It's up to you. Personally, I wouldn't have counted the beta. But if you feel like you experienced something new worthy of comment then I wouldn't mind if you counted it as separate to say what you thought.
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52 games. 1 Year. 2016.
- Thread starter VisceralBowl
- Start date
- Status
It's up to you. Personally, I wouldn't have counted the beta. But if you feel like you experienced something new worthy of comment then I wouldn't mind if you counted it as separate to say what you thought.
Spieler Eins
Member
original post
Game 15: Breath of Fire IV (PS1) - 35 hours
Wow, this game had all that magic that you want from a JRPG. In particular when it comes to story. Going back to this PS1 game really highlighted how poor much of the Japanese writing has become for JRPGs, anime and others.
The premise of BoF4 feels like a mixture of Star Wars and early Dragonball. Which might be nothing special, but the specific writing truly elevates it to great heights. There's very loveable characters, great humour and coming with that, several tragic moments. Especially the main villain has been handled well. And despite the familiar premise, the game avoids many of the usual anime tropes. There's no fanservice, no unbearable emo characters, ,,friendship" isn't taken to idiotic levels, and so forth.
All that comes with amazing presentation. BoF4 offers top notch spritework and even the polygonal work looks decent because of its style. Speaking of which, the art direction is great. It's anime, but not of the trite sort. Alongside that, there's an amazing soundtrack, which offers quite a lot of variety.
On the other hand, the gameplay unfortunately isn't always keeping up with the story and presentation. While a low encounter rate and very small dungeons feel convenient, you also level perplexingly slow. Which means that the battle system doesn't really unfold until halfway through the game. That is sad, considering that the battle system has quite a lot of potential. Once it unfolds, it's great to tag-team your (always available) party members and chaining combo commands. Still, before that, there's 15 hours of often tedious fighting. Which becomes even worse because of sometimes slow and long battle animations.
Other than that, the game has many quality of life features for menu navigation and other aspects. More so than other JRPGs of that era. And during these sometimes shallow parts at the beginning, the writing will still keep you going.
(I'm not sure what they were thinking with that Golden Plains minigame though - inexcusable junk).
Game 15: Breath of Fire IV (PS1) - 35 hours
Wow, this game had all that magic that you want from a JRPG. In particular when it comes to story. Going back to this PS1 game really highlighted how poor much of the Japanese writing has become for JRPGs, anime and others.
The premise of BoF4 feels like a mixture of Star Wars and early Dragonball. Which might be nothing special, but the specific writing truly elevates it to great heights. There's very loveable characters, great humour and coming with that, several tragic moments. Especially the main villain has been handled well. And despite the familiar premise, the game avoids many of the usual anime tropes. There's no fanservice, no unbearable emo characters, ,,friendship" isn't taken to idiotic levels, and so forth.
All that comes with amazing presentation. BoF4 offers top notch spritework and even the polygonal work looks decent because of its style. Speaking of which, the art direction is great. It's anime, but not of the trite sort. Alongside that, there's an amazing soundtrack, which offers quite a lot of variety.
On the other hand, the gameplay unfortunately isn't always keeping up with the story and presentation. While a low encounter rate and very small dungeons feel convenient, you also level perplexingly slow. Which means that the battle system doesn't really unfold until halfway through the game. That is sad, considering that the battle system has quite a lot of potential. Once it unfolds, it's great to tag-team your (always available) party members and chaining combo commands. Still, before that, there's 15 hours of often tedious fighting. Which becomes even worse because of sometimes slow and long battle animations.
Other than that, the game has many quality of life features for menu navigation and other aspects. More so than other JRPGs of that era. And during these sometimes shallow parts at the beginning, the writing will still keep you going.
(I'm not sure what they were thinking with that Golden Plains minigame though - inexcusable junk).
Jack Videogames
Member
6h-ish. In my country, we have a weird culinary tradition. We get the first scallions and make a BBQ, where we grill them to a crisp, then we peel the charred layers to discover the tender, juicy center, which then we eat with dips as an entree.
NOVA 3 is the exact opposite of that. After you peel the flashy first layer (the San Francisco level, a great in-media-res beggining) the game becomes progressively less fun, with endlessly repeating enemies, gimmicks that are only used once and then forgotten, several game-breaking bugs (One of them had me stuck for like 2h) and the clichést plot twist ever followed by a "Simon says" final boss. After that,
a ten second "outrun the fireball" shot, then roll credits
I know mobile is not the best platform for FPS, but I'm left wanting more... and wanting better.
Updated OP
Midn1ght
Member
Update :
Game #10 : Papers, Please
Rating: 9/10 - Platform: PC - Developer: Lucas Pope
Played this one a few years ago but went through it again for the achievements and greatly enjoyed my time just like the first time. It's grim, dark, challenging and really funny at times (Jorji might be one of the best NPC in history). Fantastic Game !
Main Post
Game #10 : Papers, Please
Rating: 9/10 - Platform: PC - Developer: Lucas Pope
Played this one a few years ago but went through it again for the achievements and greatly enjoyed my time just like the first time. It's grim, dark, challenging and really funny at times (Jorji might be one of the best NPC in history). Fantastic Game !
Main Post
Game #13 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations [3DS] (26 hours, finished in March 11)
;____;
(AA2 spoilers)
(AA3 spoilers)
A super great ending to the trilogy, and now I kinda understand why AA4 presents me with completely new characters. I'll start that during the weekend.
Original Post
;____;
(AA2 spoilers)
One thing that bothered me in Justice For All is that none of the cases had much to do with the characters. Yeah, the last case brought back Will Powers and Wendy Oldbag but it was just another case; nothing changed in Phoenix, Maya, Miles, etc. If it weren't for Pearl, Franziska and De Killer I think my enjoyment with that game would be greatly lessened.
(AA3 spoilers)
Then I started playing this game. I was a little annoyed during the first case, thinking it was just an excuse to give the new players a tutorial, but slowly all the pieces came together and made the last case fantastic. All those characters who were once my rivals were now helping me to find Maya and the killer (including doing a fake trial on day 1 to delay the verdict), that small thing that I almost dismissed in the first case turned out to be a huge plot point, and all the Fey plotline that started in AA1 was brought to a close.
I did not expect that switcheroo craziness; my assumptions were one after another made wrong until the very end!
I did not expect that switcheroo craziness; my assumptions were one after another made wrong until the very end!
A super great ending to the trilogy, and now I kinda understand why AA4 presents me with completely new characters. I'll start that during the weekend.
Original Post
MehsterChief
Member
Game 20: Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First Sin
Yes, it's worse than the first one. Some of the areas feel bland, the change in atmosphere is disturbing and most of the bosses are way too easy. However, the mechanics are still absoultely great, there's just no better melee combat out there. And while Dark Souls 1 had some really bad levels (Lost Izalith!) Dark Souls 2 never goes that low in its level design. It never reaches the heights of Anor Lando or discovering the elevator back to the Firelink but it's a competent sequel that hopefully soon will be overshadowed by Dark souls 3. Haven't beaten the DLC's yet, which I will change soon. My buddy is playing the game too and we want to Coop the new levels. I read some of the comments earlier in this thread about this topic and I will count them as separate entries. They seem to each be about 5 hours long, which is the size of some AAA games as well so I don't really see the problem.
OP
Yes, it's worse than the first one. Some of the areas feel bland, the change in atmosphere is disturbing and most of the bosses are way too easy. However, the mechanics are still absoultely great, there's just no better melee combat out there. And while Dark Souls 1 had some really bad levels (Lost Izalith!) Dark Souls 2 never goes that low in its level design. It never reaches the heights of Anor Lando or discovering the elevator back to the Firelink but it's a competent sequel that hopefully soon will be overshadowed by Dark souls 3. Haven't beaten the DLC's yet, which I will change soon. My buddy is playing the game too and we want to Coop the new levels. I read some of the comments earlier in this thread about this topic and I will count them as separate entries. They seem to each be about 5 hours long, which is the size of some AAA games as well so I don't really see the problem.
OP
Jack Videogames
Member
10h-ish. Had to play in Mellow mode, but I think this was offset by the handicap of playing with a 4-year old toddler obsessed with using Poochy in every single level. Still, I had to play through all the levels and beat the final boss, so it counts.
But I do not dare review this game having played in tourist difficulty. I can say this: in Mellow mode, it's ideal to play with your kids. So go for it if you're in that situation.
Updated OP
OP
Pros
- Combat: Really satisfying. Big range of weaponry and hits feel good.
- Art Design: I played Transistor first but this is just as pretty in a different kind of way.
- Content: All the trials, idols and NG+ mode which I'm yet to touch.
Cons
- Story: Sort of interesting for the the first 1/3 then completely drags, tries to sell it as much better story than it actually is.
- Progression: The actual plot/progression is sort of dull. Get this thing, then this shard then this shard. Because of magic we know where each one is etc.
OP
Game #15: Transistor (PC) – 6 hours
Fun during the first two hours. Then it started getting boring.The artstyle is nice but nothing to write home about. The narrator was mystical at first but started getting boring as time went on. I recommend the game, but don't excpect anything to great.
Game #15: Transistor (PC) – 6 hours
Fun during the first two hours. Then it started getting boring.The artstyle is nice but nothing to write home about. The narrator was mystical at first but started getting boring as time went on. I recommend the game, but don't excpect anything to great.
Original Post
Game 09. Yakuza 5 (PS3) - <60hrs; Campaign finished, all substories completed and almost all sidequests done.
This was a replay since I played this back when it launched in Japan. I like it, but the pacing makes playing this a drag. The combat is great, story is cool, but this has some serious issues regarding pacing which is the reason this took me so long to finish.
Game 10. Mega Dimension Neptunia VII (PS4) - Story finished
I like the Neptunia series and this is the best one so far. Part 1 and 2 are great, while Part 3 could have been better. I got the regular ending, so I should be back to this eventually in order to get the True ending
Game 09. Yakuza 5 (PS3) - <60hrs; Campaign finished, all substories completed and almost all sidequests done.
