I decide to start off this session with Xenosaga. Here is a game that I am really into. The gameplay has been relaxing and fun, the cut scenes are among the best I've ever seen, the storyline is intense and mature, and this is a very long game as well, with a lot of character building features that are unique.
I just defeated two consecutive bosses, and after I heal up in my spaceship headquarters, I realize that there are all kinds of new items to buy. its essential to upgrade your armor in these kinds of games as soon as you can, but my issue is I am almost out of credits.
Fortunately, in this game there is a virtual battle simulator which allows you to replay any level you want to. Its particularly awesome because if you missed any secret items on the level when you were first there, those items will still be available in the simulator to acquire. Nice!
After doing some math, I realize I need around 28000 credits to get everything I want. Plus, my characters are all level 33 and I just barely squeaked past the last boss. I'm thinking my coal for this checkmark will be level grinding, getting everyone up to level 35, getting that money, and upgrading my equipment and battle mechs. Right-O, into the simulator I go.
I choose a level that is extremely long and full of different kinds of enemies. With people and mech enemies, you get experience and money, and some slight power upgrade points. In this game each of your characters has a bunch of different powers, which you can upgrade by earning special "tech points" and "ether points" depending on which brand of powers you are upgrading.
With monster types, you don't get any money, but you get experience and more power point experience as well. So this is a good level for upgrading everything.
Running through this incredible labrynth which has all manner of different areas in it, everything from a sewer system filled with uglies, to a road area with ninja type dudes and mech helicopters, to a forest area with more monsters, its a fun level. By the time I run through it, everybody is level 34, and I've acquired 17000 credits! Nice. I upgrade all of my armor, and call it a session. However, to get that checkmark I'll have to run through this level at least one more time, perhaps two. Level grinding is tedious, but a necessary evil.
Time to move on to another game. I'll continue level grinding this another day.
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Time to try my hand at another Rockstar Game: Manhunt 2. In this game, I play a truly psychopathic lunatic, who has escaped from The Project and now I'm on the loose! I'm the good guy!
A flashback episode wherein I start off on a boat with my best friend, Michael. But we're having an arguement that leads to a fight, but then military helicopters arrive, and announce that both of us need to be terminated. Woo! Michael takes off, with the keys to the boat! Why you--!!
Now I have to pursue him, to get those keys. Unfortunately military soldiers pour into the area. Now I have to take out green berets. Joy!
I sneak around a warehouse with press machines. Waiting the shadows, I wait until these dumbasses stand in front of the machine, then I just hurl them in to their doom. Like, the giant puddle of blood all on the machine after the first one wasn't enough to clue in the other three. I guess that's why they nickname 'em Jarheads. I do this to four of them, and then move on.
The next ones need to be dealt a bullet to the brain each, and then I have a situation where I am outside, and have to maneuver around while 5 soldiers march around in their station areas. I manage to get a plastic bag over the head of one and strangle him out, thus killing him silently. Hey, what's that on the ground? A garrote? Convenient! Not for soldier #2 who never saw me coming. I have a shootout with the next three, because subtlety is not my strong suit, and then its into the next building.
A guy yells just after I enter the door, that's a clue, thanks big guy. I shoot him in the head a few times and continue on into the building. There's a big sugar press machine here. I drag the dead body onto it, and hit the on switch. He gets sucked in, and turned into a big bloody cubicle which damages the machine and allows me to enter up the conveyor belt. Funny!
I work my way upwards, until I find Michael. He runs from me, that's the intelligent move, I agree. There are bales of hay on the roof, don't ask me why. Michael has a signal gun that apparently has unlimited flare ammo. He starts shooting at me, and we have a nice fire fight, literally, as we move up to the roof, where I finally hit him with enough bullets to take him down for good. I just killed my best friend to get some keys so I can run away. That's how I roll, I am the hero!
Another helicopter drops off a platoon of angry commandos. Oops. I have to work my way back to the boat, and mostly I do it with some bullets to the chest. Near the boat, there's four commandos waiting for me, and I am low on bullets. Doh. I get killed a few times, but finally I figure out their positioning and eliminate them with 4 bullets to spare.
