There are no rules for that so just do as you please!
Writing a new post with one or a couple beaten games shows the thread you're making progress and seems to be the way most people do it.
Game 2:Super Smash Bros. for WiiU - Started :12/25/14 Finished :1/2/15
So to preface this, I have played the 3DS version of this game for well over 90 hours at this point in time. Smash WiiU takes what was done in the 3DS version and improves upon it all. The events in this game are great, but I can't speak for co-op events as I haven't really tried them out yet. Classic mode is more akin to what we saw in Melee or Brawl, but still retains elements from the 3DS version of this title. All-star mode is the same thing, but it is still fun to run through the entire roster with your limited health regen supplies. The minigames I don't particularly care for, but I did play cruel smash once again on WiiU and it is still very much a challenge. I was sure to use each character in some mode, as well as play each gametype. In terms of the online, the netcode seemed superior to that of its 3DS counterpart, but honestlly, I'm unsure if there is a major difference. What really makes this game though is how much content there is, as well as just how much fun you can have while playing. This is very easily my 2014 GOTY, and I don't want to stop playing it now, or anytime soon.
Having this thread in mind, I actually bought more games during the Holiday Sale than I normally would. I might have made a huge mistake participating...
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is among those games and starting it up with the intention just to try it a bit, I was surprised I finished it in one sitting.
I have finished these games in no particular order
1. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
2. Kindom Hearts: Final Mix
3. Tales of Xillia (replay)
4. Freedom Wars
5. Jurassic Park: The Game
6. Tales of Hearts R (US)
7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
8. The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 1 (does this count? I don't have the rest of the EP, no budget yet.)
9. Velocity 2X (in progress)
10. Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 1 (in Progress)
11. White Knight Chronicles 2 (in progresss)
Luftrausers [PSV] Playtime 8 hrs - Rating 7/10 The first game I completed this year in the sense that I got as much out of it as I am going to. I have completed about 70% of the missions and unlocked all of the modes. The game is tremendously fun and the pick up and play nature is perfect for the Vita. I just hit a point where I wasn't making any further progress and decided to move on to other things.
Tales of Hearts R [PSV] Playtime 54 hrs - Rating 9/10 I have just finished the main story for this game and found it to be fantastic. I have some complaints about the interface, specifically that the monster encyclopedia does not tell you where certain monsters can be found which makes sidequests a pain in the ass if you are going back to complete them later. Over all however I loved the gameplay and story. If you are a fan of the Tales of series I definitely recommend it.
Having this thread in mind, I actually bought more games during the Holiday Sale than I normally would. I might have made a huge mistake participating...
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is among those games and starting it up with the intention just to try it a bit, I was surprised I finished it in one sitting.
I couldn't believe how short that game was... So short, in fact, that any impact the ending should have had didn't even register. Not sure why it was hyped to the moon and back.
I've set myself a goal this year to finish 5 games before I can buy a new one and I think I'm going to want to buy 11 at least, so LET'S DO DIS.
So, rather than review the games and give them a score or something, I'm simply going to do an "If you liked..." for each one.
Game 1: Monument Valley
I bought this on release for my iPad, but only played the first chapter. I always said I'd get back to it, but never did. Until yesterday, when faced with a day off and a level of laziness that made me not even want to get out of bed. I had my iPad on the nightstand, so I lifted it and started the game from the start. It was wonderful. Like a super-tactile echochrome. The only thing that really let it down for me is that the puzzles were almost non-existent. The only time I really had to stop and think about anything was on one of the very last screens. Perhaps the expansion will get my brain working a little harder, but for what it was, I had a great time. If you liked Windosill or echochrome you will like this.
Game 2: The Talos Principle
This came out of nowhere for me. The Swapper was one of my favourite games in recent years, so when I heard a game just came out that the writer of that worked on, it was an instant blind buy. And it was incredible. Simple puzzle concepts taken to extreme complexities, punctuated with some existential deep-thinking. The mix between cold, logical problem-solving and philosophical wonderings was perfect to keep the brain fatigue at bay. And now that the credits have rolled I feel like my world view has been genuinely altered. Powerful fucking stuff. If you liked Portal or The Swapper you will like this.
Game 3: Super Mario 3D World
I had this since Christmas 2013, but I shelved it at World 5 for whatever reason, so that's where I picked up from a couple of days ago. Isometric platforming is inherently imprecise, and limiting Mario's directional movement is a decision I'm still trying to understand, but this is nonetheless a wonderful package. The presentation is flawless, the game is brimming with ideas, and playing through it made me wonder why so few studios put this much effort in. I didn't finish everything, though. Left a few stars and stamps here and there, and didn't touch the bonus world. For now, I've had my fill of this cake. I'm content, and I'll save the last slice for some other time. Cat suit is OP as fuck, though. If you liked Super Mario World or Super Mario 3D Land you will like this
Game 4: Broken Age (Act 1)
A day in my parents' house with only my laptop for company prompted me to pull this one off the backlog, as it's one of the few Steam games I have that works well with a trackpad and doesn't need a lot of grunt to run. I had a great time with it. The animation, writing, artstyle and voice acting made it a delight. I didn't want it to end, and I was a little disappointed when it did, because it wasn't so much throwing a twist at you as pulling something completely out of nowhere. I'm glad I sat on it for so long, though, because the wait for Act 2 won't be as awful now. If you liked The Secret of Monkey Island you will like this
Game 5: The Blackwell Deception
More classic Blackwell pointing and clicking. The Blackwell games are like a trashy, low-budget movie series that you can't help but secretly love. Entertainingly written as always, with a few more co-operative puzzles added to the usual sleuthing mix. I really enjoyed it, just like the others, but unfortunately the story went a little off the rails at the end, like the first game. Nice touch with the post-credits cliffhanger, though. I have the fifth (and final?) game in my Steam library already, so I'll probably get to that within the month. If you liked The Shivah you will like this
Game 6: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Another year, another Call of Duty. This one looked like more of a generational jump than Ghosts, and it was a lot more fun to play too. The campaign throws an endless barrage of cool toys at you to play with (although game-breaking, so most don't show up in the multiplayer). However, the story is absolute garbage and the writing is awful. The Spacey turning heel and Atlas becoming panto-villains was just lazy, clumsy shite. Fan-fiction level writing. I've almost prestiged in the multi, though, and it's superb run-and-gun action. Most fun I've had with CoD multi in a good long while, and I'll keep playing throughout the year. If you liked Call of Duty: Black Ops you will like this
Game 7: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
192/192 treasures in the non-bonus stuff. I didn't go for most of the stamps because I kind of hated the way you couldn't see what you had to do until you'd finished the level once. Just felt like a thin way to lengthen the game. Not that I really think it needed lengthening, though. There was so much more than I was expecting! I had a great time with these little densely-packed levels. There were some low-points, and the gamepad stuff was a little clunky, but all in all, this was way better than an expanded minigame had any right to be. Hard to compare it to anything else out there, but: If you liked Pushmo/Pullblox, you will like this
Game 8: Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
For the most part, I thought this was pretty great. Presentation was predictably flawless from Level 5, and the crossover plot was a lot of fun. Even their spin on trials (multiple-witness testimonies) was excellent, and hint coins in trials were a godsend for working out when the game wanted you to realise something you actually realised ages ago. But there were too many times the game introduced throwaway mechanics that you never saw again. And, my god, Level 5 have absolutely no idea how to end a game. It's always this long, drawn-out ordeal where you think things are about to wrap up, but you just get beaten into boredom by needless padding. And it didn't help that it was barely interactive. I only had to do like 6 things in the last 4 hours of the game. "You know, Professor, I feel like I've just finished reading a reeeeally long story." You and me both, Luke. If you liked Phoenix Wright or Professor Layton, you will like this (duh)
Game 9: Bayonetta 2
I was a little disappointed in this. The thing I loved about Bayonetta was that (boss rush aside) it never seemed to run out of ideas. It just said "fuck it", put its foot on the throttle and never let up. This, on the other hand, played it very safe and felt like it was basically a retread of old ground. The gameplay was still exceptional, but it just didn't offer the same experience the original game did, yet still dragged along its worst qualities (unappealing characters, far too many cutscenes). Still can't fail to recommend it, though. If you liked Devil May Cry, you will like this
Game 10: Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Beautiful, poignant little game. I'm no history buff, so my knowledge of the first world war was limited at best. I was engrossed in all the facts and information the game presented, and suitably harrowed by it all. The gameplay was unimpressive but inoffensive adventure fare that demanded little more than working out the order to do things, but the rest of the package was so flawlessly presented that I couldn't help but keep playing. That score, man. Holy fuck. If you liked Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, you will like this.
