Game 6: Guacamelee - 5½ hours
I started off not liking it very much but I got into it after a while. The combat is fun and once you get most of your abilities the platforming becomes okay. I don't like how it feels like it's trying to be Super Metroid though because it completely fails at it. There are also some weird difficulty spikes in the combat and I think they went a little overboard with having so many different shields in addition to the light/dark thing. Even though I could pick it apart it's still probably the most fun game I've played so far this year.
TLaD addressed several of the things I didn't like about GTA4 - motorcycles handle more tightly than cars, in-mission checkpoints exist, and the story isn't an overwrought mess. It probably could have used another couple of hours of story, but that's still better than being too long.
TLOU is my third game but... I'm not enjoying it. I'm tempted to quit, I sense I may not be that far in but I'm hoping I am a good way through the story.
I'll bold the games that I've completed but I'll also list the ones in progress.
EDIT: Previously this list has a bunch of titles in progress back in January; yeah I haven't finished nearly any of them. I removed the unfinished ones.
Game 1: The Walking Dead: Season One (Windows) ~12 hours, 01/03/2014 - 01/04/2014
~12 hours, 01/03/2014 - 01/04/2014
I was absolutely hooked on this and ended up finishing it within 24 hours. Wouldn't say it's flawless, but it's damn engrossing experience from beginning to end.
Game 2: 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS) ~20 hours, 01/07/2014 - 01/09/2014
Got the Sub ending first, then Safe, then Coffin/True. I watched the Axe and Knife endings on YouTube. It got more and more outrageous toward the end, and I have my issues with the format and structure of these types of puzzle VNs. But it absolutely hooked me early enough that I had to see it through.
Game 3: Vanquish (PS3) ~8 hours, 11/29/2013 - 1/11/2014
Finally beat this game after stopping in the middle of Act 2 because I got very tired of it. That was a good idea because I enjoyed it again after giving about a month and a half in between the two play sessions. Went through the rest in one sitting. Played it on Normal.
Game 4: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Vita) 25:32:02, 1/9/2014 - 1/16/2014
Had to play this right after finishing 999. The localization is pretty well done with a lot of hilarious references to the most random of things. I'm not the biggest fan of the flow structure (
jumping to an event in a different timeline was confusing at times; I sometimes forgot what happened earlier in that timeline
), but it was a constant thrill learning how everything was connected. How it relates to 999 is pretty absurd, but I can't necessarily complain because I do enjoy ridiculous things.
Game 5: Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition (Windows) ~10 hours, 1/13/2014 - 1/17/2014
The combat is a lot of fun. Playing this shortly after Sleeping Dogs{/I] (which I played in December) led to me always thinking that I could counter in the middle of an attack, which led to a lot of unnecessary damage and deaths. However, fighting is still satisfying with the combo system, and it was almost tempting to collect everything. Rocksteady excellently meshes in a lot of the Batman universe (well, I guess it'd be DC but more Batman-specific things) into the extra collectibles.
Game 6: Broken Age Act 1 (Windows) ~3.7 hours, 1/14/2014 - 1/18/2014
Short but sweet. The puzzles were a bit too easy, and I felt that the characters weren't explored thoroughly enough. In the end, I'm still satisfied with backing this project and can't wait for Act 2.
Game 7: The Unfinished Swan (PS3) ~2 hours, 1/20/2014
Super short and sweet. I was actually getting bored until Part 3 when they incorporated the darkness and the platforms that you could create. I didn't really care for the annoying navigation while using the vines.
Game 8: Cook, Serve, Delicious! (PC) ~19 hours, 12/26/2013 - 1/29/2014
This wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be more of an actual management sim as well, or at least hoped it would be. It wasn't, but that's perfectly fine. The gameplay is frantic when you have at least a 4-star restaurant, but there's something very satisfying about the process of fulfilling the orders and completing them. I'm not sure why hitting a key to see a result on screen is so much more pleasing in this game than in others.
Game 9: Rhythm Heaven (DS) ~6-8 hours, 7/27/2009 - 2/1/2014
I finally finished this game after having owned it for nearly five years. I just never got around to playing it again. I don't have much to say about this game except that it was fun and well-produced.
Game 10: The Last of Us (PS3) 20:28:38, 2/2/2014 - 2/7/2014
Generally what kept me going were the characters and the story. Although Joel really is a cold murderer (a product of his environment though) through your actions, The Last of Us consistently impressed me with the acting and the writing, the former in particular. I think this game highlights that it doesn't take much to appear to have good writing because most other games tend to be poorly written. I don't mean to knock TLoU though; it is mostly well written and directed... at least the cutscenes and the dialogue. The gameplay controls and responds well; what I didn't generally like was the level design and the use of having enemies appear out of thin air at times. For a game that emphasizes stealth and moving around the environment carefully, it's kind of jarring to have characters appear out of nowhere. I have other issues with the gameplay, but that's fit for a full review.
Game 11: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) ???, 8/11/2011 - 2/9/2014
This was my first 3DS game (got the system before the Ambassador program expired). I loved it, but I stopped for some reason back then when I reached the Ice Cavern. In the two days after finishing TLoU[/I{, I decided to finish this. I think as an overall package it still holds up well, although parts of its gameplay and design have aged poorly.
Game 12: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS3) ~3 hours, 2/1/2014 - 2/10/2014
Clever, well-executed idea. Doesn't outstay its welcome.
Game 13: BioShock 2: Minerva's Den (DLC) (PC) ~5 hours, 2/23/2014 - 2/23/2014
Good. It's still just more BioShock, though.
Game 14: Quantum Conundrum (PS3) ~7-8 hours, ??? - 3/1/2014
I absolutely detest this game. I hate the uncle who keeps yapping away, I hate a great deal of the puzzles (because the platforming and the controls never meshed well), and I hate how long it is.
Game 15: Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS) ???, 2/22/2014 - 3/2/2014
A replay. Damn this has such a campy story.
Game 16: Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine (PC) ~5 hours, 2/18/2014 - 3/15/2014
Played co-op... I was once very excited for Monaco, but it didn't really live up to my hype. Perhaps it was the friends whom I played with, but this game generally devolved into chaos.
Game 17: MLB 13: The Show (PS3) <35 hours, 4/7/2014 - 4/29/2014
GameFly rental. I created all my friends (because I'm lame) and put them on the Dodgers and played only the games that my friend pitched. Won the World Series, so yay. I'd say it's solid, but I haven't played modern baseball games to say much (not that there's a lot for comparison).
Game 18: Batman: Arkham City (PS3) ~15 hours, 4/1/2014 - 5/9/2014
I don't think this series needs an open world. While combat was good as usual, I hated navigating from one end of the city to another. It just felt unnecessarily large and cumbersome. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the game though.
Game 19: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (modded) (PC) ~80 hours, 4/17/2014 - 6/3/2014
Heavily modded. The game is rather mediocre so it definitely needs all the mods. Didn't actually finish my playthrough (of going through nearly every quest line) but thought I had enough when I played through Falskaar (a mod) to completion.
Game 20: Alan Wake (PC) ~11 hours, 5/28/2014 - 6/6/2014
For a game about a writer whose writing is the focus of the story, it's rather poorly written. Combat feels often clumsy but serviceable. But I kept playing to see what happens in the end... which was disappointing because without the DLC, you don't really get much of an ending.
Game 21: Dust: An Elysian Tail (PC) ~9 hours, 6/7/2014 - 6/13/2014
Combat was easy to perform (a plus in my book, who can't hold a combo in any type of battle system). The voice acting... was questionable but acceptable enough. I think I just played this at the right time; I hadn't played a sidescroller in a while and it kinda scratched that itch.
Game 22: Crysis 2: Maximum Edition (PC) ~8 hours, 3/20/2014 - 6/14/2014
UGH SO BORING AND SO LIMIITING (compared to the first Crysis)
Game 23: Dear Esther (PC) ~1 hour, 6/14/2014 - 6/14/2014
Not my cup of tea. I loved Gone Home so it's not the type of game that bothers me. I get what it's going for, but it just never clicked with me.
Game 24: Half-Life 2: Episode Two (PC) <6 hours, 6/14/2014 - 6/16/2014
I never finished this back whenever this game out, so I started from the beginning. I can't say that I love HL2 as much anymore, that's for sure. The format just feels tiring in a sense?
Game 25: Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS) <20 hours, 2/21/2014 - 6/19/2014
So incredibly charming. In love with the character art. There's just something about that art style and seeing Rosa smile and Dunning lean in with that grin as if he's offering you a great deal that really gets to me. As much as I loved some of the characters and the story, I do feel like these kinds of games are very clunky and tedious. Things like when
Mila hands you back the notebook after she wrote something in it, you have to manually tap the notebook to take it from her, then tap the notebook icon that's flashing anyway
. Why make me go through that process when no one in their right mind would do anything else in that situation? Or the fact that
you can't place the pencil into your inventory until exactly when you need it to untangle the cassette tape.
Game 26: DiRT 2 (PC) <17 hours, 6/28/2014 - 7/4/2014
I wish there was more rally.
Game 27: Mega Man (NES) <6 hours, 7/1/2014 - 7/6/2014
The first Mega Man game I've ever played. I didn't... enjoy it, but it felt like an accomplishment considering how terrible I am at older games.
Game 28: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Vita) <2 hours, 7/11/2014 - 7/11/2014
Maybe this shouldn't count, but I just beat Arcade Mode once. And that's that, I'll never play this again. I played online a bit when I first had it on Vita, but otherwise it's been collecting (virtual) dust.
Game 29: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations (DS) ???, 6/25/2014 - 7/15/2014
Again, I find puzzle VNs frustrating because they're so limiting. Your logic is limited to exactly what the game wants you to do, even though there's a far simpler solution if it was real life. Another thing that consistently bugs me is the police work and how trials work (I studied criminology), but that's just a part of playing Ace Attorney. Still, I do love this series, and I enjoyed the cases.
Game 31: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) <9 hours, 7/16/2014 - 7/17/2014
Had to see if I didn't like Golden Abyss only because of the Vita-specific gimmicks. Turns out, I don't like Uncharted without the Vita gimmicks.
Game 32: Pokemon Snap (N64) <4 hours, 7/20/2014 - 7/21/2014
Fun, though I couldn't be bothered to figure out how to make some of the Pokemon appear so I looked most of it up. I'd like another one of these.
Game 33: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) <12 hours, 7/17/2014 - 7/21/2014
Most say that this was the best in the series, right? Yeah, I didn't like this one either.
Game 34: Alan Wake's American Nightmare (PC) ~3 hours, 7/20/2014 - 7/22/2014
Suffers from some of the same issues as the first game, but I found it much more likable.
Game 35: Depression Quest (PC) <1 hour, 8/13/2014 - 8/13/2014
People experience depression differently. I felt that this was close enough to how I live with it. It's rough (writing and design need some work), but I still this kind of game is what we need more of. Short games that communicate these things to people that may not understand them.
Game 36: Battlefield 4 (PC) 7 hours, 8/16/2014 - 8/16/2014
Free time on Origin? Don't mind if I do. Oh, it's more pew pew military shooter. Okay. How's the multiplayer? All right, it's more Battlefield 3! It... feels nearly exactly the same! Okay, at least it's kinda fun and it actually works for me!
Game 37: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (DS) ???, 7/22/2014 - 8/17/2014
Same thoughts as Trials and Tribulations, but I like the cases a bit less. Apollo just doesn't have what I like about Phoenix.
Game 38: Renegade Ops (PC) ~6 hours, 4/12/2014 - 8/17/2014
Played this on and off with some friends for a few months. It was really fun at first, but you realize that co-op doesn't add too much value to the game. It also feels repetitive after a while with no added challenge.
Game 39: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Vita) ???, 8/26/2014 - 8/29/2014
Aside from the particular problems of Japanese games that affect Danganronpa as well with regards to character design and the portrayal of women and such, it's a game that reeled me in with its premise and the whole friendship thing (although waaaaay more limited than Persona 3/4-style S-Links, which were what I wanted). The key reveal is... very stupid though.
Game 40: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (PC) ~17 hours, 8/6/2013 - 9/2/2014
I was devastated to discover that I had to replay all the races on Expert in order to proceed in world tour mode. After spending a year tediously replaying the races again, I just decided to say "Screw it" and give up on this. I've seen what it has to offer. It's a fun game though, and the changing courses do keep it interesting with every race. I love the level of control I have when drifting and being able to switch directions while drifting.
Game 41: The Banner Saga (PC) ~12 hours, 9/18/2014 - 9/21/2014
Possibly my most favorite game that I've played in 2014. If I can say anything, I just wish it was on a grander scale: more characters, more storylines, and more battles.
Game 43: Singularity (PC) <6 hours, 9/18/2014 - 10/5/2014
The most interesting shooter that I've played this year, but still boring.
Game 44: Hyrule Warriors (Wii U) ???, 10/3/2014 - 10/8/2014
Having never played a Dynasty Warriors game before, I didn't know what to exactly expect. I've seen footage of the series and this game before, so I had a general sense of what it was. However, I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. I think the Zelda part of this game adds a LOT to my enjoyment, because I care about these characters way more than Chinese historical figures that I've never heard of. So I'll likely never play a Musou game again unless they mash it up with something else I like.
Game 45: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (PS3) ???, 9/30/2014 - 10/10/2014
I just 100%'d the three story episodes. Can't say I like the story in either Arena game. I can't comment much on the actual fighting game part; I haven't played it outside of the story!
Game 46: DiRT 3 (PC) <20 hours, 9/18/2014 - 10/17/2014
I realized racing games are great for podcast listening.
Game 47: Alpha Protocol (PC) <15 hours, 10/17/2014 - 10/20/2014
So flawed, but so good?
Game 48: Gunpoint (PC) ~2 hours, 10/20/2014 - 10/21/2014
I wish there was more to do!
Game 49: The Swapper (PC) ~4 hours, 10/25/2014 - 10/27/2014
A few puzzles were ridiculous, but this is one of the best games that I've played in the past few years.
Game 50: Costume Quest (PC) ~4 hours, 10/27/2014 - 10/28/2014
Short and sweet.
Game 51: OlliOlli (PC) ~18 hours, 10/28/2014 - 11/5/2014
Also great for podcast listening. I was strangely hooked on this to the point that I actually got all of the stars. I'm definitely not touching rad mode though.
Game 52: Call of Duty: Black Ops (PC) <6 hours, 11/7/2014 - 11/7/2014
Very Call of Duty.
Game 53: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PC) <5 hours, 11/7/2014 - 11/8/2014
VERY Call of Duty.
Game 1: Killzone Shadow Fall (PS4)
~ 6 hours. 1/6/2014 - 1/11/2014
Just gonna beat the single player mode. It's frustrating in some parts because I'm garbage when it comes to FPS, but I'm determined. Note: I'm on easy, don't hurt me!
Game 2: Dynasty Warriors 8 Complete (PS4)
Not started yet.
So I'll cheat a bit and use some of my previous PS3 save, but I still have to collect everything and gain every trophy. Game doesn't drop till March so it'll be something I work on all year with less time. I'm probably half way with collecting all of the gunk in the vanilla game, but that expansion that comes with Complete is going to wreck my balls.
More to come. At least once I plan this out better.
I'm gonna have episodic games count as one seeing how it's basically feels like 1 game split apart. So with that...
Game 1: Back to the Future: The Game - FINISHED 13.3 hours total
Wanted to play this after seeing the BttF trilogy again. Glad I did. This was an amazing series that feels like it belongs in the canon. Best episode to me was the 2nd one. 3rd was the most annoying.
Game 2: Starbound - IN PROGRESS 100 minutes played
Has that Terraria feel to it. I like that.
I'll try this, but my track record actually finishing games is pretty abysmal, particularly since I tend to do things like play Marvel Heroes for 100 hours in a month, and I play tons of JRPGs which really cuts down on the number I can complete. So far I am ahead of the pace though.
Game 1: Gone Home (PC) - 2.5 hours - 1/3/14
I saw this on a million GOTY lists and decided that I had to play it. Somehow I avoided knowing many spoilers despite the fact that I consume games media obsessively. I will say that I found it to be as advertised and I thought it did a really good job of telling an engaging story. Plus as a teen in the late 80s / early 90s I recognized a lot of the 80s-90s references. I am not real sure if it's much of a "game", in that it tells a largely linear story and you don't do much other than walking around clicking on things. It's definitely worth checking out though, as it's interesting, well told and well made.
Game 2: Diablo 3 (PS3) - ~9 hours - 1/5/14-1/11/14
I have a love hate relationship with the PC version although I did beat it on Inferno and played for well over 100 hours, but I have to say that I found the PS3 to be a much better experience so far. I'll probably get the expansion on PS4 when it comes out. It's oddly harder than the PC version at the very low levels on normal difficulty, but by the end of normal I was rolling through Master 1 with no issues on my wizard. The loot system is much better than the PC version. Anyway I'm still playing this, but I killed Diablo on normal, and moved into Nightmare. Worth playing if you like ARPGs.
Game 3: XCom - Enemy Within (PC) - 30 hours - 1/1/14-1/12/14
Beat on normal, did about everything possible in my game. Enemy Within adds quite a bit to the game from the base game, most notably to me there seem to be a lot more room types, so you redo the same areas less. Mechs are also fantastic, particularly if you level them up as Snipers first. Oddly after never crashing during the entire game it crashed 3 times during the last mission. I'll probably play on Classic at some point, but I tried not to save scum on this run. A great game, but I'm not sure if the additions in the expansion are worth $30. Glad I bought it on sale.
Game 4: The Banner Saga (PC) - 10 hours - 1/16/14-1/18/14
I loved the art style, thought the combat system was a bit counter-intuitive but figured it out quickly and did fine. The story is OK, but nothing spectacular. It's plays like a TBS combined with Oregon Trail / Choose Your Own Adventure. My only real complaint is that there is a ridiculous difficulty spike on the last boss battle. I played through on Normal and when I got to the end had to turn it down to Easy just for that fight after half a dozen losses. I hadn't lost a battle the rest of the game. On easy the last battle is a complete cakewalk.
Game 5: Might and Magic X: Legacy (PC) - 38 hours - 1/23/14-2/1/14
I love almost everything about this game. It grabbed me in a way that an cRPG had not in a long, long time. Tile-based / turn based dungeon crawler. I played through with a 4 mage party (once of each race / type) and had a pretty great time. There is very little hand holding, and after act 1 you can kind of try to go wherever you want, although most of the places will kill you repeatedly. The main negative to the game is that there are a number of technical issues some of which result in the framerate dropping a lot, particularly in a couple of mountain areas or when particular spells are used. Really good game though, and it got me craving more tile based dungeon crawlers.
Game 6: Bravely Default (3DS) - 48 hours - 2/7/14-2/24/14
I really enjoyed the job system and the combat for the first half of the game. After Chapter 4 (maybe 2/3rds of the way through time wise unless you do 100% of the side stuff in later chapters) the game drags a bit. Still overall pretty good. I wish you could equip more secondary abilities / sub-jobs. There isn't a ton of reason to max more than 2 or 3 jobs per character with a few levels here and there for support skills, destroying a lot of the motivation to max everything out. First long 3DS game I've ever finished though!
Game 7: The Last of Us: Left Behind (PS3) - 2.5 hours - 2/24/14
I am counting this, even if it is a short DLC mission. Anyway, I really enjoyed this side story, TLOU was my favorite game last year, so anything to add to that is great. It does a good job of showing a little more of Ellie's backstory. I apparently haven't played TLOU in a while or it is fairly difficult because some of the combat gave me issues.
Played this since it was one a bunch of top ten lists from last year, and I easily played 10 games I liked better last year. It was sort of a worse version of Journey, and I thought the controls were pretty terrible. Admittedly I did get used to them eventually, and the 2nd half of the game is a lot better than the first, but it becomes really cutscene heavy in the second half. I didn't hate it, and there were a few really good moments, but I am glad I got it for free.
I really enjoyed this game, but I liked the first Shadowrun Returns campaign OK as well. It seemed like they smoothed out a little bit of the bugginess from the first campaign, and overall the writing was significantly better in this iteration. I played a combat rigger, with some awesome droids. Overall it's still a kind of janky SRPG (but improved... save anywhere is real nice), but I enjoyed it again.
_______________________
Currently playing: Assassin's Creed 4 (PS4) - 2/3/14 - ? , Etrian Odyssey IV (3DS) - 2/5/14-?, Deadly Premonition 1/18/14 - ? (PC) (4 hours)
On Hold: Trails in the Sky (PSP) - 1/9/14-? (6 hours so far)
Alright. Lets do this! I only completed a little over 10 games last year. Its gonna be tough for me to tackle this challenge with college on my belt but hey, I'll try.
Game 1: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (vita) - 20 hours
Dec 25th - January 2nd, 2014.
This was the first game I played on my vita. It was a part of the walking dead bundle I got for Christmas. I really enjoyed it. The large, open worlds were fantastic. The platforming was great. The characters were surprisingly funny. There wasn't many things I didn't like.... I guess the repetitive missions were kinda annoying. And the final boss amounting to
a giant quick time event
was very disappointing. The cliff hanger was a cheap move too. But those things didn't bog the game down that much. It was still really good. I recommend it!
Game 2: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 30:25 hours
January 3rd- January 11th, 2014.
Fantastic game. Loved every second of it. No bogged out, tedious intro. No annoying pest that tells you how to do everything (Navi, Fi). Non linear dungeons. Fast combat. Everything that I wanted fixed in a zelda game, was fixed in this. Only complaint is that the graphics are kinda rough in some areas, but thats okay given the rock solid 60fps. Definitely one of my favorite zelda games.
Game 3: Tearaway
January 12th- ?????
Planning to start the game tomorrow. I'll update this post when I complete it. Really excited to play it, I've heard good things and the graphics look incredible.
Holy explosions Ratman! Followed up TM2 with some Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012! More PS1 & car combat love! Its the year 2012! Wait a minutes... There weren't any vacations like this in 2012! The people that made this game are dumb (j/k!). Another really fun game that yes, I cheated the heck outta! We now return you to your regularly scheduled CRAP!
Games Beaten: 5 / 52 Total Playtime: 17 hours, 07 minutes
Game six down for me. Already off to a pretty decent start thanks to finishing off some holdovers from last year. I can't wait until my progress slows down in the Spring!
Game 3: Cook, Serve, Delicious! - 27 hours, finished January 12 - PC
I wasted a lot of time on this little restaurant sim! But it was pretty great, that's why. I might still occasionally play it on my iPad. As it isn't a story-driven game, with a clear end, I just got all the upgrades that didn't involve a number of times requirement. I also didn't do all the dating because for some reason the game wouldn't throw enough at me... or maybe I was supposed to date people successfully, but they were all crazy anyway. After the last restaurant upgrade one gets a permanent boost to the restaurant's popularity, which made it pretty impossible for me to have a relaxing day, so I'm moving on.
Game 4: Lord of the Rings: War in the North - 15 hours, finished January 12 - PC
Got this in the Humble Bundle some time ago, and would have probably never played it. However, now I did, co-op with a friend, and it's probably the only way the game would be really enjoyable. It's not really a bad game, it's just sort of meh overall (probably, unless you're a Tolkien fan, because I read it's really good then). But it looked good, and the co-op is nice.
Starter post. I'm joining the challenge as motivation to get rid of my backlog....too bad I like JRPGs so much though =/. I'm adding games that I started but haven't gotten around to finishing yet also.
Beaten in 2014:
Game 1: Flower(PS4) - 3 hours. Finished 1/2/14
I played this game before on PS3, but that was years ago, close to when it released. Replaying it again with the updated graphics was definitely worth it, especially with the game being Cross-buy!
Game 2: Sound Shapes(PS4) - 4.5 hours. Finished 1/2/14
Another victim of replaying a game because of Cross-buy(flOw you're next). This is one of the most underrated games of last gen IMO. I synced my files for the trophies a while ago but didn't play through the game, then erased and started from scratch so that I could enjoy the game for the game again and not for achievements. The time was for me to run through the Campaign, half of Beat School again from scratch and half of the Death Modes(fu Thermogencia #2).
Game 3: Need for Speed Rivals(PS4) - 7 hours. Finished 1/4/14. 15 hours played in 2013.
Finished the Racer Career, as I have no interest in playing through as a Cop. This game quickly vaulted up my favorite racing game list. The format does end up leading to tedium, however and servers vice P2P would have made this game amazing.
Game 4: Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness(PS3) - 31 hours. Finished 1/6/14. 65 or so hours in 2013.
I have beaten this game and am heavily into post-game(past all optional maps including Pringer X and Z). Currently farming/leveling r40 weapons and stats to defeat Baal. I have definitely completed this game, though I am still going for the Platinum. This or a possible WoW expansion are the biggest potential challenges to me reaching 52.
Game 5: Dragon's Crown(PS3/Vita) - 10 hours. Finished 1/8/14. 51 hours played in 2013.
I have finished the first 2 difficulties on Sorceress, Elf and Amazon. I may end up leveling up to 99 and going for Platinum later this year, especially with the support that Vanillaware has given this(going back to Muramasa Rebirth too when the DLC hits)
Game 6: Final Fantasy XIII-2(PS3) - 17 hours. Finished 1/16/14. 51 hours played in 2012/2013.
I had finished the game and done some Fragment hunting before(I was at 101/160 with none of the really annoying ones finished). I just completed all 160 fragments and went from 43% trophies to Platinum. Game 100%ed and cleared from backlog!
Game 7: Uncharted: Golden Abyss(Vita) - 8 hours. Finished 1/18/14. 6 hours played in 2012/2013.
This is one of the most "unnecessarily AAA" games that I've ever played. So many canned action scenes, every bit of the action predictable from the get go. This game definitely doesn't have the same level of polish as the Naughty God versions. It also has the worst boss fights that I can remember........EVER. I still like Nathan Drake, and playing the game was still kinda fun.
Game 8: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn(PC) - 40 hours. Finished 1/18/14. 250-300 hours played in 2013.
I was going to wait to be done with this game, but after playing it again, I probably won't make that mistake anymore. The combat/game engine is just too slow/clunky and not nearly fluid enough for this type of game. It was fun while it lasted. Lots of 50s, lots of AF+1, Binding Coil, got everything that I'm going to out of the game.
Game 9: Thomas Was Alone(Vita) - 4 hours. Finished 1/21/14.
I got this game on a Steam sale a while ago and never played it. I decided to pick it up for 3 bucks in the PS 14 for 14. Best 3 dollars ever spent. This game is really fun and I'm upset that I didn't play it sooner.
In progress:
The Last of Us(PS3) - 12 hours played in 2013.
DmC(PS3) - 4 hours played in 2013. Free with PS+ is getting me to replay it though.
Guild Wars 2(PC) - Already have Elementalist/Mesmer at 80. Will complete once I get Guardian(45) and Thief(29) to max.
Resident Evil 6(PS3) - At the last Chapter of Leon's campaign, which is longer than all of RE5 it seems. A friend and I are slowly working through it in co-op.
Borderlands 2(PS3) - 20 hours played in 2013. Close to end of the main story(when I will call complete), but I will play through all DLC.
God of War 2 HD(PS3) - 1 hour played in 2013. I still need to beat this and the 2 PSP HD ports. These games are short, so I will complete them in a day when I am in the mood for each.
Catherine(PS3) - Has been in backlog for 2 years at Chapter 9. This may be my motivation to complete it.
Tomb Raider(PC), Zero Escape: VLR, Project X Zone, FIFA 14, Forza 5, Killer Instinct, and about 10 others also in progress.
I'm changing my running order slightly as I'm a bit Layton'd out at the moment and I downloaded EDGE on 3DS last week, so that is my game 2. Enjoying it so far although the control of the cube is tricky to master, and damn! some of the levels I have no chance of getting an A, never mind a S rank. Hoping to finish up this game in the next few days so that I can get back on track.
Next game is very likely to be from my PS3 backlog and I'll probably start playing Fun!Fun! Minigolf on 3DS in the background....
Game 1: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
# Got to the credits in the World Tour mode, and even continued a bit beyond that. Amazing game that is probably my favorite racer of all time.
Game 2: NES Remix
# Completed everything with three stars. Very, very cool game to play in small sessions. Hope they make a sequel with second generation Nes-games!
Game 3: Wario Land 4
# I never liked the original Wario Land, and was therefore not very interested in its sequel. However, thanks to a recent episode of retronauts, I decided to pick up a few. I found Wario Land 2 to be well crafted, but a bit boring, but Wario Land 3 and 4 seriously blew my mind with their awesomness. Where WL3 played a bit like a metroidvania-game, earning new abilities, and having you really think and explore, WL4 was more of a regular plattformer. While a bit on the easy side, the level design was just so masterful that it was hard not to love it. Definitely recommended for everybody!
I am going to have some repeats from previous years, but a completed game is a completed game. This thread actually inspired me to re-buy a PS3. Gives me loads of free PS+ games for this challenge.
I have a 45 game list on google docs that I am referencing. Just so I can have some idea of the likelihood of finishing this challenge. The PS4 games will be more difficult because of the $60 price tag.
Game 01: Call of Duty Ghost - PS4 - 5 hours - Completed
My third replay and I've only owned it for a couple months. It's the only physical game I have for the PS4 right now. I really enjoy the campaign, but the story and script are not the best. Gameplay is fun.
Game 02: Uncharted 2 - PS3 - 8 hours - Completed
I lost count as to how many times I have finished this game. At least once every year since it was released.
Game 03: Vanquish - PS3 - 3 hours - Completed
I think this is my third replay of the game. This time I spent more time experimenting with the shotgun and looking for statues.
Game 04: DmC - PS3 - 10 hours - Completed
Finished this on the PC last year, but want to get the trophies for the recently PS+'ed version.
Game 05: Guacamelee - PS3 - 5 hours - WIP
On and off for months with this title. I am up to the thule tree right now. Kind of got annoying, hopefully I get back to it.
Finished this on the PC last year, but want to get the trophies for the recently PS+'ed version. I miss the mouse and keyboard for scrounging around, and snap aiming for certain guns. For the most part I stuck with the machine gun and carbine for weapons, charge and electricity for vigors.
Game 07: Devil May Cry - PS3 - 4 hours (or so the game says) - Completed
I beat this a long time ago on my PS2. Was nice to finish it one more time. Biggest problems are the camera (which honestly isn't that big of a deal), and the lack of movement/parry/dodge.
Game 08: Call of Duty MW3 - PS3 - 5 hours - Completed
My most replayed game of last gen. I must be sitting at around 10 replays at this point. Thought this was a good idea to break up Devil May Cry from Devil May Cry 2.
Game 09: Devil May Cry 2 - PS3 - 3 hours - WIP
Crappy game. I'll finish it later in the year.
Game 10: Devil May Cry 3 - PS3 - 4 hours - WIP
Good game, but not being able to use the dualshock 4 has really soured my experience. I do not like using the dualshock 3. Very high chance that this gets removed from my list.
Game 11: Metal Gear Rising - PS3 - 3 hours - Completed
Yay, dualshock 4 works! This game is going to show up multiple times on this list for different difficulties. This was just an easy run to get used to the game.
Game 12: Call of Duty Modern Warfare - PS3 - 4 hours - Completed
The game has aged well. I still enjoy replaying it.
Game 13: Uncharted 3 - PS3 - 6 hours - Completed
I originally did not like this game that much. I still have some issues with it, but it has grown on me a bit.
Game 14: Black Ops 2 - PS3 - 5 hours - Completed
Was not a fan of the single player when it first came out. It grew on me a bit after this replay. I chose some different options and that made a difference.
Game 15: Dead Nation Apocalypse Edition- PS4 - 5 hours - Completed
Pain in the ass and way too long, but I finally finished the campaign that I started on the PS3 version.
Game 16: Metro Last Light - PS3 - 10 hours - Completed
Stopped playing a few times because the game is loaded with bugs, and a lack of direction, but I am glad I got through it. I liked it more than the little I played of the first Metro.
Game 17: Tomb Raider - PS3 - 10 hours - Completed
I really loved this game the second time around. When the next Tomb Raider comes out I am buying it at launch.
Game 18: Infamous Second Son (Good/Normal) - PS4 - 14 hours - Completed
Gorgeous game, and it helps that it's also the best Infamous in the series.
Game 19: Bioshock Infinite EP 2 - 4 hours - Completed
I wonder if this is any indication of what Ken Levine is planning in the future.
Game 20: Infamous Second Son (Evil/Expert) - PS4 - 10 hours - Completed
Only my second platinum ever. Expert was slightly more difficult than normal, but I was so used to the mechanics of the game that it just about evened out.
Game 21: The Binding of Isaac WOTL - PC - 100 hours - Completed
Blue baby is defeated. That is the final ending, so I am done.
Yeah, it was finished on noob... but I can't do much better with that controller.
Game 29: Dark Souls - PS3 - 60 hours - Completed
After multiple tries on the PC version I bought the PS3 version. It clicked and can say this was one of the greatest games I have played, period. Man-Serpent/Smough's 4 lyfe.
Game 30: Diablo 3- XB1 - 20 hours - Completed
Waited for this particular version to come out. It was well worth the way. Now onto more challenges in the game
Game 31: Tomb Raider - XB1 - 8 hours - Completed
I like replaying this game, what can I say? I have finished it on PC, PS3 and now XB1.
Game 32: The Evil Within - PS3 - 15 hours - Completed
What a brutal game, even on the easiest difficulty. I can see why some people scored it very low, and others scored it high.
Game 33: Call of Duty Modern Warfare - PS3 - 4 hours - Completed
Another replay, but this is part of an effort to complete all the COD games over the next week. World at War is next.
Game 34: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - PC - 5 hours - Completed
I still hate brazil.
Game 35: Call of Duty: Black Ops - PC - 6 hours - Completed
After playing through all the call of duty campaigns, I'm starting to think this might be the best.
Game 36: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 - PC - 5 hours - Completed
Has to be over 10 times now. I know most of the lines in the game now.
Game 37: Call of Duty Ghost - XB1 - 4 hours - Completed
Had to be done, glad to get this POS out of the way.
Game 38: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - PC - 5 hours - Completed
I didn't want to end my CODathon on Ghosts, so this got moved back a spot.
Game 39: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - XB1 - 7 hours - Completed
This game will let me forget Ghosts ever existed.
Game 40: Halo 2 - XB1 - 8 hours - Completed
Buggy fucking game ate my save. Had to mission select to finish the last couple levels.
Game 41: Halo 3 - XB1 - 8 hours - Completed
Another buggy fucking game... but it holds up very well. This one, out of the entire series, has aged the best for me.
Game 42: Halo 4 - XB1 - 7 hours - Completed
Only one bug this time. Lost my hud, couldn't save and quit so I lost my progress for 3 levels. I don't know what 343i spent on QA, but it was not nearly enough.
Game 43: Halo 1 - XB1 - 9 hours - Completed
A good game... 10 years ago. Too many instant deaths. Checkpoints too infrequent. No direction. Also lost my save data and jumped a level. Whatever, that crap is done.
Game 44: Bioshock - PC - 12 hours - Completed
The great game still holds up.
Game 45: Bioshock 2 - PC - 14 hours - Completed
Had fewer achievements done because the last time I played was the XBL version. Spent more time because of that.
Game 46: Forza 5 - PC - 30ish hours - Completed
Earned enough money to get an X series car. I don't play the career, just rivals, so the game never really has an ending. Earning an X series car is a good point to say the game is complete. I'll keep playing it for months, until Forza 6.
Definitely my favorite installment of GTA4. Tonally, the over-the-top writing seemed a lot more fitting than the grit they went for in the previous two segments, while gameplay-wise, the additions (parachuting, new weapons, better mission variety, bright colors all over the interface) were great.
Game 1: HAMMERWATCH - 8h - COMPLETED (January 5th)
We kinda failed, where "they" failed. But killed the last boss..
Game 2: BROTHERS: A TALE OF TWO SONS - 3,5h - COMPLETED (January 7th)
GAF made me do it. Thank you GAF.
Game 3: SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD - 27h - COMPLETED (January 12th)
Damn you champion level.
Game 4: BRAVELY DEFAULT - 59,5h - COMPLETED (January 14th)
Very disappointing story...
Game 5: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: PHANTOM HOURGLASS - 16h - COMPLETED (January 21st)
Started playing through the whole timeline-c (in dec '13 with WWHD) in order to celebrate WWHD release.
Game 6: [THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SPIRIT TRACKS - 14h - COMPLETED (February 7th)
Started playing through the whole timeline-c (in dec '13 with WWHD) in order to celebrate WWHD release.
Game 7: TORCHLIGHT 2 - 16h - COMPLETED (February 9th)
Was on my to-do-list for a long time. And it was ok.
Game 8: TEARAWAY - 13h - COMPLETED (February 17th)
First VITA Game - completed 100% :3
Game 9: GRAVITY RUSH - 9h - COMPLETED (February 23th)
I HAZ CRAZY CAT POWERZ
Game 10: EARTHBOUND - 31h - COMPLETED (February 24rd)
Has been in my backlog for quite some time
Game 11: GUACAMELEE - 6,5h - COMPLETED (February 26th)
look at all these memes. Might double dip with the Wii U version.
Game 12: MARIO PARTY: ISLAND TOUR - 11h - COMPLETED (February 28th)
Burst dem bubbles. The Minigames are fun mostly, but the game boards suck imo (It's fun when you play with three friends though, because it's so random!)
Game 13: LITTLE BIG PLANET VITA - 12h - COMPLETED (March 3rd)
There's nobody online! It was okay. Nothing more.
Game 14: SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH - 15h - COMPLETED (March 11th)
When you hold the Stick of Truth, you control the universe! Surprisingly good RPG with fun story (for SP fans)
Game 15: SOUL SACRIFICE - 25h - COMPLETED (March 20th)
Probably the hardest game on my 2014 list It wasn't even fun anymore towards the end...
Game 16: DONKEY KONG: TROPICAL FREEZE - 31h - COMPLETED (March 29th)
Very nice! But it's somehow bugging me, that (almost) every single stage has to collapse at some point... makes it too usual. Won't touch hard mode anytime soon though (temple levels would kill me.)
Game 17: YOSHI NEW ISLAND - 8,5h - COMPLETED (April 1st)
Eggs? - Eggs. I tried to get all the collectibles, but it's really frustrating because they reset, everytime you die, so I stopped at some point.
Game 18: POKÉMON LINK: BATTLE - 10h - COMPLETED (April 8th)
Three hours in my savegame data suddenly disappeared. Weird. Restarted. Finished. Had fun with it.
Game 19: THOMAS WAS ALONE - 4h - COMPLETED (April 14th)
Short but nice.
Game 20: INFAMOUS: SECOND SON - 20h - COMPLETED (April 20th)
Platinum It's fun. But not mind-blowing or anything.
Game 21: LONE SURVIVOR - 3,5h - COMPLETED (April 23rd)
That was... special. Liked it though!
Game 22: UNCHARTED: GOLDEN ABYSS - 11h - COMPLETED (May 1st)
Meh... just meh.
Game 23: DON'T STARVE - 15h - COMPLETED (May 4th)
8/10 Trophies - close enough. It's really addicting so I'm going to stop now... beginning tomorrow.
Game 24: STEALTH INC. A CLONE IN THE DARK + DLC - 10h - COMPLETED (May 12th)
Lots of fun and quite challenging! Looking forward to the (Wii U exclusive) sequel
Game 25: STICK IT TO THE MAN - 5h - COMPLETED (May 16th)
Great jokes & fun puzzles The "stealth" parts got quite annoying towards the end though :/
Game 26: DIABLO III: REAPER OF SOULS - 8h - COMPLETED (May 25th)
Hmm ok. It's good, but there's too much other/better stuff coming out to play it for longer than one playthrough right now so...
Game 27: CHILD OF LIGHT - 12h - COMPLETED (28th May)
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Game 28: MARIO KART 8 - 32h - COMPLETED (May 30th)
One of the best Mario Kart Entries. So addicting!
Game 29: KIRBY TRIPLE DELUXE - 24,5h - COMPLETED (May 31st)
One of the greatest Kirby entries I have ever played!
Game 30: WATCH_DOGS - 31h - COMPLETED (June 6th)
Starring: Batman. Very long story (Y)! It's kind of like every other open world game, but I like the fresh ideas it brings in (hacking, cross platform asynchron playstile). The online modes (especially Profiling & Hacking) are way better than... let's just say GTA V. Free Roam (online w/ friends) is very boring though... which sucks.
Game 31: PIXELJUNK SHOOTER ULTIMATE - 15h - COMPLETED (July 8th)
Took me longer than I expected. Quite enjoyed it though.
Game 32: WOLF AMONG US - 8h - COMPLETED (July 9th)
I love how it sums up everything on the last episode's
trial
scene! I really had fun overall. Not as much as with TWD - but I'd certainly play Wolf Among Us Season 2
Game 33: VALIANT HEARTS: THE GREAT WAR - 7h - COMPLETED (July 29th)
amazing story-telling & overall presentation
Game 34: LEGO BATMAN 2 - 5h - COMPLETED (August 16th)
Played it with my buddy on our way to Gamescom (VITA). It's quite buggy but we enjoyed it anyway.
Game 35: PERSONA 4 GOLDEN - 71h - COMPLETED (August 20th)
I love how much of a visual novel it is! The grinding sucks though - also the story is... oh well... except for the true ending part, that's better.
Game 36: THE LAST OF US: REMASTERED - 19,5h - COMPLETED (August 21st)
Amazing experience. But goddamn the NPCs are just stupid as fuck?! It's really annoying. How come most people don't point that out? It's very well written though. Also the overall core gameplay is just ok... nothing more nothing less. Apart from the AI and the bugs (enemies just standing in place and not moving anymore, enemies running the same route in panic over and over until I make a move) it was nice.
Game 37: THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 2 - 8h - COMPLETED (August 26th)
It didn't have the same impact as Season 1. The decisions didn't feel as tough also somehow - because I hated some of the characters straight from the beginning. I enjoyed it anyway -
even though the end was pretty pointless to me, since I hated Kenny since he left Lee and Clem just before the end of Season One in my story... It probably wasn't so smart to bring up old characters. At least he's finally dead now.
Game 38: LEGO MARVEL - 13h - COMPLETED (August 31st)
Played a lot of this at Gamescom while waiting in line. It's way better than Batman 2 for Vita. Lot's of Marvel Fan service in it
Game 39: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST - 11h - COMPLETED (September 12th)
This has been backlock for me, for years, since it's one of the last few Zelda entries I haven't played! Finally got my hands on it, and I love it! The dungeon design is amazing the music brilliant and the pace perfect.
Game 40: TOMODACHI LIFE - 10h - COMPLETED (September 13th)
Wow that is weird... Kind of fun though, since you never know what happens next! I mainly put in famous characters so it was hilarious at times. I mean where else are you going to see Zelda dating with Peter Griffin? It can get kind of boring though - sometimes nothing interesting happens for too long.
Game 41: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE MINISH CAP - 15,5h - COMPLETED (September 17th)
The dungeon designs weren't very memorable. I love Vaati as a villain though, and I liked it overall
Game 42: MURASAKI BABY - 2,5h - COMPLETED (September 18th)
I love the artstyle on that one - It's the perfect mix of creepy and cute.
In "world 4" the gameplay mechanics just get crazy awesome! I enjoyed it a lot, and can't wait to see what Ovosonico will come up with in the future!
If Tim Burtons brain would get surgery to make it into a playable videogame, it would look & play something like this.
I highly recommend this to people who like Tim Burton-esque stuff!
Game 43: HYRULE WARRIORS - 18,5h - COMPLETED (September 26th)
What I thought this was the end but I get to
keep going in story mode with Ganondorf
. The Story Mode is actually longer than I expected it to be- and that's a good thing! But I'm pretty sure I'm not playing this as I should. "My allies are in trouble? Let me just take one more keep then I go help them... maybe."
The "Adventure Mode" doesn't do much for me.
Game 44: STAR FOX 64 3D - 4h - COMPLETED (October 22nd)
I felt like replaying this a couple of times
It's still just much fun trying to find different paths through the story
Game 45: PLAGUE INC: EVOLVED - 5h - COMPLETED (October 30th)
That was actually better than I expected it to be
I feel like I enjoyed finishing off humanity a couple of times a lot more than I should have - I will definitely replay it sometime!
Game 46: THE UNFINISHED SWAN - 3h - COMPLETED (October 31st)
Awesome.
Game 47: NES REMIX I - 15h - COMPLETED (November 14th)
Dat flashback in the first Zelda-Remix level.
It's a very compilation of some of the greatest videogames and their best moments! Had a lot of fun(and rage) with it, while getting 3 stars for every level!
I might pick up NES Remix 2 sometime
Game 48: ASSASSINS CREED UNITY - 15h - COMPLETED (November 18th)
Many many glitches but I quite like it (never played an AC game before in my life).
The Story has it's up's and down's but it's ok. Many nice (side-mission) riddles!
Co-Op'ing with friends is really awesome in AC:U
Game 49: SUPER SMASH BROS. FOR 3DS - 130h - COMPLETED (November 24th)
This is going to be a loooong one. It's great! Awesome roster/stages/items etc. and A LOT to do. Multiplayer (local and unluckely online) are a bit laggy sometimes, but I haven't had any disconnects so far.
Game 50: BAYONETTA - 9,5h - COMPLETED (December 6th)
I'm really bad at this. Enjoyed it though.
Game 51: SUPER SMASH BROS. FOR WII U - 35h - COMPLETED (December 16th)
Awesome! I love the variety of modes! Can't wait for the free tourney mode DLC!
Too bad I get lags online sometimes anyway just like on the 3DS Version (just not as often). Never happens with friends but happens in 50% of all the random 1v1v1v1 matches. Less in the 1v1 matches. Still better than in Brawl, though
Game 52: POKÉMON: ALPHA SAPPHIRE - 50h - COMPLETED (December 28th)
Beautiful music, still fun and addicting to me, like all entries in the main series.
IN PROGRESS:
Game X: BAYONETTA 2 - 0h - TBD
# INSERT INFO AND COMMENTS HERE
Game X: METROID PRIME - 5h - IN PROGRESS
# INSERT INFO AND COMMENTS HERE
Game X: MERCENARY KINGS - 2h - IN PROGRESS
Probably not gonna finish this. I can't really get into this.
Game X: SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL - 2h - IN PROGRESS
Actually never made it past the third level, so I gave it another shot.
Game X: BROKEN AGE - 3h - WAITING FOR EPISODE 2
Waiting for the next episode...
TBD:
Game X: THE LONGEST JOURNEY - 0h - TBD
In anticipation of Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey
Game X: DREAMFALL: THE LONGEST JOURNEY - 0h - TBD
In anticipation of Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey
Game X: HOTLINE MIAMI - TBD
# INSERT INFO AND COMMENTS HERE
Game X: METROID PRIME 2: ECHOES - TBD
# INSERT INFO AND COMMENTS HERE
Game X: METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION - TBD
# INSERT INFO AND COMMENTS HERE
Maybe anyone remembers when Gamestop had keys for Riddick last year. Well, it was time to do replay of the game and play new Assault on Dark Athena. I beat original one and figured it'll be too much Riddick for me, so i started AoDA few days ago and... well, it's shit.
"Killed" Gale. I mean, really? Took a hairpin in her neck and still alive? And when i finally thought it's finally over - NOPE, it's only a half.
Thanks, but maybe later. Original one was real cool. All the fighting, characters, Xzibit! And the story was nice. This one is boring as hell and almost no fighting which is bad, since shooting in the game is awful.
Game #4 - Hotline Miami (PC) - Completed Jan 13th
BE WARNED: SPOILERS AHEAD.
Holy shit. I disliked this game so much that it is, now that I'm done, difficult to comprehend how I ever convinced myself to get through it. "Disliked" isn't even the right word -- when I found out that there was more game after the credits, I was actually angry, angry that I wasn't done and had to force myself through more of this terrible game. This is possibly the worst game that I've actually finished; although this may seem like hyperbole, it is worth noting that I generally don't finish games that I dislike this much so it is, as far as I can remember, an accurate statement.
SPOILERS END.
What bothered me so intensely about this game is just how inconsistent it was considering it was built entirely around trial and error. Doors don't quite work correctly, hitboxes aren't where they should be, weapons fire randomly, guards awaken and react on some occasions but not others. I found myself praying for the inconsistencies to work in my favor rather than putting any actual effort into approaching the levels logically and skillfully, for I knew there was a pretty good chance that if I did, my patience would simply be punished due to an unruly door or a stray bullet. I also can't count how many times I picked up an unloaded gun or melee weapon instead of a pristine assault rifle that happened to land inches away because the game gives you no indication of what nearby weapon you're going to pick up until you actually get it.
I also have a bone to pick with many of the game's design decisions, but the one that stands out the most is the fact that downed enemies are effectively invulnerable unless you single them out and utilize an attack that leaves you visible and helpless for its entire duration (not to mention leaving you unarmed). And, since these enemies lock into their behavior instantly once they get back up and kill you in one hit, it results in a strange metagame where knocking opponents down is, in many situations, more dangerous than actually killing them and introduces the annoying variable of how you have to manage them when they get back up.
There are many things about the game I liked and all of them come down to peripheral art. The music is excellent, as is the story. The games visuals are... alright but scream "budget constraints" louder than they do in any other low-budget indie game I've played. However, none of these great qualities really permeate into the gameplay. I will happily never play this game again.
Game 4: Mass Effect 3: Leviathan + Citadel - ~10.5 hours combined (Leviathan = ~3hrs, Citadel = ~7hrs) (Finished January 13)
# Finally getting to the remaining ME3 DLC made me sad. I had heard Omega wasn't worth getting, so for the first time I watched a game (or at least a significant chunk of one) via a Youtube playthrough without any commentary and I would have indeed been frustrated at paying $15 for it.
Playing Leviathan and, to a much larger extent, Citadel reminded me of how much I loved the Mass Effect series. The series has so much personality, so much care and with so many awesome characters. Citadel was really fun because of its seemingly intentional campy nature and, as Vinny from Giant Bomb put it once, it's as if the developers wanted to leave fans with a good memory of the trilogy instead of the bad taste that the ending left with some and which it definitely did for me. After ME3's ending, I completely abandoned the idea of replaying the trilogy with another Shepard and was filled with such disgust that they managed to screw up the ending to the series so greatly, despite what Leviathan or the extended cut might have tried to rectify.
Glad I at least got to remember why I once loved the series so much through the DLC.
Game 1: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
# Got to the credits in the World Tour mode, and even continued a bit beyond that. Amazing game that is probably one of my favorite racers of all time. 9/10
Game 2: NES Remix # Completed everything with three stars. Very, very cool game to play in small sessions. Hope they make a sequel with second generation Nes-games! 7/10
Game 3: Wario Land 4
# I never liked the original Wario Land, and was therefore not very interested in its sequel. However, thanks to a recent episode of retronauts, I decided to pick up a few. I found Wario Land 2 to be well crafted, but a bit boring, but Wario Land 3 and 4 seriously blew my mind with their awesomness. Where WL3 played a bit like a metroidvania-game, earning new abilities, and having you really think and explore, WL4 was more of a regular plattformer. While a bit on the easy side, the level design was just so masterful that it was hard not to love it. Definitely recommended for everybody! 9/10
Game 4: Sonic Advance
# I always loved the 2D Sonic games on the Mega Drive, and have for a long time been thinking about trying out the games available for the GBA. I think the game was pretty fun, although, most zones were way to easy. I remember back in Sonic 1, you was somewhat challenged already on the second zone (Marble Zone), but here, only the sixth and final zone was difficult enough to kill you - and then mostly from cheap speeding to your death-kills. Anyways, the zones themselves were large and well made, with opportunity for both exploration and speeding through, which is just how I like my sonic-games. Looking forward to check out the sequel later this year! 6/10
Game 1: Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft - 13:34:22
All levels (including All Hallows) complete along with all secrets found. If it wasn't for the unlimited saves on the PC version I don't think I would've had the patience to finish this one. Definitely felt like the "Demon/Dark Souls" of the Tomb Raider series.
Game 2: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 10:06
Main story along with some random side quests complete with zero deaths. While this wasn't my favorite 2D Zelda title (I only prefer it to the DS games) I definitely enjoyed this more than any Zelda game since Wind Waker.
Now playing (with goals for each game): Eternal Sonata (PS3) - Going for story completion. NG+ depends on how much I enjoy everything. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (PC) - Story completion with all secrets. Cook, Serve, Delicious (PC) - 5 star restaurant with all side jobs complete.
Do replays of games we've finished before count? Working my way through FF7/8 when I just want to chill out and play JRPGs, I've finished them several times each though.
Spent about a week playing through Xenoblade and started the first Drakengard today. Should take much less time to finish that one. The game is janky as hell, but I can see a lot of potential and am looking forward to playing the sequel to see how its refined.
Had this one sitting in the backburner since launch and finally got back to it. It was seriously incredible and made me want more, and had an awesome cast of extremely loveable characters, despite them being sort of two dimensional with their quirks.
Going to do Hard Mode next time around, god have mercy.
Two more for me, just to show that I'm not just playing short-ish games on portables, finished MGR: Revengeange on PC and Mario 3D World on the Wii U. Both would be in my GOTY 2013 list had I actually played them in 2013. Brilliant games, both of them.
That's 8 games done, I'm way ahead of the 4.3 games a month needed for the 52 game target and we're only halfway through the month. I still haven't bought anything new yet. Pleased with myself so far!
Week 2
A few more in the bag this week--finished Zone of the Enders HD, Bastion and Liberation Maiden. That last one almost feels like cheating for the purposes of this challenge, since it's so short. That makes six games so far this year, which is a blistering pace. I've got plenty of breathing room so far, though I expect Bravely Default and Atelier Escha and Logy to slow my progress significantly when they come out.
In the meantime, I've been making good progress through Metal Gear Rising and The Last Remnant. Also picked up Broken Age, which I'll be working through for the next little while, as well as possibly The Banner Saga. Both of those games are episodic, but based on statements from the devs, I'm going to count each episode as a separate game. "Gee, that's a lot of games to juggle," you might be thinking. "Something's gotta give!"
You are correct! That something is Child of Eden for the 360. Fuck that game. If you're going to make your game so hard that I have to constantly make ten minute runs that end in failure at the last minute, and give me no checkpoints or experience or really any idea at all that I'm making any sort of progress, then I'm going to tell you to fuck off. I don't have hundred of hours to throw into a game trying to get slightly better every time I make a run. Also, your Kinect integration sucks.
Other games on the bubble: Monaco, which is alright but not that compelling solo, and Rogue Legacy, which I still enjoy but am slowly giving up hope of ever actually finishing, much like FTL and The Binding of Isaac. And Dungeons of Dredmor. And probably every other rogue-like-like in existence.
Do replays of games we've finished before count? Working my way through FF7/8 when I just want to chill out and play JRPGs, I've finished them several times each though.
Up to three now, all three were me officially retiring co-op games played with the family that we have moved on from. Been playing the Hell out of some single player backlog and I fully expect to be at 8 or 9 games by month's end.
Who has the time for that? At most, I'd be able to play through and complete maybe 10 to 15 games in a whole year, depending on the length of each. 52? Good lord no. Not with pesky things like a job and school standing in my way.
Game 1: Remember Me - PC- 10 hours - beaten Jan 2nd
Completed the game on Normal/Errorist. Picked it up for 10$ in the recent Steam winter sale and so far it's my game of the sale. Remember Me has one of the most stunning worlds, it's simply a beautiful game. I haven't felt compelled to take as many screenshots like that in a good long while. I normally don't dig linear, highly cinematic games but I was completely enthralled by Remember Me. Will probably replay it after I polish off a few other games.
Game 2: Batman Arkham Origins - PC - 18 hours - beaten Jan 12th
Completed the main campaign. Got this for free with my new GPU, At first I was kind of ambivalent about the game, aside from the larger openworld of Gotham City Origins didn't feel like it was adding much. But the more I played of Origins the more I liked it. The art direction, specifically WB Montreal's take on the characters is super well-done, I like them more than Rocksteady's. The main thing that won me over was the story, it's easily my favourite out of the three Arkham games.
Bought the season pass in a Steam sale and I'm screwing around finishing off the remaining openworld activities and combat challeneges while I wait for the next story DLC to drop. Something I didn't really feel compelled to do in Arkham City.
Honorable mention: Bravely Default demo - 3DS - 9 hours beaten Jan 12th
I played this demo nearly 10 hours. I maxed all of the jobs, maxed the village and got all of the reward drops for the main game, which I cannot wait for a pre-ordered shortly after I began playing the demo.
Game 3: Steamworld Dig - 3DS- 6.5 hours - beaten Jan 15th
It's like Dig Dug with persistant mines, loot and upgrades across three sizeable areas peppered with multiple dungeons. Fun game, overall it took me about 6 and a half hours. Got all of the upgrades and mined for all of the loot. About the only thing to shoot for in a repeated playthrough would be a faster time and fewer deaths. It's a really fun little game, I'll definitely double dip on it in the next Steam sale, although I'd say it's totally worth the 10$.
I'm moving at a good pace so far, as I've already finished 10 games.....though most of them I had started playing last year, but hadn't gotten around to finishing.
10/52 finished (beat story mode/single player campaign)
0/52 100% Completed
I'm moving at a good pace so far, as I've already finished 10 games.....though most of them I had started playing last year, but hadn't gotten around to finishing.
10/52 finished (beat story mode/single player campaign)
0/52 100% Completed
Kinda different than I thought the PW games would be, a lot more simple and a little bit less serious than I thought it would be. Pretty long too, was I just incredibly slow or something? Fun overall but I probably wont play another game in the series for a long time, if ever.
Alright, second game finished. It's my third time through Dark Souls! It's my first experience with the DLC, however, and my first time with a self-imposed no summoning rule.
It wasn't even fun anymore towards the end...
