It's completely up to what you want to do. I count them as separate, others don't; don't let it worry you.
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52 games. 1 Year. 2016.
- Thread starter VisceralBowl
- Start date
- Status
It's completely up to what you want to do. I count them as separate, others don't; don't let it worry you.
It's a personal challenge so it's completely up to every person to count however they like. Some apparently even count games they just tried for less than 10 minutes then gave up so I guess literally whatever is fine.
Main Post
Game #7: Paper Mario (N64 VC).
Time Played: 32:56 hours.
Completion Reached: Cleared the story.
Paper Mario is a spiritual successor to SNES classic Super Mario RPG and part of the many many spin-off Mario franchises. To put it simply, Paper Mario is a take on the RPG genre, featuring Mario elements and characters.
Gameplay in Paper Mario is quite straightforward, incorporating basic RPG elements like experience points, a party system and turn-based battles. For the first one, Mario earns experience from battles and gains a level every 100 exp. After every level, you can raise one of Mario stats: HP, FP (essentially magic) and BP (points used to equip Badges, which alter your stats and give you new moves). For the second one, during the story certain characters will join your party and will aid you both in the overworld and in battle. For example, early in the game a Goomba named Goombario will join your party and you can use him to learn about the world and the characters through his "Tattle" ability. Finally, battles are turn-based like in classic RPGs. During your turn you can do actions with Mario and 1 of the partners in your party. Actions include attacking with Jumps or Mario's Hammer, using items or special attacks. Like in Super Mario RPG, attacks and special attacks include timing actions to make the battles more involved. For example, if you press A just before hitting an enemy with the Jump attack, you'll do double damage. This also applies to the enemy turn where you can press A just before you get hit to decrease damage by 1. Overall, the battle system is pretty fun and deeper than you would imagine despite being simple.
Being a RPG spin-off, Paper Mario is more story oriented than classic Mario games, which is one of its biggest charms. While the story is the classic Bowser kidnapping Peach plot, there's a lot of creativity put into the characters, dialogue and even the locations. There's your typical grass, desert, ice, lava levels but they feature cool NPCs and enemies and there's also some new locations. All in all, setting is pretty good.
Game's presentation is great. Graphics feature a mix of sprites and 3D models that make the game hold up still today. Music is also very good with a toy like feel and some remixes of classic tunes.
Overall, this is a great game. It spawned a great (if controversial) franchise and is totally recommended for both Mario and RPG fans.
Game #7: Paper Mario (N64 VC).
Time Played: 32:56 hours.
Completion Reached: Cleared the story.
Paper Mario is a spiritual successor to SNES classic Super Mario RPG and part of the many many spin-off Mario franchises. To put it simply, Paper Mario is a take on the RPG genre, featuring Mario elements and characters.
Gameplay in Paper Mario is quite straightforward, incorporating basic RPG elements like experience points, a party system and turn-based battles. For the first one, Mario earns experience from battles and gains a level every 100 exp. After every level, you can raise one of Mario stats: HP, FP (essentially magic) and BP (points used to equip Badges, which alter your stats and give you new moves). For the second one, during the story certain characters will join your party and will aid you both in the overworld and in battle. For example, early in the game a Goomba named Goombario will join your party and you can use him to learn about the world and the characters through his "Tattle" ability. Finally, battles are turn-based like in classic RPGs. During your turn you can do actions with Mario and 1 of the partners in your party. Actions include attacking with Jumps or Mario's Hammer, using items or special attacks. Like in Super Mario RPG, attacks and special attacks include timing actions to make the battles more involved. For example, if you press A just before hitting an enemy with the Jump attack, you'll do double damage. This also applies to the enemy turn where you can press A just before you get hit to decrease damage by 1. Overall, the battle system is pretty fun and deeper than you would imagine despite being simple.
Being a RPG spin-off, Paper Mario is more story oriented than classic Mario games, which is one of its biggest charms. While the story is the classic Bowser kidnapping Peach plot, there's a lot of creativity put into the characters, dialogue and even the locations. There's your typical grass, desert, ice, lava levels but they feature cool NPCs and enemies and there's also some new locations. All in all, setting is pretty good.
Game's presentation is great. Graphics feature a mix of sprites and 3D models that make the game hold up still today. Music is also very good with a toy like feel and some remixes of classic tunes.
Overall, this is a great game. It spawned a great (if controversial) franchise and is totally recommended for both Mario and RPG fans.
It depends what you are trying to get out of the Challenge. For me it's a great way to focus down my backlog a bit and avoid playing MP games TOOOOO much, so counting each episode as a separate game isn't really doing me any good.
If you just wanna see how fast you can get to 52 by cutting as many corners as possible, sure, do whatever you want.
Velcro Fly
Member
To me the challenge is just to finish games. I have a nasty habit of starting things and not finishing them. Doing a monthly audit of what I've played on my Activity Log on my 3DS the past few months it has really focused to only a few games and I'm finishing them. Obviously it means different things to different people. But no one should be giving you shit for counting some things as completed games.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
This is another really personal choice.It's a personal challenge so it's completely up to every person to count however they like. Some apparently even count games they just tried for less than 10 minutes then gave up so I guess literally whatever is fine.
If you're like me, you might have a massive backlog that's nearly impossible to finish in a lifetime, and you might choose to just "sample" games. I remember reading this Reddit post a few years back, and I've adopted some of the thoughts behind it. For example, the dude's rules include:
I tend to go longer than an hour, but I'm at the point where if a game doesn't grab me in 2-6 hours (the time I allow depends on the overall length of the title), I'm going to call it quits and be "finished" with it. That experience happened for me this year with Civilization: Beyond Earth actually, and I counted it on this challenge. Tried it for like five hours, wasn't inspired by it at all, uninstalled it and threw it under some junk label on my Steam account. So for me it's a bit of a motivational thing, as I have better stuff to do.
SilentRage47
Member
I forgot to update my progress, 14/52.
Just finished Dark Souls III (42h), awesome game and probably the best in the series but it was a little too much of "Been there, done that". The first one at this day remains the best "Souls" experience to me.
Next up, Ratchet & Clank!
Just finished Dark Souls III (42h), awesome game and probably the best in the series but it was a little too much of "Been there, done that". The first one at this day remains the best "Souls" experience to me.
Next up, Ratchet & Clank!
Jack Videogames
Member
14h-ish. Completed game in Normal difficulty, with the
Redemption
This game surprised me positively. I got it as part of a Humble Bundle and was expecting a generic, angsty, gritty Western-style FPS. Instead I got a fast-paced, colorful game that doesn't take itself too seriously, rewrites history as it sees fit, and relies heavily in style and spaghetti-western clichés (but in a good way) to come off as charming.
The game is never difficult, except for some of the duels, but it's not trivial either, and as a non-American it's funny to see a name popup and think "Oh, it's that guy from the movies!". It has some supernatural/fantastic elements, but they're handwaved as the narrator getting drunker with each story, which makes sense in a weird sort of way.
Updated OP
I'm partway through a couple games, I have the odd multiplayer I'll probably have played so much of they'll get added to the list but for now I've started Dark Souls III so the next update probably won't be for awhile.
I'll definitely be making sure to play Uncharted 3 before UC4 comes out though!
I'll definitely be making sure to play Uncharted 3 before UC4 comes out though!
I'll try to get through it.
Here is my count so far.
1. Mass Effect 3 - 22 Hours
2. Strider - 6.5 hours
3. Darksiders II - 24 Hours
4. Knights of the Old Republic II - RM - 27 Hours
5. Valkryia Chronicles - 26 Hours
6. The Buearu - 8 Hours
7. DmC - 8 Hours
8. Enslaved - 7 Hours
9. Red Faction Armageddon - 5hours
Next up - Assassin's Creed 3.
Here is my count so far.
1. Mass Effect 3 - 22 Hours
2. Strider - 6.5 hours
3. Darksiders II - 24 Hours
4. Knights of the Old Republic II - RM - 27 Hours
5. Valkryia Chronicles - 26 Hours
6. The Buearu - 8 Hours
7. DmC - 8 Hours
8. Enslaved - 7 Hours
9. Red Faction Armageddon - 5hours
Next up - Assassin's Creed 3.
Adding FE Birthright and Ratchet and Clank PS4 to my Original Post. Though, I will post my impressions on a later date.
Main post
11. Star Fox Zero
★★☆☆☆ - 6 hours - Completed 4/24/2016
A plethora of questionable design decisions (beyond just the gyro controls, which I was able to ignore for most of the game anyway) made this nostalgic reimagining/reboot an utterly disappointing and sometimes frustrating experience.
12. Star Fox Guard
★★★☆☆ - 5 hours - Completed 4/25/2016
Surprisingly more enjoyable than Star Fox Zero. I've played lots of tower defense games, but none that allowed me to have direct control over every turret. Fun game for what it is.
11. Star Fox Zero
★★☆☆☆ - 6 hours - Completed 4/24/2016
A plethora of questionable design decisions (beyond just the gyro controls, which I was able to ignore for most of the game anyway) made this nostalgic reimagining/reboot an utterly disappointing and sometimes frustrating experience.
12. Star Fox Guard
★★★☆☆ - 5 hours - Completed 4/25/2016
Surprisingly more enjoyable than Star Fox Zero. I've played lots of tower defense games, but none that allowed me to have direct control over every turret. Fun game for what it is.
Master post
Gone Home | Steam | 2 h | ★★★☆
Stanley Parable | Steam | 1½ h | ★★☆☆
Dark Souls | Steam | 42 h | ★★★★
Gone Home | Steam | 2 h | ★★★☆
Stanley Parable | Steam | 1½ h | ★★☆☆
Dark Souls | Steam | 42 h | ★★★★
Sioul
Member
February and March Update:
Original post
Game 8 (Feb. 7): Hand of Fate (Xbox One) - ★★★☆☆
Amazing game, the combat gameplay isnt that great but the card system is awesome. It can be a little hard in the later stages if you have bad luck and dont get good encounters or if you get some bad curses.
Game 9 (Feb. 8): Ryse: Son of Rome (Xbox One) - ★★★★☆
The combat is very repetitive and basically is QTE: the game, well, you dont need to do executions but is the best way to finish enemies and get bonus. Anyway, the setting is beautiful, the plot is good and the characters are interesting. Now I want Ryse 2 to be a thing.
Game 10 (Feb. 9): Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag Freedom Cry (Xbox One) - ★★★☆☆
More AC4 but now the story of Adélawé. Fun game, a couple new weapons and new type of events in the city. The map is really small and the missions are practically the same type from Black Flag.
Game 11 (Feb. 21): Castle Crashers (Xbox 360) - ★★★★☆
Fun rpg Beat 'em up. Lovely style and good stages. It is really fun to play on co-op and have a lot of secrets and hidden characters.
Game 12 (Feb. 25) Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360) - ★★★★☆
It is a good game, it has some technical problems but is really fun to kill zombies in any possible way. I think I miss the Infinite mode from the original game.
Game 13 (Feb. 29) Dead Rising 2: Case West (Xbox 360) - ★★★☆☆
This is a XBLA exclusive games that continue the Ending A from DR2. It is a really short game including 3 cases and is just interesting because it adds a little more to the plot
Game 14 (Mar. 1): Pneuma: Breath of Life (Xbox One) - ★★☆☆☆
A puzzle game. Nice visuals and some good puzzles but in the end isn't really that good, the game is short and sometimes I found it boring.
Game 15 (Mar. 9): Dead Rising 2: Off The Record (Xbox 360) - ★★★★☆
This game is basically a what if? in which Frank West is covering the outbreak instead of Chuck. The plot is really similar but with some new twists and some swapped roles between characters. It is a good game and includes a sandbox mode where you can do missions or just kill zombies.
Game 16 (Mar. 17): Tom Clancys The Division (Xbox One) - ★★★★☆
I completed all the main story missions and all the side quests, played a lot of DZ and HM/CM dailies. I love this game, the gameplay is really cool and fun to play, is really easy to join other people for completing missions or just do stuff. The story isnt that great but I liked the way it ended. I can't wait for the expansions.
Original post
Game 8 (Feb. 7): Hand of Fate (Xbox One) - ★★★☆☆
Amazing game, the combat gameplay isnt that great but the card system is awesome. It can be a little hard in the later stages if you have bad luck and dont get good encounters or if you get some bad curses.
Game 9 (Feb. 8): Ryse: Son of Rome (Xbox One) - ★★★★☆
The combat is very repetitive and basically is QTE: the game, well, you dont need to do executions but is the best way to finish enemies and get bonus. Anyway, the setting is beautiful, the plot is good and the characters are interesting. Now I want Ryse 2 to be a thing.
Game 10 (Feb. 9): Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag Freedom Cry (Xbox One) - ★★★☆☆
More AC4 but now the story of Adélawé. Fun game, a couple new weapons and new type of events in the city. The map is really small and the missions are practically the same type from Black Flag.
Game 11 (Feb. 21): Castle Crashers (Xbox 360) - ★★★★☆
Fun rpg Beat 'em up. Lovely style and good stages. It is really fun to play on co-op and have a lot of secrets and hidden characters.
Game 12 (Feb. 25) Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360) - ★★★★☆
It is a good game, it has some technical problems but is really fun to kill zombies in any possible way. I think I miss the Infinite mode from the original game.
Game 13 (Feb. 29) Dead Rising 2: Case West (Xbox 360) - ★★★☆☆
This is a XBLA exclusive games that continue the Ending A from DR2. It is a really short game including 3 cases and is just interesting because it adds a little more to the plot
Game 14 (Mar. 1): Pneuma: Breath of Life (Xbox One) - ★★☆☆☆
A puzzle game. Nice visuals and some good puzzles but in the end isn't really that good, the game is short and sometimes I found it boring.
Game 15 (Mar. 9): Dead Rising 2: Off The Record (Xbox 360) - ★★★★☆
This game is basically a what if? in which Frank West is covering the outbreak instead of Chuck. The plot is really similar but with some new twists and some swapped roles between characters. It is a good game and includes a sandbox mode where you can do missions or just kill zombies.
Game 16 (Mar. 17): Tom Clancys The Division (Xbox One) - ★★★★☆
I completed all the main story missions and all the side quests, played a lot of DZ and HM/CM dailies. I love this game, the gameplay is really cool and fun to play, is really easy to join other people for completing missions or just do stuff. The story isnt that great but I liked the way it ended. I can't wait for the expansions.
OP
21. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (PS3)
Picked this up for about £2.50 in a recent sale and enjoyed it. It felt like a nice tribute piece to the original Sands of Time in a lot of ways and some of the platforming puzzles were actually quite clever.
Also still looks decent for its age! Didn't care much for the story and it wasn't particularly ambitious in scope, but glad I played it and an easy platinum to go with it.
21. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (PS3)
Picked this up for about £2.50 in a recent sale and enjoyed it. It felt like a nice tribute piece to the original Sands of Time in a lot of ways and some of the platforming puzzles were actually quite clever.
Also still looks decent for its age! Didn't care much for the story and it wasn't particularly ambitious in scope, but glad I played it and an easy platinum to go with it.
The Illiterati
Member
Full List
Been a long time since I updated!
February
11. Nova-111 / 6 hrs
I enjoyed this PS Plus game a lot, though the bosses got more finicky than I would've liked.
