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What I’m Playing: January 2010

I’m a very touch and go gamer, so a lot of times I find myself forgetting which games I’ve played, how fair of a shot I gave them, and how I felt walking away. So, as we forward through the new year, I thought it might be a good idea to chronicle my gaming.

Here’s what January looks like for me.

MMORPGS:

  1. World of Warcraft: This game has jumped up and grabbed me by the throat all over again. Six months ago, I would have said it wasn’t possible, but here we are. The new possibilities offered by joining a new guild and, more recently, the fun I’ve had tanking, have brought it to life again for me. I’ll probably be clicked in with WoW for some time to come.

  2. LOTROLord of the Rings Online: The month of December pretty much saw me leaving this game on the shelf as I waited for my server transfer to go through. It finally did, however, and I’ve been having a great time playing alongside my new guild on Landroval. I love how beautiful the scenery in this game is. The level of polish is top notch and, finally, now that I’m past the dreaded “brown zones” I’m seeing a lot more variation in missions and mob types. Why it takes 30+ levels for this stuff to kick in, I’m not sure, but I’m happy to be looking forward and not back. This is my high fantasy game.

  3. Fallen Earth: Fallen Earth is my “extra” subscription, meaning that it’s fun enough to justify an extra $15 a month but that I don’t let it recur. If I’m short on money, this is the one to go, but, really, that’s probably because I’m not that far in yet. I really enjoy the level of immersion it offers and the unique game play make it enough of a “diamond in the rough” to keep me coming back. Even though it’s my “extra” game, I’ve kept my subscription consistent. Every month stands on it’s own as a one-time purchase for me, and that’s the way I like it with FE.

Xbox 360:

  1. COD – Modern Warfare 2: I love this game. It’s a lot of fun, very rewarding, and reminds me a lot of playing “guns” as a kid. Everything just feels right, and the in-and-out game play makes it a title I play person to play multiplayer with is my 7 year old cousin. He watches my back and I watch his. He makes it a point to stick with me, and we have fun looking out for each other and talking over voice chat. Good stuff, this bonding over video games. I think he gets a kick out of the fact that I game with him since I did my student teaching in his class for two months. It’s strange, but most kids forget their teachers are people and have lives outside of school. Funny kiddies.

Sony PSP:

  1. Final Fantasy 8: An old favorite. I don’t know if I’ll finish this game, though. I love the story but I guess I’m less forgiving of these game’s ultra repetitive nature. Still, time will tell.

  2. GTA: Chinatown Wars: This game surprised me. It’s not like any other recent GTA game. It’s very unique to the handhelds with its game play and is reminiscent of the PSOne titles that gave the series its start. The dialogue is all in text and the viewpoint is locked isometric. I’m enjoying it a lot.

  3. EA Replay: EA console classics. Apparently, EA used to be my favorite game company. When I saw this in Gamestop, flush with all of the Road Rash titles, I had to get it. Honestly though, either the emulation is bad for sound or the series has just aged horribly. The engine sounds are grating and monotonous. Still, it’s fun smacking someone with a chain on a motorcycle, so this game compilation (along with the others on the CD, I haven’t looked into it too much) is worth some time. I’m interested in trying the first Ultima, which is also included.

  4. Sega Genesis Collection: I was a big fan of the Genesis and this compilation brings together some of the best titles. Sonic 1 & 2, Altered Beast, Golden Axe 1-3, Phantasy Star 1-4, Comix Zone, Vector Man, the works. Since the PSP is a casual console, these types of games are perfect for it and I’m having fun revisiting these old classics. … Sonic FTW.

sega

Games I hope to play but probably won’t have time for:Dragon-Age-Origins-1-icon

  1. Dragon Age: Origins: I don’t know what happened here. I started off strong and got 20 hours into the story, loving every bit, and then lost steam. This happens way too often with console games. MMOs have spoiled me, I guess. I’ll come back to it at some point, I know I will, but I don’t know if this will be the month.

  2. Allods Online: I have a beta key. I have interest. But I lack motivation. Everything I’m seeing about this game makes it look like it’s worth the time but, honestly, I’m not that big on betas. I’m curious, but part of me is holding out for the “real thing” which I’m sure we’ll get within a couple of months. This is probably the biggest F2P MMO that’s ever been on my radar, not including Free Realms which I don’t put in the same class.

As you can see, I have a lot on my plate. Hell, from this list, you’d probably think I have a lot more free time than what I have. I don’t. I tread into MMOs the deepest and play the rest for little bits here and there and still wind up playing less than your average MMO player. That’s real life for you. I dream big but don’t swim very far out to sea.

That’s where we’re at though, and I’ll keep track of this going forward. It should be revealing at the end of December.

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