What games did you complete? 2022 Edition

[Popo]

Panzer Dragoon: Remake (2020)

This feels a little cheeky, because it’s such a short game, but as I recently bought a Retrobit Saturn controller (verdict - it’s really good), I thought it only fitting that I bust out this old gem to get the maximum nostalgia factor. It plays very well and, as I commented at the time, it was everything I wanted out of a remake. It’s definitely easier than the Saturn original, which I could only get so far into, so to be able to pick this up and blast through it over the course of an hour or so is very rewarding. 
 

Spoiler

06/01/2022 - Halo Infinite

09/01/2022 - Hyper Light Drifter

05/02/2022 - Ori and the Will of the Wisps

13/02/2022 - Guardians of the Galaxy

20/02/2022 - It Takes Two

20/03/2022 - Super Mario 3D Land

20/03/2022 - Panzer Dragoon: Remake

 

[shirubagan]

Spoiler

01. How We Know We're Alive (Mac)
02. Gorogoa (Game Pass)
03. The Procession to Calvary (Game Pass)
04.Shadow Warrior [2013] (Xbox)
05. Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)
06. Crossfire X – Chapter 1: Catalyst (XSX)
07. Battlefield 4 – Campaign, Normal (XSX)
08. Astro's Playroom (PS5)
09. Il Filo Conduttore (Mac)

 

 

10. Ratchet & Clank – Rift Apart (PS5)
This was a really fun bubblegum game with some gorgeous visuals, spectacular set pieces and some very inventive weapons. I got Sunset Overdrive vibes in a lot of places with traversal, colours and general silliness on display everywhere. I don''t think it was anything special in the gameplay department, but it was presented impeccably throughout and really felt like a proper new-gen game. I very much enjoyed my time with it and even managed to get the Platinum trophy (which was pretty easy tbf). Recommended.

[strawdonkey]

On 11/03/2022 at 07:10, strawdonkey said:

2021/65a. Star Hunter DX (Space Cadet, 1CC, 19.3mil)

01. The Artful Escape

02. Rhythm Doctor

03. Monolith

04. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch.2 Watanagashi

05. Outer Wilds

06. OMORI

02a. Rhythm Doctor (all the bonus stuff and B+'d every stage)

07. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (all solo content clear)

08. Windjammers 2 (1CC)

09. Vampire Survivors

10. Ghost Blade HD (1CC Easy)

10a. Ghost Blade HD

07a. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

11. Magic The Gathering: Arena (Mythic Rank, constructed)

12. Solitarica

13. Schildmaid MX (Jaeger Mode 1CC, 12.9mil)

 

Solitarica was an Epic store freebie a while ago that I've been playing on and off. It's a mixture of Solitaire and Puzzle Quest - each card you remove gives you an energy of one of four types, which can be spent on spells depending on which class you've chosen at the start. It's enormously addictive and I will almost certainly go back to it again at some point, but reached a kind of tipping point after clearing the game with about half the classes. The grind for currency to unlock new classes and upgrades is very real, and a while the difficulty is really well-pitched, this usually results in you getting all the way through 15+ battles only to fail right at the end, which can take upwards of an hour and is ultimately a bit annoying when it's usually RNG that gets you.

 

But, it's a great way to kill a short period of time and in a couple of years I'll probably load it up and play it for like 15 hours again.

 

--

 

Schildmaid MX is a shooter I've heard a lot about but only recently picked up thanks to the Itch bundle for Ukraine. It's a horizontal shmup where instead of avoiding the bullets, you're encouraged to pick your time to deliberately collect a bullet to activate a shield (which makes you invincinble to pretty much everything other than collisions and missiles), and then collect as many bullets as possible for score/powerups whilst keeping your shield topped up by killing enemies. Jaeger mode is the basic/beginner mode and it is extremely slow to start off, and while it does get a bit hectic later on it feels like once you get up to power and remember to use your EX move at the times where you need to kill something big in a hurry (to top your shield up after a lull in the action) it is pretty straightforward.

 

I'll come back for the next mode (which is described as "the main competitive mode") because if I'm honest, I feel like I've just played an extremely long and ponderous tutorial, that's the same three levels repeated five times with the odd boss level thrown in - that only really starts getting interesting on the fourth loop - and am not really seeing why there's a lot of fuss about this game yet. There's definitely a ton of room for additional difficulty though, as after you complete Jaeger mode you can unlock a caravan-ish mode that is extremely difficult and relies on you picking a route through the stage to maintain your shield meter; everything is very manageable but if your shield drops you've pretty much got no hope of surviving.

 

Hoping for more good things because the mechanics are interesting and unique though.

