Your 2016 Gaming Diary

Hero-of-Time · August 7, 2016

My Ocarina of Time adventure is over.

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nekunando · August 7, 2016

I was watching the Community Shield on my computer so decided to put a game on to play alongside it. I've had Gekido for a good number of years now as it was 10p in CeX when I bought it and I vaguely remembered playing it with my friend when I was younger on his PS1.

Anyway, I finished it just there now and it is AWFUL :nono: I don't think I'll ever play it again, despite the laughable 93% from Planet PlayStation on the back of the case.

**Ike** · August 7, 2016

Yay, I actually finished a game! Pokemon Go plus Sun&Moon hype got me in the mood to play one of the originals, so went with Yellow since I can get all 3 starters to transfer later.

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My team:

Primape was the one who took out Blue's last Pokemon. Scyther was utterly useless and was pretty much just death fodder. He gets such a terrible movepool in Gen 1.

Need to go catch Mewtwo and the 3 birds at some point.

I'm sure everyone who has played it knows how broken the mechanics are. Critical hits trigger happen far too often due to working off the speed stat. Wrap + poison made the gym battle against Erika far too frustrating. What's strange is that i don't really remember it being that difficult when I used to play it.

Apart from the broken mechanics, it's still a fun game to play through.

Hero-of-Time · August 8, 2016

Dat Joe Madureira art work! :bowdown:

That guy is still my favourite comic book artist to this day. His work on Uncanny X-Men in the 90's was amazing. I was gutted when he left Marvel.

**Rummy** · August 8, 2016

My Ocarina of Time adventure is over.

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You're such a beast man! I was up early and watching some taped(shit) cricket this morning so I managed to finish off MQ's Shadow Temple and I'm up to the boss for the Spirit temple. Thinking that MQ's Spirit Temple is almost as bad as OoT's Water Temple, really twisted me up today! Hoping I might get finished all off by tomorrow to give Marcamillian back his 3DS - not gonna go for any of the extras I don't fancy/need I don't think right now(may do it on my own 3DS where I don't need R as much).

Ganepark32 · August 9, 2016

Finished up The Walking Dead Season 1 at the tail end of last week after a mammoth session. I'd watched a playthrough of it on YouTube years ago so while I knew what was going to happen (for the most part at least), I got hooked in and just wanted to see it through to the end. And I really enjoyed getting to play it. It's something I wanted to play shortly after watching it but it's taken me till now to do it on the PS4.

Even with knowing what happens, the emotional impact of certain sections still managed to hit and the bits I'd forgotten about really hit hard (the bit in the attic in the house in Savannah particularly). It was easy enough to sit back and watch someone I didn't know make the decisions in the game but actually doing it myself was hard at times and I really wasn't sure whether I'd made the right decision or not in places. Siding with Lilly through the early part of the game and the consequences there biting me in the backside was hard to take and abstaining from certain actions left similar feelings with me wondering whether I should have acted differently or not.

The game's story and the characters are great and the way it draws you in to make you feel for those around you, question your own perspectives on things and the choices you make is expertly handled. The resultant consequences are similarly well conceived and bar the encounter bit in the hotel in the last episode falling flat, they all hit a strong emotional note.

It's got me itching to play the second season now, which I thankfully have sitting waiting to be downloaded thanks to getting it on PS+ a couple of months. But it's also got me chomping at the bit to play the Michonne spin-off and take a crack at Tales from the Borderlands, as I have the first episode sitting there waiting to be played.

All in all, a fantastic game and I can't wait to play more.

Also managed to play through and finish Abzu at the weekend there. It had been on my radar for some time and I had it pre-loaded waiting to be played so when it activated, I jumped on early morning to indulge in some deep sea diving and I loved everything that I experienced.

The last word there probably encapsulates the game best, an experience. Much like Journey, it's a game where there narrative isn't explicitly handed to you. You have to put the pieces together but the undertones and general themes are there to anyone paying enough attention through the general run of the game and although it doesn't maintain the same emotional strength of Journey through perhaps the key element in the story, I still felt that overall the emotional experience that I received outshone that of Journey.

Being interested in the ocean, the sealife below and wanting to go diving may have something to do with that but I felt that it clicked with me from the start and had me engrossed right through to the end. I was actually a little saddened that it was over in the 3 to 4 hours that it took me to finish as the game's highlights were many for me (getting to swim with dophins, orcas, turtles, leaping out of the water with blue whales, the secret polar island that you find) and definitely left me feeling chills. It's stuck with me in my memory as a beautiful underwater experience that really has me wanting more or at least a new Ecco the Dolphin game.

