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This means a TON to me; thank you so much! this is actually the first video I've ever put out. There's plenty more to come! My video, "You'll Never Play Everything You Want", is kind of a sister video to this one. ☺️ Thanks SO much for joining, seriously. Every subscriber matters especially when you're this small of a channel. 💜

I literally have tried the Witcher 3 three or four different times and could never get into it. It's the first game I bought for my PS4 when I originally got that console. I could never get into it. It's the same as you -- totally see and respect the appeal it has, and on paper it's perfect for me, but I did not enjoy it -- as much as I tried.

Thanks so much for the kind words! Eastward is one of the prettiest games I've ever played for sure. It has a lot of heart, and yes, Sam is the BEST

I understand what you're saying and can see how the choice of multiple can be worse than having just one in front of you to focus on. I look at things like having a library. Or thumbing through the shelves of a Blockbuster or something. I don't put too much pressure on myself, I just go with my gut and play the game that sticks out to me the most for a given weekend. I don't advocate buying excessive amounts of games but I think ignoring a game you want, especially one at a deep discount, because you have others you need to trudge through first can lead to regret. So looking at your collection as a library of adventures waiting for you to go on is a lot more fun than viewing everything you have as an anxiety-inducing backlog battle in my opinion. Tackling one at a time like you do or doing it my way, either is correct.

@@humblemudgames I think this topic of "game enjoyment" is interesting. Because somebody could say that "if you don't find games fun, don't play them, you are adult anyway, games are for kids, this topic is absurd" ;) Here's the catch though. It's my life problem that I can't find much joy in anything. At some point, I make everything I do, feel really bad for myself, because of my perfectionism. Then I also have problems with "completing things". I start stuff, then I can't finish it. I'm even a bit lazy to watch a movie or play a game. So actually trying to enjoy games or trying to complete them, by fighting against my perfectionist nature, is somewhat good exercise for me. I play RDR1 now. I do the side quests, but as soon as I feel meh about them, I go back to the main story. Before I would foce myself to clear everything. I don't read any guides, any tips. Just taking the game the way it is. But I still can't play any RPG game that starts with character stat creation. Because it activates min-maxer in me. So... Playing a game like that, making a shitty build, would be a good exercise to get used to the feeling of not playing optimally ;D

Thanks for the kind words! I still have yet to try Legend of Mana but I've always wanted to. I can understand being hesitant to try the mobile version of this game. It's most fun on the Vita, I'm sure! The original FFA will always have a special place in my heart, too.

Ugh, the Apple Market theme is so nostalgic. Easily the best shopping theme song I've ever heard. I hear it in my head every time I go to the grocery store.

Thank you so much, that means a ton. I hope to make better and better stuff with time.

Breaks are totally healthy and encouraged! I also am a working adult and I have lots of hobbies, gaming being one of them, so you'll sometimes see gaming or guitar or whatever get ignored for big periods of time as well. But I come back eventually when the time is right, like you said. Sounds like you're balancing things well.

I've heard a lot of good things about AM2R! I'd like to compare it one day to Nintendo's official Metroid 2 remake.

HA! I commend your effort! Onward!

Oh wow! I knew they were mobile games as well but didn't know they were removed. So it looks like NOVA suffered the same fate as DOOM RPG. Yes, it's nice to play both of these on Vita! NOVA is a PSP game but thankfully you can use the Vita's extra joystick to make it feel even more like an authentic console shooter.

I agree with you completely, and yeah I go through phases too. There was a week where I was playing nothing but TurboGrafx 16 games even though I had some new PS5 and PC stuff waiting for me.

I see what you're saying. if you have the means, I think it's important to support developers on modern games you like. but if you're talking about previous-gen stuff... yeah, I've seen Skies of Arcadia and Fire Emblem on the GameCube going for $200 each for example, and when you're buying them secondhand like that, you're not supporting the devs anyway. also, thank you!

I'm so glad this resonated with you, this kind of stuff is exactly what I'm trying to do here, and hopefully I'll give you more stuff you enjoy seeing in the future. And yeah, though I love 3D platformers like Mario, Spyro, Ty, some of the Sonic games, etc. I never got the appeal of Crash. I'm going to give him a fair shake though one of these days. I have the remastered trilogy just waiting to be played. We'll see. Cheers, I hope to see you around.

Oh, my video "You'll Never Be Able to Play Everything" is kind of a sister video to this one.

It's a wonderful world to be in, and I really think the developers thought about player experience, knowing that the people who this would appeal to most probably already have played Stardew Valley. It respects your time.

I wasn't sure if we'd ever get any additional Eastward, so when I saw this DLC announcement, I was stoked too. I also got emotional at various parts of the story. The first time you sit everyone down together for dinner I was like, "oh it's so good to be back in this world!" References to EarthBorn also got me too

Thanks so much! I am out of the country right now but when I get back, I can't wait to watch that Phantasy Star Offline video! I recently experienced that for the first time in 2023.

