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Oh that's easy, just get unhealthy sleeping habits because of the horrific state of the world.
I play a lot of shorter stuff and replay games quite often which obviously doesn't take as long
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StarTopic The 2024 Completed Games Thread
- Thread starter meatbag
- Start date
OP
OP
Short games are your friends! I always try to have a few short games in my active roster, because the feeling of completing a game motivates me to keep on finishing stuff.
T-Hell
Tektite
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- He/Him/Él
LMAO same..
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
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- He/Him
Short games and unemployment has its perks.
T-Hell
Tektite
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- He/Him/Él
Yep, I just don't play as much precisely because I feel bad for being unemployed.
BlackthornOrion
#theprocessbroke
Video games are pretty much my main way of "consuming media" these days (I've been trying to read more, but things like TV/movies for example have really fallen down my list of priorities lately), and I usually focus on games that are in that 5-15ish hours zone. As a result I can usually be in and out of most games in a week or so
tbh not having much of an IRL social life definitely also "helps". I'm very much a homebody
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10. Pokémon Red Version
11. Pokémon Crystal Version
Last week I was sick with the flu and decided I needed some comfort food to make the time go by a little faster. So I decided to replay Pokémon Red. And since that didn't take me too long, I decided to immediately follow it up with Crystal.
Gen 1 and 2 are the ones I grew up with, and I love them both for different reasons. Gen 1 has some of the jankiest, but fun mechanics. Gen 2 fixes a lot of that and has the return to Kanto, which blew my socks off when I experienced it for the first time. And while both have their flaws and could be so much better, they still hold up really well.
afternoon delight
Like Like
Welcome to the party pal! Me and a friend think so too, it's just like, the absolute perfect fantasy ninja samurai horror tale come to life with gameplay that simply fucking melts faces, minds, and controller inputs alike.
The feeling of destroying certain bosses after they stomp you a billion times- to the point that you become Neo from the Matrix, defeating them untouched, with perfectly timed parries- is absolutely thrilling, the best action gaming gets really.
Did you face the optional bosses? One of them is a highlight of the game for me, the other, I skipped. LMAO.
Yep. I know it's designed to 'make' you feel like you're really good at the game, but it genuinely does feel that way. Every tough boss was a case of fumbling really hard, slowly learning and getting my mental state in check, and then just wrecking them. For my successful attempt at Isshin I only used 5 healing items in total - none in the first phase - whereas a good 30 attempts earlier I was barely hanging on with everything used up by the start of Phase 3.Welcome to the party pal! Me and a friend think so too, it's just like, the absolute perfect fantasy ninja samurai horror tale come to life with gameplay that simply fucking melts faces, minds, and controller inputs alike.
The feeling of destroying certain bosses after they stomp you a billion times- to the point that you become Neo from the Matrix, defeating them untouched, with perfectly timed parries- is absolutely thrilling, the best gaming gets really.
Did you face the optional bosses? One of them is a highlight of the game for me, the other, I skipped. LMAO.
I did all the non-Shura ending bosses, and will probably do those some day in search of the Platinum. So everything but old-man Isshin & Emma. Oh, and most of the 'ghost' bosses, but idc about missing them lol. In terms of difficulty, it's definitely Isshin at the top, with Father Owl second, then Demon of Hatred third. I thought the latter would be ridiculous given the reputation, but honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought, and felt more like a BB fight in a sense. However every main boss barring the 'gimmick' ones, Gyoubu, and the Headless Ape rematch (which I managed first try with liberal firecracker usage) were still hard enough that beating them was still incredibly satisfying.
In terms of mini-bosses that Seven Spear dude at Ashina Reservoir was the worst. Then I learnt to play more defensively and deflect after a Mikiri, and I beat him fairly easily. The ninja nearby in the starting spot was also really annoying, but mostly because you fight him in what equates to a small closet.
In terms of mini-bosses that Seven Spear dude at Ashina Reservoir was the worst. Then I learnt to play more defensively and deflect after a Mikiri, and I beat him fairly easily. The ninja nearby in the starting spot was also really annoying, but mostly because you fight him in what equates to a small closet.
afternoon delight
Like Like
Well in particular I just always, always, always remember the
second Owl fight
The DOH is who I skipped, because I wanted to beat the game, not my brains against the wall figuring out the optimal build.
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I haven’t played NSMB2 since launch, but I remember having a really good time with it. I don’t think of it as the black sheep of NSMB or anything. It’s pretty good!
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WFH, no kids, mix short game in between longer games. I'm going for a game per week on average this year!
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1- Dragon Quest Treasures (Switch)
2- F-zero (SNES)
3- The Great Circus Mystery Starring Mickey and Minnie (SNES)
4- Gunple: Gunman's Proof (SNES)
5- Go! Go! Ackman (SNES)
6- The Legend of Zelda (NSO)
7- Super Bomberman 3 (SNES)
8- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
9- Castlevania III (Switch)
10- Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (Switch)
11- Toem (Switch)
12- Super Castlevania IV (Switch)
13- Cuphead (Switch)
14- Cuphead - Delicious Last Course (Switch)
More Cuphead is always good! More bosses, more delightful animations, more wonderful music. I was a little bit disappointed because I thought the bosses on the DLC are a bit on the easier side (especially the last one), but I still had a lot of fun.
2- F-zero (SNES)
3- The Great Circus Mystery Starring Mickey and Minnie (SNES)
4- Gunple: Gunman's Proof (SNES)
5- Go! Go! Ackman (SNES)
6- The Legend of Zelda (NSO)
7- Super Bomberman 3 (SNES)
8- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
9- Castlevania III (Switch)
10- Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (Switch)
11- Toem (Switch)
12- Super Castlevania IV (Switch)
13- Cuphead (Switch)
14- Cuphead - Delicious Last Course (Switch)
More Cuphead is always good! More bosses, more delightful animations, more wonderful music. I was a little bit disappointed because I thought the bosses on the DLC are a bit on the easier side (especially the last one), but I still had a lot of fun.
BlackthornOrion
#theprocessbroke
I'll die on the hill that the only outright bad thing about the NSMB series is that there's 4 of them
If there was just the one game, or maaaybe DS and either Wii or WiiU, I think they'd be held in a pretty high regard. But because there's 4 of them and they don't do enough to establish their own identity and ideas, they collectively drag each other down. But taken individually, assessed in a vacuum, each one is a very solidly-made platformer
Pillydillsy
The greatest banana sherif in town
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- He/ him
Final Fantasy 7 (original): This game is a massive vibe. The 90’s CGI environments and cutscenes alongside the polygonal models for the characters match really well to make this game a snapshot in time to when 3D graphics were the hot new thing, and graphics were exponentially improving year over year. The story is great, and it’s a testament to how good the story is that I actually wanted to see more of these characters and how they interacted/lived during times of peace. The gameplay was okay, I guess, really the only thing I wasn’t too positive on. 8/10, cant wait to play the remake games
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1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
A $.99 2D platformer that plays like a mix of Kirby and Yoshi. It’s very short, but it’s got collectibles to find if you want some replay value. I found it really difficult and frustrating, and really not that much fun, but the art and music are good at least. It’s hard to complain about a game that costs less than a dollar.
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i'm playing through mid please give me the strength
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Abandon Dogma and play Quest.
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I've decided to do a quarterly update on my year in gaming.
January
-Splatoon 3 (NSW)
February
-Kirby: Return to Dreamland Deluxe (NSW)
March
-Super Mario Bros (NSW/NSO)*
January
-Splatoon 3 (NSW)
- I sat on this campaign for way too long. It is easily the best Splatoon single player mode to date. The world hub sections combined with the in game levels provided a fantastic experience.
- Never played a Wild Arms game before and I wanted to tackle this while I still had my PS Plus subscription. Wow was that a fantastic game. I was hooked from the beginning. Fun cast of characters combined with a banger soundtrack lead to a great game. I think that the story went sideways a bit in the second half, but it was largely inconsequential.
February
-Kirby: Return to Dreamland Deluxe (NSW)
- Never played the original game. It was a nice, fun Kirby romp. It probably won't fall under my favorites in the franchise, but I'd recommend it.
