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52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

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kamikazekeeg:
16 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 (PC 2025) - Technically I still have the Expert/Pro challenges left to do, which unlock after you complete all objectives in both games, but I'm counting this as a "beat" as I want to get to another game or two while I can (Playing these on Game Pass) and these challenges can be viewed as like "New Game +".  Overall, the game is great, it's everything the last game was, which was what I wanted.  I know some people didn't love that THPS4 wasn't technically remade as it was, it's abit different, but it's not THAT different.  Basically the levels were free roam and then you'd go find characters to do the challenges, which could then be timed, so it's just cutting out some of the inbetween stuff.  I think it's fine. 

The soundtrack also saw changes, where there's more new than old now, which I'd rather it had been the other way, but most of the main songs you want are there, and there was great new stuff that fit the vibe and were quite varied.  There was only like one or two songs I didn't like, but there's a dedicated skip button you can use at any point so if you want a different vibe when skating, you can.  Not sure if there's like a playlist option or not, that would be nice to.  THPS4 was the one I had the least nostalgia with as THPS3 stands out more because of like CKY and such.

Overall, great to see Tony Hawk get another chance, I doubt they continue on with remake anything else as after this as they are kinda bigger games with like exploration and story stuff (Underground 1 and 2, American Wasteland), but maybe if this does well, they'll get a shot to make a brand new Tony Hawk, make up for the disaster that was Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5.

bikingjahuty:
81. Half Life 2: Episode 2 (PC)

Once again, everything I said about core HL2 and HL2: Episode 1 apply here, except there is far more introduced in Episode 2 than there was in Episode 1 by a fair amount. For starters, the setting and environment is fairly different than anything you experienced in either the core game or the first expansion. For starters, there's a new enemy type in the form of the hunters, as well as a new weapon you can use, but unfortunately it's only available at the very end of the game. Most of Episode 2 takes place in a mountainous area with lots of forests, trees, and lush nature. There is a fairly large section that takes place in a network of old mines, which will remind you of similar areas in base HL2, but fortunately what you'll be doing in those mines varies quite a bit from that game. Also, while I actually preferred the pacing and setting of HL2 Episode 1 more than this game, I do have to say the story and writing is definitely more interesting in Episode 2, and the ending of Episode blows both previous endings completely out of the water in terms of what you'll be up against in the game's final two battles, as well as the final story segment which has become the stuff of infamy. When I say infamy, I don't mean that it's bad or poorly done. What I mean is it will make you understand why so, so many people have obsessively wanted a HL3 for nearly twenty years. It's criminal what Valve has done to its fans with making them wait this long in order to make something more "innovative" or whatever BS reason Gaben has given to why they still haven't released the damn sequel yet. I'd personally be happy if HL3 was just a well made, tightly crafted, complete FPS with great physics like HL2, and a well delivered story. But anyhow, I'm talking about a game that may never be released, so I'll wrap this up. HL2 Episode 2 is an incredibly finally to one of the best games ever made and is a must play for the full HL2 experience. (7/25/25) [44/50]

dhaabi:
45. I Live Here || Browser || 07.21.2025



Some time within the last year, I skimmed through a game jam's prominent entries and was introduced to I Live Here. I knew it'd be a short experience, so I decided I'd see if my curiosity would lead to a positive payout.

Before discussing the game itself, I'll first mention that the game jam's theme was "built to scale," and participants were freely able to interpret that prompt however they see fit. Now, though the game itself doesn't mention it, I Live Here is about a man named Pedro who's longing to reconnect with a woman who's high above in a tower. A short line of dialogue would have helped provide the needed context as to what our goal is as it's never actually stated in-game, but I suppose it's fine since the game's description on the same page clarifies what it is. Nevertheless, Pedro begins down below at ground level with seemingly no way to see the woman. However, before him is a work table with model buildings and building pieces. It does not take long for players to realize that these components each represent actual buildings and building blocks that can be moved and stacked atop one another. So, as Pedro accumulates new pieces one-by-one, he becomes one floor higher toward his goal.

