• 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.

Status
Not open for further replies.

BraXzy

Member
It's been awhile since I last posted. I've been gradually playing my way through the brilliant puzzler The Witness. In between I've played the odd multiplayer and completed Firewatch, I had a few nitpicks about it but it was a brilliant experience and one I thoroughly enjoyed. If anyone hasn't had a chance to play The Division's beta, I recommend you try the open beta coming up. It's a lot of fun with friends! If I end up getting the full thing, I'll switch this entry out for the full game.

Original Post

VB3tWAe.png


GAME 18: The Division (Beta) - 10 Hours+ multi - 31/01/2016 - PS4

I might not pick up the final release so I figured I'd include this for now. The Division has the potential to something incredible that will have me hooked for a very long time. Satisfying gameplay, addictive loot, incredibly fun with friends and tense as hell PvP. Fingers crossed on this.

pCaswG6.png


GAME 19: Cookie Clicker 2.0 - 10 Hours+ multi - 10/02/2016 - PC

The craving for cookies begins once more with the 2.0 release. This game is ridiculously pointless and even more addictive. Beware the cookies. Click, click, click.

OOzf0Df.png


GAME 20: Firewatch - 5.5 Hours - 10/02/2016 - PC

A well written story with believable, authentic characters set in a world that felt real and grounded, brought to life by the incredible art of Olly Moss and the rest of the Campo Santo team. I could live in this world and listen to these characters talk all day.

4rh8Unh.png


GAME 21: KAMI - 2.5 Hours - 11/02/2016 - PC

A deceptively challenging little puzzler in which you change the colour of paper in a super satisfying, cascade effect. I was losing interest towards the end but it was good enough to complete.
 

octopiggy

Member
I did this last year but the thread closed before I got to post my final update. Anyway, I ended up completing 29 games last year which was more than I thought I might.
Maybe this year I will try and keep my impressions a little more brief, that way I might keep more up to date.
I was hoping I would play fewer games this year so I could be a little more productive when it comes to working on some projects but it certainly hasn't started that way! I have been on a bit of an indie kick so a lot of these games were quite short experiences:

Game 1 - Her Story (PC)
Reached the credits and got all achievements.
Looking through everyone's game of the year lists made me pick up a bunch of games that I'd missed and I thought looked interesting. When I heard about this I was intrigued and looked up some gameplay footage. A few hours later I'd accidentally watched an entire playthrough, and I loved it. I went and bought it for myself and played though it again. This was great, unlike any other game experience I've ever had and really blurred the lines between what is considered a game.

Game 2 - Chibi Robo - Zip Lash (3DS)
Beat final boss to see credits.
This was actually better than I thought it would be. Zipping around is pretty satisfying and I liked collecting the real-world snacks. But, like a lot of people, I'm suffering from 2D platformer fatigue. I think there needs to be a memo sent around Nintendo that says 'no more 2D platformers unless it's really important'. I'm planning on collecting all the snacks but being forced to replay levels that you've already finished to deliver the snacks is kind of frustrating.

Game 3 - SquareCells (PC)
Completed all puzzles and got all achievements.
I loved the Hexcells games so jumped on this straight away. I'm not sure if I enjoyed it quite as much as the previous games but it still scratched that puzzle itch with beautiful simplicity.
 
OP


Game #8 - Snoopy's Grand Adventure (PS4)

Charming little platformer, especially as a fan of the license. I could definitely see it being something that overstays its welcome but thankfully it's pretty short with only some of the space levels really being annoying. I really liked the art style.
 
Curse you, BraXzy! I shan't fall behind!

Also, I'm glad that you seemed to enjoy Kami well enough to complete it - I definitely agree that it's a better game in the first half than the last. Hopefully Hook appeals well to you!

Main post


Game #17: Crashmo (3DS) - ★★★★★★★★★☆

Crashmo is a really neato game, particularly because it actually puts a very cool twist on the formula. Pushmo's blocks are all static, beyond the fact that you can pull them out three squares. Here though, it gets way more challenging because the game has you pushing and pulling entire block segments to all kinds of places. Despite being significantly more challenging (IMO), I think that I prefer this game to the original due to how you manipulate the environment. I find that it tends to allow for less complicated solutions without making them simple. Anyway, I highly recommend it if you enjoyed Pushmo (or puzzle games in general).
 

Oreoleo

Member
The List!
Full Impressions

12. The Howler - .75 Hours
irdSdTk.jpg


Obviously designed with smartphones in mind, The Howler's gameplay involves guiding a hot air balloon through opposing air currents to your target landing zone. Left mouse makes your hot air balloon rise, releasing it causes it to fall. Timing and momentum are the name of the game here, avoiding obstacles and not getting blown off course by being in an air current blowing the wrong way for too long. It practice the game seems to fall somewhere between Flappy Bird and a Pilotwings proof-of-concept. Mostly too easy, and only once or twice crossing the line into "challenging" territory, at 45 minutes long the game is over almost before it really begins. The concept and presentation are interesting enough, it's just a shame the possibilities in the mechanics aren't more fully explored. At the current sale price of 50 cents on Steam, however, it's difficult to feel let down by what could have been. A nice distraction for a rainy afternoon.
 

pots555

Member
Game #6: Firewatch
5 hours

Honestly, I did not find it very good. I got to the end and thought: that's it? It does not even look that good in my opinion. The hype got me. I'm glad I played it but I will never touch it again.
 
Game #11 - Super Mario 3D World
Time Played: Maybe 10 meowers?

db7ks9g.jpg


Before I say anything about this game, I would really rather talk about Super Mario 3D Land. While I'm at it, I would really rather play Super Mario 3D Land.

I'm pretty sure that this is a better and meatier game, but it just didn't hook me the way the first did. Maybe it was the retooling for multiplayer, or maybe I just like the Tanooki suit a lot more than the cat suit (I do, by the way). It could easily just be fatigue and my petty need for a 64/Sunshine/Galaxy style game. I was happy to 100% that first game, but I just did the bare minimum here. I'll probably go back to do bonus areas in multiplayer situations. I won't mince words, the multiplayer here is an absolute blast, but it isn't what I want out of these games. It was a fun run through the game, but in the end I'm putting it on the same level as New Super Mario Bros 2 in my personal ranking. It was a Mario game, and it was pretty, and it pulled off some nice Bowser relatated surprises in its boss fights. Just didn't stick with me too well.
 
