What games did you complete? 2022 Edition

[strawdonkey]

22 hours ago, 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. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

13. Solitarica

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

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

16. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

17. Higrashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

15a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

18. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

 

Another from the recent itch.io bundle, this is a dungeon crawler where you defeat enemies by typing, like Typing of the Dead. It's packed full of puns, one enemy unleashes their ultimate attack by making you type out "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" and the final boss script contains the word "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!". If you take too long typing something out, the enemy smacks you and may delete some of your previously-typed letters, or replace them with garbage, or obscure the next word, etc.

 

The thing that keeps you exploring is that you only have a limited number of hits of the space bar, which means that you have to have to find signs dotted around the dungeon and steal their spaces by deleting the text off them. On each area of the dungeon, you'll be notified when you've got enough spaces to make it through the boss battle, so there's some scope for optimising things.

 

Couple of minor niggles though, in that the game's difficulty is set depending on how well you do during the first battle, so you can both make the game too difficult or trivially easy; and also the final boss is far more difficult than the rest of the game combined, which felt really annoying and unfair until I discovered (via forum post) that there's a dodge mechanic which I seem to have missed the completely optional encounter where it's explained. It went from "I'm going to have to type at 125WPM to stand a chance" to trivialising the battle completely.

 

Good fun though and I'm sure it would be a great way to improve your typing as a learner, more than something like The Textorcist which requires you to alter your skillset and do two things at once.

[Garwoofoo]

On 06/04/2022 at 13:05, cassidy said:

7. A Memoir Blue - (Series X)

 

A game I doubt I'd try if not for Gamepass. Short tale with not a lot of gameplay tbh but it's tale is told well enough. 

 

 

I played this today, it's more of an interactive animation than a game but I liked it all the same. One of the stranger items on Game Pass for sure.

 

I had to laugh at IGN's summary of the game, which misses the point in truly spectacular fashion:

 

Spoiler

"A Memoir Blue is a magical journey that follows a young champion swimmer named Miriam as she reflects on a mysterious day from her childhood when her mother took her on an unexpected trip to a neighboring city."

 

[Jamie John]

17. Elden Ring (2022) - XSX

 

 

It's been nearly seven weeks since my last entry, but after 130 hours, I'm finally done with Elden Ring. If you hadn't heard, it's a bit special. I've posted about it at length in the dedicated thread, so I'll link to that if anyone's interested. Needless to say, however, it's absolutely magnificent. A truly epic experience, in every sense of the word.

 

10/10

 

 

 

Played in 2022:

Spoiler

1. Halo Infinite (2021) - XSX - 7/10

2. Bowser's Fury (2021) - Switch - 8/10

3. The Forgotten City (2021) - XSX - 8/10

4. Grindstone (2020) - Switch - 8/10

5. Inscryption (2021) - PC - 9/10

6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (replay) (2001) - Switch - 8/10

7. The Wolf Among Us (2013) - PC - 7/10

8. What Remains of Edith Finch (replay) (2017) - XSX - 8/10

9. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (2021) - PS5 - 8/10

10. Kill It With Fire (2020) - XSX - 3/10

11. Islanders (2019) - PC - 5/10

12. Creaks (2020) - Switch - 8/10

13. Shovel Knight: King of Cards (2019) - Switch - 9/10

14. The Last Guardian (replay) (2016) - PS5

15. Exo One (2021) - XSX - 8/10

16. Red Matter (2018) - Quest 2 - 7/10

17. Elden Ring (2022) - XSX - 10/10

 

Abandoned:

 

Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008) - PC

Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (2020) - Switch

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (2017) - 3DS

 

[strawdonkey]

On 11/04/2022 at 19:57, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

 

What a name eh?

 

Wanted to try something similar-but-different after investing a lot of time into ZeroRanger, so this fit the bill nicely - a game where there are a preposterous amount of bullets on screen at once, they all move really slowly, and it has a ton of interesting mechanics borrowed from other games - grazing from Psyvariar and a million other games after that, bonuses for killing things as fast as possible from Raiden IV (and probably a lot of other games... maybe I will stop with the caveats now), when in focus mode (so you move slowly) your options will aim at the nearest enemy like Ketsui... it's an absolute mongrel of a game and it's superb.

 

Some of the bullet patterns are fiendishly tricky, and others are big enough to let you drive a bus through, though I assume these are a concession to harder difficulties where there'd be a much higher number of bullets on screen. There's definteily some nuance to the scoring that I don't have down just yet; if you kill enemies quickly, then you will eventually pick up a 2x multipler, which can be increased to 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64. I've never had it above 8x and I'm not really sure how to get it higher than that, though of note I did get it straight to 8x by using a bomb once which suggests that bomb usage potentially has strategic scoring implications, rather than my normal use of it as an "oh fuck I am in the corner and going to die" button. Also when you use your special weapon it sounds like someone putting on an extremely Welsh accent and screaming BLOODY HELL so it's instantly a classic, and whoever named the bullet patterns is clearly a metal fan, with examples like DIMMU BORGIR, NAPALM DEATH and, er, DISCHARGE...