12. Calendula / 1 hr
Not much to say, simple little horror clicking puzzle game. Meh.
13. Unravel / 8 hrs
I really enjoyed my time with this, and I liked the way the mechanics evolved as the game went on. The snow levels were amazingly beautiful.
14. Firewatch / 5 hrs
Disappointing. Really expected more from this team.
15. Rain / 4 hrs
Trying to go back and play all my PS3 games, I finished this game, which was just alright. I grew tired of it by the end.
March
16. Picross 3D 2 / 60 hrs
This game is amazing, and it was well worth importing! The playtime is just an estimate, could've been longer for sure, I completed every single puzzle.
17. The Division / 50 hrs
This took me forever to complete as I did quite a bit of exploring. I had fun with it as a solo game, but I'm done for now.
April
18. Yakuza 4 / 25 hrs
Besides 1, this is my least favorite Yakuza game. It just felt underwhelming to me. Maybe I rushed it knowing I had 5 coming up next.
19. Yakuza 5 / 65 hrs
On the other hand, this is up there with 3 as my favorite, due to all the Side stories, which I completed 100%. The story did drag on however, and Shinada's story was pretty boring. I loved Haruka's part though. What a fantastic series!
19 games / 450 hrs
Been a long time since I updated!
February
11. Nova-111 / 6 hrs
I enjoyed this PS Plus game a lot, though the bosses got more finicky than I would've liked.
12. Calendula / 1 hr
Not much to say, simple little horror clicking puzzle game. Meh.
13. Unravel / 8 hrs
I really enjoyed my time with this, and I liked the way the mechanics evolved as the game went on. The snow levels were amazingly beautiful.
14. Firewatch / 5 hrs
Disappointing. Really expected more from this team.
15. Rain / 4 hrs
Trying to go back and play all my PS3 games, I finished this game, which was just alright. I grew tired of it by the end.
March
16. Picross 3D 2 / 60 hrs
This game is amazing, and it was well worth importing! The playtime is just an estimate, could've been longer for sure, I completed every single puzzle.
17. The Division / 50 hrs
This took me forever to complete as I did quite a bit of exploring. I had fun with it as a solo game, but I'm done for now.
April
18. Yakuza 4 / 25 hrs
Besides 1, this is my least favorite Yakuza game. It just felt underwhelming to me. Maybe I rushed it knowing I had 5 coming up next.
19. Yakuza 5 / 65 hrs
On the other hand, this is up there with 3 as my favorite, due to all the Side stories, which I completed 100%. The story did drag on however, and Shinada's story was pretty boring. I loved Haruka's part though. What a fantastic series!
19 games / 450 hrs
Realplumpbox85
Member
OT
Finished up Shadow of the Colossus today. It was a fun game but the last one took me a good total of 5 hrs. to beat. I kept getting frustrated with the camera and controls (which didn't hold up all that well). I did love pretty much everything to do with the game. Not sure why people say it is a "sequel" or "spiritual successor" to ICO. Other than the art style I saw zero connection, but oh well I still loved the shit out of it.
Finished up Shadow of the Colossus today. It was a fun game but the last one took me a good total of 5 hrs. to beat. I kept getting frustrated with the camera and controls (which didn't hold up all that well). I did love pretty much everything to do with the game. Not sure why people say it is a "sequel" or "spiritual successor" to ICO. Other than the art style I saw zero connection, but oh well I still loved the shit out of it.
Game #24 - Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2
Time: 17 hours
Good game plagued with a split personality and obvious game development problems (which were public), at times it feels like they were making 2 different games. Still, the combat is great, some of the vistas in the castle sections are great (not so much in the modern city setting) and theres quite a bit of backtracking for upgrades, much more so than in the first game. I like it in that B-tier game we are lacking more and more, but some bad stealth sections and otherwsie frustrating parts make it not as good as the first one. I still like the trilogy in the end tho, and really like what they did with the lore in a new setting. The
Alucard
OP
Game 13: My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess - April 28th
Yep, more Picross! I can't help myself, it's a good game to have a play of before going to sleep. Anyway, the Zelda themed stuff is neat, even if it doesn't really add much. I got my head around Mega Picross a bit more, but still not really a fan.
Game 14: Quantum Break - April 28th
Unfortunately, this one didn't really do it for me. It was enjoyable enough that I don't regret playing it, but given the premise it was surprisingly unambitious in gameplay. The time powers weren't that exciting and I don't know why Remedy don't seem to be able to match the fun gun play of their Max Payne games.
Original post
Yep, more Picross! I can't help myself, it's a good game to have a play of before going to sleep. Anyway, the Zelda themed stuff is neat, even if it doesn't really add much. I got my head around Mega Picross a bit more, but still not really a fan.
Game 14: Quantum Break - April 28th
Unfortunately, this one didn't really do it for me. It was enjoyable enough that I don't regret playing it, but given the premise it was surprisingly unambitious in gameplay. The time powers weren't that exciting and I don't know why Remedy don't seem to be able to match the fun gun play of their Max Payne games.
Original post
Master Post
I'll be honest, I didn't complete the game's 170 level campaign. I got around 50 levels into it before having my fill, wouldn't have been able to complete it anyway since it gatekeeps later levels if you don't ace earlier ones. Regardless, the game is real fun. It controls well (as long as you're on road) and the sense of speed is well done. Mashing "Hello!" and "GG's all" in multiplayer is fun and the Track Editor is really good and leads to some really fun levels. The game really feels like you get as much out of it as you put in and I had my fun and might play it from time to time.
This game is one I have been looking forward to for a while, as it was the next game to be made by DrinkBox Studios, who made one of my favourite games, Guacamelee. Suffice it to say, Severed is fantastic. It's a first person dungeon crawler that plays sort of like a metroidvania, levels progress in a linear fashion, but have hidden areas available after obtaining powerups and areas become interconnected as you progress. Combat plays out like a touch controlled Punch Out, combat is about understanding enemy patterns and finding the right place and the right time to attack. Coupled up with enemy buffs and having to fight different enemies at the same time, and the combat stays challenging and engaging throughout the whole, albeit short, game time. Overall despite some small issues, the game is fantastic and might be one of my favourites of the year.
---------------
Super fun platformer. Quirky Rambo elephant running around demolishing the evil military faction with power and things. Game played well and is generally designed well. Not much else to say. Elephant.
Game 27: Trackmania Turbo (PS4) | 10 Hours+ | 04/25/2016 | 3.5/5
I'll be honest, I didn't complete the game's 170 level campaign. I got around 50 levels into it before having my fill, wouldn't have been able to complete it anyway since it gatekeeps later levels if you don't ace earlier ones. Regardless, the game is real fun. It controls well (as long as you're on road) and the sense of speed is well done. Mashing "Hello!" and "GG's all" in multiplayer is fun and the Track Editor is really good and leads to some really fun levels. The game really feels like you get as much out of it as you put in and I had my fun and might play it from time to time.
Game 28: Severed (Vita) | 7 Hours | 04/28/2016 | 4.5/5
This game is one I have been looking forward to for a while, as it was the next game to be made by DrinkBox Studios, who made one of my favourite games, Guacamelee. Suffice it to say, Severed is fantastic. It's a first person dungeon crawler that plays sort of like a metroidvania, levels progress in a linear fashion, but have hidden areas available after obtaining powerups and areas become interconnected as you progress. Combat plays out like a touch controlled Punch Out, combat is about understanding enemy patterns and finding the right place and the right time to attack. Coupled up with enemy buffs and having to fight different enemies at the same time, and the combat stays challenging and engaging throughout the whole, albeit short, game time. Overall despite some small issues, the game is fantastic and might be one of my favourites of the year.
---------------
Game 7: Tembo the Badass Elephant (PC) | 8 Hours | 01/19/16 | 3.5/5
Super fun platformer. Quirky Rambo elephant running around demolishing the evil military faction with power and things. Game played well and is generally designed well. Not much else to say. Elephant.
Spieler Eins
Member
original post
Game 27: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PC) - 27 hours
It's more Danganronpa and the way I feel about it is familiar to the first game. I love good murder mysteries and this has them. The gameplay correlating with it is also great, it's in fact better than Ace Attorney. It's fast-paced and streamlined (in a good way) compared to the court gameplay of the latter, despite a few minigames taking too long every now and then. In general, I also like that this series puts the Visual Novel parts into a more sophisticated adventure style of game, even including some RPG elements.
Other than that, the same annoyances remain. Despite people claiming how DR plays with tropes and ,,defies" them, the writing relies a lot on trite animu narratives. One big part of the ,,emotional impact" of the finale pretty much assumes you're an otaku prone to the most basic waifu tropes. Terrible.
The entire female cast is nothing but an otaku pandering shitfest. Main character still a typical wimp. Power of ,,friendship/love" still taken to idiotic levels. I.e. DR is not nearly as smart as people make it out to be.
All in all though, the writing is a little less trite and predictable than the first game. The art direction would be great and distinct if it wasn't for several still cliched character designs. At least the music is still great.
On the other hand, the evil bear Monokuma has been severely watered down. In the first game, his personality and decent writing was a surprise. Here, he is nothing but a gimmick. They went way too over the top (and doubling the mascots was a mistake too).
I guess I might be in for the next game. Solely for the murders and music, while hoping to endure the other parts of it. At least I'll be able to sell it on the PS4.
Game 28: Streetpasst Quest II (3DS) - n/a
I guess I got through that thing after a year or so. I'm not sure why I still take the 3DS with me. On my special edition, the colour goes off on the edges (despite me not at all stressing it, the 3DS is barely in my bag pocket). Nintendo makes such awful hardware nowadays. From here on out, I should buy their hardware used (or not at all).
Game 27: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PC) - 27 hours
It's more Danganronpa and the way I feel about it is familiar to the first game. I love good murder mysteries and this has them. The gameplay correlating with it is also great, it's in fact better than Ace Attorney. It's fast-paced and streamlined (in a good way) compared to the court gameplay of the latter, despite a few minigames taking too long every now and then. In general, I also like that this series puts the Visual Novel parts into a more sophisticated adventure style of game, even including some RPG elements.
Other than that, the same annoyances remain. Despite people claiming how DR plays with tropes and ,,defies" them, the writing relies a lot on trite animu narratives. One big part of the ,,emotional impact" of the finale pretty much assumes you're an otaku prone to the most basic waifu tropes. Terrible.
The entire female cast is nothing but an otaku pandering shitfest. Main character still a typical wimp. Power of ,,friendship/love" still taken to idiotic levels. I.e. DR is not nearly as smart as people make it out to be.
All in all though, the writing is a little less trite and predictable than the first game. The art direction would be great and distinct if it wasn't for several still cliched character designs. At least the music is still great.
On the other hand, the evil bear Monokuma has been severely watered down. In the first game, his personality and decent writing was a surprise. Here, he is nothing but a gimmick. They went way too over the top (and doubling the mascots was a mistake too).
I guess I might be in for the next game. Solely for the murders and music, while hoping to endure the other parts of it. At least I'll be able to sell it on the PS4.
Game 28: Streetpasst Quest II (3DS) - n/a
I guess I got through that thing after a year or so. I'm not sure why I still take the 3DS with me. On my special edition, the colour goes off on the edges (despite me not at all stressing it, the 3DS is barely in my bag pocket). Nintendo makes such awful hardware nowadays. From here on out, I should buy their hardware used (or not at all).
rottendevice
Member
Main Post
Game 15: Mass Effect 2 (19 hours)
I think the Mass Effect series is pretty cool. I like sci-fi as a genre, so that might explain why.
I played through the first Mass Effect and really enjoyed it. I later played Mass Effect 2, probably a little past the halfway point, and then stopped. My save got lost, so this is my second attempt to get through Mass Effect 2.
The mission structure is pretty formulaic: go to a location (planet), kill the enemies, progress the story (usually recruiting someone on your team). This said, it's a fun cover-based shooter, and the story is good, albeit densely written.
The game looks beautiful on PC, despite being a last-gen game. Any modern graphics card should have no trouble handling it.
One minor grievance is that the load times seem longer than they need to be. Seeing I'm playing off a hard drive, it shouldn't take as long to load the data as it does.
All told, it's rare that we see a game come out with this much production value. It feels like a high budget Hollywood film. I'm glad it exists, and I'm looking forward to the third game.
5/5
Game 16: Tetris - Android F2P game (~7 hours)
Despite being a free-to-play game, this version of Tetris doesn't bombard you with micro-transactions. You are instead presented with an ad when in-game, as well as an ad before each game.
The most interesting thing about this version of Tetris is that because it is a mobile game, you're presented with an outline of the locations where you can drop the pieces. You tap the location you want, and that's where the block goes. It doesn't list every location, but rather the most practical ones. It's an interesting twist.
I can't give this game a bad score. It's a classic. Five stars, easily.
5/5
Game 15: Mass Effect 2 (19 hours)
I think the Mass Effect series is pretty cool. I like sci-fi as a genre, so that might explain why.
I played through the first Mass Effect and really enjoyed it. I later played Mass Effect 2, probably a little past the halfway point, and then stopped. My save got lost, so this is my second attempt to get through Mass Effect 2.
The mission structure is pretty formulaic: go to a location (planet), kill the enemies, progress the story (usually recruiting someone on your team). This said, it's a fun cover-based shooter, and the story is good, albeit densely written.
The game looks beautiful on PC, despite being a last-gen game. Any modern graphics card should have no trouble handling it.
One minor grievance is that the load times seem longer than they need to be. Seeing I'm playing off a hard drive, it shouldn't take as long to load the data as it does.
All told, it's rare that we see a game come out with this much production value. It feels like a high budget Hollywood film. I'm glad it exists, and I'm looking forward to the third game.
5/5
Game 16: Tetris - Android F2P game (~7 hours)
Despite being a free-to-play game, this version of Tetris doesn't bombard you with micro-transactions. You are instead presented with an ad when in-game, as well as an ad before each game.
The most interesting thing about this version of Tetris is that because it is a mobile game, you're presented with an outline of the locations where you can drop the pieces. You tap the location you want, and that's where the block goes. It doesn't list every location, but rather the most practical ones. It's an interesting twist.
I can't give this game a bad score. It's a classic. Five stars, easily.
5/5
Ceallach
Smells like fresh rosebuds
Game 19
Resident Evil HD, PC
Still awesome after all these years. Dunno how many time I have beat this game. Multiple playthroughs on ps one, the director cut, the GCN remake, the Wii port, now this. Love it so.
Game 20
Minecraft Story Mode episode 5
Played it with my kid. She looooves it, but I guess there are gonna be 8 now.
Resident Evil HD, PC
Still awesome after all these years. Dunno how many time I have beat this game. Multiple playthroughs on ps one, the director cut, the GCN remake, the Wii port, now this. Love it so.
Game 20
Minecraft Story Mode episode 5
Played it with my kid. She looooves it, but I guess there are gonna be 8 now.
rottendevice
Member
Main Post
Game 17: Metal Slug 3 (~1 & 1/2 hours)
It was nice playing something a little more accessible after playing Mass Effect 2.
There's not much new to say after writing a review for the original Metal Slug. This is a very similar game. The last mission is cool.
You can really tell playing arcade mode that they're trying to squeeze every quarter out of you that they can.
My review score is based on the assumption that you know this is a one and a half hour game.
