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52 Games. 1 Year. 2020.
- Thread starter Wozzer
- Start date
Congrats to everyone who overcame the challenge last year!:) To the ones who couldn't: I am sure next time you will make it!
Happy new year everyone, I am officially retired as my daughter will be born within the next days :)
Happy new year everyone, I am officially retired as my daughter will be born within the next days :)
Ended up at 81 for the year.
www.resetera.com
52 Games. 1 Year. 2020.
I'm in. 2020 is the year of clearing out the backlog for me and I always love reading this thread so lets go! STATUS: 67/52 Games
www.resetera.com
Did you use an app to create that graphic or did you do it yourself? I really like the format.
Ohh, thank you! I did it myself in Affinity Designer.
It's very basic, i just trying to get used to it after Photoshop.
56 https://www.resetera.com/threads/52-games-1-year-2020.162461/page-4#post-27908044
Quite a good year for me actually. I made an effort to hit some renowned game series that had eluded me for a long time and loved all of them. Fallout 2 and RE1 and 4 especially are some of my favorite games I hadn't played until this year.
Quite a good year for me actually. I made an effort to hit some renowned game series that had eluded me for a long time and loved all of them. Fallout 2 and RE1 and 4 especially are some of my favorite games I hadn't played until this year.
Well done to everyone who has completed or participated in the thread. My genuine thanks to all concerned for giving me something interesting to read of a Sunday and some fantastic gaming recommendations to add to my wish list.
Special thanks as well to Wozzer for stewarding the thread. Top job!
I only managed to hit 32 this year:
> Completed Games - 32/52
#01: The Painscreek Killings - EQ Studios - PC - ★★★★☆
#02: PAKO - Car Chase Simulator - Tree Men Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#03: Sleeping Dogs - United Front Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#04: PAKO 2 - Tree Men Games - PC - ★★★★☆
#05: Sleeping Dogs - Nightmare in North Point - United Front Games - PC - ★★☆☆☆
#06: Sleeping Dogs - Year of the Snake - United Front Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#07: Sky Force Reloaded - Infinite Dreams - PC - ★★★☆☆
#08: Half-Life 2 - Valve - PC - ★★★☆☆
#09: Death and Taxes - Placeholder Gameworks - PC - ★★★☆☆
#10: Dear Esther - The Chinese Room/Robert Briscoe - PC - ★★★★★
#11: Master of Pottery - AZGames - PC - ★★★☆☆
#12: Half-Life 2 Episode One - Valve - PC - ★★★☆☆
#13: Marie's Room - like Charlie - PC - ★★☆☆☆
#14: Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder - ACE Team - PC - ★★★☆☆
#15: Watch_Dogs 2 - Ubisoft - PC - ★★★★☆
#16: Call of Duty Modern Warfare - Season 3 - Activision Blizzard - PC - ★★★☆☆
#17: Outer Wilds - Mobius Digital - PC - ★★★★★
#18: Bacon - Philipp Stollenmayer - iOS - ★★☆☆☆
#19: Carrion - Phobia Game Studio - PC - ★★★☆☆
#20: Forza Horizon 3 - Playground Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#21: Streets of Rage 4 - Dotemu - PC - ★★☆☆☆
#22: Mother Russia Bleeds - Le Cartel Studio - PC - ★★★☆☆
#23: The Touryst - Shin'en Multimedia - PC - ★★★☆☆
#24: Destiny 2: Forsaken - Bungie - PC - ★★★★☆
#25: Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! - Vertigo Gaming Inc. - PC - ★★★★☆
#26: Spiritfarer - Thunder Lotus Games - PC - ★★★★☆
#27: F1 2019 - Codemasters - PC - ★★★★☆
#28: Dark Souls III (and DLC) - From Software - PC - ★★★★★
#29: Day of the Tentacle Remastered - Double Fine Productions - PC - ★★★★☆
#30: State of Decay 2 - Undead Labs - PC - ★★★★☆
#31: Tetris Effect: Connected - Monstars/Resonair - PC - ★★★★☆
#32: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Campaign) - Activision - PC - ★★☆☆☆
★☆☆☆☆ - Bad | ★★☆☆☆ - OK | ★★★☆☆ - Good | ★★★★☆ - Great | ★★★★★ - Exceptional
My full 2020 progress diary is below:
01/Jan - 2020 looks to be a challenging year for me and mine but so far so good, I even finished up The Painscreek Killings which I've been playing and loving over the Christmas period on the very first day of the new year so I'm taking that as a good omen.
04/Jan - Unlocked the last level of PAKO - Car Chase Simulator today and tried all of the challenges, completing these in the target times is going to be too hard for me so I'm calling this one done.
08/Jan - Sleeping Dogs completed, fun stuff apart perhaps from the end that forced me to use the guns which just don't feel great!
11/Jan - I unlocked the final level of PAKO 2 earlier in the week and have now bought the "best" car and put in scores I'm happy with on each level. I think in terms of this challenge I'm done but I have no doubt this will be game a revisit frequently when I just want something quick to play for 10 minutes.
11/ Jan - I also played through the Sleeping Dogs DLC Nightmare in North Point. Short and OK. Not much to say here. Annoyed by the pallet swap!
18/Jan - Up to 6 already! I'm surprised but pleased to have snuck in so much gaming though this like the last is a pretty short one. Fun enough but too much shooting.
23/Feb - Pretty much what it does what it says on the tin. It's more Sky Force! I still think I'd prefer if the difficulty levels were able to selected from the off rather than by completing all four mission requirements on the previous difficulty but that's mainly as I'm not a fan of the stay untouched requirement as it's just not as fun as playing fast and loose.
26/Feb - I finished Half-Life 2 tonight when I really should have been working but I'm knackered so a break is needed. Productivity y'all. Anyway, I think much of the game doesn't hold up well but the ending is great still so I guess it redeems itself. I think, as someone new to the PC gaming classics, it would have been impressive back in it's day though and it was still worth a play through.
06/Mar - I picked this up a few weeks ago and thought I wasn't going to get into it but it's pretty intriguing in the way it tells it's story. I ended up playing through a couple of times despite my initial doubts. It's got some weaknesses here and there but overall I'm glad I played it and it raises some interesting meta issues worthy of thought. Poor gerbil.
08/Mar - Well I wanted something beautiful and poignant today and I sure got it. Beautiful, poignant and melancholic but with a dash of hope. Dear Esther, thank you.
17/Mar - It's been a long month so I've mostly been looking for relaxing, contemplative experiences that don't ask too much of the player mechanically. Master of Pottery fit the bill perfectly and though it can't really be completed I think I'm largely done with it. It was good while it lasted but I've done just about everything I can with it so it's time to move on.
17/Mar - I also finished Half-Life 2 Episode One tonight. I think it holds up better than the main game and has a pacing and length that I prefer. I like the developer commentary as well, it includes some interesting insights in to the design process.
18/Apr - I played through Marie's Rooms tonight. It tells an interesting story via completing a journal through picking up and examining objects in the small game world. I'm not sure how much exploring the room and the mild puzzle solving really add to the actual story telling though.
21/Apr - I completed Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder tonight and gave poor Sisyphus the reward of the World Cup to carry on his shoulders. More fun Pythonesque level introductions and a fun little game underneath. Good stuff.
03/May - Finished a replay of one of my favourite open world games of this gen on this grey Sunday. Still a fab game. Still has a relevant message.
08/Jun - End of season 3 for Modern Warfare and I've, I think for the first time ever, in any game, reached the end of the progress bar so I'm including this. I had a lot of fun, mostly due to the cross play enabling play with real friends.
14/Jul - Wow, what a game. Brilliant in terms of design and a joy to play through. Excellent stuff.
26/Jul - Bacon, the game. Odd thing. But all I have space for right now!
31/Jul - Enjoyed it. Pretty short with limited replayability but it's fun to control and the light puzzle solving was never a chore. I'd appreciate a little more variety in the look of the environment but it's all cohesive so I get it.
01/Aug - Didn't quite reach the heights of FH4 for me but you can see the direct progression from 3 to 4. Lot's of great scenery to race through in quite a few cars. Fun free roaming driving game.
02/Aug - A really fun blast from the blast with quite a few problematic stereotypes from the era unfortunately still attached. Great soundtrack, great art and nostalgic game play though.
16/Aug - After SoR4 it feels a little clunky here and there and some of the levels are only OK but the last boss is great as is the broad of portrayal of the ultra violent setting and the soundtrack.
22/Aug - Fun little explor'emup. Lovely tunes, lovely looks, all very chill beyond some slightly questionable platforming.
01/Oct - Finally got round to avenging Cayde-6 and enjoyed every minute of it. Bungie really do have some of the best environment designers in the business.
02/Oct - Been playing this most of the year and I finally made it to the Iron Cook Speedway and completed as many challenges as I can. I've played all of these games and though I think I still like the first the most (like Souls, the first you play will always be the one you love the best), this is excellent and I love the additions. Whether playing with keyboard, mouse or controller it's a great time if you like a challenge.
05/Oct - A wonderful, beautifully drawn and poignant ride, maybe stretched a little long mechanically but only a minor annoyance.
10/Oct - Played a bunch of demos over the Steam Autumn Game Festival. I'm not going to include them in my count but wanted to call them out here, my personal log of my year gaming.
Circuit Superstars
Dev: Original Fire Games
Pub: Square Enix
Small demo with just one track, two cars and local multiplayer. What is here though shows great promise. It has a great look and the handling model is simple but with enough depth to make chasing time on the demo surprisingly fun. Definitely one I have added to my wish list and will almost certainly pick it up when it releases in early access.
Raji
Dev: Nodding Head Games
Pub: Super.com
The demo seems to be essentially the tutorial area for the main game. I love the ancient India theme and Raji is beautifully animated. I'm not sure I love the feel of the movement and the combat but it's certainly not bad, I just need to play more I think. I'm going to wishlist it and keep an eye on it in the future.
Unto The End
Dev: 2 Ton Studios
Pub: Big Sugar
Skill based adventure sword fighting game. Feels too weighty for my liking but this will absolutely be someone's jam as I can see some real potential depth here in the combat, getting it right would be very satisfying, I'm just unlikely to ever get it right enough!
Drone Swarm
Dev: stillalive studios
Pub: astragon Entertainment
Great concept with an amusingly ridiculous but nicely presented story that isn't quite as intuitive as I'd hoped to control. I'll be interested to see how it develops in terms of upgrades to your swarm so it's another one I'll keep an eye on.
Mr Prepper
Dev: Rejected Games Sp. z o.o.
Pub: PlayWay S.A.
A very PlayWay game. Could be fun on sale or if this kind of game is just your thing. Muricaville made me chuckle. Added to wishlist but definitely a wait for a sale game for me.
Undying
Dev: Vanimals
Pub: Skystone Games Inc., Vanimals
A survival game with some possibly interesting takes on the genre. I like the art style and the movement and combat whilst simple feel OK. One to keep an eye on for me so wishlisted.
Becastled
Dev/Pub: Mana Potion Studios
Fun little tower defence/city builder, the demo has three infantry units and a single archery unit and the usual resources to juggle. Seems possibly early for Q4 2020 but we'll see, wish listed.
12/Oct - Finished my second season tonight and though I'll keep playing here and there, I'm considering this complete. It's a great game, the series has gone from strength to strength over the last few iterations and this gets most things pretty right. Well built career and on-ramp, plenty of interesting side stuff and just the right amount of simulation. Good stuff.
30/Oct - Played through DS3 and the two DLC as I needed something familiar, it's been one hell of a few months and this last few weeks in particular have felt like an horrible struggle. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Crunch, crunch, crunch. This though, never a struggle. It's still one of my favourite games of all time and the Ringed City still contains one of my favourite sections in a game. Exceptional.
06/Nov - I've had a tough week and Day of the Tentacle never fails to make me smile, even if it is wistfully. It's still a great game with mostly not too obtuse puzzles just wonderfully and carefully remastered.
14/Nov - Finished up my first community with a builders legacy. I really enjoy this games mix of survival elements, there's just enough to give it some depth but not so many that it becomes too stressful. Fabulous game and I'm really looking forward to whatever Undead Labs do next and starting a new community with my survivors.
17/Nov - Completed the journey tonight, the last level was challenging enough to make me exclaim out loud when I finally completed it. Great version of Tetris, great sounds, great looks, great feel, plenty of depth, some really good stuff here. Content wise, it even feel like there is plenty to discover here for folk like me all the way through to people genuinely good at this sort of stuff, a real surprise given the age and apparent simplicity of Tetris as a concept.
28/Nov - Well the new COD is out, thought I'd best finally complete the Modern Warfare campaign. It's OK, beautifully directed and realised cinematics with some nice but clichéd voice acting, a few interesting missions, great technical performance and all round great looks but ultimately a weak story. No-one's good in war, fight for what you believe in, blah blah. Fun enough but let's be honest, this is all about the multiplayer.
