6 completions in May takes me to a cumulative total of 30, nicely over the halfway point:
25. Supraland (Steam) - 11 May 2019
100% in-game progression, all achievements unlocked. This was a wonderful surprise. Supraland blends gameplay elements from classic franchises including Super Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Minecraft and Portal, presenting players with a 3D open world to explore, solving puzzles from a first-person perspective to progress, collecting new equipment and upgrades to expand your means of interactivity, with a smattering of simplistic combat to break up the puzzles. Rarely are the puzzles too obscure to solve, judged just right for satisfaction, but there's good support from the forum community with tips for those who occasionally find themselves getting stuck.
Graphics are fairly simple (the player and NPCs are all stylised stick-people, for example), but more in a charming way rather than being a negative, and fit quite nicely with the game's theme of taking place in a miniaturised world, with everyday objects such as scissors, erasers and chairs being obstacles to navigate
Very impressively, this was developed pretty much just by a single person - and who now continues to interact actively with the community in the Steam forums and on Discord, with responsive updates/patches to the game to improve the experience - and plans now for a sequel, which I very much look forward to!
26. Glass Masquerade (Steam) - 24 May 2019
100% of achievements unlocked; all puzzles completed, including all available DLC. Glass Masquerade is a computer-based take on the jigsaw puzzle, making use of its digital nature to allow for puzzles built up of pieces much more varied than typical physical puzzles - here, each puzzle is intended to depict a stained-glass window. With beautiful artwork for each puzzle and a soothing soundtrack, this is a very relaxing game to play through, with a nice complement of puzzles (43 in total, when including the DLC) making for a decent length to boot - a good few hours or so.
27. kuso (Switch) - 25 May 2019
All 41 levels completed, across both the LOVE and kuso sets. A minimalistic 2D platformed, kuso's levels are well-designed and satisfying to complete, while the inclusion of all levels from the developer's previous game, LOVE, makes this package all the better. I'm no speedrunner so a single playthrough was enough to satisfy me, even with fairly poor end-game scores, but this will be ideal for those who do enjoy speeduns, with a range of different game modes offering a stiffer challenge.
28. Disney's Aladdin (SNES) - 27 May 2019
Completed with all 70 gems and 6 golden scarabs collected. Inspired by the recent film release, I thought that I'd give this classic 2D platformer a try - and while it feels a bit clunky in some respects, this SNES game holds up impressively well. It's certainly somewhat slower-paced than many modern platformers, for the most part (flying carpet level excepted), but the core platforming gameplay is rock solid, while still managing to have some satisfyingly well-hidden secrets to track down (red gems, rewarding a 'better' end sequence when enough are collected). Alongside that, technically, Disney's Aladdin is very impressive, with highly detained, expressive animation and graphics, as well as a decent rendition of classic songs (or very similar variations). I hear that the Genesis/Mega Drive game is generally more highly-regarded, but don't at all regret spending time with this release.
29. Detective Gallo (Switch) - 27 May 2019
Complete playthrough. Detective Gallo is a point-and-click adventure game in the classic style, with players taking control of Gallo, an anthropomorphised bird, tasked to investigate a plant 'murder' incident. This is very nicely done, with impressive cartoon animation and expressive personalities in each of the characters, both Gallo himself and those that he meets. While it's clearly focused on a comedy theme, the puzzle solutions are generally reasonable logical, albeit that's helped by the game being somewhat limited in scope and very linear in its progression.
30. Owl Watch (Steam) - 27 May 2019
Complete playthrough; 100% of achievements unlocked. A very short and simple 3D platform/adventure game, played from an overhead perspective. Owl Watch has a nice visual presentation and is fairly satisfying and relaxing to play through, while it lasts - its three stages won't take more than 15-20 minutes to complete.
Have had a hard time deciding what to play lately. I keep starting games and just not wanting to keep playing them. Not because they are bad or anything, I just can't seem to focus. Just gotta wait it out I suppose.
Finished one game last week tho!
48. Wenjia (PC) | 27th May - 6hrs | 3/5
A cute and short little platformer with a basic gimmick. The whole game is based around switching between two dimensions, often mid jump, to both avoid and hit stuff that only exist in one of the dimensions. Jump from a platform out into nothingness, switch to the other dimension and see a platform to land on. Spikes are in the way, switch and the way will be open, and so on. It works fine but isn't terribly exciting. The game looks great most of the time, but the animations are pretty stiff which sadly drags it down a little. The game is very short, it takes about 1h 30m for a normal playthrough. I found it fun enough to spend some extra time with the 5 deaths only playthrough and a sub 1h playthrough for achievements.
18. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands - 2.5 hours
Unfortunately, Telltale didn't manage to keep up the pace they set in the previous 2 episodes. Baddest of the Bands plays like a typical Telltale game in the middle of the season - lack of new content while reusing of old assets, only under different circumstances. They even degraded the usual comic book drawing minigame to just part of the cutscene where Strong Bad is drawing all by himself, you just need to give him inspiration. There is a new NES-parody game as well, but you can play it only after finishing the episode after loading extended play autosave, and because of that the whole episode narrows down to typical Telltale adventure.
While focusing on main gameplay too much, developers somehow managed to make a lot of typical mistakes for the adventure genre. Considering that in previous 2 episodes of this season I didn't experience much trouble in solving puzzles, I was surprised to find myself stuck several times in Baddest of the Bands, so I had to look in the guide to understand what the hell am I suppose to do next. The main problem of this episode is the fact that you need to backtrack a lot, from time to time running around old locations in order to find new important items that appeared in those locations out of nowhere. Because of that, in Baddest of the Bands you can stuck not because of the difficulty of the puzzle, but because you haven't found junk that required for solving that puzzle. All this pointless backtracking ruins the pacing and without the ability to distract yourself with minigames, in its second part episode turns into a disappointing routine.
As expected, great story with a lot of unexpected moments and genuinely funny jokes saves the day. This time writers focused on the modern music industry, Strong Bad and his friends starting the Battle Royale of the Bands, which is turned out as disastrous as you may expect from anything where is Strong Bad involved. As usual with Telltale games, such quality storytelling overcomes all the flaws that game has, but considering how amazing were previous episodes, I felt a little disappointed after finishing Baddest of the Bands. Of course, if you liked previous episodes then you should play this one as well, but now I'm really starting to get worried that season will go downhill from this point.
A totally fucking bonkers trip through surreal hyperviolence. It's for the best that its so short because the gameplay, as viscerally satisfying as it is, can get boring after prolonged play sessions.
A big step up from 2 difficulty wise, though it peaks in the middle and is easier from there. This is the first playthrough I've done where I went through the effort of killing Nemesis enough to get the weapon parts. Having done it once for the experience I'm not sure I'd do it again as it didn't make that big of a difference.
One of the more replayable RE games due to the branching paths and variable enemy spawns, puzzles, and the like. I've spent a lot of time with this game since I was a child (though I've only beaten it a handful of times) and I'm still discovering new stuff.
Game 31 – Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (PS2) – 4 hours, 49 minutes – 2/5
I love classic style RE a lot but this has so many problems. It truly feels like the formula pushed to its limits in regards to map/level design and general gameplay elements. I'm all for survival horror games being tough and/or stressful but some of the things here are a bit much. Character swapping with no warning can leave you with a less than ideal inventory, seemingly useless items have a use that there's no way to foresee, boss fights introduce new gameplay elements at inopportune times, an increased amount of poisonous enemies, unmissable damage, and even a one hit death trap shows up at some point.
The above sounds like a lot to deal with (it really is) but as mentioned, I'm a sucker for the original RE games and both Redfield siblings so I can get past it when I revisit this every couple years or so. Definitely not something that can approach the constant replayability of a lot of the other RE titles but that's okay.
It's Resident Evil 4. One of my most replayed games of all time though I don't feel as positively about this as some. I did enjoy this run more than some of the most recent ones.
The game is fantastic throughout the village and most of the castle but it really stumbles for me in the last third. Also playing this on PC for the first time in 2019 introduced me to the various issues that come with the physics in 60 fps. The mine cart section was pretty messed up in particular.
Will definitely be back to this eventually. I'll probably be playing this until I'm dead tbh.
Game 34 – Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS) – 18 hours, 58 minutes – 2/5
A really disappointing crossover. I came into this as a big fan of Ace Attorney and a mild fan of Layton and I was let down in both regards. This leans really heavily into Layton from a plot and gameplay standpoint while at the same time not having that many puzzles. The court cases involving Ace Attorney gameplay elements feel undercooked and I'd rather have just had one or the other be the focus. I know it's a crossover and the appeal is supposed to be getting both in one but it wasn't done well enough for me.
Looking back I'm not sure why I was so excited for this since it wasn't likely to turn out too well.
Played this again so I could finally get to/try Rise and Shadow. I hope those dial back on the gore and overall torture porn leaning stuff. Could also do without the constant QTEs and force walk sections but we'll see I guess.
Oh boy... don't remember the last time I started so hot on a game to end up borderline hating it by the end. Beautiful art style (at least on the small Switch screen, not sure how good all those pixels would look blown up on a big screen and much less in the PC version) and a cool combat system that I was really into for the first 20 or so hours, but about the time you finish all the first chapters on each character you pretty much seen all the game will offer. There is barely any interaction between the characters, the game basically acts as if each is alone story wise, the stories are very simple and while the characters are good (I love the idea that one is a apothecary or another is a teacher), they never do much with it besides the basic premise of each story. It feels like you are playing 8 mediocre jrpgs smooched together for no reason. The combat, while great and flashy, gets very repetitive, and annoying near the end when bosses start negating the whole shield breka mechanic the whole game had been using. By the end I just wanted to be done with it and im not surprised so many people drop it. Huge wasted opportunity for something special, it's a shame.
Game #61 - Pikuniku
Time: 3 hours
Pikuniku is a 2D puzzle platformer with some funny writing and story that is short enough to never overstay it's welcome and bizarre enough to make it well worth going through, despite some physics-y blunders here and there. I really like the art style, it reminds me of games like Parappa or Katamari, the graphics are quite simple but they have a ton of charm and lots of little details even in it's simple sprites. Gameplay is a bit floaty and like I said, a bit physics-y sometimes (like rocks not going where you want them to go when you push them, stuff like that) but it never gets too frustrating, and the game is overall easy enough anyway. It has a bunch of funny little minigames too, I just wish there was more to it, as it feels like its over way too soon. At about 3 hours long, its a shorty and well worth playing, but it feels like its teasing something grander that never comes. Also, this among other games recently have placed Devolver very high in my go-to publishers.
45. Bone: The Great Cow Race (2 hours)
It's a fun adventure game on its own merits, but it's apparent that the early Telltale formula, which this is one of the oldest examples of, wouldn't have worked well with the tone of the comic's subsequent arcs.
