Phantom Soldier is my 53th game this year, I hope I can reach 100 this time.
I've played many bad games this year, but bad ones were short, so there is that.

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OP.

11. INSIDE (PC) - 3.4 Hours - 6/30/2017 ★★★★☆
INSIDE is basically LIMBO+ for 80% of the game. It has the same compartmental puzzle platforming sections with sufficiently satisfying solutions and subtle storytelling through background imagery and scene progression. The only part of the game that effectively separates it from LIMBO is

Spoiler

the last portion of the game, which flips the power dynamics of the game and you become the horrible monster everyone is running away from. It is quite the ending and definitely worth playing through the rest of the short game for.

12. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PC) - 9.3 Hours - 7/9/2017 ★★★☆☆
Hotline Miami 2 is an interesting sequel to a classic. It does everything you think a sequel should do. It's bigger, it has more content and story, it has a level editor, and it retains the same core game play and atmosphere that made the original an instant hit. That said it still doesn't come off anywhere near as good as the first one. As a game it felt too long actually, it overstayed its welcome. The bigger levels were actually a flaw and made them more frustrating to complete especially towards the end where one mistake would erase the last 5-10 minutes of flawless work you did. I still enjoyed it and the music was potentially even better than the first. Only play it if you really liked the original. Even then don't be afraid to put it down if you feel something is off.

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Currently working my way through Tales of the Borderlands... which I'll keep as one game I guess. It feels cheap to divide out the individual episodes.

People who have completed the challenge will be posted here, please remember to send me a PM with your post once you’re done!

Arthea

Original Post

Game #22: Word with Friends - ~10 Hours, Ongoing
Platform: iOS
Recently started playing Word with Friends again with Family and Friends. Always have at least 10 games going at the same time. It was nice to take a year long break from this game.



Game #23 - Clash Royale - 8 hours, ongoing
Platform: iOS
Another Mobile game I took a long break from. I was playing in a GAF clan, went on vacation and was kicked for inactivity even with a prior notice. So...that killed it for me. Got the urge to play again with all the updates and how much easier it is to get cards. The game is as fun as I remember, wonder how long it will take me to get burned out.



Game #24 - Golf Clash - 7 Hours, Ongoing
Platform: iOS

Fun Golf game to kill time with friends and compete globally.

OP

Game 17: SUPERHOT (PC) 25/06/17 - 26/06/17 2.1 Hours
SUPERHOT IS THE MOST INNOVATIVE SHOOTER I'VE PLAYED IN YEARS!

Game 18: Refunct (PC) 26/06/17 - 26/06/17 0.4 Hours
It took about 30 minutes or so to complete the game and get all the achievements. Very calm and relaxing game, can't really fault it besides it being very short.

Game 19: Blue Estate (PC) 28/06/17 - 28/06/17 2.6 Hours
Fun on rails shooter that felt was funny sometimes and sometimes really silly.

Game 20: We Were Here (PC) 03/07/17 - 03/07/17 2.2 Hours
A free game on Steam that is online co-op and requires both players to have microphones to help each other solve puzzles to proceed into the game. You had one player on the mic givings instructions to help solve the puzzles and the other player describing the area and symbols that appear in the area they're in. It's pretty fun and managed to complete two runs of the game with both roles being played with my usual co-op friend. The 2nd run was a breeze because we already knew how to solve after the 1st run and we just did it for the achievements.

Game 21: Axiom Verge (PC) 02/07/17 - 12/07/17 12 Hours
Such a good Metroidvania that I can't believe I didn't touch for like 2 years due to my backlogs But I'm glad I finally played and finished it. It totally gave me the Metroid itch I was feeling since Nintendo revealed Samus returns for the 3DS later this year, which I am totally looking forward to.

Actually at #44 games, last game played: Wonder Boy The Dragon's Trap

LINK TO THE MAIN POST

I think I will make it this year!

25h-ish.. Best ending, the Talos.

Warning: Mimetized spoilers ahead. Use your psychoscope.

While I played Prey I thought this was the anti-Doom, because of the many parallelisms and the many differences. In both games, you have to eradicate an alien menace from a space station, one that was unleashed by the humans themselves that tried to harness it.

But in Doom, ammo and powerful guns are everywhere, while in Prey, firepower is limited and ammo is scarce. Instead of being an one-man army that obliterates big groups of enemies, you have to use your resources smartly and you will need to run away or hide constantly, because the difficulty, even in Normal and Easy, is sometimes punishing.

Still, I did like the game very much - the sense of dread, the survival horror-esque tactics, the way upgrades are handled, everything is all very System Shock-y. In fact, this game would be a better Bioshock 3 than Infinite was. I'm taking off a whole star because of the inexplicably hard, even for Prey standards, mission "Repo Man" (which is only easy if you take one of two very specific upgrades) and the weak ending sequence.

My Score: ★★★★☆

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27. Europa Universalis III - 50 hours
Still one of the most addictive game ever. Played whole 370 years campaign, started as Brittany (small region in France), but after few successful wars become an Emperor of Holy Roman Empire and recreated empire. Then conquered and colonized whole Earth, moved capital to Himalayan mountains and now planing to continue Warhammer 40k timeline in Stellaris.

42. Disney Infinity - Toy Story in Space Playset (5 hours)
This one is a lot like The Lone Ranger playset in that it's mostly about managing a town, but this one has a lot more charm to it, courtesy of the Toy Story theme. There's also some fun shenanigans in regards to size-changing goo, as well as some other fun gadgets to play with. Not a bad way to cap off the first Disney Infinity.

Full list to date.

Haven't updated in almost 3 months so this is a bit lengthy.

Updated Main Post

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 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 '18 (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.

44. Half-Minute Hero (Xbox1)
Completed: 7/17
TIme: 4-6 hours?

Amazingly fun little RPG with simple yet fun mechanics. Enjoyed the hell out of it.

45. Forza 6 Nascar Expansion (Xbox 1)
Completed: 7/17
Time: 9-10 hours

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.

47. Killing Floor 2 (PS4)
"Completed": 7/17
TIme: 10-15 hours?

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.

Top 10 games played this year:
Zelda - Breath of the Wild
Arkham Asylum
Arkham City
DOOM
Zelda - The Minish Cap
Dark Souls III DLC
MLB The Show
Resident Evil 7
Forza Horizon 3
Half-Minute Hero

Full list

29. Persona 5
★★★★☆ - 116h 19m - 7/1/2017
As a follow-up to Persona 4, one of my favorite games ever, Persona 5 is somewhat disappointing: far less likable cast, excessive writing, questionable localization, plodding pacing, and uneven dungeon design. Despite those issues, I enjoyed the game overall. Its stylish-as-hell presentation and meaningful gameplay improvements are undeniable, and I respect how much the game coheres mechanically and thematically. And the plot (when it actually progressed) could be moving and exciting. I just wish its characters had stolen my heart the way P4's did.

Original Post

28) Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy - 12 hours - 7/12
Playing Crash Bandicoot got me itching to go back and finish my playthrough of Jak and Daxter from the HD collection on PS3. I was like 80% through the game which I started several years ago but I never finished it until now. Glad I did and now I can move on to Jak II and Jak 3 which I did play back on the PS2 and I'm excited to revisit.

OP.

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Game 20 - Crash Bandicoot (PS4) - 3/5 - ~7 hours

I was really in for something going into this one. I was convinced it couldn't possibly be as difficult as I had recalled from my previous attempts but it really is. Not sure how I managed to get gold or better relics on every level along with all gems but it is over and I am just glad it's done.

