52 Games. 1 Year. 2020.

absoluteMadLad · Jun 5, 2020

Probably not even gonna come close, but a new challenge is always welcome.

Damn, this is lower than I thought it would be. Gonna have to beat a lot of games during the summer.

KtotheRoc · Jun 6, 2020

46: Super Mario World. End: 6/6/2020. 100 Minutes. Loved.

Another incredibly important and significant game. And, just like its predecessor, it still holds up!

His Majesty · Jun 6, 2020

11. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - 9/10
Deadfire is everything I could have hoped for as a sequel. It expands the world of Eora with the continent of Deadfire: an archipelago populated by different tribes of the Huanu culture, locked in a struggle with colonial powers aiming to exploit the resources of the island for their own gain. It's a fresh setting and explores themes and angles that are often absent in games. Nor is it a straight black or white struggle: the native Huanu are clever schemers who are keen to play off the competing factions against one another yet they also have several major flaws and secrets of their own to protect. Add to this colonial conflict a large cast of deities meddling with mortal affairs, archmages scheming for their own gain, interfactional piratical warfare and imps with notions of grandeur and you have with the Deadfire one of the best fantasy worlds ever realized.

I initially bounced off the game at launch due to the combat: the game wasn't properly optimized so Path of the Damned was ridiculously easy. Luckily anno 2020 the balance has been restored and the game remains a challenge from start to end. The combat itself is still satisfying and offers you a large amount of choice in terms of builds and weapons. Also the crafting and upgrading of weapons seems to be properly balanced, requiring both rare materials and large amounts of money. Luckily there is no lack of money in an archipelago populated by trading companies.

The main story in Deadfire is surprisingly short and consists of just a handful of missions. Luckily the game is bursting with interesting side quests and non-linear adventures. All four factions are vying for your services. The Principi are struggling to find a direction for the future, the Vailians are on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, the Rautaians are looking forward to continue their military dominance and the Huanu are seeking for a way to outsmart all their enemies. While you can choose one faction and focus on them, it is possible to do nearly all of the faction quests and help (or sabotage) your preferred faction in the process. The writing in the game is much more succinct than its predecessor and does a better job at conveying characters' intentions without overwhelming you. And that's how we arrive at my major complaint about the game: the characters, or more specifically the companions. Several companions make a return from the first game but could have been left in the freezer if it were up to me. Pallegina and Aloth don't play a critical role in the game and don't bring anything new to the table. The new companions are a bit hit and miss. I liked Serafen (piratical sass) and Maia (dry and straight to the point) for the most part but Tekehu and Xoti didn't do much for me. Eder remains the best character by far, although Obsidian needs to take care not to give into fanservice too much with the constant referring to how much Eder likes petting.

Overall Deadfire is a big improvement over the first game and the DLC only solidified its status as one of the best CRPGs of the renaissance. Beast of Winter is an intriguing dive into the realm of Rymgrand and provides lore on key events in the history of Eora while Forgotten Sanctum is a creepy dungeon delve with a great cast of characters.

shaneo632 · Jun 6, 2020

29. The Last of Us: Remastered - 9/10. Finally got over my anxiety and played this all the way through over the last few weeks. Despite its game-y structure it's aged very well indeed.

30. The Last of Us: Left Behind - 8/10. A neat little mini-campaign. I honestly could've done without most of the action but the story/character work was great.

LonestarZues · Jun 7, 2020

Master Post

Weekly Update 23: No games finished this week although I made great progress in Xenoblade Chronicles and should be done with it sometime this week.

Currently Playing:

1. Xenoblade Chronicles - Most of my gaming time this week went to this game. Started of kind of slow, but the story has really picked up and enjoying the game far more then I was last week. Currently on Chapter 14 with about 70 hours of playtime.

2. Final Fantasy VII - Just left Cosmo Canyon on this latest playthrough. Going thru it a bit slower this week as I'm trying to finish Xenoblade Chronicles before The Last of Us Part 2 releases.

Lobotomaxx · Jun 7, 2020

28/52

Life is Strange - Episode 4: Dark Room | Steam | 4/5 | 4 hours

You conclude your investigation in finding the missing girl as well as who is the culprit. It has a "twist" ending that wasn't really a surprise if you'd been paying a little attention. I like this episode more than the last episode but that is probably due to the nature of a time travel mechanic. Not much to say here, most everything plays the same as previous episodes.

29/52

Life is Strange - Episode 5: Polarized | Steam | 2.5/5 | 3 hours

Maaaan, Polarized is right. I don't know, I didn't really care for how the game wrapped up. You've jumped through so many alternate realities everything starts blending together. There's a stealth section where characters from the game walk around with flash lights saying things that your character would be afraid of or things she's afraid people would think of her and I didn't like it all. A giant storm is ravaging the town and you can go through and save various characters but at the very end of the game you make a decision which sort of renders any previous decision you make moot. Just a giant reset button.

I did like the game overall and am interested in playing the second one even though, to my understanding, it doesn't really have anything to do with this title. I got all of the achievements which wasn't TOO difficult. Once you beat an episode you can load into the episode at various times in a "collectible" mode to get what you missed. Overall, this was a pretty fun game that just sort of underwhelmed me at the end.

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Chas Hodges · Jun 7, 2020

I'm at #50. Lockdown has meant I'll probably complete this challenge less than halfway through the year. The world is fucking dumb.

Whimsicalish · Jun 7, 2020

38 | Hidden Folk
PC Steam | June 07 | 10 hrs | 5/5

I finished the base game back in late 2018 with seven hours. They recently added the Beach areas and On Tour (free if you already owned it). So extra levels for a free update? Super awesome of the team to do that!

On Tour was just added this month. I played both of the Beach and On Tour for a total of three hours.

I love this game. It's a hidden object game with lots of character. It's made with lots of love. I can't wait to see what the team will create in the future.

Just remember to rest your eyes while playing this one. I foolishly played the three hours straight and I can feel some eye strain. Only bummer, but I should be resting my eyes more often anyhow.

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watdaeff4 · Jun 8, 2020

Updated Main Post:

52 Games. 1 Year. 2020.

5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 18/01/2020 SotN is always going to be fantastic but losing the extremely cheesy voice acting in the PS4 version is a crime.

www.resetera.com

After getting my TG-16 mini and having almost a month off of work, I've been on a retro game binge and the time to play them, so was able to complete several games the last couple of weeks.

32) Mega Man Zero
Never played any of the Zero games before so bought the collection on sale at the eShop. Really glad I did. Great MM style game with differences that freshen up the formula. Really looking forward to playing more in the series.
33) Rondo of Blood
The Turbografx 16 mini has me on a retro kick and the next game I went with on that console was the Castlevania game I always wanted to play but never did. It did not disappoint me whatsoever. As a big classic 'Vania fan, this is the pinnacle of that style of Castlevania. Played through as Richter, will have to play again as Maria
34)Yakuza Kiwami
This is only the second Yakuza game I played (started with 0) and found it very similar and my taste for it similar. Really, really enjoy the story and will dabble in the side content, but there is just too much of it and the gameplay doesn't grip me enough to go overboard on all the side content. That said, I love the stories of Yakuza games so far and will continue with the series.
35) Mega Man
I have had this for a long time but never put in enough time until now to complete it. The Zero collection got me back into Mega Man games so finally finished it. Pretty tough game, but still holds up well 30+ years later.
36) Mega Man X
Another game that I've had for a long time and never finished. Definite improvement over the NES Mega Man games (I have only played 1 and 2 so far) so this was a treat coming off the original Mega Man. Sigma's fortress was a big difficulty spike IMO and threw me for a loop for a long time.
37) Gunstar Heroes
Still on my retro kick, I fired up my Genesis mini. I had heard a lot of great WoM regarding this game. It was all true. A great 16-bit sidescrolling shooter. If you like Contra games or Metal Slug games, you should try this game.
38) World of Illusion
Stuck with the Genesis mini and tried this game out. I was very surprised by how much fun it was. Easy, which is a good thing considering the market it was going for, but still a fun romp.
39) Modern Warfare Remastered
I bought the MW2 remastered campaign and decided to play through this (i got it with Infinite Warfare but never played) as I hadn't played it since COD4 first came out on the X360. Still one of the best FPS campaigns of all time and a great remaster IMO.
40) R-Type
Amazing shmup but there is zero chance I could have finished this without save states and "save-scumming" Brilliant game, but the design to suck quarters in an arcade machine is very evident especially in the 2nd half of the game.
41) Blazing Lazers
Another TG16 shmup and another fun one. This game reminded me a lot of Soldier Blade but quite a bit easier (or my skills improved after R-Type lol).

Tizoc · Jun 8, 2020

91. Dirt Showdown

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Ended up enjoying this a lot more than I expected, it reminds me of Motorstorm series but a lot less chaotic as vehicles feel rather heavy. has a mix of destruction derby, racing and scoring challenges, and while majority of the vehicles look like junkyard leftovers, the vehicles served their purpose. The main campaign consists for dozens of races and challenges where completing them earns you cash and cars to unlock and upgrade. The final set of challenges suffered from being too long for their own good, such as 3 races of 4 laps, or 2 races of 8 laps each, but I soldiered through them and eventually came out on top with Gold in all challenges.
Will say though, vehicles can take a hell of a beating if you are not careful, and it doesn't help that the turbo boost feels...tepid.
If anything, the game's visuals really hold up esp. on PC with downsampling.

absoluteMadLad · Jun 8, 2020

11- Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PC) | 8th of June - 15.2 hours | 7.5/10

After six years, I remembered this game again and beat the definitive edition for the first time. From what I'd remembered prior to playing again, the writing was better. Guess not.

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TheOneJat · Jun 8, 2020

Master Post edited. 51/52

48. Journey - First time replaying this since launch. Still a beautiful game and the mystery coop partner system is so fitting. 4/5

49. Streets of Rage 4 - Was really hyped for this release and didn't feel disappointed in the slightest. Was a blast going through in CO-OP too. Will definitely be replaying it in the future with different characters. 4/5

50. Forza Horizon - Obviously the most 'linear' and least explorative FH game but it still has so much charm and the soundtrack is great. 4/5

51. Forza Horizon 2 - Maybe it was because I was coming straight from FH but I didn't enjoy this as much as I remember. The added exploration and opening of the map was better but the option to pick which races you did got you set in a bit of a pattern that felt dull to me and the soundtrack was nowhere near as good as the first for me. Still a really enjoyable arcade racer though. 3/5

Looks like 52/52 will be Minecraft Dungeons.

Bradford · Jun 8, 2020

COMPLETION COUNTER: 45/52

Latest Completion:

45. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360) | 8th June - 20hrs (6/10)
Red Dead Redemption is a game so vast and empty, so wide and and quiet, that one would not be wrong to assume that it is a game that prefers to show rather than tell. In reality, Red Dead Redemption does a lot of telling, and only a little bit of showing. You see, Red Dead Redemption is the third act of a complex, interwoven and character driven narrative that would not be expanded upon until 2018, 8 years after its release. It traffics in character archetypes and ideas from the long history of Westerns without spending much time with them, let alone developing them. We are told of Dutch and his Gang, we are told of John Marston's life, of the wife he loves and the son he longs to see again, but we spend almost no time with them at all. When we do, they are largely unlikeable, and John himself doesn't seem to sit well with them. You see, this is a world on the edge of change, one leaving behind the men of the past and their violent nature. The game wants to ruminate on their ability to change, on the reaping of their sowed violence. In some ways, it does. John Marston's tale is one of being told where to go and who to fight for, all the while griping the entire time about what you really should be doing. It's a game spent largely navigating its desolate world, bothered by the inconveniences of wildlife and civilization. Of government and outlaws, of crime and punishment.

The most notable aspect of Red Dead Redemption is the juxtaposition of the exciting gunfights of the first three acts against the boring, mundane, and tedious tasks of its final act. While this may sound like a complaint, it isn't -- The final act of Red Dead Redemption fundamentally works, as it is the only act in the game that uses its gameplay to effectively say anything. Wherein the rest of the game John Marston talks about the life he wants to live instead of the life of crime he left behind, The final act of Red Dead Redemption makes you live it. It even gives you a moment to consider if it is the life you want, as outlaws try to rob a train in front of you and you have the option of taking them out or continuing to herd cattle. By the end, it's clear that this life is as odd a match for John as it is for the player. The cycle of violence begets violence. A man can change, but his nature never will; some things you have to end, but some things will never end. It's a paradox, John.

Aside from the narrative issues, Red Dead has some mechanical problems. Certain levels -- especially those with gatling guns, and notably one on the back of a truck -- are a slog to get through, to the point that Rockstar has given players the ability to skip them entirely after enough deaths. Another problem is the game's controls. Unlike most, I have no issues with how the game feels. Rather, my problem is with the abundance of minigames and scenarios where the controls wildly vary for the same overall interactions. For example, in order to catch a horse or a bad guy, one must hold the left trigger to raise their rope and then R2 to lasso. However, once the Lasso is around the enemy, you do not need to hold the trigger anymore. In fact, if you waver on the trigger at all, you will pull back your lasso and un-tie your quarry! Duels have a similar ergonomic issue, where when using Dead-eye in free combat you paint targets with the right bumper. However, duels, which function the same as Dead-Eye except in the context of quick draw rather than open shooting, you paint targets with right trigger -- which would normally shoot and cancel Dead-Eye immediately during free combat. It's this kind of design inconsistency that plagues Red Dead Redemption and, perhaps, Rockstar games in general. It betrays a team consisting of multiple different groups rather than one, directed whole.

Overall, Red Dead Redemption is a game wearing the aesthetics of a well written western epic, one that wants to say things, but doesn't have the characters to really do so, that doesn't really put in the time to make the player care about them or their plight. Instead, we are out there on the range, going from Gatling gun to Gatling gun mowing down waves of enemies, being sent from mission to mission, navigating across the vast, empty spaces of the western frontier, mostly wondering when we'll be able to live the life we actually want to live, to play the game we actually want to play.

KtotheRoc · Jun 8, 2020

47: Yakuza 5. End: 6/8/2020. 66 Hours. Liked.

Another trip through the world of Yakuza. There's a lot that I liked about this one (some of the changes to the combat work pretty well), and a lot that I didn't (the narrative). Still have one more main game (until "Like A Dragon" releases) and Judgment.

KtotheRoc · Jun 9, 2020

48: Animal Crossing: New Horizons. End: 6/9/2020. 75+ Hours. Loved.

(This is how long it took to get KK Slider to appear on my island and for the credits to roll, which counts as "completing" the game.)

This game became a cultural milestone before our eyes. It ended up meaning so much more to so many people than just the next Animal Crossing. It feels weird to talk about "completing" something that never really ends, but I did get KK Slider to come and for the credits to play. And that counts. And this game did so much right where it counted (and a few things not so right. If I never have to construct another tool, I'll be happy).

Optional Objectives · Jun 9, 2020

No. 30 - Nina Aquila: Legal Eagle Ch. 1 | 9th Jun | 2/5

For what serves as an introduction to an episodic game made on a shoestring budget, NALE isn't bad. It also doesn't have anything much going for it in terms of originality. The characters are thin, the courtroom gameplay is a Phoenix Wright knockoff, and the case presented in this episode involves

a jealous ex-girlfriend who frames her erstwhile friend, who is now dating her clueless ex-boyfriend, for arson.

This is not played seriously at all within the courtroom scene. However, there is one moment afterwards in which the titular Nina reveals her worry about how close the case went to sending an innocent person to prison for a serious crime on a false accusation.

The humor is one-note and aimed at an imagined nerdy audience, but there aren't so many jokes as attempts at references or tropes that fall flat. The epilogue, which puts the defense lawyer heroine and her mentor in bunny and cat costumes to pitch the next episode, is reminiscent of cringe-inducing fan service. It also contains an attempted joke about a stain on the bunny costume, which is simply gross. I am willing to give the next episode a shot to see if it has more to offer and if it puts its recycled mechanics and art to a more interesting purpose, but NALE Chapter 2 will start on thin ice.

Master Post

Rhaknar · Jun 10, 2020

Game #42 - Deck of Ashes
Time: 10+ hours
Rating: ★★★

Another card game, although this one is nowhere near the quality of Monster Train... or to be fair, the games it's trying to emulate (mainly Slay the Spire). I actually quite like it, and feel it's a solid entry in the genre (the genre in this case being the card builder roguelike), but it's just that, a soid entry that I can only really recommend if you like to play multiple card games. The dark fantasy art is nice, and it has some nice new rules as there is a lot of card management as you need to burn card to your discard pile on purpose sometimes, but overall it just feels you are doing too much of the same thing in every level. All the maps are basically the same, the events are super boring and the way you just roam around the map semi-randomly as you wait for each boss to show up (instead of following a path like other games) while different doesn't really work. The classes (aka the decks) are good and distinct, and there is some cool narrative to make playing with different ones worth it, but like I said, overall its just "good" and only for hardcore card games that need the next fix.

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Optional Objectives · Jun 11, 2020

No. 31 - Lumines: Remastered | 10th Jun | 4/5

Miziguchi sure knows how to put together an hour of relaxing gameplay that stretches the player into taking different approaches, track by track, skin by skin. I realized in completing the remaster that there were some tunes that I hadn't heard (at least while playing) in years. Lumines is, if anything, an underrated puzzle game that stands on its own in terms of originality. It's also interesting to play through it after Tetris Effect and to see the genesis of some of that later games ideas.

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Tizoc · Jun 12, 2020

Original Post

92. Powered Gear

Quite enjoyed this beat'em-up, one neat feature of it is having the mechs you control swap or equip other robot parts like drills, laser swords or rocket launchers. The equipment you have can also change the additional attacks you can perform while dashing or running for example.
Visually it's really nice with the playable mechs having some nice animations in some of their attacks.

Tambini · Jun 12, 2020

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#31 Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 7.5 - 45 hours
This was a fun time and a distraction from real life for a while but I gotta be honest, after I got credits I was pretty much done with it. I just don't care too much for the daily "grind", I know it can be played as casual or hardcore as you like but I don't like the feeling of having to log on each day and the constant crafting got quite tiring. I totally enjoyed getting to the end credits, but it's just not really for me, long term. It could really use some QOL changes too!

#32 Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines PC 8.0 - 15 hours
Definitley one of those games where the story and writing makes up for the less than stellar gameplay. The stealth and combat are pretty jank and get annoying in the later parts of the game, though you have some cool powers to mess around with and there are some great levels in here too, like the haunted hotel. I was really impressed with the writing, the lore is interesting, told and explained well and the characters are memorable and well acted, for the most part. Seems like the kind of game that could differ hugely on replay depending on your choices

#33 YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana PS4 7.5 - 29 hours
I enjoyed the first half of this game more than the second, I liked exploring the island and finding survivors, building up the base and all that but the second half gets very plot heavy with goddesses and prophecies and other stuff I couldn't bring myself to care about. The combat remains enjoyable throughout however, and was the main driving force of the game.

#34 Doom 64 Switch 7.5 - 8 hours
Good old fashioned DOOM, level design was mostly great but some of the later ones were a bit annoying. A good palette cleanser.

#35 Red Dead Redemption II PS4 8.0 - 50 hours
An incredible world to explore, insane attention to detail and an entertaining story are the strong points of RDR2. I didn't like the clunky controls or lack of player agency during missions but I knew what to expect going in, in that regard. Not a game I can ever see myself playing again but definitley one worth experiencing and one I enjoyed.

Tizoc · Jun 12, 2020

93. Raiden Fighters

Nice shoot'em-up, although I didn't like that certain shots can come out off screen from certain enemies, but overall I enjoyed it.

5pectre · Jun 12, 2020

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27. DiRT Showdown (Steam) | 13th June - 6 hrs | 6/10
On paper this game should've been a hit? Burnout'ish music, Flatout action and a Forza Horizon festival theme, but it feels floaty and the crashes lack impact....

Optional Objectives · Jun 13, 2020

No. 32 - Infamous: First Light | 12th Jun | 3/5

Out of the Infamous games, Fetch is the most fun protag. It's good that in her spinoff she's overpowered from the start. That avoids the some of the boredom of Infamous 2 and Second Son. But as with the other games in the series, Sucker Punch attempts to handle some social issues (homelessness and drug abuse in this case) and mostly falls flat. And I can't imagine who requested the survival arenas or more of the collect-a-thon. Plus, there's not even the usual semblance of choice. Fetch disintegrates her villain and gets revenge, and the game makes you press buttons to do it, but there's no 'mercy' option. I guess SP had to set up a single canon ending to lead into the start of Second Son, but I can't see why that requires Fetch to become a murderer.

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Tizoc · Jun 13, 2020

94. Raiden Fighters 2

Another shoot'em-up, though I felt like enemy bullets are a bit hard to discern sometimes.

95. Raiden Fighters Jet

The theme of this game is that the missions/stages you go through are part of a simulation, if you manage to complete them without continuing, you will be able to play the extra stages for the action mission, that your simulation training was preparing you for.
Alas my shump skills aren't that great to be able to 1CC such a game, but I still enjoyed it.
My one issue with the game is that aircrafts don't have stats shown for them like in the previous Fighters games, as each aircraft has its own set of stats and unique weapons that it can use upon picking up power ups.

Tizoc · Jun 13, 2020

5pectre said:
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27. DiRT Showdown (Steam) | 13th June - 6 hrs | 6/10
On paper this game should've been a hit? Burnout'ish music, Flatout action and a Forza Horizon festival theme, but it feels floaty and the crashes lack impact....

Heh, yeah the crashes don't feel all that impactful sometimes, but overall Showdown was a nice game, and has nice visuals too.

Memory Pak · Jun 13, 2020

23. Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut (2016, Wii U) ★★★☆☆
Port of the 2010 DSiWare version. Having already played its successor (Shantae 3: Pirate's Curse), I was struck by how similar the world feels in some ways. While the layouts are different, the characters, interconnected world design philosophy, and even the lighthearted tone were already firmly established.
This one isn't as good as Pirate's Curse: it has way fewer areas, and some feel rather bolted on. The first two areas feature a layer switching mechanic which is promptly dropped thereafter; and the game struggles to find fitting environments for 2 out of 3 of Shantae's animal transformations. While the monkey gets lots of use in platforming and even boss fights due to the tiny hitbox, the elephant might as well have been replaced with a brick-breaking power-up. The mermaid form offers interesting possibilities, but the water areas feel like an afterthought outside of one stand-out sequence. You start to get the feeling the Metroid-style world design was adopted out of necessity, to milk more playtime out of already built areas.
Lastly, I'm still not sure how I feel about the female character designs. The characters themselves are fine: they have goals, agency, and are resourceful. But all their outfits default to bikinis or belly-exposing tops, and in-game at least 2 male characters comment on Shantae's appearance too. Objectification feels like way too strong of a word here, and in Shantae's case her design is at least congruent with the belly-dancing aesthetic, so I don't want to be a prude about this... But some of the poses seem deliberately chosen to titillate a presumed straight, male audience.

24. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016, Wii U) ★★★★☆
The fourth Shantae game, and the first of the lot to abandon pixel art. Rocking a crisp, colourful, cartoony art style and a busy soundtrack with more dance music influences, Wayforward really upped their game in terms of presentation. I still have the same reservations about the series' outfit designs. While this entry reduces the number of men commenting on Shantae's appearance to one, they simultaneously doubled down on including a "beach mode" where she just wears a bikini.
Half-Genie Hero deviates from the previous two entries by forgoing a connected world, instead opting for levels with distinct zones, but keeping the need to revisit them in the future. I feel this is a detriment, although rationally I realise there's little difference in backtracking interconnected levels or backtracking through levels you need to manually select - it's just now the game makes you more acutely aware of the choice to do so.
Transformations are back too, and it seems like nothing was learned from Risky's Revenge. Instead of finding more to do with every transformation, there's now more varied obstacles, each requiring their own transformation. The result is a whopping 8 transformations, of which maybe 3-4 are consistently useful. In general, the transforming is also just slower than the snappy traversal of Pirate's Curse, as chaining abilities is impossible due to the required dancing.
It's not all bad; Half-Genie Hero basically delivers on the promise of Risky's Revenge, with a surprisingly similar final world. The game also rids us of dungeons at last, and fixes Pirate's Curse's unforgiving late-game difficulty, while offering a quite different "hardcore mode" instead. Ultimately I would still recommend Pirate's Curse over it due to that game's better soundtrack, more fluid movement, and the interconnected world... But Half-Genie Hero remains a good game on its own, and lays a strong foundation for Shantae 5.

Whimsicalish · Jun 13, 2020

39 | Thief Gold
PC Steam | June 13 | 23 hrs | 4/5

Got this game in the Eidos bundle on Steam awhile back. I heard good things about the older Thief games and decided to give it a go. Thief Gold is a definitive edition of Thief: The Dark Project. I was a bit worried since it's a stealth game and I'm not big into stealth. It exceeded my expectations, especially for a game that was released in '98/'99.

The game itself worked okay in Steam but it wouldn't play cutscenes. I was extremely confused after the first mission I stole a vase and then the second mission I was in a quarry all of a sudden. Thankfully the older Thief games have a lovely fan base that made a free "patch." It updated the graphics a bit, improved compatibility with new pcs, and (most importantly to me) it fixed my cutscenes. So that was necessary for me to play the game. Otherwise I found no issues or bugs.

It aged fairly well for a game that was originally released in 1998. Heavy focused on stealth, tons of gadgets, original story, and some world building. I thought this was set in sorta medieval ages but there's magic and otherworldly enemies. It was creative and neat to see this new environment in an older game. Honestly even refreshing.

The Bad: well the voice acting isn't great lol. I mean it was made in '98 so I'm giving it slack. Sometimes the characters speaking would make me laugh. The cutscenes were fine. The protag and the soldiers are good for their time. The house servants in the game though? Oh man...it was like the voice actor wasn't taking their job seriously but it came off as humorous. It didn't bother my gameplay though. Maybe someone more picky?

I did not enjoy some of the maps. I felt the last three missions in the game were big MEH. A lot of underground dirt tunnels and the enemies did NOT compare to earlier enemies. I wanted to shake in my boots when I first saw the Haunts in earlier missions.

The Good: I enjoyed most of my time playing this gem. I like in older games, game devs weren't scared of using bright colors in their maps. Some "current" games on the top of my head that are dark and stealthy are covered in black and gray tones. Boring. This game had mansions with bright reds or greens on floor tiles, walls, furniture, etc. I wasn't expecting the big arsenal of tools either. Rope arrows to climb on high ledges, water arrows to drench torches so you can hide in the dark, etc.

All in all, I'm glad I played this game. I only played the missions on normal difficulty; there's harder content to play in the game to keep you entertained.

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Chas Hodges · Jun 14, 2020

52 games beaten (as of the 12th June). Can see this being a big year considering I'm this far through already.

5pectre · Jun 14, 2020

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28. Deathsmiles (Xbox 360) | 14th June - 1hrs | 9/10
Maybe the lowest scoring clear I ever got and I was trying to improve on my PB lol

Shadowninja100 · Jun 14, 2020

Wow I've fallen behind lol. It's already June and I've only finished 6 games. Time to pick up the pace!

4. Animal Crossing New Horizions 3/5 - As much as I love animal crossing this one felt a little content light to me. I'm sure that things will be added as time goes on but right now I feel like I'm done with it. My bigges complaint has to do with the animalas themselves. I feel like in previous iterations (especially the first one) talking with the animals was just interesting as everything else in the game. But now dialouge for the animals has been watered down so much I feel like I saw all every piece of dialouge within the first 2 weeks of release.

5. Final Fanasy VII Remake 5/5 - What a wonderful game. Definitely worth the wait and I'm super excited for the next installment. The standout elements for me were the characters and the soundtrack. Every character was lovable and I enjoyed all of the interactions between them. The dialouge was really well written and it wasn't stilted in a way that a lot of JRPG's can be. My favorite element is definitely the soundtrack though. EVERY song is incredible and OST's like this one are what inspire me to write better music.

6. The Liar Witch and the Blind Prince 3/5 - Cute, short game. Nice art style and soundtrack. I feel like if I paid anymore than $5 dollars for it though I'd feel like it wasn't worth it lol.

Currently Playing

Terraira
Death Stranding
Sekiro
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition

LonestarZues · Jun 15, 2020

Master Post

Weekly Update 24: 2 games finished this week and should finish 2 games this week before The Last of Us Part II launches.

41. What Remains of Edith Finch - Took a break from Xenoblade Chronicles and finished my 1st game of the month. It was a replay of one of my favorite games of 2017 and it cemented itself as one of my favorite adventure games of all time. Beautifully told story and the soundtrack is excellent as well.

42. Xenoblade Chronicles - Finished it along with the extra chapter and overall enjoyed it more then 2, but there are several things that I felt were executed better in 2. Here's hoping we get a port of XCX in the near future.

Currently Playing:

1. Binary Domain - Just got up to the start of Chapter 4 and while the gameplay is janky I'm really enjoying the story and the characters.

2. Reigns: Game of Thrones - I've unlocked 5 of the 9 characters and will consider the game beat when I've unlocked all 9 characters and played with them at least once.

3. Final Fantasy VII - Going thru it at a snails pace and about to get to That part of the game.

BPHusker · Jun 15, 2020

#17 Trials of Mana | 6/1/2020 - 20 hrs | 3.5/5
I enjoyed the first playthrough of the game, but thought it really could use a fast forward/skip-ahead feature for the other playthroughs. I did like how it carried over the levels of gear of the other characters that made the enemies fairly easy for those high level characters. Overall the story was ok and the platinum was fairly easy to snag, but getting it all was tedious.

#18 The Last of Us: Left Behind | 6/14/2020 - 2.5 hrs | 5/5
I decided to go back and play Left Behind in preparation for Part II this weekend since I never played it originally. Wow, what a great side story and a good review of the gameplay for Part II, if it is similar. The acting in this DLC is amazing and really got me excited to see how it moves forward in Part II.

Main Post

KtotheRoc · Jun 15, 2020

49: Demon's Crest. End: 6/15/2020. 1 Hour. Liked.

This was a quick action platformer with multiple pathways to the end. It's just kind of a shame that it was over so fast. Everything else was pretty good. But it's short run time and lack of explanation regarding its mechanics can make it a harder recommend for anything other than Switch Online, IMO.

Optional Objectives · Jun 16, 2020

No. 33 - Arcade Spirits | 16th Jun | 4/5

An excellent VN from start to finish, Arcade Spirits isn't afraid of conflict, hardship, and repeatedly confronting the MC with their own self-doubts. As a wonderfully queer game that emphasizes self-expression, the choices presented nonetheless feel impactful on the direction of the story. Character romance intertwines well with that story, overall. Sure, gameplay is the standard multiple choice and stats-based fare, but the writing and characters shine over those basic mechanics.

Main post

His Majesty · Jun 16, 2020

12. The Last of Us Remastered - 7/10
The first time I played The Last of Us was two years ago when I bought my first PS console. I remember being very unimpressed with a game that was universally lauded as one of the best games ever created. In anticipation of the sequel I decided to give the game another try.

The Last of Us excels in some parts. Its writing is excellent: the dynamic of Joel and Ellie's relationship is great and both characters show a lot of progression over the course of the game. Most of the side characters are equally well written. Another aspect the game nails down are the environments. You have a good mix of overgrown urban environments and forestry. Although I hope the sequel doesn't make us go in the sewers too often. I also like exploring areas in general, scavenging supplies and looking for collectables which is a nice change of pace from all the action.

Where the game fails however is in its gameplay. Joel doesn't control very smoothly and the shooting is mediocre at best. Luckily you can evade most encounters using stealth, which is also highly recommended on the survivor difficult I played the game at. Stealth equally has some problems, especially with your companions moving all over the place. Add in some quirks such as clickers gaining vision when combat initiates and some frustrating parts where combat is forced upon you (especially during Winter) and I cannot say that I enjoyed most of the encounters in the game. I really hope the sequel has got this part covered.

Finally, while the writing is excellent, the setting and story do not feel very inspired. I do realize that the main story is about Ellie and Joel's relationship but the Firefly subplot is rather weak. It's your typical "the princess is in another castle" story of a chosen person who can deliver the cure to save mankind. Yawn. Again, let's hope the sequel ditches this mumbo jumbo.

Optional Objectives · Jun 16, 2020

No. 34 - Inside | 16th Jun | 4/5

Inside has incredible atmosphere. Its a game full of dread, spiked it with body horror and fear. The first time the child the player controls was tackled by vicious dogs, it was clear that the game's designers were not interested in holding back. Its physics puzzles are also quite good, especially some of the ones that bend conventional physics. At times, some of the sparseness of the environment made it difficult to understand which aspects of the world were moveable and which were not. Other times, that sparseness paid off as unexpected parts of the world became available as part of puzzle solutions.

The last chapter is absolutely top tier, bringing to mind Akira while keeping the new identity of the game. The alternate ending isn't bad, either, but it seems to lean more towards a ludic wink than the release of escape found in the main ending.

.

Main Post

Theswweet · Jun 17, 2020

Wow, I absolutely have done a piss-poor job keeping things updated, haven't I? This'll be a big one...

#10 AI: The Somnium Files – Completed 1/23/2020 Switch – 20 hours
#11 Monster Hunter World (PC) – Completed 1/25/2020 PC – 43 hours
#12 Pikuniku – Completed 1/26/2020 PC – 2 hours
#13 My Friend Pedro – Completed 1/26/2020 PC – 3 hours
#14 Arc of Alchemist – Completed 1/30/2020 Switch – 6 hours
#15 Hero must die, again – Completed 2/11/2020 PC – 13 hours
#16 Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate – Completed 2/15/2020 Vita – 12 hours
#17 Atelier Ayesha Plus: Alchemist of Dusk – Completed 2/19/2020 Vita – 24 hours
#18 Tetris Effect – Completed 2/20/2020 PS4 – 3 hours
#19 Journey – Completed 2/21/2020 PS4 – 2 hours
#20 Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story – Completed 2/24/2020 PC – 14 hours
#21 The Unfinished Swan – Completed 2/27/2020 PS4 – 2 hours
#22 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX – Completed 3/9/2020 Switch – 12 hours
#23 Child of Eden – Completed 3/9/2020 Xbox 360 (Xbox One) – 2 hours
#24 Ori and The Will of the Wisps – Completed 3/14/2020 PC – 11 hours
#25 A Short Hike – Completed 3/15/2020 PC – 1 hour
#26 Nioh 2 – Completed 3/20/2020 PS4 – 63 hours
#27 DOOM Eternal – Completed 3/25/2020 PC – 14 hours
#28 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – Completed 3/29/2020 PC – 80 hours
#29 Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward – Completed 4/17/2020 PC – 235 hours
#30 Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood – Completed 5/2/2020 PC – 390 hours
#31 Dragon Marked for Death – Completed 5/5/2020 PC – 8 hours
#32 Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers – Completed 5/15/2020 PC – 504 hours
#33 Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen – Completed 5/21/2020 PS4 – 35 hours
#34 Higurashi: Chapter 1 – Onikakushi – Completed 5/23/2020 Vita – 10 hours
#35 Helltaker – Completed 5/24/2020 PC – 35 minutes
#36 Xenoblade Chronicles X – Completed 6/4/2020 Wii U (CEMU) – 80 hours
#37 Ys Origin – Completed 6/10/2020 PC – 73 hours
#38 Higurashi: Chapter 2 – Watanagashi – Completed 6/10/2020 Vita – 10 hours
#39 Hatsune Miku: Project Diva EXTEND – Completed 6/11/2020 PSP – 7 hours
#40 Higurashi: Chapter 3 – Tatarigoroshi – Completed 6/16/2020 Vita – 10 hours

Needless to say, I'm well on my way to finishing the challenge early this year! Definitely the fastest pace that I've managed out of all the years I've done this.

AI: The Somnium Files - I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I'd argue it's got the best pacing of any Uchikoshi game that I've played. The problem, however, is the actual gameplay - it just isn't nearly as interesting as the Zero Escape series. Great story, though.

Monster Hunter World (PC) - This is the first replay that I've put on a list, not much to say. Monster Hunter World is fantastic and I'm glad I caught up into Iceborne on PC!

Pikuniku - It's ok. I think I paid like a dollar for this, it was alright.

My Friend Pedro - I played this on Game Pass, and I had a ton of fun. Might've overstayed its welcome just a little bit - but not by much.

Arc of Alchemist - Quite literally the worst game I've ever finished. If I never have to play it again it'll have been too soon. I reviewed it, if you want to know how I really feel!

Hero must die. again - A neat RPG that plays around a bit with mechanics and storytelling. Not the best game that I've played, but certainly an enjoyable one. I did a video review for this one!

Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate - Absolutely fantastic roguelike, and one of my favorite games on Vita. I'm happy it's coming to PC and Switch sometime later this year - more folks should play this.

Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk - This was my first Atelier. I own the entire Dusk trilogy on Vita, but I hadn't gotten around to actually playing the games until this year. I enjoyed it, and while I've gotten side-tracked lately - I do intend to go back to Escha and Logy in a bit!

Tetris Effect - Fun, but man I wish I'd waited a few months for me to set my PSVR back up.

Journey - I got a partner I managed to play the whole game with, great experience that I'm glad I finally got to have for myself.

Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story - It's... alright, but it got old quickly. The game plays and looks pretty great, though!

The Unfinished Swan - Sometimes you just want a simple walking sim to play, and this did the trick. Not the best I've played, but very good for what it is!

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX - An absolutely excellent remake, and the real reason that I picked Shiren the Wanderer back up earlier in the year - I wanted to pass the time until this came out. Loved it.

Child of Eden - A very charming rhythm-shooter game, which still looks fantastic however many years later. It's a shame that it doesn't have an XB1X enhanced patch, but it still plays well.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps - A fantastic metroidvania, and an even better follow-up to Ori's first adventure. It had a few bugs when I first played it, but I still had an absolute blast with it.

A Short Hike - It was free on EGS so I gave it a shot. I'd say it had about the perfect length - can't have much to complain about this one, really.

Nioh 2 - For my money, this improved on the basegame in nearly every way. Better level design, better enemy variety, and much better story and bosses (I don't get why some folks seem to really dislike this one's story). Great game, glad I played it.

DOOM Eternal - Definitely a very different type of game compared to 2016's release, but I adore the arcade-y action and focus. An absolute joy to play.

Final Fantasy XIV - I'm just gonna group everything under this. It took me a damn pandemic to finally start playing this, but man I had a blast. Now the hard part's done, and when new expansions come out I don't have to dread catching up!

Dragon Marked for Death - I'd played this on Switch, but I actually hadn't finished it on there. It was fascinating coming back to this, and seeing just how much the game had changed in my absence - I already enjoyed it more than most, but now I'd definitely argue it's more than worth giving a shot.

Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen - I wrote a review for this, so I'll let my past self do the talking.

Higurashi - This is in progress, and I'm almost definitely going to make an LTTP soon. I'll save my impressions for there!

Helltaker - Silly, fun puzzle game with a great artstyle and a ton of humor. Took me less than an hour but it was a blast.

Xenoblade Chronicles X - I never played this at launch for whatever reason, despite having loved the first Xenoblade and owning a Wii U. I finally got around to it on CEMU and I enjoyed it a ton. Here's my LTTP.

Ys Origin - I finished my Yunica playthrough ages ago, and kinda put it down halfway through a Hugo one back in 2018. I finally got back around to it - and it's definitely one of my favorites in the series. Final boss for Toal on Nightmare was, well, a nightmare.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Extend - For whatever reason I decided to dig out and charge my old PSP Go, and I found out that my dumped copy of Project Diva Extend... well, I never technically saw the credits. This is definitely a bit cheeky, but it's #39 on my list so I couldn't resist.

FRANKEINSTEIN · Jun 17, 2020

53. Nier Autamata: Become as God's (XB1) 16 Jun | 20 Hrs | ★★★★★
This game is definitely in my top 5 of this gen. I played it back when it originally released on PS4 and since it's part of Gamepass I figured I'd play it again. Still great. And yes I bought the rest of the achievements.

Tizoc · Jun 17, 2020

96. Overlord

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Being one of the earlier PS360 games released, its character models leave much to be desired but the rest of the game ends up looking rather nice with some Anti Aliasing.
The game's biggest flaw, esp. on PC is that the character's base movement speed is ridiculously slow WAY too slow by today's standards for one thing. Thankfully I found a cheat engine that enabled a speed hack for both the Overlord and the minions which made progressing through the game much better.
While it has its flaws and can come off repettiive as it goes on, its humor and having your minions just go about rummaging stuff is really nice to see.

Whimsicalish · Jun 18, 2020

40 | The Elder Scrolls Online
PC Steam | June 18 | 81 hrs | 4/5

Another MMO and it won't be last (as I'm currently playing GW2 but that's for another post). Picked this up on a Steam sale with Lobotomaxx. I generally had fun with this game. I played Skyrim on the console years ago and this felt like a continuation of that gameplay. It was fun for me...not sure about other Elder Scroll fans.

I like the combat and the fact I don't have to f***king tab my targets like in other MMOs. I just look, aim, and shoot a fireball. It's fantastic. I don't have to stand still to cast my spells. I enjoy you can dodge and roll during combat. You can sneak and rob NCPs which you can't do in WoW or GW2. You can create more fantasy with your character, like maybe they are thieves so you rob and murder NCPs. You totally can here. I played for 80 hours and stopped at max level. I think I saw 1/4 of the world map and that's not including the new expansion that just came out.

The two big things that aren't enjoyable. This game has an issue with lag. It's known and hasn't been adjusted. Sometimes it's not too bad...other times, it's annoying and very noticeable. I don't like that I can't do the main story quests with a friend. The game forces you to do them completely solo. Why? Other MMOs allow you to do personal or main story with friends. It's an MMO! Let me play with my friends. That's why I bought the game.

Main Post

absoluteMadLad · Jun 18, 2020

12- Resident Evil 7 on PC | 12.7 hours | 12.3 hours | 8.2/10

After the 8th installment trailer, I got so hyped up and decided to buy 7 even though I hate horror games. This was also the first Resident Evil game I've ever played (excluding 3 Remake's demo). The story was very compelling and interesting. Can't wait to see what happens in the 8th game.

What the fuck Chris, did I get into all that trouble for THAT

Main Post

KtotheRoc · Jun 19, 2020

50: Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life. End: 6/19/2020. 36 Hours. Loved.

Over the last several months, I went in hard on the Yakuza series. It's been quite a journey. And now that I've finished Yakuza 6, now that I'm on the other side, I'm glad I made this journey.

Tizoc · Jun 19, 2020

97. Renegade Ops
98. Renegade Ops- Coldstrike DLC

Combine Micro machines and a twin stick shooter and you get this game. There's not much variety in the gameplay and it can come off pretty trite especially when each mission takes around 30 mins. to complete. At least there is an upgrade system but it's a pretty simple one. Controls can be awkward since you are controlling a vehicle and sometimes swerving around could lead to getting stuck in something taking the game a few seconds for it to correct your position.
If there were to be a sequel, I'd rather it be a traditional twin strike shooter and simply remove the vehicle aspect all together @3@
The Coldstrike dlc was 3 missions long and mainly applies a snow themed texture to the objects and models.

Burnburn · Jun 19, 2020

10. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice (3DS - April 28th - 50 hours - 8/10)

I was too lazy to pick this game up back when it first launced on the 3DS (also in part because it had no physical release). AA5 was really enjoyable but nothing special so I didn't feel the strong urge due to that. However, during a recent sale it was only 5 euro so I basically had no other choice to pick it up. I played AA5 at launch back then, so it was quite a while ago since I played a new Ace Attorney. Playing the game was like catching up with an old friend, it was lovely. Suffice to say, this game had a little bit too much fan service going on with all the returning characters, but I actually didn't mind it at all. It was nice to catch up with the likes of Maya, Larry Butz & Edgeworth. I wish they'd do something more with the characters though, it was too much a rethread of the old games. I want to see them in exciting new situations and not "oh Maya got accused of murder again", "oh Larry is in silly love again". Give me some other stroy beats please! The trials itself (including the DLC one) were solid, seems like they listened to AA5 feedback and made the game more challenging than AA5. Quite some surprising twists yet again (they keept doing it!). But what I liked the most about this game is that it felt more like Apollo's game than AA4 did, our smol boy has grown up ;_;7.

11. Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.8 Matsuribayashi (PC - May 25th - 23 hours - 7/10)

After what feels like years of waiting we finally got the conclusion to the Higurashi saga (well at least officially released)! What can I say, from the moment it released to now I've absolutely loved the series, especially the Questions arc. What made Higurashi shine was the horror, mystery & shit escalating and while the Answers arc still has these aspects, it does so in a lot lesser quantity since we're getting the explanation of what happened in the earlier episodes. And for the first time there's even a little bit of gameplay going on! In the end it was nice to get the answers to the mysteries the first 4-5 episode posed and seeing what was and what wasn't a red herring. Loved my time with Higurashi, but I'm glad it's over now. Time to move on to Umineko!

12. Valorant (PC - June 10th - 40 hours - 6/10)

Some of my friends just got a new gaming PC before Valorant released which made our group-size 5, the perfect size for some Valorant since it's free too! Very frustrating going from games like Apex and Overwatch to this, both have similar character specific mechanics, but Valorant is so much different than those two. So I had some trouble getting adjusted to the change of pace. After getting familiar with the game some more it did become more fun, but I feel like it was fun because I played it with a group of friends and not because we enjoyed the game that much. I think I'm just not into the quick reflex-based shooting, I like the more movement/ longer drawn out battles from Apex & Overwatch more. Game is solid and I can see how people enjoy it, just not my kind of game

13. Murder By Numbers (PC - June 14th - 32 hours - 6.5/10)

After playing so many shooters and other higher-paced games I was looking for something a bit more mellowed down and relaxed. I decided to try out Murder By Numbers since I love Picross and it seemed like it was that plus a nice story. Initially I was playing it for the picross, but as time went on and I got to some of the later trials I was enjoying the story more than the picross. At one point the picross puzzles actually became more of a nuisance than something I was looking forward to, which is ironic since at first I wanted to play the game because of the picross and the story was a nice extra bonus. It's just that sometimes you had to do 3-4 quite large picross puzzles almost in succession while there's something really interesting going on in the story and once you have solved all the puzzles you're kinda wondering what was going on in the story again. The story itself was quite nice and wholesome, I enjoyed it. It was a little bit predictable at certain points and a bit cheesy but hey, that sometimes is exactly what a light detective story needs.

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Weiss · Jun 19, 2020

46. Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue - 19/06/2020

What do you get when you combine Ikaruga, Bullet Hell and Metroidvania with a coat of Shin Megami Tensei paint? A fucking wild ride is what. Synchronicity Prologue is rad, and best of all it's free!

KtotheRoc · Jun 20, 2020

51: Undertale. End: 6/19/2020. 4 Hours. Liked-A-Lot.

I missed the initial hype on this game. Didn't play it for years. Even when I picked it up as part of a sale, I didn't rush to play it. But as I near the end of my 52 game challenge in 2020, I decided to finally dive into this game. And I found it quite charming. I did the pacifist route, and found the world and its characters and its message to be quite charming.

TP17 · Jun 20, 2020

5. Pyre - PC - 3/5

Interesting game with a fun premise, dragged on near the end but I wanted to play through to see the ending.

Main Post

Weiss · Jun 20, 2020

47. Evan's Remains 20/06/2020

A puzzle platformer with lovely pixel art and a synth soundtrack that does enough that you don't really care that the story made a lot more sense in the writer's head than it does on paper.

Bradford · Jun 21, 2020

COMPLETION COUNTER: 46/52

Latest Completion:

46. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC) | 20th June -120hrs (9/10) A follow up, a prequel, a closing of the loop, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the story of a ring. A ring of people, a cycle of violence, a wedding ring. It is a beautiful narrative, one of great literary depth and execution that is by and large unrivaled in the space. It is a shame that the game's only major fault is its inability to commit to its extremely complex and interesting systems as a means of strengthening its core narrative. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game about bad people who make good choices, and how good and evil do not exist as mutually exclusive poles on an axis, but as disparate events that clutter a life. It's a game about how stories bleed into each other, about how men cannot change their nature, but how they fight against it. About the foolishness of paradox, and the dangers of loyalty and faith. The game questions whether loyalty to ideals or people are more meaningful, and how blind faith will lead a flock to become their own undoing. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an astonishing game. A dream to play, a veritable playground of activity and meaning, a poignant narrative in the weird west unlike any other. It retroactively improves its predecessor, while also making it somewhat redundant. The stories of Arthur Morgan and John Marston intertwine and create a beautiful tapestry, and it was one that was a pure pleasure to play the entire way through. A stunning achievement.

I have a million other things I could say about this game and the megaton fuckload it does right. But talking about this game is like opening a pandora's box. My simple suggestion is just to play it, and play it slowly. Savor it, feel its texture and listen to what it has to say. What a goddamn game.

Memory Pak · Jun 21, 2020

25. Picross S3 (2019, Switch) ★★★★☆
Collection of 450+ nonogram logic puzzles, with several modes to keep things varied over the 60+ hours you can play this. Color Picross has a lesser presence, which is unfortunate since it's probably the most interesting one - requiring you to unlearn nonogram habits like immediately X-ing out spaces. Some colors can be difficult to discern though, so people with colorblindness should consider looking at some footage first. Overall presentation is a bit lacking: the resulting images are very dull, get recycled between modes, and you get tired of the same four tunes a dozen hours in. As a journey-over-destination kinda timekiller though, Picross S3 comes easily recommended.

26. Puyo Pop Fever (2004, PSP) ★★★☆☆
I've never been very big on Puyopuyo; the gameplay feels less immediately accessible than Tetris, Panel De Pon, or even Columns. This version manages to be more approachable though, by including the Fever mode which triggers when you make quick chains. It's really just a temporary power-up, but it's a powerful method to make comebacks with whenever the AI puts you on the defensive. The rest of the game still doesn't appeal to me very much (the story is awful, the voice acting is grating, and the cut-scenes are very lifeless), and I continue to feel like Puyopuyo is bad at teaching you how to get better at it, but overall this was fine.

27. Tetris 99 (2019, Switch) ★★★★☆
Surprisingly tense multiplayer take on classic Tetris, in which you need to keep clearing lines to send junk blocks to 98 other players. Last person stacking wins! Centering this game on the Nintendo Switch Online service ensures it still has hundreds, if not thousands of active players. It never takes long to find a match, and your success in matches varies greatly based on how others are playing. Personally, I relied on the preset attack patterns, since handpicking targets often became too chaotic for me. For more skilled multi-taskers this really raises the skill ceiling though. While I usually fall off in the 40-50 range, there's enough times where I cracked the top 20 to make it feel like there's a chance to win a round. (For the record, this has yet to occur - my highest finish is 8th place.)

52 Games. 1 Year. 2020.

One Winged Slayer

Weekend Planner

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One Winged Slayer

One Winged Slayer

One Winged Slayer

One Winged Slayer

RPG Site

One Winged Slayer

User requested ban

One Winged Slayer

User requested ban

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