Author Topic: 52 Games Challenge 2019  (Read 52612 times)

telly

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #180 on: October 05, 2019, 10:12:16 pm »
Game 16 - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNESc) – 16 Hours

Ah, this game. An old favorite of mine since I was a kid. This is one of my favorite games of all time, and it was fun to replay it on the SNES classic, partially because I was so accustomed to playing the GBA version. Was interesting to see how things were different between the two versions.

+ For me this is like the definitive early Zelda game. It took the first Zelda and improved on it in almost every way. It’s easier to play, more explorable without being too cryptic, and introduced so many staple items and themes that continue through the franchise even to this day. The music is masterful, the dungeons are challenging, and the little tricks and secrets that you pick up as you play make you feel like you’re naturally becoming a badass hero. I have fond memories of sharing secrets and tips with my one friend growing up as we both tried to beat this game. I tried to discover as many secrets as I could, ended up being a couple pieces of heart short :(

- I think if there was one thing that kind of wore on me after a while, it was some of the music. Not that it’s bad, it’s super iconic, it’s just that it a few tracks get incredibly droning after a while because some tracks play EVERYWHERE. Looking at you, Dungeon of Shadows. There were also some slight gameplay tweaks that were done in the GBA version that I missed.
« Last Edit: November 02, 2019, 10:09:15 pm by telly »
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Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #181 on: October 10, 2019, 03:51:15 am »
the reason Why I don't participate in any game challenges. I don't like to rush through a game only to post that I've beaten it.  :-\

and For me I like play a lot of video games that are take months to beat or don't have and ending, but I did beat
Halo: Combat Evolved for the first time on Xbox 360, this year and damn that was a hard game for me, and long, But I'm sure I'll give it a second shot because I really liked beating that game,

I have a lot of great games that I just don't want to beat them only to post that I've beaten them
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telly

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #182 on: October 10, 2019, 07:37:29 am »
For me it's just a way to keep track of the games I beat and my thoughts on them at the time ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I never get to 52 games, and I still play things at my own pace.
Currently Playing:
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4), Resident Evil 5 (PS4)

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Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #183 on: October 10, 2019, 08:19:06 am »
Don't be a negative nancy bud.  I see your mind set, but tons of folks participate with no intention of meeting any form of a goal.

I do, but it's mostly driven by knocking down my huge backlog.  I mostly do this so that in a year, when I want to think about how much I liked a specific game, I can go back and see what thoughts I had when I had played it and recently beat it.


telly

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #184 on: October 10, 2019, 09:18:39 am »
^ exactly
Currently Playing:
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4), Resident Evil 5 (PS4)

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Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #185 on: October 10, 2019, 10:35:19 am »
Don't be a negative nancy bud.  I see your mind set, but tons of folks participate with no intention of meeting any form of a goal.

I do, but it's mostly driven by knocking down my huge backlog.  I mostly do this so that in a year, when I want to think about how much I liked a specific game, I can go back and see what thoughts I had when I had played it and recently beat it.

I understand  :) Heck if my head and health was better I'd be doing the same thing, I got a huge backlog because due to a chronic migraine problem all I do is listen to music and drink caffeine to try to numb the pain. Nobody knows what is causing the massive headaches in my head.

 I can't play a video game while having a migraine or I'll throw the controller at the wall. I don't get mad at games themselves I just get really mad that my body is fatigued. and sometimes I take it out on the game. If I was feeling  heck I'll even play a game for 12 hours like I used to before I got sicker.

I beat Halo:Combat Evolved but it was during multiple play sessions and I forced myself to beat it. It was not easy for me and the difficulty was on the lowest

« Last Edit: October 10, 2019, 10:41:44 am by oldgamerz »
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Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #186 on: October 11, 2019, 12:55:34 pm »
I love this challenge because it motivates me to actually play more of the games I've accumulated over the years. I've discovered some amazing gems in my collection that before playing them I was only somewhat familiar with how good they were. Likewise, I've played a lot of games that I was very excited about getting after hearing how amazing they were from others, only to find out that I thought the game was just okay. This challenge is one of my favorite things about VGcollect at this point, and while I would still come here and remain active without it, it certainly motivates me more to stay.

