Sounds fun, just got a PS4 and I haven't owned a sony console since the PS1. Have a lot to get caught up on and there's some great stuff on the horizon.
1. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - Campaign Complete 2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - Campaign Complete 3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Currently playing
The VMR Review System:
When it comes down to it, I believe there are only two main factors that make games good. How Fun they are and what kind of Value they bring to the player. Fun and Value are subjective terms, but here is what may factor into them. The Fun ranking deals with things like gameplay and how the game makes the player feel (UI, visuals, sound, and story may also factor into Fun).
Value has to do with how long the game lasts and if it is actually worth your time to play. Short games like Braid or Inside do not have longevity but they have memorable experiences that are valuable to the player. Value also deals with how well the game is made presentation wise (visuals, sound). Things like story and how memorable the game is may also factor into Value (Valiant Hearts is a great example). For instance, some horror games are not much "Fun" but they may promote a lot of Value to the player through a memorable/valuable experience (examples would be The Last of Us or Dead Space).
I rank Fun and Value separately with the deciding factors listed above using a 5 star system for each.
January 2017 tally:
Fallout 4: completed Saturday, Jan. 14th. Full video review coming VMR - Five Minute Reviews soon! Time spent: 130hrs, almost 100% completion. Just missing the "Benevolent Leader" achievement.
Thoughts:full video review coming VMR - Five Minute Reviews soon!
A beautiful hand crafted journey through atmospheric post-apocolyptica. Fallout 4 was an absolutely amazing experience that I will never forget. The art style, the improved gameplay that actual makes Fallout 4 a viable shooter (and a good one at that), and the music are all magnificent. One of my favorites games of 2015! I started in 2015 when it released, played until May of 2016, and put it down until November of 2016, finishing it just this year (Jan. 2017). The reason I stopped playing is because I was enjoying it so much... I did not want it to end. I did the same thing with Skyrim. All good things must come to an end though . - Negatives:
Minor bugs and glitches (I did not experience any game breaking bugs, though I have heard other people have).
Awful ending to an otherwise interesting main quest story (no matter what faction you side with, they are all awful IMO).
Enemy Leveling (has been an issue with all Bethesda open world games; it is a little bit better in Fallout 4, but its still an issue. Some weapons feel woefully under-powered for the task at hand, even when fully upgraded).
Some minor framerate issues (played on XBOX One, dips into the lower 20's during high action moments).
+ Positives:
Massive, hand crafted, fun to explore world (filled with unique and memorable locations).
Amazing atmosphere.
Responsive and fun gameplay, making Fallout 4 a viable and good shooter.
Superb art style and presentation (this game has many beautiful moments, the lighting and weather system is one of the best I have experienced in a game so far).
Superb sound design (finally weapons sound like actual firearms instead of cap guns).
Excellent music (the 40's and 50's tunes from Fallout 3 return along with several new songs from the same period and the late 50's).
The side quests are superb (particularly the companion quests).
2 out of 52. Valiant Hearts: The Great War: completed Wednesday, Jan. 18th. Full video review coming VMR - Five Minute Reviews soon! Time spent: 9hrs, 100% completion including achievements.
Thoughts:full video review coming VMR - Five Minute Reviews soon!
Tears. Wow. What an amazing emotional experience. The game tells a very human and beautiful story while also focusing on the horrors of War (specifically... World War 1).
Honestly... Valiant Hearts was the most intense game I have ever played. It was more intense then Battlefield 1. It respected what took place during the great war. Even though it is a side scrolling game with cartoon like art style it is quite frequently horrific. The story, setting, and experience are far from cartoon like. With that said Valiant Hearts is a game everyone has to experience (I would not recommend this game to kids younger than 13).
I would not call Valiant Hearts a fun game (it does have its moments of fun though). The gameplay is very simplistic, and the level designs are basic. The gameplay and levels are pretty much there to push you through one horrific experience after the next. This is not supposed to be a "fun" game, as war is not supposed to be "fun." I think the devs designed it this way on purpose.
The value comes through experiencing the well written story... and never forgetting those who lost their lives during the Great War. - Negatives:
1. Final Fantasy XIII25 hours PC
I started this game almost a year ago, and man was it a slog to finish. Didn't enjoy it very much, the music was good but not enough to carry the games bad characters, unclear motivations and confusing story
2. INSIDE~4 hours PS4
INSIDE was probably hyped up too much for me to enjoy it for myself, a lot of people play it and say it's GOTY while I was left kinda confused by it. The atmosphere and music really draw you in, and the puzzles make you think, but the story (where it counts) is way more confusing than Limbo and doesn't make much sense by the end. I heard theres a secret ending, so screw that if they lock story content behind finding collectibles
3. Final Fantasy XV36 hours PS4
My God what a game. The entire progression of the story of growing with these characters, seeing them change, being a part of their journey, just amazing. Combat was a little annoying at times with the camera showing me nothing but trees instead of enemies, and also the story was pretty vague at points. Why do I have to watch a prequal movie to learn about the game I'm playing? I don't know. I don't care. Game was still GOTY material even without understanding everything 100%
4. Shin Megami Tensei IV~27 hours 3DS
Wanted to go back and beat the Netural Path in prep for Apocalypse, didn't feel worth it in my opinion. The payout of getting this ending (which is nearly impossible without a guide) is a lot less than what you'd expect for all the extra work you have to do like completeing a bunch of side quests and beating both final bosses of the other endings. Just Youtube it if you really wanna know what happens.
Claiming this post. Here's to another year, lads.
JANUARY
Game #1: Saint's Row - Gat Outta Hell - Finished in 4 hours. Figured I'd start clearing my digital backlog. Onward to Oxenfree.
Game #2:Oxenfree - Quippy teenagers, the game. Finished in 4 hours. Another strike down to my digital backlog.
Game #3:The Banner Saga - Another blow to my digital backlog. I'm on a roll. Finished in 10 hours. Great music and atmosphere.
Game #4:Psycho Pass - Mandatory Happiness - got the true ending with one character. Game was really short although I feel it was made this way to encourage replayability
Game #5:Final Fantasy XV - you couldn't quite stick the landing, Tabata
Game #6: God Eater 2 - Finished the main campaign. Not interested in the Rage Burst campaign. Got real repetitive later on.
Game #7:Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 - Not as epic (or hard) as Xenoverse 1's campaign but it still had some great moments. Bamco has a great series on their hands. I'll be there for XV3.
FEBRUARY
Game #8: Super Robot Wars OG The Moon Dwellers - Great game, what else is there to say?
Game #9:For Honor - Campaign could've been great if there were more levels like the Viking siege. Multiplayer is surprisingly fun.
MARCH
Game #10: Yakuza 0 - Muh emotions! Muh emotions!!
Game #11:Bloodborne - Replayed from start to finish sans Old Hunters content. Still the best.
APRIL
Game #12:Yakuza 0
Game #13: Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires
Game #14: The Last Guardian
Game #15:Shovel Knight - Spectre of Torment
Game #16:Wolfenstein: The New Order
MAY
Game #17:Toukiden 2
Game #18:Prey
JUNE
Game #19:Tekken 7 - Platinumed
Game #20:Zero Time Dilemma - Platinumed
Game #21:Metro 2033
AUGUST
Game #22:Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry
Game #23:Root Letter
Contrary to GAF, Fallout 4 was one of my 2015 favorites so after amazing PSN sale I grabbed all F4 dlc cheap. Not sure how much time it took to complete main quests (c'mon Sony please add system similar to what Xbox or at least Wii U have) it seems well worth a money.
Now on to Nuka-Cola!
Game #4: Ryse Son of Rome - completed on January 24th, time - 10h31m
Platform - Xbox One
One of the posters in previous page post about finishing Ryse reminded me that I have this game and have yet it to begin playing.
Well, for starters, graphically game still look amazing to this day and if not for 900p it might have been best looking launch game on consoles. Moving along to gameplay it gets rough - looks like game was indeed designed with kinect in mind - levels are small, movement is limited and there's like only two types of attacks with only a few executions animations.
Still, if there would have been at least a few more weapons to choose from and some additional attack combos it would have been fun mindless action game.
Game #5: Resident Evil VII Biohazard - completed on January 27. Time - 7h53m
Platform - PS4
Quality Resident Evil. Finally. Enjoyed from beginning till the end. Only negative things I can say were enemy variety and little references to previous titles.
Game #6 and the last game of the month of January - Doom
Completed on January 29th in 10h46m. Platform - PS4
One of those rare AAA console games which targets 60fps and oh boy thank God for that. Gameplay is silky smooth and not only that but it's still manages to look amazing and on par with other best looking games of 2016 which ran on 30fps. Other thanopen world games I wish more devs would choose higher fps over everything else.
Gameplay was a king, guns were fun and soundtrack was great. Always felt pumped to blast more enemies.
Story was just there, honestly after game completion I couldn't tell what was going on there or any of the character names.
MP I still didn't touched and probably never will. There are plenty of better options
Game #7 Red Dead Redemption
Completed on February 2nd/ time 1d19h/ platform - Xbox One via XB BC.
Masterpiece. This game is right there with Resident Evil 4, Skyrim, Mafia, GTA San Andreas, Mass Effect which I can play multiple times and still enjoy.
Started playing this game as soon as it became available on XB BC but really picked up around January when there wasn't that many games to play.
Now can't wait for RDR 2 and in a mean time I might start replaying it's DLC.
Now on to Yakuza 0 and GTA Vice City.
Game #8 GTA V
Completed on February 24th/Time ~ 29h/platform - PS4
That's a third time I completed this masterpiece. One of the greatest games ever made and best GTA to date. Even though this game is PS3 remaster it's still looks amazing to this day and rivals all other current gen open world games.
Game is so good I can barely make any complaints, worst thing I can say that there's no more police/taxi/paramedic side missions.
Now I will probably continue playing, exploring open world and finishing any side missions left before next week Horizon drops. Can't wait.
Game #9: Battlefield 1
Completed on 6th of April, platform - PS4
Even short but one of the best campaigns I played in BF series. Though that might not saying much since previous to this I only liked both Bad Company campaigns. 'Friends in High Places', 'Nothing is Written' and especially 'Through Mud and Blood' were my favorites from war stories. The later especially since atmosphere reminded me a little of psx Medal of Honor titles. Lone soldier, a lot of sneaking, might just be me but I loved.
Recently I got a 4K tv and since this game support's Pro it was a good opportunity to see what combination of 4K and Pro are capable off. I was not disappointed. Lightning in night levels looked unreal. Graphically is up there with Uncharted 4, Division and Horizon.
Game #10: Horizon Zero Dawn
Completed on 10th of April, time - 42h, platform - PS4
Amazing experience. One of the best games I played this console generation. GG Guerrilla, studio back on track to be one of Sony's best since after Killzone 2 other games were mediocre.
Game borrows a lot of elements from other games - especially Far Cry but I don't mind since I loved those series. Graphics are gorgeous,especially on Pro but base model holds well too. Who would have thought back in 2013 that this underpowered PS4 with Jaguar CPU are capable of achieving this. Also - 42h in but I'm still not done. I completed only main story missions but there is still plenty to do.
Sequel is a must.
2016 was a huge gaming year for me and I only finished 49 games! 2017 seems a busy year for me as me and fiancé are going to buy our own place and after 4 years of living together finally get married. This thread is going to help me manage my gaming time better (no more replay of Bloodborne and DS3) so hopefully at the end of 2017 I won't end up with only 5 finished games.
just started a replay (NG+) of FFXV. I'm gonna play only story mission to see what has changed since pre release. I already platinumed the game.
Completed 1: Firewatch ★★★★★
Date finished: 1/1/2017
Time played: 3 - 4 hours
System: PC / Steam
Firewatch has been on my radar since it got announced. I’m a big fan of Olly Moss’ work, and the look and setting of the game immediately grabbed me. That said, when the game was released, I didn’t feel compelled to pick it up straight awat. Now that I’ve finally got around to playing it, I feel like kicking myself for sleeping on this game. There is something about the early hours of Firewatch that is just well and truly special. It’s not just the fantastic look, or what might just be the best voice acting and some of the best character writing in ages. In a sense I felt like I was actually there, as Henry, on a summer job in the woods in the middle of nowhere. I enjoyed doing “menial tasks”, such as telling off reckless teenagers, getting new supplies, or checking the communication cables, as well as just exploring the area. Hell, I even found myself picking up every empty beer can I found along the way, you know to keep the forest clean. I was fully immersed.
As many have and will mention, Henry and Delilah are the true stars of the game. The voice acting and dialogue feel natural and believable and I found myself deeply caring for these characters. The game’s story goes in direction that might be decisive, and I do think that the third of the act is weaker than the first two, but when all is said and done, I can’t help but love my experience with this game.
2. Odallus: The Dark Call ★★★★☆
Date finished: 1/4/2017
Time played: 6 hours and 58 minutes
System: PC / Steam
Odallus: The Dark Call is both a great homage to NES games such as Castlevania 1 - 3, as well as a fantastic game in its own right. For whatever reason this game seems have gone mostly overlooked, despite well-deserved praise by a couple of outlets. Where many old skool indie titles fail to really evoke the aesthetics of the era by going overboard on the sprite work, Odallus looks and feels like a long lost classic of the NES era. The sprite work and music are great and the gameplay feels tight and responsive. The nine stages in the game are really well designed, with plenty of hidden items and secret passages to be found. Though the game uses stages and a stage select screen, the game does have Metroivania-like mechanics, where you’ll be able to revisit stages and reach new areas and secrets once you’ve found the appropriate skill item. Each of these upgrades feel meaningful and further improve the feel of the gameplay. The stage select screen also communicates how many secrets you have left to find per stage, as well as whether the boss of that stage is still alive. All in all in thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game and I hope more people pick it up.