This was a replay since I played this back when it launched in Japan. I like it, but the pacing makes playing this a drag. The combat is great, story is cool, but this has some serious issues regarding pacing which is the reason this took me so long to finish.
Game 10. Mega Dimension Neptunia VII (PS4) - Story finished
I like the Neptunia series and this is the best one so far. Part 1 and 2 are great, while Part 3 could have been better. I got the regular ending, so I should be back to this eventually in order to get the True ending
hersheyfan
Member
Link to OP
Beat this foursome of games while working on a few longer titles: Sleeping Dogs: DE (PC), the OG Ori & The Blind Forest (PC) and IA/VT Colorful (PSV).
Game 28: Divekick: Addition Edition (PC)
Finished 3/12/16 (5pt)
Time to complete: 3.6 hours as per Steam
I know I'm super LTTP with this, but I've never really sat down with Divekick, having mostly experienced it as a couch game when friends come over. Gave it a solid shot over the weekend and it just doesn't get any more interesting... Yes, there's plenty of depth and strategy to be found, and it's always good for raucous fun when you have local players to enjoy it with, but as a solo or online multiplayer experience it just falls flat for me. After beating the game with five different characters I had enough.
I love everything else about it though... DK packed to the brim with FGC in-jokes and references, and you can even play as ex-Capcom lackey Seth Killian and former Mad Catz rep (and NeoGAF stud) MarkMan.
That said, Divekick would make a GREAT title for Street Fighter newbies who want to learn the basics of "footsies", as this game is basically that concept expanded into full game form.
Game 29: One Finger Death Punch (PC)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 4.4 hours as per Steam
I originally got to try OFDP on my Android phone (and enjoyed what I played), but was turned off at the online check-in requirement before start-up - I hate it when non-online apps suck up data. Gave the Steam release another shot, and thoroughly enjoyed myself!
OFDP's basically a kung-fu action game where you only need two buttons to play - LMB/RMB or X/B on the 360 pad. Your stick figure martial artist hops from left to right (in the direction you choose), and pressing a button attacks in that direction. Pressing too late or too early causes you to get beaned or whiff (and then get beaned), respectively. Tougher enemies can dodge your attacks, forcing you to pull off button combos to take them out.
Game does a good job of mixing things up with lightsaber and nunchaku battles, defense tests where you deflect thrown knives, speed stages where accuracy <<< speed... still, you'll probably need to play another game between sessions, as prolonged exposure to OFDP will probably make you sick (and permanently damage your hands). Nice heartfelt message by the dev at the end, too, a charming personal touch.
Game 30: Pony Island (PC)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 4.0 hours as per Steam
Heard many, many good things about Pony Island in the IndieGAF threads, and finally got around to playing it.
This game kicks ass! Can't really go into too much detail without spoiling shit, but does a great job of messing with your expectations, and is subversive in a NieR-ish sort of way (bears some similarities - not on the same level. Be cool, NieRGAF). I enjoyed the throwback "hacking" portions, and was very impressed by how a single developer could coax so much meat out of similar gameplay elements.
Game 31: Nihilumbra (PSV)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt, Story Mode)
Time to complete: Around 3 hours
I've been very lukewarm on Sony's recent Vita output on PS Plus, and was hoping that Nihilumbra would break the cycle, being a more "high profile" indie than most.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy it very much... I've always been bearish on puzzle-platformers (I hated Rochard, and don't have high hopes for my copy of Teslagrad), and this did little to change my view. Lots of tepid philosophical bullshit, and repetitive puzzle concepts had me praying for the game to end... and it soon did, being mercifully short. The "Void" campaign tacked on after the main storyline appears to be even more of a "trial and error" game, and upon seeing this I noped out and deleted it. Just not for me.
The soundtrack IS very nice though.
Beat this foursome of games while working on a few longer titles: Sleeping Dogs: DE (PC), the OG Ori & The Blind Forest (PC) and IA/VT Colorful (PSV).
Game 28: Divekick: Addition Edition (PC)
Finished 3/12/16 (5pt)
Time to complete: 3.6 hours as per Steam
I know I'm super LTTP with this, but I've never really sat down with Divekick, having mostly experienced it as a couch game when friends come over. Gave it a solid shot over the weekend and it just doesn't get any more interesting... Yes, there's plenty of depth and strategy to be found, and it's always good for raucous fun when you have local players to enjoy it with, but as a solo or online multiplayer experience it just falls flat for me. After beating the game with five different characters I had enough.
I love everything else about it though... DK packed to the brim with FGC in-jokes and references, and you can even play as ex-Capcom lackey Seth Killian and former Mad Catz rep (and NeoGAF stud) MarkMan.
That said, Divekick would make a GREAT title for Street Fighter newbies who want to learn the basics of "footsies", as this game is basically that concept expanded into full game form.
Game 29: One Finger Death Punch (PC)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 4.4 hours as per Steam
I originally got to try OFDP on my Android phone (and enjoyed what I played), but was turned off at the online check-in requirement before start-up - I hate it when non-online apps suck up data. Gave the Steam release another shot, and thoroughly enjoyed myself!
OFDP's basically a kung-fu action game where you only need two buttons to play - LMB/RMB or X/B on the 360 pad. Your stick figure martial artist hops from left to right (in the direction you choose), and pressing a button attacks in that direction. Pressing too late or too early causes you to get beaned or whiff (and then get beaned), respectively. Tougher enemies can dodge your attacks, forcing you to pull off button combos to take them out.
Game does a good job of mixing things up with lightsaber and nunchaku battles, defense tests where you deflect thrown knives, speed stages where accuracy <<< speed... still, you'll probably need to play another game between sessions, as prolonged exposure to OFDP will probably make you sick (and permanently damage your hands). Nice heartfelt message by the dev at the end, too, a charming personal touch.
Game 30: Pony Island (PC)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 4.0 hours as per Steam
Heard many, many good things about Pony Island in the IndieGAF threads, and finally got around to playing it.
This game kicks ass! Can't really go into too much detail without spoiling shit, but does a great job of messing with your expectations, and is subversive in a NieR-ish sort of way (bears some similarities - not on the same level. Be cool, NieRGAF). I enjoyed the throwback "hacking" portions, and was very impressed by how a single developer could coax so much meat out of similar gameplay elements.
Game 31: Nihilumbra (PSV)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt, Story Mode)
Time to complete: Around 3 hours
I've been very lukewarm on Sony's recent Vita output on PS Plus, and was hoping that Nihilumbra would break the cycle, being a more "high profile" indie than most.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy it very much... I've always been bearish on puzzle-platformers (I hated Rochard, and don't have high hopes for my copy of Teslagrad), and this did little to change my view. Lots of tepid philosophical bullshit, and repetitive puzzle concepts had me praying for the game to end... and it soon did, being mercifully short. The "Void" campaign tacked on after the main storyline appears to be even more of a "trial and error" game, and upon seeing this I noped out and deleted it. Just not for me.
The soundtrack IS very nice though.
Cheat Code
Member
Do I get to count Dark Souls Platinum as separate from just finishing Dark Souls?
I mean I technically beat it another two times.
I mean I technically beat it another two times.
If it meant you had to do Knight's Honor then go get a drink and count it. Grats.
Midn1ght
Member
Update :
Game #11 : Spirits
Rating: 7/10 - Platform: PC - Developer: Spaces of Play
Finally went through the final achievement almost 3 years after giving up on it. Thanks Youtube. Spirits is a quiet little game where you need to help little spirit guys find their way out using the different power they have. It's relaxing and zen but can also be very frustrating if you're after perfecting levels.
Main Post
Game #11 : Spirits
Rating: 7/10 - Platform: PC - Developer: Spaces of Play
Finally went through the final achievement almost 3 years after giving up on it. Thanks Youtube. Spirits is a quiet little game where you need to help little spirit guys find their way out using the different power they have. It's relaxing and zen but can also be very frustrating if you're after perfecting levels.
Main Post
Yeah if you feel like it. It's your personal challenge
I go mostly by Backloggery points. Marking a game as beaten gives +1 and marking it as completed also gives +1 even if it was beaten before.
I counted Dark Souls last year when I played it for the first time and did a normal playthrough. I then marked it as only beaten on Backloggery with the aim to play it again someday. I then counted it again this year because I played it again from the beginning and finished all the cheevos, making it a completed game on Backloggery.
I'm not gonna count Dragon's Dogma twice tho since I aim for the completed status from the very beginning this time. Since I never "stopped playing" and don't aim to restart with a new character and such, I don't feel right counting it twice.
But as said, it's your personal challenge, your personal rules! If it feels right, do it!
Cheat Code
Member
Certainly did. Trust From to make you kill Sif three times to get all the boss soul weapons.
IT FEEL RIGHT.
Game 19: | Pokémon White Version | - | March 11 | - | 68 hours |
Game 20: | Pokémon Black Version | - | March 12 | - | 44 hours |
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Master post
Game 19: | Pokémon White Version | - | March 11 | - | 68 hours |
Game 20: | Pokémon Black Version | - | March 12 | - | 44 hours |
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Master post
Huh where the differences enough to make you buy and play both? That seems too much. Were they bundled or something? I've lost touch with pokemon but googling reveals few differences.
Claiming this post and filling it up as I go.
Haven't partaken in this thread before, but it seems like a neat idea. I keep track of my gaming collection and playing habits in a giant excel document anyway, so why not share it here with everyone else. Looking forward to following peoples updates!
