I have a question - what's the stance on DLC? I finished Dark Souls 2 last year (minus DLC) but this year I replayed it entirely and beat all the DLC too. Would that count? Also, what about games where the DLC is released later, like Dark Souls 3's Ashes of Ariendale DLC?

Sendou said:

Previous years: 2014 // 52 games ||| 2015 // 16 games

Dishonored 2 December 7th

Finished a non-lethal (but not particularly stealthy) playthrough on Hard with Emily. Might be my favorite game of this year so far. Heard that port isn't particularly good and while that is true I'd say it was definitely playable for me. Although I guess my standards aren't very high in this regard or I might have found it more of an issue. Actual gameplay was just good. Nothing crazy and I felt like I limited myself going non-lethal. Where the real money is level design. Seriously the mid-point of the game has some of the greatest video game levels I have ever played. Although it's sad to see that towards the end some of the levels felt a bit uninspired in comparision. As you'd expect from Dishonored 1 the different ways you can tackle obstacles and targets is really interesting at its best.

Inside December 10th

For once the endless hype on this forum regarding a game was 100% justified. Inside doesn't try to do many things but what it does it does very well. I have to say on record I wasn't a fan of LIMBO. Yet Inside really struck a chord with me. Perfect controls, incredibly artstyle and sound design really make the experience for me. Don't want to spoil anything too much but it's the kind of "horror" I really like. Props for good achievement design too.

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As always hats off to everyone writing good impressions on what they have played! I use this place to get inspired what to play next.

SovanJedi said:

I have a question - what's the stance on DLC? I finished Dark Souls 2 last year (minus DLC) but this year I replayed it entirely and beat all the DLC too. Would that count? Also, what about games where the DLC is released later, like Dark Souls 3's Ashes of Ariendale DLC?

Click to expand...

Replays count period. When I only play DLC I ask myself how meaty it is. Some DLC's have way more content than your average indie game so doesn't make much sense not to include them imo.

Sendou said:

Replays count period. When I only play DLC I ask myself how meaty it is. Some DLC's have way more content than your average indie game so doesn't make much sense not to include them imo.

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I see. Thanks for the help!

Ashes of Ariendale is relatively light compared to other Souls DLC, but I still put in many more hours than I did games like Abzu, so I'm going to count it.

1st Post

17. Fallout 4 - 26 Hours
They made some good changes to gameplay and I do like a few of the characters but ultimately I was disappointed by most of the writing and felt like there wasn't much to do in the game that wasn't just fighting another of the same looking group of enemies over and over again.

18. Darknet - 7 Hours
This was one of the two games that really sold me on VR. It's just an excellent puzzle game.

19. Windlands - 4 Hours
The other game to sell me on VR. Once you get a hang of it you can swing along and do some pretty incredible things. The scale of it all just makes it a fantastic showcase of VR.

20. Forza Horizon 2 - 12 Hours
A really solid open world racing game. I would have played even more of it if not for the sequel releasing this year.

21. Kerbal Space Program - 41 Hours
I bounced off of Kerbal a few times before but it finally stuck this year. This game is utterly unique in providing a feeling of both wonder and accomplishment when I succeed in some of the gargantuan tasks. Managing to land on the moon for the first time and make it all the way back to Kerbin was incredible. When I have some more time I'm going to have to go back and see if I can get a ship back from Duna.

22. Quantum Break - 10 Hours
Remedy makes some really cool but flawed games and this is certainly keeps the trend going. It's a fun game with some novel mechanics but it gets dragged down by some strange design choices and a companion show that is pretty boring.

23. Firewatch - 4 Hours
A solid hike around the wilderness with some fun story and great visuals.

24. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD - 37 Hours
If you cut like 15 or so hours out of this game I think it would be a really great game. As is, there is just way too much filler garbage in this game. The dungeons were pretty cool though.

25. Hyrule Warriors - 10 Hours
I think I might just be done with the Dynasty Warriors style of games, this one did very little for me. It didn't really enjoy it at all.

26. Pokemon Yellow - 54 Hours
This was a replay but it's been more than 15 years since I played through it last so it feels justified. The game holds up surprisingly well. Ended up catching all 151, though had to pick up Red and Blue on virtual console as well to do it.

27. Star Wars Battlefront - 11 Hours
This game is gorgeous and does a great job of making you feel like you're part of a legitimate Star Wars battle. I still wish it had more to it but it's fun for what it is.

28. Lego Dimensions - 6 Hours
The mechanics of the lego games are starting to wear a bit thin but there is something pretty wonderful about a game that mashes up all of these characters from different things.

29. Cibele - 1.5 Hours
Felt authentic to the type of story it was telling but wasn't really my kind of thing.

30. Far Cry 4 - 19 Hours
I enjoyed Far Cry 3 but felt like the story missions really were at odds with the open world gameplay, the linearity felt oppressive compared to the fun of the rest of the game. A lot of the design of those missions just felt tedious. Luckily Far Cry 4 improves on a lot of these things significantly. All around an enjoyable game.

Game #41 - Message Quest
Time: 1 hour

Super cute puzzle adventure game with a sweet story and charming art style. The puzzles are quite simple and the game is very short (finished it in one sitting in about 1 hour) but its well done and has a ton of heart. Oh and the "simlish" style voice acting is great too.


Game #42 - The Silent Age
Time: 2 and half hours

Another shortie, this time a more traditional point and click adventure, but a pretty cool one. The story is a cliche mystery but its well done enough that I forgive its lack of originality. The puzzles are actually quite easy which I liked, as most objects you pick up have logical uses and are usually not far off the solution. Some might not apreciate that but as someone with a apreciation for the genre but little patience for the more obtuse ones these days, this was right up my alley. Great art design and good vocie acting / soundtrack plus the short run time make this a very easy recomendation to fans of the genre, especially since everyone and their mother probably has it from all the bundles it was in.


Game #43 - Lilly Looking Through
Time: 2 hours

Lilly is another short point and click adventure / puzzle game, this one with a very minimalistic approach as most of the time you dont actually control Lilly, you click things on the screen and she goes to them and does whatever she has to do. The puzzles are fairly simple throughout, although near the ends there are some head scratchers. Great 2D artwork but theres little story, what little there is is very abstract with Lilly chasing her brother who was kidnapped by some sort of magical scarf...yeah its weird. Overall its ok but it didnt do much for me, I feel there are much stronger short adventures games around (like the previously mentioned silent age for example).

Main posts

SovanJedi said:

I have a question - what's the stance on DLC? I finished Dark Souls 2 last year (minus DLC) but this year I replayed it entirely and beat all the DLC too. Would that count? Also, what about games where the DLC is released later, like Dark Souls 3's Ashes of Ariendale DLC?

Click to expand...

even if you didnt play the dlc, if you just replayed the game it would count. Its not "52 games you never played"

First Post
Second Post

31. Assassin's Creed Rogue - 17 Hours
Fun but it doesn't quite live up to Black Flag, it might just be that the setting was a lot more dreary and dragged things down.

32. Overwatch - 10 Hours
Overwatch in typical Blizzard fashion has some great style to it. The gameplay is pretty fun too. It didn't blow me away in quite the same way that it did for a lot of other people but I still enjoyed my time with it.

33. Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry + Aveline DLC - 6 Hours
The Aveline DLC was a fun addition to the game bringing a cool character into the better mechanics of Black Flag. Freedom Cry was a really solid standalone story that manages to capture some of the best parts of Black Flag in a shorter and tighter experience.

34. Assassin's Creed Liberation - 9 Hours
A fun game but it's dragged down by some really tedious sections.

35. Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington - 7 Hours
A cool concept that is held back by the fact that Assassin's Creed III had terrible controls.

36. Alan Wake - 11.5 Hours
A solid but flawed game. I really liked the light based mechanics and the game did a good job of incorporating writing tropes in fun ways. I few of the levels drag on a bit too long.

37. Alan Wake's American Nightmare - 5 Hours
I actually enjoyed this more than the base game, it was a combination of refinement of the gameplay mechanics and some really great style. I loved the way that they incorporated the Night Springs aspects into the story.

38. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - 19 Hours
Other than the lack of crowds Syndicate felt like a big step up for Assassin's Creed. The characters were fun and I really enjoyed the way movement worked with the grappling hook.

39. Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ - 55 Hours
I loved this game for like the first 20 hours until the microtransaction stuff starts to kick in and makes the entire thing feel disgusting.

40. Pokemon Go - 32 Hours
Cool concept but a lot of squandered potential.

41. SOMA - 9 Hours
They improved on the Amnesia formula in all the right ways and hit on some really cool scifi concepts. Also I loved the whole scifi underwater robots things.

42. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - 32 Hours
This game is like 80% filler and then gets interesting in the last 7 or 8 hours. I don't know if I would have played through if I had know ahead of time what it would be like but I am kind of glad that I did see it. I'm conflicted on this game.

43. Yoshi's Woolly World - 14 Hours
I loved the look but didn't really care much for the rest.

44. Hyper Light Drifter - 9 Hours
Great music, great aesthetic and excellent gameplay.

45. No Man's Sky - 16 Hours
I really wanted to like this game but in addition to being pretty boring the animal life in the game just look so terrible. It really of kills my motivation to play the game.

Master post.

Right, this'll be a short one and I probably won't write much for each game. This close to the end of the year I can't really be bothered.

Game 29 - God Eater: Ressurrection
God I freaking loved this game. This is what Freedom Wars should have been. Surprisingly good story for a hunting game, awesome gameplay. One of those 'just one more' games. I can't wait to start the second game next year.

Game 30 - Battlefield 1
Enjoyed the campaign! Multiplayer is also great. Having tons of fun even just playing with one other friend. Chaotic, frantic fun,

Game 31 - LiEat
Yep, only the first out of three because PADDING! I really like these little RPG Maker-esque games. They're so charming. Anyway, LiEat has a neat artstyle, decent if not wholly original story and serviceable gameplay. It was fun for the couple hours it took to finish. Looking forward to playing the rest.

Game 32 - Watch Dogs 2
Loved it. Enjoyed how lighthearted it was and the stealth gameplay was very fun. Kind of felt like modern Assassin's Creed.

Game 33 - Final Fantasy XV
Mediocre, but not terrible. A good foundation that I hope they can improve on for XVI. Car was a big time waster, I never got invested in the boys, main story is a mess. Too much backstory relegated to the movie and the anime, both of which I never watched. The last secret dungeon is absolutely incredible though. Arguable worth trudging through the game for.

Game 34 - Titanfall 2
Great campaign but way too short. Multiplayer is very fun too. I accidentally spent the entire double XP weekend just binging it. Shame about the lack of players though. I haven't been able to play CTF at all because of it.

Multiplayer games!

Game 35 - Overwatch
Single-handedly got me back into online MP FPS. Fantastic game, love the characters and teamplay. Very satisfying.

Game 36 - Halo 5 Multiplayer
Started playing this a lot more this year since my friend wanted someone to play with. Far better than whatever Halo 4 was doing, but I'll admit I suck because of the lack of aim assist. Still, very enjoyable.

Game 37 - FFXIV
Still playing this 2 years later. It becomes a lot better when you only sub for about a month or two for every patch and take breaks instead of trying to find a reason to sub constantly. I also thought I was just using this for a WoW replacement until I resubbed with some friends when Legion came out, only to find myself choosing FFXIV anyway. Stellar MMO and I can't wait for Stormblood.

Edit: Forgot about this one, probably finished it just after God Eater.

Game 38 - Bravely Second

LOVED IT. I really do love the Bravely series. As cheesy and the story and characters were I even enjoyed them. The ending was wild. Fantastic gameplay improving upon the first. Little repetition. Bravely Third pleeeeeease!

*

Whelp, I probably could have finished 50 games this year but my tendancy to play never ending games like MMOs, online shooters and The Sims sucked up too much of my time. I could probably burn through a bunch of shorter games in the next couple weeks but life is somewhat stressful right now and all my comfort games are, surprise surprise, MMOs and online FPS. Still, some of my time is being taken up trying to get back into college so it's not all bad. Maybe next year I'll use my time better since I'll have a lot less of it.

1: Yakuza 5 - My personal game of 2015 I replayed this at least full times this year.
2: Dead Rising 3 - I sunk a lot of hours into this grinding up to level 50, technically it's not great but I loved it anyway.
3: Quantum Break - Very interesting concept, I love the art style, story was an incoherent mess by the end.
4: Uncharted 4 - On a technical level it is miles ahead of everything else, great send off for characters I have really come to love.
5: Watch Dogs 2 - first game I played on my PS4 pro, I really loved the new gameplay option and light hearted tone compared to the original.
6: Resident Evil 5 - Brilliant port of a last gen favourite, I play it regularly.
7: Resident Evil 4 - Still my favourite third person action game it hits all the rignt notes.
8: Resident Evil Revelations - I play this on trips with my 3DS, I just cannot get enough of raid mode.
9: Resident Evil Revelations 2 - I got the bad ending when i beat it, still salty about that, need to do it again to get the good ending.
10: Resident Evil REmaster - Nostalgia aside this is by far the best fixed camera RE game, glad it got the port to current gen.
11: Resident Evil 2 - An old friend I tend to play this at least twice a year, this was the game whuch made me a survival horror fan.
12: Virginia - An odd experience for sure, only played it once, need to do it again.
13: Batman The Telltale Series - Telltale either fix your game engine or get a new one, no excuse for juddering and sub 1080p resolution.
14: Batman Arkham Origins - Underappreciated in my opinion, good to see real detective work in this, also the only Arkham game to do boss fights right consistently.
15: Batman Arkham Asylum - Despite having the most simple gameplay this is the best game in the Arkham series.
16: Batman Arkham City - Loses only to Arkham Asylum due to lack of focus and killing off major characters for shock value.
17: Batman Arkham Knight - Less tank simulator more Batman please.
18: Dead Rising 4 - disappointing, Frank is unrecognisable over the top humour has been lost and the ending is locked behind a DLC paywall, shame on you Capcom.
19: Ratchet and Clank - Some of the best fun I had all year, love the art style,
20: Grandia II - one of the finest JRPG ever, battle system is stilk great one of the earliest Japanese games to get English voice acting rignt.
21: Jet Set Radio - camera is a pain in the arse, game is still great fun, soundtrack still blows my mind.
22: Yakuza 3 - nothing sums up the Yakuza series like being chased by a burly crossdesser who wants the D after you save them from ass kicking.
23: WWF No Mercy - Still the best wrestling game ever made.
24: Heavy Rain - Yes it is full of plotholes but it got me to care for the characters and my choices mattered, Telltale take notes.
25: Firewatch - compelling story and world building, love the character interactions.
26: Mafia 3 - Amazing use of the historical setting, gameplay is very repetitive.
27: Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - Senator Armstrong boss fight is one for the ages, gives me a huge shit eating grin.
28: Layers of Fear - I really need to play this again, it made a mark kike few others.
29: Alpha Protocol - AI is hopeless but mission structure is amazing, love the many options to complete goals.
30: Deadly Premonition - A janky mess technically, but I love hthe setting, story and characters.
31: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - I actually prefer this to Uncharted 3, it sets the stage and gives a glimpse of the genius of Naughty Dog.
32: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves a masterpiece and easily in my top 5 of last gen
33: GTA V - gameplay is astonishing in what it offers, heavy handed satire is a let down.
34: The Evil Within - Shinji Mikami tries and fails to recapture the magic of Resident Evil 4.

First Post
Second Post
Third Post

46. DOOM 2016 - 14 Hours
This was a game I had no intention of buying when I heard about it but with how much people were raving about it I had to give it a shot. It is easily one of my favorite FPS campaigns of all time. Every part of the combat feels incredible. This is one of the best games I've played in a long time.

47. Zero Time Dilemma - 21 Hours
ZTD is a flawed entry in the Zero Escape series but the fact that it was made at all makes me so happy. Virtue's Last Reward is easily one of my favorite games and while Zero Time Dilemma doesn't reach the same highs it is a solid game with some cool puzzles and for the most part provided closure for the series.

48. Bravely Second: End Layer - 47 Hours
I've got pretty mixed feelings about Bravely Second. I loved the original game even if the ending chapters were a little too repetitive. Bravely Second has a different problem in that its early chapters are mostly just boring from a story perspective but then at the end of chapter 4 things get good and it stays strong through the last few chapters to the end. I nearly put the game down but I'm glad that I powered through and got to the good stuff. It's hard to recommend the game as a whole but the later parts of the game really worked for me.

49. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse - 53 Hours
A really solid follow up to SMT IV. I loved the new demon designs and the updates to the core mechanics were great all around. The story wrapped up a bit too tidily but on the whole it was a great game.

50. Doom - 6 Hours
After having played through the new Doom I felt I should go back to the original that I had only ever played bits and pieces of. I have to say it does hold up pretty well. I did prefer the first two episode to the second two mostly because they really start to drop an excessive number of enemies per room in the later episodes.

51. Lara Croft GO - 3 Hours
I was a little worried that this game wouldn't do enough to differentiate itself from Hitman Go but it really did. The new mechanics suited the Tomb Raider franchise perfectly.

52. Superhot - 3 Hours
Super. Hot. Super. Hot. Super. Hot. What a weird and great game. Once my Oculus Touch controllers get in the first thing I'm going to play is Superhot VR.

53. Gravity Rush - 7 Hours
Cool mechanics, great style and a fun story. I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

54. Forza Horizon 3 - 5 Hours
A great followup to a great game, Australia made for a great setting for the game and I'm excited to play more of it.

55. Deus Ex Go - 3 Hours
It was fun but felt a little less polished than previous Go games. I think I still prefer Hitman and Lara Croft but Dues Ex Go was fun, if a bit short.

56. Inside - 3 Hours
Inside is a super weird game and one that is very difficult to talk about without getting into spoilers. It was solid throughout.

57. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 17 Hours
Such a fantastic end to a series. I was really happy to see how much the mechanics had been cleaned up, movement felt great. It was great to see all the old cast back and the new characters were solid as well.

58. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - 17 Hours
I see what all of the hype is about now, this was a great game. Sometimes they kind of under explain things like where to go next or the fact that you need silver arrows to finish the game but overall it was great.

59. Final Fantasy XV - 30 Hours
Some of the controls can be a bit stiff and the story feels a bit sparse in points but overall I really loved the game. The road trip set up works well, combat is fast and fun, and the story even has some great moments. I definitely see myself going back and doing more of the side stuff when I have time next year.

60. Lucky's Tale - 2 Hours
A solid VR platformer.

Master Post

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Game 71: Pokemon Moon (3DS) | 29 Hours | 11/27/16 | 4/5
Game 72: Pokemon Sun (3DS) | 30 Hours | 12/12/16 | 4/5

ok I need to finish this write up because I'm 12 years old so listen up this is pokemon so you know what it is but here's some shit bullet points because I don't feel like writing paragraphs

- story doesn't take a backseat to your gym based adventure like the other games, The Lillie Show is in full force while your one expression face ass does your little trial quest gimmick
- Island trials are good, whatever little gimmick they have going for them is usually inoffensive at worst and totem pokemon are fun and interesting encounters
- the selection of pokemon is your usual mixed bag, some designs are good and some less so like every gen. Look them up and decide for yourself, i don't know
- Exp Share makes you less broken then X/Y but still strong enough to not really run into many issues unless you're ill equipped for the next battle, you're not missing much not using it, especially for that Poni Island level jump wtf is that
- Team Skull is best Pokemon Team because they're just fucking dumb, nameless jobbers to 11 year old kids and they frequently let you know that fact unlike the previous Big Bad Multi-Million Organizations Run By Intelligent(?) People that somehow eat the shit of a 10 year old child

so yeah it's good pokemon experience, don't know if this will bring back a lasped fan unless all they did was despise gyms so yeah have at it fr*ck

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Game 73: Flow Free: Hexes (Android) | 10+ Hours | 12/12/16 | 3.5/5

This free ass spinoff of the flow free franchise has 1200 levels of the same basic puzzle that I have played too much. Puzzle difficulty ranges between "oops I completed it in 5 seconds" vs "fuck what do I do holy shit" but the thing is the gap between these examples is a very fine line. Essentially, once you find out the one line that's right, the puzzle at that point solves itself as you work around the line to fill in the missing blanks. This is literally true for every level, whether it be a 5x5 grid or a 15x15. But hey it has over a thousand levels for nothing, it's cost 3 dollars for another like 600 levels AND it even has dailies. There's an achievement (apparently google play has an achievement system) to do dailies for a year straight and only an INSANE person would do that are you kidding my cat police please I need to go to sleep help me but not before I finish these daily 3-10 puzzles in 2 minutes.

Game 29: Pokemon Sun
3DS - 100 hours - Beaten 10/12/16 - ★★★★★
Well this game sure was something. I can not remember the last game that made me super excited every day when I finished work and could go home to play it. Was probably another Pokemon game when I was a kid (replace work with school though).
The changes they made this generation completely reinvigorated the series, and in my opinion, gave birth to the very best entries in the 20 year history.
I had so much fun working my way through Alola, the trials were fun, the characters were great, the story was engaging, the music was phenomenal, and hunting down Pokemon and collecting all 301 in the Pokedex was thrilling.
This is a game that's going to stick with me and has made me excited for the future of this franchise on the Switch.


Game 30: The Last Guardian
PS4 - 13 hours - Beaten 15/12/16 - ★★★★★
After a rocky development I think everyone was a little wary about this title. It definitely did not disappoint. Trico is the most impressive AI character I have seen. The way it follows you around, listens to your commands, fights to protect you, and even sometimes shows you the way to proceed is just remarkable, and I felt a genuine bond with my feathered friend.
The games puzzles and platforming were also really great. The game respects your intelligence and lets you figure things out for yourself, and the jumps are all unscripted, there's no auto-platforming or weird magnetism going on here like some big AAA titles have.
Of course there were a few minor faults, though to me it was mainly with controlling the boy rather than anything to do with Trico, but those small blemishes were not enough to really effect the game in a meaningful way and give it a rating any lower than 'masterpiece'.

Master


Well, that was definitely a good pair of games. My top contenders for GotY right now.
Going to play Steins;Gate 0 next which will likely be the last game this year for me, as after that I'll start FFXV which I won't finish before January.
Nowhere near 52 but still a great effort, and I knocked out quite a few big RPGs so I'm happy.

BinaryPork2737
Spieler Eins
Oreoleo
SteHitch
chrixter

I tried so hard to do this, I was doing pretty okay, but once I bought Overwatch, I stopped playing other games for the most part. lol

OT

So I finished up The Legend of Dark Witch - Chronicle 2D ACT. I tried it out after I saw a few others here finish it and recommend it. I liked it. Short, small and very very charming with some replay value. I started to get hooked on trying to beat my time on the different levels.

Next up was God of War: Ascension. Now I loved all the GoW games 1-3 and even the 2 PSP ones. This game however felt like a rushed game that Sony wanted to get out before the PS3 life cycle was over. Now do not get me wrong as I had fun with it but just nothing memorable came out of it. The epic scale of the fights and world did not seem so epic compared to past games. Oh well I was like $6 at Target on clearance so I can not complain to much.

To top off the list of 52 games was Gears of War 4. I played this co-op with a buddy of mine who I played all the GoW games with. We enjoyed it but that ending kinda just came up out of nowhere. Also I didn't really enjoy spending the last few chapters playing as a giant robot. Oh well I will just wait for the 5th one since they clearly left it open for a sequel.


And with that I beat this challenge but cut it real close. With just a few days left in the year I may see if I can squeeze out another couple of games. We will see!.

After 3 years I finally finished 52.
Here they are with my personal scores. Sorry about the lack of duration played, I didn't keep track this time around.

Old Games

1. Crash Bandicoot (PSV) 8.5/10
Decided to finally finish this one, didn't have memory card back on PS1 so I could never finish it. It really tough but it was nostalgia heaven.

2. Crash 2 (PSV) 9/10
Way better than the 2nd one in almost every way. Never actually played it before, glad I did now.

3. Crash 3 (PSV) 9.5/10
The best out of the 3. So much variety, better story, better boss fights and better locales.

4. Steins Gates (PSV) 9/10
Loved the anime, decided to give the game a try. Pretty much the anime with a lot more details and endings but still pretty good.

5. Max Payne (PS4) 8/10
First PS2 on PS4 Title, not bad but the gameplay is very outdated, not the shooting thought that was the best part of the game. Hated the nightmare sections and the F**KING planks!

6. 999 (DS) 8.5/10
So damn good, what a big mistake was to play VLR first.

7. Ghost Trick (DS) 9/10
Holy shit this was so freaking good. I love when gameplay and story go so well together.

8. Deadpool (PS4) 7/10
PS4 Remaster. Not bad, got a few laughs out of me. Repetitive a hell.

9. Peggle 2 (PS4) 8/10
Pretty cool game. A bit dependent on luck.

10. Day of the Tentacle (PS4) 8/10
Really scratches the monkey island itch that I've been having since the remasters. A bit tough because of the time machine mechanics.

11. Bully (PS4) 9/10
So freaking good, another PS2 to PS4 game that I'm glad to get a chance to play. Now where's that sequel R*?

12. Tearaway Unfolded (PS4) 8.5/10
Played it on Vita, but I got it for cheap on a sale. Had a bit of fun but the game was meant to be played on a Vita.

13. Valkyria Chronicles Remastered (PS4) 8.5/10
Another great remaster I'm glad to had the chance to play. Game is tough as nails, specially when trying to keep everyone alive (only lost 1 person T_T). Story was good.

14. Bayonetta (Wii U) 8/10
Oh man Gaf wasn't kidding, this game is good. A bit hard at times but satisfying most of the times. QTE were bad though. Story was interesting.

15. Splatoon (Wii U) 8/10
Awesome concept. Fun MP and a cool Single Player component. Hopefully they can make a full fledged single player game since they pretty much nailed the MP.

16. Gone Home (PS4) 8/10
Even though I already knew the ending, it was still very engaging to play the actual game. Characters and Story were very well developed.

17. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U) 9.5/10
SO FREAKING GOOD! Thank good I had someone to play with, because it definitely felt like a game to be played with people.

18. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) 9/10
So far my 2nd favorite MK. 64 is still king in opinion.

19. Saints Row Gat outa Hell (PS4) 7/10
Cool DLC, got it for free on PS+. Don't think I would have payed for it. They definitely need to change the formula for SRV.

20. Destiny The Taken King (PS4) 8.5/10
Didn't really finish OG Destiny. Decided to jump back in again and with the OG and the DLCs it was a good playthough with a lot of content. I enjoyed the challenges and the PVP.

21. Steamworld Dig (PS4) 8/10
A surprising little game I ignored as a PS+ title. Became addicted to it the minute I started playing it. Need a sequel.

22. Resident Evil 4 (PS4) 9.5/10
Oh my God. After years of watching my uncle play the game (I was to scare of it back then) I finally decided to play it on my own and it was amazing! I never understood the importance of pacing until I played this. And the weapon reloads are definitely worth watching every time.

23. Super Smash Bros (Wii U) 9/10
It was good, didn't play a lot since I don't have a lot of people to play with and I'm not that good either. A lot of content and characters to choose from which is good.

24. Bioshock (PS4) 9.5/10
Oh my Goooooood! Why did I get the ending spoiled years ago! The game was great, everything in it was so good.

25. Blue Estate (PS4) 6/10
Pretty cool arcadey game with a funny story.

26. Gravity Rush Remastered (PS4) 8/10
Already played on Via but I gave it another shot for the DLCs. It's good, but you can tell it was designed for Vita and played better on it in my opinion.

27. Entwined (PS4) 6/10
Cool short game, kinda relaxing.

28. Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture (PS4) 7/10
I'm glad I didn't buy this. One of the times I'm greatfull for PS+. It had an interesting story in which I think they could have died down with the science stuff.

29. Heavy Rain (PS4) 8.5/10
Played again on PS4. Really liked it but not good as it was that first experience on PS3. Visuals look nice but there were a few bugs.

30. Modern Warfare Remastered (PS4) 9/10
Damn what Remaster! and from Activision no less. Never played MW1 MP (I became a fan with MW2) and I liked I saw but it did feel a tad to old/slow for me.

31. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4) 9/10
Really good sequels. Improves on everything...exept the characters. They need to work on Lara and everyone she meets a bit more.

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2016 Games

32. The Witness (PS4) 7/10
Ugh, I regret paying $40. The game is more frustrating than fun. It had some clever puzzles but there were some (the FUCKING WHITE AND BLACK DOTS) that gave breakdowns. The lack of music and comprehensive story really hurt it in my opinion. But man the art design is good damn amazing.

33. Naruto Ninja Storm 4 8/10
Awesome, visuals and gameplay were top notch. Very true to the anime/manga.

34. Far Cry Primal (PS4) 7/10
Not bad. Far Cry without guns was nice but the game got repetitive.

35. The Division (PS4) 8/10
This was fun! Story was crap but everything else was pretty good. Was fun playing with other people.

36. Ratchet and Clank (PS4) 8.5/10
Another fun title. Visuals were amazing. Gameplay was great. Story was almost good (held down by the movie's plot).

37. Dark Souls 3 (PS4) 9/10
Pretty Damn Good. My favorite DS by far, BB is still king though. Absolutely hated the catacombs with the skeletons.

38. Uncharted 4 (PS4) 10/10
It was PERFECT. Just what I wanted for Drake's last chapter, though I was expecting to go a bit darker after TLOU, I love how they kept the charm. This also had the best treasure plot by far, could have easily been a game of it's own.

39. Overwatch (PS4) 8.5/10
Uff, I'm not really an MP guy, but this game is really good. I love all the characters and their design but sadly I suck at playing most of them. Love the Blizzard support though.

40. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst (PS4) (PS4) 7.5/10
Disappointing. Did not need to be an Open World game. Story was okay.

41. Zero Time Dilemma (PSV) 8/10
THEY FUCKED IT UP! well not really, but man VLR raised the bar too high I guess because this one lack a lot of the charm from the first 2.

42. Stories Path of Destiny (PS4) 6.5/10
Cool concept and story but it repetitive really fast.

43. Deus Ex Mankind Divided (PS4) 8.5/10
Disappointing sequel. Human Revolution was so good and long. This was criminally short and just when it started getting good. They improved almost everything so I'm hopeful for the sequel.

44. Attack on Titan (PS4) 8/10
Damn they managed to pull it off. This is one of those games that just feels good to play, even if it gets repetitive as hell, I still want to kill more titans because it feel satisfying.

45. Batman Arkham VR (PSVR) 7.5/10
Way to cool. Visuals were amazing. Gameplay was interesting, could have used a bit more interactions. Story was cool with a nice plot twist. A must play for PSVR owners.

46. Playstation VR Worlds (PSVR) 6.5/10
Not bad, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it. (Or did I?) It's good collection of VR demos. London Heist is the crown jewel, I need a longer sequel of that.

47. Battlefield 1 (PS4) 8.5/10
I never like BF games but this one stuck with me and the MP was fun as hell. Never had fun like this since the MW2/BO days. SP was meh (as always with DICE), but thankfully the MP overshadows it easily.

48. Infinite Warfare (PS4) 8/10
*facepalm* man they really copy and paste BO3 MP and then somehow make some of the worst MP maps I have ever played. Thankfully the SP overshadows it and Zombies is pretty cool this time around.

49. Watch Dogs 2 (PS4) 8.5/10
Really good improvements over WD1. Everything was great. Loved the settings and the online interaction were cool. Could have used a bit more story for the main characters.

50. Firewatch (PS4) 8/10
Good plot with an okay ending. Visuals were nice. Definitely could see a sequel out of this.

51. Inside (PS4) 9.5/10
Speechless. Visuals, Gameplay and SOUND were perfect. and that ending was something else.

52. Doom (PS4) 9/10
Have been sitting on this one since the summer. Finally got hooked and beat it. Everything was a damn good about it. Love how fluid the gameplay is and the story was surprisingly interesting for a DOOM game.

Click to expand...

Game #44 - Detective Grimoire
Time: 2 and half hours

Nice surprise with this one as I expected another point and click adventure but what I got instead was a Phoenix Wright style murder mystery / investigation. Great art style, great voice acting, cool little story. Its a little light on puzzles and its mostly just dialogue and clue matching but I really enjoyed it. Theres a sequel teased at the end which im afraid will probably never happen which is a shame. Easily recommended.


