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General and Gaming => General => Topic started by: bikingjahuty on December 26, 2021, 12:12:31 pm

Title: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on December 26, 2021, 12:12:31 pm
Here we are again! Let's shrink those backlogs and commit to beating on average one game a week for the next year! I'll see everyone on the other side of 52 games completed by the end of 2022 ;)


In case anyone is new to the challenge and would like to participate, the 52 Games Challenge is an annual event we do where we all try and reduce our backlogs by beating at least 52 video games over the year. It doesn't matter what console you beat them on or if you've played and beat them before. Just as long as you're staying on top playing video games regularly you're good lol. Let us know what games you beat, when you beat them, and if you'd like you can even drop a review on the game you just beat. But that's up to you.


Have fun everyone :D
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on December 26, 2021, 12:12:40 pm
This year I'm actually going to be focusing on a lot of games I have beat already, but not in a long, long time. As I've gone back and replayed games from my childhood and teens I've noticed how different my perspective on many of them are compared to when I first played them. It's almost like I'm playing an entirely different game when I go back and replay them sometimes. This has been both good and bad in terms of my opinion on certain games, but overall it's something I've greatly enjoyed. There are a ton of games I haven't played in 10, 15, 20, and even over 25-years that I really want to go back and revisit during this year's 52 game challenge!


COMPLETED

1. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (PS2) (1/1/22) [38/50]
2. Samurai Shodown (1993) (PS4) (1/1/22) [38/50]
3. Samurai Shodown II (PS4) (1/2/22) [39/50]
4. Samurai Shodown III (PS4) (1/2/22) [31/50]
5. Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge (PS4)(1/2/22) [33/50]
6. Samurai Shodown V (PS4) (1/3/22) [33/50]
7. Samurai Shodown V: Special/Perfect (PS4) (1/3/22) [36/50]
8. Samurai Shodown VI (PS4) (1/3/22) [38/50]
9. Samurai Shodown (2019) (PS4) (1/4/22) [36/50]
10. Samurai Shodown! 2 (Neo Geo Pocket) (1/5/22) [32/50]
11. SNK Gal Fighters (Neo Geo Pocket) (1/5/22) [36/50]
12. King of Fighters R2 (Neo Geo Pocket) (1/7/22) [32/50]
13. Razion EX (Switch) (1/8/22) [33/50]
14. Tobal No.1 (PS1) (1/21/22) [34/50]
15. Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast) (1/21/22) [33/50]
16. Resident Evil: Code Veronica (Dreamcast) (1/24/22) [37/50]
17. Half Life (PC) (2/12/22) [40/50]
18. SSX (PS2) (2/15/22) [31/50]
19. King of Fighters XV (PS5) (2/17/22) [35/50]
20. Alien: Armageddon (Arcade) (3/2/22) [26/50]
21. Gran Turismo 7 (PS5) (3/8/22) [41/50]
22. The Flintstones (Genesis) (3/11/22) [32/50]
23. Mega Man X (PS4) (3/13/22) [39/50]
24. Mario Kart 64 (N64) (3/19/22) [36/50]
25. Sonic and Knuckles (Genesis) (4/19/22) [36/50]
26. Tekken (Arcade) (5/31/22) [33/50]
27. Tekken 2 (Arcade) (5/31/22) [35/50]
28. Tekken 3 (Arcade) (5/31/22) [37/50]
29. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2) (6/1/22) [32/50]
30. Tekken 4 (PS2) (6/2/22) [34/50]
31. Tekken 5 (PS2) (6/3/22) [39/50]
32. Starblade (PS2) (6/5/22) [35/50]
33. Alien 3: The Gun (Arcade) (6/15/22) [30/50]
34. Sunset Riders (Arcade) (6/16/22) [37/50]
35. Harmful Park (PS1) (6/20/22) [35/50]
36. In the Hunt (PS1) (6/21/22) [34/50]
37. NHL 2001 (PS2) (7/3/22) [33/50]
38. G-Darius (PS2) (7/6/22) [22/50]
39. Pokemon Pinball (Gameboy) (8/25/22) [33/50]
40. Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire (GBA) (8/29/22) [38/50]
41. The Last of Us: Part I (PS5) (9/11/22) [44/50]
42. Outrun 2 (XBOX) (9/11/22) [38/50]
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) (9/11/22) [32/50]
44. Doom-1993 (PS4) (9/13/22) [42/50]
45. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS4) (10/7/22) [39/50]
46. Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire (PS4) (10/9/22) [36/50]
47. Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo (PS4) (10/9/22) [34/50]
48. Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (PS3) (10/13/22) [38/50]
49. Tekken 6 (PS3) (10/13/22) [35/50]
50. Tekken 7 (PS4) (10/15/22) [34/50]
51. Resident Evil 3 (PS4) (10/16/22) [38/50]
52. Ultra Street Fighter IV (PS3) (10/17/22) [36/50]
53. Twisted Metal Black (PS2) (10/22/22) [27/50]
54. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (PS4) (10/27/22) [43/50]
55. Dusk (PC) (10/28/22) [40/50]
56. Final Fight Revenge (Saturn) (10/29/22) [27/50]
57. Gauntlet Legends (Dreamcast) (11/9/22) [27/50]
58. Jurassic World: Evolution 2 (PS5) (11/10/22) [35/50]
59. Rampage World Tour (PS1) (11/11/22) [27/50]
60. Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii) (11/26/22) [26/50]
61. Ghost Squad (Wii) (11/26/22) [33/50]
62. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) (12/26/22) [45/50]
63. Street Fighter V: Championship Edition (PS4) (12/27/22) [36/50]
64. Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire (PCE CD) (12/27/22) [36/50]


ABANDONED
1. Star Wars: Rebel Assault (PC) (2/13/22)
2. Star Wars: Rebel Assault II (PC) (2/13/22)
3. Alien Isolation (PS4) (9/29/22)
4. Burning Rangers (Saturn) (10/29/22)
5. Parappa the Rapper (PS1) (11/11/22)

Wishlist (games I want to beat in 2022)

Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Earthbound (SNES)
Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
Megaman X (SNES)
Super Mario Kart (SNES)
Super Mario World (SNES)
Mario Odyssey (Switch)
Pokemon Gold/Silver (Gameboy Color)
Pokemon Trading Card Game (Gameboy Color)
The Flintstones (Genesis)
Gunstar Heroes (Genesis)
Sonic and Knuckles (Genesis)
Castlevania Bloodlines (Genesis)
Castlevania Lords of Shadow (PS3)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
Ultra Street Fighter IV (PS3)
Halo (XBOX)
Halo 2 (XBOX)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (XBOX)
Donkey Kong 64 (N64)
Zelda Majora's Mask (N64)
Pokemon Snap (N64)
Turok (N64)
Shenmue (Dreamcast
Shenmue 2 (Dreamcast)
Cannon Spike (Dreamcast)
Jet Grind Radio (Dreamcast)
Power Stone 2 (Dreamcast)
Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)
Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast)
Resident Evil: Code Veronica (Dreamcast)
Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore (PS2)
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (PS2)
Armored Core 2 (PS2)
Champions of Norrath (PS2)
Devil May Cry (PS2)
Dragon Ball Z: Budakai Tenkaichi 3 (PS2)
God Hand (PS2)
Grand Theft Auto Vice City (PS2)
Klonoa 2 (PS2)
SSX (PS2)
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (PS2)
Shenmue 3 (PS4)
Resident Evil 3 (PS4)
Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)
Final Fantasy IX (PS1)
Gundam Battle Assault (PS1)
Gundam Battle Assault 2 (PS1)
Mega man X4 (PS1)
Silent Hill (PS1)
Doom (PC)
Doom 2 (PC)
Half Life (PC)
Star Wars Dark Forces (PC)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on December 26, 2021, 12:15:48 pm
Last time I was able to complete the 52 game challenge was in 2019, this year I'm completing it again. I've got a list of games that I would like to complete but I'm not going to be too upset if I don't get all of them as long as I hit that 52. Ill be posting here as well as on my instagram account @bravethebacklog, If anyone else is posting on IG let me know and I'll give you a follow.

Games I'd like to complete in 2022:
1. Control PS5
2. Batman Arkham Asylum XSX
3. Batman Arkham City XSX
4. Batman Arkham Knight XSX
5. Ni No Kuni PS4
6. Ni No Kuni 2 PS4
7. Suikoden PS1
8. Suikoden 2 PS1
9. Ocarina of Time 3D 3DS
10. Final Fantasy VI SNES
11. Final Fantasy XIII 360
12. Final Fantasy XIII - 2 360
13. Lightning Returns 360
14. Tales of Arise PS5
15. Mass Effect PS4
16. Mass Effect 2 PS4
17. Mass Effect 3 PS4
18. Super Mario RPG SNES
19. Phantasy Star IV Gen
20. Guardians of the Galaxy PS5
21. Kena Bridge of Spirits PS5
22. Hollowknight Switch


Games Beat
1. Gears of War: Judgment (360) 1/2/22
2. Control Ultimate Edition (PS5) 1/7/22
3. Gears of War 4 (XSX) 1/9/22
4. Batman: Return to Arkham: Arkham Asylum (XSX) 1/13/22
5. Gears 5 (XSX) 1/23/22
6. Batman: Return to Arkham: Arkham City (XSX) 1/24/22
7. Batman: Arkham Knight (XSX) 2/7/22
8. Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Switch) 2/19/22
9. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (XSX) 2/20/22
10. Kirby's Dream Land (NGB) 3/20/22
11. Uncharted Drake's Fortune (PS4) 3/21/22
12. Kirby's Adventure (Switch) 3/23/22
13. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (NGB) 3/24/22
14. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Switch) 3/25/22
15. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) 3/29/22
16. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS4) 4/2/22
17. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64) 4/2/22
18. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS4) 4/8/22
19. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Switch) 4/26/22
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS5) 5/2/22
21. Uncharted: Lost Legacy (PS5) 5/20/22
22. Mario Golf: Super Rush (Switch) 5/22/22
23. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (XSX) 6/26/22
24. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) 6/29/22
25. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Gen) 7/10/22
26. The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 10/23/22
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) 11/5/22



Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on December 26, 2021, 12:19:01 pm
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)

01. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194332.html#msg194332) Yakuza Kiwami 2 || PlayStation 4 || 01.10.22
02. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194548.html#msg194548) Life Is Strange: True Colors || PlayStation 5 || 02.05.22
03. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194816.html#msg194816) Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling || Nintendo Switch || 02.12.22
04. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195136.html#msg195136) Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory || PlayStation 4 || 02.20.22
05. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195851.html#msg195851) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt || PlayStation 4 || 04.04.22
06. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196107.html#msg196107) Kena: Bridge of Spirits || PlayStation 5 || 04.23.22
07. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196345.html#msg196345) Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion || PlayStation 4 || 05.17.22
08. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196420.html#msg196420) Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien || PlayStation 4 || 05.20.22
09. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196444.html#msg196444) Creature in the Well || Nintendo Switch || 05.25.22
10. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198419.html#msg198419) Yakuza 3 Remastered || PlayStation 4 || 07.30.22
11. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198468.html#msg198468) The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition || Xbox || 10.01.22
12. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198593.html#msg198593) Touhou Gouyoku Ibun: Sunken Fossil World || Nintendo Switch || 10.30.22
13. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198613.html#msg198613) Silent Hill || PlayStation || 11.05.22
14. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198972.html#msg198972) Eastward || Nintendo Switch || 11.29.22
15. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198984.html#msg198984) Silent Hill 2 || PlayStation 2 || 12.11.22
16. (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg199134.html#msg199134) Silent Hill 3 || PlayStation 2 || 12.19.22
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: jipsy on December 26, 2021, 01:17:40 pm
Did terrible in 2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185860.html#msg185860) let's try to do better this year
I recently moved out of my Dad's house so many of the console games I had planned on playing are at his house and I am currently unable to complete them.

1. Mafia III (Started) -PC
2. Sphinx and the cursed mummy -PS2
3. The Last of Us Remasterd -PS4
4. The Last of Us Part II -PS4
5. Saints Row II -PC
6. Saints Row The Third -PC (Started)
7. Saints Row The Fourth -PC
8. Just Cause -PC
9. Just Cause 2 -PC
10. Just Cause 3 -PC
11. Bioshock Remastered (Started) -PC
12. Bioshock 2 Remastered -PC
13. Bioshock Infinite Remastered -PC
14. Grand Theft Auto V (Started) -PC
15. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (Started) -PC
16. Assassin's Creed Origins (Finished) -PC
17. Mafia II (Started) -PC
18. The Walking Dead (Started) -PC
19. EarthX (Finished) -PC
20. The Witcher -PC
21. The Witcher 2 -PC
22. The Witcher 3 -PC
23. Resident Evil
24. Resident Evil 0 -PC
25. Resident Evil 2 -PC
26. Resident Evil 3 -PC
27. Resident Evil 4 -PC
28. Resident Evil 5 -PC
29. Resident Evil 6 -PC
30. Resident Evil 7 Biohazard -PC
31. Resident Evil Resistance -PC
32. Resident Evil Revelations -PC
33. Resident Evil Revelations 2 -PC
34. L.A. Noire -PC (Started)
35. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Started) -Switch
36. Super Mario Odyssey (Started) -Switch
37. Beatles Rockband (Finished) -360
38. Lego Rockband -360
39. New Super Mario Bros. -Wii
40. Mario Kart Wii -Wii
41. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (2008) -Wii
42. The Last of Us Remasterd -PS4
43. The Last of Us 2 -PS4
44. Pokémon Shining Pearl (Started) -Switch
45. Mega Man 11 (Started) -Switch
46. Spiderman (2018) -PS4
47. Katamari Damcy REROLL (Started) -PC

Finished/Quit:
1. Assassin's Creed Origins - Somehow the first game I've finished completely this year, pretty good game.
2. EarthX - Honestly a really fun Indie game that I got in a bundle on Humble Bundle.
3. Beatles Rockband - This was a replay so I knew the game was gonna be good but I was surprised by how much I missed when I originally played this game. There is so much amazing extra content in it that I didn't see the first time through.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on December 26, 2021, 02:12:28 pm
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), and 2021 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11230.msg185665.html#msg185665); with 2021 being 156 games, 2016/2017/2020 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.  Demolished my goal last year hitting 162 beat, will probably never surpass that.  Last year was an effort to stream as much as possible, and I think I did pretty good with that, but I got injured around August and kind of stopped streaming from that point on and honestly played a lot fewer games at that point too.  I made progress on my Sonic franchise run, but that got sidetracked by a bad Wii disc and I nearly finished up my Mega Man franchise run.  I also met a new weird goal of playing through a game released in every year from year x to today, will try that again this year too. As always, I'm not going to explicitly carry over titles from previous years.  If I start playing such a game again, I'll bring over the info, but I'm not going to clog up my post with that info.

Quote from: Legend
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)

2022 52 Game Challenge

Top Games played released in 2022

Top Games played NOT released in 2022

Top Games played overall in 2022

Honorable Mention

- Content posts -
Games 1 - 21 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193711.html#msg193711)
Games 22 - 34 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193849.html#msg193849)
Games 35 - 45 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194132.html#msg194132)
Games 46 - 63 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195871.html#msg195871)
Games 64 - 85 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196272.html#msg196272)
Games 86 - 105 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196344.html#msg196344)
Games 106 - 121 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197608.html#msg197608)
Games 122 - 134 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198819.html#msg198819)
Final stats (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg199169.html#msg199169)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on December 26, 2021, 02:12:40 pm
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)

Quote from: Legend
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.

1. Demon's Souls (PS5)
I actually started this game shortly after beating Dark Souls III at the beginning of last year.  I didn't get very far though, like I don't think I even got to Phalanx demon, I also skipped a bunch of 1-1 because I forgot what I had skipped.  Even in NG+ I skipped the same stuff, I'm just aware of it this time.  I played the majority of the game last year, like so much so that I had already "beat" the game, I just hadn't actually activated the ending/credits until after midnight on new years.  But this isn't a case of my usual "oh the credits rolled, let's move on", though I really should, I'm still playing the game.  I'm working on NG+ trying to get the platinum.  I've got 3 rings left to earn, have to beat a bunch of bosses a certain way, and then buy spells/miracles.  My 3 rings left are trade item I have to crow, grind for gold coin and trade to crow, and do mephistopheles quest to kill yuria (pbct).  The two rings I need to work on are going to be a pain because gold coin has such a low drop rate, even with providential ring and large sword of searching.  My luck stat is relatively low too, so I'll need to raise that, but this is going to take a long time to get.  Killing yuria to get that ring is going to be one of the last things I'm going to do and I'll for sure save scum when I do it because I don't want to permanently kill her and my understanding is she is the last NPC you kill, so everyone has to die.  I do wish I had planned things better, and I could've had the PS5 allowed me to backup save data to a USB device, but you can only backup save data to the cloud and only if you're PS+.  It's dumb.  I'm very much disappointed in myself that I didn't Twitch stream me playing this because it was real good fun, would've been a lot of streams, and I had a lot of laughs messing around in the Old Monk area.  Both helping people and being a trolly boss fighting people with just my fists (I do no damage so they can't lose, but they still have to work for it).  Played more last night and did everything I needed to to get the platinum trophy, real happy about that.  A guy I had been helping get through the game shenaniganed to get me up to SL300~ and dropped me a lot of real good stuff.  I did my own shenanigans to get a lot of trophies and then I went to 4-2 to do some stuff, got invaded by 1 guy twice, but he couldn't find me which was amusing.  He gave up and went home twice.  4-3 I went and tried to do Old Monk getting summoned, but I figured it wasn't likely at such a high SL, but I did get summoned.  Guy immediately found me hiding, bowed, and then we fought.  I toyed with him a little, he kept spamming firestorm and missing, so I casted firestorm and one shot him... then I bowed.  I immediately left, killed myself, dropped my sign again, and immediately got summoned to his world again.  This is where it got interesting.  My intent was to try one thing real quick, which was to see if I could kill him before he enters the boss room, and also see if I can one shot him as soon as he enters the room if the former didn't work.  After that point, I would do hands only and toy with the guy and let him win... but he kept disconnecting.  I got summoned to his world like 4 times, but I kept getting disconnected.  Regardless, this is such a fantastic game, it definitely has its flaws and a lot is outdated conceptually, but still a fantastic game.
Rating: Highly recommended

2. Dark Souls III (X1)
Another game that I already beat this year.  Started a new character to play through the game with my wife and went out and bought another copy of this and DS2.  Already playing through further than where I was at when I started my first playthrough over again.  I rated this game highly, but fresh eyes on this and having recently played DS Remastered, I think I would put Remastered over this game.  This game has a lot of great things, but I feel like I'm just really connected to the world and design of DS1 over DS3.  I think I forget that DS3 is very good, it's just that the Lothric wall area is very frustrating for an early on experience, the dragon and tough enemies in certain areas make for a frustrating early game experience.  This is a continuation of my second playthrough from last year.  I'm pretty much at the end and assisting my wife get through the game.  At this point this is basically a "already beaten" thing, but I'm going to be dumping time into this so it's going on here.  Still slowly whittling away at this one with my wife.  We had been doing like a bonfire or a boss a day, but we haven't played in a few days.  She's got DLC, Twin Princes, Dark Firelink, Archdragon Peak, endgame stuff, and I think that's about it.

3. Deathloop (PS5)
I was originally kind of following a walkthrough at least in terms of order of quests, but then I just kept playing the game because it kept giving me quests.  I think I've done all visionary quests except wenjie, so after I finish this it'll probably be time for the perfect day quest.  Actually, I'm at the tail end of Aleksis' quest because I'm at the evening where I'm supposed to invade his party.  I've heard such good things about this game that I finally decided to give it a go as soon as I got the platinum trophy in Demon's Souls.  I considered not even buying this game because it'll surely be on Game Pass for Xbox as soon as its timed exclusivity ends, but it was like $20 and then B2G1 on top of that so it cost me like $15.  Anyway, I was hesitant with this game because of the roguelike nature.  When I hear roguelike, I expect a game to be so tough that you'll die a ton until you get enough perks or upgrades to be able to live long enough to progress, but I've been having no trouble staying alive through the loops except the few times Julianna spawns with the slab that makes her invulnerable, that one I'm not very good against, but I need to just get better at kiting her.  Overall the game feels very Bioshock, both in story and gameplay.  I had to look up if Irrational folks joined Arkane after the shutdown.  It's a pretty fun and novel game, but I think I have the problem that it loses replay value pretty quickly.  There are 2-3 different weapons for each category of weapon (minus unique weapons) and then weapons can get special features and be equipped with add-ons essentially.  It's robust-ish, but the game only has 4 ammunitions: small, large, shotgun, and nails.  You can only carry 3 guns, so it sort of works out, but you can only carry 2-3 clips worth of ammo at a time.  Again, it sort of works out, but big fights can have you scrambling for ammo.  The world is broken down in 4 maps, each map has 4 times of day (morning, noon, afternoon, and evening) with different events depending on the time of day.  Once you've visited a location at a time of day, there isn't much else to do there except your objective in future runs.  This can change depending on new information learned, but again, once you've done it, not much to do other than the one new thing.  So yes, there is a certain permutation thing going on for large replayability, but essentially you can do everything in 4 runs, aside from knowledge based stuff.  My point is, that after 4 runs, you've got nothing much new to explore or do other than straight quest based content... get in, do the thing, get out.  You could argue "oh do side stuff to raid for better weapons, upgrades, etc; but once you've got a good setup, you don't need much else.  No difficulty options and the game is pretty easy on its own.  Like I've played through several runs, but I think I was inefficient, which is fine, but this game ain't gonna last most people over 10 hours, which again is fine.  What I expect I have left is, finish my current evening run for the Aleksis quest, do an additional run to do wenjie's quest (This might turn into multiple runs, I'll circle back on this), and then do the perfect run.  That all said, the main quests have you do a run, learn something, use that knowledge on a future run, but sometimes you learn something in the evening, use it in the afternoon to learn something you need for the morning, so that's 3 runs right there, and if you screw up, you have to start over.  I hadn't tested it because I didn't care, but the game crashed on me and seemed to support the theory that if you up and shut off the game if you screw up, you can turn the game on and restart the current run at the time of day you're at.  I was concerned that the game would say "Oh, you quit, guess you get to start completely over", which would be unfortunate and I didn't want to test it, but like I said, the game crashed so I was able to see it anyway.  After finishing the Wenjie quest I really just had to do the perfect run "End it" quest.  Pretty quick and straight forward too, but the game just left too many questions on the table and even added more questions with no answers.  I really don't know how to write about it without doing spoilers, but honestly it kind of ruins the experience for me.  Gameplay is good, but the story isn't worth it and the gameplay out stays its welcome by exactly the final quest which winds up ruining the experience too.
Rating: Soft pass

4. Blue Fire (NS)
I had bought this game because it was cheap, fairly well reviewed on Switch and it was described as a Soul game.  I know I said I was gonna do something other than Souls games so as to not burn out before Elden Ring, but I went ahead anyway.  That said, this game is like, in no way, a Souls game.  You collect "souls" and you rest at a fire shrine, that's it, end of comparison.  Gameplay is very Legend of Zelda, more Ocarina/Skyward, but decidedly Zelda.  The menus are Zelda, very Breath of the Wild, like disgustingly the same.  Art style feels like a cross between Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild, I say that knowing that Breath of the Wild is already a cross of Wind Waker and Skyward Sword (I think), and what I mean is BotW, but slightly more cartoony.  Now I say you collect "souls" but I think that's more in line with collecting the relic in Zelda than Souls for leveling up in Souls games.  You collect "ore" which looks like Souls, but it's actually currency to buy stuff.  This game has no RPG leveling elements really.  I mean, I don't get it, it's a Zelda game.  That said, the trickery did get me to play a non-Souls game and now that that's broken, I can play other stuff for the time being without feeling like I need to play more Souls games.  Too often games like this wind up losing their luster or outstaying their welcome, but this game actually got better the further along you got and ends with a pretty great final boss fight.  It's long, it's tough, you have to tie together everything you've learned the entire game, and it was tough enough that I took the extra 20-30 minutes to go do some side quests that gave me more heal slots and better spirits.  Honestly, this game is pretty great and I sort of wish I had streamed it.  The game is good and the only thing that comes to mind that would make it a great game would be a map, just a basic map of which door goes where type of thing, because too often I knew where I needed to go, but not how to get there... and I definitely sat at one point at a locked door not knowing how to get to the other side.  I also managed to get through the entire game without ever picking up the spin attack upgrade from early on in the game, which seems like a design flaw.  Side note: the game comes with a full instruction manual and the developers offer a full strategy guide on their website.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

5. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (NS)
Coincidentally another Graffiti games game.  Very much a 2D zelda type game.  Gameplay is okay, it plays well enough, battling isn't really tough other than the seldom boss fight, even then it isn't that difficult.  The fetch quests are mostly good and quick, but some aren't as intuitive and some have you going back and forth between two characters at opposite ends of the world multiple times.  Dialogue is pretty good throughout, very rarely are things "cringe".  The premise of the game, which is technically a spoiler I suppose, is that in order to end COVID they nuked the world killing the human race, nuclear fallout caused fruits and vegetables to become sentient.  Game does everything pretty well.  The controls are a bit frustrating in that they could've just made dedicated buttons for watering/slashing/etc instead of having you swap between items, which just got confusing.  I did have to look up how to do certain things or how to proceed a few times which I'm not a fan of, and the few times it was I didn't talk to one person twice.  Overall an okay game.
Rating: Soft recommendation

6. Maze Craze (2600)
This is the first of many 2600 games I played.  It's a tad unfair and skews my count greatly because of how short these games are and a lot don't really have a way to beat them as they are meant to just be played over and over and over.  This is one of my most fond 2600 games, it's one of those kids cereal box puzzle book mazes where you start at a spot and you need to find a way out.  It's a basic game, but it's fairly fun to play with someone else.  I really look forward to my kid getting more interested in playing games as he'll probably have good fun with this one and a lot of other games like these.  All of these games will surely get a hard pass just because they really aren't worth the time in any manner, but they can definitely be fun in their own right.  TBF, I once played ET for like 3 hours straight just playing the stupid game.
Rating: Hard pass

7. Haunted House (2600)
So this is the first in the series of games that I've honestly never played before.  I started playing it and just kind of played along and then I was like ok what's the goal.  Googled it and it's like collect the urn and leave, well I already had the urn, I just didn't know how to leave, took me a bit to figure out that I needed to walk out the side entrance on the 1st floor, kind of obvious honestly.  I'm really appreciating that all of these games have the manuals.  I know I've marked these as 2600, but I am playing the Atari Flashback Classics game on Nintendo Switch... they are however exactly the same as the original and provide no emulation features like save states or rewind, so I'm just calling it 2600 and not skewing things towards NS... because I did play like 20 games.  You wander through the 4-9 levels of the mansion and collect the urn pieces and once you have the full urn you get out, pretty simple stuff.  I'll probably play the sequel soon.
Rating: Hard pass

8. Hangman (2600)
Literally just hangman, played this until the words started repeating.  Played this with my kid where we took turns guessing letters to get the words.  Really not much else to this one.  Fun for a hot minute, but probably better incarnations of this literally anywhere.
Rating: Hard pass

9. Super Breakout (2600)
I would've played Breakout first had I realized it existed lol, legitimately forgot it existed and was like oh yes, super breakout.  Frustrating old breakout games, I'm not very good at them and the controls get very frustrating in general, but a thumbstick does not equal a joystick... so things are tough.
Rating: Hard pass

10. Super Breakout (5200)
My kid backed out of the 2600 game when he was playing, so I loaded up the 5200 version.  Not much different, just plays better to be honest.  Just more brick break stuff.
Rating: Hard pass

11. Breakout (2600)
Then suddenly I remembered the original existed and decided to play that too.  Just more brick break stuff.
Rating: Hard pass

12. Brain Games (2600)
So this one is like Simon says, you get patterns and numbers and letters and sounds and you gotta remember it all.  Really not much else to this other than that the controls make it kind of frustrating because you'll screw up not because you're wrong, but because you weren't quick enough or that the controller shifted just enough to a different option.
Rating: Hard pass

13. Atari Video Cube (2600)
This one surprised me, I was expecting terrible Rubik's cube implementation, but it's more like Rubik's cube irl for scumbags where you take off the stickers and just move it to the right side of the cube, but there are some constraints that make it a game.  Honestly this one is cool and fun, I actually enjoyed my time with this one and would definitely waste some time on something similar.
Rating: Hard pass

14. Aquaventure (2600)
I was like oh I'll play games sort of in alphabetical order and just kind of play through all of the games.  This one is an unfinished prototype that Atari developed way back when.  You are a deep sea diver looking for treasure.  Shoot some fish, reach the bottom, grab the treasure, swim back up, hug the mermaid and you win.  Each win the sea gets a level deeper, that's it.
Rating: Hard pass

15. Armor Ambush (2600)
Strictly a 2 player combat game.  Didn't play it too much, but enough to get the gist of it.  It might be a fun game, but the controls make it frustrating and just about any incarnation that is more modern would be more fun because of the controls.
Rating: Hard pass

16. Asteroids (2600)
At this point, I'm marking things in a weird order as I marked things and don't remember the order I actually played them.  Basic asteroids, really got nothing else to say.
Rating: Hard pass

17. Asteroids (5200)
More basic asteroids, but this has options like bouncing instead of wrapping around.  Art looks more like Vectrex than Atari.
Rating: Hard pass

18. Codebreaker (2600)
Wordle kind of game with numbers, CPU picks a 3-4 digit number, you guess, it tells you how many correct numbers you have and such until you get the right number.  Pretty straight forward stuff.  Does make me consider trying to build a wordle 2600 rom just because it'd be dumb fun.
Rating: Hard pass

19. Crystal Castles (2600)
Kind of a weird qbert/pacman type of thing, collect the stuff, don't die, that's it... except it's kind of 2/3 dimensional and there is depth, so you might miss stuff since you can actually move forward and backward as well as side to side.  Very frustrating and the controls are hyper sensitive so the bear just goes zoom.
Rating: Hard pass

20. Dodge 'Em (2600)
Another pac-man type game, except it's just you and one other car.  Collect all the pellets without running into the other guy, and the other guy is just trying to smash into you.  Kind of fun, interested to see what if any 2 player option this game has.

21. Off the Wall (2600)
A breakout rip off, but this one is slightly different, you're a peasant (smaller than one of the breakout paddles) and it doesn't break individual bits but whole chunks and can get cleared pretty quickly, game also moves super fast and the ball can easily move faster than you, so tennis style you gotta stick with it or stay middle-ish so you can make it to the sides if you need to.
Rating: Hard Pass

Next List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193849.html#msg193849)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on December 26, 2021, 04:04:23 pm
Getting started early this year!

1. Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) - Beat / Jan. 2
2. New Pokémon Snap (Switch) - Beat / Jan. 6
3. Alan Wake (PC) - Beat / Jan. 20
4. Ori and the Blind Forest (XB1) - Beat / Jan. 27
5. Star Trek: Armada (PC) - Beat / Jan. 31
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5) - Beat / Feb. 9
7. Journey (PS5) - Beat / Feb. 10
8. Shadow Warrior (2013) (XB1) - Beat / Feb. 16
9. Cities: Skylines (PC) - Endless
10. Elden Ring (PS5) - Beat / Mar. 26
11. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) - Beat / Mar. 27
12. Contra - NES Version (Switch) - Beat / Mar. 27
13. Slay the Spire (PC) - Beat / Mar. 31
14. Offworld Trading Company (PC) - Endless
15. Yoku's Island Express (PC) - Beat / Apr. 17
16. World of Warcraft (PC) - Endless
17. Vampire Survivors (PC) - Endless
18. Elden Ring (NG+1) (PS5) - Beat / May 26
19. Elden Ring (NG+2) (PS5) - Beat / May 28
20. Super Mario 3D Land (2DS XL) - Beat / June 5
21. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch) -  Beat / June 16
22. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (XB1) - Beat / July 2
23. Assassin's Creed Valhalla (PS5) - Beat / July 31
24. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (PS5) - Endless
25. Kirby's Adventure (Switch) - Beat / Aug. 3
26. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (PS5) - Beat / Aug. 7
27. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (PS5) - Abandoned
28. Quickie World (PC) - Playing
29. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2DS XL) - Beat / Aug. 24
30. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (PS5) - Beat / Aug. 31
31. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade (PS5) - Beat / Sept. 7
32. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (PS5) - Beat / Sept. 9
33. Evil Dead: The Game (PS5) - Endless
34. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (PS5) - Beat / Oct. 7
35. BioShock 2 (PS5) - Beat / Oct. 25
36. Bastion (Switch) - Beat / Nov. 9
37. West of Loathing (Switch) - Beat / Nov. 19
38. Hot Wheels Unleashed (PS5) - Beat / Nov. 26
39. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2DS XL) - Beat / Dec. 8
40. Dead Cells (Switch) - Beat / Dec. 29
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on December 26, 2021, 04:05:30 pm
Putting down games I'm gonna be playing to keep track of stuff as I kinda picked up a handful of things recently and I don't want forget what I grabbed.

Guardians of the Galaxy (PC 2021)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection (Switch 2020)
DAEMON X MACHINA

1 - Cyber Shadow (Switch 2021) - BEAT
2 - Dark Souls 3 (PS4 2016) - BEAT
3 - Monster Hunter Rise (PC 2022) - BEAT
4 - Vampire Survivors (PC 2022) - ENDLESS
5 - Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Switch 2022) - BEAT
6 - Horizon: Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds (PS4 2017) - BEAT
7 - Pogostuck: Rage with Your Friends - (PC 2019) - PLAYING
8 - Elden Ring (PS5 2022) - PLAYING
9 - Panzer Paladin (Switch 2020) - PLAYING
10 - Jump King (PC 2019) - BEAT
11 - Chernobylite (PC 2021) - BEAT
12 - The Stanley Parable (PC 2013) - BEAT
13 - Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer (PC 1999) - BEAT
14 - Evil Dead: The Game (PC 2022) - BEAT/ENDLESS
15 - Insurgency: Sandstorm (PC 2018) - ENDLESS
16 - TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (PC 2022) - BEAT
17 - Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (Capcom Fighting Game Collection Switch 2022) - BEAT
18 - Stray (PS5 2022) - BEAT
19 - Holocure (PC 2022) - ENDLESS
20 - Hell Let Loose (PC 2021) - ENDLESS
21 - Mega Man Zero 1 (Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection 2020) - BEAT
22 - Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (Nintendo Switch Online) - BEAT
23 - Pokemon Unite (Switch 2021) - Endless
24 - Tokyo Jungle (PS3 2012) - PLAYING
25 - Slime Rancher (PC 2017) - BEAT
26 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT
27 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT
28 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (GB - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT
29 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Back to the Sewers (GB - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT
30 - Puzzle Bobble 2 (Neo Geo - Playstation Release) - BEAT
31 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Radical Rescue (GB - Cowabunga Collection 2022)
32 - Metal: Hellsinger (PC 2022) - BEAT
33 - Legend of Zelda (NES Switch Online) - BEAT
34 - Gundam Evolution (PC 2022) - ENDLESS
35 - Grounded (PC 2022) - BEAT
36 - Resident Evil: Village: Shadows of Rose (PC 2022) - BEAT
37 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS5 2022) - BEAT
38 - Pokemon Violet (Switch 2022)
39 - Powerwash Simulator (PC 2022) - PLAYING
40 - Lil Gator Game (PC 2022) - BEAT
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: droaa on December 26, 2021, 09:31:39 pm
         Name                                                                  Platform         Start         End          Rating

January
1. Devil May Cry V                                                            PS5            1/6/22     1/21/22       9/10
2. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare                                         XBO          1/23/22     1/25/22       8/10

February
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Episode INTERmission            PS5           1/21/22      2/4/22        9/10
4. SoulCalibur VI                                                              PS4             5/5/19    2/17/22        8/10

April
5. Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition                                              PSV            4/23/22   4/25/22        8/10

May
6. Elden Ring                                                                    PS5            3/1/22    5/26/22        9/10

June
7. Bright Memory: Infinite                                                  PC            3/13/22    6/1/22         8/10

July
8. Killzone: Mercenary                                                       PSV           4/23/22  7/10/22         7/10
9. Yakuza                                                                         PS2            2/6/22   7/18/22         7/10
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare                                       PS4           7/12/22  7/21/22         7/10
11. Cruis N' Blast                                                             NSW          7/21/22  7/25/22         7/10

August
12. Power Quest                                                               GBC          8/16/22  8/19/22        7/10
13. Super Mario Bros. 2                                                    NSW          8/19/22  8/22/22        8/10

September
14. Yakuza 2                                                                    PS2          7/24/22   9/12/22        9/10
15. My Hero One's Justice                                                 XBO          7/23/22   9/15/22        7/10
16. Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix                                           PS4            6/9/22   9/25/22       10/10

October
17. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy                                         PS5          9/26/22   10/6/22         8/10
18. The House of The Dead Remake                                   NSW       10/20/22 10/20/22         8/10
19. The Takeover                                                              NSW       10/21/22 10/22/22         8/10

November
20. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge                                             PC        11/4/22 11/6/22           9/10
21. Forgotten Worlds                                                           GEN      11/5/22 11/7/22           8/10
22. Shadows of Rose: Resident Evil Village                            PS5      11/6/22 11/16/22          8/10

December
23. TMNT Cowabunga Collection: TMNT Arcade                     NSW     12/24/22 12/24/22        8/10



Replay
1. Golden Axe-Arcade
2. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Switch)-9/29/22
3. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Switch)-10/3/22
4. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Switch)-10/19/22
5. TMNT Cowabunga Collection: TMNT(Switch)-12/24/22
6. Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories (PS4)


                               



On Hold
1. Double Switch: 25th Anniversary Edition                        NSW          1/23/22
2. Undefeated                                                                  PC              2/7/22
3. Jump Force                                                                  PS4           2/24/22


Nope List 2022(Games abandoned)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: thewelshman on December 27, 2021, 12:46:36 am
What the hell. Let's give it another go.

