Every so often, one of those “30-day challenges” does the rounds on Twitter, Facebook and whatever, and while I’m often tempted to participate, I know that a few days in I’ll probably forget all about it.
So to prevent that from happening, I’m going to answer all 30 prompts from the “30 Day Video Game Challenge” — which most people seem to have been doing throughout December, which is nearly over, anyway — in one post because fuck convention, I do what I want because I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no man.
All right. Let’s begin.
1. Very first video game
Honestly hard to recall, because I grew up with gaming as part of my household. I was born in 1981 and estimate I probably started playing video games around the age of maybe 4 or 5 or so, which would mean my first video game would be one of the hundreds of pirated Atari 8-Bit games that my father and brother had acquired from the local “computer club”.
Let’s go with Star Raiders, even if it wasn’t, because Star Raiders is awesome and naming that as my first video game surely gets me some gaming hipster cred.
2. Your favourite character
I have a whole bunch of favourite characters from a variety of different franchises, so again it’s hard to pick one. If absolutely pressed to name just a single one, however, I think I’d probably have to go with Estelle from Trails in the Sky. She’s cute, sassy, tomboyish and immensely appealing to me in all manner of different ways, both in terms of her looks and her attitude.
3. A game that is underrated
The original Hyperdimension Neptunia. While its technical shortcomings are self-evident from the moment you start playing it, and it makes some baffling mechanical decisions, it’s one of the most memorable games I’ve ever played, through a combination of its absolutely charming characterisation and those aforementioned baffling mechanical decisions.
4. Your guilty pleasure game
I have no guilt in enjoying any games whatsoever, regardless of their content. I guess the only one I probably wouldn’t make a point of talking about in polite company would be Custom Maid 3D 2, and even then I have been known to talk about its interesting stat-raising gameplay as much as its explicit polygonal pornography.
5. Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)
I’ve encountered quite a few relatable characters over the course of my years in gaming. It’s tempting to pick someone like Noire from the Neptunia series for her somewhat solitary tendencies, though I wouldn’t describe myself as tsundere as she is. Someone like Rosangela Blackwell from the Blackwell series of adventure games from Wadjet Eye Games springs to mind; she’s a writer who attempts to make the best of a difficult situation. And okay, I don’t have a ghost partner with whom I put restless spirits to rest, but I did feel a certain degree of kinship with Rosa’s general personality and attitude.
6. Most annoying character
The dude who had the “FOLLOW” marker over his head for almost the entire duration of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, who got to do all the interesting things while I ran along behind him shooting predictable waves of bad guys. That was the last Call of Duty I ever played.
7. Favourite game couple
Gotta be someone from Grisaia here, though I’m somewhat torn between Yuuji and Amane (Amane was my own personal “best girl”) and Yuuji and Yumiko (whom I felt arguably made a “better” couple). Let’s say Yuuji and Amane.
8. Best soundtrack
Final Fantasy XIV. My enthusiasm for Square’s reborn MMO may have lapsed for the moment, but I never, ever tire of its masterful soundtrack by Masayoshi Soken.
9. Saddest game scene
The end of To The Moon. That was the first game since the first time I played Final Fantasy VII to genuinely make me sob uncontrollably.
10. Best gameplay
This is near-impossible to answer because I play so many different types of games that aren’t directly comparable. If we’re just talking games I’ve played in the last year, Dungeon Travelers 2’s beautiful mechanics and level design are definitely near the top of the pile.
11. Gaming system of choice
Again, hard to pick one, since I do a lot of gaming on a variety of different platforms. I think in terms of “platform that has the most games I want to play on it”, though, it’s between PS4 and Vita, with Vita having the slight edge by virtue of having been around a little longer as well as being backwards compatible.
12. A game everyone should play
Splatoon. It’s just such an utterly joyful experience — and totally free of the arrogant elitism that often plagues online games, thanks to Nintendo’s arguably overprotective approach to online interactions — that even the most staunch anti-multiplayer gamer can’t fail to have a good time with this one. And then it goes and has a fantastic single-player mode with one of my favourite final bosses of all time, too. Everyone should play Splatoon, and I hope it makes a comeback on Nintendo Switch.