4/5
Game 18: Metal Slug X (~1 hour)
Another Metal Slug game? Well... yeah. Another Metal Slug game.
This Metal Slug is my favorite of the three I played. The difficulty feels about right. I mean, the game is designed to eat quarters still, but it's nowhere near as hard as 3 was. The soundtrack gets a little jazzy in one part. As a fan of jazz music, I appreciated that. Not sure what else to say. It's a fun game. It's also an hour long.
My review score is under the assumption that you're aware the game is an hour long.
4/5
------------------------
Hey, we're in the seventeenth week of the year, and I've played eighteen games! I've caught up!
Game 17: Metal Slug 3 (~1 & 1/2 hours)
It was nice playing something a little more accessible after playing Mass Effect 2.
There's not much new to say after writing a review for the original Metal Slug. This is a very similar game. The last mission is cool.
It sort of turns into a shmup for a little while.
My review score is based on the assumption that you know this is a one and a half hour game.
4/5
Game 18: Metal Slug X (~1 hour)
Another Metal Slug game? Well... yeah. Another Metal Slug game.
This Metal Slug is my favorite of the three I played. The difficulty feels about right. I mean, the game is designed to eat quarters still, but it's nowhere near as hard as 3 was. The soundtrack gets a little jazzy in one part. As a fan of jazz music, I appreciated that. Not sure what else to say. It's a fun game. It's also an hour long.
My review score is under the assumption that you're aware the game is an hour long.
4/5
------------------------
Hey, we're in the seventeenth week of the year, and I've played eighteen games! I've caught up!
Game #25 - Contrast
Time: 3 hours
Super disapointing and a serious case of "dont judge a book by its cover", or in this case, a game by its screenshots. In fact, the noir-ish art style is prtty much the only thing this short adventure has going for it. Super loose and finicky controls, uninspired light/shadow based puzzles made worse by the bad controls, and a story that wants to be deeper and more serious than your usual videogame but falls appart because of the awful writing, its really a shame how badly this turned out because it looked super promissing. At least its short :/
OP
MehsterChief
Member
OP
OP2
Backloggery
Game 28: Command & Conquer: Generals
I had heard so much positive reaction to this entry in the C & C series, but I was utterly disappointed. The campaign missions are really bad for the most part. The C & C Red Alert games were much better. Add to that the lack of FMV's and a scenario heavily influenced by the Post-9/11 angst and you got a very mediocre game, at least in singleplayer.
Game 29: Bayonetta
Crazy, just crazy.The more I progressed the less the areas felt liek actual levels and more like just one big, crazy boss fight after another.
The problem is that it is just too much. There's so much going on at any sceond that I never felt completely in control of the action.
Game 30: Dark Souls 3:
A fitting end with some of the best boss fights in the series and some very nice references. Also, no Winter Lanterns which is always a plus in Soulsborne game.
Game 31: Devil May Cry (Reboot)
I know this one's not liked very much. And yes, Dante is a giant dickhead in this game trying to appeal to an audience that never cares about these kinds of games in first place. I still liked this a lot though, manly because of the combat system, which was really versatile and not as chaotic as Bayonetta.
OP2
Backloggery
Game 28: Command & Conquer: Generals
I had heard so much positive reaction to this entry in the C & C series, but I was utterly disappointed. The campaign missions are really bad for the most part. The C & C Red Alert games were much better. Add to that the lack of FMV's and a scenario heavily influenced by the Post-9/11 angst and you got a very mediocre game, at least in singleplayer.
Game 29: Bayonetta
Crazy, just crazy.The more I progressed the less the areas felt liek actual levels and more like just one big, crazy boss fight after another.
The problem is that it is just too much. There's so much going on at any sceond that I never felt completely in control of the action.
Game 30: Dark Souls 3:
A fitting end with some of the best boss fights in the series and some very nice references. Also, no Winter Lanterns which is always a plus in Soulsborne game.
Game 31: Devil May Cry (Reboot)
I know this one's not liked very much. And yes, Dante is a giant dickhead in this game trying to appeal to an audience that never cares about these kinds of games in first place. I still liked this a lot though, manly because of the combat system, which was really versatile and not as chaotic as Bayonetta.
rottendevice
Member
Main Post
Game 19: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD (4 1/2 hours)
I had the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on Dreamcast and had a great time with it. It was the best version of the game in terms of graphics. But also, I liked the way it played on a Dreamcast controller.
When I bought this game, I expected it was going to be the original Tony Hawk in HD. Well, turns out, this is more of a greatest hits of (presumably) previously non-HD Tony Hawk courses.
It's not a hard game. It took me less than five hours to get all the levels. There's the option to play through the game again with a different character. But the way you can max out stats, different characters are more like different skins. There's no specific benefits you get from one character or another after you upgrade stats.
The game doesn't feel right. The controls are imprecise compared to the Dreamcast game. I also don't think the courses picked are the best. Playing all the original Tony Hawk courses would have made for a better game than the levels selected here.
I can't hate on the game too much. Nailing a big combo is it's own reward. This game is competent, but not excellent.
3/5
Game 19: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD (4 1/2 hours)
I had the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on Dreamcast and had a great time with it. It was the best version of the game in terms of graphics. But also, I liked the way it played on a Dreamcast controller.
When I bought this game, I expected it was going to be the original Tony Hawk in HD. Well, turns out, this is more of a greatest hits of (presumably) previously non-HD Tony Hawk courses.
It's not a hard game. It took me less than five hours to get all the levels. There's the option to play through the game again with a different character. But the way you can max out stats, different characters are more like different skins. There's no specific benefits you get from one character or another after you upgrade stats.
The game doesn't feel right. The controls are imprecise compared to the Dreamcast game. I also don't think the courses picked are the best. Playing all the original Tony Hawk courses would have made for a better game than the levels selected here.
I can't hate on the game too much. Nailing a big combo is it's own reward. This game is competent, but not excellent.
3/5
OP
Game 24: Rusty Lake Hotel (Android) 17/04/16 - 21/04/16
A creepy horror point and click puzzle game that's on Steam and is also on Android, which I decided to play on. The story is pretty dark and creepy and filled with good puzzles, it plays almost like an escape puzzle room game. An easy game to pick up and play whenever you have a chance to solve a puzzle or two which was perfect for me to play on my Android smartphone.
Game 00: Pocket Card Jockey Demo (3DS) 23/04/16 - 23/04/16 2 Hours
Solitaire + Horses = Pocket Card Jockey is the only way I can describe this game. The demo shows a lot of the game but not everything and I believe progress from the demo is transferred to the full game, so I thought it was worth writing about it but it won't be counted as one of the 52 games and I'll most likely grab the full game when it is released in the near future.
Game 25: SteamWorld Heist (3DS) 24/04/16 - 28/04/16 13 Hours
This is the third game in the SteamWorld series and each game plays like a different game while sharing the same universe, I've only played 2 of them so far and enjoyed them both a lot. This plays like a turn-based action strategy shooter in a side-scrolling format instead of the usual isometric format. An update and new DLC was released just after I finished the game but I didn't grab them and I also read that the developers plan to release more DLC for the game in the future, so I might get back into once all the DLC material has been released when they port the game to PC with all the DLC in the game.
Game 26: The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 3 (PC) 30/04/16 - 30/04/16 1 Hour
That concludes Michonne's saga in the Telltale Walking Dead series, same length as episode 2. I thought this mini-series was OK because I didn't really care for Michonne as a character as she wasn't featured at all in the main Telltale Walking Dead series although that could change with season 03 and she isn't that interesting in the TV series. I think, they made this game for fans who read the comics because I've heard that she's kinda a fan favourite in the comic series.
Game 24: Rusty Lake Hotel (Android) 17/04/16 - 21/04/16
A creepy horror point and click puzzle game that's on Steam and is also on Android, which I decided to play on. The story is pretty dark and creepy and filled with good puzzles, it plays almost like an escape puzzle room game. An easy game to pick up and play whenever you have a chance to solve a puzzle or two which was perfect for me to play on my Android smartphone.
Game 00: Pocket Card Jockey Demo (3DS) 23/04/16 - 23/04/16 2 Hours
Solitaire + Horses = Pocket Card Jockey is the only way I can describe this game. The demo shows a lot of the game but not everything and I believe progress from the demo is transferred to the full game, so I thought it was worth writing about it but it won't be counted as one of the 52 games and I'll most likely grab the full game when it is released in the near future.
Game 25: SteamWorld Heist (3DS) 24/04/16 - 28/04/16 13 Hours
This is the third game in the SteamWorld series and each game plays like a different game while sharing the same universe, I've only played 2 of them so far and enjoyed them both a lot. This plays like a turn-based action strategy shooter in a side-scrolling format instead of the usual isometric format. An update and new DLC was released just after I finished the game but I didn't grab them and I also read that the developers plan to release more DLC for the game in the future, so I might get back into once all the DLC material has been released when they port the game to PC with all the DLC in the game.
Game 26: The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 3 (PC) 30/04/16 - 30/04/16 1 Hour
That concludes Michonne's saga in the Telltale Walking Dead series, same length as episode 2. I thought this mini-series was OK because I didn't really care for Michonne as a character as she wasn't featured at all in the main Telltale Walking Dead series although that could change with season 03 and she isn't that interesting in the TV series. I think, they made this game for fans who read the comics because I've heard that she's kinda a fan favourite in the comic series.
OP
Took me long enough to type this up.
Game 1: Battlefield Hardline (Xbox One) - 01/24/16 - 7 hours
I played this back when EA Access was free for the weekend. I was curious to see what the singleplayer was like and couldn't say no to the low, low price of free.
I like it, the police show style presentation was engaging despite the obvious story beats.
Gunplay was as satisfiying as a (modern) Battlefield game should be.
Game 2: Dying Light (PC) - 02/02/16 - 33 hours
Picked this up with 3 other friends and we had a blast with it.
The overall story was OK, nothing to write home about. Most of the experience was running around with my friends and bashing some zombie skull.
Game 3: Streets of Rage 2 (Sega classics) (PC) - 03/04/16 - 4 hours overall
A classic beat em up I decided to spend time with and it was a classic experience, I'll say that.
It's a pretty straight forward game that gets tough and borderline frustrating near the 70% of the game. I did have to use save states because of the problematic hitboxes of certain enemies but it was worth it.
Game 4: The Division (PC) - March 2016 - 30ish hours
Played The Division with 3 other friends, and I'll say that it's the best way to play the game (I don't trust randoms). It's a fun multiplayer experience, just like Dying Light
It has a fun gameplay loop but it sadly get too repetitive for it's own good. Near the end , the fatigue was certainly setting in.
Game 5: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (Xbox One) - 04/09/16 - 10 hours
It's Gears, in it's most janky version. It was definitely a good time with my brother. save for those sections where you have to split up and the game gets super tough for no reason.
Pulling off headshots and perfect active reloads still feel satifying as all hell.
Game 6: Rayman Legends (Xbox One) - 04/30/16 - 40 hours
As one of the many Ubisoft games I've gotten thanks to GWG, I wasn't expecting to sink so much time in Rayman Legends.
I booted it up to play a quick platformer while cooking and got sucked into the fun platforming and french humor.
I basically 100% the game, save for 3-4 achievements.
It's a really great game and any one looking for platformer should look out for this.
Game 7: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 Campaign (Xbox One) - 04/30/16 - 8ish hours
Played most of the campaign with a friend and couldn't pay much attention to the story. Abandoned the game for a while and came back to it today (04/30) to polish it off. Sadly, story prgression was linked to my friends profile and I couldn't continue normally. SO I go through "Mission Select" and do the last 3 mission left.
A ways into the last mission, the game crashed on me. Because I didn't have any saves, I had to start it over. I get near the end, about 5 minutes from the credits and the game crashes again. There, I gave up, I didn't have the drive to do it again.
For a COD campaign, I was disappointed by the extremely convoluted story. Shinobi602 summed up my feelings in one of his post about this game.
Game 8: Rainbow Six: Siege (PC) - on and off - 60 hours so far
This is a great game. Most people here on GAF have praised this game for it's team centered gameplay and they're right.
With 4 other friends, I've spent countless adrenaline filled nights on this game.
Game 9: Street Fighter V (PC) - on and off - 26 hours so far
Getting in on Street Fighter V as it's in its launch phase is great, I get to play and learn with everyone. Simplified mechanics ( compared to 4) make it less frustating to pull off combos and I actually feel like I can be good at the game.
Took me long enough to type this up.
Game 1: Battlefield Hardline (Xbox One) - 01/24/16 - 7 hours
I played this back when EA Access was free for the weekend. I was curious to see what the singleplayer was like and couldn't say no to the low, low price of free.
I like it, the police show style presentation was engaging despite the obvious story beats.
Gunplay was as satisfiying as a (modern) Battlefield game should be.
Game 2: Dying Light (PC) - 02/02/16 - 33 hours
Picked this up with 3 other friends and we had a blast with it.
The overall story was OK, nothing to write home about. Most of the experience was running around with my friends and bashing some zombie skull.
Game 3: Streets of Rage 2 (Sega classics) (PC) - 03/04/16 - 4 hours overall
A classic beat em up I decided to spend time with and it was a classic experience, I'll say that.
It's a pretty straight forward game that gets tough and borderline frustrating near the 70% of the game. I did have to use save states because of the problematic hitboxes of certain enemies but it was worth it.
Game 4: The Division (PC) - March 2016 - 30ish hours
Played The Division with 3 other friends, and I'll say that it's the best way to play the game (I don't trust randoms). It's a fun multiplayer experience, just like Dying Light
It has a fun gameplay loop but it sadly get too repetitive for it's own good. Near the end , the fatigue was certainly setting in.
Game 5: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (Xbox One) - 04/09/16 - 10 hours
It's Gears, in it's most janky version. It was definitely a good time with my brother. save for those sections where you have to split up and the game gets super tough for no reason.
Pulling off headshots and perfect active reloads still feel satifying as all hell.
Game 6: Rayman Legends (Xbox One) - 04/30/16 - 40 hours
As one of the many Ubisoft games I've gotten thanks to GWG, I wasn't expecting to sink so much time in Rayman Legends.
I booted it up to play a quick platformer while cooking and got sucked into the fun platforming and french humor.
I basically 100% the game, save for 3-4 achievements.
It's a really great game and any one looking for platformer should look out for this.
Game 7: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 Campaign (Xbox One) - 04/30/16 - 8ish hours
Played most of the campaign with a friend and couldn't pay much attention to the story. Abandoned the game for a while and came back to it today (04/30) to polish it off. Sadly, story prgression was linked to my friends profile and I couldn't continue normally. SO I go through "Mission Select" and do the last 3 mission left.
A ways into the last mission, the game crashed on me. Because I didn't have any saves, I had to start it over. I get near the end, about 5 minutes from the credits and the game crashes again. There, I gave up, I didn't have the drive to do it again.
For a COD campaign, I was disappointed by the extremely convoluted story. Shinobi602 summed up my feelings in one of his post about this game.
Game 8: Rainbow Six: Siege (PC) - on and off - 60 hours so far
This is a great game. Most people here on GAF have praised this game for it's team centered gameplay and they're right.
With 4 other friends, I've spent countless adrenaline filled nights on this game.
Game 9: Street Fighter V (PC) - on and off - 26 hours so far
Getting in on Street Fighter V as it's in its launch phase is great, I get to play and learn with everyone. Simplified mechanics ( compared to 4) make it less frustating to pull off combos and I actually feel like I can be good at the game.