Beaten:
1. Eye of the Beholder II (PC)
2. Gigantosaurus the Game (PS4) Platinumed with my 4 year old.
3. Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (PC)
4. Dragon Sinker (Vita) - Beat the main story, will finish the post game for Platinum Trophy.
5. Diablo II (PC) - Original release of the game. It's been awhile since I've played it and figured it was time.
6. Autumn's Journey (PS4) - A 10 minute platinum with skips. Typical easy Visual Novel.
7. Heroes Trials (PS4) - A game I bought for $1 and had another cheap platinum. Surprisingly had some irritating bosses to beat towards the end.
8. Cosmic Star Heroine (VITA) - Great RPG with memorable characters.
9. Spyro the Dragon (PS4) - Platinumed with my sons. A nice reimage of the old PS1 game and good memories with the boys.

Currently Playing:
1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PC)
2. Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear (PC)

Backlog:
1. Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
2. Final Fantasy VII R (PS4)
3. Trails of Cold Steel IV (PS4)
4. Trails from Zero (PC or PS4)
5. Trails to Azure (PC)
6. Cthulu Saves the World (PC)
7. Transister (PS4)
8. Golden Sun (GBA)
9. Tales of Phantasia (GBA)
10. Trials of Mana (PS4)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on December 27, 2021, 04:10:49 am
Completed:
01. Resident Evil 1 Remake (PS4 - Spectator) 07/01/2022
02. Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5) 10/01/2022
03. Donut County (Xbox One X) 10/01/2022
04. Totally Reliable Delivery Service (Xbox One X) 11/01/2022
05. 12 Minutes (Xbox One X) 12/01/2022
06. Lake (Xbox One X) 16/01/2022
07. Last Stop (Xbox One X) 22/01/2022
08. Grand Theft Auto Online: The Contract (PS4 on PS5) 25/01/2022
09. The Medium (Xbox One X) 03/02/2022
10. The Artful Escape (Xbox One X) 10/02/2022
11. The Wild At Heart (Xbox One X) 19/02/2022
12. What Remains of Edith Finch (Xbox One X) 01/03/2022
13. Omno (Xbox One X) 02/03/2022
14. Panzer Dragoon Remake (PS4 on PS5) 10/03/2022
15. Resident Evill 2 Remake (PS4 on PS5) ??/03/2022
16. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (Xbox One X) 17/03/2022
17. Echo Generation (Xbox One X) 24/03/2022
18. A Memoir Blue (Xbox One X) 27/03/2022
19. Resident Evill 3 Remake (PS4 on PS5 - Spectator) 08/04/2022
20. Sonic the Hedgohog 4: Episode 2 (PS Now on PS5) 28/04/2022
21. Resident Evil 3 Nemesis (PS1) 07/05/2022
22. Terminator Resistance Enhanced Edition (PS5) 09/05/2022
23. It Takes Two (PS5) 18/05/2022
24. Chrono Trigger (SNES - EMU) 22/05/2022
25. A Plagues Tales: Innocence (PS5) 06/06/2022
26. SIFU (PS5) 11/06/2022
27. Twin Mirror (PS4 on PS5) 18/06/2022
28. Draugen (PS4 on PS5) 21/06/2022
29. Resident Evil: Code Veronica X-HD (Xbox One X) 21/03/2022
30. Tekken 2 (PS1 on PS5) 28/06/2022
31. Dino Crisis (PS1) 04/07/2022
32. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (PS3 on PS5) 12/07/22
33. Road To Guangdong (PS4 on PS5) 14/07/2022
34. Far Cry: New Dawn (PS4 on PS5) 18/07/2022
35. Concrete Genie (PS4 on PS5) 19/07/2022
36. Dino Crisis 2 (PS1) 21/07/2022
37. Fighting Force (PS1) 01/08/2022
38. Trek to Yomi (Xbox Series X) 05/08/2022
39. Jet Set Radio HD (Xbox One X) 07/08/2022
40. Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (PS3 on PS5) 10/08/2022
41. Stray (PS5) 16/08/2022
42. LEGO Harry Potter Year 1- 4 (PS4 on PS5) 26/09/2022
43. Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon (PS5) 01/10/2022
44. Here They Lie (PS4 on PS5) 07/10/2022
45. Metro Redux (PS4 on PS5) 13/10/2022
46. Silent Hill Origins (PSP) 19/10/2022
47. INSIDE (PS4 on PS5) 23/10/2022
48. Resident Evil 4 HD + Seperate Ways Expansion (PS4 on PS5) 26/10/2022
49. Going Under (PS4 on PS5) 29/10/2022
50. Silent Hill: Homecoming (Xbox 360 on Xbox One X) 03/11/2022
51. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360 on Xbox One X) 05/11/2022
52. Blair Witch (PS4 on PS5) 07/11/2022
53. Breakdown (Xbox on Xbox One X) 15/11/2022
54. Foreclosed (PS5) 24/11/2022
55. The Chant (PS5) 03/12//2022
56. The Strange Brigade (PS4 on PS5) 07/12//2022
57. Road 96 (Xbox Series S) 10/12/2022
58. Zero Divide 2: The Secret Wish (PS1) 13/12/2022
59. A Plagues Tale: Requiem (Xbox Series S/X) 20/12/2022
60. Resident Evil 5 HD + Extras Modes (PS4 on PS5) 23/12/2022
61. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core -Reunion (PS5) 30/12/2022

Currently Playing:
Watch Dogs 2
Coffee Talk
Final Fantasy X HD
Resident Evil Revelations HD

Backlog:
Lost Judgment
Chrono Cross
Legend of Dragoon
Grandia
Galerians
Resident Evil Revelations 1
Remothered 1
Remothered 2
Time Hollow
Star Wars Force Unleashed
Ridge Racer 6
Catherine: Full Body
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: soera on December 27, 2021, 07:59:26 am
I dont mind holding a spot. I didnt even come close to 52 last year (maybe 12-15 total) but I would like to keep track.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on December 27, 2021, 09:28:50 am
Quote from: Ignition365's Modified Legend
bold games are games that have been beaten/endless in 2022
italicized games are in progress.
standard games are games I am not currently trying to beat or have been beat in previous years.
strikethrough games are games that have been abandoned.

Games Played in 2022
1. Major League Manager
2. Sid Meier's Civilization V
3. Die Young
4. Europa Universalis IV
5. Minecraft (Project Ozone 3)
6. Far Cry 4
7. Far Cry New Dawn
8. Force of Nature
9. Far Cry 5
10. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
11. Crimzon Clover: World Ingition
12. Big Pharma
13. The Long Dark
14. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword
15. Minecraft: Story Mode
16. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
17. Pinball FX2
18. Wolfenstein: The New Order
19. Batman: Arkham Origins
20. Batman: The Telltale Series
21. Left 4 Dead
22. Evoland II
23. Fallout Tactics
34. Bejeweled 3
35. Pinball FX3
36. Diablo III
37. Arcana Heart 3 Love Max!!!!!
38. Deep Dungeons of Doom
39. Apocryph
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on December 27, 2021, 10:56:12 am
Games Played in 2022
1. Bloodborne (PS4)
2. Super Monkey Ball (GC)
3. Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
4. Super Monkey Ball 2 (GC)
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
6. TowerFall (Switch)
7. DOOM (PS4)
8. Pokémon Violet (Switch)
9. The Last of Us Remastered (PS4)
10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
11. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch)

Games Beat in 2022
12. (1.) Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194377.html#msg194377) - 1.29
13. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195090.html#msg195090) - 2.24
14. Persona 5 Royal (PS4) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195482.html#msg195482) - 3.12
15. Ratchet & Clank (PS4) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195738.html#msg195738) - 3.31
16. (5.) Mega Man Battle Network 2 (Wii U) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196291.html#msg196291) - 5.11
17. Final Fantasy X (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196380.html#msg196380) - 5.23
18. Zombies Ate My Neighbors (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196541.html#msg196541) - 6.6
19. Battalion Wars (GC) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196733.html#msg196733) - 6.16
20. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197130.html#msg197130) - 7.16
21. (10.) Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197614.html#msg197614) - 8.28
22. Stardew Valley (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197615.html#msg197615) - 8.28
23. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197866.html#msg197866) - 9.19
24. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198140.html#msg198140) - 10.9
25. Resident Evil Zero (GC) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198335.html#msg198335) - 10.24
26. (15.) The Witness (PS4) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198811.html#msg198811) - 11.26
27. It Takes Two (PS4) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198812.html#msg198812) - 11.26
28. Hades (Switch) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg199141.html#msg199141) - 12.23
29. Castlevania (PS4) (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg199142.html#msg199142) - 12.31

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
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on December 27, 2021, 01:25:39 pm
Hmmm, I’ll go ahead and reserve a spot too.
Just like Soera said, I don’t think I can come anywhere near 52 games finished in the next year (between job and family I just don’t have the time) but I’m going to use this spot to keep track. What helps is the multi-game compilations I recently got (Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection on PS3 and the Coregrafx Mini I got for Christmas); completing some of those games should help my total :D

1. Streets of Rage 2 1/1/22 (Genesis, played on PS3)
2. Blazing Lazers 1/2/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
3. Super Star Soldier 1/11/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
4. Lords of Thunder 1/12/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
5. Soldier Blade 1/13/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
6. Seirei Senshi Spriggan 1/14/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1/15/22 (SNES, played on Switch)
8. Star Parodier 1/26/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
9. S.C.A.T. 1/28/22 (NES, played on Switch)
10. Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition 2/5/22 (PS4)
11. Mass Effect 2 Legendary Edition 3/9/22 (PS4)
12. X-Men 3/12/22 (arcade)
13. Mass Effect 3 Legendary Edition 4/12/22 (PS4)
14. Streets of Rage 4 4/18/22 (PS4, on Hard with Max)
15. Sonic 3 4/23/22 (Genesis, played on PS3)
16. Metroid Fusion 5/14/22 (GBA)
17. Golden Axe 2 5/14/22 (Genesis, played on PS3)
18. Super Mario Bros 5/16/22 (NES, played on Switch)
19. Golden Axe 5/18/22 (Genesis, played on PS3)
20. Streets of Rage 5/20/22 (Genesis, played on PS3)
21. R-Type 6/11/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
22. Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo 6/12/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
23. Metroid Zero Mission 6/24/22 (GBA)
24. Castlevania Symphony of the Night 7/3/22 (PS1)
25. Street Fighter II Champion Edition 7/3/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
26. Super Street Fighter II 7/3/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
27. Street Fighter Alpha 2 7/6/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
28. Street Fighter Alpha 7/16/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
29. TMNT Shredder’s Revenge 7/17/22 (PS4)
30. Shinobi 8/20/22 (Arcade, played on PS3)
31. Splatterhouse 8/27/22 (Coregrafx Mini)
32. Street Fighter Alpha 3 8/31/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
33. Street Fighter II Turbo 9/4/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
34. Street Fighter II 9/4/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
35. Shinobi III 9/5/22 (Genesis, played on PS3)
36. Super Castlevania IV 9/10/22 (SNES, played on PS4)
37. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time 9/14/22 (SNES, played on PS4)
38. TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan 9/14/22 (GB, played on PS4)
39. TMNT 9/14/22 (Arcade, played on PS4)
40. Theatre of Magic 12/28/22 (pinball, successfully completed Grand Finale)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: koemo1 on December 27, 2021, 01:47:59 pm
Reserved!
1. Rogue Trooper (In progress)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on December 30, 2021, 09:03:16 am
I'd like to reserve a room, please. I'll be using my points so if you could upgrade me to a suite that'd be great. I'll be sending for the rest of my things later.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: cbates002 on December 31, 2021, 10:55:52 am
I will join in on this, maybe it will help me keep up on my collection and get back in the routine of playing regularly.  The games were selected using a random number generator, since I was not really sure where to start or what to play.  Hopefully I can make it though at least half of these.

In-progress:

Completed:

Wishlist/Backlog:
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telekill on December 31, 2021, 11:32:08 am
There's just no way in hell I'll find the time to even beat 20 games with my current lack of game time. Hats off to those of you undertaking this challenge annually.

Here's where I'm at...

In progress:
 - Mass Effect 3 (trying to play all side missions and DLC).
 - Guardians of the Galaxy (just finished the 3rd chapter)
 - Sonic Mania (Tails run -- trying to get all Chaos Emeralds)
 - Hunt: Showdown (is there an end game to this?)

Plan to play in 2022:
 - Mass Effect Andromeda
 - Uncharted 4 (PS5 upgrade)
 - Uncharted Lost Legacy (PS5 upgrade)
 - Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge (Switch and PS5 if available)
 - Instinction (if it releases in 2022)
 - God of War Ragnarok (if it releases in 2022)
 - Horizon 2 (PS5)
 - Jurassic Park (Game Gear and Genesis)
 - Sonic Triple Trouble (Game Gear)
 - Resident Evil 5 (PS4)
 - Witcher 3 (PS5 upgrade)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on December 31, 2021, 11:52:13 am
I would like to reserve a spot as well! I have been trying to complete as many games as possible for a couple of years, but sadly have never attempted a challenge like this. I probably will not make the 52 game mark, but I am willing to challenge myself to meet this goal! I was planning on having my fellow gaming friends together and have a backlog draft as sort of a bonus challenge! I wish everyone good luck and happy gaming!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 01, 2022, 03:17:42 pm
First day of the year, first game beat!


1. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (PS2)

I have a lot of fond memories of the first three Tony Hawk Pro Skater games, especially 2 and 3. A friend of mine had the first Tony Hawk and that was how I was first introduced to the series, but it was 2 that really got me into. When 3 came out I'm pretty sure I bought it day one and proceeded to obsessively play it alone and with friends for some time. However, the question that has been fingering in my mind for some time now is whether I like Pro Skater 2 or 3 more.


Well, I finally have an answer. While I really like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 and certainly prefer it to the first entry in the series, it just hasn't stood the test of time as well as THPS2. There are a variety of reason for this, however the primary one is the level design. THPS3's levels are quite a bit larger and just don't have as good of flow or design as most of the levels in 2. Don't get me wrong, there are some great levels in THPS3, but overall 2 definitely has the advantage here. My other gripe s with THPS3's graphics. While not terrible they just don't look that impressive even for the time the game came out. They almost look like texture upgrades to the second game, albeit slightly better in various ways. One thing that 3 definitely has an advantage over 2 is its OST. While the quality of each game's soundtrack is going to be fairly subjective, I just felt like most of the music in 3 was better, not just in terms of the quality in the songs, but also they just seemed to fit better with the theme of the game. While I can't say I like THPS3 as much as I used to back in 2001, I still really enjoyed it and it's certanly one of those awesome, must play PS2 games. (1/1/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 02, 2022, 02:17:40 am
Beat another games just right before midnight, giving me two games already for the year :p


2. Samurai Shodown (1993) (PS4)

This game mesmerized me in arcades in the 90s; I remember just watching the demo reel play and being stunned by how cool and fun this game looked. Sadly when I went to play it I was always lucky to make it to the second fighter lol. But still, this game is stunning and one of the best looking 2D fighting games ever made. It was certainly the best looking fighting game for its time, even better than Street Fighter 2. The OST is also top notch and perfectly goes with the visuals and theme of the game. Unfortunately Samurai Shodown's biggest drawback is its gameplay. To put it lightly, this game is freakin hard as hell, and that isn't necessarily by design. There are some cheap as hell characters that span block and other moves, and also the parry and counter mechanics can often feel delayed and clunky at times. It's still a very fun game, but it would be even better if this system were improved, which it eventually would be in later installments. Still, as a first attempt in the franchise, this game is awesome and absolutely a classic of 90s arcades! (1/1/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 02, 2022, 08:29:18 pm
First game of the year!!! HERE WE GOOOOO!!!

1. Gears of War: Judgement (360)

Continuing with my Gears franchise play through I started in 2021, next on the list was Judgement. This must be the worst Gears game so far. I have no damn idea why they decided to go mission based with this one, but really interrupts the game play and makes for what feels like a choppy story. Its weird too, because if they just stuck to their normal format, this wouldn’t be that bad of a game, but it’s just too damn hard to ignore. Beat 1/2/22

Also not sure if anyone is interested in following me on Instagram, but I will also be posting there using #52gamechallenge

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP9n-StzZ9/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 02, 2022, 09:24:38 pm
Two games down so far.

1. Demon Gaze - an excellent dungeon crawler. It has a rough start but after the first couple of hours it's a ton of fun.

2. Mighty Gunvolt Burst. I finished Copen's campaign.

First game of the year!!! HERE WE GOOOOO!!!

1. Gears of War: Judgement (360)

Continuing with my Gears franchise play through I started in 2021, next on the list was Judgement. This must be the worst Gears game so far. I have no damn idea why they decided to go mission based with this one, but really interrupts the game play and makes for what feels like a choppy story. Its weird too, because if they just stuck to their normal format, this wouldn’t be that bad of a game, but it’s just too damn hard to ignore. Beat 1/2/22

Also not sure if anyone is interested in following me on Instagram, but I will also be posting there using #52gamechallenge

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP9n-StzZ9/

Following!!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 02, 2022, 09:58:37 pm
Following!!

Thanks Kash!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on January 02, 2022, 10:24:27 pm
Quote

First game of the year!!! HERE WE GOOOOO!!!

1. Gears of War: Judgement (360)

Continuing with my Gears franchise play through I started in 2021, next on the list was Judgement. This must be the worst Gears game so far. I have no damn idea why they decided to go mission based with this one, but really interrupts the game play and makes for what feels like a choppy story. Its weird too, because if they just stuck to their normal format, this wouldn’t be that bad of a game, but it’s just too damn hard to ignore. Beat 1/2/22

Also not sure if anyone is interested in following me on Instagram, but I will also be posting there using #52gamechallenge

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP9n-StzZ9/

Following!!

Ditto. Also, that's the only one I haven't played, but it sounds like I'm not missing much.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 02, 2022, 10:33:33 pm

Ditto. Also, that's the only one I haven't played, but it sounds like I'm not missing much.

Thanks for the follow! and yea you really arent missing much lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 03, 2022, 02:31:05 am
Soooo, I'm on a bit of a Samurai Shodown kick....


3. Samurai Shodown II (PS4)

While this game wasn't vastly better than the first Samurai Shodown game, it was just enough to make it a more enjoyable fun experience. I'd say that both games are equal when it comes to visuals and audio, but the tweaks to Samurai Shodown 2's gameplay make it a more enjoyable game. There are still super cheap characters that could have spent more time in development, but overall I really enjoyed this game. (1/2/22) [39/50]

4. Samurai Shodown III (PS4)

This game is a perfect example of one step forward, three steps back. The character sprites and animation were an improvement over the previous two games, but honestly that's about it when it comes to advantages this game has over previous titles. The gameplay is by far the compromised part of Samurai Shodown III, mostly that it's new mechanics just make this game cumbersome and annoying to play most of the time. Not only that, but in changing the gameplay they also made a lot of characters extremely OPed, cheap, or just broken too. There are other minor gripes I have about III, but the gameplay was definitely the element that held this game back the most and prevented me from enjoying it more. (1/2/22) [31/50]

5. Samurai Shodown IV (PS4)

Fortunately SNK realized they screwed up big time with III and fixed most of the issues hat game had, and maybe even slightly over corrected. What we have with IV is a much more enjoyable, easy to play game, with the emphasis on the word easy. For better or worse, IV is a walk in the park compared to I and II, and quite a bit easier than III by virtue of it actually being way more playable. Sadly, I felt like both III's visuals and audio were just slightly better than IV's. On top of that by the time Samurai Shodown IV came out the series was no longer the stunningly beautiful franchise it was in the early 90s when it first came out, and companies like Capcom and Midway were making better looking fighting games at this point. But still, the fact that the gameplay was mostly fixed made this a much more enjoyable game than its predecessor. (1/2/22) [33/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: marvelvscapcom2 on January 03, 2022, 04:51:22 am
Soooo, I'm on a bit of a Samurai Shodown kick....


3. Samurai Shodown II (PS4)

While this game wasn't vastly better than the first Samurai Shodown game, it was just enough to make it a more enjoyable fun experience. I'd say that both games are equal when it comes to visuals and audio, but the tweaks to Samurai Shodown 2's gameplay make it a more enjoyable game. There are still super cheap characters that could have spent more time in development, but overall I really enjoyed this game. (1/2/22) [38/50]

4. Samurai Shodown III (PS4)

This game is a perfect example of one step forward, three steps back. The character sprites and animation were an improvement over the previous two games, but honestly that's about it when it comes to advantages this game has over previous titles. The gameplay is by far the compromised part of Samurai Shodown III, mostly that it's new mechanics just make this game cumbersome and annoying to play most of the time. Not only that, but in changing the gameplay they also made a lot of characters extremely OPed, cheap, or just broken too. There are other minor gripes I have about III, but the gameplay was definitely the element that held this game back the most and prevented me from enjoying it more. (1/2/22) [31/50]

5. Samurai Shodown IV (PS4)

Fortunately SNK realized they screwed up big time with III and fixed most of the issues hat game had, and maybe even slightly over corrected. What we have with IV is a much more enjoyable, easy to play game, with the emphasis on the word easy. For better or worse, IV is a walk in the park compared to I and II, and quite a bit easier than III by virtue of it actually being way more playable. Sadly, I felt like both III's visuals and audio were just slightly better than IV's. On top of that by the time Samurai Shodown IV came out the series was no longer the stunningly beautiful franchise it was in the early 90s when it first came out, and companies like Capcom and Midway were making better looking fighting games at this point. But still, the fact that the gameplay was mostly fixed made this a much more enjoyable game than its predecessor. (1/2/22) [33/50]

Reserved!

For curiosity sake has a game ever recieved a coveted 50/50 from you? I can't find any that have.What would that.take? I enjoy this tradition and happy to see it another year.

I don't think i'll beat anywhere near 52 but I will share if I do beat any :)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on January 03, 2022, 08:14:19 am
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)
Previous List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193711.html#msg193711)

Quote from: Legend
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.

22. Night Driver (2600)
Just a basic driving game, drive for so many seconds and time runs out, that's pretty much it, there isn't much to this and doesn't really seem like there is much of a goal other than what's your score... but that's most games back in this era.
Rating: Hard pass

23. Surround (2600)
Another 2600 game that was a favorite from my childhood.  It's basically tron where you move and leave a trail behind you and you want to have your opponent hit someone's trail and crash.
Rating: Hard pass

24. 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe (2600)
4 layer, 4x4 tic tac toe.  I lost a bunch of times because I didn't realize it was 4 in a row and not 3 in a row and then it took me some time to realize it could be 4 in a row in tons of dimensions. Good, but again, they probably have a more modern incarnation of this.
Rating: Hard pass

25. Flag Capture (2600)
You've got to find the flag, you've got a grid of locations and you pick a spot and it gives you a hint to where the flag is, the flag, or a bomb.  Another one that would be good to play with the kid.
Rating: Hard pass

26. Concentration (2600)
Memory matching game, really that simple.  Kind of violently loud when you're wrong... and when you're right.  Honestly kind of terrible any way you look at it.
Rating: Hard pass

27. Crash Bandicoot (NS)
I played the trilogy back to back over the weekend (Actually longer, but it felt like a long weekend because jury duty).  I'm honestly having a tough time remembering specifics from each game.  This game felt pretty short, afaik it was the same length of around 25 levels with boss fights, but the DKC style world map thing it felt shorter.  Don't particularly care for that world map type of thing, I get annoyed by it for some reason.  I think of the Crash games, this one is the hardest.  It was okay for the most part but towards the end the levels got gruesomely difficult.  This is probably the start of my franchise run of the Crash series.  At least that's the plan, but I just realized that I don't own Crash Bash, so gotta figure that out... it is a spin off party game, so I could reasonably skip it, but I probably won't.  It's not a terrible game, but I'm just not a fan of this style of platformer.
Rating: Hard pass

28. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (NS)
Started up the second game and it goes to a nexus hub type of system with multiple rooms that lead to levels.  This one felt just as difficult as the first one, so I can't say for sure, but I imagine it's at least a little bit easier as things generally are as QoL improves.  I say this knowing that this remastered didn't really improve anything.  This seems to be the game that establishes that Crash is a moron and is kind of the entire premise of the game that he's being tricked.
Rating: Hard pass

29. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (NS)
Started this one up as soon as I finished the second, this one has a bit more compressed hub world and level structure.  It has a bigger emphasis on voice acting I feel like.  This is definitely the easiest of the 3 games as through out the whole game I don't think I game overed once and was constantly at like 20 lives and stuff.  This game did introduce the racing levels though, which were ridiculously tough as you had to basically do a perfect run with a starting boost to win, and you have to win to progress the game... but the upside is it's impossible to die and lose lives on the level so you wind up grinding lives just trying to beat the level, which might be why I had so many lives the entire game.
Rating: Hard pass

30. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled (NS)
Gave my kid the choice between this and starting Spyro trilogy and he wanted more Crash.  For some reason my kid loves Crash, probably because he's dumb, wacky, and jumps around a lot.  This didn't really have much to it though, 14 races, a couple of boss races, and that's about it.  There's some other stuff to do completion wise, but that's the gist of the story mode.  Unfortunately the majority of the game's unlockables are locked behind a coin system that you can either earn 30-100 coins per race or you can buy coins (microtransaction) and every unlockable costs 1000+ coins, so in beating story mode I earned enough coins to unlock 1 thing... plus the unlock store has a rotating inventory... it's just absolute garbage how much time you'd have to put into this game in general and over time in order to unlock characters... it feels like this should have been a games as a service thing rather than a paid game.  The drift boost system I still don't fully get and the controls for this game are pretty wonky af.  Honestly, I don't look forward to playing the other older Crash racing games, but I'm gonna try.
Rating: Hard pass

31. Far Cry 6 (XS)
I need to do better about writing stuff about games as I play them.  I've been playing this one for a while and I'm just now about to beat the game and I'm just starting to write stuff up about this.  Thinking about previous Far Cry games, they were all very much a far cry in that you character was just suddenly some badass.  Went back and looked and I guess most games you're not some joe nobody.  Far Cry 3 I think in the game they state that your character was a soldier, but I also feel like he was just a frat party boy and Far Cry 4 you're character definitely wasn't a soldier.  But 1, 2, 5, and 6 your character is definitely a trained soldier.  This one specifically sounds like you were trained by the very people you're fighting against.  Story is a bit incoherent and the characters are hit or miss.  I got devastated at the death of one character, surprised at the non-death of another character, felt disconnected from whole groups of characters.  Plus this game, I don't feel as connected with the world.  I feel like previous Far Cry games I felt a personal incentive to explore and do all the things, this game, not so much.  I went out of my way to unlock certain weapons and I've been doing certain side stuff to unlock fast travel points, but I don't feel the need to go do everything in the game like I've done in previous games.  I enjoy the game for sure, but I'm just not feeling it to be honest.  I won't say this one falls flat, but I'm just not feeling it.  Also, it doesn't help that the entire soundtrack for this game is like tejano music... and I have a personal thing with tejano music because I live in Texas and my neighbors will blare tejano music at all hours and I hate it so much.  I legitimately went into the settings and just set music to 0, so now cutscenes and stuff will have "Oh, let's dance."  "Oh, that's some good music" or a character starts rapping, but there is no music playing so it's kinda fucking weird, but I'm not turning it back on.  Not happening.  If I was scoring this game like I was trying to do at one point, this game would get a big 0 for sound.  This game has some stuff that irked me but I think I see why now.  So first off, this game does a good job of connecting you with your character, previous Far Cry entries you were basically a faceless protagonist, but not only do you have a face and a voice, but you are in cutscenes and the game even does some stuff in 3rd person so you see yourself.  Personally, I wish the game let you have the option of running that whenever you wanted, not that I'd do it, but I'd definitely want it for driving.
Rating: Soft recommendation

32. Marvel's Avengers (PS5)
I'm still playing this, but I'm marking it beat for now because I did the original main campaign and got the credits to roll.  I'm actually not sure I'll even continue because I tried to start the Hawkeye campaign and I couldn't figure out how to actually start working on it.  On to notes about the game.  I remember originally being hyped for this game before they showed anything because I like Crystal Dynamics work, then they showed off the game (of which I largely ignored it like I do) and heard a lot of complaints about how bland the characters are and how uninspired the gameplay is.  I know a lot of folks were irked that they didn't try for MCU likenesses, but I get it and it doesn't bother me too much... what does bother me is that bland castings, don't get me wrong, I love Laura Bailey's voice and Nolan North, Willingblam, and NFT idiot whose name escapes me are very popular... but I'm sick of hearing their voices to be honest.  They voice way too many people in games and I can't help but hear other characters instead of who I'm seeing, it just doesn't feel matchy or at least it feels too generic because these people voice everyone... and critical role didn't help, it really brought to the forefront just how overused these people are.  I will always knock games points for using these overused folks, you could save yourself some money I bet going a bit lesser known and you'd get voices that aren't used in just about everything.  That said, Willingblam has been voicing Thor in video games since 2013 and Laura Bailey has been voicing Black Widow since 2013 as well.  Doesn't change that I'm sick of em.  Speaking on the game itself though, it did have a lot of glitches towards the end.  On the final mission one last enemy was stuck in a wall alive, so I couldn't progress because I had to "Secure the area" but I couldn't get the guy as he was stuck in an invincible animation.  I wound up using all of my special moves and one of them actually knocked the enemy back out of the wall and I was able to proceed without having to start over thankfully.  But then there were a lot of other issues where if I jumped right before one of those pre-animated sequences, the sequence and animation would start, but I'd be in mid air... so Captain America would start walking towards a computer, but he's floating 10 ft in the air.  Or I'd start walking, but Captain America would do a falling animation and just slide across the floor until it decided to swap to a walking animation.  Or an enemy broke and just slid around in a T pose.  Goofy stuff.  Weirdness and terrible voice choice aside... the next issue is the decision to go GaaS (Games as a service) really brought this game down.  The game has this sort of artificial length to it that you need to grind out to get better equipment so you have to keep playing and there's constant daily/weekly stuff to incentivize continual play, but for me, it just encourages me to just burn through the game as fast as possible.  If you tell me I've got to dump time over time to get anywhere good in a game, I expect I'm not going to enjoy your game because it goes from being fun to being a chore.  So I just skip all of that extra content that could've just been good, because you had to corrupt the concept.  And even ignoring that, in a given mission there are chests with equipment and such in them, equipment might not be good or better than what you have, so high likelihood of being a waste of time and then currency you earn by doing that is so little in comparison to buying a single item that I played through the whole game and didn't earn 10% of what it costs to buy 1 item and there are tons of items to buy.  Again they expect you to dump hundreds of hours just to get 1 item when there are hundreds of items to acquire, no thanks.  And I went into this game knowing that the costumes (purely aesthetics) were locked behind microtransactions, and I thought it's okay, who cares... but I found that I cared, if only because the base outfit you get for all characters really suck, but I'm not dumping money into a bad game just to get an aesthetically pleasing outfit.  Some outfits can be unlocked, like 5 out of 50 total, but it's a huge slog of time over time to unlock, because you can only earn points daily/weekly and you need a ton of points... again GaaS garbage.  They really leaned on it hard and it backfired imo.  The final groin kick on this shit cake, to do the final mission, you have to grind out resources, and one of the resources is so rare that you could do 5 levels and not see the one enemy who drops what you need... and they still might not even drop it... and you need 2.  So I burned through the game pretty quick, but then I had to replay 1 level 10 times to get the resources I needed to even start the final mission... that pissed me off.  That all said, the story was okay, very comic book or at least tongue in cheek comic book?  The characters were good enough, but definitely could've been better.  None of this sufficient to really save the games failings.  The only possible positive I can really say for this game, playing as Black Widow was quite good, you could really see that Crystal Dynamics leveraged their experience with the Tomb Raider franchise and made her gameplay quite good and fun.  It makes me yearn for a Black Widow stand alone video game from the Crystal Dynamics folks.  Not sure how they'd do it, but I think it could be quite good fun.  I'll just continue dreaming on that though as it'll never happen... plus does Laura Bailey really need more voice work?  After a bit of reading I've come to the conclusion that there is some post game story content I missed that maybe I'll go see about doing before I really jump into the 3 add-on campaigns.
Rating: Hard pass.

33. The Medium (XS)
I started this game last year shortly after the game's launch, but I inadvertently abandoned it pretty quickly.  I don't remember what was going on, but my interests and priorities shifted and I just didn't make time to play it anymore.  I had streamed the game once or twice and I had intended on continuing streaming the game when I picked it back up... but I just didn't.  I had been feeling good pain wise, so I was planning on it, but the day I actually went to play it again I was hurting a lot and just couldn't be bothered.  I couldn't even be bothered to do a no commentary stream just directly streaming from my xbox.  I wish I had, because I did play for hours straight and it would've been fine, but I just didn't.  2 daily sessions of playing this at night and I managed to finish it.  The game is almost a good survival horror spooky type of game for me, it's pretty low stakes as combat is few and far between, but the "combat" is you running from a monster.  I've never really been a fan of the Crash/Uncharted running from/towards the camera thing, but I deal.  There isn't a lot in this game that will kill you, but dying can be very frustrating outside of the monster sequences, because if you die, you have to redo everything.  I could give this game so much more credit if it at least saved you collecting items and hearing dialogs, but you have to redo everything.  Additionally, the monster sequences, if you die, you have to sit through the full death animation, loading screen, and the enemy's monologue before you can get back to it.  So one of the final monster sections, you're sitting there for a full minute before you can play and potentially die in like 3 seconds.  These two things are so inconvenient to the process that I can't put it on my top 5 even this early in the year.  The story is pretty good, but the ending is left pretty open which is fine and all, but it's not something I usually enjoy.  I like closure, good or bad.  Additionally, the game feels more Syberia point and click than Silent Hill survival horror, just about the entire game feels very at your own pace except for when the monster shows up, and it's nothing like Nemesis or Mr. X in RE, it's scripted little sequences between certain areas.  Basically the game feels more like a suspenseful point and click than a survival horror game.  The game isn't even that scary so much as just creepy.  Without getting into spoilers, the game does pretty well to make you feel vulnerable at certain points and powerful at other points and it works pretty well within the context of the story.
Rating: Soft pass.

34. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (NS)
Started this one up shortly after finishing Crash Team Racing.  This one has a lot of quality of life changes that are truly appreciated.  Like the unlimited lives concept so I can just keep retrying over and over without having to worry about starting the entire level over again.  The game even seems like it has dynamic checkpoints, so if you can get through one part easy but another part is giving you trouble, the game will generate a checkpoint between the two sections so you don't have to keep redoing the easy part.  I really appreciated that once I noticed what the game was doing.  Every level you 100% complete unlocks you an outfit, which is incentive to 100% individual levels, but personally I'd rather a store where I can spend gems so I can pick and choose outfits and such, but I won't nitpick because it's whatever.  I don't actually care too much about the outfits for this game, unlike Avengers where I felt compelled to have outfits I couldn't have.  I'm not going to 100% a single level so it's whatever.  The game unlocks some features over time to encourage you to replay levels which is nice and almost cool way of convincing players to spend more time in the game.  It won't work on me, but I appreciate it.  They add tough "throwback" levels, they add in secondary characters that you can play as in certain levels.  When Tawna showed up I kind of lost it, she's such a cool character both in looks and in gameplay.  I even went and played a level or two as Tawna but realized it was just secondary content not important to completing the game and went about my business... kind of wish I could swap her in and play as her instead of Crash or Coco, but it's whatever.  Just kind of breezing through the game at this point.  The last 3 levels, it's ridiculous, I died like 60 times per level, right at the end of the level.  It would be insane to play this game not on casual mode.  And then the final boss was actually pretty enjoyable, but the previous levels were harder.  The checkpoints for boss fights legitimately makes boss fights trivial, but I don't mind.  I want to say hard pass, but this game has a ton of content to be quite honest.
Rating: Soft pass.

Next List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194132.html#msg194132)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on January 03, 2022, 11:00:20 am
2. Die Young - abandoned
Starts off interesting and difficult. Has some learning curve involved. Once I got into it (took a bit) then I wanted to play it. Didn't really care about the story but was drawn to this for the crafting element. Managed to figure out how to take down some enemies by spam rock throwing. Enemies can still get stuck on the environment which helps. Dogs that dodge rocks is annoying. People don't dodge rocks. There are many different things you can do but the main goal seems to be to get to the tower on top of the mountain. I ran around everywhere in that area and could not figure out how to get there. Also managed to get there by cheesing the environment. While the game is billed as being some sort of survival game, it turns into a mountain climbing simulator. The climbing is not fun because sometimes you miss or just fall for no reason (reason is stamina drains but the game doesn't explain this to you) and having to spend 90% of your time climbing mountains isn't fun. Especially since a lot of the climbs are timed so that you just make it to the end of the climb just before stamina runs out. Means you have to be perfect. Many deaths and reloads if not.

Since I didn't know what to do next or how to get up the mountain, I watched a speedrun and saw that I would have to be climbing for another hour. Of course the speedrunner does it fast but I wouldn't be able to do it that way. And even watching that video I could tell that I would have never figured it out on my own and could have taken hours to do it. So I decided to give up on this game. It was fun while it lasted (and after I got a crossbow) but in the end it wasn't what I was looking for.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 03, 2022, 03:15:34 pm
Two more, or three more depending on how you look at it, Samsho games down!


6. Samurai Shodown V (PS4)

I had fairly high hopes for V given that it's often considered one of the best games in the series. While it certainly didn't disappoint in terms of its audio, gameplay, and visuals, it did feel a bit lacking. I guess that makes sense since V Special was meant to improve upon what was laid out in V substantially. I enjoyed the gameplay for the most part, however the game had some major character balancing issues which is something that seems to plague the entire series, at least from all the Samurai Shodown games I've played. Still, I had a pretty good time with V, and it many ways it felt like an appetizer for the main course which was its enhanced versions. (1/3/22) [33/50]

7. Samurai Shodown V: Special/Perfect (PS4)

I bundled Samurai Shodown V Special and V Perfect together since they are pretty much 98% the same exact game. Perfect has the fatalities that Special is famous for, however the animations for them are censored. As a trade off, Perfect has little story cutscenes between some fights which don't really add much to the games enjoyment despite being meant to create a more engaging narrative. There are supposedly gameplay differences between Special and Perfect, however the only one I really noticed was that Perfect felt noticeably easier than Special. Overall I really enjoyed Special more, but I couldn't say with enough confidence that these games are different enough to say they're separate titles. But anyhow, V's gameplay is certainly an improvement over Special, as are its music. Visually the two are on par with each other. You also have more characters in Special/Perfect over vanilla V and different stages too. V Special and Perfect weren't the insane jump over the original V I was hoping for, but it was enough for me to take notice and have a good time with these games. (1/3/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 03, 2022, 04:10:35 pm
I love me some SamSho. I'm glad to see it getting some attention. I might pop those in when I'm in the mood for a fighting game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 03, 2022, 10:35:07 pm
I love me some SamSho. I'm glad to see it getting some attention. I might pop those in when I'm in the mood for a fighting game.


I got that collection that Limited Run Games sold last summer and have been eager to jump back into the series. I used to play the first three in the arcade back in the day quite a bit, and then some on the PS2 collection, but its been years since I spent any real time with these games. Aside from 6 I haven't played many Samsho games after three, at least extensively.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 03, 2022, 10:42:42 pm
Soooo, I'm on a bit of a Samurai Shodown kick....


3. Samurai Shodown II (PS4)

While this game wasn't vastly better than the first Samurai Shodown game, it was just enough to make it a more enjoyable fun experience. I'd say that both games are equal when it comes to visuals and audio, but the tweaks to Samurai Shodown 2's gameplay make it a more enjoyable game. There are still super cheap characters that could have spent more time in development, but overall I really enjoyed this game. (1/2/22) [38/50]

4. Samurai Shodown III (PS4)

This game is a perfect example of one step forward, three steps back. The character sprites and animation were an improvement over the previous two games, but honestly that's about it when it comes to advantages this game has over previous titles. The gameplay is by far the compromised part of Samurai Shodown III, mostly that it's new mechanics just make this game cumbersome and annoying to play most of the time. Not only that, but in changing the gameplay they also made a lot of characters extremely OPed, cheap, or just broken too. There are other minor gripes I have about III, but the gameplay was definitely the element that held this game back the most and prevented me from enjoying it more. (1/2/22) [31/50]

5. Samurai Shodown IV (PS4)

Fortunately SNK realized they screwed up big time with III and fixed most of the issues hat game had, and maybe even slightly over corrected. What we have with IV is a much more enjoyable, easy to play game, with the emphasis on the word easy. For better or worse, IV is a walk in the park compared to I and II, and quite a bit easier than III by virtue of it actually being way more playable. Sadly, I felt like both III's visuals and audio were just slightly better than IV's. On top of that by the time Samurai Shodown IV came out the series was no longer the stunningly beautiful franchise it was in the early 90s when it first came out, and companies like Capcom and Midway were making better looking fighting games at this point. But still, the fact that the gameplay was mostly fixed made this a much more enjoyable game than its predecessor. (1/2/22) [33/50]

Reserved!

For curiosity sake has a game ever recieved a coveted 50/50 from you? I can't find any that have.What would that.take? I enjoy this tradition and happy to see it another year.

I don't think i'll beat anywhere near 52 but I will share if I do beat any :)


Yes, three.


Shenmue
Shenmue II
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild


I score games differently depending on the genre, but generally this is how I break the score down.


Gameplay: x/10
Audio: x/10
Presentation (includes story if applicable): x/10
Fun: x/20


60% of my scores are me trying to be objective while the Fun score is an entirely subjective score. I feel like all reviews no matter how much the author claims to be entirely objective always have a degree of subjectivity. I feel like that subjectivity is at least 25% of the score a reviewer gives to a game, but typically I'd say it's closer to 50% or more. At at least try and allocate the majority of my scores to objective measures, but obviously my subjective enjoyment is weighted pretty heavily. I also judge a game's objective score based on the standards of when it came out and not by modern standards. That's probably more than you cared to know, but there is my scoring system lol.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 04, 2022, 02:36:52 am
8. Samurai Shodown VI (PS4)

I feel like Samurai Shodown VI is a very misunderstood game. A lot of Samsho fans really look down on this game or downright hate it because gameplay wise it's pretty different from any previous Samurai Shodown. VI definitely controls and plays way more like a traditional arcade tournament fighter like Street Fighter or Marvel vs Capcom than any previous Samurai Shodown title. It's more or less the opposite in gameplay to the early Samsho games especially. Still, for what it is Samurai Shodown VI is a really fun fighting game with fun, fast paced gameplay, awesome combos and action, and creative amazing supers. On top of that it has some of the best visuals of any Samurai Shodown game since the first two. The OST is also really good as well. VI is definitely not a perfect game, but I feel like is fans of the series would play it with a more open mind and not expect it to be a direct successor to V: Special or II than they'd find themselves playing a highly enjoyable fighting game with characters from their favorite franchise. (1/3/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on January 04, 2022, 06:43:00 am
1 - Cyber Shadow (Switch 2021) - BEAT - A nice start to the year with this one, a pretty solid retro throwback with the good modern touches to make the game just enjoyable to play.  It's definitely got its difficult parts even with checkpoints as certain sections in the latter half of the game can be a real kick in the ass.  Story stuff is very Ninja Gaiden meets Mega Man and the game looks nice and plays well.  I wouldn't say it does anything particularly super new or inventive that other games like this have done, but it's a straightforward and solid experience.  Definite recommend if you are into games like Shovel Knight and The Messenger.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on January 05, 2022, 02:24:30 am
1-Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch) 12/25/21-1/3/22

I wanted this game ever since I saw it revealed live at the E3 Nintendo Direct. The Super Monkey Ball games were at a stage where I couldn't afford the originals, and I went bananas (pun intended) when I first saw it. I got this as a Christmas gift from my Grandmother, and have been playing it a lot since. I completed the (SMB2) story mode and the (SMB1) Beginner and Intermediate challenge modes. Some might not consider y game complete until I've 100%ed all the missions and played every level, but I feel I've "completed" it. I'll probably keep coming back to it for years to come, but I feel satisfied enough to call it finished.

8/10 would recommend
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 06, 2022, 12:06:06 am
9. Samurai Shodown (2019) (PS4)

It's kinda hard to believe I didn't play this game sooner, especially after reading/hearing many reviews that claimed it was a triumphant return to the series' former glory. After playing and beating it myself it's sort of hard to argue against that. While it might not be the innovator in terms of graphics and gameplay it was back in the day, what is on display is pretty good overall. The gameplay especially feels refined and both technical and deep, but also streamlined enough to where almost anyone can figure out how to be a badass in this game. The audio is also excellent as is the case with most Samsho games I've played. Definitely one of the best and I hope SNK eventually follows it up with something even better! (1/5/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 08, 2022, 02:15:10 am
10. Samurai Shodown! 2 (Neo Geo Pocket)

I don't have a ton of experience playing the Neo Geo Pocket, mostly because I'm not a huge handheld fan. Outside of a few titles, most handheld games just feel like lesser, watered down versions of much better games on home consoles and arcades. Pretty much you're paying for the novelty of playing portably at the cost of the game you're playing being heavily compromised, at least that's how it was up until about a decade ago. Samurai Shodown! 2 is sort of this, being based on the arcade exclusive Samurai Shodown 64: Warrior's Rage, but converted from a 3D fighter to a 2D fighter on a portable. More or less Samurai Shodown! 2 plays like a regular Samsho game like 4 or 5, but with certain aspects lost in translation for the sake of making it work on a handheld with just 2 buttons. Still, for what they were able to pull off, the game still is fun and pretty good looking, However, the best part of the game is it's OST...I mean, oh man! There certainly were a lot of compromises made to make a 1999 handheld version, but what they did was definitely and above average effort as far as handhelds go. (1/5/22) [32/50]

11. SNK Gal Fighters (Neo Geo Pocket)

In all seriousness, I never knew retro portably fighting games could be this good! I was blown away by how good SNK Gal Fighters looks, plays, sounds, and just feels overall while playing it. It pretty much uses the same simplified, two-button gameplay of the Neo Geo Pocket KOF games, but somehow it also felt more smooth and precise. Regardless, the game is filled to the brim with charm, including everything from the super cute chibified SNK female characters, the unique spin on their attacks which makes them far more over the top and comical, or even the final boss which both surprised me and made me literally start laughing. There is just so much to love about SNK Gal Fighters. My only real criticism of this game is that it's definitely on the easy side when it comes to SNK fighting games from this period. Still, you'd be hard pressed to find a better portable fighting game until maybe Smash Bros on the 3DS. (1/5/22) [36/50]

12. King of Fighters R2 (Neo Geo Pocket)

I've never played KOF R2 or its handheld predecessor thoroughly, but having done so now, R2 is little more than a watered down handheld port of KOF 98. More or less if you want to play KOF 98, than just play it with a TV and controller, or an arcade cabinet and quarters. Despite the game being a watered down handheld port I do have to give it credit for still being pretty fun to play and making KOF's gameplay work with just two action buttons. Where I REALLY have to give it credit is it's MIDI-fied version of KOF 98's OST which just sound amazing! This game is definitely worth a shot, but mostly as a novelty if you want to see what a late 90s portable version of one of the best fighting games ever made. (1/7/22) [32/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 08, 2022, 10:23:52 am
2. Control Ultimate Edition (PS5) 1/7/22

I’ve been hearing great things about this game for a while but didn’t really read too much about it, so I was pretty happy to discover just how much of a mind fuck it really was. The story did feel a little loose at times but the fluid combat, cool powers, and some just really bad ass moments (I’m talking about you Ashtray Maze ) more than made up for it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeVKLZLin1/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on January 08, 2022, 11:38:16 am
My first game completed of 2022!!

1. I Saw Black Clouds (PS4)

What can I say I love FMV games and a friend recommended this to me. I never heard of it, but I have played Late Shift before which was developed by the same team that made this game. I have to say it is worth playing through a couple of times, but the game really doesn't make much sense. The main plot of the story never really gets answered and often you are asking even more questions. I think it is better than The Shapeshifting Detective (which I have started, but then stopped because I lost a lot of interest....I may come back to it at some point). Overall it is not bad, but not great either.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on January 08, 2022, 02:22:03 pm
1. Resident Evil 1 Remake (PS4 - Spectator) 07/01/2022
Me and my firend have been struggling to find decent Co-op games to play, its gotten so bad we've resorted to playing Single Player games - Which is fine by me as I've bee ngetting on at him to play certa games for years anways :P

So, how did he fair with RE1R? Quite well, I will say however some of the puzzle mechanics can be a bit tedious, find particualr keys or items became troulesome at times. I still respect the REmake though, especiallty with the additional sub-story with Lisa Trevor which is very memorable! We'll probably go ahead and play the RE2R next week :)

I'm currently playing Guardians of th Galaxy on PS5 which is a real treat - I don't like Marvel content really but this is pretty self contatined.

I also just got a 2 month trial on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate & plan to plow through many smallere titles in the next few months!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 08, 2022, 03:51:57 pm
3. Kid Dracula

Not gonna lie. This was kind of a let down. Maybe everyone else talking about it, plus it finally being available in English, got me a bit hyped? It's not a bad game and I appreciated the goofy aesthetics but...

Oh well.

4. Dragon Warrior VII

The credits rolled after 67 long-ass hours. The more I played it, the more it felt like the game was doing everything in its power to make me want to stop playing. I logged more hours in the 3DS version and still prefer it over this one.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 09, 2022, 12:51:06 am
13. Razion EX (Switch)

I used to cling to every NG:dev.team release religiously back in the early 2010s when they were regularly releasing brand new Dreamcast and Neo Geo SHMUPS. Unfortunately they just stopped making new games about 5 years ago so I stopped checking in. Through pure chance I was made aware of them doing a very limited batch of a new shooter they'd developed that I'd never heard of. I was lucky enough to grab a copy last year and finally gave the game a try this evening.


Razion EX is an okay SHMUP overall. It's graphics, while flashy and colorful are just fairly forgettable and generic unfortunately. It soundtrack is also fairly forgettable, albeit it appropriate for this type of game. Where Razion EX really shines is with it's gameplay. It has very tight controls, pretty good balance overall throughout, and a very easy to gauge hit box for navigating through hundreds of bullets flying at you. By the time i beat Razion I did have a good time, but I just felt like I'd probably forget most about this game in a year or two given how otherwise unremarkable it is in any way. (1/8/21) [33/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 09, 2022, 07:07:47 pm
3. Gears of War 4 (XSX) 1/9/22

Gears 1-3 were great games but to say they were outdated would be an understatement; so, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect with the jump to a modern console, but I have to say they kinda fucking nailed it. Gears 4 took everything that made the previous games so good, gave it a nice polish and an actual plot, and ended up with easily the best game in the series so far. Oh and having Marcus there as a father figure getting pissed off every time we popped a pod was the icing on the cake lol. Beat 1/9/22

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYh0zt2rtta/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on January 09, 2022, 10:43:08 pm
2. I SPY Castle (DS)

This is a cute hidden object game with a few easy minigames thrown in. It is honestly not bad, I actually enjoyed it as a palette cleanser before I tackle the next big game. Plus, you get to go on a quest and that is good enough for me!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on January 13, 2022, 03:41:32 pm
I’m not going to do a write-up on every game I beat, but in this case I felt like I had to.

4. Lords of Thunder (Coregrafx Mini)

First, a little history.
I had both SNES and Genesis in high school. Heard about the Turbografx 16 but it was the “other” system, the one nobody owned. I only ever knew one person who had one, a friend of a friend, and never had an opportunity to play it.
Fast forward 10+ years…I discovered PC emulation but I could never get a TG16 emulator to work right (my computers have never been high-end). Briefly played Bonk’s Adventure and a couple other things, and couldn’t get PC Engine CD/Turbo CD games to work at all.

So when I found out about the PCE/CG/TG16 Mini consoles I did some research, and it seemed like a good opportunity to try these games out, many of which I never heard of, including Lords of Thunder. Watched videos on it and I could instantly tell LoT was something I might really like, despite shmups not being one of my preferred genres.

So, I got the Coregrafx Mini for Christmas, and LoT was the first game I tried.
It took me a while to figure out exactly how the game was meant to be played; I tried saving all my money at first and going minimalist…and got clobbered. Once I discovered you are basically meant to go into every level with your weapon level maxed, I did better. Finished it last night and immediately started a new game to see how much I had improved…and got through the first 5 levels without too much difficulty. This game is ADDICTING, and the soundtrack is legendary.

Again, I’m not a major shmup guy, but Lords of Thunder has very quickly blasted its way into my soul.

Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on January 14, 2022, 05:27:35 am
2 - Dark Souls 3 (PS4 2016) - BEAT - And done with DS3, essentially completing my "marathon" I started last year, getting through all the Souls games, not counting Bloodborne, since we still haven't gotten an update for that game.  I'm not sure if I'm gonna do the DLC yet, it's there, but I feel more inclined to move on to Monster Hunter Rise for now. 

Had a good time, it's definitely still my favorite Souls game, purely just on its quality and how good it feels to play.  I know everyone has their favorites for this series, it's definitely a big step up from DS2 for sure.  Until I get my Bloodborne replay, not sure how I'd place it, I almost feel like it's gonna be Bloodborne just because I love the games setting and its faster gameplay, but DS3 is still really good.  My only complain is aside from the common FromSoft annoyance of creatures having insta-kill moves, is that the camera can get dang rough at times trying to properly follow stuff.  It's pretty obnoxious in the first part of the Nameless King fight, of which that fight also sucks for cloud floor, which amounts to just being a flat gray color, and therefore you can't tell depth properly, so it's really easy to miss attacks against the dragon bird lol

Other than that, I had a good, infuriating, time and I'm super ready for Elden Ring.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 14, 2022, 09:36:27 am
4. Batman: Return to Arkham: Arkham Asylum (XSX) 1/13/22

Yet another critically acclaimed franchise that I just somehow missed playing. Not gonna lie, I kinda have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I can totally see why everyone loves this game, but at the same time the combat felt a little bit dated and repetitive; I’m assuming it gets better in the next one. Overall I did enjoy it and plan on continuing with the others.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYsjPz0NYpP
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 16, 2022, 04:40:47 pm
5. Berserk: Band of the Hawk

It's DW with Berserk's story and setting. You play one game, then you've played them all. I'm familiar with the story up to the Eclipse. After that, it was a new experience. It got really dull near the end.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on January 16, 2022, 05:17:43 pm
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)
Previous List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193849.html#msg193849)

Quote from: Legend
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.

35. Pokemon Legends: Arceus (NS)
I sort of stupidly bought this game shortly after launch once it hit $50 and paid with credit/gift cards so it was free, but then like a day later it went B2G1 and $55.  I'm justifying my purchase by saying I didn't have other games I wanted anyway, but whatever.  I heard a lot of hype from folks and folks playing like crazy and I got sucked in.  Based on my play so far, it feels a cross between Pokemon Let's Go and Pokemon Sword/Shield.  This game has so much QoL improvements that just should've always been there.  Pokemon can learn as many moves as they want, you just have to equip the moves, kind of like preparing spells in D&D, but you can do it any time outside of battle.  I do find I'm still doing the thing I do in Pokemon games and that is I have a well rounded team, so I'm sticking with them instead of swapping people out.  I thought about swapping out my completed pokedex folks so I can get a little extra effort towards tasks, but I just can't be bothered to pick other pokemon.  I was hoping there would be incentive to releasing pokemon, but there doesn't seem to be sadly, just do it to save space I guess.  Like I was hoping for a donate to the cause thing, we need these types of pokemon to help with these types of things, or missions you can send pokemon out on with survey corps or something, they're still yours but they can "work".  I'm pretty early on, so it could still happen I suppose, but I feel like if that were a thing they wouldn't be offering and teaching me about releasing pokemon already.  I don't know when Pokemon games started doing it, but I hate it.  The games have their story mode that ends in the credits rolling, but then there is post game content, which is fine, but the post game content is important story info.  I mean, I guess you could stop playing and be like "Yay, all is good", but like if you played for another hour you'd see there is more going on, just feels like you could've not done credits rolling and just continued.  Anyway, did the save the world thing, then did the next post game thing which was actually pretty fuckin tough until I went and got revives.  There is another post game thing, but it requires completing the pokedex and I'm not about that.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

36. Touhou Luna Nights (X1)
Another leaving Game pass game.  Saw that this one is actually a metroidvania game and decided to prioritize it.  The game seems to combine bullet hell style gameplay with metroid vania style combat and world.  If I recall correctly, touhou as a franchise is all about bullet hell gameplay, this one isn't very intense in the bullet hell sense, but it is definitely a tough game regardless.  The game's story seems to fall in touhou's world, but I'm not familiar with it, so most things just kind of went over my head because I don't know what's going on.  Even at the end I didn't really get what was going on, so not having any knowledge of touhou may have hurt the experience for me personally.  I'm not big on pixel art games in general, the art style isn't my preference, but when games have artwork for the characters that is really pretty and nice quality, it detracts from the experience when the core gameplay is pixelart.  I get it with indie games from small teams, but it doesn't change that fact for me.  The character growth isn't very prominent in that by the end of the game you aren't actually much stronger than earlier on in the game, you just have new tools.  Collecting the collectibles will increase your MP/HP/Time like most metroidvania games, but the number of collectibles is so few that it doesn't appear to account for much, but also the game is tough so even what little they give you isn't quite enough.  "Luckily" the game has a shop where you can buy health/magic potions that can be consumed to refill your meters, which I definitely needed to beat the final boss.  It wasn't quite until the final boss that I really honed in on the game's systems of barely not getting hit and refilling health/mp, pacing yourself so you can do special attacks, even using special attacks at all tbh.  I didn't even realize you could slow down, not stop, time if you wanted to until I hit the point that I couldn't progress without that.  I googled and couldn't find an answer on how to slow time, until eventually I pieced together that they taught me something right at the beginning that I was like oh I'll never use that, which I thought was a slower way of stopping time instead of just hitting the stop time button, that I realized they taught me snail time, not time stop.  I feel like that should've had a note on the controls screen to remind you it exists, because I wasted a good hour trying to find some upgrade I missed.  Overall, the game wasn't bad, but it's definitely down there in my least favorite metroidvania games, I'll probably forget this game exists to be honest.
Rating: Hard pass

37. Hypnospace Outlaw (X1)
I've had this installed since it went on game pass and I finally played it because it's leaving game pass.  Game pass really seems to be my play it before it leaves thing.  I rarely play anything else on it. :shrug:  In general, I'm trying to play games like this on game pass because the alternative is spending more money to get a physical copy.  That said, maybe if I like the game I'd do a physical copy too.  Playing this game took some time to get what was going on and the core gameplay mechanic.  Overall the main story plays well enough on Xbox in that for the most part you don't have to actually search for things by typing, but there are definitely times where you do and that does detract from the experience.  I had gone into this game thinking that Switch might be better with the touch controllers, like a cellphone keyboard, but honestly, I think this game probably plays best on PC and truly should be played as such.  Story is interesting in this one, but I feel like there isn't much closure, bunch of plot holes, and decisions don't really matter I think.  Like there was some late game stuff where I expected confrontation and drama, but it was like "yeah, you found me out, ok, I'll repent"... o...k.  And then there is a lot of what about these other people, nothing there.  Controls aren't exactly the most intuitive which can cause problems, almost all web pages auto play annoying music, honestly a lot of late 90s internet bs, so I guess it's on purpose.
Rating: Soft pass.

38. Elden Ring (XS/X1)
I legitimately haven't written anything on here in over a month because of this game.  I'm at like 130 hours into this game and still pretty far from being done.  I've got one last region to hit I think, but tons of content to do and I'm wanting to aim for the full achievement set for this game.  I've been swapping between XS and X1 on this game depending on whether or not my wife wants to play on the big TV or if I'm just not in that room when I'm playing.  This game is just absolutely massive compared to previous FromSoftware games.  I legitimately could talk about this game for hours on end about all of the things about this game.  If I do wind up writing that much about this game it might wind up being a whole post on its own because I'm sure I'd hit the character limit on it.  I'll try my best to be as short and succinct as possible on this.  Souls games get a lot of flack for being difficult and inaccessible, this game does a lot to minimize the difficulty and raise the accessibility, and as patches come out additional accessibility is gained.  As an anecdote, playing on the initial release, I found myself wanting to find merchants, but not recalling where they were and they don't show on the map... patch 1 adds map markers for NPCs you've met, so if you know who you want, you can find them easily. A month and a half later and I've finally gotten all of the achievements for this game.  I still want to go back and do a second run through with a different build, but I really need to get back to my work on this challenge, I haven't beaten a single other game in nearly 2 months.  This game is up there as one of my favorite games of all time, definitely favorite souls game, most likely won't be toppled as GOTY for this year.
Rating: Highly recommended.

39. Tetris Effect: Connected (XS)
I really don't recall when I started this game, but I decided to play it because I thought my kid would enjoy the visuals and shapes.  Of course he has no interest and is in his own world and decides to be destructive.  So I wound up playing after he went to bed and burned through Journey mode.  The stuff they added in this rendition of the game I didn't take advantage of so it's just more of the same for me from the PS4 version just without the option of VR.
Rating: Soft recommendation

40. Kill it with Fire (X1)
Started this game a long time ago.  It's one of those short game jam looking games.  Not much too it but killing spiders.  You get different weapons to kill spiders, but I mostly just stuck with the clipboard because why bother.  Shooting spiders with a gun is unnecessary and kind of inefficient.  Overall not a great game unless you're going to really get into the strategy of the different weapons (most of which I don't understand at all) and try to collect and 100% everything.  Honestly a forgettable experience
Rating: Hard pass

41. Telling Lies (X1)
Not really sure why I started up this game other than it was already installed and I've been interested in it for years because I really enjoyed Her Story.  I played Her Story before I ever started tracking stuff, so I have nothing written about it, but I'll definitely blurb about it here in relation to this game.  Her Story had a pretty straight forward premise that was pretty easy to piece together, and IIRC the game ended once the game thought you figured it out.  I only played it once, so I don't know if you jumped to the right clip right away if the game would end, which could be a flaw in design if you look at it that way.  This game is 1 overarching story, but it's several smaller stories that make it, and when you end the game, they give you "closure" on the story that you paid attention to the most.  The game seems to have a timer running from like midnight to 5am, not sure how time progresses as I didn't pay enough attention to that, but I definitely got the "ending" before I was ready, I had already found the final clip around 3am or something, but kept searching to piece together more information and see as much as I can.  It all makes sense story telling wise, which is fine, but the 3-4 separate stories to follow made things confusing.  I also didn't care for the fact that there was no way to quickly jump to the beginning of a clip and sometimes the fast forward scrubbing was too slow, minor complaints but they really did detract from the experience.  All in all it's a pretty great story, but there are a lot of things I have complaints about.  The main character's "reacting" to the other half of the conversation felt fake/overacted/inappropriate in a lot of situations that just felt disingenuous, some of the acting really felt like they were literally staring at a script and reading, there was a bit of disjointed story telling but I won't knock that as it's absolutely reasonable I just missed pertinent clips, and going on that same note I felt like there was a lost missing or I missed regarding David's breakdown towards the end.  I read some plot synopsis stuff that seemed to imply that I might have missed clips that would have spelled things out for me, but I missed exactly how his relationships all went to shit, his descent into paranoia, and ultimately making his final decision.  That last one really bothered me as nothing in the tale really made me feel like he felt the way he conveyed, absolutely nothing, I want to keep searching and find more, but even reading a synopsis it just sounds like he went and randomly made the decision (maybe because things fell apart, not because he felt it was the right thing to do.)  Honestly, I feel like this is a step down from Her Story, which even that I might be having a form of nostalgia goggles for, because I'm sure I had complaints about that game too.
Rating: Soft pass.

42. Mega Man Legends 2 (PS1)
I started this up a long time ago, well actually I started playing this when I bought it like a decade ago, but I started over again relatively recently, but still like a year ago.  I've been slow playing it like crazy because things keep coming up and I just haven't really had time to play handheld or I'm prioritizing other things.  All in all, it's just more of Legends in general, which is great, but I feel like this game, like most sequels, is a step down from the original because the original's world was so charming and well put together and this one just doesn't capture that same feeling.  It definitely has improvements like the fast travel system, the original had fast travel, but you had to work for it and this one you've just got it from the beginning.  It makes this game feel shorter, but it's got a ton of content, it just moves quickly which is good.  I played the game over such a long period that I sort of lost the plot in general, it seems to be a continuation of the story from Legends, plus you get info about Roll's parents, but no real closure on that given the ending.  I actually really liked the ending bit specifically with Tron and Roll, because adorable, but that ending really makes me yearn for a Legends 3. :C  Shit it makes me yearn for a spinoff game a la Misadventures of Tron bonne, but like 1 part Misadventures of Tron Bonne, 1 part Roll earning money doing repair/spotter work, 1 part Roll and Tron building a rocket puzzle game style, and then 1 more part to round out the experience that I honestly haven't thought enough on, maybe something with Teisel, Data, Gramps, etc... and then the game ends in a resounding failure Bonne style and then Data does his thing and the game was all for nothing.  I honestly may think more on this in general.
Rating: Solid recommendation

43. Fast & Furious: Crossroads (X1)
Honestly not a great game.  I think I knew that going in, but being made by the Project Cars folks made it sound like it'd be better than your average licensed racer.  Gameplay the game wasn't much better than Gear Club Unlimited for instance, which isn't really a compliment, with some janky vehicular combat mechanics.  Story was about what you'd expect from a Fast and Furious outing, which means it's bad, but like you should expect that.  Story is really short, fairly disjointed, and doesn't really do a good job of melding the action to the gameplay while making it feel cinematic(?).  Basically all in all, this game is pretty disappointing.  No difficulty options, no UI/display options, no accessibility options.  The game is basically 3 levels that you play in different conditions to make it seem like different locations, some of the levels are literally the exact same level from earlier, just day instead of night, this is probably why they don't give you a map or anything because then it'd be obvious that they are reusing assets.  Just a very unrefined experience.
Rating: Hard pass

44. Spyro The Dragon (NS)
Been putting this off because I was intending on playing it with my kid watching to see if he'd enjoy it like he did me playing the Crash games, but life's been difficult and we've been trying to have him have less screen time because it makes him bonkers.  So I finally started playing this for myself basically, he gets to watch a little bit here and there, but not much.  I've never played a Spyro game before, so I wasn't fully aware of what I was getting into, I think I was thinking something like Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank, just a platform adventure game, but the game is closer to Banjo Kazooie or Mario 64 in that it's a world based collectathon game.  I enjoy that type of game, and this one has the pleasant experience of being able to start to finish in one go 100% levels which I appreciate.  I really don't like games that make you skip stuff because you don't have a skill and have to come back later to 100%, I just don't enjoy that.  So being able to do that, I never left a level without 100%ing it first, so I was at 100% completion when I beat the game, then I immediately unlocked the bonus level and 100%'d that level so I ended this game at 120% completion.  Overall a fantastic game, the only problem is the fact that this game has such terrible framerate and lag in general.  The camera can be unintuitive, but really nothing makes this game nearly as bad as the terrible framerate does.  Even the loading screens have humongous frame drops.  I get I'm playing on Switch, but the critic ratings for these games are pretty close, like too close for how bad the frame drops are in this, so I have to imagine the frame drops are bad on other platforms too.  I do kinda wish I had played this on Xbox or Playstation though because I'd probably do all of the trophies/achievements at least for this entry in the game, 2 and 3 are another thing though.
Rating: Solid recommendation

45. Toradora (PSP)
I watched this show for the first time within the last year or so, and found out about the PSP game and English translation recently so I decided to give it a go.  I don't know for sure if I enjoy character VNs or if I enjoy character VNs that I'm already invested in the characters.  Clannad and this I enjoyed for the most part, but I was already invested in the characters.  Toradora the anime, I didn't care for Takasu ending up with Aisaka, I liked Kushieda better, so I was pretty interested in playing this to see how that could unfold.  Most characters I think have multiple endings, Minorin being no different, the difference being that there is only one ending where you end up with Minorin and it's an okay ending.  I just feel like this one really pushes you that Aisaka is the only right answer which bums me out because she's kind of the worst.  I enjoyed the show despite this and I enjoyed the game despite this too.  Overall it's an okay VN, the controls made things confusing and the translation didn't cover the controls, so I didn't even figure out how to save the game until like my 7th playthrough.  It wasn't until I was basically 100% done that I figured out how to leverage some of the controls.  There are all of like 2 guides out there for this, which makes sense given the translation and no official English release, but nothing really covered the controls.  On top of that, the translation isn't really 100% complete in that they didn't translate any extra content or the items list.  I might check out the extra content, but I'm concerned give that they didn't translate the menus that they might not have translated the features themselves.  It's good, but I'd say it isn't worth playing unless you care about Toradora.
Rating: Soft pass

Next List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195871.html#msg195871)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on January 16, 2022, 06:48:23 pm
6. Lake (Xbox One X) 16/01/2022
I really like the concept of this game as I like rather laid back gaming experiences but while I liked the idea I felt the story of Lake didn't really go anywhere. It's about a woman returning to her hometown on vaction to look after her parents house and take up her father's job as a post worker. You spend the game making deliveries in your van which is rather simple and works - Though I never want to hear the radio tracks ever again in my life!

Depending on how your encounters with the lcoals go you can meet up with them for after work activies which offer some engaging and genuinely well written dialogue. But sadly the game lacks any real drive or momemtum for the last act and it left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

Then there are the bugs, oh boy there are plenty of them! From Cars stuck in the floor to walking through houses. The worst however was when I talked to an NPC at a Garage who I spoke to the previous day at a Diner, It suddenly teleported me back to the Diner to have the same conversation with her (After awkwardly panning through half the map). Then after the conversation, I was stuck without my van and had to walk back & walking in this game is basically a snails pace, even if a delivery is only a few doors down it's still worth pulling up in the van to avoid the pace of walking. Took me 10 minutes to walk back to the van and continue with the game. Also, After every cutscene or NPC encounter the game would freeze for 30-90 seconds.. I was interested in the game so I jsut decdiedto do other odd ends aroudn the house or on PC but this probably didnt help setting the immersion.

The game has a nice style and I like the main character but sadly there just isn't enough engaging scenario events or NPC's to really get engrossed in. I see there is a PS5 version being released in a few months which hopefully wll be more polished but the lack of a compelling story still makes me think I'd pass picking it up again.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 18, 2022, 02:55:40 pm
2022 is going to be a year of many things. One of those will be downsizing my collection; seeing where I am with certain games that I used to play years ago. I'm starting with some fighting games. The ones that range from meh and down are getting sold.

