52 Games. 1 Year. 2022.

Wozzer · Jan 1, 2022

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 order to allow for yearly statistics please list your completions, using the following exact format using a spoiler block, somewhere on your main posts;

[SPOILER="All completions!"]
1. Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube (PC) | 4th Jan - 12hrs | 3/5
2. Snipperclips (Switch) | 6th Jan - 5hrs | 5/5
3. Doki Doki Literature Club! (PC) | 12th Jan - 4.2hrs | 4/5
[/SPOILER]

What goes before/after the above spoiler block doesn't matter, so please feel free to go excessive and extravagant with personalized list, image and review formats as usual!

If you only provide the game title that is fine, but please follow the format as show (<number>. <title> (<platform>) | <date> - <hours> | <score/5>) where giving details. Mistakes will make the parser unhappy and may mean your data gets skipped. If you're giving scores, please try to adopt/translate into a scaling system out of 5 (sorry if this is painful).

What's that Hall of Fame thing?
Those that beat the challenge last year will remain in the Hall of Fame, for eternal glory, and further yearly completions will see their medal increment as a badge of honor for long term backlog-beating consistency.

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

Do I have to record time?
No, though most platforms (Steam, Xbox, Nintendo, etc) will now do it for free!

Do I have to review or comment on the games I complete?
Not required but very much welcomed. A few words and maybe a quick score does wonders to share your impressions with other users as you go. Full blown mini-reviews aren't necessary.

Do episodic games count as a single game or X amount of games?
That's up to you. It's alright to count something like Life is Strange as one or five games. Your choice.

Can I finish a game I started in 1998 and count that?
Yes.

What should I do once I've completed the challenge?
Shoot me a DM with a link to your post that shows all the games you've completed. I'll make you thread famous.

Do board games count?
They do not. Vidya games only in here.

What are those medal icons I see on avatars?
That's the 52 Games Challenge Medal™, achieved by beating the challenge on a given year. The number within the medal represents each year you've beaten the challenge since 2018. That's right, consistency and commitment comes with glorious numerical rewards.

Woah that medal is super cool, can I get one for my full sized avatar?
It's awesome you want to rep the thread, so sure here's a version you can slap on!

Is there a deadline?
Until Dec 31st 2022 @ 11.59pm!

Archive: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (shout out to VisceralBowl for the 2017 thread)

We're held up in Discord, discussing the 52 Challenge, posting updates and coordinating some shared game completions (think book club). Come say hey!

The brave individuals that overcome the challenge for 2022;

The additional survivors who overcame the challenge of the previous year 2021 thread;

And below are the legacy participants from years prior who we hope to see return to us this year;

Here lists those that have risen to the challenge during this or prior years! If you see yourself beating the challenge, please remember to send me a DM with your post once you're done!

Wozzer · Jan 1, 2022

Starting in 2020 our Discord has grown to over 140 members now and with it saw the start of "Game Club", a play on a traditional book club that sees us choosing and collectively playing a nominated game per month, sharing our thoughts and opinions through to beating it.

Due to the logistics of discussing, raffling and nominating games the bulk of the process will remain driven in the Discord via an external spreadsheet but I'll be posting the nominations here so everyone can join in! Those who beat the game are entered into a raffle to choose the monthly game, and we also do longer group decided quarterly games.

Q1 2022: Hitman 3
Jan 2022: Parasite Eve
Feb 2022: Pyre
Mar 2022: The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa
Q2 2022: Disco Elysium
Apr 2022: Mafia
May 2022: Titanfall 2
Jun 2022: BioShock Infinite
Q3 2022: Ghost of Tsushima
Jul 2022: Cruelty Squad
Aug 2022: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Sep 2022: ???
Q4 2022: ???

You can view last years nominations here; https://www.backlogbeat.com/game-club

Baybob · Jan 1, 2022

Looking forward to a new year and a new challenge! to aim for 104 or not, that is the question.

Illusionary · Jan 1, 2022

Welcome to 2022, everyone! Reserving my master post here.

2021: 104 games
2020: 99 games
2019: 73 games
2018: 90 games
2017: 72 games

1. Kirby Star Allies (Switch) | 1 January 2022 | 6/10
100% complete on all modes, except for "Soul Melter" difficulty boss rush. A thoroughly pleasant and charming experience, Kirby Star ALlies is a decent instalment in the franchise, though with a heavily multiplayer-focused main mechanic - the "star allies" of the title refers to Kirby's ability to befriend many of the game's enemies, then able to take advantage of their varied abilities. There's some great creativity with some of the abilities on offer, in particular with the potential for many of these to combine in interesting ways - from more predictable elemental imbuement of weapons through to a rock becoming a curling stone, and much more.

Beside these abilities, the game's story mode doesn't do anything particularly new and is fairly short at around five hours, but some increased longevity comes from supplementary modes that each vary the experience somewhat. Even for a Kirby game, the overall difficulty is very much on the easy side - other than the highest levels of the boss rush mode, which take the difficulty to the other extreme!

2. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust (PC - Steam) | 2 January 2022 | 6/10
Good ending, 100% of achievements unlocked. Deeply weird in its thematic premise, Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is clearly a personal labour of love for the developers, following up on the original Anodyne with significant divergence in gameplay. Where the first game was a fairly simple 2D Zelda-style experience, this sequel takes place with an explorable 3D overworld, though individual 2D 'dungeons' are much more in keeping with the prequel. Anodyne 2 sees the player taking control of a 'nano cleaner', a being birthed with the purpose of cleaning 'dust' from the minds of various NPCs via an ability to shrink down to microscopic size - and the overall setting's surreal themes are very much in keeping with this unusual premise.

There's not really much here in the way of mechanical challenge and it takes until the final 'dungeon' before the puzzle elements move beyond fairly simple concepts, and the game would benefit from some greater variety of abilities, but what's here is decently enjoyable to play and exploration is rewarded with various collectibles - including several which offer 'behind the scenes' areas and commentary which speak to the investment that Analgesic Productions evidently has in their creation.

3. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (PC - Steam) | 3 January 2022 | 7/10
100% in-game completion, 100% of achievements unlocked. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a cute, fairly short 2D Zelda style action adventure, focused around completing various straightforward 'quests' for the anthropomorphised vegetables that inhabit a town, exploring 'dungeon'-like levels in so doing. There's some very light combat and puzzle-solving here, but nothing that's ever particularly taxing, beyond perhaps one or two of the dungeon-ending boss encounters. The light-hearted and humourous vibe that pervades the game makes it a fun experience while it lasts - and while that's not overly long and I'd struggle to justify buying the game at full price, but bought at a discount, I'd recommend that game as a good way to spend a few hours.

4. Lake (Xbox One) | 10 January 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). A nicely relaxing experience, Lake won't be for everyone but certainly has its charms. The game follows lead character Meredith, taking a break from a big city career to spend two weeks as a mail delivery worker in her childhood village. There's a certain satisfaction from driving around checking off locations from a delivery list each day, and perhaps the highlight comes from parcel deliveries each day. These offer the opportunity for dialogue with each recipient, building or rekindling relationships from many years ago. There are some interesting stories that play out through these interactions, several of which develop further through further meetings arranged between each day, finishing up with a party of sorts that draws things to a satisfying conclusion. If you're looking for excitement, you'll find little of that here, but Lake is a decent way to wind down between more action-packed experiences.

5. Axiom Verge 2 (Switch) | 14 January 2022 | 8/10
Completed with 100% map exploration and item collection. A very solid 2D Metroid-like, Axiom Verge 2 builds impressively on the success of the first game with some really interesting new mechanics, used to good effect. As examples, perhaps the most widely trailed of these have been the secondary game world - "The Breach" - accessible via portals throughout the world and navigable by a player-controlled drone, and subverting enemies via hacking, providing various forms of assistance - in traversal, combat or otherwise. Both of these work very successfully throughout, providing an impressive level of depth - as do most of the other abilities, which I won't spoil here! The plot is also a strong point, developing in intiguing and unexpected ways, supported by a fairly large amount of background lore, through collectible notes and elsewhere in the environment.

I'd have preferred to see somewhat more variety in environments, which mostly centre around an Arctic setting in the main overworld and the alien-feeling Breach - but these are by no means a deal-breaker and are well-realised in detailed pixelart - and once again stunning is the soundtrack throughout. To think that the whole game was pretty much created by Tom Happ as a sole developer is frankly incredible - and once again I look forward to seeing where he goes in future.

6. Tales of Monkey Island Episode 1 - Launch of the Screaming Narwhal (PC - Steam) | 14 January 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough. After having a good time with their take on another LucasArts property in the Sam & Max series, it seemed a good opportunity to get properly stuck into Telltale Games' refresh of The Secret of Monkey Island - a franchise for which I have a long-held affection. This introductory episode does good job of capturing LucasArts' trademark sense of humour and sets up the rest of the the series well with an interesting premise and well-written characters, if not quite to Tim Schafer's level of excellence.

These earlier games from Telltale's catalogue take the more traditional puzzle-focused approach to the point-and-click genre and the solutions here are always fun to see playing out. However, finding those solutions in some cases takes a less positive feature from some classics of the genre, where the logic involved is less than obvious, to say the least... perhaps playing with a guide will be best if you want to avoid too much frustration!

7. The Pedestrian (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 19 January 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G), all secrets (hats) located. A lovely, creative puzzle game, The Pedestrian's unique gimmick is that it (almost) entirely takes place through navigating a stylised person through levels built out of informational signs. With new mechanics introduced at a well-judged pace, the game does a good job of maintaining interest and challenge, while rarely becoming frustrating; perhaps the most interesting comes from a central mechanic of rearranging a set of signs and assigning links between doors to open/close various paths, combining nicely with other elements such as locks/keys, crates, and more unusually, electrical circuits, among others. There's little in the way of explicit instruction on how each puzzle element works, but each tends to be introduced gently, with simple puzzles easily solved through experimentation to tease out functionality. It's all over within a handful of hours, but there's little in the way of filler throughout that short length - making for an overall good time.

8. Island Farmer - Jigsaw Puzzle (PC - Steam) | 23 January 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. The clue to the gameplay style here is in the "jigsaw puzzle" subtitle, though Island Farmer isn't quite what you'd expect from a typical jigsaw. The game takes the player through a series of (currently) 30 islands built from square tiles, first showing the intended arrangement of those tiles, then mixing them up - the challenge being to swap the tiles to recreate the original arrangement. With the ability to view that arrangement at any time with a toggle, any difficulty to the game will come from players challenging themselves through limiting the use of that toggle and it's ultimately fairly mindless. However, with simple, attractive graphics and relaxing music, Island Farmer can be a pleasant distraction to while away a few minutes. Notably, it's nice to see the developer having supported the game post-release, with an original set of 20 islands now expanded to 30.

9. Blue Fire (PS4) | 29 January 2022 | 8/10
Completed on "recommended" difficulty, with all collectibles aside from the hardest voids. The debut release from indie studio Robi Games, Blue Fire overall impresses in many ways. Clearly borrowing its dark aesthetic from the superb Hollow Knight, here the core gameplay combines 3D platforming - albeit often at a much significantly difficulty than many games in the genre (once again, the Hollow Knight comparison is apt) with The Legend of Zelda-style exploration and puzzle-solving. The game world fits convincingly together, housing several Zelda-style 'dungeon' self-contained environments and a range of more exploration-based side-quests to add some variety.

While the platforming starts off fairly basic, throughout the game the protagonist acquires new abilities - some core and some coming from equipable 'spirits' (once again, think Hollow Knight here!) - to make moving through the qorld highly satisfying, particularly so after success at some of the more challenging platforming scenarios, which really are the core of the gameplay. While there is some puzzle-solving and combat throughout, these elements are fairly shallow - the puzzles don't really extend beyond flipping switches (which may then lead to some timed platforming) - and the combat moves are only limited.

Also throughout the game are 'voids', self-contained pure platforming sections similar to those of Super Mario Sunshine. These are entirely optional, but highly beneficial, awarding additional health but more importantly, extra spirit slots that allow for improved platforming abilities (wall running, a triple jump, greater range, etc.) - and start off fairly simple but become very challenging later in the game (I didn't manage to beat the last handful), catering for a range of skill. Checkpoints in the 'easy' difficulty setting bring some greater accessibility here, though that difficulty choice is locked from the start of the game.

Overall, Blue Fire is a really well-realised combination of genres that, while not quite achieving its full potential in all areas, was a *fun* experience that I'd congratulate the developers for. Additional free DLC and a currently in-development free level editor (via Steam) are additional feathers in its cap!

10. Tales of Monkey Island Episode 2 - The Siege of Spinner Cay (PC - Steam) | 29 January 2022 | 7/10
Complete playthrough. This second episode of Tales of Monkey Island picks up nicely from the first, with a well-realised city of mer-people being the setting this time as Guybrush finds himself re-united with Elaine... and LeChuck! I have to say that I wasn't particularly keen on the characterisation of the mer-people, but aside from that the writing and humour are again on-point, and the non-linearity of the puzzle-solving makes for a satisfying non-linearity, reducing the potential for frustration when a particular puzzle solution proves elusive.

11. The Gunk (Xbox Series X) | 2 February 2022 | 7/10
Completed with all achievements except for "All In" unlocked (950G). In a departure from their excellent SteamWorld series, Image & Form take their first steps into 3D with The Gunk, an exploration and light platforming game set on an alien planet. Perhaps the key mechanic features in the title, as our protagonist Rani finds the world plagued by a gloopy substance that she dubs simply "the gunk", which she quickly takes as a goal to clean from the planet using her vacuum cleaner-esque handheld gadget. Exploring the planet and seeing nature bloom into life as Rani sucks up this gunk is undoubtedly satisfying and remains so throughout the game's fairly short (typically sub-ten hour) length, though a sense of excessive repetition does start to creep in towards the end of the game.

Ultimately there's not a huge amount to the gameplay beyond the interaction with the gunk - navigating the world is fairly linear and while there's some puzzle-solving and platforming gameplay, and a few combat encounters, it's rarely much of a challenge, serving more to offer some greater variety. Away from the mechanics, there's a serviceable underlying narrative to drive forward the gameplay and the dialogue between Rani and her travelling companion is fun to follow - and overall The Gunk is a perfectly solid game, just not reaching the highs that we've come to expect from the SteamWorld games.

12. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 9 February 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough with full map exploration, weapons and bestiary, 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). With plenty of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night vibes, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a combat-focused 'Metroidvania' that does what it sets out to do very well. The mechanics involved in that combat make for a really enjoyable time throughout, with a well-balanced degree of challenge from run-of-the-mill enemies and the frequent setpiece boss encounters - our protagonist Deedlit eventually equips herself with a combination of primary melee weapon and bow, a wide range of elemental-based spells and a pair of companion spirits. The range of weapons have meaningful differences - range, speed and bonus abilities - but probably the standout feature here are the spirits that apply elemental strengths/weaknesses in the style of Ikaruga. All of these are used to good effect, with perhaps the only slight excepition coming in the puzzles requiring rapid use of the bow in a manner that can be somewhat imprecise.

While there are secrets scattered around the game world, the exploration and backtracking that's typically seen in Metroidvania games take a bit of a back seat here - this will appeal to some players but not others, as a matter of personal preference. There's also clearly some underlying lore that the occasional NPC interactions seek to draw upon - but with no existing knowledge of the source franchise, these went rather over my head. Nothing really lost here, though - these sequences are all fairly brief, and skippable if you need a checkpoint restart.

13. Tales of Monkey Island Episode 3 - Lair of the Leviathan (PC - Steam) | 12 February 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough. I'm a little conflicted in my view of this episode, as while I'm not being particularly keen on the primary setting inside a giant manatee, I can't deny that looking more at it objectively, this third episode as a whole is strong. We see some excellent new characters introduced, clever puzzle design and some particularly great interactions with Morgan and Van Winslow.

14. Tales of Monkey Island Episode 4 - The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood (PC - Steam) | 19 February 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough. Now well into its stride, episode 4 is my favourite of the entire series. While many of the environments are revisits of those seen in episode 1, the premise is great fun, as Guybrush seeks to clear his name from various spurious criminal charges - up to and including that of causing the pox. Particularly standout sequences come as Guybrush occupies multiple roles (defendant and defence lawyer) simultaneously, and then in the superb depiction of fast-talking salesman Stan, recurring character from LucasArts' classic games in the franchise.

15. Nobody Saves the World (Xbox One) | 20 February 2022 | 8/10
100% complete standard playthrough; all achievements unlocked aside from for New Game Plus (915/1,000G). In a change of direction after the excellent Guacamelee! and its sequel, Nobody Saves the World sees Drinkbox tackling the overhead action RPG genre. Gameplay is very much focused on hack-and-slash combat, but what makes the game particularly interesting is its range of 17 character classes, freely switchable between (almost) at any time. Each has their own unique set of skills, a mix of active and passive, which is great in itself, but the game's real USP comes from the ability to mix and match these across character classes - each retaining a 'signature' active and passive, but otherwise creating a huge range of possible builds. With many of these being very effective with the right play style, everyone will find their own preference, rewarding creative matches.

The game's progression challenges players to tackle four 'legendary' dungeons, broadly in the four corners of a 2D map, which is also strewn with a range of smaller 'demi-dungeons' with their own rewards, and a handful of towns where quests can be sought. With a unique modifier applying for each dungeon and enemies with their own range of abilities and immunities, a decent feeling of variety is maintained through most of the game... though the gameplay does begin to wear a little thin by the end of a completionist run. All the same, a more challenging "new game plus" is available for those who really love the game, providing a good degree of additional longevity/replayability.

Away from the gameplay, there's a quirky 'hand-drawn' artstyle which I found surprisingly attractive, and a well judged musical score. The main story around which the gameplay is threaded works well enough, though aside from positioning the protagonist as something of an underdog, doesn't do anything all that unusual.

16. Tales of Monkey Island Episode 5 - Rise of the Pirate God (PC - Steam) | 27 February 2022 | 6/10
Complete playthrough. Hmm... a decent premise here (Guybrush, now a ghost, seeks restoration to life to take on LeChuck), but in execution this felt a little weak. There's an enjoyable pirate-styled twist on the typical Death figure to start off the episode, but the main body of content sees Guybrush swapping back and forth between two key areas, but with a short trek between the two, rather than instant transition - which rapidly becomes a bit tedious. Of course, the excellent dialogue seen in the preceding episodes is just as strong here, so it's still a worthwhile playthrough, just not the climactic send-off that we might have hoped for for the series.

17. Townscaper (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 5 March 2022 | 6/10
100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Townscaper is a fairly simple but relaxing townbuilding 'toybox', with an impressive degree of hidden depth. While the building tools comprise pretty much just placing down coloured blocks on a 3D grid, depending on the specific arrangements of blocks the game dynamically generates different types of buildings - from simple houses to towering cathedrals and much more. This will certainly have an appeal to the right kind of player, but ultimately the game couldn't really sustain my interest for long without any real objectives to chase (in a way that's less of an issue for more developed citybuilders, which don't have the same reliance on algorithmic building type assignment).

18. Mini Words - minimalist puzzle (PC - Steam) | 10 March 2022 | 5/10
All puzzles solved in "text only" mode, 100% of achievements unlocked. Mini Words, true to its subtitle, is a minimalistic word-search puzzle game, challenging the player to find specific words within a grid. The challenge here comes in identifying what those words are, as the game presents their length, a single letter at some place in the word, and their part of speech (noun/verb/adjective, etc.). Optionally, clues help with definitions of the words. Overall, the game is decently put together and good as an occasional 'time-waster', but it suffers from a disappointingly limited dictionary - rather than expanding the range of words used, progressing to later puzzles sees certain words coming up repeatedly. Nevertheless, for the low price, it's hard to quibble too much here.

19. A Memoir Blue (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 4 April 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. A Memoir Blue is a short, emotional point-and-click style narrative game recounting a young woman's memories of her mother. Very slow paced and with only minimal interactivity, it's a relaxing experience, albeit just ocassionally frustrating as you try to locate the interactive elements in a given scene - but ultimately I don't come away from the game feeling that it does anything particularly memorable. Still, it's a perfectly decent way to pass the hour or so's time that it takes to play to completion.

20. The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (PC - Steam) | 10 April 2022 | 8/10
Completed (six main cases + two bonus) with 100% of achievements unlocked. While I didn't find this second outing for Detective McQueen and Officer Dooley to be quite so compelling as the original, A Fumble in the Dark is another excellent point-and-click adventure. Puzzles for the most part have solutions that make reasonable sense (though there's still the occasional instance of 'moon-logic' making it worth having a guide to hand), the detailed pixelart is used to good effect and the writing is excellent throughout. Each scenario is somewhat more complex than the original game and with areas that satisfyingly interlock and develop, and the strength of the creative premises is a match for the game's high-quality writing. A game not to miss for any fans of the genre!

21. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5) | 12 April 2022 | 8/10
Platinum trophy earned. Undoubtedly Cyberpunk 2077 suffered from a very poor launch, but having waited until now with the PS5 release, I had a great time with the game. The main plot is very compelling, sold especially well by consistently excellent voice acting, especially so from the player character and Keanu Reeves, who suits his role as iconic rockstar Johnny Silverhands perfectly. Alongisde that, the Night City setting is superbly realised, always impressively detailed and with each district having a distinctive atmosphere that silently tells the story of its history and development. Granted, other than mission-relevant characters, the populace generally offer little by way of interaction, but that isn't something that could really be feasible in a game of this scale.

Away from the main plot, secondary missions are a mixed bag, but there's a good set of high quality here too, especially in those making up chains centred around each of a number of characters of interest (who also offer the game's romance possibilities) and a handful of really memorable cameo appearances/references - Portal's GladOS being perhaps the best of these. Less interesting are in the myriad small gang conflicts that police reports task you with, though they do offer more to keep the player busy in the world.

The primary gameplay mechanic comes in the first-person combat scenarios, which do feel mostly leaning towards an FPS-style approach, supplemented by cybernetic augmentation possibilities and typical RPG character development/attribute improvement. Opportunities are there for a more stealth-focused approach, though, which were typically my preference - for example with a character build more focused on 'quickhacks' usable in place of more traditional guns.

I can't finish this write-up without at least acknowledging the game's technical state. Undeniably the improvements since launch are enormous, but there's still a fair quantity of glitches and stability problems - which I found especially so in the endgame. Hopefully CDPR continue to work on these issues and I look forward to revisiting the game in an eventual expansion.

22. If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers (PC - Steam) | 17 April 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers is a short point-and-click 'adventure' game, heavily focused on its horror-themed narrative - puzzles here are primarily around finding the correct interaction point to progress each of the game's three short stories rather than logical challenges. Horror not being my genre preference meant that I didn't enjoy the game as much as I might otherwise have done, but the level of polish and skilled narrative construction here is hard to deny. Particularly notable are some novel and effective techniques to emphasise the overall atmosphere and emotions of each setpiece, such as the use of colour vs monochrome to convey the effects of mental illness and treatment medication.

23. TUNIC (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 22 April 2022 | 9/10
Completed with 'true' ending and 100% of achievements unlocked. A brilliant experience all told, this is a really special game. Ostensibly a Legend of Zelda-style overhead-perspective adventure, TUNIC sees the player controlling an anthropomorphic fix, washed up on the shore of an unknown land, which we quickly find to be packed full of secrets. The core gameplay follows the familiar formula of exploring an overworld, frequently diving into various 'dungeon'-like areas and collecting a variety of items, both usable and story-focused. Each of these areas is meticulously designed and enjoyable to explore, with simple yet beautiful graphics and a perfectly-judged soundtrack.

The level of combat challenge is relatively high, with a Souls-style mechanic that sees the player restarting from checkpoints upon death, with monsters repopulated, but only a small currency penalty that's recouped upon reaching the previous point of death. Bosses are small in number but suitably dramatic, making for memorable encounters that can be extremely satisfying to overcome. Combat does have some weaknesses, not being as nuanced as in some games where it's more of a focus and with weapon-swapping difficult mid-fight, but it's rarely more than a minor niggle.

Where TUNIC really shines, though, is in its world-design and aforementioned secrets. Right from the start, we find that the game primarily uses a runic language, with only snippets translated, and a core objective throughout is the collection of pages from an in-game manual that offers explanations of much of the game's areas and mechanics - but again, largely in untranslated runes. This results in incredibly effective reveals as techniques and concepts finally become evident, despite being available all along (to give specifics would be a spoiler!). This persists right throughout the game. I'll admit that the end-game mysteries were a level beyond me and I wouldn't fault anyone to turn to a guide for these, but it remains an absolute wonder the calibre of world-building that's gone into all this - TUNIC's secrets are very much a match for the similarly superb Fez from a few years ago.

24. Kirby's Adventure (NES via Nintendo Switch Online) | 1 May 2022 | 8/10
100% in-game completion, VS Boss mode beaten. My first time with this early game in the Kirby franchise, Kirby's Adventure is really very impressive for an NES game and holds up well to this day, a very playable game and an enjoyable few hours. Graphics are colourful and expressive throughout, while some of the classic musical themes of the franchise show up here and are just as catchy as they always have been. The gameplay is where the game shines, though, particularly with the highly innovative introduction of the copy ability system, where Kirby absorbs the powers of enemies who he swallows to provide him with a wide range of different attacks - and which also serve as the means to explore many of the game's rewardingly-hidden secrets.

Despite the generally quite low difficulty level, there are still come decently challenging segments. Even without those, the boss encounters that conclude each of the game's seven worlds are particularly great fun to play through, being just as innovative as the ability system - while a bonus unlockable "VS boss" mode (one of several available) allows each access to these and greater replayability.

25. TOEM (PC - Steam) | 2 May 2022 | 8/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. Delightful. TOEM is a photography-themed 'adventure' game, played from a (fully rotatable and zoomable) pseudo-isometric perspective as the player explores a series of environments and solving the problems/requests of each area's inhabitants through the use of a camera to capture images that fulfil the request. While this sounds simple, there's often a puzzle aspect to these, such as how to take a photo of a 'monster' that hides as you approach, or simply an observation challenge from well-hidden items.

With no combat element, a gentle musical theme and appealing hand-drawn monochrome graphics, playing TOEM is a very relaxing experience, while highly satisfying as you 'tick off' the completion of 'missions' from a list to progress through each of four primary areas. Photo-taking switches to a first-person perspective, and for the more creative players, a persistent album allows snaps to be captured longer-term. A checklist of animals inhabiting each area adds a "collect 'em up" aspect, once again highly compelling, at just the right level of challenge in how well-hidden these tend to be.

26. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) | 7 May 2022 | 9/10
100% in-game completion; par times met on all Treasure Road challenges. Turning out better than I think most people would have hoped, Kirby and the Forgotten Land sees Kirby making the transition to 3D in style. Kirby controls perfectly as he explores the meticulously-designed levels - and while reaching the end is each is generally fairly straightforward, a little exploration pays off handsomely, with secrets generously populated throughout. Most significantly, each level has five separate objectives - there's always the simple "reach the end", but then there are a number of hidden waddle-dee allies to rescue each time, alongside three further hidden objectives - which the player may discover naturally, but failing that, successfully beating a level then reveals one of the unmet objectives, immediately tempting a further replay and bringing natural longevity to the game.

Bright, colourful graphics and a charming, memorable soundtrack impact a sense of joyous fun throughout, which really is the overwhelming feeling coming away from Kirby and the Forgotten Land. A generally lower level of difficulty and complexity means that the game can't quite match the heights of Mario's best, but that isn't to take much away from the merits of this excellent first outing - which bodes well for the surely inevitable sequels!

27. Arise: A Simple Story (PS4) | 10 May 2022 | 7/10
Completed with platinum trophy earned. It starts a little slowly, but Arise: A Simple Story grew on me as I progressed further into it, introducing greater diversity to its originally simple gameplay mechanics - all primarily based around time manipulation, bringing some complexity to otherwise fairly straightforward 3D platforming. Undeniably graphically stunning (my main reason for buying on PS4 rather than Switch), there's also a beautiful musical score throughout, perfectly fitting with the game's simple but touching, emotional story of love and loss.

28. Beneath a Steel Sky (PC - Steam) | 14 May 2022 | 6/10
Complete playthrough. While clearly graphically impressive for its time, as my first time playing Beneath a Steel Sky it didn't really hold up as well as I'd hoped, not quite capturing the same 'magic' as so many LucasArts classics. The puzzles often feel unintuitive in their solutions - particularly on the occasion when there's a timing based element to them - and without the comedic element that serves to counter the potential for similar criticism in the case of, say, the Monkey Island or Sam & Max games. That said, the sci-fi story is compelling, alongside a strong cast of well-written characters, so I can see why the game is held up by many as a classic of the point-and-click adventure genre - and it raises my interest in trying out the recently-released sequel.

29. Star Trek: Borg (PC) | 21 May 2022 | 5/10
Complete playthrough. Star Trek: Borg is a mid-1990s FMV game ("interactive movie"), playing out what effectively comprises a first-person Star Trek episode, in the The Next Generation era - when the titular nemesis, the Borg, were a popular theme of the show. The story that plays out here isn't anything particularly notable, but it's a decently enjoyable way for a fan of the franchise (of which I count myself among) to spend the hour or so that it takes to play through - depending on the level of success in solving the ocassional puzzles that punctuate the video sequences. Those puzzles are frankly a little poor, typically requiring either guesswork or being completely trivial, at least after the use of a scanner that spells out the answer - but do at least serve to maintain a degree of focus. I'd recommend playing with a guide to hand to minimise any potential frustrations!

While most of the game's cast are little-known, the game's greatest comes from the acting of John de Lancie, reprising his role from the TV series as the omnipotent Q. Serving as the core driver behind the plot, Q pulls a cadet (from whose view the game plays out) into the midst of a front-line encounter with the Borg, and we get several excellently-acted sequences for the benefit only of said cadet. There's some great humour in several of the fail sequences in particular, which serve to lift the overall experience and leave a positive feeling in the end, despite the game's shortcomings.

30. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch (PS5) | 22 May 2022 | 9/10
Platinum trophy earned, 100% complete. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is genuinely one of the best 'Metroidvania' games that I've played in recent memory, really nailing the satisfying exploration -> upgrade -> further exploration gameplay loop. Alongside this, there's an impressively deep melee combat system, well balanced with frequently quite challenging - but manageable - enemy encounters.

Also impressive are the game's detailed '2.5D' graphics, making good use of the PS5's power, and strong musical score, ranging suitably from relaxing to energetic as the situation and setting demand.

The accompanying storyline is serviceable enough, but pairs nicely with an unusual world design, where we have a city populated by anthropomorphic animals (the games' protagonist is a battle-hardened rabbit, wielding a huge mechanical fist) in a 'diesel-punk' era - all played with a satisfying seriousness. Although the game seems to be receiving disappointing low levels of publicity, it's definitely deserving of the attention of any fans of the genre.

31. The Corridor (PC - Steam) | 23 May 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. The Corridor is a short 'experience' game, based around the idea that the game doesn't *want* to be played. The player is initially presented with a featureless white corridor, empty save for a red button at the end, which upon being pressed, closes the game. Relaunching, the button is then moved/recontextualised, with a further plea from the game for you to leave. This approach repeats throughout, with the core appeal coming from the humourous voiceover and range of approaches to trying to deceive the player - from a simple corner 'hiding' the button, to turning the player around, starting the game with a black window to make it seem that the game is hanging, and much more. It's all very simple, but enjoyable to see what the game comes up with for each successive attempt - and at 20-30 minutes for a complete playthrough, the perfect length to explore this concept without becoming stale. Good fun.

32. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards | 27 May 2022 | 7/10
100% in-game collection, all enemy info cards collected. In The Crystal Shards, we see Kirby's first "3D" outing, albeit here just with 3D graphics and 2D gameplay. Still, there's some good use of this "2.5D" approach to provide an effective sense of depth to what would otherwise be very basic environments, due to the very early stages of 3D graphic evolution that we're seeing here. Gameplay is typical of the series, being generally very easy, but still maintaining the player's interest with variations on the core platforming - including minecart rides and interludes with King Dedede as an alternative protagonist, to give a couple of examples. I've mixed feelings about Kirby 64's implementation of the series' trademark copy abilities - only six are on offer here, but these come with the potential to pair each with any other to offer an ability that combines features of the two. In reality there are only a few that are particularly useful, but the experimentation that this offers will in itself appeal to many players.

Overall, I feel that the drive to apply a 3D presentation that was such a focus of most N64 games doesn't really serve Kirby 64's best interests, which seems to be supported the subsequent return to much more polished 2D games. Still a decent enough game overall, but far from the series' peak.

33. Congo's Caper (SNES) | 29 May 2022 | 5/10
Complete playthrough. A thoroughly 'okay' 2D platformer that's over very quickly (a full playthrough takes roughly 1-2 hours), Congo's Caper is enjoyable enough, but feels very generic and doesn't really excel in any particular areas. On a platform featuring a lot of games in this style - some still at the very peak of their genre - it needs to do much more to leave a lasting positive impression.

34. Rival Turf! (SNES) | 29 May 2022 | 4/10
Complete playthrough. I'm no fighting game afficionado, but 2D brawler Rival Turf! felt at best very generic, but overall pretty poor. A very bland plot doesn't exactly give a strong first impression and while in terms of presentation the game is serviceable enough, gameplay really is key in this genre - and here is where the game succeeds least. A choice of two characters provides some variety, but neither has much in the way of fighting move variety - for the most part, we're just dealing here with a basic punch combo, a throw and a couple of kicks. A very unforgiving difficulty level doesn't help matters either, with the protagonist's approach draining very quickly from enemy attacks, and boss encounters that can feel downright unfair - were it not for the benefits of rewind and save states via emulation.

35. Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds (PS4) | 4 June 2022 | 9/10
100% of DLC trophies earned, 100% in-game completion and all datapoints located. The Frozen Wilds is an excellent expansion to one of 2017's very best releases, following Aloy as she ventures into the snow-covered northern territory of the game's world. The expansion largely offers more of the same as the base game, but that's no bad thing. I adored Horizon Zero Dawn's apocalyptic sci-fi lore, and here we delve further into the spirituality of the world's people, while also further developing some peripheral aspects of the game's lore. We see the addition of some interesting new variants of the dinosaur-like machines that are the game's main enemies, with the environmentally-appropriate hulking 'bears' being a particular highlight, and the quest objectives are consistently interesting. My only real niggle is that some of the collectibles are a little frustrating to locate, with the mountainous terrain combining with only vague in-game location markers to make them harder to locate - but these are optional only, so it's not a particularly strong criticism.

36. Beyond a Steel Sky (Xbox One) | 5 June 2022 | 7/10
Complete playthrough (two achievements missed, which would require a complete playthrough from scratch). Beyond a Steel Sky is a decent sequel to the respected classic point-and-click adventure Beneath a Steel Sky, very much belated in its appearance after so many years. The game follows protagonist Robert Foster, returning to Union City around a decade after leaving his robot companion to run it at the end of Beneath, and plenty of references to that prior game definitely reward those who've taken the time to play it. Puzzle design is mixed, often very solid but with definite scope for frustration without keeping a guide to hand.

The storyline is of course key to the success of games in this genre, even in model implementations that control more like traditional 3D action-adventures (sans the "action") and unfortunately here the plot feels somewhat weak, based around the search for a missing child. More positive, though, is the strong world-design here, with Union City's various areas each interesting to visit - there just aren't really enough of them, nor enough characters to make it really come to life. Most areas definitely feel very quiet! The writing and voice-acting is consistently pretty good, with a sense of fun running through it all.

37. The Firemen (SNES) | 5 June 2022 | 7/10
Complete playthrough. The Firemen presents a novel take on the top-down 2D shooter genre, with the player taking control of one of a pair of firefighters navigating a burning building, seeking to extinguish the flames and rescue survivors. Here, the flames themselves replace the usual sorts of enemies that might be encountered, frequently with somewhat sentient-like behaviour - but often apparently random randomness but alongside semi-realistic physical characteristics. Expect to see explosions from backdrafts upon opening doors or breaking windows, volatile materials spreading the blaze and waves of super-hot air - all contributing to an overall rather high level of difficulty. These do, though, ensure that the game remains interesting throughout, despite only a handful of different 'attacks' being available to the player - as do the somewhat non-linear layouts of the various building floors.

With only six stages in total, each time-limited (from 10 to 14 minutes), it's all over quickly, but The Firemen is an enjoyable, lesser-known game (the lack of a US release note helping there) that's definitely worth checking out.

38. Omno (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 7 June 2022 | 8/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Omno is a serene and beautiful 3D puzzle-platformer, set across 10 remote environments, tasking the player to collect a set of magic orbs through a combination of fairly simple but satisfying platforming and object-manipulation puzzles. New abilities are learnt as you start each new area, bringing new mechanics through which the puzzles are implemented - along the lines of dashing, teleports and floating - and each of these feels great in motion. A gentle, well-judged soundtrack complements the explorative action, while a very simple yet emotive story and lore makes the world all the more intriguing and satisfying to progress though. It's fairly short, taking well under ten hours even with a completionist approach, but all in all, Omno would be an impressive release from a modestly-sized indie studio; that this in fact comes from a sole developer is a fairly stunning achievement.

39. Kao the Kangaroo (2022) (Xbox One) | 12 June 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of collectibles; 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Kao the Kangaroo is a throwback to the days of the classic 1990s 3D platform genre, doing a solid job of capturing the the core gameplay style and evoking the accompanying nostalgia, but not particularly excelling. With bright, colourful graphics, there's a suitably light-hearted tone throughout and the difficulty never gets particularly high - the challenge comes more from seeking out a variety of collectibles hidden about each stage. I must admit that I'm less of a fan of the more linear approach to the genre that's seen here, where such collectibles are easily missed - my preference more is for the explorative open-world approach of Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie - and there's a slightly odd auto-save behaviour, where collectibles are immediately saved *except* for crystals (the most numerous type), which only save at checkpoints.

The game at initial release has also been unfortunately beset by bugs. At the time of writing, the most pressing - loss of significant amounts of save-game progress - has been addressed, and the developers are clearly committed to further fixes, but it's always a shame to see such issues that a month or two of further polish could have prevented. In the end, this new rendition of Kao the Kangaroo is worth playing for fans of the genre, but I couldn't recommend it more widely. That said, I've no regrets on having bought and played through the game - every effort to show that there's still some life to the genre is worth rewarding!

40. NORCO (PC (Xbox) - Game Pass) | 16 June 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). NORCO is a powerfully-written point-and-click adventure game following a tragic, personal story. It has the danger of being a somewhat depressing game to spend time with, but that's testament to the strength of its writing. Be warned that there's a lot of reading and dialogue involved, which can make it a little tricky to get invested in at first - and I'll be honest that it's not a style that particularly appeals to me in general, but it did eventually draw me in. Impressively-detailed pixelart serves to enhance the conceptually dark story, albeit with limited interactivity.

41. Disney's Goof Troop (SNES) | 19 June 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough. Reading that it was one of the inspirations for the superb UNSIGHTED was what brought the SNES classic Disney's Goof Troop back to my attention, an overhead-perspective 2D puzzle game starring Goofy and Max from the 1990s animated TV series. Gameplay here is fairly slow-paced, as Goofy explores a series of five maze-like environments, solving puzzles primarily by block-pushing, hitting switches and defeating enemies with thrown barrels. It's all nicely satisfying on the whole, albeit at times with the potential for frustration from the lack of an in-game map.

With only five stages taking perhaps 15-20 minutes to play through, it's all over very quickly. A key selling point or the game, though, is the well-implemented co-op mode, albeit not one that I used. There were, though, a handful of puzzles that could have been tweaked a little for the single-player mode, primarily where a very tight time limit was in effect that would be fairly trivial to overcome with two players. These were, though, mercifully rare and don't have much impact on the overall enjoyably satisfying gameplay.

42. Last Stop (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 20 June 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Last Stop is a narrative-led third-person adventure game set in present-day London, telling three parallel stories centred around supernatural phenomena experienced by four individuals (one of the stories follows a pair). There are some really interesting themes explored here, and the early chapters of each story are particularly attention-grabbing right from the outset. With six chapters in each character's arc, the game forces you to complete the first chapter from each story before the second set unlock (and so on) but each set can be played in any order - so it's not possible to rush ahead in one particular story and we see hints as to how they overlap and interact, until eventually all comes together in a concluding, shared climax.

With each chapter lasting up to about 20 minutes and the three story arcs ensuring variety, nothing ever starts to drag, but undoubtedly the early stages of each hold up the best. The final chapter in particular doesn't feel as satisfying as it might, as the reveal that explains and links all of the preceding events doesn't really have much that hints at exactly how it plays out, denying a potential sense of satisfaction that might have been possible if the player could have pieced together more than just the outline of the explanation from earlier clues.

It's definitely notable that there's not much in the way of meaningful 'gameplay' here, which doesn't really extend beyond the occasional glorified QTE, and mostly is just basic walking/running navigation around the environment and dialogue choices. There's also a slightly unpolished overall feeling. That said, the fact that the game remains compelling throughout is testament to the strong narrative premise - arguably the most important element of a game in this genre!

43. Kaze and the Wild Masks (Switch) | 26 June 2022 | 8/10
100% complete on original mode, including all pickups, no-hit runs and time attack gold medals. Kaze and the Wild Masks is a 2D platformer, very much in the mould of the more recent Donkey Kong Country games – right down to the inclusion of hidden bonus rooms and collectible K-A-Z-E letters in each stage. Overall this is pulled off very successfully, with fluid, responsible gameplay and a challenging level of difficulty – but rewarding and rarely feeling unfair. The cartoon art-style is expressive, bringing life to rabbit protagonist Kaze and the various enemies that inhabit each stage, alongside an up-beat soundtrack that suits the game's overall mood well.

The game isn't especially long, with 31 stages across 4 worlds, plus 4 boss encounters, each beatable within 2-3 minutes – but collectibles, plus time trial and no-hit challenges, push the total play time up into 10+ hours, skill-dependent. The inclusion of one of the four titular masks in a handful of levels helps to mix up the gameplay, each offering the abilities of the animal that they depict – from a shark with underwater attacks through to an auto-running, double-jumping lion – but ultimately the game isn't doing anything that hasn't been done before, limiting its longer-term memorability, while still being a thoroughly excellent entry in the genre.

44. Deliver Us The Moon (PS5) | 28 June 2022 | 7/10
Completed with platinum trophy earned. Deliver Us The Moon is a narrative-led first-person puzzle game/'walking sim', following an astronaut exploring a defunct lunar facility, originally designed to extract energy and funnel this back to an Earth now devoid of its own resources. Tasked with finding a way to restore this power, it's an intriguing concept and the plot generally plays out interestingly, albeit without feeling like it builds to a climactic conclusion with the weight of some similar games - a particularly great example being Tacoma, for example.

The puzzles ultimately are fairly basic, primarily based around simple platforming and switch manipulation, but suffice to ensure that the player engages with the environment - and this brings us to the game's greatest strengths. The Moon and the facility are (re-)created with an impressive eye to detail, some stunning visuals and a fantastically atmosphere feel throughout, including a powerful sense of the isolation that the remote location must bring with it.

45. Chex Quest HD (Switch) | 1 July 2022 | 6/10
Completed with all secrets discovered. The original Chex Quest was a promotional DOOM conversion, a novel approach at the time, and here we have a modern Unreal Engine remake. While short and with only quite basic gameplay, especially in a modern context, there's still some enjoyment to be gained from a playthrough and clearly there will be some nostalgic charm for those who played the original. It's worth noting that the Switch version isn't a particularly great port, with frequent frame rate drops and a fairly 'janky' feeling overall.

46. Dungeons of Dreadrock (PC - Steam) | 4 July 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough. Although originally a mobile game, that shouldn't be taken as a negative for this enjoyable puzzle dungeon-crawler. Set across 100 levels of gradually increasing difficulty, Dungeons of Dreadrock has consistently high production values and a great sense of humour, allied with all-important satisfying puzzle-solving. Each level takes place in a single-screen 2D top-down grid-based "dungeon", with the core aim being to reach the stairs to the next level - but with a wide variety of level-specific challenges to achieve that, from switch-based puzzles and cleverly planned movement patterns to more straightforward combat, which prove effective at maintaining the player's interest. A handful of the puzzles do become a little too obtuse, but fortunately a built-in hint system prevents these becoming a frustrating progress-blocker.