Game 11: Transistor
I had this sat half-finished since it came out, and went to go back to it last night. Couldn't remember a thing about it, so I started it from the beginning and nearly clocked it in a single sitting. The music is excellent, the artstyle very good, and the gameplay had some really bright ideas. Being able to tweak the difficulty and your abilities to your exact preferences was great, and I was a big fan of the combat system. But whole package felt a little half-baked. The brevity and linearity, coupled with the seriously under-developed setting, just made it feel rushed, and it seemed like it was trying a little too hard to be deep and artsy. The voice of the Transistor taking a dramatic pause every 5 words got really annoying by the end. (But on that, special mention must go to how the DualShock 4 lit up and spoke like the Transistor in-game. That was a masterstroke) If you liked Bastion, you will like this
Game 12: Teslagrad
I liked the artwork and animation. And having binary modes to flip-flop between in a puzzle platformer is something I love. But this game was like getting repeatedly punched in the balls over and over again. Utterly unforgiving, Teslagrad gives you no health bar, and makes everything a one-hit kill. It doesn't allow any mistakes, in a physics-based system where things have a tendency to respond in unpredictable ways. Ludicrous. Throw in some trial-and-error bosses, a stingy checkpointing system, and and a finale that forces you to backtrack through the whole game, checking every inch of every room for collectibles that until that point you believed were completely optional. It feels like some elaborate joke and I'm the punchline. If you like Outland and have complete disregard for your sanity, you will like this
Game 13: Halo 2 Anniversary
Finished on Normal. I've never played Halo 2 before, so it was all fresh, but I'd heard everyone say it was the weakest because of the Arbiter levels. Truth be told, though, I thought this was a good improvement on the first game. Fun, varied enemy types, with the Flood kept to a minimum. Add dual-wielding and faster regenerating shields, and the game was simply less of a chore. The copy/paste level design still shows its face here and there, but it's thankfully lessened. Standout negatives are probably that the trademark crazy physics can still frustrate, and even on Normal, it seemed difficult to solo, but I'll let it slide because it's over 10 years old. The first half was better than the second half, but I still had a good time throughout. If you like Resistance 3, you'll like this
Game 14: D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die
What the hell did I just play? I can appreciate that it's bizarre. Being invited to take a peek into someone else's mind (when it clearly doesn't work at all like mine does) is certainly compelling. Compelling enough to keep me hooked to the "end", but it wasn't so much weird and wonderful as just weird. The entire first episode is spent building these interesting characters, before throwing it the fuck out the window for the second episode and just scribbling any old jibberish into the design doc. It's obviously unfinished, but when I think about it, would I care if it wasn't? Was I even enjoying it? I was anticipating it getting good throughout and it never felt like it hit its mark. If you like Deadly Premonition or Beyond: Two Souls, you'll like this
Game 15: Halo 3
Now that's more like it. Halo 3 was actually the first game in the series I played, and that was followed by ODST, so I was disappointed in the first two games in the Master Chief Collection because they simply weren't up to the standard of those. My faith was a little shaken. Was Halo 3 even as good as I remembered? Hell yes, it was. And even better, now that I could comprehend the story, and it ran like a dream. The Cortana chapter wasn't even as bad as I'd remembered (though still the low-point). The only thing that let me down was the length. Could have done with being another two chapters longer, but it was totally action-packed with nary a reused section in sight. Still one of the greats. If you like Half-Life 2 you'll like this
Game 16: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney HD
Not exactly doing favors for my backlog by finishing bad versions of games I've already finished before. The artwork and animation were a real let-down and the sound just didn't come off as well out of the iPad speakers as the DS ones. Plus, the text speed cues were all removed and the whole thing felt unresponsive as hell. With it being the only Ace Attorney game I've already beaten more than once, the story didn't really hold up all that well when I wasn't trying to figure stuff out. I was just going through the motions and was pretty bored the whole way through. But now it's out of the way I can move on to the others in the trilogy, which I barely remember now. One thing, though, I didn't do the Rise From The Ashes case. My only interest is to play through the original trilogy. If you like Danganronpa, you'll like this
Game 17: Grim Fandango Remastered
I'd only played through Grim Fandango once, almost 15 years ago now, so this felt pretty fresh. The voiceover work still stands, to this day, as among the greatest ever. And the story was wonderful. Some parts of the Remaster weren't so hot, though. I had a pretty buggy experience for the most part, and it was a little disappointing not to see the backgrounds given a makeover like the models. But still, it was better than playing the original version, and that's without touching the director's commentary or using the new control scheme. Some of the puzzles are showing their age in being so obtuse as to be unfair, but it's still a classic. If you like The Secret of Monkey Island, you'll like this
Game 18: Octodad: Dadliest Catch
There seems to be a trend of impossible-to-control physics-based games lately. The instant appeal is as obvious as it was the first time I tried QWOP. But after the first 10 minutes of giggling at the silliness, the appeal is lost and you're left just being frustrated at not being able to get from A to B because of the ridiculous controls. I'd rate Octodad as the best of the recent bunch, though. It's certainly more thought out as a game than the other titles, and the Chicken Boo storyline contextualizes the mayhem in a way that keeps it funny for longer than it should. It was super-short, but pretty fun in all. The credits rolled and I was a little underwhelmed, but then I played the extra Dad Romance chapter and caught myself grinning throughout, so maybe the idea has (ahem) legs. If you like I Am Bread or Surgeon Simulator 2013, you'll like this
Game 19: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
First time through OoT, and actually the first 3D Zelda I've ever beaten. It was a level design masterclass, for the most part, though mechanically it's showing its age. The camera was a mess, the lock-on as frustrating as it was helpful, and having to juggle items in and out is still needless busywork. And while I would have loved the minimal signposting back when this first came out, as a grown man with only an hour or two here and there to play, the few times I had no idea where to go next wasn't exactly a fun use of my time. But that combat, man. So satisfying. The 3DS version looked great too, regardless of how old the game is, and the 3D effect was consistently excellent. I had a blast, and can't wait to play Majora's Mask. If you like Darksiders, you'll like this
Game 20: The Order 1886
Obvious stuff out of the way first. The game isn't very long, and there's little replay value. It isn't worth full price on that alone. It looks gorgeous, but the gameplay is unexceptional. That's not to say it's bad, it's actually very good. It just doesn't really do anything new or interesting. The gameplay doesn't stand out, is what I'm trying to say. It's the same big-budget cover shooter game you've played dozens of times in the last generation. I went in expecting to have a bad time. I was never hyped for this game. I just wanted to churn through, admire the pretty visuals, and get it traded in while I could still make a profit. But, to my surprise, I loved every fucking minute of it, and I really hope it gets a sequel. Just don't buy it at the current price. If you liked Gears of War or Heavenly Sword, you'll like this
Going to play all three games and the expansions. F.e.a.r is a descent shooter not much to add really. I only play it to refresh my memory how the story goes since I haven't played the last one in the series and it was years ago I beaten the two first games.
Cant really recommend it if your just planning the first one.
Kind of cheap, considering it was like a 2-3 hour experience at most, but I bought and played through "Attack of the Friday Monsters" yesterday on 3DS, so that's game #1 for 2015. Nice lighthearted little adventure, but I'm glad it was on sale for 2.99 considering it's so short and there's really not much "gameplay".
I've also been moving my way through Bravely Default which I hope to finish in the next couple of weeks, so that'll probably be #2.
There's no chance I get through 52 games this year but I'd definitely like to do better than last year at trimming down the backlog.
Really committed to knocking out 52 games this year. I kept a little log of games played last year and only finished around 20 games. I started this year playing a few hours of Destiny though. I'm gonna have to put down the Destiny pipe and try to put a dent in my backlog.
December 31st, 2015 Edit: Only beat 18 games this year. I'll definitely be completing a lot more in 2016 thanks to virtual reality.
5-star scale. No halfsies.
Game 1: Knack - ~10 hours - ★★★
Longer and more challenging than I expected, Knack was an enjoyable action-platformer that felt very much like something from the creator of Crash Bandicoot.
Game 2: Depression Quest - ~3 hours - ★★★★★
A very accurate portrayal of depression that hit a bit closer than I expected, Depression Quest is an important experience that those who wish to know more about the illness should play.
Game 3: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist - ~21 hours - ★★★★★
Much better and truer to Splinter Cell than what I was initially led to believe, Blacklist is a great addition to the franchise that allows a lot customization and freedom in how to handle situations. The co-op, as always, was the best part of the experience for me. I completed all the 4E missions including the DLC with random partners.
Game 4: Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae - ~5 hours - ★★★★★
Game 5: Borderlands 2 - ~83 hours - ★★★★
I played the entirety of this game and all of its story DLC on co-op with my friend Sean. We begun on August 23rd, 2014 and just finished up everything on March 27th, 2015. An overall enjoyable game that can get tedious at times, we ended up ignoring most of the enemies near the end as we were so over-leveled by that point it didn't matter. Tiny Tina is the best.
Game 6: Ryse: Son of Rome - ~10 hours - ★★★★
Game 7: Mortal Kombat X (iOS) - ★★★
Game 8: Batman: Arkham Knight (PC) - ★★★★★
A fantastic game all around, and probably the most technically impressive I have played to date (July 25th, 2015). Really liked the story, and the writing for one character in particular was top notch. Game of the Year contender for sure. Oh, and I liked the Batmobile!
Game 9: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD (PS3) - ★★★★★
Game 10: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD (PS3) - ★★★★★
Game 11: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PC) - ★★★★★
Game 12: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PC)
Game 13: Metal Gear HD (PS3) - ★★★
Game 14: Resident Evil 5 (PC) - ★★★★★
Game 15: Until Dawn (PS4)
Game 16: Star Wars Battlefront (PS4)
Game 17: Adventure Time: Magic Man's Head Games (Gear VR)
Alright, reserving my spot. I signed up for this last year and did not do a good job of following up on it, going to do better this year. To be honest, I don't care whether I finish 52 games or not, just want to do this for fun and keep track of what I have played this year. Going to be a mix of replays, backlog stuff and new games, really looking forward to gaming in 2015.
