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

silkysmooth

Just beat 1954 Alcatraz. It uses a 2 protag system like Day of the Tentacle, although the passage of time in the game isn't conveyed really well. You're gonna spend time with one character until you can't progress then switch to the other and repeat til you beat the game.
The game's visuals aren't all that impressive and it does feel janky at times.
The English in the game is actually much better than Daedalic's usual fare, and that in part made it one of my fav. games from them. The story and setting are interesting although I feel it could've been better, but otherwise it is a decent PnC.

Just did a check and I'm currently on 47/52. Granted a lot of short VR/episodic games but still...

Sep 10 - The Lost Bear
Sep 10 - Knack 2
Aug 31 - LiS: Before the Storm - Ep 1
Aug 30 - GOTG Episode 3
Aug 16 - GNOG
Aug 9 - Batman TEW Ep 1
Aug 7 - Fated: The Silent Oath
Aug 4 - Tacoma
Jul 23 - Theseus
Jul 19 - The Assembly
Jul 4 - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane
Jun 29 - Wayward Sky
Jun 26 - Bound
Jun 25 - Yakuza 0
June 21 - Tekken 7
June 20 - Nex Machina
Jun 14 - Rez Infinite
June 8 - Psychonauts: ROR
June 7 - GOTG Ep 2
June 5 - Job Simulator
May 29 - Lethal VR
May 17 - Injustice 2
May 10 - Dexed
May 9 - LocoRoco Remastered
May 9 - Statik
May 8 - Little Nightmares
April 25 - What Remains of Edith Finch
April 18 - Starship Disco
April 13 - Late Shift
April 12 - GOTG Episode 1
April 6 - Bulletstorm: Full Clip
April 4 - Parappa the Rapper Remastered
Apr 2 - Snake Pass
Mar 20 - Thumper
Mar 5 - Night in the Woods
Feb 27 - Eagle Flight
Feb 18 - Batman Telltale Ep 4
Feb 18 - Batman Telltale Ep 4
Feb 18 - Batman Telltale Ep 3
Feb 18 - Batman Telltale Ep 2
Feb 17 - Batman Telltale Ep 1
Feb 12 - Star Fox Zero
Feb 8 - Eve Valkyrie
Feb 3 - Loading Human Chapter 1
Jan 30 - Resident Evil 7
Jan 11 - Batman Arkham VR
Jan 5 - Eve: Gunjack

Original Post


Game52: Planescape Torment: Numenera - 21h - 8/10 - PS4
I loved the previous game so I was waiting a lot for this. So first the bad: the kickstarter promised Italian translation, but actually the developer said a couple of week BEFORE release, that there were no ita translation due to how big the text was... they couldn't have managed this worse than that. They offered refund, but non-sense to say this so late... talking about the game, it's actually hard to keep on all the information not in my native language, because the game is huge and too often use new terms for everything, even battles are called "crisis":.. this add more difficulty at the already huge amount of informations you have to acquire. The combat is not brilliant, but the writing it is, and so are the multiple choices and way you can play it... so the game is long but actually looks way small than planned, the map that come with the physical game is a huge proof of that, and the kickstarter too... ok enough talk, the game is beautiful but really difficult to master all the info about the story, hope they will support this in the future.
Oh PS4 (Pro here) version has long loading times 10-15 seconds to change a zone, and this is something you will do often, and worse if you load a game... also there are many slow downs during fights... considering the kind of game and graphic I expect it to be super smooth. I wanted to do a second play, but these will keep me to wait hoping for a future patch...


52! I did it!

Still some months to the end, I should be able to do at least 60 games...

Main post (1-28)

Main post (29-...)



29 | Observer | PC
Time: 8 hours
Score: 7/10

Observer does an excellent job at drawing you into its world in the first 1-2 hours. The apartment block and its inhabitants provide a window into life in the 5th Polish Republic and it's not all that pretty. The references to 1984 are plentiful. Gradually the game turns into a murder mystery and you'll be mostly doing detective work; scanning objects, exploring your surroundings and figuring out keypad codes. There are also a few side-quest which help flesh out the world even more and they're all very well done. The main story is a bit confusing to follow at times but ended in a satisfying way.
Where Observer stumbles for me is in its use of special effects...it's over the top. From the intrusive scanner feedback to the neural interrogation sessions, this is not a game recommended for people prone to seizures. And it makes navigating the environments a pain in the ass at times. At one time I got stuck for a good ten minutes trying to navigate a cubicle maze. Also the mandatory stealth sections are awful. There are a few jump scares here and there but I didn't mind them that much. Overall Observer is a very good game with a great setting and some really enjoyable stories to tell but let down by some questionable design decisions. Sometimes, less is more.

Games played: 29
Highest rated game: Prey (9)
Average score: 6.7

Part 1 | Part 2



30. Nier: Automata (PS4) | August 22 | 40 hours
Does special, quirky things throughout with multiple layers of thematic material to analyse and mull over. Plays with UI, text and perspective in meaningful, delightful ways. A haunting and unique work of sci-fi in a distinct creative voice.

And yet.. combat becomes a drag long before it ends, as does navigating the lifeless environments. There's a detachment to the characterization and storytelling that undercuts emotional impact - I just didn't really care. And the fuck was up with that map. Great soundtrack, memorable game, conflicted thoughts.

Pascal



31. Hidden Folks (PC) | August 25 | 3 hours
Pleasant and positive hidden object stress relief. A cousin to Where's Waldo, with densely packed locations and charming black and white visuals to poke and prod at. Sounds are all mouth based by the developers, to effective and hilarious result. A few of the clues can feel like impossible starting points but many are clever little puzzles with fun rewards, and relaxing enough just to play around in.



32. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4) | September 3 | 15 hours
Hell of a ride. Few developers can match MachineGames when it comes to FPS world building. They nail the quiet moments, tense interactions and even sex and romance with humanity and style. And then, after remembering why you'd like to shoot Nazis, you shoot all the Nazis, and Nazi robots and robot dogs. Stealth elements were better than feared and the special gun is put to good use. Campaign starts promising, becomes excellent and while the landing approach felt a bit rough it satisfies in the end.



33. Sonic Mania (PS4) | September 11 | 8 hours
It's very good classic Sonic, arguably the best in the franchise since Sonic CD. The gameplay feel is spot on and the remix approach works for mining nostalgia. Boss encounters are strong, new levels fit in seamlessly and the soundtrack drips with 90's Sega goodness.

Modifications and flourishes to classic levels are inspired, making familiar worlds even more expansive and connected. It can be punishing, frustrating and haphazard, it's still Sonic. Could also have done without the spinning blue sphere bonus stages, gives my old man brain a headache.

Mirage Saloon Act 2

In Progress:
Yakuza Kiwami (PS4) - may finish next
Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) - little by little
DJMAX Respect (PS4) - will play for a while

Main post part 2

-------


39. Mahjongg Investigations: Under Suspicion - 9 hours
Another casual mahjongg game, but with a twist. You play as a detective, every case contains several mahjongg boards you need to complete in order to find criminals. Some tiles giving clues and new info about suspects, and after you gather enough evidences you can issue warrant - if you were right, you'll +10 points to ̶G̶r̶y̶f̶f̶i̶n̶d̶o̶r̶ your reputation, if not than you'll lose some points. There is also several minigames, even Tetris-style one, but game quickly becomes repetitive. It's not bad if you play it in small portions, like every casual game.

Complete List

The Adventures of Lolo 2
Platform: NES
Time: 8:00
Date: 09.08
Score: (4/5)

For me, Lolo is one of most perfect puzzle games out there. I love how clean and simple everything is, from the graphics to the puzzle logic. Each element of the game is perfectly readable and understandable, and it is only a matter of understanding how to solve the puzzle. The only downside is that some puzzles involve trial and error, such as determining which collectable gives a powerup (if any), and how eggs will float or sink in the water, but the rest of game is so good that I don't really mind. Lolo 2 executes all of this as perfectly as the first game, but is somewhat disappointing for using the exact same assets as the first game. It didn't damped my enjoyment of the game much, but it still would have been nice to see some new tilesets.

Complete List

ActRaiser
Platform: SNES
Time: 10:00
Date: 09.12
Score: (4/5)

I can't think of many games that are more deserving of a modern-day sequel. ActRaiser is so unique, and such an excellent concept. Your time is split between sidescrolling combat levels (which haven't aged very well) and top down city building levels, where you fly around as a cherub and fight monsters while directing the people on how to expand. Both halves of the game are fairly simple by today's standards, but it is such a cohesive package (you are a god who is either vanquishing evil monsters for your followers, or acting as a guiding hand as they build their homes) that it just works.

Original post


28. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PC, 2014) - 7:54
Completed on Hardened difficulty.

I liked the Black Ops III campaign. So my take on Advanced Warfare is probably not going to be one shared by the majority.

Looking back, I think the problems other people have pointed out with that campaign have brought my estimation down a bit, but I still like how Black Ops III mostly jettisons the awkward attempts to graft geopolitical rationales onto the traditional Call of Duty action-movie drama, instead focusing on the notion of the self in an age of cybernetic supersoldiers. It's not exactly a new narrative, but it at least addresses issues most Call of Duty games don't ever bother with.

Advanced Warfare tries to do the same, but ultimately fails because it almost never does anything surprising or unexpected. Of course Kevin Spacey is the bad guy; of course Atlas becomes a super-powerful military force that no nation can confront head-on; of course you're the only person that can stop him somehow. There's really only one place where Advanced Warfare seems like it's on the verge of exploring interesting territory, but that feeling passes quickly and it's back to the same old stuff: America under attack, blow up the enemy against the odds, etc. etc. etc. etc.

As far as how Advanced Warfare is to play, it's neither my favourite nor my least favourite Call of Duty. It doesn't do much to convince anyone who isn't already on board with Call of Duty's shooting gallery-meets-rollercoaster gameplay that it has anything new to offer, though. There are the garden variety killboxes where you can get shot from seemingly every direction and murdered constantly by people out of view. There is the trademark Call of Duty Baffling Design Decision mission--in this case, it happens early in the game, when you're asked to run across a freeway even though a) it's suicide, b) there are pedestrian bridges very close by on both sides, and c) YOU HAVE A FUCKING EXO SUIT THAT LETS YOU JUMP THE WIDTH OF THE HIGHWAY. There are vehicle missions. Oh god, the vehicle missions. Protip: never ask people to steer a fast-moving jet fighter using the WASD keys.

But then there are times when the game threatens to break out of the Call of Duty mold as well. The biggest example is a mission about halfway through the game that asks you to employ stealth, as opposed to going in guns blazing. Strangely, it's this mission that demands the most out of your exo suit abilities, and it's also the mission that gives you the most freedom in terms of approach. It's still a Call of Duty game, of course; it's still highly linear. But you get to at least choose how you infiltrate the compound to an extent, and who you silence along the way (or don't). Plus, killing people with the grappling hook feels great and it's a crime that you basically never get to do it again.

Advanced Warfare is a mostly competent, polished Call of Duty outing, despite my many complaints. The story might be dumb but it's at least easy to understand and it moves at a quick clip. The gameplay is somewhat varied. It looks good, though it occasionally performs really poorly on PC (with heavy slowdowns and even crashes during in-game cutscenes). But there isn't really anything here to love, nor any reason to wish for the sequel that the ending half-heartedly hints at. No wonder, then, that Sledgehammer's moved on for their next installment.

7h-ish. Non-completionist run.

After the first two hours of the game, I was ready to give this game a failing grade. I got trapped by the amazing setting, the haunting music and the puzzley gameplay, which feels like a mixture of a combatless Ico and a 3D Rez, but I thought the game was being artsy for the sake of being artsy and there was no real reason to its beauty. I had the feeling RiME was a "me too", a wannabe deep game, and I felt a bit angry at it.

Then I saw the ending and everything that happened through the game suddenly made sense. Everything. I'm not going to spoil it, even though I usually spoil games in my minireviews, but I repeat, everything, from the setting to the themes that repeat themselves during the game, clicks when you see the end.

After the credits song (doubly so, because Spanish is my first language) I put the controller down, emotionally drained. I like videogames as a form of entertainment - generally speaking, I don't like artsy fartsy games, or stories that take themselves too seriously. But I can't give RiME anything else than 5 stars considering that I had it in my mind for hours after the game was over.

My Score: ★★★★★

Original Post

Watch Dogs 2

Enjoyed this early on, but it really outstayed it's welcome. The main cast were all unlikable, I was thankful when All the main missions were the same, I didn't appreciate being forced into "find the hacker" multiplayer, pretty world filled with nonsense busy-work. Glad it's over. I did enjoy the environmental circuit puzzles though, would've happily taken more of them.

Main post

9: Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls - 30 hours

Been sitting on it since it's launch on the PS4, but never really got past the first act. Decided to finally man up and finish the game. Picked up a demon huntress as my first main. I liked the character design and weapons used. I sprinted through the game quite quickly. Locations were quite varied, monsters weren't recycled too much. Overall I had a pleasant experience with it. It managed to hit all the right notes and make me feel the same way I did with Diablo 2 many years ago.

10: Lara Croft GO - 4 hours

I got it because it was cheap and because I really enjoyed Hitman GO. I got my money worth out of it. It provides a nice variety, throws new mechanics at the player as levels go by and is quite challenging later on. Can't wait to have Deus Ex GO on the Vita now.

11: That's You! - fired it up a few times

Now that's something I don't do very often - play video games at parties. This time I decided to try out a very party-oriented game and to be quite honest, we've had fun. Questions were funny, the voice actor in the Polish version did his job very well and using smartphones as your controller was a smart idea.

12: Uncharted: Lost Legacy - 10 hours

Perfect way to come back to Uncharted after A Thief's End. Offers a very likeable duo, great gameplay (as always) and an engaging story. I liked the fact ND went all in on the open world aspect of the U4 offering a very open ended Chapter 4. At the same time we've had a fair share of setpieces. Fantastic blend.

13: Final Fantasy XV - 58 hours

Here's a thing about FFXV. I had so much fun with it initially(by initially I mean the first 40 hours or so). Gameplay was cool, the world was perfect, I got hooked by the story and characters. Then the game started sprinting towards the end. It got painfully linear, story events got needlessly convoluted and the end was just a mess. I got a little disappointed by it in the end.

Because I suffer from time constraints I've given up on my goal to finish 52 games. But I still want to track my progress, although I only have beaten actually one game of the following ones I played. Still, here we go.

22. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
First time playing, fantastic game. Interesting world and characters, great combat/gambit system with the god-send that is the speed-up option. Will finish this definitely at some point, highly recommended.
Tendency: 4/5

23. Yakuza Kiwami
The one I have actually beaten. Great follow up to Zero, if not as strong, still mightly entertaining and definitely worth checking out for fans.
4/5

24. Steep
It is certainly cluncky at times or at least hard to get used to, especially if you're used to other types of extrem sports-games, but still pretty entertaining and in a genre that is basically dead, still worth a look at a steep discount.
Tendency: 2/5

25. Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
Was always a fan of the series and Black Flag was always praised to be one of the best. I don't know about that, but it is certainly one of the more interesting iterations in the series. Ship combat, lush jungles, pirate towns - it basically has it all. Thumbs up.
Tendency: 3/5

26.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
12 hours in or so - I do not enjoy this videogame. It is just not exciting. What a bummer. Will return either way, still, maybe it will click eventually.
Tendency: 2/5

27. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
I do enjoy this videogame.
3/5

28. Splatoon 2
I absolutely love this videogame. Oh boy. Splatoon was the one game I was jealous of in regards to Wii U (Well, and Mario Maker, to be fair) and the sequal was one of the main reasons to buy the Switch fairly early on, and man, it did not disappoint. Such a breath of fresh air. Good on you, Nintendo, good on you!
Tendency: 5/5

29. Sonic Mania
Never played Sonic in my entire life, this game is an absolute blast. Still not through - I pretty much suck at this game, damn you Metal Sonic!! - but I still very much enjoy it. Well worth the asking price.
Tendency: 4/5

30. Fire Emblem: Awakening
It is.. okay? Not as fun as I thought it would be and I have no desire to get the other games in the series. Will still look at what the Switch game will bring to the table and Warriors is pretty much Day One for me, so the franchise still has appeal to me...somewhat.
Tendency: 2/5

31. Persona 5
Around 50 hours in, I hit a brick wall. The combat is fun to a point, the art style and general style is cool, but the story mostly sucks, the characters are boring and/or creepy (Makato basically being the exception here). The game gets annoyingly repetitive in its story structure and bores me to tears before I gave up. Might still return to it some day, I kept it on my harddrive.
Tendency: 2/5

32. The Legend of Korra
Surprisingly solid, little game that is well worth 3 bucks or so. Not as bad as people made it out to be. Disappointing? Sure. But that's it.
Tendency: 2/5

Main Post

24: Raymand Legends - Date = Sept. 12; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 9/10

I love this game. Good improvement from Origins. I love the art style and the gameplay is so fun. I wish you could play online co-op with someone, but sadly there's only local co-op. I'm sure this will become one my favorite video games of all time. Definitely one of my top games I played this year.

Complete List

Sky Blazer
Platform: SNES
Time: 10:00
Date: 09.13
Score: (4/5)

I rented this a few times as a kid and loved it, but never got very far. I was very excited when I saw it on a list of underrated SNES games, and decided to try again after all these years. I was surprised to find that Sky Blazer was made by Capcom, but all the signs are there. The game is beautiful and fast and has a style that is somewhat reminiscent of the Mega Man X games. The game rewards you with magic abilities as you progress, each of which consumes a few bars of your energy meter. Rather than feel restrictive, however, the game constantly feeds you more energy, and encourages you to use your abilities to defeat tough enemies and maneuver through challenging terrain.

All in all, it wasn't as good as some of Capcom's other SNES games, but the game is still very high quality. I'm kind of proud of my younger self for finding and appreciating such a gem of a game.

Master Post

this should have been done a long time ago, oopsie doodles

Click to expand...

Game 29: Pyre (PC) | 9 Hours | 08/12/2017 | 4.5/5

Pyre is one hell of an unique experience. It plays out as a visual novel until you participate in 'rites' where it turns into a wacky 1v1 sports game where you toggle between 3 different characters to put a ball into the goal, which in this case is the opposing players pyre.

Most of the game, however, is dedicated to moving around the world map and reading dialogue between characters. Pyre sports a unique, diverse cast from normal bloke to giant demon to tree person to glorious worm knight and every character you obtain is interesting in their own way. This expands to the enemy teams you come across, which will play out little side stories with their own interesting consequences. The general openess of the narrative due to the ability to lose matches but still progress the story and the different opponents you can face at different times adds to the replayability a lot.

The rites themselves, the real main meat of the gameplay, are also interesting. Every character plays differently and excels at different things. Smaller characters are faster with the better movement options, while larger characters excel in space control due to their large auras they emit. Each character has their own specifc abilities that make them different. These can be anything from flight, emitting a residual aura while moving, even summoning a decoy that emits its own aura. With different team combinations and the mechanics at play there's a lot of depth and strategy to the game; to the point where I didn't feel like I had the best grasp on how to play the game even after beating it.

Pyre's biggest sin is its gameplay loop. After a certain point, you'll be in the same gameplay loop until the end of the game. This entails going back and forth between points of interest, participating in a rite, going to the next point of interest to do another rite, until the special point of interest opens up and you go there to participate in a special rite and then you do it all again, repeating that at least 5-6 times. It's just a really repetitive loop that you're in until the end and it just got old. Beyond that the rest of the game is charming enough to pull through that and it is my favourite of the SuperGiant games.

Click to expand...

Game 30: Yo Noid! 2 (PC) | 90 Minutes | 08/13/2017 | 3.5/5

This is a game jam game that was made in a month. It's a game about a weird failed dominos mascot who had a video game once because of course he did. You can make him dab in the game by pressing the right trigger, even during written dialogue. This game has no business being as good as it is. It's a really well done 3D platformer that feels good to play, the mechanics are solid and varied as is the level design. For what it is and for how long it goes for I'd say it's a definite overacheiver and I hope the work here leads to something good in the future.

Click to expand...

Game 31: Headlander (PS4) | ~6 Hours | 08/15/2017 | 3.5/5

Headlander is a metroid-like game where you're a floating head running around a robot spaceship doing shit and stuff. Not necessarily a metroidvania due to no real platforming to speak of, the main draw here is that you can inhabit enemy bodies at any point. Either you bash their head with your own or do some sharpshooting and shoot it off, and then let go of your own body to fly over to the enemy you beheaded and use their body. This is used for minor puzzling, accessing new areas, finding secrets, doing side shit etc etc. The game is fun to play and has a fun aesthetic with its visuals and sound design. The story was boring though, ended up skipping cutscenes at the end, including the final one because I thought there'd be another boss after the final boss but then I skipped the cutscene and the credits rolled. Whoops. Good game.

Click to expand...

Game 32: Hollow Knight (PC) | 22 Hours | 08/26/2017 | 4.5/5

This is a game I bought on a whim because I heard good things about it and I wanted the indiebox release and hoo boy this is some good shit. This is a metroidvania game with a heavy souls influence and it just hits it out of the park on all levels. The controls and the platforming mechanics are solid, with eventual access to an air dash, a good feeling double jump and a MegaMan X wall jump, along with the fact that attacking down while jumping will propel yourself upward. Attacks are quick large swipes that can be aimed forward up back and down and quickly jumping and swiping can be done very quickly.

The game excels at world building and exploration of the world. From lush forest areas to perpetually rainy city plaza to the dark underbelly of the world the game creates an atmosphere of its own that just begs you to explore. Exploring itself is an interesting proposition, as you can only record where you are once you purchase a map from the map maker and then visit a bench (think Dark Souls bonfires) where your character will record the areas you explored at which point you can see where to continue next. There are also plenty of NPCs to talk to and they'll have their own mini storylines going on which is neat.

Combat is challenging but fair and well designed on the whole. There are plently of enemies to swipe at, some are annoying idiot flying ones that exist to make you hate life! They will do buttloads of damage if you're not careful and should you die you are sent back to the last bench while you have to retreieve your money by being able to reach where you died, a familliar mechanic to be sure. The heal mechanic is solid, every time you hit an enemy it fills your soul meter from which you drain you fill a portion of your health. You are kept still during the animation, so you need to pick when to heal carefully depending on the situation at hand. Bosses are pretty good about this in terms of if you're observant enough you'll find spots in the fight where healing can happen without recourse. Hollow Knight is a good fucking game that will definitely find a spot in my top 10 for this year.

Click to expand...

Game 33: Red Trigger (PC) | 40 Minutes | 08/26/2017 | 2.5/5

A free to play first person platformer game where u shoot platforms with your platform gun to move and/or activate platforms. It's alright. It's 40 minutes long and it's free. You could probably do worse for free 40 minutes.

Click to expand...

Game 34: [Replay] Crash Team Racing (PS1) | ~4 Hours | 08/29/2017 | 5/5

101% adventure mode. Still good. Give me the HD Remake with online play and less nutty item balance Activision.

Click to expand...

Game 35: Yakuza Kiwami (PS4) | 25 Hours | 09/02/2017 | 4/5

Off the heels of Yakuza 0, they released this game which is a remake of the first game and I once again enjoyed my time in Karumocho as much as I did the first time around. Being off the heels of 0, there is a rather saminess this time around, the story is a melodramatic affair wtih lots of twists and swerves and it's all rather well done, although it wouldn't have been as good without playing 0 which is fair given their places in the series' timeline.

Combat is mostly the same as 0's, the styles from that game are all present, however with the tweaks to progression in having experience and skill trees not being divided by fighting style I'd say it works better here. Still after so many hours between this game and 0 I still don't feel I have a good grasp of the combat, it just seems really clunky with trying to dodge and punish and enemies flat out ignoring hitstun sometimes, nevermind the agonizing recovery period every time you're stabbed or shot.

I still liked it a lot and I ended up spending more time with this game than 0 considering it is shorter and has less content than 0 but the repetitive nature of the franchise means I'll spend less time doing things I already did in this game the next time I return to Karumocho (never touching pocket circuit again) so I can only hope there's good new shit in the next game, which won't be for a while anyways until they localize Yakuza 2 Kiwami.

Click to expand...

Game 36: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch) | 30 Hours | 09/11/2017 | 4.5/5

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I enjoyed this a lot more than King's Quest 1, though that is likely due to it having more NPCs to interact with. The 2nd half of the game had a big chunk of it centered around one of the main gems you needed to find.
The game had a good story and the VGA remake really gave a late 80s/early 90s art style feel.

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

ffvorax

A productive week.

22. Destiny 2
A thoroughly enjoyable campaign that doesn't quite reach the heights of other recent shooter campaigns but that's not really the point of Destiny is it? Since I completed the campaign I haven't felt the absolute draw to go do the endless strikes and patrols that I did with the original Destiny. Yet. Plenty of game still there though.

23. Superhot
Not along game but packed full of ideas. I was really unsure of the meta universe on the outside at first but the game totally needs it as the gameplay only has the added difficulty of spawning multiple enemies rather than being clever. Really fun diversion though.

Complete List

Undertale
Platform: PS4
Time: 7:05
Date: 09.14
Score: (5/5)

It's not what I was expecting at all. The Earthbound-esque visuals and sound are what initially attracted me to the game (along with its reputation for being a great game), but when I found out there was no party system, and combat was so unusual, I was a little turned off. However, Undertale is so charming that I continued to play it, and I'm glad I did. It's a great game with a great story and characters, and it wrapped me up in itself far more than most games ever can. I'm simply blown away by it all. And of course, I immediately want to replay it because of the end.

Full list

30. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
★★★★☆ - 160h 15m - 8/10/2017
I don't love everything about Breath of the Wild, but the masterful design of its topography and the absolute freedom to explore it all made this a special experience for me. The sheer scale of Hyrule combined with details like sightlines to far distant landmarks constantly impressed me to a degree no other game world has. The hours just melted away as I became lost in adventure, day after day. At 160 hours played, it's by far the most time I've spent with a single player story campaign, and I never wanted it to end. I do wish more of the things I ended up finding were as amazing as the journey to find them, but nevertheless I think my time with BotW will go down as one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've ever had.

31. Tacoma
★★★☆☆ - 2h 00m - 8/11/2017
Telling its story through audiovisual logs made for a more detached narrative experience than I would've liked. The story itself is decent and ends on a relatively high note, but at no point did the game affect me emotionally in any of the ways Fullbright's previous work, Gone Home, did masterfully.

32. Immortal Planet
★★★☆☆ - 2h 35m - 8/12/2017
Nearly every gameplay mechanic and design decision is ripped straight from the Soulsborne series, but translated solidly into a 2D isometric perspective. Enjoyed it.

33. Sonic Mania
★★★★☆ - 8h 00m - 8/16/2017
An atomic bomb of nostalgia and a joyous reminder that there was indeed something special about those classic Genesis platformers. Turns out Sonic's chaotic mix of speed and traditional platforming can still bring a smile to my face. In my opinion, the formula has never been better - Sonic Mania is the best game in the series to date.

34. Sonic the Hedgehog
★★★☆☆ - 1h 31m - 8/18/2017
Alright, maybe Sonic 1 isn't that special. It's annoying and frustrating at times, even. But I still really enjoy Green Hill Zone and Star Light Zone.

35. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
★★★★☆ - 1h 47m - 8/19/2017
My favorite of the classic Sonic games. Still holds up to my memory for the most part. Chemical Plant Zone and Casino Night Zone are my two favorite zones in the series.

36. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
★★★☆☆ - 3h 58m - 8/19/2017
Never enjoyed it as much as Sonic 2, and I still don't. Something about its more gimmick-driven design makes certain parts a chore to play through. Hydrocity Zone Act 2, though...

37. Sonic CD
★★★☆☆ - 1h 18m - 8/19/2017
First time I've played and beaten Sonic CD. The greater emphasis on exploration doesn't do much for me. I respect the time travel concept more than I care to wring all the level variations out of it, though I probably would've spent countless hours with it as a kid.

38. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
★★★☆☆ - 5h 05m - 8/26/2017
The series' stale formula is at least more tightly paced here, and it's capped off with an exciting set piece sequence at the end that rivals anything else in the series.

39. Kirby's Epic Yarn
★★★★★ - 3h 25m - 9/3/2017
First time I've re-beaten it since release. Remains one of my favorite platformers ever.

40. Subsurface Circular
★★☆☆☆ - 2h 14 - 9/4/2017
Cool aesthetic, shoddy writing.

41. Tokyo Dark
★★★★☆ - 3h 50m - 9/8/2017
A horror mystery adventure game that I found gripping from start to finish. Consistently unsettling and at times intense.

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.

My main post.


29 | Left 4 Dead 2 | PC
52 hours | Stopped playing Sept. 14th

I decided to boot up Left 4 Dead 2 for the first time since, like, 2011 and play a few matches of versus but somehow those few matches turned into 50+ hours of gameplay. Whoops! The game's still such a blast to play with or without friends (I actually got a few friends to install it again, haha) and I'm glad there's still a solid, dedicated playerbase playing the campaigns and versus. Too bad the other game modes like scavenge are very much dead at this point. Though I had a great time playing the game most of the time I really wished there was a simple way to mute other players because I quickly noticed how toxic the community can be. It was still very fun and almost nostalgic returning to it and I can only hope that Valve will release a third one some day (I know, I know...).

Click to expand...

Well this was disappointing for my 200th completed game

Broken Sword 2.5 is a fan game that takes place after the events of BS2, a few years later in fact.
For a fan project there is some respectable effort put into it, but the dialog and story sadly didn't manage to keep my attention. It isn't a long game, as it is shorter than BS1 or 2 so thankfully it didn't overstay its welcome.

Main Post

decided to add multiplayer games that i have put a good amount of hours into this year.

25: Killing Floor 2 - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 8/10

I haven't played this game in a while, but I've easily put more than 30 hours this year so far. Good co-op zombie survival game. Even better with friends.

26: Planetside 2 - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 7/10

I have a love/hate relationship with this game. My enjoyment relies heavily if I'm in a full platoon and if we have a good leader. Otherwise I'm just playing alone and dying a lot. Have put 40+ hours this year so far.

27: Red Orchestra 2 - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 9/10

I wish I had a gaming PC when this game came out. So much fun. Put 30 hours this year so far.

28: Rising Storm 2 - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 9/10

So I played Red Orchestra 2 a while back and wasn't too crazy about it. Then I heard about the beta for Rising Storm 2 and decided to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did. Whatever didn't click in RO2 clicked in the beta, and when the beta ended I went back to play RO2 and I loved it too. They have similarities but also play very differently. However, this game needs to be worked on. Shit load of bugs and a lack of content. I know I gave this game a 9 but at the same time I don't recommend this game to anyone unless I know 100% that they're going to enjoy it because the price isn't it worth it in its current state. I have put over 200 hours in this game since it released in May, and I haven't played since August.

29: Trackmania 2: Stadium - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 9/10

Do you have a game where you just listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks? Well this is my game for that. I have put over 40 hours this year so far.

30: Blackwake - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 7/10

I haven't played this game since March. I'm following Blackwake on steam and the devs seem to be consistent on updating which is a good sign. That being said the game still needs work. I hope the devs make this a great game. They definitely seem passionate. I put in around 30 hours.

31: Overwatch - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 7/10

the game is whatever, but the porn is fantastic.

32: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - Date = N/A; Difficulty = N/A; Rating = 8/10

I don't know why I keep coming back to this game. I play this game for like two months then stop for a while and then come right back. It's an endless cycle. I hate this game, but I obviously enjoy it. Like 30 hours this year so far.

Fallen behind once again in posting here! Nowhere near 52 an I never intended to be but I should still keep up!

In any case Atelier Sophie, .hack//Mutation, Final Fantasy VII, .hack//Outbreak, Ever Oasis, and .hack//Quarantine have all been beaten!

Games Beaten: 15 / 52
Total Playtime: 281:20:00
01 - ??

Original Post

Game #8: PREY - ★★★½

A strong start gives way to a little too much tedium running back and forth with long load times. The final ending also left me pretty cold. Ok but a little disappointing

Game #9: Wolfenstein: The New Order - ★★★★½

After E3 my most anticipated game was the sequel to this reintroduction to a classic franchise. After having spent a good amount of time with it, I'm even more excited to play The New Colossus. This game really did an execelent job at defining BJ and the evils he has to fight. Felt real good to kill some Nazi's and I'm not ready to be done.

Game #10: Cave Story+ - ★★★½

I really want to give this game a higher score but it has too many little things that bug me. No saving in the last boss rush. No way of knowing you could even screw up the ending. Plays great with some awesome music. Great Switch port.

Time to finally update this, I'm way behind. By this point don't really expect to make the challenge this year - too many hours spent in long/multiplayer games like Magic, F13, DbD, PUBG and SWTOR. Especially SWTOR (250 hours and counting).

Games 1-11

Games 12-27:

#12
Mass Effect: Andromeda
PC (Origin)
1st playthrough completed: April 08, 2017
2nd playthrough completed: July 15, 2017
Total playtime: 142h 16m
What I played: SP only, 1st playthrough was male infiltrator (mix of Combat and Tech trees) Ryder with all side quests done except for additional Architect hunts past the first one and a bunch of pointless tasks which didn't even give you a nav point to finish them, forcing you to drive around looking for a random spawn (because screw that). Romanced Peebee, best buddies with the rest of the crew. 2nd playthrough was female Ryder with mostly biotic powers, and skipping most side quests except crew missions. I'm not going to criticize this game too much (enough said in the internet at this point), except to say that I was very sceptical of it after the Andromeda name reveal (hate the idea of literally running away from facing the ME3 ending problems to another galaxy), and it didn't really do anything to change my mind. The story was not interesting to me, but I did like the combat gameplay and a few characters from the new crew.

#13
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
PC (Steam)
Completed: April 10, 2017
Playtime: 23h 04m
Only played the gimped iOS version before, and was looking forward to replaying this excellent VN with all the original puzzles included. Still think the game and its premise are pretty cool, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/mindtwist story. But the 2nd playthrough did highlight for me some inconsistencies/plot holes that are not explained at all or not in a satisfying manner.

#14
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
PC (Steam)
Completed: April 22, 2017
Playtime: 52h 50m
Loved all the mindtwisting and craziness in the story, but I feel like it kind of lost its focus and became too convoluted/complicated for its own good towards the end. Didn't like the way they went with , I had a completely different picture of the future for those two in my mind after finishing the 1st game and the sequel kind of ruined that for me. The puzzles were a bit more of a pain this time around. Really liked the soundtrack.

#15
Zero Time Dilemma
PC (Steam)
Completed: April 25, 2017
Total playtime: 25h 53m
I kind of regret this game could not be more like the first two games, but at the same time I understand it's a pleasant surprise the game got greenlit and released at all given poor sales of the originals. The main plot thread is ... decent, I guess. Unfortunately, there are no real side plot threads like there used to be in 999 and VLR - they all last for like a few minutes at most. I found the sections dealing with the to be the most interesting, and I really wish there'd be more of those. Like, instead of the completely pointless chapters where
#16
Tales from the Borderlands
PC (Steam)
Completed: April 28, 2017
Playtime: 10h 23m
Well-directed funny story told from perspectives of two different protagonists. Liked most of it, except how it forces Rhys to be a goodie-goodie in the final episodes no matter how evil and self-centered you played him before. Loved the characters, especially Sasha, Vaughn and Athena.

#17
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
NDS
Completed: May 20, 2017
Playtime: 27h 16m
My first Ace Attorney game. The first few cases were too obvious to figure out who/how, but the later ones become more interesting. Didn't like how you are sometimes unable to present vital evidence or contradiction in prosecution's case because the game arbitrarily decided it wasn't time for that particular piece of evidence yet. Also the judge/court system was very inconsistent even for a parody/satire of a real court - like, apparently, sometimes you need a motive to convict someone (when it's Ace accusing someone), and sometimes you don't (when it's the prosecution).

#18
Magic Duels: Origins
PC (Steam)
Completed: June 05, 2017
Playtime: 36h 23m (in 2017)
Continued playing this from last year. Played through the single player campaign of the new Kaladesh expansion, played lots of multiplayer matches, tried a lot fun decks. I'm reasonably sure I won't be playing it again this year, so into the completed list it goes.

#19
Friday the 13th: The Game
PC (Steam)
Completed: June 29, 2017
Playtime: 68h 55m
Tried it out on a whim and surprisingly got hooked for a good while. Had lots of fun, unlocked all Jason variants, played until I knew all the maps and Jason kill animations by heart, and for a bit after that. The game had (and still has) lots of bugs and problems, my biggest gripes were with stealth being pretty much useless even with good perks when playing as counselor, and with the game not preventing players from disconnecting during a kill animation to rob Jason of kill credit (and points) when playing as Jason. Leaving this alone for a good long while at this point until they fix all the problems and release a bunch of new maps and other content.

#20
The Hero Project: Redemption Season
PC (Steam)
Completed: July 18, 2017
Playtime: 6h 52m
A sidequel to the Heroes Rise text interactive novel/adventure series which I played last year. This one was ok, but dropped the ball on character relationships - it's like most character arcs are only introduced here and then too obviously left hanging to be continued in a later entry. I felt like The Prodigy did a better job at it being the first entry in a new series.

#21
L.A. Noire
PC (Steam)
Completed: July 25, 2017
Playtime: 31h 09m
Game with a good story (starts slow and disjointed, but cases get more interesting), an unlikeable protagonist that the story made me like (or, at least, respect) in the end, great motion-capture facial animations, ok cover shooter and car chase missions, open-world-like city to (for the most part pointlessly) drive around in. And with poorly implemented, frustrating conversation/interrogation system which makes you guess a correct approach based on what you know about the character (which too often amounts to next to nothing).

#22
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
PC (Steam)
Completed: August 02, 2017
Playtime: 23h 09m
Multiplayer shooters aren't usually my thing, but Battle Royale setup is interesting to me. Only played solo matches, didn't get chicken dinner but came very close several times. The game is pretty fun, but it could really use more maps - after 10-15 hours I was already starting to get tired of the only one available. Also the last few walls in a round could use a nerf in speed and deadliness - as it stands, more people are dying to it than to other players, which is kind of lame.

#23
Metal Gear
PS3
Completed: August 05, 2017
Playtime: 7h 03m
First time delving into the Metal Gear series, and what place better to start than at the very beginning. It holds up suprisingly well for its age, and does not overstay its welcome. I had fun, probably my only complaint would be a few places where it's hard to determine what the heck you're supposed to do next without looking it up in a walkthrough.

#24
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
PS3
Completed: August 11, 2017
Playtime: 7h 15m
Great game, but I had a tough time getting used to the changes in the stealth system coming in after the first game. Never got good at stealth here, and basically ended up running and gunning through a lot of sections towards the end. Boss fights were definitely more fun here though.

#25
Dead by Daylight
PC (Steam)
Completed: August 21, 2017
Playtime: 50h 29m
Dived into this game after having lots of fun with F13, and at first could not get into it at all. Playing killer here is hard work compared to Friday - while in Friday the challenge is in whether you can kill ALL of the counsillors in a match, here it's more like "Can you kill at least 1-2 of them before they speedhack all the gens?". I think it's due partly to me often running into high-leveled, well-coordinated pre-made parties in matchmaking. But at long last I finally am decent at the killer game, and getting all 4 kills against high-ranked players is immensely satisfying. I think it's a good point to say goodbye to DBD, the XP grind to get new abilities is getting very tiresome and all the maps are starting to look the same.

#26
Halo 2
Xbox One
Completed: September 03, 2017
Playtime: 11h 10m
Finally got around to continuing my MCC playthrough. 2nd game in the series has noticably higher production values - the cinematic cutscenes look great even today. Lots more lore and new characters compared to the first game too, which I like. Other highlights: good enemy AI, interesting level design, great soundtrack. The story involving aliens and their internal bickering / politics was not very interesting to me, though.

#27
Killer Instinct
PC
Completed: September 05, 2017
Playtime: 57h 58m
Possibly the best fighter I ever played (keeping in mind that I'm complete casual though, so I haven't played all that many). With all seasons 1-3 characters, you're looking at a very varied flashy roster, and a very well-balanced one at that. What I played: finished the story mode arcade ladder with all 3 challenges completed for all season 1-2 characters, and played through the Shadow Lords campaign twice with different teams ). The game runs great on PC, except for one little issue where Windows store version often took a long time to connect to servers at launch. Anyways, great game.

Retired/not completed games:

Empire: Total War
PC (Steam)
Playtime: 19h 50m
I wanted to try one of the older Total War games from my backlog, but made a mistake picking this one, thinking it would be more about European wars around the Napolean times. Instead it's a campaign focused on American history, which I don't really care about. Tried to stick with it, but the missions kept dragging on and the tutorial wasn't even done educating me on how things worked after almost 20 hours, so I bowed out of this one.

Currently playing:

Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) - Playing through all the content I missed and through class stories I haven't even tried. Literally hundreds of hours into it on my 2nd new class playthrough, and there are still several more to go. Help.
Fallout 4 (PC) - Exploring the wasteland of America in a power armor suit, love it so far.
7 Days to Die (PC) - Finally trying out a Minecraft-like survival game, and it's a very good one.
Vanquish (PC) - I'm not skilled enough to make the combat in this game look as good as it permits/deserves.
Persona 3: FES (PS3) - If I wasn't already into Persona series, this game alone would make me fall in love with it.
Starcraft Remastered (PC) - Old-fashioned RTS goodness, hope to finish the original campaign this time and check out the expansion.

This game started off fine, but the later half with the didn't sit well with me.
It is otherwise a decent PnC, some good voice acting too.

41. Pink Hour (Steam, 2017/09/07, 0.2 hours)

This free appetizer for Kero Blaster is only one level, very brief, but sweet. The gameplay is basic, yet fun, platforming while blasting everything in your path. The sprite work is adorable. Nice little chiptune and story really get you in the mood for more.

42. Pink Heaven (Steam, 2017/09/07, 0.3 hours)

This free sequel to the first appetizer for Kero Blaster is only one level, very brief, but sweet. The gameplay is basic, yet fun, platforming while blasting everything in your path. There's an item pick up and it adds a little bit more depth. The demo level sports also more complexity in design. The pixels are kawaii. Nice little chiptune and story really get you in the mood for even more.

43. Kero Blaster (Steam, 2017/09/10, 3.8 hours)

The free appetizers Pink Hour and Pink Heaven were great, but the main dish is even better. You have to run&gun, collect new weapons and abilities. Game design somewhere set between 8 and 16 bit. The gameplay is well tuned and sports more depth than expected. Nice chiptunes and a neat little story keep you playing. I've blasted through the whole game in one session. Definitely one of the better low-bit platformers released lately.

44. Epistory - Typing Chronicles (Steam, 2017/09/17, 7.5 hours)

This game is keyboard exclusive. You even have to navigate its menu via typing. This story driven exploration game got stellar art, music and narration. The game world looks paper crafted and new areas unfold like tile based origami. The real time battles are fought by typing words appearing over enemies, the faster you type, the faster you kill, the easier crowd control gets. Different skill unlocks give further depth to each fight and some tactical assessment is required. The changing environments and dungeon like sub sections mix things up with easy logic and dexterity puzzles. Epistory is refreshingly unique and fun to play. The game isn't going to teach you blind 10 finger typing, but it will help to improve in a playful manner. I'm not sure how the game scales in difficulty. I'm able to blind type with 10 fingers and the game felt easy and relaxing to me.

[index]

61. Super Army of Tentacles 3: The Search for Army of Tentacles 2 (5 hours)
A charming little RPG/visual novel from one of NeoGAF's own developers. Some fights can be opaque in what you're supposed to say, though.

Full list to date.

Main post part 2

-------


40. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - A Criminal Past - 7 hours
While "System Rift" was good, but passable DLC, "A Criminal Past" is exactly what i wanted, an old-school expansion in completely new environment and included nice standalone story with some meaningful choices. Really nice variety of paths and overall atmosphere, reminded me about The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Definitely a must-have DLC if you like Deus Ex universe and stealth games in general.

Complete List

Kirby's Dream Course
Platform: SNES
Time: 8:00
Date: 09.15
Score: (4/5)

I never gave this game a chance back in the day, but I'm glad I decided to give it a proper shot in 2017. It's an isometric minigolf game where Kirby must destroy all enemies to reveal the hole, and certain enemies give Kirby a power just like in normal Kirby games. It's such a great concept that works really well here, and the fact that the last enemy standing becomes the hole means that you have to carefully consider the kill order to keep your shot count low. The physics aren't perfect, but they're consistent and they work surprisingly well. It was great fun, and hopefully we get a followup one day.

Complete List

inFamous - Second Son
Platform: PS4
Time: 15:00
Date: 09.18
Score: (4/5)

I played this a few years ago as a hero, but I lent my copy to a friend and never had a chance to play the evil path. Now that the game is free on PS+, I decided to finlly jump back in and see if the game is as good as I remember.

First of all, yes. The game is still really fun. It's true that there is a lot of your typical open world filler, but I found most of the side quests short enough that I didn't mind, and hunting down drones was something I never got tired of. The powers are fun to use, and while I originally thought they were all a little too same-y, this play through made me realize that each power favors different situations. I found myself willingly switching powers mid-encounter, whereas I previously wanted to only use the newest power. Constantly switching things up helped keep things fresh, although it would have been far better if there were more powers or more to upgrade on the skiltrees.

The biggest complaint I have is the story. The main story concept is good enough, but things start to fall apart when you dig a little deeper. In particular, I have a big problem with how the game treats you when you take the villain path. The game seems to treat the hero path as the default path, and when you go full evil it doesn't change things up enough. For example, Delsin's sheriff brother didn't seem to mind too much when I began mindlessly slaughtering innocents during a particular mission for which he was present, despite objecting to murder at other points in the story. In fact, as full evil as I went, the brother should have probably just disowned me, and the criminal Hank probably should have stepped in the fill that role (this would require obvious story rewrites, but I think it would have made a lot more sense). I also don't think the civilians react to you strongly enough, especially if you've been running around murdering hundreds of people for weeks on end.

Even with these complaits, though, I still had a ton of fun with the game. It's one of my favorite open world games. One of the strongest suits of the game are the controls. Moving around the city feels really good and I never felt like I couldn't pull off what I wanted to in combat, whether that was moving across the battlefield, throwing a fireball, or executing a super attack. Other open world "super hero" games that I've enjoyed (e.g. Saint's Row 4) haven't been able to keep things as fluid, and for me it makes a huge difference. Second Son is a game I will likely revist in the future, if only to go for the platinum.

Main Post

33: Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds - Date = Sept. 18; Difficulty = Normal; Rating = 7/10

an enjoyable beat me up. i beat the story within two and a half hours. However, there's a lot of replayability such as leveling characters (there's four to start with, two dlc characters, and a few characters you can unlock), an arcade mode, and PvP.

Main Post

10. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - 80 hours - 7/10

Really charming game, went and got the platinum. Loved the world, characters, story, music, designs, did not like the combat system. Very big stain on an otherwise stunning JRPG. Super excited for the sequel now.

11. Metroid: Zero Mission - 6 hours - 8/10

Thought I'd smash this out before diving into Samus Returns. Really solid remake that breathes some new life into the old NES game. Wasn't really a fan of the added stuff at the end though, didn't really fit the flow of the game.


Went through a bit of a slump and these are the first games I've beaten in a few months, beat them back to back in two days though! Was never going to hit 52 regardless, but it's fun to chronicle what I play here.

OP.

---

Game 44 - Resident Evil: Outbreak (PS2) - 3.5/5 - ~7 hours *

Even still, more RE series replaying. This one is really continuing to grow on me over the years. I'd actually go as far as to say that I see this as the third best classic style RE game behind only REmake and RE2. Some scenarios hold up more favorably than other for sure but there's nothing flat out bad or miserable here. (We'll see about File 2 though.)

The characters here are all so likable and have a lot of personality. Part of me really hates Capcom for letting them and the Outbreak format for RE games as a whole waste away all this time.

Click to expand...

Game 45 - Claire: Extended Cut (PS4) - 3.5/5 - 2 hours, 17 minutes

Played this to 100% completion after previously messing around a bit with it on PC. Not sure what exactly was added to this to make it an "Extended Cut" but I don't think it was anything too substantial.

This feels very similar to one of my absolute favorite survival horror games of recent years, Lone Survivor. It isn't as good overall but it's definitely a solid 2D horror title. Definitely worth your time if you can find it for a decent price.

Click to expand...

Game 46 - Condemned: Criminal Origins (PC) - 3.5/5 - 7 hours, 24 minutes *

More Halloween season horror game playing. This was one of my favorite games back when I owned a 360 but I haven't played it since around 06 or 07 when I last had the console. It was a treat to go back through this as it held up pretty well.

The combat in this game, while not my selling point for the game, is among the absolute best I've seen. I don't know how this little game back in like 05/06 gets melee combat so right yet big titles today still continue to get it so wrong. It does lean a bit too heavily into combat encounters in the last chapter or two but up until that this was a pretty great experience.

I'll either have to track down a copy of Condemned 2 on PS3 or hope that it somehow comes to PC still.

Click to expand...

Game 47 - Resident Evil 4 (PS4) - 2.5/5 - 6 hours, 2 minutes *

Very mixed feelings coming out of this replay. I'm starting to come around to the possibility that I just don't like this very much and it might be my least fave ~action RE title. Maybe I've just replayed this too much or something.

Things start off so well with the village and first half of the castle but once you

Spoiler

rescue Ashley the second time and play as her

the wheels start to come off. The game really starts to drag for me personally and it doesn't really recover. It isn't too bad during the castle segments and at least it's still interesting aesthetically but once the island hits, it kinda broke me. The combat encounters/bosses feel like they never end in terms of quantity and with the way the general plot unfolds it feels like you're never making progress and just going in circles. I mean in a way it's kinda impressive how varied the locations are throughout the whole game but it's just a bit much for me.

Don't get me wrong, the RE series as a whole has notoriously inconsistent pacing/quality at times. Most of the games have a dip in the last 1/3 or so but it's not often this bad for me. I may dread sections like the ship in 5 or whole chapters in 6 but at least some of those sections pass quickly and/or I have co-op with friends in that case.

The gameplay itself is still great (even if I prefer both 5 and 6 in this regard) but having played this game so many times I'm not sure if it's enough to get me through the main campaign anymore. I'll definitely try to give this a large time away before attempting it again.

Click to expand...

URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum//showpost.php?p=227458003&postcount=81"]Complete List[/URL]

Battleborn
Platform: PS4
Time: ??:??
Date: 09.19
Score: (3/5)

I completed the 20 multiplayer main quests before considering Battleborn beaten. This process took a couple of months of casual play, and probably 60+ hours. After finishing these 20 quests, I enjoye the game so much that I actually kept playing for awhile. I liked Battleborn enough that I actually stopped playing Overwatch for these couple of months (the games control so differently that I found it difficult to go back and forth between the two, so I chose to play only Battleborn). This is pretty significant because I've been playing Overwatch pretty consistantly since launch (and am currently hooked all over again).

I didn't have very high hopes going in, but ultimately I feel that Battleborn is a better game than its reputation lets on. I think the MOBA FPS formula works pretty well, and I think it is something we'll see more of in the future. Unfortunately, Battleborn does a very poor job of explaining how everything works, so jumping in was a bit of trial by fire. The main MOBA mode is pretty easy to figure out, but other modes (e.g. Meltdown) are way more confusing. As someone who plays predominantly console games and who hasn't played a ton of MOBAs, this was one of the biggest barriers to entry.

The next biggest issue I have with the game is perhaps the biggest problem of all: Combat is very hit or miss. Many abilities don't feel good to use, don't feel effective when used, and there is some wild inconsistancy between abilities. Shooting feels ok on some characters and worse on others, but a lot of the characters are melee and I didn't like any of the melee attacks. I ended up sticking to a few ranged characters, such as Oscar Mike, Whiskey Foxtrot, Orendi, and Marquis for much of my play time. As a Mercy main on Overwatch, I was pretty disappointed by the most of the healers. Tanks felt weak and ineffectual and oftentimes sort of pointless. All in all, from a very large roster, it seemed like only a quarter or so of them were actually worth while.

Lastly, the graphics. I'm not a big fan on most of the character designs, although there are a few good ones. And at least there is some consistentcy between the factions. Combat is way too busy, with effets going off all over the place, numbers flying, and much of the time you can't tell what's enemy fire and what isn't. It's very chaotic and not great for strategic gameplay. During the beta (my only experience with Battleborn before it went free2play), I'm pretty sure the game was 30 fps and the sticks felt very stiff. Today, the game is very fluid and the sticks feel great (part of this may be the Pro), so at least it wasn't bad to control.

Like I said, I didn't have high hopes going in. Maybe that helped. It's not a great game, but I do think it has some good ideas and I do think it's fairly fun once you get over all the shortcomings. I'm glad I didn't pay real money for this, but as a free2play game its a decent distraction from the typical AAA mainstays.

walkmetothelake said:

I'll either have to track down a copy of Condemned 2 on PS3 or hope that it somehow comes to PC still.

Click to expand...

I gotta warn you, I very much liked the first game as well and decided to finally play the second one this year (here's my post from this thread about it) and it was a big letdown. I'm not telling you to steer away from it at all costs but unless you were a big fan of the supernatural elements from the first game I'd recommend keeping your expectations quite low.

Original Post

34) Destiny 2 - 14 hours - 9/19
Although I've completed the story, I'm far from finished with this game. I've certainly got to give it to Bungie, they vastly improved the storytelling, world building, and activities in the sequel. Playing it so far has been a ton of fun and I'm beginning the process now of raising my power level so I can complete some of the more high level end game content.

More than definitely won't get 52 this year, but finally got my GAF account so I thought I'd post what I did do so far, I'll put more effort into it next year!

1. Gears of War 4 (XBOX One)
2. Emily is Away (PC)
3. Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)
4. Resident Evil 7 (PS4)
5. ARMS (Switch)

Mostly playing CS:GO and Fighting Games, but I might update every now and then

31. F.E.A.R. 2 - 11h



Platform: PC (Steam)
Completition Date: 6.9.2017
Rating: 7 / 10

This is a replay, i completeted this one when it was first released. And i have to say that this game hasn't aged very well gameplay-wise.
The graphics are still very nice, although i have to say that the first F.E.A.R. game was more astonishing.
So now for the bad: the gameplay. Monolith changed from a horror based gameplay to a more action centered COD gameplay, so very much atmosphere gets lost.


32. Castlevania - Symphony Of The Night - 8,5h



Platform: Playstation (Emu on PC)
Completition Date: 17.9.2017
Rating: 9 / 10

This is the beginning of all Metroidvanias, i started this years ago but never finished it. So now i restarted it with a New Game, and i liked it so much. The whole gameplay with it's RPG elements and exploration core feels so well done.
The graphics are still OK today, although they haven't aged that well like in other Castlevania games. There are some nice effects, but many real pixelated PS-era textures.
The soundtrack is still very nice today, some nice tunes and very addictive, they support the gameplay perfectly.
All in all i can strictly recommend this game for every fan of Castlevania or Metroid.


33. Lego City Undercover - 29h



Platform: PC
Completition Date: 18.9.2017
Rating: 8 / 10

Really nice GTA-clone with the usual LEGO twist. Very funny and addictive.

I have a really bizarre habit of just getting games that have a fancy cover or banner on Steam.
I really though this was a PnC Adventure game, turns out it is a puzzle platformer.

You play as an old chubby vagrant who despite his girth can jump a good high distance.
He is teleported into a strange world and finds masks that grant him powers that he must use in order to progress. Said powers include tilting the screen right and left to move objects about among a few others.

The game has a nice mix of puzzles and platforming, although the Beggar can be irritating to control due to a few reasons
1- When he jumps and grabs a ledge it takes a while for him to climb it even if you are holding Up
2- The Beggar has a fixed movement speed and this can throw one off when it comes to doing some jumps

I think if the ledge grab was altered it would've been better cuz as is it is irritating.

The Beggar cannot attack enemies that he may encounter, but can use his powers to destroy them. Up until the last 1/4 or so of the game, it is a smooth ride. A few irritating bits here and there but nothing too irritating. By the time you obtain the final mask however, the next area features a bunch of irritating puzzles (the first of which I spent 30 minutes on because the game glitched out and didn't give me the key orb I needed to open a gate!) that really soured me on the game.

