Japanese Niche Games Deals & Discussion Thread 4.0

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shivan128

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Welcome to the Japanese niche games deals and discussion thread!  Feel free to talk about local and import Japanese games here.  Our goal is to maintain a thread dedicated to active deals on niche games including RPGs, Visual Novels (VN), Shoot'em ups (Shmups), Musou, etc.  Also maintained are pre-orders for standard, limited and collector's edition games with key release dates provided.

I've wikified the thread to make it more friendly and open to others that can actively update with important information. You can find the wiki post directly below this one.

NOTE:  Please, leave the censorship discussion away from this thread.  It's common for japanese games to have questionable content outside of the country.  We want to keep discussions to the game itself and not about cultural/societal tolerance.

A message from Thorbahn:

Our CAG Japanese Niche Games Thread also has a community on PS4, where you can interact and game with other members of the thread.

Our moderators are: Draekon, Las_Hole, and Waffleswanton

You can basically friend any of our members, or any moderator, and you will be able to request to join the community under "Communities friends are in" tab, and a mod will approve your request.

You can also leave your PSN ID in the thread, saying you want to join, and we can invite you directly as well.

As always, have fun and enjoy your stay!

 
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I took notes on the stat up quirks...like what activities are better when and restarted after the first month myself. I'm going along with the confidants at my own pace though...not following a guide or anything. I still remember when I restarted P3 and almost got a perfect run. I got every social link to 10 except 1....which i ran out of time and only was able to get to 9....felt good.

 
nitrosmob said:
I took notes on the stat up quirks...like what activities are better when and restarted after the first month myself. I'm going along with the confidants at my own pace though...not following a guide or anything. I still remember when I restarted P3 and almost got a perfect run. I got every social link to 10 except 1....which i ran out of time and only was able to get to 9....felt good.
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Let me guess--Mitsuru's? That's what happened with my first run.

 
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Vigilante said:
Let me guess--Mitsuru's? That's what happened with my first run.
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Sadly I think it was. The dating parameters in that game made time management extreme. I had a paper and put out when the social links were out and such and planned every day haha. Somehow i messed up somewhere on the romance planning since you had a to finish a social link before going onto the others.

 
henry32689 said:
Yea, after a while you don't even notice.

Also the OST in the game is amazing. The only song I heard before the game came out was the opening so I had no idea what the other songs were like. I have yet to hear a song I don't like. The battle theme is especially great, can't get it out of my head.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUWQFnC2zqU

I'm gonna do it blind. Almost started reading the guide but that's just gonna take all the fun out of it. I've ruined quite a few game experiences by following guides word for word, I might as well be watching a lets play. I don't expect to 100% it on the first playthrough and I'm not going to play it again right after I beat it. Maybe someday I'll do another playthrough and follow the guide then, but that's long into the future.

 
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godofwar7 said:
But this under the perception that replaying the game is will be the exact same experience all over again. If you replay a game and if it feels like an entirely different experience then is it not worth it to replay the game since it is like playing a brand new game? That is my argument here. Replaying those games entirely changed my perceptions and feelings on them
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Can you tell me which games exactly gives me a brand new experience? I'm genuinely interested. Right now, I can't think of any game minus those that are made for replaying such as multiplayer shooters, roguelike games, fighting games, and the like. For single player games like RPGs, there are only a handful that offer a unique experience. Something like Saga Frontier or Odin Sphere that makes you choose a character and you go through their story. Then you play the game choosing another character. I don't really consider those games as replaying though. I know there are a few games that you can choose different paths and you are locked to that path. But I can't think of the name, so it must not be that great to me anyways.

But for me, replaying gives me almost the same exact experience. If anything, it would be worse for me because there are always particular levels that I just hate going through again. I also know everything in the story. I mean sure, if the game is great, it is still enjoyable. However, I would mainly just be replaying for the sake of getting the trophy, or that one weapon, ending, character, skill, etc. Now, give me a few years after I finished the game and a remaster/remake and I'll definitely consider replaying certain games since I would forget a lot about the game. Although I do mainly prefer a brand new experience.

 
Nothing371 said:
hehehe so many people thought they weren't going to use a max attribute / max social link walkthrough. My how the tables have turned!
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"flips all the tables"

godofwar7 said:
It's surprising that so many are against replaying a game no matter how amazing the game is. Often times replaying the game is more fun than playing it the first time.