Alongside its inexpensive price, this all serves to make Dungeons of Dreadrock a very enjoyable way to spend a handful of hours, despite its humble-seeming appearance.

47. Cats in Time (PC - Steam) | 14 July 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. An enjoyable 'time-waster', Cats in Time is a hidden object game, challenging players to locate the cats hidden in a series of 3D dioramas through some simple puzzle-solving and object manipulation. With cute, bright visuals and some intricate environmental design, the game is immediately engaging, and with a series of 28 primary levels across 7 varied environment types, each taking no more ten minutes or so to complete, it's easy to dip in and out of for short sessions. Of course, nothing here is particularly ground-breaking, but that's not why you'd come to a game like this.

48. Instant Farmer - Logic Puzzle (PC - Steam) | 24 July 2022 | 5/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. A sister game to Island Farmer, Instant Farmer retains the tile-switching gameplay but in this case each island challenges players to supply water to each tile. A handful of tiles will be direct water sources, irrigating those tiles directly adjacent (but not diagonally) and alongside those, a handful of distribution methods, the most basic being simple water channels but also including pipes and sprinklers.

The fairly small island size means that the puzzle difficulty remains reasonable, though at times some trial-and-error still feels necessary when you can't quite plan out whether you have enough distribution tiles to work out a particular plan. However, over a total of 50 islands, which will likely take around 1-3 hours to work through, the puzzle design starts to feel somewhat limited in scope due to the small number of tile types on offer. There's a fairly decent puzzle game here, but it's nothing outstanding - though the bright, colourful graphics help to lend it a degree of charm to maintain interest.

49. Flynn: Son of Crimson (Xbox One - Game Pass) | 30 July 2022 | 7/10
100% in-game completion, 100% of achievements unlocked. A 2D action-platformer, Flynn: Son of Crimson doesn't do anything all that special, but it's very solid all-round, very enjoyable to play, with strong level design, nicely detailed 2D pixelart and a varied, catchy musical score. A decently-sized skill tree offers a meaningful sense of progression, though much of the variety of the game's combo system can readily be ignored without much impact on your ability to progress through the game. A basic magic system and choice of three weapons again serves to bring some variety to the combat, while making some allusions towards 'Metroidvania' style gameplay but never really committing to it.

50. Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut (PS5) | 8 August 2022 | 9/10
Platinum trophy earned, complete playthrough, all tales completed, all gear upgrades, 100% of tracked collectibles obtained. Thoroughly excellent, Ghost of Tsushima follows the struggle of samurai Jin Sakai to resist the Mongol invasion of the Japanese island of Tsushima. The depiction of late 13th century Japan is impressively believable, alongside an impressive cinematic style that allows for genuinely stunning setpieces. Of course, there's *much* more on offer here than an aesthetic, with a story that's easy to become invested in, alongside a memorable cast of characters - from Jin's uncle Lord Shimura, steeped in the traditions of the samurai, through to the far more pragmatic thief Yuna, and many more besides. A large complement of side quests help to fill out the backstory of each of these. With Jin being a samurai, inevitably combat is a large focus of the gameplay and this doesn't disappoint, each encounter feeling suitably dramatic and dynamic, with responsive controls and a well-judged variety of abilities, including both sword stances and combos, and supplementary 'tools' (kunai, smoke bombs, etc.).

Inevitably, the game isn't perfect. A few control choices feel sub-optimal, with activation of photo mode made more accessible than calling your horse, and summoning of the 'guiding wind' (an in-game representation of the wind, directing Jon towards his destination in lieu of explicit waypoints) being a little awkward with a touchpad swipe. The side quests mechanics do get to feel somewhat repetitive at times, frequently requiring little more than travelling to a location and a brief battle, and an over-use of following footprint trails - but arguably for these, they're less important factors than the excellent backstory development. None of these take away significantly from a very impressive achievement from developer Sucker Punch, a fully justified highlight of the PS4/PS5 exclusive catalogue.

51. Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island (PS5) | 8 August 2022 | 9/10
100% of trophies earned, complete playthrough, all tales completed, all gear upgrades, 100% of tracked collectibles obtained. An impressive expansion to an already excellent game, Iki Island sees protagonist Jin travelling to nearby Iki, overrun by an offshoot Mongol tribe led by enigmatic shaman, "the Eagle". With some interesting further exploration of Jin's earlier life, alongside expanded combat mechanics including enemies able to switch weapons and receive buffs via chants, there's plenty here to enjoy.

52. Bright Memory (Xbox Series X) | 9 August 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G), with mandatory three playthroughs. Arguably more of a tech demo than a full game, Bright Memory is a graphically very impressive first-person shooter, with some interesting tech powers augmenting the standard gunplay. A complete playthrough here takes only around 30-45 minutes, so it's all over very quickly, even if you go after the three runs required for all achievements. However, while it lasts, this is a fun experience, with particularly smooth and satisfying movement - and then upon realising that this is the work of a solo developer, it becomes an extremely impressive achievement! A few bugs cause frustration, with sometimes random-seeming amounts of ammo upon respawns alongside occasional loss of experience, but the short runtime means that these don't have the chance to become too pronounced.

53. Citizen Sleeper (Xbox One) | 9 August 2022 | 9/10
Completed with all 100% of achievements unlocked, all endings reached. I'm honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed Citizen Sleeper, an unusual combination of turn-based tabletop-style RPG, visual novel, management sim and survival game. The game casts the player as a "sleeper", a digitised human consciousness in an artificial body, waking on an unfamiliar space station which must then be explored, learning more about the societal background, finding a way to survive, make allies (and a few enemies) and, ultimately, thrive aboard or escape from the facility.

The game plays out primarily through selecting from a series of actions scattered throughout the station and then assigning one of a number of dice to completing that action - with resulting positive, negative or neutral outcomes. Heavily text-based, progress generally is measured by the progression of 'clocks' associated with a particular goal, achieved by favourable outcomes from these actions - and strategic use of the dice awarded for each in-game 'cycle' being vital to success. You'll want to assign high-value dice to the riskiest actions, while also taking advantage of bonuses afforded by progression through a skill tree.

While it may sound somewhat dry, in practice this system works amazingly well and, alongside consistently excellent writing and well-realised characters, makes for a highly immersive experience. Certainly there's a fairly steep initial learning curve, but it doesn't take all that long to overcome with a little effort - and the potentially unforgiving difficulty can be overcome once you discover certain reliable methods to maintain yourself in the face of the survival mechanics.

The promise of a series of free DLC is the icing on the whole package; the first of these has been released at the time of writing and maintains the high quality of the rest of the game, providing an additional questline with a real sense of urgency.

54. Stray (PS5) | 11 August 2022 | 7/10
Platinum trophy earned, including all collectibles obtained and two full playthroughs (one speedrun). Wonderfully novel, Stray could be reductively described as a "cat simulator", but there's a lot more to it than that, with a well-told post-apocalypse story, interesting characters, and impressively detailed locations to explore. The player takes control of a cat, separately from their pack and exploring an underground robot society in the search of a way back to the surface. There's a surprising use of horror themes at times, as we quickly find that swarms of oversized tick-like creatures have overrun portions of this environment, but these areas mix nicely with much more relaxed exploratory sequences.

Of course, with a cat protagonist as the player character, verticality to the environments is a must and there's plenty of that on offer here, though aside from a handful of collectibles and a few short 'dialogue' snippets, there's not a huge amount of benefit to exploration away from the main story progression, and interaction feels somewhat limited. Really the game's greatest achievement is how well it captures the behaviour and mannerisms of a cat (there are achievements for scratching and sleeping!), but in the end I'm left feeling a little underwhelmed - probably largely due to the excess of hype that Stray attracted prior to launch rather than any fault of the game itself. There's an impressive achievement here, but one that should be taken in the context of its 'indie' nature.

55. Time on Frog Island (Xbox One) | 13 August 2022 | 6/10
Main quest line (fixing the boat) completed. Time on Frog Island is a fairly relaxed 'life simulator', with the player taking control of a sailor shipwrecked on an island inhabited by anthropomorphic frogs. While the core aim is to repair the boat to allow departure from the island, there's a range of other quests/tasks to complete, fulfilling requests from the populace. Most of these are fairly shallow, typically requiring the retrieval of an item, though quite often that leads to a chain of other requests that must first be fulfilled. The main questline can readily be completed within 3-4 hours, then that can perhaps be doubled by the optional content, so the overall length is fairly short, but not excessively so. However, with no map, no quest log and sometimes vauge requests (characters communicate only in images), it's very easy to get lost in knowing what to do/where to go next and I couldn't maintain enough interest to push through beyond a beating the main quest. There's a decent game in here, but it's very much in need of refinement.

56. Shank (PC - Steam) | 13 August 2022 | 6/10
Complete playthrough. Even in this early release from the studio, Klei's fantastic sense of style is on full display. Shank is a fairly simplistic side-scrolling beat 'em up, with some light platforming mixed in to provide a bit of variety. While there's little in the way of a complex combo system, a wide range of different enemies and a selection of weapons - the basic 'shank' dagger alongside several heavy weapons and guns - serve to provide some depth. With around 3-4 hours needed for a full first playthrough, the game is fairly short, but the limited mechanics on offer here (to some extent inherent in the genre) mean that you wouldn't really want it to be any longer. A hard mode and co-op option are there to provide some replay value for those who want it. Overall, Shank is a decent entry in its genre, but doesn't do much to stand out besides its stylish presentation.

57. Shank 2 (PC - Steam) | 23 August 2022 | 7/10
Complete playthrough. While very similar to the first game, once again a side-scrolling 2D brawler, Shank 2 improves in several significant ways. The combat mechanics and controls see some well-judged improvements - fights have a more nuanced feel, with judicious use of platforms and other level design features to mix up the encounters, rather than just massed hordes of enemies; there's an improved combo system and greater range of weapons and effects; and actions that once shared a controller button are now separated. Often there are several paths through a level, while 'intel' collectibles provide some sense of reward for exploration. Ultimately, though, there's a limit to how long brawler mechanics can keep me engaged, so the genre inherently limits how highly I'll rate the game, but within that limitation Klei have put together a strong package in Shank 2.

58. Live A Live (Switch) | 26 August 2022 | 9/10
It does a real disservice to Live A Live, a re-release of a Super Famicon RPG, that it's never seen a western release until this Switch remaster. The plot takes a highly original approach (which will have been all the more so at its original release) that follows the individual stories of seven different protagonists, spread over time from pre-history to the far future, by way of Imperial China, the Wild West and more, each engaged in their own personal struggle. With a free selection of chapter right from the start, these seemingly disparate strands do of course eventually coalesce, but each is strong enough to stand on its own as a 'short story'. I really enjoyed this approach, with runtimes ranging between around 2-4 hours each, in contrast to the 'epic' approach so common to RPGs.

Of course, combat is (generally, but not always) a key part of each scenario, and again the game takes an enjoyable approach, with battles taking place with a pseudo-turn-based approach in a freely navigable 2D grid and each character having a diverse range of abilities that they learn with successive level-ups. Each character has their own particular quirk to the gameplay - from telepathy to stealth, or a round-based beat 'em up-style approach, via several others that I'll not spoil - which succeeds at ensuring a strong level of engagement and continuing interest.

The "HD-2D" graphic style that we've seen previously used by Octopath Traveller and Triangle Strategy absolutely shines here, with detailed pixelart that really pops, and the soundtrack is similarly catchy and memorable. While I can see that the shorter scenarios mean that some of the RPG mechanics aren't developed to the same extent as games with a more traditional approach, I'm not sure that that's necessarily to the game's detriment - and overall, Live A Live is a very impressive achievement, one that easily stands up against modern RPGs and a worthy candidate for consideration as one of 2022's top releases.

59. Telling Lies (PC - Game Pass) | 27 August 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Picking up on this as we approach the release of Immortality, as a follow-up to Her Story, Telling Lies once again has a strong concept at its core, casting the player in a detective role, presented with a database of short video clips from which to figure out the circumstances leading up to a crucial – but initially unknown – event. Each clip shows us one side of a video conversation primarily involving four core individuals, with the other side of the conversation also recorded. The challenge comes from the limited manner in which the database can be interrogated, with searches referring to the words spoken in each clip, but only ever returning a maximum of five results.

The underlying 'mystery' is an interesting one to figure out and the detective approach ensures a strong level of engagement (it'll be hard to make progress if you're not following the events/discussions) and the acting is of a good calibre. However, in practice overall it's not as strong as might be hoped, as the one-sided view that we get of each discussion can become somewhat frustrating to try to follow (though I know that this is, at least to an extent, by design) and there are often long periods of silence as the other participant is speaking. There's also a fair amount of ultimately fairly trivial videos, as well as unnecessary interface frustrations such as the inability to quickly start a clip from the beginning (by default, the clip starts playing from the queried words). The presentation here *is* more polished than Her Story and sees some quality-of-life improvements, but they're not able to offset some of the negatives inherent in the concept – the ability, for example, to pair up conversations – only once you've located both within the database, to maintain the challenge – would be a great help, for example!

60. Tested on Humans: Escape Room (PC - Steam) | 29 August 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. Tested on Humans: Escape Room achieves a convincing translation of the 'escape room' concept to a videogame, with a varied mix of puzzle types – including observation, pattern-recognition, mathematics and logic – and a fairly compelling narrative (based around human experimentation) to discover as you progress. With a series of seven linked scenarios (all in a single environment), each with around 5-7 puzzles, it's a fairly short experience, about right to maintain interest. However, as a single-played game, it's not really possible for Tested on Humans to recreate the sense of teamwork, which can also allow the range of puzzle types to be solved more easily due to the mix of team skills, that's arguably core to what can make escape rooms so compelling.

61. TIMEframe (PC - Steam) | 30 August 2022 | 5/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. TIMEframe is a really quite basic 'walking simulator', with its gimmick being that it takes place in the final ten seconds of a doomed world, just before being hit by a comet – but with time slowed down significantly and those ten seconds stretched to ten minutes; the game then loops back to the start, resetting the player to a central location. The ultimate goal of the game is to visit each of 14 landmarks spread throughout the world, each rewarding the player with a paragraph of lore to provide some context. There are some attractive, fairly grand, vistas on offer, but these can't offset the shallowness of the gameplay, with no jumping, running or interactivity (other than registering each landmark upon locating it), while the time-loop feels something of an unnecessary frustration, potentially resetting your location just as you're about to reach a landmark.

62. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince | 2 September 2022 | 8/10
Completed with 100% item collection and upgrades. Blossom Tales II is very deliberately following the template of classic 2D Zelda games, especially so A Link to the Past. In its gameplay mechanics there's very little here that's original - usable items range from a standard sword and shield, to bombs and a bow, and even bottles for potions; there's an overworld and several more puzzle-focused self-contained 'dungeons'; upgrades come from quarter hearts and energy fragments; and plenty more! All this aside, the game does a really excellent job of capturing that classic Zelda feel, with meticulous level design and balance, a wide range of (simple) quests and a fun story (albeit lacking the 'epic' feel that Zelda games typically evoke). That really sums up the experience here, and Blossom Tales II is just wonderfully *fun* to play despite being nearly entirely unoriginal - and sometimes, that's all that really counts!

63. Kiwi 64 (Switch) | 3 September 2022 | 6/10
Complete playthrough. Kiwi 64 is a very short, single level 3D platformer, very clearly inspired by Banjo-Kazooie. For a solo project, it's quite impressive, and it does a good job of replicating to basics of classic 'collectathon' 3D platforming gameplay, but with only basic jump and attack abilities, there's little depth here. Clearly lacking polish in both controls and presentation, nonetheless there's some enjoyment to be had here and it'll be interesting to see how the follow-up Super Kiwi 64, with a much greater scope, turns out.

64. Hell Pie (Xbox One) | 4 September 2022 | 8/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G), all collectibles obtained. Hell Pie is 3D platformer that generally succeeds despite an entirely repugnant aesthetic. The premise here sees the player taking control of the demon of bad taste, seeking out ingredients for the titular pie from four distinct environments. The core gameplay is excellent, with tight controls, well-built levels with a generally well-judged level of challenge and range of collectibles, and a solid suite of upgradable abilities with which to navigate those levels. Of particular note is the grappling ability, a central part of the moveset which allows you to start swinging pretty much on demand (from a flying cherub chained to the player character) - this brings a wonderful sense of dynamism and freedom to navigating the environments, with extra swings available from the upgrade tree, and at its core is just *fun* to use.

The levels are mechanically well-built and while there are "only" four main areas, each of these are really quite expansive, as well as acting as a hub from which several smaller sub-levels can be accessed. While the hub levels offer more of an exploratory feel, the sub-levels are more focused on linear platforming challenge, making for a nice range of approach. However, I can't close this out without coming back to the game's theme, which takes every opportunity to be 'gross' and disgusting, with blood, guts, faeces and similar seen throughout - and in so doing is a *massive* turn-off. I realise that some people seem to find this amusing, but that's not a view that I understand or can empathise with in the least. It's tribute to the quality of the gameplay that I still enjoyed the game on the whole despite this - but it would be *so* much better with a different theme.

65. Haven Park (Switch) | 7 September 2022 | 7/10
All quests completed, all campsites fully developed. The immediate point of comparison to Haven Park is the excellent A Short Hike, with both games putting the player in control of an anthropomorphic bird, exploring an island from an overhead perspective. However, beyond that there are significant differences, with Haven Park having a less well-defined overall goal, based primarily around restoring a somewhat dilapidated nature park and developing a number of campsites scattered around the area with a 'lite' Animal Crossing like approach, attracting (permanent) 'visitors' of whom a handful will set you a basic quest. Movement abilities are simple running and jumping, without any flight ability; a simple set of skill upgrades are split between those with an exploration focus and camp-building.

With no real element of danger (the worst that you might encounter is falling from a height and having to climb back up) and a charming, cheerful approach to the scenario, Haven Park is an enjoyable, relaxing time to play through. It lacks the degree of polish and satisfying self-containedness of A Short Hike, but not meeting that high bar isn't an overly strong detractor.

66. Tinykin (Xbox One) | 11 September 2022 | 9/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G), all collectibles obtained. Tinykin was an excellent, unexpected surprise, combining a 'collectathon' 3D platformer with Pikmin-esque puzzle-solving. The premise sees our protagonist Milo returning to Earth from Space, to find himself shrunk to the size of an insect and needing to explore cities within a now-giant house to recover parts to build a machine to get him home. The game revolves around gathering up tiny creatures (the titular 'tinykin') any using their abilities to traverse and manipulate the environment, with five distinct colours of pikmin each having their own ability - climbing, carrying and event exploding.

The puzzles are all pretty simple and there's little in the way of danger as Milo explores each environment, comprising six main rooms, each themed around different rooms of the house - living room, bathroom, etc. Despite this they're wonderfully satisfying to solve. While the graphics are fairly simple, each level's design is meticulously detailed, with a high degree of verticality and being packed with hidden secrets - but often signposted by the game's most common collectible, small pollen motes. This is where the 'collectathon' aspects of Tinykin come to the fore, with most levels having over 1,000 pollen to collect. That may seem intimidating, but moreso these are spread in a way that rewards exploration - and it's perfectly possible to find everything without a guide, provided that you take your time to explore thoroughly, which also allows you to take in the impressive level design that I mentioned earlier.

Tinykin is a fairly short game, probably a little over 10 hours or so in total if you explore thoroughly - and that's a well-judged length. Besides the five different types of tinykin, there's a limit to the extent of different mechanics employed in each level, so this length ensures that the game doesn't overstay its welcome. That said, I can't deny that I'm left wanting to see more in this style before *too* long - and some DLC a little way down the line would be very welcome!

67. Dandy & Randy DX (Xbox One) | 19 September 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Dandy & Randy DX is a short but enjoyable puzzle game, with optional co-op, very much styled after the SNES classic Goof Troop. Each level sees players navigating a small map, comprising a number of linked fixed screen areas, collecting a key usable item to help with traversal and puzzle-solving and four keys to allow progression, before eventually facing off against a boss. Puzzles are all pretty simple, based mainly around block manipulation and pressure plates, with just the very occasional scenario that might take a minute to work out (e.g., due to hidden switches). Following the game's retro inspiration, graphics take a pixelart style, but are attractive and quite detailed nonetheless. Some modern design choices are nice to see nonetheless, such as item collection being remembered even after death and level restart - even if the way that these work in the final level can lead to a softlock.

68. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (PC - Steam) | 24 September 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough. The Secret of Monkey Island may be old, but its status as a classic of the genre is absolutely justified, and this fully-voiced remaster brings it presentation nicely up-to-date. The puzzle design is generally clever, though does get a bit too far-fetched in its logic at times; thankfully an integrated hint system helps to offset this to some extent. Where the game (and the whole series, really) really shines, though, is in its fantastic writing, laced throughout with well-judged comedic themes. The enhanced rendition of the signature soundtrack rounds out a great package, an enjoyable way to recap on the series' roots in advance of moving on to the newly-released Return to Monkey Island.

69. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Switch) | 25 September 2022 | 8/10
Completed with all heart containers and key collectibles. In Skyward Sword HD, we have technically-impressive remaster of a somewhat controversial entry in the The Legend of Zelda franchise, but one that I still love. Lying right at the start of the timeline of the series, the game adds meaningfully to the lore of the world, set here with an overworld in the sky and three distinct ground-based regions. The scale of each of these environments is impressively large, much more extensive than they originally feel that they might be, with interesting level and puzzle design throughout - and particularly so in the varied range of 'dungeons' that act as the highlight to each area, several of which are arguably among the franchise's best. There's even a "water temple" that's fairly roundly praised!

Originally released on the Wii, that brought with it Skyward Sword most divisive element - motion controls. Skyward Sword HD also offers these, in a more refined form given improvements in motion tracking that we've now seen, but also with the option of a control scheme that completely eschews motion controls, which I used pretty much exclusively. There are definitely still some flaws to the approach, but on the whole it works fairly well, still allowing the innovations in combat and some puzzles that came with the introduction of motion. There are also plenty of quality-of-life improvements introduced here to round out the package (the frequent interruptions from companion character Fi become largely optional), very much the definitive way to experience an underappreciated gem.

70. Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge (PC - Steam) | 26 September 2022 | 8/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. The original Secret of Monkey Island still remains a great game, but its sequel, LeChuck's Revenge, easily manages to match its quality, with a significantly larger, more detailed set of locations to explore, and humourous writing that's frequently also a step up from its predecessor. The integrated hint system is, however, arguably all the more necessary here, as while the puzzle solutions are pretty much always fun to see playing out - when you know what's needed - they frequently become very obscure, and the larger number of environments means that it can be harder to know where to go to progress. On the aesthetics, once again the special edition provides a nice lick of paint over the experience, and the interface also sees some notable usability improvements.

71. Chicory : A Colorful Tale (PS5 - PS Plus) | 2 October 2022 | 7/10
Platinum trophy earned, complete playthrough with all collectibles obtained. Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a charming adventure game, with a wonderful aesthetic and a highly novel premise. Played from a third-person overhead perspective, the game puts the player in control of the new wielder of a magical paintbrush, the only means through which to restore colour to a world stripped of colour due to a mysterious corruption. The core gameplay is based around puzzle-solving with this painting mechanic, with different elements of the environment responding to paint in different ways (creating or retracting platforms, or propelling the player upwards, for example). Honestly this results in quite a slow feel to the game, though perhaps deliberately so as the general absence of peril ensures a relaxing experience, with emphasis on the artistic possibilities. I don't personally have an overly artistic bent, so I wasn't taken by this element of the game in the way that many seem to have been and it felt a little *too* slow overall and it's not until quite late into the game that the brush-based abilities start to get properly interesting. While I can certainly appreciate what people see in Chicory, I can't personally give it the stellar score that it's had from some quarters.

72. Beacon Pines (PC - Game Pass) | 5 October 2022 | 7/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Beacon Pines is a seemingly cute, excellently-presented visual novel/adventure game, which develops a surprisingly menacing undercurrent as the story progresses. Presented as a series of dioramas within a storybook (complete with narrator interjecting at key moments), the game takes am approach along the lines of a "choose your own adventure" book, with decision points branching the story off depending on the choice of word to complete a key sentence - does the key character fight or flee, or does a thunderstorm worsen or break, for example. While there aren't all that many of these choices, the branching approach is made more interesting by choice words being learned from certain interactions as the game progresses, and a story path that seems to have been fully explored suddenly develops further branches.

The mysterious element of the story serves well to maintain a good level of interest, though the overall slow pace of the game can detract from this somewhat - especially when certain sequences repeat when exploring the various branches from a given choice. Ultimately I'm not convinced that the 'true' ending felt particularly satisfying either. There are some really nice ideas throughout Beacon Pines, just not succeeding to their full extent with the limited extent of meaningful choices.

73. Call of Duty: WWII (PS4) | 9 October 2022 | 7/10
Campaign completed on Regular difficulty with all mementoes collected and all heroic actions completed. I only really play the Call of Duty games for the setpiece campaigns, which still manage to achieve a high level of quality from year-to-year. CoD: WWII, as its title suggests, returns to a Second World War setting for the first time in a good while and, although historical settings don't tend to be my preference, I can't deny that the liberation of Europe following D-Day, as depicted here, is an engaging and inspiring basis for the underlying narrative. Fighting through each mission alongside a platoon with strong personalities is as action-packed as ever, though I'm not a huge fan of the return to non-regenerating health, despite this clearly being more realistic.

74. Beeny (Switch) | 15 October 2022 | 6/10
All levels completed, including time trial targets. Beeny is a very short 2D platformer, with each of its ten stages based around climbing upwards to reach a goal. Once again from solo developer Slactro (Kiwi 64, Toree, Macbat 64), there's a strong retro aesthetic, in this case taking clear inspiration from the SNES Donkey Kong Country series and while it doesn't have the greatest degree of polish, it's a fun time, with well-judged, responsive controls. Each stage can be beaten within a minute, so it's easily beaten with 20 minutes or so and even with the unlockable time trial mode it won't last ore than an hour - but the very low asking price makes that feel perfectly fine. Without giving any specifics, the rewards for beating the game, and then all of the time trial target times, are a delight, leaving a great feeling to take away from the game. Ultimately, the simplicity of what's on offer here limits Beeny's potential, but what it does, it does well.

75. Return to Monkey Island (Switch) | 16 October 2022 | 9/10
Completed on hard mode with all achievements unlocked, aside from collection of trivia cards. Returning to a long-dormant franchise, Return is a suitably excellent new instalment in the Monkey Island series, as original creator Ron Gilbert deftly demonstrates the same genius as we saw in the original two games. While I'm not sure that I'm hugely keen on the new art style, overall it works well, alongside a highly polished and effective user interface which makes puzzle-solving smooth and accessible. Those puzzles themselves are consistently well-designed, veering away from the "moon logic" that some of the classic LucasArts games required in their solution to ensure that they're satisfying to solve - but an in-game hint book is available in case it's needed (I used it at a couple of times), with clues tailored specifically to the player's status and with gradual hints available, so that you don't have to go direct to the full solution if smaller nudges will suffice. Granted, overall the level of difficulty is somewhat lower than the classic games as a result, but in my mind that's a good thing. I would, however, encourage everyone to play on "hard" rather than "casual" mode, with the difference being the number of puzzles rather than the difficulty of each individual one.

Despite the quality of the puzzles, though, easily the strongest facet of Return to Monkey Island is the superb writing, laced with humour throughout, while each of the characters with whom Guybrush interacts has their personality perfectly captured - especially so those who are recurring characters from earlier Monkey Island games. Play with the "writers' take" mode enabled for the full experience - the "worse pace" that the game warns may be part of this didn't come across to me at all!

76. Spectrewoods (PS5) | 16 October 2022 | 1/10
Completed with platinum trophy earned. Spectrewoods is a very short third-person "almost walking simulator" game, with the player exploring a dark wood. I bought this solely as an experiment with the new PlayStation Stars scheme, and about the best that I can say about it is that it served that purpose, as as a game it's frankly extremely poor. Presented with heavily pixelated graphics, restricted to a small box in the middle of the screen, the game provides no indication of your objective and I spent a good few minutes aimlessly wandering the near-featureless 'wood' before quitting, restarting and then noticing a patch of flowers that appears with an *extremely* short draw distance, which it turns out that you're expected to follow. Doing so ends the first stage within about a minute, taking you to an equally short second stage, only this time with a handful of ghost enemies that you need to shoot; a third stage then provides a few seconds of supposed narrative before it's all over, a total of less than five minutes flat. But hey, there's a platinum trophy here, so I guess that's something...

77. Picross S Mega Drive & Master System Edition (Switch) | 17 October 2022 | 8/10
All puzzles completed with no assists. Jupiter certainly know how to do picross, as this SEGA-themed entry in their Picross S series is as highly-polished as ever, with a total of 480 puzzles of varying size and difficulty across four game modes - normal, colour, "mega picross" and "clip picross". The last two here perhaps take some explanation: "mega picross" introduces clues that span two rows/columns, while "clip picross" divides a very large image into several smaller ones, each of which must be solved in turn. While I didn't use them, a number of assists are available to help those less familiar with the puzzle techniques, and the welcoming theme is a further draw towards this particular entry in the series. There's not really a huge amount of innovation on offer here, but what it does, it does very well.

78. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Switch) | 17 October 2022 | 8/10
Complete playthrough in normal mode. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is an impressive retro-styled take on the classic Castlevania games. The basic mechanics of 2D platforming and combat are simple but very solid, with a good variety of combat abilities spread across four different playable characters which can be freely switched between during gameplay. Each of the game's eight levels is of a decent size, with interesting level design that includes branching paths (some of which are character-specific), and there's a "casual" mode available that offers infinite lives to ensure that the game remains accessible to players of all skill levels. Conversely, higher difficulty levels unlock after completing the game, for a greater challenge and increased longevity for those who want it. The retro aesthetic means that the graphics appear quite primitive, but within that limitation the pixelart is nicely detailed, while a memorable soundtrack rounds out a well-polished experience.

79. Call of Duty Vanguard (PS5) | 21 October 2022 | 8/10
Campaign completed on Regular difficulty. With Vanguard, the Call of Duty franchise returns to a World War II setting, but the action here focuses on a small special forces unit and formative encounters of each individual member. This allows the campaign to take in a broader scope than the well-worn European front lines and D-Day, with missions taking place in settings that include Russia and North Africa, allowing for at least a dgree of novelty. Each mission is of quite an impressive length, moving across a significant geographical distance and there's a strongly cinematic feel in many cases. The core gunplay is as solid as ever and while the campaign is fairly short (somewhere around 5-6 hours), it's an enjoyable ride. No comments on the multiplayer, as that's not my interest in these games.

80. Immortality (PC - Game Pass) | 22 October 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Further exploring the 'FMV game' genre, Sam Barlow' Immortality is an impressively ambitious work and undoubtedly a landmark artistic achievement, in both concept and the strong performances put in by the game's lead actors. Presenting the player with an archive of footage comprising three unreleased but near-complete films starring fictional actress Marissa Marcel, the game's core 'objective' is to discover what led to each film's non-release and eventually what happened to Marissa. The 'game' element comes from the way that this footage is explored, as each clip typically represents a single scene and new ones are reached through a "match cut" mechanic, where playback can be paused, allowing the player to click on a notable object/person, to be taken to a matching object/person in another clip.

Initially this mechanic presents some interesting possibilities and it can allow for particular themes to be explored quite effectively, but unfortunately it ultimately becomes Immortality's major flaw. The destination clips are selected seemingly at random and often will be repeated, so it becomes difficult and frustrating to make a properly directed attempt at detective-work - especially so later in the game. Regardless, there are some interesting themes around and for those who enjoy film in general, the presentation of some of the scenes as rehearsals or table-reads provides an interesting insight into 'behind-the-scenes' production. I won't go into detail on the hidden mechanic that becomes core to unravelling the underlying mechanic, but suffice to say that this is where some of the very best acting can be found and is therefore notable in itself.

81. Costume Quest (Xbox 360) | 22 October 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (200G). Costume Quest is a short, simple RPG with a Halloween theme, where the player takes control of a small party of children out "trick-or-treating". The game revolves around collecting parts of costumes that serve to facilitate puzzle-solving and to grant combat abilities when facing off against enemy monsters which roam the environments and sometimes inhabit the houses that you visit seeking candy. Those battles are the second major part of the game and again fairly simple, with your party facing off against monsters in a turn-based fashion. Combat abilities are limited to a basic attack and a costume-specific special with a three-turn cooldown, with the only additional depth coming from equipable badges. While these mechanics are clearly rather basic, the game as a whole is elevated by a wonderful sense of charm, typical of Double Fine's games, so it's a fun time through the six or so hours that it takes to play through to completion.

82. Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice (Xbox 360) | 22 October 2022 | 6/10
Grubbins on Ice provides a fourth DLC chapter to Costume Quest, now with a winter rather than Halloween theme. It's essentially more of the same from the base game, perhaps a little more linear in approach, but if you enjoy the base game, you'll enjoy this. Be warned, the final boss puts up quite a fight if you're not properly equipped!

83. A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS5) | 27 October 2022 | 8/10
Completed with platinum trophy earned. A Plague Tale: Innocence presents an welcome combination of third-person stealth and light puzzle gameplay mechanics alongside a strong narrative and impressive, if rather grim, artistic design. The game follows Amicia and her younger brother Hugo, children of a French noble family in the Middle Ages, who find themselves pursued by the Inquisition, alongside a growing plague of ravenous rats. Those rats are very much mechanical star of the game, often appearing as a literal 'sea', behaving in a fluid-like manner and providing the impetus for much of the puzzle-solving, as Amicia must manipulate light/fire (which is the one thing that the rats fear) to traverse the environment and also often as a means to take down enemy soldiers. This works as quite an innovative system, which builds nicely as the game progresses and Amicia acquires new means of interaction with the rats.

While undoubtedly a relatively slow experience in most cases, this seems fitting to the game's intentions, which include strong characterisation of Amicia, Hugo and their relationship, alongside a small cast of key supporting characters. The narrative as a whole tells a nicely-involved mystery that gradually takes on a more supernatural note, with the takeaway being a very memorable experience.

84. A Plague Tale: Requiem (Xbox Series X - Game Pass) | 5 November 2022 | 9/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). Okay wow, this is just stunning. A sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence, Requiem again follows the noble-born girl Amicia and her brother Hugo on a journey across plague-ridden medieval France, seeking a cure for a supernatural curse that afflicts Hugo. Once again a key mechanic of the game comes from the titular plague rats with which Hugo's curse provides an affinity - to his cost, as death and destruction seems to follow wherever he goes; Requiem is undoubtedly full of very grim, sad themes. Mechanically, the gameplay revolves around exploration, stealth and puzzle-solving, with an expanded but simultaneously streamlined set of abilities that consistently work well together.

However, where the game really excels starts with its artistic design, which is unerringly beautiful, even when in a metaphorical or literal dark manner. Environments range from lush fields and rolling waves, through a bustling festival village, to literal seas of rats and while I gather that there are expert technical analysis shows a few flaws with framerate drops, this genuinely didn't bother me at all, and I most I counted a single instance, in a cutscene, when I perceived this at all. Beyond this strength, though, we come to the well-told narrative and *especially* so the masterful character and relationship development. Voice actress Charlotte McBurney, as lead character Amicia, gives a superbly heartfelt performance throughout, despite having little previous professional experience prior to Innocence, and the interactions between Amicia and Hugo show a powerful bond that inspires real empathy; I genuinely don't think that I've ever seen such a powerful characterisation in any other game - and that includes all instances of The Last of Us, to which Requiem can in some ways be compared.

A Plague Tale: Requiem isn't quite getting a full 10/10 score from me as there is the occasional frustration in the stealth-focused elements of gameplay, but taking the game as a complete package, it's certainly a *very* impressive achievement and a story that will stay with me for a long while.

85. Mirror's Edge (Xbox 360) | 7 November 2022 | 6/10
Complete playthrough on normal difficulty. Clearly highly influential on future games, Mirror's Edge attempts a fairly pure distillation of parkour (free-running) gameplay - and when it works, it can be great. There's a satisfying fluidity to the first-person movement, achieved with an intelligently streamlined control system that maps the key controls - primarily jumping and ducking - to shoulder buttons, minimising the need to move your thumbs away from the control sticks. The art style is similarly streamlined, taking an effectively minimalistic approach to depict a near-future urban utilitarianism.

All too often, though, it becomes clear that rather than providing a semi-open world 'playground' to explore, in fact there's only one 'correct' path through a level; despite the use of a "runner vision" mechanic that purports to provide a guide to where to go, it's quite often not at all clear where that path is that allows progress, leading to significant frustration. Further frustration comes from the misjudged inclusion of combat sequences, frequently unavoidable and requiring a successful timing-based disarm action followed by some rudimentary gunplay. Running away may be possible, but then leads to the enemies (police officers, mostly) peppering protagonist Faith with gunfire from a distance - when one successful shot can send her off course and into a precipitous freefall.

Beyond these drawbacks, I can certainly see that for a certain type of player, learning the levels and attempting time trials has the potential to be really quite satisfying; I'd just like to see some more freedom in how the game allows each level to be attempted.

86. Ghost Song (Xbox Series X) | 13 November 2022 | 6/10
Completed on "ordinary" difficulty with all items/upgrades collected. Ghost Song is an overall decent Metroidvania, with a strong sense of mystery and otherworldliness in its environments but to be honest, only serviceable game mechanics. While the level design fits the bill with an apparently quite open layout, encouraging exploration, the means through which to undertake that exploration are quite limited - perhaps most immediately demonstrated by there being only two meaningful upgrades to traversal abilities. Combat is a clear focus here, e]with an interesting combination of ranged and melee weapons - repeated gunfire causes heat build-up that slows the rate of fire, but in doing so, also increases melee damage. However, the significant combat encounters typically come with bosses, and in many cases these are far too risky to encourage use of melee, epitomising the generally high level of difficulty throughout - to punishing and often frustrating effect. A 'corpse run' mechanic that sees the loss of experience from repeated deaths alongside lengthy distances between bosses and their closest save point serve to increase the potential for frustration.

There's some decent potential for customisation of approach, with interchangeable ability modules being the game's most significant collectibles, which does serve to bring some greater levels of interest to the experience - but this variety can't offset the feeling of frustration that was my overriding takeaway from the experience. Ghost Song isn't without value, and it's an impressive experience for a mostly solo developer, but if you do want to give it a go, I'd recommend playing on the easier "explorer" difficulty.

87. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (PC - Steam) | 21 November 2022 | 8/10
Campaign completed on Regular difficulty, including Strike Force win. I generally play Call of Duty games for their campaigns only, and even ten years after release, Black Ops II holds up pretty well. The story sees the return of the impactful cast from the original Black Ops, with some interesting gameplay innovations - in particular, with a modest extent of branching decision points that alter how later missions play out and a set of 'Strike Force' missions that require a more strategic approach. While each mission is inevitably heavily scripted (it wouldn't really be a Call of Duty game if they wasn't!), this is used to good effect to ensure that action and the player's investment in events remain high throughout.

The Strike Force missions justifiably divide opinion, as it's certainly a different approach, placing the player in command of a small squad of soldiers and supporting light armour, issuing attack or move orders in furtherance of often timed objectives - while also allowing direct control of any individual unit at will. However, these also present a strong potential for frustration, as allied units follow AI that's no better than typical campaign enemies and it's not uncommon to see them mowed down en masse. It's also nice to see a good degree of potential reply value across the campaign from a a series of challenges for each mission (e.g., a certain number of kills with a specific weapon, no deaths or efficient equipment use) - but the fairly lengthy extent of each mission deterred me from chasing after many of these. Even with just a single run through the game, though, I had a good time with Black Ops II's high-octane action.

88. Eastward (Switch) | 27 November 2022 | 7/10
Completed with all achievements unlocked except for Earth Born "new game+". Eastward is a 2D action RPG, somewhat styled on the classic Legend of Zelda games and Earthbound. Heavily story-driven, the game follows a pair a protagonists - John, a seemingly mute miner, and the young girl Sam - as they travel eastward, to escape and eventually confront a spreading miasma that's devastating the world. Gameplay is divided between towns where the story plays out and 'dungeon' areas focused on puzzle-solving and combat, and overall it's quite a gentle experience, with only rare occasions of significant challenge - arguably to the game's detriment overall, as some greater complexity to the dungeons would have been nice to see. Alongside this, the story segments take quite some time in character development for the core cast, which is a mixed blessing - this allows a real sense of investment in each of them, but means that the game can become really quite slow at times, with lengthy, uninterrupted story sequences. That story can at times also be quite difficult to follow properly and a fair few aspects aren't fully explained even by the end of the game.

More praiseworthy are the game's graphics, a definite standout feature as these are genuinely stunning, with incredibly detailed, beautiful pixelart throughout - even in seemingly unimportant areas of the game's world. This strong presentation is backed up by a nicely catchy soundtrack, with recurring motifs alongside fitting variety to suit each area that John and Sam travel to. Further demonstration of the impressive attention to detail can be seen from a few supplementary systems that feature throughout - particularly so a cooking mechanic used to produce healing meals and a fully-built roguelike take on the classic Dragon Quest games, available as a diversion within each town.

89. Somerville (Xbox Series X - Game Pass) | 28 November 2022 | 6/10
Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked (1,000G). The influences of INSIDE and Limbo are clear in this apocalyptic sci-fi adventure, but Somerville's transition to 3D does it few favours. Its environments are frequently unintuitive to navigate, with little to differentiate between static scenery and interactive objects - though once a puzzle becomes evident, the solution generally makes sense and is accessible with a little thought, without being excessively easy. The atmosphere and sound design is undoubtedly fantastic, but ultimately these are just in service of a fairly basic plot, perhaps inherently limited by its entirely wordless presentation and short (somewhere around 2-3 hours) overall length.

90. Picross Lord of the Nazarick (Switch) | 4 December 2022 | 7/10
All puzzles completed with no assists. Jupiter picross with an anime theme, *Picross Lord of the Nazarick* does nothing fundamentally new, but the core puzzle gameplay is as solid as ever. There's perhaps a little less content here than the mainline *Picross S* series, with a lot of the puzzle count being within the "Mega Picross" format (where a number of individual puzzles combine to give a larger overall image), but several hundred puzzles still clearly give a good length. I'm also not sure what's led to this particular licence being picked, as it's seemingly really quite niche, but otherwise there's nothing major to fault here and for those who *do* enjoy the anime series around which it's themed, that's certainly going to be an increased appeal.

91. Lunistice (Switch) | 14 December 2022 | 8/10
Completed with S/S ranks in all levels and 'true' ending. Eschewing any attempt at plot, Lunistice is a throwback 3D platformer with gameplay at its core. While embracing a Sonic-inspired sense of speed (though with no formal speedrun objectives), the precision platforming and 'collectathon' fundamentals from the likes of Super Mario 64 are present throughout. The difficulty is generally well-judged and while there are occasional frustrating sequences in the later stages, these are certainly surmountable with a little practice.

With only 14 stages (plus one bonus), each no longer than 10 minutes at the very most, Lunistice is a short game, but chasing after S ranks from all collectibles and no deaths will certainly boost its length (it did for me!) and there's a nice level of variety and gradual introduction of new mechanics as the game progresses.

92. Vampire Survivors (PC - Steam) | 15 December 2022 | 9/10
100% of achievements, full collection and all secrets unlocked. Dangerously addictive, Vampire Survivors absolutely epitomises a "just one more run" mentality. The concept here is very simple - the player moves their character around a 2D map in an attempt to survive in the face of unending hordes of monsters, with attacks triggering automatically; from this basis, though, an incredible amount of depth develops. Defeated monsters drop experience gems and each level-up grants a new or upgraded weapon or passive accessory, with a choice of three offered each time. Certain combinations synergise to provide a further boost, and there's an overarching meta-progression from unlocking new items, abilities and characters, as well as permanent passive power-ups across a wide range of attributes. A 30-minute time limit (more or less, but let's not spoil too much ;)) ensures that each run remains fairly bite-sized and accessible, but it's really the gradual but meaningful advancement that's the real addictive draw - particularly so with the entirely new mechanics that reveal themselves with the collection of specific 'relics' from each stage.