Game #11 - Super Mario 3D World
Time Played: Maybe 10 meowers?


Before I say anything about this game, I would really rather talk about Super Mario 3D Land. While I'm at it, I would really rather play Super Mario 3D Land.

I'm pretty sure that this is a better and meatier game, but it just didn't hook me the way the first did. Maybe it was the retooling for multiplayer, or maybe I just like the Tanooki suit a lot more than the cat suit (I do, by the way). It could easily just be fatigue and my petty need for a 64/Sunshine/Galaxy style game. I was happy to 100% that first game, but I just did the bare minimum here. I'll probably go back to do bonus areas in multiplayer situations. I won't mince words, the multiplayer here is an absolute blast, but it isn't what I want out of these games. It was a fun run through the game, but in the end I'm putting it on the same level as New Super Mario Bros 2 in my personal ranking. It was a Mario game, and it was pretty, and it pulled off some nice Bowser relatated surprises in its boss fights. Just didn't stick with me too well.

Interesting, I really disagree with you here. I found 3D Land to be a very barebones games with really basic level design, basically NSMB in 3D, whereas I felt 3D World had a lot more creativity put into it.
 
ckv6zTO.png


10h-ish. Finished story, 70% of the game complete.

I was expecting an Uncharted-esque game and that's exactly what I got. A larger-than-life plot that started as a survival story and quickly turned to the supernatural, with lots of over-the-top moments and a naïve adventurer girl becoming an one-woman army in the span of one or two days. It's even funny how fast she goes from "Mama, I killed a man" to "COME GET ME YOU BASTARDS". Even she lampshades it at some point.

My main gripe with the game is that Lara goes from hypercompetent to pants-on-head useless on the cutscenes. For example,
when she has a chance to rescue Sam late in the game, when Mathias is giving a speech to the Solarii, she decides to forget she has a SMG with a grenade launcher addon and uses her bow instead, with predictable results. Also, later she decides to threaten a pilot by taking his gun, which is (as the pilot points out) unloaded, instead of using her own perfectly good, perfectly loaded gun. That one ends well at least
. These are only two examples, but several more could be pointed out and they really go against the "Invincible Outsider" persona Lara adopts in the late game.

But the game is undeniably fun, and the story is quite interesting, on an Indiana Jonesque sort of way. I also liked the approach to "tomb raiding", as an afterthought to the main story - something you can decide to do, or not. Perhaps if tombs were a bit bigger or more dangerous (they're usually one-room puzzles) they would be more interesting.

Looking forward to RotTR!

Updated OP
 

Cade

Member
Game #6 - Firewatch - 4/5 | 5-6 hours

This is gonna end up being one of the year's most divisive games and then going to be a divisive LTTP game from then on out. I'm in the camp that liked it quite a bit, though parts of it weren't quite the highs I'd hoped them to be. The writing is fantastic, though, and the storytelling in the world itself and the things you'd find was fantastic. It's not a Telltale game, but your choices do affect later dialogue and in some cases images. The disposable camera mechanic was fun, and I liked choosing where to use my film.

Overall, it's not a very interactive game, and it's not maybe the most thrilling climax, but Firewatch achieves exactly what it sets out to do... and does it beautifully.
 
Main post


Game #18: Stretchmo - Mallo's Playtime Plaza (3DS) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Now, this one was a hard one to decide on whether I should treat Stretchmo as a single game, or as an accesspoint through which I could find the downloadable content. It all came down to two factors:

1. Every package that you can buy with it has a substantial amount of content (Mallo's Playtime Plaza has as many levels as Crashmo, while the rest have half, which is still pretty substantial)
2. Every package has an ending and credits sequence
3. Every package has its own set of tutorials

After much personal debate, I decided that it was appropriate to list each of the packages by themselves, as they are still substantial enough of individual games that I can't just clear them in a half an hour.

Anyway, Mallo's Playtime Plaza was fun enough, but it felt like it retreaded a super lot on old mechanics and kept trying to explain stuff. This thankfully never showed up in the later levels, but even without that, in general I felt that the concept of Stretchmo just doesn't work quite as well as Pushmo or Crashmo. In Stretchmo, you quite appropriately stretch out boxes - ie, where in Pushmo you pulled them out in the front three spaces, Stretchmo allows you to pull a block in all directions two spaces (where possible). While it definitely introduces some unique puzzle solutions, including a greater emphasis on switching perspectives and exploring behind the puzzles, I felt that it confused the gameplay some, and I found myself tediously stretching certain spots as far as I could, only to find that I ultimately did not need to.


Game #00: Stretchmo - Corin's Fortress of Fun (3DS) - ★★★★★★★★★☆

I'm only going to cover mechanically what is introduced in this one, so refer to my posts on Mallo's Playtime Plaza and Pushmo if you want to know more general stuff.

Corin's Fortress of Fun is awesome. It's shorter than Playtime Plaza (50 puzzles versus 100), but it's definitely the shining beacon of quality for Stretchmo, mainly due to the fact that it finally introduces enemies to the game, which I felt the series sorely lacked. These enemies have interesting interactions as they are both obstacles and platforms that you must interact with to solve the puzzles. It also doesn't hurt that one of its levels was probably my favourite in any games in the series.


