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52 games. 1 Year. 2016.
- Thread starter VisceralBowl
- Start date
- Status
Falchion
Member
Original Post
32) Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - 6 hours - 6/17
When I first got my 360 I tried out Gears of War but barely made it past the tutorial before I decided I wasn't interested and just wanted to play CoD4 instead. All these years later I decided I should probably experience them all through once so I ran through the Ultimate Edition and it was pretty decent. Not really my kind of shooter but the characters were decent and it had some cool moments. I've got 2, 3, and Judgement digitally so I'll go through those as well before 4 comes out.
32) Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - 6 hours - 6/17
When I first got my 360 I tried out Gears of War but barely made it past the tutorial before I decided I wasn't interested and just wanted to play CoD4 instead. All these years later I decided I should probably experience them all through once so I ran through the Ultimate Edition and it was pretty decent. Not really my kind of shooter but the characters were decent and it had some cool moments. I've got 2, 3, and Judgement digitally so I'll go through those as well before 4 comes out.
marcincz
Member
Big update:
Game #17: Rise of the Tomb Raider (XBO) - 16:37 h - 25/04/2016
Yes. This is a good game. I liked it probably more, than previous part in some aspects, in others not. Interesting story, great setting and this wonderful snow and winter. Brillant work CD. I hope CD in 3rd part of this trilogy will change some things, like hunting and weapon modification. In 1st part it was fun, in 2nd not so much, so in 3rd probably can be boring.
Game #18:RotTR - Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch (XBO) - 03:34 h - 28/04/2016
I don't buy dlc to any games, but RotTR was so good, that decided to invest money in this add-on. Very nice, additional quest. Especially
mission.
Game #19: Sunset Overdrive (XBO) - 14:14 h - 08/05/2016
Once again Insomniac Games has proved, that's incredible ambitious team and one of the best video game company. Lovely, colourful, funny game. After that I'm sure new Spiderman game will be great.
Game #20: Uncharted 4 (PS4) - 19:30 h - 22/05/2016
In short. GOTY 2016. Thank you.
They did it again. Naughty Dogs never fail. Naughty Dogs are the best. Wonderful, amazing, incredible title. I love this series. Since the beginning. Nathan is my favourite hero in a video games industry. Elena is my favourite women person in this industry and Naughty Dogs - my fav. video game company. What else? In Top3 games of my life two are from ...ND.
Game #21: The Walking Dead: Season Two (PS4) - 08:39 h - 26/05/2016
To the point. I really like TTG or rather I liked it till start and beat Life is Strange. After LiS each TTG game is like poor cousin of this masterpiece from Dontnod. TWD is good game, but it's only good. I hope their next titles will be like LiS.
Game #22: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PSV) - 112:19 h - 31/05/2016
Oh man. What a title. The longest game I've ever played in my gaming career. Started in February. I beat few jrpgs in my life, but almost every of them finished in around 50 h.
Good game. I liked the story, beautiful cities, dazzling views, interesting heroes, lovely music. Didn't like drop of animation in bigger places and repetitive episodes. 2nd part in September, so I can't wait.
Game #23: Nano Assault EX (3DS - VC) - 03:15 h - 04/06/2016
Decent small and very short game. On the beginning little frustrating, but later is better.
Game #24: Forza Horizon 2 (XBO) - 19:12 h - 10/06/2016
I am not a fan Forza games, but Horizon is...something special for me. Adore this title. Brillant cars. Beautiful views and tracks.
Unfortunately the last achievement hadn't pop-up, so it looks like I didn't finish the game.
Original Post
Game #17: Rise of the Tomb Raider (XBO) - 16:37 h - 25/04/2016
Yes. This is a good game. I liked it probably more, than previous part in some aspects, in others not. Interesting story, great setting and this wonderful snow and winter. Brillant work CD. I hope CD in 3rd part of this trilogy will change some things, like hunting and weapon modification. In 1st part it was fun, in 2nd not so much, so in 3rd probably can be boring.
Game #18:RotTR - Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch (XBO) - 03:34 h - 28/04/2016
I don't buy dlc to any games, but RotTR was so good, that decided to invest money in this add-on. Very nice, additional quest. Especially
hallucination
Game #19: Sunset Overdrive (XBO) - 14:14 h - 08/05/2016
Once again Insomniac Games has proved, that's incredible ambitious team and one of the best video game company. Lovely, colourful, funny game. After that I'm sure new Spiderman game will be great.
Game #20: Uncharted 4 (PS4) - 19:30 h - 22/05/2016
In short. GOTY 2016. Thank you.
They did it again. Naughty Dogs never fail. Naughty Dogs are the best. Wonderful, amazing, incredible title. I love this series. Since the beginning. Nathan is my favourite hero in a video games industry. Elena is my favourite women person in this industry and Naughty Dogs - my fav. video game company. What else? In Top3 games of my life two are from ...ND.
Game #21: The Walking Dead: Season Two (PS4) - 08:39 h - 26/05/2016
To the point. I really like TTG or rather I liked it till start and beat Life is Strange. After LiS each TTG game is like poor cousin of this masterpiece from Dontnod. TWD is good game, but it's only good. I hope their next titles will be like LiS.
Game #22: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PSV) - 112:19 h - 31/05/2016
Oh man. What a title. The longest game I've ever played in my gaming career. Started in February. I beat few jrpgs in my life, but almost every of them finished in around 50 h.
Good game. I liked the story, beautiful cities, dazzling views, interesting heroes, lovely music. Didn't like drop of animation in bigger places and repetitive episodes. 2nd part in September, so I can't wait.
Game #23: Nano Assault EX (3DS - VC) - 03:15 h - 04/06/2016
Decent small and very short game. On the beginning little frustrating, but later is better.
Game #24: Forza Horizon 2 (XBO) - 19:12 h - 10/06/2016
I am not a fan Forza games, but Horizon is...something special for me. Adore this title. Brillant cars. Beautiful views and tracks.
Unfortunately the last achievement hadn't pop-up, so it looks like I didn't finish the game.
Original Post
rottendevice
Member
Main Post Part 1
Main Post Part 2
Game 42: Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine (3 hours)
There are a lot of good things to say about this game. In some ways, it's better than Sonic... or even Mario. The levels are more puzzle-like. The music is fantastic. The graphics are top-notch for their day. I'm definitely biased, because the game that came after this was one of the earliest games I ever owned. But this is a great 2D platformer. You can pick up the first five for cheap on Steam. I played with a USB SNES-style controller, which made for a better experience than keyboard would have.
5/5
Game 43: Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle (2 hours)
This is another classic. I feel the level design in this is better than in 5. Also, there's more variety in the levels, e.g. a snow level, a lava level, etc. The music unfortunately isn't as good as the sequel's, but that's about my only complaint.
5/5
Main Post Part 2
Game 42: Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine (3 hours)
There are a lot of good things to say about this game. In some ways, it's better than Sonic... or even Mario. The levels are more puzzle-like. The music is fantastic. The graphics are top-notch for their day. I'm definitely biased, because the game that came after this was one of the earliest games I ever owned. But this is a great 2D platformer. You can pick up the first five for cheap on Steam. I played with a USB SNES-style controller, which made for a better experience than keyboard would have.
5/5
Game 43: Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle (2 hours)
This is another classic. I feel the level design in this is better than in 5. Also, there's more variety in the levels, e.g. a snow level, a lava level, etc. The music unfortunately isn't as good as the sequel's, but that's about my only complaint.
5/5
Falchion
Member
Original Post
33) Killzone Shadow Fall - 7 hours - 6/18
Coming right off the heals of Gears of War, I decided to try out Shadow Fall which I picked up for $5 during a flash sale recently. There were parts of this game that I really loved, like the minute to minute gameplay, and parts that really wore on me, like the huge spider robots that you could only kill by finding these energy cores and putting them in certain stations. The story and characters were whatever but it did have some really cool moments and some beautiful environments. One of the coolest things was at the end when
I definitely enjoyed the Vita title Mercenary more, but I'm glad I played through this.
33) Killzone Shadow Fall - 7 hours - 6/18
Coming right off the heals of Gears of War, I decided to try out Shadow Fall which I picked up for $5 during a flash sale recently. There were parts of this game that I really loved, like the minute to minute gameplay, and parts that really wore on me, like the huge spider robots that you could only kill by finding these energy cores and putting them in certain stations. The story and characters were whatever but it did have some really cool moments and some beautiful environments. One of the coolest things was at the end when
you got to play as Echo using her cloaking even though it was only for one small section.
Original Post - Part 1
Original Post - Part 2
#17: The Beginner's Guide: 2.1 hours
Original Post - Part 2
#17: The Beginner's Guide: 2.1 hours
What an interesting commentary on the relationship between author and fan. It's well worth experiencing though as is part for the course when I play this style of game I get a little bored slowly walking around. I feel bad about it but it is what it is.
OP
Game 36: Lifeline: Silent Night (Android) 28/05/16 - 18/06/16
A direct sequel to the first Lifeline game which continues the adventure of Taylor. The game still plays the same as the original, pick option A or B to progress through the story and I probably gotten 2 endings until I got the best ending according to the game. Still have another Lifeline game to play but its a brand new story, so I might get into it in the near future.
Game 37: Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS) 12/06/16 - 20/06/16 16 Hours
This is maybe one of the best Kirby games I have ever played, I have it next to Kirby Super Star/Kirby Super Star Turbo as the #1 Kirby title. I thought the Supernova ability was fun in the last 3DS Kirby game but using a mecha robot with different abilities is even better and the end of the game felt so epic. Just like Kirby: Triple Deluxe, after completing the main game, you unlock a lot of extra modes to play that are different to the main game. I loved playing as Meta Knight in Meta Knightmare Returns, he's such a badass character to play as I wish they'll give him his own full game one day. Both Team Kirby Clash and Kirby 3D Rumble were some interesting experiments as mini games to play and then you have The Arena, where you battle all the bosses one after another. After completing The Arena, you unlock The True Arena and this was the toughest challenge of everything in the game, I'm pretty sure I failed as the final boss a couple of times and it is just too much but eventually I did it. I really enjoyed this Kirby game, I managed to complete it to 100%.
Game 36: Lifeline: Silent Night (Android) 28/05/16 - 18/06/16
A direct sequel to the first Lifeline game which continues the adventure of Taylor. The game still plays the same as the original, pick option A or B to progress through the story and I probably gotten 2 endings until I got the best ending according to the game. Still have another Lifeline game to play but its a brand new story, so I might get into it in the near future.
Game 37: Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS) 12/06/16 - 20/06/16 16 Hours
This is maybe one of the best Kirby games I have ever played, I have it next to Kirby Super Star/Kirby Super Star Turbo as the #1 Kirby title. I thought the Supernova ability was fun in the last 3DS Kirby game but using a mecha robot with different abilities is even better and the end of the game felt so epic. Just like Kirby: Triple Deluxe, after completing the main game, you unlock a lot of extra modes to play that are different to the main game. I loved playing as Meta Knight in Meta Knightmare Returns, he's such a badass character to play as I wish they'll give him his own full game one day. Both Team Kirby Clash and Kirby 3D Rumble were some interesting experiments as mini games to play and then you have The Arena, where you battle all the bosses one after another. After completing The Arena, you unlock The True Arena and this was the toughest challenge of everything in the game, I'm pretty sure I failed as the final boss a couple of times and it is just too much but eventually I did it. I really enjoyed this Kirby game, I managed to complete it to 100%.
rottendevice
Member
Main Post Part 1
Main Post Part 2
Game 44: Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die (3 1/2 hours)
Despite raving over what great games Commander Keen 4 and 5 are, this isn't such a great game. You can teleport your way to the end of the game after playing one level if you know what you're doing. The last boss was too difficult. If you have... a... um... keen interest in the series, play this game. Otherwise, it's totally a game you can skip.
2/5
Game 45: Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes! (6 hours)
This is, in my opinion, the best Keen game in the original trilogy. The level design is top notch. The last level
Also, the end of the game
Recommended if you'd like a challenging platformer.
5/5
Main Post Part 2
Game 44: Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die (3 1/2 hours)
Despite raving over what great games Commander Keen 4 and 5 are, this isn't such a great game. You can teleport your way to the end of the game after playing one level if you know what you're doing. The last boss was too difficult. If you have... a... um... keen interest in the series, play this game. Otherwise, it's totally a game you can skip.
2/5
Game 45: Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes! (6 hours)
This is, in my opinion, the best Keen game in the original trilogy. The level design is top notch. The last level
is an especially brutal exercise in landing jumps right, but it's rewarding to finish.
is the most entertaining of the bunch.
5/5
Since you've apparently been playing through the Keen games backwards recently I want to ask for your perspective on this. I didn't like the games at all when I played them a few years ago. I thought that the controls were too stiff for how fast and erratic the enemies were.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Master Post
Game 28: XCOM: Enemy Within - 25.6 hours - June 20th, 2016
I played Enemy Unknown a few years back when it was on PS+, but never got around to all the DLC. At some point apparently I picked up the game with all its DLC from a bundle or something, so I decided to play it all again. The two character additions, Zhang and Annette were fun little add-ons, and the entire EXALT/Progeny arcs were fairly entertaining. I guess if I had one major compliment towards the game, it would be that it does a bangup job making me care about my characters. By the end, I was again very deeply attached to my characters, remarkable since it was the second time I had played with these kind of blank, empty, controllable soldiers! In fact, I think I felt more attached to this randomly generated crew than I felt towards many "actual" characters in recent similar games like Fire Emblem. Conversely, if I had to pick something negative about the game to harp on, it would be that the story backdrop, supporting "characters" and the writing attached to both aspects is pretty much poop. They're not offensively bad, and they don't really take away from the experience, but they're definitely poop. Hopefully when I get around to XCOM 2 this fall, I'll get to see an improvement all around.