The graphics are certainly quite primitive, comprising primarily simple sprites *heavily* inspired by the Castlevania series, but with how chaotic the late-game can become that's probably no bad thing - even as they are, severe slowdown can become an issue at times with the various graphical effects that high-level weapons involve. On the other hand, the music throughout is superb, providing a catchy, pacey accompaniment to the visual action.

93. Super Kiwi 64 (Switch) | 18 December 2022 | 6/10
Complete playthrough, with all 50 gems collected. *Super Kiwi 64* is a serviceable 3D platformer in the classic 'collectathon' style, spread across eight (very short) stages. Each has six gems to collect, from a combination of collecting all 'gear' pickups, pure platforming and some basic puzzle-solving (such as hitting all of a set of switches). What's here is decent enough, but not at all ambitious or novel. That said, for its very low price you could certainly do worse and *Super Kiwi 64* can be an enjoyably mindless way to while away an hour.

94. Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell (PC - Steam) | 27 December 2022 | 9/10
100% of achievements unlocked. A great expansion to the most addictive game of 2022, Legacy of the Moonspell adds 8 new characters, 13 new weapons and most notably an expansive new stage to the Vampire Survivors experience. Despite the impressive level of variety of weapons in the base game, the majority of the additions here feel meaningfully different and their new effects are definitely fun to use, if perhaps leaning towards being more powerful than the original set. Arguably that's no bad thing, though, as the new stage, Mount Moonspell, ranks next to Cappella Magna as the most challenging in the game - but it's particularly notable with how it's mapped with clearly distinct regions, requiring exploration and navigation rarely seen in the base game.

For the once again very low price, Legacy of the Moonspell is an essential addition for anyone who enjoyed the original experience. However, for anyone still making their way through the base game content, I'd recommend making your way through the majority of that first before coming here.

KtotheRoc · Jan 1, 2022

After completing 65 games in 2018, 73 games in 2019, 81 games in 2020, and 70 games in 2021 I'm back to take on the challenge for 2022.

All scores out of 5.

1: Shin Megami Tensei V. End: 1/1/2022 (4)
2: Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. End: 1/2/2022 (3)
3: Resident Evil Village. End: 1/10/2022. (4)
4: Nier Replicant. End: 1/18/2022. (4)
5: The Gunk. End: 1/19/2022. (2.5)
6: The Pedestrian. End: 1/23/2022. (4)
7: Gorogoa. End: 1/23/2022. (4)
8: Pupperazzi. End: 1/24/2022. (2.5)
9 : Xeno Crisis. End: 1/28/2022. (3.5)
10: Neo The World Ends With You. End: 2/2/2022. (4)
11: TwinBee. End: 2/3/2022. (2.5)
12: Control. End: 2/6/2022. (3.5)
13: Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! End: 2/12/2022. (3.5)
14: Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. End: 2/15/2022. (3.5)
15: Touhou Luna Nights. End: 2/17/2022. (3.5)
16: AI: The Somnium Files. End: 2/24/2022. (3.5)
17: Cuphead. End: 2/26/2022. (4)
18: Battletoads (1991). End: 2/27/2022. (2)
19: Earthbound Beginnings. End: 3/2/2022. (2.5)
20: Earthbound. End: 3/5/2022. (4.5)
21: Astro's Playroom. End: 3/17/2022. (4)
22: Persona 5 Royal. End: 4/2/2022. (4.5)
23: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. End: 4/5/2022. (3.5)
24: Kirby and the Forgotten Land. End: 4/11/2022. (4.5)
25: Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. End: 4/13/2022. (3.5)
26: Mirror's Edge Catalyst. End: 4/16/2022. (2.5)
27: Chrono Trigger. End: 4/21/2022. (4.5)
28: Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. End: 4/22/2022. (2.5)
29: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. End: 5/4/2022. (3.5)
30: Pokémon Legends: Arceus . End: 5/6/2022. (3.5)
31: Trek to Yomi. End: 5/7/2022. (2.5)
32: Kirby Super Star. End: 5/9/2022. (4)
33: Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. End: 5/12/2022. (3)
34: Peggle 2. End: 5/13/2022. (3.5)
35: Telling Lies. End: 5/13/2022. (3.5)
36: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. End: 5/27/2022. (3)
37: Rival Turf! End: 5/29/2022. (2)
38: Young Souls. End: 6/1/2022. (3.5)
39: Infernax. End: 6/2/2022. (4)
40: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. End: 6/8/2022. (4)
41: Kirby's Dream Course. End: 6/26/2022. (3)
42: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course. End: 6/30/2022. (4)
43: Triangle Strategy. End: 7/5/2022. (4.5)
44: Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection. End: 7/7/2022. (4)
45: Star Fox. End: 7/18/2022. (4)
46: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. End: 7/19/2022. (4.5)
47: It Takes Two. End: 7/22/2022. (4)
48: Live A Live. End: 7/31/2022. (4.5)
49: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. End: 8/3/2022. (3.5)
50: Kaze and the Wild Masks. End: 8/6/2022. (3)
51: The Quarry. End: 8/12/2022. (3.5)
52: Xenoblade Chronicles 3. End: 8/22/2022. (4)

Challenge Complete

53: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. End: 8/28/2022. (3.5)
54: Punch-Out!!. End: 8/29/2022. (4)
55: Soul Hackers 2. End: 9/3/2022. (3.5)
56: The Messenger. End: 10/10/2022. (4)
57: Splatoon 3. End: 10/15/2022. (4)
58: The Legend of Tianding. End: 11/5/2022. (3)
59: Omori. End: 11/15/2022. (4.5)
60: The Diofield Chronicle. End: 11/26/2022. (3.5)
61: Strider (1990 Genesis Port). End: 12/4/2022. (3)
62: Pokémon Puzzle League. End: 12/5/2022. (3.5)
63: Mega Man 1. End: 12/6/2022. (3.5)
64: Mega Man 2. End: 12/6/2022. (3.5)
65: Mega Man 3. End: 12/7/2022. (3.5)
66: Mega Man Wily Tower. End: 12/7/2022. (3.5)
67: Lake. End: 12/10/2022. (3)
68: Comix Zone. End: 12/15/2022 (2)
69: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. End: 12/24/2022 (4)

Bosh · Jan 1, 2022

PC90 · Jan 1, 2022

Backloggery link (sort of active sometimes)

2018: 66 Games
2019: 107 Games
2020: 52 Games
2021: 52 Games

1) Cupid Nonogram (Steam - January 7th - 3/5)
2) Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Steam - January 9th - 3/5)
3) Voxelgram (Steam - January 22nd - 4/5)
4) Final Fantasy V (Steam - January 28th - 4/5)
5) Tangrams Deluxe (Steam - February 8th - 3/5)
6) Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch - February 23rd - 4/5)
7) Pepper's Puzzles (Steam - March 8th - 3/5)
8) PictoQuest (Steam - March 13th - 3/5)
9) Elden Ring (Steam - March 17th - 5/5)
10) Dead Rising 2 (Steam - March 24th - 4/5)
11) Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (PS4 - March 28th - 4/5)
12) Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch - April 1st - 4/5)
13) There Is No Game: Jam Edition 2015 (Steam - April 2nd - 3/5)
14) Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Steam - April 4th - 4/5)
15) Contra (Arcade) (Steam - April 4th - 2/5)
16) Castlevania: Dracula X (Steam - April 5th - 3/5)
17) Super Contra (Steam - April 5th - 3/5)
18) Contra (NES) (Steam - April 5th - 3/5)
19) Super C (Steam - April 6th - 3/5)
20) Contra III: The Alien Wars (Steam - April 6th - 3/5)
21) Operation C (Steam - April 6th - 3/5)
22) planetarian HD (Steam - April 7th - 5/5)
23) Contra Hard Corps (Steam - April 9th - 4/5)
24) Alpha Mission (Steam - April 11th - 2/5)
25) Beast Busters (Steam - April 14th - 3/5)
26) Bermuda Triangle (Steam - April 14th - 2/5)
27) Dead Space 2 (Steam - April 17th - 4/5)
28) Chopper I (Steam - April 18th - 3/5)
29) Fantasy (Steam - April 19th - 3/5)
30) Final Fantasy VI (Steam - April 25th - 4/5)
31) Guerrilla War (Steam - April 25th - 2/5)
32) Luxor Amun Rising HD (Steam - April 25th - 2/5)
33) Ikari Warriors (Steam - April 26th - 2/5)
34) Victory Road (Steam - April 28th - 2/5)
35) Save Room - Organization Puzzle (Steam - April 29th - 3/5)
36) Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn (Steam - April 30th - 3/5)
37) Witch and Hero (Steam - May 1st - 3/5)
38) Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing (Steam - May 3rd - 3/5)
39) Ikari III: The Rescue (Steam - May 4th - 2/5)
40) Far Cry Primal (Steam - May 10th - 2/5)
41) Dragon Ball Xenoverse (Steam - May 18th - 2/5)
42) Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below (Steam - May 28th - 3/5)
43) Ridge Racer (PSP - June 7th - 3/5)
44) Chocobo Racing (PSX - June 9th - 3/5)
45) God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP - June 13th - 3/5)
46) Resident Evil Survivor (PSX - June 14th - 3/5)
47) Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (3DS - June 20th - 4/5)
48) Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (SNES - June 24th - 3/5)
49) Rogue Legacy (Steam - July 15th - 4/5)
50) A Way Out (Steam - July 31st - 3/5)
51) Hades (Steam - August 17th - 4/5)
52) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Steam - August 20th - 3/5)
53) Vampire Survivors (Steam - October 27th - 5/5)
54) Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Steam - November 3rd - 4/5)
55) Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Legacy of the First Blade (Steam - November 6th - 3/5)
56) Assassin's Creed Odyssey - The Fate of Atlantis (Steam - November 14th - 3/5)
57) Resident Evil Village - Shadows of Rose (Steam - November 16th - 3/5)
58) Pokémon Violet (Switch - December 16th - 3/5)
59) As Dusk Falls (Steam - December 19th - 3/5)
60) Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell (Steam - December 23rd - 5/5)
61) River City Girls (Steam - December 28th - 4/5)
62) Emily is Away <3 (Steam - December 29th - 3/5)

Breakdown

Steam: 52
Switch: 3
PSP: 2
PSX: 2
PS4: 1
3DS: 1
SNES: 1

Lucock · Jan 1, 2022

52 Games. 1 Year. 2018.
52 Games. 1 Year. 2019.
52 Games. 1 Year. 2020.
52 Games. 1 Year. 2021.

1. L.A. Noire - PC (Steam) - 01/01/2022

2. Command & Conquer Remastered Collection - PC (EA Desktop) - 04/01/2022

3. Mega Man Legacy Collection - PC (Steam) - 08/01/2022

4. Fallout - PC (Steam) - 16/01/2022

5. Tomb Raider II - PC (Steam) - 23/01/2022

6. A Plague Tale: Innocence - PC (Xbox) - 27/01/2022

7. Control Standard Edition - PC (Xbox) - 01/02/2022

8. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Switch - 18/02/2022

9. Gorogoa - PC (Xbox) - 20/02/2022

10. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker - Switch - 21/02/2022

11. Firewatch - PC (Xbox) - 24/02/2022

12. What Remains of Edith Finch - PC (Xbox) - 25/02/2022

13. Deus Ex GO - Android - 06/03/2022

14. Age of Empires: Definitive Edition - PC (Xbox) - 20/03/2022

15. The Forest - PC (Steam) - 18/07/2022

16. Orcs Must Die! 3 - PC (Steam) - 20/07/2022

17. Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition - PC (Steam) - 05/08/2022

18. Grim Dawn - PC (Steam) - 15/08/2022

19. Suzerain - PC (Steam) - 23/08/2022

20. Total War: WARHAMMER III - PC (Steam) - 04/09/2022

21. Command & Conquer: Generals - PC (EA Desktop) - 03/12/2022

22. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - PC (EA Desktop) - 06/12/2022

23. Command & Conquer: Renegade - PC (EA Desktop) - 08/12/2022

24. Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight - PC (EA Desktop) - 09/12/2022

25. Far Cry 4 - PC (Steam) - 11/12/2022

26. Far Cry Primal - PC (Steam) - 13/12/2022

27. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - PC (Steam) - 15/12/2022

28. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent - PC (Steam) - 17/12/2022

29. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction - PC (Steam) - 17/12/2022

30. Resident Evil 0 - PC (Steam) - 20/12/2022

31. Dishonored 2 - PC (Steam) - 22/12/2022

32. Resident Evil Revelations - PC (Steam) - 24/12/2022

33. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider - PC (Steam) - 26/12/2022

34. Resident Evil Revelations 2 - PC (Steam) - 27/12/2022

35. Mega Man 11 - PC (Steam) - 28/12/2022

36. Resident Evil 7 Teaser: Beginning Hour - PC (Steam) - 28/12/2022

37. Prey - PC (Steam) - 31/12/2022

KOfLegend · Jan 1, 2022

Completion Status: 131/52 Games!

COMPLETE! - May 27th

Replays will be italicized. 2022 releases will be underlined.

Backloggd

PSN/XBL Gamercard:

January - 15 Games

1. Sayonara Wild Hearts (PS5) | Jan 2nd - 5hrs | ★★★★★ | I think this was my 9th playthrough of Sayonara Wild Hearts, and it was just as magical as it was the first time around. Still an absolutely flawless experience. Wild hearts never die, and neither will my love for this game.

2. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS5) | Jan 4th - 31hrs | ★★★★ | Liked this a tiny bit less this time around, but it was still an extremely enjoyable experience all around. I still can't believe this was Guerrilla's first shot at an open world game.

3. Horizon Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds (PS5) | Jan 4th - 5hrs | ★★★½ | I inherently dislike DLCs that are extremely disconnected from the main game plot-wise so I was a little harsher on this the first time around, but I found myself appreciating it more the second time around. The new area is fun (if a little bland visually), the story's solid, and the new machines are fun to fight.

4. Parasite Eve (PS1) | Jan 5th - 7.5hrs | ★★★½ | Talk about taking the "mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell" meme too far, jeez. For real though, this was fun! Really liked what they did with the combat system here. It's nothing too crazy, but you can tell they were trying to differentiate it from other turn-based RPGs at the time and they succeeded in my opinion. It's also dripping with moody atmosphere, even if it kind of loses that after the 3rd day. The story's kind of a mess, but in a fun, Resident Evil kind of way. Again, really enjoyed my time with this one.

5. Astro's Playroom (PS5) | Jan 5th - 3hrs | ★★★★ | Not as magical the second time around, but still really fun. Should the GPU song have been nominated for "Song of the year" at the 2021 Grammys? Perhaps.

6. Kingdom Hearts (PS5) | Jan 7th - 15hrs | ★★★★ | The gameplay has aged like milk, but the game is so incredibly charming that it's kind of hard to care. It's not my favorite KH game by a longshot, but it's the one I keep coming back to the most.

7. Micetopia (PS5) | Jan 7th - 2hrs | ★½ | Bought this on a whim for a dollar on a sale without realizing it was one of those "easy platinum" games. Just like many of those, it was absolutely terrible. Yes, I platinumed it.

8. Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (PS5) | Jan 9th - 8hrs | ★★★ | Both this game and P5D feel half-baked. The social events are okay, the music is good and the gameplay's great, but something's...missing. I can't put my finger on it.

9. Persona 4: Dancing All Night (PS5) | Jan 10th - 12hrs | ★★★½ | Easily the best of the three dancing games, and playing all of them back to back makes it even more obvious. This is the only one of the three that has a pretty-good-for-a-rhythm-game campaign. It also has the best remixes and easily the most variety in music.

10. Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight (PS5) | Jan 11th - 9hrs | ★★★ | Probably the worst of the bunch, but it's still okay-ish/good. It has the worst soundtrack, the least amount of music variety, and the stalest character interactions. They really should've waited a few years before making this.

11. Creature in the Well (PS5) | Jan 18th - 12hrs | ★★★½ | Forgot how much I actually enjoyed this! The setting is still incredibly interesting and the sword/ping-pong gameplay still feels really fresh. The difficulty spike toward the end of the game still really sucks, though.

12. inFAMOUS: Second Son (PS5) | Jan 22nd - 20hrs | ★★★½ | Decided to revisit this on a whim! The writing has always been bad so it's no surprise that it aged like milk, but some of the gameplay surprisingly doesn't hold up as well. The powers are still incredibly fun to use though, and zipping around the city never gets old.

13. inFAMOUS: First Light (PS5) | Jan 23rd - 11hrs | ★★★ | The best argument for sticking with one power instead of four. Fetch's moveset is insanely fun and she feels a lot better to play as than Delsin. Other than that, there really isn't much here. The story's blah and the arena sections feel like padding.

14. Bastion (PS5) | Jan 26th - 19hrs | ★★★½ | Probably Supergiant's worst game, but still filled with an insane amount of heart and charm. It's just hard to go back to after playing Transistor, Pyre, and even Hades (which I'm not the biggest fan of). Also, screw the Who Knows Where idol trophies, good lord.

15. Transistor (PS5) | Jan 30th - 12hrs | ★★★★★ | Not a perfect game by any means, but there's a moment very early on where Red stares at a poster of herself and The Spine starts playing, and from that moment on, the vibes remain fucking immaculate. It's so incredibly gripping, and the magnificent soundtrack (Darren Korb's best. Bastion, Hades and Pyre have fantastic soundtracks but Transistor's is something else) is a huge part of the reason why. Also, kudos to Supergiant for what is probably my favorite implementation of controller speakers ever.

February - 5 Games

16. Pyre (PS5) | Feb 4th - 13hrs | ★★★★★ | Creating a cohesive Visual Novel/3-on-3 Basketball hybrid game wasn't enough for Supergiant, so they had to go and make it the best game they've ever made. Still a wonderful experience through and through.

17. Hades (PS5) | Feb 12th - 68hrs | ★★★★ | I think I liked this a little less this time around. It's still a Supergiant game so all of the hallmarks are there, but I just cannot stand the insanely repetitive and luck-based nature of roguelites and roguelikes. It's simply something in their DNA (or in their blood wink) that I will never be able to get over. They're just not for me. This is still a great game, though.

18. Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch) | Feb 13th - 17hrs | ★★★½ | Props to Game Freak for trying to breathe new life into the Pokemon formula because it really needed it, and this game is a fantastic blueprint, but it has far too many problems. It starts dragging after the first (absolutely magical) five hours, it's an absolute nightmare to look at, and there are far too many Pokemon that aggro you, to the point where it kind of sucks the fun out of catching them. Still, the core gameplay loop is fun, so a sequel could potentially be fantastic if they don't abandon it like they did with Let's Go.

19. Toree 2 (Switch) | Feb 14th - 1hr | ★★ | It's fine. Just as mediocre and forgettable as its predecessor. Not bad for a dollar, though.

20. Horizon: Forbidden West (PS5) | Feb 24th - 33.5hrs | ★★★★ | This was a lot of the same. That's not inherently a pro or a con, but as someone who replayed Zero Dawn right before Forbidden West came out, it shocked me just how similar everything was. Most of the side activities are still the same, the mount controls are the same, the combat is mostly the same, most of the environments look the same, the music sounds the same, a lot of the new machines kind of look similar to returning ones, etc. Again, this isn't necessarily a con since I personally thought the first game was spectacular, but it was kind of shocking. The only thing that doesn't feel the same and doesn't give off the same vibes as the original is the story and my god, do I wish it did.

I wouldn't call Forbidden West's story bad, but compared to Zero Dawn's story, which was relatively simple but insanely fresh and engaging, the one here feels...a little basic. Finding data logs and recordings from the past still feels great, and I like the increased focus on companions (even if I don't think any of those characters are particularly strong) but the plot itself is kind of...by-the-numbers and really predictable. Every single exciting revelation either doesn't go anywhere or goes somewhere insanely disappointing. Zero Dawn's story was what set it apart. Forbidden West's story is what drags it down.

Still, the moment-to-moment gameplay is so insanely fun and the game is so breathtakingly gorgeous that it's hard to hate. I just hope the third game's story is one that's going to be worth telling.

March - 12 Games

21. Elden Ring (PS5) | Mar 6th - 65hrs | ★★★★½ | I think I'm slowly realizing that I absolutely despise open-world games, so the fact that I liked this game as much as I did is nothing short of an absolute miracle. It feels like the culmination of everything they had done up until this point. It's really hard not to miss the tight level design of From's other Soulsborne games though, and the not-insignificant amount of terrible, Dark Souls II-esque boss encounters drag the game down quite a bit.

22. Demon's Souls (PS5) | Mar 11th - 35hrs | ★★★½ | It's incredible just how much right From Software got with Demon's Souls but this, to me, is their worst Soulsborne game. Most of the bosses are boring gimmicks, the level design is nothing to write home about, enemy placement is often cheap, the music is just fine, and the tendency system is a nightmare. It makes the jump to Dark Souls all the more impressive.

23. Dark Souls: Remastered (PS5) | Mar 15th - 36hrs | ★★★★½ | The second half of the game is still disappointing compared to the first (with the final third being a hot mess), but I don't think anything in any videogame will be as magical as taking the elevator in Undead Parish and ending up in Firelink Shrine. The interconnected world design is still absolutely out of this world.

24. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS5) | Mar 16th - 30hrs | ★★★★ | Still probably my 2nd least favorite From Software Souls game, but I do appreciate what it tried to do, especially with the revamped healing system. It also doesn't hurt that SOFTS includes all the DLCs, which are among some of the best content From has ever made.

25. Bloodborne (PS5) | Mar 17th - 24hrs | ★★★★★ | Very few games fire on all cylinders as well as Bloodborne does. Fascinating lore, excellent combat, killer art direction, incredible music, tight level design (I think Yharnam might be my favorite tutorial/first area ever?), well though-out boss encounters and brisk pacing. Chalice dungeons feel a little unpolished, but they're completely optional and are still kind of a fun time. This, to me, is easily From Software's best game and it's not even close.

26. Bloodborne: The Old Hunters (PS5) | Mar 17th - 5hrs | ★★★★★ | Still the best piece of DLC From Software has ever made. All three areas are extremely solid (the Research Hall is one of my favorite Soulsborne areas) and all the bosses aside from Laurence (who is optional) are killer. Lady Maria is not only my favorite From Software boss ever, it also might be my favorite boss fight of all time. It also adds a significant amount of new trick weapons, and all the additional lore is absolutely fantastic.

27. Dark Souls III (PS5) | Mar 19th - 40hrs | ★★★★½ | This is the most underrated entry in the franchise, which is a huge bummer because it's the best Souls game in so many ways. It has the best bosses and some of the best level design. Aside from Bloodborne (and maybe the original Demon's Souls), it also has the best atmosphere. It's a little drab and washed out, but it's genuinely the only Souls game that feels almost...post-apocalyptic. The world is crumbling and dying, and Dark Souls III's art direction makes that very clear. It's also filled to the brim with fanservice, but I honestly didn't mind it all that much. It was worth it for the three musical notes in the final battle.

28. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS5) | Mar 20th - 30hrs | ★★★★½ | One of my least favorite Miyazaki games, but it's still fantastic. It probably has the best combat system out of all of his games, but the game is so aggressively difficult and unforgiving that it's hard for me to say that I had a better time with this system than, say, Bloodborne's. Still, most of the boss fights are incredible and truly test just how much you've mastered parrying. Almost every single one of them is a skill check, which makes the game feel absolutely exhausting to play. Everything else is fantastic, though. The art direction is stunning, the music is great, etc. It's a From game, so all the hallmarks are there. The level design (aside from a few standout areas) is a bit disappointing, though.

29. A Memoir Blue (XSX) | Mar 24th - 1hr | ★★★½ | There's been a lack of games that are more on the interactive fiction side (at least ones that have medium to high production values) lately, so I'm really glad this exists. It drags a little which really isn't great in a game that has a runtime of 1 hour so it isn't perfect, but I can't say I didn't bawl during the last five minutes. Family is a touchy subject for me and the game might've been a little emotionally manipulative, but I honestly don't care for that term at all. If something made me cry, it made me cry. I don't necessarily care how it did it.

30. Elden Ring (PS5) | Mar 28th - 21hrs | ★★★★½ | A lot less stressful the second time around, but a lot less magical (knowing the intended progress route makes a huge difference). Still a wonderful game with a lot of blemishes.

31. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) | Mar 29th - 9.5hrs | ★★★½ | This was a cute little platformer! Major 3D World vibes, except it's not nearly as creative or well-designed. I haven't been keeping up with the discourse around the difficulty but yes, it was too easy for me. I don't think that's inherently a bad thing but this was kind of the boring kind of easy. Still, I'm looking forward to more 3D Kirby. This is a great blueprint.

32. The Lost Night (Windows) | Mar 29th - 1hr | ★★★ | The movement speed is too slow and the music got so grating that I had to shut it off, but I had fun other than that. There have to be more PICO-8 RPGs out there!

April - 7 Games

33. Tunic (XSX) | Apr 2nd - 8.5hrs | ★★★★ | The world is extremely charming (the manual is one of my favorite things in recent memory, no joke) and really fun to explore. I just wish the combat didn't feel like an afterthought. It's really rough, especially after playing Death's Door (which is still fresh in my mind). A huge blemish on an otherwise fantastic game.

34. Gorogoa (iOS) | Apr 3rd - 1.5hrs | ★★★★ | There's very little else that's better than the feeling you get once you figure something out in a puzzle game, and pretty much every single puzzle in Gorogoa made me feel that way. Oh, and the art is gorgeous too. I'm not too sure what the narrative was, but it was there!

35. If Found... (Switch) | Apr 3rd - 2hrs | ★★★½ | Florence: Who are you?
 If Found: I'm you but stronger in every possible way (except runtime which kind of makes me tiny bit worse than you, actually)

36. Dark Cloud (PS5) | Apr 9th - 27hrs | ★★★½ | It's been a while since I've played a game that had this many systems that were intentionally supposed to frustrate you (what is even the point of thirst management?) but Dark Cloud is so insanely addicting and charming that it almost makes up for it.

37. Mafia: Definitive Edition (PS5) | Apr 12th - 17hrs | ★★★½ | Didn't vibe with the story all that much, but this is probably the best-paced open world game I've ever played. The gameplay's not terrible, but it's definitely a little rough around the edges. I had a good time overall and I'm definitely interested in checking out the sequels.

38. Streets of Rage 4 (XSX) | Apr 18th - 2hrs | ★★½ | Not a beat 'em up person but I played this solely because it was leaving Game Pass. It's fine. Very pretty, but the gameplay did nothing for me. It's a beat 'em up. I'm not a beat 'em up person.

39. Rogue Galaxy (PS5) | Apr 28th - 83hrs | ★★★½ | This would've been so much better had it only been 7 chapters instead of 13, but the Level-5 Charm™ carries it even when it's dragging. Gameplay's a little rough but feels absolutely incredible coming off of the terrible combat in the Dark Cloud games. The grind for the platinum trophy almost sent me over the edge. Whoever decided the level 99 trophy was a good idea is not seeing heaven.

May - 14 Games

40. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered (PS5) | May 1st - 24hrs | ★★★★ | This is my third playthrough of this game so I don't have much to add, I'm just never not amazed at how much Insomniac managed to get right on their first try.

41. Titanfall 2 (PS5) | May 3rd - 5hrs | ★★★½ | Campaign's nowhere near as special as it was in 2016, but it's still a fun time. Movement and gunplay are still absolutely incredible.

42. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) | May 6th - 20hrs | ★★★★ | Playing this right after the original made me appreciate all the small gameplay improvements that were implemented, and the venom powers are still an incredible addition. I still absolutely love the smaller scale story that, to me, resonates more than the original's.

43. Trek to Yomi (XSX) | May 8th - 4.5hrs | ★★ | I love the art style and the fixed camera angles, but that's...pretty much it. The gameplay's rough, the controls are downright uncomfortable, the story is a cliche-filled mess and the score is insanely forgettable. A massive disappointment and probably my least favorite game Devolver has ever published (that I've played). You know it's bad when the game's saving grace is that it's short.

44. Crash Bandicoot (N.Sane) (PS5) | May 10th - 15hrs | ★★★½ | The original's the first game I ever played so it'll always have a special place in my heart and this is still an absolutely wonderful remake, but my GOD did I forget how frustrating and unfair it can get.

45. Franken (PC) | May 12th - 1.5hrs | ★★½ | It's fine. Humor has to really carry a game like this and most of it didn't land for me, so all I was left with was...everything else. It was still kinda charming though, and it's free and short so I can't really criticize it too much.

46. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PS5) | May 17th - 32hrs | ★★★★ | This is the third time I've played this game and I still can't believe it exists. The rough edges are a lot rougher the third time around now that most of the magic is gone, but I still had an absolutely wonderful time with it. I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!

47. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS5) | May 21st - 10hrs | ★★★½

48. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (PS5) | May 22nd - 13hrs | ★★★★½

49. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS5) | May 24th - 35hrs | ★★★★

50. La Maleta (PC) | May 26th - 1hr | ★★

51. Spyro the Dragon (PS5) | May 26th - 7hrs | ★★★★

52. Adam's Venture: Origins (PS5) | May 27th - 3hrs | ★ | Wanted to play something special for my 52nd completion of the year! This was absolutely dreadful in every way imaginable. Terrible insta-fail stealth sections, awful writing, dreadful characters, horrible visuals and barely functioning gameplay. Truly one of the worst games I've ever finished.

53. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PS5) | May 30th - 4hrs | ★★★ | The quintessential pre-Iga Castlevania game. Not much else to say, really.

June

54. Dépanneur Nocturne (PC) | Jun 1st - 1hr | ★★★ | It's vibes and…not much else, but the vibes VIBE.

55. Wide Ocean Big Jacket (PC) | Jun 1st - 1.5hrs | ★★★½ | I had no idea I cared for any of the characters until I lost it during the final scene.

56. Un Pas Fragile (PC) | Jun 1st - 1hr | ★★ | Cute and absolutely gorgeous, but it's really, really not much else.

57. Backbone (PC) | Jun 2nd - 4hrs | ★★½ | The presentation's immaculate, but I've never quite seen a game crash and burn in its second half the same way this game does. It's WILD.

58. Steven Universe: Save the Light (PS5) | Jun 5th - 12hrs | ★★★ | Still a very cute, fun and surprisingly deep (for what it is) turn-based RPG. I haven't seen a single Steven Universe episode and I still enjoyed this. I didn't run into the 100% bug this time around, which means I was able to platinum it!

59. Bioshock Remastered (PS5) | Jun 7th - 11hrs | ★★★★★ | Still a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

60. Bioshock 2 Remastered (PS5) | Jun 11th - 13hrs | ★★★½ | Had more fun with this one than I initially did when I first played it. It still has what I think is the least interesting story of the three games (Sofia Lamb is an interesting antagonist, but they don't really do anything with her), but the gameplay's absolutely ace and the level design is way better than I remembered.

61. Bioshock Infinite (PS5) | Jun 13th - 11hrs | ★★★½ | As someone who absolutely loved this game upon release, replaying it has been extremely underwhelming, and I feel my experience with it has been made a lot worse by replaying the first two games right before it.

Columbia is fine. It's beautiful to look at, but it's nowhere near as interesting or atmospheric as Rapture and you can't really explore it all that much. The first thing I did when Booker landed on Columbia was press on the touchpad to bring up the map, only to be met with a list of whatever my objectives were at the time (which was unnecessary, since the game leads you straight to where you need to go anyways). There are optional paths here and there, but my favorite thing about the first game had clearly taken a backseat in this one. Couple that with occasionally awful dialogue (the decision to make the protagonist of the first game silent was clearly Irrational Games playing to their strengths), social commentary that is surface-level at best and slightly problematic at worst, and an ending sequence that feels like it hasn't been fully thought through, and you end up with a game that 13 year old me (I know, I know) thought was a masterpiece and 22 year me thinks is a whelming piece of media.

I don't know. I mean, I still think it's a good game and I had fun playing it, but it's all a little underwhelming.

62. Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea (PS5) | Jun 13th - 4hrs | ★★½ | Warning: The "Shot of Nostalgia" plasmid only works for a duration of about 15 minutes. Once it wears off, all you will be able to notice are the weird design choices and changes the developers made that only serve to highlight the weakest parts of Bioshock Infinite's gameplay, and a hot mess of a story. Proceed at your own risk.

63. Steven Universe: Unleash the Light (PS5) | Jun 15th - 10 Hours | ★★★½ | A much simpler game than Save the Light, but…more fun? It cuts all the fodder and gets right to the good stuff.

64. Last Stop (PS5) | Jun 19th - 7 Hours | ★★★½ | This was a little wild! I would've normally hated where it went but the game is so incredibly charming and full of heart that I didn't care. Meena's the most interesting character out of the three (four if you count Jack) but her storyline was sadly the least interesting for some reason.

65. Neon White (PC) | Jun 20th - 9 Hours | ★★★½ | An incredibly fun game with crazy tight gameplay, and a perfect example of how a terrible story and awful characters can ruin something that could've been extremely special. The boss fights were extremely annoying and unnecessary as well.

66. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (PS5) | Jun 26th - 55hrs | ★★★★ | Nobody told me this was lowkey a Metroidvania game! Really enjoyed this one. The characters are two dimensional cardboard cutouts and I could not tell you what the hell happened in the story, but the gameplay is so tight and the loop is so insanely addicting that I really didn't care. There's also something really charming about the visual style to me for some reason.

67. AER: Memories of Old (PS5) | Jun 26th - 2hrs | ★★½ | It's...fine? I played this while waiting for something else to download. It did its job.

68. Watch Dogs 2 (PS5) | Jun 30th - 28hrs | ★★★★½ | Still love this game to bits. Love the cast, love the low stakes, love the gameplay and love the vibes.

July

69. Portal (Switch) | Jul 2nd - 2hrs | ★★★★ | The solidest most solid game I've ever played. Shorter than I expected but man, it's so fucking tight. The pacing is absolutely immaculate.

70. Hollow Knight (PS5) | Jul 4th - 31hrs | ★★★★★ | Still an absolute masterclass. I've played this so many times that I have no idea what else to add. It's just absolutely incredible.

71. Hollow Knight: The Grimm Troupe (PS5) | Jul 4th - 2hrs | ★★★ | The actual boss fight is fantastic but getting to it is boring at best. Still, three stars for Mr. Grimm.

72. Hollow Knight: Godmaster (PS5) | Jul 4th - 3hrs | ★★½ | Easily the worst of Hollow Knight's DLCs. Fun if you want to refight a bunch of bosses, but it doesn't really offer anything other than that. Locking an ending behind the pantheon of hallownest is still a shockingly bad decision in my opinion.

73. Cuphead (PS5) | Jul 7th - 10hrs | ★★★★½ | Just as incredible as it was the first time around, but playing the game on expert made me appreciate it on a whole new level.

74. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (PS5) | Jul 7th - 3hrs | ★★★★ | A very yummy treat. The animations are somehow even better, the boss arenas are more elaborate, the bosses themselves are more creative and Ms. Chalice is such a fantastic addition that I found it hard to go back to Cuphead and Mugman after playing as her. My only major gripe with the DLC is that most of the bosses have a phase or two where they throw so much at you at once that it's practically impossible to fully grasp what's happening on screen. This was an issue in the base game as well but they turn it up to 11 here and it gets kinda ridiculous. Bullet hell games are only fun when you can actually see the bullets coming at you. Other than that though, it's flawless. Like Hollow Knight, The Delicious Last Course launched on sale permanently. $8 for the amount of content in this is just absolutely insane.

75. Gravity Rush Remastered (PS5) | Jul 9th - 10hrs | ★★★★ | Okay, the gameplay's a lot rougher than I remember but the vibes man, the VIBES. Nothing else matters when the Pleasure Quarter theme hits.

76. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars Story (MQ2) | Jul 11th - 3hrs | ★★★ | I have a love-hate relationship with Star Wars, but I can't lie and say swinging around a lightsaber didn't make me giggle like a little kid. Wish they stuck with that because controlling the force was a little wonky. The game itself is fine. A really fun ride, but ultimately forgettable. If I had to rank the episodes, it'd look something like 1 > 3 > 2. Also, why the hell is everyone so tall?

77. Ghost of Tsushima (PS5) | Jul 21st - 40hrs | ★★★★ | A tad bit rougher around the edges the second time around when all the magic is gone, but it's still a fantastic experience and I cannot wait to see what Sucker Punch does with the sequel.

78. Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island (PS5) | Jul 23rd - 8hrs | ★★★½ | The story's surprisingly important and the few new mechanics are nice, but this doesn't really do anything special. Still fun but ultimately kind of forgettable.

79. God of War (PS3) | Jul 28th - 13hrs | ★★★½ | Surprisingly aged well for the most part, but whoever was responsible for the challenges should be rotting in jail right now.

August

80. God of War II (PS3) | Aug 1st - 13hrs | ★★★½ | Did not like this as much as I did when I first played it, sadly. Still better than the first game in every possible way, but it's the only God of War game that really drags in my opinion.

81. God of War: Chains of Olympus (PS3) | Aug 2nd - 7hrs | ★★★ | Yeah, this is the worst one. Not bad by any means, just a bit blah, and hard mode doesn't feel like it was playtested at times.

82. God of War III: Remastered (PS4) | Aug 3rd - 11hrs | ★★★★ | All killer, no filler. This game gets going and never stops until you hit the credits. Would've loved a few more puzzle sections, but this is by far my favorite God of War game pre-GoW 2018.

83. God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PS3) | Aug 4th - 8hrs | ★★★½ | A lot better than Chains of Olympus and even a tad better than the first game, but it doesn't manage to reach the height's of the other console titles. Still a fun time, though. Thera's Bane is one of my favorite mechanics in the entire series.

84. God of War: Ascension (PS3) | Aug 6th - 12hrs | ★★★½ | Not nearly as mediocre as I remember it being. the story's still a hot mess but the art direction is insanely beautiful, the gameplay's still fun (even if most of the new mechanics are blah), and the spectacle of it all is still very impressive. The trial of archimedes was an absolute nightmare on hard and almost ruined the entire game for me, though.

85. God of War (2018) (PS4) | Aug 9th - 30hrs | ★★★★★ | Easily the best God of War game. It has already been praised to hell and back so I don't really have anything else to add, but doing a franchise marathon made me appreciate it tenfold. Truly a spectacular achievement.

86. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus (PS3) | Aug 10th - 5hrs | ★★★★ | A lot better than I remember! Great vibe, tight controls, fun story and characters and great level design aside a few misses here and there. Sly 2's still my favorite, but I forgot how much of an identity the franchise had from the jump.

87. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) | Aug 16th - 40hrs | ★★★★ | Xenoblade Chronicles is one of my favorite games of all time (it's one of 68 games I've given a 5/5 to out of a total of 1135), so Chronicles 2 was an absolute nightmare to play through. I thought it was decent, but it did so much damage that I legitimately did not care when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced. Still, I bought it based on impressions from people who disliked 2 as much as a I did and I ended up having a great time. It's a glorious return to form. Gone is...pretty much everything I disliked from 2, and is instead replaced with a great story, a wonderful cast of characters, lovely voice acting, fantastic music, and some genuinely well written dialogue. I don't think it manages to reach the heights of XC1 (although that is an unfairly high standard), but Xenoblade Chronicles feels like Xenoblade Chronicles again, and that's all I wanted.

That's not to say it's perfect, however. The villains are perhaps the least interesting and most cartoonish in the entire franchise, and there's just...a lot going on gameplay-wise. The combat system is still good, but if feels so bloated. You've got 6/7 party members all at once, interlinking, class changes, chain attacks (XC3 has the sloppiest implementation of it to date), gems, accessories, and more. I appreciate the complexity of it all, but complex doesn't always equal fun. This is why the first game's combat system is still my favorite in the entire series, it's simple enough to get the hang of but hard to master. The environments, while still beautiful, are not as visually pleasing as the ones found in XC1 and XC2.

Otherwise, it was a fantastic time. Xenoblade is back, and I'm here for it.

88. Stray (PS5) | Aug 17th - 5hrs | ★★★½ | This was mostly a good time. Absolutely stunning visuals and art direction and the sound design is absolutely masterful, but the game overstays its welcome and just kind of fizzles out by the end.

89. Frogun (Switch) | Aug 20th - 4hrs | ★★ | Beautiful visuals, shockingly medicore at best and terrible at worst...everything else. By far the worst release of the year, which is quite the accomplishment because Trek to Yomi also came out this year.

90. American McGee's Alice (PS3) | Aug 23rd - 7hrs | ★★★ | The game controls like a nightmare and the combat is tragic but what can I say? The vibes vibed so hard that they carried the game for me.

91. Alice: Madness Returns (PS3) | Aug 26th - 12hrs | ★★★½ | It REEKS of 7th gen era game design, but it's filled with just as much soul as the original. The fact we might never see the third game come to life is a tragic.

92. Perfect Vermin (PC) | Aug 29th - 1hr | ★★★ | Quite a ride. Don't really know what to say, need to digest it more.

September

93. Tanuki Justice (Switch) | Sep 5th - 3hrs | ★★ | Yep, still not a fan of games that are difficult just for the sake of being difficult and no other reason whatsoever.

94. Paratopic (Switch) | Sep 7th - 1hr | ★★★ | One of the most unsettling games I've played in quite a while. I have no idea what the hell was going on, though.

95. Toy Story 3 (PS3) | Sep 10th - 15hrs | ★★★½ | This is as surprisingly good as everyone has been been saying it is. The main campaign is your usual movie tie-in campaign, but the real star here is Woody's Roundup, the shockingly deep pre-Disney Infinity Disney Infinity mode.

96. Fallout 3 (PS3) | Sep 22nd - 40hrs | ★★★½ | Fallout 4 is the only Fallout game I've played to completion, so I thought it was about time I go back and play the older titles before replaying it, at least the modern ones. I'm sure Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are incredible games, but I grew up on PS2 games and I'm really not used to game design from that era, so I would not have had a fun time.

So, Fallout 3. It's...good! I've seen countless video essays and read hundreds of opinion pieces on this game and how it completely ruined everything Fallout is and...I don't know. I mean, I agree with plenty of the points people make but I had a good amount of fun at the end of the day and the game scratched my WRPG itch. Like most of Bethesda's other games (that I've played), it's nothing special but it's damn good comfort food. I was surprised by how mediocre the story was, though. Not because I was expecting it to be great but because people (rightfully) shit on Fallout 4's story so much that I thought 3's must be a lot better but I found it to be as much of a hot mess. Could be that people were comparing it to the first two games or New Vegas (which I'm playing right now and uh oh, I don't think the story in that one is all that great either).

Also, I managed to platinum this game on PS3 without any issues or major bugs whatsoever so I either got insanely lucky or the game was patched to hell and back, because I've heard horror stories from plenty of people.

97. TOEM (PS5) | Sep 28th - 4hrs | ★★★★ | Second playthough of TOEM, now on PS5 instead of Switch. Can confirm the game still feels like a warm hug from your grandma.

98. TOEM: Basto Region (PS5) | Sep 28th - 1hr | ★★★★ | This was a surprise! Basto is probably the game's best region and has a bunch of new mechanics (day/night cycles, water balloon throwing) that managed to keep the gameplay fresh. It's also free, which is really cool because it genuinely looks like a lot of effort went into making it.

October

99. Fallout: New Vegas (PS3) | Oct 1st - 45hrs | ★★★★ | Had a great time with this. You can tell just how much more is going on under the surface in New Vegas when compared to both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. The alignment system, the what seems like infinite amount of ways you can finish side quests, etc. Even though it's a smaller game, New Vegas feels like a much deeper and fuller experience. It's extremely impressive.

