Messages

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General / Re: Gaming/Collecting Goals for 2026

« on: Today at 03:23:18 pm »

It's not that I've grown tired of playing games, but I've been investing my free time in other activities lately that I don't think will change.

I think it's perfectly normal and healthy to change things up when it comes to hobbies, and also to take as long of a break as you need to from a specific one if you're feeling burnt out or just feel your interest slipping.

That's cool you've got into DnD so much. I used to play it a lot back in the early 2000s back around the time third edition was released. I had two friends in particular who I used to play with and we had a blast playing all weekend. I can't remember why I ever got out of it, but it's something I've considered jumping into from time to time. I sort of feel like I already have too many hobbies and interests to add another, but who knows.

I definitely agree. But for me in this moment in particular, it's really just about not having the amount of time to divide to all my active interests and not about becoming disillusioned or anything with video games. A group activity like D&D will inevitably take priority over singular activities (or it should, anyway.)

I've only played for a few years now with my only experience in 5e, though I still very much feel like a beginner since my group isn't able to play regularly. So far, we've had two periods of 3–4 months without playing on account of conflicting schedules. Right now, the group is only myself and three players, but we're divided between west coast, east coast, and two players in Japan, so obviously there is far less available time for us all to meet. Maybe in time we'll recruit someone else or one of the few who've had to break from the group will return. Even if that'd only increase scheduling challenges, I think having more players would be worth it. I had never really considered DMing before, but the previous DM reached out to me hoping I would since they're wanting to be a player again. Really, I never thought I'd ever even play D&D at all, but being invited to play makes it easier than finding the motivation to find or build a group yourself. Hopefully DMing works out and I grow more comfortable in the role so preparing for sessions comes easier than how it's felt so far.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: Today at 02:24:15 pm »

124. Resident Evil 3 Nemesis (PS1)

It's interesting to see where our opinions overlap and differ from another. Despite mentioning how I think I may have enjoyed Resident Evil 3: Nemesis more than the previous two series titles, I'm not one to rank or score games. To me, they're all three about on par to each other considering their time of release and existence as debut, sequel, and third entry titles.

Also, at this point, I can see why Resident Evil is the most popular horror franchise (objectively at this time and arguably not anymore), but I'm still far more captivated and unnerved by Silent Hill. Yet even if Silent Hill debuted first, I think Resident Evil would have gained the broad audience appeal.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: Today at 02:10:04 pm »

63. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis || PlayStation || 12.08.2025



Looking back to just a few months ago, I can't remember if it was Resident Evil 2 (RE2) or Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (RE3) that I felt most hesitant toward playing. Before playing each, I was aware of the games' immediate antagonistic force that patrols the player's movements, which is a horror gameplay element that perhaps most makes me uncomfortable. So since RE2 didn't provide that level of despair, I began playing with more emotional caution that I typically do before starting a new horror game, since surely it was this third entry that would elevate the franchise's horror which has, up to this point, not really been intimidating.

Unlike the previous two titles, RE3 forgoes the character select system while instead offering only one narrative campaign. Since I haven't played through the previous games more than once to know what their other campaigns are like, I presume there's really not much different between them besides some minor progression differences. With that said, I think the decision to focus on only one campaign is to the RE3's benefit, as I find it on a general development standpoint more superior. Whether it's because the game doesn't need to limit itself to a smaller and more confined area or if it's just the natural evolution of the series, this third entry is far more open-ended than what's preceded it. During outdoor exploration, the city itself is divided into two halves and feels larger than any one environment presented so far. There's a fair amount of freedom for players to explore and solve puzzles in the order they want to, and the city's size makes remembering all the individual puzzles that typically can't be completed when they're first discovered a challenge in itself.

I imagine that throughout development, Capcom concluded that another game set primarily indoors would become tedious to players, so much of this third entry takes players outdoors in an expansive city overrun by the undead and mutated. However, this is not to suggest that players are limited to outdoors only during this section of the game, as it's further divided into smaller sections of both indoor and outdoor areas, which is something that I find to be a sharp contrast to the previous two games' environments. Another novel approach to level design is that players briefly return to the city police station that's the main hub section of RE2. As the stories of both RE2 and RE3 take place simultaneously, this stage progression provides an interesting opportunity to see what takes place at a familiar site at a earlier point of time while also forming a more holistic understanding of what will become three of the franchise's protagonists. But what's also being accomplished is that this inclusion provides the immediate means of morphing the familiar into something different to maintain anxiety.