3. Oxenfree ★★★★☆
Date finished: 1/7/2017
Time played: 5 hours
System: PC / Steam
4. Sine Mora ★★★★☆
Date finished: 1/7/2017
Time played: 4 hours - Time to beat story ~ 1.5 hours
System: PC / Steam
5. Samorost ★★★☆☆
Date finished: 1/7/2017
Time played: 15 - 20 mins
System: PC / Amanita website
6. Samorost 2 ★★★☆☆
Date finished: 1/8/2017
Time played: 1 hour
System: PC / Steam
7. SOMA ★★★★★
Date finished: 1/9/2017
Time played: 10.5 hours
System: PC / GOG
8. Poker Night at the Inventory ★★★☆☆
Date finished: 1/9/2017
Time played: 3 hours
System: PC / Steam
9. BIT.TRIP Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien ★★★★★
Date finished: 1/12/2017
Time played: 9 hours
System: PC / Steam
10. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright ★★★★☆
Date finished: 1/24/2017
Time played: 45 hours
System: 3DS
11.Resident Evil 7 biohazard ★★★★★
Date finished: 2/12/2017
Time played: 10 hours
System: PC / Steam
12.Lords of the Fallen ★★★☆☆
Date finished: 2/25/2017
Time played: 12 hours
System: PC / Steam
13.Superhot ★★★★★
Date finished: 2/25/2017
Time played: 4 hours
System: PC / Steam
14.Axiom Verge ★★★★☆
Date finished: 3/22/2017
Time played: 12 hours
System: PC / Steam
Currently playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Jumping into a Bunch of VR experiences this year, since those are short I may actually make it this time.
Completed 1: The Gallery: Episode 1 Call of the Starseed - 1.7 hours
Myst like adventure. Featuring a solid Narrative and a unique direction oriented blink movement scheme coupled with a novel height adjustment for when you walk onto an object of differing depths (like stairs) in your play area.
COMPLETED 1. Inside (PS4, 2016) - 1:43 (+2:04 in 2016) - COMPLETED January 1
It's Limbo, but better. But I didn't fall in love with Limbo, and I didn't fall in love with Inside either. (full post)
2. Glittermitten Grove (PC, 2016) - 2:09 (+3:56 in 2016) - COMPLETED January 3
Raise a village of fairies, collect sparkles, make sure your fairies don't starve leave during the winters. Stay in the sunlight or die in the shade. (full post)
3. Forza Horizon 3 (PC/XB1, 2016) - 15:15 (+5:58 in 2016) - COMPLETED January 14
When it works (which is most of the time, but never on PC), it's as good as Horizon 2. (full post)
4. Verde Station (PC, 2014) - 1:20 - COMPLETED January 14
A short story of a game, about living alone on a space station. It works. Sort of. (full post)
5. Paint It Back (PC, 2015) - 55:53 - COMPLETED January 15
Where did the time go? No, seriously, where did my FIFTY HOURS go? If you're looking for a Picross-style puzzle game that will steal hours from you in the blink of an eye, this is your jam. (full post)
6. Gravity Rush 2 (PS4, 2017) - 32:58 - COMPLETED January 29
Despite its flaws, Gravity Rush 2 doubles down on the original's charm. A joyous game. (full post)
7. Fire Emblem Heroes (Android, 2017) - 20:50 - CONTINUING February 18
It's surprisingly good, but also exactly what you'd expect out of a gacha game: a slow descent into grind. (full post)
8. Yakuza 0 (PS4, 2017) - 63:10 - COMPLETED February 19
The best Yakuza game I've ever played, and an early contender for game of the year. (full post)
9. Final Fantasy XV (PS4, 2016) - 20:15 (+16:50 in 2016) - COMPLETED February 23
What the hell was that? (full post)
10. Yakuza 5 (PS3, 2015) - 69:44 - COMPLETED March 9
Where Yakuza 0 is lean, Yakuza 5 sprawls. The result is a game that tries to do too much, but succeeds at quite a lot regardless. (full post)
11. Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (PC, 2017) - 52:15 - COMPLETED March 23
It's not the worst Atelier game I've played, and there's promise here, but Firis is a pretty rough outing for the franchise in a lot of ways. (full post)
12. FAST RMX (Switch, 2017) - 2:46 - COMPLETED April 3
I've met Wipeout, and you, sir, are no Wipeout. (I would probably be less snarky about it if it wasn't for the awful AI rubberbanding.) (full post)
13. Persona 5 (PS4, 2017) - 108:57 - COMPLETED April 17 / PLATINUM May 5 (186:56)
Persona is back, and it's so good to see it again. (full post)
14. Prey (PC, 2017) - 32:49 - COMPLETED May 20
A claustrophobic, intense sci-fi thriller that reinvents the System Shock 2 template for a new generation. (full post)
15. Hidden my game by mom! (Android, 2016) - 0:43 - COMPLETED May 25
A bite-sized joke of a game, in a good way. (full post)
16. Hidden my game by mom! 2 (Android, 2017) - 0:31 - COMPLETED May 26
Takes the first game and subtly turns it on its head. (full post)
17. Nier (360, 2010) - 28:21 - COMPLETED May 30
Very much a game apart from its contemporaries, Nier tells a surprisingly affecting tale of a world in decline and one man's efforts to do what he thinks is right. (full post)
18. Formula Fusion (PC, 2017) - 6:48 - COMPLETED June 17
The potential for greatness is here, but Formula Fusion is too beset by bugs and issues to warrant a full recommendation just yet. Still, one of the best Wipeout clones I've played. (full post)
19. Wipeout Omega Collection (PS4, 2017) - 26:03 - COMPLETED June 24
The king is back for one last tour. (full post)
20. Hexcells (PC, 2014) - 1:51 - COMPLETED June 25
Ever wanted a more complex Minesweeper? This is the game for you. (full post)
21. Hexcells Plus (PC, 2014) - 8:50 - COMPLETED July 1
Significantly longer than the original, and significantly more frustrating as well. That's not exactly an endorsement. (full post)
22. Hexcells Infinite (PC, 2014) - 7:41 - COMPLETED July 2
One small feature makes Infinite so much better to play than Plus that I feel like you should just skip from Hexcells straight to Infinite. (full post)
23. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC, 2016) - 22:29 - COMPLETED July 15
Takes the formula of the first game, makes subtle improvements, and expands it greatly. Not without its faults, though. (full post)
24. Knights (PC, 2016) - 5:06 - COMPLETED July 22
A place for every knight, and each knight in its place: a pleasing puzzle game that often feels like creating order from disorder. (full post)
25. Nier Automata (PS4, 2017) - 32:20 - COMPLETED August 10
Halfway through the game, it felt like Automata wouldn't have quite the same impact the original Nier did. This is still true by the end of the game, but it's not because Automata is weaker, but because it has different things to say. (full post)
26. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4, 2017) - 10:34 - COMPLETED August 28
Hopefully the beginning of a new set of adventures for Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. (full post)
27. Gravity Rush 2: Another Story - The Ark of Time (PS4, 2017) - 2:11 - COMPLETED August 28
An interesting offshoot of the Gravity Rush series, but not particularly essential. (full post)
28. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PC, 2014) - 7:54 - COMPLETED September 12
"Better than Ghosts" feels like damning it with faint praise, but Advanced Warfare doesn't do enough interesting things to merit much more. (full post)
29. Yakuza Kiwami (PS4, 2017) - 28:10 - COMPLETED September 21
It's probably the weakest modern-era Yakuza game to date, but that's not surprising given that it's a remake of a decade-old game. And even a weak Yakuza game is still pretty good. (full post)
CURRENTLY PLAYING Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch, 2017) - 1:38 DanganRonpa V3: Killing Harmony (PS4, 2017) - 0:58
ON HOLD Wipeout XL (PS1, 1996) - 2:51 Undertale (PC, 2015) - 1:19 Pocket Card Jockey (3DS, 2016) - 5:18 Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4, 2017) - 1:10 Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4, 2017) - 5:38, also FUCK PUYO PUYO TETRIS Stephen's Sausage Roll (PC, 2016) - 3:24 Persona 3 Portable (PSP, 2010) - 8:10 Mass Effect Andromeda (PC, 2017) - 15:31 Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS, 2017) - 5:39 Subnautica (PC, 2014 Early Access) - 7:39 Motorsport Manager (PC, 2016) - 5:48 Ever Oasis (3DS, 2017) - 2:32 Splatoon 2 (Switch, 2017) - 6:44 Everybody's Golf (PS4, 2017) - 1:54
Back to do it again! I finished 59 last year, not expecting to do as well this year but we'll see!
I'll be rating each game out of five and I'm only counting DLC if I think it's substantial. Any game I've finished in the past will be marked with (replay). A game being marked as finished will usually mean reaching the end of the story/campaign but in some cases will mean other stuff for games without an explicit ending.
January
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered - ★★★★★
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (replay) - ★★★★
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (replay) - ★★★
4. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter - ★★★
5. Mafia 3 - ★★★
6. The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone - ★★★★
7. Portal 2 (replay) - ★★★★★
8. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments - ★★★★
February
9. Mass Effect (replay) - ★★★★
10. Mass Effect 2 (replay) - ★★★★★
11. Mass Effect 3 (replay) - ★★★★★
March
12. Dragon Age 2 - ★★
13. Banjo Kazooie - ★★★★
14. Horizon: Zero Dawn - ★★★★
April
15. Destroy All Humans (replay) - ★★★
16. Persona 5 - ★★★★★
May
17. Mass Effect: Andromeda - ★★★
June
18. Kingdom Hearts HD Final Mix -★★★
19. Lifeline - ★★
20. The Turing Test - ★★★
21. Kingdom Hearts 2 HD Final Mix - ★★★★★
22. Crash Bandicoot (PS4) - ★★★★
July
23. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS4) -★★★★
24. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - ★★★★★
25. Spaceplan - ★★★
26. Game of Thrones (Telltale) - ★
27. Splatoon 2 - ★★★★★
August
28. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (PS4) - ★★★★
29. Nier - ★★★
30. Crash Bandicoot XS - ★★★
31. Nier Automata - ★★★★
32. Skate 2 - ★★★★★
33. Game of Thrones (2012 RPG) - ★★★
September
34. Borderlands 2 - ★★★
35. Fifa 17 (The Journey) - ★★★★
36. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - ★★★
37. SUPER HOT - ★★★★
38. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - ★★★★★
39. Destiny 2 - ★★★
October
40. Golf Story - ★★★★★
41. Danganronpa V3
42. Beyond: Two Souls.
43. Donkey Kong Country
44. Super Mario World
45. What Remains of Edith Finch
2. Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition
Finished Story Mode; it was over-the-top but still fun. Last boss made me lose my patience. I can't see myself playing MK games beyond the Arcade/Story modes.
3. Fire Emblem Heroes
My first gacha game that I really like. Ran through the Story Mode on Normal and was easy-peezy with my three 5* characters. Then I went through all levels on Hard and Lunatic.
4. Fast RMX
I do plan on going through the next difficulty level and see how far I go. Not quite as fun as Wipeout/F-Zero but it's up there. Online is kind of bare bones.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
One of the best games I've played in years. Got around 70 shrines and 80 korok seeds, so I still have a ways to go.
6. Puyo Puyo Tetris
I have to admit, I'm playing this more than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Always been a huge Tetris player but still need to work on becoming faster on my T-Spins and Perfect Clears to compete online. My ranking online fluctuates in the top 40 of California and 1000 worldwide.
1. Ratchet and Clank (PS4) ~12 Hours
My second play through as I wanted to try it on the PS4 Pro. Comfort food gaming at its' best. 2. Inside (PS4) ~3 Hours
I liked it enough to finish it but not much more than that. The puzzles aren't challenging and it's a really uncomfortable world to inhabit. 3. Diablo 3 (PS4) ~3 hours
Wrapped up the Diablo remake rift that was offered in January. Hard to complain about free even if a lot of the content felt recycled. 4. Gears of War 3 (XBone) ~10 Hours
Graphics didn't age well but the sawed off shotgun is a ton of fun. 5. Diablo 3 (PS4) ~30 Hours
Crusader to level 70. Thank God that is over. Such a boring class. 6. Diablo 3 (PS4)
Leveled my Monk to level 70. A few more rift runs and I'll have the Platinum. 7. Hitman (PS4)
Just finished my first run through of the game with all of the hints turned off. Such an amazing Sandbox. 8. Dead Rising (PS4)
Got the Genocider trophy and waited out on the helipad. 72 hours survived. 9. Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One) 10. Resident Evil 7 (PS4)
Pretty interesting deviation from the series. The combat is serviceable but shows its' weaknesses as your arsenal grows. 11. Rocket League (PS4)
A long time coming but I maxed the experience bar. That's 8000+ games. Phew! 12. Sniper Elite 4 (PS4)
I might just be tiring of the formula but the open world design just throws too many enemies at you and I had killing fatigue towards the end. Solid but the second game in the series is probably my favorite. 13. Night in the Woods (PS4)
Lovely music and an interesting narrative premise that never realizes its' potential due to a formulaic game play loop and the later acts don't feel earned. 14. Spelunky - Daily Challenge 3/3 (PS4) 15. Spelunky - Daily Challenge 3/28 (PS4) 16. Yakuza: Zero (PS4) 17. Mario Kart - 50cc Tournaments (Switch) 18. Mario Kart - 100cc Tournaments (Switch) 19. Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild (Switch) 20. Overwatch (PS4)
Level 400 21. Soul Calibur II HD (Xbox One)
Weapon Master Mode. 22. Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City (PS4) 23. Mario Kart - 150cc Tournaments (Switch) 24. Soul Calibur 25. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4) 26. Spelunky (PS4) Daily 6/26 27. Spelunky (PS4) Daily 7/6 28. Rocket League (PS4)
5,000 wins 29. Yooka-Laylee (PS4)
Gave up on the last boss. Shit game and I just can't tolerate it any longer. 30. Rocket League (PS4)
All Champions Field Trophies. 31. Rocket League (PS4)
10,000 Goals 32. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4) 33. Full Throttle Remastered (PS4) 34. Diablo 3 (PS4)
Necromancer to level 70. 35. Overwatch (PS4)
Level 500 36. Nidhogg (PS4) 37. Uncharted Lost Legacy (PS4)
Visually stunning but oh so dull. 38. Guwange (XOne) 39. Everybody's Golf (PS4) 40. Wind Jammers (PS4) 41. Tekken 7 (PS4)
Arcade mode. 42. Everybody's Golf (PS4)
Max fishing level/completed fish encyclopedia. 43. Tekken 7 (PS4)
Stroy mode 44. Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite (PS4)
Story mode was a pleasant surprise. 45. Killing Floor 2 (PS4)
Hell on Earth Clear/Level 25 46 Everybody's Golf (PS4)
Completed filling out my gallary. 47. Ultra Street Fighter II (Switch)
Cleared Arcade mode with Jimmy. I miss Blanka. 48. Do Don Pachi Resurrection (IOS) 49. Do Don Pachi Max (IOS) 50. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PS4)
I've been lowkey lurking around and doing this for the past 2 years, but this time I'm actually going to post.
