52 Games Challenge 2018

[bikingjahuty]

Another noteworthy game down, and another one as part of me replaying my old top 10 games for the purpose of re-evaluating it. God, beating this again has me super bummed again that we'll likely never get Half Life 3 though

23. Half Life 2 + Episode 1 and 2 (PS3): This was another game that has sat in my top 10 games of all time for a long time, ever since I first played Half Life 2 on the original XBOX probably back in 2005 or 2006. Because they create a cohesive story that is Half Life 2, I wrap the main game and the two episodic expansions into one game. But anyhow, my thoughts on Half Life 2 after replaying it for the first time since 2010 (I know this because that is what the save data on my PS3 says). The game is perhaps the most immersive and diverse FPS game I've ever played, and tells a very good story with many likable characters. Not only that, but minus a few areas across Half Life 2, the action is non-stop as is what the game has you do to progress, resulting in gameplay that rarely gets stale. While the soundtrack is decent imo, the voice acting and sound design is excellent. By complaints about this game involve certain parts that don't have a good flow to them, hot-scanning enemies, and various platforming and puzzle portions of the game that don't work as well as they should. However these minor flaws are few within a game that is otherwise outstanding from start to finish. I've come to the realize however that I like DOOM on the PS4, just slightly more due to presentation and me enjoying DOOM just a hair more than half life. Regardless, this game still has a very good shot of remaining in my top 10 games of all time when all is said and done. (4/7/18) [44/50]

[bikingjahuty]

Part 2 of my reviews. The first part is on page one if anyone is interested.

24. Super Mario 64 (N64): Another game that is part of my old top 10 games, this game is perhaps the most nostalgic title not only in that list, but of all time for me. I originally got Super Mario 64 with my Nintendo 64 back in 1996 on Christmas Eve as a present. I remember being totally blown away by the 3D gameplay and environments, which are showing their age now, but back then it was unlike anything I had ever experiences. Funny enough, Super Mario 64 took me the better part of a year to beat back in 1996 and 1997, however I just beat the game again with 70-stars in less than 24-hours. This is due to not only my familiarity of the game from playing it a lot over the past 21-years, but also that the game is objectively pretty easy overall. While this is somewhat of a negative thing, the near perfect controls make the game so enjoyable no matter what you're doing. Add in one of the best video game OSTs of all time and you have the makings of something truly special. Super Mario 64's best quality, at least for me is it's ability to transport me back to 1996 as a care free, naive 9-year old who didn't have any responsibilities other than to have fun and be a kid; it is this subjective quality that will all but ensure this game remains firmly in my top 10 games of all time. (4/8/18) [44/50]

25. Sin and Punishment (N64): Sin and Punishment was a very pleasant surprise when I discovered it almost 3-years ago and due to its action, excellent on-rails gameplay, and over the top cheesiness, it became one of my favorite N64 games. I liked it so much that I considered it to possibly be one of the best games I'd ever played. I replayed and beat it again and while it isn't certain whether it will end up in my top 10, it is a strong contender. Perhaps my favorite thing about Sin and Punishment is it's almost Neon Genesis-like art asthetic, so bad it's good voice acting, and its awesome soundtrack. An incredible game, no doubt, but we'll have to see if it ends up being a top 10 game. (4/8/18) [43/50]

26. Radiant Silvergun (Saturn): Radiant Silvergun was one of the first shooters I played that got me really into the genre back around 2010. I first heard of it on another online gaming forum I belonged to and since then it has become the stuff of legends. Despite being one of the earliest shooters I sunk a lot of time into, it has remained all these years my gold standard for all SHMUPs and remains my favorite shooter of all time. I cannot describe how well done this game is; while it isn't perfect, it is damn well near it. To this day it has the most varied, fresh, and fun gameplay of any shooter, as well as the many bosses and ships make sure there is never a dull moment. Combine this with the fact that the game is at time a puzzle game just creates an amazing combination that has yet to be beat as far as I'm concerned. Also it would be criminal not to mention the OST which is top notch and compliments the game very well. This game was never officially part of my old top 10 games, but it is all but certain that it will be in it once I've played the other games I mean to as part of re-evaluating that list. (4/14/18) [45/50]

27. San Francisco Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition (PS2): The Rush games were never a staple of my 90s/early 2000s arcade experience, although despite this I still played them and they were part of my overall a part of my amazing memories of that time period. However, this port seems to be a mix of the N64 port and a faithful arcade port that looks and sounds terrible. I'm not sure if the arcade version has aged terribly, but perhaps one of this game's biggest issues is its gameplay which is like trying to steer a care with no tired on a lake of ice. Also the tracks aren't anything interesting, nor are the cars. Bottom line is not even the little bit of nostalgia I have for this specific title can make me enjoy this very subpar arcade racing game. (4/23/18) [15/50]

