Original Post
Game 1: L.A. Noire - 25 hours [Finished February 9] [PS3]
Rating: 8.5
When I started playing this I would have never expected to be finishing it any time soon. I was fully engrossed by this. The game is obviously flawed, the graphics are dated, I didn't even care for the design of L.A., and I don't know if I'd play it again, but I loved the conversation and interrogation system. The story kept me interested, ending on a dark but perfect note for noir. The cases kept me hooked enough that I only played this game, for a few hours every night. This is one of the games that I really missed when I finished, even just for driving in L.A. with music of the 1920's playing.
Game 2: Assassin's Creed: Unity - 20 hours [February 12] [PS4]
Rating: 6.5
The game is beautiful, but this has to be my least favorite Assassin's Creed so far. Relative to everything else, the framerate and pop-in didn't even bother me. The writing is dense. The modern sections were the worst yet and only helped to ruin the ambience of the game. The combat was not enjoyable. Arno as a main character was completely forgettable and I didn't get his motivation. Most of the major historical events were limited to the co-op missions, and it was terrible how these could all be played out of order. The French Revolution is one period in history that I've really studied, and I didn't feel that this game did it any justice. I had no idea which side of the revolution my character or the assassins were on; main historical figures like Robespierre were barely included. I was playing Red Dead Redemption at the same time as this game, and after that and L.A. Noire, it really showed me how much worse Ubisoft's storytelling is in comparison. Ubisoft really needs to get this series back on track with some direction. I have a new appreciation for Black Flag now and I'm hoping Rogue is better.
Game 4: The Order: 1886 - 10 hours [March 3] [PS4]
Rating: 8.0
Unity may have been the best looking game I'd played, but The Order is on another level. As a whole, I liked it and feel most reviews were way too harsh on it. The execution of the ending was flawed, but it's an interesting world that has been created for the series. The gunplay was great. With so many open world games now, it was nice to play a game more focused and linear for a change.
Game 5: Red Dead Redemption - 15 hours [March 10] [Xbox360]
Rating: 9.5
Brilliant game. I started in 2012 and don't know why it took me so long to finish it. After finishing L.A. Noire I finally went back to this in the middle of Mexico. It's definitely one of my top three games of the last generation, with Mass Effect 2 and The Last Of Us. I was surprised by the ending, but it had definitely been foreshadowed. Rockstar's storytelling is just brilliant, the way the conversations focus on the way people of the time think and how these ideas are driving history. Even more so than L.A. Noire, it's a fascinating look at the development of America. Now I've got to play Undead Nightmare.
Now playing:
Game 1: L.A. Noire - 25 hours [Finished February 9] [PS3]
Rating: 8.5
When I started playing this I would have never expected to be finishing it any time soon. I was fully engrossed by this. The game is obviously flawed, the graphics are dated, I didn't even care for the design of L.A., and I don't know if I'd play it again, but I loved the conversation and interrogation system. The story kept me interested, ending on a dark but perfect note for noir. The cases kept me hooked enough that I only played this game, for a few hours every night. This is one of the games that I really missed when I finished, even just for driving in L.A. with music of the 1920's playing.
Game 2: Assassin's Creed: Unity - 20 hours [February 12] [PS4]
Rating: 6.5
The game is beautiful, but this has to be my least favorite Assassin's Creed so far. Relative to everything else, the framerate and pop-in didn't even bother me. The writing is dense. The modern sections were the worst yet and only helped to ruin the ambience of the game. The combat was not enjoyable. Arno as a main character was completely forgettable and I didn't get his motivation. Most of the major historical events were limited to the co-op missions, and it was terrible how these could all be played out of order. The French Revolution is one period in history that I've really studied, and I didn't feel that this game did it any justice. I had no idea which side of the revolution my character or the assassins were on; main historical figures like Robespierre were barely included. I was playing Red Dead Redemption at the same time as this game, and after that and L.A. Noire, it really showed me how much worse Ubisoft's storytelling is in comparison. Ubisoft really needs to get this series back on track with some direction. I have a new appreciation for Black Flag now and I'm hoping Rogue is better.
Game 4: The Order: 1886 - 10 hours [March 3] [PS4]
Rating: 8.0
Unity may have been the best looking game I'd played, but The Order is on another level. As a whole, I liked it and feel most reviews were way too harsh on it. The execution of the ending was flawed, but it's an interesting world that has been created for the series. The gunplay was great. With so many open world games now, it was nice to play a game more focused and linear for a change.
Game 5: Red Dead Redemption - 15 hours [March 10] [Xbox360]
Rating: 9.5
Brilliant game. I started in 2012 and don't know why it took me so long to finish it. After finishing L.A. Noire I finally went back to this in the middle of Mexico. It's definitely one of my top three games of the last generation, with Mass Effect 2 and The Last Of Us. I was surprised by the ending, but it had definitely been foreshadowed. Rockstar's storytelling is just brilliant, the way the conversations focus on the way people of the time think and how these ideas are driving history. Even more so than L.A. Noire, it's a fascinating look at the development of America. Now I've got to play Undead Nightmare.
Now playing:
- Alien: Inquisition
- Batman: Arkham Origins
- DRIVECLUB
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
- Super Smash Bros Wii U