Trying Not to Disappear Again

So I never ended up going on my Tekken 8 arc.

But I did end up playing some 2KXO… and I’ve gotta say — it’s kind of lit.

I’m still super new to fighting games. I’ve tried getting into them before, but I always fall into the same pattern: I have fun for a few days, then I get in my own head and quietly disappear. They demand something different mentally. You can’t autopilot. You have to be present.

But when I stop overthinking and just play?
It’s honestly one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had.

There’s something about highly skill-based competitive games that scratches an old itch for me. I miss having a game I can sink into. I miss chasing improvement. I miss the idea of maybe entering something competitive one day — even if it’s small.

So I’m easing into 2KXO. No pressure. Just letting myself get good slowly.

Monster Hunter Is Calling Again

On a completely different note — I played a little MH Stories 3 and I’m already hooked.

I’ve played every Monster Hunter at least a little. Not all to completion, not all for thousands of hours — but enough to know when one is going to grab me. And this one feels like it might.

The characters look so good. My girly is adorable.

I’m thinking about going Gunlance this time. I was lowkey heartbroken about how Lance felt in World compared to older entries. Still fun — but not the same. And somehow, despite all these years, I’ve barely touched Gunlance outside of a handful of attempts.

It looks explosive. It looks satisfying. It feels like something I could really dig into this time around.

We’ll see how the full release shapes up — especially if PvP makes a return like previous entries. That would seal it for me.

Shadowverse, My Toxic Love

And then… there’s Shadowverse.

I’ve tried coming back to it for years. I’d open some packs, build a couple decks, play a few matches, then vanish again because of work. But recently I finally settled back in properly.

I dropped down in grouping hard at some point — blew up my grouping and disappeared — but I climbed back to Topaz with a couple 4-win streaks, so we’re cooking again.

I found a fun Aggro Abyss deck and I’m just running with it. Abyss isn’t in the best spot right now, and it’s basically the only class I play. Maybe I’ll branch out eventually… but it’s like 98% Abyss all the time.

The current meta though?

Swordcraft is out here committing war crimes on turn 4.

If Abyss tried to do half of what Sword does in early board control and damage, it would require a full ritual, self-inflicted pain, and a late-game miracle. Meanwhile Sword just casually drops a million power and says “good luck.”

I’m frustrated.

But I’m having fun being frustrated.

The showcase for the new set is coming up soon — I think on the 24th — and I’m actually excited. Original cards, original characters. Worlds Beyond finally getting its own identity instead of living in the shadow of the original.

Out of all card games, Shadowverse is still my favorite. The aesthetic. The pacing. The social systems. It just feels right.

I just hope it sticks around for the long run.

Cardboard & Japan Soon™

I even started collecting some of the physical TCG cards recently. Just small steps. Bought a booster from an older set. Thinking about grabbing another.

The sad part? It’s barely supported in the U.S. I found it randomly once in a store and they only had a few packs. The owner straight up said nobody really cares about it.

That stung a little.

But I’m moving to Japan soon, so maybe that changes. Maybe I’ll find people who actually play. Maybe Worlds Beyond and the physical game both feel more alive there.

That would be nice.

That’s kind of where my head’s at lately.

Competitive itch coming back.
Old franchises pulling me in again.
Cardboard dreams.
No Tekken arc.
Yet.