28. S.T.U.N. Runner (PS2): The arcade machine for the game is among the most memorable and nostalgic of my early childhood and the blossoming of my love of gaming. The arcade in our local mall growing up had this game and despite me being terrible at it I always really liked the 3D polygons of the enemies and your futuristic car/hover craft. Playing it now I am in love with the cool backgrounds that change between some naturey still image to a futuristic landscape out of an 80s sci-fi movie. This game definitely feels like a product of its time which is part of the reason why I liked it so much. Also, it has a variety of cool sound fx and music tracks that while brief are pretty catchy and cool. I'm also a fan of the added shooting mechanic that makes an already fast paced game have an extra layer of gameplay to it to make it that much more fun. Nostalgia aside, this is a really fun classic arcade game and one that I feel deserves more recognition. (4/23/18) [33/50]

29. Blast Wind (Saturn): It's always a shame when you finally get a chance to play a game that is wildly sought after and expensive only to ask yourself why that is after playing it. Blast Wind is possibly the most wildly mediocre shooter I've ever played, doing nothing really that well, but not doing anything that bad either; the game is just sort of...there. I coasted easily through its very short length and mostly felt like I was going through the motions the whole time. The game is pretty easy as well which contributes to its overall mediocrity. I will give credit where it is due and say that the music is pretty good at times as are the graphics, but still not enough for this game to be anything worth recommending, especially at its going rate of $250+. (5/13/18) [27/50]

30. Sonic Wings Special (Saturn): This game was overall pretty good with a lot of variety in ships, ship abilities, stages, and enemies which all worked really well together to create a pretty enjoyable game. However the game is let down by two things specifically. The first is a terrible difficulty gimmick that some shmups use where on the last stage(s) they make you start the whole stage over if you use a continue. I find this system extremely annoying and pointless since the last stages are already more difficult due to more ships and projectiles to deal with, as well as more difficult bosses. In addition to this, the soundtrack is mediocre at best and reuses a lot of he same music throughout. Definitely a great game, but sadly it is held back by issues that hold it back from being amazing. (5/13/18) [35/50]

31. Battle Garegga Rev. 2016 (PS4): While this game does offer new features and balances to the gameplay of Battle Garegga, I see this more as the definitive way to experience this amazing shooter no matter how you choose to do it. The Rev. 2016 version gives you a large amount of customization options to play the game exactly how you want it; want to make the otherwise bronze and silver looking projectiles blue or purple? You can do that. Want to play the classic arcade version but with the new Rev. 2016 arranged soundtrack? You can do that too. At its core the game plays, sounds, and feels just as amazing as it always has, and really the key thing that makes this version to own is the amount of choice and options you get to play this game exactly how you want to. My only gripe about this game has to do specifically with the version of the game I own; I have the Korean release since it was the only version made available for physical purchase, although you can easily download it off PSN all in English. Rev. 2016 gets the same score as the arcade version in my book since the score is based off the game itself, and not necessarily the release its on. Still for what it does that the other versions don't this is absolutely the best and definitive way to enjoy Battle Garegga. (5/15/18) [43/50]

32. Final Fantasy X (PS2): Final Fantasy X is a game I wondered for years if it deserved a place in my top 10 given how fondly I remember this game, well most of it. See, I never actually beat FFX as a young teen when the game first came out; I got all the way to the final boss, he destroyed me, and I never tried playing FFX again. I had a lot of shit going on in my life at that time and it was probably a combo of the game's difficulty spiking heavily in the last 5% of the game and some serious adolescent depression that kept me from wanting to try again. Still, I remembered the rest of the game so fondly that it always skated the border of my top 10 games of all time. 16-years since I last played FFX I replayed the entire game and finally beat it, and wow, what a game this is! FFX is an amazingly designed game; from it's epic, original story to it's even better game design, this is truly one of the best FF games, if not the best I've ever played. The soundtrack is perfect as well with great music and voice acting. Perhaps FFX's biggest disadvantage is my subjective bias against JRPGs, which barely got in the way of me enjoying this game, but did ever so slightly, as did a few minor pacing issues, balancing problems, and the aforementioned difficulty spike at the end. In the end these were minor issues that did little to blemish one of the best JRPGs of all time. (5/27/18) [43/50]

33. Zone of the Enders (PS2): Another game from my old top 10, this game really encapsulates who I was and what I was into in the early 2000s when this game first came out; I LOVED anime back then, especially of the mech variety which this game is essentially a playable mech anime. I was also blown away by the smooth, fast paced gameplay which at the time was unlike anything I'd ever played. Despite still having some great and unique qualities, the gameplay has been outdone over the years by other 3D hack and slash action games, which did diminish my enjoyment of the game slightly. The game is also very repetitive in terms of enemy and level design, but luckily the action and gameplay makes killing the same few enemies enjoyable. Where this game really shines is when you get to go up against one of the game's bosses and arguably the primary antagonist, Viola. She pilots a similar mech to you and the combat with her feels almost like fighting another human, it's awesome! Aside from this though, the game is filled with the melodrama that 95% of anime uses and the story is nothing special, even within the context of the Zone of the Enders OVA prequel and anime series sequel, which I never saw until years after originally playing this game. Overall, my opinion of this game is it's great, but no longer on par with many other games of the same genre I've played which are way better in nearly every way. Also, the fact that I'm a fraction of the anime fan I used to be means that my subjective enjoyment of the game is not what it used to be either. Zone of the Enders will always hold a special place in my life, but I can't say that it belongs in my top 10 games of all time still. (5/28/18) [38/50]

34. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest (SNES): Aside from loving this game a lot as a kid, perhaps the thing I remember most about it was its brutal difficulty, especially the later stages and secret levels. I thought that I'd find this game easier as an adult, and while I did slightly, this game is still one hard son of a bitch. DKC2's difficulty is mostly fair, however the secret levels and some of the final stages in the game cross that line into cheapness and some of the gameplay shortcomings of this game show their ugly faces. Aside from these annoyances, the game is truly a classic and truly one of the great SNES titles which is saying a ton considering how good the SNES library of games is. This game always felt like a contender for being a top 10 game for me which is why I decided to replay it, but it falls short just slightly of reaching a top spot. Still a great game and better than most games I play on average. (6/6/18) [41/50]

35. The Pinball Arcade (PC): I recently attended a large pinball expo that had a ton of pinball machines which were all free to play after the price of admission was paid, and it really gave me the itch to play more pinball. For anyone that doesn't know anything about the pinball market, they range from very expensive to you'd better take out a loan expensive. Given this and my lack of available space for even one pinball machine, I researched what would be the next best thing which led me to find this game, which is also available on consoles. As a note, I won't be reviewing individual tables, but rather my general experience with this pinball simulator. First off, this game faithfully recreates every pinball on your TV or monitor almost exactly how they are in person, which includes everything from the sounds and music to the art and asthetics of each machine. Maybe more impressive is the excellent pinball physics that recreate the real life physics of each machine almost to a T. The only noticeable issue I found in regards to the feel of the machines was a slight delay on the paddle controls, which I did get used to, but were apparent the whole time I played this game. Overall though with everything considered, The Pinball Arcade's collection of games generally felt 90% authentic to the real thing, give or take a few percent depending on the game. I definitely recommend grabbing the season packs as soon as you can, however, since the licenses for the Bally and Williams tables are going to expire after June 30th of this year, meaning you won't be able to get them anymore. Buy them while you still can! (6/9/18) [40/50]

36. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Genesis): If I had to create a list of top 5 games I carry the most nostalgia for (that might actually be a good topic for a thread...), Sonic 3 would undoubtedly be in there. I got this game around the time it came out in 1994 when my aunt bought it for me at a local mall, which was awesome since it wasn't for a birthday or Christmas either. But anyhow, Sonic 3 is one of those games I've considered putting in my top games of all times for years, but it never officially was in it. So I decided to play all the way through it and see if it is worthy. Sonic 3's best quality is its presentation; the graphics and music are among the best of the entire 16-bit era, especially the music as I consider it to be one of my favorite OSTs of all time. The gameplay however is not as good. While it is by no means bad, I found the flow of gameplay to be annoyingly all over the place in terms of pacing and certain parts of certain stages I found annoying, but overall it is a fun game to play. Sadly, the allure of the actual game outside my nostalgia lenses is not as good as I'd hoped, but it is still a gem from its era and definitely worth playing. (6/16/18) [40/50]

37. Area 51 (Saturn): Area 51 was a staple of my childhood; I played this game countless times at pizza joints, arcades, laser tag centers, and anywhere else I could find it from the mid 90s to the early 2000s when the arcade cabinet became harder and harder to come by. Being one of my all time favorite arcade games, Area 51 undoubtedly devoured countless quarters and I honestly loved every minute of it. Replaying it again years later on the Saturn, I am foremost surprised at how well the Saturn recreates this game on its limited hardware, with the only noticeable downgrade being the graphics which a more pixelated look overall. The other surprise I had was how years later and despite having a heavy amount of nostalgia for this game, I am now able to see this game for the fairly basic, mediocre game it is, especially in regards to gameplay, music, enemy variety, and lack of replayability. The game is by no means bad, and given how most other games in this genre are, I'm not expecting some grand adventure with highly varied gameplay, but essentially Area 51 does everything it needs to do, but little more. Still, it was one of the most memorable games of the 1990s for me, and my massive nostalgia for this game allows me to enjoy it on a personal level way more than someone who never had the pleasure of trying this game out in its heyday. Area 51 will always hold a special place in my heart despite it not being anything special, even for a lightgun game. (6/23/18) [29/50]

