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After years of seeing Stardew Valley but never playing it, I finally had the opportunity to give it a go.  Without burying the lead too far, the game is fantastic.  I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I have been, but that is how these games go.  There are a few points of this game that really made it stand out for me, even among some of the competitors in a relatively similar space.  So, let us mosey on into this and discuss Stardew Valley. A game needs to grab my attention with a compelling story, and Stardew has delivered on this.  It begins by letting you know that you are about to be a farmer in a distant place that has its secrets.  From the start, all I was thinking was, “My farm is a disaster zone that needs to be fixed asap!”  At this point, the story is yours to control.  You want to focus on just farming crops, you are more than welcome to do so.  Of course, you may be limiting your experience with the rest of this world.  There is a whole town of people to interact with, learn about, make friends, or even get married if that strikes your fancy.  This allows us to see all the townspeople interacting with each other, adding in their daily struggles, achievements, and spirit.  As the player, most of these events are in your control, and this valley will change based on your actions.  You truly feel like a part of this world, and you just want to keep going more each day. Now that we have explored the basic story of the game, let us go into things you are actually able to do in this world.  From the first day, you are told that the farm is a little run down and needs to be fixed up.  Obviously, this is where you start in the game, but the world itself is your oyster.  I found myself running around in all the locations, picking up every piece of forage I could find, collecting stones and wood to upgrade my cabin, even exploring a mine and fighting monsters, adding a touch of action to a relatively calm and relaxing game.  Even if you are feeling overwhelmed with how many options you have, the game can help you focus by throwing a quest at you to help the townspeople.  These quests will help you learn what you can do each day, especially as you only have a certain amount of time each day.  When all else fails, just do whatever you really want to do!  This also becomes much more interesting when you introduce multiplayer. When there is so much to be done in one day, having a helping hand is a major benefit that Stardew Valley incorporates.  Friends can work together, with a shared or separate gold accounts, and work on the farm together!  This helps the vision of the farm grow at such a large pace that you can actually find time to do things together in the game and explore more!  This game has plenty of events and challenges that when having a friend nearby can be the the line between victory and defeat!  Always a good time playing with friends and watching our community grow together. This game has clearly grabbed my attention, and I still play the game, maybe a bit too much as of now.  The gameplay just feels soothing, something you can kick back and enjoy while making everything exactly as you want it to be.  Heck, maybe you just want to head to the ocean and listen to the waves as you fish.  Truly is a delightful game, and based on how much I have continued to play it, I can only give it a score of 5/5 Luckies!

I began my Cyberpunk2077 adventure like many others did as it was first released.  The reviews were in, it was a disaster.  I experienced the same dismay and heartbreak as many others, but still found myself playing through this bug-infested game in Night City.  There was something about it, how it still looked, as long as I wasn’t fighting at least, that was incredibly brilliant.  The story still grabbed my attention and had me wanting to know where we were going next.  Then, as the game was further worked on, it kept drawing me back in over and over again.  It was then I realized, I liked this game as a bugged game, and I love it now.  Let me tell you a few things about this game that really have me returning to this world over and over again. My first real experience with this game was the most horrid visual displays, leading to one of the most entertaining reasons I played.  I had gotten into one of the games “fights” in a ring against an opponent.  The game was so laggy that once the fight started, I was frantically pushing my attack button, only to see an assortment of colors on my screen, not knowing if I had even won the match.  I joked about it to friends, being the most ridiculous fight I had been in, and somehow winning.  I return to that same fight today, and it has become a polished masterpiece.  I can dash, dodge, block, counterattack, all smoothly within the game.  My gorilla arms addition really makes me feel powerful, that I have a real impact on the world around me.  This simple mechanic is amazing to see, and I still like to play the game and even participate in these same fights as a character that usually couldn’t stand in these scenarios.  This is because the game itself keeps building more and more, giving the players more time to interact with their world, play with different abilities and playstyles, and still have so much more to try every time.  While it started with this horrible feature, it still grew to be an amazing experience that I still play to this day. The story of this game is what truly got me involved in this game.  With the before-mentioned graphics errors, many people didn’t even give the story a shot.  I don’t blame them though, playing a game that obviously wasn’t ready for release hurt the initial thought, but it still stands today with the story intact from where it was.  