What games did you complete? 2023 Edition

[AK Bell]

Spoiler

1 - 04/01 - Unpacked - Xbox Series X (Game Pass)

 

2 - 22/01 - Donut County - Xbox Series X (Game Pass)

 

I was only playing this for regular achievements but dropped off ages ago just before the end. Finished it just before it went off Game Pass. To be honest, it wasn't that fun and a too easy waste of time. The dialogue was annoying to suffer through and the humour was a bit off. I didn't really get the love for it. Oh, and they spell Doughnut wrong. 

3 - 21/02 - Hi-Fi Rush - Xbox Series X (Game Pass)

 

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this as it involves being good at it. So I rattled through it on Easy to have a fun, relaxing time spent with some very charismatic characters and daft plot. It looks amazing as well with lots of detail floating about. 

 

I never really got the hang of combos but I got by with a decent sense of rhythm. The stuff lying around being 50/50 destructible and untouchable was a tad annoying too. I want to do the end game challenges but I really don't fancy having to do half a level to get to it and then make a decision if I want to carry on to save the crap I collected to get there. 

 

It was fun but I'm done. But I'd love another one please. 

[ImmaculateClump]

Battle Bakraid (arcade) - 1cc, Normal

 

Spoiler

Cotton Rock n Roll -Superlative Night Dreams- (PC) - normal 1cc, cotton, appli, tacoot, luffee, fine

Fantasy Zone (arcade) - 1cc (2-4)

U.N. Squadron (arcade) - 1cc

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (GB)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA)

Zed Blade (arcade) - Easy, 1cc

Harmful Park (PSX) - Normal, 1cc

Scramble (arcade) 1cc

Tetris (GB) - B-Type

EX -Extra- (pc) - 1cc

Wizard's Star 2 (pc) - 1cc

Bomber Bomber Gaiden 2 (pc) - Normal, 1cc. Hard, 1cc

Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds: Kokusai Kyuujotai Juudou Seyo!! (SNES)

东方雪莲华 ～ Abyss Soul Lotus (pc) - Normal, 1cc

Contlade (pc) - Normal, 1cc

Sorcer Striker (arcade) - 1cc (2-2)

Alien Syndrome (arcade) - 1cc (2-6)

[Sprite Machine]

 Previously...

Spoiler

1.) Lego Marvel's Avengers - PC - 2016
2.) Abzû - PC - 2016
3.) Portal with RTX - PC - 2022 (2007)

4.) Aperture Desk Job - PC - 2022
5.) Bowser's Fury - Switch - 2021
6.) Tomb Raider - PC - 2013
7.) Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game - PC - 2017

8.) The Last of Us Part II - PS4 - 2020
Completed the game on normal (Moderate) difficulty, which took a whopping 34 hours! It's so long, man! Every time the game seemed like it was going to end, it just carried on for several more hours instead. It was overstaying its welcome by hour 20, to be honest.

 

Beautiful, powerful, technically astonishing, but so so grim, bleak and disturbing too. A story of revenge and regret and a whole load of other emotions along the way. A stunning achievement, incredibly well put together.

 

But I only sort of liked it. The trouble is, I rarely found the moment-to-moment gameplay fun. It's too tense and frightening to actively 'enjoy', it's more like 'endure'. I also think the stealth has been made much harder, human enemies are smarter, they patrol in groups, have look-outs that can see for miles, and all my best laid plans for 'sneaky-sneaky death-death' usually ended up in a mad scramble. But I guess that's the point; if you could ninja your way through the whole game, everyone would do that. Still, I'm a careful sort of player so this actually just annoyed me. And don't get me started on those fucking Stalkers! Uerghh!! 

 

Fantastic, emotional, touching and horrible. I will almost certainly never play it again.

[strawdonkey]

Spoiler

01 - Tiny Rogues

02 - Needy Streamer Overload

03 - Yamafuda - 2nd Station

04 - Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered

05 - Fault: Milestone One

06 - Fault: Milestone Two - Side: Above

X1 - Starfighter R&D

07 - Faith

08 - Alina of the Arena (Rookie clear, Warrior)

08a - Alina of the Arena (Rookie clear, Pyromancer; Rookie clear + Extra Boss, Samurai)

09 - Dodonpachi Resurrection (1CC, Novice, Type-B Strong, 17bil)

10 - Escaped Chasm

11 - Planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~

12. Dweller's Empty Path

13. Crimzon Clover World Explosion (1CC, Arrange, Type-I, almost 11 trillion points; also two other mode 1CCs)

 

Man I fucking love Crimzon Clover. It's a riot of explosions and bullets and medals and bullets turning into medals and absurd firepower and more medals and explosions.

 

 

I wrote a bit about Crimzon Clover World Ignition in 2021; World Explosion is sort of a rework of the original game that adds Arrange Mode. There's a lot of subtle differences between it and the other modes but the big one is that you now have to power up throughout the course of the game; as you play and collect medals, energy is built up which can be spent on additional options, more lock-on targets, and crucially it lets you buy and re-buy a shield that gives you a one-hit buffer against your inevitable death.

 

You can also enter Break Mode on demand so long as you're in the right stage of the power-up track, which turns all bullets on screen into more medals; it's a great "oh fuck" button that I found I wanted to rely on more than just adding a shield.