6. Bushido Blade - Tatsuki

Still a good romp. I'll keep it. Easy to pick up and play, too.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 19, 2022, 07:49:07 am
7. Bushido Blade 2 - Tatsuki

Even more fun than the first one. I'll keep it!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 20, 2022, 11:43:50 am
8. Ehrgeiz - Cloud

There's no doubt in my mind that if a good chunk of the cast from FFVII weren't in this, then it would have been a major Squaresoft flop. This game was never very fun in the first place. It's getting sold.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 21, 2022, 09:10:27 am
9. Tobal No. 1 - Gren Kutz

I admire it for being something semi-different for its time, but it hasn't aged well. It gets the chop.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 21, 2022, 09:41:37 pm
9. Tobal No. 1 - Gren Kutz

I admire it for being something semi-different for its time, but it hasn't aged well. It gets the chop.


I LOVE this game!


Sure it isn't the best 3D fighting game of that era, but as you said it did a lot of things different than Tekken or Virtua Fighter, and for that I have to give it mad props. More than anything though I have a ton of nostalgia for it and that alone makes it a game worth playing still.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on January 21, 2022, 09:45:34 pm
9. Tobal No. 1 - Gren Kutz

I admire it for being something semi-different for its time, but it hasn't aged well. It gets the chop.


I LOVE this game!


Sure it isn't the best 3D fighting game of that era, but as you said it did a lot of things different than Tekken or Virtua Fighter, and for that I have to give it mad props. More than anything though I have a ton of nostalgia for it and that alone makes it a game worth playing still.

If I’m being completely honest…
I really only bought it for the Final Fantasy VII demo  ;D
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 22, 2022, 01:39:01 am
9. Tobal No. 1 - Gren Kutz

I admire it for being something semi-different for its time, but it hasn't aged well. It gets the chop.


I LOVE this game!


Sure it isn't the best 3D fighting game of that era, but as you said it did a lot of things different than Tekken or Virtua Fighter, and for that I have to give it mad props. More than anything though I have a ton of nostalgia for it and that alone makes it a game worth playing still.

If I’m being completely honest…
I really only bought it for the Final Fantasy VII demo  ;D


You and many other people lol


I actually really wanted to play Tobal more than anything. I didn't get into RPG until a few years after FF7 came out, and I had a Game informer magazine with Tobal on the cover so it got me hyped for it. Unfortunately I didn't get to play it until the early 2000s since I didn't get a Playstation until then lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 22, 2022, 01:51:41 am
14. Tobal No.1 (PS1)

Kashell inspired me to pop this game in tonight and play through t a few times. I haven't played this game in at least 10-years, and going further back, it was one of the first games that made me wish I had a PS1 back in the late 90s. While I did eventually get a PS1 in 2000, this game was one of the first I made sure to track down and buy.


Tobal No.1 fits somewhere between Tekken and Virtua Fighter in terms of its overall quality. Visually I actually really love of Tobal No.1 looks; it has this very Squaresoft look to it from that time period and can also be seen in FF7 as well. It's this odd early 3D charm that most people write off as looking like garbage, but for me it is heavily sentimental and under appreciated. But of course this game also utilized Akira Toriyama's arts style from the characters to the stages. Maybe with the exception of Virtua Fighter 2, I honestly feel like Tobal looks better than most of those other games. OST-wise Tobal is also really good. It has some truly memorable and catchy tunes throughout the game, and I appreciate how they decided to keep the character's Japanese voice acting and didn't bother dubbing over it. Tobals biggest issue however is its gameplay. While not terrible, it's okay at the best of times. The combat just doesn't really have much depth to it and as a result you'll mostly feel like your just button mashing your way to victory. There is also the very innovative quest mode in the game too which has you navigating a 3D dungeon as you avoid traps, jump over bottomless pits, collect items and stat boosters, and of course fight a variety of enemies. This mode was way ahead of its time, but sadly it's still a fairly clunky, cumbersome mode that is pretty difficult to get through given its limitations. Still, I'd still go as far as. saying Tobal No.1 is absolutely an underrated classic on the PS1. It's nothing amazing, but it is still worth giving a try. (1/21/22) [34/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 22, 2022, 02:06:49 am
15. Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)

Sonic Adventure may go down as the game I wish I'd just left in the past the most.


I was hyped beyond measure when this game came out and used to go up to my Hollywood video on my bike to play their Dreamcast kiosk demo of this game they had set up. It's graphics, gameplay, and sound just blew me completely away, and of course I had to have my own Dreamcast and copy to play. My brother got a Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure just a few months after the Dreamcast came out in 1999 and to make things even better we were staying with my aunt at the time who had a big screen TV. Words cannot describe how floored I was my playing Sonic Adventure on a 50" TV in her living room and just drooling over every aspect of this game. Eventually I played through the game with every character, unlocking Super Sonic and beating the game. For years I idolized this game and would have said it was one of my favorites on the Dreamcast. Unfortunately I don't think I could even remotely say that after replaying Sonic Adventure in our current year.


While absolutely iconic and the source of massive nostalgia for countless people, myself included, Sonic Adventure is not a very good game. First and foremost it's controls range from fairly good at the best of times, to objectively awful at the worst. There were more than a few times where I struggled to even walk onto a platform or navigate around a more confined area of the game. The camera is also absolutely awful in this game. While you can control it with the trigger buttons, it'll still try and orient automatically and often get stuck behind level assets or on them, resulting in you wondering where the hell you are going sometimes. Another gripe I have is with certain characters, including many of the Sonic levels, the game just feels like it's on autopilot where you pretty much just have to hold the analogue stick up and press A occasionally and you'll clear the level without any issues. It's like the game sometimes does not want you to do anything while it wows you with its presentation. Speaking of the presentation, it too is a mixed bag. On the surface Sonic Adventure was a very good looking game for its time, but for all the flash there was in this game, there was also a lot of clipping and inconsistent models throughout the game (the people and cars looked terrible, and Sonic and Tails on the Tornado look like they were pulled out of another game and pasted into this one). The game's OST is absolutely incredible and I don't have a bad thing to say about it. However the voice acting in this game is just bad. Sometimes it can be pretty hilarious how a certain character's lines are delivered, but for the most part it's just really crappy and I'm surprised Sega was okay with the final result of what the voice acting cast produced. If not for the decades of nostalgia I had for this game I would have enjoyed playing it far less than I did, which I still struggled to motivate myself to play this one. I actually started playing Sonic Adventure late last year and had intended on it being one of the last games I beat in 2021. Unfortunately I'd play it, get frustrated, annoyed, or bored with it, and then play for a little longer a week later or whatever. No, I don't hate this game and probably never could, but unfortunately it's no longer on that pedestal of greatness I'd placed it on back when I was 12. It genuinely makes me sad and I kinda regret having replayed it, but I guess it is what it is now. (1/21/22) [33/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 22, 2022, 09:05:29 am
I'm glad I inspired someone to give a game a try/retry. Speaking of inspiration:

10. Samurai Shodown - Ukyo Tachibana

I played this as part of the Samurai Shodown Anthology. Kind of how bikingj has a lot of nostalgia for Tobal No. 1, I have a lot of nostalgia for all things SS. Other games in the series do everything better but this is still a great blueprint for what's to come.

11. Metroid Dread

A friend lent me his copy. I completed it in 10 hours and with 55% item completion. Overall it was fine. Samus was slippery and often hard to control. I'm not sure how game developers messed up a double jump but stranger things happened, I guess. I think they should have renamed it to Metroid Game Over because I saw the Game Over screen a lot. I'm glad Samus is back and on people's minds.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on January 22, 2022, 12:50:25 pm
15. Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)

Sonic Adventure may go down as the game I wish I'd just left in the past the most.


I was hyped beyond measure when this game came out and used to go up to my Hollywood video on my bike to play their Dreamcast kiosk demo of this game they had set up. It's graphics, gameplay, and sound just blew me completely away, and of course I had to have my own Dreamcast and copy to play. My brother got a Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure just a few months after the Dreamcast came out in 1999 and to make things even better we were staying with my aunt at the time who had a big screen TV. Words cannot describe how floored I was my playing Sonic Adventure on a 50" TV in her living room and just drooling over every aspect of this game. Eventually I played through the game with every character, unlocking Super Sonic and beating the game. For years I idolized this game and would have said it was one of my favorites on the Dreamcast. Unfortunately I don't think I could even remotely say that after replaying Sonic Adventure in our current year.


While absolutely iconic and the source of massive nostalgia for countless people, myself included, Sonic Adventure is not a very good game. First and foremost it's controls range from fairly good at the best of times, to objectively awful at the worst. There were more than a few times where I struggled to even walk onto a platform or navigate around a more confined area of the game. The camera is also absolutely awful in this game. While you can control it with the trigger buttons, it'll still try and orient automatically and often get stuck behind level assets or on them, resulting in you wondering where the hell you are going sometimes. Another gripe I have is with certain characters, including many of the Sonic levels, the game just feels like it's on autopilot where you pretty much just have to hold the analogue stick up and press A occasionally and you'll clear the level without any issues. It's like the game sometimes does not want you to do anything while it wows you with its presentation. Speaking of the presentation, it too is a mixed bag. On the surface Sonic Adventure was a very good looking game for its time, but for all the flash there was in this game, there was also a lot of clipping and inconsistent models throughout the game (the people and cars looked terrible, and Sonic and Tails on the Tornado look like they were pulled out of another game and pasted into this one). The game's OST is absolutely incredible and I don't have a bad thing to say about it. However the voice acting in this game is just bad. Sometimes it can be pretty hilarious how a certain character's lines are delivered, but for the most part it's just really crappy and I'm surprised Sega was okay with the final result of what the voice acting cast produced. If not for the decades of nostalgia I had for this game I would have enjoyed playing it far less than I did, which I still struggled to motivate myself to play this one. I actually started playing Sonic Adventure late last year and had intended on it being one of the last games I beat in 2021. Unfortunately I'd play it, get frustrated, annoyed, or bored with it, and then play for a little longer a week later or whatever. No, I don't hate this game and probably never could, but unfortunately it's no longer on that pedestal of greatness I'd placed it on back when I was 12. It genuinely makes me sad and I kinda regret having replayed it, but I guess it is what it is now. (1/21/22) [33/50]

I worked at a Software Etc store back when the Dreamcast came out, and at the time employees enjoyed a perk that allowed us to take a game home for a few days to try it out (then it would be placed back in the case and re-shrink wrapped). IIRC I did this with Sonic Adventure and I was never impressed with it. I know it’s an unpopular opinion among people who grew up with it but it just never caught on with me, and I avoided all 3D Sonic games after that; the only Sonic game I bought between Sonic 3 and Sonic Mania was Sonic Advance.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on January 22, 2022, 05:20:33 pm
07. Last Stop (Xbox One X) 22/01/2022

Wasn't sure what to expect with this one, I was hoping for a Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy type of game and ... that's sort of what I gots! ^_^

The game as a Chapter structure, you play as 3 characters located around London. Each story has Supernatural goings on under the fabric of the city - The game often has shots where your character is walking around panning shots of the city, the cinematography really stands out in these scenes! I don't want to spoil anything but each character offers a very different story and they certainly go places! You have to play all 3 character scenarios in each chapter, which is fine but I did sort of feel I'd want to follow 1 characters particular story but then have to go through the other two just to get back to the characters story I preferred. 2 of the characters were decent but then there is one who is one of the most repulsive characters I've played as in any game - I hated her rude personality and that I didn't always have the option to do good to the people she hurts. I'm not sure how diverse the decision making in this game is, sometimes it seemed like all 3 choices offered while worded differently would still lead to the same outcome but I was certainly invested in the story and enjoyed the game overall A LOT - It certainly goes unexpected territory!

If you like interactive narratives where you get involved with peoples lives and decision making this game is certainly worth a pop on Game Pass.

Also in reference to Sonic Adventure, I totally get the hate, the game is seriously buggy but I can't help love it. As far as stories go I think SA1 has the best of the bunch and I love the little hub world areas in-between stages. Funnily enough though, I cannot stand Sonic Adventure 2! For all of SA1's diverse character mechanics, none of them annoyed me - Even Big the cats levels are at least easy to bypass. However, I could not stand Tails/Robotniks Mech Shooting levels, they're horrendously clunky unlike the mech in SA1. Also, I didn't like the way you unlock extra abilities in SA2, it wasn't very natural and often I missed them and couldn't progress a stage as I never found the power up needed prior. I had constant problems like this with SA2 but no such hindrances in SA1.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 23, 2022, 10:10:13 pm
5. Gears 5 (XSX) 1/23/22

With that, my playthrough of the Gears of War franchise has come to an end and boy is there a lot to unpack here. Let’s start with the good stuff, Gears 5 is clearly the best looking game in the series and the combat was super tight. The story picks up where 4 left off and continues to get bigger and better and I’m really excited to see where they go with it when the inevitably make 6. Now before I start with the bad stuff, I want to clarify that I really did enjoy the game but there were some changes they made in this one that I felt were unnecessary; the open world parts… The game just really didn’t need them, previous Gears perfected the fast-paced linear cover-shooter and the open world parts of Gears 5 just killed the pacing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZGN3xEtZ6i/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on January 24, 2022, 04:40:04 pm
12. Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light

Oof. What a let down of an ending. It's cool to have another RPG finished but man. It's no wonder why so few people played (and completed) this. That being said, it's way better than Dragoneer's Aria.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on January 24, 2022, 08:43:43 pm
6. Batman: Return to Arkham: Arkham City (XSX) 1/24/2022

OK, I know I maybe have been a little indifferent about Arkham Asylum, but City… City was something special… I can see why these games hold a special place with so many people. Not only was this a great Batman game, but it was all together a great Batman story, and it’s got me wanting more Batman… might have to crack open a few graphic novels or something lol. Beat 1/24/2022

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZIozm3Nx8p
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on January 24, 2022, 09:58:22 pm
3. Cooking Mama: Cookstar (Switch)

I have played this on the PS4 and I was hoping the Switch version was better. It still suffers from the same issues as the PS4 version. The game itself can't decide if it wants you to focus on being quick, or being more accurate. This game punishes you for both at times. I wanted to like this game as I love the Cooking Mama series. It's alright, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 25, 2022, 01:27:28 am
16. Resident Evil: Code Veronica (Dreamcast)

Code Veronica is a very special Resident Evil game for me. For one it was my first time really diving into an RE game; I'd played the first RE at my cousin's house before I even knew what Resident Evil was and its gameplay perplexed my 9-year old brain. I didn't even make it out of that first zombie encounter lol. But fast forward a few years later and I'm a young adolescent obsessed with the Dreamcast, and I start seeing stuff about Code Veronica all over gaming magazines and whatnot. It was enough to get my on the RE hype train and that's exactly what happened. I ended up buying my original copy of Code Veronica from a Software Esc at a local mall near where I grew up and initially I loved the game despite it still challenging me in terms of not always knowing what to do, where to go, or how to survive certain areas of the game. I would make it all the way until you get to play as Chris, however due to some very, very bad resource management on my part earlier in the game I literally was unable to progress past a giant worm boss you fight early on. I spent hours trying to find some item I missed or way of cheating the game, but my efforts were all in vane. I eventually threw my hands up and had to abandon this game. It wouldn't be until this past weekend I decided to pick it back up and finish what I started over 20-years ago.


It's a miracle that I actually grew to love the RE series as much as I have given Code Veronica was my first RE game. I say that not because Code Veronica is a bad game, but because it's by far the hardest mainline RE game. Just out of curiosity I decided to see what other people consider to be the hardest RE game and this one seems to be 95% of people's pick. Just like how I completely screwed myself the first time I played this game, it's not hard to back yourself in a corner in Code Veronica making it impossible to progress. However, this seems less by design and more because of bad game design on Capcom's part. I'm all for a challenge, but literally being unable to progress because of some minor mistake is just annoying and frankly unacceptable. A lot of this has to do with the game being very stingy with resources and also throwing a ton of enemies at you, many of which respawn often. Enemies, especially some of the non-zombie enemies hit like a Mack truck too which means you'll be using up most if not all your herbs and sprays. This game would have been way more enjoyable if Capcom had either given the player more items, especially health, or decreased the amount of enemies you need to kill to progress. On top of that, this game does a lot of cheap, annoying "gotcha" moments like making you think you won't need something anymore, but you will later on if you want a special weapon. I get that some of these are meant to be secret, but unless you've played this game before you're not going to know any of this. On top of that I don't know how many times I died from a boss getting a cheap shot in right as the battle started, or because it was impossible to avoid getting hit. The game also puts enemy obstacles in your way that needlessly force you to waste precious ammo to progress. And while I'm heavily criticizing the game design here and outlining how brutal Code Veronica is, it's still a bad game per se. The game is still very fun, and is an old school RE game through and through. Code Veronica was meant to be RE3 before RE3 Nemesis despite the latter game coming out first. Code Veronica definitely feels more like a true RE sequel than Nemesis, which felt more like an expansion of 2. In addition to the classic gameplay, enemies, and bosses, you also had an extremely over the top scifi story line that fits in perfectly with the lore of the franchise. And then of course you get Chris and Claire Redfield, and you get to play the game as both! Oh, and then there's Steve, you is probably the most unintentionally funny character in the entire franchise; I don't know how many times I broke out laughing at this jackass lol. But then you have the Ashford's who were not only super memorable antagonists, but also very interesting and full of surprises. Again, RE Code Veronica is an excellent old school RE game! OST and audio in general is also great, although the voice acting can be a bit spotty in terms of quality, and the soundtrack isn't on par with several other entries in the franchise. Really, Code Veronica's main issue is its poor, arguably broken game design. If it weren't for that I'd imagine Code Veronica might be remembered as the best classic RE game, not 2. I'm completely serious about that, and even with its many issues I almost enjoyed Code Veronica as much as 2, seriously. But maybe more than anything I'm glad I finally went back and beat a game that beat me many years ago, and also I have another RE game in the books with my goal being to complete all the main line entries someday. (1/24/22) [37/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 25, 2022, 01:30:16 am
I'm at 16 games beat already and January isn't even over! Since I'm technically pretty much where I'd normally be by April or so, I'm actually going to take a break from beating anything else for probably a month or two. I may pop in with some super short, arcade-style game beat some time in the interim, but I really need to take care of something much more important than video games right now. I have a tech cert that needs to be renewed by early May, and I can't let that slide since it's part of me maintaining my job. So, yep, I'll see you all sometime this spring and who knows, maybe I'll binge another 15 games or so in one month lol.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on January 27, 2022, 10:08:01 pm
01. Yakuza Kiwami 2 || PlayStation 4 || 01.10.22

After having been a spectator for a fair amount of a Yakuza Kiwami playthrough, I thought that would be the same plan for Yakuza Kiwami 2. However, I ended up playing roughly half of the story content and nearly all of the optional content. And well, while I actually finished the game over two weeks ago, I wanted to reserve my thoughts for once I completed everything fully after having so much fun.

Set one year after the preceding game's events, Yakuza Kiwami 2's largely revolves around the Tojo Clan possibly losing power alongside their difficulties with the Omi Alliance and their failed attempts to treaty together once the Omi Alliance begins to crumble from within as power dynamics shift heavily. As the series protagonist Kiryu who is now a former Tojo clan member an ex-yakuza, he again helps his allies. Within both the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, deceit and corruption exists, and worries of the Tojo Clan becoming taken over by the Omi Alliance become prevalent. Alongside this immediate problem, the Koran mafia group Jingweon who was thought to have been extinguished 26 years ago becomes an unexpected threat. While their reasons differ, both the Omi Alliance and Jingweon have the same end goals in overthrowing the Tojo Clan.

As a game focused on yakuza and the dark underbelly of Japan, the gameplay does not disappoint by offering plenty of high-intensity street action. In a sense, the gameplay is similar to a 3D brawler with an expansive city to explore. As Kiryu, the player navigates across the city and is often bothered by delinquents, thugs, and fellow yakuza. Fighting is fluid and fun, as Kiryu earns skill points to expand his fighting capabilities. Additionally, weapons of various kinds can be used across battle—these can range from the expected dagger and gun to items littered across the city like traffic cones and store signage. While playing on Normal difficulty setting, I had issues in besting fights of any kind, so others may want to consider the Hard difficulty which is initially available too.

Throughout my time playing, the story maintained interest. Admittedly, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about how some characters were written, but I still overwhelmingly enjoyed my time playing. Upon the game's climax, I initially felt easy, as not one but two twists occur. However, I quickly backtracked and accepted it positively, as, like previously mentioned, deceit and corruption exists within these groups and shouldn't surprise the player.

I'm not sure why, but the Yakuza franchise does not take itself seriously across all aspects as there is plenty of laughable content dispersed between the serious plot. When engaged in a street fight, crowds will never fail to cheer on the fighters. That being said, the game's humor does not end with just the city's life. Across nearly every non-story element, there will always be some degree of humor. Most of the humor is offered across the game's side quests. At times, side quests will introduce some of the most over-the-top scenarios that never failed to deliver fun.

On that note, Yakuza Kiwami 2 offers an abundance of optional content. With side quests, side activities, arcade games, and fully developed original side games, there was never a time that I felt as if I didn't have anything to do aside from advancing the story. Never before did I think I'd learn how to play games such as shougi and koi-koi, but I grew to love playing riichi mahjong. Having played through all of the game's content all at once to earn every achievement was certainly the ideal way to learn how to play, as I would focus on one game and then move on to another. In the end, the only card game that I never quite understood was oicho-kabu, whereas the only one that was generally boring was poker. Going back to the two original side games, they comprise of organizing a cabaret club through management simulation and defending fellow Yakuza Majima's construction crew through real-time strategy battles while offering their own unique story elements. For both games, they were a lot of fun in spite of not having any large interest within either genre.

Overall, my experience playing Yakuza Kiwami 2 was fantastic, and I believe I found a new series that I will enjoy playing entirely immensely  Naturally, I encountered minor issues that mostly relate to NPC activity and character animations when advancing dialogue, but I had no concerns relating to the gameplay or plot itself. Despite wanting to revisit the original game and play it on my own right away, I spent a lot of time playing Yakuza Kiwami 2 and would rather take a break. I don't think I'll be spending too much time away from the series, though.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on January 31, 2022, 08:16:15 am
Game 1 – Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) – 6 Hours

There are very few games on the Wii U that I have played only using the gamepad, and it was only because of a personal preference when I did. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is the first game where I was essentially required to use it to play. This game requires very precise use of the stylus to tap Kirby and move him around the stages, and it’s practically impossible to freehand these movements while looking at your TV. As a result, I think it would have been a better experience on the 3DS like the original Canvas Curse given how bulky and relatively unwieldy it is to hold the gamepad and stylus at the same time.

That isn’t to say that it isn’t a fun experience, however. I actually really enjoyed controlling Kirby and exploring all of the different worlds. The game has a gorgeous claymation aesthetic (even if it looks comparably worse on the gamepad as opposed to the TV) and there was some interesting level design that integrated the controls in unique ways. The bosses were also fun, often requiring you to dodge projectiles defensively while also making a path to attack. There are only 20 stages though, and the first three bosses are all repeated but with an extra twist for added difficulty.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is not only a short experience, but it was also easy. This game, like other Kirby games and the Yoshi game on the Wii U, place their difficulty in finding all the collectables instead of challenging level design. This often requires replaying stages and isn’t a compelling motivation for me. When you combine this design philosophy with the numerous “points of no return” that frequent every stage, it can get a little frustrating even trying to get some of the collectables. Other than a challenge mode, there isn’t a lot of additional content to keep you playing after you finish the aforementioned small number of stages. The game’s story is also super basic, with only one cutscene at the very beginning, and most of the actual details are hidden in secret diary pages so you may not even be able to understand the full story, as basic as it is.

Despite all these flaws, the game has really nice controls, a unique gameplay gimmick, great visuals, and adorable music, and I enjoyed my time playing it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on February 01, 2022, 09:35:57 am
4. Far Cry 4
First new game of 2022 beat, fourth played.

Took a whole month to get through to the credits. Didn't beeline the story. The first thing I focused on was crafting all the gear upgrades, specifically the wallet one. So that meant a generous amount of animal killing, and then taking over the bell towers and towns to get the Fashion Week quests to spawn. It was the very last town that made the Fashion Week quest for the wallet to spawn. I kept the compound bow and the Z93 until the end of the game. I preferred the Z93 vs the other snipers because it had a suppressor and was a 1 click headshot kill on heavies. Story was OK, but I wasn't sure what Ajay should have done. I ended up siding with Sabal, not killing Amita and then killing Min, although I immediately felt like I should have let him live also. It was a weird feeling. Did not get to find all of the Mohan Ghale letters before getting to that point so I wonder if that would have made me make another decision. Since there is no save slots (autosave system) I can't go back and try another method. I already know how the other endings play out.

Driving is still terrible. Autodrive is cool but it is old person driving. Even NPCs drive faster. Flying in the helicopter is extremely confusing, always getting turned around and the only time you really need to use it effectively is when you are doing the chase. But fortunately for me, I crashed into a mountain and then it loaded a save where I was in a town and didn't need to fly that thing anymore. Wingsuit is a disaster mostly because spring and open wingsuit were set to the same button. So sometimes I'd do a running jump, the wingsuit would come out and I'd die instantly. Forced use of the wingsuit in the Himilayas was not fun either. Took me 4 tries to get through that part.

Forced stealth sections not fun either because they disable running and you can do no attacks, not even a takedown. These areas often will have the fast ghost demons in them. So you must play those portions the way they are designed to be played, as the movement patterns of the enemies are based on triggers. I had no luck in trying to move them out of the way because they will reset position.

Like all modern games there are issues with the engine. The enemies have a larger melee range than the player's melee or takedown range. Some with eagles having a large attack range with a long animation, as as long as they have started that animation your own action inputs are disabled. Packs of wolves and dogs are extremely annoying. So are pack so the "cow" animal which are not a predator but will attack you if you get too close. Same issue with the Rhino but the cow animals can stun lock and generate you. Some animals have location based damage but some act as being armored. Low caliber rounds should 1 hit kill an animal with a headshot, and perhaps medium caliber for larger animals like a bear but it doesn't work that way. So some of the animals (besides Rhino where it might make sense) turn into bullet sponges. I definitely know that you can headshot Dhole with an AR but a wolf might need 2 shots, and a bear sometimes 3. I never killed an Elephant.

I do have the other games in the Far Cry series and expect to play 5 and New Dawn this year but they might not be in chronological order.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on February 01, 2022, 09:44:31 am
I do have the other games in the Far Cry series and expect to play 5 and New Dawn this year but they might not be in chronological order.

I played 2, 3, and 4 last year.  Planning on doing at least Primal and 5 this year, but I definitely had a lot of the same complaints about 4 that you did.  Hopefully stuff gets balanced a little more in future games.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on February 02, 2022, 09:06:16 pm
4 - Vampire Survivors (PC 2022) - ENDLESS - Saw some players playing an interesting little game and it turned out to be an early access game on PC that is sort of a Castlevania, Rogue-Lite, Bullet Hell...but without bullets, so "Enemy Hell" lol It's almost one of those idle games, because you don't actually attack, your character does it based on their stats and weapons and you move around, collecting XP and other things.  Each level, which you get quick, lets you get a new random item.  All the items can upgrade to about level 9 or 10.  It's mindless, but addictive and some characters start out with some real rough weapons, particularly ones that have kind of a random attack pattern to them, so if you don't get a directional attack weapon right away, it can get hard.

It's fun, but still early access, only two levels.  They aren't endless levels themselves, it looks like the levels max out currently at 30 minutes after the most insane mass of enemies possible swarm you and if you survive that, Death swoops in and kills you instantly, ending the level.  There's supposed to be a bunch more levels and a story mode, but I highly recommend it, especially since it's only 3 bucks in early access, which is crazy cheap, even for a simple pixel art game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on February 03, 2022, 07:39:20 am
January Update:

Games I beat:

Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) - I hate that this required NG+ to get the platinum when the base game didn't.  Otherwise, a solid addition to the series. Beat on Jan. 2.

New Pokémon Snap (Switch) - The second Pokemon game I've ever played - after the original Snap.  It's fun, but some of the unlock events for new courses are a bit obtuse.  Still a fine way to spend a couple of days.  Beat on Jan. 6.

Alan Wake (PC) -  Cool story and interesting gimmicks, but was kind of awkward and a slog to get through in places.  Got a lot of leeway from me because I wanted to play something else in the Control universe.  Beat on Jan. 20.

Ori and the Blind Forest (XB1) - Solid Metroidvania with gorgeous visuals.  The combat is super underbaked, and one of the major movement techs seemed to just not work on a few too many occasions.  Exploration feels rewarding and the story is pretty good as well.  Worth playing, I'm just not as in love with it as some others are.  Beat on Jan. 27.

Star Trek: Armada (PC) - Decent RTS, but not as good as I remembered.  Every faction plays pretty much the same, and I used the exact same strategy for every single level.  Doesn't overstay it's welcome though, and can be beaten relatively quickly for an RTS.  Beat on Jan. 31.

2022 Total: 5
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on February 03, 2022, 03:08:10 pm
09. The Medium (Xbox One X) 03/02/2022
I played this through Xbox's streaming options as it is a Series X game, I have to admit the image quality wasn't great there were a alot of bueffing artifacts at times and for a game that can be very dark at times it was problematic - I never had this issue with my PS Now trial.

As for the game, overall I liked it! The story of being a character with the ability to explore our reality along with a demonic afterlife is interesting, if a little dull at times though - I guess the other reality sections just lacked variety and I know it had to stay tied to the level design of the reality porition for its back and forth puzzle sections but I guess I just felt gameplay/set-piece wise more could have been done. But a lot of this games appeal is exploring the story, which is comeplling from start to finish and the highlight of the game. It draws you into the mistery and learning the in-game lore and past events and it forms together quite nicely - if lacking a strong epilogue.

There is no real combat like most survival horror games - Which is fine, as the progression via puzzle elements worked really well. The problem I had most with the game were the Stealth sections, I just found them frustrating and tedious and I'm glad there weren't too many.

Overall it was decent, nothing groundbreaking but the story is a compelling enough  reason to give it a go.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on February 05, 2022, 11:11:36 am
4. Green Lava Studios Volume 1

This was in my backlog for a while and I finally got to it. I was very entertained with My Name is Mayo and My Name is Mayo 2. However, I was not a fan of Mr. Massagy. Just not my type of story. I was more mortified than entertained.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on February 06, 2022, 03:52:52 pm
02. Life Is Strange: True Colors || PlayStation 5 || 02.05.22

Truthfully, while leading up to the Life Is Strange: True Color's release, I wasn't impressed with the story shown by the trailer. Nevertheless, it's tradition for me to play through each of the LIS entries with someone else, so I knew it was only time before I eventually sat down to experience the game. Generally, my first impressions carried on to what are now opinion based on experience.

Just as previous series entries, True Colors offers a player-driven narrative experience. Upon the story's onset, the player-character is introduced to Alex, a young adult who has faced many hardships as she's been separated from family for some time while having faced domestic problems prior to the separation. On her own, she's struggled. However, in this moment, Alex's circumstances seem to have shifted into the possibility of a much more positive future. After recently reconnecting with her older brother, Alex has just arrived to her brother's home—a quaint yet picturesque town named Haven home to a warm community. Unfortunately, this happiness truly is momentary, as Haven's secrets slowly become uncovered after the events relating to the suspicious death of Alex's brother are investigated.

As typical to LIS entries, the player-character Alex is gifted with a unique power. The main gimmick for each title varies, and, for this entry, Alex's power relates to the power of empathy which allow her to read the strong emotions of others. In time, Alex begins to develop her powers further by transmuting others emotions to better reach outcomes favored to meet Alex's goal in finding justice for her brother. While having been gifted this power some time ago, it has often led to negative consequences as Alex has struggled with controlling her own emotions. Throughout the course of the game, the player comes to realize these powers are the result of powerful trauma that Alex has experienced. In regards to those whom Alex meets, their emotions vary: some have general frustrations or relationship problems, while others hold grief or guilt. in this regard, the problems of Haven's townspeople felt varied and unique. However, the cast is not that strongly developed or likeable, although I did sympathize with Alex and the problems she faces.

Relating to Alex's powers, I felt as if they are fine in concept but that the execution could have been more successful. For instance, instead of audibly explaining how others are feeling, showing the player extended segments of their trauma firsthand or even to explore on their own would have been a better possibility. At times, minor disconnected clips play out, but they were not as interactive as I am envisioning a more successful execution. Other times when delving into someone's psyche, reality becomes distorted to reflect how that person feels. Again, this aspect felt underdeveloped but was appreciated in the few instances it occurred. Expanding these aspects would not have only brought more variety and interest to the overall story but also to the game's greater cast.

Now, there are two other aspects I hold strong negative opinion over. The first is the game's "indie" atmosphere. Often, characters revel in their love of modern, lesser-known music which is a trend across LIS titles but perhaps strongest in True Colors. It is fine to have these sort of interests, but the game repeatedly draws on this theme. From general ambiance, the town itself, and to the plot, this indie aspect pervades the overall experience, and it is honestly embarrassing to get through each and every time. The second is the ability for Alex to romance. Personally, I was not invested in pursuing romantic interests, but the narrative seemed to strongly sway the player into choosing options relating to romance.

Despite my opinions to the game's weaknesses, I did still feel invested in the story. The plot maintained my engagement, although those interested in playing shouldn't expect anything too noteworthy in the plot and the direction it takes. The closing chapter largely served as the final outcome to choices made prior. Aside from few moments, the story plays out on its own without much player choice. Which ending Alex receives is determined by the player in the game's final moments, but the details revolving which ending is chosen vary. Having only played the game once, I am interested to see just how varied details can become from my initial results. In regards to the ending I received, again, it felt weak and generally boring. Without knowing definitively, I can only imagine the possibilities for alternate endings may be, and they don't seem that interesting either. I've gone back to play past entries again, so re-visiting True Colors is something I probably will do at some point.

However, this is not to say that True Colors is without any strengths. It has been some time since my last LIS playthrough, but I felt as if this title offered more varied gameplay. Largely, this is related to Chapter 3 where most of the game's cast partake in a LARPing session and additional gameplay mechanics are temporarily introduced. At the same time, I felt as if there was more involved problem-solving relating to locating collectibles. At times, the player needs to perform actions in a certain sequence instead of merely finding the collectible. This is a small improvement over past entries but is still worth mentioning.

Overall, True Colors was an average experience and generally what I was expecting of it based on my initial reaction to its reveal. After some thought, it is a little difficult to determine True Color's audience, but I suppose it is for young adults or even teenagers, so many here would probably not find any interest. Nevertheless, I'm sure that the future of Life Is Strange is strong which means I'm sure I'll continue the tradition of mine to play each entry. Hopefully the series can find better grounding in its next entry.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on February 07, 2022, 08:09:00 pm
7. Batman: Arkham Knight (XSX) 2/7/2022

OK soooo... if they just removed every single tank battle from this game it would have been perfect. Didnt mind the Batmobile as a mode of transportation... but the combat was just the worst...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZsnzaQNNr7/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on February 07, 2022, 08:59:50 pm
7. Batman: Arkham Knight (XSX) 2/7/2022

OK soooo... if they just removed every single tank battle from this game it would have been perfect. Didnt mind the Batmobile as a mode of transportation... but the combat was just the worst...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZsnzaQNNr7/
This is EXACTLY how I feel about that game.
Certain aspects of the Batmobile are hella fun: launching out of it, diving into it, and just driving around. Combine that with the non-Batmobile stuff and the game is wonderful.

But the Batmobile combat…YUCK.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on February 08, 2022, 10:53:25 am
This is EXACTLY how I feel about that game.
Certain aspects of the Batmobile are hella fun: launching out of it, diving into it, and just driving around. Combine that with the non-Batmobile stuff and the game is wonderful.

