How I spent my time with video games in 2018

I don't know about you, but the 3DS has spoiled me as far as tracking the time I spend with games is concerned.

And let there be no doubt: I like tracking the time I spend with games.

Why? I honestly have no idea. I guess it's just pure curiosity--as in, I think it's interesting to see how much time I put into the games I play (especially ones I finish).

Anyway, because none of my other systems track play time like my 3DS does, I have to track it the old fashioned way--by keeping my eye on the clock as I play and then compiling the results in a text file after I'm done.

That's what I did to come up with almost all of the figures you see below, which represent how I spent my time with a variety of video games in 2018:

• Octopath Traveler (Switch)—106 hours, 40 minutes
• The Alliance Alive (3DS)—65 hours, 30 minutes
• Miitopia (3DS)—62 hours, 30 minutes (plus 7 hours, 45 minutes from 2017)
• Sushi Striker (3DS)—51 hours, 30 minutes
• Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! (Switch)—47 hours
• Black Bird (Switch)—37 hours, 40 minutes
• Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux (3DS)—26 hours
• Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)—21 hours, 45 minutes
• Dragon Quest Builders (Switch)—19 hours, 10 minutes
• Dark Souls: Remastered (Switch)—17 hours, 40 minutes

• Sweet Home (Famicom)—12 hours, 10 minutes
• Death Mark (Switch)—11 hours, 20 minutes
• Space Dave! (Switch)—10 hours, 30 minutes
• Luigi’s Mansion (3DS)—10 hours, 25 minutes
• Undertale (Switch)—9 hours, 05 minutes
• Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers (3DS)—7 hours, 15 minutes
• Tobu Tobu Girl (GameBoy)—5 hours, 45 minutes
• Creeping Terror (3DS)—5 hours, 00 minutes
• Phantasy Star (Master System)—4 hours, 45 minutes
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)—4 hours, 30 minutes (plus 7 hours, 45 minutes from 2017)

If you'd like to learn a bit more about some of these games, by the way, click on the links above.

Also, do you keep track of how much time you spend with games? If so, share your 2018 stats with me via a comment.

See also: how I spent my time with video games in 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014

My favorite games of 2018 that aren't Black Bird or Sushi Striker

In my last post, I declared Black Bird and Sushi Striker my absolute favorite games of 2018.

While wrapping up that write-up, though, I said I liked a handful of other 2018 titles nearly as much as that pair of headline-grabbers.

The seven games highlighted here represent the "handful" in question.



The Alliance Alive (3DS)--Earlier in the year, I was all but certain this Cattle Call-made RPG would be my game of the year. Then Sushi Striker came out. And Octopath Traveler. And Undertale And Black Bird.

In the end, The Alliance Alive didn't quite hold up as a "GOTY" contender. Still, playing through it was one of my most delightful gaming experiences of 2018, no question.

Why? For starters, I found its battles absolutely thrilling. That's mainly due to how its "awakening" and "guild" systems interact with and spice up these turn-based brawls, though I have a feeling they'd still be plenty riveting even without such embellishments.

The Alliance Alive wrapped me around its little finger for a few other reasons, too. Among them: its quirky cast of characters, its surprisingly varied--and oftentimes subtle--soundtrack, and its creepy "water devil dens" (optional dungeons, basically). (For more on these and a couple of other positive aspects of the game, read my post, "Five things that made it really easy for me to put more than 60 hours into The Alliance Alive.")

Given this title's association with and relationship to the much-maligned Legend of Legacy, I can't fault folks for passing on it. The fact is, though, The Alliance Alive is a far more accessible and straightforward RPG than that 2015 release.

As such, if you're up for embarking on a portable adventure and you're not opposed to whipping out your 3DS once more, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy of this Atlus-published (in North America) cart.



Dark Souls: Remastered (Switch)--If you had told me before I started playing it that this updated port of FromSoftware's tough-as-nails action game would be among my year-end favorites, I would've laughed in your face.

After all, it's not the kind of game that usually trips my trigger, as the saying goes. As a recent post of mine points out in its headline, I typically prefer cute games to gory or scary ones.

That may be true, but it's also true that it didn't take me long to become suitably impressed with Dark Souls' careful, stealthy gameplay. It helped, of course, that Remastered proved to be quite a bit less difficult than I assumed it would be.