 

Difficulty is extremely well-pitched too. The game starts in Low Rank which is reasonably straightfoward albeit not easy; then after a bit of progress (usually around midway through the second stage or earlier if you buy a shield) it switches into High Rank, which is probably Slightly Too Difficult For Me To Deal With Reliably. And then towards the end of the final stage it is Very Fucking Hard

 

Honestly it's just an absolute triumph and an all-timer as far as vertical Shmups go. 

 

Videos of other clears below just in case anyone cares:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Quest]

I finished a load of stuff:

 

18/02 - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

Started this up just to have a look at the GBA emulation on Switch and ended up playing through the whole thing, so it seems to have held up pretty well.

 

19/02 - Witcheye (Switch)

Strange little platformer where you play as a floating eye and use the analogue stick to fling yourself around in various directions. Reminds me of Kirby Canvas Curse/Power Paintbrush and has a bit of an old Euro-platformer vibe.

 

20/02 - Air Twister (Mac)

Playing this on Mac with a controller and it's such a missed opportunity, held back by having to support touch controls on mobile. I love rail shooters and will eat up just about anything in the genre, so I did mostly enjoy what's here, but it's just so basic and shallow that I doubt I'll ever be back for more.

 The ludicrous music that sounds like someone trying to recreate The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke in GarageBand is a genuine highlight, though I doubt anyone would ever want to listen to it outside of the game. It's just such an odd creative decision and unlike anything else in games that you kinda have to respect it.

 

20/02 - Exquisite Ghorpse Party (PC)

An attempt at doing Exquisite Corpse as a single-player narrative game, from the developers of Paratopic. You cobble together a spooky tale from the suggestions of three travellers around a campfire.  The problem is that because you pick every part of the story there's no surprise when the entire thing is revealed at the end, rendering the whole thing a bit pointless. It's free, a few minutes long and clearly an experiment, but I got nothing out of this at all.

 

21/02 - The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game (PC)

21/02 - Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (PC)

21/02 - Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County (PC)

You play as the world's second best detective, solving such mysteries as 'Who pinched all the hats in the cowboy town?' It's hardly Obra Dinn and you don't really do much actual detective work, really. It's mostly just talking to oddball animals and trading items so they'll tell you more nonsense, which eventually leads to a conclusion out of nowhere and...that's fine! The game has a gentle dry humour that's rarely done this well and the little frog lad is  just so nice to everyone. It's genuinely endearing.

 They even give you a scooter in the last case and my daughter spent a solid half-hour just whizzing around the aforementioned cowboy town. Why is there a scooter? Not a clue. Is it brilliant fun? Absolutely. 

 

22/02 - Erica (PS4)

FMV mystery-thriller that finds some clever ways to integrate touch gestures into the video, but forgets to tell a compelling tale or force you to make any interesting decisions. It all feels very flat and lifeless, made worse by how hard they're trying to make ｐｒｅｓｔｉｇｅ　ｔｅｌｅｖｉｓｉｏｎ, and eventually I just found myself choosing any old shit with a detached apathy. 

 

24/02 - Journey to the Savage Planet (PS5)

A lean take on the Metroid Prime formula with some neat traversal ideas and an absolutely dreadful AI companion that I had to mute after the opening. Didn't really find the scanning particularly worthwhile, and similarly felt no urge to collect everything, but as a 7-ish hour experience of exploring and kicking alien creatures it's pretty great.

Also there's also an uncredited cameo from Devo's Jerry Casale for some reason. Pop trivia!

 

Currently Playing:

 

OlliOlli World (PS5)

Jett: The Far Shore (PS5)

Please, Touch The Artwork (Switch)

Splatoon 3 (Switch)

Hazelnut Hex (Switch)

 

2023 List:

Spoiler

24/02 - Raiden V (PS4)

24/02 - Journey to the Savage Planet (PS5)

22/02 - Erica (PS4)

21/02 - Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County (PC)

21/02 - Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (PC)

21/02 - The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game (PC)

20/02 - Exquisite Ghorpse Party (PC)

20/02 - Air Twister (Mac)

19/02 - Witcheye (Switch)

18/02 - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

10/02 - Ape Escape 2001 (PS2)

09/02 - Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) 

09/02 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (Switch)

07/02 - Liberation Maiden (3DS)

06/02 - Pentiment (Series X)

02/02 - Hi-Fi Rush (Series X) 

28/01 - Radical Rabbit Stew (Switch)

27/01 - Wheels of Aurelia (Mac)

26/01 - Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (Switch)

25/01 - Martial Law (Mac)

25/01 - Final Vendetta (Mac)

25/01 - Huntdown (Switch)

23/01 - Haven Park (Mac)

20/01 - Cryohazard (Game Boy)

19/01 - Goof Troop (SNES)

18/01 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (Series X)

17/01 - UnderDungeon (Switch)

12/01 - Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX (PS5)

12/01 - Star Parodier (PC Engine CD-ROM²)

11/01 - Franken (Mac)

10/01 - Novena (Bitsy)

09/01 - The Council (PS4)

06/01 - FAR: Lone Sails (Switch)     

05/01 - Z-Warp (Switch)

04/01 - Chicory: A Colourful Tale (PS5)

 

 

[glb]

January

#1 - Golf Story (Switch)

#2 - Actraiser: Renaissance (Switch)
#3 - Road 96 (Gamepass)

February

#4 - The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch)

#5 - Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5)

 

I believe this is a little-known open world game that flew under most people's radars due to lack of hype and a fairly unremarkable release. Lulz. Two years or so on from launch, is Cyberpunk worth a look? Well, yes, unequivocally, yes. Night City ensnared me with atmosphere in a way an open world location hasn't since exploring the wastelands of Fallout. I very much doubt I'll be alive in 2077, but as my cremated dust blows across the globe I imagine some will settle in a major city very much like Night City: a world of new tech built on grimier foundations. A locale akin to Blade Runner's Los Angeles than the sleek and shiny futureworlds of more optimistic imaginings.

 

Cyberpunk's story, an engaging, enjoyable romp centered around the enigmatic mercenary V, takes you through the many nooks and crannies of Night City, but the real enjoyment comes from just being there. Spending time walking the streets or whipping along them aboard a throaty motorbike, stopping to infect some unwitting scavs with a cybernetic hack or slicing mayhem with a katana so sharp it could cleave a diamond. The gameplay loop of completing gigs and side hustles is joyously moreish, your V becoming more adept and in tune with the world with each minute they spend in the city and beyond.

 

This is a game to be experienced sight unseen. Too much pre-empting could give way to overhyping the pleasure to be derived from exploring. The game doesn't reinvent the wheel, or indeed open world adventures, but it does possess a certain magic that seeps into you the more you play. Before you know it, it'll be 3am and you'll think you can feel Night City's smog in your lungs, and its grime under your fingernails. Time to take V back to their apartment, have a hot shower and get some rest before doing it all again. Doing the same in real life is optional, choom.

 

The Phantom Liberty DLC can't come soon enough.

[Popo]

Metroid Prime Remastered (2023)

Just wow. What more is there to say about this legendary game? A brilliant remaster - how you remeber it looking - with both the Gamecube and Wii control methods, AND dual sticks, very astute inclusions. This was probably my first Metroidvania, and as a piece of design it remains unweathered by the passage of time. 
 

Spoiler

05/01/2023 - Resident Evil Village: Shadow of Rose

11/01/2023 - Ridge Racer 3D

14/01/2023 - Wave Race 64

24/02/2023 - Metroid Prime Remastered

 

[Jamie John]

18 minutes ago, Popo said:

This was probably my first Metroidvania

 

 

Play Hollow Knight immediately, please. And Metroid Dread. And Ori and the Blind Forest. And then all the other games in this thread:

 

 

[Popo]

14 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

 

 

Play Hollow Knight immediately, please. And Metroid Dread. And Ori and the Blind Forest. And then all the other games in this thread:

 

 

I mean it was my first Metroidvania back in 2002! 
 

These days I’m a connoisseur. 

[Jamie John]

2 minutes ago, Popo said:

I mean it was my first Metroidvania back in 2002! 
 

These days I’m a connoisseur. 

 

Oh. Well, that's ok then.

 

[pinholestar]

 

Atomic Heart

 

 

 

 

 

A hectic mish-mash of influences and inspirations, Atomic Heart's DNA can be traced back through the tentpole features of pretty much any FPS of any note in the last 20 years you can think of.

 

It's Half-Life's sinister scientific experiments, Bioshock's everyman utopia gone to wrack and ruin, Portal's twisted and perilous puzzles, Far Cry's open world rife with danger, Condemned's brutally hefty melee combat, Fallout's alternative 1950's vision of a perfect society where technology will save us all, it's all of these things and yet none of them all at the same time. And if that sentence was exhausting to read then it's entirely apt, because if ever there was a game that feels like its creators threw everything and the kitchen sink at it then it's this one, which is both its greatest strength and ultimately its undoing.

 

Set in an alternative history 1950's in which the Soviets became the world's pre-eminent scientific and technological leaders, the crowning glory of the game and an aspect whose quality can't be denied is the stunning visual design and conceptualisation of just what a world like that would look like. Typified by the towering real life statue The Motherland Calls looming over the landscape but extending right down to the minutiae of Soviet-era watches and furniture, there's a consistency and attention to detail in the aesthetic design that is meticulously crafted. Combined with a brilliantly realised twist on early robotics reminiscent of Fritz Lang and the gloopy schlock of mid-20th century pulp science-fiction, it's a potent brew that leaves a lasting and often unsettling impression. The quirky soundtrack that pulls in sounds from all over the spectrum is exceptional as well.

 

The combat initially feels clunky and frustrating but it reveals itself to be much more satisfying than it first suggests once you've unlocked and upgraded a selection of weapons and abilities. In gameplay terms it's here where the Bioshock influence is most readily apparent - abilities such as telekinesis and frost projectiles in the left hand combined with weapons in the right, lending themselves to a familiar rhythm of softening up enemies with the one before finishing them off with the other. There's a satisfying crunch and weight to the combat encounters when levitating enemies en masse into the air before crashing them back into the ground, and pleasing aural and visual feedback as blank-faced androids and robots disintegrate into a gratifying explosion of mangled circuitry and scorched metal. Selectively applying appropriate elemental damage to your weapons becomes a crucial mechanic when dealing with the tougher enemies in the game, and combined with a fairly extensive skill upgrade tree it offers a decent palette of options and approaches to the player.  

