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52 Games. 1 Year. 2017.

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olaznoG

Member
01: Ys I Chronicles [PC] - 7 hours - 01/01/2017

02: Ys II Chronicles [PC] - 15 hours - 03/01/2017

03: One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 [PS4] - 20 hours - 06/01/2017

04: Doom [PS4] - 25 hours - 10/01/2017

05: The Deadly Tower of Monsters [PS4] - 7 hours - 13/01/2017

06: My Name is Mayo [PS4] - 45 minutes - 14/01/2017

07: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood [PS4] - 10 hours - 16/01/2017

08: Ys: The Oath in Felghana [PC] - 16 hours - 24/01/2017

09: Gravity Rush 2 [PS4] - 50 hours - 01/02/2017

10: Steins;Gate 0 [Vita] - 20 hours - 11/02/2017

11: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky [PC] - 70 hours - 11/03/2017

12: Ys: Memories of Celceta [Vita] - 36 hours - 26/03/2017

13: Persona 5 [PS4] - 138 hours - 07/05/2017

14: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine [PC] - 9 hours - 03/06/2017

15: Uncharted 4 [PS4] - 17 hours - 13/07/2017

16: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC [PC] - 112 hours - 21/09/2017

17: Sword Art Online: Lost Song [Vita] - 30/09/2017

18: Persona 4 Golden (NG+) [Vita] - 21/10/2017

19: Mass Effect Andromeda [PS4] - 28/10/2017

20: Super Exploding Zoo [PS4] - 05/11/2017

21: Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series [PS4] - 10/11/2017

22: Code: Realize − Guardian of Rebirth [Vita] - 12/11/2017

23: Day of the Tentacle Remastered [PS4] - 12/11/2017

24: Monster Jam Battleground [PS3] - 19/11/2017

25: Energy Cycle [PS4] - 02/12/2017

26: Dragon Quest Heroes II [PS4] - 19/12/2017
 
2016 List

Got to 50 Games and just got finished with two games, but the thread was already closed. That's fine with me since I'm glad I got through 50 games since it cut my backlog by quite a bit. Here's hoping I get to 52 this year. There are a few games I'm close to beating I could get done along with my backlog and Christmas games so I think it will be easier than 2016 in that regard. Let's go!

Game 1: Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) - 8 Hrs 35 Mins (12/31/2016)

Game 2: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3DS) - 25 Hrs 21 Mins (12/31/2016)

Game 3: Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure (3DS) - 16 Hrs 50 Mins (1/3/2017)

Game 4: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (3DS) - 60 Hrs 31 Mins (1/3/2017)

Game 5: Hotline Miami (PS3/PS4/Vita/PC) - About 6-7 Hrs (1/5/2017)

Game 6: Doom (PS4/XB1/PC) - About 16-18 Hrs (1/13/2017)

Game 7: Ratchet and Clank (PS4) - About 6-7 Hrs (1/22/2017)

Game 8: Yakuza 0 (PS4) - 35 Hrs 31 Mins (2/3/2017)

Game 9: Kirby's Dream Land (GB) - 35 Mins (2/11/2017)

Game 10: Killer Is Dead (PS3/X360/PC) - 7 Hrs 35 Mins (2/28/2017)

Game 11: Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope (Wii U/3DS/PC/PS4/Vita/XB1/NSW) - 6 Hrs 53 Mins (3/12/2017)

Game 12: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (NSW (for now)) - 6 Hrs 23 Mins (3/16/2017)

Game 13: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth + (PC, NSW) - 1 Hr 32 Mins (3/17/2017)

Game 14: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NSW, Wii U) - About 70 Hrs (3/19/2017)

Game 15: Super Bomberman R (NSW) - About 4-5 Hrs (3/21/2017)

Game 16: Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (Wii U/3DS/PC/PS4/Vita/XB1/NSW) - 7 Hrs 26 Mins (3/23/2017)

Game 17: NieR: Automata (PS4/PC) - 14 Hrs 4 Mins (3/23/2017)

Game 18: Rune Factory 4 (3DS) - About 80-90 Hrs (3/25/2017)

Game 19: 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons 9 Doors (DS/iOS/PS4/Vita/PC) - About 16 Hrs (3/30/2017)

Game 20: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (3DS/Vita/PS4/PC) - 22 Hrs 46 Mins (4/11/2017)

Game 21: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NSW) - 6 Hrs 28 Mins (4/29/2017)

Game 22: Kamiko (NSW) - 1 Hr 3 Mins (5/1/2017)

Game 23: Persona 5 (PS3/PS4) - 80 Hrs 15 Mins (5/2/2017)

Game 24: Lego City Undercover (Wii U/NSW/PC/PS4/XB1) - 15 Hrs 10 Mins (5/5/2017)

Game 25: Klonoa (Wii) - 6 Hrs 51 Mins (6/20/2017)

Game 26: ARMS (NSW) - About 10 Hrs (6/22/2017)

Game 27: MLB The Show 17 (PS4) - About 50 Hrs (6/22/2017)

Game 28: Puyo Puyo Tetris (NSW/PS4) - About 30 Hrs (7/3/2017)

Game 29: Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 5 Meakashi (PC) - 8 Hrs 55 Mins (7/9/2017)

Game 30: Implosion: Never Lose Hope (Android, iOS, Switch) - About 8-9 Hrs (7/9/2017)

Game 31: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3, 360, PC) - 4 Hrs 35 Mins (7/12/2017)

Game 32: Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution (Wii) - 1 Hr 20 Mins (7/16/2017)

Game 33: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PS4/Vita/PC) - About 22-23 Hrs (7/17/2017)

Game 34: Splatoon 2 (NSW) - About 8-9 Hrs (7/28/2017)

Game 35: Crash Bandicoot (PS1/PS4) - About 5-6 Hrs (8/1/2017)

Game 36: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS) - 46 Hrs 13 Mins (8/5/2017)

Game 37: Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition (Wii U) - 3 Hrs 10 Mins (8/19/2017)

Game 38: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (DS/iOS) - 10 Hrs 3 Mins (8/22/2017)

Game 39: Yakuza: Kiwami (PS4) - 24 Hrs 22 Mins (9/6/2017)

Game 40: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (NSW) - About 30 Hrs (9/9/2017)

Game 41: Muv-Luv Extra (PC) - 11 Hrs 42 Mins (9/20/2017)

Game 42: Muv-Luv Unlimited (PC) - 15 Hrs 28 Mins (9/23/2017)

Game 43: Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (PS4, PC, Vita) - About 30-35 Hrs (9/29/2017)

Game 44: Doki Doki Literature Club (PC) - 3 Hrs (10/9/2017)

Game 45: Pokemon Puzzle League (N64, Wii) - About 5 Hrs (10/15/2017)

Game 46: SteamWorld Dig 2 (NSW, PC, PS4, Vita) - 9 Hrs 4 Mins (10/16/2017)
 
1: Resident Evil 4 for ps4 - Played this game so many times. way too many times.

2: Let it die - 186 hours or so........

3: Gravity Rush 2 - I had fun, but I had to make myself finish the game near the end. This include the actual ending.

4: Devil May cry 4 SE - I just played the game on super always on and had a lots of fun. I like just breezing thru the level sometimes.
 

Caramello

Member
COMPLETION TOTAL: 3/52

JANUARY

Game 1: Titanfall 2 - 10:00
Completed at 4:50am on Tuesday 3/1/17

#What a fantastic campaign from beginning to end. A lot of care and attention went into crafting this game and I really want to extend Respawn my thanks for providing an experience that I won't soon forget.

Game 2: The Last Guardian - 12:00
Completed at 6:44am on Sunday 8/1/17

#Certainly a game worth the wait. I loved it.


Game 3: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard - 10:05
Completed at 9pm on Thursday 2/2/17
#GOTY contender. The development team should be very proud of what they achieved with this game.

Game 4: Dishonored 2 - 00:00
Currently Playing
#

Game 5: Batman: The Telltale Series - 00:00
Currently Playing
#


*******************************************************************

Backlog/Completion List
 

Yakkue

Member
1: Tiny Guardians
# Fun little game, but some of the challenge levels were buggy for me and couldn't be completed, because the characters stopped moving.
2: Shadowrun Returns
# Well-written cyberpunk game with great atmosphere.
3: Downwell
# Challenging, addicting and just fun.
4: To Be or Not To Be
# Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game with very juvenile writing, but an interesting idea.
5: Jotun
# Beautiful and challenging exploration game about norse mythology.
6: Dragon Quest Heroes
# Great game with an amazing soundtrack. Gameplay can get a bit repetetive, but since I love the Dragon Quest Universe and this game captures the spirit of it very well, I still loved every second of it.
7: Sinless
# Dystopian interactive short story that is still incomplete. Was kind of annoyed that his far away future was filled with video game reference for todays games.
8: Tick Tock Isle
# Cute and fun little adventure that takes place in and around one house. The layout of the house was very confusing to me, since I have no sense of direction.
9: Abzû
# Beautiful short game, that crashed a lot and didn't quite manage to grab me.
10: Tales of Zestiria
# First "Tales of"-game I ever played, was a lot of fun!
11: Castaway Paradise
# Cute, relaxing little Animal Crossing clone with daily challenges, but some repetetive quests.
12: The Room 2
# Fantastic escape game, challenging without being frustrating.
13: Tales from the Borderlands
# Never played Borderlands before, but this game might be my new favourite Telltale game.
14: Final Fantasy XIII-2
# An okay game.
15: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
# Not a fan of the battle system, but enjoyed my time with the game. Incredibly sad ending.
16: Shadowrun: Dragonfall
# Great game with a very engaging story, some fights had too many enemy waves for my liking though.
17: Thimbleweed Park
# Utterly fantastic. Great puzzles, great writing - just delightful in every way.
18: Stories Untold
# Really interesting and atmospheric game, wish it understood more commands. I unfortunately tend to get very sick when trying to play
first person games
, so I wasn't very pleased with it turning into that at times.
19: Day of the Tentacle: Remastered
# Still one of my favourite games ever. Played it in spanish this time.
20: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
# A brilliant and fitting ending to the trilogy. Very different from the first two entries but it worked suprisingly well. Looking forward to replay all of the games again.
21: This is the Police
# Interesting concept that unfortunately gets repetetive quickly and drags on far too long.
22: Resonance
# Fun sci-fi-mystery Point and Click adventure with an interesting "memory"-mechanic.
23: Tales of Symphonia
# Nice JRPG with some annoying dungeons.
24: Momodora: Reverie under the Moonlight
# Fun and challenging game, loved it.
25: Candle
# Fun adventure game with just the right amount of challenge and charming graphics.
26: Never Alone
# Beautiful, fun sidescroller with a lot of story-driven content.
27: Trails of Cold Steel
# Incredibly enjoyable, engaging RPG. Ends in a cliffhanger, so I hope the second one will be on Steam soon.
28: A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build
# Adorable puzzle game that is neither too hard nor too easy.
29: Dropsy
# Bizarre and fun point and click adventure with a weird ending.
 
01 - A Story About My Uncle - PC
Very interesting first person platformer game.
02 - Shadowrun returns - PC
Great RPG.
03 - Stories: The Path Of Destinies - PS4
Very nice little action / adventure game.
04 - Assault Android Cactus - PC
Fun top down arcade shooter.
05 - Goodbye Deponia - PC
Offensive but entertaining point and click adventure game.
06 - Jotun - PC
Fun action game.
07 - Sinless - PC
Interesting VN with an abrupt ending.
08 - Tick tock isle- PC
Really cute little adventure game about time travelling to help a family.
09 - Steamworld Dig - PC
Nice little digging game.
10 - Abzû - PC
Short beautiful looking game, but a disappointing experience.
11 - Mario & Luigi: Dream Team - 3DS
Great RPG.
12 - Superhot - PC
Innovative FPS.
13 - Life is Strange - PC
Really good adventure game with an awful first episode.
14 - Shadowrun dragonfall - PC
Good game but inferior to Shadowrun returns.
15 - Stories untold - PC
Really original adventure game.
16 - Destiny - PS4
Great FPS.
17 - Call of Duty Advanced Warfare - PC
Okay FPS.
18 - Axiom Verge - PC
Good metroidvania with 8bit style graphics and great soundtrack.
19 - Oxenfree - PC
Great adventure game.
20 - Resonance - PC
Great adventure game.
21 - Stasis - PC
Decent adventure game.
22 - Shadow Complex Remastered - PC
Nice little metroidvania.
23 - The Room Two - PC
Amazing puzzle adventure game.
24 - Edna and Harvey the breakout - PC
Nice adventure game.
25 - Goetia - PC
Really hard adventure game.
26 - Until Dawn - PS4
Great horror adventure game.
27 - Uncharted 4 - PS4
Great adventure game.
28 - Blue Estate - PC
Nice shooter on rails.
29 - Epistory: The Typing Chronicles - PC
Amazing typing game, highly recommended.
30 - Ys Origin - PC
Amazing ARPG, highly recommended.
31 - Destiny: The Dark Below - PS4
DLC.
32 - Destiny: House of Wolves - PS4
DLC.
33 - Destiny: The Taken King - PS4
DLC.
34 - Destiny: Lords of Iron - PS4
DLC.
35 - Entwined - PS4
Really nice experience.
36 - Candle - PC
Amazing adventure game with great graphics.
37 - Never alone - PC
Nice puzzle platformer.
38 - Never alone: Fox tales - PC
DLC.
39 - Rage: The Scorchers - PC
DLC.
40 - Bloodborne: The Old Hunters - PS4
DLC.
41 - Rage - PC
Fun FPS with bullet spongie enemies.
42 - Bloodborne - PS4
Amazing game.
43 - Everybody's gone to the rapture - PS4
Nice experience with a too slow walking speed but an amazing soundtrack.
44 - Dropsy - PC
Great point and click game where you go around hugging people as a clown.
45 - Aliens Colonial Marines: Stasis Interrupted - PC
DLC.
46 - Cayne - PC
Short adventure game with too much backtracking.
47 - Scanner Sombre - PC
Interesting and beautiful first person exploration game but badly optimized.
48 - Evo Explorers- PC
Really nice puzzle game.
49 - Shovel Knight - 3DS
Nice action platformer.
50 - Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows - 3DS
DLC.
51 - Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment - 3DS
DLC.
52 - Infamous Second Son - PS4
Nice action game.
53 - Metroid Samus Returns - 3DS
Great game.
54 - Ryse: Son of Rome - PC
Decent game but too repetitive.
55 - Call of Duty: Infinite warfare - PC
Awesome FPS, best cod game.
56 - Doki Doki Literature Club - PC
Really creepy VN.
 
Bringing this list elsewhere cause you know of the whole neogaf, evilore situation. Peace out.

Game 1: Steamworld Dig 2 (GPD WIN) - 6hours 36min COMPLETED
A much more enjoyable sequel filled with improvements to gameplay. Where as SD1 felt like a light mobile game, this one felt like the proper full game, with upgrades, challenges and plenty of challenges to find.

A must play!

Game 2: Final Fantasy 15 (PS4) - 19hours 22min
I am so so poor. These foods are good for stats but bad for the prince's wallet... and diet.

Game 3: Steamworld Heist (PS Vita) - 12hours 56min COMPLETED
I have mixed feelings about that later section of the game.

Solid turn based shooters that had that one more turn! factor and saying Goddamn it! when you miss a shot. Visually a lovely looking title with a neat universe. Story is interesting but kind feels like a bore at times.

Game 4: Dishonored 2 (PS4) - 28hours 19min COMPLETED
What a great sequel. Loved using Emily and her abilities felt great to use. Chaining ability is so god damn useful. Story was pretty good too. All the levels were great but I was kinda let down by the Clockwork Mansion and actually enjoyed Aramis' mansion more so than CM.

Must play!

Game 5: DOOM (PS4) - 13hours 30min
This game is just pure awesome gameplay. Story aint too bad too. Only problem now is Im stuck in I Am Vega mission where there's a bug preventing from progressing. Guess its time to update.

Game 6: Homefront: Revolution (PS4) - 24hours 30min COMPLETED
Ok, I kinda had fun with this one. The shooting felt off but the weapons are pretty dang fun and kick ass. The side missions arent that fun to pull off but liberating strikepoints are fun to play with. Could care less bout the main story but it got interesting towards the end.

Its just really unpolished and at times, uninteresting but I still had fun with the game.

Game 7: Darkest Dungeon (PS Vita) - 22hours 35min
Got a bunch of level 5 heroes, need to grind up some money now.

Game 8: Little Acre (PS4) - 3hours COMPLETED
This wraps up too quickly. Its cute and puzzles are very straightforward but its quite short.

Game 8: Yakuza 0 (PS4) - 36hours 12min COMPLETED
Damn, this game is excellence. The story and characters are so damn interesting and sometimes heartbreaking at times, gameplay is fun in all the aspects, mini games and beating guys up and while the menus and animations can be quite stiff and last gen, that aspect kinda adds to the overall charm of this game.

One other GOTY for me!

Game 9: Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) - 46hours 32min COMPLETED
Well, I can finally say, with regards to GG, this is a story filled with characters I wont forget. Gameplay is pretty fun, between stealth and action but traversal is poo.