41. Trover Saves the Universe (PS4) | 6th June - 4hrs | 3/5
Pretty fun game. If you like Rick and Morty, you'll probably like Trover. Rick and Morty is definitely funnier but in same vein. Real easy.
18. For Honor: Despite being suuuuper hyped about this at E3 waaay back, never actually touched it. Single player doesn't do as good a job teaching you how the various unique flourishes of each class, but honestly the main villain was a lot more fun than people gave her credit for. Fun game, combat didn't really click with me though which is a bit of a shame.
19. Dandara: Its a fun 2D game. i kinda hesitate to call it a metroidvania cause there's a lot less going back and discovering secrets with your upgrades than you'd think. Either way, it was surreal, art is nice, some of the levels are really neat, and music is great. It's a bit of a shame that its a bit obtuse in parts, I struggled to figure out where to go sometimes. Either way, neat indie game that probably deserves more love.
9. Far Cry 5 (PC) 2 June - 35hrs | 4/5
I was a bit letdown by the missed opportunity for something more profound as far as the story went - they really could have gone to town on some of the right wing extremist stuff here, particularly given how topical it obviously is and has been in the last few years. However, it was still great fun, had some fairly powerful scenes (mainly driven by the excellent OST), and it did move the series forward in yet another incremental step.
10. Battlefield V (PC) 7 June - 20hrs | 3/5
Still my go-to multiplayer series and it delivers enough on that front. If you get yourself into a good squad, the defense-building and teamwork really shines. However, I've knocked it down a point as I keep encountering glitches in the campaign where I get stuck under the map and can't proceed - I've only ever been able to get as far as the first real 'story'... and only about halfway through that. Unacceptable.
I thought i might throw my hat in the ring, mostly because i have a lot of free time, and my passion for gaming has come back in a big way this year. As of Early June, I'm on a really good pace to beat the challenge, but i expect my output to slow down quite a bit in the back half of the year, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out. Writeups are coming soon, and i hope to update monthly, but i thought i would lay down my current progress and games i've beaten in the format first.
1. Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Switch) | 16th Jan - 32hrs | 3/5
2. Blossom Tales: the Sleeping King (Switch) | 16th Jan - 9hrs | 3/5
3. Horizon Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds (PS4) | 19th Jan - 6hrs 3/5
4. Pikuniku (Switch) | 24th Jan - 3hrs | 4/5
5. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Switch) | 25th Jan - 5hrs | 2/5
6. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) | 29th Jan - 80 hrs | 5/5
7. VVVVVV (Switch) | 30th Jan - 2hrs | 4/5
8. Wargroove (Switch) | 8th Feb - 15hrs | 3/5
9. Apex Legends (PS4) | Ongoing - 40hrs | 5/5
10. Just Shapes & Beats (Switch) | 12th Feb - 3hrs | 5/5
11. Devotion (PC) | 22nd Feb - 4hrs | 4/5
12. Metro Exodus (PS4) | 25th Feb - 17hrs | 3.5/5
13. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4) | 10th Apr - 60hrs | 5/5
14. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Switch) | 16th Apr - 14hrs | 4/5
15. Phoenix Wright: Justice for All (Switch) | 23rd Apr - 15hrs | 3.5/5
16. Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations (Switch) | 30th Apr - 16hrs | 4/5
17. Baba is You (Switch) | 3rd May - 20hrs | 4.5/5
18. Steamworld Quest (Switch) | 8th May - 17hrs | 5/5
19. Katana Zero (Switch) | 12th May - 5hrs | 5/5
20. Shovel Knight (Switch) | 18th May - 7hrs | 4.5/5
21. Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (Switch) | 22nd May - 6hrs | 4/5
22. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Switch) | 23rd May - 5hrs | 5/5
23. Gato Roboto (Switch) | 2nd June - 4.5hrs | 3/5
24. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) | 5th June - 4hrs | 2.5/5
25. Slay the Spire (Switch) | Ongoing - 40 hrs | 5/5
26. Spider Man (PS4) | 23rd June - 30hrs | 3/5
27. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PS4) | 29th June - 5hrs | 2/5
29. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch) | Ongoing - 40hrs | 4/5
30. Bastion (PS4) | July 13th - 7hrs | 4/5
31. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS4) | 22nd July - 10hrs | 4/5
32. Kirby's Adventure (Switch) | 26th July - 4hrs | 3/5
33. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) | 24th Aug - 60hrs | 5/5
34. Control (PS4) | 6th Sept - 20hrs | 5/5
35. Super Metroid (Switch) | 11th Sept - 9hrs | 5/5
36. Blasphemous (Switch) | 21st Sept - 15hrs | 4/5
37. Assemble with Care (Mobile) | 22nd Sept - 1hr | 3/5
38. Sayonara Wild Hearts (Mobile) | 22nd Sept - 1hr | 3.5/5
39. WHATTHEGOLF?! (Mobile) | 27th Sept - 9hrs | 4.5/5
40. Possessions (Mobile) | 28th Sept - 1hr | 2/5
41. Jenny LeClue: Detectivu (Mobile) | 2nd Oct - 10hrs | 3/5
42. NeoCab (Mobile) | 6th Oct - 4hrs | 5/5
43. Tint (Mobile) | 12th Oct - 1hr | 2/5
44. Over the Alps (Mobile) | 13th Oct - 1hr | 2/5
45. Indivisible (PS4) | 17th Oct - 21hrs | 5/5
46. Outer Wilds (PS4) | 1st Nov - 20hrs | 4.5/5
47. Afterparty (PS4) | 10th Nov - 5hrs | 2.5/5
48. Discolored (Mobile) | 11th Nov - 40min | 2/5
49. Bleak Sword (Mobile) | 15th Nov - 3hrs | 3/5
50. The Get Out Kids (Mobile) | 21st Nov - 1hr | 2/5
51. Tangle Tower (Mobile) | 23rd Nov - 2hrs | 4/5
52. Pokemon Shield (Switch) | 26th Nov - 25hrs | 3.5/5
46. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (3 hours)
I like this one better than the first one. The multiple playable characters give the gameplay some variety lacking in the first game.
28. Unravel 2 (PS4) | 17th Nov - 5hrs | 2/5
We played this co-op and moderately enjoyed puzzling our way through. Although, the introduction of more fantastical elements and attempts at urgency in the background vignettes, for me, detracted from the nostalgic personality I'd come to expect from the original.
29. Dead Cells (Switch) | 23rd Dec - 15hrs | 4/5
I'd spent a several months away from this game after failing the final boss a few too many times. It finally clicked for me when I started building for the boss and not for the game up to that point. I think it was an Ice bow + Wolf trap combo that did it for me in the end. That guy barely got to move.
Highlight: fluking out with a synergistic loadout and steam-rolling everything
Lowlight: the difficulty jump at the final boss
30. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (PC) | 31st Dec - 76.5 | 4/5
My first Assassin's Creed game since Brotherhood and the first game played on my 4k 60fps HDR gaming setup. It certainly looks incredible but the gameplay has clearly evolved a great deal since my last dalliance with AC. It took a while for it to click that this isn't a stealth game anymore but rather an action rpg with stealth kills. Once I'd adjusted my expectations I got over 70 hours of slick combat and picturesque exploration. Maybe the lack of series burnout helped me appreciate this more.
Highlight: hunting cultists
Lowlight: that fake minotaur questline in Pephka with it's really just awful attempts at comedy
(from the end of last year)
1. Dark Souls (PC) | 6th Jan - 18hrs | 5/5
Still a treasure. AC:O inspired me to do a spear run this time. I love the design of this game from top to bottom.
Highlight: planning a route around a new character build
Lowlight: Bed of Chaos
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country (Switch) | 14th Jan - 17hrs | 3/5
This hit on many of the same notes that I enjoyed about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - primarily the sense of going on a perilous adventure with an earnest set of companions. I appreciated the older cast in this dlc and the changes to the combat freshened this experience up. However, I felt the writing left a lot to be desired.
Given that Jin was the antagonist of the main game, omitting the journey that took him from pacifist to genocidal seems like a missed opportunity. I also struggled to understand the dynamic between Malos and Amalthos. It was nice learning more about Mythra, although Jin suggesting that she was waiting for Rex felt lame and pandering. Overall, I found the writing relatively toothless compared to the main game. They clearly had no idea what to do with Gort, having the game finish by shoe-horning him in was a lack-lustre prologue to an otherwise satisfying climax.
Highlight: that jazzy Gormott remix
Lowlight: the postgame collectathon
3. Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Switch) | 27th Jan - 45hrs | 4/5
Most of this playtime was, unfortunately, the single player story mode. I didn't enjoy the level-gating, character-gating, forced rock-paper-scissors spirit management or the prescient AI on hard mode. I did, however, love the videogame history. Although I would have appreciated some trivia. We played a few hours of multiplayer and it was as good as ever. I mained Wolf and Bayonetta.
Highlight: the multiplayer
Lowlight: rpg mechanics in a fighting game
4. REmake 2 (PC) | 7th Feb - 17hrs | 4/5
Refreshingly under-designed. I played Leon's campaign first on normal then Claire's on hard. 4th Survivor mode was intense. I managed it with a few seconds left on the clock. Didn't bother in earnest with Tofu survivor.
Highlight: the alligator scene
Lowlight: needed a dodge mechanic for some encounters imo
5. Zone of Enders (PS3) | 11th Feb - 4.5hrs | 2/5
Not so great. The basic movement system on it's own should be more gratifying but the combat devolves into spamming dodges and combos in a way that just leaves me both bored and frustrated. Voice-acting was baaad, the story was mawkish and the final boss just beats you, the end.
Highlight: mecha codpiece cockpits
Lowlight: rescue missions
6. Zone of Enders 2 (PS3) | 24th Feb - 9.5hrs | 4/5
An incredible step-up from ZOE. They added so much depth to the combat with directional knock-backs, collision damage, grabbing, throwing, blocking, shield-breaking and sub-weapons being differentiated by situational utility. They also give you a bunch of different scenarios that force you to engage with this depth. The story also sees a huge step up with hand-drawn cutscenes, intrigue and a sense of personal investment and jeopardy. The bosses were pretty hardcore too.
Highlight: zero-shift
Lowlight: fighting Clods (god damn their suction attack)
7. Cuphead (PC) | 24th Feb - 13hrs | 5/5
A great slam and then some! Given Cuphead's reputation for its difficulty, we were expecting this to be a bad pick for a co-op game. We could not have been more wrong. It's basically flawless with a unique aesthetic, immaculate presentation, catchy tunes and hard but fair gameplay that also happened to be perfectly tuned for cooperative play.