Game 1: Invisible Inc | 2016-01-05 | - | 20 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 2: Batman: Arkham Knight | 2016-01-18 | - | 31 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 3: Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist | 2016-01-18 | - | 45 minutes | ★★★★☆
Game 4: Ori and the Blind Forest | 2016-01-21| - | 8 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 5: The Witness | 2016-02-02 | - | 44 hours | ★★★★★
Game 6: Resident Evil HD | 2016-02-26 | - | 12 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 7: Civilization V | 2016-02-09 | - | 8 hours (this campaign) | ★★★★☆
Game 8: Shadowrun Returns: Hong Kong | 2016-02-21 | - | 28 hours | ★★★☆☆
Game 9: The Walking Dead: Season 2 | 2016-02-29 | - | 9 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 10: Soma | 2016-03-07 | - | 11 hours | ★★★★★
Game 11: The Long Dark | 2016-03-09 | - | 9 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 12: Dropsy | 2016-03-11 | - | 5 hours | ★★★★★
Game 13: Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition | 2016-03-12 | - | 40 minutes | ★★★★☆
Game 14: Kingdom | 2016-03-13 | - | 9 hours | ★★★☆☆
Game 15: Hatoful Boyfriend | 2016-03-15 | - | 6 hours | ★★☆☆☆
Game 16: LISA the Joyful | 2016-03-16 | - | 3 hours | ★★★☆☆
Game 17: Choice of Robots | 2016-03-17 | - | 4 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 18: Valkyria Chronicles | 2016-03-24 | - | 30 hours | ★★★☆☆
Haven't partaken in this thread before, but it seems like a neat idea. I keep track of my gaming collection and playing habits in a giant excel document anyway, so why not share it here with everyone else. Looking forward to following peoples updates!
Game 1: Invisible Inc | 2016-01-05 | - | 20 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 2: Batman: Arkham Knight | 2016-01-18 | - | 31 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 3: Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist | 2016-01-18 | - | 45 minutes | ★★★★☆
Game 4: Ori and the Blind Forest | 2016-01-21| - | 8 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 5: The Witness | 2016-02-02 | - | 44 hours | ★★★★★
Game 6: Resident Evil HD | 2016-02-26 | - | 12 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 7: Civilization V | 2016-02-09 | - | 8 hours (this campaign) | ★★★★☆
Game 8: Shadowrun Returns: Hong Kong | 2016-02-21 | - | 28 hours | ★★★☆☆
Game 9: The Walking Dead: Season 2 | 2016-02-29 | - | 9 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 10: Soma | 2016-03-07 | - | 11 hours | ★★★★★
Game 11: The Long Dark | 2016-03-09 | - | 9 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 12: Dropsy | 2016-03-11 | - | 5 hours | ★★★★★
Game 13: Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition | 2016-03-12 | - | 40 minutes | ★★★★☆
Game 14: Kingdom | 2016-03-13 | - | 9 hours | ★★★☆☆
Game 15: Hatoful Boyfriend | 2016-03-15 | - | 6 hours | ★★☆☆☆
Game 16: LISA the Joyful | 2016-03-16 | - | 3 hours | ★★★☆☆
Game 17: Choice of Robots | 2016-03-17 | - | 4 hours | ★★★★☆
Game 18: Valkyria Chronicles | 2016-03-24 | - | 30 hours | ★★★☆☆
Pretty few differences. Gen V has more than most other gens tho. The way I played them also made them pretty different since one was with the mons that you encounter in the game while the other was played with random mons.
Until this gen I got one and my SO got the other one. Since I started nuzlocking I took over his old copies to be able to run different nuzlockes at the same time.
For Gen 6 I got two X, one Y, one Ruby and one Sapphire by myself for... different reasons. Curse that one save limit.
Oh and yeah they often come bundled for a cheaper price at my fav store.
Oh wow you're really into them I guess, so it's worth it. And I see how you aproached the 2 in a differenet way.
Keep beating games, cheers!
I keep hearing about this game and keep meaning to give it a look but I have so many big games on my plate already I need to be good and stick to them haha.
Main Post
Game 17: Rise of the Tomb Raider
Took me a bit longer than usual because of deadlines, but I finally finished Rise of the Tomb Raider. Overall, I have 2 observations:
1) In many ways, Rise of the Tomb Raider is the natural progression of its 2013 prequel, which is a good thing. I really liked TR reboot, even if it had flaws, and luckily, RotTR takes care of some of these - character and facial animations are much better, there are fewer outright annoying characters, and you get a larger number of options for traversal (I'm especially fond of
). Still, it's not perfect. The plot is still pretty forgettable, and I'm still having a rather hard time trying to care about the moment-to-moment or the people involved (I have a feeling better writing might help with that).
2) During my playthrough, I've had to finally come to terms with the harsh reality of hardware limitations. I was sadly forced to sink my settings into oblivion after frame-rate induced headaches and nausea. If I didn't believe it before, I now know that I definitely need a new desktop PC.
Anyway, that takes care of my immediate backlog for now. I'm going to give myself a few days before launching the next game (I'm flying home for the break in a couple of days and don't want to begin a session before I'm settled in again).
Game 17: Rise of the Tomb Raider
Took me a bit longer than usual because of deadlines, but I finally finished Rise of the Tomb Raider. Overall, I have 2 observations:
1) In many ways, Rise of the Tomb Raider is the natural progression of its 2013 prequel, which is a good thing. I really liked TR reboot, even if it had flaws, and luckily, RotTR takes care of some of these - character and facial animations are much better, there are fewer outright annoying characters, and you get a larger number of options for traversal (I'm especially fond of
the rope + axe combo for swinging / climbing
2) During my playthrough, I've had to finally come to terms with the harsh reality of hardware limitations. I was sadly forced to sink my settings into oblivion after frame-rate induced headaches and nausea. If I didn't believe it before, I now know that I definitely need a new desktop PC.
Anyway, that takes care of my immediate backlog for now. I'm going to give myself a few days before launching the next game (I'm flying home for the break in a couple of days and don't want to begin a session before I'm settled in again).
Here's my first update:
This was my first Otome/Visual Novel and... I didn't really like it. It was charming and cute, but felt very simplistic and shallow. I got 4 different endings and felt like I had seen everything the game had to offer. Aside from the interesting setting (which is actually pretty interesting and not just for lulz), the characters felt like bad cliches and were generally poorly written. Also, the lack of any kind of gameplay made replays feel like a chore (yes, even with the fast forward button).
I'm looking to pick up Danganronpa on Steam on the future and I hope I will like that one better. I love the Phoenix Wright games, and story drive adventure games in general, so i hope this was just a dud and not representative for the whole genre.
This was my first Otome/Visual Novel and... I didn't really like it. It was charming and cute, but felt very simplistic and shallow. I got 4 different endings and felt like I had seen everything the game had to offer. Aside from the interesting setting (which is actually pretty interesting and not just for lulz), the characters felt like bad cliches and were generally poorly written. Also, the lack of any kind of gameplay made replays feel like a chore (yes, even with the fast forward button).
I'm looking to pick up Danganronpa on Steam on the future and I hope I will like that one better. I love the Phoenix Wright games, and story drive adventure games in general, so i hope this was just a dud and not representative for the whole genre.
Please please please do yourself and the game a favor and play through Ryouta, Sakuya, Nageki, Yuuya and Nanaki's routes and then start a new game. You shouldn't be far off if you've played four routes already since I guess most of those was with the main birds mentioned?
Hmm, all right, got two of those down anyway. Doubt it'll change my mind though...
rottendevice
Member
I've updated my post to include my first five games (currently total number of games I've beaten).
These games are:
Here is the link: http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=198030359&postcount=1300
Thanks! Happy gaming.
These games are:
- BioShock Infinite
- Bastion
- Grim Fandango Remastered
- Jet Set Radio
- Dust: An Elysian Tail
Here is the link: http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=198030359&postcount=1300
Thanks! Happy gaming.
Realplumpbox85
Member
OT
Number 18 was Raiden V. It is ok. not as good as 3 or 4 and well nothing is better than the Raiden Fighters collection. The music is good and the upgrade system is great. The level design is bad though. There are a few areas that have the enemy bullets almost the same as the level background. BIIIIIG no no. This game i still fun don't get me wrong and I am super excited to have a proper shmup on the X1. Now here is to hoping we get at least a few more...
Number 18 was Raiden V. It is ok. not as good as 3 or 4 and well nothing is better than the Raiden Fighters collection. The music is good and the upgrade system is great. The level design is bad though. There are a few areas that have the enemy bullets almost the same as the level background. BIIIIIG no no. This game i still fun don't get me wrong and I am super excited to have a proper shmup on the X1. Now here is to hoping we get at least a few more...
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I often have heard that version maligned as one of the worst versions, so I don't think that's a hugely shocking opinion. I still want to play it someday.
Am I bad for liking the GBA version more? Now onto the obvious next game in the series...
Games Beaten: 16 / 52
Total Playtime: 346:19:06
01 - ??
A Link to the Past
Banned
Oh my, that's no good - the only version of lunar I own is the PSP one!
GBA one has lotsa cuts/changes, some neat to interesting and some just... why things. By comparison the PSP version is as full a game as the PS1 game. Don't really like that PSP sprites/art or how darn slow battles can be and how unavoidable baddies are. Dunno if the battles/baddies are as annoying in the PS1 version but I'm about to rediscover if thats the case or not! Meanwhile GBA has random encounters, an item to lower the rate, and speedier battles in general. I don't dislike the PSP version an I sure hope I still love the PS1 version!
Pellegri Testament
Member
post update
Game #6 - Ys 1 - 2/1/16 (5 hours)
I really wish they would look at this and it's sequel already for a full remake that changes the combat. The lack of magic or anything ranged is really what brings this one down for me, mainly because I've never been a fan of bump combat. The music has aged incredibly well (as is does in most Falcom games), but everything else really just doesn't compare to any of the other games in the series. Also screw Dark Fact, the only final boss that has made me lower the difficulty just to be able to beat him.
Game #7 - Diablo 3 - 2/7/16 (10+ hours)
More of the rift grinding and going after season rewards, liking how much they're doing in each of these patches.
Game #8 - Tales of Hearts R - 2/10/16 (37 hours)
Had this game remained how it was for the first half, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it very much in the end. It took time for about half the cast to come into their own and I just didn't like some of them before they got to a certain point in development. The skits definitely ended up being the highlight when it came to development, while the story itself was a bit lacking at times. Also didn't really like how fast certain events were put aside
, even when the characters in said events were some of the better developed.