Spieler Eins
Member
original post
Game 29: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (3DS) - 8 hours
This was the first time I've played a game in the series. Afaik the last games offered certain magic abilities, which are now absent and I can't tell how much the new abilities replicate them. All in all though, it's both a competent Metroidvania and action platformer. It isn't spectacular though, especially because of the currently high competition within the indie scene. When it comes to action platforming, Shovelknight, by previous Shantae developers, felt quite a bit tighter and more fun. Shantae focuses too much combat, considering that the limited short range attacks never evolve and don't feel all that fun to begin with. Meanwhile, most of the maps are good in providing enough variety and exploration. Yet, some of the backtracking just feels redundant. And despite some decent humour, some of it falls flat and sometimes the dialogue becomes annoyingly bloated. It's a decent game, but probably not a must-play in the current digital market.
Game 29: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (3DS) - 8 hours
This was the first time I've played a game in the series. Afaik the last games offered certain magic abilities, which are now absent and I can't tell how much the new abilities replicate them. All in all though, it's both a competent Metroidvania and action platformer. It isn't spectacular though, especially because of the currently high competition within the indie scene. When it comes to action platforming, Shovelknight, by previous Shantae developers, felt quite a bit tighter and more fun. Shantae focuses too much combat, considering that the limited short range attacks never evolve and don't feel all that fun to begin with. Meanwhile, most of the maps are good in providing enough variety and exploration. Yet, some of the backtracking just feels redundant. And despite some decent humour, some of it falls flat and sometimes the dialogue becomes annoyingly bloated. It's a decent game, but probably not a must-play in the current digital market.
April update. Wasn't really in the mood to play games last month. Probably could've beaten at least another game. But now I'm motivated. Hope I can get more done in May.
On pace for 51 games. Last year I made it 52 in the final day so keeping the same pace....
April Update
Game 15 - Shütshimi ★★☆☆☆
A different shoot'em up which is clearly not my genre. Not a big fan of the random perks but the 10 second levels are a clever concept for someone like me. However there is not much depth in the game for anyone besides leaderboards.
Game 16 - MLB The Show 16 ★★★★☆
I "finished" the game because I played it for 20 hours but like always my final opinion will only be made after a get to the final game of my franchise season. So far so good but some of the issues about animations and scripted scenarios still seem to be in the game. Fish-eye camera is a huge improvement to batting vision. Radial menus are a huge downgrade. Liking the different types of hits out of the bat.
Game 17 - DiRT Rally ★★★★☆
Finally a fantastic game from Codemasters after so many failed attempts in the last 4 years. Unfortunately they failed to make a decent campaign mode because it's completely fake (AI stage times depend on your own performance, so Codemasters decides previously if you are going to end 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc... also depressing to see the leader of a championship lose 5 minutes in the last stage of a championship...randomly. which gives you the championship...). Also the upgrade system and locking cars via purchase has no place in a game that is already so hard. Fortunately they completely nailed the stages and the handling which is why I absolutely love the game.
April Update
Game 15 - Shütshimi ★★☆☆☆
A different shoot'em up which is clearly not my genre. Not a big fan of the random perks but the 10 second levels are a clever concept for someone like me. However there is not much depth in the game for anyone besides leaderboards.
Game 16 - MLB The Show 16 ★★★★☆
I "finished" the game because I played it for 20 hours but like always my final opinion will only be made after a get to the final game of my franchise season. So far so good but some of the issues about animations and scripted scenarios still seem to be in the game. Fish-eye camera is a huge improvement to batting vision. Radial menus are a huge downgrade. Liking the different types of hits out of the bat.
Game 17 - DiRT Rally ★★★★☆
Finally a fantastic game from Codemasters after so many failed attempts in the last 4 years. Unfortunately they failed to make a decent campaign mode because it's completely fake (AI stage times depend on your own performance, so Codemasters decides previously if you are going to end 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc... also depressing to see the leader of a championship lose 5 minutes in the last stage of a championship...randomly. which gives you the championship...). Also the upgrade system and locking cars via purchase has no place in a game that is already so hard. Fortunately they completely nailed the stages and the handling which is why I absolutely love the game.
Game #26 - Ys Origin
Time: 10 hours
Another fun entry in the Ys series, although compared to Seven (the only other I finished) it suffers from a simple story and the single location throughout the game (although the tilesets change of course). Still, Ys games are super fun to play and this is no diffeent, and this one has the difference that you can choose from 2 different characters, one melee and one ranged, with a third unlocking when you finish with either. The path through the game is the same but there are some differences, which is good for completionists or people that like to get the most out of their games, but I have zero interest in doing all that again with a different character, I would rather spend that time playing another game, for example the other Ys games I havent played. Still good tho, and totally worth playing if you like action rpgs in the least.
halfway there, well ahead of schedule (asuming it would be 1 game a week), this is fun.
Game #27 - Astebreed
Time: 3 hours
3 hours because I spent about 1 hour on the last boss before I gave up and deleted the game before I thre my controller at my screen or something. Some of the worst difficulty scaling / spike Ive ever seen as the game is one of the easiest games ever in the first 4 levels, then all of a sudden chapters 5 and 6 (which are basically just bosses) it becomes way too hard (in my opinion of course), the ch5 boss almost made me rage quit and the chapter 6 boss did make me rage quit as I already said. Basically told myself "why am I doing this im not having fun" and called it. I could do it on easy (I think?) but you cant change difficulty without restarting the game and I just cant be arsed to do that again (even if its very short). The game itself is ok, very over rated imo, it looks gorgeous but they have dialogue running throughout the game which is impossible to follow with the chaos on screen, and you can just cruise by the game with auto shots until the aformentioned last chapters. Super disapointing imo.
OP here
Main Post
Game #8: Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Wii U).
Time Played: 12:26 hours.
Completion Reached: Beat the game on Normal mode with 100% collectables.
Guacamelee is a cross between a "Metroidvania" and a 2D brawler. As a "Metroidvania", the game features a lot of exploration and has you getting many upgrades as you progress, allowing you to reach previously unreachable areas. As a brawler, the combat is combo heavy, putting a lot of emphasis on the hitstun your moves inflict on enemies and the many follow-ups you can do to kill your opponents in stylish ways.
One of the unique aspects about the game is the setting. As the title may suggest (at least, to people that talk spanish), the story is set in Mexico. The main character is Juan, a bulky farmer from a town called "Pueblucho" (which translates to something like small town). Very early into the game, Juan is killed by the villain and sent to the land of the dead. There, he finds a luchador (wrestler) mask and returns to the world of the living. The villain, a skeleton named Carlos Calaca, has kidnapped the "princess" of Pueblucho and wants to conquer the world so Juan sets out to stop him. Along the game you'll meet several Mexico-themed characters and locales, which is pretty fun and unique.
Another unique aspect of Guacamelee is the switching between the living dimension and dead dimension. Similar to Metroid Prime 2, the game will have you going through areas both in the land of the dead and the living. Sometimes, a platform or wall will only exist in one of the 2 dimensions, so you'll have to switch between them to proceed. This is used in many ways during the game, creating a lot of fun scenarios.
Presentation is pretty good too. Graphics are very unique and clean and the music is perfect for the setting. The game also has a ridiculous amount of references, both to other games and to "pop cultures". If you're the type of person that gets angry at memes, then you should be prepared to get mad often when playing.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with the game and would totally recommend it, especially if you like "Metroidvanias" and/or brawlers.
Game #8: Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Wii U).
Time Played: 12:26 hours.
Completion Reached: Beat the game on Normal mode with 100% collectables.
Guacamelee is a cross between a "Metroidvania" and a 2D brawler. As a "Metroidvania", the game features a lot of exploration and has you getting many upgrades as you progress, allowing you to reach previously unreachable areas. As a brawler, the combat is combo heavy, putting a lot of emphasis on the hitstun your moves inflict on enemies and the many follow-ups you can do to kill your opponents in stylish ways.
One of the unique aspects about the game is the setting. As the title may suggest (at least, to people that talk spanish), the story is set in Mexico. The main character is Juan, a bulky farmer from a town called "Pueblucho" (which translates to something like small town). Very early into the game, Juan is killed by the villain and sent to the land of the dead. There, he finds a luchador (wrestler) mask and returns to the world of the living. The villain, a skeleton named Carlos Calaca, has kidnapped the "princess" of Pueblucho and wants to conquer the world so Juan sets out to stop him. Along the game you'll meet several Mexico-themed characters and locales, which is pretty fun and unique.
Another unique aspect of Guacamelee is the switching between the living dimension and dead dimension. Similar to Metroid Prime 2, the game will have you going through areas both in the land of the dead and the living. Sometimes, a platform or wall will only exist in one of the 2 dimensions, so you'll have to switch between them to proceed. This is used in many ways during the game, creating a lot of fun scenarios.
Presentation is pretty good too. Graphics are very unique and clean and the music is perfect for the setting. The game also has a ridiculous amount of references, both to other games and to "pop cultures". If you're the type of person that gets angry at memes, then you should be prepared to get mad often when playing.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with the game and would totally recommend it, especially if you like "Metroidvanias" and/or brawlers.
Megatron
Member
Some really nice work that you clearly have put a lot of effort into. Doesn't deserve to be buried in page 2.
April Update:
Completed 25/52:
Game 16: Earthbound (EMU) - 36h28m
#I've played a few games that were Earthbound inspired, and none of them have ever really appealed to me. Without it being the flavour of the month for a group of friends, I never would have picked this up. I'm glad it ended up being so. The only qualm I really had throughout was the combat - if they remastered this and threw in Undertale-esque bullethell combat to replace the current one, I'd be more happy. Characters start off nicely, unconventionally even. Soundtrack is great. Themes are fucking way out for a game I probably should have played as a child. I fell in love with the title. Ness bby.
Game 17: Dark Souls 3 (PC) - 33h09m
#I went as a Thief instead of a Knight, and the bonfire glitch forced me to run in compat mode the first time. Performance patch is definitely needed and upcoming (as of my finish date, at least). Game in and of itself is your Souls game. You die a lot. Soundtrack is great. Pace is upped a bit compared to its prequels, which is nice. That's a lot of what appealed to me about Bloodborne in my play through. The bosses are well thought out, nothing really overstayed its welcome. fromSoft made a good title here. Not my favourite of the Souls games, but it's not one you can hate any more than the others outside of its launch issues such as framerate issues and pretty decent gaming rigs struggling to play the game.
Game 18: The Walking Dead S2 Ep. 1 (PC) - 1h50m
#Better start to the season than the first showed for me. It's probably attached to how much I enjoyed the later episodes of the first season. Didn't take nearly as much to get started, probably because they started off quickly with two consecutive deaths
. Clem's found a
after suffering an injury when separated from her group, and it's a whole new dynamic to get used to. Pete's a likeable character, Rebecca not so much. Sarah seems helpful, and I wouldn't mind seeing Luke dead. Overall, enjoyed this start up to the title considering my general eh attitude toward the first.
Game 1X: NBA 2K16 (Platform) - SO MANY HOURS
#Alright, so I've had this since -5 days of release. Pre orderers got it 5 days early, based EA for that one. Except, not based EA. The Spike Lee movie that went with the first season to MyCareer was enjoyable, sort of like your average black movie of humble beginnings, to riches, with loss and all that. Peachy. Whatever. The online has got worse stutter and lag than anything I've ever witnessed. Oh wait, that's a lie, because up next for review is Street Fighter V, and we all know how that's gone. Things I liked about this game: height finally hinders you. Genuinely. You can not have a viable 7ft PG anymore for a consistent mismatch across the court for whoever is guarding you. It's fantastic. The customization for your character is absolutely crazy, but considering I missed every single one since 2K13, it may be nothing new.
Game 20: Street Fighter V (PS4) - TOO MANY HOURS
#Ya know, I looked forward to February 16th. Really, I did, but this game shouldn't have launched when it did. It took 1.5 months to get lobbies. You could only have 2 people to a lounge. When you'd be in a lounge, anyway, regardless of placement, rollback/lag was so strong no matter your signal strength shown. It could be someone who lives down the street with me, both on 100Mbps dl and 10up, and it'll still find a way to magically screw with me. Story was ridiculously short, and not really a story, because - wait for it - story releasing in JUNE. AHAHAhahahaha. Okay. Thanks, Capcom. There were going to be other EVOs. Lord knows SFV will be in every EVO for the next decade, why the rush? With the March update, they added challenges and tutorials which are nice for beginners. Survival is a bitch. Lobbies exist now but too bad the net code is so trash I don't want to start the game up ever again. Woooooo. Been playing a lot of Killer Instinct as a result for the fighting game kick.
Game 21: The Walking Dead S2. Ep 2 (PC) - 1h53m
#Rollercoaster of an episode, with the introduction of Carver and the fruition of the triangle between himself,
Reintroduction of
was a heart warming bit - didn't expect it. Nick's killing of
created some scary tension between the two groups for a little, and we find Walter's forgiveness to ultimately be a mistake
This season has kept me much more in it than the first did to start with. Well done. Moved up my Telltale rankings.
Game 22: The Walking Dead S2. Ep 3(PC) - 1h26m
#God damn, that Carver
was so, so, so sweet to witness. I left
behind after finding
, because really
. Good to see the return of S1 tactics in running away. Favourite scene is definitely Jane
.
Game 23: The Walking Dead S2. Ep4 (PC) - 1h37m
#What a God damn rollercoaster this was. Jane and Luke? Bye Jane? Russians? Rebecca? Baby? Kenny the cold blooded? Tensions are high, lives are lost. Which lives are lost? This cliff hanger on the sound of bullets after Kenny
is killer, and I dunno if I can continue right away. Right in the feels despite my dislike for
that's rooted in
. Also, can anyone tell me if that's Carver or Alvin's baby already? Fuuuuck's sake. Looks like Carver's. Rebecca still convinced it ain't, but that could be denial - looks like denial.
Game 24: The Walking Dead S2. Ep 5 (PC) - 1h46m
#A tale of betrayal, mistrust, loss, and lots of anger, this episode wraps up with none of the original group left in my play through. It's been wild. Bonnie now
she didn't save
and chose to cover him instead. Mike, Bonnie, and Arvo, sly,
, who freaking had Clem
. I chose to kill
and forgive
. That leaves me down to two people, outside of Alvin Jr. Loved it, through and through. The bickering certainly got annoying - it's a lot of what I disliked about the start of the very first season, between Lily, her father, and Kenny, but eh. Likeable characters, good soundtrack, well played tensions.
Game 25: Bastion (PC) - 6h20m
#A game of restoration, betrayal, and genocide, this game was an emotional rollercoaster for my poor, emotionally invested heart. Zulf broke me, and then broke me again, and then again at the end. Probably the best 6 hours I've spent in a game in a little bit, with an enjoyable narrative, an ace narrator, and fantastic soundtrack. The combat seems to have gotten a bit of hate over the years that I've noticed, but I can't find myself relating, even with a kb/m play through. While you can't multitask in combat, as in you defend or attack, not both, it just teaches you to dodge and counter harder. Art is fantastic, funny that they call the protagonist "The Kid," worlds were all nice and varied. Probably one of my favourite games to date.
