VGCollect Forum
General and Gaming => General => Topic started by: bikingjahuty on December 26, 2024, 10:30:00 am
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Here we go again!
New year and another 365 days to tackle as many games from our backlogs as we can! In case you're new to the challenge, more or less this is a place where you can track the games you beat, leave mini reviews (if you want to), and work on reaching the coveted 52 games beat mile stone by the end of the year. Even if you don't plan on reaching 52 games beat, or there's just no way possible for you to have the time to beat that many games in a year, this is also a fun place to interact with other VG Collect members to discuss games we beat, or just to see what others are currently playing or have played. See you all at 52!
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Looking back on the games I beat in 2024, I unfortunately only played a few games that I went "wow, that was an incredible game!" Don't get me wrong, most of the games I played last year were pretty good, or at least decent, but last year was probably the first where I didn't have at least a handful of games that broke 40/50 on my rating scale, which more or less means the game was outstanding. Obviously, I have no idea how good a game is going to be if I've never played it, but this next year I would like to focus on playing games that I have beat before and know are great, or games that are conventionally considered some of the best games ever made. I still plan on playing plenty of games where I know I'm not liking to have some sort of ground breaking experience with it, but I'd like to at least be a little more selective in the games I choose to tackle this year. I'm not going to make a list of games I plan on beating like I have several years prior, but I definitely intend on playing several games I know I love, but haven't played in several years. Back in 2019 I made a point to replay most of the games I'd consider to be the best I'd ever played to see if they still hold up now, and while I'm not going to be that specific or deliberate, I wouldn't be surprised if a decent chunk of those games get replayed and beat in 2025 again. But anyhow, we'll see where the road takes me this year and hopefully I'm able to reach well beyond 52 games beat seeing how at the moment I have very little planned in terms of things I know I'll be busy with in 2025 (unlike 2024 which was just an insane year for me all around). My primary goal is to actually reach 100 games beat by the end of 2025. Who knows if I'll make it, but dammit I will try!
Completed
1. Max Payne (XBOX) (1/1/25) [38/50]
2. Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned (Arcade) (1/3/25) [38/50]
3. Dead or Alive 3 (XBOX) (1/3/25) [35/50]
4. Silent Hill 2 (PS5) (1/7/25) [43/50]
5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) (1/8/25) [39/50]
6. ManxTT Superbike (Arcade) (1/11/25) [25/50]
7. Sega Rally Championship (Arcade) (1/11/25) [32/50]
8. Dead or Alive 4 (360) (1/13/25) [37/50]
9. Final Fight CD (Sega CD) (1/17/25) [34/50]
10. Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis) (1/18/25) [32/50]
11. Yoshi's Crafted World (Switch) (1/26/25) [37/50]
12. Virtua Fighter Kids (Saturn) (2/1/25) [30/50]
13. Fighters Megamix (Saturn) (2/1/25) [35/50]
14. Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS4) (2/16/25) [45/50]
15. Sonic Colors (DS) (2/18/25) [30/50]
16. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) (2/21/25) [45/50]
17. Star Fox (SNES) (2/24/25) [20/50]
18. Super Mario Kart (SNES) (2/25/25) [32/50]
19. Pokemon Gold (3DS) (2/26/25) [36/50]
20. Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (Arcade) (2/27/25) [35/50]
21. Dead or Alive: Dimensions (3DS) (2/28/25) [36/50]
22. Shinobi Legions (Saturn) (3/2/25) [26/50]
23. Battle Garegga (PS4) (3/3/25) [44/50]
24. Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 (PS4) (3/3/25) [33/50]
25. Half Life: Opposing Force (PC) (3/7/25) [38/50]
26. Half Life: Blue Shift (PC) (3/8/25) [36/50]
27. Nidhogg (PC) (3/8/25) [31/50]
28. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (Wii) (3/9/25) [26/50]
29. Hang-On (Arcade) (3/11/25) [32/50]
Abandoned
1. Sonic Rush Adventure (DS) (2/19/25)
2. Ninja Gaiden (NES) (2/24/25)
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In Progress:
1. Necromunda: Underhive Wars (PC)
2. Final Fantasy III (SNES)
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)
4. Super Mario World (SNES)
Completed:
1. Final Fantasy III (SNES) 20 Jan
2. Super Mario World (SNES) 9 Feb
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Love this tradition even if I am so late on partaking! Lol. I wont miss it this year. Last year I built quite the backlog and now 2025 I intend to chip at it like greek granite :) Cheers to all fellow back log slayers. May you all have a bountiful hunt.
Finished
1. Gris [PS5]
2. Donkey Kong Country [SNES]
3. Super Mario World [SNES]
4. Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom [NS]
5. Band Hero [PS3]
6. Hogwarts Legacy [PS5]
7. Snoopy's Grand Adventure [PS4]
8. Mafia III Definitive Edition [PS4]
9. Gori Cuddly Carnage [PS5]
10. Monster Jam Showdown [PS5]
11. Super Mario Bros: Wonder [NS]
12. Madden NFL 25 [PS5]
13. South Park: The Fractured But Whole [PS4]
14. Life Is Strange: True Colors [PS5] (Platty)
Currently Playing
1. Johnny Trigger [PS4]
2. Resident Evil 3 (PS5)
3. Zelda: Link's Awakening [NS]
4. Mafia III
5. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
6. LA Noire
Abandoned
1. Stanley Parable Deluxe
TROPHY COUNT - 372 (Goal - 1750)
MONTH BREAKDOWN
January - 7 Games/154 Trophies
February - 6 Games/137 Trophies
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Games in 2025
1. Vampire Survivors (Deck) - Beat / Beat Jan. 1
2. Metroid Dread (Switch) - Beat / Beat Jan. 12
3. Donkey Kong Land (Switch) - Beat / Beat Jan. 14
4. Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch) - Beat / Jan. 27
5. Firewatch (Deck) - Beat / Feb. 1
6. Doki Doki Literature Club (Deck) - Beat / Feb. 2
7. SKALD: Against the Black Priory (Deck) - Beat / Feb. 24
8. Superhot (Deck) - Beat / Feb. 25
9. Cat Quest (Deck) - Beat / Mar. 2
10. God of War: Ragnarok (PS5) - Playing
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Previous 52 Game Challenges: 2020 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg174802.html#msg174802), 2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185673.html#msg185673), 2022 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193705.html#msg193705), 2023 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199073.html#msg199073), 2024 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204015.html#msg204015)
01. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207992.html#msg207992) Silent Hill: Shattered Memories || PlayStation 2 || 01.02.25
02. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208003.html#msg208003) Titanic Mystery || Wii || 01.04.25
03. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208035.html#msg208035) A Dark Room || Browser || 01.07.25
04. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208135.html#msg208135) Phogs! || PlayStation 4 || 01.15.25
05. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208136.html#msg208136) Mingle || PC || 01.19.25
06. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208150.html#msg208150) Dragonsweeper || Browser || 01.20.25
07. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208169.html#msg208169) Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights || GameCube || 01.21.25
08. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208200.html#msg208200) Radio Hammer || Nintendo 3DS || 01.22.25
09. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208297.html#msg208297) A Way Out || PlayStation 4 || 02.03.25
10. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208414.html#msg208414) Picross e2 || Nintendo 3DS || 02.15.25
11. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208420.html#msg208420) Silent Hill: Downpour || PlayStation 3 || 02.20.25
12. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208524.html#msg208524) Life Is Strange: Double Exposure || PlayStation 5 || 02.27.25
13. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208556.html#msg208556) Transform || Browser || 03.03.25
14. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208598.html#msg208598) Pac-Man World Re-Pac || PlayStation 5 || 03.03.25
15. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208632.html#msg208632) Heads Off || Mobile || 03.08.25
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Yay! I can already tell it'll be a slower year. My brother lent me Elden Ring and I'm really excited to dive in. That's a huge game, I've heard.
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Bringing over 2 games I didn't finish this year that I don't know if I'll take the time to finish up before the year is out.
1 - Super Mario RPG (Switch 2023) - PLAYING
2 - Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (PS5 2024) - PLAYING
3 - Slime Rancher 2 (PC Early Access 2022) - ENDLESS
4 - Get To Work (PC 2024) - BEAT
5 - DayZ (PC 2018) - ENDLESS
6 - Voices of the Void (PC) - BEAT
7 - Monster Hunter Wilds (PC 2025) - BEAT
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Completed:
01. Epic Mickey Rebrushed (PS5) - 01/01/2025
02. Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Megadrive Collection (PS4 on PS5) - 02/01/2025
03. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Sega Megadrive Collection (PS4 on PS5) - 03/01/2025
04. Life Is Strange (PS4 on PS5) - 06/01/2025
05. Sonic CD on Sonic Origins (PS5) - 10/01/2025
06. Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Sonic & Tails) on Sonic Origins (PS5) - 11/01/2025
07. Sonic Origins (PS5) - 11/01/2025 *Platinum*
08. Knuckles Chaotix (Sega 32X on Emu) - 015/01/2025
09. Sonic 3D on Sega Megadrive Collection (PS4 on PS5) - 15/01/2025
10. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (PS5) - 18/01/2025
Now Playing:
Fantasian Neo Dimension
Epic Mickey 2: The power of Two
Ni No Kuni 1
Sonic Superstars
Toem
Backlog:
Ghost Trick
Lost Judgment
Time Hollow
Max Payne
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Alan Wake
Alan Wake II
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
Abandoned:
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Games beaten
01] Snow Bros. Special: Anniversary Edition (STM, 2024) |2 Jan| For some reason the Switch version of this made me froth, but I've loved it on the PC after finally figuring out how to beat the new bosses, lovely jubbly.
02] Maiden Cops (STM, 2024) |7 Jan| SoR2 style beat 'em up, playthrough with Meiga the cow-girl, the game works much better now with blocking available and after some updates.
03] Dead Space (2023 remake) (STM, 2023) |8 Jan| A few irritations at 'modern audience' stuff and for some reason they turned Nicole into her own mother, but a solid remake of one of my favourites.
04] Maid of the Dead (STM, 2024) |11 Jan| Bullet heaven with aspects of twin-stick shooters, maid cafe girls repel an onslaught of zombies in Akihabara :D Not bad at all.
05] Metal Slug X (STM, 2014) |11 Jan| Apparently just a tweaked version of MS2, still enjoyed it very much! MS games are always good stress relief.
06] Resident Evil: Revelations (STM, 2013) |13 Jan| Oof! This certainly hasn't aged as well as its sequel, still functions fine as a standard third-person action game.
07] Warriors of Fate (STM, 2018) |16 Jan| Probably my least favourite of the Capcom arcade beat 'em ups, despite the Three Kingdoms setting, hence got it done first, still enjoyed it though.
08] Armored Warriors (STM, 2018) |19 Jan| Did this one next because I'm forever forgetting how good it is!
09] Battle Circuit (STM, 2018) |22 Jan| After an abortive re-try of Tormented Souls it was time to get on familiar ground, wholesome lizard-smashing in space, lovely.
10] Echo Generation: Midnight Edition (STM, 2024) |25 Jan| Snack-sized turn-based RPG with either voxel or similar graphics, evidently influenced by Earthbound and Stranger Things. Not bad. Got the full Steam achievements as well as beating the game.
11] Plants Vs Zombies (STM, 2009) |29 Jan| Jr has slowly been building up to playing this for a year, helped him through adventure mode.
12] Final Fight (STM, 2018) |1 Feb| Should have played this one first or second, the baddies can whip your health in half so easily.
13] Infectonator 3: Apocalypse (STM, 2018) |8 Feb| Nothing better than a good, goofy zombie game to lift my mood, perfect.
14] Hidden Realm of the Enchantress (STM, 2025) |22 Feb| Short NSFW old skool dungeon crawl game, surprisingly good battle mechanics, enjoyed.
15] Infectonator 3: Apocalypse (STM, 2018) |1 Mar| Second playthrough to unlock all but one steam achievements.
16] Plants Vs Zombies (STM, 2009) |2 Mar| Jr managed to delete the save file so I've flown through the game to make up some lost ground.
17] Recall: Empty Wishes (STM, 2025) |10 Mar| Horror adventure game, enjoyed it.
Games Tried/Disliked/Got Rid Of
01] Tevi (NSW, 2024) |5 Jan| Bullet-hell/metroidvania from the developers of Rabi-Ribi, a hot mess of overcomplicated control systems and sparse locations. Absolutely hated every aspect of it apart from the character art.
02] Tails of Iron (STM, 2021) |10 Jan| Basically a 2D combat game with platform elements. Fetch quests, padding, simplistic combat, lots of poor game design, no thanks!
03] Sea Salt (STM, 2019) |11 Jan| Major letdown, controls sloppily, the creatures you 'control' do their own thing and they scamper around and get picked off.
04] SteamWorld Dig 2 (STM, 2017) |14 Jan| The graphics and the almost throw-away nature of the worldbuilding repels me every time with SteamWorld.
05] Cathedral (STM, 2019) |14 Jan| Don't mind a fair thing, but I wasn't into 'Nintendo Hard' in the 80s and I'm not now.
06] Streets of Rogue (STM, 2019) |15 Jan| Does an admirable job of applying some (randomized) structure to a randomized city sandbox, but i yearn for curated gameworlds.
07] Mario & Luigi: Brothership (NSW, 2024) |20 Jan| AKA 'My First Mario & Luigi'. None of the charm or fantastic music of earlier titles. Brothershit.
08] There is No Light (STM, 2022) |20 Jan| Bog-standard hack and slash thing with a bog-standard setting and plot punctuated by incessant yapping by uninteresting NPCs. Christ.
09] Tormented Souls (STM, 2021) |21 Jan| There's nothing wrong with this beyond its budget limitations, it's just that it's a carbon copy of a game I'd rather remember fondly than actually play these days.
10] Night Slashers: Remake (STM, 2024) |7 Feb| I could live with the presentation being so sucky, but not "you failed, restart the level" in an arcade beat 'em up. It's not 1987.
11] Gryphon Knight Epic (STM, 2015) |11 Feb| Inoffensive side-scrolling shooter which bored quickly due to being so S-L-O-W.
12] Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (STM, 2015) |23 Feb| KK, that's me finally through with DR after a 2-decade long rocky relationship, just isn't fun.
13] Bite the Bullet (STM, 2020) |23 Feb| Slow and horrid.
Previous Years
2024 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204045.html#msg204045) - 38 beaten, 5 tried and discarded
2023 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199131.html#msg199131) - 37 beaten, 14 tried and discarded
2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185676.html#msg185676) - 18 beaten, 9 tried and discarded
2020 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg173272.html#msg173272) - 33 beaten, 20 tried and discarded
2019 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162658.html#msg162658) - 45 beaten, 34 tried and discarded
2018 (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149025.html#msg149025) - 44 beaten, 41 tried and discarded
2017 (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg147415.html#msg147415) - 37 beaten, 9 tried and discarded
2016 (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,6762.msg132260.html#msg132260) - 21 beaten
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Participating once again. We'll see how far I get.
2023 = 27 Completed
2024 = 17 Completed
2025 = ?? -- Hopefully at least equal to 2024.
Currently Playing:
1. Star Trek Resurgence (PS5)
2. Assassin's Creed III Remastered (PS4)
Completed: 06
1. Astrobot (PS5)
2. Dino Crisis (PSN)
3. Sonic x Shadow (Switch)
4. Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered (PS5)
- Tomb Raider 2 (PS1)
5. Onimusha: Warlords (PSN)
6. Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PSN)
Planning to Play:
1. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5)
2. Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection (PS4)
- Uncharted 2 (PS3)
3. Immortals of Aveum (PS5)
4. ICO (PS2)
5. Code Violet (PS5)
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Games Finished in 2025
1. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg207761.html#msg207761) - 1.7
2. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208137.html#msg208137) - 1.18
3. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208393.html#msg208393) - 2.16
4. 2064: Read Only Memories (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12935.msg208643.html#msg208643) - 3.7
Additional Games Played in 2025 (endless or not finished yet)
Gauntlet Dark Legacy (GC)
Super Empire Strikes Back (SNES)
Marvel Rivals (PS5)
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Live (GC)
Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise! (Switch)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
Backlog
Bloodborne (PS4)
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)
Mega Man Battle Network 6 (Switch)
Silent Hill 2 (PS5) + A full run of the original 4 games perhaps
The Last Guardian (PS4)
Resident Evil 5 (PS4)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GC)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
Tales of Arise (PS4)
Previous Lists
2015 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,5879.msg104675.html#msg104675) - 27 finished, + 10 played but not finished
2016 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,6762.msg105642.html#msg105642) - 32 finished, + 16 played but not finished
2017 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg132293.html#msg132293) - 26 finished, + 13 played but not finished
2018 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,8821.msg149017.html#msg149017) - 23 finished, + 6 played but not finished
2019 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162665.html#msg162665) - 20 finished, + 9 played but not finished
2020 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg173286.html#msg173286) - 45 finished, + 10 played but not finished
2021 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185672.html#msg185672) - 24 finished, + 15 played but not finished
2022 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193725.html#msg193725) - 18 finished, + 11 played but not finished
2023 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199090.html#msg199090) - 24 finished, + 16 played but not finished
2024 List (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204027.html#msg204027) - 24 finished, + 9 played but not finished
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First time here! Going to try for 52 and above!
Completed:
1.)
Currently Playing:
->
Abandoned:
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Rules:
ROM hacks and other unofficial games are allowed, and must have at least 30 minutes of gameplay.
Tool-assisted runs are allowed.
Game Genie is banned.
If I play the same game multiple times in the same year, it must be on a different edition to count for this challenge. Playing the same game on the same system multiple times doesn't count to the challenge.
Resuming from 2024
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Switch)
Tales of Phantasia (PC, Emulator with DeJap Translation)
Super Mario Party Jamboree {Party Planner Trek} (Switch)
Final Fantasy: Dawn Of Souls {Full Bestiary} (GBA)
Final Fantasy II: Dawn of Souls {Full Bestiary} (GBA)
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 {Warpless} (Wii U VC)=
Started in 2025
Chrono Trigger {New Game +, Ocean Palace Ending} (PC, Emulator)
Kirby's Nightmare in Dream Land {100% Kirby} (GBA)
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals {Any%} (Windows 10, Emulator)
Terranigma {Full Town Expansion} (SNES)
Super Metroid {100% Item Collection} (SNES)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 {Any%} (Wii)
Completed
1. Sega Ages Puyo Puyo {Any%} (Switch) [January 2]
Compared to Puyo Puyo Tsu, this game is incredibly unbalanced. The matches are determined by who builds the biggest chain the fastest, leading to lots of cheap deaths that having Offsetting would have prevented. Only recommended to huge fans of Puyo looking into the franchise's origins.
2. Super Metroid Map Randomizer {Miniboss Mode, Custom Difficulty} (PC, Emulator) [January 3]
One of the new features of the update is that the rooms have consistent theming with the area, resulting in a fresh look compared to other randomizers. As for this seed, I thought I could skip Speed Booster but I was wrong, forcing a backtrack to pick it up. Other than that, I loved the final boss gauntlet of Botwoon, Golden Torizo and Mother Brain all right in the same area. 33% of items obtained, animals saved.
3. Tetris The Grand Master 2: The Absolute Plus {Normal Mode} (Arcade) [January 8]
One of the benefits of attending AGDQ 2025 is access to an arcade that has both this and Tetris The Grand Master 3. Normal Mode is the game's easy mode, and requires clearing 300 lines to clear. Thus begins the long journey towards achieving Grand Master rank.
4. Super Metroid {Phantoon First} (Windows 10, Emulator) [January 28]
The first challenge run that I beat for one of my favorite games of all time was Phantoon First. This requires either a Continuous Wall Jump or doing Upper Norfair item collection without Varia Suit. The latter is what I chose, and it requires navigating heated rooms while constantly losing health. Other Bonus Achievements I did in this run were get all of the items available before going down the elevator to Green Brinstar in 1 go, got the Spore Spawn Super Missiles without fighting Spore Spawn, got the Waterway Energy Tank in Pink Brinstar without Gravity and defeated Crocomire in a single hit. 48% of items obtained, Animals saved.
5. Uninvited {All Achievements} (Windows 11 Laptop, RetroAchievements} [January 30]
Part of the fun of the NES MacVenture games is seeing the various ways your hero character can die, and this game gives lots of achievements for this. Other than that, the soundtrack is awesome, as is the graphics and the gameplay. Highly recommend this game.
6. A Link to the Past Randomizer {5 Crystals, Open Mode) (Windows 10, BSNES-HD with MSU-1 pack) [February 10]
One of the most replayable randomizers out there teaches you obscure things about A Link to the Past. This time, 5 crystals are needed to damage Ganon, and the pit is accessible as soon as you have Dark World access. I played as Ark from Terranigma, and it's satisfying to see him get the happy ending he deserves.
7. Super Metroid Route Randomizer {50 Room Challenge} [February 12]
These randomizers are a quick and easy way to get better at Super Metroid. 24% of items (100% that are in this seed) collected, animals saved.
8. You Have to Burn the Rope {Any%} [February 19]
This is just to get to 52 faster.
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Finished:
- Tomb Raider I Remastered (XSX): 1/11
- ATLYSS - Early Access (PC - Steam): 1/21
- Ubari Magic Postcard Maker (PC - Browser): 1/22
- Sonic Frontiers (XSX): 1/29
- Gunfright - Rare Replay (XSX): 1/29
- Import Tuner Challenge (360): 2/7
- Balatro (PC - Steam): 2/10?
Currently Playing:
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
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Why not) Didn't have much time for gaming now, but i'll try to finish at least 10-13 games)
Finished
1.
Currently Playing
1. Stranger of Paradise [PS4]
2. Final Fantasy IV (3D remake) [NDS]
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Reserving my spot! Sadly, I haven't had time to play games lately due to my job. However, I want to make my hobby a priority for 2025! Good luck to everybody! ;D
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Met my goal in 2016 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,6762.msg105641.html#msg105641), 2017 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7980.msg132350.html#msg132350), 2018 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php?topic=8821.msg149004#msg149004), 2019 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162655.html#msg162655), 2020 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg173290.html#msg173290), 2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185665.html#msg185665), 2022 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710), 2023 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg199078.html#msg199078), and 2024 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204016.html#msg204016); with 2021 being 156 games, 2016/2017/2020/2022/2023 being 104 games, and 2018/2019 being 52 games as the goals. 2015 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,5879.msg103895.html#msg103895) I tracked the info super late and I had another really busy year that year.
2024 was a rough fucking year for me. Started out mildly okay, my kid was in a tolerable place, but we were still having trouble. He played through Super Mario Wonder twice early in the year and school sucked for him but we were trying. Saw a new doctor and got aggressive with trying different meds and just never found anything that worked for him so most of this year was absolutely fucked re:my kid. My wife has had a ton of health issues which remain undiagnosed to this point, we got two diagnoses that probably aren't relevant, so physical therapy for her spine which should have nothing to do with her gastro problems and stool softeners or something to clear her out, which I guess could help, but doubtful. I had a ton of health issues at the second half of the year and have been seeing doctors and basically also got a nothing wrong with you, but here go do physical therapy, which I start in a couple of weeks, hopefully that helps. And then all of the financial BS... plumbing, dental stuff, medical diagnostics, incoming foundation repair. Most of my gaming was PC in 2024, I'd love to blame steam deck, but really it's the combo of getting on steamgifts, buying bundles, and joining backlog groups mainly for PC gaming that really guided my gaming last year... plus my general pessimism towards console gaming re:digital BS, cost of physical, shift towards lim print, etc. At some point I'll get a PC built for me, but I put it off constantly because I've got nowhere for it. Here's hoping 2025 is less shitty.
bold games are games that have been beaten, previously beaten, or are unbeatable.
italicized games are in progress.
standard games are games I am not currently trying to beat.
strikethrough games are games that have been abandoned.
Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ignition365)
Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/Ignition365)
2024 52 Game Challenge
- Dreamland Solitaire (PC)
- 100 hidden fish (PC)
- Astro Bot (PS5)
- One Finger Death Punch (PC)
Top Games played released in 2025
Top Games played NOT released in 2025
Top Games played overall in 2025
Honorable Mention
- Content posts -
Games 1 - Current (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204017.html#msg204017)
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reserved for content.
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1. Gris [PS5] - Finished Jan 1, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/0WvwxEk.jpeg)
2 hours and 35 minutes into my 2025 and I have completed #1 of the journey!! :) Albiet a bite size game, Gris is a beautiful adventure and a intriguing way to start off 2025 on new years day. Really happy.
Review - Gris is from an artistic standpoint, stunning. It is basically abstract art, allowing the player to interpret what they want of it. But the general underlying theme is of grieving the death of a loved one. In the game you play a water color sort of valkyrie of song who is mourning the death of her mother. It covers all 5 steps of the stages of pain. From denial to acceptance and does it all really cool.
The gameplay style is similar to hue. Mostly platforming and puzzle. A lot of puzzle elements. Which become complex and fun later on. Never was I feeling disadvantaged or angry. I feel it balances puzzle challenge well.
The cons? Mostly the fact that the games mechanics are simple and at times mundane. This isnt a game you pick up to go action. It's more a visual, lay in bed, with a good book and some tea. And just zone out kinda game. And in that it does blissful.
I love the artistic approach. Its also free on PSN if anyone wishes to give it a spin. Its definitely not a game that is a big undertaking so it may be wonderful to enjoy digitally if you cant get a physical copy. I reccomend it.
Time to beat - 7 Hours
Score - 79.8/100
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Completed
1.
Abandoned
1.
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3 - Slime Rancher 2 (PC Early Access 2022) - Put a decent amount of hours into the game, I had fun with the first and I wasn't going to do another Early Access release, but I'm impatient, it was a good sale, and it's probably not too far away from a full release. What's here has been fun, visuals feel upgraded, some fun new features, though it's not a drastically different game. I think the big hook for the game is the Labyrinth, a new zone with some unique elements to it, but I think it needs some fine tuning. In general the game needs some fine tuning as I think slime and chicken spawns are kinda ridiculous lol It will be a fun game when it's finish, but just considering "Endless" for now until it gets an actual ending.
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One day into the year and I'm already on the board!
