What games did you complete? 2022 Edition

[DarkCrisis]

On 31/12/2021 at 22:03, DarkCrisis said:

2. 16/01 - PS5 - Hades - 9.5/10 - Fantastic game that I haven’t been able to put down for the past 2 weeks, played for 50hrs and saw credits however might dip back in every once in a while as I still enjoy each run.

 

[Quest]

16/01 - New Pokemon Snap (Switch)

 

Bandai Namco put much more effort into this that they really needed to, honestly. Knowing most Pokemon fans it could've just been one level set in a carpark and still would've sold millions, so it's to their credit that they made a pretty comprehensive follow-up.

 

It's been a perfect little snack of a game over the last couple of weeks. Give me a sequel made entirely of levels like that Honey, I Shrunk the Kids one, please.

 

Spoiler

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)

 

[ImmaculateClump]

Moon Dancer - Expert 1cc

 

Spoiler

Nekotosakana - 1cc

Moon Dancer - Normal 1cc

Moon Dancer - Hard 1cc (no miss)

[MNFRMTMRRW]

04/01 - XSX -  Donut County - 8/10 

16/01 - XSX -  Limbo - 10/10 (replay, already completed this game a few years ago. still as great as ever, pure art)

 

[Sprite Machine]

Previously...

 

Spoiler

1.) Lego City Undercover - PC - 2017 (2013)

 

2.) What Remains of Edith Finch - PS4 - 2017

 

This was pretty heart-wrenching! An excellent piece of interactive storytelling, one part first-person walking simulator, one part... I dunno, multi-genre thing. A very 'directed' experience, pushing you towards the narrative at all times (literally following the words around, in fact). So much so that at one point I accidentally 'broke' the game by trying to go back through the house in the pitch black, then when I got back to where I was supposed to be, the next scene wouldn't trigger. Ended up finishing the game in two one-hour sittings, but if you can get through it in one, I'd recommend it. Don't read any spoilers, and maybe bring a tissue. 😢

 

It's lovely. Reminded me of Gone Home but weirder.
Game of the year so far.

[Boothjan]

Spoiler

1. The Gunk - XSX Game Pass - 01/01/22 - 7.5/10

2. Gears 5 - XSX - 04/01/22 - 8/10

3. It Takes Two - XSX - 08/01/22 - 9/10

 

4. Forza Horizon 5 - XSX - 16/01/22

 

Obvs I haven't 'completed' this because there will always be new races with each new season etc etc but I think I've done pretty much every race, story etc and have spent a LONG time on it.

 

Because FH5 is TREMENDOUS to play.  I've played every Horizon game since FH2 and I think they improve with each iteration.  Where FH5 really excels is the visuals and sound.  This is the most impressive title that I've seen on the Series X (I've been playing on Performance mode FWIW) - there are occasions when I am dumbfounded that a games console can look, sound and feel so bloody good.  It's incredible and it's what I hoped for when the game was first unveiled last year.  Cool new features include the accolades which is inspired by the levelling up system in the Lego expansion for FH4 - something I thought would be neat in the main game.  So subtle improvements, rather than a brand new, fresh experience.

 

So FH5 never brings anything massively original to the table - certainly not for veterans of any previous FH game - but I think it takes the very best of previous instalments and adds to them even more.  Granted, the icon overload can be overwhelming at times, but I think I'm just used to this now.  The filtering is very easy to do if you're just after a specific type of race, or a story, or a stunt etc etc.  I find it a bit harsh to criticise something that is so full of content, and I think there's a LOT of variety to be had with the race types, as well as class of car etc etc.  Personally, I'm happiest in the Hoonigan Cossie thraping it across a dirt track in the rain.  That shit just never gets boring, and with a headset with the volume turned up with some awesome driving tunes on the go (I use Spotify - I'm afraid I can't get on with FH5's radio stations....) it's just exhilarating gaming.

 

And it's why I don't think I'll ever stop playing this - the different seasons are always going to entice me back and I've done that classic gamer's thing of hoarding all my winnings so I've around 10 million credits gathering dust!