[26/52]
DONE
1. LIMBO (4 hours) - "Meh"
I knew from the beginning LIMBO wasn't my type of game. Puzzle-Platformers in general tend not to excite me very much, even more one that doesn't rely on an interesting mechanic but on atmosphere and artstyle instead. I needed to finish this classic to see what all the fuss was about though. What I got is one of those games I can understand why it managed to be a success, but I still couldn't have too much fun with.
LIMBO relies on its atmosphere for way too long for such a short game. Up until 3/4 into it most puzzles were still a little too basic, a little too much trial and error, and dare I say a little generic for my taste, and by that time the graphical wow-factor had already worn off.
At the ending bits it gets a little more interesting, but I really wanted it to end already.
Overall I'm happy to have played it. I had a little fun, but if someone asks me about it I'll say "meh".
2. Furi (8 hours) - "Frustatingly Fun"
Alright this was quite the ride.
I found it interesting that even though this is a boss rush game each boss introduces such a great amount of different mechanics that it doesn't really feel like you are exactly fighting bosses all the time.
It usually starts very slow and didactic and ends very bullet hell. Which in theory tends to build a great learning curve.
Each fight goes on for so long that dying at the very last phase, although constant, is extremely irritating. It's nice when you restart the fight and realize how much faster you are able to finish off each phase, but only to a point, after a while it's just not fast enough.
The combat system is quite diverse and complex. Takes a while to get used to all of the instances and moves. I feel like sometimes it just demands the player to be excessively quick on reactions and the reaction window might be too short. It gets annoying. Some of the bosses the only alternative I found was to straight up memorize the attack pattern and press buttons almost in advance. It grows on you though.
I definitely had more difficulty at the beginning/middle than at the end, which never feels right.
Overall playing Furi was fun, sometimes very frustrating, but mostly fun. I'd be thankful if indie devs would tackle more boss rush games.
3. LOVE (2.5 hours) - "Amateurishly Charming"
Got this for free from the dev who is a fellow gaffer. Thought I'd give a short game a shot just to build some momentum.
Someone posted some days ago that it took them 0.5h to finish it, and well..... it felt a little frustating that I took 5 times that, but hey, I ain't competing.
This is a very simple platformer when it comes to both aesthetics and mechanics. All your character does is run and jump. It's very rough around the edges, and it tends to feel a little amateurish but that's what gives it its charm. There's something very appealing about that.
Level design feels experimental and it goes anywhere from a single Super Meat Boy room style, to something metroidvania-ish. Props to the dev for generally introducing interesting new mechanics every now and then.
I shamelessly switched to easy mode after restarting it twice, the only difference is the amount of lives. Believe me, 100 lives wasn't nearly enough for me.
I'd recommend LOVE for people looking for a quick and difficult arcade platform experience, and also for gamedevs, as the very basics of interesting platforming is here on its most pure form.
4. Pony Island (2.5 hours) - "Legit Creepy"
Pony Island is all about breaking the expectations. So I really wish I could have gone into it completely blind.
Its focus is on being an out of the box experience and not exactly a demanding game. Therefore "levels" if they can even be called that aren't exactly demanding of ability, it's all very casual, and rightfully so. Progamming style puzzles can get a little more brainy but nothing that's gonna hold anyone back from finishing it.
By the end I was legit creeped out, so congrats devs.
5. Dishonored (~13 hours)
After my third time starting Dishonored I finally finished it.
Took me a while to get into this "immersive sim" deal. When I did though, man was it fun. I talked nonstop about some parts of this game with friends, like the masked party and the cabaret. Those were very memorable and actually made me feel like I was able to tackle things however way I wanted.
The games pacing isn't very good though, the ending parts felt like a chore and the openness of the mission nosedived into this almost completely linear level design.
Overall it is definitely a major experience I'm glad I had. I'll soon get into the DLC as I heard those are actually better than the main story. So very excited about that.
I had this incredible roommate last month and we played coop everyday for two weeks.
I had already completed most of the games singleplayer so I wasn't going to count them, however I spent so much quality gaming time that I just can't not put them on my list, so here we go:
This is where I knew I had something special right there. Wanted to train him so maybe I could unlock
Cultist's alternate skin
that week, and BAM, we finish it together second try.
After 100 hours playing singleplayer, I had a surprising lot of fun playing Gungeon coop. It's clearly a second thought and needs some tweaks still, but it's quite alright for what it offers.
7. Risk of Rain [coop] (5 hours)
This took us quite a lot of runs during 2~3 days to finally complete. Although a lot a fun there was a quite noticible luck factor involved on our runs. Sometimes we would just give up by the third stage because we felt extremely underpowered, and taking way too long to find the exit didn't help.
The run we finally won we got OP to the point we could just walk around betweem the 1000 mobs of big enemies and still wouldn't die.
Above all it was a fun experience, we loved it and I particularly had more fun than finishing single player.
8. 20XX [coop] (2.4 hours)
Hadn't played it in a while, when I stopped I was able to consistently win. I don't know what happened but we had a few starting runs we would die by the third boss.
20XX is always a slightly unpolished but great experience. I love how the roguelite hard decision making is in there in the form of really complex platforming sections, there was this remarkable moment my partner was like "come on, we need more items, let's do it", and I said "man, we can't afford to lose more health", so he walks slightly to the left and sees these giant fire spitting machines and was instantly "yeah, nope, never mind".
This felt like the least coop experience from all the games if it makes sense. It was like we were playing single player but together? There was very little coop strategies involved minus the occasional "you go get that item for us because I'm almost dying".
9. Broforce [coop] (4.4 hours)
Haven't actually played it singleplayer yet and man oh man, I'll never doubt the Overwhelmingly Positive crowd ever again. I was really unexcited about Broforce as I knew it was all about action movies references and I simply have no knowledge whatsoever on that topic. Also I had the feeling the humor would be this "straight man" focused kinda thing.
Went in expecting this Metal Slug / Contra gameplay with an annoying humor behind. Left feeling impressed on how the gameplay manages to be based on those games but still its own thing with its destructible short stages and its hugely different non choosable cast, and also how although I probably knew only about 10% of what the characters were referencing, we would laugh SO HARD everytime the narrator would scream the name of a boss or of a new character.
Really solid gameplay, I'll definitely come back to it on singleplayer.
10. Portal 2 [coop] (5 hours)
By far the most polished experience based on the simple fact that there was a complete campaign based around coop only. And wow. Went in knowing the level design would be absolutely genious and the puzzles would consistently impress me. No disappointments there. Game is fantastic and rightfully remembered by some as one of the bests (if not the best) of last generation.
I was more impressed with the fact that we were able to complete it however. There was some mind bending stuff going on in there. We were very proud of ourselves when the credits rolled lol.
11. Poi (8 hours)
During my whole playtime I was very aware of the fact that Poi felt rushed and rough around the edges. However there wasn't a single moment I wasn't having fun.
I'm a sucker for 3D platformers collectathons and it shows. Poi is very barebones, it's pure 3D platforming, levels are thrown on our faces with not that much cohesion, there's a lot of teleportation from one area to the other, lots of hidden useless collectibles, our abilities are straight off stolen from Super Mario 64 and that's it.
There are lots of filler missions and excuses to hold a Medal (the game's "Stars") behind some grinding. The worst offenders I can remember is this one mission I simply had to rotate 4 levers and this one character that gives you a Medal once you've "Jumped 500 times, Rolled 250 times".
All boss battles sucked and were there just to mark the checklist.
Although sometimes too easy, there are some quality platforming to be done and the collectibles can be really fun to hunt if you're into this sort of stuff.
Overall Poi really did scratch that unstoppable itch I've had ever since finishing Banjo-Tooie and was a great surprise to start the hopeful "Comeback of 3D Platformers" we're about to have!
12. Killer Is Dead (10 hours)
Exactly what I would expect from a Suda 51 game. A lot of style, unpolished but fun gameplay, awful pacing, some really out there genre mixtures, annoying female objectification.
I wasn't necessarily expecting it to be that close to No More Heroes though. Which is a compliment. Boss battles surprised me positively, although not always as polished as they should be, each of them mostly added something unique to the combat and felt very unique.
Cutscenes and Loading Screens were sometimes so long I felt like he game was purposefully trying to annoy me. Some of them moments weren't skippable which is always annoying.
It had lots of extra missions including some sort of dating simulation. Which I played once and never ever wanted to touch it again even though it unlocked a new weapon. It was SO BAD. SO BAD. That I didn't play any other side mission.
13. SteamWorld Dig (4.5 hours)
This is the reason indie games exist in my life. If someone told me I'd enjoy a game that consists of 4 hours of digging down a hole, I'd have said "yeah, right".
There's this vicious grinding vibe that somehow finds its way to us, and suddenly you just don't care about pressing the pick button 50 times just to get yourself that shiny stone, only to go back up, sell it, and start it all over again.
The metroidvania-esque elements are smartly spread across all the digging to keep things fresh, it's always exciting to find a new power up. By the end of the game the whole mechanic was already burned out so I'd consider it ended at a perfect timing, even though the actual ending feels very weird.
Be very aware SteamWorld Dig is not for everyone, but if you are the sort of person who truly appreciates the experimental game mechanics indies are thankfully allowed to try, go ahead and Dig it.
14. The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild (80 hours) Full Post 15. Steredenn (13 hours) Full Post 16. The Blackwell Legacy (4 hours) Full Post 17. Yooka-Laylee (19.5h) Full Post 18. Dishonored - The Knife of Dunwall & The Brigmore Witches (19.5h)
19. Princess Remedy In a World of Hurt (1.5h)
20. INK (3h)
21. Stephen's Sausage Roll (30h)
22. Disney Aladdin [SNES] (2h)
23. Disney The Lion King (2h)
24. Four Sided Fantasy (1.5h)
25. Spy Chameleon - RGB Agent (2h)
26. Paint it Back (41h)
IN PROGRESS
TowerClimb - Okay TowerClimb, you win. I simply can't complete it and for now I'm tired of trying. Great game though.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma - tough tough tough, and a little (maybe a lot) dated.
Darkest Dungeon - truly love it. Paused very close to the ending because I'm too attached to my characters and don't want anyone to die. And I'm serious.
Beat Cop - a little underwhelming, love the 80's setting though.
BACKLOG (I'm hoping to tackle soon)
Oxenfree
Dead Rising
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Batman Arkham City
God of War 3
Aquaria
Darksiders
I don't think I've ever made it more than 20 games in a year, but I'll give it a shot. If I did complete 50 games then it would pretty much level my backlog.
In Progress:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) - side content after Dodongo's Cavern
Resident Evil 4 (PS4) - chapter 1-3
Resident Evil Outbreak (PS2) - doing a scenario at a time
Resident Evil 6 (PC) - more co-op with friend. Leon 3.
Condemned: Criminal Origins (PC) - chapter 2
Hall of Shame (games I dropped/quit without finishing):
Fallout (PC)
Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4)
Mafia III (PS4)
Prey (PS4)
Mass Effect: Andromeda (PS4)
Kingdom Hearts re:Chain of Memories (PS4)
I still play Animal Crossing: New Leaf almost every day (I've lived in the town of Bearpaw for nearly 400 hours at this point), and unbelievably there are still two paintings I'm missing for my museum. I'd hate to let Blathers down!
Completed
Game 1 - Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Vita) - 35 hours
Finished March 13
Frankly, I was disappointed with Virtue's Last Reward, in particular in relation to 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, which I played in 2016. 999 felt more aesthetically unified and better managed; I don't think the "visual novel" genre needs to involve so much repetition and backtracking in order to uncover the full story. Novels need editors and it seemed to me that Virtue's Last Reward could cover the same ground in a third of the time.
That said, I'll admit that the puzzles here were frequently beyond me. Solving one on my own gave me no particular sense of accomplishment, but speeding through them with a guide wasn't much fun either. I enjoyed the character animations (as I did in 999), of course; game designers could learn a lot from gestures that convey so much so simply.
Game 2 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) - 85 hours
Finished May 30
A classic. Nintendo is so far ahead of the curve in understanding the expressive possibilities of video game aesthetics that I imagine I'll regularly return to Breath of the Wild simply to wander through fields of windswept grass and wildflowers. I disagree with criticism of the story as slight; on the contrary, there is a palpable sense of loss everywhere, and Zelda's last line before the credits is an all-time great. Comparisons to Hidetaka Miyazaki are inevitable, of course, but there is joy and light and color here that one would never find in Bloodborne or Dark Souls (although I love those games as well).
I will say that there is something in those first hours with the game that faded as I progressed. The road to Dueling Peaks Stable and Kakariko Village felt like a thin ribbon through forests and along rivers--like being in the mountains in late spring, overwhelmed by the smell of fresh earth and the scale of the land. Link seemed small against that landscape; catching up with someone on the road carrying a lantern against the darkness imparted a sense of companionship and shared experience. But the farther I traveled and the more I realized I needed to explore (the more I realized that there was to explore), the more that enormity and mystery gave way to, not exactly obligation, but... purpose. I lingered less; I fast-traveled. I would never complete the game otherwise. But for a brief span of hours, there was no "game" to complete--just a place to be. It was exhilarating and impossible to sustain--but what a feeling while it lasted!
Currently playing Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, N3DS, during the holidays.
So far it's way better than Majoras Mask that I started last year and was so boring I stopped playing
Hopefully it will be my first game of many I finish 2017. Have some I started 2016 I'll continue with.
FYI Ratchet and Clank on Vita is awful and one of the reasons I didn't make it 2016. Made me hate games.
First game completed on March 26th. Things are going splendidly! 1. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D (N3DS) Total time played: 42.09 hrs (might include some idling while doing real-life stuff...)
First Played 26/12/2016. Finished 26/03/2017.
Yes, this is really a good game and I understand why it's a classic. Some problems with the controls does make it not a perfect game. 9/10.