1. Max Payne (XBOX)
At some point in the early 2000s, a friend of mine wouldn't shut the hell up about this game and how good it was, and also I remember seeing those commercials for Max Payne when I'd stay up late at night watching MTV. I finally decided to play Max Payne by renting it on the PS2. I remember enjoying the game up to a very specific point where the game broke me. It wasn't some crazy hard part, but rather it was the first of several bad dream sections that I can attest are still absolutely horrible. The only difference is that I had resources to find on the internet this time around which made them a lot easier. Still, these dream maze sections were just as jarringly annoying in 2025 as they were in 2001 or 2002 when I last played Max Payne. With that out of the way, the rest of Max Payne's gameplay is pretty good for the most part. The bullet time mechanic that the game became famous for is very fun, albeit it can be fairly clunky at times in certain sections of the game. Speaking of sections, there are a handful of them that can have a poor flow or just be designed in a way that feels fairly cheap. One other gripe I have about the gameplay is while there is bountiful ammo for nearly every weapon, pills which heal you are in woefully short supply and contribute heavily to this games noteworthy difficulty. While the gameplay is pretty good, what really shines in Max Payne is its presentation. The art style, graphics, and comic book like cut scenes just work perfectly for this game. There is a level of self aware cheese that while having a low budget feel, also contributes heavily to this games charm. Playing through Max Payne not only nailed the neo noir setting it's going for, but also really has that distinct early 2000s vibe and feel to it. The story, while nothing groundbreaking, is also mostly well written and interesting and you are seeking revenge for the death of your wife and kid, and as you get closer and closer to those responsible for their deaths, you unravel a huge conspiracy involving a drug called Valkyrie while you're on your revenge question. Finally, the OST, voice acting, and everything else is pretty damn good and fits in very well with the neo noir setting and story. If not for some annoyances with the gameplay and some god awful sections, Max Payne might have been one of the better games I've ever played. But it's a big enough issue to where this game is absolutely worth playing and pretty fun, but maybe not the amazing masterpiece some people claim it is. (1/1/25) [38/50]
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green games are games that have been beaten/endless in 2025
blue games are in progress.
standard games are games I am not currently trying to beat or have been beat in previous years.
red games are games that have been abandoned.
1. Major League Manager (PC)
2. Fallout: New Vegas (Steam)
3. Katamari Damacy Reroll (Steam)
4. Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 1 (Steam)
5. Final Fantasy (NES)
6. Final Fantasy VI (SFC)
7. Postal 2 (Steam)
8. Dragon Age II (Steam)
9. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam)
10. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Steam)
11. Xevious (NES)
12. Crashlands (Steam)
13. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Steam)
14. Kingdom Hearts (PS2) [JP]
15. Saints Row the Third (Steam)
16. Citizens of Earth (Steam)
17. Bram Stoker's Dracula (SNES)
18. Castlevania (NES)
19. Blood (Steam)
20. Minecraft: Craftoria
21. Fallout 3 (Steam)
Demo
1. Spyro Year of the Dragon (PS1)
2. Crash Bash (PS1)
3. Grind Session (PS1)
4. MLB 2001 (PS1)
5. Medievil II (PS1)
6. Jarret & Labonte Stock Car Racing (PS1)
Totals
played: 21
beaten: 1
abandoned: 6
demo: 6
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1. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Game one. Let's go!! I got as far as I could in this before dropping it but I'm marking it as completed because I got through about (by my estimate) 85% of it or so. I can always YouTube the rest of the stuff if I feel like it. This is the successor to Jet Set that folks have been asking for. Sadly, for me at least, that means that I'm HORRIBLE at it. I recognized when it got too frustrating for me; I didn't want to force myself to finish it and not have a good outlook on it. If you liked the series on Dreamcast and Xbox, then you'll like this successor. And yes, the soundtrack absolutely slaps, hits, and whatever-else the kids say these days.
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2. Reynatis
First platinum of the year! I'll write a review for this one at some point with a lot more information. Unsurprisingly, I actually liked it. But, that's on brand for me. I liked Lost Dimension. I liked Crymachina. I even liked Monark. So, me liking this isn't too surprising. I had two major issues. The first was when you were in Liberated Mode outside Another. It was a nuisance with the way you'd trend so quickly. It meant having to exit/re-enter the place I was exploring. The other issue was with the story. I still can't tell you half the stuff they were talking about. Marin wants to be the strongest. Sari wants to eradicate rubrum. Everything else that happened with the enemies, Legacies, etc? I have no clue. Oh well. Fun game. Fun characters. Eager to get a thorough review up for it.
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2. Donkey Kong Country [SNES] Completed Jan 3rd, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/wOvKCXj.jpeg)
Review - Pheww.... My oh my, the glorious Donkey Kong Country. I know to most, it's a dearly held friend on a cold stormy night. But to me it was a stranger introduced to me by my girlfriend. A new entry. I have no nostalgia. No history with it. Pure first time play. I love that. I began my DKC journey in 2024. Gave up, failed. And suffered. The game is bluntly difficult. But in a way that you learn the methods to it's madness.
The game has a certain goofyness to the control scheme that can only be described as hilariously hard. The jump zones tend to be milimeters of difference between landing and dying. The enemy placement especially in water levels is almost mario maker level designed to anger you. A lot of the levels you can't one shot without learning the levels patterns. Cliches. And although its a true test of resiliance at times, it's the glory of a time since passed. When games were a sort of triumph to defeat. When you seen end credits roll, you just felt like you did something lol. And I miss that. And I love love, LOVED visiting this game.
The score is glorious and probably the best part of the game. Cart levels are dark and ominous sounding. Water levels sound like a groovy 1990s submersible. The whole thing feels extremely tropical and wavey. The electro synth introductions by rareware seem to just pluck the soul strings like choirs of above. The game is really well put together for a game of it's time.
The only flaws I can reach to come up with of the game are usually me being humbled by its difficulty lol. Things like placing enemies in exits to levels (cruel. Basicslly the Asthon Kutcher punk'd of video games) overall. The game is one of super nintendos finest. The controls feel almost inflatable but somehow still float once you master them.
It was hard. I need a good nap lol. It's just really hard. But also a treat in every way. The pyramid design. The levels where you gotta keep pace to hit on and off switches to make rails. It's all really rad and ahead of it's time.
Rating - 90.20/100
Time to beat - 7 hours. 30 minutes on the final boss alone lol. I suck at the game.
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01 - Cosmic Spacehead (Game Gear)
https://vgcollect.com/item/8545
I have this game in my collection for a few years now, and I remember having failed miserably in one of the early action sequences, so I gave it another try a few days ago...
Talking about gameplay, this one's a mixture of point and click pictures divided by small platforming sequences. The only point and click games I ever really played were Syberia and Syberia II which I kind of enjoyed I guess.
Having played a lot of Game Gear's PAL-library, I can tell that Cosmic Spacehead stands out for it's big colourful visuals. Having played many platformers in the past few years, some of the action sequences between locations were still a bit frustrating, but there's no fun without at least a bit of challenge. The point and click sequences were a bit brainbending to ME but I guess fans of this genre consider this game easy.
All in all this mixture of genre works well in this case and lacks a comparable counterpart on this platform and region.
I recommend it as one of the more playable/enjoyable titles of PAL Game Gear and as a short little game between longer lasting gaming projects.
PS.: don't consider this post a serious entry in this challenge. Most games I beat in one year was little over 30. But I'll submit as much as I can to give you guys my review of the games I finish this year. Nevertheless is this challenge a great way to keep on returning to my pile of shame 8)
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2. Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned (Arcade)
While I enjoyed Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, it didn't wow me or make me want to necessarily go back and replay it over and over again. Doing some research online, everyone seemed to swear up and down that the final release of VF4, Final Tuned, was leagues better than Evolution despite the only major difference between the two versions being gameplay and balancing tweaks. I was skeptical enough to where I held off on trying to get this game working in a Naomi 2 emulator again, but I did and I am so, so happy I did!
It's amazing how much more enjoyable VF4: Final Tuned is to play compared to either Evolution or vanilla 4. Everything feels way more balanced in terms of difficulty, and in a rare fighting game feat, no character or two characters seem to be holding all the cards. On top of that, playing this game on an emulator without crappy composite cables or limitations of a home console to muddy up the visuals made this game pop in a way that VF4 Evolution on the PS2 just didn't. Audio wise, it's more or less the same, but it wasn't bad before by any means. I meant to play this game just for an hour or so, but ended up spending a considerable amount of today on and off playing Final Tuned between getting work done. My only gripe that has nothing to do with the game is the fact that emulating this game led to several glitches that made a few stages unplayable whenever I'd reach them. But even with about 2 stages unplayable, the rest of the game was an absolute dream to play for a fighting game. I'm so glad I decided to give this game a chance! (1/3/25) [38/50]
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I didn't originally plan on playing as much Vampire Survivors as I did. It's just wildly addictive. I ended up beating the base game and all the different DLCs and getting a ton of collectibles and achievements.
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3. Dead or Alive 3 (XBOX)
Despite how much I loved DOA2 on the Dreamcast growing up, I never once played DOA3 on the XBOX until this evening. While my fondness for DOA2 has faded in recent years, I still hold it in fairly high regard, especially with how impressive it was visually at the time it came out. DOA3 in many ways feels like an enhanced version of 2, rather than a sequel. The gameplay, while supposedly different than 2, feels pretty much the same to me. Visually, the game also looks pretty much the same despite being newer. If it weren't for the all new levels, more levels, and a few new characters, this really wouldn't feel like much of a sequel at all. But for what it's worth, most of the same things that charmed me in DOA2 did so in DOA3 too. I just wish DOA3 would have moved the needle a little more than it did to make it truly feel like the sequel I was hoping it would be. (1/3/25) [35/50]
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3. Super Mario World [SNES] - Finished Jan 5th, 2025 (No Warps Or Shortcuts)
(https://i.imgur.com/H6SXmTT.jpeg)
Review - I mean dawg, come on. It's super mario world lol. Now if I had to pick a game to show Aliens. To say. This is what gaming is. This is video games. Id choose this one and maybe tetris. The game is so accessible yet also a purist haven of collecting, secrets and later level difficulty.
I love that its a game a 7 yr old can smile playing and a game a 45 yr old can smile playing. And that feeling carry over 3 decades.
It used to be one of my christmas traditions. Id fire up the snes classic or my snes. And beat smw every Christmas. I wasnt alive to have played this game on christmas when it released. But I do it to try to feel what kids felt in the glory days. I havent done that tradition in years. But fired up some SMW and took her down :)
I have beaten this game maybe 7 to 10 times. And each time it doesnt lose its luster. The final boss is so fun. The level design is impeccable. It gives you just enough to plot your jump sequence but not too much to where it feels cruel. Imagine a world where Bowser is called Tim the Tortoise. Ponder that.
In general SMW is excellence in every way. The score is the John Williams of video games. The platforming is impeccable. And even with me trying to imply a very strict rating system. Its a flawless game. I cant name a flaw. To me no mario side scroller has come close since and never will again.
Rating - 100/100
Time to beat - 5 or so hours.
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02 - Slider (SEGA Game Gear)
Highscore: 95.330
https://vgcollect.com/item/8650
This is another game out of my Game Gear cartridge collection that I own for several years. I tried it once and almost beat it, but my handhelds screen gave up and had to be replaced (one of the best gaming investions ever for me).
Slider is a classic arcade/puzzle game where the goal is to turn all blue level tiles into red ones by stepping (sliding) over them to finish 99 levels filled with fast sliding, fireball-shooting or homing monsters and different types of tiles and traps.
Being able to shoot the enemies and even pick up different shots as pickups made playing this game a fun experience for me. Graphics are just fine for a GG game from early 92. Music gets kinda boring quite soon due to the fact that there aren't many scores in total and the ones given all seem kinda generic and yea ... boring. This doesn't affect the addictiveness of gameplay though. Every level has a password so progress can be 'saved'.
It took me three sessions of a few hours to beat this game. Some levels really are a pain in the rear but there's always a chance of getting a level-skip pickup if you're stuck.
I'm still grinding mages in Final Fantasy IV in daily hour shifts, so this game was another in-between ... more to come
PS.: don't consider this post a serious entry in this challenge. Most games I beat in one year was little over 30. But I'll submit as much as I can to give you guys my review of the games I finish this year. Nevertheless is this challenge a great way to keep on returning to my pile of shame
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01. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories || PlayStation 2 || 01.02.25
(https://i.imgur.com/XRwK2jc.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/I7ABkFz.jpeg)
As I near the end of my time playing through the Silent Hill franchise, the next entry for me to play was Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Before playing, I was aware that this entry is regarded as the franchise's first major outlier, though for what reasons I wasn't sure. Later on in the fifth paragraph, I'll be mentioning certain aspects about the game which some would consider to be a spoiler, so be aware of that.
In a way, Shattered Memories is not an original entry to the franchise as it's an re-imagining of the debut title. The same general plot revolving around Harry Mason exploring the town of Silent Hill in search of his daughter Cheryl exists, but the details regarding them and the events which occur have been altered. Now, Harry is plagued with a severely unreliable memory after a car crash, and he moves forward in a constant state of confusion. While wandering, there is a lot to explore and discover, including hidden memories which serve as the game's collectibles. Some of these items of interest seem to relate to Harry, though others don't and instead to Silent Hill townspeople on a general level. Nevertheless, they're presented like fragments of reality or possible one's perception of it, and how they're interconnected to tell a story is engaging enough. They all come in the form of text messages or voicemails utilizing Harry's cell phone, which is one of the game's major mechanics emphasized. I'll also now mention the game's point-and-click type interactions. They're sometimes a sort of puzzle, though they're mostly a means to introduce simple motions controls to access items, as the game was originally developed for the Wii.
Throughout Harry's journey, there are plenty of world-building details which Harry comments on and interacts with. While almost entirely optional, another mechanic introduced is Harry's ability to make phone calls, which there are over fifty to find that yield some sort of conversation or voicemail to occur. They're an interesting inclusion and, as suggested, sometimes required to progress the narrative, though they're largely irrelevant to Harry or the story. At the same time, different environments are introduced which veterans of the series will have never encountered. In smaller-sized places such as indoor rooms, there is usually some detail that's nice to inspect, though more open areas suffer from becoming an empty expanse with little to see.
However, where Shattered Memories differs most is in its approach to horror. Unlike previous entries, there is no combat whatsoever. Instead, there are chase sequences with monsters that trigger in the same way as with other games, when the fog world transforms into the otherworld. During these segments, the player is needing to reach some end destination while navigating open-ended routes. Generally, they're not complicated although it's certainly possible to become lost, or at least running in loops. Though checking the map is recommended, I found myself not really ever having the opportunity to do so as I needed to prioritize Harry's safety. While running, enemies will lunge to grab at Harry, and a quick time event appears to throw them off, and multiple enemies can attack at once. Over time, Harry's speed slows down which makes the task more difficult. Flares may also be found which wards them slightly, hiding in large environmental spaces like lockers is possible, and other environmental objects can thrown to the floor to interrupt the monsters' path too.
Meanwhile, the game's exploration segments will periodically transition to a therapist's office at certain narrative checkpoints. Here, the Psych Profile system is implemented, though it's never outright divulged. Through the game, all sorts of simple tasks such as answering questionnaires and completing a Rorschach test are introduced. While they seem like just another foreign game mechanic to set the game apart from its predecessors, they're actually a complex system that influences a multitude of details about the game, and they're entirely dependent on the choices players make. For instance, how Silent Hill is designed which determines what's accessible or not is a major variable. But this isn't the only system. Small ways such as how the player controls Harry also influences certain narrative events and details. In no way was I expecting this level of personalization prior to playing, and I found it to be the game's greatest strength.
Before playing, I didn't really have any expectations for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, though I was aware of its somewhat mixed reception. There are certain aspects such as the Psych Profile that I think are executed quite effectively and to the surprise of the player which easily invites multiple playthroughs. Still, it's a game that would have benefited from more development time toward puzzle and environment design. Also, my opinion of the game's genre is that it's completely removed from the survival horror genre and instead a straightforward adventure game with horror elements much like most modern horror games. This isn't a criticism, though—I'm ultimately fine with this departure as it works well for this installment.
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First game completed of 2025 -- Astrobot (PS5)
The Astrobot series continues to be charming and nostalgic. While I have yet to find every bot, I'm nearing the 300 mark and decided to look at who all had been included. My favorite renditions are of course Uncharted and Resident Evil, but there are literally hundreds of characters from various games throughout Playstation's history. Too many of the Ape Escape monkey's IMO, but it is what it is. Oddly missing from the roster are any from Mass Effect, Final Fantasy 7, Assassin's Creed and even Sony's own Twisted Metal. Perhaps those will be DLC levels?
Regardless, a fun classic feeling platforming game with tons to unlock and explore. The kids are loving their playthroughs as well.
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5iGfRxWJp4A/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLBNSABNKtXD1dPlUbcWLQ6zz4uStQ)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRnpdW5D5nhX2HTdx0aYrDl9r93ytUUxIwaeQ&s)
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02. Titanic Mystery || Wii || 01.04.25
(https://i.imgur.com/qxpCNfA.jpeg)
Despite owning Titanic Mystery, it's not a game I purchased nor ever had any desire to play. Years ago, someone else in the household bought it for some reason—I suppose to purposely buy shovelware that looked promising or, at minimum, to buy a game that's objectively so bad that it could somehow be construed as fun to play and make fun of in a group setting.
Before describing gameplay, I'll first mention that Titanic Mystery does offer a narrative to follow, although I began skipping over most of it about a quarter-way into my playthrough. In short, one hundred years have past since the Titanic's shipwreck, and the centennial celebration has led for the creation and passage of the Titanic II. Aboard the ship, all of its guests and crew members are descendants from the original passengers of the Titanic. Shortly after the voyage has begun, though, it's revealed through found notes that someone aboard has hidden a bomb, and this person repeatedly leaves the player-character follow-up notes that more-or-less repeat the same sentiment each time for the majority of the game: that the terrorist is a passenger and that we'll figure out their identity as scattered diary pages are discovered all throughout the ship that can only be collected after hidden items are found. If not, the bomb will detonate. Simply put, it's a real never-ending effort for quite some time, and that the terrorist plans to abandon their attack once puzzles are solved shows quite the dedication they have toward the end goal. Alongside the terrorist's notes, the found diary pages were written from a guest aboard the Titanic, but I wasn't invested in this sub-plot. All of the game's dialogue and found notes are voiced, which was one of the game's fewest strengths, though voice work itself isn't particularly strong.
Concerning gameplay, it is chiefly characterized by hidden object puzzle-solving. In short, gameplay is terrible. Instead of crafted puzzles with items strategically hidden, items are instead littered about. Some items are quite obvious to find, but others are far in the background at such small sizes where they can't be discerned. No matter where they're located, items are presented with low resolution as bitmapped images, so understanding what they're supposed to even be becomes a challenge in itself. What's worse is that the experience is made much more irritating as a result of some items needing to be clicked on with certain unspecified precision, so formally finding them becomes an issue as players will either be unsure if it's the item they're needing to find at all or if they just mis-clicked. The play experience is even worsened as the game advanced, as areas are revisited 2–4 additional times. Fortunately, though, items to find and items shown on screen are randomized, so it doesn't always feel as if the same stage is being replayed (at least not entirely replayed.)
Alongside the main objective, there are also more traditional puzzles which appear periodically to solve. Unlike the hidden object puzzles, there is actually a good variety in puzzle type presented in this section, although the quality of them also vary considerably as some are elementary while others prove to be challenging. For some, the means to solve them are convoluted with broken systems resulting in failure even if the player action is done correctly. Fortunately, though, all of these secondary puzzles can be skipped entirely, which I did take advantage of on occasion after some annoyances. There is a penalty for taking such action, but it's not one I imagine many players would care about, as it relates to the player's high score that's determined by player completion time. Should the player desire, these puzzles can be revisited from the main menu.
Unsurprisingly, Titanic Mystery is an all-around bad game, and I can't in any way recommend to others to play it. I was taken aback some when finding out later on that the game received a modern port for Nintendo Switch.
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4 - Get To Work (PC 2024) - BEAT - I'm generally not the person that wants super hard experiences, I almost always play games on normal difficulty, I almost never play on whatever the hardest difficulty is, I don't replay FromSoft games to make them harder and harder, and I don't often play rage games. There have been exceptions, such as Jump King, which I did for the art and it had a very straightforward control scheme (Still quite hard, still haven't been New Babe + yet), and I played a good few hours of Pogostuck, but that game was too hard and I dropped it.
This game won me over because I saw someone playing the opening area while blasting the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 to 4 playlist on Youtube lol
It's fun, basically you are a guy with multiple rollerblades on him, sliding up ramps and platforms as a metaphor for getting a job and climbing the business hierarchy. It's goofy, but the game is entirely built around controlling your momentum, either leaning in to speed up, letting go to slow yourself, and grabbing if you need to stop. It feels really good to get around and I think it offers a lot of leniency a lot of rage games don't do, like when you are done with a section (There's...6 or 7 separate zones I think?), you never return to the previous zones. You can certainly have really bad falls that cause you to lose tons and tons of time, but it's never returning to the beginning of the game or previous zones.
I still have to beat the bonus endgame, which I will eventually, but I had fun with this, took me around 6 and a half hours to get through, Upper Management/Vice President was brutal, but I had a good time.
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4. Silent Hill 2 (PS5)
Being a huge fan of the original, I picked Silent Hill 2 remake up the day it came out in October despite knowing I was too busy with studying to play it until weeks or months later. Well, that time passed, as did the holidays, and I finally got around to playing a game I was very excited for, especially after finding out Konami did an excellent job in remaking the original classic. After beating SH2 remake I can full heartedly agree with all the positive reviews and press this game has received.
Like the original game, the remake is an outstanding example of survival and psychological horror. The game is wrapped in layers of depth from the main character, James' psyche that manifest in form of the once quant town of Silent Hill turning more and more into a horrific nightmare filled with equally horrific monsters. The presentation of all this in the remake lacks a tiny bit of punch and impact of the original, but not by much. The game looks both gorgeous and horrific at the same time, and SH2 remake does a masterful job at unnerving the player with its visual presentation. In fact, SH2 remake is the creepiest game I've ever played, in no small part because of the graphics and visuals. More than the visuals, however, the audio in this game are absolutely perfect. Everything from the soundtrack, to the unnerving noises and sounds you hear throughout the game, to the no longer ridiculous voice acting from the original all equate to a flawless auditory presentation. Part of me misses the borderline bad voice acting from the first game, but SH2 remake does offer its own charm in being a competently voice acted, and it definitely helps deliver the more serious nature of the story and plot. Perhaps the biggest improvement over the original SH2 is the remake's gameplay. While there are some annoying sections, enemies, and bosses that may have not been designed as well as they could have, overall the gunplay, layouts of the areas, puzzles, and controls are very good for the most part. This isn't something I can necessarily say about the original whose gameplay felt pretty clunky and stiff. With all that said, the real question is whether I prefer the original or if the remake has trumped it. Even though its by a very thin margin, I do prefer the remake slightly more, mostly due to its improvements in gameplay. I'd absolutely love to replay either, however seeing how despite being based on the same story and premise, the two versions have their own distinct feel and identity and do satisfy in different ways, while offering enough that is different to really make both an enjoyable experience. (1/7/25) [43/50]
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5 - DayZ (PC 2018) - ENDLESS - Put enough time into this over the past week to count it, I got in the mood to attempt the Deer Isle adventure, it's a big mod map that got a big update sometime last year. I think it's one of the coolest maps in the game, I know Namalsk is kinda the big favorite for mod maps, but I like the scale, the locations, and like Namalsk, there's a big adventure to be had.
You have to pick up gas zone gear to get a special capsule at one corner of the map, then go to another location on an island to get a keycard, then make a huge trip to a bunker high up in a mountain to get a special staff, to then use the capsule to cause a smoke creature to appear and with staff in hand, get teleported to an ancient temple, to then progress through a very challenging temple, to get a hammer part to connect to the staff (It's Thor's hammer), and then you need to put together a special cold suit after leaving the temple and go all the way to the further corner of the map, where you have to use the hammer to get into another temple, and then progress through that temple to get a keycard, and then take that keycard, your cold suit and your gas zone gear, to go to an abandoned aircraft carrier to get the best weapons in the game...it's a lot lol
I'm up to the first keycard and heading to the bunker lol It's a very longwinded thing and it takes many, many, hours to do. I'm playing on pretty low pop servers (Two characters currently to try and do it), as I don't care about fighting anyone, but dying has caused me to restart it a few times, probably put at least 20 hours into it so far as it can be hard to get certain parts sometimes (Full NBC gas zone kit doesn't always work out). I actually started yesterday on a server that has a viral mod, so I run the risk of getting infected by I think the zombies that sometimes throwup blood, but I did stumble across an antivirus, so I'm safe from it, but that adds a nice bonus challenge since I'm basically just doing PVE. There's only only a couple places I might meet the couple other players I've seen on the server, and I just left 3 of those spots, and heading to probably the last and most popular soon next, but should be okay.
So easy to just lose hours in this game just traveling, can be very chill like that if you don't have to worry about the cold or food or an illness.
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4. The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom [NS] Finished Jan, 8th 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/zZ0dmn4.jpg)
ZOTY
Review - Where do I begin. Zelda Echoes of Wisdom is bascially a love letter to fans. It's got elements of Zelda of before with new reimaginings of Modern day puzzles. Tri is truly a beautifully designed sidekick and everything annoying Navi wishes it was. Navi looks in the mirror and wishes it was Tri lol. The personality bubbling within this game is warm as can be.
Playing as Zelda is a fresh idea and the battle elements being unique to her give players wishing for change in the franchise that change. Never does Zelda feel like Link with a pink dress on. They didnt copy and paste the entire bag. Zelda is her own beast and rightfully so. This game gives Princess of Hyrule her own badassery in the way peach has gotten with showtime and super princess peach in the past. But ramps it up 2000.
From the dialogue. It paints Zelda as not a damsel but as a heroine. And this will come back to bite the game later. Not enough to hurt it. But noticable.
But before I get into that. I will say. Zelda is incredibly designed. Not derivative. And overall a excellent heroine. And in her simplicity comes complexity. The world is booming with life. The colorful characters really sell the journey and theirs more memorable moments to count.
SMALL CONS
Slight spoilers here. So dont read on if you dont want that.
Minor spoilers ahead
One of the more potent gripes I have. Is they give you the sensation that Zelda is the hero. In every way she transcends the franchise archetype. They make the character feel and play. Independent and bold. The whole game. Only for the end. The literal final boss of the game. They by FORCE make you into Link's damsel. Link's foot stool. Just completely throw you into his shadow and make you his proverbial play thing. Tehe. Give your weapons to link. You upgraded them the whole game. But hand them over. Link is gonna save the day. And why??? Link has his own shit. And even if he didnt. Womp womp. Zelda is the priestess. The all magical one who saved Hyrule from like a dozen rifts. I wont get to deep into the why. Because I want low spoilers in my reviews. But man. Why on earth would they make you lead all along. Then play second fiddle to Link right at the end. I liked the tandem. I wish they gave link his own supplies. I shouldnt have to give up my entire life progress for links ego. Made me feel like a 1950s housewife lol.
