A thread for people that are trying to play 52 games in a year. Tell us how you're doing and what you are going to play next - claim a post and update us on your progress.
How do I take part? Claim a post (you may need two later). Write down each game and your thoughts about each one. In order to allow for yearly statistics please list your completions, using the following exact format using a spoiler block, somewhere on your main posts;
[SPOILER="All completions!"]
1. Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube (PC) | 4th Jan - 12hrs | 3/5
2. Snipperclips (Switch) | 6th Jan - 5hrs | 5/5
3. Doki Doki Literature Club! (PC) | 12th Jan - 4.2hrs | 4/5
[/SPOILER]
What goes before/after the above spoiler block doesn't matter, so please feel free to go excessive and extravagant with personalized list, image and review formats as usual!
If you only provide the game title that is fine, but please follow the format as show (<number>. <title> (<platform>) | <date> - <hours> | <score/5>) where giving details. Mistakes will make the parser unhappy and may mean your data gets skipped. If you're giving scores, please try to adopt/translate into a scaling system out of 5 (sorry if this is painful).
What is the benefit of the spoiler block living in my post? If there's enough utilization of the format across posts I'll use it to populate statistics to share such as what game's are most played, enjoyed, loathed, average completions, hours completing, etc. The world together will be ours.
Anything new this year? Those that beat the challenge last year will remain in the Hall of Fame, for eternal glory, and further yearly completions will see their medal increment as a badge of honor for long term backlog-beating consistency.
How do I know when I've completed a game? That's up to you, it could be completing the game or playing 3hrs+ if it has no ending or is a MP game. You can do replays, as long as all the games are completed in 2021.
Do I have to record time? No, though most platforms (Steam, Xbox, Nintendo, etc) will now do it for free!
Do I have to review or comment on the games I complete? Not required but very much welcomed. A few words and maybe a quick score does wonders to share your impressions with other users as you go. Full blown mini-reviews aren't necessary.
Do episodic games count as a single game or X amount of games? That's up to you. It's alright to count something like Life is Strange as one or five games. Your choice.
Can I finish a game I started in 1998 and count that? Yes.
What should I do once I've completed the challenge? Shoot me a DM with a link to your post that shows all the games you've completed. I'll make you thread famous.
Do board games count? They do not. Vidya games only in here.
What are those medal icons I see on avatars? That's the 52 Games Challenge Medal™, achieved by beating the challenge on a given year. The number within the medal represents each year you've beaten the challenge since 2018. That's right, consistency and commitment comes with glorious numerical rewards.
Woah that medal is super cool, can I get one for my full sized avatar?
It's awesome you want to rep the thread, so sure here's a version you can slap on!
Is there a deadline? Until Dec 31st 2021 @ 11.59pm!
The brave individuals that overcome the challenge for 2021;
The additional survivors who overcame the challenge of the previous year 2020 thread;
And below are the legacy participants from years prior who we hope to see return to us this year;
Here lists those that have risen to the challenge during this or prior years! If you see yourself beating the challenge, please remember to send me a DM with your post once you're done!
Starting in 2020 our Discord has grown to over 100 members now and with it saw the start of "Game Club", a play on a traditional book club that sees us choosing and collectively playing a nominated game per month, sharing our thoughts and opinions through to beating it.
Due to the logistics of discussing, raffling and nominating games the bulk of the process will remain driven in the Discord via an external spreadsheet but I'll be posting the nominations here so everyone can join in! Those who beat the game are entered into a raffle to choose the monthly game, and we also do longer group decided quarterly games.
Every time, I get a pretty good groove going at the beginning and end of the year, but it always slows down during the summer. Hopefully, things will go smoother this year! Let's do it!
THE LIST
JANUARY!
Picked it up on a whim awhile ago after hearing about it from a friend and WOW, I didn't expect it to be this good. I'm really impressed with everything about this game for being such a small title. The gameplay is so much fun, really enjoyed the duel mechanics especially. They're tense and really relying on you to put your all into focusing on your enemy to get that upperhand. The story elements were pretty hit or miss, but that being said, I loved the unreliable narrator. Silas Greaves misremembering how events played out flows into the gameplay so seamlessly and really adds a lot to the experience. Overall, this is a fantastic Western FPS that didn't overstay it's welcome. Definitely gonna consider going back to play the arcade mode or do some duels.
The game reminds me of the few times I went to Singapore in my childhood to visit family. Sometimes, nothing goes the way you want, but there's something comforting about being around those you love and getting lost in your imagination. It's a very short experience, around 50 minutes to complete, maybe less. But, it was definitely a really enjoyable one. Upon looking into it, this was a smaller project that was made while the dev behind this game is working on a bigger title set during a not rainy day. I'm looking forward to it whenever it gets released.
It's chaos, but fun chaos. Put this down for awhile and decided to finish it up since I was fairly close to the end. The controls feel pretty damn smooth, making jumping truck to truck very extremely fun. Really didn't expect that last level though, like damn lol
Despite being 6 years old at this point, GTA V still manages to be one of my favorite open-world games. Everything about it feels just right - writing, gameplay, presentation. Having three different protagonists to control was definitely the right call, gives the game time to present the different areas and inhabitants of LS. Even on a PS4, visually it's still great. Getting a little bit dated, but I think it'll hold up for a little while longer. The missions can have you do the same shit over and over again, but there's always something to add much needed challenge or variety to it. I still really dislike the helicopter flying in this game though.
I really am not a fan of horror, but man, I loved this. I've always wanted to try a Resident Evil game and I'm really glad I picked up 2. It's tense and terrifying, but so much fun to play. I dig the limited resources, making me think more about when I should engage or run. The puzzles were fun to figure out and I absolutely enjoyed backtracking through the station (yeah, that's a weird one to like). Everything was a genuine threat, so managing to get through a long hallway packed with zombies felt like an accomplishment for me. Overall, I'm really damn impressed with RE2 remake. Definitely gonna check out the rest of the series at some point.
I remember enjoying my time with this game so much on the 360 but playing it now years later, it's definitely not as good as I remember it. Combat is fun when you hit higher levels and are way more stronger, but man is it a pain at the start. The gameplay loop after awhile feels kind of bland due to pretty one note boss fights and stages. Atleast the pixel art and soundtrack is still fantastic after all this time. Still bought a physical copy of the game though.
I love adventure movies and getting to play through one was fun as hell. The story and characters feel pretty simple, but I was thoroughly entertained by their banter to give them a bit more dimension. The gameplay was fairly smooth - platforming and puzzles were great and the gunplay was equally entertaining. Played through on hard and that really kicked my ass. I get that it's in the name but holy shit that was tough. Looking forward to playing through the rest of the series.
I'm keeping this short because I really don't wanna accidentally spoil anything. Wasn't particularly fond of the combat sections, but the story was INCREDIBLE. I'm really glad I gave this a shot.
After playing a few heavy games, I needed a palate cleanser with something lighter and that came in the way of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Excellent little puzzle game that had a lot more variety than I expected. I really love the visuals and these extremely condensed maps, especially the ones based on Odyessy. God, I miss that game. But yeah, really fun title. Don't think I would've paid full price for this title, so I'm thankful for that glitch at Wal-Mart for letting me get to experience this.
I wasn't really feeling the game at first. It was kind of tough and the constant repetition and dying was putting me off. However, as time passed and I started making my way through the game with the smallest steps, it all clicked. There's so much I enjoy about Hades. The combat is fast and extremely fun, especially when you build yourself with the right boons. Even though you die constantly, you're not being held back by your death. You continue to grow and the world starts to expand aswell as the story unfolds. The visuals are incredible and the soundtrack feels so diverse but all works so well together. This is absolutely one of the best games I've played so far this year and odds are I'm probably not gonna shut up about it until my friends play it.
I love me a good skateboarding video game and Skater XL has been a blast to play. There's no real ending, but I'm definitely done with the game. There's a very solid foundation that sets the groundwork for something bigger, but it still hasn't changed too much from those early access days. The base title has very little in terms of content with 5 maps created by the dev team and some small challenges for each one. However, the modding community for this game has plenty of additional maps and gameplay tweaks to push this game way further. It's a great chill-out game to relax with, but only after some modifications under the hood on PC.
I backed this game a few years ago on KS, but kind of forgot about it until recently. It's a cozy puzzle-platformer where you take control of a stickman and navigate through various 2D signs in this 3D world. Most of the time you're traversing street signs, connecting them to reach other sections of the city. The game manages to keep the puzzles fresh throughout the short playtime by adding various new mechanics in different sections that add a nice level of challenge. The final sections did take me more time as the puzzles sometimes got complicated, but I didn't mind too much. The one issue I have with this game is that, as previously mentioned, it's pretty short and has left me wanting more. But, I'm kind of okay with that.
If Uncharted was an interactive adventure movie, then playing Bulletstorm is like playing a big budget popcorn flick. Everything about this game is over the top and incredibly dumb, however, it was a blast to playthrough. The emphasis on pulling off creative kills is fantastic and really adds a lot since the levels are kind of basic. They give you the tools to pull off some incredibly gory and oddly satisfying kills with a large crunch and I'm all for it. The story, however, is fairly generic though I do think that it's saved by the dialogue. Has it aged well? Probably not, but, it works for this game. Overall, this was a fun shooter to go through and I'm kind of interested to replay the game as Duke Nukem at some point.
Maybe it's because I just finished Bulletstorm previously and I wasn't ready for a 2D version of Journey, but GRIS was kind of boring to play. The platforming, levels, and abilities are all pretty standard and didn't really add anything to push it over or leave much of an impact on me gameplay-wise. Despite that though, this game is a 5/5 visually. It's absolutely beautiful, especially with these color palettes in certain sections like the forest. The watercolor aesthetic with the fluid animation of GRIS running around coupled with the soundtrack are really something when it's all together. Playing this game didn't leave much of a mark on me, but I'll admit that it was a treat to look at.
All I wanted from a follow-up was just for it to be as great as Drake's Fortune, but Uncharted 2 delivered something way better. The story and characters are fantastic still. We've got a bigger roster of characters that just fit right in with Nate, Elena, and Sully. It's great to have the adventure go global, adding some variety to the puzzles and shootouts of the game. The overall gameplay though remains unchanged from the previous, though it did feel much easier to playthrough on hard than UC1. However, I wasn't much of a fan of keeping things stealthy. Maybe I'm just bad with these types of sections, but it did feel difficult trying to find good openings and staying hidden within some of the smaller locations. Overall though, I loved it. I dig these games way more than I thought I would. Looking forward to jumping into Uncharted 3 soon.
Uncharted 2 set the bar high for the third installment and after finishing it, I was not disappointed. The story goes all over the place and explores one of the key relationships of Uncharted that hasn't been touched upon at all. It's really satisfying to end it and also show how it all really started. I don't have too much to write about gameplay since it does feel about the same as 2, however, the melee combat feels much better in this one. I always felt like it was too slow, but this one flows a lot better and moves quicker too. It was fun getting to throw hands and do some real painful finishers too. As a whole, the game feels way more cinematic thanks to the incredible set pieces to explore, the fantastic visuals/locations, and some great music. I feel like I was very late to the party getting to experience the Nathan Drake Collection, but I'm happy I did. These games were a blast and 3 was a great way to finish it.
A shorter run time than usual, The Lost Legacy is still super solid and very high quality. Coming right off the heels of Drake's Deception, the overall jump in quality is MASSIVE. Chloe is a great character, so having her lead this adventure was fun. I was pretty mixed about Nadine when I played 4 initially, but by the end, I warmed up a lot more to her. The relationship between the two of them is really fun and entertaining to watch as they slowly become better friends. Gameplay is fantastic. Everything just flows together so greatly - the gunplay, the stealth, the melee. It just blends together so well. The series has always had a linear level structure and even though this one is no exception, I really dig Chapter 4 and really letting the player explore the environment. Just that alone added a lot to the game for me. Also, I'm still in awe over how beautiful this game looks. The character models are so lifelike and detailed, not to mention India looks fantastic. Looking forward to playing 4 again in the future.
Going to be 100% honest here - I should've played this first. The Lost Legacy spoiled me with the beautiful visuals and buttery visuals, so jumping to Golden Abyss on the Vita was pretty jarring. Regardless, this was a fun adventure in the Nathan Drake saga. Bend Studios really did their best with the hardware and in keeping true to the rest of the Uncharted games. I'm always down to see how developers take use of hardware features and I think this is like maybe the 2nd Vita game I've played that's taken advantage of every feature the handheld had. The gyro aiming was great, using the touch screens to climb and interact with objects, and using the back camera to show heat-sensitive ink. It all really worked, though I wasn't much of a fan of using the touch screen for boss fights. Cool idea, but it got kind of annoying after the first one. Story-wise, it was super solid. Chase is essentially the female version of Nathan Drake if he had morals (for awhile atleast) and Dante is the biggest piece of shit I've ever seen. Not the best in the series, but definitely a fun time to be had. Kind of sucks that this game is stuck on the Vita, but I don't think it would be the same experience playing it on anything else.
I didn't need a follow-up to Persona 5, but if ATLUS is gonna deliver one, I'll partake. The big thing about Strikers is the gameplay, moving away from traditional turn-based mechanics to real-time hack n' slash combat with the help of Koei Tecmo. The combat is chaotic and messy sometimes, but it's an absolute blast to play and feels true to the Persona series. The presentation is still fantastic, with some incredible new music tracks and remixes to accompany the trip across Japan. For me, I think the story may have been the weakest part. I feel like some of the reveals were obvious and sometimes left me scratching my head asking why, but still was enjoying it quite a bit partially due to the new additions to the cast, Sophia and Zenkichi. The two have some pretty good arcs and I hope they return in the future in some way shape or form.
Don't have a lot to say about this one. I initially played it when the game came out without having experienced the original trilogy. After finishing the Nathan Drake collection last month, I knew I had to go in and replay this once more. It felt wrong if I didn't. A lot of my thoughts on this game haven't change too much from 2016 surprisingly. If anything, I think I appreciate the effort and feel the love Naughty Dog had for this title. As a whole though, this series is incredible and I'm glad I took the time to go through each entry.
Never thought this would be a game I'd pick up in 2021. I played the trial during the free week and got really hooked into the MP, so here we are. The general note about the multiplayer I have is that I love the speed and how much fun the gunplay is. The maps are basic in setup, but get extremely chaotic in the different modes. On the other half of the game, we've got a pretty good single-player experience. The campaign is a short romp, but I had fun. Was mostly expecting going in guns blazing or linear stealth missions, but they give you a lot of room to work within the varied mission structures. I think the missions closer to the end of the game were easily highlights to me. The overall story is decent. Generic setup with the writing of an action blockbuster that I'll forget in a few weeks. Didn't expect anything less from a Call of Duty game. Really not a bad way to spend 7 hours. Looking forward to adding more hours into the multiplayer.
Didn't expect to like this one so much. I dig the 20vs20 combat in Multiplayer and having the option of playing as a hero to wild out on the other team. Campaign was alright. It gave a good sampling of what the game can do and tried to weave a story throughout each level. Heavy on the fan service and very straightforward. This game is a lot of fun and I'm probably gonna have this on rotation since a lot of my friends also have it thanks to Epic Games Store.
Eh. I could've lived without this. It's not bad, it's just alright.
Don't remember where I heard about this (probably Twitter), but Adios sure was something. There's not a whole lot going on with the gameplay that will blow you away. You walk and talk with the other characters and sometimes get to do activities. The game's biggest strength is in the narrative. Adios has some fantastic writing and performances from the actors to deliver a really morbid slice of life story. It's very short and to the point, only showing the most important aspects of this day. I wish the game had more choices to expand and possibly influence the events, but honestly, I don't think it needs it. It's fantastic the way it is.
STEEP is probably up there as one of my favorite action sports games of recent years. The individual sports are easy to pick up and get into, feeling super smooth to control and do stunts. But with the varying terrain on the mountains and a health mechanic, it's been a challenge. I've always been a snowboarding fan so I've leaned towards that a lot throughout my time, but the wingsuit material is a lot of fun to play with. There's plenty of challenges to go through, so even if a specific event is making me feel frustrated, there's at least 3 others that might be for me. Even just cruising around the expansive map is fun. Playing this has got me feeling all kinds excited about the sequel whenever that gets released. Riders Republic leans into a much louder aesthetic and I dig it a lot. However, these past few Ubisoft releases have left me feeling a bit disappointed. I dunno, I guess we'll cross that bridge when it starts coming up.
The DLC for STEEP has been rather hit or miss, but I think Road to The Olympics is probably the best pack out of them all. The new Japan/Korea map and additional challenges felt like more of the same good stuff that I enjoy in this game. Plus, the Olympic content was fun to go through as well. I enjoyed the different events that you could play, and surprisingly the campaign was kind of cool? It feels like an interactive documentary, detailing your character's journey to PyeongChang 2018. Complete with a narrator and various interviews with actual Olympic athletes that surround the various events you participate in. Definitely feels like a step up compared to the generic narrative cheese you'd get from other sports games, but I do miss that a bit.
Wasn't super sure if Disco Elysium would be for me but I got sucked into it the more I moved through it. The writing is incredible - vivid, morbid, raw. It captures the human experience incredibly well, flaws and all, and isn't afraid to go to places. The people and the city they live in all play a part in this game and say a lot, even if they don't appear for long. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry. The game has plenty of options to create your own ideal version of the main character through new thoughts, your psyche skills, and the initial character build. Perhaps it's due to the type of games I play normally, but Disco Elysium is the first time I've ever felt like my choices mattered. Small comments can have large effects on the way characters treat you in the world and I'm all for it. The one mechanic that's been hit-or-miss was the dice roll. I love the idea that the larger choices in the game are done via skill checks, but there have been crucial points where I need to pass, but miss completely. It gets frustrating, but that's the way it is with dice rolls I suppose. Overall, I had a blast playing through this and I'm definitely revisiting it in a few months to see what I missed.
Didn't expect to go back to this game, but here we are I guess! Had a pretty fun time going through Green Day's discography in this interactive greatest hits compilation, though it did feel like the overall package was lacking compared to other band-centric rhythm games.
The Beatles: Rock Band is a loving tribute to an incredibly iconic band. I'm not much of a fan of The Beatles, but I had a lot of fun going through the track list for this. The charts are pretty mixed in terms of difficulty, so it's a nice balance. The big draw for me was it's visuals. The early tracks in the game are mostly recreations of some memorable performances, but later on, they start getting more creative and wild with the visuals to fit.
Compared to Green Day: Rock Band, The Beatles: Rock Band still manages to come out on top. GD:RB felt more like an add-on for an existing Rock Band game with some new character skins. But, this game definitely stands out from the mainline titles by embracing a retro and psychedelic aesthetic that fits perfectly with the setlist. Easily the best band focused rhythm game in my eyes.
Kinda terrible at the racing, but I had a lot of fun with Daytona USA. I dig those blue skies, the chunky cars and the infectiously catchy soundtrack. Definitely keeping this one installed to try and get better times.
I've owned this game for so long, but I've never bothered to complete it until now. First, I thought my game disc was busted for a long while. As it turns out, it works with some music skipping and FMV issues. Second, if you had the sequel that improves everything, why would you go back to the old one? Whatever. Anyways.
The original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater feels outdated compared to the subsequent entries in the series, but it's still an extremely fun game all these years later. It's very simple to pick up and play, but it was definitely a challenge trying to get a high combo. There aren't a lot of moves in your arsenal, so you really have to make do with the tricks you're given. It makes getting any kind of combo over 4 tricks something to celebrate for me. The sound is absolutely perfect for this game. Yes, I know how good the soundtrack is, but those sound effects to go with it are just so excellent to listen to. I just love how crisp and crunchy they are. Kind of a shame that they didn't keep them for THPS2. It's kinda crazy to play the 2020 remaster and then come back to the original after so long, but it was worth the trip.
I was gonna come back to Rock Band 4 at some point, but that final We Be Drummin' stream pushed me to get back to it. Going through the campaign with my new band, Rock and the Band, was a good time. The overall gameplay is still super solid, though I feel like I was definitely off for most of the time either due to input lag or my controller acting up. They added a new feature for freestyle guitar solos. Instead of playing the original chart and solo, you can now just make up your own on the go! It's a great concept on paper that definitely works, but it sounds absolutely terrible.