 

Downsides to this otherwise fabulous video game?  The main one for me is the 'influencer' vibe that pollutes the game from the word go - it's just awful, and unnecessary.  I appreciate that I sound like an old man when I say this, but why?  I don't want or need an 'avatar' (who incidentally - I cannot put a beard on - what is this beardist bullshit??!  Seriously - let me have a fucking beard - I can choose a whole host of stupid costumes, sandals, sunglasses and probably a mankini but not any facial hair.  I know this is catering for a younger audience, but surely not too young that they're incapable of growing facial hair?  If so, they shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car.  Especially not one zipping down the side of a volcano doing 200mph on the wrong side of the road.  Bloody youths.  Pah.  Longest bracketed paragraph I've ever typed so I'l stop).

 

This particularly affects the story missions, of which there are many.  There's a lot of variety here too, but the cut scenes in between them are bloody horrible.  It doesn't half detract from my enjoyment when I can't skip scenes that make the person I'm controlling look and sound like a more objectionable version of James Corden who also insists on doing a fucking dab whenever I claim a podium finish.  STOP IT!!

 

Online-wise, yes there have been quite a few issues since release, but it does seem to have stabilised of late and I've had some really good sessions with friends.  I'm still rubbish at The Trial but that's what keeps us coming back.... Right?

 

It's almost funny that a game of this quality and size gets released on Game Pass on Day 1.  I'd have scored this just as highly if I had to spend 50 quid on it, and I 100% would have done if it wasn't for GP.  

 

9/10

[Quest]

17/01 - iS: Internal Section (PS1)

 

 

It's difficult to look at this game and not think of Rez, but this is much more of a straightforward tunnel shooter than that game. No lock-on or anything here, just uninterrupted blasting as you hurtle along a path of cyberdelic eye candy.

 

You get twelve weapons that are named after the Chinese zodiac for reasons that are never explained, though at least half of them are useless and should probably be removed from the selection wheel in the options menu. Anyway, you take those weapons and blast a load of geometric shapes to bits until you get to a boss, which is usually a big polygon that spews out smaller polygons when you make it angry.

 

I've probably made it sound a bit naff but I really like this. Sit with your nose pressed right up against the TV  and you get rave-zoned in about thirty seconds, which is pretty much all I ask for in a video game these days.

 

Soundtrack is some good nonsense:

 

 

 

January

Spoiler

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)

 

[Talvalin]

01/17 Control: AWE

 

 

Based on comments in the main Control thread, I went in expecting this DLC to be complete garbage and well, it wasn't. Yes, it lacked some of the inventiveness of the Foundation DLC, some of the side-quests were decidedly sub-par (find these things and shine light on them. By the way, we're not going to give you anything for actually completing them) and there was a distinct lack of Bright Falls to be seen, but I had fun levitating around more brutalist architecture, telekinetically throwing furniture/forklift trucks/corpses etc around (multi-launch was a joy and should have been in the main game) and playing more Control.

 

The Shum arcade games were a nice touch, adding a Horde mode (that isn't the right descriptor but I can only think of the Gears of War name for it) albeit in a single area only, a timed battle and the opportunity to replay previous bosses (eg: the Anchor) and the Ashtray Maze without having to reset your progress. That said, whether it was an audio bug (dialogue dropped out during a lot of the Hotline cut-scenes, and there was no sound in the train Altered Item quest so I had to use a guide to complete that) or deliberate, "Take Control" didn't play, and so it was a very lifeless experience.

 

Despite 505 Games unscrupulous business practices regarding the Ultimate Edition etc etc, I am faintly tempted to buy it cheap and blast through the entire game again. Except I'm trying to avoid buying games unnecessarily this year, so perhaps I'll just start up a new playthrough of this one instead. I mean, it's not like I have a Series X or a 4K TV to enjoy the Ultimate Edition properly anyway right?

 

3/5 (compared to 4/5 for the main game and 3.5/5 for the Foundation DLC)

[Varsity]

Took way longer than I originally thought for another completion, although that was mostly down to me getting distracted and/or not being in the mood to play. 

 

2. Resident Evil: Village - 6/10

 

Fairly varied 1000/1000 this time including a sub 3 hour run, knife only run and hardest difficulty run as well as obtaining S rank on all the mercenaries stages. Didn't have as hard a time with it as other people from reading around online but overall, just found this an average RE title really. 

 

The first person perspective still feels kinda janky/clunky even after getting used to it and, like with 7, I found the first half of the game the best and most atmospheric before it goes to a very boring setting and the story falls apart. 

 

Total Time to 1000: 63 hours 16 mins. 

- Most of this time was either learning mercenaries tactics or idling while looking up strategies. Story wise, first playthrough blind took about 7 hours and only got shorter from there. The bulk of the completion is definitely mercenaries. 

 

[MikeF]

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.

 

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

 

[Sprite Machine]

 Previously...

 

Spoiler

1.) Lego City Undercover - PC - 2017 (2013)
2.) What Remains of Edith Finch - PS4 - 2017

 

3.) Superliminal - PS4 - 2020 (2019)
Played through once in a single sitting (3 hours).
 

Somebody recommended this in last year's thread - I think it was @Darren. If so, thank you for the recommendation! I enjoyed this a lot.

At first, it feels like a game that desperately wants to be Portal, as you progress through test chambers and an emotionless AI congratulates you. But it starts to do its own thing and, by the end, it's a very different game. It actually started to remind me more of The Stanely Parable, with all the repetition through cubicles and weird level design loops. But this uses the pretext that everything is a dream and therefore perception is reality.

 

The puzzles all involve 'perspective', whether it's playing with size or angles or duplication or teleporting. It's got loads of ideas and it keeps throwing new ones at you. There were a couple of times where I felt the solution was overly fiddly (I'm thinking of the 'keyhole' room with the two movable portals) and the game doesn't really explain anything if you get stuck, you just have to keep trying things. But it's really fun and fascinating to just play around with some of these 'toys'. There's some really clever stuff going on that I can't even begin to imagine how they designed it! By the end section, I was lasping (laugh-gasping) every few minutes as each new weird thing happened. Definitely check this out if you liked Portal, The Stanely Parable or just atmospheric and clever first-person games.

 

I'm enjoying games like this where you can run through the whole thing in an evening. Do we have a topic for 'one-nighters'? Maybe get a list going.

 

[JoeK]

Well, after years and years of never really bothering to get much past the first few missions with Conner, I've now finished Assassin's Creed 3.

 

Well, I say finished, but quite honestly the epilogue seems to be something that could go on forever, and I really think I've had my fill of the thing.

 

All in all, I actually did enjoy the game. I think it's got some really still impressive things going on in it and you can certainly see the level of ambition they were pumping into the game. Admittedly, most of that ambition went on stuff that no-one in their right mind would think was necessary, but there we go. But I can't say I didn't enjoy Connor's revenge tale to a certain extent!

 

Fuck knows what was happening in the modern day sequences though - I thought I had an inkling of what was going on throughout the game, but the ending stuff completely left me gaga. It really doesn't help that Desmond and his band of merry men seem to suck the air out of the room when they speak or do anything, but well...there you go. 

 

However, I'm glad I got through it. It'll lead me nicely onto what everyone seems to think is the best 'traditional' AC game - number 4! Another one which I've tried and failed miserably to get into since the original launch, so this time I'm confident...I think.

 

I will just say that the remastered version of AC3 - which is what I was playing this time - is fucking useless. Half of the time, the game looks vastly inferior to the original and there are colossal bugs remaining all over the place. But there we go - I got it free ages ago, so I can't complain too vehemently.

 

Bravo to me. I guess.

[Sprite Machine]

 I've got through some short ones so far this month but that should change soon.

 

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
Completed all the To Do lists, including the timed ones, and got the crown.

 

I've had my eye on this since its first reveal trailer and it did not disappoint. A delightful little sandbox of AI characters, stealth, trinkets and experimentation that combine to make hilarious moments that make you feel like a right horrible... well, goose. When you get away with some sneaky little trick or time an escape perfectly, it's so satisfying. Great visual style and spot-on goose animations. HONK!

 

(The two-player co-op mode is a nice addition and adds some new tactics, but because it's on a shared screen you can find yourself getting stuck at the edges.)