Game #00: Stretchmo - Papa Blox's NES Expo (3DS) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Almost feel a bit unfair for listing this one as I did most of the puzzles last year, but after finishing up "Corin's Fortress of Fun" I figured I would give this one the ol' college try. In some ways this one is the best of the bunch due to the nostalgia factor and the blisteringly high difficulty level, but ultimately, I still would put it at second place due to:

1. Its gimmick is mainly the difficulty
2. At times the difficulty impeded fun factor
3. Corrin's Fortress of Fun was just that good

It doesn't really matter in the end mind you, as Stretchmo is a consistently good game - just that some of its packages are better than others. Given how hard this package was though, I would be remiss to even considering trying the package that requires you to beat every single level in all four games. That just doesn't sound like a very good time. :p


Game #00: Stretchmo - Poppy's Sculpture Square (3DS) - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

And now the last of the main four Stretchmos is finished, and I kind of wish I hadn't saved it for last, haha. It's still a good package of puzzles, but ultimately, it stands as the least interesting because its only gimmick is that all of the puzzles are murals (ie, the level is designed to look like an image). It does not really stand out at all, and only rarely did I feel that the levels were especially memorable outside of design. The reason being is that mural levels really are a detriment to this series - they are best described as neat, and they may be fun, but to me, the best levels are the ones that focus exclusively on gameplay. Like I said, still worth it, but at the same price level, you can get Corin's Fortress of Fun, which is the best part of Stretchmo.
 

marcincz

Member
Game #08: Shovel Knight (PS4) - 11:07 h - 09/02/2016
Shovel Knight was very tough. Especially last 3 boss battles was real pain in the ass. However it is a good game in an oldschool style. After finishing I decided to take a break from hardcore games for a while.

Game #09: Kane & Lynch 2 (X360) - 05:03 h - 09/02/2016
The game was much better, than I expected and better, than previous part. Lynch is a real psychopath. I like this guy. :) Unfortunately very short - 5h campaign on normal. Strange camera, filters and censorship!? - was the biggest flops for me. Overall, solid and very, very intensive game.

Original Post
 

Busigkatt

Banned
The year so far

January
Game #01: Emily is Away (PC) - 1 hours
Game #02: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Remastered (PS4) - 6 hours
Game #03: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Remastered (PS4) - 6 hours
Game #04: The Last of Us Remastered (PS4) - 8 hours

February
Game #05: Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC) - 10 hours
Game #06: Firewatch (PC) - 4 hours
Game #07: Grow Home (PC) - 2 hour
Game #08: Unravel (PC) - 8 hours
Game #09: To the Moon (PC) - 4 hours
Game #10: Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC) - 6 hours
Game #11: Hitman GO: Definitive Edition (PC) – 5 hours
Game #12: The Floor is Jelly (PC) – 4 hours

March
Game #13: Luigi’s Mansion (GC) – 8 hours
Game #14: Gunpoint (PC) – 2 hours
Game #15: Transistor (PC) – 6 hours

Total playtime: 80 hours
 

Cade

Member
Game #7 - Lux Delux - 3/5 | ~6 hours

A fun little Risk clone. Played multiple rounds per map, won a game on each of the default maps. Wish I knew some people who played it online, as it'd be fun to get some games going.

Original post
 

Hawk Fan

Neo Member
1. Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward (Vita, PS TV; 9.5/10) Jan 1
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: 35 hours
Comments: Great game. Almost all of this was done in 2015 but it still counts!

2. Hatoful Boyfriend (Vita; 5/10) Jan 14
Endpoint: 100%
Time: About 8.5 hours
Comments: What a weird game. Had a hard time getting into it, and the length of the “true” ending was surprising. This was a game I thought I would enjoy more than I did. I guess I should try some of the “otome” genre before getting into what I guess is parody of it?

3. Prune (iPhone; 8/10) Jan 17
Endpoint: 100%
Time: About 3 hours
Comments: Enjoyable, relaxing game that I think I would have enjoyed more on a larger screen. This game actually made me think about getting a new iPad.

4. Lifeline (iPhone; 7.5/10) Jan 24
Endpoint: Several endings including “good” ending
Time: About 3 hours
Comments: I liked the game and thought the “real time” aspects were interesting (where you have to wait for Taylor to do something), but I realized that this doesn’t really mesh with what I’m looking for in “mobile” games. When deciding to do this challenge (as well as the movie and books challenge), I saw it as a time management opportunity. I wasn’t going to give up “bigger” games to do a bunch of shorter iPhone games, but I looked at it as an opportunity to add those types of experiences in rather than wasting time doing other things. I look at games on my iPhone as something fun to do in the found minutes during the day, and I want to be in control of when I play the game rather than the opposite.

5. Three Fourths Home (Vita; 7.5/10) Jan 30
Endpoint: 100%
Time: 2 hours
Comments: Another “experimental” story based game to start the year. It wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed the experience. I’m really excited to see the development of games that can tell great stories in ways that novels and movies/TV can’t do as well.

6. Tales from the Borderlands (PS4; 10/10) Feb 1
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: About 12 hours
Comments: I thought about lowering the rating a little due to a couple of annoying technical issues, but I really enjoyed this experience. It never hurts having Puddy from Seinfeld around. It was interesting playing this shortly after Life is Strange (finished in late December 2015). I liked a lot about Life is Strange but had problems with parts of it (including the ending), and this was an interesting contrast to it.

7. Emily is Away (PC; 6/10) Feb 3
Endpoint: 100%
Time: 49 minutes
Comments: Saw this on Greg Miller’s best of 2015 list (at #2) and thought it was just an OK short experience.

8. Lifeline 2 (iPhone; 7/10) Feb 10
Endpoint: Multiple gruesome deaths as well as the “good” ending
Time: About 4.5 hours probably
Comments: Another fun choose your own adventure, but I think I’ll take a break before doing the next Lifeline. Arika was kind of annoying with all the quips and (too old) pop culture references.

Currently working on: Game of Thrones (PS4), Tearaway (Vita), Taco Master (Vita), Device 6 (iOS)

Original Post
 
A bit late to posting but here are the games I beat so far:

New: 3
Replays: 4
------
3DS: 6 (3 3DS / 3 VC)
PSV:
WiiU:
PS4: 1
------
Nintendo: 6
DONTNOD: 1
------
Girl Protag: 3
The Legend of Zelda Series: 1
Super Mario Bros. Series: 1
------
Games beaten in
2 Days: 1 - Life is Strange


The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2PT/1PT Hero Mode) (1/52)
2nd PT (1PT Hero) Started Wednesday August 26th 2015 12:40 AM
2nd PT (1PT Hero) Finished Friday January 1st 2016 1:55 AM
Play Time: 11:47
Total Play Time: 29:56
Times Defeated: 20
Fimished the Hero Mode and made it my first game of 2016. I love ALBW but all future replays will just be on normal since I'll enjoy it more.