Not much of a fan of the track list for this one. I dig the how varied the tracks are, however they just left a lot to be desired. Though, I suppose if there's something you really want to play, there's a good chance it might be DLC already? I have the RB3 export and a few DLC tracks, so adding them into the mix definitely helped make the experience way more enjoyable.
Wasn't really planning on picking this up, but after hearing a friend gush about the series for so long, I figured now would be a good time to jump in. For this first run through the trilogy, I'm going with Paragon John Shepard. Figured it would be good to just experience these games in like the most ideal route. Mass Effect is a solid introduction to the world and characters. The writing is great and I love the crew I had with me. Well, most of them anyways. I can't really compare it to the original release, but it's definitely clear from this experience that the gameplay has some rough bits here and there. After awhile, I got used to the jank and everything was smooth sailing. Hell, I kind of like the Mako no matter how bad it felt to drive. Looking forward to playing Mass Effect 2 soon.
Legion was already kind of an OK game for me, so more of the same is fine. The DLC's big selling point was bringing back Aiden Pearce and Wrench, way older but still not as wise. I always liked Wrench, but never was a fan of Aiden. Bloodline makes him slightly more tolerable and gives him a bit more personality, probably just due to the location change. The missions are alright, with a few standouts here and there, but nothing spectacular. A nice fan-service filled bit of content that I may re-visit in the future.
Sonic Adventure was a pretty alright experience. Sonic's gameplay was fun and offered a pretty great balance between speedy set pieces and some careful platforming. I wasn't much of a fan of the other characters play styles. Knuckles' treasure hunting was pretty fun, and Gamma's shooting sections was a fun detour. But, Tails offered a pretty sub-par retelling and Amy and Big's campaigns just exist. The story was decent, but I couldn't stand any of the voice acting. Not super sure why people say Sonic had a rough transition into 3D. Yeah, the game has not aged well, but I still had a good time.
Sonic Adventure 2 is great. It took the things I really liked about the first one and just focused on making those way better and it worked for the most part. Wasn't much of a fan of treasure hunting this time around due to the radar tracking one item at a time, but still had a blast with the hunting, shooting, and speed levels. Really glad that the levels were just divided into three story modes this time around. Plus, the overall presentation is so much of a jump from SA1. Overall, really impressed by this adventure!
DEATHLOOP is one tight package. It's got a really damn cool sense of style, gorgeous visuals, and incredibly fun gameplay. Once I got accustomed to the various abilities and made the ideal loadout, blazing through enemies or taking them down stealthily felt so satisfying. I loved how hands-off the game is, giving you the freedom to follow leads however you want, when you want. Though, it did feel a little frustrating to find a clue to another lead but Colt doesn't have enough context to put the pieces together even though me as a player already has. Still, had a fantastic time going through these loops. Also, this was the first game that I've played with full DualSense support on PC. Not 100% sure I'd use adaptive triggers in every game, but this was an interesting experience.
A short co-op platformer that manages to keep itself fun and fresh throughout the 12 world run. Also manages to evoke pain when the lobby is full. Would run through again if you pay me the right amount.
Cute little adventure, exploring an island and talking to folk. Don't really have much to talk about for this one, but can confirm - the name checks out.
If you ever wanted more Left 4 Dead and wasn't interested in the custom campaigns, Back 4 Blood is that and a bit more. Really didn't have many complaints overall about this one - the card-based progression is fantastic and makes the game a lot more interesting, the campaign is pretty solid, and when you add co-op with friends to the equation, the game rules. My biggest issue with the game is difficulty. Veteran (Normal) is just way too difficult to handle as the mutation spawn rate is way higher than it should be. Meanwhile, Recruit (Easy) feels like a cakewalk at times in comparison. We ended up pausing our Veteran run in order to complete the campaign atleast once on Recruit, and now we're grinding out skill points for additional cards. Turtle Rock has tried to address this in the last balance patch, but ended up making it worse. It's annoying, but despite that flaw, I'm loving my time with the game.
Another game that I was seriously on the fence about from reveal until launch. I had zero expectations going in, but was surprised how much I loved this adventure. While the combat gameplay wasn't a smash hit at points for me, it was carried by it's incredible soundtrack, writing, and visuals. Oh man, the visuals are so CLEAN for this game and truly made me feel like we're in a new generation of gaming. Definitely going to revisit for a new game plus run in the future.
The gameplay feels bad, the music is incredibly forgettable, and visually doesn't look good at all. Maybe someone had a lot of fun with this, but I'd rather forget about this adventure. Episode 2 looks a lot better though.
Ok, so this one was a lot better. Sonic's gameplay is still more of the same as Episode 1, but I think the level design helped make things more interesting this time around. Plus, Tails joined the game and adds a bit more flavor with some new co-op moves. Visually, this looks a lot better too! However, the music is still pretty bland. Not a bad time, though my expectations were put pretty low after playing the first episode. It does kind of bum me out that Episode 3 was scrapped, but at the same time, maybe that's a good thing.
Not sure why I put this game on pause last year because DAMN, I needed this. Thoroughly impressed by everything Sucker Punch delivered here - the gameplay/combat, the main journey and its' side stories, and the overall presentation. It's all so wonderful. I spent about the first 20 hours going through Act 1 and the side-quests it introduced, then spent the second half just going through the story as things developed. Gonna go back at some point to complete those tales, maybe for a new game plus run on PS5 or something.
I don't have too much experience with the previous Forza games, so this was my first time really jumping into it. Overall, I had a great time. I loved the events, both the regular ones and the bigger set-piece based ones. Game looks absolutely incredible throughout with some killer audio design. I dig how in-depth the customization is to let you make the vehicles your own. As much fun as I had working to the hall of fame, I do think the map was a little bland after a bit? I loved driving through sun-soaked Mexico (especially now considering there's snow on the ground outside) but the look just kind of blends together and doesn't really offer much variety visually. Still though! This was a fun one. I'll definitely pick this up again when the expansions drop.
Scartlet Nexus is like right in the middle for me. The combat is a ton of fun and the game has overall fantastic presentation, but ultimately when the anime bullshit kicks up into high gear in the story, I kind of lost a bit of interest. The halfway point and I'm sitting here thinking "Yeah, sure. Fuck it. Go nuts." But, regardless of the tropes, the overall gameplay really made the whole experience worth while. Might return at some point to see the other what the other protagonist's story is like.
Pretty good! Episode one is extremely dull, but really loved the shift to stealth gameplay and the story in the second half.
I didn't know I had this in my library? It's Mega-Man without Mega-Man. Pretty, pretty good.
THPS1+2 was my game of the year for 2020 and this marks the third time I've completed it - now on the Switch. Unlike previous completions where I went for as many challenges/trophies I could handle, I just went for the standard - both the Pro Skater 1 and 2 levels completed as the Custom Skater with all stat points collected. The game itself an absolutely gorgeous nostalgia trip that gives these classics a much deserved upgrade and then some. As for the Switch version, it's pretty solid all things considered. Of course visuals take a hit, but overall it looks fantastic and runs pretty smoothly with the only frame drops I've encountered being on the main menu of all things. I don't think I could ever play this game with Joy-Cons though, it just doesn't feel right? I had a great time revisiting GOTY 2020. Hope we see more of that guy that looks like Tony Hawk in the future.
He really did do what the title said! The writing is fantastic and I dig the music. Gameplay was good until I started getting bored by the repetition near the end, but still had a fun time going through this.
A short but really sweet puzzle game about, well, unpacking your stuff. I love its detailed pixel art and overall chill vibe. Always cool to see something a bit different out here.
I don't think there's much I can say about it. It's a classic, damnit!! A nice challenge, especially those final two worlds, and controls feel really good despite being a bit slippery at times. But, I had a blast.
1) Witch & Hero 3(3DS - January 22nd - 3/5) 2) Final Fantasy VI(Steam - January 24th - 4/5) 3) The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan(Steam - January 29th - 3/5) 4) Persona 4: Dancing All Night(PS4 - February 10th - 3/5) 5) Astro Bot: Rescue Mission(PSVR - February 14th - 4/5) 6) Bowser's Fury(Switch - February 15th - 4/5) 7) Super Mario 3D World(Switch - February 26th - 4/5) 8) Persona 5 Strikers(Steam - March 29th - 4/5) 9) It Takes Two(Steam - April 5th - 5/5) 10) Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight(PS4 - April 6th - 3/5) 11) Rez Infinite(PSVR - April 6th - 3/5) 12) The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit(Steam - April 8th - 2/5) 13) Panzer Dragoon: Remake(Steam - April 12th - 2/5) 14) Life is Strange 2(Steam - April 20th - 4/5) 15) One Finger Death Punch 2(Steam - April 29th - 4/5) 16) Fortix(Steam - May 3rd - 3/5) 17) Luxor 2 HD(Steam - May 9th - 2/5) 18) Fortix 2(Steam - May 12th - 3/5) 19) The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game(Steam - May 12th - 2/5) 20) Resident Evil Village(Steam - May 22nd - 4/5) 21) Touhou Luna Nights(Steam - May 24th - 3/5) 22) LOVE(Steam - June 3rd - 3/5) 23) Hotline Miami(Steam - June 9th - 3/5) 24) Resident Evil Revelations(Steam - June 16th - 3/5) 25) LOVE 2: kuso(Steam - June 16th - 3/5) 26) A Hat in Time(Steam - July 10th - 3/5) 27) Super Bomberman R Online(Steam - August 1st - 4/5) 28) Final Fantasy(Steam - August 10th - 3/5) 29) Final Fantasy II(Steam - August 21st - 3/5) 30) Final Fantasy III(Steam - August 30th - 3/5) 31) Retro Classix: Two Crude(Steam - September 4th - 2/5) 32) Retro Classix: Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja(Steam - September 5th - 2/5) 33) Retro Classix: Express Raider(Steam - September 6th - 2/5) 34) Retro Classix: Heavy Barrel(Steam - September 7th - 2/5) 35) 1 For Yes, 0 For No(Steam - September 8th - 3/5) 36) Okaeri(Steam - September 11th - 2/5) 37) WarioWare: Get It Together(Switch - September 22nd - 2/5) 38) Final Fantasy IV(Steam - October 1st - 3/5) 39) Castlevania: Circle of the Moon(Steam - October 11th - 3/5) 40) Final Fantasy IV Interlude(PSP - October 16th - 2/5) 41) Resident Evil 6(Steam - October 24th - 3/5) 42) Dead Space(Steam - October 31st - 3/5) 43) The Convenience Store(Steam - October 31st - 2/5) 44) The Ghost Train(Steam - November 4th - 2/5) 45) She Sees Red(Steam - November 7th - 2/5) 46) The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope(Steam - November 13th - 3/5) 47) Dead Rising(Steam - November 17th - 3/5) 48) Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance(Steam - November 21st - 3/5) 49) Florence(Steam - November 23rd - 2/5) 50) Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk(Steam - November 28th - 3/5) 51) Pokémon Shining Pearl(Switch - December 11th - 3/5) 52) Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker(Steam - December 13th - 4/5)
Man, this shit was awesome. If you like RE4 and RE7, this game is a ride all the way through. I have some minor complaints, in particular about the opening, but outside of that this game has a lot of love and detail poured into it and I loved nearly every moment. Really eager already to go back for another round.
Yeah, I really don't know how to rate or review this game. The only thing I can suggest doing is looking it up and seeing if it looks like something you might be interested in. This game kicks ass. One of my favorite games of all time even.
3. No More Heroes
9/11/21 | TTC 20 Hours | Rating 4.5/5
4. No More Heroes 2
9/15/21 | TTC 15 Hours | Rating 4/5
Just here to wish everyone the best of luck overcoming the challenge as I won't be participating, as my daughter will be born in the next 8 days. I am sure you can do it, you gotta believe 😄
1) tiny show (PC) - Janary 2nd - Remembered that I actually did this first with the poster below me. More of a narrative interactive toy than a straight game, but it was cute! (4 minutes) (no rating)
2) Ikenfell (XBOX One X) - January 4th - Wrapped up on this, and with the endgame I still rank it as one of the best retro RPG experiences in a while, HOWEVER I sort of felt like the original conceit of the story (revolving around your missing sister) had a clumsy landing. I sort of found myself wishing there was a missing element of Safina (who also served sort of a expositional/indirect antagonist) to offer up a little bit more actual redemption in her post game redemption arc. Especially because your main party, and even the other major story-centric non-player characters, were given more full wrap-ups. I still loved the other 97% of this game. (roughly 31 hours) (4.5 out of 5 Stars)
3) Murder By Numbers (PC) -January 7th - Imagine if MTV, in the middle of their live-action drama boom, decided to do a 90's detective drama with a quirky sci-fi bend and a wildly diverse group of characters. It gets 3 seasons, which are all pretty good! Then they go for a movie as the finale, and it doesn't work. The final chapter is badly paced and tonally all over the map - it's the only one that takes extreme liberties with bouncing you between the investigation/visual novel portions and the puzzles at seemingly every turn without any real chance to realign yourself. They wanted to get all their puzzle shit in while maintaining the scope of the detective narrative and it hurt the whole thing - it could have easily been broken down into 3 chatpers for 6 total. Also Jena didn't deserve to go out like that, come on y'all. (just over 16 hours) (3 out of 5 stars)
4) SUPER IS HOT (PC) - January 9th - A game jam project that got polished up and given a final release. This one is exactly a hybrid of two universally beloved games that I had slight design qualms with (SUPERHOT and Baba Is You). Here though, everything seems to work in a strange way, and makes me think more of the original games in the process! Only 6 levels long, but pretty fun regardless. (46 minutes) (4 out of 5 stars)
5) Final Fantasy IV Ultima [Version .21k] (SNES) - January 13th - One of most enduring pre-2000 Final Fantasy games, made not only so much better - with an easier grind and logical character buffs for starters - but made almost new. There's new story events that don't break the pace, bonus dungeons adapted from later versions on PSP/GBA, not just new items but consolidated items adapted from later titles to save precious inventory space, AND a New Game Plus that I'll crack later on in the year, I'm sure. A classic that was fun to tear through all over again, in a different way. (a few minutes shy of 40 hours) (5 out of 5 stars)
6) Tiny Fragments (PC) - January 13th - A nice little palate cleanser after lengthy stay in classic JRPG land. This was a project for Ludum Dare 46 from last year that was expanded post-jam - a cute little casual puzzle platformer where you slide tiles around to get a little creature to some food while avoiding hazards like spikes, cannon fire, and falling out of the level entirely. Only about 15 levels, but a cozy and mostly easy-going playthrough that feels like it could have been a lost gem of the Flash game era. (30 minutes) (3.5 out of 5 stars)
7) Cloud Climber (PC) - January 14th - Short walking simulator about finishing a job for a near extinct civilization on a dying planet still looking for any relief from an apocalyptic water supply shortage. Not a lot to it, but decent enough game-jam material. The narrative didn't really capture my attention as much as it was hyped from the itch reviews but your mileage may vary. Free on itch and steam. (13 minutes) (2.5 out of 5 stars)
8) FINAL FANTASY VII Remake (PS4) - January 18th - When the Forum Best Of 2020 thread goes up, I'm going to have a whole lot of words regarding this game - suffice to say, by chapter 9 it was already in my top 5 of the year. Having finished it, it's even better than that. Yeah. (38 hours or so) (5 out of 5 stars)
9) Six Cats Under (PC) - January 18th - Decompression time between big games (without a mood for what to focus on next), and this was a good one to start with, a very short puzzle game jam title where you play as the ghost of a cat lady trying to set your pets free. Honestly this is the sort of game that could be expanded to a real charming 3-5 hour title, where you attempt to pair up your now-free felines with neighbor children or something along those lines. But for a concept it works. (15 minutes) (3 out of 5 stars)
1. tiny show - PC - January 3rd
In tiny show, you put on a performance for a very nice crowd. You can dance, play music, and then read a poem. It's not much, but it's nice for a thing that you can do for three minutes. Play it for yourself! Link
2. Frozax - PC - March 4 - 15 Minutes
In Frozax, you solve sudoku-like puzzles where you fill thermometers based on numbers rimming the edge of a grid. It's very simple and very easy, but is a great little stress reliever. Link
1. tiny show (PC) | 3rd Jan - 6min | 1/5
2. Frozax (OC) | 4th Mar - 15min | 2/5
1. Kids (PC) | 1st Jan - .5hrs | 3/5
2. Sea of Solitude (Xbox Series X) | 2nd Jan - 4hrs | 3/5
3. hyper|dot (Xbox Series X) | 3rd Jan - 4hrs | 3/5
4. Gorogoa (Switch) | 8th Jan - 1.5hrs | 4/5
5. Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Series X) | 8th Jan - 7hrs | 4/5
6. Rhythm Heaven Megamix (3ds) | 10th Jan - 8.5hrs | 5/5
7. Songbird Symphony (Switch) | 12 Jan - 5hrs | 4/5
8. My Friend Pedro (Xbox Series X) | 14th Jan - 4hrs | 3/5
9. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (PC) | 21st Jan - 89hrs | 5/5
10. Donut County (Xbox Series X) | 22nd Jan - 1.5hrs | 4/5
11. Sea Salt (Xbox Series X) | 23rd Jan - 4.5hrs | 2/5
12. History2048 (Switch) | 25th Jan - .25hrs | 1/5
13. Final Fantasy VII Remake (PlayStation 5) | 1st Feb - 28.5hrs | 4/5
14. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (Game boy Advance) | 4th Feb - 2.5hrs | 4/5
15. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (Playstation 5) | 14th Feb - 37.5hrs | 4/5
16. Oxenfree (Xbox Series X) | 19th Feb - 3.5hrs | 3/5
17. Cyber Shadow (Xbox Series X) | 20th Feb - 16hrs | 3/5
18. Clustertruck (Xbox Series X | 23rd Feb - 11.5hrs | 4/5
19. Return of the Obra Dinn (Switch) | 27th Feb - 10hrs | 4/5
20. Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch) | 28th Feb - 26.5hrs | 4/5
21. Later Alligator (Switch) | 26th Apr - 2.5hrs | 5/5
22. Rain On Your Parade (Xbox Series X) | 30th Apr - 3hrs | 4/5
23. Say No! More (Switch) | 1st May - 1.5hrs | 4/5
24. World End Syndrome (Switch) | 10th May - 21.5hrs | 4/5
25. Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1 - A Dreadly Business (Switch) | 13th May - 2hrs | 3/5
26. The Language of Love (Switch) | 14th May - 4hrs | 4/5
27. Nuts (Switch) | 15th May - 3.5hrs | 5/5
28. Jisei: The First Case (Switch) | 15th May - 1h | 3/5
29. Detective Grimoire (PC) | 16th May - 2hrs | 4/5
30. The Little Acre (Xbox Series X) | 17th May - 1.5hrs | 3/5
31. Aquadine (PC) | 17th May - 7hrs | 4/5
32. Journey (Playstation 5) | 18th May - 2hrs | 5/5
33. a new life. (PC) | 19th May - .5hrs | 4/5
34. Yi and the Thousand Moons (PC) | 22nd May - 17min | 3/5
35. The Fruit of Grisaia (Nintendo Switch) | 35th May - 23hrs | 3/5
36. Sayonara Wild Hearts (Xbox Series X) | 16th Aug - 1hr | 5/5
37. Limbo (Xbox Series X) | 18th Aug - 2.5hrs | 3/5
38. Florence (Android) | 19th Aug - 38min | 4/5
39. Psychonauts 2 (Xbox Series X) | 28th Aug - 20.5hrs | 5/5
40. Marvel's Spider-Man (Playstation 5) | 31st Aug - 13hrs | 4/5
41. Stacking (Xbox Series X) | 8th Sep - 3.5hrs | 3/5
42. Boyfriend Dungeon (Xbox Series X) | 8th Sep - 8hrs | 4/5
43. The Last Campfire (Xbox Series X) | 9th Sep - 5hrs | 4/5
44. The Artful Escape (Xbox Series X) | 12th Sep - 4.5hrs | 5/5
45. Grindstone (Nintendo Switch) | 17th Sep - 36hrs | 2/5
46. Maneater (Xbox Series X) | 21st Sep - 9.5hrs | 4/5
47. Flower (Playstation 5) | 29th Sep - 1.5hrs | 4/5
48. Picross S (Nintendo Switch) | 2nd Oct - 24.5hrs | 4/5
49. Tales of Iron (Xbox Series X) | 4th Oct - 10.5hrs | 4/5
50. Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (PC) | 5th Oct - 1h | 4/5
51. Toree3D (Nintendo Switch) | 7th Oct - 34m | 3/5
52. Toree 2 (Nintendo Switch) | 8th Oct - 30m | 3/5
53. Machinarium (Nindendo Switch) | 13th Oct - 4.5hrs | 4/5
54. Metroid Dread (Nintendo Switch) | 16th Oct - 17hrs | 5/5
55. A Plague Tale: Innocence (Nintendo Switch) | 19th Oct - 11hrs | 4/5
56. The Procession to Calvary (Xbox Series X) | 23rd Oct - 2.5hrs | 4/5
57. Knights and Bikes (Xbox Series X) | 24th Oct - 6.5hrs | 3/5
58. Eastshade (Xbox Series X) | 27th Oct - 12.5hrs | 5/5
59. Cruis'n Blast (Nintendo Switch) | 28th Oct - 1.5hrs | 3/5
60. Carrion (Xbox Series X) | 30th Oct - 6hrs | 3/5
61. Little Nightmares (Xbox Series X) | 31th Oct - 3.5hrs | 3/5
62. Mighty Goose (Xbox Series X) | 1st Nov - 3hrs | 3/5
63. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Xbox Series X) | 7th Nov - 20.5hrs | 5/5
I had a great time this year and looking at the data I had months where I played and finished quite a few games and had several months where I barely played anything. Looking forward to attempting this next year!
Did a lot better than expected last year. Maybe I'll complete the challenge this year too. Maybe I won't. Doesn't really matter to be honest. It's a fun way to motivate myself to play new games, so it's a win for me no matter how it goes!
Unless I somehow play only bad games, I guess.
1. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PS1) | 21st Jan - 2.3h | 3/5
2. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS4) | 23rd Jan - 44.5h | 3/5
3. Resident Evil - Code: Veronica X (PS3) | 28th Jan - 3.5h | 3/5
4. Resident Evil 0 HD (PS4) | 3rd Feb - 4h | 2.5/5
5. Kid Dracula (PS4) | 7th Feb - 1.8h | 2.5/5
6. Resident Evil HD (PS4) | 11th Feb - 3.8h | 5/5
7. Tales of Vesperia (Switch) | 22nd Feb - 80h | 3.5/5
8. Resident Evil 4 (PS4) | 25th Feb - 9.6h | 4/5
9. Resident Evil 5 (PS4) | 7th Mar - 10.8h | 3.5/5
10. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition (PS3) | 22nd Mar - 1h | 4.5/5
11. Castlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge (PS4) | 28th Mar - 1.8h | 3/5
12. Ikaruga (PC) | 30th Mar - 47h | 4/5
13. Fist of the North Star: 10 Big Brawls for the King of Universe (GB) | 11th Apr - 0.3h | 1.5/5
14. Squidlit (Switch) | 16th Apr - 0.3h | 2.5/5
15. Persona 5 Strikers (PS4) | 19th Apr - 50h | 4/5
16. Resident Evil 6 (PS4) | 29th Apr - 22h | 2.5/5
17. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4) | 14th May - 4.8h | 4/5
18. Final Fantasy Adventure (Switch) | 24th May - 9.5h | 3/5
19. Resident Evil 2 (PS4) | 3rd Jun - 5h | 4.5/5
20. Yakuza 4 (PS4) | 4th Jun - 103h | 3/5
21. Resident Evil 3 (PS4) | 7th Jun - 4.5h | 3.5/5
22. Super Mario Sunshine (Switch) | 14th Jun - 20h | 3.5/5
23. Resident Evil Village (PS4) | 25th Jun - 9.9h | 4/5
24. Super Mario Galaxy (Switch) | 27th Jun - 13.5h | 3/5
25. Mega Man X (PS4) | 1st Jul - 1.5h | 5/5
26. Super Mario 3D World (Switch) | 23rd Jul - 5.2h | 4/5
27. The House in Fata Morgana: Requiem for Innocence (PS4) | 27th Jul - 10h | 3.5/5
28. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definite Edition (Switch) | 7th Aug - 120h | 4.5/5
29. Demon's Souls (PS4) | 9th Aug - 27h | 4/5
30. Rival Schools: United by Fate (PS1) | 15th Aug - 1h | 3.5/5
31. Order a Pizza: A Visual Novel (PC) | 19th Aug - 0.3h | 2/5
32. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster (Switch) | 3rd Sep - 60h | 4/5
33. Super Castlevania IV (PS4) | 5th Sep - 1.5h | 3/5
34. Castlevania: Bloodlines (PS4) | 7th Sep - 1.5h | 3/5
35. Final Fantasy VII (Switch) | 15th Sep - 20h | 5/5
36. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (3DS) | 30th Sep - 63h | 3.5/5
37. Trip World (3DS VC) | 2nd Oct - 0.6h | 2.5/5
38. Cyber Shadow (Switch) | 6th Oct - 6h | 3.5/5
39. Eastward (Switch) | 25th Oct - 24.3h | 3.5/5
40. Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PS1) | 30th Oct - 2.5h | 3/5
41. Metroid Dread (Switch) | 31st Oct - 9.5h | 4.5/5
42. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS4) | 7th Nov - 10h | 4/5
43. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (PS4) | 25th Nov - 11h | 2.5/5
44. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (PS4) | 3rd Dec - 17.6h | 3/5
45. Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch) | 15th Dec - 76h | 4/5
46. Star Fox 64 3D (3DS) | 22nd Dec - 1.5h | 4/5
47. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC) | 27th Dec - 12.5h | 3/5
(Longer reviews/scattered thoughts in the monthly posts)
1. Resident Evil 3 (PS1) | 3/5 - It's a fun, fast paced game, but probably my least favourite of the PS1 REs. The action isn't exactly great, the dodging mechanic is downright bad (and shouldn't have been assigned to the same button as shooting), and Nemesis himself is more annoying than scary. Branching paths and the many epilogues really good for encouraging replays!
2. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS4) | 3/5- A lot of cut corners here and there and an incredibly basic (albeit still fun most of the time) fighting system, but often good entertainment and a great way to experience the Z story. Buu saga is way too long, though I guess that's the source material's fault rather than the game's. Seriously relaxing to just fly around the world maps.
3. Resident Evil - Code: Veronica X (PS3) |3/5 - I probably like this more than most, but it's still not exactly great. Too much backtracking and strange design decisions makes this a pretty tedious experience at times, but it also has Chris' Antarctica segment which is among the best gameplay chunks classic RE has to offer.
4. Resident Evil 0 (PS4) | 2.5/5 - The gameplay of classic Resident Evil is inherently fun, but 0's tweaks to it where you have a severely limited inventory, several items take up two slots and the item box has ben removed makes it the most tedious of the games in the series. Also a lot of tedious backtracking and some awful puzzles. Two playable characters was a novel idea, but not exactly executed in the best of ways.
5. Kid Dracula (PS4) | 2.5/5- Very basic platformer with a fun Castlevania skin. Not Konami's best, but not their worst either. Prone to some pretty bad slowdown here and there, and a few truly terrible checkpoints (though the game is pretty easy as a whole).
6. Resident Evil (PS4) | 5/5 - The perfect survival horror game. Barry looks like he's 70 years old and the storytelling is only slightly above the original game, but gameplay and atmosphere are both about as good as they can get.
7. Tales of Vesperia (Switch) | 3.5/5 - Fun game though with a very uneven story quality-wise, and trying to do most side quests really soured me on the whole experience, which might be unfair considering they're optional, but it is what it is.
9. Resident Evil 5 (PS4) | 3.5/5 - I have no idea how this game works with an AI partner, but despite a terrible split screen (at least on my fairly small TV) playing through RE in multiplayer was really fun. Didn't really enjoy any of the bosses, but otherwise loved most of the experience.
10. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition (PS3) | 4.5/5- I'm no good at fighting games, but I still enjoy playing them once in a while. Played through arcade mode with Ken, and the music, graphics and fluid animations coupled with some really fun mechanics instantly made this one of my favorite games in the genre. Really difficult final boss though :(
11. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (PS4) | 3/5 - Improves on what its predecessor did in almost every way and could have been a great game, but suffers from a very uneven difficulty curve with it being very easy for almost the entire game until you get to the penultimate boss who's among the hardest Classicvania has to offer. Amazing soundtrack!
12. Ikaruga (PC) | 4/5 - 1CC arcade mode playthrough. I will not die until I achieve something. Even though the ideal is high, I never give in. Therefore, I never die with regrets.
13. Fist of the North Star: 10 Big Brawls for the King of Universe (GB) | 1.5/5 - Incredibly short thanks to an AI that can be very easily exploited. Outside of the title and some music, though, this is a pretty awful fighting game with terrible hit boxes, samey opponents plus a hilariously bad english translation. At least it doesn't overstay its welcome.
14. Squidlit (Switch) | 2.5/5- Speaking of not overstaying its welcome - it's Squidlit! Twenty minutes of very basic platforming with some very hit or miss humor along the way. Not really a bad game, but extremely unremarkable outside of a few fun moments.
15. Persona 5 Strikers (PS4) | 4/5 - Always a good time hanging out with these characters again. Fun Persona spinoff which shakes up the Persona gameplay and delivers a hectic, fairly well paced (though some cutscenes really drag) Action RPG adventure without forgetting what makes the franchise so good. The camera isn't great when there are several enemies on screen at once, but it's usually good enough.
16. Resident Evil 6 (PS4) | 2.5/5 - Really fun in multiplayer, but I can't honestly say it's an actually good game. Every single chapter drags on for far too long, the story is awful, and there are so many awful gimmicks (never forget the sporadic but terrible stealth gameplay in Ada's campaign, or Jake and Sherry's snowmobile adventure) that interrupt the mostly solid TPS gameplay.
17. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4) | 4/5 - Great game and an amazing return to form after 6. Probably the strongest opening to any Resident Evil game and by far the scariest (at least on a first playthrough, not so much on replays). Switching to first person was a bold move that paid off and gave new life to the series, and while the boat does drag the pacing is top notch throughout most of the game.
18. Final Fantasy Adventure (Switch) | 3/5 - Fun little Zelda-like ARPG, though not without a lot of flaws. Despite being very dungeon heavy, the dungeons themselves feel very samey, and despite having a lot of combat, the hit detection is extremely wonky. Great music and a surprisingly touching story, however.
19. Resident Evil 2 (PS4) | 4.5/5 - Amazing remake, though very much its own thing rather than a complete substitute for the original 2. Good game to replay as well, since thoughts about additions or cuts don't really cross the mind anymore, and it can just exist as its own, great thing. The police station has to be one of the best designed areas in games.
20. Yakuza 4 (PS4) | 3/5 - Definitely more fun to actually play than Yakuza 3 was, but the story is at an all time low for the series, and the climax + final bosses feels like it comes from absolutely nowhere only because the game has to end and not because the story really demands it. Definitely not a bad game since there are great moments and some super great side stories for people who've played the previous games, but definitely my least favourite in the series so far.
21. Resident Evil 3 (PS4) | 3.5/5 - Just like the original 3, this is not a sequel up to par to its predecessor, but I still had my share of fun with it and actually prefer this remake over its ps1 predecessor, despite the short length and cut clock tower. The gameplay feels great, and the boss fights are really fun while some changes to the areas and story makes it gel better with RE2, really making the games feel connected while still being their own things.
22. Super Mario Sunshine (Switch) | 3.5/5 - When Sunshine is bad, it's by far the worst 3D Mario experience I've ever had, but I feel like a lot of its problems are overstated. Sure, the pachinko stage is terrible, and so is the poison river plus every single thing related to Yoshi, but outside of those, nothing really stands out as THAT bad. Mario controls super well (though it takes some time to get used to his sort of slippery movement), the stages, though few, are all fun and really makes me appreciate the more experimental Gamecube era. Also really enjoy how some stages feel like they have their own ongoing story from mission to mission. Got 120 shines so obviously had to find every blue coin, but with a guide it wasn't too bad.
23. Resident Evil Village (PS4) | 4/5 - Video games are sometimes fun, and Resident Evil Village is very fun video game. I don't really enjoy how extremely american this romanian village is, or how the game feels extremely linear by actually saying outright "kill these bosses in this order" rather than making the journey towards them more organic, but otherwise Village is a great time. I don't really think it's ever scary, but few RE games are. Combat feels great, though unlike other action based RE games this one switches up the gameplay enough to never make the ~9 hour experience stale or make you completely numb to the bigger set pieces (looking at you, RE6). Some of the most fun boss fights in the series, too!
24. Super Mario Galaxy (Switch) | 3/5 - The soundtrack's great, Rosalina's storybook is absolutely amazing and the imagination pouring out of the game is astounding. However... it's pretty boring to actually play. It's incredibly slow, the more goal oriented missions don't really mesh with the 3d Mario level design, and most levels go on for too long. Mario feels pretty bad to control after playing Sunshine as well (and sometimes runs around in circles for no reason???), and the hub, while it has its charm, is just incredibly unecessary and just adds even more to the game's tedium when having to travel between the different rooms. I get why they got rid of it for the sequel.
25. Mega Man X (PS4) | 5/5 - In my eyes tied with Super Mario Bros. 3 as the best platformer of all time. Not because it does something super unique, but because it just takes everything Mega Man did before and does it to perfection. Controls are as fluid as ever, and every stage is memorable with a fun boss fight at the end. Soundtrack is definitely top 5 SNES too.
26. Super Mario 3D World (Switch) | 4/5 - Not really that memorable, but still super fun? It's just 2D Mario... but in 3D. The isometric view makes it a bit tricky to really see where you're jumping at times, but it's usually not a big issue. So much imagination pouring out of every stage with some really good platforming and, once again, great music. The cat suit has to be one of my favourite power-ups in the entire series.
27. The House in Fata Morgana: Requiem for Innocence (PS4) | 3.5/5 - A pretty poor first half makes way for a pretty great second. It's all just a longer retelling of a chapter from the base game so there aren't really any surprises to be found here, and Jacopo and Morgana are both a much more problematic and less interesting couple to follow than Michel and Giselle. Still - there are instances of absolutely amazing writing here and there, and I was certainly moved by certain scenes which almost never happens with video games. Don't really want to repeat myself, but! Great music!
28. Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (Switch) | 4.5/5 - This could have been an awful game and I'd still have enjoyed it thanks to some great settings, but luckily the whole package is really good. Some questionable writing in the second half, but music, gameplay and atmosphere are all top notch.
29. Demon's Souls (PS3) | 4/5 - So this is what a next gen game feels like. Jokes aside, this has aged surprisingly well and even though some of the bosses are very lackluster the combat's still a lot of fun and I found myself having a pretty great time when I wasn't walking extremely slowly through a poisonous swamp. Surprised by how fair the difficulty was!
30. Rival Schools: United by Fate (PS1) | 3.5/5 - Only beat the arcade which really isn't enough to really judge a game, but from what little time I spent with it I found it both accessible and potentially very deep (also very ugly graphics wise). The mechanics for character's super attacks is something I'd like to see in more fighting games!
31. Order a Pizza: A Visual Novel (PC) | 2/5 - Great premise, but feels too much like it wants to be another Doki Doki Literature club without really getting what made that game so great. Also way too short to really achieve anything with either its characters or making me care all that much about what's happening in this pizza mystery.
32. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster (Switch) | 4/5 - Great gameplay and atmosphere. Pretty lackluster writing, but it does shine here and there. Thought it'd be more difficult, but I'm honestly thankful it wasn't. Got the True Demon Ending, which I feel is the only sensible one (outside of the neutral one, I guess).
33. Super Castlevania IV (PS4) | 3/5 - Good fun and a lot easier than its predecessors without losing too much of the challenge. Pretty mediocre bosses and some stages drag a bit, but certainly not a bad game at all. Really great, underrated(?) soundtrack as well. Not really sure why it was marketed as a reimagining of the first game when it's in no way similar to it, though.
34. Castlevania: Bloodlines (PS4) | 3/5 - Not really sure why Konami decided to make continues limited and still have a super generous password system, but still a fun game with probably better pacing than IV. Level design isn't all that great at times, though, and the final one is just wave after wave of anticlimactic boss fights which is honestly pretty surprising considering how challenging the rest of the game can be. Beat on normal difficulty with John Morris.
35. Final Fantasy VII (Switch) | 5/5 - Sometimes you just have to go back to your favourites. The gameplay is pretty basic and the translation is bad, yeah, but when everything clicks almost no other game comes close to reaching the heights of FF7. Doesn't hurt that it has basically the best pacing out of any game, like, ever.
36. Persona Q2 (3DS) | 3.5/5 - Played in short bursts over a four month period and while it does have a slow start, I found myself enjoying it a lot more than its predecessor by the end. The map making is still really addicting, the battle system is a lot of fun and the story, while nothing groundbreaking, is enjoyable enough. Wish exp share for characters outside of the party was a thing since the game really wants you to rotate party members, but maybe that's something Atlus can fix in a third game (not sure how this type of game would work without the touch and dual screens, but I'm sure there's a way).
OCTOBER GAMES (No separate post)
37. Trip World (3DS VC) | 2.5/5 - Such a strange experience that I both sort of love and get extremely bored by. The music and graphics are amazing for a Game Boy game, while the gameplay itself is pretty boring walks through almost completely non hostile stages where you get almost exclusively useless power-ups before fighting what are usually very easy bosses, until the final stage where the difficulty suddenly ramps up so much. Sort of wish I understood the story the game was trying to tell a bit better.
38. Cyber Shadow (Switch) | 3.5/5 - Fun throwback game to the NES Natsume games with shades of Ninja Gaiden. Controls are mostly great, boss fights are well designed and difficulty feels fair but challenging for most of the game. Wish it was more linear and not balanced around you picking up power-ups throughout the game, but still a memorable and enjoyable little thing to play through. Also strangely inconsistent cutscene art? Like, some of it looks great while other slides look absolutely awful.
39. Eastward (Switch) | 3.5/5 - Nice, relaxing slice of life game with clear Zelda and Mother influences while still feeling very much like its own thing. Pace and storytelling feels a little off during the final third of the game, which is a bummer since the middle third is among my favourite parts of any game this year. Absolutely amazing pixel art and soundtrack throughout the game, though.
40. Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PS1) | 3/5- Played normal mode with Jill, which is the ideal way to play Resident Evil 1. The game does feel aged after having played every other mainline game that came after, but outside of being unbearably slow at times it's still a good time with some great locations outside of the cave section.
41. Metroid Dread (Switch) | 4.5/5 - Definitely my GOTY so far. Definitely a flawed game with its repeated boss fights and weak soundtrack, but I can't remember the last time I played a game that controlled this well or a metroid(vania) where the exploration felt so good and just hitting the sweet spot between too linear and obscure. Just like Cyber Shadow I also loved the fair but still hard difficulty of it all, and how some bosses really required some thinking unlike many of the previous Metroid games where the boss fights were a real low point. Absolutely incredible final boss. Going for 100% items also meant doing some really fun puzzles!
NOVEMBER GAMES (No separate post)
42. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS4) | 4/5- I don't think it's a controversial statement to say that this is a pretty big improvement over the first game and the PS4 remaster feels great to play. It definitely shows some age with its sometimes very unsettling character animations and not always great combat arenas (especially by the final chapters where a lot of the new enemy types get real spongey), but it mostly holds up super well.
43. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (PS4) | 2.5/5 - It's a Lego game and Lego games are always fun to some degree, but this feels so bad after having played DC Super Villains. The "open world" is a confusing set of corridors without any map, and unlocking new characters is such a chore. The stages themselves tend to be a lot of fun thanks to the magic system, though.
DECEMBER GAMES (No separate post)
44. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (PS4) | 3/5- Theatrhythm gameplay works a lot worse in this 3D space, but despite Melody of Memory feeling a bit messy in both presentation and gameplay at times it's a nice trip down memory lane with a series I've played for 20 years now, plus some of the best music video games can offer. Also much better cutscene direction than in KH3?
45. Shin Megami Tensei V (PS4) | 4/5 - Yeah, the story's not great and it's pretty obvious that pretty major things (maybe even an entire area?) must have been cut during development, but I still had a blast with SMT5. Amazing gameplay, great sidequests that really flesh out the world, fun exploration and by far my favourite OST of the year. The technical issues never really bothered me all that much.
46. Star Fox 64 3D (PS4) | 4/5- Pretty much the perfect tech demo for the N64, and somehow also for the 3DS. Succeeds in pretty much everything it sets out to do and is still today an absolute joy to play. Even the storytelling about a pretty cliche intergalactic war is well told and the characters inhabiting this universe are super charming. My only real complaint is that I wish the game was maybe a bit longer.
47. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PS4) | 3/5 - Not great, not terrible. Very much a playable game, but with some very annoying maps and a very uneven difficulty curve (until you get the Force shield where the game suddenly becomes extremely easy until the final two boss fights) and a genuinely awful story. I probably prefer the first Dark Forces, but they're both worth playing if you're a Star Wars fan and have a tolerance for 90s FPS games.
Alright, don't know if I will beat my 63 games beaten last year, but I can certainly try and hit 52 again! Here's to Year 6 of doing this challenge!
January
1. Bugsnax - 01/01/21
2. Grindstone - 02/01/21
3. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - 02/01/21
4. Super Mario Galaxy (3D All Stars) - 13/01/21
5. Cyber Shadow - 28/01/21
February
6. Super Valis IV - 02/02/21
7. Judgment - 02/02/21
8. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - 08/02/21
9. KUUKIYOMI: Consider It - 13/02/21
10. Kid Dracula - 17/02/21
March
11. Tengami - 02/03/21
12. Rhythm Paradise Megamix - 04/03/21
13. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - 07/03/21
14. Batman Arkham Asylum - 13/03/21
15. Wide Ocean Big Jacket - 23/03/21
16. It Takes Two - 28/03/21
April
17. Yakuza 3 Remastered - 05/04/21
18. BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! - 09/04/21
19. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth - 12/04/21
20. Toree 3D - 15/04/21
21. Rain on Your Parade - 17/04/21
22. Paper Mario - 22/04/21
23. Before Your Eyes - 24/04/21
24. Say No! More - 25/04/21
May
25. New Pokémon Snap - 06/05/21
26. Dorfromantik - ONGOING
27. Yakuza 4 Remastered - 15/05/21
28. Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir - 18/05/21
29. The Wild at Heart - 26/05/21
June
30. Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind - 02/06/21
31. Ever Oasis - 19/06/21
32. Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition - 21/06/21
33. Doom - 24/06/21
34. Assemble with Care - 27/06/21
July
35. Batman - The Telltale Series - 01/07/21
36. Flatland Vol. 2 - 04/07/21
37. Mario Golf: Super Rush - 06/07/21
38. Gunstar Super Heroes - 14/07/21
39. Astro's Playroom - 19/07/21
40. Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 25/07/21
41. Death's Door - 26/07/21
August
42. Omno - 08/08/21
43. Dodgeball Academia - 13/08/21
44. Splitgate - ONGOING
45. Lego Builder's Journey - 16/08/21
46. The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve - 30/08/21
September
47. Axiom Verge 2 - 02/09/21
48. Soul Blazer - 06/09/21
49. WarioWare: Get It Together! - 10/09/21
50. Psychonauts 2 - 11/09/21
51. The Artful Escape - 12/09/21
52. Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade: Episode INTERmission - 14/09/21
53. Flynn: Son of Crimson - 19/09/21
54. Eastward - 21/09/21
55. TOEM - 27/09/21
January:
1. Neon Abyss
2. Eastshade
3. Night Call
4. The Touryst
5. Florence
6. Deliver Us the Moon
7. Carto
8. If Found
9. Ikenfell
10. Gears of War 5 Hivebusters
11. Gris
12. Tetris Effect Connected
13. Morkredd
14. Star Renegades
15. Haven
16. Black
17. Battlefield 5
18. We Should Talk
19. Chicken Assault Reloaded
20. The Medium
February:
21. Urban Flow
22. Dead Space 3
23. Tetris Effect Connected
24. State Anarchy
25. Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite
26. FFXII: Zodiac Age
27. Blood Will Be Spilled
28. Galaxy Warfighter
29. Desperados 3
30. State Anarchy: Masters of Mayhem
March:
31. Desperados 3 Season Pass, bonus missions etc
32. Wreckfest
33. Ryse: Son of Rome
34. Peggle 2
35. Brutal Legend
36. Genesis Noir
37. Star Wars: Squadrons
38. Burnout Paradise Remastered
39.Dirt 5
40.Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
41. Resident Evil Maiden demo + April demo
42. Red Wings: Aces of the Sky
43. Desperados 3 Season Pass, bonus missions etc
44. Kingdom Rush Frontiers
45. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
April
46. Be a Walker
47. Mini Pocket Golf
48. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden – Seed of Evil
49. Everything
50. #Funtime
51. The Wonderful 101 Remastered
52. Far: Lone Sails
53. Thomas Was Alone
54. 12 is Better Than 6
55. It Takes Two
56. Maquette
57. Cosmic Star Heroine
58. Mirror's Edge Catalyst
59. Splasher
60. John Wick Hex
61. Not a Hero: Super Snazzy Edition
62. Koral
63. Hidden Folks
64 Ape Out
65. Toree 3D
13. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker HD Edition (PS3) 30+ hours
14. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3) 4-ish hrs
15. Way of the Samurai 2 (PS2) 2-ish hrs
16. Way of the Samurai 4 (PS3) 60+ hrs (achieved multiple endings)
In progress:
1. WWE Smackdown Here Comes the Pain - Not much of a WWE guy these days but I do remember enjoying the games that came out. This is one of the entries that I missed and I heard that this particular entry was one of the best games. I can see why. Season mode completed. 4.5/5
2. Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll - This one starts off slow but once you obtain the 2 other characters, it gets much better. Good game to play on and off. Lots of side quests to do. Time flew by as I was playing this. Wish there were more characters to choose from. Story mode completed. 4/5
3. Killzone - First time playing Killzone on console. This was okay, wouldn't play it again. Will play 2 & 3 but obviously just for the campaigns. campaign completed. 3/5
4. Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds - Love me some hot shots golf. My first experience with HSG was on the Vita. Made some crazy ass shots back then. I wasn't quite as good here but I still get very animated on the close calls and crazy makes. I did run into performance issues and sometimes those issues affected my shots. All courses completed. 4/5
5. Resistance: Fall of Man - Great! I enjoyed the play through. Looking forward to playing the other Resistance games. I wasn't able to play them in the past. Campaign finished. 4/5
6. Way of the Samurai - First WoTS game ever. Couldn't quite get the hang of the mechanics. Saw one ending. 3.5/5
7. Way of the Samurai 3 - I couldn't really get into the first game at all. Everything clicked for this entry however. I got a couple of the endings (there are tons of them). You have total freedom in regards on how you approach people. What you do and say to these people can affect which ending you obtain. There are many different swords and stances that you can use. I had a good time. 4/5
8. Earth Defense Force Iron Rain - ugh. Im a big fan of the EDF games but this spinoff was not my cup of tea. I think they wanted to give this game its own identity from the mainline EDF games. Fell flat for me. I certainly would not recommend this as your first EDF game. EDF 4.1 & 5 are way better. If you played those and enjoyed them then maybe pick this one up, at a low price. At least the graphics were nice. Story mode on normal completed. 3/5
9. Earth Defense Force 2025 - Mainline entry of the EDF games. Somehow I missed this one. Good ol classic fun. Annihilating bugs and the occasional drop in FPS while playing never gets old haha. Hard mode as wing diver completed. 4/5
10. Soul Sacrifice Delta - Brilliant Monster hunting game. Music, gameplay, variety of bosses and enemies, lore, character customization, everything was amazing. Heck, even. in 2021, I got a few online co-op games in! Very impressive. One of the best games I played on Vita. 5/5
11. Yakuza Like a Dragon - I am a big Yakuza fan. Played the Japanese only entries Ishin & Kenzan and the numbered games released in the U.S. even Yakuza dead souls. Only ones I haven't played are the games that were released for PSP. I bought Like a Dragon on launch day and now finally playing it in 2021. This new entry did not disappoint! The new turn based battle system imo was a welcome change. I would not mind if this battle system stays in the future games. Certainly looking forward to the next game. 5/5
12. MGS 4 - Not the biggest fan of this entry. I liked MGS 1-3 better. The Metal Gear Ray fight was sick though. Easily my favorite fight in the game. Also seemed to be lack of codec contacts and messages too. 4/5
13. MGS Peacewalker - I had a good time with this. Very different approach compared to the mainline MGS games. at first I didn't like the building aspect of Mother Base. Later on I got used to it and found it kinda addictive. Tons of side missions to do. 4.5/5
14. MGS Rising - Short one but action packed and very entertaining. Good music too. I enjoyed my brief time with it. 4.5/5
15. WoTS 2 - Should've played this long ago but never did get into it. Improves on WotS 1 in a few ways. I just did one ending. Maybe someday I'll give this and WoTS 1 another shot someday but they are dated. 3 & 4 has gameplay & QoL improvements which makes those more fun to play. This was solid. 3.5/5
16 WoTS 4 - Imo, the best WoTS game in the series. It improves on about everything from the first 3 games and adds some of its own identity to it. I obtained the vast majority of the endings in this one. 4.5/5
1. Outer Wilds (PC) | 1st Jan - 0.36hrs | 5/5
I happened to finish this game for the first time just days before the end of 2020, so to celebrate the new year I decided to go for a single-cycle run. It was cool to try completing the game with those time restrictions. I totally wish I could play this game again for the first time.
2. Sekiro (PC) | 2nd Jan - 7hrs | 5/5
This is my 3rd time playing this game and my first time going for the Shura ending. This was on NG+ and I breezed through most of the game, but having never beaten this version of the final boss, that itself took me a couple hours. Hopefully I'll come back to this game later this year to finish up everything I need for platinum.
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS5) | 9th Jan - 7.5hrs | 4.5/5
I had only played the first Castlevania and Super Castlevania IV before, but I'd heard so much hype about this game. Now I understand that this is the game that puts the 'vania' in 'Metroidvania'. The setting and art in this game was top notch. Early on the combat was fun and challenging, though it basically became trivial with all of my exploration and OP-weapon discoveries. I can't say I enjoy this form of exploration as much as I enjoy that of the Souls series. It was hard to remember every shortcut and unlockable door on this map, whereas I've walked away from 1 playthrough of any From Soft game remembering basically everything. Every nook and cranny and hallway just isn't that level of memorable in this game for me. Super stylish and fun game though, and I'm excited to play the Castlevania games that came after this one and allegedly took notes from it.
4. Crash 4: It's About Time (PS5) | 14th Jan | 10hrs | 4/5
Bravo to the animation and art team on this one. I like that we can have a mainstream platformer that is actually challenging. I played on classic mode and some of the later levels were nail-biters. Solid fun.
5. Life is Strange (PS5) | 14th January | 12hrs | 5/5
I'd heard the high praise for this game but never really thought it would be my thing. Lately, though, my partner has been really into narrative player-choice driven games, so I thought why not give this a try with him. I think I enjoyed it even more than he did! I love Max and Chloe and the narrative in this game is basically spot-on to me. I thought the ending was really strong, and I was surprised at how surreal it got. Only complaint is the number of people supposedly from Oregon who have southern accents, as someone from the PNW.
6. Life is Strange: Before the Storm (PS5) | 17th January | 10hrs | 4/5
The overall narrative isn't as strong in this one, but I don't think it could be given the restrictions placed on it as a prequel. The character development is just as good though, which is partially thanks to the stronger facial animations in this game. I also thought the mechanic of verbally destroying other characters was really funny.
7. Hitman 3 (PS5) | 21st January | 8hrs | 4.5/5
I had played some of the chapters of the first two games of the trilogy, so I basically knew what to expect going into this game. No new, groundbreaking mechanics in this one, but the same strong immersive sim gameplay and intricate level design as before. I had a lot of fun in all of the different levels and discovering the different kill possibilities in each of them. The reveal of the final level was a pleasant surprise for me and I thought it was very creative despite it having less replay value than the others.
8. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door | 6th February | 40hrs | 5/5
I have many fond memories of playing this game and the others in the series as a kid, but it's been a while since I'd last played them. Unsurprisingly, I found the game just as charming as before. I don't think I took advantage of superguarding or used the badge system to its full extent as a kid, so that added a very fun new level of challenge/gameplay for me. I'd like to do some challenge runs of the pit of 100 trials in the future. One thing I hadn't realized until reading through some forums recently is that most people rank Chapter 3 (Glitz Pit) as their favorite. It's definitely a strong chapter thematically, and I had a lot of fun swapping out my badges before each fight to try to optimize (though the fights are pretty easy either way). However, I think the presentation of the chapter is a bit repetitive and the setting is on the dull side, so I wouldn't mark it as my favorite. Growing up, I had always looked back on Chapter 6 (Train level) as my favorite. I love the setting and mystery, and the final boss is creative. I do have a general bias towards train levels, though. One chapter I didn't remember as clearly was Chapter 5 (deserted island), but after this playthough it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the train for me. I think Cortez is the best boss in the game, and the setting and level design are some of the game's strongest. Overall I'd rank the chapters like this: 5+6, 8, 3+1+4, 2, 7 though I really like all of the chapters and don't have issues with any of them.
9. Maquette | 2nd March | 2.5hrs | 3/5
The over-arching mechanic of actions in one copy of the world affecting the larger world is very unique and cool. I had fun with the directions they took the puzzles. The story was unfortunately dull and I couldn't relate to the characters, who sounded very basic and did not have a convincing romantic relationship.
10. Nioh 2 | 3rd March | 71hrs | 4/5
I definitely liked this entry more than the first one, though the combat clicked more with me this time. My main problems with the first game were uninspired level designs and repetitive enemies. The level designs were much improved this time around, and there was a slight improvement in enemy variety. The enemy variety of these games wouldn't be such a problem if the game weren't so darn long, but since grinding loot is a main feature of the game I suppose it has to be. I feel like they could just add more side quests to take care of that though. I barely did any side quests and I still found the game to be easier than expected / my gear was over-leveled, so I think the main quest could use a trim. Speaking of difficulty, the challenge of this game really drops off after the first couple chapters. There wasn't a single boss I had trouble with in the second half of the game, which was a bit of a downer because bosses are my favorite part of games. I enjoyed using tonfa for this playthrough, which I hadn't tried in the past. I found the combat loop to be close to Sekiro's as with tonfa you are able to focus on an enemie's Ki first to stagger them and then unleash a powerful combo to target health. I used the sword as my secondary but barely touched it because I found the tonfa to be very strong. I hope to go back to this game at some point and try out the fists and splitstaff.
11. Resident Evil 3 | 7th March | 6hrs | 3.5/5
The start of this game was strong, but the decreased focus on survival relative to the previous games, as well as the content that wasn't adapted from the original, made this less enjoyable for me. I really did not like the 'shooting gallery' section of one of the chapters, which could have been pulled from any generic shooter and was probably just put there to fill time.
12. Viscera Cleanup Detail | 10th March | 5hrs | 3.5/5
I haven't played another game focused around cleaning up, and I found this premise surprisingly enjoyable. I played this with friends and didn't anticipate that we would dedicate ourselves to cleaning the levels as thoroughly as we ended up doing. You can play this with up to 32 people, which I imagine would be crazy and fun. I can also imagine playing this alone while watching a stream or something.
13. Everhood | 21st March | 9hrs | 4/5
This game clearly takes a lot of inspiration from Undertale, but also hold its own and has a lot of unique ideas. The combat is its primary innovation and it is fun and challenging. I played on the 'hard' difficulty (it ranges from 'story' to 'expert') which was pretty easy at first, and then the combat gains a twist halfway through the game and it becomes more of a challenge. Still, I never spent hours banging my head against a boss like I might have expected to. Maybe in expert mode. Story-wise, there is a colorful cast of enjoyable characters, and the plot has its twists and epic moments. Overall, though, the narrative itself is convoluted and wandering, so it fails to pack the emotional punch that Undertale does.
14. Mundaun | 21st March | 5hrs | 4.5/5
I went into this game expecting nothing except a finely crafted atmosphere, and it certainly delivered in that respect. Everything about the game's presentation, from the setting to the character designs and music, made me uneasy for the game's duration. Simultaneously, everything is beautiful and the game has a visual identity like no other. The gameplay is simple, which is not a drawback for me. I played on release and there were a couple things that could be tightened up, but nothing significant.
15. Vermintide 2 | 30th March | 15hrs | 3.5/5
I didn't quite know what this game was when I picked it up with my friends except for the fact that it involved first-person melee combat. That was enough to keep me interested for the time we did play it, but unless I'm mistaken I think the content in this title is a bit sparse. The main campaign is quite short, and I think the only other content is in the DLCs which about double the length. The game just wore thin very quickly.
16. It Takes Two | 5th April | 14hrs | 5/5
I played this with my partner and we were thoroughly entertained for the whole 14 hours. There is so much variety and exploration and humor to enjoy here that I really can't recommend it enough. It's remarkable that they pulled off a passion project like this.
17. Sea of Thieves | 12th April | 40hrs | 5/5
My friends and I are having a really great time with this. We love going out and gathering a ton of treasure and risking it all in fights against skeleton and player ships. We often plan to do a quest but get side-tracked by all of the other things happening on our way there, from skeleton forts to megaladons to sunken ships. There's still a lot for us to try out at 40 hours and the promise of new content after that.
18. Dark Souls 3 | 20th April | 30hrs | 4.5/5
I haven't spent as much time with this souls game as I have the others, so I'm probably going to do a couple playthoughs of it this year. At the time of writing this I've done 1 ng playthrough with the DLC. The boss designs are the strong point of this game in my opinion. I'm not as versed in the DS3 lore as I am that of the other games, so I should look into that more, but I always felt like this game never had a solid identity of its own and was more of a hodgepodge of ideas from the rest of the games, including bloodborne. I love the gameplay loop in this iteration as much as ever though, and it does have some of the best bosses in the series, so it still gets top marks from me.
19. New Pokemon Snap | 30th April | 11hrs | 2.5/5
This was such a disappointment for me. I love the original's charm and there were so many surprises in each level that I remember to this day. In contrast, this game feels clinical in its execution, and its mechanics invite rote, mechanical gameplay rather than organic exploration. This really did nothing for me.
20. Nier Replicant | 6th May | 32hrs | 3.5/5
The setting is charming, the characters are likeable, the music is fantastic... but that's about all of the praise from me. The narrative is very slow to start and emotionally disjointed for the rest of it. I liked the characters on a surface level, but I wasn't convinced by their relationships with each other, apart from Nier and Yonah's. None of the emotional notes of the narrative landed for me. Also, I played through all of the endings and boy was that a slog. There was little-to-no variation. I am a huge fan of Nier Automata and was repeatedly surprised by the turns that game took whether we are talking about gameplay or narrative throught the 3 playthroughs. Automata's exploration of its themes is executed near-perfectly, while Replicant barely touches on them aside from journal entries and logs. Replicant is a promising backbone that Automata refines, but alone it is just a decent RPG with an unconvincing story and offensively repetitive gameplay.
21. Resident Evil Village | 9th May | 12hrs | 4.5/5
A solid game all-around with a variety of interesting locations and enemies. There's a lot of variety of gameplay here, and I'm glad the game isn't afraid to depart from combat at certain moments to deliver a different experience. I found all of the bosses the most entertaining.
22. Eastshade | 31st May | 10hrs | 4/5
I was looking for a chill exploration game, and I'm so glad I found this. It's exactly what I was looking for on a rainy, cozy day, when a combat-intense game didn't fit my mood. This game is an entirely pleasant experience that I felt completely refreshed after playing. Eager to see more from this developer.
23. Resident Evil 7 | 7 June | 8hrs | 4.5/5
I hadn't played this before playing Village, and now after playing it I have a hard time deciding which I like more. I like the simplicity of this entry compared to Village where there's constant action and loot to collect. This game has action, but it's stays truer to RE's survival horror roots. I really appreciated the unique setting and characters of this entry. Great atmosphere.
24. Guilty Gear Strive | 12 June | 10hrs | 3.5/5
I'm not an expert on fighting games so it's hard for me to give a good assessment, but I enjoyed what I played and I appreciated the variety of characters and playstyles the game offers. Smart of them not to overdo it with too many characters (and I also appreciate that as a GG noob).
25. Phantom Abyss | 26 June | 2hrs | 3/5
Still in early access, but there's promise here. I hope they find a way to inject more variety into the game. However, it is most fun when you get used to the controls and get into a flow state.
26. Mario Golf | 27 June | 5hrs | 3/5
Kinda disappointing, but a decent time with friends. I resent that Nintendo is pushing out bare-bones entries as of late.
27. King's Field 2 | 10 July | 19hrs | 5/5
This really surprised me. What a fantastic evolution of the first game and a great RPG altogether. Really, the exploration of this title rivals the Souls series (and sometimes surpasses it). The level design is masterful and there are secrets abound. If you can get past the dated controls and visuals, I highly recommend this. To clarify, this is the first King's Field that was released in the west, but the 2nd one released in Japan (and so it is simply called King's Field in the west).
28. The Forgotten City | 28 July | 7hrs | 4/5
This scratched my itch for a game similar to Outer Wilds, though it is smaller in scope and less impactful emotionally and less mysterious. You will like this title more if you appreciate mythology like I do.
29. New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe | 8 August | 8hrs | 3/5
Fun and short Mario title. I didn't do everything, just enough to beat Bowser and sate my Mario cravings. There's more content to go back to, but not sure how much. Nothing too innovative here, but I enjoyed myself.
30. 12 Minutes | 21 August | 3hrs | 1/5
I have nothing positive to say about this game. I think they spent all of their money on the high-profile actors (Daisy Ridley, Willem Dafoe) and pushed the game out. The gameplay is a chore. The story gives you nothing interesting and then wraps up suddenly on a very weird note. Skip it.
31. Bloodborne (PS5) | 24 August | 30hrs | 5/5
Multiple new playthroughs including pvp. Have yet to try out the new 60fps mod, but hope to get to that soon.
32. Armored Core (PS1) | 26 August | 9hrs | 3/5
My first time trying out one of these games and I probably should have gone for a newer one first. I had to swap out the controls because moving the camera with the triggers is too weird for me (I've done the same for my playthroughs of the King's Field series). The game feels a bit basic and cold at first, needing a bit more context for what you are doing and why, but I'm looking forward to the other games in the series.
33. Psychonauts 2 (PS5) | 28 August | 13hrs | 4/5
The visuals and level designs are the strongest part and other games struggle to come close. There were a couple chapters with really strong stories as well. The gameplay, sets, and story all work together, and you can tell the devs have a caring attention to detail. The overall arc of the story felt a bit rushed halfway through, so I hope they didn't have leave too much of the game on the cutting room floor.
34. Life is Strange: True Colors (PC) | 14 September | 10hrs | 2/5
The story here is not great. Compared to the first game, which is a coherent, emotional story, this narrative is disjointed and lacks focus. It juggles too many conflicts and only haphazardly addresses them at the end. Along the way, it gets too distracted with side stories, and the player is left confused about what they are supposed to care about.
35. The Ascent (PC) | 16 September | 12hrs | 3/5
The world is gorgeous and intricately designed. The characters you meet along the way are entertaining. Combat is fun enough. Some issues with co-op need to be smoothed out.
36. DEATHLOOP (PC) | 20 September | 25hrs | 3.5/5
Of all the Arkane games to receive such praise and attention, it had to be this one? I like the game well enough, and I appreciate what it's trying to do, but the execution misses the mark. The gunplay and powers are alright, though a bit tired, but the issue is the implementation of the loop. Why am I going to the same places over and over again and executing many of the same routes without any creativity or problem-solving required on my part? Why is so much of the game spent in menus? Why is the game so easy? The game holds the player's hand throughout and doesn't force them to learn anything about the world. The waste of potential is disappointing.
37. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) | 22 September | 14hrs | 4.5/5
This is very impressive for Ember Lab's first game. Hitboxes need some improvement, but otherwise the combat is strong. The characters and world are compelling. I can't wait to see what they do next.
38. Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (PC) | 29 September | 10hrs | 5/5
Mind. Blown. Literally. Manages to stand confidently alongside the original.
39. Diablo 2: Resurrected (PC) | 30 September | 15hrs | 3/5
I might have liked this game, but I played with friends who are familiar with it and they carried me and rushed through it. I appreciate the atmosphere and world, but I'll have to play myself to get the most out of it.
40. Inscryption (PC) | 21 October | 20hrs | 5/5
This game is overflowing with creativity. One of the best of the year for me. I hope to see some great DLC come out of this.
41. Spookware (PC) | 30 October | 4hrs | 4/5
This is the full version. I had previously played the minigames on itch.io, so I was surprised that this game has some adventure elements to go along with the minigames. I'm not sure that was necessary, and I would have been plenty happy with just the minigames, but it was cute and I appreciate the thematic structure it gave to the games selection.
42. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (PS5) | 31 October | 6hrs | 2/5
The weakest of the Anthology. Nothing good to say about the story or acting. I usually look forward to playing these with friends, but they are getting worse every year. Hopefully the next one raises the bar, but I doubt it. Seems like these are being rushed out each year.
43. Dark Souls II: SOTFS (PC) | 10 November | 30hrs | 4.5/5
This is only my second playthrough, and it's been a while. Nice to play around with power stance again. I like the variety of locations in this game, but the lack of difficulty and the simplicity of many of the bosses makes it a bit stale for me. Wonky movement is also a minus. Still great overall in terms of combat and story.
44. Hextech Mayhem (Switch) | 22 November | 4hrs | 4/5
The quality of this surprised me. Unique concept for a rhythm game. Tricky at times.
45. Mario Party Superstars (Switch) | 26 November | 3hrs | 2.5/5
The boards in this game are an improvement from the last title, but the minigames suck ass. The controls are rough and the variety in the mini-games is limited.
46. The Isle Dragon Roars (PC) | 28 November | 13hrs | 3/5
Kind of basic and easy, but I like Yoko Taro trying new things.
47. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles (PS5) | 1 December | 8hrs | 3.5/5
I always thought while reading/watching Demon Slayer that it would translate perfectly into a game, and here we are! Not a revolutionary title, but it was fun to see all of the worlds from the anime translated into the game world, and it was fun to play with my significant other.
48. WarioWare: Get It Together! (Switch) | 7 December | 4hrs | 3/5
I would have jumped on this immediately if it were a more traditional WarioWare title. This is... different. I guess it's ok, but I don't love it.
49. Century: Age of Ashes (PC) | 8 December | 5hrs | 3/5
Dragon PVP is an awesome idea that is kinda wasted on the standard fps-multiplayer-style game-modes provided. Something other than team slayer and capture the flag would be more enticing here.
50. Returnal (PS5) | 15 December | 30hrs | 5/5
This is the roguelike I've been waiting for! No other roguelike has managed to capture my attention like this one. The shooting and bullet-hell mechanics are crisp and satisfying. I love the world designs and bosses. Looking forward to going for the platinum.
51. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (GBA) | 25 December | 7hrs | 3/5
Something about Christmas makes me nostalgic for Harry Potter. I remember enjoying some of the games as a kid, but I can't remember if I played this one before. Fun enough, but I think next time I'll try one of the playstation titles if I have a similar itch.
52. Metroid Dread (Switch) | 30 December | 10hrs | 3.5/5
I enjoy the combat. And the music. Everything else is a bit below great, for me. The art-style feels cold and uninspired to me. The atmosphere from the older Metroid games isn't quite there. I don't love the way E.M.M.I is implemented.
1. Outer Wilds (PC) | 1st Jan - 0.36hrs | 5/5
2. Sekiro (PC) | 2nd Jan - 7hrs | 5/5
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS5) | 9th Jan - 7.5hrs | 4.5/5
4. Crash 4: It's About Time (PS5) | 14th Jan | 10hrs | 4/5
5. Life is Strange (PS5) | 14th January | 12hrs | 5/5
6. Life is Strange: Before the Storm | 17th January | 10hrs | 4/5
7. Hitman 3 (PS5) | 21st January | 8hrs | 4.5/5
8. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GameCube) | 7th February | 40hrs | 5/5
9. Maquette (PS5) | 2nd March | 2.5hrs | 3/5
10. Nioh 2 (PC) | 3rd March | 71hrs | 4/5
11. Resident Evil 3 Remake (PC) | 7th March | 6hrs | 3.5/5
12. Viscera Cleanup Detail (PC) | 10th March | 5hrs | 3.5/5
13. Everhood (PC) | 21st March | 9hrs | 4/5
14. Mundaun (PC) | 21st March | 5hrs | 4.5/5
15. Vermintide 2 (PC) | 30th March | 15hrs | 3.5/5
16. It Takes Two (PS5) | 5th April | 14hrs | 5/5
17. Sea of Thieves (PC) | 12th April | 40hrs | 5/5
18. Dark Souls 3 (PC) | 20th April | 30hrs | 4.5/5
19. New Pokemon Snap (Switch) | 30th April | 11hrs | 2.5/5
20. Nier Replicant (PC) | 6th May | 32hrs | 4/5
21. Resident Evil Village (PC) | 9th May | 12hrs | 4.5/5
22. Eastshade (PS5) | 31st May | 10hrs | 4/5
23. Resident Evil 7 (PC) | 7 June | 8hrs | 4.5/5
24. Guilty Gear Strive (PC) | 12 June | 10hrs | 3.5/5
25. Phantom Abyss (PC) | 26 June | 2hrs | 3/5
26. Mario Golf (Switch) | 27 June | 5hrs | 3/5
27. King's Field 2 (PS1) | 10 July | 19hrs | 5/5
28. The Forgotten City (PC) | 28 July | 7hrs | 4/5
29. New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (Switch) | 8 August | 8hrs | 3/5
30. 12 Minutes (PC) | 21 August | 3hrs | 1/5
31. Bloodborne (PS5) | 24 August | 30hrs | 5/5
32. Armored Core (PS1) | 26 August | 9hrs | 3/5
33. Psychonauts 2 (PS5) | 28 August | 13hrs | 4/5
34. Life is Strange: True Colors (PC) | 14 September | 10hrs | 2.5/5
35. The Ascent (PC) | 16 September | 12hrs | 3/5
36. DEATHLOOP (PC) | 20 September | 25hrs | 4/5
37. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) | 22 September | 14hrs | 4.5/5
38. Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (PC) | 29 September | 10hrs | 5/5
39. Diablo 2: Resurrected (PC) | 30 September | 15hrs | 3/5
40. Inscryption (PC) | 21 October | 20hrs | 5/5
41. Spookware (PC) | 30 October | 4hrs | 4/5
42. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (PS5) | 31 October | 6hrs | 2/5
43. Dark Souls II: SOTFS (PC) | 10 November | 30hrs | 4.5/5
44. Hextech Mayhem (Switch) | 22 November | 4hrs | 4/5
45. Mario Party Superstars (Switch) | 26 November | 3hrs | 2.5/5
46. The Isle Dragon Roars (PC) | 28 November | 13hrs | 3/5
47. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles (PS5) | 1 December | 8hrs | 3.5/5
48. WarioWare: Get It Together! (Switch) | 7 December | 4hrs | 3/5
49. Century: Age of Ashes (PC) | 8 December | 5hrs | 3/5
50. Returnal (PS5) | 15 December | 30hrs | 5/5
51. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (GBA) | 25 December | 7hrs | 3/5
52. Metroid Dread (Switch) | 30 December | 10hrs | 4/5
1. Demon's Souls (PS5) | 1st Jan - 30hrs | 5/5
2. Altered Beast (Arcade) | 20th Feb - 1hr | 3/5
3. The Last of Us Part II (PS4) | 30th Nov - 32hrs | 5/5
4. Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA) | 28th Dec - 5hrs | 4/5
52 games, year 7! Finally made it back onto the first page after two straight years of page 2. 😅
One notable thing I achieved last year was to finish at least one game on every platform I have that still works, so I'm hoping to pull off a repeat in 2021. This is also my first year with a proper Xbox family console, so looking forward to really getting into their legacy library!
Steam/PSN/XBL cards
2015: 111 games completed (GAF) - List
2016: 73 games completed (GAF) - List
2017: 55 games completed (Era) - List
2018: 75 games completed (Era) - List 2019: 87 games completed (Era) - List
2020: 95 games completed (Era) - List
2021: 136 games completed as of 12/18/2021
Additional sub-goal: Exceed 100K gamerscore on Xbox Live before the end of 2021 (started year below 3k)
Currently Playing: NSW: Hyrule Warriors 2, Tokyo Mirage Sessions Encore Steam: Tales of Arise, Resident Evil 8, Super Robot Wars V PS4/PS5: Returnal Xbox Series X / XGP PC: Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Guardian Heroes HD PSV: N/A 3DS:Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon iOS: Layton's Mystery Journey
These are the games I've beaten in 2021! (Mini-reviews will be put in the monthly summary link.)
1/7/2021: Call of the Sea (XSX), 5 hours (beat game, 78% of achievements completed)
1/7/2021: Final Fight [Capcom BEUB] (XSX), 1 hour
1/12/2021: Snowed In (Steam), 30 minutes (True ending, one bad ending)
1/14/2021: Girl Fight (XSX), 45 minutes (finished a single arcade playthrough, tried a few other modes. That's all I could stand without throwing up.)
1/14/2021: ACA NEOGEO Metal Slug 5 (XSX), 45 minutes (finished original mode, tried Hi-Score and Caravan)
1/16/2021: Bright Memory (XSX), around 3 hours (NG/NG+ playthroughs and most miscellaneous achievements done)
1/17/2021: Tetris Effect Connected (XSX), around 3 hours (beat Journey mode, various event mode achievements)
1/17/2021:Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire (XSX), around 3.5 hours (beat game with all five characters + some achievement cleanup)
1/17/2021: Five Dates (XSX), around 4 hours (100% achievements completed)
1/17/2021: When The Past Was Around (XSX), around 2.5 hours (100% achievements completed)
1/23/2021: Karakara (Steam), around 2 hours (100% achievements)
1/24/2021: Donut County (XSX), around 2.5 hours (100% achievements)
1/24/2021: Titanfall 2 (XSX), around 4.5 hours (Campaign completed)
1/26/2021: Fighting Vipers (XSX), around 2 hours (100% achievements)
1/27/2021: The King of Fighters XIII (XSX), around 3.5 hours (finished Story mode, beat game several times on hardest difficulty, survival and time attack clear)
1/29/2021: Hypnospace Outlaw (XGP PC), around 12 hours (finished game)
Lurked the thread last year, excited to participate this year!
1. Glass Masquerade (PC) | 3rd Jan - 3 hrs | 3.5/5
2. Rayman Legends (PC) | 5th Jan - 7hrs | 5/5
3. Depanneur Nocturne (PC) | 12 Jan - 1hrs | 3/5
4. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4) | 21 Jan - 2hrs | 4/5
5. NUTS (Apple Arcade) | 23 Jan - 4hrs | 3.5/5
6. Rayman Mini (Apple Arcade) | 4 Feb - 3hrs | 2.5/5
7. PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 (PS4) | Endless - 7hrs | 4/5
8. The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game (PC) | 13 Feb - 1hr | 3/5
9. Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (PC) | 16 Feb - 1hr | 3/5
10. Gravity Rush Remastered (PS4) | 28 Feb - 9hrs | 4.5/5
11. Peggle 2 (PS4) | 9 Mar - 5hrs | 3.5/5
12. Sea of Solitude (PS4) | 12 Mar - 5hrs | 3.5/5
13. Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order (PS4) | 25 Mar - 12 hrs | 4.5/5
14. REZ Infinite (PS4) | 27 Mar - 2hrs | 4/5
Glass Masquerade
Started the year off with a nice, relaxing jigsaw puzzle game, the first time I've ever played one of them, and it was a rather pleasant experience. I liked the aesthetic of this game, and despite the pretty monotonous gameplay loop, it never felt stale. The puzzles managed to hit the right spot between being challenging and easy to get through, and while there are moments in which I got stuck, it never got to a point where I left a puzzle halfway through. I also liked the presentation and music, even though the music got repetitive at times. I cleared all 25 base game puzzles, and then, upon noticing that the game had free test puzzles for DLC packs, cleared those for 100% achievements. Very generous amount of free DLC, though I would probably not buy the DLC for these games just yet. Overall, it was a solid experience, definitely one to at least pick up on sale. It's not the type of game I'll fall in love with, but it was a nice way to start off a new year of playing games.
Rayman Legends
This was the game I actually wanted to start the year with completing (started last year). I was afraid of it aging poorly after I initially played it years ago, but it aged like fine wine and is better than ever. I still have no problems calling it a masterpiece of platforming, with 5 excellent worlds that build upon their mechanics masterfully. The movement and moment to moment platforming are excellent, especially as you try to either show off or optimize. The soundtrack is incredible (especially on the third and fourth worlds). It's a blast. While I now have some reservations towards some aspects involving unlocks and progression, all of the other things that Rayman Legends does right are definitely worth it in the end, and it is absolutely fantastic to see Ubisoft at their best with it. Please Ubisoft, stop making open-world Assassins Creed clones and make more Ubi Art games. The world needs more of it.
Depanneur Nocturne
Boy, this was quite the experience. I came into this knowing it would be short, but my first run through barely lasted 20 minutes. I played the game some more after that, and 100% it under an hour. In that short runtime, the game's bizarre, magic realism-esque world grasped me. I wanted to learn more about where am I, know more about what lies within the Depanneur, and know more about the salamander cashier that helps you find the right object. The game appears to be the prologue/demo of a much longer, deep narrative, but it never goes past those brief teases of something bigger hidden within the game. But hey, at least the game is still an enjoyable 20 minutes, and the bilingual nature of the game was a nice touch. I enjoyed my time with the game, and while I doubt, I'll return to it in the future, it was a rather nice experience. We need more small, cozy games like this.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
At the recommendation of a friend, I decided to buy MGSV: Definitive Edition. While Ground Zeroes is meant to be a prologue chapter of MGSV, it was sold as a separate game, so I gave it a different slot. Before playing it, I recalled some people saying it was the greatest (and most expensive) game demo of all time. After finishing it, I can kinda get where they came from. Even as a newcomer to the MGS universe, the game was relatively easy to follow, and the stealth, open approach to the game's central mission (and side missions) is spectacular. It wasn't a perfect experience by a long shot, some story related moments weren't as impactful for me due to not having played other Metal Gear Solid games, and I had some difficulty getting used to the controls/map display, but once I got past that, it was smooth sailing. The game was good at organically building moments of tension that lead up to a rapid, fast outcome, and if Phantom Pain manages to be more of what Ground Zeroes set up, I am very excited to get through with it, though I might still go back and clear some of the side missions first.
NUTS
I played this game's demo in one of the Steam Festivals, so imagine my surprise seeing it pop up on Apple Arcade. (Take notes Apple, this is the kind of content I want to play on the platform) Finished it within two days and it was quite the experience. The game's Firewatch/Obra Dinn like aesthetic and unique pathfinding-based gameplay was enough to maintain my interest throughout the game. I thought that it would be rather repetitive, and while to a degree, it is essentially all just pathfinding, they actually brought some twists to how you perform said pathfinding which added some spice to the game. The major problems of the game mostly involve how while the game at times, discourages exploration of its great environments (since all exploration is based on pathfinding) and the game's story seems to end a bit too abruptly. The game hints at something mysterious happening within the environment, but it seems to end just as you are about to go out and find it. I understand that it was meant to be a short experience, but I feel an additional hour or two to wrap up its narrative elements in a satisfying way would have helped the game a lot more. Definitely worth a play if you have access to it, but it definitely isn't a game for everyone.
Rayman Mini
I tried this game shortly after playing Rayman Legends, as I still had the Rayman itch, and I wanted to give it a try since I do have the Apple Arcade subscription. The difference between Rayman Legends and Rayman Mini is astronomical, and a massive letdown after the greatness that was Rayman Legends. That sense of freedom and expression that made the moment-to-moment gameplay of Rayman Legends fun is stripped away via the decision to make it an auto-runner. There's no chance for improvisation, it's just all memorization on when to jump and punch and that's it. It's not all bad, there are moments where I was decently surprised at how clever the game tries to mix up the few gameplay elements, the game does have a very good, albeit repetitive, soundtrack, and I could see the argument that it looks better than Rayman Legends (seriously, UbiART is an amazing engine, it's a shame it isn't used more often) and it's nice to see old favorites like Mr. Dark come back (albeit in a reduced role), but it isn't able to save the mediocre gameplay for me, the one essential aspect that made Rayman Legends a masterpiece is gone, and while I understand it's because of the mobile audience, it still is very disappointing that at least they don't go anywhere with the limitations and instead made something that is so bland and basic.
PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
I already owned Pac-Man CE 2 on Nintendo Switch, but recently, I decided to revisit the game on PS4 after it was given away for free. This time, the game actually finally clicked with me. This game is to the original Pac-Man Championship Edition what Pac-Man Arrangement was to the original Pac-Man. Take the basic idea of the original CE (find and optimize your route through the maze for the highest score and make split-second adjustments) and remix it. Some of its ideas, like warp jumping and being able to touch the ghosts to make them angry then quickly grabbing a power pellet to make them jump to an edge and eat them up work flawlessly, and at its best, it has just as much tension and excitement as the original CE. This doesn't happen all the time, the Ghost AI is honestly terrible and I have seen it get stuck in infinite loops as well as disobey the game's own rules (I've lost high scores at times because a ghost went down a path during the power pellet phase where it shouldn't have been able to do so) and I do feel some of its mazes don't have a clear sense of direction, but in general, when you realize some of the tricks and optimizations, I think it honestly stands pretty close to the original Championship Edition.
Frog Detective 1: The Haunted Island
This was a relatively harmless short game that I liked! It wasn't anything amazing, but I didn't go into it expecting anything amazing, and it delivered more than what I expected. It really isn't a detective game, but rather, a simplistic puzzle fetch quest that allows for the writing to really take the spotlight. Its style of humor isn't for everyone, but it worked somewhat for me, and I really appreciated its charming, almost Saturday morning cartoon-esque tone. While I'm unlikely to replay it, it definitely is worth giving at least a small try if you find it on sale, for a relatively cheap but effective ride. Praise Lobster Cop.
Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard
When the teaser for the next game played at the end of the previous one, I wondered what the differences would be. It turns out, there aren't many. This game shares a lot of its identity with its predecessor that the best way to experience it would probably be to do it back to back with the first one. I can tell even from the UI/general feel that this game had a larger budget and more polish put into it than the first game, and while one doesn't need to know the previous game's events, they do seem to be intertwined to a bit. The notebook bit was a tad bit disappointing, as they built it up as if it would allow us to actually pick out and accuse a subject (like say, A Case of Distrust) but instead, the notebook is only used for more gags. Writing-wise, the game still feels the same, so fans of the previous entry will be very pleased. I won't be revisiting it, since, at the end of the day, it's a fetch quest, and I doubt picking the different option will change much of the lore implications, so I'll only give it a mild recommendation if you liked the previous one and wanted more. Also featuring extorsion was nice.
Gravity Rush Remastered
Oh boy, where to begin. After having spent ages listening to the soundtrack on Youtube, seeing fans from around the world fall in love with this game's world and characters, and seeing the heartbreak caused by the IP's abandonment by Sony (RIP Japan Studio), I was very much ready to finally take the plunge and try the game out for myself. And the end result was my first GOTY contender.
Gravity Rush nails something that very few games are able to fully master, which is the moment-to-moment game feel. Controlling gravity is very fun and being essentially able to fly definitely captures the feeling of being kind of like a superhero. At first, my gravity manipulation was not the best, but eventually, I was able to master the small nuances, and I love it when my flying seems to almost sync to the beautiful orchestra. Combat is also fun, albeit I understand why some wouldn't particularly like it or find it repetitive. The small micro-adjustment of tilting the controller and using the right stick to line up a gravity kick fully makes each successful kick impactful, and I haven't seen such a clever and controlled use for Gyro controls since Splatoon.
I also love the game's beautiful world and character designs. The open-world city of Hekseville is masterfully crafted and definitely allows the gravity mechanics to truly shine. Each of the game's areas is distinct, and you can really get a sense of the culture of each area. The game also plays around with more linear-based areas later on, and despite the linear nature of these areas, they still provide excellent twists on the idea of the gravity shifting mechanic and truly feel just as good and surprising as the open-world locations. Kat is a great protagonist, she isn't a perfect individual, but she's someone you eventually root for and support throughout her journey. Raven is a solid rival that truly creates an intimidating presence. The designs of the Nevi enemies are very peculiar, and one can tell the influence the dev team's past work on SIREN has via the designs of the Nevi. The other side characters you will meet throughout your journey are also each unique and provide for truly great story moments with their interactions. The soundtrack is a legit contender for Sony's best videogame soundtrack, with each track being memorable and reminding me of the sequence in which it plays. The artwork is also fantastic and truly sells on the comic book hero/anime aesthetic.
The game does have some minor flaws that do stick out. There are some rather minor yet unnecessary fan service sequences that seem out of place and took me out of it. The game also has partial voice acting, and while I understand that voicing the entire game with a made-up language would have been impossible, this game screams to be fully voice-acted (the few voice acting that exists isn't bad). Boss fights are also a mixed bag, with some either being too one-note and easy to beat or being confusing to the point where half the battle is figuring out where the boss is. Its story also seems to run out of steam near the ending (Spoilers below)
The story runs out of steam once you wrap up the tunnel/tower sequence and return to a yearlong time jump. The mayor of the town never fully feels as fully fleshed out as a villain, so seeing him become the main bad guy all of a sudden was jarring, and the final boss is disappointingly easy, especially when compared to the boss that immediately preceded it being one of the hardest ones for me.
The story builds up many mysterious aspects of the world and its protagonist, but never fully seems to resolve them. This leaves an ending where one is left feeling "that's it?", and while I know Gravity Rush 2 will likely contain the answers I need, I can tell this would have been frustrating for the first batch of players to discover. Still, that issue essentially boils down to a desire to have more of this game, which is ultimately a good thing.
All in all, I love this game, and it is an underappreciated gem within Sony's long and rich library of exclusives. The game's flaws do not ruin the game for me, and I do desire to eventually play its follow-up. And after seeing all the hype behind it, I'm glad I can finally fall in love with the franchise without feeling like a fake fan by not having played it. It is utterly fantastic, and I think it will stick with me for a long time to come.
Peggle 2
Many probably remember Peggle 2 for it's infamous E3 reveal, but to me, I was always fascinated by Peggle 2. I had fond memories of playing the original Peggle, so getting a chance to try out the game via EA Play was very exciting for me. The game did live up to it's expectations, it is indeed more Peggle, but that isn't anything to write home about. The core gameplay remains just as solid as the original was, and I never ran into any issues when it comes to the gameplay. The new Peggle masters are not as iconic/memorable as the originals, but their designs aren't inherently bad, and I really did like a lot of them. Their powers were each distinct from each other, so the gameplay never got stale. Also, I was very glad to see the interactive soundtrack return, and some tracks are honestly more memorable to me than the original Peggle's OST. (This soundtrack is very underrated IMO)
My main problem with this game was its presentation. Ignoring any potential nostalgia for the original, EA seems to have taken the somewhat offbeat nature and humor of the original Peggle and interpreted it as something I'll call "lol xD" type of humor. Examples of this kind of childish humor includes stuff like Bjorm farting rainbows, the heads of the goats that live on Jeffrey exploding, and (in my opinion the worst one), Berg mooning you during Fever. This style of humor is very jarring and feels nothing like the original Peggle. It's not like Peggle 2 has terrible humor all around (I like the line declaring the randomness of the pegs awesome game design), but it feels like EA took the wrong aspects of the offbeat humor of the original Peggle. Couple that with the more cartoony, Saturday Morning-esque artstyle, and you have a just ok follow-up to the original Peggle. Nothing terrible, but nothing that elevates it above the original.
Sea of Solitude
This game was a very interesting one. It doesn't feel at all like the stuff EA would put out, and as a first taste of what EA Originals are like, I was both underwhelmed and impressed. I can tell right from the start that this game is a passion project, and its beautiful landscapes of both sea and towns is wonderful. The story is definitely one that will not be for everyone, as mental health struggles are different for everyone, so since the game attempting to tackle different types of struggles, it makes sense that not everyone will resonate with the storyline. I found some parts of the story laughably bad, while others were emotionally compelling and honestly almost had me crying.
Specifically, the first section about bullying was terrible IMO, particularly because the enemies had an annoying line that they just never stopped repeating (if you play the game you know what it is), and it seemed almost way too simplistic. By contrast, the section immediately following that one, about the tricky relationship of the parents really hit hard and felt very nuanced.
Your mileage will vary on whether or not the story hits, but I feel it works for the most part. Unfortunately, the game has many technical issues that are ultimately distracting from the landscapes and story. These issues are always small, but they are annoying and destroy the immersion into the landscape that the devs clearly wanted to focus on. Almost every other game of this type tends to have zero technical issues, so seeing stuff like this is kinda disappointing. Regardless, I do not feel that I wasted time by playing this, and if you happen to have EA Play or see it on sale, I'd give it a recommendation.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
This game was the main reason why I wanted to pick up that EA Play offer. $1 dollar for this was too good to pass up. This was my first taste of Star Wars in videogame form and also my first Souls-like game experience, so it was very interesting. It's a big game thus I have quite a lot of thoughts on this game, so bear with me for a bit.
From a gameplay standpoint, I have very little things to complain about. It's obvious what games it draws for inspiration, but it honestly works all fine. I enjoyed the slow development in abilities, and the game keeps throwing new powers to toy around with frequently. Combat is very fluid, and while you start off with a very clumsy feeling, you end up feeling like an actual Jedi in regard to the visual look of the combat and the quick thinking of your choices. I played it in Normal difficulty, and for the first taste of Souls-like gameplay, it was not super difficult, but there were times where I did get stuck on some bosses (especially near the end). No battle felt unreasonably unfair, and I never once had to lower difficulty, even if I spent a long time trying to beat some battles. I was impressed how even knowing how overpowered Jedi are in the lore, the game never feels too easy, and keeps a steady slow progression of difficulty. Of course, I did play this in the normal difficulty, so your mileage may vary depending on the difficulty you choose.
The game also delivered from a story and atmospheric standpoint. It wasn't trying to push the boundaries of Star Wars storytelling like some of the other side content outside of the videogames, but it does a good job at providing interesting spins on a conventional Star Wars narrative. Cal was a decent protagonist, and you do tend to grow fond of him even if he isn't the most fleshed-out/developed character. The real meat of this game's storytelling is within the side characters and villains.
The conflict between Cere and Trilla was honestly not something I didn't see coming, and it was very compelling to see. Trilla in general was a fantastic villain, and I kinda wished we got to see more of her in this story than we did. Also, Merrin was a nice character that also got horribly underutilized just shortly after setting her up to play a major role moving forward. The flashback sequences were a neat way to introduce the game's abilities, and playing through the events of Order 66 with the original score playing was honestly super fantastic. The big surprise character appearance near the end was also great, even though given how much discourse around his appearance in the game, I kinda thought he would be featured for a bit more than what we do get.
Atmospherically, the game's environments are beautiful, and it was nice to see, even at the lower resolution of my PS4 Slim. Unfortunately, there were sometimes in which the game struggled in terms of framerate, dropping noticeably during some sequences with a lot of assets. My immersion was also ruined at times by glitches, namely those involving the timing of set pieces. These glitches were not frequent, but when they did happen, they were funny to see. (There was one time a boss spawned in T-posing) It's a shame this game wasn't fully optimized for this system, but I understand there are likely technical limitations at play with PS4 Slim, so it gets a small pass.
All in all, I liked Jedi Fallen Order, and I definitely do not regret having played it at all. It definitely was worth the one-month sub to EA Play, and I might try and see if I can pick up a permanent copy of it later on down the line. I would highly recommend playing it if you can pick it up at a discount.
REZ Infinite
When I saw that they were going to give away this game for free on PS4 via Play at Home, I genuinely squealed in joy. Tetsuya Mizuguchi is a fantastic creator in the gaming sphere, with their other works (Tetris Effect, Lumines, Space Channel 5) being absolutely fantastic. I've been eyeing obtaining a copy of REZ Infinite for quite some time now, so getting for free is honestly absurd. I had very high expectations for this game, and in most parts, it sorts of lived up to the hype.
As a fusion of the rhythm and on-rail shooter, the game does work very well. Learning to hold and release to shoot was a bit hard at first, but it eventually flowed naturally. I do however question whether or not it is better to just spam the shoot button or actually hold to get the full 8 shots in, cause in order to lock on to enemies, you need to be very precise. There have been times in which I missed by accident trying to play with locking on all 8 shots. Some of the enemies also don't have very clear indicators of what you are supposed to shoot, and this at times can result in wasting time trying to figure out what part of the enemy are you supposed to aim at. In truth, this doesn't mean much, since the game never posed a challenge until the very last stage.
While some of its gameplay was frustrating to me on a personal basis, that's literally the only real flaws I have with it. In regard to aesthetics and visual presentation, the game is absolutely beautiful. Ran at consistent 60fps, which is surprising considering how many assets and particle effects are in this. While it's fairly obvious that the art style is very aged at this point, it still feels fresh and distinct from other games of the era that still are out there. The rumble of the controller is used well, mimicking the beat of the music, but never becoming distracting from the experience. The music itself is very well made and gave me BIT.TRIP vibes at times. While it's not as good as some of the other games from Mizuguchi (Lumines has a better soundtrack), it is still very distinct and there definitely are some bangers in this OST. (Rock is Sponge and Creation the State of Art are my favorite tracks)
Area X is the new bonus stage, and many say it was the highlight of the short overall experience. Area X adds freedom of movement, which fundamentally changed the experience from on-rails shooter to more freeform shooter-esque things. While the music for this sequence doesn't fit in with the game's original soundtrack at all, and it doesn't flow as nicely as the original game, it still is fairly good, and still feels like that traditional Rez gameplay but slightly modified. Area X feels like a demo for a larger follow-up to REZ that's going to be a couple of years before it comes, but I think with some more refinement to the soundtrack, it can truly be as golden as the original experience.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Rez Infinite, and it definitely was very nice to see this game be handed out for free for many to enjoy.
Reserving this post. Did this last year; time to actually document it this year.
1. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble (NSW) | Jan 5 | 3/5
2. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition (NSW) | Jan 10 | 2/5
3. CrossCode (NSW) | Jan 25 | 4/5
4. Alwa's Legacy (NSW) | Jan 29 | 3/5
5. Super Metroid (NSW) | Feb 1 | 4/5
6. The Legend of Zelda (NSW) | Feb 3 | 4/5
7. Super Mario 3D World (NSW) | Feb 12 | 5/5
8. Bowser's Fury (NSW) | Feb 14 | 5/5
9. Immortals: Fenyx Rising (NSW) | Feb 25 | 4/5
10. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NSW) | Feb 28 | 3/5
11. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (NSW) | Mar 14 | 4/5
12. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (NSW) | Mar 14 | 5/5
13. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (NSW) | Mar 20 | 5/5
14. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (3DS) | Mar 22 | 3/5
15. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (3DS) | Mar 28 | 4/5
16. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (3DS) | Apr 2 | 3/5
17. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) | Apr 4 | 4/5
18. Final Fantasy X-2 HD (NSW) | Apr 11 | 3/5
19. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) | Apr 22 | 5/5
20. Fez (NSW) | Apr 27 | 5/5
21. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS) | May 3 | 4/5
22. Picross S5 (NSW) | May 12 | 4/5
23. Final Fantasy VI (SNES) | May 14 | 5/5
24. Kirby's Adventure (NSW) | May 21 | 2/5
25. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U) | May 25 | 3/5
26. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (NDS) | Jun 6 | 2/5
27. Bravely Default II (NSW) | Jun 23 | 4/5
28. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (NDS) | Jun 26 | 2/5
29. Hades (NSW) | Jun 29 | 4/5
30. Metroid: Zero Mission (Wii U) | Jul 3 | 4/5
31. Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) | Jul 7 | 3/5
32. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U) | Jul 8 | 3/5
33. Metroid: Fusion (Wii U) | Jul 9 | 4/5
34. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (NSW) | Jul 20 | 3/5
35. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (NSW) | Jul 21 | 5/5
36. Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected (NSW) | Jul 29 | 4/5
37. Axiom Verge (NSW) | Aug 14 | 4/5
38. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NSW) | Aug 22 | 5/5
39. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (NSW) | Aug 23 | 4/5
40. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country (NSW) | Aug 29 | 4/5
41. Oxenfree (NSW) | Sep 5 | 3/5
42. Limbo (NSW) | Sep 8 | 4/5
43. PAC-MAN 99 (NSW) | Sep 12 | 3/5
44. Inside (NSW) | Sep 14 | 4/5
45. Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 (GCN) | Sep 22 | 4/5
46. Metroid: Other M (Wii) | Oct 3 | 3/5
47. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (NSW) | Oct 5 | 3/5
48. Metroid Dread (NSW) | Oct 9 | 5/5
49. Ori and the Blind Forest (NSW) | Oct 15 | 3/5
50. WarioWare: Get It Together (NSW) | Oct 16 | 3/5
51. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (NSW) | Oct 24 | 3/5
52. Super Mario 64 (NSW) | Oct 28 | 4/5
53. Mario Kart 64 (NSW) | Oct 28 | 3/5
54. Dr. Mario 64 (NSW) | Oct 28 | 4/5
55. Star Fox 64 (NSW) | Oct 31 | 4/5
56. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (NSW) | Nov 2 | 4/5
57. Yoshi's Story (NSW) | Nov 6 | 3/5
58. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (NSW) | Nov 9 | 3/5
59. Mario Party Superstars (NSW) | Nov 14 | 4/5
60. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (G&W) | Nov 16 | 5/5
61. Evoland (NSW) | Nov 17 | 3/5
62. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity + Expansion Pass (NSW) | Nov 24 | 4/5
63. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (NSW) | Nov 26 | 5/5
64. Phantasy Star Online: Episode 2 (GCN) | Nov 27 | 3/5
65. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (NSW) | Dec 3 | 4/5
66. Katamari Damacy Reroll (NSW) | Dec 6 | 5/5
67. Hollow Knight (NSW) | Dec 11 | 5/5
68. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (NSW) | Dec 14 | 4/5
69. The World Ends With You (NSW) | Dec 23 | 3/5
70. Paper Mario (NSW) | Dec 26 | 4/5
71. Jazz Jackrabbit: Turtle Terror (PC) | Dec 29 | 2/5
72. Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) | New Year's? | 4/5
1. DKC3 - First time playing this one. Felt a little offbeat coming off of DKC and DKC2, but there's a lot to love here.
2. FFCC - Was really disappointed by the multiplayer situation. But it was interesting to run through this game again nonetheless. Still would love to see a more complete Final Fantasy game built on top of this world.
3. CrossCode - Just a lovely, fantastic, heartfelt game. I appreciated that the game saved some of its best content for the end. Doesn't always happen in RPGs, but when it does, it kicks ass. Only gripe is that it felt like pretty much any quest/dungeon/boss went on about 30% too long.
4. Alwa's Legacy - Excellent sequel to Alwa's Awakening. I could go for more small-scale, short Metroidvania games in this vein. I appreciated that they built on the fundamental powers established in the first game. Worth the price of admission.
5. Super Metroid - Been a few years since I played this. Still as stellar as ever. For some reason I kept dying during the Ridley and Mother Brain fights this time. I'd love to see a remake if only so we could get movement controls that feel less stiff. It's rough trying to map controls to achieve good gamefeel in this game.
6. The Legend of Zelda - No-death run! I haven't come even close to making this happen before. Felt really gratifying to do a fairly optimal run of the game. Might come back to do the Second Quest (almost certainly NOT a no-death run) later this year.
7. Super Mario 3D World - I remembered loving this game, but this replay absolutely blew me away. I think I might like it as much as Galaxy, and Galaxy is up there with the GOATs for me. The adjustments to running speed kind of offed with me, but it's still fundamentally the same game I love but on Switch. Can't believe Switch is assembling the dream Nintendo Greatest Hits catalog.
8. Bowser's Fury - This is a great foundation for what the future of 3D Mario should be. Love that they melded the open exploration of 64, Sunshine, and Odyssey with the power-up moveset from the 2D/linear 3D titles. It's a matchup that I always knew I wanted, but never knew how much. I think my dream Mario game would have a Lake Lapcat style hub that leads the player to and through a series of 3D World style courses, with collectibles and secrets to find along the way.
Currently playing:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ~ Happy Home Paradise (NSW)
Next:
Ratchet and Clank (PS4)
Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)
God of War (PS4)
Not expecting to make this year, but it's tradition to post, lol! Hope to still get at least 30~ or so this year. Mostly replayed stuff last year, wanna get some new stuff played for 2021.
Game 1-Crash Bandicoot 2 Cortex Strikes Back(N. Sane Trilogy(2018)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 1
-I liked this game much more than the first game. It isn't so hard which makes it much more fun for me. Great remake and I look forward to 3 now. 9/10
Game 2-Crash Bandicoot Warped(N. Sane Trilogy)(2018)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 8
-This was another fun game that was just as good as the second game. 9/10
Game 3-Our World is Ended(2019)-Switch-Beaten on January 24
-I really enjoyed this visual novel overall. I liked the characters and I was interested in the story the entire time. The big issue I have is that's it's just way too long. It took me 45 hours to finish it. That's crazy in my opinion. I think visual novels would be better shorter and more focused. Here was just so much padding to this story. With that said, I still enjoyed it. 8/10
Game 4-The Space in Between(2021)PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on January 24
-This short visual novel was a look into the struggles of an Chinese American as a young person. It's entirety takes place during a date looking at stars where the couple discusses the challenges of their life(racism, depression, etc.). It was a nice 40 minute read. 8/10
Game 5-Saw(2009)-PS3-Beaten on January 29
-I haven't played a PS3 game in some time and I felt like a horror game. I enjoued the Saw movies so I decided to give this one a go. While it was janky and not perfect, I did really enjoy my time with it. I will try to play the second one soon. 7/10
Game 6-Hitman 3(2021)-PS5-Beaten on February 4
-This was a great game and I loved the second level at the country estate. Such a good level! With that said, I liked the previous games better as this is more of the same and really short. 8/10
Game 7-Lynne(2018)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on February 7
-This was a short visual novel about a teenager with some mental disorders. As the game goes on, her stress level continued to build and at the end of the game she loses her sanity. At least maybe that's what happened. I'm not really sure. I came across this while searching for horror themed visual novels. While it isn't horror at all, it is a look at mental illness. 7/10
Game 8-Little Nightmares(2017)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on February 13
-With the sequel now out, I wanted to finally finish the first game. What a creepy experience this was! I look forward to playing the DLC and the s tart the sequel soon. 9/10
Game 9-Half Past Fate Romantic Distancing(2021)-Switch-Beaten on February 15
-I bought Half Past Fate on sale recently and saw that this was coming really cheap so decided to get it and play it. It was a good time but very short. This is the third game I have played that has the pandemic as per of the story which is interesting. I look forward to the original game soon. 8/10
Game 10-Little Nightmares DLC Secrets of the Maw(2017)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on February 16
-I liked the original game and I liked this DLC as well. A good, spooky game. 8/10
Game 11-X-Men Origins Wolverine(2009)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on February 21
-This game is a hidden gem. It's so good if you like brawlers. I really miss these types of games from the PS3/360 era before everything went online with persistent worlds. The Win Max plays all these games at the highest settings portably and it's just perfect. 10/10
Game 12-Collar X Malice(2017)-Vita-Beaten on February 25
-I liked this visual novel a lot. It was a good story but it was the first visual novel I played that has different routes to take and I personally would just prefer it to be one route. it just overstays its welcome. Maybe 2-3 different routes but there were just too many. 8/10
Game 13-Wolfenstein(2009)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on February 28
-What a great game this was. As I said with the Wolverine game, I really miss these great single player focused linear action games. I love them. 10/10
Game 14-Legendary(2008)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March 3
-This was a pretty decent FPS game. Much better than the reviews at the time gave it. It was a bit generic but I still had a good time with it. The one issue is there was a glitch right at the very end of the game so I had to watch the last ten minutes on YouTube. That was a bummer. 7/10
Game 15-Inversion(2012)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March 7
-I continue my focus of more obscure PC/360/PS3 generation games and I really liked this Gears of War style game. The mechanic of controlling gravity was a lot of fun. I assumed the nice payoff at the end by finding his daughter would make the story worth it but no. I didn't expect that. Maybe that's actually a good thing. 8/10
Game 16-Higurashi When they Cry Hou Chapter 1 Onikakushi(2009)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March 12
-I was looking for a horror themed visual novel and this series came up a lot when searching somI thought I would give it a try. After a super slow and boring start, I started enjoying it as the story turned darker. I look forward to part 2. 7/10
Game 17-Monsters from the Deep Final Fantasy 15(2017)-PSVR-Beaten on March 12
-It's been awhile since I beat a PSVR game and this one was a lot of fun. I loved FF 15 and it was fun seeing all the guys again, even if it was a brief experience. I would have loved this to have had more of a story. 8/10
Game 18-Higurashi When They Cry Hou Chapter 2 Watanagashi(2015)-PC Via GPD Win Max-Beaten on March 28
-I enjoyed his episode quite a bit but I really wish they would shorten the "slice of life" part by about 75% and focus more on the horror elements. 7/10
Game 19-Higurashi When They Cry Chapter 3 Tatarigorshi(2016)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on April 24
-As with the previous games, the first part about their life is really boring and way too long. Once the mystery starts it gets really good. 7/10
Game 20-Rage 2(2019)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on April 24
-This was a fun game that doesn't get a lot of love but really should. I had a great time with it! 9/10
Game 21-Higurashi When They Cry Chapter 4 Himatsubushi-(2017)--PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on May 15
-I really liked this episode as it was much shorter and cut out much of the slice of life fluff that went on way to long in he first three episodes.not scary/spooky at all though. Looking forward to Episode 5. 8/10
Game 22-Resident Evil 8 Village(2021)-PS5-Beaten on May 24
-What a great game this was! I love Resident Evil games and this one was a lot of fun. I think I still liked 7 better but this was still a top tier survival horror game. 10/10
Game 23-Assassin's Creed III Remastered(2019)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on June 11
-I played this right along with Valhalla and enjoyed both games. The big difference is this game can be finished under 20 hours. I have played over 20 hours of Valhalla and still have a long way to go. Anyway, I prefer games to be under 25 hours and this game was a wry good time. As a history buff, I really enjoyed the time period of the American Revolution. 8/10
Game 24-Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered DLC The Tyranny of George Washington(2019)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on June 13
-I enjoy alternate history and this dlc was ok. Seeing King Washington was an interesting concept and I think I was just worn out after playing the main campaign. 7/10
Game 25-Last Window The Secret of Cape West(2010)-NDS-Beaten on June 16
-I beat Hotel Dusk about a year ago and really enjoyed it and I finally got around to finishing the sequel and I liked it just as much. A good combination of visual novel and adventure gameplay. I also loved the graphics. 9/10
Game 26-Assassin's Creed Rogue(2014)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on June 18
-Half way to 52! A year ago I already was over 52 games beat. I'm way behind. Oh well. I really enjoyed this game. It was similar to Assassin's Creed IV which I really liked so it makes sense that I would like this one. I also really liked how the end ties into the beginning of Unity. Great little touch! 8/10
Game 27-Dishonored The Knife of Dunwell(2013)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on June 19
-I played the main game when it first came out in 2013 and I never got around to the DLC. It took a little while to get adjusted to the game again, once I did, it was awesome! 9/10
Game 28-Dishonored The Brigmore Witches DLC(2013)-PC via GPD Win-Beaten on June 20
-This was a pretty good dlc but also quite short which is fine for me. I really look forward to the sequel now. 9/10
Game 29-Ratchet and Clank A Rift Apart(2021)-PS5-Beaten on June 21
-The Ratchet and Clank series is the epitome of fun. I have played and beaten every game in the series and this one ranks right up there. It's a beautiful game and it was just a joy to play. Game of the year so far This year. 10/10
Game 30-Final Fantasy VII Episode Intermission(2021)-PS5-Beaten on June 25
-I really liked this brief episode and Yuffie is such a fun character to. Was it really necessary? No but it was still a lot of fun that fills the gap between the main release. 9/10
Game 31-Dishonored 2(2016)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on June 25
-Why did I wait so long to play the sequel to one of my favorite games in the last decade? I have no idea but I really look forward to Death to the Outsider now. 10/10
Game 32-Dishonered Death of the Outsider(2017)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on June 28
-I decided to finish the series and this addition is pretty darn good. It's more Dishonored and that is always a good thing. 9/10
Game 33-Final Fantasy 12 The Zodiac Age(2018)-PC Via GPD Win Max-Beaten on July 3
-I finally beat this game as it is been a long time coming. It was pretty good and had some great parts(music, graphics, some of the gameplay) but also had some very annoying parts like the battle system and the part of the game with all the hallways/stairs with puzzles. I also thought the story was hard to follow. Only a few Final Fantasy's left on my backlog and I look forward to them.
Game 34-Resident Evil Survivor(2000)-PS1-Beaten on July 8
-I played and beat all the mainline Resident Evil games back in the PS1 days but never got around to this game. I have been listening to the "Itchy, Tasty" Resident Evil audiobook and after talking about this game, I decided to go back and ally some of the light gun games from the Pas1/PS2 era. Was this good? Well for the two hours that it lasts, it was a nostalgia trip, that's for sure, but no, not really good.5/10
Game 35-Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code Veronica(2002)-PS2-Beaten on July 8
-So I decided to play the sequel right after and it was a much better game but also shorter. I only played the arcade mode so one could get more hours out of it if they wanted. While I said it was a much better game than the first, it still was only ok. 6/10
Game 36-Resident Evil Dead Aim(2003)-PS2-Beaten on July 9
-This was by far the best of the light gun Resident Evil games during the Ps1/PS2 era. I really enjoyed this one as it reminded me as a cross between old school RE and Resident Evil 4 as far as how the game controlled. The weird thing was how it switched from a over the shoulder 3rd person view when moving to a light gun style first person shooter When shooting. glad I played it and look forward to the PS3 light gun games in the future. 7/10
Game 37-Dino Stalker(2002)-PS2-Beaten on July 9
-I have gotten into all these Capcom light gun games due to the audiobook I'm listening to called Itchy, Tasty. In this book, the author mentions all these games and I decided to give them all a try. This one was based on the Dino Crisis series and is nowhere near as good. It's ok at best but so short that I don't mind. 6/10
Game 38-Time Crisis Project Titan(2001)-PS1-Beaten on July 10
-After playing some Capcom light gun games, I decided to play some Namco ones. This one was pretty fun but very simplistic. One thing for sure, they are all short and help add to. Y completed list very quickly. 7/10
Game 39-Time Crisis(1997)-PS1-Beaten on July 10
-This was a pretty basic light gun game that was over in about half an hour. I look forward to playing the PS2 games from this series.
Game 40-Persona 5(2017)-PS4-Beaten on July 22
What a stylish RPG this was! I really enjoyed it but it should have been a lot shorter. Almost 90 hours! 9/10
Game 41-Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII(2015)-PC Via GPD Win Max-Beaten on July 26
-I really like the FF 13 trilogy. I think more people are just now starting to appreciate the trilogy for what they were-great games. The game has great music and is just beautiful! Hard to believe it was a PS3 game. While the story goes off the rails in his game, I still really liked it. 8/10
Game 42-The Medium(2021)-Xbox Series X-Beaten on July 27
-I have really liked all of Bloober Teams games and this one is no exception. What a great concept and spooky atmosphere this game was! I wasn't a huge fan of the split screen parts of the game but it was an interesting idea. 8/10
Game 43-Outriders(2021)-Xbox Series X-Beaten on July 30
-I didn't think this game was going to amount to much but I really enjoyed the story campaign. I played it single player and thought it was a very good shooter. 8/10
Game 44-Watch Dogs Legion(2020)-PS5-Beaten on August 9
-I really enjoyed this game but not as much as the previous two. I would prefer several main protagonists as having anybody makes it a bit generic in my opinion. I really like the hacking and firefights in this game. A good but not great game. 7/10
Game 45-Watch Dogs Legion Bloodline(2021)-PS5-Beaten on August 10
-I liked Legion enough to get the dlc and I thought it was better than the main game. I like the fact that it has a better story and two main playable characters. much better than the generic "play as anyone" idea of the main game. 9/10
Game 46-Higurashi When They Cry Kai Chapter 5 Meakashi(2017)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on August 13
-Wow! What an episode! By far the best one yet as it answers a lot of he questions for the previous games. Looking forward to Ch. 6! 10/10
Game 47-Before Your Eyes(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on August 13
-This game was a very emotional one about a young boy that gets sick and dies. You basically go through his life watching key memories along the way. The game allows you to blink to move along the story but that didn't work well for me so I used point and click controls. I really enjoyed the game. Sad though. 8/10
Game 48-Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts(2019)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on August 16
I love sniping games and this one was a lot of fun. I look forward to the sequel that came out recently. 8/10
Game 49-Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on August 21
-I liked the first game a lot and decided to play the sequel right after. There is something about sniping people from a long distance that is so much fun. The slow mo kill cam is cool as well. Great game! 9/10
Game 50-Assassin's Creed(2007)-PC via GPD Win-Beaten on September 4
-In many ways I prefer this original game to the games now. It's more focused and it's about assassinations mostly which makes sense. The games are a lot more polished now, of course but for a 14 year old game, I think it hold up and I had a ton of fun with it and it's not 50 hours long. 8/10
Game 51-LIfe is Strange True Colors Episode 1 Side A(2021)PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 12
-So this game still does episodes but all episodes were released at once instead of sporadically throughout a year or more. It's probably a good idea but there was some thing special about the episode formats that I really liked. I always counted each chapter as a separate Game so I will continue to do that for consistency. Anyway, this first episode was like most, getting to know the characters. I really liked it and the surprise ending was not something I expected. Great opening episode! I will play episode two right away. 9/10
Game 52-Recore Definitive Edition(2017)-PC via GPD Win Max and Xbox One via Play Anywhere)-Beaten on September 13
-52 games beaten!! I played about 75% of this game on PC and the rest on Xbox One. I love Play Anywhere. Great idea! As far as the game goes, I really liked the first six hours. It was good fun. But then in order to move on to the last level I needed more prismatic cores. Like 14 more and it took forever to find them(four hours or so). Then the last dungeon is just ridiculous. These two issues soured my enjoyment of the game. 6/10
Game 53-Life is Strange True Colors Episode 2 Lanterns(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 15
-This was a slower episode that is setting up bigger things down the road. It was a decent episode. 7/10
Game 54-LIfe is Strange True Colors EpIsolde 3 Monster or Mortal(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 16
-This was a decent eposode. I thought he LARP part was something not seen before but was too long and was most of this episode. It got better at the end and I look forward to Episode 4. 7/10
Game 55-Life is Strange True Colors Episode 4 Flicker(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 18
-This was a very short episode and the best one since episode one as both that one and this left left on quite a cliffhanger. I look forward to the finale. 8/10
Game 56-Life is Strange True Colors Episode 5 Side B(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 18
-This was a good finale. It was a happy ending to an overall sad story. I look forward to the Wavelengths prequel at the end of the month. 9/10
Game 57-Bloodwash(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 19
-September and October means horror games for me and his is the first one I have beaten this season. This was a brief PS1 style horror game that was decent I guess. There wasn't much to it outside of walking around taking to people outside of the very end of the game. Enjoyed my 90 or so minutes with it. 7/10
Game 58-Little Nightmares II(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on September 24
-What an atmospheric horror game. I had no idea what the story was but it was a creepy atmosphere which is all I want. Great sequel and I hope there are more in the series down the road. 9/10
Game 59-Dagon(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on October 2
-This was a free steam point and click horror game about HP Lovecraft sand what caused him to start writing horror. It was a decent half hour. 6/10
Game 60-Pumpkin Jack(2020)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on October 3
-What a great throwback to PS2 era platformers. This game was a lot of fun and a great game to play in October. Had a great time with it! 9/10
Game 61-Life is Strange True Colors Wavelengths(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on October 9
-This DLC for True Colors was ok at best. It was so limited as you didn't leave the record store. I found it kind of boring overall but still enjoyed parts. 6/10
Game 62-Imposter Factory(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on October 11
-About a year and half ago, I played the previous games in this series and loved them. Quite emotional games and this one is the same. I really enjoyed it. 9/10
Game 63-Back 4 Blood(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max and Xbox Series X-Beaten on October 22
-Played most of this on PC but went back a forth a bit with Gamepass. This was a.very fun game where you kill lots and lots of zombies. I do wish there was a bit more enemy variety but that is a minor gripe. 8/10
Game 64-Costume Quest 2(2014)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on October 26
-One year after beating the original Costume Quest, I beat the seque. It was a charming little Halloween game. 8/10
Game 65-The Dark Pictures Anthology-House of Ashes(2021)-PS5-Beaten on October 29
-I really liked this game in the series. It was different from the previous two which I also enjoyed. Loved the monster aspect but the monsters and environments were the same throughout until the very end of the game. I wonder if there will be a follow up based on the scene during the credits. 8/10
Game 66Higurashi When They Cry Hou-Chapter 6 Tsumihoroboshi(2018)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on November 12
-I continue to enjoy the series overall but they really would Be better if they were shorter. There is just so much wasted time where things just keep going on and on. And please quit with the slice of life stuff. 6/10
Game 67-Call of Duty Vanguard(2021)-PS5-Beaten on November 13
-Loved the campaign even though it was quite short. Like a summer blockbuster movie. A great time. 9/10
Game 68-Far Cry 3(2012)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on November 14
-I have been meaning to finish this game for almost a decade and it was such a fun game! I look forward to all the sequels in the future. 9/10
Game 69-Gears of War Hivebusters(2020)-XSX-Beaten on December 2
-I had a great time with this DLC campaign and will greatly look forward to the next Gears of War installment. 9/10
Game 70-Higurashi When They Cry Chapter 7 Minorogoshi(2019)PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on December 10
-This was a great episode that answered a lot of questions. Bring on the finale! 9/10
Game 71-Ys IX Monstrum Nox(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on December 16
-This is the first Ys game I have finished and after loving the Trails series, I really liked this game. It was a lot of fun! I look forward to other games in the series over the next year. 9/10
Game 72-Grubbins on Ice Costume Quest DLC(2010)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on December 19
-I was under the assumption that this was Christmas themed but it was half Halloween themed and half winter themed. It was still a fun little romp. 7/10
Game 73-Cave Story's Secret Santa(2021)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on December 20
-I wish other game makers would put out Christmas themed games. I love them and would gladly pay for them.! This was a fun little puzzler where I have to sneak gifts back into houses without getting caught. It was about an hour long and was free and so for that a 10/10.
Game 74-Sakura Santa(2015)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on December 20
-I am trying to play Christmas related games right now and this was a short visual novel that is very forgettable. 5/10
Game 75-Halo Infinite(2021)-Xbox Series X-Beaten on December 22
-I have really enjoyed all of the Halo games and this one is no different. Great campaign but I will say that the inside were a little stale and samey. 9/10
Game 76-The Artful Escape(2021)-PC via GPD Win-Beaten on December 22
-What an artistic game! I really liked the music and graphics in this game. The story was strange but had a good meaning. 8/10
Game 77-The Gunk(2021)-Xbox Series X/PC-Beaten on December 28
-I really enjoyed this short action/adventure game. I played about 70% of it on the XSX and about 30% on my Win Max. It was a perfect Christmas break game that lasted about 5-6 hours. 7/10
Game 78-James Bond 007 Bloodstone(2010)-Xbox 360-Beaten on December 30
-I watched the latest Bond movie recently and it put me in he mood to play a Bond game. I had this game so I decided to play it. It was a generic game but still a good time. Games like this just aren't made anymore. 7/10
Game 79-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One(2010)-PC via GPD Win Max-Beaten on December 31
-The final finished game of the year and it was a pretty bad one. There is no reason that the Harry Potter franchise is Shouldn't have been given a better game. I assume it only had a short development time. I plan to play Part 2 very soon so I'll see if it is any better. 4/10
Platform Breakdown:
PC-52
PS5-8
PS4-1
PSVR-1
PS3-1
PS Vita-1
PS2-3
PS1-3
Xbox Series X-5
Xbox 360-1
Switch-2
DS-1
2021 Game of the Year that I finished: Resident Evil Village
1. If Found... - Beautiful little game. Short visual novel game with a nice soundtrack. Didn't really care for the mechanic to advance the story, but at least it was easy to go thru.
2. King of Fighters XIII - Completed the story mode with some of the bad endings included. First game in the series I've played and I think I own several others thru GwG so I'll boot them up as I did enjoy the gameplay.
3. Gears 5: Hivebusters - Really good dlc. Took me about 4 hours to complete and I would be down for more dlc/full game with the main cast of the game. Only thing and it's not even the games fault is I kept picturing Lee Everett instead of Keegan whenever he would talk.
4. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - Much like Marvel's Spider-Man I enjoyed this game more on a replay then the initial playthrough. Here's hoping we get the next installment sooner rather then later.
5. Wolfenstein II: The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe - Decent dlc, the comic strip cutscenes made it feel low budget, but at least we kill Nazis.
6. Wolfenstein II : The Diaries of Agent Silent Death - Very much like the 1st dlc with one major improvement. Lead character is voiced my Claudia Black. I could listen to her every day and as a bonus we get to kill more Nazis.
7. Wolfenstein II: The Deeds of Captain Wilkins - My least favorite of the 3 dlc's. Something about gung-ho soldiers annoys me and this dude was as gung-ho as you could be.
8. Battlefield: Bad Company - Not as great as I remembered it, but still enjoyed the replay as a whole. Great variety of weapons at your disposal and the crew actually talked more then I remembered. Also Battlefield games have some low key good music. Always fun to see the reactions on here when Battlefield or COD get nominated for the music category, but their favorite game doesn't.
9. Monster Train - Completed a run so I'm counting it. Final boss was a pain, but finally beat it on my 6th or so attempt at it. Really like all the decks you can build. Will most likely keep playing a run or two a day for the remainder of the month before deleting.
February 2021
10. Yakuza 5 - Ended up enjoying it despite not really liking the Shinada portion of the game. Also thought it had one of the weaker bad guys in the series as well, but loved Kiryu and Haruka's journey and the friends who helped along the way.... except Shinada lol.
11. Shadows of the Damned- Enjoyed the guns and killing demons, but this is one of the games where a silent protagonist would've been better.
12. Dragon Quest - I'd say it's about on par with the original Final Fantasy. Although Final Fantasy seemed bigger in scope. Still enjoyed hearing some of the same jingles that are in 11 like the leveling up noise. I could see how that would be very nostalgic for series veterans. Navigating the dungeons for the most part was relatively easy at least compared to the Phantasy Star games. Onto DQ2....eventually BB_Hades_Zaglol
13. Grand Theft Auto 5 - Absolutely love this game. My favorite in the series and was just as memorable as the first time I played it.
14. The Little Acre - Short Game Pass game took me about 2 hours. Loved the art style and it had some charming moments. There was so much back tracking for a 2 hour game that by the end I was glad it was over.
15. Fire Pro Wrestling World - Will still be playing it as it's a lot of fun, but finished the 3 campaigns so counting it as finished. Other then the campaigns have been playing a lot of Fire Promoter mode and currently on year 3 in that. It's essentially a GM mode in other sports games and typically the mode I spend a lot of time in.
March 2021
16. Persona 5 Strikers - If it had been turned based it probably would've been a 10/10. Only issue I had with it was the combat and it was so frustrating early on that I put it on easy and left it there for the rest of the game. I really love the characters and all the interactions they have with each other and if this is goodbye for them I'm going to miss them. The music as is to be expected was top tier and will be listening to it for the foreseeable future.
17. Batman: Arkham Asylum - Was a replay and still a great game. Great voice casting and the smaller scope compared to City/Knight gives the game more of a immediacy that I feel are lacking in the other games. I still enjoy those games, but Asylum is a notch above them.
18. The Order 1886 - Was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Does some stuff that I don't like, but it was competent cover shooter with great visuals and would've loved to have seen a sequel as there's a lot of potential in the world that Ready at Dawn created.
19. Yes, Your Grace - Enjoyable enough king simulator with some hard choices to make. Reminded me of the choices you make as you're traveling in the Banner Saga games. My people were hating me by the end though lol. The surprisingly great music in the game added to the mood and always seemed to hit the right notes when it was needed.
20. Dragon Age: Origins - Replay which included Stone's Prisoner, Leliana's Song, Return to Ostagar and Warden's Keep. Love the world and characters and also a great soundtrack. Also what other game can you hear 30 Seconds to Mars during the credits?
21. Maquette - After Chapter 3 looked up all puzzle solutions as the gameplay was getting annoying. Not really a puzzle person, but wanted to see the story thru as it had some great voice acting and very relatable moments. Great music as well. Used Shazam to find out info on several songs.
22. Marvel's Avengers - Despite all its flaws I still enjoyed the campaign. Loved all of the Avengers notably Kamala Khan and her relationship with her dad and Bruce Banner. The repetitive enemy types did get grating after awhile, but being able to switch which Avenger you're controlling was enough over my 15 hours to keep the gameplay fresh. I'll probably revisit the game when the Wakanda dlc drops and I'll probably play both Hawkeye dlc's then as well.
23. Dragon Age Origins: Awakening - In my top 5 dlc/expansions list. Can't say enough how much I love the world, lore, characters in the Dragon Age Series. Playthrough includes both post Awakening dlc's as well. Which do knock down the score a bit for me.
April 2021
24. Paradise Lost - One of those games where you enjoy reading the letters and exploring the environments over the actual story which I had no feelings towards one way or the other.
25. Costume Quest - Enjoyed it more then I thought I would. Combat was very basic, but did love the whole Halloween setting.
26. Assassins Creed Valhalla - My least favorite of the recent games. I'm really curious to see where they go from here as the modern storyline while short was really interesting as far as the implications for the series go. 1st of the dlc/expansions is coming out soon, but I'll wait for the Paris dlc and dive into both when it releases.
May 2021
27. Dragon Age 2 - I have an unpopular opinion on this game. I love it. Sure there are those areas that all look alike, but despite it and all its faults I love it. It has some of the best characters in the series and introduces us to the GOAT Varric. The music is so good as well, but really that's all Dragon Age games.
28. Disco Elysium - What a ride. Had a roller coaster ride for the 30+ hours it took me to finish it. Was high on it then low then I was extremely high on it by the end. With the exception of 2 characters I really thought it was a very well written game with a lot of nuanced characters. Soundtrack was a banger as well.
29. Resident Evil 8 - What a great game. Took me around 12 hours to complete and enjoyed most of that time. Had 1 of my favorite sections in any Resident Evil game and I do think it's the most well told RE story as well.
30. Mortal Kombat 11 - Despite the BS last boss really enjoyed my time overall with the game. NetherRealm continues to make my favorite fighting game stories, despite how batshit insane they can get. Next up is the expansion Aftermath.
31. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath - Not quite as enjoyable as the main campaign, but did like the ending. Tempted to see what the other ending would be, but I'll watch it on YouTube later.
32. Bright Memory - Debated counting this one, but since I paid money for it I'll count it. Nothing really to say because it's so short, but it's a game.
June 2021
33. Mass Effect - The gameplay updates push this from a high 4/5 to a 5/5 for me. Felt way better then the og game. Love everything about this universe already and now it's up there with 2 because of the improvements. Time for 2 next!
34. Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown - Beat arcade mode in like 30 minutes and I'm counting it. 3D fighters aren't really my jam so don't think I'll put that much more time into it.
35. Carto - Charming puzzle game with a charming cast. Some of the puzzles had me pulling my hair out, but there wasn't that many of them like that and it helps that the game doesn't overstay it's welcome.
36. The Medium - Probably my favorite Blooper Team game. Still wouldn't say it's GotY material or even great, but it's a solid game with decent to good characters. The game has a divide because of one of the characters in it, but I never felt that they were painted in a sympathetic light. I'll be reading/watching some of those articles/videos as I didn't want to before as I didn't want to be spoiled or pulled one way or the other before I played it for myself.
37. Coffee Talk - Nice little coffee sim visual novel. Enjoyed most of the characters and had a nice chill relaxing soundtrack.
38. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intermission - Good dlc overall that added some nice backstory for Yuffie. Was great seeing some of the other characters from the main game in here as well. The after credit scene sets up the next game quite well as well.
39. Sea of Solitude - Loved it. Straightforward game with a bit of exploration if you want to get some collectibles. Game had a story to tell and I enjoyed it and the music was really good as well.
40. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Another great Insomniac game. I'm not sure if I'm ready to name this my favorite in the series, but it's up there. Great cast of characters that all played very well off of each other. Weapon variety was top notch as well and can't wait for the next Insomniac game.
41. Dante's Inferno - Decent GoW clone. Enjoyed the combat and loved the animated comic book like cutscenes. The road to the final boss was a slog through and drops how much I liked the game in the end though. It'll never happen, but would've loved to see how they would've continued the story after that ending. Unless it's part of the paid dlc like Asura's Wrath lol.
42. American McGee's Alice - Rough game too play thru. If it wasn't for my current enjoyment of Alice: Madness Returns (Chapter 3 atm) I would've probably dropped this game. Some parts like the varied levels were great others like the combat were rough. As a whole this is probably a game I would've loved if I played back when it came out, but I didn't so I'd say unless you are the type that has to play all the games in a series I'd say skip.
July 2021
43. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - 1st Zelda game I've finished! Used a guide after the 2nd dungeon as I was getting a bit lost lol. Enjoyed it as a whole. Not sure if I'll play Skyward Sword day 1, but I'm sure I'll get to it eventually.
44. Max Payne - Despite it's jankiness I really enjoyed this game. Loved the 80's action movie soundtrack, the comic book cutscenes and the bullet time shooting was also really good. The faces were kinda rough and the platforming sections were terrible, but as a whole its a great game and looking forward to playing the rest of the series eventually.
45. Alice: Madness Returns - This is one of those swimming in 7's games that I adore. Loved the character/level designs even if they were a bit on the long side. The game looked beautiful on the XSX. It's a shame we never got a 3rd game in the series.
46. Jade Empire - Glad I finally played this. Ended up loving it and I did not see it coming. Great characters (it is a Bioware game after all), story and music. The combat was a little on the easy side which some people won't like, but it's serviceable enough. Now I really have to bump up KOTOR on my backlog.
47. Final Fantasy VII Remake - Replayed the PS5 version of the game and I don't know what it was, but I ended up loving the game more then I did the first time and I really enjoyed it last year as well. Excited to see where Part 2 takes us.
48. MLB The Show 21 - Finally won the World Series with my RTTS character so I'm counting it as complete. Played a lot of Diamond Dynasty in addition to my RTTS character so I'm probably done with the game.
August 2021
49. Dead Space - Started the replay right after they announced the remake and the game still holds up. Dead Space 2 is the better game imo so I wouldn't mind if they took some of the improvements they did there and add it into the remake. Either way I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll get it right.
50. Mass Effect 2 - One of my favorite games ever and it still delivers. Do miss the RPG elements from 1, but everything else is superior in this game. Also has a top 3 cast of party members and just love the high stakes of it all. Since I've played it before and knew how to keep everyone alive I decided to let RNG decide the fate of my team and I lost 4 members at the end.
51. The Elder Scrolls Online - Restarted a new character as I hadn't played the game in over 3 years. Did my entire alliance zone and the main story. Will be playing the rest of the expansions/dlcs as well. The 60 FPS option added with the XSX/PS5 upgrade was great. Everything felt so much smoother and like any Elder Scrolls game the soundtrack was amazing and the tavern songs were great as well.
52. Mass Effect 3 - Not as great as 1 or 2, but I still like this game a lot and every time I finish the trilogy I'm left with a hole in my heart for Shepard and his crew.
53. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure - What a beautiful little game. Reminded me of A Short Hike and Bugsnax with all the collecting and taking pictures in a small island setting. Also a nice short game that can be beat in a session or two.
54. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - First playthrough in over a decade so I had forgotten most of the game and I don't remember enjoying it as much as I did on this playthrough. Game looked great on the Series X.
55. Chicory: A Colorful Tale - Enjoyed it overall, but by the end I was taking advantage of the option to skip the boss fights as the game seemed to just drag towards the end. Wish more games has this option I might not have reached credits otherwise lol.
56. Detention - Knowing some of the story beats from watching the show meant I knew what was coming. Even so I really enjoyed my time with the game. I would say it's more haunting then scary although there was several scenes were I was spooked.
September 2021
57. Empire of Sin - Was really high on it at first, but quickly came down off of the high. Very repetitive and I felt like the main quest line triggered with no rhyme or reason. Would go several play sessions with nothing popping up from the main quest line and then it would suddenly tell me so and so wants to meet up with you. Game isn't all bad would still give it a 6 or a 7 as I was very much enjoying it early on and never felt like dropping it as I did want to find out how it would finish.
58. Kena: Bridge of Spirits - Loved it. Not a perfect game, but has so much charm and exploring all the nooks and crannies was satisfying. Couple of emotional moments in the story and was well told overall.
1. If Found...(Switch) | 1st Jan - 3 hours | 3/5
2. King of Fighters XIII (X360) | 2nd Jan - 3 hours | 3/5
3. Gears 5: Hivebusters (Xbox 1) | 5th Jan - 4 hours | 4/5
4. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (PS4) | 7th Jan - 16 hours | 4.5/5
5. Wolfenstein 2: Gunslinger Joe (PS4) | 10th Jan - 2 hours | 3/5
6. Wolfenstein 2: Silent Death (PS4) | 11th Jan - 2 hours | 3/5
7. Wolfenstein 2: Captain Wilkins (PS4) | 12th Jan - 2 hours | 2/5
8. Battlefield: Bad Company (X360) | 14th Jan - 10 hours | 3/5
9. Monster Train (Xbox 1) | 17th Jan - 10 hours | 4/5
10. Yakuza 5 (PS4) | 11th February - 70 hours | 3.5/5
11. Shadows of the Damned (X360) | 14th February - 10 hours | 2.5/5
12. Dragon Quest (Switch) | 19th February - 10 hours | 3/5
13. Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS4) | 20th February - 45 hours | 5/5
14. The Little Acre (Xbox 1) | 21st February - 2 hours | 2/5
15. Fire Pro Wrestling World (PS4) | 22nd February - 50 hours | 4/5
16. Persona 5 Strikers (PS4) | 14th March - 50 hours | 4.5/5
17. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS4) | 14th March - 20 hours | 4.5/5
18. The Order 1886 (PS4) | 16th March - 7 hours | 3.5/5
19. Yes, Your Grace (Xbox 1) | 20th March - 6 hours | 3/5
20. Dragon Age: Origins (X360) | 22nd March - 67 hours | 5/5
21. Maquette (PS5) | 24th March - 4 hours | 3/5
22. Marvel's Avengers (PS5) | 30th March - 15 hours | 3.5/5
23. Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (X360) | 31st Mar - 20 hours | 5/5
24. Paradise Lost (PS4) | 9th April - 4 hours | 2.5/5
25. Costume Quest (X360) | 20th April - 6 hours | 3/5
26. Assassins Creed Valhalla (PS5) | 27th April - 160 hours | 3.5/5
27. Dragon Age 2 (X360) | 2nd May - 52 hours | 5/5
28. Disco Elysium (PS5) | 10th May - 35 hours | 4.5/5
29. Resident Evil Village (PS5) | 16th May - 12 hours | 4.5/5
30. Mortal Kombat 11 (PS5) | 29th May - 6 hours | 4/5
31. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (PS5) | 30th May - 3 hours | 3/5
32. Bright Memory (XSX) | 30th May - 1 hour | 2/5
33. Mass Effect (PS4) | 3rd June - 38 hours | 5/5
34. Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (PS4) | 3rd June - 30 minutes | 2/5
35. Carto (Xbox 1) | 3rd June - 6 hours | 3/5
36. The Medium (XSX) | 5th June - 9 hours | 3.5/5
37. Coffee Talk (Xbox 1) | 7th June - 4 hours | 3/5
38. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intermission (PS5) | 12th June - 6 hours | 4/5
39. Sea of Solitude (Xbox 1) | 14th June - 4 hours | 4/5
40. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5) | 19th June - 16 hours | 4.5/5
41. Dante's Inferno (X360) | 20th June - 9 hours | 3.5/5
42. American McGee's Alice (X360) | 21st June - 14 hours | 2.5/5
43. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch) | 6th July - 16 hours | 3.5/5
44. Max Payne (PS4) | 7th July - 9 hours | 4/5
45. Alice: Madness Returns (X360) | 13th July - 16 hours | 4/5
46. Jade Empire (Xbox) | 15th July - 28 hours | 4.5/5
47. Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS5) | 27th July - 45 hours | 5/5
48. MLB The Show 21 (PS5) | 27th July - 75 hours | 4/5
49. Dead Space (X360) | 1st August - 12 hours | 4.5/5
50. Mass Effect 2 (PS4) | 1st August - 48 hours | 5/5
51. The Elder Scrolls Online (XSX) | 10th August - 150 hours | 4/5
52. Mass Effect 3 (PS4) | 18th August - 50 hours | 4/5
53. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (PS5) | 24th August - 4 hours | 4.5/5
54. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (X360) | 28th August - 8 hours | 4/5
55. Chicory: A Colorful Tale (PS5) | 29th August - 14 hours | 3/5
56. Detention (PS4) | 30th August - 4 hours | 3.5/5
57. Empire of Sin (Xbox 1) | 6th September - 16 hours | 3/5
58. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) | 28th September - 12 hours | 4/5
First time doing this, I know I won't reach 52 games but I want to keep track of how many I beat.
GAMES COMPLETED
JANUARY
#1 - Days Gone - ★★★☆☆ - 34 hours
I didn't have a lost of interest in the game because of openworld and zombie fatigue and also because of mixed reviews. But I was happy to see it in the PS5 Plus Collection so I could give it a try for free.
I was surprised, it looks and plays great thanks to PS5 patch, the story and characters are decent (didn't get annoyed by Deek talking to himself all the time), the game was enjoyable as a whole.
Main criticism is that it's a bit too long, if it was 20/25 hours more people would complete it, I almost gave up when a whole new part of the map opened up.
#2 - Astro's Playroom - ★★★★★ - 4 hours
I love that Sony included such a gem as a free game. Beautiful celebration of Playstation.
Miles es un excelente personaje. :)
Gameplay was more fun with his abilities than with Peter's.
It looks great and loading times are incredible. Having almost instant fast travel makes the collecting part of open world games less tiring.
Give me more short games with AAA quality.
1. Days Gone (PS5) | 2nd Jan - 34hrs | 3/5
2. Astro's Playroom (PS5) | 3rd Jan - 4hrs | 5/5
3. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) | 4th Jan | 5/5
GAMES IN PROGRESS
I'll track my progress here and will keep updating impressions until I finish them.
Demon's Souls - ★★★★★ - 16 hours
I usually play games on easy to finish them faster, and I don't like being frustrated by games, I want to enjoy the time I spend gaming, not to get annoyed, so FS games never attracted me.
When I saw the trailers for this game I knew I had to play it, it didn't matter if I ended up playing 2 hours, I wanted to see next-gen with my own eyes.
I ended up being very surprised, not only the game looks amazing, I really enjoy the gameplay loop. I don't find dying to be frustrating, I'm almost always getting closer to my goal by getting better or by collecting items and souls (if I recover them).
SnowRunner - ★★★★☆ - 73 hours
I started this saga with Spintires, I absolutely loved the concept so it was one of the first games I bought on Steam. I've played all the iterations since then and SnowRunner has made a giant leap in gameplay. It finally feels like a fully fledged game more than a cool tech demo. Now the problem is that it's too damn long, I have finished one of the 3 maps and I have played 70 freaking hours. I think it would take me 70 more hours to complete the game, I don't know if I'll do it but I'll keep playing it as my podcast game and I'll keep crawling my way to completion.
But.. how do I get among the people that overcome the challenge? I finished over 100 games last year and I was updating my post in the old thread. Do i have to send PM to OP?
Also, what does the number in medals mean? Maybe how many times did the user overcome the challenge?
I finished 59 Games in 2020, don't think i will top that tbh. but i'll try to finish 52 again.
1. Super Mario Galaxy (NSW) | 6th. Janurary | 3/5 | I think this is my least favourite 3d Mario, my main issue with the Game is that controlling Mario is not as much fun as it is in other 3D Marios.
2. Devil May Cry 3 (NSW) | 13.th Janurary | 3/5 | Had a small Revelation with this Game after years since i played it for the last time. It isn't that good actually lol The Bosses kinda suck and it lacks the refined control of DMC 4 and 5. It's still a good Game, but has been bested by it's sequels.
3. 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4) | 21.st Janurary | 5/5 | A true Masterpiece of Videogamestorytelling. The Puzzlebox Approach to it's Narrative made this Game so special, it created an compelling metagame where you spent minutes of time guessing what happens next, encouraged through a built in Wiki. On top of that i actually liked the Tower Defense Gameplay.
4. Dantes Inferno (PS3) | 23.thrd Janurary | 2/5 | The Edge of this Game was sometimes unbereable, there are some good scenes here, with strong art directions, but it pales in comparison to any of the God of Wars and the Story managed to be even worse, by instead of having an entertaining Asshole as your protagonist, you just had a boring one