Additions have even been made to the game, adding more complexities to who and what you can affect all over Night City.  I have gone from moments of gun blazing heroics, to stunning displays of calm and tranquil scenes, each pulling me into the moment.  Everything felt so real, from the tear-jerking heartbreaks to the glorious victories.  As the player delves deeper into the story, you are pushed into so many different scenarios, like being face to face with gangsters who intently don’t care if you live or die.  It isn’t shy about these moments either.  Each variation of the playable character has their own confrontations and pasts that need to be dealt with in one way or another.  While these are not major differences in the overall story, it still adds a unique nature to the character you are playing.   While the story has continued to grow, the gameplay itself has completely changed from where it began.  There is a quote from the game, “style is king in Night City.”  For most of us that began this game the rule was more, “any 4 socketed piece of equipment with 4 armadillo mods is king.”  The joke here being that you can place very high pieces of armor in any clothing you wanted just to be near invincible.  This was how the game was until the revamp came, making it finalized that your armor is only dictated by your own mods, mostly.  This opened up the game so people could just pick the style they liked best, without having to consider if a piece of clothing is an upgrade.  These were changes I found extremely pleasant to have.  The game itself hasn’t lost any of the initial wonder I had, and now it only continues to enhance the experience more.  We even saw the introduction of Dogtown with the Phantom Liberty DLC, which knocked it out of the park with an exceptional new story for the player to delve into while still maintaining their search for survival.  You are no longer on your couch or chair, but in this town, on these streets, interacting with these people.  All of these experiences were magnificent, and the updates finally came to a completion.   Let’s take a look at more of the day to day things that can really make the game shine.  While you travel through Night City, you will encounter many people, some of which the character actually gets to interact with and witness their stories move forward.  You feel like you are friends with this person, you feel their pain when failure hits them, and happy for them when they succeed.  It adds a personal touch that you don’t get in many games.  Even more than the characters, the soundtrack for the game is incredible!  Each radio station having different songs playing, and each station bringing its own flavor to the Night City ambience.  Even after all these additions, we weren’t prepared for what happened next. Cyberpunk Edgerunners dropped, and I was there for it.  Not only that, but it brought me right back into the game.  When I returned, I was not disappointed.  References from the show have already been added into the game, but just enough to add more flavor in this world.  You get a greater feeling of the world around you, especially when you can actually visit parts of the show in the very game yourself.  It almost rejuvenated the game alone with this series, bringing new players along with those of us who played from the beginning. This game will continue to hold a place in my heart as a favorite.  Even with that said, I could never give this game a perfect score, just noting how the game itself was released.  However, I will say that the game in its current state is amazing, and most definitely worth the price of getting it.  If you just want a simple play through, then I admire your will.  I wasn’t able to resist multiple playthroughs, and don’t plan on stopping any time soon.  4 Luckies =)

There is an issue some continuing story games have with content and playability. I can tell you now Cat Quest 3 does not contain this issue. I was a player of the first two iterations of the game, and I was tickled at the changes and content released each time. Then Cat Quest 3 arrived, and the curve hit so well! We went away from Dragon slaying and knights and found our way to be PIRATES! Let's discuss some of the finer details. First things first, the art style of this game remains adorable and dynamic! Everything seems to have movement and action, bringing the world to life literally before your eyes! From seeing the world at large and the small creatures that inhabit it being so detailed and polished makes it feel so genuine and fresh! It allows for smooth gameplay that allows the player to really experiment in the world. The combat system gets another update from CQ2-3, in the shape of a pirate ship! It doesn't take away any ground combat, but now adds the element of the ocean and canals for quick passage and sea battles! Meanwhile on the ground, we get new visuals and ways to fight in dungeons, making sure it never feels boring going against different crews. You find upgrades for your ships, weapons and magic which lets you make builds with different possibilities. There is one negative effect to the Cat Quest games, and that is the length. This isn't so much a problem with the game but with me wanting more. When I find myself being told the end of the game is near, it always brings an internal tear to the minds eye. This makes this game quite short, not unlike it's predecessors. Not a great deal of time is needed for this game, but a weekend should be all a gamer really needs to give this a good look. After finishing this game, one conclusion comes to me. That is I cannot wait for Cat Quest 4! Highly advise any loves of fun games and stories to pick this one up. I had a blast and will continue to with New Game +!

