Backlog Conquering - Pyre - Part 8 - The Rites Restart

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 8, of playing Pyre on PlayStation 4.

In part 7, https://youtu.be/eskzF0QYvGE, we said goodbye to Hedwyn as he was liberated back to the Commonwealth. This video shows the aftermath, and is maybe one of the slower videos in this series.

There is more lore revealed in this video than maybe in the previous 7 combined! we get soo many pages for the Book of Rites, too. some of the game's mechanics also change, like being given a choice of which Rite to take on. There's also a fun upgrade for our Wagon.

But, story wise, whilst it's interesting learning more about the world, it isn't fun knowing that we have to do the same thing over and over again. There will be a part 9, but i am a little concerned as to how the story will progress from now on.

Backlog Conquering - Pyre - Part 7 - A Win and a Goodbye

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 7, of playing Pyre on PlayStation 4.

You can watch Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 by clicking on the links. they'll take you to the YouTube Videos.

In part 6, https://youtu.be/06I8FfLbh1Q, we had the plot twist that all of us weren't getting out together. So this video shows the ramifications of such news. This is a more story driven part so i do recommend that you watch the last couple of videos so you're familiar with it.

As this part deals mostly with the story, not too much happens. We do the final Rite and it's one of the best matches i've played so far. the AI team feels well balanced and even tho i win, it feels like a well deserved win. And with that win, we do say goodbye to a character.

But this does leave me with many questions throughout this part and i do have a few guesses as to what could happen next. 

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - The Lu Bu Cup - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!

I play and earn all the achievements from The Lu Bu Cup! (1/29 4PM - 2/5 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and a docked Nintendo Switch.

I'm happy with how i did this week. the gimmick for this cup was simple and the special abilities made it easy to do them. it was simply clear 4 of the same color and/or get a chain of 4 or more combos. But, because it was so simple i found that my competition was just as competitive or even more. in the first game, i defeated the boss but so did many of the other players i was playing against. so even tho i had a very high score, it wasn't enough to win as the other players had just as high scores. 

let me know in the comments how this week's Cup was for you.

Cloud Monday - Grip - Part 1 - A Lot of Racing With Some Streaming Issues

Today's Cloud Monday is part 1 with a new game. I'm starting these next two parts with Grip on PS4.

I was somewhat familiar with what to expect from the game as i had played Rollcage in the past and the PlayStation Plus Premium page had a trailer and screenshots showing off the game. what did surprise me was how much racing i was able to do in under an hour. the game does have a tutorial, but it's done in a race. it's somewhat unique in that when it has something new to teach, it slows down time long enough for the player to read it and the racing restarts enabling you to try it out straight away, usually the game gives you what you need too.

As for the streaming issues, only once did it get in the way. there was some macroblocking, there were instances of screen tearing where white/grey was shown for a frame or two and it was this that caused the only issue as it happened at a bad time. Grip is a game which is very fast, so macroblocking isn't that much of an issue as the square disappear quickly or are motion blurred. but when grey/white tears appear for a frame or two it can not only be distracting but potentially hide something coming up. this wasn't a constant issue, but it wasn't a one off either. we'll see what happens in part 2 next week.

Switch Funday - GoldenEye 007 - My First Time

Welcome to Switch Funday!

Even tho i've been playing video games since the early 1990's, i've never played GoldenEye 007. As i say in the video, my sister had a Nintendo 64 but we never had the game. I didn't even know anyone who had the game. so when it came out on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack i was eager to try it.

i went in knowing full well that games from this time haven't always aged well but still, i was shocked at how bad the controls were. they haven't been updated for the Nintendo Switch release, they've merely been mapped to controls that already exist. but it's fun to watch the video and see how i gradually adapt to the controls.

In this video, i don't finish the second level. even tho it's over an hour long, i try 4 times to beat the second level and fail. and it's mostly because of my own mistakes. but gameplay wise i kinda had fun. it was somewhat nostalgic but it was perhaps even nicer to know that i have finally played the game.

i don't know if it's one i'll come back to and finish. maybe if they update it or maybe if i get the N64 controller for Switch i might. It would be nice to try the online multiplayer, but that's only for friends rather than randoms online which i had hoped it would be.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - The Pixel Sitri Cup - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!

I play and earn all the achievements from The Pixel Sitri Cup! (1/15 4PM - 1/22 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and a docked Nintendo Switch.

I feel like i did well this week even tho i don't feel like i played well. the gimmick this week was that there was a place on the board that would change what ever piece was on it. so if you put a red on it, it would change that piece, cycling through all the other colors. The aim was to make a cross shape for a big score and big damage, too.

I got all the achievements quickly this week, it's one of my fastest videos. But i never managed to defeat the boss. It also felt like a low scoring week, too. so the sense of accomplishment isn't as high as i'd hope even tho, by looking at the time, it appears i did well.

let me know in the comments how this week's Cup was for you.

Cloud Monday - Dark Void - A Fun Few Chapters With Some Streaming Issues

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing the PS3 version of Dark Void. it's a game i've played before on Xbox 360, so it was a nice nostalgic return to the game.

As for the streaming experience, i felt that controlling the game was fine. i didn't notice any input lag. but i do recommend changing the analogue stick sensitivity in the menu. once i did, i found that moving the camera became much more pleasant.

The video being streamed tho had some occasional issues. the game itself has it's own issues, so screen tearing, pop-in, and weird shadows/lighting isn't what i'm talking about, but something you will see. the biggest issue with the video being streamed to my PS4 was macroblocking. this is where colors and shapes get blocky. this only got in the way of gameplay once, but a few occasions it was plenty noticeable but i could play with it happening.

Because of this, i'll try playing the game another day at a different time to see if we get a better streaming experience or if it's a regular thing.