Highlight: Dice King's roulette
Lowlight: letting loose a super in the wrong direction
8. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (Switch) | 28th Feb - 40hrs | 5/5
The traditional side-scrolling platformer isn't dead after all. Virtually every level experimented with a different mechanic and felt finely tuned. The key temples were a particularly good challenge. I finished all the stages on hard for the 200%, I couldn't muster the skill to beat the time trials. My only real complaint is that some of the music is quite average.
Highlight: 2.5D barrel rocket levels
Lowlight: some misleading hitboxes
9. Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) | 7th Apr - 14.5hrs | 4/5
This game has a lot of personality. The banter is charmingly goofy and the story went places I was NOT expecting. I liked the little throwbacks to the original Kid Icarus and the 4th wall breaking moments. Somewhere underneath there is a really well designed game here, the problem is that it demands a level of mechanical finesse that the 3DS controls don't allow. A real shame because this is a game that I wanted to like more.
Highlight: mournful spanish guitar dog level
Lowlight: aching hands
10. Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) | 22th Apr - 13hrs | 3/5
Zelda by numbers. Maybe I shouldn't have marathoned this on a pair of plane-rides but I wasn't really feeling it. It felt derivative of Link to the Past and characters like Ravio and Princess Hilda, for me, sum up the slightly awkward and uninspired creative direction. Having item progression more open was okay.
Highlight: the dungeons
Lowlight: the overworld
11. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PC) | 14th May - 70hrs | 5/5
My personal GOTY so far. I had to put DMC5 down for this on release and I'd only have done that for From. They did not disappoint. The combat is visceral and fluid. Every fight is vicious and desperate. The sensation of clashing swords. Hurling yourself between rooftops with the prosthetic arm. It all feels so good. The premise is original and well executed. I wasn't enamoured by the vertical level-design's impact on exploration but I did love the mobility it provided. I think the writing is underrated. They've made use of more explicit story-telling this time to flesh out a range of interesting character motivations. I had a two week holiday to Japan in the middle of my first playthrough and I think that trip enriched the experience of Sekiro with a better understanding of the history, architecture and buddhist themes that influenced the game.
I'm saddened to see so much criticism directed at Sekiro for not including rpg mechanics from the Souls series like build and equipment variety. I feel that their focus has allowed them to create something original and refined. And, ultimately, I'm glad that they're a studio that feels that they can innovate. My two main criticism are that I would have liked for the prosthetics to have provided more essential utility in combat and I'm pretty sure that the Shadowfall ability trivialises the difficulty. I played through it four times for all the achievements.
Highlight: taking down Owl first try with one last desperate attack
Lowlight: skill point grinding for the achievement
12. Final Fantasy V (GBA) | 4th May - 42hrs | 4/5
This surely has to be most strategically involved game in the mainline Final Fantasy series. It has bosses that are vulnerable to status effects for christ's sake. What a trip. Actually kind of a drag until you unlock enough classes to really start customising your party. Hits its stride in the endgame with a series of fun, gimmick laden dungeons where your hand-crafted death squad can dual-cast and dual-wield its way through random encounters like a runaway combine harvester. Story is noticeably more tongue-in-cheek than its predecessor and arguably a little weak.
Highlight: building the ultimate team
Lowlight: high random encounter rate and low stealing chances
13. Castlevania (NES) | 8th May - 3.5hrs | 4/5
Too hard. I cheated with restore points before Death and Dracula. This retro platformer's action is chunky and precise but not always what I'd consider fair. Such a good premise for a game though, it's easy to see why it's been an enduring IP.
Highlight: that stage 1 music
Lowlight: flea-men
Steamworld Dig is addictive. But addictive in a benign, relaxing way. Coming off some of the harder games I've been playing this year, this was a refreshing draught of gem-collecting, town-building goodness.
Highlight: Those sweet digging sfx
Lowlight: Dropping a rock on your hard-earned gems
Steamworld Dig 2 certainly amped things up. Improved visuals, better music, more organic map, richer upgrade mechanics, challenges, collectables. The Metroidvania format can really add a lot when it allows the player to explore and choose what order to tackle goals. Some areas had particularly cool atmosphere. I wouldn't say it's a patch on Hollow Knight, but it was certainly one of those games that you just kept wanting to play a little more. Just to find out what's in the next area, to scour for some remaining resources or gather enough cash for an upgrade. Seriously addicting, but like Steamworld Dig 1, in a good way.
Highlight: Vectron
Lowlight: Dropping a rock on your own dumb self
16. Portal 2 Coop (PC) | 29th June - 9hrs | 4/5
My second time round on the coop. Still enjoyable to muddle through with a friend or loved one. The writing unfortunately takes a hit from the singleplayer. To be honest though, you don't miss it as much when you're playing with someone else.
Highlight: Momentum based puzzles. WEEEEE!
Lowlight: Relying on your partner to reverse the stream carrying you inexorably towards your imminent death
17. Hamtaro: Ham Ham Heartbreak (GBA) | 20th July - 10hrs | 3/5
Super cute. Can't lie. This is basically one long set of fetch quests where you acquire either an item or a ham-chat to progress the events of the game. Each ham-chat comes with it's own adorable animation that you perform in tandem with your hamster girlfriend and partner in crime. The actual gameplay kind of drags but I was suckered in by the mission of saving all the sad little hamster broken hearts. Guess I'm just soft.
Highlight: 100+ unique hamster animations
Lowlight: Those animations are unskippable and will play every time you do ANYTHING
18. Overcooked 2 (PC) | 3rd August - 30hrs | 5/5
We loved Overcooked and Overcooked 2 (and its DLCs) was simply more and better. The insane premises for where you could put a kitchen, the unrelenting pressure and the sheer chaos constantly push you just passed the brink of control. And the only thing that can save you is crystal clear communication and wordless delegation. Good luck with that. Btw, what's the deal with those map switches?
Highlight: Chefing up a gorillion dishes before the counter starts in order to brute force your way to 4 stars
Lowlight: Any Kevin level
19. The Witness (PC) | 11th August - 18hrs | 4/5
Playing this made me respect how difficult it must be to tune the difficulty of a puzzle game. In my opinion, The Witness pitches it just right. It's also admirable how many variations they were able to devise of essentially the same line drawing puzzle. We coop'd this as a problem solving duo, and for a single player game this actually worked excellently - which I think is down to the generally static perspective. We particularly liked the more meta solutions that had you combine the puzzle with the environment. The dialogue was awful though. Quoting irrelevant passages about surfing electrons because it makes your game sound smarter is the very definition of pretension.
Highlight: No spoilers but there were some serious eureka moments from environmental clues
Lowlight: That puzzle that you have to solve in a way that also satisfies the previous 1-5 puzzles in that bunch
20. The Return of Obra Dinn (PC) | 21st August - 8hrs | 5/5
Utterly unique. Uniquely engrossing. It's not something you can really speak to much without spoiling the premise. But I will say that the Mary Celeste-esque setting is not something I realised that I wanted so badly. We played this as a coop team as well. The amount of subjective deduction required made for some interesting discussion.
Highlight: When that there mystery solving music kicks in
Lowlight: The ending didn't add much to the experience
21. Devil May Cry 5 (PC) | 21st August - 153hrs | 5/5
Holy moley, just look at that game time. 153 hours and I still want more. I got the last achievement and called it quits for now; have to make room for some other software this year. I've been on-and-off this since release, picking up Sekiro and a few coop titles inbetween but, oh man, is this the greatest character action game or what?
Nero is just next-level compared to his initial DMC4 incarnation. Devil Breakers add a much-needed element of chaos to Nero's previously restricted repertoire. And it gels so well with his aggressive playstyle. I love what they've done with his whole character actually. His cocksure attitude, delicate pride and youthful aggression really come through but then he's also the most sensible of the bunch, playing the straight guy to Nico, Dante and V.
Dante is fundamentally the same old Dante, with the freely switching styles retained from DMC4. However, every one of the 4 main weapons is deceptively packing variety and their own distinct flavour. Alternating modes for Balrog, charging attacks with Cerberus, timing gear shifts with Cavalier and a different goddamn Summoned Sword formation for every single style and weapon variation. It's almost too much. That's not even mentioning the two separate Devil Trigger forms. Faust is basically another weapon as well. Speaking of Faust, I didn't use it much until I had to. And sometimes you really had to abuse the Faust cheese to get an S rank (Mission 10, 12 and 18 come to mind). Not sure how I feel about that, the scoring system is just a little wonky in places. Dante is too-cool-for-school as ever, although his pre-time skip hair sucks.
V is an interesting new addition. Undeniably simple but still pretty badass. Overall, I really appreciate the novelty of an action game with a summoner playstyle. Plus, quoting William Blake while delivering the killing blow to a boss is just the hypest shit. I got an S rank on Mission 14 thanks to V's Gene Kelly impression while Nightmare orbital lasered phantom Cavalier. Such a lovable edgelord.
I admit, it took a long while to make sense of the various combat systems. It was probably a few dozen hours in before things properly clicked - I had to take the time to learn enemy strategies in the Void after bouncing off of Bloody Palace pretty hard. There's just a lot to learn, especially with 3 playable characters. What's great though, is by 150 hours, I felt like I was still learning new things, or at the very least, still improving. In ways, the game didn't really start until having to S rank missions. Which I think is partly a failure of the difficulty system. Basically, before learning a boss's attack patterns you'll inevitably brute force the encounter with Gold Orbs - cheapening it somewhat. The revive system in general is overcomplicated, cheap and has too many sub-menus. Still, like I said, the real challenge is S ranking. Dante Must Die and Hell and Hell difficulties both forced me to adopt different strategies to prevail. Coming back to the Bloody Palace was pretty cool after gaining a lot of experience.
In conclusion, I love this game. It is the standout title for me this year so far. I love the feel of playing it, I love the dialogue, I love Nico and Nero's dynamic, I love the music, I love the RE Engine visuals and I love what a love-letter it is to the fans. Now I just want more content.
Highlight: "The cut worm forgives the plow. What do you say?"
Lowlight: Mission 18 - Godspeed little chicken, it has not been a blast.
22. Doom (2016) (PC) | 29th August - 13hrs | 4/5
Brutal. Manic. Heavy metal. Doom (2016) is a fun Doom-like. Guns can feel a bit lacking in meatiness. Super shotgun is my favourite of the lot. I liked the mix of secret-hunting on sprawling levels, weapon customisation and rune challenges in between frantic combat sections. Samuel Hayden and VEGA's post-production voice-treatment is tasty.
23. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia (3DS) | 12th September - 60hrs | 5/5
Echoes is only the second Fire Emblem game I've played after FE7 on the GBA and I saw much of what I enjoyed return in this title. Presentation-wise, this game is flawless. It has a gorgeous art-style, a lovely soundtrack and fully voice-acted dialogue dialogue between a likeable set of characters (except for maybe Faye). Honestly, I enjoyed a whole bunch of characters in this game. The main narrative is pretty strong too. I promoted my Kliff into a Dread Fighter and he became a dextrous juggernaut that could steamroll maps solo - good stuff. The gameplay was more chunky srpg goodness that I think people expect from the series. One change I appreciate is that promotion stat boosts now work in a way that doesn't favour delaying your promotions for optimal stat growth. I also really liked the shift away from always being shuttled into the next mission to having an overworld map and being able to explore areas on foot. I've seen some criticism of the map design. That might be fair, although on the flipside I think it emphasises flanking and positioning.
Highlight:
The triumphant final mission with the combined squads from both paths
I remember this being something of a tech demo in the early days of the Gamecube, although I hadn't played it until now. It still looks great in 4K even today thanks to impressive dynamic lighting, particle effects, transparency and reflections. We took turns playing this and it's quite a fun game to backseat drive in thanks to the focus on explorative play that so many Nintendo games have. The Poltergust controls are finnicky at times which can make some encounters frustrating. Overall, an amusing little game with light spooky dressing.
I played a bit of Castlevania II and decided to skip straight to this one. This is much more like it. More white-knuckle action-platforming with a banging chiptune soundtrack. I cheated a little with save-states, making my own checkpoints at bosses. I made sure to see the stages in all three routes, although I didn't finish all three runs (some stages are punishingly hard). I think part of the secret sauce of these games is how the enemy response that triggers due to player proximity is unpredictable. This means you can't know in advance what exact sequence of inputs you'll need when an enemy appears on the screen. It instead forces you to play defensively and be reactive. However, this can result in some obtuse and overly-specific enemy strategies, in my opinion.
Highlight: Discovering a precious wall-turkey on low health
Lowlight: Doppleganger
Seeing as everyone was getting into the Switch remake I figured I'd revisit this classic myself. A replay, although the first time I've played the glorious technocolour DX version on the GBC. The mix of overworld adenturing and underworld dungeons is a sturdy combination. I believe this is the first Zelda title to introduce a surreal comedic tone due to the influence of David Lynch's contemporaneous tv show, Twin Peaks, on the director Takashi Tezuka . This remains a strange and beautiful little game although I think some of the nostalgic glamour has worn off by returning to this game. I'd forgotten how obscure some of the ways in which you progress the main narrative are. You have to push the flying rooster statue from the front side you imbecile, you fucking moron.
Highlight: Crushing sub-bosses with bomb-arrows
Lowlight: Wow! This looks pretty heavy! You won't be able to lift it with just your bare hands...
27. Forza Horizon 4 (PC) | 26th September - 4hrs | 2/5
I'm not sure I get Forza Horizon. I'm willing to admit that it might be an issue with me not engaging with the customisation and online elements enough but I came away feeling that the progression system is just sorely lacking. I finished the prologue and appeared to be locked out of most events until I'd grinded enough in-game currency to buy whatever vehicle is required to participate. I tried out some cooperative online events that we failed and some competitive events that left me waiting for other players until I lost interest. It's very pretty and it's fun to drive. Not interesting enough for me to stick around though.
Highlight: Stunt series
Lowlight: Online matchmaking
28. Gears 5 (PC) | 28th September - 11hrs | 4/5
We played the campaign in splitscreen mode. I haven't played a Gears game since the second one and, gunplay-wise, it feels like a "if it ain't broke" situation. The switch to semi-open level design is nice though and we enjoyed hunting down components. The writing is typical MCU runoff. The 180 they pulled on Fahz's characterisation was just ridiculous - going from gloating about war crimes to chumming it up with the Cog pals in between acts. Anyway, it's not like we've ever played Gears of War for it's introspective deconstruction of jingoism in the military. We play it because it has chainsaw bayonets. BRREEEEEEOOOOOWWWW.
I'd been looking forward to checking out Hellblade for a while and was not dissappointed. It's an evocative and original tale with unique subject matter and presentation. But it also has a solid game underneath it. Each area varies it up with its own gimmick and the combat is simple but effective. What's particularly impressive, however, is how the narrative ties excellently into the experience, providing strong pacing and underpinning significant moments. The constant intrusive thoughts give Hellblade the oddly pleasant feel of an amature dramatic production. One place in which it really fell down for me was at the end when
they end on a rather pretentious monologue and then lead into a credit sequence with an unbearably overwrought song with conspicuously out-of-place instrumentation given the setting
But I try not to judge the whole experience by this mistep.
Highlight: Running through the shadows in Helheim
Lowlight: Again, that credits song. WHAT were they thinking?
Bloodlines is pretty cool. It feels a bit more like a beat-em-up than a Classicvania though. I picked the spear user, Eric Lecarde, which may have trivialised parts of the game with his reach, mobility and invulnerability frames. This is the last major Classicvania game I had left to play and my verdict is Rondo of Blood is the best, followed by Dracula's Curse, Castlevania I, Bloodlines, IV and II - in that order.
Highlight: Gatling Knight
Lowlight: Elizabeth Bartley - too long and easy
31. Thunder Force IV (Mega Drive) | 7th October - 1.5hrs | 2/5
Looks and sounds great. The vertically scrolling parallex is really neat. I found the challenge over-reliant on hazards appearing suddenly from off-screen and instantly killing me though. I beat it with infinite lives turned on. Perhaps I robbed myself of the experience of overcoming the challenge but I wasn't really feeling like dedicating the time to this one.
32. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC) | 3rd November - 85hrs | 5/5
A replay now that I have the dlc - but first playthrough on PC (at 120hz ultrawide no less). This is a game that really shines with high specs - I felt like I could pause almost anywhere for a gorgeous vista. And some moments were really undermined by the framerate when playing on a base PS4. This is also the first time playing a Witcher game since reading all the books.
I'm glad to find this game as good as I remember. I made better use of bombs and potions this time around and, you know, the combat, while nothing special, is basically fine. The real draw for me is how the open-world plays into the sense of being "on the path". When you're strolling from town to town, collecting contracts and getting into all manner of scrapes, this game is immersive like a warm bath. The main and optional narratives are all of such high quality that the whole thing blends into an epic and engrossing chronicle. And it has range - the emotional moments are hit home by understated writing yet it is also regularly laugh-out-loud funny. Geralt's gravelly tones and cynical sanctimony are an enticing vehicle through which to explore this world. And only by bringing this personality and sense of history to the player does it enrich the relationships between some characters and contextualise the tensions with others. I think my favourite section of this game is the time spent in the city of Novigrad. When you consider the diversity of characters that we come into contact with within just a few dozen hours of exploring this city you just have to respect how richly well-realised this in-game world is.
It has its flaws though. The menus are messy, even after improvements. The equipment system is made redundant by Witcher gear. The combat is trivialised by character progression. The over-reliance on witcher senses can make the quests feel same-y. None of this is deal-breaking. Team Yennifer 4 lyfe.
Highlight: Summon the bitches!
Lowlight: Falling to your death from a 4 metre height.
33. The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone (PC) | 5th November - 10hrs | 5/5
First time playing the DLC so I didn't really know what to expect. Turns out it's roughly 10 hours of fast-paced, premium-quality main quest. It's difficult to choose a favourite part to be honest. O'Dimm and Olgierd have so much screen presence that when they're both on-screen I start feeling sorry for Geralt.
Highlight: Dead Man's Party
Lowlight: Giving the Runewright all that money only to discover enchanting sucks
34. The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine (PC) | 17th November - 20hrs | 5/5
A whole new region and a vampire themed main narrative, I feel spoiled. I was keen to visit this "fairytale duchy" after it's description in the books. CD Project Red really stepped the environmental design up in Toussaint, particularly with Beauclair's strata of hodgepodge cobbled slums, Mediterranean piazzas, mercantile streets, opulant townhouses and imperious regal architecture. The focus on the companionship between Geralt and an old friend really gave this expansion a different flavour. I liked the base-building element that Corvo Bianco introduced. I just considered it an excuse to dump some coin until the story wrapped up and was surprised to see it take on some emotional significance. Definitely one of those times when you feel sad to be leaving a fictional universe behind for a time.
Highlight: The Warble of a Smitten Knight
Lowlight: IF MY LIPS DON'T STINK OF WINE, MY WIFE WON'T KNOW THEY'RE MINE
A replay for me. It's still perfect. Plenty of good tracks. The whole package is immensely charming with the Charlie's Angels / Men In Black vibe. The shift in tone for "You're the inspiration" is surprisingly well-handled and gut wrenching every time. This game has heart!
Highlight: EBA! EBA! EBA!
Lowlight: Missing notes trying to watch the animations
36. Pokémon Sword (Switch) | 2nd December - 35hrs | 3/5
This is my first Pokémon game since losing interest in the series at Ruby / Sapphire. Clearly things haven't changed much. Game Freak took a trepidatious foray into (slightly) open areas with Sword / Shield yet they still hold on to routes as if they're some treasured part of the Pokémon legacy. The battle system is okay although there's so many types now that it's difficult to maintain a party with all the necessary attributes. I'm not a big fan of the party XP sharing because you can end up barely using a Pokémon despite it being in your party for dozens of hours.
Things I like: I still like collecting Pokémon, I like some of the new Pokémon designs, evolving is always exciting when you don't know what you're going to get. But, as an rpg, it's all just so safe and corny and sterile and dull. Game Freak are just not an ambitious studio.
Highlight: That gym battle climax music
Lowlight: Sobble's final evolution
37. Thumper (PC) | 14th December - 5hrs | 5/5
Rhythm violence isn't quite how I'd describe it but there's something in that description. Thumper is a visceral thing. At times, the tempo of hazards increases beyond what you'd think yourself capable of handling and yet you just do it. The flow is euphoric. Strangely enough, it turns out that, unlike most action games, I'm totally capable of holding a full conversation while smashing Thumper.
Highlight: Getting swallowed
Lowlight: Missing a checkpoint note
38. Gone Home (PC) | 21st December - 1.5hrs | 4/5
Gone Home got me thinking about how powerless you can feel as a teenager. It can be a struggle trying to find an identity, and a struggle trying to feel like you have permission to own it. So often it seems, the people that should care about you most are unable or unwilling to help. There's this approaching event horizon of graduation and all you know is that the diaspora that follows is going to hit your life like a hard reset switch. It's a scary time and Gone Home captures some of that. It invokes a lot of strong moods in its small playtime. It's spooky, angsty, nostalgic and romantic. A perfect 90's pastiche.
We played this as Amara (siren) and FL4K (beastmaster). My Amara went the whole hog on melee. I actually ended up missing firearms a little. There's some meaty guns. However, the manufacturer gimmicks have the counter-intuitive effect of reducing useful loot pools and there are too many elemental types to have a single loadout for all situations. Doesn't help that drop rates seems pretty stingy.