But the Batmobile combat…YUCK.

it started out ok... but just got really damn repetitive fast.. and the "boss" encounters in the tank just sucked.... so annoying.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on February 10, 2022, 01:42:30 pm
10. The Artful Escape (Xbox One X) 10/02/2022
A very trippy experience - in a good way! The story follows a musician caught within the shadow of his uncles fame, the locals with the expectation for him to be the next big Folk musician. The lead character has doubts and suddenly one night is swept away into a musical joinery across the universe! It's a great story overall and worth the 4-5 hour playtime. I will say however the gameplay department is where it is most lacking. A lot of the game features you running through majestic environments, which are visually splendid but still feel very basic. The other problem I had is during the segments where you play your guitar, the button input is shown on the characters you encounter which is simple but one of the buttons is the left shoulder button. All the other buttons are close together but when it came to pressing that button I had difficulties applying it when seeing the prompt on screen - Luckily there isn't any punishment for missing a note so it was just a minor annoyance.

But the game really shines on it's visual spectacle! I wasn't sure about it at first but when it traverses to its outer world visuals its undeniably pretty. Also the level of creativity used on the locations and characters you meet is very imaginative, you really never know what you'll encounter next with the game. It's not the sort of game worth playing twice but certainly worth the experience making it very ideal to play on Xbox Game Pass.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on February 11, 2022, 08:42:06 am
13. Mega Man X3

I've always liked this game, but I struggled with this playthrough. I'm not sure if it was because it's been so long and my reflexes aren't what they used to be, if it was because I was playing on Switch, or something different but I was getting infuriated near the end facing Sigma. Oh well. Another game finished for the year so yay for that.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on February 12, 2022, 04:40:33 am
5 - Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Switch 2022) - BEAT - Feels nice to say that I've got a new Pokemon that I actually really liked playing.  Let's Go Pikachu was nice nostalgia as a modern remake of the original Yellow, but it had the super bad pokeball throwing gimmick and was more about the nostalgia than being particularly interesting.  Sword and Shield, despite how much its sold, I think it's objectively kind of a bad game.  If you set the core Pokemon gameplay aside that's been done to death for years, it doesn't look good, it has a bad story, and it has a ton of cut corners.   Not that Arceus doesn't have it's issues.

I'll say for positives, it's probably the most free feeling Pokemon they've ever done.  I've not dabbled much in the series in a long time, but I've seen a lot of it and it's always been a series very stuck in its ways, but now you can free roam areas, things like gathering and mounts is very easy and simple to use, you can craft a lot of what you need on the fly, and you get options to how you handle Pokemon.  You can capture them outright, taking advantage of stealth, or you can battle them to capture.  Either way can be valuable depending on the Pokemon as each one has their necessary tasks to complete to get to a "Level 10" in the Pokedex.  Honestly I was a little worried it would be too grindy at first, but you don't need to complete every single task to research what is consider a complete state.

The negatives would be the game doesn't look very good, not even for a Switch game.  I would say this doesn't look particularly good a lot of the time compared to games that came out 10+ years ago.  It just has ugly low quality textures, for a lot of stuff you see very close, the open world is fairly generic and bland looking especially if you get any distance.  Like I'm not asking for PS5 quality graphics, but MonolithSoft has shown what is capable on the Switch and even something half as good as BOTW or the Xenoblade games would've been a significant improvement.  There's also issues with the dark caves, where there's this very obvious jagged white line around the player and NPC's that's very weird, I've never seen a game do that before.  I will say that I expected the framerate to be worse, like it's not ideal, but it's not as bad as like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity could be, like it dips, but it wasn't crazy often that I noticed it being really bad and for a game like this, it's playable enough.  Normally that kind of stuff annoys me these days, but I managed.

Also the lack of voice acting for both Pokemon and the main NPC's is dumb and I just didn't care about playing with the volume on because of it, so I just had something to watch on another screen while I played.  Some annoyances with the gameplay itself is there are boss fights that are kinda lame gameplay wise, even if I can appreciate that they aren't just another basic Pokemon battle, the inventory expansion system is the dumbest, and there's more QoL of stuff that needs to be added, such as being able to sort your Pastures to better organize Pokemon.

Alot of my complaints come down to Game Freak cutting corners.  Despite this being a a major series that sells millions every time, they will not put the extra time and money to really push the series further.  They clearly don't need to, Sword and Shield sold a ridiculous amount for a game that's fairly awful, so why put the extra effort in?  This annoys me, but they did manage to make a game I like, even if it needed more to it.

I still have the epilogue stuff to do as it does have a post game, thank Arceus, but I am done with the main story, though I am going to keep on for abit.  I got 30 hours into it, I'll probably do another 10 or 20 most likely up till Elden Ring comes out, but I do recommend this game.  It's not as good as it could be, but it's very solid, like a reasonable 6.5/7 out of 10.  It gives me interest in the series again after being an old Gen 1 player who never played the rest till basically the Switch and was kinda hyped to return to it, but only got kinda "meh" games at first.  I really hope they can expand on what they've done here for the next game like this.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on February 12, 2022, 09:20:27 am
14. Romancing SaGa 2

This was probably one of the most difficult RPGs I've ever played. And y'all know I've played a lot of them. It feels great to have completed it. It's been in English for a while but a physical copy seemed like a pipedream.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on February 12, 2022, 11:52:09 pm
17. Half Life (PC)

Like many people my first exposure to Half Life was on the PC back in the late 90s, or more accurately on my friend's PC back in the late 90s lol. Unfortunately my experience with this game back when it was new was the few times I'd sleep over at his house and I'd attempt to get past the first few chapters while also doing things with my friend that we could both do. To be perfectly honest I liked the game back then, but wasn't nearly as blown away by it like most people were in 1998. It wouldn't be until almost a decade later on the PS2 that I'd actually sit down with Half Life and beat it from start to finish. Years later I attempted to beat the unreleased Dreamcast port of it which was a buggy, almost unplayable mess, with the Xen levels breaking me, resulting it me abandoning that version. Yet hear I am, nearly 25-years since I first played it on my friend's PC, playing it as it should be played on the PC once again.


I have mixed feelings about Half Life now that I've played the definitive version of it. Yes, it's an outstanding FPS game that was and is still a big deal when describing the defining games of the 90s. It's connected chapters, delivery of story through action set pieces and events that happen in real time in the game, and it being one of the best looking games of its time cannot be understated at all. However, where this game really gets a pass when it shouldn't is its gameplay. While nothing in Half Life is flat out broken or greatly impedes your enjoyment of the game, the shooting mechanics of various enemies and weapons can be downright frustrating and annoying, as can some of the stage design which pretty much make it next to impossible not to take a fairly substantial hit to your life energy. This is coupled with the placement of various enemies in certain areas, and just sometimes feeling like you're under equipped to handle wants currently happening makes this a frustrating game at times. Still, I found myself not wanting to stop playing most of the time (with the very noteworthy exceptions of On a Rail; I hate that chapter with a passion. In fact, I blew through the entire game in just a few days and binging it in 2-4 sessions. Half Life is an incredible game in nearly every way and truly is one of those games that was way ahead of its time; it's just not the flawless or even near flawless masterpiece that some retro PC gamers like to pretend it is. (2/12/22) [40/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on February 13, 2022, 05:34:32 pm
Demo - Triangle Strategy

I went through the new demo. Other than some issues with combat (seriously folks - more enemies on the battlefield does not = more challenge) this is looking like it'll be a lot of fun. I'm glad I preordered it. Just like Octopath, save data from the demo will carry over to the official game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on February 13, 2022, 11:50:16 pm
18. Star Wars Rebel Assault and Star Wars Rebel Assault II (PC)

It's been a while since I abandoned a game, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. I have always wanted to try out these old Star Wars games, particularly Rebel Assault II which I neighbor kid growing up had on his computer; I actually watched him pretty much beat the game one afternoon and at least at the time I thought it was awesome. Unfortunately playing these games myself years later I now realize that these are two of the worst Star Wars games ever made, or at least two of the worst ones I've certainly played. Really, the biggest flaws of both games are its terrible controls and gameplay. Like just being able to clear the first few stages in both games felt nearly impossible for me based on how touchy they were, how bad the hit detection was, and just how awful pretty much everything was about the gameplay. I tried a joystick and also a mouse, yet both made it just a difficult to control my ship through an asteroid field or when trying to avoid other obstacles. I know countless people have beat these games since the 90s, but honestly the controls were so bad that the thought of trying to fight them and overcome them for even another hour felt unbearable. Rebel Assault II has slightly better controls...sort of, but it too becomes a complete shitshow within the first few stages. It's really too bad because artistically and storywise I really think these games look great, and they have fully licensed OSTs too. I guess I'll just watch some other poor soul play these on youtube to enjoy these aspects of the game because I'm sure as hell not suffering another minute with these two games. (2/13/22) ABANDONED
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on February 15, 2022, 01:27:37 am
2: Banjo-Kazooie (Completed 12/12/22)

Because of a cramped schedule, I don't think I will realistically be able to complete 52 games by 2023. Maybe 26 instead. Anyway, I had wanted this for Christmas, and put a download code for the 360 version on my Amazon wishlist. Because they didn't have any in stock, my grandmother gave me the cash for it instead as one of her Christmas gifts to me. It was so worth it. The entire game is a joy to play through (except for the gosh dang quiz show and some of Rusty Bucket Bay) and I had a lot of fun with it. I'm hoping to explore more of Rare's catalog and try Banjo-Tooie as well! One weird thing is that for the Stop N Swap unlockables, the game disables saving and disables you from entering the online leaderboards. I'd be miffed if the content went towards Banjo-Tooie, but in the 360 version, it goes toward Nuts and Bolts instead, which I have heard is not great. The original was a wholesome, funny, and gorgeous treat.

9/10 play the dang game  if you haven't already.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on February 15, 2022, 02:03:05 pm
03. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling || Nintendo Switch || 02.12.22

I don't remember exactly what about Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling initially caught my attention. However, I ended up pre-ordering the physical edition some time ago and received my copy last fall. And, without a doubt, I'm so glad that the game is a part of my collection.

At its core, Bug Fables offers a story like many others—a group of three heroes unexpectedly band together to take part in an adventure to reclaim lost artifacts for their queen with trouble being introduced throughout the quest. However, the story is told from the expansive world of bugs. With plenty of detail, the Bug Fable's kingdom of Bugaria and greater world is rich with history and lore. Quite quickly, I became interested what all was crafted for this story. Over time, the world unfolds as research is found for the player to read, which touches on topics such as The Day of Awakening. Before, bugs were not sentient and civilized. And, even now, not all bugs are. Only after this event were some bugs graced with being awakened which also provided an enriched lifespan, as lesser bugs still exist and are feral.

As an RPG, the game offers simplified mechanics that requires more strategy than one would think. With a battle system centered around low health and damage output, players soon realize how each and every player turn has major influence on the battle outcome and more so for boss encounters. Each of the game's three party members have a personalized skill set and role that is crucial to exploit, such as aerial attacker, buff/debuffer, and tank. Alongside their varied skills to consider, the player must also consider the party member's positioning while in battle. Positioning affects attack and defense in addition to aspects such as a member relaying their turn onto their allies at the cost of diminished strength.

Overall, Bug Fables is not difficult. However, a higher difficulty setting can be toggled on and off at any point which, when on, yields greater experience and currency gained. The game actively encourages the player to be challenged in regards to boss encounters as well. For sure, the boss fighters throughout hard mode are challenging and require near-perfect strategy and item management. Throughout my time with hard mode, my party fell numerous times as the challenge was surely felt. At the same time, secret codes may be found after accomplishing specific optional end-game goals that provide a much more challenging experience upon starting a subsequent playthrough.

Surprisingly, there is much more content than I had imagined. With a ~25-hour campaign, completionist times can top 50 hours, such as with my playthrough. Offering dozens of side-quests, the world of Bug Fables provides much more lore and backstory when pursuing these optional ventures. Toward the end of my time playing, I greatly wanted for there to be more story-related content for there to explore, as the world introduced maintained my interest the entire time. Throughout the narrative and optional content, the cast of party members has explorable backstories as well, which allowed for interesting characters to become even more greatly developed.

In brief, I would highly recommend Bug Fables to anyone looking for a more unconventional take on the RPG genre for its world alone. Also, it is important to note that Bug Fables was greatly inspired by Paper Mario, from its art style to battle mechanics. However, I haven't played any Paper Mario entry, so I cannot personally attest to how accurate or successful the final product in this regard was, but I have read others' opinions stating that Bug Fables is the best Paper Mario entry to-date.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on February 15, 2022, 11:28:17 pm
18. SSX (PS2)

Leading up to the PS2's release I was hyped beyond measure for the console to come out, so much so I couldn't wait to play pretty much every launch game or game that was supposed to come out around launch. Luckily I ended up getting a PS2 on Christmas Eve 2000 which allowed me to play so many of these games I'd lusted over for months before getting my PS2. One of those games was SSX. I never owned SSX growing up, but it is one I rented a couple of times from my local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. Back in the late 90s and early 2000s I definitely thought Snowboarding was way cooler than I do now and at least at the time the best Snowboarding game I'd played was 1080 on the N64. I remember thinking the game was pretty fun, but I thought it would be cool to go back and replay it to see how I feel about it now.


SSX is, umm, alright. It certainly was a very good looking game for its time and probably the best Snowboarding game ever made in 2000. However, this isn't saying much. The main issue with SSX is its gameplay which while not broken and occasionally really fun, is mostly poorly designed and implemented. For one, pulling tricks off and also doing things like hitting your opponents is very clunky and stiff, and what makes this even worse is the terrible level design in half the stages. While all of the stages look cool and have a lot of novelty to them like obstacles, hazards, loops, and other craziness that made this game stand out, many of these things are there at the expense of the game just feeling slopping and annoying to get through. In fact, the best parts of SSX are when you just feel like you're just snowboarding like you normally would and not dodging pinball flippers (yes, you just read that) or giant pillars that shoot up from the ground. This is why the first few levels are the best while the later levels are definitely the worst. As for the OST and sound, this game has a pretty memorably announcer and the characters also have distinct voice actors that really fit well with the characters, however the soundtrack is the most generic early 2000s video game OST you'll ever hear. Overall, the sound is just fairly unremarkable with some noteworthy standouts here and there. If not for the nostalgia of being 13 and playing this game on a Friday night I don't think I'd enjoy this game as much as I do, and even then I enjoy this game a decent amount less than i did over 20-years ago. Still, this one is decent for a quick hit of nostalgia for me and a game that has personal meaning to me if nothing else than a game I was massively hyped for leading up to the PS2's debut. (2/15/22) [31/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on February 18, 2022, 02:27:58 am
19. King of Fighters XV (PS5)

This has been my most anticipated games for a long time and I finally was able to grab my copy of it today (no thanks to Gamestop fucking up my preorder, but I digress). While KOF 15 is a very fun game and has a lot of benefits over its predecessor, I unfortunately found it to be an inferior game.


Firat and foremost I feel like both games are equel when it comes to visuals and audio. While XV's character models look way better than XIV's, its stages do not. Both games are voice acted well, however I guess XV has slightly more cutscenes to show this off. The OST in both games is very comparable, however I slightly prefer what XIV had to offer more. The real tiebreaker between XV and XIV is the gameplay between the two games. XIV's gameplay definitely streamlined the controls way more than any previous KOF game, making the game overall more accessible to newcomers and beginners, while also keeping it very deep and competitive at the same time. This accessibility was cranked up even more in XV, however it was done slightly at the cost of the game feeling way different than any KOF game before it. They made it way to easy to do crazy combos and specials, which might sound like a good thing, however it just really threw me off personally and also I found myself screwing up combos and specials I previous knew how to perform due to the new mechanics. Despite this the gameplay is very similar still to XIV and most people will probably have a hard time telling the different. Another noteworthy advantage XIV has over its sequel were the vast amount of unlockables in that game that rewarded many playthroughs with all the characters and certain combinations of characters. While there are abut 50 movies you can unlock by playing KOF XV, it pales in comparison to the hundreds of photos and other cool unlockables you earned after being every new stage. Before I wrap up this mini review I think its also important to address the rosters between the two games. KOF XIV had more characters, however i felt XV had a much higher quality roster in bringing back so many classic favorites for the first time in years. It was awesome being able to play as Chris, Blue Mary, or Ash again. King of Fighters XV is an excellent game, however I didn't find it to be an imporvement on the previous game in the franchise like I was hoping, and I feel like bes case scenario it's just as good as XIV all things considered. i hope my opinion of XV improves with time in the same way certain other KOF entries have, but for now it's definitely not superior to XIV and half a dozen other KOF games. (2/17/22) [35/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on February 18, 2022, 05:43:50 pm
15. The Misadventures of Tron Bonne

This was a cute, fun game that had major Saturday cartoon/kids anime vibes with a touch of mature humor thrown at random. I liked this more than both MMLs because of the variety and the (sometimes) smoother controls.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on February 19, 2022, 06:01:32 am
6 - Horizon: Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds - BEAT - Since I held off on Horizon: Forbidden West till later on so that I don't burn myself out on open world games before Elden Ring comes out, and I decided against a replay of the first game, I just didn't love it enough for that, I thought I'd at least dive into the DLC, The Frozen Wilds, since it's basically just a smaller chunk of the main game, and I never got around to playing it, so it's all new.  Took me like 5 to 8 hours to beat, skipping over a number of side quests, but I enjoyed myself...After like the first hour of trying to relearn the entire game.   All the mechanics, trying to remember what weapons to use because there's multiple ones with multiple ammo types, how to properly deal with the robots, everything my inventory is filled with, it was abit off putting returning to a game like this after about 4 years or so away from it and then just jumping head long into it.

The DLC itself is good, it's just more of the main game, a new area that opens up in the corner that is decently sized.  I think the robot bears were the main new enemy types and are fairly annoying to fight.  Honestly I felt like the combat in this game was a tad rough at times, the dodge in particular sucks, it's very stiff compared to like a FromSoft styled one, and some enemies have absurd attacks that I just don't know if you can dodge properly...Nothing is bad though.  Playing through this with the PS5 improvements was so nice, it looks fantastic, and while the first game was a never a favorite of mine (Thought it was just fine when I played it), I am interested to get into the sequel, see the visual improvements, see how much the gameplay has improved, and the expanded mobility stuff such as underwater aspects and a glider, because I feel like at this point almost any open world game should just offer a glider for the convenience and I wanted one bad playing this DLC lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on February 19, 2022, 09:32:16 pm
8. Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Switch) 2/19/22

OK… So, I’m a bit torn on this one. I feel like it had SO much potential but, in the end, it just felt a little empty or hollow. You could clearly see the direction the developers are taking the game in and I’m excited to see how the franchise evolves but there were a few things that missed the mark this time. My biggest complaint was how they locked the main story progression behind the ranking system; in an open world game, if I want to progress under leveled, I should be able to. Another thing is the lack of trainer battles, I mean it makes sense within the story that there aren’t many trainers yet, but it just made the open world parts seem kind of void. I know a lot of people had issues with the graphics/art direction of the game, but I thought it worked pretty well. Overall I thought the game was somewhere between not bad and kinda ok, it didn’t blow me away but it did just enough for me to not quit playing it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaLrEqVtpep/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on February 20, 2022, 10:20:30 pm
9. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (XSX) 2/20/2022

So here’s another one that everyone is surprised to find out I’ve never played and after finally finishing it, I kinda have to say… meh. I mean I guess I get it, when this was originally released it would have been pretty groundbreaking, but it really just falls flat today. I mean there’s no bosses, the whole second half of the game was basically the first half backwards, and don’t get me started on how the last section of the game was you on a fucking warthog, which has to be one of the most frustrating vehicles in a game ever. But, I will have to say the soundtrack is epic and honestly made the whole thing worth it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOUFlDNQEY/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on February 20, 2022, 11:02:38 pm
9. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (XSX) 2/20/2022

So here’s another one that everyone is surprised to find out I’ve never played and after finally finishing it, I kinda have to say… meh. I mean I guess I get it, when this was originally released it would have been pretty groundbreaking, but it really just falls flat today. I mean there’s no bosses, the whole second half of the game was basically the first half backwards, and don’t get me started on how the last section of the game was you on a fucking warthog, which has to be one of the most frustrating vehicles in a game ever. But, I will have to say the soundtrack is epic and honestly made the whole thing worth it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOUFlDNQEY/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOUFlDNQEY/)


Halo is a very fun FPS, but I never understood how it blew up into this massive hit. Halo 2 was definitely better, but I'd still place many other FPS games released before and during Halo and Halo 2's release that are way better, and have stood the test of time better too.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on February 20, 2022, 11:32:17 pm
9. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (XSX) 2/20/2022

So here’s another one that everyone is surprised to find out I’ve never played and after finally finishing it, I kinda have to say… meh. I mean I guess I get it, when this was originally released it would have been pretty groundbreaking, but it really just falls flat today. I mean there’s no bosses, the whole second half of the game was basically the first half backwards, and don’t get me started on how the last section of the game was you on a fucking warthog, which has to be one of the most frustrating vehicles in a game ever. But, I will have to say the soundtrack is epic and honestly made the whole thing worth it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOUFlDNQEY/

For the time, the campaign was pretty impressive, it has a lot of scale and scope to it, even if it's a fairly straightforward game, I don't know if there were many other shooters like that at the time when it came out.  I can absolutely see it not aging well because of that though, as a lot of that world is gonna feel kinda empty and basic at this point.  Halo Infinite sorta feels like the full realization of the original game in that way. 

What made that game was the multiplayer.  That was probably the first time I had gotten that hooked to a multiplayer experience, me and my buddies routinely spending every weekend we could doing Halo LAN parties, full 4 xbox/tv setup at their place, playing from night to morning, it was such a great time lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on February 21, 2022, 10:12:27 am
What made that game was the multiplayer.

I can totally see how that was kinda what drove the games success
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on February 21, 2022, 10:32:56 am
3. Far Cry New Dawn
Liked this a bit more than Far Cry 4. The guns are better but it is obvious that the higher tier guns are better than the lower tier ones. Interestingly enough, a rank 1 pistol does 0 damage to a rank 3 enemy. Also rank 3 and 4 enemies do not get any better guns to use than the rank 1 enemies do, but their aiming ability increases. There is even a note you can find (in the prison I think) that one of them wrote about how they have to use low end weapons even after they get promoted. So the only way you can get any higher rank weapon is either to make it yourself or the couple times you get it from a mission.

The guns are kind of strange in this game. Many of the guns are hitscan, including all of the shotguns that I had tried. There is no range limitation to the shotguns, you can shoot someone across the map with them. But they are not that effective at range despite that. The snipers and rifles are not hit-scan but their range is still quite good where it seems that way. You can use tracers easily to hit distant enemies. The snipers were not good in my experience and I would use a rifle or SMG set to single-shot for it instead.

Driving is still terrible, but none of the driving missions actually required you to be in the car. The autodrive option is a lot faster speed than Far Cry 4. Despite the game showing a red warning banner if you kill a civilian (it happens often in autodrive) there does not seem to be any actual penalty for it except in a mission where you have to rescue hostages. There is no karma system. The animals weren't that bad, there is no situation where an animal can stunlock you indefinitely. There are wolves and dogs (and pigs) that are in packs but they are not as overwhelming as the Dholes and Wolves from FC4.

There are 8 companions but there are only 2 actually useful ones. The archer from New Eden makes animals not attack you, and the Doge will mark enemies and items. The dude with the shotgun and the overall feel of the game gave me The Walking Dead flashbacks. The game tracks kills of all of the companions and there is an upgrade system for your skills and guns once you unlock tier 4. There does not seem like there is an upgrade or stat limit but it may be too soon to tell. For example I levelled up the amount of medkits I could carry 15 times. And it would appear that you may be able to farm perk points forever even after you complete the challenges because you get a perk point every time you free a hostage. It would be interesting to see what happens when you push this game to its limits.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on February 21, 2022, 11:30:34 am
What made that game was the multiplayer.

I can totally see how that was kinda what drove the games success

Don't forget that it basically perfected FPS controls on a console. That alone made people want to pick up and play in a way that hadn't been done since Goldeneye - which it blew out of the water.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on February 21, 2022, 02:58:32 pm
16. Gungnir

In continuing with the theme of second chances, I attempted to finish Gungnir on PSP. I watched the credits roll this morning. I'm proud I finished it because it's one of the most difficult strategy RPGs out there. But, it's difficult for all the wrong reasons. Constant uphill battles. Enemy troops outnumbering yours. No opportunity to train new units. Possible permadeath. Equipment capacity limits. The list goes on. I love Sting! and their Department of Heaven Series but this one was almost as bad as Knights in the Nightmare.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on February 23, 2022, 05:14:07 pm
17. Mega Man X4 - X (PlayStation version)

This is one of those timeless games I can never get enough of. I played my PlayStation disc version on my PlayStation 3 and it (almost) felt like old times. Going through the game as X is a lot easier than I remember, but I did add a challenge by going to Split Mushroom's stage before having the Lightning Web power-up. That little mushroom hits hard and fast!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on February 24, 2022, 09:46:24 am
Game 2 - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2-player co-op) - 11 Hours

I thought this game was very fun, though there were some bumps along the way. My biggest issues stem from the combination of a lot of the design philosophies of 2D Mario with a 3D space. I had a lot of trouble judging distance and placement for my jumps so I would fall off the map pretty frequently. The fact that you can't control the camera also doesn't help matters. Maybe it's because we took long breaks in between playing and I just didn't have enough consistent practice time. This game adds several new and re-imagined power-ups, but only the cat suit was fun in my opinion. The double cherry was a mess to use effectively, and the "blockhead" power ups were more annoying than anything. Some of the boss fights were repeated too, which was dissapointing.

Other than those issues, it was a fun experience. I'm sure it can be very competitive depending on who you're playing with but my girlfriend and I played very casually. The game does have fantastic music and visuals, a lot of really interesting and fun level design, and a lot of extra stages to keep you playing long after you finish the story.

Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on February 26, 2022, 06:51:10 am
3 - Monster Hunter Rise (PC 2022) - BEAT - Beat this a few days ago, but thought I had more story to do so didn't count it till now.  I had beaten the game last year already on Switch and then they updated the game after that and I never got to it.  Thought it mean the story got expanded and it kinda did, but the quests that would be more story are so sparsely spread out and require me to grind my way up through High Rank, that I'm not counting it for "beating the story".  I got credits, I'm counting it lol  The PC version is great, I got mod support, it runs and plays way better, it's absolutely the better version of the game if you don't want the game for its portability on Switch.

After a second run of the story, I gotta say that I like Monster Hunter World way more for sure now.  The only thing I think it does on par or better is the gameplay.  All the wirebug mechanics are awesome.  Everything else just wasn't as good to me other than the Japanese setting was cool.  I wanted to grind for the things I needed in Monster Hunter World, but I feel like getting the stuff I want in Rise is more dragged out and I'm not really into the Rampage fights.  I'd maybe like them more if I did co-op, but I mostly play Monster Hunter solo.  I am gonna keep playing once I'm done with Elden Ring, as I want to be ready for Sunbreak, but I'm not putting the hours I did with World into Rise.  I think I did 250 hours into just the base game for World, but I'll be lucky to see 100 in Rise by the time Sunbreak comes out I feel.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on February 26, 2022, 08:23:07 pm
04. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory || PlayStation 4 || 02.20.22

After having not played any Kingdom Hearts entries in nearly three years, I finally felt ready to delve back into the series by playing the spin-off title Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. Unlike every game prior to it, Melody of Memory departs from the accustomed action-RPG genre and instead adopts the rhythm genre.

In many ways, Melody of Memory is a celebration of what all the series has accomplished so far and is by every means a game that has fans in mind. With that said, the story campaign takes you from the very first entry up to the Re:Mind DLC for Kingdom Hearts III and even onward. As players steadily progress through 150 stand-out songs from across the entire franchise, story narration paired with spliced cutscenes are featured. I found this added aspect successful, as it allows for the entire narrative to be presented succinctly so that even those foreign to the series have some understanding of the overall plot. Even as a series veteran myself, these elements were greatly appreciated as additions to the overall product as, for some of the later titles in particular, the plot details for each become less familiar as I've generally played these only once before.

As a rhythm game, Melody of Memory is nothing impressive and certainly doesn't elevate the genre into some greater. However, it is a solid and fun game. Through the game, there are three types of music stages: Field Battle, Boss Battle, and Memory Dive. While all three stage types vary in terms of presentation, player input is largely the same in that successfully timed button and analog stick presses are needed. At the same time, three different play styles are also available for players to choose (Basic, One Button, Performer) while three difficulty settings (Beginner, Standard, Proud) can be toggled on a whim. Lastly, a versus mode is also available for either a second player to join in playing against or by battling a COM opponent. In regards to available content, I was genuinely pleased.

Accompanying each song through the campaign, various objectives are set to be completed. Overwhelmingly, I personally found the majority of these to be simple enough for all player of any skill level to clear. To continue advancing through the campaign, successfully accomplishing these goals are necessary, although perhaps only 50% are required. On that note, I found that at least 80% of objectives were simple enough for most players to be able to accomplish, with the number rising if a fair amount of practicing was completed for those being challenged. Alongside the campaign, both an in-game achievement system and in-game gallery are also included. These aspects are entirely optional for players to explore, while completitionists will certainly be required to spend an extensive amount of time for collecting everything.

While far from perfect, Melody of Memory does have its faults. As far as the gameplay itself, my only notable concern is how the Memory Dive music stages function. While the required player input is no different from other music stage types, video cutscenes play full-screen in the background. It is a nice thought to feature and certainly something that could have been great, but I experienced slight lag as required button press markers advanced for me to follow which did affect my completion score. I admittedly was a little surprised to be experiencing this problem with the PlayStation 4 version, as I would have expected this sort of issue to only be with the Switch port. On the other hand—and outside of the gameplay—my biggest problem is in regards to the game's collectibles. With over 500 unique gallery items to collect, two types exist for each, with the second type more uncommon. This means that there are over 1,000 items to collect. However, this is not an issue in itself. The issue is that acquiring duplicates is possible and is a common occurrence. I've ready accounts elsewhere of completitionists attempting to truly 100% the game—they've mastered every song in of all three difficulties and accomplished every other feat, but they are still desperately trying to complete the gallery which is disheartening.

Overall, Melody of Memory is an entry that veteran fans should not ignore. As I played through each song and the campaign, being able to revisit timeless music tracks from the series was refreshing while offering a fair challenge for me to best. Of the 354 campaign objectives, I've completed 353. I'm not personally concerned with the in-game accomplishments, but the in-game gallery is something that is enticing as a thought, but the reality in how it operates is certainly off-putting. I won't be putting in that much more time into the 20 hours or so I've already given it as I do wish to earn a Platinum trophy (which is much more simple than in-game achievements), so it is something I've dropped yet.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on March 01, 2022, 07:03:28 pm
12. What Remains of Edith Finch (Xbox One X) 01/03/2022

A wonderfully creative experience, I've been known to 'dis' Walking Simulator games with terrible experience swith Gone Home and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture lacking active story telling segments but WRoEF is a welcome surprise to the genre. It follows a woman revisiting her old home as she explores a dark truth about her family history. The game tells separate stories about family members and each one is a unique with very creative gameplay to tell the story. It's really best to go into know as littel as possible really enjoyed it overall!

I'm also excited to see where Annapurna Interactive as a game publisher is going, they seem to be making sure their games have strong visual imagery and creative ways to tell their stories within the gaming medium - I'll certainly be on the look out for what else they have to offer in the future!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on March 03, 2022, 12:14:21 am
20. Alien: Armageddon (Arcade)

I decided to blow some steam off at a local barcade this evening and decided to give this one a go after passing it by countless times. My opinion of Raw Thrills is a bit mixed, but mostly veers towards negative; I just think they're games mostly seem cheap and uninspired with a few exceptions here and there. Alien: Armageddon mostly fits this description. First off this game is one of the most poorly designed lightgun shooters I've ever played. For one there is next to no balancing and the game just throws wave after wave of enemy at you while making you content with a very time consuming reload technique. Add in most enemies in the game being total bullet sponges and you have an arcade shooter that is beyond cheap and will burn through you quarters quickly. At least in terms of gameplay Alien: Armageddon is one of the worst games of its genre I've ever played. However, it does have some redeeming qualities and in the end I actually didn't hate this game beyond its totally broken gameplay. Visually the game looks decent; the alien enemies and variety are cool and draw a lot from the Alien universe beyond what's been seen in the movies. There are also some very cool, over the top scripted sequences which definitely added to the entertainment value of this game. Likewise the audio is decent too with familiar sound effects like the iconic smart gun firing noise and other cool sounds you'll recognize if you're a fan of the franchise. The OST is nothing special, but works for the most part with this game. As I said, I didn't hate this game as I probably should have. This was largely due to the game's IP carrying it way further than it would have if this had just been a generic arcade lightgun game. I'd still probably save your quarters if you ever see this machine and just watch a half hour playthrough of it on youtube instead. (3/2/22) [26/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on March 09, 2022, 01:00:52 am
8 - Elden Ring (PS5 2022) - PLAYING - Well this was absolutely one hell of a game.  It honestly surpassed my expectations going into it, figuring it was just a souls-game with an open world, and it is, but it's impressive how well it all works without really sacrificing anything or just falling into the trends of the current open world releases (Which isn't a knock against all of them, I'm gonna play Horizon 2 in a month or so).  It's such an improvement over previous games just for the sheer freedom, being able to tackle so much on your own time and in your own way and it all feels great with its movements and gameplay.  While I don't have a problem with going back to a more linear and directed experience for a Bloodborne or Dark Souls sequel or whatever the next game is, the enjoyment of exploring was pretty fantastic and I got super absorbed into the game because of it.

The only things I could complain about might be that the ending area feels like they just sorta ran out of new enemies to use.  It's a cool zone, but I can not think of a new enemy they added there and I'm not counting new variants as new enemies.  On top of that, I think they kinda over-tuned that whole area.  I'm not wanting a cake walk, but I was around level 100 when I got there and it was such a difficulty jump for a number of fights.  There's a challenge and there's just being annoying.  Also Crucible Knights suck, I hate them so lol  Something I'd also like to see them add is a lore friendly sidequest/NPC notebook, not a quest log that directs me, but if I meet someone and they give me information to act on, I don't feel its out of place for my character to keep track of things like this as there would be times I'd completely forget about NPC's or just not know who someone was because I had met them countless hours ago.

I do think this might be my favorite Souls-based game.  Previously, it was kind of a battle between Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne, with Bloodborne maybe winning out for its really awesome setting and lore stuff (I hope they got a remaster or sequel coming soon for it, I really want to replay it with 60fps).  I think this game is just as good as them, with some very nice improvements to the whole experience with good movement, the mount is very easy to use and was real helpful in combat, especially when I had a great sword, the map was a godsend for a game like this, and I know this all sorta sounds like I'm thankful for basic stuff other games have, but for a series that always had abit of jank to it and was adamant about being as minimal as it could with the player for certain things, this game though just had a good pile of QoL elements.

I highly recommend this game if you are into other FromSoft games.  If you aren't into the other Souls games, I don't think this game would truly change your mind, it still has all of that challenge the previous games had, though there's a number of nice updates, and the game has more freedom, so if you are getting pissed at a boss, you can just leave and go somewhere else to level or find new gear to improve yourself.  Like I played the game for over 15 hours before even attempting to beat the games first main boss lol

Oh and just to add for kicks, I was a strength build for much of the game, focusing on the big two handed great swords and colossal great swords, it's my go to usually for these games, big damage and big stun, but after awhile, I wanted something different, so found a dual katana build focusing on bleed damage, so it's all about diving in, slashing like crazy, and trying to get big blood explosions.  Worked great, especially once I got a summon that combined super great with it.  It even did pretty alright against enemies that don't bleed just for the rate of DPS, though a few enemies made it abit annoying (Those moving cat statues drove me nuts at a few points until I finally got their patterns down).

I'm mostly done with the game, I did like 90% of it before ending the story and with a little bit of stuff left, I might change thing up for it, see about doing some sort of magic build, maybe half magic/half sword as I'm not super into the full mage build idea.  I like the stabbing and poking more than the pew pews.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on March 09, 2022, 09:39:58 am
Forgot to do my Feb. update:

Games I Beat in Feb
Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5) - Great writing, amazing soundtrack... kind of repetitive gameplay.  Big recommend if you're a Marvel fan.  Beat on Feb. 9.
Journey (PS5) - Finally got around to one of the grandparents of the modern walking / environmental sims.  Beautiful and fun.  Beat on Feb. 10.
Shadow Warrior (2013) (XB1) - The perfect in between step of Duke Nukem Forever and Doom (2016).  Modernized in the same style as Doom, but a lot of the same juvenile humor that permeated Duke Nukem.  Kinda racist, and really poorly optimized for the X-Box.  Beat on Feb. 16.

Played in Feb
Cities: Skylines (PC) - Best modern city builder.  So fun to just dick around in for hours.
Elden Ring (PS5) - At this point I'm just over 60 hours in.  So, so much fun.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on March 09, 2022, 09:56:34 am
4. Force of Nature (Abandoned)
This is a casual survival/crafting game that is (was) very promising and I did actually enjoy playing it to a point. The game was never truly finished and the developer had moved on to the 2nd game in the series which also looks interesting. It is a grind-fest but once you get the hang of things that part isn't that terrible.

The game starts off as being easy and in an area that is separated from the rest of the world via foliage. You can't go past that and monsters/animals can't either. You can cut down the trees or bushes in order to be able to explore but you have to be careful as then the wandering enemies can go through that part also. It is simple enough to be able to survive until you get the first Force of Nature shard, and also not terrible to get the second. The second one is in a different biome (and to the dev's credit) the transition between these first two areas is done very well. The third on the other hand, no so.

Anything you can build or craft is locked based upon what level you are at. There is no way to improve stats or items unless you complete quests to finish the level. When you get the first shard, you look on the map to find where the second one is. The biome it is in has different temperature and on this level you are given the ability to make the armor for that temperature. You are able to make anything you need to survive this area without an issue, even the way to cure poison from the scorpion enemies.

Combat is simple but there are very few ways to have creative combat. The potential is there but it isn't actually possible. Enemies are passive and have a short aggro range. There is a co-aggro for each enemy and if the first spots you, any other enemies within a short distance of that first enemy will be alerted also. But this stacks and you can end up with a ton of trouble if a pack comes after you. This can only be solved by waiting until the monsters move around and you can attempt to kite one at a time. Despite having better armor/weapons/stats at a later level (say level 9), there is still the potential for low level enemies to kill you. You can use the environment to funnel monsters (some are too big to walk under trees) and there are ranged weapons but the shooting angle is fixed and too short. So because of the shortcomings, all combat is basically set up so that you have to tank damage and hope to outlast the enemy.

The primary issue I faced was that the balance between biome 2 and 3 is not good. The enemies you fight in the third biome are much stronger in comparison to enemies in the second (as compared to your level at that time). I think their HP is fine but their damage is too high. I attempted to kill the monsters at the third shard 3 times and each time I can't make it through all of them. The cover around is not as good as the 2nd biome and they were always too close to each other to kite single units. Enemies respawn when the map loads, so you have to do it all in one shot. Also IMO the weapons (or the armor or something) is just enough to make the regular enemies in biome 3 to be challenging but not enough to take out the shard guardians. Another issue is that there is no food in biome 2 or 3, so you only have what you brought with you.

There is no cheats for the game, but there is a creative mode. I may take a look at that to see if it is possible to do quests that way but I have some doubts. The ways the enemies/animals move around the map is interesting, as they can "migrate" to other areas. Usually no issue for enemies but sometimes they can come close to your base. There was one instance where a super high level goblin wandered into the starting biome which was not fun. Also about goblins, you can tame one, which going by how the quests were set up makes you think that you should be using a goblin at the third shard... BUT bringing a goblin anywhere is a death sentence. I tried one in the starting area and they move around so much they trigger so many aggros and it would not be ideal to use in an actual fight. The one in the starting biome when I was level 9 and all the monsters were level 1-2, the goblin had kited about a dozen enemies too me.

Also there is no real support for the game. All of the videos and threads about it are outdated. It is obvious that the game was updated at some point after it was "popular" but no one made any meaningful content about the game (no longplays, tutorials, etc) at its current state. So when I was stuck, there was no posts or videos about what to do next. After running out of ideas and having no where to turn, I decided to abandon the game. Unlike previous games I abandoned, I didn't delete it, may take a look at it again some other time.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on March 10, 2022, 02:21:51 am
3: Super Mario Bros. (Completed 3/5/2022)

I feel so ashamed putting this here.

I have spent most of my free time towards YouTube instead of gaming this year, and I felt the need to put SOMETHING to live up to it. I most likely won't get even 21 games finished. As for this, I literally just played it on the Switch Online version, abusing the rewind feature and the warp zones so I could get some My Nintendo platinum points for those new icons. It's a fine enough game and all, but I'm not sure if it truly belongs.

Overall the game is 7/10. I respect it a lot more than I actually enjoy it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on March 10, 2022, 11:02:38 am
21. Gran Turismo 7 (PS5)

While admittedly I did not "beat" Gran Turismo 7, I played it about 50-hours since it came out last friday. In other words, most of my free time over the past week has been playing this game lol. Because of this I feel like I have a good enough grasp on the game to review it and also because I've always seen the GT games as something you play until you don't have any further desire to play them. This typically occurs when the game starts resembling something like a dedicated Le Mans or Rally game. The real joy of these games is being able to drive cars I actually have a genuine interest in and feeling how different they perform between one another; it's the closest I'll ever get to driving a Skyline GTR R34 V-Spec II Nur or a McLaren F1 and because of that I'm addicted to these games up to a point.


But anyways, I have to agree with some of the more favorable reviews GT7 has received over the past week and say it's at the very least the best GT game released since the PS2 era of games, and at the very best it's the best GT game ever made. I am of the latter opinion hands down. Everything in the game feels so genuine and real; the cars all sound and perform as you'd expect them to in real life, and look absolutely stunning I might add! The tracks, including many iconic tracks that have been absent for far too long make a triumphant return. Oh, and they also look incredible. The actually driving and racing gameplay is the best in the series so far, bar the Rally races which feel a lot more floating than they do in previous titles and also have some questionable physics. However, my biggest gripe with the gameplay is how slow the game starts off. There are weird little avatar people that talk to you depending on what section of the map you're in. While most go away after the first couple hours of the game, some do not and the pacing would have been greatly improved if they were removed entirely. Also, for better or worse, this is by far the most linear GT game ever made. In other GT games you start the game with a few credits, buy a cheap starter car and get to work your way up by unlocking licenses, participating in whatever races you want, and being able to buy and sell cars to get the cars you need to compete in other races. While you can do some of this to an extent in GT7, your progression is a lot more planned via unlocking a new car in most of the races and also only being given new races after completing the previous set of races. I'm going to be honest, I was not a fan of this at first and I still don't fully like it, but it did grow on me after a while, although I'd have preferred it more open like the previous games. Beyond the inclusion of other modes like Mission Mode, Photo Mode, and multiplayer, and want to focus briefly on one more mode that really blew me away; tuning. Yes, the tuning in GT7 is the best in any GT game by far. Not only are you able to essentially completely transform a car with multiple body, wheel, and livery options, but performance parts have a very noticeable and realistic impact in the way a car sounds, handles and just feels overall. It wasn't terrible in most of the previous games, but it just felt more general in terms of its performance impact on your car. Finally there's the OST and overall sound quality. GT7 does an amazing job at capturing the sounds of the vehicles and in this regard it gets a 10/10 in my book, however the OST is definitely a mixed bag. I liked a lot of the menu and overworld music, however the music that plays while racing is once again some generic, bland rock/techno/pop OST with few tracks you'll recognize or get you pumped in any way while racing. I feel like the musical OST in GT games has been sorely lacking since GT4 and it would be nice if Polyphony would spend more on licensing music people might actually want to hear while competing in a race. But yes, GT7 is the best GT game ever made, which is something I've so badly wanted to say with each new GT game since GT4 which has remained by favorite for almost 2 decades now. I will definitely be returning to GT7 more in the future in between other games and just when I feel like I need my car fix. (3/8/22) [41/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on March 11, 2022, 08:09:12 am
18. Metroid Fusion

I kept forgetting that I had this as part of the 3DS Ambassador Program. It was cool; a lot more fun than Dread. It got pretty frustrating near the end since every damn enemy wanted to give Samus a hug.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on March 11, 2022, 09:10:17 pm
11. Mass Effect 2 Legendary Edition
Hot damn this game is good. I won’t make a long writeup, but I just had to comment about how great the Suicide Mission is. Having to make quick decisions based on the situation and your knowledge of your team really puts you in the shoes of Commander Shepard.
I played through the whole series twice years ago on X360 and never lost a team member on the Suicide Mission, but that changed this time. I never had access to DLC back then so this was my first time with the DLC characters Zaeed and Kasumi. Zaeed is a veteran of many battles and former leader of a mercenary organization, so I figured it made sense that he could be a good squad leader…apparently the game didn’t think so and he got shot. Oh well, I hardly ever used him because I’m playing as a Soldier class and Zaeed’s similar abilities made him redundant.

I still remember how much I hoped ME3 would include similar situations, and I was disappointed when it didn’t (it does have big decisions, just not those kind where selecting the wrong person for a job can have deadly consequences).
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on March 11, 2022, 11:35:14 pm
22. The Flintstones (Genesis)

The Flintstones on Sega Genesis is a very, very special game for me; it was the first video game I ever got when I got my Sega Genesis for my 6th birthday. Also, related, but unrelated, for years I always thought I received my Genesis for my 5th birthday in 1992, when in fact I had to have received it for my 6th birthday the following year since this game came out in Feb 1993 in the US. While not a big deal, it's kind of crazy how poorly we remember things from our past sometimes. But anyhow, back to the review. The Flintstones is a very mixed bag in terms of quality. On one hand this is probably one of the best looking third party Genesis games ever made; it's levels are all distinct, it has a large variety of enemies and bosses, and the sprites are just excellent. Also the OST is also really catchy and fun too. However, the gameplay is a whole different kettle of fish. The gameplay is functional in some ways while in others it is borderline broken. Case in point, there's a grappling mechanic you'll use often to grab ledges. This mechanic works when it feels like sometimes and takes a lot of getting used to in order to compensate for how super specific it is to get it to work. Also the hit detection is very dodgy too, both when hitting enemies and getting hit. You can take out an enemy with your club when they aren't even that close, but likewise they'll hit you when there's a noticeable distance between you and them. However, the most frustrating and broken part of this game has to do with the level design, especially the last two stages. There were several sections of both stages that nearly broke me and I had to replay many, many, many, MANY times to get past. It wasn't because they were difficult, but fair, but rather just as poorly designed as a retro platformer could get. Like literal one frame opportunities to perform jumps in order to grab onto a ledge, which as I mentioned is already not a well functioning mechanic. I never beat this game as a kid, and barely beat it as an adult because of all this crap. Sadly, despite The Flintstones holding a special place in my heart, the game just isn't that great or fun to play which is a shame since it's very well made otherwise. Still I have to give credit where it's due and also acknowledge the importance this game will always have for me. (3/11/22) [32/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on March 12, 2022, 09:01:08 pm
12. X-Men (arcade)
For my birthday, my kids and I went to an arcade at the mall where you pay $10 to get in and get unlimited play. We ended up playing through the entire arcade version of X-Men, and it’s great to share it with my kids; I used to play that game all the time at the arcades when I was in high school. I was Storm, one son was Cyclops and the other was Nightcrawler. Took a lot of (free) credits but we beat it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on March 13, 2022, 04:33:59 pm
23. Mega Man X (PS4)

I owned an SNES and Genesis growing up, however I played my Genesis way more and owned far more games on it during the time both consoles were being supported. However, I got to experience some incredible SNES games during that period of time including the first two DKC games, Street Fighter II Turbo, and of course Mega Man X. Unfortunately I was never able to beat Mega Man X a a kid, in fact I never even beat all the robot masters until years later as an adult. The last time I took a crack at Mega Man X I'm not sure what happened, but I remember I stopped playing at some point during the first Sigma stage and never picked it back up. Well, I did pick it back up and finally beat this game.


Mega Man X is undoubtedly one of those must play iconic SNES games, although I'd still say it's far from being a masterpiece. For starters, the visuals and OST are not only among the best on the SNES, but absolutely some of the best you could find in any video game during the early 90s period. I adore Mega Man X's OST and it has this super awesome, high energy rock sound coming from the SNES's hardware that is just amazing! The level design is super unique, there are many enemy types that are used sparingly so you do see the same types way too often, and the bosses are also very memorable and cool in their design too. While definitely good, probably the weakest part of Mega Man X is its gameplay which has some questionable design issues as well as controls that can be tricky to use when you're in a pinch. I also almost gave up on this game again as the final stage consists of four parts. You get to go back to the part you want to if you simply die and need to use a continue, but if you power the console off and restart you have to go back to the first sub stage in the final stage. I found this out the hard way and nearly gave up on beating the game because of it. The final stage is probably the weakest anyways in terms of design, as it's mostly a boss rush with a few new bosses thrown in, including the final boss who has three forms. So in a way you could say my biggest issues with Mega Man X come down to some of its outdated features and issues. Otherwise, this is a solid game and a must play on the SNES. (3/13/22) [39/50]

p.s. I decided to play this game on the PS4 via the Mega Man X Collection, however if you are going to play it I'd recommend a different platform. There were a lot of perfomance issues, specifically in several stages for some reason that made the game even more difficult than it already was. The worst was the Chill Penguin Stage which has screen tearing at parts and just a slowed down framerate, sometimes for no reason at all. The score I gave above is assuming you play the SNES version, which I have enough to know that the technical issues I did have were simply because of the port and not the original game. If I was going to judge this port it would probably have been a point or 2 less in case anyone is wondering.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on March 16, 2022, 04:54:53 pm
Game 3 – Persona 5 Royal (PS4) – 135 hours, Platinum Trophy earned

This was one hell of a long-ass game to finish, probably the most hours that I’ve ever spent completing a game’s single player experience. There are some fantastic aspects of Persona 5 that I absolutely loved! But I do feel that there is are some flaws that harm the experience.

First, let’s talk about what’s great about this game. Persona 5 improves upon Persona 3 and 4 in pretty much every way. The most striking is a completely redesigned, beautiful, and expressive menu and UI system that rides the line perfectly between functional and flashy. The visuals in general are very stylish, and it really helps bring the game’s world and combat to life. The music is also the best in the series by far. I was never really a fan of Persona 3/4's music, but Persona 5 really blew me out of the water with a mainly jazz-focused score that fits well with the rest of the game.

My favorite improvements were with the dungeon progression and combat, however. I loved that the dungeons are not randomly generated and so they’re more intentionally designed with hidden areas and treasures to discover. They’re also more closely tied to each major villain throughout the game so they were more enjoyable to explore. You still have the option of the traditional randomly-generated dungeon progression system in the form of Mementos. I also appreciated the new additions to the combat system such as baton passing, new elemental attacks, guns attacks, technical damage, and being able to swap party members in battle, among other things. I liked the negotiation process for shadows which felt way more natural than the “card” system that Persona 4 had. Creating new personas has a lot more to explore as well as more options to train and turn your personas into items. Just a lot of additions with the combat that I really appreciated. The confidant and social aspects of the game were also improved. I loved that your confidants give you additional abilities that are thematic to their personality, which gives you an added decision to make when choosing who to hang out with.

I also enjoyed most aspects of the story compared to Persona 3 and 4. I think what this game does best is really lean in to the juxtaposition of your double life as a vigilante/superhero and a normal high school student. And whether your actions are justified or not was interesting to consider. However, the final Holy Grail boss was pretty bad in my opinion, and had no buildup or interest after Shido was defeated. I did think that the added bosses in the Royal additions to this game make it a lot better, and I think it did a better job with this kind of idea than a lot of other games. Overall I thought it was a fine story, but the experience of the story was held back by the game's pacing and length.

I think I deviate from most people (at least from what I’ve seen), but I think that this game is far, FAR too damn long. Every Persona game feels too long to me: at around the 50 hour mark I always get really fatigued with the social-oriented half of the game. Persona 5 is no exception, but of course this game is more than twice the length this time around! My issue is that Persona’s mechanics are not deep or complex enough to support such a long game. I thought about how much I enjoyed playing Kingdom Hearts even though that accounted to over 200 hours of gameplay, and it was because the combat was rich and varied, and each game added a new gameplay quirk or feature to mix up the formula and reduce the monotony. I would say that about 40 hours of Persona 5 consists of reading dialogue and text messages ad nauseum, and it's so exhausting after a while. The time in between targets was the worst, as the gameplay reduces to simply picking someone to hang out with and reading dialogue for hours and hours on end. Again, it's not terrible if the game were shorter, but it becomes a serious problem with such a long run time.

I also had a few other nitpicks. I think for how dark the topics in this game can get, Persona 5 can still get very immature/predatory with some of the humor. I’m not a huge fan of this game’s flavor of humor in general, but the times where Ryuji is looking up Ann’s skirt or when Yusuke wants to paint her nude against her consent (for example) felt extremely uncomfortable and weird when considering that the first boss you defeat is a sexually harassing teacher. One thing I didn’t like on the combat side was how if you die, you lose the battle, even if you have other party members that can fight. Got a few more game overs because of that than I thought I deserved. Lastly, I think the choice to use a silent protagonist felt a little outdated and I wish he was actually given a voice. The dialogue choices you ARE given are usually inconsequential, or are just different flavors of the same response, and they don't add that much to the character's personality for me.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on March 17, 2022, 10:58:43 am
15. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (Xbox One X) 17/03/2022

A nice surprise! A very decent 2.5 Platformer, with an aesthetic designed like a children's CGI cartoon. The basic premises is your bother is taken too another world and you have to rescue him form a mysterious villain. The unique gameplay aspect is that you have a pen which acquires power-ups as you progress - This pen can manipulate the certain points to interact with powers of pillars, vines, branches and more. Some times you'll be required to draw certain shapes with the pen to create/manipulate objects, there's a lot of creativity put into the level design. It's just a very decent game, not overblown nor does it outstay it's welcome - Highly recommend!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on March 17, 2022, 07:24:25 pm
19. Monark

You know how some games could be excellent if the developer's budget was increased just a tad? That's the case here with Monark. The story and vibe of the game is truly unique; worth the experience for a good chunk of the game. The pacing is great and there are some super creepy parts.

But man, the game is just a technical mess. The dialogues are awkward and there is too much emphasis on level grinding. With some extra buff and polish this could have been magnificent. But, I'm glad I played it. I'm en route towards the platinum now. Yay - more grinding!

EDIT: Platinum acquired. First one of the year!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on March 19, 2022, 03:56:12 pm
24. Mario Kart 64 (N64)

While my intention this year was to play the original Mario Kart (and I still probably will before the end of the year), playing some of the new DLC levels for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe inspired me to actually go back and replay the Mario Kart game I had the most experience with growing up, Mario Kart 64. While I do possess a lot of the same googley eyed nostalgia for Mario Kart 64 that many others have, there were actually a decent amount of N64 racing games I played and enjoyed more as a kid. And well, this still holds true to this day.


Mario Kart 64 is definitely a classic on the N64, however it is not without its flaws that I feel many are too afraid or proud to admit. For one the handling of the karts is certainly serviceable, but they do feel fairly floaty and I found myself going off stages or crashing into walls way more often than I should have. Also, the courses in Mario Kart 64 are a mixed bag. Some are excellent, others are pretty good, a few are meh, and then a few more are just bad. The course design is really all over the place and will have you either excited or fretting whatever stage you're about to race on. The OST is pretty damn awesome in Mario Kart 64 and still sounds great to this day, as do the various noises and sounds the characters and their karts make. Graphically Mario Kart 64 was certainly a looker for its time and many of its stages show off a level of creativity that awed many gamers back in the mid 90s, myself included. Combined with the audio of this game, it definitely makes me feel are warm and fuzzy inside when I play this one. Still, the gameplay and course design at times does have its issues that really prevent this game from standing toe to toe with some of the undisputed classics on the console. I'd even go as far as to say Wave Race 64 is a much better, more fun game. This is probably blasphemy to many, but I stand by that statement 100%. Still, Mario Kart 64 is an excellent racing game from a simpler time in gaming. (3/19/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 20, 2022, 10:01:51 pm
10. Kirby's Dream Land (NGB) 3/20/22

I’ve been getting a bit excited for the new Kirby game coming out this week, so I figured I’d take a stroll down memory lane to get me ready for Friday. Not much to say about this one, it’s the Kirby that started it all, everything we know and love about that big pink ball came from this one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbWSXFitnEj/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on March 21, 2022, 03:08:38 pm
20. Triangle Strategy

A solid strategy RPG. I wish New Game+ would reset the enemies back to level 1 because I want to see what the different paths are like but no luck. If I do replay it, then I'm setting the difficulty to the lowest difficulty so I don't have to grind as much.

Now it's time to wait a few days for Kirby!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 21, 2022, 09:41:23 pm
11. Uncharted Drake's Fortune (PS4) 3/21/22

FUCK, I forgot how good this game is; even now it still holds up, it’s a goddamn masterpiece. You ever finish a game and immediately want to just start it over? That’s how good this game is… and its not even the best one in the franchise. Really looking forward to Uncharted 2!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbY09iLtp1-/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 23, 2022, 08:30:54 pm
12. Kirby's Adventure (Switch) 3/23/22

This is one of the first games I remember BEGGING my parents for as a kid and I still have my original cartridge after all these years. It doesn’t matter how many times I play through this game; it always trips me up how difficult the last boss is compared to the rest of the game. Its not insanely hard, but after just breezing through the whole game its kind strange to have a boss like that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbd2p6st5NA/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 24, 2022, 08:20:40 pm
13. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (NGB) 3/24/22

Now this is the first time I played this one, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with it! I don’t know if it was just because it was the first time playing it, but they seemed to have stepped up the boss difficulty across the board wit this one. Usually, I breeze right through Kirby games but this one gave me a little trouble on a few bosses and I’m totally ok with that! I’m still not sure how I feel about the animal friends though; the fish felt pointless most of the time, the hamster was ok, but the owl was almost overpowered especially paired with the umbrella power. None of them really felt necessary, but they also didn’t hurt anything by being there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbgaIZythhw/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on March 25, 2022, 04:04:37 am
16. Echo Generation (Xbox One X) 24/03/2022
Echo Generation is clearly inspired by Earthbound with it's kid protagonists and suburbs setting, overall I had fun with it but there are a few issues. The biggest problem I had with the game was pacing, it was fine at first but about 2/3'rds into the game most of the game turns into fetchquests and the story takes a back seat to the point where I couldn't even recall how to progress! There was no way to distinguish what was the way to progress the main story to just a simple sidequest. I was going to call quits but gave it another shot and beat it - Which I'm glad I did as the stories pay off was decent.

Then there is the turn-based combat - GAME IS HARD! I would find that after each main encounter I would have to backtrack home to rest everytime. It gets easier later on when you gain more levels and abilities but its a tough start! During combat, to use your abilities you will have to interact with little quick time event games, problem is I wouldn't want to test them out and fail during a big fight so I often stuck to ones I had a better idea of. Your ability attacks also take SP points and you have to really reserve them through out the battle - you later can get items to refill the SP bar but this is over half-way into the game.

Another weird feature about the game is you can recruit a pet as a 3rd character in battle, yet when you recruit them... they start at Level 1 - Why do some RPG's do this! I already had a 3rd party member near the beginning of the game which was near my level of the main two, so I wasn't encouraged to try any of the other possible characters out.

The game is decent, I'm glad I played it. There is a lot of charm in the writing and 3D-Dot-Heroes visual style, but the repetitive fetch-questing does become tedious especially when it is difficult to tell the difference between your main objective and side-content.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 25, 2022, 04:14:06 pm
14. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Switch) 3/25/22

Not my favorite Kirby game but its certainly not a bad game. I didn’t take the time to unlock the true ending cause I wanted to finish today so I could play the new one but it still counts lol. I kinda hate when games do that, lock the true last boss behind some crap you have to complete, like just give me boss damnit! Oh well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbii6yZuSBY/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on March 26, 2022, 05:19:42 pm
10 - Jump King (PC 2019) - PLAYING - An odd journey on this one as I started it out, wasn't sure if I liked it and if I could even progress, so refunded it.  Moved to Pogostuck, knowing it was harder, but I liked how it handled it's jumping mechanic a little more in some ways, but yeah, really damn hard, so when I hit a wall, I went back to giving Jump King a shot, primarily because I loved it's visual style, some nice pixel art.

Ended up progressing through, getting a feel of the jumping and liking it.  Of course hating it also every time I fell down, but I it's solid for that first map.  I still sorta wish there was more of a visual indicator to the jumping, it's entirely a timing/feel sort of thing, you just figure it out when you need to let go for shorter distances.  Most things don't feel unfair, though there are very clear "hurdle points", where it's like, you gotta do something really hard to progress to the next area and screwing up really wrecks you.  Thankfully, with the last three areas, there's a legitimate safe zone that keeps you from falling back down into the rest of the previous areas, so they aren't completely merciless lol

It's a good game and if you want something simple, but challenging, I'd recommend it.  It took me about 7 and a half hours roughly to beat the first map, which seems like "Wow, this must be a big game!" and I say "No, that's just how long it took me to get through this relatively small and straightforward map that no other gameplay features beside jumping" lol.  I've seen speedrun records where if you do everything perfectly without falling, you can do it in under 5 minutes.  I kinda handled it in like hour long chunks, so I didn't burn myself out on it, but I usually made progress, or at least felt like I had a better handle on the jumps I was working on, so I could make more progress next time.

There is New Babe+, which I think is just the first map, but harder, which I will attempt, and then there's the DLC map, which is supposed to be really hard.  I know there's some fan made maps too that got the game creators blessing, but I doubt I'll ever get that far.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on March 27, 2022, 05:19:18 pm
17. A Memoir Blue (Xbox One X) 27/03/2022

I was interested to see this game drop on Game Pass, it's not a very long game about an hour really. The game is very abstract and reminds me of an artistic prologue scene your often see in movies/games which explains lore/backstory before the main event - But this is the whole game. It's mostly point and click based and the actions your partake in are very basic - From starting the engine for boat to cleaning a window, I wasn't very taken with the gameplay portions if I am honest. The story was decent in concept yet a little underdeveloped - It could have featured a slightly longer epilogue but the story is intact enough to understand/enjoy.

Is it worth buying... no, but if you have a spare evening and are looking for something to play on Gamepass this is a decent option.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 29, 2022, 09:08:44 pm
15. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) 3/29/22

Game 15, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. NOW THAT’S HOW YOU DO A KIRBY GAME!!!!! Hands down best Kirby game of all time. It’s everything it needed to be and nothing more; charming, goofy, crazy and just a ton of fun. Can I just take a minute and talk about the level design…? That Funhouse level just might be the single best level in a 3D platformer ever; if you know, you know.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbtXt7qNaKp/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on March 30, 2022, 08:32:02 am
15. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) 3/29/22

Game 15, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. NOW THAT’S HOW YOU DO A KIRBY GAME!!!!! Hands down best Kirby game of all time. It’s everything it needed to be and nothing more; charming, goofy, crazy and just a ton of fun. Can I just take a minute and talk about the level design…? That Funhouse level just might be the single best level in a 3D platformer ever; if you know, you know.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbtXt7qNaKp/

I'm playing it now. It's a goddamn masterpiece.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 30, 2022, 12:55:38 pm
15. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) 3/29/22

Game 15, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. NOW THAT’S HOW YOU DO A KIRBY GAME!!!!! Hands down best Kirby game of all time. It’s everything it needed to be and nothing more; charming, goofy, crazy and just a ton of fun. Can I just take a minute and talk about the level design…? That Funhouse level just might be the single best level in a 3D platformer ever; if you know, you know.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbtXt7qNaKp/

I'm playing it now. It's a goddamn masterpiece.

I 100% agree!!. Also I LOVE reading people complain about it being too easy... like dude.. have you ever played a Kirby game before...
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on March 30, 2022, 03:02:33 pm
15. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) 3/29/22

Game 15, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. NOW THAT’S HOW YOU DO A KIRBY GAME!!!!! Hands down best Kirby game of all time. It’s everything it needed to be and nothing more; charming, goofy, crazy and just a ton of fun. Can I just take a minute and talk about the level design…? That Funhouse level just might be the single best level in a 3D platformer ever; if you know, you know.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbtXt7qNaKp/

I'm playing it now. It's a goddamn masterpiece.

I 100% agree!!. Also I LOVE reading people complain about it being too easy... like dude.. have you ever played a Kirby game before...

People have to find something to complain about. I mean, if you're not complaining about something trivial can you really consider yourself a gamer?
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on March 30, 2022, 08:49:38 pm
People have to find something to complain about. I mean, if you're not complaining about something trivial can you really consider yourself a gamer?

(https://c.tenor.com/PY4uJ0NkywQAAAAC/the-goon-dodgeball.gif)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on April 01, 2022, 09:23:10 am
Game 4 - Ratchet & Clank (PS4) - 11 Hours

It's funny how playing a 130+ hour game can make a shorter game like this feel like it passed by in an instant.  :o I'm a huge fan of the Ratchet & Clank games on the PS2, but haven't really played any of the newer entries. This game feels very similar to those old games and is quite a lot of fun to play. However, while the gameplay was enjoyable, it's not as good as the first three games. Everything including the weapons, planets, minigames, and story felt more watered down, and not up to the same high standard set by the series 20 years ago. Of course, that might just be nostalgia talking. There are some really great things about this game like the gameplay, plenty of secrets to find, well-designed environments, and decent music.

Speaking of nostalgia, this game is one of those weird reboots where all the characters are re-established and yet it's done incredibly poorly because I imagine the developers assumed you would know who they are? I dunno. Dr. Nefarious and Quark felt particularly shoehorned into the game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on April 02, 2022, 10:36:30 pm
16. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS4) 4/2/22

Ok, I could sit here and talk about how amazing this game is, but by this point I’m guessing pretty much everyone knows it. So instead, I want to bring up something that no one seems to talk about in this game… Do people in real life really just catch someone by the hand who just jumped off a cliff? It happened like 6 times in this game and every time I was just like; nah, don’t believe it… With all the crazy shit that happens in this game, I have no idea why that’s the hill I picked to die on... but here we are lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb3z6m3tiYn/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on April 03, 2022, 12:13:45 am
17. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)

UGH I’m really torn on this one. So, since I played this for the first time immediately after Forgotten Land I wasn’t really a fan at first, it just kinda seems bland; but as I continued with it I started to see how it was special. There are a lot of things that have become standard for Kirby that started in this one. The move 2.5D was actually kinda awesome; BUT… and this is a big but… They decided to pull that “The real last boss is locked behind collecting all the shards” bullshit… I really hate that, just let me beat the game the way I want to beat it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb4AICSNuJ6/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on April 03, 2022, 09:47:28 am
21. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Game of the year, so far. The craftsmanship and level of TLC put into this game is just...*chef's kiss*

EDIT: 100% completion!!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on April 04, 2022, 10:53:02 am
March Update

Games Beat in March
Elden Ring (PS5) - Beat on Mar. 26.  Nearly 150 hours of playtime, and played pretty much every day for the entire month.  Almost certainly going to be my GotY, but still not my favorite FromSoft game - that still goes to Bloodborne.  It's probably about 1/4 too long, which makes the reused enemies, tomb biomes, etc stand out a bit too much.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) - Beat on Mar. 27.  Had some friends get the new track packs, so I busted out MK8 for my Switch.  I'd previously unlocked and beat everything on Wii U, and had nothing done on this version.  Crushed a Grand Prix mode just to shake off the rust and remember the controls.

Contra - NES Version (Switch) - Beat on Mar. 27.  Hadn't played this in a while.  Save scummed my through, but this was the first time I could really see how actually doable it is if you practice enough.  Spent a lot of time watching a studying enemy patterns and movement.

Slay the Spire (PC) - Beat on Mar. 31.  Fun deck building roguelike.  Didn't take as long to hit credits as I expected, but it also encourages further playthroughs.  I may pick it back up with a different character later this year.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on April 08, 2022, 01:36:09 pm
05. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt || PlayStation 4 || 04.04.22

As someone who has been slightly interested in some Western-style RPGs, I went a long time without ever actually playing one. After a fair amount of internal back-and-forth consideration in determining if I really want to dedicate the time involved to complete it, I finally went forward and began playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Like I mentioned, The Witcher 3 fulfills the slot in being the first Western-style RPG I played; at the same time, it's also one of the first open-world games I've experienced first-hand. With that said, I felt overwhelmed as I began my playthrough, as the direction I could take seemed endless. Well, I talked to this person and they're offering a contract for me to hunt. But there's this area not too far away that hasn't been explored yet that looks like there would be something of some interest there. Oh, and my quest log of existing tasks already has a few notable items worth doing too. Not to mention, there is the main story to consider. After about ten hours of play time, I finally began feeling more at ease with everything offered and would play secondary quests and exploration before advancing a considerable amount of the main story.

In terms of plot, there is one main focus throughout the majority of the game: find Ciri. However, something so simple in concept is anything but in execution. Taking the role of series protagonist Geralt, the player-character finds themself traversing across three large regions to accomplish this goal. Throughout the journey, Geralt is faced with plenty of problems that stand in his way which range from solving everyday problems of the common people to tackling political turmoil. Being unfamiliar with the series outside of this entry, there is a lot of lore and history to experience and read. On that note, it is to my understanding that the developers CD Projekt Red (CDPR) were given licensing rights to explore the franchise, which began as books. With that in mind, as the game progresses, more and more connections are made to existing lore—Geralt encounters many characters whom he's history with along with referencing events that have taken place in previous installments. While the games themselves are not canon, and with no understanding of the series outside of The Witcher 3, the success CDPR had in adapting the source material into a game while creating a scenario this engaging was easy to see.

As an action-RPG, the game largely controls and plays well, and I certainly had a lot of fun with combat. While having played on the Normal difficulty (with Hard and Very Hard following), I did not find much challenge throughout my lengthy playthrough apart from the beginning hours. As a witcher, Geralt is well-versed in hunting, swordplay, and general fighting, and, as the player advances in character development, an array of abilities may be upgraded in the form of a skill tree to adjust for varying play styles. With accompanying battle elements such as bombs, arrows, oils (temporary buffs), and signs (magic), there was little cause for me to explore all of these possible options. In fact, I mostly only relied upon one of the five signs throughout my entire playthrough. While I've looked at the differences which each difficulty setting brings, and, having talked to someone who's beaten the game on the Very Hard setting, it still does not seem resolute in needing to rely upon these skills and tactics. For both of us, relying upon the shield sign Quen was all that was necessary, although the use of oils certainly does aid in longer fights. Coupled with defensive fighting and dodging, there was little to worry about.

However, The Witcher 3 is not a game without faults. In fact, it has many. Being accustomed to games of smaller scale, I'm generally used to games functioning without issue. But, with a title so expansive as this one, there are bugs aplenty even after at least two dozen patches and years of post-development. As someone who tries to complete games as much as possible, my biggest complaints are with several of the quests. I believe that, upon finally finishing the base game and two DLC campaigns, there were three quests which were bugged and could not be advanced. Instead of taking the time to solve one bugged quest in particular, CDPR simply added an in-game apology letter in a chest to be looted. For a Hearts of Stone quest, CDPR is on record to saying the player should just create a new game+ file for the quest to work. In both of these instances, quality and user-friendly solutions were certainly offered. Aside from these major problems, general issues such as the player-character becoming stuck, animation clipping, incorrect NPC spawning, inactive enemy AI, and game crashes are common. I will note, though, that at around 80 hours of playing, my game crashed and was reporting that my save data had been corrupted. Fortunately, my save data was fine, but those were a few worrying minutes, for sure.

Aside from general development issues, I also saw issue with menu organization and UX. Understanding how quests, print material, and inventory items were organized was impossible. Criteria for each of these sections are generally updated, yet there is no consistency in how they're placed within menus. Additionally, how glossary entries function certainly needs attention. Entries are regularly updates, yet there is no menu notification for which entries have new information. With as much lore as the game offers, it was disappointing to see all these segments of the game so underdeveloped and without the player in mind.