And my all completed list if anyone fancies pulling stats:
I also dropped but didn't complete two games this year, it's not a judgement on their quality or lack thereof more just that they weren't the right thing at the right time during a difficult year.
> Dropped and not completed games (2)
Airscape: The Fall of Gravity - Cross-Product - PC
Just too hard for me. I'm not a huge platforming fan, if I was I might stick with it but with the different mechanics I just can't motivate myself to put in the time or effort to get good.
River City Girls - Wayforward - PC
Not for me. Art style, music, writing, it's all way too much for a grey November in the UK!
It leaves me actively playing a few games (list below) with a few more temporarily held for a variety of reasons:
> Currently Playing:
Games with a theoretical end
Assassin's Creed Origins - Ubisoft - PC
Pumped BMX + - Yeah Us!/Curve Digital - PC
Dead Rising 2: Off the record - Capcom - PC
Games without a built in win condition
Call of Duty: Warzone - Activision - PC
BeamNG.Drive - BeamNG - PC
Cities: Skyline - Colossal Order Ltd - PC
Minecraft - Mojang - PC
> Temporarily Held:
American Truck Simulator - SCS Software - PC
Divinity Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition - Larian Studios - PC
Project Cars - Slightly Mad Studios - PC
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - Bungie - PC
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - Steel Crate Games - PC
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - SCS Software - PC
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS - PUBG Corp - PC
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator - Landfall - PC
Kerbal Space Program - Squad - PC
Hitman 2 - IO Interactive - PC
Overall it's been a good year of gaming contrasting a shitty year for nearly everything else. Fuck 2020 but long live excellent video games and their creators.
Looking forward to this years thread and I hope everyone has a good 2021, stay safe, stay well and keep on keeping on.
Special thanks as well to Wozzer for stewarding the thread. Top job!
I only managed to hit 32 this year:
> Completed Games - 32/52
#01: The Painscreek Killings - EQ Studios - PC - ★★★★☆
#02: PAKO - Car Chase Simulator - Tree Men Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#03: Sleeping Dogs - United Front Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#04: PAKO 2 - Tree Men Games - PC - ★★★★☆
#05: Sleeping Dogs - Nightmare in North Point - United Front Games - PC - ★★☆☆☆
#06: Sleeping Dogs - Year of the Snake - United Front Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#07: Sky Force Reloaded - Infinite Dreams - PC - ★★★☆☆
#08: Half-Life 2 - Valve - PC - ★★★☆☆
#09: Death and Taxes - Placeholder Gameworks - PC - ★★★☆☆
#10: Dear Esther - The Chinese Room/Robert Briscoe - PC - ★★★★★
#11: Master of Pottery - AZGames - PC - ★★★☆☆
#12: Half-Life 2 Episode One - Valve - PC - ★★★☆☆
#13: Marie's Room - like Charlie - PC - ★★☆☆☆
#14: Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder - ACE Team - PC - ★★★☆☆
#15: Watch_Dogs 2 - Ubisoft - PC - ★★★★☆
#16: Call of Duty Modern Warfare - Season 3 - Activision Blizzard - PC - ★★★☆☆
#17: Outer Wilds - Mobius Digital - PC - ★★★★★
#18: Bacon - Philipp Stollenmayer - iOS - ★★☆☆☆
#19: Carrion - Phobia Game Studio - PC - ★★★☆☆
#20: Forza Horizon 3 - Playground Games - PC - ★★★☆☆
#21: Streets of Rage 4 - Dotemu - PC - ★★☆☆☆
#22: Mother Russia Bleeds - Le Cartel Studio - PC - ★★★☆☆
#23: The Touryst - Shin'en Multimedia - PC - ★★★☆☆
#24: Destiny 2: Forsaken - Bungie - PC - ★★★★☆
#25: Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! - Vertigo Gaming Inc. - PC - ★★★★☆
#26: Spiritfarer - Thunder Lotus Games - PC - ★★★★☆
#27: F1 2019 - Codemasters - PC - ★★★★☆
#28: Dark Souls III (and DLC) - From Software - PC - ★★★★★
#29: Day of the Tentacle Remastered - Double Fine Productions - PC - ★★★★☆
#30: State of Decay 2 - Undead Labs - PC - ★★★★☆
#31: Tetris Effect: Connected - Monstars/Resonair - PC - ★★★★☆
#32: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Campaign) - Activision - PC - ★★☆☆☆
★☆☆☆☆ - Bad | ★★☆☆☆ - OK | ★★★☆☆ - Good | ★★★★☆ - Great | ★★★★★ - Exceptional
My full 2020 progress diary is below:
01/Jan - 2020 looks to be a challenging year for me and mine but so far so good, I even finished up The Painscreek Killings which I've been playing and loving over the Christmas period on the very first day of the new year so I'm taking that as a good omen.
04/Jan - Unlocked the last level of PAKO - Car Chase Simulator today and tried all of the challenges, completing these in the target times is going to be too hard for me so I'm calling this one done.
08/Jan - Sleeping Dogs completed, fun stuff apart perhaps from the end that forced me to use the guns which just don't feel great!
11/Jan - I unlocked the final level of PAKO 2 earlier in the week and have now bought the "best" car and put in scores I'm happy with on each level. I think in terms of this challenge I'm done but I have no doubt this will be game a revisit frequently when I just want something quick to play for 10 minutes.
11/ Jan - I also played through the Sleeping Dogs DLC Nightmare in North Point. Short and OK. Not much to say here. Annoyed by the pallet swap!
18/Jan - Up to 6 already! I'm surprised but pleased to have snuck in so much gaming though this like the last is a pretty short one. Fun enough but too much shooting.
23/Feb - Pretty much what it does what it says on the tin. It's more Sky Force! I still think I'd prefer if the difficulty levels were able to selected from the off rather than by completing all four mission requirements on the previous difficulty but that's mainly as I'm not a fan of the stay untouched requirement as it's just not as fun as playing fast and loose.
26/Feb - I finished Half-Life 2 tonight when I really should have been working but I'm knackered so a break is needed. Productivity y'all. Anyway, I think much of the game doesn't hold up well but the ending is great still so I guess it redeems itself. I think, as someone new to the PC gaming classics, it would have been impressive back in it's day though and it was still worth a play through.
06/Mar - I picked this up a few weeks ago and thought I wasn't going to get into it but it's pretty intriguing in the way it tells it's story. I ended up playing through a couple of times despite my initial doubts. It's got some weaknesses here and there but overall I'm glad I played it and it raises some interesting meta issues worthy of thought. Poor gerbil.
08/Mar - Well I wanted something beautiful and poignant today and I sure got it. Beautiful, poignant and melancholic but with a dash of hope. Dear Esther, thank you.
17/Mar - It's been a long month so I've mostly been looking for relaxing, contemplative experiences that don't ask too much of the player mechanically. Master of Pottery fit the bill perfectly and though it can't really be completed I think I'm largely done with it. It was good while it lasted but I've done just about everything I can with it so it's time to move on.
17/Mar - I also finished Half-Life 2 Episode One tonight. I think it holds up better than the main game and has a pacing and length that I prefer. I like the developer commentary as well, it includes some interesting insights in to the design process.
18/Apr - I played through Marie's Rooms tonight. It tells an interesting story via completing a journal through picking up and examining objects in the small game world. I'm not sure how much exploring the room and the mild puzzle solving really add to the actual story telling though.
21/Apr - I completed Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder tonight and gave poor Sisyphus the reward of the World Cup to carry on his shoulders. More fun Pythonesque level introductions and a fun little game underneath. Good stuff.
03/May - Finished a replay of one of my favourite open world games of this gen on this grey Sunday. Still a fab game. Still has a relevant message.
08/Jun - End of season 3 for Modern Warfare and I've, I think for the first time ever, in any game, reached the end of the progress bar so I'm including this. I had a lot of fun, mostly due to the cross play enabling play with real friends.
14/Jul - Wow, what a game. Brilliant in terms of design and a joy to play through. Excellent stuff.
26/Jul - Bacon, the game. Odd thing. But all I have space for right now!
31/Jul - Enjoyed it. Pretty short with limited replayability but it's fun to control and the light puzzle solving was never a chore. I'd appreciate a little more variety in the look of the environment but it's all cohesive so I get it.
01/Aug - Didn't quite reach the heights of FH4 for me but you can see the direct progression from 3 to 4. Lot's of great scenery to race through in quite a few cars. Fun free roaming driving game.
02/Aug - A really fun blast from the blast with quite a few problematic stereotypes from the era unfortunately still attached. Great soundtrack, great art and nostalgic game play though.
16/Aug - After SoR4 it feels a little clunky here and there and some of the levels are only OK but the last boss is great as is the broad of portrayal of the ultra violent setting and the soundtrack.
22/Aug - Fun little explor'emup. Lovely tunes, lovely looks, all very chill beyond some slightly questionable platforming.
01/Oct - Finally got round to avenging Cayde-6 and enjoyed every minute of it. Bungie really do have some of the best environment designers in the business.
02/Oct - Been playing this most of the year and I finally made it to the Iron Cook Speedway and completed as many challenges as I can. I've played all of these games and though I think I still like the first the most (like Souls, the first you play will always be the one you love the best), this is excellent and I love the additions. Whether playing with keyboard, mouse or controller it's a great time if you like a challenge.
05/Oct - A wonderful, beautifully drawn and poignant ride, maybe stretched a little long mechanically but only a minor annoyance.
10/Oct - Played a bunch of demos over the Steam Autumn Game Festival. I'm not going to include them in my count but wanted to call them out here, my personal log of my year gaming.
Circuit Superstars
Dev: Original Fire Games
Pub: Square Enix
Small demo with just one track, two cars and local multiplayer. What is here though shows great promise. It has a great look and the handling model is simple but with enough depth to make chasing time on the demo surprisingly fun. Definitely one I have added to my wish list and will almost certainly pick it up when it releases in early access.
Raji
Dev: Nodding Head Games
Pub: Super.com
The demo seems to be essentially the tutorial area for the main game. I love the ancient India theme and Raji is beautifully animated. I'm not sure I love the feel of the movement and the combat but it's certainly not bad, I just need to play more I think. I'm going to wishlist it and keep an eye on it in the future.
Unto The End
Dev: 2 Ton Studios
Pub: Big Sugar
Skill based adventure sword fighting game. Feels too weighty for my liking but this will absolutely be someone's jam as I can see some real potential depth here in the combat, getting it right would be very satisfying, I'm just unlikely to ever get it right enough!
Drone Swarm
Dev: stillalive studios
Pub: astragon Entertainment
Great concept with an amusingly ridiculous but nicely presented story that isn't quite as intuitive as I'd hoped to control. I'll be interested to see how it develops in terms of upgrades to your swarm so it's another one I'll keep an eye on.
Mr Prepper
Dev: Rejected Games Sp. z o.o.
Pub: PlayWay S.A.
A very PlayWay game. Could be fun on sale or if this kind of game is just your thing. Muricaville made me chuckle. Added to wishlist but definitely a wait for a sale game for me.
Undying
Dev: Vanimals
Pub: Skystone Games Inc., Vanimals
A survival game with some possibly interesting takes on the genre. I like the art style and the movement and combat whilst simple feel OK. One to keep an eye on for me so wishlisted.
Becastled
Dev/Pub: Mana Potion Studios
Fun little tower defence/city builder, the demo has three infantry units and a single archery unit and the usual resources to juggle. Seems possibly early for Q4 2020 but we'll see, wish listed.
12/Oct - Finished my second season tonight and though I'll keep playing here and there, I'm considering this complete. It's a great game, the series has gone from strength to strength over the last few iterations and this gets most things pretty right. Well built career and on-ramp, plenty of interesting side stuff and just the right amount of simulation. Good stuff.
30/Oct - Played through DS3 and the two DLC as I needed something familiar, it's been one hell of a few months and this last few weeks in particular have felt like an horrible struggle. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Crunch, crunch, crunch. This though, never a struggle. It's still one of my favourite games of all time and the Ringed City still contains one of my favourite sections in a game. Exceptional.
06/Nov - I've had a tough week and Day of the Tentacle never fails to make me smile, even if it is wistfully. It's still a great game with mostly not too obtuse puzzles just wonderfully and carefully remastered.
14/Nov - Finished up my first community with a builders legacy. I really enjoy this games mix of survival elements, there's just enough to give it some depth but not so many that it becomes too stressful. Fabulous game and I'm really looking forward to whatever Undead Labs do next and starting a new community with my survivors.
17/Nov - Completed the journey tonight, the last level was challenging enough to make me exclaim out loud when I finally completed it. Great version of Tetris, great sounds, great looks, great feel, plenty of depth, some really good stuff here. Content wise, it even feel like there is plenty to discover here for folk like me all the way through to people genuinely good at this sort of stuff, a real surprise given the age and apparent simplicity of Tetris as a concept.