 

Anyway it's another brilliant indie shmup what do you want from me

[Ry]

Finally sat down and completed GOTG. 

 

What an absolute chore. 6/10

[skondo]

Alba: A Wildlife Story.

 

Quite a charming little game. Extremely short. Quite simply take photos of animals and help the wildlife in a small island community. Very obvious plot twist on the way, but it's a lovely game to play for a few hours. 4/5.

 

Röki

 

Nice story and it looks beautiful. Lots of very simple puzzles, however there were a few obscure ones where I did wonder 'how the hell was I supposed to know that?' In the first part of the game there's a little too much find this, give it to this person, they give you that, combine that with something else, find a hidden button, press that, collect another thing, combine that too and then give that back to someone and they'll give you a key.  Also, my observation skills aren't that great and on a couple of occasions I completely missed visual clues. 

 

Game is too long and I needed a guide with some of the more obscure puzzles and fetch quests. Game needs an edit before I could recommend it 3/5.

 

[RubberJohnny]

Hitman 3  - Obviously by the third game the template is well understood, this one adds some more cinematic presentation and some more story-focused scenes (many of which are cleverly optional) to cap off the series and say goodbye to Mr 47.

 

They also get more interesting with the assassinations, the best one to my mind being Berlin, unlike the other missions this is impromptu and a flip of the script - you're the one being hunted down, and you don't know who your hunters are or where they are (at least the first time through) and have no briefing or assistance from your handler. There's actually 11 targets and you have to take out any 5 plus the leader, but if you're clever you can get all of them before they bounce - it's Hitman at it's most sandboxy and fun.

 

 

Like I say, I look forwards to whatever IOI do next, I also hope it's more successful, I dunno if the leaderboards are cross-platform or not, but there's only 170,000 rankings on the final level of this, I deeply appreciate these games and what they do, but everyone else is more middling.

[JamesC]

I haven't played Hitman 3 yet but I do like Hitman. They're fantastic games which really reward replays.

I love how they reward stealth and cleverness but all out carnage can be just as fun. My favourite hit was when I dropped a big gas bottle down a chimney into the fireplace and took out a whole room of baddies.

 

I believe they're working on the next James Bond game which seems like an ideal match.

[strawdonkey]

On 12/04/2022 at 22:23, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

20a. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Normal, 3mil and some change)

21. Rez Infinite (Area X)

 

Experimenting with taking video for games where there isn't a replay option, or in this instance, the replay function is busted. For Normal, I can get to the fifth stage with onl the odd blunder, and then everything just starts firing three times as many bullets as normal and the final boss is a nightmare and oh christ

 

 

Might try Hard mode, might have a nervous breakdown, watch this space I guess

 

--

 

Rez Infinite then - I played a ton of Rez on the Dreamcast and seeing Area 5 for the first time is still one of the finest gaming memories I have. Instead of socialising with him whilst at his house, I leeched @moosegrinder's PSVR and battled through Area X as I'd managed to avoid it until now. It's pretty good! The VR stuff is pretty good, having to look around to find the next thing to attack is great and it looks and sounds excellent, but I didn't get the Area 5 feeling from it, more that it was "merely" very good.

 

Couldn't try Area 5 in VR becuase it wasn't unlocked, so next time I'm over I'll just ignore him for a couple of hours while I go unlocking everything for him ❤️

[Hawklord]

Elden Ring 

[Unofficial Who]

Apr

 

27/04 The Darkside Detective:A Fumble in the Dark (PC) Well I completed this a couple of days ago but today finished the two released bonus cases. It's a really charming dumb graphic adventure chock full of bad (but good) puns. I was reminded of this listening to an episode of the Back Page podcast, I'd bought it day one but it got lost in my list. You play as a hapless detective who alongside a companion of some description needs to solve a number of supernatural cases. The game is limited (in that you don't move at all, you stand in the centre of the screen mot of the time) but this works in it's favour in that rather than solving a puzzle and then having to walk from one area to the map to another oh so slowly you can get most places in about five quick clicks at most. As charming as the first game with a really weird but appealing 8-bit resolution with Amiga style colour gradients. Highly recommended (and the previous game is also a bit good as well.)

