Apologies, Updates, and Arrivals - SaturPLAY

First, I should apologize.  Once again there was no Thursday entry this week.  I'm sorry.  But I have come to realize that with my current schedule, I can't post a review every week.  It takes me a long time to finish a game.  So, from now on, Thursday entries will only occur when I have a Review made.  Tuesday and Saturday entries are still set to occur on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Second, I should do a quick update.  I have received some contact from Square Enix's online store regarding my recent orders.  Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster are currently on their way here.  They should arrive on time...hopefully.  Thief, on the other hand, is still somewhere in the void.  They are currently working to solve this problem.  My case has been escalated, so I should hear from them again soon...hopefully.

Third, let's SaturPLAY!

So this week I went ahead and downloaded the DLC for Skyrim.  That's what I have been working on all day today.  I probably would have gotten more done today if the game hadn't been freezing up as much as it did.  I earned a couple trophies in the Hearthfire DLC.  I also worked on completing some of the miscellaneous side quests I had stacked up in the menu.  But it's like I finish one, and another two pop up.  But I guess that's what makes people coming back to this game for hours all the time.

I also started playing Assassin's Creed.  For real this time, not just to try out the game.  I am liking it so far.

And finally, I am still trying to finish Final Fantasy XIII-2 before Lightning Returns arrives.  I am currently in Oerba in 200 A.F., at the battle against Caius.  I am having trouble in the fight, because I may not be strong enough to face him yet.  I could still go back through the timeline and open up places that I have left for later.  If I do that, I will be more prepared to face him.

And that's about it.  Make sure to come back on Tuesday for another NEWSday, or a rant on something.  I don't know.  It's not Tuesday yet, and I write those entries (and all of these entries) on the fly.  Anyway, until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Not a Newsie Tuesday - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

Okay, so I know it's technically not Tuesday, so this entry won't be about NEWSday.  I felt I just had to rant again about my current situation with Square Enix.  As I reported last week, my copy of Thief was put on backorder.  It has been more than two weeks since the game came out, and I have still not received it.  To make matters worse, I received an Email on Monday saying that my copy of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster has also been put on backorder.  And since there are currently no copies available at this time, my whole order is on hold.  Which means my copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is also not going to be here next week either.

Now, what has me wanting to scream is the fact that I ordered Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII way back in December.  You would think that a copy would have my name on it, just waiting for the appropriate time to be placed in the mail.  I mean, come on, I ordered the games three months before the games came out.  There should have been a priority system in place so those who ordered early would be guaranteed to receive the items when it was said they'd arrive.  I honestly think that they had an alphabetical list, and shipped them in that order.  And then they ran out of Thief and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster copies before they got to my name.  I can't think of any other logical reason for not shipping something I ordered so far in advance.

So, that's how it is right now.  I think the only good thing that is coming out of being delayed playing the games I have been looking forward to playing is that I have time to play what I still need to play.  And that's about it.  I ranted, and feel a tiny bit better than I did before.  If you, or someone you know, has had similar experiences, leave your response in the comments.  That way I will know I am not the only one who's had something like this happen.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Game Plan - SaturPLAY

Welcome to SaturPLAY!  In this week's edition, I want to explain my game plan for the next ten days.  You see, I am supposed to receive my copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII on March 18, 2014.  That is also the day that Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster comes out (I am also getting it that day).  The thing is, I still haven't finished Final Fantasy XIII-2 yet.  So my plan is to try and finish the story before my copy arrives.  I doubt I'll succeed.  After all, there are so many other games out there for me to play.

For example...

Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

or Assassin's Creed Revelations

I added these titles to my collection this week.  I have played some of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II.  I like what I am seeing with the series.  At first I was thinking that it was not what I wanted in terms of a video game, but I have changed my mind.  I really like it so far.

I have also been playing a lot of Hearthstone lately, as well.  I have competed in two tournaments so far, and I am signed up for a third one tomorrow.  The first tournament's result was making it to the semi-finals.  That was due to having a no-show for an opponent.  And then on Sunday's tournament, I lost in the first round.  To a friend of mine.  In a tournament of 61 or 62 players, I get paired up against the one person I know.  And it looks like tomorrow's tournament will have a big turnout as well.  I hope I get chosen to not compete in the first round.  I need all the help I can get.

Well, that's all for this week's SaturPLAY.  I hope you enjoy it.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

999 - ThursD.I.D.

Hey, guess what!  I finally figured out a name for the Thursday entries.  I'm calling it ThursD.I.D.  It stands for ThursDay.In.Depth.  It's a bit annoying to type, but I'll get used to it.  Anyway, let's begin.

The game I am reviewing this week is 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.  This puzzle-mystery game is on the Nintendo DS, with a sequel on the PSVita and 3DS.  Your character has awoken on a ship, and along with looking like he hasn't eaten in days, he is sporting a bracelet with the number 5 on it.  And you are not the only one on the ship.  There are eight other unfortunate souls along with you.

