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orthodoxy1095 · Jan 25, 2016

Game 7: Dust: An Elysian Tail - 6+ hours - January 25th, 2016
For a long time, I had dismissed Dust as mere "furry" bait. Unfair judgement, I know. Anyways, I finally gave it a try because HG101 had the game in their "200 Best Video Games of All Time" list. Notably, they recommended Dust over Muramasa, a game I really love. I'm really glad I gave Dust a try because it ended up being one of the most enjoyable ARPGs I've played in a while. The story was engaging (and surprisingly even moving), the combat was satisfying and the entire thing is damn gorgeous. The only problem I have with the game is that I actually really suck at these combo-centric type ARPGs. The last boss battle destroyed me and eventually I had to lower the difficulty to finish the game. I hope to return to the game on a higher difficulty though and actually properly learn the combat systems. Anyhow, I don't know if I can praise Dean Dodrill enough, because what he made is genius.
Should I play Dust? Hell yes you should.

Matt Attack · Jan 25, 2016

UPDATE ONE
Main Post

Game 1: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Cleared: January 2nd, 2016

I really, really liked Trails of Cold Steel, to the point where I remember hanging out with my buddies on New Year's Eve, internally screaming at them to go home so I could keep on playing (they stayed until four in the morning, so that obviously didn't work out too well for me). Really though, I went into this game with my expectations very tempered- I wasn't sure if I'd like the school setting, and knowing that there's a direct sequel worried me as to whether or not I'd be satisfied with the game's ending. Thankfully, neither of these proved to be issues for me.

First, the ending. Without getting into spoilers, I thought it was really well done. It was exciting, tense, surprising and generally pretty badass. There's definitely a wrong way to do an ending for a game when you know that you'll need a sequel to finish the story, but Falcom managed to avoid this pitfall (arguably better than they did with the first Trails in the Sky, I'd say). The school setting in particular turned out to one of the game's strongest aspects. One of the neatest things about the Trails series is the NPC dialogue- particularly, just how much of it there is (and the fact that it's generally really high quality doesn't hurt). This aspect of the series and the school environment end up bringing out the best in each other- I can guarantee you that if you show me any of the NPCs from the academy right now (of which there are many), I could probably name them and tell you all about them. Checking up on the NPCs every time the party returned from an adventure became something I sincerely looked forward to, and because they were always waiting for you back home, they got a lot of time to develop.

The soundtrack was pretty phenomenal, although that's not too surprising for a Trails game (Don't Be Defeated by a Friend! has got to be one of the best boss themes in quite some time). The main characters really grew on me, and it was awesome to learn more about Erebonia. It was also really cool to see the Trails battle system make the transition to 3D, but I feel like this is the area where Falcom stumbled a bit. Frankly, the difficulty was all over the place (I played on Normal). Early on, the game actually felt a little too hard (the Old Schoolhouse bosses were usually pains in the ass). However, once you started to get more S-Crafts and certain quartz, the game became almost mind-numbingly easy. I literally one shot almost every normal battle in the last few dungeons with a regular craft from the main character. I definitely feel like the combat could have been balanced better, because you're going to be fighting a lot. Still, overall I loved the game, moreso than I did either of the previous Trails games. That's how good Cold Steel's characters, music and world building were.

Game 2: Metroid: Zero Mission
Cleared: January 10th, 2016

Metroid: Zero Mission is only the second Metroid game I've completed (the first being Metroid: Other M), so I didn't have too many expectations going in other than that it was supposed to be pretty cool. And it was! It actually felt really good to finally play one of the 2D Metroids, and I think I picked a solid one to start with. First thing I noticed was that I really liked how Samus felt to control- It really helped facilitate a good play experience (the only time I really got annoyed with with traversal was trying to jump out of lava before I got some upgrades). The graphics were nice, the music was good, and the bosses were mostly pretty fun (screw Mother Brain though omg). What I did not like was the entire Zero Suit Samus section. At first I thought it was interesting, but I simply did not enjoy the stealth sequence. Still, the rest of the game was awesome, so I can tolerate one sore spot in an otherwise fantastic game.

Game 3: Lifeline
Cleared: January 21st, 2016

Lifeline was a really interesting game, and I'm glad I had the chance to play it. Basically it's a choose-your-own adventure game that updates in real time on your mobile device- in other words, when the character you're helping goes to sleep, you're going to have to wait a while before they wake up for your next command. The premise is that you're helping this kid Taylor survive on a moon. after they're stranded in a spaceship crash. You'll help him make various decisions to help them survive (essentially choose A or B), and do a fair bit of reading along the way- after all, there's no real visuals to speak of- you'll have to rely on Taylor's descriptions of the situation to get an idea of what's going on. This sort of experience lives or dies on the strength of its writing- luckily, the writing is great. Taylor is really endearing (I'll bet you that they majored in pop culture references, not science), and the story really ramps up when it needs to. I'd definitely recommend this game to anybody who's into story-focused games- its cheap, well written, and uses its gimmick well.

Game 4: Her Story
Cleared: January 23rd, 2016

Wow. Honestly, I don't know if I want to say much about this other than that it's really, really worth playing if you appreciate a good story. I do want to make one incredibly spoilery comment (seriously, don't read it if you haven't played it):

an hour and a half or so in, when I searched for sugar on a whim and realized her coffee preference changed depending on the day... I lost my shit.

Unforgettable game.

Game 5: Lifeline: Silent Night
Cleared: January 24th, 2016

Hooray! More Lifeline! I liked the first one so much, I immediately bought its sequel. My thoughts for the first game pretty much apply here. Great writing, fun premise- you should try this series! I think I might slightly prefer the original game, but this Silent Night is certainly still a worthy follow up.

MehsterChief · Jan 25, 2016

Game 11: Undertale
For a good part of the game I thought that this is not quite the masterpiece it is made out to be. But that's purely subjective of course and probably mainly has to do with the fact that the themes of loneliness and social awkwardness don't resonate that well with me anymore. Had I played this when I was 20, my view on it may be a bit different. The last 30 minutes or so were undeniably fantastic though and throughout the game there were always great moments, especially the

TV shows

, which were hilarious.
All in all, I still really liked this and I am also glad that we are at a point in talking about the medium where it's not just gameplay or graphics you can criticize but also the topics it deals with.

OP

modsbox · Jan 25, 2016

Game 7: Mega Man 2 (NES/Famicom, 4 hours, 1/23)
I had a lot more fun with this than MM 1. Amazing graphics and soundtrack and, since I played on Normal difficulty, a much more reasonable difficulty curve. I actually enjoyed the entire experience. I've never finished MM 3-6 so am looking forward to seeing how good they are; that said I'd be surprised if any of them top MM 2. Such a good game.

OP

Ultimate_Trainer · Jan 25, 2016

GAME 08: Tetris Ultimate: Beat Marathon mode and unlocked Endless. A really ok port of Tetris for Vita. They fucked up the old memorable theme of Tetris trying to make it atmospheric? and failed outright. Its Tetris alright and it does fill my need for Tetris right now. Can't wait to try out the other older ports.