Game 1: Final Fantasy Tactics (Playstation) - 46 Hours 1/1/15-1/10/15
I played this game when it came out extensively but couldn't remember if I had finished it or not. I started a new game on New Year's Day and immediately remembered how much I loved it. It is just as good as I remember it being. I feel like the graphics held up quite well with great sprite work and the music is excellent. Most importantly, I think the gameplay totally holds up. I had a great time experimenting with all the different job classes and trying out different abilities. My final game clock was around 44 hours but I think I spent more time if you count deaths on some battles. I managed to unlock Cloud and the other characters leading up to him but if I remember correctly there is an optional dungeon that I must have missed. Oh well. The localization is definitely not great but it wasn't as tough to follow as I expected. I didn't recognize the final set of battles at all so I don't think I finished this when I originally owned the game so I am happy to have completed it properly, fantastic experience overall.
Game 2: Suikoden (Playstation) - 28 Hours 1/10/15-1/17/15
This is a game that I finished when it was originally released but did not get all the characters and I had long forgotten most of the details of the game. Well, I went through the game again and this time got all the characters. This ended up being a longer game than I thought it would be mainly due to spending so much time searching for characters. I looked up where to find the last 5 or 6 (one of which I probably never would have found) as it becomes really tedious to revisit areas where they may or may not be. The game holds up alright, it's a pretty basic RPG but building an army in your castle does make it fairly unique and I found it quite addicting trying to find all the recruits. The big battles are also pretty cool even if they are really easy. The game is a bit uglier than I remember it being (it looks like a SNES game) but the music is pretty great overall. I had fun going through this game again and plan on playing the second game when I can find it for a somewhat reasonable price as I hear it is much better than the first. Solid start to the series.
I haven't played the original Resident Evil in many years and have never really played the Director's Cut version. I picked up a copy of the Dual Shock version years ago, hated the new soundtrack and quickly sold it off (got a proper black label copy with the RE2 demo now). I played the hell out of the original version in 1996 so I did a quick run through as Jill on Standard mode for old times sake. Having more recently played through the remake, it really stands out how much they added to that version. A lot of the areas are so much smaller in the original. After that I played through the Advanced mode with Chris and holy crap was that a much more difficult experience. There are tons more Hunters and I finished the game with a dozen or so magnum rounds and no shotgun shells. Not much compared to the small arsenal I had amassed with Jill. I saw that I unlocked an infinite magnum and couldn't resist one more run through popping heads to unlock the infinite rocket launcher with Chris. The remake is definitely a better game but I still love the original all these years later and the advanced mode changed enough that it kept me on my toes.
Currently playing: Resident Evil 2 (Playstation) - 1/21/15
Criteria: Standard game completion.
Time played: 7 hours.
So here we go! First game of the year down. My brother came to stay with me over xmas, so I decided to prioritise this game as he's heading back tomorrow, and I wanted to finish it in local co-op if possible. We started playing yesterday and were done in two sessions.
I had a great time with this one. I'm not generally fond of playing co-op in games if they feel like they're really designed for a single player, and you just happen to be able to have someone else tag along too (which imo describes most games' co-op offerings). This was different, and was probably the best co-op gaming I've had since Portal 2. At times it reminded me a lot of Mickey and Donald: World of Illusion as both players are required to help each other to even navigate the stage layout. The optional Crystal Maze style challenge rooms were great as well.
Very glad I got around to playing this finally, having purchased it over three years ago now. Will now likely be adding Temple of Osiris to my list shortly.
Game 1: Freedom Planet- 4 hrs played (1/6/2015)
Didn't think I would enjoy this game as much as I do right now even though some of the voice acting is atrocious. Really in love with the soundtrack and even though it's distinctly not a Sonic game, it still has an old-school Sonic feel.
EDIT (1/6/2015): Have beaten the game with Lilac; not sure if I will go back for the rest. Didn't like the gameplay the more I played it until I got to the last 5-6 levels, and thats where the game got truly crazy and shined.
Game #3 Beaten: Outland (XBLA) - 4 Hours
(Started April 2011 / Finished January 2nd 2015)
This was not the game for me! It hurt my eyes, I disliked the upgrades, the bosses drove me insane for the wrong reasons, the story was nonsense, and ....I liked the art. Yeah so there is that I guess.
I'm in. This will be my first year doing this. Even if I don't reach it, it'll be fun to keep track of my progress.
Game #1
The first game I played (and beat) in 2015. Purchased during the Steam sale. It's not a long game. It's not a difficult game. It's just plain fun. Mega Man vibes for sure. I want to go after the remaining achievements, but I should concentrate on beating games first before I go for 100%.
Game #2
Just 1CC'ed BOOST mode in NOVICE difficulty (which in turn, means I beat the EX boss). What a hell of a game. Another great Steam purchase. Just like Gunman Clive, I want to attempt 100% but I'll be moving on to another game. It's ok though. Getting all the achievements in a shoot 'em up is impossible for me, lol.
Just completed the main game of Super Mario 3D Land. When I say "completed" I mean every coin and every gold flag in the main levels. I haven't started the post game yet because I feel a little burned out on Mario at the moment. I was never big on using 3D but found myself switching it on. Fun game and sometime down the line I'll work on the post game.
Game #4
This is a shmup which came out yesterday on Steam. I just beat it on normal, 1CC. It's a decent game. Nothing that will blow your mind. It's simple and fun. There are times where it can turn into a bullet hell, but because of how small the hitbox of the ship is, it won't be much of a problem.
6 stages in the campaign as well as an endless mode. 14 ships to choose from. Normal and hardcore mode. Hardcore is "one hit and you're dead. Restart the whole level over.." whereas in Normal mode you can take many hits before you actually die.
For it's release, it's on sale for $6.79 (regular price $7.99) and proceeds go to the Child's Play Charity.
Game #5: Resogun
I bought a PS4 on launch day. Played the hell out of Resogun. It was THE reason I picked a PS4 over X1 early on...but then I did something stupid and traded in my PS4.
August of last year came and I was itching to re-buy the console because of Resogun DLC and TLOU. I picked one up and played nothing but Survival Mode. It was THE thing that was missing from Resogun. The addiction became insane. So insane that I said F the trophies. I just want some high scores, lol.
During the end of December/beginning of January, I decided to really go after the remaining trophies. Just yesterday, thanks to a fellow GAF'er, we both did share play to get the one local multiplayer trophy that stopped us from truly having 100%.
This is one of the most addictive games out there. I always said Geometry Wars 2 was my #1 in this genre, but I think Resogun has surpassed it. Even though I beat this months ago, it isn't until now (seeing everything 100%) where I truly feel I've beaten it.
I am prepared for Resogun: Defenders. If I didn't consider this my #1 game in the twin stick genre already, the new DLC that's coming out will have changed that.
Post update with Game # 4: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II. It was more fun (and more frustrating at parts, though not for the wrong reasons as Episode I), but I'm starting to burn out on platformers now. And there's a lot of them yet to come...
Holy shit, what an awful final boss for a game. What were Rocksteady thinking when they thought
putting grunts
in the final boss fight would be a good idea? Fortunately, the final boss is one of the few complaints I have about the game. I really liked the combat in this game, it reminds me of the combat in Sleeping Dogs, which I enjoyed too, the difference being that you have Batman's gadgets in Arkham Asylum. The soundtrack is weak, there are barely any music variety in the game and the tracks you get to listen are quite generic and boring. Too bad. I think what I liked the most in the game were the creepy Scarecrow levels (I'd love to play a horror game on the vein of said levels) and some of the boss fights, like the one against
Poison Ivy
. Nice game overall, but I can't say it is one my favorites, since it is weak in the soundtrack and final boss departments.
I'm in gaf only probably completed a bakers dozen 2014 but that's gonna change this year
and in gonna have fun doing it, will update this post accordingly
Impression: The game does get repetitive, however the variety in weapons and characters is amazing! I also love the advancement system and crafting within the game, it gives it a hybrid moba/musou/hack and slash/rpg feel. Will dive into the download content at the end of the month.
Game #2: Super Smash Bros Wii U & 3Ds
Time: Approx 15 Hours (More if you count my kids, it gets to 20 or so)
Impression: The roster is just a blast to experiment with. Had some fun with casual online matches, games with me and the kids are a ton of fun. Couch coop at its very best! Not alot of time with competitive stuff or solo gameplay yet. I have unlocked every stage and character at this point.
Game #3 Sunset Overdrive
Time: Approx 12 Hours
Impression: I have completed the campaign. It was fun, however not really all that memorable. The travelling system, trans-versing the city on rails and big jumps as well as the weapon variety were the highlights of the game for me. The borderlands 'esque' art was well done, otherwise the graphics were average. The humor was good in some points and overly middle school at others. They tried too hard to be funny, if that makes sense. Online was really not that inspiring either, however I will admit that I tried it before unlocking several fun weapons.
Game #4: Fire Emblem Awakening
Time: 35 Hours
Impression: Absolutely my favorite game thus far on the 3ds. I loved the story, the badass characters and the depth of the RPG Elements. This game simply rules! Chrom, Lon Que, and Gregor just shredded everyone as I progressed. Love this game, and eagerly await the next one!
Game #5: World of Warcraft
Time: 60+ Hours
I have two max characters, a Deathknight and Shaman. I have raided as DPS and Tank and will continue to play this game. I have a level 3 Garrison and love the follower system.
To Do List: (In a somewhat loose order)
GTA V - around 20% complete.
DKCTF (Around halfway done in 2014)
Bayonetta 2
Valkyria Chronicles- Just started it.
Uncharted Golden Abyss - Through chapter 6.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - Starting Chapter 5
Dragonropa :Trigger Happy Havoc - Just started.
Metro Last Light Redux - 50%
Game 1: The Expendabros - 2/5 - 1 hour and 49 minutes (02/01/15)
Finished all ten missions, unlocked all bros. Mindless and straightforward fun, you just go forward and destroy everything in your way; the bros are almost all great and fun to use (the doctor sucks though) and feature very different weapons, the destructible environments are amazing, never saw anything on this level in a 2D game since Worms. The fact you can't choose whichever bro you want is kind of puzzling, no real reason for that, and sometimes you're stuck with a bro who's not apt for the task at hand. The game has style but lacks a lot in substance, it's incredibly repeating, even though it's so short; however, everything consodered, being a free game it's more than ok as it is.
Game 1: Crimson Clover: WORLD IGNITION - 3 Hours - PC/Steam
First game of 2015 down and it feels fucking awesome. Totally LTTP on this game. Just finished my first 1CC of the game on Novice Difficulty on Original Mode with the Type-1 ship. I was only on my 3rd attempt too! Holy shit was it intense though. I haven't attempted or done something like this in a long time. Got to the final form of the true final boss with one ship left and at one point I had nothing and he was locked in this relentless assault of bullets, but I pulled through. I'm pretty content with my run, but I'll definitely give the standard Arcade difficulty a shot to see how I fair. For now, I've seen the legit credits roll, so I consider the game "beaten".
Game 1: Jazzpunk - PC - 3 hours, 30 minutes - Completed
#The drive to find absolutely every little easter egg made the experience a bit exasperating. It was just amusing enough to keep my interest most of the way through. A decent lazy Sunday game, but probably fine to skip this entirely if your time is limited.
Game 2: The Walking Dead: Season 2 - PS3 - ~11 hours - Feb 13
#This was better than I expected considering it was criticized as being mediocre. I enjoyed it about as much as the first.
Game 3: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor - PC - Many hours - Killed Imperator, Killed Blackhand, working on Archimonde normal, and just killed Gorefiend on heroic.
#I'm a discipline priest healer in my guild. We've killed Imperator on heroic, Blackhand on normal, and are in Hellfire Citadel. We're not very good, but I'm very chill in WoW. I try my best but for some reason don't mind not being in the most elite guild. It's fun and we're progressing enough.
Game 4: Hearthstone - PC - Playing casually
#It's Hearthstone. I'm glad for Tavern Brawl, it injected some needed variety. Not sure if I'll buy in to the Grand Tournament expansion.
Game 5: Broforce - PC - Finished campaign in co-op with two others
#Terraria meets Metal Slug. It's a very fun co-op game.
Game 6: Mario Party 10 - Wii U - Rented and played it some - 5 hours
#It's kind of good, but Nintendo makes bad design decisions as usual. Mario Party in a nut shell.
Game 7: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - Vita
#I really enjoyed the game proper. The reveal at the end was awful and very disappointing. The villain had no logic or reason behind their actions, and seemed to have unbelievable resources and ability, considering most of the game is quite grounded. The reveal had pointless misdirection, that added no insight in to character but seemed to exist for its own sake. The game itself was very enjoyable; the characters tended toward generic anime tropes, but had some freshness. The reveal was so bad, I lost all desire to play the sequel, which I was salivating over until the last half hour of the game. There are allegedly novels that explain the villain's backstory, but what was presented was trash.
Game 8: Grand Theft Auto 5 - PC
#The multiplayer is both amazing and terrible. I've had some incredible highs in some incredible situations in the multiplayer. It can also be quite tedious. The story mode is fine enough, predictable GTA. Online heists are bad ass. In progress.
Game 9: OlliOlli 2 - Vita
#5-starred all the amateur tracks, and 1 of the pro. Working my way through pro. The improved presentation made this game for me over the original. It's so tight and fun.
Game 10: Shovel Knight - Vita
#Pretty good. Nostalgia overload. Nailed that NES platformer mimicry. Not sure if I'll finish it. A bit burned out on platformers.
Game 11: Freedom Wars - Vita
#Haven't progressed even half an hour into this yet. It is a technical masterpiece though, it looks fantastic on my Vita.
Game 12: Invisible Inc - PC - Completed 1 campaign
#Very enjoyable. The game being in the style of FTL: Faster Than Light put me off. The story is basic and disappointing. It's meant to be replayed, but I haven't been able to convince myself to dive back in again. It's very good, I just tend to set games aside, even if I like them.
Game 13: TellTale's Back to the Future - PC - Completed
#Started out slow, but turned out to be pretty enjoyable. This game made me miss older Telltale a bit. This is a better balance between story-game and adventure game than Sam & Max, which goes too far in to Adventure game tedium for my taste.
Game 14: Rogue Legacy - PS4 - 12 hours, completed the game.
#A great podcast game.
Game 15: Battalion Wars 2 - Wii - In progress
#Not exactly what I expected, but it's growing on me.
Game 16: House of the Dead 2 & 3 - Wii - In progress
#Very fun arcade light gun game. Much better than I expected even.
Game 17: Bloodborne - PS4 - In progress
#I killed the first two bosses in the same night, soon after thinking I was hopelessly bad at the game. Probably took me 10 hours to get this far, which feels embarrassing. However, I am not a Dark Souls veteran. I'm really enjoying exploring and being a predatory bad ass.
Game 18: Shadowrun: Hong Kong - PC - In progress
#It's what I was hoping for so far. Feels nice to be back in the world of Shadowrun. Dragonfall was my game of the year, so I'm excited for this one.
Game 19: Drive Club - PS4 - In progress
#Picked this back up.
Game 20: Boom Blox - Wii - Played all the multiplayer games with brother
#It has some very fun multiplayer modes. Brother wasn't as interested as me, but the fort wars one got him.
Game 21: The Beginner's Guide
#
Game 22: Overwatch
#
Game 1: Liberation Maiden - 54 minutes - January 2nd, 2015
The first game of the Guild01 compilation. Had this been released as a single package for NA, I might have counted all the Guild01 games as one game for this list, but they're separate and I only bought half of Guild01, so whatever, they're getting counted separately, This one is a Suda title, that honestly doesn't feel too Suda-y. The music is pretty rocking, and the anime cutscenes (two I think?) are quite attractive. The controls aren't my absolute favorite, but otherwise, my hour with the game was quite enjoyable. I honestly would enjoy seeing this title expanded upon, because there's something worth exploring in it. - 6/10
Game 2: Hatoful Boyfriend - 3 hours - January 2nd, 2015
I was actually a little disappointed in this one. It's a humorous take on the VNs I suppose, but there's only so much you can get out of dating pigeons. I know the Bad Boys Love route is supposed to be better. Honestly though, I'm a bit disappointed that the BBL stuff doesn't take a bigger role sooner, because frankly I'm too lazy to play through all the endings. I've gotten two actual endings and they left me feeling pretty "meh." It wouldn't be so bad if each character had one ending, but requiring me to read through the same character stories again to get the "true/extended" endings seems a bit unnecessary. I'll probably return to get a 100% completion...some day. - 6/10
Game 3: Attack of the Friday Monsters: A Tokyo Tale - 3 hours 20 minutes - January 4th, 2015
This isn't a game for everyone. Especially people who care more about "gameplay." The gameplay here is simplistic to the extreme. There's some exploration, lots of conversations and glorified rock-paper-scissors. That's pretty much it. For some, that won't be enough to draw them in. That being said, for me it was a delightful take on childhood, a time in life that I feel is pretty hard to do right. In fact, it's so difficult that I feel we have a huge lack of titles dealing with childhood. AotFM has a sweet soundtrack, beautiful backgrounds and a very simple but effective set of voice-acting. The story is excellent in its own special way, even though the game will only take you about 3-4 hours to complete. It's truly a eShop gem. - 7/10
Game 4: Shadowrun Returns - 9 hours - January 5th, 2015
A friend told me he played this and didn't enjoy it, which put me off for a while. Eventually I decided to give it a go. After playing it, I can see why it might put someone off. Frankly, it felt too easy (at least with certain race-class combos) and too shallow. Only maybe twice (at the very end) in the entire game did I feel challenged. In terms of mechanics, I felt as though it had potential but underutilized that potential. Even on "normal" I could just frontally assault with guns most of the time and win. That being said, it's a nice attempt at a classic cRPG, and I immensely enjoyed the atmosphere and writing. I went in knowing nothing about the Shadowrun universe and came out very interested. I would have liked to see party characters get more development though. The "mercenary" method of getting party members is alright in theory but it really led to a lack of meaningful connection with the party. I'm going to give Dragonfall a chance next, and hopefully that will be even better, building of Shadowrun Returns' solid foundation. - 6/10
Game 5: Bastion - 3.8 hours - January 8th, 2015
I had started this game a year or two ago and never really got into the groove of it. I think I stopped after about two and half hours. A friend had been bugging me to finish it recently, so I finally gave in and restarted. I think I actually breezed through and skipped some stuff like the Proving Grounds, but really I had a great time. I'm a terrible PC gamer, because what finally drew me in was playing with a PS3 controller. The PC controls had been so clunky that they turned me off. The game is gorgeous, has an amazing atmosphere, decent story and a really fantastic OST. If it's sitting uplayed in your library (like it was mine), go play it. - 8/10
Game 6: Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos - 1.8 hours - January 8th, 2015
This was an interesting little VN. Short, but it has a decent enough concept. It's a shame that the Kickstarter was cancelled and refunded, because this could have been mildly interesting. It's a bit weird that one story-branch has like a single option, and the other branch gives you maybe 3-4 to choose from. So in that regard, it's very "novel" heavy, and definitely could have used some more input. Other quibbles would be with the art which was pretty good for backgrounds, but for the characters was fairly "meh." But still, it was a solid first episode, so definitely disappointed that we won't see more (at least not in the near future). - 5/10
Game 7: Framed - 2.5 hours - January 30th, 2015
When Kojima declares a game his best game in this year, I take note. Admittedly, I was interested when I saw his tweet, but I had a full plate with finals and had plenty of other games to play. So I quite promptly forgot about it.