Must play when cheaper.

Game 10: Nier: Automata (PS4) - 31hours 45min COMPLETED
GOTY, GOTY, GOTY. Excellent gameplay, excellent music, excellent characters, excellent stories. MUST PLAY.

Game 11: Oxenfree (PS4) - 5hours 25min COMPLETED
Yo, what. Like woah. What a game. Solidly and well written story and characters, just the right balance between teen angst, drama and comedy. Every character felt believable and so easy to relate to. Soundtrack is grand and visuals are gorgeously crafted. Puzzles arent too hard.

Game 12: Salt & Sanctuary (PS Vita) - 123hours 17min COMPLETED
YEEESSSSS, that final boss! Its over!

It's got the most of what I like about the souls game but captured in a 2D perspective. Fun but at times easy to break combat and great sense of exploration and connectable routes. The only real downside is the artstyle for the characters and sometimes the backgrounds can be a bit hard to read ala can I walk over this or do I fall to death situations but aside from that, I can without a doubt say that S&S covered that Souls itch for on the go vita goodness.

MUST PLAY!

Game 13: Fallout: New Vegas (GPD WIN) - 52hours 37min COMPLETED
My goodness, the options to completing quests plus the good old Fallout exploration and decent enough combat makes this just as good if not better than the Witcher 3.

Must play, come on now.

Game 14: Gravity Rush 2 (PS4) - 27hours 2min COMPLETED
A decent enough conclusion for the Gravity Queen. Loved the additions of Jupiter and Lunar styles, the context for side missions and challenges and awesome soundtrack. The only slight downside to the game is the story answers most of the lingering questions from the first game but then adds more questions to the whole world. Made a bit worse by the fact that it could've been written a whole lot better.

But seeing as this will be the last we'll see of Kat, its been a pretty awesome game.

Must play if you liked the first one.

Game 15: Skylar and Plux: Adventure on Clover Island (GPD WIN) - 3hours 16min COMPLETED
The foundations of solid platformer are there and sadly, not really fully realized here. The character designs are ugly, the story is like a meh version of a Ratchet and Clank game and combat is simple but when it comes to that classic 3D platforming, you'll get that at least, in like less than 4hours of gameplay if you're taking your time with it.

Game 16: Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (PS Vita) - 53hours 25min COMPLETED
Oh my god, there's so much post content but no way am I spending hours to grind up. Content enough with the main story, no thanks D4.

Story lacks any oomph but its characters more than make up for it but also at the cost of not much character development in the main story(watched the post game, that's where some of the rest get it). The only noticeable changes I disliked from past Disgaea games is the useless Hostage part of the game, its pretty easy to convert a taken enemy so its pointless to have that system. Oh and reincarnation doesnt take previously learned to other races(boo!) unless you do chara world(similar to item world but nah). Post content is a freaking lot and amazing to see how much they jammed after the main story, unlocking crossover characters was fun.

Overall, a must play for anyone who loved the past Disgaea games and SRPGs that doesnt really take itself seriously.

Game 17: Malicious Rebirth (PS Vita) - 9hours 52min COMPLETED
Interesting concept and visuals but ultimately, I was soured by the gameplay, especially with the final bosses and timed missions, blech.

Game 18: Hyper Light Drifter (GPD WIN) - 9hours 34min COMPLETED
Love love the art style and gameplay is reminiscent of a top down Megaman Zero GBA game. The worst thing is how confusing the map can be at times and I initially didnt understand how to unlock certain areas or find new area unlock keys until like 3 or 4 hours later by luck or chance. Oh and the story feels like it was going the same route as Shadow of The Colossus but screwed the pooch by being too abstract about anything.

Game 19: Alone With You (PS Vita) - 6hours 9min COMPLETED
I'm sorry, as sci fi stories goes, this was dull. Doesn't help that the gameplay aspect boils down to go to new place, find number of things, do simple puzzles, then back and start holo chats. Meh. Looks nice though.

Game 20: Bloodborne: Old Hunters (PS4) - 28hours 37min COMPLETED
I've already beaten the vanilla game before so decided to just count up for the Old Hunters dlc and boy, what a freaky and fantastic DLC. Damn Orphan of Kos screaming grotesque of a boss! Also moonlight sword is amazing.

Game 21: Life Is Strange (PS4) - 15hours COMPLETED
This was hella more memorable than Remember Me but lacking in a the soundtrack department IMO. Everything else was stellar, from characters, puzzles and story, great stuff.

Game 22: Virginia (GPD WIN) - 2hours 20min COMPLETED
A very wonderful looking walking sim with a WTF story by the end.

Game 23: Soul Sacrifice (PS Vita) - 16hours 37min COMPLETED
Man, its good to be back with one of the best ps vita games and one of the games to end my ride with the vita. Visually the art style is amazing, story and lore is very very well done and gameplay is quick and fun. Also I finally beat Magusar's ass!

A Must play for any vita owners out there!

Game 24: Ape Escape: On The Loose (PSP on PS Vita) - 10hours 10min COMPLETED
This is surprisingly a really good remake. The melee is a bit wonky since it stops you in place but turns out you just have to time your hit and net capture at the right moments. Capturing monkeys is as fun as it ever was on the ps1, now just on the go. Visually its got a simple look but the art direction is nice.

A should play if you've a vita since you can map it to be an easier and more tolerable control scheme.

Game 25: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) - 10hours 30min COMPLETED
A really fun spin off(?) with great characters and interesting enough story. Its basically more of Uncharted 4 but with Chloe as the main lead with Nadine as her partner throughout. And because its also more of U4, there were definitely some moments of the game where I felt like I've played in past Uncharted games.

That said, I wouldn't mind if the next Uncharted focused on Chloe and co from this point on.

Its Uncharted, hard to not recommend.
 
1/52
1: Life is Strange (XB1) - Episodes 1-5
I have watched this on a LP and really enjoyed it. Even though it was a comedy LP (SBFP) I can tell the game was interesting. I snagged this on sale and it was really worth it. While the dialogue was a bit iffy at times, I didn't find the characters annoying or unrealistic. The ending of Episode 3 was one of the best in an episodic game I've seen, even if it was a cliff hanger of sorts. I didn't have trouble with the mechanics except rewinding time was a little wonky at times and once you hit LB to skip a section, there isn't a way to stop that decision and have to wait it out. Minor complaints if any for me. Really enjoyed my time with it and happy to actually go through it myself. My one biggest regret/mistake was making sure Alyssa was never harmed...and then I accidentally Go through the window to get the fisherman and thus dooming her. Whoops.
 
Completed (12/52):

1) Uncharted 4 (1/1/2017) -- I've finished all 4 Uncharted games in the series and really enjoyed my time with this one. Wish there were more puzzles to solve, but I enjoyed the story and preferred this one's end sequence compared to the previous entry.
My rating (9.2/10)

2) The Last Guardian (1/7/2017) -- Having played both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, I was somewhat excited to play The Last Guardian. After completing the game today, I enjoyed certain parts of the game, but I'm definitely glad it's over. It was one of the most frustrating gaming experiences I've had due to the controls, but when everything is clicking, it is very good.
My rating (8.0/10)

3) ReCore (1/28/2017) -- This game had such good potential. Everything leading up to the last area was fantastic aside from a few glitches and some outrageous loading times, but the last area really bogged down the experience. Whoever thought it was a good idea to bring the progression to a grinding halt by creating a tower of fenced in shootouts and then require an additional 5 prismatic cores to progress up each floor needs to be fired. It feels like they did it just to extend the game and force you to go looking for cores in optional areas. Not only that but when I finally got to the final boss the game glitched after I killed him and wouldn't progress so had to restart and do it all over again. Such a frustrating experience with a game that felt so satisfying at first. If there is a sequel, I hope they can build upon the game play and eliminate the unnecessary grind at the end. A little more QA wouldn't hurt either.
My rating (7.1/10)

4) Ori and the Blind Forest (2/4/2017) -- Wow! Anyone who has the opportunity to play this game and hasn't done so should get on it right away.
My rating (9.5/10)

5) Resident Evil VII (2/18/2017) -- This is an amazing Resident Evil game. I think Capcom really knocked it out of the park with this one. They needed to get the series back on track and to me they did that in a big way. I really enjoyed the overall setting and characters. The game strayed away from the crazy boss battles after the first 2 houses and opted for a change of pace, but I kind of wanted more of that.I still enjoyed what was there though. Overall, I had an excellent time with this game and if I wasn't trying to put a dent in my backlog, I would be tempted to play through again and see if I could get that 4 hours or less completion trophy.
My rating (9.0/10)

6) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (4/16/2017) -- It's been two months since I've beaten a game, but I resumed my challenge with a big one. I'm a huge Zelda fan, and while Breath of the Wild doesn't stick to the normal Zelda template it still managed to provide that Zelda feel in my opinion. I have been critical of Wind Waker and Majora's Mask for lack of dungeons and that is my weakest point from Breath of the Wild as well. I really love the dungeons in Zelda games and hope they can build upon this new game play with more of those fully fleshed out dungeons in the future. Despite the lack of real dungeons, the game was just extremely fun to play and definitely deserves the praise that most everyone has given it.
My rating (9.8/10)

7) Snipperclips (5/27/2017) -- Had some family in town and finally finished this up. The game is fun and genius at times but will undoubtedly at some point result in you yelling at your loved ones and vice versa.
My rating (7.5/10)

8) Fire Emblem Shadows of Valentia (6/7/2017) -- I really enjoyed the change of pace over the 2 previous 3DS entries and this was the first Fire Emblem 3DS game I managed to complete. I think a lot of that came down to the inclusion of Mila's turnwheel which allowed me to replay an action after making a stupid move (I accidentally ended a player's turn way more times than I care to admit) and not having to replay the entire battle. Only section I disliked was the forced Alm solo fights but they really only boiled down to using all your provisions. Other than that the game was a fantastic experience.
My rating (8.7/10)

9) Kirby: Triple Deuxe (6/10/2017) -- Kirby is a nice change of pace after working my way through a Fire Emblem game, and this is a very solid entry in the Kirby franchise.
My rating (8.0/10)

10) Metroid: Samus Returns (9/30/2017) -- I never played the original on the Game Boy so didn't have to worry about comparing against that version. I thought Mercury Steam did an excellent job overall and the length of the game was right in my wheelhouse (Finished in a little over 11 hours). The final 2 boss battles were fun and challenging and while I would have liked to see more of those types of battles throughout, I'm still content with what was there. It felt nice to settle in with a proper Metroid title, and this only heightened my excitement for Metroid Prime 4.
My rating (9.0/10)

11) Golf Story (10/7/2017) -- Solid game from a relatively unknown developer that I enjoyed. I know there were quite a few bugs reported in the OT, but I luckily only encountered a few minor issues. Writing was funny and the game play was good minus the putting.
My rating (8.0/10)

12) Sonic Mania (10/19/2017) -- I've never been a huge Sonic fan, but I went ahead and purchased this after seeing some good feedback online. After finishing the game, I appreciate that the developers were able to create a solid classic Sonic game, but I guess Sonic just isn't the type of game I enjoy.
My rating (7.5/10)
 
Gonna participate this year as I realized I have a lot I haven't touched yet in my backlog. Let's do this!

COMPLETED

1. Portal 2 - SP: Jan 1st | MP: Jan 13th - 33 hours overall
Fun game. I got this on my birthday back around the time it came out and I never had a computer that could run it well. Had so much fun with the puzzles and the characters here. Always a pleasure. With co-op, the game becomes even more fun with a friend along for the ride. - 9/10

2. Titanfall 2 - Jan 8th/9th, 2017 - 8 hours
Wow. Legitimately one of the the best FPS games I've played in 2017. Campaign was short and sweet, but packed a lot of punch. Everything about this game is amazing. The titan and pilot controls are on point, the combat is easy to get used to and incredibly fast paced, and the production quality and polish is incredible. If you haven't picked this up, you're missing out. Gonna go back for multiplayer some time this week. - 9/10

3. Human: Fall Flat - Jan. 10th - 9.2 hours
A short and great hidden gem of a puzzle/platforming game. Saw this on GiantBomb and wanted to give it a shot. Controls are easy once you get used to them and there's lots to explore in the levels. As well as a great character customization feature that lets you paint a great looking guy. The minute it puts you in front of a boat you know you're gonna have a great timeThe only thing that could improve my experience is if there was co-op. Worth checking out if you like drunk baby simulator. - 9/10

4. Alan Wake - Jan. 14th - 12 hours
I'm the type of person who can find enjoyment in just about anything. Good or bad, I can appreciate the little things. HOWEVER, I genuinely hate Alan Wake. Like, I really hate it. I can get behind the story aspect. It's a bit flawed, but regardless, I can enjoy it. I'd like it more if the protagonist was likable. Alan Wake is an asshole and so bland that it makes me hurt. Gameplay is eh, could be improved, but it gets to the point where I just run to the checkpoint to avoid the repetitive combat. I'm probably not gonna check out American Nightmare. - 3/10

5. Portal - Jan. 21st - 2 hours
Funny how I've played the second and never played the original. And it was one of the very first Steam games I got. I suppose it's much easier than expected as I beat Portal 2 first. Short, funny, and a very iconic game. The thing I loved about this one is that it has this very uneasy feeling to the whole game. The stale look of the Enrichment Center, the very calm but eerie music, and the pale voice of GLaDoS. I feel like more people overlook this one since the 2nd one has co-op and an incredible story. Still though, Portal still has its' charm. - 8/10

6. SUPERHOT - Jan 21st/22nd - 3 hours
Hey friends, you should play this super innovative shooter. It's some great fun. I think the only problem I have with this game is how much it costs. I sold a bunch of trading cards to buy this game and it was also on sale, so it wasn't too bad. But thirty Canadian loons is just too much. - 8/10

7. Journey (PS4) - Jan 26th - 2 hours
That was an experience. Sand sliding was the best part. I really don't know how to sum up my experience with that game. - 9/10

8. Tomb Raider (2013) - Feb. 2nd - 9 hours
Funny how I bought this game and the three times I opened it up to make some progress were all in the winter and on different machines (well, technically 2, but this feels like a new system cause of the GPU and overall refresh I did a few weeks ago). This was a really great adventure game. I've never been a fan of Lara Croft, but I liked the direction this reboot went. It was real. I feel like more things could've been done better, but I had fun. The platforming and combat were great, exploring these lush environments were fantastic and above all else, the story was solid. I'm keeping this installed to see if I'll go back and do some more exploring. - 8/10

9. Renegade Ops (Main Campaign) - Feb 9th - 6 hours
A small twin-stick shooter that's corny and incredible to play. It's dumb fun and addictive as hell. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's over the top corny. One of the chapters starts with the opposing forces trying to take down your team's plane, then the Commander says "Our ship's going down! Let's use it to our full advantage!" and then he just drives the plane right into the forces trying to shoot you down. It's glorious and simple. I think the thing that bothered me about it was managing the primary and secondary tasks of each level. You have a limited amount of time to do the primary task, but if you miss something for one of the secondary tasks, you're gonna lose some time. Overall though, that was a minor hindrance to the enjoyable arcade game. Gonna head back for the Coldstrike DLC. - 7/10

10. Assassin's Creed II - Feb 22nd - 28 hours
The last time I played ACII was back in 2015 and man, do I regret not beating it sooner. This game is pretty great. I have beaten one of the more recent AC titles and it was fairly fun, so coming back to what is considered the best title in the franchise is a bit weird. Visually, the game feels dated. Colors are so dull, but it captured the atmosphere so well. Gameplay is top notch and each mission, while repetitive, did feel fresh for the challenges it presented along the way. This first chapter into Ezio's life as an assassin is a very solid start. If there was one thing I think this game needs, it is a cover mechanic and crouching. It would feel so good if I could just hide behind enemies and walls to prevent unnessesary combat. But, I had a good time regardless. Hopefully when I play another AC game, it won't take so long. - 9/10

11. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Feb 25th - 7 hours
The movie is... well, I never saw that film, only The Unusual Suspects' video review, so I can't compare them well. However, the one thing I will say is that like its' film, Amazing Spider-Man 2 had a ton of potential. A great line-up of villains in an open-world that, with fan feedback, could've been fixed for this followup. It wasn't. Gameplay feels broken, despite the fact that I was content with both the combat and the swinging. The game repeatedly glitched and looked weird in some areas. I remember in one of the missions where the sound of my ionic webshooters firing looped aswell as an enemy line. Regardless, I had a pretty good time with this clusterfuck of a game. Wouldn't do it again, but enjoyed it. Whatever Insomniac does with their game, it'll be a godsend compared to this. - 4/10

12. Metal Gear Rising: Revengance - March 8th - 7 hours
Fuckin' Platinum. Maybe I'm shit at this game, but I got my ass kicked on Normal. This game was a goddamn pleasure to play front to back. Not a big fan of the parry system, but it works when it wants to. Either way, I enjoyed this game. - 8/10

13. Parappa the Rapper 2 - March 22nd - 1 hour
I legitimately wanted to play this game for so many years. It was worth the wait. I wish it was longer. - 7/10

14. ABZU - June 23rd - 1 hour
Wow. It was so much MORE than what I expected. Presentation wise, it's so goddamn beautiful. Gameplay was simple, but a lot of fun. This game >>>>>>> Journey. 9/10

IN PROGRESS

Persona 5

On the List
Hotline Miami
Attack on Titan
Steins;Gate 0
Rachet and Clank PS4
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Main Game only, DLC tbd)
Uncharted Trilogy
Persona 5 (both in JP and EN)
Splatoon
Super Mario 3D Land
 
01: The Witcher 3 [PS4] - 90 hours - 01/02/2017 - ★★★☆☆
had about 6 hours left to play of this game from 2016... total put in was like 90hrs. Pretty solid game, but last 1/3 was slow and boring as shit. Gameplay loop was pretty weak too. Battle mechanics were meh. I Actually didnt enjoy the game aspect too much, i just loved the world and running around it etc. Im pretty done with open world games for awhile though.

02: Day of the Tentacle [PS4] - 3.5 hours - 01/04/2017 - ★★★☆☆
played this a couple times before but didnt remember some puzzles or ending. Fun quirky game, i did feel like some of the things you had to do were a bit random, maybe the clues the game gave were too obscure or i skipped pat something in the cinematics and dialogs

03: Stardew Valley [PS4] - 60-70 hours - 01/19/2017 - ★★★☆☆
really enjoyed this game. it scratched the harvest moon itch. the first year was a blast, but by year two I was struggling to find motivation as many of the quests and events got repetitive and boring. i do think this lacked some challenge too. Married Emily.

04: Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links [iOS] - 50+ hrs - 01/24/2017 - ★★★☆☆
calling it for this one. good mobile version of yugioh. needs a better deck building UI. the simplified rules make some strategy and cards irrelevant, but overall speeds up the matches. the grinding gets pretty tiresome. I'll prob play this inevitably for who knows how much longer, but i think I've put in enough consistent time to call it done and be able to move on to a console game.

05: REmake HD [PS4] - 17 hrs - 02/1/2017 - ★★★★☆
Loved playing through this agian. I acutally never got more than 1/3? through the game, as I was about 10 when I first experienced it at my neighbors house. It was in japanese too so we had no idea what to do. Just opening doors and picking up random items. was awesome though seeing that zombie eating michael jordans face for the first time. Biggest things that annoyed me were the controls/camera. they frustrated me in some situations, when the camera would change frequently. crazy seeing the difficulty back then vs games now. alot had ot do with the mechanics and controls though obviously. the map layout and design is amazing though. they did so much with so little. game focuses on puzzles too much more than generic action/kills.

06: Until Dawn [PS4] - 9? hrs - 02/14/2017 -★★★☆☆
Not bad, not bad. Knowing it was an "interactive movie" type game i wasnt expecting much. There were definitely some creepy moments, but all the "scares" were jump scares, so they were predictable. Even guessed the twist very early on. Game kinda jumps the shark though once they introduce the
monsters
. Animation and controls were janky as hell. Really pissed as my first playthrough ended with only 4 survivors, yet two-three died in the last 20 minutes of playing due to dumb reasons. Overall it was a neat experience, i'll probably play this every halloween now, considering how many outcomes there are.

07: Hyper Light Drifter [PS4] - 7? hrs - 02/16/2017 -★★★☆☆
Game was pretty good. Very little narrative and a bit lacking. Makes up for it with style and design though. Gameplay was tight. Really enjoyed the bosses and zipping around platforms. I liked how the money system worked, allowed for upgrades but so you couldn't just grind. Nothing felt too hard, but the game definitely felt easier as I started upgrading. Directional cues felt disjointed and often obtuse unfortunately.

08: Return of the Tomb Raider [PS4] - 20-30? Hrs - 02/26/2017 - ★★★☆☆

Was a fun adventure, but i think the TR reboot was better. Not challenging at all. The exploration and tombs were my favorite parts. Honestly i dont know why they just dont make a game of tombs and puzzles rather than shoehorning in all the cinematics and story. Dont forsee the sequel changing much up unfortunately. Some good ideas that halfheartedly implemented. They introduce you to many mechanics only to be used in the game a couple times and never again.

09: Call of Duty: Ghosts [PS4] - 6? Hrs - 03/04/2017 - ★☆☆☆☆

Aside from playing some CoD2 multiplayer at a friends house, this was my first true COD experience. I know it's not known for it's SP, but by god this game was absolute shit. between the graphics, the levels, the story, the gameplay. i cant name one thing i enjoyed. the sole reason I played it was because I was gifted it when I got the ps4 and dont have any other game to play while a few new ones are being delivered. god damnit. first and last COD. why is this popular?!


10: Doom 2016 [PS4] - 15? Hrs - 03/14/2017 - ★★★★☆

This game was dope. Nice breath of fresh "old" air. Made me feel like i was playing original doom and halo, quake, ut. Played about 3/4 of game on ultra violent which was awesome though pretty difficult and cheap in some regards. Really enjoyed all the secrets. Could have had more enemies and variation. Id play a sequel.



totals:
10/52 games
0 - ★★★★★
4 - ★★★★☆
7 - ★★★☆☆
0 - ★★☆☆☆
1 - ★☆☆☆☆
0 - ☆☆☆☆☆
 
Finished it last year, though most of them were short. Glad to clear some of the bundle junk in my library though.

Time for 2017.

****************************************
2016 Leftovers (since I can't edit the previous thread)

89. Club Life - 7Hrs (Dec 27th)
A bit more improved over the previous Dharker games. Still the same sort of stuff though.

90. Highschool Romance - 4.5Hrs (Dec 29th)
The art style is much cleaner compared to other Dharker games, but not much really happens in the story. One route is pretty easily missed if you don't make the right choices, but overall choices don't affect the general story too much.

91. Lovely Weather We're Having - 0.5Hrs (Dec 30th)
Not much to do other that run around and talk to NPCs. Apparently the weather changes according to your real life location? I don't know since I end up in fog most of the time.

92. Mountain - 1.5Hrs (Dec 30th)
Relaxing type of game. Watching your mountain as time passes. The annihilation scenes are so dramatic.

93. GooCubelets - 2Hrs (Dec 30th)
Surprisingly not too bad for a puzzle game, but the physics are a bit off at points.

****************************************
2017 START

1. Space Codex - 2.5Hrs (Jan 1st)
Decided to start with a simple game. Top-down shooter, controls pretty well. Not much beyond achievements and trying to get a high score, but it plays well. I enjoyed my short time with it.

2. SAMOLIOTIK - 6.5Hrs (Jan 1st)
I kind of liked this short meme shooter. Most of the time written here was waiting for card drops. The game was pretty simple control-wise. I wish the bosses had health bars.

3. Russian Horror Story - 4.5Hrs (Jan 1st)
It was frustrating reading how the protagonist tries to deal with his neighbours, lol. He's supposedly educated, but over half of the endings are like some crazy delusions or actions. At least there was one reasonable-ish end.

4. Quell - 3Hrs (Jan 2nd)
Nice and relaxing puzzle game. I got stuck on some of the puzzles near the end and looked them up though.

5. Bulb Boy - 4.5Hrs (Jan 2nd)
This was a cute and disturbing game. I love the aesthetics. The story is a bit nonsensical and some of the puzzles are pretty out there, but it was a good time.

6. Gunpoint - 6Hrs (Jan 3rd)
I wonder why I didn't play this sooner. Great stealth and puzzle game. Most of the puzzle was working with the cross links. Kind of wish you can do alternate stories without restarting the whole game.

7. hocus - 3Hrs (Jan 4th)
Simple puzzle game where you get a red block to a hole on levels that are like optical illusions. Some of the levels are simple to solve with simple paths but the extra bits added to the levels can confuse you.

8. Plug & Play - 0.2Hrs (Jan 8th)
Sort of like a sort interactive flash animation. Quite surreal. Lots plugging and pulling.

9. Potato Thriller Steamed Potato Edition - 2.5Hrs (Jan 15th)
I love the text to speech voice acting. An amusing though below average game. The loading screen take a lot of time.

10. Sokobond - 7Hrs (Jan 18th)
It's a good puzzle game making use of chemistry, but it gets somewhat boring when being played for extended periods of time. I wish I could have enjoyed it more.

11. LogiGun - 6Hrs (Jan 22nd)

12. The Treasures of Montezuma 4 - 38Hrs (Feb 4th)

13. A Bird Story - 1Hr (Feb 13th)

14. Sakura Angels - 7.5Hrs (Feb 17th)

15. Sakura Beach - 4Hrs (Feb 17th)
I think this is the worst of the Sakura games that I've played.

16. Dessert Storm - 2.5Hrs (Feb 22nd)
Not the best Match3 game I've played. Doesn't really control well.

17. The Hidden Dragon - 2.5Hrs (Feb 22nd)
Easy hidden object game. I don't really like the aspect where you have to find the objects as fast as you can to get three stars on a level. It's just straight memorization of the level and a few tries to do it fast enough.

18. Shonen Idle Z - 1908Hrs (Feb 23rd)
Not a really good clicker game, mostly idle like the title suggests. The aesthetics are nice, but the grind to get all the achievements is long.

19. Voxelized - 1.5Hrs (Feb 23rd)
Bad MineCraft clone. Not really much variety in environments and there isn't much of crafting. Card drops are broken as well.

20. Puzzles At Mystery Manor - 4.5Hrs (Feb 25th)
Didn't expect the 3D/on-rails aspect. Puzzles are simple to solve, but they reuse quite a few of them for the puzzles. It was sort of ok.

21. Mahjong Destiny - 4Hrs (Feb 25th)
Mahjong game, not really challenging since there isn't any way to lose. Not really much of a story either.

22. Ampu-Tea - 2.5Hrs (Feb 25th)
Surgeon Simulator, but you're making tea instead. It's really hard to pick anything up. An okay game.

23. Sticker Craft - 1.8Hrs (Jun 24th)
Pretty much combine stuff to make do items and do so until you make everything. It's kind of a chore opening the sticker catalog and selecting the items you want to take out and combine.

24. Pixelscape: Oceans - 10.1Hrs (Jun 25th)
A sandbox type of game where you build up a moving image. No objective other than to make a scene you're content with. It's relaxing in a sense though the game lags a bit and the achievements are tedious.

25. Incredipede - 4Hrs (Jul 5th)
A QWOP kind of game. The aesthetics are nice, but it can be frustrating to play.
 

Intel_89

Member
Reserved post, got to finish 70 games (couldn't update my list before the thread got closed) last year. I really doubt I'll be able to top that in 2017 but I hope to take part in the challenge either way. Have fun everyone and good year to all.

Games beat - 41 out of 52

1) Severed (PSV) - 4*
2) Bastion (PS4/PSV) - 4*
3) Hatsune Miku Future Tone (PS4) - 4*
4) Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (PSV) - 3.5*
5) Guacamelee (PSV) - 4*
6) Nihilumbra (PSV) - 3*
7) Quest of Dungeons (PS4) - 3*
8) Day of the Tentacle Remastered (PS4/PSV) - 3.5*
9) Far Cry Primal (PS4) - 3.5*
10) Batman Telltale Series (PS4) - 3*
11) Dark Souls 3 (PS4) - 5*
12) Resogun (PSV) - 3.5*
13) Not a Hero (PS4) - 3.5*
14) Steamworld Dig (PS4) - 3.5*
15) Torquel (PS4/PSV) - 3*
16) The Walking Dead S1 (PS4) - 3.5*
17) Ray Gigant (PSV) - 3.5*
18) Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PSV) - 4*
19) VVVVVV (PSV) - 3.5*
20) Lumo (PS4/PSV) - 2.5*
21) Disc Jam (PS4) - 3*
22) Shantae and the 1/2 Genie Hero (PS4) - 4*
23) Escape Plan (PS4/PSV) - 3*
24) Tetris Ultimate [roughly 10h] (PSV) - 3*
25) Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4) - 4*
26) Ghost Blade HD (PS4) - 4.5*
27) TheSilverCase (PS4) - 4*
28) Bridge Constructor (PS4/PSV) - 2.5*
29) Jak The Precursor Legacy (PSV) - 3* (I'd give it a 4* if it wasn't for the technical issues)
30) Pacman Championship Edition 2 (PS4) - 3.5*
31) Flinthook (PS4) - 4*
32) Motorstorm RC (PSV) - 3*
33) Assault Suit Leynos (PS4) - 3.5*
34) Birthdays: The Beggining (PS4) -3.5*
35) Sly Racoon (PSV) - 4*
36) Shovel Knight: Spectre of Torment (PS4) - 4.5*
37) Kung Fury: Street Rage (PSV) - 3*
38) SUPERBEAT XONiC (PS4) - 4.5*
39) Black & White Bushido (PS4) - 2.5*
40) Portal Knights (PS4) - 3*
41) Type Rider (PSV) - 4*
 

Tizoc

Member
Claiming this post~

1. The Darkness II (PC)
Beat the main game on Normal in under 7 hours.

2. Batman: The Telltale Series
Beaten in under 10 hours.

3. I have no mouth and I must scream

4. Inherit the Earth

5. Legend of Kyrandia Book Onehttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=227821312&postcount=397

6. Legend of Kyrandia Book Twohttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=227874410&postcount=422

7. Assassin's Creed Rogue
Completed Final Sequence/Chapter with a total game compeltion of 51%.

8. Lilly Looking Through

9. AKIBA'S TRIP: Undead & Undressed (PC with 60 FPS patch)
Completed main game on Easiest difficulty while skipping many of the side quests.
Still enjoyed my time and doing JoJo poses while stripping off clothes was fun while it lasted.

10. The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav

11. Assault Suit Leynos (PC)

12. Milkmaid of the Milky Way (PC)
Beaten in under 2 hours.

13. (The Dark Eye-) Memoria

14. Azure Striker Gunvolt (PC)
Completed main game, didn't go back for completing the side/optional missions though.

15. Minecraft Story Mode
Played up until Ep. 4 since that concluded a story.

16. Primordia

17. Resonance

18. Richard & Alice

19. Code of Princess (PC)http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=229302348&postcount=651

20. Sam & Max hit the road

21. Teen Agent
Completed in under 3 hours.

22. Simon the Sorcererhttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=229445442&postcount=689

23. Simon the Sorcerer 2

24. The Deadly Tower of Monsters

25. The Bug Butcher

26. Tales of Monkey Island

27. Toonstruck

28. Dust: An Elysian Tale

29. Zork: Grand Inquisitor

30. Exile's End

31. Yakuza 0 (PS4)

32. Ys Origin

33. 2064: Read Only Memories

34. Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PC)

35. 80 Days

36. Ninja Commando (1992 ADK game)

37. Akin (PC)
Completed Normal mode, being the game's main mode.

38. Ninja Combat

39. Twinkle Star Sprites

40. Her Majesty's SPIFFING

41. 1941: Counter Attack

42. Blazing Star

43. Forgotten Worlds/Lost Worlds

44. Sengoku 3 (Neo Geo)

45. Knights of the Round

46. Magic Sword

47. 7th Dragon III: Code- VFD

48. Shock Troopers 2nd Squad

49. Undercover Cops

50. Mystic Riders

51. Blade Master/Cross Blades!


52. Shin Megami Tensei 4 Apocalypse (3DS)

53. Gravity Rush Remasted (PS4)


54. Air Duel

55. Gunforce

56. Gunforce 2/Geo Storm

57. In the hunt
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=231750676&postcount=1019

58. Raiden 3http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=231890154&postcount=1027

59. Raiden IV Overkill

60. Danmaku Unlimited 2

61. Dragon Quest Heroes

62. Revolution 1979

63. Fate/Extella (PS4)
Main game completed, being the 4 Routes in Story Mode.

64. Styx: Shards of Darkness

65. Lit (PC)

66. A Bird Story

67. Burning Fight

68. Sengoku (Denshou)

69. Top Hunter


70. Botanicula

71. Ikari Warriors III: The Rescue

72. Berserk Musou (PC)

73. Captain Commando

74. Snoopy's Grand Adventure (PS4)
Main game completed.

75. Double Dragon (Arcade)

76. Double Dragon II (Arcade)

77. OneShot (2016 ver.)

78. Final Fight


79. Gang Wars

80. Hyper Dyne Side Arms

81. Art of Fighting/Ryuko no Ken 1

82. Magician Lord

83. Thimbleweed Park

84. Full Throttle Remastered

85. Shock Troopers

86. Charnel House Trilogy

87. Cibele

88. Late Shift

89. Nam-1975 (PS4)
I got the Bad Ending though :X

90. Ghost 1.0

91. Contradiction

92. Day of the Tentacle

93. Detective Case & Clown Bot

94. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

95. Detective Grimoire (2014 game)

96. X-Men (1992 Arcade game by Konami)

Played via the PS3 ver.

97. Hamlet

98. Sonic Wings Special

99. Goosebumps 2015
Cleared one of the possible endings.

100. Streets of Rage

101. Streets of Rage 2


102. Golden Axe (SEGA MD/Genesis ver.)

103. Grim Fandango Remastered

104. Golden Axe 2

105. Jacob Jones & The Bigfoot Mystery Ep. 1

106. Jacob Jones & The Bigfoot Mystery Ep. 2


107. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

108. The Journey Down Ep. 1

109. Hollow Knight

110. The Journey Down Ep. 2

111. Skylar and Plux

112. ICEY

113. King's Quest 2015

114. Yooka Laylee


115. The Little Acre

116. Loom (CD version)


117. Metal Slughttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=239346567&postcount=1449

118. Marvin's Mittens

119. Metal Slug 2
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=239535339&postcount=1457

120. Memoranda

121. Message Quest

122. King of Dragons

123. Last Duel

124. Mega Twins/Chiki Chiki Boys


125. Eco Fighters/Ultimate Ecology

126. Roosters/Midnight Wanderers


127. Metal Slug X

128. Chariot


130. Old Man's Journey

131. RiME


132. Gunbird (via PSOne Mobile Light Force)

133. Gunbird 2 DC version

134. Puzzle Bots


135. Castlevania LoS: Mirror of Fate

136. Castle of Shikigami

137. Samorost


138. Sonic Triple Trouble

139. Isotiles

140. TaleSpin NES

141. Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom

142. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara


143. Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers (NES)

144. Samorost 2

145. Darkwing Duck (NES)


146. Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers 2

147. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Ep. 1

148. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Ep. 2

149. Duck Tales 2 (NES)

150. Killer is Dead

151. Shadowgate (2014)
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=242150145&postcount=1546

152. Picross e

153. Picross e3

154. Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (2017)


155. Crash Bandicoot Warped PS4 remake

156. Sonic 3D: Flicky's Island (Gen/MD version)

157. Vanquish PC

158. Rockman X/Megaman X (SNES via PS2 Collection)

159. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

160. Rockman X 2/Megaman X 2

161. Picross e4

162. Rockman X 3


163. Rockman & Forte GBA
Game completed as Bass

164. Legend of Dark Witch
Completed main game as Zizou on Easy.

165. Legend of Dark Witch 2


166. The Silver Case (PC)

167. Super Mario World (SNES)

168. Super Mario Land (via n3DS VC)

169. The Lion's Song

170. Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death

171. Super Mario Land 2 (via n3DS VC)

172. Monument Valley 2

173. Monument Valley


173. Kirby's Dream Land/Hoshi no Kirby (GB via n3DS VC)

174. Spec Ops The Line

175. Samorost 3

176. Superbrothers

177. Tiny Thief (Rovio Stars game)


178. Virginia

179. Ballads of Reemus: When the bed bites

180. Prisoner of Ice

181. Sonic Mania (PS4)

182. Dragon Quest 8 3DS
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=246365224&postcount=1763

183. Dragonsphere

184. Song of the Deep

185. The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight mystery

186. Machinarium

187. Sonic the Hedgehog


188. Still Life

189. Steel Strider

190. The Whispered Worldhttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=247700270&postcount=1820

191. Wallce & Gromit's Grand Adventures

192. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)

193. Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)


194. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars

195. RAGE (2011, PC)

196. Broken Sword 2

197. King's Quest I (VGA fan remake by ADG)


198. 1954 Alcatraz

199. King's Quest 2: Romancing the Stones VGA Remak

200. Broken Sword 2.5

201. The Low Roadhttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=249157434&postcount=1880

202. The Beggar's Ride

203. Cluckle's Adventure

204. Spiderman Shattered Dimensions PC

205. The Journey Down Ch. 3


206. DanganRonpa V3

207. Figment

208. Knack 2

209. Raiden V


210. The Ninja Warriors (Arcade via PS4 AA series)

211. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2


212. Uncharted 2

213. Colo(u)r Guardians

214. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

215. Crash Bandicoot 2 PS4 Remake

216. A king's Tale: Final Fantasy XV

217. Flower

218. Darkside Detective

219- 天地を喰らう2 赤壁の戦い

220- Dead Synchronicity


221. Hob
 

Tizoc

Member
I started this in late December and just beat it as my first 2017 game.


Overall enjoyed it but I recommend Easy for anyone interested in playing it since enemies later on are rather bullet spongey but can be taken out just fine.
The shooting could be better, esp. after what I've played of Doom 2016.
In fact think of this game as a slower Doom 2016 far as movement goes and you'll get an idea of how ti plays. You can dual wield 2 guns and use the trigger buttons to fire them and utilize items in the area by tossing them at enemies to kill them among other things.
Main game is short and has NG+ if you want to 100% it and try the game on higher difficulties etc.

An overall decent First Person Shooter that I recommend people to play if they're looking for a (short) shooter to play through
 

foppy79

Member
I've seen this thread pop up time-to-time and have been intrigued. I'm probably not going to complete it, but I'll be happy if I can get to 30 (especially since I gravitate twords bigger games). Never hurt to try, though.

1. Final Fantasy XV - I was surprised by how much I loved the first 2/3, yet indifferent to the rest. The mood whiplash the game has is very real though, but also very powerful. Combat was a blast though. Maybe I'll finally get to 7 this year.
Date: 1/4/16
Total time: 63 hours



In progress:
Watch_Dogs 2(probably gonna take awhile)
Uncharted 2(started in July)

Backlog:
Witcher 3 (haha...)
Gravity Rush
Shantae and the pirate's curse
Pikmin 3
Uncharted 3
A plethora of classic games I've yet to finish (final fantasy VII being on top of the list)
 

Dimorphic

Member
This is my first time participating in this thread and I am excited and optimistic I'll have a solid year. One of my "resolutions" is to not buy new games day one outside of a very few blockbuster releases and focus on my backlog. Let's do this!

1: Batman: A Telltale Games Series - 4.5 hours
I loved this game! The unique story that TT created kept me engaged and intrigued throughout! The engine was the usual TT rubbish and really, really needs to be fixed however overall we come to these games for story and it delivered 100%! 8/10

Currently Playing:
Watch Dogs 2 (PS4)
COD MW Remastered (XB1)
Star Wars Battlefront (PS4) (I'll consider this "Complete" when I hit the level cap)
 
My 2016 list

Hoping to match or exceed that number this year so I can stop spending so much money on games I won't play

1. Super Mario Run (Android)

2. Power Hover (PC/Steam)

3. Access Denied (PC/Steam)

4. Tower of Guns (PC/Steam)

5. Zenge (Android)

6. Ziggurat (PC/Steam)

7. SteamWorld Dig (PC/Steam)

8. SteamWorld Heist (PC/Steam)
 
my first year doing this

Game completed 0/52

Currently playing :
Rise of the tomb raider :not completed
Pokemon moon:not completed
 
I'm going in this year( first time). Immediately on the radar is Transformers Devastation, as I understand that's a short game so I should be able to knock that out quickly. This is going to be mainly 'Wii U backlog clearance: the thread' for me sprinkled with some steam games and a couple of Ps4 games.

1. Transformers Devastation (STEAM)

I've been reading about this game for a year now, and all I can say is....2 hours in....the hype is deserved. The game is a love letter to fans of the OG 80's show, wrapped in shiny cell-shading and simple yet fun controls. Plays smooth as butter so far, only had one instance of the game crashing but that's been the blip in another stellar gaming experience so far. The 10 year old in me grinned from ear to ear hearing the classic Optimus Prime voice, I'm not sure if the other actors are the originals but they sound pretty spot on from what I remember.

2. Rise of Tomb Raider PS4

So far I'm not feeling the story approx hours in( including the jumping narrative), I feel Tomb Raider 2013's story hooked me in moreso from the get-go. Still been a blast to play through gameplay-wise, and the game is gorgeous on the vanilla Ps4( can't imagine what this looks like in Pro mode on a decent 4K set).

3. Art Academy 3ds

Cute would be the best way to describe it. Not sure yet whether this translates well in terms of gaining real-world artistic skills, but not too bad so far going through the first lesson. Wouldn't mind playing it on a bigger, higher resolution canvas( wii U comes to mind).
 
Hmmm let's have a good crack at this I think.

Game 1: Gravity Rush Remastered - (Finished 02/01/2017)

Really like this game, sure it seems a little short and underdeveloped but oh well that's probably cos it was originally a Vita game. Combat is cool and so is Kat, really looking forward to Gravity Rush 2 as a result (looks a lot more in depth and larger in scope). Overall really enjoyed the game.
 

Melkaz

Member
Reserved!

January
Game 1: Stein's Gate (VITA)
Game 2: Alan Wake (PC)
Game 3: Brothers: A tale of two sons (PS3)
Game 4: Hatsune miku diva f 2nd (VITA)
Game 5: To the moon (PC)
Game 6: Double Dragon 3 (3DS NES Emulator)
Game 7: Steins;Gate 0 (VITA)
Game 8: Abzu (PS4)
Game 9: VVVVVV (VITA)

February
Game 10: Super Mario Bros 3. (3DS)
Game 11: Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
Game 12 :Hatoful Boyfriend (VITA)
Game 13: Grow Up (PS4)
Game 14: Steamworld dig (VITA)
Game 15: New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
Game 16: Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze (WII U)
Game 17: The Witness (PS4)

March
Game 18: Zelda Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)
Game 19: Inside (PS4)

April
Game 20: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Game 21: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (VITA)

May
Game 22: Persona 5 (PS4)
Game 23: Kamiko (Nintendo Switch
Game 24: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)
Game 25: The Unfinished Swan (VITA)

June
Game 26: God of War III Remastered (PS4)
Game 27: Nier Automata (PS4)
Game 28: DOOM (PC)
Game 29: Superhot (PC)

July
Game 30: Hitman (PS4)
Game 31: Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~
Game 32: Severed (VITA)

Status 32/52 finished
 
First year here on GAF, really hoping to dedicate more time to gaming this year. The trend to deem 2016 the worst year ever reached nauseating heights thanks to the internet, but it was a really tough year for me. I plan on doing a lot to focus on my happiness, and video games are going to play a role. It's one of my few hobbies that I truly enjoy, and I haven't really had a lot of time to play my games lately. I plan on making the time to do so in 2016. With that being said, I'm very excited to participate in this thread. Good luck everyone!

Completed: 4/52
In Progress: 2

January: 4 games beaten

Game #1
Batman: The Telltale Series - Completed January 3, 2017
813b4d4ae02b112e81bd195d9b3e713d119e11bf.jpg


I figured I'd start the year off with a layup that I knew I could easily finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this game, though I felt like my decisions mattered even less than what they normally do in Telltale games. Still, any fan of Batman should have fun with this one. I did run into a few technical issues that forced me to exit the game after playing each episode, but aside from that, no complaints here. Good story, and a clear setup for a sequel. These games are just so relaxing, it was watching a really good cartoon movie on Netflix.

Game #2
Valkyria Chronciles Remastered - Completed January 12, 2017
valkyria-chronicles-cover-600x300.jpg


I am really glad that I came back to this game. After revisiting it in the remaster, I remember now exactly where I gave up on the game last generation - I'm proud to say that I overcame that chapter. While the game only has one difficulty, it isn't a cake walk by any means. The game is unforgiving if you goof up and leave someone exposed, whether that be Welkin or any of the other likable members of Squad 7. The story was pretty cliche and had a lot of predictable moments, but I was pretty surprised when
Isara died
and I did end up pretty invested in what was going to happen after that. I really enjoyed the different classes, as they all really had their advantages and uses - I used one of each class minimum per chapter. Karl the Engineer was my favorite for some reason. I laughed at his little comments, and definitely took advantage of his tank healing, amo replenishment, and decent mobility.The upgrades as you progressed were welcome, though it took me longer than I'd care to admit that you had to manually equip certain weapons to certain characters.

Overall it was a true pleasure, and I'd even consider going back to get the platinum trophy somewhere down the road.

Game #3
Battlefield One - Completed January 18, 2017
600px-BF1_LP08_Art.jpg


I haven't really heard much about this campaign, and I'm really surprised by that after playing it. Xbox One's achievements show that only about 9% of gamers complete the campaign, which is a ridiculous stat in my eyes. I only really tried this game because it came bundled with the console that I got, but I was pretty happily surprised by how much I liked it. Maybe it's just because I don't play a ton of FPS games, but I thought it was good fun. The stories were all short and sweet, and focused on a bunch of different areas of World War 1 which I thought was really cool. I think I had the most fun playing the aviation levels and the least that revolved around stealth.

I'll mess around with the multiplayer a little bit every now and then, but the for the most part I think I'm moving on.

Game #4
Unravel - Completed January 21, 2017
unravel-feature-600x300.jpg


What an adorable little game this is. There are 10 levels and in each one you solve puzzles and platform your way across the map. There are some really pretty stunning environments that you navigate Yarny through. The game is fair but at the same time can be unforgiving. Thankfully checkpoints are plentiful, so you're not penalized for taking risks. There are five secret tokens hidden within the level, and they certainly add replay value to the game. The thing that surprised me most is that the game seems to take a pretty dark twist. I'm not going to spoil anything, and I'm not sure if I'm even interpreting the story correctly (considering there's no dialogue), but I'll just say that this isn't the feel-good game that it appears to be on the surface. Overall I'm really glad that I decided to play this. It's something I probably never would have gotten to if it wasn't for EA Access. Really good game, would recommend it to just about anyone who enjoys platforming or puzzles.

Game #5
Overwatch - Completed January 30, 2017
overwatch-article-banner.jpg


Obviously there isn't a way to "beat" this game, but I'm counting it after reaching level 25. I think that this is my favorite online shooter of all time, and it's certainly going to slow me down in completing other games. I've mentioned it before, but I'm not really one for shooters. I'm typically terrible at them, as I take the offensive more and leave myself open to being quickly shot and killed. This game offers so many options though, I've never had that problem in quick play. I've seen this said a lot, but it's just casual enough where you can jump in and play right away, but has an amazing amount of depth to it. I began playing as Junkrat primarily, as he was a fairly simple character to understand and offered me a way to eliminate enemies while not being amazingly accurate. After a couple hours of playing, I was hooked and trying out all of the different heroes. I now often play as Mercy, Soldier 76, Reinhardt, Symmetra. Torbjorn and D.Va. I find that I do prefer to play defense - there's something very satisfying about laying a trap against the enemy. I'd recommend this game to anyone who has the ability to play online - it's terrific, and so far my favorite game that I've played this year.

Game #6
Pokemon Moon - Completed February 2, 2017
H2x1_3DS_PokemonMoon_enGB_bannerXS.jpg


So I've played at least one Pokemon game in ever generation up until this point. While I never train a competitive team, I do consider myself fairly good at these games. With that being said, this was by far the easiest game in the series, and it's not close. Not a single challenging puzzle, scenario, trial - nothing. Perhaps it's because I played the game with Exp. Share on, but leveling up my Pokemon was so simple. Without even really grinding, I found myself always about ten levels higher than everyone I faced. I understand gearing the series toward children, but I think this game underestimates kids. If I could do the Safari Zone, Silph Co, and Victory Road... damn, they could of at least made one trial tough. I do appreciate that they replaced gym badges with trials and added a bit more of a story, but bot of those things were kind of weak. The story didn't really make any sense and was really anti-climactic. And like I said, the trials were all so easy. My last complaint is the selection of Pokemon in the game. I'm not somehow who usually hates on new generations, but there were just very view new likable Pokemon, and the old Pokemon were really strange choices. I feel like they took Pokemon that nobody really likes and gave them Alola versions, just so that they're liked more. For example, Muk was probably the coolest looking one they made. But at the same time, it's still a Muk... who wants to train Muk?

I think it's a step in the right direction for the series, but I personally think it's one of the worst ones in the series. It's better than Pearl/Diamond, but that's about it. It's still a Pokemon game, but not one that I plan on replaying any time soon. I hope they consider going back to Kanto after this game.
 

Ricitor

Member
January Games:
--Full Post Here--

1. Gravity Rush Remaster [PS4](2016)
Time: ~15 Hours
Completion Status: Platinum

2) Zero Time Dilemma [PSV](2016)
Time: ~25 Hours
Completion Status: Platinum

3) Ratchet and Clank [PS4](2016)
Time: ~ 25 Hours
Completion Status Platinum

4) Dishonoured 2 [PS4](2016)
Time: ~30-35 Hours
Completion Status: Platinum

5) Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix [PS3](2015)
Time: ~75 Hours (Overall ~110 Hours)
Completion Status: Platinum

6) 2064: Read Only Memories [PS4](2017**)
Time: ~8-15 Hours
Completion Status: Main Game (2 Endings)
 

Linkyn

Member
Last year was a lot of fun. Can't wait to see if work allows me to finish this year.

Games finished:

Game 1: Overwatch ; Playtime - 2 hours (01.01.2017)
Game 2: Infamous: Second Son ; Playtime - 23 hours (02.01.2017)
Game 3: Resident Evil 7 ; Playtime - 8 hours (21.02.2017)
Game 4: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ; Playtime - 100 hours (08.04.2017)
Game 5: Age of Mythology ; Playtime - 15 hours (11.04.2017)
Game 6: Persona 5 ; Playtime - 143 hours (28.04.2017)
Game 7: Yakuza 0 ; Playtime - 250 hours (25.05.2017)
Game 8: Horizon: Zero Dawn ; Playtime - 58 hours (31.05.2017)


Stats:

Games played: 08 / 52

Recent releases: 6
LTTPs: 1
Replays: 1

Total time played: 599 hours
Average playtime: 74.8 hours
 

Linkyn

Member
Main Post (it's right above this one)

Game 1: Overwatch

Counting ongoing playtime can be a bit tricky, but if the last few days are any indication, I'll probably get a lot more time in for Overwatch this year. Looking back, I'm not quite sure why I had such a huge break between my initial session and now. It's an online multiplayer arena shooter, so it has a lot going against it from my point of view, but at the same time, it's so visually stunning and incredibly fun to play that it succeeds in almost completely drowning out my own misgivings about its format. I've begun branching out a bit while exploring the winter event and arcade mode, and feel that I've reached a reasonable skill level with 6-8 characters. Still, I doubt I'll spend much time in ranked play. I'm not hugely interested in ladders, and quick play really gives me the same basic experience with a lot less abuse from other players.

Because of the nature of this game, I'll try to come back to this post throughout the year in order to update my player stats.

Time played this year: 2.0 hours

Most-played characters:


  1. Mercy
  2. D.Va
  3. Widowmaker
  4. Roadhog
  5. Pharah
 

Aquova

Member
Completed Games:
Click on the name on the game to see a more in-depth review.

January:
I. Final Fantasy IV - PSP - 3 January 2017 - 18.5 hours
Solid FF game with the occasional hiccup.
Overall Final Fantasy ranking: VI > I > IV > II

II. Wonder Boy in Monster World - Sega Genesis - 7 January 2017 - 7 hours
Average Genesis game with some cute moments, but many bullshit gameplay moments.

III. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Game Boy Color - 10 January 2017 - 5.75 hours
Excellent follow up to one my favorite games as a child.

IV. Advance Wars - Game Boy Advance - 11 January 2017 - 19.33 hours
Very good tactical war game on the GBA, one of the best games on the system.

V. Punch-Out!! - Wii - 16 January 2017 - 2.2 hours
An excellent game, amazing sequel to the NES game.

VI. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - Game Boy Advance - 16 January 2017 - 9.38 hours
It's a mediocre Zelda game, but that still makes it one of the best games on the system.

VII. Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows - Wii U - 21 January 2017 - 4 hours
A great addition to the amazing Shovel Knight

VIII. Child of Light - Wii U - 27 January 2017 - 9.5 hours
A gorgeous RPG with interesting mechanics, but less than stellar plot

February:
IX. Resident Evil Zero - GameCube - 4 February 2017 - 8.5 hours
The prequel to the classic Resident Evil falls a bit short to its predecessor.

X. Comix Zone - Sega Genesis - 5 February 2017 - 5 hours
An incredible game, possibly one of the best on the system.

XI. Kirby's Dream Land - Game Boy - 16 February 2017 - 0.5 hours
A game so short, it barely counts for this list. Yet it still counts.

XII. Super Castlevania IV - SNES - 16 February 2017 - 5 hours
Bloodlines has better music. Fight me.

XIII. Pikmin 3 - Wii U - 17 February 2017 - 12.75 hours
In which you help an invasive species destroy the local ecosystem.

XIV. Day of the Tentacle Remastered - PC - 18 February 2017 - 5.1 hours
I'm still not sure those stubby arms helped very much.

March:
XV. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Wii U - 9 March 2017 - 36.5 hours
Amazing. Best Wii U game, definitely top 3 Zelda games, possibly the best one ever.

XVI. The Legend of Zelda - NES - 11 March 2017 - 5 hours
44 deaths.

XVII. Final Fantasy VII - PlayStation - 23 March 2017 - 26 hours
I still can't take a guy named "Cloud" seriously.
Overall Final Fantasy Ranking: VI > VII > I > IV > II

XVIII. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - DS - 25 March 2017 - 10.5 hours
Julius is still the coolest.

April:
XIX. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment - PC - 7 April 2017 - 3.25 hours
Party like its 1989

XX. Feel The Magic XY/XX - DS - 9 April 2017 - 2.5 hours
From the makers of Shadow the Hedgehog

XXI. Axiom Verge - PC - 11 April 2017 - 8 hours
It's about time someone made a sequel to Metroid.

May:
XXII. Radiant Historia - DS - 3 May 2017 - 34 hours

XXIII. Snatcher - Sega CD - 22 May 2017 - 8.3 hours

XXIV. The World Ends With You - DS - 29 May 2017 - 15.3 hours

June:
XXV. Mini Metro - PC - 2 June 2017 - 5.1 hours

XXVI. Half-Life - PC - 2 June 2017 - 14 hours

XXVII. Life is Strange - PC - 3 June 2017 - 12.1 hours

XXVIII. The Stanley Parable - PC - 4 June 2017 - 0.85 hours

XXIX. Papers Please - PC - 17 June 2017 - 4.1 hours

XXX. Out of this World - PC - 23 June 2017 - 2.9 hours

XXXI. Castle of Illusion (2013) - PC - 23 June 2017 - 2 hours

XXXII. VVVVVV - PC - 29 June 2017 - 1.5 hours

July:

XXXIII. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - 13 July 2017 - 6.5 hours

XXXIV. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - DS - 23 July 2017 - 16.5 hours

XXXV. Phantasy Star IV - Sega Genesis - 26 July 2017 - 15 hours

August:

XXXVI. Parasite Eve - PlayStation - 3 August 2017 - 11.5 hours

XXXVII. Firewatch - PC - 5 August 2017 - 4 hours

XXXVIII. Sonic '06 - Xbox 360 - 10 August 2017 - 12 hours

XXXIX. Kirby's Epic Yarn - Wii - 28 August 2017 - 4.25 hours

XL. Sonic Mania - PC - 29 August 2017 - 3.9 hours

September:

XLI. The Witness - PC - 9 September 2017 - 14.6 hours

XLII. Final Fantasy XV - PS4 - 23 September 2017 - 20 hours
Overall FF Ranking: VI > VII = XV > I > IV > II

October:

XLIII. ABZÛ - PS4 - 7 October 2017 - 1.5 hours

Currently playing:
Bayonetta 2
Dead Space

System Totals:
  • PC/Mac - 14
  • DS - 5
  • Wii U - 4
  • Game Boy Advance - 3
  • Sega Genesis - 3
  • Game Boy/Color - 2
  • PS1 - 2
  • PS4 - 2
  • Wii - 2
  • GameCube - 1
  • NES - 1
  • Sega CD - 1
  • SNES - 1
  • PSP - 1
  • Xbox 360 - 1

100% Completed Games:
Keeping track of games I've 100% completed

I. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

---
I'm also doing the 50 Books/Movies in 2017 challenge this year.
 

Aquova

Member
Game 21: Axiom Verge

System: PC
Year: 2015
Developer: Thomas Happ Games

Overview
Someone finally decided enough was enough, and decided to make their own Metroid game, complete with creepy alien environment, settings that would fit in an Alien film, and gun shootin action.

Gameplay
The game plays much like a metroid game. You can run, jump, and shoot in 8 directions. There are a number of different weapons you can unlock and switch between, many of which are optional. You also gain different abilities that allow you to access new areas in traditional Metroid style.

Story
You play as a scientist who has been mysteriously sent to another planet following a lab accident. You meet up with giant machines who tell you you need to overthrow a powerful force in order to return home.

Pros & Cons

Pros:
  • Great gameplay
  • Excellent atmosphere

Cons:
  • With the plethora of weapons, I was surprised to find I never found one I really liked. I ended up using the default weapon 90% of the time, only switching for specific enemies.

Rating

Very Good

Excellent game, highly recommended for anyone looking for a modern Metroid fix.

---

For a list of the other games I've completed this year, visit my mother post here.
 
OK. I really enjoyed participating in 2016's challenge. I just beat my first game of the new year (Halo 4), and I'm going to start posting games today, January 1st, 2017 (as opposed to in March of the 2016 thread). I'm optimistic I'll finish this year as well.

I hope it's OK to link to my Wordpress where I'm cross-posting all the reviews (mods, stop me if this isn't allowed).

1. Halo 4 (~7 hours)
This is the same review I posted in an LTTP thread:

This is an excellent addition to the Halo series. I thought the graphics were really good, especially for an Xbox 360 game. I don't know what the internal resolution is, but on a 1080p television, it looks great. Level design I thought was excellent, much better than what I remember from Halo 3. I see people complaining that it's linear, but I've always enjoyed linear games. I remember ODST being super non-linear, and I never finished because I kept getting lost. I loved Master Chief's new armor.

If I have a complaint about 4, it's that the game can be difficult. I have been playing on Easy, and there are still sections where I need to repeat playing through it over and over until I figure out the trick to that section. I also understand that the game is a little too reliant on it's ”Go here and press a button / blow up the reactor / whatever" formula.

I haven't played 4's multiplayer, but I sure played a lot of Halo 3 multiplayer, and that would be difficult to top.

All in all, Halo 4 shows that 343 Industries has the chops to make a Halo on par with what Bungie can make. If I ever pick up an Xbox One, I'll look forward to playing Halo 5. Or with any luck, the full version of Halo 5 will come to Windows 10.
4/5

2-6. The Walking Dead: Season 1: Episodes 1-5
This is a cool game. It's hard to really talk about without going into spoiler territory. I'll just describe what the game is like to play. I played it on Xbox 360 and it's an adventure game, but not in the traditional sense. You often look around the world with the right analog stick, and you can select things with the face buttons. During dialog, you can choose what to say with all four face buttons. On occasion, you can walk around with the left analog stick. But generally speaking, this is a story (dialog) driven game with some action sequences. The game forces you to make tough decisions that affect how the rest of the game plays out. The action sequences weren't all that fun. The graphics aren't the best cel-shaded graphics for it's generation of consoles, but the art style does make The Walking Dead nice to look at. Music I thought was especially bad. You keep hearing the same audio clips being looped throughout the section you're in. Not fun. Also, there's a fair amount of "stuttering" going on on the Xbox 360 360 where a scene keeps pausing as it loads. All in all the game is flawed, but characters and dialog keep it going, and both are well done.
3/5

7. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (~20 hours)
This game has great graphics. It's been a long time since I've played an Assassin's Creed game (maybe AC2 was the last one). The game is a good mix of stealth, parkour, and open world adventuring. The stealth isn't half as good as Metal Gear Solid, but that's a high bar to compare against. The parkour is what makes Assassin's Creed unique. You can scale walls and ledges just by running up to them. The open worldiness is a little overwhelming. There is a lot of optional content that you can easily skip.

The missions are pretty cut and dry. Go to a point on the map, assassinate person, stalk people, etc. Some are really fun... one in which you use sleep darts on guards and free prisoners comes to mind. Unfortunately, you have to replay missions a lot to get it right, and you can't adjust the difficulty level. That's actually my biggest gripe... how frequently you have to replay missions. Again, the game looks great visually, but easier missions would have made for a better experience.
4/5

8. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (~15 hours)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a delight. Having played the first game, I must say the first game is probably better. However, this sequel is extremely good as well. It seems as though all the good ideas that got cut from the original made it into the sequel. Jumping is a little floaty (not as precise as 64), but level design is top notch. Secret stars are rewarding to find, though really, each star is it's own reward. It's one of those games that you can't put down until it's over. Five stars, easily.
5/5

9. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
If you're a console gamer, it wouldn't be uncommon for you to say that one or more of the following games is among the greatest games of all time: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes elements from all three of these games and combines them into one new(er) Mario game, with some unique elements of it's own (namely power-ups). All told, this game will be a nostalgic throwback to your youth. Running and jumping through the game feels like Mario, and clearing levels is as fun as it's always been. It's not without it's flaws though. I thought the level design was somewhat uninspired. It kind of felt like ”Let's just throw some blocks here and enemies there and call it a level". Boss fights were often very fun. And graphically, it's great, and very colorful. Having played the original DS New Super Mario Bros., this one is actually considerably more challenging. Prepare to repeat levels with cheap deaths.

If you want a great 2D platformer and have never played one of the first three games I mentioned, go play one of them now. But if it's more Mario you want, it's more Mario New Super Mario Bros. Wii provides.
4/5

10. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (~12 hours)
Lost Planet isn't going to win any awards for storytelling or character development. It was released early in the 360/PS3 lifecycle and as such, the graphics are somewhat poor. But what it does offer is a fairly competent third person shooter, with some degree of charm.

Lost Planet takes place on a very cold, wintery planet. As such, you have a limited amount of thermal energy that will keep you warm throughout the missions. Run out of thermal energy, and your life meter will drain, and if your life meter hits zero, you need to restart at the last checkpoint. I found that I seldom ever ran out of thermal energy, but this is how the game was designed. Even when you take hits from enemies, you don't lose health so much as you lose thermal energy.

The main enemies are called Akrid, which are giant insect like creatures. They often emerge from a hole in the ground, and if you shoot the hole enough, you can stop the Akrid from respawning. There are also snow pirates, who shoot at you and are humans trying to colonize the planet. Boss fights are typically a giant Akrid, or a person in a mech suit.

Yeah, there are mech suits. They're kind of cool, but generally pretty cumbersome to handle. They offer a lot more firepower, but taking a hit in a mech lowers your life energy, not your thermal energy. As such, you'll only be using mechs for a limited time until you're near death, at which point you need to eject. Cool at the mechs are, I'd like to see them able to be used for more time in the game.

I played the game using the Steam Controller, and found that the aiming was very precise, and there were no major issues with the non-standard controller. In fact, I'd go as far as to recommend playing the game with the Steam controller, because the shooting is so precise. At the time I write this, the second community made config is the only one that allows you to change weapons and reload, so I recommend that one.

The game is anywhere from 10 to 15 hours depending on how you play. Like I said at the beginning, the game has it's charm, but it's not going to win a lot of awards. If you're looking to bolster your third-person shooter collection, check it out. It's fairly affordable on Steam.
3/5

11. Klonoa (Wii) (~9 hours)
I'm a sucker for character-action platformers. When I was growing up, they were all that was popular in gaming. Crash Bandicoot, Super Mario 64, Spyro the Dragon... on and on. Klonoa I suppose is originally from that same era, but never gained the popularity of the aforementioned titles. I played the Wii remake.

The action is pretty simple. You can jump, as well as hover jump like in Yoshi's Island. You can also pick up enemies, hurl them at other enemies, hurl them at things in the environment, or use them to get a higher jump. That pretty much sums up the gameplay. The game takes place on a 2D plane, but at times, you switch directions and enter into the third dimension. The game never becomes truly 3D, but it's a nice change of pace to sometimes go on a branching path. Occasionally you're given two paths, and forced to ask yourself ”Will I miss something important if I choose path A over path B?"

Visually, the game is very colorful, but it's missing something. A lack of it's own personality, perhaps. Of course, this is a Wii game, so we should expect graphics to be somewhat dated, but just look at the mileage they got out of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2! I understand the original game has been praised for it's aesthetics, so it's a little disappointing that this version on more powerful hardware looks a bit bland.

The game has gizmos to collect if you're the type who likes to 100% games. The latter half of the game features more elaborate puzzle solving than the beginning. In fact, the first half of the game is a cakewalk in comparison. Boss fights get progressively more challenging but aren't overly difficult. Finally, the end of the game gets a little deep, story-wise. For what was probably marketed as a kids game, I wasn't expecting it to go in that direction.

Klonoa is a solid platformer that really gets it's wings in the latter half of the game. Unfortunately, the game is a somewhat short. It's a cult classic on PS1, but it probably doesn't bear the same status on the Wii. If you're die-hard about the PlayStation original, give this a look. Otherwise, you wouldn't be missing much if you skipped Klonoa.
3/5

12. Donkey Kong Country Returns (~20 hours)
When I played the original Donkey Kong Country, I made it a habit to roll into my enemies. I'd press the roll button, and defeat them that way. In this game, in order to roll, you need to shake the Wiimote up and down. It's cumbersome and unresponsive. And it completely changes how I play Donkey Kong Country.

What's funny is that this is otherwise a spot on Donkey Kong Country game. It looks like Donkey Kong Country. Rolling aside, it controls like Donkey Kong Country. It sounds like Donkey Kong Country, and it plays like Donkey Kong Country. It just doesn't have that same roll.

Level design toward the beginning of the game is very good. Unlike the last 2D platformer I played (Klonoa), levels are less about puzzle solving and more about making it to the next platform safely. Unfortunately however, later levels are extremely difficult. Don't be deceived by the fact that the game can be seen as a kids game... Donkey Kong Country Returns gets hard.

There's a feature called Super Guide which basically has the game play itself if you're struggling in a level or boss fight. I'm embarrassed about the extent to which I needed to use this feature. I think having the feature in the game gave the developers an excuse to make the game as difficult as they wanted it to be, but relying on it makes you feel like you suck at video games in the end.

There's a lot of content here. I kept thinking I was going to come to the last area of the game only to have another area appear. They manage to get a lot of ideas in. Each level has a theme, as does each area of the game. The area dictates the entire theme (e.g. Jurassic world) whereas the level has a twist on the area's theme. All in all, there's a lot of variety level to level (if only they weren't so difficult).

Aesthetically, they nailed it. Thematically as well. Even the music is great. There are just two major flaws in Donkey Kong Country Returns: it doesn't have the same roll as Donkey Kong Country, and the game gets crazy hard in the second half. Even 2D platformer fans beware, this is a tough game to endorse.
2/5

13. Shadowrun Returns (~16 hours)
And now for something completely different.

Shadowrun Returns is a PC RPG in the traditional sense. The view is isometric and the game is very reliant on text instead of action. There is action of course. The action is in the vein of a turn based strategy game not unlike that found in XCOM or a Final Fantasy Tactics.

The text, however, is quite good. It's among the best writing I've ever come across in a video game and I mean that with all sincerity. It's not unlike writing which you might find in a well written cyberpunk novel. I understand there actually are Shadowrun novels out there so maybe some of the staff is the same. Regardless of who wrote it, I'm grateful the writing is just plain excellent.

The story goes like this: A friend of your's has been murdered and there's a bounty on the head of the killer. Your friend actually calls you from the grave (I think from a chip in his head) and asks you to avenge his death. You set out to collect that bounty. You spend a lot of time visiting relevant locations, asking people questions, trying to find out anything that you can about the killer. Story progression is handled very well, with each crime scene getting you a little bit more information without straight up revealing who did it.

The game is a joy to look at. While the console gamer in me at least partially wishes the graphics were fully 3D, I can totally get into the 2D isometric graphics style. Enjoyably, there is a lot of hand drawn art, which is obviously something that gets lost the more polygons you throw at a video game. The Shadowrun aesthetic is cyberpunk, meaning there's a lot of neon and futuristic computer terminals. This is one of the most consistent looking games I've played. You don't enter into a gorgeously drawn room only to enter one that looks terrible. It's all quite nice to look at.

The combat is something that grew on me. Part of the problem is that I didn't fully understand how the combat worked until later in the game. I chose a street samurai for the character I rolled, which is the type that enters a fight guns blazing. What I came to appreciate later in the game are the support characters, who can do things like control robots or give you an extra Action Point (a turn, basically) for a number of rounds. Balance is the key to a good crew in Shadowrun Returns.

The game doesn't overstay it's welcome (I played for 16 hours), but I found myself constantly wanting to play more. As someone who never played a PC RPG before (except Torchlight, which is really it's own thing), this makes me want to see more from the genre. I'm glad we're in the midst of a revival, and am curious to check Pillars of Eternity. Harebrained Schemes gets an A+ in my book for Shadowrun Returns though. Between the writing, the visuals, and the gameplay, this is a game for PC RPG fans and newcomers alike.
5/5

14. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (~20 hours)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a cyberpunk game about the ethics of augmenting humans with machine upgrades. As far as AAA games go, it's definitely a gamble plotwise. But where the game really shines is it's play-how-you-want gameplay.

The game takes place in the not too distant future, and people can be augmented, becoming part human part machine. There's a massive divide in society between those who have been augmented and those who haven't. Those who have been augmented are upper class citizens. The augmentation is done by private corporations. You are Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT police officer working for one of these corporations, Serif Industries, in security. Your girlfriend, Megan, discovers a breakthrough in human augmentation and gets kidnapped by a competing organization that wants the research for their own.

It's not that the plot is bad, it's the delivery of the lines, and the lines themselves. The writing is just so poor. This really stands out, as it's in contrast to the last game I played, Shadowrun Returns, which has some of the best writing I've ever read in a game. In Human Revolution, every line is delivered with the utmost seriousness. I don't remember a single joke. Also, the characters are generally unlikeable. The writing often resorts to swearing to increase the impact of the lines, which strikes me as lazy. If I hadn't just played such a well-written game, maybe I wouldn't feel so strongly, but I was often eager for the characters to stop talking so I could get to the good parts of the game -- the gameplay.

The gameplay is not nearly as bad as the ham-handed story. You can play the game like a cover based shooter or you can play it like a stealth game. There are times when an area is flooded with enemies, and your best bet is to take them out one by one, using your hands, and hiding the bodies. Other times it's better to just shoot at everyone until the floor is clear. Ammo is pretty scarce, so that influences how you decide to play. Choosing how to go about getting through an enemy infested room is one of the most fun things about Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Enemy AI isn't that smart, and generally gets into a routine of getting closer to you and farther away when they know you're in the room. Because of this, you can sort of line them up like ducks and take them out one at a time. There is some complexity though. There are robots, that take a lot of ammo to take down (and as such, are best avoided) and patrol the floors. There are also heavy guards that don't go down easy. You may get the Game Over screen a lot, but you can make it through each level once you get the pattern down. Later in the game, you can do cool things depending on how you upgrade your character, like knock down walls or walk on an electrified floor.

So... there's an upgrade system in the game. Basically, you can enhance your augmentations, so you can, for example, lift heavier objects or carry more items. These are the (here it is) RPG-elements of the game. If you do all the side quests, you should be able to upgrade quite a bit, as that gives you the experience points needed to do so. Sadly, toward the end of the game, I was required to have at least one upgrade I didn't have to make progress, and had to reload an earlier save to get the XP needed to go down that upgrade path in order to finish the game. It could have been a lot worse, but that certainly isn't great game design. Also, the game heavily favors those who upgrade their hacking ability, as hacking things is a major part of the last third of the game. Again, I would have liked if this were handled better, like rewarding all upgrade paths more evenly.

Boss fights are generally pretty challenging. I found it helped to save early and often after making a bit of progress during a battle. Most of the fights involve hitting the enemy with as much ammo as possible until they fall over. If nothing else, boss fights break up the monotony of taking out guards. That said, the boss fights are really nothing special. I understand the fights were outsourced to another studio, which may explain why they don't live up to the rest of the gameplay.

I played with a Steam Controller (a trend in my recent gaming history) and it worked out great. The developers of the game included support for the Steam Controller, and this is the first game I played where that was the case. Controls feel natural, as a result. Also, despite the game crashing on me a couple times, this is a most excellent PC port. My machine is sort of like a high end version of a previous gen console, and I experienced no slowdown or major buggy-ness.

Despite poorly delivered dialog, and also my general distaste for shooters (all those slain bodies!), Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a good game. It can't possibly live up to the legacy of the original game (which is still on my backlog, despite hearing wonderful things), but for those itching for an action game with RPG elements and a cool aesthetic, I can recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution with a thumbs up.
4/5
 
15. Fable: Anniversary (~24 hours)
As I understand it, Peter Molyneux, the creative lead behind the Fable series, is a man who tends to over promise and under deliver. Well, I know almost nothing about that, so I’m taking Fable: Anniversary for just what it is: a solid action RPG that has enough unique hooks to keep you playing hours at a time.

The story is not unlike that of a lot of role playing games. As a kid, on the day of your sister’s birthday, your hometown is ransacked by bandits, and few people make it out of the burning village alive. Your character, who is just referred to as “Hero”, does make it out alive, and is taken to another town where he undergoes rigorous combat training through to adulthood to get revenge on those that destroyed his town and killed his family. Ah, the all too common revenge story. It gets the job done in giving you a reason to attack the game’s bad guys. To Fable’s credit, once the game really starts, you don’t have to get revenge at all. You can side with the bandits that destroyed your village and disown those that trained you to fight bandits if you so choose. I didn’t play that way, but it’s refreshing that that’s an option.

Actually, that’s a big part of what Fable is all about: player choice. Everything you do has moral weight to it. Depending on who you attack among the game’s cast of character types, an icon with a halo or devil horns will appear with a number next to it. These points count toward a good or evil alignment, and depending on how you’re aligned, characters will applaud your arrival or stay far away from you. This sort of system might seem cliche in a post-Mass Effect world, but Fable predates Mass Effect by three years. There are times where having a moral choice to make at all will surprise you, right up to the end of the game. Even outside of the morality system, there’s a lot you can do. You can own land, get married, become mayor of a town, and more.

Fable is an action RPG, and the action is pretty enjoyable. Your main weapon is the sword, which you can block with until the enemy is vulnerable to an attack. That said, you’re usually better off just swinging the sword freely. This is especially true because you’re often faced with multiple enemies, and blocking one enemy’s attack doesn’t block another’s, causing you to still take damage. Another benefit is that swinging your sword can hit multiple enemies at once.

You also have a bow, which works great for ranged shots. Depending on how many enemies you’re up against, you can take out a group of attackers by drawing your bow and running backwards. There’s a timing aspect to the bow, where the longer you pull it back the more damage you do. This adds a nice strategy element to bow and arrow use. Finally, there’s magic. Perhaps embarrassingly, I didn’t know how to level up my magic until I was about halfway through the game. Once you do though, it becomes a vital part of your combat strategy. There’s a certain satisfaction to using lightning to stun four guys, and then using your sword to polish them all off. The number of magic options available is impressive, and mastering each one will guarantee an easy finish to the game.

Another fun part of the game (really, any RPG) is upgrading your weapons or armor and then trying them out. Sometimes you find a piece of gear in the field that’s way better than what you currently have and you can equip it on the spot. That said, most of the time you’ll be purchasing items in the shop. Something nice about Fable is you actually see the weapons and armor you equip on your character. At one point, my guy looked like a medieval knight with a sword that emitted flames on occasion, which was pretty badass. If you really want the best gear, you’re going to have to grind for it, so consider yourself warned.

Considering that Fable originated on the original Xbox, the graphics have held up remarkably well. A criticism is that the color palette can be a bit samey in places, but the polygons have held up nicely. Playing on PC, the framerate was silky smooth at 1080p resolution, even in intense battles. I played with the Steam Controller, which is something I’m trying to do with as many PC games as I can. The developers at Lionhead took the time to support the Steam Controller, and playing with it felt perfectly natural. That said, it would have been nice to invert the X axis of the camera controls.

At the end of Fable: Anniversary (after a long credit roll), I immediately wanted to learn more about Fable 2 and 3. For an action RPG, the combat is stellar. The story is good, and the writing keeps the tone of the game light and cheery. And most of all, it’s just fun, from start to finish. It’s an essential RPG for any PC, Xbox 360, or Xbox owner.
5/5

16. Resident Evil 4 (~19 hours)
Resident Evil 4 is a game that is perhaps most famous for popularizing the “over the shoulder” camera angle later most famously used in Gears of War. Some consider it to be one of the greatest games ever made. The game did come out twelve years ago, and a lot has changed in the game industry since then. So does Resident Evil 4 still hold up after all this time? Well, RE4 has some weak points to be sure, but it absolutely holds up as a game worth playing today.

You play the role of Leon Kennedy, a U.S. government agent on task to save the president’s daughter from captivity in a strange town in Spain. Yeah, saving the president’s daughter isn’t the most original game plot, but uncovering the story behind this Spanish town is what keeps the game’s story so interesting. The villagers here come at you with hostility from the get go, throwing torches and waving pitchforks at you. Put simply, there’s no way to get through to these villagers in a friendly way. If you don’t act, they will kill you. They speak a foreign tongue, vaguely Spanish sounding but different. You later learn these people are part of a religious cult, the “Los Illuminatos”. The story is delivered in cutscenes, but also in notes left in obvious places throughout the game. The notes are most informative, and often give you hints about what’s going to happen next. I really enjoyed learning about the story this way. I thought the story in general was handled very well, both in terms of writing and pacing. There are surprises along the way, and I was never disappointed to be at a cutscene. Even the voice acting is well done, which is rare for a Japanese game from 2005.

The action of the game revolves around attacking the hostile religious followers. You start out with just a pistol, but you encounter an arms dealer frequently throughout the game (the famous “What are you buying?” and “What are you selling?” guy) who can sell you things like a shotgun and a submachine gun. Rather than relying on monster closet cheap thrills like in past Resident Evil’s, you pretty much see your attackers right from the start. If not, you need to scan your surroundings, but they’ll let out a noise well in advance instead of sneaking up on you.

Combat is often about using the right tool at the right time, for example using a grenade to take out a group, or using the pistol if you’re facing a few enemies up close. You can’t go guns blazing, as there is limited ammo, so lining up shots is key. There’s also limited health that doesn’t regenerate, so taking a hit is serious. I found each set of enemies was sort of like a puzzle, and you might get a game over until you get it right. This can be a weakness, as you’re likely to get frequent game over’s in the trickier parts. Still, combat is undoubtedly a highlight, and likely a big part of why RE4 is so fondly remembered. There’s real tension in having to switch between weapons because you’re low on ammo. There’s real strategy in knowing when to throw a grenade. There are times you just barely make it through to the next room with the enemies absorbing all your ammo and sapping all your health. It’s really exciting to get through these spots, and you’re left with a sense of reward for doing so.

There are boss fights, but it’s not what RE4 does best. Typically boss fights are just hitting the boss until it dies, or hitting the boss until it exposes its weak point which you attack until it dies. You’re going to use a lot of ammo with bosses, but the game does a good job of making more ammo available to you after a boss fight is over. If nothing else, bosses break up the monotony of going around attacking folks, but in my mind the time could have been filled with something different, like clever platforming puzzles.

The game is divided into three acts, the hostile village, a castle, and *spoiler alert*
a secluded island
. The second act is the longest, which is sort of nice because at times, it resembles the mansion from the first Resident Evil. The castle is filled with puzzle solving, getting a two pieces of a crest (or something like that) to fit in a slot in a door to unlock the door, not unlike a puzzle from RE1. The village sets up the game nicely, while also having it’s own town-gone-way-wrong charm. The last act is a satisfying conclusion. No act is bad, and they all have their own unique appeal.

I played on PC, and for a game from 2005, it looks great. With anti-aliasing up to 8x and a locked framerate of 60fps, the game is quite a sight to behold. I understand (as of early 2017) there’s a group of dedicated modders working to increase the texture quality of the game by redrawing texture art. I can only imagine how great it will look then. I played with a Steam Controller, and have no complaints. Truth be told, you rarely use the right analog stick or, with the Steam Controller, the right haptic pad, so you’re mostly using all the standard buttons the Steam Controller already has: a left analog stick, face buttons, and the triggers.

The PC port isn’t without it’s flaws though. There were multiple times when the game glitched on me with the same glitch. It consistently wasn’t registering a button press each time I pressed it which was required to progress through the game. I had to do some Google-fu to find a workaround that let me get past that point. It was a major letdown that it happened, and also a letdown was the amount of time I spent trying to press that stupid button. It would be nice if Capcom could patch the game, but it’s so old I don’t think they care.

I feel better for having played Resident Evil 4. It’s filled a gap in my video game knowledge, where I now know why so many people talk about and like this game so much. Though combat has it’s frustrating moments and the boss fights can be lame, the game still belongs on a Top 100 Games of All Time list. It really changed survival horror in a way no one could have predicted. I’d like to finally finish the first RE, but I know I’m not going to have as much fun. In the meantime, Resident Evil 4 is in my Steam account, ready for the next time I feel an itch to play it.
5/5
 

LocarionStorm

Neo Member
Completed over 52 in 52 in 2015. Did not accomplish it in 2016 due to life being a troublemaker. Going to smash it in 2017, so here it goes:

Completed:

1. Pokemon Sun - 3DS - 29 hours - Started Nov 2016, Finished Jan 15
This entry into the mainline Pokemon series has been my favorite of the last few generations due to the refreshed formula and all the small tweaks and additions. I like the production value and removal of some grinding and empty traversal places. The change to the HM system (or may I say removal) is one of the best changes. Trainers are a tiny bit tougher with more usage of competitive strategies and switching and Z-moves. Pokemon has been revitalized - even if it didn't completely need to be.

2. Abzu - PS4 - 3 hours - Started Jan 22, Finished Jan 23
Abzu consists of a plethora of beautiful visuals and sounds. The ocean motif is not steeped in blue as one would expect but is instead has vivid greens and suffocating oranges. Without a doubt, the art direction of Abzu was fantastic to experience. However, Abzu ended up being a hollow experience as compared to Journey - a comparison that begs to be made but may not be fair given the trailblazing nature of the latter. I enjoyed my short time with the game and wish that additional mechanics were introduced, existing mechanics utilized more often, and a more resonant story formulated.

3. A Normal Lost Phone - Mobile - 1 hour - Started Jan 28, Finished Jan 28
Ended up picking this up on my phone on the recommendation of Greg Miller and my own thought that the presentation style is pretty cool. I enjoyed the methodology of telling the story for sure and felt like it was not too ham-fisted with how it dealt with the topics at hand. Overall, it was an interesting storytelling experience.

4. Gone Home - PS4 - 1 hour 30 mins - Started Jan 30, Finished Feb 1
I really do not have much to say about this particular entry as I had already played and beaten the game on the PC when it first was released. I received it as a free PS+ game and decided to do some quick trophy hunting in it. The game definitely does not lend itself to any sort of additional playthrough and has nothing to share with the player following the first experience that the player has with it. Solid experience and story, but a very lacking game in terms of gameplay and value.

5. Lara Croft GO - PS4 - 4 hours - Started Jan 25, Finished Feb 1
I really enjoyed Lara Croft GO. The overall gameplay loop is a tad simpler than the first entry in the GO series, Hitman; however, I found it to be more similar to the actual mainline game series. The additional campaigns present in this version compared to the previously available mobile version were interesting and had great gameplay twists. I want more of specifically Lara Croft GO, but I guess I will have to check out Deus Ex GO for the time being.

6. Thirty Flights of Loving - PC - 15 min - Started Feb 13, Finished Feb 13
This "game" is more of just a quick interactive cartoon that attempts to tell a story. I usually enjoy playing around with an experimental game, but I could not care about this one in particular at all. Nothing here resonated with me as a consumer of the media - whether it be game play, art style, narrative, music, etc. A skippable experience that I decided to try because it was short and included in a bundle of games that I purchased.

7. Framed - Mobile - 1.5 hours - Started Feb 16, Finished Feb 21
Heard some rumblings about Framed 2 coming out soon (if not already?) and decided to check out the original game due to liking the premise of the gameplay. While a short game, the gameplay hook was definitely well constructed and backed up with fitting art style, music, and puzzles. Although not very difficult, the game was an enjoyable puzzler. I am looking forward to seeing the evolution of the gameplay and a longer storyline with more puzzles in the sequel. Lastly, the touch screen interface is perfect and best-suited for the game.

8. Overwatch - PC - 43 hours - Started Aug 2016, Finished March 5
This game is not a title able to be 'finished', but I decided to play every hero in the game for at least 1 hour. I had initially started playing the game by playing a few heroes for a longer time that I felt comfortable with. Playing every hero for 1 hour has increased my understanding of everyone's kit and also made a couple of heroes new favorites for me. I see Overwatch being a stalwart part of my gaming habit for years at this point - filling an FPS void that I had predicted would be filled with BF1 but instead was filled by OW. It's the Team Fortress 3 that I needed.

9. Portal 2 - PC - 5 hours - Started Nov 2015, Finished April 15
This entry is just for the co-op campaign of this game. Probably one of the best co-op experiences around, I enjoyed playing through this with my little brother. The co-op has finely tuned challenges that make you think but do not make you endlessly frustrated. In addition, the perfect amount of griefing of your partner is possible and without dire consequences (and instead with some hilarious results). This was probably my third playthrough of this campaign and the entire game remains a favorite of mine.

10. VVVVVV - Vita - 2 hours - Started April 11, Finished April 17
It had been awhile since I have played VVVVVV and I still love it as much as the first time it flipped my world upside down. The platforming is tight and the challenges are magnificently tuned. The soundtrack is superb and probably one of the best aural experiences that one can have while gaming. I intend to spend a bit more time with the game this instance and play some of the time trials and possibly flip mode as well. I wish I could say a follow-up to this game with even more well-crafted pure gameplay goodness.

11. Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops - Vita - 8 hours - Started April 17, Finished April 30
Another PS+ game for the Vita, another small title that ultimately is okay but nothing more than a time waster. The game runs mostly great on the Vita and is well-suited to the platform, but is shallow in terms of gameplay and everything else. It certainly helped to pass the time on the bus during commutes, but not a title that I will remember for any sort of time after playing. A well made mobile game port to the Vita and that carries all the baggage that being a mobile game port does.

12. Type: Rider - Vita - 3.5 hours - Started May 3, Finished May 9
This indie game received via PS+ ended up being a delightful romp that did not overstay its welcome. I learned quite a bit about type setting and fonts (probably more than I had any interest in to be honest) and the platforming was solid. There were some technical hitches on the Vita with framerate drops and a couple of weird bugs, but these did not detract from my overall enjoyment. The art design of the entire game is fantastic.

13. Towerfall Ascension: Dark World - PS4 - 1.5 hours - Started June 26, Finished June 26
Played through the short campaign of this great little expansion of the Towerfall with a friend. The bosses were fantastically designed and all the levels were fun to battle through - particularly with the new enemy types (even the slightly frustrating ones with a focus on explosions) and prism arrows. I am even thinking about attempting to tackle some of the campaign with the same friend in the future on a harder difficulty. I highly recommend this expansion.

14. Mass Effect Andromeda - PC - 85 hours - Started March 16, Finished June 30
Mass Effect 2 is one of my top 5 games of all time. Andromeda has easily the best combat of the series and fantastic graphics. However, it falls behind all other Mass Effect games in every other facet. But that is not to say that the game is bad, it is a great game that I had a ton of fun playing through and will play through again. Andromeda got a bad reputation and I am sad if I do not get to see a continuation of the story not for awhile or possibly (but hopefully not) ever.

15. Pony Island - PC - 2.5 hours - Started July 1, Finished July 2
Got this game for real cheap during the Steam summer sale as the recommendation of a top voted comment on a Reddit post. I actually quite enjoyed the ridiculous story and what is essential a graphical (read 'text') adventure. The game presented small puzzles and platforming to move forward the story about a Satanic arcade game. I would recommend it for anyone looking for something very different and just a short experience that is unlike what you can have anywhere else.

16. We Are Here - PC 1.5 hours - Started July 11, Finished July 11
A short co-op puzzle game that works similar to an escape room. The puzzles were not tough but instead were more about good communication between myself and my friend. We had a good time with the game other than some technical issues. However, the story was not easy to follow and not developed - something of a missed opportunity for even a short experience like this game.

17. Letter Quest Remastered - Vita - 12 hours - Started June 29, Finished July 13
I really enjoyed this game even though it is just a port of a mobile game. The premise is simple and enjoyable, the challenge is not too tough and not too easy, the upgrade system provides for styling your play the way you want to, and the presentation is apt. Great diversion to play during my commute while listening to a podcast. The loading times were just a bit long, but nothing unbearable. I managed to complete every trophy and every portion of the campaign as well as trying out endless mode.

18. Sniper Elite V2 - PC - 5 hours - Started July 15, Finished July 18
This playthrough was actually my second time through the campaign. Once again, it was completely in co-op mode though with a different friend this time. Great simple game that makes it fun to snipe enemies and have some simple hijinks with a friend. A game with a straightforward hook that holds up over time.

19. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus - Vita - 10 hours - Started July 19, Finished July 24
My first experience with the Sly series was a great throwback to a previous generation of platformers. I actually quite enjoyed the game and it is perfect for the Vita as the levels are on the shorter side. The last area with the final boss had a bit of unnecessary difficulty spike and the controls showed quite a few signs of age (particularly with the racing missions). Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the basic premise of a stealth-based platformer and I am looking forward to continuing through the series.

20. Dota 2 - The International 2017 Battle Pass - PC - 100 hours - Started May 8, Finished August 11
Another battle pass for Dota 2 and another bundle of hours poured into the game that keeps on giving. This battle pass was fairly straight forward for the most part and I completed all 3 main paths. I likely poured too much money into it and need to watch this in the future but Dota 2 has provided numerous hours for me to just escape into something other than real life problems. Dangerous, but sometimes helpful. Dota 2 is definitely one of my top 5 games ever.

21. SUPERHOT - PC - 1.75 hours - Started Aug 2016, Finished August 13
As a Kickstarter backer, I just finally got around to playing through the story mode of SUPERHOT. I loved the little prototype and the full game is more of the same and it does not overstay its welcome while still providing reasons to go back for more. The gameplay was always fun and throwing guns has never felt so satisfying. I was pleasantly surprised that the developers found a good way to build a story around the levels presented. I would love to see a sequel.

22. Mini Metro - PC - 3 hours - Started Aug 14, Finished Aug 15
I assume that I acquired this game in a Humble Bundle of some sort at some point, but decided to give it a go this week because it was sitting as one of my "Not Completed"-category games on Steam. I am glad that I did. The game is elegant, enjoyable, and all around fantastically crafted. A simple gameplay loop is built and reinforced with slight changes from one map or mode to the next and I found them all satisfying. One of those games that nails its presentation (even though it is simple) and earns its merit via gameplay first and foremost.

23. Hidden My Game By Mom - Mobile - 0.5 hours - Started Aug 18, Finished Aug 18
A quirky, short Japanese game with poor English translations that acts as a super simple point and click adventure game. I got a handful of laughs out of playing the game even though it was extremely simple. I was even surprised that the game ended up having a take-home message or lesson at the end. The design was oddly endearing and comedic. Worth playing simply for the bizarre factor.

24. I Became A Dog - Mobile - 1.5 hours - Started Aug 24, Finished Aug 24
Downloaded this game on my phone at the recommendation of IGN's Snapchat story. It is a nice little distraction with an odd story that is marred by all of the evils of mobile gaming. These issues include poor controls via touchscreen for movement of the dog character, advertisements heavily baked in, and gameplay mechanics meant to prolong the user's use of the game (e.g. time limited resources). A time waster of a game but the oddity of the story made me not completely regret spending time on it.

25. Papers, Please - PC - 2 hours - Started Aug 30, Finished Sept 5
An experience that I have no legitimate game to compare with, Papers Please provides a morally and mentally uncomfortable role for the player as an Eastern European border agent. The mundane, easy work from the first days quickly morphed into overwhelming, morally gray work, which then morphed into routine, morally numbing work. I only played through to one ending and read about other endings, so I may revisit the game at some point, but I feel like I got a full experience from the game as is.

26. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - PS4 - 15 hours - Started May 2016, Finished Sept 9
It took me awhile to get around to playing through this game but I absolutely enjoyed it mightily. The story and the character interactions were the best of the series. Combat is more dynamic than ever with the inclusion of the grapple hook, high amounts of verticality, and fascinating pseudo-sandbox encounter areas. The game is beautiful and the nostalgia for the previous entries in the series is perfectly played up. I loved this game.

27. Batman: The Telltale Series - PS4 7.5 hours - Started May 29, Finished Sept 15
Although the individual episodes were on the shorter side, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed and cared about the story in this Telltale outing. Of course, the property being Batman helps a bunch but the original twists and turns kept me engaged. However, there were times that the illusion of choice was disrupted and the clear story path restrictions were seen by the player. Additionally, the engine still creaks and is simply terrible - multiple crashes, astounding frame drops that Skrillex would envy, and just general lagginess. Given all of that, I am looking forward to the second season finishing up and playing it once that occurs.

28. Subsurface Circular - PC - 2 hours - Started Sept 20, Finished Sept 20
As soon as I saw this game release, I bought it because I absolutely have loved every game by Mike Bithell. This game was no exception. The art style is on point and I became connected with my character and the suite of characters surrounding me. The twists were great and not built for shock value but instead logical progression of the story. The commentary on society, grayness of all of the on-goings, and the small connections back to other Bithell games were fantastic. A short, intriguing experience that demonstrates fantastic narrative gameplay.

29. Minecraft: Story Mode - PS4 - 12 hours - Started Jul 3, Finished Sept 24
Something about the Telltale formula is addicting (particularly when combined with easy trophies) even though their game engine is a hot mess. Minecraft actually proved to be the most technically stable title of theirs that I have played and the story (though immediately geared towards the younger crowd of course) was pretty good. The one aspect of the game that I have to single out though is the music. It's really great - surprisingly so.

30. Minecraft: Story Mode - Adventure Pass - PS4 - 5 hours - Started Sept 24, Finished Sept 24
I found the adventures contained within this expansion to Minecraft: Story Mode to be of even higher quality and have more varied, interesting themes and settings than the base game. Additionally, I felt as though they ended up being a bit more geared towards a slightly higher age - likely increasing their appeal for me. I am definitely invested in this series and will be picking up the second season once its episodes have all released.

31. Orwell - PC - 4.8 hours - Started Sept 21, Finished Sept 26
A thoughtful (though admittedly ham-fisted at times) text adventure game presented in a manner growing in popularity recently - the pseudo-screen presentation. The range of characters were intriguing and the twists and turns were pretty good but fairly predictable. It definitely generated a sense of moral questioning much of the time. Additionally, the various real differences in the extraneous story that can occur made the game even more interesting. A quick, enjoyable jaunt through a narrative with major relations to ongoing news topics.

32. Back to Bed - PC - 1.5 hours - Started Sept 27, Finished Sept 27
Got this game for free via Steam and decided to give it a quick go and found it to be a nifty little puzzle game. There's a large disconnect between the promise of the art style and the actual gameplay though. The M.C. Escher-esque and surrealist inspiration for the art was almost never harnessed in the gameplay with only a few perspective tricks used. I found this disappointing. The challenge was never very difficult and the enemies were derivative, but there is something at the essence of this game that could have been made into something more intriguing.

33. Dyscourse - PC - 1 hour - Started Sept 28, Finished Sept 28
Picked up this as a random indie game that showed promise on a deep sale sometime quite awhile ago. I ended up disliking this game. The art style is nice and reminds me a little bit of a 2D version of the Deathspank art style and animation, but that was the only redeeming quality to me. The choices definitely make a big difference but you never know what that will be until afterwards because there is not logic behind the outcomes sometimes. Additionally, the story is fairly boring even though some characters are interesting. I could go back and play through differently, but it simply is not worth my time.

34. TIMEframe - PC - 50 mins - Started Sept 28, Finished Sept 28
A small narrative of the "walking simulator" genre that has a superb art direction that creates gorgeous sights to take in. Even the world is completely devoid of life and has only slight movement (due to the slowed-down time setting), it feels like an actual world. The bits of story are just enough to tantalize and allows for the player to fill in the gaps. I love the hearkening back to more primitive times and the sense of doom as the asteroid comes in to destroy you.

35. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Remastered - PS4 - 7 hrs - Started Nov 2015, Finished Oct 2
After finishing Uncharted 4, I realized that I had barely touched my play though of the remastered third game. One can really see all of the ways that the fourth game just completely outpaces and improves upon the previous entry. Uncharted 3 does have some great moments, but I believe the second in the series will remain more treasured to me than this entry - with the fourth easily being my favorite. One thing that this game reminded me was that I absolutely detest forced camera/character shaking in games to simulate disaster - it simply makes interacting with the game frustrating and does not accurately or adequately capture the event.

36. Monster Loves You! - PC - 40 mins - Started Oct 2, Finished Oct 3
Another example of a small game that I received as part of some bundle or free. Simple, text-based choice adventure that revolves around your personality stats to determine outcomes. The only problem is that almost all of the choices have flagrantly obvious impacts on your stats. This quality makes the game largely boring even though it is cute and builds a personality of its own. Ultimately, an experience best built for young kids.

37. CrossCells - PC - 2.5 hours - Started Aug 17, Finished Oct 4
Another puzzle game from the creator of HexCells and similar ilk. This entry actually stretched my capabilities further than before and at first seems like it requires guessing, but that is not true. Simple presentation around a game that has straight-forward logic puzzles. Nothing special about this game - just provides a solid amount of finely-tuned puzzling time on the cheap.

38. Please, Don't Touch Anything - PC - 1 hour - Started Oct 5, Finished Oct 5
A point-and-click adventure that relies on a little bit of puzzle solving, I found this game to stray a bit too much towards just being an interactive diorama instead of an actual game. That being said, the pop-culture references were intriguing and a little bit funny. There's not much to be said other than those couple of points as this is ultimately barely a bit more complex than an old flash game.

39. Inside - PS4 - 4 hours - Started Feb 15, Finished Oct 8
This play through on the PS4 was my second time through the game. While I do not think that the second play through holds up by any means compared to my initial time through the game, it did increase my appreciation of all of the little artistic details in the game. Everything was purposefully and elegantly placed throughout every level and it shows and makes the game as great as it is. Definitely a masterpiece in creation, the game itself only can come close to a masterpiece in atmosphere on the first time through. The 'unsettling' factor that makes the game fantastic is not maintained when you have already played the game. Oh, and the story is still wondrously vague.

40. Botanicula - PC - 3 hours - Started Jan 2016, Finished Oct 10
Amanita Design's games have always been beautifully constructed with full of charm and Botanicula is no exception. Although I did make some use of a walkthrough, the puzzles actually are fairly straight forward and not convoluted in comparison to other point-and-click adventures. What really shines here is the world. Everything is simply alive, delightful, and distinctly belonging to this world. The art design is outstanding and sticking to that peculiar artistry is achieved throughout the entire game. A story is manged to be told without any words or language and I relished the bits of whimsy stuck throughout the game.

Link to rest of list in another post.
 

NHale

Member
2015: 52 games
2016: 42 games
2017: 40 games (September)

Games finished:

Game 1 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered ★★★★☆
Game 2 - Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 ★★★☆☆
Game 3 - Lara Croft GO ★★★☆☆
Game 4 - Hyper Void ★★☆☆☆
Game 5 - Azkend 2 ★★★☆☆
Game 6 - The Swindle ★★☆☆☆
Game 7 - Jazzpunk ★★★★☆
Game 8 - The Tomorrow Children ★★☆☆☆
Game 9 - Actual Sunlight ★★☆☆☆
Game 10 - BlazeRush ★★☆☆☆
Game 11 - Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ★★★★☆
Game 12 - Starwhal ★☆☆☆☆
Game 13 - Battle Islands: Commanders ★☆☆☆☆
Game 14 - Tiny Troopers Joint Ops ★★☆☆☆
Game 15 - Invisible, Inc. ★★★☆☆
Game 16 - Titanfall 2 ★★★★☆
Game 17 - The Little Acre ★★★☆☆
Game 18 - The Bunker ★★★☆☆
Game 19 - Dig Dug ★☆☆☆☆
Game 20 - Battlefield 1 ★★★★★
Game 21 - N.E.R.O. - Nothing Ever Remains Obscure ★★☆☆☆
Game 22 - ICEY ★★★☆☆
Game 23 - Disc Jam ★★★☆☆
Game 24 - Siegecraft Commander ★★☆☆☆
Game 25 - Mr. Massagy ★★☆☆☆
Game 26 - Dead Synchronicity ★★☆☆☆
Game 27 - Table Top Racing: World Tour ★★★☆☆
Game 28 - Drawn to Death ★☆☆☆☆
Game 29 - Her Majesty's SPIFFING ★★☆☆☆
Game 30 - Gem Smashers ★★☆☆☆
Game 31 - 1000 Top Rated ☆☆☆☆☆
Game 32 - Energy Cycle ★★☆☆☆
Game 33 - Trackmania Turbo ★★★☆☆
Game 34 - Puzzle Showdown 4K ★★☆☆☆
Game 35 - The Golf Club 2 ★★★★☆
Game 36 - Paladins ★★★☆☆
Game 37 - Don't Die, Mr. Robot! ★★☆☆☆
Game 38 - NBA 2K18: The Prelude ★☆☆☆☆
Game 39 - Downwell ★★★☆☆
Game 40 - Black & White Bushido ★★☆☆☆
 
9/52

I beat 19 games in 2016, one more than in 2015. Progress! Let's see if I can truly do it this year.

1: Firewatch - 4 hours
Beat the PC version on January 9th.

2: Virginia - ~ 2 hours
Beat the PC version on January 9th.

3: Doom (2016) - 16 hours
Beat the PC version on January 17th.

4: Left 4 Dead - 6 hours
Beat the PC version on co-op with my girlfriend on January 18th. We also beat both DLC levels.

5: Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Beat PlayStation 4 Pro version on March 9th.

6: Quantum Break
Beat Xbox One version on March 26th.

7: Hidden my game by mom
Beat iOS version (on my iPhone 7 Plus) on April 22nd.

8: Nier - ~ 31 hours
Beat Xbox 360 version on May 1st.

9: Overcooked - ~7 hours
Beat PC version on co-op with my girlfriend on May 23rd.


Previous Years:
2016
2015
 

Hektor

Member
1: Final Fantasy Tactics - 40 hours
# I hope this counts cos i started it last year already (obviously). Still a great videogame and one of the best FF's.

2: Yakuza - 10 Hours
# I liked what the game was going for, but the random encounters, the simplisitic combat and the constant searching for your mission goal became pretty tiring.

3: Yakuza 2 - 15 Hours
# A noticable improvement over the first. The ending remindend me a bit of MGS in a away.

4: Yakuza 3 - 15 Hours
# This one i really liked. The combat is so much better. I guess the ending would have been a lot more impactful if i wouldn't have known there are 3 games coming after. Altho the post-credit scene devalued it either way.

5: Yakuza 4 - 20 Hours
# I really liked the Plot of this one. The minigames also were a lot more interesting, altho things like the Dojo Management took to much time. Having to ward through the same three sentence of dialogue every time you make a resting session and suchs felt offensively annoying. Great Game tho.

6: Yakuza 5 - 35 Hours
# The gameplay and minigames are the best one in the franchise, the story in its core is also pretty good but dragged down by a lot of filler like Saejimas dream passages.
My final ranking would be: 4 > 3 > 5 > 2 > 1

7: Detention - 2 Hours
# Impressions here

8: Event 0 - 2 Hours
# The exploration was done better by Gone Home and the going through logfiles was done better by Analogue and Her Story. This game left me with nothing but the feeling that it was 2 hours later than when i started it.

9: Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter - 8 Hours

# Impressions here

10: Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance - 20 Hours
# The minigames are somme of the lamest in the series, the combat is as fluid as ever tho.

11: Kingdom Hearts - 0.2 ~ A Fragmentary Passage - 4 Hours
# Not like i ever needed to be sold on KH3, but if i would, this would've done the job.

12: Yakuza 0 - 30 Hours
# Yakuza 4 > Yakuza 3 & 0 > Yakuza 5 > Yakuza 2 > Yakuza 1

13: Resident Evil VII - 8 Hours
# Impressions here

14: Prey - 5 Hours
# I completely forgot how dope it was, especially the beginning. Great game.

15: NIOH - 35 Hours

# What a game. Wouldn't have expected a mix of Souls, Character Action and Diablo to work as well as it does. I liked the game and it's beta's initially but NIOH just got better as time went on. Definitely a game i'm expecting to have in my GOTY list.

16: NieR - Automata 40 - Hours
# Impressions here

17: Stories Untold - 3.5 Hours
# Unfortunately, i did not like Case 3 and 4 at all. The first two were really great.

18: Torment: Tides of Numenera - 34 Hours
# Impressions here

19: Titanfall 2 - 5 Hours
# The leveldesign was amazing, moving around felt awesome and the story was surprisingly funny as i expected USA USA USA OORAAH Military BS, but the game was also rather short and even on the hardest difficulty far, far, far to easy.

20: Stella Deus - 33 Hours
# Impressions here

21: A Normal Lost Phone - 50 Minutes
# okayish game, great soundtrack

22: Persona 5 - 91 Hours
# What. A. Game.

23: Maize - 3.5 Hours
# i'm A-Maize-d by it's averageness. The story starts of weird and intruiging but doesn't go anywhere but "lol so random xD" humor

24: Bayonetta - 13 Hours
# Still one of the best Action games of last gen

25: What remains of Edith Finch - 2 Hours
# Impressions here

26: Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War III - 15 Hours
# Impressions here

27: Little Nightmares - 2.5 Hours
# Impressions here

28: Prey - 20.5 Hours
# It's really damn good and very worthwhile. The way sidequests are implemented and impact your playthrough throughout the game is very well done. The story takes some time to get going tho, and only the ending really brigns something interesting to the table.

29: Expeditions: Viking - 25 Hours
# Impressions here

30: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne - 40 Hours
Loved the bosses, hated the dungeon designs, all around a good but not great game

31: Mortal Kombat X - 5 Hours
# Surprisingly entertaining singleplayer campaign

32: Vanquish - 7 Hours
# Don't vanquish too often or you go blind. It's very addictive and you might forget how to do the real thing if you vanquish to much

33: Emily is away too - 2.5 Hours
# Evelyn > Emily

34: CrossCells - 1.5 Hours
# Very relaxing puzzle game, tho i still prefer the hexcells trilogy

35: The Fidelio Incident - 1.5 Hours
# The background story part was very intruiging, the actual on the island part not so much

36: The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - 7 Hours
# S1 > S3 > S2 > Michonne

37: Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy - 20 Hours
# 100% All three games. Amazing Remake.

38: Little Red Lies - 6 Hours
# Impressions here

39: Get Even - 6 Hours
# Impressions here

40: Final Fantasy XII HD - 40 Hours
# Still one of the greatest JRPG's ever created. The fast forward option is a godsend tho

41: Pyre - 11 Hours
# Impressions here

42: Tacoma - 2.5 Hours
# Eh, as someone who loved GOne Home, this is just okay. Too predictable and basic for a story

43: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - 7 Hours
# Impressions here

44: XCOM2: War of the Chosen - 60 Hours
# Impressions here

45: Steamworld Dig 2 - 6 Hours
# Impressions here

46: Please Knock on my Door - 1.5 Hours
# Well that was dark

47: Danganronpa V3 - 35 Hours
# Impressions here

48: Cuphead - 10 hours
# Impressions here

49: Divinity Original Sin 2 - 60 Hours
# The biggest and best RPG made since Witcher 3.

50: The Evil Within 2 - 17 Hours
# Impressions here

51: South Park: The Fractured But Whole - 16 Hours
# The actual combat is much better, however, i enjoyed the first game more as the jokes were funnier
 

panzone

Member
Reserving this post. This will be the first year I'm trying this challenge and I really want to complete it!

#1: Doom (2016) - 13h

I just have one word: incredible. It's probably one of the best FPS I've ever played. I liked Doom 3 in 2004 even if it was slower and more... horror than Doom and Doom 2 but this one is really an upgraded version of the first one into 2016. And it's gorgeous. Level design, enemies, encounters, weapons... everything is as it should be. I can only recommend it to anyone in search of a frenetic, kill-everything-on-the-screen FPS.

#2: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - 6h 39m

I'm quite surprised. With each level presenting something unique and try different approaches, I'm quite surprised by how much I liked a platform without even the possibility to jump. The puzzle game parts are quite simple but they are extremely satisfying when you understand the solution. My only problem is the recycling of the boss battles, but aside that I can only recommend it.

#3 Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush - 7h 53m

I'm not sure about this one. I loved Canvas Curse and the Wii U episode presents some levels incredibly well done that require to use the drawing ability in interesting ways. The art style is gorgeous and it's really beautiful to see the game in motion. My principal problem with Rainbow is that it really feels like a rushed game: some recycling in stages and bosses it isn't usually a problem for me, but when the entire game only has 21 levels continuously recycling level ideas makes feel the entire game rushed and incomplete.

#4 Final Fantasy XV - 25h 53m

I've to say that I've started this game with low expectations because of FFXIII. The last quarter of the game is so bad that even my low expectations were too much. It's completely without sense and feels extremely rushed. And this is a pity, because the first part of the game is actually really nice: the battle system works, hunting and exploring feels rewarding and the road trip atmosphere is fun. If only the developers had kept the entire "road trip" atmosphere for the entire game...

#5 Downwell - 18h 42m

For just a dollar I got one of the best roguelike/platform I've ever played. The main idea is simple, but it presents several challenges and the game has that "one last play" where, even if you just died, you want to return to the action. I can only recommend this game.

#6 Saints Row: Gat out of Hell - 3h 32m

Really uninspired and boring: all you have to do is playing minigames until you unlock the extremely underwhelming final battle. Kinda of a delusion after Saints Row 4.

#7 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 69h 10m

I've completed all shrines and finished the game, so I think it's time to put Zelda on this list. Incredible game and, even if I've played the Wii U version, it's a masterpiece: a really interesting open world where you want to explore because every new location gives you something. I also liked a lot the new dungeon direction. I'm extremely satisfied with this Zelda.

#8 I Am Alive - 3h 40m

I'm actually enjoyed this one more than I was expecting: the "battle" system works, the survival feel is present and some encounters required a lot more planning than expected.

#9 Resident Evil (Remake) - 8h 57m

I've played the original game years ago so I though it was the time to replay it using the remake version. I've to say that, except for
the Crimson Heads and Lisa
I found all the additions terrible or boring, but the charm of the mansion is still present even after all these years. Truly a classic.

#10 Final Fantasy IX (PC) - 28h 10m

While this is my favorite Final Fantasy, I've only played it one time almost 16 years ago. Since a friend gifted me the Steam version, I thought it was time for a replay. My opinion of the game is even better than before: it's an incredibile game with an interesting story that touch some important themes with a lovable cast.

#11 Persona 5 (PS4) - 97h 07m

I've to think a little about this one, so I'll update it in the future.

#12 The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PC) - 46h 12m

Incredible epilogue to one of the best JRPG I've ever played. Probably a little too much dungeon crawling for me but seeing all the doors makes it bearable. Every JRPG fan should play all 3 games.

#13 The Last Guardian (PS4) - 13h 21m

Ok, let's be honest here: it's as beautiful as it's a pain to play. The interaction with Trico works really well and the entire game seems taken from a Studio Ghibli film, but it's incredible frustrating to play. The platforming sections require a little too much precision than the control scheme can afford. It's also incredible frustrating understating the solution to a puzzle and then spend 10 minutes trying to convince Trico do the correct actions. I preferred SOTC by a lot.

#14 Crash Bandicoot 2 - Cortex Strikes Back (PS1) - 10h 11m

I had never done a 100% run in Crash 2 and because everyone is so excited with the PS4 remake I've decided it was time to take all the gems. I have to say I was remembering this game as better than it actually is: the ice physics is terrible and too often Crash wasn't as precise as I wanted, which is a problem in the extra level and gem runs. It's not a bad platform but not even a masterpiece.

#15 Red Faction (PC) - 6h 53m

Time to clean up my Steam library. Red Faction is an honest FPS old school, with a lot of big guns and enemies to shoot following a simple plot in big, non entirely linear levels. Nothing wrong with that and I liked it quite a bit. The possibility to break anything in the ambient is really nice, but I remember only a couple of points where it actually adds something to the game.

#16 Spyro the Dragon (PS1) - 10h 04m

After 19 years I've finally finished (120%) Spyro. When I was a child I found this game incredibly difficult and I wasn't able to find all dragons, but now it's another story. I' m actually impressed with the level design: the open world-like design is really nice and it's quite challenging. The necessity of taking all gems means that you have to explore all the level and the game always know how to reward the exploration. I'm quite satisfied with this game.

#17 Quake (PC) - 7h 32m

Because of the GOG sales I've decided to get a digital copy of all the ID Software shooters and I've started with Quake. Well, what can I say? Even if it's 20 years old the game is extremely fast and fun to play. The level design is interesting and the atmosphere is incredible. A truly classic.

#18 Doom (PC) - 5h 12m

Next one was the first Doom. I remember it a little better if I have to be honest: the first episode is great, while the second and the third are a lot less inspired. A lot of the Inferno maps are just big areas with a lot of enemies, while Phobos is a lot more "platforming" and exploring while killing a lot of demons. Still, in 2017 is still a pretty valid game.

#19 Tales of Berseria (PC) - 30h 48m

Classic Tales of. Nothing more, nothing less. While I really enjoyed the battle system (probably one of the best since Graces), the game itself takes too many things from one of the games I've enjoyed less in the entire saga so I'm not entirely satisfied with Berseria.

#20 The Swapper (PC) - 6h 02m

I really liked The Swapper: the puzzles are interesting and uses in an intelligent way the concept of cloning, the plot is interesting and the art style is great. A really nice puzzle game.
 
Holding this post. Narrowly failed the challenge in 2015 and took a break last year. With any luck, this will be my year.

2/1/17 - 1: The Witcher 3 (Main Story) - No idea how many hours. Don't know how to find out. Was on it daily for about two and a half weeks.
# Not much to say that hasn't been said about the game. It's amazing. Probably going to make a start on the DLCs tomorrow seeing as it's the GOTY edition.

5/1/17 - 2: The Witcher 3 (Hearts of Stone) - Been playing daily since I finished the main quest.
# This is how DLC content should be handled. Excellent.

21/1/17 - 3: The Witcher 3 (Blood & Wine) - Finally figured out how to see time played; 108 hours 18 minutes
# Somewhat bittersweet feeling having finished this. On the one hand, absolutely amazing game and DLC. On the other hand, no more witcher. Bring on Cyberpunk.

27/1/17 - 4: Resident Evil: Biohazard - 9 hours 55 minutes
# Actually wasn't even intending on buying this until I saw all the high scores. Glad I did. Really impressed throughout and lots of nice little nods to previous games in the series.

25/2/17 - 5: Yakuza 0 - 42 hours 17 minutes
# My first Yakuza game. It won't be my last.
 

Wensih

Member
I'm going to try something a little different this year to hopefully feel more engaged with wanting to write a blurb for each game I finished (I've finished 3 games last night that I've been playing throughout the holiday break). I bought a nice notebook to jot down thoughts throughout the year, and I'll post a picture of the pages pertaining to each game I play. Maybe this will cut down on the character limit, keeping everything on one page in my main post, while also being a little bit more personal.

Game #1 Uncharted 4

C1G1ksrVEAAh4_o.jpg


More to come today!
 

EloquentM

aka Mannny
I tried in previous years and I'll try again this year.

Currently playing:
Roller coaster tycoon
LoZ: oracle of ages

On the current pipeline:
AC Syndicate


I'm going to try something a little different this year to hopefully feel more engaged with wanting to write a blurb for each game I finished (I've finished 3 games last night that I've been playing throughout the holiday break). I bought a nice notebook to jot down thoughts throughout the year, and I'll post a picture of the pages pertaining to each game I play. Maybe this will cut down on the character limit, keeping everything on one page in my main post, while also being a little bit more personal.

Game #1 Uncharted 4

C1G1ksrVEAAh4_o.jpg


More to come today!
ohhhhh this sounds like fun. I'll do this too
 
Original post

JvFOTPel.jpg

1. Inside (PS4, 2016) - 1:43 (+2:04 in 2016)
Completed the campaign. Four secrets found.

Next time, I should trust my instincts. I was worried I wouldn't like Inside nearly as much as the hype and the many GOTY mentions implied, and it turns out I was right.

In terms of atmosphere and art direction, Inside is fantastic. It really doesn't put a foot wrong, from the subtle use of musical cues to the stylized, impressionistic look to the elaborate death animations. But I find it difficult to get past Inside's gameplay loop, which can be summed up as Trial and Error: The Game. Often, the only way to know how to solve a puzzle in Inside is to die. Sometimes, this is because there are elaborate traps that you don't get to see at all until you trigger them. But most of the time, it's because of trivial concerns: you couldn't see there was a hole you were supposed to land in, so you hit dirt instead. You had to outrun some enemy, but you needed X amount of headstart and you only had Y. And so on and so forth.

None of this is a huge surprise if you've played Limbo. My only problem was in hoping there was something different this time that would make the game more interesting to me than Limbo was. And there is, kind of, in the vague story it tries to tell, but ultimately Inside is just a very good refinement of Limbo. I liked Limbo, but I didn't think it was amazing; so it is with Inside.
 
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