[instasis]

Spoiler

23/1: Ninja Baseball Bat Man (MAME)

17/02: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (PS5)

19/02: The Pedestrian (Xbone)

19/02: Gorogoa (Xbone)

20/02: The Gunk (Xbone)
18/03: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS5)

 

20/03: Oculus First Contact (OQ2)

We've had PSVR for a long time but this was an amazing, short showcase of how the Quest 2 is better in so many ways. The controllers, the environment, the seemingly higher quality render, the audio, just...everything. Brilliant. Thoroughly loved playing through what is effectively a tech demo, but it I'm still putting it on the list.

[Unofficial Who]

Mar

 

26/03 Say No! More (PC) A very silly NPG (NO!-Playing Game) where you play an intern who has their lunch stolen by their manager and then discovers a motivational tape teaching you the skill of saying "NO!" There's little skill involved (although there are some secrets that can be found by not saying no to everything) but it's super colourful, ridiculous and very cathartic. A lot of indie game developers are going for that retro PlayStation One look which usually looks awful but it actually works for this! If you bought the I Stand with Ukraine bundle you probably have this already, it's a light two hour experience.

 

 

21/03 Wizball (C64) I've been thinking about this game a lot recently while playing Vampire Survivor. That and Xenon 2. Xenon 2 had this powerup you could buy called Super Nashwan Power that turned you into an all powerful death machine. But it was limited to about 30 seconds and would activate at the very start of a level making it useless. Vampire Survivor has you start weak but by the end you are shooting bullets every which way. You can still be defeated but you feel incredibly powerful, as long as you can dance between foes. Wizball did this decades ago and did it with some amazing music, some of the best on a system that sported one of the best analogue synths in a home PC. Of course being arcade fare you can't really "complete" Wizball but you can complete a loop of all 8 layers. Which is what I did after picking it up for a quick go. It's still the definitive version (although the PC/Mac remake from a decade ago is quite good.)

 

 

Earlier this month

 

17/03 Battle Circuit (PC/Arcade)

17/03 We Happy Few (PC)

07/03 Powered Gear (PC/Arcade) 

06/03 FAR:Changing Tides (PC)

05/03 In Other Waters (PC)

02/03 Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck/PC) 

 

Earlier this year

Spoiler

12. 27/02 Final Fantasy 14:A Realm Reborn:Seventh Astral Era (PC) 

11. 25/02 Vampire Survivors (PC) 

10. 18/02 Hypnospace Outlaw

9. 05/02 Final Fight (PC/Arcade)

8. 31/01 Dynasty Wars (Arcade/PC)

7. 31/01 Mega Twins (Arcade/PC) 

6, 29/01 Superhot:Mind Control Delete (PC) 

5. 16/01 The Forgotten City (PC)

4. 09/01 Mr Driller Drill Land (PC)

3. 07/01 Olija (PC)

2. 07/01 It's a Knockout! (C64) 

1. 02/01 Katamari Damacy REROLL (PC)

 

Abandoned games

19/03 Narita Boy

04/01 YIIK: A Postmodern RPG

 

[Sprite Machine]

Previously...

Spoiler

1.) Lego City Undercover - PC - 2017 (2013)
2.) What Remains of Edith Finch - PS4 - 2017
3.) Superliminal - PS4 - 2020 (2019)
4.) Untitled Goose Game - Switch - 2019
5.) One Finger Death Punch 2 - PC - 2019
6.) Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - PC - 2011 (2010)
7.) Vanquish - PC - 2017 (2010)

8.) Mass Effect (Legendary Edition) - PS4 - 2021 (2007)
9.) Telling Lies - PC - 2019
10.) Halo 5: Guardians - Xbox One - 2015
11.) Halo Infinite - Xbox Series - 2021
12.) Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition - PC - 2016 (2015)

13.) Alice: Madness Returns - PC - 2011
Completed on normal difficulty (14 hours).

I've had this on my Want List for so long, I'd completely forgotten it's a sequel! I never played American McGee's Alice (2000), but that's seemingly unnecessary to enjoy this. It's a dark, twisted and violent take on the Alice in Wonderland story, and makes Tim Burton's movies seem like a teddybear's picnic in comparison. Disturbing themes and freaky imagery await in this horror-themed hack-and-slash action/adventure.

 

The combat is simple but satisfying, usually applying challenge by throwing more simultaneous enemies at you while you struggle to target the right one. The level designs are visually distinct but structurally repetitive. Ultimately you end up doing the same thing in each 'world' - jump and float across some large chasms, pull some levers, drift on some updraft vents and drop into some small arenas to fight a few nasty creatures. Look around for secrets off the beaten track, shrink to fit through small keyhole-shaped doors, reveal invisible platforms with your special vision, and occasionally play a puzzle, mini-game or similar diversion. It's not bad, but it's not varied enough to sustain its length in my opinion.

 

It's also quite an old game now, and although it looks nice in places, it's definitely got that "early Xbox 360 era" sheen to everything - a little too much bloom lighting, slightly garish textures, bad volume mixing that makes the dialogue hard to hear, and pretty bad voice acting. Alice sounds a bit like Lara Croft from the original Tomb Raider, which immediately makes the game seem older than it is! There's a strange mix of high and low quality production - Alice herself has spectacular simulated hair, but doesn't have a 'turning around' animation? C'mon!

