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Neogaf 2012 Backlog Blitz - Where we give the middle finger to Steam sales
- Thread starter Brashnir
- Start date
UpperCaseN
Member
I beat another game tonight (was playing the 2 at the same time). Beat No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise (with Move controls)
Puts me at +5, for now
Beat:
1. LA Noire: Complete Edition
2. Shadows of the Damned
3. Uncharted 3
4. Kinect Adventures
5. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
Bought:
None (but Alan Wake American Nightmare and ME3 will change that soon)
Now at: 27
http://backloggery.com/gryphter
Puts me at +5, for now
Beat:
1. LA Noire: Complete Edition
2. Shadows of the Damned
3. Uncharted 3
4. Kinect Adventures
5. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
Bought:
None (but Alan Wake American Nightmare and ME3 will change that soon)
Now at: 27
http://backloggery.com/gryphter
- 100% complete with Super Mario 3D Land.
- Downloaded the EU version of Four Swords from eShop even though I already have the Japanese version.
- Finished all the 50cc cups in Mario Kart 7 with gold trophies and 3 stars, so my current score for February is still +1.
- I'll probably finish Sora no Kiseki SC by the end of this week, then I'll jump straight into Sora no Kiseki the 3rd.
Games bought in February:
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiW)
Games beaten in February:
Street Fighter IV Volt (iOS)
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Current score: +1
January
Bought: 3
Beaten: 8
January score: +5
My Backloggery.
- Downloaded the EU version of Four Swords from eShop even though I already have the Japanese version.
- Finished all the 50cc cups in Mario Kart 7 with gold trophies and 3 stars, so my current score for February is still +1.
- I'll probably finish Sora no Kiseki SC by the end of this week, then I'll jump straight into Sora no Kiseki the 3rd.
Games bought in February:
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiW)
Games beaten in February:
Street Fighter IV Volt (iOS)
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Current score: +1
January
Bought: 3
Beaten: 8
January score: +5
My Backloggery.
This isn't going very well so far... New entries in italic:
Bought: -17
Beaten: +20
Currently Playing:
Current Total: +3
Metro 2033 had great atmosphere, awesome graphics, and so-so everything else. Had lots of fun with Sanctum, and will probably pick up the rest of the DLC for it in a future Steam sale. Will also buy Crusader Kings II soon. And here's my new Backloggery account.
Bought: -17
- Bunch of Heroes
- Critical Mass
- Fortix 2
- Fractal
- Hacker Evolution: Duality
- Hacker Evolution: Untold
- inMomentum
- Lucid
- Max and the Magic Marker
- Plants vs. Zombies
- RoboBlitz
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault
- Your Doodles are Bugged!
- Zombie Shooter
- Zombie Shooter 2
Beaten: +20
- And Yet it Moves
- Aquaria
- Baldur's Gate
- Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast
- Bastion
- Cthulhu Saves the World
- Dungeon Defenders
- Eets
- Jamestown
- Magicka
- Metro 2033
- Puzzle Agent
- Puzzle Agent 2
- Sanctum
- Sanctum: X-Mas Carnage
- Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
- Serious Sam 3: BFE
- Toki Tori
- Trine
- World of Goo
Currently Playing:
- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
- Breath of Death VII: The Beginning
- Europa Universalis III
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Runespell: Overture
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Current Total: +3
Metro 2033 had great atmosphere, awesome graphics, and so-so everything else. Had lots of fun with Sanctum, and will probably pick up the rest of the DLC for it in a future Steam sale. Will also buy Crusader Kings II soon. And here's my new Backloggery account.
Jive Turkey
Unconfirmed Member
Beaten in 2012: 4
New for February:
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (1/24) - Despite the goofiness of it all I enjoyed the dungeons and some of the new tools at Link's disposal. I even liked the tag team element for the most part. The way you upgrade train cars was completely stupid since especially since I didn't even see some of the items required until the very end of the game. Everything past obtaining the Compass of Light was pure bullshit and retroactively ruined my opinion on the game.
Bastion (2/2) - With all the complaints of repetition I was a little worried I might agree but while I see where those complaints are coming from it wasn't an issue for me. I loved the wide array of weapons and the various locations and challenges. Gonna have to try New Game+ soon.
Previous games played:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (1/1)
Dungeons of Dredmor (1/12)
Bought: 0
New for February:
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (1/24) - Despite the goofiness of it all I enjoyed the dungeons and some of the new tools at Link's disposal. I even liked the tag team element for the most part. The way you upgrade train cars was completely stupid since especially since I didn't even see some of the items required until the very end of the game. Everything past obtaining the Compass of Light was pure bullshit and retroactively ruined my opinion on the game.
Bastion (2/2) - With all the complaints of repetition I was a little worried I might agree but while I see where those complaints are coming from it wasn't an issue for me. I loved the wide array of weapons and the various locations and challenges. Gonna have to try New Game+ soon.
Previous games played:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (1/1)
Dungeons of Dredmor (1/12)
Bought: 0
Not going well? Despite your purchases, you've beaten 20 games in 6 weeks!
Not going well? Despite your purchases, you've beaten 20 games in 6 weeks!
Yeah, but a lot of them were games I had quite some progress in already, so things are probably going to slow down on that front. And I can't seem to stop purchasing new ones if there's a good deal! There's that new Indie Royale bundle, for example, and Crusader Kings II, and Dear Esther, and... Anyone want a Steam copy of HOARD or Zeno Clash? Although this is probably not the thread for that...
I began my so-called PC gaming around last December, so now thanks to Steam and Amazon, I've got: The Witcher, both Dragon Age's, Dead Space 2, Trine, Just Cause 2 and the whole Half Life series to beat.
Then there's the FFXIII and Lost Odyssey I bought last month because they were dirt cheap. I never met the word backlog until now. ):
Then there's the FFXIII and Lost Odyssey I bought last month because they were dirt cheap. I never met the word backlog until now. ):
Amory
Member
Bought: 6
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Metroid: Other M
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Finished: 5
Costume Quest
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
InFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Resistance 3
Net: -1
I've been doing much better so far this year not buying every game I'm interested in, and I've been slowly but surely chipping away at some of my backlogged DLC and some of the retail games sitting on the shelf. So yeah, I'm patting myself on the back for that.
I just finished Resistance 3 today and loved it. I got into the series more recently than most, played the first and second games in the last year as well as R3, and while I don't think any of them are bad by any stretch, R3 is definitely my favorite. The lighting was incredible and really sets the mood for the game, which is in a word grim. The story is interesting enough, and the characters (while not incredibly deep) at least provide occasional moments where you can empathize with their plight.
What I've always loved about this series is that the combat is consistently fast and furious. Basic enemies are easily killed but they throw a ton at you, and the auto-refilling lifebar present in Resistance 2 was axed in favor of the healthpack format used in the original game. Not sure how I felt about that, but it did add an extra dynamic to the fight.
Overall, I'd definitely say play the game. But probably only if you've played the first two...they really don't do much to let new players know what's going on.
On to Uncharted 3 in preparation for Golden Abyss
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Metroid: Other M
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Finished: 5
Costume Quest
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
InFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Resistance 3
Net: -1
I've been doing much better so far this year not buying every game I'm interested in, and I've been slowly but surely chipping away at some of my backlogged DLC and some of the retail games sitting on the shelf. So yeah, I'm patting myself on the back for that.
I just finished Resistance 3 today and loved it. I got into the series more recently than most, played the first and second games in the last year as well as R3, and while I don't think any of them are bad by any stretch, R3 is definitely my favorite. The lighting was incredible and really sets the mood for the game, which is in a word grim. The story is interesting enough, and the characters (while not incredibly deep) at least provide occasional moments where you can empathize with their plight.
What I've always loved about this series is that the combat is consistently fast and furious. Basic enemies are easily killed but they throw a ton at you, and the auto-refilling lifebar present in Resistance 2 was axed in favor of the healthpack format used in the original game. Not sure how I felt about that, but it did add an extra dynamic to the fight.
Overall, I'd definitely say play the game. But probably only if you've played the first two...they really don't do much to let new players know what's going on.
On to Uncharted 3 in preparation for Golden Abyss
Bought: 0
Completed: 5
1. Kirby Mass Attack
2. Okamiden
3. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
4. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All
Score: +5
Completed Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All. Good game, not as strong as the first game.
Up Next:
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
If anyone uses HowLongToBeat, feel free to add me, username is Mazarin.
Completed: 5
1. Kirby Mass Attack
2. Okamiden
3. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
4. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All
Score: +5
Completed Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All. Good game, not as strong as the first game.
Up Next:
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
If anyone uses HowLongToBeat, feel free to add me, username is Mazarin.
stonedwal
Member
Barely had any gaming time this week or this weekend.
Bought in 2012: -1
Beaten in 2012: +13
Current Score: +12
Bought:
Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Beaten:
Shadows of the Damned (PS3)
Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Wii)
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox)
Total Overdose (Xbox)
Deathrow (Xbox)
Sid Meier's Pirates! (Xbox)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
The House of the Dead: Overkill - Director's Cut (PS3)
Urban Chaos: Riot Response (Xbox)
NBA Jam (PS3)
Banjo-Tooie (XBLA)
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)
Resident Evil: Revelations arrived just after I knocked over the last of Mercenaries 3D. Perfect timing, really.
Currently Playing:
Okami (PS2): Didn't get any time with it this week.
X-Men Legends (Xbox): Nor did I play this.
Dead Island (360): Made it into the city section. Started to really not like the game.
Bought in 2012: -1
Beaten in 2012: +13
Current Score: +12
Bought:
Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Beaten:
Shadows of the Damned (PS3)
Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Wii)
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox)
Total Overdose (Xbox)
Deathrow (Xbox)
Sid Meier's Pirates! (Xbox)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
The House of the Dead: Overkill - Director's Cut (PS3)
Urban Chaos: Riot Response (Xbox)
NBA Jam (PS3)
Banjo-Tooie (XBLA)
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)
Resident Evil: Revelations arrived just after I knocked over the last of Mercenaries 3D. Perfect timing, really.
Currently Playing:
Okami (PS2): Didn't get any time with it this week.
X-Men Legends (Xbox): Nor did I play this.
Dead Island (360): Made it into the city section. Started to really not like the game.
archnemesis
Member
Since my last update I've purchased nothing and beaten Ninja Spirit, Iron Roses, Dragon Breed, Mystic Riders, Sega Bass Fishing, and Crazy Taxi. They're all fun games.
So far I've pre-ordered five Vita games, although four of them might be canceled. I'm also planning on getting at least two games from the PSN store which will pretty much eliminate all the progress I've made this month.
I'm currently playing Final Fantasy XIII-2 on my PS3 and Vagrant Story on my PSP.
So far I've pre-ordered five Vita games, although four of them might be canceled. I'm also planning on getting at least two games from the PSN store which will pretty much eliminate all the progress I've made this month.
I'm currently playing Final Fantasy XIII-2 on my PS3 and Vagrant Story on my PSP.
I'm in for this, I think I've got a chance of beating my backlog this year.
www.backloggery.com/cepp
Currently Playing:
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
Fire Emblem
January
Bought: -1
Assassins Creed
Beat: +8
Trine
Jamestown
inMomentum
The Secrect of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Bio Miracle Bokutte
River City Ransom
Tomb Raider 2
Minecraft
Feburary
Bought: -1
Goldeneye 007
Beat: +3
Assassins Creed
Goldeneye 007
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
Current Score: 9
www.backloggery.com/cepp
Currently Playing:
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
Fire Emblem
January
Bought: -1
Assassins Creed
Beat: +8
Trine
Jamestown
inMomentum
The Secrect of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Bio Miracle Bokutte
River City Ransom
Tomb Raider 2
Minecraft
Feburary
Bought: -1
Goldeneye 007
Beat: +3
Assassins Creed
Goldeneye 007
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
Current Score: 9
UpperCaseN
Member
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 is beat.
Puts me at +6, for now
Beat:
1. LA Noire: Complete Edition
2. Shadows of the Damned
3. Uncharted 3
4. Kinect Adventures
5. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
6. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
Bought:
None (but Alan Wake American Nightmare and ME3 will change that soon)
I'm fitting in all short games so that I can start American Nightmare on day 1 without being in the middle of another game. I'll probably fit another short one in after that, before ME3. A good chunk of my backlog is RPG's though, so after ME3 my updates will be much more sparse. Now what to play next?
Now at: 26
http://backloggery.com/gryphter
Puts me at +6, for now
Beat:
1. LA Noire: Complete Edition
2. Shadows of the Damned
3. Uncharted 3
4. Kinect Adventures
5. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
6. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
Bought:
None (but Alan Wake American Nightmare and ME3 will change that soon)
I'm fitting in all short games so that I can start American Nightmare on day 1 without being in the middle of another game. I'll probably fit another short one in after that, before ME3. A good chunk of my backlog is RPG's though, so after ME3 my updates will be much more sparse. Now what to play next?
Now at: 26
http://backloggery.com/gryphter
Barry Burton
Member
http://backloggery.com/thebigg753
January (0):
Bought (-4):
Darksiders
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Heavy Rain: Director's Cut
Rayman Origins
Finished (+4):
Shadows of the Damned
Gears of War 3
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
February (0):
Bought (-1):
Resident Evil Revelations
Beaten (+1):
Resident Evil Revelations
2012 Score: (0)
My plan is to 100% or close to 100% Revelations before Alan Wake releases in a couple weeks.
January (0):
Bought (-4):
Darksiders
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Heavy Rain: Director's Cut
Rayman Origins
Finished (+4):
Shadows of the Damned
Gears of War 3
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
February (0):
Bought (-1):
Resident Evil Revelations
Beaten (+1):
Resident Evil Revelations
2012 Score: (0)
My plan is to 100% or close to 100% Revelations before Alan Wake releases in a couple weeks.
Backloggery
Bought in 2012: -1
Completed in 2012: +6
Current Score: +5
Beaten:
Currently Playing:
Current Backlog:
Beaten Reviews:
Pure (3.5/5) - Short, fun, relaxing. Being surrounded by games that want me to take them seriously it is a welcomed breathe of fresh air to play something where the decisions don't hold a huge amount of risk. Crashing from 150ft in the air trying to cram three tricks into a combo where you barely could have had two, only to reset yourself and go for it off the next jump is extremely gratifying. The pace of the game is perfect in my opinion; there was not a point where I felt that my ATV was limited or that I didn't get enough time to practice in the lower class. I think what held it back was how forgiving it was (even towards then end), and redundancy of the races. Motorstorm made you work your ass off and put down a perfect lap to win the last few events and I felt that the skill level required did not ramp up at the same pace in Pure. Being limited to a Freestyle, Race, and Spring got to be monotonous after a while but due to the length of the game I never felt like I was grinding. All this combined with some pretty environments and a half decent soundtrack made this a good one sitting game. This is definitely something to play with friends but I don't know if I would go back to it by myself.
$ - indicates game purchased in 2012
Bought in 2012: -1
Completed in 2012: +6
Current Score: +5
Beaten:
- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Halo 3: ODST
- Dead Space 2
- Pure
Currently Playing:
- Forza Motorsport 4 (aiming for 100%)
- Batman: Arkham City
Current Backlog:
- Borderlands
- Fallout New Vegas
- Project Gotham Racing 4
- Rayman: Origins $
- Warhammer 40k: Space Marine
- BIT.TRIP RUNNER
- Jamestown
- Nightsky HD
- Portal 2
- Super Meat Boy
Beaten Reviews:
Pure (3.5/5) - Short, fun, relaxing. Being surrounded by games that want me to take them seriously it is a welcomed breathe of fresh air to play something where the decisions don't hold a huge amount of risk. Crashing from 150ft in the air trying to cram three tricks into a combo where you barely could have had two, only to reset yourself and go for it off the next jump is extremely gratifying. The pace of the game is perfect in my opinion; there was not a point where I felt that my ATV was limited or that I didn't get enough time to practice in the lower class. I think what held it back was how forgiving it was (even towards then end), and redundancy of the races. Motorstorm made you work your ass off and put down a perfect lap to win the last few events and I felt that the skill level required did not ramp up at the same pace in Pure. Being limited to a Freestyle, Race, and Spring got to be monotonous after a while but due to the length of the game I never felt like I was grinding. All this combined with some pretty environments and a half decent soundtrack made this a good one sitting game. This is definitely something to play with friends but I don't know if I would go back to it by myself.
$ - indicates game purchased in 2012
With my Vita and a handful of games pre-order I've done some navel gazing and realised my backlog is ridiculous.
So walked round to where I keep my games and with eye closed have pulled out a handful.
GoW3
GT5
MS: Pacific Rift
Resistance 3
Demon's Souls
Mafia 2
The Saboteur
I have to finish these. The last 3 haven't even had a second of playtime.
So walked round to where I keep my games and with eye closed have pulled out a handful.
GoW3
GT5
MS: Pacific Rift
Resistance 3
Demon's Souls
Mafia 2
The Saboteur
I have to finish these. The last 3 haven't even had a second of playtime.
otakuderek
Member
http://www.backloggery.com/vendettaxxi
Purchased: -11
Finished: +3
Total: -8
Finally knocked out Skyrim and decided to go back a generation to beat Vice City. I forgot how much I like Tommy even though the city is quite small compared to others. I am working on missions for Saints Row 1 now and waiting on Pokemon Blue from Ebay.
Purchased: -11
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- Ninja Gaiden 2
- Fallout 3
- F-Zero GX
- Saints Row 1
- Saints Row 2
- Crysis 2
- Bioshock
- Pokemon Blue
- Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Finished: +3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Skyrim
- GTA: Vice City
Total: -8
Finally knocked out Skyrim and decided to go back a generation to beat Vice City. I forgot how much I like Tommy even though the city is quite small compared to others. I am working on missions for Saints Row 1 now and waiting on Pokemon Blue from Ebay.
Updated 02/15/12
Purchased in 2012: -4
Ridge Racer Type 4
Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Ace Combat Joint Assault
Infamous Festival Of Blood
Beaten in 2012: +5
Infamous Festival Of Blood
Sonic 4 Episode I
Wipeout Pulse + 4 DLC
Ridge Racer Type 4
Ace Combat Joint Assault >> Spoilers:
So fucking good.
Total: +1
Currently Playing:
Oblivion GOTY
Child Of Eden
Mass Effect 2
Purchased in 2012: -4
Ridge Racer Type 4
Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Ace Combat Joint Assault
Infamous Festival Of Blood
Beaten in 2012: +5
Infamous Festival Of Blood
Sonic 4 Episode I
Wipeout Pulse + 4 DLC
Ridge Racer Type 4
Ace Combat Joint Assault >> Spoilers:
It took me 2 continues to beat Sulejmani :/ (and it's the third time I finish the game).
Total: +1
Currently Playing:
Oblivion GOTY
Child Of Eden
Mass Effect 2
therealminime
Member
Purchased in 2012: -1
Mass Effect
Beaten in 2010: +4
Mass Effect
Singularity
Vanquish
Killzone 3
Total: =3
Mini-Reviews:
Mass Effect: ~11 hours - Still pretty fantastic despite the "meh" gameplay, the scale and setup of the universe is superb.
5/5
Singularity: ~6 hours - Felt like a really good, B-grade, Russian set Bioshock. The time manipulation stuff is great, gameplay and visuals are fine. All three endings are pretty great.
3.5/5
Vanquish: ~5 hours - While it was super short, it was a ton of fun. Gameplay was great, totally dumb and over the top in the best ways.
4/5
Killzone 3: ~6.5 hours - Looks absolutely fantastic for a console game. One of the best looking out there, gameplay is tight, violent, fast and heavy. Story and characters were pretty weak, but the set pieces were great.
4/5
Mass Effect
Beaten in 2010: +4
Mass Effect
Singularity
Vanquish
Killzone 3
Total: =3
Mini-Reviews:
Mass Effect: ~11 hours - Still pretty fantastic despite the "meh" gameplay, the scale and setup of the universe is superb.
5/5
Singularity: ~6 hours - Felt like a really good, B-grade, Russian set Bioshock. The time manipulation stuff is great, gameplay and visuals are fine. All three endings are pretty great.
3.5/5
Vanquish: ~5 hours - While it was super short, it was a ton of fun. Gameplay was great, totally dumb and over the top in the best ways.
4/5
Killzone 3: ~6.5 hours - Looks absolutely fantastic for a console game. One of the best looking out there, gameplay is tight, violent, fast and heavy. Story and characters were pretty weak, but the set pieces were great.
4/5
I hear ya. Playing P3P now, I already caved and bought the FES LE, and I'm half-tempted to buy the P4 LE as well. It's also kind of sad when I go through my collection and find games I forgot I even purchased, like Rayman Origins and Muramasa.
Figured I might as well get started on the reviews of games I completed in the past few months....(Batman AC, Uncharted 3, Gears 3)
Up first:
Batman: Arkham City
I really don't know why I waited until 2011 to play Batman Arkham Asylum because not only did the game receive a ton of praise in 2009 when it was released, but I'm also a fan of Batman. But damn, AA blew me away when I finally did play it. It was a nearly flawless game in my eyes.
Thus, my hype for the sequel was pretty high. But did Arkham City live up to my expectations?
LOVED
The Goddamn Batman: Rocksteady nailed probably the most important aspect in working with a comic book license; Making you feel like the Batman. Whether it's taking on a group of thugs, using your gadgets, or zipping around Arkham City, you feel like The Goddamn Batman.
That Joker Voice: Once again, a superb voice acting job done by the Batman TAS team, and special honors to Nolan North's edition of the Penguin. Every voice just "feels" right with the character. Might be nostalgia talking a bit there.
Take Your Best Shot: Rocksteady refined and expanded on the already excellent melee combat from AA. I really enjoyed divebombing a group, quickly chaining up a combo, and then taking them all down with a fury of bats. Highly enjoyable combat.
Fan Service: Like with AA, it's easy to tell Arkham City was developed by Batman fans for Batman fans. Even with just a passing knowledge of Batman lore, I still appreciated all the winks & nods to the fanbase.
But Wait, There's More: Again, like with AA, there are numerous challenges to tackle once you finish the main campaign. Some are easy, others with leave you with white knuckles. A great way to extend the life of this game. And you can use any of the alternate Batman costumes you may own.
Treats for the Eyes & Ears: AC is a damn fine looking game, and the audio design is no slouch either. Perfect game to show off to friends & family.
HATED
Grand Theft Batman: Moving from the closed environment of Arkham Asylum to the open world of Arkham City was for the worse. I found it difficult to focus on a mission when my attention was being grabbed by people getting mugged, or The Joker calling to annoy me, or any of the various side-boss missions to take on. I felt this took away from the central narrative Rocksteady had in mind.
Bad Kitty: For all the fuss made about Catwoman's missions being locked behind an Online Pass, I found her missions and story arc to be completely forgettable, and not worth the fuss. It was an interesting side mission, but not fleshed out enough to care about.
Online Pass / Retail Exclusives: Unfortunately, gamers have to jump through hoops to experience everything Batman AC has to offer.
Riddler Did What?: Over 400 Riddler trophies to collect? That's a crazy amount. Seems to me that Rocksteady just went overboard with this idea. I'd be very interested to know the percentage of gamers who collected even half of them.
CONCLUSION
Batman AC is a weird case for me. On one hand, I can recognize AC as a better, more refined product than AA. On the other hand, AC just didn't have that "wow" factor that AA had on me. The (excellent) melee combat is better, the main story arc is pretty good, and there's plenty of things to do that you could easily spend 40hrs on the game. Unfortunately, while the move to a more open environment in Arkham City is great in concept, the execution felt like a disjointed mess compared to the more-focused approach of Arkham Asylum.
In the end, Arkham City is another great game from Rocksteady. It should be played by anyone who enjoyed AA. It's always great to see superheroes get the love & attention they need in the gaming industry.
SCORE: 8.5 / 10.0
TIME PLAYED: About 15hrs
ACHIEVEMENT DETAIL: 345 / 1000
Edit Note: I post my User Reviews on Gamespot (been doing this for years). So this is the format I do them in. I also kinda adopted Kotaku's Loved/Hated review style.
Up first:
Batman: Arkham City
I really don't know why I waited until 2011 to play Batman Arkham Asylum because not only did the game receive a ton of praise in 2009 when it was released, but I'm also a fan of Batman. But damn, AA blew me away when I finally did play it. It was a nearly flawless game in my eyes.
Thus, my hype for the sequel was pretty high. But did Arkham City live up to my expectations?
LOVED
The Goddamn Batman: Rocksteady nailed probably the most important aspect in working with a comic book license; Making you feel like the Batman. Whether it's taking on a group of thugs, using your gadgets, or zipping around Arkham City, you feel like The Goddamn Batman.
That Joker Voice: Once again, a superb voice acting job done by the Batman TAS team, and special honors to Nolan North's edition of the Penguin. Every voice just "feels" right with the character. Might be nostalgia talking a bit there.
Take Your Best Shot: Rocksteady refined and expanded on the already excellent melee combat from AA. I really enjoyed divebombing a group, quickly chaining up a combo, and then taking them all down with a fury of bats. Highly enjoyable combat.
Fan Service: Like with AA, it's easy to tell Arkham City was developed by Batman fans for Batman fans. Even with just a passing knowledge of Batman lore, I still appreciated all the winks & nods to the fanbase.
But Wait, There's More: Again, like with AA, there are numerous challenges to tackle once you finish the main campaign. Some are easy, others with leave you with white knuckles. A great way to extend the life of this game. And you can use any of the alternate Batman costumes you may own.
Treats for the Eyes & Ears: AC is a damn fine looking game, and the audio design is no slouch either. Perfect game to show off to friends & family.
HATED
Grand Theft Batman: Moving from the closed environment of Arkham Asylum to the open world of Arkham City was for the worse. I found it difficult to focus on a mission when my attention was being grabbed by people getting mugged, or The Joker calling to annoy me, or any of the various side-boss missions to take on. I felt this took away from the central narrative Rocksteady had in mind.
Bad Kitty: For all the fuss made about Catwoman's missions being locked behind an Online Pass, I found her missions and story arc to be completely forgettable, and not worth the fuss. It was an interesting side mission, but not fleshed out enough to care about.
Online Pass / Retail Exclusives: Unfortunately, gamers have to jump through hoops to experience everything Batman AC has to offer.
Riddler Did What?: Over 400 Riddler trophies to collect? That's a crazy amount. Seems to me that Rocksteady just went overboard with this idea. I'd be very interested to know the percentage of gamers who collected even half of them.
CONCLUSION
Batman AC is a weird case for me. On one hand, I can recognize AC as a better, more refined product than AA. On the other hand, AC just didn't have that "wow" factor that AA had on me. The (excellent) melee combat is better, the main story arc is pretty good, and there's plenty of things to do that you could easily spend 40hrs on the game. Unfortunately, while the move to a more open environment in Arkham City is great in concept, the execution felt like a disjointed mess compared to the more-focused approach of Arkham Asylum.
In the end, Arkham City is another great game from Rocksteady. It should be played by anyone who enjoyed AA. It's always great to see superheroes get the love & attention they need in the gaming industry.
SCORE: 8.5 / 10.0
TIME PLAYED: About 15hrs
ACHIEVEMENT DETAIL: 345 / 1000
Edit Note: I post my User Reviews on Gamespot (been doing this for years). So this is the format I do them in. I also kinda adopted Kotaku's Loved/Hated review style.
Finally beat Fire Emblem. Some of those later fights were an absolute nightmare, every time I'd lose a character I'd want to restart. In the end I just had to let a few of them go for my own sanity .
Currently Playing:
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
January
Bought: -1
Assassins Creed
Beat: +8
Trine
Jamestown
inMomentum
The Secrect of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Bio Miracle Bokutte
River City Ransom
Tomb Raider 2
Minecraft
Feburary
Bought: -1
Goldeneye 007
Beat: +4
Assassins Creed
Goldeneye 007
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
Fire Emblem
Current Score: 10
Currently Playing:
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
January
Bought: -1
Assassins Creed
Beat: +8
Trine
Jamestown
inMomentum
The Secrect of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Bio Miracle Bokutte
River City Ransom
Tomb Raider 2
Minecraft
Feburary
Bought: -1
Goldeneye 007
Beat: +4
Assassins Creed
Goldeneye 007
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
Fire Emblem
Current Score: 10
Backloggery
Bought in 2012: -2
Completed in 2012: +8
Current Score: +6
Beaten:
Currently Playing:
Current Backlog:
Beaten Reviews:
NightSky HD (3/5) - So far a fun game. It is a simple concept and the art style is aesthetically pleasing. Definitely a cure for boredom and not necessarily something that I would set aside time to play. I liked how they give the ball a story and almost treat him as a character in the opening rather than just offering up the game as "move the ball through the level" style of plat former. I think this sets it apart from a simpler game to some degree but at the end of the day you are just moving a ball through a 2D maze. All-in-all, a fun time killer.
Batman: Arkham City (4.5/5) - This game really did improve a lot on Arkham Asylum. I love you have a lot of gadgets right out the gate and you are instantly flying around Arkham City. The story was definitely a strong point for this game and really sucked you in once I got going. I thought the main storyline was superb in how it incorporated so many people and antagonists without feeling like "okay, on to the next one". I didn't really play around with the side missions that much so I cannot really speak to the overall quality of those but I did find the few I did to fit in well with the story and the scenario without them feeling like a stray to-do list. I know everyone has mentioned this already, but the controls really are a huge improvement over the AA; combat felt tight and controllable. It seemed as though the gunmen were not as powerful this time around and the fist fighters were more powerful. In my opinion this leveled and prolonged the combat. Visually the game was a huge improvement over AA, and coupled with the 3D capabilities it was awesome. The depth of the 3D is perfect (although adjustable) and it definitely adds to the immersion without it feeling gimmicky in any way. The music was fantastic as well. I was really surprised how seamless the music was from flying around to being noticed by a helicopter and the pace picking up to it then calming down. It was extremely responsive and worked really well at invoking emotions in me that correlated with the scenario.
The one thing that was bothersome at times was the open-world. I really enjoyed flying around but it got frustrating when I felt like I was going from one side of the city and then back again only to give off the impression that Arkham was a big place. I also a little annoyed with the cat woman sequences. They didn't really seem to serve a purpose to the overall story, and other than the combat I thought he sequences were rather boring. Nonetheless, these aspects did not take away that much from my experience and what I like was beyond memorable. I'll probably pick the game back up in the near future and play some of the extra content and side missions but for now I am satisfied with completing the main storyline.
$ - indicates game purchased in 2012
Bought in 2012: -2
Completed in 2012: +8
Current Score: +6
Beaten:
- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Halo 3: ODST
- Dead Space 2
- Pure
- Batman: Arkham City
- Nightsky HD
Currently Playing:
- Forza Motorsport 4 (aiming for 100%)
Current Backlog:
- Borderlands
- Fallout New Vegas
- Project Gotham Racing 4
- Rayman: Origins $
- Warhammer 40k: Space Marine
- BIT.TRIP RUNNER
- Jamestown
- Portal 2
- Super Meat Boy
- Crysis 2 $
Beaten Reviews:
NightSky HD (3/5) - So far a fun game. It is a simple concept and the art style is aesthetically pleasing. Definitely a cure for boredom and not necessarily something that I would set aside time to play. I liked how they give the ball a story and almost treat him as a character in the opening rather than just offering up the game as "move the ball through the level" style of plat former. I think this sets it apart from a simpler game to some degree but at the end of the day you are just moving a ball through a 2D maze. All-in-all, a fun time killer.
Batman: Arkham City (4.5/5) - This game really did improve a lot on Arkham Asylum. I love you have a lot of gadgets right out the gate and you are instantly flying around Arkham City. The story was definitely a strong point for this game and really sucked you in once I got going. I thought the main storyline was superb in how it incorporated so many people and antagonists without feeling like "okay, on to the next one". I didn't really play around with the side missions that much so I cannot really speak to the overall quality of those but I did find the few I did to fit in well with the story and the scenario without them feeling like a stray to-do list. I know everyone has mentioned this already, but the controls really are a huge improvement over the AA; combat felt tight and controllable. It seemed as though the gunmen were not as powerful this time around and the fist fighters were more powerful. In my opinion this leveled and prolonged the combat. Visually the game was a huge improvement over AA, and coupled with the 3D capabilities it was awesome. The depth of the 3D is perfect (although adjustable) and it definitely adds to the immersion without it feeling gimmicky in any way. The music was fantastic as well. I was really surprised how seamless the music was from flying around to being noticed by a helicopter and the pace picking up to it then calming down. It was extremely responsive and worked really well at invoking emotions in me that correlated with the scenario.
The one thing that was bothersome at times was the open-world. I really enjoyed flying around but it got frustrating when I felt like I was going from one side of the city and then back again only to give off the impression that Arkham was a big place. I also a little annoyed with the cat woman sequences. They didn't really seem to serve a purpose to the overall story, and other than the combat I thought he sequences were rather boring. Nonetheless, these aspects did not take away that much from my experience and what I like was beyond memorable. I'll probably pick the game back up in the near future and play some of the extra content and side missions but for now I am satisfied with completing the main storyline.
$ - indicates game purchased in 2012
Amory
Member
Bought: 7
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Metroid: Other M
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Twisted Metal
Finished: 6
Costume Quest
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
InFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Resistance 3
Uncharted 3
Net: -1
Still treading water overall because I couldn't resist picking up Twisted Metal today...but I did finish Uncharted 3, which I loved. I get the criticism it's received for basically being "more of the same", but overall I enjoyed Drake's Deception more than any other game in the series so far. Since there weren't many new characters introduced, the established characters were able to develop further and make the plot more interesting. And the graphics were obviously gorgeous.
Plus, there was an arrested development reference
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Metroid: Other M
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Twisted Metal
Finished: 6
Costume Quest
Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
InFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Resistance 3
Uncharted 3
Net: -1
Still treading water overall because I couldn't resist picking up Twisted Metal today...but I did finish Uncharted 3, which I loved. I get the criticism it's received for basically being "more of the same", but overall I enjoyed Drake's Deception more than any other game in the series so far. Since there weren't many new characters introduced, the established characters were able to develop further and make the plot more interesting. And the graphics were obviously gorgeous.
Plus, there was an arrested development reference
IrishNinja
Member
it never ends
finished:
Infamous 2
Metroid Prime
Apollo Justice, this month for sure!
added:
Last Window
RE: revelations
i am the problem.
finished:
Infamous 2
Metroid Prime
Apollo Justice, this month for sure!
added:
Last Window
RE: revelations
i am the problem.
GodfatherX
Member
bought 0
finished 2
Skyrim - but let's be honest I probably have about 100 more hours to sink into this
Ms Splosion man - didnt like it as much as the first one, some very frustrating levels later that felt like bad design
playing 2
Uncharted 3
Batman Arkham Asylum
finished 2
Skyrim - but let's be honest I probably have about 100 more hours to sink into this
Ms Splosion man - didnt like it as much as the first one, some very frustrating levels later that felt like bad design
playing 2
Uncharted 3
Batman Arkham Asylum
Bought: 0
Completed: 6
1. Kirby Mass Attack
2. Okamiden
3. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
4. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All
6. Pushmo
Score: +6
Just beat Pushmo. Brilliant puzzle game. Diagonal jumps can get annoying, but good thing the game has a rewind function for all the times I fell.
Up Next:
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
If anyone uses HowLongToBeat, feel free to add me, username is Mazarin.
Completed: 6
1. Kirby Mass Attack
2. Okamiden
3. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
4. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All
6. Pushmo
Score: +6
Just beat Pushmo. Brilliant puzzle game. Diagonal jumps can get annoying, but good thing the game has a rewind function for all the times I fell.
Up Next:
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
If anyone uses HowLongToBeat, feel free to add me, username is Mazarin.
FollowSmoke
Member
Bought: -5
Completed: +8
Total: +3
Finished
Now Playing
Backlog
Completed: +8
Total: +3
Finished
- Gears of War 3
- Journey
- Limbo
- Madden 12
- Mario Kart 7
- Super Mario 3D Land
- Trials HD
- Uncharted 3
Now Playing
- Forza Motorsport 4
- Saints Row: The Third
- Super Meat Boy
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Backlog
- 999
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Bastion
- Batman: Arkham City
- Chrono Trigger
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- Devil Survivor: Overclocked
- Fallout 3
- God of War III
- ICO & Shadow of the Colussus HD Collection
- Infamous 2
- Just Cause 2
- L.A. Noire
- Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planewalkers 2012
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
- Mortal Kombat
- New Super Mario Bros.
- Portal 2
- Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
- Splinter Cell: Conviction
- Terraria
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- The World Ends With You
- Trine 2
FollowSmoke
Member
Huge achievement, man. Skyrim is going to bog down my progress for awhile. I'm level 42 on my first playthrough and have no doubts that I'll want to play a new character right after I wrap this one up.
crimsonheadGCN
Banned
Update:
Bought in 2012: -1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Steam)
Finished in 2012: +7
Bastion (Steam)
Hydrophobia: Prophecy (Steam)
Resident Evil 5 (Steam)
Trine (Steam)
Zeno Clash (Steam)
Braid (Steam)
Metro 2033 (Steam)
Total: +6
I bought Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and just beat Metro 2033.
I'll either go through the single player for MW2 or play Torchlight (Steam).
Bought in 2012: -1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Steam)
Finished in 2012: +7
Bastion (Steam)
Hydrophobia: Prophecy (Steam)
Resident Evil 5 (Steam)
Trine (Steam)
Zeno Clash (Steam)
Braid (Steam)
Metro 2033 (Steam)
Total: +6
I bought Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and just beat Metro 2033.
I'll either go through the single player for MW2 or play Torchlight (Steam).
UpperCaseN
Member
I beat Duke Nukem Forever (360)
Puts me at +7, for now
Beat:
1. LA Noire: Complete Edition
2. Shadows of the Damned
3. Uncharted 3
4. Kinect Adventures
5. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
6. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
7. Duke Nukem Forever
Bought:
None (but Alan Wake American Nightmare and ME3 will change that soon)
Now at: 25
http://backloggery.com/gryphter
Puts me at +7, for now
Beat:
1. LA Noire: Complete Edition
2. Shadows of the Damned
3. Uncharted 3
4. Kinect Adventures
5. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
6. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
7. Duke Nukem Forever
Bought:
None (but Alan Wake American Nightmare and ME3 will change that soon)
Now at: 25
http://backloggery.com/gryphter
crimsonheadGCN
Banned
Update:
Bought in 2012: -1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Steam)
Finished in 2012: +8
Bastion (Steam)
Hydrophobia: Prophecy (Steam)
Resident Evil 5 (Steam)
Trine (Steam)
Zeno Clash (Steam)
Braid (Steam)
Metro 2033 (Steam)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Steam)
Total: +7
Bought in 2012: -1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Steam)
Finished in 2012: +8
Bastion (Steam)
Hydrophobia: Prophecy (Steam)
Resident Evil 5 (Steam)
Trine (Steam)
Zeno Clash (Steam)
Braid (Steam)
Metro 2033 (Steam)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Steam)
Total: +7
Update:
+7
-1
Bought in 2012:
Tales of The Abyss 3ds
+8
Beaten in 2012:
Ghost Trick
Star Ocean Second Departure
God of War 2
Arcania Gothic 4
Deus Ex Human Revolution
Lunar Silver Star Harmony
Sonic Generations
Dead Island
Next on the list:
Recettear
Legend of Heroes (the crappy one)
+7
-1
Bought in 2012:
Tales of The Abyss 3ds
+8
Beaten in 2012:
Ghost Trick
Star Ocean Second Departure
God of War 2
Arcania Gothic 4
Deus Ex Human Revolution
Lunar Silver Star Harmony
Sonic Generations
Dead Island
Next on the list:
Recettear
Legend of Heroes (the crappy one)
stonedwal
Member
Making up for last weekend over the course of the last few days.
Bought in 2012: -1
Beaten in 2012: +17
Current Score: +16
Bought:
Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Beaten:
Shadows of the Damned (PS3)
Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Wii)
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox)
Total Overdose (Xbox)
Deathrow (Xbox)
Sid Meier's Pirates! (Xbox)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
The House of the Dead: Overkill - Director's Cut (PS3)
Urban Chaos: Riot Response (Xbox)
NBA Jam (PS3)
Banjo-Tooie (XBLA)
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)
Dead Island (360)
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PS3, Origins Collection)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (GCN)
Resident Evil 0 (GCN)
Wiped out Dead Island and Ghost of Sparta during the week. I was about halfway through each to start. Dead Island was a struggle, game is not very good. Ghost of Sparta wasn't too bad - have now finished all five games in the series. The two Resident Evils had been in my backlog for close to ten years - feels like a major strike against the backlog to have those two done and dusted.
Currently Playing:
Haven't touched Okami in weeks since the missus has been playing a lot of Rayman Origins in the room we have the CRT set up in. May start Yakuza 2 next.
Bought in 2012: -1
Beaten in 2012: +17
Current Score: +16
Bought:
Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Beaten:
Shadows of the Damned (PS3)
Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Wii)
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox)
Total Overdose (Xbox)
Deathrow (Xbox)
Sid Meier's Pirates! (Xbox)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS3, Sly Trilogy)
The House of the Dead: Overkill - Director's Cut (PS3)
Urban Chaos: Riot Response (Xbox)
NBA Jam (PS3)
Banjo-Tooie (XBLA)
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)
Dead Island (360)
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PS3, Origins Collection)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (GCN)
Resident Evil 0 (GCN)
Wiped out Dead Island and Ghost of Sparta during the week. I was about halfway through each to start. Dead Island was a struggle, game is not very good. Ghost of Sparta wasn't too bad - have now finished all five games in the series. The two Resident Evils had been in my backlog for close to ten years - feels like a major strike against the backlog to have those two done and dusted.
Currently Playing:
Haven't touched Okami in weeks since the missus has been playing a lot of Rayman Origins in the room we have the CRT set up in. May start Yakuza 2 next.
AzureSkies
Member
Bought in 2012: 1 MGS: HD Collection, beaten all of the games but I'm doing a playthrough of MGS2 (Well technically 2: Battlefield 3 but I got that free)
Beaten in 2012: 1
Sonic Generations
Now Playing:
Tales of Eternia
Backlog:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (In China)
Chrono Trigger (Stopped playing on the Lost Sanctum and now I'm confused on my progress on it and if I should continue)
Final Fantasy VI Advance (close to the end actually)
Final Fantasy V Advance (A couple of hours in)
MGS2 Playthrough on MGS HD Collection (Hard Mode, Game Over on Detection. This may be beaten until the rest are done)
Digital Devil Saga (20 hours on this)
Digital Devil Saga 2 (still sealed)
SMT: Lucifer's Call (haven't touched at all, planned for after DDS1)
Current Score: 0
Beaten in 2012: 1
Sonic Generations
Now Playing:
Tales of Eternia
Backlog:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (In China)
Chrono Trigger (Stopped playing on the Lost Sanctum and now I'm confused on my progress on it and if I should continue)
Final Fantasy VI Advance (close to the end actually)
Final Fantasy V Advance (A couple of hours in)
MGS2 Playthrough on MGS HD Collection (Hard Mode, Game Over on Detection. This may be beaten until the rest are done)
Digital Devil Saga (20 hours on this)
Digital Devil Saga 2 (still sealed)
SMT: Lucifer's Call (haven't touched at all, planned for after DDS1)
Current Score: 0
IrishNinja
Member
Beaten: Apollo Justice! just in time to vote for the 2008 GOTY awards again, heh. shame i never got into Eclasia.
debating Ghost Trick or Last Window next, before resuming PC backlog. still hovering right above 20 games in queue, and if gamefly ever sends Tales of Abyss 3DS, ill prolly keep that one too.
gonna have to try to thin out the list a bit before sega drops Binary Domain (might be a keeper too!) and Yakuza: Dead Souls. if i can get back to the single-digit #'s by the year's end, that'd be cool, but we'll see what Wii-U brings, heh.
debating Ghost Trick or Last Window next, before resuming PC backlog. still hovering right above 20 games in queue, and if gamefly ever sends Tales of Abyss 3DS, ill prolly keep that one too.
gonna have to try to thin out the list a bit before sega drops Binary Domain (might be a keeper too!) and Yakuza: Dead Souls. if i can get back to the single-digit #'s by the year's end, that'd be cool, but we'll see what Wii-U brings, heh.
Everdred
Member
Backlog on HowLongToBeat.com
Bought In 2012:
Crysis 2
Duke Nukem Forever
Beat in 2012:
1. Renegade Ops
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution + Missing Link
Total Score: 0
Backlog Priorities:
BioShock
BioShock 2
Crysis Warhead
Crysis 2
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
Duke Nukem Forever
GTA 4
Medal Of Honor
Supreme Commander 2
Just finished Deus Ex:HR on PC, had rented the 360 version and beat it on release but I couldn't get enough. Absolutely love the game.
Bought In 2012:
Crysis 2
Duke Nukem Forever
Beat in 2012:
1. Renegade Ops
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution + Missing Link
Total Score: 0
Backlog Priorities:
BioShock
BioShock 2
Crysis Warhead
Crysis 2
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
Duke Nukem Forever
GTA 4
Medal Of Honor
Supreme Commander 2
Just finished Deus Ex:HR on PC, had rented the 360 version and beat it on release but I couldn't get enough. Absolutely love the game.
Purchased in 2012: -6
Epic Mickey
La Noire
child of eden
killzone 2
the last remnant
FF XIII-2
Beaten in 2012: +5
Outland
Mario Kart 7
TLOZ Skyward Sword (magnificent)
Rocketibirds hardboiled
FF XIII-2
Total: -1
Currently Playing:
Pullblox/Pushmo
LBP 2
Call of duty Black Ops
Epic Mickey
Child of eden
dead space
Queued:
Dead Space 2
Brutal Legend
Zack & wiki
Metroid Prime trilogy
I've messed up bad...but i've been to a big sale in a closing shop, bought 4 games...at least i've finished real soon FF XIII-2
Epic Mickey
La Noire
child of eden
killzone 2
the last remnant
FF XIII-2
Beaten in 2012: +5
Outland
Mario Kart 7
TLOZ Skyward Sword (magnificent)
Rocketibirds hardboiled
FF XIII-2
Total: -1
Currently Playing:
Pullblox/Pushmo
LBP 2
Call of duty Black Ops
Epic Mickey
Child of eden
dead space
Queued:
Dead Space 2
Brutal Legend
Zack & wiki
Metroid Prime trilogy
I've messed up bad...but i've been to a big sale in a closing shop, bought 4 games...at least i've finished real soon FF XIII-2
Beat
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
VVVVVV
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
VVVVVV was tons of fun, SWR was mostly good, the last few missions really dragged with the insane enemy HP and EN levels.
The forced tutorial in Dynasty Warriors really pissed me off when I started the game back in November but I ended up really enjoying it when I went back to it today and basically burned through the entire story in one go. There's tons of content in that game but I can't really see myself getting through it all.
Astro Boy's another game you have to play more than once to get the proper ending. I think I'll go back to that another time though, as much as I enjoyed it.
Current Score: 14
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
VVVVVV
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
VVVVVV was tons of fun, SWR was mostly good, the last few missions really dragged with the insane enemy HP and EN levels.
The forced tutorial in Dynasty Warriors really pissed me off when I started the game back in November but I ended up really enjoying it when I went back to it today and basically burned through the entire story in one go. There's tons of content in that game but I can't really see myself getting through it all.
Astro Boy's another game you have to play more than once to get the proper ending. I think I'll go back to that another time though, as much as I enjoyed it.
Current Score: 14
Update:
+9
-1
Bought in 2012:
Tales of The Abyss (3DS)
+9
Beaten in 2012:
Ghost Trick (DS)
Star Ocean Second Departure (PSP)
God of War 2 (PS3)
Arcania Gothic 4 (Steam)
Deus Ex Human Revolution (Steam)
Lunar Silver Star Harmony (PSP)
Sonic Generations (Steam)
Dead Island (Steam)
Super Meat Boy (Steam)
Felt pretty good after finishing SMB, been a while since I actually felt pain on my fingers after playing a game.
Next on the list:
Recettear
Legend of Heroes (the crappy one)
+9
-1
Bought in 2012:
Tales of The Abyss (3DS)
+9
Beaten in 2012:
Ghost Trick (DS)
Star Ocean Second Departure (PSP)
God of War 2 (PS3)
Arcania Gothic 4 (Steam)
Deus Ex Human Revolution (Steam)
Lunar Silver Star Harmony (PSP)
Sonic Generations (Steam)
Dead Island (Steam)
Super Meat Boy (Steam)
Felt pretty good after finishing SMB, been a while since I actually felt pain on my fingers after playing a game.
Next on the list:
Recettear
Legend of Heroes (the crappy one)
I have to catch up on my reviews:
UNCHARTED 3 REVIEW
I think its safe to say that Naughty Dog established itself as one of the premier development studios with the Uncharted series this gen. Uncharted 2 was the realization of the PS3s potential, and the game rightfully won many accolades to complement the platinum-level sales. I scored the game a perfect 10.0 / 10.0 and couldnt wait for the next series entry.
So, did U3 live up to my hype?....
LOVED
The Drake Chronicles: Any chance to step back into the world of Nathan Drake is a good thing. U3 continues the Drakes treasure hunting escapades, and even delves into his background. A solid effort on the narrative front.
More Like Naughty God, amiright?: There may no better showcase of the PS3s potential than Uncharted 3. The graphics are superb, the framerate is steady, the animations are top notch, and the DTS audio demands a home theater system. Studios like ND are why 1st party games are important to the industry, as they can realize a consoles full potential.
A Full Plate: As with U2, the sequel offers a great multiplayer component to jump into once youve finished the campaign. ND even expanded the co-op feature, making it more enjoyable.
Party On, Dude: Ive said it before, and Ill say it again; Every MP game should have a Party System. ND wisely included the feature in U2 and again in U3. Theres nothing better than getting a group of friends, and jumping from game to game together.
Nolan North & Friends: Once again the voice acting is superb in U3. Nolan North has said Drake is his favorite character, and it shows. The rest of the cast puts in another admirable performance. Superb voice acting combined with impressive mo-cap makes for a movie-like experience.
HATED
A Knife to a Gun Fight: The melee combat is serviceable, but not all that enjoyable. This wouldnt be a problem if there wasnt so much of it.
Forever-Alone.jpg: Part of the narrative appeal in Uncharted 2 was the love triangle Drake got himself into. Yet, that was all but abandoned in U3, mainly because of the lifestyle Drake lives. A disappointment for me.
Drake, The Mass Murderer: You kill a ton of dudes in U3. Not that this is any different from U2, but it take a bit of a disconnect knowing that Drake is supposed to be an everyday regular dude, yet hes able to kill off a ton of skilled soldiers.
CoD-ized: The MP now features perks, as first seen in the CoD series. Im not opposed to the Perk System, but I liked the non-perk MP structure of U2 more. Its unfortunate ND decided to go this route.
CONCLUSION
Uncharted 3 is fantastic showcase of the PS3 hardware. The game looks superb, the voice acting is good enough to be in movie, the audio design will make you happy to own a home theater system, and theres a solid MP offering to keep you busy for months after youve finished the campaign. U3 is the complete package.
My complaints are more nitpicky than anything. The narrative is still solid, yet takes a step back in regards to Drakes personal life. The MP is refined, yet now features the Perk System popularized by CoD. (Whether thats a plus or minus is up to you.)
SCORE: 9.0 / 10.0
TIME PLAYED: About 15hrs
TROPHY DETAIL: 44% Collected
Gaming Update
I'm almost finished with Mario Galaxy 1! I have 117 stars, and I'm hoping to get the rest tonight. Great game.
UNCHARTED 3 REVIEW
I think its safe to say that Naughty Dog established itself as one of the premier development studios with the Uncharted series this gen. Uncharted 2 was the realization of the PS3s potential, and the game rightfully won many accolades to complement the platinum-level sales. I scored the game a perfect 10.0 / 10.0 and couldnt wait for the next series entry.
So, did U3 live up to my hype?....
LOVED
The Drake Chronicles: Any chance to step back into the world of Nathan Drake is a good thing. U3 continues the Drakes treasure hunting escapades, and even delves into his background. A solid effort on the narrative front.
More Like Naughty God, amiright?: There may no better showcase of the PS3s potential than Uncharted 3. The graphics are superb, the framerate is steady, the animations are top notch, and the DTS audio demands a home theater system. Studios like ND are why 1st party games are important to the industry, as they can realize a consoles full potential.
A Full Plate: As with U2, the sequel offers a great multiplayer component to jump into once youve finished the campaign. ND even expanded the co-op feature, making it more enjoyable.
Party On, Dude: Ive said it before, and Ill say it again; Every MP game should have a Party System. ND wisely included the feature in U2 and again in U3. Theres nothing better than getting a group of friends, and jumping from game to game together.
Nolan North & Friends: Once again the voice acting is superb in U3. Nolan North has said Drake is his favorite character, and it shows. The rest of the cast puts in another admirable performance. Superb voice acting combined with impressive mo-cap makes for a movie-like experience.
HATED
A Knife to a Gun Fight: The melee combat is serviceable, but not all that enjoyable. This wouldnt be a problem if there wasnt so much of it.
Forever-Alone.jpg: Part of the narrative appeal in Uncharted 2 was the love triangle Drake got himself into. Yet, that was all but abandoned in U3, mainly because of the lifestyle Drake lives. A disappointment for me.
Drake, The Mass Murderer: You kill a ton of dudes in U3. Not that this is any different from U2, but it take a bit of a disconnect knowing that Drake is supposed to be an everyday regular dude, yet hes able to kill off a ton of skilled soldiers.
CoD-ized: The MP now features perks, as first seen in the CoD series. Im not opposed to the Perk System, but I liked the non-perk MP structure of U2 more. Its unfortunate ND decided to go this route.
CONCLUSION
Uncharted 3 is fantastic showcase of the PS3 hardware. The game looks superb, the voice acting is good enough to be in movie, the audio design will make you happy to own a home theater system, and theres a solid MP offering to keep you busy for months after youve finished the campaign. U3 is the complete package.
My complaints are more nitpicky than anything. The narrative is still solid, yet takes a step back in regards to Drakes personal life. The MP is refined, yet now features the Perk System popularized by CoD. (Whether thats a plus or minus is up to you.)
SCORE: 9.0 / 10.0
TIME PLAYED: About 15hrs
TROPHY DETAIL: 44% Collected
Gaming Update
I'm almost finished with Mario Galaxy 1! I have 117 stars, and I'm hoping to get the rest tonight. Great game.
Finished with Warhammer 40K:Space Marine. This puts me at +2 (10:8) for 2012. The game has taken me somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 hours.
I'm a 40k fan for somewhere around 20 years now. I still have my painted Space Marine army from the 90s, even though I haven't played a game on the tabletop in probably 15 years.
Almost everything in this game feels like wasted potential. They put together a pretty good combat system and then completely ruined it with absolutely awful encounter design. I like the way the character feels moving around. Shooting feels solid, melee is OK (though there are definitely some camera issues). I like the way everything looks, and I like the interesting balance between Melee and Ranged combat. I hate playing this game -- or at least about 75% of it.
The Orks are fun to fight for about 20 minutes, and yet you spend about 4 hours of this game fighting them. Wave after obnoxious wave of orks and their even-more-annoying squigs. I've played a lot of shooters over the years, and while the little enemies that run up to you and explode are generally an annoyance, in this game they're about a million times worse, due to the game's emphasis on melee combat. I lost count of the number of times I got a good melee rhythm going, was tearing through a horde of orks, and then out of nowhere one or more squigs ran at me from off-camera and detonated, taking me from full health to zero. Cue another attempt where instead of bothering with melee, I spend the entire combat running backwards and shooting into the pile of enemies. How engaging. I'd say I spent most of my time with this game running backwards. I'm a Space Marine - badass of the galaxy, and all I can do against a horde of pussy orks is run backwards and shoot.
And speaking of not feeling like a badass, since when was power armor made of toilet tissue? It seems like every time you get into combat, you have about .2 seconds before your armor meter is empty, which again results in a press A and run backwards scenario. You allegedly get an armor upgrade about half of the way through the game, but it didn't seem to make any actual difference other than cosmetics. The health recharge mechanic, where you regain health by performing finishing moves on enemies, is also pretty asinine, and aside from not making any sense, basically devolves into saving the last enemy of every fight for execution purposes to get your health back. You also regain health from going into rage mode, which seems to only exist for the purpose of covering up for the silly health mechanic. On top of that, it seemed buggy as shit for me. Several times I stood completely still and clicked the sticks in 6 or 7 times and it wouldn't trigger. Luckily these situations (save one) were in relatively low-stress situations, so I just marched forward with no health instead and hoped it would decide to function properly in the next room.
The game hits a short-lived bright spot about halfway through when Chaos shows up. Instead of incessant waves of Orks, you get incessant waves of Chaos, but at least there's generally a lot less of them, and they're a little more fun to fight. Not long later though, it's back to a slog through Ork country, and then finally another Chaos section highlighted by a cameo from the Blood Ravens leading up to the final section of the game. The final encounter is basically a regurgitation of everything I hate about the game, topped off with a fucking QTE for the final boss. What a joke.
Overall Score - 2/5 (and it only got a score that high because I'm a 40k Fanboy)
I'm a 40k fan for somewhere around 20 years now. I still have my painted Space Marine army from the 90s, even though I haven't played a game on the tabletop in probably 15 years.
Almost everything in this game feels like wasted potential. They put together a pretty good combat system and then completely ruined it with absolutely awful encounter design. I like the way the character feels moving around. Shooting feels solid, melee is OK (though there are definitely some camera issues). I like the way everything looks, and I like the interesting balance between Melee and Ranged combat. I hate playing this game -- or at least about 75% of it.
The Orks are fun to fight for about 20 minutes, and yet you spend about 4 hours of this game fighting them. Wave after obnoxious wave of orks and their even-more-annoying squigs. I've played a lot of shooters over the years, and while the little enemies that run up to you and explode are generally an annoyance, in this game they're about a million times worse, due to the game's emphasis on melee combat. I lost count of the number of times I got a good melee rhythm going, was tearing through a horde of orks, and then out of nowhere one or more squigs ran at me from off-camera and detonated, taking me from full health to zero. Cue another attempt where instead of bothering with melee, I spend the entire combat running backwards and shooting into the pile of enemies. How engaging. I'd say I spent most of my time with this game running backwards. I'm a Space Marine - badass of the galaxy, and all I can do against a horde of pussy orks is run backwards and shoot.
And speaking of not feeling like a badass, since when was power armor made of toilet tissue? It seems like every time you get into combat, you have about .2 seconds before your armor meter is empty, which again results in a press A and run backwards scenario. You allegedly get an armor upgrade about half of the way through the game, but it didn't seem to make any actual difference other than cosmetics. The health recharge mechanic, where you regain health by performing finishing moves on enemies, is also pretty asinine, and aside from not making any sense, basically devolves into saving the last enemy of every fight for execution purposes to get your health back. You also regain health from going into rage mode, which seems to only exist for the purpose of covering up for the silly health mechanic. On top of that, it seemed buggy as shit for me. Several times I stood completely still and clicked the sticks in 6 or 7 times and it wouldn't trigger. Luckily these situations (save one) were in relatively low-stress situations, so I just marched forward with no health instead and hoped it would decide to function properly in the next room.
The game hits a short-lived bright spot about halfway through when Chaos shows up. Instead of incessant waves of Orks, you get incessant waves of Chaos, but at least there's generally a lot less of them, and they're a little more fun to fight. Not long later though, it's back to a slog through Ork country, and then finally another Chaos section highlighted by a cameo from the Blood Ravens leading up to the final section of the game. The final encounter is basically a regurgitation of everything I hate about the game, topped off with a fucking QTE for the final boss. What a joke.
Overall Score - 2/5 (and it only got a score that high because I'm a 40k Fanboy)
Backloggery. New entries in italic:
Bought: -30
Beaten: +33
Currently Playing:
Current Total: +3
These indie bundles are dangerous padding for the backlog. I still haven't beaten all the games from the first Humble Bundle, but I'm getting closer now that Lugaru HD (frustrating at times, but very interested in Overgrowth now) and Samorost 2 (love the aesthetics) have been taken care of. Only Gish and Penumbra: Overture left now!
It's been a long time since I've played an adventure game, but the Blackwell games were great so I'm probably going to be playing more of them. I've got The Longest Journey in my backlog, so maybe I'll finally finish that (or Machinarium, perhaps).
Costume Quest was a bit easy, but still fun. Hope to see more Double Fine games on PC. TRAUMA was interesting, but not really my cup of tea.
And I finally finished Fallout 3! I got stuck in the Lamplight Caverns a few years ago finishing up the main quest, and after a frustrating trek to an irradiated door leading to nowhere I gave up and uninstalled the game. Now I just used the console and no-clip mode to get me past a certain gate, and the game was finished in a couple of hours. Wish I'd found out about that before! Good game, but I liked New Vegas much better.
Bought: -30
- BEEP
- Bunch of Heroes
- Critical Mass
- Crusader Kings II
- Dungeon Defenders: Etherian Festival of Love
- Dungeon Defenders: President's Day
- Fortix 2
- Fractal
- Hacker Evolution
- Hacker Evolution: Duality
- Hacker Evolution: Untold
- inMomentum
- Lucid
- Lume
- Max and the Magic Marker
- Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
- Plants vs. Zombies
- RoboBlitz
- Sanctum: Slums
- Sideway: New York
- Soulcaster
- Soulcaster II
- The Ball
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault
- Wasteland Angel
- Your Doodles are Bugged!
- Zombie Shooter
- Zombie Shooter 2
Beaten: +33
- And Yet it Moves
- Aquaria
- Baldur's Gate
- Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast
- Bastion
- Blackwell Legacy, The
- Blackwell Unbound
- Blackwell Convergence, The
- Breath of Death VII: The Beginning
- Costume Quest
- Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice
- Cthulhu Saves the World
- Dungeon Defenders
- Eets
- Fallout 3
- Jamestown
- Lugaru HD
- Magicka
- Metro 2033
- Puzzle Agent
- Puzzle Agent 2
- Samorost
- Samorost 2
- Sanctum
- Sanctum: Slums
- Sanctum: X-Mas Carnage
- Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
- Serious Sam 3: BFE
- Shank
- Toki Tori
- TRAUMA
- Trine
- World of Goo
Currently Playing:
- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
- Crusader Kings II
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Steel Storm: Burning Retribution
Current Total: +3
These indie bundles are dangerous padding for the backlog. I still haven't beaten all the games from the first Humble Bundle, but I'm getting closer now that Lugaru HD (frustrating at times, but very interested in Overgrowth now) and Samorost 2 (love the aesthetics) have been taken care of. Only Gish and Penumbra: Overture left now!
It's been a long time since I've played an adventure game, but the Blackwell games were great so I'm probably going to be playing more of them. I've got The Longest Journey in my backlog, so maybe I'll finally finish that (or Machinarium, perhaps).
Costume Quest was a bit easy, but still fun. Hope to see more Double Fine games on PC. TRAUMA was interesting, but not really my cup of tea.
And I finally finished Fallout 3! I got stuck in the Lamplight Caverns a few years ago finishing up the main quest, and after a frustrating trek to an irradiated door leading to nowhere I gave up and uninstalled the game. Now I just used the console and no-clip mode to get me past a certain gate, and the game was finished in a couple of hours. Wish I'd found out about that before! Good game, but I liked New Vegas much better.