I know it sounds like im angry at the game. But the contrary. This critique is small. And more like a pet peeve. Otherwise the game is stellar in every regard. The scores give chills. The play style is wonderfully creative. And the puzzles kept me charmed and entertained without being too stubborn or brutal. The animals. Smoothies. The environment and especially the echoes. Are so glorious. It makes it so theirs no one way to play. I found myself using water blocks to ascend. Some may use beds as steps. Use ice blocks. Concrete. It's unique and one of the best Zelda games ive ever played. Im so bewildered with it that I clapped at the credits :)
A masterpiece.
Rating - 95/100
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5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
After the panic inducing stress fest that was Silent Hill 2 remake, I felt like I needed to play something way more casual and lighthearted, so I decided to pick up a game I've somehow never actually played despite how much of a fan I am of the franchise.
Mario Kart Wii was way better than I expected it to be. Having dumped hundreds, if not thousands of hours into Mario Kart 8, it's been hard going back and replaying some of the older titles just because of how incredible 8 is. I was really surprised by how much fun Mario Kart Wii is despite it definitely feeling less refined than 8 in multiple ways, but it was still an incredibly fun and charming game. The gameplay, while not tight as a drum, is still very good. If not for some wonky physics on the 150cc races and the motorcycles being a bit awkward, the controls and gameplay are very well done. The levels, both original and ported over from older MK titles, are mostly all excellent with a few exceptions too. I'm also a fan of how a lot of the game and its content requires it to be unlocked through playing and winning various cups at differ cc levels. Visually, Mario Kart Wii is ultra vibrant, colorful, and just has incredible stage art that makes this game very appealing to the eyes. Even though the Wii was a significantly under powered console for its time, it still stands as a very good looking game and one I'd barely change anything about. Finally, the OST is also top notch as one would expect with some very catchy tracks, as well as tracks from older MK titles that are just as good as ever. Even in a world where we have Mario Kart 7 and 8, I can absolutely say this game is worth owning and playing even still. (1/8/24) [39/50]
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3. Chrono Trigger DS - Float Away
For the last month or so, I've been doing a New Game Plus run on Chrono Trigger; a game I've played close to a hundred times. I decided to finish the game for a first time with the adorable Float Away ending where you use your Epoch to battering ram into Lavos and skip part of the fight. I still ship Lucca x Crono instead of Marle x Crono, but there's no denying that this is a cute and heartwarming ending. It's not my favorite, though. That will come when I reboot the game and head through the Black Omen to take down Queen Zeal.
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Aight, 2025 challenge let's go! Here to set up my base post :)
Really happy with my 2024 result. 29 games beaten in total (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12641.msg204242.html#msg204242), 26 of which for the first time. And played some absolute gems. I doubt I'll hit that number again this year, as I've got a pretty busy year ahead of me, but nevertheless looking forward to what games I'll be playing this year!
Beat:
- Gori: Cuddly Carnage [PC/Steam Deck, GOG]
(Purple = started it last year or earlier)
(Orange = already beat it before)
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1. Gori: Cuddly Carnage
(https://image.api.playstation.com/vulcan/ap/rnd/202305/2615/3424b1b387ab0ebdfe46944ac071ac66c6c14223f9ffeca9.png)
GORI CUDDLY CARNAAAGE! He's a cat on a hoverboard fighting unicorns!
Hot damn. What a game to kick off the new year with! I started this game in December, but I just beat it, and I absolutely love it. Gori: Cuddly Carnage a fast-paced hack-'n-slash in which you play as a cat on a hoverboard, grinding along rails and taking out hordes of zombie-unicorns and horrific corrupted toys. It's ridiculously over-the-top, with the corrupted toy-enemies exploding in puddles of blood and your hoverboard cursing constantly. And that's how I like it: wacky, over-the-top and wild. That's not all the game has going for it though: its gameplay is also fantastic. Being a hack-and-slash, of course the game is fast-paced. But being on a hoverboard gives it a whole new feel. It becomes a lot more about zipping around your enemies, taking out the right ones at the right time and using your movement to your advantage. It's slick as hell.
I may still be a bit overhyped, but I could see this becoming one of my top 10 favourite games of all time. I'm dead serious. I wouldn't expect it to get to quite that level for others, but it's just the perfect game for me. As a massive lover of hack-and-slashes and of silly, over-the-top, campy madness, this game was just amazing. I'm not even kidding when I say I felt more badass playing this than Devil May Cry 5. It's available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC (via GOG, Steam and Epic Games). PLEASE go check it out and give it some love. It really deserves it.
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03. A Dark Room || Browser || 01.07.25
(https://i.imgur.com/8WJBYRO.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/jSwCvY3.jpeg)
By chance, I found myself introduced to A Dark Room while reading about another game which references it as inspiration. After interacting with it for a minute or two, I was curious enough to see what more of the game would play like as it expanded, and I quickly became captivated. Much of what this game offers benefits from a blind playthrough, so those curious may be inclined to skip the fourth paragraph below in particular.
What A Dark Room is exactly is never outright explained, and the experience is heavily dependent on player self-discovery. Be that as it may, online discussion describes it foremost as an incremental game that's completely text-based, devoid of graphics of any kind. Beginning with only a smoldering fire to tend to, players control the unnamed protagonist who, in time, slowly builds up resources from at first one person to eventually a sizable community. During this section of the game, the player is constantly juggling how resources are managed by allocating each villager a role to assume. One item will often require another to be obtained, and at a much higher rate too. For instance, the cost of gaining 1 Cured Meat is 5 Meat and 5 Wood. As the campaign progresses, these resources can be upgraded to increase their efficiency and yield output. However, action cannot be taken freely. Instead, each action is given a cooldown period while villagers who supply resources only complete their work once a predetermined amount of time has past.
During this time, a variety of events may trigger randomly. A fire may become uncontrollable, destroying one of the village's huts. A thief may be apprehended, with their fate being left for you to decide. Plague may overcome your people, decimating upwards of 90% of the population. Additionally, certain events also bring the possibility of player perks which influence other aspects of the game mentioned below. I don't imagine most playthroughs to experience all of these encounters (especially in regards to the events which offer perks as a reward) as I only encountered several of many, so these randomized events introduce a lot to to the campaign while making each playthrough different from another.
After much time has past and micromanaging has been done, players will eventually discover there's another genre of gameplay to experience. Alongside the resource-gathering and community-building aspects, A Dark Room eventually unveils its RPG random battle and exploration mechanics which utilize text characters that represent the world map and enemies. At first, exploration is limited as players map out the world with each new step, though the distance players can travel slowly increases alongside the supply capacity of health and water--two vital resources which must be maintained. The player's main focus while exploring should be monitoring these resources, as exhausting them completely will respawn you back to the village with the inventory of items you took and gained all being removed, and any portion of the map that was revealed reverts back too. Much like the resource management aspect of the game, combat and battle actions are dependent on cooldown meters. What may seem like an approachable challenge is often not as actions taken from both sides of battle are greatly influenced by accuracy. Eventually, combat becomes much more involved and even strategic as players accrue an assortment of weapon types which can be used in conjunction with another, each with their own cooldown meter.
With its minimalist text-based design, A Dark Room is able to focus on the each of its genres' fundamentals in a way that felt rewarding. Naturally, this is achieved through what's visually conveyed such as with the cooldown meters, even in spite of the game's lack of traditional visuals. Of course, sound complements text, though its use is subtle. My favorite example of sound is through the game's very first interactable component, the fire itself which lights the introductory cave. As time progresses, the fire will die back down to a quiet set piece, though using 1 Wood (an entirely expendable resource) lights the flames ablaze once more to a roaring crackle. I'm not even sure if maintaining the fire is required, but it seemed like some symbolic mechanic to manage that represents the start of this adventure, nonetheless. The burning flame especially interests me, because it changes over time yet isn't portrayed visually in any capacity. Only its sounds and text descriptions bring it to life.
Discovering A Dark Room organically by chance brought me the totally rare experience of playing a game on a whim and becoming totally engaged with it, only to then find out its popularity and critical reception. Perhaps it was just the game I was needing to play for my current mood, but A Dark Room is the best game I've played in the last few years.
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Was in an arcade racing game mood last night and decided to play two 90s Sega classics I missed out on as a kid. While one I would definitely say is deserving of the title of classic, the other I'm not so sure about.
6. ManxTT Superbike (Arcade)
I've seen this game on the Saturn countless times over the years and it always had an appeal to me since it was developed by Sega and also it came out around that time when Daytona USA was on top of the arcade world. In other words, I had fairly high expectations of this game. Unfortunately, there expectations were far from met. This is just sort of boring and unremarkable for the most part. There isn't anything special or particularly interesting about the very limited stages you race through, and even the other bikers and bystanders look pretty bad, even compared with the rest of the visuals. The gameplay is also not amazing, but not terrible either. I found the AI to be fairly punishing and also the bike seems overly sensitive with anything other that fairly sharp turns. Maybe I could have adapted to it if I'd played ManxTT long enough, but I just couldn't bring myself to play this game any longer than I had to to finish it. I will say the audio is pretty good, and sadly is probably the game's best quality. While I'm happy I finally played this game and have no regrets about the 20 minutes or so it took me to finish it, I still have nio desire to replay this game ever again. (1/11/25) [25/50]
7. Sega Rally Championship (Arcade)
Now this game was a real gem! For a racing game released in the mid 90s, I was surprised by how good the racing physics were in this game, particularly how different your car handles depending on if the surface you're on is gravel, pavement, or water. Not only that, but the game is the right amount of challenge while also controlling pretty well for the most part. Visually the game looks WAY better than ManX TT too in literally every way. There are cool set pieces in every stage, there is more going on in the backgrounds, and just overall the stages look more vibrant and detailed. The audio is also better than the previous game, although by not as wide a margin as its other attributes. I can't say I'm head over heals in love with Sega Rally Championship, but at the very least it was more enjoyable than I expected and definitely can hold its own with the other mid 90s arcade racing greats. (1/11/25) [32/50]
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4. Ys X: Nordics
I had a lot of highs and lows with this one. I think I prefer Adol's adventures to be solo, but Karja really grew on me near the end. She stayed true to herself despite growing attached to Adol (in multiple ways) and learning of her origins. I liked that the story paid homage to Viking and Norse lore. The action was solid nine times out of ten. Some of the bosses were just ridiculous. It felt like I was playing a shoot 'em up. I played on Normal and a few bosses just drained me of resources. This was after I "mastered" how to perfect dodge and perfect block. Still, nailing those defensive maneuvers and seeing the cinematic attacks that followed was a rush. The story never seemed to go anywhere until the end, which was tantamount to sailing on the ocean on the Sandras. I spent more time fighting currents and waves and the stupid boat then monsters. The Sandras' crew were an annoying bunch that didn't know when to stop talking so Adol and Karja could get back to saving the gulf. Ultimately, I had fun and I'm glad I played it but this wasn't the next big thing for the series.
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5. Chrono Trigger DS - Beyond Time
I finished the game again with the best ending after voyaging through the Black Omen and taking out Queen Zeal. The three heroes from 1,000 AD hop back in the time machine to do another search and rescue operation. Seeing the Epoch fly through the different ages and landscapes always hits. This game is so damn fun each time I play it. I remember starting a new file immediately after finishing it back in the days of the Super Nintendo. That first-time magic will never be recaptured, but there's still a certain something about Chrono Trigger that keeps it (pardon the word choice) timeless.
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2. Metroid Dread
Incredible game that has a very steep learning curve, even if you are well versed in Metroidvanias. It throws a ton of stuff at you right off the bat, so it's not exactly one you can ease into. The map is huge and intricate, with lots of cool powerups and abilities. It is also hard as nails, especially the bosses and the EMMI robots, which is also probably one of the bigger complaints I have (and I've seen) about the game in general - the chase sequences with the EMMIs. It's fun the first couple of times, but with how hard it is to counter their insta-death grabs they became annoying more than anything else as the game went on. I also appreciate that it added a fair amount of new information to Metroid lore, especially regarding the Chozo.
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1. Final Fantasy (NES)
First of all, this was abandoned not for the usual reasons but because of the purpose of these threads. When I had built my backlog program, I also had included games from ROM packs that I had to also download to get the ROM for a game I had but couldn't play on actual hardware. I had done this most of last year and my backlog went from over 2,000 games to over 30,000. This was really wearing me down thinking about it so over the weekend I decided to clone my database and remove all of the ROM-based entries. This leaves my backlog only with games that are in my collection here, although I am in the process of adding the software I have on disc to that list.
So Final Fantasy on NES was fine. The music wasn't that great but it wasn't as terrible as I was lead to believe. The only real issue I ran into early on was dealing with poison. And later it became somewhat annoying to deal with the paralyzing enemies but at the point I came across them my characters were strong enough to not take a lot of damage. The point I got to was just past the town with the pirates.
This game I also used to test out RetroAchievements, which is something you can sync RetroArch with. It basically adds achievements to old games which is kinda neat.
https://retroachievements.org/user/Tripredacus
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8. Dead or Alive 4 (360)
It dawned on me when I decided to play DOA4 that it's been almost exactly 20 years since I last played this game. A guy I was friends with my freshmen year of college waited outside a Best Buy the day the 360 came out just to get one. I joined him the last few hours before they started selling them, and one of the games he picked up was DOA4. I went over to his house a few days later and him and I played for about an hour or so, and I remember thinking the game was pretty fun. I decided this year I was going to catch up on the series and this was one I was eager to revisit after two decades.
Despite this game being the hardest one in the series I've played thus far, it's also an incredibly fun and rewarding game to play too. The game heavily focuses on countering and keeping combos going in order to win matches. Taking pot shots and doing chip damage on your opponent is not advised, and screwing up your approach or timing can open you up to some massive punishment from whoever you're fighting. At first I didn't care for this system when I'd get locked in a combo and watch 40% of my lifebar fade away, but eventually I learned how to avoid this and also working on doing the same to my opponent. It grew on me the longer I played until I found myself enjoying DOA4 the most I'd enjoyed a game in the series since 2. Visually, DOA4 is among the best looking games of its time period, especially the extremely memorable stages which are all vibrant, fun, and full of things to throw your opponent through and off. There are also a lot of unlockable costumes and other things in this game which really up the replay value. The OST is also the best since 2, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's better. Voice acting is also done well, as there is a story, but I found it hard to follow. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this game and played it far longer than I had intended. I liked it so much that I now find myself questioning whether I like it more than 2 which has been my longstanding favorite since playing it on the Dreamcast in the early 2000s. (1/13/25) [37/50]
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Game 1 - Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4) - 51 Hours
This game was such a pleasure to experience, despite a lot of initial hesitation on my end after years of delays and the underperforming prequel in Eiyuden Chronicles Rising. Hundred Heroes is certainly not a perfect game, but it does an incredible job of honoring it's roots from the Suikoden series but adding and expanding on a lot of the groundwork laid previously.
First, for me the absolute greatest thing about this game is the over 120 characters that you can recruit and add to your team or use to bolster your home base. It blends perfectly with the story which is based around building an army to resist an empire. This is nothing new if you've played any past Suikoden game. I personally felt like the diverse cast available to you was such much fun to search out and recruit, and the dedication to voicing and characterizing all of these individuals was amazing. A smaller detail that I loved was that every character has voiced contextual lines that they give during story moments, which was probably a huge time commitment to put in the game, but really just adds that extra flourish that builds a deep and engaging game.
From a gameplay perspective, all the bones of Suikoden (mainly II) are here but most of them have been improved dramatically. I will say that because I've only played I and II, I don't know if what I'm praising has been done previously. But, some of the huge improvements came in the headquarters development options (it's really deep this time around), and the more involved large scale battles. Regular combat for me was fine, nothing too crazy but it was enjoyable enough. I didn't really like the 1v1 battles though, they still felt too scripted to be really enjoyable.
Eiyuden Chronicles shocked me with how many mini-games there are available. You have two different kinds of racing, Beyblades, cards, cooking, theaters, farming, fishing, trading, workshops, and a bunch more. For me they definitely went for quantity over quality. Most of them just felt very underbaked. Also, a lot of the dungeon design was more on the frustrating end with how long they felt to finish.
The visuals, score, and voice acting was another high for me. Yes, there are definitely some issues with lighting, framerate and other superficial flaws but all in all it's really quite nice. The music overall was quite nice and really complimented the game well. Most of the voice acting was actually pretty good, though there was a lot of unpolished, unrefined writing being delivered by certain characters that took me out of the mood a little bit. One thing that I absolutely adored was all the animals in the game that were real life pets of certain backers, and other bits of appreciation to the fans who made this happen. That was an absolutely treat to see.
The one aspect of the game I wasn't the biggest fan of was actually the story. It ended up being a very cliche RPG storying with some interesting movement in the in-between moments but was ultimately about a standard evil villain wanting to wield ultimate power to control the world blah blah blah. The good and evil sides of the story are played so straight without any complexity, which was a shame.
Overall I'm very happy that I backed this game over 4 years ago and it makes me proud to see my name in the credits. If you like classic RPGs at all, particularly Suikoden, you should definitely check this one out.
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I beat Donkey Kong Land for the Game Boy. Very solid imitation of the DKC games with limited hardware. But it is still limited. The platforming controls aren't super-precise or responsive, and at least one gimmick level is terrible. Not mind-blowing or anything, but good enough for what it is.
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5. Band Hero [PS3] - Finished - Jan 15th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/OZqABvL.jpg)
Review - As ive.stated before. I am a bit of a lover of rythym based games. I recieved Guitar Hero III from my late grandmother during the guitar hero hysteria that was 2006-2009. And as a child, it became one of my.fondest franchises. It really has staying power in my.heart.
Now as for Band Hero. I love the set list but most of all I love its guest appearances. I am a pretty big No Doubt and Gwen Stefani fan. So the game being a bit of a world tour call back by having just a girl, dont speak and other scar anthems about sells me. The frets are very responsive. More so than Smash Hits. And overall it's possibly the most accessible "hero" game for a casual player.
SECRET NOTES
Now this is the meat that sets Band Hero apart from its other contemporaries. The game is riddled with secret note sequences. 19 of them to be precise. And these are just a blast to find. You'll kinda feel where they are. Or assume. But it drives you towards excellency. They were in some of the most popular songs.
The game also adds a lot of pop hits from Jesse McCartney, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and even Janet Jackson.
Evernescense bring me to life was fairly rad :)
In short. Band Hero is a nice and simple retake of the franchise and ir doesn't impose itself. While its not as creative as Guitar Hero 5 or rockband 3. It's definitely got heart and is a joy to play.
Rating - 82/100
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I beat Donkey Kong Land for the Game Boy. Very solid imitation of the DKC games with limited hardware. But it is still limited. The platforming controls aren't super-precise or responsive, and at least one gimmick level is terrible. Not mind-blowing or anything, but good enough for what it is.
I beat this one a few years ago, and yea, some of the later levels in the game stayed in my memory as very annoying :P
I played it with the Super Game Boy using the enhanced coloring and frame.
Not as flawless as it's SNES counterpart, but very playable for a GB game! 8)
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6. Chrono Trigger DS - The Dream Project
It was fun to get this ending. Crono uses Luminaire or Frenzy to dish damage. Marle uses Haste and heals as needed. And the rest is history. I really enjoyed talking to all of the sprites that represented the staff that made this game possible all those years ago. I'm not sure if I'll do a final romp through Dimensional Vortexes to get one of the exclusive endings because, despite its polish and briskness, combat does tend to wear thin after a while. We'll see.
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7. Chrono Trigger DS - Dream's Epilogue
Obviously, I said "screw it" and went through the second bonus dungeons in 12,000 BC, 1,000 AD, and 2,300 AD. Each Dimensional Vortex wasn't as bad as I remember. I liked getting nifty new gear and the bosses at the end were especially fun. Doing these dungeons also helped shed some light on the events before Chrono Cross. There was mentioning of the Porre Army and a scene where you see a certain someone getting absorbed by...a certain something. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers for folks that never played Chrono Trigger/Cross.) I saved the game and now I have what I believe to be a solid starting point for another New Game Plus. This won't be the last time I play Chrono Trigger.
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Some demo reviews. I had tried out PlayStation Demo Disc 1.3 (https://vgcollect.com/item/7295) after I hastily swapped out the CRT my PS2 was using. Not because there was any sort of problem, but the TV I had set up before was basically just testing. It was a Sony WEGA SD widescreen. I'm not even sure if it is an LCD or not, it could be some other type, but it probably isn't a CRT either. It has some burn or bright spots in it. Otherwise it works fine, I'm just not sure what is designed to work with this type of display. I know the PS2 has support for widescreen, but it did not display properly on that display. So I swapped it out with a 4:3 CRT. My PS2 seems to be on its last legs, it has issues with the disc tray, but I was able to try out these demos.
First thing I notice is that another change in the games I like to play. It seems not only do I not care for platformers, I also do not care for games that use a lot of complicated controls. Especially for a demo. Obviously there are more demos on this disc than what I listed. Some I didn't even bother to try after seeing the control layout screen.
1. Spyro Year of the Dragon (PS1)
First game on the disc, it has the complicated button layout. Seemed to be a kids game. Controls were frustrating. I didn't even die or anything, it just wasn't fun. I know many people gew up with this game and love it, but me playing it for the first time I found it wasn't for me. I've always tended to not particularly care for 3D platformers anyways, which this seems to be.
2. Crash Bash (PS1)
I understood the concept but in truth I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, while it appeared to me that I was losing the entire time, the game informed me that I won somehow.
3. Grind Session (PS1)
It is neat but there are too many controls. I did some tricks and called it a day.
4. MLB 2001 (PS1)
I love baseball games but I did not love this. It might be because it was a demo but there are some bugs present that turned me off. Primarily that pop-flies counted as hits which is not how that is supposed to work. Also you can't bean batters. With most baseball games, the fielding controls are terrible.
5. Medievil II (PS1)
The camera control used airplane type controls and there was no invert option in the menu. Hard skip. Too bad, it looked kinda cool.
6. Jarret & Labonte Stock Car Racing (PS1)
Decent game. Has a damage model which puts it way up as a racing game for me. The sound was kind of missing or messed up. After doing a race it kicks you back to the main menu, despite there being multiple race options to pick from. I didn't try it more than once. Would definately play the actual release.
-. Spider-Man (PS1)
This I didn't put into main post because it didn't actually work. I saw the controls page and was scared but decided to give it a shot. After choosing to continue, the game went through the loading screen and then just kicked me back to the main menu. So technically I didn't get to play this one.
Oh and yes before you ask, I took the memory card out of the PS2 before booting the disc. ;D
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9. Final Fight CD (Sega CD)
Back when I actually collected for the Sega CD, my complete copy of Final Fight CD was one of my prized games for that console. For its time, it was by a mile the best home port of the game, and even now with arcade perfect ports available on newer consoles, it's still an amazing game in its own right even with its shortcomings and flaws over the original arcade version. Compared to the arcade port, the gameplay is about the same, which is pretty good for a beat em up. I especially appreciate all the weapons and food items which makes this pretty challenging game a little more tolerable to get through. Visually, the arcade version does undeniably have an edge, but by not as wide of a margin as you might think. Finally, one place where the Sega CD port shines over the arcade version is its OST. The arranged Sega CD soundtrack is freakin awesome and just has that awesome 90s Sega charm to it. There is also cheesy, bad voice acting in the prologue and epilogue cut scenes which add to Final Fight CD's entertainment value. Even to this day, I can safely say I like the Sega CD port of Final Fight just as much as the arcade. Sure, each has its weakenesses and strengths, but overall you're pretty much getting the same experience, but with nice flourishes that still give this version its own distinct identity. (1/17/25) [34/50]
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Already 10% the way to my 100 games beat goal for this year! I'm not super confident I can maintain this momentum, but I'm at least happy i've been able to beat 10 games after only 18 days into the new year.
10. Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis)
Virtua Fighter 2 on the Sega Genesis is a fun novelty, since it's an entirely different game than the 3D versions on the Saturn and Arcade, but for what it is, you could do way, way worse. Probably the craziest part about the Genesis version of VF2 is just how much of the feel and controls of the original 3D versions it maintains. Obviously, this is still a very different game, but I appreciate Sega trying to retain as much of of the original VF2 game as possible. Visually the game looks decent for the most part, as the sprites do retain a lot of the charm of the polygon models. However, probably my favorite part of VF2 on the Genesis is its MIDI sounding music that was adapted from the original OST to the Genesis. It's not as good as the original soundtrack, but is still awesome with how it has that gritty Genesis sound to it now. As I said, this game is an enjoyable novelty if you're already a fan of the original Virtua Fighter 2, but its certainly nothing more than that. (1/18/25) [32/50]
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8. Silent Hill 2 Remake - Leave
9. Silent Hill 2 Remake - In Water
Despite following a guide, I have been locked out of the last of the three endings that you could get on a New Game. I'm not gonna lie - I'm a bit annoyed. I thought I did everything necessary to get the most difficult ending but I guess not. I'm going to have to do a New Game Plus run with multiple saves to do it. That major annoyance aside, this was a lot of fun. This is how you do a remake of a classic. James is still a bit of a lumbering oaf, but he handles much better. The atmosphere and setting have been amplified to the nth degree. I absolutely recommend this to all fans of survival horror.
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6. Hogwarts Legacy - Finished - Jan, 19th 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/xi5xfD3.webp)
(My character. She's a goblin-kind's bad dream. A ranrok humbling boss. Wizard Name? Madam Clorophyl
The life force of hogwarts)
LUMOS
Review - Where does one begin with hogwarts legacy. It will seem as though i'm glazing the games this year. But it just so happens these are generational games that are already top 20 all time in terms of greatness. If you like Harry Potter, If you like taming dragons, causing goblins to impose self harm, wielding dark magic, brewing things, if you like brushing mythical alpaca looking animals. It doesn't matter. Hogwarts Legacy is for you :)
To say the game is grand is an understatement. I have 105 hours in this beast front to back and havent even scratched 70 percent of a completionist run. The plot is blooming like a barbados fig fruit garden with colorful characters. The city of hogsmeade feels like a secondary home. You become entrenched. You live the life of a 5th year in hogwarts, and as someone who didn't know what to expect being as ive never seen Harry Potter or read the books. The game is just grandiose to the highest order and one of the most deliciously beautiful video games ever created.
