventure in Night City: I’m absolutely, absolutely blown away. These posts are flooded with screenshots because visually it’s a masterpiece, and I’m loving every inch of the city, which is impeccably designed. The lighting, whether natural or neon, leaves me speechless, and I find myself spending minutes just staring at the views. The more I progress the less I use vehicles (unless absolutely necessary) so I can appreciate every corner of the city.

I’m also really enjoying the story, as well as the side missions, the various characters we interact with, and the overall lore that defines the Cyberpunk universe.

I find it incredibly hard to pull myself away from playing for hours on end.


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Lonely Mountains: Downhill? I’m continuing on the third mountain and have unlocked the fifth bike (out of six). I have a couple of challenges left that are a bit tricky, and the nighttime tracks on this mountain are particularly challenging unless you’ve memorized the routes (it’s so easy to take a wrong turn and repeatedly crash into a rock, a cactus, or fall into a canyon).


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As for Fattoria Culo on Stardew Valley, we’re taking a brief pause for practical reasons (my girlfriend has gone back to her place during this holiday break, and I’ll join her tomorrow to celebrate Christmas), so we’ll pick that back up in the new year.

Briefly, I’m also continuing with Loop Hero and Expeditions, which don’t require too much attention and making them perfect to play while listening to something in the background between missions. In Saber’s title I’ve started doing a bit more since the second season with a winter theme is coming in February, and it reminds me a lot of the SnowRunner map (thankfully without the hassle of hauling trailers back and forth).


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On my YouTube channel I’ve been focused on recording the complete adventure of Monument Valley 3, the only mobile series that has ever truly captivated me over the years (but I also adore Escher’s works, which heavily inspire this game, so I was hooked on its aesthetic from the very first installment). I’m really curious to see how they’ll continue the story since this two-hour adventure is just the beginning! (I had no idea it was going to be a title that would receive updates over time).


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Still on the subject of my channel, I think I’ll wrap up the year with a single episode dedicated to Mouthwashing, which everyone seems to be talking about lately. The enthusiastic reviews and comparisons to Evangelion are enough to pique my interest and dedicate some time to it.

Last but not least, I almost forgot about another “game” I’ve been playing recently: Ring Fit Adventure! I bought it back in 2020 during the lockdown, and I’ve dusted it off about a month ago to get some exercise without the hassle (or cost) of going to the gym. It definitely has its benefits, and I’m really happy about it.

And that should be it for this time! There might be one last post to summarize this year’s gaming journey with all the titles I’ve completed over the past 12 months (I’ve been tracking this for a few years now).

Cheers, and happy holidays to everyone!

Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Lonely Mountains: Downhill - PC
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PC
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo Switch
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

Interested in:

> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5 (or PC)
> Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition - PC (also for my channel)
> Mafia: Definitive Edition - PC
> State of Decay 2 - PC (also for my channel)

Man, I can't imagine playing six games at once. Congrats on the PC upgrade!

I understand what you mean, but it’s not like I play all of them every single day! Stardew Valley is something we play mostly on weekends, Lonely Mountains and Loop Hero are my go-to games when I’m working from home because they’re perfect for short sessions, and Cyberpunk is what I usually play in the evening if I don’t have plans with my girlfriend.

Pokémon, being a mobile game, is something I play in my spare moments, but since I’m more into the collecting aspect, I don’t spend time grinding matches against other players.

Among the active games, Expeditions is the one I play the least, but that’s mainly because I’m waiting for the release of patches that improve various QoL aspects!

A warm hello to everyone for this new update on my gaming journey!

First, let’s address the elephant in the room: after four years, I decided to upgrade almost my entire PC! I treated myself to this birthday and christmas gift after a lot of reflection and thought, and here I am! From the old setup I kept only the motherboard and RAM. The CPU is "only" a 5700 3DX, as I didn’t switch to the more recent generations, but I’d say it’s more than enough to pair with the 4070 Super!

I’ll slowly upgrade the monitor too, aiming for a jump to higher resolutions than the FHD I’m currently using. Although I’m still considering moving the PC into the living room (to connect it to the 4K HDR TV) and using it exclusively as a gaming machine, so I can physically detach myself from the desk even on those days when I’m working from home (like today).

Thanks to cross-save, I immediately continued my adventure in Cyberpunk 2077 on PC (I’ve had the GOG version for 4 years, which was given as compensation for the disastrous day-one launch since back then I even bought the One X edition dedicated to the game). The graphics immediately received a significant boost, especially in the lighting, which leaves me breathless when gazing at the neon landscapes of Night City. I also really appreciate that the DualSense controller is fully supported on the PC version of the game, including the adaptive triggers!