Full disclosure: this is one of the few games included here that I've yet to finish. And not only that, but I have a sinking feeling I may never see its end credits. Even with my playthrough of it in an incomplete state, though, I consider Dark Souls: Remastered to be one of the true standouts of 2018.



Octopath Traveler (Switch)--As was the case with The Alliance Alive for a short while, I once assumed this highly anticipated Square Enix release would be my top pick for 2018.

You already know what happened after that.

I've got to say, though, if I'd made my "absolute favorite games of 2018" post about three rather than two titles, Octopath Traveler would have made the cut. (And if it'd been about four? The Alliance Alive would've been squeezed in, too.)

Although this SaGa-esque role-player has its share of issues (learn about them in this write-up on the "10 things I'd change about Octopath Traveler if given the chance"), it's still squarely a "my cup of tea" title.

What does that mean? For one thing, it means it brings to mind some of the classic JRPGs of my youth, like Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI. But it also means it's a bit weird--à la, say, SaGa Frontier. And it means it offers up some modern flourishes, too.

That hardly does justice to just how ambitious, affecting, and arresting Octopath Traveler is, however. It's filled with so many exquisite details that unpacking all of them here would be impossible. I tried to do so in another post earlier this year, though--"10 things I adore about Octopath Traveler."



Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! (Switch)--My interest in the Pokémon series has dropped so low in recent years that I barely even thought about pre-ordering Let's Go before it hit digital and retail store shelves in mid-November.

For whatever reason, though, I had a shocking change of heart right after it dropped. Boy, am I glad I did. Following a rough--or maybe I should say yawn-inducing--start, I fell deeply in love with this title's vibrant world, adorable creatures, and jubilant soundtrack.

I fell in love with its snappy battles, too--which may surprise those of you who are used to complaints being leveled at this area of the game.

You know what else impressed me about Let's Go? It never drags and doesn't overstay its welcome. That's something to crow about in an age when most role-playing games do whatever they can to keep you playing for 60, 80, even 100 hours or more.

Want to read more about my experience with this Switch title? Check out this recent post: "How Let's Go renewed my interest in Pokémon."



Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux (3DS)--A little something you might not know about me: I'm a real apocalypse buff.

Specifically, I love reading apocalypse novels. (Though I enjoy a good apocalypse film now and then, too.)

So why did I wait until Redux's release to hop aboard the Strange Journey train? Because I had no idea an apocalypse was at the heart of this Shin Megami Tensei spinoff. In fact, I only decided to check it out after a Twitter friend compared its story to that of Annihilation.

You know what? That person was right. Strange Journey Redux's vibe is very similar to the one that permeates Jeff VanderMeer’s blockbuster. In other words, it's bleak, unnerving, suffocating--and kind of awe-inspiring, too.

Combine that with the game's innovative battles (you can chat up enemies and entice them to join your party if you're a sweet-talker) and impressive soundtrack and you've got a dungeon-crawler that's well worth exploring in either its original or updated form.



Space Dave! (Switch)--This Space Invaders clone is right up there with The Alliance Alive, Black Bird, and Sushi Striker as candidates for the title "most painfully overlooked and underappreciated game of 2018."

In my humble opinion, of course.

Actually, comparing Space Dave! to Black Bird is especially apt, if you ask me. Both of these 2018 releases take inspiration from some bona-fide classics and then turn that source material into something spectacularly unique.

If you're waffling between the two titles, by the way, I might recommend you check out Space Dave! first. It's typically half the cost of Black Bird, and it's decidedly more approachable than Onion Games' offering.

It's also a meatier experience. I've yet to encounter its credit roll despite putting more than 10 hours into it, for instance. Which isn't to suggest that's the goal of this game (it's more of a high-score affair); rather, it's to suggest you'll see a whole lot more than four "boards" while playing Space Dave!

For more on this Jason Cirillo-made shmup, see this write-up of mine: "A few thoughts on Space Dave! now that I've put nearly 10 hours into it."



Undertale (Switch)--I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this now, but here goes anyway: one of the main reasons I never put more than about an hour into Toby Fox's much-ballyhooed RPG before I got my hands on its Switch port was its cult-classic status irritated me.