28/Nov - Well the new COD is out, thought I'd best finally complete the Modern Warfare campaign. It's OK, beautifully directed and realised cinematics with some nice but clichéd voice acting, a few interesting missions, great technical performance and all round great looks but ultimately a weak story. No-one's good in war, fight for what you believe in, blah blah. Fun enough but let's be honest, this is all about the multiplayer.
1. The Painscreek Killings (PC) | 01 Jan 2020 - 11.7hrs | 4/5
2. PAKO - Car Chase Simulator (PC) | 04 Jan 2020 - 3.8hrs | 3/5
3. Sleeping Dogs (PC) | 08 Jan 2020 - 21hrs | 3/5
4. PAKO 2 (PC) | 11 Jan 2020 - 9.5hrs | 4/5
5. Sleeping Dogs - Nightmare in North Point (PC) | 11 Jan 2020 - 1.5hrs | 2/5
6. Sleeping Dogs - Year of the Snake (PC) | 18 Jan 2020 - 2.5hrs | 3/5
7. Sky Force Reloaded (PC) | 23 Feb 2020 - 25hrs | 3/5
8. Half-Life 2 (PC) | 26 Feb 2020 - 28hrs | 3/5
9. Death and Taxes (PC) | 06 Mar 2020 - 5.1hrs | 3/5
10. Dear Esther (PC) | 08 Mar 2020 - 1.2hrs | 5/5
11. Master of Pottery (PC) | 17 Mar 2020 - 9.2hrs | 3/5
12. Half-Life 2 Episode One (PC) | 17 Mar 2020 - 5.8hrs | 3/5
13. Marie's Room (PC) | 18 Apr 2020 - 1hrs | 2/5
14. Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder (PC) | 21 Apr 2020 - 5.6hrs | 3/5
15. Watch_Dogs 2 (PC) | 03 May 2020 - 57hrs | 4/5
16. Call of Duty Modern Warfare - Season 3 | 08 Jun 2020 - 30hrs | 3/5
17. Outer Wilds | 14 Jul 2020 - 26hrs | 5/5
18. Bacon | 26 Jul 2020 - 5hrs | 2/5
19. Carrion | 31 Jul 2020 - 5hrs | 3/5
20. Forza Horizon 3 | 01 Aug 2020 - 60hrs | 3/5
21. Streets of Rage 4 | 02 Aug 2020 - 6hrs | 2/5
22. Mother Russia Bleeds | 16 Aug 2020 - 6hrs | 3/5
23. The Touryst | 22 Aug 2020 - 8hrs | 3/5
24. Destiny 2: Forsaken | 01 Oct 2020 - 10hrs | 4/5
25. Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! | 02 Oct 2020 - 63.4hrs | 4/5
26. Spiritfarer | 05 Oct 2020 - 25hrs | 4/5
27. F1 2019 | 12 Oct 2020 - 40hrs | 4/5
28. Dark Souls III | 30 Oct 2020 - 29.5hrs | 5/5
29. Day of the Tentacle Remastered | 06 Nov 2020 - 3.5hrs | 4/5
30. State of Decay 2 | 14 Nov 2020 - 30hrs | 4/5
31. Tetris Effect | 17 Nov 2020 - 10hrs | 4/5
32. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Campaign) | 28 Nov 2020 - 10 hours | 2/5
2. PAKO - Car Chase Simulator (PC) | 04 Jan 2020 - 3.8hrs | 3/5
3. Sleeping Dogs (PC) | 08 Jan 2020 - 21hrs | 3/5
4. PAKO 2 (PC) | 11 Jan 2020 - 9.5hrs | 4/5
5. Sleeping Dogs - Nightmare in North Point (PC) | 11 Jan 2020 - 1.5hrs | 2/5
6. Sleeping Dogs - Year of the Snake (PC) | 18 Jan 2020 - 2.5hrs | 3/5
7. Sky Force Reloaded (PC) | 23 Feb 2020 - 25hrs | 3/5
8. Half-Life 2 (PC) | 26 Feb 2020 - 28hrs | 3/5
9. Death and Taxes (PC) | 06 Mar 2020 - 5.1hrs | 3/5
10. Dear Esther (PC) | 08 Mar 2020 - 1.2hrs | 5/5
11. Master of Pottery (PC) | 17 Mar 2020 - 9.2hrs | 3/5
12. Half-Life 2 Episode One (PC) | 17 Mar 2020 - 5.8hrs | 3/5
13. Marie's Room (PC) | 18 Apr 2020 - 1hrs | 2/5
14. Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder (PC) | 21 Apr 2020 - 5.6hrs | 3/5
15. Watch_Dogs 2 (PC) | 03 May 2020 - 57hrs | 4/5
16. Call of Duty Modern Warfare - Season 3 | 08 Jun 2020 - 30hrs | 3/5
17. Outer Wilds | 14 Jul 2020 - 26hrs | 5/5
18. Bacon | 26 Jul 2020 - 5hrs | 2/5
19. Carrion | 31 Jul 2020 - 5hrs | 3/5
20. Forza Horizon 3 | 01 Aug 2020 - 60hrs | 3/5
21. Streets of Rage 4 | 02 Aug 2020 - 6hrs | 2/5
22. Mother Russia Bleeds | 16 Aug 2020 - 6hrs | 3/5
23. The Touryst | 22 Aug 2020 - 8hrs | 3/5
24. Destiny 2: Forsaken | 01 Oct 2020 - 10hrs | 4/5
25. Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! | 02 Oct 2020 - 63.4hrs | 4/5
26. Spiritfarer | 05 Oct 2020 - 25hrs | 4/5
27. F1 2019 | 12 Oct 2020 - 40hrs | 4/5
28. Dark Souls III | 30 Oct 2020 - 29.5hrs | 5/5
29. Day of the Tentacle Remastered | 06 Nov 2020 - 3.5hrs | 4/5
30. State of Decay 2 | 14 Nov 2020 - 30hrs | 4/5
31. Tetris Effect | 17 Nov 2020 - 10hrs | 4/5
32. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Campaign) | 28 Nov 2020 - 10 hours | 2/5
> Dropped and not completed games (2)
Airscape: The Fall of Gravity - Cross-Product - PC
Just too hard for me. I'm not a huge platforming fan, if I was I might stick with it but with the different mechanics I just can't motivate myself to put in the time or effort to get good.
River City Girls - Wayforward - PC
Not for me. Art style, music, writing, it's all way too much for a grey November in the UK!
It leaves me actively playing a few games (list below) with a few more temporarily held for a variety of reasons:
> Currently Playing:
Games with a theoretical end
Assassin's Creed Origins - Ubisoft - PC
Pumped BMX + - Yeah Us!/Curve Digital - PC
Dead Rising 2: Off the record - Capcom - PC
Games without a built in win condition
Call of Duty: Warzone - Activision - PC
BeamNG.Drive - BeamNG - PC
Cities: Skyline - Colossal Order Ltd - PC
Minecraft - Mojang - PC
> Temporarily Held:
American Truck Simulator - SCS Software - PC
Divinity Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition - Larian Studios - PC
Project Cars - Slightly Mad Studios - PC
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - Bungie - PC
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - Steel Crate Games - PC
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - SCS Software - PC
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS - PUBG Corp - PC
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator - Landfall - PC
Kerbal Space Program - Squad - PC
Hitman 2 - IO Interactive - PC
Overall it's been a good year of gaming contrasting a shitty year for nearly everything else. Fuck 2020 but long live excellent video games and their creators.
Looking forward to this years thread and I hope everyone has a good 2021, stay safe, stay well and keep on keeping on.
OP
OP
New thread is live here!
Don't forget if you want to get into the Hall of FameTM on the first post, DM me a link to your 2020 completions of 52+ games. I'll continue to update both this thread and reflect it in the 2021 one throughout January :)
Thanks all for participating and making this thread fun through 2020!
Don't forget if you want to get into the Hall of FameTM on the first post, DM me a link to your 2020 completions of 52+ games. I'll continue to update both this thread and reflect it in the 2021 one throughout January :)
Thanks all for participating and making this thread fun through 2020!
30. Bloodborne - Finished on 25/12/2020 Time: about 55 hours
Great world with great lore, it sucked me in during the first few hours despite missing context. My first playthrough was blind and I really looked nothing up except how to access the DLC. This was fucking cryptic and I never would have figured it out. This is the first souls game in which I enjoyed the parry. In Dark Souls I and II it was really cumbersome so I made my way through the game ignoring this mechanic. The atmosphere in this game is really great, a mixture of horror and terror with all the blood and bodies. I did 2 playthroughs, one completely blind in which I missed several areas and bosses and a NG+ playthrough in which I did every area and sidequest I was interested in and went for a different ending. Initially, I wanted to platinum it but the chalice dungeons are so similar to each other and I felt that I made no progress and had no fun so I decided to put my time into other games and leave it be. Great game, one of the best I played this year.
31. Bloodborne - The Old Hunters - Finished on 24/12/2020 Time: about 6 hours
This has the hardest bosses from the game in it. Maria and Orphan of Kos were the most difficult bosses of the whole game. But the fights were great. The new weapons were great because I found my favorite weapon ever the beast saif.
Well yeah, didn't make the challenge but I got more games than ever. This year I will beat the challenge.
Great world with great lore, it sucked me in during the first few hours despite missing context. My first playthrough was blind and I really looked nothing up except how to access the DLC. This was fucking cryptic and I never would have figured it out. This is the first souls game in which I enjoyed the parry. In Dark Souls I and II it was really cumbersome so I made my way through the game ignoring this mechanic. The atmosphere in this game is really great, a mixture of horror and terror with all the blood and bodies. I did 2 playthroughs, one completely blind in which I missed several areas and bosses and a NG+ playthrough in which I did every area and sidequest I was interested in and went for a different ending. Initially, I wanted to platinum it but the chalice dungeons are so similar to each other and I felt that I made no progress and had no fun so I decided to put my time into other games and leave it be. Great game, one of the best I played this year.
31. Bloodborne - The Old Hunters - Finished on 24/12/2020 Time: about 6 hours
This has the hardest bosses from the game in it. Maria and Orphan of Kos were the most difficult bosses of the whole game. But the fights were great. The new weapons were great because I found my favorite weapon ever the beast saif.
Well yeah, didn't make the challenge but I got more games than ever. This year I will beat the challenge.
First time attempting this was inspired by the thread and when Lockdown hit decided to give it a go and clear my massive backlog. Managed to get this completed just by finishing New Vegas and Hive Busters on the 31st .
Xbox Purchased Games Completed 10
Gamepass games Completed 19
Games With Gold Games Completed 6
PS Plus Games Completed 4
PS4 Purchased Games Completed 13
2 Games Completed before Lockdown ( March)
50 Games after march
Only Purchased 4 games this year completing 3 Last of us Remastered, Last of us 2, The Council Season Pass and death stranding.
6 games Abandoned Death Stranding, Metro Exodus, Untitled Goose Game, Hyper Scape, Rage 2 and Bleeding Edge
Total Games Completed 52
A terrible year but have made a massive dent in my backlog congrats to everyone who took part.
Xbox Purchased Games Completed 10
Gamepass games Completed 19
Games With Gold Games Completed 6
PS Plus Games Completed 4
PS4 Purchased Games Completed 13
2 Games Completed before Lockdown ( March)
50 Games after march
Only Purchased 4 games this year completing 3 Last of us Remastered, Last of us 2, The Council Season Pass and death stranding.
6 games Abandoned Death Stranding, Metro Exodus, Untitled Goose Game, Hyper Scape, Rage 2 and Bleeding Edge
Total Games Completed 52
A terrible year but have made a massive dent in my backlog congrats to everyone who took part.