Completed 25/52:
Game 16: Earthbound (EMU) - 36h28m
#I've played a few games that were Earthbound inspired, and none of them have ever really appealed to me. Without it being the flavour of the month for a group of friends, I never would have picked this up. I'm glad it ended up being so. The only qualm I really had throughout was the combat - if they remastered this and threw in Undertale-esque bullethell combat to replace the current one, I'd be more happy. Characters start off nicely, unconventionally even. Soundtrack is great. Themes are fucking way out for a game I probably should have played as a child. I fell in love with the title. Ness bby.
Game 17: Dark Souls 3 (PC) - 33h09m
#I went as a Thief instead of a Knight, and the bonfire glitch forced me to run in compat mode the first time. Performance patch is definitely needed and upcoming (as of my finish date, at least). Game in and of itself is your Souls game. You die a lot. Soundtrack is great. Pace is upped a bit compared to its prequels, which is nice. That's a lot of what appealed to me about Bloodborne in my play through. The bosses are well thought out, nothing really overstayed its welcome. fromSoft made a good title here. Not my favourite of the Souls games, but it's not one you can hate any more than the others outside of its launch issues such as framerate issues and pretty decent gaming rigs struggling to play the game.
Game 18: The Walking Dead S2 Ep. 1 (PC) - 1h50m
#Better start to the season than the first showed for me. It's probably attached to how much I enjoyed the later episodes of the first season. Didn't take nearly as much to get started, probably because they started off quickly with two consecutive deaths
RIP Omid, still feel some type of way that they killed him while Christa was pregnant, but she's missing as of now, anyway
new group
Game 1X: NBA 2K16 (Platform) - SO MANY HOURS
#Alright, so I've had this since -5 days of release. Pre orderers got it 5 days early, based EA for that one. Except, not based EA. The Spike Lee movie that went with the first season to MyCareer was enjoyable, sort of like your average black movie of humble beginnings, to riches, with loss and all that. Peachy. Whatever. The online has got worse stutter and lag than anything I've ever witnessed. Oh wait, that's a lie, because up next for review is Street Fighter V, and we all know how that's gone. Things I liked about this game: height finally hinders you. Genuinely. You can not have a viable 7ft PG anymore for a consistent mismatch across the court for whoever is guarding you. It's fantastic. The customization for your character is absolutely crazy, but considering I missed every single one since 2K13, it may be nothing new.
Game 20: Street Fighter V (PS4) - TOO MANY HOURS
#Ya know, I looked forward to February 16th. Really, I did, but this game shouldn't have launched when it did. It took 1.5 months to get lobbies. You could only have 2 people to a lounge. When you'd be in a lounge, anyway, regardless of placement, rollback/lag was so strong no matter your signal strength shown. It could be someone who lives down the street with me, both on 100Mbps dl and 10up, and it'll still find a way to magically screw with me. Story was ridiculously short, and not really a story, because - wait for it - story releasing in JUNE. AHAHAhahahaha. Okay. Thanks, Capcom. There were going to be other EVOs. Lord knows SFV will be in every EVO for the next decade, why the rush? With the March update, they added challenges and tutorials which are nice for beginners. Survival is a bitch. Lobbies exist now but too bad the net code is so trash I don't want to start the game up ever again. Woooooo. Been playing a lot of Killer Instinct as a result for the fighting game kick.
Game 21: The Walking Dead S2. Ep 2 (PC) - 1h53m
#Rollercoaster of an episode, with the introduction of Carver and the fruition of the triangle between himself,
Alvin, and Rebecca, especially with the child in play.
Kenny
Matthew
which costs his life, as it allowed Carver's crowd to scout him.
Game 22: The Walking Dead S2. Ep 3(PC) - 1h26m
#God damn, that Carver
death
Sarah
her with Luke
she's no more than a liability with how her father coddled her throughout
fucking over Troy by trying to "talk him into running away with them" only to take his gun and shoot him in the dick
Game 23: The Walking Dead S2. Ep4 (PC) - 1h37m
#What a God damn rollercoaster this was. Jane and Luke? Bye Jane? Russians? Rebecca? Baby? Kenny the cold blooded? Tensions are high, lives are lost. Which lives are lost? This cliff hanger on the sound of bullets after Kenny
put a bullet in Rebecca's head as she died while holding her child
Rebecca
her attitude in the first two episodes, smh
Game 24: The Walking Dead S2. Ep 5 (PC) - 1h46m
#A tale of betrayal, mistrust, loss, and lots of anger, this episode wraps up with none of the original group left in my play through. It's been wild. Bonnie now
hates Clem because
Luke
thieving, bastards
shot
Kenny
Jane
Game 25: Bastion (PC) - 6h20m
#A game of restoration, betrayal, and genocide, this game was an emotional rollercoaster for my poor, emotionally invested heart. Zulf broke me, and then broke me again, and then again at the end. Probably the best 6 hours I've spent in a game in a little bit, with an enjoyable narrative, an ace narrator, and fantastic soundtrack. The combat seems to have gotten a bit of hate over the years that I've noticed, but I can't find myself relating, even with a kb/m play through. While you can't multitask in combat, as in you defend or attack, not both, it just teaches you to dodge and counter harder. Art is fantastic, funny that they call the protagonist "The Kid," worlds were all nice and varied. Probably one of my favourite games to date.
chrominance
Member
Original post
34. Project Gotham Racing 4 (360, 2007) - 16:56
Reached Rank 1 in Gotham Career on Normal difficulty.
The great thing about video games is they let us pretend to do things that would make no sense in the real world. For example, here are some people trying very hard not to die on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in light snow. Only highly skilled, very brave, or very stupid souls need apply. Here's someone racing an open-cockpit car in medium snow on the Nurburgring in Project Gotham Racing 4. You can do this in the comfort of your own home without worrying about dying the first second you so much as look at a turn funny.
Despite being almost a decade old, Project Gotham Racing 4 has aged surprisingly well. Yes, there are more beautiful racers on the market now, but PGR4 has features that other games would take years to implement, or still haven't. Dynamic weather didn't even make it into the initial release of Driveclub, yet here it is in PGR4. Forza Motorsport 6 made a big deal about its accurately modeled rain puddle simulation, which is technically laudable, but PGR4 has puddles and hydroplaning and so what if it's not an actual 3D puddle? It's just as terrifying to drive across a 2D puddle, believe you me. The controls feel great and the driving is equal parts accessible and technical, requiring you to think about entrance speed and how turns are banked but also allowing you to make huge Dukes of Hazzard-style jumps. As a racing game, it largely succeeds.
The way the Gotham Career mode works is actually refreshing for a racing game: the goal is to be the best racer, but it doesn't demand absolute 100% perfection from you. You're part of a giant league of drivers, and you earn leaderboard points by participating in championships. Each championship is itself decided largely by how well you place in several events, which means you don't necessarily have to win all of them (or even any of them, if the AI drivers split their victories evenly). Even if you don't win a championship, the number of leaderboard points scales almost linearly with your placement, so finishing second or third exacts a relatively small penalty.
This is great at the start, where you can feel like you're making progress very quickly. Where it gets troublesome is near the end, as you close in on that coveted Rank 1 position. You may find yourself with 100 points between you and first place, and the maximum number of points you can score in a championship is 40. Worse, the top drivers will often participate in the same championships you do, meaning they'll also gain points. All this combines to make the last few ranks a major grind; you can spend an hour or two racing and only gain one or two places on the leaderboard for your effort. By the end, the best strategy might actually be to find championships that DON'T feature top-tier drivers, even if they're several skill levels lower (and thus earn you fewer points), just so you can deprive the drivers ahead of you of championship points. I didn't get to put this strategy into practice on purpose, but the championship that finally landed me in the top spot only did so because the previous #1 ranked driver wasn't participating and so didn't score any points.
Another issue with the end of the career is that events that were challenging at first become annoying with repeated attempts. The first time you have to drive through giant puddles in Shanghai and hope your car doesn't spin out in a cone course is nail-biting; by the third time, you just want to never drive a cone course again. This even applies to some extent to the more ridiculous events you'll be asked to undertake, like high-speed challenges in New York City in December with black ice, or that one invitational event where you have to hit as many cones as possible sliding across an ice field in a Lamborghini concept car. No thanks.
But for all that, I was surprised to find that I enjoyed PGR4 even more than Blur, Bizarre Creation's swan song. The pure arcade racing of PGR4 was more exciting and fun than Blur's weapon-augmented mayhem, and it's a shame there doesn't seem to be room in today's gaming climate for games like it anymore.
34. Project Gotham Racing 4 (360, 2007) - 16:56
Reached Rank 1 in Gotham Career on Normal difficulty.
The great thing about video games is they let us pretend to do things that would make no sense in the real world. For example, here are some people trying very hard not to die on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in light snow. Only highly skilled, very brave, or very stupid souls need apply. Here's someone racing an open-cockpit car in medium snow on the Nurburgring in Project Gotham Racing 4. You can do this in the comfort of your own home without worrying about dying the first second you so much as look at a turn funny.
Despite being almost a decade old, Project Gotham Racing 4 has aged surprisingly well. Yes, there are more beautiful racers on the market now, but PGR4 has features that other games would take years to implement, or still haven't. Dynamic weather didn't even make it into the initial release of Driveclub, yet here it is in PGR4. Forza Motorsport 6 made a big deal about its accurately modeled rain puddle simulation, which is technically laudable, but PGR4 has puddles and hydroplaning and so what if it's not an actual 3D puddle? It's just as terrifying to drive across a 2D puddle, believe you me. The controls feel great and the driving is equal parts accessible and technical, requiring you to think about entrance speed and how turns are banked but also allowing you to make huge Dukes of Hazzard-style jumps. As a racing game, it largely succeeds.
The way the Gotham Career mode works is actually refreshing for a racing game: the goal is to be the best racer, but it doesn't demand absolute 100% perfection from you. You're part of a giant league of drivers, and you earn leaderboard points by participating in championships. Each championship is itself decided largely by how well you place in several events, which means you don't necessarily have to win all of them (or even any of them, if the AI drivers split their victories evenly). Even if you don't win a championship, the number of leaderboard points scales almost linearly with your placement, so finishing second or third exacts a relatively small penalty.
This is great at the start, where you can feel like you're making progress very quickly. Where it gets troublesome is near the end, as you close in on that coveted Rank 1 position. You may find yourself with 100 points between you and first place, and the maximum number of points you can score in a championship is 40. Worse, the top drivers will often participate in the same championships you do, meaning they'll also gain points. All this combines to make the last few ranks a major grind; you can spend an hour or two racing and only gain one or two places on the leaderboard for your effort. By the end, the best strategy might actually be to find championships that DON'T feature top-tier drivers, even if they're several skill levels lower (and thus earn you fewer points), just so you can deprive the drivers ahead of you of championship points. I didn't get to put this strategy into practice on purpose, but the championship that finally landed me in the top spot only did so because the previous #1 ranked driver wasn't participating and so didn't score any points.
Another issue with the end of the career is that events that were challenging at first become annoying with repeated attempts. The first time you have to drive through giant puddles in Shanghai and hope your car doesn't spin out in a cone course is nail-biting; by the third time, you just want to never drive a cone course again. This even applies to some extent to the more ridiculous events you'll be asked to undertake, like high-speed challenges in New York City in December with black ice, or that one invitational event where you have to hit as many cones as possible sliding across an ice field in a Lamborghini concept car. No thanks.
But for all that, I was surprised to find that I enjoyed PGR4 even more than Blur, Bizarre Creation's swan song. The pure arcade racing of PGR4 was more exciting and fun than Blur's weapon-augmented mayhem, and it's a shame there doesn't seem to be room in today's gaming climate for games like it anymore.
NotDreamcast
Member
Game 18: Earthbound Beginnings (Finished on 4/17)
I enjoyed my time with Earthbound and Mother 3 back in the day, but didn't have the tenacity to get through the original. Playing it now was a smoother experience than expected. There's a lot of level grinding and difficulty spikes, and battles are barebones compared to the rolling HP counters in Earthbound, or the rhythm combat of Mother 3, but thanks to PK Fire, things turned out OK. Being a Mother game means it's full of silliness and self-awareness, which alleviates the often unforgiving gameplay (Mt. Itoi was insane).
Game 19: Metroid: Zero Mission - 2:56:32 (Finished on 4/20)
Many times throughout life, an individual will be struck with the thought, "Is [game] as good as memory suggests?" Sometimes, the individual will be disappointed upon revisiting a game and realizing it is not as good as they remember.
Not Zero Mission though. Fluid, fast, responsive--the game feels extremely good to control. The game has a breakneck pace as you zip around collecting power up after power up in an action and exploration packed romp through Planet Zebes; there's never a dull moment. It inches just a bit in front of Super Metroid in terms of my favorite 2D Metroid games. My memory hasn't failed me just yet.
Game 20: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - (Finished on 4/21)
Man, I hate Metropolis Zone. There's that one mantis in a passage at the top of a screw-lift, and it knocks me off every single time.
Game 21: Kirby Super Star Ultra - (Finished on 4/22)
I've yet to play a Kirby game beyond this one, but Super Star Ultra remains my favorite at the moment primarily for how varied each of the copy ability movesets are. Being able to use enemies as partners is also a nice touch.
Game 22: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles - (Finished on 4/26)
Oddly, I've always played Sonic 3 and S&K as separate games. I've never attempted to play them as one until now. I think I prefer the Sonic 3 half. S&K's Sandopolis and Flying Battery zones are still a pain.
Game 23: Sonic The Hedgehog - (Finished on 4/26)
If I could tell my younger self "Scrap Brain Zone Act 3 is actually Labyrinth Zone Act 4." I would have been disheartened beyond belief. In the past, Labyrinth Zone made me lose most of my lives. By the time I got through Star Light Zone, I'd only have 1 life left at Scrap Brain Zone, which I'd lose quickly. Overcoming Sonic 1 has truly been a lifelongsonic adventure.
Game 24: Pokemon Trading Card Game - 6:16 (Finished on 4/28)
Pokemon TCG is a faithful recreation of the Pokemon TCG where the player and the opponent are at the mercy of the RNG's coin flips. Very fun game, when the coin flips are on your side.
Game 25: Super Mario Bros. 2 - (Finished on 4/29)
Well I'd rather not use a mean word like "worst" or "terrible" but this is probably the least fun I've had from a Mario game. Grabbing and tossing objects and enemies as opposed to jumping on them just felt mysterious. Not a good mysterious, mind you. The more exploration based approach to levels as opposed to a linear approach didn't sit too well with me either. But I do applaud the game for its general strangeness, at the very least. It'll be too soon if I'm chased down by Phanto again in this life.
Game 26: Halo 3 - (Finished on 4/30)
I will dedicate this section to the campaign mission known as "The Covenant." Really just a fantastic level all around that plays to a lot of Halo's strengths. Like you've got close quarters indoor shooting and fisticuffs, long range kerfuffles in the open wilderness, vehicular fights against enemy vehicles, aerial vehicular fights against aerial enemy vehicles, a large variety of enemies, and a grand scale battle at the climax. It has pretty much everything. The rest of the campaign is like an appetizer.