Star Fox 64 3D (3DS) (9PT) (2/52)
Started playing Friday January 1st 2016 8:50 PM
Finished playing Friday January 1st 2016 11:11 PM
Play Time: 1:07
Total Play Time: 6:12
Another great replay of this classic.

Super Mario Bros. (3DS/NES) (5PT) (3/52)
Started playing Sunday January 17th 2016 10:39 PM
Finished playing Friday January 19th 2016 3:13 PM
Playtime: 0:56
Total 3DS Playtime: 3:16
Another replay of this classic too. Fun to replay all the Mario games.

Metroid Fusion (3DS/GBA) (1PT) (4/52)
Started playing Monday September 1st 2014 12:10 AM
Finished playing Wednesday January 20th 2016 11:13 PM
In Game Play Time: 3:57 Collecion: 37%
Activity Log Play Time: 8:22
After much delay, I finally powered through. Was good at times but the bosses are so fast that it mostly felt like luck if I beat them. Tense moments with SA-X!

Life is Strange (PS4) (1PT) (5/52)
Started playing Friday January 22nd 2016 3:13 PM
Finished playing Sunday January 24th 2016 1:27 AM
Play Time: 17:34
Just wow. Just a fucking awesome game. Waiting for physical version was worth it. Loved it from start to finish and can't wait for more DONTNOD games!

Balloon Kid (3DS/GB) (2PT) (6/52)
Started playing Tuesday January 26th 2016 8:29 PM
Finished playing Wednesday January 27th 2016 5:44 PM
Play Time: 0:55
Total Play Time: 2:34
Another great game I replayed. Makes me want a new Balloon Fight.

BoxBoy! (3DS) (1PT) (100%) (7/52)
Started playing Sunday December 6th 2015 7:39 PM
Finished playing Thursday February 11th 2016 7:14 PM
In Game Play Time: 06:22:50:96...wut.
Boxes used: 7,624
Retries used: 876
Activity Log Play Time: 10:53
100%ed it. Game got trippy hard towards the end but as someone who usually doesn't like puzzle games I quite enjoyed it. Will look forward to the sequel.
------

Will update as I go. I got quite a few older games that I never started or never beat due to losing interest on 3DS so I'll probably finally tackle alot of them since I probably will only be able to buy a handful of games this year. (Although alotof the games I want are sexond half 2016 so that also helps.)
------

Next Games I plan to beat:
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS) (1PT)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (3DS/GBA) (2PT)
HyperDimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (PSV) (1PT)
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest (3DS) (1PT)
Sakura Samurai (3DS) (1PT)
Shantae (3DS/GBC) (1PT)
Persona 3: Portable (PSV/PSP) (1PT)
 
Game 5: The Witness (PS4) - 35 hours
2/11/2016 Really hard game to quantify. I got to the ending, but not the true ending, but I'll count it as a win. I really enjoyed the puzzles, but honestly think the game itself could have handled narrative better. In which case an even less is more approach might have endeared itself more to me. It felt obtuse for no real reason, but that doesn't take away from the gorgeous world, and fairly interesting puzzle mechanics that were learned throughout. 4/5

OP
 
Original post

a9t6yrKl.jpg

19. Bird Assassin (PC, 2011) - 1:04
Completed on Normal.

I had to look up when I got this game: it was part of an Indie Royale bundle given away for free to newsletter subscribers in 2013. Makes sense. It retails for $1.99, so you can already tell you're not getting a ton of game here. The good news is what's here isn't awful. Essentially, birds murdered your dad, and it's up to you to shoot them out of the sky with all manner of hunting equipment until you find the ostrich that did your dad in.

Bird Assassin is roughly at the level of a decently executed Flash game: a fun time-waster, but nothing of lasting substance. That's exactly what I was in the mood for tonight, so it's hard to complain, but chances are you'll never need to play this unless you also got it for free and need to clear it out of your backlog as I did.
 

Lindsay

Dot Hacked
Finished up replaying Earthbound over the course of the week! Been far to long since I last played it!

Games Beaten: 11 / 52
Total Playtime: 241:00:45

01 - ??
 

JaCy

Member
Original Post

Game 2: Halo 2 (MCC)
First time playing it since the original, still a lot of fun.

Game 3: Minecraft Story Mode Episodes 1-4
While enjoyable and nice to see MC characters with voices, its definitely one of Telltales weaker games.

Game 4: Halo 3 (MCC)
I honestly don't remember the campaign when i first played, but its better then 2.
 

jnWake

Member
Main Post


Game #4: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS).
Time Played: 29:17.
Completion Reached: Beat the game, got all Heart Pieces and Skultullas.

Another port of a classic title! Ocarina of Time 3D is a port of the N64 game "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" to the 3DS. As a 3D port, it adds some 3D effects to the game which are honestly not very noticeable. Besides from the cool particles in the forest there isn't much use of the 3D effect in the port which is a bit disappointing.

Anyway, Ocarina of Time is one of the most classic and highly regarded titles in gaming so I don't feel I should say much about it. The N64 original was the first adventure of Link in 3D and as such had to adapt many Zelda elements from 2D to 3D. In the transition, combat and traversal became much slower, but also (arguably) more involved. I, personally, prefer the 3D style to the 2D style, even if the combat in Ocarina of Time is quite simple and not very deep. Also, Ocarina of Time marked a switch to more focused storytelling in Zelda games. The two NES titles and Link to the Past had practically no story and also very few NPCs with actual dialogues and personalities. In comparison, Ocarina of Time has a more developed storyline with a decent amount of fleshed out characters.

Despite the original game being quite old, the gameplay holds up well. Besides from the combat, which feels dated, everything is a joy to play, especially thanks to minor QOL enhancenments made in the port. The Ocarina is now permanently mapped to a spot in the touchscreen, you can equip 4 items at a time and boots (Iron and Hover) are treated as items instead of equipment. These small changes make the game much faster to play, especially in dungeons where you have to use boots. Ocarina of Time also packs a surprising amount of content, featuring 7 "big" dungeons and 2 "mini" dungeons, ignoring Ganon's Tower. Most newer Zelda titles feature less dungeons than this, though you could argue that newer dungeons are longer and better designed. I have very few complaints about the gameplay, with the main one being that you can't fully control the camera. The other one is Navi, who is just a pain in the ass.

Presentation in the game is pretty good for a 3DS port of a N64 game. It's pretty easy to tell they upgraded plenty of the character models and textures in the game, giving it a nice look. Music is also very good and features many themes which are now classics. The use of music as gameplay with the Ocarina is one of my favourite things of the game too.

Overall, I really enjoyed the game. If there's still people out there who haven't played any iteration of this game, they really should!
 

wispsmoke

Neo Member
Original Post

Game 5 - Transistor - 10 hours

No sophomore slump for Supergiant- if anything, Transistor is even more elegant in the way that it encouraged me to mix and match weapons and effects. That said, the closing gauntlet of the game, with the Men and Haircuts, got a little tedious. At no point was it unreasonable in its difficulty, I just would have preferred more creativity with enemy design. The Men cannot be hit unless lured out, have an attack that one-shots (unless you hit it first), and have at least one other buff. I found areas where the Process had leveled up to jam Red's sight or glitch her out of the planning mode to be much more difficult and intriguing.
 
Game #3:

Firewatch
header.jpg


Platform: Steam
Duration: 5 hours
Completed: 100% Achievements.
Thoughts: Already the year just started and this game seems to have one of the most polarizing opinions a game can possibly get this year, I believe. I really enjoyed the narrative and the rapport between Henry and Delilah. The national forest you are overlooking is just gorgeous and it's pretty nice to walk around and soak it all in...unless you live nearby one, then it's probably not as special. Sure, there are some things that many folks have a criticism towards that I tend to agree with. However, I had a great time with the game and the pros outweighed the cons for me. Maybe something you might not get now but if it ever goes on sale for a price you feel comfortable with, check it out.

2016 - 52 Games list
 
Main post


Game #19: Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Finally got around to finishing Wario Land on the 3DS Virtual Console, and I found it pretty damn fun. It has a couple flaws - notably technical limitations of the Game Boy and the fact that it lacks the wondrous game design of Wario Lands II and 3 - but it surprised me by how good the level design was. The physics were really nice, I enjoyed how Wario controlled. He's really floaty, but not slow like Mario is in Super Mario Land 2. The technical limitations unfortunately lead to enough problems and annoyances with the game that keep it from being quite as good as later titles. The power-up system is mostly good - each of the three big power-ups feel worthwhile, though ultimately Bull Wario is the least valuable (gives you butt stomps and the ability to hang from the ceiling with your horns, which I never used). I'm glad that the sequels gave Wario the Butt Stomp and Shoulder Charge by default. It also has some value as an exploratory game with secret levels, secret treasures, and multiple endings based on the accumulated money (which may make me actually revisit the game to 100% it). Definitely recommend it - it's like $4 at most on 3DS!
 

Auctopus

Member
Original Post

Gravity_Rush_Logo_Banner.jpg


Pros

- Gravity Mechanics: Man, is this game a blast to explore the world and fly around. I love how disoriented you feel changing gravity poles every 5 seconds and the safety you feel when you're plummeting in to the abyss.
- World/Art Design: I love the look of the town (despite the heavy reds early on), the characters are all designed well and Ghibli-esque nature to the world and its components are great.
- Characters: I enjoyed pretty much all the characters despite them being presented without VA for the most part and in comic form. The fan service given to Kat is a little weird, like how everyone fancies here. Sometimes her self-love came across as endearing and other times it was a little creepy.
- Soundtrack: Whimsical is the best way to describe it. Perfectly matched for flying around the world.

Cons

- Story Missions: The actual story was okay but the way the missions are designed is horrible. Let's make the most unique gameplay mechanics then build the most frustrating game around it.
- Combat: Incredibly frustrating and nowhere near as captivating as the developers felt it was. Hamfisted in to certain missions (like Mission 1 of the Spy Pack) and the DMC-Style Nevi Storm gates that prevented you from progressing unless you beat all the enemies in the area were awful. You're not allowed to do that with mediocre combat. It really dampened the experience for me overall.

firewatch-600x250.jpg


Pros

- Art Design: No arguing that this is a beautiful game. The aesthetic is very consistent and very pleasing to be within the world.
- Gameplay: Some may describe it as a walking simulator but I felt the subtle gameplay mechanics of orienteering were very enjoyable and helped the player feel a part of the world.
- VA/Characters: Convincing dialogue. I usually feel the 'quirky' characters in these types of games unbearable but I enjoyed my short time with Henry and Delilah.

Cons

- Length/Story Arc: Whichever way you look at it, this is a pretty short game. I don't think that's a bad thing per say but in conjunction with the way the rug is pulled out from under your feet in the last third of the game makes the game that much more hollow.
- Ending: Sort of related to my last point. The ending just feels hollow. Mid way through the game,
you think you're stumbling on to this interesting sci-fi/supernatural plot twist but suddenly the story of a father and son is pushed on you and you're forced to care about it before it becomes the main crux of the plot.
- Technical Performance: As I've said in other threads this week, I am honestly not a person that gets hung up on this sort of thing but the game is a mess throughout. The frame dips and stuttering never goes away and it's amazing that the devs decided to release the game in this state. I'd say it's worsened by the type of game this is as you're so focused on the experience and visuals.

Anyway, very unique game and I hope Campo Santo learn from their mistakes and invest in a slightly larger game and maybe step away from Unity if it's causing that many problems.
 

Tregard

Soothsayer
The Full List Thus Far

Game 04: The Witness

witness2.jpg


I was not expecting to love this game as much as I do. The team behind The Witness have managed to show how a single concept, when done right, can be scaled to fit a whole game. The line puzzles in the Witness were the butt of many jokes prior to it's release, but they mesh so incredibly with the lush environments and are taught to you so subtly it feels like you are genuinely getting smarter as you progress through the game. The 30 hours I've spent with it thus far have been filled with glorious little "a-ha" moments, and a lot of torn up graph paper. I have only unlocked the one ending thus far, whilst it's completed, I'll be returning for the platinum sometime soon.