GRAPHICS
(https://i.imgur.com/pZLVdlc.jpg)
I don't say this lightly. It's a top 3 game all time for me in terms of graphics. From the lumos ability glowing rock architecture in forbidden tombs, to the way ray tracing makes lights reflect off the floors. The way every piece of the castle seems to be busy. Random NPCs will have full conversations. The games pictures will dance via magic. Everywhere you turn is a delightful mini game or even a beast. A enemy. A merlin trial. Treasure. And each professor is as memorable and deeply entrenched as the next. Ghosts fued within school halls, other students address your former competitons. House elves request your help. When you walk. It feels like walking through a bustling school in your teen years. Trade nerds for gobstone collectors. Trade jocks for quiditch champions. Trade home rec to beast class. You'll spend hours just looking around. Being like "woah thats cool"
From professor figs paternal guidance.
To professor garlick's love for the agricultural unknown.
To professor Sharpes gritty and intimidating overtones.
The thing bleeds from its core, fan service excellence and it almost never.missed. The best of this is seen in your side relations. They get nuanced and clever.
The game gives unsurprising amount of control over both dialogue and the way you attack. With maybe 30 combat related.spells. it's easy to get into the game and just play your way. I find myself freezing enemies into ice cubes and bashing that ice cube into a billion bits. You may find yourself using depulso to body slam flamed enemies into eachother. It's endless.
The map is expansive and flu flames make fast travel a synch.
Poppy is a absolute delightful character with a solid moral compass.
The inner fued between good and evil is palpable.
In short, the game rocks. It's truly a masterpiecen. Clothing, very customizable. It feels like you're in hogwarts. You kinda soak into the plot like a sponge and their is endless things to see. It is the breath of the wild of the harry potter universe.
Time to beat - 105 Hours
Rating - 100/100
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Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Temporarily Abandoned Mostly Finished
(https://i.imgur.com/IqmKQgr.jpg)
I technically reached "end credits" in this game so i'm half counting it. I wont put it in my official list because I intend on fully beating it and when I do I'll edit it. It's got wierd half endings. And overall is a game designed to make you feel in some sort of existentialist crisis lol. I'd consider it more of an elaborate mocking of games than a game itself. It's clever. But perhaps too clever. It's a very ominous and creepy game due to the way it makes you feel smothered and powerless. Maybe i'll come back to it. But possibly not. I do reccomend it due to it being free on ps plus, being about 4 minutes to beat and also being wildly unique and thought provoking. Just not for me.
Rating - 55/100
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04. Phogs! || PlayStation 4 || 01.15.25
(https://i.imgur.com/xAawbmN.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/4YnbCzN.jpeg)
After noticing Phogs! was a part of the PlayStation Plus catalog, I decided to begin a playthrough. Ordinarily, I don't know if I would have chosen this particular game to play, but I actually completed a short demo of the game three or four years ago on a whim and thought it was interesting.
Predominantly, Phogs! is some sort of puzzle-platformer that subverts the platformer genre by emphasizing stretching, bouncing, barking, and biting instead of jumping. Throughout the game, players control a pair of the titular phogs: two dogs linked together at the belly and therefore share one elongated, stretchy body. While stretching is the game's main gimmick, all of the phogs' actions are necessary to navigate through environments and puzzles. Basic exploration requires moving both joysticks in the same direction to maintain momentum, as each joystick corresponds to an individual dog. Various obstacles such as ramps, platforms, wall mounts, and locked doors must be solved to move onward. It's also important to note that, even before the game loads the main menu, a prompt lets players know that the game may be experienced by either one or two players.
To accomplish the general puzzle-platformer gameplay, physics-based movement is employed. Perhaps to be expected, physics are loose and springy, although it's mostly manageable if patient. However, there are certainly times when the physics hinder the puzzle design as it becomes far more of an issue trying to get the stretching mechanics to function properly as they should instead of just trying to solve the puzzle. It's also worth mentioning now that players have no control over the 3D camera at all. This lack of control was generally fine, though I would have preferred to have that viewpoint mobility. Outside of platforming, the puzzle genre also incorporates simple elements from other genres, such as action and stealth. There is one small section of the game that focuses on these other gameplay types, and I found them to be all enjoyable and a nice change of pace. As far as the game's overall difficulty, it's on the lower end of the spectrum, and that's largely accomplished by the game's forgiveness once falling off from the play field and respawning at regularly placed checkpoints.
Generally, puzzle design throughout Phogs! is fine and admittedly simple, but it seems appropriate for what's to be assumed a game marketing toward a younger demographic. Objectives tend to be indirect as text and dialogue are absent from the game, but they're usually simple enough to understand. Still, there were a handful of moments when I really just didn't understand what exactly was being tasked for me to solve. On several occasions, I mistakenly moved past the stage section by mistake; in every instance, there was no means to return to backtrack without fully restarting the stage. However, these moments all coincided with fulfilling side objectives. As is commonplace within the 3D platformer genre, various collectibles and secrets are hidden throughout each stage, often in the form of NPC requests.
Throughout the campaign, there's an easygoing and mostly relaxing experience to be had. The game's tone is greatly enforced through its colorful and cartoon-like visual design, and I think there's an automatic level of fun that many players will have just by controlling dogs who behave ordinarily to actual dogs. On that note, there are small yet fun details to see, such as how the phogs can sleep (both together or individually) if player action is inactive. To a degree, this is elevated by the game's collectibles which serve as currency to unlock cosmetics for the set of phogs to wear.
For better or for worse, Phogs! is carefree across gameplay, presentation, and tone, and I think there's a lot of enjoyment for younger players to have. Still, in what should be simple to execute regularly isn't due to the game's controls, and there was the rare section where I found myself frustrated to perform what was necessary.
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05. Mingle || PC || 01.19.25
(https://i.imgur.com/ZR0WM38.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/fDApQjP.jpeg)
While browsing prolific game jam events of the past, I came across the small project Mingle which stood out as something I figured I'd like.
As the title suggests, the player is tasked with mingling with all sorts of cartoon characters as they walk around and converse with another. Who you're to mingle with at any given point is indicated by your current character design. As the game's official page describes, you're to find the character just like you, your "perfect match." Once you create a pair, you transform into another character automatically and who you approached disappears from the crowd. Then, players repeat the process until the crowd fully disperses and you're left alone with only one other individual. It's a straightforward but fun game loop for what the project sets out to accomplish. In a way, the game simplifies the hidden object puzzle genre to its minimum.
Apart from gameplay, character designs are fun and come across as animated doodles, and it's a visual design that I think greatly complements the simple premise. Animation is incredibly fluid, largely in part to how simple the single-screen presentation is. While wandering about the void, everyone within the crowd has a voice which forms together as collective banter, and its volume adjusts in real time. It's a small but effective detail to emphasize the game's goal.
Ultimately, Mingle is a brief, bite-sized game jam project that has a lot of charm. I wasn't exactly expecting a hidden object type game before beginning my playthrough, so that was a pleasant surprise.
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Game 2: Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales - PS5 (11 Hours)
The first game on the PS5 is finished! I don't have a whole lot to say about this game. Most of what I said in my review of the first game is still relevant here. The game plays beautifully especially free-swinging through the city and just doing whatever tasks strike your fancy. The side quests and collectibles are fun to complete, even though, again, there's really nothing that new from the first game. There are a few small changes to the gameplay but none of them felt especially groundbreaking. The one addition that is noteworthy is the cloaking feature which is very easy to abuse. You can essentially reset stealth mode at any time you want and it really dumbs down the combat difficulty.
The story was not the best but is serviceable for what's overall a pretty short game. The main villains and players aren't really all that exciting and there aren't very many supervillains in the game at all. I still enjoyed it fair enough though. One change that might seem subtle yet was very welcome to me was the slight change of the music to a more hip-hop focused approach than that intolerable generic orchestral crap that just drove me crazy in the first game.
Miles Morales is a decent side-quell that provides a consistent, if forgettable experience. I hope the true follow up is a little more substantial and I plan on playing it soon!
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10. Silent Hill 2 Remake - Dog
11. Silent Hill 2 Remake - UFO
12. Silent Hill 2 Remake - Bliss
I finished the game three more times. I won't comment on the gag endings (Dog/UFO) because they're just that: gags. I did enjoy them, though. The Bliss ending was one of the new ones. It was hard to watch, but it may have just been my interpretation. I'd say the most important thing about these files is that I was able to knock out some of the seemingly annoying trophies: one for a speed run, one for finishing new game plus, and one for never using a firearm. Of course, having a chainsaw in James' possession helped with that last one.
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13. Silent Hill 2 Remake - Stillness
14. Silent Hill 2 Remake - Rebirth
Two more endings over and done with. Both were new to this remake. Stillness was a more involved version of Leave. Rebirth was...something ominous. Now it's time to see if I can finally, finally get that Maria ending.
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15. Silent Hill 2 Remake - Maria
And boom. The last ending needed for a fully completed game and a platinum trophy. I didn't just play this game. I inhaled it. I can't remember playing a game that made me so distracted outside of game time in forever. I kept wanting more, which is kind of aligned with the way you go about getting the Maria ending. I am really, really excited to get a review going for this. Also, I have some friends that want to experience it so I'm looking forward to watching them and seeing their reactions to the surface level scares, as well as the psychological ones.
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06. Dragonsweeper || Browser || 01.20.25
(https://i.imgur.com/V83g8im.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/ECZejsn.jpeg)
After watching some brief introductory gameplay to Dragonsweeper, I knew it was a game I'd want to play.
As its name implies, Dragonsweeper is a game heavily based on the mechanics introduced by Minesweeper as its foundation. In short, both games task the player to avoid certain tiles along a grid playing field in order to reach their main goal. However, Dragonsweeper sets itself apart in a unique way: instead of trying to merely identify where all the mines are, its true goal requires vanquishing the dragon. Also, for some reason the player assumes the role of a knight named Jorge.
While the game is still a primarily within the puzzle genre, there is much more strategy involved in clearing the field in this adaptation, and much of that is due to the additional systems being presented. Numbers within tiles now represent the total level of monsters or explosives surrounding it, and the player will be required to interact with the former in order to win. Throughout the journey, players will be forced to battle methodically to defeat enemies which yield experience in order to level high enough to defeat the high-leveled dragon. During each encounter, the monster's level also represents the total damage they'll deal to the player alongside how much experience they'll grant. However, the total number of experience required to level up—after the initial level advancement, that is—is always higher than the amount of life the player has. While there is a limited supply of health restoratives to use alongside health being fully replenished with each level advancement, it's impossible to defeat each enemy. Players will constantly be selecting a certain order to defeat enemies while ignoring others.
With that said, much of the game's strategy also requires being observant and knowing when to simply mark empty tiles as ones to avoid or ones to interact with later. While it's not always possible, there is plenty of information to gather from what isn't outright revealed. So, when players are at full health and know that the unknown danger surrounding certain tiles is only at a certain maximum level, then blindly selecting them is worth the gamble, as new information to some degree will be gained, unlike if the player will to simply defeat an enemy already revealed. At the same time, a resource that doubly serves as the game's rule book and also hint guide is able to be referenced at any time. The hint guide portion details how much of each enemy remains, so there will be times—probably toward the end of a game session—where players will be able to reach a solution based on knowing which enemy types have yet to be defeated.
Concerning the game's presentation, it's minimal yet provides everything the player need to win. Sprite design is simple, and the little animation present is as well. However, if there is one thing I think would benefit from refining is the game's music. While it has some ambiance of dungeon exploration, it's in the style of downtempo hip hop that plays on loop. There's only one track that's a few minutes long in length, and it quickly becomes repetitive.
It's been a number of years since I've played a game directly inspired by Minesweeper, and Dragonsweeper was a good reminder why I enjoy logic puzzle games on occasion. The additional systems it introduces sets itself apart in a novel way that is much more demanding than its source material, so it was certainly rewarding being able to finally conquer the dragon which marks the game's end.
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7. Snoopy's Grand Adventure [PS4] - Finished - Jan 23rd, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/gJrSzCc.jpg)
Review - Snoopy's Grand Adventure is many things. At it's core it's a nostalgic little tribute to not only NES cartoon based games like Chip N Dale but also peanuts as a franchise. It's cute. Colorful and has enough heart to carry it. However it has deep gaping flaws that prevent it from greatness.
(http://final boss is a joke)
Not much of a spoiler. But the final boss is possibly the most ridiculous ive faced. Literally it can hit you with each attack and you still win. It's about as uneventual as jaywalking on a windy day simulator. It's not just easy but dull. Makes no sense. And is a giant step down from the other bosses. Which while easy. Are still cute and fun.
The game also is repetitive and has lack of level development.
But now that the cons are out of the way.
It is overall ambitious. I dare to call it a metroidvania because it allows the player to aquire powers that open new areas and move backwards through web like levels. It's got cute design and some fun with the collecting all the jelly beans. Overall its a neat short fun play. And I enjoy it heavily.
Rating - 70/100
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07. Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights || GameCube || 01.21.25
(https://i.imgur.com/maM87re.jpeg)
Ordinarily, Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights isn't a game I'd go out of my way to play, but it's one of those odd titles within my shared collection that I own for some reason or another, and I was curious to know if it'd have any sort of redeemable quality.
As a platformer, Night of 100 Frights presents elementary level design while being considerably flawed in how player action and movement perform. Often, actual platforms are difficult to make contact with for a variety of reasons, though two specific ones reasons most regularly. The first is that pitfalls require tight jumps to clear and seemingly need to be executed perfectly from the edge of one platform to another, and it's made worse by plenty of instances of poor camera positioning which influence field of depth. At the same time, the second reason lies in moments when the player is disrupted by invisible level geometry which prematurely bars them from completing their action. While this isn't a regularly occurring issue, it's more present than just a rare glitch.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of backtracking involved across the game's three major areas. While exploring through an area for the first time, players will naturally collect the thousands of Scooby Snacks littered everywhere which serve as the game's currency, and the reason for doing so is to unlock access to new areas and various paths. So, it's in the player's best interest to go out of their way to get the more inconvenient ones. If not, there will come a time when you're required to unnecessarily backtrack. And, at times, players will reach a roadblock that requires having a tool upgrade to progress further. However, the large room-based map neither indicates where these roadblocks are nor what kind of roadblock they are, so players will either be forced to backtrack needlessly all over the place when their natural path is interrupted or make note of it. Not knowing where the roadblocks are isn't necessarily that much of a design flaw since the map does clearly mark which rooms have and haven't been accessed, but there are all sorts of tools to be gained to reach the game's end that remembering where and when to use them becomes a challenge. Fortunately, a warp travel system is accessible which transports the player to specific rooms.
Concerning narrative, players assume the role of titular Scooby-Doo himself, and the premise is one that easily could have been from the cartoon the game's based upon. Also to be expected, classic Hanna-Barbera era villains serve as minor antagonists and basic enemies to overcome. For reasons not understood until the game's conclusion, these past villains are by the hundreds, and there are boundless numbers of the same enemy even within the same room. For many of them, they merely patrol back-and-forth and are easy to avoid, though few are unique with targeted attacks and behaviors. So, understandably, these enemies can be ignored to some degree without the need to defeat them. And throughout it all, what seems like the obligatory laugh track responding to in-game cutscenes and player actions is ever pervasive.
Unfortunately, Night of 100 Frights is dominated by an array of problems which on their own could be tolerable, but together become irritating. For platforms, a sufficient camera system is necessary for the game to be successful, though there are numerous instances where player movement randomly initiates a 90° map rotation which can result in player mistakes. Also related to the game's camera is its practice of obscuring on-screen environmental information. For several rooms, it seemed like I was at a dead end even when viewing the map which indicated otherwise, but since there are so many roadblocks, this is to be expected at times. However, what instead was happening was that the camera hides from view other pathways you're to follow. The direction players will be needing to move toward is down in the direction of the player themselves, off-screen where the foreground would be. Aside from camera problems, being able to perform certain player actions is commonly troublesome though is mostly in regards to specific tools which require two buttons to be pressed simultaneously.
For a variety of reasons, Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights is far more difficult than it has any right to be, both in players knowing where to go and being able to accomplish certain immediate tasks. Beneath these problems, though, is a fine enough game, but it's still not one I'd recommend.
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Due to a variety of reasons, Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights is far more difficult than it has any right to be, both in players knowing where to go and being able to accomplish certain immediate tasks. Beneath these problems, though, is a fine enough game, though it's still not one I'd recommend.[/font]
Shame you didn't like it, this was one of the very first games I ever played on the PS2 and I have very fond memories of it. I remember a friend had to have me help her with bouncing on all the sails in the sunken ship level. I'm sure if I went back to it, it wouldn't be as good as I recollect.
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Due to a variety of reasons, Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights is far more difficult than it has any right to be, both in players knowing where to go and being able to accomplish certain immediate tasks. Beneath these problems, though, is a fine enough game, though it's still not one I'd recommend.
Shame you didn't like it, this was one of the very first games I ever played on the PS2 and I have very fond memories of it. I remember a friend had to have me help her with bouncing on all the sails in the sunken ship level. I'm sure if I went back to it, it wouldn't be as good as I recollect.
I think that if more time was spent on refining its core platforming mechanics, the game would be much better and perfectly fine. I know exactly which area you're talking about too—it may have been the second or third platforming trial that was overly aggravating and is toward the end of the playthrough. Without a doubt, it wouldn't be so bad if the game spawned you back at the player's last standing point, but it instead spawns players to the beginning of the room unless some rare checkpoint is implemented. For these less forgiving platforming challenges, that's another major issue.
This was the first time I'd ever played Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights, so I don't have any memories to look back upon. But another licensed platforming game from this era that I played around the time of its release and again a few years ago is SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, and it's held up quite well, so it's not as if all of these types of games were designed poorly. I have a feeling that if you revisited Night of 100 Frights, you may not feel the same as you first did like you're presuming. Maybe one day you'll want to try it once more.
I also failed to mention above that there was a time or two where I actually had to consult a GameFAQs walkthrough, so thankfully those still exist.
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I'm a little better than halfway through Tomb Raider II (Remaster Collection - PS5). It was my favorite in the series until probably TR Anniversary (PS2). Let me tell ya... even with the new control scheme... it did not age well. I'm finding I'm having to save after every 2-3 actions to avoid too much replay. I think I would dare all the masochists that play the Souls games to play these older Tomb Raider games and compare the two series on how many times they die. Still, having just gotten to the snow levels, I plan to push through it without using the cheats.
Started up AC3 Remastered (PS4). So far, I'm enjoying it, but I'm only a couple hours in. Not even Connor yet.
Also started up Sonic x Shadow (Switch). I had forgotten just how bad the stories are in some of these Sonic games. Might drop this one, but not just yet.
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08. Radio Hammer || Nintendo 3DS || 01.22.25
(https://i.imgur.com/9hSOThI.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/3YoBnu0.jpeg)
After looking over the small library of games I have installed on my 3DS system, I settled on playing the rhythm game Radio Hammer. Before playing, I really didn't know much about it aside from its gameplay, so I was hoping for it to be good enough to keep me engaged.
As a rhythm game, Radio Hammer adopts highway lane gameplay mechanics. From the right side of the screen, enemies representing musical beats run toward the player-character which requires the player to attack them. By default, there are only two lanes for enemies to traverse, meaning that there are only two different actions to take: either aim your attack toward the top or bottom lane. However, there is an option for players to limit the lane number to only one that instead forces all enemies to rush toward you in a line, which is much easier. In a way, I found it to be a handicap of sorts, and I only found myself needing to use it twice for overcoming optional late-game challenges. Additionally, there is some degree of control preference, as either the D-pad or face buttons can be utilized, and interchangeably too. Playing interchangeably was my preference throughout the entire campaign, as it seemed far easier for each of the two enemy types (top and bottom lane) to have full dedication to one hand instead of constantly moving both thumbs back-and-forth from one button to another.
During gameplay, action prompts are rewarded with typical rhythm genre feedback scores such as Perfect and Miss. At certain points during each track, a gift bonus appearing from the left side of the screen appears which can either be taken or ignored. Eventually, these gifts have the possibility to instead be trap boxes which should always be avoided. Otherwise, players should prioritize taking the gift as their bonus allowed for the special gauge to fill more quickly. There is only a short window of time for this while gameplay speedily moves along, but the timing for these boxes to appear follows along with the track beat and generally in short moments of rest, so it's not all too difficult knowing when to expect them. Regarding the aforementioned special gauge, its meter increases with each successful action and prevents the player from taking damage once full during its brief activation period.
For most players, they will be spending the majority of their time—or even all of their time—playing story mode. In what seems like it could be controversial among players, selecting a stage while in story mode often does not present just one song. Instead, a majority of stages combine as many as five individual tracks together which must all be completed to progress. Song transitions aren't mixed to be seamless, and there are even certain transitions which prompt a brief loading screen. Perhaps because the length for each track is short, stages will regularly recycle tracks previously played. Personally, I would have preferred dedicated songs for each stage and only limited to one in total, but this design choice was ultimately fine to play through. Still, as stage design is now, a lot of each chapter's late stages wear out their welcome even if total stage duration may only be five minutes at most. However, story mode does excel at presenting different styles and genres of music presented through its four characters. They each have their own simple narratives to follow and unique tracks to play too. In order to progress from one player to another, the player is required to fully finish the current character's story. For what it offers, the game's story mode is fine but it's really not noteworthy or memorable, and the three narratives are not interconnected.
Throughout the story mode, a score meter is present, but it has no bearing on the player's success. Instead, simply completing each stage with any amount of health remaining is the goal for this mode. Fortunately, though, there is an achievement system which adds some degree of replayability and an incentive to perform with higher proficiency. Only after achieving each stage's goals is the player awarded three possible stars, though earning them is entirely optional. With that said, another play mode becomes available as the player progresses through the story, which is a freeplay type mode that does judge the player based on their score. Those exploring this mode will be likely feel pleased that they're able to freely select individual tracks instead of a predetermined set. A randomized stage select mode is also present, complete with varying difficulty variances. I actually didn't spend time playing any other mode besides story mode, as I found it sufficient enough. I wasn't particularly challenged while playing and there are no leaderboards, so I saw little reason to play for score.
While I wasn't impressed with Radio Hammer at first—and I suppose I'm still not, though it's certainly a fine game—my opinion of it did become higher as my playthrough continued. There is a lot of replayability to be enjoyed for those who seek it, and its core campaign offers a good enough challenge (particularly the late-game, as to be expected) and especially so if wanting to achieve three stars for each stage.
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11. Yoshi's Crafted World (Switch)
My wife and I were massive fans of the local co-op multiplayer of Yoshi's Wooly World on the Wii U, so when we found out it was getting sort of, kind of a sequel on the Switch, we were there day 1 to pick it up. Unfotunately, neither of us connected with Crafted World the same way we did with its predecessor, and we ended up dropping the game about 10 stages in. That was back in 2019, and since then we've brought Crafted World up numerous times and how we should have given the game more of a chance and also tried not to compare it too much with Wooly World. Well, nearly 6-years later we finally picked Crafted World back up and we are both very happy we did.
Yoshi's Crafted World is an incredibly charming, adorable, well made, and above all else, fun game. While it's still on the easy side when it comes to platformers, it's still very fun to see all the levels which all are different and unique from one another. One will be in a jungle setting, while the next is in a haunted mansion, and then the next will have you launching into space. Everything in the levels looks like some very well done school art project, and it's truly remarkable how creative the team that made this game was in finding every day items to model various enemies, bosses, stage props, and various other visuals aspects of the game with. It definitely kept the game feeling fresh and unique throughout and made me want to see what the next stage was like. One disappointment, especially when compared to Wooly World is the quality of the collectables and extras within the game. My wife and I replayed stages over and over again to get secret items and other collectables we needed to unlock different Yoshi colors or other unlockables. However, in Crafted World, you're more or less limited to using coins you collect in each stage to purchase fairly lackluster, bulky costumes for your Yoshi, which really didn't do anything for me, or incentive deep exploration of each level. Music and audio is pretty good in general, but nothing incredibly, especially compared to many other Nintendo OSTs. Overall, my wife and I really enjoyed Crafted World, althopugh I do have to admit that if I wasn't playing this game with her I'd have definitely enjoyed it less, mostly because of how easy the game is and its limited mechanics. But for what is' worth, I definitely recommend this game and its definitely one I misjudged at first. (1/26/25) [37/50]
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6. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Steam)
There is not much that I like about this game. The sound is not good and the music is also not great. I mean the music is what you would expect but the levels vs sound is not correct. It also does not operate properly on actual 5.1, it puts the ambient sounds in the wrong places or doesn't play them at all. Obviously this is a console conversion that isn't done properly. Default controls do not use the mouse at all and uses a strange keyboard layout that is reminiscent of an 80s game. At least it supports the controller which is good enough. It was also interesting there is no dialog except for grunts and laughs.
It looks alright and the auto-aim on the blaster is good. I had some issues with the 3D space with facing the correct way or also when using jumps. As such, the platforming sections were somewhat difficult for me to do. I did recognize that the game is made for children and is quite forgiving in regards to difficulty. Also I like the collectible aspect in the game, it would have been quite fun to do when I was younger. There is no Steam achievements for this game so there is no real point in bothering to be a completionist or farm the enemies.
The game softlocked on me during the pod race stage. Basically I had not raced well enough in the first two laps so that when it autosaved at the start of the final lap, there was no chance for me to win the race. The gameplay and mechanics were not interesting enough to me to restart to beat that stage and I just knew there would be more 3D platforming sections I wouldn't be able to stand in later levels.
7. Xevious (NES)
This was not the game I thought it was. I haven't played this since I was a kid and I think I made the same mistake back then also with thinking it was a different game. I'm not concerned about finding out what the correct game was, as it doesn't matter. It has some interesting things in the stages but is really quick basic. Even using arcade stick I didn't feel like the ship was fast enough to evade during tough sections. Also this game gave me the feel that it was possible to do a peaceful run, but I'm not the type to take the time to learn how to do that.
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Finished up Metroid Prime Remastered this morning. I'm really amazed at how solid the overall level design feels for a first stab at a 3D Metroid-vania style game. The updated controls make it actually playable, but I couldn't stop thinking about how much it feels like a new game that could have come out in the last 5 years. It does start wearing out its welcome a little bit during the endgame fetch quest, and there is a pretty limited number of enemies (lots of recolors for different wekness, etc), but really, really please with how well the game holds up. And the remastered visuals looks great!
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16. Sayonara Wild Hearts
I was at a friend's house last night, and he wanted to show me this game. So he did. And then, we finished it by swapping the controller between levels. What a dynamic, euphoric, and addictive game this was. And the messages at the end really hit home given how much change I'm going through this year. Sometimes, games (like people) enter your life at just the right time. Now it's time to hunt down the soundtrack because OH MY GOD it was something.
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Firewatch is definitely one of the best "walking simulators" I've played. Good visuals, an actually engaging mystery, and amazing voice acting. I don't think I would have actually played this if not for my Steam Deck.
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12. Virtua Fighter Kids (Saturn)
I remember seeing ads for Virtua Fighter Kids all over the place in the mid-90s, as well as a friend of mine really wanting this game for some reason during that time. I think I played this game a handful of times growing up, I can't honestly remember, but I have played it as an adult several times, albeit not for a long time. Returning to Virtua Fighter Kids after all this time was a fun little novelty that I enjoyed for the 25-minutes or so it took me to beat the game with two different characters (Sarah and Akira). The high pitched voices of the characters cracked me up on several occasions, and the arranged, cute-ified OST can be catching, but is nowhere near as good as the original VF2 OST it's based on. Visuals are also decent with the stages being way more cartoonish and kid oriented, all of which goes along with the chibi-ish characters with their massive heads. There's also fun things like some of the characters getting X marks in their eyes when you defeat them. Gameplay, however, is Virtua Fighter Kids biggest weakness. It's not terrible, but it noticably has some strange hit detection and character reach isn't great either. Otherwise, the controls for the moves is about the same. One thing of note is that VF Kids is way easier than VF2, probably going along with the more kid friendly aesthetic. As mentioned, Virtua Fighter Kids is a fun little novelty title that is fun for maybe an hour or so, but I can't imagine this game being any more than a rental back in the day, or just a curiosity now. (2/1/25) [30/50]
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Firewatch is definitely one of the best "walking simulators" I've played. Good visuals, an actually engaging mystery, and amazing voice acting. I don't think I would have actually played this if not for my Steam Deck.
I loved firewatch! My favorite is that you can almost feel where a trope would be, can almost feel the anticipation for a big sunset moment that never comes and the game always avoids it. It really was divisive on it's ending because of that. But I like that it felt more believable and went against the grain. It didnt try to force a octagon into a hexagon cutout for the sake of it. One of my favorite character developments in gaming.
I do reccomend Road 96 if you enjoyed Firewatch. Also a walking simulator with deep character bonding but with maybe more range on what you can do dialogue wise. Think telltale but way less linear and you actually control
the character and with a really unique story. It has survival elements. Theirs plenty of ways to play. And lots of different ways for the story to unfold. A true hidden diamond.
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13. Fighters Megamix (Saturn)
They may have never been a game, like ever, that I misjudged so much the first time I played it than Fighters Megamix. To put it lightly, I kinda hated this game the first time I played it. I have no idea why, since after replaying it tonight, I got hooked on unlocking as many characters as I could within reason, which by the way, is one of the most fun aspects of this game. But unlockable characters from a ton of different Sega properties aside, this is still an incredibly fun game. The gameplay is undeniably less deep than what is found in Virtua Fighter 2 or 3, and is even kinda broken at times, but for what it lacks in refinement, it makes up for in the pure joy of beating the hell out of your opponent as a character from Virtua Fighter or even the Hornet race car from Daytona USA. No, I am not kidding. The audio is also excellent as many tracks from the various represented Sega franchises are present, as well as some pretty catchy original tracks. Visually, the game as a ton to offer in terms of almost as many stages as there are characters, including the unlockable and hidden ones, and also the character models all look good for the most part. I seriously had a hard time putting this game down tonight; what started as me thinking I'd play this game for 15 minutes, beat it, and never want to play it again, turned into literally 4 straight hours of unlocking nearly every character in the game and beating it over and over again with a dozen characters at least. I full heartedly apologize to Sega for misjudging this game for years. I now actually like it slightly more than a few core VF games. Crazy how that ended up working out lol. (2/1/25) [35/50]
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I'd watched a couple of different playthroughs of Doki Doki Literature Club, but I finally sat down to play it myself. It really lets the writing and music shine when you are the one playing it. The hints and clues about the real nature of the game are super subtle,but it's fun to try and spot them if you already know where it's going, and the big twist still works narratively.
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8. MAFIA III Definitive Edition - Finished Feb 5th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/OABEUQW.jpg)
Review - Mafia III is pretty rad folks. Its a vicious stronghold on MOB related video game media. Take on the role of Lincoln Clay. You play as a black man in 1968. Where the main challenge of the game is well.... being a black man in 1968. Which as you imagine is about as one would assume. The game is rampant with period appropriate culture from the POV of a man who has been scorned by a heavily racist, corrupt and often times turbulent south Louisiana. Which includes very real interpretations of true hardships of the time. Lynchings. Rape. And of course cults. The game has it all. It can be humbling at times. Not for the faint of heart. Especially racially.
The game has excellent art direction. The realism is many times greater than GTA or Saints row. Cars behave believably. Traffic moves aside when you honk. Cars sometimes take a bit to start. Stealth feels extremely authentic. Where if an enemy spots you. They kinda second guess and move in to investigate. They dont just lock on like Bonnie and Clyde. Their are methods of diversion and the brutal kill sequences are gorey and sick.
The duality of man shows up when interacting with Father James. Who is a very important mediator to the games basis. Who is basically Lincoln's conscience in human form Lincoln is a man scorned. Hes been through pain. But tethering the ying from yang can be difficult for both player and the character. Father James has some of the most profound quotes ive heard in these types of sandbox games. Such as
"If you spend all your time looking for the evil of the world, evil is all you're gonna find"
And
"Their will never be another Bobby Kennedy. Never he another Martin Luther King Jr. But their will always be a f-ing Sal Marcano (mobster)"
The game engrosses you in another angle of mob culture. The victim of mob brutality seeking revenge. Without spoiling anything. The game is flat out unique in this perspective especially for the franchise. And I love the idea of running a mob to fight the mob. Especially as a black man. As black run mobs did exist but this has a feel goodness to it to kill racists or even worse the klan. It hurts at times to play. its grossly painful to witness the racism. Think like watching the color purple. But theirs also a Jackie Robinson redemption to it that is just fun to partake in. Killing NPC has never felt so good as when they just called you a dirty [racist explitive] two minutes prior.
The associates you meet are diverse in personality. Fun. And depending on your needs, interests and playstyle. You may find yourself angling towards giving rackets to certain affiliates. Cassandra for guns. Vito for health and protection and Burke for cars. I liked this aspect. And loved the meet ups.
The era appropriate music, ambiabce all feels like something right out of a vintage Jimi Hendrix vhs. Like a stinky vingnette. The game has that hue about it. It has art. Dialogue and music booming from the vibrant time of 1960s in America.
Lincoln's pain is palpable. The side missions and dlc such as when Lincoln bonds with the girl the evil cult drugged. It is just wildly sad. And some of the more profound moments ive seen in these types of games. You get engrossed quick.
My only con. The game is 100+ hours long. And towards the end. The side objectives of taking out infornants and robbing cash loots perhaps could have gone with a bit more variety on types of invasions. These are about 8 to do for each underboss and it woulda been better if it had more tailing missions, or plot driven cut scenes. These objectives seem to loop over and over and get a bit overdone by the end.
Overall I love how the player forms the story, and how Lincolns destiny unravels before us. Sammys bar. The glory of making cobbler out of a rotten georgia peach. The game is a cinematic movie and it well deserves a play.
Rating - 95/100
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9. Gori Cuddly Carnage - Finished Feb 6th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/JYCElge.jpg)
Review - Gori Cuddly Carnage is pretty sick. Its basically Sunset Overdrive meets Conkers bad fur day. A rail grind hack and slash with a foul mouth hoverboard. I basically decided to buy it because of another users recommendation (realpoketendonl) So I do thank them. And i'm not disappointed in it. Its hacking gory glorious fun. And actually kinda harkons back to a simpler time with games. It doesnt go heavy on movie style dragged on plot. Or go 100 hours in run time. It just really is a simple sit on the couch with your wife and laugh kinda game :) and boy is it zaney.
The animation is neon, pastel, vibrant and wildly colorful. The bosses are memorable. Especially the final boss fight sequence which is a chef's kiss. The gore. Fluidity and consistent frames are always wonderful. Its fast paced and never seems to feel out of control.
The slashing combos, collecting and shop all are great. It has a very ps2 era god of war button mash feel which if you love the genre of hack and slash. Its one of those must plays. You go what feels like 100+ mph but somehow seem to always be well in grip of everything. Its centered. The rocket leveling system. How grinding gives you fuel. Fuel gives you moves. Its all a well oiled machine
Its certainly got a arcade feel to it. And I adore it. The cat gori and his group of misfit friends just endure. And grow to become very memorable. It is simple to play. But their were moments where planning was necessary. And it still has lots of powers, moves, combos and neatness to how you tackle a boss. I feel it balances the best of both.
You just hoverboard through the world and slash unicorns as a scarred cat with a passive aggressive AI friend, a foul mouth hoverboard and a lunatic gold fish. Tons of sex jokes, crude cannibalistic teddy bears, severed baby doll heads and violence from a feline skating variable front flipper. If that doesnt sell a consumer. What will? Lol. Its just rad. One of the better indie projects ive played in a while.
Rating - 86/100
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6 - Voices of the Void (PC) - BEAT - Redoing this abit as I ended up getting really absorbed and not only pushed far past my previous 19 day run I did back last summer, but I went and did a 48 day run, getting the achievement so I'm counting that as "Beat" even though it's basically something I can just keep playing forever and it's not exactly a beginning to end story, that's just the only story event content available.
I was really helped along with this push by getting really into a Youtuber's series on this by The Librarian, very chill guy has done a few "seasons" of VOTV, basically counting each season as whatever he plays on the current newest build. I watched him play the newest season and then went back to watch Season 1 and 2 and almost through 3. It was actually interesting to see how this game has progress through it's alpha state, as it's had some crazy huge overhauls. I started after they had the updated base, so seeing how ugly the base use to be is wild lol I like the Youtuber as he does a nice bit of "roleplay" as the character in the game, even across multiple seasons when he knows something, but in later seasons doesn't just play dumb, and he comes across new stuff all the time, which makes the watch great
This is a perfect game if you like to get absorbed into a "chore". Weird to say for a game, but a lot of folks have that game...Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, you do busy work. This has that along with being a casual horror experience, but it's not just jumpscares, it's atmosphere, odd happenings, subtle stuff a lot of the time...Until it's not and it's very blatant and it's also not crazy serious about it. Such a great free game and if it's this good right now, I can't wait to see what it becomes down the road as there is so much room for expansion.
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9. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam)
This is a console port, and the UX is not really changed from that design. As such it is a strange way to control. Firstly I found it not good to use the controller and preferred the keyboard and mouse. However, the menus were not good to use. There is a lot going on with this game, many many mechanics and it was a lot all at once. I still do not think I know how to do everything, even basic things. There was always tons of things you could pick up but for whatever reason I could not find vendors to sell things, or the interface was confusing. Also the quest availability from NPCs was nice that it had a color coded display but it was also confusing. For example my mercs always had a quest icon on them but they wouldn't ever enter dialog. I didn't mind the online requirement. I think it is kind of cool that you can make mercs and other players can use them.
While it was quite interesting, the reason for abandonment was the save system. It uses autosaves BUT not like other games with autosaves. It doesn't autosave often enough. Say, if you complete a quest or start a new one it doesn't save at that point. If you die, it gives you options like "Retry" and "Last Checkpoint" but the game doesn't make it clear what the difference is between these. I've tried each and neither take you back to a usable point. So the main issue is that you can be like me. Play for 2 hours, walk an entire side of the map and complete 2 quests and the game did not save at any of point along the way. Then I get to some area and some unseen archer 1 shots me, I reload and its 2 hours ago again.
Maybe its a good thing. I feel like I've been playing too many similar medieval fantasy games lately.
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09. A Way Out || PlayStation 4 || 02.03.25
(https://i.imgur.com/wy7xhC0.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/7W5re2r.jpeg)
Wanting to play a proper multiplayer experience, I eventually settled on A Way Out. Ever since I had played the developer's follow-up project It Takes Two, I've been curious as to how exactly that sophomore project of sorts built upon its predecessor.
As its name suggests, A Way Out introduces a narrative about two strangers both incarcerated who, after some initial defensive encounters with each other, agree to partner together to escape. While there is naturally at first little known about each of the game's two protagonists Vincent and Leo, more information comes to be known; while they're still strangers, they share more with each other than they first want to admit, and that factor is directly tied to both of their imprisonments. While I only played the game's scenario once—meaning I only assumed the role of one of the two characters—it was evident even beyond the game's writing to a degree that they each vary from another in their personalities: Vincent is deliberate and patient, whereas Leo is a bit negligent and quick-tempered. So, since the game closely follows this pair of opposite attraction, seeing that dynamic unite both through agreement and compliance was enjoyable. And while this final detail could be regarded as too much information being revealed, there is much more to the story beyond actually working toward becoming a fugitive, which I admittedly wasn't expecting but greatly appreciated since I normally am not interested in prison stories.
Concerning how the game's multiplayer features operate, they're much more impactful and unique when compared to previous endeavors of their kind as the game fully requires both players' active input to progress. Throughout the game's entirety, both players work together as each of the protagonists toward achieving their goal. At first, these actions are simple such as one person distracting a prison guard so the other may hide supplies, but they eventually become much more involved and action-oriented. For all of these tasks, they are time sensitive, so being able to work together as both the characters and players is paramount. Since A Way Out requires two players, there may be many circumstances when one player is unfamiliar with how games operate, but this experience does well in crafting a forgiving experience in the event of player failure with frequent checkpoints. However, much of the game's later segments—especially one in particular in the late-game—will be difficult for those inexperienced, so it's recommended for at least one of the two players to be familiar with a variety of game controls and gameplay genre types. Be that as it may, some of these more difficult sections which are action-oriented are lenient in one player carrying the other to goal completion, so to speak. Regarding the game's ending, I felt completely blindsided, though that's not a critique. In what was always before both players working in tandem, they now were actively working against the other.
While the majority of the game follows a standard narrative structure, how it's designed does warrant some replayability should players seek it. For certain sequences, each of the two characters are designed to complete one action instead of the other, so players will only have the opportunity to experience one-half of the game across one playthrough. Alongside these sections, there are also critical moments of choice which dictate how a certain goal is completed. For instance, one of these moments is featured when the pair encounters a bridge: do they navigate across it, or under it? For each of these segments, the choice directly relates to player personality—one will be more rational, while the other more rash. Similar to this choice-driven progression is character dialogue. While interacting with the environment and NPCs is almost wholly optional, there is a lot of world- and character-building to explore through the game's interactive environments. How the two characters interact with set pieces or NPCs differs, and I always found it fun to seek out all of these secondary elements before advancing to the next section. Lastly, the game introduces a number of mini-games and general activities which players can discover and play. For some, they're played individually with a high score counter, though others are proper multiplayer games with active competition.
Apart from gameplay and story, there are other aspects—both positive and negative—worth mentioning. Since this is a prison getaway game, one should expect plenty of action to be experienced, and how the game's camera operates during several segments is commendable. Ordinarily, both players act simultaneously with split-screen presentation, but there are moments when it focuses on one character while eventually transitioning to the next. During these times, the camera perspective is quite dynamic with the transitions being well-designed to emphasize the moment's high energy. Players should also expect QTE segments which often involves combat of sorts. While there are many criticize them, I found their implementation to be fine and complement the game. Meanwhile, my biggest issue (and my only worthwhile negative takeaway) is how sound and conversation operates. While I understand A Way Out is an active experience shared together by two individuals, there are many moments when both players are separate from another in conversation or even in cutscene. Seemingly at random, vocal dialogue will either mute one character while they other stays voiced, or the two characters will speak over another. I found these moments to be greatly annoying (especially when the latter was employed), since being able to focus on dialogue became an exercise in itself. Besides this problem, I did experience one bug that prevented my player from moving. Even when restarting the system controller, the problem persisted. Fortunately, only one player was needed to progress to the next direct event, though I imagine the problem would have been remedied from restarting that specific chapter from the main menu.
Having played It Takes Two first, going back to see how the systems and structure was built first in A Way Out was interesting to see. I don't particularly remember much conversation about A Way Out during the time of its release, but I think it's just as successful as It Takes Two in what it sets out to accomplish, although the latter is objectively more ambitious. In some ways, I find this game to be more successful than the follow-up such as in its writing and tone, though others may disagree. For any who've only played It Takes Two, I can confidently suggest to try out A Way Out should you be wanting more of that type of gameplay experience. I'm looking forward to the developer's upcoming multiplayer game Split Fiction, which I imagine I'll be playing sooner than later after it releases.
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14. Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS4)
It had been a long time since I last played through Grand Theft Auto 5, 2017 to be precise according to my previous save data on my PS4, so I figured I was long overdue to see how much I still enjoyed this game. Not only did I enjoy GTA5 all over again, but it became my obsession for the past week where nearly every minute of free time I had was spent crashing cars, killing criminals, and doing all the other depraved things you can do in GTA5. Honestly, the variety of things this game gives you to do is a huge part of its appeal and why it’s hard to put down. Some of those many things you can do aren’t always executed as well as they could be, including some of the core mechanics like shooting and driving, but for what it is, it’s still pretty good. The sound in GTA5 is absolutely amazing, however one thing that always annoyed me about GTA5’s audio was how the radio is oversaturated with rap/hip hop. It would have been a lot nicer if they’d given you more variety of music to listen to while driving. I also noticed that they removed some songs from the game that were previous in it due to licensing issues. But otherwise the voice acting is awesome and definitely lends itself to how impactful and hilarious much of the dialogue is in this game. Finally, the presentation is still impressive, even for a 12-year old game. They really captured the looks and feel of Souther California which is what Las Santos is based on. There is so much detail crammed into every area and section of the game, it’s truly amazing what they did here. While it’s somewhat part of the presentation, the story is also great overall, although I feel like it does drag a little in the last quarter of the game, mostly after the North Yankton part. All of this definitely lends itself to being one of the most fun, addictive game you can possibly play, and it doesn’t surprise me whatsoever that GTA5 is the best selling game of all time. While I wouldn’t necessarily put it in my top 10 games of all time list, it isn’t that far off either. (2/16/25) [45/50]
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17. Mega Man X4 - Zero
I finished this annual tradition a bit earlier this year. I played on Switch and it was as fun as always. Nothing to report. Just a way to kill some time with a favorite.
18. Mario Party Jamboree
After three boards (one of which I won!!) I feel like I can add this to the list. I used to have a negative view of Mario Party but this one has a lot of staying power, variety, and ease of access. I'll never own it but happy to be at someone's house that does.
19. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Similar to MPJ, I feel like I can add this to the list after 12 - 15 or so tracks. I like playing as either Luigi or Boo. This is another game I'll never own, but happy to play. I'm actually getting better at it! I'll never be as good as some of those online players, of course. I swear some of them are formulated in a test tube.
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15. Sonic Colors (DS)
Overall, I've been a pretty big fan of the Dimps handheld Sonic games. In some ways Sonic Colors is among the best, but in others it definitely leaves a lot to be desired. The presentation of Colors is decent, however I didn't find any of the levels particularly memorable in terms of their themes, art direction, or anything else. However, in terms of their layout and design, they are among the best between the Sonic Advance and Rush games. There weren't millions of bottomless pits to die in and overall things definitely flowed pretty well in each stage. Unfortunately the gameplay is held back by some of my least favorite bosses in any of the Dimps Sonic games, however a few were alright if I'm being fair. There is also the inclusion of the wisp abilities, which are fairly fun, albeit a little gimmicky. The audio in Sonic Colors is pretty good, but nothing amazimg either. Unfortunately, I felt fairly meh about this game. There were a few times where I thought I was really getting into this one, only for something to come up and annoy the crap out of me. But I think overall, the game is just a bit on the generic side and seems to lack an identity unlike most other Sonic games I've played. However, it's still worth a play through in my opinion, especially if you're a Sonic fan. (2/18/25) [30/50]
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20. Mega Man X3
Of the three X titles, this one was has always been my favorite. I say that as someone who thinks Mega Man X is a 10/10, so that should say something. Another fun time was had. One thing this game has more is variety. Between Bit, Byte, Vile, and a bunch of other bosses, there are so many ways to get through the game. If you do some things correctly, then X will get to use Zero's saber.
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First game abandoned in 2025 :(
1. Sonic Rush Adventure (DS) - ABANDONED
For the record, i didn't hate Sonic Rush Adventure, in fact, it had some pretty cool aspects to the game such a pretty good levels as well as some of the coolest bosses. What really broke me was the "Adventure" aspect of this game which requires you to do a ton of backtracking in the form of replaying stages over and over again to collect specific resources you need to progress further in the game. Not to mention, having to travel between stages via some sort of craft which had me just wanting to play the stage instead of spending a minute or two getting there. This all really killed the pacing of this game for me, especially having ti replay stages I'd already beat multiple times already just so Tails could build a new ship for you or a Radio Tower. The audio was petty good, as were the visuals and art design. I also thought the story portion of the game was fairly endearing too for the most part. It's just the travel between stages and the stupid forced stage replaying that broke me in the end. It just killed the pacing of this game when all I wanted to do was just go fast... (2/19/25)
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Game 3 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5) - 24 Hours
I enjoyed my time with this game very much like the previous 2 entries. It bothers me that this is called "2" when MM serves as an important lead up story that in my opinion has to be completed first, but oh well. Much like before, what I really love about these games is the free-roaming exploration around the city, swinging at will, taking in the sites, and helping the citizens of New York as I saw fit. The game is essentially unchanged combat or exploration wise, though there are some additions that I liked including the web wings that allow you to cover distances more easily, and the web line that gives you a tightrope to make stealth takedowns from. The game gets a little unwieldly with the 2 Spider-Men that each have different skill trees and moves to unlock and customize. I kind of wish it was just one Spider-Man, but it does give you a lot more variety with your controls.
Where I don't like this game is really in the story and game-design DURING the story in particular. While the game is very open-ended in general, when doing the story missions you're either crawling through linear environments that are orchestrated to feel intense and scary but are pretty scripted and predictable while you listen to just the characters talk to one another, or your being dropped into linear rooms with copy-pasted enemies to take out with the occasional large boss fight. That's if you're even fighting, because a decent chunk of the missions are just glorified cutscenes with mindless activities like a theme park or cleaning your apartment, or Mary Jane stealth sections that are admittedly better than the first game but not a huge improvement. None of the story missions feel particularly exciting to finish, and on top of that, I just really didn't like the whole "angsty" Spider-Man approach taken this time around. Kraven as a villain was so lame and uninspired and it was strange to me that he could just take over the entire city and none of the police or military try to stop him, which was a big part of the first game with Li.
I might come back to this game to try and snag the platinum. This game is really fun still once you get past all the stuff I didn't really care for with the story.
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21. Elden Ring
My goodness. What a game. For those wondering, I played it with my other account where I don't care about trophies. This was more of an "enjoy the ride game." And enjoy I did. For the most part. Open world games and I don't mesh. Elden Ring was as open as they come. But man. It was beautiful, rewarding, frustrating, and a bunch of other things that I've come to expect from From Software. But it also got redundant near the end. I'm not sure how people are able to acclimate to the intense, fast-paced combat with a melee build because enemies shred through health more than usual. It seemed that way, anyway. Using a magic build, I had to duck and cover often. I often found myself comparing it to Bloodborne which was just as intense but I was able to acclimate in Yharnam moreso than The Lands Between. All in all, I can see why the game has been so well-received.
22. Moonscars - platinum'd
This game was a bit more my speed and served as a good palette cleanser/in-between during Elden Ring. It was also a game I had my eye on for quite some time. Other than Irma seemingly being made of paper, this game was really fun. The narrative was easy to follow. The combat was tight. The setting was gorgeous and had music to match. I am kind of bummed that I got the platinum because it means there's not much reason to go back other than a random replay. Which, I might do at some point since there were still some witcheries I didn't learn. Fans of a Metroidvanias should enjoy this. Funnily enough, a year or so around this time, I just finished The Last Faith and griped about how much of a disappointment it was.
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10. Monster Jam: Showdown Finished Feb 15th, 2025
11. Super Mario Bros. Wonder Finished Feb 20th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/1WofvBR.jpg)
THE NEW "NEW" SUPER MARIO
Mario Wonder at it's core is one of the best Mario Games ever made. What it lacks in classic nostalgia it makes up for in so much creativity. You can kinda tell the project was a labor of love for the design crew :)
The power ups are wildly imaginative, weather it be blowing bubbles to encapsulate enemies, bulldozing underground, the elephant ability. It's got a power or move you're gonna remember amongst the crowd.
Levels
The game has incredibly ambitious level design. Some levels you race worms. Some you go through gauntlets of enemies seeking the fastest time. All of this is really rad and pretty risk taking for a usually one dimensional and dare I say dated franchise. I know nintendo likes to tout the "new" super mario bros on games that were fairly on brand. And hardly new at all. This game? Everything it does is massively inspired and cute.
This game is fresh. Fresh as Korean street food cooked right in front of you. A new fusion food of Mario games. A deep fried oreo if most mario games are classic Keebler. The game is fresh. And boy is it fun.
pacing
Pacing is important for games to me. This game is paced so incredibly well. It isnt too short where its a gameboy game. But it doesnt overstay its welcome. It lays the plot out. Gives amazing cinematics and then gets you to home plate before too long. It's very compact and worth adventuring again and again.
Overall the game is blissful. And a must play for anyone who grew up with the blast that was Mario World. This is only the 3rd Mario side scroller I have beaten. And im proud its with the greats.
Rating - 90/100
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16. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
It's a bit funny that I'm finally reviewing a game I've put easily over a 1000 hours on over the past decade between two different consoles. Mario Kart 8 has been one of my goto games to play in between games for the last 10 years. There are times I go weeks without playing anything else and just spend an hour to 4 or 5 hours straight just playing MK8 races online. The reason I'm finally reviewing this game is because 1) it's been a long, long time since i played through all the 150cc cups in single player, and 2) I've never played every single cup, including all the DLC cups and their courses back to back. Essentially, my recent experience with playing through every cup and track represents the most complete single player playthrough of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe I've ever done, and it absolutely warranted a review.
To put it lightly, I ADORE Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! MK8 was actually the game that motivated me to grab a Wii U back in the day, and it was the game I played the most on that ill-fated console. And despite having played MK8 for 3 years prior to its Switch release, it was still a big factor why I bought a Nintendo Switch at launch (along with Breath of the Wild of course). But anyhow, MK8 Deluxe is the best, most entertaining, and certainly most endearing racing game I've ever played. There are a mind boggling 96 tracks to race through in this game, which has to be some sort of record for a racing game. The vast majority of tracks are a blast to race through, with some certainly being better than others. Unfortunately, some of the more recent DLC tracks, mainly the Mario Kart Tour stages, are among the weakest in the game, but I guess they're there if you really want to select them. Most tracks are designed very well to optimize fast, frantic, and sometimes absolutely chaotic gameplay while up against opponent racers. There is also a tremendous amount of balancing in most tracks, as well as the placement of shortcuts, item boxes, and the many different hazards present in MK8. There is definitely quite a bit of risk/reward in each stage which just makes most stages very fun and dynamic to play through. Then of course there are the many, many racers and vehicle configs you can choose from which contribute even more to MK8 Deluxe's depth given character weight, wheels, vehicle type, and a plethora of other factors play into how fast or agile your racer will be.
Visually, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still looks excellent despite technically being a 10-year, almost 11-year old game. Stages mostly all look vibrant and engaging, with tons of familiar, yet very fun Nintendo staples doing thing both on and off the tracks, as well as most levels having a distinct identity of their own which makes them feel unique and interesting. The 3D cartoonish look of the character models and stages has aged incredibly well, and I imagine any visual updates in MK9 will look marginally better, if at all despite it being over a decade newer whenever that game finally comes out. I honestly cannot fault any of the visuals in MK8 Deluxe, it's practically perfect as far as I'm concerned.
Finally, MK8's audio is excellent all around with some very catching songs throughout the 96 stages. There is a lot of throwback music and arranged versions of classic Mario Kart tracks as well, which only adds to the auditory bliss you'll experience while playing MK8 Deluxe. Characters also are voice acting excellently and capture the charm and presence those same characters exhibit in other Nintendo properties too. There are also some excellent stage sound effects and distinct noises like a blue turtleshell coming your way that just add the the already high bar set by the rest of the game's audio.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is so freakin amazing, it's almost impossible to imagine how Nintendo is going to make MK9 better. I feel like the best chance it has is to be just as good, but I guess time will tell with that one. Regardless of how good MK9 ends up being, MK8 Deluxe is an absolutely stellar game and a must play if there ever was such a thing in gaming. (2/21/25) [45/50]
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10. Picross e2 || Nintendo 3DS || 02.15.25
(https://i.imgur.com/LvkuvMv.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/9MaY0jN.jpeg)
Since some time has passed, I found myself wanting to play through another slow-paced, methodical puzzle logic game, so I settled on Picross e2. I have all of the e series games installed on my 3DS system after enjoying the first game, so I may end up playing an entry every year or so.
Overwhelmingly, Picross e2 is an extension of the first game in that there are few differences between the two games across all facets, from gameplay to presentation. Simply put, picross is a logic puzzle which tasks those solving to analyze how each tile comprising a large grid is filled, and its translations as a video game port well. For many of the larger puzzles introduced, there is often just enough information supplied that forces players to—initially, at least—work toward the solution in a linear way. At times, there is even only one immediate action to be taken based on the known information revealed, but it's easy to overlook that action when so many possible ones still exist. Like the first game, difficulty progresses at an expected pace, but players are free to solve any of the game's puzzles in any order they choose which is a welcomed decision, as some players may be unable to solve a puzzle but not want to feel stuck on it and instead move forward past it.
Compared to my time playing the first series entry, I found later puzzles within the game's Free Mode considerably more difficult. Even with the hint assist feature toggled on which highlights the rows and columns which currently can be solved based on all known information, I repeatedly found myself make some sort of incorrect action that negatively impacts the remainder of the puzzle-solving process. At times, the puzzle may eventually be fully completed but not solved because of some mistake made and players may be able to rectify the problem, but many of these instances require fully restarting. Unlike my previous playthrough which was more of a learning experience for me as I was unfamiliar with picross, I played through the majority of Picross e2 without using the hint assist feature, although there were still moments toward the end of the game and mistakes would sometimes be made that I did use it.
In a way, solving a picross grid is like solving a puzzle backwards, and it's especially true for more complicated ones. Over the course of my playthrough, there were three or four individual puzzles that I truly had no understanding how to progress early on after little progress was made. I went so far as to search videos discussing advanced problem-solving techniques, but I was surprised to learn that I was already familiar with them after naturally figuring them out while playing the previous game. I also searched for video walkthroughs to help gain insight, but they don't really exist. So, for those few challenging puzzles, I resorted to an illustrated walkthrough to help me progress; I picked a row and column plot that was in the general area that seemed like the most obvious point of where the next immediate tile solution would be. I'd have much rather just learned what exactly I was missing while analyzing everything, but that just wasn't an option.
While much of Picross e2 is like Picross e, there is one major difference—a new mode is introduced named Micross. In this mode, giant 8x8 grids are sub-divided into 10x10 sections which means the full puzzle is 80x80. Because of their size, there is a lot of opportunity for detail, so all of the puzzle illustrations are based on historical paintings. While there are only five of these Micross puzzles, many of them took me about one full hour to complete. Unlike other modes where there is a natural difficulty progression, micro-puzzles vary in difficulty since they're representative of only a tiny portion of the entire piece. For instance, middle pieces where subject matter is most often present may be complex, but side and corner pieces are elementary as little visual information appears. Some instances of the elementary ones truly take a handful of seconds to complete, but they're a nice break between the ones which take several minutes to complete.
Having now played the first two entries in the Picross e series, I'm hoping that subsequent entries introduce more quality-of-life changes and general advancements. There are 155 total puzzles in Picross e2 and still only one music track available to listen to. Even adding just one more would be a notable improvement. Hopefully there are new things to enjoy with the third installment.
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11. Silent Hill: Downpour || PlayStation 3 || 02.20.25
(https://i.imgur.com/CtZqY9x.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/C6iCOUb.jpeg)
For nearly a decade, Silent Hill: Downpour was what many consider to be the final full-fledged survival horror game within the series. Just like with the games I've played before it, I went in not knowing what to expect or the reasons for its less than favorable reception when compared to the first four entries.
Overall, Silent Hill: Downpour offers an expected story and protagonist that's representative of the Silent Hill franchise. That being said, what Murphy's story is exactly isn't really divulged for some time, although players do become aware of the tragic loss of his young son years prior. For nearly half the game, most of what the player really knows is that they're assuming the role of an escaped prison convict whose situation in Silent Hill arises from a vehicle accident. Murphy actually isn't here purposely and is instead fully set on just finding his way back out of town. Like with many of the previous entries, much of the early game consists of crossing paths with strange individuals who've clearly been broken by Silent Hill or, rather, broken down further by it; meanwhile, little is learned about Murphy until later on.
While many of the Silent Hill games forego straightforward narratives to instead express a vague one characterized by the high degree of mental anguish its characters struggle with, Silent Hill: Downpour is an outlier. That tragic history is still conveyed, but it is broken up considerably by the inclusion of side quests that are introduced once the player reaches the actual town of Silent Hill after navigating its outskirts. While I'm not opposed to the idea of side quests, I'm not entirely pleased with them. While the actual name implies goals separate from the main objective, they are not specific at all to Murphy's past in any way or even to the NPCs whom Murphy meets. Instead, they feel like random puzzle encounters which, while usually enough fun to solve, are superfluous. Overall, I don't really know if an entire side quest system is suited for the survival horror genre.
Perhaps more so than any other game within the series which utilizes combat, Silent Hill: Downpour emphasizes fleeing than confrontation. I'm again surprised at how involved combat actually is, and it's for the worse. When actually deciding to fight enemies—and this is largely in regards to when melee is the player's only available option—I often found myself juggling the controls for attack, focus, and block in a terrible panic. This was much less an issue of terror and more about certain enemies being quite overpowered. With that said, a feature that isn't explained but still an interesting concept lies in the storms that periodically occur. During these sequences, all enemies become far more aggressive than they normally are while actively seeking out the player. Despite it usually being more beneficial to run away from enemies than to engage with them, weapons are littered everywhere. While they can break, there is usually a decent supply of more durable ones to find while naturally progressing. Still, that there are so many comes across as such an odd design choice not only because fleeing is often the better strategy but because inventory space is limited. Players are limited to only two handguns and either one shotgun or melee weapon. Perhaps weapon abundance is to ensure players can remain relatively safe, but that idea rejects the entire genre's conventions altogether. At the same time, the act of fleeing is reinforced by scripted chase scenes that appear during crucial narrative milestones. Instead of actual enemies, Murphy runs away from some ambiguous void which pursues him. During these few encounters is really the only time Murphy spends in Silent Hill's otherworld which is a bit disappointing, and what purpose they really serve in parallel with proper combat sequences leaves me somewhat confused.
Most indoor exploration lacks any actual exploring as environments are often either small or linear, although there are few exceptions. With that said, most wandering will be outside throughout the town proper, although it often proves difficult to navigate even with a map as its layout and pathways aren't adequately displayed while looking the same. In fact, if wanting to branch off from the main story progression, the map leaves much to be desired as it lacks detail in reminding players where to go after discovering points of interest. While I before critiqued the game's weapons, I will mention how a small number of them serve practical purposes, such as axes being able to break down blocked doorways. It's a welcome feature (though not its first implementation in the series) but would benefit from more instances of it, as being able to discover optional points of interest is rewarding. Meanwhile, so many possible paths seem to exist, but they're regularly inaccessible or actually disconnected. Unless the location involves a major road, the map provides little information. This is made worse by the game's semi open-world environment which would otherwise be enjoyable to explore. With how the world of Silent Hill: Downpour was developed, I think it would greatly benefit from a more focused and linear adventure.
In addition to the less user-friendly design choices the game presents, it's unfortunate to report that there are many problems relating to loading the game's environment and frame rate. While mostly an issue while running about but periodically also while simply walking, frame rate stutters and pauses regularly. There were also a few instances where I'd enter a new area without the loading screen transition only for, after a few seconds of actually walking around, the transition to finally appear. During these instances, load times were notably lengthy—upwards of thirty seconds long. While these aren't game-breaking issues nor impact the play experience in any significant way, they were egregious and reoccurring enough to be irritating. Apart from this main issue, the only other thing worth mentioning is that the game would benefit from button mapping or just a less convoluted layout than what was decided upon. Although, I would be amiss to not comment on the developer's music decisions for the game's end credits, which features the following tracks: an original theme from Korn, a contemporary country song, and a song from Louis Armstrong. For a horror game, it was confusing to listen to this sequence.
Nevertheless, in spite of all the negative aspects I've highlighted, I still enjoyed my time playing Silent Hill: Downpour. The experience could have been substantially better had certain design decisions had been made, but the narrative itself was okay enough for me to not be overly bothered by everything else.
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23. Mega Man X2
This run through was a bit more fun for some reason. I think it's because I didn't stress about getting all the Zero Parts and because I was able to snag the shoryuken, which was useful against the boss you face immediately after acquiring it. Still, of the three on SNES, this one is my least favorite.
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SKALD: Against the Black Priory is an old school RPG in the vein of the old Apple II or Commodore 64 titles. It's not as ridiculously difficult as those, as doesn't have nearly as many "gotcha" traps in the dungeons. It was made by an incredibly small team (it might have just been one person) and is an obvious labor of love. While appreciate a general lack of instakill traps and the like, I do think there could have been a little more variation on the encounter types and dungeoneering. Overall I really liked, but didn't quite love, it.
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Castlevania Anniversary Collection came up and I tried it out. I technically did play it and did put the first game as NES on my game list, but did not count it as a true backlog game. I had the three NES games when I was a kid and I did not ever beat them back them. IIRC for the first game I was only able to get to the Grim Reaper or maybe Frankenstein. I don't know about the second game and the third game I was also able to get near the end. Outside of those three I'd never played any of the other Castlevania games except SOTN. After my short amount of time with Castlevania last week, I had no interest in playing the game again, or playing it enough to be able to get through it. This game collection on Steam isn't anything particularly new, it is just roms running in an emulator. Unlike using a regular emulator, there are no real options. I can't change the controls and of course you can't run codes. In fact the controls are weird where the default buttons for controller are swapped between Castlevania and Super Castlevania IV for example. Some day I would like to blast through these using cheats but my backlog is too big to allow for that kind of extra time.
I also played Blood Fresh Supply on Steam. I had Blood when I was younger but not the expansion. I didn't even care about playing the expansion. I played through episode 1 and didn't want to play it anymore. So Blood is probably retired forever. I also didn't count this as being a backlog game, since I had beat it when I was younger but also probably using cheats.
8. Dragon Age II (Steam)
This is the first game I was able to beat so far this year. It is a long game. The controls are the same as Dragon Age Origins but the inventory system was not like that at all. I was able to use my DAO save to influence this game, but I really don't know what it changes because I'm not going to be playing the games over and over to see what changes. This won't be something I'll be able to do for Dragon Age Inquisition, since I had started a game of that before playing DAII.
It was still good enough to play and I only really skipped one fight. There is one near the end where you fight a dragon. I couldn't get past that at all but since it wasn't required I didn't really try. There is a fight near the end of the game that I could get through. It basically comes down to if you didn't build/gear your characters properly to specifically handle that fight, you were doomed to not be able to get past it. Even on the easiest difficulty. Of course, it probably could be done if you micromanaged the fight like you were playing Starcraft, but there was no other fight or situation where you absolutely had to do that. So for that one fight I used a cheat to make my char unkillable. Which is fine, because the achievements were only on the Dragon Age site and not Steam.
But I want to talk about the internet age and games. First, Dragon Age II is Ultimate Edition, meaning it comes with all the DLC. And apparently has post-endgame things you can do. When I played, I never saw any of the DLC. I didn't figure out why until after I finished the game, where by that point I didn't care about doing anything with it. It comes down to the fact that these online services have been around for so many years and a lot of them used to be something else and was purchased. So it turns out I had two EA accounts for some reason. The DLC isn't tied to Steam, its tied to the EA account. Login with your account and the DLC appears. But the account I had was some other account and not tied to Steam. I didn't know I had two until I tried to link my account and was informed it was already linked to another account. I have this situation with other old-ass services as well... which account do I use for what? I have like 3 accounts for Microsoft/Live/Mojang and at least 3 for Sony. The entire reason why I was (am) TripredacusX on PSN is because my original Tripredacus account on Sony was connected to SOE (EverQuest) and my corporate account. Since I had left the employ of Sony, somehow that account was vanished... however the username is still active and you can't use it.
OK rant over. Some new stuff coming up but it does feel good to actually blast through the backlog to help determine what I actually want to play that I have.
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2. Ninja Gaiden (NES) - ABANDONED
It's been a long time, but I finally picked up Ninja Gaiden and decided to see if it is as infamously hard, and also fun, as most claim it is. Having never grown up with an NES and because none of my friends had this game or its two NES sequels, I didn't find out about this game until I was a young adult in the late 2000s. Since finding out about it, Ninja Gaiden always fascinated me and it was a game I knew I was going to try out one of these days. Well, tonight was the night and I have to say I'm both humbled and pretty disappointed.
For one, the crazy difficulty this game is known for is just as much a product of design as it is the gameplay limitation of this game. The frequent and often inconsistent respawning of enemies, the stiff movement controls, especially when jumping, and the placement of specific enemies in close proximity to death pits makes getting through this game the stuff of nightmares and massive frustration. I got fairly far in the game (Act 6), but by then I was an inch away from quitting over how stupid this game can be. I finally knew i was never going to beat it due to its incredibly frustrating controls and difficulty and quit while I was ahead. That's a shame since the OST is really good for an NES game, as is the presentation. It's one of the few NES games I've seen to have cinematic cutscenes between stages and a decent, albeit slightly generic story to piece everything together. I totally get why this game escaped the dustbins of 8-bit obscurity, but its very blaring flaws are often given a pass due to the game's reputation and other positive attributes. For me, I think I'm done with the franchise's 8-bit entries and someday I'll start playing its 3D games that came out in the 2000s and 2010s...someday, but definitely not now. I need to cool off a bit before returning to this series lol. (2/24/25)
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17. Star Fox (SNES)
Seeing how much I adore Star Fox 64, I expected that when I finally got around to playing its predecessor, I'd fall in love with it to, or at least find it mostly enjoyable. Unfortunately, I found a game way, WAY too ambitious for the hardware it was released on, even with the assistance of the Super FX chip that enabled this game to have its 3D polygon graphics. Star Fox is nearly unplayable. Between the terrible framerate, poor stage design, and completely broken aiming system, this game is all flash and almost no substance...I mean, if you want to call horrendous 3D graphics on a console that was never meant to have them "flash." This game's gross presentation is only rivaled by its way more gross gameplay which made it very difficult to hit anything and to avoid getting hit, especially in the later stages. I will give the game some credit with its bosses, but again, playing Star Fox is like playing a game inside of a slideshow rather than a game that's supposed to be fluidly animated. I will give credit to the OST which I found decent, but nothing to wrote home about. I never thought Star Fox on the SNES would be as good as 64, but I can safely say it's a game that should have waited to come out on the N64, or any console that could have actually handled what Star Fox was trying to do, but failed at miserably. (2/24/25) [20/50]
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18. Super Mario Kart (SNES)
I got on a bit on an SNES kick tonight so I decided to revisit a game I played a lot of as a kid, but haven't touched for nearly 30-years.
For what it was at the time, Super Mario Kart created the kart racer sub genre of racing games and while the game hasn't necessarily aged all that well, it's still pretty fun to play. Not only that, but it reminded me why I used to spend hours at one of my neighbors houses growing up playing this game and getting better and better at it. Unfortunately the skill ceiling in Super Mario Kart isn't that high despite the game getting noticeably more difficult in the higher CC races, but still, the overall lack of dynamic gameplay makes it easy to get used to the tracks and win pretty consistently. I found items difficult to use strategically or effectively for the most part, but their inclusion certainly adds to why this game was pretty memorable. As for tracks, there isn't nearly as much variety as there would be in later franchise installments, and many of the tracks looks like alternative versions of each other which also adds to the lack of track diversity in this game. There are also only 8 racers, but for the most part all the main Mario stables of the time are there to select. The OST in this game is super catchy and is still very enjoyable to play. As I said, this game hasn't aged the best seeing how far the genre has come since its humble beginnings with Super Mario Kart. Still, whether or not you have a past connection with this game, it's still easy to have fun with it despite most other Kart racers released in the past decade being a fair amount better. (2/25/25) [32/50]
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24. Mega Man X
Not my GoaT, but still a GoaT. If I finished X2 - X4, then I had to finish the original. It was a nice way to kill some time and relive some memories yet again. I did as little backtracking as possible, which was fun since I only had to visit Spark Mandrill's stage (that music!!) once. I also got the hadoken which took out Vile and Sigma's pup in one, lovely hit.
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Superhot didn't take long to beat at all. I really wish there was more of it. It's a hyperstylized FPS where nothing moves unless you do, so it's really more of a puzzle game. I had a lot if fun figuring out the levels. I could have easily played a couple of more hours.
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19. Pokemon Gold (3DS)
Pokemon Gen 2 (Gold/Silver/Crystal) marks a bit of a bitter sweet period in the series for me. I was an early adopter of Pokemon in North America and was one of the first kids at my middle school to start playing Red/Blue version before Pokemon would eventually explode into the global phenomena it would become about a year later. I adored Red version, caught all 151 Pokemon, and consumed every bit of Pokemon merchandise and media I could get my hands on. More or less, Pokemon was my life in 1999 and the better part of 2000s. Unfortunately while I waited for the highly anticipated Gold and Silver versions to come to the west, my fandom had begun to fade gradually following Pokemon the Movie 2000's release. It wasn't that I didn't like that movie, but rather like most things kids get really into, it was an interest of mine that ran its course until it was replaced by something else (anime, in case you were curious). By the time Pokemon Gold and Silver finally released, I was about a quarter the Pokemon fan I was about a year ago and subsequently not nearly as much into m newly bought Gold version as I was Red version back when I first played it. By the time Pokemon 3: The Movie came out aroun mid-2001, I was barely into Pokemon at all anymore. What this essentially meant for my initial playthrough of Pokemon Gold is I never finished it, getting about halfway through the initial Johto campaign before abandoning the game.
Over the years since then, I felt as thought I made a critical mistake in dropping Pokemon Gold as a kid, seeing how it offers practically everything I loved about Pokemon Red and amplifies it by several magnitudes. On paper, it should be my favorite Pokemon game by a mile, but after finally beating the game nearly 25 years after initially dropping the game, I can say with absolute certainty that it's not.
Make no mistake, Pokemon Gold is an improvement over all its Gen 1 Gameboy counterparts in nearly every way. Not only does it boost the roster of Pokemon by 100 new creatures, but they maintain the same degree of quality as Gen 1's roster. Then of course, there's all the additions the games presentation and gameplay such as better battle animations, more detailed Pokemon sprites, and of course color thanks to being released on the more advanced GBC. As mentioned, gameplay was also improved by making battling a much more deep and dynamic system then before, the addition of many new moves and new Pokemon types, and a much more interesting story that ties it all together. I found your rival and antagonist in Gold to be a way more compelling character than the one found in Red/Blue/Yellow as well. There are also the additions of berries and items Pokemon can hold and use in combat, acorns which can be used to craft specialized types of Pokeballs, people you can friend and call, or annoying be called by at inopportune times, and a day and night system that can impact what types of Pokemon you see or when certain characters appear in specific areas. And perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Pokemon Gold is the fact that the game is only about halfway over by the time you beat the Pokemon League and see the credits roll. The game completely opens up to the Kanto region for you to revisit old areas, characters, and gyms from Gen 1, albeit as future versions of themselves seeing how Gen 2 is also a canonical sequel to Gen 1. This all sounds like a massive leap forward compared to Gen 1, and in many ways it absolutely is. Yet, even years later I still don't personally enjoy it more than Pokemon Red despite Gold and Silver being objectively better games.
Perhaps the only area of Pokemon Gold, and by extension Silver and Crystal version I don't think is an objective improvement is the game's audio. I prefer the OST of Red version more, and as for the sound effects and Pokemon noises, they all mostly sound the same as the previous game. I can't say I like one more than the other, but at the very least I enjoy them the same.
Pokemon Gold is a fun, enjoyable game, no questions there whatsoever. Unfortunately, the simplicity and my own personal connection to Pokemon Red and Gen 1 as a whole makes those games a more enjoyable experience for me personally. I sorely wish I liked Pokemon Gold more seeing how its technically the superior game, but it just doesn't do it for me the same way my beloved Red version does. On a side note, Red version isn't even my favorite Pokemon game. Years back before I started reviewing and scoring my games, I played Pokemon Omega Ruby and that game holds the distinction as the best Pokemon game I've ever played. I wonder if I'd still feel that way if i went back and replayed it, but that's a review for another time. If you're a fan of Pokemon, especially a way bigger fan than me currently, which would not be difficult to achieve, you will probably adore this game, or its newer remake Pokemon Heartgold. It's definitely a fun, enjoyable gameplay and definitely raised the bar for Pokemon as a series when it originally came out. (2/26/25) [36/50]
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20. Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (Arcade)
I've seen Mario Kart Arcade GP DX at the many arcades I've frequented for years, but outside casually playing a race or two a handful of times, I've never actually sat down with the game to really take it in and see how good it actually is. Well, that's exactly what I did tonight and after nearly $30 in quarters, I played through every cup and track in GP DX and am ready to give it a full review!
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX is a pretty awesome game for what it is. The presentation of this game is by far its greatest asset, as the stages are all vibrant, interesting, and full of Nintendo characters and charm. Because this game was codeveloped by Namco, it also has touches from various Namco properties as well including a few of their characters as playable racers. Speaking of racers, as you'd expect, the racers all have their own stats, pros, and cons, which make this game feel fairly dynamic to play...sort of. While the presentation is amazing, the gameplay is good, but not great. Likely because of it being an arcade game, the gameplay is noticeably more shallow and simplistic than most other console Mario Kart games. In particular I really didn't care for you kart and the items available to you being selected at random before the stage, and your item drops being limited to just three types. The preselected items you can get during a race really limit any competitiveness and depth this game could have had otherwise, and it's even more of a shame since many of the items you can get are among the most unique of any Mario Kart game. Luckily, despite this the controls of GP DX are smooth, fluid, and relatively easy to get a handle on. The drift mechanic is fun to execute with the physical brake pedal on the machine, and the tracks are well suited to the abilities granted to you by the way each kart controls. I had never once felt like leaving GP DX prematurely before finishing all the races, which was in large part to how enjoyable this game is to play despite its gameplay limitations and overall shallowness. Finally, the game's OST is pretty good as well. There weren't any tracks that blew my mind, but it is all appropriate and serviceable to the action going on in front of you, and definitely adds to the game's charm and enjoyment. While Mario Kart Arcade GP DX may lack the iconic feel of racing games like Daytona USA or Crazy Taxi, it's still nearly just as much fun to play which is a massive win for modern arcade goers in my book. Drop some change on this one if you haven't already, it's pretty fun. (2/27/25) [35/50]
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21. Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS)
Funny enough, DOA Dimensions was the very first 3DS game I ever played, at least a demo of it. I was at a Best Buy around the time the 3DS first came out and they had a demo kiosk for Nintendo's then new handheld in the video game section. I remember thinking the 3D effect was a cool gimmick, and as for the game, I was impressed it was able to run DOA so well and with the faithfulness of some of the earlier console releases like DOA2 on the Dreamcast. Years later, I finally played the full version of DOA Dimensions, beating the Campaign mode and unlocking the entire roster of playable characters, and I can say this is definitely a worthwhile entry in the series despite some compromises to get it running on a 2011 handheld system.
For the most part, DOA Dimensions looks great. While it lacks the fidelity and framerate of the console releases, it still faithfully captures the looks, feel, and gameplay of those console games. The framerate issues mostly cropped up during cutscenes, which is fine since they were almost non existent during matches. There is also an odd mix of still character model cutscenes, fully animated 3D cutscenes with the in game models, and then fully rendered 3D cutscenes taken from the various character endings from DOA4 and a few other entries. Speaking of DOA4, as well as its three mainline predecessors, Dimensions acts as a bit of a dream match, greatest hits that brings together all the characters from the first four DOA games and allows you to play as all of them. There are also a good mix of stages, music, and other attributes from DOA 1 through 4 that made this a cool way to revisit those older titles. However, the single best thing about reperesenting DOA 1, 2, 3, and 4 in one game is a very well done recap of all their stories, all excellently brought together in the game's campaign mode. This mode is where I spent the bulk of my time playing this game, and I learned many things about the DOA story and specific characters I was completely unaware of despite having played all the previous mainline DOA games. Finally, the audio of Dimensions is excellent, bring back some of the best tracks of DOA 1 through 4. I feel like DOA2's OST might have been a bit over represented in this game, but I'm not complaining since it's the strongest of the original 4 DOA games imo. There is also some very well done voice acting for each of the characters, filled to the brim with anime melodrama and various other soup opera like tropes that makes lots of more over the top Japanese media so entertaining. I am happy I finally got to play DOA Dimensions, and surprisingly like it more than various mainline games in the series. That's definitely something I never thought I'd be saying after my time with DOA Dimensions, but I suppose crazier things have happened. (2/28/25) [36/50]
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12. Madden NFL 25 [PS5] Finished - Feb 27th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/hCzAY91.jpg)
I count beating the game as winning the superbowl and playing all 19 games to get there. A full season. No skips. No simulations. Felt like a beat to me.
It's Madden. No frills about that. However its probably the most concise and sorted out Madden since my childhood days with the franchise. Then running mechanics feel tight. The passes and especially defensive plays on zone coverage feel like they give more user control than before. The soundtrack harkons back to old maddens from 2005 to 2016. The icons. And overall. It looks and plays smooth. A fairly decent madden. Considering most of the recent ones suck. I also think the coaching system is well oiled and the play schemes are clear. Had fun with it.
Rating - 85/100
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13. South Park: The Fractured But Whole [PS4] Finished - Feb 28th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/VCxL6DE.jpg)
South Park to me is a legacy franchise, it is up there with the simpsons and things like king of the hill but as a child I definitely watched it more. This game is one big glorious 40 hour south park episode. And that is a sell and a half.
The game follows the story of "new kid" again but this time as a 4th grader with an unorthodox time warping ass that farts different power abilities in an ever expanding super hero franchise battle between coon and friends (marvel) and freedom pals (DC).
The town of south park is free to explore at liesure. It is brimming with easter eggs from the show. From Mr. Hankey. To towlie. To shows on the tv being Terrence and Phillip. Cameos of pretty much every main character. Its flawless south park fan service. It really is.
I wanted to be free with other creatures like me but now I got my wish.... because I know that im a gay fish lol.
The game focuses on things such as pronouns, gender, religion, income brackets. And you aquire artificats that upgrade your individual attributes and can choose between many different attack abilities. Its a full fledged grid style RPG. And a really epic one. The show may be jokes but the gameplay is nothing but. It is serious. It is deep. And it's really freaking FUN.
I have beaten this game twice now. But this is genuinely one of the best games based off a tv show ever. It is funny. Very S13 southpark. Super heroes. Puns. Insults. And brutal crude humor.
You literally fart on a crab people, aliens, a weed sobriety towel, evil woodland critters and a alcoholic Randy with a time bending burrito gas made by morgan freeman. I leave with no context. If that dont sell the game. Nothing will.
Collecting memberberries, yaoi art (craig and tweek hentai) and also the toilets leave a lot to explore. What a sick, gross and crude but overly hilarious game.
Rating - 97/100
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13. South Park: The Fractured But Whole [PS4] Finished - Feb 28th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/VCxL6DE.jpg)
South Park to me is a legacy franchise, it is up there with the simpsons and things like king of the hill but as a child I definitely watched it more. This game is one big glorious 40 hour south park episode. And that is a sell and a half.
The game follows the story of "new kid" again but this time as a 4th grader with an unorthodox time warping ass that farts different power abilities in an ever expanding super hero franchise battle between coon and friends (marvel) and freedom pals (DC).
The town of south park is free to explore at liesure. It is brimming with easter eggs from the show. From Mr. Hankey. To towlie. To shows on the tv being Terrence and Phillip. Cameos of pretty much every main character. Its flawless south park fan service. It really is.
I wanted to be free with other creatures like me but now I got my wish.... because I know that im a gay fish lol.
The game focuses on things such as pronouns, gender, religion, income brackets. And you aquire artificats that upgrade your individual attributes and can choose between many different attack abilities. Its a full fledged grid style RPG. And a really epic one. The show may be jokes but the gameplay is nothing but. It is serious. It is deep. And it's really freaking FUN.
I have beaten this game twice now. But this is genuinely one of the best games based off a tv show ever. It is funny. Very S13 southpark. Super heroes. Puns. Insults. And brutal crude humor.
You literally fart on a crab people, aliens, a weed sobriety towel, evil woodland critters and a alcoholic Randy with a time bending burrito gas made by morgan freeman. I leave with no context. If that dont sell the game. Nothing will.
Collecting memberberries, yaoi art (craig and tweek hentai) and also the toilets leave a lot to explore. What a sick, gross and crude but overly hilarious game.
Rating - 97/100
I loved this game, but definitely prefer Stick of Truth. I'm with you about the series though; I've been watching South Park since season 1 (when I was probably way too young to be watching it) and still love it to this day. I haven't been as big of a fan of the Specials format over the last few years, and it would be nice to get actual seasons again that are at least 8 episodes long.
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13. South Park: The Fractured But Whole [PS4] Finished - Feb 28th, 2025
(https://i.imgur.com/VCxL6DE.jpg)
South Park to me is a legacy franchise, it is up there with the simpsons and things like king of the hill but as a child I definitely watched it more. This game is one big glorious 40 hour south park episode. And that is a sell and a half.
The game follows the story of "new kid" again but this time as a 4th grader with an unorthodox time warping ass that farts different power abilities in an ever expanding super hero franchise battle between coon and friends (marvel) and freedom pals (DC).
The town of south park is free to explore at liesure. It is brimming with easter eggs from the show. From Mr. Hankey. To towlie. To shows on the tv being Terrence and Phillip. Cameos of pretty much every main character. Its flawless south park fan service. It really is.
I wanted to be free with other creatures like me but now I got my wish.... because I know that im a gay fish lol.
The game focuses on things such as pronouns, gender, religion, income brackets. And you aquire artificats that upgrade your individual attributes and can choose between many different attack abilities. Its a full fledged grid style RPG. And a really epic one. The show may be jokes but the gameplay is nothing but. It is serious. It is deep. And it's really freaking FUN.
I have beaten this game twice now. But this is genuinely one of the best games based off a tv show ever. It is funny. Very S13 southpark. Super heroes. Puns. Insults. And brutal crude humor.
You literally fart on a crab people, aliens, a weed sobriety towel, evil woodland critters and a alcoholic Randy with a time bending burrito gas made by morgan freeman. I leave with no context. If that dont sell the game. Nothing will.
Collecting memberberries, yaoi art (craig and tweek hentai) and also the toilets leave a lot to explore. What a sick, gross and crude but overly hilarious game.
Rating - 97/100
I loved this game, but definitely prefer Stick of Truth. I'm with you about the series though; I've been watching South Park since season 1 (when I was probably way too young to be watching it) and still love it to this day. I haven't been as big of a fan of the Specials format over the last few years, and it would be nice to get actual seasons again that are at least 8 episodes long.
I have stick of truth downloaded on my PS4 because I loved FBW so much and am eager to try it. I loved how accessible south park was in this game. Felt like living an episode. Is the combat system the same in SOT or does it go more Final Fantasy style turn based?
I had a similar experience with southpark. Def began young lol. Seasons 1 to maybe 21 were so consistent. A lot of the episodes have a time capsule effect too. I used to watch free episodes on south park studios back when they had most episodes free. Now they limit it to like 10. So I had to get HBO Max to watch :( But then I sorta lost keeping up with it and never got around to the Pandemic specials even though I heard good things. South Park is like a piece of social commentary that catalogs America from 1998-2020s in a very smart way. Rewatching old episodes makes me miss the times too.
I also had a big Family Guy phase but South Park has aged much better for me and the humor hits adult me much more consistently.
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I have stick of truth downloaded on my PS4 because I loved FBW so much and am eager to try it. I loved how accessible south park was in this game. Felt like living an episode. Is the combat system the same in SOT or does it go more Final Fantasy style turn based?
The Stick of Truth is a much more straightforward game that utilizes a standard turned-based combat system that's simple to understand when compared to its sequel entry The Fractured but Whole. In my experience playing them, they were very much two different games regarding gameplay, but I enjoyed them both. The former is a short experience which I think works in its favor, while the latter takes about twice as long to complete and did overstay its welcome some toward the end. The Stick of Truth felt more like an episode, and The Fractured but Whole felt more like an ongoing narrative that's told over the course of an entire season. I don't think I necessarily enjoyed one more than the other, though—they both have their strengths.
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12. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure || PlayStation 5 || 02.27.25
(https://i.imgur.com/TXMoXIq.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/vEOGESs.jpeg)
Before writing my final thoughts for Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, I referred to my notes about my time playing the previous series entry. My closing statement then was that future entries needed better grounding to be successful, and I think that the game's writers may have understood that too. As a result, the latest game serves as a formal sequel to the very first, which a majority of series veterans consider to be the best.
Set ten years after the events of Life Is Strange, Double Exposures features Max Caulfield who reprises her role as the game's protagonist. Having been scarred from that time, she's departed her home and has since traveled the country on her own. But in recent months, she's settled down on the opposite side of the country where she now acts as some sort of faculty figure on a college campus to teach photography. For a while, it seems as if Max has largely been able to overcome her past trauma while maintaining a more ordinary lifestyle, yet this positive growth fully backtracks as, just like in the first game, she's forced to grapple with the murder of someone close to her. With all this said, it would be in players' best interest to play the preceding entry prior to Double Exposure, as there are numerous plot references and general character development that relies upon the player's knowledge of such context; nevertheless, players can choose to begin with this sequel entry, but they will naturally miss out on a more comprehensive experience.
Moving forward, Max is not your average person as she's able to control time in various capacities. However, unlike her previous ordeal where Max was able to manipulate time by rewinding it, her powers have since changed, much to her surprise. Now, Max has become able to shift between two distinct timelines—one with the murder having happened and the other without—after creating a rift in reality. Additionally, these newfound powers grant her the ability to have a sort of preview sense of what's happening in the other timeline. Despite there being only one difference in how time has moved forward in each timeline, the murder serves as the catalyst, which means that the events following such moment in time vary significantly. With the goal of trying to solve who her friend's murderer is while simultaneously working toward prevent it from happening in this altered timeline, Max freely moves between the two. For much of the game, players will need to gather information in each of the two timelines to solve the mystery. While prioritizing story-focused gameplay that features choice-based outcomes, Double Exposure also incorporates light puzzle and even stealth sections to achieve goals.
Presented as a murder mystery of sorts, there is unexpectedly a lot of information to sift through, and much of it feels superfluous. To the game's credit, though, a high percentage of the game's dialogue and written text is optional as it serves world-building and character development purposes. Nevertheless, there are way too many things connected to Max's phone which serves as the information hub to the point where it obtrusively feels like micromanaging. With nearly every action taken—no matter how inconsequential it may be—some social media post, text message, journal entry, or character profile is being updated. And, to make things worse, the information is nearly doubled as those first two items are unique to each timeline. Apart from information directly related to characters, there is also a high number of items to observe and comment on during any given moment. Again, it's entirely optional, but I imagine many players fond of these types of games will want to seek out as much written dialogue there is. As somewhat of an aside, I also routinely found Max to be annoying. Despite being ten years older than she was previously shown in the first game, there doesn't seem to be much character growth by way of personality. In many circumstances, she comes across as a self-justified and nosy Nancy Drew type character as she decides to delve into the secrets of people's personal lives.
To be upfront, Double Exposure will not appeal to everyone, including those who are more drawn to this kind of story-driven adventure game. The game clearly has its own audience that it's written for, and that fact permeates all throughout the gameplay experience. Perhaps because of the game's setting of a college campus and that the majority of the game's cast are still relatively young, there seldom is a conversation where some sort of romantic issue isn't being mentioned. Alongside this fact also lies the level of writing which, in truth, was regularly cringey and especially so when dialogue concerns personal lives and not the overarching plot itself. Apart from these subjective aspects, vocal performances are generally okay. For some reason, there is a lot of auditory interruptions to be experienced, and it's made worse by just how much plays automatically while wandering about even when wanting to interact directly with something else. At the same time, there are some minor visual issues such as assets not loading in correctly, but these were few and far between.
Ultimately, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is a game that will immediately alienate many potential players due to its content, themes, and tone, but I think this enables it to be the kind of game it's wanting to be without shame while better attracting more of that niche demographic. It is not without its faults on a more objective level, but I did find it to be one of the more successful entries within the series. The direction that's being taken for the series seems to now be fully grounded in Max's story with this latest entry, and I think that may have been the best decision for it in some time. I'm not particularly interested in extended series with one direct sequel following another, but I am curious to see what the follow-up game will be like, and hopefully this specific story can reach its close then.
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22. Shinobi Legions (Saturn)
Despite owning a Genesis throughout most of the 90s, I never played Revenge of Shinobi or Shinobi III on that system. For better or worse, my introduction to the Shinobi franchise was actually Shinobi Legions on the Saturn which I played for the first time in the late 2000s when I first began collecting retro video games. I never beat Shinobi Legions, but have been meaning to go back and replay it for nearly 20 years at this point. I finally decided tonight was the night and fired it up on my Saturn. Unfortunately, the game fell way, way short of what I was hoping to get out of it.
Shinobi Legions is not a fun game to play. In fact, it's gameplay is okay at the best of times, and terrible at the worst. Poor level design throughout 2/3 of the game, annoying enemy types, unresponsive and annoying gameplay mechanics (mainly the double/spin jump, and some poorly designed boss fights make this game mostly an annoying slog to get through. Luckily there are in stage checkpoints which helped alleviate some of the frustration, but the fact that there are limited continues almost entirely negates this. In fact, the one thing that kept me going in Shinobi Legions had nothing to do with the gameplay at all, but rather its memorable visual presentation and audio.
I have to give Shinobi Legions credit for being the most unique and maybe even the most memorable game in the franchise. The game uses digitized graphics (ie. Mortal Kombat, Pit Fighter) which add to the games charm in a way, even if they can be somewhat ugly at times. The in game graphics and stages exude mid 90s video game charm when the industry was in a very experimental phase, and many different graphics styles and gameplay styles were being explored by big budget studios. Legions totally embodies this in its presentation, however that's not even the best part of the game's visuals. Between stages there are live action cutscenes that piece together the game's story which combined with the low budget costumes and sets, bad acting, nearly incoherent plot, and crappy special effects, feels right out of some direct to video ninja movie you would have have as a VHS rental back in 1991. It's honestly so bad and cheesy, it's amazing if you're into some of those crappy ninja movies from the 80s and early 90s. These live action cutscenes are 90% of the reason I kept on playing, just to see what nonsensical direction the story would go in next. The other 10% why I kept playing mostly had to do with Shinobi Legions's surprisingly good audio.
The OST in this game is way better than it has any right to be. I guess there are audio differences between this game, and the PAL release, but for what it's worth, the US/Japanese OST is awesome with some very cool Japanese instrumental tracks scattered throughout. Sound effects are also good, but the real appeal to the ears had to do with the aforementioned soundtrack is needs to be heard.
I really wish I'd enjoyed playing Shinobi Legions more. It really is a unique, interesting game from an equally interesting period in video game history, but the gameplay and overall design is just too poorly designed and implemented to recommend this game. I'd actually recommend people skip this game entirely and just listen to the soundtrack and watch all the cutscenes on youtube to get most of what the game has to offer without having to suffer through playing it. The gameplay does have a few redeeming qualities, but not nearly enough to warrant a playthrough despite the game's fairly short length. (3/2/25) [26/50]
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Cat Quest is the most rudimentary RPG I have played in a while. The graphics are nice, and it is an overload of cutsieness, but the gameply loop was fun enough to spend a couple of hours running around and grinding out kill quests and reading cat puns. Don't think it could have held out for much longer, though. Ends at just the right time.
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12. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure || PlayStation 5 || 02.27.25
(https://i.imgur.com/TXMoXIq.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/vEOGESs.jpeg)
Before writing my final thoughts for Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, I referred to my notes about my time playing the previous series entry. My closing statement then was that future entries needed better grounding to be successful, and I think that the game's writers may have understood that too. As a result, the latest game serves as a formal sequel to the very first, which a majority of series veterans consider to be the best.
Set ten years after the events of Life Is Strange, Double Exposures features Max Caulfield who reprises her role as the game's protagonist. Having been scarred from that time, she's departed her home and has since traveled the country on her own. But in recent months, she's settled down on the opposite side of the country where she now acts as some sort of faculty figure on a college campus to teach photography. For a while, it seems as if Max has largely been able to overcome her past trauma while maintaining a more ordinary lifestyle, yet this positive growth fully backtracks as, just like in the first game, she's forced to grapple with the murder of someone close to her. With all this said, it would be in players' best interest to play the preceding entry prior to Double Exposure, as there are numerous plot references and general character development that relies upon the player's knowledge of such context; nevertheless, players can choose to begin with this sequel entry, but they will naturally miss out on a more comprehensive experience.
Moving forward, Max is not your average person as she's able to control time in various capacities. However, unlike her previous ordeal where Max was able to manipulate time by rewinding it, her powers have since changed, much to her surprise. Now, Max has become able to shift between two distinct timelines—one with the murder having happened and the other without—after creating a rift in reality. Additionally, these newfound powers grant her the ability to have a sort of preview sense of what's happening in the other timeline. Despite there being only one difference in how time has moved forward in each timeline, the murder serves as the catalyst, which means that the events following such moment in time vary significantly. With the goal of trying to solve who her friend's murderer is while simultaneously working toward prevent it from happening in this altered timeline, Max freely moves between the two. For much of the game, players will need to gather information in each of the two timelines to solve the mystery. While prioritizing story-focused gameplay that features choice-based outcomes, Double Exposure also incorporates light puzzle and even stealth sections to achieve goals.
Presented as a murder mystery of sorts, there is unexpectedly a lot of information to sift through, and much of it feels superfluous. To the game's credit, though, a high percentage of the game's dialogue and written text is optional as it serves world-building and character development purposes. Nevertheless, there are way too many things connected to Max's phone which serves as the information hub to the point where it obtrusively feels like micromanaging. With nearly every action taken—no matter how inconsequential it may be—some social media post, text message, journal entry, or character profile is being updated. And, to make things worse, the information is nearly doubled as those first two items are unique to each timeline. Apart from information directly related to characters, there is also a high number of items to observe and comment on during any given moment. Again, it's entirely optional, but I imagine many players fond of these types of games will want to seek out as much written dialogue there is. As somewhat of an aside, I also routinely found Max to be annoying. Despite being ten years older than she was previously shown in the first game, there doesn't seem to be much character growth by way of personality. In many circumstances, she comes across as a self-justified and nosy Nancy Drew type character as she decides to delve into the secrets of people's personal lives.
To be upfront, Double Exposure will not appeal to everyone, including those who are more drawn to this kind of story-driven adventure game. The game clearly has its own audience that it's written for, and that fact permeates all throughout the gameplay experience. Perhaps because of the game's setting of a college campus and that the majority of the game's cast are still relatively young, there seldom is a conversation where some sort of romantic issue isn't being mentioned. Alongside this fact also lies the level of writing which, in truth, was regularly cringey and especially so when dialogue concerns personal lives and not the overarching plot itself. Apart from these subjective aspects, vocal performances are generally okay. For some reason, there is a lot of auditory interruptions to be experienced, and it's made worse by just how much plays automatically while wandering about even when wanting to interact directly with something else. At the same time, there are some minor visual issues such as assets not loading in correctly, but these were few and far between.
Ultimately, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is a game that will immediately alienate many potential players due to its content, themes, and tone, but I think this enables it to be the kind of game it's wanting to be without shame while better attracting more of that niche demographic. It is not without its faults on a more objective level, but I did find it to be one of the more successful entries within the series. The direction that's being taken for the series seems to now be fully grounded in Max's story with this latest entry, and I think that may have been the best decision for it in some time. I'm not particularly interested in extended series with one direct sequel following another, but I am curious to see what the follow-up game will be like, and hopefully this specific story can reach its close then.
All the things you listed as things that may potentially alienate people are like a flame attracting me as the moth lol. I love romantic novels centered around coming of age emotions. Soap operas. 90210 and such. I do suggest a free game on PS Plus called Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. It's well written if you havent tried it. It centers around 4 millenial adult girls in 2022 piecing together their teen memories going through the tumultuous experience of just growing up. And its filmed in a sorta sci fi psychological horror angle. Its neat.
I definitely gotta check out life is strange because I love telltale style games. Do you reckon you can play double exposure without playing the other entries first? Or do you suggest playing in order?
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23. Battle Garegga (PS4)
About a week ago I realized just how long its been since I played some of the best games I've ever played. In short, way too much time has passed since I've played some of my favorite games, as in the better part of a decade for most titles. One of those games was unfortunately Battle Garegga. i decided to do something about it this evening, and boy, am I glad I did!
It's funny how you don't remember how amazing a game really was until you're sitting down and playing it again. That was exactly my experience while playing Garegga tonight. Even blasting my way through the first level, this game's brilliance and specialness became immediately evident. Battle Garegga is simply one of the best, if not the best SHMUP ever made, depending on who you ask of course. I'm of the mind that it's among the best, as its gameplay is nearly unmatched in terms of how smooth and precise Garegga controls. Not only that, but the gameplay depth related to the game's scoring and ranking systems are nearly second to none. Combine this with excellent gameplay balancing and you have a recipe for one of the best playing, most enjoyable shooters ever conceived. But gameplay is only one piece of the puzzle that makes Battle Garegga nearly perfect.
Garegga is virtually flawless when it comes to its visuals and audio, even to this day. Yep, nearly 30 years after this game originally came out and Garegga still outshines SHMUPs released just in the past few years with just how detailed and gorgeous its sprites are, not to mention how awesome many of its bosses are. The only thing that competes with Garegga's visuals is its OST which doesn't possess a single bad track. In fact, the tracks are all amazing; I actually have the entire soundtrack on my phone and its a regular companion of mine in the car or wherever I happen to be listening to music.
It's hard to fault Battle Garegga in any way, but for what it lacks, which isn't a whole lot, it makes up for it in all the ways that truly matter. There was a time when I found myself playing Garegga almost weekly. It almost served as a palate cleanser after playing various mediocre or even bad shmups when I was heavily diving into the genre nearly a decade ago. While it's been quite a while since that time, I'm at least happy I went back and played Garegga again as its one of the best game's I've ever played, and second only to Radiant Silvergun as my own personal best SHMUP of all time. (3/3/25) [44/50]
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24. Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 (PS4)
The Guilty Gear series, as well as most ArcSys games, is one I should absolutely love, at least on paper. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts for over 15 years, I have found practically every Guilty Gear game very hard to engage with even though I consider myself a massive fan of fighting games. I can never 100% put my finger on it, but I think it mostly has to do with all the Guilty Gear games I've played (and most other Arc Systems Works developed games) being mostly flash with little substance. I know there are very dedicated and vibrant competitive scenes for most Guilty Gear games, and I'm certain there's an ocean of complexity that I never even came close to fully understanding, but when I play these games, I'm mostly always waiting for that moment where the series just clicks with me, but unfortunately that has yet to happen. This was the case with Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 as well.
First and foremost, REV 2 is an absolutely stunning looking fighting game. The in game, cutscene, and character intro visuals are about as crisp, vibrant, and detailed as you could ever want. The stages, of which there are a commendable amount, are among the most interesting and beautiful I've seen in any modern fighting game. I find it very hard to fault anything about the visuals of REV 2, and I tip my hat to the artists who worked on this game. The audio, while not as good or memorable as the visuals, is also pretty good and gives you a nice, healthy variety of music to listen to whole up against the games' impressive roster of characters. Unfortunately the gameplay just isn't up to the same standard as both these more superficial attributes.
Guilty Gear's gameplay mostly feels like all flash with very little substance. That's not to say this game isn't enjoyable to play, because it is for the most part, however the two modes of play you're given either make the game way to easy and almost feel like the game is playing itself as it assists you with crazy combos and special moves, or the mode where you do have full control over your fighter makes it difficult to pull of some of the more advanced special moves, counters, and combos. I certainly preferred to have full control over my character while playing, but honestly it was still easy enough to just mindlessly button mash my way to victory as it was to play more deliberately. The end result of all this was a game I tried to get excited about or at least have some fun with for several hours, but I literally began to fall asleep while playing this game nearly 2 hours into playing its various modes. And look, I will once again admit that Guilty Gear isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I at least wanted to try and understand why some absolutely adore this series, but once again, I'm feeling like I must be missing something when I'm still just as uninspired and kinda bored with these games as I was in the late 2000s when I first started playing Guilty Gear. Unfortunately, REV 2 didn't do anything to make me more of a fan of this series. (3/3/25) [33/50]
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25. Ys Memoire: The Oath of Felghana - Normal
I was having an absolute blast with this until the very, very end. It's not because the game got difficult or anything. It was because I somehow missed a treasure chest or two along the way. I mean, I have to do multiple play throughs to get all the trophies but still. WTF?! I was so thorough. Anyways - this is the style of Ys I prefer. I had a lot of fun and if the first run was anything to go by, then the other ones will be swift and speedy.
EDIT: Found the treasure I was missing! Trophy acquired!
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12. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure || PlayStation 5 || 02.27.25
Ultimately, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is a game that will immediately alienate many potential players due to its content, themes, and tone, but I think this enables it to be the kind of game it's wanting to be without shame while better attracting more of that niche demographic.
All the things you listed as things that may potentially alienate people are like a flame attracting me as the moth lol. I love romantic novels centered around coming of age emotions. Soap operas. 90210 and such. I do suggest a free game on PS Plus called Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. It's well written if you havent tried it. It centers around 4 millenial adult girls in 2022 piecing together their teen memories going through the tumultuous experience of just growing up. And its filmed in a sorta sci fi psychological horror angle. Its neat.
I definitely gotta check out life is strange because I love telltale style games. Do you reckon you can play double exposure without playing the other entries first? Or do you suggest playing in order?