***
Original post
I enjoyed my time with Earthbound and Mother 3 back in the day, but didn't have the tenacity to get through the original. Playing it now was a smoother experience than expected. There's a lot of level grinding and difficulty spikes, and battles are barebones compared to the rolling HP counters in Earthbound, or the rhythm combat of Mother 3, but thanks to PK Fire, things turned out OK. Being a Mother game means it's full of silliness and self-awareness, which alleviates the often unforgiving gameplay (Mt. Itoi was insane).
Game 19: Metroid: Zero Mission - 2:56:32 (Finished on 4/20)
Many times throughout life, an individual will be struck with the thought, "Is [game] as good as memory suggests?" Sometimes, the individual will be disappointed upon revisiting a game and realizing it is not as good as they remember.
Not Zero Mission though. Fluid, fast, responsive--the game feels extremely good to control. The game has a breakneck pace as you zip around collecting power up after power up in an action and exploration packed romp through Planet Zebes; there's never a dull moment. It inches just a bit in front of Super Metroid in terms of my favorite 2D Metroid games. My memory hasn't failed me just yet.
Game 20: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - (Finished on 4/21)
Man, I hate Metropolis Zone. There's that one mantis in a passage at the top of a screw-lift, and it knocks me off every single time.
Game 21: Kirby Super Star Ultra - (Finished on 4/22)
I've yet to play a Kirby game beyond this one, but Super Star Ultra remains my favorite at the moment primarily for how varied each of the copy ability movesets are. Being able to use enemies as partners is also a nice touch.
Game 22: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles - (Finished on 4/26)
Oddly, I've always played Sonic 3 and S&K as separate games. I've never attempted to play them as one until now. I think I prefer the Sonic 3 half. S&K's Sandopolis and Flying Battery zones are still a pain.
Game 23: Sonic The Hedgehog - (Finished on 4/26)
If I could tell my younger self "Scrap Brain Zone Act 3 is actually Labyrinth Zone Act 4." I would have been disheartened beyond belief. In the past, Labyrinth Zone made me lose most of my lives. By the time I got through Star Light Zone, I'd only have 1 life left at Scrap Brain Zone, which I'd lose quickly. Overcoming Sonic 1 has truly been a lifelong
Game 24: Pokemon Trading Card Game - 6:16 (Finished on 4/28)
Pokemon TCG is a faithful recreation of the Pokemon TCG where the player and the opponent are at the mercy of the RNG's coin flips. Very fun game, when the coin flips are on your side.
Game 25: Super Mario Bros. 2 - (Finished on 4/29)
Well I'd rather not use a mean word like "worst" or "terrible" but this is probably the least fun I've had from a Mario game. Grabbing and tossing objects and enemies as opposed to jumping on them just felt mysterious. Not a good mysterious, mind you. The more exploration based approach to levels as opposed to a linear approach didn't sit too well with me either. But I do applaud the game for its general strangeness, at the very least. It'll be too soon if I'm chased down by Phanto again in this life.
Game 26: Halo 3 - (Finished on 4/30)
I will dedicate this section to the campaign mission known as "The Covenant." Really just a fantastic level all around that plays to a lot of Halo's strengths. Like you've got close quarters indoor shooting and fisticuffs, long range kerfuffles in the open wilderness, vehicular fights against enemy vehicles, aerial vehicular fights against aerial enemy vehicles, a large variety of enemies, and a grand scale battle at the climax. It has pretty much everything. The rest of the campaign is like an appetizer.
***
Original post
Finding it hard to figure out what to say about the games which means I don't post which is annoying. I keep playing games I don't really enjoy that much too which is stupid. I just have a really hard time actually starting up the games I think I will love. Don't ask why, I don't know at all :/
Been keeping the 2 games per week up but it's been close a bunch of times. I haven't prioritized the backlog enough since the latest Guild Wars 2 update. Oops
Finally finished Dragon's Dogma at least! That took quiiiite some time.
Game 29: | I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream | - | April 13 | - | 10 hours |
Game 30: | The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav | - | April 17 | - | 14 hours |
Game 31: | Deadly Premonition | - | April 24 | - | 33 hours |
Game 32: | Far Cry 3 (Co-op Campaign) | - | April 24 | - | 50 (10) hours |
Game 33: | Luigi's Mansion 2 | - | April 27 | - | 28 hours |
Game 34: | Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen | - | May 1 | - | 230 hours |
-
Master post
Been keeping the 2 games per week up but it's been close a bunch of times. I haven't prioritized the backlog enough since the latest Guild Wars 2 update. Oops
Finally finished Dragon's Dogma at least! That took quiiiite some time.
Game 29: | I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream | - | April 13 | - | 10 hours |
Game 30: | The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav | - | April 17 | - | 14 hours |
Game 31: | Deadly Premonition | - | April 24 | - | 33 hours |
Game 32: | Far Cry 3 (Co-op Campaign) | - | April 24 | - | 50 (10) hours |
Game 33: | Luigi's Mansion 2 | - | April 27 | - | 28 hours |
I found the first game utterly charming. This one.. I dunno. Luigi is still charming as hell but the rest of the game was lacking that extra thing that made the first so enjoyable. I think I disliked that it wasn't as open and I found the controls a tad bit annoying too. It was also a bit vague at times which made me feel stupid. But Luigi really is super charming
Game 34: | Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen | - | May 1 | - | 230 hours |
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Master post
Original post
Game 9 - Dark Souls III - 56:57
Finished April 27
My first impression of Dark Souls was a Ghibli-style illustration by Kyle Fewell that appeared on Attract Mode in 2012. I didn't own a console at the time but what I read about the game (and Demon's Souls) reminded me of Berserker. A year ago a friend sent me a copy of Bloodborne and I must have spent six hours that first day trying to pick my way through Yharnam's ruined streets, bewildered and delighted by the complexity of so eerie and unsettling a city.
Dark Souls by way of Bloodborne is critical to my experience of the former. Limited to what was available on the PS4, I never got a handle on Scholar of the First Sin (although I did finish it) because I never prioritized defense. Nothing could be accomplished alone--too weak, too clumsy--and online cooperators were never as plentiful as I wanted them to be.
I approached this third installment with more patience but I still miss my nimble Victorian hunter. I'm not at all invested in how "difficult" the franchise is and I feel no sense of satisfaction in single-handedly hauling down a Lord of Cinder (I relied on the benevolence of others to defeat every boss in the game). When I find myself frustrated at the distance I need to travel all over again to recover the souls I lost on an undead villager's rusty pitchfork, I wonder why I keep coming back.
If I'm honest with myself, it simply isn't the series for me. I want games to be relaxing, not stressful. But I do keep coming back--to sprint to the next bonfire or summon sign--for two reasons. The first is to explore once I'm strong enough to return to old areas and take the time to look beneath every corpse and inside every cave without the fear of death at the hands of a random attacker. If there were no enemies at all in Dark Souls III, just tired knights to talk to resting by the side of a flagstone path, I'd probably like it even more.
The second is to scrawl out my summon sign and move through levels with other players without the pressure of too much consequence in my own death; I do better then--feel more agile, more graceful--and take pleasure in sharing the road with a stranger.
Game 9 - Dark Souls III - 56:57
Finished April 27
My first impression of Dark Souls was a Ghibli-style illustration by Kyle Fewell that appeared on Attract Mode in 2012. I didn't own a console at the time but what I read about the game (and Demon's Souls) reminded me of Berserker. A year ago a friend sent me a copy of Bloodborne and I must have spent six hours that first day trying to pick my way through Yharnam's ruined streets, bewildered and delighted by the complexity of so eerie and unsettling a city.
Dark Souls by way of Bloodborne is critical to my experience of the former. Limited to what was available on the PS4, I never got a handle on Scholar of the First Sin (although I did finish it) because I never prioritized defense. Nothing could be accomplished alone--too weak, too clumsy--and online cooperators were never as plentiful as I wanted them to be.
I approached this third installment with more patience but I still miss my nimble Victorian hunter. I'm not at all invested in how "difficult" the franchise is and I feel no sense of satisfaction in single-handedly hauling down a Lord of Cinder (I relied on the benevolence of others to defeat every boss in the game). When I find myself frustrated at the distance I need to travel all over again to recover the souls I lost on an undead villager's rusty pitchfork, I wonder why I keep coming back.
If I'm honest with myself, it simply isn't the series for me. I want games to be relaxing, not stressful. But I do keep coming back--to sprint to the next bonfire or summon sign--for two reasons. The first is to explore once I'm strong enough to return to old areas and take the time to look beneath every corpse and inside every cave without the fear of death at the hands of a random attacker. If there were no enemies at all in Dark Souls III, just tired knights to talk to resting by the side of a flagstone path, I'd probably like it even more.
The second is to scrawl out my summon sign and move through levels with other players without the pressure of too much consequence in my own death; I do better then--feel more agile, more graceful--and take pleasure in sharing the road with a stranger.
rottendevice
Member
Main Post
Game 20: Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (4 1/2 hours)
This is a really good game.
It's interesting, having played Super Mario World before this, to see how much Mario World borrows from Mario Bros. 3. Enemies especially appear to have originated in Mario Bros. 3 and been used in subsequent Mario games. Dry Bones, Thwomp, Bullet Bill, and the Koopa Bros, to name a few.
The difficulty level is a bit higher than in Mario World. It was never unbearable though.
I recommend this. It's among the best side-scrolling platformers I've played.
5/5
Game 21: Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo (1 1/2 hours)
Before you pass judgement, know that Ron Gilbert worked on this game.
This is a game I played as a little kid. I was surprised when I found it on Steam later in life. It was cheap, so I bought it.
The game actually runs on the SCUMM Engine... same as Maniac Mansion and Sam and Max. Humongous Entertainment made it, along with a number of other SCUMM Engine games geared for little kids.
The fun of the game is that you can click on almost anything that looks interesting and something will happen. Usually an animation and a sound. There's beatnik monkeys and joke telling parrots waiting to be clicked on.
I don't know. It was really easy to beat the game now as an adult. It's a great game if you're a parent and you have a 4-7 year old kid. But I'm not.
3/5
Game 22: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (~4 hours)
I played the Android version of this. I mention this because it's not the original game being emulated, but a recreation of it. The most noticeable difference is now the game is widescreen, which is nice!
This game is very colorful. The soundtrack is rocking. This really shows off what the Genesis was capable of. Unfortunately, this game has the most cheap hits from enemies of any Sonic game. It's very easy to run directly into an enemy and lose all your coins. Bummer.
Also, the end of the game is hard.
Once you do beat it though, it's a nice reward watching the credits roll.
Great game overall.
4/5
Game 23: Sonic the Hedgehog (~4 hours)
Again, I played on Android, so it's a recreation of the original game.
This is a fun game. It's a bit easier than Sonic 2.
I enjoy the special stages. I really enjoy the music from the special stages.
I think I like this better than Sonic 2.
4/5
Game 20: Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (4 1/2 hours)
This is a really good game.
It's interesting, having played Super Mario World before this, to see how much Mario World borrows from Mario Bros. 3. Enemies especially appear to have originated in Mario Bros. 3 and been used in subsequent Mario games. Dry Bones, Thwomp, Bullet Bill, and the Koopa Bros, to name a few.
The difficulty level is a bit higher than in Mario World. It was never unbearable though.
I recommend this. It's among the best side-scrolling platformers I've played.
5/5
Game 21: Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo (1 1/2 hours)
Before you pass judgement, know that Ron Gilbert worked on this game.
This is a game I played as a little kid. I was surprised when I found it on Steam later in life. It was cheap, so I bought it.
The game actually runs on the SCUMM Engine... same as Maniac Mansion and Sam and Max. Humongous Entertainment made it, along with a number of other SCUMM Engine games geared for little kids.
The fun of the game is that you can click on almost anything that looks interesting and something will happen. Usually an animation and a sound. There's beatnik monkeys and joke telling parrots waiting to be clicked on.
I don't know. It was really easy to beat the game now as an adult. It's a great game if you're a parent and you have a 4-7 year old kid. But I'm not.
3/5
Game 22: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (~4 hours)
I played the Android version of this. I mention this because it's not the original game being emulated, but a recreation of it. The most noticeable difference is now the game is widescreen, which is nice!
This game is very colorful. The soundtrack is rocking. This really shows off what the Genesis was capable of. Unfortunately, this game has the most cheap hits from enemies of any Sonic game. It's very easy to run directly into an enemy and lose all your coins. Bummer.
Also, the end of the game is hard.
You have to fight three bosses back to back on one set of rings.
Great game overall.
4/5
Game 23: Sonic the Hedgehog (~4 hours)
Again, I played on Android, so it's a recreation of the original game.
This is a fun game. It's a bit easier than Sonic 2.
The end boss is especially easier than Sonic 2.
I think I like this better than Sonic 2.
4/5
Archive Post
Game 15 - Ratchet and Clank [PS4] ★★★
The original Ratchet and Clank was easily my favourite of the series, so I was excited to see it rebooted. And this is probably the best reboot I've ever seen. It caters to the existing fanbase by keeping the spirit of the source material while ushering in a new crowd by updating the gameplay to more modern standards. And it looks utterly gorgeous. Gorgeous enough that I can live with it being 30fps. But it still doesn't quite deliver what I wanted it to. The original game was my favourite because of how it was structured. It was almost like a Metroidvania in that you'd often come up against areas with some weird structure or device and have no idea what you're looking at until you get the gadget later on some other planet and suddenly have a reason to revisit a ton of locations. This brings that back a little, but still shortcuts it still too much that it ends up feeling like a missed opportunity. And every change to the story or cast is pretty much for the worse. The other major change (the new weapon upgrade system) is just kind of... there. It's not fun, and doesn't require much thought. Another squandered opportunity. Still, the game overall fits like an old glove, and it's definitely one of the better titles in the series. A great effort to capture the old magic, but the original is still king.
Game 15 - Ratchet and Clank [PS4] ★★★
The original Ratchet and Clank was easily my favourite of the series, so I was excited to see it rebooted. And this is probably the best reboot I've ever seen. It caters to the existing fanbase by keeping the spirit of the source material while ushering in a new crowd by updating the gameplay to more modern standards. And it looks utterly gorgeous. Gorgeous enough that I can live with it being 30fps. But it still doesn't quite deliver what I wanted it to. The original game was my favourite because of how it was structured. It was almost like a Metroidvania in that you'd often come up against areas with some weird structure or device and have no idea what you're looking at until you get the gadget later on some other planet and suddenly have a reason to revisit a ton of locations. This brings that back a little, but still shortcuts it still too much that it ends up feeling like a missed opportunity. And every change to the story or cast is pretty much for the worse. The other major change (the new weapon upgrade system) is just kind of... there. It's not fun, and doesn't require much thought. Another squandered opportunity. Still, the game overall fits like an old glove, and it's definitely one of the better titles in the series. A great effort to capture the old magic, but the original is still king.
Wildschwein
Member
Main Post
Not a ton of big accomplishments in April. And one of my April games missed the mark by about 30 hours. Images to come when I have the patience and a mouse at my disposal.
Game #22 - Limbo [Vita]
Maybe I had to be there when this was new. I can't say I really get where the hype was coming from, and maybe hype isn't quite the right word. This was a curious, somber game that isn't exactly mechanically interesting as a platformer. It didn't blow me out of the water on the tonal end either. The visuals were nice, and were a great fit for an OLED Vita, but I don't think the design work was really there. The final moments still wrapped things up in a really interesting way that are definitely the points that are still with me.