- I'm working on a bigger RTTP thread for Uncharted, but I forgot how great this game was. Maybe a little too long, but it was still fantastic.
- Liked it slightly better than Gears 1, but the series isn't my cup of tea. I'll still give Gears 3 a shot at some point.
- I've never liked rogue games and/or modes. This one was kind of similar, but I pushed through to the end and I am glad I did. That was a great finale. No interest in going back though!
- Last game of the trilogy replay. Pulling in 103% in this game is probably easier than the other DKC games. It doesn't get as much love as the other games, but it will always have a soft spot in my heart.
March
-Super Mario Bros (NSW/NSO)*
- I just needed to make sure that I finished a game in March.
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I was talking about KIRBY'S ADVENTURE WTF DID YOU SAY ABOUT DRAGON'S DOGMA?
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Real talk though I did love what I played of DQXIS, I really do need to get back to it sometime. I got 20 hours in and even after years was deadset on continuing my save instead of restarting but given it's been almost 5 years now ... yeah ... looking forward to whenever I do pick it back up. Never checked out any other games in the series, aside from a little of VII on 3DS.
The backlog never ends
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XI is good but sooo long and a pain to get back to. VII is also long but the structure makes it more bearable. V is still the best in my book.Real talk though I did love what I played of DQXIS, I really do need to get back to it sometime. I got 20 hours in and even after years was deadset on continuing my save instead of restarting but given it's been almost 5 years now ... yeah ... looking forward to whenever I do pick it back up. Never checked out any other games in the series, aside from a little of VII on 3DS.
The backlog never ends
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Quick update!
27. Yakuza 4 Remastered (NEW) | 8/10 ❤
28. Tiny and Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers (NEW) | 6/10
29. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (NEW) | 7.5/10
30. Metroid Prime Pinball (NEW) | 7/10
31. Metroid (NEW) | 5.5/10 ❤
32. Metroid II: Return of Samus (NEW) | 7/10
Not many games this time, because March was a tough period for me and I didn't feel like playing so much. But at least I finally played the last "main" Metroid game I had left (Prime 3), finally completed Pinball which was pretty cool, and also I was brave enough to try and complete Metroid and Metroid 2 in their original versions. And it was not as hard or "impossible" or confuse as I had thought all this time. Actually it was a great experience, even if the first game can be really harsh sometimes. So happy I finally managed to complete every game in this series!
...
Every game? No. There is still one left. And I might start it very, very soon.
Yup, I'm talking about THAT game... Federation Force.
See you soon!
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (NEW) | 7.5/10 ❤
- Otxo (NEW) | 8/10 ❤ | (one run completed)
- Dead Cells (NEW) | 8.5/10 ❤ | (one run completed ; without DLCs)
- Portal Stories: Mel (NEW) | 7/10
- Golden Sun (NEW) | 5.5/10 | (this one's going to give me problems lol)
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (NEW) | 7/10 ❤
- Donkey Kong (1994/GB) (NEW) | 8/10 ❤
- DARQ (NEW) | 7.5/10 | (+ DLCs "The Tower" (7/10) and "The Crypt" (7/10))
- Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain (NEW) | 7/10 | (every strawberries)
- Golf Peaks (NEW) | 7/10 | (every levels completed)
- Little Nightmares (NEW) | 6/10 | + DLCs (The Depths 6/10 ; The Hideaway 5/10 ; The Residence 6.5/10)
- Demon Turf (NEW) | 6/10
- Demon Turf: Neon Splash (NEW) | 8/10 ❤
- Very Little Nightmares (NEW) | 4.5/10
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (NEW) | 9/10 ❤
- Banjo-Kazooie (NEW) | 6.5/10 | (100%)
- Macbat 64 (NEW) | 4/10 | (every levels completed)
- Kiwi 64 (NEW) | 5/10
- Super Kiwi 64 (NEW) | 6/10 ❤
- Rollerdrome (NEW) | 6.5/10 ❤ | (Main campaign + Hard campaign)
- Donkey Kong Country (NEW) | 8/10 ❤
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (NEW) | 9/10 ❤
- Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (NEW) | 7/10
- Tinykin (REPLAY) | 10/10 ❤
- Donkey Kong Land (NEW) | 7.5/10 ❤
- Donkey Kong Country Returns (NEW) | 8.5/10 ❤
- Yakuza 4 Remastered (NEW) | 8/10 ❤
- Tiny and Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers (NEW) | 6/10
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (NEW) | 7.5/10
- Metroid Prime Pinball (NEW) | 7/10
- Metroid (NEW) | 5.5/10 ❤
- Metroid II: Return of Samus (NEW) | 7/10
Edie Napier
...and the day goes on.
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While I still have Proud mode to unlock, I can safely say that I've "beaten" Granblue Fantasy Relink. I wrote a review for it on Backloggd but the gist is that it's pretty damn good. Combat is tight and fun, boss encounters and raids are slick as hell, and if you like GRINDAN it's a deep game to throw some time into.
OP
OP
Fixed that for youThebacklogfun never ends
Speaking of never-ending fun, just finished A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build, which is essentially a block puzzler where the blocks are snowballs and they grow larger the more you roll them. It is an exceedingly simple central conceit that nevertheless paves the way to some clever brainbusters. There's even a sort of open-ended-ness to the game, because you can freely move between each "room", and sometimes that extra entrance or space opens up a whole new slew of possibilities. Highly recommended.
Vookatos
Like Like
- Pronouns
- He/They
21. No More Heroes III
When starting a new game series I usually try to complete the first game first and go down the chronological path of entries to see the evolution.
No More Heroes III is one of the first ones where I've decided to just jump to the most recent one, and it felt appropriate. The game is insane already, so trying to figure out what's even real and canon was an experience that I feel only added to its atmosphere.
NMHIII is a stylish boss-rush/character action game in the vein of old Treasure games. It will never stand still and will pour its creativity through constant genre and artstyle switches.
This game is admitteldy style over substance, but NMHIII is an undisputed king of style and isn't even remotely similar to games that just want to look pretty for 12 hours. The gameplay is somewhat lacking, but I always wanted to see what would come next.
The general structure of the game is quite weak, though, and I wish all the battles you had to do to get to the next boss were optional. Unfortunately, the game never really switches up the required three battles > boss routine and that's its biggest weakness. In-game justification for all of that is collecting money to donate for the next round, but I wish the player had the means to procure the money by any means, as the game's open worlds feature plenty of collectibles and minigames.
It feels weird to want less combat out of an action game, but the small battles are pretty dire, and new enemies stop showing up at around boss 3 out of 10, which make them feel like grinding with the combat system that's so simple.
I can see someone feeling like this game is too wacky, but much like something like the original Deadly Premonition, it puts its whole ass into being what it is so it never really feels out of place, whether you're mowing down intergalactic threats or cleaning toilets (that are an equivalent of Ubisoft's towers in the open world).
I loved my time with this dumb game and I will definitely check out its prequels. Sure, it's janky, it's ugly in places, but it's got so much style and personality that it's hard not to fall in love.
4.0/5
When starting a new game series I usually try to complete the first game first and go down the chronological path of entries to see the evolution.
No More Heroes III is one of the first ones where I've decided to just jump to the most recent one, and it felt appropriate. The game is insane already, so trying to figure out what's even real and canon was an experience that I feel only added to its atmosphere.
NMHIII is a stylish boss-rush/character action game in the vein of old Treasure games. It will never stand still and will pour its creativity through constant genre and artstyle switches.
This game is admitteldy style over substance, but NMHIII is an undisputed king of style and isn't even remotely similar to games that just want to look pretty for 12 hours. The gameplay is somewhat lacking, but I always wanted to see what would come next.
The general structure of the game is quite weak, though, and I wish all the battles you had to do to get to the next boss were optional. Unfortunately, the game never really switches up the required three battles > boss routine and that's its biggest weakness. In-game justification for all of that is collecting money to donate for the next round, but I wish the player had the means to procure the money by any means, as the game's open worlds feature plenty of collectibles and minigames.
It feels weird to want less combat out of an action game, but the small battles are pretty dire, and new enemies stop showing up at around boss 3 out of 10, which make them feel like grinding with the combat system that's so simple.
I can see someone feeling like this game is too wacky, but much like something like the original Deadly Premonition, it puts its whole ass into being what it is so it never really feels out of place, whether you're mowing down intergalactic threats or cleaning toilets (that are an equivalent of Ubisoft's towers in the open world).
I loved my time with this dumb game and I will definitely check out its prequels. Sure, it's janky, it's ugly in places, but it's got so much style and personality that it's hard not to fall in love.
4.0/5
JR436
Probably looks better in a dress.
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- He
I enjoyed NMH 3 a lot, but I feel it might be the weakest in the main trilogy for me.
The open world is so ugly and doesn't even really serve a thematic purpose like the first game. I don't think I even needed the minigames to get enough money to proceed for most of it.
It doesn't help that the boss encounters lack the build-up levels this time around. The actual encounters are great, but I personally missed this aspect and would have preferred they were in place instead of the open world.
Vookatos
Like Like
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- He/They
Damn, if that's how previous games worked then yeah I don't quite get what they were going for with just "find 3-5 fights"
JR436
Probably looks better in a dress.
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I'd give the first game a shot if you can. You starting with the third game might provide a unique perspective on the original which I'd be interested in hearing about.
komicer
Producer @ CDS
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- He/they
Apr 2024 - Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy
Like the first game, the start was slow. But once I reached the stage when I have crafted the perfect S-rank, 999 quality Rose Bomb, I've broken the game. With the exception of towards the very end, every single battle is resolved within the first turn with an explosive flourish of rose petals. During the final boss fight, I didn't even get to see ANY of the second phase. Ryza threw the three bomb combo at it and the final boss folded. No flashy finishing move. Just bombs.
The game was fun though there are times it does get tedious. I do like the new characters quite a bit. The ending was bitter sweet. Reminded me quite a bit of Persona 5 Royal's ending since you need to go bid farewell to all the characters one by one. I'll be looking forward to wrapping up the trilogy later in the year. I hope that the ending for the third game will be somewhat more grandiose, compared to the rather melancholy mood for the last two endings.
Favorite part of the game:
Alchemy sicko mode. The only thing holding me back was access to new, better materials.
Solving all problems with bombs
Cute characters. Though I end up sticking to just my favorite characters for all the battles.
Least favorite part of the game:
There isn't much grinding but... it does feel slow at times.
Not using auto-materials for alchemy meant that I probably extended the gameplay hours by at least 6 hours.
Like the first game, the start was slow. But once I reached the stage when I have crafted the perfect S-rank, 999 quality Rose Bomb, I've broken the game. With the exception of towards the very end, every single battle is resolved within the first turn with an explosive flourish of rose petals. During the final boss fight, I didn't even get to see ANY of the second phase. Ryza threw the three bomb combo at it and the final boss folded. No flashy finishing move. Just bombs.
The game was fun though there are times it does get tedious. I do like the new characters quite a bit. The ending was bitter sweet. Reminded me quite a bit of Persona 5 Royal's ending since you need to go bid farewell to all the characters one by one. I'll be looking forward to wrapping up the trilogy later in the year. I hope that the ending for the third game will be somewhat more grandiose, compared to the rather melancholy mood for the last two endings.
Favorite part of the game:
Alchemy sicko mode. The only thing holding me back was access to new, better materials.
Solving all problems with bombs
Cute characters. Though I end up sticking to just my favorite characters for all the battles.
Least favorite part of the game:
There isn't much grinding but... it does feel slow at times.
Not using auto-materials for alchemy meant that I probably extended the gameplay hours by at least 6 hours.
Jan 2024 - Super Mario RPG
Jan 2024 - Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
Jan 2024 - Pokemon Violet DLC - The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero
Feb 2024 - Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Feb 2024 - Another Code: Recollection
Feb 2024 - Bear and Breakfast
Jan 2024 - Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
Jan 2024 - Pokemon Violet DLC - The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero
Feb 2024 - Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Feb 2024 - Another Code: Recollection
Feb 2024 - Bear and Breakfast
Last edited:
Tircros
Cappy
I finished Syberia.
I liked the clockworkpunk scenery, but you really can see its age.
The subplot with her boy friend via a cell phone conversations was more distracting than anything.
There are not logical decision, like you need something, but instead of getting it you go somewhere else do something, that has absolutely nothing to do with the task and then you get the item regardless with tools you already had before.
I would recommend playing with touch controls, since only there you have the interactive spots highlighted. There is also a hint system.
It took around 5h to finish.
I liked the clockworkpunk scenery, but you really can see its age.
The subplot with her boy friend via a cell phone conversations was more distracting than anything.
I would dumped him much earlier. Cheating bastard. Best friend my ass
I would recommend playing with touch controls, since only there you have the interactive spots highlighted. There is also a hint system.
It took around 5h to finish.
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pain
Onilink97
Octorok
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6) Hyper Light Drifter
Clov
An ethernet cable girlfriend
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- She/Her
A Tasting Flight of Names
A short but really lovely visual novel about a runaway girl who visits a witch with an unusual request. Takes a really relatable experience and makes it into something magical. Very, very cute!
31st March, Midnight
A short visual novel about dreams dying, about selling your soul, and about working with people who do not care about you or others like you. The writing here is excellent. You can feel the writer's anger so distinctly here, and after playing it you'll feel that in yourself, too.
Potion Stand Story
Very cute visual novel about selling enough potions to make it to WitchCon! It's a very relaxing sort of game, with a few different endings to see. Elly is such a cute and fun character, always giving you encouragement. Don't let her down! Make that gold and get yourself to WitchCon!
1) Signalis
2) Gnosia
3) Sylvie miniature
4) Another Code: Recollection
5) Sonic the Fighters
6) Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain
7) Neko Can Dream
8) Spare Parts: Episode 1
9) Dead Names
10) 2/29
11) Alien vs Predator (1994)
12) A Tasting Flight of Names
13) 31st March, Midnight
14) Potion Stand Story
By the way, I'm playing Freedom Planet 2 right now and it RULES
A short but really lovely visual novel about a runaway girl who visits a witch with an unusual request. Takes a really relatable experience and makes it into something magical. Very, very cute!
31st March, Midnight
A short visual novel about dreams dying, about selling your soul, and about working with people who do not care about you or others like you. The writing here is excellent. You can feel the writer's anger so distinctly here, and after playing it you'll feel that in yourself, too.
Potion Stand Story
Very cute visual novel about selling enough potions to make it to WitchCon! It's a very relaxing sort of game, with a few different endings to see. Elly is such a cute and fun character, always giving you encouragement. Don't let her down! Make that gold and get yourself to WitchCon!
1) Signalis
2) Gnosia
3) Sylvie miniature
4) Another Code: Recollection
5) Sonic the Fighters
6) Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain
7) Neko Can Dream
8) Spare Parts: Episode 1
9) Dead Names
10) 2/29
11) Alien vs Predator (1994)
12) A Tasting Flight of Names
13) 31st March, Midnight
14) Potion Stand Story
By the way, I'm playing Freedom Planet 2 right now and it RULES
Twilight
One & only #1 fan of Sparks of Hope and FFXVI
1. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon [ PS5 ] - 9
2. Dragon Quest [ SNES*] - 7.5
3. Another Code: Recollection [ NS ] - 6
4. Trace Memory (7th Playthrough) [ DS ] - 9
5. Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain [ PC ] - 3
6. Silent Hill: The Short Message [ PS5 ] - 4
7. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (4th Playthrough) [ NS ] - 6 - 1st Switch
8. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 9 - 1st Switch
9.- Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 10 - 1st Switch
10. Baldur's Gate III [ PS5 ] - 10
11. Infamous: First Light [ PS5 ] - 6
12. Resident Evil Village + Shadows of Rose [ PS5 ] - 6
13. Ufouria: The Saga 2 [ NS ] - 9
14. Elden Ring [ PS5 ] - 10
15. Detective Ridelle [ PC ] - 7
Zero Escape puzzle rooms, Ace Attorney personalities, a Danganronpa-ish confrontation sequence, and walking around in the 3D environment with the 2D character stills reminded me of Hotel Dusk, a pretty solid murder mystery game with some pretty obvious inspirations, it doesn't quite reach the heights of those but is a nice game to spend an afternoon or two.
16. This Bed We Made [ PS5 ] - 7
1950s Max Caulfield.
A choice driven mystery adventure game where you are piecing together the lives of some of the characters staying at the hotel and making some decisions based on that which will affect their fate at the end. Loved the overall setting and ambiance of the game, mechanically is pretty simple with pretty straightforward puzzles, I liked that the choices you make aren't exactly clear if it will have a positive or negative effect on you or other character, is something you have to deduce for yourself and pay attention to the story, and even if you fuck up and want to try a different approach, the short lenght of about 4 or 5 hours makes it not frustrating to give it another go. Cool little game.
17. Carpathian Night starring Bela Lugosi [ PC ] - 8
A pretty good tribute to Dracula and Castlevania. This is a level based game with fairly large levels for this style, with a pretty gradual difficulty curve, does well for someone's first classicvania with how it slowly introduces enemy variety, bottomless pits and the difficulty of the boss fights, which is interesting because this is the style of Castlevania kind that only appeals to a more niche group of people that most likely already knows how to play these.
How it handles checkpoints is kind of weird, it basically sends you back to the last safe spot, meaning a place where you don't have enemies, the game does track your deaths alongside collectibles, so there is some incentive to do well even with the lack of death concequences.
Collectibles are of two kinds, lore bits for the location and boss you are going to fight, and skill orbs to unlock new abilities and or health/magic upgrades, some of them are pretty cool in terms of tricky is to find them, or having extra challenge rooms to get to them, gives it a pretty unique level feeling which makes it stand out compared to the series it's inspired by.
The pixel art is pretty solid and the music goes pretty hard, featuring some nice arrangements from classic music, like getting chiptune Swan Lake that played in the opening credits of 1931's Dracula as the title theme.
18. Dragon's Dogma II [ PS5 ]
Is Capcom back? Busy already doing a NG+ playthrough to answer that question.
If there is something to admire about DDII it is the decision to not budge to ideas of making the sense of adventure be filled with tons of conveniences and if there are, have limitations or some level of risk for the player.
The world design is basically what an open world Dark Souls would be funnily enough, considering the different direction that Elden Ring went. Most of the map is a series of choke points that forces you to engage with the enemies, mini bosses, while collecting or not items and equipment, which are tied to a weight system that affects your stamina, you can't change vocations on the fly and your abilities loadout also have to be changed either at an inn or a camp, you can only make camps in select locations and have to make sure enemies aren't around so they don't break them, night time and caves can be pretty dark so you have to keep your oil lantern, also pack some oil or craft some on the road to maintain it lit. You can't fast travel anywhere, have to use oxcarts which travel to one of the few sparse settlements or towns, you can stay awake for the ride if maybe you want to drop off in the middle of it or doze off, the oxcart can be attacked through the trip and even break so have to be careful with them. Another method of transportation are ferrystones which you can find a few exploring around or buy from select merchants, they take time to restock tho as you can only buy one from them at a time and they are fairly expensive, and you can only warp to some crystals, even get at least a couple of portable ones to set on a location you find convenient, like getting a portcrystal after the first story arc, which you'll probably use on the second major city as that one doesn't have a permanent warp point.
This is a Capcom game so the action combat is really good as usual, the vocations start fairly simple yet satisfying and as you use them more you get crazier abilities and spells that make for a lot of flashy combat scenarios. It has a really good weight to it added to all the ragdoll physics going on.
Presentation wise the game looks great and the music has some bangers, tho the style is pretty different from the first game, focusing purely on orchestral track this time around.
Vernworth's area in terms of its design and enemy pacing is incredible, but the game does take some hits in the Battahl region, feels like you can't go a few steps without triggering another enemy encounter, with far more dangerous enemy reskins and a higher frequency of boss encounters, which is really more exhausting on the annoying side than anything, since I don't really die in these stretches, it just feels like it halts your progress a bit too much compared to the excellent Vernworth area. It also wraps up the storyline a bit too quickly compared to Vernworth a lot less to do but seemingly making you walk back and forth through larger stretches of land with the high enemy encounters.
Another problem with the game is the enemy variety, some of the more unique boss encounters are pretty hidden behind some caves and paths so the bulk of what you fight are goblins, harpies, wolves and salamanders, it can feel rather repetitive at times, even taking into account your skill sets and the more creative stunts you can pull with the environment are also relegated to more specific points in the map.
The story and quests are definitely a thing, some pretty good, even taking basically multiple smaller storylines to get through like Ulrika's, others are just there. The narrative is not the most interesting around and it makes you engage with it just enough that it feels like there is stuff missing at times, and the characters don't have enough to them to make them likeable straight away or quirks like other games with minimal traditional storytelling like an Elden Ring.
That being said the final stretch of the game is nothing short of fucking amazing, the Unmoored World with the changes in the world and the title screen, how it finally drops the II in the title is peak gameyness, the Majora's Mask setup of the end of the world being on a timer as you go around the world saving as much people as you can, this is my jam dude.
And then literally the last 11 minutes of the game, truly a Dragon's Dogma.
And as very much a side note, considering the director of the original is still there, and how this game turned out mechanically, there is a little bit of hope in my heart, that maybe, just maybe, Capcom can make another proper Dead Rising someday.
2. Dragon Quest [ SNES*] - 7.5
3. Another Code: Recollection [ NS ] - 6
4. Trace Memory (7th Playthrough) [ DS ] - 9
5. Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain [ PC ] - 3
6. Silent Hill: The Short Message [ PS5 ] - 4
7. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (4th Playthrough) [ NS ] - 6 - 1st Switch
8. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 9 - 1st Switch
9.- Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 10 - 1st Switch
10. Baldur's Gate III [ PS5 ] - 10
11. Infamous: First Light [ PS5 ] - 6
12. Resident Evil Village + Shadows of Rose [ PS5 ] - 6
13. Ufouria: The Saga 2 [ NS ] - 9
14. Elden Ring [ PS5 ] - 10
15. Detective Ridelle [ PC ] - 7
Zero Escape puzzle rooms, Ace Attorney personalities, a Danganronpa-ish confrontation sequence, and walking around in the 3D environment with the 2D character stills reminded me of Hotel Dusk, a pretty solid murder mystery game with some pretty obvious inspirations, it doesn't quite reach the heights of those but is a nice game to spend an afternoon or two.
16. This Bed We Made [ PS5 ] - 7
1950s Max Caulfield.
A choice driven mystery adventure game where you are piecing together the lives of some of the characters staying at the hotel and making some decisions based on that which will affect their fate at the end. Loved the overall setting and ambiance of the game, mechanically is pretty simple with pretty straightforward puzzles, I liked that the choices you make aren't exactly clear if it will have a positive or negative effect on you or other character, is something you have to deduce for yourself and pay attention to the story, and even if you fuck up and want to try a different approach, the short lenght of about 4 or 5 hours makes it not frustrating to give it another go. Cool little game.
17. Carpathian Night starring Bela Lugosi [ PC ] - 8
A pretty good tribute to Dracula and Castlevania. This is a level based game with fairly large levels for this style, with a pretty gradual difficulty curve, does well for someone's first classicvania with how it slowly introduces enemy variety, bottomless pits and the difficulty of the boss fights, which is interesting because this is the style of Castlevania kind that only appeals to a more niche group of people that most likely already knows how to play these.
How it handles checkpoints is kind of weird, it basically sends you back to the last safe spot, meaning a place where you don't have enemies, the game does track your deaths alongside collectibles, so there is some incentive to do well even with the lack of death concequences.
Collectibles are of two kinds, lore bits for the location and boss you are going to fight, and skill orbs to unlock new abilities and or health/magic upgrades, some of them are pretty cool in terms of tricky is to find them, or having extra challenge rooms to get to them, gives it a pretty unique level feeling which makes it stand out compared to the series it's inspired by.
The pixel art is pretty solid and the music goes pretty hard, featuring some nice arrangements from classic music, like getting chiptune Swan Lake that played in the opening credits of 1931's Dracula as the title theme.
18. Dragon's Dogma II [ PS5 ]
Is Capcom back? Busy already doing a NG+ playthrough to answer that question.
If there is something to admire about DDII it is the decision to not budge to ideas of making the sense of adventure be filled with tons of conveniences and if there are, have limitations or some level of risk for the player.
The world design is basically what an open world Dark Souls would be funnily enough, considering the different direction that Elden Ring went. Most of the map is a series of choke points that forces you to engage with the enemies, mini bosses, while collecting or not items and equipment, which are tied to a weight system that affects your stamina, you can't change vocations on the fly and your abilities loadout also have to be changed either at an inn or a camp, you can only make camps in select locations and have to make sure enemies aren't around so they don't break them, night time and caves can be pretty dark so you have to keep your oil lantern, also pack some oil or craft some on the road to maintain it lit. You can't fast travel anywhere, have to use oxcarts which travel to one of the few sparse settlements or towns, you can stay awake for the ride if maybe you want to drop off in the middle of it or doze off, the oxcart can be attacked through the trip and even break so have to be careful with them. Another method of transportation are ferrystones which you can find a few exploring around or buy from select merchants, they take time to restock tho as you can only buy one from them at a time and they are fairly expensive, and you can only warp to some crystals, even get at least a couple of portable ones to set on a location you find convenient, like getting a portcrystal after the first story arc, which you'll probably use on the second major city as that one doesn't have a permanent warp point.
This is a Capcom game so the action combat is really good as usual, the vocations start fairly simple yet satisfying and as you use them more you get crazier abilities and spells that make for a lot of flashy combat scenarios. It has a really good weight to it added to all the ragdoll physics going on.
Presentation wise the game looks great and the music has some bangers, tho the style is pretty different from the first game, focusing purely on orchestral track this time around.
Vernworth's area in terms of its design and enemy pacing is incredible, but the game does take some hits in the Battahl region, feels like you can't go a few steps without triggering another enemy encounter, with far more dangerous enemy reskins and a higher frequency of boss encounters, which is really more exhausting on the annoying side than anything, since I don't really die in these stretches, it just feels like it halts your progress a bit too much compared to the excellent Vernworth area. It also wraps up the storyline a bit too quickly compared to Vernworth a lot less to do but seemingly making you walk back and forth through larger stretches of land with the high enemy encounters.
Another problem with the game is the enemy variety, some of the more unique boss encounters are pretty hidden behind some caves and paths so the bulk of what you fight are goblins, harpies, wolves and salamanders, it can feel rather repetitive at times, even taking into account your skill sets and the more creative stunts you can pull with the environment are also relegated to more specific points in the map.
The story and quests are definitely a thing, some pretty good, even taking basically multiple smaller storylines to get through like Ulrika's, others are just there. The narrative is not the most interesting around and it makes you engage with it just enough that it feels like there is stuff missing at times, and the characters don't have enough to them to make them likeable straight away or quirks like other games with minimal traditional storytelling like an Elden Ring.
That being said the final stretch of the game is nothing short of fucking amazing, the Unmoored World with the changes in the world and the title screen, how it finally drops the II in the title is peak gameyness, the Majora's Mask setup of the end of the world being on a timer as you go around the world saving as much people as you can, this is my jam dude.
And then literally the last 11 minutes of the game, truly a Dragon's Dogma.
And as very much a side note, considering the director of the original is still there, and how this game turned out mechanically, there is a little bit of hope in my heart, that maybe, just maybe, Capcom can make another proper Dead Rising someday.
- Pronouns
- They/them
10. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5)
This contains spoilers for Rebirth, Remake and the original game. tl;dr I like the game and appreciate the expansion of story and characterisation but also think it's unnecessarily padded to a level that can make the game drag at times.
This contains spoilers for Rebirth, Remake and the original game. tl;dr I like the game and appreciate the expansion of story and characterisation but also think it's unnecessarily padded to a level that can make the game drag at times.
At long last, I have completed this absolute juggernaut of a game, and I feel equal parts happy and exhausted.
I like Rebirth, a lot. It adds a ton to FF7 and its world and most of this expansion is very welcome. The game is at its best when focusing on the characters and their relationships. Barrett in particular benefits from this as the game wisely downplays the angry black man stereotype prevalent in the original in favour of a gruff portrayal that nevertheless is frequently the party's emotional and ideological core. The party's reactions towards Cloud's increasingly obvious mental instability, especially Tifa's, and how they don't know how to help or even approach the subject are also surprisingly well-handled. I have a few complaints (the replacement for the CPR minigame completely fell flat for me), but the game is overall pretty tactful and even-handed.
I'm interested to see what they do with Cid in the next game too, clearly his abusive nature needed to be toned down but he also doesn't get much of a chance to shine and just comes off as a bit of a flat, if harmless, good old boy instead. Hopefully part 3 adds some meat to those bones.
It's also a spectacle, as Remake was. The battle system certainly hits that 'cinematic Advent Children but player-controlled' feel they were going for, and I really like the hybrid action-turn based system. Most of the boss battles are fun, the exceptions in my playthrough being a couple of optional fights (mainly Odin, whose mechanic of one-shotting you if you take too many of his attacks is tuned to be way too punishing compared to other summon fights), and the game has an almost campy feel to it at times that balances the darker aspects of the story without devaluing them.
The minigames are also much improved from the OG, and Queen's Blood is so much better than Triple Triad that I honestly think they could try a DLC expanding it into a proper card game - create a character, go around the regions in a new unique campaign, add online matches too. It could really work.
The game isn't without its flaws though. Chief among them is that, much like Remake, the game has far too much padding. I say I was exhausted when I completed the game because I was. Things like getting beachwear for the Costa Del Sol section, the Turk and Rufus fights at the Gold Saucer, the Shinra Manor basement with Cait Sith and even the length of the final dungeon just don't really do much narratively and slow the game down, even if I liked the Temple of the Ancients. I'll admit I'm partly to blame for burning out as I did set out to do all the side content not realising just how much there would be, but there's definitely parts where some main story fat could have been trimmed too. On the other hand, I liked the expanded role of the Gi and the Black Materia.
The open world sections are fine, but also kind of derivative. There are towers, they mark stuff on your map, you go complete checklists. I'm not going to say it's a terrible implementation of that design, but it's also not an especially interesting one. Some of the activities get really repetitive too - Lifesprings are all exactly the same, and the Moogle minigame really did not need to be repeated so many times.
I'm ambivalent about the ending too. I was hoping for something more definitive on Aerith's fate, and fear they're making the same mistake as they did with Remake, where the ending was entirely style over substance with a vague promise of interesting consequences for the next part that... didn't really materialise here? Yes, there's the alternate timelines stuff - a trope I think is tricky to do without making it difficult to care if consequences can be undone - but the main story beats are largely the same with some shuffling around of aspects, like Rocket Town being excised and Cid joining much earlier. At times it feels like the team don't really want to commit to either a straight retelling or a more radical pseudo-sequel, and just try to play it safe in the most meaningless way possible.
That said, I think overall the game is great. There's a ton of content (too much perhaps), the battles play well, and the story and characters still have me invested even though I'm familiar with the OG. I'm not sure they'll stick the landing, especially after Rebirth shied away from the wilder possibilities of Remake's ending, but I imagine Part 3 will be a fun ride nonetheless.
I like Rebirth, a lot. It adds a ton to FF7 and its world and most of this expansion is very welcome. The game is at its best when focusing on the characters and their relationships. Barrett in particular benefits from this as the game wisely downplays the angry black man stereotype prevalent in the original in favour of a gruff portrayal that nevertheless is frequently the party's emotional and ideological core. The party's reactions towards Cloud's increasingly obvious mental instability, especially Tifa's, and how they don't know how to help or even approach the subject are also surprisingly well-handled. I have a few complaints (the replacement for the CPR minigame completely fell flat for me), but the game is overall pretty tactful and even-handed.
I'm interested to see what they do with Cid in the next game too, clearly his abusive nature needed to be toned down but he also doesn't get much of a chance to shine and just comes off as a bit of a flat, if harmless, good old boy instead. Hopefully part 3 adds some meat to those bones.
It's also a spectacle, as Remake was. The battle system certainly hits that 'cinematic Advent Children but player-controlled' feel they were going for, and I really like the hybrid action-turn based system. Most of the boss battles are fun, the exceptions in my playthrough being a couple of optional fights (mainly Odin, whose mechanic of one-shotting you if you take too many of his attacks is tuned to be way too punishing compared to other summon fights), and the game has an almost campy feel to it at times that balances the darker aspects of the story without devaluing them.
The minigames are also much improved from the OG, and Queen's Blood is so much better than Triple Triad that I honestly think they could try a DLC expanding it into a proper card game - create a character, go around the regions in a new unique campaign, add online matches too. It could really work.
The game isn't without its flaws though. Chief among them is that, much like Remake, the game has far too much padding. I say I was exhausted when I completed the game because I was. Things like getting beachwear for the Costa Del Sol section, the Turk and Rufus fights at the Gold Saucer, the Shinra Manor basement with Cait Sith and even the length of the final dungeon just don't really do much narratively and slow the game down, even if I liked the Temple of the Ancients. I'll admit I'm partly to blame for burning out as I did set out to do all the side content not realising just how much there would be, but there's definitely parts where some main story fat could have been trimmed too. On the other hand, I liked the expanded role of the Gi and the Black Materia.
The open world sections are fine, but also kind of derivative. There are towers, they mark stuff on your map, you go complete checklists. I'm not going to say it's a terrible implementation of that design, but it's also not an especially interesting one. Some of the activities get really repetitive too - Lifesprings are all exactly the same, and the Moogle minigame really did not need to be repeated so many times.
I'm ambivalent about the ending too. I was hoping for something more definitive on Aerith's fate, and fear they're making the same mistake as they did with Remake, where the ending was entirely style over substance with a vague promise of interesting consequences for the next part that... didn't really materialise here? Yes, there's the alternate timelines stuff - a trope I think is tricky to do without making it difficult to care if consequences can be undone - but the main story beats are largely the same with some shuffling around of aspects, like Rocket Town being excised and Cid joining much earlier. At times it feels like the team don't really want to commit to either a straight retelling or a more radical pseudo-sequel, and just try to play it safe in the most meaningless way possible.
That said, I think overall the game is great. There's a ton of content (too much perhaps), the battles play well, and the story and characters still have me invested even though I'm familiar with the OG. I'm not sure they'll stick the landing, especially after Rebirth shied away from the wilder possibilities of Remake's ending, but I imagine Part 3 will be a fun ride nonetheless.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
After 85 in-game hours, Red finally went down. I loved this romhack. Subtle changes to Pokemon availability, move typing, learnsets, the level curve, and opponents’ teams make for the absolute best way to revisit gen two.
Bring on Yellow Legacy!
Tall Leprechaun
Rattata
- Pronouns
- He/Him
10) Starfield (PC Gamepass): 9/10
Man, where to start - I enjoyed Skyrim on Switch for 100+ hours, so I'm used to what Bethesda games offer. For better and worse, this game does so much similar. Starfield has multiple well-documented and serious flaws: Bethesda went for quantity over quality on planets, the constant need for loading in new areas takes you out of the moment frequently, and many mechanics / systems feel so convoluted yet shallow at the same time.
But I still found myself getting lost in space in the best way. I loved the main story and many of the small / large side quests, getting to know the Constellation team members felt rewarding, and - while unfortunately few and far between - finding a tailor-made easter egg or similar discovery just felt magical! Slight easter egg spoiler: I found the Colander right before I finished the game. While I appreciated the Ode to Aliens, I'm terrible with horror/ suspense in games and I noped right out of there after an initial exploration of the ship haha .
So although there are many flaws, I cannot lament the game it could have been, because I had a wonderful time with it and know I'll be thrilled to go back in the future. ENDING SPOILER: While maybe not original, using a multiverse to set up new game+ was clever and fit the game well. The flashbacks/ callbacks to prior quests and decisions before becoming starborn also gave the ending an extra touch that I wasn't expecting but made it more impactful
I'll probably take a break from Starfield for a bit, but will come back for some modded shenanigans (hopefully creation kit comes on the sooner side) likely when the DLC release date is announced. I'm excited to see what's in store!
Man, where to start - I enjoyed Skyrim on Switch for 100+ hours, so I'm used to what Bethesda games offer. For better and worse, this game does so much similar. Starfield has multiple well-documented and serious flaws: Bethesda went for quantity over quality on planets, the constant need for loading in new areas takes you out of the moment frequently, and many mechanics / systems feel so convoluted yet shallow at the same time.
But I still found myself getting lost in space in the best way. I loved the main story and many of the small / large side quests, getting to know the Constellation team members felt rewarding, and - while unfortunately few and far between - finding a tailor-made easter egg or similar discovery just felt magical! Slight easter egg spoiler: I found the Colander right before I finished the game. While I appreciated the Ode to Aliens, I'm terrible with horror/ suspense in games and I noped right out of there after an initial exploration of the ship haha .
So although there are many flaws, I cannot lament the game it could have been, because I had a wonderful time with it and know I'll be thrilled to go back in the future. ENDING SPOILER: While maybe not original, using a multiverse to set up new game+ was clever and fit the game well. The flashbacks/ callbacks to prior quests and decisions before becoming starborn also gave the ending an extra touch that I wasn't expecting but made it more impactful
I'll probably take a break from Starfield for a bit, but will come back for some modded shenanigans (hopefully creation kit comes on the sooner side) likely when the DLC release date is announced. I'm excited to see what's in store!
1) Marvel's Spiderman (PC): 8.5/10
2) Jusant (PC Gamepass): 6.5/10
3) Splatoon 3 Story (Switch): 7.5/10
4) Bowser's Fury (Switch): 8.5/10
5) Cassette Beasts (PC Gamepass): 9/10
6) Pokemon Scarlett - Teal Mask DLC (Switch): 6.5/10
7) Hi-Fi Rush (PC Gamepass): 8.5/10
8) Donkey Kong Country (SNES NSO): 7.5/10
9) Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch): 9/10
10) Starfield (PC Gamepass): 9/10
2) Jusant (PC Gamepass): 6.5/10
3) Splatoon 3 Story (Switch): 7.5/10
4) Bowser's Fury (Switch): 8.5/10
5) Cassette Beasts (PC Gamepass): 9/10
6) Pokemon Scarlett - Teal Mask DLC (Switch): 6.5/10
7) Hi-Fi Rush (PC Gamepass): 8.5/10
8) Donkey Kong Country (SNES NSO): 7.5/10
9) Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch): 9/10
10) Starfield (PC Gamepass): 9/10
OP
OP
Cosigned. It's been a blast so far. Romhacks continue to outdo the mainline games lol.
Mer.Saloon
Chain Chomp
- Pronouns
- He/Him
ToeJam and Earl (Genesis NSO)
I replayed this game twice. Gosh, it's still such a fun rougelite from the era. Quick to beat and still filled to the brim with corny charm. Late 80s design oozes this game to it's very core, from it's boppin' tracks, to the visual design, the characters. Everything, just so charming.
The fact you are pretty helpless without any gifts kinda stinks, but at the same time, the levels are soo short you don't feel the effects of your helplessness for very long.
And hot damn if that music does not pull you through it!
1. Light Crusader
2. Prehistorik Man
3. Golden Sun/Lost Age
4. Quest for Camelot (/)
5. Mario Golf GBC (/)
6. ToeJam and Earl
(/) =Half Complete, when I use excessive rewind.
2. Prehistorik Man
3. Golden Sun/Lost Age
4. Quest for Camelot (/)
5. Mario Golf GBC (/)
6. ToeJam and Earl
(/) =Half Complete, when I use excessive rewind.
- Pronouns
- He
I'm finally back after a long period of time! I went on fighting game overload during February - March so that really impacted beating games, but now I'm back and better than ever!
9. Foamstars (PS5) [Finished February 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10:
This wasn't as bad I was expecting but it's still kind of bad. The hub is very half-assed, the characters look like they were made by ai, and probably the main thing that stands out to me is how unnecessary the hero component of this game is. It's actually the worst of both worlds because it combines hero shooter aspects with Splatoon, but in the process takes its classes too seriously and restricts which classes you can use based on if your other teammates already selected them.
The problem with this is that each hero has their own unique weapons, and as anyone who's played Splatoon knows Splatoon weapons feel very different from other shooters and there's generally less crossover in how one gun feels to another. You REALLY have to like how your weapon feels in order to have fun with the game, and that isn't taken into consideration at all by locking you out of classes if your teammates picked them. It's such a bad design decision and so unnecessarily sweaty for a game that's mostly casual and will have it's player base die pretty quickly. STOP COPYING OVERWATCH 2. NOT EVERY GAME NEEDS TO MAKE CASUAL QUEUES FORCE ROLES ON YOU.
I also found the game way too visually busy. Maybe it's just me but when I play a game on a TV and not a monitor, I can only handle so much cluttered design, and this game just has so much of that. What saves it a bit for me is that the horde mode, which is just a bog standard horde mode, is actually pretty fun. Better than Splatoon's salmon run #sorrynotsorry. Overall though the game is more mediocre than bad but the impression it left wasn't great.
10 / 11 / 12. Tekken 8 / Guilty Gear Strive / Street Fighter 6 [March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5 / 9.0 / 8.5:
Ok so I technically kind of sort of didn't beat any of these games except Strive, which is also the game I put the least amount of time into, so this probably doesn't count but I play fighting games for the competition more than just the story and I put so much time into Tekken and Street Fighter that it would feel like a waste not logging them so I just logged them all together.
Ok so what I have to say:
these are good games.
13. Kirby's Adventure (RetroArch) [April 8th, 2024] - 7.0:
This is a weird one. As far as NES games go it's a lot more polished than even the best games in the library, and this makes it feel a lot more "modern" than a lot of its contemporaries, At the same time it doesn't have the consistent fun of Mario, doesn't come close to the fantastic level design of Castlevania, and push come to shove I think I'd even say Mega Man was doing more interesting things at the time. It ends up feeling pretty unspectacular for a lot of its playtime aside from some amazing audio visual design, and it isn't helped by the few ways it does feel unpolished. Mainly character control seems inconsistent, pretty often you'll get hit by something that you think you should have been able to dodge in time because some actions have a lot of startup. Kirby's controls never feel as smooth as they should which in some ways is practically a staple of his character but can be an annoyance. And probably the biggest omission: not being able to drop your abilities without taking damage is an absolute travesty. Even this early on in the series it's needed.
It's made up for by the last three worlds being very good thanks to some really interesting settings, and the final boss is incredible. Even as my second Kirby game I wasn't expecting yet another boss to subvert my expectations this early on in the franchise, and not only is it great but I have to seriously think about if it's better than the final boss in Forgotten Land, which was already one of my favorites of all time. Crazy that a Kirby game did Dracula better than any Castlevania game.
This is a very good game once you get into its groove, you just have to go in with moderate expectations. There's a reason why it's both considered one of the best NES platformers but isn't really talked about on the same level as the greats.
9. Foamstars (PS5) [Finished February 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10:
This wasn't as bad I was expecting but it's still kind of bad. The hub is very half-assed, the characters look like they were made by ai, and probably the main thing that stands out to me is how unnecessary the hero component of this game is. It's actually the worst of both worlds because it combines hero shooter aspects with Splatoon, but in the process takes its classes too seriously and restricts which classes you can use based on if your other teammates already selected them.
The problem with this is that each hero has their own unique weapons, and as anyone who's played Splatoon knows Splatoon weapons feel very different from other shooters and there's generally less crossover in how one gun feels to another. You REALLY have to like how your weapon feels in order to have fun with the game, and that isn't taken into consideration at all by locking you out of classes if your teammates picked them. It's such a bad design decision and so unnecessarily sweaty for a game that's mostly casual and will have it's player base die pretty quickly. STOP COPYING OVERWATCH 2. NOT EVERY GAME NEEDS TO MAKE CASUAL QUEUES FORCE ROLES ON YOU.
I also found the game way too visually busy. Maybe it's just me but when I play a game on a TV and not a monitor, I can only handle so much cluttered design, and this game just has so much of that. What saves it a bit for me is that the horde mode, which is just a bog standard horde mode, is actually pretty fun. Better than Splatoon's salmon run #sorrynotsorry. Overall though the game is more mediocre than bad but the impression it left wasn't great.
10 / 11 / 12. Tekken 8 / Guilty Gear Strive / Street Fighter 6 [March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5 / 9.0 / 8.5:
Ok so I technically kind of sort of didn't beat any of these games except Strive, which is also the game I put the least amount of time into, so this probably doesn't count but I play fighting games for the competition more than just the story and I put so much time into Tekken and Street Fighter that it would feel like a waste not logging them so I just logged them all together.
Ok so what I have to say:
these are good games.
13. Kirby's Adventure (RetroArch) [April 8th, 2024] - 7.0:
This is a weird one. As far as NES games go it's a lot more polished than even the best games in the library, and this makes it feel a lot more "modern" than a lot of its contemporaries, At the same time it doesn't have the consistent fun of Mario, doesn't come close to the fantastic level design of Castlevania, and push come to shove I think I'd even say Mega Man was doing more interesting things at the time. It ends up feeling pretty unspectacular for a lot of its playtime aside from some amazing audio visual design, and it isn't helped by the few ways it does feel unpolished. Mainly character control seems inconsistent, pretty often you'll get hit by something that you think you should have been able to dodge in time because some actions have a lot of startup. Kirby's controls never feel as smooth as they should which in some ways is practically a staple of his character but can be an annoyance. And probably the biggest omission: not being able to drop your abilities without taking damage is an absolute travesty. Even this early on in the series it's needed.
It's made up for by the last three worlds being very good thanks to some really interesting settings, and the final boss is incredible. Even as my second Kirby game I wasn't expecting yet another boss to subvert my expectations this early on in the franchise, and not only is it great but I have to seriously think about if it's better than the final boss in Forgotten Land, which was already one of my favorites of all time. Crazy that a Kirby game did Dracula better than any Castlevania game.
This is a very good game once you get into its groove, you just have to go in with moderate expectations. There's a reason why it's both considered one of the best NES platformers but isn't really talked about on the same level as the greats.
1. Hi-Fi Rush (PC) [Finished January 4th, 2024] - 9.5-10/10
2. Astro's Playroom (PS5) [Finished January 5th, 2024] - 4.0/10
3. Metal Slug (RetroArch) [Finished January 6th, 2024] - 4.0/10
4. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (N. Sane Trilogy) (PS5) [Finished January 11th, 2024] - 8.5/10
5. Spyro The Dragon (RetroArch) (PC) [Finished January 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
6. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 19th, 2024] - 7.5/10
7. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 9.5/10
8. Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 3.0/10
9. Foamstars (PS5) [Finished February 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
10 / 11 / 12. Tekken 8 / Guilty Gear Strive / Street Fighter 6 [March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5 / 9.0 / 8.5
13. Kirby's Adventure (RetroArch) [April 8th, 2024] - 7.0:
2. Astro's Playroom (PS5) [Finished January 5th, 2024] - 4.0/10
3. Metal Slug (RetroArch) [Finished January 6th, 2024] - 4.0/10
4. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (N. Sane Trilogy) (PS5) [Finished January 11th, 2024] - 8.5/10
5. Spyro The Dragon (RetroArch) (PC) [Finished January 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
6. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 19th, 2024] - 7.5/10
7. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 9.5/10
8. Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 3.0/10
9. Foamstars (PS5) [Finished February 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
10 / 11 / 12. Tekken 8 / Guilty Gear Strive / Street Fighter 6 [March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5 / 9.0 / 8.5
13. Kirby's Adventure (RetroArch) [April 8th, 2024] - 7.0:
1. Hi-Fi Rush (PC) [Finished January 4th, 2024] - 9.5-10/10
2. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 9.5/10
3. Street Fighter 6 (PC) [Finished March 23rd, 2024] - 9.0/10
4. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (N. Sane Trilogy) (PS5) [Finished January 11th, 2024] - 8.5/10
5. Tekken 8 (PC) [Finished March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5/10
6. Guilty Gear Strive (PC) [Finished March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5/10
7. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 19th, 2024] - 7.5/10
8. Kirby's Adventure (RetroArch) [Finished April 8th, 2024] - 7.0/10
9. Spyro The Dragon (RetroArch) (PC) [Finished January 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
10. Foamstars (PS5) [Finished February 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
11. Metal Slug (RetroArch) [Finished January 6th, 2024] - 4.0/10
12. Astro's Playroom (PS5) [Finished January 5th, 2024] - 4.0/10
13. Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 3.0/10
2. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 9.5/10
3. Street Fighter 6 (PC) [Finished March 23rd, 2024] - 9.0/10
4. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (N. Sane Trilogy) (PS5) [Finished January 11th, 2024] - 8.5/10
5. Tekken 8 (PC) [Finished March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5/10
6. Guilty Gear Strive (PC) [Finished March 23rd, 2024] - 8.5/10
7. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PCSX2 Nightly) (PC) [Finished January 19th, 2024] - 7.5/10
8. Kirby's Adventure (RetroArch) [Finished April 8th, 2024] - 7.0/10
9. Spyro The Dragon (RetroArch) (PC) [Finished January 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
10. Foamstars (PS5) [Finished February 13th, 2024] - 5.5/10
11. Metal Slug (RetroArch) [Finished January 6th, 2024] - 4.0/10
12. Astro's Playroom (PS5) [Finished January 5th, 2024] - 4.0/10
13. Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5) [Finished January 31st, 2024] - 3.0/10
Stilt Village
GBA
Press Select.
- Pronouns
- He
WHAT THE FUCK
I LOOKED THIS UP AND COULDNT SEE THE NES CONTROLS MENTION IT ANYWHERE ALL I SAW WAS SOMEONE SAYING IT WAS X ON 3DS
Pillydillsy
The greatest banana sherif in town
- Pronouns
- He/ him
SEGA BASS PRO FISHERING: This game is really chill with calm music and nice vocals playing over some relaxing fishing in nice Dreamcast era environments all held together by a simple but acceptably fleshed out gameplay loop. That is until you pull a 10 pound or above fish, and suddenly hard rock music begins to play as the announcer screams “GO LEFT, GO RIGHT, PULL THE ROD DOWN, THE RODS ABOUT TO BREEEEEEAAAAAAAK” and I’m yearning for the simpler times again. 7.5/10, don’t know why I picked this one up but for 8 bucks it’s for sure worth trying out, even if for something just to vibe with for a couple of hours
SirArthur
Kremling
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Games Finished (I dont remember if I posted the others):
6) Unicorn Overlord 100% completed, took me around 90.5 hours. I have a tradition to do a consecutive run of a tactical rpgs (mostly with FE games) on a harder difficulty, but this game is too long for that lol. Maybe Ill revisit it later in the year. 9/10
6) Unicorn Overlord 100% completed, took me around 90.5 hours. I have a tradition to do a consecutive run of a tactical rpgs (mostly with FE games) on a harder difficulty, but this game is too long for that lol. Maybe Ill revisit it later in the year. 9/10
Fantastic strategy game. The "gambit systems" is super in depth and as someone who does coding for work, its been fun to tinker. A reason I want to do a harder difficulty run. Classes are interesting, some are more shallow than others. Visuals are gorgeous and performance was flawless (I played it on switch). I did have some issues with the game, mostly 2 things: music and story. For the music its complicated, UO has a fantastic opening theme that you hear again towards the end of the game, plus like 13 Sentinels there is a vocal theme that is superb. However the rest of the soundtrack is a bit forgettable, even the regional themes were subtle. Maybe on a replay I could better appreciate them. Then there is the story, while not bad it was pretty basic, sure there was a "turn" about the reason for the war but it was not impactful. Generally srpgs stories are ok to great and I dont mind it, I think the reason this one kinda did was because, to my fault, I was expecting storytelling akin to 13 sentinels (not literally). Obviously that was gonna be hard given the size of the cast (13 main vs over 60) and the genre of the game, its not that I wanted a gran epic, but I wanted to see what they could do in this genre, maybe a twist or something. But again the story was ok, I as just expecting more. Overall tremendous game with a ton of content (sometimes a bit repetitive) and an easily recommendable game for any strategy fan.
jnWake
i have 50 characters and i'll use them, all of 'em
#7. Jet Force Gemini (N64 NSO)
A third person shooter from the age before dual stick controls and gyro aiming, Jet Force Gemini is... not very good. It has 2 different control modes, a "free roaming" one where you can move, uh, freely but can't aim and an "aiming mode" where you aim with the control stick and can move with the C buttons... it's as awkward as it sounds, but mostly because the aiming itself controls terribly, as it's very imprecise.
Other than controls, JFG has a whack structure, being separated into 2 halves: a first one that's somewhat linear and kinda fun and a second one that's basically massive backtracking. Essentially, to beat the game you have to re-explore 95% of the levels you have already beaten (some more than once) to find spaceship parts and rescue NPCs. It's extremely tedious and basically requires a guide if you don't wanna spend an eternity on it.
Overall, I found this game to be very "meh". I wish I could say I liked it more since it has some charming aspects like a cool art style, nice graphics, interesting level design and good music but it just doesn't play well.
A third person shooter from the age before dual stick controls and gyro aiming, Jet Force Gemini is... not very good. It has 2 different control modes, a "free roaming" one where you can move, uh, freely but can't aim and an "aiming mode" where you aim with the control stick and can move with the C buttons... it's as awkward as it sounds, but mostly because the aiming itself controls terribly, as it's very imprecise.
Other than controls, JFG has a whack structure, being separated into 2 halves: a first one that's somewhat linear and kinda fun and a second one that's basically massive backtracking. Essentially, to beat the game you have to re-explore 95% of the levels you have already beaten (some more than once) to find spaceship parts and rescue NPCs. It's extremely tedious and basically requires a guide if you don't wanna spend an eternity on it.
Overall, I found this game to be very "meh". I wish I could say I liked it more since it has some charming aspects like a cool art style, nice graphics, interesting level design and good music but it just doesn't play well.
NBOctoling
Octoling
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Haven't updated in a while. Let's fix that.
10) Mario vs Donkey Kong: One of my favorites as a child, replaying this was a blast
11) Unicorn Overlord: This was really fun! While the story was pretty standard, the VA definitely raised it. Gameplay was fun though I am looking forward to hard mods since there is definitely something there.
12) Big Pharma: Fun little management sim.
13) Buckshot Roulette: Finally took the time to play this with the Steam Release. Fun little game. Not much to say on it. Am interested in Multiplayer when available
14) Regency Solitaire: Fun little casual game.
15) Princess Peach Showtime: Decent second outing for the Princess. Definitely more of a spectacale game than a gameplay one but it has a lot of charm
Felony
pragmatic is this slap erratic catfish is
First game completed of the year goes to Prince of Persia! What year is this?
Incredible game. I think the last one I enjoyed was Sands of Time. The return to form definitely suits the series more so than weird 3D platforming. It's such a tight package. Highly recommend giving it a shot (Target stores in the US are selling it for 29.99 right now...) if you enjoy metroidvanias, platformers, lite dark souls combat, cool protagonists or Jordan Mechner's original.
Incredible game. I think the last one I enjoyed was Sands of Time. The return to form definitely suits the series more so than weird 3D platforming. It's such a tight package. Highly recommend giving it a shot (Target stores in the US are selling it for 29.99 right now...) if you enjoy metroidvanias, platformers, lite dark souls combat, cool protagonists or Jordan Mechner's original.