The writing is about on-par with the Pre-Sequel, so flat-lining the quality graph. Only this time there's not Handsome Jack's VA performance to salvage it. Some seriously atrocious technical performance and laden with UI bugs on splitscreen. It's still the king of local coop arpg's but there's unfortunately few vying for that crown.
Highlight: Popping the tank on one of those Big Daddy enemies
Lowlight: The 6 lines of dialogue from Tyreen Calypso that randomly play every 30s through your entire playthrough
40. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC) | 21st December - 3hrs | 2/5
Plot was some half-arsed supernatural horror with an equally weak "it was all a dream" ending. Piecing together the murder scenes could have been an interesting mechanic but, beyond the initial investigation - they were relatively brainless. Ultimately, it's difficult to feel engaged with something that demands so little of your attention.
41. Titanfall 2 (PC) | 22nd December - 4hrs | 5/5
The internet didn't lie. This was a damn fine campaign. I love the dynamic between the on-foot and mech sections. On your lone-some, the movement options are liberating but you yourself are vulnerable. With BT, you're a juggernaut. Design-wise, this is just such a videogamey game in the best way possible. They built up a cast of antagonists which served as bosses for the various missions. Each mission had its own spin (it reminds me of Half Life 2 in that respect). The difficulty is tuned really, really well for a single player fps.
Highlight: The urban assembly line
Lowlight: Did Respawn steal that ending from Big Hero 6?
42. Minit (PC) | 22nd December - 1.5hrs | 4/5
Fun and silly. I liked the minimalist parody / homage to classic 2D Zelda games. Feels a bit odd to say but, despite being the central premise to this game, the 60 second time limit might have been unnecessary. It added a little tension when trying to get a task finished but no real jeopardy.
Highlight: That one screen with the submersible
Lowlight: That slow talking old guy
43. Super Hot (PC) | 22nd December - 2.5hrs | 4/5
Super Hot. Super Hot. Super Hot.
Highlight: Super Hot
Lowlight: Super Hot
A very neat idea wrapped in a William Gibson shaped package. The action and puzzle solving elements seem slightly at odds with one another but it didn't overstay its welcome.
44. Sin & Punishment (N64) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 4/5
I remember N64 magazine raving about an import version they had of Sin & Punishment in like 2000. I've finally got around to it and, yeah, it's a really good schmup. Also, they did the opening level from Bayonetta 2 before Bayonetta did it.
Highlight: The missile defense boss
Lowlight: I have no idea what's happening
45. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA) | 23rd December - 45hrs | 4/5
These Gameboy Advance Fire Emblem games are great. Beautiful pixel animations, grounded story and crunchy mechanics. Sacred Stones is a touch on the easy side. Although that might be because I arena abused Tana, Ross and Joshua into 3 out of 4 of the horsemen of the apocalypse. Ephraim just walked into that last slot without any real effort. It got to the point where I could just wade any of those units into the enemy forces and have my opponents break against them like waves upon the shore. FE games never fail to hold my attention though thanks to a great gameplay loop. I might check out Path of Radiance next.
Highlight: Ross's insane gains
Lowlight: Cormag dying to a swordmaster critical after hours spent arena training.
46. Metal Slug (PC) | 23rd December - 1hrs | 3/5
Played 2 player coop. Insane detail on the animations. But also insane cheapness from enemies. Thank god for infinite credits.
47. Virginia (PC) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 2/5
There was some bold visuals in places but overall I really don't think Virginia delivered. Some initial threads were established to whet our appetite but it ultimately just degenerates into some wannabe Mulholland Drive montage. Unfortunately, the result is just hackneyed and unaffecting. The combination of zero dialogue with unexpressive marionette characters was ill-advised. The shot transitions were often ham-fisted.
48. Monument Valley (Android) | 25th December - 1hrs | 2/5
More of a toy than a puzzle game. It excites some curiosity when sliding and spinning the Escher-esque non-Euclidian geometries. But it's entirely devoid of the "aha" moments that let you feel some accomplishment.
49. Tacoma (PC) | 29th December - 3hrs | 4/5
I didn't really know what to expect going in but I was hooked. On first impressions it seems like a setup for a murder mystery but instead it focuses on characters as they deal with a crisis. They're likeable characters and I was invested in their survival. Didn't see the ending coming and it was adroitly done.
50. Monument Valley 2 (Android) | 30th December - 1hrs | 3/5
Same pros and cons as the first one. I felt slightly more involved as the player this time and more was made of the plot. Enjoyable.
51. Metal Slug 2 (PC) | 30th December - 1hrs | 4/5
Wow, these games are full on. Mummies, mutants and aliums outta nowhere. Played this one 2 player as well.
52. Metal Slug 3 (PC) | 30th December - 1hrs | 4/5
This one is seriously off the wall. Giant crabs, man-eating plants, infectious zombies, War of the Worlds walkers and clones. Loved the destitute Japanese army division with jury-rigged tanks being walked around like pantomime horses and fighter planes on wires.
1. Dark Souls (PC) | 6th Jan - 18hrs | 5/5
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country (Switch) | 14th Jan - 17hrs | 3/5
3. Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Switch) | 27th Jan - 45 | 4/5
4. REmake 2 (PC) | 7th Feb - 17hrs | 4/5
5. Zone of Enders (PS3) | 11th Feb - 4.5hrs | 2/5
6. Zone of Enders 2 (PS3) | 24th Feb - 9.5hrs | 4/5
7. Cuphead (PC) | 24th Feb - 13hrs | 5/5
8. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (Switch) | 28th Feb - 40hrs | 5/5
9. Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) | 7th Apr - 14.5hrs | 4/5
10. Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) | 22th Apr - 13hrs | 3/5
11. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PC) | 14th May - 70hrs | 5/5
12. Final Fantasy V (GBA) | 4th June - 42hrs | 4/5
13. Castlevania (NES) | 8th June - 3.5hrs | 4/5
14. Steamworld Dig (Switch) | 17th June - 6hrs | 4/5
15. Steamworld Dig 2 (Switch) | 25th June - 9hrs | 5/5
16. Portal 2 (PC) | 29th June - 9hrs | 4/5
17. Hamtaro: Ham Ham Heartbreak (GBA) | 20th July - 10hrs | 3/5
18. Overcooked 2 (PC) | 3rd August - 30hrs | 5/5
19. The Witness (PC) | 11th August - 18hrs | 4/5
20. The Return of Obra Dinn (PC) | 21st August - 8hrs | 5/5
21. Devil May Cry 5 (PC) | 21st August - 153hrs | 5/5
22. Doom (PC) | 29th August - 13hrs | 4/5
23. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia (3DS) | 12th September - 60hrs | 5/5
24. Luigi's Mansion (Dolphin) | 18th September - 6hrs | 4/5
25. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES) | 19th September - 10hrs | 4/5
26. Zelda: Links Awakening DX (GBC) | 21st September - 12hrs | 4/5
27. Forza Horizon 4 (PC) | 26th September - 4hrs | 2/5
28. Gears 5 (PC) | 28th September - 11hrs | 4/5
29. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PC) | 29th September - 9hrs | 5/5
30. Castlevania: Bloodlines (Mega Drive) | 6th October - 3.5hrs | 3/5
31. Thunder Force IV (Mega Drive) | 7th October - 1.5hrs | 2/5
32. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC) | 3rd November - 85hrs | 5/5
33. The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone (PC) | 5th November - 10hrs | 5/5
34. The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine (PC) | 17th November - 20hrs | 5/5
35. Elite Beat Agents (NDS) | 18th November - 4hrs | 5/5
36. Pokémon Sword (Switch) | 2nd December - 35hrs | 3/5
37. Thumper (PC) | 14th December - 5hrs | 5/5
38. Gone Home (PC) | 21st December - 1.5hrs | 4/5
39. Borderlands 3 (PS4) | 21st December - 40hrs | 3/5
40. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC) | 21st December - 3hrs | 3/5
41. Titanfall 2 (PC) | 22nd December - 4hrs | 5/5
42. Minit (PC) | 22nd December - 1.5hrs | 4/5
43. Super Hot (PC) | 22nd December - 2.5hrs | 4/5
44. Sin & Punishment (N64) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 4/5
45. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA) | 23rd December - 45hrs | 4/5
46. Metal Slug (PC) | 23rd December - 1hrs | 3/5
47. Virginia (PC) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 2/5
48. Monument Valley (Android) | 25th December - 1hrs | 2/5
49. Tacoma (PC) | 29th December - 3hrs | 4/5
50. Monument Valley 2 (Android) | 30th December - 1hrs | 3/5
51. Metal Slug 2 (PC) | 30th December - 1hrs | 3/5
52. Metal Slug 3 (PC) | 30th December - 1hrs | 4/5
I like the game but when I actually finished it there was a thunderous cloud of "that's it?" hanging over my head. The game is very amateurish in the sense that it's absolutely made by artists foremost, who ran headlong in with character concepts and a story to tell and didn't let themselves get held back. Unfortunately that also means the game has a lot of rough edges and ends before it really even gets started without exploring the interesting setting it presents us with. It's absolutely begging for a sequel.
As much as I liked it, I don't know if the bite sized chunk of game you get for your money (it cost me $20 Canadian) is worth it until we know what comes next. If you catch it on sale I'd give it a shot though, the actual gameplay is tons of fun and you're bound to find at least one cast member you fall in love with (mine was Horace, the giant goat skull guy).
Games beat in April:
1. Ninja Gaiden (NSO on Switch) | 2nd April - 6 hrs | 4/5
2. Breath of the Wild (Switch) | 11th April - 60 hrs | 4/5
3. Kirby's Adventure (NSO on Switch) | April 20th - 4 hrs | 3/5
4. Cuphead (Switch) | April 30th - 20 hrs | 5/5
Progress so far:
January - 5 games
February - 1 game
March - 2 games
April - 4 games
Thoughts on April
1. Ninja Gaiden - Yeah, this game was hard. Like, in all the ways that make me hate most NES era games. Cheap enemy placement, respawning enemies if you so much as sneeze in the wrong direction, the bullet hell that is level 6-2, etc. I wasn't really interested in touching a game billed as "Nintendo hard". Had I not known nothing about this game before going in other than people wanting Hayabusa for Smash, and had I not been bored while backstage at a play I was acting in and randomly clicked a game in the NSO app, I probably wouldn't have played this, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. Controls were MUCH tighter than I expected, the gameplay itself was fun (I LOVED that you could wall jump, it sold the Ninja element and attacking felt good) and it had a lot of care put into its presentation. Also, I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I played with save states and it made the game feel SO much more forgiving. I only used it to speed up how long it took me to get back to the start of the level and, admittedly, to just start from whatever level I was on instead of going all the way back to the start of a chapter. Being able to set my own difficulty like that made the game SO much more enjoyable than had I played it on the original hardware. I liked it a lot, 4/5.
