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52 Games. 1 Year. 2019.
- Thread starter Wozzer
- Start date
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53. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands - 6h50 - 26.06
The Prince's last hurrah is quite the solid one. A kind of sequel/remake of Sands of Time, it plays mostly the same, with only a few key differences. The combat from the trilogy is heavily simplified and the action puzzling brought to the forefront again. A couple of enemies exist solely for traversal for example. We also get new powers like water manipulation and environment phasing, which lead the latter levels to demand some nifty controller tapdancing. Which is just fine by me, it's what i'm here for.
Story and character wise this is almost completely forgettable though. It's easy to see how the world we get to traverse was really the star of the show here.
54. Shadows of the Damned - 9h40 - 28.06
The image above is the perfect definition of this game. It's the most juvenile piece of trash i've played in a long time. This game would not go well nowadays, at all. Misoginistic, homophobe, kinda racist and with more unfunny dick jokes than GoT.
On the gameplay side, there are a few good ideas that quickly lose steam. This is a fine example of a game getting progressively worse as it goes on. There are some truly awful sequences later on, like the one in the picture, some terrible sidescrolling shmup that rears its head 3 times in quick succession, and some straight up bad encounter design on the last chapter. Instakill enemies really need to fuck off.
As a highlight though, the bosses are pretty fun and inventive. Despite being mostly of the 'shoot glowing bit' variety, there's always some trickery to all of them that forces the player to use all their arsenal.
53. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands - 6h50 - 26.06
The Prince's last hurrah is quite the solid one. A kind of sequel/remake of Sands of Time, it plays mostly the same, with only a few key differences. The combat from the trilogy is heavily simplified and the action puzzling brought to the forefront again. A couple of enemies exist solely for traversal for example. We also get new powers like water manipulation and environment phasing, which lead the latter levels to demand some nifty controller tapdancing. Which is just fine by me, it's what i'm here for.
Story and character wise this is almost completely forgettable though. It's easy to see how the world we get to traverse was really the star of the show here.
54. Shadows of the Damned - 9h40 - 28.06
The image above is the perfect definition of this game. It's the most juvenile piece of trash i've played in a long time. This game would not go well nowadays, at all. Misoginistic, homophobe, kinda racist and with more unfunny dick jokes than GoT.
On the gameplay side, there are a few good ideas that quickly lose steam. This is a fine example of a game getting progressively worse as it goes on. There are some truly awful sequences later on, like the one in the picture, some terrible sidescrolling shmup that rears its head 3 times in quick succession, and some straight up bad encounter design on the last chapter. Instakill enemies really need to fuck off.
As a highlight though, the bosses are pretty fun and inventive. Despite being mostly of the 'shoot glowing bit' variety, there's always some trickery to all of them that forces the player to use all their arsenal.
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Hey its a June update!
Games completed in June: 5
Total games completed: 32
28. Gato Roboto - June 2nd, 4hrs, 3/5
A really solid Metroid light type of game. You run, you shoot, you collect objects to fill up your completion percentage bar. I think a game gets props for knowing exactly how long it knows it should be, and Gato Roboto is definitly one of them. It didn't overstay its welcome, and while it won't blow anyone away, if you like metroid, i don't think you will be dissapointed in this one!
29. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - June 5th, 4hrs, 2.5/5
Hey its Mario Kart okay? I mean i've never been a big racing guy, and Mario Kart isn't any exception. While Mario Kart with friends is a lot of fun, I don't really have any friends that have switches IRL. So just grinding out online matches and single player doesn't really appeal all that much to me. This game was a free download that came with my switch, and its been sitting on it for almost a year taking up about a quarter of the storage space on it. So i decided to play through all the courses once at 150cc and be done with it. And it was a fine time. The course all look incredible, with Nintendo really stretching some almost breathtaking gravity defying courses. But even on 150cc, it wasn't really a challenge, and after soaking up the visual spectacle, i don't see myself ever needing to come back unless i find a bunch of friends that want to play.
30. Slay the Spire - Ongoing, About 25 hours at post time, 5/5
What an incredible game. This is technically a replay, because i played it a bunch on my computer last year, but i put it down in anticipation for the eventual Switch release. Its taken longer than i expected, but the game is honestly even more incredible now than when i put it down. For a game with such simple building blocks, its fine tuned to a razor sharp edge, like in the best roguelikes, as your knowlege grows, the game has just enough randomness to make each run feel like a new roller coaster of cards and enemies. Now that the switch release is finally out, i think the devs say they are going to focus and do some DLC, and god, I can't wait already. I love this game.
31. Spider-Man - June 23rd, 29hrs , 3.5/5
In the Middle of June, with E3 and the NBA off season, i had about a billion hours of podcasts that i wanted to listen to. Slay the Spire takes up way to much brain space to be a really great podcast game, so with the Days of Play Sale discounting this to 20 bucks, i figured this would be a good way to just chill out listen about games and BBall and not think too hard. And you know what, it delivered! Spider man really takes that Batman formula of needing a very minimal amount of input skill and outputting maximum amounts of "making you feel like you are doing a lot" and honestly i think it does it better that Batman does it. The game is a constant rush of "you are doing a cool thing". The story was... okay? It about as good as an average marvel movie i suppose, though i will say its weirdly morally confused in a lot of places i feel like, and damn does spidey love the cops. I had fun, but honestly, if in a year and a half i have more to say about it other than "Yeah that game was fun" i would be shocked.
32. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight - June 29th - 5hrs, 2.5/5
Hey its another solid metroidvania in the same month, just replace cats and space station with Castles and Anime Girls. While its definitely a metroidvania, for a lot of players it has a lot in common with games like Salt and Sanctuary and Hollow Knight in the way it plays. (though i think it came out before either of them) Enemies deal lots of damage, you have the Estus system, and bonfires (shrines). The game has a few big problems, mostly in the character moves. Kaho is never as nimble as you want her to be, and her super short jump will be the cause of lots of irritation doing just basic navigation. Also, when you rest as a shrine, it saves the game. Now this wouldn't be a bad thing, but when you die, instead of just going back to the last shrine, like in all other games like this, it boots you back to your last SAVE, negating all your progress. Fight through a tough room for an upgrade, but die a few screens later trying to come back? well you have to do it all over again. That combined with the fact that enemies hit like a truck and the game is littered with instant death spikes, can make it very frustrating sometimes. At the very least, the game is not very hard in many aspects. You can stunlock even really tough enemies to death, and all of the bosses went down in 5 or less attempts. If you are a Metroidvania nut like I am, i think for the short run time, its worth checking out if you can grab it on sale like i did.
So there is my June completions. One really incredible games, and a bunch of solid ones. Currently playing a bunch of SLay the Spire and Mario Maker 2 right now, and we will see how it goes in the future!
Games completed in June: 5
Total games completed: 32
28. Gato Roboto - June 2nd, 4hrs, 3/5
A really solid Metroid light type of game. You run, you shoot, you collect objects to fill up your completion percentage bar. I think a game gets props for knowing exactly how long it knows it should be, and Gato Roboto is definitly one of them. It didn't overstay its welcome, and while it won't blow anyone away, if you like metroid, i don't think you will be dissapointed in this one!
29. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - June 5th, 4hrs, 2.5/5
Hey its Mario Kart okay? I mean i've never been a big racing guy, and Mario Kart isn't any exception. While Mario Kart with friends is a lot of fun, I don't really have any friends that have switches IRL. So just grinding out online matches and single player doesn't really appeal all that much to me. This game was a free download that came with my switch, and its been sitting on it for almost a year taking up about a quarter of the storage space on it. So i decided to play through all the courses once at 150cc and be done with it. And it was a fine time. The course all look incredible, with Nintendo really stretching some almost breathtaking gravity defying courses. But even on 150cc, it wasn't really a challenge, and after soaking up the visual spectacle, i don't see myself ever needing to come back unless i find a bunch of friends that want to play.
30. Slay the Spire - Ongoing, About 25 hours at post time, 5/5
What an incredible game. This is technically a replay, because i played it a bunch on my computer last year, but i put it down in anticipation for the eventual Switch release. Its taken longer than i expected, but the game is honestly even more incredible now than when i put it down. For a game with such simple building blocks, its fine tuned to a razor sharp edge, like in the best roguelikes, as your knowlege grows, the game has just enough randomness to make each run feel like a new roller coaster of cards and enemies. Now that the switch release is finally out, i think the devs say they are going to focus and do some DLC, and god, I can't wait already. I love this game.
31. Spider-Man - June 23rd, 29hrs , 3.5/5
In the Middle of June, with E3 and the NBA off season, i had about a billion hours of podcasts that i wanted to listen to. Slay the Spire takes up way to much brain space to be a really great podcast game, so with the Days of Play Sale discounting this to 20 bucks, i figured this would be a good way to just chill out listen about games and BBall and not think too hard. And you know what, it delivered! Spider man really takes that Batman formula of needing a very minimal amount of input skill and outputting maximum amounts of "making you feel like you are doing a lot" and honestly i think it does it better that Batman does it. The game is a constant rush of "you are doing a cool thing". The story was... okay? It about as good as an average marvel movie i suppose, though i will say its weirdly morally confused in a lot of places i feel like, and damn does spidey love the cops. I had fun, but honestly, if in a year and a half i have more to say about it other than "Yeah that game was fun" i would be shocked.
32. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight - June 29th - 5hrs, 2.5/5
Hey its another solid metroidvania in the same month, just replace cats and space station with Castles and Anime Girls. While its definitely a metroidvania, for a lot of players it has a lot in common with games like Salt and Sanctuary and Hollow Knight in the way it plays. (though i think it came out before either of them) Enemies deal lots of damage, you have the Estus system, and bonfires (shrines). The game has a few big problems, mostly in the character moves. Kaho is never as nimble as you want her to be, and her super short jump will be the cause of lots of irritation doing just basic navigation. Also, when you rest as a shrine, it saves the game. Now this wouldn't be a bad thing, but when you die, instead of just going back to the last shrine, like in all other games like this, it boots you back to your last SAVE, negating all your progress. Fight through a tough room for an upgrade, but die a few screens later trying to come back? well you have to do it all over again. That combined with the fact that enemies hit like a truck and the game is littered with instant death spikes, can make it very frustrating sometimes. At the very least, the game is not very hard in many aspects. You can stunlock even really tough enemies to death, and all of the bosses went down in 5 or less attempts. If you are a Metroidvania nut like I am, i think for the short run time, its worth checking out if you can grab it on sale like i did.
So there is my June completions. One really incredible games, and a bunch of solid ones. Currently playing a bunch of SLay the Spire and Mario Maker 2 right now, and we will see how it goes in the future!