 

Not bad generally, and I'm glad I played it, but I wouldn't call it anything special. It also deals with some pretty dark subject matter (suicide, child abuse, neglect) so, err, maybe give it a miss if that doesn't seem fun.

[Popo]

Psychonauts 2 (2021)

I’m really torn on this one. On the one hand it looks fantastic - it’s the most visually inventive game I can recall ever seeing and one can’t help but admire the way it takes themes and subjects and twists them into strange, Nickelodeon-style spaces that feel, ironically, really solid and textured. It’s a widely beloved game, for understandable reasons, but I can’t ignore that playing it felt like a real slog, and the moment to moment gameplay wasn’t enjoyable.

 

It’s mechanically sound, but is imbued with a feeling of inertia that makes movement fundamentally unsatisfying. Combat is even worse, and the levels are stuffed full of crap to collect, which feels like boring busywork. I turned on invincibility in the accessibility options to get through the last boss - one of many joyless hurdles the game puts in the way of progress. Combat is the weakest aspect - its imprecise, enemies can’t be stun-locked by attacking them, so they just twat you even if you beat them to the punch and they soak up damage to such an extent fights become attritional and last way too long. 
 

I didn’t think it was funny, I didn’t connect with the characters and I thought the music was boring. I feel like a complete churl for saying so, but there it is. 
 

Spoiler

06/01/2022 - Halo Infinite

09/01/2022 - Hyper Light Drifter

05/02/2022 - Ori and the Will of the Wisps

13/02/2022 - Guardians of the Galaxy

20/02/2022 - It Takes Two

20/03/2022 - Super Mario 3D Land

20/03/2022 - Panzer Dragoon: Remake

21/03/2022 - Psychonauts 2

 

[Sprite Machine]

Previously...

Spoiler

1.) Lego City Undercover - PC - 2017 (2013)
2.) What Remains of Edith Finch - PS4 - 2017
3.) Superliminal - PS4 - 2020 (2019)
4.) Untitled Goose Game - Switch - 2019
5.) One Finger Death Punch 2 - PC - 2019
6.) Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - PC - 2011 (2010)
7.) Vanquish - PC - 2017 (2010)

8.) Mass Effect (Legendary Edition) - PS4 - 2021 (2007)
9.) Telling Lies - PC - 2019
10.) Halo 5: Guardians - Xbox One - 2015
11.) Halo Infinite - Xbox Series - 2021
12.) Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition - PC - 2016 (2015)
13.) Alice: Madness Returns - PC - 2011

 

14.) The Forgotten City - Xbox Series - 2021
Completed and saw the four main endings (approximately 10 hours).

 

The Elder Scrolls meets Majora's Mask is the most accurate way I can describe this game! I didn't know what to expect going in and I certainly didn't realise it was originally a Skyrim mod. There are a few parts of the game that require combat/shooting, which I didn't like, but the rest of it I thought was marvellous.

Set in an ancient Roman city hidden from the world and populated by a small group of people, The Forgotten City presents you with a checklist of tasks to complete and lets you pretty much get on with it. Only through playing do you realise how cleverly interconnected everything is and - perhaps - how futile your goal is. It's best not to spoil it so I'll say no more, other than getting the final 'canon' ending is pretty hard-going, a battle of words and wits where a single slip means going back and trying again. A strong recommendation from me nevertheless.

[instasis]

Spoiler

23/1: Ninja Baseball Bat Man (MAME)

17/02: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (PS5)

19/02: The Pedestrian (Xbone)

19/02: Gorogoa (Xbone)

20/02: The Gunk (Xbone)
18/03: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS5)
20/03: Oculus First Contact (OQ2)

 

22/03: Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wastes DLC (PS5)

 

Long enough to be considered standalone for the purposes of my own sense of self-gratification, this did very little to resolve my complaints around the main game. Even entering it at lvl45 it turned out to be harder, so I guess that's a thing, but it's still very very dull. The missions are too long, the environments not interesting enough and the combat more chaotic due to things.

 

I'm finished and it's all deleted now, though. Couldn't be less interested in the sequel.

[smac]

Well, that's saved you some cash, then...

[instasis]

39 minutes ago, smac said:

Well, that's saved you some cash, then...

Yep, and on an hours basis I finally got my money's worth from this lump I spent on it X years ago.

[Quest]

23/04 - Hyper Light Drifter (Switch)

 

Not sure why I waited six years to play this, as it's very obviously my kinda thing. If a game with overgrown temple ruins, shimmering bit-crushed synth pads and impeccably animated dash-chained froggo stabbin' sounds like your kinda thing, you should try it too.

 

Now I just need to make sure I play Solar Ash before 2028.