 

[MikeF]

11 - Ghost of Tsushima Iki Island DLC PS5 - 100% complete, all that is remaining is 1 Legends trophy to have every trophy in the game, but seeing as its partly luck based I am not bothering with it.

 

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.

 

[Boothjan]

Spoiler

1. The Gunk - XSX Game Pass - 01/01/22 - 7.5/10

2. Gears 5 - XSX - 04/01/22 - 8/10

3. It Takes Two - XSX - 08/01/22 - 9/10

4. Forza Horizon 5 - XSX - 16/01/22 - 9/10

 

5. Halo Infinite - XSX Game Pass - 19/01/22

 

I finally saw the credits roll on the campaign last night and TBH my feeling is one of relief.  Not relief that it's over, just one of contentment - with SO much criticism thrown its way (and I have to add that it isn't unjustified - more on this later) I ended up having a really awesome time on this when I thought that I'd feel let down by it.  And the multiplayer is like crack - I am totally hooked, and predict that Halo Infinite will be the game I play more than any other in 2022.  Assuming of course that the badly needed extra content arrives.  Because that is the big 'if' that is the elephant in the room, omnipresent throughout this review.

 

So - the campaign then.  Well let's be honest, the story is patchy at best, and downright forgettable at worst.  I'm coming to expect this with all Halo campaigns now.  Whilst it never becomes as objectionably bad and nonsensical as Halo 5's attempt at storytelling, it's still not ever going to be memorable.  I don't recall it being in anyone's nominations for best writing in the GOTY thread and rightly so!  But I suppose it was always onto a hiding having had to follow the previous instalment.  

 

Fortunately, I don't really care about storylines in games IF - big if - the gameplay itself makes up for it.  And here is where 343 have comfortably won me over, because playing through this was a joy.  The open world is hardly a groundbreaking feat of design, but the way you can work your way across the landscape taking out various enemy outposts, bosses, bases etc is tremendous.  If I died, I'd try and think of a different method - be it using a different weapon, maybe a vehicle, a variation on the route, which enemies to take out first etc and it made for some fun, varied fights.  The grapplehook in particular is a superb feature for a Halo game and completely changed the way I approached this compared to previous Halo games.  The only drawback is that it's so good that the other utility skills such as enemy sensor, drop shield, thruster boost were barely - if ever - used.  I don't think I once used the latter for example.  

 

Visually, it's good but not jawdropping.  Some lovely lighting, the landscape itself is pretty enough but it does suffer from a lack of variety here.  There are too many corridors towards the end of the campaign and if you've seen one corridor-laden complex in a Halo game, you've seen them all.  In addition - the often mentioned lack of different weather conditions/biomes is a shame in the main open world.  One bugbear of mine is the fact that I can drive a huge fuck off tank but I can't flatten trees to get to an objective.  Silly.  Nevertheless, at times Halo Infinite does look very pretty indeed.  Exhibit A:

 

 

As for the sounds - this is definitely where Halo absolutely excels.  I can't think of many better games to stick on a headset and crank the volume up because it sounds incredible.  The clunk of weapons is spectacular, the one-liners you hear from grunts are hilarious, the swelling orchestral numbers are a joy and the noise of that grapplehook - *chef's kiss*.  Halo Infinite should be the reason to get a decent speaker setup or headset because it deserves the extra attention.  

 

I've heard a lot of criticism about the boss fights in Infinite but I actually think they're good.  Again, there's some variety to be found here, in terms of enemy type and the way you approach them.  Of course, there's bound to be some frustration when you get killed by one of them multiple times (some people actually play this on Legendary - HOW??! ) but every single boss fight felt so satisfying to beat.  Particularly those hammer-wielding bastards.  When you're faced with more than one of the big enemies at the same time, strategy and equipment are so important, yet there's no right or wrong way to approach these.  I found that adopting a new strategy for bosses that kept beating me worked.

 

The multiplayer mode is probably the best online FPS I have played in years.  Possibly decades.  And that's purely down to the feel of the thing - I don't think they need to touch the essential gunplay here, they've absolutely nailed it and it's by far the most important thing to get right.  They absolutely need to work on some of the technical issues - matchmaking isn't perfect, the battle pass system and subsequent rewards/challenges are abysmal and Big Team Battle has been fucked for ages, yet it shows just how much I love this game that I keep coming back despite these issues.

 

I'm not going to score this a 10/10 despite it being my GOTY nomination for 2021 for the simple reason that both the campaign and multiplayer have a 'bare bones' feel to them.  That could and indeed should be built on - with such a flagship title, I can't for one second believe they won't - as it's set up to be one of the greatest Halo games ever made.  They have got so much right with the foundations that they just need that extra content to build upon them. 

 

I'm going to highlight Sea of Thieves as a prime example of a flagship 1st party game that MS released as a bare bones product that was still great fun, yet one they invested a LOT into, to the point that it is now teeming with content.  Halo is their biggest brand, so I really hope they adopt a similar approach and make this excellent game into a true classic.  Over to 343i....

 

9/10

[ImmaculateClump]

Grand Cross: Renovation - 1cc

 

Spoiler

Nekotosakana - 1cc

Moon Dancer - Normal 1cc

Moon Dancer - Hard 1cc (no miss)

Moon Dancer - Expert 1cc

[gossi the dog]

20/01 - Vostok Inc (PS4) - a clicker crossed with a twin stick shooter. I played this 3-4 years ago on the Xbox One, and it's still as compelling as ever.

[pinholestar]

Mass Effect (Legendary Edition)

 

I have somewhat mixed feelings when it comes to the endless clamouring for remakes and remasters these days, but for fear of summoning Captain Nostalgia if I dare whisper the word three times, I will say that this is a very nicely done remastering job of the first game in the trilogy. It’s all very tastefully retextured, has had lots of lovely shader effects added to things like the characters' eyes and the notoriously ropey combat of the first game has been revamped to play more in line with the slicker controls of the sequels. 

You realise when playing 360-era games now though that the level design in those days was often very poorly signposted and I was a little shocked at how incredibly bland and uninspired the bulk of the main story levels like Feros and Noveria were. Lots of identikit brown and grey corridors and little environmental excitement or variety within them. I could have sworn Mass Effect 1 was far more visually effervescent than this, but your memory has a habit of filling in some very large gaps. With that said, the final assault on Sovereign as it clamps down on the Presidium in the distance and the combined fleets of the Systems Alliance clash against an unknown foe above in some stunning cutscene work are still a high water mark for epic visual video game conclusions.

 

Where the game still excels and is as fresh as it ever was right from the start though is in its superlative world-building and characters. The universe that BioWare created and the way in which its general ambiance is conveyed via the sleek curves of the Normandy and the pristine surfaces of the Citadel wards, the piercing lens flare of remote planetary vistas and the spine-tingling refrains of the galaxy map music that perfectly evokes the incomprehensibly vast unknown expanses of space, remain the best sci-fi RPG package that video games have ever produced.
 

Turians, Salarians, Krogans and the Asari. Garrus, Tali, Liara, Wrex and Saren. Biotics, omni-tools and Commander Shepard. All iconic names and faces burned into my consciousness forever more and they haven’t lost a single ounce of their ability to engage and thrill. I just fucking love the Mass Effect universe.

 

A reminder of a developer that once bestrode the Western RPG genre like a Reaper dreadnought laying claim to the Citadel, it’s really sad to see how far BioWare have fallen since those heady days. And this was just the prelude to what would be inarguably their finest hour in Mass Effect 2. It’ll be interesting to see how that holds up to my memories in terms of level design, but playing through the story of this first chapter in Commander Shepard’s saga again, I was just as gripped and giddy with the revelations and mysteries of the Protheans and Reapers as I was 15 years ago.

 

Back in the day this was a rock solid 9 for me, but despite the fine remastering work it’s definitely showing its age in terms of some mechanics and game design by modern standards, so it loses a mark for that. But in all the ways that matter it’s still got it where it really counts, and it was great to stay up late with the lights down dim, becoming lost once again within its seductive and all-consuming sci-fi charms.
 

8/10

[shirubagan]

Spoiler

01. How We Know We're Alive (Mac)

 

 

02. Gorogoa (Game Pass)

Completed this lovely puzzle game on iOS when it was released and thought it deserved another play through. It absolutely does.

[Boothjan]

Spoiler

1. The Gunk - XSX Game Pass - 01/01/22 - 7.5/10

2. Gears 5 - XSX - 04/01/22 - 8/10

3. It Takes Two - XSX - 08/01/22 - 9/10

4. Forza Horizon 5 - XSX - 16/01/22 - 9/10

5. Halo Infinite - XSX Game Pass - 19/01/22 - 9/10

 

6. Doom Eternal - XSX Game Pass - 21/01/22

 

Another day, another fantastic game in the bag.  This time, I truly am pleased to get this out of the way because although it's an absolute blast from start to finish, it's the most chaotic, adrenaline-laden headfuck I can ever remember playing.  Ever had that feeling of being absolutely wired after a very intense gaming session?  Doom Eternal is like strong caffeine.  Do not play this late at night and hope you'll fall straight asleep afterwards, because that's just not going to happen in the same way that a double espresso would do more harm than good.

 

I really enjoyed 2016's Doom remake - they managed to keep so many aspects of the 90s classic without scrimping on the chaotic run and gun feel.  Eternal basically notches EVERYTHING up several times and I think it's a better game for it.  The 21st century seems to be the 'batshit mental plot you don't need to pay attention to' era for FPS campaign modes, but what I like about Eternal is that there's a shitload of lore here but you can easily ignore it, because pretty much everything is told via codex entries, found on each level.  Want to read up on the various demons/factions/planetary portals etc etc?  Go ahead - but if you just want to carry on slaying evil things like a badass, carry on.

 

The hectic gunplay of Doom Eternal is unlike anything I've ever played before, because somehow, despite everything moving at 1000 mph, there's actually a lot of strategy at play here due to the clever controls and mechanics.  Fast and frantic - definitely, but it's anything but a button basher.  One of the best things I can say about it is that it really does make you feel like a demon slaying demigod at times - when you time everything right, pop some headshots from range, change to a shotgun for some close quarters combat and then break some shields with a plasma rifle, it feels fantastic. 

 

And it's not as simple as shooting anything that moves, because you always need your wits about you, and be aware of what's on the field in front of you. Out of ammo?  Press X and chainsaw a demon who will drop some.  Low on health?  Shoot a bad guy several times until they start flashing, and then press the Right Stick in and dismember them, spilling health pick ups.  Need some armour?  Press Y and flamethrow a group of enemies and shoot them so they drop armour.  The variety of weapons is good, and I did find that I ended up using pretty much all of them depending on the requirements of each mission.  Each weapon has 2 alternate modes which range from heat seeking missiles, beams of plasma energy and grapple hooks.  And these alternate modes can be upgraded further.  There really is a LOT of stuff to unlock - each level has different challenges to attempt, collectables to discover etc etc - you'd need a thorough exploration of each level to find them all in one playthrough, so it adds some replayability.

 

Confession time: I had to play this on the lowest difficulty setting because Doom Eternal is HARD.  Even at this setting, I was finding some areas very challenging - I would imagine that attempting it on higher settings would be a mixture of frustration and masochism.  At times, the ridiculous amount of bedlam at screen at once can become almost claustrophobic - yet amazingly, I never experienced a hint of slowdown or drops in framerate.  The Series X manages to cope with everything incredibly well - and considering the visuals are drop dead gorgeous anyway, it's really bloody impressive.  

 

There is a fair amount of platforming and puzzles to get through on each level too - it's not just continuous, mindless violence.  Double jumps, thrusts, climbing etc are all essential as are working out what mechanics are needed to activate doors and I quite like these sections because using a bit of brainpower in between the bedlam is actually rather welcome.  It breaks everything up, helps with the pacing and balance of each level - none of which I ever thought went on too long.

 

I've played Gears 5, Halo Infinite and now this in a short space of time.  Doom Eternal has the most chaotic and downright fun single player mode out of all 3 of them, and I really can't recommend it enough.  It manages to get the adrenaline flowing more than any other game I can think of, yet is never anything other than tremendous, bombastic entertainment.

 

Now to catch up on some sleep after my poor, addled brain has had to work overtime to take everything in.

 

9/10

[shirubagan]

@Boothjan Can you play Doom Eternal without having to create a Zenimax account yet?

 

EDIT: Just tried on Cloud gaming and... nope.

[Sumire]

Demon Souls PS5

 

Loved this, although i did kind of go easy mode with a caster build. Amazing graphics, sound, gameplay, my fave PS5 game so far.

 

Ghost of Tsushima.

 

This one does not really count, but what the hell as I kind of completed the main game on PS4 Pro in 2021, but bought the DLC island in 2022 on PS5 and finished up everything I missed before on the main land mass.

 

It was awesome on the PS4 Pro, but the PS5 just elevated it higher with the 60fps and added extras. Superb game, I hope they do more like this!

 

Aliens Fireteam

 

I played this co op with my mate on gamepass. I thought it was ok, but pretty repetitive. What they did nail though was the sheer desperation when you were swarmed by everything. Not too bad.

 

[Jamie John]

5. Inscryption (2021) - PC

 

 

I enjoyed this a great deal, but it's absolutely one of those games where to say too much about it would immediately spoil it. Suffice to say, if you own a PC that can run it (and the requirements are pretty modest) then it's definitely a game to check out, even if you don't typically enjoy games of this type; I'm not normally one for rogue-like card games, but once I got into this I found I couldn't stop playing.

 

Compelling, disturbing, very clever and entirely unique. A definite recommend from me, and the best game I've finished so far in 2022.

 

9/10

 

Played this year:

 

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

 

[spanx]

4. Vampyr

 

Its a bit shoddy all round really, graphics a bit dated, combat’s not all that, etc. But I really enjoyed it overall. The story chipped along nicely, it had a kind of Bloodborne-esque atmosphere in places, and I saw it through to the end which means it must have had something. It would be nice to see a sequel with some of the rough edges taken away and a bit more depth to how the world responds to your actions, but I’m glad I grabbed it for free off epic, a pretty enjoyable 15 hours

 

7/10

 

previously…

 

Spoiler

Completed

 

1.Return of the Obra Dinn (02/01)

2.The Artful Escape (08/01)

3.The Forgotten City (13/01)

4.Vampyr (22/01)

 

Playing

1.Flight Simulator

2.Shapez.io

3.Forza Horizon 5

4.It Takes Two

 

Abandoned

 

1.Halo Infinite (03/01)

2.The Outer Wilds (09/01)

 

[shirubagan]

Spoiler

01. How We Know We're Alive (Mac)
02. Gorogoa (Game Pass)

 

 

 

03. Borderlands 3 – Bounty of Blood DLC (XSX)

A Cowboy-themed DLC which was a lot of fun. Pretty sizeable at around 6-8 hours with some spectacular, challenging and enjoyable bosses. Hopefully I'm levelled up enough to progress on the Love, Guns & tentacles DLC now as I hit a wall there. Really getting my £25 worth out of  what is proving to be an absurdly large game.

[instasis]

While I am deeply, deeply lost in AC: Valhalla, the chances of me completing a lot of campaign based games this year are slight. So, I aim to filling that void with arcade games via a MAMEcab.

 

23/1: Ninja Baseball Bat Man

 

 

You play a team of Ninja Baseball Bat...men. You are trying to get the sacred statue back. You have to play against giant baseball enemies, giant baseball glove enemies, Jack o' Lanterns and....MECHANICAL ALLIGATOR. Also MAKESHIFT VILLAIN. It's bonkers.

 

It didn't take long to clear and features the usual last level bullshit of multiple enemies, but it was good fun. Also, the boss tune telling me to HIT THINGS and rhyming it with HIT THINGS was pretty good.

[Jamie John]

6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001) - Switch

 

 

I played this back on the DS years and years ago and have been plugging away at it again on the Switch as part of the Ace Attorney Trilogy over the last couple of months. I picked it up after listening to the Back Page Pod's Phoenix Wright special.

 

It's still great: the twists, the turns, the drama, the silliness, the music, the ridiculous characters. The meltdowns the baddies have when you eventually call them out are all excellent fun. Some aspects are a bit dated now (the representation of women and effeminate men leaves something to be desired, and the mechanic where you have to restart an entire trial from the beginning if you balls it up too much can get in the fucking sea, especially when you're trying to second guess the game's, at times, distorted logic - why they decided to keep that feature when they ported it, I'm not sure), but, despite that, overall this holds up really well, even more so when you remember it's over two decades old. Plus, the art and colours look gorgeous on dat Switch OLED screen.

