Progress Report #6: 2024 is heeeeeere!
What is UP, BLAEO fam?! Yes, I am alive (I'm sure you were wondering). The second half of 2023 was a whirlwind, between moving, starting a new job, etc. etc. I actually didn't play any games at all during July/August, but thankfully that ended when Sea of Stars came out! I managed to get back into the gaming groove in the last few months of the year, in no small part thanks to Baldur's Gate 3. And 2024 is off to a great start—I've been having a blast with a bunch of different games, and there's plenty to look forward to in the months ahead.
I don't think I'm going to bother writing a whole comprehensive 2023 in Review post, honestly—it seems like way too much work at this point. I feel like January-June of 2023 basically happened a decade ago!! So consider this brief summary my wrap-up for last year XD
So 2023...let's see. I still haven't finished Persona 5 Royal, but I really want to! Especially with Persona 3 Reload having just come out (not to mention, I still need to play P4G). A handful of other games that I started but didn't finish in the first half of 2023 have migrated over to my Games to Play in 2024 list, such as Eastward and Ashina: The Red Witch. My brief gaming hiatus ended, as mentioned, with the release of Sea of Stars—which subsequently got unceremoniously tossed by the wayside when I became completely enraptured by Baldur's Gate 3. I played BG3 for approximately 180 hours, only just reaching the end of Act 1 (I know, don't ask me how I'm so slow), then I took a break and have yet to go back. (Stopping a game and never picking it back up is the single greatest hurdle I have yet to overcome in the fight against my backlog!!)
After BG3 came Star Farmer, Small Saga, and far too many purchases in the holiday sales. I restarted My Time at Portia, but didn't make it very far before I got kinda bored. Played (and almost finished!) Growth, then messed around with Plant Therapy and Garden Galaxy; FINALLY started Dave the Diver; and rounded out the year with Wylde Flowers. Off-Steam, I played Super Mario RPG, Fae Farm, Kirby's Return to Dreamland DX, and a bit of BOTW on Switch (also tried Palia, but I didn't really like it), and nothing on Xbox.
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Sea of Stars
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Baldur's Gate 3
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Star Farmer
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Small Saga
1.2 hours playtime
no achievements
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My Time at Portia
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Growth
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Plant Therapy
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Garden Galaxy
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DAVE THE DIVER
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Wylde Flowers
2024 so far: I'm trying this new thing where I just start a game when I feel like it, regardless of whether or not I'm playing something else that I "have" to finish. I'll tell ya, it's wreaking havoc on my BLAEO stats, but I'm having a ton of fun! So far in January, I've played Vampire Survivors (new DLC!), Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Atelier Sophie, Paranormasight, Jack Move, and Stardew Valley. We'll see how long I can sustain this devil-may-care attitude ;-D
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FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
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Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX
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PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
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Jack Move
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Stardew Valley
Speaking of FF7 Remake, pardon me but why is Cloud Strife so hot?! Kidding aside (I'm actually dead serious tho), I've been enjoying the game so much that I finally bit the bullet and purchased a PS5 so I can play FF7 Rebirth when it comes out. Just, you know, I should probably actually finish FF7 Remake! Sigh, we'll get there.
I'm super excited for the games I'm planning to play in 2024—you can see the Steam games I hope to play here. On other platforms, my to-play consists of:
- Switch: Master Detective Archives: Rain Code; Super Mario RPG; Princess Peach: Showtime; The Smile Alchemist; Octopath Traveller II; and (finally finish) Raging Loop and Bustafellows
- Xbox: Turnip Boy Robs a Bank; Spirittea; Mineko's Night Market; Persona 3 Reload; Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes; Thirsty Suitors; Ravenlok; Pentiment; Hi-Fi Rush; Cassette Beasts; F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch; Cocoon
- PS5: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth; Final Fantasy XVI; Cyberpunk 2077; Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West; Tales of Arise
Happy 2024, let's make it amazing!
~franplants
BLAEO fam REPRESENT! :v:
I almost thought that’s a pretty short list to play through for a whole year, then I remembered RPGs take a hell of a time to beat, not to mention complete, haha.
I’ve got a handful of the games from your Xbox backlog in my own - here’s to hoping I’m comfortable enough with my Steam backlog to sub to Game Pass again! As for the Steam similarities, I’m hoping to get started on Wylde Flowers soon myself! I absolutely fell in love with the demo, so I’m glad to finally have the full game ^^
Making 2024 amazing, one day at a time!
Haha yeah, I was fully prepared for BG3 to take me through the end of the year before I got sidetracked with other stuff XD also, that list of 10 games was only for Aug-Dec 2023, I did play some other stuff in the first half of the year! I made earlier posts for those so decided not to repeat them here.
Wylde Flowers is SO good!! I hope you love it. I could not tear myself away, like I’d be sitting on my couch playing it, notice I was getting hungry, but I could not put it down until I was absolutely starving lmao
I’d be surprised if I didn’t! I remember first learning how long the full game was expected to be and thinking “Wait, you’re telling me I’ll be able to do THIS for the next 50 hours?! SIGN ME UP!!” lol
And now that it’s been bundled, I got to get it for cheap! I just need to clear out some space on my disk, but believe me, I am thiiis pinches fingers together close to playing it!
Haha I was really surprised when it got bundled! Definitely didn’t expect that as it was rarely going on sale on Steam
Exactly! I was totally ready to buy it full price at some point eventually, though.
Summarize:
Played: so many plant games
To-play: so many detective games
XD Joking aside, I love your 2023 lookback and 2024 anticipation. Look forward to buying (!) and playing more games this year!
That just reminds me I still need to play the detective plant game, Strange Horticulture XD