Game 1: Prince of Persia - 2/5 - 14:18 hours (02/01/2017)
Completed the story, didn't bother getting all 1001 orbs (I'm sitting at 751). The game was a nice relaxing ride, but it gets repetitive very quick. On the technical side of things the cel-shading makes it so that the game holds up to this very day and the musics are very atmospheric and apt for the setting. If we talk about gameplay though, the obstacles and climbable elements are only a dozen different kinds, the enemies are in varied sizes, but pretty much all samey mechanics-wise, the mid-bosses have a little more personality, but nothing memorable. It's basically open-world Prince of Persia, offering you to choose your own way, but making so that every route is basically the same, as the structure of the game gets soon very predictable: get new power, free the four fountains, fight boss, escape boss room, repeat until final confrontation. The fighting is spectacular, but it's basically a bunch of stringed commands alternated with QTEs; speaking of which, the new powers you acquire through the game are a huge let down, being just glorified QTEs themselves. The plot isn't anything special but you do build a cool relationship with Elika throughout the game: she is constantly there for you, you can talk with her and she helps you fight. The ending is pretty abrupt, but also somewhat unexpected.
Completed the story, tried boss rush and infinity drive, unlocked a bunch of codex entries, artworks and game mods. A psychedelic and frenzied twin stick shooter with a quirky cast of characters. The music has a nice and fitting techno beat, nothing exceptional, but it gets cooler when you unlock the option to have it change rhythm according to how you're performing. The graphics are extremely colourful and solid, as is the framerate: when countless cyber-enemies are on screen and everyone's shooting everywhere, the screen becomes a feast for the eyes. The gameplay is pretty repetitive, but keeps you on the edge thanks to the battery system, which also makes dying harder if you play well: this way the flow and pace of the game are almost never interrupted. The story is a nice addition to contextualize the game, but nothing deeper; though, the character design and variety of playable androids deserve praise. A little known gem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Progress
ReCore
The Walking Dead: Season One
Skyrim: Special Edition
A World of Keflings
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Games
The Walking Dead: Season Two
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Final Fantasy IX
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Watch Dogs 2
Forza Horizon 3
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Dying Light
Quantum Break
Call of Duty 2
Spider-Man 2
Ultimate Spider-Man
?
?
?
I do not expect to actually complete this but, what the hell, I'll give it a shot. I actually got decently close last year, so why not? Fortunately, I already beat something so I don't need to make this a filler placeholder post:
1. Axiom Verge - 7/10, 12 hours
Really solid Metroidvania. Not without its faults but I mostly liked it... final boss was garbage though. Just a nuisance and a poor way to close the game. I kind of wish the game didn't bother with the story and writing because it's just so bland, with as closely as it mimicked Super Metroid I think it should've taken the minimalistic story approach too. I'll probably replay this game though, the varying guns were all fun while both the level design and exploration tools were very well crafted.
I almost included this in last year since half of it was last year, but I only played a bit more now to unlock the rest of the stuff and call it on the game so I guess it goes in 2017.
Game #1 - Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator
Time: 3 hours
I bought this for myself and a friend on a whim because it was dirt cheap on sale (less than a dollar) and we proceeded to spend the next 2 hours insulting each other. It was super fun, and the game has a shocking amount of depth and strategy. Its like a faux "fighting" game, where you choose from a list of words to compose phrases to insult each other. There are combos and even combo breakers, characters have weaknesses so you want o try and steal the words that would hurt you most, or that hurt the other character's weakness... like I said, more depth than I expected. There isnt much content, I unlocked all but the secret character and stage (it requires more grind than Im willing to put into it) but what there is there is totally worth the $1.99 base price. I might get back to it now and then but for now I got what I wanted out of it.
Batman: Arkham Knight
Beyond Good & Evil
Devil May Cry 3
Devil May Cry 4
Gradius V
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Rayman Legends
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Splinter Cell: Blacklist
The Last Guardian
Ys Origin
Anarchy Reigns
Assault Android Cactus
Castlevania Chronicles
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Resident Evil: Revelations
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Tearaway Unfolded
Unravel
Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim
Game 1 : Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD ReMix (PS3) - 4/1
Beat on easy with Ryu on remix mode. I'm still embarrassingly bad at fighters.
Game 2 : Mad Maestro (PS2) - 4/1
After 14 years I've finally beat that final concert on normal. It turns out playing a rhythm game from the PS2 on a HDTV with context sensitive buttons is actually quite difficult, also wow I don't remember the music being so tinny and synth sounding.
Game 3 : Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo HD ReMix (PS3) - 5/1
Beat x mode on medium with Morrigan. A game with fighter in the title that I'm OK at!
Game 4 : Woah Dave (PS4) - 6/1
Didn't like this at all.
Game 5 : Jumping Flash (PSOne Classics) - 6/1
Still holds up pretty well, also Professor Aloha is a great name for a bad guy.
Game 6 : L.A Noire: Complete Edition (PS3) - 20/1
I really enjoyed this and I'd love to see something another detective game like this. Also beat all of the DLC
Game 7 : International Track & Field (PSOne Classics) - 20/1
Won gold on easy. Either I'm getting old and my X O mashing skills are no longer up to snuff or using a controller with analog sticks getting in the way makes this harder than I remember it being.
Game 8 : Omega Boost (PS1) - 21/1
This still looks really, really good. Beat on Normal
Game 9 : Dead or Alive 2 (PS2) - 22/1
Beat will all characters. I'm trying to plow through the shorter games in my backlog and that means quite a few fighters, which unfortunately I'm pretty terrible at, this however has probably been my favourite thus far, that might be because it is really easy.
Game 10 : Entwined (PS4) - 22/1
A nice relaxing Sunday afternoon game.
Game 11 : PaRappa the Rapper 2 (PS2 Classics) - 23/1
Beat with the blue hat.
Game 12: Divekick (VITA) - 25/1
I actually managed to beat a fighting game on medium!
Game 13: King Of Fighters 2000 PS2 Classics) - 27/1
Back to Easy, although not the easiest setting so that's progress. Also did some cheesin' with Chang in party mode.
Game 14: Bishi Bashi Special (PSOne Classics) - 28/1
Beat all mini games on both hyper and super. This felt "off" on the VITA.
Game 15: Surge Deluxe (VITA) - 29/1
Another plus gem and a real one more go type of game. Current top score of 13.9 million
Game 16: Gone Home: Console Edition (PS4) - 30/1
Fantastic and also a game that my wife enjoyed watching me play, which is incredibly rare.
Game 17: Mass Effect (PS3) - 13/2
Eh, not as good as I'd hoped it would be.
Game 18: Star Wars: Racers Revenge (PS2Classics) - 21/2
Far better than it has any right to be.
Game 19: Streets of Rage 2 (PS3) - 22/2
Beat on Normal with Axel. I think this might be the first time that I've beaten this, I can remember beating Streets of Rage 1.
Game 20: Titan Attacks (PS4) - 23/2
Decent little diversion. Some of the 80-100 levels were frustrating.
Game 21: Blues & Bullets Episode 1 +2 (PS4) - 1/3
It'll be a real shame if this never gets finished.
Game 22: Dyad (PS3) - 2/3
Beaten all main game levels, I'm never going to beat the vast majority of those trophy levels.
Game 23: Asura's Wrath: Part IV, Lost Episode 1+2 (PS3) - 2/3
Part.Of.The.Problem. This was never ever going on sale and I wanted to see the actually ending. Punching planet sized deities never gets old.
Game 24: Starwhal (PS4) - 5/3
I think I like this. Started out really hating the controls and whilst in the challenge mode they are still a pain, in versus they aren't as bothersome.
Game 25: Sine Mora (VITA) - 6/3
I actually beat a SHUMP, granted quite a few continues where used but still the credits were seen and that's good enough for me.
Game 26: Broken Age (PS4) - 14/3
I used a guide for act 2. Those hexipad puzzles were irritating.
Game 27: Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (PS2) - 27/3
I bought this day one 7 years ago, not sure why it took me so long to get around to. Really good, it's a real pity that we've got no other Sakura Wars games localized. Also is
Oda Nobunga
(main bad guy) the most used bad guy in games?
Game 28: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD (PS3) - 1/4
Still one of the best games ever made.
Game 29: Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice (PS3) - 4/5
7 Years after starting it. Still going through the post game.
Game 30: Medievil Resurrection (PSP) - 10/5
This is far better than a 2006 PSP 3rd person action game should be.
In for another year. I'm going to try and plow through a lot of the smaller games in my backlog and get through some series from last gen that I haven't even started e.g. Mass Effect / Dead Space.
Completed 1: Firewatch ★★★★★
Date finished: 1/1/2017
Time played: 3 - 4 hours
System: PC / Steam
Firewatch has been on my radar since it got announced. Im a big fan of Olly Moss work, and the look and setting of the game immediately grabbed me. That said, when the game was released, I didnt feel compelled to pick it up straight awat. Now that Ive finally got around to playing it, I feel like kicking myself for sleeping on this game. There is something about the early hours of Firewatch that is just well and truly special. Its not just the fantastic look, or what might just be the best voice acting and some of the best character writing in ages. In a sense I felt like I was actually there, as Henry, on a summer job in the woods in the middle of nowhere. I enjoyed doing menial tasks, such as telling off reckless teenagers, getting new supplies, or checking the communication cables, as well as just exploring the area. Hell, I even found myself picking up every empty beer can I found along the way, you know to keep the forest clean. I was fully immersed.
As many have and will mention, Henry and Delilah are the true stars of the game. The voice acting and dialogue feel natural and believable and I found myself deeply caring for these characters. The games story goes in direction that might be decisive, and I do think that the third of the act is weaker than the first two, but when all is said and done, I cant help but love my experience with this game.
2. Odallus: The Dark Call ★★★★☆
Date finished: 4/1/2017
Time played: 6 hours and 58 minutes
System: PC / Steam
Odallus: The Dark Call is both a great homage to NES games such as Castlevania 1 - 3, as well as a fantastic game in its own right. For whatever reason this game seems have gone mostly overlooked, despite well-deserved praise by a couple of outlets. Where many old skool indie titles fail to really evoke the aesthetics of the era by going overboard on the sprite work, Odallus looks and feels like a long lost classic of the NES era. The sprite work and music are great and the gameplay feels tight and responsive. The nine stages in the game are really well designed, with plenty of hidden items and secret passages to be found. Though the game uses stages and a stage select screen, the game does have Metroivania-like mechanics, where youll be able to revisit stages and reach new areas and secrets once youve found the appropriate skill item. Each of these upgrades feel meaningful and further improve the feel of the gameplay. The stage select screen also communicates how many secrets you have left to find per stage, as well as whether the boss of that stage is still alive. All in all in thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game and I hope more people pick it up.
Currently playing 1: Oxenfree 2: Fire Emblem Fates Birthright 3: Witcher 3 - Heart of Stone
i failed miserably last year, mostly because i couldn't give up my Destiny addiction but i'm going to give it another try this year!
I think i need to focus more on shorter, more linear games in stead of starting massive open world games and then getting burnt out on them after playing for 60 hours.
Currently playing:
Batman: Telltale game series (X1)
Persona 4 Golden (PSV)
Darkest Dungeon (PSV)
XCOM 2 (X1)
Games i'm looking forward to in 2017:
Mass Effect Andromeda (X1)
VA-11 HALL-A (PSV)
01: DOOM (2016) - ~10 hours
[Finished 01/05/17 - 01:18am]
It took about 90 seconds to see why people were so excited about this last year, a hell of a game who's few flaws pale in comparison to it's glorious combat. All hail Gauss Cannon, devourer of Hell's minions and savior of men.
02: Syndicate (2012) - ~7 hours
[Finished 01/06/17 - 01:43pm]
Fun mechanics that were under utilised. Most surprising thing about this was how much I enjoyed some of the interior design and architecture such as the City Raft. None of the combat was very rewarding after rolling out things like jamming and multiple shields. Gotta give it credit for being an interesting example of a Cyberpunk world focused more on the corporate, upper class than the seedy underbelly that is usually the core of those stories.
03: Downwell - ~2 hours
[Finished 01/11/17 - 03:52pm]
Downwell is a treasure! I had to employ Cheat Engine to enjoy it's bounty without frustration but what an exactingly designed game and what a perfectly retro ending.
04: Gunpoint - ~3 hours
[Finished 01/13/17 - 2:52am]
8 dead. 17 injured. 20 jobs. $13,000. The week echoed in my mind like a gunshot in an empty street.They don't let me name names on this blog, but the person behind the hit I was investigating is probably being picked up by the East Point police about now, killing him wasn't worth the stain on my conscience. The trigger man's dead, that would have felt good if I hadn't just taken a seven story body slam. I don't know, I guess I picked the least shitty of two incredibly shitty sides. Maybe that doesn't matter, maybe all that matters is that I now have the ability to kick down doors. Either way, I think I need 10ccs of ketamine and a Columbo marathon.
05: Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae - ~1 hour
[Finished 01/18/17 - 10:20pm]
I want to know everything about this game, seriously. It's terrible, make no mistake. However, to be so bare bones and yet punch above it's league so much in the main character models and majority of individual combat animations is such a mystery, I want everyone who touched the development of this thing to be wildly successful.
06: Grow Home - ~4 hours
[Finished 01/20/17 - 12:21am]
B.U.D. is your best friend and he lives in a stunning world that is simultaneously colossal and completely miniature. What a wonderful thing, a beautiful relaxation that is a really effective exercise in what games don't have to be. I really, really enjoyed my time with Grow Home,
07: Hexcells - ~14 hours
[Finished 01/21/17 - 1:21am]
I was surprised to see my play time in Hexcells, it didn't feel like 14 hours, but I have restarted it multiple times on different devices and never quite managed to play long enough for all of the peaceful, compelling puzzle mechanics to stick. My most interesting takeaway was how much more geared towards the patterns of blue vs black I am than the numbers, I almost wish the layouts were randomised so I would be forced to do the satisfying spatial math every time instead of learning half the board on pattern alone. I didn't think I would go back to Plus and Infinite at first but after having played through all of the original I just might.
08: Furi (Promenade Difficulty) - ~ 2 hours
[Finished 01/23/17 - 12:25am]
I'm a little astounded about what I just witnessed. There is so much wrong about Furi, but no travesty is greater than there not being enough money, freedom and time behind it's development. The game I played and the one I imagined in my head as I played it are worlds apart, but in that other world, where Furi is as fresh and polished as something like Nier Automata, humanity has likely solved all the problems we face as a species. Furi wasn't great but what it could be feels to me like one of the best games I could ever imagine, I sincerely want that team to take what they clearly have in their collective mind's eye and work their asses off to make it a reality, I will be behind them all the way.
I am so beyond my days of self flagellation through gaming that I reduced the difficulty to promenade during the second boss. Having seen the latter fights on that pedestrian difficulty? Holy shit, am I glad I did. I would never have seen the end of Furi without having my hand so delicately held and now I have experienced the final sequence I am shocked that I haven't heard more about this game. I hope the team have the chance to refine their ideas with some growth and capital, because if they do, there might just be something truly special out of that studio.
If this sounds hyperbolic be aware that Cyber-Samurai, Orbital Prison/Neon Wilderness could not be more of my jam right now.
09: Watch_Dogs - ~ 20hours
[Finished 01/30/2017 - 01:29am]
I'm glad I played Watch Dogs, not least of all because I pre-ordered the deluxe edition digitally at launch and had been regretful ever since.
Taken as the sum of it's parts, it is not a good game. An extraordinarily well put together world like faux-Chicago is a great place to set a game. It looks great, has the right feel and is host to a surprising amount of interactivity even if it is only skin deep. But as a whole, the world, the mechanics, the story and most of the characters are all so mismatched that it feels like each element is actively trying to bring down the others. Watch Dogs is a bleak world filled with horrible people. And even an Austin Walker inspired, mostly non-lethal play through cannot parlay the sense that Aiden is a sociopath making life worse for everyone around him, all to avenge a death he was nigh wholly responsible for. Watch Dogs is a bad game with wonderful elements. If this becomes the Assassins Creed 1 of the Watch Dogs franchise there could be very special things in store down the line. But as it stands this game is one of the best examples I can think of to show how disappointing it is when power is taken from the player in order to ramp up tension and difficulty. Especially in the latter missions.
The idea of a "The Punisher but with the internet instead of guns" could be great, but this isn't it.
10: Watch_Dogs: Bad Blood - ~6 hours
[Finished 01/31/2017 - 12:02am]
This is why I'm happy I played WatchDogs. Bad Blood was immediately more compelling than anything in the base game. Ray and Tobias are an interesting duo, dysfunctional in a more natural and understandable way than Aiden or Clara. The pair actually developed more over the course of nine short missions then the base game had prepared me for.
Eugene the R/C truck and wildly improved level design both visually and mechanically were highlights for me but most enjoyable was playing as T-Bone, who seemed like a genuinely good dude deep down. Tenderly asking Tobias "Are you gonna be alright?" over the table in a fast food joint was more subtle and more touching than any of Aiden's interactions with his sister. I don't know if what I like about Bad Blood could have been sustained for a full campaign but as a stand alone story it's hands down the best thing to come out of Watch Dogs 1.
11: PACMAN: 256 - ~4 hours
[Finished 04/11/2017 - 4:09pm]
PACMAN: 256 is awesome, it's also really really dumb, endless runners by definition always feel unsatisfying, but I love that the team that put crossy road together got to have a swing at PACMAN and they made some really playful changes to what could have been super straight forward.
12: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - "more than 130 hours"
[Finished 04/29/2017 - 06:10pm]
There is no way I can adequately express what Breath of the Wild is, It's the best 130+ hours I have spent with a game in years and years, climbing should be in everything ever made from this point forward. It's hard to imagine what impact this may have on games that come out in the next decade or more. Can you imagine what sort of watermark you would have ingrained in your psyche for what video games can be, if you grew up with this as the first game you fell in love with? A future game developer who grows up on BOTW might push for so much more than even the real breakout designers do today. It's unimaginable that Nintendo is still pushing the envelope as hard as they are in 2017, having taken so many knocks and being so otherwise out of the game being played over at Sony, Microsoft and the world of PC.
Breath of the Wild's Hyrule is the most complete game world ever designed.
14: NieR:Automata [ENDING T] - 35 min
[Finished 05/03/2017 - 07:10am]
This is going to be a good video game.
13: ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN - < 1 hour
[Finished 05/13/2017 - 2:05pm]
This is a weird port, PAC-MAN has been released more times than I can count and the Steam Release by Bandai Namco seems completely broken on my system, distinct input lag forces errors repeatedly such that I can't even complete the first stage without losing a life or two. I'll always love you PAC-MAN, I'm glad I got this release from a Humble Bundle.
2. Penumbra Overture - 3.3 hours
Bad horror, good story and atmosphere. Controls are fine when you trying to solve some puzzles, but in action parts they are very annoying, it's impossible to hit those demonic dogs with pickaxe unless you are sitting on some box where dog can't reach you.
A great game on the go. Reminded me of games from the Atari 2600 and NES era of shoot-em-ups. The dual stick controls worked extremely well.
2. Sonic The Hedgehog (XB1/XB360 BC) (Replay}
Completed: 1/4/17
Time: 2ish hours
Played this 23 years ago when I first got a Genesis. My kids started watching Sonic cartoons on Netflix so I picked up the Sonic series off of the XB BC so we could play through them together. For a game as old as it is, I think it held up well.
3. Final Fantasy IV Interlude (Vita)
Completed 1/7/17
Time: 2 hours
FFIV is one of my favorite games of all time, and the FF I'm most fond of (as it's my first one). So when I got a Vita this summer and was able to get the complete edition I was thrilled. After replaying the initial game, I slowly worked my way through the interlude. It's more FFIV which is good IMO.
I have a long history of not playing this game. I didn't game much last gen but heard good things about it. Bought it, never played it. Sold it to buy the GOTY edition, never played that, sold it when I sold off my PS3. When the PSN store gave the remaster for "free" if you preordered the sequel, I thought what the hell - third time's the charm. So glad I did. This game was great. Had a blast even though I'm not the best at stealth games was still able to finish with the low chaos ending. This is my favorite game I've completed this year *for the first time - see below* so far.
I bought this (and the original which I played last year and the third) for dirt cheap on a PSN sale. This was such a massive step above the first Alpha game. They really beefed up not only the roster, but the game play.
See above, bought the trilogy on a PSN sale. Again, another step above it's predecessor even though the last fighter in Arcade mode pulls off some cheap moves usually. But that's pretty much how Capcom fighters were back in the 90's.
Was thrilled that the Return to Arkham collection came out but sad that Origins didn't make the cut . Loved these games last gen and this game in particular was my favorite game from last gen - the only one that I played through twice during that generation. I still love this game. The pacing of the game was close to perfection, never a dull moment. I have never been the biggest fan of the Killer Croc sequence, but no game is perfect.
8. Plants vs. Zombies (XB1/XB360 BC)
Completed: 1/11/17
Time: No idea
My kids love playing PvZ on tablets. When I saw it was part of EA Access, I downloaded it so we could play together. They don't get much video game time and they split it up between several games, so this has been a slowburn. (I think we started it last spring lol). I had always poo-poo'ed the game in my mind but as I got to playing it, I really enjoyed it.
9. VVVVVV (Vita)
Completed: 1/16/17
Time: 1.5 hours or so
Making an effort this year to try out more of my PS+ and GwG games. First up was this little gem I got on the Vita. For anyone who hasn't played it, don't let the Atari 2600 retro graphic turn you off. The gameplay is a lot of fun.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (XB1/XB360 BC) (Replay)
Completed: 1/20/17
Time: 2 hours
As mentioned previously, I'm playing the old Genesis Sonic games with my kids. I had forgotten how great this game was. Such a leap over the original Sonic IMO. Took the core mechanics of the first game and really polished everything up. Also I noticed this game is quite a bit easier than the first one (and when I subsequently played 3 later this month)
This is a classic Genesis game I never played before. I remember seeing the magazine ads for it when it first came out and was in awe about how cool it looked and how great the graphics looked (for that time). This was my first time actually playing it though. Standard 8/16-bit side scrolling beat-up-um with the transformation mechanic to set itself apart some.
Dusted off Rare Replay again to play this and get all the stamps I could. Was able to get 8/10 stamps - the two I'm missing are combo ones that would be challenging for me to acheive unless I just completed cheesed them in faux two-player mode. SO will count as done.
13. Max Payne (PS4)
Completed: 1/23/17
Time: 8ish hours?
14. Killer Instinct Season 2 (XB1)
Completed Story mode with every character: 1/24/17
Time: 4 hours
Have always been more of a Street Fighter fan, with Mortal Kombat as my 2nd favorite fighting series, but this Killer Instinct thing MS and Iron Galaxy has going on is winning me over. I still favor Street Fighter V more, but this game is my 2nd favorite fighter to date.
15. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (XB1/XB360 BC)
Completed: 1/24/17
Time: 2 hours
This is the first time I've ever played Sonic 3 as it was released when I was in college and didn't have much time for games. I liked how they made the levels longer (actually ran out of time once in Casino Zone and was close at the very last level) but overall I just felt like the fun factor took a step back from the classic Sonic 2 game.
I was going to skip this game as I wasn't the biggest fan of TF1. Then with some of the word of mouth here I decided if/when it was added to the vault I would play the campaign. But the word of mouth kept growing so during one of the December sales I bought it. Wow. Am I glad I did. Fantastic campaign. While Overwatch is my favorite MP shooter right now, I'm going to play around a bit with this one too.
Bought this on PS3, but gave up on Chapter 2 as it wasn't clicking with me back then. Picked it up on a sale on PS4 and wow - this is a great game! The partner AI is the biggest drawback, but otherwise a fun game to romp through.
First time playing through this as I hadn't gotten rid of my 360 when this came out. This is now my favorite Halo campaign. It was tremendously well done.
19. MLB the Show'16 (PS4) Replay
Completed: 2/8/17
Time: ??
Played through another season on RTTS. This is by far the best baseball game ever to come out and I look forward to continue playing it for years to come.
20. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (Vita)
Completed: 2/16/17
Time: ??
I bought this originally on the PS2, but dropped it about 1/3 of the way through. I enjoyed revisiting it and playing through it for the first time. The camera/controls were a bit rough around the edges compared to what you see in games today, but overall I thought it held up pretty well.
21. Arkham City (PS4) Replay
Completed: 2/17/17
Time: 15 hours
One of my favorite gaming series, right up there with Zelda. While I played through Arkham Asylum multiple times, this was my first time replaying Arkham City. My only negative about these games is that I feel there are always way too many Riddler challenges/trophies. Othwerwise a flawless masterpiece. The Harley DLC, which I had played for the first time, was well done though short
22. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Wii U VC)
Completed: 2/21/17
Time: 15 hours
As alluded to earlier Zelda games are my favorite series, and I love 2D Zeldas the best. Was thrilled this came to WiiU VC as I had never played it before. Really enjoyed this game as like other handheld Zelda's, they are 1) 2D and 2) change up the Zelda formula a bit.
23. The King of Fighters 2000 (PS4/PS2 classic)
Completed: 2/22/17
Time: 2 hours
First time I played a KoF game. The mechanics aren't bad and hold up well for as old as it is. It's hard for me though as I'm a big SF fanboy and constantly compare all fighters to that series. A bit unfair to these games, but will continue to try KoFXIV likely.
I played the original on PS2 so long ago I just remember the general game, and not much specifics so I can't remember how similar this game is to that game. Nonetheless, this was a great game and I couldn't put it down. I was able to play through it in a matter of a couple of days. Very fun game all should try for it's current price.
One of my sons loves dinosaurs and we got this when it first came out. We played it together quite a bit at first then got stuck near the end of JPIII and dropped it. We picked it back up again last month and finally completed the game. The first Lego game I really played. Was ok, he really liked it so there's that.
26. Hitman (PS4)
Completed Main Story Episodes: 3/7/17
Time: 10 hours or so
Bought this during Holiday sales on PSN due to GAF word of mouth. Really liked this game and will keep coming back to it to increase my mastery levels and also play the side content.
This is a great console RTS. Had a lot of fun playing through the campaign missions. Probably won't spend much time else with it as I have HW2 to dive into.
This was a really fun on the go RPG. The game is well written, esp for anyone who lived through the 80's. I enjoyed trying out all the different weapons, but I felt like so many of them were garbage. Still, all-in-all, a good game and something I would recommend to any RPG fan and/or older adults like me who would pick up on all the references.
29. King of Fighters XIV (PS4)
Completed 3/13/17
TIme: 2 hours
Going through a lot of fighters this year. I found this one as one of the better ones. Great tutorial as the only other KoF I've played was 2000. I liked the team concept of this series and is nice to be able to mix up the line-up each round in story mode. I played through story a couple times before realizing to really get the whole concept/story, you need to play through with each pre-selected team...plus the 2 bosses. I'm not for sure if I like this game that much to do that grind but will keep playing this here and there
30. Nier: Automata (PS4)
Completed Main Story
A-#
: 3/22/17
Time: 40 hours
This was my first game in the Nier/Drakengaard Universe. What a great experience. I'm not the biggest fan of Platinum games on here but I liked the gameplay of this so much better than the previous ones I've played. Also this was my first Taro Yoko game and what a great story with so many layers! I would highly recommend this game to anyone.
31. Forza Horizon 3 (XB1)
Completed Final Showcase: 4/1/17
Time: 20 hours
This is easily my favorite racer of all time. Simply sublime game that everyone should be able to experience. Will continue to play this game through the next year, but will go ahead and count it completed. Also picked up Blizzard Mountain and can't wait to try that!
32. Resident Evil 6 (PS4)
Completed Main Story (all campaigns): 4/4/17
Time: 18 hours
Um.....I'm not for sure what I played here. I enjoyed all the previous mainline Resident Evil games (as well as Code Veronica which was probably my favorite of the original 'style' of the series and Revelations 2). I had heard the not-so-great word of mouth of this game so I went in with tempered expectations but still was glad to be done with this.
33. Dark Souls III DLC - Ashes of Ariendel and The Ringed City (XB1)
Completed both: 4/13/17
Time: 8 hours
Due to the amount of content (and quality), this DLC will fall under a "game played" category for me. Comparing this DLC to most, it's great. However, after playing the DLC for the first two games in this series as well as the Old Hunters, I can't help but be a little let down. IMO, the weakest DLC of the 4 games. Still got much enjoyment out of it and very much worth the money.
Wow. Loved this game. I was let down by 6 when I played it a few weeks ago, but this brought the franchise back in spades. Easily my favorite RE game since 4 (have played 5, 6 and Revelations 2 in the last couple of years). It's been years since I played 1-4 and Code Veronica, so I don't want to compare in case of recency bias, but I do feel this is one of my top 3 games in the franchise.
35. Ryse (Xbox1)
Completed: 5/17
Time: 7 hours
I am making more of an effort to at a minimum try some of the PS+/GwG "free" games and this was one of them. Man, this was surprisingly good, esp after getting stuck and frustrated with Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, a refreshing palatte cleaner of a game. Is it an amazing game? No, but I'm very glad I played it.
36. The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild. (Switch)
Completed 5/17
Time: Dunno
Maaaaan this is easily GOTY for me so far and is the first game to challenge Bloodborne as my GoTG (Decade even). Easily my favorite 3D Zelda game and ranks up there with LttP as my favorite Zelda game overall. Beyond that I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said a thousand times on this board.
37. Golden Axe (Xbox1)
Completed: 5/17
TIme: 1-2 hours?
I got a Sega Genesis soon before I went to college, so I missed a lot of the classics on that console. I remember Golden Axe as a game I always wanted to try. It didn't age well. I still have fond memories of the side-scrolling beat-em-ups from the 16-bit era, but this one wasn't one of the better ones
38. Golden Axe II (Xbox1)
Completed: 5/17
TIme: 2ish hours?
See above, this falls under the same category. Except much more polished and enjoyable to it's predecessor.
39. Ys I (Vita)
Completed: 5/17
Time: 6-8 hours?
This was my first foray into the Ys series and man, did I enjoy it. Simple fun action RPG with a great soundtrack. Story was a bit simplistic and sparse for an RPG, even for the time this was first made. That's pretty much the only drawback I have about this great game
40. Alpha Mission II (Switch)
Completed: 6/17
TIme: 1-2 hours?
Um, I can't even imagine how ridiculously hard this game would have been on the OG Neo-Geo version with limited lives, etc. I found this game a bit frustrating and frankly bleh. Would not recommend to anyone. Many, MANY more shumps that are more fun.
41. Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Xbox1)
Completed: 6/17
Time: 25 hours or so
I completely solo'ed this game so I didn't get the experience it was designed for. That said, still not a bad game and I enjoyed it for the most part. I
didn't get the true ending
as I only took down 2 of the 4 branches of the cartel. The one thing I hated about the game kept me from doing it - which was the need to do little fetch quests in order to unlock each story mission. bleh
42. MLB The Show '17 (PS4)
Completed: 6/17
Time: ??
Love this game, love this franchise/series. By far my favorite sports game. Road to the Show alone is worth the price of the game.
43. DOOM (PS4)
Completed: 6/17
Time: 10-12 hours
Wow, I knew GAF spoke of this game in high regards, but daaaaaaamn, this game is great. So much fan running and gunning and blasting through a great campaign that had very little fluff to it.
More Forza 6 with the caveat is that some of the races force you to take pitstops. Beyond that, same Forza. After 70+ hours of playing Forza 6, I'm done with it. It's a great racing game, but for someone who is mainly a SP player, the progression system is soooo repetitive.
46. Ys II (Vita)
Completed: 7/17
Time: 12 hours or so?
More of the original Ys with the addition of magic. Great fun retro game. Look forward to playing more of the series on the Vita.
Another of my PS+ freebies. At first, I thought it was just another Horde/CoD Zombies game, but as I played it a little more, realizing the benefits of leveling up the perks, I was drawn more to it. That said, I put in enough time for now to feel satisfied with it and will throw it into my "done pile"
48. JumpJet Rex (Xbox 1)
Completed 7/17
Time: 3 hours
This was a game on the Gamepass and decided to try it since one of my sons loves (LOVES) dinosaurs. It was a bit too challenging for them, but they enjoyed watching me play through it. It's a solid throwback platformer.
49. Don't Die Mr. Robot (Vita)
Completed: /17
Time: 2 hours?
Another PS+ game I gave a try. It's a fun old-school shoot-em-up. I enjoyed it quite a bit and worthwhile to try out and play. Not a lot of replayability to it, but that's ok.
50. Splatoon 2 (Switch)
Completed: 8/17
Time: 15 or more hours
This is a game that I want to really love, but like most online-centric shooters, after 10-20 hours, I'm pretty much done with the concept. The SP mode is short and fun like the first, but the core of the game is online. After taking a break, I should give Salmon Run a legit try however.
51. Sonic Mania (Switch)
Completed: 8/17
Time: 5 hours
Good old-fashioned Sonic. I only played the Genesis Sonic games, and this was a great tribute to them. Nothing new, but definitely upgrade and polish on those games.
52. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (Vita)
Completed: 8/17
Time: 8 hours?
I had never played this originally even though my father and sister loved it on the PS2. This was a great game for me to play in bite size portions on the Vita. Loved almost everything about the game, and some of the levels changing the structure made it constantly feel fresh and not too redundant. The only thing I didn't like about the game were the two racing levels. Beyond that, superb game.
And with that I have finished the challenge three years in a row now!
1. Chrono Trigger, PSX version. Holds up well, but man are the load times on this version fucking unbearable at times.
#2 Dragon Quest Builders, PS4
Great game, very DQ. I love the premise is that it is a sequel to DQ1 but if the hero chose to side with the Dragonlord.
#3 Donkey Kong, NES Classic
So much fun, I love putting DK through the paces
#4 Drakengard, PS2
In prep for Nier:A I have been replaying the DOD games,1 holds up really well, so great. Played through all paths.
#5 Dragon Ball Fusions, 3ds
This was so, so good. Story was ok, but I loved catching all the characters and fusing. Too many bad OCs tho.
#6 Drakengard 2
2 does not hold up as well as 1. Nowe is annoying and overall it is just not as compelling of an experience.
#7 Resident Evil 7
Pretty much played nonstop for 2 days. Goddamn was it good. Great change of pace, but I have so many questions!
#8 Drakengard 3
Now DOD3 is amazing. I love Zero, and all of the paths are compelling as hell. I really hope after Nier:A we get a 4th DOD in the vein of 3.
#9 Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth
85hrs, 14min.
I really, really liked this game.
#10 Devil's Third, Wii U
Surprisngly fun little game. Not for $60, but would have been a great budget title.
#11 Dragon Quest 8, 3DS
Finished this for like the 4th time. First time on 3DS. Married Jessica just because.still one of the greatest games of all time.
#12 The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Nintendo Switch
Speaking of one of the greatest games of all time. This game is completely captivating. I was legitimately sad to see it end.
#13 Super Bomberman R, Switch
Finished the campaign with my daughter. A lot of fun. I wished it were longer. But still a great Bomberman.
#14 Doctor Mario Miracle Cure
3Ds. Cleared all the challenges on all difficulties. Fun game. Doctor Luigi da beds.
#15 Nier Automata
PS4. So good. So so good. I adore the Drakengard franchise and this is easily the best game in the franchise.
#16 Dragon Quest VII, 3DS
Well, it took me almost 20 years, but I finally finished it. I gave up on it multiple times on PSOne. And it has taken me MONTHS on 3DS. but I finally completed it. Fuck, this game just never ends, but it is really, really good. As streamlined as the 3DS version is, it could have used a little more fat cut.
Game #17 New Super Mario Bros. 2 Gold Edition, 3DS
It's fun, but probably the worst 2D SMB. There is some really great, elegant level design, but the game is so small and the coin gimmick really makes the game feel dirt simple. There is little to no challenge to the game.
#18 Dishonored
PC, 8ish hours
Bought this years ago but never got around to it until now. My laptop only has a 960M, and I am underway atm, so I installed it as it seemed like something easily handled and it was. It was fun, I got the High Chaos ending and saving Emily. For a "bad" ending it wasn't too bad, plus its way more fun murdering everyone than sneaking. And fuck Samuel, I cut him up on the shore when the bitch pulled a gun and tried to alert everyone to me.
#19 Call of Juarez Gunslinger
PC
Another one I am playing underway, as my laptop only has a 960M so I am going through some of my backlog. And holy fuck, I wish I had known how good this game was. The presentation, the level design, the shooting, everything is top notch. Holy fuck. But then I got to the end and chose the redemption ending and just laughed so hard. In the redemption ending, you save the dude and have a chat with a young Dwight D. Eisenhower. The ship I am stationed aboard is the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-69. So I accidentally turned into a super moto broad without meaning too, lol.
#20 Devil Survivor Overclocked
Been stuck in this game for awhile. Got to the last day underleveled and got crushed repeatedly. Also made a lot of bad decisions and got saddled with a shitty ending. Great game but I need to revisit it at some point
#21 Persona 5
PS4, 117 hrs.
I like this game a lot, but it is probably my least favorite in the series. I love the return to negotiating, the guns the return to traditional SMT style gameplay. But I think the story starts strong af. The first palace is captivating but from there everything becomes more and more boring and generic. I like the twist, but it's so weird and late. I think the dungeons are kind if boring and often the game feels more confined and restricted. But a few things really didn't sit well with me. The adult-minor relationships are gross especially.
#22 Guitar Hero Live
PS4
I played through the live mode and it was fun. I forgot how much i enjoyed this genre.
#23 Wonder Boy(Girl) The Dragons Trap.
Switch
This game was so much fun. Muscle memory kicked in and everything was exactly where I remember it. Played it with new graphics but FM sound. So much fun.
#24 Bravely Default
3DS, 40ish hrs.
I've stop started this game a ton of times since release but I finally pushed through, though I ended it and broke the crystal at ch6. Didn't have the patience to get the true ending. It's failures late in the game are well documented, no need to retread.
#25 Neon Genesis Evangelion Iron Maiden 2nd
PSP
A fun Eva VN set in the universe seen in ep 26 of the series. Its cute and fun, if shallow. I went with Ayanami. Which is kinda effed up since in the ending they have a kid, so Shinji has a child with the clone of his mother. Probably best not to think too much about it. Wish I coulda screengrabbed the ending for the Robocop cameo.
Game #26 Yakuza 0
PS4
Havent played a Yakuza title in a long ass time
, man I regret that. This game was so good, so much to do. I spent so much time fucking around and the story got me really into it as well.
Game #27 Yakuza, PS2
Since I loved 0, I jumped right back into the original game, despite having kiwami preordered. Game holds up in a lot of ways, but it is still rough in a lot of ways too though.
Game #28
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
PS4
For a palate cleanser, I played a short simple shooter. It was surprisingly a space navy game. I kinda enjoyed seeing small things like the flight deck crew skittle outfits. But yeah, kinda boring, very short.
Game #29
Letter Quest Remastered
PS4
Had no intention of playing through this in one sitting but here we are. Fun word game, I've been a sucker for these kinds of games since bookworm by popcap.
Game #30
Wolverine
Nes
Piece of shit but I played through it for fun. Took about an hour, but I totally cheated with infinite lives
#31 Lara Croft GO
Android
Played through it bit by bit on my phone, it was fun, if simple. I enjoyed the little puzzles and such
#32 & 33
Raiden FIghters, Raiden Fighters Jet
Android
Annoyed by the controls with my fingers covering valuable screen real estate. But great little shooters, so much fun. Kinda make me want to buy the boards, lol
#34
Yakuza 2
Wii U
Plugging through all the Yakuzas. Yakuza 2 has my favorite narrative in the franchise, and while being rough around the edges, in the FMVs especially, the HD remaster looks really, really good. And the game is as great as ever.
#35
Tekken 7
PS4
Completed the story mode. Great game, never enjoyed Tekken as much as VF, and certainly not as much as I love SNK fighters, but I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun even though Tekken has an insane narrative. Also, I have a much harder time pulling off a raging demon than in other games.
#36
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
PSP
I was really looking forward to this. Been meaning to play it for years. I love Falcom and I heard it had a wonderful world. I was INCREDIBLY disappointed. It was pretty cool mechanically, but it had a very bland plot and characters. Also I find the shit between Estelle and Joshua to be gross. Adopted or not, they grew up together and it is so fucking stereotypical she would fawn over him. Can't she just find her own way. And the fucking twist at the end was so eye rolling. Probably gonna leave SC on the shelf.
Game #37 Kirby in Planet Robobot
3DS
man, I loved this game. I love Kirby in general, but the robot stages, the shooter stages, the game is so damn charming. And has a ton of extra content too.
game 38
Yakuza 3, PS3
19 hrs.
The Yakuza ride continues with the 4th Yakuza game I've played this year, and the first real HD one(not counting playing 2 via the Wii U HD collection). And the games continue to be amazing. Love the franchise and the massive QoL jump playing 3 right after 2 is jarring. But yeah, they should really package up the whole franchise at some point, the Kazuma Kiryu collection.
Game 39
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood(remake)
PSP
Classic game, great remake and package. Nothing to be said about this that hasn't been said a thousand times.
Game #40
Ys
TurboDuo
Started up Book I & II, I know the newer releases are technically superior but I prefer the aesthetic of the original. A quickie, but I love the franchise so much, will probably get back to it and finish Ys II sooner rather than later.
Game #41
Game of Thrones(Telltale) Episode 1
PC, Steam
Started it up after catching up with the series. It was okay. But the format is def getting a bit stale and this one is years old at this point.
Game #42
Yakuza 4
PS3
The Yakuza marathon continues. Y4 is the weakest in the franchise IMO. It should have been focused more on Saejima, I think. His story was the best, and didn't get enough time.
Game 43
The 3rd Birthday
PSP
Third game in the Parasite Eve franchise. It was fun, but disappointing and went way out of its way to try and be a mindfuck. So much of it wasnt spelled out clearly and findingout you arent really Aya was kind of disappointing.
Game 44
Yakuza 5
PS3
Working my way through the Yakuza franchise still. Finished 5 just in time for Kiwami. I liked 5 a lot. Looking forward to 6 next year, and I wish I could stick with all of these characters. Huge improvement over 4. Looking forward to 6 and Kiwami. Gonna tackle Dead Souls later as well but not as invested in that of course.
Game 45
Ys II
TurboDuo
Finished Ys II as well. Holds up so great, love the 80s anime aesthetic over the remakes even if they are more technically sound.
Game 46
Yakuza Kiwami, PS4
Great remake of the first Yakuza, but I do feel like it reused too much from 0 and also I have mixed feelings about the game being more light hearted than the original. However Majima is amazing and love him.
Game 47
Yakuza Dead Souls, PS3
A gdecent little Yakuza romp that shows the RGG team played a lot of Left 4 Dead, lol. It isn't as bad as some make out, but really only worth it if you love this franchise.
Game 48
Word Connect, Android
I...had no idea there was an end to this game until I hit level 500 and it congratulated me, lol
Game 49
Ys: Oath in Felghana, PSP
Been slowly replaying Ys games. Wanted to replay Ys III for TurboDuo but my disc wouldn't read and the only other version I have is the SNES Wanderers.;_; Still Felghana is a technically better game anyways. So good.
Game 50
Metal Wolf Chaos, XBox
It's criminal this game isnt more readily available. It is so good. I miss the From that made crazy mecha games. This makes me want another FromSoft Gundam game, but the last one they made was Unicorn in 2012 and they have gotten a bit more notable in the years since churning out Souls games.
Game 51
Mass Effect Andromeda
PS4
It wasn't as bad as I had heard, but not as good as I had hoped. I particularly hated the twin thing and wanted to fucking kill myself everytime they said pathfinder. Also upset my choices didn't seem to matter at all.
Game 52
Metroid: Samus Returns
3DS
100%ed the game. So good. I missed Metroid. I really liked that it kept me on my toes, the enemies were actually threatening. Love that it sets up a new game too.
System count for fun:
NES-2
Playstation - 1
Playstation 2 - 3
PSP - 5
Playstation 3 - 5
3DS -9
Wii U - 2
PS4 - 12
Switch - 3
PC - 3
Android - 4
TurboDuo - 2
Xbox-1
53. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS4; 9.5/10) Sep 9
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: 3 hours
Comments: Great game.
54. Journey (PS4; 9/10) Sep 20
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: 2 hours
Comments: Another great game. Probably liked Brothers a little bit more. Also, like Brothers, I was happy to end the game and didnt have any desire to go after additional collectibles/trophies.
55. The Beginners Guide (PC; 8.5/10) Sep 21
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: About 4 hours
Comments: Very good but not as good as Stanley Parable
56. 9.03m (PC; 6/10) Sep 22
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: Under 1 hour
Comments: More experience than game, it wasnt that great.
57. The Graveyard (PC; 7/10) Sep 23
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: About 15 minutes
Comments: Another short experience
58. Virginia (PS4; 8/10) Oct 15
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: 2.5 hours
Comments: Very interesting game. Still not sure what exactly happened.
59. The Bunker (PS4; 8/10) Oct 21
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: About 2 hours
Comments: Really no challenge here, but I enjoyed the story and FMV quite a bit.
60-63. Arcade Game Series (PS4). Im going to put these all together. I finished/platinumed all 4. Galaga (7/10) Oct 22 is my favorite arcade game by far. Controls were just ok as all of these games were plagued by input lag of varying degrees. Im pretty good at Galaga but found myself fighting the controls and had to resort to save states to get the Challenging Stage trophies. Pac-Man (5/10) Oct 22 I finished the same day in about 90 minutes. The controls here were even worse, so the low score isnt for Pac-Man itself but for the crappy version. I really should have learned my lesson and stopped here, but I had decided previously to do all 4. Dig Dug (2/10) Nov 20 really tested my patience. Ive never been a fan of Dig Dug and the controls were really bad, so there was a lot of save abuse here. Ms. Pac-Man (5/10) Nov 20 I finished the same day, just like Pac-Man a month before. If anything, it was even easier than Pac-Man. These are pretty easy for trophies, if thats your thing, but the ports are pretty bad.
64. My Name is Mayo (PS4 and Vita; 2/10) Nov 22
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: Under 1 hour for each version
Comments: Im now fully questioning what Im doing with my life. Ive sort of developed an affinity for platinum trophies and will do a little more to get them (sort of lost interest in the 100% for each game) but this felt more like a research experiment than a game. I guess I failed.
65. Refunct (PC; 9/10) Dec 9
Endpoint: 100%
Time: About 1.5 hours
Comments: Fun, relaxing game. My young sons thought this was awesome and liked telling me where to go (especially through the tubes).
66. Batman: Telltale series (PS4; 8/10) Dec 16
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: Around 10 hours
Comments: I enjoyed it. Sure, there were some technical issues, but it didnt detract too much from my enjoyment of the game. I dont think this was as good as Walking Dead Season 1, Tales from the Borderlands, or Wolf Among Us, but Im anxiously awaiting Season 2.
67. Lara Croft Go (PS4; 9.5/10) Dec 23
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: Around 6 hours
Comments: Great game. Never played the mobile version and thought this was a little better than Hitman Go.
68. Her Story (PC; 9/10) Dec 23
Endpoint: 100%
Time: Around 3 hours
Comments: Great game, great actress.
Games in progress at the end of 2016: rop (iPhone) almost done, Hexcells Plus (PC) about 75% done, just got distracted from this for some reason), Just Dance 2016 (PS4) not much done, Star Wars Battlefront (PS4) just started, decided I wanted to do a big multiplayer game in 2017 and this was it, Get Fit with Mel B (PS3) about 80% done, still have plans to use PS3 for fitness/move games in 2017 and for a couple more off the backlog, Amnesia: Memories (Vita) about 20% done but Im not really that into this one, Volume (PS4) less than 20% done
1. Reigns (iPhone; 7.5/10) Jan 1
Endpoint: Almost all endings
Time: About 3 hours
Comments: So I rang in the New Year confined to my bed with severe back pain, with access to my iPhone and later my iPad. I thought this was entertaining but got repetitive pretty quickly. Didnt feel the need to do another playthrough to trick the Devil.
2. Ryan Norths To Be or Not To Be (iPhone; 8.5/10) Jan 1
Endpoint: Almost all endings, I think
Time: About 2 hours
Comments: I thought this was great, maybe its humor was amplified by the medications I was on. Convinced my sister who isnt at all into games to make this her first game purchase (though I suppose this is more choose your own adventure than traditional game).
3. Able Black (iPad; 8/10) Jan 2
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: About 2 hours
Comments: I was a little disappointed with this one, though it was definitely worth playing, being a huge fan of Device 6. It was well written, and the puzzles were pretty good. I had a couple of bugs that made me restart the game on my iPad Pro.
4. Blackbar (iPad; 7/10) Jan 2
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: About 1.5 hours
Comments: Interesting game but I didnt get that invested in the story.
5. Grayout (iPad; 8/10) Jan 4
Endpoint: Finished game
Time: About 2 hours
Comments: I liked this more than Blackbar. Story and characters were more interesting. I thought the synth soundtrack was appropriate for the mood of the game.
64. My Name is Mayo (PS4 and Vita; 2/10) Nov 22
Endpoint: 100%/Platinum
Time: Under 1 hour for each version
Comments: Im now fully questioning what Im doing with my life. Ive sort of developed an affinity for platinum trophies and will do a little more to get them (sort of lost interest in the 100% for each game) but this felt more like a research experiment than a game. I guess I failed.
#3 Devil May Cry 4 ★★★★ PS3 - Jan 5th - 7 hours
It was 7 hours well spent with DMC4, in fact I enjoyed it so much I played it in 2 sittings. I think it falls below DMC3 because of the backtracking but it's my 2nd favourite, the combat is on another level. Now where's DMC5?
Just finished Inside (PS4) as my third game so far. I love love loved it, until the last segment. Obviously won't put spoilers here, but I'll be doing my fair share of ending explanation reading today. Also got 100% of the trophies.
Next up: Dishonored II (XB1) and finishing the SW Battlefront II (PC/Steam) campaign.
I'll do the usual and give this another attempt, hopefully I won't fail like every other year!
Game #1 - INSIDE (Xbox One) 1000/1000 - 4hrs
My first short game of the year to help with my completion rate whilst working on some bigger titles.
Having played and finished Limbo sometime ago I knew what to expect from Playdead, and whilst a very similar formula I thought it was fantastic. My Girlfriend even what's to play it now (she's not a gamer) having watched a segment of gameplay. For anyone on the fence I would recommend it, and whilst I found some aspects of it to be a bit twisted it kept it really interesting.
Currently Playing:
Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One)
Overwatch (Xbox One)
As ive said in another thread im not one who can juggle lots of games at once, so I'm sticking with the formula of one Multiplayer game with my friends, one meatier game that will take me some time to get through and one shorter game (<20hrs). I am a bit of a completionist so I do like to get all of the achievements/trophies where possible.
I do have a list of games that ive compiled which I would like to complete this year on the current gen consoles, and if i get through that I would be very happy. I still have a few Xbox 360 and PC titles that I would like to get done too which aren't listed.
Xbox One/PS4 Backlog:
Bastion (Xbox One)
Bloodborne (PS4)
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (Xbox One)
Costume Quest 2 (Xbox One)
Dishonored Definitive Edition (Xbox One)
Doom (Xbox One)
EarthLock: Festival of Magic (Xbox One)
Fallout 4 (Xbox One)
Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One)
Final Fantasy XV (Xbox One)
God of War 3: Remastered (PS4)
Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox One)
Hitman (Xbox One)
Life is Strange (Xbox One)
Lords of the Fallen (Xbox One)
Metal Gear Solid V: TPP (Xbox One)
Metro 2033 (Xbox One)
Metro Last Light (Xbox One)
Quantum Break (Xbox One)
Recore (Xbox One)
Shovel Knight (Xbox One)
Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim SE (Xbox One)
The Last Guardian (PS4)
The Witcher 3 (Xbox One)
The Witness (PS4)
Titanfall 2 (Xbox One)
Transistor (PS4)
Uncharted 4 (PS4)
Unravel (Xbox One)
Watchdogs 2 (Xbox One)
Game 2: Completed Firewatch 4.5 hours
Seems like there are a few common games many of us have targeted to get us off on the right foot. INSIDE was the my first and it seems like Firewatch would be a game in a similar vein. Even though it's a narrative driven game, it couldn't be more different in style from INSIDE. Firewatch is a relaxing and chilled out and literally a walk through a lovely meadow. The melodrama felt completely forced and actually took something away from the conclusion of the game for me rather than accenting it. I think Firewatch is one of those titles that is going to stay with me for many years and I'll engineer in my mind that I loved it more than I actually did while playing it. That's a veiled recommendation if ever I wrote one
In Progress:
Dishonored 2 - end of chapter 4. Struggling with this game. It's fantastic but I'm not making any progress in it really. I can't stop myself from rinsing each level of content which is usually something that disappears by the 3rd level. It's only getting worse as I get more abilities which in turn gives me more confidence to take on the world! I might have to put it on the back burner for a while for that reason. It'll end up being a very expensive rental if I don't.
I should really concentrate on: Titanfall 2
Started the campaign for this and I can only echo what I've read elsewhere. Why in the world did the first game not have a campaign. This is fantastic. Great settings. A very Pacific Rim feel to the mech as they feel bigger than they are in reality. The traversal system is really solid and the gunplay is as wonderful as you'd expect from Respawn.
1: Pony Island - January 4th - 1.9 hrs
2: Undertale - January 5th - 6.3 hrs
3: INSIDE - January 7th - 3.6 hrs
4: Day of the Tentacle Remastered - January 22nd - 6.1 hrs
5: The Artist - February 19th - 5.6 hrs
Game 5: Hotline Miami (PS3/PS4/Vita/PC) - About 6-7 Hrs (1/5/2017)
#Pretty solid, retro styled, action game. I could see myself going through to epilogue eventually, but not any time soon. Loved the style and soundtrack a lot too.
In Progress:
Dragon's Crown - Final Boss (may need to grind a level or two though)
Doom - Mission 4 or 5
Kirby & The Rainbow Curse - World 6
I failed 2015 by some margin (think I only managed to hit 30 or so) and completely skipped 2016... 2017 IS GONNA BE MY YEAR
it won't but it's fun to try!
Game 1: Final Fantasy XV - January 5th - 81hrs
Overall it was a decent game even though chapter 13 seemed and some parts of the ending seemed to be stitched together at the last minute. Would have been amazing to see how this game would have turned out if it didn't have such a torturous development period.
Upcoming/backlog
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (about 80% done here)
- Doom
- Odin Sphere
First games done, so I'ma claim a post right here an now!
- Game #01
Kirby: Planet Robobot
System: 3DS
Date: 01/01/17 to 01/05/17
Time: 07:48:00
Alil quicker ta get through than Triple Deluxe but even cooler to play! The mech ended up not feeling gimmicky at all and instead was a real fun addition with its own copy powers and minor puzzley bits! I liked the just Kirby parts as well an how they built on the tricks an traps introduced in the previous game. Still love the foreground/background switching and interacting with one another. That stuff really adds more detail to a level and fun. Really good an of course, cute, platformer!
- Game #02
Chrono Trigger
System: DS
Date: 01/07/17 to 01/07/17
Time: 01:48:55
Zipping right to the final boss the first chance I had to after acquiring a full party was the right way to go! Saved a queen, got voted unanimously guilty and sentenced to death, and saved the future! What a wild ride an yet the games ending was real crappy. "Good Night"? Like c'mon game, how can ya be put to sleep by such an epic adventure?!
- Game #03
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
System: PS4
Date: 04/05/17 to 04/05/17
Time: 00:18:05
Had ta switch it down to very easy difficulty (after trying on regular Easy) but a wins a win! Poor documentation (no manual, control select doesn't actually tell you the controls, stuff no listed under command lists) sure didn't help any to ease me into the game. Real disappointed with the opening & ending... so bland and uncatchy compared to what the previous games had. Even with the downsides I look forward ta playing around with the game some more!
- Game #04
7th Dragon III Code: VFD
System: 3DS
Date: 07/06/16 to 04/26/17
Time: 29:49:00
Totally a very solid rpg all the way through. Outside of a couple brief segments I was having fun the whole time! "Dragons" being able ta force their way into random battles was a cool thing! Either ya wanna finish fights fast to avoid 'em or ya wanna draw 'em out in order to cutdown on running around to encounter dragons! Props to 'em for having different regular battle music per era, an lotsa battle themes in general. Always appreciated when rpgs do that. I didn't care for the art style or alot of the characters/dialogue but those didn't affect the gameplay fun so w/e. Oh an boy did the story go strange places!
- Game #05
Yakuza 0
System: PS4
Date: 04/11/17 to 05/06/17
Time: 49:42:00
I had some bias against the story & new characters going in since this is a prequel an all. On the plus side each of those turned out good! Still, knowing you'll never see these new characters again puts a damper on things. Loved playing the game at its basics, the usual Yakuza game stuffs! However this one was filled to the brim with "bloat" which just sucked. When ya lock upgrades to battle abilities behind wait-to-play mini-games you've fucked up. An very little was done to address some of the series now archaic baggage like laggy dialogue boxes an mashing the ever loving heck outta buttons for various reasons. Game was also kinda up its own ass with "ha ha wouldn't it be crazy if this happened to you in the future" junk. All that said I'm to forgiving an can't stay all that mad at it. An just like all the other Yakuza's I'ma replay it to a much higher completion rate in the future.
- Game #06
Azure Striker Gunvolt
System: 3DS
Date: 05/27/17 to 05/28/17
Time: 04:34:37
It started out nice an fun and became ridiculous by the end. The last set of stages were real bad an it didn't help that the final boss was crazy hard. At one point I just stopped fighting regular baddies an ran through a stage lol. Games much to punishing, you get a special bonus for having tons of kudos but 1 hit an they're all gone. Gunvolt's supposed to be able to go undamaged by attacks but I sure never figured out how that works. Theres also a pretty big problem in that a bunch of bosses can insta-kill you or have pits in their boss room. Pits I had the damnedest time determining where the edges were cause of all the visual clutter all over the screen -.-;; One quick positive is that the in-game clock is extremely accurate to real time. Always a nice thing to see in games.
- Game #07
Shining Soul II
System: GC (via GB Player)
Date: 05/19/17 to 06/21/17
Time: 15:02:56
Where the first game was fun in its super simplistic gameplay, this one is to! Except its bigger and better! There are now sidequests, optional dungeons, mid-bosses, and secret paths galore! The biggest improvement by far however is the music. It doesn't suck or get obnoxiously repetitive to listen to! This is abit harder than the original due to baddies being solid now meaning ya can't cheesily walk through 'em to avoid their attacks. Plus a handful of bosses are real bastards to beat! But ya know its all fine an good. 15 hours for a first playthrough? Still short & sweet!
- Game #08
Puyo Puyo Tetris
System: PS4
Date: 04/25/17 to 07/08/17
Time: 06:06:39
This is prolly one of the best puzzle games in awhile! Its loaded with modes including a story one of all things! Which was cute & fun! Got down to earth & weird gameplay styles so theres something for everyone. Nice music to! Had alot of fun with it save for simultaneous Puyo+Tetris battles which hurt my head but I gotta get back in there an give 'em another chance!
- Game #09
.hack//Infection
System: PS2 (via PS3)
Date: 08/11/17 to 08/18/17
Time: 08:17:53
Not a speedy run this year despite what the time shows. I read all the mail, boards, did the optional stuff, didn't skip the story an so on. Still a great start to a great saga!
- Game #10
Atelier Sophie ~The Alchemist of the Myterious Book~
System: PS4
Date: 05/18/17 to 08/24/17
Time: 35:44:33
I really enjoyed the first 20 hours of the game an would've enjoyed the last 15 had I known that story progression items could be made of literal trash and well below recommended level with no repurcussions! The game was a big step up over the other Ateliers I've played an the lack of deadlines was a huge reason! Being free ta do whatever, whenever at my own pace led me to care about spending more time finding better ingredients to make better items! Characters always being in town an marked on the map made event checking really simple! I also loved all the lil flavor text areas and items had!
- Game #11
.hack//Mutation
System: PS2 (via PS3)
Date: 08/22/17 to 08/31/17
Time: 09:04:55
Great continuation of a great saga! An much better planning on my part, completing alot of optional stuff during the main story instead of holding it for after! The story and challenge picked up but I prevailed in personal record time!
- Game #12
Final Fantasy VII
System: PS1 (via PSP)
Date: 01/31/17 to 09/04/17
Time: 68:20:05
I did a super thorough playthrough of this beyond any I'd done before for GAFs 30th Anniversary of Final Fantasy thread! Alls I need ta say about the games been said through the posts linked to this one!
- Game #13
.hack//Outbreak
System: PS2 (via PS3)
Date: 09/03/17 to 09/07/17
Time: 10:30:34
My least favorite of the original .hack games felt better this time through. Doing the optional Data Bug infested dungeons during the main story sucked far far less than doing 'em all in a row during the post-game! Gotta space those crappy dungeons out!
- Game #14
Ever Oasis
System: 3DS
Date: 08/09/17 to 09/11/17
Time: 23:59:00
The demo sold me on this! Fun action/rpg with very little handholding and prolly the right amount of challenge for me. I enjoyed town building & upkeep, discovering new dungeons, and battling here and there! Major problems was the your Oasis wasn't one big screen and instead seperated into many small ones for seemingly no reason. The other would be having to frequently swap party members during the back half of the game in order to progress through dungeons. That stuff I really liked the game as a whole! Its suprisingly cool original stuff like this that we should be getting deep into a systems life, so I'll never understand why people want 'em to die early.
- Game #15
.hack//Quarantine
System: PS2 (via PS3)
Date: 09/11/17 to 09/15/17
Time: 09:36:16
IMOQ completed! This run went very smoothly! I even worked out a nice strat for the final boss! The ending still gets to me btw!
6. The Little Acre - January 6th - ★★★★☆
I've broken my rule of not buying games at full price, but when I saw the trailer I had to buy it. It's so beautiful.
It has likeable characters, good enough story. Puzzles are very easy, which is a plus for me.
There's a trophy for completing the game in under 1 hour, but it took me between 2 and 3 hours. Positive because the game doesn't overstay its welcome, negative because the story has to be very simple. They explain all the motivation of the main antagonist in a couple of lines.
Encountered one bug, I reloaded the save and the bug had gotten worse, game crashed after a couple seconds.
I'm not entirely sure if it's worth $13. I would need to know more about the costs of having voice acting and hand drawn animations, but I'd guess it is worth it.
I need to clear out a huge backlog. Told myself I wouldn't buy any more games until I got through a good chunk of what I have waiting... so here goes:
COMPLETED GAMES:
1. INSIDE - Time Played: 3 hours
Picked this up on the last day of the Steam sale and played it through in one sitting. Only got 1 achievement but I don't think I'll go back for the rest, as they are the most gamified part of a game that really doesn't need it. INSIDE is really a great experience on many levels. The atmosphere is spot on, it maintains a sense of tension as you escape over and over by the skin of your teeth, but also lets you enjoy its dark sense of humour as you solve puzzles. I was never stumped for more than a few minutes on any one section, in fact I would almost say it was bordering on being a little easy. At the same time it was never not enjoyable, and I tend to give it a pass because of how well everything comes together. The ending is as a surreal a moment I've experienced in a game recently, but it's a great counterpoint to the slow build of the previous 2+ hours.
2. Waves - Time Played: 2 hours
Picked this up for less than a buck in a Steam sale a while back as it seemed like a fun little twin-stick shooter, and that's more or less exactly what you get. It bears more than a little resemblance to the gameplay of Geometry Wars 2, which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't an inferior game. Some of the game modes are almost identical, and only it's combo and slo-mo mechanics help separate it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I see no reason to go back.
3. Beyond Eyes - Time Played: 2 hours
I wanted to like this game much more than I ended up doing. The concept of leading a blind girl through a world that is filled in as you move through it, using your other senses to find a lost cat and solve puzzles along the way; it's a good one. The execution is lacking though. The watercolor styled art is pretty, but you spend most of your time looking at a bright white screen as the world fills in behind you. The puzzles are simple (and optional ones tied to achievements are scattered through the game). This wouldn't be so bad if your character wasn't so freaking slow. I understand she's a blind girl, but the game is literally 3 times longer than it should be because of her movement speed, and it's not a long game to begin with. It's a sweet, sad story, but by the end I just wanted to find the cat so I could be done.
4. One Finger Death Punch - Time Played: 12 hours
Proof if any was needed that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. This isn't a pretty game, you only press 2 buttons, and yet I've wrung a dozen satisfying hours out of this game. It appeals to your inner karate kid, and somehow makes you feel like a bad-ass while you hammer away at your joypad. This is a game designed to get you in the zone and keep you there for as long as you can handle it, and is an easy recommendation to anyone who is a fan of games that test your reflexes.
5. To The Moon - Time Played: 4 hours
This came out a little over 5 years ago, so it's interesting to look at back at how well reviewed this game was. Maybe one of the most well known "walking simulators", it's truly got an excellent concept for a story. The idea of stepping back through time via the memories of a dying man to fulfill his wish of going to the moon is destined to be a story full of sadness, but it does a fine job of keeping the mood light when it can. As a game built in RPG Maker, it's hard to immerse yourself in the world, and the dialogue has to do the hard work. It mostly succeeds, although the banter between the two doctors that you control is oddly full of pop-culture references that feels out of place. Really it's just worth playing for the story. It's complete, satisfying from beginning to end and it's great if you're a bit of a sap like me.
6. Wizorb - Time Played: 4 hours
I remember thinking that I would enjoy this game a lot more than I ended up doing so. An arknaoid style game with light RPG trappings? Sounds like a winner to me. The reality was... I got bored, quickly. The 8-bit presentation is charming, but leads to a relatively small feeling playfield that sees the ball just miss what you're aiming for all the time. You have a magic meter that gives access to fun little powers... that depletes so quickly it's always empty. Not a game I would ever revisit.
7. Refunct - Time Played: 1 hour
A tidy little puzzle-platformer that's over and done with super quick. Such a slight game I feel kinda bad putting it on this list to be honest.
Currently Playing:
Enter the Gungeon
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate
1. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - PS3 - Finished on 04.01 - 22 hours - ★★★★☆
Performace on PS3 is horrible. Still a fun game though.
2. Assassin's Creed: Revelations - PS3 - Finished on 23.01 - XX hours - ★★★★☆
Man two AC Games in a row is pretty tough to do. Hidden-Blade-Hock thingy was nice for movement and Story was alright.
3. Assassin's Creed: Rogue - In Progress
4. Assassin's Creed: 3 - In Progress
5. Dragon Quest Builders - In Progress
6. Darkest Dungeon - In Progress
7. WoW ( till Nighthold HC Clear ) - In Progress
8. Let it Die - In Progress
9. Yo-Kai Watch - In Progress
10. Dragon Quest 8 3DS - In Progress
This is a PnC game set in a medievil like setting with anthromorphic animals.
While it started out OK, and I would've dismissed it as a decent PnC game, the thing that greatly soured me about the game are the MAZES.
This game has about 4-5 mazes that you need to figure out how to navigate in order to progress, and they are of this variety-
I ended up resigning to using a walkthru to beat it. It did have a few funny moments but overall...I wouldn't recommend playing it unless you want to check out every PnC game under the sun.
I will say this though, the game's ending was a bit of surprise, and I won't deny that I'd be interested in seeing a sequel long as they get rid of the friggin' mazes.
Overwatch (Battle.net)
Rocket League (Steam)
Stardew Valley (Steam)
Firewatch (Steam)
Shadowverse (Steam)
Final Fantasy XV (PS4)
Final Fantasy XIV : Heavensward (Steam/SE)
For Honor (Steam/Ubi)
Fire Emblem Heroes (iOS)
Ys I Chronicles+ (Steam)
Yakuza 0 (PS4)
The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild (Switch)
Hyper Light Drifter (Steam)
INSIDE (Steam)
Persona 4: Golden (PSVita)
Ryse: Son of Rome (Steam)
Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (PC) - 65 Hours - ★★★★☆ 1/5/17
I have a few issues with how some of the plot was resolved, but beyond that TitS and TitS SC are quintessential JRPGs with a lot of heart. The battle system isn't overly complicated and there can be some kind of long fights, but it is very satisfying to figure out and try to master. The characters are mostly great, I say mostly, because I'm one of a few who don't really like the main character Estelle (everyone else seems to be head over heels with her... I don't see it. Literally every side character is more interesting than her). The music is a real strong point, I hum The Whearabouts of Light constantly, and music doesn't normally stick in my head very well. Great sense of world structure and it has varied and interesting side quests that contribute to the main story proportionally by how much you put into them. I wish they cut about 10 hours of fat from the end game though, it could have been a tighter experience. I found myself rushing to finish it by the end.
Next step will probably be Rusty Lake Hotel, Wolfenstein: The New Order, or Limbo.
In. Don't think I'm going to make it to 52, but I want to at least beat more than 23 which was the amount of games I completed last year.
I'm going to also write short impressions right after I beat a game to record my first thoughts. Most will be a jumble of thoughts with very little critical thinking involved.
1. Abzu - 01/05
Pretty game. Music is fantastic. Didn't enjoy it as much as Journey. 3D is harder to control than 2D so the movement didn't flow as well.
Super cute little stealth puzzle game. I actually ended up getting the best score and all the collectibles on each stage because I got super into perfect runs (the curse of stealth games where you restart as soon as you mke a mistake lol). Its not very long, and its a mobile port, but I thought the mechanics were great and I just love the look of it. Theres a simple level up system to improve your health or damage from your sword and bow, vrious items you unlock throughout the campaign, overall just pleasant little game. Well worth a playthrough, especially if you like stealth games.
I'm going to claim a spot and give this a try. 11.5% complete
1: Jak and Daxter TPL (PS3) - (completed Jan 7th - 13 hours).
My first J&D game and it definitely felt like an old school game. Solid platforming and good controls. No platinum for me, I dont feel like going back to collect what I missed. Good start to the year .
2. Watch Dogs 2 (PS4) - (completed Jan 14 - 26 hours).
very fun game, might be my favorite open world game by far. Everything is detailed and just plain fun. I never felt bored or the city was to mundane like a real life city. It was colorful, full of life, and a ton of interesting landmarks worth exploring. Variety in side missions and it wasnt a huge collectathon either. I got the plat but still have some side missions and other stuff to do, not to mention dlc. I also found the MP to be a blast especially the public events when another player was nearby. Solid 9/10 for me.
3. For Honor (PS4) - (completed Feb 22 - 14 hours). competed the story on hard, it was just a big tutorial for each class. Not very good IMO. I've prestiged with the knight class and the Viking class. I'm enjoying the PvP up in your face kinda action. I could see this being my go to PvP game for awhile.
4. Lego Jurassic world (PS4) - (completed Feb 26 - 22 hours). Bought it on sale awhile ago and finally got to playing it. I'm a huge fan of the movies since I was a kid. This Lego game has open world hubs but not near the collect a thons of the more recent avengers game. These games are relaxing and really chill for me. A solid 9/10 and a pretty easy platinum for collectors, I really recommend it if you like the movies.
5. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) - (completed March 11th - 48 hours). A definite 10/10 for me. The most fun game i've had in quite awhile. I platinum'd the game and still kept going with side quests and other hunts. IF you own a PS4 and you don't own this game yet you're missing out on the best new IP this gen.
6. Assassins Creed Liberation (PS3) - (completed March 18th - 12.5 hours). Pretty mediocre AC game. I feel like it was a wasted opportunity for the protagonist Aveline and the setting was really good. But it was pretty tedious with collectibles and side missions. I got the platinum, but at what cost? There's plenty of other worthy AC games.
7. The Mark of Kri (PS2 on PS4) - (completed April 14th - 7 hours). - I remembered playing this as a kid. Unfortunately it doesn't holdup very well. Maybe God of War was inspired by this because it felt like the infant stages of the series. Sony San Diego was the developer, which they are mostly known now for MLB the show series. It was a nice nostalgia trip for a short time.
Were going to start things off with Shovel Knight, a lovely little game that I finally got around to playing after Christmas. A lot has already been said about how charming its graphics are, how wonderful its soundtrack is, how tight the gameplay feels, and how emotionally affecting its story manages to be using probably less than two dozen lines of dialogue. I wont go into those things too much other than to say yeah, Shovel Knight is charming as all hell and you should play it.
Im going to try and pick at least one interesting decision the developers made with each game and dig into why I think they did or didnt work. And the most interesting thing about Shovel Knight is
Losing Money When You Die
The levels of Shovel Knight are jam packed with treasure. Enemies drop gems. Piles of jewels are strewn across the ground. Every few screens a hidden chest disgorges more riches for you to collect. All of this contributes towards the amount of money you have, which you can use between levels to purchase upgrades. These upgrades range from increasing your health to buying powerful and unique magical items to improving your armor and attack abilities. But to keep the money you found you need to make it to the end of a level, and if you die along the way you lose a substantial chunk of the money you have on hand.
It doesnt disappear forever though. After you respawn at a checkpoint, the money you lost remains exactly where you died, floating in a series of satchels with wings, often right over a pit or next to dangerous spikes that require clever and risky maneuvering to recover. Make it back to where you died, snatch up the lost gold, and youve lost nothing. Die again on the way and its gone forever. Its a great mechanic, and its often compared to the game Dark Souls in which you drop your collected souls (a similar currency) when you die and need to make it back to your point of death to retrieve them. The primary difference is that in Dark Souls you lose all the souls youre carrying up to that point, while in Shovel Knight you lose only a substantial chunk of your money (I didnt keep exact track but it seemed to usually be around 25%).
This difference is exactly what makes this decision so interesting. Viewed from a distance losing your money in this way is not actually particularly punishing. I died with fair frequency and wasnt always able to retrieve all of my money and I still completed the game with plenty of extra health, every magic item, and a few choice upgrades to my armor. But in the moment of your death you often arent thinking that clearly. Your little Shovel Knight dies, his body disgorges the sacks of money, neatly labelled to let you know exactly how much you lost, and your first thought is I gotta get that back!. And when you reach the point of your death there it is, hanging in the air, tempting you. Sure, you could just run past it and through the obstacles that defeated you before but its right there! If you took just a slightly greater risk maybe you could snatch it up on the way. Everything about this process is designed to tempt you into overextending and retrieving your lost cash, even if you could probably afford to lose that 1000 gold.
Im going to approach this Game Makers Toolkit style and talk about what design lessons I think we can take away from this. And the lesson I would say we should take away from the implementation of Shovel Knights death mechanic is: players arent carrying a spreadsheet of optimal play information in their heads, and you can fudge more with perception of difficulty than you might think. If you find clever ways to make things seem more difficult and punishing than they actually are you can create an impression of old school challenge without recreating the controller snapping frustration that came with it. This death mechanic works because its a slight bit of misdirection; you probably dont remember all the shop prices in the middle of a level, so you lack the context for how bad your loss of gold actually is (or rather, how bad it isnt), and that gold loss has an impact on your immediate experience but doesnt ruin your progression once you make it back to the shop.
I loved Shovel Knight. I loved its music (seriously) and its characters and all of the smart lessons it learned from the older classics, and I love how well thought out this death mechanic was.
January
1. Diablo 3(PS4)-Started from scratch and completed main campaign and expansion.
2. Here They Lie -Genuinely creepy/disturbing atmosphere but not a very good game.
3. Titanfall 2- Just a casual FPS fan but wow was that a great campaign.
4. Loading Human- I payed half price and still felt like i paid to much. Buggy game with bad controls/story/puzzles.
5. Valiant Hearts- Wow, this one was great. fun little puzzles and loved the story/characters.
6. A Boy and His Blob- A fun and charming adventure game with puzzles that make you think but aren't hard enough to be frustrating
7. Limbo- a 2d black and white game that seems more gruesome than most AAA action and horror games
8. Until Dawn:Rush of Blood- Good on-rails shooter. Crazy giant spiders and the last level got real crazy. If you have PSVR, I recommend.
9. Tearaway Unfolded- Fun platformer oozing with charm.
10. Resident Evil Vll- Played the whole game in VR. If there is a VR killer app out then this is it. Amazing experience.
February
11. Abzu- Not much in terms of gameplay but wow is it beautiful.
12. Infamous: First Light -Was interested in this game and actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
13. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - Pretty fun game, good campaign but I still liked Titanfall 2 better.
14. Little Big Planet 3- OK game, short main campaign, fun to check out what other people have created.
15. Never Alone- Annoying when your AI controlled partner dies on their own but otherwise a solid platformer.
16. How We Soar- It was alright but it felt like I was flying on slow motion the entire time
17. The Last Guardian- Its a pain in the ass 95% of the time due to terrible controls but it has one hell of an ending
18. Dishonored- Great Game. I wanted to play it again because I'm planning on playing the sequel in the near future.
19. Tales From the Borderlands- Most fun I have had with a Telltale game that i have played.
March
20. Trine: Enchanted Edition- Fun puzzle platformer. I loved how the backgrounds of the game looked.
21. Strider- Really fun metroidvania game. Check it out.
22. Journey- Visually looks great. I dont think I'd have liked it as much without the multiplayer aspect to it.
23. The Last of Us Remastered- Good game. Gameplay shares a lot of similarities to Uncharted but I found this more fun.
24. Trine 2- Not much innovation, just more of what the original did which isn't bad at all.
25. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris- Ok game. I wouldnt pay money for it but its alright for a ps plus game.
April
26. Batman: A Telltale Series- Huge performance issues, otherwise exactly what you'd expect from a Telltale game.
27. Stick it to the Man- Ok game. I really dont have a strong opinion of it one way or another.
28. Transformers Devastation- This might have been the first Platinum game I've played. It had surprisingly fun combat.
29. Assault Android Cactus - Really fun twin stick shooter.
30. Mortal Blitz - A really fun, but short, PSVR shooter. If you can find some space, the ability to move around adds to the fun
31. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan - Same formula as Transformers. Good gameplay, repetitive enviroments.
32. Counterspy- Pretty fun 2.5D stealth action.
May
33. Assassins Creed: Freedom Cry- Just like Assassins Creed Black Flag. Mostly fun game with great sailing and frustrating controls on land
34. The Legend of Korra- I heard bad things about this game but I really enjoyed it. Absolutely worth it if you grab it on sale.
35. Gravity Rush Remastered- Really fun game. Love the gravity mechanic. Glad i picked it up during the sale.
36. Time Machine VR- Its like they created a couple of underwater enviroments, threw a few dinosaurs in it and then tried to make a game around it. Not recommended.
37. Farpoint- Amazing. Really enjoyed the game and the Aim controller was a blast to use.
38. Fated: Silent Oath- Short and no smooth turning option. Other than that it was outstanding.
39. Marvel Heroes Omega- Completed all chapters in story mode. Fun Diablo style game. Was able to beat it without spending a dime.
June
40. Uncharted 4 - I'm not a huge fan of the series but still enjoy them somewhat. This is more of the same, good story, fun characters and ok gameplay.
July
41.Roundabout- You are a limo driver that drives in circles instead of straight, It was featured on websites for its live action cutscenes, It was worth what I paid for it, less than $2.
42. Infamous: Second Son- Had no interest in this game until I played First Light and I really enjoyed it.
August
43. Super Hot VR- Amazing. Makes you feel like an action hero. A must play for any VR enthusiast.
44. Eagles Flight- Pretty fun flying around a deserted Paris. The aerial combat was really fun.
45. God of War III Remastered- Fun combat, mediocre platforming, hated the story and characters.
46. Trine 3: Artifacts of Power-didnt like having to unlock levels by collecting items and had a cliffhanger ending but otherwise enjoyable.
47. Ratchet and Clank- Great platformer/shooter. Really enjoyed the variety of weapons and upgrade system.
48. Statik- Fun puzzle game for PSVR. Really cool how they throw you in situations without explanations and just let you figure it out.
49. Until Dawn- Amazing game. Really impressive how they managed to blend so many different horror genres together.
September
50. Rise of the Tomb Raider- unpopular opinion but while there are things I like about Uncharted more I like the rebooted Tomb Raider more.
51. Batman: Arkham Asylum- Button mashy combat, detective view and inaccurate controls should have ended up as a bad game. This game is better than the sum of its parts.
October
52. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier- Enjoy them even though Telltale sucks at writing interesting characters, They seem to write a certain number of them just to be nothing more than assholes.
Just finished Oxenfree. Will update my original post with some thoughts next week, but in short, I really really enjoyed it. Narrative driven games had a good year in 2016.
Another PnC I just beaten. It's set in a fantasy world where a crazed Super Joker goes around causing behind the scenes mischief. You play as Brandon who must embark on a quest to stop him.
Unlike most PnCs of the time there wasn't any optional dialog or various commands to use like say Monkey Island. You mainly clicked to move, talk, pick up stuff or use items.
Despite the simple controls, the game suffers from having you walk through various screens just to reach certain locations needed to progress through the game.
Worst of all is this place
This friggin' place
IT'S A FREAKIN' MAZE
I HAD MY FILL WITH THIS CRAP IN INHERIT THE EARTH AND WESTWOOD PULL THIS SHIT ON PEOPLE?! HOW WERE KIDS SUPPOSED TO BEAT THIS THING?!
And to make matters worse, apparently you HAD to take with you a flower before progressing to the final chapter because if you don't you can't progress at all meaning you gotta reload a prior save or start all over again.
Don't even get me started on whether this game gave ACTUAL hints to solving certain puzzles or how to progress through certain parts of the game.
I don't know if I'd recommend this game, but I'm gonna play Kyrandia 2 and 3 next which I hope won't be as irritating to play through and is more fun(ny).
#1. Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir [PS4 48 Hours]: A really fun and pretty Vanillaware game, enjoyed the story. Playing through the game essentially five times only to get to an unintuitive end-game sequence caused a slog, but the characters were different enough that I enjoyed it.
#2. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition [PS4 8 Hours]: Having played the 360 version when it first came out the improvements are immediately apparent, but it is in essence kind of a generic game.
#3. The Witness [PS4 6 Hours]: Replayed this just to see things I missed, still a clever game.
#4. Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed [Vita 10 Hours]: I'm a sucker for this series brand of game humor. Game-play is piss easy but it was serviceable.
#5. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix [PS3 15 Hours]: Only a few more days until 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue.
#6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword [Wii 24 Hours]: Only on my fourth play-through have I become aware of some of its weird pacing in the middle, but the overall game and the climax are far worth it.
#7. Gravity Rush 2 [PS4 22 Hours]: That ending is so unsatisfying it hurts. Edit: Well Fuck me, I take it back and feel double opposite now.
#8. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Fragmentary Passage [PS4 3 Hours]: Game looks phenomenal, but it plays slightly Janky and I'm not sure how well this game represents KHIII.
#9. Kingdom Hearts 3D HD [PS4 18 Hours]: God when is Kingdom Hearts III coming out? Kingdom Hearts at 60 FPS is mind-blowing and I can't wait for KHII Final Mix HD second remix.
#10. Axiom Verge [PS4 9 Hours]: Rare that you find a game inspired by Metroid 1 as much as this game is.
#11. The Order 1886 [PS4 6 Hours]: Story and World are interesting but the game just got so boring.
#12. Fire Emblem: Heroes [Mobile 8 Hours]: A neat simple basic Fire Emblem experience that I totally beat without spending a single dollar.
#13. Super Mario Run [Mobile 4 Hours]: A neat New Super Mario Bros. game.
#14. MegaTagmension: Blanc+Neptune Vs. Zombis [Vita 10 Hours]: Got nothing...see above
#15. God Eater 2: Rage Burst [PS4 40 Hours]: More God Eater, always appreciated.
#16. The Last Guardian [PS4 16 Hours]: The atmosphere and progression is amazing, but the AI behind Trico leaves much to be desired.
#17. Nioh [PS4 30-40 Hours]: It was a very enjoyable take on Souls' game design, there are some major flaws in enemy design but a lot of the later bosses fix a lot of their problems. Japanese Lore is always fun but it was weird being able to predict what most of the bosses in this game were going to be based on my limited knowledge of myths.
#18. Corpse Party [3DS 9 hours]: Great atmospehere, great music, love that it was originally an RPG maker game.
#19. F-Zero X [WiiU 5 Hours]: I know now why F-Zero fans are sad that there has not been a sequel.
#20. Y's: Ancient Ys Vanished [PC 4 Hours]: It's like if a Zelda II played like a Link to the Past.
#21. Y's II: Ancient Y's Vanished Final Chapter [PC 6 Hours]: That is a pretty good direct follow up, props to the full title of this game.
#22. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [Switch 50 Hours]: It's good, no where near my favorite Zelda. Everything just felt kind of safe. Final battles were kind of a let down.
#23. Nier: Automata: Ending E [PS4: 30 Hours]: GOTY
#24. Gravity Rush 2: Raven's Choice [PS4 2 Hours]: Half stealth section, Half monster gauntlet but I love Raven's theme and I'm glad it confirms my own fan-theory.
#25. Dark Souls III: The Ringed City: [PS4 10 Hours]: That final boss is an apology for the rest of the DLC bosses preceding it.
#26. Nier: Automata: Ending E [PS4: 40 Hours]: GOTY, no I'm serious though.
#27. Bye-Bye BoxBoy [3DS 7 Hours]: Truly the greatest trilogy of our generation.
#28. Persona 5 [PS4 80 Hours]: Worth the wait.
#29. Specter of Torment [3DS 4 Hours]: A great remix of Shovel Knight that takes a minute to get used to, the homing attack is quite fickle though.
#30. Kamiko [Switch 1.5 Hours]: It's 5 bucks and it's basic arcadey Hyper Light Drifter.
#31. Puyo Puyo Tetris [Switch 6 Hours]: Tetris is great but Puyo Puyo makes me realize how much I suck.
#32. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe [Switch x Hours]: A pretty version with a fun battle mode added.
#33. Steins;Gate 0 [Vita 12 Hours]: The video game equivalent of Rogue One; fun but totally unnecessary to the greater story.
#34. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix HD 60FPS [PS4 13 Hours]: <3 I will buy every version of this game I don't care <3
#35. Flower [PS4 3 Hours]: plays like the tech demo for Journey
#36. 2048 [Life: Fucking Years]: Finally! Finally did it!
#37. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia [3DS 24 Hours]: Weird but enjoyably challenging.
#38..Pokemon Puzzle League [3DS 45 Minutes]: It was 2 in the morning, I bought it and beat it. Will do hard mode later.
#39. Doom [PS4 15 Hours]: Very fun, some of the later levels get frustrating with the waves. Bosses are ok.
#40. Akiba's Trip [Vita 6 Hours]: What a solid game buried under a thick veneer of Otaku bait.
#41. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes [PS4 30 minutes]: Still a much more even experience than TPP, can't believe it's already been 3 years.
#42. Crash Bandicoot [PS4 6 Hours]: I don't remember what the original was like bit if this game was as 1:1 a re-creation as advertised I'd say that it's aged well.
#43. Ever Oasis [3DS 18 Hours]: For Grezzo's first non-Zelda game I though it was fun, but it never really does anything new or ambitious; a solid 8.
#44. Crash Bandicoot 2: [PS4 5 Hours]: Still really good but that final boss battle is really disappointing.
#45. Crash Bandicoot 3: [PS4 4 Hours]: I forgot the wide variety of levels on display. As a whole I would say the trilogy has stood the test of time.
#46. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age [PS4 20-40 Hours the speed up thing is weird]: An already great game made slightly better by the visual upgrade and the Job system integrated.
#47. HyperDimension Neptunia Rebith [Vita 25 Hours]: For as nothing as the spin-off games are the remake is actually a solid, if not incredibly grindy, RPG.
#48. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain [PS4 23 Hours]: My second tour through this game was definitely easier knowing the ins-and-outs but the flaws and the disappointment are still very apparent.
#49. Tales from the Borderland [PS4 12 Hours]: Probably Telltales best game since Walking Dead Season 1. I think the formula works better with comedies rather than drama. Genuine belly laughs were had.
#50. Fate/Extella [Switch 20 Hours]: Okay musou, Story is way too wordy.
#51. Just Cause 3 [PS4 25 Hours]: Fun, but open world games are really turning into fun vampires for me. The fact that you can tether the final boss and kill him in seconds is amazing though.
#52. Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero [PS4 6 Hours]: Shantae games have always been fun, this one is no different.
#53. Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry [PS4 4 Hours]: I like the idea of a really short Assassin's Creed Game. I wonder how much like this and IV Skull and Bones will be?
#54. Danganronpa 2: Good-Bye Despair [Vita Hours]: While the cases and story improved, the mini-games are made worse. Having played the V3 demo I can at least say I am looking forward to that.
#55. Ys III: Oath in Felgana [PSP 10.5 Hours]: I miss the bump system, but even then this was an enjoyable romp.
#56. Yakuza Kiwami [PS4 22 Hours]: I never played the original but I can feel the added content trying to drag this game out longer than it ever was. Still enjoyed it for what it's worth. Also "Amazing Grace" Why? Why?
#57. Uncharted [PS4 8? Hours]: So having finally played this game for the first time I can say that it's interesting, no the shooting that's super boring, but seeing the game figure out the platforming and the prototypical punch lasers. PS4 version looks amazing.
#58. Shadow of Mordor [PS4 Hours]: What a boring game.
#59. Metroid: Samus Returns [3DS 10 Hours]: A solid remake I really liked the original and I think that this game does a good job of remixing it. Good job Mercury Steam
#60. Pokemon Sun [3DS 30 Hours]: I thought this game would be the least replayable in the series but boy am I glad I was wrong, just as hyped now as I was almost a year ago when I first beat it. Here's hoping for Ultra Sun.
#61. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves [PS4 9? hours]: More boring shooting. Set pieces are nice and the platforming is improved; okay 2 steps forward multiple buggy steps back. Story's fun at least.
#62. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception [PS4 7 Hours]: God I hate the shooting. Once again the set pieces are nice but the game feels like a step down from the previous game.
#63. DanganRonpa V3 [Vita 20 Hours]: Great story, great cases, good mini-games, least worse Hangman's Gambit.
#64. Vanquish [PS3 4.5 Hours]: It's like Revengence with guns. Short, Sweet, plays amazingly.
#64. Y's IV: Memories of Celcetta [Vita 20 Hours]: Same as the previous Y's games; Simple but well written story, Solid game-play but nothing revolutionary.
#65. Fire Emblem Warriors [Switch nebulous Hours]: Great game but I feel like the content is going to run out a whole lot quicker than Hyrule Warriors.
Completed a 684 years long Crusader Kings 2 campaign for an achievement that I've had going for a while.
Very fun strategy game, but boy does it turn into a bit of a slog of rebel stomping and just deciding events for full game length when you manage to stabilize into a great power of Europe, becoming able to reliable drop 100k+ troops into an enemy.
Pokemon Sun remaining, and then it'll be fresh stuff after.
#4 Ratchet and Clank: Nexus ★★★.5 PS3 - Jan 7th - 6.30 hours
Short but good entry in the series, frame rate drops below 30 is disappointing coming off the 60fps games. Got all the collectables, might go back and play it on challenge mode one day and get the platinum.
. Loved these games last gen and this game in particular was my favorite game from last gen - the only one that I played through twice during that generation. I still love this game. The pacing of the game was close to perfection, never a dull moment. I have never been the biggest fan of the Killer Croc sequence, but no game is perfect.