Your captor wants you to play a game.  You and your "friends" will solve puzzles and travel throughout the ship.  And there are rules you must follow in order to get off the ship.

Anyway, the thing I like most about the game is that there are six different endings, and the best way to play the game is to get all of the different endings.  The puzzles themselves are both challenging and fun to complete.  There were some that I ended up having to find out how to solve, because they were too difficult for me to solve.

All in all, it is a great game.  A friend was talking about it, and it seemed interesting to me.  So far, I have only seen two of the 6 endings.  The first time I played, I received the Coffin ending, and the second time I got the Submarine ending.

So, that's about it for this week's ThursD.I.D.!  I hope you like the new name for Thursday's entries.  Make sure to stop by on Saturday for the week's SaturPLAY.  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Runaround - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

All right, so this week has been slow for me in terms of article writing, so first here's what I did write.

Interview with Takamasa Shiba, Drankengard 3 Producer
In this article, I write about what one of the producers of the upcoming Drakengard 3 has to say about the game, and what his thoughts on the changing gaming market and experience in game development are.

Now, I could just leave it at that.  However, I have recently had something worth ranting about; so I think I will include that as well.

I am a loyal Square Enix games fan.  And ever since I started focusing on playing more recent games, I have been purchasing titles directly from the Square Enix online store.  It is convenient, and even cheaper in the long run.  I don't have to spend money on gas and whatnot.  Anyway, when I ordered Thief at the beginning of February, I did not expect to be having the trouble I am currently going through.  This is the first time I have ever pre-ordered a game from the online store.  So I was expecting to wait for it.  But I was to still receive it and the pre-order extras that I signed up to get (DLC code for The Bank Heist, T-Shirt) on the day it was released.

On the release date, I waited.  The regular mail went through, and I didn't get anything.  Then the FedEx driver drove on by while his route.  And the UPS driver didn't even go by the house that day.  I figured that it just arrived late to the post office, and I'd get it the next day.  Well, it has been a whole week, and still nothing.

I recently sent a message to the Square Enix Support Center to see if there was some reason on why I hadn't received what I ordered.  Their response was that while I did order the game from their store, it is another store entirely that handles the issue I am having.  Now, I get it.  They make video games, they just don't sell them directly.  It takes out that hassle.  However, I went to the only support center link I was provided.  And in Square Enix's reply to my message, I was given a link to the exact same one I used before.  So I would be running in circles.

And I then went directly to the Digital River site for more information.  But their website was down for maintenance.  So I called them.  They said that the reason why my order had not arrived was because it was put on hold due to The Bank Heist DLC was not yet available.  That isn't true, in fact, that is the only thing I have received.  I received the code via Email on the date of release (February 25, 2014).  I told the person I spoke to about this, and it stumped even her.

So now I am waiting for another reply from them.  It will take 2-3 days in order for it to arrive.  And so I will wait for their reply, and the game.

And that, everyone, is why you have not seen a review on Thief.  That was something I was looking forward to writing.

Well, that brings us to the end of this week's NEWSday.  Be sure to come back on Thursday!  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Swimming through the Star Ocean - SaturPLAY

Welcome to SaturPLAY!  This week I played one game in particular, and that was Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International.  I have tried playing this game before, but I could never have the motivation necessary to get through more than the introduction of the game.  It's not because it's a bad game, in fact, it's far from that.  It was just too slow at first for me to keep my interest.  However, in order for me to get the full story of the series, I wanted to play the games in chronological order.  That meant play The Last Hope first, followed by First Departure, Second Evolution, and finally Till the End of Time.  There's another game, but I don't have the handheld system for it, so I will just forget about it.

Anyway, my characters are all at or near Level 20.  Currently, we have reached Cardianon.  I saved the game before leaving the Calnus, and that's where I stopped playing this evening.  I am really liking the story up to this point.  I especially like how each planet has it's own story along with those of the party members.  And, I really feel for the party members as they travel around and experience the events throughout the game.  In particular, I nearly cried when the party came back to Triom, only to find that the infected townsfolk had turned to stone.

And that is only the second world I have been to.  Now that I am on the third, I expect a great story as well.  All of the Star Ocean games I have played a little bit of have made me enjoy playing them.  But like most games, I have never completed any of them.  So far though, The Last Hope hasn't been difficult.  I haven't even seen a Game Over screen yet.  I think that will soon be seen though.  It's only a matter of time before I see a Game Over screen.  After all, it's me we're talking about.

And so far I have received two PSN trophies.  Both are for defeating the bosses I have come across.  Most of the trophies on the list are for collecting things.  Items, Battle Trophies, etc.

Anyway, I really like the game so far.  I hope to be able to finish it.  Well, that's all for this week.  So, until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual