I expected the game to last for around six hours, but to my surprise it lasted for almost twelve! Which is great, because I really enjoyed my time with this game. Once again it seems like my tastes in games are mismatched with the vocal minority of people who post in internet forums, since I mostly read bad things about Tomb Raider. Anyways, as for the game, the gameplay was really enjoyable. Maybe not for people who want a deep gunplay or people who play tons of shooters, but for a "casual" player like me, it worked really well. As for characters, I like the new Lara Croft much better than the original one, both in personality and design. The little story of the game was interesting, not anything mindblowing, but it served its purpose very well. Couple the story with the supernatural stuff plus the tons of action there is in the game and it sorta reminds me of movies like The Mummy, which I love. The only BIG downside is the music, which is the usual movie-like crappy soundtrack. Ugh. At any rate, I am now really looking forward for Rise of the Tomb Raider
#6 Persona 3: FES
I stayed almost a month without finishing any games,not only because of persona but because of travels and some problems i'm having. And all this month i've been dedicated to Persona 3 worth it,because is my favorite game of all time. It made me angry,fell in love,happy,sad and made me cry ! The only thing that have ever made me cry was Marley and Me. It's a fantastic game,i going to do a LTTP when i think a little better about it,but it's my GOAT without a question.
I bought a Wii U and a lot of games,so i probably will update more often when i play more of them.
10. Gravity Ghost (PC) Finished the game with all stars and all animals collected.
The promo blurb for Gravity Ghost is clear about how it will play: "There's no killing. No dying. No way to fail." All these things are true. And though Gravity Ghost isn't without its challenges and puzzles, it's not a game designed to test your reflexes or your patience. The experience instead focuses on the sometimes-clumsy, sometimes-elegant ballet you'll perform while trying to master the orbital mechanics that serve as the game's main mechanic. But the most challenging puzzle in the game doesn't have anything to do with gravity or orbits; it's the act of piecing together the fragments of a story told in medias res, trying to figure out what you are and why you're flying around planets collecting animals and stars.
Thanks in part to the lovely art and a fantastic soundtrack (done by the same composer behind FTL's soundtrack), Gravity Ghost is always a joy to play, even if the story barely makes sense at the start. At two and a half hours, it's a pretty short ride, and though that's just enough time for Gravity Ghost to tell its story without wearing out its welcome, I felt like the mechanics could've supported at least one or two more constellations worth of levels. You rarely need to use the various terraforming powers to get places, and it would've been nice if you had to learn the different planet types to finish the game. But all in all, a fun diversion.
Game 7: inFamous: First Light - ~4-5h?
Meh. Didn't really care about the story, mission structure was mediocre at best (though to be fair, it's been like that since the first game) and most of the characters were annoying. However moving, flying and floating with Fetch is fun and that makes collecting the collectibles and doing all the side stuff extremely satisfying. Combat is ok, maybe a little bit too easy but I'm fine with that. At least I'm not getting frustrated all the time like I did with the first inFamous.
It's ok for PS+ game I guess but definitely wouldn't pay any money for this. Might try Second Son though, could be a decent game.
Game 8: Transistor (PS4) - ~5-6h?
Why didn't I play this game earlier? I love everything about it! Art style and soundtrack are fantastic (I had to buy digital soundtrack after playing the first hour), tactical gameplay is really interesting (even though you can pretty much break the game with right function combinations) and I'm probably one of the few who actually prefer the sword/narrator over the narrator guy from Bastion.
I also liked how they handled death in this game, you just lose one of your functions and you continue fighting with full health instead of getting game over screen and starting from the beginning. That way combat was actually challenging but it never got frustrating.
The art style was great. Too bad the game was a chore to play - straightforward puzzles, slow walk speed, and questionable tilt controls were all things that impaired the experience.
Game 3: Dying Light [PS4] 14h 34m 27s (Overall Completion: 47%) [Finished: February 14th]
A surprisingly fun game. The combination of parkour and melee combat, with a lessened emphasis on gunplayall evocative of Mirror's Edgewas engaging until the end. I liked how the upgrade system worked, gaining points in respective skill trees as I engaged in parkour or combat. The parkour was fun, but the grappling hook upgradea genuine game changercame at the right time, and made traversing the environment all the more fun. The story and characters were actually pretty good, when I didn't think I'd care much about the world of another pretty standard zombie setting, going in. Several of the twists were pretty damn predictable, but it still managed to stay interesting. Rais was a cool villain.
Game 10: To the Moon - 4,5 Hours
PC
Decent story and a solid soundtrack. It wasn't anything mind blowing or anything like that, but I did enjoy it. I've seen this classified as an rpg but it's more of an adventure game in my opinion. Not that I think any less of it.
Game 8: Breath of Fire 3 (PSP / PS Vita) - Hours Played: 45:32 - Finished Feb 14th
Cleared game file says 45:32 but adding to that the hours that got lost to a game over it should be closer to 55-60 hours. Main character was Level 44 and the rest 39 - 40 with one low-leveled exception. Anyway this is by far the longest (and probably best) JRPG I have played. I don't think I've cared this much about a couple of main characters before; something about Ryu and Rei (and Teepo
...
) is endearing to me. That helped me get through most of the kinda generic plot, but even that picked up incredibly towards the end. I loved the recurring theme of morality and moral decisions, since pretty much every boss you fought wasn't your stereotypical baddie; there was a twist in every battle (
e.g. the Nue fighting to protect its' dead babies, the Director trying to resurrect his dead mother, Emitai fighting to save his sick daughter, the Elder and Gaist basically wanting themselves to die ... even the final boss to some extent fought you for the good of the world
). Really made me question if I ended up doing the right thing. The Dragon Gene system made cool tweaks to the otherwise standard turn-based battles and I, for once, enjoyed the various minigames (except
Beyd
, fell asleep doing that one). Haven't had this sense of a great journey by playing a game in a long time. 10/10
Currently Playing:
Final Fantasy I Anniversary (PSP / PS Vita): Still about 3 hours into this one, wondering if I should drop it for now.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS): On the 2nd World I think. Normally I 100% platformers but I suck at Time Trials so I don't see it happening here.
Criteria: Complete Campaign.
Time played: 8 hours.
Right, firstly... How does this game look so good? Holy shit.
I've never really understood the negativity surrounding Halo 4's campaign. I can fully understand how the MP rubbed everyone the wrong way... but compared to the pacing issues the first two Halos have, Halo 4 holds up damn well. I found the Prometheans far less annoying to fight than Flood or Brutes. Once you realise that you shouldn't bother attempting to headshot the Knights, it's all good. Armor abilities help to facilitate different styles of play, allowing both offensive and defensive style to be viable, which helps offset the stage designs themselves being less open than previous iterations. Having played each of the 4 Halo games back to back now, I'd place Halo 4 second behind Halo 3. I feel the other two entries are certainly showing their age now, and whilst they were both better games compared to other shooters of their time, they don't actually compare very well with either of the mainline 360 Halos (and certainly not ODST) today.
Game 9: Atom Zombie Smasher (PC) - 3.5 hours
Had this game for years and I finally played it. It's a minimalistic strategy game where zombies are pink cubes and human you need to save are yellow/gold. You have to use different tools/weapons/soldiers to kill the zombies and help evacuate the civilians. It gets hard pretty quickly. The night shift is pretty much impossible to survive. The game is fun for awhile, but it gets a bit repetitive. I enjoyed it, I finished the easiest campaign, and that was enough for me.
Game 10: Tales from Space Mutant Blobs Attack (PC) - 3.5 hours
Another platformer from the creators of Guacameelee (similar colorful artstyle). This one is much more easier and relaxing, and there combat per se. It's heavily influenced by Katamari Damacy, so basically your blob gets bigger when it consumes objects/animals/humans. The game doesn't really something new to the table, but the execution is good and the mechanics are solid. Short game, finished it in less than 4 hours. Add 1 or 2 more hours if you want to collect everything.
Game 10: Transistor - 7 hours [PS4, Feb. 14th]
# So I decided to start playing through my recent PS+ acquisitions and this was the first one. First of all, the atmosphere and art were amazing. The story was interesting, but was also quite dependent on the lore. As interesting as the lore was to build the world and artstyle from, I wasn't all that interested in it. Mainly Red and her significant other's relationship was the most interesting part storywise. Gameplay wise, I thought it was quite interesting. It took until the last hour or two for me to really start feeling like I was getting a groove with it. The psuedo turn based concept offers a strategic view. Taking the game real time offers benefits, which I don't like. The game wants you to plan and take advantage of these concepts... But it felt like it was a huge advantage to not use it and actually continuously use your abilities. Overall, I liked it quite a bit. Very good game, but not quite amazing. Several aspects could use some refining to grip the player instead of being easily forgotten.
Aim: finish main game. And/or 2000 deaths which ever comes first.
Current: 1005 deaths. Update: 1 Near completed (died in temple damn anubis). Current 1134 deaths. Some death lost due to account Sync
Ran a Fighting game tournament today.
So I think that qualifies all these games.
Not technically completeable - so how you judge is up to you.
#5 Ultra Street Fighter IV Xbox 360
I've been Playing SFIV since 09. This is in my "games played this year" list, every year.
Ultra is by far my least played. I like the addition of red focus. But the new characters are clunky.
And don't get me started on that bloody Jurassic stage.
Came 2nd in casual tourney.
#6 Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Xbox 360
K-K-K-Knock you out.
Got hit? Shoulda parried.
#7 Towerfall Ascension PS4
The only game where you can parry arrows. Side game at the tourney.
3 player is a laugh, hopefully I can get the full four next time. Need more pads.
#8 Sportsfriends PS4
Super Pole Riders.
Floppy
#9 Street Fighter X Tekken Xbox 360
Even the logo is ugly.
Scramble mode, aka, 4 players onscreen at once.
"what the hell is going on"
Game 6 : Dying Light - 33 hours - 02/13/15
Killed my time like crazy. Running around doing side missions was so much fun. Killing zombies, listenting to people talk. Parcour is really cool and nicely done. Far from perfect but it's a really fun game. 4.5/5
Game #6- Hatoful Boyfriend (PC) | 2/14/2015 [8 hours 54 mins]
All I can say about this game is wow. What an insane ride that was. My brother had spoiled some of the route endings for me before and I was like oh neat cause it sounded like it just parodied a bunch of well known anime scenes. That got me interested in it in the first place. Little did I know, that wasn't even the half of it. I was completely caught off guard when I got to the true ending. It was like some Zero's Escape/Danganronpa levels of crazy. It was great. Some of the music was really good, too (the song at the end of Anghel's path in particular was amazing). I cannot recommend this game enough. Whatever you think this game is at first glance, you are so very, very wrong.
Game 13: Valdis Story: Abyssal City - Quit after 8 hours, at final boss
This is another Metroidvania game; this one has levels, skill trees, a ton of loot, different characters, different styles with each character, different stories, searching for treasure, searching for lost NPCs, new armor, weapons, attacks, etc. Sounds good, but my problem with this is the loot first; I have to go and kill a ton of demons, angels or ferals so they drop the loot I need to buy stuff; leveling is limited so I have to plan a path to upgrade my character.
The game is still fun, stages are often great and the move upgrades are really intelligently done, and I really enjoyed it, but the final boss is a pain in the ass (not difficult), and I refuse to waste my precious and scarce gaming time to fight him.
Original Post
Dragon's Crown (Vita) - Not finished (4:30h played)
This kind of game isn´t for me, my error to don't know it earlier. In fact I enjoyed a lot the graphics as like I do it with the Muramasa, the story is meh but acceptable and I think the gameplay is also good for the people who like the beat 'em ups style games but right now I just can't play more with this game. I am after beating the first boss from the second path, It´s supposed that I have to get some scrolls or so for fight the final boss and you get them if you beat the minor bosses before some certain time. I got bored.
I would recommend this game to people who enjoyed beat 'em ups like Muramasa.
So this is the first JRPG that I've ever really got into and finished, I played this a bit when I had a Vita(think I got around 20 hours in) but got kinda bored and gave up. I bought it on PS3 recently and got super addicted as you can probably tell by the start date.. I never thought I'd be someone that actually started to kind of like grinding, I've always hated it but it started to grow on me near the end. I don't think I would have got to that point if it wasn't for the amazing story though. I'm sad its over because I'm gonna miss all my friends </3
Also if anyone plays this please make sure you get the true ending over the others... ITS SO MUCH BETTER.
Game 11: Unmechanical: Extended - 5 hours - PS4/PSN
Super cool, atmospheric puzzle sidescroller. It's like Machinarium, vibe/ambiance-wise. Complete impulse purchase last week, but it was one of the most memorable games I've played all year. Finished the game at 100%, too. This game came out a few years ago on Steam, but the extended version just launched on PS4. To be honest, I kind of prefer the core game and its puzzles to the extended mini-scenario that's exclusive to PS4.
Game 12: Never Alone - couple hours - PS4/PSN
Finally got back into this game and finished a playthrough with all trophies unlocked. Cool atmospheric platformer with some light puzzle elements. Loved the way the game ended too. Interesting historical take on an Alaskan tribe I knew nothing about, too.
Game 13: Grow Home - 4 hours - PC/Steam
Finished the main objective, but I've got a few odds and ends to clean up (Achievements to shoot for). Still need about 10 more crystals to unlock the final upgrade, too. Just another cool atmospheric/chill adventure-like game. Cool to finally play a 3D platformer by an independent studio as well.
Criteria: Standard game completion.
Time played: 7 hours.
I had fun with this, however coming after Colors and Generations, this game simply doesn't compare well with those at all. I've played pretty much all 3D Sonics, and this is probably the first time I've felt that any difficulty I was experiencing was more due to Sonic not responding as intended rather than intentional stage design. I also don't know why levels are locked off until you've released a specific number of animals. I tend to go straight from A to B in Sonic games, avoiding enemies unless I feel they absolutely must be dealt with. This meant that I would find myself reaching the progression gates sometimes short of more than 1000 animals. In order to make the totals up quickly you can take part in a carnival bonus game (basically a crappy breakout minigame) and obtain a few hundred in a couple of minutes. That minigame sucks though, and I didn't appreciate having to either play it, or run many stages through again whilst killing badniks to obtain animals.
The game does look really nice though (I think it's my favourite Wii U game graphically so far), and does a very good job of implementing classic enemies and set pieces into its stages. The side-scrolling segments were generally pretty good, and if it weren't for the weird run toggle (which also triggers a wall run if you make contact with a wall...) then I'd probably prefer these segments over similar areas of Colors.
Really I think Lost World's main problem is that it's actually done what so many people on here and other places suggest. They looked towards Mario and took lessons from that. The problem is that works for Mario doesn't work as well for Sonic, and pretty much every similarity that's been introduced has a negative effect on the gameplay. I hope Sonic Team return to the Unleashed/Colors/Generations template with their next game, as it seems rather silly to have spent so long finally solving Sonic in 3D only to throw it all out again.
I do want to draw special attention to the music in this game however. It is fucking fantastic, even by Sonic game standards. Tropical Coast Zone 3 especially is honestly one of the best video game tracks I've heard in a long time. I'll probably buy the OST for this, and can imagine it'll outlive the game for me by a long, long way.
Oh PC gaming, how I loathe you. Thankfully I only paid 1 buck for it in the steam sale, because this apparently runs like shit for most people, with constant crashes, etc., even with patches. I sometimes had to tone down the graphics to almost PS1-levels to at least prevent the biggest amounts of crashes, lol. One dungeon I had to completely replay. But that also means that the game itself was pretty good, since I kept playing. Loved the atmosphere, art direction, music, writing (even though the exposition got a little annoying towards the end), voice acting, etc. and of course the decent action adventure gameplay. Combat is a little dull (and unlike SR1, it doesn't have boss fights anymore), but I really liked the platforming, puzzle solving and so on. I also didn't mind that it's more linear now. But there was still two or three instances in which I had to look up what I had to do though, since sometimes it's a little too cryptic or simply doesn't make clear what you can interact with well enough. Man, these titles need HD remasters badly (or at least a release of the PS2 versions on PSN). I held off buying Defiance on steam because of this one's poor port, even though I'd like to see the story end.
My first time doing this. I have a lot of free time so I think I'll manage 52 pretty easily if I try.
1. Infamous:First Light - January
2.Metal gear solid ground zeroes - January
3.The evil within - February
4. Lego Marvel superheroes - February
5. Zombiu - February
6. Wind waker hd - February
7. Transistor - February
8. The order 1886 - March
9. Destiny - March
10. Dying Light - March
11. Pokemon Y - March
12. Metal Gear Solid 1 - March
13. Metal Gear Solid 2 - March
14. GTA V - March
15. Hotline Miami - March
16. Metal gear solid 3 - April
17. Sunset overdrive - April
18. Titanfall (Finished campaign) - April
19. Hotline Miami 2 - April
20. EA Sports UFC (finished with career mode) - April
21. Bloodborne - April
22. Crash Bandicoot 1 - April
23. Metal Gear solid 4 - May
24. Diablo 3 - May
25. skate 3 - May
26. Fallout New vegas - May
27. Infamous second son - June
28. Dead rising 3 - June
29. Batman arkham knight - June
30. Journey - July
That's it for now, will update as I finish more. Currently working on assassins creed unity.
I also finished persona 4 golden in January but I started it last September so I'm not going to count it.
EDIT 1 - Added #8 - 15. Gave up with ac unity. Nearly finished Hotline Miami 2.
Edit 2 - added #16 - 22. Going to play Metal gear solid 4 again soon.
Edit 3 - Added #23 - 30. Probably going to be a gap here because I'm replaying a lot of the games on this list. not planning on playing anything new until Metal gear solid V.
Game #10. Mega Man X3 (SNES VC)
- Time played: 04:19 hours.
- Completion reached: Cleared the game and got all Heart Pieces, Armor Parts, E-Tanks and Robots.
Ah, Mega Man X3... For some reason, this game always feels like an uninspired sequel to X1 and X2. I'm not sure if it's because the music is more generic or stage themes aren't really varied (generic armory/factory stuff mostly), but it feels like it lacks something.
Still, it is a good game. I mean, the Mega Man X movement alone is enough to make it a good game as long as stages and bosses are good enough. The game also has some cool stuff to discover (like the effects of killing certain bosses with certain weapons) so it isn't as uninspired as I suggested earlier.
Anyway, like all MMX games, it's totally recommended. X1 to X3 is an amazing platforming trilogy that shouldn't be missed!
Game 6: Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Wii U) - 9h14m [2/15/15] ★★
Completed campaign on Regular. Did all of the strike force missions.
I picked this game up at Wii U launch, and has been hanging around ever since. I had Modern Warfare 1 and 2 for the 360, and wanted to play those first (which I did last fall). So, now was a pretty good time to go through this one.
Overall, I was not very impressed with the campaign. I really enjoyed both Modern Warfare campaigns that I played, which I thought managed to be fun in addition to being cinematic, engrossing experiences. Here, I couldn't get that into it because of how often the game plays itself, and the actual gameplay that the game does have is just not very good. It reminded me of the Battlefield 3 campaign, and not in a good way. The first half of the game features some of the worst non-Ubisoft mission design I've played in the past few years, and decent missions only start to crop up in the game's second half.
The story kept me intrigued and had plenty of twists and turns, and that's probably the most redeeming aspect of the campaign. The Strike Force missions were a neat idea, but the execution was lacking -- they were clumsily implemented and felt more like afterthoughts than something that really could have added to the game. The Wii U version also had a lot of frustrating slowdown and I had the console lock up on a few occasions; very unfortunate considering the significant patch that downloaded before I started. No idea if the PS3 or 360 versions had similar problems.
It was a decent experience overall, but hardly felt like time well spent even with the short running time.
I don't think I will be able to complete 52 titles in one year - probably more like 30 - but I'll give it a shot!
EDIT: w000t! Finally beat over 30 games
Game #1. Bayonetta (Wii U)
I wanted to familiarize myself again with bayo after already completing this a few years ago on PS3 and not playing again since the recent dual release was a perfect excuse!
Game #2. Bayonetta 2(Wii U)
Holy crap... this just might have been the game that finally got me hyped for action games and understanding the nuances of dodging / combo chaining- epic game!
Game #3. Child of Light (Wii U)
Started this in 2014 but it's sluggish pace, average combat and whimsical story failed to draw me in much. Finally pushed myself to go through and complete the title, thankfully was already 2/3'rds of the way into the game.
Game #4. Earthbound (Wii U - VC)
Started this one 2 years back just before my wife went into labor, needless to say parenthood made RPG's rather hard to complete and this one went on the back-burner buried beneath games like GTA V etc. Thankfully a cold wintry Saturday meant I finally picked up the slack and got down to business, saving the world from Porky & Gygas once and for all!
Game #5. Football Manager Handheld 2015
FM is like videogame crack. You don't really complete it but it completes you, drawing you in and spiting you out fixture after fixture.
I had previously dabbled in the full fledged version a few seasons ago but my terrible laptop couldn't keep up with the games database and so I abandoned it. Fast forward to 2015 and my 'droid tablet is now pretty much glued to my hand thanks to this game.
Completed a season at the time of writing and have started another midway through... consider this as complete as possible for FM at least
Game #6. Killer is Dead (PS3)
I had intended to pick this up last year, but it got pushed under my radar due to time commitments. I eventually managed to snag a second hand copy for 90HKD and whilst the game is far from Suda's finest at 90HKD you can't really go wrong. A decent, if flawed game with somewhat irritating boss encounters.
Game #7. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)
I was somewhat parked on the last level for quite a while but dived through it this weekend A great game (got free with Mario Kart 8) just wish that I would have played it earlier!
Game #8. Tengami (Wii U)
A basic, tedious and wholly forgettable experience.... at least it was short I guess.
Game #9. Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker (Wii U)
Thoroughly enjoyed Toad's first solo adventure - a fun and at times challenging puzzle game that made everyone in my household smile from beginning to end
Game #10. Lone Survivor: Directors Cut (Wii U)
I'm rather LTTP with this one, took advantage of a Curve Digital sale on the e-shop a little while back and it turns out that this was one of the best gaming decisions I've made all year.
LS is a tightly worked short but somewhat open ended horror game that had me hooked wanting to learn more - If you have yet to play through the game you really must take a pop, it's available on a lot of systems too so no excuse!
Game #11.Costume Quest 2 (Wii U)
Another LTTP completion for me here- downloaded CQ2 a few months back but never really bothered to play it.
The game definitely has some rather depressing frame-rate issues on the Wii U version and disappointingly lacks Off-TV Play... but despite these shortcomings the game itself is a decent mini-RPG experience full of cheesy one-liners and OTT drama.
Game #12.Advance Wars (GBA - via Wii U VC)
When I had my old GBA SP I loved these strategy/tactic games so much that I managed to wear the silver off from parts of the GBA by playing Final Fantasy Tactics for close to 300 hours... Sadly in the years gone by my tactical ability is now woefully poor and I struggled for a solid 3 days straight to try and beat the final boss of Advance Wars before finally managing to push through with a rather embarrassing 30 Day completion mark for that battle....
Hands down the most humbling end of game I have experienced for a long, long time...
must get better before I go onto my next round of games
Game #13. Hyrule Warriors -Legend Mode- (Wii U)
I am pleasantly surprised by just how much fun I've gotten out of this game, never thought that I'd be playing a Muso game for over 70hrs let alone STILL having so much left to complete.
For the record I have included this game as I have finished the Legend (story) mode and considering the time spent, i'd consider this game completed...but as you know, that's only the tip of the iceberg, still gotta complete all of the adventure maps .----.
In an age where it feels like every game is trying to give you the bare minimum for your money, Hyrule Warriors is a breath of fresh air. With so much content available I will gladly keep playing this game all year round.. Hands down the BEST value for money game released in a long, long time
Game #14. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)
A rather shocking LTTP and RTTP all in one with this game - Bought it alongside a bunch of other games, tried it for a bit and then put it down for months on end. After going through some Wii U centric topics on GAF I decided to give it another shot... and boy did it impress - DKC: Tropical Freeze is definitely my Wii U sleeper hit so far... but those bosses kicked my ass
Game #15. The Fall (Wii U)
Picked up alongside Lone Survivor in an e-shop sale a few weeks ago... Decent game for a Kickstarter project and I'm interested to see what happens in the next two games.
Game #16 & 17. The Walking Dead Season 1 & 2 (PS4)
I've been dying to play TWD for years but was never that happy about the price... finally took the overdue plunge (to celebrate getting a PS4 for my birthday no less!) and I came away pleasently surprised.
My Wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and as big fans of the TV show we needed more Walking Dead in our lives after the season just finished. Really eager to see what Telltale do going forward, a great game overall.
Game #18. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeros (PS4)
Another game that I'm rather LTTP with (as is the theme with pretty much all of my gaming this year) I had intended to buy a PS4 for this game..then the talk of the length (or lack thereof) of the game put me off I even managed to convince myself that I probably wouldn't enjoy the PS3 version and should probably just wait till I eventually get a PS4... months came and went but never bothered to jump onto the PS4 until Bloodborne came.
So anyways, MGSV:GZ... it's a nice warmup to Phantom Pain I guess, but after all my waiting and self hype, I must say that I was left a little underwhelmed by it all... Oh how I wish this would have just been included in the Phantom Pain like 'The Tanker' from MGS2 was.
Game #19. Resident Evil HD (PS4)
As a long time fan of RE and Day one buyer of the original Remake for Gamecube way back when, this purchase was a no brainer. I throughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane but I could have sworn that I don't remember it being so damn hard....
As mentioned with Advance Wars, my gaming ability has seriously dropped off a cliff as I've gotten older I'm unsure if its my fault or just a reflection of how the gaming industry has generally leaned towards the cinematic & streamlined approach in the years since this game came out, either way it sucks and I want my damn 1337 skills back.
Game #20. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4)
Oh my... I have only recently completed it so it may be hype talk, but I think this just might be the best FPS I've played in a long, long time - That opening chapter was explosive, but the 'choice' and the subsequent chapters thereafter had me hooked.
Never thought and old-skool style shooter would go down as one of the best PS4 games I think i'll play all year.
Game #21. AC4: Freedom Cry (PS4)
I put just over 100 hours into AC4 on the Wii U despite no DLC so naturally I was anticipating this game quite a bit, whilst also hoping for something a bit different to what the main game offered. The subject matter of Freedom Cry had me eager to play through but sadly the short length and bite sized map / story reach left a lot to be desired.
Slavery as a subject / story basis is something most games shy away from, and its a damn shame that with such a powerful subject all that we are left with is a short, 3hr series of side missions with no real conclusion or effect on the wider story.
Perhaps I went into this expecting too much but overall, I must say despite the budget price I paid for waiting so long to make the jump, this DLC failed to live up to the admittedly lofty expectations I had for it.
On a side notethough, (this belongs more in BCT than here i guess) can anyone recommend any worthwhile videogames that actually focus on Slavery?
Game #22. Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition (Wii U)
This game has been on my 'To Play' list since I saw it as a kid on some cheesy 90's videogame VHS highlight, but I had always forgotten about it. Finally the anniversary edition popped up on the Wii U a few months ago and in a download spree I picked it up.
A short, but mildly enjoyable adventure game that would have had me stumped for hours as a kid.
Game #23. Last of Us: Left Behind (PS4)
I completed Last of Us shortly after its initial release on PS3 & as such, never bothered to upgrade to the shinier PS4 cousin... However, with my PS3 now disconnected I decided to give my new PS4 a much needed game boost and try out the much lauded exspansion.
Sadly, I think too much time had passed between playing the vanilla game and moving onto this, as my emotional attachment to the characters was on the decline and this side / origin story felt more like a chore the longer it went on.
Game #24. Bloodborne (PS4)
Fast paced, visceral & full of Miyazaki Souls spirit... nothing more I can say that hasn't been said to death on GAF already; great game, and made me want Dark Souls 3 more than I ever thought I would!
Game #25. Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush (Wii U)
A cute & adorable platformer that I just wish was easier to play across the dual screens... those beautiful clay visuals deserve better than the Wii U's lowly resolution on the gamepad.
Literally a game of mixed emotions for me, I hated and loved the first game but was determined to complete the title, the same could be said for part 2.
I hated its over reliance on gun-play, but its amazing soundtrack, immediate restarts and fast gameplay made this a keeper.
Game #27. Home: A Unique Horror Adventure (PS4)
Billed as a unique horror adventure, Home feels like a slightly weaker version of 'Lone Survivor' which uses a similar concept to greater effect.
The game whilst short left me feeling a bit underwhelmed when comparing it to the more expansive Lone Survivor.
Game #28. Limbo (PS4)
Despite appearing on several platforms throughout the years, I finally succumbed and grabbed the monochrome title. Overall a short but enjoyable game that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Game #29. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4)
Clocked in 340 hours into this beauty, completing all the non gwent side missions and of course every story mission...and I kinda wish it was even longer! Really looking forward to playing the new expansions next year
Game #30. Killzone: Shadowfall (PS4)
Meh.
Visually stunning at times and a midlly addictive multiplayer mode couldn't save me from that god awful story that just made me roll eyes at some of the hamfisted moments (Also enemy closets need to GTFO, seriously)
Game #31. Until Dawn (PS4)
I think the best way to describe my experience would be to say, 'it was just like a movie'.
Until Dawn was a simple, yet effective game that told a cliché framework of a story yet still kept me interested and emotionally invested enough to continue through the games flexible storyline.
Game 8 - Picross e (3DS)
Completed all puzzles.
I'm in the early stages of developing my own logic-based puzzle game so keep finding myself drawn to similar games. This is exactly what you would hope for from a Picross game. Polished, simple controls and some cool pixel art serves as a nice reward for completing puzzles. I generally prefer smaller Picross grids, but a small handful of larger ones would have been nice (the biggest are 15x15). This seems to be down to the fact that they have decided to do away with the zoom mode. I know some people disliked the zoom but it never bothered me and I actually would have liked to have had it on the 15x15 puzzles where the grid seem a little too small. I'm glad I was playing this on an XL because this could have really become a problem. A good amount of content for such a low price. I've already picked up Picross e2.
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
11. Dirt 2 (PC) All X-Games, World Tours and the Colin McRae Championship completed on Serious difficulty. 66% total completion.
The last rally game I played was Colin McRae Rally 2.0 back in 2000. The game was a relatively straightforward re-creation of a rally season, with a number of stages in several environments and the pace notes of McRae's actual co-driver, Nicky Grist, keeping you company in the jungles and forests and snowy peaks of the world. It was tough as nails, especially when using a keyboard, but it was RALLYING, man. Yes, Colin McRae wasn't in his trademark Subaru Impreza anymore, but it was still glorious.
Lots of things have changed since then. The most obvious difference to any motorsport fan is that Dirt 2, while still part of the same franchise as Colin McRae Rally 2.0, no longer has Colin McRae's name in the title. That's likely because Colin McRae himself died in a helicopter crash between the first and second Dirt games. But besides that, Dirt 2 is not really the same kind of game anymore. Instead of rally legends like McRae, Richard Burns, Carlos Sainz, Tommy Makinen and Marcus Gronholm, we've got... Ken Block? Dave Mirra? No offense meant to those guys, but their kind of rally is a very different style compared to the WRC, and Dirt 2 is unabashedly a product designed to cater to fans of the new guard. The X-Games form the superstructure of the first half of the game. Other drivers in the game make jokes about Ken Block trying to sell you shoes. Everything is drenched in a Mountain Dew-like coating of xtreme. It's a little off-putting.
As for the racing, the new additions to the basic rally template are not great. Raid and Landrush are the truck-based events, with an emphasis on big air and lots of chaos. Unfortunately, what this really means is a great deal of unpredictability and frustration. When the very first jump in a race routinely results in a quarter of the contestants wiping out, there's something wrong with your game design. Trying to land jumps properly is a crapshoot, and half the time other trucks will ram into you because there either isn't enough room on the track for everyone or because they landed badly.
Worse, the truck modes highlight the woeful inadequacy of the Flashback feature, imported from Grid. The idea is good--it's basically a rewind feature, something Forza would later steal and improve upon--but the execution is horrendous. First, let's say you manage to total your vehicle. A race-ending event normally, but now that you have Flashbacks, you can take it back, right? Wrong! Flashbacks only allow you to rewind a few seconds back (I've seen a figure of 10 seconds bandied about, but whoever said that clearly doesn't know how to count to ten). Because the game locks you into watching the crash happen, you can't rewind far back enough to avoid the race-ending crash. This is an astounding oversight, and an extreme case of Flashback's biggest issue, which is that half the time it doesn't actually let you fix whatever dumb mistake you just made. The only thing worse than having no rewind mode is having a rewind mode that promises to help you out, but then doesn't actually help.
Thankfully, Dirt 2 is not all bad. The truck events can be fun when everyone's cooperating. The car-based events tend to be much more fun as well, if only because people aren't getting into each other's business as much even in Rallycross. And once you reach the time-trial events like Trailblazer and good old-fashioned Rally, Dirt 2's driving model really shines. There's nothing better in the game than switching your co-driver to technical pace notes, firing up a rally stage, and driving in a zen state where you only barely recognize what your co-driver's saying because you're too busy converting her words into gears and directions and braking and accelerating and oh my goodness yes.
I guess I understand why Codemasters felt the good old days of rally-only games couldn't sustain their franchise. I don't even blame them, and hope they managed to work out the kinks of the truck-based stuff in Dirt 3 (though would it kill anyone to put together a Dakar Rally mode?). But to me, Dirt 2 is at its best when it's busy trying to live up to the Colin McRae name, and it really feels like that's where the heart of the game lies. That's the part of Dirt 2 I choose to remember.
I ate a crow. I had given up on buying the remake because of the changes they made, but in the end, I couldn't resist and I am glad for that. Most of the chances only improved a game which was already quite close to perfection. My favorite game only got better in its definitive edition. From the top of my head, some of my favorite changes are: The new save system, the revamped boss battles (some got easier, sadly, but at least they make more sense now, especially Odolwa), the new Bomber's Notebook, the reallocation of some masks, etc. The graphics are stunning and the game aged like wine in terms of gameplay. It is wonderful. Majora's Mask is the kind of game that was good in 2000 and will be good forever. Thanks for rekindling my love for the game, Grezzo and Nintendo!
Game 2: BLACKWELL LEGACY - around 4 hours (PC) ★★★★☆
So I started with the Blackwell series. And I absolutely loved almost everything about this. To get the little negatives out of the way first: there were some rather obtuse puzzles that stumped me for a while and there was the occasional bug
(the fusebox key wouldn't show up in my inventory for a while, for example)
. Other than that... I especially loved the writing. So much. The characters all seem like... real people, you know. It's kind of weird how rare that is in games. And I kind of forgot how much I love playing classic adventure games. I'm probably going to continue playing through the whole bunch of them.
Game 3: BLACKWELL UNBOUND - around 3 hours (PC) ★★★★★
Pretty much directly continued with the next one. They really nailed the atmosphere with this one. The locations, the voices, the goddamn MUSIC... setting it in the 70s was kind of a genius stroke. Also made me want to go to jazz bars more often. I also loved playing as Lauren.
That also made her fate kind of heartwrenching. I'm kind of sad that we probably won't see more of her.
Also all the little things and details... the cigarettes, all the stuff in Lauren's appartment... simply wonderful. The puzzles were a little more straight forward than in the first one, and the only instances that kind of stumped me were down to me missing a dialog option somewhere. Can't wait to play the next one.
Boy was everyone right about the rhyming getting old. I think that the fact that it was clunky as hell didn't help. I really enjoyed the aesthetic and gameplay though so it's easy enough to ignore. Cast of characters is unique (save one) and interesting and I liked the battle system, though it was sometimes too easy to get stuck in an interrupt loop against certain sets of fast enemies if they can space themselves out on the timer.
A few minor niggles:
- I would've preferred an inbetween difficulty. Hard kicked my butt but the way though described Casual sounded like a snoosefest.
- The 3D models used for the main character and a few of the secondary characters look really out of place next to the beautiful 2D art, especially the faces
- Sometimes I found myself letting myself die because I entered a hard fight with low health and there was no penalty for doing so
This was my first time playing it and what a great adventure game. The characters and dialogue are charming and funny. The story is interesting and kept me guessing from beginning till end. And the puzzles were pretty fun, when I could solve them at leats (I'll admit I looked up some help a few times).
I think my only problem with it was the save system. Thanks to the lack of auto-saves, I lost about 30 minutes of playtime when the game froze on me. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't take forever to save but since it does (and I understand why, because they upload the saves to the cloud), it's not convenient to constantly save.
I'm looking forward to Day of the Tentacle, hopefully Full Throttle is after that.
Game #9 - Resident Evil
A remaster of one of my favourite games of all time. I loved every playthrough of this game and even when I'd unlocked everything, I went back through again just for fun.
I'm not a big fan of RE Zero at all but we get so few games like this, I'll buy and play the hell out of it anyway. We need more old school RE style games.
Game #10 - The Walking Dead: Season 1
This was the third time I'd played TWD S1. I would've preferred not to but since there's no way to transfer saves between generations, I wanted to carry my save over to S2 and eventually, S3. It's really not a replayable game at all. They put so much emphasis on choice but you can see right through that illusion when you already know what's going to happen later on (hell, I saw through some of them on my first playthrough). Still, I got through it and will get through S2 as well at a later date.
Game #11 - Bayonetta
After TWD, I felt like playing an action game and since I'd never managed to finish Bayonetta the way I wanted to (I think I'd dropped down to Easy at one point, way back when it first came out, because I was trying to rush through it), I went with it. Even though I was stuck with the poor PS3 version, it's still a great game and I really enjoyed playing it. One day I'll buy a Wii U and play through the sequel.
Game #12 - The Wolf Among Us
It might just be because I enjoy the Fables universe far more than the Walking Dead universe but TWAU is a far, far more replayable game than TWD S1. I think that since they never really pretend like your choices are going to have a huge impact on the story, it doesn't feel like such a ripoff when nothing really changes. That plus it's awesome walking around Fabletown as Bigby, beating the crap out of fables that get out of line.
It's a real pity we'll never get a sequel. I know there isn't really any room for it, since the comics start soon after TWAU, but a different game in the Fables universe would be fine. Oh well.
Game #13 - Resistance: Burning Skies
I didn't want to start a long game up before The Order arrives on Friday, so when I saw a second hand copy of this for a cheap price, I decided to give it a go.
I was going to post into a long rant of why I really don't like this game but then I thought better of it. I'll just say that this game is a pale imitation of the entire FPS genre. And when I say imitation, I mean it. It seemed like they deliberately tried to make an incredibly middle of the road shooter but they couldn't even do that. I have no idea why Sony decided to work with Nihilistic of all companies, usually they're pretty good at spotting talent.
Currently Playing
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
The Order: 1886
I don't actually have The Order yet but seeing as I'll probably finish it over the weekend, I figured I'd just include it now anyway.
I decided to try the single player after playing a lot of multiplayer with friends to "complete" this game. I've played this one for probably a good 8 - 12 hours but I can't be sure so I'm just writing this up as completing single player in 35 minutes 44 seconds plus unknown multiplayer time.
Valiant Hearts The Great War ~ 6 hours
One thing for sure - Ubisoft has one of the best artists in the industry. Good game with great story and amazing art. Gameplay though was the weakest part of this game. I'm just glad that Ubi is still willing to fund and release games like these.
I'm a big fan of Infamous SS,so i was pretty hyped when this was launched,but i hold the buy because i thought that $15 was too much for the same power. Fortunately i did this,because i found this DLC to be only ok,and just it. Fetch is a bad character,i couldn't care for her even if i tried,the story was pathetic and even that using the powers was awesome,i wish that they made a new power,and not just addons on the already existent Neon power. I'm loving the challenges,however,the combat mechanics are pretty good and i'm very into them,trying to best my score every time. To finalize,if you like the combats and arena combat,i think it worth the $15,but if you only care for the campaign,get away from this.
#8 Life Is Strange Ep. 1 Chrisalys
I think this counts as a game,like it's a 2h30 episode so i think it's ok to put it here. I didn't played any of these new Point and click games after TWD Season 1,i tried playing the season 2 but i hated it. So,my experience with LiS was excellent: the world is beautiful,the graphics,the colors,everything makes me wanna explore every piece of the ambient. They really nailed the teenager aspect,like they made them infuriating but you can see why they are such assholes and problematic,they have a lot in mind. I'm very interested on the story too,the power is cool and the missing girl mystery is intriguing. I didn't liked the twist at the end,i found it lame but overall i found an excellent game,i'm certainly picking up Ep. 2.
4. P.T. (aka Silent Hills Playable Teaser) - 16th February - approx. 60 minutes
This was one of the first things I downloaded on my PS4 when I got it last month, but I hadn't worked up the courage to play it. I had a friend over last night and he'd played it before so was happy to help me out and give me a bit of support. I did really enjoy it and it was exactly the kind of horror I enjoy, but holy shit it was terrifying and probably the scariest game I've ever played. The atmosphere was amazing, I liked the psychologically disturbing tone and the sound effects in particular were incredible. It really was the sound which made it feel so frightening; the ghost's rasping breathing, the clonk of her one high heel when she 'possesses' the protagonist, the baby's crying, the horrible ambient noise when there's a haunting, the banging of the fridge against the wall, and so on. I got really scared and nearly switched it off at a couple of points, but I'm glad I pushed through (there's no way I would have played it all had I been alone) and it's one of the most memorable horror games I've ever played. 9/10
5. Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa) - 16th February - approx. 90 minutes
We played this after finishing PT as I needed something light and charming, and I thought it was a nice, enjoyable adventure which felt a lot like Limbo based in Alaska. Nice visuals, an interesting look at a culture I know nothing about, and a nice straightforward game that's suitable for all the family. 7.5/10
Game 15: Kick and Fennick - 5 hours(? No way of knowing)
# Played on PSVita, finished 2/10. A reasonably fun puzzle platformer from PS+. Plenty of challenge in the last two chapters, but no story and a very odd final boss. Worth about $5 if you like these kinds of games.
Rating: ★★★★★ - Platform: PS4 - Developer: 7780s Studio
I'm usually not a big fan of horror scary games, not because I don't like the category but because it's usually not working with me. I can't look back in the past and think of a game that truly scared me or made me jump several times. But this game...holy shit ! No need of tons of blood or zombies here no, it was the atmosphere, the sounds, the lights, this corridor. Incredible and terrifying experience.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Duration played: 16:02
This was a really good game. If the Wii U installment in this series will be made with the same attention to detail and craftmanship, we will get an amazing game. Albeit it was a bit short, I guess. The dungeons were easy and I finished the game quite quick. Anyway, other than that, I did die a lot of times. I really liked the new mechanics. Merging into the wall was ingenious. The way you could tackle almost any dungeon in any order was awesome. Lorule was fun and nicely devided into clear parts. I really appreciated the map on the Nintendo 3DS's second screen. Summing up, glad I played this one.
Game 11: Ys Origin - 22 Hours
PC
I beat it on Normal, playing as Yunica. The game is great with some platforming and dungeon crawling. The music is top tier, probably some of the best video game music around and graphics are good enough. What shone in this game are the boss fights. They were fun and challenging. Some of them weren't that hard, but as I said, I did play on Normal only. The final boss was a complete pushover but the whole introduction before it was great and made me excited to win. I might do runs with the other characters, but that will probably be in a long while. Too many other games to play.
Game 12: Hatoful Boyfriend - 44 minutes
PC
I'm calling this beaten for now but I will come back to it and try to get all the endings I can find. It's one of the weirdest "games" I have played.
Finished:
3.Dead Space(Started ages ago)
Finally finished it.
Loving this game.Gameplay is pretty much what I want from a survival horror game.
Story was alright.Only downside are the boss monsters.
4.Hand of Fate (Started 2014)
The rougelike-deckbuilding game with arkham-like combat system.
I played it while it was still in early access and only had the final boss left.
Really enjoyed this game,but it got really hard really fast.
5.Outland
A metroidvania Platformer with the phase-swift mechanic from Ikaruga.
The level design and controlls are great,boss are good,too,but can be really hard.
Currently Playing:
6.The Banner Saga
Just started it.I really like that there is no rng in the combat system.
7.Darkest Dungeon
Another game I really enjoy,even though it's really hard.
Finished:
3.Dead Space(Started ages ago)
Finally finished it.
Loving this game.Gameplay is pretty much what I want from a survival horror game.
Story was alright.Only downside are the boss monsters.
4.Hand of Fate (Started 2014)
The rougelike-deckbuilding game with arkham-like combat system.
I played it while it was still in early access and only had the final boss left.
Really enjoyed this game,but it got really hard really fast.
5.Outland
A metroidvania Platformer with the phase-swift mechanic from Ikaruga.
The level design and controlls are great,boss are good,too,but can be really hard.
Currently Playing:
6.The Banner Saga
Just started it.I really like that there is no rng in the combat system.
7.Darkest Dungeon
Another game I really enjoy,even though it's really hard.
6. Alien Isolation - 18th February - approx. 20 hours
You can see a detailed breakdown of my post-completion thoughts here, but in summary it was a really great game with amazing visual and sound design, really great level design and a fantastic atmosphere, but the pacing was pretty bad and the game should have ended about a third sooner. A really solid game and I hope Creative Assembly get the chance to make another instalment, and more non-Total War games in general. 8/10
was somewhat unexpected, I decided to play some and move back to my many unfinished games and here I post after playing it for 50 hours. I couldn't stop to play it, I tried but I couldn't, it's that fun.
It's an RPG that borrows a lot from Final Fantasy book, and manages to take what's good. As expected for a flash game it doesn't have elaborate locations or world but it makes up for it with everything else: minigames, levelling system, equipment crafting, loot, variety of enemies and bosses. It has some small faults and fall into the pit of backtracking quite a lot but even with that it's still very fun game.
10/will play Crystal Story III
64:03h. I purchased this game on a whim along with Trails on the Sky, and I fully expected it to be worse than P4G. I was wrong: I've enjoyed both games about equally, and while I think P4G has the better characters, P3P's plot is overall more interesting. Now on to Persona Q!
Rating: ★★★★☆ - Platform: PS4 - Developer: Techland
Dead Island was one of my favorite game last generation so this game was one of my most anticipated game for the new one. Techland did a great job here, the parkour is brilliant and going from place to place is just a lot of fun. The story is garbage but so was the story in dead island, I'm not playing those game for the story but to bash zombies in a hundred different ways. Your first few nights in Harran are just terrifying. I also really enjoyed the effort made by techland on small details. Great fun !