Some stuff that comes to mind for me in particular
Muramasa rebirth on one hit death mode. Bioshock infinite where you know the twists that come and see all the hints that were dropped but you didn't realize were hints the first time around. Tokyo mirage sessions on lunatic difficulty. Catherine on hard mode. Fire emblem on lunatic difficulty.
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ARsignal11 said:
This is exactly what I'm using the no-spoiler walkthrough on Gamefaqs. While I would love to do a completely blind play-through my first go around, and then a max playthrough the second time around, I just don't have the time like I used to when I was younger to dedicate to this game. I would rather use the time to experience new games (there's just so many that I'm interested in playing!!) and play online with my friends.
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kintanos said:
Can you tell me which games exactly gives me a brand new experience? I'm genuinely interested.
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Witcher 2, chapter 2 completely branches depending on what you choose.

Seiken Densetu 3, 6 characters with different stories (though 3 main interleaving paths), so you only really have to play through 3 times.

I'll try to think of more.

 
Yeah, there are very few games worth replaying. Most of these aren't even Niche games too. 

A few off the top of my head are:

Transistor: Enemies are different, game is harder, NG+ trophy

Infamous series: Good/Bad choices influence the game greatly

Lightning Returns: The only way to level up are quests, and each time you replay you get stronger

Nier Automata: Different endings, although the game is vastly different so I'm not sure how much it counts

Akiba's Trip: Different endings as well, and the ending routes start relatively early

Heavy Rain/Beyond Two Souls/Until Dawn: Different stories arises from choices

Fallout 3/4/New Vegas: Karma system, endings, abilities

Dragon Age/Inquisition: Different classes to start with, different story routes

GalGun/Double Peace: Different stories/endings

Tales of Xillia: Same story but different perspective using Jude/Millia

Catherine: Different endings/scenarios/choices

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Different endings

Devil May Cry 3: Replay game as Vergil

And most of these are actually playing the game from a different angle/NG+, and not even a complete replay. It might seem like a lot, but it's from a list of 80 games I've played.

 
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My take on it wasn't necessarily a literal one, but a bit more figurative. For example, if you've played all of the games in the Trails series in order and then go back and start from the beginning you'll notice a ton of different things that you did not notice or put together before. Not all games will have this kind of depth to it, but it helps give you a better understanding of the game itself. Just like how some movies you can re-watch and notice different things because you know things you didn't previously before. That can make something feel like a new experience, but it's obviously not true for everyone.

Made it though four dungeons in Persona 5 I believe. Have way too much money and I've been over-leveled according to the average level since the second dungeon. No guide use and as such, I've missed answering every dialogue choice correctly. I found out some info about the Fortune confidant early due to a friend spoiling that bit for me. Not that big of a deal though.

 
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kintanos said:
Can you tell me which games exactly gives me a brand new experience? I'm genuinely interested. Right now, I can't think of any game minus those that are made for replaying such as multiplayer shooters, roguelike games, fighting games, and the like. For single player games like RPGs, there are only a handful that offer a unique experience. Something like Saga Frontier or Odin Sphere that makes you choose a character and you go through their story. Then you play the game choosing another character. I don't really consider those games as replaying though. I know there are a few games that you can choose different paths and you are locked to that path. But I can't think of the name, so it must not be that great to me anyways.

But for me, replaying gives me almost the same exact experience. If anything, it would be worse for me because there are always particular levels that I just hate going through again. I also know everything in the story. I mean sure, if the game is great, it is still enjoyable. However, I would mainly just be replaying for the sake of getting the trophy, or that one weapon, ending, character, skill, etc. Now, give me a few years after I finished the game and a remaster/remake and I'll definitely consider replaying certain games since I would forget a lot about the game. Although I do mainly prefer a brand new experience.
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Most of my examples had to with changing the difficulty level.
For example muramasa rebirth on normal mode is actually a fairly easy game. Anyone can get through the game by being a little button mashy. However once you go into fury mode, aka one hit death mode, your tactics from normal mode no longer apply. You must dig right into the battle system and understand it to be able to progress and beat all of the bosses.
Then there's Catherine where when you go from normal mode to hard mode, the puzzles and solutions changes entirely. You need all the knowledge you gained from completing normal mode to progress through hard mode. You have to use advanced moves right from the first chapter.
In Tokyo mirage sessions, the tactics that helped you in normal mode no longer apply in lunatic mode. Only by playing on lunatic mode did I gain a true appreciation of how amazing the battle system was in that game. Honestly it's the best battle system out of all RPGs I've played.