But (uh oh, here comes the O word), I do think both the writing and story are kind of overrated. Don't get me wrong, they're great and a lot better than what's found in the Bethesda titles, but I've heard the words "greatest of" thrown around when folks talk about this game and I just do not agree. Things still go from 0 to 100 relatively quickly for example, which is something I've disliked about every single Fallout story.

The gameplay's almost exactly the same as Fallout 3's so there's not a lot to talk about, but I will say that companions felt a lot more competent this time around. It's also by far the buggiest Fallout game unfortunately, especially during the endgame. It feels like most of the complicated under-the-surface systems start breaking apart. I even ran into a game-breaking bug that was related to the platinum chip, but I thankfully had an earlier save to revert to.

100. IMMORTALITY (XSX) | Oct 5th - 5hrs | ★★★★ | This is easily Sam Barlow's most ambitious game, which both works in its favor and against it. Jumping from the relatively intimate, small stories of Her Story and Telling Lies to the sprawling story of Immortality was a little daunting at first, especially because of the way the search system (or lack thereof) works, but now I actually prefer it. It gives the game a great sense of flow that just couldn't be achieved with the older system. The story itself is also great, and while I'm not too sure how I feel about what it ended up being about, I was never bored, which is something I cannot say about Telling Lies. It's really hard to talk about this game without delving into spoilers so I'll stop here. Her Story is still my favorite Sam game, but the story of Marissa Marcel is one that has surprisingly stuck with me. I don't think I'm going to forget it anytime soon.

101. Fallout 4 (PS5) | Oct 8th - 40hrs | ★★★ | Fallout 4 is a good game, but playing it right after Fallout 3 and New Vegas did not do it any favors at all. It feels like an extremely diluted version of those games, with extra gameplay systems tacked on that I personally do not care for at all, like settlement building. Aside from the world and the gunplay, it feels like everything in the game is just…an inferior version of what was found in the other games. The new dialogue system is awful, the companions aren't as interesting, the mission design is even more flawed, the story is an even bigger disaster, etc. I enjoyed the game at launch and I still do, but I now understand what all the fuss is about.

102. The Outer Worlds (PS5) | Oct 13th - 16hrs | ★★★½ | Obsidian had five dollars and a dream, it seems. Still great, but not as fun as the first time around. Feels like it was made by a B team even though it wasn't.

103. Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series (PS5) | Oct 15th - 10hrs | ★★★ | House of the Dragon's airing right now and I've been itching for more GoT content, so I decided to play through this again. It's still just okay, not incredible but nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. Telltale really did try with making choices matter in this one (not that I ever cared for that argument), the last episode is almost completely different based on your choices in the previous one.

104. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5) | Oct 23rd - 49hrs | ★★★½ | It's...fine? The world is absolutely beautiful and the gameplay ranges from fine to good but the story is extremely uninteresting (especially given the setting), the dialog is hilariously bad at times and most of the voice actors sound like they're in the process of trying to squeeze out a shit in an effort to sound edgy. It's also pretty buggy even on 1.6 so I can't imagine how it was at launch. But I mean, I still had fun? It's not awful, just extremely forgettable.

105. The Medium (PS5) | Oct 24th - 4hrs | ★★½ | It's very pretty, but I'm gonna need developers who have no idea how to make games about trauma to stop making games about trauma, because it's more embarrassing than anything at this point.

106. Stories Untold (Switch) | Oct 26th - 3hrs | ★★★★½ | What a pleasant surprise! Probably one of my favorite horror experiences in years. It's genuinely spooky and more importantly, insanely creative. This is the first game from No Code that I've played, and now I'm incredibly excited to see what they do with the Silent Hill IP.

107. Hindsight (Switch) | Oct 26th - 2hrs | ★★½ | Out of the two Mommy Issues™ games Annapurna has published this year (so far?), this is the worst. Not by a large margin mind you, but A Memoir Blue has higher production values and is paced a lot better. The story this game tells is really sad, but it overstays its welcome so much that you end up just completely bored out of your mind.

November

108. Bayonetta 3 (Switch) | Nov 1st - 10hrs | ★★★ | Bayonetta 3 is an absolute blast to play. The combat's as good as ever, and the new demon summoning mechanic works surprisingly well with the flow of combat. It is a shame, in my opinion, that this is the worst Bayonetta game by a very large margin when it comes to pretty much everything else.

Bayonetta 3 is one on the most visually unpleasant games I've played in recent memory. The character models and the environments constantly clash, and the image quality is just sad. It's the worst looking Bayonetta by far, which is insane because the first game came out in 2009. There are plenty of set pieces in the game (almost one per chapter) but none of them hit because none of them are visually impressive. Kratos was fighting hordes of enemies on the moving back of Gaia and Nathan Drake was hanging on to an airplane that was falling apart in games that were running on weaker hardware and they still looked a lot better than anything in this game. Even the set piece in Bayonetta 2's prologue was more visually impressive and memorable than anything here. Is sliding down buildings on top of an infernal demon really that big of a deal when the buildings look like cardboard cutouts begging to go out of frame?

Then there's the story, which is…sigh. Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that the stories in the first two games weren't hot messes, but they were the fun, campy kind of hot messes. Bayonetta 3's story is just kinda…bad. The game tries to do this whole multiverse (ugh) thing, but none of the universes you visit are actually all that interesting save for one, and you never stay in any of them for long enough to get an actual feel for the world. Then there's pretty much all the characters feeling…a little off. Bayonetta feels like a different character at times, and it's not just because of the VA change (Hale does a good job FWIW, but there's no beating Taylor). She feels a lot more subdued and generally a lot less fun here. Same goes for Jeanne (I need to have a conversation with whoever came up with her design this time around to try and understand the thought process behind it because…) and Luka. Then there's Viola, a terribly voice acted 2D cardboard cutout of a character that unfortunately ends up having a big role in the grand scheme of things. Then there's the ending, which is insanely abrupt and is only made worse by the post-credits scenes that follow it. The game also has the worst soundtrack out of all of the games. It's still great and there are a couple of bangers, but I genuinely thought Moonlight Serenade's rendition was a joke when I first heard it.

There's also a weird amount of padding in the game that really wasn't needed. The Jeanne missions are…there but they at least try to mix up the gameplay a little as opposed to Viola's missions, which had me constantly questioning why the game was forcing me to play as a clunkier, less-fun Bayonetta.

Again, Bayonetta 3 is an undeniably fun game and I still had a good time with it overall, but the first two games are some of my all-time favorites and this one just simply failed to measure up. It's probably the most I've been disappointed by a game since Zero Time Dilemma.

109. Bayonetta (PS5) | Nov 4th - 20hrs | ★★★★★ | Went back to this after being gravely disappointed by Bayonetta 3 and wondering if I was looking at it through rose-tinted glasses and...it's a definite no. Bayonetta is still fucking incredible.

110. God of War Ragnarök (PS5) | Nov 16th - 41.5hrs | ★★★★½ | A bigger, more bombastic, more refined sequel to the original and an incredible achievement in a lot of ways.

...but bigger isn't always better. The original was an intimate story about a father and a son on a very personal journey with Norse mythology expertly interwoven into it. This game is a full on Norse epic with a huge cast of characters and multiple storylines. The change isn't jarring because it was set up in the last game, but I vastly prefer the vibe in GoW 2018. Meeting new characters in the original felt like something special, whereas in this one it happens constantly up until the final hours of the game, for example.

I commend them for making a Norse duology and not a trilogy, but...I kind of wish it were a trilogy. They stuffed so much into this game story-wise, and it resulted in plenty of the characters not getting enough screen time and plenty of the emotional moments straight-up not landing at all. This also extends to the actual length of the game. It's far too long for its own good, and that could've been remedied had they saved the final chunk of the game for a third game and focused on expanding what they already built in this game instead of rushing to the conclusion.

Gameplay-wise, it's better than GoW 2018 in pretty much every way imaginable. the areas are more expansive, there's a lot more visual variety, the combat is more refined, the sidequest are incredible, and all the new gameplay mechanics are great (except some of the sigil stuff).

My review sounds harsh but I did genuinely love my time with the game and it's my current GOTY, but it just didn't hit the same way GoW 2018 did. I wasn't expecting it to recapture its magic, but it's still kinda disappointing that it didn't.

111. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS5) | Nov 25th - 33hrs | ★★★★★ | Still one of my favorite turn-based RPGs of all time. Fun, funny, charming, and addicting. They really stuffed all they could in the game and you can tell.

112. Sonic Frontiers (PS5) | Nov 29th - 25hrs | ★★★ | A glitchy, at times broken mess with so many weird design decisions, but I can't say I didn't have a ton of fun playing it. This is the best 3D Sonic game in years, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. Let's....take out the weird Shadow of the Colossus bosses in the sequel, yeah?

113. Furi (PS5) | Nov 30th - 10hrs | ★★★★ | I would've liked this even more had it not been for the absolutely terrible final boss. Still, it's an incredible blood pumping experience. Short and sweet.

December

114. Pokémon Violet (Switch) | Dec 3rd - 23hrs | ★★★★ | Easily the best Pokémon games since Black & White. It's a damn shame that they run as badly as they do and look as awful as they do, because these games do so many things so well. The gameplay loop's addicting, the freedom is refreshing (even if a lot of it is just an illusion, really), the story goes places I didn't expect and I actually ended up caring about it by the end (which is something I can't say for most Pokémon games), and the music is fantastic. The three separate storylines was a nice design choice as well, and I hope they bring it back in the future. It's not without faults even outside of its technical shortcomings (it has some of the series' worst character designs to date, the gyms are pretty forgettable, the new mons are disappointing, etc) but I actually enjoyed a Pokémon game again, and it feels really fucking good.

115. Aperture Desk Job (PC) | Dec 6th - 1hr | ★★★ | Charming but ultimately forgettable. Liked all the connections to the overarching Portal story, though!

116. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS5) | Dec 9th - 40hrs | ★★★ | It's...fine? I vastly prefer Bethesda's Fallout games. Skyrim's the only TES game I've played, though. The fact that this was (is?) considered one of the all-time greats is puzzling to me. It has some great aspects but most of it is mediocre at best.

117. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard (PS5) | Dec 10th - 8hrs | ★★★ | The storyline's alright but holy moly are some of the mechanics half-baked and extremely janky.

118. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Hearthfire (PS5) | Dec 10th - 4hrs | ★½ | Not really into life sim stuff so I played this solely for completion's sake and had a miserable time.

119. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn (PS5) | Dec 11th - 5 hrs | ★★★ | Eh. A decent final chapter but the main quest is shockingly short. Solstheim is a great setting, though.

120. Norco (PC) | Dec 13th - 6hrs | ★★★½ | I feel really conflicted about this one. The writing itself is great but the story goes some really weird places. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it goes from 0 to 100 insanely quickly and it feels like, at times, the devs were more concerned with creating some cool imagery (the art in this game is absolutely gorgeous) than telling a cohesive story. It's pretty thought-provoking and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, though, so it's definitely something that will stick with you.

121. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion (PS5) | Dec 16th - 25hrs | ★★★ | The final part of the game is still absolutely fantastic but my god has the rest of it aged like absolute milk. The enhancements made to the combat system are great, but the extra amount of VO seriously hurts it because you get to hear some absolutely dreadful lines instead of just reading them. Also, it still has one of the worst super bosses in the entire franchise.

122. Melatonin (PC) | Dec 17th - 1.5hrs | ★★★★ | Rhythm Heaven but the aesthetic is that one girl that's studying to low-fi beats (you know the one). Really fun but really brief. Great soundtrack, too.

123. Bloodborne PSX (PC) | Dec 17th - 2hrs | ★★★ | Frustrating to play due to the intentionally bad controls but man is it crazy impressive.

124. High on Life (XSX) | Dec 19th - 7hrs | ★★★ | This game legitimately has one of the most abrupt endings I've ever seen in a video game to the point where I'm like, 85% sure it's supposed to be a joke. Other than that, it's fine. Gameplay's simple but solid, and the humor is...there. It never got grating or anything like that but I only chuckled once or twice.

125. Signalis (PC) | Dec 20th - 6hrs | ★★★★½ | An incredibly atmospheric, tense and beautiful survival horror game with a great (if confusing) narrative, only held back by a needlessly frustrating third act. Insanely impressive for a debut game. I'm going to be thinking about this one for quite a bit.

126. SAI (PC) | Dec 21st - 0.5hrs | ★★½ | "We have Horizon at home!"
Horizon at home:

127. This Way Madness Lies (PC) | Dec 21st - 5hrs | ★★½ | Didn't have a great time with this one. Maybe I'm just completely over the way Zeboyd structures their games, but this felt extremely stale. The concept's great and switching back and forth between Ye Old English and New English was always fun, but the execution is disappointingly iffy. Huge step back from Cosmic Star Heroine, imo.

128. Spark the Electric Jester 2 (PC) | Dec 22nd - 1.5hrs | ★★★ | A perfectly fine Sonic Adventure-like. Controls really well but the level design is meh and the combat is annoying and unnecessary.

129. Lunistice (PC) | Dec 23rd - 1.5hrs | ★★★½ | This was a cute little platformer! Really brief but really fun. The level design isn't the greatest but it controls very well!

130. Spark the Electric Jester 3 (PC) | Dec 25th - 4hrs | ★★★½ | Easily the best Spark game, but it still has plenty of issues. The level design's a lot better, but the combat still feels tacked on and unnecessary unfortunately.

131. The Case of the Golden Idol (PC) | Dec 28th - 7hrs | ★★★★½ | An absolutely incredible Obra Dinn-like detective game. While it didn't resonate with me the same way Obra Dinn did, it objectively does plenty of things better than that game does. It's really hard to talk about without spoiling things, so I'll just leave it at that. Just...an incredibly impressive debut game from Color Gray Games. I do have a few nitpicks though, like the composer seemingly having a budget of $1 (the game only has like three tracks and even though they're great, hearing them over and over got tiring) but than that...I was honestly wowed. More Obra Dinn-likes, please!

Spamlynguist · Jan 1, 2022

PAST CHALLENGES
2017: 63 games finished
2018: 83 games finished
2019: 120 games finished
2020: 121 games finished
2021: 52 games finished

JANUARY

1. PowerWash Simulator (Steam) | January 1st - 23.0 hours | ★★★★☆

2. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (GOG) | January 3rd - 1.8 hours | ★★★★☆

3. Sanator: Scarlet Scarf (Steam) | January 5th - 1.5 hours | ★★☆☆☆

4. Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (Steam) | January 5th - 1.3 hours | ★★★★☆

5. The Typing of the Dead: Overkill (Steam) | January 14th - 3.9 hours | ★★★☆☆

6. Hidden Folks (itch.io) | January 18th - 4.0 hours | ★★★☆☆

7. Vampire Survivors (Steam) | January 20th - 12.1 hours | ★★★☆☆

8. Mirror (Steam) | January 24th - 5.6 hours | ★★☆☆☆

StarPhlox · Jan 1, 2022

Got 73 last year. I'd be happy to just get 52 in 2022 :)

1. It Takes Two - I played through this game last year with my partner and then again with my best friend finishing up on January 1. It's a great start to the year as I think we had a much better time with this Hazelight studio joint than we did a few years back with A Way Out. The graphic style is nice and the gameplay is so diverse from area to area with very few low points throughout the journey (the clock level isn't so interesting but it is flanked by two of the best levels: the snow globe and the garden). It's hard to imagine somebody having a bad time with this game if they're playing with someone they like and I still think it's one of the best co-op games out there. 8/10

2. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth - This game caught me a bit by surprise but I'm thrilled to have found it. Despite its obvious influences (a lot is taken from Symphony of the Night specifically to say nothing of all the other Metroidvanias of the last decade), Deedlit has some pretty unique mechanics like switching between wind and fire elements that make it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre as well as beautiful art. The game only took about 5 hours so it definitely does not overstay its welcome and is just so easy to recommend to anybody who likes 2D action platformers that are challenging but never overly so. Big treat for me even as someone who plays a ton of games like this. 8/10

ss_bd8e697cb0695f467607004079330e7ce91d451c.1920x1080.jpg

3. Exo One - A very odd game that I think felt ultimately more like a tech demo than it did a fully formed experience. There was quite a lot to like as it does provide a fairly meditative and connected experience with an engaging and atmospheric soundtrack. The game also is designed in such a way that it mostly guides you in a passive way and generally seems content for you to arrive at the destinations at your own pace. Although it had a short length, there are still elements that didn't quite work and lower points that overstayed their welcome. Overall the simplistic movement and physics impressed and engrossed me more than they frustrated me and while I wouldn't give it a strong recommendation I have generally positive feelings towards Exo One. 7/10

4. Touhou Luna Nights - While I was left quite impressed by Team Ladybug's newest game (ROLW:DIWL) but the general consensus was that their previous Metroidvania was stronger. Based on how well I liked Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, I was expecting Luna Nights to be great but I don't think it ever fully took off for me. The implementation of the time mechanic as compared to the elements mechanic did not leave as strong of an impression nor was it as fun or intuitive. I found Luna Nights to be more punishing as well, however I did enjoy finally understanding the way to play "correctly" with the final boss(es). Nice small and manageable map and there's a cool item that you can find late game that is extremely helpful with uncovering all the secrets if one is so inclined. This game has a decent amount going for it and is ultimately buoyed by a strong soundtrack, great pixel art, and tight controls. However, there are many game in this genre I would recommend before Touhou Luna Nights. 7/10

5. Olija - A friend told me to take a chance on this one and I'm really glad that I did. While I disliked how the game looked from screenshots, in motion it actually looks quite lovely. Olija is a 2D action platformer with light puzzle elements and while the adventure feels epic it also wraps up pretty quickly as I finished in about 5 hours and saw more or less everything there was to it. The story exposition is done super well and the moment to moment gameplay is tight and satisfying. I haven't played anything much like it in quite some time and it was really a breath of fresh air. Not too challenging, although a couple of bosses (especially at the end) took a few tries. Easy game to recommend to fans of old-school platform and action games. 8/10

6. Boyfriend Dungeon - Was expecting to enjoy this more than I did, but BD has plenty going for it. The visual novel elements are pretty fun and engaging even if I didn't think most of the romance options were appealing (gotta admit that I had a really hard time choosing between one of the male, female, and enby options that were particularly attractive and likable). While the visual novel/dating sim stuff was pretty solid, the dungeon crawling portion was truly unremarkable and while it looks close to Hades it couldn't possibly be more basic hack and slash. There is still plenty to appreciate here and I think the novelty and overall lack of major problems makes it worthwhile, but you'll have a better time walking in with tempered expectations. 7/10

7. Dying Light - I was going to this game expecting to have a great time, having a great time for a short while, then having a really bad time and considering dropping it, to having an absolute blast. What was the secret? Getting the grappling hook, getting guns, and playing online with either randoms or friends. The early hours of the game can be great for instilling a sense of dread and powerlessness, but unfortunately that doesn't stay fun for very long. What is fun is acheieving a sense of mastery over the parkour system, zipping around and climbing super high buildings, and getting weapons that level the playing field against all the horrors of the day and especially the night. The main campaign is not great and the story is pretty dumb for the most part, but I found Dying Light once I got past the sense of helplessness early on to open up into an absolute joyride. It makes me quite excited to play the sequel, which I guess could feature later on this list! We will see. 8/10

8. Star Fox 64 - I would consider Star Fox 64 to be probably the best game in the whole Star Fox franchise (although I know most games are not held in very high regard), one of the best games on N64, and one of the best games of all time. My playthrough on the Switch was nostalgic and delightful getting to go through what I think are some of the most exciting missions with very few duds on the route that I went. Despite it being focused mostly on air combat, I have such fond memories of the Landmaster level on Macbeth with the trains. Overall I still think this is a great and charming game with an iconic voiceover cast, incredible soundtrack, beautiful graphics, and fun, frenetic gameplay that is rarely overwhelming. I will ding this version a bit for the lack of control customization which really impact the gameplay for the worse on this N64 NSO app. 8/10

9) Banjo-Kazooie - This game was probably helped a bit by NSO because it allowed for me to use savestates to reduce frustration for some areas that would be really annoying otherwise (race against polar bear in Freezezy Peak, massive falls in Click Clock Wood, engine room in Rusty Bucket Bay, Gruntilda battle). This was my first time beating this game and first time playing it at all since it originally launched on the N64 about 25 years ago. What an amazing game. It has beautiful graphics still, perfect music and sound effects, great controls, levels that are small and dense, and achievable goals for 100% completion. I really can't say enough about this game and how glad I am to have finally given it my attention for a week. It's genuinely a masterpiece and must be one of the all-time best platformers. Definitely on par with the best 3D Mario games. 10/10

10) Mega Man X8 - I used this playthrough to do a first ever New Game + run of Mega Man X8 and found that it was extremely breezy but not particularly satisfying or compelling. While some of the cheap frustrations are ironed out by how powerful your characters (X and Zero especially) in the NG+, the level design, music, and aesthetics still leave me wanting and wishing for so much more. I did feel a sense that my mind has changed about the ending and now I do think that it may be a fitting conclusion to the saga with respect to the lore. This playthrough has helped me come to terms with the idea that there may never be a Mega Man X9 and that is now okay with me hahaha. If it comes, great, but I am done with carrying the torch. Please just port the remainder of the sub-series so I can give a fair shot to Legends, Battle Network, and Star Force! 7/10

11) Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - Went for this one first out of the new Legacy of Thieves collection and glad I did because I liked it as much as I expected to and was more eager to revisit this one than I was Uncharted 4. I still think Lost Legacy holds up beautifully and does a masterful job of not overstaying its welcome as it is about the length of what older Uncharted games were. So compact, no Drakes (until the end), and Nadine and Chloe are just so much more endearing characters to me than we typically see in action games. It probably could have used less combat and more engaging climbing (like all Uncharted games), but for what it promises it basically delivers. 8/10.

12) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - Ended up liking this one far more than I did back in 2016 when I first played it. There are still for sure parts that dragged or felt padded out too much and certainly it lacks the gravitas that Naughty Dog's TLOU games both have, but this is still such an impressive game from a technical perspective with gorgeous graphics, memorable characters, and impressive set-pieces. It was good to go through this with 120FPS on PS5 and re-experience this game and to walk away with greater appreciation than I had at the time. Very good Uncharted and a fitting end for Nate's story. 8/10

1459263905-20160224-uncharted-4-story-trailer-01-1456311962.png

13) Mega Man X7 - Arguably the nadir of the Mega Man X series and some would say the worst ever Mega Man game. I'm not convinced that it's the worst Mega Man game overall but it is unquestionably right at the bottom of the heap of the X series with X6. Unfortunately for all of us there's just no reason that this series should have continued beyond X5 which IMO would have been an immaculate ending point, but Capcom just couldn't help themselves and neither could I! This is probably the third time I've played through X7 and it was a little bit of an improvement to the last time as I went through NG+ with a fully upgraded "Glide Armor" X which made it easy, breezy, and nearly fun at points. The game just hasn't aged nearly as well as the games that came before it nor the one that came right after and it is slow as molasses in not just gameplay but in menu navigation as well. Voice acting is atrocious, graphics are chunky and poor, control is actually fairly responsive but nowhere near what one would expect from this series, and it's overall just quite a plodding and bland mess. There are for sure worse games out there, but this one is just about as middling as it gets. Has some charms despite all of its problems and I can't bring myself to hate this game, but I wonder what it would look like to salvage it. Can't help but be curious! 5/10

Wozzer · Jan 1, 2022

#	Title	Platform	Hrs
53	Norco	PC	13
52	World of Warcraft: Dragonflight	PC	15
51	Destiny 2: Season of Plunder	PC	40
50	Bowser's Fury	Switch	9
49	Ultimate Chicken Horse	XSX	15
48	Mirror's Edge	PC	9
47	Marvel SNAP	Android	20
46	Cyberpunk 2077	PC	20
45	Immortality	PC	15
44	Ghost of Tsushima	PS5	40
43	Walkabout Mini Golf	Oculus	100
42	Dread Hunger	PC	12
41	Yakuza 4	PC	18
40	Tanuki Justice	PC	1.2
39	Sly Cooper	PS1	9
38	Fall Guys	PC	40
37	World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth	PC	20
36	World of Warcraft: Shadowlands	PC	50
35	World of Warcraft: Legion	PC	20
34	Cruelty Squad	PC	3
33	Neon White	PC	23
32	The Forest	PC	16
31	Disco Elysium	PC	48
30	BioShock Infinite	PC	11
29	Mario Party Superstars	Switch	20
28	Wordle	PC	100
27	Titanfall 2	PC	7
26	Lost Ark	PC	65
25	Aperture Desk Job	PC	1
24	Vampire Survivors	PC	40
23	Until Dawn	PS4	9
22	Mafia	PC	18.7
21	Mafia: Definitive Edition	PC	13.6
20	Sackboy: A Big Adventure	PS5	15
19	Elden Ring	PC	100
18	The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa	PC	10
17	Hitman GO	Android	5
16	Hitman 3	PC	8
15	Pyre	PC	11
14	Hitman 2 (2018)	PC	10
13	Propnight	PC	13
12	Hitman (2016)	PC	11
11	Hitman: Absolution	PC	8
10	Hitman: Blood Money	PC	12
9	Parasite Eve	PC	10
8	Hitman: Contracts	PC	9
7	Hitman 2: Silent Assassin	PC	11
6	Wildermyth	PC	10
5	Hitman Codename 47	PC	11
4	Company of Heroes 2	PC	15
3	Age of Empires IV	PC	30
2	Clash Royale	Android	30
1	Super Mario 3D World	Switch	11

Theswweet · Jan 1, 2022

Maybe I'll update my post on here again this time.

Edit: Or, maybe procrastination is in my blood:

#1 Pokemon Legends: Arceus – Completed 1/30/2022 Switch – 30 hours
#2 Bowser's Fury – Completed 2/18/2022 Switch – 2 hours
#3 Elden Ring – Completed 3/6/2022 PS5 – 109 hours
#4 Judgment – Completed 3/14/2022 Xbox Series X – 46 hours
#5 Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin – Completed 3/16/2022 Xbox Series X – 29 hours
#6 The Cruel King & the Great Hero – Completed 3/21/2022 PS5 – 25 hours
#7 Tunic – Completed 3/23/2022 PC – 11 hours
#8 Kirby & the Forgotten Land – Completed 3/25/2022 Switch – 10 hours
#9 Lost Judgment – Completed 4/2/2022 Xbox Series X – 28 hours
#10 Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files – Completed 4/3/2022 Xbox Series X – 5 hours
#11 Radical Dreamers – Completed 4/7/2022 Xbox Series X – 3 hours
#12 Um Jammer Lammy – Completed 4/16/2022 Vita – 2 hours
#13 Super Stardust Delta – Completed 4/16/2022 Vita – 2 hours
#14 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Completed 4/25/2022 Xbox Series X – 13 hours
#15 Gorogoa – Completed 4/25/2022 Xbox Series X – 1 hour
#16 Turnip Boy Commits Tax Fraud – Completed 4/27/2022 Xbox Series X – 3 hours
#17 Kill It With Fire – Completed 5/1/2022 Xbox Series X – 2 hours
#18 The House of the Dead: Remake – Completed 5/2/2022 PC – 1 hour
#19 Kirby: Canvas Curse – Completed 5/3/2022 DS (Wii U VC) – 4 hours
#20 Trek to Yomi – Completed 5/6/2022 PC – 4 hours
#21 Madworld – Completed 5/7/2022 Wii – 5 hours
#22 Aperture Desk Job – Completed 5/17/2022 Steam Deck – 30 minutes
#23 Monster Hunter: Rise – Completed 5/25/2022 PC/Steam Deck – 41 hours
#24 Drainus – Completed 6/4/2022 Steam Deck – 3 hours
#25 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time – Completed 6/5/2022 Xbox Series X – 5 hours
#26 Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak – Completed 6/12/2022 PC – 90 hours
#27 The Looker – Completed 6/26/2022 PC – 1 hour
#28 AI: The Somnium Files – NirvanA Initiative – Completed 6/28/2022 Steam Deck – 19 hours
#29 Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course – Completed 7/7/2022 PC – 15 hours
#30 Klonoa: Door to Phantomile – Completed 7/8/2022 PC – 3 hours
#31 Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil – Completed 7/9/2022 Steam Deck – 3 hours
#32 Little Noah: Scion of Paradise – Completed 7/17/2022 Steam Deck – 5 hours
#33 Neon White – Completed 7/22/2022 PC – 15 hours
#34 Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Completed 8/15/2022 Switch – 111 hours
#35 Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country – Completed 8/21/2022 Switch – 25 hours
#36 Tinykin – Completed 9/2/2022 Xbox Series X – 5 hours
#37 Splatoon 3 – Completed 9/9/2022 Nintendo Switch – 11 hours
#38 DJMAX Respect V – Completed 9/11/2022 PC – 43 hours
#39 Sonic Lost World – Completed 9/23/2022 Steam Deck – 7 hours
#40 Immortality – Completed 10/8/2022 PC – 5 hours
#41 Nayuta no Kiseki Kai – Completed 10/14/2022 Steam Deck – 21 hours
#42 Prodeus – Completed 10/20/2022 PC – 8 hours
#43 Beacon Pines – Completed 10/23/2022 Xbox Series X – 4 hours
#44 God of War – Completed 10/26/2022 PS2 (Emulation) – 7 hours
#45 Bayonetta 3 – Completed 10/28/2022 Switch – 11 hours
#46 New Super Lucky's Tale – Completed 10/29/2022 Xbox Series X – 4 hours
#47 Sonic Frontiers – Completed 11/6/2022 Xbox Series X – 14 hours
#48 Pokemon Violet – Completed 11/21/2022 Nintendo Switch – 53 hours
#49 Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten – Completed 12/4/2022 Steam Deck – 54 hours
#50 Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy – Completed 12/21/2022 PC – 13 hours
#51 Lego: Builder's Journey – Completed 12/21/2022 PC – 2 hours
#52 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Completed 12/30/2022 Steam Deck – 4 hours

Tiny Hawk · Jan 1, 2022

2021 Thread

Completed Games [24/52]

DiddysKongQuest · Jan 1, 2022

January
1. Donkey Kong Country 2 (01.01)
10/10 🔁
2. AI: The Somnium Files (01.01)
6/10 🔁
3. Portal (01.01)
7/10 🔁
4. Alan Wake (09.01)
4/10 🔁
5. Alan Wake: The Signal (09.01)
4/10
6. Alan Wake: The Writer (11.01)
4/10
7. Max Payne (16.01)
5/10
8. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (22.01)
5/10 🔁

February
9. Max Payne 3 (01.02)
7/10 🔁

March
-

April
10. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (03.04)
3/10
11. Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files (10.04)
5/10
12. Life Is Strange: True Colors (15.04)
2/10
13. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (23.04)
7/10

May
14. Kaze and the Wild Masks (07.05)
5/10
14. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (20.05)
9/10 🔁

June
15. Resident Evil 5 (06.06)
5/10 🔁
16. Resident Evil 5: Desperate Escape (06.06)
4/10 🔁
17. Resident Evil 5: Lost In Nightmares (06.06)
5/10 🔁
18. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (19.06)
5/10
19. As Dusk Falls (31.07)
4/10

August
20. Asura's Wrath (13.08)
6/10 🔁
21. Asura's Wrath: Episode Pack - Part IV (14.08)
6/10
22. Omori (28.08)
6/10

September
23. Immortality (01.09)
5/10
24. The Last Of Us Part I (10.09)
10/10
25. The Last Of Us Part I: Left Behind (10.09)
9/10
26. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (24.09)
5/10

October
27. God Of War (01.10)
5/10
28. God Of War 2 (09.10)
6/10
29. God Of War: Chains Of Olympus (16.10)
3/10
30. God Of War 3 (22.10)
7/10
31. God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta (26.10)
5/10
32. God Of War: Ascension (29.10)
4/10

November
33. God Of War 2018 (08.11)
8/10 🔁
34. God Of War Ragnarök (27.11)
6/10

December
35. Ghost Of Tsushima (11.12)
6/10
36. Ghost Of Tsushima: Iki Island (18.12)
5/10
37. Donkey Kong Country (21.12)
10/10 🔁
38. Donkey Kong Country 3 (23.12)
10/10 🔁

bluexy · Jan 1, 2022

I make no promises, but... I'll try. As ever, I aspire to reach my 52 games listing on titles released in 2022.

BilloExx · Jan 1, 2022

Reserved :-)
Maybe i get to play more this year

bnx · Jan 1, 2022

1. Rollers of the Realm (PS4) - A game that combines RPG mechanics & pinball. And it works very well! Short campaign which topped off around 4-5 hours but I had an exciting time with it. There is post game content as well. If you enjoy pinball I think this is a solid grab.

2. Tornado Outbreak (PS3) - cool game with a simplistic story and pretty good gameplay. Short campaign which was about 4-5 hours.

3. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) - Obtained platinum trophy & completed the frozen wilds DLC. 90+ hrs

4. Horizon Forbidden West (PS4) - back to back open world fun. Just as good as the first. Both games have their pros & cons. In the end I enjoyed the playthroughs. 100+ hrs platinum obtained.

chrominance · Jan 1, 2022

WHY AM I NEVER ON THE FIR--wait I MADE IT TO THE FIRST PAGE THIS YEAR

The personal goal this year is 26 games, just like last year, because I'm trying to give myself an out so I don't try to devote all my leisure time to finishing video games. I did manage to spend some time last year on other hobbies at least, and even took up an exercise regimen, so maybe I don't need the out but it's there for me to take if I need it. That said, it's been two years of reaching 52 so far, so who knows.

PREVIOUS YEARS
2021: 52 games (full post, wrap-up)
2020: 52 games (full post, wrap-up)
2019: 27 games (full post, wrap-up)
2018: 9 games (full post)
2017: 52 games (full list, wrap-up)
2016: 56 games
2015: 59 games
2014: 63 games

COMPLETED GAMES
1. Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island (XB1, 2014) - 4:42 (1:49 + 2:53 in 2021) - January 1
It's perhaps unfair to judge Storm Island by modern standards, but it's a rough experience to go back to after hundreds of hours in the most recent Horizon games. For starters, Forza Horizon 2 is firmly stuck in 30fps territory even on Series X. Storm Island specifically suffers from a few other issues. First, in a bid to be More Extreme(tm), the expansion isn't content to just throw inclement weather at you; enormous hills that wipe out half the drivers, and arbitrarily placed obstacles in the middle of tracks are two things I really didn't want in a Horizon game and add little to the experience. UI issues and the small size of the map also fail to impress. Storm Island is clearly a blueprint for future extreme weather/offroad-focused expansions like Treasure Island and Blizzard Mountain, but it's more interesting these days for historical value than as something to actually play through and enjoy.

2. Cruis'n Blast (Switch, 2021) - 1:32 (1:02 + 0:30 in 2021) - January 2
It's flashy and full of pyrotechnics, and I can't think of another game that lets you drift a stealth chopper or a triceratops. But beyond the fireworks and the rampaging dinosaurs, you're still looking at a pretty basic arcade racer. It's hard to get a real sense of where to apply your skills; turns are never sharp, you have a limited number of nitros, and boosts in general feel hilariously inconsequential; what's an extra 10mph for a few seconds really going to do for me besides protect a lead at the end of a race? The racing feels frustratingly arbitrary at times, like nothing you do actually matters. Getting a perfect start still leaves you at the back of the pack. Taking out cars doesn't matter because they can just pass you again in seconds. Collide with walls and you get slowed down a bit but not very much. Shaving two seconds off a 50-second track can leave you with the exact same placing. Unless you're into racing the same tracks over and over to unlock and upgrade all your cars, this is a really short experience.

3. Forza Horizon 3: Blizzard Mountain (PC, 2016) - 5:16 - January 3
A significant step up from Storm Island in every way. It looks better (goodbye post-apocalyptic Storm Island), it plays better thanks to the unlocked 60+ framerate, and it's got a wider variety of ways to progress to the final Kingmaker event. Really I only have two issues: first, there are still some quality-of-life improvements I could suggest, like an automatic option to equip snow tires (or better yet, just make snow and rally tires the same purchase like in later titles). Second, and more importantly, the additional skill challenges for the race events are often annoying and feel at odds with the basic task of finishing first. Why are you asking me to hit things with the side of my car 15 times, game?

4. Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels (PC, 2017) - 4:46 - January 9
God, what a disappointment. Hot Wheels inherits the biggest thing I didn't like about Blizzard Mountain (the skill challenges) and adds a whole host of new issues. The biggest one: it's not fun to drive. All the road surfaces are slick plastic, which means a staggering lack of grip. The tracks feel more slippery than the expansion that literally had you racing on snow and ice. Worse, the AI (at least on Expert and Highly Skilled) seems mostly unaffected by the chaos of the tracks, whether it's the lack of grip, the ping-ponging off the walls of the tracks, or the ridiculous twists and bends in the track that, if you're not careful, will catapult you clean off the map altogether. It sometimes feels like the way you're "supposed" to play Hot Wheels is to set the difficulty to low, hit all the walls with abandon, and give zero shits. I sincerely hope Playground never does anything like this again.

5. Lake (PC, 2021) - 6:12 - January 11
Lake's a pretty innocuous game on the surface--a forty-something woman takes a break from her hectic programming career, returns to her quiet hometown, and fills in for her recently retired father at the post office. But I spent a long time during deliveries and even outside the game thinking about some of Lake's central concerns: what it's like to live (and leave) a small town, how to decide if you've reached an inflection point in your life and what to do about it, and how open you can be to new people and experiences, or old friends and neighbors. It's not the most dramatic of games, but Lake is thoughtful and heartfelt, and its core storyline resonates with me.

6. The Pedestrian (XSX, 2022) - 4:29 - January 24
Aside from one puzzle that's actually extremely clever but a bit of a chore to complete in practice, The Pedestrian has pretty much the perfect difficulty curve for me: never frustrating, teaches its concepts well, and by the end of the game presents you with puzzles that look nearly incomprehensible until you start to pick them apart and figure out what you need to do. A lovely experience.

7. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch, 2018) - 6:47 - February 3
The first episode was adorable and lots of fun. The second episode had some neat levels but was beginning to wear thin. The third episode began to feel like too much, and the final level was an exercise in frustration. Captain Toad is not a long game, but frankly I wouldn't have minded if it was shorter. Playing the game handheld doesn't really do it any favours either; it can sometimes be hard to see what you're supposed to do or where you're supposed to go, and sometimes that means dying to things you couldn't spot. When the checkpoints get bad (hello last level), this compounds the annoyance.

8. Destiny 2: New Light (PC, 2021 version) - 4:51 - February 5
In order to play the Forsaken campaign that's going away soon, as a new player I needed to play through New Light, Destiny 2's current new player experience replacing the original Destiny 2 campaign(s?). My only exposure to Destiny has been through the first game, which didn't leave the greatest impression, so colour me surprised when New Light starts the same way Destiny 1 did: a ghost awakens you in the Cosmodrome, a newly revived (reborn?) guardian, and you need to find you way back to the Tower. Trying to get started with Destiny 2 in 2022 is... a lot. It is very clearly a game geared towards people who have been playing Destiny for close to a decade, and new players are left with snippets of story and systems upon systems upon systems, the relevance of each left poorly explained. That said, if you don't care about story, lore or even things making sense, Destiny 2 has a whole lot of things you can shoot at while turning your brain off, and I'll be honest, that's kind of appealing to me right now.

9. Destiny 2: Forsaken (PC, 2018) - 6:34 - February 8
I've not had the pleasure of playing a lot of Destiny campaigns, so it's not hard for Forsaken to be the best Destiny campaign I've played; it really just has to beat out the Destiny 1 campaign. But as a new player, it's hard to discern the deeper ramifications of the story: who are all these people you're fighting? Who's this woman the villain keeps talking to? Should I know my partner, Petra, from somewhere? And yet Forsaken still works better than Destiny 1 because at least there are clear character motivations from the main players. As for the gameplay, the actual missions offer some pretty neat combat scenarios, but it also suffers from a decent amount of busywork in the beginning. It's fun for the most part, but it's not mindblowing.

10. Tametsi (PC, 2017) - 48:07 (33:42 + 15:05 in 2021) - February 13
This one was a rollercoaster ride of emotion for me. A more difficult and curated set of Minesweeper puzzles that aren't all just same-size-square grids? Sure, I'll give it a shot. About 50 puzzles in I was cruising; 66 puzzles in and I was sneaking peeks at a comprehensive video walkthrough to get myself unstuck on specific steps that had me staring at the screen for half an hour. By puzzle 80 I had completely given up on Tametsi's "you never need to guess" mantra and was just randomly clicking on shit just to get through it all. A brief renaissance in the mid-90s saw me complete a few more puzzles without hitting a mine, but eventually I just spam-clicked my way to the end of the 100 puzzles. This leads me to Tametsi's biggest problem: the last third of its puzzles feel like they increase the difficulty just by giving you more stuff to keep track of, decision trees that go deeper where you have to remember more stuff about the puzzle to figure out the one thread you haven't tugged on yet. Tametsi started to feel like work, and while it's really hard to blame a $1 game for giving you this much quality content, I admit that the last third soured me on the experience, even if objectively it's a very well designed puzzle game.

11. Halo 2 Anniversary (PC, 2020) - 9:17 (8:13 + 0:44 in 2021) - March 8
This is my least favourite Halo game to date. The entire back half of the game is just a slog, and the Flood and the Brutes are two of the worst enemies in Halo. I never want to see this game again.

12. Gran Turismo 7 (PS5, 2022) - 23:56 - March 16
A lot has changed in the eight years since Gran Turismo 6, some of it for the better. The actual mechanics of driving a car have never felt more thrilling; in comparison to the other racing game I've played a ton of recently, Forza Horizon 5, the difference is night in day. Even relatively "slow" cars are surprisingly challenging to drive. But Gran Turismo remains resolute, even stubborn, about aspects of the game that make it feel like Polyphony thinks Gran Turismo exists in a vacuum, that there aren't other racing games out there busy eating Polyphony's lunch. The fact that we have an actual Gran Turismo 7 at all is fantastic, but it feels like it needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age.

13. No Man's Sky: Exobiology (PC, 2022) - 11:49 - March 16
Like all of the No Man's Sky expeditions, Exobiology is occasionally obtuse and occasionally grindy. It requires you to know how to exploit and abuse some of the mechanics in the game to avoid spending half a lifetime finishing the missions, and this is occasionally annoying. It also sometimes wants you to do things that you're clearly intended to look up in a guide somewhere, because otherwise it feels like your only option is to find the quest requirements via trial and error. So why do I like Exobiology anyways? Because for the first time in an expedition, the game introduced me to mechanics I'd mostly avoided in the main game, forced me to interact with them, and proved to me that actually companions and cooking can be kind of interesting and maybe I'd want to try them out back in my main save. It's hard to ask for more from an expedition, though I do have one request: more interesting rewards, maybe?

14. Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Dream (PS4, 2022) - 63:23 - April 8
The last time Gust returned to an Atelier trilogy after it was completed was Lulua, and it was a pretty good Atelier game. It was fun getting to see old faces a decade-ish later, and the gameplay was compelling enough that I ended up getting the platinum, but it was by no means perfect. If Sophie 2 is representative of how Gust plans to revisit older trilogies in the future, then we're in great hands. I haven't yet decided if this dethrones Ayesha as my favourite Atelier game of all time, but it's definitely in the running. This is Gust firing on all cylinders: a heartwarming story with fun characters, an interesting combat system with the right amount of complexity, and an addictive alchemy system that'll have you thinking "one more synthesis" constantly. A triumph.

15. Lost Ark (PC, Global 2022) - 20:07 - April 15
Finished the Luterra continent, which several websites say is the end of the main quest. I have no idea if it is or not--I'm still level 41, and apparently I'm supposed to reach 50 by the end of the campaign--but I'm taking this opportunity to call this game done, because I don't want to touch it again. I totally believe that the people who are really into endgame will think this is a stupid move, that the game doesn't really begin or get interesting until endgame. But once the novelty wore off, the leveling portion is pure drudgery. The story is terrible, the combat is braindead, and 90% of the game is running around from one place to the other to talk to people several times in a row or lift barrels to carry to other places. There are multiple quests that must be resolved by using CHAT EMOTES. Screw this.