If someone were to ask what Framed is, I would probably describe it as an interactive comic book. However, thats really just an easy description as its not just an interactive comic book. It has some puzzle mechanics, so it is most definitely a video game.
If theres one thing I really took away from Framed, it was an appreciation and hope that more developers look into comic books as a potential place for development. Framed was a great attempt. But I think even more is possible. Taking cues from the way Visual Novels have treated printed stories, games like Framed could become even more expansive. Rather than telling a linear narrative like Framed, perhaps we can have comic books with diverging storylines. Perhaps we can have a more traditional comic book with dialogue. The possibilities are endless. -7/10
Game 8: Wolfenstein: The New Order - 15 hours - February 21st, 2015
Everybody gushed over this one and boy were they right. TNO is an absolute delight to play. Eviscerating Nazis over a 15 hour campaign was utterly amazing. Even though I grew up in the age of "modern" shooters, the return to some old school roots was absolutely delicious. Dual-wielding nearly every gun was a ludicrous amount of fun. Throughout the game, just enough new weapons and upgrades are thrown your way to keep the gameplay feeling fresh. Perhaps the thing I appreciated the most was a really well-crafted, well-realized world. Everything from Anya's disturbing journal readings to the German music collectibles (Mond, Mond, Ja, Ja is stuck in my head) to the ambient NPC conversations was fantastically done. I'm not usually that drawn in by stuff like this, but I took time throughout the game to search for the collectibles, newspaper clippings and even to just stare at the posters and propaganda everywhere. The story is satisfying, and another great example of just how awesome a linear game can be. The choice to sell a game without MP was bold, and my hat is off to MachineGames.
Two gripes. First, the gun models were too big. I didn't experience the outright motion sickness that some people reported, but something about the FOV and the gun models made me feel disoriented and nauseated at times. I've never had that in a game. Second, the end was weak. Really weak. I don't mind
the implication that Blazko died.
That's fine, whatever. What bothered me was the boss fight in particular. It was irritating, and it didn't feel rewarding. Maybe that was intentional.
Easily the best game I've played so far, and I can see it being one of the best I'll play all year. - 9/10
Game 9: Hitman GO - 4-5 hours - February 23rd, 2015
Hitman GO is an absolutely amazing take on the Hitman formula. At first glance, you might roll your eyes. Here's Square Enix trying to cash in on one of their beloved console/PC franchises with a mobile game. Ugh right? Well...no! SE Montreal has taken the formula, shrunk it down to its basic elements, and then covered it with a gorgeous stylized aesthetic.
I'll admit, I have never played Hitman (even though I want to now!), so I went into this game with limited preconceptions of what it should be. I know that some Hitman fans might be irritated by a lack of options. As a puzzle game, it has a natural limitation in the number of paths and strategies you can try. But it's a satisfying game that requires some real mental deftness in places. For $5, you get a fun game with a decent amount of levels and a satisfying amount of complexity/mechanics added in at an appropriate speed. Absolutely worth your time and your money.- 8/10
Game 10: inFAMOUS: First Light - 3.5 hours - March 2nd, 2015
I think in retrospect, I might have enjoyed this just as much if not more than than Second Son itself. The best part of First Light is getting rid of those terrible, goofy, binary "choices." The story itself is pretty good, even if we know what's going to happen (if you've played i:SS). I enjoyed my time in the city, even if it suffers from a similar problem Second Son did (i.e., repetitive missions). And of course, it takes the best part of Second Son, gameplay, and utilizes it magnificently. I've only finished the story, but I expect I'll be coming back to this one for some time as I seek the platinum. - 7/10
Game 11: Don't Starve - 14 hours - March 8nd, 2015
Lovely game. The aesthetic and the soundtrack is just amazing. In terms of the gameplay itself, it felt like everything I had actually wanted from a Minecraft-esque survival-crafting game. I always found Minecraft good for building stuff, but in terms of having a harrowing adventure? Nah. Too easy. Don't Starve actually challenged me and gave him some nice variation in the strategies I needed to survive (e.g. winter, summer, etc). The Reign of Giants expansion is particularly excellent. One of the best parts was just the nice big variety in crafting recipes. So much to do! As a Vita game, this game functions amazingly as a portable title. I'm labeling this one as "done," because I unlocked all the Sandbox characters. I'm sure I'll return and keep playing, but I want to get it down on a list before I forget about putting it here!
- 8/10
Game 12: Counterspy - 3 hours - March 12th, 2015
UGH. UGH. ARGHHHH. That's pretty much how Counterspy left me feeling. I really wanted to like it. In fact, I loved the first two levels I played. The aesthetic, the somewhat goofy nature of the presentation, and of course the idea of a "stealth" game. But after that intro, everything was a downhill slog. The gameplay felt tedious, controls felt unresponsive and I even had a few bugs that caused me to be unable to start a mission. The game is ostensibly about being a spy. Give me more ways to avoid firefights. Give me more paths and routes. Stop confining me to arbitrary paths. One of the trophies is to not be seen by a guard. Yeah, I don't know how people have even gotten that trophy. That's crazy.
Bah. What a tragic waste of potential.
- 4/10
Game 13: Fire Emblem: Awakening - 30+ hours - April 14th, 2015
Finally, finally, finally done with this. My time on my file only says something like 24 hours, but I'm nearly certain it's closer to 30+, given the resets I had to do. Even though I reset quite a few times, I still feel fairly comfortable saying I think the game was too easy. My method of artificially upping the difficulty was trying to get every character married off, get every paralogue and level up all the characters evenly. I could have easily wrecked the game with my core team, but that would have been boring. Even as it was, by the time I finished the first 20 or so paralogues, I was so highly leveled and buffed that the last five or so levels were laughably easy. On top of that, the missions themselves were so unvaried and so simplistic, that I rarely felt challenged in terms of strategy. I feel like the game desperately needed some more unique objectives (say like
the Tiki survival mission
). Enemies absolutely needed to be able to pair up.
That said, my difficulty complaints come while I played on classic (instead of hard). Maybe I'm just experienced enough at strategy games that it's time to move onto a harder difficulty. In terms of the positives, I can safely say that I loved the OST. In fact, I'm relistening to it right now. It's absolutely fantastic. The story was fairly rote and cliche, but by the end, I was fairly satisfied with the course it took. In terms of characters, I found myself looking at a real mixed bag. I loved some characters very dearly (e.g. Cherche, Olivia, Vaike, ), was ambivalent about some (e.g. Chrom, Gaius, Laurent), and despised others (e.g. Kellam). Some character interactions were particularly sweet, and others felt like crap. This actually isn't a complaint, because given how many characters there were, I was actually impressed by how many of the characters and character pairings I enjoyed. All this said, I would absolutely recommend the game to people. It's worth your time.
- 8/10
Game 14: Hyrule Warriors - 20+ hours - April 17th, 2015
Welp. I finished the main story. After 20 hours of playing this myself to complete the story, along with a dozen or so hours playing with friends, I'm fairly done with Hyrule Warriors. I know there is some great DLC. I know there is Adventure mode. But, I saw the credits and finished the story of the game. And the reason I'm counting that is because it is a momentous occasion: it is the first time I have ever finished a Zelda-related game. I've played the original Legend of Zelda. I've played Wind Waker. I've played Minish Cap. I've even played a few others that I'm now forgetting. But until today, I have never managed to finish one. This was the first one to get me invested enough to finish it through.
I can't say why that is exactly. I can however say that this is one of the finest Warriors-styled games I've played yet. The character roster is miniscule in comparison to many others, but it's well-crafted and each character is uniquely fun. Mission objectives are varied and challenging. This is not something I necessarily remember in DW8, which seemed to get tedious in mission design. The graphics are damn good, and the music is really enjoyable. Although I haven't forked over for the Season Pass yet, Hyrule Warriors also gets the distinction of being the first game I forked over for costume DLC. Even though I've never played Skyward Sword, I loved the Skyloft costumes and bought the pack to support the game. With all the content left, will I return? Yeah, of course. But for now, it's time to put this away for a bit and continue cutting through the backlog!
- 9/10
Game 15: Freedom Wars - 40+ hours - April 20th, 2015
Freedom Wars is a testament in many ways to what the Vita could have been. Stunning graphics (for a handheld). Solid BGM. Great, addicting gameplay. The whole package is just tantalizingly good. Even though the story and characters aren't much to write home about, the game carries itself on the shoulders of the gameplay, which is just simply great...
However let's just address the elephant in the room: I didn't actually finish the game. You know why I didn't finish it? Because the last mission is a pile of shit. I don't get mad about games often. I don't complain about difficulty often. But the very last boss fight of Freedom Wars is terrible. I cannot complete it, no matter how much I have grinded or the strategies I've been tipped off with. Now you might say, "Oh well if it's too hard, don't solo it! Get a group online!" Great idea! Except for one little issue: I can't play online. I don't know why, as I was able to when I first bought the game. But as of January-ish, I can't get online. The game just disconnects me, no matter how many times I reset the router, my network settings or try any other officially suggested methods. And this of course doesn't happen with any other game or service. I can still download games and updates. I can still play other games online (hell I just played Killzone this afternoon). But Freedom Wars? Doesn't want to cooperate. So here I am, stuck with a game that I cannot complete. For crying out loud, there's not even a difficulty setting for me to adjust. So because of that, I'm done. I've spent nearly ten hours trying to finish this last boss, and I'm done giving a hoot. Since we don't have hugely specific rules on these things, I feel justified in counting this game.