No way is anyone ever supposed to start off playing these games on the hardest difficulty. But by playing through them on a lower, regular difficulty, you learn the systems. And then when you replay them on the new difficulty, it slaps you in the face and says no the stuff you learned was just the beginning and the way you play the game ends up being wholely different from the way you played before as you learn the real intricacies of the systems.
 
BlackRockWaifu said:
Nier Automata: Different endings, although the game is vastly different so I'm not sure how much it counts
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I definitely don't think that counts. It's not really different endings. It's literally one complete story through the third ending. But you do more or less know 90% after the second path.

Edit: I don't consider difficulty to be different enough to be considered either. I don't consider Bayonetta Infinite Climax to be a different path, when the main difference is you lose Witch Time. That's like saying equipping Overdrive in Nier: Automata makes it a different game.

 
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godofwar7 said:
It's surprising that so many are against replaying a game no matter how amazing the game is. Often times replaying the game is more fun than playing it the first time.

Some stuff that comes to mind for me in particular
Muramasa rebirth on one hit death mode. Bioshock infinite where you know the twists that come and see all the hints that were dropped but you didn't realize were hints the first time around. Tokyo mirage sessions on lunatic difficulty. Catherine on hard mode. Fire emblem on lunatic difficulty.
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If there is a new game out there that I am looking forward to, I will always prioritize that over replaying a game I've already played and beaten. Persona 5 is just one of the many games I've been looking forward to playing. When I was younger, I'd replay games to death, trying to master every little detail about said game. I just don't have the time to do that anymore. Adulting has it's drawbacks, as we have all come to know.

However, I just rather have a brand new experience than playing through the same game again with my time.

 
Nothing371 said:
C'mon. You know that's not what it is. People aren't against replaying games. There just isn't enough time in the day to finish all of your video games, let alone replay a 100+ hour rpg anytime the near future.
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Exactly. With an ever-increasing backlog, there's usually not enough time to play all the games I want as it is. The only games I've really gone back and replayed entirely--and still enjoyed a second time--were the Batman Arkham games and Metal Gear titles (with the exception of Phantom Pain). Oh, and Lollipop Chainsaw.

BlackRockWaifu said:
I also preferred this one over The Goonies.
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I'll take Monster Squad any day over the Goonies. For years the film was so hard to find (before the DVD release), I had to hunt down a copy on Laserdisc.

 
elessar123 said:
I definitely don't think that counts. It's not really different endings. It's literally one complete story through the third ending. But you do more or less know 90% after the second path.

Edit: I don't consider difficulty to be different enough to be considered either. I don't consider Bayonetta Infinite Climax to be a different path, when the main difference is you lose Witch Time. That's like saying equipping Overdrive in Nier: Automata makes it a different game.
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Depends how changing the difficulty affects the way you play the game. I have only a few examples of where it was truly transformative for me.
 
Dear Diary,

I come from 20 years of being PC mmorpg oriented so it usually takes a lot of mental work just to dive into new games at all.   It's like being sober; you're still an alcoholic forever.  I just broke the Destiny cycle a few months ago after 2+ years of addiction and I'm still playing a match or two of Magic Duels on Steam every single day.  Before that it was two years of Final Fantasy 14.  Before that two years of Star Wars The Old Republic. 

It's hard to get started in new games.  When I do, I commit fully and play them until they're finished.  Then it's time to move on.  I have to clear a few mental hurdles just to get started.  When it's current and when people are talking about the game, it's much more motivating for me to play on.  Very rarely do I go back to an older console game and play more content or buy future DLC.

yours truly,

Nothing

 
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When the fuck is Sega going to make another Shining Force game or bring Phantasy Star over to the west? They're sitting on so many IPs that fans want a new game of and yet they sit there and twiddle their fingers.

 
godofwar7 said:
Most of my examples had to with changing the difficulty level.

No way is anyone ever supposed to start off playing these games on the hardest difficulty. But by playing through them on a lower, regular difficulty, you learn the systems. And then when you replay them on the new difficulty, it slaps you in the face and says no the stuff you learned was just the beginning and the way you play the game ends up being wholely different from the way you played before as you learn the real intricacies of the systems.
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I can understand that viewpoint. Although for me, difficulty does nothing to change the actual game for me. Basically what elessar123 said. I personally start on the highest difficulty if I'm going for the platinum/100% to reduce the amount of playthroughs. If not, I probably play on normal/hard.