Still it was an overall good experience. If the dev team could fix up the end game and make it less tedious I would've liked it a lot more but it is def. a game worth checking out if you like platformers.

The game has collectables in the form of golden trinkets which I didn't bother collecting all of.

Original Post

Metroid Marathon update

23. Super Metroid - 9/10, 4 hours and 2 minutes
This was actually my first time beating Super Metroid. I always got stuck around Maridia and would end my runs there, but this time I finally finished it. As you'd expect, this game is fantastic - but yeah, I kinda hate Maridia. 51% item collection. There's not much I really have to say here, I enjoyed this game and I'm glad to finally beat it, but everyone knows how good it is and there's very little new or interesting to say about that fact.

24. Metroid: Other M - 4/10, 9ish hours
I played Fusion last August, so I decided to revisit Other M for a laugh. My god, I knew the story was bad but it was worse than I remembered and that's saying something. The amount of pointless monologues is just astounding - Samus literally monologued at one point about an event that happened AS IT WAS HAPPENING. Why didn't we just get normal dialogue in that scene instead??

Unpopular opinion: the gameplay is actually not bad. Honestly I think it'd be a pretty good character action game if they didn't stupidly decide to use the wii remote on its side - add the nunchuk and honestly you'd have a decent controlling action game that's kinda fun to play. The story though, my god it's so terrible it makes the game into a comedy of errors. Years removed from being hyped for this game (and with Metroid being revived), I can't even be mad about it anymore. It's just funny to me now. Also, 21% item collection.

25. Metroid Prime - 10/10, 8 hours and 2 minutes
Metroid Prime is one of my top 3 favorite games ever made. I'm just gonna leave it at that. Without really trying, I got 85% item collection by the end of the game - I remembered the world's layout more than I expected to. It's been too long since I last played it, glad I went back.

26. Metroid: Zero Mission - 9/10, 2 hours and 34 minutes
Zero Mission is my favorite 2D Metroid. There's something about its simplicity that just really works for me, it manages to be small and cohesive while still feeling like you're in a vast labyrinth. I also really like the Zero Suit stealth mission, it's a weird but fun inclusion and I just think it works really well. 64% item collection here.

27. Metroid: Samus Returns - 9/10, 11 hours and 16 minutes
It's been 13 years since Zero Mission. Somehow we went the entire lifespan of the DS and almost the entire lifespan of the 3DS without getting a 2D Metroid game that utilized the dual screens to give us an always visible map for navigation purposes... but at least we finally got it. Samus Returns feels incredibly fresh and adds so many great new ideas that add a ton to the series. I was skeptical, but MercurySteam did such an excellent job with it that I would love to see them get another crack at Metroid. My only real gripes with this game... we could've used a bit more memorable music in the world and enemies feel like they universally deal an insane amount of damage. Aside from that, this game is an amazing return to form for Metroid. Here's to hoping we can get some more 2D Metroid like this, Samus Returns deserves a successor and we absolutely should not have to wait another decade plus for another 2D Metroid. While I don't think it will be my #1 just because of how crowded the field is this year, this is a GOTY contender in my eyes.

Game 11: Child of Light - maybe 15 hours, but don't know for sure because I played a lot in offline mode

It is a great game with beautiful visuals. It was way too long in my steam list of unplayed games. This watercolor look is really beautiful and the music in general, too. There was just one song which I couldn't stand. Gameplaywise it was a little bit lackluster. Once you figured out that the real challenge is fighting against 3 enemies at one time and how to deal with it, it became relatively easy. The last boss was surprisingly easy, I expected a little bit more. The story was nothing special, just a fairy tale story but who would suspect something else? The only thing that bugged me were the confessions you could everywhere in the world. You have no clue what these poems are about, they give very little context. I read up a litte bit on it online, but I think it is not worth it. I recommend ignoring it if you are not a diehard fan.

next game: I am still on Devil may Cry, but I can only play once in a while because my PC is like 300 km away. I need a game that runs on my almost 10 years old laptop...

Finished with The Last Guardian

Bit of a roller coaster with this one. There's some platforming sections about half way through the game that really frustrated me, to the point that I was telling myself that things like this in ANY game are unforgivable. However, in the end you can't help but do exactly that.

There's a lot of heart in it and the simple story it tells is done with a warm understated affection. We all know it had a rocky road to release, and I think those issues are pretty obvious to see for anyone who's spent any time with it. It's a flawed game. I think it's the worst of the three TeamICO games by a good margin, but I hope we get to visit these worlds again.

The Evil within up next.

Complete List

The Swindle
Platform: PS4
Time: 15:00
Date: 09.21
Score: (2/5)

An excellent concept marred by awful controls and random jank. Collision detection is sort of weird at times, with some hits missing when they visually connected. I died once when I walked down stairs that a dead spiky caterpillar was on (landing on them when they are dead or alive will kill you, and the act of walking down the stairs was apparently enough vertical movement for the game to think I was jumping). The longer I played, the more graphical glitches I would see (items jittering in and out of visibility and I could never tell if they were really there or not). And as the difficulty ramps up on later stages and new enemies with new weapons arise, the tool set feels like it can't quite keep up. But the biggest offender was simply the wall jumping controls. Never have I played a game where I fought more against wall jumping controls. There's really no excuse for all this shit, because like I said the concept is very good. I would have loved to have loved this game.

Original post


29. Yakuza Kiwami (PS4, 2017) - 28:10
Completed on Normal difficulty. 51.56% total completion.

This is probably about as bad as Yakuza fatigue gets: play three Yakuza games in a single year, finishing off with a remake of the embryonic first game. The contrast between Yakuza 0 and Kiwami is particularly harsh on the latter. Yakuza 0, the prequel, is a much larger and more modern game than the game it was originally intended to complement. Kiwami, a remake of the first game, ends up feeling skeletal by comparison, cut back in all the ways that matter. That Kiwami is still a fun game to play shows how durable the Yakuza formula is, but it's also clear how much it's evolved over the past decade.

The most obvious improvement over the original game for someone who never played it is the graphics. Updated to use the same engine and assets as Yakuza 0, Kiwami looks and feels relatively modern. HD graphics and sixty frames per second are the order of the day, though that framerate feels a bit less consistent than 0. Faces and character models look fantastic, though there is a clearer distinction between the principal characters and random NPCs (see the screenshot above for a great example). Animations also seem lifted from the original PS2 version, which occasionally gives you the sense that all the characters are very detailed marionettes.

Combat is lifted wholesale from Yakuza 0, as is the Pocket Circuit Arena minigame; the Mesuking card fighting game is obviously a bizarro version of 0's catfight club. The return of slot car racing is particularly welcome, as it also helps bridge the 17-year gap between the two games' stories. Seeing the kids from 0 all grown up has a peculiar thrill at first, like rediscovering forgotten friends. Though the game doesn't do much with this storyline in the end, it's still fun to walk back into these characters' lives and pick up where you left off.

It also highlights the evolution from the original Yakuza to Kiwami, because most of the other substories fall into the same three or four formulas. They usually go something like this: someone tries to con Kiryu or a random stranger; Kiryu steps in; there's a fight; the conman swears never to do it again. Eventually you start to see glimpses of the great substories you see in later games, but in general the experience hasn't aged super well. This is especially evident in some particularly unfortunate substories that portray transgendered people as tricksters trying to fool you with their gender identity. I've heard that other, newer parts of the game are much better in this respect, but I can't comment on that personally besides one relatively brief and inconclusive conversation with a hostess.

It's weird to think of Kiwami as less than wholly essential, given that it literally remakes the game that started the franchise and gave us the relationship that holds it together. Haruka and Kiryu have not always been essential parts of the Yakuza games--Yakuza 4 is perhaps the most obvious example--but the pair form the emotional core of the series. It's absolutely worth playing just to see how the two meet. Just be aware that you're playing a massively upgraded PS2 game, and that only some of the advancements made over the past decade make it into Kiwami.

Original post

Game 15: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Platform: 3DS
Its a bit shorter then i remember, then again its been years since I last played it, still the GOAT though.

Game 16: Tales from the Borderlands Ep.1-5
Platform: Xbox One
Easily one of Telltale's best games, especially the last episode's