52 Games. 1 Year. 2019.

Lightningboalt · Jan 12, 2019

Not sure I'll be anywhere close to 52 this year but hey, at least I finally won it in 2018!

1. Pikuniku - [9/10] about 4 hours 30 minutes, Jan 30th
2. Resident Evil 2 - [10/10] about 10 hours, Feb 17th
3. Ape Out - [9/10] 2 hours 15 minutes, March 6th
4. Donkey Kong 64 - [7/10] 24 hours, March 11th
5. Baba is You - [10/10] 10 hours, March 16th

Yahtzee! · Jan 13, 2019

Update: January 13th, 2019

Game 5: Spider-Man (PS4) (17 Hours) (4/5)
God damn this game is fun. Spider-Man is one of the best AAA games in a while, it manages to be fun and beautiful at the same time with an interesting story, great world and AMAZING controls. It's by far the best super-hero game released (personally above the Arkham games for me) and is everything the future of Marvel games should be. Swinging around as Spidey feels beautiful, he's as slick as ever and he actually swings off of things, unlike in previous Spider-Man games where he just swings off the air. The combat is also really fun, while simple it's fluid and just controls really well. The only real flaws for me are forced stealth which happens every now and then but it's incredibly annoying at times (One of Miles' later in the game is pointless imo). The story keeps egging you on and slightly revealing details before eventually everything unravels in the third act, but also manages to hint at future games (that I need now). Spider-Man is my 2018 GOTY. I haven't finished GOW or RDR2 yet but neither have had the same impact Spider Man has. It's so fun and EVERYONE should play it.

Moving on to finishing GOW next and then I'll be getting Tales of Vesperia for my birthday on the 20th! Lot to look forward to

Original Post

rahji · Jan 13, 2019

I will give it another go this year. Last year I sucked with ~20 games but this year will be better.

1. Spider-Man - Turf Wars - Finished on 1/9/2019 Time: 5 hours

I really liked the story line of this DLC. You could really feel the frustration and the anger of Yuri and how she is fighting a never ending battle against crime. The tone of the story was great, the gameplay was the same as in the base game which was already very good. The only annoying thing in this DLC was probably Screwball.

2. Spider-Man - Silver Lining - Finished on 1/12/2019 Time: 5 hours

A really good conclusion to the DLC. I liked how they finished all the different story arcs. They introduced new, really tough enemies which made bases a lot more difficult for me.

Coming up: Probably God of War since it won the most awards and I haven't played it yet.

CurrY · Jan 13, 2019

My backloggery

Main Post

#1 Resident Evil 2 One Shot Demo (PC)

Starting of the year with a demo of all things. The 30 minute time limit is interesting but it got me even more excited for the full game later this month.

Flips · Jan 13, 2019

#2: The Station (PC) | 1.6h | Jan 13 | ★★★

Not a great game but good enough for a rainy Sunday afternoon. It looks good and is pretty straight forward in regards to puzzles. The audio logs play an integral part in telling the story and are thankfully easy to find. Speaking of the story: I liked it well enough even though some might argue that it's a bit generic and the twist is kinda obvious. Picking up notes to read them didn't always work as intended, so you had to use your zoom.

It's definitely not worth the full 15€ but if you enjoy space and sci-fi stuff and see it on sale for <5€, go for it.

Falchion · Jan 13, 2019

Original Post

1) Spiderman - PS4 - 1/13

Fantastic game with satisfying combat and some of the most fun traversal I've ever played. I'll definitely 100% this before moving on to other games.

Rhaknar · Jan 13, 2019

I mean, you do you, but demos? really? Anyway :p

Game # 10 - Inside
Time: 3.5 hours

Playdead's Limbo "sequel" of sorts is just as, if not better than their first game, with even more striking visuals (my god this game is gorgeous), a weirder and arguably more interesting premise in a dystopian future, and the same platform puzzle solving gameplay Limbo was known for. I got stumped in a few puzzles (most of the time because of how dark the game is and I just missed whatever key thing I had to press) but overall its not a particularly hard game, nor is it very long, much like Limbo you can finish it in about 3-4 hours, which is a good thing because it doesnt overstay its welcome. It also...goes places near the end, and the whole ending sequence is a particular favorite of mine in recent memory. Just a great game all around, and very much worth experiencing.

Main Post

sabertoothzombie · Jan 13, 2019

This might be a year of RPGs for me. I just got into isometric RPGs, so I hope I hit 52 again

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main Post

1. Pillars of Eternity (PC) 50 hours - I think I can thank this game for getting me into isometrics RPGs. Loved it, didn't do everything, but enjoyed everything I did get to

Charles Alan Ratliff · Jan 13, 2019

0/52

1. Florence
I beat the iOS (iPhone X) version of this game on January 3, 2019.

1. Florence (iOS) | 3rd Jan - 1hrs | 5/5

Previous Years
2018
2017

Bond · Jan 13, 2019

OG Post

Game #2 - Resident Evil Zero
Platform: PS4 Pro
Time: 9 hours
Rating: ★★★

An interesting experiment that doesn’t reach the heights of previous outings. Capcom attempts to make the most hardcore title in Resident Evil history but ends being a long to complete. Puzzles are barebones, and the annoying AI partner mechanic makes from annoying moments. A definite step down in quality when compared the groundbreaking Remake. Sigh expected so much more.

Magic · Jan 13, 2019

January 13th Update

Main Post

Okay, so I’m going to try and post a little update roughly every 2 weeks to keep myself on target, I hope everyone has being making decent progress.

Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4) 5/1/2019 (Platinum Trophy)

This was a Christmas present for me so slightly LTTP. For me personally this is the best Superhero game I’ve ever played, and it’s on a par with God of War as the 2nd best game of last year. It’s just so fun to play! And visually it really surprised me too. Can’t wait to see what they do in the future with the franchise as they’ve got an amazing base to build from now.

Verdict: 9/10

Marvel’s Spider-Man CTNS DLC (PS4) 8/1/2019 (100%)

Coming straight off the back of the main game, the 3 DLC’s simply don’t return to same heights. Enjoyable enough but Screwball is a character I could have really done without. Worth a playthrough for anyone that really enjoyed the game.

Verdict: 7/10

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Xbox One) 10/1/2019 (100%)

I think that as long as you go into Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice with the right mindset, you can appreciate it for what it is. Whilst it is very linear, it is definitely an experience. Great visuals on the Xbox One X, brilliant Audio, and a fascinating story held back by its gameplay limitations. I was going to give this a 6/10, but the final chapter/ending literally gave me shivers down my spine so I would recommend sticking with it.

Verdict: 7/10

The Order: 1886 (PS4) 13/1/2019 (Platinum Trophy)

Similarly to Hellblade, The Order can be appreciated for what it is, which is essentially an interactive movie with some small chunks of gameplay. Im blown away that these visuals are nearly 4 years old, and as a result definitely worth a play through that won’t be too time consuming.

Verdict: 7/10

Up Next:

Sticking with the rule of completing a variety of games across both my PS4 & Xbox One i’ve just started Shadow of the Colossus (PS4), and will be starting Metro 2033 Redux (Xbox One). Shadow of the Colossus I have never played before, so really looking forward to this and I do know what to expect as I have seen bits online before. Metro 2033 I tried to start a couple
of times but just haven’t stuck with, and with Exodus coming out soon I thought now would be as good a time as any. As usual going for the Platinum/100% in both of these so I’ll probably be tied up for a couple of weeks now but I’m way ahead of schedule!

FireWarrior · Jan 13, 2019

finished prime 1 for the thousandth time, first and last time on hyper mode, hyper mode is just too tedious to play

main post

Desi · Jan 13, 2019

1st. Red Dead Redemption (X360)

After years and years of playing this game on and off between two consoles, I was able to finally complete it. Let me state outright that I love this game but just had constant issues with my PS3 and my original 360. John is still a loveable goof who finds himself in all kinds of situations, helping people from a handful of different backgrounds. The aiming is solid but the guns lack a punch and you can find yourself unloading a lot of shells in a guy only for him to limp back up. combat, while mounted on your horse, feels next to impossible without me relying on "Deadeye". The different outfits are fun but also very troublesome to acquire, still, I at least collected half of the available outfits. Western is one of my favorite genres and I feel that this was/is one of the best to ever do it.

Dest · Jan 13, 2019

Goal
Complete as many games as I can within the year and catch up in MMO content.

Why?
I got too many damn games.

Stats
13/52 Complete
Days left: 266
Average days per game left: 6.8 days

What are you doing to help obtain your goal?
I have way too many games, and have a really bad time trying to get through them. To try and help out with getting through these, I'm also running a personal challenge of streaming 1,000 hours. Will I have any luck with either? Maybe! But, we'll see. I seem to be more focused when I stream.

Currently playing
God Eater 3, Dark Souls 3, Etrian Odyssey Nexus, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, Kingdom Hearts: RE Chain of Memories, West of Loathing, Chcobo Mystery Dungeon Everybuddy, The Missing, Baba is You, Sekiro, Borderlands GOTY, The Witcher

Other things to note
I'm working on a spreadsheet in Google Sheets to go over what games I've played and everything I want to play. This will expand well past the year that these 52 games will be completed in.

1st. Monolith (Steam)
1/11/19 | Rating 4.5/5 | TTC 2.5 hours (true ending 12 hours)

I saw this on Dunkeys game of the year list. $8? I'll give it a try! It's very much a one more run kind of game like Binding of Isaac is. I had a lot of fun. I did go back and get the secret boss. It took lots and lots of attempts, but man was it worth it. This is probably going to become my Binding of Isaac whenever I want to run through a game.

2nd. Onimusha: Warlords (PS4)
1/19/19 | Rating 4/5 | TTC 3.5 hours

I had no idea what I was in for going into this as I was not at all familiar with the Onimusha series when this was announced. Completely forgot about it when it came out, but saw it sitting on a shelf at GameStop. Nabbed myself a copy. It's basically Resident Evil except instead of zombies you got demons and you've got some magic swords and shit. Pretty cool, albeit a bit short. May have me go check out the other games, though!

3rd. Universal Paperclips (PC)
1/23/19 | Rating 3.5/5 | TTC: 12 hours.

I'm an absolute sucker for idle games and saw this while I was reading up on some Cookie Clicker stuff. This game is a bit different through. About half way through, it becomes less of an idle game and more of a minimalist management sim about... taking over the universe with paperclips. Charming little thing.

4th. Metro 2033 Redux (PC)
2/1/19 | Rating 4.5/5 | TTC 5.5 hours

I've had this game in my library for a long, long time. Close to the release of the original version. Heard that this game should be played in ranger mode and holy shit. Everyone who said so was right. I had tried to play through the game on normal before but it never hooked me, but the simple fact of making things more difficult and turning off the UI made this one hell of an experience. Now one of my favorite games.