I do think this is the series at its best in terms of platforming. It had a few of the gimmicky levels but nothing to the extent of 2 or especially 3. While it's definitely hard as nails, this is also the most satisfying game in the series. I can see it being my favorite of the 3 in terms of just playing to completion (not going for gems or relics).

The difficulty definitely seemed to have peaked for me towards the middle/late middle with both bridge levels and the really long levels. On the last island, I actually think all of the levels were easier than most of the ones that had recently passed except for The High Road.

It's just too bad that this remaster has various issues with hitboxes (in addition to the physics problems with ice in 2 and others) and such as it can really have a negative effect on your enjoyment after awhile. The remasters have so much going for them otherwise.

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Game 21 - Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS4) - 3.5/5 - ~8 hours

I've played this one a lot growing up but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've finished or at least it's definitely the first time I've gotten 100%.

Coming into this, I thought it was going to be my favorite of the trilogy but I'm not so sure. It's definitely between this or one but for all of the improvements this one makes, there's a lot of annoying design decisions. The physics issues with the ice also really hurt things but that's limited to this remaster.

Generally as a whole, this is easy sailing compared to 1 but some of the backtracking requirements for the gems here are ridiculous. (I'm looking at you Bee-having, Cold Hard Crash and Piston It Away.)

This is also where the time trials really stand out as not well put together. I know 1 also wasn't built with them in mind but at least everything works with the base level moveset and speed. Here with the addition of the speed shoes it really throws off levels where you are running towards the screen. As if those weren't already enough of a focus on memorization vs actual platforming skill, why not try it at a much higher speed?

Also wasn't very pleased with the bosses in this one. Not to say that the bosses in these games were ever amazing but they are just at a low here. The Gin boss is especially annoying and drags on for ages. That's not even getting to the end boss which might as well not be a boss.

I know this sounds overly negative and like I HATED this game but please keep in mind I'm focusing on the stuff that is new to this remaster or new for me (in this case being the 100% material and the time travel relics). Underneath my issues with all of this is still a really solid game even if it isn't as amazing through and through as I previously thought.

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Game 22 - Resident Evil 0 (PC) - 3/5 - ~3 hours, 30 minutes *

More RE series replaying. This one was surprisingly enjoyable considering I usually think of it as the series black sheep with Revelations. Granted I was just playing mainly to play dress-up with the DLC costumes and take screenshots for Steam but this was a pretty decent time.

Some of the design still makes me scratch my head/get irritated but this game is definitely a lot less annoying upon replays. Nothing is worse than fighting with the inventory system and dealing with items that may or may not be used later on as you move from area to area. The lack of item boxes is really rough at times.

As always Billy is a pretty great character, too bad we'll probs never see him (or Carlos, Sheva, Helena, or Josh...) ever again.

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Game 23 - Resident Evil (2002) (PC) - 5/5 - 3 hours, 43 minutes *

Iconic. 10/10. The GOAT.

I love this game So Much.

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Game 24 - Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PS4) - 2/5 - ~7 hours

I honestly didn't like this one very much. The vehicle and other gimmick levels are much more prevalent than I had remembered in the past. In addition to that most of the vehicles (at least the motorcycle and jetski) control horribly. I'm not sure if that is an issue new to this remaster or if it was this bad originally but yikes.

The platforming when it does show up is the easiest it gets across the trilogy and there's little or no difficulty to be found. The hardest parts of this for me were getting the gems/relics in the jetski levels.

I don't know, I just feel like this was the Crash game that is the least stacked towards me. It focuses on my least favorite elements of the previous games while cutting back on what I enjoyed most. If/when I come back to these games it will almost definitely not be this one.

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10. SUPERHOT - 9/10. 6 hours
SUPERHOT is the most innovative shooter I've played in years! Seriously though, this game is so much fun and strangely addicting. The mechanics are fantastic. The controls simple and intuitive. Also a surprisingly engaging story as well, which I did not expect at all. After you finish the game, more content unlocks to keep you coming back. It's the kind of game that can be played for endless hours, or only in short bursts. I can't wait to jump back in.

11. Crash Bandicoot(PS4) - 6.5/10. 8 hours
I am not a Crash fan at all. My brother is though. He wanted to play through these with me. I always found the series to be too dated and simplistic even back when it was a fairly new game. After playing this though, I have to admit, I have a newfound respect for this game when it comes to the platforming gameplay. There is some truly difficult level design here. The game proved to be quite challenging. I know there are some hitbox issues that add to the difficulty, but even if there weren't those issues, this would still be a challenging title. The visuals are pretty outstanding. I'm knocking points off because there are those issues with hitboxes. The controls don't feel that great in this one. Also the game does have those extremely simple levels that bore me to death. It's just not quite as prevalent as I thought. Fun soundtrack.

12. Crash Bandicoot: Cortex Strikes Back(PS4) - 6/10. 5 hours
This is the Crash I remember. The game is a breeze. It's pretty easy. A challenging level here or there. Mostly easy though. Hitbox issues still a problem here. I was kind of bored for most of the game. Beautiful visuals. Good music.

13. Crash Bandicoot: Warped(PS4) - 6/10. 5 hours
Same as Crash 2. Easy game. Insultingly easy sometimes. Dull platforming and boss design. Beautiful visuals. Good music.

14. ICO - 9/10. 4 hours
This is a replay. I love this game so much. I try to play it at least once a year. Minimalism finds it's way into every aspect of the game. The art direction is fantastic. The atmosphere is superb. Music plays only a few times. But when it does, it works in favor of the game. The story, for as simple as it is, is extremely engaging and touching. The castle and puzzle design is brilliant. The controls are admittedly, pretty rough. That's the one aspect of the game that makes it feel dated. Everything else is a treat.

Next Game - ABZU

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28. Tomb Raider: Anniversary - 17 hours
Despite its flaws, still a great game. Yeah, inconsistent controls, sometimes frustrating climbing and jumping sections, idiotic checkpoint save system and unnecessary difficulty spikes hurts overall impression about game. But i enjoyed it overall, there is some weird magic and attraction in TRA that motivates you to play through all those damn puzzles.

OP

JULY

22.
Playstation 4

Never got round to finishing this when it originally came out on the PS2, more than likely because of the difficulty towards the end and my poor attention span. But this games looks great remastered on PS4. My biggest criticism would be the blasted camera sticking to corners as you tried to battle, as well as the poor lock on system. I mean yeah, the story is goofy (pun completely intended) but it's massively charming and the Disney nostalgia as well as FFVII nostalgia is on point.
7/10

This is an Isometric Platformer released in 1996 and developed by Traverllers Tales, who during the MD/Genesis era made various platformers such as a Toy Story platformer that featured 3D-like models.

The game is a collectathon of sorts: Sonic must destroy 5 Badniks to free Flickies, pick them up and then proceed to a ring to set them free in order to progress in a stage.
Completing a stage requires you to collect 10 or 15 Flickies, as you navigate hazards and a few platforming challenges along the way.
Each Zone is divided into 3 Acts: 1 and 2 are the standard platforming sections, and Act 3 is a battle gainst Dr. Robotnik. Robotnik's boss battles are rather easy with only 1 or 2 being pretty hard.

Sonic's overall control is 50-50 to me, he is rather responsive but feels slippery somewhat to move around. Furthermore he accelerates WAY too fast, so unless you are well versed in the stage's design you may run into a hazard or enemy. However despite his high acceleration, one can still control him pretty well, and hey if one can speed run the entire game (with ALL emeralds) in under 50 minutes, I'd say it is just a matter of getting the hang of how the game controls and moves.
Being an isometric game, you would need to hold directions diagonally to move further in a certain direction, but I find that the devs have made the stages wide enough for you to move around in.

One major gripe I have with the game is that if you take damage, or if a Flicky gets hit by a hazard, they scatter and you need to pick them up again. This becomes irritating when you are in a narrow area or there are bumpers around as it messes with you needing to jump on the right tile for the Flicky to be picked up (why the RED Flicky insists on jumping around as opposed to the other 3, I will never know).

What I REALLY like most about the game though are its visuals, TT have done a great job with the visuals as the models and coloring just work together well. Sonic's model is pretty good too, although he DOES look like a chubby little felix the cat jogging on a 3D plane.

I've beaten the game's main final boss but hadn't collected all Emeralds, which doing so lets you engage against the True final boss. Looking him up online, holy shit does it look boring-
https://youtu.be/oS7_SUj0YoA?t=436

All in all, I enjoyed it. It has its flaws but at its core, the team did a good job at making an Isometric Platformer. I could've done without the Flicky collecting, or by making it so that each Act had 10 Flickies only, as it really dragged halfway through the game.

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#31: Inazuma Eleven: 26.2 hours

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I hated this game at first, but once I got used to it it really grew on me. Inazuma Eleven is a soccer RPG, but the thing that you have to understand is that the RPG part barely matters. Yes your characters have stats and movesets and grinding to level up improves your chances, but the mechanics are so opaque I stopped trying to figure them out.

When two players clash their stats are run through a formula and you're shown two numbers that indicate the strength of each at that action. Then after a random die roll one of them wins, and it's hard to tell why any of it is happening. You can choose between two options for each interaction, one is the standard and one gives you a better chance of coming out on top at the risk of losing control of the ball. At the beginning of the game when your players suck and you don't understand what's happening it seems like choosing the second risker play is always better and it takes many, many hours before you get used enough to the matches to understand when it isn't. In the end the mechanics are too obtuse for what they are and it makes trying to learn them an exercise in pointless frustration. In one part of the story your team is poisoned and their stats drop to almost nothing, and the match that follows plays out basically the same, it's silly.

What really makes and breaks the battle system though is the special powers. As they level up or you progress through the story each character unlocks a suite of powers that they can use to win clashes. If someone uses a power and their opponent doesn't, they'll win the clash unless their opponent has considerably higher stats. This leads to a guessing game whereby if you're like to win a clash anyway you can save your MP at the risk that your opponent will deploy a special move of their own. That factor becomes more critical when it comes to scoring.

Generally the keepers of each side are very good, and it's hard to score past them. A cross into a header can do it sometimes but it's still a risk. But with special moves all that changes. In all my time with the game I never saw a goalie stop a special shot with their bare hands, ever. If you or your opponent uses a special shot and you don't use a special block they will score. Special blocks can be thwarted by powerful enough shots too, so they're not a guarantee. But the most disappointing feeling in the game is your opponent's star striker taking a shot, which you block with a powerful special move only to discover they went for a basic shot and you've wasted one of your precious chances to block on nothing. It's an interesting system but ultimately you're trying to read an AI so it's kind of random.

The music is bland and forgettable, and the story is stock shonen/sports anime fare about believing in yourself and your friends. I think I would enjoy the anime adaptation but it was a slog to read in text form. There are a core group of 11-13 team mates, plus 100s more that you can recruit, but I never saw much point in it. You can stick with the same people and as their stats are all roughly the same why not keep the original squad together. Another instance where trying to add RPG mechanics just falls flat.

Overall the game was good fun once I found it's groove instead of expecting it to be something it wasn't. But it dragged on a bit long.

#32: Pokemon: Soul Silver: 20.3 hours

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I decided to continue on from my revisit of Pokemon Yellow via Nuzlocke Challenge and attempt to make it through Soul Silver. I failed, again, twice.

After deciding to name my Chikorita Avocado after the storied Australian tradition, I went with a food theme for my nicknames this time. But the first run came to a screeching halt when Falkner's Pidgeotto killed my entire team, as I wasn't expecting it have recovery and none of my Pokemon could 2HKO it.

The second run went better, opening with Capsicum the Quilava. With me bothering to teach my Geodude (Almond) Rock Throw before taking on the gym, this time I made short work of it. Almond (Walnut was already taken by the first run's late Geodude) was my plan for defeating the next two gyms. But during the battle with Bugsy Almond met a sticky end after a combo of Leer, Leer, and a critical U-Turn. Thus is fell to Sausage the Slowpoke to carry the team, as is quickly becoming tradition at this point.

After Sausage and his new team mate, Durian the Nidorino, made short work of Whitney and her honestly underwhelming Miltank. I was a little worried at this point, because Sausage was the MVP by far but wouldn't be able to stand up to Morty's Ghost types. At that point the team welcomed Pretzel the Stantler, and Morty became a non-issue. On the way to Olivine City Potato the Magnemite also joined the ranks. The team was starting to take shape, and there had been no major deaths in a few gyms and they were starting to get access to more powerful attacks.

The beginning of the end was Cianwood City, where after a chance Suicune sighting, the obsessive Suicune hunter Eusine flew into a jealous rage and went on the warpath. A more seasoned adventurer, the team was under-prepared to face him but they put up their best fight. Eusine's trump card was his Electrode, which like most Electrode was incredibly fast, which began throwing Thunders around with wild abandon. In the face of such an onslaught it was clear that not everyone was going to make it out alive, and in the end Potato joined the ranks of the fallen. Stringbean the Spearow was ill-prepared for what came next, but he joined the team and quickly leveled up and evolved. It was time to take on Chuck.

Worried about Chuck's Poliwrath, Capsicum was sent out first to soften up Chuck's Primeape. That was the last mistake my character ever made. My team was ill-equipped to handle Primeape's movepool of Double Team, Leer, Rock Slide, and Focus Punch. If Potato were still alive they may have gotten off a brave Thunder Wave before it was too late, or if I had led with Sausage a Yawn could have shut down the strategy... but alas, the Primeape set up and Capsicum, Stringbean, Pretzel, and Sausage were lost in short order.

It fell to Durian to survive the battle and take the day, a task it turned out he was well-equipped for. While he couldn't find an opening to hit back, Primeape was poisoned by one of his spines and slowly succumbed while he failed to knock Durian out through a steady supply of Super Potions. It came down to the final round, Durian vs Chuck's Poliwrath. Poliwrath's opening salvo was devestating, a Body Slam that tore through Durian's HP and left him paralysed. After two more Poliwrath remained healthy, and it was at that point that I knew the battle was lost. While it was eventually poisoned too, with Durian paralysed and my stock of potions running dry there wasn't enough time to strike back or wait for Poliwrath to succumb to poison. Even the sacrifice of the team's reserve fodder and Strength user, Gruel the Machop, wasn't enough to stall it out. Another run had ended.


Currently playing: Been playing a bit of Human Resource Machine but it's taking forever because I recently started a new job that's eating all of my time. I don't think I'm going to make it this year unfortunately.

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Beat the game on Normal and overall I enjoyed it. The game really requires you to not hide behind cover and fire away as it's about constant movement and using your slide to rush around stages and take down enemies

43. Disney Infinity 2.0 - The Avengers Playset (4 hours)
First thing you notice about Disney Infinity 2.0 is that the combat has been improved, no doubt thanks to Ninja Theory's involvement. Characters also have skill trees, although that does mean that their movesets are limited when you first use them. In this particular playset, that can be a pain when using level 0 or 1 characters in defense missions. The characters themselves are quite nice and varied in this playset, though, and unlocking Nova and Rocket from the game's other two playsets enhances that variety.

Full list to date.

11-ish. Saved Amaranthine, lost the Keep. Tried to do as many quests as I could.

This is what all expansions should be. I think I liked this story more than Origins', though perhaps this was because everything was more "concentrated". The ending was a bit lackluster though, but the two post-expansion DLCs (Morrigan's Thing and the Golems of Wherever: warning, names might not be exact) compensated for it.

My Score: ★★★★☆

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#32 Hidden Folks (PC) - 4 hours


I liked this game but the later levels get a bit ridiculous.

I've filled my first master post, so it's time for a second to keep this going.

Part 1: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=229604143
Part 3: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=251839976





36. WayOut 2: Hex (Steam) - 14 July 2017
100% of achievements; all puzzles completed with minimum moves. This follow-up to WayOut follows the common approach for sequels to tile-based puzzle games of changing the tile shape - as the game's subtitle suggests, instead of squares, puzzles here are based on hexagons. Aside from that, the game imports pretty much all of the mechanics and tile variants from the first game - not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that the game doesn't feel quite as 'fresh' as it might otherwise.

Notably, this sequel presents a significantly tougher level of difficulty, especially when aiming for 'perfect' solutions - this is likely primarily to be the result of each move now having a greater impact (on the six adjacent hexagons, rather than four adjacent squares), so be prepared for that. Conversely, it felt to me that the trial-and-error element may have dropped slightly, though it's still definitely there to some extent and perhaps this feeling is due to my accumulated experience across the two games together. Either way, overall I'd still recommend the game to puzzle game enthusiasts as a lightweight and relaxing, yet challenging, experience.



37. Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) - 22 July 2017
Platinum trophy; 100% progression reported in-game; all outfits, weapons and crafting upgrades acquired. It's taken a while for me finally to get to this game, but I'm immensely glad to have done so - Horizon very much justifies the positive reception that it's received, as it's an astoundingly good game. I don't think that it's quite going to be able to topple Zelda as my game of the year so far, but it's s very close-run thing. Frankly, it's hard for me to find much in the way of flaws here - the game's world is large and beautiful, the story is compelling, combat is responsive and satisfying, and there's a great soundtrack behind it all. I'm now eagerly awaiting the release of the DLC!



38. Firewatch (PS4) - 23 July 2017
100% of trophies earned. It's taken me a while to get around to playing Firewatch, but I'm glad that I've finally played it. The game has a beautiful setting and a very effective use of music throughout. There's a compelling narrative to draw your through the game and the development of the relationship between Henry and Delilah is intriguing to follow, though I couldn't help but find the ending to be a little unsatisfying overall. I was also somewhat surprised that the game's technical performance on PS4 isn't all that great, with a number of noticeable framerate drops, though fortunately I'm not overly sensitive to that so it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the game. All-in-all, Firewatch was a great experience, and definitively my favourite "walking simulator" game to date, by quite some margin.



39. Kathy Rain (Steam) - 23 July 2017
100% of achievements unlocked. I've not played a classic-style 'point-and-click' game for a while, but this was a good way to re-introduce myself to the genre. The low-definition 'throwback' graphical style works well; conversely, the soundtrack is quite sophisticated, working well to set the mood of a number of the game's setpieces. There are a few of the puzzles that still cross the line beyond what I'd view as reasonably solveable from deduction, etc. (I'll freely admit to having kept a guide to hand), but the majority of the puzzle scenarios are well-done. There's also a fair amount of focus on investigation through conversations, tying in with the game's "a detective is born" subtitle - I think on balance I prefer more traditional puzzles, but the seeing the variety is a positive. I don't feel that the game quite resolves all of its plot threads in a satisfying way and it starts to rely a little too much on the supernatural towards the end (even if it's clear that it's not wholly real), which is a bit of a shame, but I still enjoyed my time with the game.



40 Teslagrad (PS4) - 7 August 2017
Platinum trophy; 36/36 scrolls collected; true ending. Teslagrad is a physics-based puzzle-platformer, tending towards a 'Metroidvania' in some respects. The game's puzzles are largely based around a magnetism mechanic and manipulation of attraction/repulsion of differently/similarly magnetised objects - including the player character himself - with a small range of tools. There are certainly some clever ideas here, but unfortunately my abiding feeling about Teslagrad is of frustration, as I found many scenarios to be very fiddly, with behaviour not readily predictable - it was a case while it became clear what was needed, actually doing that was far from easy... but not for what felt like a lack of 'skill'.

Puzzle mechanics aside, while the game takes place almost all within a single building, there's a reasonably decent variety of environments. Graphics are simple but functional and the background music, while again simple, is catchy in a positive way. Teslagrad is a short game - if you know what you're doing (and are able to pull it off!), it could be completed within a couple of hours or less, but I wouldn't see that specifically to be a negative here, especially as the games feels like it pretty much exhausts the types of puzzle scenario that the magnetism mechanic allows, without a significant shake-up.

Overall, while I wouldn't go as far as to call Teslagrad a bad game, I couldn't really rate it anywhere better than average given the feelings of frustration that it leads to.



41. Transistor (PS4) - 14 August 2017
Platinum trophy, including completion of one full recursion. The recent release of Pyre provided an overdue reminder for me to go back to Transistor, which I'd previously tried briefly but didn't make much progress on - and I'm very glad that I did! I don't think that I've played any other games quite like this game, with its innovative mix of real-time and turn-based overhead-perspective combat - the game's key mechanic is the protagonist's "Turn()" ability, which pauses the action, allowing a series of actions to be queued up. There's an extraordinary extent of customisability available within this system, with each of the game's 16 combat abilities able to be combined with any of the others for a supplemental effect, or assigned as a passive ability for a related persistent effect - and it all adds up to a system with a huge amount of tactical depth

Alongside this, while I didn't get as absorbed in the lore of Transistor's futuristic setting as I perhaps could have done, but there's some fantastic world-building here for those to whom that appeals. The final word, though, has to go to the game's stunning soundtrack and, taking its cue from Supergiant's previous game Bastion, the well-implemented narration provided by the 'intelligent' sword that's your constant companion throughout the game.



42. Hollow Knight (Steam) - 14 August 2017
100% in-game completion, 'true ending', all achievements unlocked aside from for speedruns and Steel Soul mode. I had high expectations for Hollow Knight, having seen it widely praised, and particularly given that I enjoy "Metroidvania" games in general, but what Team Cherry have pulled off here really is stunning. The game world is impressively coherent throughout, populated (sparingly) with interesting NPCs and very satisfying to explore, with intelligently-hidden secrets and upgrades supplementing your journey through the game - all the more impressive when the world is as *huge* and diverse as it is. I could see the dark theming being a turn-off for some, but for the most part I'd expect this to be easily ignored if that element of the game's not for you.

Controls are tight and, while the game has a deserved reputation for difficulty, it never feels unfair; even against the most challenging of bosses or in the optional gauntlet 'trials', any damage taken felt like my fault and avoidable - which makes besting a tricky scenario all the more satisfying. Hollow Knight's beautiful hand-drawn art and memorable soundtrack also deserve a mention, rounding out the complete package... all-in-all, I have no hesitation in recommending Hollow Knight to anyone with even a passing interest in "Metroidvania" games and it's up there as one of the very best games of 2017.