 

 

 

 

23/04 Streets of Rage 4 (PC) One of those "oh shit! This is leaving GamePass soon, I'd best play it now!" games. And it's a last chance for me in more than one way. These games are a bit of a guilty pleasure but my hands aren't up to the task anymore with pulling off some of the more challenging moves. So I had this set to easy with assists on for the final stage (and a week in between attempts at the final boss.) I really like the approach taken here with the cartoon look over the original pixel graphics and the music is amazing with one of the last tunes approaching Last Ninja quality. I probably made it harder for myself playing as Cherry but I was determined to finish it as her once I'd started. Highly recommended for those who love these sorts of games, it might be leaving in a week but you'll only need 3-4 hours to run through it at least once.

 

 

17/04 Exo One (PC) Do you like the end of 2001 or Interstellar? Or do you like prog rock album covers? Want to roll/fly through that sort of vibe? Then short game Exo One is for you. I got through it in less than three hours, it's all about the vibe and the feel. Your craft which Flight of the Navigator style morphs between saucer and ball is hard to control at first but it's satisfying working out how to build momentum and later skimming it over the waves like skimming a rock over the water's surface. In a way it feels like an Amiga game bought into the present day. Another perfect Game Pass experience.

 

 

16/04 A Memoir Blue (PC)

 

 

Described by the creator as a short interactive poem this reminds me a lot of Florence both in tone and in how it's best played with a touchscreen (mouse makes for a decent compromise, the pad less so.) I thought this was going to be very sports focused but it turned out to be something else entirely. Perfect Gamepass fodder if you have two hours to spare and like this sort of project. I was a bit cold going in but it had me by the end.

 

Earlier this month.

08/04 Slay the Spire (PC)

03/04 Tunic (PC) 

02/04 Kingdom:Two Crowns (PC) 

Earlier this year

Spoiler

20. 26/03 Say No! More (PC)

19. 21/03 Wizball (C64)

18. 17/03 Battle Circuit (PC/Arcade)

17. 17/03 We Happy Few (PC)

16. 07/03 Powered Gear (PC/Arcade) 

15. 06/03 FAR:Changing Tides (PC)

14. 05/03 In Other Waters (PC)

13. 02/03 Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck/PC) 

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

 

[Steve McQueef]

Life is Strange: True Colors - XBox Series X - Gamepass

 

I was enjoying this, up until I had to go LARPing with a whiny kid. 

 

It just went downhill from there. 

 

That final episode can fuck right off, too. 

 

Far: Changing Tides - XBox Series X - Gamepass

 

I adored this from top to bottom. 

 

The art direction, the minimal controls, the music, the haunting feeling of loneliness. 

 

Even the puzzles were right up my street, not too difficult, but also no overt hand holding bullshit. 

 

I just wish it was longer. 

[strawdonkey]

On 14/04/2022 at 22:01, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

20a. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Normal, 3mil and some change)

21. Rez Infinite (Area X)

22. Point Blank (1CC, Expert Mode)
23. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, New Moon, Reimu/Yukari)

 

Ponit Blank feels like a bit of a cheeky one to put on here since I've 1CC'd whatever the normal mode is called countless times at this point, but I tend to play it less for the challenge and more because it feels like putting your favourite jumper on. I used to drop a couple of quid into it at the local laser tag place every time I was nearby and it got to the point that I just had this innate knowledge of every minigame, and could almost sleep my way to an ok score at the end. 

Last couple of times I've played it I've given Expert mode a crack simply for the challenge, and there's a few games exclusive to that difficuty in there, and my word am I terrible at them. It's super jarring going from something predictable and comfortable to something you know basically nothing about in such a short space of time, and it took a good few goes to be able to get the 1CC just becuase I would coast through all the stuff I knew, and then lose three lives on the ones I didn't due to playing like a maniac.

Next time I'm in front of a cabinet I'll be revisiting this and working on Very Hard mode, best so far resulted in losing my last life on the 15th game of 16. At this point I doubt I'll have the time or skill to be able to reliably conquer Very Hard mode but am really excited to give it a go at least.

 

--

 

I've been meaning to pick up a Touhou game for a while, after my only real exposure to them was getting the shit kicked out of me by Perfect Cherry Blossom around when it released and a friend told me about it. I don't know a huge amount about Touhou in general, but it's a universe of characters (and music with a, let's say, unique charm) who have obtained this enormous following, who also happen to star in a bunch of eclectic, diverse and sometimes downright weird shooting games, and also a bunch of other spin-offs like the superb Touhou Luna Nights, which is a combat-focused Metroidvania and You Should Definitely Play it.

 

Imperishable Night is said to be the most beginner-friendly of the traditional Touhou series so figured I may as well shake the rust off there, and to be fair the first three or so stages are almost completely devoid of challenge. And then, suddenly, it ramps up and triples the number of bullets on screen at once out of nowhere. I picked up this 1CC on literally my second attempt, died holding loads of bombs on multiple occasions and definitely didn't play very well, so the challenge is definitely on the easier side, but don't be fooled into thinking it's easy if you're not already familiar with the genre!