2. Breath of the Wild - It took me about a year of on and off playing but I finally beat a 3D Zelda. I really liked this game, even if after the first 15-20 hours or so, I never felt overly compelled to keep playing for more than a few hours before switching back to another game. I think some of the initial magic of discovering things on my own wore off on me once I figured out how the game worked. It's still a great game, but certain activities and locals do tend to feel repetitive (oh hey, another stable in a green part of the map. Neat.). I finally got my drive back once I tackled the Yiga clan hideout (I HATE Zelda forced stealth sections, but I think this one worked alright since it at least presented the option to fight back, even if you'll probably die) and finished the last two divine beasts. And man, that ending sequence. The ending itself wasn't too bad, I expected a lamer ending cutscene than what we got. But that siege on Hyrule castle, man. Taking down guardians with one or two arrows, using Revali's gale to scale the towers while that music plays, falling into the room with Lynel and then nope-ing out of there because I came to fight Ganon and I'm not risking death-by-Lynel today. The best part: I found Ganon pretty easily and completely by accident, after expecting it to take a while to get to him because my friends told me that's what happened to them. The fight itself was great and appropriately epic. Basically, the ending for me was a microcosm of what I loved about the beginning of the game, but on a bigger scale, exactly how a final boss should be. Good game, 4/5.
3. Kirby's Adventure - After a hard game and a long game, I wanted something to beat in an afternoon, and after really enjoying Crystal Shards, I thought I'd give Kirby's NES game a go. Honestly, it was ok. There was a lot of neat little details in its presentation, and for an NES game, it looked really good. Maybe a little too good. The game's performance was... uh... well, there was a LOT of slowdown, and apparently it's not from NSO emulation, the game was just like that on the NES. I wasn't expecting it. He also felt a little stiff to control. Otherwise, the game was fine, it was fun. I'm probably never going to play it again but it didn't sour me on the idea of playing another Kirby game again (like the Star Allies demo almost did a while back....). I'd say it wasn't a bad time, just kind of forgettable for me personally. 3/5
4. Cuphead - Oh man, I really didn't expect to love this game as much as I did. The artstyle and music drew me in, the aesthetic is top notch, I don't even need to go into that. I did see a few reviews and comments from people that the game was usually "tough but fair" but once you get to the second half it switches to unfair territory. I kept expecting that moment to come but... it never did. I mean I did get frustrated at some bosses (hey, Dr. Kahl's Robot and bee woman) but it never got into unbridled rage territory. Even the bullet-hell sequences felt manageable, even if I'll admit, Enter the Gungeon probably helped prep me for those. Cuphead controls really well, so it always felt like I made the wrong move rather than the game threw me a problem. I'd say the only "unfair" part of the game were some of the minibosses in the King Dice fight, but the game mitigated that by giving me a means to bypass those fights if my timing is right with the dice. I think what put this game over into "hell yeah" territory was that none of the bosses overstayed their welcome. Battles were only 2-3 minutes long (god I loved that aspect, it made finally taking one of them down feel fantastic) , and since I was playing on the Switch, I feel like the more concentrated view of the small screen made seeing what was coming at me much easier than had I played on a TV. I just really liked this game man, I can't wait for the DLC. 5/5.
I'm keeping up these only one game weeks or the "I managed to squeeze another in at the end" weeks now. I guess it's okay. :)
49. Cloud Chasers - Journey of Hope (PC) | 6th Jun - 10hrs | 3/5
I bought this without reading almost anything about it just because it was a sort of prequel to the third game I beat this year, AIRHEART (which I loved). The linear journey through the desert is very slow and I would have liked the walking speed to be a bit faster, but it works. Though the journey there are interactable places that appear in the world. Here is where the game becomes what someone described as "choose your own misfortune", which is a very apt name. What will happen when you interact with that truck over there? Sometimes it's empty, sometimes (rarely) it has friendlies who will give you important items and sometimes the people in the truck will shoot at you. Do you take the chance? In most scenarios you also get a choice of what to do. Do you take the risk of making your presence known to the people over there or do you try to sneak past them? It's all about choices to make sure you get to the next city with as much water, health and items as possible. Water is both needed to survive and a currency in the cities. Since it no longer rains in the Below because the evil machines are sucking up all the water before it has a chance to fall down, you have to do the same. Whenever you reach a cloud you can start a little minigame in which Amelia is riding the glider. There is a rain catcher attached to it and the goal is to scoop up as many clouds as possible before the machines shoot her down or collect all the clouds themselves. What I liked most about the game is that if you manage to reach the end of the game, it's still not a given that you will win. The whole journey is important and what has happened on the way decides what happens when you get to the last city. I got so see quite a few endings since I played it more times than I cared to count. Sadly that also means I noticed that there isn't any randomness in the choices you make. If you encounter Scenario A then it will always play out in the same way if you pick the same choice. Had this been randomized just a little so that you cannot learn the best path through all scenarios the game would have been better. It was still a nice experience that holds up really well through a whole bunch of playthroughs. I really liked the stories it told.
50. ISLANDERS (PC) | 9th Jun - 9hrs | 4/5
I noticed this game when it released and almost bought it right then and there. It just looked so relaxing and beautiful. But I didn't get it, thinking about all the other games I already had and wanted to play too. A friend found the game the other day, and he loved it so much that he proceeded to gift it to everyone in his friendslist that had it wishlisted! I booted it up immediately and had such a good time. The RNG can be a little frustrating at times which is why I can't give it a 5, but it's still a very valuable game for my stressed mind. The idea is to build the best islands you can from a small set of buildings at a time, and very (!) little space. You get or lose points for placing the buildings depending on what they want and do not want to be close to, so you have to puzzle your way through it all to get the points required for the next set of buildings. If you do not reach the threshold it's game over and you start from scratch again. If it goes well you eventually get the ability to continue to another empty island to build on, but you keep your score and continue to raise it higher. There is a leaderboard (I ended up on rank 4675 in the end), but there is no time limit or any kind of stress involved at all. A very good little game, and it's super cheap too!
Now this is more like it. Reach feels like a return to form, after the disappointing 3 and the weird duck ODST. The weapons feel good, the new powers give the player some new things to play with during battles, and the level design approach has more in common with the first two games, which is ok in my book. As for the story, it's Rogue One but good. And more touching. I'll be honest here, i got kinda teary eyed a bit. Which is something i wasn't expecting from a Halo game, at all. Probably my favourite after 2. And with this, i'm finished with Bungie's Halo games. Let's see what 343 brings to the table.
36. Operencia: The Stolen Sun - 30h - 04.06
Operencia is a modern interpretation of old school PC dungeon crawlers like Wizardry and Eye of the Beholder. Streamlined but with enough obtuseness to satisfy the thorough explorer. The turn based combat is overall extremely easy though, at least on normal. Only a couple of battles toward the end gave me trouble and nothing that couldn't be solved on a second try with some adjustments. The story is forgettable but there is some more than passable dialogue in here. The lore, heavily influenced by Hungarian myths and pantheon, is interesting enough. All in all, this game feels like comfort food. It's edible and even enjoyable, but it won't light anyone's world on fire. But i hope it ends up being successful, as a more developed sequel could really be something special i think.
37. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - 8h30 - 05.06
I thoroughly loved this, despite having a bit of trouble getting into it at first. The overwhelming tone and what seemed to be the most inane form of puzzle gated progress drove me away the first time i picked it up. I lasted about an hour before putting it aside and leaving it there for months. But i'm glad i gave it another try because it's quite the experience. The tone never lets go and the game is all the better for it. It's harrowing to journey into Senua's mind and witness the horrors within and without. Both hers and Druth's voice work is fantastic and held me close. And what beautiful decay Hellblade portrays. Simply gorgeous.
The puzzling does get a bit more interesting and varied later on, but it's still mostly inoffensively boring. There are some cool ideas but they're never explored beyond surface level. The combat however is tense and demanding, though it seemed to become very lenient once i got into real trouble. Once you're down the enemies take a breather to let you get back into it. The exception being Valravn, the only enemy who gave me an ass kicking, and also a couple of late game instances where the game just throws endless sacks of meat your way. The final Grand Melee before the end is just straight up overkill. You fight on a bridge for about 30 minutes straight, always with 6-7 of the hardest enemies coming at you. It's just too much. I do like the combat a lot but sometimes there's too much of it.
I'm really hoping Ninja Theory's next project after the one they showed at E3 goes back to a more narrative focus. It's their strong suit in my opinion.
This was a rather decent and lovely 3D platformer. At first it may seme as a collectathon, with the goal of getting 3,000 coins (Ducats), however the game will instantly reward you with the required amount to advance as you progress through the game, so there's really no point in collecting them @_@.
What is more beneficial is to collect stars that enemies drop or scattered throughout stages; 50 stars earn you an upgrade to one of your abilities which can help out as you progress.
The game does have some irksome design choices such as ranged enemies and hitboxes, but nothing too frustrating IMO.
I'd still recommend this game as the port is generally quite good despite not having any gfx options, and it is a good starting platformer for younger children.
45. Asterix and Obelix XXL 2
This was more of an action game than a platformer, with light puzzle elements and a combat system that gives off a 'Musou' vibe, if not a beat'em-up vibe. There's not much improvement to the overall gameplay loop, but if you're a fan of the series, going around beating up roman soldiers by the dozens will put a smile on your face. One thing I like is that both Asterix and Obelix can do a piledriver-like attack after grabbing an enemy which is something I personally like :P
The port is rather iffy though as I could notice some stuttering along with odd audio glitches in a few tracks, and the between area loading times are bizarrely long.
Game #62 - The Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse
Time: 20 hours
And another Devolver Digital gem for me, as this mix of rogue like and zelda was a wonderful surprise. Fantastic 2d art and really cool take on what Zelda would be like as a rogue like, the only downside to this is the repetition which might be too much for some (a lot?) of people, but much like Assassin's Creed Origins / Odyssey where I loved to play the game so I didnt mind doing the ridiculous amount of content those games had, here too I loved the gameplay and the "gameplay loop" so I didnt mind the repetition. Basically you have to play a zelda style adventure complete with dungeons, items to get, gear and challenge dungeons where you need to use specific items (like zelda), and then do it all over again with a new character six times to properly finish the game. Your level carries with you to the new run and you can "buy" items at the end to carry over also so its all actually very forgiving, and each run brings in new challenges, higher tiers of gear and new items to use. I loved my time with it but like I said initially, I can also see it getting repetitous for some people, so take my love with a grain of salt.
The player needs to purge the results of Mars terra-forming gone wrong in this bullet hell SHMUP. It's a pretty unique mix of euro shooter and japanese gameplay design. I liked the core gameplay a lot, but the overall software experience was lacking. No tutorial on how to charge or use the specials made things pretty obtuse. I got stuck in a loop after beating the final boss rush and had to alt+F4. Not that it really matters, but none of the achievements unlocked for me. Some QA and polish are dearly needed.