13. A game you’ve played more than five times
I’m assuming this means “to completion”. Final Fantasy VII is the first that springs to mind (I completed this at least 10 times during the first summer I became aware of the series) but you can also throw in Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, too.
14. Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper
15. Post a screenshot from the game you’re playing right now.
(Stock screenshot, I know, but I can’t be arsed to turn my PS4 on and go through the faff of getting a screenshot off it.)
16. Game with the best cutscenes
The big “oh shit” moment halfway through Final Fantasy Type-0 is going to take some beating this year, but Final Fantasy XV also has plenty of incredible cutscenes, too. I can’t in good conscience give this one to anything but a modern Final Fantasy game.
17. Favourite antagonist
Metal Face from the original Xenoblade Chronicles. In the English… uh, British dub, he struck an incredible balance between being comedic and terrifying. I remember I was genuinely shocked at quite how far that game went with the brutality and unpleasantness, and Metal Face was a great figure to express your anger towards.
18. Favourite protagonist
I’ve already given “favourite character” to Estelle from Trails in the Sky, so it’s only right I give this one to Nepgear. Yes, Nepgear, because she was totally the protagonist of Neptunia mk2/Re;Birth2 and I will not hear a word said against the dear girl by anyone. Also I like Nepgear because she reminds me of myself. If, you know, I was a pretty young girl with a figure to die for rather than a 30-something hairy dude.
19. Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in
20. Favourite genre
RPG, no question. Honourable mentions to point-and-click adventures, visual novels and arcade-style racing games.
21. Game with the best story
If you count visual novels, The Fruit of Grisaia, with absolutely no hesitation.
If you don’t count visual novels, which I know some people don’t, then I loved the Ys series, particularly Ys Origin. The amount of thought which had gone into the lore of that world is simply incredible, and Origin brought the legends you learn about in the first two games well and truly to life.
Damn, now I want to play Ys Origin again.
22. A game sequel that disappointed you
Mass Effect 2 is the only example that springs immediately to mind. I was one of the few people who actually rather liked the clunky RPG systems of the original, so I was disappointed when 2 felt like more of a conventional shooter, both in terms of mechanics and structure. The story was decent and I enjoyed my time with it, but not enough to want to either go back or play the sequel.
23. Game you think had the best graphics or art style
I absolutely adore the art in the Atelier series, particularly the Arland trilogy. The lovely soft lines and pastel colours project such a wonderful aura of calm about them, and that’s something that’s altogether much too rare in an era of increasing grimdark.
24. Favourite classic game
At last, a question where I can honestly put Star Raiders as my answer and know there can be no argument about it.
25. A game you plan on playing
Trails in the Sky SC, Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II. I’ve only played the first Trails in the Sky, but that was enough for me to fall in love with Estelle.
26. Best voice acting
The original Corpse Party on PSP. This was the game that made me switch from dubs to Japanese voiceovers whenever I get the opportunity. Although the audio was in a different language to one I understood, the sheer amount of passion that the actors infused their lines with was incredible, and a big part of the reason that game had such a profound impact on me.
27. Most epic scene ever
Battling Bahamut in Final Coil in Final Fantasy XIV is hard to beat, if that counts as a “scene”.
28. Favourite game developer
I’m a fan of Falcom and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy team, but I’ve grown to adore Idea Factory/Compile Heart over the last few years, so I think it’s only right to give this title to them.
29. A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving
Criminal Girls. I picked it up mostly out of curiosity — and partly because I’d heard people call it shit and wanted to judge for myself — but discovered to my surprise that it was a brilliant game with some inventive mechanics and a thought-provoking story.
30. Favourite game of all time
I haven’t played it for years now, but whenever anyone asks me this question my immediate thought is always Final Fantasy VII. So it’s probably that.
Honourable mentions to Recettear, Geometry Wars 2 and Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+.
I'm Not Doctor Who 