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #187 on: October 11, 2019, 03:00:07 pm »
In the past I had a really bad habit of starting games and never finishing them and when I found this challenge a few years back it inspired me to actually finish something. I never intended on actually finishing 52 games though.  In 2017 I only finished 8 games but I was proud of that, I was actually finding time to sit down and play the games I always wanted to. In 2018 I told myself I was just going to try to finish more than the previous year; I finished 27 game and it felt amazing.

This year I told myself 2019 is the year. I was going to go all in and do 52. I even started an instagram account to help motivate me even more (@bravethebacklog if you care to follow). I didn't expect to hit 52, but it gave me something to shoot for; here I am in October and just finished my 44th game for the year, so 52 is absolutely doable. Never did I feel rushed, I just tried to play the games I wanted when I had time. There were some games I started and just didn't really enjoy and when that happened I'd just move on to something else. The years not over, and something could come up that prevents me from hitting 52, but if thats the case I dont care; I've had such a good time this year playing so many amazing games nothing can ruin that for me.

Next year I don't think I'll shoot for 52, but I'll still participate. Maybe put my spin on it, only play RPGs for the year or something. who knows.

its been a while since I posted an update so here are the games I finished the past few months:
37. Super Castlevania 4 (Switch) 7/31 - Beat
38. Dark Cloud (PS4) 8/15 - Beat
39. Guacamelee (Switch) 8/18 - Beat
40. Super Mario World (Switch) 9/10 - Beat
41. Star Fox (Switch) 9/12 - Beat
42. Kirby's Dreamland 3 (Switch) 9/16 - Beat
43. Super Metroid (Switch) 10/1 - Beat
44. The Last of Us (PS4) 10/11 - Beat

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #188 on: October 12, 2019, 06:29:37 am »
34 - Borderlands 3 (PC 2019) - BEAT - Just beat the story mode and while there's still a ton of side content to do, I'll probably take a break for awhile.  At a point, I was feeling like grinding out every mission wasn't being super fun and decide to focus on the story, which I enjoyed more.  Figured if I go back to it, I'll do it with another character.  I beat it as Amara, because I thought she had kind of the coolest character and still think she does, but didn't super love her moves.  They improved after like level 15 to 20, felt better and more useful, but I'd really like to give Moze a go with her mech.

For better or worse, this game is pure Borderlands.  It's good because looter shooters like this aren't really that much of a thing anymore, instead leaning towards the lame live service action of games like Destiny or The Division.  That said, it's also a game that feels like it was made right after the second one.  There are absolutely improvements and additions, but I find that most of the experience comes off as the same feel of the previous games.  Did you like Borderlands and want more? You got it.  Did you hate Borderlands? You will find nothing to like here.  It's all the same humor, gameplay, and dumb stuff as before.

Overall, I liked the game, it didn't really blow me away or anything and I'll definitely return to experience all the side quest stuff later on, but as someone that enjoyed the BL games, I'm mostly good with this.

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #189 on: October 12, 2019, 09:05:21 am »
I love this challenge because it motivates me to actually play more of the games I've accumulated over the years. I've discovered some amazing gems in my collection that before playing them I was only somewhat familiar with how good they were. Likewise, I've played a lot of games that I was very excited about getting after hearing how amazing they were from others, only to find out that I thought the game was just okay. This challenge is one of my favorite things about VGcollect at this point, and while I would still come here and remain active without it, it certainly motivates me more to stay.
This exactly.  I'm a goal oriented / driven person.  I'd be playing the games without it, but it helps with the motivation to have something like this. 


Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #190 on: October 13, 2019, 12:32:09 am »

So I beat Symphony of the Night for the first time ever this evening, and yeah, I kinda liked it....

45. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1): I originally started writing this review and upon finishing it I realized something; all the criticisms I had, which there were very few by the way, paled in comparison to everything incredible and wonderful there was about this game. Not only that, but my rating of how much I enjoyed Symphony of the Night didn't match up at all with how much I was praising and expressing my love for this game. I then went back, re-evaluated by score of Symphony of the Night and adjusted it with the following conclusions; Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is as close to perfect as any game could ever be, and is truly the pinnacle of 2D, side-scrolling action games. Yes, the game is near flawless, and any flaw it does have is so insignificant compared to the everything else it does so incredibly well that this game deserves 10/10's across the board, no questions asked!


Symphony of the Night's graphics and overall presentation are outstanding, and I dare say unrivaled when it comes to 2D Action Games, even to this day. Every character, every boss, every enemy, every castle section, every room of this game is filled with detail, character, presence, and individuality. Enemies and Bosses all behave differently, and are each memorable and distinct from one another. Each section of the castle feels very different than any other part, making discovery of a new section a treat in itself as you are immersed in its secrets and themes. Speaking of these sections of the castle, the art direction of each is incredible, offering hints of some sort of deeper history and adding to the lore that Symphony of the Night's actual plot only scratches the surface on. Not only that, but the art direction, enemies, and bosses that make up each section in Dracula's castle make them all very memorable which aids in memorizing where they're at relative to the rest of the cast. This is incredibly important because you'll be doing a lot of backtracking throughout the castle while playing through the game, but more on that soon. While there is reuse of various enemy types, the game changes things up so much that visually you are never board and constantly intrigued by everything Symphony of the Night treats your eyes too. The game has such an incredible horror, spooky atmosphere that makes playing it in October almost intoxicating.


As for Symphony of the Night's audio and sound, it too is an example of perfection rarely heard in most video game. The soundtrack is absolutely stunning, and there are very few tracks that don't leave an impression on you, or don't induce some excitement when visiting a specific area of the castle. Speaking of, each section of Dracula's castle has its own individual music and perfectly compliments the theme and action of those sections. This is a soundtrack you'd not only want to play around Halloween, but even to just jam out to in your car while driving to work on a random day in May. It's that good! Then there is the game's famously bad voice acting and dialogue. I am certainly not one of those people that automatically sees bad voice acting as blemish on quality; my favorite game series of all time is Shenmue after all. But the cheese and delivery of the voice acting isn't that different then acting in a lot of B horror films that are beloved by most fans of horror cinema. Symphony of the Nights voice acting is no different; it will charm you each time there is an interactive cut scene between Alucard, the main character, and any of the game's other voice acted protagonists and antagonists. Outside of that, the sound Fx are excellent and like everything else in this game they compliment the horror setting perfectly.


Last and certainly not least we have the gameplay, which is where Symphony of the Night arguably shines the brightest. Symphony of the Night offers up a non-linear gameplay style similar to Super Metroid that requires you to do a lot of exploring, backtracking, and returning to old areas once a new skill or item is acquired. While this might sound tedious, in execution it's very rewarding and fun as you'll constantly be wondering what's behind a certain door, or what is on a specific ledge that you're not able to reach yet since you do not have the skill yet to find out. And there are so, so many skills, abilities, and items in this game, all of which give you the tools you need to survive and progress despite whatever challenges you'll eventually encounter. Symphony of the Night also implements an RPG leveling system that allows Alucard to grow more powerful as you progress through the game. Unlike a lot of RPGs that require some amount of grinding occasionally to overpower a certain enemy or boss that blocks your progress, Symphony of the Night's leveling is very well paced and unless you are trying to avoid most enemies you will level up enough to where the game remains challenging, yet not so difficult that you're getting destroyed by a single hit from a boss or enemy. In terms of length, this game is huge! Without spoiling anything, half this game is potentially hidden if you don't acquire something specifically and use it in a specific situation. Obscuring half the game and it's true ending compliments the excellent gameplay even further, and adds value to this game rarely seen by any game of its time or even today. Overall the gameplay always allows you to succeed if you know what to use and how to use it in a certain situation, and also allows you to explore Dracula's castle deeper and deeper the more you learn and acquire.


Each of my reviews is weighted heavily by my own subjective enjoyment of each game since these are my reviews. To clarify this further, each review I do is judged on 30-points for the game's objective qualities, and then 20 more points to account for my subjective enjoyment, or lack thereof. The previous three paragraphs were discussing the objective parts of this game, and all are a glowing 10/10 in my book. As for my subjective enjoyment of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, I enjoyed it, like a REALLY enjoyed it, way more than I thought I would. I am writing this review as someone who beat this game for the first time 22-years after its initial release in 1997. Games that are capable of leaving this kind of impression so long after their initial release are truly rare, and I think more than any other marker this indicates a game that is truly special, and can truly be considered a masterpiece. I throughly agree with Symphony of the Night being considered a masterpiece, and I absolutely enjoyed this game with almost no interruption in that enjoyment from start to finish. There were several bosses and parts of the game I found annoying or slightly tedious, but these minor gripes and annoyances barely hold a candle to what was otherwise a fantastic experience! In fact, my experience with Castlevania was so incredible that I can confidently say it's one of the best games I've ever played, and it earns a definitive place in my top 10 games of all time. This is something that almost never happens as most games I play are either okay to above average, but not Symphony of the Night. I will say it once more; Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is an absolute masterpiece and its reputation as one of the best video games of all time on many different lists is well, well deserved. (10/12/19) [47/50]




Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #191 on: October 13, 2019, 01:46:24 am »
35 - Inside (PC 2016) - BEAT - This ended up being a real quick playthrough, like 3 hours at best.  I had kinda always wanted to check this game out, it looked interesting, even though I was slightly spoiled on what comes towards the later end of the game.  That didn't end up ruining the game, it had me keeping an eye out for everything more, and while the gameplay is good with some very casual puzzle solving (It all ends up being easier than it looks, overthought more than a few of the situations), the ending is kinda the worst.  It's very much "So what do YOU think it means?" and I hate that. 

I'm okay with something being abit open ended, but I didn't feel like the game offered me enough information for me to piece together the entire story since there are no cutscenes or dialogue at any point.  Like interesting stuff kept happening, and I'm trying to figure out how it all pieces together, but by the end it just ends and I feel like I got all these clues and nothing that pieces them together.  I got a very vague idea of how the ending sorta comes to be, but it doesn't do much for me. 

I personally wouldn't recommend the game, as while it's overall a real good and interesting game, the ending is one of the most unsatisfying endings in quite awhile.  Not sure the last time this bothered me that much with a game.

wolfen

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #192 on: October 13, 2019, 05:32:24 pm »
21. The Last Guardian(PS4)

The Last Guardian is truly breathtaking! The combo of Its incredible artistically unique visuals and heartwarming/stressful story nearly brought me to tears and I never thought a videogame would ever be able to do that. I have never felt so connected or invested in a relationship to a character in a story as I was with Trico. The whole game feels so cinematic even when you're just meandering through some grass to your next destination, it felt like an interactive movie in the best way possible. Only gripes are some minor frame issues and control problems. Otherwise a uniquely emotional experience!

Time: 12 hours



Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #193 on: October 24, 2019, 04:03:10 am »
36 - Gears of War 4 (PC 2016) - BEAT - The Xbox Game Pass on PC has basically dumped a pile of games in my lap, right with some big games coming in November, but I think I got a couple that aren't particularly big time sinks.  Gears of War 4 was a start, as I figured that Gears 5 leads off of this, and I was right.  Seems this is another trilogy like the first 3 games were.  Of which, I haven't played this series since like Gears 2 and it feels exactly like they were since the first game lol I was always more of a Halo guy than a Gears guy, and I'd still say I was. 

The gameplay just isn't particularly great I feel, it's super bullet spongy outside of like the power weapons.  Speaking of, I don't know if it's just me, but some weapons felt kinda useless your bad, like the Longshot sucks compared to the charge sniper and the Torque Bow.  The saw blade gun, which I remember being promoted when this game was advertised borders on useless, and the Drop Shot is very annoying to get right.  Some of the bigger enemies really suck to fight to, they just aren't very fun.  The gameplay in general just feels like I'm playing an early 360 era game.

All the story stuff is good and fine, though because it's built as a trilogy, the game feels like it's ramping up the moment it ends, so it ends abit lacking that they don't really figure out much of the actual plot of what is going on other than The Locusts have changed for some reason.  Pure cliffhanger material.

That said, I think the game is totally fine.  I may not really like the Gears gameplay alot, but running around with Marcus again, blowing up the Swarm, getting to pilot a mech, and it's all done in like a tidy 10 hours or less, it's not that bad at all.  I liked it enough to play Gears 5 eventually.

kevininja

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2019
« Reply #194 on: October 26, 2019, 07:29:14 am »
Updated my list, been quite some time since I last did that. Getting close to 100 games beaten this year!