43. Mega Man (PS4) - 15 August 2017
44. Mega Man 2 (PS4) - 15 August 2017
45. Mega Man 3 (PS4) - 16 August 2017
46. Mega Man 4 (PS4) - 17 August 2017
47. Mega Man 5 (PS4) - 17 August 2017
48. Mega Man 6 (PS4) - 18 August 2017
With the release of Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, I felt that it was finally time to get stuck into the first collection of these classics, which I have little to no experience of playing previously - filling a notable hole in my gaming history. As a newcomer to the original games in the series, their reputation for difficulty is clearly well-deserved, though at times this comes from scenarios which aren't especially 'fair' - the hidden instant-death pits of the first game come particularly too mind, alongside the questionable requirement to have collected an 'optional' power-up to be able to progress through the final levels, without any signposting - though of course, this will primarily be a sign of the games' age and changing design trends. It would have taken me much longer to get through these games without the luxury of save states! Difficulty aside, there's some well-designed platforming challenge here for the most part and while I don't have the benefit of nostalgia to draw me to these games, I enjoyed my time with them overall. I think that I'll need a bit of a break before I move on to Legacy Collection 2, but I'll get there!

I think that Sonic will have to be the next 'retro' series that I spend some time with now.



49. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (Steam) - 22 August 2017
Beaten with true ending, 100% map completion, all non-missable items collected. While it can't match up to Hollow Knight's gold standard, this is another great 'Metroidvania', living up to the recommendations that I've read from various quarters. Brutally hard at times, but never unfair - while insane difficulty (in which one hit is fatal) isn't for me, I can understand how it's feasible - the game is great fun throughout, with satisfying movement and combat being the core of the gameplay. There's less here in the way of ability upgrades to collect than I typically enjoy, but the game's fairly short which is probably a limiting factor there. Having enjoyed my time here, I'm definitely going to have to seek out the earlier games in the series before too long.



50. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) - 31 August 2017
Platinum trophy, including completion on Crushing difficulty. Naughty Dog pull off another stunner with The Lost Legacy - while the central mechanics don't deviate much from the previous Uncharted games, that's not really a bad thing and The Lost Legacy presents a compelling story and character relationship dynamics between Chloe and Nadine, previously only secondary characters in the series. The game's fairly short length leads to a tight, well-paced experience, with a good balance between exploration and combat and, without any specific spoilers, the final chapter brings perhaps the most impressive set-piece encounter that the series has been to date. This will definitely be up right there among my favourite games of the year so far!



51. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Switch) - 17 September 2017
All story chapters completed, all challenges completed (including 'ultimate' challenges), all collectibles obtained. I've always enjoyed the XCOM flavour of turn-based strategy games, but even taking that into account this is a real gem of a game Certainly its mechanics are somewhat simplified from full-blown XCOM, but to an extent that's quite refreshing and it doesn't stop the game from presenting a fairly serious challenge at times and remaining satisfying throughout. I was afraid that the Rabbid theme would be offputting, but while there's the occasional toilet humour that I could have done without, the characterisation of the Rabbid party members is actually really well done and I came to like them all by the end of the game. Added to that, the game is technically solid, with a superb soundtrack from Grant Kirkhope rounding out an excellent package.



52. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (PS4) - 2 October 2017
Platinum trophy, including a full playthrough on "Original Game +" mode. While it doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of Dishonored 2, this is another great entry in Arkane's best series. Billie's new powers are well-suited towards a more aggressive play style, while still allowing stealth to work well if that's your preference - completing levels without being detected remains as satisfying as ever, while the addition of secondary objectives invites a thorough exploration of each area, where the level design continues to shine. There's a good amount of additional story content and lore throughout the game as a further reward for exploration, though the ending doesn't give quite as much payoff as might be hoped.



53. Gone Home (Xbox One) - 3 October 2017
Repeat completion; 100% of achievements unlocked. 'Walking simulators' tend not to be a style of game that my preferences lean towards, but Gone Home is definitely up there as one of the best examples of the genre. Fullbright have done a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the empty house and the story is well-told, making you want to explore and discover as much of it as you can. The sense of immersion might have been greater if there was more interactivity, but the game remains an enjoyable experience while not outstaying its welcome given its short length.



54. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Steam) - 3 October 2017
Campaign completed on Veteran. With War of the Chosen, Firaxis continue to demonstrate why they're one of the best turn-based strategy developers around at the moment, with a superb expansion to the already excellent XCOM 2. While full-blown expansions such of this are becoming increasingly rare nowadays, in favour of smaller pieces of "DLC", War of the Chosen easily justifies its pricing with a huge amount of additional content - this starts with the eponymous Chosen', three 'hero' aliens who each act independently to try to foil XCOM's efforts, fighting your forces in tactical missions during which they'll make use of a range of special abilities, improving themselves as the game progresses and undertaking overarching objectives and counter-operations in the strategic layer. Alongside the addition of the Chosen, XCOM forces can benefit from their own 'hero' units, drawn from three factions operating independently in the world, with their own unique ability sets and greater upgrade/skill flexibility than seen before.

There's then a significant expansion in mission types and a number of new strategic layer mechanics, including in particular 'covert operations' and 'resistance orders' - respectively being a series of missions that can be undertaken by dedicating one or more soldiers for a given number of days, with a view to receiving benefits (additional resources/personnel, steps towards permanently defeating the chosen, bonus research, etc.), and a selection of overarching benefits that can be applied on a monthly basis (applying at either the strategic or tactical level).

Alongside these major mechanic additions, the expansion brings new types of aliens with new abilities, new environments, and new equipment and research opportunities. Finally rounding out the package, significant expansion to the customisability of XCOM troops allows a greater level of attachment to your squads, making encounters ever more meaningful. This is all alongside technical improvements, with significant improvements in loading times for many people (PC configuration-dependent, of course) making the experience as a whole smoother. Overall, this expansion gets a strong recommendation from me to anyone who enjoyed the base game - and for those who may not yet have spent much time with that, playing with the expansion is clearly the 'definitive' way to experience the game now.



55. Halo Wars 2 (Xbox One) - 5 October 2017
Campaign completed on Normal difficulty with all campaign logs and all skulls collected. Halo Wars 2 is a decent attempt at a console-based RTS game, but ultimately I found the control limitations to handicap the experience more than I'd have liked, This might admittedly just have been that the controls just didn't 'click' with me personally as the core mechanics of control groups, etc., are all here, but being more used to PC-based strategy games with mouse and keyboard, it remained more fiddly than I'd have liked. That aside, there's also a decent story that makes good use of the Halo IP and some interesting, varied scenarios throughout the campaign. I tend to enjoy the base-building element of RTS and in Halo Wars 2 this (perhaps necessarily) quite simplistic, with greater focus being on unit control - this isn't my natural preference, but trying to take a more objective view, isn't in itself a failing of the game.



56. Lara Croft GO (Android/Google Play) - 7 October 2017
All levels beaten with all gems/artifacts collected; 16/16 achievements unlocked. I've been playing this on-and-off over the course of a few months and finally decided to knuckle down and get the game finished. I've previously completed Hitman GO Definitive Edition (on PS4) and Lara Croft GO presents a similar turn-based puzzle experience, challenging the player to navigate Lara successfully through a hazard-filled environment using a board game-style network of spaces to move between. While the core mechanics are simple, focusing on movement, manipulating blocks/switches and attacking the occasional enemy monster, they're used effectively to create puzzles that are satisfying to solve and, by the end of the game, become deceptively difficult at times (especially in the Shard of Light expansion). There's some nicely atmospheric music and well-designed graphics - attractive, but not overly complex, appropriate to the mobile nature of the game. I'll definitely be looking to move on to Deus Ex GO before too long after enjoying my time here.



57. Hue (PS4) - 7 October 2017
100% of trophies earned. A well-designed puzzle game, Hue's core mechanic of switching the world between one of, eventually, eight different colours to reveal/hide platforms, obstacles and other objects makes for a refreshingly different experience. Graphics are simplistic but effective given the focus on colour, and any game with colour-blind options definitely gets my approval on that front. The puzzles themselves are generally fairly straightforward for most of the game, but do start to become quite complex in the later stages, ensuring that they remain satisfying to solve. As a completionist it would have been nice for the collectibles to be more meaningful and have some way in-game to help to track them down as a few are very well-hidden, but a using a guide for these wasn't much of an inconvenience.



58. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4) - 11 October 2017
All campaign missions completed on Veteran, with all single-player trophies earned; not intending to spend time on multi-player. As a rule, I play the Call of Duty games for the campaign rather than the multiplayer and in that regard, Infinite Warfare was a blast. While I'd perhaps have more fun with a lower difficulty, I always try to get through the games on Veteran (highest difficulty) and in this case, that's still fairly well-balanced and only occasionally frustrating. The science-fiction setting is unsurprisingly quite exaggerated in the experience that it presents, but if you can suspend your disbelief the game pulls off its action very well, with even zero-gravity combat controlling well. Another benefit of being set in the future is that this allows a more interesting range of abilities, weapons and equipment than might otherwise be possible (e.g., anti-gravity grenades, hacking robot enemy soldiers) and there's an engaging story to tie the campaign together.

My list continues in my third post here.

oO_CurrY_Oo said:

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#32 Hidden Folks (PC) - 4 hours

I liked this game but the later levels get a bit ridiculous.

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In what way? Just overly complex/difficult to find people? I have the game firmly on my wishlist, though very much hoping to see it in a Humble Monthly at some point.

Master Post

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Game 15: Dyscourse (PC) | 52 Minutes | 06/21/2017 | 3/5

Choose-your-own adventure-esque game I've had in my backlog for awhile. It's alright. Wasn't worth more than a single playthrough for me but you can see there's depth to the branching paths that could potentially make it worth more on subsequent playthroughs.

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Game 16: [Replay] Crash Banicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (Vita) | ~5 Hours | 07/02/2017 | 5/5

Wanted to revisit this before the remasters came out. I've already shared my opinion last year, but this game is still one of my favourite games of all time and that hasn't changed.

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Game 17: [N. Sane] Crash Bandicoot (PS4) | ~9 Hours | 07/07/2017 | 4.5/5
Game 18: [N. Sane] Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS4) | ~8 Hours | 07/11/2017 | 5/5
Game 19: [N. Sane] Crash Bandicoot: Warped (PS4) | ~7 Hours | 07/13/2017 | 4/5

I've been awaiting these remasters since they got revealed and after completing each game 100%, (well 102% for crash 1 and 2 and 105% for 3) the remaster is a fantastic effort and I'd recommend it if you want to play these games.

The game looks great, from the environments, to the animations and everything in between. The music is good, it does its job although I would have been happier if they talked with Josh Mancell to help with the music and use the pre console mixes as a base instead of the in game midis. Presentation is generally solid, the game select and save menus are well done and nothing is bad, really.

As for the games, Crash 1 gets the most out of being remastered. While there are some unfortunate control quirks (that all the games suffer from, it's most pronounced in Crash 1 due to the nature of the game) and some questionable hitboxes (fuckin shitty ass turtles) it is by far the best way to play Crash 1. The save system alone is a game changer, but being able to die and still getting gems while needing to 100% replayable bonus level to obtain gems brings the game in line with Crash 2 & 3's better design decisions. People who don't like this can take solace in that you still need to not die to get coloured gems, which are the harder levels anyways. With all that said, the changes make it easier to appreciate what Crash 1 does right; it's sense of progression as you go from Papu Papu's island to the ruins to the industrial island that Cortex inhabits, as opposed to Crash 2 & 3's general themed warp rooms. The remake keeps the atmosphere strong, especially in levels such as Generator Room and the ruin levels. With the QoL improvements, the difficulty of levels such as Slippery Climb is received with the joy of tackling a challenge and not the worry of "When was the last time I saved, shit."

Crash 2 & 3 see less improvements due to their more polished nature vs Crash 1 but are still improved. Crash 2 (and Crash 1) are given Crash 3's relic races, and Crash 2 specifically gets Crash 3's Sprint Shoes after completing the game. For Crash 2, this is both good and bad because Relic Races are fun and good replay value (now with fully realized online leaderboards) but Crash 2 wasn't made with Sprint Shoes in mind so a lot of levels are really start-stop and it becomes harder to clear through them with super speed in mind. Crash 3 is largely the same, the problem however is that it highlights just how many shitty gimmick levels there are. 2 Underwater, 2 Tiger, 3 Airplane, 4 Bike and 4 Jetski legitimately make up 50% of the levels which is just egregious. Doesn't help that the only gimmick that's as fun as platforming (imo) are the tiger levels. It just comes off really bad here and gives me a new, more negative view of the game. It's still good though, the platforming is generally better with the new powerups and the new locations are generally more realized than 2 but god damn half the gimmick levels are just boring.

With all that said, if you want some good-ass old school platforming that looks real good or if you had a cursory interest in Crash and you haven't had the opportunity to play it yet, you really can't go wrong with the n sane trilogy as a package and should give it a try.

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23. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC, 2016) - 22:29
Finished the campaign on Seasoned Raider. 83% total completion.

I went back and checked my completion time for the first Tomb Raider reboot back in 2013. It turns out that I finished that game in just over half the amount of time it took me to get through Rise of the Tomb Raider, which is perhaps a testament to just how much there is in the game. There are plenty of side missions and challenges, quite a few tombs to raid (I managed to miss one, sadly), and lots and lots of crafting if you want it. If you enjoyed the first Tomb Raider reboot, Rise of the Tomb Raider is bigger in nearly every way; you're likely to be satisfied. But it's hard sometimes not to feel like the game could've been something more.

Here and there, you can see the strains in the formula, partially inherited from Uncharted but with twists unique to the franchise. Traversal is easily the game's biggest annoyance; of the many times I died in the game, the vast majority were not because of enemy gunfire or marauding wild animals, but because I missed some dumb jump or the sticky contextual handholds weren't sticky enough. And even when the climbing works, you can see where obvious concessions were made to the player: jumps that seem just too far, but allow Lara to glide across unnaturally, or handholds that seem out of reach but pull Lara in magnetically. This frustration reaches in apex in the Orrery, a late-game level that looks great but takes the occasionally awkward platforming and throws a whole lot of moving objects into the mix. When you don't outright die, you're forced to restart the traversal sequence, often from scratch. It's not fun.

Speaking of Uncharted, remember the boss fight in Uncharted 2? Or better, the final boss of Golden Abyss? They don't have anything on the final boss fight here, which is not so much a combat encounter as it is a mind-reading exercise. I applaud Crystal Dynamics for attempting to craft a final boss that is difficult just because they're superhuman, but it's a major break in immersion when you can immediately run up to the boss and melee them over and over and over again without any apparent effect, because that's not what you're supposed to do and the game has no answer for your actions. The cat and mouse game you're supposed to play instead frames Lara in a much more vulnerable position, one that seems like an utter lie when you've just been bashing someone's face in with a climbing axe for three minutes straight.