Regarding the level of success the game's horror achieves, it is somewhat difficult to assess. Something I've already realized even before having played through this third entry is that it's common for boss encounters to be more challenging than they have any reason being. It's not that any encounter (whether its challenge is appropriate or not) has ever barred me from progressing, but it's become expected for some to be so needlessly difficult. In RE3 specifically, there were several instances requiring numerous attempts to win, therefore requiring having to reload the save file, adjust my inventory, travel to where I'm needed to be, and rewatch any cutscenes (some of which, fortunately, can be skipped.) The entire process becomes irritating, and it all cultivates into a sense of emotion that's removed any horror from the experience and instead negatively reinforces that this is a game with reoccurring unfair game design.

Still, I can't discuss the nature of Nemesis itself, the eponymous antagonistic entity who stalks the player. Prior to playing RE3, I thought Nemesis would be a much more threatening and ominous force, but that wasn't the case as there it's only active during certain scripted segments. In fact, even when Nemesis is present, it's easy to avoid; I don't think I was ever once attacked by it outside of boss battles even. Throughout the beginning half of the game, Nemesis makes several appearances but can just be avoided altogether, as it's only at the end of the game when the final showdown occurs. Nevertheless, there is some heightened tension during any of the timed Nemesis encounters. More often than not, players will need to make a mad dash to the next immediate point of interest, and Nemesis is almost always right behind you, slow to follow you but then quickly gaining momentum due to its faster speed.

As the series advances with each title, some quality-of-life updates are to be expected and are introduced. My favorite of such changes are to the map system, which has up to this point has lacked detail. Now, maps indicate structural details such as staircases, where the room is walkable or blocked off, and are even clearly labeled including pinpointing where save point typewriters are located. Other small updates relate to exploration and combat. A button input allowing players to perform a 180° quick-turn has been implemented, though I almost exclusively utilized this capability during certain boss encounters. Additionally, the ability to dodge enemy attacks is now available, though I found it more cumbersome to actually purposefully utilize than not. Another small detail I'll mention now is that destructable environmental pieces are now integrated into combat, such as oil barrels, though it's a feature that's seldom present. And, lastly, I'll briefly mention the game's puzzle design. For the first time in the series, puzzles are consistently well-designed that go far beyond the banal find-item-and-use-it-elsewhere barriers the previous two games almost exclusively utilized.

Meanwhile, two larger gameplay mechanics are also introduced: ammunition crafting and the Live Selection choice system. The former is actually robust and allows for players to prioritize combat how they prefer, but it's also a feature that's presented altogether at once in the game's initial playable moments and may come across as convoluted at first. Directly related to this system is the game's heavy emphasis not on resource management but inventory management. RE3 regularly provides players with several items at once despite their limited inventory size, so they'll be forced to drop off items and return to collect what's remaining. I spent far more time than I'd ever think I would have in the inventory. Now, the latter Live Selection system is intriguing, and it has far more consequence than I was led to believe during my playthrough. At certain moments, players will be forced to make one of two choices, leading to two different outcomes. As I played, I assumed that one choice simply made the situation more difficult, but the choice players make determines level progression and the opportunity to acquire some items earlier or even at all. While there are two overt options to choose, there is actually a third, which is the decision to not select either choice. From my understanding, this indecision never gives advantage to the player. As I'm now better informed about this system, it's easy to acknowledge how this alone can alter one playthrough from the next with some degree of significance.

Now, what is perhaps, in my opinion, the least important aspect worth discussing is the game's narrative. For what it is, the story is adequate and maintains player engagement. The subplot regarding a certain character and their alignment felt underdeveloped, though there is more than ever before to discover and read regarding the events leading up to the ongoing outbreak. As an aside, I'll also briefly mention the game's technical qualities. At this point, vocal performances have lost their low-quality camp while still maintaining a subpar delivery, so it only comes off as amateurish. However, graphics are detailed and feel lively: raging fires block off city streets, broken fire hydrants are burst open with water spewing high, and zombies may barrel out from seemingly abandoned vehicles.

Somewhat to my surprise, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a game that I enjoyed considerably more than the second title and maybe even more than the debut title too, which is certainly in part to its comprehensive environments and more fulfilling accomplishment of exploration. Still, its greatest weakness is just how willing it is to remove players out of the action and instead into the entry, and the balance between horror and frustration suffers too.