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Another goal on my list now is to try the PC version of Bloodborne and see if I can play it in a better way than on console (since it’s one of those games I’d love to play at 60fps, even though it’s not typically something I pay much attention to).

For the rest, I’m still hurtling down the mountains in Lonely Mountains: Downhill, where I’ve finally started tackling the paths of the third, dusty mountain, with its cacti, rocks, and canyons that make it much easier to crash compared to the first two.


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We’re also continuing our adventure in Stardew Valley, where we’ve reached the fall season with new crops to plant and a steadily growing income. This has allowed us to start building the first structures for the farm (we now have four chickens that let us produce plenty of mayonnaise to sell easily), while the barn to house larger animals is also under construction.


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(I know I’ve only taken screenshots while fishing, but there’s so much to do (and you have to keep an eye on the time) that I forget to take more!)

In the meantime, I’ve decided that the next title to feature on my channel will be Alan Wake 2, which I’ll start on PC. I’ll probably also use the webcam, thanks to NVIDIA Broadcast, which allows me to remove the background without needing a green screen.

And today, the new mini-expansion of cards for Pokémon TCG Pocket has been released! I already have around forty new cards available, and they have some very interesting effects that will significantly change the decks in various matches, enabling a new balance in battles (which was definitely needed).

I think that’s all for now after this massive wall of text!

Cheers!

Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Lonely Mountains: Downhill - PC
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PC
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

Interested in:

> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5 (or PC)
> Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition - PC (also for my channel)
> Mafia: Definitive Edition - PC
> State of Decay 2 - PC (also for my channel)

I'm sorry to hear that you are having some headaches with Lonely Mountains, but maybe just keep trying without... well... caring too much.

I struggled a bit when I started and eventually, when I stopped overthinking, it just clicked. "I became one of the bike" haha. One of my favorites games of all time, I literally bought a (cheap) bike in real life after playing the game for so long.

I'm so happy they are making this now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2545360/Lonely_Mountains_Snow_Riders/

Maybe I used the term "headaches" incorrectly! What I meant to say is that the game does have challenging moments where focus and knowledge of the track and its shortcuts are required. I really enjoy that because it activates my competitive spirit, and I often find myself spending half an hour or even an hour attempting to complete certain challenges!

I’m also really excited about their upcoming title. I tried the demo and instantly fell in love with it (especially because skiing is a discipline I adore). I found the gameplay slightly more inspired, and I can’t wait for its release, I'll probably grab it on day one.

I didn’t expect Cyberpunk to be this captivating. In just under 10 hours I’ve only managed to complete the first act, and now the entire city it’s at my fingertips. It has so many postcard-worthy views, and I can’t stop myself from taking screenshots every few minutes because the city, its districts, and its vistas are truly breathtaking.


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Lonely Mountains is also giving me both lots of enjoyable moments and quite a few headaches. At first I thought the difficulty level was pretty low, but then I reached the challenges where you need to achieve fast times AND a limited number of crashes (sometimes while using a specific bike), and let’s just say it takes me quite a few attempts to complete them. And to think I’m still only on the first two mountains!


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The Ass Farm in Stardew Valley is slowly thriving: I finally reached level 40 of the mine (where you can find iron!), and we managed to save enough money for a coop (though we’re still missing two pieces of clay to build the silo to store food, meaning we have to buy it daily to keep our two chickens from starving - purchased with the last of our crop earnings). Luckily, we realized that fishing and collecting shells and coral can bring in a bit of extra money, which definitely helps us make it to the next day.



I’m also still opening packs in Pokémon TCG Pocket, between various events and new cards. My current goal is to complete the Pokédex of the original 151 to unlock the Mew card!

Meanwhile, Alan Wake 2 has also arrived, but I want to hold off on starting it for now because I’ll have way too much on my plate and I’m already struggling a bit to keep up with everything!

Last but not least! The walkthrough series for Alba - A Wildlife Adventure is now live on my channel! The first episode came out yesterday, and there will be five more released every other day! Once I have my new PC, I think I’ll be able to get back to recording more regularly!



I can’t wait for the holiday break to spend cozy days at home!

Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Lonely Mountains: Downhill - PC
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PlayStation 5
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

Interested in:

> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5
> Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition - PlayStation 5
> Mafia: Definitive Edition - PC
> State of Decay 2 - PC (also for my channel)

Finally, we’ve reached the last month of the year! The biggest news this week is that I’ve finally decided (after much doubt and deliberation) to upgrade my PC! I made this decision to gradually move away from the console world (since exclusives are becoming increasingly rare) and rely on the “PC + Nintendo” combo as my main setup. I prefer the versatility of a computer, especially since I don’t have to worry about backward compatibility: if I want to play something from any generation, I just select the game and install it without needing to dig out a console and hook it up to the TV.