Should I play XCOM: Enemy Within? Whether you've played the original base game or not, absolutely yes.
Game 28: XCOM: Enemy Within - 25.6 hours - June 20th, 2016
I played Enemy Unknown a few years back when it was on PS+, but never got around to all the DLC. At some point apparently I picked up the game with all its DLC from a bundle or something, so I decided to play it all again. The two character additions, Zhang and Annette were fun little add-ons, and the entire EXALT/Progeny arcs were fairly entertaining. I guess if I had one major compliment towards the game, it would be that it does a bangup job making me care about my characters. By the end, I was again very deeply attached to my characters, remarkable since it was the second time I had played with these kind of blank, empty, controllable soldiers! In fact, I think I felt more attached to this randomly generated crew than I felt towards many "actual" characters in recent similar games like Fire Emblem. Conversely, if I had to pick something negative about the game to harp on, it would be that the story backdrop, supporting "characters" and the writing attached to both aspects is pretty much poop. They're not offensively bad, and they don't really take away from the experience, but they're definitely poop. Hopefully when I get around to XCOM 2 this fall, I'll get to see an improvement all around.
Should I play XCOM: Enemy Within? Whether you've played the original base game or not, absolutely yes.
Let's do this!
Games Beaten: 26/52
Game 1: Taco Master (PS Vita) - 2 hours
Game 2: Cibele (PC) - 1 hour
Game 3: Gravity Rush (PS Vita) - 10 hours
Game 4: That Dragon, Cancer (PC) - 2 hours
Game 5: Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (PC) - 61 hours
Game 6: Transformers: Devastation (PC) - 4.5 hours
Game 7: Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 8: Guitar Hero Live (Xbox One) - 6 hours
Game 9: Heavy Rain (PS3) - 10 hours
Game 10: The Witness (PC) - 21 hours
Game 11: Firewatch (PC) - 3 hours
Game 12: SUPERHOT (PC) - 3 hours
Game 13: Heavy Rain: The Taxidermist (PC) - 0.5 hour
Game 14: Thirty Flights of Loving (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 15: Quantum Break (Xbox One) - 12 hours
Game 16: Final Fantasy XV: Platinum Demo (PS4) - 1 hour
Game 17: Dark Souls III (PC) - 50 hours
Game 18: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Remastered (PS4) - 8.5 hours
Game 19: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Remastered (PS4) - 6.5 hours
Game 20: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4) - 13.5 hours
Game 21: The Graveyard (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 22: Resident Evil 7: Begining Hours (PS4) - 0.5 hour
Game 23: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (PC) - 20 hours
Game 24: Catherine (PS3) - 13 hours
Game 25: NBA 2K16 (PS4) - 4.5 hours
Game 26: Refunct (PC) - 0.6 hour
Game 27: Pony Island (PC) - 2.5 hours
Game 28: VA-11 Hall-A (PC) - 9 hours
Game 29: Batman - The Telltale Series [Ep.1´] (PC) - 2 hours
Game 30: Abzu (PC) - 1,5 hour
Game 31: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4) - 15 hours
Game 32: Inside (PC) - 4 hours
Game 33: Virginia (PC) - 2 hours
Game 34: Gears of War 4 (PC) - 10 hours
Game 35: FIFA 17 (PC) - 16 hours
Game 36: The Pit and the Pendelum (PC) - 0.2 hour
Game 37: The Political Machine 2016 (PC) - 2 hours
Game 38: Gravity Bone (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 39: Well This Is Awkward (PC) - 0.2 hour
Game 40:
Favorite games so far: The Witcher 3 Blood & Wine, Dark Souls III, Uncharted 4 and VA-11 Hall-A.
Games Beaten: 26/52
Game 1: Taco Master (PS Vita) - 2 hours
Game 2: Cibele (PC) - 1 hour
Game 3: Gravity Rush (PS Vita) - 10 hours
Game 4: That Dragon, Cancer (PC) - 2 hours
Game 5: Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (PC) - 61 hours
Game 6: Transformers: Devastation (PC) - 4.5 hours
Game 7: Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 8: Guitar Hero Live (Xbox One) - 6 hours
Game 9: Heavy Rain (PS3) - 10 hours
Game 10: The Witness (PC) - 21 hours
Game 11: Firewatch (PC) - 3 hours
Game 12: SUPERHOT (PC) - 3 hours
Game 13: Heavy Rain: The Taxidermist (PC) - 0.5 hour
Game 14: Thirty Flights of Loving (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 15: Quantum Break (Xbox One) - 12 hours
Game 16: Final Fantasy XV: Platinum Demo (PS4) - 1 hour
Game 17: Dark Souls III (PC) - 50 hours
Game 18: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Remastered (PS4) - 8.5 hours
Game 19: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Remastered (PS4) - 6.5 hours
Game 20: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4) - 13.5 hours
Game 21: The Graveyard (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 22: Resident Evil 7: Begining Hours (PS4) - 0.5 hour
Game 23: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (PC) - 20 hours
Game 24: Catherine (PS3) - 13 hours
Game 25: NBA 2K16 (PS4) - 4.5 hours
Game 26: Refunct (PC) - 0.6 hour
Game 27: Pony Island (PC) - 2.5 hours
Game 28: VA-11 Hall-A (PC) - 9 hours
Game 29: Batman - The Telltale Series [Ep.1´] (PC) - 2 hours
Game 30: Abzu (PC) - 1,5 hour
Game 31: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4) - 15 hours
Game 32: Inside (PC) - 4 hours
Game 33: Virginia (PC) - 2 hours
Game 34: Gears of War 4 (PC) - 10 hours
Game 35: FIFA 17 (PC) - 16 hours
Game 36: The Pit and the Pendelum (PC) - 0.2 hour
Game 37: The Political Machine 2016 (PC) - 2 hours
Game 38: Gravity Bone (PC) - 0.3 hour
Game 39: Well This Is Awkward (PC) - 0.2 hour
Game 40:
Favorite games so far: The Witcher 3 Blood & Wine, Dark Souls III, Uncharted 4 and VA-11 Hall-A.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Master Post
Game 29: The Banner Saga - 8 hours - June 21st, 2016
Yet another game that has been sitting in my Steam library for a while, and coming off the tactics/strategy of XCOM, I thought now would be a great time to dive in. It's always said when people talk about this game, but it bears repeating that the artistic design of this game is just superb. The OST by Austin Wintory is just absolutely fantastic, and definitely among some of his best work that I've heard. The visual style is truly gorgeous, particularly the caravan scenes which do such a superb job conveying the sense of scale of the journey. The setting itself is pretty darn great, as many games do a "post-apocalyptic" or "end of the world" setting, but very few manage to convey the sense of finality and hopelessness that The Banner Saga manages to at times. Even the way the game presents choices for you to make as you lead your caravan was pretty well done. The kudos aside, I did have some gripes about the gameplay. I understood what the game was trying to do with battle spacing, armor/strength gauges and the back-and-forth turn system it used, but I don't know that it ever really succeeded. Hopefully the sequel does a better job in this regard, and from what I've seen, it does look a bit more interesting.
Should I play The Banner Saga? I think so, it's a unique take on the Norse setting, but one that has some niggles that you should expect.
Game 29: The Banner Saga - 8 hours - June 21st, 2016
Yet another game that has been sitting in my Steam library for a while, and coming off the tactics/strategy of XCOM, I thought now would be a great time to dive in. It's always said when people talk about this game, but it bears repeating that the artistic design of this game is just superb. The OST by Austin Wintory is just absolutely fantastic, and definitely among some of his best work that I've heard. The visual style is truly gorgeous, particularly the caravan scenes which do such a superb job conveying the sense of scale of the journey. The setting itself is pretty darn great, as many games do a "post-apocalyptic" or "end of the world" setting, but very few manage to convey the sense of finality and hopelessness that The Banner Saga manages to at times. Even the way the game presents choices for you to make as you lead your caravan was pretty well done. The kudos aside, I did have some gripes about the gameplay. I understood what the game was trying to do with battle spacing, armor/strength gauges and the back-and-forth turn system it used, but I don't know that it ever really succeeded. Hopefully the sequel does a better job in this regard, and from what I've seen, it does look a bit more interesting.
Should I play The Banner Saga? I think so, it's a unique take on the Norse setting, but one that has some niggles that you should expect.
Part 1
Part 2
27. Bloodborne: The Old Hunters - July 7th
I ended up doing a second playthrough of Bloodborne along with the DLC, and people were not kidding when they said how much it improved the experience. OoK, Lady Maria and Ludwig were absolutely top tier bosses and the new assortment of weapons were a blast to try out, if ultimately kind of irrelevant because I still stuck to the Saw Cleaver I was toting the entire game. I ended up feeling like I actually got better at it this time around, as I mostly got the hang of parrying attacks and even built up enough Arcane to try out some of those Hunter tools. Tried the Chalice dungeons too but eventually gave up at the Defiled Watchdog 'cause ain't no one got time for that.
28. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - July 12th
It's funny playing this after the reboot, because it feels like the twice the game. I can't really call any of the main games in the series better or worse (well, the original, the reboot and Deadlocked all kind of err on the poorer side), because they all do something different, and pitting UYA's stronger gunplay and hilarious writing against GC's better platforming and more side content seems kind of pointless. Like a good series, Ratchet & Clank changes things up every game.
29. Metroid Prime - July 20th
It's Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime is basically perfect, save for the terrible artifact hunt. What was with early 2000 Nintendo games making you go on a scavenger hunt before the endgame?
30. Parasite Eve - July 27th
Parasite Eve is phenomenal and I hope one day someone recaptures its beautiful marriage of RPG and Survival Horror. Probably going to return to it and do the Chrysler Building.
31. Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - July 30th
MGR is fucking ridiculous and perfect because of it. That we'll never see a sequel is a crime.
32. Transistor - August 9th
It was a game.
33. Banjo Kazooie - August 15th
Got all the jiggies and enough to open the secret note doors, but fuck it if I'm replaying all of Click Clock Wood for twelve notes.
I like Tooie more. Grunty Industries is an unforgivable sin, but it has more of its own identity than just being a cute Nintendo platformer.
34. Shovel Knight - August 16th
Shovel Knight is perfect. Nuff' said.
35. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - August 23rd
I've come to realize that for all the improvements the 3DS version brought to the table, the original is still the definitive version. Even aside from the unforgivable alterations to the swimming mechanics, MM3D made Termina into a lucky charms coloured wonderland, whereas the aesthetic of the original version is vibrant and strange while still feeling grounded.
36. Dishonored - September 9th
I fucking love Dishonored so much. It suffers from a binary morality system, a silent protagonist and a bland cast, but there is so much so cool stuff going on that I can't muster the effort to get too upset about it. The rotting carcass of Dunwall is beautiful and haunting to explore, and the sheer level of dickery you can inflict on your enemies warrants tons of playthroughs.
37. Mass Effect - September 16th
Forgot to update. Mass Effect is the only good game in the series and the entire thing should have just died afterwards instead.
38. Mass Effect 2- September 21st
I like Mass Effect 2, but everything good about exists in conflict with everything that should have been in a sequel to Mass Effect. The main plot is paper thin and the game doesn't feel as interested in crafting a full sci-fi world most of the time; just a Badass Game of Badasses who do Badass things.
Everything I didn't complain about is great.
39. Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse - October 4th
One of the best RPGs in recent memory.
Part 2
27. Bloodborne: The Old Hunters - July 7th
I ended up doing a second playthrough of Bloodborne along with the DLC, and people were not kidding when they said how much it improved the experience. OoK, Lady Maria and Ludwig were absolutely top tier bosses and the new assortment of weapons were a blast to try out, if ultimately kind of irrelevant because I still stuck to the Saw Cleaver I was toting the entire game. I ended up feeling like I actually got better at it this time around, as I mostly got the hang of parrying attacks and even built up enough Arcane to try out some of those Hunter tools. Tried the Chalice dungeons too but eventually gave up at the Defiled Watchdog 'cause ain't no one got time for that.
28. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - July 12th
It's funny playing this after the reboot, because it feels like the twice the game. I can't really call any of the main games in the series better or worse (well, the original, the reboot and Deadlocked all kind of err on the poorer side), because they all do something different, and pitting UYA's stronger gunplay and hilarious writing against GC's better platforming and more side content seems kind of pointless. Like a good series, Ratchet & Clank changes things up every game.
29. Metroid Prime - July 20th
It's Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime is basically perfect, save for the terrible artifact hunt. What was with early 2000 Nintendo games making you go on a scavenger hunt before the endgame?
30. Parasite Eve - July 27th
Parasite Eve is phenomenal and I hope one day someone recaptures its beautiful marriage of RPG and Survival Horror. Probably going to return to it and do the Chrysler Building.
31. Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - July 30th
MGR is fucking ridiculous and perfect because of it. That we'll never see a sequel is a crime.
32. Transistor - August 9th
It was a game.