But my point was the story, environments, and basic elements of the game are the same. So using a different character to play through the same stages, or using different strategies to fight the same enemy, for example, is not a brand new experience for me. It's nice no doubt, but not unique enough. Games that have multiple paths/endings, but you have to play 80%+ of the same game just to get to that point to experience the other 20% also isn't enough to warrant a replay anymore. The games where you can get brand new levels, story, and so forth while also playing differently (as your example mentions) for more than 50% of the game is when I would consider it a different experience.

More power to you though if you feel the game completely changes with difficulty. Gets more value for your money I suppose. But like most people, time is a factor for me. And I guess I'm getting too old. Anyone else feel some games are just getting too complicated? I'm at a point where I prefer braindead mindless games like musou games or mobile games. I also prefer shorter games now. Those are the opposite stance I took when I was younger. Such sad times. :cry:

 
Kaiser499 said:
When the fuck is Sega going to make another Shining Force game or bring Phantasy Star over to the west? They're sitting on so many IPs that fans want a new game of and yet they sit there and twiddle their fingers.
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Never, Sega is just cruel. I even played through Shinining Force Neo and Exa.

 
kintanos said:
Anyone else feel some games are just getting too complicated?
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Honestly, nope. One of my favorite games was MechCommander, which is almost 20 years old, and complicated as hell. Customize pilots + mechs + loadout + grouping + strategies.

I've never liked the Musou games, and I still don't. If it's not challenging enough, I get bored really fast and feel like I'm just wasting my time.

 
BlackRockWaifu said:
Overwatch event tomorrow... but the P5 crack is too strong...
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I know what you mean. Elder Scrolls Online is in the middle of a double XP event which is somehow coming out quadruple for me and I've still been back and forth between it and P5. I know I should play ESO, playing without the quadruple XP is a huge grind, but I still want to play P5.
 
Dragon Quest XI for PS4, 3DS launches July 29 in Japan

PS4 / 3DS Trailers

https://youtu.be/1pY5lVpi4U0

https://youtu.be/fXlbhVVB7BU

https://youtu.be/drpI5EFCRbc

PS4 Gameplay

https://youtu.be/f1lX1NpiKSs

https://youtu.be/kSm9wgh1R4g

https://youtu.be/bJZZul9BILA

3DS Gameplay

https://youtu.be/Hibnc39AVcA

https://youtu.be/ZGabnKbCv8A

https://youtu.be/mBlGxvwlbUk

BlackRockWaifu said:
Overwatch event tomorrow... but the P5 crack is too strong...
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Remember to redownload the game.

 
Nice with Bayonetta coming to the PC. Hopefully the sales are good to help chances of the second one coming to PC as well. I wonder what its framerate cap is. 60 FPS would be delicious though. Maybe we'll find out in an hour'ish when the countdown ends since Engadget broke the news early.

 
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EdJericho said:
Dragon Quest XI for PS4, 3DS launches July 29 in Japan

PS4 / 3DS Trailers

https://youtu.be/1pY5lVpi4U0

https://youtu.be/fXlbhVVB7BU

https://youtu.be/drpI5EFCRbc

PS4 Gameplay

https://youtu.be/f1lX1NpiKSs

https://youtu.be/kSm9wgh1R4g

https://youtu.be/bJZZul9BILA

3DS Gameplay

https://youtu.be/Hibnc39AVcA

https://youtu.be/ZGabnKbCv8A

https://youtu.be/mBlGxvwlbUk

Remember to redownload the game.
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Thanks for nothing SE! Looks like anyone who doesn't understand japanese is gonna have to wait years to play the new DQ.

Indignate said:
Nintendo would never allow such a thing.
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This is true. They published it, it will likely never appear on the PC platform.

 
Draekon said:
Nice with Bayonetta coming to the PC. Hopefully the sales are good to help chances of the second one coming to PC as well. I wonder what its framerate cap is. 60 FPS would be delicious though. Maybe we'll find out in an hour'ish when the countdown ends since Engadget broke the news early.
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Where are the all nude mods? :D/

 
Indignate said:
Nintendo would never allow such a thing.
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While the chance is very low, I don't think I'd say never. There was a time when Nintendo would have never touched the mobile market too. If they had developed the game rather than just fund/publish, I'd be more prone to believe that the chance is virtually nil.

opportunity777 said:
Where are the all nude mods? :D/
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Give it a week and they'll inevitably show up. It didn't take long for NieR: Automata.