Last year, I put this game on my GOTY list. I obviously did that prematurely, since I hadn't gotten to the last mission. To you Freedom Wars:╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮
- 7/10
Game 16: Genroku Legends: Fishy Tales of the Nekomata - 9 hours, 54 minutes - April 25th, 2015
This was some damn good DLC. Not often do I get to sink 9+ satisfying, delicious hours into something that I bought for $5. Tales of the Nekomata has everything that a Muramasa DLC needs: beautiful art, absurd character design, ridiculous bosses and addicting combat. There was a point in the DLC where my jaw just dropped. The boss design at one is just so nutty that I couldn't believe Vanillaware actually put it into a game. The best part? It all still hearkens back to traditional Japanese folklore in a really fun way. You might see the cat-girl on the DLC cover and roll your eyes. I know I did. But damn, it wasn't quite what I thought it'd be. Really this DLC could be done in less than 3 hours if you're going slow, but I amassed 9 hours goofing around trying to get the second ending. I'm not sure if I'll do that for all of the DLCs, but I might...
- 10/10
Game 17: Killzone: Mercenary - 6 hours+ - April 28th, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed my romp through the short campaign of Killzone: Mercenary. I'm always really intrigued by the Killzone franchise because the lore and concepts behind the games absolutely fascinate me. But then you end up with this fairly sloppy execution, like what I experienced with Shadow Fall. And yet, while the games' thematic execution may end up sloppy, the games are usually anything but. Shadow Fall was my first PS4 game and it blew me away as a technical masterpiece. Similarly, Mercenary was the first PSV game in a good long way to blow me away. The game is truly a masterpiece technologically, and a testament to what the Vita might have been in another situation. The game is still certainly held back by the hardware. In particular, some of the controls can feel clunky, although that may be a product of the slightly slower pace of Killzone. Killzone has (to me) never played as quickly as something like a modern Battlefield or Call of Duty game. That said, the game is gorgeous. It really is like having a modern FPS in your pocket. The level design is delightfully varied. The shooting and variety of weapons/equipment/etc keep the situations feeling fresh. And similarly, at first, I was a bit put off by how many weapon caches (where you can buy and restock on equipment) were littered around the map. Once I got over the goofiness however, I really appreciated how having these caches around allowed me to change my playstyle on the fly during the middle of the map. I want to go in guns blazing? I can do that. I don't feel like facing waves and want to stealth it, I can also do that. I want to snipe? Easy. I want to stealth-kill with drones? Also easy. I want to stealth kill with SMGs? No problemo.
The characters may be fairly rote and by the book (except for a real neat twist in the last level), but the story was still engaging. I blew through the campaign in two nights. But, I had heard many good things about the multiplayer, and frankly it did not engage me. I would like to give this game more time before I "finish" it, but the multiplayer didn't do it for me, and the game also takes up an inordinate amount of space on my poor 16GB PSV card (nearly 3.5GBs!). So, with that, au revoir Killzone!
- 7/10
Game 18: Muramasa Rebirth - 26 hours total, 14 in 2015+ - May 5th, 2015
But ortho, you counted Muramasa last year for your 52 games progress! Why yes I did! Last year, I played Muramasa for roughly 12 hours and got the two basic endings. This year I devoted another 14 hours and got the four other endings. My feelings on the game haven't really changed. The backgrounds are gorgeous, the bosses are amazing, the music is solid and the story is fairly captivating. The one thing the game really loses some points on is the repetition of enemy types. It made it harder to want to grind through all the bosses and Caves when I was seeing the same enemy for the umpteenth time. But the "true" endings were pretty enjoyable and well worth me revisiting the game. With this, I'm pretty much done with the game. I have a trophy or two I might grind out, but I have no patience to platinum the game. After that, I've got three DLC expansions to finish and then I'll be done!
- 9/10
Game 19: Monument Valley - Less than one hour total - May 11th, 2015
So that's what the hullabaloo was all about eh? I'm not quite sure what to think. On the one hand, Monument Valley looks, sounds, and in an amazing way, feels gorgeous. On the other hand, the "puzzles" are about as easy as pie. It wasn't until the last level that I really felt like I even remotely had to think about what was going on. And that's a shame, because the idea of the geometric puzzling is fantastic. Maybe the concept would be harder to grasp for people younger or less familiar with games than myself, but for me, the concept was so easy to grasp. I'm also shocked that this game goes for around $4. I picked it up on sale for $0.99, and to be honest, that's about how much I value the experience. It was short, sweet, worthwhile and that's about it. Given the shortness and the simplicity, I find it too hard to score right now. I'll have to dwell on it., I don't think I can really give it more than a seven.
- 7/10
Two games today. I even got all the achievements in both of them. That's 4 perfected games this year already! Main post updated.
01-02-15 - Game 3: Hatoful Boyfriend - 8 hours Go to a pigeon high school as the only human and talk to bird-brains. And... stuff happens.
Wow. People were not kidding when they said there's more to this game than meets the eye. I didn't like it much at first. It wasn't a bad VN but very predictable with few choices and lots of repeated scenes. Oh, and the bugs! Bugs galore! Then it happened. And I loved it. Can't say more due to spoilers. Highly recommended game. Even if you don't like the first part, go through it. Doesn't take too long. No there is no sex in it.
01-02-15 - Game 4: Hexcells Plus - 7 hours Think, then click on the right hexagons. Think again, then click on some more hexagons.
I breezed through the first game. This one... not to much. It's way harder! Sometimes frustratingly so. Still a really good puzzle game.
Game #1 - Dragon Age: Inquisition - ~130 hours
Just wrapped up my Nightmare playthrough last night. Doesn't seem like a particularly well balanced game, as it's super difficult at the end of the first act but really wasn't that hard at all in the third act.
Game 3:Le Tour de France 2009 - Started :1/1/15 Finished :1/2/15
You see this image? Yeah, I can't find a square picture of the boxart. Hmm.. I wonder why?..
Why did I buy this? I don't like cycling, but after looking at the appawling screenshots of this game, I said to myself, "Why not? It might be so bad it's funny." I was so wrong. Le Tour de France 2009 is not broken, but my god, it is a terrible, terrible game. The game does not really come with a good tutorial. Sure it explains concepts and buttons, but you never get to actually see how to play anything. The game features two modes divided amongst 22 or so stages. In the game's main mode you control 5 cyclists and see if you can win the race. This mode is slow and boring to be honest. You pick whether you want a cyclist to: Follow, Relay, or Speed forward with a set amount of effort. I, however, found that you can win simply by putting the race speed to x4 via the pause menu and using the 'Go' command with the A button over and over again, thus eliminating any potential challenge. The time trials mode makes no sense to me, and honestly I'm probably just not understanding something because even at the slowest possible speed I cannot make certain turns without crashing. Every single time. In time trials mode, you aren't allowed to use the left stick to turn, but rather you get to use the Xbox 360's terrible D-pad. The game liked to alert me that I was in "83th" place quite a bit. Good to know that even the simplest of things got past the devs. Also the game looks terrible and features some obnoxious music on loop. Le Tour de France isn't broken, but god damn is it the worst thing besides that due to easily the most simplistic and boring gameplay I've seen on the Xbox 360
Not really an update per se, but I just want to say that its impossible to 100% GBA Yoshi's Island.
After over three hours in Extra World 6 (It might've been Secret World 6, the one with the doors and falling down a hole of insta kill hazards multiple times.) I finally manged to fully get everything.
Then I player Secret World 5 (I'm going backwards in secret/extra stages because I thought I'd get the hardest out've the way first...lol, the skiing one.) and holy shit. You have to ski down several sections and memorize, where I suck at memorizing, several specific jumps. Then you turn into a helicopter and have to figure out where all of the collectables are before you use up all of your copter bubbles. And if you die at any point, you have to restart at the beginning of the skiing section...over..and over...and over...I don't think I can take much more of this. But I 100%ed everything besides Secret/Extra levels in the past and considered it one of my all time favorite games. But these levels are the most bullshit thing I've ever seen.
But now I have to 100% because its pissing me off so much. I'm going to look at a walkthrough video tho in a sec. Even then it may be impossible, but atleast I'll know if I miss anything if I ever pull this shit off. Remind me if I ever replay this game again to never 100% the Secret/Extra levels. The fact that theres no checkpoint after the skiing section is just mind blowing.
Oh and I started and beat Ikachan on 3DS on the first. Will just do a general update of all my game progress each month, so I'll fully update it later this month.
Been on this playthrough since September 1st 2011. It needs to be done.
^^ Yeah the extra GBA stages on Yoshi's Island are absolute bullshit. I think I did them all back in the day except the last one (the one that starts with a helicopter section I think, then you fall down a pit, then you're lost in a maze of doors). Really not worth it.
This sounds fun. I'm clearing my backlog too, so I may kill 2 birds with one stone. Most of the games in my backlog are kinda large so I hope I can make it :S
Game #2: Dillon's Rolling Western (3DS / Started last week)
I liked the concept of this game so much that I bought the sequel before I could finish this one. Just started it (again), I think I should be at second or third day of the first town, not sure. While I play EB at home I take this one with me to school or work.
Game #3: Bayonetta (Wii U / Next on my list)
I actually made a schedule about how to tackle my backlog. I thought that a fast-paced action game would be the best after an old-school JRPG so I don't get burned, specially considering my backlog has a lot of JRPGs. Bought it (Bayonetta 2) but haven't even opened it yet. Will do as soon as I finish EB.
