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StarTopic The 2023 Completed Games Thread

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87. Haunted Laia (Android)

Another game from the same series as Haunted Shadow

I think this escape-the-room series tries to go for a horror vibe, but it really can't pull it off. Between the Tim Buckley-esque designs and somewhat broken English, it's more cute than anything. Various ghouls that show up from time to time are just things I'd like to befriend.

I think they're going for a Rusty Lake (another escape the room dev) feel, but those guys, while also not having the greatest style, understand surrealism better.

At this point this isn't even the second game from this series I've tried and unfortunately Another Shadow was the best one. It seems their puzzles range from simple pattern recognition to just using everything with everything, and a lot of older games have the latter method. This one wasn't too egregious, which is why I've actually completed it, but no puzzles felt interesting.

As with Another Shadow, if you long for the days of flash games, give it a go.
 
Beanstar40 said:
Quick question for everyone. Trying my best to stick with one game at a time, but my attention span is totally shot. How do you make yourselves stick with one game to completion? Im always jealous of the focus jirard the completionist seems to have on YouTube. I want to get the most out of every game I play like that
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I don't. I've played maybe 150 games this year and as of now juggling Tales of Vesperia, Octopath 2, a few games I'm unlikely to complete (Tales of Destiny, Terranigma), and a few I've shelved for later (Nioh 2, Sushi Striker)

I just stick with what's interesting. Right now I mostly play simple games on my phone because I'm depressed and not in the mood for either difficult games or lots of story, so even saying I "juggle" those two titles is incorrect, as I've played them more than a week ago.

That said, I also rarely complete games. Even when I start a game and think "this is a good one, I wanna see everything", it usually gets boring and old by the end. Do I really need to waste my time on a quest that gives me a crafting material when I have everything I need, for example? The games I try to complete are usually stuff like Yakuza, where every activity is full of life, gives you weird and new crap. Same with Igavania Castlevania titles.

Think about whether you really need to complete games and if you're having fun. After all, it's not you who's made it their gimmick to do so for a Youtube channel.
 
Beanstar40 said:
How do you make yourselves stick with one game to completion?
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I'm juggling 3-5 games at any given time. But I do have a rule that I set for myself to motivate me to finish games: I only buy a new game when I've cleared a backlog game. Helps my wallet too. Addendum to that, I've limited myself to a 64 GB memory card. So if I want to make space for new games, I need to finish and archive some stuff I already have.
 
Gengar said:
1. Persona 5 Royal
2. Metroid Prime Remastered
3. WarioWare (GBA NSO)
4. Fire Emblem Engage
5. Metroid Fusion (NSO)
6. Paranormasight
7. Trails to Azure
8. Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception
9. Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth
10. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
11. Donkey Kong Country (NSO)
12. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
13. Loopers
14. The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie
15. Steins;Gate Elite
16. Pikmin 4
17. Eternights
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18. Anonymous;Code

I enjoyed this for the most part. The plot kind of fizzled out as I neared the end, but I liked the concept. Some specific references and "reveals" were lost on me since I haven't followed the science-adventure series too closely, so hard-core fans might get more out of it than I did.

It was good, but now I'm asking myself if I really needed to spend $60 on it. Oh well. Can't do anything about it now.
 
13. Pikmin 4

I don’t think the start was was slow as everyone made it out to be. Yes there’s some dialogue and no you can’t have 100 Pikmin at once from the jump but I also love early-game limitations like that. Like when your Pokémon are only just reaching level 20. Feels like there’s still so much road ahead of you. And the road ahead of Pikmin 4’s opening section is quite frankly sublime. Zelda was my most hyped game this year but I wonder if Pikmin 4 takes GOTY for me.

14. Pokémon Trading Card Game (GBC)

I know there’s a modern online version of TCG and after playing this I’m so curious as to why it isn’t on Switch yet. When I played it as a kid I never really messed around with building my own decks but now I’m a big strong man and can handle more than 2 options I guess lol. Customizing my deck and really caring about what was in the booster packs was so engaging. Loved it.

15. Mortal Kombat 1 (Kampaign)

Ummm…

Yeah this campaign kinda sucked lol.

Don’t get me wrong, gameplay is vastly superior to MK11, thankfully, and very good on its own, without comparing it to anything. But writing and acting was shoddy, lots of the VO are giving very “crunchy” performances, transitions between fights and cutscenes are sloppy, and the overall plot is so incredibly weak. The ending felt so rushed and was so utterly soft that I can’t help but feel like there’s a second half of it being held for DLC. MK1 was hyped as a new era for MK but really it’s the same as it ever was. This formula of story mode needs a shakeup.
 
Christo750 said:
I know there’s a modern online version of TCG and after playing this I’m so curious as to why it isn’t on Switch yet
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TPC works in mysterious ways (but my guess is that they haven’t bothered thinking about it or otherwise there’s a lot of odd bureaucracy involved)
 
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Not really keeping track of what I've beaten this year, but I just finished Lies of P. It's up there in the running for my goty. DS3 is my favorite FromSoft game and it feels a lot like it except with an added parry like Sekiro that I can actually pull off (I sucked at Sekiro and couldn't parry in it, was good here tho). If you have GamePass, don't pass it up. It's not too long and it's definitely on the easier side of Soulslike games. I got the true ending in about 25 hours, so it isn't the longest game, though it is a Soulslike and I'm sure others will get stuck on various things much more than me.

Some mild spoilers about story elements:
To talk negatives, I think the 1 thing that I truly disliked about the game was how sad the story was. At first, it was pretty happy-ish for a Soulslike. There were moments of hope and character's lives improving, but it was all for nothing. Shit hit the fan at the end of the game and it was like the writers read the Soulslike manual and realized no happy endings allowed. I just wish one of these types of games weren't so damn depressing. Still good, tho.

I gotta figure out which P game is the best this year now, though - Lies of P or Pikmin 4. Very close in terms of enjoyment I got out of them.
 
Beanstar40 said:
Quick question for everyone. Trying my best to stick with one game at a time, but my attention span is totally shot. How do you make yourselves stick with one game to completion? Im always jealous of the focus jirard the completionist seems to have on YouTube. I want to get the most out of every game I play like that
Click to expand...
I never do this but I usually try to limit myself to 2-3 games that are sufficiently different from each other. I’m currently playing Judgment and Fire Emblem: Three Houses (again lol) and making decent progress in both but I know I’d get distracted if I played another open world game or turn-based RPG.
 
