drahkon Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 With a recent "issue" in my personal life the motivation to complete games has still been absent. I did, however, play and finish a small game. My very first mobile game I have ever completed: rymdkapsel. It's an easy, simple and soothing strategy game. Played this over two evenings on my phone for a total of 7 hours and managed to complete all goals several times. Tonight it's time for Nex Machina. Still no big single-player experience but exactly the game I want right now. High-octane arcade twin-stick shooting? Sign me the fuck up Currently Playing ____________________________________ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered - Multiplayer (PS4) Stardew Valley (PS4) long-term playthrough Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4) co-op playthrough Completed ____________________________________ January ________________________________________________ Titanfall 2 (PS4) - GotM Color Guardians (PS4) Day of the Tentacle Remastered (PSVita) Super Mario World (SNES) Super Mario Land (GameBoy) Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GameBoy) Shovel Knight (PSVita) Actual Sunlight (PSVita) February ________________________________________________ Dishonored 2 (PS4) Nioh (PS4) - GotM March ________________________________________________ The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (WiiU) Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) - GotM God of War III Remastered (PS4) The Witness (PS4) Shadow of Mordor (PS4) Shadow Complex Remastered (PS4) April ________________________________________________ Mega Man X (SNES) Final Fantasy VII (PS4) Yooka Laylee (PS4) - GotM Steins;Gate (PSVita) Volume (PSVita) May ________________________________________________ none June ________________________________________________ rymdkapsel (Android) Platinum Trophies I might get sometime ____________________________________ Shovel Knight (PSVita) Nioh (PS4) Dishonored 2 (PS4) God of War III Remastered (PS4) Put on hold ____________________________________ Seraph (PS4)
Kav Posted June 20, 2017 Posted June 20, 2017 After having a lot on the past few months, I hadn't got to play Zelda as much as I'd have liked, but yesterday I finally got round to finishing it. Such a wonderfully crafted game, I loved it throughout. The best game I've ever played!
killthenet Posted June 24, 2017 Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) I've played through another few games this week, starting with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. As I mentioned in my previous post I really didn't enjoy the first Uncharted game but had a much better time with the second one so was definitely more hopeful going into the third but had heard that it was significantly weaker so prepared myself for disappointment again. Overall it was a better and more interesting game than the first entry but isn't much of a better game. The plot is still all over the place and there are far too many gun battles for my liking but the worst sin it commits is poor, unintuitive level design. In the previous entries it was easy to decide where to go because of fairly intelligent environment design that nudged you in the right direction but this time I got lost a lot easier and more frequently. The other main issue with the game was the forced fist fights that cropped up numerous times in the game, which were especially tedious when a hulking great henchman would bear down on you and they appeared to be impervious to bullets, the only way to dispatch them was to use QTE's to avoid their attacks and beat them down with your fists. There were a couple of things I liked though, the music is again much more enjoyable and smartly used than in the first game and I liked the chapters where you played as a young Drake meeting Sully for the first time but overall it was a pretty average experience. After the announcement of Metroid: Samus Returns at E3, I took the opportunity to finally play through Metroid: Zero Mission on the Wii U VC. I hadn't played through a whole Metroid game until last March when I made it my mission to beat Super Metroid which I enjoyed immensely and subsequently played through the Prime trilogy through the rest of the year, so I had some substantial experience of the series going into playing my second 2D iteration. It felt instantly familiar and the haunting atmosphere drew me in, and felt (as Huber would say) almost cosy to be back in isolation on Planet Zebes. Some of the art (especially in the cutscenes) is a bit lacking but it all still feels like Metroid. I had a great time playing through the game from the start to what I thought was the finish when I defeated Mother Brain but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the game had more to give. The epilogue to Samus’ Zero Mission was a short but intense stealth focused infiltration of the Space Pirates ship and left me feeling more vulnerable than I have in a Metroid game. There were some really interesting snippets of lore regarding the Chozo and Samus’ childhood and the moment I got my power suit back has to rank as one of the most triumphant moments i’ve experienced in a video game - it just felt so good to have all of that power after feeling so exposed. If the upcoming remake of Metroid II is even half as good as this we’re in for a great ride, The last game I completed was Firewatch. Firewatch was a weird one, I played through it in one sitting but found it to be pretty hard going for the first couple of hours. I didn’t buy into it’s dialogue at all and found the gameplay to be incredibly tedious, the movement especially felt like it contained far too many arbitrary restrictions. Henry can climb over some logs and rocks but not others that are often lower to the ground and the animations for these actions are overly long and really grate after even a short time. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the right mood but I didn't feel like I cared about the characters and their dialogue was rubbing me the wrong way, but I still felt compelled to play through the game - perhaps just out of hope that I would get better. My experience definitely got more enjoyable as it went on but while I was playing I never really felt like it was anything other than average so after watching the credits I quit the game, turned off my console and didn’t expect to ever think about the game again. But when I woke up earlier I found myself contemplating Henry and Delilah’s decisions, what it meant for their lives before they met and what the future might hold for them, so my opinion of the game is changing because of the thoughts it’s provoking in me nearly 24 hours after I finished it. Edited July 14, 2017 by killthenet 1
Julius Posted June 28, 2017 Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) First post here, so it's probably safe to say it's going to be fairly long (considering it's got nearly six months of gaming to update on), but I actually don't have any major revelational thoughts on the majority of the games I've played thus far this year - especially considering most are classics, but perhaps I'll touch on this - so I'll try to keep it short and to the point! It's worth mentioning that I haven't completed every game here, but I've given all of these games what I feel is a good shake with a handful of hours at the very least, and might even deliver a personal rating on those I feel I've dug into enough to fairly rate. I think it's worth mentioning from the off that some clicked in great ways, and others, well... January • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4) - this is a game I bought quite a while back during a PlayStation Store sale, and I really gave this game all I feel I could; 10 hours in and I still just was so not into this game. I tried different types of side quests and errands, sticking to the story quests, and just trying to get into the zone for this world in general, and yet none of it was sticking with me. I found the story and characters intriguing, as well as the gameplay, but perhaps, when all is said and done, it was just down to my own personal engagement with this open world and how, at least for me, it didn't click. Solid visuals are always worth mentioning, too. Rating: N/A • Batman: Telltale Series (PS4) - another game that I'd purchased before the start of this year, but I finished up the story after an off month of gaming for me. Visually, I love this game, as the Telltale engine just so naturally portrays Bruce Wayne and Gotham in a way that seems so right for a comic book source. I've always been a big fan of Batman, and loved the choices on offer and the intrigue of some of the story being told. However, this is by no means a great game, in my opinion, with pacing issues, a constant sense of not being in control of how major situations in the game will turn out - which is bad enough in any game, let alone one with an emphasis on choice, and perhaps made even worse considering the protagonist involved - and, as always is the case with games such as these, the inability for the dialogue choice summaries to accurately represent the actions/words that will follow upon a choice being picked. A solid but flawed showing. Rating: 7.5/10 February • The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (3DS) - the third game of mine that I've played from this franchise (following Spirit Tracks and the original NES game). I'm surprised I haven't played this game before now, and, despite not completing the game - something that becomes abundant in the months to follow due to reasons out of my own control, and hence why I've jumped from game to game on a number of occasions through this list without completing games, feeling that I'll be out of sync upon returning to them - I'm happy to have sunk in the 20+ hours I have into the game, and this game catalysed the classics spree you'll find I've gone on throughout much of the year up until now. Amazing score, gameplay, and story, this epic hero's journey did exactly everything I expected from a 20 year old classic and more. I look forward to one day returning to this one - perhaps on Switch VC next time? Rating: 10/10 • Mother (3DS) - another experience cut short for me, but this JRPG was a great change of pace after one of the greats, and it gave off so many different flavours - from character personality to enemy variety - that I fell in love with. Whilst Pokémon is, by all means, a JRPG, I thought this would be my first "typical" JRPG, but this is absolutely an atypical game, and an atypical JRPG at that, with bags of charm and the gameplay to go along with it. Rating: 8.5/10 March • Super Mario World (3DS) - continuing my classics spree, I went out and completed this game coming out with more than I thought I would, which is amazing considering that I'd been told beforehand that this was one of the best 2D Mario games of all time! Some of the best