1. Forza Horizon (360) Beat Darius twice: once for the festival crown, and again for his car.
Got Forza Horizon 2 in the mail a few days ago, and it seemed completely wrong to start playing that when I knew I had a playthrough of the first game I'd abandoned back in 2012. When I picked it up again it turned out I'd put in a scant two hours for reasons that still escape me. What did I play in its place? As far as I can tell, nothing hugely significant. Was I just tired of racing games at the time?
Horizon's biggest problem is that it smacks of Axe Body Spray. Most of the stars you face are douchebags of one kind or another, and everything is bathed in toxic levels of corporate sponsorships--part realism, I guess, since any big music festival has its share of advertising, but also a good payday for Microsoft. But all of that disappears pretty quickly, once you really get into the racing. Thanks to the 1000 Club expansion all Horizon owners got for free sometime after I stopped playing, there's always a reason to cruise around in free mode.
But even without the mini-challenges you get for each car, driving around scenic Colorado is fun. Practically every trick you pull nets you rewards, and the roads are pleasantly windy. There's just the right amount of traffic, too. More urban-focused open worlds like Midnight Club and Need for Speed: Most Wanted feel a bit too realistic with the number of cars on the road; Horizon lets you weave in and out of traffic without feeling like you're always two seconds away from a horrible wreck.
As for the actual racing, Horizon feels like it repeats itself a lot less than Forza 5 did, though that may simply be due to its shorter running time--in total I spent 15 hours in Colorado versus 50+ in Forza 5. But Horizon's more varied, too. Point-to-point races and dirt tracks help spice things up, and the race restrictions strike a good balance of encouraging you to try new cars while allowing you to rely on a few workhorses should you desire. And unlike Forza 5, Horizon practically encourages you to get dirty, which was a nice change of pace from the sims I usually play.
In summary, I'm kind of sad I didn't think to pick this back up earlier. Horizon's pretty solid, and though I don't think I'll dive into its sequel right away, I think a return trip to the festival's in order sooner rather than later.
^^ Yeah the extra GBA stages on Yoshi's Island are absolute bullshit. I think I did them all back in the day except the last one (the one that starts with a helicopter section I think, then you fall down a pit, then you're lost in a maze of doors). Really not worth it.
Well right after I posted a a couple dozen more tried I Did The skiing one. I did all of World 1,& World 6's level in addition to the skiing one in world 5 so hopefully the hardest is behind me.
Also gotta love that World 1 level title "Poochy ain't stupid"
#1
03-01-2015
Geometry Wars 3
Finished the adventure mode which I thought was excellent, but outside of that I don't really feel like playing the arcade modes for high scores.
Game 2: Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed Playtime: 8:51 Started: Dec 29th, 2014 Completed: Jan 2nd, 2015
// Despite all the problems the game has, it was a lot of fun. It gives off the feeling of an authentic Akihabara. It would've been so much better if the combat and movement weren't so clunky. Seeing how the game has different endings, I'll definitely be going back and replaying this in the near future.
Game #3 Beaten: Outland (XBLA) - 4 Hours
(Started April 2011 / Finished January 2nd 2015)[/B]
This was not the game for me! It hurt my eyes, I disliked the upgrades, the bosses drove me insane for the wrong reasons, the story was nonsense, and ....I liked the art. Yeah so there is that I guess.
Game #2: Dillon's Rolling Western (3DS / Started last week)
I liked the concept of this game so much that I bought the sequel before I could finish this one. Just started it (again), I think I should be at second or third day of the first town, not sure. While I play EB at home I take this one with me to school or work.
Game #1: The Fall (2 hours)
This one was a lot of fun. The Giantbomb end of year podcast kind of spoiled the story for me, though I skipped ahead to avoid the details. Anyway, the story is good, and the puzzles were surprisingly tough. The solutions to the problems that you encounter are not obvious, due to the poor state of the area you are in.
Game #2: Wolfenstein: The New Order
I started up Wolfenstein some time ago. I thought the opening mission was great, the plot device for the following missions was neat, but I didn't love the game.
Lately though I pushed deeper, and I am happy that I did. The key, for me, was the stealth. By no means is the stealth deep or complex, but its simplicity is what makes it for me. Move up behind, take them out. Move through tunnels to reach a better spot. It all works really well, and when it doesn't, you just dual-wield one of your weapons to get yourself out of a jam.
Game #3: Dragon Age: Inquisition (50 hours)
I spent a lot of time in running side missions in this game, and loved it. I finally decided enough was enough though, and brought my time to an end.
Game #4: Infamous: First Light
I enjoyed this spinoff more than the main Infamous entry. Better protagonist, better powers.
Game 1 - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Steam, 35 Hours
AssCreed would have probably lasted me longer but I got burned out on trying to 100% it and blazed through the last couple sequences. Fuck am I ever sick of the present portions of these games. They would be so much smoother without the stupid abstergo bullshit breaking it up and taking you out of it.
Game 2 - Super Mario Bros DX
GBC via 3DS VC
Mario feels like cheating as aside from learning where the Yoshis and red coins were, I blazed through the game on muscle memory.
Game 3: Persona Q, 3DS, 72h
Took me forever to put ths one away. Things just kept seeming to come up, Loved the game though. The dungeon crawling was a fantastic addition to the game. Loved all the little moments as well.
Game 4: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
3ds, Virtual Console
Very short, but fantastic little Mario game I missed when I was a kid. I honestly hope someone remakes it in Mario Maker.
Game 5 - Code of Princess
3DS
A side-scrolling beat-em-up with some interesting ideas, but it ultimately fails to really achieve them. Each level is way too short with no real variety.
Game 6 - Monster Monpiece
PSV Fantastic card battling game hampered by its fanservice. i would love to see its mechanics exported elsewhere free of the rubbing or generic story. Either way, I really enjoyed the game and actually prolonged the end of the story as long as I could.
Game #7 - The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D
3DS
Still fucking fantastic, loved it even more with slightly upgraded visuals. What else is there left to be said about OoT. Maybe the GOAT.
Game #8 - Shovel Knight
3DS
Sucked me in totally. Holy shit was it good. I wish it were longer though!
Game #9 Danganronpa
PS Vita
Incredible. Left me hanging on a lot of points though, I was going to jump into Majora's Mask 3D, but I got so sucked into this game I am jumping directly into Danganronpa 2.
The world, the story, the twists, every moment was great.
Game #10: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Not as big a fan of this as the first one. I got really annoyed by all the "durhur it's just a game!" shiteven with the payoff that it was in fact just a game. The characters also weren't as likeable, though I don't know if that was intentionalgiven the big reveal at the end. I really, really wanted Kazuichi to die. Like, I just kept hoping and hoping he was the killer with each case. I also didn't like some of the changes. The new Hangman's Gambit was annoying and the logic drive seemed so inane. Just overall, not as enjoyable as the first. Still a great game with some good twists and turns, but doesn't stand up to the first.
Game #11, Liberation Maiden
3DS
Super short, but super enjoyable shooter. Would love to see the concepts stretched out into a full retail sized game.
Game #12
A Wolf Among Us Episode 2
Steam,
I played episode 1 some time last year, but it is one of the games that is enjoyable laying in my rack on my tablet so I picked it back up.
Game #13
Senran Kagura: Bon Apetit
PSV Rhythm game with boobies. Not much to it, very lackluster soundtrack for a game of this genre.
Games 14
A Wolf Among Us episodes 3
PC, Steam
Games 15
A Wolf Among Us episodes 4
PC, Steam
Games 16
A Wolf Among Us episodes 5
PC, Steam
Finished up the series I started forever ago. Enjoyed the way it wound up, but I had to restart checkpoints frequently in 4 and 5 due to prompts coming up "This Choice is Blank" repeatedly.
Game 17
Long Live the Queen
Steam, PC
Cute little game, I only played through it twice though. Once where I got assassinated and once where I got coronated. Lots of fun however.
Game 18
Freedom Wars. Vita
Not sure how many hours I put into it but it was a lot. Loved the hell out of this game, but it actually ended a bit earlier than I thought it would. Might dive into the post game content later, but for now I'm done.
Game #19
3d Classics: Kirby's Adventure. 3DS
Finished it last night, been playing it in bits over the course of a few months, a level here, a level there. Still holds up remarkably well and I love the 3d effects.
Game #20
X-Men
Arcade, played via MAME(though I also own it on 360 and Android)
God I love this game so much. MY GOAT beat em up and I return to it frequently. Music is good, love that Dazzler is in it. Love the soundbites. Just so so good.
Game #21
Spider-Man
Arcade, played via MAME
Playing a bunch of old Marvel games. This one doesn't hold up so well. It shifts from traditional beat em up to sidescroller every few minutes and it just isn't very good. Disappointment from Sega. Gotta love the cast of characters though. It is so bizarre that Namor and Hawkeye are characters in a Spidey game and the end boss is Doctor Doom. Miss those days when Marvel was much more freewheeling.
Game # 22
Criminal Girls: Invite Only
Vita 41:59
When my wife got this for me, I thought it was just an anime boobie game. It was actually a really charming jrpg that didnt need its fanservicey elements to be really compelling. Not enough for me to go back for all the girls' endings, but a great little timesink all the same.
Game # 23
The Avengers, arcade.
Via MAME(though I own the SNES ver.)