33. Banjo Kazooie - August 15th
Got all the jiggies and enough to open the secret note doors, but fuck it if I'm replaying all of Click Clock Wood for twelve notes.
I like Tooie more. Grunty Industries is an unforgivable sin, but it has more of its own identity than just being a cute Nintendo platformer.
34. Shovel Knight - August 16th
Shovel Knight is perfect. Nuff' said.
35. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - August 23rd
I've come to realize that for all the improvements the 3DS version brought to the table, the original is still the definitive version. Even aside from the unforgivable alterations to the swimming mechanics, MM3D made Termina into a lucky charms coloured wonderland, whereas the aesthetic of the original version is vibrant and strange while still feeling grounded.
36. Dishonored - September 9th
I fucking love Dishonored so much. It suffers from a binary morality system, a silent protagonist and a bland cast, but there is so much so cool stuff going on that I can't muster the effort to get too upset about it. The rotting carcass of Dunwall is beautiful and haunting to explore, and the sheer level of dickery you can inflict on your enemies warrants tons of playthroughs.
37. Mass Effect - September 16th
Forgot to update. Mass Effect is the only good game in the series and the entire thing should have just died afterwards instead.
38. Mass Effect 2- September 21st
I like Mass Effect 2, but everything good about exists in conflict with everything that should have been in a sequel to Mass Effect. The main plot is paper thin and the game doesn't feel as interested in crafting a full sci-fi world most of the time; just a Badass Game of Badasses who do Badass things.
Everything I didn't complain about is great.
39. Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse - October 4th
One of the best RPGs in recent memory.
The List!
Detailed Impressions 01-12
Detailed Impressions 13-xx
25. Resident Evil Revelations 2 - 18.75 Hours
Taking the most inspiration from RE5, Revelations 2 adds a few wrinkles to the modern Resident Evil formula, feeling familiar without overtly rehashing previous titles in the franchise. The structure and episodic nature of the plot is a natural evolution of the intertwining narratives presented in RE2 and RE6 and suits the game wonderfully. Combat manages to strike a fair balance by being action-oriented but severely resource limited (at least on higher difficulty). Enemy counts are overall lower than the last few main installments of the franchise, and yet I found it more common to be counting bullets by the single digits than having a healthy reserve of supplies, leading to every encounter being important, every shot making a difference. When all's said and done it's obviously not a main entry in the franchise, ultimately coming across as a bit of a "side story" instead of something integral to the Resident Evil universe. But while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, fans of the franchise will still find plenty to enjoy.
Detailed Impressions 01-12
Detailed Impressions 13-xx
25. Resident Evil Revelations 2 - 18.75 Hours
Taking the most inspiration from RE5, Revelations 2 adds a few wrinkles to the modern Resident Evil formula, feeling familiar without overtly rehashing previous titles in the franchise. The structure and episodic nature of the plot is a natural evolution of the intertwining narratives presented in RE2 and RE6 and suits the game wonderfully. Combat manages to strike a fair balance by being action-oriented but severely resource limited (at least on higher difficulty). Enemy counts are overall lower than the last few main installments of the franchise, and yet I found it more common to be counting bullets by the single digits than having a healthy reserve of supplies, leading to every encounter being important, every shot making a difference. When all's said and done it's obviously not a main entry in the franchise, ultimately coming across as a bit of a "side story" instead of something integral to the Resident Evil universe. But while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, fans of the franchise will still find plenty to enjoy.
Original Post - Part 1
Original Post - Part 2
#18: Lightfish: 3.6 hours
Original Post - Part 2
#18: Lightfish: 3.6 hours
I went into this expecting a simpler game than I got which was a nice surprise. It's one of the games where you have to draw lines to seal off sections of the level. But it has a large amount of enemy, and level variety and the scoring system is interesting too. Destroying enemies or stage hazards increases your score multiplier, and encirling larger sections of the stage increases your score. It leads to an interesting dynamic were you have to use a lot of tiny boxes to set up traps to get a large amount of enemies at once. I three starred all 45 levels, it was fun. The soundtrack is solid too.
Main Post
Game 26: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Alright, I haven't updated in a while, mainly because of exams, but also because I decided to reactivate my WoW account about a month ago (which certainly didn't help much with my productivity). I suppose it's a good thing I built a bit of a buffer earlier this year. At any rate, with the steam sales likely adding to my backlog, I decided it was time to get back on track, and I actually have a few things to add.
First off, due to the ridiculous amount of time I've spent with it, I'd be remiss not to add World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor. The concept of beating an MMO is a bit tricky, but I've done everything I set out to do before Legion, to the point where I've now returned to playing on my alts and running old raids for mount drops.
It's hard for me to quantify how much time I've put into it since I started again, but I'm easily looking at 150-200 hours. I've actually come to appreciate the game again for its quieter beats, something that can easily be lost when raiding for up to 20 hours a week. I'm looking forward to Legion, mostly because I really like the questing experience (and because I can't wait to start soloing MoP raids on my main).
At the moment, I still spend a few hours each day playing, but most of that is just maintenance, so I feel like this is a decent point to draw a line.
I still have my Oblivion save sitting there, with not a lot left to do (I finished just about everything except for the Main Quest and DLCs), so I'll probably try to take care of that before the end of the week. I'm also currently playing through Fire Emblem Fates (I'm coming up on the end of Birthright, but I do intend to add Conquest and Revelation runs after that).
Game 26: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Alright, I haven't updated in a while, mainly because of exams, but also because I decided to reactivate my WoW account about a month ago (which certainly didn't help much with my productivity). I suppose it's a good thing I built a bit of a buffer earlier this year. At any rate, with the steam sales likely adding to my backlog, I decided it was time to get back on track, and I actually have a few things to add.
First off, due to the ridiculous amount of time I've spent with it, I'd be remiss not to add World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor. The concept of beating an MMO is a bit tricky, but I've done everything I set out to do before Legion, to the point where I've now returned to playing on my alts and running old raids for mount drops.
It's hard for me to quantify how much time I've put into it since I started again, but I'm easily looking at 150-200 hours. I've actually come to appreciate the game again for its quieter beats, something that can easily be lost when raiding for up to 20 hours a week. I'm looking forward to Legion, mostly because I really like the questing experience (and because I can't wait to start soloing MoP raids on my main).
At the moment, I still spend a few hours each day playing, but most of that is just maintenance, so I feel like this is a decent point to draw a line.
I still have my Oblivion save sitting there, with not a lot left to do (I finished just about everything except for the Main Quest and DLCs), so I'll probably try to take care of that before the end of the week. I'm also currently playing through Fire Emblem Fates (I'm coming up on the end of Birthright, but I do intend to add Conquest and Revelation runs after that).
Updated post
Game #33: My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (3DS) - 37 Hours
First time playing a picross game, so im not sure how it stacks up against previous games. But thanks to this game, im alot more interested in Picross and will look into getting more of these games. The main picross mode has a good amount of puzzles which i had a good time plaything through. I also enjoyed Mega Picross, which adds more complexity, but i was a bit disappointed when they just basically used the same patterns from the main mode. I did like the concept of Micross, but found its puzzles too easy and was a bit bland to play after awhile.
Game #34: Dishonored (PC) - 22 Hours
Really enjoyed this action stealth game. It reminds me a lot of the Deus Ex games where they drop you in a fairly big area, you can choose any path to get to your main objective, go in as loud or as quiet as you want, and do whatever side quests along the way to get extra stuff. Had a great time just messing around with Corvo's powers and see what I can do with it. The level of detail in this game is pretty extraordinary from a guard getting suspicious if the other guards disappeared and so he changes his patrol route to the amount of neat things you can learn just by listening in on idle chatter between NPCs. Overall its a great game, can't wait to play the sequel.
Game #35: Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest (3DS) - 25 Hours
A more challenging game than its Birthright counterpart due to having limited resources and more varied missions. Gameplay wise I enjoyed this game more than Birthright. Not having the leisure to grind for resources made me think more on which characters I should spend more time with and whether or not if its better to use gold to stock up on healing spells or upgrading weapons. Its a bit of a shame that you still get the same amount of characters as Birthright but don't have enough time in the game to explore supports. I did enjoy the varied objectives, especially playing it right after Birthright so that the game play doesn't get stale.
Game #36: Lisa: The Joyful (PC) - 4 Hours
Im a bit on the fence with this DLC. On one hand, I enjoyed the writing and how it ties up all the loose ends from The Painful. On the other hand, the combat was a bit boring as the final boss fight felt very similar to the first fight you have. I found myself just using the same special move you get at the start and didn't really felt the need to ever change my strategy for bosses. Although it is a short game that can be finished in one sitting and so its easier to deal with that problem. I recommend getting it during a sale.
Currently Playing:
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault - On the last set of missions, should be able to finish it this weekend
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation - Finally on the last game of the Fates trio. I will probably put this one on hold once Zero Time Dilemma comes out. Unless, i get the Vita version first.
Game #33: My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (3DS) - 37 Hours
First time playing a picross game, so im not sure how it stacks up against previous games. But thanks to this game, im alot more interested in Picross and will look into getting more of these games. The main picross mode has a good amount of puzzles which i had a good time plaything through. I also enjoyed Mega Picross, which adds more complexity, but i was a bit disappointed when they just basically used the same patterns from the main mode. I did like the concept of Micross, but found its puzzles too easy and was a bit bland to play after awhile.
Game #34: Dishonored (PC) - 22 Hours
Really enjoyed this action stealth game. It reminds me a lot of the Deus Ex games where they drop you in a fairly big area, you can choose any path to get to your main objective, go in as loud or as quiet as you want, and do whatever side quests along the way to get extra stuff. Had a great time just messing around with Corvo's powers and see what I can do with it. The level of detail in this game is pretty extraordinary from a guard getting suspicious if the other guards disappeared and so he changes his patrol route to the amount of neat things you can learn just by listening in on idle chatter between NPCs. Overall its a great game, can't wait to play the sequel.
Game #35: Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest (3DS) - 25 Hours
A more challenging game than its Birthright counterpart due to having limited resources and more varied missions. Gameplay wise I enjoyed this game more than Birthright. Not having the leisure to grind for resources made me think more on which characters I should spend more time with and whether or not if its better to use gold to stock up on healing spells or upgrading weapons. Its a bit of a shame that you still get the same amount of characters as Birthright but don't have enough time in the game to explore supports. I did enjoy the varied objectives, especially playing it right after Birthright so that the game play doesn't get stale.
Game #36: Lisa: The Joyful (PC) - 4 Hours
Im a bit on the fence with this DLC. On one hand, I enjoyed the writing and how it ties up all the loose ends from The Painful. On the other hand, the combat was a bit boring as the final boss fight felt very similar to the first fight you have. I found myself just using the same special move you get at the start and didn't really felt the need to ever change my strategy for bosses. Although it is a short game that can be finished in one sitting and so its easier to deal with that problem. I recommend getting it during a sale.
Currently Playing:
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault - On the last set of missions, should be able to finish it this weekend
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation - Finally on the last game of the Fates trio. I will probably put this one on hold once Zero Time Dilemma comes out. Unless, i get the Vita version first.
The List!
Detailed Impressions 01-12
Detailed Impressions 13-xx
26. Resident Evil 2 - 4.5 Hours
The more I consider it, the clearer it becomes that this is my favorite Resident Evil. REmake certainly gives it a run for its money, but the design here is impeccable. No muss, no fuss, just a lean, mean zombie-killing machine. Paramount to its success, in my opinion, is the game's ability to make you feel like what you're experiencing is a small part of a larger whole. The story being split between Leon and Claire's campaign suggests the epidemic is bigger than any individual person. The pacing of the game, smartly abandoning the police station around the halfway point, gives the proceedings a bit of fluidity, the sense that everything is happening around you rather than explicitly to you. These things go a long way to draw you into the world and make you feel insignificant, putting the 'horror' in survival horror. The 'survival' part seems almost rudimentary in comparison these days: just enough ammo to kill most but not all enemies, save rooms spread out intermittently, and enough running back and forth unlocking rooms with different keys to make you wonder why no one compares these games to Metroidvanias. It's practically a formula now! But the truth is, the layout of the police station, the carefully metered drip feed of resources, the balance of risk versus reward, every facet of Resident Evil 2 is so masterfully crafted it remains a blueprint for survival horror games and a high-water mark of the franchise to this day
Detailed Impressions 01-12
Detailed Impressions 13-xx
26. Resident Evil 2 - 4.5 Hours
The more I consider it, the clearer it becomes that this is my favorite Resident Evil. REmake certainly gives it a run for its money, but the design here is impeccable. No muss, no fuss, just a lean, mean zombie-killing machine. Paramount to its success, in my opinion, is the game's ability to make you feel like what you're experiencing is a small part of a larger whole. The story being split between Leon and Claire's campaign suggests the epidemic is bigger than any individual person. The pacing of the game, smartly abandoning the police station around the halfway point, gives the proceedings a bit of fluidity, the sense that everything is happening around you rather than explicitly to you. These things go a long way to draw you into the world and make you feel insignificant, putting the 'horror' in survival horror. The 'survival' part seems almost rudimentary in comparison these days: just enough ammo to kill most but not all enemies, save rooms spread out intermittently, and enough running back and forth unlocking rooms with different keys to make you wonder why no one compares these games to Metroidvanias. It's practically a formula now! But the truth is, the layout of the police station, the carefully metered drip feed of resources, the balance of risk versus reward, every facet of Resident Evil 2 is so masterfully crafted it remains a blueprint for survival horror games and a high-water mark of the franchise to this day
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Master Post
Game 30: The Banner Saga 2 - 7.3 hours - June 25th, 2016
Fresh off finishing the first installment of The Banner Saga, the Steam Sale gave me a perfect segue into the second part. Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed it, although I do have a few quibbles. There seemed to be some scripting issues where the game talked about a character in the past tense (i.e., as if they were dead) when they were still alive and in my party. And I also found myself annoyed by having a bunch of party members die but not actually knowing when it happened. It seemed like deaths were a bit more obvious and important in the first Banner Saga, so I'm not sure if that was just an oversight or an intentional thing. Besides that, the story was still pretty engaging, the cast of characters diverse and interesting and the group management still tough and satisfying. I have to give Stoic props for crafting a game with some really tough decisions. So many developers go for the whole "choice" system a la Bioware, where the options are so brazenly good or bad. So often it seems like you're either a Good Samaritan or a jackass who kicks puppies. But The Banner Saga actually seems to deal in shades of grey, and that makes for a much more interesting experience. The choice to go with a dual narrative here was also a pretty bold one, especially given the initial stark difference in terms of a "likability factor" for the two protagonists. But the secondary storyline quickly grew on me and I became quite engrossed in both. Prior to playing the first game, I had read a lot of people complaining that the game ended on a cliffhanger. After playing the game myself, I didn't find that to be the case. The game was a bit short yes, but the story wrapped itself up in a way that was satisfying but clearly left room for another installment. My only truly big complaint with TBS2 is that the ending is not so clearly satisfying. I'm left hungry for more and quite empty inside. Hopefully Stoic is able to have a quicker turnaround with the third installment!
