Think I'm done for the year, made it to 56 games.
Kinda lost motivation to keep the second half as neat and detailed as the first half or so. Gonna try to keep it simpler next year.
My Best Buy GCU finally expired a few days ago so I definitely won't be buying games day 1 much anymore. There's still Walmart's discount but that means I'd have to go into a Walmart.. I think my backlog alone can probably still carry me to 52+ again next year though.
So...how best to describe this game?
Well it is a light and chill, free to play Visual Novel, centered on the daily lives of a group of...well misfits, I'd say going about their daily lives with some ludicrous antics going on. It isn't a long game for one thing and can be beatne in under 3 hours, but I really really enjoyed my time with it. It was a really relaxing game imho and it had some pretty good deep thoughts and heartfelt humor.
I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something light to play, and as it uses an episode structure, one could go about playing it at their own pace.
Some elements of the game didn't age well due to limitations of the hardware at the time but it has a lot of solid and neat gameplay ideas.
EDIT: To be more clear: The gameplay et all are fine, but because of how hardware and gameplay have improved over the past decade, I get the feeling that a remake could do justice to the game's elements of stealth and exploration for one thing.
Here's my updated list. I haven't updated my main post since June, I think? But I've been keeping track of the games I completed in a separate spreadsheet/excel during the year. I also generally write/share my thoughts about the games I play on my personal game blog (which you can read here!). I'm trying to finish 3-4 more games before Tuesday night at midnight as their was a game or two on my list I didn't feel to confident considering them "beaten". Here's to 2020!
Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories (KH HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX)
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Shadow of the Colossus
Crash Bandicoot: Warped (Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy)
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (Spyro Reignited Trilogy)
Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (The Disney Afternoon Collection)
Disney's TaleSpin (The Disney Afternoon Collection)
Disney's DuckTales (The Disney Afternoon Collection)
Disney's Darkwing Duck (The Disney Afternoon Collection)
Mega Man 2 (Mega Man Legacy Collection)
Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 (The Disney Afternoon Collection)
Disney's DuckTales 2 (The Disney Afternoon Collection)
Devil May Cry V
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Yakuza Kiwami
Castlevania (Castlevania Anniversary Collection)
DOOM (2016)
Timespinner
Sea of Solitude
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Detention
Concrete Genie
Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair
Medievil
Control
Mega Man X2 (Mega Man X Legacy Collection)
GRIS
Black Bird
Yoshi's Crafted World
Katana ZERO
Blaster Master Zero
Gato Roboto
Super Mario Maker 2
Astral Chain
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
The Touryst
Sayanora Wild Hearts
Creature in the Well
Blazing Chrome
Quantum Break
Blair Witch
Untitled Goose Game
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Astal
Panzer Dragoon
Florence
Monument Valley 2
The Room + Epilogue
Million Onion Hotel
Monument Valley + Forgotten Shores & IDA's Dream DLC
FAR lone sails is what I would call an experience game, in the vain of journey, Gris etc. And while it is not what I would call the best of the genre, it is still well worth playing, great music, great art etc.
46. Pikuniku (Switch)
A charming indie puzzle platformer that does not overstay it's welcome. Good music, fun writing and it's simple but expressive artsyle makes this game a fun playthrough.
47. SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech (Switch)
This game has a lot of charm going for it and it would of been an 8 from me untill I got stuck at the tree boss. I wasn't dieing but I couldn't sustain damage on it, I guess that means I should of changed my deck and characters but one of the recommended characters for that boss was under leveled. Not nessisarily the games fault but it hamperd my enjoyment of it. If you like card based RPGs definitely recommend, also could be a good starting place for people looking to get into the genre.
48. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (Switch)
This is my first metroidvania that I have played that is more on the vania side of the isle and I found it quite enjoyable, the artwork music and gameplay are all good, just nothing quite stands out about this game, give it a shot if you are looking for a nice, short metroidvaina game.
49. Timespinner (Switch)
Great music, fun combat, and good art tie this metroidvania together. While fun, it does have some blemishes that bring it down a peg or two. the time mechanic when used is fun, but is used so sparingly in the world design that I forgot that I should use it in some situations. The pixel art is beautiful but can get a bit repititious in some areas. Overall a great game.
50. Slay the Spire (Switch) | 20th Dec - 3.2hrs | 4/5
Third try, slew the Spire, I will eventually come back for more later. I can tell this will be a time sink if I spend to much time I don' t have right now getting into it. If you are looking for a single player card game, you can't go wrong with slay the spire.
51. Luigis Mansion 3 (Switch)
The game was a fun romp, some of the puzzles were a bit convoluted but overall not to hard game. The game never held me for a time over 2 1/2 hours, but it was fun to play a floor, take a break and go to the next floor some other time. Overall a very fun game.
52. Feudal Alloy (Switch)
There is a good game under the surface for this game, it's just hidden behind a wall of mediocre music, ok combat, good art with bad variation, and a plethora of other things that make this game an annoying one to play. Would only recommended of you are a fan of the metroidvania genre and have run out of them to play.
53. The Touryst (Switch)
The Touryst is a very relaxing game that lives in the universe of Shin'en games. The puzzles were pleasantly difficult, the atmosphere is relaxing and its just a grand old time. The hardest part for me were the arcade games. Having not played up in that era, I really was out of my depth, but they were fun enough.
And that's probably it for me this year. Earlier this year I put about 35 ish hours into Dragon quest XI S but I was thinking if I wanted to hit 52 this year I would need to put it on the sidelines, so that is what I am mostly playing now. This is my first year on ERA and my first time doing something like this. I had A ton of fun and cant wait till next years thread. See you all there!
Well... this one should be a hell of an update! Sorry I haven't kept up with updating the list much this year, but I did manage the challenge in the end!
#13 The Princess Guide ā Completed 3/18/2019 PS4 ā 8 hours
#14 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice ā Completed 3/25/2019 PC ā 30 hours
#15 Muv Luv: Alternative ā Completed 4/6/2019 Vita ā 40 hours? (Not Logged)
#16 The Great Ace Attorney ā Completed 4/19/2019 3DS ā 31 hours
#17 Borderlands GOTY ā Completed 4/20/2019 PC ā 16 hours
#18 Picross 3D: Round 2 ā Completed 4/21/2019 3DS ā 29 hours
#19 Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception ā Completed 4/27/19 Vita ā 21 hours
#20 Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth ā Completed 5/30/19 Vita ā 62 hours
#21 Yakuza 0 ā Completed 6/23/19 PC ā 52 hours
#22 Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony ā Completed 7/3/19 PC ā 38 hours
#23 428: Shibuya Scramble ā Completed 7/21/19 PC ā 22 hours
#24 InnerSpace ā Completed 7/22/19 PC ā 3 hours
#25 Monster Hunter World: Iceborne ā Completed 8/28/19 PS4 ā 545 hours (215 for Iceborne)
#26 Utawarerumono: Zan ā Completed 8/31/19 PS4 ā 8 hours
#27 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ā Completed 9/19/19 Switch ā 10 hours
#28 Borderlands 3 ā Completed 9/24/19 PC ā 40 hours
#29 Ys IX ā Monstrum NOX ā Completed10/10/19 PS4 ā 45 hours
#30 Minit ā Completed 10/13/19 PC ā 1 hour
#31 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 ā Completed 10/21/19 PS4 ā 93 hours
#32 Inside ā Completed 10/22/19 PC ā 3 hours
#33 Shadow of the Colossus (2018) ā Completed 10/24/19 PS4 ā 4 hours
#34 Luigi's Mansion 3 ā Completed 10/31/19 Switch ā 11 hours
#35 Batman: Arkham Asylum ā Completed 11/3/19 PC ā 8 hours
#36 The House in Fata Morgana ā Completed 11/4/19 Vita ā 30 hours? (Not Logged)
#37 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice ā Completed 11/6/19 PC ā 8 hours? (Not Logged, Game Pass)
#38 Demon's Souls ā Completed 11/12/19 PS3 (RPCS3) ā 19 hours
#39 Asura's Wrath ā Completed 11/13/19 PS3 (RPCS3) ā 8 hours
#40 Pokemon Sword ā Completed 11/17/19 Switch ā 24 hours
#41 Astral Chain ā Completed 11/22/19 Switch ā 21 hours
#42 Dark Souls 3 ā Completed 11/26/19 PC ā 32 hours
#43 Dead Cells ā Completed 11/30/19 PC ā 8 hours? (Not Logged, Game Pass)
#44 Yoku's Island Express ā Completed 12/1/19 PC ā 5 hours? (Not Logged, Game Pass)
#45 SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions ā Completed 12/10/19 PC ā 35 hours
#46 Sayonara Wild Hearts ā Completed 12/12/19 PC ā 1 hour
#47 Outer Wilds ā Completed 12/14/19 PC ā 8 hours
#48 Motorstorm: Arctic Edge ā Completed 12/17/19 PSP/Vita/PC (PPSSPP) ā 25 hours
#49 The House in Fata Morgana: Requiem for Innocence ā Completed 12/22/19 Vita ā 10 hours
#50 Ape Out ā Completed 12/23/19 PC ā 2 hours
#51 The House in Fata Morgana: Reincarnation ā Completed 12/24/19 Vita ā 8 hours
#52 Dragon Quest Builders 2 ā Completed 12/28/19 PC ā 57 hours
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Absolutely the best world and level design that From has ever delivered, and an absolute gem of a game. I think Sword Saint Ashina will be a boss fight I'll always remember fondly.
Muv Luv: Alternative - I can see why this is rated so highly on VNDB. While it's not my personal favorite VN, it's damn close. What a great read.
The Great Ace Attorney - Scarlet Study did a bang-up job on the translation, for what is easily one of my favorite games in the Ace Attorney series. Here's for a speedy translation of the sequel!
Borderlands GOTY - Honestly, wasn't a big fan. I played it so I could play something with my roommate. It's fine.
Picross 3D: Round 2 - I had to stop myself from going back to perfect clear all the puzzles and move onto my next games.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception/Mask of Truth - Putting these under the same description, because they're two halves (two thirds?) of the same story. Great VN, while also being a surprisingly fantastic tactical RPG. Once again, I had to wrestle myself from this (and didn't play nearly as much Dream Arena as I'd have liked) to get to my next games.
Yakuza 0 - I don't think I can say anything about Yakuza 0 that hasn't already been said. It's got drama, it's got comedy, it's got Space Harrier. What more could you want?
Danganronpa V3 - This is the best Danganronpa story, and the ending is great. I will not be taking questions or comments.
428: Shibuya Scramble - Somehow I never saw myself enjoying a VN that's entirely live action photography and short videos, but here we are.
InnerSpace - I'm not gonna lie, I don't remember all that much about this one. All I know is that it was just ok and probably not worth playing again.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - I poured nearly 400 hours into Iceborne this year, and I would do it all again.
Utawarerumono: Zan - I poured nearly 12 hours into Utawarerumono: Zan this year, and I doubt I would do it all again.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - I played through the entirety of this remake during a single livestream, and I would definitely do that all over again.
Borderlands 3 - Better than Borderlands 1, and I actually really enjoyed it - when it worked. Maybe the bugs are ironed out by now, and if that's the case I'll give it my honest recommendation.
Ys IX - Monstrum Nox - I really enjoyed this one, but it simply wasn't nearly as great as Ys VIII. It's honestly impressive how Falcom managed to have the game run worse than Ys VIII on Vita, while barely looking much better.
Minit - This was a really cute game, that I had a lot of fun with. That being said - with how short it was, it's also pretty forgetable! Still glad that I played it, though.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - I used turbo mode for pretty much anything that wasn't a cutscene and this still took me nearly 100 hours. I loved every second of it, but sheesh.
Inside - What the actual fuck was that ending?
Shadow of the Colossus - What the actual fuck was that ending?
Luigi's Mansion 3 - This is probably my favorite in the series, and without a doubt the prettiest game to release on the Switch so far. Fantastic game.
Batman: Arkham Asylum - This has not aged well, and the final fight with the Joker - if you can call it that - was incredibly disappointing and bland.
The House in Fata Morgana - Everybody is Crying, definitely not just me. Finally, a VN I can recommend to people with an allergic reaction to anime bullshit.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - I'm super glad that I have a killer headphone setup for my PC, because it would've been a shame to have played this with a shitty pair of cans.
Demon's Souls - I played Demon's Souls at 1440p/60FPS on RPCS3 and it was glorious. Probably my favorite Souls game, and I won't apologize for that.
Asura's Wrath - I played Asura's Wrath at 1440p/60FPS on RPCS3 until the QTEs got too bad and I turned it back down to 30FPS. Really, this is more of an interactive anime rather than a proper game, but I'm not complaining. What I *will* complain about, is the True Ending being DLC. What the actual fuck, Capcom? That's the best part of the game!
Astral Chain - I enjoyed the hell out of this game at the start, but by the end I was well and ready to move on. It's obvious that Platinum wanted players to replay this, but even if I wasn't busting my ass to finish enough games for the challenge I wouldn't have bothered replaying this anyway.
