#post station

Post Station

Sun Valley, Arizona

Route 66: An American Curios

Hasselblad 500c/m

Previously Completed Game: Fire Emblem: Engage

I cannot gush enough about this game.

I cannot properly express into words what it is I love about this game.

It is truly a paradox.

It is a classic platformer in the style of Super Mario 64, Spyro, Crash, Gex, Banjo Kazooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, you name it, it will be here. In some of those cases, literally, as it also is a collect-a-thon. Featuring chibi robot versions of any Playstation mascot, exclusive, or big money draw of the past 30+ years.

I could call it a nostalgia pop like I have in MOST of these Post Stations and run away into the night. But then my love of this game wouldn't be properly expressed. I'll finish talking about in a way that satisfies me, and still not have my love fully expressed.

It was a fun, challenging way to spend a few hours of time for a few days for a couple of months. There was not a thing I would have rather of done every time I picked up the game. And that is not something I can say for many games or many hobbies.

Another reason this is slow to come out, I have no idea what I am playing next. We'll list off the options and surprise everyone in a couple of months.

I am writing this a full week before I actually beat the game. Because the end of this game isn't going to change my opinion of the game.

Fire Emblem Engage is a fun JRPG strategy game by Nintendo with great new and returning mechanics and the same or similar generic story that most JRPGs have.

That statement can be made about (almost) every Fire Emblem game I have ever played. And whatever last minute twist Engage has isn't going to change that.

I love Sacred Stones. I love Awakening. Both are some of my all-time favorite game experiences. The cast of Awakening definitely had me shipping, even if it wasn't publicly on Tumblr.

But none of the games since have had me in my head like FE13 or event to the lesser extent of FE8. And I have played: Every. Single. One. Since FE7 was shown to me by an elementary school friend.

I haven't finished most of them which includes both Gamecube games, Fates (Got the 3-in-1 cartridge editon), Valencia: Echoes and Three Houses. (Technically finished one run of the Shadow Dragon remake.) And I can draw that to two things.

The more boring thing is technical. The Gamecube's slow and unintuitive U.I. and Three Houses Persona-esqe, takes forever, involved school introduction.

But more frequently, it's the characters. I didn't care a lick about anyone in any of those unfinished games. (Exception is FE9 and 10. U.I. kicked the shit out of me there.) Something about Corrin's torn between two families Shakespearean drama didn't pull me, probably why I tried playing Revelations first and suffered for it.

Engage definitely falls into the rest of the pile away from FE8 and FE13 for me.

Supports conversations are boring.

Story is...well...basic JRPG, as most FE's are but exceedingly so this time around.

And, to top it all off, I feel like the art and character design went way down hill. Admittedly, nothing will top FE6 to FE8 for me in that regard, but starting with Three Houses, models are generic and samey and there is no beautiful-painted portraiture to distract me from that. Or, anymore killer pixel are.

All that said, I can't say I DISLIKED Engage. Hell, I enjoyed playing almost every map and found new exciting challenges in each. And the Somiel was the perfect amount of micromanaging that will probably be a mainstay of the series with Three House's success.

I just didn't find my nostalgic love for the series in it. Even with the core mechanic BASED around nostalgic love for the series. And I don't think I will ever again.

I'm going to make an effort to post more regularly again. Even if it is a void, I like the ability to write my thoughts out. It clears my mind, even if it is mindless drivel about meaningless nonsense. Like a diary but less personal.

You know, exactly like Khaos Reigns.

That's not totally fair. Of all the types of games that could use more story, even if it isn't terribly original or special, fighting games are one of them. Especially Mortal Kombat. It isn't like the gameplay changed especially much, besides the balance patches all fighting games get.

All of that said, I enjoyed Khaos Reigns. It was five hours of hanging out with my partner, watching a fairly mindless but competently put together story in the wonderful new Mortal Kombat lore.

Can't say anything bad about that, plus a bunch of new characters to play.

I promise I'll try to finish Fire Emblem Engage within the next month or two. If only so I can talk about how much that franchise has...changed for me.

As for Sparking Zero? eh. Not exactly going as well as I thought. So after Fire Emblem, how about something light?

Doing it during the boopening just makes it age like milk.

Hi, I'm Dom.

I don't post a lot here. Because this is where I keep original thoughts. (I don't share a lot of those like I used to.)

Previous Completed Game: Mortal Kombat 1

Well, I don't feel bad.

There was a level of guilt I had about doing this before Fallen Order or Baldur's Gate. But with the quality of games like this, as well as the nature of games like Spider-Man 2, compartmentalizing and planning on ways and methods to beat the game is SO easy: I'll do this mission and come back later. I'll do this whole sub story and come back later. I'll finish this main mission and be back this weekend.

Definitely can't do that in Baldur's. You can theoretically do that Star Wars: Fallen Order, but the minutia is much less smooth. Spider-Man 2 is built for that style of play. Frankly, my style of play.

Add on top of that: fantastic story, the same great gameplay as the first two, (we can't always be evolutionary), and well...those two things. I could talk about "great graphics" or "tease of sequels" but those things seem redundant for any game at this point.

Biggest issues are either, unfortunately expected, (slow-downs and crashes) or incredibly personal (Mary Jane Watson in The Last of Us: Part Spider-Man 2).

A successful game played, and a time well had by me.

So...what to do next?

We could go for the bigger mountains of Baldur's Gate 3, Star Wars: Fallen Order or the silly purchase of Live A Live because it was on sale and impossible to find on Amazon. Or something similar to Live A Live like Dragon Quest XI or multiple other JRPGs that I have sitting around.

OR: An idea that may or may not work out. My sister saw me look at a game while Christmas shopping and not-so-stealthily picked it up for me. I figured another JRPG to the pile until I read its hook. Each of its three party members can be played by someone else separately. Called Trinity Trigger.

Feels like a fun thing to play with my partner. If I ever do that Post-Station it maybe a while, but I like it as an idea.

So, random new topic series concept? Talking about games I am playing after I beat them and what I beat to get them and what’s next? (These won’t be reviews. Just my opinions.)

Sounds good.

Previous Completed Game: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Just Completed Game:Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Midnight Suns was both everything I have played since college and something new. How so you ask?

College Traits: RPG with heavy focus on character interaction and being the “GottDeing” special. Level grinding, Single player heavy, Story first. And all those character interactions are usually bootlicking your character’s shoes. Also, late game twist seen from a mile away.

New Traits: Card based strategy game based around looking badass killing shit quickly.

And being honest? I enjoyed every second of this same shit different day style of play. I wish I could say I could break this habit. There have been other games. I have Star Wars: Fallen Order half-finished. (I plan on finishing it in time for the sequel.) I played Guardians before this one, which is different in that there is non-existent RPG elements and is basically a playable movie. Pokemon is more of the same.

And other than that...my gaming has been Netherrealm based and Fortynites with the friends for years.

So, Midnight Suns? Is just more RPG fodder for my pile, that I enjoyed and will continue to enjoy with the DLC and will be inevitably disappointed as its low sales mean no sequel. (And tbh, shit got glitchy as I hit the end.)