22. Holedown (Android, , 2019/05/26, 4 hrs)
Turn Puzzle Bobble upside down, add some derpy worms and you go Holedown. The player is mining asteroids, planets, stars. You got limited shots to clear blocks and to descent. Getting the most out of each shot requires good aim to make the projectiles bounce around as long as possible while hitting as many blocks as possible. Instant gratification every few seconds like with Peggle or Pachinko. Reaching the core will be rewarded with gems, which can be used to upgrade abilities or to purchase mining rights to the next object. Holedown is such a delightful little game with lots of character and a quirky soundtrack. The "campaign" is pretty brief, but the endless mode offers a lot of replay and score chase possibility.
23. Firewatch (Steam, 2019/05/27, 5.6 hrs)
I played this blind and the narrative arc was so weird. It lead on to be something grand and deflated to little. Firewatch felt like it was designed to have multiple endings, but everything got shoehorned due to budget issues or project mismanagement. Visuals, voice acting and chemistry still made it a somewhat worthwhile experience.
It looks like a retro first person shooter, but the cranage and systems are more in line with nowadays. Headshots result in wall painting fountains, wrecking acid barrels leaves puddles of environmental hazards, to give a few examples in terms of general mayhem. The progression is leashed to rogue lite mechanics and some randomization. The fps action is fun and lures the player into reckless behavior, but being a rogue lite, health is a concern and death is punishing. The game is a bit too long for this style. You can repair teleporters along the way to skip levels, but this also skips dearly needed upgrades and weapon mods. STRAFE as a package got a lot to offer. There are many goodies, modes, mods, etc, but unfortunately the game burned me out on my first play through. I really think, they should have made a more traditional shooter and added the rogue lite component as an optional 1-life hardcore mode.
#27: Descenders (6/2/2019) | 8/10 | Xbox One | ~ 5 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -8 | A cool idea and fun gameplay keeps me coming back for some downhill action Gameplay - 8.5| Courses are always fresh and the insanity to finish while pushing for the extra lives is a great tradeoff Sound -7 | Decent soundtrack but gets replayed quickly Story/Online -NA | Its all gameplay, nothing wrong with that Asking Price-9 | Since tracks are always generated its never quite the same. Going to come back for DLC soon!
#28: Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (6/4/2019 ) | 9/10 | 3DS XL| ~ 28 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -9 | Another great entry into the FE series Gameplay -8.6 | Classic formula mixed with maps filled to the brim with enemies. Sound - 9 | Really enjoyed the soundtrack in this one. Character voice quips are duds Story/Online - 8 | I actually think there is a really good story there, its just muddled with really disjointed presentation Asking Price- 9 | Lot of content and ways to retry maps.
#29: SuperHot (6/6/2019 ) | 8/10 | System | ~ 1 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -8 | Killer gameplay that is entirely different from the VR version! Gameplay -9 | It feels so good to play this game with its unique formula. Sound -7 | Besides gunshots this is not what the game focus on. Story/Online -7 | Its interesting, but not the reason you play the game Asking Price-8.67 | Short story but plenty of modes added to keep replay value high!
#30: Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest (6/10/2019 ) | 9/10 | 3DS XL | ~ 17. 5Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -9 | A tough as nails game with fun units to play as. Gameplay -8.8 | Instead of high player numbers, enemy types and map layouts lead to very intense battles Sound -9 | Same as Birthright, great soundtrack Story/Online -9 | Story is better presented than Birthright. Drags at start but picks up at end. Asking Price-9 | If I ever get really good at these games this is the title I will come back to to fully test my skills.
This is a pretty cool and weird game. It allows for some tense spatial puzzling. It kept making me balance optimal and careful dodging and resource management with bold, aggressive movement and on the fly improvisation. Loved it when a quick plan went to shit but another immediately presented itself and ended up not only working but being twice as stylish. The fact you can instantly restart at a press of a button strongly gave me that 'one more time' vibe. The narrative is mostly interesting in the way that it's told, more than its content. It kinda straddles the line between edgy and tongue in cheek. It worked for me. And the clean visuals are perfect for this game in every way.
44. Blood & Truth - Great VR game. Excellent soundtrack and voice acting. Really felt like a new Getaway game and here's hoping Sony London gets the success and recognition it deserves.
45. Assassins Creed Odyssey: The Fate of Atlantis Episode 2 - Enjoyed it more then I did the previous dlc. Really loved all the characters from the main game that were involved in this dlc. Excited to see how this dlc arc concludes.
46. Three Fourths Home - Really hard to talk about the game without going into spoilers. So I'll just say I liked the topics of the conversations as it fleshed out the characters and I was captivated from start to finish.
24. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - 12/06/2019
It's the one platformer that's a hair's breadth away from being as good as Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and since I think that game is literally the best 2D platformer ever that's not a criticism. The only things that hold it back are the lackluster rocket barrel stages and the disappointing secret world when DKC is all about that. Otherwise the pitch perfect platforming matches up to DKC2 in a lot of ways while also doing its own spin on things, with a weighty Donkey Kong and simian allies acting as power ups, something I'm not entirely fond of but it does give the game a different feel to the original series.
And the music? The only guy who can match David Wise is David Wise, so of course they brought him back.
With their first go at the Halo series, 343 left me very unimpressed. The story has its moments and Halo 4 is definitely a beautiful game. But apart from that everything else feels underwhelming. The level design is uninspired, the new guns are very hit or miss and the new enemies are a resounding miss. For large parts of the game i was left shooting annoying enemies using their own lackluster weapons.
I don't even have much more to say tbh. Halo 4 is a game and i have played it. I wish it was better.
40. Old Man's Journey - 1h30 - 09.06
A touching journey through this old fella's life. This is essentially a very simple puzzle game where we manipulate some characteristics of the environment in order to guide our character forward. It's never really challenging, though there are a few clever moments here are there. The focus is strongly on the narrative side of things here, with the end of every segment triggering a memory that show us more of a life left behind. The ending is not particularly suprising as it's pretty obvious from the get go where this is going, but i found it worthy of my time all the same.
1. New Super Mario Bros U - Finished on February 17 - 8 hours
I played the Switch version. I really loved this game on the Wii U so when they announced the port I knew I wanted it. I played this in handheld mode 100% of the time and it was a fantastic experience. I did play roughly half the game having the midair jump mapped to the jump button but soon after that little trick came out and I played it as it was intended to be played. I didn't get all the star coins again but just focused on getting through the game. The level design here is top notch and is one of the reasons I really hope that Mario Maker does not totally usurp the 2D Mario space. I would play 100 carefully crafted levels on a world map any day over the random luck of the draw getting completely not terrible Mario Maker stages. The game balances the right amount of difficulty while still having most stages free and open enough to just run and jump through. There are quite a few clever stages too. It seemed like ideas never get reused more than once or twice and that the in level progression of difficulty and teaching was perfect. The sense of discovery and hidden paths reminds me a little bit of Super Mario World the first time I found a secret exit and saw the path before me materialize. You see that there is room there but you can't visualize what it will look like and where it will go. Hard to recapture that moment of awe and this game did in many respects.
2 Pokemon Trading Card Game - Finished on February 23 - 8 hours
I always seem to get the itch to play this game. It never gets old grinding and grinding for really good cards and then building an unstoppable deck to thrash everyone in the game. The only deck I did bad against was the Moltres deck on the final boss gauntlet and I got quite unlucky to not win that on my first go around.
3. Mario Kart 8 - Finished on May 26 - 5 hours this year
On the greatest day of racing on Memorial Day weekend I played Kart all day long, culminating with doing every single cup once. Game is still gorgeous and plays so well even on handheld mode. Hope it is used as a base for whatever the next Mario Kart installment is.
4. Dragon Quest 1 - Finished on May 27 - 6 hours
On the anniversary of the series, I played through the SNES version on my Classic Mini. Took a little bit of work to get it working but it played fine. Quite enjoyable still despite being over 30 years old. Didn't quite grind to 30 like I do sometimes but at level 22, I saved the world.
Every so often i return to this fantastic series. X is a remake of the 2nd game and it's a version i had never played actually. It's a pretty good version as well. I never get tired of the art and animation in these games. Such good work. And always a joy to play through. It helps this is one of the best in the series as well.
42. Metal Slug 3 - 1h20 - 10.06
Metal Slug 3 falls a bit short of 2 i think. It's more gimmicky, the zombie transformation is cute but it slows down the game considerably and the bosses are overall weaker imo. And the player character has that vaseline coating that Square gave some of its FF ports. Not a fan. It's still a great game though, just a few notches lower from its predecessor. It's also much harder.
27. Minecraft: Story Mode - Xbox One
Completed 6/2/19
Score - 8/10
Picked this up from the library knowing the Telltale situation...but didn't realize how great my timing was with the news of these games being potentially wiped by end of month. I know absolutely nothing about Minecraft outside of building things. I didn't think I would be interested in this game or really even bother finishing it, but I wanted to try. I am really glad I did. I found the entire game entertaining and fun. I enjoyed the characters and while the story is all over the place...it was a blast. It really reminded me of random adventure shows and movies from the 80's. It's a shame these are going to be wiped. I played the full 8 episodes and found the 3 bonus episodes to be extremely entertaining. They are almost all self contained but they did a good job of telling a quick entertaining story.
28. Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2- Xbox One
Completed 6/13/19
Score - 7/10
I actually enjoyed the story and villain in this one more than S1. There were some improvements to the gameplay and some 'borderline' fight scenes that you actually fight in. Playing two TT games back to back is probably what lowered the score a bit for me but I was worried I wouldn't have another chance to play this with it being pulled end of month. I am glad I played it and hope that they can find a way to restore it with a new company in the future. I will probably never get into the actual Minecraft game, but I really like the world and story they built in this game. I am still surprised what they pulled off from basically nothing. The game was weird and I really appreciated that!
The year of the metroidvania (for me at least) continues with Iconoclasts, one which focuses more on story and puzzles than combat and upgrades. At first glance Iconoclasts looks like your average metroidvania, but it's actually very light on the usual upgrades you get in the genre (you don't even upgrade your health for example), while still maintaining zones locked out by later powers. What it does is focus heavily on story and dialogue, it is by far the wordiest platformer I have ever played, there is a TON of dialogue, and quite long cutscenes and just chaacters talking. I can totally see how this is divisive and might turn people off (I've seen people calling it boring) but I loved that aproach to it, it makes it different than usual, the story was good (and surprisingly deep/dark), the characters have a lot of personality and it made me kept wanting to move forward (as opposed to wanting to move forward to find the next missile upgrade). The pixel art is fantastic, one of the best I've seen in fact, with a ton of little animation details and great looking locations. The combat isnt particularly hard, but the bosses are really varied and using a lot of different tactics and mechanics. The game is also heavy on the puzzles to get around, so know that going in. I really loved the game, it ticked all the boxes for me, and if I had to point out a negative, it would be the fact that the upgrade system is really a afterthought and since the only thing you get from chests is materials for upgrades, it really makes exploration and completion completely unnecessary, it really is best played just following the main path through the story.
This game made me feel like an idiot, not because it's difficult (it's not), but because i spent a very large part of it confusing it with The Talos Principle. Going in, i was expecting a Myst/Witness exploratory puzzle game and instead was greeted with an almost carbon copy of Portal in its rigid test chambers structure and approach to puzzle design. It was a very confusing time i'll be honest. And it made me a bit disappointed with the game through no fault of its own, this is only due to me being an oblivious idiot.
But regarding the game itself, it's a pretty solid puzzler, although a very easy one. I have very little patience for being stuck and only twice did i feel the need to look something up. Narratively it's not really revelatory, there's nothing here that hasn't been done in other games or even other media. It's got some good dialogue and voice work however. I also liked the clean visuals a lot.
This must be the easiest Contra game yet XP. I quite enjoyed playing the game and although the Homing weapon is what makes the game such a breeze, positioning and a few platforming need to be precise to avoid dying and losing your main weapon.
I think this short game is a good fit for the Gameboy and it helps that it has a lovely soundtrack too.
47. Super C
This one was a more difficult game and the final stage had some BS enemy placements that lead to some silly deaths.
47. Bayonetta 2 (5+ hours)
It's more Bayonetta, you know what you're getting. Art style is nicer than the first, the excising of insta-kill QTEs is appreciated, but the final boss is anticlimactic by Platinum standards.
48. Banjo-Kazooie (11 hours)
A vibrant platforming adventure with a colorful cast of characters. Some of the worlds can be quite obnoxious to play, though.
It's rare for a roguelike game to really take hold of me. Last time it happened was with The Binding of Isaac. I put something like 100 hours into that and had to ween myself out of it. Void Bastards doesn't have quite the same staying power but it grabbed me just as hard for a while. That total time count is somewhat deceiving, as i must have spent more time thinking about the game than playing it, devising strategies and making choices while away from the controller. This pervasiveness is due to mostly two things: an absolutely perfect meta progression system and an outstanding achievement in tone and presentation. The crafting/upgrade system is very rewarding and actively contributes to the entire risk/reward balance that the game is built upon. As for the presentation everything is perfectly tuned to my sensibilities, from the arresting visual style to the tongue in cheek yet oppressive tone to the delicious dialogue and voice work.
There are a couple of things keeping this from stealing more of my hours for now, though i will certainly come back to it in the future: the lack of variety in both ships and enemies and a lack of end game depth. I hope Blue Manchu will keep working on the game and expanding on it. I'll definitely be coming back.
45. Metal Slug XX - 1h - 15.06
A remake of MS 7, this is pretty much a back to basics approach. Less gimmicks, more classic run'n'gun gameplay. It's not as memorable as some of the earlier entries, but it's a solid one. Still has the disappointing vaseline look on the player characters though. I don't hate it, but i'd rather have the original pixelated style as an option, at least.
The additional animation in the JP version are quite nice. The early stages are good, but the base stage had enemies suddenly showing up and some annoying hazards but overall I quite enjoyed it, a lot more than Super Contra at least.
On Friday I complained in the Discord that I hadn't finished anything this week. Felt down and didn't have any will to play anything. But then my SO said that I should take a look at that new and fancy PC Game Pass, install a bunch of games and just try them out. Turns out I just needed a forced break from RAGE, which is the game I had been trying to beat all week. Played five short and completely different games from RAGE and now I feel good to go on that one again!
Oh, right, it seems that I also finished the challenge!
51. Riverbond (PC) | 15th Jun - 4hrs | 4/5
I immediately fell in love with the look of this game in the latest State of Play. Voxels are just my thing. Didn't really know what to expect from this, but it turned out to be a very simple hack-and-slash-y adventure through eight really cool and good looking levels. I kept being surprised by the atmosphere and design that made all the levels feel different. It was also really fun to see what skin would be unlocked next. Maybe a happy strawberry or some indie game cameo like Shovel Knight? The one negative thing is that while I really needed this simple and easy experience, it was maybe a little too easy. There is no penalty at all for dying. The enemies don't respawn, the bosses don't get any health back and you don't even lose any of those points the game gives you for finding treasure and killing enemies. A little odd. I want to try this out in multiplayer at some point too, but no one I play with had time to do it. Bah! Anyway, really nice little game that I really needed right now. And who doesn't want to play as a happy murderous donut?
52. RiME (PC) | 15th Jun - 8hrs | 5/5
The only thing I knew about this game was that it was some sort of 3D thing where you got to control a boy who reminded me of Ico and Wander, and that was from some trailer ages ago. I have been thinking that I should play this "soon" since then, but never seemed to get to that moment. A friend of mine played it last week and asked if I knew about it. He thought it was such a Spyware kind of game. Seeing it on Game Pass I figured it was time to finally jump into this thing. And what an thing it was! The game really seems tailored for that blind experience. Due to that, I am not gonna say more about it. I bet people usually beat this in way less than eight hours, but I just had to stop and look around this beautiful world and explore just a little more. Great experience, and very much a Spyware kind of game.
53. The Gardens Between (PC) | 16th Jan - 2hrs | 2/5
Another game I played without looking up anything about it. I only knew it was a puzzle game and that it looked oh so lovely in every way visually. I had it wishlisted on my Switch but I am very happy that I played it through Game Pass instead. Because I did not like this. At all. I don't know why I finished it. The puzzles were not puzzling at all, just a slog. Everything moves so very slowly and even tho the game introduces a bunch of things that make it less dull a bit into the game, it still ended up being a game of pressing three buttons and waiting for the puzzle to get to where I wanted it to be. Every level was the same kind of thing. Go forward to see what will happen, rewind (often a lot), shift a few things and then do it all again. If the characters could move way faster it would probably not have annoyed me as much. Ohwell, even I have to trip over games I do not like now and then.
54. Where The Goats Are (PC) | 16th Jun - 1hr | 4/5
I was gonna start The Stillness of the Wind when I noticed it was supposed to be some kind of follow-up or expanded version of this game, so I got this one and played it first. I really liked it, and knowing nothing was again a huge boon. So also again, I will keep quiet about it. It's pay what you want and well worth an hour of anyone's time.
55. The Stillness of the Wind (PC) | 16th Jun - 3hrs | 3/5
The expanded version of the game above, and it really does expand on every part of it. I preferred the pacing of the first game but I enjoyed that this one added a little more character to the postman and more gameplay. A few in-game days shorter and it would have surpassed its predecessor, but definitely still worth a playthrough.
49. Contra - Famicom (1 hour)
What strikes me is how shockingly fair this game is for an NES/Famicom title. I died a lot, sure, but every death felt earned.
Sometimes you play a game that is just wholesome and makes you feel good, Golf Story is one of those games. A wonderful little rpg that uses golf as a substitute for various "rpg mechanics", and does it so in super inventive ways. The actual golf game itself is shockingly legit too, and very fun to play. Writing is funny and the story is very silly but pretty good, it has a meaty campaign that doesnt overstay it's welcome, wonderful 2d art with lots of varied locations and courses, and a whimsical soundtrack that fits right in the genre. Just a wonderful game all around, marred only by a awful difficulty spike in the last tournament that made me lose about 2 hours just retrying it (the rest of the game is quite easy until then), and I really hate when games do that. Still, easily recomended as it does something different and does it well.
This is a 3D adventure game with an N64 themed aesthetic, and has various nods to games popular on the N64. It's a short and light game, but I quite enjoyed it. It does have odd nods to the creepy moon face from Majora's Mask though @_@
Haven't updated my list for a while. Here's some game that I finished recently:
5. Anthem (2/25/2019)
Finished the main story mission, put about 200 hours into it looking for a fantastical legendary drops only to left disappointed. I think I get my lesson for blindly preordering games.
6. Apex Legends (3/11/2019)
Got all the trophies, pretty excited about Season 2.
7. Mortal Kombat 11 (4/28/2019)
Pretty interesting story with fun Kombat gameplay. Still grinding coin to unlock maskless Skarlet, the RNG is not merciful to me :(
8. Castlevania - Castlevania Anniversary Collection (5/20/2019)
Pretty fun game with amazing soundtrack, Death really give me a nightmare tho.
9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (5/26/2019)
I played it at april but bored of the game halfway through ashina castle. The game is good, but it doesn't entice me to play the game for the second time.
10. Dark Souls II: SotFS (6/2/2019)
I can see why people hate this game, it certainly flawed but I still had a good time with it, power stance is pretty cool imo. Oh yeah, obligatory "Iron keep and horsefuck valley can fuck themselves".
11. Dark Souls Remastered (6/12/2019)
It definitely the best of the three, while plenty of the bosses actually pretty easy, the exploration aspect of the game is unmatched. The worlds is so unique and exciting, and I really enjoyed being lost in Lordran.
12. Borderlands 2 (6/7/2019)
Finished another round of Borderlands 2 story mission. Didn't know that I can make lvl 30 character in the beginning, if only I know that, I can immediately finish the game on True Vault Hunter Mode.
I wish I were better at this game because those moments where I get an S rank are so, so satisfying. I'm just not good enough to stick with it as much as I want to.
50. Contra - Arcade (<1 hour)
It's certainly more visually detailed than the NES/Famicom version, but the added color capabilities actually make it harder to see enemy shots at times. Additionally, it's shorter and feels harder to control (although, granted, I used an arcade stick for this version).
Game #65 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Time: 8.5 hours
Easily one of the best "metroidvanias" I have ever played, this really came as a surprise to me because I hadn't enjoyed the previous game (Risky's Revenge), but Pirate's Curse does everything right, and barring the slightly frustrating last level (and the odd fan service nature of the whole thing), this really is just a fantastic game in every sense. I played it on Switch portable, so the art style really pops in the Switch's screen, with vibrant colors, great aniamtions, and since its portable on a smaller screen, the pixelated nature of it isnt as rough as it would be on a bigger screen. Fantastic soundtrack and above all, pitch perfect gameplay with great level design, a cool take on level-based exploration (its not open world like others of the genre) and a nice lenghty runtime that never overstays it's welcome, there really is little negative I can say about this game. If you like the genre, it's a absolute must play, simple as that.
This was a neat Shmup but it did get tough for me in later levels. Great music and visuals otherwise! Konami really had some wonderful talent during their 80 and 90s arcade days.
51. Haunted Castle (Castlevania arcade)
I feel like this'd do well with a fan remake. THankfully the JP ver. made it easier to get past, but this is def. the kind of game one could test their skills with.