Oreoleo · Jan 25, 2016

The List!
Full Impressions

7. NiGHTS Into Dreams... - 4.2 Hours

I'm sorry I didn't play this sooner! I grew up a 'Nintendo kid.' My only Sega console was the Dreamcast, but I was always jealous of the kids who got to play Sonic and have generally always had an affinity for Sega's unique brand of score attack arcade-style games, and NiGHTS fits the bill perfectly. You can tell this is a Sonic Team game in the approach and aesthetic, but trades Sonic's speed for more style and finesse. In modern times it's initially rather obtuse, and I had to resort to online guides to figure out how the scoring system worked (perhaps something that was detailed in the manual in the original release), but once you crack that egg you're rewarded with a unique game that deftly balances the "easy to learn difficult to master" mantra. The twist on the classic sidescroller formula is that each level is circular. You can do as many 'laps' as long as time permits to get your score as high as possible, and it's this twist that allows the game to shine. The catch is you have to get back to the starting point before time expires to trigger the next section (each level is divided into 4 different circuits that have their own independent timer) or risk having your score reset to zero. A combo system involving stringing together collecting trinkets and flying through hoops in quick succession rewards repeat completions of each level as you learn the most efficient route of each circuit. Enemies and obstacles increase across the game's seven levels providing a nice difficulty curve, culminating in the final level that throws most of that out of the window in a wonderfully wide-open level that allows a more fun and care-free celebration of the games mechanics that caps the game perfectly(upon reflection I'm reminded of the final section of Journey). And I'd be remiss not to mention the wonderful soundtrack. I understand now why this game has endured amongst Sega fans.

lazyproblems · Jan 25, 2016

Game 8. Bears vs. Art (iOS); Playtime: 2-4 hours?; cleared every level; completed on 1/25/2016

Bears vs. Art is a fun, cute and surprisingly difficult puzzle game. You play as a bear named Rory who swears to destroy all art in sight after humans build museums throughout his habitat. You have to carefully plan out your movements to either get rid of the art or humans while avoiding various obstacles. It’s easy at first, but the difficulty ramps up as you progress, and by the end the levels can actually get pretty darn hard.

There is an energy bar, which can be obnoxious when you just want to sit down and play. Still, when I did play, the game was fairly fun and creative. If you want a little game to play in short spurts in-between things, then this isn’t a bad choice. Otherwise, I have a hard time fully recommending it.

Original Post

UcchedavÄda · Jan 25, 2016

Game 7: Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan [PC] - ~3.5 hours

I recently started playing Dark Souls for the first time, and after about 40 hours I needed to play something where clicking furiously was a viable strategy. Grim Legends 2 by Artifex Mundi, the last unplayed game from a bundle of Hidden Object games that I purchased on a whim, was the perfect distraction. The game is a pretty typical HO game from this developer, combining screens on which desired objects are cleverly hidden, with some other simple types of puzzles (such as swap elements to form a picture, most of them familiar if you've played other AM games), as well as very light adventure game elements. The story was among Artifex Mundi's more coherent and enjoyable examples, involving a mute queen, a cursed kingdom, swans, and black magic. All in all, hidden object games such as Grim Legends 2, have turned out to be a perfect gaming "snack" for me.

Master List

Linkyn · Jan 25, 2016

Main Post

Game 09: Diablo II
Game 10: Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction

LoD is probably one of the first PC games I bought myself, having mostly just played whatever my older brother got for himself. The odd thing is that, at the time, I hadn't even beaten the main game yet, so most of that early experience was spent going through acts 1 and 2 on a druid / assassin, and seeing the rest of the game with an imported character at max level. Up until today, I don't think I ever legitimately beat the game through my own effort, usually losing interest somewhere in the middle of act 3. Alas, this time, I made myself persist, so that I can now finally put this goal to rest. I went for my old 'build' (summon-heavy necro that lets the golem tank while he does melee damage along a few skeletal magi) just to see how far it would get me, and while I eventually had to put a few skill points in ranged bone spells, I think it worked out for the most part (although I must have died what felt like a million times fighting Diablo). Overall, LoD was much more easily digestable imo. Acts 2 and 3 of D2 always felt a bit streched out to me, but climbing the slopes of Arretath was quite a breeze in comparison, and I ended up finishing Act 5 more or less in a single sitting (whereas I'd take a few breaks for the others).

Overall, I'm very satisfied. I don't know whether I'm going to go back in for higher difficulties at some later point, although I do feel it would be a shame to just have the necro sitting at 36 (it finally feels like the build is coming together). I may come back to it during the summer when I have a bit more time.

Edit: I should note that keeping track of my playtime has been a bit of a hassle as of late. For the steam games, I could just check my activity, but these old Blizzard games are a bit trickier. For WC3 and Frozen Throne, I could at least estimate based on my mission completion times, but here, I was basically forced to write down the time whenever I opened and closed the game, with mixed success. As such, the times are much rougher estimates here.

jnWake · Jan 25, 2016

Main Post

Game #1: Sonic the Hedgehog 3D (3DS).
Time Played: 05:08.
Completion Reached: Beat the game. Didn't collect all the Chaos Emeralds.

Beggining the year with a classic! Sonic the Hedgehog 3D is a 3DS port of Sonic's debut game. As the title of the port indicates, this version includes slight 3D effects that make the game pop-out a bit. It also includes some neat settings you can tweak if you're the type of person that likes to tweak stuff (I'm not).

So, talking about the game a bit. Sonic is usually known for his speed, which is pretty much the defining trait of his modern games. However, his debut game wasn't as speedy as you'd expect. Instead, Sonic the Hedgehog is, to me, more of an exploration platformer. Stages are often pretty big with many branching paths and hidden secrets, which is pretty cool. There are, of course, some speedy sections here and there, but they're far from the main focus of the game. Sonic's abilities in this game are pretty simple: Run, Jump and Roll. He's easy and fun to control, though you may get frustrated a few times since the momentum and jumping mechanics are very finnicky. In particular, jumping from slopes is quite strange.

One of the main things I wanted to talk about is the level design. As I said above, levels feel pretty big and contain many different paths and secrets. In fact, replaying stages is pretty cool since you may find new paths you never saw before, which wasn't common in platformers of that time. However, the hazard placement often feels very cheap, with enemies, spikes, bombs and stuff often appearing from nowhere without much warning. The fourth zone, Labyrinth Zone, is particularly annoying since it mixes the cheap hazards with underwater rules. Sonic can't breathe underwater, so every once in a while you'll need to reach a bubble to regain air. This is a common mechanic in games (see DKC:TF for example) but it's pretty annoying since the spots that spawn bubbles are a bit random and may take a while to spawn bubbles sometimes. To top it off, there's slowdown in some underwater areas.