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General / Re: Gaming/Collecting Goals for 2026

« on: December 20, 2025, 10:25:46 am »

As some may have noticed based on my limited games completed output this last quarter of the year, I have not been playing games as much for various reasons. As the beginning of the new year nears, I don't expect that to change for the foreseeable future either. It's not that I've grown tired of playing games, but I've been investing my free time in other activities lately that I don't think will change. In October, I devoted the majority of my free time toward watching one movie per day and then writing my thoughts for it; since November, I've been learning how to DM for D&D and planning for an upcoming campaign that's planned to begin proper early next month that I'm creating myself; and of course, there are other activities I devote free time toward. Having less time available for games may not be the case always, though. Although I will also mention that the amount of free time I have in general is also something I anticipate being more sparse going forward. Accordingly, I neither anticipate being able to complete 2026's 52 Game Challenge.

With that said, I still have gaming goals for 2026, all of which relate to playing habits:
• Continue playing the Resident Evil franchise
• Prioritize playing shorter games in general
• Play more short-length indie games on PC
• Play through one Yakuza game

For 2025, all of my goals relate to playing habits.
 
• Finish Silent Hill franchise
• Begin Resident Evil franchise
• Play PlayStation VR
• Play through PlayStation major franchise entries
• Play one Final Fantasy game
• Play games for as many platforms as I can that are available to me
• Play an even greater variety of game genres than I did in 2024
• Play more short-length indie games on PC

After going back to look at my goals for 2025, I actually completed all but one (to play PlayStation VR) to some degree, although Final Fantasy ended up being substituted with other RPGs including Octopath Traveler and Persona 3 Reload. Besides Resident Evil, I did end up trying out other noteworthy PlayStation titles including Battle Arena Toshinden, Jumping Flash!, and Tekken, but I wasn't able to complete any of them. I really wanted to complete a prolific fighting genre game, but I just don't think I have the skill or the patience to hone such skills to be able to.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Developer/Publisher Requests

« on: December 19, 2025, 09:51:35 am »

https://vgcollect.com/item/286436
developer: Decafesoft

Did not show up in Developer list. Maybe I'm going blind.

That was my mistake. I marked the request as completed before without actually adding it. It's now been added as a field option.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Developer/Publisher Requests

« on: December 19, 2025, 09:50:16 am »

Publisher: Milmar Indústria e Comércio Ltda

Publisher: Zirok Eletrônica Ltda

Because of the ongoing Developer and Publisher field encoding errors, the above options currently appear as the following: Milmar Indðstria e Comércio and Zirok Eletrônica.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Developer/Publisher Requests

« on: December 18, 2025, 11:29:56 am »

Sorry for the delayed response for the last few posts. Last week was pretty busy for me and the site's been unresponsive for everyone again the past two days.

https://vgcollect.com/item/282333
developer: RideonJapan

Submitted as Rideon Japan, based on the back cover text.

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Modern Video Games / Re: The Game Awards (TGA) 2025 predictions, hype, and general discussion thread

« on: December 18, 2025, 10:58:06 am »

I'm nearly a week late to posting my thoughts. Oh well. I didn't watch the event live but instead tried to watch most uploaded trailers that looked worthwhile. I may have overlooked some that may have interested me, though.

Bradley the Badger
I'm not personally interested by the premise that revolves around parodying other critically-acclaimed games, but the gameplay itself seems okay. It's definitely something to keep tabs on, at the very least.

Control Resonant
I know next-to-nothing about Control, so I'm not really sure what to make of the trailer. However, I will acknowledge its cinematography.

Coven of the Chicken Foot
I don't think this project's gameplay looks particularly interesting or stands out in a unique way, but I will recognize the decision to design a game based around an elderly woman.

Divinity
The trailer's "for adult audiences only" warning (not shown during the live event, though) at the start is justified. Even though the trailer is just a video render and not gameplay, the tone is fantastic, and I like that Larian respects players wanting an adult narrative to give them just that. I have high expectations, and I'm sure they'll be met considering the game's developer.

The Free Shepherd
Above anything else, I'm drawn to the game's pastoral setting and complementing cello soundtrack. I'm certainly interested, and I'm curious how gameplay mechanics will function and if other elements of genres such as puzzles will be incorporated.

Gang of Dragon
I'm certainly interested in seeing more about this project, considering it's a spiritual successor of sorts to the Yakuza franchise on account of Nagoshi leading the project. An English dub for characters that clearly would not be speaking English will always make me look at the presentation with some bias, so hopefully a trailer or gameplay footage of the game with Japanese voice work will be presented sooner than later.