Beanstar40 said:
Quick question for everyone. Trying my best to stick with one game at a time, but my attention span is totally shot. How do you make yourselves stick with one game to completion? Im always jealous of the focus jirard the completionist seems to have on YouTube. I want to get the most out of every game I play like that
Click to expand...
This is something I struggle a lot with too. I'm currently playing Yakuza 0, Fire Emblem Engage, and The Great Ace Attorney 2 - all three very long games. I'm focusing more on the first two rather than the latter. Personally, I think the best advice is to just play at your own pace. Yes, it's nice to beat games but if you just focus on one when you're wanting to play another ... it might sour you on the game. Just play what you want, basically. Maybe don't go above 3 tho.
 
22. Chrono Cross [4.5/5]

Radical Dreamers Edition on Switch. I haven’t finished Radical Dreamers itself so this is just some impressions on Chrono Cross.

First, here’s what I had problems with. This is a game where I think having access to the instruction manual would help a lot, as it explains the combat system thoroughly. It can be pretty obtuse otherwise. Sega Ages games, for example, include a digital version of the manual in the overall menu. I feel that this could have been an easy feature to include here that would improve the experience. Also, the frame rates were all over the place, especially during combat. At times, I thought I had accidentally put the game in slow motion, but no, it was just actually being that slow for a second. Speaking of combat, the battle theme is totally fine in and of itself, but I wish I was able to absorb more of the rest of the soundtrack. It’s a bit of a mood breaker.

Otherwise, I thought the game was a joy. It is exactly the kind of surreal, cerebral and earnest RPG that I eat up. Other folks will feel differently based on their particular tastes, but every wild swing worked out favorably for me. The writing, story, enemy design and characters were all excellent. It covers a wide range of experiences from silly to serious. And the combat is pretty good once you get into it. Most bosses are little puzzles, making sure you’re utilizing Elements correctly.

This game has so many beautiful, cosmic liminal spaces.

It’s rare that I look forward to doing a New Game + right after finishing an RPG, but I certainly look forward to running through this one again.

Ranked List of 2023 Games Completed
Super Mario World
Super Mario Bros.
Parappa the Rapper 2
Octopath Traveler 2
Ristar
Metroid Fusion
Chrono Cross
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Gunstar Heroes
Castlevania Bloodlines
DariusBurst: Another Chronicle
G-Darius HD
WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgames!
Sonic the Hedgehog
Super Fantasy Zone
Streets of Rage 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Double Dragon 2
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Bros. 2
Kuru Kuru Kururin
Famicom Detective Club Pt 2: The Girl in Back
 
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I have finished 53 games this year (I live for this shit lmfao. In 2022 I finished 100 games) so I won't make a ginormous post by sharing all of them (I do keep lists and journal my thoughts about each one.) But I did wanna just throw in my highlights!


My top 5 games so far from 2023--

Octopath II (just finished it last night and was TOTALLY hooked on everything. It improved in all the right areas for me)
Hi-Fi Rush (out of nowhere and bursting with quality and fun ideas. A huge hit for me)
Tears of the Kingdom (nothing to say that hasn't been said, this game owns)
Paranormasight (another out of nowhere gem with great atmosphere building and some neat tricks for the mystery VN genre)
Final Fantasy XVI (I see a lot of gripes with this one but I was sooo invested in the characters and didn't mind a lot of issues)

Other highlights in no particular order-- Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane Armored Core VI, FE Engage, XBC3 Future Redeemed, Metroid Prime Remastered

My top 5 PRE-2023 games so far that I played this year

NieR Automata (absolutely blown away by the storytelling and soundtrack of this one. I was moved deeply on a few occasions)
Sekiro (among the best feeling gameplay of anything I've ever engaged with)
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (really earnest and wholesome game. I love this series)
Aviary Attorney (BIRDS AND PUNS. I WOULD DIE FOR SPARROWSON)
Trombone Champ (TOOT TOOT)

Other highlights-- Tetris (GB), NieR Replicant, Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney, Zero Escape VLR, Escape Academy


This has been one of the strongest years ever for me in gaming, and it's not slowing down! I have been genuinely looking forward to Detective Pika2 for years, and Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder are both super exciting. This will probably go down as one of the most stacked years ever for me personally!
 
meatbag said:
I hope to get even a fraction of your power, daaang
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hahaha ty, it's definitely not a lifestyle for everyone. But for me, gaming is a special interest/passion that's only ever gotten more enjoyable with age. Most of my friends only play a handful of games a year (if that) and few actually finish what they play. Everyone has different priorities and that's 100% cool, as long as you're doing what makes you happy!

I definitely pushed myself to finish 100 last year though. That was a conscious choice I made when I had finished around 65 in October and realized I could make it work (and that I may never be in a position again in life to get 100 games in a year once my wife and I have kids and more work responsibilities). So in that case, I did play some games with the intention of beating them rather than enjoying them, which I chose never to do again. But I'm glad I was able to hit 100! My final game of 2022 was Neon White, really awesome time.
 
Final Fantasy 16

Whew lads. What an experience that was. I'm a casual FF enjoyer, only played 15, 7, and 7 Remake, so I was excited to jump in. What I got was some of THE best spectacle and boss fights in video game history. This is the first game this gen I played that truly felt "next gen" and I was blown away with how fun the combat was. It can be as simple or complex as you want, but there's never a dull moment either way. I was hooked from minute one, and it only got better as you progressed.

The world was fully realized, and it commited to a singular vision, which is the one thing I wish I could say about FF15. That game had a solid beggining, middle, and end....all completly unconnected from each other. 16 knew the story it wanted to tell, and told it. Voice acting was great too. Clive nailed every emotional beat with his full soul, and Cid might just have the coolest voice of any human being in history.

That being said, it wasnt perfect, there were certian things I wasnt feeling. One thing I felt 15 did really right was the Party. I miss the road trip bros. This game doesnt really have a party, but it wasnt the kind of the story they were trying to tell so I cant really fault them for it.

The main villian was a huge letdown, he reminded me a lot of Zed from Xenoblade 3. Uber mysterious bad guy trying to sound deep and philosophical, but ends up just sounding pretentious and spouting absolute nonsense and pales in comparison to even some minor characters personalities and characterizaion in the same game. The ending also let me down. There was so many characters that could have had really great moments that were pretty much cast to the wayside. The resolution to certian main characters arcs was something I just didnt feel fulfilled by, and in the end just brought down the mood of what could have been one of the hypest climaxes ever.

Overall, there's a LOT to love about FF16, I'm glad I got to experience it and am SO excited to see how these systems evolve in other games like FF Rebirth and FF17 and whatever down the line.