 
Draekon said:
While the chance is very low, I don't think I'd say never. There was a time when Nintendo would have never touched the mobile market too. If they had developed the game rather than just fund/publish, I'd be more prone to believe that the chance is virtually nil.

Give it a week and they'll inevitably show up. It didn't take long for NieR: Automata.
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I agree, while the chances are very remote, I will say there is a small chance that Bayonetta 2 could appear someplace outside a "N" platform. I don't know how much they spent acquiring the game, but I'm sure they got no where near the return they wanted, so it only makes sense to allow it someplace else to try and recoup any lost revenue.

Although they may offer a version for the NS at some point, and then I doubt it will ever leave a "N" system, but we can dream. Hell, are they even still doing the Bayonetta Amiibo? That was one I was very much looking forward to getting, and I haven't seen anything more about it.

I also agree on the boob front, the mods are coming. It's not a matter of "if" they will happen, but "when" they will happen. LOL

 
cloudmd23 said:
Having a kid means I doubt my ability to complete one playthrough of Persona 5, much less two XD
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I have until June to enjoy my uninterrupted gaming, then I'll be in the same boat. Of course, I do a lot of handheld gaming so maybe I can knock out the Vita backlog while I feed my son. =P

No gaming during diaper changes. That requires too much focus, both hands, and not getting baby crap on my devices.

 
Cloyd said:
I have until June to enjoy my uninterrupted gaming, then I'll be in the same boat. Of course, I do a lot of handheld gaming so maybe I can knock out the Vita backlog while I feed my son. =P

No gaming during diaper changes. That requires too much focus, both hands, and not getting baby crap on my devices.
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I have 3 kids so I'll start P5 when they're off to college. Kidding aside, I only game on 3ds and Vita.
 
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cloudmd23 said:
Having a kid means I doubt my ability to complete one playthrough of Persona 5, much less two XD
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Work'in de Signs said:
I have 3 kids so I'll start P5 when they're off to college. Kidding aside, I only game on 3ds and Vita.
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I have 3 kids and I finished three playthroughs of P4G and one of P3P. Perhaps it's easier that they were on a handheld. But I fully intend on getting at least two out of P5.

 
Here's all the info and new drops in the new Overwatch event. The new mode for the event is a PvE one, much like the Halloween one. Also if you've been away from Overwatch for a while, Orisa was added to live servers three weeks ago.

And for the weekly free PSN junk:

Persona 5

PS4

Regular Clothes & School Uniforms Set

PS3

Regular Clothes & School Uniforms Set

Horizon Zero Dawn

PS4

SHAREfactory Theme

Resident Evil 7

PS4

SHAREfactory Theme

KOF XIV

PS4

Original Theme 'Kyo & Iori'

A Rose in the Twilight

PS4

Rose & the Giant Avatar Pack

Gimmick Avatar Pack

Bouquet Avatar Pack

Vita

Theme 4

There are a bunch of individual avatars for A Rose in the Twilight, however the packs should cover them all. I don't want to list a dozen more items that are covered in the packs.

 
Draekon said:
Here's all the info and new drops in the new Overwatch event. The new mode for the event is a PvE one, much like the Halloween one. Also if you've been away from Overwatch for a while, Orisa was added to live servers three weeks ago.
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Omg... that selfie Highlight Intro... it's like Cassie Cage's selfie fatality.

If anyone wants to team up and grind some lootboxes on PS4, just join the CAG Overwatch Community, or you can message me and I'll add you in.

 
Supplice said:
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III introduces devilish girl Muse, delinquent boy Ash, more
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Nonono_cat.gif


 
Cloyd said:
I have until June to enjoy my uninterrupted gaming, then I'll be in the same boat. Of course, I do a lot of handheld gaming so maybe I can knock out the Vita backlog while I feed my son. =P

No gaming during diaper changes. That requires too much focus, both hands, and not getting baby crap on my devices.
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I think Persona 5 would work relatively well remote play....maybe just when you're forced to smack an incoming shadow it will be a little tough but doesn't sound too bad honestly.

 
BlackRockWaifu said:
Omg... that selfie Highlight Intro... it's like Cassie Cage's selfie fatality.

If anyone wants to team up and grind some lootboxes on PS4, just join the CAG Overwatch Community, or you can message me and I'll add you in.
Click to expand...
okqe30fJ4u1son3fpo1_540_zpsrrzf0qqj.gif


I'm ready when you are.

I want that D.Va selfie POTG more than Mega Man Tracer or Widowmaker's skin

 
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