PixlBit

                              

                                     I love the detail in this scene from Child of Light

        I finished up the main quest in Child of Light surprisingly quickly. I didn't realize I was basically at the final two bosses. After that (and it was a much easier fight than I expected) I started to look for collectibles. You have to find these sprites at each of the shrines. I found all but one and got really frustrated trying to find the last one. I finally stopped and looked at the last few achievements. I tried to send Rangergirl a Oculus gift for one achievment but you have to make an Uplay account to do it. No thanks. Then I tried to get the one that says you have to win a battle without Aurora. I did that two different ways. One was I got her killed in battle and finished with my partner. That didn't work. Then I realized I could switch her out for another character right at the beginning of the fight. So I did that and won a battle, but I still didn't get the achievement. I was at a loss. The last achievement was for some side quest that probably pops up after I find that last sprite. I guess I could've looked up a guide, but for whatever reason, I didn't really want to. I guess I'd had my fill of beautiful scenery and lovely music. That theme song was beginning to annoy me anyway. There is a vocal number in the credits (yes, I sat through all the credits) which I liked a lot called "Off To Sleep". (Don't listen if you think it'll spoil anything. It doesn't reveal anything about the ending, but the feeling you get listening to it after finishing the game is nice).

                         

                                               End Credits song "Off To Sleep"

     Then I popped in LEGO: The Hobbit, which I got at Gamestop in the morning by trading in several games. I also renewed my PowerUpRewards membership and had to pay a total of $2. LEGO: The Hobbit is very relaxing. I put in about 5 hours. There's nothing too strenuous about the game. I just enjoyed running through the frame by frame recreation of the movie and smashing everything with my LEGO characters. I did get a little frustrated at one point because there are so many characters, and I kept forgetting which character had which tool or weapon. You have to switch often to utilize the shovel, bow and arrow, sling shot, the chain weapon that let's you grab things, the big hammer that lets you move large objects, and on and on and on. I also didn't realize that each character carries several different weapons or tools. I found out kind of late that Bilbo carries the fishing rod as well as the walking stick.

               

                          The number of locations on this map makes me think of Skyrim.

     I really liked the maps in the game. They show in great detail the world of Middle Earth. I don't think I've ever seen it rendered so clearly, even in the books. It was a delight to get a better sense of where everything is in this world. And the world is huge! There's so much rendered for this game. Much more than just what's seen in the movie. I think I'm going to be at this game for a good long time. 

      I mentioned dismissively the other day that the Lego games are all the same, but this one does add some new features, or at least one of them anyway. You can buddy up with another LEGO character to do special moves against large enemies or to bust through big obstacles. This is a pretty cool mechanic that plays out differently depending on who you team up. Other changes, but which aren't that major, are: better graphics, voice work in the cut scenes with the movie actors (Christopher Lee narrates), loads more characters, and more tasks they can do and weapons they can wield. I kinda like a series that pretty much stays the same, but adds incrementally more content over time. It's like the Dynasty Warriors games in that way. There's something comforting about it. I mean, why change a formula that works right?

                            

     When I got home I downloaded Weapon Shop de Omasse on 3DS. It's a Level-5 game where you are a blacksmith making weapons for RPG players. The better you make the weapon, the more sucessful will be the quest. I realized that it was the most recent handheld release that I wanted. I'll probably get some time with it during the week.