And in the end.....Torgal is a good boi, and that's all that really matters
 
#3. Lake Haven Chrysalis
A small snack- a prologue event that seems to act as a design document for a much larger game and concept. If you like adventure / survival horror and are digging the recent lo fi polygon revival like I am, do yourself a favor and check out this short game.

A fantastically strange and inventive time for survival horror geeks who miss directional input.


lake-haven-chrysalis-silent-hill-2-and-p-t-easter-egg-v0-mKoGAHvl3rWbVv02YrEd07S0OaanwuKvoffckOH9JpM.png



2023 so far...
1. Deep Rock Galactic (PC)
2. Returnal (PC)
3. Lake Haven Chrysalis (PC)
 
1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice [4/5]
2. Digimon Survive [3/5]
3. Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster [2.5/5]
4. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 [3/5]
5. Muramasa Rebirth [3/5]
6. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line [4.5/5]
7. Batman: Arkham City (Replay) [4/5]
8. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze [3.5/5]
9. Shining Force III [4/5]
10. Octopath Traveler II [3.5/5]
11. Elden Ring (Replay) [5/5]
12. Batman: Arkham Knight [2.5/5]
13. Last Window: The Secret of Cape West [3.5/5]
14. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Replay) [5/5]
15. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom [4/5]
16. Final Fantasy XIII (Replay) [2.5/5]
17. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat [3/5]
18. Mole Mania [3.5/5]
19. Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy (Replay) [4.5/5]
20. Ghost Trick (Replay) [5/5]
21. Bloodborne (Replay) [4/5]
22. Pikmin 2 [2.5/5]
23. Tales of Graces f (Replay) [3.5/5]
24. Pikmin 4 [4/5]
25. Berwick Saga [3/5]
26. Gravity Rush Remastered (Replay) [4/5]

27. Chants of Sennaar [4/5]
A brilliant and unique concept executed with tons of creativity and excellent art direction - basically everything I'm looking for in an indie game. The only thing holding it back is that it does drag on a bit too long at the end, particularly since I wasn't very invested in the pretty basic story. But that's a minor quibble overall; still an experience I'd highly recommend to anyone who enjoys deductive reasoning and logic puzzles.

28. Lost Odyssey (Replay) [2.5/5]
This game is very much a mixed bag for me. The short stories in the dreams are phenomenal, some of my favorite bits of writing in video games. Everything else is just...fine. The battle system makes for some solid boss fights, and it's nice that the experience system is designed to prevent any need for grinding, but it is awfully slow, and even running away from random encounters takes a long time. The game's visuals hold up fairly well as far as early HD era games go, although there aren't a lot of memorable areas and many of the character designs are rather goofy-looking. The story outside of the dreams is not the worst, but it's not particularly great either, and the final scene especially feels thematically muddled compared with the narrative of the dreams. Revisiting the game cemented that while it's not a bad experience, the primary reason that I'd come back to it would definitely be the dreams, as they're the only part that really stands out as exceptional.

29. Gravity Rush 2 (Replay) [2.5/5]
I recently picked up Gravity Rush Remastered on sale and decided to replay both games in the series to see how they compare. I loved the first Gravity Rush on the Vita, and I remember finding Gravity Rush 2 rather disappointing in comparison, and this revisit didn't end up changing either of those impressions. I still really enjoy the first Gravity Rush, even if it could be a bit janky and could stand to have a little more interesting mission design. Still, missions like the Rift Planes and the races are really fun and play to the game's strengths, and I hoped at the time that a sequel could address the issues and make for an even better experience.

Instead, I ended up finding the sequel a pretty bloated and tedious experience for much of its runtime. While I did almost all of the optional content in the first Gravity Rush since playing with your gravity powers is so much fun, in Gravity Rush 2 I find that I can only enjoy it by ignoring 95% of the side content because so much of it has nothing to do with using your gravity powers and just turns out to be some boring busy work. The alternate gravity styles are the best new gameplay addition, but the game devotes less time to creative traversal challenges and way, way more time to combat, which was the weakest part of the first game and remains so here, despite some improvements. It can still be enjoyable at times, and for anyone who likes the first game, the second one is worth playing at least once to see the storyline get wrapped up, but overall it's underwhelming. At least the soundtrack is still great though.
 
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1) Super Metroid (NSO)
2) Metroid Fusion (Wii U)
3) Metroid Dread (NSW)
4) Sonic Frontiers (PS5)
5) MX vs ATV Legends (XSS)
6) Kuru Kuru Kuruin (NSO)
7) Metroid Prime Remastered (NSW)
8) HiFi Rush (XSS)
9) Final Fantasy Crisis Core Reunion (NSW)
10) Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS5)
11) Sonic Spinball (NSO)
12) Sonic 3d Blast (XSS)
13) Sonic the Hedgehog (XSS)
14) Sonic CD (XSS)
15) Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS5)
16) Donald Duck Advance (GBA)
17) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
18) Stunt Race FX (SNES)
19) Rhythm Tengoku (GBA)
20) Super Mario RPG (SNES)
21) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Turtles in Time (SNES)
22) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis)
23) Tearaway (PSV)
24) Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure (GBA)
25) Gundam Battle Assault (PS1)
26) Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)
27) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Shredder’s Revenge (XSS)

28) Asura’s Wrath (XSS)

I finished the main game and the DLC, and now my man can finally relax.
 
88. POOM

A free PICO-8 DOOM fangame. It's not a bad one, given, I assume, some limiatations.
Only 5 levels are present, but they're pretty fun. Claustrophobic vertical resolution and a lack of map makes it interesting, and I actually got a bit spooked the first time I've heard Lost Souls because nothing in DOOM sounds even close to that.
Overall, probably 30 minutes of playtime at most, but even then, my eyes feel unfocused, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who thought the original DOOM was too headbob-y.

It also took me until the very last second to see the game wasn't actually just called DOOM.
 
Games finished - 2023

*Denotes Replay

1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
18) Dungeon Encounters (NSW)
19) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NSW)
20) Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance (NSW)
21) Picross S9 (NSW)
22) Persona 5 Royal (NSW)
23) Dragon Ball FighterZ (NSW - Game Trial NSO)
24) Brotato (NSW)
24) Voice of Cards: Beasts of Burden (NSW)
25) Unsighted (NSW)
26) Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe (NSW)
27) Mercenaries Lament : Requiem of the Silver Wolf (NSW)
28) Vampire Survivors (NSW)
29) Sea of Stars (NSW)
30) ABZÛ (NSW)

31) Steins;Gate Elite (NSW)

A true visual novel all the way through, there is not a ton of gameplay on offer here. The story is entertaining as heck though. Without spoiling anything beyond the synopsis found on the eshop, time travel high-jinks involving email and a standard microwave seems like a kooky premise. It is, and it totally worked for me. Characters are generally really likeable, and the story is my kind of insanity matched with some morally tough decision making. Good stuff. I knew nothing about the anime it appears to be based on going in, and I likely never will watch it. It didn't slow down my enjoyment of this one iota.

32) Dorfromantik (NSW)

Dorfromantik is an unusual puzzle game built around placing hexagons to create a landscape. Each hexagon contains any number of a few options such as trees, houses, water in the shape of rivers and lakes, and so on. Your goal is to group as many of the same things together as possible to form big towns, forests and so on by rotating the tiles and placing them somewhere for most impact while also leaving room for growth. Of course the tiles are random and limited, but you can generate more tiles by making bigger and bigger groups. It's a high score chase. It is a very peaceful, calming game to play and the creative mode only makes it more so. In creative mode, you can discard tiles you don't like, and of course there is no high score to chase nor limit on the overall amount of tiles.

Sadly, this didn't totally land for me. I think as I've gotten older, puzzle games like this end up frustrating me more than anything. I'm gonna show it to my mother this weekend. I think it might be her jam.

33) Diabolic (NSW)

There isn't a lot of game here (2-3 hours) but it's fun. It's got the 8-bit aesthetic going, and the gameplay is relatively simple. Similarly, there is the most barebone of stories here. You are the hero, travel through 10 short locations, defeat everything you come across, game finished. You've got a handful of options for defeating the baddies, and between battles you can buff up your sword, magic, or ranged skills using gold obtained in the levels. Nothing about this game is groundbreaking in anyway but I think games like this are cool and work really well as palette cleanser between the beefier stuff out there.
 
carbvan said:
Not really keeping track of what I've beaten this year, but I just finished Lies of P. It's up there in the running for my goty. DS3 is my favorite FromSoft game and it feels a lot like it except with an added parry like Sekiro that I can actually pull off (I sucked at Sekiro and couldn't parry in it, was good here tho). If you have GamePass, don't pass it up. It's not too long and it's definitely on the easier side of Soulslike games. I got the true ending in about 25 hours, so it isn't the longest game, though it is a Soulslike and I'm sure others will get stuck on various things much more than me.

Some mild spoilers about story elements:
To talk negatives, I think the 1 thing that I truly disliked about the game was how sad the story was. At first, it was pretty happy-ish for a Soulslike. There were moments of hope and character's lives improving, but it was all for nothing. Shit hit the fan at the end of the game and it was like the writers read the Soulslike manual and realized no happy endings allowed. I just wish one of these types of games weren't so damn depressing. Still good, tho.

I gotta figure out which P game is the best this year now, though - Lies of P or Pikmin 4. Very close in terms of enjoyment I got out of them.
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I'm glad you were able to pull off the parries in Lies of P, since that can be such a challenging part for many Soulslike games. I'll definitely check out Lies of P if I have GamePass, and won't pass it up. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
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Finally got around to playing and finishing Judgment. Thought about doing more but I wrapped it up at the 30h mark with about half of the side stuff done. It speaks to the strength of the formula that they made another game that is fundamentally very similar to the Yakuza games yet still feels fresh by having some changes here and there. At this point, people know what to expect from these games but the entire detective/mystery framing already gives it a very different vibe even though you're still largely dealing with Yakuza and running around in Kamurocho.

Yagami is a great protagonist and nicely contrasts both Kiryu and Ichiban with a jaded, devious and darker side to him. He's complemented by a fantastic extended cast, especially Kaito who he has a fun (and funny) buddy-dynamic with. But I also really like Ayabe and the Genda law agency squad. Gameplay-wise, the two fighting styles are cool and so are most of the new systems. Big fan of the drone racing too. Sure, a lot of it is very familiar, new twists on old concepts but it mostly works. There's something to be said about having a team refine their craft like the RGG team has because they just keep making games on a near yearly basis that are just fun.

That's not to say that they don't stumble in a few places. The tailing missions for example feel a little bit janky at times and overdone by the end and that gang that always shows up can be quite annoying. The two biggest blemishes, however, are more related to the story and one character in particular, in my opinion. I already mentioned in the General Discussion thread that I wasn't happy with how Saori is treated and everyone who played the game should know what I mean. So I won't elaborate on it.

My "issues" with the story are a little complicated. I think the game straddles the line between being a Yakuza game and its own thing really well until sometime around chapter 11 when the main cast does questionable shit that has barely any consequences for them. There's one part in particular that frustrated me to no end: [End of Chapter 12 spoilers]

When Yagami and Sugiura raid the secret lab and the Chief Prosecutor shows up, I thought they had finally found a way to get Shono by making use of Yagami's knowledge of the law. Only to be bait and switched with another eleventh hour reveal so allegiances can shift one last time for the grand finale. Meanwhile I couldn't stop wondering why they didn't get Yagami on any of the illegal stuff he did up to that point (it's later handwaved in a conversation with Morita).

I know that the game tries to make a larger point about political corruption and how it uses the law and judicial system for its own ends but it does so in a very sloppy manner. It would have been a nice departure from the usual Yakuza "punch at a problem to solve it" style of storytelling to have a neater conclusion here. It's mostly a shame because they almost nail it.

Still, the game slaps and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

  1. Dark Souls III
  2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
  3. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
  5. Donkey Kong Country
  6. Metroid Prime Remastered
  7. Metroid Fusion
  8. Kirby's Dream Land
  9. WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!
  10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  11. Resident Evil 4 Remake
  12. Nintendo Switch Sports
  13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
  14. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (Linked Game)
  15. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Project Restoration)
  16. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  17. The Room
  18. The Room Two
  19. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  20. Dredge
  21. Storyteller
  22. Luna's Fishing Garden
  23. Nuclear Blaze
  24. The Room Three
  25. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
  26. Spaceplan
  27. The Gardens Between
  28. Pikmin 4
  29. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  30. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  31. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  32. Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
  33. Judgment
 
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Forgot to update in this thread since the Mario Event, so here we go

1. SAMURAI MAIDEN
2. Legend of Zelda
3. Mighty Gunvolt Burst
4. Funky Kong Country Tropical Freeze
5. Bloodstained Curse of the Moon: Nightmare mode.
6. Astalon
7. Fire Emblem Engage
8. Metroid Prime Remastered
9. Grim Guardians Demon Purge
10. Octopath Traveler 2
11. Atelier Ryza 3
12. Final Fantasy 1 PR
13. Final Fantasy 2 PR
14. Zelda TotK
15. Bat Boy
16. Super Alloy Ranger
17. Final Fantasy 5 PR.
18. Super Mario Bros Deluxe
19. Super Mario Brost Lost Levels
20. Super Mario Bros 2 US
21. Super Mario Bros 3
22 Super Mario World
23. Yoshi's Island
24. Super Mario Land
25. Super Mario Land 2


26. Dragon Marked for Death: Good for short sections. Since I was completing my Inticreates physical collection and finally found this here without having to import did a second run with the empress.

27. Atelier Marie: Very good remake, a lit on the easier side but all the QoL things they added made the game a joy to play. Hope they actually do Ellie and Lillie too in this style. Really the only thing I would like them to fix is to make the ending flag more obvious, especially since in your first gameplay you can pretty much overwrite all of them if you have previous timed atelier experience

28. Raging Bytes: One of those few surprises from Kemco, this is the zombie RPG with heavly influence on the Romero movies. It's short and simple and found interestign the way they implemented the zombie fights here

29. This ways madness lies: Another good work from zeboyd, but like I put it in the RPG ST the theme didn't work for me since Shakespeare is simply not a thing a here

30. Alice Escaped: A very nice an easy going metroidvania. The graphics are really cute and you can do some crazy combos once you start to unlock more combat abilities. Also has multiple endings

31. Double Dragon Gaiden: I really like the roguelite system they implemented here becasue it gives you a little of more variety, and the combat is well implemented. It's not going to top other beatem'ups but still did a great job

32 Powerslave Exhumed: The proto metroid prime, very well executed and fun to play. Once you have the full abilities the way you navigate previous levels changes and they did a good job to guide you without holding hands. Really the only thing that bother me is that in some levels you can't go back to the initial camel so you have to finish it, but it was mostly 1 level to get all the collectibles for the good ending. Also the music of the final boss always surprise me considering 95% of the game you are hearing egiptian motifs.

33. Curse Crackers: Fantastic platformer and my hidden gem of the year. Very responsive mechanics, very good music, different level of challenges depending on what you want to achieve and a very good postgame. Some of the secrets are really hidden but the internet had documented most of them

34. Retro Mistery Club vol 1: A nice short version game based on portopia/famicom Detective club. A simple mistery but it works.

35. Gunbrella: A nice platformer action game with the perfect length. Also found the story very touching

36. Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails: The real 3D YS.I really like the short levels and how they change with the seasons, just make me for the "ok one more level". Not gonna lie, this is more of what I expected from Ys when it went fully 3d, it feels to me more of a progression from Ys origins (which is my favorite one and technically is also separated by levels). There's a lot going when fightihg the bosses, there are some great action pieces here, and for a psp game some of the backgrounds are gorgeous

37. Infinity Strash DQ: A shame about the develping hell of this one because it notices. I still think its a decente game but this clearly was made to promote the anime other than anything (since its like 60% story, 40% gameplay) but well, the anime is not airing anymore
 
#01 Aladdin (SNES)
#02 Disney's Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES)
#03 Magical Pop'n (SNES)
#04 Bonkers (SNES)
#05 Portal (Switch)
#06 Star Fox (SNES)
#07 Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch)
#08 Nintendoland (Wii U)
#09 Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii U)
#10 Mario Kart Super Circuit (NSO)
#11 Kuru Kuru Kururin (NSO)
#12 Super Mario Land 2 (NSO)
#13 Wario Ware Inc. Mega Microgame$ (NSO)
#14 Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
#15 Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (NSO)
#16 Pokémon Snap (NSO)
#17 Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
#18 Kingdom Hearts (PS4)
#19 Advance Wars 1 Reboot Camp (Switch)
#20 Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (Switch)
#21 The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
#22 Mario Party (NSO)

#23 Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze (Switch)


This was my first replay of the game since the launch on the Wii U. At the time I remember I was very cautious about the game, I really wanted to like it because it was the return of David Wise and Dixie Kong, but I kinda hated Returns and I knew they wouldn't completely overhaul the gameplay. In the end, it turned out they didn't have to, although the game still has problems from Returns and I would still prefer if it played more like the Rare trilogy, TF is elevated by its brilliant level design. Seriously, the game is a masterclass in game design, and it's just so. damn. fun. to play, and at the end of the end, this is what videogames are all about.

Replaying the game almost 10 years later I was wary at first, I was afraid I wouldn't like it this time because it is still very much not Rare DKC and I'm still a bit bitter about it, but soon enough the game knocked me down again with how ridiculously fun it is and I, once again, had no choice but to surrender. Tropical Freeze is an incredible game, and stands together with the best in the genre.
 
10. October 8th - Stella of the End (9/10)
Also known as "Anime The Last of Us", this VN is about Jude, who has to escort an android girl to a requested destination. It's a bit hard to write and review a VN in a thread like this, especially one like Stella of the End - this one is all about words, reading and soaking in the emotions, with zero choices, gameplay elements or alternative endings. This story is way too good to spoil in any way - All I can say is that while it does drag at places (there's only so much a text-only VN can do in terms of depicting lengthy action sequences) the ending was tense, dramatic and incredible. I'm unfamiliar with Key's previous works, but if the rest of them are nearly half of Stella's quality, they're truly a legend among VN creators.

2023 Games Completed
1. January 4th - Missed Messages (9/10)
2. January 4th - Florence (9/10)
3. January 5th - Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk and milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk (9/10)
4. February 16th - Metroid Prime Remastered (10/10)
5. March 5th - Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (8/10)
6. May 19th - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (11/10)
7. June 5th - I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (8/10)
8. August 17th - Oxenfree (6/10)
9. September 10th - Starfield (7/10)
10. October 8th - Stella of the End (9/10)
 
Irene said:
I'm unfamiliar with Key's previous works, but if the rest of them are nearly half of Stella's quality, they're truly a legend among VN creators
Click to expand...
Key is absolutely a legendary studio for visual novels. I haven’t played Stella of the End but from your description you might also like one of their previous works, Planetarian. I also have to throw out a recommendation for Clannad and Little Busters!

ermitron2 said:
but well, the anime is not airing anymore
Click to expand...
They really missed the boat with Dai.
 
Update:

This year I have finished:

Full games:
  • Pikmin 4
  • Octopath Traveler II
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  • Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE
  • Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters (though some I didn't fully finish yet :p)
  • Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe
  • Baldur's Gate III
  • Sea of Stars
  • Pokémon Sun/Moon
  • Super Mario Bros. (NES NSO)
DLC/Updates:
  • Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (with all the updates)
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
  • Fire Emblem Engage: Fell Xenologue
  • The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: Part 1 - The Teal Mask
MMORPG's:
  • World of Warcraft: Dragonflight (up until Razegath Normal)
  • Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons (right on time for Secrets of the Obscure)
Still busy with Fire Emblem Engage. I keep getting distracted, but I think I should finally finish the story soon. Due to the closing of the online stuff on 3DS and Wii U I have some different priorities. Thus I like to finish some of the older Pokémon games so I can send my Pokémon to Home before it's over. Furthermore, I wanted to play Xenoblade Chronicles X for the first time as well.

Currently also playing Luigi's Mansion 3 in co-op :).
 
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Superizer said:
1: Octopath Traveler (23-01)
2: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Wave 1-3 of the Booster Course Pass (28-01)
3: Paper Mario: The Origami King (13-02)
4: A Short Hike (19-02)
5: Celeste (25-02)
6: Pikmin 4 (23-09)
Click to expand...

7: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (10-10)
I finished the game today with a playtime of 185 hours in total.
I completed every shrine, found every lightroot, found all bubbul gems, completed every quest in the game, found all old maps & sage's wills and obtained every inventory slot at Hestu.
I did look up a few wells and few side quests at the end of the game, because I didn't feel like spending another tens of hours wandering around the map. The game already felt completed for me, so I wanted to finish it without it taking too long.

What a great game, so well made.
The date on which I completed this (10-10) says enough about the game, it is certainly a 10 out of 10 for me.
It was still fun at the end to explore new caves or do quests I didn't yet do.
Only exploring the depths and finding all lightroots became repetitive at the end.

Now I'm onto 100%'ing Octopath Traveler 2.
I'm very close to finishing it and then I'm probably going to start on a totally new game!
 
89. 20 Minutes Till Dawn

I'm a bit at a loss how to count games like that, but screw it. I got bored of it and unlocked everything anyway.

20 Minutes is another Vampire Survivors-like game that's a bit more active since you also have to control shooting. It's fine, but even now that it's in 1.0 its upgrades feel way more restrictive than most other games in the genre. Your biggest choice comes at the beginning with character and weapon selections, while the game feels like you have one of several paths to take. If you want to upgrade everything but just a bit, bosses will screw you over, since they drop tomes that raise one of your attributes way up while lowering the rest. So if you, say, have summons, gun upgrades, and elemental damage, some of it will get neutered if you want to actually pick up the boss upgrade (and why wouldn't you)

I've played the game in short bursts, abandoning it for about a year until 1.0 came out, and while it does introduce some new maps, characters and upgrades, I find the philosophy of this game to be faulty at its core. I'm a big fan of raw damage in those games which means that in 20 Minutes I have exactly one viable upgrade path every game that leads to pretty much the same result every time.
 
34th game finished for 2023 is a short, adorable game called Spooky Season. It's basically a top-down adventure game where you need to help set up the Halloween party by inviting celebrities, getting the right items, and finding your other ghostly pals to help you out with all that.
 
Superizer said:
1: Octopath Traveler (23-01)
2: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Wave 1-3 of the Booster Course Pass (28-01)
3: Paper Mario: The Origami King (13-02)
4: A Short Hike (19-02)
5: Celeste (25-02)
6: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (+ Season Pass) (05-03)
7: Pikmin 4 (23-09)
8: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (10-10)
Click to expand...

9: Octopath Traveler II (12-10)
I 100%'d the game today with a playtime of 75 hours in total.
I completed every story and quest in the game, including the Final Chapter and the secret final boss.
I did look up how to complete a couple of sidequests and how to beat the secret final boss, because I like the feeling of having a game completely finished but I'm not a fan of spending tens of hours at the end of a game on a lot of walking around and being stuck.



It feels good to have completed three games in the past few weeks and clear a good chunk of my backlog, instead of having many games lying around that I played a lot but never finished. Especially with Super Mario Bros. Wonder releasing soon, which I preordered.
I don't have many unfinished games lying around now (yay!), but I do have quite a bit of games I haven't played yet and that are still in their plastic wrap. For example: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and No Man's Sky.

Next I'm going to finish a couple more games that I almost completed but never finished. For example, Spiritfarer and Live A Live.
And in between them I'm going to be playing a lot of Super Mario Bros. Wonder when it comes out :)
 
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Vookatos said:
I don't. I've played maybe 150 games this year and as of now juggling Tales of Vesperia, Octopath 2, a few games I'm unlikely to complete (Tales of Destiny, Terranigma), and a few I've shelved for later (Nioh 2, Sushi Striker)

I just stick with what's interesting. Right now I mostly play simple games on my phone because I'm depressed and not in the mood for either difficult games or lots of story, so even saying I "juggle" those two titles is incorrect, as I've played them more than a week ago.

That said, I also rarely complete games. Even when I start a game and think "this is a good one, I wanna see everything", it usually gets boring and old by the end. Do I really need to waste my time on a quest that gives me a crafting material when I have everything I need, for example? The games I try to complete are usually stuff like Yakuza, where every activity is full of life, gives you weird and new crap. Same with Igavania Castlevania titles.

Think about whether you really need to complete games and if you're having fun. After all, it's not you who's made it their gimmick to do so for a Youtube channel.
Click to expand...
0_0 150 games played and 87 completed!!! How? I am lucky if I finish 2 games a month haha
 
Onilink97 said:
0_0 150 games played and 87 completed!!! How? I am lucky if I finish 2 games a month haha
Click to expand...
Well, quite a few of them are smaller titles. Like, a bunch of Contras, Bombermen, shmups and stuff. You can complete like 3 of those in a day. I'm a big fan of more experimental stuff, too, so I am keeping my eyes out for weirder small releases that might not be long (see Growing My Grandpa and the like)
I'm also lucky to have a job that requires me to be at home and isn't overly taxing.
 
Vookatos said:
Well, quite a few of them are smaller titles. Like, a bunch of Contras, Bombermen, shmups and stuff. You can complete like 3 of those in a day. I'm a big fan of more experimental stuff, too, so I am keeping my eyes out for weirder small releases that might not be long (see Growing My Grandpa and the like)
I'm also lucky to have a job that requires me to be at home and isn't overly taxing.
Click to expand...
fair enough, that is still very impressive haha. Wish I could play games at a quicker pace, I miss out on so many due to time.
 
0
90. Initialize

A free little game about setting up your phone. It's a 5 minute creepy thingie that's... not very good. The horror doesn't have much of a punchline and for a game with dialogue choices it doesn't have much variety. I've played it two times hoping that the more agreeable options led to less satisfying conclusion, but no, the conclusion's kinda the same.
I haven't slept today and was hoping for a spookier experience on Friday the 13th, but that wasn't it. Seems like there are a lot of games on Itch with similar vibes, but honestly "the machine/poll/test knows you" isn't really that scary when it's not a story or anything, but rather experienced by you on your PC which you know can't hurt you.
 
91. Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Eh, kinda short and the best parts were all shown in the trailers. The physics are weak and it even has a few glitches.




...Ok obviously this is a joke. This is about a game on Itch.io called "Super Mario Bros Wonder" that's a demake of some of the levels we've seen in a Direct. I've noticed a game like that and of course I had to beat it just to make this goof. It's actually pretty cute. I should spend more time on Itch since it seems like it's basically a successor to Newgrounds with all its weird stuff and janky yet charming fangames
 
MissingNo. said:
Games completed in 2023 so far:
  • Tales of Arise
  • Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
  • Diablo 3 (replay)
  • Hi-Fi Rush
  • Pentiment
  • Asura's Wrath
Currently working on:
  • Fire Emblem Engage (still)
  • Monster Hunter World + Iceborne (again, but this time fr)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (again, but this time fr)
Still on my list:
  • Don't ask.
Click to expand...
I have not given an update on this since February, so here's what happened since.

Games completed in 2023 so far:
  • Tales of Arise
  • Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
  • Diablo 3 (replay)
  • Hi-Fi Rush
  • Pentiment
  • Asura's Wrath
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • Umurangi Generation
  • Day of the Tentacle Remastered
  • Full Throttle Remastered
  • Onimusha: Warlords (replay)
  • Halo 3: ODST
  • Halo 3
  • Doom (2016) (replay)
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (replay)
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
  • Halo Reach
  • Diablo IV
  • Dark Souls Remastered (replay)
  • Quake
  • Quake II
  • Battletoads (2020)
  • Vampire Survivors
  • Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
  • Final Fantasy VII (replay)
  • Cocoon
Currently working on/retired for now:
  • Fire Emblem Engage (still; I have retired it in the meantime, but I want to make an effort to get back to it)
  • Monster Hunter World/Iceborne (still, de facto retired for now)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (at least I got this one, fami!)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (retired for now; the game has been overwhelming to me with its sheer size in a way BotW never has been)
  • Starfield (on and off)
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon (currently on hiatus, will get back to it soon)
  • Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion (currently on hiatus, will get back to it soon)
Still on my list:
  • Don't ask (still).
 
27 — Metroid Dread
Just after it’s two year anniversary, I’ve closed the book on Dread! I shared some thoughts in the series ST; ultimately I just don’t care for the more action-forward style. I’m glad I got around to it, especially because I quite enjoyed the story and Raven Beak, but it’s one of my least favourite Metroid games.

28 — Cocoon
What a cool surprise. Maintaining spatial awareness across several nesting worlds is a creative and effective brain-teasing premise, but the maps themselves are small and gate you off once you’ve done everything you need to do in a given area. This keeps the puzzling focused and your cute little beetle person moving through Cocoon’s many striking environments, but part of me felt disappointed the game ends right when you start to see how things could really complicate themselves in tantalizing ways. Puzzle types repeat a little too much. Amazing animations. Moody and memorable!

THE RATINGS
★ — Not bad!
★★ — Pretty dang good.
★★★ — Blew me away.

I only really finish games I like and even a one star is a positive review! It’s just to show how much I enjoyed it in relativity.

★
Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp
Baba is You
Castle Crumble
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk 2
Diablo IV
Melatonin
Metroid Dread
Pentiment
stitch.
Vampire Survivors

★★
Cocoon
F-ZERO 99
Hitman Freelancer
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
NYT Word Games
Quake II
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
The Talos Principle
Triangle Strategy
XC3: Future Redeemed

★★★
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Bonfire Peaks
Octopath Traveler II
Resident Evil 4
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Zelda: TotK
Click to expand...
 
Superizer said:
1: Octopath Traveler (23-01)
2: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Wave 1-3 of the Booster Course Pass (28-01)
3: Paper Mario: The Origami King (13-02)
4: A Short Hike (19-02)
5: Celeste (25-02)
6: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (+ Season Pass) (05-03)
7: Pikmin 4 (23-09)
8: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (10-10)
9: Octopath Traveler II (12-10)
Click to expand...

10: Spiritfarer (16-10)
I 100%'d the game today with a playtime of 37 hours in total.
I started on the game almost a year ago and played around 30 hours back then and a couple of days I came back to the game to 100% it.

I had vastly different ideas of how the game would be when I purchased it, but it turned out to be a lot different than I expected.
Spiritfarer taught me how touching and emotional a game can be, and how storytelling can done so that it is relatable to the player.
It is not difficult to relate to each of the characters you come across in the game in some way.



I'm happy with the backlog I cleared the past week. It just feels good when I finish a game and didn't almost complete it.
The next game I'm going to try (and probably complete soon after that) is Super Mario Bros. Wonder! :)
 
1) Super Metroid (NSO)
2) Metroid Fusion (Wii U)
3) Metroid Dread (NSW)
4) Sonic Frontiers (PS5)
5) MX vs ATV Legends (XSS)
6) Kuru Kuru Kuruin (NSO)
7) Metroid Prime Remastered (NSW)
8) HiFi Rush (XSS)
9) Final Fantasy Crisis Core Reunion (NSW)
10) Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS5)
11) Sonic Spinball (NSO)
12) Sonic 3d Blast (XSS)
13) Sonic the Hedgehog (XSS)
14) Sonic CD (XSS)
15) Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS5)
16) Donald Duck Advance (GBA)
17) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
18) Stunt Race FX (SNES)
19) Rhythm Tengoku (GBA)
20) Super Mario RPG (SNES)
21) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Turtles in Time (SNES)
22) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis)
23) Tearaway (PSV)
24) Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure (GBA)
25) Gundam Battle Assault (PS1)
26) Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)
27) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Shredder’s Revenge (XSS)
28) Asura’s Wrath (XSS)

29) Ridge Racer (PS1)
This game is just spectacular. The visuals and the soundtrack are simply a treat. The gameplay is actually pretty challenging, but once you get the hang of it, the game becomes pure joy. I really enjoy classic arcade racers, and I'm glad I decided to check this one out.

30) Gravity Rush (PSV)
Gravity Rush is a game with a wonderful hook, an interesting world, and a delightful main character that's let down by its mediocre and at times frustrating combat. I had a fun time exploring the city and discovering the gems, and then using those gems to upgrade Kat's powers. The fun would usually end whenever I was forced to fight something. The combat is simply too shallow to be interesting. Once upgraded, there is no reason to use anything besides the Gravity Kick. So fights boil down to flying into baddies’ weak points over and over again, frequently missing the target due to wonky lock-on. Towards the end, the game throws so many enemies at you and it becomes more frustrating than fun. Also, the Gravity Slide is the worst mechanic in gaming.

All that said, I did have fun with the game. I want to pick up the sequel for PS4 and see if any of my issues were resolved.
 
Ultimate Spider-Man (Nintendo DS)

It's Spider-Man 2 time, so I decided to hype my self up properly by re visiting this little gem. This was my first ever game on DS back when it launched, and it was a fun time going back to today. I still remember some dialouge and music verbaitim, while other aspects felt like it was the first time.

You play as both Spider-Man and Venom, with specific levels for each. Peter on the top screen, and Venom on the bottom with more focus on touch controls. Peter defenietly felt more fun to play, but you can straight up eat people as Venom to restore health, which I always pretty hardcore.

Overall, I loved going back to this, and I think I'm now all warmed up and ready to see what Insomniac has in store!
 
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Jan 2023 - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Jan 2023 - Miracle Snack Shop (Korean Philia route)
Jan 2023 - Cruis'n Blast
Feb 2023 - Persona 5 Royal
Feb 2023 - Persona 5 Strikers
Feb 2023 - Katamari Damacy Reroll
Mar 2023 - Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Apr 2023 - Okami HD
May 2023 - Pokemon Let's Go Eevee
May 2023 - Bayonetta 3
Jun 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Jul 2023 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Jul 2023 - New Pokemon Snap
Sep 2023 - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Sep 2023 - Dredge
Sep 2023 - Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-
Oct 2023 - Catherine: Full Body

Oct 2023 - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

05c90477301d99a5259d2cbe6e2aa9b725e7990e.jpg


What a masterpiece. I 100% everything. I started the game absolutely confused but kinda recognizing that it is parodying all sorts of sci fi stories. By the mid-game, I had formed some theories about what exactly was going on. By the end, I learnt that everything I thought I knew was wrong.

It is an immensely satisfying story with wonderful characters and a conclusive end. I even found the combat parts fun. It felt impossible to follow at first but eventually, everything, more or less, falls into place. Bravo, Atlus.

Edit: Not really sure what to say about this. There's so many things to say, story beats and twists to share and characters to love (even the villainous SIU leader is kinda respectable in his single minded pursuit). So rather than wax long and hard about the game like a drunk, all I can say to those curious about 13 Sentinels and have not played the game yet... Go play it. At this point of time, this game has got to be one of the top stories I've experienced on the Switch. It might not be the full package of FUN (like P5R or TOTK) but the story will stay rent-free in my head for a long long time.
 
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Games finished - 2023

*Denotes Replay

1) Guardians of the Galaxy - Cloud Version (NSW)
2) Rise of the Third Power (NSW)
3) Haiku, the Robot (NSW)
4) Fire Emblem Engage (NSW)
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA NSO)*
6) WareWare Inc. (GBA NSO)*
7) Panzer Dragoon Remake (NSW)*
8) Final Fantasy IX (NSW)*
9) UnMetal (NSW)
10) Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (NSW)
11) Octopath Traveler 2 (NSW)
12) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (NSW)
13) Citizen Sleeper : Purge (NSW)
14) Metroid Fusion (GBA NSO)*
15) The Red Strings Club (NSW)
16) Earthbound Beginnings (NES NSO)
17) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (NSW)
18) Dungeon Encounters (NSW)
19) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NSW)
20) Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance (NSW)
21) Picross S9 (NSW)
22) Persona 5 Royal (NSW)
23) Dragon Ball FighterZ (NSW - Game Trial NSO)
24) Brotato (NSW)
24) Voice of Cards: Beasts of Burden (NSW)
25) Unsighted (NSW)
26) Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe (NSW)
27) Mercenaries Lament : Requiem of the Silver Wolf (NSW)
28) Vampire Survivors (NSW)
29) Sea of Stars (NSW)
30) ABZÛ (NSW)
31) Steins;Gate Elite (NSW)
32) Dorfromantik (NSW)
33) Diabolic (NSW)

34) Road 96 (NSW)

A visual novel mixed with minigames and some like roguelike elements, Road 96 is constantly interesting. The story the game wants to tell is very political in nature and it's message is pretty simple, vote/rebel or the fascists win. Or just get the hell out of the country and save yourself.

It is the summer of 1996. You play as a nameless teen hitchhiking across the fictional country of Petria to the titular Road 96 and freedom. But there are no guarantees you get there. If you die or get arrested, that's it, time to try again with a new nameless teen. Even successfully getting out of Petria just starts the journey again with a new teen anxious to leave. This continues until election day when the ultimate fate of Petria reaches its conclusion. Each route is different, showing us new glimpses into this world through a cast of reoccurring characters.

The minigames are generally fine, though you are often thrown into them with little explanation. This rarely matters, because they are all simple, and there was never any punishment for losing that I could see. Voice acting and music is all good to great. Graphically it is no powerhouse, but the art style is charming enough to carry the day. Runtime is around 8-10 hours, which feels right for a game like this. I am always interested in games that try to do something unique, and I think this qualifies. Cool game.


35) Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur (NSW)

The pitch: Hades, but set in Camelot. Good enough to get me to buy in. Hades is an all time great for me, anything that even approaches it should be a good time. Arguably the most important part of the game, combat is solid. Dodging and counterattacking feels good and crisp. Game runs well and is generally enjoyable to play. Sadly, that is where the praise ends.

Graphics are nice and clean, but the art can best be described as sort of generic. Same for the music. The story hints at being interesting but never really gets there. All of this is okay, but my biggest issue with Knight vs Giant is the pacing. You start with 2 knights of the round unlocked, each giving you a couple of attack options to mix and match. There are 4 other knights to unlock, but you can't unlock them until you have basically beaten the final boss twice. So while you can be unlocking plenty of other stuff (residents of Camelot that unlock further systems for buffing Arthur), combat will present a very limited amount of options for a long early portion of the game. Even with them all unlocked, it never approaches the gameplay variety of something like Hades. My understanding is that patches are coming to address these pacing issues, but I can only review what I played. I'd be curious to check in after some of these patches hit, but for now it is hard to recommend.
 
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