Game 05: Rocket League

ss_962a25a5e9ab7d19df03ffa7c7f7693ba562e787.600x338.jpg


As I've hit Level 20 and reached "Pro", I feel this has earned the status of complete. Rocket League is the singular reason I still have a Playstation Plus subscription, the gameplay is so fluid and split-second it becomes a thrill to nail every and any shot you make. Rocket League does not overcomplicate it's gameplay at the base level, everyone is on a level playing field and the team with the best muscle memory and reaction times usually wins. It constantly has me coming back for more, and with modifiers like Rocket Labs and Snow Day shaking things up from time to time, it gives you the chance to hone your skills in completely different ways.
 
original post

sigma2-11.jpg


Game 13: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (PS3 replay)

I don't care which version it is, the basic battle system of NG2 is still too much fun to be significantly dragged down by any change for Sigma. I pretty much rushed through this game and I'm thinking about replaying the rest, including the DS game. Some of the streamlining and re-arranging has certainly gone too far in this version, but some aspects of it were also needed compared to the original NG2 (in particular the camera and projectiles). Surprisingly, I also didn't really care all that much for the lack of blood, the combat was still so satisfying. Some of the screen tearing is a bummer though.
 
Main post


Game #20: 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure (3DS) - ★★★★★★★★★☆

After having played this from beginning to end today, it made me appreciate Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land just a bit more. While Kirby's Adventure is still a fantastic game for the NES, playing it today it felt somewhat dated, and I found myself frustrated by several things that I'd never really cared about before. Particularly I was bothered by the weird controls, where you had to hold up to fly as opposed to being able to inflate with the A button (which makes sense given the limited control scheme, but still). Ultimately though, it's a fun game with a lot of fun ideas, especially its bosses (all of whom are very unique from one another). As far as the remake goes, it's pretty decent, although I did and still think that they could have picked a better game. The ability to modify the controls is nice (though I never bothered exploring it haha), and the illusion of depth the background has is pretty decent.
 
Game 6: Firewatch (PC) 4 Hours
2/13/2016 - Incredible art direction, Incredible voice direction, Incredible tension, all without any payoff. I really liked where everything was going and then it all kind of fell apart. Kudos to Campo Santo though on a stellar debut that got way more right then wrong. Also one of the first narrative games I've played on an ultrawide screen monitor and it was spectacular. 4/5

OP
 
Game 1: Wolfenstein The New Order - PS4

Really enjoyed this game. It was definitely nothing amazing but it was a solid fun game. Gunplay was satisfying and it had a lot of fun moments. Some of the encounter design could be frustrating on the harder difficulty levels, with it feeling a bit trial and error at times, but it didn't stop me wanting to jump back in and try again with a different approach. This feels like a return to the good 7/10 games, that don't need to be amazing to still have their place. If you're a shooter fan I recommend this for a good romp.
 

pnutboy

Member
firewatch-release-date-and-trailer-unleashed.jpg

OP
Game 8- Firewatch (4 Hours, February 14, 2016, PS4)- Had pretty high expectations going into this one. I loved the concept and the relationship between Henry and Delilah. The voice acting was incredible as well as the writing. Without the strength of their relationship, Firewatch wouldn't be any good. Luckily, Campo Santo got that 100% right. The game looks absolutely beautiful, but it was a pain to play on PS4 because of the bad performance problems. Constant framerate drops as well as multiple crashes annoyed me, but I was still invested in the storyline. The tension and atmosphere established in the first half of the game totally had me hooked, though I was expecting a satisfying resolution to what exactly was happening to Henry and Delilah. Did we get that? I didn't think so. The last third of the game really lost me. That said, this is a good game. I love the characters, tone, writing, and atmosphere. The story let me down but for a good portion of this game I was truly engrossed in it. Overall, a little disappointing considering my high expectations but a solid experience nonetheless. 8/10
 
62zmQhO.png


28:25h. Finished main story, and most non-post game missions, but got bored with them eventually.

I'm a big DQ fan, so I was going to like this game from the minute I got it. In my opinion, this game is what Hyrule Warriors should have been. The combat, character roster and stage design is arguably better in the Wii U game, but the plot (while nothing to write home about) is more "fleshed out" in DQ: Heroes, the story mode is longer, and the post-game and the extra content is integrated as a part of the "main" game, which makes it "feel" less... gimmicky.

Also, the music, the characters, even the plot, everything feels simply right for a DQ game, even if the characters are one-dimensional this time with no hint of character development (this is very common with "crossover-type" games, like Persona Q). Norris is not a tortured merc trying to get strong because of his past, he's simply crazy about fighting. Alena doesn't want to escape the boring life his father has prepared for her, she's simply crazy about fighting. Bianca and Nera are basically VN waifus...

On the other side, the stages feel boring, and since all quests are either "Destroy", "Escort", "Defend" or any combination of the three, the gameplay feels stale after a while, to the point that I don't even want to bother with the post-game. Not only that, but the difficulty jump between the game and some optional quests is astounding (The duel with
Psaro
, Nokturnus, that "undead" fight on the Colissea cup...)

This seems like I'm damning the game with faint praise, but I really liked it. I liked it so much that its faults are more glaring to me now that it's over. I'm definitely buying the sequel when/if it happens.

Updated OP
 
Main post


Game #21: Snapdots (DS) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Snapdots is a pretty fun game that was unfortunately overlooked on DSiWare (even with Nintendo behind it!). Snapdots operates pretty much on A/B + d-pad controls, where you can shoot a block as far as it will travel, but must end at a block (either one of the pre-placed black blocks or a block you've already placed). At first the solutions are simple enough, but eventually it gets really complicated (but never frustrating). It's $5.00 and comes with 150 levels. Also, the navigator character has a unique line for each puzzle image once you've solved it, which are often cute.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
Main Post

header.jpg

Game #8 - XCOM 2
Time: 50 hours

It was actually about 40 hours or so, I restarted, and stretched out the end game quite a bit before doing the last mission. Anyway, great game, and a great sequel soured by performance issues and some bugs. the last mission was so bad it broke my saves and I had to re-do it lol. Still, great game and I cant wait for some DLC.
 