 

Where it begins to all fall apart somewhat is in the sense that developer Mundfish didn't have the discipline to step back and focus their efforts a little. In attempting to make a game that ticked all the boxes, from lengthy dungeon dives through maze-like warrens of subterranean scientific complexes, to an expansive but frustrating and undercooked overworld that feels largely redundant, via puzzle rooms heavily inspired by Portal (which in many ways are the highlight of the game) and truly off-the-wall psychedelic dream sequences, all wrapped up in melee and ranged combat against hordes of enemies and thunderous screen-filling bosses, with first-person platforming and locked door puzzles and everything in between, you're left with the impression that it would have worked better as a more tightly drawn, linear experience that made the most of the things it does really well.  

 

As it is, it frequently veers into self-indulgence and there are some truly baffling design decisions that lead to some infuriatingly annoying gameplay sections. The story is a confusing mess, poorly told, needlessly wordy, obnoxiously acted and featuring some of the most cringe-inducingly awful dialogue I've heard in a long time. Some of the overt sexualisation on display is an absolute fucking embarrassment and the main character is an utter dickhead and completely misses the gruff no-nonsense but ultimately likeable military grunt they were clearly going for.

 

On the one hand, for a debut game from a relatively small new developer it's admirably ambitious, and the technical achievements and creative imagination on display are to be roundly applauded. Atmospherically and conceptually it's frequently brilliant and it carries a unique and distinctive vibe all of its own, but you have to learn to walk before you can run, and in stretching themselves too thin they ended up with a messy curate's egg of a game, undeniably really fucking weird at times but also often compelling. Its influences are writ large right across its span, yet it's quite unlike anything else you've ever played.

 

A hard one to wholly recommend but not without its saving graces, at the very least I'm curious to see what developer Mundfish does next.

 

7/10

 

[strawdonkey]

Spoiler

01 - Tiny Rogues

02 - Needy Streamer Overload

03 - Yamafuda - 2nd Station

04 - Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered

05 - Fault: Milestone One

06 - Fault: Milestone Two - Side: Above

X1 - Starfighter R&D

07 - Faith

08 - Alina of the Arena (Rookie clear, Warrior)

08a - Alina of the Arena (Rookie clear, Pyromancer; Rookie clear + Extra Boss, Samurai)

09 - Dodonpachi Resurrection (1CC, Novice, Type-B Strong, 17bil)

10 - Escaped Chasm

11 - Planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~

12. Dweller's Empty Path

13. Crimzon Clover World Explosion (1CC, Arrange, Type-I, almost 11 trillion points; also two other mode 1CCs)

14. Faith - Chapter II

 

Very much more of the same from the first game - enormously unsettling, incredible writing, completely out of place but brilliant text-to-speech, and slightly clunky to actually play. This one steps a number of things up in scope and I can't wait to get around to the final game.

[Mogster]

19/02/2023 - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

 

I played Crisis Core on the PSP back when it came out, but unlike FFVII itself I can barely remember any of it now. After finishing Reunion I think I know why.

 

It's complete nonsense.

 

It takes a single plot point from FFVII, well, two I suppose, and drags them out into a full length game in the stupidest way imaginable. I checked out long before the end to be honest, although I did appreciate the FFVII fan servicey bits.

 

It was still quite fun to play though, and a perfect fit for the Steam Deck for obvious reasons. The PSP original would definitely have benefitted from dual stick controls! That said, the seemingly endless side missions remain extremely repetitive, albeit optional and mercilessly short. I found myself compelled to play them though for fear of missing out on some of the more exotic rewards, like new summon materia, which had the effect of both dragging the game out and leaving me massively overlevelled. By the end I could end most fights with a single spell, which would also fully recharge my health and MP, so all the challenge was destroyed.

 

All in all, I don't think I would recommend this these days. It's okay, but it doesn't really add anything worthwhile to the FFVII story and there are far better RPGs you can play.

 

Spoiler

January
Nothing!

February
19/02/2023 - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

 

 

[Popo]

Callisto Protocol (2022)

What utter drudgery. Devoid of imagination, mechanically stiff and completely boring. I slightly begrudge having spent my time on this - the game takes 3 main combat options - melee which is lacking in dynamism, guns that are all basically the same and a telekinesis move that the devs implemented but didn’t know what to do with - and stretches them across too many hours of boring, samey enemies and boring, samey environments. What story there is is cliched and bare bones. 

 

The very definition of polishing a turn. Looks amazing - isn’t. 
 

Spoiler

05/01/2023 - Resident Evil Village: Shadow of Rose

11/01/2023 - Ridge Racer 3D

14/01/2023 - Wave Race 64

24/02/2023 - Metroid Prime Remastered

25/02/2023 - Callisto Protocol

 

[Unofficial Who]

Feb

 

26/02 The Games:Winter Edition (C64) I can't pretend to have completed this well, failing half of the events. It's interesting to go back and see Epyx taking a second run at their previous work. But trying to make this format more complicated loses the original appeal of the older games. It lacks the simplicity meaning that you need to teach a second player how to catch up to you or play it on your own. Neither of which is appealing. It did make me want to go back and play Summer Games 2.