At first, I was actually a bit confused because, despite understanding the movement that was happening as I grabbed the model representing the building I myself was in, nothing new was happening despite being placed next to other buildings or being positioned at any one particular space of the table. In time, though, I realized that the window behind Pedro is the player's viewpoint to interacting with other buildings, so how things are positioned needs to consider that factor. Through this window, Pedro connects with neighbors who each have their own needs which Pedro's able to help with through the power of these models. They're simple tasks such as wanting to be positioned at a specific place or being at a higher elevation. But knowing exactly how to advance the game from one task to the next isn't as obvious as you'd think, as there are just enough context blues provided to players that can easily be overlooked.

As a puzzle game, I Live Here is entirely comprised of simple point-and-click gameplay. Visual cues such as shadows help players understand where individual building blocks will be placed one a grid point on the table is selected, though at times action don't register as seamless as they could have been. The game's art is another standout detail with its personality too. As Pedro moves his arm across the table, it stretches in exaggerated and contorted ways that were probably first seen as a mistake but maintained to provide a sense of fun.

Like I expected, completing I Live Here does not take long. I can see how this sort of puzzle gameplay could provide a more impactful experience if developed further, though, so I'd definitely consider it to be a success in discovering new ideas and adhering to the game jam prompt.

dhaabi:
46. Jusant || PlayStation 5 || 07.23.2025



When Jusant was first announced, I wasn't really sure if there was enough variety in its content to interest me. At some point, though, I decided it'd be something I'd want to try regardless. I actually began my playthrough at a bad time, as I had only a few hours left remaining of my PlayStation Plus subscription. During mid-play, the game force quit unexpectedly, and I was even left without having access to my save data as it was all on the now-inaccessible cloud and not my hard drive for some reason. So, I decided to buy a physical copy since it was cheap, and I finally was able to play through the game from start to finish without any more interruptions.

In the game's opening scene, the unnamed protagonist is already set off on a journey, and we as the player are without context. Who or where we are and what our goal is largely remains unanswered throughout the game's entirety. With that said, there is a considerable degree of mystery shrouding the plot and in-game history. Nevertheless, we as the protagonist have just traversed an empty sea bed that's degraded to a desert expanse upon years of drought only to then appear before a towering cliffside. It's also worth mentioning now that "jusant" is a French term meaning the receding or ebbing tide, and in the context of the game, the term refers to whatever this world-changing event was. Despite there being no active dialogue, it becomes evident that the protagonist's journey in climbing is to somehow reverse the jusant. Now at the tower, our journey—and the game—properly begins. Going forward, we climb.

Being a non-traditional platformer, Jusant does well in guiding players to become acquainted with the various climbing maneuvers, terminology, and general movement. Climbing controls are simple button inputs—in fact, most of the game's controls just revolve around alternating between two trigger buttons which represents maintaining hand grip. Conveniently, the cliff's rocky walls have already been modified to include tools so that climbers can freely navigate, though there are also an abundance of natural grooves and rock formations to grasp too. In time, you will even gain some control over the dying environment as you can generate immediate growth for what little plant life remains. A multitude of mechanics are introduced in a short span of time including hand placement, piton usage, stamina depletion and recovery, rope length, and momentum swinging, but it all feels natural to understand even without being a mountaineer. But there is more to come too, as new gameplay mechanics are introduced or mechanics may change as new environment types are explored. For a little while, it seemed as if there was no ideal means to backtrack for whatever reason, but repelling down the tower is an activity introduced almost right at the exact moment of concern. Unfortunately, I was hoping that there would be a little more variety in gameplay beyond platforming such as some puzzle mechanics. The argument can be made that platforming in certain areas presents itself as a puzzle, but I did not particularly think that myself.

With that said, there are secondary areas to explore that stray off the beaten path, though I personally considered them to be crucial to find for story-related reasons. Where you think the path will take you often isn't where you want to go if you're interested in discovering optional content. Knowing which way is needed to go to progress isn't always straightforward either, meaning players who are wanting to explore areas thoroughly before moving forward may miss out on certain things. Since the majority of the game's world-building is found through letter-writing collectibles in the form of a series of interconnected stories and one long journey written as diary entries, it was upsetting to notice whenever letters weren't discovered. To a degree, backtracking is available, but there are certain points which can't prevent that activity. Since collectibles are ordered chronologically in a menu based on when they should be found, it's easy to know when there's more to find. Admittedly, I began using a collectibles guide to follow once beginning my second attempt playing to avoiding missing anything on this playthrough. Though, it should be said that a chapter select option becomes available once completing the game.

It becomes obvious almost immediately into our journey that where we are is some deserted community—or, rather, a series of individual communities largely connected by letter-writing with its own delivery system—formed along the land's vertical space. Here, people would scale walls in everyday life, and it's revealed that the thought of trekking on horizontal land is both a strange and even frightful thought. Long ago, there was a population here. Community and culture, even. To a degree, there is environmental storytelling, but the bulk is through the aforementioned found writing. In these writings, we learn about how the tides gradually receded, how this present-day world came to be, and how a community so large it's subdivided into several regions emptied entirely as two separate groups sought answers in two different directions: above and below. As players continue to ascend, letters become varied as they're addressed to people in other parts of the tower. We learn how they grappled with the water shortage dilemma and how they seek to overcome it. It's saddening to see the correspondence between peoples suddenly cease as one party makes a dramatic life change to vacate to the desert below for some new hope. This one small valediction really resonated with me: "I'll miss your letters."

As you reach even greater heights, the depths below you become blurred and altogether lost. While our nameless protagonist doesn't particularly seem to be experiencing any emotional journey and is without difficulties until the game's final chapter, the people whose letters we read certainly are. There is much discouragement, doubt, and despair. Be that as it may, I felt as if the plot's lowest point in terms of character morale was quite momentary. As soon as events become significantly worse for our letter-writers, it was almost immediately resolved. However, I suppose it is at this point that the protagonist's problems start to manifest, though, this too, is relatively brief and also less impactful. Since Jusant is such a narrative-driven game, that the closing segments were written this way—or perhaps just how they were presented—led me to feel underwhelmed.

While I was first hesitant about what kind of game Jusant would ultimately be based on the nature of its gameplay, I quickly found myself enjoying the adventure. Much of its writing takes on a somber tone too which did maintain my interest, though certain aspects of it failed to captivate me due to brevity. Still, I'm glad I was able to see the journey to the end.

kamikazekeeg:
17 - Revenge of the Savage Planet (PC 2025) - This was a fun time, it's very much a throwback to like the PS2 era 3D platformer games, your Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, etc...I thought it was gonna have elements of the general building/survival/crafting games, but other than being able to build up a bedroom with furniture and stuff, there's not much on that end. Overall, it's a very fun time.  There's lot of humor, lots of slapstick, there's a bunch of live action video stuff that's very in the same vein as Adult Swim shows. 

There's lots to collect, new suits to find and mix/match, and it doesn't really drag too much.  The only downside is that there isn't really an ending.  There's three general main plotlines you'll get to accomplish, and while I only did 2/3 of them, the specific main one, the return to Earth, you just scan the last part, build up the parts you need to fix your ship, and then you can just head back home, getting one last cut scene.  No final boss fight or thing to do.  Maybe that third plot line leads to the proper finale fight, but all the lead up quests to doing that were just kinda okay shooting challenges and I kinda lost interest, though I did get like 80% of the collectibles, but I'm at a point where I'm satisfied with the game and not gonna try to complete it.

Other than that, I do recommend it.  It's great to play, which can often be a dealbreaker to me these days where the mechanics are just too stiff, or slow, or delayed, and I've realized I got no patience for controls like that lol

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