Link to OP: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=190927712&postcount=33

Southpark52_G14_H.jpg

Game 20: South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC)
Finished 2/14/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 14 hours as per Steam

Finally finished South Park: SoT, closing the only remaining hole in my "finishing games made by Obsidian" checklist. While some of the mechanics are a little weak (some special moves and especially status effects like burning and bleeding are kinda OP), this is overall a very strong effort - a good, solid game in the vein of Super Mario RPG.

It helps somewhat that I'm very much a casual South Park fan - I don't follow the show religiously so some of the jokes that might be old hat to series diehards were all-new to me. Takes a lot to get me to laugh at any game, but this game got me several times!

Also, Stick of Truth had the (probably intended) side effect of making me really, really hate Al Gore. Smh.
 
Link to OP

Roundabout_52_G.jpg

Game 21: Roundabout (PC)
Finished 2/14/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 2.4 hours as per Steam

Ah, this game. Where to begin?

You play as a (female) limo driver named Georgio Manos. Apparently Giorgio is really good at driving but much prefers to get around the city while spinning the limo 360 degrees. Therefore, the game consists of picking up fares and delivering them from point to point while maneuvering your constantly spinning, superlong limo through the tightest of spaces.

And when you do pick up or deliver people from/to their destinations, you get surreal, almost absurdist FMV set in the 70's, badly acted but fully tongue in cheek.

So, opinions:

The game itself? It was alright - the sick maneuvering was fun for a while, and the little swerve at the end was good for a chuckle. The FMV: incredibly stupid but also really funny in a so bad it's good kind of way.

Worth a couple dollars in a Steam sale, as long as you're open-minded.
 

Spyware

Member
kjYuIRZ.png


Game 11: | Uncharted: Drake's Fortune | - | February 9 | - | 7 hours |
I thought I remembered this game well, I was very wrong. I played it back in 2008 and it turns out pretty much every area was different from what I remember. :D Very strange experience. Anyways, it's still a fun game. It has a flow in the traversal that many games with the same gameplay have not been able to copy. Playing this so soon after Tomb Raider (2013) was also interesting. What I miss in Uncharted is the ability to be more stealthy, but that's pretty much it.

Game 12: | Firewatch | - | February 9 | - | 3½ hours |
No other game have made me react so strongly to an atmosphere. I got so tense at one point that I actually felt like I had trouble breathing. It sounds like a bad reaction but it was a really cool experience. I really felt what my character felt. I also couldn't turn away, I had to know what was gonna happen. Loved the ending too so this was just in every way a wonderful game for me.

-

Master post
 

Blombus

Neo Member
Original post

Game 6 - Firewatch - played in a few sessions over the course of the weekend
Finished February 14

I was impressed by the details--by the paperbacks and pine cones left on shelves or in boxes--and was delighted by how quickly I felt isolated and a little afraid. In the end, I might have told the story differently but I have no complaints about the narrative, modest but sincere. When I wasn't playing, I thought a lot about the open-ended mysteries of Proteus, a game I still go back to on my Vita with a similar light-washed natural beauty. I love how little Proteus asks of me and how much there is to see, something Firewatch only suggests in its sprawling but largely unapproachable wilderness.
 
Game 15: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Considering playing through Borderlands 2 with a friend was one of my favourite gaming experiences of 2015, we didn't enjoy this one all that much... The missions lacked oomph, the O2 thing felt unnecessary and the moon looked mostly boring. I just hope that Borderlands 3 is a thing and that it will be everything Destiny promised. This one felt like the direct-to-video prequel/sequel no one actually wants. The only thing I want to have in the next installment is the ability to boost jump. Quite fun.

OP
 

ChryZ

Member
Index

05. Neko Atsume (Android, 2016/01/22, 10 hours)

Great little time waster without any fail state, just attract cats to play in your garden. The cats will gift fish in return for your efforts, the game's currency. It will let you buy new toys or fancier food. That's the core gameplay loop. The art is simple, but pretty and nicely animated. There's always something funny going on. Neko Atsume took ages to get boring. The app is free and there are no ads. IAP will let you buy additional fish, although there's really no need to: the game is designed to be a slow burn, might as well go with the flow.

06. The Talos Principle (Steam, 2016/02/03, 14.5 hours)

Brain teaser on every level, the 1st person puzzles reminded me of Portal in the sense of difficulty balance, "testing" vibe and "making you feel smart" gratification. The game's locations all the birth places of human philosophy and progressive thinking, the perfect match for a story revolving around emerging AI that is trying to find its purpose, reason for existence, what it means to be a person and impugning of unjustified authority.

07. The Next Penelope (Steam, 2016/02/12, 4.2 hours)

Top down combat racer with hints of SHMUP, the racing a 2D Wipeout with Micro Machines controls. Cool presentation and art, especially the character designs. Unfortunately the gameplay overall wasn't as enjoyable. The races were fun, pretty easy and even a little tactical. The "fuzzyness" of the controls are easily compensated by utilizing your weapons and other gadgets right. That's the first two thirds of the game, then the last third goes into whole other directions, like asking the player to apply skills to the less than tight controls and race tracks for 2 minutes without the slightest mistake (instant death/retry) while obscuring the already limited view. It's all doable, but at the expense of being an exercise in patience and tolerating the game's bullshit. The Next Penelope was done by one person (art, music and code), definitely an impressive effort, too bad that some of the product isn't fun.

08. Supercharged Robot VULKAISER (Steam, 2016/02/14, 2 hours)

Super fun doujin SHMUP, left-rightly and not really bullet hell. Presentation straight out of old robot anime shows: retro lofi scifi mecha designs, rocket fists, gigantic drills and on the fly combine ala Voltron for extra powers. Its old timey military marches are the perfect soundtrack for saving planet earth.
 