I wish I wrote this up closer to when I actually finished the game. Not too much stuck with me.
Game #23 - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix HD [PS3]
If you've been around on the Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ thread, you might already know that I went and got the KH bug pretty bad. I didn't plan for this. I actively ignored the series after playing through the first game on PS2 the year it came out. I remember enjoying it, but I also remember being horribly frustrated by a lot of bits. I really only remembered the bad, and going back, sure those bits were there, but I knew how to tackle them now. Just things like finicky vine swinging targeting mixed with not having as good as a grasp on combat mechanics in my youth.
I really, really loved this one. Which is bizarre, because I thought it was just passable when I was actually in the target demographic. I don't blow an entire day on a game very often, but I spent every free moment of mine yesterday on powering through the endgame side stuff. Capped out my Trinity Marks, the Hades Cup, and collected puppies. I worked up to the first secret ending, and watched the extended version online since I didn't have the patience to complete the journal. A little bummed that I passed over the Unknown optional boss, but I caught up on that scene as well.
I could actually go on and on here, so I'll cut this one off at the pass. Binged that hard, and already moved on to Chain of Memories which is a weird fucking video game.
Not a ton of big accomplishments in April. And one of my April games missed the mark by about 30 hours. Images to come when I have the patience and a mouse at my disposal.
Game #22 - Limbo [Vita]
Maybe I had to be there when this was new. I can't say I really get where the hype was coming from, and maybe hype isn't quite the right word. This was a curious, somber game that isn't exactly mechanically interesting as a platformer. It didn't blow me out of the water on the tonal end either. The visuals were nice, and were a great fit for an OLED Vita, but I don't think the design work was really there. The final moments still wrapped things up in a really interesting way that are definitely the points that are still with me.
I wish I wrote this up closer to when I actually finished the game. Not too much stuck with me.
Game #23 - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix HD [PS3]
If you've been around on the Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ thread, you might already know that I went and got the KH bug pretty bad. I didn't plan for this. I actively ignored the series after playing through the first game on PS2 the year it came out. I remember enjoying it, but I also remember being horribly frustrated by a lot of bits. I really only remembered the bad, and going back, sure those bits were there, but I knew how to tackle them now. Just things like finicky vine swinging targeting mixed with not having as good as a grasp on combat mechanics in my youth.
I really, really loved this one. Which is bizarre, because I thought it was just passable when I was actually in the target demographic. I don't blow an entire day on a game very often, but I spent every free moment of mine yesterday on powering through the endgame side stuff. Capped out my Trinity Marks, the Hades Cup, and collected puppies. I worked up to the first secret ending, and watched the extended version online since I didn't have the patience to complete the journal. A little bummed that I passed over the Unknown optional boss, but I caught up on that scene as well.
I could actually go on and on here, so I'll cut this one off at the pass. Binged that hard, and already moved on to Chain of Memories which is a weird fucking video game.
Original post
Game 10 - Day of the Tentacle Remastered - about 5 hours
Finished May 2
Dead-end puzzles in Sierra adventures were depressing enough experienced secondhand when I watched a friend play through King's Quest and Gabriel Knight in college. I remember Loom obtusely and I don't know if that means I never finished the game or only saw parts of it, again on a friend's computer. This is the second LucasArts remaster I've downloaded on my Vita. The art in Grim Fandango floored me--San Francisco harbor slips by way of Mexico City--but the puzzles were unassailable without a guide.
For Day of the Tentacle, I began with a walkthrough printed on a piece of paper but opened every door I could. I moved through the narrative easily but took time to absorb the details. It felt like poking around inside a cartoon: beautifully animated, warm, its sense of humor unmistakably Californian. Virtual reality in two dimensions--gentle and essential.
Game 10 - Day of the Tentacle Remastered - about 5 hours
Finished May 2
Dead-end puzzles in Sierra adventures were depressing enough experienced secondhand when I watched a friend play through King's Quest and Gabriel Knight in college. I remember Loom obtusely and I don't know if that means I never finished the game or only saw parts of it, again on a friend's computer. This is the second LucasArts remaster I've downloaded on my Vita. The art in Grim Fandango floored me--San Francisco harbor slips by way of Mexico City--but the puzzles were unassailable without a guide.
For Day of the Tentacle, I began with a walkthrough printed on a piece of paper but opened every door I could. I moved through the narrative easily but took time to absorb the details. It felt like poking around inside a cartoon: beautifully animated, warm, its sense of humor unmistakably Californian. Virtual reality in two dimensions--gentle and essential.
OP
Game #19oker Night at the Inventory (PC) - 3 Hours
Poker is poker, its pretty hard to screw it up, but its also difficult to make it stand out as well. Telltale does a good job making their poker game stand out by having you play against some recognizeable characters: Tycho (from Penny Arcade), The Heavy (from Team Fortress 2), Max (from Sam and Max), and Strong Bad from (Homestar Runner). The casual chatter between each of these characters are pretty interesting and occasionally funny. My persona favorites are between Strong Bad and Max. The game itself is pretty easy on normal difficulty, very easy to force the AI to fold. You will get a lot more mileage out of this game if you actively play Team Fortress 2 as you can unlock items for that game. Overall, it was a decent poker game and probably will buy the sequel if its on sale during the steam summer sale.
Game # 20: Golden Axe (PC) - 3 Hours
Very simple and fun pick up and play beat em up game, but very challenging. I do recommend playing as the dwarf for single player mode as he has the strongest physical attack and also the longest attack range. Its not a long game, but it does extend its life by making itself difficult. Anything more than 2 enemies on the screen is difficult as its pretty easy to get caught between two enemies and get mauled to death. Its one of those games where you can't just get buy with one or two tricks, but rather you need to utilize all your moves and enemy patterns to your advantage. Thankfully, being able to save in between stages takes a lot of the frustration out.
Game # 21: Sonic CD (PC) - 2 Hours
I was expecting the same old 2D Sonic formula, but I got a lot more than that which is awesome. A lot of things i love about this game is all the extra content they added to the gameplay. Aside from running from A to B and collect chaos emeralds (or time stones in this case), you can also jump between future and past versions of each stage. Boss battles are pretty interesting, while most of them are the same old boss battles you know, some of them take a creative step to it. One example has you running on a treadmill in order to grind out Dr. Robotnik's armor. The race with Metal Sonic is one of my all time favorite boss fights in the franchise. I would love to go back and get the good ending for this game after completing this challenge.
Game # 22: Sam & Max Save the World (PC) - 12 Hours
Thought the first 3 episodes were pretty weak. While there were only a few clever puzzles, most of them were too easy and didn't require much though to them. The writing and humor was decent at best. The game really shines in episodes 4-6 and really enjoyed the content there. Puzzles were good with a few that had obscure solutions. Liked the political satire in episode 4 and all the gamer jokes in episode 5 (bonus points for doing gamer humor without doing all stereotypical jokes). The revelation of the big bad in episode 6 was ridiculous and enjoyed the ride. Overall its a very decent point and click game and would recommend for anyone who are starting to get into these type of games. I do enjoy the game not being very linear giving you some freedom to complete task in any order , which also gives you unique dialogue as well. I'm pretty excited to start playing the next season.
Now Playing:: Bravely Second, Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space
Game #19
oker Night at the Inventory (PC) - 3 HoursPoker is poker, its pretty hard to screw it up, but its also difficult to make it stand out as well. Telltale does a good job making their poker game stand out by having you play against some recognizeable characters: Tycho (from Penny Arcade), The Heavy (from Team Fortress 2), Max (from Sam and Max), and Strong Bad from (Homestar Runner). The casual chatter between each of these characters are pretty interesting and occasionally funny. My persona favorites are between Strong Bad and Max. The game itself is pretty easy on normal difficulty, very easy to force the AI to fold. You will get a lot more mileage out of this game if you actively play Team Fortress 2 as you can unlock items for that game. Overall, it was a decent poker game and probably will buy the sequel if its on sale during the steam summer sale.
Game # 20: Golden Axe (PC) - 3 Hours
Very simple and fun pick up and play beat em up game, but very challenging. I do recommend playing as the dwarf for single player mode as he has the strongest physical attack and also the longest attack range. Its not a long game, but it does extend its life by making itself difficult. Anything more than 2 enemies on the screen is difficult as its pretty easy to get caught between two enemies and get mauled to death. Its one of those games where you can't just get buy with one or two tricks, but rather you need to utilize all your moves and enemy patterns to your advantage. Thankfully, being able to save in between stages takes a lot of the frustration out.
Game # 21: Sonic CD (PC) - 2 Hours
I was expecting the same old 2D Sonic formula, but I got a lot more than that which is awesome. A lot of things i love about this game is all the extra content they added to the gameplay. Aside from running from A to B and collect chaos emeralds (or time stones in this case), you can also jump between future and past versions of each stage. Boss battles are pretty interesting, while most of them are the same old boss battles you know, some of them take a creative step to it. One example has you running on a treadmill in order to grind out Dr. Robotnik's armor. The race with Metal Sonic is one of my all time favorite boss fights in the franchise. I would love to go back and get the good ending for this game after completing this challenge.
Game # 22: Sam & Max Save the World (PC) - 12 Hours
Thought the first 3 episodes were pretty weak. While there were only a few clever puzzles, most of them were too easy and didn't require much though to them. The writing and humor was decent at best. The game really shines in episodes 4-6 and really enjoyed the content there. Puzzles were good with a few that had obscure solutions. Liked the political satire in episode 4 and all the gamer jokes in episode 5 (bonus points for doing gamer humor without doing all stereotypical jokes). The revelation of the big bad in episode 6 was ridiculous and enjoyed the ride. Overall its a very decent point and click game and would recommend for anyone who are starting to get into these type of games. I do enjoy the game not being very linear giving you some freedom to complete task in any order , which also gives you unique dialogue as well. I'm pretty excited to start playing the next season.
Now Playing:: Bravely Second, Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space
chrominance
Member
Original post
35. Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (PS3, 2008) - 3:09
Completed the campaign on Normal difficulty.
Thanks to the ongoing GAF retrospective of the series, it seemed like a good time to revisit the first of several Ratchet & Clank Future games I missed out on. Though I bought it not long after release, Quest for Booty always lost out to other games I felt a more pressing need to play. This continued right up to the time I played the real sequel to Tools of Destruction, A Crack in Time, a few months after I bought it. Having already skipped over the game intended to bridge the two mainline PS3 games, my desire to play Quest for Booty dropped even further. But considering how many Ratchet & Clank games I own but have yet to play, it was only a matter of time. The calm before Uncharted 4 seemed like a perfect place to fit in this bite-sized Ratchet & Clank.
The most surprising thing about Quest for Booty is in how it's aged. The graphics hold up very well, considering the game is closing in on eight years old. The presentation is a bit bare-bones, but that's to be expected considering how experimental this game was at the time; there wasn't much of a precedent for releasing smaller episodes of a popular franchise, especially not on consoles and especially not digitally at a cut-rate price. What's really aged are the controls, which feel like the remnants of an age before the Great Unification. Today, we expect most first-person and third-person games to control the same way, so that diving into the newest Ratchet & Clank is no more troublesome to control than any other third-person action or shooter game. Quest for Booty, on the other hand, feels a bit creaky. The camera doesn't always cooperate, the lock-on aiming mechanic doesn't work as well as in the newest Ratchet & Clank, and small innovations like being able to throw your wrench without having to stop and crouch are sorely missed. All that said, Quest for Booty is still fine to play; these are nit-picks more than actual issues.
The game leans harder on the platforming segments than other recent franchise outings, which is actually not to my taste. I've always appreciated Ratchet & Clank as an action shooter more than anything. But aside from a few dodgy checkpoints and some difficult platforming while under fire, Quest for Booty played fine for me. Anyone who prefers the platforming to the shooting should feel right at home here. While I wouldn't recommend Quest for Booty as an entry point to the series, it's a fun lost episode to rediscover if you, like me, missed it on the way to A Crack in Time.
35. Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (PS3, 2008) - 3:09
Completed the campaign on Normal difficulty.
Thanks to the ongoing GAF retrospective of the series, it seemed like a good time to revisit the first of several Ratchet & Clank Future games I missed out on. Though I bought it not long after release, Quest for Booty always lost out to other games I felt a more pressing need to play. This continued right up to the time I played the real sequel to Tools of Destruction, A Crack in Time, a few months after I bought it. Having already skipped over the game intended to bridge the two mainline PS3 games, my desire to play Quest for Booty dropped even further. But considering how many Ratchet & Clank games I own but have yet to play, it was only a matter of time. The calm before Uncharted 4 seemed like a perfect place to fit in this bite-sized Ratchet & Clank.
The most surprising thing about Quest for Booty is in how it's aged. The graphics hold up very well, considering the game is closing in on eight years old. The presentation is a bit bare-bones, but that's to be expected considering how experimental this game was at the time; there wasn't much of a precedent for releasing smaller episodes of a popular franchise, especially not on consoles and especially not digitally at a cut-rate price. What's really aged are the controls, which feel like the remnants of an age before the Great Unification. Today, we expect most first-person and third-person games to control the same way, so that diving into the newest Ratchet & Clank is no more troublesome to control than any other third-person action or shooter game. Quest for Booty, on the other hand, feels a bit creaky. The camera doesn't always cooperate, the lock-on aiming mechanic doesn't work as well as in the newest Ratchet & Clank, and small innovations like being able to throw your wrench without having to stop and crouch are sorely missed. All that said, Quest for Booty is still fine to play; these are nit-picks more than actual issues.
The game leans harder on the platforming segments than other recent franchise outings, which is actually not to my taste. I've always appreciated Ratchet & Clank as an action shooter more than anything. But aside from a few dodgy checkpoints and some difficult platforming while under fire, Quest for Booty played fine for me. Anyone who prefers the platforming to the shooting should feel right at home here. While I wouldn't recommend Quest for Booty as an entry point to the series, it's a fun lost episode to rediscover if you, like me, missed it on the way to A Crack in Time.
Dougalism - Progress 19/52
Game 17: Split/Second (PS3) - 19/4
Pretty good arcade racer, online is predictably dead.
Game 18: The House of the Dead III (PS3) 21/4
The PS3 fridge is getting well and truly cleaned.
Game 19: Ducktales: Remastered (PS3) 25/4
I'd never played the NES version but loved Ducktales the show and this has led me down a Ducktales watching rabbit hole.
Game 17: Split/Second (PS3) - 19/4
Pretty good arcade racer, online is predictably dead.
Game 18: The House of the Dead III (PS3) 21/4
The PS3 fridge is getting well and truly cleaned.
Game 19: Ducktales: Remastered (PS3) 25/4
I'd never played the NES version but loved Ducktales the show and this has led me down a Ducktales watching rabbit hole.
Character limit hit me on my first post. Here's games 01-26.
Completed 61/52:
Game 27: SquareCells (PC) - 3h41m
#Well polished, ambient puzzler with the most zen music of six worlds by Matthew Brown. Standard scaling difficulty. Logic based like Hexcells (made by the same dev) - there's never any guessing to be done. Didn't overstay its welcome, for example like LYNE did for me by going the whole alphabet. If you're a fan of Picross, or played that before, it's reminiscent of it. They at least added a mechanic so you know how many squares it's directly connected to, similar to Minesweeper and knowing how many bombs are in the 8 nearest tiles.