Should I play The Banner Saga 2? Finish the first game first so you can import your save and then dive in!
Game 30: The Banner Saga 2 - 7.3 hours - June 25th, 2016
Fresh off finishing the first installment of The Banner Saga, the Steam Sale gave me a perfect segue into the second part. Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed it, although I do have a few quibbles. There seemed to be some scripting issues where the game talked about a character in the past tense (i.e., as if they were dead) when they were still alive and in my party. And I also found myself annoyed by having a bunch of party members die but not actually knowing when it happened. It seemed like deaths were a bit more obvious and important in the first Banner Saga, so I'm not sure if that was just an oversight or an intentional thing. Besides that, the story was still pretty engaging, the cast of characters diverse and interesting and the group management still tough and satisfying. I have to give Stoic props for crafting a game with some really tough decisions. So many developers go for the whole "choice" system a la Bioware, where the options are so brazenly good or bad. So often it seems like you're either a Good Samaritan or a jackass who kicks puppies. But The Banner Saga actually seems to deal in shades of grey, and that makes for a much more interesting experience. The choice to go with a dual narrative here was also a pretty bold one, especially given the initial stark difference in terms of a "likability factor" for the two protagonists. But the secondary storyline quickly grew on me and I became quite engrossed in both. Prior to playing the first game, I had read a lot of people complaining that the game ended on a cliffhanger. After playing the game myself, I didn't find that to be the case. The game was a bit short yes, but the story wrapped itself up in a way that was satisfying but clearly left room for another installment. My only truly big complaint with TBS2 is that the ending is not so clearly satisfying. I'm left hungry for more and quite empty inside. Hopefully Stoic is able to have a quicker turnaround with the third installment!
Should I play The Banner Saga 2? Finish the first game first so you can import your save and then dive in!
Master post (will add pics for later games at some point)
Update. A little behind, but I have 3 weeks off in july to catch up.
20. Tales from the Borderlands. I wasn't a big fan of TWD season 1, so I was kind of wary to play another Telltale game, but I'm glad I tried it out, because TftB is one of the best games I've played this year. Make no mistake: this is a full-on comedy game that's always 'on', so there's a constant joke stream. Luckily, there are rarely any misses and if it's your style of humor, you're in for a treat. Tales however achieves the rare feat of successfully combining this humor with a lot of heart. Over time you get attached to the characters and when a serious character moment does come by, it still hits home. But somehow they get away with the other extreme too: very absurd and outright over the top moments work just as well.
This may seem like a weird comparison, but it reminded me of golden age Simpsons and the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in a way. Both combine comedy with heart, and have great characters that make the experience more than just a joke barrage.
The opening credits for each episode are amazing. Whenever I started a new episode I was looking forward to that moment. When I finished the game I rewatched all of them, some incredible stuff there with great song choices. That's another big standout: the soundtrack is ace, with a perfect song selection. The final credits song gave me goosebumps. It helped that I was a fan of
, but still.
After finishing this game I was ecstatic and over the moon. It'd been a really long time since a videogame story and its characters did this much for me, but Tales is really on another level. It's so rare that a genuinely funy game comes along, and this it. That it combines this with great writing and directing is just icing on the cake. Since the game is lighthearted in tone, the writers also poke fun at Telltale's own series clichés, like the choices. So if you were critical of their games before, you should try this at well. No knowledge of the Borderlands universe is required either. I've never even touched a B'lands game and I loved this like nothing else. I'm sure it helps if you know the world, but Tales is a standalone thing. I'll remember Tales from the Borderlands for a long time to come, it's a game I'd easily recommend to anyone. 10/10
21. Grow Home (4-5 hours). The concept of this game is fantastic: climb back to your spaceship using beanstalks to make it to checkpoints. The traversal is fun, but I never really grew to like the climbing controls. I got used to them, sure, but I never loved them. By the time I had collected all the seeds I was glad it was over. It's fun for a while, but after the novelty of the concept wears off, there's not much left. 6,5/10
22. Gravity Rush Remastered. I'm kinda baffled at this game's design decisions sometimes. The concept and mechanics are great, but then they'd have you tracking down 7 people in the city to get info about a girl, and have you search and look for statues. Same with these maid missions, looking for missing manuscript pages.
This is in contrast to the awesome 'Creator' levels, where you actually have to use your powers, slide around, float, what have you. I was kind of expecting more challenges like this, all the time. Now there's too much typical open world bs getting in the way of that. I like the game, don't get me wrong, but I'm disappointed with the menial shit they'd have you do in a game where superpowers are the main focus. I had to complete all the races to make the most out of the mechanics presented here. The sequel has a lot of potential, so I'm looking forwar to that. 7/10
23. Unravel. Very charming puzzle-platformer, with very inventive puzzles. Also looks absolutely gorgeuous. The game also has a very nostalgic feel to it, and I didn't expect it to tug the heartstrings like it did. It may look like a style over substance game, but the platform/puzzle mix is really well done. Good soundtrack too. 8/10
Two 10/10's so far, The Witness and Tales from the Borderlands really deserve them.
Update. A little behind, but I have 3 weeks off in july to catch up.
20. Tales from the Borderlands. I wasn't a big fan of TWD season 1, so I was kind of wary to play another Telltale game, but I'm glad I tried it out, because TftB is one of the best games I've played this year. Make no mistake: this is a full-on comedy game that's always 'on', so there's a constant joke stream. Luckily, there are rarely any misses and if it's your style of humor, you're in for a treat. Tales however achieves the rare feat of successfully combining this humor with a lot of heart. Over time you get attached to the characters and when a serious character moment does come by, it still hits home. But somehow they get away with the other extreme too: very absurd and outright over the top moments work just as well.
This may seem like a weird comparison, but it reminded me of golden age Simpsons and the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in a way. Both combine comedy with heart, and have great characters that make the experience more than just a joke barrage.
The opening credits for each episode are amazing. Whenever I started a new episode I was looking forward to that moment. When I finished the game I rewatched all of them, some incredible stuff there with great song choices. That's another big standout: the soundtrack is ace, with a perfect song selection. The final credits song gave me goosebumps. It helped that I was a fan of
First Aid Kit
After finishing this game I was ecstatic and over the moon. It'd been a really long time since a videogame story and its characters did this much for me, but Tales is really on another level. It's so rare that a genuinely funy game comes along, and this it. That it combines this with great writing and directing is just icing on the cake. Since the game is lighthearted in tone, the writers also poke fun at Telltale's own series clichés, like the choices. So if you were critical of their games before, you should try this at well. No knowledge of the Borderlands universe is required either. I've never even touched a B'lands game and I loved this like nothing else. I'm sure it helps if you know the world, but Tales is a standalone thing. I'll remember Tales from the Borderlands for a long time to come, it's a game I'd easily recommend to anyone. 10/10
21. Grow Home (4-5 hours). The concept of this game is fantastic: climb back to your spaceship using beanstalks to make it to checkpoints. The traversal is fun, but I never really grew to like the climbing controls. I got used to them, sure, but I never loved them. By the time I had collected all the seeds I was glad it was over. It's fun for a while, but after the novelty of the concept wears off, there's not much left. 6,5/10
22. Gravity Rush Remastered. I'm kinda baffled at this game's design decisions sometimes. The concept and mechanics are great, but then they'd have you tracking down 7 people in the city to get info about a girl, and have you search and look for statues. Same with these maid missions, looking for missing manuscript pages.
This is in contrast to the awesome 'Creator' levels, where you actually have to use your powers, slide around, float, what have you. I was kind of expecting more challenges like this, all the time. Now there's too much typical open world bs getting in the way of that. I like the game, don't get me wrong, but I'm disappointed with the menial shit they'd have you do in a game where superpowers are the main focus. I had to complete all the races to make the most out of the mechanics presented here. The sequel has a lot of potential, so I'm looking forwar to that. 7/10
23. Unravel. Very charming puzzle-platformer, with very inventive puzzles. Also looks absolutely gorgeuous. The game also has a very nostalgic feel to it, and I didn't expect it to tug the heartstrings like it did. It may look like a style over substance game, but the platform/puzzle mix is really well done. Good soundtrack too. 8/10
Two 10/10's so far, The Witness and Tales from the Borderlands really deserve them.
Ceallach
Smells like fresh rosebuds
Game 32
Metroid, NES
8 hours.
Played through it with my daughter twice. She's small so she used narpas Sword to get through it, then I played through a normal run. So fucking good
Game 33
The Evil Within, PC
10ish hours
Finally decided to finish this up. Love me some Shinji Mikami, The game is good, but flawed, but I have hopes for a sequel.
Metroid, NES
8 hours.
Played through it with my daughter twice. She's small so she used narpas Sword to get through it, then I played through a normal run. So fucking good
Game 33
The Evil Within, PC
10ish hours
Finally decided to finish this up. Love me some Shinji Mikami, The game is good, but flawed, but I have hopes for a sequel.
Main Post
Game #12: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii).
Time Played: 15:13 hours.
Completion Reached: Cleared the game with 100% items.
.
Metroid Prime 3 is the final entry (so far?) of the Prime series and the only one specifically built for the Wii. From what I've read here on GAF, it seems to be the less popular game of the the Trilogy but I'd say it's my favourite.
Gameplay-wise, Corruption is very similar to the previous 2 games but with some refinements. For example, visors were turned into something less gimmicky and now are actually useful.
. They also got rid of beam switching, streamlining the game quite a bit. Other than that, MP3 plays very similar to the other Prime games, that is, if you played through the Trilogy edition of the games. Otherwise, Corruption will be your first foray into pointer controls, which are awesome. For all the hate the Wiimote receives from "hardcore" players, I think no one can deny how great they are for FPS. Also, like any other early Wii game, the motion controls are used for some gimmicks but they aren't really obstrusive.
Although gameplay remained similar from its predecessors, Corruption changed the structure of the game quite a bit. While both Prime 1 and Prime 2 featured a single planet with different areas, Prime 3 actually features more than one planet and you travel between them with your spaceship. Some people dislike this but I thought it was cool since all the areas featured are actually quite big and very varied and the use of the ship actually made me feel like a bounty hunter or whatever Samus is supossed to be. Also, Corruption features a much more prominent storyline than its predecessors, now including an actual cast of characters (
), voiced cutscenes and some "cinematic" sequences. Because of these changes, the game feels a lot different than the other Metroid games, which makes it a slightly controversial entry among the fanbase.
Presentation, like the other games of the series, is great. As always, the areas you visit are very detailed and interesting, enemy design is cool and the music is awesome. However, the human models and animations used in cutscenes are quite dated.
Overall, I really liked the game. Compared to Echoes which was mostly Prime 1 but bigger, I loved that Corruption tried new things. Completely recommended.
Game #13: My Nintendo Picross: Twilight Princess (3DS)
Time Played: 19:57 hours.
Completion Reached: Beat all the puzzles.
More Picross! This game is a reward from the MyNintendo program and, as such, has super low production values. However, it's more Picross which is always good. Can't really say much else. For some reason they switched up the controls for this entry which was annoying but I still had fun solving the puzzles. I hadn't tried Mega Picross before this one and it was cool experimenting with that. If you have enough Platinum Points and like puzzles you should try this.
Game #12: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii).
Time Played: 15:13 hours.
Completion Reached: Cleared the game with 100% items.
Didn't bother to get all scans
Metroid Prime 3 is the final entry (so far?) of the Prime series and the only one specifically built for the Wii. From what I've read here on GAF, it seems to be the less popular game of the the Trilogy but I'd say it's my favourite.
Gameplay-wise, Corruption is very similar to the previous 2 games but with some refinements. For example, visors were turned into something less gimmicky and now are actually useful.
I love how the X-Ray Visor can be used to quickly kill some enemies like Pirate Commandos and Metroids
Although gameplay remained similar from its predecessors, Corruption changed the structure of the game quite a bit. While both Prime 1 and Prime 2 featured a single planet with different areas, Prime 3 actually features more than one planet and you travel between them with your spaceship. Some people dislike this but I thought it was cool since all the areas featured are actually quite big and very varied and the use of the ship actually made me feel like a bounty hunter or whatever Samus is supossed to be. Also, Corruption features a much more prominent storyline than its predecessors, now including an actual cast of characters (
a shame that all the other hunters die though
Presentation, like the other games of the series, is great. As always, the areas you visit are very detailed and interesting, enemy design is cool and the music is awesome. However, the human models and animations used in cutscenes are quite dated.
Overall, I really liked the game. Compared to Echoes which was mostly Prime 1 but bigger, I loved that Corruption tried new things. Completely recommended.
Game #13: My Nintendo Picross: Twilight Princess (3DS)
Time Played: 19:57 hours.
Completion Reached: Beat all the puzzles.
More Picross! This game is a reward from the MyNintendo program and, as such, has super low production values. However, it's more Picross which is always good. Can't really say much else. For some reason they switched up the controls for this entry which was annoying but I still had fun solving the puzzles. I hadn't tried Mega Picross before this one and it was cool experimenting with that. If you have enough Platinum Points and like puzzles you should try this.
Master Post
Game 34: Rayman 2: Revoluiton (PS2) | 10 Hours | 06/12/16 | 3/5
I planned on playing this for a while. I heard so much praise for Rayman 2 that when I finally sat down to play it I couldn't wait to experience what so many others did. Unfortunately, I wouldn't put it on that pedestal that others have. The place that Rayman really shines is its platforming, Rayman controls well and is generally responsive, and the really great levels are the ones that focus on its platforming (The Precipice and The Cave of Bad Dreams, for example).
The game falters everywhere else. Combat is shooting based, and it isn't good. It's some combination of Jak auto aim and Ratchet strafing that manages to find a way to not work half the time, Enemies when hit have so much invincibility that it becomes a chore to engage in fights. Some level gimmicks are bad, most notably in its shittiness the Plum. Just a incredibly unfun mechanic that you barely have control over. Every time it came up, bad experiences followed.
The worst part is that, as a remake that adds things, it doesn't really solve a lot of problems. Camera control doesn't use the second analog for god knows what reason. Performance is terrible to the point where I was annoyed by it, and I never get annoyed by bad performance. Considering it's a port of a Nintendo 64 game, it's borderline unacceptable. Added content is gated behind completing levels 100%, and the one bonus level I unlocked was a race that needed to be won by a disgusting amount of mashing. It sucked.
So yeah it's k.
Game 35: Papo & Yo (PS3) | ~3 Hours | 06/20/16 | 3.5/5
Fun 3D puzzle platformer about a young child having an abusive dad. That's pretty much it, it does what it wants to do and does it well. The jumping animation is fun and while the PS3 version looks a bit butt, the art direction is cool and there's a PC version that probably looks significantly better so I'd say it's worth checking out.
This game is basically Triple Deluxe again, but it traded the Wii game's gimmick with a new robot gimmick that's much better. Instead of a large cinematic attack that slowed the game pace dramatically, you get a robot mech that keeps the general Kirby gameplay intact while still being something new. Beyond that it really is just Triple Deluxe 2, and there are far worse things to be.
Game 34: Rayman 2: Revoluiton (PS2) | 10 Hours | 06/12/16 | 3/5
I planned on playing this for a while. I heard so much praise for Rayman 2 that when I finally sat down to play it I couldn't wait to experience what so many others did. Unfortunately, I wouldn't put it on that pedestal that others have. The place that Rayman really shines is its platforming, Rayman controls well and is generally responsive, and the really great levels are the ones that focus on its platforming (The Precipice and The Cave of Bad Dreams, for example).
The game falters everywhere else. Combat is shooting based, and it isn't good. It's some combination of Jak auto aim and Ratchet strafing that manages to find a way to not work half the time, Enemies when hit have so much invincibility that it becomes a chore to engage in fights. Some level gimmicks are bad, most notably in its shittiness the Plum. Just a incredibly unfun mechanic that you barely have control over. Every time it came up, bad experiences followed.
The worst part is that, as a remake that adds things, it doesn't really solve a lot of problems. Camera control doesn't use the second analog for god knows what reason. Performance is terrible to the point where I was annoyed by it, and I never get annoyed by bad performance. Considering it's a port of a Nintendo 64 game, it's borderline unacceptable. Added content is gated behind completing levels 100%, and the one bonus level I unlocked was a race that needed to be won by a disgusting amount of mashing. It sucked.
So yeah it's k.
Game 35: Papo & Yo (PS3) | ~3 Hours | 06/20/16 | 3.5/5
Fun 3D puzzle platformer about a young child having an abusive dad. That's pretty much it, it does what it wants to do and does it well. The jumping animation is fun and while the PS3 version looks a bit butt, the art direction is cool and there's a PC version that probably looks significantly better so I'd say it's worth checking out.
Game 36: Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS) | 12 Hours | 06/20/16 | 4.5/5
This game is basically Triple Deluxe again, but it traded the Wii game's gimmick with a new robot gimmick that's much better. Instead of a large cinematic attack that slowed the game pace dramatically, you get a robot mech that keeps the general Kirby gameplay intact while still being something new. Beyond that it really is just Triple Deluxe 2, and there are far worse things to be.
Benzychenz
Member
Game 18: Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright
3DS - 25 hours - Beaten 26/06/16 - ★★★★
Alright, I'm going to say something that will upset the Fire Emblem fanbase. I played this game on normal/casual.
And had a blast! I played up until chapter 12 or so on hard/classic but all that led to was frustration, I'm just not good enough at these games. I much preferred just playing through the game, learning from my mistakes but not being permanently punished for them.
The game overall was pretty enjoyable, but the story was as mediocre as I expect from the series and the characters were mostly all bland. There was at least quite a few neat stage gimmicks which was better than Awakening's "defeat all enemies" 20 times.
My MVPs towards the end were my two snipers, Takumi and Setsuna, and my two falcon knights, Hinoka and Subaki.
I actually didn't manage to get anyone to S rank supports, so entirely missed the paralogue chapters and children. I'll uh, try harder at that in Conquest I suppose.
Main post
Now, onto Tokyo Mirage Sessions and possibly Zero Time Dilemma (depending on how long international shipping takes) before I start Conquest.
Falchion
Member
Original Post
34) Just Cause 3 - 15 hours - 6/26
Just Cause 2 was one of my favorite games from last generation and although 3 added some really fun elements like challenges and the wingsuit, it was a disappointment to me. First of all the performance on Xbox was terrible, often dropping the framerate into single digits when I was fighting in a town. Also the world didn't feel as fun and varied as Panau in JC2. There were no large cities, international airports, or really fun areas like the race track or pie island. It just didn't feel as fun overall.
34) Just Cause 3 - 15 hours - 6/26
Just Cause 2 was one of my favorite games from last generation and although 3 added some really fun elements like challenges and the wingsuit, it was a disappointment to me. First of all the performance on Xbox was terrible, often dropping the framerate into single digits when I was fighting in a town. Also the world didn't feel as fun and varied as Panau in JC2. There were no large cities, international airports, or really fun areas like the race track or pie island. It just didn't feel as fun overall.
Jack Videogames
Member
21:58h. All routes and Memories complete, got a bad end in Okita route that didn't make any sense, but apart from that it was a clean run.
This game is basically Rurouni Kenshin x Ouran Host Club. I thought it was going to be really heavy in the romance aspect, but it was mostly a lesson in XIXth century japanese politics and warfare, with a sprinkle of romance and Twilight-like vampire antics. This is mostly good - but the routes themselves were kinda repetitive, the MC is a pure POV "Plain girl
with superpowers
But at least the characters are nice, if dull (Badass Quiety, Badass Grumpy, Badass Jailbait, Badass Softie, Badass Baddie and Badass Flirty) and the historical side is really interesting and entertaining. But definitely one of the meh-est VNs I've played. Also, Kondou, Yamazaki and Shinpachi need routes dammit.
Updated OP
OP
Game 38: Hard Reset Redux (PC) 26/06/16 - 26/06/16 5.7 Hours
I never played the original Hard Reset even though I've owned it all this time and I've always heard it was a decent game but when the Redux edition was released, I had no choice to buy it and try it out, as the upgrade only cost me 3 USD. This was a fun reminder of the old 90's hardcore FPS games I use to enjoy a lot. It is quite action-packed with decent gameplay with the different weapons and newly added Cyber-Kanata weapon, although I didn't use it much. Probably the only bad thing I can say about this game is just the storyline, I didn't feel it bring any impact on the game but at least the cyberpunk setting was interesting to play in.
Game 39: 12 is Better Than 6 (PC) 26/06/16 - 27/06/16 3.8 Hours
I'd describe this game as a hand-drawn wild-western Hotline Miami with an interesting art style. The gameplay is hard and brutal, I can't count how many times I had to restart a level because I had died so many times in a row. It has an interesting firing mechanic for each weapon, you have to cock your firearm each time you want to fire a bullet, so you can't really spam your gun until you get the final upgrade. You play as a Mexican who has lost his memory and then goes to piss every tribe, town and gang off in the process of discovering his past, and they all come gunning for your head at the end.
Game 38: Hard Reset Redux (PC) 26/06/16 - 26/06/16 5.7 Hours
I never played the original Hard Reset even though I've owned it all this time and I've always heard it was a decent game but when the Redux edition was released, I had no choice to buy it and try it out, as the upgrade only cost me 3 USD. This was a fun reminder of the old 90's hardcore FPS games I use to enjoy a lot. It is quite action-packed with decent gameplay with the different weapons and newly added Cyber-Kanata weapon, although I didn't use it much. Probably the only bad thing I can say about this game is just the storyline, I didn't feel it bring any impact on the game but at least the cyberpunk setting was interesting to play in.
Game 39: 12 is Better Than 6 (PC) 26/06/16 - 27/06/16 3.8 Hours
I'd describe this game as a hand-drawn wild-western Hotline Miami with an interesting art style. The gameplay is hard and brutal, I can't count how many times I had to restart a level because I had died so many times in a row. It has an interesting firing mechanic for each weapon, you have to cock your firearm each time you want to fire a bullet, so you can't really spam your gun until you get the final upgrade. You play as a Mexican who has lost his memory and then goes to piss every tribe, town and gang off in the process of discovering his past, and they all come gunning for your head at the end.
Pellegri Testament
Member
post update
Game #19 - Trillion: God of Destruction - 4/10/16 (40 hours)
I felt like if the game had focused on just 1 or 2 elements, it would have been better for it. The characters were fairly well done and there was actually a sense of loss each time you lost one, something that I don't feel enough games focus on. At the same time I feel like this would have been even better had the VN elements been focused on even more, rather than the sim element which got tiring after so long. I ended with 2 of the endings and will probably go back later for a few more.
Game #20 - Dungeon Travelers 2 - 4/17/16 (60 hours)
Continuing through post game this time and at the point where I can probably finish it off within another week, but I have other games I want to play. For now I need an extended break from the grinding. I may go back to it later in the year or may just hold off till next, considering there's even more drpgs coming this year and I'm tired of seeing the same enemy models after 140 hours so far. Finally got the platinum as well.
Game #21 - Earth Defense Force 2 - 4/22/16 (30 hours)
Good dumb fun. Played through the of the game on easy/normal as Pale Wing mainly due to the mobility and played around with the others for a few dozen missions. Honestly didn't enjoy Air Raider all that much, don't know if it was just the weapons I was using, but it really felt slow going and I couldn't get down fighting enemies in the air very well. Will probably go back to get some easy trophies later on, but with online larger dead, I won't be attempting to go after the platinum.
Game #22 - Ys 2 - 4/24/16 (6 hours)
This has aged far better than 1 has. I still think the battle system should be gone back over if they ever did another full remake, but the use of magic made this one infinitely more fun than the first.
Game #23 - Stranger of Sword City - 5/5/16 (35 hours)
While the difficulty was real on a handful of bosses, most of the game was actually on the easier side, even on normal. Normal fights could be ended in a matter of seconds and most bosses would fall over if you had kept up to date on gear. The "perma-death" feature was also completely overblown as it was easily bypassed with a save reload. I enjoyed it far more than Demon Gaze, but I enjoy it quite a bit more when the challenge is more than only a few bosses.
Game #24 - Soul Sacrifice Delta - 5/16/16 (30 hours)
Took a few hours to really get going since the beginning was so easy, but it ended up being really great after that. The story actually had a good amount of depth to it and Mitsuda really brought out the soundtrack. In some aspects I'd say it's better than Freedom Wars and in others it fell short. I mainly liked that the ai had some amount of competence to it, unlike FW where your partners constantly got hit by everything. What really got to me though were all the solo missions as the story progressed. You go from being able to not have to constantly watch where you're standing, to having to learn the dance on each boss, because a single combo or heavy attack could result in death and failing the mission.