Main post


Game #22: Balloon Kid (GB) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Balloon Kid is basically a sequel to Balloon Fight that bases itself almost entirely on the Balloon Trip mode, which personally has always been my favourite mode of Balloon Fight. You play as Alice (female protagonist!) who has to save her son, who floated off into the sky. It's a really interesting game, setting-wise, especially because of how many of the settings and enemies follow the principles of "Giant Space Flea from Nowhere". It's a little dodgy given that it's a Game Boy game - sometimes the physics feel really wonky - but overall it's a quality title. I especially like it when the game requires or incentivizes you to release your balloons in order to access certain areas or fight bosses, which feels like a really creative take on the series. I'd love to see a sequel to this game, Balloon Fight deserves to live!


Game #23: Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - ★★★★★★★★★☆

I used to be a little more willing to basically allow my opinions on games to be influenced by popular perception, which in turn caused me to regard SMB2 as the black sheep of the NES trilogy. After I shook that off and played SMB2 more, I discovered that SMB2 is leagues better than 1 and Lost Levels! The levels were way more creative and interesting, it has way more enemies, the gameplay is more interesting and diverse, nearly every single thing - soundtrack included - is better, IMO. Still doesn't quite hold a candle to SMB3, but not much does! In the past, I'd always been able to comfortably get to 7-2, but by the time I was there, I was so low on lives that it made it difficult to practice and get used to some of the trickier rooms. I think until now, I'd never even got past the Birdo with a key. As far as Wart goes this time however, it was pretty much a cakewalk thanks to NES Remix 2!

Also, I used Luigi for every level except for one, where I used Peach (and not even for anything in particular, I just decided to play as her - and unfortunately, in a level that emphasized vertical platforming over horizontal!).


Game #24: Mighty Gunvolt (3DS) - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Three video games in one day lol. Granted largely short ones, but still!

Anyway, Mighty Gunvolt is mechanically pretty fun. There's definitely a quality, core concept behind it. It's basically a Mega Man clone, where you can choose from three characters (I went with the girl, who has a hover ability and the ability to control enemies by killing them with her charged shot). Unfortunately, this was not exactly conducive to the best of times - the game is much more fun if you're racing by enemies, thus the charge shot thing is not very interesting, especially given that your allied enemies charge at other enemies upon seeing them for the first time, damage them, and don't return. It's just way too easy a game! The bosses at the very least were pretty fun, and they reminded me pretty profoundly of classic MM/MMX bosses (in that there is a pattern that can be learned and mastered with relative ease). I don't remember how much I paid for it - I don't think it was particularly cheap - but given the difficulty and length, I'd mainly recommend it if you can find it for cheap. It's fun, but the value proposition is low.
 
Interesting, I really disagree with you here. I found 3D Land to be a very barebones games with really basic level design, basically NSMB in 3D, whereas I felt 3D World had a lot more creativity put into it.

The thing is, I don't even think you're wrong. I think I just really enjoyed some of the simplicity of 3D Land, and fatigue probably plays a big factor. I also think that the small format levels fit a handheld release a lot better. If I had to recommend one to somebody who played neither, I would probably tell them to grab 3D World.
 

kenta

Has no PEINS
I'm not going to kid myself into thinking I can do 52 games this year, but I've actually been working through my backlog at a surprising rate this year. So far I've finished EarthBound, Amplitude, The Order: 1886, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, The Witness and Firewatch. Hoping I can keep up the momentum!

Anyway, I wanted to drop in here to get some opinions on what I should play next between the following:

- Puppeteer
- Vanquish
- Gone Home
- Catherine

Anyone feel strongly about one of those games?
 
Main post


Game #25: Aura-Aura Climber (DS) - ★★★★★★★★★☆

Halfway point!!

What a fantastic game! It can be finished relatively quickly, but even after beating the main 10 levels, I found myself going back to try and improve my high scores and to play the Marathon mode (where you have to beat all 10 without losing a life once). It's a really cleverly designed game, and I never found myself growing frustrated by it.

The gameplay has you playing as what I think is like, a ball of light? Anyway, your goal is to get to the top by extending your reach to little planets(?) by pressing A and the direction you want your reach to go and slowly going from one to the next until you reach the exit to the level. Each level, logically, gets progressively harder, introducing more and more planet types and obstacles. It's a super natural (not supernatural, note the space!), fluid experience that only put greater emphasis on that fact when I played Marathon mode, which I beat on my second try (and even then my first try I just barely missed it!). It's $2.00, and you can and should buy it on the eShop.


Game #26: Trajectile (DS) - ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Another pretty good puzzler from Nintendo on the eShop. I don't quite get as into it as some others because it focuses more on a mechanical setting (like Tetris), and doesn't really have any character. The gameplay is pretty good though and it has a lot of levels. The premise is pretty much aiming and shooting (using the touchscreen) in order to clear out all of the targets, using limited ability to ricochet off surfaces to maximize your score and limit the number of rockets needed to beat a level. If you like puzzles, you'll probably enjoy this game.

Anyone feel strongly about one of those games?

From what I've played and heard, Gone Home is both good, but also short, so it shouldn't take you 50 hours to clear
 

wispsmoke

Neo Member
Original Post

Game 6 - Bastion - 12 hours

After wrapping Transistor, I went back to wrap up Bastion. I guess that I was closer to the ending than I thought, although I will probably go back to finish some challenges in NG+. The Galleon Mortar is OP, especially with it's black tonic ability. As for the story, I found the morality near the end troubling and the final choice difficult. A few months back a friend said that he was disappointed that the overall plot was about detante, but I'm not so sure. By the time the Kid is
murdering boatloads of Ura with his own hands, and we see a representation of the numbers of people remaining in the world, I don't see how he hasn't become the villain. All the same, I didn't see the point in looking back just so a genocidal Manhattan Project would repeat itself. There's no joy in repetition, so we might as well move forward even with blood on our hands.
 
So far this year, I've cleared Bloodborne's Old Hunters DLC and Firewatch.

Oh. and SFV's 'story' mode, if that counts for anything. If anyone's looking for a game to add to their list for half an hour's worth of play, that's the one.

Finished:

The Old Hunters
Firewatch
Street Fighter V

In prog:

Axiom Verge
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom