Oh! I have lots of Infinity playsets to finish!
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
52 games. 1 Year. 2016.
- Thread starter VisceralBowl
- Start date
- Status
Game 4: Stasis - January 18th
Haven't played a point-and-click adventure in a really long time, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. A pretty good story here (though not the best voice acting). It didn't escape the usual p-n-c pitfalls, but there was nothing too annoying.
Original post
Haven't played a point-and-click adventure in a really long time, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. A pretty good story here (though not the best voice acting). It didn't escape the usual p-n-c pitfalls, but there was nothing too annoying.
Original post
Solid game. Really hope there's a WW2 sequel.
Main post
Game 05: Broken Age [PS4] (About 8h, highly doubt I'll bother with the platinum)
3*
It's a good adventure game with a cast of likeable characters but that throws a couple of "wtf was I meant to figure that out". The ending was pretty anticlimatic but I enjoyed the journey enough to come out of the experience feeling happy with it. Worth giving it a go.
Game 06: Resogun [PS4] (+10h, platinum)
4*
Really great shooter, looks great and plays even better. The power up system tied to rescuing humans brings everything together and makes for a really engaging experience. The soundtrack is techno/electronic goodness that reminds me a lot of Velocity 2X's soundtrack (which is also excellent may I add). Despite getting the platinum I still have the DLC's to plough through which add some new twists to the core game. It's still one of the best PS4 games and it's best played there.
Game 05: Broken Age [PS4] (About 8h, highly doubt I'll bother with the platinum)
3*
It's a good adventure game with a cast of likeable characters but that throws a couple of "wtf was I meant to figure that out". The ending was pretty anticlimatic but I enjoyed the journey enough to come out of the experience feeling happy with it. Worth giving it a go.
Game 06: Resogun [PS4] (+10h, platinum)
4*
Really great shooter, looks great and plays even better. The power up system tied to rescuing humans brings everything together and makes for a really engaging experience. The soundtrack is techno/electronic goodness that reminds me a lot of Velocity 2X's soundtrack (which is also excellent may I add). Despite getting the platinum I still have the DLC's to plough through which add some new twists to the core game. It's still one of the best PS4 games and it's best played there.
Master post.
Game 4 -Xenoblade X - Around 105 hours inc. AFK time
Ahhh...Xenoblade. This game had to have done something right. I mean, I played 105 hours of it. Those 105 hours might have been full of disappointment, frustration and complaining, but I still spent 105 hours on this game.
I'd have to say I enjoyed the game overall. On the rare occasion I got into a fair fight, I had an absolute blast. The combat was almost if not just as satisfying as Chronicles, albeit different, with some things I liked better and some things I didn't. The problem is a fair fight was a rarity. Wildly fluctuating enemy levels from the get go that never ever even out discouraged me from fighting anything I didn't have to. Hell, it discouraged basic exploration because I was likely to get 1 hit if I strayed off the beaten path. I realise a lot of people like this danger, and I don't mind the occasional Fel Reaver, but having an area full of level 40's next to a low level 5-10 zone, or have mobs that range from level 3-32 in a small space is just silly. Don't get me started on terrible enemy placement that have bosses staggering off bridges resulting in a reset, or high level mobs patrolling through your low level quest area. Occurrences like that were far too frequent to be passed over.
The characters were hot garbage, no two ways about it. I would have forgotten Elma existed if she wasn't taking the spotlight all the time (and forced on my party COUGH) she's so bland. Lin is as anime as you get, and once Tatsu shows up she's reduced to food jokes. And don't get me started on Tatsu. I still don't quite understand what plot relevance he had outside of some minor scenes that could have been completely omitted without changing much. I barely even remember any of the other 15+ party members.
The story...was alright. Incredibly sparse, but what was there was decent enough. It in no way felt like a story written to be experienced over the stretch of 100 hours. It felt more like the first third of a JRPG stretched over the length of a full one, and if this is how they plan to pace a possible series (think I heard these guys planned a hexology once...yeah) I am getting off this ride right now.
I'm not sure I liked how they handled quests and story in general, actually. Character development is relegated to side quests which might explain why I didn't care about any of the characters. Random side quests, like the water plant one, had more interesting stories and set ups than most of the main/party quests and didn't get the voice acted with cut scenes treatment. For reasons I can't begin to fathom, quest board quests don't have a level indicator. Only some weird "3 stars and a glowey one" difficulty. The amount of times I snatched up a quest and traveled half way across Mira only to find a boss mob 30+ levels above me was insane. Trying to level through normal means was an exercise in futility and near endgame I just had to cheese my way through some really easy level 60 mobs. That was more fun than questing, too!
I really really wanted to love this game with all my heart. I really did. In the end, though, it felt like a game doing everything it possibly could to stop me from actually playing it. I loved Chronicles because it took a bunch of stuff I hated - open world, MMO cooldown combat, overabundance of side quests - and made me love them. Xenoblade X is just another game that reminds my why I dislike that all so much.
Game 4 -Xenoblade X - Around 105 hours inc. AFK time
Ahhh...Xenoblade. This game had to have done something right. I mean, I played 105 hours of it. Those 105 hours might have been full of disappointment, frustration and complaining, but I still spent 105 hours on this game.
I'd have to say I enjoyed the game overall. On the rare occasion I got into a fair fight, I had an absolute blast. The combat was almost if not just as satisfying as Chronicles, albeit different, with some things I liked better and some things I didn't. The problem is a fair fight was a rarity. Wildly fluctuating enemy levels from the get go that never ever even out discouraged me from fighting anything I didn't have to. Hell, it discouraged basic exploration because I was likely to get 1 hit if I strayed off the beaten path. I realise a lot of people like this danger, and I don't mind the occasional Fel Reaver, but having an area full of level 40's next to a low level 5-10 zone, or have mobs that range from level 3-32 in a small space is just silly. Don't get me started on terrible enemy placement that have bosses staggering off bridges resulting in a reset, or high level mobs patrolling through your low level quest area. Occurrences like that were far too frequent to be passed over.
The characters were hot garbage, no two ways about it. I would have forgotten Elma existed if she wasn't taking the spotlight all the time (and forced on my party COUGH) she's so bland. Lin is as anime as you get, and once Tatsu shows up she's reduced to food jokes. And don't get me started on Tatsu. I still don't quite understand what plot relevance he had outside of some minor scenes that could have been completely omitted without changing much. I barely even remember any of the other 15+ party members.
The story...was alright. Incredibly sparse, but what was there was decent enough. It in no way felt like a story written to be experienced over the stretch of 100 hours. It felt more like the first third of a JRPG stretched over the length of a full one, and if this is how they plan to pace a possible series (think I heard these guys planned a hexology once...yeah) I am getting off this ride right now.
I'm not sure I liked how they handled quests and story in general, actually. Character development is relegated to side quests which might explain why I didn't care about any of the characters. Random side quests, like the water plant one, had more interesting stories and set ups than most of the main/party quests and didn't get the voice acted with cut scenes treatment. For reasons I can't begin to fathom, quest board quests don't have a level indicator. Only some weird "3 stars and a glowey one" difficulty. The amount of times I snatched up a quest and traveled half way across Mira only to find a boss mob 30+ levels above me was insane. Trying to level through normal means was an exercise in futility and near endgame I just had to cheese my way through some really easy level 60 mobs. That was more fun than questing, too!
I really really wanted to love this game with all my heart. I really did. In the end, though, it felt like a game doing everything it possibly could to stop me from actually playing it. I loved Chronicles because it took a bunch of stuff I hated - open world, MMO cooldown combat, overabundance of side quests - and made me love them. Xenoblade X is just another game that reminds my why I dislike that all so much.
I'm not going to push and beat the challenge this year, but I'd certainly like a place to note down some of my thoughts on the games I played. Here we go I guess!
My Backloggery
1. FAST Racing NEO
[Finished 02/01/16]
I've never been a fan of F-Zero or Wipeout, or really any super fast future tech space style racing game. However, I've also not spent enough time with any of them to get any good or even learn how to play in a way that doesn't constantly net me a last place finish. Essentially, this game was cheap and looked cool and if I'm ever going to jump into the genre I couldn't think of a more convenient entry point. With that in mind, Fast Racing Neo is an adrenaline pumping game which forces you to focus to such a degree, that if you make one single mistake its almost certainly lights out. The idea of having to switch between coloured planes to get a boost, whilst also collecting tiny orbs that give you more boost and knowing the various jumps and turns well enough to not bash into them is a daunting one at the very least. Yet, I managed to hold my own in the opening races and managed to take down the first speed tier without too much trouble. I haven't gone back to it yet for the faster tracks, but with the new update that adds a mini map and the ability to more steadily control your landings, I'm sure I'll be spending more time with that game as the year progresses.
2. Cibele
[Finished 03/01/16]
The fact that Cibele can exist in the sphere of video games in 2016, tells us a great deal about how the medium has moved forwards in the past few years. The fact that we can have a 1 hour experience, with minimal "game mechanics" and more of a focus on personal, relevant stories is amazing. Cibele itself will really only resonate with you if you have an affinity for MMOs and the interpersonal relationships that can be formed with strangers on the internet, and whilst I don't have any direct parallels to what creator Nina Freeman experienced in her time with MMOs, I can certainly appreciate the sentiment. The closest I got to an MMO experience in my adolescent years was Runescape, and I was really only playing that with people I knew in real life. Overall, its best if you don't completely know what Cibele is about before you go into it, I'd say if you even have a passing interest, you should give it a go.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles X
[Finished 04/01/16]
I don't know that a single paragraph can really do justice to the behemoth that is Xenoblade Chronicles X, but I will try. This game is all at once my favourite game that came out in 2015, while simultaneously being a frustrating mess of menus, UI design and management. The real heart of Xenoblade X is in the world exploration. Saying that Mira is huge is perhaps the greatest understatement of our time, as to imply such a thing is laughable when you realise how big this world actually is. However, its not simply that the world is big and filled with nothing. It is so intricately designed with pathways leading to mountains leading to caves that are hidden away in valleys. There is a natural quality to the landscapes of this alien world, which evokes earth and the unknown simultaneously. Moreover, the entire map has to be designed with an expanding sense of scale as you progress further and unlock the ability to use a Skell. There is a verticality to the environments that means no matter if you've been to an area before, exploring the same space with a Skell, both on the ground and in the sky, presents an altogether new experience. I loved exploring in the original Xenoblade, but its spiritual successor takes that element and rewards you for it tenfold. Placing down probes to have fast travel points which also act as areas to mine resources and chain together different probes to build your own in game economy is a loop that is not only necessary in the grand scheme of things, but also immensely rewarding. When you are ticking over 170k credits every 30 mins, all because you explored and found the tools necessary to make you a millionaire is a damn good feeling. Xenoblade also has a pseudo Mario 64 vibe to it, as although the world is open and has no boundaries, you are very much based in a home hub, namely New LA. This city is where a few of my complaints come in. Its cluttered with areas that have important impact on the more hardcore RPG elements the game has to offer, but finding these and growing the city, and knowing where to look to recruit new members of you team can be a tedious and confusing affair. Why does a tile on a hex "complete" so I have no idea where to find that party member again if I want to use them? Why do the objectives needed to enter a new main story mission not check off if I've already done them? Why, in order to get some affinity missions do I need to constantly refresh the mission board in order to see whether a basic mission needed to begin that affinity mission has randomly popped up yet? Questions like these and many more, including "WHY IS THE TEXT SO DAMN SMALL?" have caused me to sour on the preparation processes that Xenoblade presents. Indeed the main story itself feels so small in scope when compared to the complete package that was the original game. We get no resolution of any large scale, and so many questions are left unanswered/unsaid. The characters are also far more stiff and unlike-able, and pale in comparison to the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles. That said, where the writing shines here is in the side quests, so it is rather appropriate that doing side missions makes up most of what you will spend time doing within Xenoblade's huge world. There are a lot of small, personalised stories involving not only the human population, but also all the alien races that arrive at New LA. References to Back to the future, stories about inter-species marriage, and the tale of a poor girl who just can't get the coffee machine to work are all charming and fun little storylines that for some reason kept me far more engaged than the side stuff in the previous game. All in all, Xenoblade Chronicles X is as flawed as it is brilliant, and yet I could not stop myself from playing it. Having clocked over 75 hours in the space of less than 3 weeks, it certainly held my attention more than any game from last year did. When all is said and done, there is no feeling quite like flying your Skell through one of the enormous desert rings in Oblivia and admiring the vast, beautiful landscape that lies before you.
4. Her Story
[Finished 17/01/16]
Just like Cibele, Her Story takes the medium of video games and does something completely fresh with it. You are a detective. Your mission: find out what the hell happened in this murder case. Your tools: a desktop PC and a search engine. GO. The process of playing Her Story is so different to any other game I've played before. I had a notepad document open at all times on my PC while I was playing so I could jot down theories, try and connect disparate statements and write down any words that I wanted to type into the search bar at a later time. All in all, this game made me feel like I was actually cracking a case, finding little hints here and there and slowly unravelling the deep, dark plot that was afoot. The narrative certainly went places I wasn't expecting, and the most unique thing about it is that it was my own personal narrative. The videos I watched, and the order in which I watched them will be completely different to anyone else. The fact that this was created with that in mind, and that you could, if you were lucky enough, stumble onto a huge revelation early on, and yet not understand the context without further knowledge, is fascinating. It seemed to work out well for me, as the layers peeled back in almost a perfect manner. Again, if you don't know anything about Her Story, but are intrigued by its premise, I recommend that you go in blind and see how you feel. It is certainly one of the most innovative ways of experiencing a narrative that I've ever seen.
5. SteamWorld Heist
[Finished 18/01/16]
I feel like 2016 is going to be a year where I play a ton of strategy games, and so it is appropriate that SteamWorld Heist came out when it did. Unlike many strategy games in the vein of Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, SteamWorld Heist is a game that relies more on player skill than RNG. Being able to control the exact angle of your shots with your robot crew, allows for a level of satisfaction that is almost unmatched when you manage to pull of a crazy rebounding bullet to the skull. The level up system is neat, if a little narrowing, in the sense that once you are locked in with higher level characters, there is never really a reason to go back and train up new units. However, by unlocking a brand new skill every level, you are always incentivised to take out as many enemies as possible and complete all the side objectives on a mission. This stands in contrast to Codename STEAM, where the aim was more focused on completing the main mission objective and not worrying about grinding characters. However, that brings up something that I believe Codename STEAM does far better than SteamWorld Heist, and that is map design. The maps are randomly generated, which means that they never feel like they have an identity. There is not enough environment variation and as such you just feel like you are bashing through ship to ship focusing on the combat, and not so much anything else. The mission objectives are certainly not that varied and so fatigue does start to set in. The game is not super long though, so by the time I was wearing out it did reach an end point. Overall, I really enjoyed many aspects, but it certainly falls short in others.
6. Undertale
[Finished 27/01/16]
Undertale is really hard to talk about. On the one hand you have the fear of spoilers for many aspects of this weird and wonderful game, and on the other hand it so hard to describe what makes Undertale so captivating. The writing is probably the easiest thing to point at when praising this game, as it is so sharp, incisive and funny - giving life to so many varied and interesting characters, that on the surface seem weird and goofy, but all have layers of depth that unravel as the narrative progresses. The whole notion of not fighting enemies in an RPG is unique and interesting, but the way Undertale deals with that notion is far more mind boggling than it sounds on paper. The unique interactions and attacks each enemy has gives them character through gameplay in a way I've never really seen before, and the myriad ways in which the game subverts standard mechanics and flips things on its head is so incredible that its hard to put into words. I did feel that it perhaps got a little baggy towards the end, with the abundance of repetitive puzzles and what not, but its hard to walk away from the ending of Undertale without strong feelings. I only played the neutral run myself, but I did watch the true pacifist ending on youtube and recommend that to anyone who doesn't have time to play through a second time, it is definitely worth seeing. Undertale is proof that looks can deceive, and you most certainly should not judge it on that basis.
7. Rise of the Tomb Raider
[Finished 07/02/16]
I adored 2013's Tomb Raider reboot, and as such was waiting with eager anticipation for the PC release of Crystal Dynamics follow up. The game does indeed look gorgeous, but it initially had me soured as the frame rate was not well optimized for the open areas, meaning that I had to dial down my graphics settings significantly to get a stable 60 throughout the game. However, after messing with settings and having some concessions, I ended up pumping the visuals back up, because for the majority of the game you are not wandering around these big hub environments. The hub areas themselves are a change from the last game, and while they are cool and filled with "secrets" the only stuff I really wanted to go after were the optional tombs. These small localised puzzles (free of enemies) are a joy to find, uncover and figure out, to the extent that I did all 9 which were put in the game. In a similar fashion to the tombs in the 2013 game, these were my favourite parts of ROTR and I only wish there were more of them! Tomb Raider continues to do combat far better than Uncharted does, now giving you an on the run heal option, as well as the ability to craft explosives from junk lying around the battle arenas. The enemies are also not bullet sponges and I never got hung up in the same way that I did in Uncharted 3, constantly dying to endless spawns of spongy enemies. The traversal tools available to Lara are super fucking cool, making you constantly feel like spiderman as you grapple hook and swing from ledges. The narrative is again rather forgettable, though the characters make more of an impact this time and are relatively well written. Also I can't talk about this game without talking about the hair physics which are fucking fantastic and give life to Lara in a way that I didn't really think about before. Tomb Raider in the modern era is a thrill ride, and as long as they keep giving me them, I'll always jump straight into the front seat.
8. Advance Wars
[Finished 25/02/16]
Advance Wars is something I should have played years ago quite frankly. For as much of a Fire Emblem fanatic as I am, the fact that Advance Wars has never crossed my palms is pretty shocking, but here I am. Anyway, having won a bet, I received a copy of the game on Wii U VC, free of charge and got stuck in. The thing that strikes me the most is how punishing Advance Wars in if you don't have a clear strategy set out. Often I found myself confounded by set ups that seemed impossible to win, where the odds were so stacked against my favour. I really felt the lack of a level up mechanic to help power through, and as such each map of Advance Wars was a unique challenge. The fact that you can win by claiming outposts though is pretty cool and led to one of my most awesome moments. Its tough, and no nonsense, and I don't know if I'll play another anytime soon, but I'm glad I now have context
9. Metroid: Zero Mission
[Finished 27/02/16]
Holy guacamole, what a fucking awesome game. The thing that makes Zero Mission so eminently playable is a combination of two things - the play mechanics and flow of Metroid Fusion, combined with the mysterious lonesome exploration of Super Metroid. It is the "Baby Metroid" of the series, born from the bones of the original game and 2 of its successors. However, Zero Mission is never so open ended that you never know where to go. The Chozo statues provide map indicators that you can follow, and so if you want to explore off to the side, the game is more than happy to let you do so without letting you forget about the critical path. The bosses are rather weak when compared to previous entries and really don't provide much of a challenge (I blasted Ridley's face off in what felt like 30 seconds). However, there is some crazy use of shine spark mechanics to pick up hidden items, and the joy of uncovering energy tanks and missile expansions is still ever enticing. And hey, that Zero Suit section was rad too, changing what is an action blasting affair into a careful, scary, stealthy sequence, reminiscent of Fusion's SA-X encounters. Overall, an incredible experience top to bottom.
10. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
[Finished 04/03/16]
I fucking adore the first Danganronpa, and was very willing to give the second a try, knowing that it had some story tie to the first. Guess what? Its still awesome, but maybe a little less awesome than it was the first time. The cast of characters are very well drawn, and the voice acting continues to be the thing that draws me into the narrative, but I do feel like a lot of the sequences drag on for a little too long. Of course there is awesome payoff when you finally figure out the murders, but it doesn't hit quite as hard as before. I think that's mainly down to the overarching mystery being less engaging than the last time. The first game had this real unique feel and the questions about why these kids were here, and what was happening in the outside world were far more tantalising. Mechanics wise it is very similar, save for some new additions to the court mini games, but these are still the weakest aspect. I found myself setting the "action" difficulty to easy, because a lot of the so called "game mechanics" in Danganronpa don't feel fair or fun. I'm here for the story and the crazy, and though it isn't as good as the first, the ending is mind bogglingly awesome in ways that are hard to describe. It pulls an MGS2, and that is something to be thankful for.
11. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
[Finished 09/03/16]
In some ways, Sonic puts Mario to shame here, sporting a full career mode with a bunch of racing objectives and different challenges to complete alongside bog standard kart races. Mario Kart's single player is quite frankly abysmally boring and spicing it up would certainly help in the next entry, so Sonic gives us a nice blue print. The game looks gorgeous and has very colourful courses, but ultimately, when it comes down to it, the game just isn't that fun. Mario Kart is so fucking sound in terms of control and polish, and Sonic just feels lacking in that arena. The game is functional, but there is a hell of a lot of jank in terms of animations, that make it look stiff and unnatural. Overall, I got bored quickly and didn't finish the campaign (mainly though because it commits the cardinal sin of placing progression behind medal gates - can we please stop doing this? It fucking sucks).
12. Final Fantasy VII
[Finished 27/04/16]
Final Fantasy VII is a great game. There I said it. I really was reticent to play this, mainly because going back to the PS1 era seems so tough these days. However, I played the steam version with upres'd character models and some other additions, and I have to say that despite a lot of PS! era problems, the game holds up incredibly well. The story is kind of incomprehensible, owing to the poor localisation that gives us stilted and awkward dialogue that a lot of the time doesn't chain together. But the characters are memorable and each have their individual tales to tell. In many ways this game feels like Chrono Trigger - a likeable and diverse set of crew members, a very well paced main path that leads you from area to area never staying anywhere for too long, and having a difficulty curve that is smooth and still challenging, never really needing you to grind for absurd tough spots. The battle system is what really shines, and the materia system is such a cool idea. Being able to level up your spells independently of your characters allows a freedom of choice and the ability for the story to force you into certain characters you haven't played before. Mainly I stuck with a party of Tifa/Cloud/Red XIII, but got a taste of the others in certain sections. I do wish that you could skip summon animations as some are absurdly long (I'm looking at you Sephiroth), but they do look fucking cool so you know. I now finally understand what people where going on about this whole time, and it has made me appreciate Cloud's implementation in Smash Bros so much more (Limit breaks FTW!). Looking forward to how the remake changes things and fuck me the soundtrack is amazing - so many memorable tunes!
13. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
[Finished 02/05/16]
I've always been more of an Ace Attorney guy than a Layton man, but I still really like the Layton games and appreciate the difference in approach that they take. So here we are at the finale of the first trilogy and you'd better expect a bonkers story with a crazy twist because hey, that's Layton for you! The idea of time travel is something I've always loved, and so a mystery based around that conceit is something that got me very intrigued out the gate. The narrative parts of this game are on top form, and I still get a unique thrill from watching a fully animated cutscene play out on my little DS screen. Voice acting is much more prevalent and the game is just very well written generally. The puzzle side is always hit and miss for me. There are many moments when I think I have understood what the game is asking me, only to be frustrated when I find out what it really wanted. This is something that generally ties into puzzles that are less interactive and more word based, which I don't enjoy and are generally not related to the story. The puzzles that really make me happy are the ones where I'm tangibly moving something around the screen that is tied into the story (e.g. the making a gun out of casino parts tetris puzzle). However, I barrel through these puzzles to keep the story going, and this one is definitely the best of the original trilogy. It takes characters we've known and loved for a while, and ties up narrative loose ends nicely. A gentleman never leaves a puzzle unsolved!
14. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
[Finished 08/05/16]
What is the most important thing about this game? Jake Kaufman did the music. As soon as I jumped into the shoes of Shantae, the first thing that hit me was the soundtrack and it hit me like a ton of bricks - its fucking awesome. I really heard his influence later on with tracks that had a clear Shovel Knight vibe to them, and it meant that I didn't podcast as much as I was expecting during the game. The other thing that struck me was the 3D and the visuals generally. I had the choice to play it on either Nintendo platform thanks to the humble bundle, but decided on 3DS as I like these kind of 2D games portably. What a great decision, because the sprite work is wonderful and looks amazing in 3D. The game itself, however, is full of highs and lows. The dungeons themselves are essentially mini Metroid maps and are very fun to explore, but getting there and back again is more of a chore than anything else. Each island has a long straight stretch as soon as you get there which is mostly filled with enemies that punish you if you rush through. As such these are long and laboured affairs that really suck the wind out of your sails. The powerups are cool and are very well used in the final dungeon gauntlet, giving you a level of mobility which is a far cry from what you had at the outset. The real problems come in the "What do I do next/Where do I go now?" situations. There are so many moments like this where I had to give a thing to a person and there was no context to the how and why of what to do, it felt really obscure in the way burning bushes in Zelda feels obscure, and that's not good. The bosses also felt like they could be brute forced if you bought the right items. Just load up on the milk that increase your damage, make sure your hair is upgraded and have a bunch of what are essentially Zelda fairies in a bottle and you get to a point where you don't need to worry about finesse, but get rewarded for spamming. It makes overly spongy bosses somewhat unsatisfying to take down. Overall I enjoyed many elements of this game, but it certainly didn't reach the high mark I hoped. Still fun though!
Continued
My Backloggery
1. FAST Racing NEO
[Finished 02/01/16]
I've never been a fan of F-Zero or Wipeout, or really any super fast future tech space style racing game. However, I've also not spent enough time with any of them to get any good or even learn how to play in a way that doesn't constantly net me a last place finish. Essentially, this game was cheap and looked cool and if I'm ever going to jump into the genre I couldn't think of a more convenient entry point. With that in mind, Fast Racing Neo is an adrenaline pumping game which forces you to focus to such a degree, that if you make one single mistake its almost certainly lights out. The idea of having to switch between coloured planes to get a boost, whilst also collecting tiny orbs that give you more boost and knowing the various jumps and turns well enough to not bash into them is a daunting one at the very least. Yet, I managed to hold my own in the opening races and managed to take down the first speed tier without too much trouble. I haven't gone back to it yet for the faster tracks, but with the new update that adds a mini map and the ability to more steadily control your landings, I'm sure I'll be spending more time with that game as the year progresses.
2. Cibele
[Finished 03/01/16]
The fact that Cibele can exist in the sphere of video games in 2016, tells us a great deal about how the medium has moved forwards in the past few years. The fact that we can have a 1 hour experience, with minimal "game mechanics" and more of a focus on personal, relevant stories is amazing. Cibele itself will really only resonate with you if you have an affinity for MMOs and the interpersonal relationships that can be formed with strangers on the internet, and whilst I don't have any direct parallels to what creator Nina Freeman experienced in her time with MMOs, I can certainly appreciate the sentiment. The closest I got to an MMO experience in my adolescent years was Runescape, and I was really only playing that with people I knew in real life. Overall, its best if you don't completely know what Cibele is about before you go into it, I'd say if you even have a passing interest, you should give it a go.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles X
[Finished 04/01/16]
I don't know that a single paragraph can really do justice to the behemoth that is Xenoblade Chronicles X, but I will try. This game is all at once my favourite game that came out in 2015, while simultaneously being a frustrating mess of menus, UI design and management. The real heart of Xenoblade X is in the world exploration. Saying that Mira is huge is perhaps the greatest understatement of our time, as to imply such a thing is laughable when you realise how big this world actually is. However, its not simply that the world is big and filled with nothing. It is so intricately designed with pathways leading to mountains leading to caves that are hidden away in valleys. There is a natural quality to the landscapes of this alien world, which evokes earth and the unknown simultaneously. Moreover, the entire map has to be designed with an expanding sense of scale as you progress further and unlock the ability to use a Skell. There is a verticality to the environments that means no matter if you've been to an area before, exploring the same space with a Skell, both on the ground and in the sky, presents an altogether new experience. I loved exploring in the original Xenoblade, but its spiritual successor takes that element and rewards you for it tenfold. Placing down probes to have fast travel points which also act as areas to mine resources and chain together different probes to build your own in game economy is a loop that is not only necessary in the grand scheme of things, but also immensely rewarding. When you are ticking over 170k credits every 30 mins, all because you explored and found the tools necessary to make you a millionaire is a damn good feeling. Xenoblade also has a pseudo Mario 64 vibe to it, as although the world is open and has no boundaries, you are very much based in a home hub, namely New LA. This city is where a few of my complaints come in. Its cluttered with areas that have important impact on the more hardcore RPG elements the game has to offer, but finding these and growing the city, and knowing where to look to recruit new members of you team can be a tedious and confusing affair. Why does a tile on a hex "complete" so I have no idea where to find that party member again if I want to use them? Why do the objectives needed to enter a new main story mission not check off if I've already done them? Why, in order to get some affinity missions do I need to constantly refresh the mission board in order to see whether a basic mission needed to begin that affinity mission has randomly popped up yet? Questions like these and many more, including "WHY IS THE TEXT SO DAMN SMALL?" have caused me to sour on the preparation processes that Xenoblade presents. Indeed the main story itself feels so small in scope when compared to the complete package that was the original game. We get no resolution of any large scale, and so many questions are left unanswered/unsaid. The characters are also far more stiff and unlike-able, and pale in comparison to the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles. That said, where the writing shines here is in the side quests, so it is rather appropriate that doing side missions makes up most of what you will spend time doing within Xenoblade's huge world. There are a lot of small, personalised stories involving not only the human population, but also all the alien races that arrive at New LA. References to Back to the future, stories about inter-species marriage, and the tale of a poor girl who just can't get the coffee machine to work are all charming and fun little storylines that for some reason kept me far more engaged than the side stuff in the previous game. All in all, Xenoblade Chronicles X is as flawed as it is brilliant, and yet I could not stop myself from playing it. Having clocked over 75 hours in the space of less than 3 weeks, it certainly held my attention more than any game from last year did. When all is said and done, there is no feeling quite like flying your Skell through one of the enormous desert rings in Oblivia and admiring the vast, beautiful landscape that lies before you.
4. Her Story
[Finished 17/01/16]
Just like Cibele, Her Story takes the medium of video games and does something completely fresh with it. You are a detective. Your mission: find out what the hell happened in this murder case. Your tools: a desktop PC and a search engine. GO. The process of playing Her Story is so different to any other game I've played before. I had a notepad document open at all times on my PC while I was playing so I could jot down theories, try and connect disparate statements and write down any words that I wanted to type into the search bar at a later time. All in all, this game made me feel like I was actually cracking a case, finding little hints here and there and slowly unravelling the deep, dark plot that was afoot. The narrative certainly went places I wasn't expecting, and the most unique thing about it is that it was my own personal narrative. The videos I watched, and the order in which I watched them will be completely different to anyone else. The fact that this was created with that in mind, and that you could, if you were lucky enough, stumble onto a huge revelation early on, and yet not understand the context without further knowledge, is fascinating. It seemed to work out well for me, as the layers peeled back in almost a perfect manner. Again, if you don't know anything about Her Story, but are intrigued by its premise, I recommend that you go in blind and see how you feel. It is certainly one of the most innovative ways of experiencing a narrative that I've ever seen.
5. SteamWorld Heist
[Finished 18/01/16]
I feel like 2016 is going to be a year where I play a ton of strategy games, and so it is appropriate that SteamWorld Heist came out when it did. Unlike many strategy games in the vein of Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, SteamWorld Heist is a game that relies more on player skill than RNG. Being able to control the exact angle of your shots with your robot crew, allows for a level of satisfaction that is almost unmatched when you manage to pull of a crazy rebounding bullet to the skull. The level up system is neat, if a little narrowing, in the sense that once you are locked in with higher level characters, there is never really a reason to go back and train up new units. However, by unlocking a brand new skill every level, you are always incentivised to take out as many enemies as possible and complete all the side objectives on a mission. This stands in contrast to Codename STEAM, where the aim was more focused on completing the main mission objective and not worrying about grinding characters. However, that brings up something that I believe Codename STEAM does far better than SteamWorld Heist, and that is map design. The maps are randomly generated, which means that they never feel like they have an identity. There is not enough environment variation and as such you just feel like you are bashing through ship to ship focusing on the combat, and not so much anything else. The mission objectives are certainly not that varied and so fatigue does start to set in. The game is not super long though, so by the time I was wearing out it did reach an end point. Overall, I really enjoyed many aspects, but it certainly falls short in others.
6. Undertale
[Finished 27/01/16]
Undertale is really hard to talk about. On the one hand you have the fear of spoilers for many aspects of this weird and wonderful game, and on the other hand it so hard to describe what makes Undertale so captivating. The writing is probably the easiest thing to point at when praising this game, as it is so sharp, incisive and funny - giving life to so many varied and interesting characters, that on the surface seem weird and goofy, but all have layers of depth that unravel as the narrative progresses. The whole notion of not fighting enemies in an RPG is unique and interesting, but the way Undertale deals with that notion is far more mind boggling than it sounds on paper. The unique interactions and attacks each enemy has gives them character through gameplay in a way I've never really seen before, and the myriad ways in which the game subverts standard mechanics and flips things on its head is so incredible that its hard to put into words. I did feel that it perhaps got a little baggy towards the end, with the abundance of repetitive puzzles and what not, but its hard to walk away from the ending of Undertale without strong feelings. I only played the neutral run myself, but I did watch the true pacifist ending on youtube and recommend that to anyone who doesn't have time to play through a second time, it is definitely worth seeing. Undertale is proof that looks can deceive, and you most certainly should not judge it on that basis.
7. Rise of the Tomb Raider
[Finished 07/02/16]
I adored 2013's Tomb Raider reboot, and as such was waiting with eager anticipation for the PC release of Crystal Dynamics follow up. The game does indeed look gorgeous, but it initially had me soured as the frame rate was not well optimized for the open areas, meaning that I had to dial down my graphics settings significantly to get a stable 60 throughout the game. However, after messing with settings and having some concessions, I ended up pumping the visuals back up, because for the majority of the game you are not wandering around these big hub environments. The hub areas themselves are a change from the last game, and while they are cool and filled with "secrets" the only stuff I really wanted to go after were the optional tombs. These small localised puzzles (free of enemies) are a joy to find, uncover and figure out, to the extent that I did all 9 which were put in the game. In a similar fashion to the tombs in the 2013 game, these were my favourite parts of ROTR and I only wish there were more of them! Tomb Raider continues to do combat far better than Uncharted does, now giving you an on the run heal option, as well as the ability to craft explosives from junk lying around the battle arenas. The enemies are also not bullet sponges and I never got hung up in the same way that I did in Uncharted 3, constantly dying to endless spawns of spongy enemies. The traversal tools available to Lara are super fucking cool, making you constantly feel like spiderman as you grapple hook and swing from ledges. The narrative is again rather forgettable, though the characters make more of an impact this time and are relatively well written. Also I can't talk about this game without talking about the hair physics which are fucking fantastic and give life to Lara in a way that I didn't really think about before. Tomb Raider in the modern era is a thrill ride, and as long as they keep giving me them, I'll always jump straight into the front seat.
8. Advance Wars
[Finished 25/02/16]
Advance Wars is something I should have played years ago quite frankly. For as much of a Fire Emblem fanatic as I am, the fact that Advance Wars has never crossed my palms is pretty shocking, but here I am. Anyway, having won a bet, I received a copy of the game on Wii U VC, free of charge and got stuck in. The thing that strikes me the most is how punishing Advance Wars in if you don't have a clear strategy set out. Often I found myself confounded by set ups that seemed impossible to win, where the odds were so stacked against my favour. I really felt the lack of a level up mechanic to help power through, and as such each map of Advance Wars was a unique challenge. The fact that you can win by claiming outposts though is pretty cool and led to one of my most awesome moments. Its tough, and no nonsense, and I don't know if I'll play another anytime soon, but I'm glad I now have context
9. Metroid: Zero Mission
[Finished 27/02/16]
Holy guacamole, what a fucking awesome game. The thing that makes Zero Mission so eminently playable is a combination of two things - the play mechanics and flow of Metroid Fusion, combined with the mysterious lonesome exploration of Super Metroid. It is the "Baby Metroid" of the series, born from the bones of the original game and 2 of its successors. However, Zero Mission is never so open ended that you never know where to go. The Chozo statues provide map indicators that you can follow, and so if you want to explore off to the side, the game is more than happy to let you do so without letting you forget about the critical path. The bosses are rather weak when compared to previous entries and really don't provide much of a challenge (I blasted Ridley's face off in what felt like 30 seconds). However, there is some crazy use of shine spark mechanics to pick up hidden items, and the joy of uncovering energy tanks and missile expansions is still ever enticing. And hey, that Zero Suit section was rad too, changing what is an action blasting affair into a careful, scary, stealthy sequence, reminiscent of Fusion's SA-X encounters. Overall, an incredible experience top to bottom.
10. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
[Finished 04/03/16]
I fucking adore the first Danganronpa, and was very willing to give the second a try, knowing that it had some story tie to the first. Guess what? Its still awesome, but maybe a little less awesome than it was the first time. The cast of characters are very well drawn, and the voice acting continues to be the thing that draws me into the narrative, but I do feel like a lot of the sequences drag on for a little too long. Of course there is awesome payoff when you finally figure out the murders, but it doesn't hit quite as hard as before. I think that's mainly down to the overarching mystery being less engaging than the last time. The first game had this real unique feel and the questions about why these kids were here, and what was happening in the outside world were far more tantalising. Mechanics wise it is very similar, save for some new additions to the court mini games, but these are still the weakest aspect. I found myself setting the "action" difficulty to easy, because a lot of the so called "game mechanics" in Danganronpa don't feel fair or fun. I'm here for the story and the crazy, and though it isn't as good as the first, the ending is mind bogglingly awesome in ways that are hard to describe. It pulls an MGS2, and that is something to be thankful for.
11. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
[Finished 09/03/16]
In some ways, Sonic puts Mario to shame here, sporting a full career mode with a bunch of racing objectives and different challenges to complete alongside bog standard kart races. Mario Kart's single player is quite frankly abysmally boring and spicing it up would certainly help in the next entry, so Sonic gives us a nice blue print. The game looks gorgeous and has very colourful courses, but ultimately, when it comes down to it, the game just isn't that fun. Mario Kart is so fucking sound in terms of control and polish, and Sonic just feels lacking in that arena. The game is functional, but there is a hell of a lot of jank in terms of animations, that make it look stiff and unnatural. Overall, I got bored quickly and didn't finish the campaign (mainly though because it commits the cardinal sin of placing progression behind medal gates - can we please stop doing this? It fucking sucks).
12. Final Fantasy VII
[Finished 27/04/16]
Final Fantasy VII is a great game. There I said it. I really was reticent to play this, mainly because going back to the PS1 era seems so tough these days. However, I played the steam version with upres'd character models and some other additions, and I have to say that despite a lot of PS! era problems, the game holds up incredibly well. The story is kind of incomprehensible, owing to the poor localisation that gives us stilted and awkward dialogue that a lot of the time doesn't chain together. But the characters are memorable and each have their individual tales to tell. In many ways this game feels like Chrono Trigger - a likeable and diverse set of crew members, a very well paced main path that leads you from area to area never staying anywhere for too long, and having a difficulty curve that is smooth and still challenging, never really needing you to grind for absurd tough spots. The battle system is what really shines, and the materia system is such a cool idea. Being able to level up your spells independently of your characters allows a freedom of choice and the ability for the story to force you into certain characters you haven't played before. Mainly I stuck with a party of Tifa/Cloud/Red XIII, but got a taste of the others in certain sections. I do wish that you could skip summon animations as some are absurdly long (I'm looking at you Sephiroth), but they do look fucking cool so you know. I now finally understand what people where going on about this whole time, and it has made me appreciate Cloud's implementation in Smash Bros so much more (Limit breaks FTW!). Looking forward to how the remake changes things and fuck me the soundtrack is amazing - so many memorable tunes!
13. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
[Finished 02/05/16]
I've always been more of an Ace Attorney guy than a Layton man, but I still really like the Layton games and appreciate the difference in approach that they take. So here we are at the finale of the first trilogy and you'd better expect a bonkers story with a crazy twist because hey, that's Layton for you! The idea of time travel is something I've always loved, and so a mystery based around that conceit is something that got me very intrigued out the gate. The narrative parts of this game are on top form, and I still get a unique thrill from watching a fully animated cutscene play out on my little DS screen. Voice acting is much more prevalent and the game is just very well written generally. The puzzle side is always hit and miss for me. There are many moments when I think I have understood what the game is asking me, only to be frustrated when I find out what it really wanted. This is something that generally ties into puzzles that are less interactive and more word based, which I don't enjoy and are generally not related to the story. The puzzles that really make me happy are the ones where I'm tangibly moving something around the screen that is tied into the story (e.g. the making a gun out of casino parts tetris puzzle). However, I barrel through these puzzles to keep the story going, and this one is definitely the best of the original trilogy. It takes characters we've known and loved for a while, and ties up narrative loose ends nicely. A gentleman never leaves a puzzle unsolved!
14. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
[Finished 08/05/16]
What is the most important thing about this game? Jake Kaufman did the music. As soon as I jumped into the shoes of Shantae, the first thing that hit me was the soundtrack and it hit me like a ton of bricks - its fucking awesome. I really heard his influence later on with tracks that had a clear Shovel Knight vibe to them, and it meant that I didn't podcast as much as I was expecting during the game. The other thing that struck me was the 3D and the visuals generally. I had the choice to play it on either Nintendo platform thanks to the humble bundle, but decided on 3DS as I like these kind of 2D games portably. What a great decision, because the sprite work is wonderful and looks amazing in 3D. The game itself, however, is full of highs and lows. The dungeons themselves are essentially mini Metroid maps and are very fun to explore, but getting there and back again is more of a chore than anything else. Each island has a long straight stretch as soon as you get there which is mostly filled with enemies that punish you if you rush through. As such these are long and laboured affairs that really suck the wind out of your sails. The powerups are cool and are very well used in the final dungeon gauntlet, giving you a level of mobility which is a far cry from what you had at the outset. The real problems come in the "What do I do next/Where do I go now?" situations. There are so many moments like this where I had to give a thing to a person and there was no context to the how and why of what to do, it felt really obscure in the way burning bushes in Zelda feels obscure, and that's not good. The bosses also felt like they could be brute forced if you bought the right items. Just load up on the milk that increase your damage, make sure your hair is upgraded and have a bunch of what are essentially Zelda fairies in a bottle and you get to a point where you don't need to worry about finesse, but get rewarded for spamming. It makes overly spongy bosses somewhat unsatisfying to take down. Overall I enjoyed many elements of this game, but it certainly didn't reach the high mark I hoped. Still fun though!
Continued
I highly recommend Until Dawn to anyone, especially horror fans. After hearing all the great word of mouth this was getting I had to give it a go, and finished it in one brutal sitting!
Original Post
GAME 13: Until Dawn - 7 Hours - 18/01/2016 - PS4
GAME 14: Nuclear Throne - 4 Hours - 18/01/2016 - PC
Original Post
GAME 13: Until Dawn - 7 Hours - 18/01/2016 - PS4
GAME 14: Nuclear Throne - 4 Hours - 18/01/2016 - PC
Still battling through ReMake's systems. Ran out of ink ribbons so I lost about 20 minutes progress tonight. It's irritating 'cause the game isn't actually that hard, it's just these artificial restrictions that are added to it.
Feel like I'm reaching the climax of the story though. Will be done with it before Friday.
Feel like I'm reaching the climax of the story though. Will be done with it before Friday.
Dr. Buni
Member
BraXzy is on a roll.
That was interesting read. It's been a while since I read a negative opinion on XCX, it seems like most people around here love the game.Master post.
Game 4 -Xenoblade X - Around 105 hours inc. AFK time
Ahhh...Xenoblade. This game had to have done something right. I mean, I played 105 hours of it. Those 105 hours might have been full of disappointment, frustration and complaining, but I still spent 105 hours on this game.
I'd have to say I enjoyed the game overall. On the rare occasion I got into a fair fight, I had an absolute blast. The combat was almost if not just as satisfying as Chronicles, albeit different, with some things I liked better and some things I didn't. The problem is a fair fight was a rarity. Wildly fluctuating enemy levels from the get go that never ever even out discouraged me from fighting anything I didn't have to. Hell, it discouraged basic exploration because I was likely to get 1 hit if I strayed off the beaten path. I realise a lot of people like this danger, and I don't mind the occasional Fel Reaver, but having an area full of level 40's next to a low level 5-10 zone, or have mobs that range from level 3-32 in a small space is just silly. Don't get me started on terrible enemy placement that have bosses staggering off bridges resulting in a reset, or high level mobs patrolling through your low level quest area. Occurrences like that were far too frequent to be passed over.
The characters were hot garbage, no two ways about it. I would have forgotten Elma existed if she wasn't taking the spotlight all the time (and forced on my party COUGH) she's so bland. Lin is as anime as you get, and once Tatsu shows up she's reduced to food jokes. And don't get me started on Tatsu. I still don't quite understand what plot relevance he had outside of some minor scenes that could have been completely omitted without changing much. I barely even remember any of the other 15+ party members.
The story...was alright. Incredibly sparse, but what was there was decent enough. It in no way felt like a story written to be experienced over the stretch of 100 hours. It felt more like the first third of a JRPG stretched over the length of a full one, and if this is how they plan to pace a possible series (think I heard these guys planned a hexology once...yeah) I am getting off this ride right now.
I'm not sure I liked how they handled quests and story in general, actually. Character development is relegated to side quests which might explain why I didn't care about any of the characters. Random side quests, like the water plant one, had more interesting stories and set ups than most of the main/party quests and didn't get the voice acted with cut scenes treatment. For reasons I can't begin to fathom, quest board quests don't have a level indicator. Only some weird "3 stars and a glowey one" difficulty. The amount of times I snatched up a quest and traveled half way across Mira only to find a boss mob 30+ levels above me was insane. Trying to level through normal means was an exercise in futility and near endgame I just had to cheese my way through some really easy level 60 mobs. That was more fun than questing, too!
I really really wanted to love this game with all my heart. I really did. In the end, though, it felt like a game doing everything it possibly could to stop me from actually playing it. I loved Chronicles because it took a bunch of stuff I hated - open world, MMO cooldown combat, overabundance of side quests - and made me love them. Xenoblade X is just another game that reminds my why I dislike that all so much.
tav7623
Member
2 down 50 to go!
2. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Finished 1/18/16, playtime 24 hrs 38 mins) - I first played this game back in 2008, but never beat it due to how difficult it was (I got as far as the
boss fight before trading the game in, it also didn't help that I was playing the game on my sister's DSi since I didn't have a system of my own) well nearly 8 years later I got the game back in my collection (as a Christmas gift no less) and finally beat it. Of the DS Castlevania games (which I've now all beaten over the course of the past 3 years) I've gotta say this one was by far the hardest one of the bunch imo as it required lots of level grinding, some luck, and a good strategy guide to help get me through some of the harder parts. If you are looking for a good, but really challenging IGAvania game for the DS look no farther than this game. ★★★★
2. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Finished 1/18/16, playtime 24 hrs 38 mins) - I first played this game back in 2008, but never beat it due to how difficult it was (I got as far as the
Barlowe
A Link to the Past
Banned
Main post
Game #8: Life Force (NES) - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
A game that I tried beating once before but got kind of tired of due to some annoying aspects, I decided to power through it today. Eventually, after continuing to be annoyed, I swallowed my pride and used the Konami Code, because unfortunately, I was having only a limited amount of fun. Every level felt like it had its fair share of moments where you die and there wasn't much you could have done to change that. Regenerating destructible walls, suddenly appearing orange vines, and a sequence of tight passageways at the end that generally have you wanting to be at the bottom of the screen to anticipate where they'll be open, except for near the very end where one can only be cleared if you are near the top of the screen. Beginner's trap!! All that said, I did want to like this game a lot, and I did like it, kind of. I don't regret having played it, and I am thankful that they let you respawn right near where you died instead of going back to a checkpoint, but it's definitely the least enjoyable title in the series for me.
Game #8: Life Force (NES) - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
A game that I tried beating once before but got kind of tired of due to some annoying aspects, I decided to power through it today. Eventually, after continuing to be annoyed, I swallowed my pride and used the Konami Code, because unfortunately, I was having only a limited amount of fun. Every level felt like it had its fair share of moments where you die and there wasn't much you could have done to change that. Regenerating destructible walls, suddenly appearing orange vines, and a sequence of tight passageways at the end that generally have you wanting to be at the bottom of the screen to anticipate where they'll be open, except for near the very end where one can only be cleared if you are near the top of the screen. Beginner's trap!! All that said, I did want to like this game a lot, and I did like it, kind of. I don't regret having played it, and I am thankful that they let you respawn right near where you died instead of going back to a checkpoint, but it's definitely the least enjoyable title in the series for me.
Hehe I'm doing quite well atm somehow!
But its mainly due to the fact I'm avoiding all the big hitters that will take months to finish. I'm partway through The Witcher 3 and Bloodborne, and Fallout 4 is on my list of games I wanna play so yeah.. xD
Did I mention MGS V?
A Link to the Past
Banned
Haha yeah, the only big game that I did all of my playtime this year was Golden Sun. Working on inFAMOUS Second Son now though, so at least I'll have that!
Game 2: Silver Creek Falls: Chapter 1 (PC) - 40 minutes
Decides to play one of these RPG Maker games in my backlog. This one is a murder mystery and plays more like an adventure game. The story is surprisingly pretty interesting actually.
The first chapter is sadly super short (being free and all), so most of the time it only covers the place of the murder. Definitely will buy the next chapter and I heard it's longer.
List: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190947896&postcount=193
Decides to play one of these RPG Maker games in my backlog. This one is a murder mystery and plays more like an adventure game. The story is surprisingly pretty interesting actually.
The first chapter is sadly super short (being free and all), so most of the time it only covers the place of the murder. Definitely will buy the next chapter and I heard it's longer.
List: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190947896&postcount=193
Let's give this a go then I guess this will serve as my main post.
6/52
GAME #1: Bloodborne - 18/01/2016 - [PS4]
Bloodborne is my kind of game. More than anything, I really liked the sense of progression; slowly unravelling an intricate and interwoven world full of short cuts and hidden paths to new locations. The same is true for the PC, too, as you slowly learn the various maps and routes and enemies until you breeze through areas that once gave you pause. Of course, the mythos it borrows from and the visual details create a phenomenal narrative and the fast paced, aggressive combat is right up my street.
GAME #2: The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes - 26/01/2016 - [3DS]
So I didn't have anyone to play through this with me but, as an avid Zelda fan, I had to have it. I therefore played the whole game through in single player which, I understand, is not the ideal way to play. Indeed, some of the puzzles became frustrating as I had to switch between the different-coloured Links in a tight window. This put a slight damner on an otherwise wonderful little game. Most of the bosses were strong, requiring thought and preparation before taking them on. The levels were quite inspired sometimes, too, and the puzzles had me stuck on occasion. The story - rescuing a princess and therefore her kingdom from bad fashion - was wacky and nonsensical, but worked with the game. And dressing Link up was fun, too! Overall, it is not the follow up to A Link Between Worlds that I was expecting but it's a fun spin off worthy of the series.
GAME #3: Star Wars Battlefront - 08/02/2016 - [PS4]
I always feel a bit iffy including multiplayer only games on completion lists, but I think I have had my feel of EA's Star Wars Battlefront. The presentation is top notch and, whipped into Star Wars fever the likes of which I have not felt since 1999, I opted to play this and little else throughout the beginning of the year (severely hampering my progress in this thread, as it happens). Once the newness of that presentation wears off, however, you are left with a game that has very little substance to it and ultimately feels repetitive. This may change with the upcoming DLC, which will inevitable lure me back - I just hope future blockbuster Star Wars games have a bit more meat on the bones to compliment the incredible graphics and sound design.
GAME #4: Paper Mario: Sticker Star - 15/02/2016 - [3DS]
So this may be an unpopular opinion, but I actually really like Sticker Star. I like the level design and the battle system and the music. Granted, I have not played any other Paper Mario games nor have I played Super Mario RPG - doing so might make me look back on this negatively in the future. The only thing that irritated me about the game were the obtuse boss battles which gave you very few clues in figuring out the gimmick and usually resulted in me lobbing thing stickers until I brute forced my way through. Or maybe I wasn't being observant enough, who knows
GAME #5: Ultimate NES Remix - 19/02/2016 - [3DS]
I don't really know what to say about this, I have no strong feelings regarding it either way. It was a pretty fun mishmash of Nintendo NES games split up into bite sized chunks. It would have been pretty cool if it utilised longer games - play Metroid as Link! - or something but this game is not that. I got it very cheap, so no complaints really.
GAME #6: Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition - 07/03/2016 - [GBC via 3DS Virtual Console]
So the long awaited release of the Gen 1 Pokemon games on Virtual Console finally happened and I snapped up Yellow as soon as it was available. I originally played through Blue as a kid and ran through Red as a teenager so it made sense to pick up the third version for something slightly different. However, I have buyer's remorse. Pokemon availability is not as good as in the original games and the sprite work leaves a lot to be desired. There is something oddly surreal about the original Red and Blue sprites (I know Green was the real "original") and these were lost in this release. However, I still had a blast. The game has not aged nearly as badly as some would have you believe. The pacing is still excellent, the chip tunes are as good as my memory said they were and the comparative open world and arsehole rival took me back to better times. PC / Inventory management is still a pain in the arse though. Sod it, I might get Blue now anyway.
GAME #7: Lego Dimensions - Aperture Science - 28/03/2016 - [PS4]
I was not sure whether to include the Lego Dimensions level packs as separate games or not but between the actual level content and the hub worlds, I've probably played stand alone stuff that is shorter, so did. All I can say is that the Portal 2 pack is well worth the money. You get the Chell minifigure and the turret / companion cube builds and it opens up probably the most fun expansion in the game. It really feels like Portal, if that makes sense, and I would love it if they released an entire game around the concept.
GAME #8: Lego Dimensions - Ghostbusters! - 04/04/2016 - [PS4]
Another fantastic level pack. These guys really know how to use the source IP combined with Lego.
GAME #9: Pokemon Blue Version - 06/04/2016 - [GB via 3DS Virtual Console]
After finishing Yellow and being slightly disappointed with how it did not fit my childhood memory, I went and got Blue for another play through. Despite being black and white, I was a lot more comfortable with the sprites and I blasted through the game. These games are still so well designed and tightly paced that, even with all the flaws, they are an absolute joy to play through.
GAME #10: Hyrule Warriors Legends - 20/04/2016 - [3DS]
I played the original Wii U game to completion and dabbled in the Adventure maps but I did not get hooked like some, though my inner Zelda fan is strong. Despite the lower visual fidelity and the reduced special effects, enemy count etc, I enjoyed my time with Legends more but still not enough to really pull me in. Certain QOL improvements massively benefit the game, though, such as instant character switching and warp points on some of the maps (though I'm not sure if the Wii U game was ever updated with these).
In Rotation
Lego Dimensions [PS4]
I guess this will serve as my main post.6/52
GAME #1: Bloodborne - 18/01/2016 - [PS4]
Bloodborne is my kind of game. More than anything, I really liked the sense of progression; slowly unravelling an intricate and interwoven world full of short cuts and hidden paths to new locations. The same is true for the PC, too, as you slowly learn the various maps and routes and enemies until you breeze through areas that once gave you pause. Of course, the mythos it borrows from and the visual details create a phenomenal narrative and the fast paced, aggressive combat is right up my street.
GAME #2: The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes - 26/01/2016 - [3DS]
So I didn't have anyone to play through this with me but, as an avid Zelda fan, I had to have it. I therefore played the whole game through in single player which, I understand, is not the ideal way to play. Indeed, some of the puzzles became frustrating as I had to switch between the different-coloured Links in a tight window. This put a slight damner on an otherwise wonderful little game. Most of the bosses were strong, requiring thought and preparation before taking them on. The levels were quite inspired sometimes, too, and the puzzles had me stuck on occasion. The story - rescuing a princess and therefore her kingdom from bad fashion - was wacky and nonsensical, but worked with the game. And dressing Link up was fun, too! Overall, it is not the follow up to A Link Between Worlds that I was expecting but it's a fun spin off worthy of the series.
GAME #3: Star Wars Battlefront - 08/02/2016 - [PS4]
I always feel a bit iffy including multiplayer only games on completion lists, but I think I have had my feel of EA's Star Wars Battlefront. The presentation is top notch and, whipped into Star Wars fever the likes of which I have not felt since 1999, I opted to play this and little else throughout the beginning of the year (severely hampering my progress in this thread, as it happens). Once the newness of that presentation wears off, however, you are left with a game that has very little substance to it and ultimately feels repetitive. This may change with the upcoming DLC, which will inevitable lure me back - I just hope future blockbuster Star Wars games have a bit more meat on the bones to compliment the incredible graphics and sound design.
GAME #4: Paper Mario: Sticker Star - 15/02/2016 - [3DS]
So this may be an unpopular opinion, but I actually really like Sticker Star. I like the level design and the battle system and the music. Granted, I have not played any other Paper Mario games nor have I played Super Mario RPG - doing so might make me look back on this negatively in the future. The only thing that irritated me about the game were the obtuse boss battles which gave you very few clues in figuring out the gimmick and usually resulted in me lobbing thing stickers until I brute forced my way through. Or maybe I wasn't being observant enough, who knows
GAME #5: Ultimate NES Remix - 19/02/2016 - [3DS]
I don't really know what to say about this, I have no strong feelings regarding it either way. It was a pretty fun mishmash of Nintendo NES games split up into bite sized chunks. It would have been pretty cool if it utilised longer games - play Metroid as Link! - or something but this game is not that. I got it very cheap, so no complaints really.
GAME #6: Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition - 07/03/2016 - [GBC via 3DS Virtual Console]
So the long awaited release of the Gen 1 Pokemon games on Virtual Console finally happened and I snapped up Yellow as soon as it was available. I originally played through Blue as a kid and ran through Red as a teenager so it made sense to pick up the third version for something slightly different. However, I have buyer's remorse. Pokemon availability is not as good as in the original games and the sprite work leaves a lot to be desired. There is something oddly surreal about the original Red and Blue sprites (I know Green was the real "original") and these were lost in this release. However, I still had a blast. The game has not aged nearly as badly as some would have you believe. The pacing is still excellent, the chip tunes are as good as my memory said they were and the comparative open world and arsehole rival took me back to better times. PC / Inventory management is still a pain in the arse though. Sod it, I might get Blue now anyway.
GAME #7: Lego Dimensions - Aperture Science - 28/03/2016 - [PS4]
I was not sure whether to include the Lego Dimensions level packs as separate games or not but between the actual level content and the hub worlds, I've probably played stand alone stuff that is shorter, so did. All I can say is that the Portal 2 pack is well worth the money. You get the Chell minifigure and the turret / companion cube builds and it opens up probably the most fun expansion in the game. It really feels like Portal, if that makes sense, and I would love it if they released an entire game around the concept.
GAME #8: Lego Dimensions - Ghostbusters! - 04/04/2016 - [PS4]
Another fantastic level pack. These guys really know how to use the source IP combined with Lego.
GAME #9: Pokemon Blue Version - 06/04/2016 - [GB via 3DS Virtual Console]
After finishing Yellow and being slightly disappointed with how it did not fit my childhood memory, I went and got Blue for another play through. Despite being black and white, I was a lot more comfortable with the sprites and I blasted through the game. These games are still so well designed and tightly paced that, even with all the flaws, they are an absolute joy to play through.
GAME #10: Hyrule Warriors Legends - 20/04/2016 - [3DS]
I played the original Wii U game to completion and dabbled in the Adventure maps but I did not get hooked like some, though my inner Zelda fan is strong. Despite the lower visual fidelity and the reduced special effects, enemy count etc, I enjoyed my time with Legends more but still not enough to really pull me in. Certain QOL improvements massively benefit the game, though, such as instant character switching and warp points on some of the maps (though I'm not sure if the Wii U game was ever updated with these).
In Rotation
Lego Dimensions [PS4]
Dr. Buni
Member
Game 9: Yo-Kai Watch [3DS] --- ~20 hours played
I took a huge gamble with this game. Why? Well, I found the demo extremely boring, yet I decided to buy it because I was feeling like playing a "mon" game that isn't Pokémon. Fortunately, the full game is a lot more enjoyable than the demo. Anyways, the game is quite enjoyable. The atmosphere is charming (I have never visited Japan, but from watching tokusatsus, the fictional town in the game is very close to the real life towns... Ignoring the Yo-kais, of course). The story is average (like in Pokémon), the music is kinda not that good (only track I really loved is this one, plus the battle theme is rather funky xD). Exploring the city is great and there's a TON of side quests to be done, that said it is really confusing to find your way in the city. Plus, because the game is mostly set in the same place, it lacks the variety Pokémon offers in terms of geography.
Now on to one of the most important aspects in mon games, the monster designs... Well, I appreciate how the designs are all based on Japanese folkore, but the designs themselves are mostly not my cup of tea. Some of my favorite designs below. I put them on spoiler tag in case anyone doesn't want to have the designs spoiled for them.
Now there is one Yo-kai who looks hilariously stupid, I am not putting him on spoiler tags though:
Seriously? xD
In short: Nice little game, I recommend it for fans of the genre. I still like Pokémon a lot more, though.
I took a huge gamble with this game. Why? Well, I found the demo extremely boring, yet I decided to buy it because I was feeling like playing a "mon" game that isn't Pokémon. Fortunately, the full game is a lot more enjoyable than the demo. Anyways, the game is quite enjoyable. The atmosphere is charming (I have never visited Japan, but from watching tokusatsus, the fictional town in the game is very close to the real life towns... Ignoring the Yo-kais, of course). The story is average (like in Pokémon), the music is kinda not that good (only track I really loved is this one, plus the battle theme is rather funky xD). Exploring the city is great and there's a TON of side quests to be done, that said it is really confusing to find your way in the city. Plus, because the game is mostly set in the same place, it lacks the variety Pokémon offers in terms of geography.
Now on to one of the most important aspects in mon games, the monster designs... Well, I appreciate how the designs are all based on Japanese folkore, but the designs themselves are mostly not my cup of tea. Some of my favorite designs below. I put them on spoiler tag in case anyone doesn't want to have the designs spoiled for them.
Seriously? xD
In short: Nice little game, I recommend it for fans of the genre. I still like Pokémon a lot more, though.
FlowersisBritish
fleurs n'est pas britannique
Game 2: Yomi- 8 hours(and counting)
Reminds me of what I liked about magic when I used to play. It's essentially a very slow fighting game where deep understanding of your character and the opponents leads to some intense strategizing mid match. A lot of weird characters with neat gimmicks to mess around with, and even more so with the expansion. My only big complaint would be the art, love the game but character designs not so much, though a couple cools ones in there.
Reminds me of what I liked about magic when I used to play. It's essentially a very slow fighting game where deep understanding of your character and the opponents leads to some intense strategizing mid match. A lot of weird characters with neat gimmicks to mess around with, and even more so with the expansion. My only big complaint would be the art, love the game but character designs not so much, though a couple cools ones in there.
NotDreamcast
Member
Game 5: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - 7:29 (Finished on 1/17)
An adorably colorful and silly metroidvania that likes to poke fun at itself and similar games. Standard fare of exploration, puzzle solving, gaining new abilities/items, backtracking and secret finding. Along with a very catchy soundtrack. The game does a pretty good job at evenly dividing the usefulness of all your abilities, keeping them all relevant for the duration of the game. The game's final area especially, puts to test everything you have in sadistic ways. New game+ also gives you all your abilities from the start, which seems to make for interesting ways to progress faster through all the areas. Good times with this one. Short but sweet.
Original post
An adorably colorful and silly metroidvania that likes to poke fun at itself and similar games. Standard fare of exploration, puzzle solving, gaining new abilities/items, backtracking and secret finding. Along with a very catchy soundtrack. The game does a pretty good job at evenly dividing the usefulness of all your abilities, keeping them all relevant for the duration of the game. The game's final area especially, puts to test everything you have in sadistic ways. New game+ also gives you all your abilities from the start, which seems to make for interesting ways to progress faster through all the areas. Good times with this one. Short but sweet.
Original post
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
Holy shit, folks are in the teens and I haven't crossed game #5.
xZoneHunter
Member
You're not the only one, i'm hard at work for #2.
Shadowcreep
Member
Game 5: Oxenfree (PC) - 5 Hours
Went in with pretty high expectation based on the praise the game was getting and it mostly lives up. Outside of the issues with the games movement system and how short I found some of the dialogue choices to stay on screen I had a great time. The thing that makes or breaks this kind of game is the characters and the setting and I thought it did both exceptionally particularly the characters, although I think some of the VAs miss the mark on delivery in certain scenes seeming to just read the lines instead of react to whats going on in universe. The ending stuff is pretty good as well I thought even though I had issues personally with some character resolutions. I think people should check it out.
OP
Went in with pretty high expectation based on the praise the game was getting and it mostly lives up. Outside of the issues with the games movement system and how short I found some of the dialogue choices to stay on screen I had a great time. The thing that makes or breaks this kind of game is the characters and the setting and I thought it did both exceptionally particularly the characters, although I think some of the VAs miss the mark on delivery in certain scenes seeming to just read the lines instead of react to whats going on in universe. The ending stuff is pretty good as well I thought even though I had issues personally with some character resolutions. I think people should check it out.
OP
UcchedavÄda
Member
Game 6: Hexcells Plus [PC] - ~17.5 hours
Hexcells Plus is a minimalist puzzle-game, and the followup to the last game that I completed (Hexcells). It can be described as "more of the same", but involving much larger puzzles, and with one additional mechanic, namely blue, numbered cells, which enumerate the number of "active" hexes within two hexes from that numbered hex. Initially I found this to be a really tedious addition, since it involved a lot of careful counting, and a number of mistakes on my count, but it turned out that you can simply click on the hex to highlight the area-of-effect, making this type of hexes a pleasant addition instead. Much like the first game in the series (Hexcells), this game was really enjoyable (after I realized the above), and I 100%'ing it as well, though in this case my insistence on starting over every time I made 2 or more mistakes was costly due to the much bigger puzzles (the average 100% time is ~10 hours). And much like the first game, I immediately started playing the sequel (Hexcells Infinite) on completion.
Master List
Hexcells Plus is a minimalist puzzle-game, and the followup to the last game that I completed (Hexcells). It can be described as "more of the same", but involving much larger puzzles, and with one additional mechanic, namely blue, numbered cells, which enumerate the number of "active" hexes within two hexes from that numbered hex. Initially I found this to be a really tedious addition, since it involved a lot of careful counting, and a number of mistakes on my count, but it turned out that you can simply click on the hex to highlight the area-of-effect, making this type of hexes a pleasant addition instead. Much like the first game in the series (Hexcells), this game was really enjoyable (after I realized the above), and I 100%'ing it as well, though in this case my insistence on starting over every time I made 2 or more mistakes was costly due to the much bigger puzzles (the average 100% time is ~10 hours). And much like the first game, I immediately started playing the sequel (Hexcells Infinite) on completion.
Master List
Dr. Buni
Member
Game 10: Risk of Rain --- 6,5 hours played.
I was not expecting to beat this game today... or ever, to be fair. When I bought it, I found the game charming and fun, but also too hard for me. So I dropped it really quick. Yesterday I was a bit bored of playing on the 3DS, so I decided to play one of the few games I haven't beaten from my Steam library yet and the chosen one was Risk of Rain. After unlocking a character earlier today and feeling pumped to keep playing it, I ended up lucking out with loot and then I managed to finish the game. By the time I beat the final boss, I had 8 drones or so fighting for me, plus a ton of other buffs and items.
Anyways, I do not intend to stop playing this game yet, I actually hope to finish the game with every character. I deeply recommend this for rougelike fans and non fans as well. In fact, it is currently on sale on Steam.
I was not expecting to beat this game today... or ever, to be fair. When I bought it, I found the game charming and fun, but also too hard for me. So I dropped it really quick. Yesterday I was a bit bored of playing on the 3DS, so I decided to play one of the few games I haven't beaten from my Steam library yet and the chosen one was Risk of Rain. After unlocking a character earlier today and feeling pumped to keep playing it, I ended up lucking out with loot and then I managed to finish the game. By the time I beat the final boss, I had 8 drones or so fighting for me, plus a ton of other buffs and items.
Anyways, I do not intend to stop playing this game yet, I actually hope to finish the game with every character. I deeply recommend this for rougelike fans and non fans as well. In fact, it is currently on sale on Steam.
It's not necessary but I'd recommend dating your completion. Could add playtime too but that's less needed.
It's good to look back and see what you completed when at the end of the year
As snarky as this sounds, if you love exploring a massive world with a whole lot to see but not much to actually do, I agree that XBX is a fantastic game. Unfortunately spending hours upon hours hunting for a an interesting mob/tyrant that's actually within my ability to kill isn't my definition of entertaining. People bring up "Mira is a dangerous place!" a lot too, but the thrill of running from an out of field high level enemy mid fight stops being thrilling the twentieth time it happens. At that point it's tedium barring my ability to actually play the game.
I played XBC immediately before it too, and went dark on all XBX media afterwards. I don't think that helped any.
Main post
Game 5: Persona 4: Dancing All Night 10/01/16.
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. The previous Persona 4 spinoff games have had huge writing problems and have been apart of genres that I'm not a big fan of, but Persona 4: DAN manages to get it mostly right. The story-line is completely ridiculous, with the investigation team getting pulled into a strange world and having to free idols from shadows by showing their true selves through dance. It's very silly, but it works. It doesn't lean too much on the existing characters, which was a huge pitfall of the arena games, and instead it introduces Kanamin Kitchen, a group of pop idols with different personalities and their own unique problems. These girls, Kanamin in particular, are endearing and I really enjoyed going through their story. There's a fine amount of twists and turns that keep the plot rucking along, and it comes up with decent justifications to see the crew dancing in different costumes. If the story mode has one problem it's that the protagonist is Yu is still incredibly boring when voiced in the spin-offs, and the crew's banter is often very weak. It's strange that the main draw for the game turned out to be the part I liked the least. Still, there's enough going on in the story that this doesn't bog it down too much. I'm not going to claim the story is particularly well written, but as a schlocky Persona spinoff story is works well.
As a rhythm game P4AN is a lot of fun. It's a simple six note system with notes coming on both edges of the vita screen. This makes it a little hard to see the characters dancing since your mostly looking at the sides of the screen, but it isn't a huge issue. The beat mapping is good and its generally very satisfying to do well when paying these songs. The soundtrack is the real highlight here, with around 30 tracks made up of original songs from Persona 4 and remixes. It's not a huge amount of tracks, and the lack of Persona 3 songs is glaring, but their quality is so high I didn't mind replaying them multiple times. The characters all have unique songs they dance too, but their partner is optional. This leads to fun stuff like Naoto dancing to the jazzy numbers while Kanji dances to the harder rocks songs. There's a store that sells costumes and accessories that are all about as fan-servicey as you can imagine. The songs, characters, and actual rhythm gameplay all combine to give you something really unique and fun, a game that Persona 4 fans will definitely love. Persona 4 Dancing All Night hits nearly all the right notes. 4/5
Game 6: Knack 18/01/16.
Knack is a frustrating game because it has so much potential but it fails to capitalise on any of it. The bulk of the game is made up of the combat, which is where the game shines. It's a simple system of dodging attacks and counterattacking but it's very satisfying thanks to tight controls and good feedback from the enemies. It's difficult too, a single hit from some enemies will send you back to last checkpoint, which raises the stakes of the combat and doesn't allow you to simply button mash your way through the encounters. Unfortunately, this can lead to whole lot of frustration mostly because of it's poor checkpoints. You can sometimes fight three or four different encounters before reaching one, and it is very irritating to have to restart again and again. In this way, Knack fails at being a good kids game, as I'm not sure 8 year old me would enjoy the challenge of the game. The real problem with the game is that the combat never really changes, and gives way to the games largely repetitive nature. Sure, the levels keep looking nice and Knack goes from looking small....to looking big! but the basic game-play stays the same throughout and lacks the depth needed to support the ten or so hours the campaign lasts. The story isn't going to drive you through it either, with about three different plots going on at once, each more dull then the last. The world building is fine, but the characters are incredibly wooden. Even Knack isn't a great mascot, he comes across as a big dumb idiot with no agency of his own. The only thing the game has going for it is it's atrocious loot system, in which you find parts of upgrades for Knack in hidden areas. I finished the game with three upgrades, two of which were completely useless. it's an atrocious system which contributes to the games complete lack of gameplay variety. Honestly, I had to force myself to finish this game. There's a fun couple of hours to be had here, but it just turns into a complete slog. While certain aspects of Knack are well made, the mascot turns out to be less then the sum of his parts. 2/5
Game 5: Persona 4: Dancing All Night 10/01/16.
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. The previous Persona 4 spinoff games have had huge writing problems and have been apart of genres that I'm not a big fan of, but Persona 4: DAN manages to get it mostly right. The story-line is completely ridiculous, with the investigation team getting pulled into a strange world and having to free idols from shadows by showing their true selves through dance. It's very silly, but it works. It doesn't lean too much on the existing characters, which was a huge pitfall of the arena games, and instead it introduces Kanamin Kitchen, a group of pop idols with different personalities and their own unique problems. These girls, Kanamin in particular, are endearing and I really enjoyed going through their story. There's a fine amount of twists and turns that keep the plot rucking along, and it comes up with decent justifications to see the crew dancing in different costumes. If the story mode has one problem it's that the protagonist is Yu is still incredibly boring when voiced in the spin-offs, and the crew's banter is often very weak. It's strange that the main draw for the game turned out to be the part I liked the least. Still, there's enough going on in the story that this doesn't bog it down too much. I'm not going to claim the story is particularly well written, but as a schlocky Persona spinoff story is works well.
As a rhythm game P4
AN is a lot of fun. It's a simple six note system with notes coming on both edges of the vita screen. This makes it a little hard to see the characters dancing since your mostly looking at the sides of the screen, but it isn't a huge issue. The beat mapping is good and its generally very satisfying to do well when paying these songs. The soundtrack is the real highlight here, with around 30 tracks made up of original songs from Persona 4 and remixes. It's not a huge amount of tracks, and the lack of Persona 3 songs is glaring, but their quality is so high I didn't mind replaying them multiple times. The characters all have unique songs they dance too, but their partner is optional. This leads to fun stuff like Naoto dancing to the jazzy numbers while Kanji dances to the harder rocks songs. There's a store that sells costumes and accessories that are all about as fan-servicey as you can imagine. The songs, characters, and actual rhythm gameplay all combine to give you something really unique and fun, a game that Persona 4 fans will definitely love. Persona 4 Dancing All Night hits nearly all the right notes. 4/5Game 6: Knack 18/01/16.
Knack is a frustrating game because it has so much potential but it fails to capitalise on any of it. The bulk of the game is made up of the combat, which is where the game shines. It's a simple system of dodging attacks and counterattacking but it's very satisfying thanks to tight controls and good feedback from the enemies. It's difficult too, a single hit from some enemies will send you back to last checkpoint, which raises the stakes of the combat and doesn't allow you to simply button mash your way through the encounters. Unfortunately, this can lead to whole lot of frustration mostly because of it's poor checkpoints. You can sometimes fight three or four different encounters before reaching one, and it is very irritating to have to restart again and again. In this way, Knack fails at being a good kids game, as I'm not sure 8 year old me would enjoy the challenge of the game. The real problem with the game is that the combat never really changes, and gives way to the games largely repetitive nature. Sure, the levels keep looking nice and Knack goes from looking small....to looking big! but the basic game-play stays the same throughout and lacks the depth needed to support the ten or so hours the campaign lasts. The story isn't going to drive you through it either, with about three different plots going on at once, each more dull then the last. The world building is fine, but the characters are incredibly wooden. Even Knack isn't a great mascot, he comes across as a big dumb idiot with no agency of his own. The only thing the game has going for it is it's atrocious loot system, in which you find parts of upgrades for Knack in hidden areas. I finished the game with three upgrades, two of which were completely useless. it's an atrocious system which contributes to the games complete lack of gameplay variety. Honestly, I had to force myself to finish this game. There's a fun couple of hours to be had here, but it just turns into a complete slog. While certain aspects of Knack are well made, the mascot turns out to be less then the sum of his parts. 2/5
Only kidding, Game of the generation. 10/5.
Realplumpbox85
Member
OT
Game number six was a short one. I played Migty Gunvolt on the 3DS. Fun little Mega Man style side scroller. Lot sof potential also. I do wish it had power ups that I could collect but hey for a game that is just over an hour and that's with beating it with all 3 people. Glad it was free with the purchase of Azura Gunvolt.
Game number six was a short one. I played Migty Gunvolt on the 3DS. Fun little Mega Man style side scroller. Lot sof potential also. I do wish it had power ups that I could collect but hey for a game that is just over an hour and that's with beating it with all 3 people. Glad it was free with the purchase of Azura Gunvolt.
It's not necessary but I'd recommend dating your completion. Could add playtime too but that's less needed.
It's good to look back and see what you completed when at the end of the year
Good call, I'll look back and add!
Matt Attack
Member
Marmaladefire
Member
Just finished FF Type-0. I liked that idea of a war story that got increasingly personal but I really did not like the standard ending. Seemed out of nowhere just because a proper "hero" had to be designated. I think it would have been better if
Liked the game play though and it did get me back into the mindset to play ARPGs which I haven't in a while.
machina and rem remained crystals and class 0 had to actually learn to live for themselves. They tried to pull a "they made their choice to save the world" but really, they were war machines until the end. Also Machina is a whiny naive tratior so fuck making him the hero
walkmetothelake
Banned
OP
Game #6 - Resident Evil Zero HD (PS4)
First time completing this even though I originally owned the Gamecube version. My opinion hasn't really changed. Easily the worst classic RE game. There's great atmosphere and music but it's like the game goes out of its way to be frustrating at any chance it gets. The changes to the item system are abysmal, making an item that you use multiple times across the whole game take up two of your already limited item spaces is one of the more unfortunate design moments in the series. Odds are unless you spoil yourself and/or use a guide you'll be doing a ton of backtracking either due to the lack of item boxes and limited space. The enemy/boss design also leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I'll enjoy this on further playthroughs as I'll know what I'm doing and they should pass by easier/faster.
The original logo >>> the new one.
Game #6 - Resident Evil Zero HD (PS4)
First time completing this even though I originally owned the Gamecube version. My opinion hasn't really changed. Easily the worst classic RE game. There's great atmosphere and music but it's like the game goes out of its way to be frustrating at any chance it gets. The changes to the item system are abysmal, making an item that you use multiple times across the whole game take up two of your already limited item spaces is one of the more unfortunate design moments in the series. Odds are unless you spoil yourself and/or use a guide you'll be doing a ton of backtracking either due to the lack of item boxes and limited space. The enemy/boss design also leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I'll enjoy this on further playthroughs as I'll know what I'm doing and they should pass by easier/faster.
The original logo >>> the new one.
Hopefully we'll see more of Billy in the series someday.
chrominance
Member
Original post
7. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PC, 2014) - 28:52
Completed the campaign using Nisha, level 29.
The good news is The Pre-Sequel feels as much like a Borderlands game as the other two mainline entries, though it takes place from a very different perspective. There aren't that many franchises that craft a whole narrative around the player being one of the bad guys; here, you work for Jack, the man who eventually becomes the antagonist in Borderlands 2. Despite this, your journey feels awfully similar to other Borderlands games: kill a whole bunch of stuff, help some people out along the way, destroy a big boss or three. The fact that your boss turns out to be evil (and you're kind of on board with it) doesn't really matter much.
The bad news is that the changes 2K Australia bring to the franchise aren't always good ones (the oxygen meter is easy to ignore at best, but momentum-killing at worse) and the elements that remain the same feel very long in the tooth now. Take, for example, the checkpoint system. It's hard to remember how bad Borderlands 2 was, but The Pre-Sequel is really awful at times. There aren't nearly enough fast travel stations, and checkpoints don't work if you quit the game--instead of spawning at that checkpoint, you spawn at the fast travel station, which is often at the beginning of whatever dungeon you were trying to move through in order to finish a story quest.
Worse, you can't even guarantee that moving to a new level will grant you a save point to spawn at; oftentimes entire levels come with no fast travel spot, which means quitting the game at that point requires you to traverse all the way across the LAST level just to get to the entrance. Contrast this with Fallout 4, a much more complex game in terms of stuff to keep track of (settlements, chests and containers, mission statuses, people, etc.) that nevertheless lets you save anywhere at almost any time. In The Pre-Sequel, you spend far too much time just trying to get from point A to point B, and trying to ignore enemies several levels below you that can still kill you if you're not careful but offer precious little XP in exchange for your limited ammo.
Between this and the sharp increase in difficulty in the last chapter or two, The Pre-Sequel turns into an irritating slog near the end. It sometimes feels like The Pre-Sequel doesn't really respect your time, which is not a problem you want your game to have. That said, it's more Borderlands, and some of the fundamentals that made the first two games compelling are still here. Just don't expect too much in the way of improvements.
7. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PC, 2014) - 28:52
Completed the campaign using Nisha, level 29.
The good news is The Pre-Sequel feels as much like a Borderlands game as the other two mainline entries, though it takes place from a very different perspective. There aren't that many franchises that craft a whole narrative around the player being one of the bad guys; here, you work for Jack, the man who eventually becomes the antagonist in Borderlands 2. Despite this, your journey feels awfully similar to other Borderlands games: kill a whole bunch of stuff, help some people out along the way, destroy a big boss or three. The fact that your boss turns out to be evil (and you're kind of on board with it) doesn't really matter much.
The bad news is that the changes 2K Australia bring to the franchise aren't always good ones (the oxygen meter is easy to ignore at best, but momentum-killing at worse) and the elements that remain the same feel very long in the tooth now. Take, for example, the checkpoint system. It's hard to remember how bad Borderlands 2 was, but The Pre-Sequel is really awful at times. There aren't nearly enough fast travel stations, and checkpoints don't work if you quit the game--instead of spawning at that checkpoint, you spawn at the fast travel station, which is often at the beginning of whatever dungeon you were trying to move through in order to finish a story quest.
Worse, you can't even guarantee that moving to a new level will grant you a save point to spawn at; oftentimes entire levels come with no fast travel spot, which means quitting the game at that point requires you to traverse all the way across the LAST level just to get to the entrance. Contrast this with Fallout 4, a much more complex game in terms of stuff to keep track of (settlements, chests and containers, mission statuses, people, etc.) that nevertheless lets you save anywhere at almost any time. In The Pre-Sequel, you spend far too much time just trying to get from point A to point B, and trying to ignore enemies several levels below you that can still kill you if you're not careful but offer precious little XP in exchange for your limited ammo.
Between this and the sharp increase in difficulty in the last chapter or two, The Pre-Sequel turns into an irritating slog near the end. It sometimes feels like The Pre-Sequel doesn't really respect your time, which is not a problem you want your game to have. That said, it's more Borderlands, and some of the fundamentals that made the first two games compelling are still here. Just don't expect too much in the way of improvements.
Bumbletron
Member
Original Post
Game 2 for me was Feel The Magic: XY/XX - 2 hours
Recently acquired this gem of a DS launch title. It has a neat little concept to it and utilizes all of the DS's gimmicks well in a nice Wario Ware like game. It has a cute little story, some deceptively hard mini games later on, and I should mention it's made by Sonic Team (It has a lot of aesthetic similarities with Space Channel 5).
Game 2 for me was Feel The Magic: XY/XX - 2 hours
Recently acquired this gem of a DS launch title. It has a neat little concept to it and utilizes all of the DS's gimmicks well in a nice Wario Ware like game. It has a cute little story, some deceptively hard mini games later on, and I should mention it's made by Sonic Team (It has a lot of aesthetic similarities with Space Channel 5).
Marmaladefire
Member
Original Post
Game 2 for me was Feel The Magic: XY/XX - 2 hours
Recently acquired this gem of a DS launch title. It has a neat little concept to it and utilizes all of the DS's gimmicks well in a nice Wario Ware like game. It has a cute little story, some deceptively hard mini games later on, and I should mention it's made by Sonic Team (It has a lot of aesthetic similarities with Space Channel 5).
Oh my gosh I love this game I would love to play it again
Wildschwein
Member
Game #062 - Fallout: New Vegas
Time Played: ?? - ???? hours
I've completed varying amounts of this game on different files and different builds since the day the game came out as a weird buggy crash-ridden mess. So I thought it was time to finally make that final push, start a new file, and play through the game proper. It was still a buggy, crash-ridden mess, but it was a fun and totally playable experience. Each play session did include a good two or three restarts though.
My major issue here was that essentially the last 50% of my playthrough was spent wishing I was playing something else. Its a real weird feeling when you know you love everything about a game on paper, but with the controller in my hand I just didn't feel it anymore. For starters, I ruined the game for myself on what I think are two occasions. First, I played through Old World Blues around level 15. Turns out, having DLC weapons in the middle of the main story means that all combat for the entire game is completely irrelevant. There wasn't a single enemy outside of some final encounters that required more than two shots. The game was completely trivialized for me, and that brings myself to the second problem.
I didn't think to up the difficulty. That's on me.
The main story did get real interesting, and I loved the intricacies of the tribes throughout the wasteland. I just wish I had a lot more fun with the game than I did. This is after 100%ing Fallout 3 (alright, I never bought the last DLC, so more like 95%ing). I fully believe that New Vegas feels like its the better game in every regard, but it just didn't grab me the way I was grabbed that first time.
I have Fallout 4 sitting here, but I think I'm going to give myself some time to breathe before touching it.
Time Played: ?? - ???? hours
I've completed varying amounts of this game on different files and different builds since the day the game came out as a weird buggy crash-ridden mess. So I thought it was time to finally make that final push, start a new file, and play through the game proper. It was still a buggy, crash-ridden mess, but it was a fun and totally playable experience. Each play session did include a good two or three restarts though.
My major issue here was that essentially the last 50% of my playthrough was spent wishing I was playing something else. Its a real weird feeling when you know you love everything about a game on paper, but with the controller in my hand I just didn't feel it anymore. For starters, I ruined the game for myself on what I think are two occasions. First, I played through Old World Blues around level 15. Turns out, having DLC weapons in the middle of the main story means that all combat for the entire game is completely irrelevant. There wasn't a single enemy outside of some final encounters that required more than two shots. The game was completely trivialized for me, and that brings myself to the second problem.
I didn't think to up the difficulty. That's on me.
The main story did get real interesting, and I loved the intricacies of the tribes throughout the wasteland. I just wish I had a lot more fun with the game than I did. This is after 100%ing Fallout 3 (alright, I never bought the last DLC, so more like 95%ing). I fully believe that New Vegas feels like its the better game in every regard, but it just didn't grab me the way I was grabbed that first time.
I have Fallout 4 sitting here, but I think I'm going to give myself some time to breathe before touching it.
Jack The Nipper
Banned
2016
1. Super Mega Baseball - 8/10
finished it as much as you can a baseball game I guess. Overall I enjoy the game just wish some of the running was a bit faster
1-8-16
2. Street Fighter IV- 7/10
First time I played it and beat with most characters. I just feel this art style isn't good at all. Levels are also bad. Decent other wise.
1-10-16
3. Batman: arkham knight - 8.5/10
I enjoyed most of it. Tank battles get old. Car drives decently well. First half of the game is better than the second half though
1-19-16
4. Shadow Warrior - 5/10
Started this game in early 2015 (maybe march or earlier) it's a bit too long and drawn out and gets boring in a lot of spots and thus the reason I just finished it in 2016. Some shooter fans may an enjoy it but I don't feel it doesnt anything that impressive. Deleted
1-20-16
5. Batman: arkham knight DLC missions and races 7.5/10
I actually do consider this a different games since they price it like they do. I will give a brief over view. The old batma tv series race is one of my favorite in the game, it's quite good actually. The batman arkham skill games are a bit of a miss.
My favorite piece of DLC is Batwoman and the level feels more fleshed out. Batgirl is one of the best missions in the game. I'd put it somewhere in the top 3 actually. It is probably as long as 3 of the other DLC missions as well. Other than that I'd probably rank them Catwoman > Robin > Harley > Red HOod > Nightwing just because a lot of them are short or have too may gun a thons. Nightwings level is mostly a rehash. Atleast robin has a different or new area. His gun take down area isn't too bad as well.
1-20-16
6. Amy - 4/10
Keep this short and sweet. The game is a mess. Gameplay and mission design is worse than the visuals which I like the art style a bit. it feels like one area of silent hill but strung along in a way that forces you from point a to do something to come back to where you started to get in a door. It really is that bad. The other bad part is it forces you to do things in a very specific manner. Make guard move from here to there to do the next part of the game and this continues. Combat is also horrible and clunky, the partnering of amy is half the things you need to do to get from point a to b as well. Not to mention the game doesn't help with what you should do and you have to figure out exactly how they want you to play it. Those are all the reasons why the game is quite bad. It would be about a 30 minute game if it wasnt for these point to point continuing issues as well. If the game took out the gameplay objectives, fixed the combat completely and made a longer game it could be something worth playing . As it is, it's pretty garbage. You can actually run into the bad guys let them chase you and get into the lockers in front of them withouut penalties. Its the same for the whole game, if you arent doing exactly what you need, you arent going anywhere. its really scripted like this which is funny. Get off my HDD.
1-29-16
7. Blood Dragon 8/10
I haven't liked the far cry series so much large maps and a lot of things to collect and do. The 80s sci fi theme sort of hooked me an the game continues to borrow ideas (design, words, music, sound effects) from a ton of things
Ninja Turtles
terminator
Predator, 80s sci fi , Mortal Kombat and the list goes on
the game is about the right size for a collect athon and the main missions are actually designed pretty well. The game comes off as feeling a bit like deus ex with the sound and look. So, I actually enjoyed it for the most part. yes the man map is big and ugly but luckily the main missons are designed quite well.
1-29-16
8. Tekken 5 Dark Ressurection 7.5/10
Oldie but a goodie. Doesn't really have anything in extras but played it a bit here and there. Some of the background textures are awful. A few stages are cool but there are issues with the stages like the clipping bending issue as well. Some of the effects are blurry and bad while some things like the pipe smoke are sort of cool
9. rain 7/10
I may be pushing it with that score. I like adventure games and this one seemed it would be good but the levels and design got so simple that it got a bit hard to really like. Toward the end you have a lot of running and basic (very basic) platforming that is more like block and path jumping. Overall very linear and not as good as I had hoped. Short and they don't give you the abillity to find collectibles until the 2nd play if that is your thing. Started and finished the game same day
1-30-16
10. Unfinished Swan 8/10
Finally finishe it up, game had some nice changes through out and it isn't that long of a game but about as long as it needed to be without any major changes.
2-4
11. Metal Slug 3 8/10
Finished this for the first time today. Maybe my memory is hazy but it seemed longer than the first two games. Really difficult and maybe a bit too chaotic in a lot of parts. Need to try it in coop.
2-4
12 Star Wars Racer Revenge 6/10
Ended up playing through all the tracks and tourney mode. I thought it had about 3 or 4 decent tracks with a lot of forgetable strange track designs. Doesn't feel very star wars in atmosphere which is the other issue. PS4 version has a lot of frame issues imo Seems to have hiccups in quite a few places, but a lot of ps2 games on ps4 seem to have this issue.
2-5
13. Puppeteer 6/10
Game had decent looks and a lot of levels and content for a platformer but some areas were a bit boring or sort of like lbp. Textures aren't always that great and actual jumping and movement along with level design could be a lot better. A little disrupting but it does have a ton of busses. It's just too bad the actual gameplay and design misses on so m a my levels for me. Even the rail jumping levels felt very basic. If you love collecting and a game that could take a decent amount of time to 100 percent. Could be for you.
2-7
14. Wheel of Fortune 6/10
Playing with a friend. It works decent enough even though I can get a bit tired of playing.
2-9
15. League Bowling 6/10
SNK games are typically quite fun. I like that they let you bowl at the same time as your friends. I do think the depth of pin strikes and movement just isn't there since it isn't physics based and I had a hard time duplicating a winning strike strategy which is sort of good. Just wish it had more variations in pin movement.
2-9
16. Daytona USA 9/10
Love this game, finished up the other half of the trophies.
17. Datura 7/10
Very short game and I'd imagine even shorter if you know what your doing. Overall looks decent and is interesting. Controls can be quite messy along with frame rate issues and glitchy movement which doesnt hurt too much but would be a much better game with a smoother feel and better controls. Other than that, liked the progression and some of the art styles. Decent game to spend a couple of hours with.
18. Soldner-X Himmelssturmer 5.5/10
didn't feel it was that great. Fairly short and bosses weren't too good. The overall cg/basic chrome look doesn't sit well to me compared to the old 2d shooters (but most new indie like shooters look this way ) and a reason why I don't like the looks. Not the best game and is sort of a chain kill game. Maybe worth a play if you really like shooters. Hoping the 2nd is better which I'll try soon perhaps.
2-10
19. Double Dragon Neon 4/10
Will just say straight up this game isn't good. Mostly is bad... Bad visuals (3d simpleness) Boring and very ugly levels. Everything visually is bad. Some decent music but other than that this game isn't good. But a decent last boss battle is about it. Played for 3.50 way too long. One of my friends gave up on it, just how boring it is and I had to finish it with another friend that doesn't like games. I heard this game was good but eh, it's ass. 2 points for the music and 1 point for the boss
2-12
20. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 8/10
Played it for a few hours, of course beat it with a few characters and beat some of the other modes and such. Plan to open up more of the ending videos later though. Wish it had more modes and the visuals could be better imo They mixed up quite a few moves from past games though.
2-12
21. Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype 6/10
Better than the first game but still ends up feeling off with a lot of the backgrounds almost feeling like 3d assets flyng by and nothing to really interact with. With 7 stages, more ships and more to do it's better than the first game for the most part. if you are going to play one of them this would be the better to play. I stil feel the game is just missing what makes the good shooters fun and interesting though. Says my play time is 2:25 even though it seemed a little longer than that going for the keys to unlock the last few levels.
2-12
22. R- Type 1 (R-Type dimensions) 6.5/10
Seems I have played a lot of shooters lately.. will try to finish up more that I have and haven't played. For this game it's a bit old but I still like the ball power up shooting mechanic. this game gets too chaotic and is a bit hard for me though. Still enjoy the simple design and look of it.
2-13
23. R- Type 2 (R-Type dimensions) 6.5
This one was feeling a little better to me but not by much. Still mostly the same game. I tried to play with the original graphics mode as much as possible. Both games are short with a few interesting mechanics and bosses. I liked it overall.
2-13
24. Raiden IV Overkill 7.5
Probably an overall better game than most all the others played this year so far. More of a bullet hell style though and quite difficult. Not really the same type of games as r type or soldner but Id say this is a higher quality and better made game than those.
2-14
25. Jamestown+ 7.5/10
A good game without doubt. Levels are a bit on the short side and I question a few design choices but the overal package is actually quite nice. Multiple ships to buy, upgrades. And a decent amount of bonus levels and challenges. I do feel the actual level count is a bit too short but it doesn't ruin the game if you can get it for a good price. Can be quite challenging and is more of a bullet hell style game.
2/16
26. Monopoly 7/10
I feel the game simply isn't as fun when you can't see the actual board, cards an what you alread own right in front of you. Digital has the ability to keep up with all your money/payments for you so it's a plus and minus as to which is best. Still prefer the real thing though. Works well enough and is good for larger groups, not very fun with just two people imo
2/17
27. Under Defeat 6.5/10
I really like this game to be fair, don't let the score fool you. I believe a game is still good at a 6. I do feel the enemies become a bit boring and repeat quite a bit. The game is a little on the simple side but still good. i prefer the arcade mode over the new widescreen mode as the depth just doesn't feel right to me. Got most of the trophies though, a tip for those that struggle, you will get unlimited continues after 8 hours of play (has to be in the mode your playing) you can pause it and get it too.
2/17
28. Magician Lord 7/10
Really tough game, probably sunk atleast 4 hours into it and it should take less than an hour. Overall good art style, good bosses an a good feel. Jumping is a bit of a mess and its hard, hard as hell imo the end is almost game breaking hard if your not good at these sort of games... but there are a lot of little secret areas and you have to find the correct paths to continue in parts of the game (think falling and landing on edges where you need to move left or right quickly) a pretty solid little title... just too hard for me.
2/17
29. NBA Jam 7/10
Probably put atleast 8 hours. But mp is the best part. Bird and rondo.. Can't lose.
30. NFL Blitz 6/10
Seems they use the madden engine and it's ridiculous they cut off half of a replay and don't let you see it. Still enjoy this but would be better if it was a bit more arcade with heavy physics and movements.
31. Devil May Cry 3 9/10
I had gotten stuck on this game around release and couldn't keep going for some reason (hope i still have the save file to see why) but I finally beat it today. Spent 4 or 5 days and it is still one of the hardest games I believe. Reminds me a bit of souls where it does get easier the more you play/upgrade. Starts off quite tough imo i still feel the first game in the series has a few better design ideas and so nicer moments. part 3 has some really stand out ideas and seems to have higher productiion values. Both some of the best games to really get into honestly... in the top 10 for ps2 and top 50 or 100 all time? just maybe... Really good games. I really like some of the visuals how they look sort of painted and like it better than the looks and design of dmc4 most of the time.
32. crash 2 100 percent 9/10
improved from the first game so teh save system and jump mechanics are better. A horrible end boss though with terrible controls and gameplay makes no sense as to why its there. Some challenging bonuses and extras to find but overall much easier than the first game to be honest. Not even close in the difficulty imo Visuals and style are great and one of the better platformers out there. 2/29
33. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 8.5/10
Overall I enjoyed this better than Order. First level is a mess with the powering off of the bad guys and this level could have been done so much better but the levels and design get better after this. There is no doubt that the levels are designed better than new order for me. Enemies are still mostly dumb as dirt and the game can be a little tough here and there but nothing too out of place. Last boss is pretty interesting and fine, but nothing super amazing. Trophies are pretty easy to come by and there are a few nice little twists. Overall a good story and good setup for the game.Did end up completing the 3d missions, all gold and letters. 3/2
34. Crash 3 ( finished near 70 percent)
Finished the game but not 100 percent yet which takes some time trials plus hidden levels. So the last 30 percent may take longer than the first 70. I think they messed with the movment here a bit much and while I liked this more as a kid i think I end up liking crash 2 more today. They really have too many bad levels. They tried to do wave race and failed it just doesnt feel right. The plane missions are garbage, and the motorcycle missions feel terrible. This is why they should just include cart racing with some other form of new bonus missions in a new crash if its made like that. Bosses are pretty decent this time around bonus moves for crash make the game a bit too easy and the difficulty is not there as much when it should be at times. 3/3
35. Toy Story 3 7/10
A pretty good game overall, part platformer, part collector part sandbox (one level) but that one level has a lot to do honestly... probably could spend 8 hours on just the one sandbox level, which has its own smaller level as you progress and by extra things. I enjoyed the game quite a bit even though some of the gameplay is obviously a bit cheap and off. The buzz lightyear star fox level looks really cool and feels cool even though it looks cooler than it plays. I would suggest platforming fans try this game out and try to finish the main mode atleast. Don't get stuck thinking you need to keep going in the sandbox mode as you dont have to. Pretty good game that surprised me a bit. (shooting bits are horrible though)
36. Infamous First Light 5.5/10
I can't really say any of the combat or designed is that great or fun. A pretty passable game even though you can rush through it in a few hours if you try. No boss fight and no missions that scream fun or cool like Infamous one. 3/6
37. Streets of Rage 2
Really enjoy the game/look and music so decided to give it a run though. 3/8
38. CTR 8/10
They do a lot of copying from Mario kart 64, some levels almost the same basic idea and Id say this game isnt designed or doesnt play as well as mario kart and diddy kong racing. Levels are not as good for sure and the driving model isn't as good either. Still a good game though. Didnt 100 percent but finished up the main game. 3/15
39. Klonoa (PS1) 8/10
Game is pretty good and I liked it overall. Wish they had more straight on river ride like levels but those were a bit few in the game. Game is overall pretty short and the last boss is pretty neat 3/21
40. Twisted metal 2 7/10
I have no idea why people feel this game is better than 1. Just go through a few pros and cons
TM1
Better
Art
Level design (by far) levels just feel so much more realistic and better made to me
Sounds and vehicle looks
Music (just sounds like much better tunes)
Character design use (characters feel more fun)
TM2
Better
Cheats
Overall weapons and uses
MP
TM2's maps just dont feel right, they are harder to drive on or just dont feel as cohesive or realistic feeling to me. I actually rather like the realistic feel that TM1 brings. 3/29
41. Dragons Lair 5/10
Overall I dont like the game for whatever reason. Art and look is ok and Id rather it just be a cartoon I guess 3/29
42. Street Fighter 3 8/10
Never played it much but did finish the main mode a few times today. I don't really like the overly bright characters or some of the art for backgrounds. Animation is obviously good. 3/29
43. Sonic the Fighters - 5/10
I'm not sure what the appeal is but the fighting is a bit too simple and not a lot of content. maybe I haven't played it enough to see how deep it is but I did get all the trophoies (which you can do in like 15 minutes) 3/29
44. King Of Fighters 94
I sort of like the basketball player here and not sure if they ever brought him back but i doubt it. I played through this enough to get a good feel for it and the levels. I'm not a KOF expert or even know the characters or who is where in future titles very well but I do enjoy the art and backgrounds a lot in the series. Really liked the japanese level as well as the storm korean level was designed very well. Nice use of color on the japanese level and very detailed. I will be playing more of them to see which ones I like best and again, no expert on the mechanics. 3/30
45. KOF 95
I really like the look of the water dock level. Such a nice looking color palete and composition with the water and bridge. Also neat how they jump off the dock. It's also neat how in 94 they have the helicopter level and then a crashed one in 95. Fire tree level has the blowing grass but isn't my favorite. Industrial level is nice too with the color use and smoke. No huge changes I can see in gameplay but I just play these for fun of the art. Eiji seems fun to me and mostly a strider like character. 3/30
46. KOF 96
Here I think the Japan level has a really nice touch with the overpass and cars on the street in the background. Most of this game seems to be about adding a few things unless I am missing something. two jump levels. Dont think vice was in the other games but maybe missed her name but I like her. Bull arena in the super storm is pretty cool but the levels here dont feel as fun or nice to me. 3/30
47. Street Fighter Alpha 1
I played it enough to try every character, see every stage and finish the arcade modes but mostly played 2 players. Its not worth playing other than study, seeing imo Not a lot of good stages here either. 4-2
48. Street Fighter Alpha 2
Better and seems to have more stages but still only a few that I really like. Tried every stage, finished the game but again spent more time on 2 players. Stages still arent that great especially compared to 3 imo
49. SFA 3
This game has more of what I like, better style in stages, better designs and some of my favorites include zangeifs hot molten stage with the lighting effects, charlies stage that mixes the 3d with the same texture art style very well. Cammy's stage has a nice feel overall with the wind and backdrop. Birdie's stage has a nice contrast in colors with the train crash. Guy's stage is probaby my favorite in style, theme and overall look. A very nice 32 bit final fight look. Sodoms stage is ok but I feel the tree could be made differently as well as having more of the city shown. It's a common theme to have a mountain dojo and city down below in a lot of these games it seems. Some ugly levels and different art styles? here and there but this is the alpha I would stick to myself.
50 Final Fight 8/10
I forgot to put this one up there forgot what day i beat it but this game on the arcade actually looks and animates quite nicely, pretty nice levels through out but a bit on the short side I felt.
51. Extreme Pinball 5/10
I'm not sure why I played through this game but thought I'd try it, didn't like the music or art style too much, design isnt so hot either. Gameplay is mostly ok I guess, only 4 tables and lonnng loading times though. Stick to pinball arcade.. 4-8
52. Fatal Fury
This game is really hard imo and the last boss grabs you every time your near him, levels are not the greatest, but I did like the last fight (other than the fight itself lol) interesting game, choosing from 3 players and focusing on the story. Liked it for the most part.
53. Zombi 7.5/10
I actually didn't feel it was that bad, could have had a little more depth and maybe had a few things like moving your inventory around instead of leaving it spread out but I mostly enjoyed it for what it was. Would have been fine buying it and playing it but it was on plus and liked what it had to offer. it has some balance issues, you can always hit the zombies and mostly be fine if you do get overwhelmed you will die. I enjoyed most of the areas in the game, wish it had more homes or apartment areas other than just a few basic but for what was there enjoyed the levels. 4-19
54. Ratchet (Ps2/Ps3 HD) 8.5 / 10
Wanted to play through this game again to get a good feel for it before the HD remake. It still holds up pretty well besides the actual gun movement controls. IQ and art style still look really good to me and I was happy to see the IQ feeling as good as many new games today. I do feel the planet/level/gameplay design is better or best in the first third of the game and it gets a little worse after that. Either way, I will try the new version out some time to see how it compares. 4/19
55. Zone of the Enders
I really like the art style and feeling of this game, even though it is really way too short and there isn't a lot of great game play the fact that this was a new game and was mae just before the release of MGS2 is interesting. The overall design of the hub world and story is actually quite interesting and makes up for the lack of depth or length IMO
I really enjoy the colors and art style of some of the levels such as city 2, they just have a nice look to them and the art style on the actual mech designs are really good. I actually prefer the designs textures and some other things more than its sequel which also has some of it's own pros (which I have yet to play all of yet) but going to get to it and make a better comparison on the differences between the two. Still love this game, but the lack of bosses and levels hurt what they were going for. A third game with a bigger more in depth city/underground areas and going into more dense places would be great. 4/22
1. Super Mega Baseball - 8/10
finished it as much as you can a baseball game I guess. Overall I enjoy the game just wish some of the running was a bit faster
1-8-16
2. Street Fighter IV- 7/10
First time I played it and beat with most characters. I just feel this art style isn't good at all. Levels are also bad. Decent other wise.
1-10-16
3. Batman: arkham knight - 8.5/10
I enjoyed most of it. Tank battles get old. Car drives decently well. First half of the game is better than the second half though
1-19-16
4. Shadow Warrior - 5/10
Started this game in early 2015 (maybe march or earlier) it's a bit too long and drawn out and gets boring in a lot of spots and thus the reason I just finished it in 2016. Some shooter fans may an enjoy it but I don't feel it doesnt anything that impressive. Deleted
1-20-16
5. Batman: arkham knight DLC missions and races 7.5/10
I actually do consider this a different games since they price it like they do. I will give a brief over view. The old batma tv series race is one of my favorite in the game, it's quite good actually. The batman arkham skill games are a bit of a miss.
My favorite piece of DLC is Batwoman and the level feels more fleshed out. Batgirl is one of the best missions in the game. I'd put it somewhere in the top 3 actually. It is probably as long as 3 of the other DLC missions as well. Other than that I'd probably rank them Catwoman > Robin > Harley > Red HOod > Nightwing just because a lot of them are short or have too may gun a thons. Nightwings level is mostly a rehash. Atleast robin has a different or new area. His gun take down area isn't too bad as well.
1-20-16
6. Amy - 4/10
Keep this short and sweet. The game is a mess. Gameplay and mission design is worse than the visuals which I like the art style a bit. it feels like one area of silent hill but strung along in a way that forces you from point a to do something to come back to where you started to get in a door. It really is that bad. The other bad part is it forces you to do things in a very specific manner. Make guard move from here to there to do the next part of the game and this continues. Combat is also horrible and clunky, the partnering of amy is half the things you need to do to get from point a to b as well. Not to mention the game doesn't help with what you should do and you have to figure out exactly how they want you to play it. Those are all the reasons why the game is quite bad. It would be about a 30 minute game if it wasnt for these point to point continuing issues as well. If the game took out the gameplay objectives, fixed the combat completely and made a longer game it could be something worth playing . As it is, it's pretty garbage. You can actually run into the bad guys let them chase you and get into the lockers in front of them withouut penalties. Its the same for the whole game, if you arent doing exactly what you need, you arent going anywhere. its really scripted like this which is funny. Get off my HDD.
1-29-16
7. Blood Dragon 8/10
I haven't liked the far cry series so much large maps and a lot of things to collect and do. The 80s sci fi theme sort of hooked me an the game continues to borrow ideas (design, words, music, sound effects) from a ton of things
Ninja Turtles
terminator
Predator, 80s sci fi , Mortal Kombat and the list goes on
the game is about the right size for a collect athon and the main missions are actually designed pretty well. The game comes off as feeling a bit like deus ex with the sound and look. So, I actually enjoyed it for the most part. yes the man map is big and ugly but luckily the main missons are designed quite well.
1-29-16
8. Tekken 5 Dark Ressurection 7.5/10
Oldie but a goodie. Doesn't really have anything in extras but played it a bit here and there. Some of the background textures are awful. A few stages are cool but there are issues with the stages like the clipping bending issue as well. Some of the effects are blurry and bad while some things like the pipe smoke are sort of cool
9. rain 7/10
I may be pushing it with that score. I like adventure games and this one seemed it would be good but the levels and design got so simple that it got a bit hard to really like. Toward the end you have a lot of running and basic (very basic) platforming that is more like block and path jumping. Overall very linear and not as good as I had hoped. Short and they don't give you the abillity to find collectibles until the 2nd play if that is your thing. Started and finished the game same day
1-30-16
10. Unfinished Swan 8/10
Finally finishe it up, game had some nice changes through out and it isn't that long of a game but about as long as it needed to be without any major changes.
2-4
11. Metal Slug 3 8/10
Finished this for the first time today. Maybe my memory is hazy but it seemed longer than the first two games. Really difficult and maybe a bit too chaotic in a lot of parts. Need to try it in coop.
2-4
12 Star Wars Racer Revenge 6/10
Ended up playing through all the tracks and tourney mode. I thought it had about 3 or 4 decent tracks with a lot of forgetable strange track designs. Doesn't feel very star wars in atmosphere which is the other issue. PS4 version has a lot of frame issues imo Seems to have hiccups in quite a few places, but a lot of ps2 games on ps4 seem to have this issue.
2-5
13. Puppeteer 6/10
Game had decent looks and a lot of levels and content for a platformer but some areas were a bit boring or sort of like lbp. Textures aren't always that great and actual jumping and movement along with level design could be a lot better. A little disrupting but it does have a ton of busses. It's just too bad the actual gameplay and design misses on so m a my levels for me. Even the rail jumping levels felt very basic. If you love collecting and a game that could take a decent amount of time to 100 percent. Could be for you.
2-7
14. Wheel of Fortune 6/10
Playing with a friend. It works decent enough even though I can get a bit tired of playing.
2-9
15. League Bowling 6/10
SNK games are typically quite fun. I like that they let you bowl at the same time as your friends. I do think the depth of pin strikes and movement just isn't there since it isn't physics based and I had a hard time duplicating a winning strike strategy which is sort of good. Just wish it had more variations in pin movement.
2-9
16. Daytona USA 9/10
Love this game, finished up the other half of the trophies.
17. Datura 7/10
Very short game and I'd imagine even shorter if you know what your doing. Overall looks decent and is interesting. Controls can be quite messy along with frame rate issues and glitchy movement which doesnt hurt too much but would be a much better game with a smoother feel and better controls. Other than that, liked the progression and some of the art styles. Decent game to spend a couple of hours with.
18. Soldner-X Himmelssturmer 5.5/10
didn't feel it was that great. Fairly short and bosses weren't too good. The overall cg/basic chrome look doesn't sit well to me compared to the old 2d shooters (but most new indie like shooters look this way ) and a reason why I don't like the looks. Not the best game and is sort of a chain kill game. Maybe worth a play if you really like shooters. Hoping the 2nd is better which I'll try soon perhaps.
2-10
19. Double Dragon Neon 4/10
Will just say straight up this game isn't good. Mostly is bad... Bad visuals (3d simpleness) Boring and very ugly levels. Everything visually is bad. Some decent music but other than that this game isn't good. But a decent last boss battle is about it. Played for 3.50 way too long. One of my friends gave up on it, just how boring it is and I had to finish it with another friend that doesn't like games. I heard this game was good but eh, it's ass. 2 points for the music and 1 point for the boss
2-12
20. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 8/10
Played it for a few hours, of course beat it with a few characters and beat some of the other modes and such. Plan to open up more of the ending videos later though. Wish it had more modes and the visuals could be better imo They mixed up quite a few moves from past games though.
2-12
21. Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype 6/10
Better than the first game but still ends up feeling off with a lot of the backgrounds almost feeling like 3d assets flyng by and nothing to really interact with. With 7 stages, more ships and more to do it's better than the first game for the most part. if you are going to play one of them this would be the better to play. I stil feel the game is just missing what makes the good shooters fun and interesting though. Says my play time is 2:25 even though it seemed a little longer than that going for the keys to unlock the last few levels.
2-12
22. R- Type 1 (R-Type dimensions) 6.5/10
Seems I have played a lot of shooters lately.. will try to finish up more that I have and haven't played. For this game it's a bit old but I still like the ball power up shooting mechanic. this game gets too chaotic and is a bit hard for me though. Still enjoy the simple design and look of it.
2-13
23. R- Type 2 (R-Type dimensions) 6.5
This one was feeling a little better to me but not by much. Still mostly the same game. I tried to play with the original graphics mode as much as possible. Both games are short with a few interesting mechanics and bosses. I liked it overall.
2-13
24. Raiden IV Overkill 7.5
Probably an overall better game than most all the others played this year so far. More of a bullet hell style though and quite difficult. Not really the same type of games as r type or soldner but Id say this is a higher quality and better made game than those.
2-14
25. Jamestown+ 7.5/10
A good game without doubt. Levels are a bit on the short side and I question a few design choices but the overal package is actually quite nice. Multiple ships to buy, upgrades. And a decent amount of bonus levels and challenges. I do feel the actual level count is a bit too short but it doesn't ruin the game if you can get it for a good price. Can be quite challenging and is more of a bullet hell style game.
2/16
26. Monopoly 7/10
I feel the game simply isn't as fun when you can't see the actual board, cards an what you alread own right in front of you. Digital has the ability to keep up with all your money/payments for you so it's a plus and minus as to which is best. Still prefer the real thing though. Works well enough and is good for larger groups, not very fun with just two people imo
2/17
27. Under Defeat 6.5/10
I really like this game to be fair, don't let the score fool you. I believe a game is still good at a 6. I do feel the enemies become a bit boring and repeat quite a bit. The game is a little on the simple side but still good. i prefer the arcade mode over the new widescreen mode as the depth just doesn't feel right to me. Got most of the trophies though, a tip for those that struggle, you will get unlimited continues after 8 hours of play (has to be in the mode your playing) you can pause it and get it too.
2/17
28. Magician Lord 7/10
Really tough game, probably sunk atleast 4 hours into it and it should take less than an hour. Overall good art style, good bosses an a good feel. Jumping is a bit of a mess and its hard, hard as hell imo the end is almost game breaking hard if your not good at these sort of games... but there are a lot of little secret areas and you have to find the correct paths to continue in parts of the game (think falling and landing on edges where you need to move left or right quickly) a pretty solid little title... just too hard for me.
2/17
29. NBA Jam 7/10
Probably put atleast 8 hours. But mp is the best part. Bird and rondo.. Can't lose.
30. NFL Blitz 6/10
Seems they use the madden engine and it's ridiculous they cut off half of a replay and don't let you see it. Still enjoy this but would be better if it was a bit more arcade with heavy physics and movements.
31. Devil May Cry 3 9/10
I had gotten stuck on this game around release and couldn't keep going for some reason (hope i still have the save file to see why) but I finally beat it today. Spent 4 or 5 days and it is still one of the hardest games I believe. Reminds me a bit of souls where it does get easier the more you play/upgrade. Starts off quite tough imo i still feel the first game in the series has a few better design ideas and so nicer moments. part 3 has some really stand out ideas and seems to have higher productiion values. Both some of the best games to really get into honestly... in the top 10 for ps2 and top 50 or 100 all time? just maybe... Really good games. I really like some of the visuals how they look sort of painted and like it better than the looks and design of dmc4 most of the time.
32. crash 2 100 percent 9/10
improved from the first game so teh save system and jump mechanics are better. A horrible end boss though with terrible controls and gameplay makes no sense as to why its there. Some challenging bonuses and extras to find but overall much easier than the first game to be honest. Not even close in the difficulty imo Visuals and style are great and one of the better platformers out there. 2/29
33. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 8.5/10
Overall I enjoyed this better than Order. First level is a mess with the powering off of the bad guys and this level could have been done so much better but the levels and design get better after this. There is no doubt that the levels are designed better than new order for me. Enemies are still mostly dumb as dirt and the game can be a little tough here and there but nothing too out of place. Last boss is pretty interesting and fine, but nothing super amazing. Trophies are pretty easy to come by and there are a few nice little twists. Overall a good story and good setup for the game.Did end up completing the 3d missions, all gold and letters. 3/2
34. Crash 3 ( finished near 70 percent)
Finished the game but not 100 percent yet which takes some time trials plus hidden levels. So the last 30 percent may take longer than the first 70. I think they messed with the movment here a bit much and while I liked this more as a kid i think I end up liking crash 2 more today. They really have too many bad levels. They tried to do wave race and failed it just doesnt feel right. The plane missions are garbage, and the motorcycle missions feel terrible. This is why they should just include cart racing with some other form of new bonus missions in a new crash if its made like that. Bosses are pretty decent this time around bonus moves for crash make the game a bit too easy and the difficulty is not there as much when it should be at times. 3/3
35. Toy Story 3 7/10
A pretty good game overall, part platformer, part collector part sandbox (one level) but that one level has a lot to do honestly... probably could spend 8 hours on just the one sandbox level, which has its own smaller level as you progress and by extra things. I enjoyed the game quite a bit even though some of the gameplay is obviously a bit cheap and off. The buzz lightyear star fox level looks really cool and feels cool even though it looks cooler than it plays. I would suggest platforming fans try this game out and try to finish the main mode atleast. Don't get stuck thinking you need to keep going in the sandbox mode as you dont have to. Pretty good game that surprised me a bit. (shooting bits are horrible though)
36. Infamous First Light 5.5/10
I can't really say any of the combat or designed is that great or fun. A pretty passable game even though you can rush through it in a few hours if you try. No boss fight and no missions that scream fun or cool like Infamous one. 3/6
37. Streets of Rage 2
Really enjoy the game/look and music so decided to give it a run though. 3/8
38. CTR 8/10
They do a lot of copying from Mario kart 64, some levels almost the same basic idea and Id say this game isnt designed or doesnt play as well as mario kart and diddy kong racing. Levels are not as good for sure and the driving model isn't as good either. Still a good game though. Didnt 100 percent but finished up the main game. 3/15
39. Klonoa (PS1) 8/10
Game is pretty good and I liked it overall. Wish they had more straight on river ride like levels but those were a bit few in the game. Game is overall pretty short and the last boss is pretty neat 3/21
40. Twisted metal 2 7/10
I have no idea why people feel this game is better than 1. Just go through a few pros and cons
TM1
Better
Art
Level design (by far) levels just feel so much more realistic and better made to me
Sounds and vehicle looks
Music (just sounds like much better tunes)
Character design use (characters feel more fun)
TM2
Better
Cheats
Overall weapons and uses
MP
TM2's maps just dont feel right, they are harder to drive on or just dont feel as cohesive or realistic feeling to me. I actually rather like the realistic feel that TM1 brings. 3/29
41. Dragons Lair 5/10
Overall I dont like the game for whatever reason. Art and look is ok and Id rather it just be a cartoon I guess 3/29
42. Street Fighter 3 8/10
Never played it much but did finish the main mode a few times today. I don't really like the overly bright characters or some of the art for backgrounds. Animation is obviously good. 3/29
43. Sonic the Fighters - 5/10
I'm not sure what the appeal is but the fighting is a bit too simple and not a lot of content. maybe I haven't played it enough to see how deep it is but I did get all the trophoies (which you can do in like 15 minutes) 3/29
44. King Of Fighters 94
I sort of like the basketball player here and not sure if they ever brought him back but i doubt it. I played through this enough to get a good feel for it and the levels. I'm not a KOF expert or even know the characters or who is where in future titles very well but I do enjoy the art and backgrounds a lot in the series. Really liked the japanese level as well as the storm korean level was designed very well. Nice use of color on the japanese level and very detailed. I will be playing more of them to see which ones I like best and again, no expert on the mechanics. 3/30
45. KOF 95
I really like the look of the water dock level. Such a nice looking color palete and composition with the water and bridge. Also neat how they jump off the dock. It's also neat how in 94 they have the helicopter level and then a crashed one in 95. Fire tree level has the blowing grass but isn't my favorite. Industrial level is nice too with the color use and smoke. No huge changes I can see in gameplay but I just play these for fun of the art. Eiji seems fun to me and mostly a strider like character. 3/30
46. KOF 96
Here I think the Japan level has a really nice touch with the overpass and cars on the street in the background. Most of this game seems to be about adding a few things unless I am missing something. two jump levels. Dont think vice was in the other games but maybe missed her name but I like her. Bull arena in the super storm is pretty cool but the levels here dont feel as fun or nice to me. 3/30
47. Street Fighter Alpha 1
I played it enough to try every character, see every stage and finish the arcade modes but mostly played 2 players. Its not worth playing other than study, seeing imo Not a lot of good stages here either. 4-2
48. Street Fighter Alpha 2
Better and seems to have more stages but still only a few that I really like. Tried every stage, finished the game but again spent more time on 2 players. Stages still arent that great especially compared to 3 imo
49. SFA 3
This game has more of what I like, better style in stages, better designs and some of my favorites include zangeifs hot molten stage with the lighting effects, charlies stage that mixes the 3d with the same texture art style very well. Cammy's stage has a nice feel overall with the wind and backdrop. Birdie's stage has a nice contrast in colors with the train crash. Guy's stage is probaby my favorite in style, theme and overall look. A very nice 32 bit final fight look. Sodoms stage is ok but I feel the tree could be made differently as well as having more of the city shown. It's a common theme to have a mountain dojo and city down below in a lot of these games it seems. Some ugly levels and different art styles? here and there but this is the alpha I would stick to myself.
50 Final Fight 8/10
I forgot to put this one up there forgot what day i beat it but this game on the arcade actually looks and animates quite nicely, pretty nice levels through out but a bit on the short side I felt.
51. Extreme Pinball 5/10
I'm not sure why I played through this game but thought I'd try it, didn't like the music or art style too much, design isnt so hot either. Gameplay is mostly ok I guess, only 4 tables and lonnng loading times though. Stick to pinball arcade.. 4-8
52. Fatal Fury
This game is really hard imo and the last boss grabs you every time your near him, levels are not the greatest, but I did like the last fight (other than the fight itself lol) interesting game, choosing from 3 players and focusing on the story. Liked it for the most part.
53. Zombi 7.5/10
I actually didn't feel it was that bad, could have had a little more depth and maybe had a few things like moving your inventory around instead of leaving it spread out but I mostly enjoyed it for what it was. Would have been fine buying it and playing it but it was on plus and liked what it had to offer. it has some balance issues, you can always hit the zombies and mostly be fine if you do get overwhelmed you will die. I enjoyed most of the areas in the game, wish it had more homes or apartment areas other than just a few basic but for what was there enjoyed the levels. 4-19
54. Ratchet (Ps2/Ps3 HD) 8.5 / 10
Wanted to play through this game again to get a good feel for it before the HD remake. It still holds up pretty well besides the actual gun movement controls. IQ and art style still look really good to me and I was happy to see the IQ feeling as good as many new games today. I do feel the planet/level/gameplay design is better or best in the first third of the game and it gets a little worse after that. Either way, I will try the new version out some time to see how it compares. 4/19
55. Zone of the Enders
I really like the art style and feeling of this game, even though it is really way too short and there isn't a lot of great game play the fact that this was a new game and was mae just before the release of MGS2 is interesting. The overall design of the hub world and story is actually quite interesting and makes up for the lack of depth or length IMO
I really enjoy the colors and art style of some of the levels such as city 2, they just have a nice look to them and the art style on the actual mech designs are really good. I actually prefer the designs textures and some other things more than its sequel which also has some of it's own pros (which I have yet to play all of yet) but going to get to it and make a better comparison on the differences between the two. Still love this game, but the lack of bosses and levels hurt what they were going for. A third game with a bigger more in depth city/underground areas and going into more dense places would be great. 4/22
OP
Game 05: Undertale (PC) 16/01/16 - 20/01/16 8 Hours
I've never played an RPG like this before and I am truly blown away by it, amazing game. I've read people say something about being a pacifist in the game and I decided I would go the pacifist route for the 1st time. The end game was amazing and I totally didn't expect anything like it. I'm not sure what kind of ending I got the 1st time but I was told at the end that I needed to do some more things to get the true ending, which I end up doing and was amazed by it again. If I played this game last year, I would've had this in my top 5 for GOTY.
Game 05: Undertale (PC) 16/01/16 - 20/01/16 8 Hours
I've never played an RPG like this before and I am truly blown away by it, amazing game. I've read people say something about being a pacifist in the game and I decided I would go the pacifist route for the 1st time. The end game was amazing and I totally didn't expect anything like it. I'm not sure what kind of ending I got the 1st time but I was told at the end that I needed to do some more things to get the true ending, which I end up doing and was amazed by it again. If I played this game last year, I would've had this in my top 5 for GOTY.
HeroOfTime
Neo Member
First time in, let's do this!
Game 1: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - +/- 10 hours
Found it on eShop for a good price due to new year discounts. The game was super fun and i enjoyed it. Good platforming, awesome abilities and a cool story overall.
The pirate mode is a good try on the New Game +, but lacks something "New". The downside was the short game. 4/5
Game 2: Shovel Knight/Plague of Shadows - +/- 20 hours
Finally lost the love for my money and indeed i spent it well. Awesome game with some good old retro gameplay. Looks gorgeous on a 3DS with the 3D on.
Having two complete games for the price of one with two characters that play so differently and with a different story is really worth any plataformer lovers money.
Did right in what Shantae did wrong, a challenge mode and the same map (with some additions and differences) with a new different character.
A really good 4.5/5
Game 3: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - +/- 20 hours
Having the love for fighting games and having played the crap out of SFIV i got myself a raspberry pi 2, made it portable and through the magic of emulators I'm experiencing with some friends most arcade classics that i missed.
3rd Strike is an awesome version of SF. Big ass sprites, tight gameplay and the parry mechanic that turned Daigo into a Beast.
My only downside is the roster. I dont know about the PS2, Dreamcast or even the online version on ps3, but i never had saw in my life "Twelve" or even "Remi".
Most of the known characters like Guile, Zangief, Blanka, Vega, E Honda and some more were left out of this awesome game.
For me it's a 4/5, it's still a good gameplay, on par with it's successor.
Game 4: King of Fighters 2002 - +/- 15 hours
In my exploration through the deep forest of arcade cabinet roms i found this game.
Never had played a king of fighters before to the point i know how to make every trick of that character.
Awesome roster full of different characters and moves. Even some of my friends less experienced on fighting games enjoy playing it.
A good 4/5.
Game 5: Magical Drop III - +/- 30 hours
Oh boy, oh boy. Is there a multiplayer game that is so action pumped, super fast and rewarding as this?
Awesome colors and animations, good music and the gameplay of a god puzzle game. Magical Drop III will make you think you are the boss of the world, until someone comes in and wrecks you up (= chooses Fortune). This mind blowing fast game will have you on the edge of your seat, pressing the pad from one side to the other while you pick bubbles, throw them and curse at the wind for picking the wrong one or dropping it on the wrong place.
An arcade must play, easy to learn and super competitive.
For me the only downside is the balance of characters. Some will all out wreck you with 4 combos. Others will do absolutely nothing with 8.
A really good 4.5/5 if all people in the room know which characters not to pick
Looking for to play:
TLoZelda 2016
TLoZelda Twillight Princess HD
Metroid Zero Mission
Hotline Miami 2
Dragon Quest VIII
Chrono Trigger
Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow
Banjo Kazooie
Cave Story
Donkey Kong Country 1/2/3
and more i remember throughout the year!
Game 1: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - +/- 10 hours
Found it on eShop for a good price due to new year discounts. The game was super fun and i enjoyed it. Good platforming, awesome abilities and a cool story overall.
The pirate mode is a good try on the New Game +, but lacks something "New". The downside was the short game. 4/5
Game 2: Shovel Knight/Plague of Shadows - +/- 20 hours
Finally lost the love for my money and indeed i spent it well. Awesome game with some good old retro gameplay. Looks gorgeous on a 3DS with the 3D on.
Having two complete games for the price of one with two characters that play so differently and with a different story is really worth any plataformer lovers money.
Did right in what Shantae did wrong, a challenge mode and the same map (with some additions and differences) with a new different character.
A really good 4.5/5
Game 3: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - +/- 20 hours
Having the love for fighting games and having played the crap out of SFIV i got myself a raspberry pi 2, made it portable and through the magic of emulators I'm experiencing with some friends most arcade classics that i missed.
3rd Strike is an awesome version of SF. Big ass sprites, tight gameplay and the parry mechanic that turned Daigo into a Beast.
My only downside is the roster. I dont know about the PS2, Dreamcast or even the online version on ps3, but i never had saw in my life "Twelve" or even "Remi".
Most of the known characters like Guile, Zangief, Blanka, Vega, E Honda and some more were left out of this awesome game.
For me it's a 4/5, it's still a good gameplay, on par with it's successor.
Game 4: King of Fighters 2002 - +/- 15 hours
In my exploration through the deep forest of arcade cabinet roms i found this game.
Never had played a king of fighters before to the point i know how to make every trick of that character.
Awesome roster full of different characters and moves. Even some of my friends less experienced on fighting games enjoy playing it.
A good 4/5.
Game 5: Magical Drop III - +/- 30 hours
Oh boy, oh boy. Is there a multiplayer game that is so action pumped, super fast and rewarding as this?
Awesome colors and animations, good music and the gameplay of a god puzzle game. Magical Drop III will make you think you are the boss of the world, until someone comes in and wrecks you up (= chooses Fortune). This mind blowing fast game will have you on the edge of your seat, pressing the pad from one side to the other while you pick bubbles, throw them and curse at the wind for picking the wrong one or dropping it on the wrong place.
An arcade must play, easy to learn and super competitive.
For me the only downside is the balance of characters. Some will all out wreck you with 4 combos. Others will do absolutely nothing with 8.
A really good 4.5/5 if all people in the room know which characters not to pick
Looking for to play:
TLoZelda 2016
TLoZelda Twillight Princess HD
Metroid Zero Mission
Hotline Miami 2
Dragon Quest VIII
Chrono Trigger
Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow
Banjo Kazooie
Cave Story
Donkey Kong Country 1/2/3
and more i remember throughout the year!
Benzychenz
Member
Game 02: Axiom Verge
PS4 - 13 hours - Beaten 17/01/16 - ★★★★
This was a really fun Metroidvania and the one that comes closest to the overall feel of Super Metroid that I've played. Fun boss fights, great exploration, and some really cool powerups.
Game 03: Hatoful Boyfriend
PSV - 10-15 hours - Beaten 21/01/16 - ★★★☆
Visual novel with the best premise, I've always wanted to date pigeons. Once you get past the initial premise, the game actually has a really dark backstory to it and the finale is fantastic, I'd recommend it. Vita version was a bit glitchy though.
Main Post
Next up is Yoshi's Woolly World (of which I completed the majority of when it released last year) and Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin.
Also want to pick up the Life is Strange physical copy and play the Bloodborne DLC at some stage soon.
[post=191044952]Claim[/post]
Game 4: Black Closet PC - 15 hours 4/52
I received this game as a gift for staying alive for another year. This one will also be brief since the less you know of this game the better. You play Elsa, a strong black woman student of a high school for girls. The task you have is to solve problems that may or may not impact the schools rep. You don't solve them yourself, rather you send your team to do it. Your ability to diligate will be put to the test and strained. That being said, this game is prepare to take steps to impede your progress. Caused me to punch wall multiple times when a problem I thought was a waste of time turned out to be something important. Then again, it may have been because I was spooked by some of the character's faces. A powerful narrative mixed with unique game play makes this game a strong choice for any list.
Game 4: Black Closet PC - 15 hours 4/52
I received this game as a gift for staying alive for another year. This one will also be brief since the less you know of this game the better. You play Elsa, a strong black woman student of a high school for girls. The task you have is to solve problems that may or may not impact the schools rep. You don't solve them yourself, rather you send your team to do it. Your ability to diligate will be put to the test and strained. That being said, this game is prepare to take steps to impede your progress. Caused me to punch wall multiple times when a problem I thought was a waste of time turned out to be something important. Then again, it may have been because I was spooked by some of the character's faces. A powerful narrative mixed with unique game play makes this game a strong choice for any list.
aGuyInaBearSuit
Member
Games six and seven are done. Number six was Gone Home, which was incredible. Seven was SteamWorld Dig, which was a bit short for my liking, but fun while it lasted.
Gone Home review
SteamWorld Dig review
OP
Gone Home review
SteamWorld Dig review
OP
Undertale spoilers:
I killed one thing at the very start of the game when I was first getting used to the mechanics and figuring what the hell I had to do. Didn't harm a soul afterwards, besides an accidental one which I reloaded my save for (and the game remembered). So didn't get the Pacifist ending. Tbf though, I straight up killed Flowey at the end anyway...
Wildschwein
Member
Game #07 - Azure Striker Gunvolt
Play Time: Lightning Fast
I'm a big fan of IntiCreate's Mega Man Zero titles, but boy did I not like this game. The work is in there. The combat is unique, the character designs are top notch, the story was an interesting diversion while still being pretty firmly rooted in the "hey, let's make something that isn't Mega Man but is totally Mega Man" way of thinking.
There was just something about the combat that was hard to follow. You don't have a lot of control of when you're getting your hits in. Its all incremental damage surrounding a single ability. The only new weapons you get are very minor alterations of your main gun, and the larger abilities are all extremely limited and hardly explained.
This is a really great example of a game that needs a sequel. I'd love to see them take another crack at this one and see what they put out.
Play Time: Lightning Fast
I'm a big fan of IntiCreate's Mega Man Zero titles, but boy did I not like this game. The work is in there. The combat is unique, the character designs are top notch, the story was an interesting diversion while still being pretty firmly rooted in the "hey, let's make something that isn't Mega Man but is totally Mega Man" way of thinking.
There was just something about the combat that was hard to follow. You don't have a lot of control of when you're getting your hits in. Its all incremental damage surrounding a single ability. The only new weapons you get are very minor alterations of your main gun, and the larger abilities are all extremely limited and hardly explained.
This is a really great example of a game that needs a sequel. I'd love to see them take another crack at this one and see what they put out.
I doubt I can make it because I tend to play a few game obsessively, but I'll give it a shot!
2/52 Games
1. King's Quest (Chapter 1) - Cute puzzle game. Dialogue is full of puns, which I think are funny. 3/5 stars
2. Until Dawn (third playthrough, does this count?) - I like campy horror films, so I thought this was great! Looked cool and creeped me out. 5/5 stars
2/52 Games
1. King's Quest (Chapter 1) - Cute puzzle game. Dialogue is full of puns, which I think are funny. 3/5 stars
2. Until Dawn (third playthrough, does this count?) - I like campy horror films, so I thought this was great! Looked cool and creeped me out. 5/5 stars
- Status