Thankfully, those irrational feelings of annoyance didn't get in the way of me playing this iteration of the game right through to its credit roll.

As those of you who've completed Undertale might expect, I've since slapped myself silly for passing on it for so long. If I were forced to use just one word to explain why I responded to the experience in that way, I'd go with touching. So many people have compared Undertale to EarthBound that I was prepared for it to be wacky. But I had no idea it'd be so poignant.

Between that aspect of this game and its brevity, you can bet your sweet bippy I'm going to play Undertale again and again in the coming years.

Ten things I'd change about Octopath Traveler if given the chance

My last two posts hopefully make it pretty clear I'm enjoying the hell out of Octopath Traveler at the moment.

As much as I love it, though, I don't think it's perfect. In fact, I'd make the following changes to the game if someone gave me the green light to do so.

1. I'd add a Bravely Default-like slider to the "settings" menu that lets you adjust the frequency of random battles. Being able to turn off random battles--or even increase how often they're triggered--was a real lifesaver, not to mention sanity-saver, while playing Bravely Default. Why Octopath Traveler's developers decided against including something similar here, I'll never understand.

2. I'd allow players to alter the game's difficulty on the fly, too. Again, like Bravely Default--or even the recently released Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. Both of those 3DS titles let you switch between easy, normal, and hard (or casual, standard, and expert, in the case of Strange Journey Redux) modes as you wish. Not only isn't that possible while playing Octopath Traveler, but it's not even possible to choose a difficulty level at the game's start. As such, if you run up against an area or boss that's too hard for you, you've got no choice but to grind your party into better shape or improve your battle strategy.

Illustration by carrotchipper

3. I'd make weapons visibly distinct during battle. I've loved being able to see my party member's weapons in battle since I first played through the original Final Fantasy shortly after it was released in my neck of the woods. In fact, I stuck with that game's "coral sword" long past its sell-by date because I thought it was cool to wield a pink blade. So imagine my disappointment when I realized I'd never get to see Octopath Traveler's "bear cleaver" or "war hammer."

4. I'd include a few more unique secondary jobs. In a way, I appreciate that the folks who called the shots during Octopath Traveler's development decided to cap the game's secondary jobs at 12. It's easy for RPGs to go overboard in this area and become bloated, confusing messes. Still, I wouldn't have minded even a couple of additional career options for my hard-working crew--especially since I consider a few of the included ones to be borderline pointless.

5. I'd shorten its battles. How much shorter would I make them? I'm not sure. Slightly shorter, at the very least. And I'd focus on Octopath Traveler's boss battles in particular. Yes, I feel accomplished and relieved and all sorts of other emotions after finally toppling one of this game's end-of-chapter baddies, but I'd sacrifice a bit of that elation for tussles that occasionally last less than 30 minutes.

6. I'd let people save anywhere. This is one of Octopath Traveler's more confounding omissions, if you ask me. I know the game's supposed to be a throwback, but this is going a bit too far considering nearly all modern RPGs allow players to save where they want and when they want. Plus, you encounter the little pedestals that serve as Octopath Traveler's "save spots" every few steps, so why not just remove that visual clutter from the landscape and replace it with something that's a lot more user-friendly?

7. I'd toss in a few vehicles. I know what some of you are thinking: vehicles aren't needed in this game because it lets you "fast travel." It only lets you do so between cities, though, which often means you still have to hoof it a bit if you want to explore a cave or hunt for a shrine. Even if Octopath Traveler allowed you to plop your party anywhere on the map with a nudge of the analog stick and the press of a button, I'd still want access to a handful of "vehicles"--like maybe a boat or carriage or horse--so I could buzz around the landscape when the mood strikes.

Illustration by punkratkid

8. I'd give players more money for winning battles. Or I'd make weapons and armor cheaper. As things stand, it's easy to feel "poor" while playing Octopath Traveler--especially as you toil through its first half or so. In fact, I mostly resorted to stealing armor and weapons and items from unsuspecting townsfolk during my first 30 or 40 hours with the game because of this. Maybe that's the point? Or maybe this is Octopath Traveler's way of telling me to spend more time grinding? Either way, I'd prefer it if the gear sold by this title's many shopkeepers were a little more "wallet friendly."