Orbitals
I'd like to see more gameplay for this. Its attractive visual style will immediately set it apart from other games, but I can't tell exactly what kind of co-op experience it's going to offer.

Stupid Never Dies
Not a game I'd go out of my way to play, but it seems quite confident in the kind of game it wants to be through its fun, early- to mid-00s era presentation.

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General / Re: Gaming/Collecting Goals for 2026

« on: December 18, 2025, 10:50:31 am »

Collection goals:
AND I'm interested in purchasing some vtech edutainment systems, such as V.Smile ... those come cheap but I didn't start collecting it yet ...

Out of curiosity, where does your interest in the VTech games come from? Are they games you'd consider fun enough to actually want to play?

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General / Re: VGCollect 2025 Secret Santa!

« on: December 18, 2025, 10:33:47 am »

But.... what did you get?? 

Well, I finally opened my gift box! In a way, Santa got me six games: Shenmue I & II, Pikmin 1 & 2, and Final Fantasy Origins, also known as Final Fantasy I & Final Fantasy II! Santa was quite generous and thoughtful, and I appreciate the theme that I realized almost immediately upon opening the third gift. A friendly note was also included, which I've kept inside one of the game cases.

Santa was also somehow able to return the four Silent Hill games that I had lent to telly a few months ago without any issues, so that sure was nice!

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General / Re: VGCollect 2025 Secret Santa!

« on: December 16, 2025, 10:37:53 am »

After an incredibly busy week, I've finally been able to start catching up with things. I'm glad that there were some who were able to get together for a group meetup and unbox what was available at the time, and what's better is that everyone so far has enjoyed their gifts! In particular, I'm glad I gifted the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack to kashell, which I'm sure will get much enjoyment whether it's on display or being played during a car ride.

And if I'm understanding some of the many rules to phonetic linguistics, then I think my username would be transcribed as /'da:bi/ or DAH-bee, with an extended vowel a sound.

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General / Re: VGCollect 2025 Secret Santa!

« on: December 10, 2025, 07:43:20 am »

To clarify further to avoid any confusion, the planned meeting is at December 10, 20:00 EST, or December 11, 10:00 JST.

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Modern Video Games / Re: The Game Awards (TGA) 2025 predictions, hype, and general discussion thread

« on: December 08, 2025, 01:10:28 pm »

Predictions
- new Elder Scrolls VI trailer (there won't be a date given, but think of this is a hype generator announcement. I can see the game getting an official name here and it also being "the BIG announcement of the evening."

2018 sure feels like a while ago.

I forgot it was that long ago. I remember at the time feeling like it was just a massive pat on the head and Bethesda being like, "yeah, it's still happening someday...but you all already knew that. Now, shut up and quit bothering us about it."

That's definitely why the 2018 "announcement" trailer exists. I wonder how much sooner The Elder Scrolls VI would have released if The Elder Scrolls Online still wasn't supported, or if it had never even existed at all.

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General / Re: VGC's Anonymous/"General" Topic:

« on: December 08, 2025, 01:07:06 pm »

They asked if I could delete the review. I told them no, and reminded them that 4/5 stars is still good. Somehow, they managed to get the review deleted - thus the reason why I can't copy and paste it on here. Their final message to me was "Reviews deleted [peace sign emoji]". I left one review, so I'm not sure if "reviews" was another typo or if he just want hog-wild and decided to delete other reviews that were less than 5 stars.

That Mercari found it acceptable to remove your review that was, I presume, fair-written and objective to the transaction is what's most alarming to me. I've never used Mercari, but that sort of action only deters me from ever using their service. If anyone can simply voice a complaint in regards to the other party's experience when it's rightly justified and have their feedback removed, then a system relying on trust between buyers and sellers can't exist.

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Modern Video Games / Re: The Game Awards (TGA) 2025 predictions, hype, and general discussion thread

« on: December 08, 2025, 09:45:47 am »

I'm interested in learning more about Stranger Than Heaven, which was announced last year under the name Project Century. It wouldn't surprise me for there to be at least one announcement from Ryu ga Gotoku.

Predictions
- new Elder Scrolls VI trailer (there won't be a date given, but think of this is a hype generator announcement. I can see the game getting an official name here and it also being "the BIG announcement of the evening."

2018 sure feels like a while ago.