Welcome to another Overby’s Obsessions in which I talk about things that geek me out at the moment or I just enjoy in general. This post is going to be heavy on games as I’m in “game mode” right now. I go through phases, as I’m sure most do. Phases in which they binge TV shows or get a lot of writing in. My current phase is all games. Games, games, games. Even more true than normal because my wife got me an early Christmas gift in my Playstation Vita, something I’ve been eyeing for some time. Why? Because of the wealth of awesome indie games that I thought would be better to play on a handheld than PC. And wow, I’m glad I waited.

So let’s get into the things that are rocking my batshit crazy world!

GAMES

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines

This was a game I picked up on a whim after a lot of “best RPGs of PS Vita” digging on Youtube and other websites. It hasn’t disappointed so far. While the difficulty is mostly easy, there is some wandering about that gets tiresome at times. The biggest takeaway is the art style and gameplay. The gameplay allows you to mate with gods and goddesses (yeah) and build up your town all while hunting various demons. It’s a fun time-spender that I’ve sunk several after work hours on.

Shovel Knight

I was hitting Shovel Knight hard for a few weeks when I first got it. A beautiful retro-style game that takes all the elements I loved from 8-bit games (namely Mega Man) and plays with the tropes. I’ve run out of steam on the game in the last few weeks due to a difficult last stage, but it’s still one of my favorite indie games I’ve picked up so far.

Dragon Quest Builders

This one was on sale a while back and I figured, what the hell, I’ll give it a try. I’ve always been a fan of various Dragon Quest games and the idea of a Minecraft-like blend seemed intriguing. I was never a big fan of Minecraft, but I think Dragon Quest Builders captures the elements people love about Minecraft and gives it the whimsical adventure of Dragon Quest as well. A huge plus from me on this game. I’ve spent numerous hours building and bashing slimes.

Tyranny

On the PC, I picked up Tyranny. While I haven’t played this game much, I have loved it so far. You play a henchman (or in my case woman) of a dark overlord and have to mete out his justice across the realm. You can forge bonds with people in several ways, but so far I’ve been a pretty brutal adjudicator.

Other Games of Note: Darkest Dungeon (Vita version!), Volgarr the Viking, XCOM: Enemy Unknown Plus, Dragon Fantasy Book 1, Hotline Miami

BOOKS

Fish Wielder

I just reviewed this book on Amazon (link here) and I’ll add more of my thoughts on the old blog. This is the kind of story that I’d love to see more of. It relishes in fun violence, humorous dialogue, and off-the-wall characters. I really enjoyed what Mr. Hardison has put together with the world of Fish Wielder and hope to see more of this style of fiction from him in the forseeable future.

A Crown for Cold Silver

My “longish read” is A Crown for Cold Silver. I’ve already mentioned it here several times but it remains and enjoyable story from top to bottom. While my reading has been slower as of late, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in Alex Marshall’s stellar fantasy series.

Just Started/Upcoming Reads:

Hell Come to Hogtown

I’ve had this book for a little while from indie author C.D. Gallant-King, but have just now gotten around to reading it (yeah, I said I’m slow). I just finished the first chapter and it seems to promise a lot of geekery and weirdness that I’d expect from him. The pro wrestler hasn’t shown up yet, so that should be a blast to read.

TV

Fuller House

Most people that know me are aware of my obsession with Full House. That has transitioned over to Fuller House which I’ve talked about before on my website (comparing it to Star Wars no less). Season 2 has been my current watch-a-thon and it continues on that same surreal nostalgia mixed with self-aware nausea that makes it the train wreck I can’t stop watching. I say this as a fan as well. I actually like that this season, especially the nightmarish Thanksgiving episode, feels like it gives less of a shit about delivering anything new. Rehashing old storylines and making a fuss out of the innocuous (Gia vaping and Max getting chickens) keeps me saying WTF over and over again. There are certain characters even that I love to hate such as the more annoying than Kimmy, sort of husband Fernando and Joey Gladstone’s pack of screeching children. I can’t wait until Season 3.

That’s all for this week! Anything you’re obsessed with at the moment?