Dark Souls 3 - I ultimately enjoyed my time with Dark Souls 3, but it's the Tokyo Xanadu eX+ of FromSoft games. If you don't know what that means - don't worry about it. If you *do*, that should tell you all you need to know.
Dead Cells - I had to stop myself from instinctively starting a new playthrough right after the credits rolled. What an addicting game!
Yoku's Island Express - Beautiful artstyle, but I'm still not sure why I played a Pinball Metroidvania. It was a cute game, worth playing for sure, but I don't think I would've been happy with it if I hadn't played it on Game Pass, but rather had bought it with my own money.
SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions - I reviewed this, but all you need to know is that it's our RPG of the Year, and has what might just be the best turn-based battle system of all time. Do yourselves a favor and play this, for the love of god.
Sayonara Wild Hearts - This was a trip, but I couldn't help but feel that the game really wasn't designed with higher refresh rates in mind. At 144FPS, the flickering from the colors shifting between Blue and Pink was just asking for some poor epileptic person to go into shock. I don't get seizures, but even then I felt disoriented!
Outer Wilds - I played through Outer Wilds blind, and so should you.
Motorstorm: Arctic Edge - Would you believe that this game took me literally a decade to finish? Yeah, I started playing this on my PSP, back when I was 12. The same savefile has gone from my PSP, to my Vita, to PPSSPP. Easily has been the longest that a game has been on my backlog (that I've actually finished, at least...)
The House in Fata Morgana: Requiem for Innocence - I didn't really think I needed this, uh, extension of the story. I was wrong.
Ape Out - Are you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go apeshit?
The House in Fata Morgana: Reincarnation - This was cathartic as hell, and a really nice sendoff to the characters.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 - Ok this game is seriously one of the sleeper hits of the year. It's a very, very strong sequel in basically every way - fixing or improving upon almost all of the issues from the first game. What a gem.
73: Star Ocean First Departure R (Start: 12/12/2019. End: 12/28/2019)
After 20ish hours, I managed to beat this one before the end of the year. I didn't think I'd be able to squeeze out one last game, but here we are. I've been feeling a bit under the weather, and managed to distract myself with this game. What is there to say about Star Ocean at this point beyond when will the sequel get rereleased again? (I actually like this game quite a bit.)
I'm down for another round after I failed last year! 2019, here we go!
Status: 64/52 (as of December 29th)
1. Celeste (Beaten: January 1st) on XBox One
What a great game to kick off 2019! The platforming is top notch and the story really got me. Had a blast playing this. It only took me 729 deaths to beat the game. However, it never felt unfair at any point. Every single time I knew "yea I ducked up"
Rating: 10 out of 10
2. The Messenger (Beaten: January 2nd) on Nintendo Switch
What a great game. Indies are totally clicking with me at the moment. Loved how the game was a sidescroller in its first half and then turned into a metroidvania like game. The gameplay is just pure fun! The time travelling feature is also a great addition, specifically the shifting between the different styles of music & graphics. What I also liked is the shopkeeper. I was laughing so hard a lot of times. This guy is a genius. I highly recommend playing this game if you are into anything of the above mentioned.
Rating: 9 out of 10
3. Assassins Creed Odyssey (Beaten: January 7th) on PlayStation 4 Pro
So, here is the thing about AC:0 for me. I really looked forward to playing this game. I enjoyed AC:O quite a lot and the way AC went after all the other games. When I heard about an AC game taking place in ancient Greek I was like 'OMG I NEED THIS!!' cause I am a sucker for Greek history and mythologie. And I enjoyed the game for like the first 15 to 20 hours. After that the game just felt like a drag. The map is way too big if you ask me and it just gets super annoying travelling 7km just to continue the main quest. Furthermore, I did a lot of sidequests at the beginning of the game, however, I stopped at some point because of the reason that the game is way too big if you ask me. This lead to me no longer matching the levels for the main quests consequently leading to me getting super pissed cause they kind of force me to do sidequests even though I don't want to. I was kind of tormenting myself through the game for like the last 17 hours. Based on that the rating is still pretty high.
Rating: 6 out of 10
4. Kirby Star Allies (Beaten: January 8th) on Nintendo Switch
I played the demo way back when it got released and thought 'Hey this game isnt too bad, it actually is fun, I dont see why the reviews arent that good.' Time passed and I bought the game back in December half-price. Unfortunately, the demo already offers everything the game is capable of. The game is way too easy and just repetitive, so I was glad when I finished the story mode. Totally understand the reviews after beating the game.
Rating: 6 out of 10
5. Moss (Beaten: January 8th) on PSVR
Had a good time playing Moss. It maybe a bit short and it is only chapter 1 yet but I already look forward to Book 2. The last part with the snake was especially nice, I think. It always blows my mind how much depth VR can add to a game like this. Without VR this game wouldn't work the way it does.
Rating: 7 out of 10
6. Splatoon 2 Octo-Expansion (Beaten: January 11th) on Nintendo Switch
Really enjoyed playing the expansion, even though I think it was way more difficult than the original game. However, I really enojyed the different types a levels like rebuilding a statue, dodging or trying to beat a level with only a limited amount of ink. This really was a step up from the original game. Wonder what Splatoon 3 will be like. Already looking forward!
Rating: 8 out of 10
7. The World Ends With You Final Remix (Beaten: January 22nd) on Nintendo Switch
Phew, this is a tough one. I totally dig the games style and story. Additionally, I really like the gameplay. The world isnt too big and I like how you have to work with gestures to attack. BUT: The controls in the Nintendo Switch are just the worst. Playing in docked-mode with a pointer sucks because you cannot react as fast as you would on a Nintendo DS with a stylus and playing in handheld-mode is weird as well because there is no proper way of holding the Switch and have a good grip while playing the game.
Rating: 7 out of 10
8. Bayonetta 2 (Beaten: 25th January) on Nintendo Switch
Really enjoyed it. The gameplay is just one of the best of its genre. Combining this with a fun character like Bayonetta and one will have a great time for sure. However, I liked Bayonetta 1 better. Hoping Bayonetta 3 will top both of them :)
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
9. Owlboy (Beaten 4th February) on Nintendo Switch
Bought this day one because of all the hype surrounding it. Ended up being disappointed and returning after almost a year since its release day. The game succeeds at telling an interesting story but could improve a lot on gameplay. I am not really fond of the controlls tbh. Overall, the game is nice but not a must-play.
Rating: 7 out of 10
10. Resident Evil 2:Remake (Beaten 10th February) on Playstation 4 Pro
What. A. Game. Love every minute with this. Really gives me the feeling of survival horror cause I was low on ammo all the time, struggling. Close to the end I was even struggling with health cause I couldnt find any health items. The level building is superb as you get access to more and more rooms the longer you play. Only things bothering me is Mr. X because I do not know his function or intention yet (only played Leon's campaign so far). I highly recommend playing this game!
Rating: 9 out of 10
11. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (Beaten 16th February) on Nintendo Switch
What a marvelous game. Enjoyed every second playing it. Music was awesome, gameplay was awesome, controls were on point, graphics are amazing. Go and buy this game! One of the best Metroidvanias I have played so far. (See my short love letter in the Monster Boy OT in the hangout section)
Rating: 10 out of 10
12. Detroit: Become Human (Beaten 22nd February) on Playstation 4 Pro
I expected nothing but in the end really liked it, especially Conner's story and Kara's story. What I really disliked was Markus story because it is is just what you expect of an Android-Human Story. Markus being the link between the stories was quite a letdown for me because his story is generic and boring, imho. Nevertheless, Kara and Connor story arcs made up for it! Had a good time playing the game.
Rating 7.5 out of 10
13. Delta Rune (beaten on March 3rd) on Nintendo Switch
I am a sucker for Toby Fox's games. Loved Undertale, loved Delta Rune. Really love how it is setting things up for Undertale so far. I really do hope there is more to come in the NEAR future. Keep up the good work Toby!
Rating: 10 out of 10
14. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild: Champion's Ballad (Beaten on 11th March) on Nintendo Switch
Returning to Hyrule after a one year break felt awesome! It felt like coming home immediately. The new shrines were great and I specifically liked the last dungeon. If you haven't tried the DLC yet, go ahead, it is totally worth your time and money. Plus: The motorcycle is just fun!
Rating: 9 out of 10
15. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (Beaten on 11th March) on Nintendo Switch
Man, I really was into No More Heroes back then. I remember playing it quite a lot. Only played liked 2 or 3 hours of part II, so I barely remember that one but Travis Strikes Back just is a dull game. What the game does pretty well is the metacommunication and knowing that it is a game. It gave me a good laugh from time to time. HOWEVER, the gameplay is just dull, boring and repetitive. The fighting is freakin' boring because all you can change are the abilities and that's it. Consequently, I was rather disappointed...
Rating: 5 out of 10
16. Resident Evil Revelations (Beaten 15th March) on Nintendo Switch
Bought the game when it went on sale because I really enjoyed the Resident Evil 2 remake. Revelations did not disappoint but it is not great either. It was fun but nothing special. If you dig some Resident Evil I think the game is worth your time. Already looking forward to Revelations 2.
Rating: 7 out of 10
17. Resident Evil Revelations 2 (Beaten on 22nd March) on Nintendo Switch
Overall, RER2 was quite enjoyable. However, I didn't really dig the Coop part. Since I usually play by myself, this was rather annoying then a nice feature. Story was alright but nothing surprising or special.
Rating: 7 out of 10
18. The Division 2 (Beaten at some point in April) on Playstation 4 Pro
Had quite a good time back with The Division so I decided to jump into the Division 2. I really is kind of the best loot shooter out there in terms of online games. Gameplay feels great and I had blast playing it with a friend. Might return eventually!
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
19. Cuphead (Beaten on 19th April) on Nintendo Switch
So, here's the deal with Cuphead: Loved it on PC, loved it on Xbox One, loved it on Switch. I love EVERYTHING about this game: style, gameplay, music, difficulty. It's up there with my favourite games. Hoping for a PS4 release at some point, so I can buy it a fourth time!
Rating: 10 out of 10
20. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Beaten on April 20th) on Nintendo Switch
Had a Jump'n'Run itch I had to scratch, luckily my nephew had the game, so he came over and we beat it in like 2.5hrs by taking all the secret exits and shortcuts. Already played it back on the Wii U but enjoyed it less this time. It just feels outdated, I don't know why. Happy I did not buy the game.
Rating: 6 out of 10
21. Bioshock (Beaten on April 30th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Talked to a friend the other day how great the Bioshock games were back then. Decided to buy the Bioshock Trilogy and did not get disappointed. Fell in love with these games all over again. Back in 2007 I finished Bioshock twice (good and bad ending) and it was just as much fun finishing the game as it was back then. Simply put: 'Would you kindly...' is one of the greatest plottwists in videogames history.
Rating: 10 out of 10
22. Bioshock 2 (Beaten on May 6th) on Playstation 4 Pro
While Bioshock 2 still is a good shooter it is missing freshness compared to Bioshock. I guess that why it kind of falls flat for me compared to Bioshock. Gameplay is great though. It really is kind of different to play a Big Daddy. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Bioshock way more.
Rating: 8 out of 10
23. Bioshock Infinite (Beaten on May 8th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Simply put: Just freaking amazing. This game is a masterpiece. Elisabeth is such an interesting character and so is the story evolving around her. There is always a lighthouse, there's always a man, there's always a city. Please play this game if you haven't!
Rating: 10 out of 10
24. The Swords of Ditto (Beaten on May 8th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Had this game for a while cause I kind of like the style and ALttP gameplay. In the end the game was kind of a letdown, that is why I beat the final boss once and put the game aside. It is kind of slow and the fighting is too simple.
Rating: 7 out of 10
25. Super Mario Sunshine (Beaten on May 18th) on Nintendo Gamecube
In the past 17 years I have started the game several times, never got beyond collecting 4 shines. Mario Sunshine remained as the one Super Mario game I hadnt played, up to this point. I have to to say: The game is a lot of fun! I had a blast playing this game within the last week. Sometimes it can be frustrating but after beating a difficult passage I felt relieved! I even consinder Super Mario Sunshine as better game than Odyssey since Odyssey falls flat on a lot of things. Plus: I am on a Gamecube streak right now so there is more tome come (just bought Luigi's Mansion and Eternal Darkness!)
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
26. Katana Zero (beaten on June 1st) on Nintendo Switch
Had a great time playing this. Gameplay, music and story were fun. It's basically a sidescrolling Hotline Miami. Highly recommending this if you like this kind of game.
Rating 8.5 out of 10
HALF WAY THERE!
27. Luigi's Mansion (Beaten on June 2nd) on Nintendo Gamecube
What a game. Had a blast playing this. Only thing I did not like was being send from the top floor to the bottom floor for several times in the last quarter. The way was pretty long without anything happening. Seemed like lengthening the game. Otherwise, I had a great experience. Can't wait for Luigi's Mansion 3.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
28. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Beaten on June 11th) on Nintendo Switch
Don't know how I ended up buying this game but had a blast playing it. Reminds me of why I love Metroidvania so much. Can't wait for Ritual of the Night now!