Game 28: Kentucky Route Zero | Act I (PC) - 0h48m
#Quirky episodic where you play a man named Conway (and his dog) on the lookout for a highway known as "The Zero" to deliver an item for his job with Lysette antiques. A point and click adventure title with a unique map and movement system, with plenty of hidden/extra text adventures we don't tend to find in these titles. Humour fits for me, music and SFX are good to the atmosphere, and who can hate a dog?
Game 29: Nova-111 (PS4) - 6h38m
#An indie, sci-fi adventure with interesting puzzle elements (however convoluted sometimes), with the goal of finding the world's famed scientists after an experiment gone wrong destroys the space-time. This game is well polished. The art is well done, the music works, mechanics are simple, the level design is solid despite the manner in which it's revealed (with movement). Devs keep the enemies fresh level by level. The puzzles are congruently turn based and real time, sometimes, even the combat, so it adds a decent amount of "difficulty." However, the auto save is only after a level is completed and at the new one's start, so if you're in the last part of it, you have to return to the beginning again. The pace is twitchy because of how the map is revealed. Abilities become way too much after a while, almost unmanageable. It was alright, but the last point is especially the issue with this game. Too much to keep track of when you're already unsure of what's coming up around the corner.
Game 30: Fractal: Make Blooms Not War (PC) - 3h42m
#Casual puzzle game where the mission is to create fractals of one colour, a fractal being a diamond of 7 tiles, the campaign involving a push limit in which you have to create x amount of fractals for a specified number of points before moving onward, for a total of 30 levels. Enjoyable little teaser with a good music backdrop. Thanks to its arcade and puzzle modes, it retains replay value beyond the campaign.
Game 31: Zenge (PC) - 2h36m
Most convoluted jigsaw puzzle I've ever played in my life. Also the most pretty. "Puzzles" aren't really difficult. A bit tricky, sure, since you have to really take care of which pieces go in first, attaching them in some cases, and eventually flipping the pieces at specific stations within it. Mechanics are simple, "difficulty" curve is better than games like Hook. What I really like about it is the narrative that seems to be told with the images created after each puzzle. At the end, a slideshow of the images created with each puzzle is put up like an art book..
Don't see any replay value whatsoever, and it's rather short, but it's nice for a short. Cheap, too. USD$0.99.[/I] Overall, a relaxing/zen experience with great music behind it.
Game 32: Assassin's Creed Rogue (360) - 10h52m
#Blurb
Game 33: Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (X1) - 6h20m
#Blurb
Game 34: Mirror's Edge (X1) - 7h15m
#I always wished I could do parkour, man.
Game 35: Journey (PS4) - 2h04m
#Pretty game. Very pretty game. Good environmental storytelling, but the co-op made it more than anything as you have to cooperate in a world where your only communication is a single button that transmits nothing but a symbol. My favourite parts were largely the ones akin to slalom skiing, as the backdrops were especially beautiful. I genuinely found it boring, and feel nothing extreme in either direction for the game. It's polished, control wise. I managed to break it once with a timed jump after using those ribbons to toss me up - think I went too high for the game to handle, so it gave me an error.
Game 36: Furi (PS4) - 5h03m
#Bullet hell, dull story, eh.
Game 37: Cook, Serve, Delicious (PC) - 5h48m
#Too addicting. So stressful. Mini Metro levels of stress. Some of these dishes are insanity.
Game 38: NBA 2K17 (PS4) - 17h53m
#From 16, to this, nothing crazy has changed, but GSW is a painful squad now. Too painful.
Game 39: Strider (PS4) - 6h29m
#Super fast paced side scroller with an interesting combat system. Well put together. Enjoyable experience.
Game 40: Civilizations V (PC) - 56h24m
#Played an additional run through, this time as Enrico/Venice.
Game 41: Mirror's Edge: Catalyst (PS4) - 10h19m
#Blurb
Game 42: Titanfall (X1) - 4h04m
#Blurb
Game 43: Forza Horizon 3 (X1) - 19h27m
#Beautiful. Just beautiful, tight mechanics, well built racer for another year. And for $27.55 Canadian, I've got no single complaint.
Game 44: Gears of War 4 (X1) - 6h09m
#That rehashed Gears campaign that should have died at 2 and has some freaking spongy enemies that you can empty an entire clip into. Eheheh. As a Gears fan, I was underwhelmed and often bored by the horde like elements within the campaign. MP has been GOAT.
Game 45: Oxenfree (PC) - 7h12m
#The loops and letter chasing ruined this game for me. The relationships are cool, the music is great, but you want to scream at this the same way you want to scream at horror films. Devs/writers take some cop outs with those loops that could have added real flair to the story.
Game 46: Tabletop Simulator (PC) - 20h50m
#The GOAT. I just play a lot of UNO with friends, honestly.
Game 47: The Marvellous Miss Take (PC) - 4h0m
#A game I dropped for a long time, but I liked very much as an overall. On picking it back up, I recognized immediately why I sorta gave up despite liking the gameplay. The POV. That camera angle hurts.
Game 48: Demons Souls (PS3) - 42h17m
#Blurb
Game 49: Silent Hill 2 (360) - 8h09m
#Blurb
Game 50: Silent Hill 3 (360) - 9h48m
#Blurb
Game 51: Cubicolor (PC) - 0h39m
#Beat both normal and smart modes in this time. It's not a difficult or challenging puzzler by any means, iOS and Android titles with similar gameplay do this a lot better. Eh.
Game 52: Battlefield 1 (PS4) - 10h36m
#The campaign is laughable. As in, it's barely a campaign. It's like a glorified tutorial for how to get you sped into the multiplayer immediately. That multi is phenomenal, though. Between War Pigeons, Operations, Rush, and your classic TDM, I've really enjoyed my time with this game insofar.
Game 53: Tengami (PC) - 1h35m
#Point & Click. Pretty. Very forgiving. Unlimited hints. Average puzzles.
Game 54: Linea, The Game + DLC (PC) - 1h20m
#Rhythm type that requires a depth perception I barely have. And that DLC? Hurtful, good lord. Send help. My eyes. All I see is red. And the music, it's still stuck in my head. Solid title by KHB, but that DLC is trippy as hell. The 4th level was bad enough, then I tried the DLC and it was the 4th on acid.
Game 55: Rusty Lake Hotel (PC) - 1h45m
#The weirdest, murderous, point & click out there.
Game 56: Intralism (PC) - 1h36m
#Rhythm dub-step game by KHB Soft. Super short, 6 levels. Difficulty progression is pretty lacking. In fact, the second level is more difficult than 3-6, so lol. I imagine it's a lot more difficult if you go out of your way to do them in hardcore mode (no achievement for it) in which you only get 1 life and no checkpoints. Annoying bit for cheevo hunters is some are reliant on multiplayer, and others being present with you, so RIP. Never will 100% this one.
Game 57: Battlefield 1 (PS4) - ?h??m
#The chaotic shooter.
Game 58: Titanfall 2 (PS4) - ?h??m
#The shooter we deserve.
Game 59: 140 (PC) - 1h46m
#This game is enraging. So well done. So hurtful. So much dying. I couldn't survive mirror levels and I already know it, so I uninstalled after the main three stages 'cause those were bad enough and I can't imagine doing that 3rd stage boss on an inverse plane with no checkpoints. Nope. No thank you.
Game 60: Refunct (PC) - 0h40m
#Blurb
Game 61: HexCells (PC) - 2h30m
#Replay to 100%
In Progress:
Game 6X: Title (Platform) - 0h0m
#Blurb
Completed 61/52:
Game 27: SquareCells (PC) - 3h41m
#Well polished, ambient puzzler with the most zen music of six worlds by Matthew Brown. Standard scaling difficulty. Logic based like Hexcells (made by the same dev) - there's never any guessing to be done. Didn't overstay its welcome, for example like LYNE did for me by going the whole alphabet. If you're a fan of Picross, or played that before, it's reminiscent of it. They at least added a mechanic so you know how many squares it's directly connected to, similar to Minesweeper and knowing how many bombs are in the 8 nearest tiles.
Game 28: Kentucky Route Zero | Act I (PC) - 0h48m
#Quirky episodic where you play a man named Conway (and his dog) on the lookout for a highway known as "The Zero" to deliver an item for his job with Lysette antiques. A point and click adventure title with a unique map and movement system, with plenty of hidden/extra text adventures we don't tend to find in these titles. Humour fits for me, music and SFX are good to the atmosphere, and who can hate a dog?
Game 29: Nova-111 (PS4) - 6h38m
#An indie, sci-fi adventure with interesting puzzle elements (however convoluted sometimes), with the goal of finding the world's famed scientists after an experiment gone wrong destroys the space-time. This game is well polished. The art is well done, the music works, mechanics are simple, the level design is solid despite the manner in which it's revealed (with movement). Devs keep the enemies fresh level by level. The puzzles are congruently turn based and real time, sometimes, even the combat, so it adds a decent amount of "difficulty." However, the auto save is only after a level is completed and at the new one's start, so if you're in the last part of it, you have to return to the beginning again. The pace is twitchy because of how the map is revealed. Abilities become way too much after a while, almost unmanageable. It was alright, but the last point is especially the issue with this game. Too much to keep track of when you're already unsure of what's coming up around the corner.
Game 30: Fractal: Make Blooms Not War (PC) - 3h42m
#Casual puzzle game where the mission is to create fractals of one colour, a fractal being a diamond of 7 tiles, the campaign involving a push limit in which you have to create x amount of fractals for a specified number of points before moving onward, for a total of 30 levels. Enjoyable little teaser with a good music backdrop. Thanks to its arcade and puzzle modes, it retains replay value beyond the campaign.
Game 31: Zenge (PC) - 2h36m
Most convoluted jigsaw puzzle I've ever played in my life. Also the most pretty. "Puzzles" aren't really difficult. A bit tricky, sure, since you have to really take care of which pieces go in first, attaching them in some cases, and eventually flipping the pieces at specific stations within it. Mechanics are simple, "difficulty" curve is better than games like Hook. What I really like about it is the narrative that seems to be told with the images created after each puzzle. At the end, a slideshow of the images created with each puzzle is put up like an art book..
Makes me feel more than To The Moon did.
Game 32: Assassin's Creed Rogue (360) - 10h52m
#Blurb
Game 33: Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (X1) - 6h20m
#Blurb
Game 34: Mirror's Edge (X1) - 7h15m
#I always wished I could do parkour, man.
Game 35: Journey (PS4) - 2h04m
#Pretty game. Very pretty game. Good environmental storytelling, but the co-op made it more than anything as you have to cooperate in a world where your only communication is a single button that transmits nothing but a symbol. My favourite parts were largely the ones akin to slalom skiing, as the backdrops were especially beautiful. I genuinely found it boring, and feel nothing extreme in either direction for the game. It's polished, control wise. I managed to break it once with a timed jump after using those ribbons to toss me up - think I went too high for the game to handle, so it gave me an error.
Game 36: Furi (PS4) - 5h03m
#Bullet hell, dull story, eh.
Game 37: Cook, Serve, Delicious (PC) - 5h48m
#Too addicting. So stressful. Mini Metro levels of stress. Some of these dishes are insanity.
Game 38: NBA 2K17 (PS4) - 17h53m
#From 16, to this, nothing crazy has changed, but GSW is a painful squad now. Too painful.
Game 39: Strider (PS4) - 6h29m
#Super fast paced side scroller with an interesting combat system. Well put together. Enjoyable experience.
Game 40: Civilizations V (PC) - 56h24m
#Played an additional run through, this time as Enrico/Venice.
Game 41: Mirror's Edge: Catalyst (PS4) - 10h19m
#Blurb
Game 42: Titanfall (X1) - 4h04m
#Blurb
Game 43: Forza Horizon 3 (X1) - 19h27m
#Beautiful. Just beautiful, tight mechanics, well built racer for another year. And for $27.55 Canadian, I've got no single complaint.
Game 44: Gears of War 4 (X1) - 6h09m
#That rehashed Gears campaign that should have died at 2 and has some freaking spongy enemies that you can empty an entire clip into. Eheheh. As a Gears fan, I was underwhelmed and often bored by the horde like elements within the campaign. MP has been GOAT.
Game 45: Oxenfree (PC) - 7h12m
#The loops and letter chasing ruined this game for me. The relationships are cool, the music is great, but you want to scream at this the same way you want to scream at horror films. Devs/writers take some cop outs with those loops that could have added real flair to the story.
Game 46: Tabletop Simulator (PC) - 20h50m
#The GOAT. I just play a lot of UNO with friends, honestly.
Game 47: The Marvellous Miss Take (PC) - 4h0m
#A game I dropped for a long time, but I liked very much as an overall. On picking it back up, I recognized immediately why I sorta gave up despite liking the gameplay. The POV. That camera angle hurts.
Game 48: Demons Souls (PS3) - 42h17m
#Blurb
Game 49: Silent Hill 2 (360) - 8h09m
#Blurb
Game 50: Silent Hill 3 (360) - 9h48m
#Blurb
Game 51: Cubicolor (PC) - 0h39m
#Beat both normal and smart modes in this time. It's not a difficult or challenging puzzler by any means, iOS and Android titles with similar gameplay do this a lot better. Eh.
Game 52: Battlefield 1 (PS4) - 10h36m
#The campaign is laughable. As in, it's barely a campaign. It's like a glorified tutorial for how to get you sped into the multiplayer immediately. That multi is phenomenal, though. Between War Pigeons, Operations, Rush, and your classic TDM, I've really enjoyed my time with this game insofar.
Game 53: Tengami (PC) - 1h35m
#Point & Click. Pretty. Very forgiving. Unlimited hints. Average puzzles.
Game 54: Linea, The Game + DLC (PC) - 1h20m
#Rhythm type that requires a depth perception I barely have. And that DLC? Hurtful, good lord. Send help. My eyes. All I see is red. And the music, it's still stuck in my head. Solid title by KHB, but that DLC is trippy as hell. The 4th level was bad enough, then I tried the DLC and it was the 4th on acid.
Game 55: Rusty Lake Hotel (PC) - 1h45m
#The weirdest, murderous, point & click out there.
Game 56: Intralism (PC) - 1h36m
#Rhythm dub-step game by KHB Soft. Super short, 6 levels. Difficulty progression is pretty lacking. In fact, the second level is more difficult than 3-6, so lol. I imagine it's a lot more difficult if you go out of your way to do them in hardcore mode (no achievement for it) in which you only get 1 life and no checkpoints. Annoying bit for cheevo hunters is some are reliant on multiplayer, and others being present with you, so RIP. Never will 100% this one.
Game 57: Battlefield 1 (PS4) - ?h??m
#The chaotic shooter.
Game 58: Titanfall 2 (PS4) - ?h??m
#The shooter we deserve.
Game 59: 140 (PC) - 1h46m
#This game is enraging. So well done. So hurtful. So much dying. I couldn't survive mirror levels and I already know it, so I uninstalled after the main three stages 'cause those were bad enough and I can't imagine doing that 3rd stage boss on an inverse plane with no checkpoints. Nope. No thank you.
Game 60: Refunct (PC) - 0h40m
#Blurb
Game 61: HexCells (PC) - 2h30m
#Replay to 100%
In Progress:
Game 6X: Title (Platform) - 0h0m
#Blurb
- Status