If you want adventure, swords and magic with a dash of comedy? If so, Trials of Mana may be your ticket. I played this game for several weeks on stream, and honestly had a grand time doing so. Is is the perfect game, of course not, but what makes this game so special? Well, there are a few points we can look at to really flush out where I believe this game did well, as well mention things that can be improved. We will be looking at the characters with their stories, the levelings system, and the overarching connections that drive everything home. Building a balanced party was my first thought, and the game did not disappoint me. Right from the get go, it offers you a total of six choices. These choices all very in style and none really feels like the other. This helps give each character their own flair that keeps the game intriguing and fun to play as you swap characters. The game even assists the player with how the characters are stated, helping you create a party that best works for you! Here is where the stories come into play. WIthout a doubt, Square Enix did a great job in writing the stories for each character. They all have their individual goals and wants, but know they must come together as a party. To add on to this, depending who is even in your party will affect later story points later, keeping the experience fresh after the first play through! You can mix and match the characters to come up with multiple stories, or even repeating a favorite one. Even with all the story elements, they can't go anywhere without power. The leveling system in this game is extremely straightforward and easy to understand. Basics apply, you beat up monsters and get experience to level up. The combat style, as mentioned before, differs based on the character you decided to play but your notice the increases as your increase your stats steadily. As you get stats, you gain more abilities, and your power grows! As we continue to look into the combat systems for this game, many mechanics can and will be recognized by many players. Common phrases fill my head, "don't stand in the red" being the obvious stand out. Enemies give you their tells of where they are going to attack, allowing the player to take advantage of it and react accordingly. Each monster has their own unique abilities that they do, and you as the player learn from the encounters and find ways to deal with them accordingly. You sure you want to keep slashing at that flying enemy? Why not just use a quick spell and bring him to your swordsman instead? Simple, and effective! That leads us to the abilities each character can use. As mentioned, the stats control your characters growth and abilities. The more you progress, the more abilities arrive at your fingertips. Pick the stats you want and get those abilities that match your style! The higher level you are, the more abilities you can learn and equip at once per character! From little things like increasing your health, magic and luck, the combination of abilities is vast. Here is where the game is truly wonderful. Did you pick a stat tree you didn't want? No biggie, you can easily just pay for a quick re-spec in the Night Market! Money is available to find, and shouldn't be much of an issue of the player feels they made an error. So level up and play with your stats to find the combination that works with your play style. However, what good is your character without a vast world to explore? This world is massive, and the locations are unique and nostalgic. The magician kingdom of Altena, the plains of Valsena, and the Holy City of Wendel are three such places the character will become familiar with in one way or another. Even as the lands exist, problems arise for each nation and must deal with the actions of the others. It brings each story to an interesting direction that continues to intrigue. How much the stories of this game intercept each other is wonderfully balanced. You can see how each story will change based on your party! I had a grand time knowing with my party consisting of Duran and Angela, their fates were closely connected as their kingdoms had.... issues. It created a unique drama to my playthrough, as Duran shows a hatred of mages early on, but grows to trust Angela as his comrade. The story combinations continued to keep me entertained. It doesn't end here though, as the stories continue. If you find yourself finishing the game, you will also find you indeed haven't finished it. This is where the game got me, seeing as I played the game live on stream, but not after the credits rolled. The game calls you back for more, and I loved it! I now had new reason to go into the world some more and see things that I may have passed on before. It was truly worth having more of a story to keep you invested in your characters as their grow! After all this, what can be said on the negative side? The end game seems to be the issue I ran into the most of this game. The story is finished, I want the best gear, so I grind for hours hoping for the right drops, and then for the right item to appear from that random drop. Yup, relying on the old random selection process bums me out a bit. Giving me more access to ultimate weapons via a quest wouldn't have been too much of an issue, but I honestly feel like I am nit picking at this point. It's not a bad thing for this game that the gear grinding is the down point, in fact it is down right amazing. This game had me amazed from beginning to end. I loved my story line that Duran, Angela and Charlotte led me through, and would gladly (and have) play it again! From meeting all the characters, the amazing styles for all of them (shout out chicken turtle, Vuscav!) kept me smiling and playing. If you want a fun game to play, this one has all the trademarks of fun. Give it a whirl! OG Post Date: August 10th 2024 on Discord: LuckyLounge

I don't know of many people that haven't heard of the Resident Evil franchise. Peak horror genre complete with horrific monstrosities chasing chasing down the MC as they battle their way to freedom. It is true to the name, even for someone like me who isn't the best with horror games. Regardless, the game has so many strong points, even I was able to finish it! The story, gameplay and tone set this game apart. Resident Evil starts you with a choice, Chris or Jill. Who you pick changes parts of your story, adding an element of replay ability to the game. Whomever you choose, you find yourself abandoned in a terrifying mansion. You now must explore and discover all the secrets behind the mansion and monsters that crawl within. The control for this game are unique as well! Even the remake still makes use of the camera angles and controls for place you explore in this game! It limits what you can see keeping suspense while still hearing what is around the corner. Even more, you can only carry so much, making the puzzles a great deal of back and forth. While it may seem tedious. it also serves as a way to introduce elements into the game, like new monsters in old areas! Dark, eerie and downright terrifying. This is how I describe the tone of this game. Now that my childish opinion is out of the way, the tone of this game is astounding! Every door you open, every floor you walk on, keeps you holding the controller not knowing what is going to break through a wall and try to tear your throat out! The game kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly making me yelp in fear, much to my friends amusement. Resident Evil is an amazing game, and I can see how the genre has gotten so far. Each installment seems to bring more monsters, extend the story, and even reveal some villainous intentions around Umbrella! The game was fun, and I recommend anyone with scare fix give it a go, no matter how much it makes me hate how easily I am scared! OG Post Date: August 17th 2024 on Discord: LuckyLounge