Game #9 - Steins Gate - 2/19/16 (30 hours)
Mind fuck: the game. Don't know why it took me so long to take notice of this one, guess I should look into VNs more often. I enjoyed the true ending far more than the others, but even though the others aren't canon, I still enjoyed them too (even if some were sad as hell). I definitely consider this to be part of my top tier of games, even without any actual gameplay. I look forward to playing SG 0 if we ever get it over here.
Game #10 - A Bird Story - 2/24/16 (1 hour)
Without dialogue I didn't feel like this held up as well as To the Moon, still enjoyed the music and hoping to see the next game to this series eventually.
Game #11 - GemCraft: Chasing Shadows - 2/26/16 (10+ hours)
Really nice tower defense game with loads of content, only real issue I have with it is it maybe takes a bit too long to reach the better tower skill unlocks.
Game #12 - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - 3/14/16 (67 hours)
I went into this will already high expectations and was still impressed by the end. The plot twists may be about as obvious as ever and some of the characters feel like they get thrown in just to immediately be shoved aside, but the gameplay is where it really shines. For the first week I probably spent more time evolving things than I did actually progressing the story, there's just so much to the evolution system. This is also far and away the best looking Vita games I have played so far, honestly amazed at what they were able to accomplish on the hardware, without the framerate taking a constant hit.
Games #13-16 - Super Mario Bros 1-3 + Lost Levels - 3/15/16 (30mins - 1 hour each)
Wanted to go ahead and burn through these again to see if they got any easier since the last time. Outside of Lost Levels, they became much easier, probably due to me not worrying about finally being able to finish them for once. Lost Levels on the other hand can go jump off a cliff, even being prepared for certain level sections ahead of time didn't make the timing any easier to get right.
Game #6 - Ys 1 - 2/1/16 (5 hours)
I really wish they would look at this and it's sequel already for a full remake that changes the combat. The lack of magic or anything ranged is really what brings this one down for me, mainly because I've never been a fan of bump combat. The music has aged incredibly well (as is does in most Falcom games), but everything else really just doesn't compare to any of the other games in the series. Also screw Dark Fact, the only final boss that has made me lower the difficulty just to be able to beat him.
Game #7 - Diablo 3 - 2/7/16 (10+ hours)
More of the rift grinding and going after season rewards, liking how much they're doing in each of these patches.
Game #8 - Tales of Hearts R - 2/10/16 (37 hours)
Had this game remained how it was for the first half, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it very much in the end. It took time for about half the cast to come into their own and I just didn't like some of them before they got to a certain point in development. The skits definitely ended up being the highlight when it came to development, while the story itself was a bit lacking at times. Also didn't really like how fast certain events were put aside
(looking at you Peridot/Pyrox's death)
Game #9 - Steins Gate - 2/19/16 (30 hours)
Mind fuck: the game. Don't know why it took me so long to take notice of this one, guess I should look into VNs more often. I enjoyed the true ending far more than the others, but even though the others aren't canon, I still enjoyed them too (even if some were sad as hell). I definitely consider this to be part of my top tier of games, even without any actual gameplay. I look forward to playing SG 0 if we ever get it over here.
Game #10 - A Bird Story - 2/24/16 (1 hour)
Without dialogue I didn't feel like this held up as well as To the Moon, still enjoyed the music and hoping to see the next game to this series eventually.
Game #11 - GemCraft: Chasing Shadows - 2/26/16 (10+ hours)
Really nice tower defense game with loads of content, only real issue I have with it is it maybe takes a bit too long to reach the better tower skill unlocks.
Game #12 - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - 3/14/16 (67 hours)
I went into this will already high expectations and was still impressed by the end. The plot twists may be about as obvious as ever and some of the characters feel like they get thrown in just to immediately be shoved aside, but the gameplay is where it really shines. For the first week I probably spent more time evolving things than I did actually progressing the story, there's just so much to the evolution system. This is also far and away the best looking Vita games I have played so far, honestly amazed at what they were able to accomplish on the hardware, without the framerate taking a constant hit.
Games #13-16 - Super Mario Bros 1-3 + Lost Levels - 3/15/16 (30mins - 1 hour each)
Wanted to go ahead and burn through these again to see if they got any easier since the last time. Outside of Lost Levels, they became much easier, probably due to me not worrying about finally being able to finish them for once. Lost Levels on the other hand can go jump off a cliff, even being prepared for certain level sections ahead of time didn't make the timing any easier to get right.
Game #10 - The Division - 4/5
If you want a co-op loot shooter, this is the game for you. It's all about numbers, having your friends' backs, and awesome story missions. Unfortunately, the side content is a little bit lacking and I am missing the lack of structured PvP. Fortunately, I've barely scratched the surface of gear optimizing and it looks like there's a ton of content on the way. In addition, the Dark Zone is amazing. It's so tense and infuriating and rewarding. A great game and I'm in for the long haul (just like Destiny).
op
If you want a co-op loot shooter, this is the game for you. It's all about numbers, having your friends' backs, and awesome story missions. Unfortunately, the side content is a little bit lacking and I am missing the lack of structured PvP. Fortunately, I've barely scratched the surface of gear optimizing and it looks like there's a ton of content on the way. In addition, the Dark Zone is amazing. It's so tense and infuriating and rewarding. A great game and I'm in for the long haul (just like Destiny).
op
Hatoful Boyfriend: Got
the true ending
amnesia narratives
Aw, too bad! Cool that you still gave it another chance tho.
I got a bit bored with
the dating
that other thing was really interesting
And yeah a VN is just a waste of time if you don't like the narrative
Games I played in February!
Pretty late posting this, but here's the games I finished last month. I slowed down a bit since January, but still manged to finish 3 very cool indie games in amongst playing copious amounts of Rocket League.
Game 7: Three Fourths Home 3/2/16
Game 8: The Witness 6/2/16
It's difficult to criticize The Witness when I feel like it's the perfect execution of the author's intent, with every design decision having reason and merit behind it. This means for some people this game will hit on every level, but for me it provides a profound but infuriating experience. 4/5
Game 9: Firewatch 10/2/16
Pretty late posting this, but here's the games I finished last month. I slowed down a bit since January, but still manged to finish 3 very cool indie games in amongst playing copious amounts of Rocket League.
Game 7: Three Fourths Home 3/2/16
This was a short little narrative based game mostly told through text, about someone with personal problems moving back home with their parents. The story deals with this daughter struggling with their life and feeling like she's getting nowhere or failing at living, and having to handle her parents now that shes stuck with them again. It's well written, with very natural dialogue, and succeeds in capturing a small moment in this persons life but overall there's not much substance, and it's over after about an hour and half. The sound and visual design are really nice, but you're mostly reading anyway. The game's ending I wasn't a fan of, and the epilogue was even worse. Still, I enjoyed my time with it. 3/5
Game 8: The Witness 6/2/16
The Witness didn't quite click for me the way it did for others. For every moment of reward there were 3 or 4 moments of intense frustration, that at times made me question why I was playing the game. I'd persevere and solve more puzzles and would usually feel that sense of elation at having cracked something so ingenious, but this feeling faded as I played more and more of The Witness, and encountered areas with puzzle mechanics that I had no fun solving whatsoever (Tetris blocks!).I have mixed feelings about the puzzles as a whole, but the true beauty of the game comes from the world, which is a truly stunning island filled to the brim with things to see and look at. Visually, thematically and narratively I became invested in what the designers had to say, and this was enough to keep propelling me through more and more puzzles.
It's difficult to criticize The Witness when I feel like it's the perfect execution of the author's intent, with every design decision having reason and merit behind it. This means for some people this game will hit on every level, but for me it provides a profound but infuriating experience. 4/5
Game 9: Firewatch 10/2/16
I really liked Firewatch. The writing and vocal performances are fantastic, and I can safely say the early hours spent wandering through the woods chatting as Henry with Delilah over the radio is my favourite time spent with a game this year. Hell, the first 10 minutes of text based choices was some of the most powerful storytelling I've seen in a videogame. It helps that Firewatch is incredible looking, with Olly Moss art design being something you just stop and stare at. My only gripe with the game was that it felt rushed as it went into it's final hour, and after intense, well paced drama before it the game ends in a whimper. I don't even mind the decisions they made in how the story raps up, I think they simply execute these ideas poorly. The game itself would have really benefited from another few hours of storytelling, but seeing as this was made by a really small team I understand why the game is the way it is. Despite this, Firewatch is my favourite game I've played so far this year, and I'm itching to replay it already. 5/5
Updated Original Post
11. Rise of the Tomb Raider - XB1
Completed Campaign: 3/1/16
Time: 18 hours
Rating: 4/5
This is a really good game. It's more of the same from the Tomb Raider 2013 reboot, but that's not a bad thing. With the other games I've played lately it was a great change of pace and I didn't mind that it was pretty linear (for me as I didn't get wrapped up with the hundreds of collectibles). The graphics were really good in my book.
12. RC Pro-Am II - Rare Replay - XB1
Completed all Milestones: 3/1/16
TIme: 2 hours?
Rating 4/5
Loved the first RC Pro-am and this is a good sequel to that.
13. Ultra Street Fighter IV - PS4
Completed Arcade Mode with numerous characters/completed online matches and training challenges: 3/14/16
Time: 4-5 hours
Rating: 4/5
Been loving SFV, but have recently had an itch for true arcade mode. Also recently got a fightstick for the first time so wanted to get used to it against CPU. Redownloaded USFIV and played for awhile. Good game, but SFV gameplay and graphics are much better. Hopefully they bring back Arcade mode for scrubs like me.
14. Garden Warfare 2 - PS4
Completed all story missions/Multiple Garden Ops/MP: 3/15/16
Time: 6-7 hours
Rating: 4.5/5
Really fun game. This and Halo 5 are the most fun I've had with a shooter this gen so far. Will keep this on my hard drive for those pick up and play moments.
11. Rise of the Tomb Raider - XB1
Completed Campaign: 3/1/16
Time: 18 hours
Rating: 4/5
This is a really good game. It's more of the same from the Tomb Raider 2013 reboot, but that's not a bad thing. With the other games I've played lately it was a great change of pace and I didn't mind that it was pretty linear (for me as I didn't get wrapped up with the hundreds of collectibles). The graphics were really good in my book.
