Original Post with #1-26
Game #27 - FFXIV Heavensward (PC) 6/26/2015 [who knows]
This was the part of my year where everything came to a stop gaming wise for my fiancee and I, as we had both committed to playing FF14 with our friends. Initially I really enjoyed the expansion, the main story was interesting and flying was fun enough. Sadly the honeymoon period for FF14 Heavensward came and went, and the state of the game entering 2016 is a mess imo. I’m still hopeful that i’ll play it a bunch this coming year, but with interest fading fast for my raid group who knows.
Game #28 - Batman Arkham Knight (PS4) 8/21/2015 [20 hours]
The final Batman game from Rocksteady feels like it just came and went honestly. Its primary story twist on one hand was the most well executed part of the narrative, while feeling simultaneously tired. The batmobile see-sawed on fun and interesting mechanics one minute, tedious and mundane the next. At least it looked good and played well? I’m a big fan of the series, and it was a good enough game, yet it just feels so forgettable now. I might revisit it sometime, at the very least to check out some of the DLC(although I can't say I’ve heard good things about most of those either).
Game #29 - Until Dawn (PS4) 8/29/2015 [8 hours]
While Arkham Knight left me disappointed, Until Dawn was a pleasant surprise. I’m a big fan of horror movies and games, but I went in expecting nothing special and got a great experience. The story and characters were campy yet fun, and some of the “DON'T MOVE YOUR CONTROLLER” moments worked surprisingly well. I managed to save everyone on my first playthrough, but I’d like to revisit it sometime to see some of the other ways it can play out. Hopefully we’ll get an Until Dawn 2 someday.
Game #30 - MGS Ground Zeroes (PS4) 8/31/2015 [4 hours]
Just a quick runthrough to prepare for V, as an introduction for what was to come it was pretty good. Also did some of the extra stuff like extracting Kojima.
Game #31 - Xenoblade Chronicles 3D (3DS) 9/2/2015 [72 hours]
A fantastic RPG, with a great cast, memorable music, and an interesting world. The small 3DS screen felt overwhelmed by the UI at times; but running through the world, or hearing that battle music kick in never got old. I can’t wait to check out X in 2016.
Game #32 - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (PSVITA) 9/14/2015 [20 hours]
I’m a big Danganronpa fan, but I have mixed feelings on UDG. On one hand, the shooting mechanics aren’t very good and it can be a chore to actually play. On the other, I really enjoyed the cast of characters and the way the story played out. It was also nice to see them flesh out one of the characters from the original Danganronpa, as her character never interested me in that one. In the end, I’d recommend it for fans of the series.
Game #33 - Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (PS4/PSVITA) 9/15/2015 [6 hours]
With all of my love for Shovel Knight, I knew I’d be there day one for the DLC. While you essentially play through the same levels, theres a few interesting twists, along with the major one in the way Plague Knight plays. It was fun mixing and matching various bomb parts depending on what was thrown at me, and the challenge mode was a blast. The story was cute, and I enjoyed how they handled the change of character pov in the story. I’m looking forward to the next two DLC, for what will probably be even more playthroughs of shovel knight.
Game #34 - Xerodrifter (PSVITA) 9/22/2015 [3 hours]
A neat “metroidvania” style game, it was fun but incredibly short. I did like travelling between planets once various power ups were discovered.
Game #35 - Super Mario Maker (WiiU) 9/25/2015 [40+ hours]
A great creation tool, with tons of interesting and fun levels made by some incredibly talented individuals out there. When I played there were A LOT of bad levels out there, but it was always fun to find that “diamond in the rough” so to speak, and give them a star or leave a comment of praise. It was also really fun to make my own levels, to swap them with a friend, or have my fiancee play through them. I need to go back to it now that they’ve added checkpoints among other things, and see what others have come up with over the last few months.
Game #36 - Kid Icarus Uprising (3DS) 9/28/2015 [13 hours]
I finally tracked down a cheap physical copy of this and wow what a game. The controls were rough, as I had a hard time finding a comfortable control scheme for the on foot sections. In the end I only managed playing it on difficulty 6 and 7, but everything else about it was fantastic. The music, the characters(Hades was a great villain), the dialogue, soaring around with those effects. Just a fantastic game and one I’d definitely recommend to anyone with a 3ds to at least give a shot!