- The Outer Worlds (Xbox) | 03th Jan | 4/5
- A Plague Tale Innocence (Xbox) | 11th February | 4/5
- Batman The Enemy Within Ep 1 (Xbox) | 12th April | 4/5
- Batman The Enemy Within Ep 2 (Xbox) | 15th April | 4/5
- Batman The Enemy Within Ep 3 (Xbox) | 17th April | 4/5
- Batman The Enemy Within Ep 4 (Xbox) | 18th April | 4/5
- Batman The Enemy Within Ep 5 (Xbox) | 18th April | 4/5
- Deus Ex Mankind Divided A Criminal Past (PS4) | 09th May | 3.5/5
- Deus Ex Mankind Divided System Rift (PS4) | 12th May | 3/5
- Stars Wars Battlefront II (PS4) | 15th May | 3/5
- Shadow Warrior (Xbox) | 30th May | 4/5
- The Last of Us Remastered (PS4) | 14th June | 4.5/5
- The Last of Us Left Behind (PS4) | 16th June | 3/5
- Dishonoured Death of the outsider (PS4) | 12th July | 3/5
- Battlefield V campaign (PS4) | 14th July | 2.5/5
- The Last of Us Part II (PS4) | 27th July | 4.5/5
- Tales from Borderlands Ep5 (Xbox) | 10th August | 3/5
- Call of Duty Modern Warfare Remastered (PS4) | 14th August | 4.5/5
- Bioshock Infinite (PS4) | 21th August | 5/5
- Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Ep 1 (PS4) | 23th August | 4/5
- Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Ep 2 (PS4) | 25th August | 5/5
- Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered (PS4) | 3th September | 4/5
- Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition (PS4) | 5th September | 3/5
- World War Z (Xbox) | 21th September | 3/5
- Ratchet and Clank (PS4) | 26th September | 2.5/5
- Fall Guys (PS4) | 27th September | 4/5
- FIFA 20 (Xbox) | 01 October | 3/5
- Fractured Minds (Xbox) | 07 October | 3/5
- Tell me why 1 Ep1(Xbox) | 07 October | 3/5
- Tell me why 2 Ep2 (Xbox) | 08th October | 3/5
- Tell me why 3 Ep3 (Xbox) | 09th October 3/5 |
- Tracks the train set game (Xbox) | 10th October 2/5 |
- Wandersong (Xbox) | 11th October | 3/5
- Golf with your friends (Xbox) | 11th October | 3.5/5
- Subnautica (Xbox) | 11th October | 3/5
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Xbox) | 12th October | 4.5/5
- The Walking Dead: Michonne Ep 1 (Xbox) | 13th October | 3/5
- The Walking Dead: Michonne Ep 2 (Xbox) | 14th October | 3/5
- The Walking Dead: Michonne Ep 3 (Xbox) | 15th October | 2.5/5
- Call of Duty: Modern warfare Multiplayer (Xbox) | 18th October | 4.5/5
- The dark pictures Man of Medan (Xbox) | 25th October | 3/5
- Fallout: New Vegas – Dead Money (Xbox) | 07th November | 3/5
- Fallout: New Vegas – Honest Hearts (Xbox) | 13th November | 3/5
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4) | 14th November | 2.5/5
- DOOM Eternal (Xbox) | 02th December | 4/5
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Xbox) | 17th December | 3.5/5
- The council ep 1: The Mad Ones (Xbox) | 20th December | 3/5
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Campaign (Xbox) | 22th December | 3/5
- Fallout: New Vegas – Old World Blues (Xbox) | 29th December | 2/5
- SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE (Xbox) | 30th December | 2.5/5
- Gears 5 Hivebusters (Xbox) | 31th December | 3/5
- Fallout new Vegas (Xbox) | 31th December | 4.5/5
Unfortunately I failed this year, only reaching 50. I'll still post my last few reviews here, for uh, completionism's sake.
Main Post
Games 45-50:
46. Mega Man X | 25th Nov | 3:55hrs | rating: 2.5/5
Jump and shoot your way through Mega Man's first 16-bit adventure.
- GAMEPLAY: The usual Mega Man stuff, but the new wall-jump in combination with a long-jump (slide + jump) feels like cheating sometimes, but it also gives more depth to your moveset.
- AUDIOVISUALLY: Decent pixel art for the SNES, nothing caught my interest musically.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: Slightly more plot than classic Mega Man, but it's still the 8 bosses and their stages you can play at any order. I miss the map leading up to the final boss though, now it's very confusing how much is left of the game.
I've played too much Mega Man (1-3, 9-11) to feel surprised by anything in this game. I'm sure it was great back then, but unfortunately it was kind of "meh" at this point. I had more fun with Mega Man 11 earlier this year.
47. Pikmin 3 | 12th Dec | 12:00hrs | rating: 3.5/5
Command an army of pikmin to explore the earth and collect fruits.
- GAMEPLAY: Quite complex controls with a lot of buttons and actions to remember. Despite it's cute appeareance, this is a gamer's game!
- AUDIOVISUALLY: Still occasionally spectacular looking, but due to the realistic style, it's aging fast. The music is great, but the whistling and shouting can get a little grating.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: Just a super charming and polished presentation, but the main adventure is quite short, and more focused on "puzzles" than free exploration than I would have liked.
- MULTIPLAYER: The whole game can be co-opped, but since you're originally meant to swap back and forth between your characters to keep busy and efficient, you're not quite getting the right experience when playing with a friend. It's still fun, but you're missing out on something.
It's just not quite as good as I'd like it to be. It's short (and the mission mode isn't as fun), the controls a little clumsy, and the level design feels claustrophobic. With more of an open-world design, Pikmin 4 could be amazing though!
48. Part Time UFO | 10th Dec | 5:30hrs | rating: 4/5
Lift stuff with your UFO's crane and balance them at the right place!
- GAMEPLAY: Very simple, but the physics makes it a lot of fun. There's pretty good mission variation too, and when it's over, I really just wanted more!
- AUDIOVISUALLY: The music is incredibly catchy, and the visuals are simple but clean.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: The story is "get jobs to make money for new outfits", which is still better than nothing! There's context at least and there needn't be more. There's also a vacation/cave mission, which is a longer and more platform oriented mission, but I liked that one less.
- MULTIPLAYER: The whole game can be played in co-op, and that's where it really shines! Just hilarious to plan, execute (and sometimes fail) the various missions.
It's too light on content, but 3-starring the missions makes it more meaty, and it's low price makes it extremely worth playing, especially if you have a friend!
49. Fast RMX | 15th Dec | 3:50hrs | rating: 2,5/5
Race very fast on futuristic race tracks!
- GAMEPLAY: I don't play racing games often, but I did like F-Zero a lot. This is like that, but with an added "switch color to match the boost pads" feature, which honestly doesn't add that much.
- AUDIOVISUALLY: It sure is fast! But the design feels a little plain, so I'm not too impressed. Music is average, but the presenter is funny!
- STORY/PRESENTATION: No story at all. Beat 12 cups on three difficulty levels. It can feel a little repetitive since nothing ties the package together, and the cups aren't distinct enough.
- MULTIPLAYER: You can be up to 4 players, but it's a difficult game for casual gamers! No one I know would prefer this over Mario Kart.
It showed some of the visual capabilities of the Switch at launch, but I had my fill after half the stages. Good thing reaching 3rd place is enough to unlock the next cup (and isn't too hard to do), or I would never have bothered finishing the first two difficulty levels. I skipped the last.
50. Carto | 31st Dec | 4:30hrs | rating: 3/5
You're a lost girl with the ability to turn and swap map pieces around to find your way.
- GAMEPLAY: Mostly you just walk around and change the map based on hints from the dialog. I would have preferred more visual puzzles rather than riddles, and it's rarely all that clever/difficult.
- AUDIOVISUALLY: Really nice "fake 2D" storybook visuals, and the music, though forgettable and unoriginal, sets the tone nicely.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: I find the "cut-scenes" a bit too barebones, and the plot is a little weird and carnivorian, but overall still charming and doesn't overstay its welcome.
It's a nice and original little game, one I'd recommend if you're looking for something short and relaxing.
Main Post
Games 45-50:
46. Mega Man X | 25th Nov | 3:55hrs | rating: 2.5/5
Jump and shoot your way through Mega Man's first 16-bit adventure.
- GAMEPLAY: The usual Mega Man stuff, but the new wall-jump in combination with a long-jump (slide + jump) feels like cheating sometimes, but it also gives more depth to your moveset.
- AUDIOVISUALLY: Decent pixel art for the SNES, nothing caught my interest musically.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: Slightly more plot than classic Mega Man, but it's still the 8 bosses and their stages you can play at any order. I miss the map leading up to the final boss though, now it's very confusing how much is left of the game.
I've played too much Mega Man (1-3, 9-11) to feel surprised by anything in this game. I'm sure it was great back then, but unfortunately it was kind of "meh" at this point. I had more fun with Mega Man 11 earlier this year.
47. Pikmin 3 | 12th Dec | 12:00hrs | rating: 3.5/5
Command an army of pikmin to explore the earth and collect fruits.
- GAMEPLAY: Quite complex controls with a lot of buttons and actions to remember. Despite it's cute appeareance, this is a gamer's game!
- AUDIOVISUALLY: Still occasionally spectacular looking, but due to the realistic style, it's aging fast. The music is great, but the whistling and shouting can get a little grating.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: Just a super charming and polished presentation, but the main adventure is quite short, and more focused on "puzzles" than free exploration than I would have liked.
- MULTIPLAYER: The whole game can be co-opped, but since you're originally meant to swap back and forth between your characters to keep busy and efficient, you're not quite getting the right experience when playing with a friend. It's still fun, but you're missing out on something.
It's just not quite as good as I'd like it to be. It's short (and the mission mode isn't as fun), the controls a little clumsy, and the level design feels claustrophobic. With more of an open-world design, Pikmin 4 could be amazing though!
48. Part Time UFO | 10th Dec | 5:30hrs | rating: 4/5
Lift stuff with your UFO's crane and balance them at the right place!
- GAMEPLAY: Very simple, but the physics makes it a lot of fun. There's pretty good mission variation too, and when it's over, I really just wanted more!
- AUDIOVISUALLY: The music is incredibly catchy, and the visuals are simple but clean.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: The story is "get jobs to make money for new outfits", which is still better than nothing! There's context at least and there needn't be more. There's also a vacation/cave mission, which is a longer and more platform oriented mission, but I liked that one less.
- MULTIPLAYER: The whole game can be played in co-op, and that's where it really shines! Just hilarious to plan, execute (and sometimes fail) the various missions.
It's too light on content, but 3-starring the missions makes it more meaty, and it's low price makes it extremely worth playing, especially if you have a friend!
49. Fast RMX | 15th Dec | 3:50hrs | rating: 2,5/5
Race very fast on futuristic race tracks!
- GAMEPLAY: I don't play racing games often, but I did like F-Zero a lot. This is like that, but with an added "switch color to match the boost pads" feature, which honestly doesn't add that much.
- AUDIOVISUALLY: It sure is fast! But the design feels a little plain, so I'm not too impressed. Music is average, but the presenter is funny!
- STORY/PRESENTATION: No story at all. Beat 12 cups on three difficulty levels. It can feel a little repetitive since nothing ties the package together, and the cups aren't distinct enough.
- MULTIPLAYER: You can be up to 4 players, but it's a difficult game for casual gamers! No one I know would prefer this over Mario Kart.
It showed some of the visual capabilities of the Switch at launch, but I had my fill after half the stages. Good thing reaching 3rd place is enough to unlock the next cup (and isn't too hard to do), or I would never have bothered finishing the first two difficulty levels. I skipped the last.
50. Carto | 31st Dec | 4:30hrs | rating: 3/5
You're a lost girl with the ability to turn and swap map pieces around to find your way.
- GAMEPLAY: Mostly you just walk around and change the map based on hints from the dialog. I would have preferred more visual puzzles rather than riddles, and it's rarely all that clever/difficult.
- AUDIOVISUALLY: Really nice "fake 2D" storybook visuals, and the music, though forgettable and unoriginal, sets the tone nicely.
- STORY/PRESENTATION: I find the "cut-scenes" a bit too barebones, and the plot is a little weird and carnivorian, but overall still charming and doesn't overstay its welcome.
It's a nice and original little game, one I'd recommend if you're looking for something short and relaxing.
So after my LEGO period my gaming became very sporadic for the rest of the year. With the start I had to the year, I had hoped passing 100 games, but it stopped at 87 this year.
August 23, 2020
74. Stick It to The Man
★★★½
5hrs 30min
Loved the wacky humor of Stick It to The Man. Not overly complicated, but adventurous, making me want to explore every corner of this cartoonish world. This was right up my alley.
September 6, 2020
75. Flipping Death
★★★
9hrs
After finishing Stick It to The Man, the natural progress was its spiritual sequel Flipping Death. The wacky humor was the same, but I wasn't as addicted to the experience and kept drifting out. While the characters were fun, the solutions where too far-out to feel satisfying. More a luck of the attempt and see what crazy idea the creators had, and not my own "genius".
September 16, 2020
76. Lost Horizon
★★★
12hrs
A fine point & click game, but also showing its age (originally made in 2010). Used it as bite size adventures before going to sleep, and it worked well for that.
September 17, 2020
77. Venture Kid
★★½
5/10
Solid retro platformer. Did struggle on a couple of the latter stages, but did get through it once I gained enough confidence on the difficult parts.
September 29, 2020
78. Ultimate Chicken Horse
★★★½
35hrs
Ultimate Chicken Horse became THE family game of the year for us. So accessible that even the youngest was able to be competitive in this chaotic obstacle race. Wonderful fun, and naturally we played enough to unlock everything. Wish they'd created more content, but of course there are plenty to select online too.
October 5, 2020
79. Super Mario 64
★★★★
25hrs
The biggest hype of the fall for me was the Super Mario 3D Collection. Couldn't wait to play these games again. I don't remember if I completed Super Mario 64 on the original console, but I did this time I did. All 120 stars!One can't mention this game without complaining about the camera controls. Took some time getting used to, but the game is a true classic!
October 6, 2020
80. Macbat 64: Journey of a Nice Chap
★★
1hr
Not much for gameplay. Pretty straight forward and not exactly difficult. The allure here is the 64-era tribute stuff. For this is a pure and quirky tribute experience, nothing more.
October 8, 2020
81. The Stretchers
★★★
7hrs
Got a few bugs, but this incredibly silly idea made for some super fun husband & wife time! Recommended if you have a partner/friend to co-op with.
October 13, 2020
82. Guess the Word
½
30min
I was just testing a few simple cheap games for my 5-year-old, and I apparently completed a spelling bee. This was a bare-bones release. There's only like 30 simple words included, which you could easily guess your way through based on how it's laid-out. Doesn't even use all the letters in the alphabet. One of the most shameful releases on the Switch. So little effort put into this one.
October 13. 2020
83. Theatre Tales
½
5min
Another one from the bunch I tried with my kid. The presentation wasn't that bad. Worked in getting him interested, but it's easily completed in 5 minutes. They tease the idea of unlocking or buying additional fairytales, but it seems they never made those expansions, so all you're left with is a tiny Red Riding Hood story and no reason to return.
October 14, 2020
84. Lost Horizon 2
★★½
6hrs
The story is not as good as in the first one, but the game style is the same, so an alright chill experience if one enjoy these older style point & click games.
November 5, 2020
85. Secret Files 3
★★½
8hrs
I did 1 & 2 last year, so it's time to complete the 3rd installment of this point & clicker. And like with the Lost Horizon series, it's alright and fairly dated by 2020 standards. More than anything, I felt Secret Files 3 was uneven, for I did enjoy some of the chapters, while others dragged a bit too much. Regardless, I got myself through, thus completing all the P&C'ers Koch Media has released on the Switch so far.
December 29, 2020
86. Super Mario Sunshine
★★★★½
45hrs
I doubt I ever completed Sunshine on the GameCube, but I loved revisiting this on the Switch! The water mechanism was something I had a ton of fun with, and the game has all types of creative platforming puzzles thrown in. 120 shines - completed. Put me in the pro-Sunshine camp!
December 31, 2020
87. The House of Da Vinci
★★★
4hrs
Similar style as The Room, but a little bit more creative and fun to accomplish. At some point I'll definitely be picking up its sequel.
August 23, 2020
74. Stick It to The Man
★★★½
5hrs 30min
Loved the wacky humor of Stick It to The Man. Not overly complicated, but adventurous, making me want to explore every corner of this cartoonish world. This was right up my alley.
September 6, 2020
75. Flipping Death
★★★
9hrs
After finishing Stick It to The Man, the natural progress was its spiritual sequel Flipping Death. The wacky humor was the same, but I wasn't as addicted to the experience and kept drifting out. While the characters were fun, the solutions where too far-out to feel satisfying. More a luck of the attempt and see what crazy idea the creators had, and not my own "genius".
September 16, 2020
76. Lost Horizon
★★★
12hrs
A fine point & click game, but also showing its age (originally made in 2010). Used it as bite size adventures before going to sleep, and it worked well for that.
September 17, 2020
77. Venture Kid
★★½
5/10
Solid retro platformer. Did struggle on a couple of the latter stages, but did get through it once I gained enough confidence on the difficult parts.
September 29, 2020
78. Ultimate Chicken Horse
★★★½
35hrs
Ultimate Chicken Horse became THE family game of the year for us. So accessible that even the youngest was able to be competitive in this chaotic obstacle race. Wonderful fun, and naturally we played enough to unlock everything. Wish they'd created more content, but of course there are plenty to select online too.
October 5, 2020
79. Super Mario 64
★★★★
25hrs
The biggest hype of the fall for me was the Super Mario 3D Collection. Couldn't wait to play these games again. I don't remember if I completed Super Mario 64 on the original console, but I did this time I did. All 120 stars!One can't mention this game without complaining about the camera controls. Took some time getting used to, but the game is a true classic!
October 6, 2020
80. Macbat 64: Journey of a Nice Chap
★★
1hr
Not much for gameplay. Pretty straight forward and not exactly difficult. The allure here is the 64-era tribute stuff. For this is a pure and quirky tribute experience, nothing more.
October 8, 2020
81. The Stretchers
★★★
7hrs
Got a few bugs, but this incredibly silly idea made for some super fun husband & wife time! Recommended if you have a partner/friend to co-op with.
October 13, 2020
82. Guess the Word
½
30min
I was just testing a few simple cheap games for my 5-year-old, and I apparently completed a spelling bee. This was a bare-bones release. There's only like 30 simple words included, which you could easily guess your way through based on how it's laid-out. Doesn't even use all the letters in the alphabet. One of the most shameful releases on the Switch. So little effort put into this one.
October 13. 2020
83. Theatre Tales
½
5min
Another one from the bunch I tried with my kid. The presentation wasn't that bad. Worked in getting him interested, but it's easily completed in 5 minutes. They tease the idea of unlocking or buying additional fairytales, but it seems they never made those expansions, so all you're left with is a tiny Red Riding Hood story and no reason to return.
October 14, 2020
84. Lost Horizon 2
★★½
6hrs
The story is not as good as in the first one, but the game style is the same, so an alright chill experience if one enjoy these older style point & click games.
November 5, 2020
85. Secret Files 3
★★½
8hrs
I did 1 & 2 last year, so it's time to complete the 3rd installment of this point & clicker. And like with the Lost Horizon series, it's alright and fairly dated by 2020 standards. More than anything, I felt Secret Files 3 was uneven, for I did enjoy some of the chapters, while others dragged a bit too much. Regardless, I got myself through, thus completing all the P&C'ers Koch Media has released on the Switch so far.
December 29, 2020
86. Super Mario Sunshine
★★★★½
45hrs
I doubt I ever completed Sunshine on the GameCube, but I loved revisiting this on the Switch! The water mechanism was something I had a ton of fun with, and the game has all types of creative platforming puzzles thrown in. 120 shines - completed. Put me in the pro-Sunshine camp!
December 31, 2020
87. The House of Da Vinci
★★★
4hrs
Similar style as The Room, but a little bit more creative and fun to accomplish. At some point I'll definitely be picking up its sequel.
Main Post
Final post for my 2020 list. Made a hard attempt at 100 but I crashed out in the final days of 2020.
82. The 11th Hour - PC - Score - 5/10
83. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Wii - Score - 6/10
84. King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride - PC - Score - 7/10
85. Astro's Playroom- PS5 - Score - 8/10
86. Demon's Souls - PS5 - Score - 10/10
87. Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 - PS3 - Score - 6/10
88. Snoopy's Grand Adventure - Wii U - Score - 6/10
89. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - PS5 - Score - 8/10
90. Mega Man III - Gameboy - Score - 8/10
91. Contra - NES - Score - 8/10
92. Castlevania: The Adventure - Gameboy - Score - 6/10
93. Super C - NES - Score - 7/10
94. Contra Force - NES - Score - 7/10
95. Black - Xbox One - Score - 6/10
Final post for my 2020 list. Made a hard attempt at 100 but I crashed out in the final days of 2020.
82. The 11th Hour - PC - Score - 5/10
83. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Wii - Score - 6/10
84. King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride - PC - Score - 7/10
85. Astro's Playroom- PS5 - Score - 8/10
86. Demon's Souls - PS5 - Score - 10/10
87. Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 - PS3 - Score - 6/10
88. Snoopy's Grand Adventure - Wii U - Score - 6/10
89. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - PS5 - Score - 8/10
90. Mega Man III - Gameboy - Score - 8/10
91. Contra - NES - Score - 8/10
92. Castlevania: The Adventure - Gameboy - Score - 6/10
93. Super C - NES - Score - 7/10
94. Contra Force - NES - Score - 7/10
95. Black - Xbox One - Score - 6/10
Sorry for being really late to this party. I wanted to make a more profound list all year but it never came to it. I loosely wrote down the games I played but the transition from an excel sheet to Playlink didn't help. My playlink library is still an unfinished but beautiful mess. Tracking times via in-game- or Steam statistics is worthless in my case because I often get distracted by other stuff or let the games running for hours without playing, so no playtimes from me. I will try to improve on that this year. I might have forgotten the one or other game, but it's over 60 games anyway. Interesting for myself that I only beat games on the PS4, Quest and PC ...
Not a fan of 1-5 rating system, but I tried to not just adjust from 10-9 = 5; 8-7 = 4 ... The 5s should stand out a bit more. And a 7/10 feels more like a 3/5 to me.
I want to make a bigger and better list in 2021 again with impressions to every game instead of just a boring number.
Not a fan of 1-5 rating system, but I tried to not just adjust from 10-9 = 5; 8-7 = 4 ... The 5s should stand out a bit more. And a 7/10 feels more like a 3/5 to me.
I want to make a bigger and better list in 2021 again with impressions to every game instead of just a boring number.
1. OSM: Oldschool Musical (PC) | 3/5
2. Control (PC) | 4/5
3. Control: The Foundation (PC) | 3/5
4. Tetris Effect (Quest) | 4/5
5. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PC) | 4/5
6. Battlewake (PC) | 3/5
7. Warhammer 40.000: Inquisitor - Martyr (PC) | 3/5
8. Trails on Tatooine (PC) | 2/5
9. Dragon Quest XI (PS4) | 4/5
10. Beat Hazard 2 (PC) | 3/5
11. The Morrigan (PC) | 3/5
12. Final Fantasy 15: A King's Tale (PS4) | 2/5
13. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (PS4) | 4/5
14. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (PC) | 4/5
15. Synth Riders (Quest) | 3/5
16. Borderlands 3 (PC) | 4/5
17. Borderlands 3: Handsome Jackpot (PC) | 4/5
18. Borderlands 3: Love, Guns and Tentacles (PC) | 4/5
19. Vader Immortal (Quest) | 4/5
20. Moss (PC) | 4/5
21. Project Warlock (PC) | 3/5
22. Half-Life: Alyx (PC) | 5/5
23. Black Mesa (PC) | 5/5
24. Anno 1800 (PC) | 4/5
25. Anno 1800: Lost Treasures (PC) | 4/5
24. Gorn (PC) | 2/5
25. Dance Collider (PC) | 4/5
26. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC) | 4/5
27. The Witcher 3: Heart of Stone (PC) | 4/5
28. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (PC) | 4/5
29. Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ (PC) | 3/5
30. Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn (PS4) | 4/5
31. Pistol Whip (Quest) | 4/5
32. Asgard's Wrath (PC) | 3/5
33. Path of Exile: Metamorph League (PC) | 4/5
34. The Division 2 (PC) | 4/5
35. Hades (PC) | 5/5
36. Sundered: Eldrich Edition (PC) | 4/5
37. Trails of Mana (PS4) | 4/5
38. Lone Echo (PC) | 4/5
39. Doom Eternal (PC) | 4/5
40. Titan Quest: Anniversary Edition (PC) | 4/5
41. Titan Quest: Immortal Throne (PC) | 4/5
42. Root (PC) | 4/5
43. Bud Spencer & Terrence Hill: Slaps and Beans (PC) | 3/5
44. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (PC) | 4/5
45. Children of Morta (PC) | 4/5
46. Archangel (PS4) | 2/5
47. Void Bastards (PC) | 4/5
48. Blood: Fresh Supply (PC) | 4/5
49. Sairento VR (PC) | 3/5
50. Guns, Gore & Cannoli (PC) | 3/5
51. Trüberbrook (PC) | 3/5
52. Sky Force Reloaded (PC) | 4/5
53. The Hex (PC) | 3/5
54. The Crucible (PC) | 2/5
55. The Last of Us 2 (PS4) | 5/5
56. Ghost of Tsushima (PS4) | 4/5
57. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (PS4) | 3/5
58. The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition (PS4) | 4/5
59. World War Z (PC) | 3/5
60. Bleed (PC) | 3/5
61. Beat Saber (Quest) | 5/5
62. Robo Recall (PC) | 3/5
63. Stormland (PC) | 4/5
2. Control (PC) | 4/5
3. Control: The Foundation (PC) | 3/5
4. Tetris Effect (Quest) | 4/5
5. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PC) | 4/5
6. Battlewake (PC) | 3/5
7. Warhammer 40.000: Inquisitor - Martyr (PC) | 3/5
8. Trails on Tatooine (PC) | 2/5
9. Dragon Quest XI (PS4) | 4/5
10. Beat Hazard 2 (PC) | 3/5
11. The Morrigan (PC) | 3/5
12. Final Fantasy 15: A King's Tale (PS4) | 2/5
13. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (PS4) | 4/5
14. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (PC) | 4/5
15. Synth Riders (Quest) | 3/5
16. Borderlands 3 (PC) | 4/5
17. Borderlands 3: Handsome Jackpot (PC) | 4/5
18. Borderlands 3: Love, Guns and Tentacles (PC) | 4/5
19. Vader Immortal (Quest) | 4/5
20. Moss (PC) | 4/5
21. Project Warlock (PC) | 3/5
22. Half-Life: Alyx (PC) | 5/5
23. Black Mesa (PC) | 5/5
24. Anno 1800 (PC) | 4/5
25. Anno 1800: Lost Treasures (PC) | 4/5
24. Gorn (PC) | 2/5
25. Dance Collider (PC) | 4/5
26. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC) | 4/5
27. The Witcher 3: Heart of Stone (PC) | 4/5
28. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (PC) | 4/5
29. Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ (PC) | 3/5
30. Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn (PS4) | 4/5
31. Pistol Whip (Quest) | 4/5
32. Asgard's Wrath (PC) | 3/5
33. Path of Exile: Metamorph League (PC) | 4/5
34. The Division 2 (PC) | 4/5
35. Hades (PC) | 5/5
36. Sundered: Eldrich Edition (PC) | 4/5
37. Trails of Mana (PS4) | 4/5
38. Lone Echo (PC) | 4/5
39. Doom Eternal (PC) | 4/5
40. Titan Quest: Anniversary Edition (PC) | 4/5
41. Titan Quest: Immortal Throne (PC) | 4/5
42. Root (PC) | 4/5
43. Bud Spencer & Terrence Hill: Slaps and Beans (PC) | 3/5
44. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (PC) | 4/5
45. Children of Morta (PC) | 4/5
46. Archangel (PS4) | 2/5
47. Void Bastards (PC) | 4/5
48. Blood: Fresh Supply (PC) | 4/5
49. Sairento VR (PC) | 3/5
50. Guns, Gore & Cannoli (PC) | 3/5
51. Trüberbrook (PC) | 3/5
52. Sky Force Reloaded (PC) | 4/5
53. The Hex (PC) | 3/5
54. The Crucible (PC) | 2/5
55. The Last of Us 2 (PS4) | 5/5
56. Ghost of Tsushima (PS4) | 4/5
57. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (PS4) | 3/5
58. The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition (PS4) | 4/5
59. World War Z (PC) | 3/5
60. Bleed (PC) | 3/5
61. Beat Saber (Quest) | 5/5
62. Robo Recall (PC) | 3/5
63. Stormland (PC) | 4/5
52 Games. 1 Year. 2021.
A thread for people that are trying to play 52 games in a year. Tell us how you're doing and what you are going to play next - claim a post and update us on your progress. How do I take part? Claim a post (you may need two later). Write down each game and your thoughts about each one. In...
www.resetera.com
It's been a hectic year with having a baby etc so I've left off writing these until now. As a result, I can barely remember a thing about what I completed in January. To be honest, I'm amazed that I've been able to play this much this year. I guess that's what's possible in lockdown.
1. Prey (PC) | 14th Jan | 21.5h | 4/5
Interesting premise and I liked the open-ended approach. The visual design was arguably a tad bland. I guess they were going for a grounded asthetic but games like System Shock 2 managed this by bringing more variety with unique environments. I did the usual immersive sim of speccing into everything that opens up more options, leaving myself large amounts of upgrades for the tail end of the game. I just love poking around these games and stripping the map dry of resources. Nuking tough enemies with Pyschoshock in the late-game was worth the investment.
2. Deadly Premonition (PC) | 18th Jan | 20h | 4/5
Very rough gameplay, overworld and visuals with absolutely zero polish to anything. Yet some of the characters, dialogue and story moments will likely stick with me for years to come. Of all the games that have riffed off of Twin Peak, this might be the most derivative. Yet it's probably the only one that manages to understand that Lynch's surrealism is grounded in evocative character moments - be it comedy, horror or otherwise. There's a dreamlike quality throughout that's probably actually helped by the budget production values. There's also a very cosy atmosphere to driving around town and hanging out with the locals that goes absolutely sideways when the nightmare bits kick in. An absolute experience.
3. Red Dead Redemption (PS3) | 31st Jan | 19h | 4/5
An impressive interpretation of a Hollywood westerns as a videogame. Its world, setting and music are lovingly done with well scripted and acted dialogue. It's just a shame about the videogame parts. The deadeye autoaim system trivialises any kind of challenge. A myriad of bugs and crashes also dragged down the experience. I saw a lot of freezes and crashes on the PS3 version. Although one bug that saw endless clones of my horse run over the horizon only to freeze suddenly into a random orientation had us in stitches.
4. Resident Evil VII (PC) | 5th Feb | 9h | 4/5
Loved the first half in the house. The transition to 1st person was a refreshing change which no doubt allowed for many scenarios like the dinner table scene etc. It was good to see the classic gameplay formula of scavenging, tense combat, resource management and light puzzle solving return. Unfortunately, they were clearly running out of ideas by the end.
5. What Remains of Edith Finch (PC) | 9th Feb | 3h | 4/5
This surprised us with how many places this went. Can't really mention specifics without being spoilery though. Nobody could accuse this walking sim of being unambitious. Funny and, at times, moving.
6. Outer Wilds (PC) | 11th Feb | 15h | 5/5
I almost bounced off of this because of the overwhelming start. I'm glad I stuck with it though because this is one of the best examples of extrinsic exploratory gameplay I've ever experienced. The frightening, uncaring, hostile little solar system they've created is rich with secrets, and I love that your motivation is simply to uncover their mysteries. Figuring out the Dark Bramble was probably my favourite moment. The ending was poignant and impressive.
7. Bloodstained (PC) | 24th Feb | 17h | 4/5
A deceptively versatile action rpg that offers a ton of ways to build interesting loud-outs. Pity that they seem to really want you to use katanas once you get Zangetsuto. I used the Bloodbringer sword for most of the game once I accidently discovered an exploit to have it as a summoned familiar and a weapon at the same time. It's a little bit rough visually but it was nice to return to a grindy Igavania. Some decent boss fights too. I got 100% map completion and called it a day.
8. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PC) | 8th Mar | 31h | 4/5
Is this still the best Assassins's Creed? It's certainly the one with the most personality. I love that Edward's primary motivation of acquiring booty is consistent with my own as the player - no ludonarrative dissonance here. I like that all the usual collectathon fluff feeds into the ultimate aim of building up your ship into a juggernaut capable of taking down forts and, eventually, the legendary ships. I'm really not a fan of the clunky animation driven combat system but its serviceable. Diving bell sections suck.
9. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) | 10th Mar | 72h | 5/5
I played a lot of this in the week we were in hospital after our son was born. We were just under observation so there was a lot of time to kill. I'm trying to work through the series before I can justify buying Three Houses. I've loved what I've played so far of the series and this one was no different. It's interesting finally seeing the game that started the stronger anime influence in the series. The artstyle is still quite tasteful though in my opinion. The main campaign could have done with more challenge to be honest as pairing up is a little too strong. But I still really enjoy the character building aspect of these games. Child units can be insanely strong, particularly when they're decked out with galeforce, attack skills etc. My Robin went dark knight to sorcerer for that sweet life-stealing nosferatu abuse. He married Tharja and their kids Morgan and Noire absolutely wrecked with lifetaker and ignis.
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC) | 14th Mar | 12.5h | 4/5
A step up from the already accomplished original in every way from narrative, environments, music and gameplay. A joy to control, although if I remember correctly its difficultly was a bit wonky. A lot of damage from traversal hazards can be simply tanked through but the last boss was incredibly frustrating for the wrong reasons. As before, the escape segments are a highlight. While the story was stronger this time, I found it overly sentimental in places. Movement is so fluid in this series.
11. Monster Hunter: World (PC) | 10th Apr | 85h | 5/5
Being a new dad with a mostly sleeping newborn I figured that this might be the last opportunity I get to play a game without a pause button for a long while. The last Monster Hunter I got hooked on was Freedom Unite on the PSP and this has basically everything I needed to entice me to play a modern entry to this series. Faster combat, less restrictive animations, more mobility options, quality of life improvements, non-zoned maps, modern visuals but with the same classic monster designs, a good roster, emphasis on prep and methodical action combat. As per, I went with the trusty old hammer and, my god, do I love the new spinning sliding attack. I played a lot of late-night sessions with a sleeping baby strapped to my chest. Him waking partway through my first Xeno'jiiva kill was stressful AF. I eventually built a Diablos armor set and hammer for massive attack damage and stun power. I farmed a Kushala Daora set for nullifying wind pressure so I could take down the remaining elder dragons. I'd had my fill after beating each monster solo at least once. My only real complaint is how visually noisy the glow flies are and how reliant the game is on them.
12. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) | 18th Apr | 25h | 4/5
Probably the first replay of this in about a decade and while time has taken some of the shine off it's still a charming and evocative experience. Its idiosyncratic map design clearly being a product of the time. However, being an early 3D game has also given it some inimitable qualities that remain strong today. There's a mystery and unsettling atmosphere to it. The catchy melodies and sound design are deeply nostalgic. And while so many games peter out with a rushed an unsatisfying ending, OoT's endgame is the perfect capstone. The organ music building as you climb the tower, the climactic battle, the bittersweet ending. I'd forgotten how little of this game is actually spent in the overworld and how the focus is primarily in the dungeons. I got stuck in the Fire Temple of all places. I spent ages backtracking until I realised that I'd already picked up the boss key like an absolute moron.
13. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) | 18th Apr | 1h | 4/5
A total nostalgia trip. I played it for the first time on the big screen though. I'd forgotten how short this is. Makes sense for a handheld title I guess. I have a fondness for the funny off-brand enemies and locals (Easter Island??).
14. Parasite Eve (PSX) | 26th Apr | 10h | 2/5
The story is lovable nonsense but the gameplay is an absolute chore. I liked the idea of the turn-based combat with real-time movement in principal but it got old fast. And the areas are sprawling and samey - the second sewer area is so bad I just cracked out a guide for that part. It's crazy to think how Squaresoft's output in the late 90's was so broad and innovative compared to Square Enix now. Despite not enjoying this so much, I find myself thinking back on the atmosphere every now and then. The best part of this for me was definitely the beautiful low-poly visuals.
15. Gitaroo Man (PS2) | 28th Apr | 5h | 3/5
When my company announced an upcoming round of redundancies I just wanted to blow off work and play something fun. This was just what I needed. The artstyle is very cool - reminiscent of Yoshitomo Nara. The tunes are punchy and diverse. Although they totally stole Radiohead's Just for the final stage - complete with Johnny Greenwood style guitar. Unfortunately, I just don't like how it plays as a rhythm game and I was missing tons of notes, which made some tracks more frustrating than they should have been. Definitely worth a playthrough, but I think I'll stick to listening to the soundtrack over attempting the harder difficulties.
16. Dishonored 2 (PC) | 8th Jun | 28h | 4/5
Environmental and level design are the real stars here. I still have a panorama of Karnaca harbour as my desktop wallpaper. I found the dialogue and plot underwhelming. Even Stephen Russell's portrayal of Corvo couldn't pump any energy into the general blandness. It's such a shame given how interesting the game world is. Overall though, another solid immersive sim from Arkane. The toolkit is fun, the levels are fantastic. Every now and then I find myself visualising the level layouts, so they must have made an impression.
17. Hades (PC) | 11th Jun | 6h | 5/5
Hades feels so good to play. A little too good as I was too busy to play it during the day so ended up robbing myself of sleep to have another run. I managed a victory over Hades on about my 12th run thanks to a pair of freezing twin fists and decided to put it down for a while so I could start getting some rest at night. The pantheon, heroes and underworld flunkies have some real personality. Another classic from Supergiant Games. I'd like to give it another go now that it's out of early-access.
18. Metroid Prime (Dolphin) | 14th Jun | 10.5h | 5/5
Retro Studios really nailed the 3D evolution of Super Metroid. This was my first time playing this old favourite on Dolphin and the higher resolution + ultrawide really allows the visual design to shine. Fudging some twin analogue stick controls also made it a lot more modern feeling. However, I feel like an idiot for only checking out the Primehack after finishing this. It's absolutely incredible. I guess I'll just have to replay it again some time.
19. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC) | 23rd Jun | 5h | 4/5
I played this cute little Metroidvania as a pallet cleanser and ended up sinking a decent bit of time into it.
20. Fire Emblem: Birthright (3DS) | 19th Jul | 71h | 5/5
I almost skipped Fates outright because of its reputation for having dreadful writing. I'm glad I didn't. The writing is indeed head-shakingly bad anime nonsense. Disappointing given the series' track record for perfectly serviceable (and occasionally decent) sword and sorcery plots. Support conversations are even worse - with one note characters and bland romances played off as jokes. This didn't actually detract much from the overall experience, however, as the bulk of the game is spent on the battlefield. And in my opinion, FE characters are more defined by how you use them in-game rather than their dialogue anyway. My Corrin went swordmaster and married Kaden. So with those two, their kids, Kana and Selkie, and Ryoma I was seriously heavy on dodge tanks. My Rinkah saw some serendipitous growths (i.e. restarts) that made her an absolute tank in the traditional sense. Orochi got the speed growths she needed to double enemies, thank god. I'm in two minds about the changes to the weapon system. Getting rid of durability was kind of nice and I can appreciate that they've balanced for this by giving every weapon tier its own pros and cons but it made silver weapons and above feel like downgrades vs upgraded mid tier weapons. Also, I was completely lost by the new weapon quadrangle for a long time.
21. Fire Emblem: Conquest (3DS) | 13th Sep | 100h | 5/5
I played this right after Birthright. Despite the writing being awful, the maps themselves are the best I've experienced in an Intelligent Systems game. Every mission has unique scenario design that turns it into a puzzle game with srpg mechanics. And the amount of meaningful decisions that you can make wrt to your team makes for an engaging first run and massive replay potential. I wanted to see if I could make a dark mage Corrin work for this campaign. She married Odin / Owain for access to his class and he was never used again. By the endgame, her and her daughter Ophelia grew into unkillable nosferatu heal tanks that I could throw into a room and would finish the enemy phase with every hostile unit on partial health with debuffed stats - ready to be cleaned up. Effie developed into an absolute truck with a brave lance that, when paired, could basically 4x anything. Next Fire Emblem to finish is Path of Radiance on the Gamecube.
22. Death Stranding (PC) | 7th Dec | 51h | 4/5
This game is like slow TV at times. It's so peaceful hiking through the Nordic (apparently North American) scenery. The writing is some powerful highs and some pretentious and contrived lows. The theme of parenthood was quite moving for me. I liked how this theme was supported by your relationship with BB. I loved the performances from the cast except for Troy Baker as Higgs and Amelie. Every time either of them was on screen they took me right out of it. Although it might have been because their characters. For example, Amelie eerily singing London Bridge is Falling Down was lame and obvious and they shouldn't have included it. Higgs explaining his own name like they were worried you wouldn't get it was embarrassing. Now that I think about it, probably all of the cringe moments in the writing came from wordplay. Anyway, some moments of bad writing didn't really diminish my overall enjoyment. Managing stamina, equipment, cargo condition, balance and navigation while avoiding threats was the real meat of this game. The world is beautifully designed and I liked how the rain became this foreboding signal of encroaching BTs. And it was a beautiful change of pace from many of the more dopamine heavy games we spend our time with. I didn't really understand the online elements that well but I liked feeling of human connection it implied in such a lonely virtual world. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that trikes trivialize any sort of challenge. Doubly so when I discovered that you could restart a stalled vehicle in a BT area by hopping off and on again. Parts leading up to the ending were brilliantly climatic and I loved any section that turned into a New York tar bed platformer.
23. Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) | 15th Dec | 70h | 5/5
Ring Fit has been something of a life-line during lockdown. It's certainly been the main source of exercise this year since I've stopped going to the gym. I was gifted this last Christmas and it took me about 60 sessions spread out over almost a year to finally beat the main campaign. I love the premise of a fitness game as a turn-based rpg and they've done a great job realising this idea. Exploiting enemy weaknesses naturally results in a more varied workout and the rpg mechanics keeps progression engaging. Gamification is often such a superficial thing but this feels like a product of some people who have respect for both fitness and gaming. There are a few flaws though. The motion tracking can fail sometimes, resulting in a never-ending plank or expecting your squat to hit the floor with your butt, for example. Also, you end up using the same moves a lot of the time because of their raw damage numbers. The writing was pleasantly tongue-in-cheek and totally inoffensive.
24. Sludge Life (PC) | 16th Dec | 4h | 4/5
Sludge Life is a cool game about losers who you'd want to hang out with. I lost my laptop at the start and got confused why I couldn't access the menu. I was feeling seriously drained before playing this and something about it was just food for the soul. There's a pair of smoke stacks that you can stand between and, if you're wearing headphones, the sound is sublime.
25. Katana Zero (PC) | 18th Dec | 4.5h | 4/5
Classy music, intriguing story and a tight gameplay loop. Where's the ending though?
26. Spelunky 2 (PC) | 31st Dec | 85h | 5/5
This is one of those "if it ain't broke" kind of sequels and I love it. The new additions of branching paths and fluid mechanics are great. Although we're just happy to have some new areas, enemies and secrets to spelunk. We've played this almost exclusively coop and I loved how well it works with two players. I'm happy to see the damsel / pug in distress is shared between players now though. We've managed to make it all the way to Hundun the one time and that's probably about as good as we're going to do.
27. Genshin Impact (PC) | 31st Dec | 100h | 4/5
This game has kind of taken over my paltry free time since it launched last year. The early game is fantastic. When you're exploring the world and doing the main story in the European medieval fantasy styled area, Mondstadt, it truly is like an anime Breath of the Wild - only they've taken the intrinsic motivation design of BotW and replaced it with a series of chests and gatcha currency. The world and soundtrack are quite stunning, particularly the China inspired region, Liyue. Although navigating can be frustrating sometimes with clunky movement and a stingy stamina system. I haven't had great luck with the gatcha. I pulled a Qiqi early on and a Primordial Jade Spear some time later and have therefore had to manage with a fairly underpowered team. At a certain point the content dried up and I'm mainly farming gatcha currency so I can afford the limited 5 star polearm user, Xiao, when he presumabley releases in February. Cleaning up the dailies and spending my resin is usually about the right length of time for me to squeeze in before bed. But I am starting to wonder if there's a way off this treadmill.
1. Prey (PC) | 14th Jan | 21.5h | 4/5
Interesting premise and I liked the open-ended approach. The visual design was arguably a tad bland. I guess they were going for a grounded asthetic but games like System Shock 2 managed this by bringing more variety with unique environments. I did the usual immersive sim of speccing into everything that opens up more options, leaving myself large amounts of upgrades for the tail end of the game. I just love poking around these games and stripping the map dry of resources. Nuking tough enemies with Pyschoshock in the late-game was worth the investment.
2. Deadly Premonition (PC) | 18th Jan | 20h | 4/5
Very rough gameplay, overworld and visuals with absolutely zero polish to anything. Yet some of the characters, dialogue and story moments will likely stick with me for years to come. Of all the games that have riffed off of Twin Peak, this might be the most derivative. Yet it's probably the only one that manages to understand that Lynch's surrealism is grounded in evocative character moments - be it comedy, horror or otherwise. There's a dreamlike quality throughout that's probably actually helped by the budget production values. There's also a very cosy atmosphere to driving around town and hanging out with the locals that goes absolutely sideways when the nightmare bits kick in. An absolute experience.
3. Red Dead Redemption (PS3) | 31st Jan | 19h | 4/5
An impressive interpretation of a Hollywood westerns as a videogame. Its world, setting and music are lovingly done with well scripted and acted dialogue. It's just a shame about the videogame parts. The deadeye autoaim system trivialises any kind of challenge. A myriad of bugs and crashes also dragged down the experience. I saw a lot of freezes and crashes on the PS3 version. Although one bug that saw endless clones of my horse run over the horizon only to freeze suddenly into a random orientation had us in stitches.
4. Resident Evil VII (PC) | 5th Feb | 9h | 4/5
Loved the first half in the house. The transition to 1st person was a refreshing change which no doubt allowed for many scenarios like the dinner table scene etc. It was good to see the classic gameplay formula of scavenging, tense combat, resource management and light puzzle solving return. Unfortunately, they were clearly running out of ideas by the end.
5. What Remains of Edith Finch (PC) | 9th Feb | 3h | 4/5
This surprised us with how many places this went. Can't really mention specifics without being spoilery though. Nobody could accuse this walking sim of being unambitious. Funny and, at times, moving.
6. Outer Wilds (PC) | 11th Feb | 15h | 5/5
I almost bounced off of this because of the overwhelming start. I'm glad I stuck with it though because this is one of the best examples of extrinsic exploratory gameplay I've ever experienced. The frightening, uncaring, hostile little solar system they've created is rich with secrets, and I love that your motivation is simply to uncover their mysteries. Figuring out the Dark Bramble was probably my favourite moment. The ending was poignant and impressive.
7. Bloodstained (PC) | 24th Feb | 17h | 4/5
A deceptively versatile action rpg that offers a ton of ways to build interesting loud-outs. Pity that they seem to really want you to use katanas once you get Zangetsuto. I used the Bloodbringer sword for most of the game once I accidently discovered an exploit to have it as a summoned familiar and a weapon at the same time. It's a little bit rough visually but it was nice to return to a grindy Igavania. Some decent boss fights too. I got 100% map completion and called it a day.
8. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PC) | 8th Mar | 31h | 4/5
Is this still the best Assassins's Creed? It's certainly the one with the most personality. I love that Edward's primary motivation of acquiring booty is consistent with my own as the player - no ludonarrative dissonance here. I like that all the usual collectathon fluff feeds into the ultimate aim of building up your ship into a juggernaut capable of taking down forts and, eventually, the legendary ships. I'm really not a fan of the clunky animation driven combat system but its serviceable. Diving bell sections suck.
9. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) | 10th Mar | 72h | 5/5
I played a lot of this in the week we were in hospital after our son was born. We were just under observation so there was a lot of time to kill. I'm trying to work through the series before I can justify buying Three Houses. I've loved what I've played so far of the series and this one was no different. It's interesting finally seeing the game that started the stronger anime influence in the series. The artstyle is still quite tasteful though in my opinion. The main campaign could have done with more challenge to be honest as pairing up is a little too strong. But I still really enjoy the character building aspect of these games. Child units can be insanely strong, particularly when they're decked out with galeforce, attack skills etc. My Robin went dark knight to sorcerer for that sweet life-stealing nosferatu abuse. He married Tharja and their kids Morgan and Noire absolutely wrecked with lifetaker and ignis.
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC) | 14th Mar | 12.5h | 4/5
A step up from the already accomplished original in every way from narrative, environments, music and gameplay. A joy to control, although if I remember correctly its difficultly was a bit wonky. A lot of damage from traversal hazards can be simply tanked through but the last boss was incredibly frustrating for the wrong reasons. As before, the escape segments are a highlight. While the story was stronger this time, I found it overly sentimental in places. Movement is so fluid in this series.
11. Monster Hunter: World (PC) | 10th Apr | 85h | 5/5
Being a new dad with a mostly sleeping newborn I figured that this might be the last opportunity I get to play a game without a pause button for a long while. The last Monster Hunter I got hooked on was Freedom Unite on the PSP and this has basically everything I needed to entice me to play a modern entry to this series. Faster combat, less restrictive animations, more mobility options, quality of life improvements, non-zoned maps, modern visuals but with the same classic monster designs, a good roster, emphasis on prep and methodical action combat. As per, I went with the trusty old hammer and, my god, do I love the new spinning sliding attack. I played a lot of late-night sessions with a sleeping baby strapped to my chest. Him waking partway through my first Xeno'jiiva kill was stressful AF. I eventually built a Diablos armor set and hammer for massive attack damage and stun power. I farmed a Kushala Daora set for nullifying wind pressure so I could take down the remaining elder dragons. I'd had my fill after beating each monster solo at least once. My only real complaint is how visually noisy the glow flies are and how reliant the game is on them.
12. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) | 18th Apr | 25h | 4/5
Probably the first replay of this in about a decade and while time has taken some of the shine off it's still a charming and evocative experience. Its idiosyncratic map design clearly being a product of the time. However, being an early 3D game has also given it some inimitable qualities that remain strong today. There's a mystery and unsettling atmosphere to it. The catchy melodies and sound design are deeply nostalgic. And while so many games peter out with a rushed an unsatisfying ending, OoT's endgame is the perfect capstone. The organ music building as you climb the tower, the climactic battle, the bittersweet ending. I'd forgotten how little of this game is actually spent in the overworld and how the focus is primarily in the dungeons. I got stuck in the Fire Temple of all places. I spent ages backtracking until I realised that I'd already picked up the boss key like an absolute moron.
13. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) | 18th Apr | 1h | 4/5
A total nostalgia trip. I played it for the first time on the big screen though. I'd forgotten how short this is. Makes sense for a handheld title I guess. I have a fondness for the funny off-brand enemies and locals (Easter Island??).
14. Parasite Eve (PSX) | 26th Apr | 10h | 2/5
The story is lovable nonsense but the gameplay is an absolute chore. I liked the idea of the turn-based combat with real-time movement in principal but it got old fast. And the areas are sprawling and samey - the second sewer area is so bad I just cracked out a guide for that part. It's crazy to think how Squaresoft's output in the late 90's was so broad and innovative compared to Square Enix now. Despite not enjoying this so much, I find myself thinking back on the atmosphere every now and then. The best part of this for me was definitely the beautiful low-poly visuals.
15. Gitaroo Man (PS2) | 28th Apr | 5h | 3/5
When my company announced an upcoming round of redundancies I just wanted to blow off work and play something fun. This was just what I needed. The artstyle is very cool - reminiscent of Yoshitomo Nara. The tunes are punchy and diverse. Although they totally stole Radiohead's Just for the final stage - complete with Johnny Greenwood style guitar. Unfortunately, I just don't like how it plays as a rhythm game and I was missing tons of notes, which made some tracks more frustrating than they should have been. Definitely worth a playthrough, but I think I'll stick to listening to the soundtrack over attempting the harder difficulties.