[B]January[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
01. [url=http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=227851181&postcount=409]Virginia[/url] (4/5) 01.07
02. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=228285483&postcount=476"]Saints Row - Gat out of Hell [/URL] (4/5) 01.13
03. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=229153823&postcount=622"]This War of Mine - The Little Ones[/URL] (4/5) 01.26
04. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=229359961&postcount=675"]Bard's Gold[/URL] (4/5) 01.30
Code:
[B]February[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
05. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php? p=229539091&postcount=708"]The Flame in the Flood[/URL] (5/5) 02.01
06. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=230155797"]Gauntlet - Slayer Edition[/URL] (4/5) 02.11
07. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=234766534&postcount=1250"]Resident Evil 4[/URL] (4/5) 02.18
Code:
[B]March[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
08. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=234764548&postcount=1249"]The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild[/URL] (5/5) 03.21
Code:
[B]April[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
09. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=234761116&postcount=1248"]Wonder Boy - The Dragon's Trap[/URL] (4/5) 04.26
Code:
[B]May[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
10. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=236893065&postcount=1346"] Kamiko[/URL] (3/5) 05.07
11. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=236996514&postcount=1350"]Stardew Valley[/URL] (4/5) 05.16
12. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=237627204&postcount=1372"]Shovel Knight[/URL] (4/5) 05.19
13. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=237628821&postcount=1373"]Void Pyramid[/URL] (4/5) 05.21
Code:
[B]June[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
14. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=238822344&postcount=1430"] Shovel Knight - Plague of Shadows[/URL] (3/5) 06.01
15. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum//showpost.php?p=240706884&postcount=1478"]Headlander[/URL] (2/5) 06.14
16. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=241223269&postcount=1502"]Shovel Knight - Specter of Torment[/URL] (5/5) 06.19
17. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=241458979&postcount=1512"]Solitairica[/URL] (5/5) 06.21
18. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=242333475&postcount=1553"]Ramble Planet[/URL] (3/5) 06.24
19. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=242333958&postcount=1554"]Mr. Shifty[/URL] (4/5) 06.24
Code:
[B]July[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
20. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=242335284&postcount=1555"]Machinarium[/URL] (4/5) 07.01
21. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=244045335&postcount=1656"]Until Dawn[/URL] (5/5) 07.20
Code:
[B]August[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
22. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=245757614&postcount=1737"]Super Motherload[/URL] (2/5) 08.09
23. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=245757614&postcount=1737"]Super Motherload[/URL] (-/-) 08.15
24. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=247360103&postcount=1804"]Graceful Explosion Machine[/URL] (5/5) 08.28
25. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=247360142&postcount=1805"]XCOM 2[/URL] (5/5) 08.28
26. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum//showpost.php?p=247445087&postcount=1807"]Ironclad Tactics[/URL] (3/5) 08.30
Code:
[B]September[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
27. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=248724797&postcount=1858"]The Adventures of Lolo 2[/URL] (4/5) 09.08
28. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=248726045&postcount=1859"]ActRaiser[/URL] (4/5) 09.08
29. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=248904044&postcount=1866"]Sky Blazer[/URL] (4/5) 09.13
30. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=248998976&postcount=1871"]Undertale[/URL] (5/5) 09.14
31. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=249238678&postcount=1884"]Kirby's Dream Course[/URL] (4/5) 09.15
32. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=249243152&postcount=1885"]inFamous - Second Son[/URL] (4/5) 09.18
33. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=249303426&postcount=1889"]Battleborn[/URL] (3/5) 09.19
34. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=249603804&postcount=1898"]The Swindle[/URL] (2/5) 09.21
35. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=250193435&postcount=1917"]Overwatch[/URL] (5/5) 09.27
Code:
[B]October[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
36. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=250814615&postcount=1939"]Just Cause 3[/URL] (3/5) 10.03
37. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=250888874&postcount=1942"]Super Mario Land - 6 Golden Coins[/URL] (4/5) 10.04
38. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=251325143&postcount=1954"]Pan-Pan[/URL] (3/5) 10.08
39. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=252206399&postcount=1986"]Statik - Institute of Retention[/URL] (4/5) 10.16
40. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=252983901&postcount=2031"]Super Mario Land[/URL] (1/5) 10.31
Code:
[B]November[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
41. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=252984027&postcount=2032"]Invisible Inc.[/URL] (3/5) 11.01
42. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=252984059&postcount=2033"]Life is Strange - Episode 1[/URL] (3/5) 11.02
43. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=252984187&postcount=2034"]Sherlock Holmes - Crimes and Punishments[/URL] (4/5) 11.06
44. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=252998379&postcount=2035"]Life is Strange - Episode 2[/URL] (4/5) 11.09
45. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253023333&postcount=2040"]Life is Strange - Episode 3[/URL] (4/5) 11.15
46. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253030744&postcount=2041"]Life is Strange - Episode 4[/URL] (4/5) 11.17
47. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253031437&postcount=2042"]Life is Strange - Episode 5[/URL] (5/5) 11.17
48. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253074605&postcount=2047"]Mafia III[/URL] (3/5) 11.30
Code:
[B]December[/B]
No Game Title Score Completion Date
49. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253102681&postcount=2051"]King's Quest - Chapter 2[/URL] (3/5) 12.01
50. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253102663&postcount=2050"]Deus Ex - Mankind Divided[/URL] (2/5) 12.08
51. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253114786&postcount=2059"]Stranger Things[/URL] (3/5) 12.13
52. [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=253134100&postcount=2063"]Ronin[/URL] (4/5) 12.18
Game 1: Time Travelers - started on 30.12.2016, finished on 05.01.2017 (11:14) - ★★★☆☆
Game 2: Monument Valley - started on 05.01.2017, finished on 05.01.2017 (2:39) - ★★★★☆
Game 3: Technobabylon - started on 30.12.2016, finished on 11.01.2017 (12:15) - ★★★★★
Game 4: The Room Two - started on 12.01.2017, finished on 13.01.2017 (3:09) - ★★★★☆
Game 5: Close Your Eyes - started on 13.01.2017, finished on 14.01.2017 (3:06) - ★★★☆☆
Game 6: Strawberry Vinegar - started on 14.01.2017, finished on 15.01.2017 (4:58) - ★★☆☆☆
Game 7: Oxenfree - started on 15.01.2017, finished on 20.01.2017 (4:58) - ★★★★★
Game 8: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - started on 21.01.2017, finished on 25.01.2017 (5:57) - ★★☆☆☆
Game 9: Soma - started on 25.01.2017, finished on 29.01.2017 (8:14) - ★★★★★
Game 10: Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past - started on 23.09.2016, finished on 08.02.2017 (63:08) - ★★★☆☆
Game 11: Steins;Gate - started on 30.01.2017, finished on 25.02.2017 (43:43) - ★★★★★
Game 12: Abzu - started on 25.02.2017, finished on 26.02.2017 (1:54) - ★★★★☆
Game 13: Ryse: Son of Rome - started on 26.02.2017, finished on 01.03.2017 (5:30) - ★☆☆☆☆
Game 14: Prune - started on 12.02.2017, finished on 04.03.2017 (~3 hours) - ★★★☆☆
Game 15: Steins;Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling - started on 01.03.2017, finished on 15.03.2017 (23:26) - ★★★☆☆
Game 16: The Swapper - started on 15.03.2017, finished on 17.03.2017 (5:21) - ★★★★★
Game 17: Grand Theft Auto V - started on 18.03.2017, finished on 31.03.2017 (37:50) - ★★★☆☆
Game 18: Batman: Arkham Origins - started on 31.03.2017, finished on 07.04.2017 (11:50) - ★★★★☆
Game 19: Inside - started on 09.04.2017, finished on 10.04.2017 (3:30) - ★★★★★
Game 20: Kathy Rain - started on 16.04.2017, finished on 18.04.2017 (5:49) - ★★★★★
Game 21: Momodora - started on 22.04.2017, finished on 22.04.2017 (2:23) - ★★★☆☆
Game 22: Momodora II - started on 22.04.2017, finished on 23.04.2017 (1:04) - ★★★★☆
Game 23: Momodora III - started on 24.04.2017, finished on 24.04.2017 (2:14) - ★★★★☆
Game 24: Shardlight - started on 27.04.2017, finished on 30.04.2017 (8:36) - ★★★★☆
Game 25: Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram - started on 07.04.2017, finished on 07.05.2017 (35:33) - ★★★☆☆
Game 26: Rise of the Tomb Raider - started on 01.05.2017, finished on 08.05.2017 (21:46) - ★★★★☆
Game 27: Spaceplan - started on 11.05.2017, finished on 12.05.2017 (11:00) - ★★★☆☆
Game 28: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd - started on 08.05.2017, finished on 23.05.2017 (43:50) - ★★★★★
Game 29: Steins;Gate: Hen'i Kuukan no Octet - started on 23.05.2017, finished on 24.05.2017 (2:23) - ★★★☆☆
Game 30: Axiom Verge - started on 24.05.2017, finished on 25.05.2017 (10:51) - ★★★★☆
Game 31: Steins;Gate 0 - started on 24.05.2017, finished on 04.06.2017 (35:34) - ★★★★☆
Game 32: CrossCells - started on 04.06.2017, finished on 06.06.2017 (3:31) - ★★★★☆
Game 33: LiEat: The Lie-Eating Dragon and the Vermilion Vampire - started on 06.06.2017, finished on 06.06.2017 (1:33) - ★★★☆☆
Game 34: LiEat: The Lie-Eating Dragon and the Azure Dreameater - started on 06.06.2017, finished on 06.06.2017 (1:22) - ★★★☆☆
Game 35: LiEat: The Lie-Eating Dragon and the Gold Thief - started on 07.06.2017, finished on 07.06.2017 (1:15) - ★★★☆☆
Game 36: Professor Layton and the Unwound Future - started on 07.06.2017, finished on 15.06.2017 (12:26) - ★★★★☆
Game 37: Vanquish - started on 07.06.2017, finished on 16.06.2011 (7:01) - ★★★★☆
Game 38: Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~ - started on 15.06.2017, finished on 07.08.2017 (96:37) - ★★★★☆
Game 39: Professor Layton 4: The Last Specter - started on 08.08.2017, finished on 16.08.2017 (11:01) - ★★★★☆
Game 40: The Beginner's Guide - started on 17.08.2017, finished on 18.08.2017 (1:30) - ★★★★☆
Game 41: The Little Acre - started on 18.08.2017, finished on 18.08.2017 (1:27) - ★★★☆☆
Game 42: The Charnel House Trilogy - started on 18.08.2017, finished on 19.08.2017 (2:24) - ★★★☆☆
Game 43: WORLD END ECONOMiCA episode.01 - started on 19.08.2017, finished on 24.08.2017 (12:27) - ★★☆☆☆
Game 44: Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Demo Ver. - started on 25.08.2017, finished on 26.08.2017 (1:46) - ★★★★☆
Game 45: WORLD END ECONOMiCA episode.02 - started on 24.08.2017, finished on 29.09.2017 (7:35) - ★★★★☆
Game 46: Picross e7 - started on 21.06.2017, finished on 02.09.2017 (12:17) - ★★★★★
Game 47: WORLD END ECONOMiCA episode.03 - started on 29.08.2017, finished on 03.09.2017 (9:24) - ★★★★★
Game 48: A Normal Lost Phone - started on 03.09.2017, finished on 04.09.2017 (1:23) - ★★★★☆
Game 49: Stories Untold - started on 04.09.2017, finished on 05.09.2017 (2:35) - ★★★★★
Game 50: planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~ - started on 05.09.2017, finished on 09.09.2017 (3:45) - ★★★★★
Game 51: Clustertruck - started on 09.09.2017, finished on 10.09.2017 (7:01) - ★★★★★
Game 52: NieR: Automata - started on 11.09.2017, finished on 26.09.2017 (33:16) - ★★★★★
Game 53: Zero Escape: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors - started on 26.09.2017, finished on 03.10.2017 (21:24) - ★★★★★
Game 54: Pic Pic - started on 12.11.2016, finished on 09.10.2017 (86:01) - ★★★★★
Game 55: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward - started on 03.10.2017, finished on 18.10.2017 (34:12) - ★★★★★
Game X: Draw Puzzle - started on 05.08.2017
Game X: Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - started on 19.10.2017
Getting in on this this year. I want (need) to spend less money on games this year and want to actually play a bunch of games that have been collecting dust. First thing will be to finish the Witcher 3 which I started last January, and play through Doom which got set aside once Overwatch came out and I never got back to.
After those two I'm going to go through my WiiU collection and finally play some of those games now that the system is dead as far as new titles. Later in the year I want to start the Final Fantasy series, some Dragon Quest, games, and maybe a few other series. My goal will be to play only a handful of new titles and spend 2017 playing a bunch of games I bought and never played.
I only completed around 20 games in 2016 so 52 seems like a lot, at least in terms of getting to the credits. I imagine most games will have to be retired around the 20 hour mark if I'm to get anywhere close to 52 games.
1. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved - 0.7 hours
Well, i guess i beat it since there is not much to do besides beating 100,000 highscore. PC port missed a lot features from console versions, no Retro mode for example.
2. Penumbra Overture - 3.3 hours
Bad horror, good story and atmosphere. Controls are fine when you trying to solve some puzzles, but in action parts they are very annoying, it's impossible to hit those demonic dogs with pickaxe unless you are sitting on some box where dog can't reach you.
3. The Blackwell Legacy - 2.3 hours
Very good point & click adventure, too bad it supports only low resolutions, i was forced to play in windowed mode to enjoy it
4. Beholder - 9 hours
Awesome game, great dystopian atmosphere and unusual gameplay. Did 2 full playthrough on easy and standard difficulties, i really enjoy it but there is 2 flaws that leave a bad taste - no manual saves (only autosaves after receiving new task) and no freeplay mode (story is great and have multiply endings, but game still lacks replayability). But still, overall this is great game and i recommend to try it. If you have This War of Mine and/or Orwell, you should definitely check Steam bundle that contains Beholder - http://store.steampowered.com/bundle/2236/
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - 4 hours
Oh, 00's, age of shitty PS2 ports on PC. Instead of porting X360 version, Disney released this abomination on PC and still selling it for 20$ almost 10 years later after release. Horrible controls, ugly as sin engine, repetitive gameplay and simply bad design overall. I forced myself to finish this one only because i needed more games to this list and it was painful, but short experience. Can't recommend this garbage even for die-hard movie fans.