5th. Bayonetta 2 (Switch)
2/18/19 | Rating 5/5 | TTC 7 hours

Yeah this game is fucking perfect holy shit. 7 hours of Platinum showing off their talent. It was 200% enjoyable and easily one of the best games I've ever played.

6th. Devotion (PC)
2/19/19 | Rating 5/5 | TTC 3 hours

Devotion is the second game by Red Candle Games and is an absolutely superb experience just like it's predecessor, Detention which I finally got around to playing last year. An incredibly personal story about a fathers religious belief and a torn relationship in the home over a sick child. It's $17 which may seem a bit much for the price tag, but the content inside is truly superb.

7th. Devil May Cry (PS4)
3/3/19 | Rating 3.5/5 | TTC 3.5 hours

This one is pretty alright. Gets you accustomed to the signature stylish character Dante, but really feels like a combat extension of Onimusha, which is a bit weird. Good bit of fun, but not great.

8th. Devil May Cry 2 (PS4)
3/5/19 | Rating 1.5/5 | TTC 5.5 hours

Fuck this game.

9th. Devil May Cry 3 (PS4)
3/7/19 | Rating 4.5/5 | TTC 8.5 hours

This is where DMC really got good. This is where Itsuno really nailed down who Dante is and the tone of these games and is a great prequel to everything else that's gonna happen. I'd say skip 1 and 2 and start here.

10th. Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (PC)
3/9/19 | Rating 4/5 | TTC 8 hours

Overall, just about as good as 3 with a little less style and a couple of annoying moment, but overall still pretty decent. Nero has a really fun moveset, but I don't feel like it was expanded upon enough.

11th Devil May Cry 5 (PC)
3/10/19 | Rating 4.5/5 | TTC 13 hours

Probably my favorite in the series. This game is dope as fuck, and seeing a high budget game like this in 2019 makes me really happy. I've now beat all of the Devil May Cry games and I'm glad I decided to take the plunge.

12th. Hypnospace Outlaw (PC)
3/13/19 | Rating 4/5 | TTC 6 hours

It's a puzzle game that's played on a fake combination of AOL and Geocities pages. Will have to replay this one because there was a lot I missed and I want to see everything this game has to offer.

13th. Halo: Combat Evolved (One X)
4/9/19 | Rating 3.5/5 | TTC 6 hours

After probably a couple years of trying to get through this game with a buddy, we finally did it. Finally sat down and just beat the game. It's alright. Level design wise it's not great, but I still had fun with it. Started playing Halo 2 and it's already a much better game.

14th. Halo 2 (One X)
4/1/19 | Rating 3/5 | TTC 4-5 hours

I don't understand why people like this game so much. It was fine but. Eeeeh?

Dest · Jan 13, 2019

Reserved #2

Spyware · Jan 13, 2019

Weekly update 2!

Just two games this week. Managed to spend 20+ hours in a pretty much endless game in active development and a bunch of hours failing to get through a roguelite. Also spent some time streaming a game I didn't manage to beat this week since I couldn't stream as much as I wanted to. Looking forward to some progress on that last thing next week. Not looking forward to switching out my whole PC...

4. TSIOQUE (PC) | 7th Jan - 3hrs | 5/5

I have no words for how great this game is, none that can do it justice. It has fun and (relatively) logical puzzles, an adorable protagonist and an intriguing story. It looks stunning and sounds good too. Failing is no problem, it just plops you right back where you were so that you can try again instantly. No frustration to be found here. A great experience from start to end. Highly recommended.

5. Goat Simulator: GOATY (PC) | 13th Jan - 31hrs | 4/5

I don't know how many times I have 100%-ed this game. They just kept adding more, and I kept coming back to get those achievements. Why? Because I love this game. I really do. It's just so silly. For some reason I stopped playing three years ago and that meant I hadn't played Payday or Waste of Space! We can't have that! Payday is all about "pranks" and being a mean little shit to everyone! The missions were generally fun and I loved the four different characters and their special "powers". Enjoyable achievements too! The last expansion, Waste of Space, is huge! As a fan of sci-fi this one was a real treat with all the funny references. Maybe not beating MMO as the best expansion but it definitely gets close. Overall a very enjoyable experience, as usual.

_____________

Master Post!

Tarbs · Jan 13, 2019

Reserving a post.

FireWarrior · Jan 13, 2019

Was in the mood to play mario after spending the past few days watching videos like Is it Possible to Beat New Super Mario Bros. U Without Pressing Right?

so i did

main post

CloudCircus · Jan 13, 2019

This might have been asked already, but do playthrough of games I’ve already completed in the past count?

Weiss · Jan 13, 2019

CloudCircus said:

Yes. You can play the same game 52 times if you want.

shaneo632 · Jan 13, 2019

Finished my first two games of 2019 today!

1. Spyro the Dragon Reignited (PS4) - 20 hours. Dec 22-Jan 13.
A really strong remake even if some the brick wall collectathons are a bit annoying. I used video walkthroughs to pick up the extra eggs as otherwise it would've been a huge chore. Core game is great fun though. 8/10

2. Bury Me, My Love (PC) - 2.5 hours. Jan 14.
A simple but effective character-driven text-based game. Not bad for a mere £3.99. 7/10

Spyware · Jan 13, 2019

CloudCircus said:

It's not a competition so you can do whatever you want really, as long as you actually finish the games. :)
People come up with their own rules. I personally never count replays of the same game in the same year, but I usually count things I replay, for achievements for example, if it's not during the same year as last time I played it. One year I only counted games I had never finished before tho and another year I couldn't count games I bought during that year, to encourage myself to only play things from the backlog.

kurahador · Jan 14, 2019

#2

2/5
This is sequel to Orwell Keeping an Eye on You, one of my biggest surprise last year. And....it's abit disappointing. They introduce alot of new mechanic, but at the same time they also make them frustrating. I keep trying to figure out what did wrong instead of choosing which path to take (which was the point of the first game), and the addition of a "time limit" of sort feels superficial at most. Story and setting also seems alot smaller in scope compared to the first one too with a boring ending. If you like the first one, wait for a deeper discount for this.