Finally, let's talk story. As has been noted by about half the internet, Lara Croft's obsession with her late father's legacy feels like an injustice to the character; it hollows her out a bit, removes a little of her agency. But more importantly, a lot of the early flashback scenes with her father are just poorly written in general; at one point a young Lara runs into her father's study as he's preparing for an archeology trip, and she literally complains that she doesn't want relics or adventure, she just wants her dad. The Colossus of Rhodes does not have a hand as heavy as the one that wrote that scene. And it's hard to say how much of this is Rhianna Pratchett's fault as lead writer, considering she's on record as saying the overlarge emphasis on her father as a driving force was not her idea nor necessarily her first choice as a narrative hook.

But at the same time, there are aspects of the story and characterization I like. One of the main villains is painted in a light that is neither overly cartoonish nor sympathetic for sympathy's sake. Their evolution over the course of the game is not particularly complex, but it is satisfying to watch unfold. As for Lara herself, at least one of the relationships she has in the game is a nice inversion of the norm that doesn't really call attention to itself, but nevertheless is a good blueprint for other games trying to avoid or subvert the "damsel in distress" trope.

So that's Rise of the Tomb Raider in a nutshell: a bigger and often better version of the first game, but with a formula that may still be in need of some tweaks for the next game. Just please don't ever ask me to perform precision jumps on top of the ancient Greek equivalent of a life-sized baby mobile.

illusionary said:

In what way? Just overly complex/difficult to find people? I have the game firmly on my wishlist, though very much hoping to see it in a Humble Monthly at some point.

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Yeah some of the later levels get really big and you're looking for like a key or something. Still fun though.

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#33 Crash Bandicoot (PS4)

44. Disney Infinity 2.0 - Spider-Man Playset (4 hours)
This is pretty much a better version of the Avengers playset. Web-swinging is a much more fun way of getting around town than driving or flying, and the characters are generally more fun to play as, especially Iron Fist.

Full list to date.

45. Disney Infinity 2.0 - Guardians of the Galaxy Playset (3 hours)
This one seems to play more like a platformer than the other two. The game world seems smaller, too, small enough that I almost never used the vehicles, but means less time travelling. Some of the more collect-a-thony missions bugged me, though.

Full list to date.

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19 | Elder Scrolls Online: Orsinium | PC
Time: 20 hours
Score: 7/10

Orsinium is a very enjoyable addition to Elder Scrolls Online. While it doesn't really tread new ground, it does shine light upon the Orsimer who are usually relegated to a side role in Elder Scrolls games. The main story was enjoyable with a few interesting plot twists and overall it was a more coherent package than Morrowind.

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#33: Human Resource Machine: 6.6 hours

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First off I want to say that "office workers mindlessly executing computer programs" is a great theme. Kudos to Kyle Gabler and his team's games are always very critical of the corporate world, with underlying themes of environmentalism and consumerism in World of Goo and Little Inferno, and that doesn't change here.

Functionally the game plays a lot like something from Zachtronics (not a bad thing). You create a program using a very limited set of functions to form operations on letters and numbers. As someone who does a fair bit of high-level programming it was interesting to delve into some very low level stuff for once. The most complex levels in the game involve the player struggling to cobble together a working program to perform relatively basic tasks like sorting or factorisation.

Anyone who was turned off by Little Inferno's focus on story and deconstruction over gameplay won't be disappointed here. It's way more like World of Goo in that sense, and I heartily recommend it.

Currently playing: Started playing Company of Heroes 2 on PC, and I think I'll play Super Mario Land 3 next on 3DS.

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15. ABZU - 8/10. 2 hours
The Journey influence is very clear here. I think Journey is a much better game, but this is great too. Short and sweet. Never boring. The game is stunning to look at. The music is quite exceptional, and really helps sell the experience the same way the music in Journey did. Some of my only complaints are that the performance is perfect 97% of the time, but every once in a while you hit a speed bump and the game freezes for a split second. Nothing major, and not bad enough to ruin the game. But, it's there. I feel like the story is maybe a little too vague. About halfway through the game starts to get very strange and interesting. But the twists and turns don't really amount to much. It's minimal but without depth. Maybe I will find more and understand more on a second playthrough. But, right now it seems like there isn't enough there to clue you into and flesh out the world. My final complaint is the connection with the sea life that the game wants you to have. They almost pull it off, but didn't quite make it for me. In Journey you couldn't talk, but you could communicate with a simple chirp noise. People you met on your journey could help you, you could help them, or you could just ignore each other. But, when you find someone willing to help you, and most people will I find, it does establish a real sense of companionship. I didn't really feel that in this game. Which was a bit disappointing. The sea life is just there. You can grab on to the bigger creatures, but they don't really do anything to help you. Not that I needed help, but I know they wanted to achieve a connection with the sea life. Some moments come so close, but just don't quite make it across the finish line. It's a short experience that is very similar to Journey. The game is beautiful. The music is fantastic. The story is interesting, if a bit too vague. It's a pretty solid way to spend 2 hours.

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I am playing this via the PS2 collection which I've had for some years and found it while clearing up a cupboard i hoarded lots of stuff in :V

The game gets much easier once you know the better stage sequence to go through. In my case, it was Penguin>Eagle>Mammoth, do a little backtracking to get some upgrades in the first 2 stages, then go Mandrill>Armadillo>Octopus>Kuwanger>Chameleon.

Following that is some cleaning up to get all the Heart and Energy tanks, as well as the remaining armor pieces and then getting the secret special move: The Haduken.

Overall stages are rather easy, although Sigma Stage 2 had a really irritating sequence with the shield enemy and the wall lasers. I'd say the hardest bosses were the Sigma stage ones, especially Sigma's final form.

All said though this is a very well done game with simple gameplay concepts that are easy to pick up.

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#34 Crash Bandicoot 2 Cortex Strikes Back (PS4)

27. Turok - Dinosaur Hunter - 9 Hours



Completition Date: 14.7.2017
Platform: PC (Steam)
Rating: 7 / 10

I never played this game on the N64 nor the PC, but I decided to give the HD Remaster a try. And i didn't regret my choice. Although I don't like respawning enemies and I think the weapon selection is kind of odd (many are useless), i liked the gameplay very much. It feels like a typical 90ies FPS, but the weapon feedback isn't very good. The graphics are good for the time of 97, some meshy textures but that's OK for an N64 game. The OST is also good, has that typical 90s feeling.
Completed the game, didn't collect everything.

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#35 Crash Bandicoot Warped

46. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Twilight of the Republic Playset (4 hours)
For a four hour campaign, Twilight of the Republic feels large. I guess that's what four hubs and a John Williams soundtrack does for a game. Oh, and giving enemies visible healthbars helps a lot.

Full list to date.

InquisitorAles said:

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28. Tomb Raider: Anniversary - 17 hours
Despite its flaws, still a great game. Yeah, inconsistent controls, sometimes frustrating climbing and jumping sections, idiotic checkpoint save system and unnecessary difficulty spikes hurts overall impression about game. But i enjoyed it overall, there is some weird magic and attraction in TRA that motivates you to play through all those damn puzzles.

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I think this is easily the best Crystal Dynamics TR game. The platforming and puzzles are way more challenging than what you'll see in the other ones. Underworld was alright but it still doesn't compare. The areas in Anniversary are so much larger. I love it.

47. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Rise Against the Empire Playset (3 hours)
Like Twilight of the Republic, this playset manages to capture a sense of scale despite its short length. Less of a combat focus in this one, though, and honestly, I'm finding the combat to be Disney Infinity 3's greatest strength. This one is more about piloting ships, which is feels somewhat off.

Full list to date.

Game #1: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 19 hours



★★★★★ - Probably one of the best games i have played in the past 5 years. The story, cutscenes and environments were stunning along with the great cast of characters.

(reserved, will be adding more later.)

Game 9: Gone Home - 3 hours

Had it for ages on my HDD, but tried it the first time yesterday and was absolutely absorbed by this game. Played it in two sittings and really enjoyed every moment of this game. The narrative was clever with notes-only and the characters of the family took shape in my head without ever appearing once. Really good game.

Coming up next: don't know yet, maybe I will get the new humble bundle and play Devil may Cry. or maybe jotun.

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7: For Honor [PC] - > 40h


Campaign was ok, multiplayer phenomenal, but ended up stop playing it because of the server problems, it really is a shame, I can see greatness in this franchise.

This gets a 8/10 from me.

8: Homefront: The Revolution [PC] - 14h


The game is fixed, at least technically, I've finished this one a few months ago and really enjoyed it all the way through, bought it after the free weekend they offered. The customization of weapons in "real time" is awesome, graphics are amazing, gameplay is simple but satisfying, story could be better.

Would give it an 7.5/10. Recommended.

9: Homefront: The Revolution - The Voice of Freedom [PC] - 45m

First DLC, really solid. 7/10.

10: Homefront: The Revolution - Aftermath [PC] - 45m

Second DLC, again really good, just very short. 7/10.

11: Homefront: The Revolution - Beyond The Walls [PC] - 2h

Absolutely loved this DLC, better than the others, really cool short story in the same universe. 8/10

12: Halo 3: Reach [XB360] - 10h


Been playing the Halo and Gears games with my brother, this one was solid, the story was ok, but the gameplay is where Halo shines and it's enjoyable.

Score: 7/10.

13: Halo 4 [XB360] - 8h


Couldn't care less about the critics, what an awesome game, best gameplay in the series. Best story in the series (but that's not saying much really). Cool art style, best performance playing split-screen. Very enjoyable experience.

Score: 8/10

14: Burnout Paradise [PC] - 12h


I don't think I need to say much. It's Burnout, pure fun.
It can't dethrone the king Burnout Revenge, but it came close to it.
Excellent port for PC.

Score: 9/10

ZombiU - Really enjoyed this. It came with the Wii U and I did try it initially for a few hours, but bigger and better stuff came along - so it got shunted to the bottom of the play pile. Really surprised by how much I enjoyed it and feel like there's so much potential in the series. Would have been nice to have the different enemy types have different attack pattern, as well as different ways of dispatching with them just to keep the combat more interesting.

Would love to see it expanded upon. A larger map maybe, perhaps different time periods with specific weapons? Zombie outbreak in Ancient Rome say?? Really like the mutiplayer mechanics too coming across a perished player was always fun and the message system was a nice little touch. Great game.

Up next: Pikmin 3 - Have played the first few missions, BUT as a lefty I have to admit I'm not enjoying it at all. Any tips from fellow sinistrals?? The classic controls fell worse than the forced right-handed stylus stuff.

Edit - Having just counted up, ZombiU is me reaching the halfway point!

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Game 18: Shovelknight: Specter of Torment - 6 hours

At first I was a little wary of the lock-on system, thinking it would be too simple like a Sonic game. But then it actually had a decent variety of challenges. The parcours-esque 2D platforming works and controls really well, they've managed to find a good amount of very different hazards to test your platforming and timing skills. At this point I'm just getting a little tired of the Shovelknight base build and the developers need to stop with the overexposing story.

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Game 19: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia - 35 hours

This game brought all the right things to the Fire Emblem series. The small chunks of dungeon crawling really help to shake up the bigger S-RPG battles. Long battles have also been vastly improved by the (limited) ability to reverse bad turns that you've made. We all know that everyone turns off the console when a party member dies permanently on a Fire Emblem field, so it's not like that this mechanic simplifies the game - it makes it more comfortable. All the changes to the menus and underlying systems are also welcome. In fact, the game still has the right amount of difficulty. Sadly, the story is throw-away, but at least the character designs aren't completely embarrassing like in the previous FE titles.

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Game 20: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - 60 hours

This might be the most mature SMT game. Not last because of its somewhat dry sci-fi setting and art direction (kind of butchered in the 3DS remakes), which doesn't lose its unique SMT touch. Stranded in another dimension where human sin manifests, the entire dungeon crawling aspects gets unique survival touch. And the dungeon crawling itself from a gameplay standpoint is as good as ever. Recruiting demons is as fun as in any other SMT game also, but because of a slightly altered battle system and a constantly high difficulty, micro management for your party is even more important than usual - which feels great. Small downsides are the repetitive music and that progression at points can be cryptic in the vein of NES Zelda. While the biggest downside is that the game is too long and the final boss impossible without getting help from the internet.

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Game 21: Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse - 30 hours

Now to the complete opposite. This game has nothing you want in a SMT title. Instead of a dark hardcore RPG experience, you get on a happy handholdey, tutorial-heavy monster hunting adventure with your childhood waifu and a cliche party that's never shutting up. Challenge only comes at the very end. The basic SMT gameplay was still servicable even in its dumbed down state, but it's still a terrible entry into the series.

48. Disney Infinity 3.0 - Inside Out Playset (5 hours)
Compared to the rest of Disney Infinity, this one is a relatively straight-forward 2D and 3D platformer, even having a level select menu instead of a hub. It exposes that Disney Infinity's engine and controls weren't really made with heavy platforming in mind, but the level design itself is quite good and varied.

Full list to date.

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#36 Nex Machina (PC) - 2.5 hours

6:45h. Completed story mode, not a completionist run.

Yoshi's New Island is to platformers what a Pumpkin Spice Latte is to coffee. It does its thing flawlessly. Its thing, though, is being half a kilo of creamy sugar with just a touch of the real thing right at the end. I don't think I wasted my time with this game, but I do feel a touch dirty.

My Score: ★★★☆☆

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Game 10: Strider - 10 hours

Bought in the last capcom humble bundle. That game is all about fast action and satisfied me deeply. It has this syndrom "just one more room, come on, one more" and this is probably the reason why I finished it in two very long sittings. It is so good to not think about the problems in your life and just smash the robots and beat the hell out of the bosses. The game could be a little bit harder btw. I died maybe 10 times in total on normal mode. There are also upgrades hidden everywhere and you can backtrack to previous areas. But actually, backtracking is a pain in the ass because everything looks the same and you get lost easily and there is no fast travel and not even hub-world. This is probably the reason why I stopped getting all the upgrades, normally a thing I really like to do. I would advise just go through the game, get some upgrades on the way, but do not go back and look for them. It is just not worth it. All in all, a really nice game which can be easily speedrunned. got 22/30 achievements but didn't go after specific achievements.

Coming up next: Devil may cry because i bought in the humble bundle, too.

#58 Far Cry 4 ★★★ PS4 - July 18th - 14 hours
Starts off alright but quickly gets boring. Took me months to finish because I could only stand to play a short amount at a time.


#59 Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars ★★★★ 3DS - July 18th - 22 hours
Really underrated strategy game, story and graphics are dull but what counts is excellent.