Finally, the presentation of the game is pretty sweet. Graphics are clean and the robotic style for enemies and environment looks quite cool and unique. Music is, as you should know already, very catchy (except Labyrinth Zone) and adds a lot of charm to the game.

Overall, I liked the game. Difficulty level is good if a bit high (mostly the cheap hazards), but you can use save states if you desire (I didn't!). Recommended to platformer fans.

Dr. Buni · Jan 26, 2016

Game 11: Mega Man 6 [Legacy Collection on PC]--- 2,6 hours played.

Still my favorite NES Mega Man title. I find it weird that people who consider 2 the best Mega Man game when 6 exists, but opinions, I guess. If not for 9, this would be my favorite classic game. Anyways, there isn't much to talk. Gameplay, level design and music are incredible. The only 'bad' thing is how easy Wily is.

Realplumpbox85 · Jan 26, 2016

OT

Game 9 I finally played Steam World Dig. Going into this I though it was more of a world based platformed with digging, not the opposite. I did really enjoy this game. It was a very charming story and very great game mechanics. Also immediately upon completion bought Steam World Heist.

teeny · Jan 26, 2016

Main Post

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.

Nyari · Jan 26, 2016

Game 04: Spec Ops: The Line / Xbox 360 / Januari 24 / roughly 7 hours

7/10

I had this one sitting on my 360 harddrive for quite some time but i never really got around to plugging my 360 in again. Gameplay wise Spec Ops is a mediocre 3rd person cover shooter and during the first half of the game it really adds nothing to the genre whatsoever.
The second half of the game is where the game shines, not because of the gameplay mechanics (and boy are the controls infuriating at times) but because of the things that happen to the protagonist and the way his mind tries to process all the horrors of war and tries to deal with his actions and decisions. Some scenes are spot-on in their delivery and really make you feel uncomfortable, upset or even downright bad for your actions.

The mistake i made with this game is that i played it on the hardest difficulty that is available on your first playthrough (Suicide mission) and that made the game really frustrating at some points and consequently took away from the impact of some scenes/ decisions because i was on tilt at that time. That difficulty also amplifies just how clunky the controls can feel at some times.
For your first playthrough i'd really suggest playing on normal difficulty just to get the best possible experience. i think it can be completed in about 4,5 hours on that difficulty so you could easily go back an complete it on Suicide or even FUBAR difficulty.

i got 39 out of 50 achievements during my playthrough, without any grinding.

Master post

marcincz · Jan 26, 2016

Game #05: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PS4) - 06:02 h - 19/01/2016
I've heard many good opinions about this game, so decided to buy it, last time. I like adventure games, so it was a good choice. I was very surprised how well this title looks like. Gorgeous audio-visual, beauty locations, interesting story and...broken end of the game.

Game #06: Driveclub - DLC Sakura (PS4) - 03:14 h - 21/01/2016
I love DC. One of the best racer I've ever played. Last year I bought Season Pass and now I can play in all DLCs to DC. Sakura was the first.

Original Post

lazyproblems · Jan 26, 2016

Game 9. Dark Echo (iOS); Playtime: ~2.5 hours; beat the game; completed on 1/26/2016
You play as someone trapped in the dark. In order to navigate your way out of the darkness, you will need to create and use sound to sense what it around you and avoid obstacles and monsters trying to kill you.

Some people treat this as a tense horror game, but I didn’t find it scary or tense at all. The concept is cool, and they did a good job with the sound effects (they recommend you play alone, in the dark with headphones on). It was an ok experience, but I was glad that I got it for free a while back. If you can get it for a cheap price, it’s not the worst way to spend a few hours, but I wouldn't say that it's as unforgettable or amazing as I’ve heard some people describe it.

Original Post

Currently playing Lost Dimension on vita.

A Link to the Past · Jan 27, 2016

Main post

Jeez I am on a roll!

Game #9: inFAMOUS Second Son - ★★★★★★★★★☆

Second Son is a game that I inevitably had to get once I bought my PS4, because shit, I'm a big fan of basically anything inFAMOUS (it was my first next-gen game besides Left 4 Dead and Portal). After having beaten it, it was about what I expected - just as fun as its predecessors, with a lot of the same flaws. Here though, I felt that the cast of characters was a lot better. The performances were fantastic, everyone did great, I didn't have one single instance where I was annoyed or eye-rolly at a character. It did a great job addressing some of the tedious aspects of the past games, though I still regard inFAMOUS 2 as my favourite of the series. I really hope that they have more to this series down the road - and that the missions stop being so similar!

Game #10: inFAMOUS First Light - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Inevitably, I think this game was always going to be a worse experience for the same reasons that Festival of Blood was sort of flawed. Ultimately if I had to choose between the two as to which is the better game, I'd choose Festival of Blood, mainly because despite featuring my favourite power (Neon), it doesn't do much new stuff at all compared to what Delsin did, whereas Festival of Blood was entirely new in that respect. I was hoping she would break ground and basically have it be a super modified version or something. Like Second Son, its missions are pretty repetitive, and like Festival of Blood, you can do almost every side thing in the game before you go to the second or third major story event. However, most of its flaws are made up for by the fact that Fetch is awesome and fantasic and my favourite in the series. I'm glad to see a more in-depth look into her backstory, which was pretty darn good. I will say that I am glad that I got it for free though. A big part of why it is kind of held back is that you really need to have played Second Son to appreciate First Light, whereas Festival of Blood you can enjoy it if you've never played the previous two before.

Battlechili · Jan 27, 2016

I'll participate.

Game 1: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - 16 hours played
# I genuinely believe its one of the best games in the Metal Gear series, and took cyborg Raiden who I previously didn't like in 4 and made him out to be a lovable and memorable character. And of course all the antagonists he fought were pretty cool as well. The rock music was a breath of fresh air, and while the game was short, it was a fun ride and got me on the Platinum train.

Game 2: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - 28 hours played

Realplumpbox85 · Jan 27, 2016

OT

Man have I been busy! This challenge is doing wonders for my backlog.

So for game 10 I played Metro 2033: Redux, I started this on the X360 years ago but got to what I thought was a fight that I could not beat. Now years later I found out I just had to run over a knocked down fence I never saw. Dummy me! Anyway this game is just amazing from the story, characters, and the environment. Such a great survival game. Can not wait to jump into the sequel in a few months.

Game 11 was Gunman Clive. I have had this sitting on my 3DS since it came out. I have no clue why I waited so long to play it! This game was fun (took 57 minutes. I loved how it was challenging yet not to hard. Just a lot of memorization. Reminded me of a simplistic western Mega Man. Picked up the sequel and will be playing it soon.

DaMoo · Jan 27, 2016

Claiming a post.

Game 1: Gears of War 2
Date Completed: 1/29
Rating: 3/5 - Too long and repetitive, the boss battles are definitely the highlight of that game.