You know, I actually agree. Every now and then I just delete Reddit off of my phone and I have a lot better of an experience with games once I tune out all the other opinions that can cloud my judgment. I could probably get a lot more views and grow my channel more if I got caught up in current events/drama and such on games, like the recent Helldivers 2/Sony controversy, but I have so much more fun and feel so much better being in my own little world talking about games I care about. People seem to like this video though, talking about the industry at large/gaming culture, so maybe I need to keep exploring that. It's a double-edged sword for sure, being in-tune with the general gaming populace, who tend to get really heated about things. On the flip side, I discover more games and get bigger ideas when I follow what's going on and try to connect the dots.

Oh sick! Hope you enjoy it! It's a really good adventure game with a fun story and characters.

If you end up getting the game or Octopia, let me know what you think! The original Eastward is very Zelda-ish in the gameplay department, with a blend of EarthBound. Lots of dialogue but I enjoyed it.

I have absolutely been there. Sometimes I don't have the energy to play so I might look up some hidden gems instead. 🤷‍♂️ It can be tough at times. What I do to kind of ease into it, get in that gamey headspace, is play something that's easy to jump into and jump out of. Like a warm-up game, usually arcadey. Impaler, Doom, Downwell, the original Super Mario Bros, grinding some levels in a JRPG, etc. Just something to get the juices flowing and then I usually get an idea of what I want to move onto after that.

I know that feeling that Nine Sols game coming out is something I will probably get and then let it sit in my dragon horde until I feel like playing it. Now one thing with me is im still very picky about what I buy I wont buy a game unless im sure I will play it and I have been playing videogames for almost three decades and know what I like. Even if a game is on sale I will research it to see if its even something I will play if it isnt I move on I dont care how cheap it is if its not in a genre I like or looks boring moving on.

I agree with you entirely. I was telling my fiance literally yesterday that, though I really loved the first Shenmue, now is not the time to play Shenmue II. I know it'll be awhile before I play the next one because I need to be in a certain mindset for it. I have started to look at what I have more like what you said, a library of adventures waiting to happen. It might sound dumb, but I even sometimes think of it like a Blockbuster. Let's see what we have on the shelf and grab what looks interesting to try out for the weekend. No pressure.

@@humblemudgames You are right. Good games are always good, so there is no right or wrong time to play them. That is the mentallity of someone who truly loves this medium. I loved Shenmue 1 and I played it about 20 years after its initial release. And like you I gave myself some time before starting Shenmue 2. Thats a good way to avoid burnout on an otherwise great experience. Its like picking a movie to watch. I like horror movies, action movies, comedies and dramas. Its all about what I am in the mood for. Picking Final Fantasy instead of Breath of the Wild does not mean I like one more than the other. Breath of the wild will get its time. Great video by the way I really liked your points.

@@humblemudgames And on another note I believe being a collector and being a gamer are wo different hobbies that coexist.

@@dimitristsipis4841 I played Shenmue for the first time in 2023 and it was my favorite game I played that year! And you're totally right. I think at the end of the day if you're enjoying yourself that's all that matters.

@@dimitristsipis4841 I agree with those being two different hobbies. To add to that, I also think tinkering/modding/emulating is almost its own thing too. I get a lot of enjoyment out of softmodding various systems and I have even done it for friends too because I enjoy it and enjoy seeing the joy it gives them. There are lots of "sub-hobbies" within the "main hobby" of gaming. Speedrunning would also be another candidate.

I watch Femtrooper here on CZcams and she says she does like, one Yakuza game and one Dragon Quest game a year basically to keep from being burnt out. I think that's a very good practice.

Eh, I think there are so many good games, and sometimes I enjoy playing "mediocre" titles too. I'm still finding new stuff to enjoy every week

I agree with you 100%. I still don't know what's going to happen with the Overprime. I'm really curious to see if we can have bot matches on the 23rd, or if I can still play with my friend at least or if it's all totally over.

Oh awesome! Yes, someone told me recently about a site called Backloggery. I just use my notes app as I find new stuff I'm interested in and then move it over to the spreadsheet once I have the chance. I mostly go with the flow though lately and have a pretty decent idea in my head of what I want to play. Also LTTP flight bros, okay!

Ugh, yeah Rumbleverse was a tragedy. We're seeing Multiversus try to do it as well, apparently it's coming back in May. We'll see what happens...

It really did go down quickly! I genuinely hope nothing but success for Predecessor. My buddy who I featured in the video is playing Pred and has nothing but good things to say about it so far, but did say it's a lot different from The Overprime. And yeah, it's weird because I like RTS games or park management games with the God mode perspective, but for some reason League just never clicked with me. Smite did from day one though.