Fun, but kinda ugly beat em up like so many others. It was better than Spidey, nowhere near the level of X-Men. It really makes miss a time when Marvel's eggs were in one basket. Interestingly, it had Avengers from the current film(Cap, hawkeye, Vision and Iron Man). It was really to see all the cameos too. Wonder Man, Wasp, Quiksilver, Namor. Lots of expected vllains-Ultron, Red Skull, Mandarin. Unexpected ones too like Crossbones. Also a couple X-villain cameos in a Sentinel and Juggernaut. Also Mech. Taco.
Game #24 Find Mii
3DS
Feels like cheating, but hey I went through the effort of going through the whole thing. Walking past people, collecting passes, fighting ghosts. Holy shit it was like 3 months until I spot passed someone with white magic to get past one room though.
Game #25
Fire Emblem Awakening, 3DS
I really enjoyed the game and its story, but I regret playing on casual. Without permadeath I played very much balls to the wall and all my characters got really fucking OP really fast and I smashed the back half of the game with little problem. Will probably not play Fates on casual.
Game #26
Resident Evil Revalation: Episode 1
PS4. 2 hours
Love the atmosphere, so pumped to have Claire back, my fave protagonist in the franchise. Moira is cool too. Barry is another great returning vet even if I am not a big fan of segments.
Game #27
Resident Evil Revalation: Episode 2
PS4. 2 hours
Still digging the fuck out of it. Glad it isn;t just another shooty RE. There is actually shit to figure out.
Game #28
Resident Evil Revalation: Episode 3
PS4. 4 hours
Played through this ep. twice to get both endingd
Game #29
Resident Evil Revalation: Episode 4
PS4. 4 hours
Played through this one twice as well. Really loved this game. The Revelaitons series is outshining the main series by far at this point. Gonna dive into the Bonus eps soon.
Game 30:
Resident Evil Revelations 2: The Struggle
PS4, 1 hour maybe
Neat little side story taking place in between Ep 4s segments. It reminded me of the OG mercenaries sections from RE 2 and 3. Tried little miss too but was bored before finishing it.
Game 31:
The Order: 1886
PS4, 10ish hours
I enjoyed thjis game more than most seem to have, but more than anything I hope the franchise isn't dead, that they get a second shot at making a better game.
Game # 32
Hatoful Boyfriend
PC, Steam, 2-ish hours
Got the Sakuta ending. It was...something.
Game #33
Donkey Kong
NES, played via Virtual Console.
Still so damn good even it it was the gimped NES version missing a level.
Game 34: Mortal Kombay X
Steam, PC 12 hours
Pretty fun game, as inferior to good fighters as it ever was and not very pretty. It's fucking ugly as shit actually but I dig it. The krypt is fucking annoying as shit as well.
Game 35
Final Fantasy Type 0
PS4, 50-ish hours
Great game. Didn;t make the best transition from the PSP but I still love it. Looking forward to Agito+
Game 36, Persona 4 Dancing all night
PSV
Played it with my 11 year old daughter. it was a blast.
Game 37, Dragonball Xenoverse.
OMG. So good. Maybe the greatest DB game ever for me. Loved the feeling of getting stronger and stronger. Really hope they do another of these with more OC.
Game 38
Until Dawn
PS4, 8ish hours or so
Interactive slasher. Loved it. Really what I've wanted from the horror genre for a long ass time.
Game 39
Broken Age, PS4
Another I played with my kid. Great little game. Super short though
Game 40
Castlevania Lord of Shadows 2
PC, 12ish hours
Disappointing. But not the worst thing ive played. It seems so paper thin and unfinished though. It would be a shame if this were to go down as the last Castlevania.
Game #41 Minecraft Story Mode: Episode 1
PC, 3 hours or so
Cute Telltale game telling a pretty typical story but done well. Interesting to see what life "inside" of Minecraft is like. Great one for the kiddos
Game 42
Dragonball Z: Extreme Butoden
Finished story and adventure modes. Fun little fighter, with a seemingly large roster, except not really because 75% of the characters are only strikers. Still good, though with no scaling or split screen I'm not sure its worthy of the Butoden name.
Game 43
Minecraft Story Mode episode 2: Some Assembly Required
2 hoursish. PC.
Finished up episode 2 with the kiddo. Very cute and fun, but man this game showed me what a phenomenon Mine craft is at any level. My 11yo played it with me, but my 6 and 3yo and her friend were fixated on it like it was the series finale of Breaking Bad. If MS bank a Mine craft series or movie they will get all of the money.
Game 44
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
3DS, 47:11
Finished the updated story mode. Fantastic little game and hopefully it's failure doesn't prevent a remake of EO3.
Game 45
Dragon Ball Z Super Butoden 2
Finished the story mode. The game doesn't hold up particularly well, but it does take me way back to importing it 20 or so years ago in middle school. Great little bonus for 3DS that came with extreme butoden.
Game 46
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth 1
20ish hours, PC, Steam
Played through the story mode. Got it in some bundle I think. Played it along with ym 11 year old who loved the moe versions of the consoles and the story. Pretty fun little game.
Game 47
Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water, Wii U
I went into this one hesitant since I hadnt heard much good about it, but it is actually decent. It isn't as good as Fatal Frame 2, but I think it is better than 3 and 4. The mechanics are much improved and given a better narrative could have been truly special.
Game 48
Transformers Devastation
PC, 8ish hours
Great game as is expected from Platinum. But way too short. By the time I really got a handle on the mechanics and was SSing missions and having a blast it was over. Could do with a little better story as well. And I wish it had licensed TF music.The theme ot Touch would have added a lot. If I could get a story written by the comic writers and this gameplay, it would be heaven.
Game 49
Tales From the Borderlands Episode 1
Steam, 2 hours
I bought all of the TT games that were on sale recently and decided to crack into this one on a whim, despite loathing the last Borderlands I played, 2. I'm glad I did. It's really great, completely devoid of the nonsense that BL 2 had.
Game 50
Find Mii II
3DS, lots of hours.
It's find me but three times as long and way more annoying with all the gases, scares, status effects and more. Wasted a LOT of play coins summoning specific colored heroes.
Game 51
Minecraft Story mode episode 3
2ish hours, PC
Playing with my kids, who are impatient for each episode. They absolutely adore it. It's crazy the hold minecraft has.
Game 52 The Witcher 3
PC, 116hrs
What's left to be said. Superb experience front to back. Played through the main campaign and most of the expansion. Only reason I didn't finish the expansion was that it bugged out on one mission and I got an endless loading screen
I'm going to try this again. Didn't do so well in 2014 because of work and travel but enjoyed it nonetheless. Have a lot of good stuff in the backlog lined up as well. Will be posting a screenshot whenever it is easy to do so.
Game 1: The Last of Us: Left Behind (PS4) - Complete
# This was really excellent, even better than I thought and I loved the regular game.
Managed to squeeze in one more before bed! Playing a bunch of short games atm, as you can see. Feels like a good plan to get them out of the backlog so that it doesn't feel so bloated.
01-02-15 - Game 5: Jazzpunk - 2 hours Run around in a bizarre world and do even more bizarre things.
I didn't actually have much fun with this. It's an interesting game, as in that it's fun to see what the creators have put together. The actual "comedy" wasn't really my taste tho and it was mostly just a "huh, okay... right... yeah"-experience.
So,let's do this ! Finally i'm gonna end with this backlog : #1 Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
Well,this was better first time i played it. Still good,but replaying it took a lot of my enjoyment. #2 Transistor
This,different from TB,was a lot better when i replayed it. I didn't get at first time how dense the combat was,and how great the OST is. Certainly on my 2014 GOTY. #3 Dragon Age: Inquisition
Bioware is my favorite developer,and DA wasn't less than expected. Great game,so much time invested on it,and it totally worth at the end. The ending was a little anti-climax,but it don't take anything from the experience.
EDIT: i'll be updating my OG post with my most recent ones.
Game 1.) Dynamite Deka / Die Hard Arcade (PS2 Classic) Finished on 1/02
First time I've played this in years. I could never beat this one in the Arcades since I would always run out of quarters.
Glad I can finally have my revenge on Wolf Hongo in 2015
Also glad I own this game in some form now thanks to the Sega Sale on JP PSN
Game #1. Mega Man Battle Network (GBA VC)
- Time played: 15:00 in 2014, 08:04 in 2015. Total playtime: 23:04 hours.
- Completion reached: Cleared the main story. Didn't collect all the chips.
I'm a bit troubled with my impressions about this game. When I wasn't playing it I didn't really want to play it, but when I grabbed it today I couldn't stop until I finished...
Anyway, the main positive of the game is the battle system. For people that haven't tried the game, you battle in a 3x6 grid that is divided in two 3x3 sections. You move in one of them and the enemies move in the other. The action is real time, you shoot bullets with B and you can also use chips (essentially magic from RPGs) with A. There are many types of chips with different properties and you're limited to holding a limited (30) amount of them. Because of all of this, the system involves a bit of strategy while also keeping the classic fast paced action of Mega Man games.
However, the game has some annoying drawbacks. First, the story and characters are very lame for almost all the game. There are some nice parts near the end but it's overall super bland. Luckily, the game isn't very long so it isn't THAT important. The main drawback, IMO, is that the game is very grindy, but not in the traditional sense. Chips and money are gained as rewards from battles (which are random encounters) so, if you're aiming to get good chips or (if you dare) 100% completion, you'll have to pray for the RNG gods' help. This randomness is particularly annoying because in this game you don't gain EXP from battles, so when you're hunting for a particular chip, most battles will be a waste. I thought about 100%'ing the game at first, but the chip collection is absurd so I just cleared the main story.
Overall, I think it's a fine game but it has some drawbacks. I wonder how the sequels evolved the concept since the core of the game (the battles) is very good!