Game 2: New Super Mario Bros. U
Date Completed: 2/7
Rating: 3/5 - Difficulty really spiked at some points. Graphics were really jaggy (no AA) for being a 2.5D title. Still enjoyable with unique mechanics to keep it fresh.

Games 3-52: ???

Wildschwein · Jan 27, 2016

Game #08 - Devil May Cry 2 HD
Time Played: ~8-9 hours

I went into this one keeping my expectations low. Way, way low. I have a big ol' pile of amazing games in the genre that I've had set aside for a long time now simply because I knew it would be impossible to come back to DMC2 after experiencing better games.

Turns out it was way too late for that because I already played the first game.

This was easily the most flacid action game experience I've ever had, but I can't bring myself to say that Devil May Cry 2 is a bad game. Its just the most 6/10 game I've ever encountered. I played through the game with both characters since there were a handful of unique bosses, but within minutes of starting the game the first time with Dante I was ready to yell at enemies to just take a swing already. The difficulty is nonexistant here. The movelist is miniscule. The upgrades do nothing but some invisible number tweaks. The weapon's have almost no variety.

There's a whole lot wrong here, but I can't say I didn't enjoy finding a big beefy plank of a sword and spending the bulk of my Dante playthrough with it in one hand and a rocket launcher in the other.

There's some fun to be had. Just enough that I was willing to come back and play through the incredibly short Lucia campaign.

This wasn't a waste of my time, but I'm itching to move on to either DMC3 or Bayonetta from here.

BraXzy · Jan 27, 2016

I got slightly hooked on some multiplayer games for the last week. But I finally got round to playing the intriguing SOMA. Highly recommended.

Now.. Witness Me.

GAME 15: Driveclub - 10 Hours+ multi - 22/01/2016 - PS4

I'm not a big fan of racing games, but... Breathtaking visuals, with some of the best lighting and weather effects combined with fun gameplay and addictive multiplayer make this one of the best racers I've ever played. It has received brilliant post-launch support too!

GAME 16: SOMA - 12 Hours - 27/01/2016 - PC

An ambitious sci-fi game that is as thought-provoking as it is nerve-wracking. It touches some serious concepts that really makes you think and question the things you're doing. I had some performance issues and and I preferred the quiet sections, but this was a game that had me hooked as I figured out where I was, who I was, and what on Earth was going on. Stick around after the credits for this one.

GAME 17: Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist - 1 Hour - 27/01/2016 - PC

An absurd, funny and free game from Crows, Crows, Crows; the new studio headed by one of the minds behind The Stanley Parable. It's short, it costs nothing, and it excites me for what's to come. I can't wait to see what these Crows have hidden in their feathers.

Jawmuncher · Jan 27, 2016

1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - 30 hours
- Fun JRPG with a great story
2. Rocket League - 5 Hours
- Had a lot of fun getting the platinum trophy in this
3. Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax - 5 Hours
- Fun anime fighter, wish it had better SP content though
4. Super Star Dance Club - 2 Hours
- Quirky rhythm game, not bad but short
5. Black Ops 3 - 7 Hours
- Pretty disappointing SP
6. Onechanbara Z2 Chaos - 7 Hours
- Not bad, but glad I got it for cheap.
7.Killer Instinct - 10 Hours
-Had a lot of fun just achievement hunting and completing the story.
8.Nitroplus Blasters - 7 Hours
-Fun fighting games (Though not as good as Dengeki)
9.Final Fantasy Theatrhythm - 12 Hours
-Quite the value especially for the price.
10.Blazblue Chronophantasma Extend - 12 Hours.
- Another fun fighter, loved all the SP content.
11. Undertale
- Way better than I thought, a must-play for everyone.
12. Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster
- Really enjoyed this, more than REmake actually.
13. Breakdown - 8 Hours
- A unique title that sadly doesn't fulfill what it tries to do.
14. Street Fighter V - 6 Hours
- Great gameplay, but the current story mode is lacking and i'm still having trouble with online. *Update - New storymode is a lot better.
15. Devil's Third - 7 Hours
- A lot better than I was expecting.
16. Resident Evil 4 HD - 13 Hours
- Still a classic
17. Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps HD - 6 Hours
- A decent light gun shooter.
18. Lara Croft Go - 7 Hours
- Really fun puzzle game
19. Amplitude - 2 hours
- Electronic Rhythm game, short but fun.
20. Bravely Second: Ballad of the Three Cavaliers - 3 Hours
- Starts slow but really builds you up for the next game *While labeled as a demo, this is a prolouge chapter which took 3 hours to complete and is not in the actual game. So I think I am allowed to count it*
21. Halo 5 - 6 Hours
- Beat this last year, but just played it again with a friend on Heroic. Was even more fun in coop.
22. Senran Kagura: Estival Versus - 7 Hours
- Not as good as SV due to AI spamming. Characters are still fun though.
23. Unbound Saga - 2 Hours
- A simple beat em up that had a way better story than I was expecting.
24: Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright - 30 Hours
- Not as good as awakening, but still pretty good.
25. Uncharted 4: A thief's end - 13 hours
- Not bad, but wasn't able to earn best UC title in my eyes.
26. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - 22 Hours
- Was interesting playing new FE in more the style of old, I liked it.
27. Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation - 13 Hours
- Easily the best of the three, though you need to play the other two to enjoy it fully.
28. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles: Mutants in Manhattan
- It was ok, worth a rental and not much more.
29. Ratchet & Clank - 7 Hours
- Really good, easily one of the best titles i've played this year
30. Cibele - 1 Hour
- A really interesting game which focuses on the story it wants to tell.
31. Her Story - 2 Hours
- The ultimate detective story - 6 Hours
32. God of War 3: Remastered - 6 Hours
- Still a lot of fun and just the right length.
33. Umbrella Corps - 8 Hours
- Not the best but better than the reviews, fun MP though.
34. Overwatch - 20+ Hours
- Really fun MP, can even have fun by myself.
35. Doom - 10 Hours
Really fun and a nice change from the usual FPS
36. Quantum Break - 12 Hours
A good balance of cinematic story and gameplay
37. Killer Instinct: Season 3 - 10 Hours
- A lot of fun and easily the best season yet.
38. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 7 hours
- Was surprised how much SP content there was here.
39. Unravel - 5 Hours
- Sweet little platformer, though it was sometimes a bit too slow.
40. Kickbeat - 5 Hours
A bit of a surprise, expected worse. It's decent.
41. Unfinished Swan - 2 hours
A nice sweet game, liked how simple it was.
42. Project X Zone 2 43 Hours
Drags a little (Though not as much as the first), however is still a lot of fun for crossover fans.
43. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition - 4 Hours
Was a fun time, just the right length.
44. Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
Not bad but still the weakest of the mainline games imo
45. Beyond Good and Evil
Was a lot of fun, even if a little rough in some parts.
46. Zero Time Dilemma
A nice close to the series
47. Resident Evil 5 (PS4)
Loved it once agaon
48. Gears of War Judgement.
Weakest gears game, but still fun
49. Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
- Played the rebirth mode which was alright, good port regardless.
50. Resident Evil Remake HD
- Still a nicely crafted experience.
51. Resident Evil 2
- Better than I remember, but...
52. Resident Evil 3
This RE is way better than RE2
53. Resident Evil Dead Aim
- Better than I thought it would be
54. Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles
- Nice presentation, some dumb gameplay choices though.

Bowlie · Jan 27, 2016

Game #06 - Mark of the Ninja [PC] (18 hours, finished in January 27)

I started playing the game meticulously, taking half an hour if neccessary to finish a level without being seen once, and killing nobody unless the objectives demanded. It was intense and fun for a long time, but this is how stealth games are for me: if I spend too much time trying to work with the variables, I start to get bored. That's not nice, because this is one of the best platformer/puzzle games I've ever played.
So I did what I always do when I get at this point in a stealth game: I dropped the "I'm this good of a ninja you won't even see me" act, going for "you will see me, and then I'll fucking murder you" instead. And that's when the game shone on me.

Forgetting all safety measures, I started running through levels using every offensive tool available. The running, then jumping and while in the air hitting a mine and a light to lure the guard on killing himself, then grappling to a post and using a poison bomb to suffocate two elite guards, then dropping down and killing both in one strike, etc. sequence is so satisfying I wish I've played it like that sooner.
In fact, is so fun I feel like I could play the entire game with this mindset.

At this point the game showed it wouldn't be just a game about mechanics, providing me with interesting story bits, and an unexpected twist at the end utilizing its beautiful soundtrack and art style at its fullest.
Now I know why people praise it so much.

Original Post

A Link to the Past · Jan 27, 2016

Main post

Game #11: Super Mario Bros. (NES) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

My ride was late, so I decided to play Super Mario Bros. on my 3DS and try to beat it before they arrived (I did). Now, I think Super Mario Bros. is good - it's certainly an important game for the industry - but it surely is one of my least favourite 2D Mario games. The physics, while innovative at the time, annoy the crap out of me often and feel stiff, and the visuals really don't do anything for me. What really got me on a tear with this game was the final world; I've basically gotten the game down pat, but the final world is always what kept me from finishing it, especially the last level, which was such a beginner's trap. You were basically guaranteed to die on your first trip there. I was actually almost tempted to give it 3/5, but its value to the industry and the fact that it's just a flawed good game gave it that little bit of push to call it a 4 (a soft 4, at least).

Lindsay · Jan 28, 2016

I think this playthrough of Shining Force was the first time I saw one of my characters do damage in the triple digits... an I've played the game a whole lot of times! Always bow to the awesomeness which is Arthur!

Games Beaten: 07 / 52
Total Playtime: 161:11:31

01 - ??

chrominance · Jan 28, 2016

Original post

10. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS, 2014) - 16:26 (+2:02 in 2015)
All cases completed.

Where DanganRonpa is disturbing, darkly comic, and often rather bleak, Ace Attorney is very much its opposite: sunny, bright, and often endearing. Both are great games, with Ace Attorney suffering only slightly due to its age. But the game's essential charm shines through easily, with an interesting main cast and a pretty good rogue's gallery of witnesses and defendants.

My only real beef with the game has to do with the occasional clunkiness of its systems. Navigating through locations during investigations feels more awkward than it should, often requiring you to go through several empty areas to get to your destination instead of letting you jump to any location from any other location. But the bigger issue is the relatively harsh penalty for messing up a trial: if you screw up too many times, you get sent back all the way to the beginning of whatever trial section you were in.

This can often result in literally fast-forwarding blindly through several minutes of dialogue just to get back to where you were. I much prefer how DanganRonpa handles this, where you have more chances to fail and lesser penalties for a Game Over. As it is, there are several points during the game where you have a pretty good idea of where the contradictions are, but unsure of the specific prompts you need to present those contradictions to. Too many mistakes in misreading the game's intent, and you get the equivalent of a timeout.

It's a minor and understandable blemish on a fifteen-year-old game that's otherwise aged rather gracefully. And just like with DanganRonpa, Ace Attorney has a few moments of genuine revelation--a rare quality in video games.

A Link to the Past · Jan 28, 2016

Just an FYI, once you get to Dual Destinies, the "trial and error" flaws of Ace Attorney pretty much go away.

Main post

Game #12: Pac-Pix (DS) - ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Pac-Pix is a sort of clever and interesting take on the concept of the touchscreen and the dual screen - basically, you draw Pac-Man, and you guide him across both screens in an attempt to get all of the ghosts. It starts off fairly decent, but over time, it gets more complicated. Now, this wouldn't be a problem, except that they didn't do a solid job making it a good kind of complicated. Some of the drawings, in particular the arrow (which when drawn fires an arrow in the direction it's pointing), are very picky about how they're designed, and will often go so far as to actually touch a ghost and yet not affect them. It all feels very inconsistent and slapdash. Perhaps excusable at the DS' launch, but it's really not a game which has value that extends beyond that.

SquirrelWide · Jan 28, 2016

Finished:

p - platinum run finished this year, even if played in a previous

1. That Dragon, Cancer - 2.0 hours - Came in allowing myself to cry if sad. Definitely did. Game did a great job of putting the player in the parents shoes without feeling crass / some other negative cash grabby thing.
2. Her Story (p) - 3.4 hours - I wouldn't want every game to take this approach, but it was definitely a refreshing approach to narrative.
3. Assassin's Creed Unity - N/A - I used to buy these day one until AC3. I still really enjoy the atmosphere of these games, but Unity has been thus far the weakest in the series. Broke as fuck traversal, really well realized Paris, unresponsive combat, and middling puzzles. Also, I much prefer the MP from the Ezio games as opposed to the coop nonsense here. I still found enough in it to be worth playing.

Currently Playing (and finishable):

1. Bloodborne - N/A - I've only played half of Demon/Dark Souls before (no DS2). Overall another great entry in the series. However, the controls occasionally don't respond, you'll get stuck on invisible geometry (esp during the Shadows of Yharnam), and the lighting is noticeably crappy in many places (e.g. shines through walls).
2. Bloodborne - The Old Hunters - N/A - Has simultaneously the best boss (Lady Maria) and the worst boss (Orphan of Kos). Including separately because I want credit for finally beating OoK. I have never felt cheated in a Souls game (other than the aforementioned invisible geometry) until this boss. Biggest pile of horseshit. Was so crestfallen when I got within one hit and bit it.
3. Cave Story + - 5.8 hours - Amazing games that captures the best parts of the old school 2D platformers. Was always aware of this game but just never got around to playing it. Currently stuck on Machine X, but I read that he's one of the hardest bosses. Thinking about a 100% run for this game. Also, the machine gun can be used as a jetpack. I repeat. The machine gun. Can be used. As a jetpack. Unbridled joy upon discovering this.
4. One Finger Death Punch - 1.2 hours - Gets complex really fast for a 2 button game. Pleasantly surprised at it. Once you get in the zone the game's flow feels really good.
5. Not a Hero - 1.0 hour(s) - Tight gameplay, amazing humor, still somehow outshone by that trailer. I think this is my first Devolver game.
6. Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan - N/A - Already beat the titan. Slowly grinding out the final dragons and big bug boss. Amazing game but the post game goes slowly since the leveling takes forever.
7. Azure Stricker Gunvolt - N/A - Beaten most of the game. Final boss is rather hard. While not an exact successor to the Megman formula, the controls feel tight and the customization is pretty deep/varied.
8. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - 11 hours - Played the original, but never the upgraded version. I was hankering for a replay so I picked up this version. Still a classic.
9. The Witness - 1.6 hours - ~ 70 puzzles in. I don't agree with all his decisions, but this game is definitely a masterpiece thus far.