 

 

25/02 Hi-Fi Rush (PC) I have no idea why I decided to download Hi-Fi Rush. It's a fighting game that is all about fighting in rhythm. Which I don't have. But seconds into the first fight I was in love with this game. Many others have already posted in this thread about what the game is about so that gives me freedom just to post about what I like about it. The look is bright and sharp, it feels like it's borrowed from the Sega blue sky look even on factory floors. A lot of the platforming reminds me of PS2 platform games but GOOD PS2 platform games, with the timed sections giving you just enough wriggle room for error. (I recently abandoned Eastward for not allowing such wriggle room at the end.) And because everything moves to Chai's internal beat it gives you a feel for when to jump and when to dodge. The cut scenes and dialogue is short, sharp and snappy with smash cuts that make it feel like the developers watched a lot of Edgar Wright movies.

 

 

I intended to play until the first boss assuming that at that point the game would bounce me out and that I'd hit a skill gate despite playing on easy. I've grown to hate boss fights over the years. Video game bosses are usually overly large powerful damage sponges that are no fun to play against either requiring endurance or working out one neat trick.

 

The bosses in Hi-Fi Rush are a delight. These aren't fights, these are dances. The moment Rekka punched her fists together upping the beat of Chai's heartbeat (and the pace of the game) I knew I was in for the long haul. Almost every moment of the game was a delight and despite getting low scores in each fight for timing (it ranks you after each fight Devil May Cry style) I enjoyed every single fight from the smallest group to the biggest boss. The highlight being 

Spoiler

a fight with an entire cafeteria full of robots while the Prodigy's "Invaders Must Die" played at full blast.

 

I'm a little at a loss as to the music choice. This is a game that's aimed squarely at younger players but a lot of the licenced music seems to be aimed squarely at people my age who loved indie music in the late 90's. Not that I'm complaining.

 

It's worth noting that I was playing on a PC with a wired controlled and a wired controller so I didn't suffer any lag, ymmv playing it on a console with a wireless controller. There are a couple of bum notes too, the secondary abilities that your companions have to break down cracked walls and hit machinery is a simple quick time event but just doesn't feel as good as the rest of the game, if I had my way I'd make them optional. It's not a deal breaker though.

 

As someone who doesn't get on with rhythm games and hates boss battles I can't recommend this game enough. It's bright and colourful and never overstays it's welcome. If you have GamePass you should be downloading this now. Easily a contender for game of the year and we're only in Feb.

 

Earlier this month

19/02 Jumping Flash! (PSOne/PS5)

05/02 Pikuniku (PC)

04/02 Brainstorm (C64)

 

Earlier this year

Spoiler

5. 29/01 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (PC)

4. 14/01 Alien Syndrome (C64)

3. 14/01 Alien Syndrome (Arcade)

2. 09/01 Nobody Saves the World (PC) 

1. 04/01 Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

 

[Quest]

26/02 - Aerodive (PS1)

 

 

PS1 synchronised skydiving game by Metro, developers of Bust-a-Groove. This shares some of that game's DNA in that you're doing timed button combos to trigger moves, with green prompts for the d-pad, pink for the face buttons. Successful execution charges up an attack gauge that you trigger with L1 to reduce the opposing team's energy before reaching parachute altitude.

 

It's a pretty basic experience but the presentation is bright and upbeat, and some of the teams have amusing names so that's a nice bonus:

 

 

Some pleasant blue sky music, too:

 

 

Currently Playing:

 

OlliOlli World (PS5)

Please, Touch The Artwork (Switch)

Splatoon 3 (Switch)

Hazelnut Hex (Switch)

 

2023 List:

Spoiler

26/02 - Aerodive (PS1)

25/02 - Jett: The Far Shore (PS5)

24/02 - Raiden V (PS4)

24/02 - Journey to the Savage Planet (PS5)

22/02 - Erica (PS4)

21/02 - Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County (PC)

21/02 - Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (PC)

21/02 - The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game (PC)

20/02 - Exquisite Ghorpse Party (PC)

20/02 - Air Twister (Mac)

19/02 - Witcheye (Switch)

18/02 - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

10/02 - Ape Escape 2001 (PS2)

09/02 - Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) 

09/02 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (Switch)

07/02 - Liberation Maiden (3DS)

06/02 - Pentiment (Series X)

02/02 - Hi-Fi Rush (Series X) 

28/01 - Radical Rabbit Stew (Switch)

27/01 - Wheels of Aurelia (Mac)

26/01 - Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (Switch)

25/01 - Martial Law (Mac)

25/01 - Final Vendetta (Mac)

25/01 - Huntdown (Switch)

23/01 - Haven Park (Mac)

20/01 - Cryohazard (Game Boy)

19/01 - Goof Troop (SNES)

18/01 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (Series X)

17/01 - UnderDungeon (Switch)

12/01 - Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX (PS5)

12/01 - Star Parodier (PC Engine CD-ROM²)

11/01 - Franken (Mac)

10/01 - Novena (Bitsy)

09/01 - The Council (PS4)

06/01 - FAR: Lone Sails (Switch)     

05/01 - Z-Warp (Switch)

04/01 - Chicory: A Colourful Tale (PS5)

 

[Gambit]

26/02 - Dead Space (PS5)

 

Clearly a passion project for the studio. What could've been a half assed attempt is a lovingly crafted remake, complete with new gameplay improvements that make it a far more modern experience (hooray for no turret sequence). A few physics-y  issues didn't dampen my enthusiasm, though having to reload a save because the next cut scene didn't trigger was a little annoying.

 

Will be interesting to see if the devs tackle Dead Space 2 next. And then just completely re-imagine Dead Space 3 because I feel like very little of that is salvageable. 

 

8/10

 

Spoiler

January

02\01 - Deus Ex: Human Revolution

15/01 - Marvels Midnight Suns

 

[Popo]

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)

In the eyes of this reviewer, this is undoubtedly the greatest and best title released on the original Gameboy. Playing here on the novelty Game & Watch device, with its sharp, bright chromatic display, is almost like a remaster - and what a towering achievement it remains.
 

Through sheer force of imagination, Link’s Awakening transcends its humble host hardware, more typically to be found playing simple games like Tetris. Here, a vast island plays host to villages, mountains, beaches, deserts - not to mention 8 dungeons, each a challenging, complex puzzle box; rarely has the geometry and shape of a Zelda dungeon been so well designed or been so integral to the gameplay as Eagle Tower. 
 

Compared with the stunning Switch remake, the original game is much more challenging, in both combat and in figuring out what the hell you’re supposed to be doing - it’s old school like that. Quite how they fit all this game onto that tiny cartridge is a minor miracle. It was a 10 at the time, and in 2023, still is. 
 

Spoiler

05/01/2023 - Resident Evil Village: Shadow of Rose

11/01/2023 - Ridge Racer 3D

14/01/2023 - Wave Race 64

24/02/2023 - Metroid Prime Remastered

25/02/2023 - Callisto Protocol

26/02:2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

 

[Boothjan]

Spoiler

1. Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order - XSX - 11/01/23 - 7.5/10

2. Assassins Creed Valhalla - XSX - 12/01/23 - 8.5/10

3. Guardians of the Galaxy - XSX Game Pass - 19/01/23 - 9/10

4. Bugsnax - XSX Game Pass - 20/01/23 - 6/10

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - XSX Game Pass - 23/01/23 - 9/10

6. Borderlands 2 - XSX - 24/01/23 - 8.5/10

7. Hi Fi Rush - XSX Game Pass - 31/01/23 - 9.5/10

8. Borderlands - The Pre-Sequel! - XSX - 09/02/23 - 7/10

9. Hogwarts Legacy - XSX - 20/02/23 - 8.5/10

 

10. Plague Tale: Requiem - XSX Game Pass

 

 

 

Blimey, this is bleak.  Ridiculously so, to the point when it's actually sort of amusing just how much bleakness our poor protagonist Amicia and her little brother Hugo can take.  So bleak that I had to take breaks from this - it's not a game that you can spend 5-6 hours on, unless you somehow enjoy the bleakness.  Because this is BLEAK.  It's worse than Brexit.

 

I never played the first Plague Tale game, but managed to catch up on the story via YouTube, and I'm pleased I did that because the story is key throughout all of this - and it's excellent, the main reason I came back to finish this.  The characters are very good too - and together, it makes for a very enjoyable narrative full of twists and turns (spoiler - almost all of them are BLEAK).

 

The tale of Amicia and her brother Hugo is one most people know about - Hugo has a rare condition which means he's linked to an ancient power called The Macula, which is in turn connected to the hoard of rats causing the titular plague.  And boy, are there a lot of rats in Requiem!  They're terrifying in their volume and their ruthlessness and voracity, and all the best parts of Requiem feature these pesky things.  

 

The first thing that struck me about Requiem was how incredible it looks - landscapes are absolutely spectacular, and during the 15-odd hours it took me to get through it, there's a very impressive balance of dark, dingy environments, hellish corpse-laden levels, beautiful, colourful vistas, pretty market towns, huge, imposing mountain ranges, coastlines etc etc.  It never looks anything less than stunning with constant small details adding to the realism, and the lighting is also very impressive.  Oh, and those rats.  Likewise, the sounds are tremendous.  The soundtrack is perfectly pitched, the voice acting very good indeed.  So aurally and visually, Requiem is top notch from start to finish.

 

Gameplay here is a really mixed bag.  When it's good, Requiem is very good with some clever puzzles.  Unfortunately, there are far too many really bad sections which mean I could never rate Requiem as highly as the presentation, the plot and characters would otherwise deserve.

 

As for the good - the clever ways to lure rats around were easily my favourite parts.  Using torches to keep them at bay is neat, but manipulating the environment, extinguishing enemies' torches so they fall prey to the rodents is the absolute highlight.  It would have been nice if these mechanics were expanded upon somewhat.

 

The bad sections sadly were too frequent.  Requiem doesn't really ever nail combat - it's seen as a last resort aside from some very specific sections, so stealth is the required skill around 75% of the time.  Sometimes this is fine, but other levels feel overly long, tedious and dated.  One level in particular has you sneaking around to hide from the antagonist in a dingy cellar, and it's painful to complete.  I totally get that this is never supposed to be a combat-heavy Uncharted clone, but the balance is off and as such, is a big disappointment.  I did sigh when I realised that the next level of the game would be a rat-free sneakathon trying to avoid guards who can kill you with one hit.

 

TBH I didn't particularly mind the several 'slow' action-free sections of the game to break up the bleakness.  These sections show off the visuals as you take in surroundings, and although they're far from interactive, they serve their purpose and certainly help the story.  Even the snails pace of levels didn't bother me - it's realistic, the perils Amicia faces feel very real, it can feel particularly tense in places.  I just wish there were more rat manipulation levels and fewer sneaking past those pesky guards.