 

 

Previous:

Spoiler

23/04 - Hyper Light Drifter (Switch)

21/03 - AI: The Somnium Files (Switch)

20/03 - Kaze no Notam/Notam of Wind (PS1)

20/03 - Flynn: Son of Crimson (Series X)

13/03 - Cyberpunk 2077 (Series X)

10/01 - Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Series X)

31/01 - Touhou Luna Nights (Series X)

28/01 - The Forgotten City (Series X)

26/01 - Poochy &  Yoshi's Woolly World (3DS)

17/01 - iS: Internal Section (PS1)

16/01 - New Pokemon Snap (Switch)

15/01 - Shinobi III (Mega Drive)

14/01 - Bulk Slash (Saturn)

13/01 - Densetsu no Stafy (GBA)

13/01 - Wolf Fang - Kuuga 2001 (PS1)

11/01 - Clock Tower - The First Fear (PS1)

11/01 - Finger Flashing (PS1)

10/01 - Mon Amour (Switch)

10/01- Psy-O-Blade (Mega Drive)

08/01 - Romeo + Juliet (Mac)

08/01 - BLACK BIRD (Switch)

04/01 - The Pedestrian (Series X)

03/01 - Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

03/01 - Sonic Generations (Series X)

01/01 - How We Know We're Alive (Mac)

 

 

[Gabe]

7. 21/03/2022 - Guardians of the Galaxy (PC)

 

I wasn't actually intending to write much about this, because I've posted a lot of thoughts in the main thread, but, er, well I did, so I figured I'd spoil it for length (and because I'm saying similar stuff to my main thread comments but with different words and a bit more 'grrr').

 

Anyway: I didn't like it at all.
 

Spoiler

I'm a patient man, and so I waited. And waited. And waited a bit more. But the story, oh the story that people say was really good, top-tier Marvel, said others - it just never got good. It never even got beyond mediocre. And the combat, which many said was perfunctory at best (and certainly not the highlight) - oh deary me it was bad. So, so bad.

 

I've posted most of my thoughts in the dedicated thread and I accept I am way out of tune with the general consensus over there, but I hated this. I hated how it took what could've been a tighter, more focused 10-hour experience and doubled it, but forgetting to add any interesting content. I hated how the RPG-lite features were beyond pointless, with skill trees that did nothing to make this group feel special, nor powerful. It certainly didn't make things any more fun when fighting lowly bullet-sponge grunt #3,719.

 

I hated the incessant whining, which seemed to be the central theme of the game, but there was no nuance or craft behind it - it was just character A (mostly Rocket) moans or disrespects Quill, characters B & C chip in and Groot does his one-and-only thing. In the films the crew moan, sure, but it's done with a lot more heart and humour. Here, there were a few chuckle-worthy moments early on, but after about chapter 3 it was slim pickings.

 

Most of all I hated - no, I was disappointed with the story and writing. Nearly everybody in the thread speaks highly of it and I'm still left wondering why. The actual plot itself is fairly derivative and has no respect for your time with all the wandering it makes you do, but it never really breaks out into something really engrossing. It took until about chapter 7 for it to even really get going in earnest. The writing had moments of brilliance - there are some really human and affecting talks (mainly with Drax) and they just feel 'right', but all too often it is just Rocket shouting or Gamora doing, well, nothing really as she is woefully underutilised. It also runs the same joke very ragged ("My ship") and just starts to become noise.

 

There are some positives - at times it does look very nice (though even with the highest RT setting on it seem particularly impressive) and the character models (especially Quill) are very detailed - and they nailed the eyes, which do manage to convey some emotion. For better or worse it does also capture the essence of the films and being the rag-tag group, just a shame it went too far with the moaning.

 

Ultimately though - and surprisingly, given the praise - this (to me) is the black sheep of the family when sat next to The Avengers in nearly all respects other than game structure (because the GaaS stuff is poor and it affected all aspects of the design). That game had a better story, better combat system and was more satisfying to play through.

The number of words I've written about it (here and in the dedicated thread) are testament to how much I was looking forward to it and the disappointment it has conveyed. And I could've stopped - I thought about it halfway through - but it was important to just finish something due to crap going on in my personal life, and I am pleased to have ticked-off another game - but this was not worth a trip across the galaxy to do so.

 

Previously completed:

Spoiler

1. 01/01/2022 - Final Fight: Streetwise (PS2)

2. 02/01/2022 - The Forgotten City (PC)

3. 05/01/2022 - Football, Tactics & Glory (PC)

4. 08/01/2022 - Alt Frequencies (PC)

5. 31/01/2022 - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Gamecube)

6. 05/03/2022 - Gogoroa (PC)

 

[Captain Kelsten]

Elden Ring - 22/03/22

Took 107 hours on my main save, but I put probably another 10-15 in just dicking about with other characters. Even with the various flaws and issues I had with the game, it still balances out as a 10/10 experience. I mean, it's the only game I've actually finished in over two years, so it must be good, right?

 

Edit: Wait, that's not entirely true, I also finished the Return of the Obra Dinn last year. One game a year! Not bad

[Captain Kelsten]

On 26/02/2022 at 11:40, RubberJohnny said:

Red Dead Redemption 2 - Wow, what a game. I bought this in 2020 at the start of lockdown, figuring it might last me through, 209 hours and two years later the epilogue credits rolled.

 

 

Rockstar don't seem to have many fans on here, lots of people taking a swing at them because they're successful and popular, but I think a lot of the arguments are overstated, there has always been a core of systems-based gameplay in their games, not just the physics and the gunplay and the law enforcement and stealth (and in this one, dialogue and honor).

 

Take GTA4 as an example, the game derided as the most scripted and least sandboxy, is a game where you can go on an online dating website, anyone on the site is an NPC you can meet in the world, you can take them to a show and back to your apartment, a level of systems and simulation that no other game really has. The backlash on here really seemed to start with GTAV where the game didn't fulfill these bizarre fantasies that everything in the game should have some underpinning in a simulation and if you destroy a petrol tanker you hurt the companies share price or whatever, even though it did increase the simulation and sandbox interactions with the world in other ways.

 

Yes, they have stuff that's heavily scripted and bombastic too, because they have all the money and can do both, and yes these different elements sometimes interact awkwardly, but insisting they're only that is just the most misinformed criticism.

 

I think RDR2 is the best version of this formula, the new systems-based gameplay loops around hunting, cooking and crafting add so much, most of my time was spend exploring the wilderness and tracking prey to craft their hides into trinkets and outfits. In fact I think this is the best 'survival gameplay' I've seen in a game, doing it with a light touch so that it's merely an element rather than most survival games where the entire loop consists of harvesting resources to plunge into your Tarrare-like eternally ravenous maw.

 

Oh, and it's a fucking looker too. The lighting in this game is magnificent, clearing inspired by the paintings of Albert Bierstadt, trying to capture it in screenshots is futile, it just squashes the 3D-ness of it. And that all the clouds are volumetric 3D and look astonishing, and this massive technical decision was made to support basically a single quest in this 200 hour game? Come on, you're just showing off now.

 

Bring on GTA6, game of the forever.

 

Very well said. I recently played through RDR 2 almost to completion and absolutely adored it. Such an incredible game. Really need to buck on and finish the bloody thing. I'm so close!

[MikeF]

 

January

Spoiler

1 - Little Nightmares 2 PS5 - Platinum

2 - Dirt 5 PS4 - Platinum

3 - Dirt 5 PS5 - Platinum

4 - The Long Reach PS4 - Platinum

5 - Uncharted The Lost Legacy PS4 - Platinum 

6 - Resident Evil Village PS5 - Platinum 

7 - Outlast PS4 - 100%
8 - Cyberpunk 2077 PS4 - Platinum

9 - Greak Memories of Azur PS5 - Completed main game, speed run trophy means that's as far as I am going so its completed as far as I am concerned

10 - Returnal PS5 - Returned to this and finally saw the credits roll, the suspend cycle was a real help.  Calling it complete now but I will return to it periodically to look for the sun fragments.

11 - Doom Eternal PS5 - Game completed with every collectible found, only the extra live mode and MP trophies left, MP is pretty dead so calling this complete now

12 - Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection PS5 - Platinum, imported old saves and then mopped up remaining trophies, playing through again at my leisure

 

February

Spoiler

13 - Dying Light 2 PS5 - Main story complete, no real inclination to return and mop up any more side quests, may return to mop up a few miscellaneous trophies

 

March

14 - Elden  Ring PS5 - Platinum.  Easily GotY, absolutely loved it and still playing it.  Bring on any DLC

15 - Elden Ring PS4 - Platinum.  As above

16 - Horizon Forbidden West PS5 - Platinum.  Improved on the first one so much, bring on any DLC

 

[James Lyon]

9 hours ago, MikeF said:

 

January

  Reveal hidden contents

1 - Little Nightmares 2 PS5 - Platinum

2 - Dirt 5 PS4 - Platinum

3 - Dirt 5 PS5 - Platinum

4 - The Long Reach PS4 - Platinum

5 - Uncharted The Lost Legacy PS4 - Platinum 

6 - Resident Evil Village PS5 - Platinum 

7 - Outlast PS4 - 100%
8 - Cyberpunk 2077 PS4 - Platinum

9 - Greak Memories of Azur PS5 - Completed main game, speed run trophy means that's as far as I am going so its completed as far as I am concerned

10 - Returnal PS5 - Returned to this and finally saw the credits roll, the suspend cycle was a real help.  Calling it complete now but I will return to it periodically to look for the sun fragments.

11 - Doom Eternal PS5 - Game completed with every collectible found, only the extra live mode and MP trophies left, MP is pretty dead so calling this complete now

12 - Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection PS5 - Platinum, imported old saves and then mopped up remaining trophies, playing through again at my leisure

 

February

  Reveal hidden contents

13 - Dying Light 2 PS5 - Main story complete, no real inclination to return and mop up any more side quests, may return to mop up a few miscellaneous trophies

 

March

14 - Elden  Ring PS5 - Platinum.  Easily GotY, absolutely loved it and still playing it.  Bring on any DLC

15 - Elden Ring PS4 - Platinum.  As above

16 - Horizon Forbidden West PS5 - Platinum.  Improved on the first one so much, bring on any DLC

 

 

Waitasec... You platinumed Elden Ring twice? Yikes.

[Ry]

This year has been very quiet for me. Played a ton of games but only completed a few in:

 

1. Elden Ring - Amazing

2. Dying Light 2 - Ok. 

3. GOTG - Shite. 

 

 

 

[MikeF]

1 hour ago, James Lyon said:

 

 

Waitasec... You platinumed Elden Ring twice? Yikes.

 

Yep, was a whole lot quicker on PS4 as I just rushed through the game getting only what was needed for trophies.  Left it at the start of NG+ for any DLC they release.  PS5 is the main character

[James Lyon]

2 minutes ago, MikeF said:

 

Yep, was a whole lot quicker on PS4 as I just rushed through the game getting only what was needed for trophies.  Left it at the start of NG+ for any DLC they release.  PS5 is the main character

 

Good on you, then.

[Sprite Machine]

And with two days left of my GamePass £1 month, I'm squeezing in one last entry.

Previously...

Spoiler

1.) Lego City Undercover - PC - 2017 (2013)
2.) What Remains of Edith Finch - PS4 - 2017
3.) Superliminal - PS4 - 2020 (2019)
4.) Untitled Goose Game - Switch - 2019
5.) One Finger Death Punch 2 - PC - 2019
6.) Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - PC - 2011 (2010)
7.) Vanquish - PC - 2017 (2010)

8.) Mass Effect (Legendary Edition) - PS4 - 2021 (2007)
9.) Telling Lies - PC - 2019
10.) Halo 5: Guardians - Xbox One - 2015
11.) Halo Infinite - Xbox Series - 2021
12.) Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition - PC - 2016 (2015)
13.) Alice: Madness Returns - PC - 2011
14.) The Forgotten City - Xbox Series - 2021

 

15.) Titanfall 2 - PC - 2016
Completed the campaign on regular difficulty (just shy of 7 hours).

 

Another sequel where I didn't play the original, but from what I've heard Titanfall 1 was more of a multiplayer affair with a flimsy single-player component latched on. Titanfall 2 features single-player campaign with a strong focus on narrative and characters, not unlike a Call of Duty game but better, and with giant robots. It's a highly set-piece driven game but it has pretty good shooting mechanics and even better traversal/movement mechanics - wall-running, double-jumping and sliding along the floor are great additions to mobility, and help to counteract the vulnerability you may otherwise feel being outside of the Titan's cockpit. It's a short campaign full of spectacle and excitement, and isn't afraid to introduce new concepts and mechanics for a little while before dropping them for something else, like a particular timey-wimey section in the middle. It's got some good characterisations too, with your main man and the Titan often working separately and having some fun dialogue.

 

It doesn't get talked about much but I think it's honestly an excellent if slightly shallow FPS and definitely worth a play.

 

[Talvalin]

2 hours ago, Sprite Machine said:

Another sequel where I didn't play the original, but from what I've heard Titanfall 1 was more of a multiplayer affair with a flimsy single-player component latched on.

 

 

Titanfall 1 was multiplayer only - even the Campaign playlist which had a story of some description attached to each mission required other players to join. This was initially disappointing (and I seem to recall there were complaints at the time), but the laser focus on multiplayer led to Respawn nailing the gameplay on their first try. Much as I enjoyed Titanfall 2's campaign, the multiplayer felt disappointing in comparison to the first game.

[Quest]

24/03 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All

 

I started this in January 2020, slogged my way through the circus episode and hated it so much I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the final case. Reading online it seems I'm far from alone in that experience, but a few comments spurred me to go back and I'm glad I did, because the remaining trial was the peak of the game. I'm hoping that's a good omen for the final part of the trilogy.

 

The soundtrack has a handful of standouts but is largely comprised of weaker variations on themes from the first game, and the music at the aforementioned circus is some kind of sonic torture. Loved this one, though:

 

 

Previous:

Spoiler

24/03 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All (Switch)

23/03 - Hyper Light Drifter (Switch)

21/03 - AI: The Somnium Files (Switch)

20/03 - Kaze no Notam/Notam of Wind (PS1)

20/03 - Flynn: Son of Crimson (Series X)

13/03 - Cyberpunk 2077 (Series X)

10/01 - Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Series X)

31/01 - Touhou Luna Nights (Series X)

28/01 - The Forgotten City (Series X)

26/01 - Poochy &  Yoshi's Woolly World (3DS)

17/01 - iS: Internal Section (PS1)

16/01 - New Pokemon Snap (Switch)

15/01 - Shinobi III (Mega Drive)

14/01 - Bulk Slash (Saturn)

13/01 - Densetsu no Stafy (GBA)

13/01 - Wolf Fang - Kuuga 2001 (PS1)

11/01 - Clock Tower - The First Fear (PS1)

11/01 - Finger Flashing (PS1)

10/01 - Mon Amour (Switch)

10/01- Psy-O-Blade (Mega Drive)

08/01 - Romeo + Juliet (Mac)

08/01 - BLACK BIRD (Switch)

04/01 - The Pedestrian (Series X)

03/01 - Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

03/01 - Sonic Generations (Series X)

01/01 - How We Know We're Alive (Mac)

 

[shirubagan]

Spoiler

01. How We Know We're Alive (Mac)
02. Gorogoa (Game Pass)
03. The Procession to Calvary (Game Pass)
04.Shadow Warrior [2013] (Xbox)
05. Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)
06. Crossfire X – Chapter 1: Catalyst (XSX)
07. Battlefield 4 – Campaign, Normal (XSX)
08. Astro's Playroom (PS5)
09. Il Filo Conduttore (Mac)
10. Ratchet & Clank – Rift Apart (PS5)

 

 

11. Borderlands 3 – Guns, Love & Tentacles DLC (XSX)
I was really interested in TT's Wonderlands until I started reading about bugs and unfinished parts, so just went back to BL3 and it's seemingly never-ending content. Clocking in at around 8 hours, this was pretty much an entire game. As usual, the locations and lighting were fantastic, all organic matter intertwined with eerie, hand-crafted buildings. Lots and lots of pink, purple and green lighting, which ws superb. Really enjoyed it and I'm getting a LOT of mileage out of the bundle I bought for around £23. Gunplay is superb, I've been finding some really excellent (and amusing) guns and I wish more FPS games added a hint of silliness – the 'realistic' grey/brown shootymans stuff is so, so bland.

[JPL]

On 24/03/2022 at 00:11, Sprite Machine said:

It doesn't get talked about much but I think it's honestly an excellent if slightly shallow FPS and definitely worth a play.

Where do you mean? It’s been rightly praised and spoken about loads on here.

[strawdonkey]

On 21/03/2022 at 07:29, strawdonkey said:

2021/65a. Star Hunter DX (Space Cadet, 1CC, 19.3mil)

01. The Artful Escape

02. Rhythm Doctor

03. Monolith

04. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch.2 Watanagashi

05. Outer Wilds

06. OMORI

02a. Rhythm Doctor (all the bonus stuff and B+'d every stage)

07. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (all solo content clear)

08. Windjammers 2 (1CC)

09. Vampire Survivors

10. Ghost Blade HD (1CC Easy)

10a. Ghost Blade HD

07a. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

11. Magic The Gathering: Arena (Mythic Rank, constructed)

12. Solitarica

13. Schildmaid MX (Jaeger Mode 1CC, 12.9mil)

14. ZeroRanger - White Vanilla Mode (719k, Type-C, C++)

 

Wasn't too sure about this to begin with but it has grown massively on me. White Vanilla is like a mad remix mode of the main game that's a bit shorter and revolves around trying to destroy waves of enemies as quickly as possible; as you finish a wave ahead of time, the game does a little fast-foward effect to show that you're effectively skipping ahead. This mode is an absolute blast, there's very little room to breathe and your performance has a significant effect on score - each level, your multiplier for the rest of the stage is increased depending on your performance each wave, so you can rack up (or lose) a lot of points at the end of a level depending on your performance earlier on, and dying on the bonus stages definitely tanks your score too. I uh, screwed both of them up this run which was far from ideal - it's 40k lower than my highest scoring run, which didn't involve any bonuses from finishing the run.

 

Might give it a few more goes to see if I can get it closer to 800k, though I know ImmaculateClump has hit over a million which might be a bit out of my grasp without a lot more practice. 

 

As for the game itself, it's got a few interesting ideas - you start off with just a regular forward-firing shot, but on completing each level get to pick an additional weapon which is used on your second and third attack buttons, which means that you complete a loadout throughout the game. It's always the same weapons offered each time, so you can consistently develop a strategy for the game over multiple plays. Having multiple weapons on different buttons feels very Radiant Silvergun.

 

I do wonder if my loadout choice is making it harder to score, but easier to survive. There's even another ship which has completely different weapons. There's also the main mode which I'm agonisingly close to 1CCing too so look forward to that. Picked this up as part of the itch.io Bundle for Ukraine and it's very likely I'll wind up buying it on Steam or Itch at some point to support the developers, as it's a banger and getting it for free is ludicrous.