In spite of these shortcomings, The Witcher 3 offers an amazing playing experience overall. Yes, Geralt can slay archgriffins without issue yet meet his demise upon falling 10 feet below, but the sense of exploring every corner of the world was truly wondrous to me as someone foreign to these types of gaming experiences. It really felt as if anything could be just a short distance away. I didn't mention this before since I've only played the game once, but I've gone on to watch some videos detailing how open and varying quest outcomes may be, and the detail to possibilities in player choice is definitely commendable and a highlight worth mentioning.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on April 08, 2022, 09:03:50 pm
22. Song of Horror

This was one of the best new survival horror games I ever played. Great atmosphere, story telling, characters, etc. The puzzles got really obtuse near the end - a guide is essentially a requirement. It's odd that the characters know exactly what to pick up for solving them, too. These and other issues keep it from perfection but it's still a quality game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on April 08, 2022, 09:41:54 pm
18. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS4) 4/8/22

I know this one isn’t considered one of the best of the series but to me, its just as good as the rest; crazy twists and turns, amazing dialog and utterly outrageous action. God, I fucking love this franchise.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcHLWaotTCa/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on April 09, 2022, 03:14:45 am
18. Resident Evill 3 Remake (PS4 on PS5 - Spectator) 08/04/2022
My friend beat Resident Evil 3 Remake last night, overall I liek it a lot but it is very clear the remake didn't have the ambittion put into the previous release. Cut content & Nenemsis just being a set-piece rather than stalking you for the majority of the game really holds the game back. But as a short action romp... sure it's decent!

I've made a point to re-play the original RE3 to show my friend the difference - Plus, I haven't played it in years and regard it as one of my favouriet RE titles. So that is what we will play before he takes on Code Veronica X on Xbox One.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on April 10, 2022, 07:48:12 pm
4: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Started July 2021, completed 4/9/2022)

It was nice being able to replay literally my favorite video game of all time! Why is it better than the first? Well, because of the green stars you need to 100% the game instead of having to replay the whole thing as Luigi. Yoshi's also a worthwhile addition. Funny enough, the final level (The Perfect Run) only took me 5/6 tries to complete when it took me over a hundred the first time I tried, and I needed my sister as the second player to slow down enemies. This game is magic in its purest form, plain and simple. There are probably better games out there I have yet to try (such as Ocarina of Time). But for now, I believe this to be as good as a video game can truly be.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on April 11, 2022, 08:46:17 am
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)
Previous List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg194132.html#msg194132)

Quote from: Legend
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.

46. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (NS)
Started this up right after finishing the first Spyro game.  I didn't intend on 100%'ing this game because I didn't like the upgrade system and having to go back to levels because things can't be obtained in a single run through... but I did, I went back and got all of the gems and all of the orbs.  I then went into the final area and got all 10 tokens (which wasn't that hard I guess) and you unlock Theater mode (watch cut scenes) and maybe infinite ultra fireball?  Stuff like this falls into that category of things that would've been helpful before but are unhelpful now that I've 100%'d the game.  Really sullies the experience and honestly makes me consider not 100%'ing the 3rd game, the first game didn't really give you anything, but I think you wound up with a different cut scene ending, which is definitely cooler than what 2 gave you.  Story is still weird and I don't quite get if Spyro is supposed to be special or not.  Overall I enjoyed this game, but I like solid collectathon games.  It just took some time to get into the changes and new characters and such.
Rating: Soft pass

47. Lake (XS)
Started this game a long time ago and have been slow playing it.  Just playing it whenever I feel like it because it's so easy to just pick up and play and the achievements are pretty straight forward.  Plus the game is super chill and kinda nice to play.  Not really a fan of the soundtrack given it's all country music, but podunk town, so what can ya do.  Game is kinda glitchy and buggy, game is pretty straight forward with minor deviations.  I've gotten 2 of the 3 endings so far, just need to go back and play for another 15 minutes or so to get the last ending.  Game is annoying in that you can't skip dialogue, so for repeat conversations it's really annoying.  Running is real slow, walking is slower.  Town is pretty small and not much there, so I'm kind of hoping this is a "prototype" for a bigger game down the line, but I'm probably being too hopeful there.
Rating: Soft pass

48. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (NS)
Started this one up after finishing the 2nd game.  Right off the back I notice that you start the game with the upgrades you had at the end of the last game, so that's a step in the right direction.  I've not done much yet, but I'm hoping this means that I can 100% complete a level in one go, but we'll see.  Additionally this game seems to bring back the dragon collecting/freeing aspect of the first game which is take it or leave it.  It also seems to take on the Super Mario 64 thing of needing so many freed dragons before you can open up new levels.  This again is a take it or leave it thing that doesn't bother me so much.  Played again after writing this last part and found that in a lot of cases you can't 100% a level in one go because you need to "unlock" a secondary character before you can do their part.  I've been 100%ing things as I can still so it's entirely likely that I'll 100% the entire collection here, but I'm mostly just waiting for something to make me go Nope, don't care.  I don't know if I'm burnt out, if this game in particular is just uninspiring, or something else, but I can't even get through a single level 100% without falling asleep when playing this game.  I've been on one level for 3 days now and I'm probably like 90% done with the level, most levels I can get 100% inside of like 30 minutes, but this level is just taking me forever and a half.  Racing levels in this game are one of those things where you have to be absolutely perfect to beat it and even being perfect, if the other racers do good, you have no chance... but on top of that, after like 10 times trying, I managed to get into 2nd place in the 2nd lap, so really easy chance of winning, but the game glitched and put me in 3rd place even though the 3rd place guy was nowhere near me, so I passed the 1st place guy and moved into 2nd place, but there were no other racers to pass for the 3rd lap, so I lost.  Then the game crashed.  So I said fuck it, I'm not 100%ing this game, I'm doing bare minimum just to get it over with.  Managed to get to the final boss real quick, but you need 100 dragon eggs to initiate.  So I'm grinding for eggs now, I'm at 97 eggs at the moment, so I'll finish the game right quick later today.  This is going to be the hard pass entry in the series, if only because it was so shit quality.  Hopefully that speaks to Toys for Bob and not Insomniac and the other entries in the series.  Finally finished the game, overall completion for this one isn't very high because of the issues, but overall completion for the trilogy is like 94%, so good job making the trilogy flop right at the end.
Rating: Hard pass

49. Spider-man (2600)
We watched No Way Home and then binge watched the Raimi films (getting ready to watch the Webb films) and watching Spider-man always makes me want to start a Spider-man franchise run, but as soon as we stop watching Spider-man movies, the urge goes away and I do something else.  So I commited to start before we finished watching the Spider-man movies.  This being an Atari 2600 game, it's one level and just loops with a higher difficulty.  I beat the first level, so that's really sufficient to call the game beat.
Rating: Hard pass

50. The Amazing Spider-man (GB)
Started this one up next as it's the next Spider-man game.  Levels seem to loop between side scroller and wall climber.  Not really much to add on this one.  Each level ends with a different villain with Spider-man trying to find MJ.  The web swinging, jumping, and attacking, just about all of the controls are frustrating and difficult to understand and perform.  Surely it's a side effect of the times, but it just makes the game unenjoyable.  I imagine web swinging in Spider-man games didn't get good until the 3D games, and probably not even the early ones either.
Rating: Hard pass

51. The Amazing Spider-man 2 (GB)
Started this one up immediately after the previous one, not even knowing if this is supposed to be the next entry in the franchise run, but it's not a big deal as I'm sure there is no continuity between the games.  This one is completely different from the previous entry, it's almost metroidvania in that you have to go to specific areas and pickup specific items to unlock the ability to go to other areas, I wouldn't call it metroidvania though, as it's not powerups and what not, it's just key collecting essentially, you know, duke nukem style.  This game has the same frustrating controls though, so I had to look up stuff and even after looking up stuff I still had issues with like jumping, wall crawling, etc.  Couldn't tell if enemies/bosses had life bars like the previous game so that made fights frustrating because I didn't know how close I was from winning.
Rating: Hard pass

52. Spider-man: The Video Game (ARC)
Started this up because I had just downloaded all of the arcade games on my computer and tested it on the computer before transferring anything to my Vita.  Part of testing was testing the RetroAchievements for the game.  Spent a while playing the first level over and over trying to get the achievements to work.  Eventually I went and read Retroachievements documentation to find that the only arcade emulator that it supports is FinalBurn Neo, which I wasn't using.  Swapped over to FinalBurn Neo, worked out some issues with loading and got in and played through the game.  Overall a pretty decent arcade game.  Difficulty ramps up towards the end, but overall a good game.  I think the inclusion of Namor and Hawkeye are weird for the game, but what do I know.  Seems like DareDevil and idk Punisher would be good for this game.  Arcade games are short, but they are good fun with friends so it's hard for me not to recommend any arcade style beat em ups that are at least decent.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

53. The Amazing Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-Slayers (GB)
Geez that title sure is a mouthful.  This game is terrible, it tries to do too many complicated things too often for how bad the controls are for the game.  There are even levels that are literally walk right and fall into a hole, yay you win.  So it's so wildly varied in the quality of this game, from bad bad to difficult bad.  This game is just straight up unenjoyable.
Rating: Hard pass

54. Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (GG)
I went back and forth on which version of this to play.  I wanted to do NES, because Nintendo, but apparently it's the worst version of the game.  Then I wanted to do SMS because it looked the nicest and plays the best, but after starting up using RetroAchievements I found this game has no achievements, but the GG version does, so I went with that one.  Another bland Spider-man game.   I think I've only enjoyed the beat em up games so far really, I'm not gonna play the Venom games this year or as part of this franchise run because I've played them before and there are no real version differences between SNES and GEN.  Just largely a forgettable game to be honest.
Rating: Hard pass

55. Spider-Man and the X-Men: Arcade's Revenge (SNES)
I think I've had this game for a long time, like a real long time, like maybe from my childhood but I've never really played it.  Found a walkthrough and started playing it, got real confused and then realized the walkthrough was just absolutely wrong on so many levels, and had to go search for a new walkthrough which took a bit I guess because they were all either wrong or just left out so much information.  Gambit is tough to play as and I couldn't figure out how to refill his cards, so I had to use cheats for that because I didn't get it.  Wolverine's Juggernaut level was miserable, like I tried all cheats and that level is like 5 minutes of you must be perfect or you lose, which sucks butt.  A health bar for the enemies would've been great and made the level at least moderately tolerable.  I was legitimately about to abandon this game over that level if I had failed again, it was just a huge time sink.  Cyclops levels were pretty fun Mega Man style levels.  Storm's level were mostly underwater levels, but Storm's character model was too big, like she should've been scaled down a bit because it made navigation a pain.  Spider-man was mostly okay, but there were too many instances where the web slinging was difficult in general.
Rating: Hard pass

56. The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes (SFC)
Had to go find a rom for this one as I didn't already have it.  It's a beat em up platformer, so it really doesn't need to be translated, that said there is a translation patch out there, but I guess the translation patch doesn't work with Retro Achievements unfortunately, so I played in the unpatched version to get achievements, not really sure what the story is, but really does it matter, all Spider-man games are the same plot basically.  Also, there are no cheats for this game, so I actually played through this one fairly legitimately (still used save states and rewind, but who cares).  This is actually a really pleasant game, part beat em up, part platformer.  and the game plays pretty damned well, it's a shame it never left Japan as it's a pretty good game.  Honestly, I'd give it a soft recommendation just for the fact that it's a great import game to try.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

57. Spider-Man (SNES)
I played this game a ton as a kid, but I don't think I ever got past the first couple of levels, like maybe I beat the first level and that was about it.  I forgot the controls, so I had a lot of trouble even early on, especially with the doc ock fight and I recall that being a pretty simple fight as a kid.  Even later in the game I had lots of trouble with the grenades and stuff and not hitting my target when it looks like it should.  I just played it and I already don't remember much other than the first level.
Rating: Hard pass

58. The Amazing Spider-Man vs. the Kingpin (SCD)
This one wrinkled my brain a lot, because there are no walkthroughs for this specific version and the walkthroughs for Genesis sound like a completely different game.  So my expectation was to go back and play the Genesis version afterward to figure out if they are actually completely different games.  They aren't, the SCD version just has multiple versions of a given level so you can have a different playthrough each time you boot up, early procedural generation concepts (not procedural generation, just concepts)  So overall the same gameplay and structure, just the levels might be different, but exact same story and stuff.  Cutscenes and acting were pretty bad, like Wand of Gamelon bad.  Spider-mans face looked more Deadpool than Spiderman, super big eyes.
Rating: Soft pass

59. The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire (32X)
The web swinging in this one is the first good web swinging game so far, just smooth swinging.  Animation is interesting, almost looks like the digitized stuff from Mortal Kombat.  I can see how this game was a generational gap.  The gameplay did have some frustrating controls, but most of the 2D spider-man games do.  Game is really short at less than an hour.  The final section of the final level was a real pain, took me multiple attempts and even when I finally did do it I only had a few seconds to spare.
Rating: Hard pass

60. Spider-Man (GBC)
I don't know why I did this to myself.  Everything I read this game is just the handheld version of the N64/PSX game, but it's an entirely different game with an entirely different plot.  And it's sequel is billed as a sequel to the N64/PSX game, but the events of the GBC version, it's like no, they are completely different games, just list them as different games.  So I'm having to go through and see if there are other instances like this and see what I'm going to play and not play.  Like Web of Shadows or something, there are 3 different version of the game, 3D open world, 2D beat em up, and 2D Metroidvania.  In theory they all tell the exact same story, so I don't think I could bother playing 3 times, but at least they are three completely different games gameplay wise.  Anyway, this game is interesting in that you've got one overworld and like 4 areas, New York streets, subway, sewer, and the docks, and you just travel back and forth to places based on what you need to do.  And that's not the bad because the game is pretty short so it's not a ton of back tracking, but it's got that Dark Souls nonsense of go the right way or waste your time.  That aside, the combat is super annoying because enemies will follow you endlessly and respawn constantly, and a lot of the fights are bullshit.
Rating: Hard pass

61. Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six (GBC)
This one is a bit more straight forward with it's level structure.  Every level is essentially the same concept, unlock some doors, fight a boss.  Pretty straight forward and pretty quick.  Better than the previous game, but the game glitches out like crazy when you enable infinite health for some reason.
Rating: Hard pass

62. SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete (XS)
I started this game up last year before I got injured, abandoned it because I wanted to save the achievements for an achievement week or month, and then I got injured and stopped streaming and I was committed to finishing this game on stream.  So since this game was finally leaving Game Pass, it was my push to start streaming again... we'll see if I can keep it up or if I just give up again.  I didn't actually write anything up on this game last year unfortunately and what I had left on this game wasn't a ton, though it did make for a 3 hour stream, so I've got that going for me.  It took me a bit to get back into the game and remember all of the systems.  The original game was just play, but this update (or whatever) added hacks and upgrades and stuff that change the gameplay and the things you can do, had to work to remember the useful things and the things I like to have.  All I had left in the game was to do the end, but I didn't realize so I was doing optional nodes and that took up a lot of my time last night, because they are tough.  I beat two tough nodes and then went and did the final set of stuff where you have to use specific hacks.  The ending is very interesting and I think follows the same kind of concepts the original went for but upped it a notch.  It's a very fun game and a novel concept, what amounts to puzzle based FPS, but especially on the tougher levels the concept can get stale (like most puzzle games in general) to the point that I nearly gave up playing entirely on what I didn't realize was an optional level.  Luckily I beat the optional level on the attempt I decided was my final attempt, otherwise this would've been 1 more stream or abandoned entirely.  Despite my complaints, it is a fun game and it does have replayability with some of it's side levels like the infinite one.
Rating: Soft recommendation

63. James Bond 007: The Duel (GEN)
I had been thinking about doing a James Bond franchise run but kind of hesitated because I'm already working on so many franchise runs right now and I've been ditching them as I reach more recent consoles that are harder to emulate.  I actually tried to play the 5200 version of James Bond (not this game) but I couldn't get the game to actually start, so I said meh and started this one.  I abandoned this one pretty quick because I couldn't find the last hostage on the first level and didn't quite get the game.  Decided to look up a walkthrough and the only one I could find was an SMS walkthrough, which reads like a completely different game altogether, like a more complex game which is weird because Gen should be more complex, but whatever.  Guide obviously didn't help, but I played again for shiggles and I managed to figure it out, so maybe I was just tired last night when I gave it a try.  Standard run and gun game, every level is the same concept, find and free hostages, disarm a bomb, and then escape.  Thinking about it, it's probably not disarm bomb, but set bomb because after you mess with the bomb you have a timer to exit the level.  Anyway, not a great game, but it's ok.  Simple enough that it didn't outstay its welcome, pretty short too, so not bad overall.  I still wouldn't actually recommend the game though.
Rating: Soft pass

Next List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196272.html#msg196272)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on April 13, 2022, 07:59:23 am
23. Danganranpa V3

A nice way to end the series. Definitely filled with twists and turns, but it felt a little too self-aware. As always, the story carried it. The mini-games got really frustrating near the end.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on April 13, 2022, 07:53:24 pm
13. Mass Effect 3 Legendary Edition
Just finished the entire Legendary Edition.
WOW, I enjoyed these back in the day and they’re still great now. IMO the best 3-game trilogy ever. First time I’ve ever played any DLC and it really adds to the experience, especially the Citadel DLC in ME3. For the record, by the end I was about 3/4 Paragon, romanced Liara in ME1 then Miranda in 2 & 3, and Zaeed was my only team member to die (not including automatic deaths like Legion or near-automatic like Mordin)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on April 14, 2022, 12:35:36 am
I completed two in one day!
5: Excitebots Trick Racing (Wii)(Begun 4/10/22, finished 4/13/22) and 6: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Begun May 2021, finished 4/13/22)

The first one was one I had always been meaning to play, but it wasn't really a priority. I saw that my local library had a copy so I picked it up and played it. I finished the regular excite mode but don't really want to collect an S rank in every race to get Super Excite mode. This was honestly really, really fun. If you love wacky and fun racing games (such as the Mario Kart series) don't hesitate to give this one a try. For anyone curious, my main racer was the bat.

For the second, I had purchased it on the 3DS eShop a year prior. It took me a while to complete due to further backlog entries. This one wasn't all that great, but it was engaging, and better than its predecessor. Interesting to see Wario in his first appearance. It's also really impressive for a Game Boy game. The only mainline Super Mario series entry I haven't played yet is New Super Mario Bros. U.

Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on April 14, 2022, 10:09:07 am
5. Far Cry 5
Been a slow year so far, but with three Far Cry games at the start that might be an explanation. Playing the games out of order (New Dawn before 5) gave me a reverse nostalgia. Probably what is supposed to happen is in ND you see parts of the map from 5 and go "wow I remember that" and I had that as well but in the other direction. This one is less gimmicky than ND and doesn't force specific modes as the others. Such as, not having to even get or use the wingsuit. The only thing I was forced to do was fly a plane and it was extremely annoying. Keyboard controls weren't good but managed to get by somehow. Later I had tried using a controller with both inverted and non-inverted Y-axis and somehow that was worse than using the keyboard. Driving wasn't too bad this time around. Never did fly a helicopter. Parachute doesn't always open. Tried some of the side missions where you are the stuntman, but they got to annoying so I avoided them.

No issues with animals here basically at all. The only real problem with animals is the companions when you are in a car. I had Boomer (the dog) and Cheeseburger (the bear) and when you got into a car some strange things would happen. Either one of those would teleport to where you are, so when you drove somewhere and got out, they would be there. But only sometimes, sometimes they would die. Cheeseburger gets hit by cars a lot. Also really disappointed that when you get in a car, Boomer doesn't get in as well. Another weird thing is that if you have a human companion in the car and you bail out early, often that companion will die or get injured and stuck in the car until they despawn.

Unlike 4 and ND, there is no real weapon challenges and thus no real reason to use all of the weapons. You get to what works for you and basically use those the entire game. For me it was using 2x sniper (the .226 and the .50) suppressed, RPG and a pistol. Some missions I'd need to swap out the RPG for the SPAS to handle close range. This game is also when I started to understand the usage of DPI settings on my mouse. Usually I play FPS with fast mouse movement, but since I was running 2 snipers, I settled for the lowest setting and it was much easier to get headshots. And the reason I started carrying the .50 was because it gets 1 shot kill with headshot on VIPs.

I'm not sure about comparisons between the games. The only thing I didn't particularly like is that the mission indicator was not very vibrant so sometimes I couldn't find where it was. The other thing different is that I didn't end up using any of the crafting system because the controls to open that menu were different than in the other two games so I just ignored it. This only meant when out of heals I had to use cover and wait, since there is no "patch" heal in FC5. The only other annoyance was the rate at which enemies and vehicles would despawn. Sometimes they would despawn during firefights.

Probably the most fun I had in this game was creating parking lots. This can't really be done in endgame or in a conquered area. It works especially well when you come across a roadblock and also when you are being hunted. Certain areas are better than others, but essentially the game will continue to spawn enemy and friendly vehicles to drive on the road. And small movements can trigger the spawns. Meaning you can create some great pileups. NPC drivers are complete idiots so they will just plow into these.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2792041303
Eventually someone does something silly like throw a grenade
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2792041318
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on April 17, 2022, 01:14:21 am
7: Super Mario Bros. 2/Doki Doki Panic (Switch Online), Feb. 2022-4/13/22

This is the weirdest of the Mario NES trilogy. I seem to hear everybody talk about either one or three, but not two. Playing the Wii growing up, I noticed my parents bought Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3, but I always wondered about the second one. Now I know why it's semi-forgotten. This plays nothing like a Mario game. Which makes sense, as it isn't one. It's essentially a Mario reskin of Doki Doki Panic. However, I simply can't see it as not a Mario game, since it introduced so many elements that have since become essential to the Mario series (Shy Guys, Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, and more than two playable characters). It's good, I guess. I think the first one doesn't play all that well, and the third is the most refined, but this one, while not perfect, is the oddest of the bunch. The levels were fun and the mechanics were creative. Give this one a try if you enjoy the Mario series. It's kind of a breath of fresh air. Despite the Mario games being (well, mostly) amazing experiences. They almost have become formulaic. This one's a little different.

6.75/10
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on April 19, 2022, 08:24:15 am
24. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth

Symphony of the Night is my favorite Castlevania and my favorite "Metroidvania/Castleroid/whatever" but Deedlit's adventure is locked in at second favorite. The adventure was over too soon - that's my only complaint about it. I'll probably double-dip and get it on PS4 so I can get its platinum.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on April 19, 2022, 08:39:04 am
14. Streets of Rage 4 (PS4, on Hard with Max)
God this game is so good. That is all.

24. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth

Symphony of the Night is my favorite Castlevania and my favorite "Metroidvania/Castleroid/whatever" but Deedlit's adventure is locked in at second favorite. The adventure was over too soon - that's my only complaint about it. I'll probably double-dip and get it on PS4 so I can get its platinum.
I keep hearing mixed things about Deedlit that have made me hesitate to get it. Some people adore it while others say there’s not much to it. As much as I love SOTN, I figured I’d probably love it, thanks for the reaffirmation :)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on April 20, 2022, 01:49:54 am
25. Sonic and Knuckles (Genesis)

This was another one of those iconic early childhood games of mine that I begged and pleaded with my parents to get me, especially since it allowed me to connect Sonic 3 which I also owned. However, most of my memories are of playing this as a standalone game and that's how I decided to play it tonight, even though most consider it and Sonic 3 combined to be the definitive Sonic 3 experience. However, I'd argue against this and say that there is a fairly noticeable difference in quality between the two games, especially in regards to level design. In this regard Sonic 3 is definitely superior as may levels in S&K just have a poor, uneven, and at times unbalanced feel to them in comparison. I can definitely tell where the Sonic 3 levels end and the S&K levels begin. Still, most of the gameplay in these levels is pretty good, however certain sections and a few bosses with just straight up sloppy and really took me out of the experience on several occasions. Other than that, the music and graphics are about on par with 3 which is no small feat since Sonic 3's visuals and OST are among the best of its era. I'd argue that S&K's OST is slightly less good, but the visuals go toe to toe with Sonic 3 without question. Sonic and Knuckles is a good game, but when compared to the other mainline Genesis Sonic games I find it to be the least enjoyable overall. In case you're wondering I rank the Sonic Genesis games in the order of best to worst with Sonic 3, then Sonic 2, then the original, and then finally S&K. Again, not a bad game in the franchise, far from it, but it just doesn't live up to the greatness that is Sonic 3 or the other games on the Genesis. (4/19/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: illusionsoftime on April 20, 2022, 10:20:52 am
I wish I had time to finish 1 game per week, I barely have time for 1 game per month lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on April 23, 2022, 04:01:57 pm
15. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 4/23/22 (PS3)

Beat this together with my 9-year-old. It worked out well because I played as Sonic and did the legwork, while he tagged along as Tails, who is virtually indestructible, and helped take out bosses.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on April 24, 2022, 01:13:45 pm
I went to an arcade yesterday for a birthday. It was alright (1 dollar for one round of pinball? Really?) but I did get to play through some classics thanks to the cabs on free-play.

25. X-Men
26. Soul Calibur III
27. Tenth Degree
28. Mortal Kombat III
29. Robotron 2084
30. Tapper
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on April 24, 2022, 05:55:13 pm
06. Kena: Bridge of Spirits || PlayStation 5 || 04.23.22

When the announcement trailer for Kena: Bridge of Spirits released in early 2021, I remember quickly being interested in the world presented and greatly anticipated for the game's release. Now, five months after its release, I've finally played and finished Kena, and my initial hype did not disappoint. In my reviews, I generally avoid referencing other works; however, Kena borrows a lot from other projects in regards to themes, gameplay, and presentation while blending them together seamlessly.

With a story and setting influenced by Balinese folklore and environments, you play as spirit guide Kena, a young adult who travels to a forgotten village corrupted by evil long ago where only restless spirits unable to move on remain. Seeking to restore this land's natural balance, Kena must liberate fallen spirits full of hurt and fear whom have a direct effect on the pollution. Across her journey, Kena will travel throughout the greater village area among forests, caverns, fields, and mountains in her pursuit to aid those driven to anger. With each of the troubled spirits whom Kena meets, their moment of total weakness were fueled by guilt and the sense of helplessness driven by loss which ultimately resulted in their unnerving anger. These themes greatly reminded me of a combination of the movie Princess Mononoke, TV series The Legend of Korra, and video game Flower.

As an action-adventure title ripe with platforming, Kena offers a gameplay experience that will be familiar to most. Armed with a staff that doubles as a bow, Kena utilizes three means of combat: standard melee, spirit energy, and Rot-infused attacks which rely upon the collective power from lost nature spirits who follow Kena as she discovers them one-by-one. While Kena is comparable to many titles within its genre, I find myself most reminded of of the Jak and Daxter and Horizon series. While fighting, Kena is swift and decisive in her controls and is able to utilize a wide range of attack options while freely dodging. However, one gameplay element which differs in Kena is the Rot. While they can be called upon in battle, the same can be said when freely exploring too. Working as a collective entity, the Rot assist Kena in puzzle-solving elements that one can't help but compare to Pikmin. Relying upon the puzzle and platforming gameplay elements, there are lonesome paths and dark corners to discover that provide just the right amount of collectibles to find as to not become a chore but instead an incentive to keep exploring.

Comprising three initial difficulty settings to choose from, Kena offers a challenge. Having selected the middle option of the three, I found the beginning hours especially troubling as I grappled with the game's combat controls. While the same can be said too of many boss encounters, my problems here were occurring due to the challenging, albeit forgiving, combat sequences. Across most of the game's boss encounters, I lost repeatedly. Each of these battles presents enemies with specific fighting styles and patterns to understand in order to overcome them. With an array of fighting capabilities, combat maintains feeling fresh as new techniques are regularly learned with some fights greatly benefiting from certain play styles. On that note, the difficulty settings can be changed at any moment during a playthrough. Without having played the third and fourth tier difficulty setting, I can only imagine the latter being only for those masterful of the game's combat and knowledge of enemies.

Returning back to discussing the Rot themselves, the execution of characterizing these creatures is overly successful as their human emotion and mannerisms exhibit loving, patient, and playful spirits. Replenish a small patch of crops, they'll scatter to eat their fill. Sit down to meditate, they'll meditate with you. Take a moment's rest, they'll circle around you. Travel across the land, and they'll follow you akin to ducklings following their mother. This last example showcases another small but worthwhile feature--the Rot's interactivity with the environment. While some Rot travel on foot, others sit idly along paths, ledges, or rocks while others may pop out of boxes and ceramics, but each group are always following Kena. With their wide eyes filled with a child-like wonder, they never seem to stop being in awe of the world and their new travel companion. Discovering each and every one of the Rot was fulfilling similar to finding Koroks in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, unlike Koroks, the Rot could have greatly benefited from more diversity in their initial discovery animations in addition to general physical differences.

Presenting itself with an art style heavily reminiscent of Pixar films, Kena is a fantastic example of successful art direction and graphics. I am not often one to invest time to dedicated photo modes that games may offer, but this was the first instance in many years that I routinely visited the feature throughout my playthrough to capture picturesque views and serene moments. As the corruption becomes more and more cleansed, lush forests, thriving nature, and striking architecture become reclaimed. While the greater village has been abandoned for some time, greenery is exuberant as even buildings has slowly been overtaken. Kena is but another example of some of the best-looking works adhering to a personalized style moreso than photorealism that age well in years to come.

However, Kena is by no means a perfect game as there are small issues worth noting. Unlike the Rot's successful characterization, Kena herself has little character development. Instead of Kena, the bulk of character development is instead delegated to the supporting cast whom Kena saves. While such development is diminutive for the supporting cast, the same amount if not more would have been ideal to experience. Another issue is the volume balancing. While combat volume would be high, all other sounds would not be, which did impact key cutscene moments as I became distracted to raise the sound levels. Lastly, there are some seldom non-invasive instances of glitching such as getting caught in-between level geometry. In spite of these issues, I highly praise the game's successes and especially so as the project was completed by an animation studio's first attempt in game development.

In short, Kena offers a memorable, self-contained story and environment that provides a beautiful end project which doesn't overstay its welcome. For PlayStation owners who are fans of action-adventure titles, this is not a game worth passing.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on April 25, 2022, 10:29:39 am
6. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Having some sort of system for playing 4X, I had done an advanced setup on my first game. Random civ, Settler difficulty, Barbarian Clans, Continents Small map, Time victory disabled. First attempt after not really knowing anything about the game and I come out with a Diplomatic Victory. I didn't really have any sort of advantage in this game as it is very different compared to Civ V. I think I like both of them equally and I would say that Civ V is actually easier to manage units vs VI. That is because the advisors do not really recommend making military units, IIRC perhaps only 1 or 2 were recommended. They also never recommend builders. Builders are like Workers but they have a limited number of actions they can complete and can't be automated.

I am really interested in the Barbarian Clans option, which appears to be the Raging Barbarians replacement. The Barbarians do not really respawn anymore, but now they can act like City States. Seeing some pictures on reddit it seems that they can be quite formidable if they are left alone. I tend to like this type of thing as I would use that against the other civs, also I typically will play as peaceful as I did in this game where I did not participate in any wars. I was asked one time but declined. I had only fought against Barbarians, Free Cities (which I did not know were treated as hostile until a few turns before victory) and Religious battle.

As I said, I didn't know what to do so I started by just building what I was being recommended. It was on my second day that I decided to focus on Faith and try to convert other cities. Since this game has a religious victory, I can't be passive on religion like in previous games. If I loose my religion then I can lose the game. I had the least amount of cities until near the end when Greece went to war with Georgia. And by that point there were no places to put a new city anyways. I had a very small army, one unit in garrison in each city and defensive building, and then 2-3 just hanging about and 1 melee ship and 1 submarine. Diplomatic Victory is earned by winning Diplomatic Victory points, which seem to mostly come from completing projects and from the world congress. I didn't really care about most votes and spent all my voting points on getting those DV points.

Here is the post-winning screen shot showing my small part of the world (yellow player on the map). I was able to easily win any of the world projects that involved giving money to other players.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2799447272

And this graph showing gold. You can see the gold amount on the previous screenshot also. I knew if I did get into a war, I would have no problems just buying what I needed. Also all that faith I could have bought things with that also. Unlike previous games, there does not seem to be a limit to the mount of things you can buy per turn.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2799447235
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on April 26, 2022, 07:38:28 pm
19. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Switch) 4/26/22

You know, for all the hours I spent playing this game over the years, I don’t think I ever actually finished it; so it felt pretty good having finally done so. No need to really say much about this game, its one of the greatest of all time, ‘nuf said. Although I will say it was a little weird playing it on a Nintendo console lol

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc1Tp2gOH1t/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on April 30, 2022, 11:16:55 pm
12 - The Stanley Parable (PC 2013) - BEAT - I saw that The Stanley Parable was getting a remaster with some added content and remembered that I was pretty sure I was given the original at some point for free.  I'd heard of the game for years, seen it off and on, but figured why not, I'll give it a shot and it's a goofy little game.  I don't want to spoil anything for it, so I'll just say for a game that was trying to be that whole "walking simulator" experience, with a twist, it does it in a mildly entertaining way.  It's very short, but it's a charming time.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on May 02, 2022, 04:09:15 pm
Here are the games I played in April!

Offworld Trading Company (PC) - This was fine.  I really loved the idea of an economics based RTS, but it was way too fast paced for what I was expecting.  I played a few games, won way fewer.

Yoku's Island Express (PC) - Beat on Apr. 17.  So, so cute.  Perfect length for the type of game and control scheme.  Could have easily have worn out its welcome with all the pinball.

World of Warcraft (PC) - I succumbed to the temptation after almost 8 years.  I'm having a blast because there is so much content I've missed.

Vampire Survivors (PC) - A perfect way to kill 15-30 minutes.  Way too good and fun for a $3 game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on May 02, 2022, 08:25:07 pm
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS5) 5/2/22

GOD I FUCKING LOVE THIS FRANCHISE! Every minute of this game was just perfect, I didn’t want it to end. I know I have Lost Legacy to play, but there’s just something a little sad about finishing up Nathan’s story; I really hope they bring him back for a new game soon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdE1wT3NW_I/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on May 03, 2022, 10:03:26 am
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS5) 5/2/22

GOD I FUCKING LOVE THIS FRANCHISE! Every minute of this game was just perfect, I didn’t want it to end. I know I have Lost Legacy to play, but there’s just something a little sad about finishing up Nathan’s story; I really hope they bring him back for a new game soon.

I couldn't have been less excited when they announced part 4.  I just felt like they had a good run and were just trying to milk the franchise.

It's far and away the best in the series.  Couldn't believe it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on May 03, 2022, 06:27:53 pm
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS5) 5/2/22

GOD I FUCKING LOVE THIS FRANCHISE! Every minute of this game was just perfect, I didn’t want it to end. I know I have Lost Legacy to play, but there’s just something a little sad about finishing up Nathan’s story; I really hope they bring him back for a new game soon.

I couldn't have been less excited when they announced part 4.  I just felt like they had a good run and were just trying to milk the franchise.

It's far and away the best in the series.  Couldn't believe it.

100% agreed.
Uncharted 4 seemed like it would be a cheaply-made money grab, and turned out excellent. For me, UC2 is just a hair better, but UC4 is right up there.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on May 04, 2022, 09:55:50 am
31. Mega Man X2

More like Meh-ga Man X2. SLAM! I gave it a replay just because. It's fine, but still my least favorite in the X series.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on May 04, 2022, 04:49:24 pm
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS5) 5/2/22

GOD I FUCKING LOVE THIS FRANCHISE! Every minute of this game was just perfect, I didn’t want it to end. I know I have Lost Legacy to play, but there’s just something a little sad about finishing up Nathan’s story; I really hope they bring him back for a new game soon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdE1wT3NW_I/

Until then, there's always Tom Holland.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on May 04, 2022, 06:33:24 pm
13 - Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer - BEAT - It's May 4th, so it's Star Wars day and I figured I'd play something Star Wars, so I grabbed the PC version of Episode 1 Racer since it was on a very cheap sale.  I believe this is the original PC version, not that newer version they put out not that long ago that I think is console exclusive, which would explain a few wonky details, but I was surprised at how good it is.  Visually, a lot of the menu's and such look kinda rough, but they work, there's mouse support, and while it's all old school PC graphics, it's not unplayable.  The cutscene stuff is borked as it doesn't scale with you resolution, so on my 27" monitor, the videos are kinda like the size of my phone, if not smaller lol Not the best, but not unwatchable.