6. SUPERHOT - 3 hours
SUPERHOT is short (2-3 hours to complete story), but stylish and interesting game. I do feel that 25 levels is not enough, but game is packed with challenges and secrets that should increase my final playtime. Can't recommend it for fullprice, but definitely worth getting during sale.
7. 12 Labours of Hercules - 5 hours
12 Labours of Hercules is nice little game, very addictive causal strategy, but after completing it on 100% I'm not willing to play sequels right now. Maybe few months later, 5 hours of gameplay is more than enough for such game. The only real problem is lack of offline achievements, i tried to play it on my Windows tablet when i was traveling last year, but achievements didn't worked, not sure if this issue fixed now or not. Costs only 3$, but totally worth it.
8. Trials of the Blood Dragon - 3.5 hours
Finally forced myself to finish Trials of Blood Dragon, and, unfortunately, it's not a very good game. Artstyle, story and music is great, but gameplay is tedious and very frustrating most of the time. It could be a good game if it feature only usual bikes sections from other Trials games, but they also added walking/platforming sections, and they are terrible. Such controls are okay for bikes, but not for on-foot levels, it's not possible to smoothly run at any direction, jumping is very frustrating too. Also, there is levels were you need to fly around and avoid obstacles, and sections with minikart - fuck that shit, instant fun killers. I just can't imagine how it's possible to clear all levels without failing, some levels are insanely hard, and they are hard mostly because you can't properly control your character. But as i said, visuals and sound in this game are great, Ubisoft artists and Power Glove outdone themselves, i wish gameplay were as cool as visuals.
9. GamersGoMakers - 8 hours
Another G̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶v̶ ̶T̶y̶c̶o̶o̶n̶ Game Dev Story clone, played it through full timeline, from 80s to 2025, and managed to become an owner of multibillion dollar corporation. Main fun in this kind of games is to create your own story of success while using real game titles. I spent first ten in-game years trying to figure right combinations of game parts (like gameplay, graphics, sound, story, etc.) for each genre. You can also buyout rival studios, create your own console and become a publisher. Unfortunately, game have some major flaws, like clunky UI and wrong calculation of profits in stats pages. I think, that's a main problem of all game dev simulators - they are not perfect and have flaws in some fields, even Game Dev Tycoon, which is probably most polished game in this sub-genre, did some things even worse than GamersGoMakers. But they still fun to play for the first time, before you'll figure out right combinations for creating games with perfect scores. I spent 8 hours on this game and regret nothing, but i'll probably never come back and play it again.
10. Far Cry: Primal - 31 hours
Also known as Ubisoft's Wallpaper Generator. Took me almost 30 hours to complete it, mainly because i was trying to grab every single collectible and visit every place that was marked with ? signs on the map. I knew it was not necessary, but main reason why i was collecting all this stuff - unexpectedly gorgeous world and graphics. It so much better than FC4, more bright colors and overall lightning was significantly improved. I can't say Primal is perfect in therms of graphics, it's amazing in close distance but long range LODs are still shitty sometimes, but on the other side game is very well optimized, it holds stable 60FPS on my 5 year old GPU with Ultra settings, which is surprising for Ubisoft+Denuvo game. Gameplay is typical Ubisoft openworld game, but usual elements like crafting and sidequests are finally doesn't feel out of place, it's perfect match for Primal setting. Story is not something special, 2 main antagonists doesn't have such memorable personality like villains in FC3-4, but at least Batari final fight was well directed and feels like ending. Also, all Urki missions is very funny, and shaman visions was brilliant, especially that one
where you need to shoot moon with your bow and moon explodes, holy shit!
. Yeah, this is still Far Cry game and many old issues are still here, but it was fun to wander around and explore Primal's world, which is never happened to me in previous FC games. I recommend to give it a chance even if you don't like previous Far Cry games, it was definitely worth it. And don't forget to disable as much HUD elements as possible, it's much more enjoyable and immersive game without minimap and markers all over screen. if you still don't believe that this game is gorgeous, check out screenshots i made during my playthrough.
11. Ubersoldier II - 4.5 hours
Low-budget Wolfenstein clone from 00s, with health kits and superpowers. Story doesn't make any sense, but game is fun to play for the first hours if you don't mind old-school FPS gameplay. Unfortunately, it become worse closer to final missions, but i guess it's still an okay game to play if you don't know how to spent your time while waiting for new Wolfenstein.
12. Hospital Tycoon - 4 hours
Theme Hospital clone with The Sims 2 elements. Lack of depth, bad UI and extremely slow progress even on x3 speed. Too much bad design decisions, and campaign is just 3 hours long tutorial.
13. Resident Evil 4 - 20 hours
Finally finished RE4 for the first time. 14 hours on main story + 6 hours on bonus campaigns and mercenaries mode. Well, it was a damn great game, probably one of the best I've ever played. Final boss kinda sucks though (basically
shoot in leg-eye, climb on this thing and see how Leon attack his main eye, repeat 7 times and then shoot with special rocket launcher
, WTF was that?), but still great game. Graphics aside, i can't believe how RE4 is still holding up so well after 10+ years after original release. Impressively well-designed game, variety of situations and gameplay is just insane. I can't remember any other game that legally allows player to skip boss battles if some of the bosses are really annoying to fight (Chief Mendez was top notch, but fuck this blind guy with large claws, twice). Also, this is type of horror games i absolutely love, where your character is not a defenseless bitch and you can fight with enemies, but it's still very intense and disturbing. Atmosphere and music is just amazing, reminds me Silent Hill 2. I knew that RE4 was good game, but playing it episodically is nothing compared to full playthrought. The only problem that i have with this game is very low default FOV, but thank god for PC gaming i can relatively easy change it with Cheat Engine.
14. Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition - 10 hours
Played remastered version, it's still amazing game after all those years, one of the most fun singleplayer FPS ever. Though it surprisingly short, when i was playing it in 2011 it feels longer than 7 hour without steam game time counter. Maybe that's because this game is packed with memorable and diverse episodes, there is no fillers or just unnecessary parts. And while i absolutely love campaign, i kinda agree that no story co-op and proper multiplayer is huge missed opportunity - level design is great, but replaying them over and over again with different rules in Echo mode is not fun, and multiplayer is just co-op but on very tiny maps. Bad online component, no serious changes and overpriced, no wonder why this game have only around 10k owners on Steam at this moment while Halo Wars released only 4 days ago and already have 2.5 more user base. Bulletstorm is one of the unluckiest hidden gems in videogaming history, it was fucked by publishers twice, first EA, now Gearbox. I'm still have hopes to see sequel someday, but it's highly unlikely at this point.
15. Dishonored 2 - 44 hours
Did 2 playthroughs on low and high chaos, and while this game is definitely something special, i can't say that it's perfect. Level design is godlike, it's fun to play both stealth and action, artsyle and atmosphere is amazing, but engine is mess and technical issues are just depressing for such well-designed game. Also, original was more advanced in difference between low and high chaos walktroughs. My more detailed take about D2 issues is here.
16. Full Throttle Remastered - 3.5 hours
Remaster is nice, but some of redrawn art and 3D models are questionable. But outside some rare weird moments, it's a nice rework, most of redrawn art are good, sound was rerecorded and improved, achievements after all. Can't say it's worth to get it for full price, depends on your personal level of nostalgia.
17. NieR:Automata - 28 hours
Oh, Nier. I hate this game so much, and love it at the same time. This game is a rollercoaster, first hours was great, than i started to doing sidequests and quickly burned out. Story is interesting but i lost all my interest and was not really impressed by real ending because game is WAY too repetitive. Nier can easily won "Most unnecessary openworld in videogaming history", it really hurts narrative even if you'll ignore all sidequests, story and combat is great, but you're wasting most of your time on some unnecessary backtracking shit. Hacking was fun first 20-30 times, but it started to become repetitive very soon, even levels for boss fights were the same. Even a music, my god, i loved it at first hours, but now i can't stand those female vocal parts because they were repeated in every dramatic scene, i hear them in my nightmares now. Was it really necessary to bury all great parts of the game under endless fillers that mostly doesn't have any really interesting info to say? Also, i absolutely hate 9S, this one of the most annoying and dumb characters i've ever encountered in videogames. Seriously, this guy is always complaining and overreacting about everything, he was driving me nuts every time i was forced to see scenes with him. I wish they'd give A2 more screentime, she is so much more awesome and great character than this little prick 9S. Last thing i want to say about Nier - even if you are completionist like me, i highly recommend to ignore all sidequests and other things before finishing the game and unlocking chapter select. Just run through story and beat it as soon as possible, and then think about everything else.
18. Gravity Ghost - 3.3 hours
Small little indie game build around gravity mechanics. Can't say i was impressed, it's just nice game with sometimes stiff controls and weird story pacing. 10 years i would recommend it, but now there is a lot more interesting indie games that can propose you more value and quality for better price.
19. Bayonetta - 11 hours
Honestly, after Nier i didn't expected much and bought Bayonetta only to support SEGA ports. I mean, i knew this game was good, but i wasn't prepared that it'll be THAT good. Gameplay, visuals, design, music, everything is simply perfect. This game is hard as hell even on normal difficulty, it's not allowing mindless button mash and required perfect timings for every move, but it's still extremely fun and satisfying. Every battle is pure joy to play, level design and story are crazy but absolutely awesome, and Bayonetta are so cool protagonist. Also, i thought it'll be another brown game from 00's, but visuals holds up surprisingly well, variety of levels and locations are really impressive. My only complain about Bayonetta is episode when you need to control rocket and avoid projectiles, this section is way too long and boring. But few minor issues aside, Bayonetta is amazing and has become one of my most favorite games i've ever played. I'm ready for Vanquish, bring it on!
20. Ankh - Anniversary Edition - 4 hours
Nice comedy quest, obviously developers are big Monkey Island fans. Can't say it's perfect, pixel hunting and backtracking are really annoying in second half of the game, but great atmosphere and humor are worth it (with walkthrough were all important items are highlighted so you won't waste your time on looking for them).
21. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III - 57 hours
Huge disappointment for me as W40k fan. Dawn of War III feels extremely cheap, i already forgot campaign (took around 15-20 hours to complete) and most of multiplayer matches plays really bad. Only 4 maps for 3vs3 is a joke, escalation phases are unbalanced, in first 10 minutes there is always not enough resources and otherwise, in last phases there is so much resources, there is no time to use them all properly. Yeah, sometimes matchmaking works and you get equal teams, and in those rare moments this game is really awesome. But it's like 1 great match on every 5 really bad and boring matches. At least there is no penalty for leaving match earlier so i can leave as soon as i see that my team is dumb or enemies are too powerful. Maybe it'll be a good game few years later, after all DLC and patches, but now it's not worth attention, even if you're huge W40k or RTS fan.
22. Vanquish - 8 hours
Bought it only to support SEGA PC ports initiative and not regret it. Decent TPS game, but i really can't say much about it. It's was nice and fun to play, but overall it's nothing really special.
23. Ankh 2: Heart of Osiris - 5 hours
It's more technically broken game than Ankh 1, and some puzzles and pixel hunting are one of the worst i've ever seen in adventure games, but it's also more funny than original. Some scenes in this game are really comedy gold, "Pharaoh and Talking bush" is one of them. I recommend to play this game with walkthrough and just enjoy story.
24. Fallout Shelter - 61 hours
Completed all quests, constructed all rooms, got 95% achievements, 30 dwellers reached level 50 and have all stats maxed. I think it can be count as completed because all available content is done.
25. Rush for Berlin - 8 hours
Decent RTS about WW2, can recommend it to Company of Heroes fans. It's not perfect because units pathfinding algorithms are broken and every mission in town environments is extremely hard because your armies love to stuck in buildings, and balance in some missions are questionable. But overall, i can't say this game is bad, i even kinda enjoyed it.
26. Operation: Matriarchy - 4.5 hours
One of the worst games I've ever played. I wouldn't recommend this abomination even to my worst enemy. Avoid at all costs.
27. Europa Universalis III - 50 hours
Still one of the most addictive game ever. Played whole 370 years campaign, started as Brittany (small region in France), but after few successful wars become an Emperor of Holy Roman Empire and recreated empire. Then conquered and colonized whole Earth, moved capital to Himalayan mountains and now planing to continue Warhammer 40k timeline in Stellaris.
28. Tomb Raider: Anniversary - 17 hours
Despite its flaws, still a great game. Yeah, inconsistent controls, sometimes frustrating climbing and jumping sections, idiotic checkpoint save system and unnecessary difficulty spikes hurts overall impression about game. But i enjoyed it overall, there is some weird magic and attraction in TRA that motivates you to play through all those damn puzzles.
29. Halo Wars: Definitive Edition - 10 hours
This is actually really good RTS, i honestly didn't expected that it'll be so hardcore. Even on normal difficulty it's really easy to loose entire mission because of single mistake, this game requires to have ALL UNITS
sorry
under your full control, or enemies will destroy them all quicker than you'll hear "Forge is down". There is also really nice story for RTS game, I barely played first 2 Halo games and don't know much about this universe, but still enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, i couldn't force myself to play online or at least skirmish with AI, this game requires to learn best tactics to play decent and I'm too lazy to do this.
30. SiN - 5 hours
Always wanted to play it, but damn, it was really weird and confusing game. Some levels are real mazes, and by modern standards this game is very cryptic. Hell, i played a lot 90's games when i was a kid, but even i stuck in some moments and shamefully used walkthrough guide. Also, SiN really didn't aged well technically, there is no UI scaling and hitboxes become insanely small on widescreen resolutions, and also NPC and guns models look really weird because of some fluctuating effect, like they made from jelly. But it's playable overall, that 90s atmosphere and music worth it.
31. Stellaris - 37 hours
Huge disappointment, this game is nothing close to greatness of other Paradox games. Gameplay is not deep enough compared to Europa and CK, even Hearts of Iron have more variety than this one. Diplomacy and trading is surprisingly bare and simple, victory conditions are just variations of domination, and once you figure out how things work in this game, after few restarts gameplay become really boring and repetitive. It's good 4X game, but not good Paradox game, lack of depth is not the thing i expected from creators of one of the most complex strategy games.