 

[instasis]

Spoiler

23/1: Ninja Baseball Bat Man (MAME)

17/02: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (PS5)

19/02: The Pedestrian (Xbone)

19/02: Gorogoa (Xbone)

20/02: The Gunk (Xbone)
18/03: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS5)
20/03: Oculus First Contact (OQ2)

22/03: Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wastes DLC (PS5)

 

26/03: Little Hope (PS5)

 

First up; Until Dawn was an absolute favourite, even if I didn't actually play it until Lockdown 2. Second up; Man Of Medan was a big step down from there, but I got some enjoyment from it even if I did make choices that meant I missed what were supposed to be some of the best bits.

 

Little Hope, then. An absolute mess of unmitigated shit. It's tricky to know where to start.

 

Spoiler

You literally walk from one end of town to the other. That's it. There's no back and too between locations, no ebb and flow. Everything is one and done. 

 

All of the characters are hateful. The script is abysmal, with characters often reacting to something from a parallel universe. It's terribly acted. It's boring.

 

Its wholly reliant on entirely predictable jump scares to scare you. They don't. It has comedy models hidden in the background by being coloured in black, but they're still very visible. The overriding atmosphere is not creepy (Man Of Medan's was).

 

The story was reasonably interesting, clearly riffing on some themes of

Spoiler

reincarnation, witch hunting and shared lives.

 

I actually liked that and was looking forward to seeing how it resolved. Except the resolution was that

 

Spoiler

the story was a lie, a dream the protagonist told themselves.

 

It's 100% always the worst possible way to end a mystery, except for one very specific instance.

 

Spoiler

Total Recall

 

So, yeah. The story ended and I hated it. 

 

It did do some nice stuff with rapid character switching and QTR's, which is probably the most exciting implementation of them I've seen. 

 

I hope House Of Ashes is better, because I bought that a while back. I am less excited for The Quarry now. 

[CurryKitten]

25/03: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS5)

 

There's a slightly drawn out story to this one.  I had played and loved HZD on the PS4 a few years ago, but then Sony gifted us all the "complete" version with the Frozen Wilds DLC so I went back to play the expansion.  Then I found out that somehow the copy I had was European and this wasn't the same as UK and so my save wasn't recognised.  So I eventually decided to play the whole thing again from a new game.  I actually enjoyed it immensely once again - getting some extra stuff that I'd missed on my first playthrough and playing in a very different way.  My first time around I was all about stealth and sneaking.  This time I went in way more aggressive and hit things with my spear a lot.  Frozen wilds was very good - a worth DLC, I really got the idea that I was in a blizzard most of the time.  Now I'm ready to get onto the Forbidden West... although I'll wait a little while, I spent 80 hours on this one, which was many weeks worth.

[Quest]

27/03 - Blaster Master Zero II (Switch)

 

 

I had a great time with the first Zero game around the time of the Switch launch, and while I enjoyed this too, I also found it more directionless and fragmented. It also does quite a poor job of explaining some of the new mechanics. A handful of fun bosses and a couple of solid tunes but a generally weaker follow-up for me. 

 

Spoiler

29/03 - The Cave (360)

28/03 - A Memoir Blue (Series X)

27/03 - Blaster Master Zero II (Switch)

27/03 - Fairune Origin (Switch)

24/03 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All (Switch)

23/03 - Hyper Light Drifter (Switch)

21/03 - AI: The Somnium Files (Switch)

20/03 - Kaze no Notam/Notam of Wind (PS1)

20/03 - Flynn: Son of Crimson (Series X)

13/03 - Cyberpunk 2077 (Series X)

10/01 - Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Series X)

31/01 - Touhou Luna Nights (Series X)

28/01 - The Forgotten City (Series X)

26/01 - Poochy &  Yoshi's Woolly World (3DS)

17/01 - iS: Internal Section (PS1)

16/01 - New Pokemon Snap (Switch)

15/01 - Shinobi III (Mega Drive)

14/01 - Bulk Slash (Saturn)

13/01 - Densetsu no Stafy (GBA)

13/01 - Wolf Fang - Kuuga 2001 (PS1)

11/01 - Clock Tower - The First Fear (PS1)

11/01 - Finger Flashing (PS1)

10/01 - Mon Amour (Switch)

10/01- Psy-O-Blade (Mega Drive)

08/01 - Romeo + Juliet (Mac)

08/01 - BLACK BIRD (Switch)

04/01 - The Pedestrian (Series X)

03/01 - Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

03/01 - Sonic Generations (Series X)

01/01 - How We Know We're Alive (Mac)

 

 

[moosegrinder]

Sega Picross - 40 hours and change.

 

Hoooooooo boy, this tested me a bit. It's the first time in a long time that I've had a Picross game throw stuff that's not been a cakewalk at me. I think I might be burned out on the old Picross. There was a time I couldn't get enough, but then the Picross games only used to last about ten hours. It turns out you might be able to have too much of a good thing.

 

Didn't get 'flawless' as I needed hints for one or two of the regular and Mega Picross, absolutely rinsed clip and colour with no bother. The pictures you made were a bit disappointing too with some very off the beaten path game being drawn from. Apart from the clip ones, they were rad.