38. Virtua Cop (Saturn): While I did play this game in the arcade at various times during the 90s, my most vivid memories of playing Virtua Cop were at friends' houses seeing that I had two close friends growing up who both owned Sega Saturn consoles, and both owned this game. It was always one of my favorites when I'd go over to their houses and despite it only having three stages and very little replay value I thought it was a fun game. I still think it's pretty fun, but its mentioned shortcomings do diminish my enjoyment of this game a little. Essentially one playthough once a year or so is enough to quench my Virtua Cop thirst at any given time. Aside from that, gameplay is pretty fair and I'm a fan of the threat circle that appears around enemies to let you know when they're getting ready to fire. Also, the soundtrack is excellent. From what I can remember this is a very competent port of the arcade version and definitely one of the most memorable games on the Saturn. (6/24/18) [37/50]

39. House of the Dead (Saturn): What comes to mind after playing the Saturn version of House of the Dead is a quote from Dr. Ian Malcom from Jurassic Park: "You were so preoccupied with if you could, you didn't stop to think if you should." That is how I feel about this port. Yes, it's a home console version of House of the Dead which is one of the most memorable lightgun arcade shooters of the 90s, but it's so compromised as a port that it would have been best if it had never been made. I'm serious, this port is borderline unplayable due to the terrible framerate and buggy shooting, and the graphics look terrible compared to the arcade. Sure, they didn't have to be just like the arcade, nor was the Saturn capable of those kind of graphics, but even for a Saturn port they are pretty bad. Another issue I have is how the gameplay is chopped up with loading screens within the same stage, and often right before a monster lunges at you, often resulting in a cheap hit. I will give this game credit for retaining the branching level design, dismemberment mechanic, and cool soundtrack, but other than that this game is a terrible port and unworthy of the House of the Dead name. You're better off playing this game the only way it should be played, in the arcade. (6/24/18) [20/50]

[kamikazekeeg]

17 - Subnautica (PC 2018) - BEAT - This was one of those LONG in Early Access games, since 2014.  I don't remember when I bought it, but I've been playing it off and on for quite a long time, watching it progress.  It's a pretty solid experience, though optimization wise it can be abit rough without a real high end system and the pop in isn't great either.  It does have an end and I don't think it's always very clear how you are supposed to get there without guides.  It can be rather hard to figure out exactly where you need to go, what to do, what order to do it in, things like that.  Finding certain things would feel impossible without online help.

Hard to find a comparable experience, but it's generally like your Slime Rancher or Minecraft, but with way more genuine tension.  A gathering/walking simulator (swimming simulator), but most things want to eat you.  As someone that is unsettled by deep water, this can be quite the experience.  You never fully get use to it as a Reaper or Ghost Leviathan are never not terrifying, especially if you hear their cry and know they are around you somewhere.  Also, normally I hate kinda having to "gather" my plot, as you have to figure out the reasons for your crash and then figure out your escape, but you get enough in large chunks that I don't hate it.  Lot of lore to gather if you want to figure out the backstory of everything.

I can't recommend it to everyone, as I think it can get abit boring with the grind, especially when you need lots of things from different areas, but I generally like these kinds of games, because then I just pop on a podcast or video and watch/listen as I play.

[shfan]

14) BioShock (PS4)

Probably the 7th or 8th time I've been through this game, it's easily in my top 3 of all time, the PS4 version is delicious too, really enjoyed it. Being number 14, 3.5 months-worth on the 14th of this month means I'm exactly on-target for 52, within a day or too literally. With a bit more of a push I can get back to being slightly ahead, it's certainly good to finally get some good gaming time in.

[bikingjahuty]

half way there

...living on a prayer lol

[telly]

Extra Game - Pokemon: Crystal Version (3DS) - 38 hours

It was really interesting to replay through this old game again. This is a really nostalgic title for me being my first Pokemon game, and it's fun to experience things in a new way, particularly seeing how much they could fit in to the cartridge (and how ultimately they had to cut stuff back too. The game isn't perfect though. The level curve is a bitch, the movesets and variety of Pokemon for some types (fire) is really bad. And some of the old annoying aspects of the game are still present (boxes, HMs, no physical/special split, etc.). That said, it's still a blast to play through, and the game still feels smart, snappy, fast and reminds me why I love the series in the first place.

Just need to get Celebi, but I'm also hunting Raikou and then Ho-Oh

Back to my list

[wolfen]

8. Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Final Mix (PS4)

This is my first foray into this series and I actually really enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. The combat is not as tedious as I expected it to be and was super deep with all the different abilities you could switch around depending on your playstyle. The story was actually very cool, cohesive, emotional, and a little cheesy at times, but it was great nonetheless.

My only complaints are the shifts in difficulty for certain things, specifically the final boss and certain levels were very confusing as to where I was supposed go i.e. Deep Jungle, Atlantica, etc.

I can't wait to get through the rest of the story!

Time: 45 hours

[telly]

Game 5 - Super Mario RPG (SNESc) - 15 Hours

First game on the SNES classic is done! Here's what I thought of it.

+ In general I liked this game a lot. It does a lot of things really well and has that classic Square polish that they had perfected up until this point. It reminds me a lot of the Paper Mario Games I've played with the Flower Points and funny dialogue and humor. I loved the combat with the tactile button presses and timing. I loved the hidden secrets and mini games that encouraged you to explore the world (and the environments, areas and enemies/bosses were great too, even a little creepy at times). The soundtrack was nothing special, but it did have a few good tracks.