Original post.

ChryZ · Jan 14, 2019

..::|[INDEX]|::..

01. Iconoclasts (PS4, 2019/01/13, 13h32m)
02. Space Pirate Trainer (Steam VR WMR, 2019/01/27, 7.5 hrs)
03. Grim Fandango Remastered (Steam, 2019/02/01, 10.2 hrs)
04. The Red Stare (Steam VR WMR, 2019/02/10, 3.7 hrs)
05. TOGETHER VR (Steam VR WMR, 2019/02/10, 1.3 hrs)
06. God of War (PS4, 2019/02/23, ~30 hrs)
07. Devil Engine (Steam, 2019/03/03, 4.7 hrs)
08. ALLTYNEX Second (Steam, 2019/03/17, 2.7 hrs)
09. Thimbleweed Park (Steam, 2019/03/22, 14 hrs)
10. BYTEPATH (Steam, 2019/03/25, 3 hrs)
11. Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS4, 2019/03/26, ~6 hrs)
12. Sunset Overdrive (Steam, 2019/04/12, 24 hrs)

[index]

Madjaba · Jan 14, 2019

Reserved !

First time here, very interested to try this challenge as I want to improve my gaming time instead of just playing whatever comes.
A nice reason to discover indie gaming too !

Games finished in 2019 :

1 - Dragon Quest XI on PS4 in approx 64 hours // ★ ★ ★ \\
The game is good but can sometimes be a drag as it requires multiple back and forth between several locations, sometimes cheesy dialogue and a post game ending that was a bit frustrating.
Good time but it was a bit too long...

2 - Metal Slug XX on X1X via Gamepass in 36 minutes and 54 seconds // ★ ★ \\
Wanted to play it for a quick fix of fast paced shooter but was not a real fan of this. Same old formula, not much of a change so it was good but I won't replay it unless I need my nostalgic shot.

FreddeGredde · Jan 14, 2019

Never done this before, but I might have time to finish a large amount of games this year!

Games 1-5:
1. Wario's Woods __________ 36:19 hours | Rating: 5/5
2. Guacamelee ____________ 06:24 hours | Rating: 2.5/5
3. Super Mario Bros. _______ 00:15 hours | Rating: 3/5
4. Iconoclasts _______________13:40 hours | Rating: 4.5/5
5. The Messenger ___________10:59 hours | Rating: 3/5

Games 6-10:
6. New Super Mario Bros. U __ 25hrs | rating: 4.5/5
7. Tetris 99 __________________15:14hrs | rating: 3/5
8. Pikuniku __________________ 3:15hrs | rating: 3.5/5
9. DeltaRune Chapter 1 ______ 2:45hrs | rating: 1.5/5
10. Super Luigi U ____________ 12hrs | rating: 4/5

Psychotic_Mantis · Jan 14, 2019

Main Post

1. Marvel's Spider-Man
Completed 1/11/19
Score - 9/10

This game was fantastic. I ended up 100% the game...outside of the suits. I might rely on the DLC to get enough challenge tokens to buy the remaining suits. I really enjoyed everything in the game but it was the ending that really hit it all home for me. I loved it and can't wait for the sequel. Planning on getting the DLC soon.

2. Sonic & Knuckles
Completed 1/13/19
Score - 9/10

Such an improvement over Sonic 3. I loved the music and challenge of this one way more than Sonic 3. It's strange because they were made to be one game but I feel like everything works better in this one than the other. My least favorite zone was Sandopolis yet it featured my favorite music. Definitely worth a play.

Flips · Jan 14, 2019

Main Post

#3: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) | 5.6h | Jan 14 | ★★★★

I actually enjoyed this more than UC4. I preferred the story and liked the characters better; Chloe and Nadine just have great chemistry. I'm still not a big fan of the Naughty Dog gameplay and I don't think that will ever change, but the shooting in U:TLL was less annoying than in UC4. Probably because there was less of it.

Rhaknar · Jan 14, 2019

Game #11 - South Park the Fractured But Whole
Time: 24 hours

The first game was a nice surprise, with it's simple but effective jrpg style systems and a million references to the show, including the art style which basically WAS the show. Fractured But Whole is more of the same, with a superhero theme this time (as opposed to fantasy setting of Stick of Truth), so your milleage will vary on A) if you want more of Stick of Truth and B) you like South Park. As a videogame it's better, it's a logner game, the combat is improved, there's a ton of characters, skills and gear to get, and the story is the typical South Park crazyness. There is A LOT of toilet humour, more so than the first game, so that might turn people off, but overall I feel it's just as good as the first game.

Main Post

Grizzly · Jan 14, 2019

saenima · Jan 14, 2019

Main Post

7. Bioshock 2 - 16h10 - 13.01

The original was a very hard game to follow on, but Bioshock 2 succeds to do so in a few key points, while floundering on some others. The overarching story is more interesting here i think, although the secondary characters we come across and their individual stories are more less so. Sophia Lamb is more of a person and less of the idea that Ryan was, while the struggle about the altruism and selfishness paradigm that drives the whole plot here feels much more human and relatable. But while the first game had magnificent side stories like the ones regarding Cohen and Tennenbaum that directly related to the main plot while also being their own self contained stories, this time around the side characters felt more like filler monster of the week material, with the exception of Gil Alexander, which i quite liked.

