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52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

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dhaabi:
17. Lisa: Definitive Edition || PlayStation 5 || 03.24.2025



Years ago, I watched a full playthrough of Lisa: The Painful and have been wanting to play it for myself all this time. Fortunately, a complete edition released a year or so ago, and a physical release was also made for the first time. So, I finally began my own playthrough of the full game titled Lisa: Definitive Edition. It's also worth mentioning that the Definitive Edition includes both Lisa: The Painful and its DLC chapter Lisa: The Joyful, and it's actually a sequel entry to the Lisa series.

Abruptly, players are introduced to a post-apocalyptic world that's left survivors in a wasteland shell of what the world once was. Periodically, the enigmatic White Flash event that caused this reality is mentioned in passing, but it's never expanded upon. However, one major detail concerning it is never left open to interpretation: all of the world's women have perished because of it. As a result, the human species obviously has a short time left before its extinction, and people all but seem resolved to have given up on civilization. Everyone left survives in the best way they know no matter how nonsensical it may or may not be. The world has not been kind to its survivors, and they, in turn, are not kind to others. Each and every person the player meets is broken which leads to frequent violence and murder. Throughout the story, what may seem like friendly encounters almost never are, and the circumstances leading up to battles demonstrate the collective's mental stability. To be expected, in the long years since the world has fallen apart, people struggle with addiction, trauma, depression, self-failure, and cycles of abuse. Unfortunately, the protagonist Brad whom players assume the role as embodies all of these hardships.

Despite the game's heavy themes, there is some glimmer of hope introduced and positivity to be found. Prior to the game's present-day events, a miracle is discovered by Brad: a baby girl whom he names Buddy. During her formative years, Brad keeps her away from the world, hidden in a basement, and only those closest to him knows of her existence. And while he understands the child's importance in being a savior to rebuild the population, he simultaneously recognizes the evil nature of men. The game's present-day events, however, begin with Buddy—now a young woman—being captured, and Brad begins his journey to reclaim his adoptive daughter. Apart from narrative, though, there is plenty to make players laugh as Lisa: Definitive Edition (particularly the main game Lisa: The Painful) utilizes dark comedy and general humor both abundantly and effectively. Going back to the game's cast of characters and NPCs, their circumstances, while usually sad, are also sometimes funny—in fact, it's often both.

Beyond story and world-building, Lisa: Definitive Edition offers much to praise including its simple RPG gameplay and exploratory discovery. While Brad serves as the game's playable protagonist, there is an expansive cast of recruitable characters as well. Together, battles can be upwards of four party members versus up to eight enemies, and party members each feel unique to play as with their own quirks and move sets. Brad is one of the few characters who has a more involved offense, too, as his attacks utilize a combo system that's best used with direct player inputs instead of selecting the action directly from the battle menu. Unless the player chooses to grind or to select the easy difficulty option, combat is often unexpected and unforgiving. All sorts of random status effects can be inflicted such as Weird, Hungover, and Crying, and their presence often makes a notable difference in performing well. There is also pleasant humor in defeating most enemies, as they won't just die but explode on screen with ridiculous theatrics.

Outside of combat, players should be weary of the world they traverse. Resting at campfires—the most accessible means of healing the party—sometimes comes with a penalty. Sickness in the form of status effects. Theft. Kidnapped party members. Party members can even willfully desert you, though this is a result also requiring certain in-game choices to be made. Through various means, party members can permanently die too. These aspects force the player to not become attached to anybody apart from Brad while also requiring them to utilize different characters' strengths when they're all that's available to you. Throughout the journey, there will also be moral choices the player must make while acting as Brad, and they're never in the player's favor as this world is cruel. Decisions must be made which results in weighty sacrifices which (sometimes literally) handicap Brad on his journey to reclaim Buddy. To my surprise, the world to explore is larger than I imagined it to be, and it's easy to become lost or overlook certain paths. There are three distinct hub areas, and they each feature a web of caverns with environments that largely look the same. Halfway through my playthrough, I decided to consult a map so that I wouldn't miss any content. This is, arguably, a fault of the game, though I think it instead promotes self-discovery more so.

If it wasn't apparent, Lisa: Definitive Edition is filled with personality. Apart from the game's sense of brutality, music is a huge highlight which elevates it all. It's unconventional and eclectic. It's jarring and obtrusive. It absolutely dominates scene presence in a non-offensive way, and there is a wide range of sounds from somber melodies to chaotic electronic beats. To my understanding, developer Austin Jorgensen played around with music creation software without any musical experience. While it's a feat to develop a game on one's own, to make the music too and for it to be so impactful is only that much more impressive.

Without a doubt, my time playing Lisa: Definitive Edition was enjoyable, and I'm glad I finally took the time to play it on my own as I'd forgotten so much of the general story and certainly didn't experience much of the optional content. The game perfectly balances absurdity and suffering, and it left quite the impression. My only (slight) regret is that I didn't first play the debut entry in the series Lisa: The First, although Lisa: Definitive Edition can certainly be enjoyed on its own.

bikingjahuty:
41. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

It's amazing how the circumstances going on in your life at a particular point in time can dramatically impact your opinion of something. Case in point, when Super Mario Odyssey came out in late 2017, I was in the middle of trying to move out of a city I hated and find a new job to replace my current at the time, which I also hated. While my life in late 2017 wasn't terrible, it was certainly not great either and I always felt like it tainted my opinion of Super Mario Odyssey when I first played and beat it around that time. For the record, I didn't dislike Odyssey, quite the opposite actually. The problem was that I always felt like I should have enjoyed Super Mario Odyssey more than I did given how objectively amazing the game was. Because of this, Odyssey has been on my backlog for a very long time for me to go back and revisit. Going into replaying Odyssey, I expected to like it more than I did in 2017, but not as much as Super Mario Galaxy, and certainly not as much as Super Mario 64 which is still my all time favorite platformer as well as a top 10 game of all time for me. After beating Odyssey today, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised by how much more I enjoyed this game compared to my first playthrough of it.


Super Mario Odyssey is an absolute masterpiece. There is no other way of putting it. The controls, the gameplay, the level design and themes, the art, the charm of the characters and overall story, the soundtrack, and the countless abilities and mechanics at your disposal as a result of the Cappy hat possession mechanic are all amazing. While I did on a select few occasions get frustrated with what the camera was trying to do at a specific spot, or the way certain enemies control once you've thrown Cappy at them, none of these things tainted my opinion of the overall gameplay experience which was just amazing. The result of all this is there isn't a single dull moment while playing Super Mario Odyssey. This is also in part thanks to how much stuff there is to do in this game as well as the countless secrets contained within it. Each stage is almost like an open sandbox that you're encouraged to explore in order to collect all that stage's moons. Moons are the primary focus of your collecting efforts in Odyssey and they vary in terms of what you have to do to get them as well as the amount of difficulty in doing these things. Some moons are super easy to obtain while others, mainly the ones I've started going after in the post game, have been hard as hell to get for one reason or another. While there are various recycled methods for obtaining moons, there are also many moons that require some sort of action that you'll likely not do more than a handful of times while playing through Odyssey. Perhaps the worse (or best) part about collecting Super Mario Odyssey's moons is just how many there are. At the time of writing this review and shortly after beating the main game, I have just shy of 300 moons, What's crazy is I haven't even collected a third of them yet, with the total number of moons in Odyssey being an astounding 999! Yeah, I still have a ways to go, but I really don't mind at all. I actually want to collect the rest of the moons, as well as various outfits, items for you ship, and other collectables not required for the game's completion. If there were ever a sign that I really enjoyed a game, it's my desire to keep playing it and doing more stuff after the credits have rolled.


