Time to Loot Journal: May 2025

Often around this time of year, it starts to occur to me just how swiftly the year is passing. 5 months down already? Crazy. Everything seemed to be moving along so slowly — or at least, ‘normally’, whatever that means — and then, bam, pretty much half the year gone.

Although I suppose it does also depend on what you’re measuring against.

Time since last Christmas/New Year break? Aaaaaages. Time until next Christmas/New Year break? Also: Aaaaaages.

In any case, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 basically ruined gaming for me this month. I don’t recall the last time it happened with a game, but in reading, ‘post-book blues’ can be a semi-regular occurrence. It’s where, upon completion of a particularly amazing book, you no longer feel like reading anything else. Because how could it possibly compare?

Finding a book in a completely different genre, style, or tone to act as a palate cleanser is generally my go-to approach when reading. I haven’t found what that game might be post-Expedition 33 just yet.

I thought it might be Elden Ring Nightreign, actually, but alas- no.

While I didn’t object to the speeding up of the combat or streamlining of the levelling in the context of this play style — the ‘Go, go, go!’ ultra-efficiency expectations on jumping from spot to spot heavily subtracted from the sense of exploration and thus, overall play experience for me.

Ah well. I’ll find something. I’m sure of it!

Gaming Goals

May Gaming Goals

• Lords of the Fallen (2023): Continue the co-op campaign with friend.

Despite not having put a huge number of hours into it, I’m going to claim this one. We beat one of the ‘major’ bosses of the game (i.e., it had a giant red pillar of light over it) and a bit more besides.

The lack of ability for the co-op partner to level their Estus Flask-style healing item is a major pain in the ass though.

If it isn’t addressed in the next patch, we’ll have to decide whether or not to continue, but I think the plan will be to push on and see if, with the next healing upgrade item, I can drop it for him to then use. If that works, we’ll push through, sharing them out between us from there.

June Gaming Goals

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Begin the story breakdown posts.

The specifics still need to be nailed down, but how I think I’m going to approach it, is that I’ll do a post for each major section. I’ll start New Game+ and then post for the Prologue, each Act, and the Ending.

I like this approach as it lets me set very clear boundaries for potential readers of where spoilers will run up to and after which point in their own play through they’d be safe to read a given post.

What I don’t like about it, is that some acts have either a lot more happening, or at least have a lot more to discuss.

I’d also like to have a place to comment on any new understanding I gain from playing through a second time while knowing where the story is going.

I think I can still work that in with a second spoiler-tagged section further into the post, though.

We’ll see!

Games Played May 2025

Wuthering Waves still (barely) topped the chart, but I think I’m reaching a point where I want to take a break from it.

• I’ve reached Union Level 80 (max account level)
• I’ve cleared the Overdrive Tower of Adversity and can reliably clear the Hazard mode every month.
• The only element I don’t have a solid team for now is Electro, but it doesn’t seem like characters of that type are imminent.
• The anniversary patch was… middling. To be generous. At least so far as story momentum is concerned.

But I’m still interested in the story, and 2.4 looks like it should be interesting and get back to moving things forward.

But will I play with each major patch or just the conclusion to each story ‘arc’? Dunno! Or maybe nothing changes, and I keep going as I have been — but 2.3 was certainly a bummer.

Blue Prince was another I picked up in hopes of clearing my mental plate after Expedition 33. I actually enjoyed what I played, but wasn’t in the mood for the discovery that (small spoiler follows in this paragraph) reaching room 46 isn’t enough. I knew there was more to the game than getting into that room — I wasn’t aware, however, that getting inside it at all also required unlocking the door you wanted to enter through while getting there.

Turns out, there is also a final content update coming in 1.10 as well. So perhaps I’ll give it another go then, with that new knowledge in mind.

Books Read May 2025

I finished Farilane (The Rise and Fall #2), and started immediately on Esrahaddon, the final entry in the series and – I believe – my final Michael J. Sullivan book.

I’m going to have to look into that again, though, when I’m done. It’s possible something further has been published.

Assuming I’m correct though… What to read next??

Some potentials on my list so far, in no particular order, are:

• The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf #1) by Richard Swan
• Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen #1) by John Gwynne
• Blood Song (Raven’s Shadow #1) by Anthony Ryan
• The Legend of Eli Monpress (The Legend of Eli Monpress #1-3) by Rachel Aaron

The first three there being, from what I gather, quite serious grim tales. Eli Monpress on the other hand… is not. I’ve actually read the very first book in that series many years ago and I recall quite enjoying it. It was definitely more popcorny in nature, but it was good enough that I intended to continue the series.

Just never actually did! And now there are omnibus editions out, including for books #4-6, which seems to me a great way to consume such a series.

No idea which way I’ll land just yet, though. Anthony Ryan has been on my To Read list for quite a long time, but checking quickly now, books #2 and #3 of Raven’s Shadow didn’t seem to review quite as well as the first, so we’ll see.