With regards to gameplay, it's a mixed bag. While the gunplay itself is pretty much better in every way, from dual wielding power and weapons to the improved gamefeel, i also felt like the level and encounter design took a serious nosedive. There's a lot less carefuly designed, bespoke encounters and a lot more of wave based meat grinders in here. And the levels have a lot less of storytelling embedded into the exploration. But what kinda broke my affection for the gameplay in Bioshock 2 were the harvesting sections. There are simply too many of them. They get extremely tedious and repetitive. Once you get a strategy going, they play almost exactly the same throughout the whole game. If you want the good ending while getting enough ADAM to buy the good stuff, there's not much choice but to do all or most of them.

All being said, not quite on the same level as the first one but a very worthwhile sequel nonetheless.

8. Minerva's Den - 5h - 14.01

Upon playing Minerva's Den back in the day, i found it a much more interesting game than the Bioshock 2's main campaign. Not so much this time around. It's still good, but not quite on the same level as i remembered it. The story is touching and brings forth some interesting ideas, but it's also very predictable and ends in a bit of a whimper. I really liked the writing and the characters though, but that's true of everything in the series up until this point. Playing it immediately after the main game was not a good idea gameplay wise either, as the problems i had with it manifest themselves in here as well, compounding on the sameness of the experience. Still very much worth playing though.

Snowfruit · Jan 15, 2019

main post

2. Catherine Classic | PC | January 14th | 12hrs | 5/5★

Still remains one of my top 10 games of all time, truly a classic. Also the first Atlus game on PC so I just had to support them with this release. The port could use some work but the game is as great as ever. Got an ending then stopped there, I'll be waiting for the Full Body release to 100% it.

Flips · Jan 15, 2019

Main Post

#4: Florence (Android) | 0.6h | Jan 15 | ★★★

Played and finished it on my commute today. Cute game but not really my cup of tea. I liked the art and the different gameplay/"puzzle" elements and that it had a good mix between them, so it didn't get boring.

CurrY · Jan 15, 2019

My backloggery

Main Post

#2 What Remains of Edith Finch (PC)

#3 Blue Estate (PC)

Ted · Jan 15, 2019

GAME #01: Not Tonight
Panic Barn - PC - ★★★☆☆

Completion State:
Completed the story mode and interactive credits (18 hours, 40% Steam achievements)

Comments:
Starting the year with one that I am a little conflicted on.

The game itself is ostensibly one about checking documents and allowing or barring clubbers entry to clubs/pubs/gravel pits/London abiding by an ever increasingly complex set of arbitrary rules in a post Brexit world dominated by exclusionary hard right politics.

Right from the off the sad stylised tones of God Save the Queen set against a broken, dirty London skyline immediately made me sit up and take notice. From there I've continued to sigh, grimace and smile wryly as the game makes me confront both direct disgust from your Integration Officer and the more subtle and oddly cheerful xenophobia from your employers.

As the protagonist, I lived an unsure life. A British resident with immigrant parents, surviving job to job in the gig economy attempting to make enough money for rent and to upgrade my room in the relocation block, balancing legal income and drug sales, whilst trying to maintain my fluctuating social status and health.

Whether it is the creator's intent or not, it's made me think about how easy it is to create and assert an underclass simply through the propagation of stereotypes. Even in it's presentation of other effected residents of the relocation blocks it made me think hard about my own filters. When I was introduced to Mylarna, her casual descriptions of [I presume] her husband Viklav as a drunk made me question if this was playing to the perceptions amongst made Brits of Eastern Europeans or if I had simply presumed that due to the slight broken English. Given my background in the game, perhaps Mylarna was native to nowhere further than Cornwall! Should I look for her husbands name on the IDs of folk I am checking at the door of the King's Head? Should I? Names move really fast. Easier to just do my job. Can I even remember his name? Would I have done if it were Dave?...

In these smaller moments, where you are left to imagine the backstory, the game does well. The way it presents itself pushes me to consider everything from "the grand scheme of things", state housing, the general undertone of xenophobia etc etc right through to the smaller, more banal aspects of how we, for want of a better way of putting it, obey or strike back. I found myself inwardly annoyed when I accidentally let in an underage punter but outwardly annoyed when I got a warning for not caring about letting in a French woman.

Unfortunately despite these thoughtful moments, the overarching story doesn't really go anywhere particularly interesting and ends up winding up strangely anticlimactic, or perhaps better, unsatisfying. Given how much I love other aspects of the game - the presentation is fabulous, with art style, animation, UI, music and simple grunting voices working perfectly together - this annoyed me more than perhaps it should.

The gameplay itself is supposedly reminiscent of Papers Please but here you are checking identity details and scanning for hidden objects to allow entry to, in most cases, some kind of night club. Though this is ultimately simple, it entirely supports the premise of the game and builds to a point where it's pretty fast paced and has a certain challenge to it. I was, in the later game, checking multiple aspects of multiple documents supplied by the person in the queue against the clock so it can get a little hectic. I'm not sure it holds up through the entire game but it never got tedious, in fact it's rather addictive.

All in all It's worth playing through to the end if not for the disappointing story conclusion but then for the moral score section at the end and the delightful interactive credits.

You essentially play a short level where you check the documents of the developers as the in game protagonist. You can even not let Mike Rose into the pub if you are so inclined.