Mario Odyssey is a gorgeous game. Many of the stages feel very unique compared to any others you've seen in other Mario titles, giving Odyssey a very distinct identity. Sure, the same save Peach from Bowser plot is used again as the main backdrop to you jumping from one stage to another, but you'll hardly care since everything looks and feels so good in this game. Both in terms of visuals and the gameplay involved in beating them, Odyssey has some of the best, most creative and unique boss battles in the entire franchise which just complimented how awesome everything else was in this game. One grip about the visuals, and I guess more specifically about the bosses were the reoccurring Broodle bosses, five anthropomorphic rabbits that are helping Bowser throughout the game. While I don't dislike them as much as some other people, I still found them to be a bit annoying an uninspired. They are also the least interesting bosses throughout the game in terms of how you beat them. Aside from that, I loved all the levels in terms of their themes and design and how Mario essentially has to save them in some unique way after Bowser and the Broodles caused some sort of trouble for the locals in that stage. The stages gradually open up to more and more areas and you'll have just as much fun figuring out how to get there as you will actually playing inside those new sections.


Odyssey's OST is absolutely awesome as you'd expect in a mainline 3D Mario game, however I didn't like Super Mario Odyssey's soundtrack as much as many previous Mario games despite it being absolutely no slouch. There are some incredibly catchy tracks in this game, including a few containing vocals which was a nice change compared to the purely instrumental tracks in previous mainline Mario games. Sound effects are also excellent, including the made up languages of the many different inhabitants of each stage, Cappy, and other characters and creatures throughout the game. The noises coming from destroying objects, using certain enemy abilities to progress through a stage or obtain a moon, and everything else in between is practically perfect in terms of how it sounds and how well it fits with the rest of the game.


While I can definitely say that I still love Super Mario 64 more than Odyssey, the crazy part is that the only factor that contributes to this is just how nostalgic and special SM64 is to me personally. If we were looking at these games objectively in 2025, Super Mario Odyssey is a vastly superior game in nearly every way. It essentially takes what made SM64 great and cranks it up 100x in so many different ways. I do think Super Mario 64 is a more iconic and important game when looking its overall impact on the industry and platforming genre, as well as it blowing my mind like few other games ever have back when it first came out in 1996. But yeah, in terms of modern flourishes and advancements to gameplay that have taken place between those two games, Odyssey is definitely the one to play.


On the other hand, I do actually like Odyssey more than Super Mario Galaxy, which is also a game bolstered by a fair bit of personal nostalgia. I still adore Super Mario Galaxy, and there are aspects to its gameplay that I still enjoy more than any Mario game I've ever played, but once again, when looking at everything that makes these games what they are, Super Mario Odyssey comes out on top, if only by a fairly modest amount.


I knew that I'd probably enjoy Super Mario Odyssey at least a little more than I did back in 2017, but I never imagined that I'd be wondering if this game is a top 10 game of all time for me. Regardless of whether or not it cracks into that illustrious list, I will say that this game is absolutely amazing and an incredible experience for anyone wanting to play something truly special. As far as I'm concerned, Mario is still the king of the platformer genre and no one does platformers as good as Nintendo. (3/30/25) [46/50]

marvelvscapcom2:
17. Life Is Strange [PS4] - Finished - March 31st, 2025 (PLATTY)


 

Review

Stunned is an understatement. Baffled is a mere word. Garfunkled is made up.  This game just rocked my socks
 The plot of this game is a symphony of story telling that most big picture movies can only dream of. The run time is perfection front to back. And while it starts slower than True Colors, the dynamic of the meat that lies within is so deliciously bliss that this may be one of the greatest cinematic experiences ive had in any media. Its on par to when you find out Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker. It's like you leave in bewildered. Still coming off it.

MAXINE FLIPPING CAUFIELD

Max is epic. No short ways to put it. The game made me feel like I could project my biases and wishes through Max but through the lens of her pre existing personality. You can be a real life super hero. Which Max is. A sort of Photo clicking, poloroid wonder woman.  But without spoilers. Theirs a duality to her that is beyond the level. A struggle between good and conflicting bad. Of course these depend on how you shape your Max with the dialogue you choose more powerfully.


What the game blows me away with most isnt so much that it's deep. It's that it takes a plot that is about as wild. Complicated and overwhelming as any. A psuedo science psy fi brain blower of a massive multi dimensional whopper. It's so much to take in. It takes it and it delivers it in a way that is so easy to follow, so casual to enjoy. Theirs not quite much like it.


Front to back I dislike Chloe. As the game progresses that begins to stifen a bit but Chloe in general is pretty self important and overwhelmingly selfish. I could get into depth about why but wont disclose many spoilers. So i'll just say. Episodes 1 to 3. Chloe is an L. But that part is what makes the game refreshing.


Each character has it's own unique progression and unlike some telltale style games. Your decisions seem to have a much much more drastic impact on the plot. The multi layering of plot is brilliant. The emotions do something to the human psyche that a movie cant. Since you control the protagonist you sorta feel this next level involvement in their life. It makes love interests and deaths and decisions in games like these so profound. It sorta sticks with you.


Its hard to write a review on a game that is basically a movie with no spoilers. But From the opening sequence till the final tear drop of my cheek. This game is a love letter to gamers. Its poetry. It's got dozens of messages. Coming to age narratives. Relatable feels. It bests true colors in it's abilities I feel. Trading emotional empathy with time bending. It immerses you cleverly in the environment of a school as a teenager. The angst and complexities that come with that.


I still have many entries to go in the franchise. And boy am I happy that I got to experience this.  This game is so good. It's another reason im greatful to be born into gods blue sphere of wonder in this decade. This moment. Of all fabric in time. I got lucky to be born on the same stitch to be able to enjoy this creation of humans. I cant sing its high graces enough.


100/100


Could be a 98 because of a few minor glitches here and there. Like one scene they were talking but mouths werent moving. Their were 2 puzzles that seemed really unnecessary imo. But to me it remains a 100 because I judge these games as the visual movies they are. Plot absolutely touched my soul. And that is worth those extra 2 points.


Its a treat. Come and eat :)


Rating - 100/100

dhaabi:
18. P.T. || PlayStation 4 || 03.25.2025



As one of modern gaming's most well-known instances of an unavailable game through official means and discontinued project, P.T. exists as one of the greatest examples of what sort of direction a franchise would have taken had plans continued. The franchise in question is Silent Hill, and it's likely that it would have had a prosperous revival much earlier than in 2024 had Hideo Kojima's involvement with the series lasted. I'm fortunate that I still own my PlayStation 4 console with the game installed, so I was able to play it natively and officially instead of playing a fan recreation.

Before going further, I'll mention that I'm probably more familiar with P.T. than any other Silent Hill game, though I've not played it before. I actually remember being a spectator to this game in a casual setting at the time of its release in 2014. Lights were off and I was with a group of friends—it wasn't exactly the best environment for wanting to appreciate the finer aspects of horror, but it's a fond memory to look back upon. I know I've watched videos detailing secrets too—or perhaps they were full playthroughs, even—so I was vaguely familiar with some of the game's objectives and criteria they require, but most of my experience still felt new.

Unlike previous Silent Hill entries, P.T. is played from a first-person camera perspective and is actually a game within the adventure genre, not survival horror. Nevertheless, horror is impressively designed far more than most of the games in the series that came before it. In short, players assume the role of an unnamed protagonist who wakes up trapped in a perpetually endless corridor of hallways—one hallway, really—that loops continuously to seemingly no end. Beyond interacting with a few small parts of the environment, the player is largely limited to walking up and door the hallway space and will be forced to solve somewhat cryptic puzzles in order to reach the game's true ending. Without divulging much, the plot of P.T. highlights a series of domestic violence and murder. It's a haunting narrative about husbands and wives—men and women—and the bloodshed so regularly perpetuated.

In many ways, P.T. is a triumphant return to video game horror when taken in the context of the thematic genre's status in 2014. A large part of that is through its atmosphere and sound, and, in hindsight, I wish that I had experienced the game firsthand while wearing headphones. A ghostly woman's distorted wails ring out from the darkness all around. A newborn baby's cries instill fear, and discovering that baby later on elicits some innate terror. Downright disturbing audio recordings play out from a radio, and you're left only feeling far more uncomfortable once it subsides. Paired with sound, visuals transform from relatively quaint to disconcerting. Over the course of its short play time, P.T. subverts what little comfort there is and then doubles down on even subverting the horrors players have become familiar with. What truly sets the game apart from other horror experiences, though, is that no two playthroughs are the same. Numerous events are random and may or may not even trigger, so there is reason to explore the game further with subsequent playthroughs to discover new fears which leave a haunting impression.

Playing P.T. was my first experience with anything created by Kojima, and, suffice to say to those who are familiar with him, there are all sorts of interpretations regarding the game's puzzles and hidden messages alongside the means to collect them. I managed to trigger some of the game's more obvious secrets on my own, though I seriously doubt my capabilities to have ever been able to solve the game's final puzzle on my own which reveals a hidden video trailer. Needless to say, I did consult a guide in order to reach that final segment, yet I'm still confused about one specific step and the logic in reaching it.

Certainly, P.T. is a highlight for the series, and it's a shame that conflict between Kojima and Konami took part, though it clearly allowed Kojima to explore other opportunities to his benefit. However, even without such context, P.T. stands out as one of the more successful games in the Silent Hill series, and it is disappointing that it's not more widely accessible for those interested.

marvelvscapcom2:
18. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn [PS4] - Finished - March 31st, 2025



Got one in at the buzzer! Lol. Marches final game.

This game is preposterously racist lol. Now dont get me wrong. I am a Dave Chapelle, George Carlin kinda guy. I get a good joke and love dark humor at times. But the game just kinda feels less about being funny and more throwing stereotypes to see what will stick. Not much does. It is basically goofing on chinese dudes for 15 hours with some celeb bosses thrown in. It doesnt do it with the tact of a southpark episode where theirs a bit of sattire in there and its self mocking. Or most of all really freaking funny like southpark. Nope.  Full blown "Shaq is Chinese samurai daddy dumpling. They call me dragon tamer" all these things dont offend me. They also dont make me laugh though. It feels like a really long 2008 Xbox 360 Party Chat. Id almost accept what it is if it was new. Daring. Its just corny. But sometimes that works to its benefit. Its shaq fu. Its meant to be corny lol.  The proverbial legend has returned to grace us with its stank
it is less stinky this time around. But  it's still a garbage pale kids card soaked in what I can only assume is urine.  You are reminded of why it was left in the closet. For what thats worth to the player is up to assumption or consideration. But I tend to enjoy the games carefree 90s stink. It feels like a frat kids metal diary. Just a notable fyi to anyone seeking to play it.  It rides that line. You been forwarned.


Take the role of Shaq as you claim to be a Chinese kung fu master. Or in shaqs words. One of the 3 great things from China alongside the electric toothbrush and general tsaos chicken. Enemies with names like "dragon chaser" make wild bruce lee noises as they attempt to stop Shaq. Who assumes many powerups that are cute and clever in design which I do love.

Shaqtus - pretty cool. Machine gun essentially

Shaq Disel - robot Michael jackson basically. 

And many others.


Gameplay is solid enough. But its extremely repetitive and the run time is surprisingly bloated. I wouldn't say its a bad game. It's just repetitive. Type of game to widly throw hundreds of enemies in waves. And you kinda mash buttons to wipe them all out.  Rarely is their player planning involved. Although some bosses were cool and also funny. Justin Bieber, Kanye West and other easy to jab celebrities make up a roster of goof balls to bash. Giving it a real life feel.

Even has a barack obama dlc.  This game is just wacky inflatable car salesmen.


Shaq Fu had the potential. It seems a competant dev team worked on it. Its widlly playable. It's even decent looking.  I just know what a beat em up remake can be.  Think streets of rage 4. This game cant hold a candle.


Rating - 71/100

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