I get on the boat, I drive away. Mission Complete. Yee-Hah. That's a checkmark. Rockstar games category, I am making a comeback!
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I load up Suikoden 3 in the Playstation 2. Might as well get the last of the Suikodens for this round out of the way. Well, still have Tactics in the Strategy section, but I rarely tell the truth anyway, so...
I am playing Chris's Story, Chapter 1. (There are 4 main characters, and you see the story unfold from all of their perspectives in different chapters. It is very well done, actually.)
Chris Lightfellow is a kickass Xexen Knight. She's crazy good with her sword, and she's now the replacement captain for the Xexen Knights, who are in the midst of a war against the Six Clans. When last I left off, I had just arrived at Brass Castle, the Knights' headquarters. I upgrade some skills and see the blacksmith about improving my weapon.
I head to the shopping area of the castle, but there is a cut scene involving Dupa, one of the main warriors of the Lizard Clan, one of the Six Clans. He's there to invite us to a peace treaty summit. I CUT OFF HIS HEAD!
No, just kidding. I accept the invitation. I go back to my room, get a good night's sleep. It skips ahead a few days to the summit. We meet other major characters involved with the Six Clans, and we agree to the treaty. Afterwards, something is wrong. The Lizard Clan has attacked our rear flank by surprise. Whut?
We go to the war screen. In this game, you have major battles involving units that your characters lead and are a part of. In different parts of the game, those characters can die if you lose them in a battle. So, you have to be very strategic and careful. This is the first one of the game, so its not too hard. My goal is to make a strategic move to the east, cutting through one of their units there.
I do lose a couple of units full of non-character knights. But I make it through, and we progress to the next cut scene. My characters agree that the only way to save surviving knights that have been cut off, is to attack the Karaya Clan's village nearby. Looks like its time to cut off people's heads! Or it will be, in round three. This is a story progression checkmark. Time to move on.
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Here's where we are on the ol' scoreboard:
MIND TEASERS: 4 of 6 defeated
Chess Titans - 1
Gabriel Knight - 1
Mahjong Titans - 2
Sherlock Holmes - 2
Spider Solitaire - 2
World Series of Poker - 2
STRATEGY: 4 of 6 defeated
Civilization - 2
Europa Universalis - 1
Gladius - 2
Space Empires - 2
Suikoden Tactics - 1
World of Mixed Martial Arts - 2
SHOOTER: 4 of 6 defeated
Crysis - 2
Fallout 3 - 2
Freedom Fighters - 2
Killzone - 2
Resident Evil 4 - 1
Ring of Red - 1
PURE ACTION: 4 of 6 defeated
Devil May Cry - 2
God of War - 1
Madden Football - 2
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams - 2
Soul Reaver 2 - 2
Soul Caliber - 1
SWORD SLASHERS 3 of 6 defeated
Champions: Return to Arms - 1 (Hacking Orcs A' Plenty)
Dark Cloud - 1
Drakengard - 2
.Hack Infection - 1 (Level Grinding in progress)
Oblivion: Elder Scrolls - 2
Shadow of Rome - 2
EPIC - FANTASY 4 of 6 defeated
Dragon's Age Origin - 1
Dragon's Quest 8 - 1
Final Fantasy 12 - 2
Suikoden 3 - 2
Suikoden 4 - 2
Suikoden 5 - 2
EPIC - OTHER GENRES 3 of 6 defeated
Kingdom Hearts - 2
Marvel Ultimate Alliance - 2
Mercenaries - 1
Rogue Galaxy - 1
Star Ocean - 2
Xenosaga - 1 (level grinding in progress)
ROCKSTAR MISSION BASED 2 of 6 defeated
Assassin's Creed - 1
GTA: Liberty City Stories - 1 (Pimpin' Ain't Easy!)
Hulk - 1 (Tough Boss Fight!)
Manhunt 2 - 2
The Warriors - 2
Urbz - 1
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