16. Vampire Survivors (PC Early Access, 2021) - 19:52 - April 18
I'm giving myself permission to call this done, now that I've cleared all of the (currently existing) levels in the game, but I'll definitely keep playing this. Let's get this out of the way: for three bucks, this game is amazing value. It has that elusive "one more round" quality that many games would die to have. And the amazing thing is that the game isn't even done yet; arcanas seem to unlock a whole new tier of ways to destroy your enemies in framerate-destroying fashion. Everyone should get this.

17. No Man's Sky: Blighted (PC, 2022) - 7:24 - April 19
Extremely combat-heavy, especially before Hello Games fixed an apparent bug that made pirates extra aggressive while you were planetside. The early hours were pretty scary; I've never been as close to dying as many times in the time I've been playing the game (though I have actually died once or twice in my main save, which didn't happen here). The soft restriction of no base building means you're really on your own in some ways, though thanks to other helpful players you can get a leg up if constantly scraping together bits of carbon and ferrite dust isn't your thing. Overall, a pretty fun expedition, and really got me to engage with the new space and sentinel combat systems.

18. Aperture Desk Job (PC, 2022) - 0:32 - April 27
As tech demos go, this one's on the shorter side--it's no Playroom for PS5, that's for sure--but it's pretty funny and shows off a few neat tricks of the hardware, and really isn't that what everyone wants out of a tech demo?

19. Gran Turismo 2 (PS1, 1999) - 9:32 - April 28
I'd never attempted to "beat" Gran Turismo 2 using only prize cars before--this is apparently something I only thought to do with Gran Turismo 4--but it turns out to be surprisingly easy to beat the Gran Turismo World League without buying a single car; the most challenging part might actually have been getting that first car by getting gold on all the B license tests. Part of the reason is due to GT2's extremely lax series restrictions; kei car, convertible, European, it doesn't matter the series: as long as you meet the max horsepower requirements, you can drive anything you want, including race cars against road cars. Going back to GT2 is an interesting exercise; it reminds you that as annoying as GT7's AI can be at times, it's not as obviously artificial as GT2's computer opponents, which suffer from heavy rubberbanding and exhibit many of the same homicidal tendencies. More arcade than sim by today's standards, Gran Turismo 2 is an interesting curiosity, and still a fun game, but it definitely shows its age.

20. Dirt 3 (PC, 2011) - 12:47 - May 11
I remember liking Dirt 2 enough, and Dirt 3 is pretty decent too if you can set aside the X GAMES vibe of the whole affair. It really only has a few major issues, the biggest of which is a severe lack of unique tracks. By the end of the tour I'd been in probably 150 races, and this is split across just 10 locations. Worse, many of the Rallycross and Land Rush circuits are simple to a fault and differ very little between variations, there's a lot of overlap between the Rally and Trailblazer stages, and there's only three Head2Head circuits in total. Expect a lot of repetition. Second is that the parts I didn't like about Dirt 2, like Land Rush, are only marginally improved, and the new Gymkhana events aren't particularly enjoyable either. But when you get to drive proper rally stages with your trusty navigator reciting pace notes, everything works great. It's no Dirt Rally, but sometimes you just want to chuck cars around dirt roads without having to think too hard, and Dirt 3 delivers.

21. Citizen Sleeper (PC, 2022) - 5:08 - May 12
I was not prepared. I wasn't prepared to find curious stories and mysterious schemes; I wasn't prepared to meet such kind people in an unfamiliar place; I wasn't prepared to survive this long and I certainly wasn't prepared for the ending I got. This is a wonderful game and right now it's my frontrunner for game of the year.

22. No Man's Sky: Leviathan (PC, 2022) - 12:48 - June 4
The biggest departure yet for a NMS expedition, Leviathan puts everyone into survival mode and jacks up the costs of a whole bunch of stuff, essentially turning the game into a roguelite where your equipment is determined partially at random and death means losing nearly all your progress. Survival mode turns out to be only moderately more difficult than normal mode: threatening enough that it makes you play conservatively, but not so threatening that you die constantly. It's not necessarily something I'd want to play all the time, but I think it worked pretty well here.

23. Dorfromantik (PC, 2022) - 5:18 - June 4
Though it's not completely without constraints like, say, Townscaper, Dorfromantik is still a pretty chill game. There is a certain joy in trying to find exactly the right piece to place somewhere, or hoping you'll find a good way to close off a forest or urban area without creating too many hard boundaries, and as you play the game you start to pick up optimization techniques. For someone who really likes score chasing, Dorfromantik could get addictive. Sadly, I'm not one of those people, so while I had fun with the game, I feel like I've gotten just about all the value I'm going to get out of it.

24. Project Sekai: Colorful Stage (Android, Global 2021) - 37:04 - June 9
Most of the gacha games I've played have been somewhat dull affairs: short on interesting gameplay and story, long on trope-heavy character art (big boob ladies swimsuit banner!). Over the years, I've watched the gameplay aspect slowly improve, but most games I've played still rely on nostalgia for an existing franchise for their appeal. Project Sekai is a little different: while it does rely to some extent on the appeal of its famous vocaloids, led by Hatsune Miku, the focus is on a bunch of original characters split into four groups with their own storylines. The rhythm gameplay is, predictably, very good; if you just want to play songs all day, you can absolutely do that. But what really surprised me was the strength of the visual novel stuff and the characters. Given that pulling for characters is usually a huge part of the appeal, you'd think gacha games would be really good at making them unique and appealing, but the games I've played don't really do a great job of this. None of the writing in the game is groundbreaking but it gave me a stronger emotional attachment to the characters than in any other gacha game I've ever played.

25. D4DJ Groovy Mix (Android, Global 2021) - 8:37 - June 22
Colorful Stage feels like a relatively straightforward gacha game: there are a few economy systems you have to understand but there are plenty of guides on the internet to help and after a week or two you basically understand all the random systems that help increase your score, which you can mostly ignore when playing the actual rhythm game. D4DJ, by contrast, is an enormous explosion of game mechanics and gacha systems; where Colorful Stage is restrained, D4DJ is an assault on the senses. The different rhythm game mechanics take a lot longer to get used to and I never really felt comfortable with stuff like the slider controls; the flow state from Colorful Stage was completely missing for me. Pile on top of that six (!!!) different login bonus campaigns, an endless array of gacha pools to pull from, multiple types of events including one with a literal slot machine, and D4DJ feels a lot closer to what I think of when I think of gacha games: loud, in your face constantly, and honestly exhausting.

26. HoloCure: Save the Fans (PC Early Access, 2022) - 13:04 - July 3
Like Vampire Survivors, I'm giving myself permission to call this done now that I've beaten the single stage in the game with every character, but I eagerly await future updates. It's a game very similar to Vampire Survivors, but with its own unique mechanics and quirks. In many cases, they add new twists that I actually prefer to Vampire Survivors, like the addition of a strafe button to lock your aim direction and the addition of unique skills for every character, meaning everyone has their own synergies and tactics. Considering this is a free game, there's even less reason not to play this at least once, even if you don't care about vtubers or Hololive. An outstanding timewaster.

27. Beast Breaker (PC, 2021) - 19:10 - July 5
From a gameplay perspective, Beast Breaker is a novel idea that gets explored quite thoroughly, almost to the point of overexposure. The Peggle-like combat system, which sees your hero attack foes a hundred times its size by pinballing off the armor of the monsters they face, plinking away at the armor in the hopes of stabbing deep into the vulnerable cores that power them. It's great fun and never quite wears out its welcome, but your progress through the story is often gated by arbitrary demands to find a set number of items scattered across the world (and thus enter the same number of battles) before you can proceed to the next section. From a story perspective, it's always compelling, but its faintly upbeat facade eventually gives way to a contemporary strain of melancholy that, depending on your disposition, could be inspiring--or deeply pessimistic. It's hard to explain more without spoilers, so suffice it to say Beast Breaker is an entertaining and intriguing game as long as you can stomach a certain amount of grind.

28. The Looker (PC, 2022) - 1:29 - July 18
A satirical take on The Witness that also manages to be a surprisingly decent puzzle game. Also, the furthest I've seen a game go in a very long time for a shitpost (which, in a way, is fitting, given one of the more infamous puzzles in The Witness).

29. Stray (PS5, 2022) - 5:43 - July 21
An absolutely lovely and inventive game about a cat in a bizarre dystopian future, and also incidentally a surprisingly on point cat simulator. There are echoes of games I never would've expected to see here; the tour of how various dystopian societies form their own rules and structures reminded me weirdly of the Metro series, for example, and some of the early dangers in the game have a Half-Life grotesque feel to them. There's even a bit of Metal Gear Solid in here. Along the way is a colourful cast of bystanders and occasional companions, a story about how the walled city came to be, and a lot of opportunities for cat-like behavior, some of which actually play into the plot at some point.

30. Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels (PC, 2022) - 6:31 - July 22
Probably the highest praise I can give Hot Wheels is that it's not as annoying to drive in as the Forza Horizon 3 variant was. That is indeed high praise, because by the time I finished the earlier Hot Wheels expansion, I basically never wanted Playground to do it again (go on, read my review above, I played it early this year!). Now that they HAVE done it again, I find I don't despise it the way I did the first one. That said, there are still problems; the fundamental issue with the driving physics remains, where the orange track surface that you drive on for 90% of the expansion is actually a terrible surface for driving and offers basically no grip once you get to S2 class. If I'm running into issues where cars that normally aren't major problems encounter significant wheel spin in third gear IN A STRAIGHT LINE, that is a sign.

31. Tales of Arise (PS5, 2021) - 32:39 + 24:36 in 2021 - July 27
It took eight months, but Arise is finally in the can. When I picked the game back up for the third or fourth time in May, I remember thinking that despite spending long periods of time where I didn't really feel like playing, I couldn't really think of anything obvious that I thought the game did wrong. Putting another 15 hours into the game since then has changed my mind in two significant ways. First, the story and pacing really takes a nosedive in the final act; it's exposition and cutscene city for long periods of time, and often the characters rehash discussions they've already had twice or even three times. Sometimes you'll exit a cutscene and discover three separate skits waiting to be viewed. This is patently ridiculous.

Second, my opinion of the CP system has solidified: it turns the entire game into marathons between fast travel points. Are you performing well? Then you won't use much CP and that section of the game will be a breeze. Are you not performing well? Enjoy repeating the same 60% of a dungeon until you run out of CP and/or restorative items, and then figuring out how you're going to earn all the gald necessary to restock on expensive CP and healing items before you try again and hope for a better result. All of this means the game becomes an absolute chore to play by the end, and while it never reaches the absolute depths of despair that Tales of Graces f instilled in me (Cheria is an absolute trash character, fight me), it does really take the bloom off the rose. I'd placed Arise near the bottom of my 2022 GOTY list as a provisional entry. It definitely doesn't deserve that place anymore, but it's also not a terrible Tales game. And hey, at least I finished it, unlike Zestiria (RIP my three aborted playthroughs).

32. No Man's Sky: Polestar (PC, 2022) - 9:11 - August 4
More of a tutorial and introduction to the new freighter base building mechanics than anything, Polestar does a good job of putting a new spin on the core experience in small but meaningful ways: waking up for the first time not on a planet surface but on a freighter of lost souls, being locked out of base-building equipment, and discovering the only way to warp to new systems is using your freighter's hyperdrive, relegating your starship to intrasystem shuttle. The actual freighter base-building takes a bit of getting used to but it actually feels useful now (when it isn't buggy, like the refiner rooms), as opposed to mostly being a platform for launching automated frigate missions that you promptly forget about as soon as they start.

33. Dysmantle (PC, 2021) - 42:58 - September 9
It's not a perfect game, especially by the time you reach the game's conclusion, but Dysmantle is quite the achievement: an open-world light survival game that makes you work for the ending but (almost) never feels punishing and is frequently pretty chill. The first half of the game or so, when you're working your way up the tech tree and discovering new materials and trinkets to build with those materials, is fantastic; my only real criticism is that the game feels like it peaks too soon, with too much of the back half spent grinding out many of the same activities you were doing earlier in the game.

34. The Artful Escape (PC, 2021) - 4:06 - September 12
It's funny to think that a game about leaving the dusty folk legacy of your incredibly famous uncle behind to pursue your dreams of sci-fi glam guitar spectacle is, itself, a sort of relic: if people ever did dream to become that particular kind of superstar, they certainly don't now. But it's all besides the point anyways: the specifics add the colour, but the heart of the story is universal. And oh, what colour: The Artful Escape starts slow, but eventually turns into a three-hour feast for the senses, an intergalactic psychedelic odyssey of delight. It's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The game leaves Game Pass in a few days, but it's well worth seeking out afterwards, so long as you don't mind a game that's more the audiovisual experience than it is about actual gameplay.

35. Powerwash Simulator (PC, 2022) - 32:05 (+16:20 in 2021, Early Access) - September 24
Cleaning up all the new content that was added to the game since I finished everything available during my playthrough last year. It's still the same Powerwash Simulator, albeit with improvements (aim mode was surprisingly useful!). And after another 30 hours in the game, all I really have to say is this: I never expected a game about washing stuff to make me cry. What an outstanding game.

36. Saints Row (PS5, 2022) - 23:50 - October 1
Sometimes you play a game that is clearly lacking in certain areas, but for some reason there's enough for you to hang on to that you end up enjoying yourself regardless. The Saints Row reboot is one of those games. There's a bunch of stuff I can criticize it for--it's the buggiest PS5 game I've ever played, some of the side activities seem like they were dreamed up by masochists, and even returning favourites like Insurance Fraud don't feel quite as good as they used to, like you're fighting the system instead of living your best ragdoll explosion life. But somehow, it's still a fun place to be. I feel like there's an entire game you could build around the Dustmoot side story, and I enjoy the characters enough that I hope this isn't the last game they get to appear in.

37. Pupperazzi (PC, 2022) - 1:15* - October 5/never
Let's talk about the good stuff first before we get to the reason why you should never play this. This is a game about taking cute photos of adorable dogs. The genre of photography games isn't all that large, and while Pupperazzi has great subject matter, I'd say its implementation of the genre falls short of something like Umurangi Generation, which is a better game in pretty much every way unless you don't like timed missions, which is totally fair and is one of the few genuinely good aspects to Pupperazzi. On the other hand, there's the one big reason why you shouldn't play this game, at least on PC Game Pass: spending as much time as you want in a level is actually a bad thing when every time you start the game on PC and hit "Continue," it WIPES OUT YOUR SAVE GAME AND STARTS YOU AT THE VERY BEGINNING. Pupperazzi is not supposed to be a long game but this is absolutely ridiculous, and an obvious disqualifier. (Strangely, this problem doesn't occur if you play via Xcloud streaming, but at this point starting a THIRD game because it's too incompetent to load my saves properly is out of the question.)

38. Chorus (PC, 2021) - 13:02 - October 12
Fun space combat, but let down in nearly every other department. The storytelling in this game never resonated with me, with characters I never felt attached to, a conflict I never really cared enough about to understand when the lore took a left turn, and and ending that honestly feels like it undoes whatever message the story was trying to convey in the beginning by essentially calling all of the horrors you're supposedly fighting against a necessary evil to trigger the events of the game, which... yikes. Combine that with some occasionally infuriating mission design and you have a game that is surprisingly difficult to like even when it's throwing lots of cool spaceflight and combat mechanics at you.

39. Subsurface Circular (PC, 2017) - 2:07 - October 17
A short story from Bithell Games, Subsurface Circular follows an android (or Tek) detective whose office (and in many ways prison) is a train car on the Subsurface Circular, a loop track that serves as a major transit line in an unnamed city. You're presented with a case about missing Teks in the city, completely off-book; from there, the other passengers on your train car become your eyes and ears as you try to solve the mystery. It's mostly a text adventure, and while there are some puzzles they occasionally feel a little contrived. But at its heart is a compelling story about the nature of robotic servitude and the tension between human and machine. Well worth your two hours.

40. Quarantine Circular (PC, 2018) - 1:38 - October 19
Subsurface Circular excels in its worldbuilding, using character vignettes to describe the world outside the subway car that contains the entire story. Quarantine Circular, which is unrelated to Subsurface Circular besides its developer and game structure, presents something different: not a detective story, but one of first contact with alien life as humanity stands on a precipice. The atmosphere isn't as strong and its characters less vivid, but in their place is a stronger central conflict with choices that feel more meaningful. The emphasis here feels less on coming up with a "right" answer (though Subsurface doesn't really do this either) and more about trying to understand everyone's perspectives in the story and doing what you think would make sense for them to do. This requires more buy-in from the player, so I think Quarantine Circular is an easier game to "break," so to speak; but if you're fully immersed in the scenario and not really thinking about how to game it for a particular outcome, I think it's a fantastic experience, one I actually liked a bit more than its predecessor.

41. Blue Reflection (PS4, 2017) - 31:22 - November 17
This game baffles me. In a lot of ways, it's not that good. It's the most lecherous game I've ever played from Gust, which is incredibly offputting. Even setting that aside, the characters often come across as one-note or "anime" quirky, the writing sometimes feels completely alien (text messages especially), the combat is simplistic, and the dungeons are repetitive. The game has a weird sense of pacing until you realize that the free periods between chapters can be used to essentially grind out relationship points and crafting materials, and it does a poor job of telling you when actions are meaningful (going out with your friends after school DOES actually improve your relationship, choosing some actions at bedtime can lead to stat boosts) and when they're not (taking a bath is just gratuitous fanservice, the stuffed animal scavenger hunt is completely pointless, and the Dark Cave mobile game can be completely skipped).

But--and this is a big but--if you can accept all of these failings and more, Blue Reflection is a surprisingly endearing game. Trying to explain why is difficult. There's a juxtaposition between the heightened reality of being a magical girl--the silly costumes, the fantastical world you enter to fight demons based on emotions gone rampant, the magical superpowers--and the much more grounded and mundane life of high school, whose affect is especially flattened in this game. Focused on the everyday dramas of teenage life, not every character arc lands emotionally for me, but enough of them work that I actually cared about the cast by the end. I'm not sure I can recommend this game to people, especially if it's true that its much better received sequel doesn't actually require knowledge of the first game, but I don't regret my time with it either. I just wish Gust had made better decisions in a lot of areas; this could've been a much better game.

42. The Entropy Centre (PC, 2022) - 11:13 - December 2
This game got an early reputation for being a really good Portal-like game, and I think this is true to an extent. Some of the ways it deviates from the Portal formula are welcome; others, however, really bring the game down at times. The biggest issue I have with the game is certain areas where, for reasons I'll leave vague, you have to be quick and precise in a relatively high-pressure environment. Other puzzles have solutions that come off as obtuse more than clever; occasionally you'll find yourself wondering, was I actually supposed to solve the puzzle that way? This isn't necessarily a bad thing usually, but it does give the slight impression of being sloppy. Finally, the game kind of wears out its welcome after a while; new mechanics get introduced, but the fundamentals remain the same throughout. Still, on the whole, it's quite good, and relatively easy to recommend as long as you have a decent tolerance for the occasional high-stress challenge.

43. Super Golf (Game Gear, 1991) - 0:26 - December 16
My Analogue Pocket arrived a few days ago, but my preparations for its arrival began months prior, when I visited a used game store to finally pick up a dusty treasure I'd had my eye on for a bit: a $5 cart-only copy of Super Golf for Game Gear. I never got to play a lot of Game Gear games but Super Golf was by far the one I'm fondest of; something about the simple golf action and the chill soundtrack really hit the spot for me. Probably a good thing it was so cheap, though, because I kind of forgot that there's only the one 18-hole course and two game modes to play on it.

44. Deus Ex GO (Android, 2016) - 4:14 + 0:14 in 2017 - December 25
Deus Ex GO is another stylish and smart attempt to meld the donor franchise's unique mechanics to the GO series of mobile puzzle games, and it mostly works. One flaw is the bizarre introduction of a new mechanic very late in the game that never gets explained to you; I had to literally watch a walkthrough of the level in question before I realized I was seeing an action I'd never used or (seemingly) had access to before. But the biggest issue is that Square Enix Montreal's new owners, Embracer Group, have decided to close down the studio--and with it, access to Deus Ex GO. Even though it doesn't really require servers, and even though its siblings were ported to PC long ago, after January 4th you apparently won't be able to play the game at all, even if you own it. We'll see what happens when the date hits, but given that the game itself was updated recently with the shutdown notice, it doesn't seem like a last-minute reprieve is likely.

45. Emily Is Away (PC, 2015) - 0:27 - December 25
Not so much a short story as a microstory, Emily Is Away is about two friends about to graduate from high school and their intermittent IM conversations over the next few years. It does a pretty good job of recalling the casual late-late-night internet talks with friends, usually weightless but occasionally fraught with hidden meaning. While in theory it's an interactive piece, in practice the conclusion is seemingly the same, a tale familiar to anyone who's past the age of 25. The relative lack of detail in the narrative is maybe for the best; filling in the gaps in the story with your own experiences helps to personalize the tale more effectively than actual writing might have been.

46. Old Man's Journey (PC, 2017) - 1:13 - December 26
Pretty light puzzle platformer that is carried largely by its art and music, which are uniformly fantastic. The story is pretty basic, and to be honest I'm not sure I like it; there is an obvious way to read it that I think is much less charitable than its creators intended, and it's hard not to think about it if you feel the same way. My only real mechanical complaint is that it seems to have lost a bit in translation from touchscreen devices, most notably during one level where the camera zooms in and out in a way that induces nausea. But as bite-sized games go, it's pretty decent, and while none of the puzzles are particularly challenging, they are at least interesting.

47. Whitewater Wipeout (Playdate, 2022) - 0:11 - December 26
The very first Playdate game (or one of two, anyway), and... well, it's fine for what it is, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that your $200 purchase was a smart one. It's an arcade game designed for quick plays, but there really doesn't seem like there's a lot of depth here, and the surfing aspect feels like an okay but not great fit for the crank. I struggled with whether to put this on the list, but honestly I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to do with this one besides do the exact same thing over and over for a few more hours.

48. Casual Birder (Playdate, 2022) - 2:18 - December 26
A charming adventure game about snapping cute pics of birds for a contest, and the weird gang that wins the contest every year. This is the kind of game I want out of the Playdate, and makes for a much better entry point in my view than the other Week 1 game. It's bite-sized but has a surprising amount of stuff to do; even after finishing there are three birds I still haven't snapped, though in the course of playing the game I managed to snap off the Playdate's crank handle (luckily in a way that allowed me to reattach it), so, um... probably going to leave the bird dex incomplete.

49. Spring Falls (PC, 2019) - 1:41 - December 27
Refreshing puzzler about fluid dynamics and basic horticulture. It has a natural and rewarding progression through several mechanics, and it's all supported by a sublime look and lovely background music. Seems especially well suited to mobile, where you can finish a few puzzles in the space of a commute or coffee break. Recommended.

50. Planet of the Eyes (PC, 2015) - 1:30 - December 28
A decently polished puzzle platformer. Probably my favourite aspect is the art style, which is appealing in a colourful, cartoonish way. Otherwise, there isn't anything super memorable; the story is paper thin, and the platforming is probably decent but a little frustrating for me at times, especially the sequences that require precision timing or mechanics that aren't very well explained. I'll blame some of that on myself rather than the game, though; this isn't a genre I tend to like very much.

51. Puzzle Bots (PC, 2010) - 2:27 - December 29
A decent puzzle game, though its age shows; the controls are pretty clumsy by today's standards, and in later puzzles actively get in the way sometimes. Its story and characters are straight 2000s sardonic webcomic, though, which definitely hasn't aged well at all. Hell, even getting it running was kind of problematic; it tried to start fullscreen at a resolution so low that it caused my PC to forget it had two monitors. It only works in windowed mode by editing a config file, because the configuration program no longer works in Windows 11. So I guess it's a good thing I played it when I did; I feel like this is one or two software or hardware changes away from being completely unrunnable.

52. Let Them Come (PC, 2017) - 2:06 - December 29
This is an extremely simple and straightforward game: enemies attack from the right, use everything in your arsenal to fend them off before they reach you on the left. The first little bit can be frustrating as you learn the nuances of the individual weapons and upgrades, and it's here where the game can feel the most grindy as you die over and over. But before long, you'll be able to pretty much break the game. Some people probably won't like how this trivializes everything outside of the boss battles; I think it's glorious.

PLAYED RECENTLY
Persona 5 Royal (PC, 2022) - 19:18
FUSER (PC, 2020) - 2:52
Satisfactory (PC Early Access, 2020) - 8:28 + 1:33 in 2021

PURGATORY
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (PC, 2021) - 1:43
Perfect Dark (360, 2010) - 0:30
Model Builder (PC, 2022) - 1:41
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond (Switch, 2021) - 5:20
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk DX (PC, 2020) - 0:52 + 10:21 in 2020
Redout (PC, 2016) - 0:10 + 0:24 in 2020
Gemcraft: Frostborn Wrath (PC, 2020) - 8:15
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PC, 2013) - 1:24
The Forgotten City (PC, 2021) - 0:32
Agents of Mayhem (XB1, 2017) - 8:33
Call of Duty: Black Ops III (PC, 2015) - 4:22
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PC, 2018) - 4:23
20 Minutes Till Dawn (PC Early Access, 2022) - 7:42
AI: The Somnium Files (PC, 2019) - 0:57
Digimon Survive (PC, 2022) - 0:57
Project Zomboid (PC Early Access, 2013) - 0:29
Hardspace: Shipbreaker (PC, 2022) - 15:08
Soul Hackers 2 (PC, 2022) - 5:10
Potionomics (PC, 2022) - 5:18
Horizon Chase Turbo (PC, 2018) - 0:53
WRC Generations (PC, 2022) - 6:12
Crankin's Time Travel Adventure (Playdate, 2022) - 0:17

1. Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island (XB1) | 1st Jan - 4.7hrs
2. Cruis'n Blast (Switch) | 2nd Jan - 1.5hrs
3. Forza Horizon 3: Blizzard Mountain (PC) | 3rd Jan - 5.3hrs
4. Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels (PC) | 9th Jan - 4.8hrs
5. Lake (PC) | 11th Jan - 6.2hrs
6. The Pedestrian (XSX) | 24th Jan - 4.5hrs
7. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch) | 3rd February - 6.8hrs
8. Destiny 2: New Light (PC) | 5th February - 4.8hrs
9. Destiny 2: Forsaken (PC) | 8th February - 6.6hrs
10. Tametsi (PC) | 13th February - 48.1hrs
11. Halo 2 Anniversary (PC) | 8th March - 9.3hrs
12. Gran Turismo 7 (PS5) | 16th March - 23.9hrs
13. No Man's Sky: Exobiology (PC) | 16th March - 11.8hrs
14. Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Dream (PS4) | 8th April - 63.4hrs
15. Lost Ark (PC) | 15th April - 20.1hrs
16. Vampire Survivors (PC) | 18th April - 19.9hrs
17. No Man's Sky: Blighted (PC) | 19th April - 7.4hrs
18. Aperture Desk Job (PC) | 27th April - 0.5hrs
19. Gran Turismo 2 (PS1) | 28th April - 9.5hrs
20. DIrt 3 (PC) | 11th May - 12.8hrs
21. Citizen Sleeper (PC) | 12th May - 5.1hrs
22. No Man's Sky: Leviathan (PC) | 4th June - 12.8hrs
23. Dorfromantik (PC) | 4th June - 5.3hrs
24. Project Sekai: Colorful Stage (Android) | 9th June - 37.1hrs
25. D4DJ Groovy Mix (Android) | 22nd June - 8.6hrs
26. HoloCure: Save the Fans! (PC) | 3rd July - 13.1hrs
27. Beast Breaker (PC) | 5th July - 19.2hrs
28. The Looker (PC) | 18th July - 1.5hrs
29. Stray (PS5) | 21st July - 5.7hrs
30. Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels (PC) | 22nd July - 6.5hrs
31. Tales of Arise (PC) | 27th July - 57.3hrs
32. No Man's Sky: Polestar (PC) | 4th August - 9.2hrs
33. Dysmantle (PC) | 9th September - 43.0hrs
34. The Artful Escape (PC) | 12th September - 4.1hrs
35. PowerWash Simulator (PC) | 24th September - 48.4hrs
36. Saints Row (PS5) | 1st October - 23.8hrs
37. Pupperazzi (PC) | 5th October - 1.2hrs
38. Chorus (PC) | 12th October - 13.0hrs
39. Subsurface Circular (PC) | 17th October - 2.1hrs
40. Quarantine Circular (PC) | 19th October - 1.6hrs
41. Blue Reflection (PS4) | 17th November - 31.4hrs
42. The Entropy Centre (PC) | 2nd December - 11.2hrs
43. Super Golf (GG) | 16th December - 0.4hrs
44. Deus Ex GO (Android) | 25th December - 4.5hrs
45. Emily Is Away (PC) | 25th December - 0.5 hrs
46. Old Man's Journey (PC) | 26th December - 1.2hrs
47. Whitewater Wipeout (Playdate) | 26th December - 0.2hrs
48. Casual Birder (Playdate) | 26th December - 2.3hrs
49. Spring Falls (PC) | 27th December - 1.8hrs
50. Planet of the Eyes (PC) | 28th December - 1.5hrs
51. Puzzle Bots (PC) | 29th December - 2.5hrs
52. Let Them Come (PC) | 29th December - 2.1hrs

hersheyfan · Jan 1, 2022

Steam/PSN/XBL cards

2015: 111 games completed (GAF) - List
2016: 73 games completed (GAF) - List
2017: 55 games completed (Era) - List
2018: 75 games completed (Era) - List
2019: 87 games completed (Era) - List
2020: 95 games completed (Era) - List
2021: 138 games completed (MC/Era) - Metacouncil / Resetera

2022: 62 games completed as of 12/30/22
Concurrently maintained on Metacouncil

Sub-goal for 2022: Beat at least ten separate games on each of the following:
1. Steam 5/10
2. XSX/XGP PC 50/10 Clear!
3. PS5/PS4 6/10
4. NSW 0/10
5. Anbernic RG503 1/10

Currently Playing:
NSW: Hyrule Warriors 2, Tokyo Mirage Sessions Encore
Steam: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Samurai Warriors 5, Deathloop
PS4/PS5: Returnal, Dreams Universe, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Xbox Series X / XGP PC: Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, Final Fantasy Origins: Stranger of Paradise
PSV: N/A
3DS: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
iOS: Layton's Mystery Journey
Anbernic: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (DC)

1. Deathsmiles 2, XSX (1/1/22, around an hour) - Beat game
2. Fight N' Rage, XSX (1/1/22, 3 hrs 54 mins) - Beat game twice, on normal and easy
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, XSX (1/1/22, around 1 hr 20 mins) - Beat game, 155/400
4. A Short Hike, XSX (1/2/22, 4 hours 13 minutes) - Beat game, 850/1000
5. How To Take Off Your Mask Remastered, XSX (1/2/22, 3 hours 18 mins) - Beat both routes, 1000/1000
6. Yakuza: Like A Dragon, XSX (1/10/22, 55 hours 3 minutes) - Beat game + some extras, 765/1000
7. Death's Door, XSX (1/11/22, 12 hours 27 mins) - Beat game, 89.2% (all shrines and weapons), 475/1000
8. The Mummy Demastered, XSX (1/12/22, 6 hours 34 mins) - Beat game (all weapons and relics, 90% map. 815/1000)
9. Mr. Shifty, XSX (1/12/22, 5 hours 32 minutes) - Beat game, 800/1000
10. Coffee Talk, XSX (1/15/22, 6 hours 3 minutes) - Beat game (real ending), 1000/1000
11. It Takes Two, XSX (1/16/22, 15 hours 49 minutes) - Beat game, 1000/1000
12. Top Nep: Dimension Tripper Neptune, Steam (1/22/22, 3 hours) - Beat game, 9/14 achievements
13. Vampire Survivors (Early Access) , Steam (1/23/22, 5.4 hours) - 34/37 achievements, beat all bosses presently available
14. Halo Infinite (Campaign+MP), XSX (2/6/22, 47 hours 4 minutes) - Beat campaign on Heroic, 705/1600
15. My Friend Pedro, XSX (2/6/22, 3 hours 17 minutes) - Beat game, 575/1000
16. One Night Stand, XSX (2/12/22, 2 hours 9 minutes) - Saw all endings, 1000/1000
17. Genshin Impact, PS5/PS4 (4/1/22, PS5: 418 hours, PS4 187 hours) - Platinum (PS5), 100% (PS4)
18. Guardian Heroes, XSX (4/2/22, around 3.5 hours) - Saw all endings on normal, 9/12 achievements 125/200)
19. Guardians of the Galaxy, XSX (4/10/22, 25 hours 24 minutes) - Beat game on Normal, got all collectibles (970/1000)
20. Batman: The Telltale Series, XSX (4/17/22, 8 hours 8 minutes) - Beat game (1000/1000)
21. Life is Strange: True Colors, XSX (4/17/22, 8 hours 40 minutes) - Beat game, all collectibles (1000/1000)
22. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, XSX (4/30/22, 6 hours 7 minutes) - Beat game, all endings, all collectibles. (810/1000)
23. The House of the Dead: Remake, XSX (5/1/22, 1 hour 15 mins) - Beat game once, 2 playthroughs (lost first time to Magician). 280/1000 PS don't buy this it's fucking terrible
24.The Solitaire Conspiracy, XSX (5/1/22, 5 hours 56 minutes) - Beat Campaign, 805/1000
25. Raging Justice, XSX (5/2/22, around 2 hrs 15 mins (beat game, 2 playthroughs. 250/1000)
26. Trek To Yomi, XSX (5/7/22, 9 hours 59 mins) - Beat game on Ronin difficulty, 350/1000
27. ProGear (Capcom Arcade Stadium), XSX (5/9/22, around 1 hour) - Beat game
28. Final Fight (Capcom Arcade Stadium), XSX (5/9/22, around 1 hour) - Beat game
29. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, XSX (5/9/22, 3 hours 16 minutes) - Beat game, collected everything, beat all secret bosses, 900/1000 (2 achievements bugged)
30. The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story, PS5
(5/16/22, 16 hours) - Beat game, 26/28 trophies (one trophy away from Plat)
31. Sifu, PS5 (5/15/22, 5 hours) - Beat game on Student, 15/43 trophies. Did a couple extra post game runs
32. Minit, XSX (5/28/22, 2 hours 39 minutes) - Beat game 100% (all collectibles), beat second run (910/1000)
33. The Language of Love, XSX (5/28/22, 1 hour 53 minutes) - finished game (1000/1000)
34. Flower Shop: Summer In Fairbrook, XSX (6/4/22, 1 hour 54 minutes) - finished game twice, got the alone ending twice lol (320/1000)
35. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, XSX (7/3/22, 2 hours 42 mins) - played through half the game in multiplayer, with the rest in single player (395/1000)
36. Cuphead + The Delicious Last Course, XSX (7/3/22, 10 hours 28 minutes) - Beat main game and DLC + King's Gauntlet (755/1500)
37. Astro's Playroom, PS5 (7/9/22, more than 2 hours) - Beat game, 27% (13/46)
38. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, PS5 (7/9/22, 19 hours) - Beat base game, 88% (48/51)
39. A Memoir Blue, XSX (7/16/22, 1 hour 10 mins) - Beat game, 1000/1000
40. Natsuki Chronicles, XSX (7/18/22, 3 hours 35 mins) - Beat Chronicles mode, plus a few stages on hard. 750/1000
41. Telling Lies, XSX (7/21/22, 1 hour 4 minutes) - Achievement speedrun, previously beaten on Steam. 1000/1000
42. Carrier Air Wing (Capcom Arcade Stadium), XSX (7/21/22, around an hour) - Beat game
43. My Friend Peppa Pig, XSX (7/21/22, 1 hour 4 minutes) - Beat game for cheevos, 1000/1000. No judgement, guys!
44. Stray, PS5 (7/24/22, around 5 hours) - Beat game, all memories, all badges. 63% TL.
45. Alien Vs. Predator Arcade, CPS1 via Ambernic (7/29/22, around an hour) - Beat game
46. As Dusk Falls, XSX (7/30/22, 4 hours) - Beat game, 550/1000
47. Road 96, XSX (7/31/2022, 6 hours 21 minutes) - 8 playthroughs, 2 deaths. 880/1000
48. AI The Somnium Files: Nirvana Initiative, Steam (8/14/22, 22 hours) - Beat game, 29/49 achievements
49. After Wave: Downfall, XSX (8/20/22, 45 minutes) - Beat game, 1000/1000
50. Bright Memory Infinite: Platinum Edition, XSX (2 hours 41 minutes) - Beat game on Violent difficulty, 500/1000
51. 80s Overdrive, XSX (9/11/22, 5 hours 31 mins) - Beat campaign, maxed out all cars, got some miscellaneous cheevos. 630/1000
52. Immortality, XSX (9/17/22, 6 hours, 41 mins) - Beat game, 550/1000
53. Tinykin, XSX (9/20/22, 8 hours 20 mins) - Beat game, all bubbles, all artifacts. 715/1000
54. Murder on the Marine Express, XSX (9/25/22, 1 hour 28 mins) - Beat game, 1000/1000
55. Shinorubi, Steam (10/02/22, 35 mins) - Beat game (1CC)
56. A Plague Tale: Requiem, XSX (10/27/22, 33 hours 30 minutes) - Beat game, 1000/1000 (around 1 and a half PTs)
57. Gunfire Reborn, XSX (11/6/22, 45 hours 50 minutes) - Beat game as Luo, 435/1000, 51/86 achievements.
58. Paper Ghost Stories: 7PM, XSX (11/7/22, 1 hour 15 minutes) - Beat game, 1000/1000
59. Save Room, XSX (11/26/22, 1 hour 32 minutes) - Beat game, 1000/1000
60. Capcom Fighting Collection, XSX (12/26/22, 3 hours 24 minutes) - Beat all ten games in the collection, 860/1000
61. Call of Duty Modern Warfare II (Campaign), XSX - Beat game on normal, 280/1000
62. Final Vendetta, Steam (1.3 hours) - Beat game

Optional Objectives · Jan 1, 2022

Always a good time. Here are my previous totals for 2020 (73) and 2021 (92).

Games Completed

1. Loop Hero - 6-Jan-2022 - ★★★★
2. Hitman - 9-Jan-2022 - ★★★★
3. Parasite Eve - 15-Jan-2022 - ★★★★
4. Kirby's Epic Yarn - 29-Jan-2022 - ★★★★
5. Kid A Mnesia Exhibition - 9-Feb-2022 - ★★★★
6. Dandara - 11-Feb-2022 - ★★★
7. Super Mario Bros. 2 - 21-Feb-2022 - ★★★
8. Kirby Planet Robobot - 21-Feb-2022 - ★★★★
9. Ghostwire Tokyo - Prelude - 1-Mar-2022 - ★★
10. Promesa - 3-Mar-2022 - ★★★
11. Late to the Party - 4-Mar-2022 - ★★★
12. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - 4-Mar-2022 - ★★★★
13. Decay - 10-Mar-2022 - ★★★
14. Leach Towers & basement apartments! - 15-Mar-2022 - ★★
15. Highway Blossoms - 26-Mar-2022 - ★★★
16. Hitman 2 - 27-Mar-2022 - ★★★★
17. Kirby's Dream Land - 28-Mar-2022 - ★★★
18. The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa - 31-Mar-2022 - ★★★★
19. Hitman 3 - 31-Mar-2022 - ★★★★
20. Kirby's Dream Land 2 - 8-Apr-2022 - ★★★
21. Kirby: Triple Deluxe - 26-Apr-2022 - ★★★★
22. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - 5-May-2022 - ★★★
23. Take a Hike! - 7-May-2022 - ★★★
24. In Other Waters - 9-May-2022 - ★★★★
25. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 16-May-2022 - ★★★★★
26. Star Fox 64 3D - 26-May-2022 - ★★★
27. Kirby's Dream Land 3 - 6-Jun-2022 - ★★
28. Kirby's Dream Course - 12-Jun-2022 - ★★★★
29. Bioshock Infinite - 12-Jun-2022 - ★★★
30. Alto's Odyssey: The Lost City - 15-Jun-2022 - ★★
31. Gibbon: Beyond the Trees - 15-Jun-2022 ★★★
32. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - 22-Jun-2022 - ★★★
33. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - ★★★★
34. Disco Elysium - 30-Jun-2022 - ★★★★★
35. Guardians of the Galaxy - 2-Jul-2022 - ★★★
36. Kirby's Return to Dream Land - 3-Jul-2022 - ★★★★
37. The Pedestrian - 5-Jul-2022 - ★★★★
38. Gran Turismo 7 - 8-Jul-2022 - ★★★★
39. Huntdown - 16-Jul-2022 - ★★★★
40. afield - 16-Jul-2022 - ★★★
41. Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin - 18-Jul-2022 - ★★★
42. Kirby: Canvas Curse - 30-Jul-2022 - ★★★
43. Kirby and the Amazing Mirror - 1-Aug-2022 - ★★★★
44. Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion - 4-Aug-2022 - ★★★★
45. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus- 7-Aug-2022 - ★★★★
46. Detention - 17-Aug-2022 - ★★★
47. Splatoon 2 - 25-Aug-2022 - ★★★★
48. Shovel Knight: King of Cards - 30-Aug-2022 - ★★★★
49. Mixolumia - 1-Sep-2022 - ★★★★★
50. Vanguard (SNK 40th Anniversary Collection) - 5-Sep-2022 - ★★★
51. Ghost of Tsushima - 5-Sep-2022 - ★★★★
52. Tanuki Justice - 7-Sep-2022 - ★★★
53. Into the Breach - 8-Sep-2022 - ★★★★
54. Sin and Punishment - 14-Sep-2022 - ★★★
55. Kirby Squeak Squad - 5-Oct-2022 - ★★★
56. Resident Evil 2 Remake - 12-Oct-2022 - ★★★★
57. Resident Evil 3 Remake - 29-Oct-2022 - ★★★★
58. Luigi's Mansion - 29-Oct-2022 - ★★★
59. Killer Queen Black - 30-Nov-2022 - ★★★★
60. DOOM (2016) - 20-Nov-2022 - ★★★★
61. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - 2-Dec-2022 - ★★★★
62. NORCO - 4-Dec-2022 - ★★★
63. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 9-Dec-2022 - ★★★★
64. Signalis - 11-Dec-2022 - ★★★★
65. IQ: Intelligent Qube - 14-Dec-2022 - ★★★★
66. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - 21-Dec-2022 - ★★★★
67. Wordle - 31-Dec-2022 - ★★★

Rhaknar · Jan 1, 2022

Here we go again

Game #01 - Blue Fire
Time: 11 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Starting off 2022 with a banger (or finishing 2021 since most of it was played in the last week or so but I digress!), this indie 3d platformer was a fantastic little adventure, with super fast gameplay, tons of mobility, great art style and a meaty campaign with a lot of side quests to do, this mix of 3d paltformer with a bit of zelda, a bit of dark souls, was a treat and highly recommended. Combat isn't the best but the exploration and world desdign is top notch. Also it got a free expansion DLC with two new zones, 1 new boss and a bunch more challenge stages (the "voids" as the game calls it), so you can't hate on that.

Game #02 - F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch
Time: 18 hours
Platform: Playstation 5
Rating: ★★★★★

Back to back bangers to start off the year, this indie metroidvania stands right alongside the giants of the genre in my opinion and is destined to become a cult classic. As perfect a metroidvania you can imagine, it does pretty much everything you want from one of these games, with fantastic gameplay, great mobility, great combat, multiple weapons to collect each with their own skill trees and doubling as traversal tools, a giant campaign with a ton of zone variety, a near perfect map (hey map maps are more important to the genre than we give them credit), great graphics, I could go on and on gushing about the game. Honestly the only nitpick is some of the writing and voice acting are a bit stiff, probably because it's from a Shangai studio I believe, but it's such a small thing in a otherwise near perfect game, it really doesn't matter. I've played my share of metroidvanias, but this is one of those where I struggle to believe any fan of the genre wouldn't love.