12. RC Pro-Am II - Rare Replay - XB1
Completed all Milestones: 3/1/16
TIme: 2 hours?
Rating 4/5
Loved the first RC Pro-am and this is a good sequel to that.
13. Ultra Street Fighter IV - PS4
Completed Arcade Mode with numerous characters/completed online matches and training challenges: 3/14/16
Time: 4-5 hours
Rating: 4/5
Been loving SFV, but have recently had an itch for true arcade mode. Also recently got a fightstick for the first time so wanted to get used to it against CPU. Redownloaded USFIV and played for awhile. Good game, but SFV gameplay and graphics are much better. Hopefully they bring back Arcade mode for scrubs like me.
14. Garden Warfare 2 - PS4
Completed all story missions/Multiple Garden Ops/MP: 3/15/16
Time: 6-7 hours
Rating: 4.5/5
Really fun game. This and Halo 5 are the most fun I've had with a shooter this gen so far. Will keep this on my hard drive for those pick up and play moments.
First Quarter Done!
1. Assassins Creed - Syndicate
2. Outlast
3. Oxenfree
4. The Beginners Guide
5. Undertale
6. Bloodborne
7. The Witness
8. Unravel
9. Tales from the Borderlands
10. Metroid Prime
11. Minish Cap
12. Donkey Kong Country - Tropical Freeze
13. Firewatch
around 180 hours in single player games in 2016 so far, which comes down to roughly 2,5hours a day.
Which means I play way more than I thought
OP: here
1. Assassins Creed - Syndicate
2. Outlast
3. Oxenfree
4. The Beginners Guide
5. Undertale
6. Bloodborne
7. The Witness
8. Unravel
9. Tales from the Borderlands
10. Metroid Prime
11. Minish Cap
12. Donkey Kong Country - Tropical Freeze
13. Firewatch
around 180 hours in single player games in 2016 so far, which comes down to roughly 2,5hours a day.
Which means I play way more than I thought
OP: here
I'ma bring banners back for next post! Sadly, my comp w/ impressions on #4 and #5 broke so I'll have to rewrite them later ;;
OP Post
4: The Witch’s House (PC // 2/5/16 // ~3 hrs True End)
5: Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3 // 2/22/16 // ~43 hrs true end)
6: Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation (PS Vita / 3/8/15 / ~27 hrs True End)
This has become enjoyable series of games the more I play them. They aren’t excellent games by any stretch of the imagination, but for a light-hearted JRPG, it was a really fun game to play through.
The gameplay is more of the same but with a couple twists. The EXE gauge from the previous games is removed and they segemented characters SP gauge instead to be a marker for EXE moves and turn enders. It does change how you approach battles since you can’t spam SP moves anymore. It’s a much needed change that makes the overall game better, but I do miss how I could just cheese bosses in Re;Birth2. Getting true end in this game was a lot simpler, but easily missable if you like to rush through games.
There is a lot of Post-game content and a NG+ mode too, akin to many games now. IFI has also put out a lot of free and paid DLC so kudos to them. Definitely a welcome change since Re;birth1.
7/10
7: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS4 Remaster // 3/16/16 // ~8hrs)
Welcome change of pace from the RPGs and Fighting games I’ve been playing. Nice short campaign with a lot of interesting setpieces and locations. Wasn’t expecting some of the settings later in the game
Gameplay was pretty standard fare for a TPS game. You take cover, can shoot from cover and they tried a lot to help you not get lost (Even though I did get lost a couple times haha)
Really nice first entry, I am excited to play the next three games in the series soon!
7.5/10
OP Post
4: The Witch’s House (PC // 2/5/16 // ~3 hrs True End)
5: Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3 // 2/22/16 // ~43 hrs true end)
6: Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation (PS Vita / 3/8/15 / ~27 hrs True End)
This has become enjoyable series of games the more I play them. They aren’t excellent games by any stretch of the imagination, but for a light-hearted JRPG, it was a really fun game to play through.
The gameplay is more of the same but with a couple twists. The EXE gauge from the previous games is removed and they segemented characters SP gauge instead to be a marker for EXE moves and turn enders. It does change how you approach battles since you can’t spam SP moves anymore. It’s a much needed change that makes the overall game better, but I do miss how I could just cheese bosses in Re;Birth2. Getting true end in this game was a lot simpler, but easily missable if you like to rush through games.
There is a lot of Post-game content and a NG+ mode too, akin to many games now. IFI has also put out a lot of free and paid DLC so kudos to them. Definitely a welcome change since Re;birth1.
7/10
7: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS4 Remaster // 3/16/16 // ~8hrs)
Welcome change of pace from the RPGs and Fighting games I’ve been playing. Nice short campaign with a lot of interesting setpieces and locations. Wasn’t expecting some of the settings later in the game
Gameplay was pretty standard fare for a TPS game. You take cover, can shoot from cover and they tried a lot to help you not get lost (Even though I did get lost a couple times haha)
Really nice first entry, I am excited to play the next three games in the series soon!
7.5/10
Falchion
Member
19) Assassin's Creed Syndicate - 28 hours - 3/16
I had a lot of fun with this game and ended up devoting more time to it than any other in the series since Assassin's Creed II. I actually enjoyed most of the side stuff and tried to upgrade the twins as I was playing instead of just rushing through the main story like I sometimes do in Ubisoft games. I loved being able to swap characters and I found myself gravitating towards Evie in most situations. Granted, some of the missions felt a bit clunky and
, it was still great and most of the main and supporting characters were very well developed. I certainly hope we haven't seen the last of Evie and Jacob.
Updated my OP.
I had a lot of fun with this game and ended up devoting more time to it than any other in the series since Assassin's Creed II. I actually enjoyed most of the side stuff and tried to upgrade the twins as I was playing instead of just rushing through the main story like I sometimes do in Ubisoft games. I loved being able to swap characters and I found myself gravitating towards Evie in most situations. Granted, some of the missions felt a bit clunky and
the modern day stuff didn't really go anywhere
Updated my OP.
A Link to the Past
Banned
No actual game update for me yet, just progress.
1. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Prosecutor's Path: Working my way through the third case, though I think I'm nearly finished. It's a fantastic game, but I just find it hard to maintain momentum in it sometimes. It definitely could go for some QOL improvements.
2. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3: Still have a fair number of levels to go. I'm not going to try and get all of the special coins in the levels, but I plan to beat every level and get all of the eCoins.
3. Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows: It's so far a really great game, might be my favourite DLC for a game ever even! Plague Knights' potion mechanics just work to make the game so much faster and brisker, and they did a really good job retrofitting the levels to make them feel like they were made for the mechanic (although they didn't need to do all that much!).
1. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Prosecutor's Path: Working my way through the third case, though I think I'm nearly finished. It's a fantastic game, but I just find it hard to maintain momentum in it sometimes. It definitely could go for some QOL improvements.
2. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3: Still have a fair number of levels to go. I'm not going to try and get all of the special coins in the levels, but I plan to beat every level and get all of the eCoins.
3. Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows: It's so far a really great game, might be my favourite DLC for a game ever even! Plague Knights' potion mechanics just work to make the game so much faster and brisker, and they did a really good job retrofitting the levels to make them feel like they were made for the mechanic (although they didn't need to do all that much!).
Jack Videogames
Member
41:11h + around 6h for the demo, which is a prologue of sorts. Completed game in Normal mode, 99'd every character and 10'd most (not all) jobs, got all Asterisks, summons and beat the
7 deadly sins
I read somewhere that Bravely Second is like a 50h-DLC instead of a new game. I understand where the reviewer was coming from, but I also think that's unfair. True, BS is more FFX-2 than FFXII, but it's also an ode to the first game, from the standard "let's rescue the princess" setting to the
freakishly fourth-wall-breaking, yet happy
What I loved about BS is that it gives closure to most familiar faces and all the while introduces a handful of interesting characters. The Good Guys team got the big slice of the cake: Yew is more likeable than Tiz ever was
Tiz himself shines as a straight-man out-of-the-spotlight character
And Ringabel as a cosmic Green Ranger was just awesome
However, the bad guy ensemble was just terrible, IMO. The only saving grace was the Kaiser himself, and maybe those two guys, you know who. Anne felt all sorts of tacked in, and none of the Asterisk holders held a candle to the ones in Bravely Default. Before you fought Qada, Victor/Victoria or Alternis, you actually felt they were a threat and shit was about to go down. Fighting the Patissier, or the Catmancer, with almost no buildup, feels awkward and sort of silly.
But BS is still a very good game, and its good parts vastly overcome its flaws. Hope the low sales don't discourage Squeenix from developing a Bravely Third (
Bravely Sword?
Updated OP
TheDancingWatermelon
Member
Finally sat down to type up some!
Original Post
1. Invisible Inc (PC) – 10+ hours
One of my favorite games of 2015, I’ve completed the game twice now, and still pop it open for the occasional hour or two. Its style is great, the way it blends multiple systems together seamlessly is sublime, but what I enjoy most of all is just when I think I have it figured out it still finds a way to throw me for a loop. I love that despite my careful planning, things fall apart on the harder difficulties, and I love even more the thrill of having to adapt and change on the fly to conquer the situation. I can’t recommend it enough.
2. Pony Island (PC) – 2 hours
I read a few reviews on its release and figured for $5 why not? Going in, I knew the premise (as listed on the actual store page) is that Pony Island is actually a game created by the devil itself. The actual game play follows a pretty simple formula between an endless runner style game and a “hacking” puzzle game. Where the game really shines is how it subverts expectations as it goes; there were quite a few moments that made me appreciate just how smart the game is. One of my favorite moments in gaming this year comes near the end of the game, and it really just blew me away. To say anything else would spoil it, but all in all a very enjoyable evening was found here.