I actually didn't go into depth about any of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure's themes and tone, but perhaps you may like it. At the very least, you would likely enjoy earlier Life Is Strange titles since they were developed by Dontnod who also developed Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. From what I've seen in trailers, Lost Records seems like a better follow-up the to Life Is Strange series as far as presenting more adult writing. I'm looking forward to play it, though I'm waiting until its second act releases in April to play it all at once.
Like I mentioned, I would highly suggest to not play Double Exposure first. If this specific game interests you, you should begin by playing Life Is Strange. There is also a prequel entry titled Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, but it's not imperative to play. Additionally, there are also two other entries in the Life Is Strange series titled Life Is Strange 2 and Life Is Strange: True Colors, but they both tell standalone stories. Both are currently available to play from the PS Plus Extra catalog, though they're being removed later this month. And if for some reason you decide to play Life Is Strange 2 first, there is also a free demo episode that's worth playing first since it directly ties into the main game's narrative titled The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit.
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13. Transform || Browser || 03.03.25
(https://i.imgur.com/EuuEOBh.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/lM7jjfc.jpeg)
When looking through my timeline of previously played games, I was a little surprised that nearly two years had past since I last played an Eyemaze game. After going through some of them, I came across another one that I hadn't yet played before, Transform.
In short, Transform is a puzzle-action game that plays step-by-step animations which must be completed in one specific sequence. By moving the cursor, players must discover on their own where to click next. It's mostly straightforward, but there are moments when multiple selections must be activated at once as their conditions are dependent on each other to progress forward. As far as the game's premise, it revolves around an alien-like antelope that slowly transforms into something else entirely to evade the attack from an encroaching lion.
As players work toward solving the puzzle, a stopwatch timer times each playthrough. While there isn't any penalty for lengthy playthroughs, the game presents an optional ending which does incentivize players to play numerous times in order to achieve a higher ranking score. Since the puzzle mostly never changes, it becomes a task of memorizing the sequence of clickable points and acting speedily. I say "mostly" because there is one small aspect involving the order and presence of a series of shapes that is randomized with each playthrough. As higher ranks are achieved, an additional small piece of a post-game scene becomes available to interact with. After about ten attempts, my fastest time was 01:18:99 which did grant me Rank A, but Rank S also exists. I doubt I'd ever be able to achieve it, though, since I'd need to be six seconds faster from what I've read which seems far more trouble than its worth. While playing, it quickly became evident how all the tiny pauses, miss-clicks, and general forgetfulness adds to the total time, and there is little if any time for error to be awarded with Rank S. Once achieving that lofty goal, a new mode which has the entire game upside-down becomes available to play and master too.
By all accounts, Transform tests the player's reflexes and memory, and it's a fun game when wanting something brief to play. It's another one of the shorter games the developer's made, but it does offer some replay value for those wanting to see just how quickly they can finish the game.
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26. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - Very Easy
This playthrough was done to max out my equipment and Adol's level. Thanks to 2X speed mode, it didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. Up next, Inferno Mode!
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25. Half Life: Opposing Force (PC)
While I really, really like the first Half Life game, I'm not necessarily one of those people that worships it and acts like it's the greatest FPS ever made. Because of this, I've been slow to play its acclaimed expansion, Opposing Force as well as Blue Shift. Well, I finally got around to playing the better regarded of the two and I'm here to say, yeah, it's pretty freakin good!
While I didn't enjoy Opposing Force as much as the core Half Life game (I'm not sure there are many that do), I will say that in terms of visuals and sound, it's right up there with the game its based on. Half life and by extension Opposing Force were some of the best looking video games out at the time, period. It's still impressive how much detail and love went into crafting the various diverse areas of Black Mesa, and it definitely keeps the game fresh and interesting throughout. Audio, the voice acting is actually slightly better than it was in the original, but where Opposing Force lacks over core Half Life is the OST. It's not dramatically worse, but just a tiny bit less memorable as that game's soundtrack. The real tie breaker that makes core Half Life better than this expansion is the gameplay. There definitely seemed to be a lot more thought and effort put into stage design in the original Half Life, and there was almost always an intuitive sense of where you were supposed to go and what you were supposed to do. Opposing Force is a lot more stop, go, stop, go, in the sense that you'll struggle to figure out what to do or where to go, finally figure it out or look up a walkthrough, get a little further, and then be forced to do it again. This is pretty much the pacing of Opposing Force, and it wouldn't be as big a of deal if the game didn't have you doing things in one part to progress that you never had to do previous or again later on. And often, these ways of progressing involved some poorly laid out platforming, toggling the jump and crouch buttons to get up on ledges that you aren't able to get on, just by jumping (which is how it should be), or doing some other nonsense that has you fighting against the limitations of the controls and gameplay. This definitely lowered my enjoyment of Opposing Force ever so slightly compared to the first Half Life, but other than that I enjoyed all the same things that made the core game great, while being annoyed or frustrated with the things about the core game that weren't that great as well. One other thing of note when comparing the original game with Opposing Force is the latter game is several degrees more challenging, which core Half Life was no slouch in the difficulty department. Get ready to save scum a lot because you will likely die way more than you did in the original Half Life.
More or less, if you love Half Life, you're almost guaranteed to love Opposing Force. Beyond everything I mentioned above, Opposing Force dives deeper into the Black Mesa facility and what the researchers were really up to, and allows you to explore new areas, as well as some familiar ones too. The game certainly delivers on the Half Life mythos and lore, which was a big part of why I found the game fairly addicting as I played though its five or six hour campaign. Now, just need to play Blue Shift at some point so I can consider myself a REAL Half Life fan lol. (3/7/25) [38/50]
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7 - Monster Hunter Wilds (PC 2025) - BEAT - While the release of the game was abit tarnished by performance problems, the game mostly ran well for me. I could like 70 to 90fps at 1080, no DLSS, but I locked it at 60 to keep it more steady and it runs great like that. I have only beaten the story itself, which is functionally like "Part 1" of the game, "Part 2" being high rank fights and such, where you put the real work into a Monster Hunter game. I've seen people rag on the story also, but I think it's one of the better stories compared to Wild and Rise, at least in the way that it has a specific through line with a main cast that goes on a journey, compared to just being kind of a collection of events linked together with a pretty barebones plot. It's not executed the best as there's a lot of on rails walk and talk and it kinda feels like you are stuck on easy mode for awhile until you get through the story, but it is generally better.
Actual gameplay stuff is great, I like the zones, there's a good amount to explore, lots of customization now that both male/female armor can be used by either gender, I'm enjoying myself. Definitely more than Rise at the moment, which wasn't a bad game, but after playing a lot of World, Rise never did it the same for me, compared to Wilds, which is very much the World sequel proper. Can't wait to jump into the tougher fights now and get to the grind unlocking gear.
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14. Pac-Man World Re-Pac || PlayStation 5 || 03.03.25
(https://i.imgur.com/Af2wJln.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/pXfPo1W.jpeg)
For the last few months while looking at my shelves of games, I had considered playing through Pac-Man World 2 but eventually decided on other games to play. After realizing that I could play the recent remake of the first game titled Pac-Man World Re-Pac, though, I decided to do that instead.
Before the main screen loads, an introductory scene plays out involving Pac-Man's birthday celebration alongside family and friends, but it does not take long for ghosts to kidnap everyone else but him before he actually arrives. Apart from this small setup, there isn't any narrative to follow until the game's conclusion which is fine considering the scope and focus of the game and its genre. Nevertheless, the game's events revolve around the player acting as Pac-Man to reclaim his loved ones one-by-one after venturing to save them from Ghost Island and its various themed areas.
To carry out his goals, Pac-Man must overcome all sorts of platforming trials across a 3D plane while obtaining collectibles and using his abilities to access new areas to finally reach where each of the captives are held. More than I would have expected, stages are designed with backtracking in mind. This is mostly in regards to optional collectibles, but there are still plenty of instances where one must move forward to find a required item functioning as a key only to move backward again. As a result, I often found myself wondering if I was missing certain collectibles, as the game makes it clear when certain types are missed. Since there are so many side paths to follow which are either hidden or locked—and especially so in the game's later stages—it is easy to overlook these items. That being said, most collectibles can be ignored should the player choose to do so, but then the issue of some pick-ups, which players aren't able to discern in the moment and especially so when hurrying, being required to find becomes problematic. In the end, it's just easier to seek out everything, which I think many players would naturally do, given the game's genre and its focus on collecting.
Generally speaking, stages are more lengthy than I had expected, although part of the reason for this is due to the aforementioned backtracking for collectibles. Even so, traversal is fluid and simple enough, but I did find myself dying repeatedly to certain platforming segments. Notably, this problem was with the ramps which Pac-Man is required to roll off of to land across a pitfall. These aren't uncommon, and I rarely landed without dying at least once. Dying isn't much of an issue, though, as player lives are plentiful and especially so when taking the time to be thorough with gaining collectibles. Additionally, there is a slot machine game that's present at the end of stages which is easy to exploit if taking the time to memorize the order of reels since they don't change. At the same time, players may freely select Easy Mode at any time, and the game's liberal checkpoint system is a welcome feature too.
Apart from platforming, there are also optional maze sections to play with traditional top-down gameplay. These stages also vary in design, and their difficulty scales with the the difficulty of main stages. While early courses are simple, later ones introduce various hazards such as falling debris and wall traps. Players are given three player lives to overcome these side stages, which is usually more than enough for players to win. At any time, players can revisit this mode from the world hub too. And, once the main campaign is completed, the original Pac-Man arcade game also becomes available to play.
I haven't played any of the Pac-Man World games before, so how this remake varies from the original game or expands upon it is something I can't comment on. Regardless, I'm left with the impression that it honors the source material well enough as its core gameplay and design are exceptional, albeit simple and unobtrusive that's perfect for younger players or those new to the genre. After reading some discussion online, it seems like much of the differences Pac-Man World Re-Pac introduces are in its visual presentation which some will prefer while others won't. These types of modern remakes are the kind I generally avoid, but this was the easiest means of access for me to play the game in some form.
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We're not even 3 full months into the year and I'm already halfway to 52 and over a quarter the way to my personal goal of 100 games beat in 2025! I'm doing my best to maintain this pace, not that I'm complaining about getting to play some damn good games or anything lol.
26. Half Life: Blue Shift (PC)
I wasn't planning on playing Blue Shift immediately after beating Opposing Force, but I enjoyed that game so much I just didn't feel like I had enough of the Half Life franchise so I decided to jump into the good, bet less loved Blue Shift. This was my first time ever playing or beating Blue Shift and while overall I really enjoyed it, I definitely agree with the popular sentiment that Opposing Force is the better of the two Half Life expansions. What did surprise me, however, is that there are things about Blue Shift I actually liked more than Opposing Force, which definitely increased my enjoyment of this game.
Starting off, Blue Shift doesn't look or sound as good as Opposing Force. While everything more or less looks the same between both games, as well as core Half Life, both Opposing Force and the main game have way more diverse, interesting environments to explore. In Blue Shift you're mostly wandering through the same similar dingy maintenance tunnels, with brief periods of being on the surface. This is in contrast to how much of Black Mesa you see in the main game and Opposing Force. It's not a major point of contention, but it's still something I felt worth mentioning when describing why Half Life: Blue Shift is inferior to those two games. As for the audio, the voice acting and sound effects definitely have the same degree of quality found in the other two Half Life games, however where Blue shift does fall short is its OST which offers few memorable tracks. However, one area that surprised me where I can say Blue Shift has a slight edge on Opposing Force at least is its gameplay.
This might be a bit of a controversial statement, but I found the progression in Blue Shift to be more intuitive and therefore more enjoyable than in Opposing Force. It definitely had the same mostly intuitive level design found in core Half Life, albeit shrunk down into a much shorter game. I did lament the smaller arsenal and enemy variety, as well as the complete absence of any bosses, but in terms of pacing and flow, Blue Shift has a very small edge over Opposing Force in my book. For better or worse, depending on your perspective, Blue Shift is way easier than both the main game and Opposing Force. There is a much greater abundance of health hits and charging stations, armor, and ammo pickups through the game. I played both Opposing Force and Blue Shift on normal difficulty and I died probably 80% less in Blue Shift. I appreciated the challenge present in Opposing Force, but I suppose it was nice being able to take. stroll through Black Mesa without feeling like death awaited me around ever corner.
One final thing I wanted to touch on before wrapping this up is there is far more foreshadowing of what was to come in Half Life 2 present in Blue Shift, beyond the obvious reason which is you literally play as one of the main characters in Half Life 2 in Blue Shift, you are also introduced to the actual Dr. Kleiner and not just one of a 100 scientist models that look like him throughout all three of the original Half Life games. There is also more discussion on the less fantastical used of the teleportation tech, which we see in Half Life 2. It was also interesting to see how Barnie and Dr. Kleiner ended up escaping Black Mesa together, which sets up the two of them being together in Half Life 2.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Half Life: Blue Shift, even if it is undoubtedly the inferior Half Life expansion. That shouldn't sway you from trying it out if you love Opposing Force or the main Half Life game since it carries over all the thigs that made those two games great as well. It's also a short and sweet game that you can get through in an evening. In other words, there's no reason not to at least try it out, which you should since a great game awaits you. (3/8/25) [36/50]
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14. Life Is Strange: True Colors [PS5] Finished - March 8th, 2025 (Platty)
(https://i.imgur.com/VI8TTqZ.jpg)
GUYS MY FIRST PLATTY OF THE YEAR!! Woot woot. What can be said, oh wowie Howie. Since Dhaabi said this was a stand alone game I chose it as my first experience into the franchise and boy am I glad I did. As a fan of telltale games since I was a teenager. This may the best sheer audible storyline I've experienced in one. It trounces.
Here we meet Alex Chen, Alex Chen is a empath and a former juvenile product of foster care system neglect but above all she is a girl entrapped in whirlwinds of conspiracy, betrayal and death. I wont spoil anything which is hard with a game based so much on plot. But the town of Haven just feels so ALIVE. Like a crow feather falling among a sandy beach filled with doves. It's so fascinating how the game captures the community of small town bonding in such a medium sized run time. And how darkness can consume small town with quickness. The ins and outs of peoples trials and tribulations.
By the end of it. You know your fellow neighbor on a personal level. It feels like each individual is fully fleshed out. Even NPC feel like they have journeys, backlogs and conversations bleed authenticity.
Steph and Ryan are intelligently designed. Gabe is presented in a way that you can just feel how cool people think he is.
The ability to essentially read peoples auras gives the dialogue an elemental layer because you can talk to people without having to talk and learn their intentions beyond what is spoken. Think 6th sense. The color concept of emotion is very disney inside out meets matrix. It's wildly imaginative.
The collectibles, stores. From a little pot dispensary to a record store. It's really glorious. The interactions tackle themes of grief, coping, emotion and trauma. And it made me cry numerous times. Albiet that I am a big babbling baby with telltale games anyhow lol.
(https://i.imgur.com/Zu5LJRD.jpg)
The plot twists are bountiful, the environment is exploration within reason and never feels mundane or overdone. It feels like an episode of like cold case mixed with super hero psychology doctor strange stuff. Its got it all. The town is the sell. Theirs so much to see and interact with. And if thats any testament to the devs. This franchise I want to explore more.
Alex as a protagonist is well written and believable. Because so many times characters in these things dont feel like someone you could meet at whole foods or something. They feel almost analytical. But Alex is human experience characterized in a game. Games where the characters thoughts are audible add a level of connection. Its a testaament to the devs really knocking it out of the park as a protagonist with depth and relatable. And in turn its easy for a player to be like "I get it" about the experiences conveyed. Writing for characters has come so far in video games.
(https://i.imgur.com/CJjbUCk.jpg)
Steph probably has as much depth but wont share for spoiler purposes.
With that said lol. Not to go full geek. But also. This game is a massively fledged out playable movie. Feels sorta like an hbo max series in a way. And if you like action blended with romance. I highly reccomend it.
Rating - 99/100
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27. Nidhogg (PC)
Nidhogg certainly isn't the type of game I typically buy or play, but years ago I found myself watching some sort of gaming commentary video where the narrator was talking about something completely unrelated to this game while playing it in the background. I found the super stylized, yet fairly primitive 2600ish graphics to be very appealing, as did its basic, but still very fun looking fencing gameplay. It left enough of an impression on me to where I bought the game during one of Steam's sales and its since remained in my library unplayed all these years. I decided to give the game a go tonight and while I did find Nidhogg somewhat enjoyable, it's very basic presentation and gameplay is what inevitably had me wanting to do something else not long into playing it. Essentially you're a little blocky pixel man fighting an opposing blocky pixel man, and all you have is a fencing sword and your feet and fists if you so choose to use them (I wouldn't advise it). You have a variety of other abilities such a jumping and wall grappling as well, but they do little to make this game any more dynamic and enjoyable to play past a half an hour or so. Your objective is to get to the other side of the screen, requiring you to kill or dodge enough of your opponents attacks to do so. Both of you have unlimited lives and continually respawn until one of you reaches the opposing side of the screen. The actual combat is fun, but once again, its very limited and basic nature make it only a briefly enjoyable experience before boredom starts to set in. I really liked the presentation other than the fact that it only has a handful of stages that will be recycled over and over again as you progress through Nidhogg. Perhaps Nidhogg's best quality was its music. Even though there are only a few tracks, I really liked how lowfi and gritty they sounded and somehow they complemented the rest of the game and its art style very well. The reason I said this isn't the type of game i typically play or buy earlier is because this game seems to be made for streaming; it's shallow, yet captivating and unique enough to get people's attention, as it did with me. But actually playing it yields a relatively unremarkable experience as most will probably forget all about Nidhogg shortly after turning it off. Still, an interesting game to try out for a few minutes, however basic it may be. (3/8/25) [31/50]
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27. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - Inferno
Thanks to all my maxed out equipment and Adol's max level, this was done in a flash. Still, I'm finding myself getting a little burned out with the game. I started up the Nightmare level playthrough and while I don't doubt it will take long, I think I need to find something else to play quickly to cleanse the palette.
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28. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)
I actually had fairly high hopes for RE: The Umbrella Chronicles. Being a big fan of lightgun games and the Resident Evil franchise, I figured it was almost a sure bet I'd love this game. I would also like to add that I conveniently forgot how bad or mediocre Capcom's other attempts at RE lightgun games have been in the past. Well, blind optimism unfortunately ended up biting me in the ass as The Umbrella Chronicles is just as underwhelming, if not outright bad as the other RE lightgun games.
For starters, not all of The Umbrella Chronicles is bad. In fact, the game's graphics and visuals presentation are pretty good for the most part. Character models of the main RE cast look noticeably worse than other contemporary iterations of them, but especially the stage and monster graphics show off a surprising amount of detail for a Wii game released in 2007. It was fun exploring those old RE environments in first person and seeing details of what they'd look like in the eyes of the main protagonists. The audio of RE: The Umbrella Chronicles is decent, bordering good. Sound effects are great, voice acting is predictably cheesy, but competent, however the OST is remarkably blade which did drag this game down audiowise overall. Unfortunately, that about where my praise ends for this game as we get into what really drags Umbrella Chronicles down, its gameplay.
All Capcom had to do was try and emulate the pacing and action of games like House of the Dead or Time Crisis, but instead the game is more or less a slow paced stroll through various iconic RE settings from RE0, RE1, and RE3, where you round a corner, encounter 3 to 6 zombies, blast them all away, round another corner or go into another room and run into something like a zombie dog or Hunter, and that's it. There is no suspense, no real sense of action, and it gets just as boring as it sounds after an hour or so into the game. However, the worst part of The Umbrella Chronicles is its piss poor controls and bullet sponge enemies and bosses. Beyond just shooting the various monsters you run into, you'll also have to perform QTE button presses to evade attacks or go into a certain area before something bad happens to you. The QTE's are fairly unresponsive and clunky as there were times were I was repeatedly pressing the button command and nothing happened, resulting in me taking damage. This wouldn't be as big of a deal if you weren't unloading an entire clip of ammo into a single zombie with your handgun while several others were waiting to take a bite out of you. The game does have stronger weapons like rifles, shotguns, and machine guns, but ammo for these is limited, meaning you have to be very selective when you use them. Unfortunately, they to feel very underpowered so it's easy to run out of ammo for these stronger weapons by the time you need them the most during boss fights. The boss fights mostly revolve around you shooting a specific weak spot over and over again. Unfortunately, you can be shooting that spot dead on, but sometimes it still isn't enough and the boss will deal damage to you anyways. All of this is as frustrating and annoying as it sounds, and made getting through half this game an absolute chore.
I didn't completely hate RE: The Umbrella Chronicles. If not for its graphics and taking place in one of my favorite video game universes, I'd have likely abandoned this game well before even getting through a quarter of it. But for what it's worth, it's a game I still struggle to recommend to even the most hardcore RE fans as it's just not a very good game overall. I guess play this one at your own risk. (3/9/25) [26/50]
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28. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - Nightmare
I'm getting good at this. The only thing notable during this playthrough was that the trophy for playing more than 20 hours unlocked. Having Suikoden to play made going through Ys more enjoyable. Up next: Hard Mode.
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15. Heads Off || Mobile || 03.08.25
(https://i.imgur.com/Ve2otkr.jpeg) (https://i.imgur.com/Dgz71bS.jpeg)
Earlier last year, I went through the Google Play Store to see what kind of free games may interest me, and I made note of them. After going through that list again and removing ones which require a purchase to access to the full content, I settled on Heads Off. Before playing, I only really knew that the game was eccentric which seemed like a good enough reason to try it.
As the game title suggests, players control a decapitated head that rolls endlessly across a 2D plane. Where it's going or why it's moving at all, I'm not exactly sure, although the added inclusion of annual milestones in the form of text alongside the visual presentation of cliffs, pitfalls, and flat planes suggest that this rolling journey symbolizes the head's life. At the right side of the screen, randomly generated text blurbs scroll up and off the screen which coincides with the player's progress through stages. Once players succumb to the pit below, a prompt appears saying that's the age of the head's death which also represents the player's score.
In order to bypass obstacles and also to maintain momentum, players must tap and hold the screen which controls and head's screaming. With that said, screaming serves two purposes: the first being to either speed up or slow down (which also allowed the head to backtrack, moving toward the left) and second being to gain vertical distance off the ground. There is a need to time screaming as you will project yourself in the opposite direction the head faces which moves along with a slow but constant auto-rotation. For instance, the player will project themselves upward when the head is facing downward. Because of the auto-rotation which persists while in mid-air, players can control themselves with more fluidity.
Apart from seeing how long the head avatar lives, there are also some sort of spirits to collect which serves as the in-game currency. While at the main menu, players are able to freely choose which head they'd like to play as. At first, there is only one to choose, but players will quickly be able to unlock more with the aforementioned currency. At another menu, a tree stands tall with cocoons resting on its limbs, and players are able to select specific ones to send drifting spirits toward them to mature and eventually be born. Once born, new heads drop down to the ground as if they're a fallen seed and then roll along off the screen, awaiting to be select at the main menu.
Based on my time playing, this seems to be all that Heads Off offers. There are about forty heads to unlock, but, as far as I can tell, they all function the same. They do differ by design and by their screaming voices, and there is some minor gameplay variation based on the shape of each individual head which does influence how they roll. The entire premise is clearly an odd concept, and the initial screaming did startle me some at first despite already knowing that was part of the game's design. From images I've seen online, the furthest players can reach is age 100 which is far past what I've been able to achieve with age 39. Overall, gameplay doesn't evolve although stages do get progressively difficult the older heads reach. At the same time, stage design remains static, as it seems that stages are randomly generated in real-time.
Heads Off heavily adopts arcade-like gameplay, meaning there doesn't really seem to be a traditional end unless players wish to reach age 100 with all head types. So, I've played enough of it to be considered complete. In the end, I unlocked about half of the heads. I'll also mention that, as a free mobile game, it doesn't feel obtrusive. There are some ads on the main menu and also optional ads to watch to gain more spirits, but it's all easy to ignore. Additionally, there are no restrictions for how long players choose to play, which I know is a game design many mobile games utilize.
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29. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - Hard
No comments needed, haha. Just another run through to unlock stuff for the platinum.
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29. Hang-On (Arcade)
When it comes to 80s Sega arcade games, the original Hang-On seems to overshadowed by another Sega racing game, Outrun. I get why Outrun is remembered so much more and more fondly, however that game was an evolution of Hang-On which walked so Outrun could...umm run.
Despite how revolutionary Hang-On was for arcade racing games, it's still a very basic game. More or less, you're simply taking hairpin turn after hairpin turn, all while trying to avoid going off track, hitting obstacles just off the shoulder of the road, and also not to hit other motorcycles you're racing against. In truth, however, you aren't really racing against the other motorcycles as you are just trying to avoid hitting them. They are by far the most prevalent obstacle in the game and a continual source of annoyance as they'll slow you down one way or another, and be what causes you to run out of time, requiring another quarter or two be placed in machine. This is the main source of Hang-On's difficulty, which while being core to its gameplay, is also what annoyed me the most while trying to get through this one.
Hang-On's greatest strength is its visuals, which are pretty primitive by today's standards, but back in the mid 80s, they were pretty amazing. Seeing objects and landmarks on the horizon get closer and closer to you really gives you a sense of distance and progression through each section of the race. The motorcycles and obstacles are also vividly rendered which is just another aspect that add's to Hang-On's visual appeal. The audio is nothing special, but also pretty good for its time. There are only a few songs within the game, but they're all good for the most part.
Hang-On is certainly a classic and also one of those watershed games that really helped define racing games in 1980's arcades. While it has been overshadowed by various other racing games that came out shortly after, including its own sequel, it's still worth playing if you can find a working machine or even if you emulate it. (3/11/25) [32/50]
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Game 4 - 2064: Read Only Memories (Switch) - 10 Hours
This is still my favorite adventure game. I absolutely love the games visuals, characters, soundtrack, voice acting and story. Something about it just really clicks with me. I really don't have much to say beyond my initial review a few years ago. I'm excited to start exploring the sequel which just came out!
Original Review (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10536.msg179693.html#msg179693)
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30. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - Easy
Finally, the game has been platinum'd. Well, "finally" might not be the right word because it took just over 20 hours. Finishing the game so quickly after some files has me likening it to something like Mega Man X; games I know like the back of my hand. After finishing Easy Mode, I went through all of the Time Attack modes. Finishing those unlocked the remaining gallery items. Getting all of those was the final thing needed for the platinum trophy. Even if you aren't a trophy hunter or aren't playing on PlayStation, I do recommend this game. It's a brisk yet thorough adventure and showcases my favorite style of Ys.