1. Fragments of Him (Xbox One)
This game was pretty boring. An interesting take on seeing how some loved ones cope with the death of someone, but ultimately it was forgettable.
2. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (Xbox One)
Gonna be honest, have no clue what the story was even after getting all of the voiceovers. Wish the walking speed was quicker.
3. Virginia (Xbox One)
Absolutely loved it, the best soundtrack out of any game that came out in 2016. Played through twice in a row.
4. Layers of Fear (Xbox One)
The framerate almost made me stop playing, its complete trash on Xbox. But as its not a super long game I kept with it. Wasn't really scary at all.
5.Never Alone (Xbox One)
Wasn't really feeling this one. The controls were too loose and made having to control both characters annoying. Story was fairly simple. I did enjoy the enemy designs.
6.Cubot: The Complexity of Simplicity (Xbox One)
Simple yet really complex puzzler, as the title suggests. I liked it a lot but it took me awhile to finish as I got stuck and came back after some breaks. To me thats the sign of a good puzzler.
7.Contrast (Xbox One)
Not a terrible game, but some finicky controls with the shadow mechanic can make some puzzles frustrating to accomplish. When you know what to do but the controls limit you, its not good. Ending also felt rushed and I thought they could have explained more about this weird world thats kind of floating in the air? I think?
8. Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition (Xbox One)
Never played this before, and boy was it hard. I had to use a guide for some of it as I just had no clue what I was supposed to do, but its another neat classic game. Glad I played it.
9. Three Fourths Home (Xbox One)
Interesting little game. I enjoyed the interactions between the family in the main story and the epilogue. A nice ending that makes you wonder exactly what happened, which I appreciated.
Game 1: Inside (finished 1st Jan)
Loved the world that Playdead created. A massive improvement over Limbo in every aspect. Even loved the ending.
Game 2: Firewatch
Truly wonderful. I'm not an outdoorsy type but even this had me hankering to walk around in the mud and take in the scenery of all around me.
Game 3: Deadly Tower of Monsters
Really enjoyed this. Sure the combat and general feel is a bit ropey but it all fits thematically. Completionists must love this game as the path to the platinum is clearly laid out for you.
Game 4: Kirby: Planet Robobot
Started this last year but grew tired of the monotony- which is odd as the game appears to revel in the fact it has a core mechanic designed to keep it fresh but it just seemed like a wasted opportunity as there was little use of the robot powers to create interesting options even with the combat. I just feel like I was missing something. Man, do they love a boss fight near the end of the game or what?
Game 5: Dishonored 2
Felt like I was falling out of love with it around the 5th or 6th mission but some of the most fun was left till that portion of the game. Absolutely loved it. Even managed to put 22 hours into my first playthrough which is very unlike my normal play style. What was exceedingly funny was that playing as the other character from the first game changed my approach entirely.
It seemed like I was justified in treating it like the ultimate murder simulator. Everything that moved died. Started a second playthrough with Corvo and it seemed to fit that I should be totally in the shadows. Games are weird...
Game 6: Last of Us - Left Behind
Maybe shouldn't be counted as a full game but if I'm ever gonna do this 52 game thing I'll have to include this
A really nice aperitif to the main game. Haven't played Last of Us since its release but this game reminded me I have little interest in playing a combat heavy sequel. I can't make up my mind whether the combat isn't great or whether it just creates too much stress on the player as a stealth game. I'm getting too old for that stuff..,
Game 7: Yakuza Zero
The shortest 38 hour game I've ever played. Great storytelling, great interweaving of stories and great characters. The combat is the only reason I can see for not jumping straight into another Yakuza game right away. Not that the combat is bad, it's actually very good and surprisingly varied. I just don't think it would stand up to another 40 hours straight away. Can't recommend highly enough even if the story ran out of steam in the last few chapters
8. Gears of War 4
I distinctly remember saying to myself after Gears of War 3 that I was done playing Gears of War games and the generic formula of kill rooms with obvious cover points etc. I skipped Judgement but thought the time was right for jumping back in but I must remember to trust my own memory. It's not that the game is bad, if you aren't sick of this style of game then you'll probably love it. If not, the overlong story and bullshit deaths will probably make this something for you to avoid.
9. ABZU
I needed something to kickstart me back again and Abzu was the weapon of choice. I thought I'd love it but I didn't really. I like doing it but thematically and design wise it was pretty much an identikit game to Flower. This simple truth stole a lot of the game's beauty from my eyes. It's short ending ugh that I could still recommend it. Austin Wintory's music was a particular highlight.
10. Paint it Back
Ill never do all the puzzles Aster but I'm happy. To complete the puzzles on Pro and leave it there. Anything else and it becomes frustrating which defeats the purpose of the game. Really enjoyed it though. 11. Transistor
I have extensive thoughts about this game but as a big fan of Bastion I feel they created more problems than they solved by trying to include a deeper combat system in what is essentially a story driven game. The combat gets in the way of story which became confusing, overwrought and reached a false crescendo that felt rushed rather than clever.
12. Horizon: Zero Dawn
Took 40 hours to do and while I love Far Cry games it wasn't until the story caught hold properly that I ever felt compelled to play more. I enjoyed the combat but I definitely feel that when you've fought one Rockcrusher or Stormbird you've fought all you ever want to. Revisiting these elongated boss fights was tedious at best. The story was surprisingly excellent although like many others, found the ending to be unnecessary and actually quite predictable.
I really enjoyed the game but I can't say I'll be rushing to play a similar one for many years.
13. Never Alone
A light adventure game with some simple puzzles. It's a simple game and I think in the end that hampered some of my engagement with the characters, which was obviously the intent of the game in general. I loved (LOVED) the interspersing of history and education of the indigenous people and story telling. It gave the story much more impact.
14. Virginia
It's not often I can say, comment or even notice the editing in video games but it is noticeable how the game flows from one situation to the next easily and without much jarring to the flow of the narrative experience. I'm not sure if i really understood the resolution of the game, its a game that leaves you wondering if you're actually stupid but in general I could definitely play more games of this style although voice acting would have definitely improved some of the interpersonal relations.
15. Shantae and the Half Genie Hero
What's not to like about the Shantae games? They are fum, humourous, well designed and the perfect length and challenge. I'd definitely find the time to play another one
16. Fallout 4
I know it doesn't get a lot of love, mainly because there is not an easy progression to see from 3 and it's storytelling doesn't measure up to New Vegas but I like a lot of the beats that it hits throughout. I'd have liked another ending as I don't see some of the factions as being that different in their ideals but it is what it is. My first ever platinum as well cause I had such a fun time.
17. Ratchet and Clank
I thought Fallout 4 was fun but that game had nothing on this remake. I played it through 3 times I had so much fun with the weapons. Never really challenging in many ways with only one of the Kart levels giving me any problems in getting the platinum.
18. Doom
It just kept getting better. Best shooter I've played in years. I'd like to say it was all about the gunplay (which was certainly hella fun) but it's the depth within the game. I loved all the challenges in the game, especially trying to do them all on a first run through. I only missed doing one first time and it was all so satisfying. Rune Trials and Weapon Mastery always kept me pushing outside of my comfort zone. No platinum yet but the back is broken of it! Wonderful
19. Walking Dead Season 2
It feels like I've been playing this for years. It was a slog for the most part but it's ended hit home to me with the impact that Season 1's ending had on everyone else. It was nearly as if they had listened to my monologue about S1 and what was important to me by the end. Can't say I've got anything but Telltale fatigue after it though....
20. Final Station
Thought I'd throw a short one at it to keep the momentum up with the big blockbusters coming. Fun, easy to play adventure game with just enough challenge and intrigue to keep it interesting.
21. Thomas Was Alone
In my head I'd stopped playing this as I found some of the levels a little tricky but once I picked it up again I dont think I ever had a problem at any point. Fell a little flat towards the end but a very enjoyable little game altogether.
22. Destiny 2
A thoroughly enjoyable campaign that doesn't quite reach the heights of other recent shooter campaigns but that's not really the point of Destiny is it? Since I completed the campaign I haven't felt the absolute draw to go do the endless strikes and patrols that I did with the original Destiny. Yet. Plenty of game still there though.
23. Superhot
Not along game but packed full of ideas. I was really unsure of the meta universe on the outside at first but the game totally needs it as the gameplay only has the added difficulty of spawning multiple enemies rather than being clever. Really fun diversion though.
Completed:
1. Super Mario Run (iOS).
2. Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS).
3. Triple Triad (iOS).
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U).
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch).
Backlog:
Wii U:
1. Nintendo Land.
2. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.
3. Hyrule Warriors.
4. Affordable Space Adventures.
5. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse.
6. Freedom Planet.
7. Citizens of Earth.
8. Swords & Soldiers II.
9. Runbow.
Wii U Virtual Console:
1. Advance Wars.
2. Golden Sun: The Lost Age.
3. Earthbound Begginings.
4. Kirby's Return to Dreamland.
5. Punch Out!!
6. Mario & Luigi Partners in Time.
7. Metroid Zero Mission.
3DS:
1. Kid Icarus: Uprising.
2. Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon.
3. Phoenix Wright Trilogy.
4. Inazuma Eleven.
5. Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars.
6. Retro City Rampage DX.
7. Rhytm Tief & the Emperor's Treasure.
8. Nano Assault Neo EX.
9. Mario & Luigi Paper Jam.
10. Pokémon Moon.
11. Dragon Ball Fusions.
12. Mario & Luigi Dream Team.
13. Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies.
14. Phoenix Wright Spirit of Justice.
15. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 3D.
16. Fire Emblem Fates.
3DS Virtual Console:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GB VC).
2. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (GB VC).
3. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB VC).
DS:
1. Pokémon Black 2.
2. 999.
3. Ghost Trick.
4. Apollo Justice Ace Attorney.
5. Final Fantasy IV.
6. Okamiden.
7. Final Fantasy Tactics A2.
Switch:
1. Super Bomberman R.
2. Blaster Master Zero.
Can totally do this. Let's do it. One game a week. Come on. (Reservation post.)
1: Watch_Dogs 2 (PS4) - 9/10 - 25+ hours - 100% main story
Excellent, excellent game. One of the best open world games I've ever played, even if the campaign missions overstay their welcome a little (and get obscenely hard on highest difficulty). Will be high on my GotY list.
2: Dishonored 2 - PC - 9/10 - 16+ hours - 100% main story, replayed to 33% twice w/ modifiers
Incredible work. Truly incredible. My GotY 2016. So much depth, flexibility, freedom. Great sandboxes everywhere. Plus probably the greatest "time travel" mission of all time, IMO.
3: Gravity Rush Remastered - PS4 - 7/10 - 20 hours - 100% main story
Fantastic work. The end is pretty abrupt in terms of story, but if you treat it as 'act 1' of the story that will get continued/finished in Gravity Rush 2, it is absolutely perfect. Really sets the scene and leaves you with some questions. The Gravity Shifting mechanics are phenomenal and almost every gameplay scenario is well thought out. A couple of combat mechanics are a bit iffy, I think it would benefit from wider FOV or more distant camera to help you keep your bearings, and the zooming Shift attack is often irritatingly innacurate. The whole package is fantastic, though.
4. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone - PS4 - 9/10 - some 30 hours
5. Mafia 3 - PS4 - 8/10 - some 20 hours
Really good, fantastic story and writing that really understands what's important, but a bit too much content padding the story out. If they cut a third of the game's obligatory, near-grindey content away and made the remaining content more dynamic/interesting, this would have been a 9 or 10/10.
Bloody fantastic as always. Delving deep into the history and situation of a couple of great characters made this so immersive and compelling. Pity more areas weren't added. Now I'm on Blood and Wine and... touissaint omg
6. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine - PS4 - 9/10 - some 12 hours
Unfortunately I rushed this to clear the backlog, but it was bloody glorious as always. The main quest line felt a bit more like an adventure than Hearts of Stone's one and the plot development of getting your own land was fantastic.
Literally all I did was mainline the quest and even that was money's worth. Incredibly satisfying payoff by playing politics carefully (it's clear where things can go very, very badly) and great characters, acting, etc. Just brilliant.
My only beef was that the combat on Death March! difficulty becomes pretty unfair. The combat was getting so frustrating that I bumped the game to Easy just to power through it. First time I've done that since Wolfenstein: The New Order.
Still, a phenomenal game and probably the best expansion of all time IMO.
I decided to do it by month this year, makes it easier
January
1. Batman - Telltale Series (PC)
I liked it overall, probably my favorite Telltale game I've played. Only thing I don't like is how they change the origin story (
especially with his parents
)
2. Walking Dead (PC)
Decided to get this one out of my backlog. I was surprised with how I already was spoiled on the ending and yet I still really liked the story for it.
3. Walking Dead - Season 2 (PS4)
I got this one for free with PS+ so I didn't get to carry over my save from season one.
I miss Lee
4. Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers (PC)
From my Steam backlog. I don't really have any feelings towards it. It wasn't good nor bad, just meh.
5. The Old City: Leviathan (PC)
Another one from Steam backlog. I think it was trying to be overly artistic, or maybe I just didn't get it. I didn't like it either way.
6. Assassin's Creed 2 - Remaster (PS4)
I got the Ezio set for PS4 as a gift during Christmas, so I thought I'd start on them. Just as good as I remember.
7. Day of the Tentacle - Remaster (PS4)
From PS+, I have to admit, I hadn't heard of the game before. I didn't really like it, but to be fair, I don't really like point and click puzzles anyways.
8. The Swapper (PS4)
Another one from PS+, these puzzles hurt my head, but overall it was a good game. Rather short though.
9. The Order: 1886 (PS4)
I got this for $5 on sale and I enjoyed it. Yes the gameplay is medicore and yes the story isn't too impressive. But I thought it was enjoyable and not as bad as everyone made it out to be
10. Bioshock Infinite - Remaster (PS4)
The last of the Bioshock remasters for me to complete. I didn't enjoy it as much as when I played it the first time, and it was way easier than the original Bioshock. I'm still too much of a coward to try 1999 mode.
11. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Remaster (PS4)
Second one from the Ezio trilogy, and my favorite one. I spent much longer playing this than 2 because I just enjoyed going around Rome, training Assassin's, and repairing the city.