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PSVITA) – 75 hours
I went into this with a great amount of excitement, and for the most part it met my expectations. It was neat to see how some of the series mechanics had evolved and changed from the Sky series to one of the most recent in the timeline. I really enjoyed the soundtrack, with just some fantastic tracks throughout. The various battle tracks especially, as they always made going into a battle exciting. The load times on Vita were kind of annoying, and the story was fairly predictable, but both are minor negatives in a very enjoyable game. Trails in the Sky FC and SC were two of my favorite games last year that essentially pulled back the curtain on a genre that I had mostly ignored through my gaming life. I’m trying to catch up on so many jrpgs that I’ve missed, but I’ll still be there day one for Cold Steel 2 and Sky TC when they release!
4. Rise of the Tomb Raider (XBOX ONE) – 18 hours
I found this to be a step up over its predecessor in just about every way. A very beautiful game graphically, with some great set pieces. I enjoyed what felt like an increase in the “tombs” to go through, even if most were simple or short. From what I remember of the first, I definitely enjoyed Lara’s character more in this one, although the story wasn’t very good. There were quite a few parts where characters motivations or actions left me feeling lukewarm or scratching my head. Still a fun time to be had, hopefully despite all the miss-steps outside of the game with platform exclusivity and promotion they’ll get a chance to do another one.
5. Ori and the Blind Forest (PC) – 10 hours
An incredibly beautiful game for the eyes and ears, with great animation, lush environments, and a great score that suits the games almost surreal, dream-like design. It also plays really well, with tight controls and interesting level’s and puzzles slowly upping the ante in difficulty. I really enjoyed the escape sequences, not only for the visual spectacle, but also as a test or boss fight of sorts to put to use the new abilities I had gained in the area. I’m looking forward to checking out the new stuff being added in sometime this year.
6. Hatoful Boyfriend (PSVITA) – 8 hours
The premise of a human going to school with a bunch of birds sounded interesting, but I found myself lukewarm on this through the first few character endings. The port on Vita had to be the worst ones I’ve encountered, which is really surprising. Multiple audio errors, the game crashed multiple times, really just baffling stuff. Combined with some of the more basic character paths and I wasn’t really feeling it and was about to move on. My fiancée loves this game though, and told me to at least go through a few more to see the final path called “BBL” so I figured why not. It started to get a little more interesting with some of the other characters (Shuu, Okosan, Anghel), but it really took off in that final path. Suddenly some of the more mundane moments from the first few runs clicked together, things that were glossed over through many runs were explained, and twist after twist was thrown at me. I’m glad I stuck with it for that, but I wish my experience with the port wasn’t so awful on the technical side.
Original Post
1. Invisible Inc (PC) – 10+ hours
One of my favorite games of 2015, I’ve completed the game twice now, and still pop it open for the occasional hour or two. Its style is great, the way it blends multiple systems together seamlessly is sublime, but what I enjoy most of all is just when I think I have it figured out it still finds a way to throw me for a loop. I love that despite my careful planning, things fall apart on the harder difficulties, and I love even more the thrill of having to adapt and change on the fly to conquer the situation. I can’t recommend it enough.
2. Pony Island (PC) – 2 hours
I read a few reviews on its release and figured for $5 why not? Going in, I knew the premise (as listed on the actual store page) is that Pony Island is actually a game created by the devil itself. The actual game play follows a pretty simple formula between an endless runner style game and a “hacking” puzzle game. Where the game really shines is how it subverts expectations as it goes; there were quite a few moments that made me appreciate just how smart the game is. One of my favorite moments in gaming this year comes near the end of the game, and it really just blew me away. To say anything else would spoil it, but all in all a very enjoyable evening was found here.
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PSVITA) – 75 hours
I went into this with a great amount of excitement, and for the most part it met my expectations. It was neat to see how some of the series mechanics had evolved and changed from the Sky series to one of the most recent in the timeline. I really enjoyed the soundtrack, with just some fantastic tracks throughout. The various battle tracks especially, as they always made going into a battle exciting. The load times on Vita were kind of annoying, and the story was fairly predictable, but both are minor negatives in a very enjoyable game. Trails in the Sky FC and SC were two of my favorite games last year that essentially pulled back the curtain on a genre that I had mostly ignored through my gaming life. I’m trying to catch up on so many jrpgs that I’ve missed, but I’ll still be there day one for Cold Steel 2 and Sky TC when they release!
4. Rise of the Tomb Raider (XBOX ONE) – 18 hours
I found this to be a step up over its predecessor in just about every way. A very beautiful game graphically, with some great set pieces. I enjoyed what felt like an increase in the “tombs” to go through, even if most were simple or short. From what I remember of the first, I definitely enjoyed Lara’s character more in this one, although the story wasn’t very good. There were quite a few parts where characters motivations or actions left me feeling lukewarm or scratching my head. Still a fun time to be had, hopefully despite all the miss-steps outside of the game with platform exclusivity and promotion they’ll get a chance to do another one.
5. Ori and the Blind Forest (PC) – 10 hours
An incredibly beautiful game for the eyes and ears, with great animation, lush environments, and a great score that suits the games almost surreal, dream-like design. It also plays really well, with tight controls and interesting level’s and puzzles slowly upping the ante in difficulty. I really enjoyed the escape sequences, not only for the visual spectacle, but also as a test or boss fight of sorts to put to use the new abilities I had gained in the area. I’m looking forward to checking out the new stuff being added in sometime this year.
6. Hatoful Boyfriend (PSVITA) – 8 hours
The premise of a human going to school with a bunch of birds sounded interesting, but I found myself lukewarm on this through the first few character endings. The port on Vita had to be the worst ones I’ve encountered, which is really surprising. Multiple audio errors, the game crashed multiple times, really just baffling stuff. Combined with some of the more basic character paths and I wasn’t really feeling it and was about to move on. My fiancée loves this game though, and told me to at least go through a few more to see the final path called “BBL” so I figured why not. It started to get a little more interesting with some of the other characters (Shuu, Okosan, Anghel), but it really took off in that final path. Suddenly some of the more mundane moments from the first few runs clicked together, things that were glossed over through many runs were explained, and twist after twist was thrown at me. I’m glad I stuck with it for that, but I wish my experience with the port wasn’t so awful on the technical side.
Master Post
more game, will also be adding old games to updates for better formatting of master post
I started this up thinking I'd play an episode every other day to completion. Turns out after the finishing the second episode I decided to go ahead and finish the game. Really good, the writing, voice acting, characters and plot really came together in a nice little package. Would have been up there with my top games in 2015 had I got to it then.
After completing the campaign on the normal difficulty, unlocking and three barring all the songs, I'm still addicted. While the game has next to no content beyond play the campaign on a different difficulty and the song selection lacks depth and variety, the songs themselves range from alright stuff to some great shit like Phantoms and Synthesized. Even the Insomniac 20th annivesary gimmick song is fun and welcome change of pace. Will continue playing to ascend to and master the harder difficulties.
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Fun tactical RPG that really runs wild with its gimmick. From the humourous story to the suprisingly expansive customization options to doing things like getting an advertising agency, it really goes all out. Gameplay is generally well thought out; while the same flat maps get re used a lot, the games makes up for it with specific side objectives that yield high rewards and the team mechanics. Will end up playing it again when it hits consoles.
more game, will also be adding old games to updates for better formatting of master post
Game 16: Tales of the Borderlands (PS4) | ~10 Hours | 03/08/16 | 4.5/5
I started this up thinking I'd play an episode every other day to completion. Turns out after the finishing the second episode I decided to go ahead and finish the game. Really good, the writing, voice acting, characters and plot really came together in a nice little package. Would have been up there with my top games in 2015 had I got to it then.
Game 17: Amplitude (PS4) | 10 Hours+ | 03/17/16 | 4.5/5
After completing the campaign on the normal difficulty, unlocking and three barring all the songs, I'm still addicted. While the game has next to no content beyond play the campaign on a different difficulty and the song selection lacks depth and variety, the songs themselves range from alright stuff to some great shit like Phantoms and Synthesized. Even the Insomniac 20th annivesary gimmick song is fun and welcome change of pace. Will continue playing to ascend to and master the harder difficulties.
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Game 1: Chroma Squad (PC) | 14 Hours | 01/03/16 | 4/5
Fun tactical RPG that really runs wild with its gimmick. From the humourous story to the suprisingly expansive customization options to doing things like getting an advertising agency, it really goes all out. Gameplay is generally well thought out; while the same flat maps get re used a lot, the games makes up for it with specific side objectives that yield high rewards and the team mechanics. Will end up playing it again when it hits consoles.
Main Post
Game 18: Grim Fandango Remastered
After I finished Rise of the Tomb Raider, I only had a few spare days before my trip back home for the break, so I knew I couldn't start anything major. I ended up deciding to tackle part of my backlog and started up Grim Fandango Remastered. I'm a big fan of classic adventure games, having grown up with the King's Quest series, but despite always hearing good things from my brother (and later, many others), I never got around to playing the LucasArts adventure games (I was probably too young when they were first released). All the more fitting I should get to the first one now.
In short, I really enjoyed my time with it. I love being in control of what I'm doing, and having to think out my actions without being given too much guidance, although I will say that a few moments were perhaps more cryptic than they had to be (at times, the background didn't make it entirely clear where I could go or what I could interact with). I also adore the writing, and my flatmate and I had more than a few laughs at some of the dialogue (and now I can't stop using various expressions in a canned Mexican accent). I will say that I had entirely faulty pre-conceptions about what the game's story would be about, and it ultimately proved to be so unconventional that it felt incredibly fresh. I feel that it is a true testament to the writing that it holds up so well almost 20 years later and, in fact, manages to outshine some of the contemporary competition. It probably helps that almost all the characters are very likeable, or at least have a swathe of redeeming qualities.
This playthrough has solidified my intent to buy whatever other remasters DoubleFine throws our way, starting with Day of the Tentacle later this year, but hopefully eventually covering their entire catalogue.
Oh, and though I hope this goes without saying, I did play the game using the tank controls, because I'm a sucker for arbitrary challenges, and because Tim demanded it be included.
Game 18: Grim Fandango Remastered
After I finished Rise of the Tomb Raider, I only had a few spare days before my trip back home for the break, so I knew I couldn't start anything major. I ended up deciding to tackle part of my backlog and started up Grim Fandango Remastered. I'm a big fan of classic adventure games, having grown up with the King's Quest series, but despite always hearing good things from my brother (and later, many others), I never got around to playing the LucasArts adventure games (I was probably too young when they were first released). All the more fitting I should get to the first one now.