Overall, a good game that despite an unsatisfying ending is definitely worth a play through. I'm very glad that in an odd world like this one a game like this can be made and hopefully pays the bills. I hope the small team behind this get the chance to do more in the future.

Weiss · Jan 15, 2019

3. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - 15/01/2019

My first playthrough of DSII I made a LTTP thread about how much I loved it and how it had become my favourite of the Souls trilogy. This time I went and played a Sorcerer and found it to be the deepest and most rewarding magic gameplay in the entire series.

And then I did the DLC.

I have no idea how people talk up the Lost Crowns trilogy as one of the peaks of the series, because it was genuinely awful save for its bosses. I ended up quitting halfway through Brume Tower because I was sick to death of its overpowered enemies ganking me in groups of three and more every time I turned the corner.

Dark Souls II took a lot of effort for me to get into it and now it just feels like I've been hoodwinked. That it turns out this amazing experience I loved was in actually the shitty hard meme game everyone decried it as all along.

HiroTSK5 · Jan 15, 2019

Almost forgot about this, time to go for another year.

#1. Onimusha: Warlords [PS4. 01/15/2019]: For a nigh 20 year old game and having never seen, let alone played, the original it was quite enjoyable.
#2. Celeste [PS4. 01/15/2019]: Finished the Core and have all of the Strawberries, maybe I'll do the B-sides but for now I can say I enjoyed this game.
#3. South Park: The Fractured But Whole [Switch: 01/16/2019]: The grid-based mechanics got annoying at times, but it did mix things up. It never ceased to catch me off guard with where the story was going.
#4. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War [PS4 01/27/2019]: I came to this series really late and this game makes that all the more ridiculous.
#5. Kingdom Hearts III [PS4 02/1/2019]: It's not quite KHII (but still the closest in quality) and it spends a lot of time setting up the next, but in the end I'm really happy.
#6. Hitman (2016) [PS4 02/10/2019]: Listen; People Died, mostly intentionally, and in the end that's what matters.
#7. The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince [PS4 02/12/2019]: Cute, if not janky, game.
#8. Tetris 99 [Switch 02/16/2019]: I won one and probably never again. [2/27] game 2.
#9. Dandara [PS4 02/17/2018]: While the movement is fun and the map is well designed, I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the games "Upgrade" Progression and the unshakable feeling that this game seems to stop at the half-way point.
#10. Pokemon Let's Go Eevee [Switch 02/24/2019]: My Eevee soloed the entire game, this might be the most braindead game I've ever played, but it's charming and I got it solely because post-game shiny-hunting looked fun.
#11. Celeste [PS4 02/28/2019]: Got the Plat, I'm counting that as beating the game again cause nothing in this world is as disheartening as the realization that there are "C-sides".
#12. Super Mario Odyssey [Switch 03/05/2019]: Super Mario Odyssey fills a niche of amazing controls, fun levels but also able to be completed in sub 4 hours which makes it an amazing game to pick-up and replay.
#13. Devil May Cry 5 [PS4 03/09/2019]: Great game, V was more fun than I thought he would be to play as. Everything about the endgame was great. Still don't like breakable weapons.
#14. Mighty Gunvolt [3DS 04/03/2019]: Been a minute since I beat a game. This one is quaint and reminds me I need to replay Gunvolt
#15. Liberation Maiden [3DS 04/04/2019]: This game needed a sequel; a real sequel.
#16. Sekiro [PS4 04/17/2019]: Didn't love it, didn't hate it; there were things I liked about the combat but at times I also felt the combat was unsatisfying.
#17. Sonic Adventure [PS3 04/18/2019]: Didn't beat it per se but I was in the mood to replay Sonic's story and now that I've gotten that out of my system I'm good.
#18. Superflight [Steam 04/20/2019]: I chose a good day to play this game.

Rex_DX · Jan 16, 2019

Always wanted to try this challenge but before I commit, question - I put about 40 hours into Red Dead 2 in December and another 120 into it since New Years, finally beating it. Does this count?

HiroTSK5 · Jan 16, 2019

Rex_DX said:

From the OP:

How do I know when I've completed a game?
That's up to you, it could be completing the game or playing 3hrs+ if it has no ending or is a MP game. You can do replays, as long as all the games are completed in 2019.

Rex_DX · Jan 16, 2019

Ah man, I'm one of those people aren't I? Thanks!

Rhaknar · Jan 16, 2019

Game #12 - South Park The Fractured But Whole - From Dusk Till Casa Bonita
Time: 2 hours

First of two story expansions for Fractured But Whole, where we have to save Kenny, I mean Mysterion's sister from hanging out with Vamp kids (good lord). This introduces a whole new location (with plenty of new gear and puzzles), a new class AND a new party member, both of which are actually really cool and I hope I had gotten when I was playing the main game (it all carries over). It's very short (2 hours) but its funny as usual, and like I said introduces a lot of new stuff, the new lcoation is cool and I like how you play with specific characters (including the new one) because you might not have used them much in the main game. Well worth playing but do it early on (I assume these dlcs scale to your level).

Game #13 - South Park the Fractured But Whole - Bring The Crunch
Time: 3 hours

Second of the story expansions, this time a horror movie homage to save Camp Tardicaca. Much like the previous DLC, this also introduces a new class and a new party member, both of which with some cool new mechanics to the game. Overall it's better than Casa Bonita, with a lot more puzzles to solve and a bigger location, even if the new party member is lame compared to the casa bonita one. It's also longer clocking in at about 3 hours if you do everything. So much like the previous DLC; if you want some more South Park in your life, you really cant go wrong with them both (just pick up the season pass on sale or something).