Game #03 - Dungeon Munchies (Early Access I guess even tho it released on SWITCH AS A FULL GAME)
Time: 7 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★

What a roller coaster of emotions this game was for me. Initially I was loving the idea, wacky story, pixel art style and crazy weapons you could use, even tho the gameplay was rankly pretty bad, super floaty and mashy, but it was a simple platformer with a ton of enemies on screen that you could just mash your way through with your crazy weapons, so the trash floaty gameplay didnt bother me much since I loved everything around it.This was when I was ready to give it a 4/5. Unfortunately, as you get near the "end" (we'll get to that) of the game, the game starts throwing precise platforming at you, except like I said the gameplay is floaty and trash (honestly some of the worst I've seen, it's like you are constantly on ice skates), and the whole thing becomes an exercise in frustration and I thought to myself that I can't in good conscience go over a 3/5 for this even tho I was still enjoying it. Then I finished it... abrubtly, which was weird, so I googled what was up with that, and turns out the game on PC is STILL in early access, with chapter 3 / the last boss still to be released. Except for whatever reason they decided to release the game on Switch, where there is no EA of course, and pretend its a full game? Like, were they low on funds? This seems super fucked up and it really soured me on the game and the devs, so it can have a 2/5 for the enjoyment I got out of it, but it really should be a 1 or 0 for that stunt. Hell, the game asked me if I wanted to create a NG+ save and I almost did it over my main save, which would mean that when the final release update eventually drops, I would have had to start all over because of course, I didnt know the game wasnt finished. Ugh. Honestly, I probably won't go back to it when that update does drop, because that's one of the reasons I usually don't play early access games, im very much a one-and-done-move-on-to-the-next game person. Oh well, I leave the warning here at least.

Game #04 - The Gunk
Time: 5 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★

The Gunk is a solid if short 3d platformer with very little combat and instead a focus on exploration and resource gathering. Made by the Steamworld devs of all things, it's very competent at what it does with and it looks great (if a little "soft"), and the level design is pretty good, but at the same time it's a very simple game, harkening back to games from the 360 era for example (which isn't a bad thing in itself). I liked it but it feels very much like a side-project from the Steamworld devs, and while I apreciate they tried something new, it's not as good as any of their Steamworld games.

Game #05 - The Pedestrian
Time: 4 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★

I'm not the biggest fan of puzzle games (I'm usually too dumb for them or lack the patience, or both) but I really liked The Pedestrian. 2d platformer with minimalistic art style on the gameplay parts mixed with gorgeous environments as background, the puizzles are really well done and the "panel" gimmick is fantastic. It's not very long, and unfortunately the last level / ending part really soured me on the game because it decides to

completely change the gameplay to first person

(to the point I just looked up the solution on youtube) but it's otherwise a great puzzle platformer that is very much worth checking out, especially since it's on gamepass.

Game #06 - Raji An Ancient Epic
Time: 6 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★

Pretty cool indie action game reminiscent of Prince of Persia (especially the traversal) with some cool Indian mythology story and really cool visuals (I especially like the camera usage since it's a fixed angle game). Game play is solid if unimpactful because the sound design is very muted unfortunately, making every hit feel very soft, and while solid overall, it's pretty short and it shows some ugly jank in some of the platforms (and in a terrible set piece near the end). Still, I enjoyed it and given it's short runtime, it's a easy recomendation, especially on gamepass.

Game #07 - Rainbow Billy The Curse of The Leviathan
Time: 14 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★

Super wholesome Paper Mario-esque action rpg with great art, fun gameplay and a ton of the most positive, morale boosting writing you will ever see in a videogame (guys, there's a lot of writing in here), I was very ready to absolutely love this game for about half it's runtime, but unfortunately, it wears out it's welcome sooner than I hoped for and it gets very repetitous, to the point where in the final act I wasn't even reading the text anymore (doesn't help that all the good vibes writing, while comendable, also got a bit much for me). It'sclearly aimed at younger player, or parents with kids, and both the art and gameplay are good (combat system is very original), and it has a pokemon style collection thing going for it, but at the end of the day, while I would still recommend (especially for younger kids), I can't say I loved it like I thought I would when I started it.

Game #08 - Omno
Time: 4 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★

Really liked this one, 3d exploration game in the same vein as Journey or Abzu, with gorgeous minimalistic flat shaded art style and some good puzzles that never got too frustrating. It's pretty short (as is the norm for these style of games) as I 100% it in about 4 hours, you can easily finish it in less if you don't care about collecting all the stuff in each level. Good gameplay with new abilities popping up in each new biome, good music, just overall a super chill and enjoyable experience. If you liked the aforementioned Journey or Abzu, this is a very easy recommendation.

Game #09 - Phantom Trigger
Time: 4 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★

Real shame with this one, as this 2d fast action game, clearly reminiscent / copying Hyper Light Drifter's style, starts off really strong with some fantastic pixel art and some decent enough gameplay as you unlock various color based attacks, which made me wonder why it had such mixed reviews all over the place, but unfortunately I soon found out why. The game is super repetitious, you've pretty much seen all there is to see in the first level, and then it's just a slog as you traverse labyrinthian levels and kill more and more of the same enemies. The story is also complete nonsense, a take on split personality disorder that never works. Shame as it could have been much better, it's short enough and it's not like I hated it, but it's not particularly good and no where near the game it's obviously copying from.

Game #10 - Halo Infinite
Time: 20 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★

Very torn on this one, as for the most part I was really enjoying it and thought it was a solid entry (even tho I wasn't caring for the story at all), but the last act, ironically as soon as it drops the open world gameplay which everyone was worried about, it becomes a huge slog, with linear corridors, arena fights and awful bosses. The story is also terrible, as I went from not caring about what was going on to actually hating it, most of the story beats happen off screen or in holograms, it legit feels like there's a missing game between 5 and this. On the other hand, the gameplay is probably the best it's ever been for Halo, the grappling hook is super fun, and it looks great overall, but the final act really soured me on the whole thing, which is a shame.

Game #11 - Nobody Saves The World
Time: 18 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★

Another Drinkbox banger, this time moving away from metroidvania territory and onto action rpgs. Gorgeous 2D art as expected from them, snappy gameplay with a focus on the many different forms you can take, each with their individually skills and passives (eventually you can even mix and match skills from various forms, and a lot of the puzzles and challenge comes from finding the right mixes) and a very meaty campaign if you decide to tackle everything it offers, the only downside to the game is that it can get very repetitive, as the combat while good isn't particularly engaging, and the dungeons are just combat arenas, there aren't that many puzzles to solve. Still I had a blast and did all the content, if you don't mind the repetitive nature of these types of games (think like a more involved Gauntlet for example), and you like the Drinkbox style of humour, this is a easy recomendation.

Game #12 - Blaster Master Zero
Time: 8 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Really liked this one, a remake of the NES game Blaster Master but maintaining the 8-bit asthetic (meaning it's not exactly a Hollow Knight style looker but it does it's job), the game has some really unique gameplay mechanics between switching from tank to human, the 2d side scrolling levels common in metroidvanias but also sometimes switching to a ikari warriors style overhead shooter, there's a lot to like here. Fantastic level design with lots of upgrades and new weapons to find and unlock your progression, tons of bosses (in fact you need to kill every boss to get access to the final zone and true ending which was cool), and at a brisk 8 hours of runtime give or take, it doesn't overstay it's welcome. If you like metroidvanias it's a easy recomendation, even if the controls take a bit to get used to (you are for the most part playing as a tank afterall!)

Game #13 - Blaster Master Zero 2
Time: 9.5 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Fantastic sequel that is better than the first game in pretty much every way. Better gameplay (that falling from high places to get energy back sure was a unique mechanic), the top down sections are much more involved, it looks much better even tho it still has the 8bit thing going for it, it feels bigger (although it's about the same length, maybe a tad longer), just one of those sequels that really improves on everything and is a much better game for it. Easily one of the best metroidvanias I've played, really psyched to grab the third game now. Fuck that unnecessary ending picture tho, come on devs...

Game #14 - Shadowverse Champion's Battle
Time: 55+ hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

My first drop of the year, at least for now, and it's really bumming me out. I was absolutely loving the game for the majority it, it basically plays like a pokemon style JRPG except the battles are a full fledged MTG / Hearthstone card game. The story is light hearted and very anime, but you stay for the excellent card game, which it is. The problem is, when you reach the endgame, and I might just be salty here (git gud etc) but I'm almost positive the AI straight up cheats, the amount of perfect card combinations the AI plays over and over again completely locking you out is like something I've never seen in any card game. It completely sapped the fun out of the game for me (at this point I had over 50 hours in it) and I just can't be arsed with it anymore. Will I go back and finish it? Maybe, but for now, I'm done with it, uninstalled and thus it goes on the list.

Game #15 - Death's Door
Time: 11.5 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★★

This one on the other hand did not disappoint. A fantastic action rpg all around, with gorgeous gothic, almost studio ghibli style isometric art, snappy gameplay, and top notch level design, it's just a joy to go through, some nice hard bosses compliment the great puzzles and exploration. Some of the best secrets in the genre too, as they go with the great level design, and a surprising meaty post-game content to get the true ending, I really can't say enough good things about this.

Game #16 - Dysmantle
Time: 40 hours
Platform: Playstation 5
Rating: ★★★★

What a wonderful surprise this was, indie survival single player rpg, with a big focus on breaking apart pretty much everything in the game for resoruces (hence the name), very reminiscent of the Red Faction games in that sense. The sense of progression is fantastic, I like the cartoony look, there are a TON of skills and gear to build and upgrade, and it shockingly actually feels like a rpg, with lots of shortcuts to unlock, a ton of quests to do, and a decent story to back it up. Combat is very simple but serviceable, honestly the only downside, and it's a big one depending on the person, is that it's VERY grindy, and very long. The map is gigantic and you will need to dismantle a lot of shit for all the mats you need. I was never bored tho, so I loved it.

Game #17 - Guacamelee! 2
Time: 10 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Decided to finally play Guac 2 after Nobody Saves the World put me in a Drinkbox mood, and as usual, it's another fantastic entry from this studio. It doesn't change much from the original, but that one was already a very well crafted metroidvania, and this is no different. The meme joke is toned down (with a little jab at people that complained about it in the first game hah), but it has the same super colorful visuals, great gameplay with lots of secret areas to search for if you are so inclined. It's a little harder than the first game, with some really challenging platform sections, so that might be a turn off for some, but it never got too frustrating and it definitely did not take away from the excellent experience. Have I said Drinkbox doesn't miss?

Game #18 - Lost Ark
Time: 90 hours
Platform: PC
Rating: ★★★

Long awaited mmo action rpg finally hit the west, and even tho I enjoyed my time with it, it feels too little too late, and a particularly disastrous EU launch really soured me on the whole experience. It's really fun to play and looks great, with some really cool classes to choose and some of the most flashy and impressive spell effects you'll find in one of these games, but unfortunately the endgame is super grindy (to the point the recommended way to play is to have a bunch of alts funneling upgrade materials to your main character), and it has a million systems on systems on systems, typical of F2P games. And like I said earlier, the EU launch was terrible with ridiculous queues and even if you could get in, terrible lag or matchmaking straight up not working for days just soured the whole thing. It's a bit better now (I guess people either quit or are busy with Horizon and Elden Ring) but much like the game's release in the west, it's too little too late.

Game #19 - Elden Ring
Time: 200+ hours
Platform: Playstation 5
Rating: ★★★★★

Absolutely amazing game and easily my favorite From game yet, a lock for my game of the year, and probably one of my favorite games ever. Do I really need to elaborate? From did open world like few other games can do (except for BOTW I guess), with an amazing sense of exploration and discovery, this behemoth of a game (too big some, or many would argue) is full of incredibly hard encounters, but at the same time, it gives you more tools than you ever had to deal with them, should you choose to use them. Add to that the best build variety any Souls game ever had, amazing locations, more weapons than you know what to do with, the game is near perfect, and not even the re-use of bosses (which gets very obnoxious even for me) and the less than stellar performance keep me from absolutely loving this game. I rarely replay games, and I finished this one twice back to back (with new characters too, not even NG+!).

Game #20 - Echo Generation
Time: 8 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★

Cool little adventure game with turn based combat, Echo Generation does a lot of things well, but ultimately the full package is just ok. I enjoyed my time with it, from the colorful voxel-based graphics, the very decent writing, and especially the "kids go on a adventure" vibe, but some of the puzzles are very obtuse harking back to other obtuse point and click games, and often it requires some grinding to level up and be able to do some encoutners (again, harking to the jrpgs of old the combat is an homage to I guess). I sound more down on it than I actually feel tho, I did enjoy it as it reminded me of the Costume Quest games (another series I wouldn't call amazing but is certainly enjoyable), and I'd still easily recommend it, especially on gamepass.

Game #21 - A Memoir Blue
Time: 1 hour
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★

I'm usually very hit and miss with "walking sims" (which this isn't even one, it's more of a interactive story), I either love them or I really don't like them, and unfortunately this falls on the later category. Some cool visuals, especially when it blends 2d and 3d, but the story, what little there is since it's all very abstract, is as bland as it gets, and there is very little gameplay besides clicking things on screen to move the "game" along. Very disappointing., at least it's short.

Game #22 - FAR Changing Tides
Time: 5 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★★

Great sequel to one of my biggest surprises in the last few years, Changing Tides doesn't change the formula much, but it adds some new mechanics with a bigger boat, but the gameplay loop is still fantastic, a mix of chill sailing with light management of the boat, with paltform puzzle sections each time you run into an obstacle. Gorgeous visuals, great soundtrack, just a wodnerful time all around just like the first game. It doesn't bring much new things, but if it ain't broke don't fix it I guess.

Game #23 - The Artful Escape
Time: 5 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow, what a delight this was. Wonderfully psychadelic, with some of the best visuals and audio I've seen in a game in ages, it perfectly mixes both to give you an experience like no other 2d platformer out there. Mechanically it's a simple platformer with some simo-says style mini games, but that's not the point, the bizarre and wacky world you traverse in this journey is the point, and it's awesome. I loved this, it has a perfect length, actually good story, great voice acting, just one of those games that puts a smile in your face throughout.

Game #24 - Young Souls
Time: 10 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★★

The year of the indies continues with this awesome brawler rpg with flat out gorgeous 2d art, a meaty campaign with some shockingly good writing (I could do without all the cussing, even if it sorta has a point in the characters personalities I guess), and fun, if simple gameplay, this is just a great overall package for any fan of the brawler genre. Tons of weapons and armor to collect, a fantastic game progression that really rewards going for 100%, honestly the only negative thing I can say about it unfortunately is kind of a big one, as the game drops a late game gimmick on your for a few levels that really sucks the fun out of the experience during those levels.

For a few levels you basically only have 1 health and anything one-shots you

Still, overall I loved it and still easily recommend it.

Game #25 - Unpacking
Time: 4 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★

Cute little puzzle game about, well, unpacking stuff. Very simple premise, and very simple game if I'm honest, as there's very little actual "puzzleying" to do, but it's SUPER charming, looks great, and there's something weirdly appealing about arranging all these rooms. It's short so it doesn't overstay it's welcome and it's just such a joy to go through it's very easy to recommend if you're looking for a chill little game.

Game #26 - Olija
Time: 4 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★★

Fantastic little 2d action game, art style is ugly as sin but they actually do a lot with it, from little animations and story telling, to a overall gloomy athmosphere and vibe (that being said, I still think its an "ugly" game overall, and probably would be best played on something like a Switch on a smaller screen). Gameplay is great tho, with some really good level design and a bit of stuff to collect and upgrade, I just wish it was a little longer as I feel the game deserved a bit more meat in it's bones. On the other hand, it's breezy enough that it's easy to recommend for fans of 2d platformers / action games. Devolver really doesn't miss with their published games man.

Game #27 - Mighty Goose
Time: 4 hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★

An ok 2d shooter very reminiscent of Metal Slug, with some truly fantastic pixel art, but the gameplay is pretty basic and it's so chaotic, half the time you can't tell what hit you (not that it's hard anyway). It's also very short, so much so that it unlocks a NG+ "mirror dimension" mode when you finish, that just throws a bunch more enemies at the screen and gives them more health, and in the end, it doesn't even have a proper ending after that or a actual final boss, it just gives you basically god mode to replay levels I guess. Overall, I didn't dislike it by any mean, but I was definitely disappointed.

Game #28 - Infernax
Time: 10 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★★

I'm a huge fan of metroidvanias, but even I wasn't prepared for this fantastic Castlevania homage. Amazing 8bit style pixel art with some of the best gore around and a ton of little animation details, a meaty adventure with a ton of sidequests to do, various gear and spells to aquire and even tho it looks and plays more like old school Castlevania (good ol' getting bumped out of the air into lava by a flying enemy as you jump), the progression is definitely more modern with a map and going back and forth between locations. Got the best ending (which involves a final extra hard dungeon) so at about 10 hours it's the perfect length for the genre, I honestly can't praise this game enough, easily one of my favorites of 2022.

Game #29 - Monster Hunter Rise
Time: Ongoing
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Got back into Rise after not playing the last 6 to 8 months, and it's been a blast going through all the stuff they added post game, including the new ending and whatnot. Game is still absolutely fantastic, even if I'm still not a fan of the Rampage shit (really hope they drop this in Sunbreak). The added monsters are great, but I'm not sure how much of the post game grind I can be arsed with after doing the new monsters at least once, especially not when progression wise I'm now ready for Sunbreak which is just around the corner.

Game #30 - Lost in Random
Time: 15 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★

Been wanting to play this for awhile and thankfully it did not disappoint. Very cute action adventure with a very tim Buron-esque artstyle and story about this kingdom ruled by dice rules. Very original, both in concept and in gameplay, as it uses a weird but effective combination of deck building and real time action where you have to roll a dice to get resources to use attacks. Fantastic art style and a cute story makes this a very solid and very wholesome little game, the likes of which we don't see many these days (I guess The Gunk was another similar one but this is much better).

Game #31 - Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
Time: 2.5 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★

Cute little adventure game reminiscent of Zelda games (only at a surface level tho) with some neat art and some actually funny writing. It's very short, and very easy, but again, it's super cute and some of the gameplay and puzzles are pretty decent. It even has a true ending / secret boss, and a small rogue-like mode that opens up at the end, which earns extra goodwill points with me. I quite liked it overall.

Game #32 - Hollow Knight
Time: 31 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Replay of this all time classic, and it's just as good as I remember it. Switch port is absolutely flawless, looking and running beautifully on the Switch's screen, and the game itself is by now known to all as one of the best "metroidvanias" ever made (in fact, it is THE best in my opinion). I had only played the vanilla version previously, and I have to admit that the DLC didn't do much for me (nor did I complete it), it veered too much into the brutally difficulty of the game, and I guess I'm just not that into that aspect of games anymore (thank god for spirit summons and various other new accessibility options in Elden Ring), but the game itself is still amazing and well worth the replay. Now, about that Silksong...

Game #33 - Teslagrad
Time: 4 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★

Well this was a huge bummer after hearing so many good things about it. Let's get the good out of the way first, the game is gorgeous, especially on that big Switch OLED screen. Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't follow suit, particularly the mechanical aspect of many of it's puzzles and abilities. It's a physics based 2d puzzle game, so you know it's going to be janky, but most of the time I was fighting against the controls and felt the abilities weren't doing what they should be doing. It's not very long and it has a little metroidvania in it with it's new abilities and backtracking, but overall it was a huge disappointment and most of the time I was just frustrated with it.

Game #34 - Metroid Dread
Time: 15 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Let me get the bad out of the way, the E.M.M.I sections are just bad. There, that's it, that's all the negatives I have to say about this. Just a fantastic Metroid game all around, with a meaty campaign, tons of items to collect if you are into that, a giant sprawling world with lot's of bio domes, some of the best graphics on the Switch (damn it looks good on the OLED) and easily the best Samus has ever controlled, like I said, it's awesome all around, except for those E.M.M.I sections which can get real frustrating (and even if they aren't, they just break the flow of the game and don't fit in with what you want which is to explore).

Game #35 - Trek To Yomi
Time: 5 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★

One of the biggest cases of style over substance, this gorgeous cinematic samurai game is completely carried by it's art style and little else. Gameplay is super basic and worse of all, pretty frustrating, and while they try to throw in some exploration, ehalth and stamina pickups and a ton of moves, you end up just mashing the attack. Big disappointment, still worth a playthrough if you are into the style, especialyl since it's not very long. A rare Devolver miss.

Game #36 - Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Time: 10 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Hadn't played a Pikmin game in ages, only having played the first one back in the day, but I remember really liking it, and this latest one confirmed it. Just a super fun, super wholesome series, I loved almost everything about this, and a few little nitpicks make me not go the full monty on it. It's a gorgeous game and it plays great, but I never felt the multiple characters were used to it's full effect, the last level was really annoying and went against what I want from a Pikmin game, the main campaign is a bit short and the added Olimar side missions aren't very good, but like I said, these are all nitpicks in a otherwise great game. Easy recommendation.

Game #37 - Eldest Souls
Time: 6 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Great little 2d Souls-like with a major focus on bosses, which thankfully are very good and fun to fight. There is a little exploration to do and even some souls style quests, but the main event here are the bosses, and while hard, they never really felt unfair, and since it's super fast to just retry them (you just respawn in the boss room after each death), it never got frustrating. A fantastic skill system where you can assign "boss souls" to various skills in your tree and some gorgeous pixel art make this a great little, if short, game. They added a free expansion recently with 3 new bosses but unfortunately you need to be a bit deep into the game to access it, and my save is at the start of NG+ (it auto goes to NG+ when you finish the game which kinda sucks tbh) so I didn't check it out, so I guess as a final PSA, make sure to do those 3 new bosses before killing the normal last boss I guess.

Game #38 - Xeodrifter
Time: 2 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★

Replay time, and unfortunately this did not hold up as well as I remembered. A very simple (and VERY short) metroidvania that very much feels like "my first metroidvania", it's not terrible by any means and I did enjoy my time with it once again, but it's hard to ignore the floaty gameplay and recycled bosses. Some neat traversal mechanics and actual decent level design still make it worthwhile but probably only for the hardcore fans of the genre.

Game #39 - Kirby and The forgotten Land
Time: 15 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

What a absolute delight this was, easily one of my favorite games this year, Kirby and the Forgotten Land was just pure joy from start to end. Some of the best visuals you'll see on the system (at least portable), great soundtrack, a ton of level variety and a bunch of powers to use (each with multiple upgrades!) make this a complete must play for any fan of 3d platformers. It's easy for sure, and that migt put some people off, but there's some challenge in going for a completion run, but most of all, its just fun to play and experience.

Game #40 - Death's Gambit Afterlife
Time: 15 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Little torn on this one, it feels like a game I should have absolutely loved, but in the end, it was a fine entry to the genre but not much else for me. The pixel art is absolutely fantastic and the gameplay was quite good, but thhe progression seems a bit disjointed in a way I can't put my finger on, and ultimately the game rellies too much on redoing bosses and NG+ for my taste (I'm very much a one and done with games these days). Still, its very well made, the map is big and it has plenty of bosses to sick your teeth into, I would say it's a very solid metroidvania that falls short of the upper echelon of the genre.

Game #41 - The Solitaire Conspiracy
Time: 3 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★

Unfortunately I didn't like this one as much as most people seem to, as everything outside the actual solitaire gameplay did nothing for me (the cutscenes with Greg Miller and other "internet celebrities" really took me out of it to be honest), and the game is way too short if you just play the campaign, but some a really good art style and great solitaire gameplay still made this a fun, if short, playthrough.

Game #42 - Picross S2
Time: 40 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Another great entry in the S series, this one introduces the clip puzzles which... aren't the best. Just a collection of a bunch of small puzzles that make up a bigger image, most of them aren't very good those. the regular and mega puzzles continue to be great thho, but can't go the full monty until S3 which introduces the color puzzles. Still, if you like Picross and want more Picross, it's a no brainer.

Game #43 - Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight
Time: 5 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Took my time to finally play this one, mainly because I really disliked Momodora III, but thankfully this one is a much better entry in the series and is voerall a very solid metroidvania. Gorgeous pixel art and some solid (if basic) gameplay, coupled with some decent area variety make this a easy recomendation for fans of the genre, but it's short length and not many items or skills to collect make the whole thing feel a little basic. A clear case for a 3.5 if I gave half stars, but I don't and 3 feels lower than what I felt about it, so it can get a generous 4 since, like I said, its well made and certainly well worth playing.

Game #44 - Little Bug
Time: 2 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★

What a huge bummer this turned out to be, what starts as a cute little 2d platform game with a neat grapple mechanic (you control both the girl and the grapple points with both sticks, not unlike Brothers a Tale of Two Sons for example) and pretty good art style turned into an exercise in frustration midway through the game as it throws increasingly precise jumps and traps to avoid, all of which you have to do whilst controlling 2 things at once like mentioned. It's super short and I still just wanted it to end. Huge waste of a neat idea, to be avoided no matter how much of a fan od 2d platformers you are. I paid 99cents for it and still feel it was too much.

Game #45 - Brothers A Tale of Two Sons
Time: 3 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Replay of one of my favorite games of the last decade, and it totally held up, for the most part. Still one of the few games that does the whole "emotional videogame" thing well and one of the best cases of actually feeling like you are going on a journey or adventure (the amount of locations and puzzles you do in such a short game is pretty remarkable). The dual stick / dual character gameplay can get a little finicky especially but it's certainly unique, it still looks great (good Switch port too), and at a brisk 3-ish hours long, it's very easy to recommend. Overall while it didn't resonate as strongly with me this time around like it did the first time, I still really liked it.

Game #46 - The Last Campfire
Time: 8 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow this was a wonderful surprise, absolutely loved this puzzle adventure. Gorgeous art style, good puzzles that rarely got too frustating, a nice lengthy campaign, just a fantastic little package all around, highly recommended for people looking for a chill experience and like Captain Toad style games. One of my favorite games this year for sure.

Game #47 - Minoria
Time: 6 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★

A "spiritual sequel" to the Momodora series (same devs), I feel like I could copy/past what I said about Reverie and it would still fit. It's a good entry in the genre, with again some decent but very basic gameplay, the art style is good, with a 2.5 very clean look this time around (as opposed to the pixel art of the Momodora games), but overall this one didn't click with me as much as Reverie did. If Reverie was a 4 rounded up from a 3.5, this is a 3 rounded down (maybe I should start giving half stars >_>), as while still a solid metroidvania, it doesn't really do anything new or particularly exciting.

Game #48 - MO Astray
Time: 8 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

What a wonderful feeling when a game you've been hearing about for years actually lives up to the hype. MO Astray is an absolutely amazing 2d puzzle platformers with some of the best pixel art I've ever seen, some truly unique gameplay and some of the best puzzle platforming in the genre, this game completely blew me away and it easily became one of my favorite games in years. An absolute must play if you like 2d platformers, and the definition of a "hidden gem" since you barely ever hear anyone talk about it.

Game #49 - Batbarian Testament of the Primordials
Time: 10 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★

Pretty bummed out about this one, as it started with a lot of promise and some really original ideas for a metroidvania, but ultimately, the game is way too hard, confusing and overall just does not have the tight gameplay you would need for some of the challenges it asks of you. I ended up messing with the accessibility options midway through the game (it doesnt have traditional difficulty settings) just to get through it, and got a bad ending with no interest whatsoever in going back to look how to get the "good" one, as by then I was completely burned out and ready to move on. Shame because I do think it's not bad at all, it has some great ideas and some shockingly decent writing, it just crumbles under the weight of all the stuff it tries to do in my opinion.

Game #50 - Cuphead The Delicious Last Course
Time: 2 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Absolutely fantastic DLC for Cuphead that falls short of excellence just for the mere fact that it's kinda short, and one of the bosses really soured me on the whole thing. Still, visually stunning as usual for Cuphead, and same goes for the soundtrack, gameplay is till tight as ever and the few bosses that are in there are for the most part fun and challenging. I mean, it's more Cuphead, and Cuphead was amazing so it's kind of a no-brainer really.

Game #51 - Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak
Time: Ongoing
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Great expansion all around for Monster Hunter Rise that adds some cool new skills to use (on a game with already a bunch of combat stuff going on) and a set of tough new monsters to hunt, unfortunately it doesn't add as many new monsters as I hoped for (both in quantity and in originality, as a lot of the "new" monsters are just variants), and also, for me personally, Master Rank is starting to creep into "not fun" difficulty (I'm not very good at these games so this is very personal of course) so I'm not sure how much endgame I'll actually do as the last few fights before the credits rolled were already borderline breaking me, but still, overall I had a blast and im sure I'll keep playing as they add new content.

Game #52 - Alwa's Awakening
Time: 7 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★

Bit torn on this one, as it does a lot of things well, but the gameplay can't hold up to the rest of the game, which is a shame. Muchh like Shovel Knight, it goes for a 8-bit asthetic and both the visuals and the soundtrack emulate the era quite well, and the level and game design is quite good. Like I said, unfortunately the gameplay also emulates the 8-bit era, so it feels super stiff, unlike the aforementioned Shovel Knight or Infernax, which go for a 8-bit style but have moden gameplay, this doesn't, and with the amount of 1 hit kill traps, especially in the endgame, it can get frustrating (I straight up wouldn't have finished the game without using the respawn after dying option, because going back to a save every time would hahve been awful for me). I would still recomend it (again, especially with the respawn after dying option) as it's very well made, just go in expecting some old school stiff gameplay. I am however excited to try out the 16-bit inspired sequel, hopefully they tighten up the gameplay.

Game #53 - Yoshi's Crafted World
Time: 8 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★

Welp, this sure was disappointing. Pretty much everything about this was underwhelming to me, from the art style which is nowhere near as fetching as the yarn look from the previous game, the basic gameplay, the super uneven levels (some are great but some are super bland), just everything about it was a huge disappointment to me, to the point where I didn't care AT ALL about exploring the levels or collecting stuff like I usually do with Nintendo games. It also looks strangely blurry in portable mode, which was annoying. Shame.

Game #54 - Assasult Android Cactus +
Time: 3 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★

Promissing dual stick shooter that ends up being way too simple and short for it's own good. It looks and runs great, and the gameplay is fun for awhile, but with just one main attack and a alt fire to use, and each level consisting of small arenas, it gets super repetitive. theres multiple characters to use but I'd rather it was just one chaaracter with multiple weapons, and if you just stick with the campaign, you get through it in 2 or 3 hours easily. For those that are into scores and leaderboards there might be more to it, but for me it was a big let down.

Game #55 - Alwa's Legacy
Time: 7 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

One of the best sequels I remember playing, Legacy improves on pretty muchh everything Alwa's Awakening did, and is in it's own right a very solid metroidvania that I would easily recommend any fan of the genre to play (unlike the first one). The switch to 16bit style graphics is very welcome, especially when it's executed so well, the gameplay feels much better and much less "stiff", the abilities and upgrade system is better and the world is bigger with much more interesting characters. Tons of secrets to find and even side quests to do, just a very solid package all around, I really liked it.

Game #56 - Arietta of Spirits
Time: 4 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Well this was pleasant, gorgeous 2d action adventure, like Zelda-lite (very lite in fact), with a surprisingly good and touching story and decent gameplay. It's only issue really is it's short length, as you can easily finish it in 3 to 4 hours (too me 4 and that was doing all the fetch stuff), whhich is a shame because unlie some other short games that often "feel just right" or even overstay their welcome, this one feels like it could have used a bit more game in there. Still, I really like it, and it's a easy recomendation especially given how short it is, another case where if I gave half stars, I'd probably give this 3.5, but I don't, and I feel a 3 is too harsh given how much I liked it compared to some of my other 3/5 games, so it can have a generous 4.

Game #57 - Tails of Iron
Time: 9 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

HHave been wanting to play this for awhile now and thankfully I was not disappointed in the slightest. This 2d "soulslike" does pretty much everything I want from one of these, huge areas to explore, tons of weapons and armor to collect, really good gameplay with a block/parry/dodge system and very "meaty" combat (with one hand, two hand and ranged weapons to use at all times), challenging gameplay (but not up there with the hardest games for those worried) and some of the best 2d visuals you'll find, it really is the whole package in my opinion, and not even little nitpicks like the fact that the resistances on armor system being basically useless takes anything away from the game. The free post game update they included is pretty neat also, adding 5 new bosses to the game.

Game #58 - Shadowrun Returns
Time: 12 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Portable replay for this one, and it's still great to this day. Fantastic writing and some good strategy gameplay make this a joy to play, the story is simple whodunit story but it works well, especially when it goes into some crazy places late in the game, and playing this on the Switch worked great, even if the port is a little wonky, as I ran into quite a few bugs and times where buttons just wouldn't register. Still, overall it's a good port of a great game, and a easy recomendation for people getting into the trilogy, especially since it's pretty brisk compared to the later games.

Game #59 - Greak Memories of Azur
Time: 7 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Another day, another metroidvania, thankfully this one is not only very good, but has a unique gimmick that sets it apart from the rest, that gimmick being (eventually) controlling multiple characters, each with it's own abilities and combat style. Basically a metroidvania version of something like Lost Vikings of Trine, You start with just the titular Greak, but eventually you find your sister and control both, and by the end you find a third character and then you have three to control, which is where the game really shines as puzzles involve each character different ability (one can swim, one can use a hook etc). Story is your standard fantasy fare but it doesn't really matter, the visuals are absolutely GORGEOUS, and the gameplay is good enough, outside of what is probably the only negative the game had for me: the bosses. The problem being, it was actually better to do the bosses with just one of the characters, leaving the others in some safe place, than using all of them (you can press a button to lock them all together and you move the 3 as 1), because one of them always gets hit, or doesnt jump as high as the other, and its a bit of a mess, and the only thing in this multi-char design they couldnt seem to fully handle. Still, its a great one of these, and a easy recommendation for fans of the genre, it's just a hair away from that top tier status because of this boss thing.

Game #60 - Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning
Time: 62 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

One of my all time guilty pleasures, this third person action rpg isn't amazing by any means, but I always had a soft spot for it since it's basically a single player mmo, and I used to be huge into mmos (still am now and then) when it came out. Playing this on the Switch was fun enough, mainly since I played it at work where I could just veg out, do some quests, lvl up my character and watch some cool loking spells (much like a mmo), but it's one of those games where I like it for such a specific reason, it's hard to easily recommend. Even I was pretty much ready to be done with it by the time I finished, and I still had the DLCs to do which I pretty much just auto piloted through. Still, I had fun revisiting it, but I doubt I would have done so if it wasnt in portable form.

Game #61 - Picross S3
Time: 27 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

Right, so everyone knows the Jupiter picross games are the best picross around, and with S3, they introduce color puzzles, the last type of puzzle they introduced. Its another great title, with a ton of content as usual, but I'll save the 5/5 for later titles with more color puzzles (they are great but S3 only had a handful of them to start with), and also the game has way too many multi-image puzzles, whcih are my least favorite since they are usually just a bunch of small images which are not very exciting to do.

Game #62 - TinyKin
Time: 8 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow did not expect this one to be this good. A fantastic Pikmin-clone that is actually a much better game than te actual Pikmin games in my opinion, with much more streamlined (and thus less annoying in my opinion) minion controls, some very decent 3d platforming, gorgeous visuals and a ton of charm, this really is something special. It's not very long but it doesn't overstay it's welcome either, each level is just a wonderful sandbox of objectives to do, with really good level design and stuff to do if you are a completionist. If you have any interest in Pikmin-style games (or just 3d platformers in geenral) it is an absolute must play, easily one of my favorite games this year.

Game #63- Haiku The Robot
Time: 11 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Always a great feeling when a game lives up to the hype, and man does Haiku live up to the hype. From the first few moments you can feel it's going to be one of the greats, just a perfectly executed metroidvania, with a tight runtime, great gameplay, fantastic level design, ton of abilities and items to get, lots of secrets, lots of bosses, a true ending (and true boss), just everything you can think of when you think of "good meroidvania". It's a bit monochrome (but the pixel art itself and the animation is great) but that's about the only nitpick I can think of. Easily hangs with the big boys of the genre, and really should be talked about more. An absolute must play for fans of the genre.

Game #64 - Curse of the Dead Gods
Time: 50+ hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

This is a fantastic action roguelike that for the most part actually stands up there with Hades quality wise, but unfortunately a combination of way too much relliance on RNG compared to others like it, no meta upgrade system to help you "brute force" the game like most roguelikes have (it does have unlocks but nothing like health upgrades for example), and a HORRIBLE last boss that almost made me rage quit the game really drag it down. Still, even tho I sound negative, I loved the game, the majority of it is a blast to play until the final run (which is a combination of all the dungeons), theres tons of weapons with actually different gameplay between them, it looks and runs great, and I would still say it's a must play for fans of the genre, just be prepared for a ridiculous difficulty spike in the last level that really forces you to "git gud".

Game #65 - Shinsekai Into the Depths
Time: 10 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★

another metroidvania, but a very unique one as you play as a deep diver and the whole game (well, for the most part) is underwater, so the gameplay is very floaty (no pun intended) and slow, and it's hoenstly a bit hard to get used to. Once you do, and get over the physics-y jankiness of it, you'll find a very original take on the genre, with a big focus on exploration over combat. I really enjoyed it, as the uniqueness of it is a big strength in a genre that, let's face it, is super overcrowded these days, it's the right length for what it's going, it looks pretty good at times and there's still a lot of items and upgrading to do for fans of the genre. If you love metroidvanias and are looking for something a bit different than usual, give it a go, but it might not be for everyone.

Game #66 - Catmaze
Time: 8 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★

Decent metroidvania that unfortunately does nothing new or innovative, but at the same time it's base price is pretty cheap so it's hard to be too harsh on it. Pixel art is ok, reminds me of the earlier Momodora games, and the level design is actually quite good, but the gameplay feels super janky and basic, which really dragged the experience down for me. One of those that is only for the super hardcore fans of the genre that really need to play all of them (like me lol).

Game #67 - Astalon Tears of the Earth
Time: 16 hours
Platform: Switch
Rating: ★★★★★

Another one that completely lives up to the hype, this ended up being easily one of the best Metroidvanias around, easily up there wiht the greats, and easily (that's a lot of easilies) one of my favorite games this year. Maybe the best level/puzzle design I remember playing in a mvania (I would have to think about it, its up there tho), which makes up for the short comings in combat/gameplay (its completely fine, it's just that by emulating the 8bit era, it also emulates some of the 8bit era gameplay which lacks the finess of something like HK for example), the visuals are great for what it's going for and there are so many secrets and optional areas to go to I ended up getting 100% items and map just to get the real ending, which I very rarely do. Amazing game and a must play for fans of the genre.

Game #68 - World of Warcraft Shadowlands
Time: I dunno, a month's worth of sub time
Platform: PC
Rating: ★★★

Oh wow just noticed I did not have WoW in my list this year (well I was going to have it there for Dragonflight next month), I hadn't played it in longer than I thought. Anyway, resubbed to play the DF pre-patch and I actually got a lot of things done, between getting Season 4 keystone master for the mount, leveling up a bunch of new characters with the xp buff, check out the new (well new for me) zone, all in all, it was a good resub, and it deffo has me pumped for Dragonflight soon. And yeah I'm about to haev WoW twice in my list, it always happens when a new xpac comes out, and I only do it because I'm always already "done" with the 52 challenge so don't @ me :D

Game #69 - Ghost Song
Time: 9.5 hours
Platform: XBOX Series X
Rating: ★★★★

Ghost Song finally released and... it's good. It's fine. It's very well made. But it lives in a world when there's a new metroidvania around every corner, in a post-Hollow Knight world, or even in a world where some really good stuff came out after Hollow Knight like F.I.S.T. or Astalon or Blasphemous, all of which rise above the occasion, something Ghost Song simply does not. It looks great, it plays fine (but not amazingly), the level design is alright (but again, not amazing by any means), the systems are good and the story is actually pretty touching, but it just feels like something that would have wowed 10 years ago, but today it just feels like another one of these. I don't want to go 3 since that feels too harsh, it really is a 3.5 but since I'm not doing .5s, I'll give it a very generous 4. I really should start giving half stars next year.

Game #70 - Vampire Survivors
Time: Ongoing
Platform: Xbox Series X
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow this really came out of nowhere huh? Deceptively simple game with some actual depth in the builds you make and shocking fun gameplay for a game where you literally just move your character, and of course, INCREDIBLY addictive, nailing the "just one more run" thing better than most games out there. "Finished" the game but still have stuff to unlock, and more importantly, I still want to play more. Absolute banger, especially for the price.

Dest · Jan 1, 2022

Games completed this year.