The look and sound of the game played a big part in engaging me, the cel-shaded look and the attention to detail was beautiful and the amount of work modelling and animating entire shoals of hundreds of fish with minimal frame drops is incredible. The soundtrack I thought beautifully captured what was happening, lending itself really well to a laidback adventure of exploration.

I can see why some might not gravitate towards it and see why some might not get the same kind of emotional experience from it that they might have experienced with Journey but for me, it was an absolute joy to play from start to finish and it's definitely something which will linger long in my mind and becomes one of my favourite gaming experiences of this year.

I also managed to have a run through onThis War of Mine: The Little Ones, managing to survive for 12 days on my first go before it all went to pot. I picked it up as it was going cheap in the summer sale and glad that I did because it's another game that taps into the same elements that The Walking Dead games do but by giving you a bit more control over the characters and your actions, the after effects are felt much more.

It plays out like a version of The Sims set during a war where you're scavenging bombed out buildings by night and trying to fortify your own dwellings to minimise the impact of looters and to keep the people you're working with alive and well. The mechanics are simple but managing to keep your characters going, keeping them stocked up on supplies and healthy is a hard task and raids on your house at night can have big consequences if you don't prepare properly, as does going out scavenging and not being cautious.

It's an incredibly deep and involved process going through all of these elements of survival and blurring the line on moral choices really hits home for your characters but extends out to you should you go down the route of killing and stealing. I'm amazed I managed to get to 12 days with just how quickly one thing going wrong can have consequences for everything.

I've already started a second run through to see if I can see out the war but 10 days in and I've already lost a character who was killed while scavenging, leaving me with fewer supplies and less help to survive. The procedural nature of how the game plays out means that you're always kept on your toes and clearly my more cautious approach second time around wasn't cautious enough. Still I'm enjoying it and looking forward to playing more. Think this'll be a long term play game for me.

Completed

January

Axiom Verge (Started Dec. 2015)

Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition

Resogun* (Rookie complete, 3 difficulty settings to go)

Super Exploding Zoo

Among The Sleep

Amplitude

Just Cause 3 (Started Dec. 2015)

Fallout 4 (Started Nov. 2015)

Flower

February

The Witness (Platinum get)

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Submerged

Rainbow Six Siege (Situations Completed)

Firewatch

Unravel

March

Hotline Miami

SOMA

The Fall

Murdered: Soul Suspect (Platinumed)

Uncharted 2 Remastered

April

Uncharted 3 Remastered

Republique (PS4)

Shutshimi

Teslagrad

Volume (Platinumed)

Mirror's Edge (PS3)

Blues and Bullets - Episode 1 & 2 (of 5)

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

May

Shadow Complex Remastered

Koi (PS4)

The Park (PS4)

Table Top Racing: World Tour

Uncharted 4

June

Ratchet and Clank (2016)

Invisible Inc. (Beginner difficulty)

Child of Eden (PS3)

Oxenfree

VEV: Viva Ex Vivo

Gone Home (PS4)

Mirror's Edge Catalyst

July

Far Cry Primal

Infamous First Light

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

Type:Rider (PS4)

Adr1ft

Shadow of the Beast (PS4; Normal Difficulty)

Trials of the Blood Dragon

Song of the Deep

Unmechanical Extended

August

Hyper Light Drifter

The Walking Dead Season 1

Abzu

This War of Mine: The Little Ones - First Run: Day 12 (Long term)

So on top of This War of Mine: The Little Ones, I've got No Man's Sky pre-loaded and ready to go so my gaming is sorted for the next couple of weeks :grin:

**lostmario** · August 9, 2016

Finished Uncharted 4 on Sunday.

Fantastic game, easily the best of the 4 Uncharted games for me. I really didn't want it to end. The graphics are amazing... lost count the number of times I just stopped and admired the view. Music & story also great. Naughty Dog continue to push Sony's consoles to their limit.

Wasn't sure about his brother at first but I ended up really liking his character. Elena, Sully and Nathan all great characters as they have been over the 4 games.

The ending was perfect. Can't really say anymore about it.

For me it felt more like The Last of Us than the previous 3 Uncharted games which isn't a bad thing. When I spoke to @Hero\-of\-Time about this, he told me about Amy Hennig leaving and the The Last of Us directors taking over. Reading more about it, the story was 100% changed when she left.

Its up there with The Last of Us, I absolutely loved that game and this comes incredibly close.

Fingers crossed they are working on a follow up to The Last of Us next....

nekunando · August 9, 2016

Fingers crossed they are working on a follow up to The Last of Us next....

That would probably sell me on a PS4 : peace:

I fell asleep during Red Dead Redemption last night. Actually :blank:

killthenet · August 10, 2016

I'm trying to play through all the Zelda games that I've not played before and I just finished probably the biggest oversight in Link's Awakening DX. I've tried to play it a few times over the years, first of all with the original Game Boy version in the mid 90's, but it was too tough for my childish brain. I bought it on the 3DS virtual console as soon as it went on sale, and had a false start with it but it was so long ago that I deleted my save when I started again last week. I am constantly surprised by the depth of a lot of retro games, and this is a great example of one of those - it's incredible that it's basically a paired down Link To The Past on the Game Boy, i'm sure there have been some changes to the DX version over the original but even so, it's a impressive game technically.

I had a few issues with the game, mostly with the constant item switching due to the 2-button limitation of the Game Boy but really enjoyed it overall. It's a shame that more Zelda games don't have the dark aspects to their story that this one has, the ending is just fantastic.

Not sure what to play next really, I've got a lot of games I'm interested in playing but the Olympics is taking up a lot of my time over the next couple of weeks so I might take a break for a bit.

**Rummy** · August 10, 2016

I'm trying to play through all the Zelda games that I've not played before and I just finished probably the biggest oversight in Link's Awakening DX. I've tried to play it a few times over the years, first of all with the original Game Boy version in the mid 90's, but it was too tough for my childish brain. I bought it on the 3DS virtual console as soon as it went on sale, and had a false start with it but it was so long ago that I deleted my save when I started again last week. I am constantly surprised by the depth of a lot of retro games, and this is a great example of one of those - it's incredible that it's basically a paired down Link To The Past on the Game Boy, i'm sure there have been some changes to the DX version over the original but even so, it's a impressive game technically.

I had a few issues with the game, mostly with the constant item switching due to the 2-button limitation of the Game Boy but really enjoyed it overall. It's a shame that more Zelda games don't have the dark aspects to their story that this one has, the ending is just fantastic.

Not sure what to play next really, I've got a lot of games I'm interested in playing but the Olympics is taking up a lot of my time over the next couple of weeks so I might take a break for a bit.

If you haven't already, consdering giving the Boss Keys vids on youtube a watch(go LttP, LA, then OoT). They're not too long(sub 10-15min) and just a quick but interesting look at the dungeon designs in quite a simple and refreshing way.

Anyhow on the Zelda note - I did, on Monday, finish up Ganondorf's tower and then had me a slice of Ganon Steak. Master Quest all done! Not gone for 100% collectibles and probs finished up on about 14 hearts, but got my gold quiver and biggest bomb bag+biggoron sword. Things to get if I do decide to 100%(which I probs won't) are The Last Bottle, Golden Scale, Ice Arrow, Heart Pieces and like 40somethingish Skulltulas. Don't think I missed anything else except selling the Bunny Hood and maybe planting all my beanstalks etc.

Hero-of-Time · August 10, 2016

I had a few issues with the game, mostly with the constant item switching due to the 2-button limitation of the Game Boy but really enjoyed it overall.

This is one of Brian Altanos favourite games of all time and he has the same issues with it as you. He's always going on about how he would love a remake of the game or even just convert what is already there to a dual screen system.

bob · August 10, 2016

What would Brian Altano do if he were here right now?

He'd make a plan, and he'd follow through; that's what Brian Altano would do.

Hero-of-Time · August 11, 2016

I finished Beyond Two Souls (PS4) last night. Cracking game. Even though I played it when it first came out on the PS3, this was just as enjoyable. The story may lack the original impact, due to knowing what was going to happen, but I still love the game to bits.

Certain reviews said this version of the game suffered from performance issues but I didn't see a single one. The game still looked stunning and ran fine.

I still need to do another run through of the game to nab the rest of my trophies but i'm not sure if I should take a break from it or crack on and get the platinum straight away.

I love David Cage games. The dude gets a very hard rap from many gamers and critics but his games always pull me in. I find the story and characters he creates very interesting and enjoyable. I have yet to play Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit and look forward to trying it out on the PS4 at some point.

**Fierce_LiNk** · August 11, 2016

I finished Beyond Two Souls (PS4) last night. Cracking game. Even though I played it when it first came out on the PS3, this was just as enjoyable. The story may lack the original impact, due to knowing what was going to happen, but I still love the game to bits.

Certain reviews said this version of the game suffered from performance issues but I didn't see a single one. The game still looked stunning and ran fine.

I still need to do another run through of the game to nab the rest of my trophies but i'm not sure if I should take a break from it or crack on and get the platinum straight away.

I love David Cage games. The dude gets a very hard rap from many gamers and critics but his games always pull me in. I find the story and characters he creates very interesting and enjoyable. I have yet to play Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit and look forward to trying it out on the PS4 at some point.

I've got the game and am looking forward to giving it a go. How long is it? Could play it in between No Man's Sky.

I loved Heavy Rain.

Hero-of-Time · August 11, 2016

I've got the game and am looking forward to giving it a go. How long is it? Could play it in between No Man's Sky.

I loved Heavy Rain.

Probably around 10-12 hours long.

Think about how you want to play it, though. When the game was first released on the PS3, the order in which the story unfolds jumps all over the place. While I didn't mind at all, and had no trouble piecing together the story, many people kicked off with it and found it confusing. With the PS4 release you have the option to play the game in chronological order.

**Fierce_LiNk** · August 11, 2016

Probably around 10-12 hours long.

Think about how you want to play it, though. When the game was first released on the PS3, the order in which the story unfolds jumps all over the place. While I didn't mind at all, and had no trouble piecing together the story, many people kicked off with it and found it confusing. With the PS4 release you have the option to play the game in chronological order.

What's the default/intended option? I'll go with that. I don't need everything spoon-fed to me.

Hero-of-Time · August 11, 2016

What's the default/intended option? I'll go with that. I don't need everything spoon-fed to me.

The intended way to play it is where the game jumps between different points in time, rather than following a chronological route. The game can also be played in co-op, if you and Eenuh want to go through it together.

**Fierce_LiNk** · August 11, 2016

The intended way to play it is where the game jumps between different points in time, rather than following a chronological route. The game can also be played in co-op, if you and Eenuh want to go through it together.

May try the co-op, that sounds interesting. I'll play the regular route. Could always do a second playthrough the chronological way in order to compare.

Blade · August 11, 2016

Played through The Witcher III: Wild Hunt for a second time to get the platinum as I didn't play on the highest difficulty setting the first time.

Fantastic game

**Fierce_LiNk** · August 12, 2016

Played through The Witcher III: Wild Hunt for a second time to get the platinum as I didn't play on the highest difficulty setting the first time.

Fantastic game

Do the DLC next. You won't regret it. Both are well written and just need to be experienced.

Hero-of-Time · August 13, 2016

After watching the Rogue One trailer yesterday, I was in the mood to play something Star Wars related, so I went and snapped up Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Vita). I just finished my first run through of the game this afternoon.

Typical Lego affair but having the game set in the Star Wars universe is very welcome. It's longer than most of the other Lego games i've played on the Vita. Most usually have about 15 stages and then a few bonus ones. This has around 30 and some bonus ones on top of that.

The flying sections are outstanding. Kinda made me wish Star Fox Zero was more like it. It also had me wanting a new Rogue Leader game.

Tales · August 13, 2016

May try the co-op, that sounds interesting. I'll play the regular route. Could always do a second playthrough the chronological way in order to compare.

Good choice. Play it the way the director intended.

Also, if you like games like Heavy Rain/BTS, Until Dawn is your next logical choice.

Hero-of-Time · August 15, 2016

I spent the best part of yesterday playing through Lego Star Wars again and Beyond Two Souls. I managed to nab the platinum on both. The Lego one wasn't that bad but the Beyond one was a pain in the butt. I forgot just how much of a chore it could be. I also didn't help matters by screwing things up.

When going for the platinum I was just jumping between chapters, rather than going through the whole game. This was netting me the individual trophies but screwed me out of the ones that require you to make choices that carry through the whole game. I got all the way to chapter 17 (of 25) and then realised I had cocked up. I then had to start again. I essentially played through the thing 2 and 3/4 times.

Having to do the final chapter multiple times is also a grind. The level isn't short either and then you have to watch the credits, which also last an age. I had to do this 3 times in a row last night as I was determined to get the platinum before going to bed. :p

That's another one crossed off my list this month. Lego wasn't part of the list but I wanted to play it anyway. I'll have a gander at said list when I get home and decide what i'll play next.

Blade · August 15, 2016

@Hero\-of\-Time

I can suggest a good game...

Hero-of-Time · August 15, 2016

@Hero\-of\-Time

I can suggest a good game...

Nah, The Witcher 3 isn't on the my list for the month. I do wonder if I will ever get around to playing that game.

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