Main Post

DrMoguera · Jan 16, 2019

I lack the ability to make any fancy graphics, but figure I should do some write-ups before I get too far behind.

Main Post

1. Bomb Chicken (Switch) | 4th Jan - XX Hrs | 2/5
I was really expecting to like this one more than I did. Maybe one aspect is that I was expecting it to be more of a clever puzzle game, but it's more of an action game where the "puzzles" tend to be simple and the challenge is not accidentally dying while executing it. However, the limited movement options makes it frustrating action game to play, and at a lot of junctures the hitboxes feel sloppy. A lot information also just isn't conveyed well, like falling sections where something will hit you with no warning or enemies where it's not made clear that the bombs can't directly hurt them. I legit thought my game glitched when the bombs kept going through the turrets! Considering any hit will kill you, I don't think the poorer design aspects can be overlooked. Some of the levels are fun, but overall I didn't enjoy it much.

2. Whip! Whip! (Switch) | 5th Jan - 01 Hrs | 3/5
This one is pretty cute, and the grapple fighting mechanic can lead to some interesting scenarios. I can definitely see a lot of room for growth in playing it, as if you know what you're doing the rooms can be cleared very quickly. The current system of letting you start back at any level you died on might actually rob players of having to learn the game though, which is unfortunate. I liked it quite a bit, and there is an unexpectedly fun explanation for the co-op!

3. Puzzle Bobble (Switch/Arcade) | 10th Jan - XX Hrs | 4/5
Puzzle Bobble is really addicting and fun, but can also be really cruel. Few things are as satisfying as being able to quickly clear a level with a big chain from the top, but few things are as frustrating as the game continuing to be stingy in giving you the one color you need to do it. I love the aiming mechanics and how the cursor goes away after a map, only returning if you die. Adds a nice skill curve to adapt to, and pulling off tricky shots without it is great.

4. Yoku's Island Express (Switch) | 12th Jan - XX Hrs | 3/5
I love pinball games, especially ones with weird takes on it like Odama or Mario Pinball. Yoku attempts to combine the pinball formula with a Metroid map, and while I think it's fun I'm not so sure they pulled it all off. Quickly moving between different "boards" as you traverse each area is great, but what it lacks is making it feel good to explore. A lot of what you find isn't that interesting, the traversal can be tedious and relies heavily on shortcuts which can get convoluted, and the core gameplay doesn't evolve based on what you find. I enjoyed it more as a bunch of pinball levels than a Metroid game ultimately.

5. Kamiko (Switch) | 16th Jan - 01 Hrs | 2/5
This one I felt was close to being a solid game, but some of the design aspects are just too poorly thought out to get there. Kamiko tries to blend elements of a Zelda game into a more pick-up-and-play arcadey structure, which leads to some strange results. The combat and puzzles aren't that complicated, but it all moves at a quick enough pace to be satisfying for the most part. Where the problems come is that the game will randomly spawn enemies, but not with much warning, often leading you to accidentally walk face-first into an enemy you didn't see coming. This is annoying on its own, but gets obnoxious during some parts where you have to carry an object from one location to another without being able to attack or run, and any random hit will make you have to restart it from the beginning. These become so frequent by the end it just becomes a slog.

I also feel like the combat system is a little too convoluted, where the special attacks tend to not be very useful meaning it's not much of a choice between using it or using that energy to open doors and chests, which makes the combo system feel kinda worthless. The pieces are there for something pretty fun, but the game falls short in some key areas. Soundtrack is very nice though.

Pretty good pace so far, I think. I'm currently working on trying to finish CrossCode, and I also started Onimusha which I'm expecting to finish pretty quickly.

YaBish · Jan 16, 2019

Figured I'd use the time to do a couple of write-ups on games I've beaten since the new year, since I'm at 3 now. I should preface that I'm going to use a full 0 - 10 rating scale, so just convert a 5 to what would be like a 7.5 in the traditional gaming press.

1. Marvel's Spider-Man: The City that Never Sleeps DLC (PS4) | 1/4/19 - 8hrs | 5/10
Insomniac did a decent job with these pieces of DLC content. The middle one was clearly lacking in interesting story content, but that's also personal preference. The third one "Silver Lining" did a good job tying things up, and I'm REALLY interested to see where they go with Yuri now in the inevitable sequel. Although, tying up her storyline in side content felt a little lame. Silver Sable was great.

2. Burly Men at Sea (PS4) | 1/6/19 - 1hr | 5/10
People often call games minimalist erroneously, but Burly Men at Sea is truly minimalist. The controls were a little grating, but for what the game was, they were respectable. Fun little story that won't take you too long to get through, but I wish the gameplay was a little more involved.

3. Bayonetta (Switch) | 1/15/19 - 10hr | 6/10
I've played a few Platinum games in my time, namely Vanquish, Transformers Devastation, and NieR: Automata. I'm not huge on character action much, but having just purchased a Switch over the holidays, I felt it was a great opportunity to take a swing at this franchise I'd let pass me by.
To start, I wasn't expecting to actually get invested in the story. Sure, it's batshit insane and barely makes sense most of the time. But the characters are compelling oddballs, and the gameplay more than makes up for any inconsistencies there. I played on normal for the most part, only cheating for a bit on the airship Jeanne fight which I couldn't beat for some reason. If there's one main critique I would have of the game, it's that it doesn't make its systems very clear. NieR does a wonderful job explaining how all of the items and elements work, but Bayonetta doesn't quite as well. Still, I'm looking forward to playing the sequel later this year, but I think I need to take a break first.