 

 

For an example of how easy it starts and how difficult it gets, take a look at the enemies leading up to the second boss at 3:33, doing basically nothing at all; and then one of the later bosses at 26:05, where they have definitely decided to turn up to work. Also a shout out to the bullet patterns in this game later on, some of them are brilliant and super inventive. Girls are now praying.

 

I'll be back with the Waxing Crescent (er, "normal mode") 1CC soon enough I'm sure, had a lot of fun with this one and there's still a ton to learn - the game tells you nothing about how to score/etc so we're very much in amateur hour at the moment. In the meantime, a note to self:

Stop dying without using your bombs you cretin

[JamesC]

Phew. Well that's Metal Gear Solid completed. Absolutely fantastic and quite an intense experience towards the end.

It's a really terrific mix of stealth, action, boss fights and narrative. I was surprised that the stealth is actually a relatively small part of the game and is quite forgiving. I was also surprised that the story was actually really cool!

Easily one of the best games on one of the greatest consoles ever made.

Loved it. An easy 10/10 from me.

[Popo]

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013)

My adventures in 3DS Land continued this last month, with 2013’s Link Between Worlds. This game takes the overworld from the seminal SNES title Link to the Past, adds in some new dungeons, but crucially adds in some unique twists. 
 

The first is that most of the items can be obtained right from the beginning, rather than getting them in the dungeons. Secondly - and more interestingly - Link is given the ability to blend with the walls and move around on a 2D plane, taking on the form of a pastel painting, which is just lovely. 
 

The item rental system means that dungeons can be tackled in any order, rather than sequentially. Each does still require one or more items to complete, and signposts on the entrances make sure you know what to bring before entering, rather than half-way through. Does this work? Eh, kinda. I didn’t derive any particular pleasures from tackling the dungeons in any order, but nor was it a negative in any way. It felt somewhat like a change for change’s sake. I’ve heard some say that, because dungeons can be tackled in any order, there’s no escalation of difficulty and they are one-note as a result, but I didn’t really feel that; rather, I found the requisite amount of gentle challenge I expect from a Zelda game. 
 

The wall-hugging is way more interesting and successful as a fun mechanic. It encourages the player to think about the spaces they’re in in ways they haven’t done before, so this is a nice challenge to get your head around. Lots of items and collectibles have been hidden for the player to go find, including 100 cute creatures called maimai which yield item upgrades when returned to their mother (not as tiresome as it sounds).

 

The usual top-down Zelda building blocks are all present, and being a homage to LttP, sees the player travel between Hyrule and Lorule, which is a dark version of Hyrule where everything is broken and everyone’s pissed off (think Britain in the 1970s). It looks lovely and delivers on the promise of nostalgia with a modern update. Essential!

 

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

18/04/2022 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

 

[Jamie John]

18. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022) - Switch

 

 

(More screens)

Spoiler

 

 

 

This was a lot better than I was expecting. I played the demo and liked it well enough, but thought it was also pretty juvenile and shallow. After the promising reviews came out, however, I decided to pick it up as a holiday game to play with my three year-old, and the majority of my experience was played one or two stages at a time with him at my elbow, telling me where to go, which enemies to suck up and which secret paths to take. It's the first time we've played a game together like this and it was great for some father-son bonding (his new favourite imaginative game is to chase me around, pretending to be Fire Kirby).

 

There have been lots of comparisons made with Mario Odyssey, and though those are definitely valid, in truth this feels as much an action game as it does a platformer, with a much bigger focus on combat than I could have predicted. The bosses which round out each biome require some positively Dark Souls-style dodging and bait-and-switching, while the anime madness and bombast of the final stages feel straight out of a Platinum game. At the same time, the fixed camera stages, all riddled with secrets and things to discover, put me in mind of Captain Toad.

 

I finished the game at 90% complete, including all the post-credits stuff, which provide a sort of greatest hits remix of the best parts from the stages in each of the biome and were good fun to run through again. I'd likely have stuck around to 100% everything if it weren't for the fact that the game requires you to grind to get enough magic stars and coins for all of the ability upgrades. And while finding most of the secrets in each level was satisfying, you're not told what the optional objectives are when you first start a stage, meaning that if you're gonna catch 'em all you have to play through most levels two to three times each, sometimes more if one of the objectives is to take out a mini-boss without getting hit, for example. I set out to do this but quickly found myself getting frustrated, which I took as my sign that I'd had enough.

 

Still, very enjoyable overall. Inventive, charming and often quite surprising, and, at about 17 hours on the clock, pretty generous, too. Perfect post-Elden Ring fare.