Game #25 - Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky - 5/30/16 (22 hours)
Decided to go through this again this year with the plan to finish the platinum, found out I messed that up on my first playthrough and it would require a 3rd run to do so, which isn't happening at least for now. Wasn't going to count this again if Logy's story ended up being different enough to consider it part of the first run, but in the end it was almost all the same only with a few different events. Some of my thoughts still stand from my 1st run, but I do feel like the characters at least aren't as bad as I made them out to be.
Game #26 - Half Life 2 - 6/27/16 (11 hours)
This was actually the first time I played through this. Ended up playing through most of it on normal until I got the the very end and kept getting mowed down by the walkers. Overall the game was pretty great other than that difficulty spike. Might get the 2 episodes and play through them as well at some point now.
Game #19 - Trillion: God of Destruction - 4/10/16 (40 hours)
I felt like if the game had focused on just 1 or 2 elements, it would have been better for it. The characters were fairly well done and there was actually a sense of loss each time you lost one, something that I don't feel enough games focus on. At the same time I feel like this would have been even better had the VN elements been focused on even more, rather than the sim element which got tiring after so long. I ended with 2 of the endings and will probably go back later for a few more.
Game #20 - Dungeon Travelers 2 - 4/17/16 (60 hours)
Continuing through post game this time and at the point where I can probably finish it off within another week, but I have other games I want to play. For now I need an extended break from the grinding. I may go back to it later in the year or may just hold off till next, considering there's even more drpgs coming this year and I'm tired of seeing the same enemy models after 140 hours so far. Finally got the platinum as well.
Game #21 - Earth Defense Force 2 - 4/22/16 (30 hours)
Good dumb fun. Played through the of the game on easy/normal as Pale Wing mainly due to the mobility and played around with the others for a few dozen missions. Honestly didn't enjoy Air Raider all that much, don't know if it was just the weapons I was using, but it really felt slow going and I couldn't get down fighting enemies in the air very well. Will probably go back to get some easy trophies later on, but with online larger dead, I won't be attempting to go after the platinum.
Game #22 - Ys 2 - 4/24/16 (6 hours)
This has aged far better than 1 has. I still think the battle system should be gone back over if they ever did another full remake, but the use of magic made this one infinitely more fun than the first.
Game #23 - Stranger of Sword City - 5/5/16 (35 hours)
While the difficulty was real on a handful of bosses, most of the game was actually on the easier side, even on normal. Normal fights could be ended in a matter of seconds and most bosses would fall over if you had kept up to date on gear. The "perma-death" feature was also completely overblown as it was easily bypassed with a save reload. I enjoyed it far more than Demon Gaze, but I enjoy it quite a bit more when the challenge is more than only a few bosses.
Game #24 - Soul Sacrifice Delta - 5/16/16 (30 hours)
Took a few hours to really get going since the beginning was so easy, but it ended up being really great after that. The story actually had a good amount of depth to it and Mitsuda really brought out the soundtrack. In some aspects I'd say it's better than Freedom Wars and in others it fell short. I mainly liked that the ai had some amount of competence to it, unlike FW where your partners constantly got hit by everything. What really got to me though were all the solo missions as the story progressed. You go from being able to not have to constantly watch where you're standing, to having to learn the dance on each boss, because a single combo or heavy attack could result in death and failing the mission.
Game #25 - Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky - 5/30/16 (22 hours)
Decided to go through this again this year with the plan to finish the platinum, found out I messed that up on my first playthrough and it would require a 3rd run to do so, which isn't happening at least for now. Wasn't going to count this again if Logy's story ended up being different enough to consider it part of the first run, but in the end it was almost all the same only with a few different events. Some of my thoughts still stand from my 1st run, but I do feel like the characters at least aren't as bad as I made them out to be.
Game #26 - Half Life 2 - 6/27/16 (11 hours)
This was actually the first time I played through this. Ended up playing through most of it on normal until I got the the very end and kept getting mowed down by the walkers. Overall the game was pretty great other than that difficulty spike. Might get the 2 episodes and play through them as well at some point now.
rottendevice
Member
Main Post 1
Main Post 2
Game 46: Commander Keen 6: Aliens Ate My Babysitter (5 1/2 hours)
In my mind, this is the greatest 2D platforming game ever made. The team at iD really honed there level-design skills to a sharp point after five previous platformers. Again, I played on a USB SNES-style controller from Amazon, and the controls felt super tight. This is probably the longest entry in the latter third of the series. The one weak part is the music. Otherwise a perfect game.
5/5
Game 47: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (4 1/2 hours)
For a game called Sonic 4, this is pretty faithful to the original games' formula. The speed isn't as fast as the original games, but the aesthetic is there. Casino Street is the highlight of all the zones. Definitely worth playing if you're a Sonic fan, and worth playing otherwise.
4/5
Main Post 2
Game 46: Commander Keen 6: Aliens Ate My Babysitter (5 1/2 hours)
In my mind, this is the greatest 2D platforming game ever made. The team at iD really honed there level-design skills to a sharp point after five previous platformers. Again, I played on a USB SNES-style controller from Amazon, and the controls felt super tight. This is probably the longest entry in the latter third of the series. The one weak part is the music. Otherwise a perfect game.
5/5
Game 47: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (4 1/2 hours)
For a game called Sonic 4, this is pretty faithful to the original games' formula. The speed isn't as fast as the original games, but the aesthetic is there. Casino Street is the highlight of all the zones. Definitely worth playing if you're a Sonic fan, and worth playing otherwise.
4/5
Jack Videogames
Member
1:31h. As this is not a game you can "beat" in the purest sense of the word, I consider it "beaten" the time I got my first "victorious" ending, even though I'll probably replay it for hours to come.
This game is a strange animal. It's a choose-your-own-adventure booklet that plays like those stat-based titty games from Newgrounds (you know the ones I mean) but with a gorgeous backdrop and music and an interesting premise: "something" (a monster, a natural disaster? It's never made really clear) is coming to the town in 6 weeks and it will destroy everything. You have to prepare for what's afterwards.
This is harder said than done, of course, mostly because the characters tend to adopt a life of their own because of the randomized events. So you might have a plan when you start and then you might be forced to improvise, and even when you think you're doing well, you might get an unexpected result because of something you didn't consider.
The Yawhg is a beautiful game, both visually and musically, but I think the asking price is a bit too high. When you see it on sale, give it a try. Also,
fuck the fucking hand on the fucking hedge fuck
Updated OP
Updated Main Post
31. Overwatch - PS4
MP play - ~5 hours
Rating: 3/5
I'm probably one of 10 people on Earth who played Overwatch and didn't really click with it. It seems to be a solid and fun game, but I have so many FPS MP games (Battlefront, Halo 5, R6, CoD) that I've played this year that this just seemed meh to me after the first couple of hours. Frankly, all it did was make me want to go back and play more Halo. One of the few games I sold off this gen.
32. Gears of War 3 - XB1 BC
Completed Main Story - 6/23/16
Time: 7-8 hours
Rating: 3.5/5
This is the first time I played Gears 3. While they added a couple elements to try to change up the gameplay, it's still very same-old/same-old from the first two. After playing the Gears 1 remaster, Gears 2 and now Gears 3 in the last 10 months, I've had my fill of Gears for awhile. Even cancelled my Gears 4 pre-order.
Have 20 games to go with 6 months to go. I game less in the summer, so just hope to get through the two big games I'm playing right now in addition to maybe some smaller pick-up-and-play titles on the side.
Currently Playing:
Borderlands
Dark Souls III
Forza Porsche DLC
Will also try to play over the next couple of months probably:
Portal
Limbo
Inside
Pikmin 3
31. Overwatch - PS4
MP play - ~5 hours
Rating: 3/5
I'm probably one of 10 people on Earth who played Overwatch and didn't really click with it. It seems to be a solid and fun game, but I have so many FPS MP games (Battlefront, Halo 5, R6, CoD) that I've played this year that this just seemed meh to me after the first couple of hours. Frankly, all it did was make me want to go back and play more Halo. One of the few games I sold off this gen.
32. Gears of War 3 - XB1 BC
Completed Main Story - 6/23/16
Time: 7-8 hours
Rating: 3.5/5
This is the first time I played Gears 3. While they added a couple elements to try to change up the gameplay, it's still very same-old/same-old from the first two. After playing the Gears 1 remaster, Gears 2 and now Gears 3 in the last 10 months, I've had my fill of Gears for awhile. Even cancelled my Gears 4 pre-order.
Have 20 games to go with 6 months to go. I game less in the summer, so just hope to get through the two big games I'm playing right now in addition to maybe some smaller pick-up-and-play titles on the side.
Currently Playing:
Borderlands
Dark Souls III
Forza Porsche DLC
Will also try to play over the next couple of months probably:
Portal
Limbo
Inside
Pikmin 3
so how often does this challenge make people have an existential crisis when they realise that they game far too much?
i hit 28 games before june. that would have put me on track for ~65 games by the end of the year. whats weird is that i dont even consider myself a big gamer. i gotta be honest, i'm surprised how easily i hit the half way point. so much so that its made me question wtf i'm doing with my life lol. its made me wonder what i'd be able to do or experience if i forced my self to accomplish other stuff in that time frame like i was forcing myself to complete games.
so since tomorrow is the 1st of july, i'm gonna try and see if i can do 0 games in 26 weeks. and then compare my halves of the year. maybe i'll try and see if i cant watch 26 movies in 26 weeks. or 26 books or something. maybe i'll completely cave once i am setsuna or ff15 or last guardian get released. who knows.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191019065&postcount=332
i hit 28 games before june. that would have put me on track for ~65 games by the end of the year. whats weird is that i dont even consider myself a big gamer. i gotta be honest, i'm surprised how easily i hit the half way point. so much so that its made me question wtf i'm doing with my life lol. its made me wonder what i'd be able to do or experience if i forced my self to accomplish other stuff in that time frame like i was forcing myself to complete games.
so since tomorrow is the 1st of july, i'm gonna try and see if i can do 0 games in 26 weeks. and then compare my halves of the year. maybe i'll try and see if i cant watch 26 movies in 26 weeks. or 26 books or something. maybe i'll completely cave once i am setsuna or ff15 or last guardian get released. who knows.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191019065&postcount=332
You could do 13 maybe, depending on length. Breaks down to a new game beat every four weeks.
If I could make myself get around to typing stuff up, I would list the five games I've finished since my last update! I've got a backlog of completed games now! :lol
Archive Post
Game 19 - Inside [XB1] ★★★★
This is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The art direction and animation is impeccable, and the image quality flawless. From the moment it gets going to the moment it comes to a rest, it's doesn't let up in providing incredible, haunting visuals with every single frame. Gameplay, outside of the hard right turn at the end, is pretty much Limbo again. You work your way through much-too-easy platforming and puzzling segments and make some close escapes from pursuing nasties. Those chases in particular are tense and exhilarating, and probably my favourite parts of the game, though no doubt the focus will be on the last 20 minutes for most people. As for that ending, while surprising, liberating and fun, it brought a failing of the game to the fore. It will, multiple times in its super-short runtime, make you care about something then toss it aside because it came up with something else. Too often I found myself in a situation wondering how on earth it came to this. How far removed the boy's current predicament is from what it was before. It teased at my curiosity and made me play on for a resolution that never came, and when it was all over, I was left questioning if there was ever any substance there at all. It feels like it was just providing striking imagery and nothing more. It's a playable bad dream and I think everyone should play it. But I also feel like it's way overpriced, so you might want to wait for a sale.
Game 19 - Inside [XB1] ★★★★
This is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The art direction and animation is impeccable, and the image quality flawless. From the moment it gets going to the moment it comes to a rest, it's doesn't let up in providing incredible, haunting visuals with every single frame. Gameplay, outside of the hard right turn at the end, is pretty much Limbo again. You work your way through much-too-easy platforming and puzzling segments and make some close escapes from pursuing nasties. Those chases in particular are tense and exhilarating, and probably my favourite parts of the game, though no doubt the focus will be on the last 20 minutes for most people. As for that ending, while surprising, liberating and fun, it brought a failing of the game to the fore. It will, multiple times in its super-short runtime, make you care about something then toss it aside because it came up with something else. Too often I found myself in a situation wondering how on earth it came to this. How far removed the boy's current predicament is from what it was before. It teased at my curiosity and made me play on for a resolution that never came, and when it was all over, I was left questioning if there was ever any substance there at all. It feels like it was just providing striking imagery and nothing more. It's a playable bad dream and I think everyone should play it. But I also feel like it's way overpriced, so you might want to wait for a sale.
Original challenge hereby completed!