gameplay - and more specifically, platforming - that I've ever experienced, this one was an absolute delight. Rating: 9.5/10 • Pokémon Blue (3DS) - I've loved, lived and breathed Pokémon since I was little, and so I think it goes without saying that I throughly enjoyed completing this game again (if only to complete my Gen I PokéDex). What I do think it worth mentioning, however, is that the original version of this game is a couple of years older than I am, and yet these games have aged incredibly well. In fact, it's one of the rare instances where I'd argue that Pokémon's simplicity - albeit only at face value - pays off in dividends when compared to other JRPGs of the time, and the quirks that came along with them. Rating: 9.0/10 • Just Cause 3 (PS4) - a game I played to simply get through some tough times this year, and to break up the monotony of those tough times, this game is probably the most stupid yet fun game I've played this year. Absolutely solid game, and I owe it a lot for having picked me up. Technical issues in abundance, however. Rating: 7.0/10 April • Super Metroid (3DS) - as my first game in the Metroid franchise, I think this has set an incredibly high bar for what I expect when I play through the Prime games and other 2D sidescrollers. Love the vibrant colours, and the controls are incredibly natural and easy to become accustomed to for a game over 20 years old. Another classic I will not at all regret playing. Rating: 9.5/10 • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PS4) - fun free PSN game that I played with my brother for a few hours. Not much expected, and no expectations passed, but this was certainly a fun time. Rating: 6.5/10 • Inside (PS4) - my first critically acclaimed modern indie game blew me away. Excellent world-building in a world without much more than grunts and other noises, and it really leaves you wanting more. Dark matte colour palette is always a bonus, too. Rating: 9.5/10 • Firewatch (PS4) - following my first critically acclaimed modern indie game with another critically acclaimed modern indie game, this game has a great and interesting narrative and storytelling style. There are few better ways to world-build than to just let the player explore, which is both a plus and minus for this game: whilst it is great seeing the world for yourself, it feels like a very linear experience, as deviating from the path adds little to the experience. Also, a pretty poor third act which seemed rushed. Great art style, though! Rating: 8.5/10 May • Journey (PS4) - another critically acclaimed modern indie game! My only game of May was a great gaming experience, and it was surprising to be running into people online in this game years after its release. As with all of the indie games I've played this year, I adored the art style! Rating: 9.0/10 June • Flower (PS4) - fun little indie game I've been playing in my spare time between games, or just when in need of some reflection, and it makes for an interesting use of the SIXAXIS controls which I hadn't used up to this point in my PS4. Great colour palette; great vibes all around. Rating: 7.5/10 • Final Fantasy VII (PS4 port) - my first Final Fantasy game, and what I would describe as my first traditional JRPG. Excellent story - just completed the Temple of the Ancients - and great music, this game has convinced me to pick up some more JRPGs (looking at Ni No Kuni and Persona 5 for PS4 in particular) and other FF entries (looking at VI and XV in particular at this point) in the near future, this game has completely won me over. I'm invested in these characters, this world, the plot, all of it: I am all-in for the first time in a long time when it comes to gaming. Granted, I think I'm roughly half way through the game and it could all go down hill from here, but I have high expectations and hopes for the remainder of this game. The 3x speed has been extremely useful for my playthrough (because WOW does it take a while to complete a battle), and of course this game being 20 years old - and older than myself - I think it's aged fairly well, and I forgive any technical limitations it has shown to me thus far as a result. My biggest gripe at this point, actually, is probably just how difficult it is to control characters in the world's environments. I was tempted to try to platinum this game, but it seems extremely tedious to do so, so I'm just going to do what I feel is reasonable after completing the story. Going to give rating ranges for games I'm still playing through; Rating: 8.5-10/10 • Life Is Strange (PS4) - picked this up with PS Plus at the start of the month and I'm two episodes in. Interesting narrative, with respect paid to some very touchy subjects throughout, and a great core game mechanic which both the game and narrative centre around, this game is...very intriguing, to say the least, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out. Nice art style, too, but as with all dialogue wheels these days - and perhaps it's even more apparent because of the core game mechanic here - I'm not a fan as to just how far off summarised options are from the execution. Rating: 7.0-9.5/10 • Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) - got delivered last Friday to shake me up a bit whilst playing through FFVII, and I'm a big fan of Guerilla's first take on an open world game (besides other things, such as colour - sorry Killzone). Again, dialogue wheel issues are apparent throughout, and I'm only 15 hours in but the story isn't gripping me, and, like The Witcher 3, I'm not buying into a lot of the side quests either. Beautiful world, great concept, and a better-than-expected execution, I'm looking forward to seeing this one through. Also worth mentioning that I'm playing on a 1TB PS4, not a Pro, and I've yet to encounter a single technical issue. Rating: 7.5-9.5/10 Edited January 28, 2020 by Julius 4