Game #37 - Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PS4) 10/2/2015 [10 hours]
Got this with PS Plus and played through it with a friend. I really enjoyed Guardians of Light, and while this one felt a step below its predecessor, it was still nice to get another in the series. Besides that, who can turn down blowing up your friend, or dropping him into a pit of spikes?
Game #38 - SOMA (PC) 10/4/2015 [7 hours]
A tense, uncomfortable game that made me think about different subjects from what I expected, and found ways to unsettle me. I liked the story; The main twist felt fairly obvious a few hours in, but some of the reveals(especially near the end) were well done. The monster encounters were easily the weakest part, as they were often times annoying rather than scary.
Game #39 - Persona 4 Dancing All Night (PSVITA) 10/4/2015 [8 hours]
First things first, DAN is a beautiful game on the Vita. Everything really pops, it's super colorful and vibrant. With that out of the way, the actual rhythm mechanics felt kind of off(I wasn’t a fan of the scratching), and the story mode is terrible. It was nice to see the cast of characters again before Persona 5 I guess.
Game #40 - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4) 10/13/2015 [40+ hours]
TPP is one of my favorite games of the year, and yet also one of the most disappointing. I love the gameplay, it’s just really fun. It’s incredibly smooth, and all of the ways you can tackle an objective are fantastic. Visuals, controls, music, and what is there of the story are all great. What I find disappointing is the story kind of falls apart halfway in, and the way the “true” ending is handled just didn't hit the right notes for me. None of that would have bothered me if not for this is the final entry into the series(directed by Kojima anyways), so it's kind of a bitter emotion. I love what's there, I Just wish it didn't feel so rushed or unfinished at times.
Game #41 - Undertale (PC) 10/16/2015 [8 hours]
WIth an interesting hook of “killing no one,” a great cast of characters, and some truly emotional moments, Undertale served as a reminder that in a year of big AAA’s, great games can come from unexpected places. Two months later my fiancee and I still listen to the OST, it's hard to find a wasted song on there! I did a neutral and true ending run, but I couldn’t bring myself to do the genocide route. Maybe someday I will, as the final fight of that path looks really fun.
Game #42 - Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (WiiU) 10/22/2015 [4 hours]
I really wanted to play through some Castlevania games for Halloween, and while my playthrough of IV got pushed to November, I did managed to finish this one before the holiday. It's my favorite of the NES Castlevania games, as I enjoy the branching paths and special companion system. The difficulty level also feels spot on, as it's challenging, but never feels unfair.
Game #43 - Transformers: Devastation (PS4) 10/26/2015 [6 hours]
Great mechanics and presentation, and a nice love letter to G1 fans. It was a little on the short side, but that worked out since I was able to play it over a weekend and focus more on some of the other games on my list. After seeing what they did for Transformers I’m really looking forward to seeing what Platinum does with TMNT.
Game #44 - Trails in the Sky FC (PSVITA) 10/29/2015 [44 hours]
This was one that came heavily recommended by friends, but I could never muster enough interest to start it. Finally I decided to just sit down and play it and I’m really glad I did. It starts really slow, but its attention to detail in building its world and developing its characters is second to none in the few JRPG’s i've played. I actually finished it right as SC unlocked on Steam, so I downloaded a completed save and moved on to that one.
Game #45 - Trails in the Sky SC (PC) 11/9/2015 [60 hours]
While FC started really slow, SC felt much better paced. A Lot of the new additions are nice(link attacks, etc.) and the story, while predictable, was enjoyable and done well. Estelle was a great main character, who I felt developed nicely over the span of two games. Really it’s a fantastic series, and one I can’t recommend enough. I’ve never been a big consumer of JRPG’s, but after playing Xenoblade and the Trails series, I definitely plan to check out more.