Rating: 8 out of 10
29. Cadence of Hyrule (Beaten on June 15th) on Nintendo Switch
What a gem of a game. The remixes are just amazing and so is the gameplay. Already loved CotN, so this is a match made in heaven. Please, please, please go and buy this game.
Rating: 10 out of 10
30. Persona 3 Dancing Moonlight (Beaten on June 16th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Well, dont know what I expected. This was boring and dull. Think I'll just skip P5D. Liked P4D, but this one was not worth my time.
Rating: 4 out of 10
31. Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Beaten on 17th June) on Sega MegaDrive
Somehow felt the urge to replay one of my favourite childhood games. Did not get disappointed. It was even better then I remembered. I'm still in love with 2D Sonic, so give me my Sonic Mania 2!
Rating 9.5 out of 10
32. Blood & Truth (Beaten on 20th Junhe) on Playstation 4 Pro
Phew, I am so glad I am done with this game. Based on the reviews and what I saw before the game was released, I felt like this game is going to be amazing. In the end, it was kind of boring. No real surprises gameplaywise. Controlls were kind of janky. Waiting for anither Astro Bot experiecen..
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
33. Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (Beaten on 21st June) on SNES
Once you get the hang of it, this game is amazing. It is challeging and a lot of fun. Do let the game break you because it seems impossible to beat, at first. After 3 levels you got used to the game and it'll get easiert. Loved it!
Rating: 9 out of 10
34. Quackshot - starring Donal Duck (Beaten on 21st June) on Sega MegaDrive
As a kid, I was never able to beat this game. The tiger defeated me every f***ing time. So I came back as an adult and beat the game. It was okay but not as good as I remembered. Nevertheless, I got closure :)
Rating 6 out of 10
35. Super Mario Maker 2 (Beaten on 30th June) on Nintendo Switch
At first I did not plan on buying this game and I do not even know why I bought the but I LOVE it. It is SO much fun. For now I just rebuilt Peach's Castle, so there are many more hours to come. If you like Mario you should give it a try.
Rating: 9 out of 10
36. Viewtiful Joe (Beaten on 4th July) on Nintendo Gamecube
Closure, after all these years. This game was quite hard back than and it still is. I am glad I was finally able to beat it. I still love Viewtiful Joe and I hope there will be a Remaster or VJ3. Fingers crossed.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
37. Viewtiful Joe 2 (Beaten 6th July) on Nintendo Gamecube
Well, basically it is more of the same which is not bad in this case. However, VJ1 is the better game to me cause it kind of introduced everything and SIlvia is kind of a letdown. In addition, the difficulty in VJ1 is WAY higher which is why the game is more compelling to me. Nevertheless, this is a great game and I am just splitting hairs.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
38. Final Fantasy VII (Beaten on 8th July) on Playstation 4 Pro
First time ever I played this game, the FFVIIR hype made me do it. Have to say, while the visuals are outdated (of course they are), the gmeplay and story are still fun. Yet, I am curious how they will change everything to make it suitable for PS4 era. Had fun playing the original one.
Rating: 8 out of 10
39. My Friend Pedro (Beaten on 9th July) on Nintendo Switch
Oh well, it was kind of an impulse purchase. The game was alright but after a few levels just more of the same, nothing special. If you like these kind of games, go for it. Otherwise, wait for a sale, it is rather short and not worth the money..
Rating: 6 out of 10
40. The Wonderful 101 (beaten 12th July) on Nintendo Wii U
Thanks for hyping me up for this ERA. There is so much Bayonetta in it but with a fun turn. Had a blast playing this. Now I do understand why everyone wants a Switch port, I am joining these people. It was an honour to rescue dearth in the end. And now: Team, unite up!
Rating 9.5 out of 10
41. Guacamelee 2 (Beaten on 17th July) on Nintendo Switch
Had a decent time playing this game, it is up there between the better metroidvania games. If you liked Guacamelee and are up for some more, go get it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 8 out of 10
42. Wonder Boy and the Dragon's Trap (Beaten on 18th) on Nintendo Switch
This turned out to be rather short. Nevertheless, I had fun playing this, even though it does not even come close to Wonder Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Anyway, visuals and music are awesome. Gameplay is, because it sticks to the original, rather flat but still enjoyable.
Rating: 7 out of 10
43. Thimbleweed Park (Beaten on 20th July) on Nintendo Switch
Thimbleweed Park was my first adventure game, ever. Besides watching my older brother play Toonstruck and Leisure Suit Larry back in the days, I never had contact with this genre. I know, Thimbleweed Park has a lot of references to older Ron Gilbert games, so I am missing out on these, however, overall I enjoyed the game. While sometimes the steps one has to take or too small, I like the whole idea of this genre and solving a puzzle is redeeming, in a way. I guess I would have enjoyed the game way more on a proper PC since playing these kind of games with a controller feels wrong and not inuitive at all. The touch controlls on the Switch did not make for a proper mouse, unfortunately.
Rating: 7 out of 10
44. Diablo 3 Eternal Collection (Beaten on 25th July) on Nintendo Switch
So, this was the third Diablo III version I beat. Started on PS3 back then, moved to PS4 with Reaper of Souls and now I got the Eternal Collection for Switch, as you might guess, I really like this game. There is nothing wrong with the Switch version, it is a great port but I dont think I will put another 100+ hours into this version as I did on my PS4.
Rating: 9 out of 10
45. Doom (Beaten on 1st August) on Nintendo Switch
My first Doom back then was Doom 3, I only knew Doom and Doom 2 from watching my brother playing these games. Now, as they got a release, I bought all three of them and I have to say: What kind of beast ist Doom? The game absolutely holds up today, had a lot of fun. Only the music can be a pain in the neck after some time.
Rating: 8 out of 10
46. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Beatn on 1st August) on Nintendo Wii
After putting the game down twice before I finally pulled through and it feels great. Great game but it surely takes its time before things kick off. However, I did not like the backtracking a lot. Nevertheless, a great game and it sure does have some great dungeons!
Rating: 9 out of 10
47. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Beaten on 3rd August) on New Nintendo 3DS
The weakest Zelda game I have played so far. I just dig the whole concept with the time travel thing. Makes the game redundant and boring imho.
Rating: 7 out of 10
48. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 (Beaten on 14th August) on Nintendo Switch
To be honest, I expected the game to be way better. The combat did not feel smooth to me and the story is just not memorable at all since it is pretty close to the cinemtic universe, so there is a missed chance storywise. Nevertheless, had a decent time and got introduced to some new characters I did not know before (only played MUA1 & 2 and watched the movies). Overall I had a decent time.
Rating: 7 out of 10
49. Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (Beaten on 14th August) on Playstation 4 Pro
Sold the game before since I was not able to defeat Genichiro. 4 month later I bought the game again and started all over again. For some reason I beat the crap out of Genichiro and beat him within 15 minutes. It took me like 4 days to get to Isshin which was like a new difficulty spike but after 4 days, I was finally able to beat him. Just one of the most rewarding gaming expierences, the combat is so smooth, challenging and rewarding. It just feels right. Had a blast playing this and I am more than happy that I returned. This is the best FromSoft game if you ask me. (Yet, Nioh is better)
Rating: 10 out of 10
50. Devil May Cry 5 (Beaten on 22nd August) on Playstation 4 Pro
This was fun! Hadn't played a Devil May Cry game in a while so I really enjoyed DMCV. It made me realise how much I enjoyed these games in the past since I was there day one when DMC released back then on PS2. Ever since I played every single DMC game. Guess I'm also down for DMCVI if they release it some day. (Plus I'm all set for Astral Chain now!)
Rating: 8 out of 10
51. Hitman 2 (Beaten on 23rd August) on PlayStation 4 Pro
What a great game. Beat this in just one day because I was having such a good time. The levels are just greatly designed and thought through. Unfortunately the Season Pass costs 40ā¬, so I have to wait for a sale to get more mission but I am already looking forward to it. Had a blast playing this. One more game to go!
Rating: 9 out of 10
52. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Beaten on September 14th ) on PlayStation 4 Pro
Originally I wanted to end this with a bang like Earthbound or Metroid Prime 2/3. For time reasons this is not possible right now. So I ended up beating CTR, which is fine, but no Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to me. In comparison it's a decent game but MK8D does everything way better. Maybe I'll dive into the multiplayer at some point, we'll see about that.
Rating: 7 out of 10
53. Alan Wake (Beaten on 25th September) on Xbox One X
It took me a while to beat this game. I think I got it back when Quantum Break released. Now that I got an Xbox One X a couple of days ago I am back exploring Xbox games, so I thought "Why not take on Alan Wake now?" And here we are. For some reason I love this game. The atmosphere is stellar! It is impressive how the game plays with light and darkness and I really do hope there will be a proper remake/remaster with optimised graphics and HDR cause that would make the game even better. In addition, I really enjoyed the story for some reason. Highly recommend playing this, even though it's an old game.
Rating: 9 out of 10
54. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Beaten on September 29th) on Nintendo Switch
Bought this less then 24 hours ago and beat it already. It's a classic Zelda game and I remembered a lot of things quite vividly for some reason. Had a fun while it lasted.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
55.Titanfall 2 (Beaten in October 4th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Loved the game back in 2016 and still love it! Came back because I was never able to make it to the top 3 in Gauntlet training. Was finally able to pull this off, beat the game on Master and sacked in the platinum trophy. This game is better than it has any right to be. It's just so smooth and BT is so much fun. Hope at some point we will get a worthy predecessor.
Rating: 9 out of 10
56. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Beaten on October 8th) on Playstation 4 Pro
I replayed this for my quest to get Platinum in every possible Uncharted game before finishing my platinum in Lost Legacy. It's one of the weaker Uncharted games. It's just not as striking as UC2, 4 or Lost Legacy to me. Rather generic.
Rating: 7 out of 10
57. Uncharted Lost Legacy (Beaten on October 8th) on Playstation 4 Pro
This one, however, is m favourite Uncharted game. The dynamic and relationship between Chloe and Nadine is just so well executed. Spending time with them is just so much fun. In addition the set pieces are looking stellar and the pacing is great. I just love this game. Finishing this game again also marked my quest for getting platinum in every single Uncharted game. Thanks Naughty Dog! :)
Rating: 9 out of 10
58. Call of Duty WWII (Beaten on October 12th) on Xbox One X
Had a good time playing this as I was looking for some quick singleplayer action. Once in a while playing Call of Duty is alright.
Rating: 7 out of 10
59.Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Beaten on October 31st) on Xbox One X
I call myself a Monkey Ball Veteran since SMB2 was a HUGE part of teenage years. Felt like I was on top of the world when I beat all the Master Levels back then. Bana Blitz HD is like the worst choice for a Monkey Ball comeback, they should have chosen SMB1 or 2. Was rather disappointed with this game.
Rating: 6 out of 10
60. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Beaten on November 10th) on Nintendo Switch
Already loved Luigi's Mansion 1 and 2 so I was already looking forward Luigi's Mansion 3 and boy, I did not disappoint. Love how every floor features a different setting and throws new mehanics at you. Highly recommend this to everyone owning a Switch, totally worth your money!
Rating: 9 out of 10
61. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (Beaten on November 26th) on Xbox One X
Had high hopes because of Respawn developing this and the game was a huge letdown. The music and the sound is great but everything else is just mediocre. If you are really into Star Wars you might enjoy this, otherwise I recommend playing Nioh, Sekiro or anything familiar since the fighting is way more fun.
After hating Pokemon Moon, I had doubts and swore never to buy a Pokemon game again. And yet, here we are. It does have flaws but overall it enjoyed playing this game.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
63. Catherine Full Body (Beaten on December 25th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Beat this in two days since the puzzeling and the story was a lot of fun! Might return at another point to work on different story endings. Glad I played this.
Rating: 9 out of 10
64. Borderlands 3 (Beaten on December 29th) on Playstation 4 Pro
Oh well, bought this at its release and dropped it because I was just tired of Borderlands. In the end the game is just more of the same. If you want more Borderlands, go ahead and play this game. I am tired of Borderlands and more than happy that it is over.
