52 Games Challenge 2020

[dhaabi]

8. Wattam || PlayStation 4 || 07.12.20

From the creator of Katamari Damacy, Noby Noby Boy, Tenya Wanya Teens, and several more prolific and creative projects, Wattam is a title that most who enjoy the quirky, colorful, and casual side to gaming will want to seek out. Wattam exemplifies itself as a unique and unorthodox narrative that many players may have experienced on a personal level: beginning a new life in a foreign area, discovering friendship across many differences including language barriers, the idea that the very basis of joy and fun can bring people together, experiencing pain and woe from a greater force, and the power of acceptance, forgiveness, and second chances. To be honest, the latter two points are ones I was not prepared to experience throughout my playthrough. This inclusion allowed for a fun game to find a greater purpose in connecting to its audience. I was happy to finally play Wattam as I had followed the creator's blog updates across its development as he moved to the United States and formed his family which are two critical reasons why Wattam exists at all.

There are a lot of weird collision problems and other jank when trying to control the different characters too. Lastly, some of the voices can get really obnoxious especially when there are a lot of characters on screen too.

However, as telly mentions just a few posts above mine, the game is plagued with problems that only became more and more paramount as I advanced further to the end. In addition to the issues telly has touched on, a huge dip in frame rate occurs frequently, both as the player makes certain actions and during certain story segments. During the post-game as I was collecting trophy achievements, I had major issues regarding characters climbing, non-selected characters' AI movement, and game crashes. In truth, these issues plague the overall experience, and it made what could have been a joyous short gaming session into one filled with reoccurring annoyances. I will say, though, that, despite the game's shortcomings being problematic, reaching the game's end wasn't an issue. And, on the topic of character voice, I was reminded of Teletubbies. That's not bad resemblance, but it is a connection I can't look past.

[Cartagia]

New Super Luigi U.  Fine, I guess, but if this is the most difficult of the "New" games then I am quite disappointed.

[ignition365]

I know I've said before that I'm not a fan of scoring games and just leaving it at a recommend/pass type of thing, but I'm trying my hand at building my own scoring system for games because I know at the end of the year I wind up pushing recent games to the top of the list because my recollection of games played months ago wanes over time.

I did a test rating with Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, which I believe was a hard pass from me and my scoring system puts it at a 33/100, which sounds about right.

Anyway, I've managed to burn through nearly the entire console playable physically released battlefield games, halfway through the war stories on Battlefield V, which I am enjoying.

[telly]

Game 26 - Pikmin 2 (GC) - 11 Hours

Out of the three Pikmin games, I'd have to say that this entry is probably my least favorite. I really didn't care for the dialing back on the survival and time-management aspects of the game with the tradeoff of cranking up the combat. For me, the time limit was a huge part of what made the first and third games so entertaining to play. Since there's no time limit in this game, you no longer have a fire under your butt to work efficiently and make smart decisions. You can play as inefficiently as you want, and it doesn't matter. They could have easily put in a time limit as well since you're trying to pay off a debt after all.

On the topic of efficiency, I don't know why they gave you a second character to control. You can't throw them to other places or set them on their own path like in Pikmin 3, so 90% of the time Louie just dawdles along behind you doing nothing. The two characters only make things a tiny bit more efficient, but like I said, efficiency doesn't matter because there's no time limit. So I mostly used Louie as a second life bar more than anything.

The combat overall has been improved significantly over the first game. The game has a more refined control scheme with more Pikmin to use and additional mechanics. It was fun exploring the different caves and seeing what treasures you can find. I especially like the brand names used on some of the treasures (the first thing you scavenge is a Duracell D battery). The strategy is now fully contained within the combat rather than time-management, and while it was fun, I don't really enjoy the combat that much in this game. Throwing your Pikmin is so goddamn imprecise, and moving characters with the c-stick is clunky as well. And because you have very little options to regenerate pikmin in the tunnels, screwing up basically means you have to quit or start over, which can be frustrating. There were quite a few treasures I missed after beating the game, with at least 5 more dungeons and one more world to explore, so I might pop this game in again sometime in the future.

[bikingjahuty]

37. Tail Concerto (PS1)

I decided to play this one before selling it given how much it's currently going for. I picked this game up at a game store years ago after I caught them slipping super hard on it, and was very happy to add such a rare game to my collection. However after playing it I can say all the buzz around this game has to do with its rarity because otherwise it kinda sucked. I will praise the graphics, anime cutscenes, and the music which were actually pretty good, but what really ruined the game was the thing that matters the most, the gameplay. The gameplay in Tail Concerto is bad, like really bad. Everything from shooting to just moving around is difficult and cumbersome, and don't even get me started on the platforming sections. This game has some of the worst controls I've ever experienced and it really ruins what would have otherwise been a decent little PS1 adventure game. Absolutely not worth the asking price, not even close! (7/22/20) [28/50]

[kamikazekeeg]

26 - Ghost of Tsushima (PS4 2020) - BEAT - I gotta say that this might be one of the most well rounded open world action games I've played in the past couple years.  It doesn't really do anything new for this genre that hasn't been done before, but the combat is well done, the open world isn't too overwhelming, the story is fantastic, all the characters in the story are important to it, and stylistically it really stands out.  My only real complaints are quite minor, such as some QoL things I'd appreciate, the game can feel a little stiff animation wise at times outside of cutscenes, and I would've really liked for the Japanese language option to be lip synced, which is sorta weird to say as someone who regularly watches the English dub of stuff, but because this is such a Japanese game, it's weird watching a Japanese dub and the lips don't match during cutscenes lol Likely just a time constraint issue, but I believe Final Fantasy 7 Remake did this and it would be nice for them to patch it in. 

Definitely recommend this game if it seems at all interesting to folks, it's a real enjoyable time and it's got me to want to go and watch some classic samurai feeling stuff like I don't know if I've ever watched Seven Samurai.

[Cartagia]

I finished Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga over the weekend.  I've now played an entry in each of the Mario RPG franchises, and while M&L and Paper Mario are fine, its shocking just how much Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars holds up.  They just don't hold a candle to it.

[Cartagia]

I beat the first Injustice game yesterday.  The story is very interesting, but not told as well as it could be.  But what surprised me was just how clunky the game feels.  Not unplayable, but very slow to respond to everything.

[kamikazekeeg]

7 - Nioh 2 (PS4 2020) - DROPPED - Though I've had the game since March, I just kept finding myself not binging the game like I do others, and when new games came out, they always drew me in more, so Nioh 2 would get shelved, until I'd beat the other game and then I'd pop Nioh 2 in and play for abit more, just to drop it again.  Been like this for awhile and I think the interest just isn't there for me.  Not that I ever loved the first game, I thought it was just okay, and I only grabbed the sequel more as something to tide me over till I could play like Doom Eternal and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.  I thought I'd keep going, but I just looked and I think I'm a little over halfway through the main missions and I still have like 6 more to go, but that's a lot of work to go and I'm just not sure if I can push myself.  I've pushed myself in other games, I did a big one with Red Dead 2 that I mostly regret, so I think I'm just gonna set Nioh 2 aside, fool around with a few smaller games after getting absorbed into heavy hitters like Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima.

Not that I want this to seem like its a bad game at all, but it's mostly just the same exact game as the first one, just with a new story and some new additions, so if you loved the first one, you'll love this one.  I'd also recommend it if you haven't played the first one, because this is just the first game with more, and the story doesn't seem to involve the first game all that much that I saw.  I think I just like the FromSoftware design more as while Nioh 2 hits on a lot of the same things, the loot system, mission structure, and stance stuff doesn't feel as good to me in terms of keeping me engaged.

[telly]

Game 27 - Marvel's Spider Man (PS4) - 33 hours, platinumed

+

Even though I know very little about the Spider-Man universe, on the whole I thought this game was excellent. I found myself comparing this game to the Arkham games as I was playing given the open world city feel and combat system. This game certainly is a lot more beautiful than the Arkham games, and I preferred traversing the beautiful cityscapes in this game a lot more. Even though the combat is very similar, I felt like I used the gadgets and web gun much more frequently than the gadgets in the Arkham games. The one thing I think the Arkham games do better though is the stealth sections. The story was pretty good, with some really emotional moments especially at the end of Act I and III. There's a ton of side content to keep you playing in the form of picture taking, backpack collecting, secret basses and challenge missions. There's even secret side content like hidden photos and newspapers to collect. I'm surprised looking at PSN profiles how many people have platinumed this game. That's just a testament to how fun and addicting the game is for many.

-

There were a couple things that I wasn't the biggest fan of. I found the music very generic "movie music" and it got old really quickly. For some reason, I'm hypersensitive to these kind of generic string piece accompaniments that you hear in commercials and the like. I would just play my own favorite music on spotify instead. The other issues I had were some minor glitches, particularly with enemies getting stuck in the walls or obstacles and preventing me from finishing base assaults and crimes. Lastly, the moments in the story where you play as one of Peter Parker's friends was fine, but really wasn't very fun overall.

[dhaabi]

9. Ape Escape 3 || PlayStation 2 || 07.31.20

As the third entry in the Ape Escape series, Ape Escape 3 was a game that I hope could improve upon the problems I had while playing Ape Escape 2 back in 2013. However, this sadly wasn't the reality. Unlike the appeal for how the first entry Ape Escape is set up with each monkey being memorable in catching and many requiring thought and planning to successfully capture, Ape Escape 3 is the opposite—nothing seems memorable, with stages being able to be rushed through without strategy. While special tools to catch monkeys have been a staple for the series, Ape Escape 3 expands upon these mechanics by allowing the player to access a job system that gives higher capability and greater ease in catching monkeys. I ignored this aspect largely for the first half of my playthrough, but I saw the fun and novelty of it by the end.

Now, it has been some time since I've last played a game of this era. But I do not remember either of game's predecessors controlling as poor as much as Ape Escape 3 does. Platforming can be quite cumbersome. During the final boss fight, so much goes on that it seems impossible to dodge everything, with the player only having luck on their side to avoid death. Something also problematic was notable drops in frame rate regularly. And, with regularity, the camera controls are something to tackle. Honestly, I don't remember either Ape Escape and Ape Escape 2 having any of these issues. Despite this, the game was okay for what it is as a 3D platformer, but if you've played the first two entries and are on the fence about playing the third installment, you'd be justified about skipping it.

[bikingjahuty]

I only beat one game last month so I'm going to attempt to play some catch up (even though I'm still ahead for the year lol). I've been really into vaporwave music recently, and I became inspired to play a lot of Outrun to go along with this.


38. Outrun (Arcade)

Pretty much any game Yu Suzuki has had any involvement in I like to some degree, and Outrun is no exception. While I only played Outrun a handful of times in the arcade, it's still one of those games that draws you in given it's huge cabinet, and just amazing aesthetic. The game has this eternal summer feel to it which I absolutely love, and also love the fact that the game encourages replay given its various branching paths. The graphics and music in Outrun still hold up well today as well mostly, and I can imagine how blown away people were by it when it first came out in the 1980s. And while the gameplay is fairly outdated and slippery, it still does a good enough job of allowing you to get around sharp turns and avoid crashing into other motorists. Most of all, the game is more of an experience today than something you'd spend hours playing again and again, but that is more than enough for me. (8/4/20) [34/50]

[telly]

Game 28 - Milkmaid of the Milky Way (PC) - 3 Hours

+

This was a short but sweet point and click adventure with some really nice visuals and music, and (for how short the game is) a very touching and interesting story. I find myself getting frustrated at these kinds of games if the puzzles are too difficult, but this game struck a nice balance between a decent challenge and not being impossible to figure out. I also like how your dialogue options were split among the emotions you wanted to convey rather than the things you would actually say.

-

The biggest issue I had with this game was the writing, because it's all written with rhymes. Trying to do that takes an extraordinary amount of effort and skill to make it work, and this game doesn't deliver on that at all. It's very noticeable where compromises were made with the meter, awkwardly worded sentences, and slant rhymes to force the dialogue to rhyme, and it ruins many moments in the game. At best, it's charming, but at worst, it's cringey, strained, and immersion breaking. And most of the dialogue fell in the later category unfortunately.

[astralsoul]

Late to party but here is what I've beaten so far with the console I beat it on and the date I beat it:

1. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch) - 1/15
2. Super Mario Land (GB) - 3/1
3. Super Smash Bros (N64) - 3/11
4. Mario Kart 64 (N64) - 3/12
5. Super Mario 64 (N64) - 3/31
6. Crash Bandicoot: Warped [N Sane Trilogy] (PS4) - 4/3
7. Crash Bandicoot [N Sane Trilogy] (PS4) - 4/6
8. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back [N Sane Trilogy] - 4/8
9. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (PS2) - 4/14
10. Final Fantasy VII [PS1 version] (PS4) -  4/18
11. Crash Twinsanity (PS2) - 5/2
12. Dark Souls Remastered (PS4) - 5/18
13.  Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) - 6/4
14.  Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4) -. 6/7
15.  Sea of Solitude (PS4) - 6/13
16. Resident Evil 3 [Remake] (PS4) - 6/15
17.  Crash Tag Team Racing (PS2) - 6/26
18.  Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back (PS4) - 6/28
19.  Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1) -  7/9
20.  Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled (Switch) - 7/9
21. Donkey Kong Country [SNES] (Switch) - 7/21
22. Panel de Pon [SFC] (Switch) - 7/21
23. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES) - 7/22
24. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) - 7/24
25.  Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES) - 7/27
26. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES) - 7/31
27.  Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch) - 8/2
28.  Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) - 8/8

[bikingjahuty]

39. Radiant Silvergun (Saturn)

Every couple years or so I get the urge to pop in Radiant Silvergun and fall in love with it all over again. This time was no exception, especially since my Saturn's internal battery decided to die and my previous save file went with it. No matter, I got to play through Radiant Silvergun's incredible gameplay and presentation, and it's just as amazing as it has always been. I've played hundreds of SHMUPs at this point and I'm fairly certain I will never play a shooter I like more, although there have been a few that have come close. I'll happily pop this masterpiece back in my Saturn in a few years and enjoy it all over again. (8/17/20) [44/50]