Game #46 - Dying Light (PS4) 11/13/2015 [30 hours]
Played through this entirely in co-op and it was really fun. I wasn’t a big fan of Dead Island, but I really enjoyed just running across town, and drop kicking zombies in the face. The co-op added a ton, as it was always a hoot. The story was a hot mess though, although I enjoyed some of the cheesy moments like Rais screaming “CRANNNEEE” or that final sequence. I was also disappointed that it forced me to do the final sequence by myself, as my friend and I had to awkwardly go our separate ways while discussing the sequence in our headsets. That being said, we both had a good time and I’m pretty sure we’ll check out the expansion this year.
Game #47 - Super Castlevania IV (WiiU) 11/21/2015 [4 hours]
My other Castlevania Halloween play through got delayed, but I still wanted to play through this, past the holiday or not! Despite being really easy, I love the presentation and varied levels and bosses of this one. It’s not very challenging but it sure is fun.
Game #48 - The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone (PS4) 11/30/2015 [12 hours]
The GOTY got even bigger with a meaty DLC quest that rivals any quest from the main game in quality. From a heist, to letting a ghost experience a wedding, Hearts of Stone was awesome. Gaunter O’Dimm was a fantastic villain, It was nice to see Shani again, and I really enjoyed the story of Olgierd Von Everec. If this one was anything to go by, the final DLC is going to be an awesome cap to one of my favorite games.
Game #49 - Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS4) 12/12/2015 [10 hours]
I’m hoping to play through all of the Uncharted games before April, so this seemed like an easy choice for the 52 game challenge. I was really impressed on the technical side, as Bluepoint did a great job bringing the first of Drakes adventures up to the level of the following two. It’s still my least favorite of the three, but a fun introduction to the cast and short enough to where it doesn't outstay its welcome.
Game #50 - The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS) 12/14/2015 [25 hours]
Played through the entirety with my fiancee and friend. As someone who never got to play Four Swords, some of the levels and puzzles were really interesting and fun to figure out together. I had pretty terrible luck with materials to make costumes, and the servers seemed kind of spotty at times, but it was a good time none the less. Hopefully we’ll find some time to go through the Den of Trials they added at some point.
Game #51 - Life is Strange (PC) 12/15/2015 [22 hours]
A game with a great story that tackles some interesting topics, with a likable main character and really good soundtrack. I particularly enjoyed that it never felt like there was a right or wrong choice, as it really shined through with its message of each action having consequences. Also finding all of the photograph spots was a fun little side game, I missed a few but I enjoyed the hunt for them(GIANT SQUIRRELS). I felt like the final episode was the weakest(with the maze section particularly standing out), but it doesn't diminish the total package, which was quite the ride.
Game #52 - Tales of the Abyss (3DS) 12/15/2015 [50 hours]
The first old RPG up on the block is one of my Fiancee’s favorites. I’ve only played a few of the Tales games, but of the ones I’ve seen this would probably be my favorite. The first third of the game the main character is one of the most insufferable ones I can think of(which I suppose was the point), but I did enjoy how he and a few of the others in the cast develop over the course of the game. Playing on 3DS wasn't much of a detriment, although it felt like the inclusion of free run broke the battle system. I wish I had the time this year to see some of the other games in the series(Zestiria or Vesperia come to mind), maybe I can get around to those for the 2016 challenge.
Game #53 - Tales from the Borderlands (PS4) 12/20/2015 [12 hours]
Where Life is Strange stirred emotions dealing with often times dark situations, TftB came along with its silly, incredibly fun story that was just a joy from start to finish. I spent a lot of time in the first two Borderland games, and while I had fun with friends I wouldn't say the story was one of my favorite parts of those. Telltale took the setting and ran with it, developing enjoyable characters that really pulled you in. My fiancee went from thinking it would be dumb to essentially dropping what she was doing to watch how it unfolded. Oh and if there was an award for “best title sequences” of 2015, I feel like this would have it wrapped up. Just a phenomenal job by Telltale when I was starting to think they had lost there touch.
All in all it was a great year of games, and I'm looking forward to hopefully doing the challenge again next year. Hopefully next go around i'll make time to post updates more frequently, instead of rushing to type my thoughts over the holidays!