In short, I really enjoyed my time with it. I love being in control of what I'm doing, and having to think out my actions without being given too much guidance, although I will say that a few moments were perhaps more cryptic than they had to be (at times, the background didn't make it entirely clear where I could go or what I could interact with). I also adore the writing, and my flatmate and I had more than a few laughs at some of the dialogue (and now I can't stop using various expressions in a canned Mexican accent). I will say that I had entirely faulty pre-conceptions about what the game's story would be about, and it ultimately proved to be so unconventional that it felt incredibly fresh. I feel that it is a true testament to the writing that it holds up so well almost 20 years later and, in fact, manages to outshine some of the contemporary competition. It probably helps that almost all the characters are very likeable, or at least have a swathe of redeeming qualities.
This playthrough has solidified my intent to buy whatever other remasters DoubleFine throws our way, starting with Day of the Tentacle later this year, but hopefully eventually covering their entire catalogue.
Oh, and though I hope this goes without saying, I did play the game using the tank controls, because I'm a sucker for arbitrary challenges, and because Tim demanded it be included.
Main Post
2016-Q1 (Jan, Feb, Mar):
Game 1: Magic: The Gathering: Puzzle Quest (Mobile) - 10+ Hrs
Game 2: Swords & Poker Adventures (Mobile) - 20+ Hrs
Game 3: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor (PC) - 140+ Hrs
Game 4: Never Alone (Wii U) - 3 hrs
Game 5: Xenoblade Chronciles (Wii) - 82 Hrs
Game 6: Ittle Dew (Wii U) - 4 Hrs
Game 7: Kirby & the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) - 6 Hrs
Game 8: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) - 19 Hrs
Game 9: New Super Mario Bros U (Wii U) - 12 Hrs
Game 10: Gunman Clive (Wii U) - 1 Hr
Game 11: Teslagrad (Wii U) - 8 Hrs
Game 12: Lego City Undercover (Wii U) - 21 Hrs
Game 13: Thomas Was Alone (PS3) - 4 Hrs
Game 14: Sonic Generations (PS3) - 5 Hrs
Game 15: Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U) - 36 Hrs
2016-Q1 (Jan, Feb, Mar):
Game 1: Magic: The Gathering: Puzzle Quest (Mobile) - 10+ Hrs
I was a fan of the card game waaaaay back in the day (started around Unlimited/Revised), playing periodically over the years. With the holidays (and being away from my consoles/PC), I figured a mobile game would be a good place to start the 52-game challenge (though it doesn't address the backlog issue since it's a game I didn't have, but that's a problem for another day).
This one is a match-3 type game with the familiarity of M:tG cards/elements. Fun in bursts, but can become repetitive. Initially I progressed quickly through leveling-up in the story mode, but after the 2nd chapter it starts to become a grind that plays into their micro-transactions scheme. So for now, this one is done. Overall it was mildly entertaining, but I don't think I'll come back to it.
Game 2: Swords & Poker Adventures (Mobile) - 20+ Hrs
A friend got me into this one while I was home for the holidays. It kinda reminds me of another match-3 type game, but not quite. There is a center board of 9 poker cards. You and your opponent each have a hand of 4 that you can use to play off the center 3x3 grid of communal cards. Depending on how good your poker hand is (and the bonuses on your weapon - which can be upgraded) you do damage to your opponent. Once they (or you) die, the round is over. The levels are groups of 3-8 monster encounters. This one is also fun in bursts, but it also didn't address my backlog.
Update: I've returned to this one on several trips throughout the year. It doesn't look like it has a definitive end, but I'm satisfied with the time I've gotten out of it.
Game 3: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor (PC) - 140+ Hrs
I started playing WoW the day Vanilla was released, and put waaaay too much time into it from release through WotLK. Eventually I escaped, and well, fell off the wagon each time there was a new expansion. I don't play it regularly anymore, but I do love the questing/leveling/exploring aspect of new content, and so here we are. This one is still in progress, but I'm enjoying it so far. I pick-pocketed a mount, which blew my mind. Currently my goal is to get my rogue & mage to 100, so I can continue on to other games that have been patiently waiting for my attention.
Update: WoW has taken over my soul, and I've begun raiding again. Why? I have no idea. I just feel compelled to, for reasons? It looks like I'm going to focus on this game pretty thoroughly for the rest of the month, until my playtime expires, and then back to tackling the backlog! Please send help.
Final Update: I went all in on the rogue (sorry mage). Got the Rogue to 100, finished every dungeon, heroic, and raid. Finished all of the world quests & exploring for each zone. Got my garrison and ship yard to max level. Did a bunch of BGs, and a whole lot of Ashran, which I found quite enjoyable. Got a full epic set of PvE and PvP gear. Collected all of the new catch-able battle pets, and a bunch of the drop/quest/profession-source ones as well. Most importantly, I got my <Architect> title before I let my time expire, which became one of my goals after realizing it was a thing. It was personal and satisfying since I had just finished getting my real life Architect License, before jumping into this expansion, after MANY YEARS of school, college, and professional experience. All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this expansion, but exhausted the content available to me. I did however come to the realization that from now on I'm going to wait a year or two after new Xpacks come out, buy it on Black Friday for $12, blast through all of the content in 1.5 months, and move on to something else. To me it felt like a much more efficient use of time & money than jumping in at release and playing the grind game for the next 2 years.
Game 4: Never Alone (Wii U) - 3 hrs
This one was shorter than expected - completed it in a little over 1 sitting. Loved the art style. Appreciated the tribe's story that was told through the game. My criticism would be that the game can switch from enjoyable to frustrating pretty quickly due to controls & the non-player character's AI at times. I enjoyed the puzzles, though some were a bit obtuse.Overall not bad, but I'd recommend waiting for a sale.And the fox's death was sad and caught me by surprise, but his spirit version offered a new technique to the gameplay.
Game 5: Xenoblade Chronciles (Wii) - 82 Hrs
I Started this one during a break between exams last year, but only got about 25 hrs in before I had to take a break for the next exam. I ended up marathoning the remaining exams, instead of spacing them out, and my progress in Xenoblade was left in stasis...until now! I must admit I have forgotten how to play and what is going on, but the music and scenery is more than enough to bring me back. Onward!
Update: I'm guessing that I'm now about half way through. This weekend I got to the areathat Orioto just finished painting, which made it all the more magical. I absolutely love the scenery, music, and characters. My only real issue is that I'm progressing faster than I'm leveling, which means I need to take a break from the story to grind out a few levels to be able to beat the Elite/Boss NPCs.with the snow, crystals, and beacons of light
Final Update: Finished the game, andGood times!I felt it required a lot of grinding for the last third of the game to be able to beat bosses. Overall I enjoyed it, and was content to move on to the next game (the grinding really bothered me). However, after I finished watching the game's ending (which was great), the new game (with current character levels & keeping some items) option pops up, and suddenly made me want to go for another play-through. All in all, I feel like the only real negative was a need for proper level-tuning, but since that can be avoided with the New Game +, I'm down for a return in the future.
Game 6: Ittle Dew (Wii U) - 4 Hrs
I blasted through this one over a weekend. I appreciated the visual reference back to the 2D Zelda games, and enjoyed the quirkiness of it. It did feel extremely linear (in terms of progression), but I liked how certain areas opened up more upon obtaining items in the game. Overall I enjoyed it - not nearly as much as LTTP - but did feel it was worth the time and money.
Game 7: Kirby & the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) - 6 Hrs
This was another quickie. A nice change of pace after Xenoblade. I loved the clay aesthetic, the music, and its general whimsical gameplay. Finished it off, but didn't 100% yet (saving that for a replay). It felt more like a handheld game than a console game due to the nature of the play style (not that that's bad, just seemed odd that the TV was on but I was never looking at it - though it worked well as a game to play on the gamepad while Netflix was playing on the TV). My only critique is that I had a few deaths stemming from the drawing mechanics that felt really cheap, but not nearly often enough to sour my experience. My final thoughts are that I appreciated the style more than the substance of the game, but I enjoyed it none-the-less.
Game 8: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) - 19 Hrs
I love love love this one. I've been a fan of the Zelda series since playing the first one back in 1989 (especially the 2D versions), so it's odd that I haven't played this one until recently, but it turned out to be quite a treat! I enjoyed the size transforming mechanic, and how it changed the interaction with characters and its integration into the puzzles of the game as well. There were points in the game where I hit a confusion roadblock, but with the wiki nearby I worked my way through it. This seems to be pretty consistent through the other titles I've played in this series, where I encounter a mental block to some degree, but aren't figuring it out it's a non-issue in subsequent play-throughs.I'm totally looking forward to coming back to this one for another play (and maybe finding all of the heart pieces, collecting all of the Figures, fusing all of the Kinstones, and looking for the upgraded inventory items that I missed along the way); what a gem it was!The end of the Dark Hyrule Castle was intense as heck, with having to race against the clock to get to Vaati before he torched Zelda. And then the multiple phases of the Vaati fight itself presented quite a fun challenge.
Game 9: New Super Mario Bros U (Wii U) - 12 Hrs
I started this one back when I got the Wii U during Black Friday 2013. It's play-style is a departure from SMW, which was kind of a turn-off for me (SMW being one of my all time favorites). When Super Mario 3D World came out I immediately fell in love with that one and proceeded to neglect this one. I was content letting it sit on the shelf, until Super Mario Maker came out. With the New Super Mario game style being incorporated into the compilation, and playing those style levels, I warmed up to the change in gameplay and am ready to give this one another proper shot. Restarting from the beginning for good measure!
Update: This entry in the series is a bit more challenging that previous 2D Mario games (can't speak of the DS/Wii/3DS versions). I've come to appreciate the change in style and mechanics of this game. It seems fresh to me instead of more of the same (from the NES/SNES era). The music is great as usual, but the backgrounds are divine! I love the subtle nuisances of the game as well, like when the kuppas stop walking to do a little dance in sync with the music.
