But for how long? As my run is clocking at 14 hours, I'm starting to feel the teeny-tiniest bit of grinding fatigue. This would be fine if L&S was heading towards its conclusion; but if my current Alchemy Rank (F, for the record) and the number of still unknown recipes are any indication, I've hardly cleared one quarter of the game. I'm not quite sure I can clock up 45 more hours just right now.
Of course, that sorry state of affairs is entirely my fault. I was the one who spent an uncanny amount of time clearing fetch quest after fetch quest instead of focusing on raising my Alchemy Rank; the game didn't force me to cruise the same two areas, forage the same materials and kill the same enemies for hours on end. You could say I dug my own grave there; and now that we're getting to the important stuff, I'm kinda out of gaming juice!
Or maybe it's just that I'm not in the mood for an alchemic RPG right now. Atelier games typically require a lot of planning and ressource management; and with my gaming time being in short supply these days, I cannot indulge in deep and productive alchemy bouts. Even though I love L&S to pieces, I always have this nagging feeling that I didn't accomplish enough at the end of a playing session; yet at the same time, that game is not simple and repetitive enough to put me in a sweet grinding trance — especially now that the number of objectives and recipes is increasing and the complexity of synthesis is being raised.
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| Yup, I have a total crush on Lydie ♥ |
So, I'm going to take a break and play something else during the next days; and we'll see if my thirst for all things Atelier is rekindled by that pause. At any rate, I already answered most of the questions I pondered in my last post. I'm not gonna purchase Atelier Sophie because the graphics look too dull and ugly, and I'm not gonna purchase Atelier Firis because it boasts an open world — and you know how much I hate those. Nelke is also a no-go because of its increased focus on management and lack of roaming freedom; which means that the only entry still on the fence is Atelier Lulua. On one hand, I love the graphics and Lulua's looks; on the other hand, I'm not thrilled by the link with the Arland subseries. Feel free to give me enlightened advice on all those games, dear fellow gamers; and see you soon with fresh gaming tidings!
Maybe it's not that you're not in the mood but that L&S is just bad and you didn't notice earlier? Your thoughts on the other games are on point, so it's fine if you drop the Atelier series as a whole after this.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! :D No, I really love that game. It's just that I need something really simple and straighforward right now, and synthesis is kinda getting in the way. The new recipes all require synthesised material: that means two steps in synthesis, and that's one step too much for me.
DeleteI also fell into the same trap as you when you played Zill O'll Infinite Plus, i.e. getting totally engrossed in sidequests and running out of gaming juice for the main stuff. :P
Yup, I learned a bitter lesson that time, which is why although Atelier Firis is packed with sidequests, I have been aiming (fairly) faithfully for the main objective right from the start.
DeleteGood thing! I'll definitely do that if I play Firis. Not only that, but I'm thinking of restarting Lydie&Suelle and doing just that. :P
Delete"the game didn't force me to cruise the same two areas, forage the same materials and kill the same enemies for hours on end. You could say I dug my own grave there; and now that we're getting to the important stuff, I'm kinda out of gaming juice!"
ReplyDeleteUgh, I've been doing this constantly for the past year. I do the same thing over and over, and nothing seems to grab my attention more than 15 hours (save for the switch yugioh game). It's why I didn't even finish a pitiful 50 games last year. Dropped Tales of Graces F months ago after 30 hours of constant grinding. I'm sure I could have finish the game if I wasn't stubborn and put the game on easy....instead I din't get past chapter 3.
And like you, my gaming time is ever shorter....but I can't keep my attention span on the type of games I usually like. But I don't feel like playing a short platformer like Yooka-Laylee or Super Lucky's tale either.
Honestly, until I feel better (since more time isn't gonna come with my job now, but most of my gaming loss is due to extreme fatigue), I think I'm gonna sit back and replay old favourites; I've been firing up my wii and playing the Urbz again, and it honestly feels amazing. Sorta like comfort food. I just recently lost all my PS4 games, so it's an excuse the replay the Spyro remake again too. I'll buy a few replacement controllers next month and fire up an old harvest moon game, haven't decided which. We'll see if I work it up to replaying my favourite RPGs; probably not Devil Survivor, but maybe a little bit of My World My Way won't hurt.
I have periods like these too, when playing oldies goldies feels like the only right thing to do. So I totally understand how you feel.^^
DeleteCome to think of it, it's been a looooong time since I indulged in old cult classics of mine. But next time my gaming instinct requires oldies, I'll be totally prepared: I recently secured the Sega Megadrive Collection on Switch, along with Collection of Mana. Plenty of cult classics to replay at will, hooray! ^^
Talking about cult classic, I'm still on the fence regarding the Link's Awakening remake. A part of me wants to buy it and see if this remake can sweep me away as much as the original, while another part stubbornly refuses to even think of it, claiming that the original is just perfect as it is.
I have never played the original Link's Awakening, so I can come to the remake with an open mind...but I don't to play anything like that right now. Haven't even touched Breath of the Wild, and an open world right now sends me shivers down my spine.
DeleteThankfully for me, the Rune Factory 4 remake comes out at the end of the month. The perfect mix between nostalgic, and some quality of life improvements. I wish it was out already. Would do wonders for my mental health. This lack of gaming + stress from everything else is not a good mix.
I have the PS3 Sega collection, which is a tiny bit better in my opinion since it has Sonic 3 and Knuckles in it; possibly the ever last collection to have it, since ever since then there's been issues with the OST of those games. Less Ecco the Dolphin in that collection though. But either way, just the phantasy star games on those collections make them worth it.
The Rune Factory 4 is also on my Switch Wish List. I already own it on 3DS, sure; but I can only play it on my North-American 3DS, which is just a hassle. I have so few NA 3DS games, and even fewer that I genuinely like, that I'm seriously thinking of selling that 3DS. I bought it first and foremost for Rune Factory 4; so getting that game on Switch would allow me to sell the thing without regret.
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