I totally agree with you, it sounds like I'm reading a reflection of myself right now. To echo your point about God of War, I've also been finding myself writing a lot about how much a game respects your time in my future video scripts and stuff and have realized how important that is to me. To a lot of people, gameplay hours you can get out of a game is the most important thing, but I much prefer quality over quantity. I recently did a review of Granblue Fantasy Relink, which is about a 20 hour campaign with an "endless" post game grind type of model. I have stopped after the campaign for the most part, but I don't feel cheated. In fact, I love how "lean" that game felt -- zero fat. We praise that with titles like Chrono Trigger, why don't we do the same nowadays?

@@humblemudgames See, that’s just it. Games are trying to be too big - adding content for the sake of content, open world BS, mandatory walking sequences, dragged out stories etc - it’s just too much and it’s exhausting. I actually rushed through God of War Ragnarok to avoid spoilers, but at what cost? These kinds of games shouldn’t go over 20 hours IMO, or should at least split into two smaller games. Personally I’m happier with a fulfilling 5-10 hour game that I’ll replay over and over, rather than a 30-50 hour game which is essentially a dopamine rush checklist. Look at Portal - that game is 3 hours and is still a certified banger which didn’t need to be any longer. Even on the opposite end of the spectrum - games like Elden Ring (or anything by FromSoft for that matter) and Baldur’s Gate 3 are completely worth the time investment and are a rare combo of both quality and quantity. I kinda wish that we’d see more games like Spider-Man Miles Morales - it was perfectly condensed and didn’t outstay its welcome, and although it had that standard open world content you’d expect, it only took about 20 hours to platinum - and I don’t even platinum games.

I mean if you paid me enough, I'd do it for you

Sounds like to me that we're in complete agreement! I feel the same way as you do, and I believe in the video I even say, "as long as you're not hurting anyone, it's fine!" I also have had that experience throughout my gaming journey where I actually enjoy the "worser" title of the bunch for whatever reason. I like supporting the underdogs and appreciate ambition, even if it's not always a 100% fully realized concept or success.

I honestly really like the first one! that's why I bought a physical copy for myself, for the memories! I grew up with that game and I still really enjoy it. I like his attitude, the spin jump and star throw are really interesting abilities.

Hope you dig it! I actually played this game on the PS5. The game doesn't use haptic feedback like crazy, but there are sections in the game where you get to man turrets, and the haptic feedback is there for sure and feels great. I believe the characters that wield guns also have haptic feedback.

HA over 9000 is fitting! I agree with you, I definitely had some emotional moments and for sure moments of laughter myself. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I was very, very impressed.

@@humblemudgames yeah the game deserves more attention. Definitely going to be telling my friends to play it 😊

​@@cmdr_thrudd if you get more people on the Granblue train, you can play with them online too! Win-win!

Thank you for all of this! growing up, I had a lot of friends who definitely had completionist mindsets and I think that influenced me subconsciously. around the Xbox 360 era when achievements first started becoming really popular, I would catch myself feeling bad if I didn't get every achievement or complete a game 100%, but I think deep down I knew I was going against the grain of how I wanted to actually enjoy games and letting myself be influenced by others. Now that I've just sat down with myself and figured out exactly how I want to play games, I've enjoyed myself so much more. And funnily enough, the way I'm playing now is a lot more similar to how I just used to play games naturally as a kid. Go figure.

There have been free updates as well since the time I first put together this video! Clearly a lot of love was poured into this game.

Luckily the campaign is pretty short so another playthrough isn't too much of an ask! Yeah, it's a great game, really loved how it kept the pace and action going!

I can see it! thanks so much for watching!

I think there is value in playing a game when it first releases, especially on a high profile, well-received release like Baldur's Gate 3. I'm sure many have loved and are loving to be a part of that conversation right now while it's fresh. That's what I was trying to relay in my video. Not necessarily picking up something just because it's new.

Thank you for watching!

I also put a note in that same section saying that by complete, I didn't necessarily mean 100% completion. Most of them I just "beat", I guess you could say. I only included that section in case people were curious if I did even beat any games because I wanted to show that you can & will likely beat at least some games even if you're not trying to be a completionist. The list of games I just played over 2023 for enjoyment and didn't beat is much larger than the list of games I beat. I even showed several examples throughout the video of many games I played and enjoyed, but didn't beat for whatever reason. All of the games I beat in 2023 were games I beat because I enjoyed them, not because I was trying to fulfill some goal of completionism for the sake of completionism.

I'm sorry Rebirth didn't do it for you. Maybe it'll be better if you wait a bit and try it another time, when the hype isn't as fresh. I almost got P3R but I have the original on my Vita so I ultimately decided against it. You said it yourself! Maybe you should go back to some older games you missed out on!