- In general I found the story to be a little bland/ more focused on younger audiences. Didn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, and yeah, this game is older so it's not as bad, but still. I felt this way with the game's difficulty too. Princess Toadstool is legit OP and once I found the EXP boosting accessory I was unstoppable, had max money half the time too. Also, the platforming elements that the game throws at you are AWFUL. Trying to navigate platforms in 3D space with no way to change your camera is a nightmare, especially with how fast Mario moves in the air compared to in his 2D games.

Back to my list

[kamikazekeeg]

19 - God of War (PS4 2018) - BEAT - I had way more written, but rather than kinda hit on everything I did or didn't like, I'll just say that overall I think this is a fantastic game.  It's not groundbreaking (It shares a lot with the Tomb Raider reboot), people wanting specifically for this to be like the previous series will be disappointed (much of what the series did is still here, but is altered or abit more subtle than it was), but what we get is an incredibly well crafted and beautiful looking open world action game.  It does just enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome and while I am not 100% in love with some aspects of the story, I never felt like I was being shortchanged by the experience.  It's not the same God of War series and its very much setting up for a new one, but I'm happy to keep playing these games.

[chrismb]

Part 1 : https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149037.html#msg149037
Part 2 : https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149778.html#msg149778
Part 3 : https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg150756.html#msg150756


50. A Way Out [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- The graphics are beautiful! It was giving me more realistic Life is Strange and I LOVE it! Some moments like when you're at the farm are just really stunning!
- Loved the characters and the dialogues between then and also the NPCs who really made the game even more funny!
- Amazing story, so many epic moments tbh!
- A (probably) great co op experience. I say probably because I played the game alone with two controllers but some moments would've definitely been funner with a friend gameplay wise.
- Overall just a really good game, especially if you like more story centered type of games like Heavy Rain or the Telltale games.
-
- As I said, I played the game with two controllers, and while it was totally doable (except the bike part, that's the only time you gonna need someone else too) I really wish they added a CPU mode where you could just switch between which characters you want to control.
- The ending. I HATE then ending. I can't say it's a bad ending because it does have that shocking factor but to me I took away everything that the game was about which is the friendship between Vincent and Leo. I just hate how there wasn't a third option where Vincent decided to be on Leo's side or something. It was the most shocking plot twist I've ever experienced and I've played some crazy games! I was really feeling really sad for a good three days after finishing the game that how shook I was! I truly felt betrayed lol. Obviously I chose Leo's ending because fuck a betraying hoe lol.

51. Watch Dogs [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- Graphically the game is STUNNING. I know a lot of people hated the game because the graphics got downgraded after the promotional videos and shit but honestly I got the game 3-4 years after it came out so I couldn't give a fuck lol. The most impressing thing about the graphics is definitely the city. Chicago is just so realistic and full of details! It's definitely in my top 3 most realistic open world cities ever. Also Pawnee is definitely the best place of the game lol.
- The story is really good. It's my second time playing the game but I was into the story just like I was when I first played the game. I loved the characters and the more serious tone of the game. Aidan was a really good protagonist imo, I love that he wasn't your typical hero and that he definitely had some bad in him, it just made him more realistic and interesting.
- I love the gameplay, I mean who doesn't love to blackout and entire city or blow up every car behind you while driving in slow motion?
- Overall just a really underrated game that doesn't deserve all the hate that it gets imo.
-
- The game does have a good amount of side missions, but once you've tried they all once they really get boring. You're really only gonna want to do the ones that will give you hacking points tbh.

52. The Last Guardian [20/20] - Playstation 4 -
+
- The game looks beautiful! If you've played Ico and Shadow of the Colossus you can definitely tell that they wanted to keep the same type of style those games had. It really looks like an animated movie tbh, the movements looks beautiful and Trico is especially impressing! The attention to details really make this game special.
- The story is AMAZING. It's so crazy how there is no dialogues, only 2 characters and yet the story is still gonna make you cry like a baby at the end lol. The bond between the kid and Trico is just so amazing and the ending honestly broke my heart =(
- The soundtrack is really good.
-
- The gameplay. Now i'm not one to complain about gameplay but for a game that took that much time to come out, the gameplay is really trash. I can accept the controls of the kid, but Trico is either extremely dumb or I didn't understand some of the controls lol. I know he's supposed to have a realistic animal AI but yeah it was a bad idea and a huge fail. I really wish that once you get on Trico you could just control him, would've made the game a lot less frustrating tbh.