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55. The Darkness II - 9h - 29.06
This sequel pares down the grittiness and oppressive tone of the first game and gives us a more cartoonish depiction of this very fucked up world. There are still Lovecraftian horrors and plenty of dismemberments to be had, but this is more of a fun action horror romp than the heavy handed psychological nightmare of the first game. The characters are mere caricatures this time around, and the dark humour is given free rein. I wouldn't say i liked it better, but i did like it well enough.
But this is a much better game on what the shooting and movement are concerned. The first game never felt good to me. I liked it when i played it, but it was despite the poor gamefeel. Here, everything feels just right, and the Darkness powers are very easy and fluid to use. On the downside, there is not much exploration to be had. This is firmly planted in last gen's mainstream shooter design. There's your corridor, go shoot nondescript humans in them.
56. Dante's Inferno - 12h30 - 01.07
I'll just come out and share my fresh hot take no one's heard before. Dante's Inferno is a very, very poor man's God of War. And also a very poor game by itself. There is not an ounce of originality to be seen here. And most of it, it copies poorly. Also fuck this game. I didn't finish it because Lucifer is an ass and i got fed up with wasting my ever dwindling life on this. After pouring over 12 hours on it and saying my goodbyes forever, i'll count it though. Back to the shameless plundering, everything you can remember as a GoW staple is here. And then turned up to 12. As the most egregious example of the bunch, you're bashing that O button for everything. Finishing move? Bash O. Need to escape an enemy? Bash that button. Break health fountains? Better bash it. Open doors? Fucking bash it. Pick up coins? BASHIT! On another note, this game has no sense of pacing whatsoever. It's always going 110% all of the time. I had to play it in 30-40 minute bursts as it just becomes exhausting and obnoxious after a while.
55. The Darkness II - 9h - 29.06
This sequel pares down the grittiness and oppressive tone of the first game and gives us a more cartoonish depiction of this very fucked up world. There are still Lovecraftian horrors and plenty of dismemberments to be had, but this is more of a fun action horror romp than the heavy handed psychological nightmare of the first game. The characters are mere caricatures this time around, and the dark humour is given free rein. I wouldn't say i liked it better, but i did like it well enough.
But this is a much better game on what the shooting and movement are concerned. The first game never felt good to me. I liked it when i played it, but it was despite the poor gamefeel. Here, everything feels just right, and the Darkness powers are very easy and fluid to use. On the downside, there is not much exploration to be had. This is firmly planted in last gen's mainstream shooter design. There's your corridor, go shoot nondescript humans in them.
56. Dante's Inferno - 12h30 - 01.07
I'll just come out and share my fresh hot take no one's heard before. Dante's Inferno is a very, very poor man's God of War. And also a very poor game by itself. There is not an ounce of originality to be seen here. And most of it, it copies poorly. Also fuck this game. I didn't finish it because Lucifer is an ass and i got fed up with wasting my ever dwindling life on this. After pouring over 12 hours on it and saying my goodbyes forever, i'll count it though. Back to the shameless plundering, everything you can remember as a GoW staple is here. And then turned up to 12. As the most egregious example of the bunch, you're bashing that O button for everything. Finishing move? Bash O. Need to escape an enemy? Bash that button. Break health fountains? Better bash it. Open doors? Fucking bash it. Pick up coins? BASHIT! On another note, this game has no sense of pacing whatsoever. It's always going 110% all of the time. I had to play it in 30-40 minute bursts as it just becomes exhausting and obnoxious after a while.
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33. King's Quest III: To Heir is Human - PC
Completed 6/26/19
Score - 6/10
This game was a chore to play and was entirely unfair for the majority of it. I died so many times with the time limit that I had to look up what the heck I had to do. I don't know how anyone figured this out, it was obtuse and frustrating. I appreciated the journey by the end but it wasn't a good time.
33. King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella - PC
Completed 6/29/19
Score - 8/10
SO much better than III. I really liked the journey and the improvements made to the gameplay, graphics, sound and really everything else. A few areas were really tough, like the haunted house/graveyard. Overall, the majority of it made sense and I could appreciate the game more. I did have to pull the manual online to play the game. Old school piracy protection...even though it was on GOG. I am excited to finally play the games I played years ago V,VI and VII.
33. Blood Knights - PS3
Completed 6/30/19
Score - 7/10
Random game from my backlog that I believe I got from PS+. The story was pretty basic but I enjoyed some of the vampire skills you could use to earn back health. The game was really easy and featured some reallllllllllllllly bad voice acting. I enjoyed my time with it but it's definitely generic.
33. Arkedo Series - PS3
Completed 7/2/19
Score - 7/10
I had a blast with this small set of games. I thought Jumpman was fun and got occasionally difficult by the end. The fact that you couldn't save and had to beat all 30 levels in a go was a nice little challenge. I actually couldn't play 02-Swap due to being partially color blind. I tried...and then tried with color blind glasses...I couldn't get past the first level. Meh.
03-Pixel was the star of this pack and a whole lot of fun. I wish it were longer but it was neat that they created these games in such a short period of time. Shame the studio is defunct. Neat game to wipe from the backlog.
33. King's Quest III: To Heir is Human - PC
Completed 6/26/19
Score - 6/10
This game was a chore to play and was entirely unfair for the majority of it. I died so many times with the time limit that I had to look up what the heck I had to do. I don't know how anyone figured this out, it was obtuse and frustrating. I appreciated the journey by the end but it wasn't a good time.
33. King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella - PC
Completed 6/29/19
Score - 8/10
SO much better than III. I really liked the journey and the improvements made to the gameplay, graphics, sound and really everything else. A few areas were really tough, like the haunted house/graveyard. Overall, the majority of it made sense and I could appreciate the game more. I did have to pull the manual online to play the game. Old school piracy protection...even though it was on GOG. I am excited to finally play the games I played years ago V,VI and VII.
33. Blood Knights - PS3
Completed 6/30/19
Score - 7/10
Random game from my backlog that I believe I got from PS+. The story was pretty basic but I enjoyed some of the vampire skills you could use to earn back health. The game was really easy and featured some reallllllllllllllly bad voice acting. I enjoyed my time with it but it's definitely generic.
33. Arkedo Series - PS3
Completed 7/2/19
Score - 7/10
I had a blast with this small set of games. I thought Jumpman was fun and got occasionally difficult by the end. The fact that you couldn't save and had to beat all 30 levels in a go was a nice little challenge. I actually couldn't play 02-Swap due to being partially color blind. I tried...and then tried with color blind glasses...I couldn't get past the first level. Meh.
03-Pixel was the star of this pack and a whole lot of fun. I wish it were longer but it was neat that they created these games in such a short period of time. Shame the studio is defunct. Neat game to wipe from the backlog.
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Game #41: Splitgate: Arena Warfare (PC)
Now You're Fighting With Portals
This is essentially Halo meets Portal. Its fun and fast. The only downsides I can imagine is that small pool of maps and weapons but everything is pretty damn well polished so im not too concerned. The game is also completely free so hey go give it a shot.
Its a great game to have let alone one to entertain you while you wait for actual Halo to release on PC with MCC and later with Infinite.
Game #42: Stardew Valley (PC)
A Farmers Life For Me
So I recently finally picked this game up during the current steam sale and I am hooked.
First night my gf and I started a life on the farm and umm....totally didnt play for like 15hrs without sleeping (good thing we werent busy next couple days)
Its great fun especially with friends and is really the only game that has interested me in the farming side of the game instead of other aspects like adventuring in the mine or romancing other characters around town.
Its great fun and should for sure be considered.
Game #43: Missed Messages (PC)
goth gf has sent you a message
This is a pretty short experience with 4 endings to it. Completely free so the length is not a concern.
I feel like its important to note that game once you start does warn you that you will come across images of self harm and suicide. For those easily affected by that you may want to walk away from this one. I will say though that if one were to consider Doki Doki Literature Club a 10 in that aspect then this is less than a 4 its not that bad but I thought it would be important to mention here.
Other than that its short, free point and click game and different from many other games so its a refreshing thing to have in your list of games as you play them all.
Game #44: The Game of Life (PC)
Its all just a big game
Life is a game and its a decent one. Start life choosing to go to post secondary or not, get a job as easy as picking a card, get married and then have some kids!
jokes aside its decent but wouldnt it be awesome if we had a "Game of Life" that was rated r? i dunno I feel that would be pretty neat.
Game #41: Splitgate: Arena Warfare (PC)
Now You're Fighting With Portals
This is essentially Halo meets Portal. Its fun and fast. The only downsides I can imagine is that small pool of maps and weapons but everything is pretty damn well polished so im not too concerned. The game is also completely free so hey go give it a shot.
Its a great game to have let alone one to entertain you while you wait for actual Halo to release on PC with MCC and later with Infinite.
Game #42: Stardew Valley (PC)
A Farmers Life For Me
So I recently finally picked this game up during the current steam sale and I am hooked.
First night my gf and I started a life on the farm and umm....totally didnt play for like 15hrs without sleeping (good thing we werent busy next couple days)
Its great fun especially with friends and is really the only game that has interested me in the farming side of the game instead of other aspects like adventuring in the mine or romancing other characters around town.
Its great fun and should for sure be considered.
Game #43: Missed Messages (PC)
goth gf has sent you a message
This is a pretty short experience with 4 endings to it. Completely free so the length is not a concern.
I feel like its important to note that game once you start does warn you that you will come across images of self harm and suicide. For those easily affected by that you may want to walk away from this one. I will say though that if one were to consider Doki Doki Literature Club a 10 in that aspect then this is less than a 4 its not that bad but I thought it would be important to mention here.
Other than that its short, free point and click game and different from many other games so its a refreshing thing to have in your list of games as you play them all.
Game #44: The Game of Life (PC)
Its all just a big game
Life is a game and its a decent one. Start life choosing to go to post secondary or not, get a job as easy as picking a card, get married and then have some kids!
jokes aside its decent but wouldnt it be awesome if we had a "Game of Life" that was rated r? i dunno I feel that would be pretty neat.
Main Post
57. Fairune 2 - 8h50 - 02.07
A clear evolution of the very simple first game, this new iteration borders closer on a full fledged Zelda variation, while still maintaining a strong personality of its own. The exploration is much less linear and enjoyable this time around. This makes it a bit harder to find where to go or what to do next at times, which can be frustrating.
The art is gorgeous and there is some good music here, alongside some less accomplished stuff. The story is a bit obtuse and ultimately it feels like it just kinda ends.
58. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy - 4h40 - 02.07
There's a lot more to squeeze out of this game than what i got out of it, but i confess i'm not the biggest rhythm game fan. I finished all the titles on two difficulties and did some of the Dark Notes, which are medleys of at least two random tracks, which can be from the pool of already unlocked tracks or also from a pool of hidden bonus tracks. I feel like i barely scratched the surface of this mode and there's also at least another difficulty to tackle. And obviously you can also perfect your scores if that's your thing. There are also heaps of DLC songs to buy. What i'm clumsily getting at is that there's a lot of game in here if score chasing is where your heart is. Mine is merely in the great music and art, so despite not delving deeper into [stupid Square name] i very much enjoyed my time with it. I'll probably whip it out once in a while to play a few songs but for now i'm done with it.
57. Fairune 2 - 8h50 - 02.07
A clear evolution of the very simple first game, this new iteration borders closer on a full fledged Zelda variation, while still maintaining a strong personality of its own. The exploration is much less linear and enjoyable this time around. This makes it a bit harder to find where to go or what to do next at times, which can be frustrating.
The art is gorgeous and there is some good music here, alongside some less accomplished stuff. The story is a bit obtuse and ultimately it feels like it just kinda ends.
58. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy - 4h40 - 02.07
There's a lot more to squeeze out of this game than what i got out of it, but i confess i'm not the biggest rhythm game fan. I finished all the titles on two difficulties and did some of the Dark Notes, which are medleys of at least two random tracks, which can be from the pool of already unlocked tracks or also from a pool of hidden bonus tracks. I feel like i barely scratched the surface of this mode and there's also at least another difficulty to tackle. And obviously you can also perfect your scores if that's your thing. There are also heaps of DLC songs to buy. What i'm clumsily getting at is that there's a lot of game in here if score chasing is where your heart is. Mine is merely in the great music and art, so despite not delving deeper into [stupid Square name] i very much enjoyed my time with it. I'll probably whip it out once in a while to play a few songs but for now i'm done with it.
Game #71 - Fairune 2
Time: 7 hours
Less of a sequel and more of a refinement of the first game, its a much longer campaign, better art (that doesnt take just half the screen this time!), many more locations, more (and harder puzzles), more items, just a much more complete game, and thus, a much better game. Just like the first one, the focus is primarely on puzzles and exploration as combat is relegated to bumping into enemies (and insta kill you if you arent high enough level), but the puzzles and level design are great and this is very recomended for fans of zelda style games and the like. The only downside, if I have to point one, is that it replies a little too much on hidden walls as puzzles, and since some are easy to miss and ou can completely block progression because of it, it might piss people off (I had to resort to videos / FAQs a few times). Still highly recomended as the whole package of Fairune Collection is just amazing value.
BONUS: Fairune Origin + Fairune Blast
These are a couple of modes that unlock after you finish Fairune 1 and 2 in the collection, but they are so short and simple that it doesnt warrant a proper spot on the list, but still I reckon they deserve a mention. Origin is a 15min long stripped down (even compared to Fairune 1) version of Fairune, cute for what it is and good for that very last puzzle itch, and Blast is a top down shooter not unlike the final boss sequences from the main games, and much like those, its pretty terrible lol.
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22. Strong Bad Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough - 2.5 hours
Telltale went all in the Strong Bad season finale and made one of their best games ever. In the last episode, the balance between story and gameplay is almost perfect - story pacing and direction are great, puzzles are mostly perfectly logical, and gameplay keeps constantly emerging and bringing new situations and rules.
This time the whole premise is about videogames of 80'-90's, with tons of references and quotes about old PC and consoles culture. If the amounts of mini-games in previous episodes were really small, in this episode new gameplay twists and rules appear almost every 10 minutes - there is parts where you need to run around the dark hunted house and scare the ghosts with a flashlight or even portion where game literally turns into First Person Shooter. The cast is playing roles of familiar heroes from classic games and constantly saying something like "You shall not pass!" or "A winner is you!". List of parodies includes King's Quest, Donkey Kong, Wolfenstein 3D, Mega Man, and even Quake! Actually, that's where lays the main problem of this episode - without knowing all those cultural references you'll miss out on most of the jokes.
But even without taking into account all this homage pay to popular culture, this final episode is still a very strong and interesting story. The first and only Strong Bad season ends on a high note and makes you forget about all the problems in previous episodes when developers overdid a little with the craziness and overall tone. I highly recommend you to get this game while you can because it can be delisted at any moment like other Telltale games, it's an amazing and extremely underrated comedy adventure that is a rare beast on their own.
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22. Strong Bad Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough - 2.5 hours
Telltale went all in the Strong Bad season finale and made one of their best games ever. In the last episode, the balance between story and gameplay is almost perfect - story pacing and direction are great, puzzles are mostly perfectly logical, and gameplay keeps constantly emerging and bringing new situations and rules.
This time the whole premise is about videogames of 80'-90's, with tons of references and quotes about old PC and consoles culture. If the amounts of mini-games in previous episodes were really small, in this episode new gameplay twists and rules appear almost every 10 minutes - there is parts where you need to run around the dark hunted house and scare the ghosts with a flashlight or even portion where game literally turns into First Person Shooter. The cast is playing roles of familiar heroes from classic games and constantly saying something like "You shall not pass!" or "A winner is you!". List of parodies includes King's Quest, Donkey Kong, Wolfenstein 3D, Mega Man, and even Quake! Actually, that's where lays the main problem of this episode - without knowing all those cultural references you'll miss out on most of the jokes.
But even without taking into account all this homage pay to popular culture, this final episode is still a very strong and interesting story. The first and only Strong Bad season ends on a high note and makes you forget about all the problems in previous episodes when developers overdid a little with the craziness and overall tone. I highly recommend you to get this game while you can because it can be delisted at any moment like other Telltale games, it's an amazing and extremely underrated comedy adventure that is a rare beast on their own.
(Part 1 of 2 - Q2 update)
I have a gaming blog, which you can read here, with all the fancy formatting and pictures. I'm currently up to 27/52 games completed.
10. Devil May Cry 5
11. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
12. Castlevania (Castlevania Anniversary Collection)
13. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy)
14. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy)
15-20: Disney's Afternoon Collection (Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 1 & 2, TaleSpin, DuckTales 1 & 2 and Darkwing Duck)
21: Yoshi's Crafted World
22. Katana ZERO
23. Blaster Master Zero
24. Yakuza: Kiwami
25. DOOM (2016)
26. Astal
27. Panzer Dragoon
April Showers Bring May Backlogs and June Tears
For the months of April, May and June, I can finally start to breathe and ease back into my ever-growing backlog. With my busy season at work coming to an end in April, I get the opportunity to return to a seemingly normal schedule/routine comprised mostly of gaming, going to the gym and writing about games (until I have to do this all over again). The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has come and gone and 2019 continues to be a busy year on the gaming front with new and interesting games releasing nearly every week. It's IMPOSSIBLE to keep up with it all and for someone who has a variety of interests, my attention is constantly being pulled in a 100 different directions. With that said, here's what I've managed to play for the months of April through June.
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The Boys are Back in Town
Capcom's legendary action game franchise is back, baby! It's been eleven years since a proper Devil May Cry (DMC) game from Capcom's internal studios. The boys are back in town, so to speak, as the franchise is no longer in Ninja Theory's hands. Hideaki Itsuno (director of previous DMC titles and Dragon's Dogma fame), cinematic & action coordinator extraordinaire, Yuji Shimomura, and actors Reuben Langdon & Johnny Yong Bosch round out the development team and cast, respectively, bringing fans what is arguably the most passionate DMC title to date. Devil May Cry V is very much a return-to-form in many respects yet it somehow manages to progress the series/genre ever so slightly forward with its new playable character, impressive new visuals and passive online multiplayer features.
DMC5 takes place after the events of DMC4 and is also considered the latest in the franchise's timeline. Dante and Nero have returned from the previous games and perform similarly to their counterparts from previous titles. In addition to Nero's Exceed system from DMC4, his Devil Bringer has been replaced by interchangeable/expendable mechanical arms, which allow for more options and nuance in combat. Finally, Dante returns with his signature styles and arsenal of weapons. It's easily the most overwhelming entry to day, at least in terms of learning all of the mechanics and combat options available at any given time. Of the twenty or so missions, each character has their designated stages, but unlike DMC4 (which had Dante repeating Nero's levels backwards), most missions tread new grounds. One could argue that the mission design and flow feels safe/dated, but the game looks phenomenal (due in part to the new & shiny RE Engine).
One of the most impressive aspects of DMC5, however, is the fact that most, if not all of the missions introduce either a new enemy type or culminate with a unique boss battle, but this comes with a caveat, however. One thing I particularly loved about Bayonetta (which is arguably the spiritual successor/evolution to DMC) was its bestiary and how each enemy (angel) had both a rich lore and a sense of place within the game's universe. To further showcase the angels in Bayonetta, each enemy would receive its own introduction sequence. After a stylish cinematic, each monster would then be enclosed by a bible-like book, encapsulating the angel's artwork and description for the player to read at their discretion. It was an extra little detail that made each encounter feel unique and special and no other character-driven action game has aped Platinum Games in this category since.
While most DMC games have traditionally introduced monsters/demons in a similar fashion, they're often cinematically represented with the accompanying witty banter between said monster and protagonist. Ninja Theory's DmC followed suit and although the cut-scenes weren't as stylish or well-shot as Capcom's previous titles and the sarcastic commentary was always hit/miss, the team made a conscious decision to implement splash screens which displayed the enemy's name. For me personally, this stylistic choice felt like something you would have seen out of a sixth generation 3rd-person action-adventure title like Midway's The Suffering. DMC5 seems to strike a balance between the older games and Ninja Theory's title by incorporating similar splash screens, but they're not as impactful/interesting as Bayonetta (and the first game is nearly a decade old now!).
What sets DMC5 apart from the rest of the franchise, most importantly, is both the newcomer "V" and the game's asynchronous online multiplayer features. The new poetry-reading character, V, and his trio of summons (which also happen to be callbacks to enemies and boss characters from DMC1) provides a new/interesting way to engage with the denizens of the underworld. Unlike Dante and Nero's close-quarters combat styles, V is a long-ranger character who commands familiars to do his bidding from afar. In addition to a new playable character, DMC5 integrates online player's mission data into the single-player experience that's certainly a first for the genre. In certain instances throughout specific missions, Dante, Nero and V will sometimes cross paths both in & out of cut-scenes. The big difference here, however, is that when the player is seeing one of these characters perform actions in the background or on an alternate path, it's actually data that's been recorded by a real player. It's a novel idea that feels like a half-step towards a true multiplayer experience.
Since the game's launch, I've been tackling a mission or two a week. I completed the game on Devil Hunter difficulty, which is the hardest mode that's available from the start, unfortunately, as the game's default difficulty is rather easy. While the mission design is arguably dated and not as varied thematically as say Ninja Theory's DmC, there's something refreshing about its stubbornness to progress beyond its well-trodden legacy. In an age where a lot of "AAA" developers/publishers are striving to release the biggest, busiest, chore-filled open worlds, having a very focused and linear character-based action game is a delight, especially when there's not a whole lot of competition at the moment. With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice having just released and games like Bayonetta 3 & Nioh 2 looming on the horizon, it's a wonderful time to be a fan of character-driven action games.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, From Software's latest "Souls-like" and spiritual successor to the Tenchu franchise, snuck its way out to a very crowded market in March. As someone who's been playing From Software titles since the 90s (King's Field was my very first exposure to their games), Sekiro, in more ways than one, feels like the culmination of a lot From's previous efforts. Part Souls, part Tenchu and a whole lot of pain & suffering, Sekiro manages to break away from the successful formula that's rooted itself since Demon's Soul while still maintaining that distinct hook & feel From Software titles are known for today. First and foremost, character builds, traditional leveling mechanics and stat distribution have been dialed back, even further more than Bloodborne's "limited" options. You're a shinobi with nothing but a sword and you're on a rescue mission fueled by revenge (or so I've gathered). Oh, and you've got a prosthetic arm, not unlike Nero's amalgamation of tools from DMC5.
As someone who grew-up playing and loving the early Tenchu games, its legacy is clearly notable at a first-glance. The player assumes the role of Wolf who can perform stealth kills from behind, from above or even when hanging from a ledge. To even the odds (as the game is very challenging) consumables aplenty can be discovered/used and there are skill and ability-trees, which grant the shinobi new techniques. A simple experience system is in place in addition to a Black World Tendency-like mechanic (events and characters can change depending on how many deaths the player endures), for those who are familiar with Demon's Souls. While I've only defeated a handful of the major bosses in Sekiro, I'm still too early in the game to discuss my experience in finer detail. I've enjoyed what I've played so far (despite banging my head up against a wall during a few boss encounters), but I just haven't committed myself to what it's offering beyond a session or two or three...
Saturday Morning Cartoons
To round out my experience with both the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy, respectively, I've been playing a level or two each week over the past few months in both Crash Bandicoot: Warped and Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon. I completed Spyro 3 with the Platinum Trophy and all Skill Points, but I did not 100% Crash Bandicoot 3, as I'm in no rush to complete the time trials. I played these two franchises extensively back in the day and even managed to 100% them back on the original PlayStation. It's been fun revisiting these iconic platformers and despite some entries holding-up better than others, I think I have the most nostalgia for the first title from each respective franchise. With that said, the second games are my personal favorite entries and I'd like to think they encapsulate what each series does best.
Replaying the third entries in these two franchises reminded me of what typically happened to the Sony era of 3D mascot platformers from their respective generations. While Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank more or less stayed true to its roots over the years (excluding the Deadlocked, Full Frontal Assault and All 4 One's of the universe), both Naughty Dog's and Sucker Punch's Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper, respectively, eventually veered off the proverbial platformer road. It's no surprise what happened to a lot of these platformers from the PS2 era considering both Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon ultimately deluded into a cacophony of genre types, including jet ski, motorbike, skateboarding, biplane stages and the like. At the end of the day, I enjoyed revisiting these two franchises with a fresh coat of paint and I'm hoping they sold well enough to warrant new entries moving forward.
I didn't particularly grow-up with Disney and I'm still rather lukewarm to their cartoons, characters, stories and movies (despite being somewhat of a Kingdom Hearts fan, too). Capcom, Mega Man and 2D platformers, however, were a huge part of my childhood and despite my best efforts to play as many games as I could get my hands on, I was never exposed to the licensed titles developed by Capcom. Over the past month or so, I've been spending a good portion of my Saturday mornings playing a single game from The Disney Afternoon Collection. I've managed to complete all of the games from this collection, including Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 1 & 2, TaleSpin, DuckTales 1 & 2 and Darkwing Duck without having to resort to save states or using the collection's internal rewind feature.
Chip 'n Dale 1 & 2 are competent 2D platformers for their time with the former having a somewhat nonlinear approach to stage selection and the later being much more straightforward. Each level from both games provided short & breezy romps filled with enemies, traps and hazards to avoid. There's nothing particularly spectacular about either game, to be honest. Aside from having the ability to pick-up crates and launch them while crouching (and the occasional verticality to some of the stages), there's not a whole lot to write home about. Each stage ultimately lead to relatively easy boss encounters, too. TaleSpin on the other hand was an inoffensive arcade shooter with unresponsive controls (which could have been due to the emulation/port), strange half-horizontal, half-vertical stages and some truly frustrating boss fights. While there are some novel ideas in TaleSpin (such as the ability to fly backwards in a stage and a shop to purchase upgrades in-between levels), the off-screen spawn-rate of enemies and some of the design decisions around the edges left a sour impression on me once I saw the credits roll.
DuckTales and Darkwing Duck are both notorious for their novelty and difficulty, respectively. DuckTales holds a special place in the hearts of many old-school gamers and its quality/competency is still apparent today. Although stages can be attempted in any order, there's a light Metroid-like element to its overall structure (such as a key that must be found in one stage before accessing another). Players can exit the level mid-stage (if they happen to find their pilot buddy) and essentially bank the money/gems they've earned thus far. In the first game, money collected impacted the ending, but in the sequel, cash could be used to purchase items/upgrades. Controls were tight, bouncing up & down on the pogo-stick felt satisfying and although stages were relatively short, they were packed with hidden gems and secret passageways. Oh, and there's that Moon theme, too.
The sequel is more or less structured similarly, although I found it to be a much easier experience. DuckTales 2 also had multiple endings, which were based on, once again, money collected. There were also hidden map pieces in each stage, which seemed tucked away relatively well because I only found two of them. At the end of my first play-through, I only managed to see the normal credits roll, but perhaps I'll go back by the end of the year and seek out those remaining map pieces for the best ending. Another surprising thing to note about both games is the fact that there's difficulty options (similar to Capcom's very own Mega Man 2, there's an Easy, Normal and Difficult setting). I played and completed both games on Normal, but I'm curious just how much more frustrating this "Difficult" setting is.
Darkwing Duck is mostly known for its difficulty, but outside of the spawn-rate of off-screen enemies (which nearly every NES game is guilty of) and a few annoying platforming sections, I didn't think it was any more challenging than some of its contemporaries. Similar to DuckTales, there's a stage-select screen, which allows the player to tackle three levels in any particular order. After these first three stages are completed, three more can be conquered, which ultimately leads to the final few levels. Darkwing Duck can run, jump, shoot and even deflect projectiles with his cape (which is honestly the coolest mechanic/ability out of all the Capcom Disney games I've played). While there are sub-weapons (such as a lightning gun), they're not exactly useful from my experience. Finally, similar to the other games on this collection, there's an abundance of opportunities to earn extra lives/continues (or what the digital manuals refer to as "chances"... cute.), so if this isn't your first rodeo with games from this era, I can't imagine the difficulty being an issue for most players.
End of Days
In post-apocalyptic gaming news, over the past month or so, I started playing Naughty Dog's The Last of Us: Remastered, Bend Studio's Days Gone, id Software's DOOM (2016) and id Software and Avalanche Studio's RAGE 2. As someone who's surprisingly completed the original RAGE at 100% completion (including the DLC), I was actually rather excited to get my hands on what was presumably going to be both a better game and a more competent sequel. I mean, we're talking about a collaboration between one of the most well-known and highly respected first-person shooter developers in the business and a studio that's rooted in open-world shenanigans. While the first RAGE was known for its visuals (remember "mega textures"?) and its novel approach to open-world car combat, id's first foray into the wasteland was perhaps a bit premature for its time.
Now, nearly eight years later and with more experience and wisdom behind the wheel, the developers responsible for RAGE 2 have somehow managed to create one of the most inoffensive, slightly subdued, not-so-crazy (as the trailers and promotional materials would have otherwise suggested) sequels imaginable. I have logged around 10 hours on Nightmare difficulty (which is honestly the preferred way to play) and it's mostly a fine game. RAGE 2's story can be summarized in a sentence or two; a meteor hit the Earth and laid waste to the world. Some righteous "authority" has been driven underground and you, the only remaining ranger, must put an end to their uprising. Oh, and there's mutants, thugs and other cyberpunk-like happenings to sink your neon-colored nails into. The narrative wasn't the first game's finest point and neither is the sequel from what I've seen. The moment-to-moment gameplay, however, is where RAGE 2 excels.
As someone who's never finished DOOM 2016 (but restarted a campaign recently on Nightmare difficulty in tandem with RAGE 2), it's been interesting to compare the differences between the two games, at least in terms of their gunplay and overall design. DOOM is an extremely fast-paced first-person shooter which takes place in relatively linear, semi-open environments with lots of verticality, hordes of demons/monsters to kill and tons of nooks & crannies to explore. RAGE 2, however, is a mildly-tempered, open-world first-person shooter with, what I like to call, "pockets of DOOM 2016". RAGE 2 is at its best when it channels the energy of its hell-bent brethren and the player stumbles upon the numerous bandit camps littered across the wasteland and embraces all of the tools, options and abilities at their disposal.
Everything else around the edges leaves a lot to be desired, however. The first two major towns I visited (one of which was from the original RAGE) felt too similar architecturally and was missing the personality and charm found (surprisingly) in the first game's establishments. The emergent gameplay opportunities and activities outside of these encampments/main missions (meteors crashing, races to complete, convoys to destroy, etc.) aren't very exciting either, but perhaps I'm still too early to judge. I'm enjoying my time with the game, but outside of ticking those open-world checklists (that I'm relatively fond of) and the satisfying/rewarding combat encounters, RAGE 2 can feel surprisingly dull/uninspired.
Finally, I restarted a play-through of The Last of Us: Remastered (again) and picked-up Days Gone on release. The Last of Us is considered one of the greatest games of all time and Days Gone has the unfortunate reality of living up to imaginary standards unknowingly set by the community at large. For those who are unfamiliar, both The Last of Us and Days Gone are post-apocalyptic, 3rd-person action-adventure games. While the both games are cinematic, character-driven experiences that are heavy on the narrative, the former is more linear while the later is a traditional open-world game... with a bike. Starting these two games back to back, it was clear to me that while on the surface, The Last of Us and Days Gone may share some commonalities, the two couldn't be further from each other in terms of overall presentation, delivery and pacing.
Take the introduction sequence in both games, for example. The Last of Us begins with a suspenseful opening that's extremely well paced which culminates in a heart-wrenching moment between a father and daughter. Days Gone, however, removes any amount of suspense or slice of life moment that could have been there and presents the player with two characters who presumably love each other in a dire situation with no proper buildup. Who are these characters and why should I care that they're immediately in danger? This is not to say that the later isn't a stylistic choice that could work, but in Days Gone's case, it's definitely jarring and the emotional impact is not earned unlike The Last of Us. From the little I played of Days Gone so far, it appears to be a well-made, competent open-world affair. It's visually impressive and the Portland, Oregon setting paints a beautiful yet dreary landscape with dense forests, lush vegetation and dynamic weather effects. I'm curious to play more down the road, but its first few hours did not impress.
(Part 2 of 2 - Q2 Update)
Switching Perspective
Yoshi's Crafted World is the fourth collaboration between Nintendo and Good-Feel. It's also the third entry in their now long-running arts & crafts affairs (first being Kirby's Epic Yarn, second being Yoshi's Woolly World). I am currently at the point of the game where the world map branches and stages can be tackled in a somewhat nonlinear fashion. If you're familiar with the more recent Yoshi titles (or even the classic SNES game, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island), Crafted World doesn't stay too far from its tried & true formula. Yoshi can run, jump, flutter, and toss collected eggs like he/she could do in previous games. This time around, however, Yoshi can target objects and enemies in the background/foreground. Although Crafted World's stages are 2D, the game incorporates 3D elements (such as paths that go inward/outward) and dynamic camera perspectives, which creates an illusion of a much larger more tactile space.
Crafted World's aesthetic isn't entirely new to the scene. Games such as Media Molecule's Tearaway or even Nintendo's very own Paper Mario franchise have experimented with the arts & crafts-look before. Stages feel like, for the lack of a better term, hand-crafted, and each level has dozens of unique art assets on display. A variety of colorful fabrics and creative materials provide a tangible backdrop begging to be played with. The diorama effect is strong with Crafted World, as it feels like the developers physically placed their creations on a big slab of cardboard and we're simply looking down upon and interacting with their set. It's also interesting there isn't some sort of Nintendo Labo VR integration as not only is there an unlockable Labo costume for Yoshi, but the dollhouse-like nature of the game's presentation would lend itself to such a feature. My only gripes with the game, albeit minor, is the soundtrack and some of the design decisions that were made around specific collectibles.
Tomoya Tomita (who's worked on Woolly World and previous Good-Feel titles) did not contribute to the game's OST and it clearly shows. The music isn't offensive, but similar to one of the more recent portable Yoshi games, the same theme or two is used throughout the majority of the game with little variation. Also, after each stage in a world is completed, the player can replay levels in search of hidden objects scattered about the foregrounds/backgrounds. The problem here is the fact that you can only accept one of these requests at a time and some worlds can have up to nearly a dozen or so to complete. While you can exit the stage as soon as you find the hidden objects, it would have been nice to stack the requests so the player wouldn't have to restart the stage numerous times.
I completed the game with mostly everything collected from the main worlds, but there's a ton of post-game content I'll return to in order to complete the game at 100% once I clear my plate of other games that have been in-progress for awhile. I also couldn't help but to think about Skip Ltd.'s Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash while I played Crafted World, particularly due to its fictional advertisements and fake product placement. While Nintendo's very own Pikmin franchise has been known for its placement of Skippy's peanut butter, Duracell batteries and Chapsticks, Chibi-Robo is no stranger to the lords of brands with its inclusion of utz Natural Potato Chips, Tootsie Pops and Cheese Okaki (whatever that is!). Chibi-Robo! has had many strange adventures over the years. It's arguably Nintendo's longest running IP with the biggest identity crisis, too. From a 3D adventure game on the Nintendo Gamecube to a real-life photo-finder and now a traditional 2D platformer both on the Nintendo 3DS, Chibi-Robo has been around the block and then-some.
I've been playing Zip Lash off and on since its release, but I started a new file earlier this year in an effort to see it to its conclusion. I love 2D platformers, especially those from Nintendo and their partner studios. While Skip's craftsmanship isn't on the same level as say Good-Feel, they're still a relatively competent developer worth discussing. I'm up to the 3rd or 4th world in Zip Lash and it's simply an inoffensive 2D platformer starring everyone's favorite extension chord. If there's anything to fault Zip Lash for, however, is its incessant need to speak to or message the player and its over abundance of unique animations. While I appreciate the efforts made in both categories, the over-tutorialization of some of Nintendo's games has put many players off from playing some of their games. While I've been told I have the patience of a saint, Chibi-Robo has tested my willingness to persevere beyond its wall-o-texts and dance moves for even the simplest of occasions. I'll finish this game at some point while eating Mortiz Esikonfekt, if I must!
Baba Is You. You Is Baba. Baba Is Smart And Clever. Baba Is Cute. Undo. Undo. Undo. Baba Is Difficult And Rewarding. Baba Is Dead. Restart. Baba Is Frustrating. Baba Is Fun. Undo. Undo. Addicting And Confusing Is Baba. Baba Is Switch And PC. Dark And Depressing Is You. Indie Is Baba. Baba Is Indie. Baba Is Value. Undo. Undo. Undo. Undo. You Is Enamored. Enamored Is You. Undo. Baba Is Gem. Gem Is Hidden. Undo. Undo. Undo. Baba Is Game. Heartache Is Baba. Baba Is Repetition. Undo. Undo. Undo. Undo. Baba Is Love. Baba Is Respect. Baba Is You. Restart.
Ongoing Affairs
While Destiny 2: Forsaken, Monster Hunter: World and Overwatch continue to be my primary games that are consistently in-rotation (in due part to their special events; The Revelry, Spring Blossom Festival and Storm Rising Archives/Anniversary events, respectively), I've started over (yet again) in the original Tom Clancy's: The Division in hopes of at least completing the main campaign before the end of the year. I'm currently Level 11 mopping-up a few side missions and activities before I tackle the next main objective. I've also dipped my toes into a few matches of EA's/Respawn's Apex Legends, but I haven't played enough of the game to make any sort of significant progress towards its Season 1 Wild Frontier Battle Pass unlocks. I did manage to win a single game, but with Season 2 around the corner, I think I'll take a wait & see approach before I invest any more of my time. Finally, I started Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (against my better judgment), created a character, chose a server where a few friends play, got to Level 5 and logged-off.
Destiny 2's Season of the Drifter and The Revelry have come and gone and I managed to complete all of the unique seasonal and event-related triumphs, respectively. With this past season, many changes were made to Gambit (and for the better), including new bounties for level 50 characters (which incentivized guardians to hit a higher power level much quicker), new pursuits, exotic quests and unique game modes called Gambit Prime and The Reckoning. Gambit Prime was essentially a consolidation of the original Gambit mode; a single-round comprised of everything you're already familiar with, but with a twist. New armor pieces, which when equipped as a set, could provide passive bonuses to the player based on their preferred role (invader, collector, sentry and reaper, to be specific).
Since Destiny 2 is an ongoing affair with seemingly no end in sight, I've had to set mini-goals for myself each season in order to stay focused. For season 6, I was committed to earning the coveted Dredgen title and its respective seal. In order to accomplish this task, the player had to complete a certain amount of Gambit-related triumphs (in-game achievements) as well as completing its corresponding collection's tab (which meant collecting at least one of every unique Gambit-related item). Resetting your Infamy rank and defeating the rare "meatball" enemy during a match three times (among other tasks) was on my to-do list at the start of the season. Fortunately, as far as I know, resetting your Infamy rank three times can be completed across individual seasons, although there is an emblem for resetting three times within a single season (which I also managed to accomplish!).
After many, many rounds of both Gambit and Gambit Prime as well as taking advantage of a x2 Infamy week (thanks Bungie), I managed to score the Dredgen title and its respective seal during the Season of the Drifter! While I've pumped the breaks, so to speak, in the weeks preceding the Season of Opulence, my next course of action is to either raid more regularly in the coming summer months or catch-up with my alt-characters (Hunter and Warlock), or some combination of the two. I'm more willing to grind-out triumphs and seals I can do either on my own or with randoms as its been difficult to schedule cooperative tasks with my clan as of late. Regardless, I'm looking forward to (hopefully) a summer of raiding and the Shadowkeep expansion in the Fall!
Games In-Progress
Here is a list of games I've started, stopped or checked-out since the new year. I don't quite have the words ready for the games below, but you can look forward to reading my thoughts in the coming months.
PS3:
- Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition
- Ratchet & Clank (Ratchet & Clank Collection)
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
PS4:
- Chasm
- Timespinner
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- Sonic Mania Plus
Nintendo Switch:
- Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
- Super Mario Maker 2
- Pikuniku
- Mechstermination Force
- Katana ZERO
- Blaster Master Zero
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Mom Hid My Game!
- Wandersong
- Lightning Force: Quest for the Darkstar (Sega Ages)
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Octopath Traveler
Nintendo 3DS:
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
- Super Mario Maker for the Nintendo 3DS
- Ever Oasis
- Pokemon Sun
- Fluidity: Spin Cycle
Xbox One:
- Ashen
- Crackdown 3
- Below
- Forza Horizon 4
- Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
- Void Bastards
- Outer Wilds
56. 11-11 Memories Retold
A light adventure game set in WW1 with a curious watercolour visual style. Was susrprised to see that Elijah Wood voices one of the main characters.
The game has multiple endings though I think I didn't get the best one :P
Was a nice experience esp. if one is into light adventure games ala Telltale style.
A light adventure game set in WW1 with a curious watercolour visual style. Was susrprised to see that Elijah Wood voices one of the main characters.
The game has multiple endings though I think I didn't get the best one :P
Was a nice experience esp. if one is into light adventure games ala Telltale style.
Original Post
41) Castlevania (Steam - June 27th - 1 hour - 3/5)
Just as fun on a second playthrough.
42) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Steam - June 28th - 3 hours - 2/5)
This game however, is not. While I was willing to cut it some slack for its strangeness when I played it for the first time last year, on a second playthrough the game's just boring. Still needed a guide to finish it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
43) Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Steam - July 1st - 10 hours - 4/5)
Now we're talking. Easily the best classic Castlevania on a Nintendo system, but not quite Rondo of Blood level. Got all endings.
44) Super Castlevania IV (Steam - July 2nd - 3 hours - 3/5)
After having played III I feel now even stronger about SCIV being a disappointment. The improved movement feels nice, but it makes the game too easy for the most part. Not a bad game by any means, but it doesn't touch III or Rondo.
45) Castlevania: The Adventure (Steam - July 3rd - 1 hour - 1/5)
Sure didn't think I'd ever play this game again. On one hand I can appreciate it being part of the collection, it came out very early in the Game Boy's life cycle and is impressive and important in its own way. But then you actually get to play it, and it is one of the worst feeling games I ever played. It's so sluggish, so unbelievably slow, it's infuriating. This is my second (and hopefully last) time playing it, and I think I can say it is the worst game I ever finished.
46) Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (Steam - July 3rd - 2 hours - 3/5)
I'm having a hard time believing this and The Adventure are the same series. This is just a Castlevania-ass Castlevania game, on the Game Boy. Very cool, makes me wish Castlevania Legends is also part of this collection.
47) Castlevania: Bloodlines (Steam - July 5th - 5 hours - 3/5
Puh, fatigue is definitely setting in at this point. But this game is pretty cool too, especially the final level and the boss fights in it. Some of the bosses are just weird though. What the hell is up with that Golem or that Gears thing? Also, Eric > John
Currently playing
Kid Dracula
Picross 2
Man, Castlevania rules so much. A second collection with the GBA games and such would be sick. Cmon Konami, you don't do much else these days, so please do this at least :(
41) Castlevania (Steam - June 27th - 1 hour - 3/5)
Just as fun on a second playthrough.
42) Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Steam - June 28th - 3 hours - 2/5)
This game however, is not. While I was willing to cut it some slack for its strangeness when I played it for the first time last year, on a second playthrough the game's just boring. Still needed a guide to finish it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
43) Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Steam - July 1st - 10 hours - 4/5)
Now we're talking. Easily the best classic Castlevania on a Nintendo system, but not quite Rondo of Blood level. Got all endings.
44) Super Castlevania IV (Steam - July 2nd - 3 hours - 3/5)
After having played III I feel now even stronger about SCIV being a disappointment. The improved movement feels nice, but it makes the game too easy for the most part. Not a bad game by any means, but it doesn't touch III or Rondo.
45) Castlevania: The Adventure (Steam - July 3rd - 1 hour - 1/5)
Sure didn't think I'd ever play this game again. On one hand I can appreciate it being part of the collection, it came out very early in the Game Boy's life cycle and is impressive and important in its own way. But then you actually get to play it, and it is one of the worst feeling games I ever played. It's so sluggish, so unbelievably slow, it's infuriating. This is my second (and hopefully last) time playing it, and I think I can say it is the worst game I ever finished.
46) Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (Steam - July 3rd - 2 hours - 3/5)
I'm having a hard time believing this and The Adventure are the same series. This is just a Castlevania-ass Castlevania game, on the Game Boy. Very cool, makes me wish Castlevania Legends is also part of this collection.
47) Castlevania: Bloodlines (Steam - July 5th - 5 hours - 3/5
Puh, fatigue is definitely setting in at this point. But this game is pretty cool too, especially the final level and the boss fights in it. Some of the bosses are just weird though. What the hell is up with that Golem or that Gears thing? Also, Eric > John
Currently playing
Kid Dracula
Picross 2
Man, Castlevania rules so much. A second collection with the GBA games and such would be sick. Cmon Konami, you don't do much else these days, so please do this at least :(
56. Athena (2 hours)
It's got a fun core, but it's very, very dated. The jumping mechanics are baffling, there's no mercy invincibility, and it's very easy to miss certain items that are required for progression, ending playthroughs early.
Full list to date
It's got a fun core, but it's very, very dated. The jumping mechanics are baffling, there's no mercy invincibility, and it's very easy to miss certain items that are required for progression, ending playthroughs early.
Full list to date
57. Ikari Warriors (<1 hour)
It definitely controls stiff, and I noticed some bugs, but this is a fun twin stick romp.
Full list to date
It definitely controls stiff, and I noticed some bugs, but this is a fun twin stick romp.
Full list to date
59. The Hex (PC) | 6.4 hours
What an astoundingly good game. By Daniel Mullins, the creator of Pony Island, this might be one of the finest narrative style indie games I've ever played, with a poignant message that I won't spoil here. I enjoyed the overwhelming majority of its run time, and it's well worth its present Steam sale price (50% off). It's frustrating not being able to go into too much detail as to why this game is so great because of spoilers. Argh!
What an astoundingly good game. By Daniel Mullins, the creator of Pony Island, this might be one of the finest narrative style indie games I've ever played, with a poignant message that I won't spoil here. I enjoyed the overwhelming majority of its run time, and it's well worth its present Steam sale price (50% off). It's frustrating not being able to go into too much detail as to why this game is so great because of spoilers. Argh!
58. TNK III (1 hour)
The gameplay seems like it would be more fun than Ikari Warriors, but it's way too easy to die, with your healthbar often falling down to zero in seconds. I also noticed some similarly glitchy controls to Ikari.
Full list to date
The gameplay seems like it would be more fun than Ikari Warriors, but it's way too easy to die, with your healthbar often falling down to zero in seconds. I also noticed some similarly glitchy controls to Ikari.
Full list to date
59. Flower (1 hour)
A serene little art game with a gorgeous art style and soundtrack.
Full list to date
A serene little art game with a gorgeous art style and soundtrack.
Full list to date
Game #72 - Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Time: 8 hours
Still one of my favorite "metroidvanias" ever, now with added zones and bosses (although to be fair, I couldnt tell you whats new since I barely remembered the original release lol), none of which apparently add much to the game (nor do they detract from it tho). Fantastic art style (that looks gorgeous on the Switch's portable screen), still the same great gameplay and level design, good length, not too hard unless you want to tackle the harder optional challenges, just a near-perfect example of the genre in my opinion, and a must play for any fan of said genre. I've never played the sequel, something which I need to fix soon.
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MAIN THREAD
COMPLETED | 39
#37: Resident Evil 2 (6/29/2019 ) | 10/10 | PS4| ~ 13 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall - 10 | After beating both runs, the first thing I thought of is starting the game again. Its incredible
Gameplay - 9.4 | Everything is polished, controls, graphics, enemies and the world
Sound - 9 | Subtle sounds turn into horror as loud thuds from Tyrant
Story/Online - 9 | Playing both runs brings out a better story and fills in some holes from the other.
Asking Price- 9.67 | Need to go back for the extra modes, but the game is built to keep replaying run after run
#38: LEGO The Incredibles (7/6/2019) | 8/10 | PS4 | ~ 19Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall - 8 | One of the better Lego games I have built. It takes new and old and meshes them together in a fun world
Gameplay -8 | Mostly the same style (which I already enjoyed). Level design is really cool!
Sound - 8 | Vocied + Soundtrack are decent.
Story/Online -7 | Mish mash of the movie's. Really odd you go 2nd movie than 1st
Asking Price-8 | Never overstays its welcome. Has a good amount of content.
#39: Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth (7/7/2019 ) | 9/10 | VITA | ~ 40 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall - 9 | Great end to the series and nice improvements over Mask of Deception
Gameplay -8.4 | Combat has been improved (With fantastic final boss). Games is generally VN which plays well
Sound -9 | Every character has real emotion through VA. Background music generally good
Story/Online - 9 | Capitalizes on all the character development in #2 to tell a long & rapid story.
Asking Price- 9 | Besides the main game, lots of extras to keep you coming back.
COMPLETED | 39
#37: Resident Evil 2 (6/29/2019 ) | 10/10 | PS4| ~ 13 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall - 10 | After beating both runs, the first thing I thought of is starting the game again. Its incredible
Gameplay - 9.4 | Everything is polished, controls, graphics, enemies and the world
Sound - 9 | Subtle sounds turn into horror as loud thuds from Tyrant
Story/Online - 9 | Playing both runs brings out a better story and fills in some holes from the other.
Asking Price- 9.67 | Need to go back for the extra modes, but the game is built to keep replaying run after run
#38: LEGO The Incredibles (7/6/2019) | 8/10 | PS4 | ~ 19Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall - 8 | One of the better Lego games I have built. It takes new and old and meshes them together in a fun world
Gameplay -8 | Mostly the same style (which I already enjoyed). Level design is really cool!
Sound - 8 | Vocied + Soundtrack are decent.
Story/Online -7 | Mish mash of the movie's. Really odd you go 2nd movie than 1st
Asking Price-8 | Never overstays its welcome. Has a good amount of content.
#39: Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth (7/7/2019 ) | 9/10 | VITA | ~ 40 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall - 9 | Great end to the series and nice improvements over Mask of Deception
Gameplay -8.4 | Combat has been improved (With fantastic final boss). Games is generally VN which plays well
Sound -9 | Every character has real emotion through VA. Background music generally good
Story/Online - 9 | Capitalizes on all the character development in #2 to tell a long & rapid story.
Asking Price- 9 | Besides the main game, lots of extras to keep you coming back.
30. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight - 09/07/2019
Lightning fast and with a protagonist made of wet tissue paper, Momodora plays a lot like a 2D cute girl pixel art version of Bloodborne, only I mean that as a compliment since the game captures the frenetic action and sense of dread that Bloodborne is so good at creating.
Lightning fast and with a protagonist made of wet tissue paper, Momodora plays a lot like a 2D cute girl pixel art version of Bloodborne, only I mean that as a compliment since the game captures the frenetic action and sense of dread that Bloodborne is so good at creating.
Weekly update 27!
Updating late again, this time because my graphics card decided to die on me and everything is just a mess. Ohwell!
62. Stardew Valley (iOS) | 5th Jul - 116hrs | 4/5
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Master Post!
Updating late again, this time because my graphics card decided to die on me and everything is just a mess. Ohwell!
62. Stardew Valley (iOS) | 5th Jul - 116hrs | 4/5
When I heard Stardew Valley would come to phones I was so happy and I bought it immediately when it released. It's a perfect game to play here and there, going through a day or two or even do a longer session and blast through even more days (in the very familiar "just one more day..." manner for example). It has been perfectly ported with quicksaving at any point and a huge amount of control options. I cannot help but miss the mouse and keyboard controls tho since I am not the biggest fan of touch controls, which made the experience just a little less enjoyable than the almost perfect PC version. Otherwise it's the very same with all the charming characters, fun gameplay loop and challenges. I played through about two and a half in-game years, got the best rating in the evaluation and finished the collections. So much fun!
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Master Post!
It is just great seeing so many people updating their posts on the first pages. Keep going, we can do it!
I am playing my 40th game (The Wonderful 101) right now so I am quite optimistic that I will make it this year (acutally for the first time!)
I am playing my 40th game (The Wonderful 101) right now so I am quite optimistic that I will make it this year (acutally for the first time!)
25. Sigil [Ultimate DOOM+ZDoom+SIGIL Megawad] (Steam, 2019/06/10, 1h37m50s)
John Romero created a 5th episode for the original Doom and its 25th anniversary. I enjoyed the new content a lot. The level design, environment puzzles, enemy placement, everything is very coherent and completely in line with the original game. Thanks to ZDoom all "quality of life" needs are covered and the game plays as good as I remember it from my 486DX2@66MHz days back in the 90s.
26. Rocketbirds 2 Evolution (PS4, 2019/06/12, 6 hrs)
The poultry pun action platformer is back. I liked this sequel not as much as first game. The way the stages are layered made it unpleasant to find the places you need to be. It often sent me on a wild goose chase (pun intended) through already cleared corridors. Voice acting, quirky story and characters were fun. The action platforming solid and nicely paced with small puzzles. Good B grade fun overall.
27. Graceful Explosion Machine (Steam, 2019/06/14, 7.5 hrs)
The visuals of this defender style SHMUP reminded me of the Kurzgesagt videos on Youtube. The shooting is super solid and satisfying. Having multiple weapons with different strength and weaknesses adds a bit of depth to the gameplay. The difficulty ramps up slow, but steadily. The last stages are more about survival and crowd control. I wish the stages had proper bosses instead of "survive a ton of waves". Nice little shooter, but also a little forgettable.
28. Beyond: Two Souls (PS4, 2019/06/21, 1.5x DS4 charges)
Ellen Page, the game. I'm a big fan of hers and she killed it. The story and events were the right amount of David Cage. I really enjoyed Beyond start to finish and looking forward to Detroit now.
[index]
John Romero created a 5th episode for the original Doom and its 25th anniversary. I enjoyed the new content a lot. The level design, environment puzzles, enemy placement, everything is very coherent and completely in line with the original game. Thanks to ZDoom all "quality of life" needs are covered and the game plays as good as I remember it from my 486DX2@66MHz days back in the 90s.
26. Rocketbirds 2 Evolution (PS4, 2019/06/12, 6 hrs)
The poultry pun action platformer is back. I liked this sequel not as much as first game. The way the stages are layered made it unpleasant to find the places you need to be. It often sent me on a wild goose chase (pun intended) through already cleared corridors. Voice acting, quirky story and characters were fun. The action platforming solid and nicely paced with small puzzles. Good B grade fun overall.
27. Graceful Explosion Machine (Steam, 2019/06/14, 7.5 hrs)
The visuals of this defender style SHMUP reminded me of the Kurzgesagt videos on Youtube. The shooting is super solid and satisfying. Having multiple weapons with different strength and weaknesses adds a bit of depth to the gameplay. The difficulty ramps up slow, but steadily. The last stages are more about survival and crowd control. I wish the stages had proper bosses instead of "survive a ton of waves". Nice little shooter, but also a little forgettable.
28. Beyond: Two Souls (PS4, 2019/06/21, 1.5x DS4 charges)
Ellen Page, the game. I'm a big fan of hers and she killed it. The story and events were the right amount of David Cage. I really enjoyed Beyond start to finish and looking forward to Detroit now.
[index]
57. Assassin's Creed Origins
Beat the main game. I like some of the things Ubi did with this game, but detested the level gating. The simplification of controls is welcome as it also made climbing and scaling walls much faster and responsive I feel. Combat was OK, but I didn't feel like doing any of the side stuff due to the level gating.
The virtual tourism of Ancient Egypt is nice though
Beat the main game. I like some of the things Ubi did with this game, but detested the level gating. The simplification of controls is welcome as it also made climbing and scaling walls much faster and responsive I feel. Combat was OK, but I didn't feel like doing any of the side stuff due to the level gating.
The virtual tourism of Ancient Egypt is nice though
60. The Last Blade 2 (10 hours)
It's a damn shame they never made a third one of these. These are some really lovely fighting games. I can only hope Akari somehow pops up in KOF XV.
Full list to date
It's a damn shame they never made a third one of these. These are some really lovely fighting games. I can only hope Akari somehow pops up in KOF XV.
Full list to date
61. Super Contra (<1 hour)
I didn't enjoy it as much as either version of the original game, but it stands on its own very well.
Full list to date
I didn't enjoy it as much as either version of the original game, but it stands on its own very well.
Full list to date
58. Investi-gator
This is a light and chill adventure game with the kind of light humor that I enjoy. My one big gripe is that movement isn't tied to the mouse as one must use WASD or keyboard to move, and movement is sloooooooooooooooooow.
Non the less it isn't a lengthy game and is worth playing if one is looking for something relaxing to play through.
59. Resident Evil 5
Beaten on Normal and co-op with a friend. I liked Sheva and enjoyed playing as her more, focusing on shotgunning enemies and using the assault rifle as my other main weapon. While it has its issues I think overall it is a decent co-op shooter from start to finish, but poorly explains its mechanics esp. in terms of melee actions.
Strongly recommend playing co-op with a buddy btw.
This is a light and chill adventure game with the kind of light humor that I enjoy. My one big gripe is that movement isn't tied to the mouse as one must use WASD or keyboard to move, and movement is sloooooooooooooooooow.
Non the less it isn't a lengthy game and is worth playing if one is looking for something relaxing to play through.
59. Resident Evil 5
Beaten on Normal and co-op with a friend. I liked Sheva and enjoyed playing as her more, focusing on shotgunning enemies and using the assault rifle as my other main weapon. While it has its issues I think overall it is a decent co-op shooter from start to finish, but poorly explains its mechanics esp. in terms of melee actions.
Strongly recommend playing co-op with a buddy btw.
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OP
OP
I've been hibernating playing too much Mario Maker 2, but have now caught up with those that have beat the challenge so far this year. Congrats to these folks who have been added to the first post, alongside Rhaknar for 8 so far this year :D
I've beenhibernatingplaying too much Mario Maker 2, but have now caught up with those that have beat the challenge so far this year. Congrats to these folks who have been added to the first post, alongside Rhaknar for 8 so far this year :D
Congratulations to everyone who's already completed the challenge! I've slowed down a bit from the start of the year, but I should get there sometime next month or September (I hope).
Master Post
47. Judgment- A game that could've been a GOTY contender for me if not for some bad design decisions. Still a really good game with great characters and story. Has that Yakuza charm that I love and while Yagami isn't near the character that Kiryu is he is bought up by a great supporting cast.
48. Superhot VR - Really fun game, albeit short. Beat it over a couple of hours and worked up a good sweat. Not really much to say about it other then anyone who owns a PSVR should play it.
49. Gears of War: Judgment - Fun if uneventful game. I enjoyed Aftermath more then the entire base game. Had some really nice scenery in parts and hoping the new game shakes up the formula as this game mostly played it safe.
50. Asura's Wrath - I loved this game up until it told me that I needed to unlock the true ending. Much like Arkham Knight this hurt my thoughts on the game as a whole. I was ready to put it up there with God of War 2 as my favorite character action game. Alas it's not, but it's still a very good game.
51. Halo 4 - I remember being lukewarm on this when I played it last generation, but after this recent playthrough I now love it. Only behind Halo 2 as my favorite Halo game. Enjoyed all parts of the game even the vehicle sections which I typically dislike in Halo games. Really glad I decided to replay the series before I finally play Halo 5 sometime next month.
47. Judgment- A game that could've been a GOTY contender for me if not for some bad design decisions. Still a really good game with great characters and story. Has that Yakuza charm that I love and while Yagami isn't near the character that Kiryu is he is bought up by a great supporting cast.
48. Superhot VR - Really fun game, albeit short. Beat it over a couple of hours and worked up a good sweat. Not really much to say about it other then anyone who owns a PSVR should play it.
49. Gears of War: Judgment - Fun if uneventful game. I enjoyed Aftermath more then the entire base game. Had some really nice scenery in parts and hoping the new game shakes up the formula as this game mostly played it safe.
50. Asura's Wrath - I loved this game up until it told me that I needed to unlock the true ending. Much like Arkham Knight this hurt my thoughts on the game as a whole. I was ready to put it up there with God of War 2 as my favorite character action game. Alas it's not, but it's still a very good game.
51. Halo 4 - I remember being lukewarm on this when I played it last generation, but after this recent playthrough I now love it. Only behind Halo 2 as my favorite Halo game. Enjoyed all parts of the game even the vehicle sections which I typically dislike in Halo games. Really glad I decided to replay the series before I finally play Halo 5 sometime next month.
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Game #73 - Hunter's Legacy
Time: 6 hours
A neat little metroidvania with some simple art and janky gameplay but good level design and some cool ideas like using the right stick to move your minimap to see if theres any chests around, or when you use switches you get a on screen indicator showing you which gate opened, which I was enjoying for what it was until a horrible last level that bumps the difficulty by a factor of ten thousand for no reason, and the worst last boss I remember seeing, with random attacks and weak points you cant even access unless he does specific attacks which are... random, coupled with the aforementioned janky gameplay (precise it is not) made me actually rage quit (or rather rage delete) the game at the last boss. Not that im losing much since the story is basically nonexistant, but its a shame because I enjoyed it for the most part, but that last level and boss made me retroactively hate the game. In a sea of Metroidvanias, this is NOT the way to go about standing out. Avoid.
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31. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - 14/07/2019
Playing this and BOTW so close to each other I find myself liking LTTP a lot more. There's structure, there's game balance, but the sense of exploration and adventure is still resonant even in the cartoony pixel art world of LTTP.
Playing this and BOTW so close to each other I find myself liking LTTP a lot more. There's structure, there's game balance, but the sense of exploration and adventure is still resonant even in the cartoony pixel art world of LTTP.
32. Final Fantasy VII - 15/07/2019
Is the game old? Dated? Horribly unbalanced? Oh absolutely, and yet FFVII still represents a bygone era where RPGs were the cream of the crop, where the name Fina Fantasy meant something.
Fuck the remake, this is where it's at.
Is the game old? Dated? Horribly unbalanced? Oh absolutely, and yet FFVII still represents a bygone era where RPGs were the cream of the crop, where the name Fina Fantasy meant something.
Fuck the remake, this is where it's at.
Main post.
11. Far Cry New Dawn (PC) 15 June - 31hrs | 3/5
It was really cool to dive back in to the FC5 universe with this, but the narrative fell a little flat. I did enjoy the (barebones) base-building and would love to see more of that in future games.
12. Final Fantasy VII (Switch) 26 June - 30hrs | 5/5
My favourite game of all time and the first time I've played it in about 6 years. Absolutely loved playing it in handheld mode and the 3x speed boost is something that I don't think I could go back to being without. Still amazing and I'm confident in saying that this is the definitive way to experience this classic.
13. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch) 6 July - 15hrs | 4/5
I haven't really played many platformers since the SNES days and it showed... I'm really quite shit at them! I played this together with my partner and while at times it was infuriating, we also pretty consistently pissed ourselves laughing the whole way through.
14. Diablo III: Eternal Collection (Switch) 10 July - 35hrs | 4/5
My first foray into Diablo and boy, was it fun. As is custom with RPG's on the Switch, I played this entirely in handheld and found that it's a brilliantly tailored experience. The campaign was good, but I got to about level 45 Paragon in the post-game content (or grind) before it started to lose steam a bit.
11. Far Cry New Dawn (PC) 15 June - 31hrs | 3/5
It was really cool to dive back in to the FC5 universe with this, but the narrative fell a little flat. I did enjoy the (barebones) base-building and would love to see more of that in future games.
12. Final Fantasy VII (Switch) 26 June - 30hrs | 5/5
My favourite game of all time and the first time I've played it in about 6 years. Absolutely loved playing it in handheld mode and the 3x speed boost is something that I don't think I could go back to being without. Still amazing and I'm confident in saying that this is the definitive way to experience this classic.
13. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch) 6 July - 15hrs | 4/5
I haven't really played many platformers since the SNES days and it showed... I'm really quite shit at them! I played this together with my partner and while at times it was infuriating, we also pretty consistently pissed ourselves laughing the whole way through.
14. Diablo III: Eternal Collection (Switch) 10 July - 35hrs | 4/5
My first foray into Diablo and boy, was it fun. As is custom with RPG's on the Switch, I played this entirely in handheld and found that it's a brilliantly tailored experience. The campaign was good, but I got to about level 45 Paragon in the post-game content (or grind) before it started to lose steam a bit.
60. Bioshock Infinite
I enjoyed the shooting and the game is nice visually but...it being Bioshock and with the themes it attempts to convey, it fails really badly.
I've watched a bunch of videos critiquing the game and they offer some good and valid points.
I enjoyed the shooting and the game is nice visually but...it being Bioshock and with the themes it attempts to convey, it fails really badly.
I've watched a bunch of videos critiquing the game and they offer some good and valid points.
Weekly update 28!
Ugh this week has been a pain so far, which is why this is late and poorly written.
Last week tho! Wadjet Eye has never disappointed me with what they make/publish and these three games are not changing that one bit. I also can't complain about getting three games with that Abe Goldfarb voice goodness. Makes me miss Blackwell so much tho.
The one bad thing is that the whole reason I played these right now was that I was so hyped for Unavowed and that it was coming to Game Pass!
...It never showed up. The PC Game Pass team doesn't have much info to share either aside from "running into problems with the game". We'll see if it ever shows up.
But back to the positive stuff! The games I DID play!
63. Primordia (PC) | 10th Jul - 7hrs | 5/5
64. Technobabylon (PC) | 11th Jul - 9hrs | 5/5
65. Shardlight (PC) | 13th Jul - 7hrs | 5/5
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Master Post!
Ugh this week has been a pain so far, which is why this is late and poorly written.
Last week tho! Wadjet Eye has never disappointed me with what they make/publish and these three games are not changing that one bit. I also can't complain about getting three games with that Abe Goldfarb voice goodness. Makes me miss Blackwell so much tho.
The one bad thing is that the whole reason I played these right now was that I was so hyped for Unavowed and that it was coming to Game Pass!
...It never showed up. The PC Game Pass team doesn't have much info to share either aside from "running into problems with the game". We'll see if it ever shows up.
But back to the positive stuff! The games I DID play!
63. Primordia (PC) | 10th Jul - 7hrs | 5/5
When I checked the release date of this game I was baffled. Had I really had it in my backlog for almost 7 years!? But yes, I have and it's not fair to the game at all because it is fantastic. It didn't hook me immediately but it also isn't doing anything wrong at the start. It didn't take long for it to get very interesting and I ended up loving everything about it. Look, sound, story and characters - everything just clicked after a little while. Something I really liked was that the characters had a bunch of things to say if you idled in different areas, a lot of fun small conversations just for hanging around. The puzzles were good and the fast-travel made it a snappy and well-paced experience. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this one.
64. Technobabylon (PC) | 11th Jul - 9hrs | 5/5
Had no idea what this was about but was immediately hooked by the story and characters. I really like when I get to play different characters and see the story from other perspectives. The game is of the more linear kind and it's well-paced and interesting all the way through, no frustrating puzzles to be found. The humor sat just right with me and I loved the way the game kept a lighter tone even through all the serious stuff. Can't think of anything negative to say about this either!
65. Shardlight (PC) | 13th Jul - 7hrs | 5/5
Another one that just hooked me completely after something like five minutes. Basically it feels like I am just gonna repeat the same stuff here. Lovely graphics, great design, great voice acting yada yada. You know the drill by now. It feels unfair that I can't say much about these games but it's just way easier to talk about the things I don't like as much. And since that doesn't exist here, you get this repeated gushing. Ohwell. Great game, nothing negative, play it and all the other games from this publisher.
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Master Post!
62. ARMS (10+ hours)
This is a very fun fighting game with lots of character, but it's so fundamentally different from the rest of the genre that I had trouble sometimes figuring out how to approach fights.
Full list to date
This is a very fun fighting game with lots of character, but it's so fundamentally different from the rest of the genre that I had trouble sometimes figuring out how to approach fights.
Full list to date
17. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Switch
18. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Trials of the Sword Switch
19. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild The Champions' Ballad Switch
20. Jak X PS4
21. Resident Evil HD Remaster PS4
22. Grand Theft Auto V PS4
23. Resident Evil 2 Remake PS4
18. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Trials of the Sword Switch
19. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild The Champions' Ballad Switch
20. Jak X PS4
21. Resident Evil HD Remaster PS4
22. Grand Theft Auto V PS4
23. Resident Evil 2 Remake PS4
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63. The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match (8 hours)
This game holds up exquisitely. It's just a really satisfying game to play.
Full list to date
This game holds up exquisitely. It's just a really satisfying game to play.
Full list to date
34. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - 22/07/2019
The novelty of a Mario RPG has long since passed alongside the actual quality of both ongoing series, but SMRPG is still pretty dang sweet. The Mario RPGs demonstrate my favourite view of the Mushroom Kingdom, this weird, wacky cartoonish world where any silly thing can happen, and SMRPG was really the first time the universe was viewed with a sense of humour and poe-faced self awareness to the uniformly bland Mario franchise.
Geno for Smash!
The novelty of a Mario RPG has long since passed alongside the actual quality of both ongoing series, but SMRPG is still pretty dang sweet. The Mario RPGs demonstrate my favourite view of the Mushroom Kingdom, this weird, wacky cartoonish world where any silly thing can happen, and SMRPG was really the first time the universe was viewed with a sense of humour and poe-faced self awareness to the uniformly bland Mario franchise.
Geno for Smash!
So whats peoples opinion on a game that has more than one mode ? So like Madden 19 it has a story mode and franchise I finished the story but if I do 10+ years of franchise (Playing all games) does that count as 2 or just one ? Or a game with single player and multiplayer. I don't consider a MP game beat until you get max level, So if I beat a games story and than max level in MP is that 2 games ?
It's entirely up to you what you count, but personally I would take completion as when you've covered all relevant game modes, i.e., only once.
64. Super C (1 hour)
The NES version of Super Contra is as fun an affair and arguably more so than its arcade counterpart, and it offers new stages and even a new final boss not seen in the latter.
Full list to date
The NES version of Super Contra is as fun an affair and arguably more so than its arcade counterpart, and it offers new stages and even a new final boss not seen in the latter.
Full list to date
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59. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - 6h20 - 17.07
The original Uncharted is a bit rough nowadays, but still better than i was fearing. Apart from a couple of pretty bad jetski sequences, the game moves at a steady and brisk pace that never gets boring. For all the criticism i've heard about bullet sponge enemies in the series, there is none of that here. Enemies go down swiftly, though some encounters do go for way too long, with wave after wave of samey mooks running toward your bullets. The environments get a bit repetitive as well.
But the characters and dialogue is where the game shines and shows us the promise delivered in latter entries. It's not an original or complicated tale but it is told in a very confident way that is above what most other developers usually achieve. As much as i enjoy the TR reboot trilogy, playing through the inarguable weakest Uncharted effort lays bare Lara's narrative shortcomings. There's a spark in the writing here that is completely absent from its more direct emulator.
Overall a very enjoyable game still, though it's pretty short.
60. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 8h40 - 19.07
A more ambitious game than the first entry, in every way. The setpieces are still exhilarating and mostly unmatched a decade on. I was actually surprised that i still enjoyed them quite a lot, despite remembering everything that happens in the game. The gameplay is refined and more varied, the characters and plot fuller and the pacing almost perfect. The globetrotting nature of the plot also means there's never time to get bored of any of the locations.
If there's obvious criticisms to be made, i'd say the main villain is uninspired and the last boss fight straight up bad. The supernatural twist i could also do without. Feels like it was shoved in there merely because of the first game, where it made much more sense. There is also a bit of sponginess to the enemies that the first game didn't suffer from. But these are all minor nitpicks when put beside what the game does get right, which is almost everything else.
And yes, that train sequence is still one of the best things in any game.
59. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - 6h20 - 17.07
The original Uncharted is a bit rough nowadays, but still better than i was fearing. Apart from a couple of pretty bad jetski sequences, the game moves at a steady and brisk pace that never gets boring. For all the criticism i've heard about bullet sponge enemies in the series, there is none of that here. Enemies go down swiftly, though some encounters do go for way too long, with wave after wave of samey mooks running toward your bullets. The environments get a bit repetitive as well.
But the characters and dialogue is where the game shines and shows us the promise delivered in latter entries. It's not an original or complicated tale but it is told in a very confident way that is above what most other developers usually achieve. As much as i enjoy the TR reboot trilogy, playing through the inarguable weakest Uncharted effort lays bare Lara's narrative shortcomings. There's a spark in the writing here that is completely absent from its more direct emulator.
Overall a very enjoyable game still, though it's pretty short.
60. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 8h40 - 19.07
A more ambitious game than the first entry, in every way. The setpieces are still exhilarating and mostly unmatched a decade on. I was actually surprised that i still enjoyed them quite a lot, despite remembering everything that happens in the game. The gameplay is refined and more varied, the characters and plot fuller and the pacing almost perfect. The globetrotting nature of the plot also means there's never time to get bored of any of the locations.
If there's obvious criticisms to be made, i'd say the main villain is uninspired and the last boss fight straight up bad. The supernatural twist i could also do without. Feels like it was shoved in there merely because of the first game, where it made much more sense. There is also a bit of sponginess to the enemies that the first game didn't suffer from. But these are all minor nitpicks when put beside what the game does get right, which is almost everything else.
And yes, that train sequence is still one of the best things in any game.
61. Very Little Nightmares
This was a decent puzzle game but the end section involving many taps just to quickly dash thru and escape was my least fav. part of the game.
Is this on Android? I'm finding conflicting info.
I sont see it in my google play store in my region at least.
I googled for it but do not see a proper google store page so officially it isnt out on androind it seems.