9. I'd make it so the lantern used in caves and grottoes is upgradable. Hell, I'd even force players to find or buy this accessory before they could comfortably probe Octopath Traveler's many dark and dank caverns. This starter lamp would be pretty dim, too, and the only way to make it brighter and more useful would be to replace it or upgrade it in some form or fashion.

10. I'd increase the game's wackiness quotient. Although Octopath Traveler occasionally shows it's got a nutty side (Olberic's ability to challenge nearly any NPC to a one-on-one duel is a prime example), it's usually a pretty staid experience. How would I make it a little zanier? By tossing in a couple of kooky, out-of-left-field bosses, for starters. I'd also add in some silly weapon classes--like the bells and harps that pop up in a number of Final Fantasy titles.

Would you alter Octopath Traveler in any particular ways if given the chance? If so, what changes would you make?

See also: 'ten things I adore about Octopath Traveler' and 'five more (kind of silly) things I adore about Octopath Traveler'

BONUS ROUND: five more (kind of silly) things I adore about Octopath Traveler

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you should be well aware of the fact that the bulk of my gaming time over the last month or so has been spent working my way through Octopath Traveler.

In fact, I've now devoted 55 or so hours to this much-ballyhooed Switch RPG, and I have a feeling I'll need to put at least 25 more into it before I wrap up all of its storylines.

It probably could go without saying that I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience, but I'm going to say it anyway. Actually, I already suggested it in my last post--about the "10 things I adore about Octopath Traveler."

So why am I belaboring the point today? To be honest, I thought I was done extolling Octopath Traveler's virtues when I published the write-up linked to above. A few additional virtues popped into my head this past week, though, and although my initial plan was to just stick them at the end of my earlier post, I figured they'd be overlooked.

Plus, I like that the components highlighted below are sort of silly.

The lantern you carry while in caves and grottoes--No joke, this was one of the details that most stood out for me when I watched Octopath Traveler’s first trailer more than a year and a half ago. It's the type of thing that would've thrilled me as a youngster (yes, I've always been a little weird), and it still brings a smile to my face today--even if it doesn't impact the gameplay as much as I'd like.

The mansions that double as dungeons--Is Octopath Traveler the first turn-based RPG to stick dungeons within manors and other such dwellings? Even if it isn’t, I love how it’s handled here. I especially enjoy ducking into rooms to see what may be hiding inside. I wish they featured a few secret nooks and crannies here and there (like the caves and grottoes do), but maybe producers Masashi Takahashi and Tomoya Asano are saving such treasures for the inevitable sequel?

The return of the “Final Fantasy V laugh”--Something I've always loved about the fifth Final Fantasy game is how adorable its characters look when they laugh. Well, Octopath Traveler’s protagonists and NPCs use a shockingly similar animation while guffawing or chortling. I don't know if this is an intentional reference to one of my all-time favorite games or if it's just a coincidence, but I'm going to assume it's the former until proven otherwise.

The shimmer--No, I'm not talking about the "Shimmer" that serves as a major plot point in the Annihilation film. I'm talking about the way some of Octopath Traveler's elements shimmer and sparkle in the most captivating way as you walk on or by them. You'll mostly observe this while traipsing around the game's sandy and snowy environments, or while exploring some of the aforementioned caverns, but you'll also notice it (in and on homes and shops) while strolling through its villages and towns.

The sound of your party’s footsteps--They sound like horses clopping, especially when your crew's walking across dirt or stone, and for whatever reason I find it comforting.

Now that I've had my say (again), what are your favorite aspects of Octopath Traveler?

Ten things I adore about Octopath Traveler

I was pretty sure I'd like Octopath Traveler as soon as I finished watching the teaser footage of it that was featured in the "Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017."

That hunch persisted as I played its first demo, which hit the Switch eShop late last September.

How do I feel about Octopath Traveler now that I'm making my way through the full game? Well, I've put nearly 40 hours into it so far--what do you think?

If that's not enough detail for you, keep reading for a bit of commentary on the 10 things I most love about this throwback of an RPG.



