+ Stellar Blade (PS5) - Beat the game back in early May, but got Platinum only now after three playthroughs. NG Normal, NG+ Hard, NG++ Hard. Aldo completed Boss Challenge on Hard. 

So, spent a long time just playing games recently, Slay the Spire, Helldiver's Apex but between them I legit tried to do another run on Baldur's Gate 3. Well, I did. Nearly all the way through but didn't finish it because honestly, by Act 3, I'm spent and getting into the ending fights is just tiresome. So I stopped and played Red Dead Redemption 2 instead.

Started off slow but that's the point of the game, found the controls generally terrible, like why is speak to people so close to shoot them in the face? I basically ignored hunting after Chapter 1. I struggled for income at first but guess that is the point. Found it odd how lawmen would show up to mission story locations where enemies were hidden as soon as I had killed them but not before giving me no time to loot. Anyway, getting through that I carried on with the story.

Now, I'm f***ing depressed. I had no idea how long it was, whatever needed to be done but the game kept telling me "one last score/get the money". There were masterful hints at the main character's thinking early on in the game that came full force later and in finishing the main story, I... I dunno. Felt happy to have played this but sad to as well. Emotions through story telling can be a big thing and this was a right kicker.

And here I was thinking it was just GTA but wild west.

Masterful work by all involved.

Everyone gets depressed finishing that game, if it weren't for the prologue and good honour ending it'd severally fuck with your head. Did you get the cutscene where Arthur talks with the Nun for the last time, it's those touches that make it all so much more rough. Not to mention you get attached to the character like in no other media apart maybe books and to see it play out and leave the world is a bitch. I wanted to play recently again but it's way to heavy for me to handle right now so I watched Act man on Youtube play through it. Such a masterpiece and people seem to have forgiven it's faults as time as time has gone on. The bar for quality is still exceeding games coming out now and it's damn near the length of a console generation old. 

Much to my shock when I apparently had nearly 8 more hours to play. :P

I did indeed get that scene. The attachment thing is great to have, as this is the first time in a lot of games I've got attached to like that. Prehaps it's due to what was happening to him specifically, man not on control of anything really, going from one thing to the next just to get things done. Many cite other characters as being great in some other games but outside of my own creations with my Warden/Hawke/Inquisitors or the scripted Shepard, I don't really feel similar connections. Some, I've outright disliked and I'm meant to be playing them/on their side?

I presumed that scene with the nun and much of the end is set but how you say it, I presume much changes if you go low honour? Not sure I've got the effort to go through another 40 hour campaign just killing people and saying no to see the differences. Just trying the online, seems okay but don't quite get it.

Not many tbh since i have been playing of lot of different games.
Tales of symphonia.
Dungeons and dragons chronicles of mystara
And now almost finnished with ff8 for the second time in my life(first when it got released but nevet beat it)

A lot of little details and dialogue changes but more subtlety than it would in say, an RPG choice system but what really changes is the overall vibe of the game, it can get SO much more depressing and dark but nothing majour enough to do another playthrough to see it. Check out the changes on Youtube, there are a few different endings and changes to quests so it's not entirely up to low honour/high honour. Much of it has to do with the choices you make in late game after and the honour system mixed in with that. 

As the father of twins born in 2018, I can safely say don't plan on being able to game anywhere near as much. Between just not having the time, to being exhausted all the time, your gaming will take a back seat. Stuff like the switch and steam deck are great ways to mitigate that (having a baby nap in your arms while you play games, etc.), but mentally, you'll probably be more focused on other more important things.  Of course, given that your post was in April, I assume you probably know all about it now.

Also, congrats!

Completed:

1. Blasphemous 2 (PC)

2. Code Vein (PC)

3. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (Series X)

4. Octopath Traveler (PC)*

5. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5)

Now Playing:

1. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (PC)

*Putting an asterisk against Octopath because I used a mod near the end of the game.  For those of you who know, you know that the FINAL boss of the game is not only ridiculously difficult in comparison to the rest of the bosses in the game, but also is preceded by an 8 boss bossrush. And you would also know that you cannot save between this boss rush and the final boss.  Getting through these 8 bosses can take nearly an hour.  Each and every single attempt. And the final boss isn't really beatable with a straight forward strategy.  You need to plan it out and try many party builds.  So after a few attempts, I used a mod that allowed me to save after doing the boss rush. And given the number of times I attempted the final boss after that, I probably saved myself a good 8-10 hours of wasted time. And that's after already spending nearly 120 hours with the game.  Fantastic game otherwise!

1. Tales of Arise  *50hours

2. Neir Replicant  *25 hours

3. Project CARS 2 [4 lifetime goals]  *15 hours

4. Dave the Diver  *30 hours

5. Dirt 4 [Triple crown championship] *60 hours

6. Cat Quest  *5 hours

7. 13 sentinels Aegis Rim  *35 hours

8. Elden Ring *??? hours

Currently playing:

Yakuza Like a Dragon
WRC 10
Dredge

Vanquish

One Piece Odyssey

Like A Dragon 8 Infinite Wealth

FF7 Rebirth

Rise of the Ronin

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

I beat Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, my 5th JRPG of the year. This year might only be JRPGs with the way it is looking. But at least they are vastly different types of JRPGs. The rest of this post is what I posted in the Elden Ring thread.

Well I just finished the final boss, and I beat every other boss before it too. It was quite fun. Eventually the bosses became too difficult for me though, so I had to use those scadutree fragments. After that well you know, everything became too easy. The difficulty I would rate this DLC is above Bloodborne but below everything else. Base game was far more difficult.

Overall a bit disappointed in the weapons, my preferred weapon choice didn't get any good options for my build, so in the end I used the same builds the entire game.

As for armor, I did change a bit. Funny thing I just learned. There is a certain helmet in the game that reduces the amount of hp your flasks heal. The helmet I used the entire DLC.... Guess I should read the information more.

Highlights of my playthrough would be kind of spoilers, but know I really enjoyed it. Mostly how the world weaves together.

Should be another few years for From Software's next masterpiece.