This month has been a busier than normal time for me. I have finally, after losing thirty pounds on my diet, gotten back into exercising three times a week. I started swimming with an adult swim league right by my house, and being back in the pool feels better than I could’ve imagined. Every practice I become measurably stronger as I slowly regain my strength. I gained over forty pounds when I started taking anti-psychotics, and was out of the gym for years. It will be a journey, but one worth taking to be strong again.
Also, my friend whom I graduated Mount Mercy’s Journalism program with is moving to Denver at the end of the month, so we have been spending as much time together as possible as he prepares for his transition West. We had amazing sushi tonight at my favorite local place. His new rap album just came out under the name Royalty Klub, and drips style and attitude. I’m excited for his future. Myself, I’m still searching for gainful employment.
There has been gaming this month, however, I must say. Spending my time between several games, as I always do. One game has demanded forty hours of my attention since I bought it on Nintendo Switch. I felt lavish paying $60 for a game. You may have noticed most, if not all, of the games I review are never full price. But, this game came with a demo I played and loved so much I felt confident in the purchase.
The game is Octopath Traveler on the Nintendo Switch. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft Windows and Google Stadia. It is a turn-based RPG with the spirit of the 16-bit era classics. Developed by Square Enix, with the assistance of Acquire, I couldn’t imagine this game coming from a better place. I have had the best time with it so far, but as much as I have played, I can tell I still have a very long road ahead. This review may not even come this month, but the game continues to occupy my gaming focus. A blend of retro and modern makes the gameplay and graphics of Octopath Traveler a game not to be ignored.
I also started playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. I found this one for the excellent price of $40 at the local game store, where I had almost exactly the amount of trade-in credit to buy the game. Ultimate Alliance is a top-down perspective, four-character brawler that comes ten years after the last entry in the series. Although there is a 2016 remaster of the first game. There are a wide bevy of characters to choose from, but wise balancing or min-maxing will have you adjusting at the frequent checkpoints to prepare yourself for what is ahead. I haven’t played this game but several hours, as Octopath Traveler seems to come first.
Another game I have been playing I originally discovered on Twitch, Cultist Simulator. Developed by Weather Factory, an indie company, this quirky single-player card game is perfect to throw as little or as much time into as you want. You pick a starting theme for your deck and try to start a cult. It is really hard to say more, you really need to see for yourself. The game is all about revealing hidden knowledge, both in the canon and as a gameplay mechanic. The game offers guidance, but the only real ways to victory are trial and error, exploration and using what you have learned. Cultist Simulator was $20.
To be honest, I’m not sure any of these reviews will come this month. Call it the “Octopath Traveler Effect.” I just wanted everyone to know what I am up to, and that I am in good health and spirits. I will be seeing lots of family this holiday season as I just received my COVID-19 vaccine booster. If you’re gift giving this season, check out the games I’ve already played for great games you can get without spending a fortune. Also, as supplies are scarce at this time, maybe creative gifts are going to be more common!
On top of my Christmas wish list is more of the Truff hot sauce my sister-in-law Julie got for me as a surprise gift some time ago. She got me the three pack sampler of their black, hotter black and white truffle hot sauces. I loved them all, and it is impossible to pick a favorite. I loved the “Hotter” on tacos and fried chicken. The classic black truffle hot sauce was delicious on pizza and mac & cheese, for starters. The white might have been my favorite, I put it on anything I would normally put hot sauce on, like eggs. The white truffle is only seasonal and hence more expensive, unfortunately.
HereticDerek 