 

Requiem is definitely worth a look, particularly if you enjoy a strong narrative with good characters.  The story is worth suffering a few dud levels, and when the gameplay is good, it's very enjoyable.  Maybe just have a more upbeat game to fall back on (which I did!), because the peril and jeopardy never really lets up and you'll wonder just how much more shit poor Amicia can have thrown at her.  Maybe she could be the star of Powerwash Simulator 2 next time, the poor girl badly needs a break.

 

7/10

[Boothjan]

Spoiler

1. Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order - XSX - 11/01/23 - 7.5/10

2. Assassins Creed Valhalla - XSX - 12/01/23 - 8.5/10

3. Guardians of the Galaxy - XSX Game Pass - 19/01/23 - 9/10

4. Bugsnax - XSX Game Pass - 20/01/23 - 6/10

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - XSX Game Pass - 23/01/23 - 9/10

6. Borderlands 2 - XSX - 24/01/23 - 8.5/10

7. Hi Fi Rush - XSX Game Pass - 31/01/23 - 9.5/10

8. Borderlands - The Pre-Sequel! - XSX - 09/02/23 - 7/10

9. Hogwarts Legacy - XSX - 20/02/23 - 8.5/10

10. Plague Tale: Requiem - XSX Game Pass - 25/02/23 - 7/10

 

11. Return to Monkey Island - XSX Game Pass

 

 

So - that 'more upbeat game to fall back on' I mentioned during Plague Tale: Requiem?  Here it is.  And 'upbeat' is one of many words you could use to describe RTMI - it's joyous, funny, relaxing, silly and fun.

 

I wanted the return to the lore of Monkey Island to be exactly like this.  The same daft, irreverent humour but with a massive dose of nostalgia with the overall game mechanics staying pretty much the same.  The biggest update here are the visuals - it did take me a while for this new look to click, but after half an hour or so, I began to love the art style, and the way each character - important or random extra - seems to have been lovingly designed from scratch.

 

Returning characters feel warmingly and reassuringly familiar, and the voice acting is as strong here as it ever was.  And it's genuinely funny in places, daft little throwaway lines to the actual puzzle solutions made me chuckle throughout.

 

At roughly 10 hours, it's the perfect length for this sort of game, and there's a plethora of collectables such as trivia questions to pick up which can add some extra incentives for any purists wanting to see everything.  The story flows well, no section outstays its welcome and the variety of locations and characters is well balanced.

 

I probably would have bought this on my Switch if it hadn't have arrived on Game Pass, but the fact it did was an added bonus.  It was 10 hours well spend, and I'd have been happy to pay for the experience.  

 

Also worth noting that even if you've never experienced a Monkey Island game before, it's worth picking up as it doesn't need any prior knowledge.  If you have it, it's yet another added bonus.  One of the best gaming nostalgia trips in years.

 

8/10

[bradigor]

Quick loose poll. 

 

I am making my way through Wreckfest on Steam Deck and I know I'll never be able to get all the bonus objectives and every single point on offer. I also know completed is a personal thing. But would you here say that getting the last championship won is 'completed' or would you want consider completed when 100% 

 

It's mainly to decide if it goes on the completed list, or abandoned list. 

 

For context I think if this had some of the accessibility settings that Forza Horizon 5 has, then I reckon I could squeeze out everything, but as it is now I can't react quick enough to certain things due to the speed of the game and me being blind.

[gossi the dog]

2 minutes ago, bradigor said:

Quick loose poll. 

 

I am making my way through Wreckfest on Steam Deck and I know I'll never be able to get all the bonus objectives and every single point on offer. I also know completed is a personal thing. But would you here say that getting the last championship won is 'completed' or would you want consider completed when 100% 

 

It's mainly to decide if it goes on the completed list, or abandoned list. 

 

For context I think if this had some of the accessibility settings that Forza Horizon 5 has, then I reckon I could squeeze out everything, but as it is now I can't react quick enough to certain things due to the speed of the game and me being blind.

 

Have the credits rolled?

[bradigor]

11 minutes ago, gossi the dog said:

 

Have the credits rolled?

 

Is there credits at the end of Wreckfest? Also not there yet to see.

[Gabe]

30 minutes ago, bradigor said:

Quick loose poll. 

 

I am making my way through Wreckfest on Steam Deck and I know I'll never be able to get all the bonus objectives and every single point on offer. I also know completed is a personal thing. But would you here say that getting the last championship won is 'completed' or would you want consider completed when 100% 

 

It's mainly to decide if it goes on the completed list, or abandoned list. 

 

For context I think if this had some of the accessibility settings that Forza Horizon 5 has, then I reckon I could squeeze out everything, but as it is now I can't react quick enough to certain things due to the speed of the game and me being blind.

It is absolutely of no business of anybody in this thread to say whether you (or anyone) has completed something 'properly' - it really is whether you feel you are leaving it happy that you've had your fill, or annoyed that you have left things unresolved. This thread is your own personal record, after all.

 

As an example, I felt I'd 'completed' Vampire Saviour last year despite the fact that I only played on the first two areas and my best time was 20-odd minutes. I felt I'd seen all the game was going to show me, and spending another x-hours wasn't going to materially change that experience. On the completion list it went.