My personal goal for this year was two games per week, for a total of 104. It was a fun challenge and it helped me finish up some stuff but I've realised that I won't have the time for it the rest of the year. So now it's just however many I can squeeze in during the rest of the year
Game 45: | Wasteland | - | June 7 | - | ~40 hours |
Game 46: | Pokémon White 2 | - | June 11 | - | 78 hours |
Game 47: | Spyro the Dragon | - | June 14 | - | 7 hours |
Game 48: | Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! | - | June 16 | - | 11 hours |
Game 49: | Spyro: Year of the Dragon | - | June 25 | - | 10 hours |
Game 50: | Octodad: Dadliest Catch | - | June 26 | - | 7 hours |
Game 51: | Final Fantasy | - | June 27 | - | 45 hours |
Game 52: | Arx Fatalis | - | June 27 | - | 50 hours |
-
Master post
My personal goal for this year was two games per week, for a total of 104. It was a fun challenge and it helped me finish up some stuff but I've realised that I won't have the time for it the rest of the year. So now it's just however many I can squeeze in during the rest of the year
Game 45: | Wasteland | - | June 7 | - | ~40 hours |
Game 46: | Pokémon White 2 | - | June 11 | - | 78 hours |
Game 47: | Spyro the Dragon | - | June 14 | - | 7 hours |
Game 48: | Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! | - | June 16 | - | 11 hours |
Game 49: | Spyro: Year of the Dragon | - | June 25 | - | 10 hours |
Game 50: | Octodad: Dadliest Catch | - | June 26 | - | 7 hours |
Game 51: | Final Fantasy | - | June 27 | - | 45 hours |
Game 52: | Arx Fatalis | - | June 27 | - | 50 hours |
-
Master post
Completed games list
JUNE END (9 games completed, 34 games total)
Monster month for me, best of the last few years. The reason? I broke my fingers in an ice hockey league game, which will now be the last of the season for me. Ugh. However, the silver lining is that I can play most games just fine with 8 digits, minus the middle and ring fingers on my right hand. 6 nights a month of hitting the ice have become suddenly open, and I got a shitload of gaming done. I very nearly hit my goal of 1 gamer per system, missing only a 3DS game as Sticker Star is dragging. A lot.
Game 26: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (PS3) - June 1 - 20 hours
The series is really firing on all cylinders now, I liked the single city approach best and the controls finally felt like I was in charge of the action. Ezio is his usual great self, and I consider Brotherhood the best of the AC games to date. Rome may be the best city in any game, ever, the setting is much of the appeal and it did not disappoint.
Game 27: The King of Fighters '97 (PSP) - June 7 - 2 hours
Went through with a hodge-podge team of Joe Higashi, Blue Mary and Kyo. Was quite easy save for Orochi, and in typical SNK fashion, was the bulk of my playtime. Good game, poor port.
Game 28: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (PS3) - June 11 - 38 hours
Solid enough RPG with the standard Tales formula. Marta is a cutie-pie, but Emil leaves a horrid first impression and was a poor lead. The Symphonia returning cast, particularly Sheena and Regal, were excellent though. Poor decisions (Lloyd's early arc, lack of party control and customization) bring it down to my least favourite Tales game overall, but still worth a play through.
Game 29: Smart As (Vita) - June 13 - 15 hours
Brain training style of game, with 20 different types of mini-games and a daily training exercise set up for you. Great fun for someone who enjoys trivia and puzzles, and I enjoyed this more than the DS "Brain Age" games. With the online challenges sever shut-off as of May 31, it's time to retire this game. Narrated excellently by John Cleese, amazingly enough my second game starring a Python this year.
Game 30: Echo Night Beyond (PS2) - June 15 - 11 hours
Top-notch atmosphere, quiet and slow, a no combat horror title. Right up my alley. Some find the object puzzles really ground the game to halt and I used a reference at points. The story is the main draw and I loved that aspect, as well as the simple sounds of walking about in an abandoned space station. Very cool and unique, even though it ceased being scary after you've seen a few ghosts.
Game 31: STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC) - June 17 - 22 hours
Holy shit, totally lives up to the hype. Unique setting, incredible atmosphere, bleak, depressing, great gunplay and mechanics, simple plot which is more of a situation than a narrative. My new 2007 GOTY by a fair margin. One of the greatest shooters of all-time, at the very least my favourite of the last dozen years or so. I got the 'default' ending, which wasn't great, but this one's all about the journey, man.
Game 32: LEGO Harry Potter: years 1-4 (DS) - June 18 - 12 hours
Killing off my annual LEGO game and Harry Potter game in one fell swoop. Perfect handheld-length levels, very easy to play through one (44 levels total) in a quick sit down or lunch break. Standard LEGO gameplay, but using the stylus to cast spells was such a perfect touch that this is my new favourite LEGO game. My love for the HP universe doesn't hurt, either.
Game 33: Don't Starve: Console Edition (PS4) - June 24 - 20 hours
A crafting / survival game somewhat in the vein of Minecraft's survival mode. Loved the stylized hand drawn artwork and the varied world-building settings. I probably played this too close to finishing multiple versions of Minecraft, as without the creative mode it feels more barren. Definitely worth multiple playthroughs, unlocking far superior characters.
Game 34: Freedom Wars (Vita) - June 28 - 45 hours
Excellent game, deserves to be an ongoing franchise. Simple enough premise, the years of sentence bar replacing a standard XP bar was clever, and the game is easily played solo or multiplayer depending on your mood. Character creation was the highlight of the show, with your main plus support character entirely in your hands. I made the wife and I into a robot-killing team, naturally. My 13th Platinum trophy and possibly my favourite Vita game to date.
JUNE END (9 games completed, 34 games total)
Monster month for me, best of the last few years. The reason? I broke my fingers in an ice hockey league game, which will now be the last of the season for me. Ugh. However, the silver lining is that I can play most games just fine with 8 digits, minus the middle and ring fingers on my right hand. 6 nights a month of hitting the ice have become suddenly open, and I got a shitload of gaming done. I very nearly hit my goal of 1 gamer per system, missing only a 3DS game as Sticker Star is dragging. A lot.
Game 26: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (PS3) - June 1 - 20 hours
The series is really firing on all cylinders now, I liked the single city approach best and the controls finally felt like I was in charge of the action. Ezio is his usual great self, and I consider Brotherhood the best of the AC games to date. Rome may be the best city in any game, ever, the setting is much of the appeal and it did not disappoint.
Game 27: The King of Fighters '97 (PSP) - June 7 - 2 hours
Went through with a hodge-podge team of Joe Higashi, Blue Mary and Kyo. Was quite easy save for Orochi, and in typical SNK fashion, was the bulk of my playtime. Good game, poor port.
Game 28: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (PS3) - June 11 - 38 hours
Solid enough RPG with the standard Tales formula. Marta is a cutie-pie, but Emil leaves a horrid first impression and was a poor lead. The Symphonia returning cast, particularly Sheena and Regal, were excellent though. Poor decisions (Lloyd's early arc, lack of party control and customization) bring it down to my least favourite Tales game overall, but still worth a play through.
Game 29: Smart As (Vita) - June 13 - 15 hours
Brain training style of game, with 20 different types of mini-games and a daily training exercise set up for you. Great fun for someone who enjoys trivia and puzzles, and I enjoyed this more than the DS "Brain Age" games. With the online challenges sever shut-off as of May 31, it's time to retire this game. Narrated excellently by John Cleese, amazingly enough my second game starring a Python this year.
Game 30: Echo Night Beyond (PS2) - June 15 - 11 hours
Top-notch atmosphere, quiet and slow, a no combat horror title. Right up my alley. Some find the object puzzles really ground the game to halt and I used a reference at points. The story is the main draw and I loved that aspect, as well as the simple sounds of walking about in an abandoned space station. Very cool and unique, even though it ceased being scary after you've seen a few ghosts.
Game 31: STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC) - June 17 - 22 hours
Holy shit, totally lives up to the hype. Unique setting, incredible atmosphere, bleak, depressing, great gunplay and mechanics, simple plot which is more of a situation than a narrative. My new 2007 GOTY by a fair margin. One of the greatest shooters of all-time, at the very least my favourite of the last dozen years or so. I got the 'default' ending, which wasn't great, but this one's all about the journey, man.
Game 32: LEGO Harry Potter: years 1-4 (DS) - June 18 - 12 hours
Killing off my annual LEGO game and Harry Potter game in one fell swoop. Perfect handheld-length levels, very easy to play through one (44 levels total) in a quick sit down or lunch break. Standard LEGO gameplay, but using the stylus to cast spells was such a perfect touch that this is my new favourite LEGO game. My love for the HP universe doesn't hurt, either.
Game 33: Don't Starve: Console Edition (PS4) - June 24 - 20 hours
A crafting / survival game somewhat in the vein of Minecraft's survival mode. Loved the stylized hand drawn artwork and the varied world-building settings. I probably played this too close to finishing multiple versions of Minecraft, as without the creative mode it feels more barren. Definitely worth multiple playthroughs, unlocking far superior characters.
Game 34: Freedom Wars (Vita) - June 28 - 45 hours
Excellent game, deserves to be an ongoing franchise. Simple enough premise, the years of sentence bar replacing a standard XP bar was clever, and the game is easily played solo or multiplayer depending on your mood. Character creation was the highlight of the show, with your main plus support character entirely in your hands. I made the wife and I into a robot-killing team, naturally. My 13th Platinum trophy and possibly my favourite Vita game to date.
This warms my soul. Glad you liked it, STALKER is really something else. Call of Pripyat is just as good if not better!
Yeah, you're not kidding, it really is an outstanding game. I have Clear Sky and Pripyat at the ready, but I may drag my heels on that front a tad as to let Chernobyl sink in a bit. Will be buying Cossacks 3 when it comes out, partially as I like Cossacks and partially so it can fund a future STALKER game. Believe.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Master Post
Game 31: _PRISM - 2 hours (?) - June 29th, 2016
_PRISM is a rather neat little mobile game. I believe that I got it on sale for $0.99 a few months back, but then ended up getting stuck on one particularly obtuse puzzle. For whatever reason, when I woke up from a nap today, I was inspired to finish it, and I did. All in all, minus the one obtuse section that melted my head, the game is pretty great. It's a very atmospheric puzzler, with clean, sterile, futuristic visuals and some really nice ambient music and sound effects. The best part of the game though is that it takes full advantage of being on platforms with touch controls, and is a completely tactile experience. I found myself pulling, pushing, rotating and otherwise manipulating things on the screen, sometimes with as many as three or four fingers as a time. It's definitely not a passive, mere "tap" experience like many mobile games and will certainly draw you in.
Should I play _PRISM? For sure, it might be my favorite puzzle game on mobile now!
Game 31: _PRISM - 2 hours (?) - June 29th, 2016
_PRISM is a rather neat little mobile game. I believe that I got it on sale for $0.99 a few months back, but then ended up getting stuck on one particularly obtuse puzzle. For whatever reason, when I woke up from a nap today, I was inspired to finish it, and I did. All in all, minus the one obtuse section that melted my head, the game is pretty great. It's a very atmospheric puzzler, with clean, sterile, futuristic visuals and some really nice ambient music and sound effects. The best part of the game though is that it takes full advantage of being on platforms with touch controls, and is a completely tactile experience. I found myself pulling, pushing, rotating and otherwise manipulating things on the screen, sometimes with as many as three or four fingers as a time. It's definitely not a passive, mere "tap" experience like many mobile games and will certainly draw you in.
Should I play _PRISM? For sure, it might be my favorite puzzle game on mobile now!
Full List
Sleeping Dogs - ★★★
Fun hand-to-hand combat and shooting mechanics, but most of the missions are boring. Lots of exposition while driving. At least the setting and story are pretty interesting.
Child of Light - ★★★
The pace of this game throws me off a bit. It tries to hit all the notes of a standard RPG, but it's all coming at you so fast that it kind of has no impact. Like, it does the typical thing of being separated from your party at a critical moment but the separation lasts for maybe 10 minutes, and you barely know these people anyway. There's also the fact that after every battle, at least one of your party members will probably level up, which means a lot of your time will be spent checking off boxes in skill trees. I just wish it was dialed down a bit. You don't need this many upgrades for each character in an 8 hour game. I did enjoy the battle system, though. It's ripped straight from Grandia but hey, that's a good one to copy.
Tetrobot and Co. - ★★★
Puzzle game with generic ideas (lasers, portals, magnets) but good design. It's deceptively difficult with lots of misdirection and outside thinking. You might stare at a small puzzle thinking it's impossible, and actually, sometimes it is. That's my one complaint with the game. It's possible to do something early on in a level that screws you out of a solution to a later puzzle, and a lot of the time you won't know it until it's too late. It's meant to be like a meta-puzzle, but I thought it was a bit tedious.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D - ★★★★★
Finally knocking this one off the top of my shame backlog. I was really impressed by the dungeons, especially Great Bay Temple and Stone Tower Temple. In terms of level design, they're up there with the best the series has to offer. The story also deserves mention. It's an intimate game, so it's easy to feel connected to the world and the people and see how their demeanor changes as doomsday approaches. When this music kicks in and I sense the panic and resignation of the townsfolk, it gets to me every time.
Undertale - ★★★★
Undertale reminds me of Nier in a lot of ways: an amazing soundtrack, an engaging, unconventional story that couldn't be done as effectively in another medium, some ass ugly visuals, and (spoiler for both games)
. I didn't expect it to live up to the immense hype, but it came pretty close. Most of what you actually do in the game isn't particularly interesting, but the excellent writing and music more than make up for that.
Sleeping Dogs - ★★★
Fun hand-to-hand combat and shooting mechanics, but most of the missions are boring. Lots of exposition while driving. At least the setting and story are pretty interesting.
Child of Light - ★★★
The pace of this game throws me off a bit. It tries to hit all the notes of a standard RPG, but it's all coming at you so fast that it kind of has no impact. Like, it does the typical thing of being separated from your party at a critical moment but the separation lasts for maybe 10 minutes, and you barely know these people anyway. There's also the fact that after every battle, at least one of your party members will probably level up, which means a lot of your time will be spent checking off boxes in skill trees. I just wish it was dialed down a bit. You don't need this many upgrades for each character in an 8 hour game. I did enjoy the battle system, though. It's ripped straight from Grandia but hey, that's a good one to copy.