1. Hylics
1/16/22 | TTC: 3 hours | Rating: 4/5

2. Borderlands 2
1/25/22 | TTC: 20 hours (estimate) | Rating: 3.5/5

3. Iron Lung
3/13/22 | TTC: 2 hours | Rating 4/5

Bastion · Jan 1, 2022

Game 1-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2(2011)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 1
-Starting out the year playing the sequel to the last game I beat in 2021. This game was quite a bit better than the first game but still very average. I am looking to play more older Potter games this year and hopefully will be playing the new Harry Potter game later this year as well. 6/10

Game 2-There Will Be No Turkey This Christmas(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 2
-This was a super cheap Christmas themed puzzle game where you have to find keys that will open doors and eventually escape. It is a stealth based game as you have to avoid being caught by people. It was a fun time. 7/10

Game 3-007 Legends(2012)-Xbox 360-Beaten on January 2
-I have been in the mood for games from the PS3/360/Wii generation lately and this one was a lot of fun. After bearing 007 Bloodstone a couple of days ago, I felt like more 007 action and this one fit the bill . A great time! 7/10

Game 4-The Juggler's Tale(2021)-PC via GPad Win Max-Beaten on January 6
-I enjoyed my time with this charming and short side scrolling puzzle game. It's puzzles weee pretty simple to figure out and was a touching story. 7/10

Game 5-Goldeneye 007(2010)-Wii-Beaten on January 8
This is the third Bond game I have beaten I the last ten days or so(Bloodstone and Legends being the other two), and this was my favorite one. Such a good Bond experience. 9/10

Game 6-Higurashi When They Cry Hou Episode 8 Matsurbayashi(2020)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 9
-What a finale this was! Great episode! It took me since last March to finish all eight episodes and what a ride this series was. Of course, I do think it could have been much shorter and better for it but I truly do feel like I know the characters very well after all this time. At some point I will read the console arcs but it's time for something different. 10/10

Game 7-Infamous(2009)-PS3-Beaten on January 14
-Continuing my focus on PS/360 generations games and I continue to really enjoy them. This game p, while not nearly as polished as today's game was just a fun game where I build up my posters throughout the game so that by the end, I am a badass. 7/10

Game 8-Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge from Master Collection(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 15
-I really enjoyed my time with this game. This game actually came out during the PS3/360 generation so again, I am focusing on playing games from that time. Really good game! 8/10

Game 9-Infamous 2(2011)-PS3-Beaten on January 19
-This game was a vast improvement from the first game except for the change in Cole. Not a fan of the new voice. Not a big deal overall. Had a blast with this game and look forward to Festival of Blood. 9/10

Game 10-Infamous Festival of Blood(2012)-PS3-Beaten on January 21
-So I have now beaten the entire Infamous series and they are a lot of fun. ImcN say that the PS4 games take the series to another level and I really hope this series gets a new game in the future. I don' t know if this game was needed but for what is basically DLC it was a lot of fun for three hours or so. 7/10

Game 11-Dying Light(2015)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 24
Wow! I was so impressed by this game and can't wait for the sequel in a couple of weeks. It's hard to believe this game came out almost exactly seven years ago. It holds up so well and it's a ton of fun! 10/10

Game 12-Dying Light The Following(2016)-PC via GPD Win-Beaten on January 27
-I really liked this DLC at first, it was quite different for the main game. It was out inn he country instead of the city and i had a vehicle to drive around. It was a lot of fun for the first couple of hours but then the back and forth across the land got a bit boring. I hope the sequel has fast travel as an option. Still fun and still looking forward to the sequel next week! 7/10

Game 13-Cyberpunk 2077(2020)-PS4-Beaten on February 3
-I know this game get a lot of hate but I loved it. The atmosphere and story were great and having Keanu Reeves as my partner was just awesome. Loved it! I would love a sequel. 9/10

Game 14-Dying Light 2(2022)-PS5-Beaten on February 15
-I recently beat the first game and loved it and the sequel was also a ton of fun. There were some frustrating platforming parts but I pushed through them eventually, I think I like the first one more overall, even though this game had a lot more polish. 9/10

Game 15-Persona 5 Strikers(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March 2
-What a great sequel! I liked the action combat better that the turn based of the Persona 5. Such a great move and it felt like Persona 5 in ever way outside of combat. 10/10

Game 16-Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March14
-Outside of FF1 and 2, I have now completed every major Final Fantasy game that isn't online. I really liked this game and can see why it's considered one of the greatest RPG's of all time. 9/10

Game 17 Ghostwire Tokyo Prelude(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March 18
-This was a visual novel to the upcoming main game. It was below average in my opinion and kind of boring. I still look forward to the main game. 4/10

Game 18-Aperture Desk Job(2022)-Steam Deck-Beaten on March 27
-This was my first game finished on the Steam Deck and it was a great little game that demoed all the controls for the Steam Deck. Great humor! Well done Valve! The only downside is that it was very short but it's a free game that is a tutorial. 10/10

Game 19-Ghostwire Tokyo(2022)-Steam Deck-Beaten on April 9
-I have to say that I was disappointed by this game. While it was ok, it just wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be. Maybe I should have played it on the PS5. 7/10

Game 20-Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin(2022)-Steam Deck—Beaten on April 14
-Really liked this game outside of it running pretty poorly on the Deck. The fighting in this game was a lot of fun even if the story was a bit nonsense. I will need to play FF 1 sometime In the near future. 8/10

Game 21-Enemy Front(2014)-Steam Deck-Beaten on April 16
I loved this game and it reminds me how much I miss games that have linear levels and are mostly focused on single player. The PS3/360 generation had a ton of these types of games but are dying out now. Any way a very solid WWII FPS. 8/10

Game 22-Red Faction Guerrilla Remarstered(2018)-Steam Deck-Beaten on May 10–This game was a lot of fun jsut destroying building and whatnot. A great time! My huge issue with the game is that I got to the second to last chapter and I can not get the new story mission to pop up for me to start. I spent several hours doing side quests think8 g that it would eventually pop up but it hasn't. I have given up and consider the game beaten. 7/10

Game 23-Call of Duty Black Ops 2(2012)-Steam Deck-Beaten on May 25
-A lot of people complain about Call of Duty games but I love them, specifically the single player campaigns. I beat this when it came out ten years ago in 2012, and this game holds up very well, especially on the Deck. What a rollercoaster ride!! 10/10

Game 24-13 Sentinels Aegis Rim(2022)-Switch-Beaten on May 28
-Really enjoyed this visual novel/tactics game. Quite a story but one you have to focus on as it doesn't go in order. Hope for a sequel someday. 9/10

Game 25-Mafia 3 Faster Baby DLC(2017)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on June 12
-I really liked this dlc as it was much different t for the main game. Taking down racists is always fun too. (9/10)

Game 26-Mafia 3 Stones Unturned DLC(2017)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on June 13
-This was a pretty good dlc. I really liked Donovan as a character so it was fine to have more of him.
(7/10)

Game 27-Mafia 3 Sign of the Times DLC(2017)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on June 14
-This was my favorite of the three story dlc's. It was horror based and it was just so much different that the main game. 10/10

Game 28-Mafia 3(2016)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on June 16
-I really thought this was a great game! I loved the time period! I do think the game should have been shorter S a lot of the missions you do pretty me in the same things every time.(8/10)

Game 29-The Quarry(2022)-PS5-Beaten on June 21
-I love these types of games and I wish there were more of them. Not many werewolf games so it was cool to see that, even thought I wish they looked more like werewolves. It was a good horror game and one I could play several times for all the different endings, 8/10

Game 30-Far Cry 5(2018)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on July 3
-This was a great game! I understand why some people don't like Ubisoft games as they all have a very similar formula but I really enjoy them. Now for the add ons. 9/10

Game 31-Far Cry 5 DLC Hours of Darkness(2018)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on July 6
-I really liked this Vietnam War dlc! We just don't see Vietnam war games very often so it was a lot of fun to play. 9/10

Game 32-Mothman 1966(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on July 21
-This was a brief, old school visual novel horror game that had a few puzzles within it as well, it was brief and ok over overall. 6/10

Game 33-As Dusk Fall(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on August 3
-I really liked this adventure games. It's in the same vane as of the Telltale games and I really miss those types of games. 9/10

Game 34-South of the Circle(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on August 18
-I really liked this adventure game. It had great style and also an interesting story. It only lasted about four hours but it all good. 9/10

Game 35-Stray(2022)-PS5-Beaten on September 3
-I loved this game! Playing as a cat was just something you don't do much in video games so it was quite novel. It really felt like a true cat. A great game! 9/10

Game 36-Simulacra(2017)-IOS-Beaten on September 11
-I play games very rarely on my phone but this tuoe of game is perfect for it. As September roles around, in-like playing scary games and this one was lent really scary but did have horror themes. I enjoyed it. 8/10

Game 37-Nex Machina(2017)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on September 17
-This was such an awesome game on the Deck. Just so much fun and gorgeous as well. I wish it did have a save option so I could stop but playing on easy gave me unlimited continues so I beat it in about an hour or so. Great game! 9/10

Game 38-We are OFK Episode 1Hooks(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 18
-First episodes of games like this are a bit slow as all the main characters have to be introduced. This one is no different. The music and graphics are gorgeous. Let's see what episode 2 brings. 7/10

Game 39-We are OFK Episode 2 Loops(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 18
-The second episode was a bit better than the first. It really is a slice of life visual novel. It's ok so far and I will continue it and see where it goes. 7/10

Game 40-We are OFK Episode 3 Smash(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 25
-The third episode in feel like I know the characters better now and it was an emotional episode. 8/10

Game 41-We are OFK Episode 4 Splits(2022)-PC via GPD Win Max,-Beaten on September 29
-This was a boring episode. I just didn't care about the character. 5/10

Game 42-We are OFK Episode 5 Mix(2022)-Switch-Beaten on October 29
-The finale was ok and it wrapped things up pretty well. Was it good?? It really. The entire series is a bit dull. 5/10

Game 43-Resident Evil 8 DLC Shadows of Rose(2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on October 30
-Loved this four hour dlc!! It was perfect for Halloween. Watch out for the mannequins-some of the scariest gaming I've ever had. 10/10

Game 44-Frog Detective 2 The Case of the Invisible Wizard(2019)PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 1
-This was a very brief mystery game that was pretty basic and not very good overall. 6/10

Game 45-Frog Detective 3 Corruption at Cowboy County(2022)-Pc via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 2
-I enjoyed this game a lot more than the last one. It was better in every way. 7/10

Game 46-Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2(2022)-PS5-Beaten on November 5
-I enjoy every Call of Duty campaign just as I enjoy summer blockbuster movies. Just fun and entertaining. 9/10

Game 47-11-11 Memories Untold(2018)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 7
-With Veteran's Day a couple of days away, I finally wanted to play and finish this game. The game is a powerful story if a Canadian and German soldier who's lives eventually intermix. Good story and beautiful graphics as well. 10/10

Game 48-New Tales From the Borderlands Episode 1 Start Up(2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 15
-First episodes in games like this are all about getting to know the main characters which this one does pretty well. I look forward to episode two. 7/10

Game 49-New Tales From the Borderlands Episode 2 Disruptive Product(2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on Novemher 15
-This was a great episode with lots of action-well for an adventure game that is. Really looking forward to episode 3. 9/10

Game 50- New Tales From the Borderlands Episode 3 Capital Pains(2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 16
-This episode was not as good as last episode but still interesting and I look forward to the next one. 8/10

Game 51-New Tales from the Borderlands Episode 4. False Advertising (2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 16
-Best episode yet. Lots of action as we approach the end of the game: Can't wait to see what happens in the finale. 9/10

Game 52-New Tales from the Borderlands Episode 5 Divestments(2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 17
-52 games!! This was a decent finale but I thought this episode dragged on a bit too long. 8/10

Game 53-Mirror's Edge Catalyst(2016)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on November 20
-After beating the original Mirror's Edge a couple of years ago, I finally got around to the sequel and I absolutely loved it! Such a fun game! 9/10

Game 54-Evil West(2022)-PC via Steam Deck-Beaten on December 5
-What a wonderful throwback to the PS360 era of games. A super fun single player game. Loves it!! 9/10

Game 55-The Dark Pictures Anthology The Devil in Me(PS5)-Beaten on December 30
-This was my favorite in the series. I liked the serial killer angle and there were sone good jump scares. A great addition to the series! 8/10

55 games completed this year.
Game of the year that I finished that came out in 2022: Evil West(So much fun!)

Best Overall Game I completed:
Persona 5 Strikers
-I loved Persona 5 and I loved this even more.

Steam Deck-25
PC via GPD Win Max-16
PS5-5
PS3-3
Switch-2
PS4-1
360-1
Wii-1
IOS-1

The Steam Deck took over my gaming life than year and I don't see that changing next year. My Win Max continues to get a lot of love as well. I didn't finish a single Xbox One, XBX, 3DS, Vita, or PSP game this year

ChrisD · Jan 1, 2022

"Only" got 42 in 2021, but reserving this on the off chance I actually keep a post updated for once lol.

Ojli · Jan 1, 2022

Year 4 let's go!

== 108% COMPLETE ==
Goal reached in week 48

Completed games: 56
Unfinished games: 8
Last update: Week 51

Total games played: 64
Total play time: 1023 hours
Number of 2022 titles: 17
Number of Game Pass games: 48
Number of finished Game Pass games: 42
Average playtime per game: 16 hours
Median playtime per game: 4.6 hours
Percentage of "entertainment time" spent on video games: 76%
Average time spent playing per day: 2.8 hours

Games

Rocket League | XSX, PC | Week 1-50 | 450 minutes
Exo One | XSX | Week 1 | 129 minutes
Lake | XSX | Week 1 | 326 minutes
Mortal Kombat 11 | XSX | Week 1 | 292 minutes
Race with Ryan | XSX | Week 1 | 80 minutes
Mighty Goose | XSX | Week 1 | 103 minutes
Unpacking | XSX | Week 1 | 190 minutes
Halo Infinite | XSX | Week 2 | 817 minutes
Valheim | PC | Week 2-4 | 2965 minutes
Pupperazzi | XSX | Week 3 | 190 minutes
Conan Exiles | XSX | Week 3-6 | 1725 minutes
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age | XSX | Week 5 | 2190 minutes
Yakuza: Like A Dragon | XSX | Week 3-10 | 4019 minutes
HITMAN | XSX | Week 8-9 | 525 minutes
HITMAN 2 | XSX | Week 9 | 381 minutes
Panzer Dragoon: Remake | XSX | Week 9 | 72 minutes
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy | XSX | Week 10 | 947 minutes
Tunic | XSX | Week 11 | 1016 minutes
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | XSX | Week 12-15 | 1242 minutes
Firewatch | XSX | Week 13 | 218 minutes
Bioshock Remastered | XSX | Week 14 | 648 minutes
Frostpunk | XSX,PC | Week 12-24 | 4504 minutes
Bioshock 2 Remastered | XSX | Week 14 | 622 minutes
Bioshock 2 Remastered Minerva's Den | XSX | Week 14 | 193 minutes
Bioshock Infinite | XSX | Week 15 | 579 minutes
Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea Episode 1 | XSX | Week 15 | 105 minutes
Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea Episode 2 | XSX | Week 15 | 167 minutes
The Ascent | XSX | Week 15 | 728 minutes
Memoir Blue | XSX | Week 17 | 57 minutes
Franken | PC | Week 19 | 65 minutes
Eiyuden Chronicles Rising | XSX | Week 21 | 673 minutes
INSIDE | XSX | Week 30 | 168 minutes
Stardew Valley | XSX | Week 30-38 | 16046 minutes
Infernax | XSX | Week 32 | 290 minutes
Umurangi Generation | XSX | Week 32 | 123 minutes
Telling Lies | XSX | Week 33 | 214 minutes
Myst | XSX | Week 33 | 228 minutes
Disc Room | XSX | Week 33 | 152 minutes
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion | XSX | Week 33 | 102 minutes
Signs of the Sojourner | XSX | Week 33 | 180 minutes
Unravel | XSX | Week 33 | 263 minutes
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider | XSX | Week 33 | 538 minutes
Escape Academy | XSX | Week 33 | 257 minutes
Sea of Solitude | XSX | Week 33 | 145 minutes
Vampire Survivors | XSX,PC | Week 34-51 | 5280 minutes
Two Point Campus | XSX | Week 34-35 | 2374 minutes
Tinykin | XSX | Week 35 | 358 minutes
TMNT Shredder's Revenge | XSX | Week 35 | 125 minutes
Flynn: Son of Crimson | XSX | Week 35 | 313 minutes
Assassin's Creed Origins | XSX | Week 37-38 | 1488 minutes
Metal Hellsinger | XSX | Week 38 | 206 minutes
Scorn | XSX | Week 41 | 352 minutes
Red Dead Redemption 2 | XSX | Week 45-48 | 3783 minutes
Somerville | XSX | Week 51 | 183 minutes
Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell | XSX | Week 51 | 325 minutes
A Plague Tale: Requiem | XSX | Week 51 | 847 minutes

Total cost of games played this year: 901 €
Approximated actual spendings in 2022: 68 €
Savings made: 833 € (roughly 12 AAA day-one releases)

Kendaskig · Jan 1, 2022

Got 36 in 2021. Ready to start again.

2022 - 13/52

1. Before Your Eyes (2021). PC. 8/10
2. Streets of Rage 3 (1994). Sega Genesis emulator on PC. Replay. 9/10
3. Resident Evil 4 (2005). PC. Replay. 13h 5m. 9/10
4. NORCO (2022). PC. 8/10
5. Metroid Dread (2021). Switch. 8/10
6. Elden Ring (2022). PS5, 49h. 6/10
7. Resident Evil 3 (2020). PC. 4h 30m. 8/10
8. The Quarry (2022). Xbox One X. 10h. 5,5/10
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (2022). Xbox One X. 7/10
10. Stray (2022). PC. 8/10
11. Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams (2001). Enhanced Edition. PC. Replay. 6h 30m. 10th September. 10/10
12. Nancy Drew: Treasure of the Royal Tower (2001). PC. 16th September. 6/10
13. Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion (2000). PC. 19th September. 7/10

beezer · Jan 1, 2022

2019 - 52 games completed
2020 - 52 games completed
2021 - 36 games completed

2022 - 12/52

1. Death's Gambit: Afterlife, PS5, 5th January, 26h. 8/10
2. Kena: Bridge of Spirits, PS5, 9th January, 16h. 8/10
3. Layers of Fear, X1X, 11th January. 6/10
4. Salt and Sanctuary, PS5, 12th January, 20h. 9,5/10
5. Olija, X1X, 16th January, 5h 47m. 7/10
6. Final Fantasy VII Remake, PS5, 2nd February, 38h 45m. 8/10
7. The Quarry, PS5, 18th June, 19h 13m. 7/10
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, X1X, 19th June, 3h. 7/10
9. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, X1X, 23rd July. 8/10
10. Stray, PS5, 28th July, 6h 51m. 7,5/10
11. God of War Ragnarök, PS5, 25th November, 55h 24m. 8/10
12. Cyberpunk 2077, PS5, 29th November, 39h. 6,5/10

BrickArts295 · Jan 1, 2022

Failed my 3 year streak T_T, let's see if I can do better this year.

*reserved*

Tambini · Jan 1, 2022

2017 - 84 games
2018 - 76 games
2019 - 70 games
2020 - 83 games
2021 - 67 games

#1 Yakuza 3 Remastered - Xbox - 18 hours - 7.0
The weakest game in the series so far, it's PS3 roots are quite obvious, I liked the different vibe the beginning of the game has and its a decent enough time but compared to the other games, the story isn't that interesting and the combat is a bit annoying

#2 Fable Anniversary - Xbox - 15 hours - 7.5
Pretty quaint by todays standards but the its a nice world to play around in. The game doesn't seem to mind if you break it a little bit, like there's a ton of money exploits I found by myself. There's some fun spells to use in combat and I just like killin' and questin'

#3 DOOM 3 BFG (Replay) - Xbox - 8 hours - 6.5
DOOM 3's alright. But it's not really want I want from a DOOM game. First time playing the newer BFG edition. The trick of spawning monsters behind you and having them jump out gets old pretty quick but lasts the whole game. It drags on a little too long in the end. Ikinda wished I was playing Eternal during this

#4 Control - Xbox - 11 hours - 7.0
I don't know if I just wasn't in the right mindset/mood but I couldn't really care about the story at all in Control, however I did enjoy the atmosphere and the combat once you get all the powers. I think I liked Quantum Break more.

#5 Far Cry Instincts - Xbox - 9 hours - 6.0
Weird game. The wiki says its a remake of Far Cry but it's completely different. Its a completely fine shooter to kill a few hours but the input lag/deadzones on the controls make it not very fun to play. I was impressed when I first loaded up a multiplayer map because it ran at 60fps and felt good but the campaign is 30 and feels very bad. The AI is really dumb which is sometimes benefical, sometimes infuriating. Relying on the stealth to work properly isn't worth it, run and gun all the way. Once you get the weird feral abilities it kinda turns into a mini Crysis, just not as good. Might as well play the sequel now

#6 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Replay, Co-op) - Xbox - 6 hours - 7.5
Well designed co op experience, good blend of twin stick shooting and puzzle solving. a little buggy and janky at times but in a co op setting this often just ends up being funny. The challenges are a good way of providing replay value and the difficulty is well balanced.

#7 Stardew Valley (Co-op) - Xbox - 72 hours - 8.0
Very chill and relaxing game with a lot of personality. Don't think I'd play a lot of it on my own but in co-op it's a great experience. A ton of content, we finished the main quests and all that's left is some very grindy completionist stuff, so gonna call this one here.

#8 Far Cry Instincts: Evolution - Xbox - 5 hours - 5.0
Starts off stronger than the first game as you start with all your powers unlocked and you get some open levels to play around in. Then it becomes very linear, frustrating and boring. And after playing the previous one not too long ago, safe to say I was sick of it by the end.

#9 Infernax - Xbox - 6 hours - 8.0
This was a nice surprise, a game I hadn't heard of until it dropped on Game Pass. It's Castlevania 2 but good! Challenging but fair and a suprising amount of content, especially with how repeat playthroughs can differ. Just the one for me though, for now.

#10 Elden Ring - Xbox - 90 hours - 9.0
I was very much looking forward to this, and it didn't dissapoint. The change to an open world was a total success in my opinion, like a kid in a candy store there are so many things you can see in the distance, ooh i wanna go there, ooh and over there. Not to mention all the small hidden surprises you find along the way. The combat has some fun upgrades with guard counters and being able to jump, just feels a lot smoother than Dark Souls.
The quests I found easier to follow this time and there's just some stunning locations, with art direction more than making up for the less than stellar technical side of things.
The only thing that needed some tweaking is the balance, both of the weapons (some builds are just over or underpowered) and the bosses (some are overtuned and their movesets a little over the top). Other than that I loved it

#11 Saints Row 2 - Xbox - 15 hours - 8.0
Upon first glance I was surprised as just how similar the game is to 1, looks identical (shit graphics honestly, even when it came out) with an almost identical map, almost felt like an expansion but it was still an improvement. I gotta say the radio soundtrack is A++, one of my favourites of any open world crime game, banger after banger. It's more generous than 1, with how much side content is required to progress the story and the main missions are better designed.

#12 Aragami 2 - Xbox - 20 hours - 7.0
Played this one co-op. It plays better than the first game, still janky but less so, so while the gameplay was better, with improved stealth mechanics and combat (although still not great combat), it is a more unfocused game. Rather than a linear campaign, it has a selection of maps that you return to again and again doing slightly different missions. It drags the length of the game out, but being co-op, it's still a fun time

#13 Guardians of the Galaxy - Xbox - 8.0
While the story and voice acting does a lot of the heavy lifting here, it can't be understated how good those aspects are. Like, I enjoyed these versions of the characters more than the movies. The length of time you get to spend with them helps I suppose. I think the gameplay was good, the team abilities are fun to use, but waiting for them to be off cooldown isn't, with Star Lords gun being fairly unsatisfactory. There's obvious room for improvement in the combat so I really hope we get a sequel

#14 Assassin's Creed (Replay) - Xbox - 15 hours - 5.5
Everyone knows what the problem with AC1 is by now, it was obvious in 2007 and it's obvious now. It's too repetitive, you do the same few tasks in each city, it does become quite mind numbing towards the end. In the last act of the game all the guards go on high alert towards you constantly and I was getting so frustrated just being chased constantly. I really dig the atmosphere and location which isn't one you see very often in gaming, and visually it still looks quite fantastic, although one of the cities in particular has such muted colours it's almost black and white. Wtf! I like the modern day plot, but the Altair plot is fairly non-existant until the last act.

#15 American McGee's Alice - Xbox - 8 hours - 7.5
When researching how to actually get a hold of this game I was surprised to see there was a HD port included with the sequel, which is on Game Pass, so that was nice. It does, however, control exaclty how you expect a PC game from 2000 ported to console to control. Some of the later platforming can be quite unforgiving, I was happy to see you can save and load whereever you want though, so never had too much trouble. The visual design is really strong, each level is distinct and pretty memorable, I was just overall impressed and had a lot of fun. I wondered beforehand if it was gonna be a little edgelordy but I didn't really feel that way. Combat isn't great but manageable, it kind of controls like a 3rd person shooter rather than a melee game so not too bad

#16 Medal of Honor: Airborne - Xbox - 4 hours - 6.0
Decent enough shooter but has some technical problems, hit dectection being the worst offender. It's really bad for some reason. The upgrade system is fun and encourages using different weapons and the semi open structure of the levels is nice, except each level is basically the same objectives

#17 Assassin's Creed II Remastered (Replay) - Xbox - 21 hours - 8.0
Huge improvement over the original, the story and characters are way better, the music is fantastic and much more variety in the mission design. The side content is nothing to write home about but still better than 1. It gets a little long in the tooth towards the end, and the remaster isn't particularly impressive.

#18 Koudelka - PS1 - 11 hours - 7.0
Interesting little game, it's a PS1 JRPG so obviously the battles move at snails pace. Which is where emulators come in handy. Without speed up, it would have been much more of a slog but I liked it, the story and voice acting is surprisingly good and it's a nice short rpg

#19 Mighty Goose - Xbox - 3 hours - 7.0
Not too much to say about this one, fine run n' gun that controls well and is entertaining for a few hours but I'm probably going to forget about this one pretty quickly

#20 Transformers: Battlegrounds - Xbox - 6 hours - 6.0
This would be real good as a kids first strategy game, as it is, it's a little too simple to be anything more than just okay. Just needed a little more, the mission design is very similar throughout the whole game until the final few missions, then when it starts to get a little more interesting, it ends

#21 Mighty Goose - Xbox - 3 hours - 7.0
Not an awful lot to say about MG, it's a simple run and gun that doesn't do anything exceptional but does it well. The controls are solid and the art is nice

#22 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Replay) - Xbox - 9 hours - 9.0
It's pretty amazing how a game that invented a subgenre still holds up as one of the best all these years later. It's a lil bit of a masterpiece, in gameplay, looks and sounds. I would say the 2nd half is a little imbalanced and there is some stuff in the game that is so broken OP, it's more fun if you avoid them

#23 Lost in Random - Xbox - 10 hours - 7.0
Interesting little game with a nice visual style and unique combat. The combat is fun however battles can go on too long and because it's a bit dependent on RNG, you can find yourself waiting around making the battles last even longer. Drags a little towards the end, few hours too long maybe, but I enjoyed the world and characters

#24 Resident Evil: Village - 12 hours - 8.5
Great entry in the series, not as scary as 7 but better in other ways. Loved all the exploration and the combat is improved over 7. The village and castle are super memorable RE locations. I want to know what Ethan ever did to Capcom, he gets absolutley tortured in this game

#25 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - Definitive Edition - Xbox - 20 hours - 7.5
The 80s vibe does a lot of the heavy lifting for Vice City, I think. Personally I prefer the atmosphere of GTA III and think the map is worse here. However there are improvements to gameplay, vechicles feel better, it has bikes and helicopters and there's more to do. The story peters out a lot in the 2nd half of the game, it makes the pacing feel a bit off. These things aside, GTA games are just fun and theres a lot of good radio tracks here

#26 Timesplitters - PS2 - 2 hours - 5.0
I know people liked playing this splitscreen but as a solo sp experience, it's not very good. Difficulty is very unbalanced with unfair AI, zero mission variety with objectives and the missions themselves are too short and simple, I appreciate it probably didn't have the budget of something like Perfect Dark but it compares very poorly next to it. I do like the varied locations the time travel aspect provides but there is no story or mission briefings so it feels like an unfinished demo. I'm aware 2 and 3 have more emphasis on the campaigns!

#27 Metro 2033 Redux (Replay) - Xbox - 8.0
Metro has great atmosphere and the shootouts can be pretty intense. It loses steam in a bit in last third. I played on ranger difficulty which removed the hud and make you/the enemy die a lot quicker, which added a lot to my replay

#28 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Replay) - Gamecube - 3 hours - 7.0
Nostalgia aside, it's a good but not great game, the hit dection a little wonky, it's way shorter than I remember but the gameplay is enjoyable enough and for the time, the way it captures the movie is impressive

#29 Resident Evil Revelations 2 - Xbox - 10 hours - 7.5
I liked this way more than Revelations 1. Enviroments are a little generic but I enjoyed both campaigns despite the kind of low budgetness of it

#30 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command - Dreamcast - 3 hours - 5.0
This is one I had as a kid but never finished before. It's just a fucking weird game, I don't know what they were on when they came up with it. On-foot racing is your Buzz Lightyear game?? Same dev as Toy Story 2 so I don't know why they didn't just make a clone of that, well props for trying something different I guess

#31 Spider-Man: Miles Morales - PS4 - 10 hours - 8.0
Liked the story and gameplay, same as the first game, just didn't hit me as hard the second time around, but still a good time. I do wish these open world games would use their open world in the mission design a bit more. I wanna swing outside in the missions, not be in some boring building!

#32 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Xbox - 2 hours - 7.5
I won't pretend beat em ups are one of my favourite genres but as a one and done in co-op, they're a good time. Music and graphics are super good

#33 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Replay) - Gamecube - 4 hours - 8.0
Nice improvement on the first game, loved playing this co-op as a kid. Pretty much everything is better, the combat feels smoother, the levels are longer and more epic, it's just a damn good movie tie in

#34 Wolfenstein: The New Order (Replay) - Xbox - 9 hours - 7.0
I don't really rate the shooting mechanics of the Wolf games that high, the aiming in particular feels really bad on controller. I also don't like the way it keeps taking away your weapons at the start of a level. The story and cutscenes are very high quality however

#35 Wolfenstein: The Old Blood - Xbox - 4 hours - 7.5
A little improvement on the first game. I like the stoney castley vibes of this one, but it has terrible final boss just like the 1st game

#36 Shovel Knight: King of Cards - PC - 6 hours - 7.5
There's definitley a bit of Shovel Knight fatigue by the time you get to King of Cards, but its still a quality game in a quality series. The King is a unique controlling character and the card minigame is fun

#37 Hollow Knight - Xbox - 24 hours - 8.5
Bought this years ago on switch and honestly got frustrated when I got really lost. Went in this time determined to finish it and I'm glad I did. I don't love the map system and think the charms could use a little rework but the things that matter most, the game gets right with exploration, memorable NPCs and boss fights

#38 Final Fantasy IX - PC - 30 hours - 8.0
The setting of FFIX appeals to me more than 7 or 8 and it's probably my favourite of the PS1 games now. The game does peak in the first half but honestly most JRPGs do. It's got a good cast of characters and I loved the FMVs as well

#39 Watch_Dogs (Replay) + Bad Blood DLC - Xbox - 40 hours - 7.5
Watch_Dogs ain't that bad, I actually like the city a lot, and when its rains and you go into first person driving around, the atmosphere is great! The protagonist is lame and hacking is not used that well as a mechanic, but I liked the missions and shootouts, did a lot of side missions just listening to podcasts and idk, my dumb brain was happy to keep playing

#40 Olija - Xbox - 3:30 hours - 7.5
level design good and art good, town building underbaked
Pretty neat, it ends far too quickly and the town building aspect is underbaked but the visual style is nice but well made combat and exploration make for a nice little game. Fun boss fights!

#41 Killzone Liberation - PSP - 7 hours - 6.0
Had this game way back when and was always fond of it, just never finished. And no shit I didn't finish it, this game is hard as hell. I like the way it plays some little control issues aside but the difficulty ramps up way too much in the end of the game so it just gets frustrating. Almost a great game.

#42 Torchlight (Replay) - Xbox - 6 hours - 7.0
Played this before on PC but downloaded the xbox version on a whim as it was free and was nicely surprised that it controls and plays really well, 60fps too! Very simple Diablo clone and pretty much everything is improved in the sequel but it's a likeable game with nice vibes

#43 Kaze and the Wild Masks - Xbox - 6 hours - 7.5
Was really in the mood for a 2d platformer and had heard this DKC inspired game was good, and yeah, it's pretty good. Tight controls, decent challenge and looks way better in motion than in screenshots.

#44 Hell Pie - Xbox - 7:30 hours - 7.5
The main mechanic Hell Pie has going for it is the swinging, which is pretty fun especially once you're upgraded a bit. I wish it had been a little more challenging with the platforming as you could design some pretty tricky stuff around the swinging but it's fairly chill. It's got it's fair share of jank, and the framerate is unbeliveable at times, on a series S, to the point I think it must be a bug. I'm talking framerates in the teens

#45 What Remains of Edith Finch - Xbox - 2 hours - 8.0
Not my type of game usually but I liked this one a lot. The individual stories are creative and memorable and maybe the conclusion felt a tiny bit unsatisfying, it's the journey that counts right

#46 Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe - Xbox - 4:30 hours - 7.0
I'm pretty nostalgic for the old AVGN episodes so there was a lot of funny references in here, and other than that its a pretty decent pair of retro platformers that provide a good challenge

#47 A Plague Tale: Innocence - Xbox - 11 hours - 8.0
Game looks gorgeous, the story and seeing new locations was main motivator rather than the gameplay although the game introduces enough new mechanics to keep it from getting stale

#48 Bowser's Fury - Switch - 6 hours - 8.5
I mean Nintendo just know how to make a good platformer, they hit differently. I just wanted a bit more, really hoping for a new full length 3D Mario soon. Doesn't control quite as well as Odyssey but still a blast to play

#49 Metal: Hellsinger - Xbox - 6 hours - 8.0
Honestly feels like it has a higher budget than it probably does, looks and plays really great and the mechanic of killing to the beat of the ryhthm feels fantastic when you get into a groove

#50 Deathloop - Xbox - 16 hours - 8.0
It's a bit confusing and overwhelming at first but eventually clicks, and Arkane know how to do good exploration that feels rewarding, which makes up for the not so amazing gunplay

#51 South Park: The Fractured But Whole - PC - 18 hours - 7.5
Not as funny or fresh as Stick of Truth but still enjoyable with some laugh out loud moments and the combat is improved this time round

#52 Pokemon Legends Arceus - Switch - 26 hours - 7.5
Liked the exploration, and catching Pokemon in real time, didn't like changes that simplify the battle system a bit too much and the novelty begins to wear off in the second half. The flaws become more apparent the longer the game goes on
I stopped short of the true true ending which requires catching everything but the boss just prior to this was actually really hard so that's good enough for me

#53 Life is Strange: True Colors - Xbox - 10 hours - 7.0
overall enjoyed my time in Haven Springs, I like the setting and the main character a lot but dissapointingly the plot altogether is a bit weak and gets very messy as it rushes towards the conclusion.

#54 Yakuza 4 - Xbox - 20 hours - 7.5
Slowly working my way through the series, otherwise the burnout would be real! In this one I liked the way the four stories come together, although not every character was super likeable. Other than that its the same as the others pretty much

#55 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 - Xbox - 15 hours - 8.5
I was so bad at the start having only played a little bit of 3 back in the day but kept at it and got decent enough by the end to complete all the goals and medals etc. and I loved playing it! Gameplay is endlessly fun and replayable

#56 Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - PC - 8 hours - 7.0
I liked the story and voice acting and first half of the game was really fun but the second half way had annoying and difficult puzzles that were just frustrating so I ended up using a guide for a lot of them

#57 Prodeus - Xbox - 9 hours - 8.0
The shooting is very satisfying and chaotic and its got good level design and a cool pixelated art style

#58 Dead Space (Replay) - Xbox - 8 hours - 8.5
A classic of the genre at this point and I'm looking forward to eventually playing the remake

#59 Dead Space Mobile - Android - 3 hours - 6.0
Impressed at how it looks and sounds for an older mobile game, feels like lost PS2 Dead Space game. It does lack a bit in level design and the controls while serviceable, can be finnicky

#60 Gears of War: Judgment - Xbox - 6 hours - 8.0
I don't hear people talk about this one much but I really liked it. Looks great for the 360, the arcadey missions with the optional modifiers make for a nice change of pace from a normal gears campaign and they constantly keep you on your toes

#61 Asterigos: Curse of the Stars - PC - 18 hours - 7.5
Combat feels good and levels have that souls type of exploration which is a nice dopamine hit.
The devs clearly enjoyed crafting the world because there is a LOT of dialogue and conversations go on and on and on. I wasn't there for that shit though I just liked exploring and killing

#62 Gregory Horror Show - PS2 - 5 hours - 7.5
After scaring the crap out of me a kid, I finally went back to finish this game. It's a cool game but it could do a little more with the idea, the gameplay is a little one note but its full of character

#63 Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs - Xbox - Xbox - 4 hours - 5.0
Blehh this is not a good follow up to The Dark Descent. Puzzles are reused from the 1st game, pretty much everything was worse. The monsters are more goofy than scary and the story was not interesting and didn't make sense

#64 Crysis 3 Remastered - Xbox - 7 hours - 6.5
I kinda hoped the levels to be a bit more open, like Crysis 1 but its more like the 2nd game. Which is fine it's still fun enough but bigger levels with more player agency suits the crysis gameplay a lot more

Blindy · Jan 1, 2022

Hit 57 games this year, time to go to work this year.....

PS5:
9) Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds DLC 2/12-2/14
10) Elden Ring 2/25-3/13, 3/19-3/20, 3/27
15) Bugsnax: Isle of Bigsnax DLC 5/8, 5/14
17) A Plague's Tale: Innocence 5/28, 5/30, 6/4, 6/6, 6/9
18) One Night Stand 6/10(Platinum)
22) Toy Story 2 6/18-6/22
23) Last Stop 6/22, 6/25-6/26
29) Stray 7/22, 7/24
36) A Hat In Time 8/25-8/28, 9/3-9/4
39) Pumpkin Jack(Platinum) 9/30-10/1
41) Overwatch 2 10/5-10/8, 10/10, 10/15, 10/21-10/23
God of War: Ragnarok 11/9, 11/11-
Horizon: Forbidden West 2/18-

XBX:
1) Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice 1/3, 1/5-1/6
3) The Medium 1/8-1/9
7) The Forgotten City 1/15, 1/17, 1/21
28) A.I. The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative 6/26, 7/1-7/4, 7/6-7/18
30) As Dusk Falls 7/25-7/26
31) Road 96(100% Achievements) 8/3-8/6
32) Boyfriend Dungeon 8/6-8/7
33) What Remains of Edith Finch 8/10
37) The Artful Escape 9/10, 9/13-9/14
46) Somerville 11/15
47) Vampire Survivors 11/11-11/13, 11/16, 11/23, 11/28
49) A Plague's Tale: Requiem 10/17-10/18, 11/3, 12/1-12/4
50) The Quarry 12/6, 12/11-12/12, 12/17-12/18
51) High on Life 12/12-12/13, 12/18-12/19
53) Signalis 12/23-12/25

Switch:
8) Pokemon Legends Arceus: 1/28-2/6, 2/10
12) Kirby & The Forgotten Land: 3/26-3/27, 4/2-4/3, 4/6, 4/9-4/10, 4/15-4/16
24) Pocky & Rocky Reshrined 6/24-6/26
38) Splatoon 3 9/10, 9/17-9/18, 9/24
42) Bayonetta 2 9/27-9/28, 10/1,10/16, 10/24-10/25
48) Pokemon Scarlet 11/18-11/20, 11/24-12/2
52) Mega Man 11 12/17, 12/20-12/21
Syberia 12/29-
Frogun 8/3, 8/6, 8/14
Shin Megami Tensei V: 11/13/2021-12/7/2021,12/25/2021-1/7/2022, 1/15-1/28,

PS4:
2) Mega Man 10 1/5-1/6
11) The Quiet Man 4/10
14) Travis Strikes Back: No More Heroes Complete Edition 4/30-5/2, 5/7
16) Spirit Hunter: Death Mark(Platinum) 4/19, 4/25, 5/16-5/21
27) Fall Guys Ultimate Edition 7/3-7/4
43) The Walking Dead: Season 1+ 400 Days DLC 11/1, 11/3, 11/5

XB1:
4) Touhou Luna Nights 1/13
5) Archvale 1/12, 1/14-1/15
6) Mighty Goose 1/19
21) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge 6/18
25) Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course 6/30-7/1
26) Unpacking(100% completion) 7/4
34) Coffee Talk(100% completion) 8/20-8/21
35) Tinykin 9/2-9/3
40) Beacon Pines(100% completion) 10/11, 10/13-10/15
44) Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion 11/9-11/10
45) Firewatch 11/13-11/14
Digimon Survive 12/5, 12/7, 12/10, 12/24, 12/26-

3DS:

PS3:
13) Sly Cooper & Thievious Raccoonus: 4/17-4/19
19) Sly 2 5/29-5/30, 6/5, 6/9, 6/11-6/12, 6/14

PSP/PS Vita:

PC:
20) Her Story 6/18

Smooth Criminal · Jan 1, 2022

Hey, I'll give it a go. Towards the end of 2021 I wished I had been making a note of those games I completed, especially because I blitzed through quite a bit in December. My first for the year will be Guardians of the Galaxy (2021) on PS5.

Luxuria · Jan 1, 2022

I'll have to push myself but let's see how far I get.

Reserved.

Xadra · Jan 1, 2022

COMPLETED 52/52

Notes: I'm currently (near the end of October) playing Marvel Snap and Overwatch 2 (and a bit of Legends of Runeterra), but neither of those has been counted yet. Sonic Origins was added as 1 game and not as multiple entries (just because of a personal preference). I don't count expansions (e.g. Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear) as a game.

Sorry, but I'll just add screenshots of backloggd (Highly recommended) tracking website. I thoroughly keep track of every game I played this year, including hours and days when I started/finished playing a game.

I can't recommend backloggd.com enough. It's a nice tracking website, you can display your collection in a clear and visual way, has a lot of tracking features. Plus, the developer is active in discord and constantly listens to feedback.

Backloggd - A Video Game Collection Tracker

Keep a virtual backlog of your video game collection, then rate and review the ones you've played to share with your friends!

www.backloggd.com

Bernkastel · Jan 1, 2022

2019 | 71 Games
2020 | 69 Games
2021 | 53 Games

The Medium (XSX) - 04/01 - 8hrs
The Gunk (XSX) - 07/01 - 5hrs
Genshin Impact: Enkanomiya (PS5) - 22/01 - 15hrs
Halo Infinite (XSX) - 07/02 - 13hrs
Telling Lies (XSX) - 11/02 - 7hrs
Death's Door (XSX) - 13/02 - 9hrs
Record of Lodoss War Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (XSX) - 14/02 - 6hrs
Mortal Shell (XSX) - 16/02 - 8.5hrs
Sackboy A Big Adventure (PS5) - 19/02 - 12hrs
The Ascent (XSX) - 24/02 - 13hrs
Sable (XSX) - 28/02 - 13hrs
The Pedestrian (XSX) - 02/03 - 4hrs
Elden Ring (PS5) - 10/04 - 190hrs
Paradise Killer (XSX) - 16/04 - 14hrs
Tunic (XSX) - 20/04 - 15hrs
Kentucky Route Zero (XSX) - 24/04 - 12hrs
Guardians of the Galaxy (XSX) - 29/04 - 16hrs
Life is Strange True Colors (XSX) - 03/05 - 12hrs
Horizon Forbidden West (PS5) - 24/05 - 72hrs
Deathloop (PS5) - 02/06 - 30hrs
Wild West (XSX) - 08/06 - 21hrs
Eiyuden Chronicles Rising (XSX) - 13/06 - 20hrs
Trek to Yomi (XSX) - 14/06 - 4hrs
Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5) - 09/07 - 86hrs
The Looker (PC) - 10/07 - 2hrs
Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated (PS5) - 12/07 - 13hrs
Road 96 (XSX) - 16/07 - 10hrs
Ion Fury (PS5) - 20/07 - 17hrs
Genshin Impact: Golden Apple Archipelago (PS5) - 24/07 - 20hrs
As Dusk Falls (XSX) - 27/07 - 8hrs
Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart (PS5) - 01/08 - 17hrs
Disco Elysium (PS5) - 16/08 - 49hrs
Genshin Impact: Chasm (PS5) - 18/08 - 16hrs
Omori (XSX) - 27/08 - 35hrs
Stray (PS5) - 31/08 - 8hrs
The Dark Pictures Little Hope (PS5) - 02/09 - 6hrs
The Wonderful 101 (PS5) - 13/09 - 13hrs
Toem (PS5) - 14/09 - 5hrs
Returnal (PS5) - 20/09 - 26hrs
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (PS5) - 24/09 - 16hrs
Mafia Definitive Edition (PS5) - 26/09 - 10hrs
Mafia 2 Definitive Edition (PS5) - 28/09 - 9hrs
The Last of Us Part 1 (PS5) - 04/10 - 21hrs
Immortality (XSX) - 07/10 - 9hrs
Fuga Melodies of Steel (XSX) - 13/10 - 30hrs
Scorn (XSX) - 15/10 - 5hrs
Beacon Pines (XSX) - 17/10 - 6hrs
Coffee Talk (XSX) - 18/10 - 5hrs
A Plague Tale: Requiem (XSX) - 23/10 - 22hrs
Amnesia Rebirth (XSX) - 26/10 - 11hrs
God of War (PS5) - 30/10 - 18hrs
Signalis (XSX) - 02/11 - 12hrs
The Secret of Monkey Island (XSX) - 07/11 - 7hrs
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (XSX) - 09/11 - 8hrs
God of War Ragnarok (PS5) - 01/12 - 54hrs
Return to Monkey Island (XSX) - 05/12 - 10hrs
Citizen Sleeper (XSX) - 09/12 - 10hrs
Norco (XSX) - 12/12 - 8hrs
Pentiment (XSX) - 20/12 - 19hrs
Silent Hill 2 (PS2) - 24/12 - 8hrs
Tinykin (XSX) - 27/12 - 8.5hrs

Zaimokuza · Jan 1, 2022

Reserved.

I did it last year I hope I'll do it again.
I finished my 3ds backlog. I've cut some games, but I'm really proud of myself for finally being able to retire it
PSA: SMT 3 and 4 are literally half their how long to beat estimate if you play them on easy mode

LonestarZues · Jan 1, 2022

Reserved. Going for the 5th year in a row!

Nbz · Jan 1, 2022

Alright time for another year of this madness. Broke a record last year with 78 games which is a bit ridiculous, dunno if I'll manage that again.

January

1. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - 01/01/22
2. Exo One - 02/01/22
3. AI: The Somnium Files - 09/01/22
4. The Pathless - 23/01/22
5. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure - 23/01/22
6. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series - 26/01/22
7. Astro Boy: Omega Factor - 26/01/22
8. Mario Pinball Land - 27/01/22

February

9. Sonic Advance 2 - 03/02/22
10. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile - 06/02/22
11. Nobody Saves the World - 07/02/22
12. Pokémon Legends: Arceus - 13/02/22
13. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - 19/02/22
14. Lost Ark - ONGOING
15. Final Fantasy I (Dawn of Souls) - 24/02/22
16. OlliOlli World - 25/02/22
17. If Found... - 27/02/22

March

18. Triangle Strategy - 19/03/22
19. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - ONGOING
20. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 31/03/22

April

21. A Memoir Blue - 01/04/22
22. Aperture Desk Job - 03/04/22
23. Kirby's Dream Land - 05/04/22
24. Tunic - 12/04/22
25. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - 17/04/22
26. Kirby's Dream Land 2 - 27/04/22

May

27. Nintendo Switch Sports - ONGOING
28. Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition - 02/05/22
29. Norco - 06/05/22
30. Illusion of Gaia - 08/05/22
31. Below The Ocean - 12/05/22
32. Toodee and Topdee - 14/05/22
33. Deltarune: Chapter 1 - 18/05/22
34. Gloomy Eyes - 21/05/22
35. Citizen Sleeper - 26/05/22

June

36. Deltarune: Chapter 2 - 22/06/22
37. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout - ONGOING
38. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - 25/06/22
39. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - 26/06/22
40. Landlord of the Woods - 27/06/22

July

41. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course - 01/07/22
42. Elden Ring - 09/07/22
43. Chasm - 11/07/22 (DNF)

August

44. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 11/08/22
45. The Case of the Golden Idol - 16/08/22

September

46. Live A Live - 04/09/22
47. Immortality - 07/09/22
48. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward - 17/09/22
49. Splatoon 3 - 20/09/22
50. Drill Dozer - 22/09/22
51. Tinykin - 22/09/22

October

52. Escape Academy - 02/10/22
53. Overwatch 2 - ONGOING
54. PowerWash Simulator - 15/10/22
55. Owlboy - 16/10/22
56. Metal Hellsinger - 16/10/22
57. Vampire Survivors - ONGOING
58. AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative - 29/10/22

November

59. God of War Ragnarök - 13/11/22
60. Lunistice - 19/11/22

December

61. Pokémon Violet - 01/12/22
62. Pentiment - 03/12/22
63. A Plague Tale: Innocence - 06/12/22
64. Bayonetta 3 - 09/12/22
65. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure - 12/12/22
66. Yakuza: Like A Dragon - 23/12/22

dgamemaster · Jan 1, 2022

My depression and hardware issues made me lose my write ups from the previous year, but when one fails, it's best to try again. Claiming a post for this year right here, we'll see what happens.

CrazyAznKT · Jan 1, 2022

This going to be a hectic year for me, fingers crossed on hitting 52!

Previous Years:
2021 - 54 games
2020 - 57 games
2019 - 56 games
2018 - 70 games

01. Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch) | Jan 6th - 11hrs | 5/5

02. Hitman (2016) (PS4) | Jan 9th - 5hrs | 5/5

03. Hitman 2 (PS4) | Jan 13th - 14hrs | 5/5

04. Hitman III (PS5) | Jan 15th - 8hrs | 5/5

05. Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memories (PS4) | Jan 17th - 37hrs | 5/5

06. Judgement (PS4) | Jan 19th - 62hrs | 5/5

07. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch) | Jan 23rd - 17hrs | 5/5

08. Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Switch) | May 20th - 102hrs | 5/5

09. Pokemon Shield - The Crown Tundra (Switch) | May 22nd - 12hrs | 4/5

10. Sniper Elite 5 (PS5) | Jun 11th - 45hr | 5/5

11. Poinpy (iPad) | Jun 14th - 4hrs | 3/5

12. Maneater: Truth Quest (PS5) | Jun 14th - 5hrs | 3/5

13. Maquette (PS5) | Jun 20th - 5hrs | 3/5

14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (PC) | Jun 20th - 4hrs | 4/5

15. Hatoful Boyfriend (PS4) | Jun 22nd - 10hrs | 3/5

16. Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star (PS4) | Jun 23rd - 6hrs | 3/5

17. Picross S GENESIS & Master System Edition (Switch) | Jun 23rd - 22hrs | 5/5

18. Monster Hunter Rise (Switch) | Jun 29th - 119hrs | 5/5

19. Elite Beat Agents (NDS) | Jun 30th - 6hrs | 5/5

20. Casual Birder (Playdate) | Jul 1st - 3hr | 4/5

21. Boomerang X (Switch) | Jul 5th - 2hrs | 4/5

22. Little Nightmares (Switch) | Jul 7th - 2hr | 4/5

23. Little Nightmares: Secrets of the Maw (Switch) | Jul 8th - 2hr | 3/5

24. Bloom (Playdate) | Jul 9th - 6hr | 5/5

25. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (Switch) | Aug 1st - 59hrs | 5/5

26. Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood (PS5) | Aug 2nd - 100hrs | 4/5

27. Pick Pack Pup (Playdate) | Aug 5th - 2hrs | 3/5

28. Bayonetta (PS4) | Aug 26th - 25hrs | 5/5

29. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS) | Aug 29th - 29hrs | 4/5

30. Splatoon 2 (Switch) | Aug 29th - 10hrs | 4/5

31. Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion (Switch) | Sept 1 - 10hrs | 5/5

32. Luminous Avenger iX 2 (Switch) | Sept 1 - 4hrs | 3/5

33. Little Inferno (Switch) | Sept 2nd - 3hrs | 3/5

34. Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon (Switch) | Sept 2nd - 3hrs | 4/5

35. Blazing Chrome (Switch) | Sept 2nd - 2hrs | 4/5

36. Hoa (Switch) | Sept 3rd - 2hrs | 3/5

37. A Short Hike (Switch) | Sept 4th - 3hrs | 5/5

38. Flipper Lifter (Playdate) | Sept 4th - 2hrs | 3/5

39. Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PS1) | Oct 10 - 10hrs | 5/5

40. Pac Man Championship Editions DX+ (PS3) | Oct 16th - 4hrs | 4/5

41. Resident Evil 2: Dualshock Edition (PS1) | Oct 18th - 9hrs | 5/5

42. Resident Evil: Village - Shadow of Rose (PS5) | Oct 31st - 4hrs | 4/5

43. Bayonetta 2 (Switch) | Nov 10th - 16hrs | 4/5

44. Sniper Elite 5 DLC | Dec 1st - 10hrs| 3/5

45. Picross S7 (Switch) | Dec 3rd - 25hrs | 5/5

46. Pokemon Scarlet (Switch) | Dec 10th - 108hrs | 4/5

47. Toree 3D (Switch) | Dec 10th - 1hr | 3/5

48. Toree 2 (Switch) | Dec 10th - 1hr | 3/5

49. Mega Man X3 (PS4) | Dec 19th - 6hrs | 4/5

50. Azure Strike Gunvolt 3 (Switch) | Dec 20th - 9hrs | 5/5

51. Chocobo GP (Switch) | Dec 22nd - 7hrs | 4/5

52. Umurangi Generation (Switch) | Dec 31st - 3hrs | 5/5

sosadtoday · Jan 1, 2022

slowly getting there. ._.

february
1. 18/02/2022 - life is strange 2 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - steam - 13 hours
may
2 . trek to yomi - ⭐⭐⭐ - gamepass - 5 hours
3. 25/05/2022 - life is strange: true colors - ⭐⭐ - ps5 - 13 hours
4. 27/05/2022 - firewatch - ⭐ - ps5 - 5 hours
july
5. 03/07/2022 - final fantasy vii remake - ⭐⭐⭐ - ps5 - 28 hours
6. 04/07/2022 - spider-man: miles morales - ⭐⭐⭐ - ps5 - 4 hours
7. 19/07/2022 - the artful escape - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - ps5 - 6 hours
8. 20/07/2022 - deliver us the moon - ⭐⭐ - ps5 - 6 hours
august
9. 01/08/2022 - stray - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - ps5 - 8 hours
september
10. 22/09/2022 - super mario 3d world + bowser`s fury- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - switch - 12 hours
11. 26/09/2022 - the dark pictures anthology: little hope - ⭐ - ps5 - 5 hours
12. 27/09/2022 - lego builders journey - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - pc - 2 hours
december
13. 09/12/2022 - neon abyss - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 30 hours

BPHusker · Jan 1, 2022

2022 Completions: 23/52

1. Outriders (PC) | 1/2/2022 - 34 hrs | 3/5
2. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (PC) | 1/12/2022 - 55hrs | 5/5
3. Aliens Fireteam (PC) | 1/18/2022 - 10 hrs | 3/5
4. Inscryption (PC) | 1/30/2022 - 15.5 hrs | 4.5/5
5. The Forgotten City (PC) | 2/4/2022 - 8 hrs | 4.5/5
6. Exo One (PC) | 2/8/2022 - 2.5 hrs | 4/5
7. The Artful Escape (PC) | 2/9/2022 - 3.5 hrs | 4/5
8. Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (NES) | 2/10/2022 - 1 hr | 3/5
9. Tiny Toon Adventures (NES) | 2/10/2022 - 1.5 hrs | 4/5
10. Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Trouble in Wackyland | 2/12/2022 - 1 hr | 3/5
11. Outer Wilds (PC) | 2/20/2022 - 22.5 hrs | 4.5/5
12. Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (PC) | 2/28/2022 - 16.5 hrs | 4.5/5
13. Triangle Strategy (Switch) | 4/17/2022 - 51.5 hrs | 4.5/5
14. Cruis'n Blast (Switch) | 6/3/2022 - 2hrs | 4/5
15. Final Fantasy XIV: Patch 6.1 - Newfound Adventure (PC) | 6/13/2022 - 5 hrs | 4.5/5
16. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle :Shredder's Revenge (PC) | 6/18/2022 - 2.5 hrs | 4.5/5
17. Mega Man 4 (PS4) | 6/21/2022 - 3 hrs | 3.5/5
18. Mega Man 5 (PS4) | 6/25/2022 - 3.5 hrs | 3.5/5
19. Mega Man 6 (PS4) | 6/28/2022 - 3 hrs | 3.75/5
20. Street Fighter 4 (Xbox 360/Series X) | 7/7/2022 - 1 hr | 3/5
21. Neon White (PC) | 7/31/2022 - 16 hrs | 4.5/5
22. Live-A-Live (Switch) | 9/1/2022 - 26 hrs | 4.5/5
23. Final Fantasy XIV: Patch 6.2 - Buried Memory (PC) | 10/2/2022 - 5 hrs | 4.5/5

Previous Years
2021 - 52 Games
2020 - 52 Games

Supaidaman · Jan 1, 2022

Last time I tried this we were still at the old site.

CAN I DO IT THIS TIME? Let's see.

I have a bunch of RPGs to finish though so that's certainly taking a while.

FRANKEINSTEIN · Jan 1, 2022

I'll go for it again.

2021

52 Games. 1 Year. 2021.

Okay, time for the 2021 post! The personal goal this year is 26 games. I'm trying to cut myself some slack on the challenge because I'd like a bit more freedom with what I play (i.e. I'd like to play more long games!). If I make it to 52 anyways, great! If not, no biggie. That said, I DID make...

www.resetera.com

2020

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

JANUARY
1. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) | 5 Jan - 12hrs | ★★★★★
First game of the year done. Absolutely loved this game. Had I finished it last year it'd definitely be up in top 5. Story was great, graphics are adorable, voice acting is decent. I might go back and try to get some more trophies but I doubt I get the platinum. I've heard the master difficulty is no joke.

2. Lego: Builder's Journey (Series X) | 6 Jan - 5hrs | ★★★★
Delightful puzzle game. I was able to play probably 80% with my 7 year old till it got too hard for her then I finished it up. I did have to look up a guide for 3 or 4 puzzles. Couple I'm not sure I would have figured out and then 1 or 2 I felt like an idiot for not seeing what I needed to do.

3. Feather (PS4 on PS5) | 7 Jan - 1hr | ★★★
Bought hoping for a Flower or Journey experience and it's like those just not as nearly as good. Only takes like a hour to get the platinum and I don't feel like playing anymore. With Journey and especially Flower, I played after finishing up trophies.

4. Unpacking (Series X) | 11 Jan - 3hrs | ★★★
Interesting little puzzle game. Pretty cool you can see the person you're unpacking (that's the name of the videogame) grow up. I didn't get all the achievements but I'm guessing cleanup on those is probably 30 min to a hour.

5. Darksiders: Warmastered Edition (PS4 on PS5) | 25 Jan - 20hrs | ★★★★
I've attempted to play this game for 3 generations of consoles. I always liked what I played but never finished. Well I have finally beat it and really liked enjoyed it. The voice acting was great, game play was solid and I liked the story.

6. Bloodrayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites (Series X) | 27 Jan - 5hrs | ★★★1/2
Played this before but the difficulty was too much for me. New version has an easier mode. The 2D animation looks phenomenal. It's just a basic side scrolling hack and slash with not great voice acting.

7. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS5) | 30 Jan - 8hrs | ★★★★
Played most of the game at 120 fps. That was pretty great. A really good game but my least favorite Uncharted. Hardly any Elena for this long lost brother is was such a weird angle. Especially since we saw young Drake already in U3. I like Sam as a character, just really weird to introduce a brother. The rope is a good addition. Looking forward to Lost Legacy. But I'll put something between them.

February

8. Max Payne (Xbox BC) | 3 Feb - 8hrs | ★★★
First time I've played Max Payne. I played 3 before. The bullet time action is a lot of fun. I'm sure the graphics were great back then but just ugly now. I will say, 2D games age a hell of a lot better. The voice over felt almost satirical. Like I was just laughing at the hard boiled dialogue constantly.

9. Uncharted: Lost Legacy (PS5) | 3 Feb - 4hrs | ★★★★
Even though I rate LL as high as U4 I'd actually say it's a better game. More inline with the trilogy before getting all morose. Still prefer U2 and 3 but I'd say LL is around the original. Love Chloe and Nadine as a team. I would love another entry with them leading the game and have Sam (and maybe even Sully) show up as support too.

10. Max Payne 2 (Xbox BC) 9 Feb - 6hrs | ★★★★
Big improvement over Max Payne 1. The face animation isn't ridiculous looking and these "hardboiled guys" are finally saying fuck instead of freak. The story dialogue wasn't as bad either. Gameplay felt the same, which is great. The shotguns seem like they got nerfed a bit. Those were my go to weapons in MP1. Here it was any machine gun I had in my arsenal. Playing as Mona at first was cool but she plays just like Max. Was expecting some variation.

11. The Legend of Tianding (Switch) 11 Feb - 5hrs | ★★★
Someone mentioned this game in a Sifu thread and it looked interesting. I had some money in my Nintendo account so I bought it. The story is neat. Liao Tianding was a kind of Taiwanese Robin Hood. But the writing and voice acting aren't great. Last half of the game I found myself skipping as much of the dialogue as possible. The side scrolling action is really well done. Could have been something really special but the writing really brought it down.

12. Rayman Origins (360 BC) 13 Feb - 12hrs | ★★★★★
I still have the last few levels to get medallions and speed runs but I finished the game. I've played through the Origins and Legends so many times. I prefer Legends but both are amazing games.

13. Rayman Legends (XB1 BC) 16 Feb - 10hrs | ★★★★★
Even better than the masterpiece that is Origins. A few levels get a bit tricky but eventually you'll get through them. I won't have 1000/1000 for awhile longer. Final level of awesomeness is definitely going to take a bit. But I did get 700/700 teensies. Love this series (the 2D versions anyways) and would kill for another game. I did pick up the 360 version. So I have that one to work at next.

March

14. Katamari Damacy Reroll (XB1 BC) 11 Mar - 6hrs | ★★★★
Been a month since I beat a game. Everything I started I didn't care about after a couple hours. I tried Cyberpunk, Horizon West, and some backwards compatible games. Finally just chose an old reliable series Katamari. I've actually had the disc for awhile but it was on Gamepass so I used it off there. Great series to just play a few levels then walk away.

15. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Series X) 15 Mar | ★★★★
I played this last year on the PS5 and really enjoyed it. When it got announced for Gamepass I thought, yeah, I'd play that again. So I did. Still great. Enjoyable story, good to great performances, combat could be better. Plus a few hiccups where I had to restart last checkpoint or turn game off then on because either game wouldn't move forward or audio issues or some frame rate issues.

April

16. Grand Theft Auto V (PS5) 1 Apr - 30hrs | ★★★★1/2
It's not quite 5 stars but it's damn close. I don't do the online, just talking campaign here. Really enjoyed this more than I remember on the PS3. I really like all 3 characters. I mean... They are a sociopaths but they're fun. Franklin has some weird stories that don't really go anywhere like his house he owns half of with his aunt is never really brought out and the girl he really likes is like an afterthought. She's brought up every once in awhile but she's a nothing character. But I love Franklin's interactions the most with the other characters. I look forward to buying this again next gen🙄

May
17. Pupperazi (Series X) 6 May - 5hrs | ★★
Was just using this to get easy daily achievements and now I finished the game and only have one achievement left that I don't want to bother with. Stupid game.

18. Rayman Legends (Xbox 360 bc) - 10hrs | ★★★★★
I've beaten this game so many times now. Just love it.

June

19. Assassin's Creed Origins (Xbox Game bc) - 20hrs | ★★★
Started off fun but by last third of the game I was skipping cutscenes and only worrying about main quests. Bayak is alright.

toth3max · Jan 1, 2022

I did 52 in 2020 and 64 in 2021. No idea how 2022 will end but I'm up for the challenge of completing at least 52 games this year again.

Completed 33/52

Gorogoa (Xbox) | Jan 8th - 2h | 4/5
Judgment (Stadia) | Feb 4th - 37h | 4/5
Destiny 2 The Witch Queen (PS5) | Mar 14th - 11h | 3/5
Horizon Forbidden West (PS5) | 7th Apr - 45h | 4/5
Gran Turismo 7 (PS5) | 18th Apr - 27h | 4/5
Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water (PS5) | 24th Apr - 16h | 1/5
House of the Dead Remake (Switch) | 24th Apr - 1h | 2/5
Lost Judgment (PS5) | 26th Apr - 30h | 3/5
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (PS5) | 3rd May - 33h | 4/5
Yakuza 0 (PS4) | 7th May - 35h | 4/5
Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files (PS5) | 14th May - 7h | 4/5
Disco Elysium (FELD Playback Experiment) | 23rd May - 29h | 5/5
Resident Evil 3 (PS4) | 26th May - 7h | 4/5
1943 (Arcade) | 10th June - 2h | 3/5
Street Fighter Alpha (Arcade) | 11th June - 2h | 3/5
Turtles Shredder's Revenge (Xbox) | 16th June - 3h | 5/5
Sonic the Hedgehog (replay) (PC) | 25th June - 2h | 2/5
Sonic CD (replay) (PC) | 25th June - 3h | 3/5
Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire (Arcade) | 26th June - 2h | 4/5
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (replay) (PC) | 27th June - 4h | 3/5
Street Fighter (Arcade) | 28th July - 2h | 0/5
Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 (Multiple platforms) | 18th Sep - 50h | 5/5
COD: Modern Warfare (Campaign) (PS4) | 24th Sep - 6h | 2/5
Outriders: Worldslayer (PS5) | 11th Oct - 10h | 3/5
COD: Modern Warfare 2 (Campaign) (PS5) | 22nd Oct - 7h | 2/5
As dusk falls (Xbox) | 5 Nov - 5h | 4/5
Monument Valley (Apple) | 27 Nov - 1h | 5/5
WarioWare: Get It Together! (Switch) | 29 Nov - 2h | 3/5
Resident Evil Village (Replay) (PC) | 1st Dec - 11h | 4/5
Beeny (PC) | 2nd Dec - 1h | 2/5
Super Kiwi 64 (PC) | 3rd Dec - 2h | 3/5
Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4 (Multiple platforms) | 3rd Dec - 30h | 4/5
Toree 3D (PC) | 3rd Dec - 1h | 3/5

Currently playing:

Chrono Trigger
Elden Ring

Sputnik Sweetheart · Jan 1, 2022

I need to track properly this year and not just drop out early. I hope to at least do that this year even if I don't get to 52!

Let's do this!
Currently playing:
Final Fantasy X
Transistor
Power wash Simulator
Yurukill
Live A Live

Beaten: 33/52

1. Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars (NSW)
2. Persona 5 Strikers (PS4)
3. Embr (PC)
4. Pupperazzi (PC)
5. It Takes Two (PC)
6. Dead or Alive 4 (XBX1)
7. Escape Room Simulator (PC)
8. Pokemon Legends: Arceus (NSW)
9. Kardboard Kings (PC)
10. Operation Tango (PC)
11. Citizen Sleeper (PC)
12. Norco (PC)
13. Buried Stars (PC)
14. Wildermyth (PC)
15. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (NSW)
16. Escape Room Simulator: Steampunk DLC (PC)
17. Saints Row 2 (XBX1)
18. Escape Academy (PC)
19. Coffee Noir (PC)
20. Resident Evil 6 (PC)
21. Ooblets (PC)
22. AI: Somnium Files - Nirvana Edition (NSW)
23. Donut County (XBX1)
24. Wordle (PC)
25. Yugioh! Duelist of the Roses (PS2)
26. Yugioh! Dungeon Dice Monsters (GBA)
27. Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires (PS4)
28. Resident Evil 6 (PC)
29. Bayonetta 3 (NSW)
30. Two Point Campus (PC)
31. Escape Memoirs Mansion Heist (PC)
32. Pokemon Snap (NSW)
33. Pokemon Puzzle League (NSW)

Purdy · Jan 1, 2022

Reserved

Murray97 · Jan 1, 2022

I've failed every year I've tried this but maybe 2022 is my year. Just got an OLED Switch so gonna try get through my mountain of a backlog.

Playing
- Xenoblade Chronicles DE

Progress: 14/52

Whimsicalish · Jan 1, 2022

2020: 71 games
2021: 63 games
2022: 63

Looking forward to my list in 2022.

Review: 01 | IMMURE | PC | Jan 02 | 7.7 h | 3.5/5
Review: 02 | Final Fantasy X | PC | Jan 06 | 67 h | 3.5/5
Review: 03 | Collar x Malice | NSW | Jan 12 | 45+ h | 3/5
Review: 04 | Monster Camp (All Outcomes) | PC | Jan 13 | 81 h
Review: 05 | Family Mysteries 3: Criminal Mindset | PC | Jan 24 | 5.5 h | 3/5
Review: 06 | Guild Wars 2: Living World Season 3 | PC | Jan 26 | 63 h | 3/5
Review: 07 | Monster Sanctuary | PC | Jan 30 | 50 h | 5/5
Review: 08 | Calico | PC | Feb 08 | 7 h | 4/5
Review: 09 | Long Live the Queen | PC | Feb 10 | 18 h | 5/5
Review: 10 | The House in Fata Morgana | NSW | Feb 20 | +35 h | 5/5
Review: 11 | Final Fantasy 1 (Pixel Remaster) | PC | Feb 25 | 18 h | 4.5/5
Review: 12 | Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire | PC | Mar 02 | 42 h | 4/5
Review: 13 | Rider's Republic | PS5 | Mar 06 | 70 h | 4.5/5
Review: 14 | Pokémon Legends: Arceus | NSW | Mar 26 | 84 h | 4.5/5
Review: 15 | Parkasaurus | PC | April 10 | 45 h | 4.5/5
Review: 16 | Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion | PC | April 12 | 4.5 h | 4/5
Review: 17 | Call of Cthulhu | PC | April 16 | 14.5 h | 3/5
Review: 18 | Mafia DE | PC | April 27 | 29.5 h | 3/5
Review: 19 | TOEM | PC | April 29 | 5.5 h | 5/5
Review: 20 | ISLANDERS | PC | April 30 | 7 h | 5/5
Review: 21 | Choice of the Deathless | PC | May 07 | 6.5 h | 3/5
Review: 22 | Mask of the Plague Doctor PC | May 09 | 9 h (30 total) | 5/5
Review: 23 | Journey | PS5 | May 13 | 10 h | 5/5
Review: 24 | Oxenfree | PC | May 19 | 15 h | 4.5/5
Review: 25 | The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence | NSW | May 19 | 10 h | 3/5
Review: 26 | The House in Fata Morgana: Reincarnation + Stories | NSW | May 27 | 20 h | 5/5
Review: 27 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | PS5 | May 28 | 76 h | 3/5
Review: 28 | Bardbarian | Steam Deck | June 3 | 15 h | 4/5
Review: 29 | Shin Megami Tensei V | NSW | June 22 | 45 h | 2.5/5
Review: 30 | Cozy Grove: New Neighbears DLC | PC | June 23 | 54 h (125 total) | 5/5
Review: 31 | A Plague Tale: Innocence | PS5 | June 28 | 19 h | 4/5
Review: 32 | Monster Sanctuary: Forgotten World | PC | July 01 | 11.5 h (61.5 total) | 5/5
Review: 33 | Crazy Plant Shop | PC | July 02 | 9 h | 3.5/5
Review: 34 | Game Dev Tycoon | PC | July 04 | 11 h | 3.5/5
Review: 35 | Lines Infinite | PC | July 06 | 11 h | 5/5
Review: 36 | Subnautica | PS5 | July 06 | 34 h | 4/5
Review: 37 | Memories with my Kitten | PC | July 12 | 2.5 h | 5/5
Review: 38 | Pokémon Shining Pearl | PC | July 19 | 35 h | 3/5
Review: 39 | Ghost of Tsushima | PS5 | July 23 | 48 h | 5/5
Review: 40 | Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island | PS5 | July 27 | 9.5 h | 5/5
Review: 41 | The Adventure Pals | Steam Deck | August 01 | 10.5 h | 4/5
Review: 42 | Stray | PS5 | August 03 | 8 h | 5/5
Review: 43 | Kill It With Fire | Steam Deck/PC | August 04 | 12 h | 3/5
Review: 44 | Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition | PS5 | August 08 | 10 h | 2.5/5
Review: 45 | Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | PS5 | August 14 | 12 h | 3/5
Review: 46 | Spyro: Year of the Dragon Reignited | PS4 | August 18 | 10.5 h | 3.5/5
Review: 47 | Triangle Strategy | NSW | August 24 | 64 h | 4.5/5
Review: 48 | Kena: Bridge of Spirits | PS5 | August 24 | 18 h | 3.5/5
Review: 49 | Goat Simulator | PC/Deck | August 31 | 16 h | 2/5
Review: 50 | Tearaway Unfolded | PS5 | Sep 03 | 12 h | 4/5
Review: 51 | Bugsnax | PS5 | Sep 07 | 15 h | 5/5
Review: 52 | Wytchwood | PS5 | Sep 10 | 11 h | 4/5

Review: 53 | Fallout 4 | PS4 | Sep 15 | 25 h | 3.5/5
Review: 54 | Fallout 3 | PS3 Streaming | Sep 21 | 37 h | 3/5
Review: 55 | AC Origins | PS4 | Oct 10 | 46 h | 4.5/5
Review: 56 | AC Origins: Season Pass | PS4 | Oct 21 | 16 h | 4/5
Review: 57 | Telling Lies | PS Streaming | Oct 31 | 8 h | 3.5/5
Review: 58 | Ape Escape | PS Streaming | Nov 3 | 6.5 h | 2/5
Review: 59 | Valiant Hearts: The Great War | PS Streaming | Nov 8 | 7.5 h | 3.5/5
Review: 60 | Persona 5 (Replay) | PS4 | Nov 30 | 40 h | Already Reviewed
Review: 61 | The Gardens Between | PS Streaming | Dec 8 | 2 h | 4/5
Review: 62 | What Remains of Edith Finch | PS Streaming | Dec 10 | 2.5 h | 3.5/5
Review: 63 | Virginia | PS Streaming | Dec 15 | 3 h | 2/5

djinn · Jan 1, 2022

2021: 35 games

1. THE LONGING
See this little guy in the picture? I love him. Shade taught me a lot about taking your time, about improving your living space with things that make you happy, appreciating the beauty in simple things and taking down the establishment that's given you a thankless life whilst they sit on their haunches. A truly unique experience and a perfect blend of idle and adventure game. It doesn't give an inch on its vision on instilling on the player the passage of time. I applaud Studio Seufz on their commitment.

2. Breath of Fire III
A port of the PS1 game and a very solid 90s jrpg. Comes with all the quirks, good and bad, of that time. You sort of just have to roll with endless minigames and tedious padding. The gameplay, though, is a lot of fun. I enjoyed the Master system even if the backtracking was terrible. Story was decent if kind of thin throughout. Loved the music and the art and animation are beautiful. Final few bosses gave me a bit of a challenge, which was fun. Recommended.

3. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth
*Sigh* This could have been good. It started with a lot of promise; fast paced action and a mysterious opening. It soon devolved into tedium and what was probably only 4 hours (no in game clock, unfortunately) felt like 10. There's a myriad of annoying decisions made in this game, chief of those being enemies respawn as soon as you move to the next screen. Why would I want to explore in a metroidvania when you make it a complete nuisance to do so? The game is capped off near the end by a mandatory boss rush (all 11 of them) and then an ending that felt completely last minute. This was going to be 3 stars but that last minute of epilogue was bad enough that I've dropped it another half star. This isn't worth it you're a fan of the series nor as a fan of metroidvanias. You can do so much better than this.

4. Dogs Organised Neatly
If you loved Cats Organised Neatly (and I did) then you'll love the sequel. It's exactly the same game but with dogs. Hurt my brain good.

5. The Solitaire Conspiracy
This game hit all the right buttons. I've played like a bajillion hours of Solitaire over the years, it's one of my favourite casual games to play whilst listening to music or a podcast. This is a fun, fresh take on the game, reminiscent of Spider Solitaire. There's a really fun story attached with cheesy, entertaining FMVs and beautiful portrait art for the cards. There's cool little profiles for all the decks you use and interesting powers that make every deal something new to experiment with. There's a free play mode and a time attack mode, both of which I haven't messed around in too much. I completed the campaign and rolled credits but the game also has 2 free DLC included, which I'm going through. Excellent game.

6. The Solitaire Conspiracy: Return of the Merry DLC
7. The Solitaire Conspiracy: The Atlantis Project DLC
Very fun little free DLC added to the game. Merry is a modern take on Robin Hood and the Atlantis Project puts a hyper-intelligent dolphin on the team, which is just the icing on the cake of a already fantastic game.

8. Pill Puzzle
Push the pills into the correct packets and in the correct order. Perfectly acceptable for $1.50. Spent about 2 hours on it and got 100% but I was also playing with my cat inbetween so it's probably shorter.

9. Mass Effect 3
I had a fair bit of anxiety going into this game. After all, 2 had been disappointing after the hype I had heard about it and this one was supposed to be bad. Remind me never to listen to the internet ever again because I absolutely loved this from start to finish. Gorgeous set pieces, nice combat, great quests and paced much better than 2. Any issues I might have with the game are insignificant next to the amount of emotions this game made me feel. I'm so attached to all these characters now and it's sad to leave. I'm going to miss Shepard most of all, one of the best female protagonists I've ever had the pleasure to play as. Mass Effect 3 is now one of my favourite games ever.

10. Welcome to Elk
Wow, am I having a good gaming year so far. Welcome to Elk was a game I was eyeing of back in its release in 2020. I'm kicking myself for not playing it sooner because it's honestly amazing. Reminiscent of What Remains of Edith Finch, a game I struggled to connect with, WtE makes stories about death and heartbreak funny, engaging and rewarding. The gameplay consists of a multitude of minigames that can range from drunken dancing to carrying a corpse to killing a bunny. The linchpin to this game is that everything is based on true events as told by the developers or people they know personally. I live for small town stories, they're probably my favourite topic in film, television and documentaries. WtE also has a great soundtrack and looks pretty too. This is going to become my go to recommendation for indie adventure games for a while now.

(A special shout-out to the dev team for personally helping me through bugs and glitches in the game! Great customer service!)

11. Inscryption
I often find card games a little overwhelming and confusing, having to remember rules, synergy and combinations. But the hype surrounding Inscryption proved too great for me to ignore. It definitely lived up to the hype for me. Inscryption, as a card game, was fairly easy to learn. Early on you you're at the whim of RNG but as your deck builds you start to feel more in control. Along with the card game, though, Inscryption's mysterious plot kept me intrigued. There are lots of twists in this game and I would hate to spoil them for anyone interested. I was hooked instantly on the intrigue and then later the gameplay. Fascinating game.

12. Tunic
Surprisingly difficult to rate this one or really consolidate my thoughts. Firstly, I loved it. But it's got some glaring problems. It's a beautiful live letter to Zelda 1 and perhaps with one of the most unique and innovative uses of an in-game manual/guide I've ever seen. Picking up pieces of the instruction manual not only slowly drip feeds you mechanics in the game bit also subtly pushes you in the direction you should go next. The first half of them game, I found very fun. That's despite the clunky and unbalanced combat, because it's saved by in-game accessibility options.

The second half of the game is an entirely different beast. Once you've cleared the game you can go back and solve a lot of the game's bigger secrets. The reward is getting a true ending and discovering large parts of the game that were hidden in plain sight. It's unfortunate that i didn't have the patience for a lot of these puzzles. Some aren't too bad and require a small bit of effort. Some are stupidly obtuse and I needed a play guide. And some actually aren't so bad but require a lot of effort to piece together. I'm just not the type of player that had the patience for these things. I did what I could and looked up answers for the rest. I didn't get the 100% but I'm satisfied with what i managed and I, mostly, had fun doing it.

13. Guardians of the Galaxy
It took a while for me to warm up to this game. The gameplay isn't much fun and the game yells at you if you start to explore. But once I got used to the endless chatter I really started to fall in love with the characters. The writing, dialogue, acting and animation really elevate this game above its many weaknesses. I was constantly entertained despite the endless fights and frequent glitching. I really hope there's dlc or a sequel down the line, I'd love to return to this world.

14. NEO: The World Ends With You
A sequel I never expected to get. It's maybe not as good as the original (certainly not as innovative or mind-blowing as it was for me) but there's a lot to love in this. Combat is a lot easier than the split screen, twin-stick style of the DS version of the original I played. I really liked all the characters and the music was banging. The camera during battles, especially in the latter half of the game wasn't great; it would often slim out of control and make it difficult to see what was going on. That's not good when battles get chaotic as they do in NEO. The endgame also lasts 10 hours and is extremely drawn out, which is a thing I hate in games. The actual ending was good, a nice conclusion to these characters and story. Good thing too, because I don't plan on playing the post game stuff, the whole endgame was exhausting.

15. Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth: Book 1
Went into this completely blind and I'm absolutely loving this story so far. Less point and click and more a visual novel, set in 1138 England we follow the story of Phillip of Gwynedd and Jack Jackson. I presume Aliena becomes our third character in the later books but she doesn't do much here. Jack is alright to follow around but Phillip was the real star. I loved playing as this unassuming monk just wanting to make things better but accidentally making it much, much worse. I didn't think I'd be interested in a story about building a cathedral but this is utterly engaging so far.

16. Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth: Book 2
It's not been a good month for me playing games, so it's good to have a visual novel I can continue and just mostly read. Book 2 really ups the ante from book 1. Things get grimmer much faster and stay that way. William of Hamleigh is a truly frightening villain. Whenever he's on screen you're wondering who's dying next. Jack was a fairly annoying teenage protagonist so thankfully we don't spend too much time with him and it's more so Philip and Aliena. Philip continues to be my favourite and he goes through quite the dark journey here. I do hope there's some kind of happier ending in store but we'll see.

17. Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth: Book 3
A pretty satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I loved my time with these VNs. The story is great and is backed up by excellent voice acting, music and art.

18. Evoland
This was a cute, little adventure that didn't overstay its welcome. Wasn't a huge fan of the Zelda-like parts, mostly because the mechanics just weren't that good. It worked much better as an rpg, but again, it wasn't long so it's not that big of a deal.

19. Prey
Prey was a game I quit on back in 2018 because the jump scares throughout ended up giving me a panic attack. I decided to try the game again, this time on easy. The jump scares bothered me less but I found returning to the game just wasn't as fun as I remembered. I didn't particularly enjoy any of the side quests I did, maybe because I found Talos 1 so confusing to navigate. Despite that, I really loved the setting and the design of the game. The story was also an interesting science fiction tale and I liked the questions it posed. Not a bad game, but I'm glad it's over.

20. Wuppo
This is a very cute game that clearly has a lot of heart and soul put into it. I don't think it's a great metroidvania, though. The map system is not great and biomes are massive in perspective of your little guy that you play as. Bosses are fun and the puzzles are bitterly hard. I think because it's such a lot of effort to traverse this beautiful world that I just didn't bother with basically all of the side quests. This game is absolutely filled to the brim with secrets and lore and things to do, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of it. I also have no inclination to do so, though. Good fun and probably would scratch the itch of someone looking for something similar to old Paper Mario games.

21. Haiku the Robot
The game was good fun
Very much like Hollow Knight
I recommend it

22. 神都不愿探 Underdog Detective
An FMV game with an impressive budget. I only recently realised this game is considered a prequel to a Chinese TV series. Now all the huge set pieces, costumes and great acting make sense. The dialogue is translated very well but the game struggles at times to convey the right meaning during choice sequences. Oftentimes I would pick the wrong option because the choices don't quite make sense. The game is very forgiving, though, with lots of checkpoints and options to fast forward, rewind or skip available. The characters Du Xun, Xiao Ling and An Qi are all very likeable and the detective sequences did require me to think logically at times. The strangest puzzle was the Ying Yang choice one, which didn't make the rules clear in English until half way through. So the first bit was a bit of guessing (and a rather gruesome death sequence of you guess wrong).

Where this game's fault lies is that it's over before it even begins. The base game contains only episode 1-5, which cover the first chapter. For $11.50 and only 1.5 hours of gameplay, it's not a huge amount. The real sting comes with the DLC, which contains the rest of the episodes and the vast majority of the game's content, being $28.50. So in essence, you're paying for a demo of the game, with episodes 6-17 labelled as DLC. It's dodgy behaviour in what is otherwise a fantastic production.

23. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intermission DLC
I was a huge fan of the Remake and this was more of what I loved. I never quite got my head around Yuffie's gameplay but I had a blast just the same. This fills up a nice corner of the first game and we segway nicely where our main story left off. If I was to complain about one thing it was there was quite a lot of endless combat to the end and not much of a breather between boss fights. Awesome DLC, I had so much fun.

24. 神都不愿探 Underdog Detective: DLC - Episodes 6-17
An absolute joy from start to finish. The story picks up right where the first part left off. Make no mistake, this is the true meat of the game. Again it's incredibly disappointing that you essentially pay for a demo and then an extra $28 for the rest of the game. But this part felt worth the price. Great story, characters and acting. The detective parts were a lot of fun. I enjoyed this so much I plan to check out the TV series. I hope we get more games with Du Xun.

25. BiOTA
What I thought was going to be a run and gun turned out to be a hybrid metroidvania/shooter. BiOTA is aimed squarely at hitting the 80s/90s nostalgia buttons. There's a reference to about every alien/monster franchise or movie that you can think of. It doesn't control fabulous when it comes to jumping but the save anywhere feature is nice enough that it balances any platforming annoyance out. Bosses are unfortunately very boring, even if they look good. But the vehicle levels are a highlight and each area sports a thumping, cool soundtrack. I loved playing with the palette swap and every character was pretty fun to play.

26. Mighty Goose
As someone that doesn't have any nostalgia or attachment to the Metal Slug series, this was actually pretty fun. It's fairly mindless shooting but it's pretty and things explode and the goose makes funny noises. I had a hellish week last week so this was basically the perfect way to unwind.

27. Digimon Survive
Hit credits on my first route (harmony). The game is pretty damn brutal, even darker than its third TV series, Digimon Tamers. Lots of kids die in very gruesome ways. It's also pretty much pitch perfect for a Digimon entry. Anything to do with Digimon I expect it to be dark and occasionally depressing. Digimon is also known for its power of friendship, ultra highs and, unfortunately, that's missing from this initial route. You can't save everyone in the first playthrough and that's kinda annoying to me. It was such a downer ending but at least it's pushed me to go for the good ending. Characters are hit and miss, story was pretty good, combat was alright and music was great. Argh, I'm so frustrated, though, I wanna save everyone! This will get added to my list again later after I get through the true ending.
True Ending route: opinions have changed. I loved it. Now this was a Digimon game.

28. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim
I had heard a lot of terrible things about this game. All of them were true. I love the Ys series, but there's little to enjoy here. Controls can't be mapped with the control mapping tool they provide, so that was a bad start. I ended up playing keyboard, if only so I could perform the stupid dash jump a little easier. Speaking of, mechanics are clunky and bad. Adol will only dash jump maybe 60% of the time of you're lucky. Every now and then he just won't jump at all and that was fun, let me tell you. Bosses are either boring, annoying or both. Story is fine, it's an Ys game so it doesn't really matter. Adol turns up at some place and will kill a god or something, we know the deal. There's nothing really in this game that elevates it at all. Every other Ys game just does it better.

29. Tinykin
This has been the easiest 5/5 all year. I have not a single complaint about this game. Beautiful art style, perfect length, great music, easy controls and huge amounts of charm. It does exactly what it sets out to do, make a chill collectathon platformer with huge worlds, fun characters and interesting lore. Wonderful.

30. Slice and Dice
Completed a full run on normal mode. This game is really hard. Normal mode is brutal and I don't know how many runs I went through before RNG was on my side. Still this is a lot of fun to pick up and play for a few minutes. There are no ads, no mtx and for $10 the full game unlocks. Plus the developer seems to be constantly updating the game. It's pretty enjoyable.

31. Xenonblade Chronicles 3
This is the game that's been clotting up my queue with its absolutely bloated size. A good team could probably trim this game down by half and you'd get a much more refined experience. When it comes to Takahashi I can be a bit blunt. I think he's far too obsessed with the one story idea that it gets in the way of doing something more creative and interesting. Still, despite my jaded heart, I enjoyed this? It's juvenile and far too simple in its messages but I felt like a mother watching her kids play make believe in the park; you can't help but smile at the antics.

32. Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
A very solid point and click. Firstly, I love a good murder mystery and this was engaging from start to finish. Second, the puzzles were tricky but always fair. Third, the presentation is excellent. It's a perfect length of 4-5 hours and I can only hope this team make another Detective Di game.

33. Death's Door
A neat adventure game that's not too challenging. I enjoyed the puzzles and the dark sense of humour. It reminds me quite a lot of Zelda, which is a good thing. There's some post game stuff that doesn't interest me but it's cool that it's there.

34. Somerville
Well this was a huge disappointment. I've been looking forward to Somerville since its trailer at E3. It's heavily inspired by Inside, one of my recent favourite games. But whereas Inside is a polished gem, Somerville feels undercooked the whole way through. There's little direction with puzzles or narrative. Nothing feels focused on the game. The controls are clunky and the player will often get stuck on a pixel. Story wise, the family aspect of the game is almost non-existent. There are multiple endings and getting the good end requires some really obtuse puzzle solving throughout the game. Atmosphere, sounds design and visuals are excellent. But they are really the only highlights in this game.

35. Tales of Arise
If this ends up being my last completed game of the year then I'll be pretty happy. I'm generally uninterested in Tales games but there's something about this game that just clicked with me. I loved every minute of it. No it's not perfect and it's pretty cheesy but I don't know what it was but I just had so much fun playing this.

36. Pokemon Scarlet
We all know this game is a complete mess when it comes to performance and graphics. That said, I had a great time with this. I haven't finished a pokemon game in years, so this felt like a breath of fresh air. I personally found the game hard towards the end and I really enjoyed the story and characters. I even liked the song!

52 Games. 1 Year. 2022.

QA Architect at Riot Games

QA Architect at Riot Games

One Winged Slayer

Enlightened

QA Architect at Riot Games

RPG Site

Comics Enabler & Freelance Games Journalist

Sky Van Gogh

Powered by Friendship™

Has seen more 10s than EA ever will

One Winged Slayer

Chicken Chaser

GOTY Tracking Thread Master

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer

Teyvat Traveler

▲ Legend ▲

One Winged Slayer

FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARYDOOS