I've filled my first master post, so it's time for a second to keep this going.
Part 1:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=229604143
Part 3:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=251839976
36.
WayOut 2: Hex (Steam) - 14 July 2017
100% of achievements; all puzzles completed with minimum moves. This follow-up to
WayOut follows the common approach for sequels to tile-based puzzle games of changing the tile shape - as the game's subtitle suggests, instead of squares, puzzles here are based on hexagons. Aside from that, the game imports pretty much all of the mechanics and tile variants from the first game - not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that the game doesn't feel quite as 'fresh' as it might otherwise.
Notably, this sequel presents a significantly tougher level of difficulty, especially when aiming for 'perfect' solutions - this is likely primarily to be the result of each move now having a greater impact (on the six adjacent hexagons, rather than four adjacent squares), so be prepared for that. Conversely, it felt to me that the trial-and-error element may have dropped slightly, though it's still definitely there to some extent and perhaps this feeling is due to my accumulated experience across the two games together. Either way, overall I'd still recommend the game to puzzle game enthusiasts as a lightweight and relaxing, yet challenging, experience.
37.
Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) - 22 July 2017
Platinum trophy; 100% progression reported in-game; all outfits, weapons and crafting upgrades acquired. It's taken a while for me finally to get to this game, but I'm immensely glad to have done so -
Horizon very much justifies the positive reception that it's received, as it's an astoundingly good game. I don't think that it's quite going to be able to topple
Zelda as my game of the year so far, but it's s very close-run thing. Frankly, it's hard for me to find much in the way of flaws here - the game's world is large and beautiful, the story is compelling, combat is responsive and satisfying, and there's a great soundtrack behind it all. I'm now eagerly awaiting the release of the DLC!
38.
Firewatch (PS4) - 23 July 2017
100% of trophies earned. It's taken me a while to get around to playing
Firewatch, but I'm glad that I've finally played it. The game has a beautiful setting and a very effective use of music throughout. There's a compelling narrative to draw your through the game and the development of the relationship between Henry and Delilah is intriguing to follow, though I couldn't help but find the ending to be a little unsatisfying overall. I was also somewhat surprised that the game's technical performance on PS4 isn't all that great, with a number of noticeable framerate drops, though fortunately I'm not overly sensitive to that so it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the game. All-in-all,
Firewatch was a great experience, and definitively my favourite "walking simulator" game to date, by quite some margin.
39.
Kathy Rain (Steam) - 23 July 2017
100% of achievements unlocked. I've not played a classic-style 'point-and-click' game for a while, but this was a good way to re-introduce myself to the genre. The low-definition 'throwback' graphical style works well; conversely, the soundtrack is quite sophisticated, working well to set the mood of a number of the game's setpieces. There are a few of the puzzles that still cross the line beyond what I'd view as reasonably solveable from deduction, etc. (I'll freely admit to having kept a guide to hand), but the majority of the puzzle scenarios are well-done. There's also a fair amount of focus on investigation through conversations, tying in with the game's "a detective is born" subtitle - I think on balance I prefer more traditional puzzles, but the seeing the variety is a positive. I don't feel that the game quite resolves all of its plot threads in a satisfying way and it starts to rely a little too much on the supernatural towards the end (even if it's clear that it's not wholly real), which is a bit of a shame, but I still enjoyed my time with the game.
40
Teslagrad (PS4) - 7 August 2017
Platinum trophy; 36/36 scrolls collected; true ending.
Teslagrad is a physics-based puzzle-platformer, tending towards a 'Metroidvania' in some respects. The game's puzzles are largely based around a magnetism mechanic and manipulation of attraction/repulsion of differently/similarly magnetised objects - including the player character himself - with a small range of tools. There are certainly some clever ideas here, but unfortunately my abiding feeling about
Teslagrad is of frustration, as I found many scenarios to be very fiddly, with behaviour not readily predictable - it was a case while it became clear what was needed, actually doing that was far from easy... but not for what felt like a lack of 'skill'.
Puzzle mechanics aside, while the game takes place almost all within a single building, there's a reasonably decent variety of environments. Graphics are simple but functional and the background music, while again simple, is catchy in a positive way.
Teslagrad is a short game - if you know what you're doing (and are able to pull it off!), it could be completed within a couple of hours or less, but I wouldn't see that specifically to be a negative here, especially as the games feels like it pretty much exhausts the types of puzzle scenario that the magnetism mechanic allows, without a significant shake-up.
Overall, while I wouldn't go as far as to call
Teslagrad a
bad game, I couldn't really rate it anywhere better than average given the feelings of frustration that it leads to.
41.
Transistor (PS4) - 14 August 2017
Platinum trophy, including completion of one full recursion. The recent release of
Pyre provided an overdue reminder for me to go back to
Transistor, which I'd previously tried briefly but didn't make much progress on - and I'm very glad that I did! I don't think that I've played any other games quite like this game, with its innovative mix of real-time and turn-based overhead-perspective combat - the game's key mechanic is the protagonist's "Turn()" ability, which pauses the action, allowing a series of actions to be queued up. There's an extraordinary extent of customisability available within this system, with each of the game's 16 combat abilities able to be combined with any of the others for a supplemental effect, or assigned as a passive ability for a related persistent effect - and it all adds up to a system with a huge amount of tactical depth
Alongside this, while I didn't get as absorbed in the lore of
Transistor's futuristic setting as I perhaps could have done, but there's some fantastic world-building here for those to whom that appeals. The final word, though, has to go to the game's stunning soundtrack and, taking its cue from Supergiant's previous game
Bastion, the well-implemented narration provided by the 'intelligent' sword that's your constant companion throughout the game.
42.
Hollow Knight (Steam) - 14 August 2017
100% in-game completion, 'true ending', all achievements unlocked aside from for speedruns and Steel Soul mode. I had high expectations for
Hollow Knight, having seen it widely praised, and particularly given that I enjoy "Metroidvania" games in general, but what Team Cherry have pulled off here really is stunning. The game world is impressively coherent throughout, populated (sparingly) with interesting NPCs and very satisfying to explore, with intelligently-hidden secrets and upgrades supplementing your journey through the game - all the more impressive when the world is as *huge* and diverse as it is. I could see the dark theming being a turn-off for some, but for the most part I'd expect this to be easily ignored if that element of the game's not for you.
Controls are tight and, while the game has a deserved reputation for difficulty, it never feels unfair; even against the most challenging of bosses or in the optional gauntlet 'trials', any damage taken felt like my fault and avoidable - which makes besting a tricky scenario all the more satisfying.
Hollow Knight's beautiful hand-drawn art and memorable soundtrack also deserve a mention, rounding out the complete package... all-in-all, I have no hesitation in recommending
Hollow Knight to anyone with even a passing interest in "Metroidvania" games and it's up there as one of the very best games of 2017.
43.
Mega Man (PS4) - 15 August 2017
44.
Mega Man 2 (PS4) - 15 August 2017
45.
Mega Man 3 (PS4) - 16 August 2017
46.
Mega Man 4 (PS4) - 17 August 2017
47.
Mega Man 5 (PS4) - 17 August 2017
48.
Mega Man 6 (PS4) - 18 August 2017
With the release of
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, I felt that it was finally time to get stuck into the first collection of these classics, which I have little to no experience of playing previously - filling a notable hole in my gaming history. As a newcomer to the original games in the series, their reputation for difficulty is clearly well-deserved, though at times this comes from scenarios which aren't especially 'fair' - the hidden instant-death pits of the first game come particularly too mind, alongside the questionable requirement to have collected an 'optional' power-up to be able to progress through the final levels, without any signposting - though of course, this will primarily be a sign of the games' age and changing design trends. It would have taken me much longer to get through these games without the luxury of save states! Difficulty aside, there's some well-designed platforming challenge here for the most part and while I don't have the benefit of nostalgia to draw me to these games, I enjoyed my time with them overall. I think that I'll need a bit of a break before I move on to
Legacy Collection 2, but I'll get there!
I think that
Sonic will have to be the next 'retro' series that I spend some time with now.
49.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (Steam) - 22 August 2017
Beaten with true ending, 100% map completion, all non-missable items collected. While it can't match up to
Hollow Knight's gold standard, this is another great 'Metroidvania', living up to the recommendations that I've read from various quarters. Brutally hard at times, but never unfair - while insane difficulty (in which one hit is fatal) isn't for me, I can understand how it's feasible - the game is great fun throughout, with satisfying movement and combat being the core of the gameplay. There's less here in the way of ability upgrades to collect than I typically enjoy, but the game's fairly short which is probably a limiting factor there. Having enjoyed my time here, I'm definitely going to have to seek out the earlier games in the series before too long.
50.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) - 31 August 2017
Platinum trophy, including completion on Crushing difficulty. Naughty Dog pull off another stunner with
The Lost Legacy - while the central mechanics don't deviate much from the previous
Uncharted games, that's not really a bad thing and The Lost Legacy presents a compelling story and character relationship dynamics between Chloe and Nadine, previously only secondary characters in the series. The game's fairly short length leads to a tight, well-paced experience, with a good balance between exploration and combat and, without any specific spoilers, the final chapter brings perhaps the most impressive set-piece encounter that the series has been to date. This will definitely be up right there among my favourite games of the year so far!
51.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Switch) - 17 September 2017
All story chapters completed, all challenges completed (including 'ultimate' challenges), all collectibles obtained. I've always enjoyed the
XCOM flavour of turn-based strategy games, but even taking that into account this is a real gem of a game Certainly its mechanics are somewhat simplified from full-blown XCOM, but to an extent that's quite refreshing and it doesn't stop the game from presenting a fairly serious challenge at times and remaining satisfying throughout. I was afraid that the Rabbid theme would be offputting, but while there's the occasional toilet humour that I could have done without, the characterisation of the Rabbid party members is actually really well done and I came to like them all by the end of the game. Added to that, the game is technically solid, with a superb soundtrack from Grant Kirkhope rounding out an excellent package.
52.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (PS4) - 2 October 2017
Platinum trophy, including a full playthrough on "Original Game +" mode. While it doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of
Dishonored 2, this is another great entry in Arkane's best series. Billie's new powers are well-suited towards a more aggressive play style, while still allowing stealth to work well if that's your preference - completing levels without being detected remains as satisfying as ever, while the addition of secondary objectives invites a thorough exploration of each area, where the level design continues to shine. There's a good amount of additional story content and lore throughout the game as a further reward for exploration, though the ending doesn't give quite as much payoff as might be hoped.
53.
Gone Home (Xbox One) - 3 October 2017
Repeat completion; 100% of achievements unlocked. 'Walking simulators' tend not to be a style of game that my preferences lean towards, but
Gone Home is definitely up there as one of the best examples of the genre. Fullbright have done a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the empty house and the story is well-told, making you want to explore and discover as much of it as you can. The sense of immersion might have been greater if there was more interactivity, but the game remains an enjoyable experience while not outstaying its welcome given its short length.
54.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Steam) - 3 October 2017
Campaign completed on Veteran.
With War of the Chosen, Firaxis continue to demonstrate why they're one of the best turn-based strategy developers around at the moment, with a superb expansion to the already excellent
XCOM 2. While full-blown expansions such of this are becoming increasingly rare nowadays, in favour of smaller pieces of "DLC",
War of the Chosen easily justifies its pricing with a huge amount of additional content - this starts with the eponymous Chosen', three 'hero' aliens who each act independently to try to foil XCOM's efforts, fighting your forces in tactical missions during which they'll make use of a range of special abilities, improving themselves as the game progresses and undertaking overarching objectives and counter-operations in the strategic layer. Alongside the addition of the Chosen, XCOM forces can benefit from their own 'hero' units, drawn from three factions operating independently in the world, with their own unique ability sets and greater upgrade/skill flexibility than seen before.
There's then a significant expansion in mission types and a number of new strategic layer mechanics, including in particular 'covert operations' and 'resistance orders' - respectively being a series of missions that can be undertaken by dedicating one or more soldiers for a given number of days, with a view to receiving benefits (additional resources/personnel, steps towards permanently defeating the chosen, bonus research, etc.), and a selection of overarching benefits that can be applied on a monthly basis (applying at either the strategic or tactical level).
Alongside these major mechanic additions, the expansion brings new types of aliens with new abilities, new environments, and new equipment and research opportunities. Finally rounding out the package, significant expansion to the customisability of XCOM troops allows a greater level of attachment to your squads, making encounters ever more meaningful. This is all alongside technical improvements, with significant improvements in loading times for many people (PC configuration-dependent, of course) making the experience as a whole smoother. Overall, this expansion gets a strong recommendation from me to anyone who enjoyed the base game - and for those who may not yet have spent much time with that, playing with the expansion is clearly the 'definitive' way to experience the game now.
55.
Halo Wars 2 (Xbox One) - 5 October 2017
Campaign completed on Normal difficulty with all campaign logs and all skulls collected.
Halo Wars 2 is a decent attempt at a console-based RTS game, but ultimately I found the control limitations to handicap the experience more than I'd have liked, This might admittedly just have been that the controls just didn't 'click' with me personally as the core mechanics of control groups, etc., are all here, but being more used to PC-based strategy games with mouse and keyboard, it remained more fiddly than I'd have liked. That aside, there's also a decent story that makes good use of the
Halo IP and some interesting, varied scenarios throughout the campaign. I tend to enjoy the base-building element of RTS and in
Halo Wars 2 this (perhaps necessarily) quite simplistic, with greater focus being on unit control - this isn't my natural preference, but trying to take a more objective view, isn't in itself a failing of the game.
56.
Lara Croft GO (Android/Google Play) - 7 October 2017
All levels beaten with all gems/artifacts collected; 16/16 achievements unlocked. I've been playing this on-and-off over the course of a few months and finally decided to knuckle down and get the game finished. I've previously completed
Hitman GO Definitive Edition (on PS4) and
Lara Croft GO presents a similar turn-based puzzle experience, challenging the player to navigate Lara successfully through a hazard-filled environment using a board game-style network of spaces to move between. While the core mechanics are simple, focusing on movement, manipulating blocks/switches and attacking the occasional enemy monster, they're used effectively to create puzzles that are satisfying to solve and, by the end of the game, become deceptively difficult at times (especially in the
Shard of Light expansion). There's some nicely atmospheric music and well-designed graphics - attractive, but not overly complex, appropriate to the mobile nature of the game. I'll definitely be looking to move on to
Deus Ex GO before too long after enjoying my time here.
57.
Hue (PS4) - 7 October 2017
100% of trophies earned. A well-designed puzzle game,
Hue's core mechanic of switching the world between one of, eventually, eight different colours to reveal/hide platforms, obstacles and other objects makes for a refreshingly different experience. Graphics are simplistic but effective given the focus on colour, and any game with colour-blind options definitely gets my approval on that front. The puzzles themselves are generally fairly straightforward for most of the game, but do start to become quite complex in the later stages, ensuring that they remain satisfying to solve. As a completionist it would have been nice for the collectibles to be more meaningful and have some way in-game to help to track them down as a few are very well-hidden, but a using a guide for these wasn't much of an inconvenience.
58.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4) - 11 October 2017
All campaign missions completed on Veteran, with all single-player trophies earned; not intending to spend time on multi-player. As a rule, I play the
Call of Duty games for the campaign rather than the multiplayer and in that regard,
Infinite Warfare was a blast. While I'd perhaps have more fun with a lower difficulty, I always try to get through the games on Veteran (highest difficulty) and in this case, that's still fairly well-balanced and only occasionally frustrating. The science-fiction setting is unsurprisingly quite exaggerated in the experience that it presents, but if you can suspend your disbelief the game pulls off its action very well, with even zero-gravity combat controlling well. Another benefit of being set in the future is that this allows a more interesting range of abilities, weapons and equipment than might otherwise be possible (e.g., anti-gravity grenades, hacking robot enemy soldiers) and there's an engaging story to tie the campaign together.
My list continues in my third post
here.