Tying up loose ends

Day 432

I am currently staring at my monitor skeptically. I wonder what's left to say. I'm still playing a lot of Final Fantasy XIV, which, as I have repeatedly emphasized, will continue to have somewhat of a negative impact on my writing. There is a fair amount I can say about the game but I don't want to become entrapped in a situation where it's the only thing I ever talk about. The fact remains, however, that it is the only thing I'm playing at the moment. I'm inching my way through the latter stages of Lufia 2 while I'm at work, but my at-home free time is relegated entirely to Final Fantasy XIV. I would like for this to change. I enjoy the game, but I also enjoy cycling through a variety of games simultaneously and offering up my opinions on this blog. As sad as it might seem, I seldom write about anything other than gaming, unless I'm whining futilely about my depression! Guess which one of these is more fun to write about?

I really do like Lufia 2 and it deserves a lot more attention than I've been giving it. Although it's plagued by a number of issues common to RPGs of that era, the dungeon and puzzle design really shine through and make it a memorable game. I usually really dislike puzzles in RPGs but Lufia 2 generally finds a way to make them entertaining and variable in difficulty. There are plenty of easy, softball puzzles that make me, the player, feel smart and accomplished for conquering them quickly, but also a respectable number of fiendishly difficult ones that are more time consuming. These puzzles and platforming elements (many of which are admittedly lifted straight from The Legend of Zelda) add a level of quality to an otherwise unremarkable game. I'm definitely enjoying it, but I haven't made much of a point of playing it while I'm at home. I was going to once I'd finished a few other games but then FFXIV came along and wrecked everything. Oh well. It'll get finished.

As for Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, I think I'm going to go ahead and buckle down and grind up the rest of the rhythmia I need to beat the game. That'll put me at 30 games finished and instill in me a modicum of satisfaction for the "work" that I've accomplished this year. I'll then feel like I can devote all that time to Final Fantasy XIV without feeling like I'm funneling all of my free time into one giant black hole of nothingness. I'm going to accomplish things in FFXIV too. I'll hit max level and I'll play through the storyline--and then I"ll stop. Or at least I won't play nearly as often. After all, Bayonetta 2 and Persona Q are coming out next month, and I'm looking forward to playing those a lot. Oh, and we must not forget Super Smash Bros. for Wii either! I'm excited about all three and I don't want to feel like I have a ton of unfinished business on FFXIV by then. I'm reasonably certain I will have hit level 50 on a class by that point. After all, I'm pretty much 30 on two different classes already.

My "backlog eradication marathon" is probably ending for now. I had a really good run and chewed through 11 games at a pretty good pace. Lufia 2 will be my final game for that marathon. I'll probably still try to chip through my backlog here and there, but for the most part, I'm going to be concentrating on new games from now on. Now, I'm not going to buy anything that I have no plans to finish. Gone are the days where I purchase new games every week on the off chance that I might play them someday. I'm irresponsible enough with money as it is to start resorting to those kinds of tactics again.