4. The Order: 1886 (PS4) | 1/20/19 - 9hr | 6/10
I'm pretty disappointed that the gameplay is king crowd put me off from playing this in 2015. It really does feel like this was a victim of the backlash to "walking simulators" that was spurred on by the GG crowd. This is not to say that if you don't enjoy those type of games, that you are a gamergater. It's just that crowd had a disproportionate impact on the discourse around games in '14/'15.
Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked. The game itself is gorgeous, and could come out today and put a lot of games to shame. For my money, it looks better than all of the current gen games except maybe RE2/DMCV and The Last of Us Part II. The gameplay is also not that bad. The shooting feels better than uncharted 4, and the weapon design is actually stellar. Where the game stumbles is in its movement mechanics and lackluster monster encounters. They nailed the feeling of fighting humans, but as soon as a lycan enters the fray, the pacing goes to shit and I would stand in a corner for 5 minutes to dodge their attacks and get easy kills. Also, the QTEs aren't that egregious except for the boss fights, which are terrible and much easier than they should've been.
The story itself was super easy to predict, and I wish that there had been more meat on the bones. The characters and world are really solid, but the moment to moment writing was a little on the nose. With about a year more in the tank, I think this game could've been something really special.
All in all, I think The Order is a mechanically solid game with gorgeous graphics, and a story that's too short to give the game a better score.

slinch · Jan 16, 2019

Got #3 in: Gris

I expected a good game, but it exceeded all of my expectations. Intensely beautiful and very relaxing.

Tizoc · Jan 16, 2019

6. Perception of the Dead

This is a Visual Novel with 3 short stories: One about a streamer who goes to a haunted abandoned hospital, and 2 focusing on a spirit medium who is looking into paranormal activities.
The voice acting is good and while I didn't find it TOO scary, they were rather entertaining to play through.

Rex_DX · Jan 16, 2019

Always wanted to join this challenge and now that I'm an official ERA member and I have a load of free time until April, let's do this!

First one done, and it was a behemoth!

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One X)

140 hours (about 50 hours in 2018, completed in 2019) - 5/5

This game has been discussed to death around here so I won't repeat the debate. Yes, the game has slow, deliberate pacing and controls. The loadout system doesn't work as advertised. The gameplay of story missions is similar and simple throughout.
I loved every second of this game and am planning a second playthrough this winter. It's not for everyone and I sympathize with the people who thought it would basically be GTA with horses. But it's not and I love it for that. A beautiful, emotionally-draining barn-burner of a game.

Into the Breach (Switch)

About 16 hours - 5/5

This game is tight as hell with no fat to speak of. It has a simple goal and hits it dead center. Basically this is chess with mechs. Simple to learn but deep enough to want to learn more. I completed all four islands, and unlocked most of the advanced squads. I consider this game "Beaten (TM)" but its definitely one I'll be jumping in and out of on the Switch for years to come.

Currently working on:
- Divinity Original Sin 2 (PC)
- DUSK (PC)
- AMID EVIL (PC)
- HITMAN 2 (PC)
- Metro 2033 Redux (PC)
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Xbox One X)
- God of War (PS4 Pro)
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)

PC
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Monster Hunter: World
- Nioh
- No Man's Sky (Updated)
- The Witcher: 3 Blood and Wine
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- No One Lives Forever
- Resident Evil 7
- The Witness
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- INSIDE
- Hotline Miami 1 and 2
- Metro: Last Light Redux
- Subnautica

Xbox One X
- Halo: The Masterchief Collection Campaigns

Playstation 4 Pro
- Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds
- Shadow of the Colossus Remastered
-Mandatory, annual Bloodborne replay
- Uncharted 4
- The Last of Us Remastered

Switch
- Dead Cells
- Hollow Knight
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (almost done!)
- Super Mario Odyssey (almost done!)
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Golf Story
- Dark Souls Remastered

3DS
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon
- Luigi’s Mansion
- Super Metroid
- Selected 2d VC Marios

Total priority games: 32+
Total Backlog: 327

FRANKEINSTEIN · Jan 16, 2019

6. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (XB1) | 16th Jan - 3ish hrs | 3/5
I got it from Target on clearance for $6. I enjoyed my time with it. None of the levels were long enough to get boring. The humor is juvenile but I chuckled a few times. I'm actually excited for the dlc. You get to play as Barack

DionardoLicaprio · Jan 16, 2019

Main Post

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4) | Completed: 16/01 | 64 hours | Score: 10/10

I don't really know what to say about this game, I saw the trailers and had almost no hype for it, was thinking R* would prioritize multiplayer and the SP component would be worsen because of the success of GTA V online.
Instead of that, I got the pleasure of playing one of the best games ever created. Arthur Morgan is probably the best character in a video game.
Couldn't start the year in a better way.

Rex_DX · Jan 16, 2019

DionardoLicaprio said:

Just posted this one. I’m impressed at only 64 hour play time!

DionardoLicaprio · Jan 16, 2019

Rex_DX said:

Honestly I am as well when I see yours, but I did every event I encountered, every bounties and every stranger mission I could find without rushing. Though I didn't spend almost any time fishing/playing cards or those type of activities.

Also, it's not an 100% legit game time because I've played on PS4 and had to use an app to count the time I've played, which might not have been active all the time. Either way I'll replay this incredible game in the coming years so I'm not yet done with exploring the world.

52 Games. 1 Year. 2019.

Banned

Bear of Love