February
12. Assassin's Creed Revelations - Remaster (PS4)
Finished off the Ezio trilogy. Weakest one of the bunch, so I powered through it. I still like the ending of it though.
13. Yakuza 0 (PS4)
Holy crap. My first Yakuza game ever. I spent way too much time on mini games and substories that made this game take up nearly my entire February. I'd recommend this to any brawler/RPG fan out there.
14. The Last Guardian (PS4)
Finally got around to this. I had held off until performance issues were addressed. Despite my frustration with the controls (the boy, not Trico), I really enjoyed the game storywise. That ending...
15. Longest Night: Lost Constellation (PC)
Fun little game that I decided to play ahead of Night in the Woods. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, as it wasn't a very deep game at all
16. Night in the Woods (PS4)
I really need to replay this again. I enjoyed it immensely, just wish I could play the band parts better.
17. Hollow Knight (PC)
Literally just beat this. So far, one of if not the game of the year. The sense of exploration and difficult gameplay was great. I recommend to anyone that enjoys Metroidvanias
March
18. CounterSpy (PS4)
Meh. Premise was interesting enough, and I got it as one of the free PS+ monthly games. Sometimes a little unfair, but maybe I'm just terrible at stealth
19. Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4)
Amazing game. I was a little skeptical at first, mainly because it looked like a Far Cry clone. To be fair, it has a good amount of similarities, but it's gameplay and story are so much better.
20. Tearaway Unfolded (PS4)
I did not like this game. It had some charm to it, but between fighting the camera and a dragged out story, I just found it overly tedious to deal with. Might have been better on Vita, not sure.
April
21. Mass Effect Andromeda (PS4)
I get the disappointment with the game. I had way too many technical glitches happen, the faces weren't great by any measure either. But I really enjoyed it. It felt like a Mass Effect game, and that's exactly what I was looking for.
22. Persona 5 (PS4)
Probably one of the best games I've played this year, but I'm not sure if it's my favorite Persona. The presentation was amazing and the characters were overall good, but something didn't quite click around the end game.
23. Life is Strange (PS4)
Beat this before, but I wanted to go back and get the different ending. I think I still prefer the Chloe ending
May
24. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (PC)
I've been making my way slowly through the souls series. Beat the first one last year, so I thought I'd go ahead and try the second. While I beat it, I did not like the aesthetic of it at all.
25. What Remains of Edith Finch (PC)
Loved the style, loved the story. Great "walking simulator".
26. Takume: The Dreaming Daughter (PC)
Took five minutes to beat. Can't even find a good size image online. I don't know why I did this to myself
27. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
I thought it looked really nice, but the story and characters were better in the first one.
28. Remember Me (PC)
Interesting story and environment. Gameplay was note fun though, bad way to use Batman style combat.
June
29. TitanFall 2 (PS4)
Good gameplay, but I don't see why everyone was hyping it as the best FPS campaign.
30. Tales From the Borderlands (PS4)
Good game, interesting characters, lots of humor, still has Telltale engine issues
31. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC)
Another one I've beaten before. I wanted to play an RPG and decided on this. Didn't really satisfy the itch, but still a good game
32. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC)
This was a good FPS story campaign. Much better than Titanfall 2. I played this after I saw the trailer for the upcoming game, so exicted now
33. Refunct (PC)
Fun little parkour game I got during the steam sale. Quick to play, and for the price I found it worth it.
34. Pony Island (PC)
Interesting game, though I didn't know what was happening half the time.
July
35. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC)
This scratched that itch for an RPG. I still love the combat in this game, and the world isn't too bad. I think I spent too much time playing this one
36.Crash Bandicoot Remake (PS4)
Fuck this game almost made me destory my controller. Fuck the High Road.
37. Crash Bandicoot: Cortex Strieks Back Remake (PS4)
Better than the first, didn't die nearly as much
38. Crash Bandicoot: Warped Remake (PS4)
Better than the first and second, but I still don't like the driving parts.
39. Pyre (PS4)
These guys can do no wrong. Seriously, I thought I wasn't going to like this as much as the other games, but by the end of the game, I was agonizing over my choices.
August
40. Aviary Attorney (PC)
I was surprised by this game. It had charm and humor, and your ability to actually solve cases changed the way the story worked.
41. Tacoma (PC)
I still don't know how I feel about this game. Story was interesting, but I felt the environments could've been much more fleshed out.
Alright, I'll join. Though I also said I would last year, and well...ended up never updating the post. Lot of stuff happened over the year and honestly kinda fell out of games for a bit. I did record what I finished off of here, but it just wasn't too much. Hoping this year will go a bit better, just have too many games to get to!
1: NAME - DURATION PLAYED
# INSERT INFO AND COMMENTS HERE
Too late for a page one post, huh? Okay. Let's try again this year. Last year I hung at 26. Oof. First in the list is probably Infinifactory.
Mid April, time to start actually keeping track.
1: Infinifactory - 31 Hours - Jan 1
I love Zachtronics games. I didn't bother with all the DLC, and this one was probably much easier than TIS-100 or Spacechem, but that suits me just fine. Its more visual nature made solutions all the more satisfying, and some of the techniques you could pick up or complete the game having never been aware of were so clever.
2: Abzu - 7 Hours - Jan 5
Cool atmospheric game. Very Journey reminiscent, though not quite as visually striking, as fun to navigate in, and entirely missing Journey's novelness and its co op experience.. If anything I could've stood it being shorter. Still, it didn't wear out its welcome too hard. I was more than happy to revisit locations after I beat it to find the various things I'd missed.
3: Pokemon Picross - 111 Hours - Jan 30
This was a doozy, but I'd chipped away at it over the course of over a year, day by day. I think I barely missed one. I quite liked it, but to be honest I'm glad it's over. I miss winding down at night with things besides Picross.
4: Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE - 87 Hours - Feb 4
Wasn't as huge a fan of this as I would've liked. The relationships weren't engaging enough, the too dull, the loading screens too frequent. As sessions got added to combat, then-out-of-party sessions, then duo attacks that reset your session, the game became more and more about waiting and watching attack animations. Post combat resolution screens got onerous, and going back to the Bloom Palace to craft weapons super frequently added to the "quit wasting my time"ness of it all. Still, the characters were endearing, and it was my first look at what Persona games are like. I didn't hate it at all, I just wanted so much more from it.
5: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse - 17 Hours - Feb 10
In spite of all the mean things I said about TMS#FE up there, I still liked it far more than this. This is almost certainly my least favourite thing I purchased on Wii U. I got it on sale but I don't think it would've been worth it if I'd paid nothing. The nicest thing I can say about this game is that it didn't last that long I guess. What a bummer. Not liking a game is the worst. Some of the hidden rooms were okay I guess.
6: Super Mario Run - 7 Hours - Feb 11
Cool game. Very medium appropriate. I've only been through the main set of missions once, not even bothering to get the coins, and I'll probably keep coming back to it to do that. Not groundbreaking, but it feels nice to play for the most part. My only complaint is that on screen effects occasionally obfuscate the action, but it's more forgiving to make up for that.
7: Yakuza 4 - 32 Hours - Feb 16
Breath of fresh air. I resubbed to PS+ twice to beat this during visits to my parents home and my PS3. The combat was occassionally frustrating, but for the most part it was just nice to sink into a world and story with ridiculous larger than life gangster characters. I loved it. Can't wait to play another Yakuza game some point. 0 Isn't an option cuz no PS4... but I now have Yakuza 5 cuz of plus too... Soon.
8: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 146 Hours - April 1
Speaking of Breaths of fresh air... Fantastic game. I maybe started to like it slightly less after the first 80 hours, but I loved wandering around, checking things out, exploring every crook and nanny. Only like 300 koroks, but I got all the shrines. Hard to disagree with all the praise. I absolutely love this game, though it's probably the Zelda I'm least likely to revisit the same way I played it the first time, owing mainly to its own length. I sincerely hope the DLC additions are worthwhile and don't tarnish the legacy of this phenomenal achievement by Nintendo.
9: 8-Bit Bayonetta - 101 minutes - April 1
Dumb. Silly idea. A sidescroller could've been neat, but this knew that it was a joke. I'm mostly just padding out my game count here. I did 100% its achievements, though.
Though I may have used an auto switch on my triggers to do it.
10: Mass Effect: Andromeda - 165 Hours - April 8
Everything that's been complained about in regards to this game is true. But I sort of expected it coming in, and frankly I still enjoyed the high points a lot. I could've done with a lot less open world shit. Open world exploration of barren spaces can have its place, but I think Mass Effect is at its strongest when interacting with characters and playing through linear, story heavy shooting galleries. Less Dragon Age Inquisition, more Mass Effect 1+2 please. The multiplayer is an even greater disappointment... Even with the jetpack, which is fantastic, the combat just feels sort of kinesthetically unsatisfying in a way Mass Effect 3 did not. I enjoyed myself, but this dulled my enthusiasm for the brand in a way ME3 never did. It saddens me to write that.
12: Starcraft II: Nova Covert Ops - Chapter 2 - 7 Hours - April 13
Blizzard needs to write better. I'm so tired of their awful narratives. Nothing interesting happens in this game. None of the characters are at all compelling. The story moves along without any surprises whatsoever. It's so offensively bland. The gameplay is okay, though. But Starcraft campaigns with terrible stories and good gameplay are sort of par for course at this point, and it's not good enough. Write better games, Blizzard.
13: Starcraft II: Nova Covert Ops - Chapter 3 - 5 Hours - April 14
See above. The gunblade was cool. There's a Nova-goes-it-alone mission which is enjoyable enough, and the last mission was pretty hard, even on Hard. Unfortunately, the writing is still bewilderingly lame. I used to be sad that Blizzard seemed to be moving away from single player content. They're easing that pain.
14: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice - 59 Hours - April 19
It chugged a bit in the middle and I was nearly turned off a couple times by repulsive characters, but as usual with this series, the pay offs always made whatever inconveniences or unpleasantries that came before worthwhile. What a relief and change of pace after the Starcraft mission packs. Nothing about this game was exceptionall novel in its execution - the seances were the only new mechanic. But the mechanics of the game are sort of beside the point, and the seances were neat enough. I figured out most of the twists before we got there, but the reveals and the guessing process was still wildly entertaining. I hope to pick up the DLC case for this at some point down the line, and maybe next time one of these comes out, Athen can really come into her own.
15: Proteus - 47 Minutes - April 20
Pretty. Sort of confusing. I wasn't sure if there was anything I was supposed to be doing, so I just explored. Which I guess is sort of the whole point. Eventually I did end up looking up the win condition, though, as I never realized how things were progressing. The truth about it is though, besides being sort of nice to look at, and kind of relaxing, this game was mostly just... a waste of time. I didn't find my experience with it particularly memorable. There's just not enough going on for my liking. I guess it's just not that sort of game, though.
An interlude. I had not expected when I started writing all this out to be this negative with my gaming experiences thus far in 2017. Peculiar. At least there were definite high notes among the flops.
Game 1: Final Fantasy XV [PS4]
41+ hours played
Finished 26/01/17
Score: ★★★★☆ (yes)
Verdict:
After 10 years in development, Final Fantasy XV highly exceeds my expectations. The charming and interesting Characters on their adventurous journey of friendship, combined with the surprisingly deep and depressing story create an exceptional gaming experience.
I especially liked the unconventional art style and the beautiful, yet enormous large and crowded landscapes. What makes it even better is the superb soundtrack and the many little details like the integration of photos, chocobo riding, camping or some funny animations.
Albeit a little bit repetitive, the pathfinder gameplay and action-packed combat are still fun, even after 41 hours. There is so much more to do after completing the main quest, that I just want to merge into the wonderful world of Final Fantasy XV again.
Truly "a Final Fantasy for fans and newcomers alike."
Game 2: Empty [PC]
0,5 hours played
Finished 28/01/17
Score: ★★★★ (yes)
Game 3: ABZÛ [PC]
3 hours played
Finished 05/02/17
Score: ★★★★☆ (yes)
Verdict:
Gifted by spindoc. Thanks again!
Like Journey before, ABZÛ is an emotional, calming and visually beautiful little timeless gem, with a mesmerizing soundtrack.
ABZÛlutely beautiful.
Game 4: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege [PC]
50+ hours played
Finished -/-/-
Score: (yes)
Game 5: Ratchet and Clank [PS4]
18 hours played
Finished 18/02/17
Score: ★★★★ (yes)
Game 6: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [SWITCH]
90+ hours played
Finished 07/04/17 (True Ending / All Shrines)
Score: ★★★★★ (yes)
Game 7: Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City DLC [PC]
15 hours played
Finished 30/03/17
Score: ★★★★ (yes)
Game 8: Inside [PC]
3 hours played
Finished 11/04/17
Score: ★★★★ (yes)
Game 9: Snipperclips [SWITCH]
7+ hours played
Finished 15/04/17
Score: ★★★★☆ (yes)
Game 10: The Witness [PC]
x hours played
Finished xx/xx/17
Score: (yes)
Game 11: Horizon Zero Dawn [PS4]
x hours played
Finished 31/05/17
Score: ★★★★ (yes)
Game 12: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe [SWITCH]
x hours played
Finished xx/xx/17
Score: ★★★★★ (yes)
Game 13: The Last Guardian [PS4]
x hours played
Finished 18/06/17
Score: ★★★★☆ (yes)
Game 14: Splatoon 2 [Switch]
9 hours played (Story)
Finished 27/07/17
Score: ★★★★☆ (yes)
Game 15: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun [PC]
x hours played
Finished xx/07/17
Score: (yes)
Game 16: Life is Strange: Before the Storm [PC]
3.3 hours played
Finished xx/07/17
Score: (hella)
Game 17: PUBG [PC]
82 hours played
Finished xx/xx/xx
Score: x
Game 18: Cuphead [PC]
3 hours played
Finished xx/10/17
Score: x
Game 19: Middle-earth: Shadow of War [PC]
27,5 hours played
Finished 15/10/17
Score: ★★★★ (yes)
I didn't really have a lot of time or energy for gaming last year. Let's hope this one's different.