 

8/10

 

Played in 2022:

 

Spoiler

1. Halo Infinite (2021) - XSX - 7/10

2. Bowser's Fury (2021) - Switch - 8/10

3. The Forgotten City (2021) - XSX - 8/10

4. Grindstone (2020) - Switch - 8/10

5. Inscryption (2021) - PC - 9/10

6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (replay) (2001) - Switch - 8/10

7. The Wolf Among Us (2013) - PC - 7/10

8. What Remains of Edith Finch (replay) (2017) - XSX - 8/10

9. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (2021) - PS5 - 8/10

10. Kill It With Fire (2020) - XSX - 3/10

11. Islanders (2019) - PC - 5/10

12. Creaks (2020) - Switch - 8/10

13. Shovel Knight: King of Cards (2019) - Switch - 9/10

14. The Last Guardian (replay) (2016) - PS5

15. Exo One (2021) - XSX - 8/10

16. Red Matter (2018) - Quest 2 - 7/10

17. Elden Ring (2022) - XSX - 10/10

18. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022) - Switch - 8/10

 

Abandoned:

 

Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008) - PC

Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (2020) - Switch

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (2017) - 3DS

 

[cassidy]

Spoiler

06/01/22

 

1. Yakuza 3 remastered -(series X)

 

 

 

26/01/22

 

2. Yakuza 4 remastered - (series X) 

 

 

 

27/01/22

 

3. Nobody saves the world - (Series X)

 

 

 

16/02/22

 

4. Infernax - (series X)

 

 

 

17/02/22

 

5. Dreamscaper - (series X) 

 

 

 

17/03/2022

 

6. Young Souls - (Series X) 

 

 

 

06/04/2022

 

7. A Memoir Blue - (Series X)

 

 

 

 

And now I've finally done it. Finished a Fromsoft game. 

 

8. Elden Ring - Series X 

What a game, what a world and what a journey.

 

Loved it,even being stuck on a few bosses didn't put me off. 

 

[Jamie John]

19. Slay the Spire (2019) - Switch

 

 

I bought this three years ago after it won the Rllmuk game awards for that year. I've tried to get into it a few times, but it's never truly grabbed me in the same way it has so many others. Since owning it, I've played it for 16 hours and have got to the credits with each of the three main characters, and while I'm well aware that those are rookie numbers and that lots of people have played this game for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours, I reckon that's enough for me.

 

I feel pretty torn on it. I can completely understand how deep and endless and varied and creative it is - every time I played it I encountered things I'd never seen before - and when you're on a good run, with all of your different cards synergising, the sense of empowerment and being able to just melt through enemies feels fantastic. That said, however, too much of the game felt predicated on luck for me to ever feel like I was truly learning it, and those times when everything did come together were more by chance than design, which ultimately wasn't satisfying. I'm sure this is probably wrong and someone who's completed the game with all the characters on ascension +100, or whatever, will be champing at the bit to correct me, but that was my lasting impression from what I played of it. I've not really played any deckbuilders like this before (except for Inscryption, which is really another game disguised as a deckbuilder) and I don't tend to play these sorts of 'endless' games generally, so I'm probably not the target audience. Its roguelike nature I suppose you could compare with Hades or Spelunky, but while with those games I felt like I was consciously learning something and getting better after every run, here there were so many different variables that, when I was winning, I wasn't completely sure why.

 

Overall, a game I appreciated more than I enjoyed. I might dip into it again and have a go with the additional fourth character, but I suspect that there will always be something else to play. Perhaps the mobile version is the best way to play it.

 

7/10?

 

Played in 2022:

 

Spoiler

1. Halo Infinite (2021) - XSX - 7/10

2. Bowser's Fury (2021) - Switch - 8/10

3. The Forgotten City (2021) - XSX - 8/10

4. Grindstone (2020) - Switch - 8/10

5. Inscryption (2021) - PC - 9/10

6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (replay) (2001) - Switch - 8/10

7. The Wolf Among Us (2013) - PC - 7/10

8. What Remains of Edith Finch (replay) (2017) - XSX - 8/10

9. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (2021) - PS5 - 8/10

10. Kill It With Fire (2020) - XSX - 3/10

11. Islanders (2019) - PC - 5/10

12. Creaks (2020) - Switch - 8/10

13. Shovel Knight: King of Cards (2019) - Switch - 9/10

14. The Last Guardian (replay) (2016) - PS5

15. Exo One (2021) - XSX - 8/10

16. Red Matter (2018) - Quest 2 - 7/10

17. Elden Ring (2022) - XSX - 10/10

18. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022) - Switch - 8/10

19. Slay the Spire (2019) - Switch - 7/10

 

Abandoned:

 

Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008) - PC

Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (2020) - Switch

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (2017) - 3DS

 

[strawdonkey]

On 17/04/2022 at 16:51, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

20a. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Normal, 3mil and some change)

21. Rez Infinite (Area X)

22. Point Blank (1CC, Expert Mode)
23. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, New Moon, Reimu/Yukari)

23a. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, Waxing Crescent, Reimu/Yukari)

 

Man I have fallen hard for this game, and I can see why people love the Touhou universe so much - it's basically a bunch of flying wizards shit-talking each other and then getting shitfaced in the ending, with some Shooting Game stuff in there somewhere too. Got the clear but failed on the extra boss, but feel like I want to hit up practice mode to see if I can get there, as the patterns are not ones that I can just bludgeon my way through (and bombs are disabled as with all the other extra bullet waves you can unlock). Unfortunately you can't practice some of the later individual bullet patterns until you've finished the game with multiple characters, so my options are to do that, or to just practice the final level in its entirety, which in itself wouldn't be the most awful idea.

Getting the first 1CC on Easy unlocked a Final B route, where the sixth and final level is completely different. It sadly loses one of my favourite bullet patterns from the first time around but is probably more interesting overall.

 

Oh and about this being the "Easy Touhou" game? Don't be deceived, it's hard as balls once you're a few levels in. Getting this 1CC unlocked an Extra mode which just puts a preposterous number of bullets on screen at once and I don't stand a hope in hell of clearing it.
 

 

[strawdonkey]

1 hour ago, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

20a. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Normal, 3mil and some change)

21. Rez Infinite (Area X)

22. Point Blank (1CC, Expert Mode)
23. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, New Moon, Reimu/Yukari)

23a. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, Waxing Crescent, Reimu/Yukari)

24. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

 

Short, charming Zelda-ish thing that is funnier than it is good, and blighted by some kind of performance issue that for me made it run progressively worse the further into the game I got. I laughed a ton at the start of the game but was pretty indifferent about it by the end.

[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)
12 & 13. Back to the Future – The Telltale Game, Episodes 1 & 2 (Xbox GWG)
14. Pokémon Sword (Switch)

 

 

 

15 & 16. Back to the Future – The Telltale Game, Episodes 3 & 4 (Xbox GWG)
Marty winds up in a totalitarian 1986 where Doc controls Hill Valley, keeping a watchful eye on all citizens. It's up to you to snap him out of it and go back to 1931 once again and correct the timeline. Meehhhh. Why am I bothering?

 

 

17. Panzer Dragoon Remake, Normal Run (Switch)
Thought I'd finally fly through the world from start to end after picking this up ages ago for £1 or something equally as daft. A really very fun game with some weird controls... like Rez or StarFox fighting you at every turn. Always enjoyed the 90º rotation mechanic in this and I'm looking forward to the Zwei Remake and – fingers crossed - we'll get Saga at some point.

[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)
12 & 13. Back to the Future – The Telltale Game, Episodes 1 & 2 (Xbox GWG)
14. Pokémon Sword (Switch)
15 & 16. Back to the Future – The Telltale Game, Episodes 3 & 4 (Xbox GWG)
17. Panzer Dragoon Remake, Normal Run (Switch)

 

 

 

18. Rez Infinite, Area 1-5 run (PS5)
Because it's been a while and it's a masterpiece.

[Gambit]

25/04/22 - Horizon: Forbidden West

 

Enjoyed that. There was a point halfway through where I became a little frustrated, but I lowered the difficulty and was enjoying it again. Seemed to get better as it went on with a particular late game unlock being a highlight. Will still pop back in on occasion to mop up the side stuff, something I rarely do outside of Yakuza games. That's how much I love the world they created.

 

8/10

 

Spoiler

January

05/01 - Starfox 64

14/01 - Resident Evil 3

15/01 - Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

30/01 - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

 

February

06/02 - Hades

 

April

03/04 - Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files

10/04 - Knights of the Old Republic

 

 

[Gabe]

A few to update, so big post incoming.

 

8. 10/04/2022 - Assassin's Creed: Origins (PC)

 

My previous experience of this series was a brief rental from Blockbuster of the first game (which I watched somebody play for about half an hour and never actually touched myself) and about the same amount of time on Black Flag when it was given away on Games With Gold. I was aware that this games changed the direction of the series and I only got this because I had hankered for playing Odyssey, bought that but never actually played it, then this was on sale at Epic. Anyway, boring intro aside, I do like a good action RPG and this seemed to fit the bill. And it was good.

 

There's undoubtedly a lot it, and whilst I did start out trying to do every little thing by around level 13/14 I moderated my approach to make for a smoother experience (i.e. only doing sidequests or activities when I needed to level for main missions). I think it took about 35 hours or so I think.

 

It's not perfect - the missions themselves are limited in their execution (if not their scope), the combat options are actually more limited than I thought and the world is big but I thought it might lean more into the fantastical aspects of Ancient Egypt (I suppose Odyssey won't contain a lot of the mythical Ancient Greek stuff either?)

 

It is a looker though. From the pyramids in the distance, to the shores of Alexandria, there's a beautiful vista whichever way you look. Say what you like about their gameplay, but Ubisoft can create a decent playground to run around in.

 

9. 24/04/2022 - Mass Effect Andromeda (PC)

 

On the flipside, the open world did no favours for Mass Effect.

 

I actually liked the plot - the idea of being a space settler in the wild frontier was interesting; the uncovering the secrets of the past is par for the course for the series and it was great to back in that big, comforting space opera.

 

But, man, was it exhausting. I actually originally took out an Origins subscription for this game, because it was £20 for a year and I thought I'd get through the game in that time.

That was in 2017 (I finally cancelled the sub yesterday).

 

The reason it took so long was because of that open world (well, open worlds) structure. Every planet was dotted with points of interest, side missions to pick up, main missions work through, ad hoc little encounters, fetch-quest tasks, difficult terrain to navigate and, and... It didn't help that the mysterious alien race's structures were awful; boring, copy-and-paste environments in a dark palette with nothing interesting going on and confusing geography. And there were a lot of them you had to explore.

 

The characters all hard the same powers more or less that we've had for 3 previous games, too, and they felt tired. It also didn't lend itself to varying the combat encounters, even though verticality was added to your moveset, meaning that combat became a repetitive and a chore long before the end. Running around and talking to everybody between missions also added a chunk of time for little fun, to the point I didn't even bother completing the mission chains for my allies, something I always did. Nor did I bump digital uglies with anyone either.

 

It was a strange game in the end. An interesting premise that Bioware didn't really have the skill to pull-off. Missions kind of drifted rather than being the tight, focussed affairs of Mass Effect 2 & 3, leading to a lot of unfulfilling traversal debating which dull mission to complete next.

 

A big, big disappointment and I can only hope the next ME game drops the open-world stuff.

 

10. 25/04/2022 - Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel (X360)

 

 Following some upheaval in my life I was left with no PC or internet temporarily, so I dug out my trusty 360 and had a look what was saved on the HD. And this was.

 

I recall briefly playing a bit of the first game back in the day (another Blockbuster rental), with the gimmick being you could go back-to-back with your AI (or player-controlled) partner. Other than that it was standard cover-based shenanigans.

 

Well this was more of the same, except the back-to-back stuff was changed to an overkill ability that just made your shots more powerful when activated.

 

Overall it was okay. It was a late 360 game (2013) and actually looked pretty decent considering it was a game consisting of mainly of a brown-yellow hue. It went at a reasonable clip, too, given that there were 49 missions to get through, even though the gameplay didn't change from the first level to the last. I even didn't mind the script, with the chatter between the two leads often causing a chuckle (including a proper lol-inducing "That's what she said" quip).

 

If nothing else it was nice to dust-off the 360 for the first time in years - I might even look to finish Fable 3 and start Resonance of Fate at some point now it's set up.

 

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)

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

 

[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)
12 & 13. Back to the Future – The Telltale Game, Episodes 1 & 2 (Xbox GWG)
14. Pokémon Sword (Switch)
15 & 16. Back to the Future – The Telltale Game, Episodes 3 & 4 (Xbox GWG)
17. Panzer Dragoon Remake, Normal Run (Switch)

18. Rez Infinite, Area 1-5 run (PS5)

 

 

 

19. Bowser's Fury, All Cat Shines (Switch)
Spent a few hours getting the remaining 40-odd Cat Shines after having completed the game on release. I really love this format, though Bowser does pop up a bit too frequently. Can't wait for the next Mario platformer to see how they've improved on this slightly more experimental world layout.

[cassidy]

Spoiler

06/01/22

1. Yakuza 3 remastered -(series X)

 

26/01/22

2. Yakuza 4 remastered - (series X) 

 

27/01/22

3. Nobody saves the world - (Series X)

 

16/02/22

4. Infernax - (series X)

 

17/02/22

5. Dreamscaper - (series X) 

 

17/03/2022

6. Young Souls - (Series X) 

 

06/04/2022

7. A Memoir Blue - (Series X)

 

22/04/2022

8. Elden Ring - (Series X) 

And game No 9 which I quite enjoyed even though it has performance issues on Series X 

 

9. Turnip Boy commits tax evasion. 

 

10. Gigawing - Capcom arcade stadium version 

[strawdonkey]

On 25/04/2022 at 00:25, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

20a. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Normal, 3mil and some change)

21. Rez Infinite (Area X)

22. Point Blank (1CC, Expert Mode)
23. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, New Moon, Reimu/Yukari)

23a. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, Waxing Crescent, Reimu/Yukari)

24. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

25. Graze Counter (many 1CCs)

 

Graze Counter is about three quid in the current Steam sale and leans heavily into the idea of getting benefits from grazing (i.e. flying close to) enemy bullets. Flying close to enemy bullets fills your Graze Counter, and that lets you fire a big fucking laser that deletes all the bullets in its path and turns them into gold stars becuase you absoutely deserve it.