53. NBA Street Homecourt [19/20] - Xbox 360 -
+
- Graphically it's really nice, a big upgrade compared to the PS2 titles. I wouldn't say it's better tho because it's a different style, but it's definitely pretty to look at.
- Best gameplay out of the entire serie. This game is just so much fun, the dribble moves are crazy and the double dunks are hilarious.
- WNBA added. I know there was female players in the previous games but i'm almost sure it wasn't real players (might be wrong tho).
-
- My main issue with the game is how much features it's missing from the previous games! No dunk contests, not hidden characters, no historic players...
- The original players are DLCs. That's just insulting considering they've been in the first 3 games already for free.
- I'm either dumb af or it's not in the game, but you can't edit the height of your created player. I think you have 3 different heights based on your position but that's it.  Also no kids and chubby players =/

54. NBA Ballers [20/20] - Playstation 2 -
+
- The gameplay is super fun! Definitely one of the funnest street ball game tbh! The dunks, crossovers, ankle breakers... so good!
- Graphically it's really nice tbh, the players look like the real players and I was actually shocked at how recognizable they were!
- Historic players! I love playing with past players in NBA so that was a really cool addition!
-
- The game should've definitely went with the more funny vibe instead of the serious one, I wish they added some goofy commentaries and fun hidden players. But it's really not that serious tbh the game's still fun.

55. Madden NFL 18 [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- The gameplay feels so much better than  NFL 17! The moves, the running, the passing... It feels like a pretty big upgrade tbh.
- Graphically the game looks nice, not really different from NFL 17 but it definitely feels like a real NFL game and the animations are better looking.
- Good commentaries, it always amazes me how accurate the commentaries are in sports game lol
- Longshot is by FAR the best story mode of any sports game ever made. I loved the Journey in FIFA 17 but this completely blew it away! I loved the characters and also how the story tried to be realistic and not a parody (looking at you 2k18 lol). I definitely wasn't expecting such a good story mode tbh and I advise everyone to play it if you have the game!
-
- The character customization is still trash. I can kinda forgive it because you don't really see the faces of the players anyway but still I would love to be able to edit the faces.
- One huge problem I have with EA sports game is the lack of historic teams. I want to play with Joe Montana lol

56. Late Shift [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- A really unique game. Obviously there isn't any real gameplay but I think they did a good job not to make the game feel like a whole movie but instead a true interactive game.
- I was actually surprised by how good the acting was, I expected an amateur 90's game type of acting but it was actually pretty good.
- 7 endings with a lot of different choices that really affect the story. You can skip whole parts of the game just because of one choice! I actually played the game twice because the first time I got the worst ending lol.
- A cool story. It's not the most revolutionary story but I was really into it tbh.
-
- I wish the game was a bit longer, I think it took me around 1 hour to finish the game each time. 2-3 hours would've been better.

57. Heavy Rain [20/20] - Playstation 4 -
+
- Graphically it's extremely impressive tbh. The faces are probably the most realistic looking faces of the 7th gen (with Beyond Two Souls, butit's made by the same developers so...)
- The story is imo one of the best story in video game history. You really won't know who the killer is until the very end and they make a good job making it look like everyone could be the killer lol. This was my second time finishing the game so I obviously didn't have the shock factor but if you played the game once it's actually fun to go back and see how obvious it is who the killer is once you know it lol.
- Love the characters! Ethan and Madison are my favorite because they have the best chapters imo, Scott is also a really interesting character (obviously lol) and even tho Norman ain't my favorite I still liked him.
- The music and the voice acting is amazing.
- Really interesting gameplay. It's mostly QTEs but I love how you can hear your thoughts and also that your choices really influence the story.
-
- I wish Norman's chapters were more interesting. He definitely has the most boring parts of the game with the crime scenes and the office scenes. It's a shame because he is a really intriguing character but he's just there with no real reason tbh.
- More minor detail, but I actually wish Lauren was a controllable character! Especially during scenes like the antique shop.

58. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- The game looks stunning! The water is honestly breath taking! The amount of detail in each part of the map is crazy tbh.
- A HUGE ass map! I don't know if it's the biggest of the AA serie up to that point but it seems like it! All the different areas are combined in one map and it's pretty fun to explore each one of them.
- While the story wasn't my favorite AA story, I still really enjoyed it and that mostly because of how good of a character Edward is! He's totally unique from all the other assassins, mostly because he wasn't even an assassin for the biggest part of the game lol. There is less of that brotherhood feeling that the previous games had but it's still really fun.
- Finally weather! I'm like 99% sure there was no difference in the weather in the previous games, this one has huge ass storms and it's honestly really cool lol.
-
- While the control of the ship is better than in AC3, I still hate the fuck out of everything that has to do with that ship lol. The ship missions are the worse, I don't want to spend my time looting ships just to upgrade my ship it's boring af.
- The story outside the animus was a huge WTF. I don't care at all about any of it tbh, I just wanted to see the previous characters (they appeared but for why i have no idea lol) even tho Desmond died. I just don't feel like it continued the story at all, it was just really boring tbh.

59. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas [20/20] - Playstation 2 -
+
- This games is a classic. Imo this is the game that set the bar high for every other Rockstar games like Red Dead Redemption and the next GTAs. It's just mind blowing how big this game is for it's generation (and even compared to some games of the current generation tbh).
- Graphically there is a lot more details than in the previous games. The animations are also a LOT better and you can finally move the camera!
- While the controls have aged quite a bit, they are definitely better than the previous game's controls.
- The story and the characters are amazing. I honestly want to say that this GTA might have the best story out of all the GTAs tbh. It has so many iconic characters! CJ is an amazing protagonist who's a lot more relatable than the previous ones. There's also so many amazing new characters : Cesar, Woozie, The Truth, Big Smoke, Zero... but also some of the best previous characters : Kent, Love Fist, Catalina...
- Better customization! I also loved how you can gain/loose weight/muscle! I wish they had that in the next games tbh.
- So many new things, new cars, weapons and a lot of diverse missions!
-
- Some missions are really hard but the one mission was just too much is Learning to Fly. In my life I have never such bad controls in a video game. That trash ass plane is uncontrollable.
- Just like in the previous games, I hate that when you fail a mission you can't start it again you have to go back to the starting location and it's really annoying especially when it's far away.

60. Assassin's Creed IV: Freedom Cry [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- It's just a DLC so for the gameplay/graphics just read my thought on Black Flag ^^
-  Adéwalé is a really interesting characters that definitely deserved his own DLC! This DLC definitely reminded me more of Liberation than Blag Flag but with better voice acting haha. I loved the story even if it was pretty short, you get to find out more about Adéwalé  and it also introduced some cool characters!
- New areas! I honestly expected the DLC to take place in the original game's map but no it has it's own locations so it's pretty cool.
-
- I'd say a bit short but it's a DLC... ^^ I guess it could've been longer but it's still acceptable for it's price.

61. Assassin's Creed: Rogue [20/20] - Playstation 3 -
+
- The story is one of the most unique from the franchise since it's the first time the protagonist is a Templar. I also really liked Shay tbh, he's a pretty charismatic character who goes from a manipulated assassin to a high ranked Templar. I honestly totally understood why he left the Brotherhood, I mean I already didn't like Achilles in AS3 but that that guy is a bum lol. Shay was honestly surrounded by the worst team of Assassins in AS's history lol.
- Graphically the game looks pretty good. Obviously not better than AS4, probably not even better than AS3 but It's still beautiful. The locations are basically a mix of AS3 and AS4 and it makes the game pretty unique.
- Overall a really underrated game! I feel like not a lot of people have played this game because it came out during that weird generation transition era plus it came out right after AS4 but only on old gen. I honestly really enjoyed this game, I didn't know what to expect from it when I started it but I loved the story and the whole vibe of the game.
-
- Pretty short, probably the shortest game of the franchise.
- It misses a main city. I already kinda had this issue with AS4 but it still had some memorable locations. Rogue however has no memorable locations at all, you change locations every chapters and you just don't get used to any of them.
- The fucking ships. I was lowkey happy to start a new AC game without ships after AS4 and then it's the same thing lol. I don't know if it's just me but these goddamn ships are my most hated feature from the franchise lol.

62. Detroit: Become Human [20/20] - Playstation 4 -
+
- Graphically it's probably the most realistic game I've ever played tbh. The attention to details is honestly mind blowing.
- Amazing story! I loved every part of the story tbh. Quantic Dream is one of my favorite devolopper for that reason tbh, their stories are always on point! Out of all of their games I feel like this is the one where you can have the most different paths, like almost every chapters have 2-3 ending, with some having a lot more. The decisions are also really important and will truly change the story in a lot of ways.
- I love the characters! Connor is the best character imo, he's the most interesting and I ADORE his relationship with Hank lol. Kara and Marcus are also two very likable protagonist. I'd be interested to see how different Marcus and Connor would act if you make them villains, since I converted Connor into a deviant and led a peaceful revolution.
- You can go back to a previous chapter to re-do some of your choices and it's honestly a life saver lol.
- Overall this game was one of my most anticipated game of the year and it didn't disappoint me at all. I just love everything about it tbh.
-
/

63. Watch Dogs 2 [20/20] - Xbox One -
+
- The city looks AMAZING! It's so different from the first game which had a really dark, sad city. San Francisco is just so colorful and full of life I love it. This really reminds me of the Liberty City to Vice City evolution in a way.
- While the story isn't as interesting as the first game's, the characters make up for it a lot! I loved the new groupe and I LOVE that they brought back Ray! He was my favorite character from the first game and probably my favorite from the serie.
- So many iconic missions! This was my second time playing the game but I still enjoyed all of them! Also the side quests are a lot more fun then the ones in WD1.
- Love drone and mini robot or whatever it's called lol. Definitely the best new features of the game.
- Amazing music!
- A lot more customization!
-
- No more slow motion mode when you're driving. Idk why they took it out tbh.
- I feel like they complicated the gameplay a bit too much compared to the first game, especially the hacking.
- I wish the camera was the same as it was in the first game, or that you could at least change it. It's a very weird angle tbh.

[telly]

Game 6 - Super Metroid (SNESc) - 7 Hours

+ Just finished this game last night. This is truly a classic game and I can see why it's so popular. So much of this game is really well done, especially the graphics, sound effects, gameplay, and music. It's all so isolating and cool to play through, the game really makes you feel like a boss, and it's hard to stop playing. I really enjoyed searching for new items, exploring new areas, and using all the cool weaponry. There really isn't much more to say on it.

- Despite how great it is, I do have some gripes. I found it annoying that I couldn't look at all the sections of the map at once like in Metroid Prime. On the topic of Prime, I miss the more in depth story and background lore of that game. I didn't even know what I was on Zebes for until I got a game over and the "find the metroid larva!" showed up. I also swear some of the game was buggy/slowed, though I don't know if it's because of the SNES classic. I had a lot of noticeable framerate drops, an area where the game froze consistently (right before Ridley), and the grappling hook sometimes did not working properly either.

Back to my list

[realpoketendonl]

Due to personal issues I haven't really been able to game as much as I would like. But I had a week off this week, and I decided to spend it playing through Freedom Planet. Or, playing through it thrice with all the characters really. And I have to say, I'm glad I did. Because Freedom Planet is a fantastic title.

If you look at it you may immediately draw comparisons to the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and you wouldn't be wrong. Freedom Planet, at its core, is clearly very inspired by the Sonic the Hedgehog series. However, I honestly think it's vastly superior to Sonic. The speed platforming is still there, but Freedom Planet adds a lot which really makes it stand out. Freedom Planet has a larger focus on exploration and combat than Sonic, and it handles it really well. The levels are well designed and offer you good chances to explorer without ever feeling lost. The characters have a larger moveset with moves better suited to combat compared to Sonic as well, and it makes taking out enemies a lot of fun. Not to mention, the bosses are fantastic and perfectly suit the combat system. They really reward learning the patterns and adapting to them, and while they can be very challenging they are always fair.

I can highly recommend Freedom Planet to any fan of action-platformers. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of Sonic, Freedom planet does enough different and fixes enough of the frustrations I have with Sonic that it's still worth a look. I do recommend you choose Lilac for your first playthrough! But if you enjoy challenging yet fair action-platformers, Freedom Planet is highly recommended.

Full list: https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149075.html#msg149075

[kamikazekeeg]

20 - The Forest (PC 2018) - BEAT - Much like Subnautica, this is another one of the long in development indie survival games.  I bought this back when I hadn't realized that I probably shouldn't be buying early access titles, though I played it a lot less than Subnautica.  If comparing it to other games, you have 7 Days to Die and awful, still in development, game that is awful and still runs poorly and looks bad.  Subnautica, while glitchy, it actually fairly well done and the entire experience is interesting.  In between is The Forest I think.

I don't feel like there's a lot the game does great, but it's not bad.  It can be creepy and unsettling, but it has a ton of jank.  The standard lighting in the game is broken, so if you don't change the color grading (What amounts to a color change and brightness differences), you will not be able to see in caves no matter what kind of light you have.  You'll be practically scraping edges to get through and it's not fun.  I almost quit the game till someone told me to change it to "Texas".  It wasn't a fix, but it was improved enough to be tolerable.  The combat isn't even slightly fun.  The AI is unfairly strong and fast, especially the tougher enemies, and makes most interactions beyond one or two mutants just not fun and it's not in "Don't complain, it's a survival game" sort of way.  Physics with items are wonky, spawning will happen right in front of you sometimes, and the enemy AI is fairly terrible.

There are good ideas here, but not sure if they are fully realized and despite the game being "released", I'm sure it'll still see a number of updates to fix a lot of the problems.

[ignition365]

Took me over a month, but I finally got through Far Cry 5.  The ending was so bad that I decided not to 100% it.

That puts me at 11 games beat this year so far.  I'm normally at 52 games by now... I knew this was going to be a difficult year.

[kamikazekeeg]

21 - The Flame in the Flood (PC 2016) - BEAT - Love getting games free.  This year was sorta about trying to play more of the freebies I've had or dig into the backlog in general, but I just keep getting more free stuff! 

I really burned through this one, got kinda in the zone and just went for it, but the game never really gets to a point of really BECOMING anything.  It's a survival rogue-lite game, Don't Starve on a river, but you don't learn anything about what happened, the few characters you meet, who you are, and the ending is just a "Oh, okay" moment.  It's never more than one note.  What you do at the start, is never different from where you end other than you are probably over-supplied, except for like the one thing you need.  For me, that was killing bears for hide to keep from getting cold, but the cold is manageable enough, that I eventually just pushed to the end.

It's not bad, it's a competent survival game, but it feels abit too basic and the folksy songs don't add a lot and the whole game lacks a sheen of polish.  Like using the quick menu for attack items is awkward and can get screwed up, the text windows are weird, it feels like it needed just some extra work that they never put into it.  I wouldn't really recommend it unless you are some die-hard survival game lover and you've played the better ones already.