 

I did actually go and play a bit more around Christmas and got a 30-minute run along with evolving some powers, but I didn't feel it did much to change my initial impression and the cycle wasn't anywhere near interesting or compelling enough to make me want to carry on.

[Quest]

If you've experienced the game to your satisfaction, it's done. You don't owe it or anyone in this thread anything.

 

Chuck it on the big ol' 'finished' pile.

 

Edit: Wot @Gabesaid.

[Quest]

26/02 - Journey to the Savage Planet - Hot Garbage DLC

 

Not content with the fucking awful AI companion chattering away in your ear throughout the main game, they decided to add another one for this DLC. 

 

 

4/10

 

Currently Playing:

 

Tunic (Series X)

OlliOlli World (PS5)

Please, Touch The Artwork (Switch)

Splatoon 3 (Switch)

Hazelnut Hex (Switch)

 

2023 List:

Spoiler

26/02 - Journey to the Savage Planet - Hot Garbage DLC

26/02 - Aerodive (PS1)

24/02 - Raiden V (PS4)

24/02 - Journey to the Savage Planet (PS5)

22/02 - Erica (PS4)

21/02 - Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County (PC)

21/02 - Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (PC)

21/02 - The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game (PC)

20/02 - Exquisite Ghorpse Party (PC)

20/02 - Air Twister (Mac)

19/02 - Witcheye (Switch)

18/02 - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

10/02 - Ape Escape 2001 (PS2)

09/02 - Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) 

09/02 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (Switch)

07/02 - Liberation Maiden (3DS)

06/02 - Pentiment (Series X)

02/02 - Hi-Fi Rush (Series X) 

28/01 - Radical Rabbit Stew (Switch)

27/01 - Wheels of Aurelia (Mac)

26/01 - Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (Switch)

25/01 - Martial Law (Mac)

25/01 - Final Vendetta (Mac)

25/01 - Huntdown (Switch)

23/01 - Haven Park (Mac)

20/01 - Cryohazard (Game Boy)

19/01 - Goof Troop (SNES)

18/01 - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (Series X)

17/01 - UnderDungeon (Switch)

12/01 - Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX (PS5)

12/01 - Star Parodier (PC Engine CD-ROM²)

11/01 - Franken (Mac)

10/01 - Novena (Bitsy)

09/01 - The Council (PS4)

06/01 - FAR: Lone Sails (Switch)     

05/01 - Z-Warp (Switch)

04/01 - Chicory: A Colourful Tale (PS5)

 

[bradigor]

Thanks all. Just to clarify other people's thoughts on the completed now days, as it used to be something I remember being sneered at if you didn't do certain things. 

 

Something like God Of War will be abandoned by me, but Tetris Effect I've probably completed 50 times over, despite not getting all the top results and achievements. I do consider that one completed. Oddly just not on the Steam version yet, so I must rectify that

[dreamylittledream]

6 minutes ago, bradigor said:

Thanks all. Just to clarify other people's thoughts on the completed now days, as it used to be something I remember being sneered at if you didn't do certain things. 

 

Something like God Of War will be abandoned by me, but Tetris Effect I've probably completed 50 times over, despite not getting all the top results and achievements. I do consider that one completed. Oddly just not on the Steam version yet, so I must rectify that

This is a personal thread of games you feel you have completed so you own that definition, not that I would think anyone would judge you either way regardless 

[merman]

1. Lester (C64) 1/02/2023 - brilliant Metroidvania with a cute robot, inspired by MSX title Ghost.

 

2. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Game Pass) 25/02/2023 - I have history with the LEGO games, which I have been playing since reviewing LEGO Bionicles for a website. I have multiple 100% completions on Xbox 360. So, having finished the Story Mode in January I decided to go all out and finish everything. Every level, every side mission, every Achievement. 102 hours in total and then

 

Spoiler

The game gives you a “ceremony”, appropriately in the Great Temple on Yavin IV (where the medal ceremony at the end of Episode IV: A New Hope* takes place**. Go right to the top of the Temple and in the highest room there is a lever. When you have 100%, you can pull the lever to set off huge showers of Studs.

 

*Yes, that’s what it’s called. 

**There’s a Smuggling mission in this game where you have to take a cargo across sectors, fighting off Bounty Hunters. And when you reach Yavin IV Space, the cargo is revealed to be extra medals for a ceremony because there weren’t enough for the last one they held...)

 

[CurryKitten]

God of War: Ragnarok (PS5)

This was a game I was really quite looking forward to after the reboot several years ago.  I liked it, it did feel very epic, very polished and very involving.  You could of course argue that it was a big lists of quest and side-quests linked together, but I found the single player narrative running through it very interesting.  Taking control of Atreus  in certain missions or having different companions was an interesting twist as well.

 

I spent 55 hours on this game.  It's about twice as long as you need to spend on it if you are just playing through the tory, but I was off on side-missions and hunting down every raven.  After the main titles, and the further titles after the epilogue, I did think about going around and maybe going for 100%, but I must admit most of the berserker fights kill me.  I've got about 4 of them done, but whenever there's multiple opponents it feels pretty unfair, and less like fun - so I think I might let that idea rest

 

Previously:

Spoiler

1. PowerWash Simulator

2. High on Life