Game #45 - The Begginer's Guide
Time: 82 minutes

The "follow up" to The Stanley Parable, at least developer wise, unfortunately is nowhere near as interesting as the first one. I dont have a problem with interactive narrative games, or walking simulators, whatever you want to call them, but I tend to be very hot or cold about them. I lovedThe Stanley Parable, Gone Home and Jazzpunk (I almost wouldnt put Jazzpunk in here, since it had a fair bit more gameplay than the rest), but for example I hated Dear Esther. I wont go as far as to say I hate Begginer's Guide, in fact I was quite enjoying it in the first 20 minutes or so, but then it stats getting unconfortable, and either it was going to be based on a real story, and that would be awkward, or it wouldnt, which would just be pretencious. So it ended up just being pretencious and heavy handed, much like I thought Dear Esther was in my opinion. I know a lot of people like Dear Esther and disagree its pretencious and the same will apply to this one, and thats fine.


Game #46 - Three Fourths Home
Time: 1 hour

A short visual novel about a struggling 20 year old coming back home to Nebraska. The whole game (both the main game and the epilgue) is one long phone conversation between the character and her family, mostly her mom, as she drives back home during a thunderstorm. The subject matters actually hit a little too close to home for comfort in all honesty, but its very well written and the minimalistic art style works great. Its very short so if you are into visual novels (which im usually actually not) I would recomend it.

Main Posts

Ok, so I was lazy this and haven't updated once but I'm at 63 atm. So...

1st lot In alphabetical Order, all steam.

1. 10,000,000 - Great match 3 dungeon crawler (7 Hours)
2. 12 Labours of Hercules II - Fun time management sim probably easier than the first. (11 Hours)
3. 12 Labours of Hercules III - See Above (9 Hours)
4. Absolute Drift - Top down minimalist car drifting game. Controls are a little fiddly but once you get it right you feel like Vin Diesel. (3 Hours)
5. Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders - Part Hidden Object, part Sherlock game, part traditional point'n'click and part telltale game. Great fun though pretty simplistic at times. (9 Hours)
6. Assassin's Creed 2 - As good as always though you'll need a mod for proper controller support on PC (36 Hours)
7. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Expands on the brotherhood itself with recruitment but seems a little lesser in scale to 2. (34 Hours)
8. Bad Caterpillar - Very decent Centipede clone (4 Hours)
9. Bad Sector HDD - Very decent Qix clone (2 hours)
10. Bit Ray - Funny little stacking game where you have to drop the hero cube to the ground safely by destroying all the others. Lacks any sort of save and even quitting to the main menu resets your progress. One sitting game (1 Hour)
11. Blackguards 2 - A TRPG that is a good improvement on 1 as it allows you to play the game your way not the way the game wants like 1 (22 Hours)
12. bOllO - Funny little maze(?) game that you can 100% the cheevs in about 3-4 minutes. Not really a game but a prototype at best. (4 minutes)
13. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - Borderlands on the moon where everyone happens to be Australian. Good fun but I imagine a lot of the humour will go straight over the heads of non-Aussies! (33 Hours)
14. Brutal Legend - Rock baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A fun story based action game with a weird strategy game thrown in on top. (16 Hours)
15. Bus Tycoon ND - Poor Transport Tycoon Clone with only buses, no city growth and bugs galore (3 hours)
16. Darksiders 2 Deathfinitive - Big Brash action game, maybe lacks the charm of 1. (36 hours)
17. The Deadly Tower of Monsters - Action Platformer set inside a 50's sci-fi movie. Self-effacing and tongue in cheek, it constantly breaks the 4th wall. Great game. (4 Hours)

Updated post

Finally finished!

Game #50: Culina: Hands in the Kitchen (PC) - 8 Hours
This was another game I backed on Kickstarter. Game is a restaurant management mixed with a dating sim (this part was inspired by Persona 4). Its a simple management game where you have to take account who is your customer and what ingredients you need to use. Dating sim part comes where you build up a relationship with the various vendors which net you an advantage on the side (such as discounts). Game also has a new game+ where it adds a little bit more content. Overall, I had a good time and would go back later to complete other routes.

Game #51: Party Hard (PC) - 5 Hours
This game reminds me a little bit about Hotline Miami. Instead of running in and and killing all the enemies, the point of this game is to do it without anyone suspecting you. Although even if someone did, you still have a chance to get away and continue on. I thought the game was alright throughout. It was a neat idea where a lot of the gameplay focuses on using different objects to create "accidents". Although it was easy to just cheese your way through the levels, thankfully they added a few "hard mode" levels once you finish the main game.

Game #52: Pokemon Moon (3DS) - 43 Hours
Finished the game and did a little bit of the end game content. This game was a nice change a pace for the series. They did away with the usual formula with how the single player is played out and did something different for a change. It's not a perfect game, but it has a lot of highs. Having Z-moves rather than bringing back Mega Evolutions seems like a way to re-balance the latter. I would love to see region variants become a continuing feature.

Currently Playing:

Infinite Space (DS): About to finish Chapter 3. Been really enjoying the game although I still need to get used to the close counter battles.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U): Finished my finals so I'm able to pick this game up again. (For sure this time)

htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary (Vita): Kinda forgot I was still playing this game cause of Pokemon. Still on the 3rd level trying to find the memory fragments.

Here's all of them.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Yay me. I wasted most of my year playing video games instead of making something of myself.

Original post


55. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U, 2016) - 64:43
Completed the main campaign on Normal, true ending.

It took half a year to finish, but I've finally put Tokyo Mirage Sessions to bed. As the one and only Wii U game I'm likely to play in 2016, I'd say it was a pretty good choice. I can see where fans of both Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei could be disappointed in the execution of this unlikely pairing; not enough references to the former's lore or mechanics, not difficult or dark enough to feel like the mainline series of the latter. Taken on its own merits, Tokyo Mirage Sessions is nevertheless an engrossing and entertaining JRPG that takes some of the best parts of both franchises and creates a new experience unlike either.

There's plenty to say about the game, from the occasional awkwardness of its mechanics (by the halfway point I was already wishing for a way to fast forward through lengthy Session attacks) to its showbiz-focused story (it paints a largely uncritical but lighthearted view of show business in general and idol culture in particular). Ultimately, though, the game's mechanics are complex and interesting enough to support its 60+ hour running time, and its characters and writing are snappy enough to overcome the story's major issues. It's often goofy and lighthearted, which goes a long way towards making the game likeable. Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a fun game to play and a fun world to be in, and though that doesn't absolve the game of its problems, it does make it easy to recommend in spite of them.

Holy....I did it! Beat 52 games in 50 weeks. I am so happy.
Next year i need a little break.

Game #51: Gravity Rush Remastered (PS4) - 16:52 h - 06/12/2016
That's it! Incredible. Wonderful. Fantastic. One of the biggest surprise for me. Alongside Uncharted 4 the best game of 2016 year in my opinion. Looking forward for second part next year. I can't belive it was Vita exclusive and Sony abandon support for Vita when such incredible games could appear on this machine. Shame on Sony.

Game #52: Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma (PSV) - 17:42 h - 17/12/2016
One of the most anticipated games of 2016 for me. Unfortunately, huge step back in comparison with previous two parts. I am very disappointed. The biggest flop of 2016 for me.

Original Post

Full Post

57) Battlefield 1 - 6 hours - 12/18
Decided to blast through the story this weekend and while I liked the structure of having different stories with their own arcs, I felt like they were all a little too short and under-developed to really hit home. There were some cool set pieces and the Lawrence of Arabia missions with Zara was probably the highlight but there just wasn't enough there.

58) Titanfall 2 - 6 hours - 12/18
Wow, I had heard all the positive impressions but I was blown away by the story. Not only was the narrative itself pretty compelling, but the gameplay and levels were some of the most fun I've seen. This is right up there with some of the Halo for best FPS campaign for me.

Ladekabel said:

December:

Game 51: Pokemon Sun (3DS): The first time that a Pokemon game isn't just a Pokemon game and embraces its JRPG roots. Though it are little steps and the premise is still pretty much the same but it did much more with it than its predecessors. It would be great if they go even further in the next iterations. Otherwise there's not much to say about it. Despite everything it does different in the story it's still a Pokemon game at its core. Besides that it looks nice for a 3DS game though the framerate takes a deep dive in battles from time to time. Soundtrack is eh.

Game 52: Final Fantasy XV (PS4): Most games I play through the story, see the credits and then don't bother with it anymore. Not so with Final Fantasy XV. Even after beating the final boss I'm still playing it. Doing quests, killing monsters, playing a pinball game and going camping with my buddies. It's kinda a reverse Final Fantasy XIII. It starts open and then gets linear. The story is a mess in that structure. I was doing side-quests and hunts for a couple of hours and then I was like "What was I supposed to do?". But even if you get distracted it always feels like a cutscene with a little bit more dialogue is missing. And besides the main characters, who I grew to love, there isn't really a character I cared about. Nevertheless, the final two chapters are pretty good in the story department. The combat system looks great and makes for cool moments. I still remember how I teleported to a flying enemy in the beginning and then shot it like I was falling down. Your entourage could've used a gambit like system like in FFXII. Always looking out for them got a little bit annoying sometimes. Graphically FFXV looks nice and sometimes sunning thanks to the lightning. Soundtrack is nice and has some of my favorite tracks this year. All in all, Final Fantasy XV is a jack-of-all-trades and not really a master of anything. But it is a great game that was worth the wait in my opinion.

Currently playing: Victor Vran (PC)

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52 update! Made it a few days ago! Third year in a row! hopefully I don't do this again next year!

The List

58. Grow Up - 4 Hours


The movement abilities and upgrades that you get *far* too early in the game trivializes any sense of challenge Grow Up has to offer and completely undermines what made Grow Home so great. Why scale mountains, grow starflowers, or use plants to fling yourself higher when you can just jump off a ledge and jet pack/hang glider combo your way to any surface in the game? The original Grow Home had a fantastic sense of progression and accomplishment, and exploring each new area was exciting because you earned the right to be there. Grow Up seems to have a different design philosophy of letting the player go wherever they want unimposed and explore for exploring's sake, rather than challenging the player through the game's unique mechanics or any kind of thoughtful design. Double the content, but only half the game that Grow Home is. This could have easily been so much more.

Game #47 - Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Time: 4 hours

One of the best, if not the best point and click adventure ever is still just as good as I remember 20 years ago, except now it looks all pretty. I actually remembered most of it which surprised me, so I finished it a bit faster than otherwise. The remaster looks fantastic, the writing is still too notch and the puzzles are great and logical for the most part. Great voice acting rounds up one of the all time greats, highly recommended for fans of the genre.


Game #48 - The Flame in the Flood
Time: 7 hours

Fantastic little gem of a game. Finished the campaign but theres a endless mode if thats your thing. Great game, easily top 10 of the year for me, and finally a survival game made for me. Not too hard, not too cryptic, I loved the art style, the soundtrack is fantastic, its not very long (7 hours with about 4 or 5 deaths), had a nice checkpoint system and has a nice sense of progress unlike more survival games I tried. Top notch all around, get on it if you got it from the humble monthly.


Game #49 - Shadow Complex Remastered
Time: 5 hours

One of my favorite metroidvanias in years, and its still as good as I remember. Its not very long but it feels longer than it is because you get new weapons and upgrades at a breakneck pace, visit a ton of loctions (the map is huge) and are always on the move and constantly in action. The story is whatever but thats not ehat you come to these games for anyway. Completionists will probabbly bleed out 1 or 2 more hours out of it.

Main Posts

I just completed Owlboy, my 52nd game this year!

Complete list.

Not playing any big RPGs (like Witcher 3 and Xenoblade X last year), and the many smaller PSVR games made it possible to reach this benchmark again after two years where I couldn't do it.

Game #50 - Among The Sleep
Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Among The Sleep is a short (you can finish the story in less than 2 hours, and theres a prologue which takes about 20-30mins) horror game where you play as a baby trying to check on your mother with your teddy bear friend. I liked it, quite a bit in fact, some "stealth" sections are kinda annoying but not too much, its not very scary, more creepy especially the sound design which is fantastic. The actual creepiness comes from the theme since its . I really like the art style as it fits the tone they were going for, its cartoony but it can get creepy when it has too, especially the "slender" style monster. As I already mentioned the sound is fantastic, and the gameplay, sicne you play as a baby, is actually qutie novel. Cool stuff.

2 more to go! Main Posts

Minishdriveby said:

Original Post

... and I took it upon myself to not only hit another 52 games, but go for the whole shebang (a slightly altered version of the 50 books 50 movies challenge going on in OT).

Here's how that played out:

119/100 Films | 52/52 Games | 24/24 Books | 25/12 TV Seasons

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Impressive!
I really ought to try something similar, reading in particular has been neglected lately. I recently realized the ONLY time I've read this year was when I went travelling for a couple months, even then I only finished 3 books.
I'd set my goals lower than yours though, bit too ambitious for me lol

This year I'm at 26 games completed and I can only see that number going up by 1 or 2 by the end of the month.
I might have more free time next year but not convinced 52 is feasible with the amount of long RPGs I play - still, I'll be giving it a go!

Realplumpbox85
brickarts295
Azriell
GLuigi
Shizza
Rymuth
MillionStabs

I'm really running out of time on this. Can anyone suggest some short vita/Ps3/Ps4 Games? My gaming laptop is currently non-functional.

Stanng243 said:

I'm really running out of time on this. Can anyone suggest some short vita/Ps3/Ps4 Games? My gaming laptop is currently non-functional.

Click to expand...

If you've been redeeming PS+ games, Gone Home can be beaten in about 2 hours

Stanng243 said:

I'm really running out of time on this. Can anyone suggest some short vita/Ps3/Ps4 Games? My gaming laptop is currently non-functional.

Click to expand...

Bound
Abzû
Inside
Oxenfree
Firewatch
Rain
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

(as for me, I'm done! Super Mario Run was my 52th. Still doing write-ups, want to give a decent impression for each game so it takes time.)

And tonight, I finished - 52 games in one year! I never actually set out to finish this challenge so I never posted in this thread before, please excuse the wall of text.

1. Painkiller
A supremely fun, no-nonsense, shoot-lots-of-dudes game. The sheer variety of environments and enemies made this rather basic premise seem exciting right through to the end. The weapons were all so nice to use, with very unusual combinations. Didn't give a toss about the story and the bosses were rather hit-and-miss, but otherwise, I'd recommend it.

2. Silent Hill (the original PS1 game)
I never played this before but finished 2, 3, 4 and Shattered Memory before it, so I was curious to see how the series began. Unfortunately I played it at the wrong time as, compared to the later games, the dated graphics and rather tame enemy designs take the edge off of it. I'm still glad I got to play it, though, and it was definitely still creepy. I didn't get to save Cybil though. Sad face.

3. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
It was billed as a 2D Dark Souls with some Metroid stage exploration. It's a gorgeous game with fun mechanics and very, very challenging combat... in the first half of the game. Later on the enemies became a lot easier to avoid, which I felt undermined the combat aspect somewhat. The final boss was also a complete joke. But man, that 2D pixel art animation is to die for.

4. Bit.Trip RUNNER 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
I really enjoyed the Bit.Trip series when it first came out, so I was looking forward to this. It's pretty much more Runner, and that's fine! A ton more stages, game modes, and unlocks. Still not entirely sold on the aesthetics. I liked the way it tied itself back into Bit.Trip FATE at the end.

5. Discworld
I did not like this game much by the end of it. I'm a big fan of Discworld and point 'n clicks, and I did get some joy out of seeing and hearing a lot of the characters come to life, but by GOD were some of the puzzles in this really nonsensical in the worst way. Also some very frustrating pixel hunting. A true example of every cardinal sin these types of games should never commit.

6. Mystik Belle
A strange, Amiga-esque Metroid game with puzzle solving elements mixed with action. I remember it being quite a nuisance due to the size of the sprites, it was very hard if not impossible to avoid damage sometimes. Also, the slide move just would not work reliably, which was rather unforgivable. Certainly an interesting game, though, and I can't say I didn't like it.

7. Firewatch
This game was so beautiful to experience - not just the aesthetics, though certainly I had to stop a few times just to admire the vibrant colours and scenery. It was a very human, very relatable and gripping story being told. A bit bummed by "the reveal", but it wasn't enough to ruin anything for me. Recommended.