I’m now waiting for the new parts to arrive, keeping myself busy with descents in Lonely Mountains: Downhill and finally starting Cyberpunk 2077 (with Phantom Liberty) a game I’ve owned since its launch (literally four years ago).

The first game, the indie gem from Megagon Industries, I had already tried back in the day through Game Pass, but I recently picked it up for just a few euros along with its DLC. I absolutely love its serene and natural atmosphere: the game has no music, so you’re accompanied only by ambient sounds as you race downhill through various mountains (and the countless crashes into rocks and trees suffered by the poor cyclist). Plus, it’s the perfect time to play it, with Snow Rider coming soon: a game that’s essentially the same but ski-themed (which I adore).


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As for Cyberpunk, I don’t think there’s much to add: now that its support has concluded, I decided to dive in and immerse myself in its world, which I absolutely love. So far, I’m just at the beginning of the story, but it’s the kind of game I’d happily play for 3/4 hour sessions because it’s so captivating. That said, I did encounter a bug that made me reload a save because the character and their interaction broke (the woman in the bathtub during the second mission). I also can’t wait to see the graphical leap with the incoming 4070 Super and to enable Path Tracing!


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Aside from that, I’m continuing with other games on PC and maintaining the “Ass Farm” with my girlfriend. Stardew Valley is so relaxing, despite having tons of things to do! Who knows, maybe we’ll feel like fully exploring it with two opposite runs, but who knows how much time that will take!



On another note, I was thinking that with the new GPU, I could try creating content for my YouTube channel, maybe even using a webcam to put myself on screen. Thanks to nvidia’s AI that removes backgrounds without a green screen, it could be pretty easy. I could also test some audio improvements! And speaking of that, I still need to finish editing the Alba videos so I can upload them!

There’s always so much to do and absolutely so little time to do it all!

Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Lonely Mountains: Downhill - PC
> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PlayStation 5
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

Interested in:

> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5
> Mafia: Definitive Edition - PC
> State of Decay 2 - PC (also for my channel)

Happy Monday!

November is almost over, and I’ve finally completed Hogwarts Legacy. After about 40 hours, I found myself aligning with the more subdued opinions of those who experienced a drop in enthusiasm after the initial few hours. It’s a shame because the game showcased great potential in certain aspects, and the overall framework has a lot going for it (even as a classic open world action RPG). However, it’s a title best appreciated by casual gamers, while more seasoned players can’t help but notice the game’s limitations and lack of depth throughout.

That said, it was important to see it through to the end so I could move on to other games. In fact, I’ve been itching to finally start Cyberpunk 2077 (on PS5, as my poor old desktop desperately needs a significant upgrade) or God of War Ragnarok.

Speaking of PS5, my girlfriend and I recently started our Fattoria Culo ("Ass Farm") in Stardew Valley. We wanted something chill to play together after Lego City Undercover, and all I can say is that we ended up playing for almost four hours straight without even realizing it! There’s no need to sing the praises of this 2016 gem, especially now that it has received a substantial content update on consoles, adding even more to its already expansive offerings.

Over the weekend, I recorded Alba - A Wildlife Adventure for my poor neglected YouTube channel, and it turned out to be a short but incredibly sweet experience! I loved the concept of playing as a young girl spending a week of her summer vacation with her grandparents on a Mediterranean island (the Spanish influence is clear, but it also bears a strong resemblance to small Italian seaside towns). The game’s environmental theme of restoring the nature reserve and cataloging the local wildlife was incredibly relaxing (and now I feel like playing Pokémon Snap!). Next, if time allows, I’ll review the audio in the videos so I can upload them.

I’m still slowly making my way through Loop Hero (the fourth and final chapter is proving quite challenging), Expeditions (while I wait for patches to improve the game’s quality of life), and Pokémon TGC Pocket. Meanwhile, I’m torn about what to install on my PC. I’m considering playing the remake of Mafia (redeemed for free), but I’m also in the mood for a management sim. Who knows!

That’s all for this week, I think. See you next time, and have fun!

Now Playing:

> Loop Hero - PC
> Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game - PC
> Stardew Valley (local co-op) - PlayStation 5
> Pokémon TCG Pocket - iPhone/iPad

Interested in:

> Cyberpunk 2077 (+ Phantom Liberty) - PlayStation 5
> God of War Ragnarok - PlayStation 5
> Mafia: Definitive Edition - PC
> Lonely Mountains: Downhill - PC
> State of Decay 2 - PC (also for my channel)