Week of 30 Jun 2024
“Welcome to Fjällbjörnarna Camp!”
Achievements Earned In:
- Minecraft (Switch and Android)
- Power Rangers Super Samurai
- Palworld
- Max Payne 3
- TOEM
- Maquette
I actually got the same achievement in both Switch and Android versions of Minecraft this week, for launching myself up high using a Wind Charge, and packed this away for now. I have yet to ever check off the entire achievement list for the Nintendo console, so maybe I’ll finally sit and do that soon.
Achievements unlocked: 100 (+2) | Completion: 78% (Switch)
Achievements unlocked: 129 (+1) | Completed (Android)
It’s been a while since I pulled out the ole Kinect 1.0 (in 2022 when I completed Diabolical Pitch) so I felt as I felt myself between “main” games that it might be time to return to that well. One of the few full games I have left to complete that using the peripheral is Power Rangers Super Samurai based solely on the fact that… well, it’s the freaking Power Rangers! Granted it’s not the Mighty Morphin’ or Neo or Turbo varieties from my childhood, but this is actually the era my kiddo watched when I introduced her to the series (and after a few episodes of MMPR broke through my nostalgia and I realized how awful it is). So, I know a little about it, and figured that’d be enough to be an enjoyable time. Sadly, I also forgot just how poorly the first Kinect works for most games, so I only played a little but already am not having fun. You have to hold one arm up (like you’re holding a sword vertically) and then swipe your hand across the hand guard (like you’re spinning it) to activate the first stage of your special attack, and I just cannot get it to easily read that. Or most of the moves. But, luckily the game is pretty easy so far. I’m little worried about the harder difficulties, and the end grind, since this is all more physically demanding compared to just pushing buttons, but the achievements for those difficulties is just for completing them. Here’s hoping that’s not all that frustrating! I’m not sure how often I’ll dip in for this right now; I like doing Kinect games in the morning but it is SO HOT out right now and even light exercise like this results in a lot of sweat. Blech.
Achievements unlocked: 9 (+9) | Completion: 19%
But what them mouths do, tho?
This week they finally added Xbox-specific servers for Palworld alongside the new content, so this has to have fixed the online multiplayer, right? So I can play with my kiddo and get this completed? RIGHT? Haha…ha, no. Heck, none of these patches and updates have even fixed the textures in the game! My world looks like it’s made of smooth plastic most of the time. Ugh, anyway, I managed to quickly get one of the newer achievements (for ensla- er, capturing a human) before the game froze and crashed again like it always has, and I guess this is going right back on the backburner.
Achievements unlocked: 6 (+1) | Completion: 19%
With a major bout of the depressos hitting this week, my motivation to continue Max Payne 3 bottomed out pretty quick. Especially as I was back into the frustration that is Free Aim as I started my first attempt at New York Minute mode. But, I did finish Old School difficulty on Thursday this week (Happy ‘Murica Day!) and that was nice. I’m honestly not sure if I’ll be doing much more of this right now, but I at least reached Chapter III in New York Minute before I got tired of bothering.
Achievements unlocked: 65 (+1) | Completion: 97%
Who needs narcotics and booze when you have donuts???
As I mentioned, my mental health took a dip this week, so I wasn’t sure what I wanted to play. I thought something simple and silly would be a good idea so I decided to complete TOEM, which is leaving Game Pass on the 15th of July. I’d tested it previously on my alternate ‘tag and already knew the art style and gameplay was right up my alley, and sure enough the rest of the game is just my thing. The point of the game is to take pictures for various objectives and completing quests given to you. But what I love is that the game is presented in a 3/4 angle, but when you go into the camera’s viewfinder it becomes a full 3D world. This is even integrated into the gameplay and puzzles, since when you’re traversing the world a lot of walls and ceilings and such are not present, but then you bring the camera up and there’s something you couldn’t see before. I don’t know, just something about the game made my brain happy and I was excited to get around to this one. It’s also easy and short, so I started it Friday and finished it then, too. Highly recommend.
Achievements unlocked: 48 (+48) | Completed
Kinda funny how this dog is just hanging out here.
…Oh yeah, remember Maquette? I had it started for me while I was on vacation almost exactly a year ago, and just never got back to it. It doesn’t help that the game is a tale of a romantic relationship, and obviously that’s a very sensitive topic for me right now. But, I figured I could just started getting the speedruns done first thing so I didn’t really engage with the story, and I quickly did the first 4 stages’ speed achievements with little prep. There’s even a way to complete the third and fourth ones in seconds, so that’s definitely nice. It’s a very creative and pretty game, but I just don’t want to enjoy the story. Which is a shame, but meh. I’ll likely try to knock this out sooner rather than later.
Achievements unlocked: 12 (+6) | Completion: 55%