8. Guacamelee
Oh man, did I enjoy this. A Metroid-style game with a great style and some incredibly fun, satisfying combat. Travelling from point to point was a joy for me because beating up enemies along the way just felt so good. Some great level and puzzle designs.

9. Hyper Light Drifter
I wrote some more in-depth impressions on this for the main thread, but I thought this game was great. Backed it as a Kickstarter and eagerly awaited it ever since the original reveal trailer with that wonderful music. Very challenging, but not unfairly so, an absolute visual wonder, an aesthetic that I just wanted more of and I hope returns for another game in the future. Only thing I remember being down on was the final boss, which I thought was a slight letdown.

10. Dark Souls 3
LOVE the Soulsborne series, and I loved this game. After Souls 2 I felt this was a return to form, with much nicer stage designs, better lore, better bosses, higher quality everything. It just felt like a really polished title. I actually beat it twice this year, I enjoyed it that much.

11. Quest 64
I know... I just wanted to see for myself what it was like. And yes, it's every bit as horrible as I was told it would be. It starts off like some Dragon Quest Lite-looking game that you could possibly enjoy in the same way someone might enjoy Mystic Quest, but then it very quickly shows its heartless, soulless, inane, horribly designed heart. Clearly nobody game a shit by the end of this game's development, and I was glad when the so very abrupt ending popped into being and the nightmare was over.

12. Mega Man X8
I wanted to plug in the gaps on my X series playthrough, and this was the only one I had yet to play, so I did. And yeah, this game wasn't bad. In terms of X games I played X5 and X6 immediately before this (both of which were horrible) so this felt like a refreshing return to form. Tight controls, great weapons, fun stages (at least, most of them. Some were much less so) and voice acting that doesn't make me want to rip my own ears off. Still not the same greatness of X, X2 and X4, though. I'd put it in the middle of the series.

13. Rocket Knight Adventures
Having previously played and loved Sparkster I wanted to see what the first game was like. I enjoyed it, it's certainly a great title from Konami's golden age, lots of action, cute graphics, tons of bosses. However, I still think Sparkster is better.

14. NanoAssault EX
An enjoyable, slick little game. Looks amazing and runs silky smooth. Shin'en certainly know how to make shooters.

15. Jett Rocket 2
The same, however, can't be said for platformers, especially mascot ones. Felt incredibly by-the-numbers, with some awful, unappealing character and enemy designs and boring gameplay. Not the worst game I played this year, but certainly not in any rush to play again.

16. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Looks gorgeous with some fun animation. A solid and enjoyable Metroid-style game. Jake Kaufman pumping out some awesome tunes for this one (as he always does). Not really a lot to say about this one, but it was solid.

17. Escape Goat 2
I loved the first one a ton for how under the radar it was, and this game is more of the same but with a new lick of paint and some extra mechanics. Very satisfying puzzle platforming, highly recommended.

18. Star Fox Zero
Being a big fan of Starfox and Starfox 64, I was hoping this would be a return to form for the series. As it is, it just feels like an inferior remake of the N64 game. I didn't really hate it, and I did manage to get to grips with the controls, but I have a hard time wanting to go back to it when I still enjoy the N64 game more.

19. Dark Souls 2 (DLC and Scholar of the First Sin)
My first replay of the year. Having beaten Souls 3 earlier and never playing the DLC of this game, I decided to return to it to see how it fared. I always considered it the weakest of the series, but now I feel it holds up even less than before. It's incredibly easy (relatively speaking at least) with some absolutely pathetic bossfights, and I don't rate the stage design as highly now as I did before. However, the DLC was top notch, with some battles FAR surpassing the main game.

20. Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan
I really wanted to enjoy this more. The core combat and mechanics are very fun and Platinum haven't steered me wrong before. But the stage designs and "missions" are just so lame, and maps are repeated constantly through the game. I know sidescrolling beat-'em-ups aren't known for the most amazing stage designs in the world, but they usually put in more effort than this game did. A big disappointment.

21. Assault Android Cactus
A pretty no-nonsense arena shooter. Incredibly slick and flashy, fun characters to unlock, and satisfying. It was a nice game to play through, even though the final boss made me swear a few times.

22. The Magic Circle
Now, this was an interesting game (and, as someone who makes games for a living, very relatable). I loved the premise of it, both in terms of "hacking" in-game elements and the story. Some rather powerful moments mixed with good lampshading. Got to love the main narrator voice too.

23. Mighty No. 9
Oh boy. This is still, to date, the Kickstarter I pledged the most money to, so to say I was eagerly anticipating this one was an understatement. And, yes, I was very bitterly disappointed by the end of it. I did not enjoy the stage designs, the voices, the patronizing, handholding nature of the characters, the half-arsed cutscenes and the lame ending. And to make it worse, I pledged for a Wii U version, which is so stuttery and buggy that it's borderline unplayable. What a terrible result from such a collection of veterans. Just about the only thing I liked was the music.

24. Crypt of the Necrodancer
I'm a sucker for procedurally generated roguelikes it seems (I helped make one that GAF loved a lot back in 2013) and this scratched an itch. What I wasn't expecting, however, was to enjoy it as much as I did. Maybe the rhythm part of it just makes it so much more satisfying when you get everything perfectly in place to do everything to the beat. Or maybe it's just that the music is fucking awesome. Whatever, I really liked this one a lot. Nearly 100%ed it too, except for a certain character at the end I couldn't finish it with...

25. Ys 1 (the remaster/remake/enhanced port/whatever)
Beat this entire game, and I can honestly say I didn't like it. I didn't like the core combat, I didn't find it satisfying, I didn't like the dungeon designs, I wasn't satisfied with the story elements or overall lack of any worthwhile story - I understand this directly continues on to Ys 2, but it still feels very, I dunno, halfhearted? Also, that bat boss was utter horseshit.

26. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
I was hoping this would combine the best of both current Mario RPG franchises into one super mega enjoyable and hilarious title. However, it just felt very soulless. The graphics are very nice with love sprite animation, and Yoko Shimomura's soundtrack certainly shines, but I honestly found the whole game a slog because it felt so very similar and unsurprising. I will probably give Mario RPGs a break after this and Colour Splash (more on that one later)

27. Ys Origin
After my unsuccessful attempt to jump into the Ys series with Ys 1, I gave this one a shot as I was told by many people that it was the best of the series. Well the developers must have known what to do with action RPGs by this point because this game was fucking awesome and I loved it from start to finish. Even though it all took place in the one tower, I felt more endeared with the plot and characters than I did with Ys 1's world. It feels like a really, really good PSP game, which is weird that it's a PC exclusive and never made it to a Sony handheld.

28. Ori and the Blind Forest
Wow, this has to have been one of, if not THE most beautiful games I've had the pleasure of playing. What visuals! What a soundtrack! That animation, the storytelling, it's just an audial-visual treat. And the game, while being yet another Metroid-like, felt surprisingly fresh in comparison to the others - its puzzles, challenges, movesets all seem to be based around propelling around the world in speedy ways unlike the others, which seem more combat-based. I thoroughly enjoyed this game.

29. Sonic Generations
Being part of the rare group of "good 3D Sonic games" (along with Sonic Colours, which I loved), this was a very well made, nostalgia-fuelled rollercoaster ride through Sonic's history. I enjoyed the Classic and Modern Sonic stages equally. However, the trend of ending a Sonic game with eldritch abominations that you Super Sonic into until one of you dies just has to stop, they're not fun and not especially challenging or memorable anymore. I felt that let it down.

30. Superhot
This game was surprisingly short and esoteric, and I don't feel like I got all the nuances of the story. But they used the time mechanic in a very novel, stylish and satisfying way. Watching an enemy shatter slowly from a katana blade slice John Woo style never, ever gets old.

31. Broforce
An enjoyably silly action game about explosions, death, guns and cathartic destruction. It's big and clever and I had a lot of fun with it.

32. Monster Hunter Generations
As any MonHun expert can tell you, "finishing" a MonHun game (i.e. beating a major Monster and seeing the end credits) isn't even close to seeing all that the game offers. I'm still playing this now, and will likely keep playing well until the next MonHun game comes out. I liked this one a lot, though. QoL improvements, the Arts/Styles and general flashiness of combat really breathes new life into this game. I hope the series keeps all these additions going forward.

33. AM2R
The unofficial Metroid 2 remake we all deserved. Taking what I personally consider to be a very boring game and making something great and memorable out of it, purely as a labour of love, is something that should be celebrated (and not constantly shat upon, as Nintendo keeps doing at the moment) The one thing I remember being a bit iffy about was that some of the art was of inconsistent quality with one another, no doubt a result of being a fangame. However, it's not a deal breaker.

34. Until Dawn
Great game. A really fun story and the right kind of gameplay elements to keep you constantly guessing about what's going to happen next, and compel you to play it even further. Some incredible character animations too, wow. Would love to play through again at some point, only with the intent of keeping everyone alive. Yes, even Emily.

35. Bloodborne
Rounding off my Soulsborne adventures is the PS4 exclusive I bought the system for. I was not disappointed. It took a while to get used to the slightly different gameplay as I usually play a tank character, and in fact overall I would still say the Souls series is better for me due to the variety of playstyles you have on offer to play as, rather than the more narrowed options here. I also felt the Chalice Dungeons got a bit old after a while. Those gripes aside, I liked this one. Played through twice, beat the DLC and even Platinumed it (my first Platinum too!)

36. DOOM (2016)
Holy. Fucking. Shit. I picked this up based on the insanely good word-of-mouth and I found I just couldn't stop playing it. I just couldn't. It's fast, frantic, it constantly kept my heart racing, the soundtrack is amazing, it looks awesome, the guns felt great, and the bosses were very fun too. Secrets to hunt everywhere, which give it almost a Metroid Prime style vibe. Just an incredibly solid package altogether. Definitely one of the highlights of the year for me.

37. Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 1 was amazing, and this game was almost as good. It feels more of the same, really, which isn't a bad thing at all. Perhaps a bit easier? Might have been all the hours I put into Bloodborne that got me into Pro mode or something, hah. I didn't think the final boss was as crazy as the first game's though. Just as I did with the original I skiped every single cutscene as I didn't cara bout any of the characters, which is a good thing to as that brat of a boy has awful voice acting.

38. Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariendale DLC
(NOTE: I debated about putting this one in as it's part of a game I played this year - however it seemed appropriate considering the amount of time I put into it compared to some other games on here) It was more Souls 3, which was quite a jarring experience to return to initially after Bloodborne, but I enjoyed it. Not the strongest DLC the series has ever had, though. The end boss was an ordeal.

39. Grow Up
I don't know what it is about this game and its prequel Grow Home, but I can't help but feel a nice, warm glow inside my soul when I play through these two games. The pleasing colours, the carefree, stress-free nature of the game, the traversible landscapes, the flying powerups you can obtain, the helper robots' pleasant, upbeat, helpful natures, the oldschool noises BUD and the other robots make. It's just so pleasant!

40. Rodea the Sky Soldier (the Wii version)
My friend sold me on this game because of the flying mechanics and the airy, bright and colourful landscapes that oldschool SEGA are best known for. It looks like a carefree experience which lends itself to some fun game design. However, it quickly falls flat. The game swings wildly between so carefree that it's an unchallenging snore, and so frustrating to do the things you want to because of iffy flying and abhorrent camera. Story in a game like this can get away with being unobtrusive, but it's littered with some really bad voice acting and scene cuts which wouldn't look out of place on a film featured on Mystery Science Theatre. And to top it all off, it has what I can only describe as, without hyperbole, the absolute worst final boss I've ever fought in a game. It was so bad it almost made me quit the game and snap the disk in two.

41. Batman: The Game (NES)
Checking out some retro games I never got to play in the past (and always wanted to) Batman on the NES is a very polished game with some great music and very good graphics (for the NES, at least). It's a Sunsoft game, which means it starts off worrying easily but by the end of the game is testing you to your platforming and combat limits. Satisfying to beat, though.

42. Everybody's Gone To The Rapture
This is an interesting title. Stunningly realistic (it actually looks a lot like a village I grew up nearby, so it was especially amusing to see it all rendered in glorious PS4vision) and beautifully orchestrated. The story was an unusual one, which I have to say didn't quite capture my full attention, but some elements and some characters certainly had me feeling for them. At least it's a little more self explanatory than Dear Esther was.

43. Paper Mario: Color Splash
I know this game doesn't have the best rap, but I enjoyed it. I didn't hate the combat (though it did seem to incentivise avoiding it altogether, which feels counterintuitive) but what I really liked was the incredible scriptwriting. Some genuinely laugh out loud moments were to be had. By the end of it it did start to lose steam, though, and I got a bit frustrated with having to go back and retrieve the right Things for the right job. Also, bosses introducing instakill attacks when you don't have the right Thing to combat them felt very samey after too long. Overall, I thought it was flawed but I enjoyed it.

44.Toki (Mega Drive/Genesis)
For some reason I was obsessed with playing this after seeing it in an old magazine. Now that I could splash out on a proper retro collection like this, I have to say I don't know what I ever saw in it. I found it all a bit meh - plodding, unsurprising, not terribly challenging and not a whole lot of fun. Probably won't replay this one again.

45. Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse
Another game I really wanted to play back in the day because of how beautiful and fun I thought it looked. It's certainly very pretty in spots and quite fun, but I wouldn't rate it especially high in this day and age. It's also rather easy. Not much to say about this one, but I'm glad I got to check it out at least.

46. Kung Fu
An incredibly short, arcadey NES game that can be beaten from start to finish in a few minutes. Even for the NES I remember this being really basic, but there's something very satisfying about just storming ahead and mowing down enemies in your path. Glad I got to do what a young Sovan Jedi could never do and actually finish it.

47. Abzu
Man, this year was a bumper crop of absolutely beautiful games for me, huh. I loved Journey to bits, and this feel just like Journey but underwater. I was worried about the same level structure popping up again and again, but the actual action sequences inbetween were so gorgeous and full of wonder that it was hard to hold a grudge against it. I especially enjoyed nearer the end when all the prehistoric marine life came out to play, and the end sequence was just as thrilling as Journey's was. If you liked Journey, please check this game out.

48. Darkwing Duck
I never was that big a fan of DW back in the day, but I loved the NES DuckTales and Mega Man games, and this feels like a combination of the two. Really, Capcom created some of the best Disney platformers back in the day, and this would have certainly ranked among them had I played it in the day. As it is, it's an ejoyable little platformer with some satisfying challenge.

49. Cool Spot
Yet another game I never owned but always wanted to play, I beat this in an afternoon. It was decent, I liked the controls and some of the levels were fun. I was expecting it to be a lot longer than it ended up being, though. Odd.

50. Aladdin (Mega Drive/Genesis)
As a SNES fan growing up, the one thing I'd always fold on was the subject of which version of Aladdin was better. Having only ever seen but never played the Mega Drive version and noticing its amazing, Disney quality sprite animations and faster gameplay, I always thought this version was superior. However, playing it through recently has revealed to me the great lie I had been living all this time. It has better animation, sure, but that doesn't make it a more fun game to play - attacks and motions sometimes take so long to execute due to the smooth animation that it can feel oddly sluggish and unresponsive at times. I also thought the bosses were, on the whole, a complete joke compared to the SNES game's offerings (which weren't exactly super difficult to begin with) That's not to say I didn't like this game - I enjoyed it a fair bit, the platforming is decent and the stages are all varied with their particular gimmicks - but now I feel I can say the SNES game is superior.

51. Blaster Master
Again, a NES game I wanted but never owned until now. I beat this last night and really enjoyed it. It would have been utterly mindblowing for me had I played it back in 1990, but even now it's a polished, well designed, pretty game with ace music and fun powerups. Some of the NES limitations or sloppy enemy placement let it down a tiny bit, and I would have appreciated a password or save game, but otherwise I liked this a lot. I can understand why it's held in such high regard. In fact, I might enjoy this game much more than the original Metroid. Imagine if Blaster Master was the series that went on to infamy instead of Metroid...?

52. Resident Evil (REmake)
My final game for the year is a replay of this classic. It's still an awesome game with some great graphics, tense moments, atmospheric music and awesome monster designs. Some of the puzzles and item management were a bit of a nuisance, though, I have to admit, but it didn't ruin a great game. Also even though the remake has a script and voice acting a level or two above "You were almost a Jill sandwich!", there's still some deliveries that make for quality riff material.