Completed
1. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS) - 16 Hours - Completed January 2nd
This was my first Ace Attorney experience and I thought it was pretty good. I enjoyed the cases and characters, and there were a couple of puzzles that were really hard for me. Overall, this is a pretty interesting and unique game, and I'm glad I played it. Can't wait to check out the sequels.
2. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All (3DS) - 15 hours - Completed January 15th
Pretty good, but pretty formulaic after the first game. It's still fun and all, but it just doesn't feel as unique as the first one. I think I might take a break before playing the next ones. It felt a lot easier, too, but that might just be because I'm used to the gameplay now.
3. Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) - 1 hour - Completed January 29th
It's fine, but it's really short and I don't think it's aged very well compared to 2 and 3. The lack of spin dash makes enemies a lot harder than they need to be, and I felt a lot of the level design was bullshit, especially in the second half of the game (hi Labyrinth and Scrap Brain zones!) It's not bad, but there are two much better games on the same system you could play instead.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis) - 2 hours - Completed February 7th
Much better than the first one, but still not perfect. There are a couple of crappy zones, and I forgot how much the special stages suck. It's still really good, though.
5. Mother 3 (GBA) - 20 Hours - Completed February 20th
Given how much I love Earthbound, it's kind of surprising I haven't played this one before. I finally got around to it and absolutely loved it. It has a touching, heartbreaking story that manages to be even more beautiful than Earthound's story. What a wonderful experience. I'd recommend it to everyone.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) - 12 hours - Completed February 26
I wanted to play a Zelda game to get hyped for Breath of the Wild, so I played through this again. I've started it a lot, but I've only finished it once before today. I usually stop after you become an adult. Anyway, it's held up remarkably well, even if I prefer Majora's Mask.
7. Uncharted 3 (PS4) - 11 hours - Completed March 11
This game is ok. I played the first two last year and thought they were ok too. I don't hate these games or anything, but I don't find them to be insane, mindblowing experiences like everyone else. Still, they're fun for the most part (except for that desert section, screw that) and I'm going to play the fourth one.
8. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS) - 51 hours - Completed March 13
I own five or six Dragon Quest games, so it's kind of weird that I've never actually played one all the way through before. I finally finished this one today, and I enjoyed it for the most part. It's REALLY LONG, though, and I was kind of wishing for it to end after a while. Still, was quite a nice experience. I'm going to play DQ VIII now, which I've heard is closer to a regular JRPG experience compared to this one, so I'll probably like that more.
9. Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition (PC) - 7 hours - Completed March 14th
This game is pretty fun and really pretty, but it's also extremely hard. This might have been because of the controls. (I was using a keyboard, and my hands got really sore after an hour of playing) The volcano section really sucked, especially the part where you have to escape it. Still I love Metroidvanias, and this is definitely a nice one with a unique style.
10. Persona 5 (PS4) - 65 hours - Completed May 28
This is probably my GOTY honestly. It's the first Persona game I've ever completed, and I loved it. (I'm actually playing Persona 4 right now, too, but I'm kind of having a hard time getting into it.) Anyway, I loved the story and characters, and the dungeons were way better than the ones in Persona 4. Brilliant game. I'm gonna miss this one. Don't think I'll bother with the new game + though. Too much time.
11. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (3DS) - 16 hours - Completed June 20
These games always make me feel like a giant idiot. They're really great, but I suck at them. Still, they have wonderful stories and characters, so I don't mind needing a guide half the time.
12. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (DS) - 8 hours - Completed June 8
I honestly think I'm starting to get a little tired of these games. Not that this one is bad or anything, but they just all feel a little derivative. The cases and characters are still nice, but the touch screen things they added to shake up the gameplay feel kind of pointless. Still, it's not bad, but I think I need a long break before I play another Ace Attorney game.
13. Persona 4 (PS2) - 58 hours - Completed July 23
I think I ended up liking this one more than 5 in the long run. The dungeons aren't as good, but it more than makes up for it by having a far better cast and story. I'm going to miss Inaba. I just picked up Persona 3, so I'll eventually tear into that one. I really like these games.
14. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (PS4) - 28 hours - Completed Aug. 11
Holy crap this game is hard. I have no idea how I managed to beat this when I was 10. I mostly got this for nostalgia, and because KH3 looks really cool, but the first one hasn't aged well at all honestly. The platforming's not great and the camera's garbage. Still pretty fun though, even if there were some frustrating moments.
15. Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (PS4) - 16 hours - Completed Aug. 17
I hate the battle system in this game honestly. It seems good on paper, but it's really complicated and hard to follow in practice. This game is dumb, but it's pretty important to the overall story, so you kind of have to play it.
Games I'm actively playing
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U)
Games I'm kind of sort of working on
The Witness (PC)
Pokemon Moon (3DS)
Fire Emblem Birthright (3DS)
Fire Emblem (GBA)
Got to 40 last year, pretty impressed honestly. 2017 looking to be another awesome year. If I can get my backlog done Ill be more than halfway to 40 so here goes!
Update 9/12 - Halfway there! Some really long games coming up so I don't think Ill make it this year. Pretty happy with how many games I've completed though. Great year so far!
Running Total - 27/52
1. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - PS4
Completed - 1/1/17
*First COD campaign Ive finished since BLOPS2, good stuff. Not a big multiplayer guy, Im sure its...fine. 8.5/10
2. Rise of the Tomb Raider - PS4
Completed - 1/11/17
*Wow, what a great game. So much to do! A little more environment variation would be nice. Hoping for multiple locations for the next TR. 9.5/10
3. World of Final Fantasy - PS4
Completed - 2/5/17
*Im not sure who this game is for. The call backs to previous FF games would require a long history of playing this series. Was kinda glad when I finished it. 7.0/10
4. Mirror's Edge: Catalyst - PS4
Completed - 2/11/17
*This game has been sitting in my backlog since I picked it up for cheap a while back. Gave it a try the other day and was pleasantly surprised. Traversal is pretty fun, frustrating at certain points but definitely worth a playthrough. 7.5/10
5. Gears of War 4 - XB1
Completed - 2/19/17
*Fun campaign, especially the final act. Good first effort from The Coalition. The end sets up a sequel so I will definitely be in for that when it launches. My only gripe is the
Snatchers
, fuck those guys. 8.0/10
6. Alienation - PS4
Completed - 2/24/17
*Really fun twin stick shooter. Pretty much a re-skin of Dead Nation though. Online coop made the game a lot of fun, not so much playing solo. 7.0/10
7. Halo 5: Guardians - XB1
Completed - 2/27/17
*I remember hearing a lot of negative comments about the campaign but I thought it was fine. I'm not a huge Halo guy so maybe that's why it didn't bother me. Great visuals, some of the best facial animation and rendering I've ever seen. 8.0/10
8. Horizon: Zero Dawn - PS4
Completed - 3/11/17 (Platinum)
*Awesome open world game, beautiful graphics and nice story. Had an absolute blast getting the platinum trophy as well. 9.5/10
9. Mass Effect: Andromeda - PS4
Completed - 4/16/17
*Good game, it felt like it was released before it was finished which is a shame. I love the ME franchise and had fun exploring Andromeda, expecting big things for the follow up. 7.5/10
10. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch
Completed - 4/22/17
*Fantastic game, so much fun to explore this huge world that made Hyrule feel like a real place for the first time. The shrines and divine beasts are a joy to navigate. This game speaks for itself and should really be experienced by anyone who loves video games. 9.5/10
11. Dishonored 2 - PS4
Completed - 4/29/17
*This game surprised the hell out of me. I tried playing Dishonored 1 several times and just did not like it. This game grabbed me almost immediately. The level design is talked about a lot and to me, it lives up to it. Im really hoping this did well enough to warrant another game. 9.0/10
12. What Remains of Edith Finch - PS4
Completed - 4/30/17
*Cool little game that tells its story through different perspectives. Great music. A little on the short side, took me no more than 2 hours to complete. 7.5/10
13. Ryse: Son of Rome - XB1
Completed - 5/5/17
*This is not a bad game, its just not a good one either. Its very limited in what it tries to accomplish. Animations, specifically the executions, are very canned and repeated often. FOV was a bit close for my taste and the final boss was very underwhelming. Even for a launch title its a beautiful game with awesome facial animations and voice acting. 6.5/10
14. Prey - PS4
Completed - 5/13/17
*I was surprised at how much I liked this game and how much I thought about it when I wasn't playing. I loved the atmosphere and exploring the Talos 1 was awesome. Combat wasn't great and I felt a little OP by the end. Solid game, would definitely recommend. 8.5/10
15. Nier - Automata - PS4
Completed - 5/27/17
*Finished route C,D and E today. I started off not really liking this game but after everything I am thoroughly impressed. The music is so amazing, I found myself humming the tunes throughout the day and am considering buying the OST. I only took about 21 hours to finish the game so I definitely sped through it. Amazing game. Definitely on my top 10 games this year so far. 9.0/10
16. Dragon Quest Builders - PS4
Completed - 6/14/17
*It was fun crafting and building the Dragon Quest Universe. Combat was very bad and the story was ok. Also a little long, but I did have some fun with it. 7.0/10
17. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - PS4
Completed - 6/16/17 (Platinum)
*I think I liked this better than season 2 even though it's mostly a brand new cast of characters. Felt a bit short but the graphics seemed to be improved. The game did crash on my several times which was annoying. Telltale is still crafting stories that are interesting and engaging. 7.5/10
18. Quantum Break - XB1
Completed - 6/25
*Visually stunning, decent story with some fine voice acting. I had a really hard time with the live action "episodes" found them incredibly boring. The shooting mechanics are barely passable but some of the powers are cool. The final boss....SMH. 7.5/10
19. Ghost Recon: Wildlands - PS4
Completed - 7/20
*Had fun with this game, it was satisfying to just wipe out a base without being noticed. The sync shot is waaaaay OP though. The missions got repetitive by the end but Its a pretty fun military shooter. 8.0/10
20. Hitman - PS4
Completed - 7/29
*Got through the tutorial mission and barely started Paris and quit. Said the game wasn't for me. Ended up giving it a second chance and figured out how to use the opportunities. After that I had a pretty fun time. Every location is extremely well made and absolutely gorgeous on my Pro. Im in for season 2, glad I stuck with this one. 8.0/10
21. Jazzpunk - PS4
Completed - 8/8/17 (Platinum)
*The more I played this game the more I liked it. Dripping with charm and little surprises to discover. Had a great time going back through to get the trophies. 7.5/10
22. Virginia - PS4
Completed - 8/11/17
*This story is told entirely without a single spoken word. Confusing at times but the music brings this game to life. 7.0/10
23. Steamworld Heist - PS4
Completed 8/21/17
*Awesome 2D turn based strategy game. Would have liked an extra accessory slot for additional depth and the story was pretty thin. Had an absolute blast with it overall. 8.5/10
24. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - PS4
Completed - 8/23/17
*Perfect pacing, amazing visuals. I devoured this game in 2 sittings because it was that good. Say what you will about Uncharted games, this game was well worth the 8 hours. I never got bored and am amazed that Naughty Dog made this in 18 months (mostly). Bravo. 9.0/10
25. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Switch
Completed - 9/3/17
*What a gem this game turned out to be. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this game. My favorite game of all time is an SRPG and this game did not disappoint. Don't let the cute Nintendo charm fool you, some of the battles and challenges are downright difficult. Hats off to Ubisoft for nailing the feel of a Nintendo game. I hope they get the chance to develop a very much deserved follow up. 9.0/10
26. Destiny 2 - PS4
Completed - 9/11/17
*Finished the campaign and can say that it was a marked improvement over the first game. Much more expansive story with cut scenes and an actual narrative. Very underwhelming final boss encounter but we all know that the real challenge lies in the raid. Great fun so far with the game. Glad to see Bungie improved the game in almost all aspects. Really wanted to see a new race of alien enemies but maybe that is to come. 9.0/10
27. Madden NFL 18 - PS4
Completed - 10/6/17
*I used to look forward to Madden every year and buy it on day 1. As I got older I stopped playing all of the sports games that I used to love. Ive purchased Madden several times throughout the years and never connected with it. I bought it this year because of the buzz around the Longshot campaign. There were times that were very cool but overall I was very dissapointed. Really bad voice acting for some characters, out of place tonality and unrealistic situations made this fall short for me. 6.0/10
#Picross clone. Tremendous Picross clone. So good. So smooth. So often confused on the tongue with The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black. Good time wasted. Lots of class hours lost in the first two days alone. Near 30 hours in 4 days. I thrive in this shit.
#Line puzzler. Simple. Zen. Soundtrack is lovely. Broken achievements so to earn the ones for sets specifically, you only need to complete and perfect the first puzzle of those particular sets, lol.
#Another Picross clone 'cause who doesn't love Picross? Not as fun as Paint It Back, because you don't have that variation in normal, pro, and master paintings, but a much better UI. Wish you could change key bindings, but it is what it is. Well done game. Has the added bonus of randomized puzzles, so like Paint It Back and HexCells Infinite, it's a forever installed title.
#Devs made some content additions since the last time I played, so I went back and restarted the whole thing. Still a solid train sim, still zen and yet frustrating/worrying all at once.
1. Gravity Rush Remastered - Platinum achieved. God this game looks better than i remembered from playing it on Vita. Cant wait for GR2.
2. ABZU - from beginning to end this game is a sight to behold. Loved it, and already miss my bff the shark.
3. Tearaway Unfolded - Another remaster that had been sitting for awhile on my backlog. I liked how they tweaked to experience enough to make it feel fresh and different from the Vita version. Although, i wished they had revamped the controls a little bit more, as the platforming and jumping of Atoi could be less floaty.
4. Borderlands 2 - Another remaster... Don't particularly know what got into me to play so many remasters one after the other, but borderlands 2 still kicks ass, and there are still quite a lot of people playing it online. Good times indeed, even if playing with randoms can be hit and miss, and an exercise in futility at times. Finished twice, in normal mode and true vault hunter mode.
5. Resident Evil 7 PC - Ah good old Resident Evil. A good return to form with this entry, i just wish it was less action-y at the end. That beginning is marvelous. Hopefully they keep going in the direction of 1-3, and even farther away from the bullshit of 4-6. Although this could have easily have been a new franchise with no relation to Resi if they wanted, it might have been better to drop all the bagage that carries from there.
.