The ability to steal--When I first added Therion ("the thief") to my party, I pretty much ignored his "steal" path action. I mostly used Tressa's similar ability, "purchase," instead. It quickly became clear to me, though, that buying armor, weapons, and items in this game is a fool's errand. Random battles just don't give you the kind of money you need to outfit your crew properly. So, I started stealing from non-player characters (NPCs)--and now I can't stop. Hopefully the game doesn't penalize me for it down the road.

The battle system--You know what excited me most during my four-hour playthrough of the first Octopath Traveler demo? The battles. They gave me powerful Bravely Default vibes--a very good thing as far as I'm concerned. Actually, I think the fights in Octopath Traveler are better than those in Bravely Default. They're certainly more visceral--especially when you "break" an enemy and your system's Joy-Cons offer up an impressive series of rumbles and jolts.



The effects and "filters"--I know a lot of people think the lovely spritework in this game is ruined by the effects its artists and developers applied to those assets, but I'm not one of them. Admittedly, there are times when the vignette and depth-of-field filters make it hard to see paths and easy to miss treasure chests, but I'd rather deal with that than have a game that's flatter and far less aesthetically pleasing.

The freedom--One of the most SaGa-esque aspects of Octopath Traveler is it allows you to go anywhere and at any time. Or, to put it another way, the game lets you do what you want, when you want to do it. This is far from the first RPG to offer such freedom, of course, but it still feels fresh here because of the eight characters--and on-going storylines--at your disposal. Get in over your head while trying to complete a particular chapter and you can simply switch to another. Or you can tackle an optional dungeon. Or you can search for one of the shrines mentioned below. Basically, what you do and when you do it is up to you.



The locales--If I had to hold up one visual element of Octopath Traveler as being more impressive than the rest, I'd go with its towns. Every one does its best to take your breath away the second you stroll past its entrance. This is mainly due to the unique and ornate architecture that fills each burg, but there are other reasons, too--such as the rivers that wind through a number of them and the bridges that cross those burbling waterways. When combined with the environmental details and backdrops, this game's hamlets basically beg you to explore them--and so far I've happily obliged.

The NPCs--In some ways, I like Octopath Traveler's NPCs more than I like its protagonists. There are so many of them, and almost every one has a story to tell. You're able to hear these tales not only by chatting up townsfolk as you would in any other RPG, by the way, but also by using Alfyn's "inquire" and Cyrus' "scrutinize" abilities. Accepting and completing side quests from and for some of these NPCs sheds even more light on their intriguing backgrounds.



The party members--I know Octopath Traveler's eight protagonists are kind of clichéd and trope-y, but I don't care. I like them anyway. I especially like the plucky merchant, Tressa, and the out-for-vengence dancer, Primrose. OK, so I have a soft spot for the cluelessly dreamy (not to mention Sherlock Holmes-y) scholar, Cyrus, and the wet-behind-the-ears apothecary, Alfyn, too. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm pretty fond of all the game's party members, though I'll admit the hermit warrior, Olberic, and the stoic hunter, H’aanit, are my least favorites.

The sense of mystery--Something I've often wished RPGs would feature more of are secret locations. Well, Octopath Traveler has loads of them. Hidden within the landscape that stretches between the game's towns and forests and caverns are caves and tombs that double as optional dungeons and shrines. (You learn secondary "jobs" in the latter.) Believe me when I say stumbling upon one of them is among the most thrilling and satisfying aspects of this globe-trotting adventure.



The soundtrack--It's been apparent since Octopath Traveler's initial tease that its soundtrack was going to be a stunner. Even so, I was unprepared for the brilliance that wafted into my ears the minute I hit "start." The tunes I've heard so far are elegant and emotional and wistful in ways that remind me of the ones I fell in love with while playing Final Fantasy V and VI for the first time back in the day. Need I say more?

The "travel banter"--As you may have heard, Octopath Traveler's eight protagonists never really acknowledge each other during the normal course of play. Those walls come crashing down after certain events, though, and when they do, pressing the plus button on your Switch lets you listen to the banter between two or more party members. These chats aren't exactly deep--they're usually just a few lines long--but they still provide a welcome look at the behind-the-scenes relationships of this tit;e's colorful cast of characters.

Are you playing Octopath Traveler, too? If so, what are your favorite aspects of it?

See also: 'five more (kind of silly) things I adore about Octopath Traveler'