nekunando Posted June 28, 2017 Author Posted June 28, 2017 I almost envy @Julius Caesar for being able to experience Super Mario World, Ocarina of Time and Super Metroid for the very first time this year, arguably the absolute best games in their respective series I really hope you go on to experience other amazing games in those particular franchises Metroid Prime and Wind Waker are HIGHLY recommended 2
Dcubed Posted July 1, 2017 Posted July 1, 2017 Wow! Those were your first times playing those @Julius Caesar?! I'm so jealous! Guess the SNES Mini is gonna be right up your alley then! 1
Magnus Posted July 7, 2017 Posted July 7, 2017 I started playing Dark Souls II today. I was really looking forward to exploring that lighthouse I've seen in screenshots. 2
Jimbob Posted July 11, 2017 Posted July 11, 2017 And that is Fallout 4 now complete. Apart from some radiant quests for a faction or two, and a few side quests, it's mostly done. Probably spent a good 200 hours just wandering the wasteland, exploring locations and collecting junk to construct the settlements. Spoiler Went for the Institute/Minutemen ending. Chose to wipe the Railroad and Brotherhood of Steel out, thought for me it would be the best option on how i was playing. The story felt weak in places, mostly towards the end. Not bad for my first Fallout game, but overall i feel this could have been a better experience. I've heard Fallout 3 and NV are better games, so i might dig into them down the line. With Fallout 4 done, might go back to playing Elder Scrolls V and see if i can finish it this year also.
Ronnie Posted July 12, 2017 Posted July 12, 2017 I was keen to work my way through my backlog so played a few games in quick succession. Infamous Second Son (PS4) I hadn't played an Infamous game before but I really enjoyed it. Unlike a lot of other openworld games that fill your map with useless collectibles and busywork, Seattle was a joy to explore and clear 100%. Traversal was enjoyable and slick, all the powers were really fun and the game looked beautiful (weird exposure delay, apart). It felt a bit dated though in the sense that you couldn't go in water or in 99% of buildings. Seattle itself wasn't too interesting as a result, compared to something like Watch Dogs. Still, enjoyed it a lot. 8/10 Ratchet and Clank (PS4) First off, one of the prettiest games I've ever played. It felt like I was playing a Pixar movie, everything looked so good and the amount of frantic action made the battles pretty spectacular at times. The action was good, though it was a shame you couldn't level select and repeat missions. Weapons were fun to experiment with. All in all very enjoyable, but mostly wins big points for the visuals, the gameplay was just ok. 8/10 Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Switch) I'd only played the original Shovel Knight campaign before this and I was surprised at just how much this felt like a brand new game. I've moaned that Yacht Club should have been working on a sequel in the past three years but this was a pleasant surprise. Easier than the original, but also I daresay more fun. Great storytelling and tons of polish and constant moments to make you smile. I can't speak highly enough about the series. In my mind both are perfect games. 10/10 3
Glen-i Posted July 13, 2017 Posted July 13, 2017 19 hours ago, Ronnie said: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Switch) I'd only played the original Shovel Knight campaign before this Wait, you haven't tried Plague of Shadows? You should give it a go. It is the hardest of the three, but it feels so satisfying to master the hectic movement options Plague Knight uses. Story is awesome too. I preferred it to Spectre of Torment on that regard. 1
Ronnie Posted July 13, 2017 Posted July 13, 2017 4 minutes ago, Glen-i said: Wait, you haven't tried Plague of Shadows? You should give it a go. It is the hardest of the three, but it feels so satisfying to master the hectic movement options Plague Knight uses. Story is awesome too. I preferred it to Spectre of Torment on that regard. Yeah that's next. Given Plague uses the same stages as the original I wanted something in between, so played Specter first. 1
dazzybee Posted July 16, 2017 Posted July 16, 2017 I really really didn’t like plague knight at all, has none of the fun of the other two campaigns, I gave up on it. ive been trying to destroy my Sony backlog, vita sold now, only 2 games to go on my ps3 and selling that, that with PS4 to try and get things under control. I think infamous is probably one of th best games I’ve played on the system, first light is good too. Not incredible, but had great fun with it. Ratchet and clank I bought, the kind of game I should’ve left over, but I just found it really boring to be honest. Gave up on that too. so last of us is my next game, I’ve tried twice and just couldn’t get into it, but it’s mean to be a masterpiece so I’m sure I’ll love it once I’m in, I like uncharted after all. Then portal 2. Then bye bye ps3. the problem is I just want top play on the switch...