Tetrobot and Co. - ★★★
Puzzle game with generic ideas (lasers, portals, magnets) but good design. It's deceptively difficult with lots of misdirection and outside thinking. You might stare at a small puzzle thinking it's impossible, and actually, sometimes it is. That's my one complaint with the game. It's possible to do something early on in a level that screws you out of a solution to a later puzzle, and a lot of the time you won't know it until it's too late. It's meant to be like a meta-puzzle, but I thought it was a bit tedious.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D - ★★★★★
Finally knocking this one off the top of my shame backlog. I was really impressed by the dungeons, especially Great Bay Temple and Stone Tower Temple. In terms of level design, they're up there with the best the series has to offer. The story also deserves mention. It's an intimate game, so it's easy to feel connected to the world and the people and see how their demeanor changes as doomsday approaches. When this music kicks in and I sense the panic and resignation of the townsfolk, it gets to me every time.
Undertale - ★★★★
Undertale reminds me of Nier in a lot of ways: an amazing soundtrack, an engaging, unconventional story that couldn't be done as effectively in another medium, some ass ugly visuals, and (spoiler for both games)
"those creatures were innocent, you absolute scum"
Main post
18. Overwatch
★★★★☆ - 23 hours - Playing
One of the best games I've played all year, which is saying something considering I'm not really into competitive multiplayer games anymore. Polished in so many ways.
19. Kirby: Planet Robobot
★★★☆☆ - 8 hours - Completed 6/29/2016
I've never been much of a fan of traditional Kirby platforming. Planet Robobot does little to change that, but it's undoubtedly creative.
18. Overwatch
★★★★☆ - 23 hours - Playing
One of the best games I've played all year, which is saying something considering I'm not really into competitive multiplayer games anymore. Polished in so many ways.
19. Kirby: Planet Robobot
★★★☆☆ - 8 hours - Completed 6/29/2016
I've never been much of a fan of traditional Kirby platforming. Planet Robobot does little to change that, but it's undoubtedly creative.
The List!
Detailed Impressions 01-12
Detailed Impressions 13-xx
27. Transistor - 9 Hours
Transistor was a mixed bag for me. Ultimately I had a lot of fun with the combat, experimenting with different combinations of abilities, but there's a lot of fluff and missteps that mire the fun along the way. The beginning of the game really makes little effort to ease the player into the world and mechanics of combat and customization. Practically no narrative backdrop or introduction to the characters is presented upfront, instead revealing backstory in a piecemeal fashion over the course of the campaign. Coupled with this, the UI for customizing abilities is initially a whirlwind of confusion. Each and every ability you earn by leveling up can be used as an active, a passive, or a modification for another active ability. Simple enough when stated so plainly, but there is so much supplementary information and flavor text presented side by side with the descriptive text of the abilities (colorfully written in technobabble to coincide with the game's setting) that makes discerning what anything does or when it's activated a trying experience. Eventually I looked up an online guide to explain the basics of combat and customization so it didn't feel like I was playing something written in Chinese anymore. Between my initial frustrations with customization and the game's unwillingness to even establish the setting, I can not overstate what a miserable experience the first hour of Transistor was. Persevering proved to be mostly worth it however. Though there seemed to be some minor overlap with ability functions, there's enough variety to support the game's running length and then some. The narrative on the other hand never really seemed to pick up steam. On the surface it seemed overly trite (two lovers longing to be reunited, shady rebel organization up to no good in local area), but the deeper plot points don't seem to ever be fully addressed (Why is the guy's consciousness stuck inside a sword? How exactly did a program/virus overrun a city?). It leaves the story feeling a little perfunctory, clearly secondary to the combat mechanics. And while the combat is 'good enough' to prop the game up, finding a way to better marry the two disparate halves of Transistor beyond a surface level would have strengthened the game considerably.
Detailed Impressions 01-12
Detailed Impressions 13-xx
27. Transistor - 9 Hours
Transistor was a mixed bag for me. Ultimately I had a lot of fun with the combat, experimenting with different combinations of abilities, but there's a lot of fluff and missteps that mire the fun along the way. The beginning of the game really makes little effort to ease the player into the world and mechanics of combat and customization. Practically no narrative backdrop or introduction to the characters is presented upfront, instead revealing backstory in a piecemeal fashion over the course of the campaign. Coupled with this, the UI for customizing abilities is initially a whirlwind of confusion. Each and every ability you earn by leveling up can be used as an active, a passive, or a modification for another active ability. Simple enough when stated so plainly, but there is so much supplementary information and flavor text presented side by side with the descriptive text of the abilities (colorfully written in technobabble to coincide with the game's setting) that makes discerning what anything does or when it's activated a trying experience. Eventually I looked up an online guide to explain the basics of combat and customization so it didn't feel like I was playing something written in Chinese anymore. Between my initial frustrations with customization and the game's unwillingness to even establish the setting, I can not overstate what a miserable experience the first hour of Transistor was. Persevering proved to be mostly worth it however. Though there seemed to be some minor overlap with ability functions, there's enough variety to support the game's running length and then some. The narrative on the other hand never really seemed to pick up steam. On the surface it seemed overly trite (two lovers longing to be reunited, shady rebel organization up to no good in local area), but the deeper plot points don't seem to ever be fully addressed (Why is the guy's consciousness stuck inside a sword? How exactly did a program/virus overrun a city?). It leaves the story feeling a little perfunctory, clearly secondary to the combat mechanics. And while the combat is 'good enough' to prop the game up, finding a way to better marry the two disparate halves of Transistor beyond a surface level would have strengthened the game considerably.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Master Post
Game 32: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All - 16 hours - July 2nd, 2016
Finally, I forced myself to finish this hellish slog of a game. I can't believe how bad some of these cases are, especially when the last one is so damn good. The leaps of logic and poor pacing in this game seem worse than the first game, which I rather loved. Which is a shame, because the characters in this game were a bit more interesting to me. The infamous Big Top case is in fact as bad as people say it is...if not worse. I actually put this game down for probably over six months because of how much I hated it.
Should I play Justice For All? Only for story sake. Use a guide if you have to and plow through.
Game 32: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All - 16 hours - July 2nd, 2016
Finally, I forced myself to finish this hellish slog of a game. I can't believe how bad some of these cases are, especially when the last one is so damn good. The leaps of logic and poor pacing in this game seem worse than the first game, which I rather loved. Which is a shame, because the characters in this game were a bit more interesting to me. The infamous Big Top case is in fact as bad as people say it is...if not worse. I actually put this game down for probably over six months because of how much I hated it.
Should I play Justice For All? Only for story sake. Use a guide if you have to and plow through.
June update. Might not make it this year but we'll see.
Games completed in Q1 2016
Games completed in Q2 2016
Game 39: God of War: Ascension - 9 hours
Game 40: Back to Bed - 4 hours
Game 41: Outland - 9 hours
Game 42: Satellite Reign - 32 hours
Game 43: Eets Munchies - 4 hours
Game 44: A Bird Story - 2 hours
Game 45: The Whispered World Special Edition - 10 hours
Game 46: Yakuza 4 - 76 hours
Game 47: Tales of Xillia - 20 hours
Game 48: Batman: Arkham Origins - 33 hours
Game 49: Tales of Graces f: Lineages and Legacies - 20 hours
Game 50: Tales of Hearts r - 56 hours
Game 51: Blood Knights - 5,5 hours
Games completed in Q2 2016
Game 39: God of War: Ascension - 9 hours
Game 40: Back to Bed - 4 hours
Game 41: Outland - 9 hours
Game 42: Satellite Reign - 32 hours
Game 43: Eets Munchies - 4 hours
Game 44: A Bird Story - 2 hours
Game 45: The Whispered World Special Edition - 10 hours
Game 46: Yakuza 4 - 76 hours
Game 47: Tales of Xillia - 20 hours
Game 48: Batman: Arkham Origins - 33 hours
Game 49: Tales of Graces f: Lineages and Legacies - 20 hours
Game 50: Tales of Hearts r - 56 hours
Game 51: Blood Knights - 5,5 hours
Main Post
Game 27: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I've been quite busy the last few days because of graduation and preparations for my professional life. Still, I wanted to make a point of finishing at least one of my running playthroughs. In that sentiment, I finally got around to taking care of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Oblivion is a bit of a rainy day game for me, as I like to start up a new game every now and again and just mess around with it for a little while before moving on. The truth is that, although I've probably sunk several hundred hours into the game overall, I've finished the main quest maybe 2 or 3 times, and the expansions only once. As with many open world games, I have a tendency to get bogged down in side activities and lose track of the actual game.
When thinking about this game, I always inevitably get dragged into a comparison between it and its sequel, Skyrim (I suppose I could draw comparisons to Morrowing, as well, but I never played that one when it was new, and have always found it a bit difficult to get into it now). In many ways, Skyrim is the better game - it has a better combat system and much, much better progression, both of which help make the moment-to-moment feel a lot more flexible and dynamic. In Oblivion, I often feel as though I am being punished if I want to experiment, and thus often fall back into my default class, which focuses on
There are obviously things that annoy me in both games. There is little actual consequence to the things you do, and the game world never really feels like an actual place as much as a toy boy for you to interact with. The dialogue and VO work is laughable, and many of the mechanics you might expect from a more story-focused RPG are virtually absent. On top of this, animations can be quite janky, and the overall way in which NPCs act feels very unnatural. These issues, coupled with the overabundance of major and minor bugs one should anticipate when playing a Bethesda game, go a long way in destroying immersion (at least for me).
That said, the atmosphere in-game can be really stunning, in no small part due to Jeremy Soule's stellar OST, which, while mostly ambient, really lends itself to this type of grand and open experience. However, the main reason I like Oblivion so much, and the reason I like to replay at least parts of it so often, are its guilds. This was also one of my main complaints about Skyrim, where these fell short in my opinion. My personal favourites are the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves' Guild, which are an absolute blast, mostly because they work very well with my go-to specialisation, but also because they feature some of the most (and / or only) memorable characters in these games, as well as some of the strongest storytelling.
Ultimately, I never know how far I'm going to make it. Past a certain point, progression slows down to a crawl and almost everything begins to feel like you're going through the motions. Since only main skills yield experience, and since you eventually have more or less the best gear, progression eventually halts completely. At this point, a compelling narrative or engaging combat system might keep me going, but in absence of these, this is usually where I stop playing.
I'm going to focus on a few more compact games next, both in order to get a bit of a contrast to this one (as well as my ongoing WoW sessions), and in order to catch up a little bit.
Game 27: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I've been quite busy the last few days because of graduation and preparations for my professional life. Still, I wanted to make a point of finishing at least one of my running playthroughs. In that sentiment, I finally got around to taking care of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Oblivion is a bit of a rainy day game for me, as I like to start up a new game every now and again and just mess around with it for a little while before moving on. The truth is that, although I've probably sunk several hundred hours into the game overall, I've finished the main quest maybe 2 or 3 times, and the expansions only once. As with many open world games, I have a tendency to get bogged down in side activities and lose track of the actual game.
When thinking about this game, I always inevitably get dragged into a comparison between it and its sequel, Skyrim (I suppose I could draw comparisons to Morrowing, as well, but I never played that one when it was new, and have always found it a bit difficult to get into it now). In many ways, Skyrim is the better game - it has a better combat system and much, much better progression, both of which help make the moment-to-moment feel a lot more flexible and dynamic. In Oblivion, I often feel as though I am being punished if I want to experiment, and thus often fall back into my default class, which focuses on
- Sneaking
- Lockpicking
- Blades
- Light Armour
- Mercantile
- Archery
- Acrobatics
There are obviously things that annoy me in both games. There is little actual consequence to the things you do, and the game world never really feels like an actual place as much as a toy boy for you to interact with. The dialogue and VO work is laughable, and many of the mechanics you might expect from a more story-focused RPG are virtually absent. On top of this, animations can be quite janky, and the overall way in which NPCs act feels very unnatural. These issues, coupled with the overabundance of major and minor bugs one should anticipate when playing a Bethesda game, go a long way in destroying immersion (at least for me).
That said, the atmosphere in-game can be really stunning, in no small part due to Jeremy Soule's stellar OST, which, while mostly ambient, really lends itself to this type of grand and open experience. However, the main reason I like Oblivion so much, and the reason I like to replay at least parts of it so often, are its guilds. This was also one of my main complaints about Skyrim, where these fell short in my opinion. My personal favourites are the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves' Guild, which are an absolute blast, mostly because they work very well with my go-to specialisation, but also because they feature some of the most (and / or only) memorable characters in these games, as well as some of the strongest storytelling.
Ultimately, I never know how far I'm going to make it. Past a certain point, progression slows down to a crawl and almost everything begins to feel like you're going through the motions. Since only main skills yield experience, and since you eventually have more or less the best gear, progression eventually halts completely. At this point, a compelling narrative or engaging combat system might keep me going, but in absence of these, this is usually where I stop playing.
I'm going to focus on a few more compact games next, both in order to get a bit of a contrast to this one (as well as my ongoing WoW sessions), and in order to catch up a little bit.
- Status