 

A weird thing happened with this game - I found it pretty easy. It's quite short but also I 1CCd it at the first attempt on Novice mode, and then also 1CCd it at the first attempt on Arcade mode, where it gets more difficult over the course of the game with a rank system out of 200 (eventually topping out at about 90 for me, which was plenty of bullets thanks). The Graze Counter charges really, really quickly and you can even fire it off when it's half full, so while the bullet patterns are often bonkers you can frequently charge in to them, graze enough for a big laser and then just delete your way through it like it's no problem. That said I get the feeling my scores are kind of crap which is where the replay comes in - I woudln't be surprised if you can eke out way better scores than these with a little more planning.

 

There's even a pacifist mode where your regular shot is disabled and you only get the laser, which to be honest doesn't sound very pacifist of you. It is a completely different way to play though as you need to make sure you don't get caught out without any bar and nothing to graze, and it also means you really have to be better at the bosses as you're not just constantly piling on damage with the regular shot. It's a really fun mode that really shows how well the game mechanics hold up.

 

1CC - Novice (Type 1, 432mil)

1CC - Arcade (Type 3, 507mil)

1CC - Novice Pacifist (Type 1, 413mil)

 

Anyway it's brilliant!

 

 

 

[strawdonkey]

2 hours ago, 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. Exceed 2nd - Vampire Rex (uh, 3CC I guess)

12. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi

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

14. Solitarica

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

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

17. Zenohell (Honestly it took like 20 credits)

18. Higurashi When They Cry - Ch. 4 Himatsubushi

16a. ZeroRanger - Green Orange Mode 1-ALL (354k, Type-C)

19. Backspace Bouken (and the Numb Lock DLC)

20. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Easy, 5,388,190)

20a. Exceed 3rd: Jade Penetrate Black Package (1CC, Normal, 3mil and some change)

21. Rez Infinite (Area X)

22. Point Blank (1CC, Expert Mode)
23. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, New Moon, Reimu/Yukari)

23a. Touhou 8 - Imperishable Night (1CC, Waxing Crescent, Reimu/Yukari)

24. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

25. Graze Counter (many 1CCs)

26. Touhou 7 - Perfect Cherry Blossom (1CC, Easy, Reimu)

 

Wow this one is so much more difficult than Imperishable Night. It's still full of bullet patterns you can drive a bus through but some of them are a nightmare, with a slight pet peeve of mine in that some of the bullets can change trajectory mid-flight which leads to some cheap-feeling deaths. That said, most of the deaths were, as usual, me dying whilst holding all my bombs because I am an idiot.

 

As with Imperishable Night the game doesn't really tell you anything about how to play beyond killing the stuff and not getting hit; there's an additional type of pickup in this game, pink cubes that add to your Cherry Points, and you can trigger some kind of barrier by collecting 50,000 more Cherry Points than the upper Cherry Point limit but you can also max out the Cherry Points and I have no idea what the barrier does and why I should care about the Cherry Points and generally what is going on???????????

 

This was the first Touhou I ever played and I'm glad to have been able to get through it at last. I'll come back to it later but Imperishable Night feels a lot more polished than this game with better bullet patterns.

[cassidy]

Spoiler

 06/01/22

1. Yakuza 3 remastered -(series X)

 

26/01/22

2. Yakuza 4 remastered - (series X) 

 

27/01/22

3. Nobody saves the world - (Series X)

 

16/02/22

4. Infernax - (series X)

 

17/02/22

5. Dreamscaper - (series X) 

 

17/03/2022

6. Young Souls - (Series X) 

 

06/04/2022

7. A Memoir Blue - (Series X)

 

22/04/2022

8. Elden Ring - (Series X) 

 

27/04/2022

9. Turnip Boy commits tax evasion. 

10. Gigawing - Capcom arcade stadium version

And thanks to Capcom Arcade stadium just completed a run through of 

 

11. Battle Circuit - Series X 

[JamesTW]

Spyro the Dragon 1 Reignited version today, started this on the PS1 and finally get the end credits on the PS4 23 or 24 years later.  Gnasty Gnorc has to be the most bizarre final boss battle ever