S.C.G Posted July 16, 2017 Posted July 16, 2017 2 minutes ago, dazzybee said: so The Last of Us is my next game, I’ve tried twice and just couldn’t get into it, but it’s mean to be a masterpiece so I’m sure I’ll love it once I’m in, I like uncharted after all. Then portal 2. Then bye bye ps3. Why don't you just buy The Last of Us Remastered on PS4? I tried to play it on the PS3, it was the game which almost killed my original model console, didn't quite take to it, got it on the PS4 and loved it. The you can either play Portal 2... or don't - I have it on the Xbox 360 and still haven't played it - and sell your PS3 if you're eager to do so. Incidentally... which PS3 is it that you might be selling? If the price and the model is right then I might even buy it off you for my brother if you were looking for a quick sale or trade or something. Anyway, that's just an aside... the main thing is, please do play The Last of Us on any platform you can as it's brilliant in its own way.
dazzybee Posted July 16, 2017 Posted July 16, 2017 13 minutes ago, S.C.G said: Why don't you just buy The Last of Us Remastered on PS4? I tried to play it on the PS3, it was the game which almost killed my original model console, didn't quite take to it, got it on the PS4 and loved it. The you can either play Portal 2... or don't - I have it on the Xbox 360 and still haven't played it - and sell your PS3 if you're eager to do so. Incidentally... which PS3 is it that you might be selling? If the price and the model is right then I might even buy it off you for my brother if you were looking for a quick sale or trade or something. Anyway, that's just an aside... the main thing is, please do play The Last of Us on any platform you can as it's brilliant in its own way. I guess the idea of buying it twice doesn’t make much sense to me. Unless it’s far far superior! its the ps3 slim, I think, with the plastic thing at the top to put the disk in.
S.C.G Posted July 16, 2017 Posted July 16, 2017 3 hours ago, dazzybee said: I guess the idea of buying it twice doesn’t make much sense to me. Unless it’s far far superior! its the ps3 slim, I think, with the plastic thing at the top to put the disk in. It is vastly superior, it runs better, looks nicer, has all of the DLC on the disc, you can play the multiplayer on it but obviously on your PS4 so it's more relevant/easier to play with friends and it has an extra difficultly mode. Ah so it's the PS3 Super Slim then seeing as it has a top-loading drive, if it's the black-coloured variant, is the 500GB model, is in reasonable condition and hasn't been anywhere near your N64 Rumble Pak... then we may well have a deal. If and when you decide to sell it anyway... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hmm, now to get back on-topic... I completed What Remains of Edith Finch a couple of weeks ago, so I guess that counts and you can add me to the pile of people who have played it on here. For some reason I thought it had been out for ages but it's still quite a new release, I get all these Narrative-Driven games confused, but hey! Since playing this I'm now at least a partial convert and have even started playing Dear Esther as well. As for more... consistently interactive games requiring more button presses than story and walking simulation, I haven't played much due to being ill but I have been replaying Castlevania: The Adventure for some odd reason... I was out for a couple of hours one day and had my 3DS with me so... anyway, it's OK for what it is, I wouldn't bother playing it without save states, though one day I should really get around to playing the Wii Ware remake while I still can. I've been playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild of course but then who hasn't recently?
Aneres11 Posted July 16, 2017 Posted July 16, 2017 I've been off the last fortnight from work (back tomorrow, ew) and mike1988uk has been off too. Last year we started playing Resident Evil 5 (for the third time ) and stopped when I got a second part time job. We ended up going back to it a year later last week and platinum-ed it. We then decided to try RE 6 (shudder) given it's also co-op. Currently working through it. 2 campaigns down one to go. Absolutely awful game. I knew it was shit, as I never got through it the first time on release. But playing it now, wish we hadn't bothered! Certainly won't be going for the platinum on this one that's for sure! 1
Glen-i Posted July 21, 2017 Posted July 21, 2017 Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the second DLC package for Shovel Knight. It's a side scrolling platform game and came out for the Switch back in March and a number of other platforms a month later. I played the 3DS version (Dat second screen functionality!) The story is set before Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows and follows Specter Knight, one of the many bosses you fight in the original game. He is tasked to recruit other Knights to the Order of No Quarter. Because this is a prequel, there's naturally some foregone conclusions in play, but if you've played Shovel of Hope, there's quite a few cool explanations for characters you already know of. Especially Specter Knight himself, as the plot focuses on how he got himself in this situation to begin with. The plot is great! But after Plague of Shadows, I'm not too surprised. There's some really nice story arcs going on here. Gameplay plays like Shovel of Hope, which is a lot like Mega Man, where you try to get to the end of a stage and defeat the boss there using a variety of abilities. If you haven't played Shovel of Hope, go fix that if you like platformers, the rest of this synopsis is going to assume you know something about how Shovel Knight plays. There are two major differences in Specter of Torment when compared to Shovel of Hope. Wall climbing and the Dash Slash. These two moves form the base of Specter Knight's mobility options and the levels have been heavily redesigned to incorporate them. They're relatively easy to learn, especially compared to Plague Knight and it's a lot of fun moving around in this game thanks to it's tight, responsive controls, not to mention the great level design. Yacht Club games really do know how to make great levels, with lots of secrets to find and treasure to discover. On top of the basic maneuvers, there's a whole bunch of optional curios to get which widen Specter Knight's capabilities, whether it be projectiles, healing, traversal techniques or a particular late game hilariously broken technique. It's solid and continues along the consistent greatness of Yacht Club's little Kickstarter project. The visuals also share this high-quality. The sprite work is great and vibrant, helping to give characters loads of life. The Music is solid as well, with remixes of loads of Shovel Knight music as well as some original tracks. I highly recommend this game, but only if you've played Shovel of Hope, a lot of nice details will go over your head if you don't play it first, and it's a great game in the first place. It sits between the other two campaigns in terms of difficulty, making it a great middle ground game to play. Roll on, King Knight's campaign! Spoiler Shantae: Risky's Revenge - DS Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - 3DS Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - 3DS Shining Force - The Sword of Hajya - Game Gear Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime - DS Final Fantasy IX - PC Super Mario Land - GB Chrono Trigger - SNES Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II: The Dragon's Trap/Dragon's Curse/Adventure Island/Turma da Mônica em o Resgate - Switch Tales of Game's presents Chef Boyardee's Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa - PC The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment - 3DS 2
Cube Posted July 21, 2017 Posted July 21, 2017 Yesterday, I completed my first SNES game: Super Metroid. I loved it. I really enjoyed getting equipment and upgrades at unexpected times - like one time I was trying to find a reverse tank (you can enter the other side of the room its on with no way through) and stumbled upon the Gravity Suit. I am surprised that it's not quite as challenging as I expected (it's probably harder earlier on) but it's still awesome. 3
Aneres11 Posted July 22, 2017 Posted July 22, 2017 (edited) Just finished The Order 1886 on PS4. Found it dirt cheap so thought I'd give it a go as I always wanted to play it. It's a gorgeous looking game, one of the best looking games I've seen (in parts), very visually impressive. The gameplay itself left a little to be desired. It was all a bit 'Uncharted' with running into a room full of enemies, taking cover and clearing the area. Thankfully the story was pretty good which I enjoyed. Just got one last chapter to replay as I missed some collectibles in it and the platinum will be wrapped up. Onto the next one! Edited July 22, 2017 by Aneres11
Ike Posted July 22, 2017 Posted July 22, 2017 I finished a playthrough of Super Metroid last weekend, only got 88% completion rate and just a little over 5 hours play time. You must have to know the game like the back of your hand to finish under 3 hours. I then immediately started up Dragon Quest I since I wanted to play through another short game (and XI is out Friday) and finished that up this afternoon. 1
killthenet Posted August 2, 2017 Posted August 2, 2017 Another bulk post, I should really try and get a couple in a month instead of cramming them all into one block. A friend of mine is always really critical of Nintendo for releasing too many Kirby platformers, so to prove to them that it’s a quality franchise I’ve made it my mission to play through every Kirby platformer, so the final game I completed in June was Kirby’s Dream Land on 3DS VC. It was interesting to see the origins of the series, but the game was a lot shorter than I expected. I completed it in about 50 minutes and definitely had fun, but I was hoping for a bit more from it after having such a good time playing Kirby’s Adventure on the NES classic, it was especially odd to play a Kirby game where you can’t steal enemies abilities. The ending though was fantastically weird, with Kirby turning into a hot air balloon and stealing Dedede’s castle. After finishing Dream Land I decided it was time to start on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain on PS4. As I’ve written about here before, my opinion of the Metal Gear series while growing up was that it was too concerned with story and cutscenes and too light on the gameplay, but my only direct exposure to the series was when my brother bought MGS2 on the back of the hype but struggled with the opening tanker section and quickly returned the game to the shop. My thoughts on the series began to change in early 2016 when I played through Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 and despite running into several issues with the gameplay (restricted to D-pad for movement in 3D environment) but was charmed enough by the story and it’s campy nature that I decided to play through the whole series and have slowly worked my way through them over the last 18 months. Not having the nostalgia for the earlier entries has meant I’ve been able to better experience the evolution of the series, as technology grew to match Kojima’s ambitions and the gameplay began to match the quality of the story telling. The Phantom Pain is the tipping point where the gameplay becomes the real star and the story is left wanting. Before I’d actually spent anytime with the game though, I was drawn in by the incredible opening sequence. Waking up in a hospital bed with Midge Ure’s cover of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ playing on the radio as nurses did their rounds was so effective at immediately immersing me in the world. The ensuing hour of gameplay however was so tedious and over the top that this effect was ruined. I wrestled with the game for the next few hours, the mission based structure really put me off but I was most irritated by the enforced base management, all I wanted to do was get into the field and play missions but I kept being dragged back to mother base and forced to organise staff. There is far too much handholding, the constant chatter on the comms of Ocelot and Kaz and too much stopping and starting. Eventually the gameplay becomes really engrossing, and the breadth of approaches for each mission is really great but the story segments, alongside the tedious traversal of the environment really bogs the game down. There are obviously still issues with sexism, particularly in the ridiculous design of Quiet (who is otherwise a pretty cool character), the implementation of microtransactions and the decision to treat each mission to it’s own credits sequences but my main problem with the game was that it made me jump through so many hoops to finish the main story. I feel really conflicted about the game, I had a lot of fun with it and still find myself going back to finish some of the side ops but it was such a disappointment in terms of wrapping up Big Boss’ story - my expectation was that it would be a retelling of the first Metal Gear game but from Big Boss’ side, leading to your ultimate defeat when Snake infiltrates Outer Heaven and takes you out, it could have been such an interesting plot for a game, so despite the positives on the gameplay side, it is ultimately a disappointment because the story didn’t live up to expectations. To try and clear my palette before taking on another big game, I played through Kirby’s Dream Land 2 on 3DS VC, it’s definitely a more familiar Kirby game and it’s another impressive display of the Game Boy’s capabilities, the fact that it’s basically a shrunk down (and in some aspects more fleshed out) version of Kirby’s Adventure minus the colour is really impressive. It also made me realise that despite how simple the majority of the levels are, the boss fights can be a real challenge. I had similar feelings about Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, the game is essentially a shrunk down Super Mario World complete with the world map, and the fact that when you get a Game Over you lose any golden coins you were holding and have to go back and beat those bosses again. And like Dream Land 2, it builds on the primitive prototype of Super Mario Land to make a more familiar entry in the franchise. Having Wario as the villain also goes a long way to making the game charming, his pathetic cries when you beat him are particularly hilarious. One of the few original Playstation games I have childhood memories of is Parappa The Rapper but I don’t remember actually playing it, so was really keen to try it out when the remaster was released earlier this year. This game is so much harder than I was expecting, the timing is really strange so it took me awhile to get the hang of it but I never scored higher than a ‘Good’ rating. Some tracks I managed to finish on the first or second time through, but for a couple I had 6 or 7 failure before finishing it. Despite the repetition I never got tired of the songs and got passed my initial frustrations to enjoy the game overall. I’ll definitely go back and try and improve on my scores but I still don’t really understand how the timing works. And finally the last game I completed was Bulb Boy on the Switch. I have been keen to play it for a while since seeing the listing on the eShop and being drawn to the art style, but I didn’t read too much about the game so was expecting it to be a platformer and was a little disappointed to find out it was more of a point and click game. I shouldn’t have worried though as it was a delightful little game, with some great characters and atmosphere, the music in the game really helps to sustain the cute & creepy tone and at only about 2 hours long it’s easy to recommend. Currently i’m slowly working my way through the levels on Arms Grand Prix whilst playing through Resident Evil 5 on PS4. 3
S.C.G Posted August 6, 2017 Posted August 6, 2017 On 16/07/2017 at 4:14 PM, S.C.G said: As for more... consistently interactive games requiring more button presses than story and walking simulation, I haven't played much due to being ill but I have been replaying Castlevania: The Adventure for some odd reason... I was out for a couple of hours one day and had my 3DS with me so... anyway, it's OK for what it is, I wouldn't bother playing it without save states, though one day I should really get around to playing the Wii Ware remake while I still can. Well, I finally finished Castlevania: The Adventure today... *breathes a sigh of relief* Now how about giving us Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge as it's surely about time by now. 1
Hero-of-Time Posted August 7, 2017 Posted August 7, 2017 10 hours ago, S.C.G said: Well, I finally finished Castlevania: The Adventure today... *breathes a sigh of relief* Now how about giving us Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge as it's surely about time by now. I love it how a bunch of games back in the 8-16bit eras all ended with the main character standing on a cliff edge, looking off in the distance, as the castle/fortress exploded or crumbled. 1
killthenet Posted August 7, 2017 Posted August 7, 2017 Finished Resident Evil 5 last week, I really struggled to get used to the controls at first as I had come off playing MGSV which obviously offers a lot of freedom of movement so it was a jarring transition to a game with such restricted movement. After the first couple of hours I was starting to get the hang of it but still felt quite negatively towards the game, it just seemed like I was moving from pointless gunfight to pointless gunfight, there wasn't much exploration or building of atmosphere. As the game wore on it definitely had some moments that felt like more traditional Resident Evil but there was far too much action and not enough horror. I feel like the co-op aspect of the gameplay was a failure too, Sheva is useful for holding onto items and healing you when you're low on health but her AI is so moronic that she gets in the way a lot of the time or gets herself hurt too easily. I think I wrote in here about Tricky from Star Fox Adventures being one of the most irritating sidekicks, but Sheva tops even him. It felt like much more a slog than RE4 but I still enjoyed it in the end and do intend to play through Resident Evil 6 at some point but knowing what I know about how action heavy it is, I think i'll wait a while before checking it out. I also 'completed' ARMS on the Switch this week in the sense that I finally beat the GP at Level 4 and unlocked ranked mode. I feel a lot more competent at the game now but it still took me hours to make my way through the GP. I'm happy that I've played it but can't see myself playing it much more unless they add some more single player content in future updates. Currently playing through the Master Trials in the first Breath Of The Wild DLC, a bit rusty with combat after not playing it for a couple of months but enjoying being back in Hyrule again.
Magnus Posted August 7, 2017 Posted August 7, 2017 32 minutes ago, killthenet said: I feel like the co-op aspect of the gameplay was a failure too, Sheva is useful for holding onto items and healing you when you're low on health but her AI is so moronic that she gets in the way a lot of the time or gets herself hurt too easily. The co-op aspect is a lot more fun in co-op, shockingly. 2
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