Final Update: just finished this one.My enjoyment of this title grew as the game progressed - definitely a slow burner. Also on my list to come back to again.Fighting both Bowser and Bowser Jr at the same time was kinda weird, but a neat fight. Also, where the heck did Bowser Jr come from?Secret Island & Star Road courses await!
Game 10: Gunman Clive (Wii U) - 1 Hr
This one was super short, super chill, and a lot of fun. Loved how the game mechanics were always changing. The aesthetic was simple, but I thought it worked well, considering the settingI'll definitely come back to this one and go for a better completion time/death count record! I know I got this one on sale, but it's more than worth whatever the full price is. Good times!which started out in the old West, but then ended up in space and fighting robots, lol. I especially loved the mine cart section and the asteroids SHUMP section. The spinning platforms were the only source of frustration for me.
Game 11: Teslagrad (Wii U) - 8 Hrs
I loved this game. I ran into a game bug on the last boss that was causing the Wii U to freeze mid-way through the fight every god damned time. After much searching online, no solution had been found for this bug, but I noticed a similar freezing & loud beep happened for people in other games. Their working solution was to go into the Miiverse app and set the language to "English Only". I have no idea why, but this fixed it. That aside, the game was stellar. The art was great, the music had a melancholy vibe to it. The puzzles were very clever, but not too difficult to figure out. The real trick was executing the maneuver to get through the puzzle once you figured out the strategy. I liked how intuitive the gameplay was such that it didn't require any text.Great game, just watch out for that pesky bug.The last boss fight was quite a challenge, but not cheap at all. All my deaths were on me, and when I finally mastered the fight it was quite rewarding!
Game 12: Lego City Undercover (Wii U) - 21 Hrs
I've enjoyed Legos throughout my life - from creating a huge Lego city in my attic over years of growing up, to visiting the Lego Store/Legoland, to watching the Lego Movie - but this game has been the biggest surprise to my (gaming) expectations in a while.
I went into the game with almost no expectations other than "if you like Legos and video games, you'll probably like this." Right now I'm about 1/2 way through the game and that feels like quite an understatement to me. The story reminds me of a lot of 80s cop movies/TV shows with other random movie references woven in. The game looks to have a nice length to it without any significant padding/fetch-quests. The City is HUGE - It's a microcosm of several US cities, grouped into districts - and there's so much exploration available. I love how different abilities/roles are utilized by switching costumes. There's tons of collectables for increased re-playability, but at the same time they can be skipped if you're in favor of blasting through the story instead. The music is reminiscent of SNES games in a good way. The humor in the dialogue is fantastic - I can't remember the last time a game made me laugh as much. My only gripe is the loading times - OMG they drive me nuts!
Update:
Finished it today. The story keeps delivering on many levels. The last chapter was especially epic!Bottom line - the game is a whole lot of fun and should be experienced if you have even a passing interest in Legos.Space robot fight, followed by flying through a space station that is re-entering Earth's atmosphere and ripping apart while dodging debris and flying through coin rings. SIGN ME UP!
Game 13: Thomas Was Alone (PS3) - 4 Hrs
I went into this game totally blind. I picked up (along with a bunch of others) for around $1 each during a flash sale and based on GAF's recommendation. Turns out it's a puzzle game - which I enjoy, so that's cool. The music and voiceover go a long way in a seemingly simple game. So far, Thomas was alone, and based on the voice-over he seems pretty chill.The puzzles range from easy (usually when they introduce new elements) to a bit of a challenge. The game is pretty light but enjoyable, and the added story has piqued my curiosity if for no other reason than to see where it ends up.Then Chris shows up - and he's a dick by the way. Followed by John, and now ??? (I've forgotten her name).
Update:
Finished this one. Liked the puzzles. Neat little story, which was somewhat whimsical and also a little creepy, but still a nice bonus for a puzzle game. The music was super soothing. Overall I felt the game was worth the price, and a nice change of pace from some of my more standard selection of games.
Game 14: Sonic Generations (PS3) - 5 Hrs
This is going to be am unpopular opinion, but I didn't really enjoy this game. To clarify, I did enjoy the 2D sections, but I found the 3D sections to be frustrating. I'm used to the tight platforming of Nintendo games, whereas this felt too loose. I was sliding off platforms when trying to stop. Running in a straight line was way more trickier than it should have been. It felt like Sonic had two speeds - molasses and light speed - alternating between uncomfortably slow and flying off platforms to my death. I wanted to like this game, but I feel like it's systemic of the game type - I had the same feelings about Sonic Lost World (Wii U), while I love the old-school Sega-console sonics. Sorry
Game 15: Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U) - 36 Hrs
I love love love this game, and it might just be my favorite so far this year! I feel like it distills down all of the positives from former Yoshi games to culminate as this series' pinnacle. There's so much charm woven into the game. The music is soothing. The platforming is tight. There's no crying baby! I love the aesthetic and how well it is carried throughout the game. The difficulty has a fantastic ramp to it, like Mario 3D World. You can blast through it, or focus on all the collectables. Highly recommend!to unlock the bonus stages and boss tent
I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't put it down after beating it to move on to the next game on my list. I went back for another play-through to work on 100%ing it. This one will definitely be played many more times in the future. Such a great game!and I love the challenge presented by the "S" worlds and the Boss Tent
chrominance
Member
Original post
22. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (3DS, 2016) - 52:14
Completed the campaign on Normal/Classic. Three deaths, two during endgame (
).
Awakening was my first Fire Emblem game, and it's one of the few traditional SRPGs I've managed to complete. This is despite some of my favourite games being leftfield SRPGs: Valkyria Chronicles, which isn't traditional because of its third-person shooter mechanics, and Devil Survivor, which isn't traditional because of its Shin Megami Tensei demons and battle mechanics. For whatever reason, I tend to bounce off of most traditional SRPGs. Final Fantasy Tactics never grabbed me and was extremely difficult at the start, and Jeanne d'Arc isn't bad but doesn't really stand out. But Awakening was easy to play for hours at a time, trying to carry your team through countless battles unscathed, figuring out who to pair up and what classes to transform everyone into. By the time the game ended, you had a real attachment to your main crew, which helped to develop their personalities just as much as the actual writing in the game.
Birthright is the closest we'll likely get to an Awakening sequel, and it does all of the same things right. You get the same attachments to certain characters; stars in my main crew ended up being Ryoma, Kagero, Mozu, Hinoka/Subaki and the almighty tank Oboro. You get the same incentives to pair people up, though the whole marriage/children thing is downplayed compared to Awakening. But there are some new elements as well, most of which have to do with the My Castle stuff. It adds a bit of multiplayer interaction to the game that allows you to see and fight in other people's castles, and reap the rewards thereof. It's also where you get to improve your relations with various people by inviting them to your private quarters, which for the most plays just fine until you actually marry someone. At that point, bonding with your spouse is surprisingly intimate, which can lead to a lot of faintly... uncomfortable moments:
My major worry with Birthright is that a lot of it feels like a reminder of the things you'll lose once you start Conquest. Additional challenge maps to level up your weaker characters? Gone. Being able to experiment with character supports to decide who's best for each other? Gone. Maps that won't crush your soul and leave you bleeding and helpless in a dumpster somewhere? Gone. I spent a lot of Birthright feeling like everything was going smoothly, and also that once Conquest starts I would be totally, utterly fucked. This got especially bad when I ran into the few spots where Birthright really does get difficult, like in some of the paralogues and later chapters. Overall, Birthright feels more difficult than Awakening, and obviously Conquest will be harder still.
All in all, though, Birthright was a great way to be reintroduced to the world of Fire Emblem. Now comes the difficult part.
22. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (3DS, 2016) - 52:14
Completed the campaign on Normal/Classic. Three deaths, two during endgame (
Kaze, Ryoma (retired), Orochi
Awakening was my first Fire Emblem game, and it's one of the few traditional SRPGs I've managed to complete. This is despite some of my favourite games being leftfield SRPGs: Valkyria Chronicles, which isn't traditional because of its third-person shooter mechanics, and Devil Survivor, which isn't traditional because of its Shin Megami Tensei demons and battle mechanics. For whatever reason, I tend to bounce off of most traditional SRPGs. Final Fantasy Tactics never grabbed me and was extremely difficult at the start, and Jeanne d'Arc isn't bad but doesn't really stand out. But Awakening was easy to play for hours at a time, trying to carry your team through countless battles unscathed, figuring out who to pair up and what classes to transform everyone into. By the time the game ended, you had a real attachment to your main crew, which helped to develop their personalities just as much as the actual writing in the game.
Birthright is the closest we'll likely get to an Awakening sequel, and it does all of the same things right. You get the same attachments to certain characters; stars in my main crew ended up being Ryoma, Kagero, Mozu, Hinoka/Subaki and the almighty tank Oboro. You get the same incentives to pair people up, though the whole marriage/children thing is downplayed compared to Awakening. But there are some new elements as well, most of which have to do with the My Castle stuff. It adds a bit of multiplayer interaction to the game that allows you to see and fight in other people's castles, and reap the rewards thereof. It's also where you get to improve your relations with various people by inviting them to your private quarters, which for the most plays just fine until you actually marry someone. At that point, bonding with your spouse is surprisingly intimate, which can lead to a lot of faintly... uncomfortable moments:
My major worry with Birthright is that a lot of it feels like a reminder of the things you'll lose once you start Conquest. Additional challenge maps to level up your weaker characters? Gone. Being able to experiment with character supports to decide who's best for each other? Gone. Maps that won't crush your soul and leave you bleeding and helpless in a dumpster somewhere? Gone. I spent a lot of Birthright feeling like everything was going smoothly, and also that once Conquest starts I would be totally, utterly fucked. This got especially bad when I ran into the few spots where Birthright really does get difficult, like in some of the paralogues and later chapters. Overall, Birthright feels more difficult than Awakening, and obviously Conquest will be harder still.
All in all, though, Birthright was a great way to be reintroduced to the world of Fire Emblem. Now comes the difficult part.
- Status