Multiplayer Games:
1. Dota 2 - 114 hours - Friend finally got me to bite the MOBA bullet midway through last year. Great game. Shitty community. Currently comfortable with Wind Ranger, Necrophos, Centaur Warrunner, and Bristleback. Hopefully by year's end I'll be comfortable with enough that it would be bothersome to list.
2. Titanfall - N/A - Traversal feels smooth as butter. Even when you are having a bad game you can still do something productive for your team. I just hope the next entry has a more robust SP.
3. Splatoon - N/A - I'm still a kid and a squid and the game feels really good.
4. Under Night In-Birth - N/A - Still playing through the beginning stages of fighter acclamation. Quirky story that apparently has some anime for it? Controls feel tight. Not the most complex fighter out there, but I'd definitely recommend it. I also finally caved and bought a stick, so I'm hitting the "getting worse because I changed controllers" phase.

Linkyn · Jan 28, 2016

Main Post

Game 11: Alpha Protocol

Talk about LTTP. I got Obsidian's spy-themed RPG / TPS during the Steam winter sale for close to nothing, so I figured I might as well give it a try. Overall, I am quite pleased with the experience. I like that there is some flexibility in how you tackle your missions (even if it doesn't quite hold up in comparison to games like Human Revolution), and I really appreciate what they were trying with the trust system, although I can't say how much of an impact my dialogue choices ultimately had without trying a different approach.

My main gripes are that the missions become a little repetitive after a while (since you essentially do the same 5-6 things all throughout the game), the story was fairly forgettable, and that some of the encounter design is terribly frustrating. At several points, you're put into mandatory boss fights that you're really not well-equipped for if you go for a stealth build, and every time, I got the feeling that the encounters were much too hard, unless you found a way to more or less exploit them, in which case they got far too easy.

All in all, I feel like it creates a decent foundation on which could have been built a strong franchise if some of its flaws had been ironed out in a sequel. I haven't played much of Obsidian's more recent output, but I'd like to think they've further developed the more RPG-like elements of the game (which are imo the best part of it) to include them in other titles.

Right now, I think it was worth experiencing, but I can't see myself playing it again. There are games that do the combat / stealth better, and there are games that make me care a lot more about its characters and story, so there's little further draw now that I'm done with this first playthrough. I feel like I'd probably have been a little disappointed had I bought it at full price, but for what I paid for it, I really can't complain, and I'd definitely recommend it if only to see how some of its designs have evolved over the past 5-6 years.

Stanng243 · Jan 28, 2016

I made a horrific mistake. My 3 games I'm playing now are Demon Gaze, Witcher 3 and Yakuza 5. It''s going to be a while before I finish anything
Game 1 - Witcher 3
Finished on Death March. long game, but good.
Game 2 - Lego Jurassic park - PS4
Platinum
Game 3 - Whispering Willows - PSVita
100 %
Game 4 - Fallout 4
Got one ending.
Game 5 - Day of the tentacle
Platinum.
Game 6 - MegaMind
Platinum.
Game 7 - Civilization Revolution 2 Plus
Played the hell out of this game.
Game 8 - Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin
Story complete.
Game 9 - Lego: Marvel avengers - PS4
Platinum.
Game 10 - Lego: The movie: The game - PS3
Story complete.
Game 11 - Lego: The Hobbit - PS3
Platinum
Game 12 - DOA Xtreme 3: Venus
Beat with multiple girls..
Game 13 - My Singing Monsters
Over 10 hours played.
Game 14 - Uncharted 3 - PS4
Story Complete.
Game 15 - Uncharted 4
Story Complete.
Game 16 - Civilization Revolution 2 Plus - Vita
Platinum trophy
Game 17 - Dead or alive extreme 3 fortune - PS4
Played a bunch
Game 18 - Tales from the borderlamds - PS3
Platinum
Game 19 - Lego Ninjago:Nindroids
Story complete
Game 20 - Firewatch
Story complete
Game 21 - Lego Star Wars: Force Awakened
Platinum
Game 22 - Goosebumps - PS4
Story complete
Game 23 - Gone Home
"Story" Complete
Game 24 - Abzu - PS4
Story complete
Game 25 - Blues and Bullets
Chapter 1 finished
Game 26 - Batman - Telltale
Chapter 1 finished
Game 27 - Broken Sword 5 - the serpent's curse
Platinum
Game 28 - Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes
Put an unhealthy amoun of time into this game.
Game 29 - Code: Realize "Guardian of Rebirth"
Platinum
Game 30 - DC Legends
Put an unhealthy amoun of time into this game.
Game 31 - Mad Max
Story Complete
Game 32 - Doodle Kingdoms - Vita
Story Complete

Bumbletron · Jan 28, 2016

Original Post

I beat a couple more games so far this week:

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist - 45 minutes 1/25/2016
An interesting game by some creators of The Stanley Parable, this is an interesting little concept worth a look by anyone who can afford it (it's free)

Bayonetta - 10:27 1/28/2016
An extremely fun and entertaining Character action game, as we've come to expect from Platinum Games. The only things I didn't care for were the lack of a click lock-on feature, and the QTE timings being a bit brutal (Damn you, Lava).

BraXzy · Jan 29, 2016

Stanng243 said:
I made a horrific mistake. My 3 games I'm playing now are Demon Gaze, Witcher 3 and Yakuza 5. It''s going to be a while before I finish anything

My games in progress were TW3, Bloodborne and Fallout 4 was up next. I switched things up to shorter games for the time being :3

aGuyInaBearSuit · Jan 29, 2016

I won't be reviewing it, but I finished my 8th game, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. I enjoyed it a lot, even if I got the bad end and my post-play research showed me that I missed out on a LOT of key information based on the path I took.

OP

Oreoleo · Jan 29, 2016

Stanng243 said:
I made a horrific mistake. My 3 games I'm playing now are Demon Gaze, Witcher 3 and Yakuza 5. It''s going to be a while before I finish anything

Hah, I did this last year with Divinity: Original Sin. Started it in January and it took me 3 months and 140 hours to finish. Trying to do the opposite this year by clearing out a lot of shorter/smaller games to get ahead of the 1 game per week curve before I tackle anything really substantial (looking at you, Pillars of Eternity).

Bowlie · Jan 29, 2016

aGuyInaBearSuit said:
I won't be reviewing it, but I finished my 8th game, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. I enjoyed it a lot, even if I got the bad end and my post-play research showed me that I missed out on a LOT of key information based on the path I took.

OP

You got one ending only? Yeah, even the best bad ending does not give you much information compared to all endings together. You're left pretty confused.

aGuyInaBearSuit · Jan 29, 2016

Bowlie said:
You got one ending only? Yeah, even the best bad ending does not give you much information compared to all endings together. You're left pretty confused.

Seriously, I'm reading the Wiki now and even the True End has some loose ends.

Is Zero Escape the same way? That would be insane, seeing as how that game is ~20 hours.

SquirrelWide · Jan 29, 2016

aGuyInaBearSuit said:
I won't be reviewing it, but I finished my 8th game, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. I enjoyed it a lot, even if I got the bad end and my post-play research showed me that I missed out on a LOT of key information based on the path I took.

OP

I got two bad endings in that game. I want to go back and try for the other endings. I had at one point looked up (and forgot) how to get the different endings

it has to do with the order of selected doors, among other things iirc

. I hate looking up the correct path in a game like that, but I might just do it for completions sake since I played through twice without looking it up.

Bowlie · Jan 29, 2016

aGuyInaBearSuit said:
Seriously, I'm reading the Wiki now and even the True End has some loose ends.

Minor things, left vague on purpose.

Like what happens after they exit the facility, where did Alice come from, etc.

I played it in 2013 so I may have forgotten some things.

aGuyInaBearSuit said:
Is Zero Escape the same way? That would be insane, seeing as how that game is ~20 hours.

It has loose ends too, but that will be tied heavily to the next game so it makes sense. And everything in VLR is... grander, to say the least. The game they play, the twists, the endings. It's a great game.

jnWake · Jan 29, 2016

Main Post

Game #2: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Wii).
Time Played: 22:36.
Completion Reached: Beat the game. 100% items. Screw scans.

Fuck you Alpha Sandigger.

Continuing with my playthrough of the Metroid series that began a couple years ago with Other M (yes, it was my first Metroid game) and continued on 2015 with Super Metroid and Metroid Prime, it was time to tackle the second iteration of the Prime series. I played it on the Wii (U), so I used pointer controls, which are pretty good.

Anyway, Echoes follows a very similar formula to the first Metroid Prime. Game is an exploration focused first person shooter with certain third person sections for traversal (mostly Morph Ball). Plot has Samus follow Galactic Federation forces into Aether, a planet that somehow houses two dimmensions: Light Aether and Dark Aether. The dark version is obviously the evil one and you must help the light inhabitants recover their land. It's a simple setup but it works, I guess.

The planet being divided into two dimensions is actually the game's main mechanic since throughout the game you'll constantly switch between Light and Dark Aether to progress. It's kind of similar to A Link to the Past but with less flexiblity (you can't warp anywhere). I'm honestly not sure how much this mechanic adds to the game but, at the very least, it gives you more terrain to explore. Enemies from Dark Aether are pretty interesting though, since they can possess the ones from Light Aether to create some pretty nasty foes. The bosses, in particular, are incredible in this game, with

Quadraxis

being a highlight.

Moving on, gameplay in Echoes is similar to the first Metroid Prime, though I feel like there's more focus on the Morph Ball this time, which is both good and bad. Good because Morph Ball puzzles and battles are fun, but bad since its controls can be a bit unwieldy sometimes. There's also a new upgrade to Samus that is pretty cool, but I won't spoil it here since it's fairly late game.

Screw Attack!

Another big mechanic in the game is the use of Light and Dark beams, which replace the Ice and Wave beams from Prime 1. These beams, unlike others, have ammo, which makes their use more strategic but also a bit frustrating.

Presentation, just like in Prime 1, is great. I played the game upscaled thanks to the Wii U and never thought it looked bad or dated (well, maybe some cutscenes). Music fits the atmosphere greatly but I don't think I'd listen to it outside of the game.

Overall, I really liked the Echoes. Being the sequel to the highly regarded Prime 1 can be a bit rough but I feel the level design and usage of abilites are on par with its predecessor. Completely recommended.

Game #3: Pokémon Picross (3DS).
Time Played: 76:57.
Completion Reached: Beat all the standard missions. Didn't do the Alt World ones.

Holy shit the playtime... I didn't even notice I played so many hours but at least it's divided between 2015 and 2016... Anyway, Pokémon Picross is yet another Pokémon spinoff (there's lots of them), this time using the puzzle game Picross as a base.

Picross is a tile based logic puzzle game, like Sudoku (but with completely different rules). The goal in this game is to fill tiles in a rectangle by following simple rules. Every row and column has a series of numbers that indicate how to fill it. For example, if a row says "4", then that row has 4 consecutive spaces filled and the rest blank. If a row says "4 1" then it has 4 consecutive spaces filled and, separate from those, another filled space, in that order. Columns work exactly the same. Puzzles vary in size from 5x5 to 20x15. Each stage represents a Pokémon, that you catch after clearing its puzzle. You can then put Pokémon on your party and use their abilities to help you fill puzzles. Abilities range from automatically fixing mistakes you make to filling rows and columns for you.

Interestingly, this game was released as a F2P game. There are two limits: an energy bar that limits the amount of spaces you can fill and picrites, currency used to unlock new areas and buy upgrades. It's entirely possible to beat the game without paying but it'll take you long. You can also pay $30 to unlock everything right away. In my case, I spent about $15 and managed to play all the stages, so how much you pay depends on your preferences. Considering I played for more than 70 hours, spending even $30 seems like a pretty good deal.

Presentation is the weakest part of the game, although I guess it isn't particularly important. Graphics are very simple, but you mostly care about the puzzles so it doesn't really matter. Music is forgettable. It's actually one of the few games where I don't care about the OST at all, and I'm a very big fan of VGM!

Overall, I really enjoyed the game. If you like puzzles that can be played in somewhat short bursts (when you get the hang of it!), I completely recommend it.

Benzychenz · Jan 29, 2016

Stanng243 said:
I made a horrific mistake. My 3 games I'm playing now are Demon Gaze, Witcher 3 and Yakuza 5. It''s going to be a while before I finish anything

That you did

I only ever have one big game going at a time because I like to be fully invested in it.

Right now that game is Dark Souls 2, with a bit of Katamari Damacy on the side.

The_Dude · Jan 29, 2016

Game 5: Mad Max - January 29th
Definitely a good, well made game but I think I need a break from open world games of this type. Unfortunately, Mad Max does the same annoying thing Just Cause 3 does, where you have to do open world stuff to progress the story which is a problem when I'm kind of bored with it. Worth playing if you haven't tired of the genre.

Original post

Trojan · Jan 29, 2016

Claiming...here's my current selection. I absolutely can guarantee I will finish The Witness this year because that game will haunt me until I beat it.

Played in 2016:

Metal Gear Solid V - completed!
The Witness
Farcry 4
Don't Starve
Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
Terraria
Minecraft
Luftrausers
Talos Principle
Until Dawn
Downwell
The Room 3

Want to Play:
-Gone Home
-Borderlands Handsome Collection

chrominance · Jan 29, 2016

Original post

11. 80 Days (Android, 2014) - 4:45
Around the world in 78 days.

Less visual novel and more choose-your-own-adventure, 80 Days is a wondrous alternate take on Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. The contours of the game mirror those of the famous novel: your recently acquired master, one Phileas Fogg, announces suddenly that you are to accompany him on a journey circumnavigating the globe, starting from London. The goal is to return within 80 days in order to win a wager with some fraternal colleagues. Along the way, you must make decisions about what to pack (or sell), who to talk to, and what routes to take.

80 Days elegantly sidesteps many of the issues that plague most games that focus on player-driven narrative choices by following the simple principle that drives the novel as well: the journey is more important than the destination. Each circuit of the globe constitutes a new collection of encounters and conversations, opportunities taken or missed, cities explored or seen from the portholes of a distant airship. The game's many characters are well-drawn, offering glimpses into rich inner lives in the scant page or two of prose each is allotted. And thanks to the sheer number of potential waypoints on your journey, it's possible to play several times over without seeing much in the way of repeated plot points.

I played two campaigns: my first ended in failure, arriving in London eight days too late to win the bet. The second often saw shortages in money and the occasional significant delay, but I managed to come in just under the wire with a scant two days to spare. But 80 Days isn't necessarily "over" once you've returned to London triumphant, and it's a game I can see myself returning to again in the future.

Fou-Lu · Jan 29, 2016

I am on track this year, (four games so far) maybe I should give it a shot.

MehsterChief · Jan 29, 2016

Game 12: Legend of Grimrock
I was a console kid in the early 90's so I have no nostalgia for this subgenre of CRPG's. I rather wanted to try this as a gateway into some of the classics. Worked out really nice. I enjoyed the game a lot. I dug the focus on puzzles, felt like a genius when I figured some of them out. Combat is boring though, very samey. You walways dance around your enemy hitting him from the side/behind until he explodes.
Funny thing to stress the retro charme: this was the first time in 10 years or so where I had to activate the console to get on. There's a particular puzzle where you have to place some objects somewhere. One of them is a skull, an item sometimes found in the earlier levels, but not on the one I was the moment. So instead of hours of searching through old levels I used the console to spawn a skull right in front of me.
While this is certainly bad game design (it doesn't tell you to hold on top a skull) it was the ultimate throwback to RPG Gaming of times past. Looking forward to part 2, which is also in my library.

OP

Ragona · Jan 29, 2016

Games #2-5 (full list)
January turned out to be a pretty solid month for me, with alot of great games cleared from my backlock. As always excuse possible mistakes, as english is not my native language

#2: Pokemon Black Edition (~45 hours)

Pokemon Black was the first game I played after buying my new3DSXL and my first Pokemon game since the original gold edition.
The game managed to bring back alot of nostalgia and hooked me from the beginning till the end, although i was kind of sad that many old Pokemon weren't introduced till the very end.
Great re-entry into the world of Pokemon for me though!
★★★★★★★★☆☆

#3: Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Campaign (PS4) (~8 Hours)

I was suprised at how negatively this years campaign was received. I really enjoyed the story and new movement set, aswell as the general shooter mechanics.
I guess the future setting and generic looking envorinments didnt please everyone, but I for myself felt really entertained the whole way through.
★★★★★★★★☆☆

#4 Undertale (PC) (6 Hours)

Undertale was one of the first games I wanted to try from my backlog after all the praise it has received, both on this forum and pretty much everywhere else. I have to admit the game had to grow on me and didnt manage to catch me from the getgo.
The longer I played, and even with some distance now, I managed to understand, why so many people absolutely adore it.
I need to add, that it didn't tickle the nostalgia nerve for me, because I simply never played those old classics to which the game pays its respect.
But even without nostalgic feelings - the music, gameplay elements and story, the absolutely lovely characters and brilliant humor make the game worth every last penny and time spent.
Undertales biggest achievment though, is how it seamlessly combines story and gameplay into a perfect whole.
★★★★★★★★★☆

#5 Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (PC) (40 hours)

"Gameplay is king" is a statement that proves to be true once more with Dragon's Dogma. Even though graphics are still okay, and especially animations and effects still hold up pretty well, the game pays tribute to its old gen heritage.
The gameplay, however, could easily make this game a modern classic for me. I have to admit though, that the first hour was terrible. Controls felt cluncky, Interface seemed shit and the game did a pretty lame job of introducing you into how things go.
In the first 2 hours you can find around 150 different Items, of which you have absolutely no idea whats what, whats useful and if i should keep or ditch em.
The games deep roleplaying mechanics, deep systems and brilliant, Souls like combat, mixed with Monster Hunter elements pay off after a while though!
The following 38 hours have easily been one of my most enjoyable open world experiences lately, since most of the sidequests can be done while following the main story and the core gameplay mechanics are simply fun and motivating.
If we will ever be lucky enough to get a sequel, I hope they don't dumb down the mechanics and add abit more monster variety (wolf and harpy hunter, the game).
★★★★★★★★☆☆

Khrae · Jan 29, 2016

Original Post

Lot of distractions from my target, playing too much online mp. Have been ticking along with Dragons Dogma and the new Tomb Raider though, so may have more to show for my next update.

Game 5. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair PSVita Not sure how long it took, been playing it for 3 weeks though ~30hrs maybe.. It took me a while to warm to the new batch and then they go and get murdered.

edit: erm, game 5, not game 6

Spieler Eins · Jan 29, 2016

original post

Game 7: Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (GBC VC replay)

One of my go to apps, when I'm opening my 3DS out of boredome. No warps, no continues until 8-3, which is still a bs level. Luck based shlock, killing most of my runs. Which ironically makes the last casle much easier.

Game 8: Mark of the Ninja (PC)

Absolutely amazing game, despite one of the last stages being slightly annoying trial and error.

modsbox · Jan 29, 2016

Master Post

8. Mega Man 3 (NES/Famicom, 5 hours, 1/28)

My first time playing and beating this game. I loved the addition of the slide mechanic and it was fun to re-beat several of the bosses from Mega Man 2. Still I felt like there was less magic to this game than I felt playing through Mega Man 2, but I guess it's not a fair comparison as I played MM2 quite a bit growing (so it had the benefit of the nostalgia factor).

Support NeoGAF

52 games. 1 Year. 2016.

Banned

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Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Neo Member

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Member

Banned

Banned

Member

Neo Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Banned

Dot Hacked

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Banned

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Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

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Member

Banned

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Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

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