 

If you haven't played it before, or even for a while, then there's nothing quite like it. The question now, though, is do I go onto the second one, which lots of people say isn't much cop, or just skip the story stuff and move straight to Trials and Tribulations? Unless there's no objection (😏), I think I'll probably do the latter.

 

8/10

 

Played this year:

 

Spoiler

Completed:

 

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

 

Abandoned:

 

Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008) - PC

 

[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
Completed all the maps (up to the pachinko section anyway). I'm calling it finished but it's something I'll dip into from time to time, probably!

I played the first game ages ago so I can't really tell what they've added to the sequel. To be honest, the game's concept is so simple anyway, I'm surprised they made another one. I think some of the enemy types are new, maybe the 'bosses'? At any rate, it's nothing that detracts from the simple fun and satisfaction of killing hundreds of stickmen using just two buttons.

 

It's a game of timing (not button-mashing, as it repeatedly tells you!) and it's very cathartic, particularly with how brutal it is and its over-the-top sound effects. It's got a nice snappy feel to it, as you would expect. It's like a rhythm action game but without music - it scratches a similar itch. It's also hilarious!

 

I guess the only issue with it is that you have to focus so hard on the attack bars that you can't really appreciate the martial arts animations going on just above them. But hey, that's just another reason to stream to Twitch and then watch your session back.

[strawdonkey]

On 15/01/2022 at 00:46, 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

 

I'll try not to spoil too much, but I went into this blind and if you want the same experience then let me just say that the vast majority of this game was absolutely wonderful and don't read the rest.

 

So, The Outer Wilds is a game where you are a member of a spacefaring race who are exploring the solar system, and that's about it for how it starts. Just, go into space and fuck about! The true joy is the bit where you find out all about an alien race who briefly inhabited the system, reading about their technology, discovering their fate and following in their footsteps. What's probably the most engaging thing about Outer Wilds though is that you discover nearly all of this information organically - your first and only task is to get into your fucking wooden spaceship and just go and find something interesting. Nearly everything you find is littered with clues and just enough intrigue to make you want to go to the next place and try to piece everything together.

 

Oh, and had I mentioned that every twenty minutes or so, the sun explodes and you're stuck in a time loop?

 

Outer Wilds is pitched wonderfully - the writing is great (and the Nomai, the alien race you are piecing information together about, are written really well - from some heartfelt moments to unsuccessful alien flirting), and while initially I found that the silence of space was a little suffocating, the moments where the soundtrack kicks in are really impactful and really drive home that You Have Discovered Something. I had shivers all over when figuring some of the stuff in this game out and could genuinely only play it for a few runs at a time as I needed to unpack everything internally.

 

I have a couple of tiny complaints in that there is one area where you are in peril of something other than your own terrible spacecraft driving (I flew in to the sun both via autopilot and also by manually being bad), which is both really annoying and quite jarring, but everything else was so brilliant it almost feels petulant to complain at this point.

 

It's on Game Pass, you can also get it on PS4 and PC, it's coming to Switch, and it's stunning.

[Exidor]

1. Death's Door (PC)

This could have been made specifically just for me. Souls-like exploration with looping routes and shortcuts galore, lovely art style, perfect difficulty and development of abilities, and a shitload of cool stuff to discover after you've finished. Plus you're a crow. I'm going through it again now doing a brolly run and having just as much fun as the first time.

 

2. Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

It's a lot like the first one but nice and short and with massively OP stealth options. Had a good time with it, undemanding but fun to go back to swinging around New York and kicking the crap out of corporate space cops. Then I did NG+ for the platinum and... well... should have left it a while because it adds nothing, has no challenge because you start off with all your stuff and half the cutscenes aren't skippable for some reason. There's still some fun to be had taking down a base by spamming the dodge button until you've banked three finishers in a row but it's definitely diminishing returns. (Still tempted to spend the £20 to upgrade and get the OG Spidey remaster)