Rating: 6 out of 10
xx. Dead Cells (Beaten on ) on Nintendo Switch
xx. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Beaten on ) on Nintendo Switch
xx. Golf Story (Beaten on ) on Nintendo Switch
xx. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Beaten on ) on Playstation 4 Pro
xx. The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes (Beaten on ) on Nintendo 3DS
xx. Earthbound
xx. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Beaten on ) on Wii U
1. Celeste (X1S) | 1st Jan - hrs | 5/5
2. The Messenger (Switch) | 2nd Jan - hrs | 4.5/5
3. Assassins Creed Odyssey (PS4) | 7th Jan - hrs | 3/5
4. Kirby Star Allies (Switch) | 8th Jan - hrs| 3/5
5. Moss (PSVR) | 8th Jan - hrs | 3.5/5
6. Splatoon 2 Octo-Expansion | 11th Jan - hrs | 4/5
7. The World End With Your Final Remix (Switch) | 22nd Jan - hrs | 3.5/5
8. Bayonetta 2 (Switch) | 25th Jan - hrs | 4.5/5
9. Owlboy (Switch) | 4th Feb - hrs | 3.5/5
10. Resident Evil 2: Remake (PS4 Pro) | 10th Feb - hrs | 4.5/5
11. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (Switch) | 16th Feb - hrs | 5/5
12. Detroit: Become Human (PS4 Pro) | 22nd Feb - hrs | 4/5
13. Deltarune (Switch) | 3rd March - hrs | 5/5
14. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the WIld - The Champions' Ballad (Switch) | 11th March - hrs | 4.5/5
15. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (Switch) | 11th March - hrs | 2.5/5
16. Resident Evil Revelations (Switch) | 15th March - hrs | 3.5/5
17. Resident Evil Revelations 2 (Switch) | 22nd March - hrs | 3.5/5
18. The Division 2 (PS4 Pro) | April - hrs | 4/5
19. Cuphead (Switch) | 19th April - hrs | 5/5
20. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch) | 20th April - hrs | 3/5
21. Bioshock (PS4 Pro) | 30th April - hrs | 5/5
22. Bioshock 2 (PS4 Pro) | 6th May - hrs | 4/5
23. Bioshock Infinite (PS4 Pro) | 8th May - hrs | 5/5
24. The Swords of Ditto (PS4 Pro) | 8th May - hrs | 3.5/5
25. Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube) | 18th May - hrs | 4/5
26. Katana Zero (Switch) | 1st June - hrs | 4/5
27. Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube) | 2nd June - hrs | 4.5/5
28. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Switch) | 11th June - hrs | 4/5
29. Cadence of Hyrule (Switch) | 15th June - hrs | 5/5
30. Persona 3 Dancing Moonlight (PS4 Pro) | 16th June - hrs | 2/5
31. Sonic 3 & Knuckles (MegaDrive) | 17th June - hrs | 4.5/10
32. Blood & Truth (PSVR) | 20th June - hrs | 2/5
33. Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (SNES) | 21st June - hrs | 4.5/5
34. Quackshot - starring Donald Duck | 21st June - hrs | 3/5
35. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch) | 30th June - hrs | 4.5/5
36. Viewtiful Joe (Gamecube) | 4th July - hrs | 4.5/5
37. Viewtiful Joe 2 (Gamecube) | 6th July - hrs | 4/5
38. Final Fantasy VII (PS4 Pro) | 8th July - hrs | 4/5
39. My Friend Pedro (Switch) | 9th July - hrs | 3/5
40. The Wonderful 101 (Wii U) | 12th July - hrs | 5/5
41. Guacamelee! 2 (Switch) | 17th July - hrs | 4/5
42. Wonder Boy and the Dragon's Trap (Switch) | 18th July - hrs | 3.5/5
43. Thimbleweed Park (Switch) | 20th July - hrs | 3.5/5
44. Diablo 3 Eternal Collection (Switch) | 25th July - hrs | 4.5/5
45. Doom (Switch) | 1st Aug - hrs | 4/5
46. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) | 1st Aug - hrs | 4.5/5
47. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N3DS) | 3rd Aug - hrs | 3.5/5
48. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 (Switch) | 14th Aug - hrs | 3.5/5
49. Sekiro Shados Die Twice (PS4 Pro) | 14th Aug - hrs | 5/5
50. Devil May Cry 5 (PS4 Pro) | 22nd Aug - hrs | 4/5
51. Hitman 2 (PS4 Pro) | 23rd Aug - hrs | 4.5/5
52. Crash Team Racing (PS4 Pro) | 14th Sep - hrs | 3.5/5
53. Alan Wake (X1X) | 25th Sep - hrs | 4.5/5
54. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch) | 29th Sep - hrs | 4/5
55. Titanfall 2 (PS4 Pro) | 4th Oct - hrs | 4.5/5
56. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS4 Pro) | 8th Oct - hrs | 3.5/5
57. Uncharted The Lost Legacy (PS4 Pro) | 8th Oct - hrs | 4.5/5
58. Call of Duty WWII (X1X) | Oct 12th - hrs | 3.5/5
59. Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (X1X) | 31st Oct - hrs | 3/5
60. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch) | 10th Nov - hrs | 4.5/10
61. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (X1X) | 26th Nov - hrs | 3/5
62. Pokemon Sword (Switch) | 14th Dec - hrs | 3.5/5
63. Catherine Full Body (PS4 Pro) | 25th Dec - hrs | 4.5/5
64. Borderlands 3 (PS4 Pro) | 29th Dec - hrs | 3/5
Just created the ALL COMPLETIONS overview, beat the challenge September 14th :) Cant believe I made it and even added some bonus games. However, I unsure about participating next year. I have to see how I can kick off the new year gaming wise as my backlog is quiet lenghty but we'll see.
Have a happy new year everyone!
Whilst nowhere near some numbers in this thread, I'm made up to have 'beaten' a total of 30 games this year. By far my most successful year, and as other commitments begin to take over I'm quite happy to have made progress in the fact that I don't feel the need to absolutely complete every game 100%.
Looking forward to the new thread, and I've currently got 5 games in progress that hopefully I can line up to finish in January and start the year off strong.
At this rate I'm definitely not hitting 52 games, but I did at least manage to hit 26; one game every two weeks isn't so bad, especially given the hours I poured into some stuff this year. It's also better than the NINE games I managed to finish last year, breaking my 52-games streak after four years. Full list.
Total hours played: 1096:21, which is actually pretty close to my 2017 time when I finished 52.
Top 10 games by playtime:
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - 146:09
Death Stranding - 100:42 (and counting!)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 95:09
Atelier Lulua - 79:00
Pixel Puzzle Collection - 76:12
Judgment - 59:23
Days Gone - 59:13
Pokemon Shield - 58:11
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists - 54:35
Yakuza Kiwami 2 - 40:25
In general I stuck with games for longer than I did in previous years. I finished The Division 2's campaign after 51 hours and proceeded to play another 100 hours, and I'm closing in on 30 hours of Death Stranding post-game. 19 hours extra in Atelier Lulua got me a platinum trophy, as did 19 extra hours in Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists.
Plan for next year: I'm still not planning to force myself to play 52 games, but it occurs to me that I now have several sources of games that could provide a bit of a change-up from previous years. I have an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, a boatload of free games from Playstation Plus, EGS and other sources, and the Humble Choice vault. 2020 has a lot going on as well but I may prioritize the backlog; for some reason I'm just not super excited about the stuff landing next year.
Increasingly I feel like maybe I don't belong in this thread because I'm not sure I'll ever hit 52 games again, but if nothing else it's been fun logging everything I play. And hey, you never know what next year might bring. (If I'm being honest, I'm already hoarding completions for next year, shhhhh)
As metroidvanias go, this is indeed a little gem. Evoking that SotN feel and look while doing its very own thing narratively. It's a sci-fi tale about politics and time travel, and it's also a personal tale about sacrifice and revenge. The writing is at times a bit hokey, but the progressive undertones are usually well managed, and the story itself, while not really surprising, ends up being interesting enough. The gameplay is very fluid and snappy, though the game is pretty easy overall. There are several endings as well, but i felt like the second one i got was probably the right ending to finish the game on and left it at that. Can't recommend this enough.
And that's probably it. I might finish Control in the next couple of days but i doubt it.
Got to 52 just in time! I didn't know if I would since there were plenty of games I didn't get to and time is finite. I go ahead and end it at 52 since I don't really have anything I'll beat before the deadline.
35. Pathologic 2 - 50 hours
Pathologic 2 is a game with a difficult fate. Initially, it was a remake of the first game in this series, which was released back in 2005. But after 5 years of development, the original concept went through a lot of drastic and even dramatic changes. While continuing to follow the spirit of the original game, Pathologic 2 has turned into something else - and personally, I'm glad that it turned out this way. I love the original Pathologic game with passion, but it was a unique and complex piece of art, which is impossible to precisely recreate again. Instead, we got a new experience, unique and special in its own way, that is definitely not for everyone, but it sure won't leave anyone indifferent.
So what IS a Pathologic 2? Well, first of all, this is an unusual mix of a survival open-world game with the roleplaying elements. And secondly, despite its name, this is not a sequel - playing through the original game is welcome, but not necessary. The main plot and the basics of the gameplay remained the same, but the devil is in the details. Something was removed, such as the impact of a number of survivors on the ending that you'll get, something was changed, such as the narrative structure and the combat system. However, despite the attempts of developers to "modernize" the gameplay of the original and make it more accessible for a wider audience, Pathologic 2 is still an extremely hard game to get into - I would even say it is hostile to the player.
The protagonist, just like some players who's familiar with the original game, returns to his hometown after a long absence. Everything around is vaguely familiar, but a lot of stuff has to be learned the hard way, with a minimum amount of hints. But there is not much time for learning, because the time is relentless - to do everything, you have only 11 in-game days, and each of them lasts for only two hours of real time. Your character needs to sleep and eat, or he will die because of fatigue and hunger. You won't have problems with finding a place to sleep, but to get food and other supplies you need to buy or find them somewhere, and at first, money is a huge problem. Not to mention that your inventory doesn't have an infinite capacity either, so you can't keep everything and need to constantly decide which items to take and what you'll have to leave behind. And the real value of those items is not as obvious as you might think at first.
If during the first days' unprepared players can more or less manage to survive, most of them will experience true desperation when the epidemic starts and shit hits the fan for real. In addition to hunger and exhaustion, now you have to think about the danger of getting infected by the plague, which is very difficult to cure during the first days. The plague covers entire districts and your immunity is slowly getting reduced when you trying to move through these areas, and touching infected objects or getting into plague clouds can cause serious problems for you. And even in the districts that are free from infection, Pathologic 2 doesn't leave the player alone, because at night the town streets became flooded with bandits that will try to kill you at first sight.
It's not surprising that judging by the achievements stats on Steam, most of the players didn't last for longer than the second day. Pathologic 2 is just ridiculously hard - the protagonist's stomach is like a bottomless pit, stamina runs out almost instantly and prevents you from running for long. The town's layout is deliberately confusing and might be annoying to navigate, there is no minimap and most of the side streets lead to a dead-end, so you can easily lose even more time while trying to find a shortcut. In melee combat, you can't just mindlessly spam attack button, or you'll run out of stamina and become defenseless for a few seconds, knives and other defensive items break almost instantly, and firearms start to jam after just a couple of shots. There are no quicksaves in this game, so after any fatal mistake, you'll have to replay a decent chunk of the game or constantly waste your time running to the nearest save point. The cherry on top in all this is the fact that after each death, the game punishes you and PERMANENTLY reduces some of the protagonist's stats, and you can't remove this penalty even after loading the previous save file. Perhaps the developers really went a little too far with all this stuff, but after receiving a lot of complaints from the players, they've updated the game and added difficulty options. So if you are interested only in the storyline, then behold, because you have an opportunity to dive into the surreal world of Pathologic 2 without all this endless suffering.
HOWEVER, despite the fact that you CAN do that, I highly advise you to NOT change anything before your first walkthrough. Because all these difficulties are not some kind of design error - in the case of Pathologic 2, the unfairness of the gameplay benefits the atmosphere and changes your perception of this game, forcing you to play it differently from what modern AAA blockbusters have taught you. I've passed the game design course myself and know firsthand that everyone is teaching how a player should be cherished and actively entertained to prevent him from giving up playing because of a difficult or boring moment. Ice-Pick Lodge refused to follow this paradigm, they are not giving any clear directions and instead offer to the player to try and figure out everything on his own. Here's the town, here's the plague, here's the time limit, now go and solve this riddle! And it works, because despite all of these struggles, you want to return to this strange and hostile world over and over again to reveal more of its secrets.
No matter how skillful as a player you are, at first, you'll have to quite often reload the last save and repeat the same parts of the game and even entire days. However, you still won't have enough time and miss a lot of important story events. And this is completely normal because Pathologic 2 is a game about the race against the time. You need to deal with the fact that you'll have to constantly make a real, difficult choice. Some other character in the opposite part of the town knows something important about the plague, but your protagonist is tired to death and hungry, so you have to give up on this opportunity and just try to survive. We got used too much that we are the kings in the singleplayer games and everything revolves around us, so for many players, at first it will be difficult to understand that a failed quest or another stupid death in Pathologic 2 is also a valid result, and not a sentence.
There is, of course, a different way - you can stubbornly refuse to accept your fate and constantly reload the old save files until everything lines up perfectly. It's very difficult to do everything in Pathologic 2, but it's possible - I've spent 50 hours playing this game on the intended difficulty, and after numerous amount of tries I've managed to save everyone, never died and didn't miss anything really important. If you know what to do, then there will be enough time for everything - yes, the timeframe is very strict, but it's a realistic goal. To achieve such a result, you'll have to plan your actions not even for two or three, but for a dozen steps forward, however Pathologic 2 will reward plentifully every player who will decide to go that far in the fight against his fate. And while I kept refusing to accept even a small defeat because of my stubbornness, I was amazed by how complex is the system that this game is built around.
Pathologic 2 is an insanely ambitious game. In the original Pathologic the gameplay and narrative were more or less straightforward - each day the player was given one "main" quest, and if he was failing to complete it before the end of the day, one of the important characters could die. This time the game is divided into 4 acts, which could last for several in-game days, and quests have been replaced by an events system. Events are connected to each other, and often those connections are becoming clear only at the very end of the act. Instead of the usual quest journal, Pathologic 2 has a thought system - by witnessing more and more events, the player can view connections between them in a "Thoughts" menu. All this remotely resembles the Deduction system from the Sherlock Holmes games by Frogwares, but it's made on a significantly higher level of depth and quality. It's hard to describe that feeling of satisfaction when all these thoughts and clues on that peculiar map open piece by piece and form a complete image, and you realize how ambitious were ideas that developers had in their minds.
Behind the wall of hostile gameplay, Pathologic 2 is hiding a complex narrative and world with dozens of characters with their own thoughts and stories. This game is full of interesting situations, and even a brief mention of them in this video will be a crime on my part. And what personally amazes me is that the vast majority of players won't see even half of those scenes - an insane waste of resources by the standards of the modern gamedev industry. The atmosphere in this game is so surreal and breathtaking, you want to come back to this weird world just to feel it again. Music in Pathologic 2 is not playing often, but when it will start to play, it'll be a truly memorable moment.
The graphics are done on a decent level, but do not expect anything special in terms of textures and effects quality - after all, this game is made by an indie studio, which had less money on the whole project than some corporations spend on a single model of the protagonist in their next seasonal blockbuster. Also, be prepared that the game may have performance issues on the old hardware - when you hear about the "open-world indie game made on Unity engine", you can imagine what to expect in terms of performance.
Pathologic 2 was the first game that I've backed on Kickstarter, and for many years it remained the only project that I've ever supported financially. And for me personally, it fully met my expectations - I got a difficult, imperfect, but at the same time a unique game that was a truly memorable experience. Like in the original game, I slowly began to better navigate around the streets without the help of a map, remembered who and what preferred to trade, figured out the best ways to survive with minimal efforts, and after completing the game this strange steppe town felt like home to me. Pathologic 2 is an outstanding exploration game, and if you'll be able to overcome its difficulties, then it will reward you plentifully for your perseverance and curiosity.
It's kinda funny to see that Pathologic 2 is more or less repeated the fate of the original game. The first Pathologic was also an extremely ambitious game, which was originally supposed to have 7 playable characters and 500,000 words of dialogues. And professional critics, for the most part, didn't understand it too, because they tried to evaluate Ice-Pick Lodge's piece of art by the standards of ordinary games. But I would say that Pathologic 2 is not really a game, but more of an experience, and for each player, this experience will be unique and very personal. Therefore, I highly recommend to give it a chance, because I doubt we'll see anything like this in the near future. And remember that Pathologic 2 is a game about learning from your mistakes - so use the knowledge that you'll get while playing it and never give up. After all, that's how it works in real life.
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I guess that's it for me this year! Unfortunately, I didn't manage to reach the goal this time, a lot of stuff happened in my life this year and a barely had free time to play games. Also, the fact that I've started making video reviews on games I've finished didn't help in that either lol. Anyway, I still think that 35 completed games is a decent result too, I'll try to reach the goal in 2020. This time I'll try to play less of endless open-world games and try to focus on more tight experiences, I had enough after 175 hours in AC: Odyssey lol. Happy New Year guys, it was fun following your progress!
I stopped keeping track in June and then I was at 41. I think I've only beat like 5 or 6 games. Really fell off after June. But I beat Bane for our yearly bet.
Well, that's that. Got to 45 this year. A ton more than I expected to beat considering how much less time I had to game this year compared to last where I got to 53.
I think I would've made it to 52 if I didn't get the sudden urge to replay some lengthy games like GTA V, Sleeping Dogs, and No Man's Sky, but after all, gaming isn't just about getting trophies, it's also about having a good time, I guess :).
A replay for me. It's still perfect. Plenty of good tracks. The whole package is immensely charming with the Charlie's Angels / Men In Black vibe. The shift in tone for "You're the inspiration" is surprisingly well-handled and gut wrenching every time. This game has heart!
Highlight: EBA! EBA! EBA!
Lowlight: Missing notes trying to watch the animations
Highlight: That gym battle climax music
Lowlight: Sobble's final evolution
37. Thumper (PC) | 14th December - 5hrs | 5/5
Rhythm violence isn't quite how I'd describe it but there's something in that description. Thumper is a visceral thing. At times, the tempo of hazards increases beyond what you'd think yourself capable of handling and yet you just do it. The flow is euphoric. Strangely enough, it turns out that, unlike most action games, I'm totally capable of holding a full conversation while smashing Thumper.
Highlight: Getting swallowed
Lowlight: Missing a checkpoint note
38. Gone Home (PC) | 21st December - 1.5hrs | 4/5
Gone Home got me thinking about how powerless you can feel as a teenager. It can be a struggle trying to find an identity, and a struggle trying to feel like you have permission to own it. So often it seems, the people that should care about you most are unable or unwilling to help. There's this approaching event horizon of graduation and all you know is that the diaspora that follows is going to hit your life like a hard reset switch. It's a scary time and Gone Home captures some of that. It invokes a lot of strong moods in its small playtime. It's spooky, angsty, nostalgic and romantic. A perfect 90's pastiche.
We played this as Amara (siren) and FL4K (beastmaster). My Amara went the whole hog on melee. I actually ended up missing firearms a little. There's some meaty guns. However, the manufacturer gimmicks have the counter-intuitive effect of reducing useful loot pools and there are too many elemental types to have a single loadout for all situations. Doesn't help that drop rates seems pretty stingy.
The writing is about on-par with the Pre-Sequel, so flat-lining the quality graph. Only this time there's not Handsome Jack's VA performance to salvage it. Some seriously atrocious technical performance and laden with UI bugs on splitscreen. It's still the king of local coop arpg's but there's unfortunately few vying for that crown.
Highlight: Popping the tank on one of those Big Daddy enemies
Lowlight: The 6 lines of dialogue from Tyreen Calypso that randomly play every 30s through your entire playthrough
40. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC) | 21st December - 3hrs | 2/5
Plot was some half-arsed supernatural horror with an equally weak "it was all a dream" ending. Piecing together the murder scenes could have been an interesting mechanic but, beyond the initial investigation - they were relatively brainless. Ultimately, it's difficult to feel engaged with something that demands so little of your attention.
41. Titanfall 2 (PC) | 22nd December - 4hrs | 5/5
The internet didn't lie. This was a damn fine campaign. I love the dynamic between the on-foot and mech sections. On your lone-some, the movement options are liberating but you yourself are vulnerable. With BT, you're a juggernaut. Design-wise, this is just such a videogamey game in the best way possible. They built up a cast of antagonists which served as bosses for the various missions. Each mission had its own spin (it reminds me of Half Life 2 in that respect). The difficulty is tuned really, really well for a single player fps.
Highlight: The urban assembly line
Lowlight: Did Respawn steal that ending from Big Hero 6?
42. Minit (PC) | 22nd December - 1.5hrs | 4/5
Fun and silly. I liked the minimalist parody / homage to classic 2D Zelda games. Feels a bit odd to say but, despite being the central premise to this game, the 60 second time limit might have been unnecessary. It added a little tension when trying to get a task finished but no real jeopardy.
Highlight: That one screen with the submersible
Lowlight: That slow talking old guy
43. Super Hot (PC) | 22nd December - 2.5hrs | 4/5
Super Hot. Super Hot. Super Hot.
Highlight: Super Hot
Lowlight: Super Hot
A very neat idea wrapped in a William Gibson shaped package. The action and puzzle solving elements seem slightly at odds with one another but it didn't overstay its welcome.
44. Sin & Punishment (N64) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 4/5
I remember N64 magazine raving about an import version they had of Sin & Punishment in like 2000. I've finally got around to it and, yeah, it's a really good schmup. Also, they did the opening level from Bayonetta 2 before Bayonetta did it.
Highlight: The missile defense boss
Lowlight: I have no idea what's happening
45. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA) | 23rd December - 45hrs | 4/5
These Gameboy Advance Fire Emblem games are great. Beautiful pixel animations, grounded story and crunchy mechanics. Sacred Stones is a touch on the easy side. Although that might be because I arena abused Tana, Ross and Joshua into 3 out of 4 of the horsemen of the apocalypse. Ephraim just walked into that last slot without any real effort. It got to the point where I could just wade any of those units into the enemy forces and have my opponents break against them like waves upon the shore. FE games never fail to hold my attention though thanks to a great gameplay loop. I might check out Path of Radiance next.
Highlight: Ross's insane gains
Lowlight: Cormag dying to a swordmaster critical after hours spent arena training.
46. Metal Slug (PC) | 23rd December - 1hrs | 3/5
Played 2 player coop. Insane detail on the animations. But also insane cheapness from enemies. Thank god for infinite credits.
47. Virginia (PC) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 2/5
There was some bold visuals in places but overall I really don't think Virginia delivered. Some initial threads were established to whet our appetite but it ultimately just degenerates into some wannabe Mulholland Drive montage. Unfortunately, the result is just hackneyed and unaffecting. The combination of zero dialogue with unexpressive marionette characters was ill-advised. The shot transitions were often ham-fisted.
48. Monument Valley (Android) | 25th December - 1hrs | 2/5
More of a toy than a puzzle game. It excites some curiosity when sliding and spinning the Escher-esque non-Euclidian geometries. But it's entirely devoid of the "aha" moments that let you feel some accomplishment.
49. Tacoma (PC) | 29th December - 3hrs | 4/5
I didn't really know what to expect going in but I was hooked. On first impressions it seems like a setup for a murder mystery but instead it focuses on characters as they deal with a crisis. They're likeable characters and I was invested in their survival. Didn't see the ending coming and it was adroitly done.
50. Monument Valley 2 (Android) | 30th December - 1hrs | 3/5
Same pros and cons as the first one. I felt slightly more involved as the player this time and more was made of the plot. Enjoyable.
51. Metal Slug 2 (PC) | 30th December - 1hrs | 4/5
Wow, these games are full on. Mummies, mutants and aliums outta nowhere. Played this one 2 player as well.
52. Metal Slug 3 (PC) | 30th December - 1hrs | 4/5
This one is seriously off the wall. Giant crabs, man-eating plants, infectious zombies, War of the Worlds walkers and clones. Loved the destitute Japanese army division with jury-rigged tanks being walked around like pantomime horses and fighter planes on wires.
similar, made out with 22+ last year and only 3 this year. May burn through 1979 today as I started it three years ago and it happens to only be 2 1/2 hours.
Finished a single game in December but it ended up being my GotY, narrowly beating the two indies that were fighting about the top spot before. Supraland and Forager were superb games but I am a sucker for good characters and Jedi had a whole bunch of them!
Amazing year for me. Not even close to my 2018 numbers but 107 is a huge amount of games! A majority of them have been great too!
Thanks for this year everyone, see you in the 2020 thread! :D
107. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC) | 10th Dec - 27hrs | 5/5
As said, this is my GotY 2019. I know a lot of people have been having technical issues but I experienced no bugs or glitches during my whole playthrough. I'm really sorry not everyone was that fortunate and hope they can iron out that stuff. Traversal was fun, the maps were cool, it looks incredible and I can go on for ages. I clicked with the characters immediately and love them all. BD-1 is the most adorable companion in ages and everything was just my thing the whole way through. Another thing is that I'm not really a Star Wars fan. I have not seen most of the movies/series or cared much about the SW universe besides being absolutely in love with Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy as a teenager. I think I like Star Wars in small doses? Anyway, great game! Wooh!
105) Luigi's Mansion 3(Switch - December 31st - 13 hours - 3/5)
Definitely enjoyed this game more than the second one, which I found mostly tedious and boring. Still don't like it as much as the first one I think, but a fun game nonetheless.
And that's it for 2019! What a ride, easily the most games I ever finished in a year (the closest one since I started counting was 81 in 2017). I will most likely slow things down from now on though. I want to get more into reading, and play more longer games as well. I just started FFXIV, so we'll see how that goes.
I still want to try and reach 52 games, but insane numbers like 105 probably will no longer happen lol.
Let's wrap this up. Thanks Wozzer for running the thread this year, it's been great reading everyone's posts. Hope to see y'all again in 2020!
54. Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope (2014, Wii U) ā ā ā ā ā
This retro-styled platformer got praised to hell and back upon release, so with the new expansions released, I figured I should dig it (sorry) out of the backlog. Overall I'm rather positive on the game, but it's not without its frustrations. Yes, it nails the visuals and music, and retains an approachable simplicity that feels intrinsically classic.
But it also dregs less revered traditions from the past back up: chiefly one-hit kill spikes (that's what bottomless pits are for!) and how a hit will push Shovel Knight backwards, often leaving him helpless in mid-air. There are ways around these, but they require in-game upgrades. Upgrades in general are important to the design here, as they allow you to organically lower the difficulty (some items let you cruise over gaps), or raise it (by not getting upgrades and/or destroying checkpoints). Fundamentally though, the upgrades didn't quite address my core problem here: a distinct lack of platforming skills. As such, I had about half the optional gear and still died 200 times in a 7 hour platformer.
Sure, those deaths were almost never due to the game being cheap, but I wish there was a way I could have maybe bought more checkpoints or something.
Those complaints aside, I think the game really benefits from having a strong ending. Satisfying final boss, great cut-scene reflecting back on your journey, and the characters really cement their personalities towards the end. That elevates it to 4 stars for me. Will try the expansions next.
55. Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (2015, Wii U) ā ā ā ā ā
Shovel Knight's first expansion pack offers an alternative quest which coincides story-wise with Shovel Knight's own adventure. In this one you play as Plague Knight, a dastardly mad scientist who wishes he could dance. I read this one's the most difficult campaign of the lot, but didn't find that to be the case at all.
Now, perhaps it's the familiarity with the levels from the previous game still fresh in my memory, but I found Plague Knight a real joy to control. His moveset somewhat reminds me of Pikachu's in the Super Smash Bros. series: you have a double jump, plus a bomb burst you can use to launch yourself in semi-controlled fashion. Add to this a plethora of general attack options (there's easily 100+ possible bomb combinations to create), plus various Arcana moves which range from creating platforms in mid-air to extra firepower.
I guess if we're drawing classic platformer comparisons, the original Shovel Knight leans more heavily on Ducktales and Mega Man, whereas Plague of Shadows cribs a bit from (Super) Metroid. You're fast, nimble, with lots of chainable movement options, and can even attain Screw Attack and Speed Booster-inspired upgrades.
Found this one much less frustrating than the original Shovel Knight, I died way less often despite taking bigger risks and moving at a faster pace. Add to that a great final boss & ending; Plague of Shadows is a real winner.
56. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (2017, Wii U) ā ā ā ā ā
Starting out, this one didn't feel right to me. Just a single jump, a short wall run and a homing attack? Specter Knight has nothing on Plague Knight's aerial movement options! Once you start unlocking the Curios though, your palette of options quickly widens. To accomodate for Specter Knight's abilities, the levels were pretty thoroughly overhauled this time. Not always for the better, in my opinion (the Clocktower level's checkpoints seem weirdly clustered together, for example), but on balance it leads to several things you haven't done before in Shovel Knight games yet. Also changed is the world map, in that it's absent here entirely. I guess you could do all the levels in any order you like, but there's a few which still heavily benefit from unlocking the Float ability which you don't get early on.
Something I'm less fond of is the storytelling here. The comedy writing is still strong, and the new hideout is really fun if you've played the original Shovel Knight already. However, some of the attempts at earnest drama fell a bit flat for me. Why are we asked to care about Reize, of all people? Not only have we wiped the floor with him in the earlier games, but we also know that (since Specter of Torment is a prequel) he turns out to be the dimmest, most anime-tropey hero adventurer possible. There's no reason to feel invested in his backstory; arguably, it just detracts from his later depictions. I know he's a previously existing character from somewhere, but centering this entire game largely around him feels like the first real mistake in this series so far. Any of the human characters will inevitably pale next to the very colourful cast of knights here; why even bother?
57. Shovel Knight: King of Cards (2019, Wii U) ā ā ā ā ā
Hell yes, King of Cards is another home run for the developers at Yacht Club Games, who at this point are just showing off. In this last solo campaign, you play as the sniveling mommy's boy King Knight, who acquires a crown through exploiting a loophole and betraying anyone who supports him. Everything from his pompous walking animation, to the whining to regain hearts, to how he'll lose his crown when entering a stage, and the army of rats who do the hard work for him... It all feels perfect to convey the deeply sad, misguided, tantrum-throwing crybaby of a leader King Knight is - and it's easy to see him as a caricature of several Western heads of state.
While I liked Plague Knight's campaign more due to the lovable rogue protagonist, there's not denying King of Cards is the definitive Shovel Knight campaign. Breaking the levels up into shorter pieces solves a problem I didn't even know I had with the franchise, the world map returns with a vengeance (including secret exits), King Knight's movements feel very precise, the writing is top-tier again, and once again they absolutely nail the ending. The included card game, Joustus, plays similarly to Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII, and feels like it could be spun off into an app of its own. Best part is that it's wholly optional; you can basically ignore the whole thing if it doesn't strike your fancy. Yes, it's a longer game than the others too, but unlike the first Shovel Knight I was never anxious to just wrap things up already.
King of Cards is the real deal. Funny, controls very well, occassionally poignant; the undeniable crowning achievement of this franchise (sorry).
44. Sin & Punishment (N64) | 23rd December - 2hrs | 4/5
I remember N64 magazine raving about an import version they had of Sin & Punishment in like 2000. I've finally got around to it and, yeah, it's a really good schmup. Also, they did the opening level from Bayonetta 2 before Bayonetta did it.
53. Shovel Knight: King of Cards (Switch) | 24th Dec - 18hrs | 5/5
I'm so happy to have been following Shovel Knight for so many years. While I was a bit on the fence with the shorter levels and lack of end-of-stage boss battles, I grew to appreciate the pure platforming challenges this campaign set out to present. I also spent a lot of time playing Joustus but ultimately I still have not beaten the final challenge for it yet. Overall a really fun campaign, it's not my favorite of the Shovel Knight games but it's still extremely worth playing for its charm and the card game stuff is skippable enough if you don't enjoy it.
I had always heard about how great the SteamWorld games were but I was also put off by the art style of these games. Glad I finally bit the bullet on this though because it was a really meditative and rewarding experience. I'm glad you have a lot of extra currency so you don't have to be an extreme completionist to get all of the upgrades. This was a small game that wasn't that challenging or innovative but really well-executed and I hope the sequel expands on the gameplay a lot because I wouldn't want just more of the same despite enjoying this so much.
I don't know why I put off this game for so long, I really enjoyed the first one years ago. I'm just bad at actually playing my 3DS haha. I think this time around I understood the mechanics a lot better since I wasn't dying nearly as much as I did in the first game. Copen is a lot of fun to play, possibly a bit overpowered since I beat everything twice as fast as when I'm playing with Gunvolt, or maybe Gunvolt is just weak? I'm glad that the follow-up stars Copen, can't wait to get to it.
56. Gato Roboto (Switch) | 30th Dec - 3hrs | 5/5
Oh my god, a "Metroidvania" that all Metroid and zero Castlevania!My only "complaint" is that the point of no return is an actual point of no return and not a "you will come back to this savepoint after beating the game" since I wanted to get through the final boss and then come back to clean up the collectibles. But I'm not going to mark it down for that since it warned me and that's my fault. I love this adorable little game, I want more games like this.
I'm sorry about flooding the thread with my full list here! I'd misremembered making an early post in the thread to link to, and left assembling all this to the last moment as is the custom.
2019:
1. The Messenger (PC) | Jan 10 - 16hrs | 5/5
Much more than it initially seems, and even then it's already a incredibly fun time in all respects. It pushed all the right buttons for me and is probably my favourite new playthrough of the year.
2. Ratchet & Clank (PS2) | Jan 18 - 18hrs | 4/5
A bit clunky due to its age, but still a wholly fun adventure with a ton of things to do and see, and just about as many weapons to shoot at those things with. I barely felt the 18 hours fly by.
3. Spyro the Dragon (PS1) | Jan 31 - 12hrs | 4/5
I had no idea Spyro was a such a good game! It's full of clever design, witty writing, and a wide array of things to do and see. I couldn't put it away until I'd done everything it had to offer, and I'm very much looking forward to doing it all over again with the remastered trilogy.
4. New Super Mario Bros (DS) | Feb 09 - 10hrs | 4/5
Despite a bunch of general grumpiness about the direction the New Super Mario Bros. series took, I keep replaying them, and have to admit they're pretty darned good even if they're not quite the true Super Mario World continuation I've always wanted.
5. Return of the Tentacle Prologue (PC) | Mar 03 - 3hrs | 4/5
A very well-made fan sequel to Day of the Tentacle, good enough that it felt like something created by the original team. A little bittersweet in that it really is just a prologue, opening up the potential to a continuation in the future (I hope!) while leaving me wanting more.
6. Ballads of Reemus: When The Bed Bites (PC) | Apr 11 - 3hrs | 3/5
A continuation of the Newgrounds series of Flash adventure games. A nice, breezy playthrough - the puzzles are neither completely obvious nor painfully obtuse, and the writing was entertaining throughout.
7. Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan (PC) | Apr 26 - 8hrs | 4/5
More than just hidden-object game! A dark fairy-tale of a story that reminded me a lot of the King's Quest series, gorgeous art throughout, and varied puzzles with traditional adventure game inventory juggling to logic and deduction that'd feel right at home in something like The Castle of Dr. Brain. A lot better than I'd expected, and started me on a journey through an unhealthy amount of Artifex Mundi's catalogue.
8. Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden (PC) | Apr 27 - 6hrs | 3/5
Another from Artifex Mundi - not quite as well-rounded as the last one, but still a good time. Started to see the cracks in Artifex Mundi's formula here, with a lot of the puzzles being a little too similar to the last game.
9. One Finger Death Punch (PC) | May 06 - 25hrs | 5/5
Games don't get much less complicated than this: one button to attack left, the other to attack right. The game does a fantastic job of gradually increasing the speed and complexity of the enemy hordes through its three difficulty levels - One Finger Death Punch proves well that simple doesn't have to mean insubstantial.
10. Kung Fu (NES) | May 07 - 2hrs | 4/5
Still a whole lot of fun despite its age and simplicity. I wasn't able to finish it as a kid, so I made a point of kicking and punching my way through both Game A and Game B this year when I came across a cheap copy.
11. The Castle of Dr. Brain (PC) | May 10 - 3hrs | 4/5
The Artifex Mundi games had me thinking about this old puzzle gem a lot, and it still holds up well. A wide variety of puzzles from just about every discipline, and plenty of comfortably non-threatening mad science to stitch it all together.
12. The Secret Order 2: Masked Intent (PC) | May 15 - 5hrs | 3/5
I'm still enjoying Artifex Mundi's brand of puzzle/adventure mashup, but some of the puzzles are starting to feel pretty arbitrary and/or repetitive. Nice art here, though!
13. Violent Storm (Arcade) | May 17 - 1hrs | 3/5
A very Final Fight-inspired brawler from Konami. Competent all around, but the most remarkable feature is the soundtrack, both the songs with lyrics and the songs without. Sets just the right tongue-in-cheek tone for the game.
14. Everspace (PC) | May 21 - 10hrs | 4/5
A space shooter reduced to the essentials - jump to an area, fight some things, collect some resources, and move onto the next area. Made to be endlessly replayable, it's cleverly structured to deliver bits of story and carry forward new weapon, tool, ability, and ship unlocks as you go, so runs rarely feel pointless even if they end in failure. And the presentation is lovely even on my potato of a PC.
15. The Island of Dr. Brain (PC) | May 23 - 4hrs | 4/5
Another fun replay, the sequel expands on The Castle of Dr. Brain both in size and scope without feeling like a rote retread of old puzzles. Right up there with the original.
16. Denjin Makai (Arcade) | May 24 - 1hrs | 4/5
A solid brawler that was mostly left in Japan, playable thanks to MAME. Lots of player characters, a wide variety of environments, and some fun systems make it a little better than the average brawler.
17. Life Force (NES) | May 31 - 2hrs | 5/5
My favourite game in the Gradius series. Prime Konami all the way through - excellent music and sound, varied levels alternating between horizontal and vertical scrolling, the combination of creepy alien organics and high technology - and I still love the idea of the entire battle taking place inside the body of a huge planet-devouring creature, which you dismantle organ by organ (sort of?) to save the planet Gradius.
18. Mind Snares: Alice's Journey (PC) | Jun 06 - 3hrs | 3/5
More Artifex Mundi, but this one is a little more novel, taking place in a through-the-looking-glass world built in Alice's mind while she's in a coma after a car accident, helping her wake up and get her life straightened around in the process. It's pretty good.
19. Minit (PC) | Jun 06 - 1.5hrs | 4/5
Not a new idea, but a fun take on it, mashing up action-adventure games like Link's Awakening with the no-time-to-waste timer of Half-Minute Hero. Lots to do in that minute, and plenty of secrets to find as well as a new game+ mode, giving the game plenty of reasons for a replay after seeing that first ending.
20. Himno (PC) | Jun 07 - 3hrs | 3/5
A relaxing platformer where the only enemy to battle is gravity. There's not much to do after an hour or so beyond achievement hunting, but it's a good hour. Free on Steam - There's a sequel due out in February that's meant to expand the concept.
21. Last Horizon (PC) | Jun 09 - 3hrs | 3/5
A fun minimalist space exploration/survival game, where you're piloting the last human colony ship to find a new home for what's left of humanity. You land on planets lunar lander-style, collect just enough resources to keep you going without destroying the local ecology (it's just a meter) and try not to get shot down by hostile aliens or sucked into a singularity along the way.
22. Fight'N Rage (PC) | Jun 26 - 5hrs | 5/5
One of the most impressive, feature-rich brawlers out there - branching paths, fighting game-style movesets for all the main characters (complete with training trials!), and a ton of unlockable things (palettes/skins, features, difficulties, and even most of the game's enemies as playable characters). Easily up there with stuff like Streets of Rage Remake, in my opinion.
23. ActRaiser (SNES) | Jun 30 - 6hrs | 5/5
The epitome of "greater than the sum of its parts". Neither the action nor the sim parts of the game would be remarkable on their own aside from the occasionally pretty art and consistently stunning music, but the way they knit together is a unique and wonderful experience. The first of Quintet's incredible SNES lineup.
24. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (360) | Aug 03 - 13hrs | 5/5
One of my all-time favourite games, so a bonus copy through Xbox Live was all the inspiration needed for an impromptu playthrough.
25. Major Mayhem (PC) | Aug 24 - 6hrs | 3/5
A decent mobile/PC cover shooter that combines gallery shooting and simple platforming. I really liked what I played of it - another one of those "best in short bursts" games - but it did feel a bit on the tedious side unlocking new weapons and such. Still plenty left to do when the urge hits.
26. Dragon Quest I (SNES) | Sep 12 - 12hrs | 3/5
The first Dragon Quest remake - the SNES version doubles the XP and gold you get from battles to make it less tedious and brings the look of the game up to Dragon Quest V standards. Still not a complex or ultimately very interesting RPG, but some good nostalgia and a chance to better enjoy an old classic. Played with the translation patch found at romhacking.net.
27. Perdition (PC) | Sep 29 - 0.5hrs | 3/5
More of an student project than a game, tells the short revenge story of a survivor of an alien assault. Limited, but entertaining during its short playthrough. Free on Steam.
28. Fortix (PC) | Sep 30 - 2hrs | 3/5
Medieval QIX - not very long, but some good QIX-based fun if that's your thing. Made some oddly-shaped boxes, swore at some dragons.
29. Neon Beats (PC) | Sep 30 - 0.5hrs | 3/5
Free on Steam, a short platformer that incorporates rhythm elements into the level design. Good while it lasted.
30. Beyond Gravity (PC) | Oct 02 - 5hrs | 3/5
Used as a way to burn a few minutes here and there, the time I put into it was stretched over a few years. Added to the list because I finished the last achievement and probably won't play it again.
31. Fortix 2 (PC) | Oct 04 - 4hrs | 3/5
There's more to do than the original, but also a lot more aggravation in the later levels. More QIX, more dragons, more swearing at my computer screen.
32. Dead Pixels (PC) | Oct 05 - 2hrs | 3/5
A zombie survival shooter that plays a bit like a side-scrolling version of Left 4 Dead. Not bad - fun for the two hours I put into it, and probably would last a a lot more than that in co-op.
33. Backbone: Prologue (PC) | Oct 07 - 1hrs | 4/5
I'm really digging this prologue-as-demo renaissance for adventure games. Backbone's noir-infused prologue got me pretty jazzed for what the full game could deliver, despite some performance quirks on my flops-challenged PC.
34. The Expendabros (PC) | Oct 09 - 1hrs | 3/5
It's about an hour of extra Broforce starring (most of) the bros from The Expendables 3. Steam freebie.
35. Food Drive (PC) | Oct 10 - 1.5hrs | 3/5
A Micro-Machines version of Crazy Taxi where you're collecting and delivering food instead of people. Not a bad time - there's a little progression unlocking a few levels and trucks that represent various food-related charities with different stats. Another Steam freebie.
36. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (PC) | Oct 19 - 7hrs | 4/5
The first Monkey Island game is one of my favourite adventure games, and I think the special edition is a quality remake. The art can be a little hit-or-miss, but the voice acting is fantastic and both the revamped music and ambient sound additions are well-appreciated.
37. Doom 64 EX (PC) | Oct 31 - 8hrs | 4/5
I'd ignored Doom 64 in the N64 days, but it's actually quite a good entry to the series, comparing well to the first two games. I figure that last boss probably resulted in the untimely deaths of a few N64 controllers, though
38. Gyruss (NES) | Nov 05 - 4hrs | 5/5
Extremely fun and challenging in that old single-screen arcade way, a nice refinement of Gyruss' unique twist on the Galaga-style single screen shooter - I'd always thought this was just a port of the arcade game, but it's actually more of a sequel, extended and improved. More prime Konami.
39. Ducktales (NES) | Nov 13 - 2hrs | 4/5
My favourite of Capcom's Disney-licensed games. Nostalgia or not, I still had a fantastic time re-exploring all the nooks and crannies of the game's five levels and salvaging enough foreign loot to make Flintheart Glomgold's kilt burn with jealous fury again in 2019.
40. Gradius (NES) | Nov 15 - 4hrs | 4/5
Still a very fun shooter despite its age, and pioneered both the Gradius "don't ever die" loop and the Konami code to balance it out. Very much worth a playthrough for any Gradius fan.
41. Super Mario Land 2 (GB) | Nov 19 - 3hrs | 4/5
Still a little wonky compared to console Mario, but a big jump in quality over the previous game while retaining much of the weirdness that gave the original its unique flavour. And it was a long time coming, this playthrough. Enjoyed it a lot.
42. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB) | Nov 29 - 5hrs | 5/5
They replaced the unique flavour of Super Mario Land with garlic, farts, and huge sacks of money, and I loved every filthy minute of it. Mario can keep that dumb statue - I own a goddamned planet!
43. 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek (PC) | Nov 30 - 2hrs | 3/5
This one got a bit crazy, story-wise, but it was pretty short and generally innocuous. A few satisfying puzzles without a painful amount of re-appropriation from other games or running around in circles trying to figure out what needed doing. Too many Artifex Mundi games in a year might just be starting to wear the charm a little thin, though.
44. Crimsonland (PC) | Dec 03 - 4hrs | 4/5
Still rad (and red) in 2019. Piles of weapons and perks to keep all the carnage interesting, as well a variety of game modes and difficulty modes to unlock. It still feels like an old game, but it's a really good old game that continues to stand out in a crowded genre.
45. The Room Three (PC) | Dec 04 - 8hrs | 5/5
This is right on the heels of The Messenger as my second-favourite playthrough of the year. The intricacy of the puzzle design here is really impressive - puzzles inside of puzzles inside of puzzles. Everything full of shiny victorian artistry and satisfying mechanical precision, to the point where the machines almost seem like they could really function, given just the right mad craftsperson. An excellent entry into this outstanding puzzle exploration series.
46. Tesla vs. Lovecraft (PC) | Dec 05 - 10hrs | 4/5
Very much the spiritual successor to Crimsonland. It expands the concept with much more complex and maze-like environments in which to battle the swarms of things from the deep, along with fleshed out movement options and abilities to make the change manageable. Still both very challenging and very fun, packed with unlockables and progression to keep it interesting for a long time to come.
47. Chronicles of Magic: Divided Kingdoms (PC) | Dec 07 - 4hrs | 3/5
The last Artifex Mundi adventure of the year. This one had some proper high drama - betrayal, redemption, noble self-sacrifice, and balloon rides. Hidden objects of course, and puzzles involving spinning a thing clockwise or counter clockwise until all the panels were lit. It was pretty good, really, but I think I'm burned out on the formula for a little while.
48. Forward to the Sky (PC) | Dec 08 - 2hrs | 3/5
A short puzzle-platformer about an adventure-seeking princess hunting the witch who lives in the ruins of the sky tower. A little clunky and unpolished, it feels like a small team's first effort - but none of that really got in the way of my enjoying the game. Cute and full of heart.
49. Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB) | Dec 10 - 4hrs | 4/5
VB Wario Land illustrates what could've been had the Virtual Boy been a little more popular. Wario feels as nimble and fun to play with as the flagship Mario games, and huge nicely-animated sprites and cleverly elabourate levels populate the world. It's not a long game, but it's great all the way through and deserves some recognition for its quality - Nintendo would've done well releasing this as a 3DS title, owning a truly good point of the Virtual Boy's legacy instead of burying it all together as an unmitigated failure.
50. QuackShot Starring Donald Duck (GEN) | Dec 13 - 3hrs | 4/5
Sega made some great Disney games too - I think this is technically part of the Castle of Illusion series (but it's even better because you play as Donald Duck). There's not a huge challenge here, but it's a fun play and I enjoyed the more open almost-a-metroidvania structure.
51. Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero (SNES) | Dec 14 - 2hrs | 4/5
Released as a Satellaview broadcast, it's the last sequel to the Mega Man-inspired PC Engine series, and maybe the best in the series at that. They've traded shooting for Street Fighter-style melee - you punch, uppercut, and throw fireballs while still running the stages like Mega Man. It's a good combination and a highly recommendable amount of fun, no translation needed.
52. Soul Blazer (SNES) | Dec 17 - 12hrs | 4/5
It might not be a direct sequel to ActRaiser, or play anything like it, but it sure feels like a spiritual successor in plot and tone (and borrows a lot aurally). It's a top-down action-RPG this time around, and definitely earns its reputation as one of the SNES's finest, continuing Quintet's streak of fantastic games. The 12ish hours I put into it went by in a hurry.
53. GS Mikami - Joreishi wa Nice Body (SNES) | Dec 18 - 2hrs | 4/5
It's a game based on a franchise I'd never heard of, developed by Natsume. Not overly challenging or complicated, just a fun run-to-the-left platformer filled with a wide variety of pleasantly weird yokai-inspired enemies to exorcise through its seven stages. A little bit Castlevania, a little bit Valis, here.
54. Goof Troop (SNES) | Dec 19 - 4hrs | 4/5
Capcom was still making quality Disney games into the SNES era, and Goof Troop is one of the better ones. It's very much like a simpler dungeon-only version of Link to the Past, with an emphasis on puzzles. Also notable as a really good two-player co-op game and as an early game designed by Shinji Mikami.
55. Gargoyle's Quest 2 (NES) | Dec 20 - 4hrs | 4/5
Very much a sequel to the first game, it keeps the same mix of overhead and side-scrolling areas, with similar upgrade progression, level design, and length. It looks a little nicer on the NES hardware, as well. I've got a soft spot for the franchise and it didn't disappoint - just left me wanting a little more.
56. Final Fight 3 (SNES) | Dec 22 - 1hrs | 4/5
Did Haggar grow a ponytail because they added super moves? Or did they add super moves because Haggar grew a ponytail? A quality brawler that was just a little late in the SNES' lifespan to be more notable, I think. They even upgraded Haggar's piledriver into a spinning piledriver! It's great!
57. For the Frog the Bell Tolls / Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (GB) | Dec 23 - 12hrs | 4/5
Probably best known as the precursor to Link's Awakening, a lot of the elements that made that game great existed here first. It plays a lot like a Zelda game, too, albeit with turn-based battles instead of the usual sword-swinging. It has a few issues with pacing and some tedious mechanics (puzzles that involve several returns to the inventory window in quick succession, puzzles solved by stacks of consumable items) but the game's charm blunted a lot of potential annoyance. I had a great time with it, played with the excellent translation available at romhacking.net.
58. Borderlands 2 (PC) | Dec 26 - 66 hrs | 4/5
The game's style of humour and characterization range from mild to nails-on-a-chalkboard irritation, but the overall story beats are fine, and the game itself is pretty sturdy. The sheer volume of content along with the neverending hunt for more and better loot are a potent mix - I had 60ish hours tallied when I finally decided to focus on finishing the last few main story missions. And after that there's still a ton of DLC content waiting. If the game generally agrees with you the value proposition here is fantastic.
59. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (PC) | Dec 29 - 10hrs | 5/5
I went with comfortable nostalgia for my final game of the decade, even skipping the special edition in favour of those still-cool-today iMuse transitions in DOSBox. Hold me, Lucasarts, the future is scary.
1. The Messenger (PC) | Jan 10 - 16hrs | 5/5
2. Ratchet & Clank (PS2) | Jan 18 - 18hrs | 4/5
3. Spyro the Dragon (PS1) | Jan 31 - 12hrs | 4/5
4. New Super Mario Bros (DS) | Feb 09 - 10hrs | 4/5
5. Return of the Tentacle Prologue (PC) | Mar 03 - 3hrs | 4/5
6. Ballads of Reemus: When The Bed Bites (PC) | Apr 11 - 3hrs | 3/5
7. Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan (PC) | Apr 26 - 8hrs | 4/5
8. Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden (PC) | Apr 27 - 6hrs | 3/5
9. One Finger Death Punch (PC) | May 06 - 25hrs | 5/5
10. Kung Fu (NES) | May 07 - 2hrs | 4/5
11. The Castle of Dr. Brain (PC) | May 10 - 3hrs | 4/5
12. The Secret Order 2: Masked Intent (PC) | May 15 - 5hrs | 3/5
13. Violent Storm (Arcade) | May 17 - 1hrs | 3/5
14. Everspace (PC) | May 21 - 10hrs | 4/5
15. The Island of Dr. Brain (PC) | May 23 - 4hrs | 4/5
16. Denjin Makai (PC) | May 24 - 1hrs | 4/5
17. Life Force (NES) | May 31 - 2hrs | 5/5
18. Mind Snares: Alice's Journey (PC) | Jun 06 - 3hrs | 3/5
19. Minit (PC) | Jun 06 - 1.5hrs | 4/5
20. Himno (PC) | Jun 07 - 3hrs | 3/5
21. Last Horizon (PC) | Jun 09 - 3hrs | 3/5
22. Fight'N Rage (PC) | Jun 26 - 5hrs | 5/5
23. ActRaiser (SNES) | Jun 30 - 6hrs | 5/5
24. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (360) | Aug 03 - 13hrs | 5/5
25. Major Mayhem (PC) | Aug 24 - 6hrs | 3/5
26. Dragon Quest I (SNES) | Sep 12 - 12hrs | 4/5
27. Perdition (PC) | Sep 29 - 0.5hrs | 2/5
28. Fortix (PC) | Sep 30 - 2hrs | 3/5
29. Neon Beats (PC) | Sep 30 - 0.5hrs | 3/5
30. Beyond Gravity (PC) | Oct 02 - 5hrs | 3/5
31. Fortix 2 (PC) | Oct 04 - 4hrs | 3/5
32. Dead Pixels (PC) | Oct 05 - 2hrs | 3/5
33. Backbone: Prologue (PC) | Oct 07 - 1hrs | 4/5
34. The Expendabros (PC) | Oct 09 - 1hrs | 3/5
35. Food Drive (PC) | Oct 10 - 1.5hrs | 3/5
36. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (PC) | Oct 19 - 7hrs | 4/5
37. Doom 64 EX (PC) | Oct 31 - 8hrs | 4/5
38. Gyruss (NES) | Nov 05 - 4hrs | 5/5
39. Ducktales (NES) | Nov 13 - 2hrs | 4/5
40. Gradius (NES) | Nov 15 - 4hrs | 4/5
41. Super Mario Land 2 (GB) | Nov 19 - 3hrs | 4/5
42. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB) | Nov 29 - 5hrs | 5/5
43. 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek (PC) | Nov 30 - 2hrs | 3/5
44. Crimsonland (PC) | Dec 03 - 4hrs | 4/5
45. The Room Three (PC) | Dec 04 - 8hrs | 5/5
46. Tesla vs. Lovecraft (PC) | Dec 05 - 10hrs | 4/5
47. Chronicles of Magic: Divided Kingdoms (PC) | Dec 07 - 4hrs | 3/5
48. Forward to the Sky (PC) | Dec 08 - 2hrs | 2/5
49. Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB) | Dec 10 - 4hrs | 4/5
50. QuackShot Starring Donald Duck (GEN) | Dec 13 - 3hrs | 4/5
51. Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero (SNES) | Dec 14 - 2hrs | 4/5
52. Soul Blazer (SNES) | Dec 17 - 12hrs | 4/5
53. GS Mikami - Joreishi wa Nice Body (SNES) | Dec 18 - 2hrs | 4/5
54. Goof Troop (SNES) | Dec 19 - 4hrs | 4/5
55. Gargoyle's Quest 2 (NES) | Dec 20 - 4hrs | 4/5
56. Final Fight 3 (SNES) | Dec 22 - 1hrs | 4/5
57. For the Frog the Bell Tolls / Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (GB) | Dec 23 - 12hrs | 4/5
58. Borderlands 2 (PC) | Dec 26 - 66 hrs | 4/5
59. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (PC) | Dec 29 - 10hrs | 5/5
One last good entry to end the year on a better note than the trash that was Lux Obscura, and what a good note this is. A fantastic puzzle game about manipulating images and perspective, with great art style and very cool puzzles (how do these creators come up with some of this stuff is beyond me). It's a shortie at 2 hours but it doesnt overstay it's welcome and it's very worth your time, especially if you catch it on sale. One of my favorites this year.
Game 74: OPUS: The Day We Found Earth (Switch) | 90 Minutes | 12/02/2019 | 6/10
A cute little game where you scan solar systems looking for Earth. The gameplay is basic but the rest of the game is good enough to keep you through it. It's ok.
Game 75: Trover Saves The Universe (PS4) | 5 Hours | 12/06/2019 | 6/10
This is the videogame equivalent of a one man band with Justin Roiland at the helm. It's a basic enough action platformer and your experience with the game will be judged on your tolerance of Justin Roiland.
Wattam is the newest game from the creator of Katamari Damacy. While it doesn't have the same "easy to learn hard to master" gameplay hook as Katamari, it still sports a good artstyle, good soundtrack and weirdly emotional story. Also at some point the entire screen reads "Welcome Home Toilet". Good Game.
I'm not that much into superhero stuff and started playing this for mainly being an Insomniac Games effort. What a great game they delivered. The web-swinging and other traversal in the NYC sandbox feels amazing. The combat a good balance of power trip with the need to not overextend oneself. Lovable heroes and villains, the story web glued everything together nicely. The overall production value left little to desire.
42. TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival (Steam, 2019/11/01, 1.1 hrs first clear, 9.9 hrs 1CC on all 4 chara)
The challenge pacing is delightful in this doujin bullet hell SHMUP. The intense moments of survival and sweet release are coming in a perfect sine wave. The player is constantly showered with stress and gratification. The presentation and music are a fair bit above doujin average. I kept coming back for more.
43. TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II (Steam, 2019/11/12, 0.9 hrs)
This one is as good as the original, just refined in every regard.
Its handheld origin is still pretty obvious and should frame expectations. Not the greatest Resident Evil experience, but also not terrible. The core values of the series are present and I enjoyed my time with Revelations.
45. Himno (Steam, 2019/11/24, 1.5 hrs)
One of the neat little and FREE gems on Steam. Your knight explores procedural generated ruins in this endless platformer. You'll find wisps on the way which modify the gameplay to keep things fresh. Himno is a nice little palate cleanser.
46. TouHou Fantasia (Steam, 2019/11/24, 0.3 hrs)
Brief little TouHou appetizer to scare people away from bullet hell SHMUPs forever: one level, one boss, super hard, but also FREE. Not for the faint of heart, some courage is required.
47. Last Resort Island (Steam, 2019/11/21, 12.1 hrs)
Brilliant match3+ puzzler with lots of extras, tons of levels and a quirky little meta plot.
Funny little "QP Shooting - Dangerous" spin off, the presents were stolen and it's on you to get them back. The stages are xmas/winter themed and the story is cute and ditzy. 1CC is required to clear this SHMUP, but it's manageable.
Based Capcom did well with this REmake. It's like when you remember an old game being better than it actually is, but they managed to make the memory acutally true. The whole game is such a wellrounded and polished package.
50. PuLiRuLa (Arcade, 2019/12/31, 29 mins)
There are not many beat 'em ups as quirky and weird like this. The gameplay got little depth, but the presentation and funky screen filling specials make a quick replay always worthwhile.
This beat'em up is as pretty and fun as it gets. The spritework, animations, specials and backgrounds are nothing but magnificent. I love this game so much. The gameplay gets crowded at times, but dash punching bigger groups never gets old.
52. Final Fight (Arcade, 2019/12/31, 41 mins)
Final Fight of the year, let's smash 2020, evil still stalks the streets.
### TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ###
My complete list is here. Otsukaresama desu to all who made it or who tried. See you all on the flip side, happy new year!
#62: King of Cards (12/14/2019) | 8/10 | Switch| ~ 9 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -8 | My favorite Shovel Knight campaign so far. Great mix of level design and character movement. Gameplay -8.4 | Wario like attacks lead to interesting ways to get through each level. Pacing much better than SK Sound -8 | Yacht club continues with some excellent tunes Story/Online -8 | Single player campagin was a good length with each area testing different movement Asking Price-8.33 | A lot to play and even more if you want to 100%. Card game is okay and can be fun side piece to play
#63: My Friend Pedro (12/15/2019) | 7/10 | Xbox One| ~ 3.5 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -7 | A game full of badass moments with a wild ending Gameplay -8 | Sometimes you pull off crazy stunts, other times your character flails through the air. Fun to watch either way Sound -7 | The soundtrack was decent but was forgettible by end. Story/Online -7 | Level design is only okay. Your banana friend Pedro provides some good laughs Asking Price-7.33 | Its a short game you could replay for a higher score if you wanted to
#64: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ā Mirror of Fate (12/24/2019) | 4/10 | System | ~ 7.5 Hours | Recommend: N
# Overall -4 | Easily the worst game I have played in a long time. Gameplay -4.8 | Combat is this games best piece. Unfortunatly the level design is very poor. Art choice is also low point Sound -5 | From a series known for its soundtrack, this one is bad and forgetable. Character voices are also very poor Story/Online -3 | Areas feel designed unsure if they want to go arcade or igavania. They try to tell an interesting story but cutscenes jump to much Asking Price-5 | This is the only Castlevania game I have played that I didn't want to go back and 100% each area.
#65: Untitled Goose Game (12/30/2019) | 8/10 | Xbox One| ~ 3 Hours | Recommend: Y
# Overall -8 | A silly light hearted game that I wish was longer! Gameplay -8.4 | Love the art, each area has a unique pattern to it making you think how to interact with objects/people Sound -8 | Didn't expect a good sountrack but greaet piano to heighten the game paired with one loud goose! Story/Online -7 | Single player is fun, would love to see extended version. Also ending gave me a good smile. Asking Price-7.33 | There is some challenges to do everything faster but once you have done it once it takes the puzzle element out of it.
There have been a *lot* of games over the last 5-6 years that felt like they were shamelessly cribbing Soulsborne games. In a lot of ways Remnant does exactly that: it's a tough game with a big emphasis on boss encounters, with a cryptically told story, an estus-flask equivalent, a stamina system, bonfires that work as checkpoints and allow you to refill your healing items, etc. Where Remnant manages to separate itself from other Soulsborne imitators is that is primarily about ranged combat, a shooter, and feels a bit more polished than the average Souls-like game. The shooting feels smooth and weighty, the visual performance is solid, most of the items/abilities are spelled out in a really clear way in-game, I didn't run into many bugs, etc. The co-op is also seamless in Remnant, allowing another player to simply join your game without any weird consumables or having to resummon people or any of that nonsense. My feeling on co-op in most Soulsborne games it that it's fun but that it mostly breaks the challenge in the games. Instead of bosses being about creating opening and dealing directly with their attacks, your opening is always when the boss turns its attention to another player and you get a free window to attack. Remnant, being a shooter instead of primarily a melee combat game, doesn't have this issue. Bosses and enemies are a threat to you regardless whether they are closer to another player because they often have ranged attacks themselves and combat encounters can have more enemies and over bigger spaces overall. It never feels like you are "waiting your turn" to attack an enemy or deal with the enemy's attacks. This is a huge improvement to Souls-like co-op for me and because of it I was able to enjoy Remnant in co-op without feeling like I was cheating or breaking the game. It's missing some of the magic and creativity that true Soulsborne games have but it's a great time with a friend. 9/10
I lost the notes I had on the games and the game list so I had to make a quick one:
01. God of War 4
02. Spider Man
03. Far Cry 5
04. Nier Automata
05. Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st]
06. Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3
07. Batman The Enemy Within
08. Far Cry Primal
09. 3D Streets Of Rage
10. Metal Gear Solid 5 Ground Zeroes
11. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
12. Tales of Berseria
13. Wolfenstein The New Order
14. Tekken 7
15. Far Cry New Dawn
16. Titanfall 2
17. Days Gone
18. Duke Nukem 3D World Tour
19. X-Men Arcade
20. Tetris Axis
21. Street Fighter X Tekken
22. Gravity Rush Remastered Edition
23. Virtua Fighter 5
24. Motor Raid
25. Judgment
26. Alien Vs Predator Arcade
27. The King of Fighters 14
28. Street Fighter V
29. Resident Evil 2 Classic
30. Resident Evil 2 Remake
31. Darkstalkers 3
32. Final Fight
33. Bloodstained Ritual of The Night
34. Resident Evil
35. Yakuza 3
36. Soul Calibur 2
37. Street Fighter III Third Strike'
38. Outrun 2 SP
39. ABZU
40. Skullgirls 2nd Encore
41. Shock Troopers 2nd Squad
42. Yakuza 4
43. Street Fighter Alpha 3
44. Daytona USA
45. Gravity Rush 2
46. Wolfenstein The Old Blood
47. Warriors of Fate
48. Battle Circuit
49. Street Fighter Alpha 2
50. Red Dead Redemption II
51. Garou Mark of the Wolves
52. Samurai Shodown V Special
Overall I didn't do the year as well as I planned. I became really busy so I mostly played short games.
I haven't finished Ace Combat 7 and Medievil remake for that reason. AC7 I almost beat but I lost the save.