And that's it! If I had to rate my top 3 and bottom 3 of the year, it would have to be:

TOP 3 games played in 2016
1. Dark Souls 3
2. Ori and the Blind Forest
3. DOOM

Bottom 3 of 2016...
1. Quest 64
2. Mighty No. 9
3. Rodea the Sky Soldier

I don't think I'm doing this for 2017, sorry guys. :U

Whew, second post done.

Original Post



Game #27 - ABZU (PS4) - 02/08/16

I was expecting underwater Journey going into it and that's exactly what I got, both the good and the bad. It's a beautiful game, does a great job showing off a ton of sealife (including extinct species) and I loved what they did with the meditation screen. But having said that, I wasn't interested in the story at all and found it stuck a little too close to Journey at points. At one point in the game there's a lengthy slipstream segment and all I could think of was "this is just like the sliding level in Journey", taking me completely out of the game. It's still a very good game but doesn't quite live up to Journey.



Game #28 - Norn9: Var Commons (PSV) - 07/08/16

My second otome game after my horrid experience in May and aside from a couple of endings, this one thankfully wasn't insulting to me. The story was kinda interesting, basically post-post-apocalyptic fantasy but not great.



Game #29 - Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders (PS4) - 08/08/16

I was hoping for something similar to the Sherlock Holmes series but this failed to meet that hope. The story is pretty good but the animation is real janky and the audio is terrible. Not a bad adventure game but not particularly good either.



Game #30 - Oxenfree (PS4) - 12/08/16

What you get when (former) Telltale employees have creative freedom and an engine that isn't a complete piece of shit. Oxenfree's a great game. The cast is fun, the story is comic book weird, the art style is cool and mostly importantly, the design and structure of the game didn't feel insulting in the same way I often find Telltale's games to be.



Game #31 - The Wolf Among Us (PSV) - 15/08/16

By far my favourite Telltale game but holy crap does it run like crap, especially on the Vita. No wonder their other promised Vita ports, Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones, disappeared into the ether never to be mentioned again when this is the best they can do on the system. One of the few Telltale games that avoids the issue I mentioned above for Oxenfree, the game never feels like it's disrespecting your choices. If you make a big choice, you live with it and that's how these games should work.



Game #32 - No Man's Sky (PS4) - 21/08/16

I went into it with low expectations, all I wanted was a better game than Spore, so I was fairly happy with NMS. It's a very repetitive game and doesn't really have that much meat to it but at the same time, I'm hugely impressed by the scale of what that team of 10 people managed to create. I really hope they continue to patch it for a long time and build it into something with some real substance. If they do, I'll definitely come back.



Game #33 - Mousecraft (PS4) - 22/08/16

I got this from PS+ at some point and it's a neat little Lemmings-like puzzle game with Tetris blocks used to get around obstacles. It's fairly short but it was fun to play and figure out while it lasted.



Game #34 - Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4) - 08/09/16

As much as I love the series, I really wasn't feeling the marketing coming into Mankind Divided's release. Aside from the cringeworthy pre-order promotions and "Aug Lives Matter" bullshit, everything I saw seemed to lean a little too hard on Human Revolution, without offering much to make it stand out on its own. And that sentiment didn't really change once I played and finished it. The story feels like more of a side-story than a proper follow up to HR and while they keep teasing the big picture, it doesn't really feel like they'll ever get to it. That plus they STILL have the most janky animations possible, with characters flailing their arms around like mad men during conversations and really weird bugs that can screw you over (like an enemy that spawned within a wall in my playthrough). On the plus side, the new abilities they introduced are fantastic and the level design is hugely improved from Human Revolution, so it is a blast to play, the story just brings it down.



Game #35 - Pokemon Platinum (DS) - 18/09/16

Yet another Pokemon game because I needed something to play on my commute and while it did lack the quality of life improvements they've made in more recent games, it's still one of my favourites of the bunch. While I'd played most of the others in bits and pieces, I'd never seen or played any Gen 4 games before, so it was pretty great to experience the Sinnoh region for the first time with the more polished third version of the game.



Game #36 - Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter (PS4) - 20/09/16

A big disappointment after Crimes and Punishments. For some god forsaken reason, they decided they needed to introduce QTEs and mini-games into the game to mix up the gameplay or something but as a result, they killed my enjoyment of it. There's some fun cases in there but the game as a whole is a big step backwards.



Game #37 - Dear Esther (PS4) - 21/09/16

I remember playing this on PC years ago, so I decided to check the console port out because I really enjoyed Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. End result: Eh. The story just didn't interest me, not like the post-apocalytic one in Rapture. I guess that's a result of it coming out so much earlier than the more recent games of that type but it just didn't age well for me.



Game #38 - Alone With You (PS4) - 24/09/16

A great little adventure game. I loved the unique water coloured-esque art style, exploring the ruined space colony setting and interacting with the AI and simulated characters. The only issue I had was the repetitiveness if you're trying to earn the Platinum trophy but otherwise, I really enjoyed it.



Game #39 - Virginia (PS4) - 25/09/16

Virginia's a really cool and interesting game but it didn't quite work for me. I'm all for vague stories that force me to interpret what happened but I thought there were some parts in Virginia that were needlessly vague and it kinda annoyed me as a result. The soundtrack is incredible though.



Game #40 - Gravity Rush Remastered (PS4) - 30/09/16

I played the original back when it first came out on Vita and while I did enjoy it, I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did playing this version. The game just works so much better on a full TV screen and with the motion controls removed. You can see so much more on the screen, it makes navigating the world and especially the combat that much easier. Bluepoint really did an incredible job with this remaster, it's maybe their finest work yet. I can't wait for the sequel now.



Game #41 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies (3DS) - 14/10/16

Excluding the Miles Edgeworth spinoffs, my first Ace Attorney game in years and years. I really liked the way they transitioned the series into 3D and I love the way they've brought together the cast of characters that they jump between, instead of the typical 1 playable character and 1 assistant setup. But having said all that, the cases and story were some of the least interesting ones I've played in the series, with the exception of the DLC case, which is easily one of my favourites. And while they introduce a new female protagonist, Athena, the one case you control her makes her look pretty weak. Overall, it was a pretty disappointing game to come back to the series to.



Game #42 - Home (PS4) - 15/10/16

Home's been in my backlog for years but after playing Alone With You, I finally got the motivation to check out their first game. The setting didn't hook me quite like Alone With You's but I thought it was a pretty great horror adventure game. I really liked the way they played around with the narration.



Game #43 - Chase: Cold Case Investigations – Distant Memories (3DS) - 15/10/16

Having only just played Hotel Dusk and Last Window last year, I was really looking forward to this release and... Eh. The case is kinda interesting but your choices are extremely limited and it's insanely short. I was expecting it to be short given how cheap it was but not quite that short. So yeah, it was a pretty disappointing game, I was hoping for so much more given who was behind it.



Game #44 - Jazzpunk (PS4) - 22/10/16

Another adventure game and by far the most bizarre. I'd heard plenty of things about it and still didn't quite expect what I got but after the period of "Wat" passed, I thought it was a hilarious, wacky as hell game. Even if I didn't laugh at all the gags, there'd be another one a minute later that I would laugh at. Great game, one of the very few comedy games that work.



Game #45 - Rugby Challenge 3 (PS3) - 24/10/16

Crap. I've played all three games in the series now and they haven't fixed a god damn thing since the very first one. You can still easily get stuck in animation loops, they still have a couple of the rules wrong, transfers in the career mode are still random as all hell and on and on and on. All they do with these games is add another one or two features, update the rosters and that's it. It's been five years since the first Rugby Challenge and it's the same old shit. Worse, the new mode they added, a ripoff of the solo player career modes from other sports games, is completely broken because the AI is complete shit. This game is trash.



Game #46 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Spirit of Justice (3DS) - 25/10/16

A big turnaround from Dual Destinies. I loved all but one of the cases but I especially loved the last one. I loved that they finally brought Maya back and added her to the crew. And I loved the way they jumped back and forth between Phoenix in Khura'in and Apollo in Japanifornia until everything came together fantastically. My only real problem with the game is the rubbish fourth case, which is short, kinda pointless and once again makes Athena look like a weak protagonist, it sure would be nice if she were shown to be a bit more competent in the next game. But none of that really took away from my enjoyment of everything else, which made it one of my favourite games in the series.



Game #47 - The Bunker (PS4) - 25/10/16

I think this might be the first FMV game I've ever played, mainly thanks to watching the Giantbomb Quick Look and thinking it looked kinda interesting, so when I saw it in an EU PSN sale, I picked it up. It's a pretty good game given what it is and that it was obviously filmed on a shoestring budget, I thought Adam Brown's performance was great and that the film makers successfully created a pretty creepy atmosphere. Not worth full price though.



Game #48 - Dragon Quest: Builders (PS4) - 06/11/16

My biggest surprise of the year. When it was first announced, I rolled my eyes and laughed at the idea of a Minecraft ripoff with a Dragon Quest skin. Then it came out, I watched a couple of Easy Allies streams of it and was hooked. This is the building game I've wanted all along: A building game with characters and objectives. It isn't without disappointments, like how short it is and how you start each chapter from scratch, but hearing about how tiny the development team was when they made it, is perfectly understandable to me. I really hope we get a sequel that's bigger and better in every way.



Game #49 - World of Final Fantasy (PS4) - 20/11/16

World of Final Fantasy's a weird game, basically a Kingdom Hearts-style take on Final Fantasy but with Pokemon-esque monster catching mixed in. The story is dumb, the characters aren't great and I think there's a better way of doing a FF crossover game but having said all that, the game is a ton of fun.



Game #50 - PixelJunk Monsters (PS3) - 21/11/16

After EIGHT YEARS, I finally returned to PixelJunk Monsters and finished the last few levels I had left. I'm surprised I didn't notice I left it unfinished until now but I noticed it was listed as unfinished in my Backloggery while I was in the boring grindy part wrapping up WoFF, remembered that I was near the end when I stopped and loaded it up. The difficulty getting back into it was insane but after watching a couple of videos and putting in a number of hours on failed attempts, I finally walked away with it done. I'm really happy to have gotten back to this one and wrapped it up.



Game #51 - Pokemon Sun (3DS) - 28/11/16

My final Pokemon game of the year and my favourite of the bunch. I loved the way they FINALLY moved away from conventions the series has held to almost religiously since Red and Blue way back in the mid 90s. HMs are the worst and I'm so glad to see them thrown on the trash heap. On top of that, throwing gyms in the trash too and replacing them with trials and Kahuna battles is far, far more interesting and fun. And on top of those improvements, I really liked the more involved story than usual. It's not particularly complicated compared to most JRPGs but it's still really fun and I enjoyed the characters. The soundtrack is fantastic, probably the first Pokemon soundtrack that actually stood out to me. I guess my only problems with it are the relatively small number of new Pokemon, the mediocre bottom screen functionality (especially compared to ORAS) and the Festival Plaza, which is a huge step backwards in terms of online functionality from XY and ORAS' PSS system. But overall, the good by far outweighs the bad and SuMo are fantastic games.



Game #52 - Inside (PS4) - 29/11/16

I've been hearing about this all year and it finally went on sale, so I picked it up and jumped into it while I was waiting for FFXV to arrive. I don't think I like it quite as much as a lot of other people, probably because I set my expectations really high based on the hype surrounding it but still, I think it's a great game. The setting is such a bizarre, nightmare factory and I loved reading up all the speculation over the ending.



Game #53 - Lara Croft GO (PSV) - 09/12/16

Another of Square Enix Montreal's puzzle games ported to the Vita and PS4 and I like it a whole lot more than I do Hitman GO. I think they did a really great job of using Hitman GO as a base but creating new mechanics that fit perfectly with the Tomb Raider franchise. It's a really great puzzle game.



Game #54 - Final Fantasy XV (PS4) - 10/12/16

It's hard to do a write up about this game because I could go into plenty of detail talking about what I liked and a ton of detail about what I disliked but I guess I'll try. I'll just start with what I really enjoy. The game is fun. Combat is fun, hanging out and bickering with your bros is fun, exploring the world is fun, taking down an enormous beast is fun and more than anything else, riding around on a chocobo is really fun. I heard the chocobos are great in XIV but I haven't played it, so FFXV has the best chocobos to me. On top of that, the game world is beautiful and the scale of it and some of the enemies is legitimately impressive, especially how well the engine holds up. And the soundtrack is fantastic, easily my favourite since FFXII.

Having said that, it does seem a bit rushed and it especially shows in how poorly designed Chapter 13 is and how empty the world often feels (and this is coming from someone who loved MGSV's open world). Sidequests are just boring MMO fetch quests that usually don't give even half decent rewards. Between the terrible camera, attrocious party AI and speed of combat, the combat can easily go from being fun to a chaotic mess. Oh and there's like one decent female character in the game, which is really weird, especially since I'm pretty sure FF has a relatively large female fanbase.

But the worst part of the entire game is the storytelling. From what I can tell, there's a good story hidden deep inside FFXV but the storytelling is so attrocious, it just comes out as a big, confusing mess. About 80% of the story seems to packed into the last ~10 hours of the game, another 10% isn't even in the game, you need to watch Kingsglaive to get it and then that final 10% is the entire open world part of the game, like two thirds of the game or more if you run around doing hunts and sidequests. And the worst part is, I saw it coming because I've played most of Tabata's games (Crisis Core, Type-0 and FFXV) and he is an attrocious story teller. Hell, Type-0 even had its own Kingsglaive, a manga included in the CE that was almost required reading if you wanted to know what was going on in the game.

So yeah, I actually liked it a whole lot more than it probably comes across but the storytelling left a real a sour taste in my mouth. I'll maybe return to do some of the remaining sidequests/post-game dungeons once the proper PS4 Pro patch hits and I'll check out the DLC if I get the chance.



Game #55 - The Last Guardian (PS4) - 19/12/16

My GOTY 2016 and one of my favourite games of all time, possibly even above ICO and Shadow of the Colossus (though I'll give myself some time to figure out where things land). It's not without its faults, the climbing controls are weird and the camera freaks out way too often but it's so easy to forget those issues when I'm grinning like a kid watching Trico making awe inspiring leaps between towers. The story is Ghibli-esque, it's simple, weird, has dark undertones and yet is charming all throughout. The graphics are no Uncharted or Battlefield but still, artistically, it's a beautiful game, especially in motion. I've heard a lot of people talk rubbish about it looking like a PS2 game, PS3 game or whatever and it just seems so stupid to me. But more than anything, it's the AI and animation of Trico that really make this game stand out from the crowd. Trico is so lifelike in his behaviour and reactions that you can't help but form a bond with this weird bird/dog/eagle creature throughout the course of the game. It's insanely impressive.

Game #51 - Broken Age
Time: 10 hours

This one turned out to be a bit of a bummer, as I loved the first part, but the second part fell apart for me. Call me dumb, or maybe these games are just not for me anymore at least hard ones), but the puzzles in part 2 went completely obtuse for the most part, employing not just weird solutions but stuff I dont like about point and click adventures like timing based puzzles and randomly wanting you to click the same location again for no reason even tho you were done with it, or you would think. Story wise its quite imaginative (if, again, even that becomes a bit of a mess in part 2), and the art and voice acting are great. I still enjoyed it but, yeha, that part 2 brought it way down from a possible classic in my opinion.

1 more to go Main post

52. Final Fantasy XV (PS4) - Dec 21 - ★★★★☆ - Playtime: 29h10 until final boss beaten, but will continue playing.

I did it! 52 games, yay!
FF15 was really great. Loved it.

Rhaknar said:

Time: 10 hours

This one turned out to be a bit of a bummer, as I loved the first part, but the second part fell apart for me. Call me dumb, or maybe these games are just not for me anymore at least hard ones), but the puzzles in part 2 went completely obtuse for the most part, employing not just weird solutions but stuff I dont like about point and click adventures like timing based puzzles and randomly wanting you to click the same location again for no reason even tho you were done with it, or you would think. Story wise its quite imaginative (if, again, even that becomes a bit of a mess in part 2), and the art and voice acting are great. I still enjoyed it but, yeha, that part 2 brought it way down from a possible classic in my opinion.

1 more to go Main post

Click to expand...

Hey,

You're not alone in this! I also beat it as part of my 52 and here's my impression:

31. Broken Age. A point & click adventure that feels like it came straight out of the 90's, including some of the more frustrating elements. The contrast between the two acts is pretty big. Act 1 plays like an easier version of the LucasArts classics, with puzzles you could solve in a few minutes. Act 2 however changes the dial from 1 to 11.The difficulty of the puzzles ramps up considerably, and those in the finale (act 3 pretty much) have a lot of trial and error. Combine this with the short and sudden ending, and BA left me with a pretty bad taste in my mouth. 6,5/10

I love point & click games, but some of the late game stuff in Broken Age was frustrating as hell.

OP

Game 48: Corpse Party (PSP/3DS/PC/Vita/iOS) - 6 Hrs 26 Mins (12/20/2016)

#An alright adventure game/visual novel. Don't know if I play the sequels or not sometime down the road.

Game 49: Shantae: Half Genie Hero (WiiU/PS4/Vita/XB1/PC) - 7 Hrs 24 Mins (12/21/2016)

#An enjoyable platformer that wasn't quite as good as Pirate's Curse to me. Liked some of the new dances and level design was great, but I think the stage select structure of the game hurt the narrative and made me feel less about the game. Still a really great game though with an amazing soundtrack and presentation.

Game 50: Spongebob Squarepants: Battle For Bikini Bottom (GCN/PS2/Xbox/PC) - 10 Hrs 12 Mins (12/28/2016)

#A pretty good platformer for a licensed game, but there were times where the controls were iffy and the platforming got a bit tedious. I'm glad I beat it and tried it out after hearing about it and it's one of the better licensed platformers or games that I've ever played from its generation.

This is part 3.

First master post

Second master post

With this huge update, I am DONE! So many great games played this year. I remember someone saying they read the impressions for inspiration on what to play, well I hope you read everything, because it's pretty time-consuming

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35. Contradiction: the all-video murder mystery adventure (8 hours) Tim Follin is back! He's not composing this time, but directing this fmv game. You play detective Jenks, who investigates a murder in a rural village. There's a lot of interviewing and clue-gathering, and to advance you need to put two pieces of evidence together to point out a contradiction. Some of the dialogue is intentionally cheesy and the actors clearly loved being in this. It was great interviewing a-holes like Paul and Ryan. Buy this so we can get a sequel! 7,5/10

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36. Pokémon GO (a lot of hours). Most people bailed out of Pokémon GO after the summer, but I kept going until I had every possible Pokémon at 143 (now 150 I guess with the first gen 2 update). The game itself is very bare bones and lacking in features, but I still had a lot of fun hunting, hatching and battling. The community aspect of the game is what made this one of the more memorable experiences of the year. I understand those that quit early because there's not much game there. What I loved about GO is that it could make a mundane work day better, like if you got to work still half-asleep and there was a Muk waiting at the door. I also did a lot more walking than I'd usually do. I'm done for the moment though, until they add more of gen 2 in the wild. 8/10

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37. Moirai (20 minutes) A woman is missing, you enter a cave to find her. Very short game, but it's a worthwhile little experiment you should try out. 6/10

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38. Transformers Devastation (13 hours; 2,5 playthroughs) Devastation is a pure homage to G1 Transformers, but it has more going than that. Platinum injects some Bayonetta-style fast paced combat into the short but replayable campaign. You can play as Optimus, Sideswipe, Bumblebee and even Grimlock, who each have their distinctive style. It should only take you 5 to 6 hours to play through the story, so it's very tempting to start over with a different character. If you consider yourself even a casual Transformers fan, you can't go wrong with this game. 8/10

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39. Abzû (4 hours) The art director and composer of Journey return for a game that feels very similar to Thatgamecompany's acclaimed title. Only now you discover the vast ocean and all its secrets. It's a very relaxing experience, but it tries a bit too hard to recreate Journey's formula. In the end it felt a bit like a retread to me. This was a game that enthralled me while I was playing, but got a bit more critical on after I reflected on it later. Fans of Journey should definitely check out Abzû though, if only for Austin Wintory's soundtrack. 7,5/10

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40. Knack. I got this cheap on a sale and didn't expect much because the game has become a big punching bag, but I was surprised at how much I loved Knack. It's a game very reminiscent of the PS 1 and 2 era, with very simple gameplay that still offers quite the challenge if you play on harder difficulties. There's a very basic moveset, but the combat is fun even though it can get repetitive if the level drags on too long. There's an addictive quality to the combat though: once I started I kept going for hours. I even got the platinum, and anyone who's played this game knows that takes some dedication. The co-op mode is also surprisingly fun. When I was done I felt that a sequel offering more moves, combat options and variety would make this series really shine, and from the looks of it Knack 2 is doing all of this. 7,5/10

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41. Bound (4 hours). This is another Journey-like experience, but Bound does more than Abzû to make it feel unique. First there's the gorgeous abstract artstyle, that fits well with the symbolic nature of the story. A pregnant woman flips through her notebook filled with drawings that come to life. You play as the dancer who has to save her mother's kingdom that's being threatened by a monster. This translates back to the parental conflict and what the daughter is going through. Bound's only misstep is that it also tries to be a platformer - complete with trick jumps and sequence breaks- but once you try some precise jumps or shortcuts, you see how the controls are not suited for it at all. They tried to add in some replay value with the hidden items/shortcuts and different paths to clear a level, but it's not very fun. As a whole though, I had a good time with it and I can see myself playing it again, now that it also got a Pro patch. 8/10

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42. ReCore (15-20 hours, guessing). The early hours of ReCore are marvelous, as you explore a vast desert with very tight jump/dash controls. The combat is a simplistic 'match colors' affair, but it's serviceable. You search the desert and its dungeons for parts to upgrade your robot buddies, who are sidekicks in combat, but also have special moves that help you traverse the world. Seth for instance has this spiderball-like ability that lets you use tracks to get around:



This adds a metroidvania element to the game, but unfortunately later on you unlock more bots than you can carry around, forcing you to go back to your shack to swap around bots and select the one you need. In the last hours of the game this made me stop exploring, because I hated not having all the upgrades on me at the same time. The final part, Eden Tower, is also a bit of a slog. The platforming and combat sections there are fine by itself, but they go on forever and there are more floors than you'd like. You'll also need quite a bit of cores to make to the end. I didn't mind collecting cores, but I wish the game said upfront how many you'd need to reach the final floor (because the amount increases with every floor completed). Before the Eden Tower I would've given ReCore an 8, but the final part drags things down a bit. 6,5/10.

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43. Gears of War 4. If you liked the trilogy on Xbox 360, you'll love this. Not much has changed gameplay-wise The campaign is almost on Epic's level and it shines especially in co-op. The early acts are the weakest because shooting robots (deebees) is not as much fun as shooting grubs. But there's more than enough of that later on. Didn't play the multi much, but Horde is as fun as ever. 8/10

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44. Killer is Dead (24 hours, 3 runs). It took me a while to warm up to this game, but once I got some essential upgrades I started loving the combat. The story is typical Suda51 absurdity, with plenty of fourth wall-breaking. 8/10

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45. Superhot (5 hours). In Superhot, time only moves if you move, so that makes it more of a puzzler than an actual shooter, and a pretty good one at that. You can disarm foes by throwing objects (or weapons), take their gun and continue your killing spree. It's fun to figure out the most stylish or effective way to clear a room... and then look at the replay in real time. You look like a badass superhero. Superhot's initial gimmick gives you some interesting scenarios to play with, and luckily it doesn't overstay its welcome. I did find that the core gameplay didn't keep me engaged past the story mode. The challenges and endless mode are welcome additions, but you really have to love the mechanic to keep playing this. 7/10

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46. Owlboy (10 hours). This game was in development for a mighty long time, and I've seen reports of it 'almost being ready' for years. Owlboy finally took flight this year, and I didn't like it as much as I hoped. What ultimately impressed me most, was the story and characters. The dialogue is great and the story grabbed me. The soundtrack and fantastic artstyle helped to sell this. Combined with gameplay of the same caliber, you'd have a winner here. Unfortunately, I quickly felt like I was going through the motions while playing. There's a small collection of dungeons where you combine shooting and platforming, but the design here is very basic, with hardly any real puzzles to speak of. You can go back to these areas later to find some secrets you missed, but I never felt inclined to. Some of the later platform sections are fun, but the level design doesn't impress enough overall. One of the few small disappointments I've had this year. It's still worth playing if you love the artstyle and fantastic presentation in general, but on the gameplay side it's a little light. 6,5/10

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47. Shadow Warrior (14 hours). The mix of gun & sword combat is a lot of fun initially, but wears down after 14ish hours. This game has a seriously long campaign, and even if you use all your spells and magic to mix things up, there are so many encounters that you're just running to the ending at a certain point. I would've been okay with a shorter campaign. Flying Wild Hog showed they can nail the perfect length with Hard Reset, weird that they didn't show that restraint here. 7/10

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48. Watch Dogs 2 (40 hours). I never played WD1, but the sequel interested me because of the change in setting and tone. It turned out to be one of my biggest surprises of the year! I loved this game and kept playing long after the credits rolled. It's refreshing to play an open world game where you don't have to shoot anything if you don't want to. I started out trying gun combat in some encounters, but that just got me killed more quickly. Figuring out how to use hacking effectively, and deploying the RC car and the drone, made me fall in love with the game. For some missions you can just sit outside and remote play/hack your way through it. When you do have to enter a facility, there are some useful upgrades to help you make a clean exit. I always had fun during any of the missions (side or main), because your options are so varied. To top this off, I loved most of the characters and enjoyed the great and diverse soundtrack (both original and licensed tracks). I can't think of any major gripes I had with WD2, there could've been some more checkpoints in the main missions maybe. One of this year's best. 9/10

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49.Titanfall 2 (7 hours). The campaign got so much praise, so I had to try it out. I like how some levels have an unique concept behind them, but don't overstay their welcome. It's a short but very sweet singleplayer, that never feels padded out. Can't really comment on the multi, but it got addictive and I was almost inclined to keep playing after a few matches. No time for that though, there are still more games to play. 8/10

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50. The Deadly Tower of Monsters (6 hours). This is a pretty basic top down action game set in a... set of a 50's sci-fi movie. The gameplay is pretty basic (shoot stuff, keep climbing the tower), but as you're playing the movie you hear audio commentary of the director, and that's actually the main drive to keep going. It really is the most entertaining part of the game, which says it all really. Another game where the idea and presentation is better than the gameplay. 6/10

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51. The Last Guardian (10 ish hours) Like most Team ICO fans I waited years for this, and somehow after I beat it all that time didn't matter anymore. I expected great things, but I even liked it more than ICO and SOTC. I loved Trico's behaviour and the bond you develop over the hours. I can see some of the complaints people have, but for me it was a near flawless experience, apart from the camera acting up sometimes. The hours of buildup lead to a finale that is just unforgettable and deeply moving. My favorite video game ending since The Last of Us. 10/10

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52. Super Mario Run. Mario makes his debut on smartphones and the result is a pretty addictive runner. I see some people describe it as 'endless' runner, yet it's anything but yet. It's just classic Mario levels where you just need to focus on your jump timing, and getting the special coins if you what. There's also the Toad Rally, where you play against other people's ghosts. You get a 'coin rush' if you play well (and to tricks) without dying. Mario Run has grown on me. My initial plan was to just finish all the stages, but I'm collecting the special coins now and I mix things up with some Rally games. I love this game and yes there's no doubt it's worth €10. 8/10

Haven't kept this up to date, but I finished the challenge a while ago.

Game 1: Killer Instinct - 30 hours

Game 2: Fast Racing NEO - 7 hours

Game 3: The Witcher 3 - 45 hours

Game 4: Eternal Darkness - 11 hours

Game 5: Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void - 13 hours

Game 6: Layers of Fear - 2 hours

Game 7: Stanley Parable - 1.5 hours

Game 8: Metroid Prime - 13 hours

Game 9: Neverending Nightmares - 2 hours

Game 10: Punchout Wii - 3 hours

Game 11: Raiden 3 - 1 hour

Game 12: Superhot - 2 hours

Game 13: Wonderful 101 - 14 hours

Game 14: Splatoon - 7 hours

Game 15: Sine Mora - 2 hours

Game 16: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - 1.5 hours

Game 17: Halo 5 - 6 hours

Game 18: Dark Souls 3 - 35 hours

Game 19: Firewatch - 3 hours

Game 20: That Dragon, Cancer - 2 hours

Game 21: Quantum Break - 7 hours

Game 22: King's Field: The Ancient City - 15 hours

Game 23: Mighty No. 9 - 4 hours

Game 24: Inside - 3 hours

Game 25: Furi - 5 hours

Game 26: Dragon Age: Inquisition - 20 hours

Game 27: Uncharted 4 - 13 hours

Game 28: Super Time Force Ultra - 4 hours

Game 29: Dino Crisis - 6 hours

Game 30: Devil May Cry 3 - 7 hours

Game 31: Jotun - 4 hours

Game 32: Gravity Rush - 5 hours

Game 33: No Man's Sky - 10 hours

Game 34: Until Dawn - 6 hours

Game 35: Unravel - 4 hours

Game 36: God Hand - 6.5 hours

Game 37: Assault Android Cactus - 3 hours

Game 38: Clustertruck - 4 hours

Game 39: Dead Space 2 - 9 hours

Game 40: Siren: Blood Curse - 6 hours

Game 41: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - 4.5 hours

Game 42: XCOM 2 - 20 hours

Game 43: The Bunker - 1.5 hours

Game 44: Thumper - 3.5 hours

Game 45: Rez: Infinite - 2 hours

Game 46: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood - 4.5 hours

Game 47: Until Dawn: Rush of Blood - 2.5 hours

Game 48: Attack on Titan - 14 hours

Game 49: Music Machine - 2 hours

Game 50: Titanfall 2 - 56 hours

Game 51: Doom - 11 hours

Game 52: Dishonored 2 - 15 hours

SovanJedi
marcincz
LiquidSolid
SilentRage47
Creamium



2017 thread is coming a little early because I don't know if I'll be around on NYE.

15:11h. Beat the game in Moderate difficulty.

After Uncharted 3 light, inconsequential romp, I was somewhat taken aback by how mature Uncharted 4 is in comparison. Seems Naughty Dog took a page of the Last of Us book to make their characters grow for the grand finale - it's still no War and Peace, but it's totally noticeable.

IMO, U4 is like Nathan Drake. It might be colorful, funny, adventurous and absolutely gorgeous ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (it's maybe the first game this year that made me go whoa this year, and I play PC) but it's also darker and tired, and it lets us know. Nate's quips are sparser and terser, and he only looks really happy for a short while in Madagascar and near the end, .

Uncharted 4 is not as fun or lighthearted as the previous games on the series. I also think it's the best Uncharted hands down and a totally imprescindible game. A truly worthy send-off for Nate and the gang.


Updated OP

Game #52 - Toren
Time: 2 hours

Very strange game which tries to invoke the japanese style abstrct / cryptic storytelling (much like a Ico or the Souls series) and for the most part suceeds, even if the story is a bunch of incomprehensible gibberish (you know, much like those japanese games lol). I actually really liked it even if I think the game itself isnt very good. The graphics are kind janky but I really like the look and rt design, the gameplay is trash but I like the ideas they use, yeah its a weird game overll. I would still recommend it since its short enough, just as long as you go in expecting a super janky affair. It has heart tho, Ill give it that.


Game #53 - Pony Island
Time: 2 hours

Holy shit.... holy shit. Easily one of my favorite games of the year, and thats all I'll say. Actually ill say another thing, it had one of my favorite moments EVER in a videogame. Holy shit Pony Island what?


Game #54 - Devil Daggers
Time: There's no time in hell

So yeah, this is a good example of how you put games in this thing. It doesnt end, and you literally seen all the game has to offer 10 minutes in, if not earlier. What does it matter if you played 1 hour or 10 hours of it? Anyway, that little tidbit aside, holy shit this is awesome. Super addicting wave based first person shooter, with the biggest "just one more run" feeling ive had in ages. Great art style, FANTASTIC sound, super fast gameplay. It knows what it is and what it wants, and it executes it perfectly. Great stuff.

yay I did it Main post 1 and 2 here for the final tally (well the year isnt over but still)

Perhaps my last update. Decided to replay some of my favorite games to end the year on a high note.

53. Pokémon Moon
★★★☆☆ - 33 hours - Completed 12/5/2016
A few quality of life improvements and a change in story structure weren't enough to stave off some series fatigue that I'm starting to feel. Furthermore, I just didn't care much for the new setting or any of its new Pokémon other than Mimikyu (highlight of the game). As usual, though, the music is great - probably my soundtrack of the year.

54. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
★★★★★ - 33 hours - Completed 12/11/2016
Biggest surprise of 2016 for me. This real-time tactical stealth game came out of nowhere and provided some of the most challenging and satisfying gameplay I experienced all year. It demands player creativity and, at times, razor-sharp execution as you utilize the different abilities of the five playable characters (often in tandem) to peel away the layers of the game's masterfully-crafted levels. And it's all beautifully set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, with a simple but solid story to boot.

55-57. Dishonored + Knife of Dunwall + The Brigmore Witches
★★★★★ - 20 hours - Completed 12/19/2016
Having played multiple times through Dishonored 2 (my 2016 GOTY), I decided to go back and replay Dishonored 1 and its two story DLCs. It holds up even better than I remembered. The two DLCs are probably my favorite pieces of additional content ever, with a different playable character and smart gameplay tweaks/addtions that almost make it feel like a legitimate sequel in its own right. Incredible series.

58. Portal
★★★★★ - 2 hours - Completed 12/19/2016
Not quite as funny or mind-bending as the first time, of course, but still such an enjoyable, tight package.

59. Portal 2
★★★★★ - 5 hours - Completed 12/21/2016
A less-than-stellar second act prevents Portal 2 from being as expertly paced as the first game. Those first and third acts, though? Amazing. Some of the best writing, voice over performances, and, of course, puzzle design of all time. Portal 2 remains the pinnacle of the puzzle genre for me.

60. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
★★★★★ - 8 hours - Completed 12/23/2016
Its pure stealth gameplay largely holds up, even if I notice where the game has aged a little. They just don't make 'em like this anymore, sadly. Forever a classic to me.

Original Post - Part 1
Original Post - Part 2
Original Post - Part 3
Original Post - Part 4


#53: Pokemon Sun: 57 hours

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I'm calling it quits after reaching the Battle Tree, I didn't do any of the Ultra Beast quest or catching the Tapus but I feel like I've gotten my fill of the game. I beat the league with a team of Decidueye, Mudsdale, Lycanroc, Muk, Araquanid, and Kommo-o. Grimer was a huge surprise in the early game, what a fucking monster and it's a great shared experience to bring it up to people and have them emphatically agree. But in the end my favourite team member is my Araquanid, who is now pretty high up on my list of favourite Pokemon.

Anyway I freakin' loved this game. It was easily the most challenged I've been by Pokemon in a long time because I had the Exp Share off and Set mode on for almost the entire game. I had to turn Exp Share back on at the end of the game because I was so severely underleveled and it made the Pokemon League an incredibly tense and rewarding experience. The Totem battles are also a great addition that can be a really nightmare at times (Mimikyu is a beast at +1).

I really enjoyed Game Freak's emphasis on making Pokemon feel like a bigger part of the world. With Pokemon wandering around everywhere, and the addition of Ride Pokemon which needs a little work but is a much better concept than HMs ever were. The game also feels a lot more JRPGy, which can be a bad thing because it feels very linear and restricted at times but it also does a lot of good. If they're willing to let players stray from the path more in future while keeping the story-focused feel I think it could be a good change.

Something that's probably worth noting is that while Generation VI got me to breed a whole stack of competitive Pokemon that I never used, it was the closest I'd ever gotten to getting into the scene. Gen VII on the other hand has scared me all the way back off of it due to a number of quality of life regressions. In addition to that the new communication features (Festival Plaza) are trash and I hope they don't come back.

#54: Toki Tori 2+: 10.5 hours

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What an amazing game.I'd been told that it was open world/Metroidvania esque with only two actions (tweet and stomp) and some songs. But what I hadn't realised was that the songs don't help you advance, they're just quality of life tools. Every puzzle in the game is solvable right from the start with the two buttons you have, you can go anywhere, the only roadblock is whether you can figure something out yourself or need to be taught how objects interact in a more controlled environment first.

Preview: I got a copy of Chibi Robo: Zip Lash in a Kris Kringle so I guess I'll play that next

Intel_89
Flutterborn
Ladekabel
Dryk

Game 01: Age of Decadence
Top tier RPG for me. The amount of options and character choices you make is astounding. Not only in terms of how your stats and origin story affect the story but your actions within as well. I went through the game as a violent archer warrior and I still had opportunities for diplomacy of sorts since you can reference your huge body count in dealing with people. I followed this game for a long time back when the developer was a still a mod on the infamous RPG Codex. It lived up to the hype I had which is a rarity when games spend so long in development hell.


Game 02: Apotheon
Nice light metroidvania game. There's actually tons of areas to explore but a lot of it seems kind of redundant at least at the normal difficulty. I still used most standard weapons from beginning to end and a lot of gadgets went unused. Very nice artstyle using a greek pottery motif. You should know that it does all in on the nudity and includes erect ding dongs, so if that bothers you, you have to take that into consideration.


Game 03: Dishonored Knife of Dunwall DLC campaign
Dishonored is such a gem of a game. It marked the comeback of older game design with wider playground levels seen in the early thief games. You are just let loose in these sandbox levels and can go about your goals in any way you see fit. The dlc sees you in control of Daud, the eponymous Knife of Dunwall, voiced by Michael Madsen in a surprisingly non-phoned in performance. I really liked this side story in the Dishonored universe. The whaling factory with the poor magic whale being butchered is one of the most haunting levels I've played in a game.


Game 04: Dishonored The Brigmore Witches DLC campaign
The second Dishonored DLC and the conclusion to Daud's story. Nothing much to add here. More of the same Dishonored goodness and a bigger look in the metaphysics of its world.


Game 05: Metal Gear Solid V
A controversial title on GAF for serveral reasons. I enjoyed it a great deal. The gameplay loop is very satisfying. Something about that feel of sitting in that helicopter dropping off with your dog, horse, or waifu and just running around doing stuff and then calling the chopper back to head home is just very satisfying. Gunplay and movement feel really good albeit I miss the combat roll from earlier games. I'd say it's biggest weakness is that compared to other MGS games it's not good for replays. The story is fairly minimal for a MGS game which I enjoy primarily because they ARE like movies. But as a open world game in the MGS universe I liked MGS V but it won't make the rotation when I play through the series unless I have a huge amount of free time for some reason.


Game 06: Metro 2033 Redux
Shinier remaster of a weird Russian fps set in frozen nuclear apocalypse. I love Russian games. Buggy, strange, bad voice acting, jiggle physics, and interesting concepts and settings. I really enjoyed the cool mutant designs and how the guns looked.


Game 07: Borderlands Episode 1
Game 08: Borderlands Episode 2
Game 09: Borderlands Episode 3
Game 10: Borderlands Episode 4
Game 11: Borderlands Episode 5
Another Telltale franchise voiced by the usual suspects in anime and video games. A part of me misses the puzzles and problem solving that characterized their earlier ventures like Sam and Max, but with that said I really enjoyed the story here. It hits all the notes. It's funny, tragic, romantic, you name it. I still hope eventually Telltale will come back to the crime fighting Dog and rabbity thing though.


Game 12: Avadon
Spiderweb Software, making indie games as a one man band in the garage since before it was cool. Jeff Vogel is an interesting dude. He initially was very adamant about selling his stuff on his own website only using word of mouth for advertising. I heard about his stuff from the RPG Codex. After a while he warmed up to putting his titles on places like steam. Avadon is a much more modern take on one of his games with a better interface. It's set in it's own fantasy universe compared to the Avernum or Geneforge titles but it is still overall stock fantasy fare. I found it enjoyable regardless. You play an agent of a powerful peacekeeping psuedo-nation to spy, diplomatize, and use military force to "encourage" various fantasy nations to get along. It's a neat little twist on things but the execution is regular old RPG stuff. You walk around talk to people, do quests, and bop monsters.


Game 13: Broken Age
Whoo boy. The flagship for the kickstarter phenomenon and one of its most controversial products. Double Fine is a company with great ideas but struggles with execution. The voice cast is great. The art style is wonderful. But boy oh boy did they drop the ball on the second half of this game which was HUGELY delayed for a pretty mediocre payoff after a great start. Everything about part two was a disappointment for me. The story, the puzzles, and the resolution.


Game 14: Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded
Another controversial kickstarter tapping into the nostalgia for point and clicker adventure games. It looks like after this one there won't be more. A shame really since the OG Lsl games were hilarious if not politically correct adventure games with a large dose of cheesecake. A modern revisioning would have helped this series a great deal since the old Sierra games had a lot adventure game design snags like being able to proceed without key items and screwing yourself over for advancement.


Game 15: Dungeons of Dredmor
An indie roguelike with a lot of weird Scandinavian humor. It's a little involved and clunky with a HUGE difficulty spike in the final battle, but I enjoyed it. Not sure if I would go through it again though. Lot of roguelikes are designed around replayability, but dungeons of dredmor's finicky inventory system is too much of a pain in the ass to deal with. Still I'm glad I went through it at least once for the challenge.


Game 16: Bloodborne
A GAF favorite and deserves all the hype it gets. It was almost a little too spooky for me (the dlc especially), but I managed to get through it. Amazing art style, level design and combat. It solidified the purchase of the PS4 for me.


Game 17: Undertale
I enjoyed this game and got the true happy fancy ending. It's sort of designed in mind to be played through once this way and leaving it at that which is fine with me. While it did touch me emotionally...I don't get the extreme and scary rabid fanbase that emerged from this game. I like Undertale but a lot of undertale fans are kinda spooky tbh.


Game 18: Far Cry 4
This game came packaged with my 980 GTX and I never got around to finishing it till lately. I don't know why, the game is fun as hell. It builds on the solid foundations of Far Cry 3 and for me the new Far Cry series is the best iteration of the Ubisoft gameplay loop where you wonder around a map full of icons picking up stuff and killing stuff. I really love using the bow here and styling on the various minions of Pagan Min with it. Ubi's love for archery matches my own it seems.


Game 19: Teddy Floppy Ear's Mountain Adventure
A gag gift given to me on steam. It's a simply point and click adventure for kids starring a soft spoken talking bear named Teddy. Teddy visits his artist Dog Uncle in some quiet little town in the country to take pictures of the wilderness. Unintentionally very funny. There's an interaction with another bear but a "wild" one in the forest. There's no explanation on why this talking wild bear is butt ass naked living in the forest and not wearing pants and living in the town like the other bear people, but the implications were hilarious. Some of the puzzles kicked my ass since I'm partially color blind.


Game 20: Dark Souls 2
I got this game on the PS3 and never finished it until I played through the complete version on PC. Initially Dark Souls 2 on the console had made me irrationally angry with it's design after falling in love with Dark Souls 1. Eventually though I mellowed out and accepted it for what it was. The complete edition on PC fixes a lot of issues, but it still has the thing where you get bum rushed by mobs all the time. I cheesed a lot of those encounters with a bow however.


Game 21: Super Brothers Sword and Sorcery
Artsy indie tablet game that I played on the PC through Steam. Mysterious and kinda weird but pleasant and enjoyably relaxing. I recommend you follow its suggestion and play it over a period of days in the little episodes it gives you.


Game 22: Shadowrun Hong Kong
The latest shadowrun rpg game and the greatest so far. Each entry got more polished with stronger writing. I really enjoyed the character interactions with your party members and appreciated the choices you could make in the story. I felt they handled the PC's family in a very elegant and natural way. A lot of RPG's really struggle in making you care about family members. The father from Fallout 3 being an infamous example. But here I find Duncan and Raymond to add a great deal to the tale. These games also have a plethora of modules made by fans that I haven't begun. So there's long legs for these games.


Game 23: Max Payne 3
This is a farewell replay for me so I can make some room on my harddrive. I have well over a hundred hours on this game and most of it in the single player campaign. The multiplayer is fun but on the PC was filled with hackers quite quickly. Some people didn't like the constant cutscenes interjecting the story, but I love movie like games. The gunplay in the Max Payne games is top tier. No weird aimbot enemies; everything is very fair and if you have good movement and aim you can go through every encounter without taking a lick of damage. Max Payne 3 is the pinnacle of the series' mechanics taking full advantage of Rockstar's wiz kid physics and animation techniques.


Game 24: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup 0.16.2
A free to play older version of a roguelike I had been pecking at. I played through it as a Tengu Wizard named Crom and I was very satisfied when I finally made the ascension. DCSS is probably the premier traditional roguelike right now. It has a dedicated development team and the updates happen fairly regularly. It's also easier to get into thanks to its great interface and hotkeys compared to stuff like Nethack. It's also completely free!


Game 25: Borderlands 2
Finally finished this game after playing through the telltale adventure games. It was a nice game but I don't think I'll go through it over and over like some people do. Humor and story was pretty good but some of the wackiness can get a little tiring. I appreciated how better the gunplay felt compared the original borderlands. I played through it solo for the most part. I actually preferred it this way since it felt more challenging overall.


Game 26: Dark Souls 3
Not much to say other than I loved this game. It rekindled that spark from the OG Dark Souls and brought some good lessons from Bloodborne as well.


Game 27: Uncharted 4
Great game and fitting conclusion to Nathan's story. Graphics are out of this world gorgeous and the gunplay is the best in the series. Some people didn't like the slow moments but I enjoyed them. The game also has the option to jump straight into the "combat arenas" if you want after you finish the game if all you want to do is shoot some bots.


Game 28: 12 is better than 6
A Hotline Miami clone with a western flair. The main character is an amnesiac gunslingin' Mexican with a very poor opinion of the "gringo." I was surprised on how intense the dialogue got, and some sensitive people on reddit might complain that it's "racist against white people." It was pretty fun but buggy and it has a pretty unique artstyle that looks like ink on paper.


Game 29: Party Hard
Another game with resemblance to Hotline Miami. This one being a quite literal murder simulator. Unlike Hotline Miami or 12 is better than 6 you don't run around shooting people. Instead you carefully but quickly find ways to murder the civilians at various party locations while dodging security guards and policeman. It's closer to a puzzle game than an action game. Some levels were quite hard to get through and the game has a fair amount of challenge since certain elements from the level layout to AI behavior are randomized. Patience is a virtue here. I'm pretty surprised, even though it's an indie title, that it avoided controversy considering recent events.


Game 30: Assassin's Creed 3
Got this when it got really cheap on steam like I usually get Ass Creed games. It's standard Assassin's Creed fare although it's the first title that makes the jump from the medieval age into the time of muskets and colonialism. Early America is a neat setting and Connor is, in my opinion, a pretty under rated character. The modern storyline that runs parallel to the meat of the game however is awful. I really hated how they handled it.


Game 31: Shadowrun Hong Kong DLC campaign
The DLC sequel to shadowrun Hong Kong that was meaty enough to be a game on it's own. Not to much to add here. Shadowrun Hong Kong was great and this was great. A fitting end to a great story. I look forward to what the devs have in store next.


Game 32: Blackwell Episode 3 Convergence
I had started the Blackwell series of adventure games the previous year and in 2016 I did the other episodes. Wadjet eye games are hidden gems although like with other indie devs they have blown up more thanks to Steam and Gog and other distribution services. The early ones are pretty rough but for the Blackwell series Episode 3 is where the quality goes up sharply. Unlike the Telltale games these adventure games are still puzzle based. They are very fair though and feel natural. The games story centers around a nerdy and cute young woman named Roseangla Blackwell who's bloodline is filled with mediums who communicate with the spirit world. She's bonded to a smarmy ghost named Joey and they go on adventures helping ghosts move on from the real world into the next. I really like this episode because of the artstyle and talking animated portraits.


Game 33: Blackwell Episode 4 Deception
Another Blackwell game. I enjoyed this one a lot especially for it's high stakes storyline. However, the art style takes a dip here. It has this weird comic look to the portraits and they don't move anymore. Not of fan of how Rose looks here in particular.


Game 34: Blackwell Episode 5 Epiphany
The conclusion to the Blackwell saga that goes into the cosmology of how the spirit world works in the story. I enjoyed the return to the more realistic style but unfortunately the portraits don't animate like they did in 3. I got pretty emotional at the end. If you want an adventure game series you can't go wrong with the Blackwell episodes.


Game 35: Massive Chalice
The other lesser known kickstarter game from Double Fine that was actually finished on time before the project lead skedaddled off to Valve to work on...whatever Valve works on these days. It's sort of like a medieval fantasy X-com where you manage bloodlines of heroes for a 300 year period. It's a pretty unique concept and the game does a good job of doling out new challenges and keeping the tension up. Lots of strategy games are very front loaded. You have the period where your power grows and eventually you cross the hump and then rest of the game is a leisurely mop up. Not so with Massive Chalice. I felt the tension of my decisions up to the very end.


Game 36: Naruto Shippudan Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
One of the Naruto games that's sort of outside the storylines main canon supposedly. I tried it on a whim not really knowing much about the main series other than the fandom is pretty infamous. I was surprised about how much I enjoyed it. It has a simple but elegant battle system of counters and I thought the over the top anime supers were really cute. The main campaign is a prince and the pauper type of storyline that isn't anything special but was nice just the same.


Game 37: Another World
The remaster of famous French computer game of ages past. The inspiration for titles like Flashback and Heart of Darkness IIRC. It's a challenging and despite it's simple look, quite gorgeous 2d scroller adventure game. Short and sweet; I enjoyed this title and it's a good trip into some of gaming's history.


Game 38: King's Quest Episode 1 A Knight To Remember
The first episode in the kickstarted King's Quest remakes. Another kickstarter controversy as well. Something to do with money I think? The first episode is pretty solid. Lots of good puzzles, a great artstyle, and some solid voice acting. I've heard mixed feelings on some of the following episodes but I'll finish off the series when it's done.


Game 39: The Order 1886
This game got a lot of hate on GAF but I enjoyed it. Some of the best graphics I've seen, especially for cloth physics. It's a also a pretty solid single player popamole shooter. Storyline in terms of plot is not that special but the setting is super cool.


Game 40: Knack
Another PS4 game and a quite the meme machine. I actually really enjoyed Knack. As much derision as this game gets, it actually is suitable for all ages. On the hard difficulty I was quite challenged from the mid game onward. If I had to describe it succinctly, it would be a child's first God of War game.


Game 41: The Dark Eye: The Chains of Satinav
A gorgeous adventure game set in the Dark Eye setting of the German Pen and Paper RPG of the same name. I really like the classical medieval fantasy look of this game. When a lot of fantasy uses a "Dungeon Punk" type of aesthetic it was nice to see a world more resembling the cheesey novels I'd read from Barnes and Noble with hapless apprentices, beautiful fairies, and dark magic.


Game 42: Sunless Sea
A seafaring roguelike set in the Fallen London universe. Probably one of the most unique and unsettling settings I've experienced. However, as a roguelike, it's pretty poor. Not because the game isn't fun and full of tension, but perma death is far too annoying to deal with, even if it suits the game's character. Starting all over again involves doing the same basic quests and goin through a lot of the same early "storylets." Save yourself some sanity and save your game.


Game 43: Master of Magic
A classic 4X game that I got from Good Old Games. The fantasy counterpart to Microprose's Master of Orion, MoM sees you play as a powerful Wizard with a plethora of spells and a starting race of Fantasy peoples at your beck and call. Your goal is the domination of all other Wizards either through military dominance, banishing your rivals when you take over their wizard towers. Or, by researching the spell of mastery. I achieved a military victory as the Wizard Lo Pan who I customized as a Chaos Death Alchemist Warlord. I used the Orcs as as a starting race as well. Master of Magic has had some pretenders over the years to try and become the new successor to it's style of fantasy strategy and most have failed pretty miserably. The Age of Wonders series is probably the closest.


Game 44: Spec Ops The Line
This one is another replay for me. I love this game. A true piece of art. Gameplay wise it's a simple cover shooter, but story wise it's an unforgettable classic. This is a game people will talk about 20 years from now.


Game 45: Battlefield 1 Campaign
While the Battlefield series is primarily a multiplayer focuses game, the single player campaign is pretty solid here. Each level is it's own little war story set in a different part of the war. It gives a pretty good introduction on the basic mechanics of the game including the vehicles. I personally liked the flyboy storyline.


Game 46: Ravenmark Scourge of Estellion
A tablet title ported to Steam with a new epilogue. This was a nice strategy game. Simple to grasp but complex to execute. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for, which was a western Final Fantasy Tactics, but I had a lot of fun with this and was greatly challenged. The story is not that spectacular, but it grew on me over time.


Game 47: Firewatch
One of them fancy indie walking simulators. I really enjoyed the story and the voicework. The interactions with Delilah are perfect. I think some people were expecting all kinds of weird stuff about this game, but I came with an open mind and took my time.


Game 48: Saint's Row IV
The super powered finale of the main line of Saint's Row games, not counting Gat out of Hell which I didn't even realize was it's own stand alone until I finished 4. I had mixed feelings about this game. On the one hand the super powers were cool, on the other hand I felt like they took away from a lot of the experience in the game like driving different types of cars which are redundant when you can just fly and run everywhere. Combat was still decently challenging though. I enjoyed the humor and the characters. The Saint's Row series really has a great arc for everyone. It sort of reminds me of the Simpsons in a lot of ways where the familiarity of the townspeople builds onto the attachment of the story.


Game 49: XCOM Enemy Unknown
The Firaxis remake to the classic X-Com I met initially with some skepticism. However it's a solid game in it's own right. They managed the impossible and streamlined a lot of the finicky elements from the original without dumbing down the quality of the strategy. Biggest drawback to this game is that first of the remakes has no true random map generator. You will run into the same maps after playing a while.


Game 50: Deadpool
A weird janky little action game. Gameplay isn't that great but it's mostly about the depiction of Deadpool. While a lot of people like Ryan Reynolds, in my opinion Nolan North's portrayal of the character is the strongest. Less heroic and more malicious fits Deadpool as a character, and Nolan North is very good at alternating between those moods.


Game 51: Titanfall 2 Campaign
Really awesome. I heard the good impressions on GAF and picked the game up on sale. It being a bomba doesn't bode well for it's longevity as a multiplayer game, but the single player campaign was awesome and worth every bit of hype.


Game 52: Lisa the Joyful
The DLC sequel to Lisa the Painful RPG. The Lisa series is one hell of a ride. You'll be crying in tears of laughter one moment and then tears of anguish the next. I found it far superior to Undertale if I had to choose between the two indie retro RPGs, but I like sad stories more than feel good stuff. Lisa the Joyful lacks the humor of the first game being much more serious all the way through. However, the soundtrack manages to be even more amazing than the first one. This game is not for the faint of heart though. It goes into some very dark places.

Previous post

Game 46: Shovel Knight (3DS)- Timer: 7 hours 40 min - Status: COMPLETED September 23th
I couldn't find enough words that can really do justice to this magnificent platforming masterpiece. So I'll settle this saying Shovel Knight is the epithome of great gaming design. Is perhaps one of the best games ever made, and more fun and fair in comparison to Maldita Castilla and other similar platforming indie games.

Game 47: Zelda A link between worlds(3DS)- Timer: 16 hours - Status: COMPLETED September 28th
The wall merging mechanics add a new layer of improvement onto an almost flawless videogame such as A link to the past is. It provides more room for viable solutions for dungeon puzles. I'm looking forward to see similar ideas implemented over future zelda games.

Game 48: Fire emblem Awakening (3DS)- Timer: 60 hours 21 min - Status: COMPLETED October 12th
After all the praise I heard and read, I was expecting the best fire emblem ever made. But it seems that is not quite like this, indeed I concur with the popular consensus that Awakening overhauls character relationship and thus It offers a bunch of characters with unique personalities and motivations, although some of them are a bit generic, but anyways. The multiclassing system and customizable skillset are welcoming features, although some combinations are indeed gamebreaking, but it's alright, is not like Fire Emblem didn't have gamebreaking classes or skills in former titles, I don't have a particular problem with that either.

What I can't really stand are the storyline inconsistencies and shenanigans, also the uninspired design of every stage (which boils down into containing a wave of enemies with tanky characters and do some cleanup the next turn with the rest of your team afterwards). And I can't finish this paragraph without mentioning the blatant attempt to appeal that weird "weaboo" fanbase with adding "lolis" characters and anime clichés all over the place, as much as the plot it is.


Game 49: Fire emblem Fates Conquest (3DS)- Timer: 42 hours 15 min - Status: COMPLETED October 23rd

A more fitting challenge more akin with Radiant Dawn and Path of Radiance than Awakening, but with a rather weaker writing and storyline compared to Awakening, which is not saying much either. There are less possibilities to break the game with some
overpowered class combinations, given the exp and gold limitations, but sometimes it
deviates from delivering fun challenge and conveys a rather masochist punishment instead, where the game becomes too unforgiving for all the limitations it imposes (limited exp but random stat distribution, late game characters too weak to deal with their foes by themselves, unfair situations for certain classes -too many enemy archers, making all flying rider classes to settle with a matter of high risk low reward-).

Game 50: Maldita Castilla (PC)- Timer: 6 hours 32 min - Status: COMPLETED October 25rd
Another playthrough of Maldita Castilla never hurts too much when you get the hang of it, is a true homage to ghouls n' goblins. Is very unforgiving and kind of tricky to master, it took me several attempts until I finally manage to unlock the true final. It does feel quite rewarding to vanquish this game, just like when a gamer complete ikaruga or any other game that can attest your outstanding hand eye coordination and twitch reflexes.

Game 51: Fallout (PC)- Timer:+ 28 hours - Status: COMPLETED October 30 th
The classic wasteland crpg with tons of wonders yet to discover. Wish I could go back in time and play it totally blind instead of reading that comprehensive strategy guide. My bad.

Game 52: Fallout II (PC)- Timer: +40 hours min - Status: COMPLETED November 5th
More of the old Fallout, with extra Monty Python references all over the place!. Is not as immersive as the first Fallout but it improves the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system and revamp a lot of previously useless skills. And a ton of questlines too!.

Game 53: Pokémon Red Adventures(GBA FireRed ROM hack)- Timer: + 30 hours - Status: COMPLETED November 17th
I needed some quick fix to handle the waiting for the new Pokémon, and to try something atypical to official games (since I already ran out of them, I have to buy a ton of new games). This Rom hack is a faithful adaptation of red adventures manga, so you can expect a ton of heavily scripted events. Is surprisingly challenging too, there will be several circumstances where you have to deal with overleveled stronger foes, thereby you have to resolve on strategy or grind as hell with drastically underleveled wild pokémon that yields a meager amount of exp. If you are going to play it, I recommend to hold on that water stone for poliwhirl and wait until it learns belly drum to become a sweeper powerhouse when you evolve it into a poliwrath.

Game 54: Pokémon Moon(3DS)- Timer: 70 hours 23 min - Status: COMPLETED November 28th

Finished storyline and still playing for the sake of completion, I spent a lot of time capturing and leveling new pokémon to eventually only end up using my first one pokémon team LOL. The plot is just stuff as usual: You, a very young and prodigy pokémon trainer, begin a quest filled with colorful characters of all ages that ended up stumbling upon newfound inspiration by witnessing how you wipe out the entire pokémon team of other trainers (which are usually just two unevolved pokémon with weak moves). Actually, I'm quite intrigued to ask Lillie which part of "seeing my incineroar setting up with Bulk Up and spamming Flare Blitz until it ends up fainting" finds kind of inspiring.

Anyway, the elite 4 was quite a challenge for my rather underleveled and unplanned pokémon party. Incineroar was weak to rock moves and ground, so It had a rough time but remained useful, ash greninja is awesome sweeper but is pretty much a glass cannon that have to one shot foes or die trying, gosilopod did OK as long as it performs as a revenge killer and finish off the business with priority moves when your other pokémon couldn't. Snorlax can't take more than a couple of strong physical hits but his exclusive Z move is hilarious and hits hard. Lunala is a legendary, so you can expect it was my trump card. Was fun ride, but I can't help but feel pretty disappointed with the lack of quest tracking and obscene lineal storyline.

I started keeping track this year. I finished 58 including replays and substantial DLCs. It's a lot easier to do when the list is heavily weighted towards indie games and you never play multiplayer.

Overall:
Total Games Played: 68
Games Abandoned/In Progress: 10
Total Games Completed: 58
Replays: 4
DLCs: 3
Total New Games Completed: 51

Key:
A=abandoned
R=replay
C=platinum/1000/100%
GOTY
Favorites
Honorable Mentions

Games:
1 Halo 5: Guardians
2 Galak-Z: The Dimensional (A)
3 Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power (C)
4 Shadow Complex: Remastered
5 The Next Penelope
6 The Witness (C)
7 Badlands (A)
8 Chariot (A)
9 Unravel
10 Firewatch
11 Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
12 The Adventures of Pip (A)
13 Gears of War 2
14 Fallout 4: Automatron (DLC)
15 Gears of War 3
16 Quantum Break
17 Ratchet & Clank (C)
18 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (R)
19 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (R)
20 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (R)
21 Severed (C)
22 Alienation
23 Mushroom 11
24 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
25 Soft Body
26 Fallout 4: Far Harbor (DLC)
27 A Boy and His Blob
28 Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris (A)
29 Gone Home
30 MirrorMoon EP (A)
31 Mirror's Edge Catalyst
32 DOOM
33 Parallels (A)
34 Panoramical
35 Inside My Radio
36 Bulb Boy
37 Inside (C)
38 Furi
39 Song of the Deep (C)
40 Assault Android Cactus
41 Headlander (C)
42 Canveus
43 Voi
44 ABZU
45 Road to Ballhalla (A)
46 Tricky Towers (A)
47 No Man's Sky (C)
48 Four Sided Fantasy
49 Rememoried
50 Seasons after Fall (C)
51 Toby: The Secret Mine
52 Fallout 4: Nuka World (DLC)
53 Aragami (C)
54 THOTH
55 THUMPER
56 140 (R)
57 Bound
58 Grow Up
59 Rive
60 Hue
61 Hyper Light Drifter
62 On Rusty Trails
63 Hero of Many
64 Lumini
65 Recore
66 Gears of War 4
67 The Last Guardian
68 Stories: The Path of Destinies (in progress)

To say I fell behind in write-ups is a total friggin understatement. Intended on cracking my knuckles and just getting it done this past week, but I got a gut issue for the whole week leading up to Christmas... Still dealing with it, but it's nowhere near as bad. I'm just going to post things I've kept in my Notes for, well, months. I'll add on the game number, though.

Hopefully I can spruce this all up a lot real soon, because that would mean I'm feeling back up to normal working order. ;-;


10. Uncharted 2 April 2 2016 (4 Hours) (9 Hours)

11. Uncharted 3 May 22 2016 (8:30 Hours)

12. DDR Mario Mix June 9 (3 Hours)

13. Helldivers June 2 (35 Hours/43 Hours Level12)

14. Jamestown+ June 16 (4:30 Hours)

15. Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe June 21 (1:40 hours)

16. Steins;Gate February 19th/July 12th (16 Hours/29 Hours/53 Hours)

17. Monster Hunter Generations July 29th (43 Hours Village/67 High Rank)

18. ABZU August 2nd (3 Hours)

19. Furi August 21 (5 Hours)

20. Rhythm Heaven Fever August 26 (6 Hours)

21. Bloodborne August 30th (42 Hours) Level 87

22. Tales From The Borderlands Ep1 August 30th (90 Minutes)

23. NiOh Beta Demo September 6th (7 Hours)

24. Rocket Slime October 14 (9:30 Hours/:30 already)

25. Ninja Gaiden November 14 (2:30 (3 hours))

26. Pokemon Moon November 26th (42 Hours)

27. Crypt of the Necrodancer December 12 (9~ Hours)

28. Uncharted 4 - Date Unknown - 14 Hours

29. Shovel Knight Plague of Shadows - December 14 Time 4:37:44

30. Zelda Picross

December 14th, 15 Hours


31. The Last Guardian
<15 Hours, 10~
December 15th



Didn't reach 52, but I made my goal of 26, so I'm pretty proud. It showed me, especially near the end, that if I put actual focus into these things not only do I finish them but that it's quite fun.