16. Dishonored 2 (PC) | 8th Jun | 28h | 4/5
Environmental and level design are the real stars here. I still have a panorama of Karnaca harbour as my desktop wallpaper. I found the dialogue and plot underwhelming. Even Stephen Russell's portrayal of Corvo couldn't pump any energy into the general blandness. It's such a shame given how interesting the game world is. Overall though, another solid immersive sim from Arkane. The toolkit is fun, the levels are fantastic. Every now and then I find myself visualising the level layouts, so they must have made an impression.
17. Hades (PC) | 11th Jun | 6h | 5/5
Hades feels so good to play. A little too good as I was too busy to play it during the day so ended up robbing myself of sleep to have another run. I managed a victory over Hades on about my 12th run thanks to a pair of freezing twin fists and decided to put it down for a while so I could start getting some rest at night. The pantheon, heroes and underworld flunkies have some real personality. Another classic from Supergiant Games. I'd like to give it another go now that it's out of early-access.
18. Metroid Prime (Dolphin) | 14th Jun | 10.5h | 5/5
Retro Studios really nailed the 3D evolution of Super Metroid. This was my first time playing this old favourite on Dolphin and the higher resolution + ultrawide really allows the visual design to shine. Fudging some twin analogue stick controls also made it a lot more modern feeling. However, I feel like an idiot for only checking out the Primehack after finishing this. It's absolutely incredible. I guess I'll just have to replay it again some time.
19. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC) | 23rd Jun | 5h | 4/5
I played this cute little Metroidvania as a pallet cleanser and ended up sinking a decent bit of time into it.
20. Fire Emblem: Birthright (3DS) | 19th Jul | 71h | 5/5
I almost skipped Fates outright because of its reputation for having dreadful writing. I'm glad I didn't. The writing is indeed head-shakingly bad anime nonsense. Disappointing given the series' track record for perfectly serviceable (and occasionally decent) sword and sorcery plots. Support conversations are even worse - with one note characters and bland romances played off as jokes. This didn't actually detract much from the overall experience, however, as the bulk of the game is spent on the battlefield. And in my opinion, FE characters are more defined by how you use them in-game rather than their dialogue anyway. My Corrin went swordmaster and married Kaden. So with those two, their kids, Kana and Selkie, and Ryoma I was seriously heavy on dodge tanks. My Rinkah saw some serendipitous growths (i.e. restarts) that made her an absolute tank in the traditional sense. Orochi got the speed growths she needed to double enemies, thank god. I'm in two minds about the changes to the weapon system. Getting rid of durability was kind of nice and I can appreciate that they've balanced for this by giving every weapon tier its own pros and cons but it made silver weapons and above feel like downgrades vs upgraded mid tier weapons. Also, I was completely lost by the new weapon quadrangle for a long time.
21. Fire Emblem: Conquest (3DS) | 13th Sep | 100h | 5/5
I played this right after Birthright. Despite the writing being awful, the maps themselves are the best I've experienced in an Intelligent Systems game. Every mission has unique scenario design that turns it into a puzzle game with srpg mechanics. And the amount of meaningful decisions that you can make wrt to your team makes for an engaging first run and massive replay potential. I wanted to see if I could make a dark mage Corrin work for this campaign. She married Odin / Owain for access to his class and he was never used again. By the endgame, her and her daughter Ophelia grew into unkillable nosferatu heal tanks that I could throw into a room and would finish the enemy phase with every hostile unit on partial health with debuffed stats - ready to be cleaned up. Effie developed into an absolute truck with a brave lance that, when paired, could basically 4x anything. Next Fire Emblem to finish is Path of Radiance on the Gamecube.
22. Death Stranding (PC) | 7th Dec | 51h | 4/5
This game is like slow TV at times. It's so peaceful hiking through the Nordic (apparently North American) scenery. The writing is some powerful highs and some pretentious and contrived lows. The theme of parenthood was quite moving for me. I liked how this theme was supported by your relationship with BB. I loved the performances from the cast except for Troy Baker as Higgs and Amelie. Every time either of them was on screen they took me right out of it. Although it might have been because their characters. For example, Amelie eerily singing London Bridge is Falling Down was lame and obvious and they shouldn't have included it. Higgs explaining his own name like they were worried you wouldn't get it was embarrassing. Now that I think about it, probably all of the cringe moments in the writing came from wordplay. Anyway, some moments of bad writing didn't really diminish my overall enjoyment. Managing stamina, equipment, cargo condition, balance and navigation while avoiding threats was the real meat of this game. The world is beautifully designed and I liked how the rain became this foreboding signal of encroaching BTs. And it was a beautiful change of pace from many of the more dopamine heavy games we spend our time with. I didn't really understand the online elements that well but I liked feeling of human connection it implied in such a lonely virtual world. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that trikes trivialize any sort of challenge. Doubly so when I discovered that you could restart a stalled vehicle in a BT area by hopping off and on again. Parts leading up to the ending were brilliantly climatic and I loved any section that turned into a New York tar bed platformer.
23. Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) | 15th Dec | 70h | 5/5
Ring Fit has been something of a life-line during lockdown. It's certainly been the main source of exercise this year since I've stopped going to the gym. I was gifted this last Christmas and it took me about 60 sessions spread out over almost a year to finally beat the main campaign. I love the premise of a fitness game as a turn-based rpg and they've done a great job realising this idea. Exploiting enemy weaknesses naturally results in a more varied workout and the rpg mechanics keeps progression engaging. Gamification is often such a superficial thing but this feels like a product of some people who have respect for both fitness and gaming. There are a few flaws though. The motion tracking can fail sometimes, resulting in a never-ending plank or expecting your squat to hit the floor with your butt, for example. Also, you end up using the same moves a lot of the time because of their raw damage numbers. The writing was pleasantly tongue-in-cheek and totally inoffensive.
24. Sludge Life (PC) | 16th Dec | 4h | 4/5
Sludge Life is a cool game about losers who you'd want to hang out with. I lost my laptop at the start and got confused why I couldn't access the menu. I was feeling seriously drained before playing this and something about it was just food for the soul. There's a pair of smoke stacks that you can stand between and, if you're wearing headphones, the sound is sublime.
25. Katana Zero (PC) | 18th Dec | 4.5h | 4/5
Classy music, intriguing story and a tight gameplay loop. Where's the ending though?
26. Spelunky 2 (PC) | 31st Dec | 85h | 5/5
This is one of those "if it ain't broke" kind of sequels and I love it. The new additions of branching paths and fluid mechanics are great. Although we're just happy to have some new areas, enemies and secrets to spelunk. We've played this almost exclusively coop and I loved how well it works with two players. I'm happy to see the damsel / pug in distress is shared between players now though. We've managed to make it all the way to Hundun the one time and that's probably about as good as we're going to do.
27. Genshin Impact (PC) | 31st Dec | 100h | 4/5
This game has kind of taken over my paltry free time since it launched last year. The early game is fantastic. When you're exploring the world and doing the main story in the European medieval fantasy styled area, Mondstadt, it truly is like an anime Breath of the Wild - only they've taken the intrinsic motivation design of BotW and replaced it with a series of chests and gatcha currency. The world and soundtrack are quite stunning, particularly the China inspired region, Liyue. Although navigating can be frustrating sometimes with clunky movement and a stingy stamina system. I haven't had great luck with the gatcha. I pulled a Qiqi early on and a Primordial Jade Spear some time later and have therefore had to manage with a fairly underpowered team. At a certain point the content dried up and I'm mainly farming gatcha currency so I can afford the limited 5 star polearm user, Xiao, when he presumabley releases in February. Cleaning up the dailies and spending my resin is usually about the right length of time for me to squeeze in before bed. But I am starting to wonder if there's a way off this treadmill.
1. Prey (PC) | 14th Jan | 21.5h | 4/5
2. Deadly Premonition (PC) | 18th Jan | 20h | 4/5
3. Red Dead Redemption (PS3) | 31st Jan | 19h | 4/5
4. Resident Evil VII (PC) | 5th Feb | 9h | 4/5
5. What Remains of Edith Finch (PC) | 9th Feb | 3h | 4/5
6. Outer Wilds (PC) | 11th Feb | 15h | 5/5
7. Bloodstained (PC) | 24th Feb | 17h | 4/5
8. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PC) | 8th Mar | 31h | 4/5
9. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) | 10th Mar | 72h | 5/5
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC) | 14th Mar | 12.5h | 4/5
11. Monster Hunter: World (PC) | 10th Apr | 85h | 5/5
12. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) | 18th Apr | 25h | 4/5
13. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) | 18th Apr | 1h | 4/5
14. Parasite Eve (PSX) | 26th Apr | 10h | 2/5
15. Gitaroo Man (PS2) | 28th Apr | 5h | 3/5
16. Dishonored 2 (PC) | 8th Jun | 28h | 4/5
17. Hades (PC) | 11th Jun | 6h | 5/5
18. Metroid Prime (Dolphin) | 14th Jun | 10.5h | 5/5
19. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC) | 23rd Jun | 5h | 4/5
20. Fire Emblem: Birthright (3DS) | 19th Jul | 71h | 5/5
21. Fire Emblem: Conquest (3DS) | 13th Sep | 100h | 5/5
22. Death Stranding (PC) | 7th Dec | 51h | 4/5
23. Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) | 15th Dec | 70h | 5/5
24. Sludge Life (PC) | 16th Dec | 4h | 4/5
25. Katana Zero (PC) | 18th Dec | 4.5h | 4/5
26. Spelunky 2 (PC) | 31st Dec | 85h | 5/5
27. Genshin Impact (PC) | 31st Dec | 100h | 4/5
2. Deadly Premonition (PC) | 18th Jan | 20h | 4/5
3. Red Dead Redemption (PS3) | 31st Jan | 19h | 4/5
4. Resident Evil VII (PC) | 5th Feb | 9h | 4/5
5. What Remains of Edith Finch (PC) | 9th Feb | 3h | 4/5
6. Outer Wilds (PC) | 11th Feb | 15h | 5/5
7. Bloodstained (PC) | 24th Feb | 17h | 4/5
8. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PC) | 8th Mar | 31h | 4/5
9. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) | 10th Mar | 72h | 5/5
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC) | 14th Mar | 12.5h | 4/5
11. Monster Hunter: World (PC) | 10th Apr | 85h | 5/5
12. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) | 18th Apr | 25h | 4/5
13. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) | 18th Apr | 1h | 4/5
14. Parasite Eve (PSX) | 26th Apr | 10h | 2/5
15. Gitaroo Man (PS2) | 28th Apr | 5h | 3/5
16. Dishonored 2 (PC) | 8th Jun | 28h | 4/5
17. Hades (PC) | 11th Jun | 6h | 5/5
18. Metroid Prime (Dolphin) | 14th Jun | 10.5h | 5/5
19. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC) | 23rd Jun | 5h | 4/5
20. Fire Emblem: Birthright (3DS) | 19th Jul | 71h | 5/5
21. Fire Emblem: Conquest (3DS) | 13th Sep | 100h | 5/5
22. Death Stranding (PC) | 7th Dec | 51h | 4/5
23. Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) | 15th Dec | 70h | 5/5
24. Sludge Life (PC) | 16th Dec | 4h | 4/5
25. Katana Zero (PC) | 18th Dec | 4.5h | 4/5
26. Spelunky 2 (PC) | 31st Dec | 85h | 5/5
27. Genshin Impact (PC) | 31st Dec | 100h | 4/5
- Alan Wake
- Afterparty
- My Friend Pedro
- Gears of War: Judgment
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
- Gearts of War 2
- Gears of War 3
- Life is Strange 2
- Gears of War 4
- Remnant: From the Ashes
- The Surge 2
- Slay the Spire
- Ori and the Will of Wisps
- Doom Eternal
- Rage 2
- Coffe Talk
- Lonely Mountains: Downhill
- Carrion
- Tell Me Why
- Gears Tactics
- Mafia Definitive Edition
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Concrete Genie
- DMC 5
- TWD Final Season
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
- Undertale
- Assault Android Cactus
- Archangel
- Metro Exodus
- 11-11 Memories Retold
- Yakuza 0
- Blood and Truth
- Yakuza Kiwami
- BoxVR
- RE 7 Biohazard
- Ultimate Chicken Horse
- Resident Evil 3
- Ghost Giant
- FF VII Remake
- Ass Creed Origins
- Sairento
- Tetris Effect
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Knowledge is Power
- The Last of Us: Part II
- The Last of Us: Part II (again)
- Iron Man VR
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Judgment
- Yakuza 6
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood
- CoD: MW 2 Remastered
- Fall Guys
- Trover Saves the Universe
- Dreams
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales (twice, but it wasnt that long)
- Astro's Playroom
- Demon's Souls
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- The Pathless
- Crash Bandicoot 4
- Kentucky Route Zero
- Cyberpunk 2077