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[BigBooper]

Finished up Sudden Strike 4 this weekend. It's not very good. At first I loved it, but the pathfinding and missed inputs make it annoying, while the very slow gameplay was too much to enjoy even as someone who loves boring games.

Still taking my time in God of War.

 

[hariseldon]

I'm thinking I might not end up clearing that many games in this backlog run, given how long KOTOR and Technobabylon are taking me. I'm ok with that but seeing Yoshi finish so many makes me a tad envious.

 

[Yoshi]

I'm thinking I might not end up clearing that many games in this backlog run, given how long KOTOR and Technobabylon are taking me. I'm ok with that but seeing Yoshi finish so many makes me a tad envious.

Different tastes, different game lengths. Only one game in my completed list exceeds ten hours of play time (Alice Madness Returns) and barely so .

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself anyway. So if you only manage to complete 15 games from your backlog, but have a great time doing so and discussing the games you played on here, while significantly reducing spending (maybe to zero) on new games for a year, your participation will have been a great success.

 

[hariseldon]

Different tastes, different game lengths. Only one game in my completed list exceeds ten hours of play time (Alice Madness Returns) and barely so .

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself anyway. So if you only manage to complete 15 games from your backlog, but have a great time doing so and discussing the games you played on here, while significantly reducing spending (maybe to zero) on new games for a year, your participation will have been a great success.

Tbh I do still think this is a good idea, for the very reasons you mentioned. Sometimes it's nice to stop and smell the flowers.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Tbh I do still think this is a good idea, for the very reasons you mentioned. Sometimes it's nice to stop and smell the flowers.

Personally, I am not aiming to complete a maximum number of backlog games as that isn't really the focus of the thread (unless you're going for the Yagami Light reward tier). Rather, I wanted to just focus on not buying new games which in and of itself is a worthwhile challenge for most people with a disposable income.

 

[hariseldon]

Personally, I am not aiming to complete a maximum number of backlog games as that isn't really the focus of the thread (unless you're going for the Yagami Light reward tier). Rather, I wanted to just focus on not buying new games which in and of itself is a worthwhile challenge for most people with a disposable income.

Indeed. My motivation is partly about getting off the treadmill, buying games isn't a huge financial burden in the era of endless Steam sales. It's actually been really nice to go and properly root around a game and not be thinking shit I've gotta get this finished because x is coming out in y days. It's a lot closer to how I consumed games as a kid, albeit I don't have anywhere near the same amount of free time (if only).

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Indeed. My motivation is partly about getting off the treadmill, buying games isn't a huge financial burden in the era of endless Steam sales. It's actually been really nice to go and properly root around a game and not be thinking shit I've gotta get this finished because x is coming out in y days. It's a lot closer to how I consumed games as a kid, albeit I don't have anywhere near the same amount of free time (if only).

Bingo. Not to derail the thread, but trying to replicate "how I consumed games as a kid" is a guilty pleasure of mine as a gamer. I don't go all-out, but sometimes grabbing a stack of 6 or 7 cartridges and cycling through them (as if we'd gotten a big haul from the rental store) is a lot of nostalgic fun.

 

[Yoshi]

Bingo. Not to derail the thread, but trying to replicate "how I consumed games as a kid" is a guilty pleasure of mine as a gamer. I don't go all-out, but sometimes grabbing a stack of 6 or 7 cartridges and cycling through them (as if we'd gotten a big haul from the rental store) is a lot of nostalgic fun.

Oh man, playing a game as I did as a kid would be potentially time consuming nowadays, because it would mean playing every game until I have an absolutely perfect save. I mean, for the games I have been playing lately it wouldn't be a big issue and in many cases I actually do aim for a perfect save, but in the age of Achievements and endless open worlds, for modern games, the grind would often be insufferable.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Oh man, playing a game as I did as a kid would be potentially time consuming nowadays, because it would mean playing every game until I have an absolutely perfect save. I mean, for the games I have been playing lately it wouldn't be a big issue and in many cases I actually do aim for a perfect save, but in the age of Achievements and endless open worlds, for modern games, the grind would often be insufferable.

Indeed, sometimes we must accept... compromises, even in the pursuit of nostalgia.

 

[hariseldon]

Yeah I'm not touching the grind for any of this stuff. I have one important rule - it's got to be fun. If it's not, it can fuck right off.

 

[Guileless]

I had about 20 minutes to kill in court today, and I wasted all of it reading up on the various editions of the new MLB The Show that releases in March. I haven't bought The Show since 2009. But the $100 deluxe GameStop only edition comes with a hat, and this mAkes me want it for some reason. I am a dumbass.

 

[Guileless]

Here's the hat that comes with the $100 "Gone Yard" edition of MLB The Show:

 

[BigBooper]

Let me just say, that hat doesn't looks like it's worth $40. If you agree, you're welcome.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

im finally finishing a game that was in my backlog. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker from the MGS: Legacy Collection on PS3. it's a very fun game to replay, i enjoyed it on PSP, and the widescreen version is even easier, w the better controls.

im at end game now, finding & capturing Zadornov and then having him get loose again. he has a red robot hand just like Venom!

here's hoping i don't have to grind AI over and over for the final ending. my Metal Gear's head is missing a lot of S parts.

 

[TheShadowLord]

I have finished Guacamelee on pc but got the bad ending. I would try again to get the good ending. But getting the orb at the Tula Tree seems like a real chore.

 

[Deleted member 77995]

1 month in and I haven't finished a single game... but bought 2.

send help.

 

[badblue]

Despite having some Smeagol/Golum fights with myself over some games *cough*apexlegends*cough*

I am still working on my back log. My current mood is Fuck Dark Souls because I'm tired of seeing the death screen.

Quantum Break
Hollow Knight
Talos Principle

Is what's on deck currently.

 

[bobone]

I'm going to start up Horizon which was given to me for Xmas. Heard nothing but good about it so far.

I just lost my save on Earthbound, which I playing through the last few weeks. Super bummed about it since I never finished the game before. Guess I'll have to try again later this year once I get a new battery.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

didnt have a switch backlog, so i had to buy a new game. got wargroove. should be able to cruise through it in a few weeks

my ps4 still sits in my office untouched with rdr2 and god of war. along with my computer and Fate of Atlantis hanging midgame.

i blame it on me and my wife getting in bed every night as soon as we put the baby down. i/m able to just game while she watches tv while we slowly fall asleep with our dog laying on us.

it's a lot of effort to go sit in my office alone at the end of the day.

 

[badblue]

RE: Hollow Knight

WHY HAVE I WAITED THIS LONG TO PLAY THIS?!

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

RE: Hollow Knight

WHY HAVE I WAITED THIS LONG TO PLAY THIS?!

I'm going to start up Horizon which was given to me for Xmas. Heard nothing but good about it so far.

I just lost my save on Earthbound, which I playing through the last few weeks. Super bummed about it since I never finished the game before. Guess I'll have to try again later this year once I get a new battery.

Bummer that you lost your Earthbound save.

 

[hariseldon]

RE: Hollow Knight

WHY HAVE I WAITED THIS LONG TO PLAY THIS?!

Honestly I tried it and hated it. Looks pretty no doubt but it's just not very interesting.

 

[Guileless]

Let me just say, that hat doesn't looks like it's worth $40. If you agree, you're welcome.

No, the hat is ugly and something I would never spend $40 on by itself. like i said, I'm a dumbass.

 

[Guileless]

I'm going to start up Horizon which was given to me for Xmas. Heard nothing but good about it so far.

Forza or Zero Dawn? I'm playing them both right now, and they are both top-notch and worth your time.

 

[bobone]

Actually I have both too. I was going to start with Zero Dawn, but I haven't played a good racing game in a few years.

Decisions decisions

 

[Guileless]

Anybody sate some consumer instincts with the new free to play Apex Legends? I downloaded and gave it a try, but I can't get into battle royale games. Just too much wandering around and waiting for someone like me that played arena shooters for so long.

Still planning to buy a month of EA Access to try out Anthem via Amazon credit, but now I may wait a while for Bioware to sort out the inevitable launch issues.

 

[Guileless]

Backlog gaming plans for this cold as shit weekend:

there's a free weekend of Master Chief collection going on, so I'm going to play some and hopefully get some wins against newer players. i got a code really cheap so i would say I've gotten my money's worth out of it already, but haven't played it in a while.

Cold weather also makes me want to play PC strategy games for some reason. I'm going to dig out some old Total War CDs on my Vista machine that will no longer connect to steam.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Sounds like some choice gaming, Guileless

I'm right at the end of Monster Hunter Stories.. It's ending earlier than I'd like it to. I'm only ~25 hours in and I'm still tackling low and mid-tier monsters. The "hardest" monsters on the map are Black Diablos and Pink Rathian, but since everything is based on level scaling, not monster breed, even these monsters aren't too difficult. Meanwhile, a story-quest Kecha Wacha is more challenging than either of the aforementioned monsters. Laaaame.

I know there's an end-game battle-tower or something. I'm not sure if I'll participate. Still a fun game. Bummed that it's so short.

Been playing Sin & Punishment Star Successor on Wii, hooked up to a big 32" CRT. This game has become one of my new favorites. The furthest I've gotten with one credit (on Easy, no less! ) is to the boss of the fourth stage. There are 8 stages in total (when you include stage 0) so that's pretty intimidating. I love the physical presence of your character in the environment, which makes for a far more difficult and engaging rail-shooter experience since you have to dodge, jump, and fly to avoid hits. Kind of reminds me of a Contra game at times, other times it reminds me of Treasure's Gradius V where you're carefully navigating a dangerous environment, sometimes it feels like SEGA's Time Cop, sometimes it feels like Star Fox, sometimes it feels like a character-action game where you're reflecting projectiles and grenades back at your enemies for lots of damage (Flex Tape style).... The scoring system is sublime. You can completely ignore it while still picking up some shiny coins every once in a while, but if you can maintain your Multiplier (I think 16x is the max?) and reflect missiles back at the enemies, you get even more coins and a higher score. There are usually two or three bosses per stage, and everything is cranked up to maximum spectacle.

This is probably the best homage to rail-shooters and light-gun games in existence. I'll go as far to say that it is Treasure's magnum opus. Yes, even above Ikaruga, Gunstar Heroes, Bangai O, etc.

Still enjoying DDR and Daioujou.

Oh, and I messed around with SaiDaioujou on 360, hooked up via VGA to a 480p PC monitor. Eye-popping beauty, but super duper hard. I often lose all three lives on the first stage.

 

[BigBooper]

Sin & Punishment Star Successor on Wii

I haven't played a rail shooter in probably ten years, but just reading about this makes me want to dig out my sensor bar and find one.

 

[Yoshi]

Even though I had a good amount of play time this week, I still only managed to beat one game, just now: Spyro A Hero's Tail. Since it is 14 hours long, it sucked up most of my free time. It is... well Spyro, so pretty pedestrian, but there is one type of mini games that is infuriatingly shitty: The mole levels. Bad collision detection, moves plain not working (especially grabs on platforms), way too tight jumps with very precise timing on the double jump required, very slow gameplay, just all around awful. The rest of the game was pretty inoffensive though. Now on to Blinx the Cat.

Best one so far: Poi Explorer Edition
Worst one so far: American McGee's Alice

Finished:
Ratchet & Clank 2
Ratchet & Clank 3
Ratchet & Clank Size Matters
Pac-Man World
Spyro Enter the Dragonfly
Tak Guardians of Gross
Pac-Man World 2
Poi Explorer Edition
Jersey Devil
Sly Cooper (4) Thieves in Time
Toy Story 2
American McGee's Alice
Alice: Madness Returns
Spyro: A Hero's Tail

Currently playing:
Blinx The Time Sweeper
Axiom Verge
Sly Raccoon

DunDunDunpachi : I agree on Sin & Punishment 2, it is really an excellent game that is tremendously well balanced and uses its various elements in great ways.

 

[Guileless]

Sounds like some choice gaming, Guileless

For some reason I could not get either Medieval: Total War or Rome: Total War to boot up on my PC. I was able to reinstall them, but they would not start up. No idea why. (Maybe I should have installed Gamespy as the install menu recommended, ha). Wasted about an hour trying to get them to work, but during installs/uninstalls I rummaged around and found my old discs for vanilla Civ IV, so I'm going to try that today. I take unnatural pleasure from racing to develop nukes and just firing them off randomly. Also found discs for Rise of Legends and Halo Vista lol.

MC Collection was also a bust - even playing social games, I got my ass handed to me. I forgot how slow and deliberate the gameplay in multiplayer Halo is. Will try co-op Halo 3 campaign with my son instead.

 

[hariseldon]

Finished up on Tattoine on KOTOR 1, currently playing mostly light side though rather enjoying winding Bastila up, because I'm a bad person. Time to give Technobabylon a bit of time I think, then back to KOTOR for my next planet.

 

[Yoshi]

I have played through the first four worlds of Blinx and oh my is that game difficult in a finnicky way. It has a time limit, you need to defeat all enemies in a level, it has just started to include some pretty difficult jumping sequences and you are often put into very small rooms with a lot of enemies. Then there are enemies hiding from you and do not forget that in order to kill an enemy, you always need to collect trash on the ground with your sweeper, which makes you vulnerable for attacks. I have been attacked from the off so many times... Also Blinx moves so slowly, which is super annoying in boss fights. Finally, the star of the game, the time mechanics, require you to collect colour coded collectibles of which only a limited amount is in each level and you always need to collect three of a kind to obtain a time power. This means you cannot fuck up the use of a time power, lest you need to restart.

I am used to Artoon liking it tough from the Yoshi's Island sequels and Universal Gravitation, but Blinx is really out to get you, constantly. One of the most stressful games I have played in a long time and certainly the stressiest game at that slow speed.

 

[Guileless]

I beat KOTOR 2 within days of its release and it's one of my favorite games ever, but Ihave never more than dabbled in the original. I watched my roommate play the first four hours or so and just never played it myself beyond the first hour.

I have an old PC copy that I could try..

 

[hariseldon]

I beat KOTOR 2 within days of its release and it's one of my favorite games ever, but Ihave never more than dabbled in the original. I watched my roommate play the first four hours or so and just never played it myself beyond the first hour.

I have an old PC copy that I could try..

You absolutely should, I'm loving it. Kotor 2 is on my to do list obviously.

 

[Wings 嫩翼翻せ]

I hope the lot of you are staying strong. 2019s coming with a bang for games.

 

[Guileless]

I've held out to this point, but DOA 6 will be a real test. I haven't bought a fighting game since I got the original Injustice for like $10 years ago, so I really wouldn't feel too guilty about it. I played some MK10 on Game Pass too before my sub lapsed.

You absolutely should, I'm loving it. Kotor 2 is on my to do list obviously.

I performed poorly on exams the year KOTOR 2 came out. Strangely I've never replayed it though, and my old Xbox copy is long gone.

 

[hecatomb]

I feel bad for people who aren't going to play RE2 remake.

 

[Kdad]

Today I started Max Payne 3 on PS3.
Never played the previous ones so I had no idea what the game was going to be.
I'm 5 chapters in...didn't expect something so linear but the story is interesting I guess.

Then I'll go back to RDR1 on PS3 that i'm only 30% done.

 

[Yoshi]

Today I finished Sly Racoon. I think it is significantly better than Sly Cooper 4, yet it suffers a bit from the iffy collision detection and an under-exploration of ideas in level design. I do like the art style though, which is strangely reminiscent of Rocket Robot on Wheels. Overall a better game than I would have thought, but not more than "good". I have already started Sly 2 and I got the impression that many of the weaker elements of Sly 4 originated there.

Best one so far: Poi Explorer Edition
Worst one so far: American McGee's Alice

Finished:
Ratchet & Clank 2
Ratchet & Clank 3
Ratchet & Clank Size Matters
Pac-Man World
Spyro Enter the Dragonfly
Tak Guardians of Gross
Pac-Man World 2
Poi Explorer Edition
Jersey Devil
Sly Cooper (4) Thieves in Time
Toy Story 2
American McGee's Alice
Alice: Madness Returns
Spyro: A Hero's Tail
Sly Raccoon

Currently playing:
Blinx The Time Sweeper
Axiom Verge
Sly 2

 

[ROMhack]

Yoshi That might be true about Sly. I loved the first one, thought it was a really tight platformer full of atmosphere. Second one felt technically better but I didn't like it as much.

 

[Guileless]

I just got an email from Microsoft Windows with a $3 Xbox store credit. Right as MS offers two months of Gamepass for $2. Looks like not buying new games just got a bit easier.

 

[DeleteriousObnoxious]

So far i have done these games.

kingdom hearts 1
kingdom hearts 2
Kingdom hearts DDD
Quake 1
Tomb Raider 3 The lost Artifact.

New games bought:
Kingdom Hearts 3


Nothing Else.

 

[hariseldon]

Mostly been playing Technobabylon the last few days, it continues to be amazing and I continue to wonder why the fuck I stopped playing last time I played it. Must be the shiny shiny. Still running Kotor 1 alongside, having just got to the water world, having a blast with both games to be honest.

Completed
Cruise For A Corpse (Atari ST) - Starts promisingly, a brilliant murder mystery wrapped in an adventure game engine, then it becomes pixel-hunting, no-logic bollocks with a story that makes zero sense.

Gave Up On
The Nomad Soul - David Bowie is excellent, the first area is excellent but then the game goes to faux-Egypt and turns into a turd.

In Progress
Technobabylon
Kotor 1

Next In Queue
Kotor 2
Ultra Street Fighter 4 (I have 5 but 4 is an actual complete game where 5 is grindy microtransaction bullshit)
Kingdom Come Deliverance
Nier Automata
Yakuza 0
Bayonetta

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I beat the main campaign of Monster Hunter Stories. 43 hours. I was pleased to discover there is a "High Rank" immediately following the completion of the story, so I will still mess around with this game. It is very faithful to the MH style of gameplay. As I raise more monsties and build more weapons/armor, the number of viable builds grows exponentially. I can pair my Ice-Damage weapon with the armor that boosts Ice Dmg, or I can pair up

The difficulty was fairly low, but maybe High Rank will change my mind on that one. The game allows you to exploit the same kind of weapon/armor/skill combinations like in the previous games. The main difference is that in the old games you still needed the baseline skill to pull off the maneuver (like sleep-bombing), whereas in Stories you just need the relevant gear. Puzzling out which combinations are the most broken and overpowered is definitely a fun part of any RPG.

The game has lot more content than I expected. I suppose -- just like a true Monster Hunter game -- that the game just never asks you to dig deeper or learn more about its mechanics. You have to figure that out yourself. It never demands that you do the sidequests. You never have to use Channeling, ever. You can ignore stat-boosting 'nutriments', or you can abuse them like a 1990s American baseball player.

You can track down all 108 (I think?) Monsties, each with their own unique mix of abilities and traits. Hunting down eggs is a little game unto itself. There are quite a few sidequests that unlock special abilities, some of which do elemental damage (separate from any inherent Elemental damage your weapon may do). All sorts of side-tasks and ways to improve your team are tucked into the game.

I really hope CAPCOM does a sequel on the Switch.

I did purchase three games, though only one of them is "off limits" due to the rules:
Guilty Gear Xrd Sign (PS4)
Katamari Reroll (Switch)
Pillars of Eternity Definitive (PS4)

I've wanted a physical copy of GG Sign because it's the only version in the franchise with English voice acting. I think it's endearing and quirky, and since it's the only GG title with English voiceovers I felt it was worth owning. Sean Connery Slayer is legit.



I got a good deal on Katamari Reroll and wanted to add it to my Switch collection. The kids will especially love it, but since I already own it on PS2 I'm in no hurry to play through this version.

Pillars is one more game checked off the list of "Western CRPGs on console that I want to buy". Pillars 2, Divinity 2, and the upcoming Infinity Engine console ports have yet to be purchased.

Next up for me to play is Downhill Domination on PS2. There's no reason to spend time unlocking things, so it's just for pure fun. It's a great kids' game. The cartoony violence and reckless speed are hilarious. Highly recommended to any fan of the SSX series or anyone who generally loves unique and fun sports-racing games.

Plus, it's one of those guilty-pleasure 6th-generation games boasting a licensed soundtrack packed with "gems" from that era.

 

[mekes]

Finally trying Hearts of Stone expansion for The Witcher 3. I finished the main story probably 2-3 years ago but kept game hopping and never started on the DLC. It’s quite overwhelming jumping straight back into this game with no tutorials etc, it took a few hours to get to grips with everything again. But what a good game this is, it holds up well compared to other open world games I’ve played since. I’m very much enjoying the story in the first expansion. No spoilers here, but if you have the main game and never bought or played the DLC, it’s very very good.

 

[Toocoup4skoo]

Well I certainly have the backlog to give this a try. Already caved and played some Apex, but I think the other awards are attainable. Not really any day--one-must-haves on the horizon for me this year that I can think of.

 

[hariseldon]

Finally trying Hearts of Stone expansion for The Witcher 3. I finished the main story probably 2-3 years ago but kept game hopping and never started on the DLC. It’s quite overwhelming jumping straight back into this game with no tutorials etc, it took a few hours to get to grips with everything again. But what a good game this is, it holds up well compared to other open world games I’ve played since. I’m very much enjoying the story in the first expansion. No spoilers here, but if you have the main game and never bought or played the DLC, it’s very very good.

I can confirm it's superb, and has a fantastic villain. Lovely lovely game.

 

[BigBooper]

I had a Fallout New Vegas detour, wanting a little break from God of War. Up to level 19. That game is still so good. I've played it probably three different times already but it was years ago. I'm being a goody two shoes but still finding tons of stuff I've never seen before...or I forgot.

 

[Guileless]

@hariseldon - So KOTOR 1 is on Game Pass, which I didn't realize. I'm finally going to play through it myself.

Also, we're over halfway through another month. I still haven't bought anything new (other than spending $4 subbing to EA Access/Game Pass).