That being said, the gameplay is fantastic, it's smooth as heck, runs well, it's a real quality racing game, I was surprised at how much it holds up and it's neat playing this with a good controller and not playing on an N64.  From what I'm seeing, the updated version of the game on like Switch and I think PS4, does have improved, cleaned up, cutscenes, and maybe some improved menu and text stuff, but game wise seems about the same.  Definitely cool to be playing this again.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on May 09, 2022, 09:24:12 am
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)
Previous List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg195871.html#msg195871)

Quote from: Legend
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.

64. Superman (2600)
I was looking for games that came out during years that I've missed so far, so I found that this one filled 1979 for me so I gave it a go.  First impression is that I have no clue what's going on, so I had to look up a guide.  Guide did a pretty good job of explaining the game.  So I started playing it understanding the concepts.  Honestly, this game is pretty good.  Like it might be one of my favorite 2600 games now as it's a pretty solid single player game.  Since you're Superman, you can't die, so there are no game overs, you're just playing against the clock for the best time.  Goal is 1) throw Lex Luthor and his minions in jail, 2) fix the bridge, 3) get to work at the Daily Planet.  Controls are pretty simple, the only worry in the game is Kryptonite, if it touches you, you turn into Clark Kent and you have to go find and get a kiss from Lois Lane to become Superman again.  Amusing.  Honestly though, it's a short, simple game.
Rating: Soft recommendation

65. Mario Bros. (2600)
Another game to fill out a missing year.  Just the basic pipe cleaning Mario game, plays well enough on Atari, but I remember playing the SNES Mario All-Stars version.  Not much to say about it.
Rating: Hard pass

66. Kung Fu (NES)
Another year filler.  Anything pre, I don't know, 1994 will probably be year filler stuff any given year.  Not many games came out in 1985, Atari was dead, NES was too new, real limited options here.  Anyways, this is a real simple beat em up game, you head left/right depending on where you start, fight some dudes, fight the boss, move to the next floor of the tower.  4 or 5 levels total, real quick game.
Rating: Hard pass

67. Balloon Fight (NES)
Another year filler.  I've had interest in playing this game since finding out years ago that Satoru Iwata made the game, but I like all NES games, I rarely get around to it.  Any while this year filler stuff is kind of meh for me to do, it does push me to play games that otherwise I never would've gotten around to.  This game was so pleasant that I actually went and got all of the achievements on Retro Achievements for it.  It's the first game that I 100% completed too.  That said, there isn't much to the game and from what I read it's basically Joust?
Rating: Soft pass

68. Contra (NES)
Another year filler, this time 1988.  Decided that since I've never played a Contra game before that I'd give it a go, especially after playing the run and gun James Bond game.  Pretty fun game, but like seriously, I don't know how people play this game without an emulator or Konami code, some parts are just devilishly tough.  Like it's fun, but I wouldn't think it were fun back in the day, especially if I cared to actually beat the game.
Rating: Soft pass

69. Spider-Man (PSX)
The first 3D entry in the franchise run, I fully expected this to be the longest game so far, and it's proving so.  Gameplay is fine so far, but the lack of analog controls is frustrating, and I'm confident this game isn't early PS1.  My controller isn't setup for analog at the moment so it's okay, but I'll need to fix that eventually.  Controls are a tad confusing, like when I want to jump off a wall and web swing away, I don't know how to do that, if I try to get off the wall, Spidey just falls instead of jumping.  That seems like a big flaw either in missing feature or in that I don't know how to do it because it didn't really teach me during the tutorial.  The chase segments in this are a bit unforgiving which can be very frustrating.  I always find it funny how comics do blue for black and for blue, so punisher, venom, and spider-man both show up as blue, but punisher and venom should be black... so should spiderman have been black and red instead of blue and red?
Rating: Soft pass

70. Spy Hunter (NES)
Another year filler, this time 1987 because I skipped over it when I was looking at stuff.  I've had a mild interest in this series for a long time and I love me some driving games.  Pretty simple game, lots of dodging stuff.  Plays incredibly well with the exception of the obvious NES era stuff.  Enjoyed my time with this enough and the achievement list was simple enough that I wound up with all of the Retro Achievements except one, so I went out of my way to get the last one I was missing.  So this makes for the 2nd completed achievement list game on Retro Achievements for me.  This game closes a gap and now I've got 1977 through 1993 covered in a year by year thing.
Rating: Soft pass

71. 3 Ninjas Kick Back (SNES)
I didn't choose this one to be a year filler, but it does happen to fill 1994 for me.  I picked it because I wanted a random SNES game to play, got half way through and thought about what year this game came out and was sort of hoping it wasn't 1994 because I already had a game in mind for 94 (King's Field), so doing this takes away at least a little incentive to playing King's Field.  Enough so that I'll go back to Spider-Man for the time being but plan to come back to King's Field eventually.  Anyway, generic action platformer licensed off a terrible kids movie.  I grew up with these movies so nostalgia and what not, almost makes me want to watch the movies.  Kinda sad, I loved watching stupid stuff like this as a kid, and I know my wife wouldn't be cool with our kid watching this, and neither would I, because our kid would immediately start running around and kicking and throwing stuff and laugh.  Anyway, not a great game tbh.
Rating: Hard pass

72. Tunic (XS)
Started this game at launch.  Really enjoyed the demo for this game, and sadly I'd maybe say the demo is better than the game itself.  The game is pretty great, but then you reach a point where you have limited health and you just gotta survive until you fix stuff.  Like 1 shot KO type of health, and that's just nuts.  The game does have built-in infinite health and it doesn't void achievements, but god damn is that part brutal.  I didn't even realize you could fix it, so I did infinite health and finished the game and then read about how to fix it, still fucked up.  So game's beat, but now I'm going back and doing missed achievements and going for the true ending.  I expected this game to be a top 5 contender for the year, but if it does, it'll be by default.  I'm quite disappointed in the difficulty spike towards the end.
Rating: Soft recommendation, if you're okay with cheating.  Hard pass otherwise.

73. Bebe's Kids (SNES)
Wowee was this game terrible.  I can go and remove it from my wishlist for sure if it's still on there.  It's a movie beat em up, but it's terrible.  Retro Achievements made it worse by requiring you to beat levels with 0 special moves and special moves kill and enemy in 3-4 hits, but normal hits takes like 50 hits.  It's bonkers broken.  Level design is near non-existent.  One of the fights is torture because you have to jump kick, but if you're at the bottom of the screen and jump, it'll just place you on a pedestal instead of letting you kick, it's poor programming simply put, if I jump from the bottom, even though my sprite winds up high, it doesn't mean I was close enough to make that jump, because I wasn't.
Rating: Hard pass

74. Seven of Heart (PC)
Didn't even mean to play this game let alone beat it.  My kid was playing on his computer and he loaded up the game and started playing it but it was actually kinda tough for a kids game so I started playing it for him and the game is only like 10 levels long so I beat it without even knowing it.  It's a single screen platformer where you collect keys and hearts and dodge obstacles.  That's it, real simple stuff.
Rating: Hard pass

75. Pocket Mini Golf (NS)
I was sitting around and really wanting to play a game, but I wasn't allowed to play on the TV because my kid earned no screen time because he decided to rub a rock against the TV screen, TV's fine, he's just a jerk.  So anyway, decided to grab my switch and play something in handheld mode.  I saw that I had downloaded this at some point and thought, eh this will be a chill game to play and can work towards my backlog.  Game has no real goal, it's kinda retro in that sense.  It's just like 50 levels and once you beat them you start getting random combos of levels infinitely.  I think I did like 60 levels and quit to the main menu and saw that it was an endless thing.  So I'm considering it beat.  You can collect gems while playing the levels but they don't seem to serve a purpose, so meh on that.  There is no par or anything, it's literally just get the ball in the hole with no anything for taking too many shots.  So it's a really chill kind of puzzle game that honestly you could lose yourself in.  For something that I got for free, I'd recommend it because it's a nice little time waster, but it's honestly not really worth your time.
Rating: Soft pass

76. SUPERHYPERCUBE (PSVR)
My father in law wanted to try out VR when he came to visit (among other things) so after setting everything up and him playing and then heading home I decided since I set it up, I might as well play some VR games.  Started out with this one because I remember it being good casual fun.  I got further than I've ever gotten in my recent playthrough, but the game is essentially an endless game like Tetris.  It's interesting and the difficult ramps up pretty quick.  Don't expect I'll ever get much further than level 3, but it's a nice game to just play on occasion.
Rating: Soft recommendation

77. Blood & Truth (PSVR)
This was my first major VR game in quite some time if really ever to be honest, most of the other VR games I've played before had been puzzle games so pretty forgiving stuff.  I've got so much to say about this game though, because at first I'm like ok, meh, and then I'm enjoying and playing, and then I'm like meh, and then I finish the game and I have complaints, but then I play other games and really realize just how great this game is from a technical/gameplay standpoint.  Like for instance, I played this game for hours, came out of VR, and I didn't have that weird reality perception thing where everything feels off, I'm not sure how they did that, but every other game I come out of VR and I'm like are my hands real?  Maybe the tracking is real good?  Maybe the things they have you do work well with your brain?  Maybe the immersion is weak so it's easy to differentiate?  I don't know, but I like it.  The game has you holster your weapons a lot, which I find neat.  Reloading requires you to grab new magazines from your chest and pop it in, which I enjoy more than some of the other methods of reloading I've seen.  Story is pretty good, graphics are good too (kinda wish I had played on PS5 for the PS5 patch).  My main complaints are the story ending in a cliffhanger teasing a sequel that may never come and issues with tracking/climbing causing you to fall to your death a lot.  Aiming is a bit weird in VR and no real good way to use a scope but maybe Aim controller would help?  This is so far the best PSVR shooter to try.  I may drop the recommendation on this if I manage to find a better game, but I feel like that probably ain't happening.
Rating: Solid recommendation

78. The American Dream (PSVR)
This one had been on my list for a long time because it looked ridiculous, so I figured it'd be funny.  Well guess what, it isn't very fun and it aged incredibly poorly, though the true ending is on point.  Anyway, this game is dumb, the gameplay is dumb, just about everything in this game is dumb.  The true ending, which I won't spoil is a political commentary on guns in America, which the whole game is tbh, and which don't get me wrong, I agree, but wow that ending.  Gameplay isn't great, the final boss fight is confusing, just totally not even worth playing tbh
Rating: Hard pass

79. Katamari Damacy (X1)
Saw this was leaving game pass and decided, knowing it was short, to give it a play because Katamari is always enjoyable.  Interestingly, I remember the final couple of levels in this game being incredibly difficult, did they adjust the difficulty for Reroll?  I don't know, still a great game though.  I'm always mildly disappointed in the game though because really once you've done the last level there isn't even much reason to replay levels or anything, not that all levels have an eternal mode.
Rating: Soft recommendation

80. Omno (X1)
Another one of those leaving Game pass games that I decided to play.  I really only pushed through on this one because it was so short, but I really didn't enjoy the game.  The game play mechanics weren't very good and I just didn't care about the story.  To be honest, I didn't give this one much of a chance, but also to be honest, it's not that special of a game sad to say.  I didn't even understand the ending to be honest either.
Rating: Hard pass

81.  Powerwash Simulator (XS)
I had been hyped for this game since I first heard about it and I got even more hype when I heard it was coming to Game Pass.  Such a chill relaxing game... too much so, like to the point that I legitimately fell asleep playing the game on many occasions.  Surprisingly the game has a story, so that's kind of interesting, and it even does moderately well at tying things off, except maybe the what happened to the bad folks.  Real simple mechanics of cleaning, game gets a little tedious with some of the achievements and eventually you get to a point where your cleaning supplies just aren't that great.  The final level for instance, I upgraded all of my equipment, but like it was still a pain.  Even that, the cleaning supplies specifically don't seem to work that great, they're cheap, but they don't work that great and for that long for that matter, and it's a limited resource.  Honestly, I expected to like this game more than I actually did, it's not bad, but too often I found myself thinking that this game is a waste of time and not even that relaxing, it's just tedious.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

82. Forza Horizon 4 (XS)
I saw that the Ultimate DLC was on sale and I suspect the game/DLC will be delisted next month so I decided to bite on it and give the game a go.  I was surprised to see that there was so much in the game that I had never gotten around to doing.  I had done the main festival story and then stopped playing because of the season/games as a service nature of the game.  I'm still frustrated by the games as a service nature to be honest, because while it adds longevity to the game, it only adds that longevity while they are updating the game.  You can't go back and do previous seasons or anything, so once the game gets delisted next month (presumably), all you'll have to do is the festival story stuff and some of the side content, so much will be lost even if you do own the game.  I'm pessimistic about it, but I hope they patch the game to allow players to go back and do previous seasons, that would add long term longevity to the game for folks who buy the game before it gets delisted.  I'm really enjoying my time coming back to this game, but I am finding that 5 has a lot of features that I didn't even realize weren't in previous games and it's a bit disappointing.  5 specifically has a feature that rewards you for collecting so many/all cars from a given manufacturer, and this game does not.  But again, once these games get delisted, it'll be impossible to collect all of the cars because cars are locked behind the seasons/games as a service content.  I really love these games, but the games as a service and common delisting just makes the games harder to recommend.
Rating: Soft recommendation

83. Twelve Minutes (XS/X1/PC)
So I started this game on XS around launch and didn't quite enjoy my time with it and sort of abandoned it, it's leaving game pass soon, so I decided to try and finish it.  I wound up playing on X1/PC interchangeably based on availability, mostly playing on PC.  I recall now that I didn't enjoy it because I was playing with a guide to get achievements and it basically made the experience where I watched a playthrough and then mimicked the playthrough, so it sort of made playing the game pointless.  That said I, same as most folks, didn't really get what was going on with this game, even having beaten the game, I wasn't quite sure what was going on.  Apparently the entire game is you playing through your future in your head while talking with your dad, which ok, that makes things make more sense, but I still don't get the timeline, do I understand this correctly, you met a girl on xmas and fell absolutely in love by new years?  That's one of the only things I don't get and it's kind of like the entire premise of the game... but also, somehow you're playing through these scenarios in your head without the knowledge that you have?  I guess that's another flaw, I'm daydreaming about not knowing why I'm daydreaming?  No, not gonna dwell on that.  The concept of this game is great, execution is poor, the achievements make it so you basically have to spoil the game for yourself to go through a guide, and the story just completely goes off the rails.
Rating: Hard pass

84. Mighty Goose (XS)
A big ole list of games leaving game pass came out and this was the most attractive game in the bunch in that I played it first.  Just a Contra style run and gun kinda game.  I enjoyed my time with the game, but sadly I can't remember much about it.  I only recall having a basic ass weapon and randomly getting shotguns, smgs, rocket launchers, etc.  I'm gonna recommend because my recollection is fuzzy, but I know I enjoyed the game.
Rating: Soft recommendation

85. I Am Fish (XS)
Another leaving game pass game, but I played this one with my wife's cousins visiting and one of them gave me the story (which I pieced part of it together) that this is a direct sequel to I Am Bread, which is a prequel to Surgeon Simulator (That part I didn't know).  I recall hating playing I Am Bread and having to force myself to get through the game.  This was much more enjoyable, though it took me a long time to really figure out the controls to be able to enjoy the game, and even then I was very much forcing myself to get through the game so I could be done with it.  Game's fun, but as with most of these simulator games it can be very frustrating at times.  I had more than one situation where I was super close to the next checkpoint, but something fucky went on and I managed to barely not make it, and I just couldn't do it again, so I skipped to the next checkpoint and took the reduced points.
Rating: Soft pass

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Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on May 09, 2022, 10:31:32 am
7. The Long Dark

The presmise for this game turned out to be different than I had expected. I think I had watched some youtube videos for it a long time ago, or perhaps I have confused it with some other similar type games. It didn't matter so much as the mechanics are fairly interesting, however you could consider the game to be a walking simulator for a lot of the time since you can't really run and the more you carry, the slower you move. I almost died immediately, even on the easy mode it is very difficult at the beginning because you have to manage temperature without having any items or skills. Once I found my way to a house and got some items, the game got a bit easier.

The main version of the game is called Wintermute and is the campaign. It is 5 parts but part 5 is not released yet. I know from (spoilers) that the second two parts you play as the person you are trying to find in the first part. Part 1 is the most enjoyable to me. Part 2 is where the problems start. By this point you end up with enough clothing to stay relatively warm, and have found enough to repair what you have. But you also end up finding most of your tools and then it become inventory simulator. You don't technically need many of the tools like the crowbar or hacksaw. These are heavy. You need a climbing rope and it is the heaviest. So you decide if you want to get rid of stuff. You can't get rid of the rope, can't get rid of the clothes, the next heaviest thing is water, can't get rid of that. All the food and materials you picked up have to go.

Part 2 is much more sparsely populated with locations compared to part 1. There is a lot of walking to do. Part 2 all comes down to fighting a bear. You see it in cutscenes, the other person you meet talks about it. Until you get to a point where you have to get parts from radio towers, you get the idea that you have to avoid it and the game makes it clear that it can't be killed without a special weapon. And this is true, except when you get this weapon (its heavy too) you can't actually kill the bear then either. Because the encounter with the bear is completely scripted and it is a situation that you cannot play the game any other way than the way the developers intended. You can encounter the bear 2 times during regular gameplay. At the 2nd tower you go to, he will be there. There is some game logic involved that can be exploited and can be done at one of the towers but not the other. That logic is, the bear will spawn if you haven't gotten the part from the tower. So the goal is to get the part and not play the mini-game with the bear.

On the 2nd tower I died many times due to the minigame. You have to use the spear in a quick-time event against the bear, then click very fast to "win" the encounter. But you can't actually click fast enough to do this, so you have to change the accessibility option to do it. If you time it wrong, lose or the bear hits you before you can engage the mini-game, you will be mauled and likely die. If you manage to engage the minigame but don't fill up the bar, you will live but only get about 5-10 seconds to attempt to heal but since the game is not paused when you use inventory window, you can die in a menu. And then there is an unskippable animation of the bear attacking you. This was already frustrating enough, but I decided to try again. The goal is to not attack the bear and to get the part. I did this successfully on the 2nd tower by running (you can move faster) and using the terrain to escape. The bear's pathing is limited to where a person is supposed to be able to go, but like any 3D game a player can get around onto parts of the map they aren't supposed to go. After a certain distance the bear will despawn. Then it respawns at the last tower. The tower at the north side only has one approach point to it and unlike the other, the bear spawns between the player and the tower. So there is no way to escape the bear and get the part and run away, the terrain does not allow for this type of movement.

So that was enough of the campaign for me. I had read that when you complete the radio tower parts quest you'll be forced to fight the bear again, where it moves you into a cave with no inventory or light and you will be forced into a stealth mission to find the spear and then kill the bear. I wasn't interested in doing that either. However there are other game modes, most notably the survival mode that looks interesting and I may try out some day in the future.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on May 10, 2022, 09:15:19 am
8. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

I have recently come to the realisation that I may not have ever played Civilization IV. I certainly had played II back in the 90s, and III when it came out. Having the Limited Edition, which is a large tin container in a time when I remember there being many other PC gamese released in tin containers. I had not originally bought it for myself, but as a present for my cousin on Christmas only to find out he had already gotten it! So I kept it and do remember playing it but not to the degree that I can remember how to play it to this day. Is it really true that I had not played any version of Civ IV prior to now? I even look at my collection here and see two copies, the US version and an EU version I most certainly haven't played.

In any case, Beyond the Sword (BTS) is a self-contained expansion. I suspect the other add-ons such as Colonization are the same way. Initially I was confused why Steam listed them as separate games and not DLC. Now I know. BTS is heavily customised/modded versions of the base game. The first scenario I played was more along the lines of a squad-based tactical thing on an alien planet. It was fine but wasn't what I was really expecting. Then I tried another scenario that actually used the main game mechanics. It was completely foreign to me, which is why I think it is quite possible I never actually played Civ IV to begin with.

And that is a bad thing, as BTS is not the ideal entry into the game since it is modded and also does not have any sort of tutorials to use. I know the general way to play the game but the combat was causing me major issues even on Settler difficulty. So I decided to shelve BTS until some other day in the future when I can play Civ IV proper first to know how to do it. I have queued up Minecraft Story Mode but likely won't get to starting that until next week.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on May 10, 2022, 12:32:00 pm
8: Rhythm Heaven Megamix completed 5/6/22

I finally got a perfect in every mini game (even Lockstep, which wasn't easy!), and that was when I considered myself done with it. I haven't done every challenge train challenge, or bought every bonus collectible, but I still consider myself done with it. Buy this game before the eShop closes! (Or buy a European/Japanese 3DS and a physical copy of the game that way).

Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on May 10, 2022, 03:11:13 pm
Finally! I have finished a game after a while (I have been vigorously working on finishing Miitopia and the game is seriously torturing me at this point lol)!

5. The Stanley Parable (PC)

This is the original. I actually got the Ultra Deluxe edition recently and I am just as entertained as the original. I have also legitimately earned the Go Outside achievement, so I was like you know what? Let's get it completed! I am hoping to pick up the pace soon!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on May 11, 2022, 10:32:12 am
32. Demon Gaze II

Wonderful dungeon crawling RPG; a massive improvement over the first one - which is saying a lot because the first one was solid. The highlight was the cast. Instead of generic classes, your team consisted of actual characters. I'm really excited to write a review for this.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on May 12, 2022, 09:24:00 am
Game 5 - Mega Man Battle Network 2 (Wii U) – 22 Hours

I will always have a soft spot for the Battle Network games, even though I will fully admit that the series is far from perfect. One of the things that I love about these games is the combat, and Battle Network 2 is no exception. It’s such a fun combination of strategy regarding your chip selections combined with and fast paced combat requiring quick reaction times, spatial awareness, utilizing combos, and there’s pretty much nothing like it. This game however being only the second in the series, is missing a lot of the gameplay features that I loved from later installments. Not having NaviCust and Full Synchro is a real bummer. You get some different “styles” that you can equip to change how Mega Man plays but you can only hold two at a time which was disappointing. I like that you can upgrade your buster just through powerups you find in the overworld however. From what I've heard this game has a lot of exploitable aspects of the gameplay that hardcore fans of the series enjoy but from a more casual perspective I think the later games have a better experience with more to offer.

Speaking of the overworld, I’ve always loved MMBN’s setting. I think it’s the coolest idea with a lot of potential. As a kid I would always dream about this series providing a fully explorable internet world with a myriad of things to do rather than… a featureless web of interconnected pathways and maybe a couple shops or other Navis dotted around. Oh well, not really a fault of this game in particular. In fact, this game really isn’t too different than any of the others with regards to its setting. I did like a lot of the puzzles that were involved with boss stages, particularly KnightMan. The music was also pretty good, but some of it gets very repetitive after a short time. Using one song for the entire internet world is just one example.

The one area that these games always struggle with is the writing and story, and this game is no exception. I love that the main villain only shows up once over the course of the story, and you just get a text dump about his motivations and backstory AFTER you’ve already beaten him. Really great. The writing is very basic and uninspiring, and these games struggle a lot with character limitations when naming and describing chips and other features of the gameplay which has always been a bit of a nuisance. On that note, this game has some more “adult” concepts than I was expecting, like alcohol and religious references. I wonder if the Wii U version has some modifications that I don’t know fully (I do know that there are some special chips in this version that you could only get via a special promotion or trading in the original which was a nice touch.)

Overall, when I hear people talk about the best MMBN game, it's usually between 2 or 3. Personally, I think 3 is way better, but they're all pretty comparable experiences, barring the 1st game. I will always enjoy playing this series and I might boot this up again later to try and find some more secrets and round out my chip collection.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on May 13, 2022, 06:43:38 pm
14 - Evil Dead: The Game (PC 2022) - BEAT/ENDLESS - I'm a big Evil Dead fan, specifically Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, the series was fun also, so getting the first major game since the Xbox/PS2 days is pretty great and I think they did a lot to nail the feel of the series.  Visually looks great and runs well, tons of blood, and the idea of it is pretty cool.  The main game is asymmetrical multiplayer, 4 survivors exploring an open section of a map to find parts of a map that leads to the Kandarin Dagger and pages of the Necronomicon, which then lead to a fight to take out the Dark Ones, and then keep the book safe for a certain amount of time.  The other side is one play playing as Deadite, who in spirit form (Handled like the first person camera view seen in the movies) flies around, setting traps, putting out minions, and can fight directly by possessing minions, players who are too afraid, or by summoning an elite like Evil Ash or Knowby's wife in all her terrifying, floating, grossness lol

I'm counting this one as "BEAT/ENDLESS" as it also has a couple singleplayer bonus missions that you can probably get a few hours out of, 5 of them currently, which let players unlock a couple outfits and the rest of the characters, Ash, Pablo, and Amanda from the series, and then Arthur.  They are pretty cool actually, I wouldn't mind them adding more, even for just general challenges or such, the Arthur one is super busted difficulty wise.  The rest were fine, but this one was rough with no checkpoints and honestly felt abit unfair, especially having to fight the Pit Demon and Evil Ash with very limited health items at the end.

I've only played a little multiplayer, but I can see some casual enjoyment out of this stuff.  I like this setup more than like a game such as Dead by Daylight, where all you do is hide and work generators, you got some regular action and stuff to do along with progressing the objectives.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on May 16, 2022, 09:27:39 pm
15 - Insurgency: Sandstorm (PC 2018) - ENDLESS - Since Battlefield 2042 failed, I haven't had a good new shooter to play lately.  Tried a few things, but nothing has settled in too much, but Insurgency: Sandstorm was on sale and figured I'd give it a shot.  I think I had played the first one abit, but I'm not as huge into hardcore shooters normally.  They tend to be more on the small scale, no respawn, sort of things.  Insurgency does have that stuff, but it also has modes with almost 30 people in it with wave respawns and its not overly complicated and too in depth compared to something like Squad.  Definitely hardcore, but it's not overwhelming with the mechanics.  Really, the thing you have to learn most is just the maps so you know all the angles you can get shot at.

Solid enough shooter, I think it could hold me over for abit I think.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on May 19, 2022, 01:11:38 pm
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Quote from: Legend
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.

86. Elden Ring (PC)
We got my wife a gaming PC built, so we bought her Elden Ring, but then she wanted me to play with her and help her and stuff, so she bought me Elden Ring too.  I have a laptop that can play the game so it all worked out.  Last time I built a mage character, this time I went full strength with this character... like to the point that I'm real squishy, but I can one shot most enemies, most bosses only take 2-3 hits too lmao.  I finally started putting points into vigor so I'm getting less squishy.  I've basically only played to level up, keep up with her, and upgrade my sword and mimic tear summon ash.  It's been a lot of "Hey, I need help here", OK, give me a few minutes to get there, where I absolutely run through bosses with me and my summon ash.  I even had the pleasure of completely skipping the Castle Sol dungeon by jumping off a cliff straight to the boss room.  Enjoying my time with this game again on PC, even vanilla.  I took it a step further with this character and duel wielded massive strength weapons to the point almost every enemy got one shot and most bosses were trivial.  Had a lot of good fun playing with that new play style for me.  Next up is a second randomized run (after I finish getting the achievements) with seamless co-op so my wife and I can play randomizer together.
Rating: Highest Recommendation

87. SkateBIRD (X1)
Another game leaving game pass real soon.  I started it up first I think, but I just wasn't feeling it.  I don't know if I was tired, in a mood, or just didn't understand what was going on with the game, but I dropped it pretty quickly because I was like whatever, I don't get it.  Then a day or two later I came back and decided to give it another go because I wanted to play something and thought it would be silly to play it in front of other people.  Then I really got into it and beat the game in like 2 days.  I've got one achievement left on the game, but it's the achievement for beating all missions, collecting all collectibles, etc.  I've actually only got like 6 collectibles left to get and all of the missions from the post-game park, so I could play tonight for instance and probably get the last achievement today.  Overall the game is fun and plays like OG Tony Hawk with simple button moves.  The missions are pretty repetitive but simple, the story is there but I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to be honest.  It's a good game that probably is better than I let it be because I couldn't be bothered to actually pay attention.  I also wasn't quite sure I understood the ending, did the human get fired and get a severance check?
Rating: Soft pass

88. The Artful Escape (XS)
Game was leaving game pass so I finally decided to get around to finishing the game.  I had only gotten maybe 5 minutes into the game before I had abandoned it originally, but I stuck it through this time around.  Honestly, the game sucks hard.  There really isn't much to it, just walk right and infrequently play simon says.  Story isn't even that interesting nor does it make much sense, just a kinda weird game.
Rating: Hard pass

89. Lost Words (X1)
I saw this game on Game pass and it looked like a game my son would maybe be interested in watching me play so I started it up for him.  First time he barely paid attention.  Second time he paid enough attention for me to get through the 1st Chapter.  Third time he paid better attention and I think I got to Chapter 4, but it was bedtime so I said no more and he's all "Chapter 5!".  Haven't been able to get him to pay enough attention to keep playing, so who knows when I'll get to finishing this.  It's a pretty basic platformer, with a children's story book plot mixed with a real world plot that might be a bit more interesting for adults, and then it's got a bit of choose your own adventure, but I'm thinking it makes no difference on the overall story, just changes the tone and flourish.  Wound up finishing the game on my own as my kid wasn't even mildly interested in watching it anymore.  He was into this game when he was learning to read, but once he learned to read, he moved onto math and was infatuated with that to the point that words bored him.
Rating: Hard pass

90. Going Under (X1)
Another game leaving game pass, this seems to be a pattern where I'm either playing games I've already beaten or I'm doing game pass things.  Anyway, just a rogue-ish dungeon crawler game.  I played the game with tons of accessibility features turned on because I just didn't have the time to dump 20+ hours into the game with it leaving soon, so the game was quite easy for me, which isn't a complaint, just an observation.  Just a weird corporate internship gone awry type of thing.  The context is interesting, but the execution is a bit weird.  Not my bad personally, but I could see a lot of folks enjoying this game and it's jokes.  The jokes either fell flat or hit too hard
Rating: Soft pass

91. Save Room (PC)
First game I beat on my Steam Deck, not really on purpose, just this game was short and I happened to play it after ending Elden Ring sessions.  It's literally a puzzle game based around the inventory management system in Resident Evil.  Really not much else to it.
Rating: Hard pass

92. Bloodroots (XS)
Game was leaving game pass and it looked interesting enough.  I played through about half the game like normal but started getting agitated with the concepts and mechanics so I leveraged accessibility features to get through the rest of the game quickly.  It's got that same style of gameplay as like Hotline Miami where you kill everyone and you die in one hit, so quick repeated runs.  Game gets a little too hard towards the end and the platforming in isometric perspective will have you waste runs because you couldn't gauge distance or depth.
Rating: Hard pass

93. 100 Frogs (PC)
Literally a black and white image with 100 frogs hidding in the image, click the 100 frogs.  Honestly a pretty chill experience and I see there are a lot of similar games out on Steam, I don't know that I'd recommend the game, but it's chill to play.
Rating: Hard pass

94. Forza Horizon (360)
I had beaten this game like a decade ago but I decided to go back to it and see if I missed anything.  I also had in my head that I'd check out the 1000 club DLC stuff because I never checked it out.  Well the DLC was free, but it's locked behind their servers which don't exist anymore so nothing to do there.  I wound up driving around and earning a few of the remaining achievements that I could get without the servers.  Game still stands on its own without the DLC or servers, but it's also only like a 10 hour experience.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

95. Forza Horizon 2 (X1)
Don't get me wrong, all of the Forza Horizon games are great, but I have a thing with this one where I truly believe this is the one Horizon game that will stand the test of time.  It was little to no server reliant features like 4 and 5, and it may only have so many races, but they stretch that out by recommending that you do all of the races under all of the various car types which stretches it out to hundreds of championships to earn.  I haven't done a meaningful chunk and I've already dumped like 40 hours into the game.  3 is the only one I'm not sure about because it's been so long and I don't believe 3 had the same online features as 4 and 5, so 3 might stand the test just as well as 2.
Rating: Highly recommended

96. Forza Horizon 3 (X1)
Apparently I bought all of the expansion DLC for this game and kind of just never played it, so I've actually got a lot of stuff to do in this game still, but I'm also finding so much to do in 2, 4, and 5 still.  I have to say keep this review with a bag of salt because I could have so much more to write when I really get back into this one, which won't be this year.
Rating: Highly recommended

97. Forza Horizon 5 (XS)
I've been trying to do more in the older games, but with the 10th anniversary content being rolled out I've decided to play this one a bit.  For some reason I've been doing the seasons content for this series, not sure why, I think I had it in my head there was some fancy thing you'd get for doing the 10th anniversary series, but :shrug:  I still really hope they at EoL enable it so folks can go back and do old series content offline, like at least the non online elements.
Rating: Highly recommended

98. Project Wingman (X1)
This is the only game leaving game pass this time that I was mildly interested in.  I went in expecting Ace Combat paint by numbers and what I basically got was Ace Combat paint by numbers.  It was a fun experience, it had lots of warnings about no checkpoints, but I believe Ace Combat was the same way, either way, I knock it points for that, I hate having to replay huge sections and stuff... but I overcame it and beat the game.  The end of the game, like the last 4 missions, is where the game got interesting and had me actually paying attention.  That's really unfortunate to be honest because I skipped over so much because I just didn't care about the plot.  I saw a meme about the game after beating it which had me actually look up stuff about the game, which the game itself wasn't interesting enough for me to do after the fact, so I have a slightly better idea of the plot thanks to a meme convincing me to look more into it.  Honestly, it's a good game, but it just makes me want to play Ace Combat.
Rating: Soft pass

99. Atelier Ryza 2 (NS)
It took me a really long time to get into this game and get around to this game.  I really loved the first entry in this trilogy and bought the 2nd game day one, expecting to immediately play it, but I just put it off.  Not because I didn't want to play or anything, I just kept putting it off. Then I finally started playing the game and kept getting distracted.  Once the 3rd entry got announced I knew I couldn't put it off any longer, so I dove in.  The game is great.  More of the same from the first game with some minor improvements and some not so great things.  Story is good, characters are great, gameplay loop is borderline addictive... however some faults: the limited storage at your Atelier, it took time to hit it, but once I did I was annoyed at having to essentially throw stuff away, either give me no limit, or allow me to reduce to gems/sell to town lady instead of just tossing stuff; Let me reduce to gems on the fly in the field, it would make the game much better not to have to just throw things away, give me a way to reduce to gems on the fly; Too many team members, the 3 person main team with a single support is pretty good, I very rarely actually leveraged the support person, but I wound up with my team of 3 and just never used anyone else... either give me incentive to use other characters or just don't give me the option? These are minor things but I feel like it kind of breaks up the purpose of stuff.  Early game had a lot of emphasis on 'help the townsfolk' but that quickly just went away and I rarely saw any incentive to doing the quests as I rarely bought stuff from anyone and the rewards were honestly not important if you aren't buying from merchants.  It would've been nice if some of the quests could've earned you things directly instead of money to go buy things.  It's a dumb thing, but if you give me the money to buy a table, I'm not going to buy a table, but if you give me a quest that just gives me a table, I'm more willing to do the quest, not really sure why I work that way, but I do.  I also would've liked ways in game to earn/create outfits instead of just oh sorry that's dlc, but I get it... I guess.  Anyway, great game, first game is better, but this game is still fantastic.
Rating: Highly recommended

100. Miss Kobayashi's Dragonmaid: Burst Forth (NS)
A little sad that this wound up being game 100, but I decided to play this because I figured it would be short, it would give me a chance to give the shmup genre another chance, and I like the anime.  First off, this game isn't English dubbed, so this is my first experience with the Japanese dub's VAs.  I've heard a lot of shit about the English dub for this series and I always shrugged it off saying meh, it's ok.  First thing I'll note is that 90% of the cast the different character's have similar tones between English and Japanese and I think that's really cool that, imo, it matches... however, that last 10%... Lucoa, in Japan she's sultry and almost cougarous, but in English she's bubbly and an airhead... so if that's the complaint... I get it, it completely changes the tone and quite frankly the character.  Anyway, as for the game itself, it's just a standard shmup it feels like, it's got accessibility options that makes the game easier for folks who suck or just can't care, but I feel like most shmup games probably have that.  And I was not expecting the game to do the, I guess, perv thing of as you take damage you lose your clothes, that seems weird for this, but maybe I'm forgetting that that probably happened in the anime too, I guess.
Rating: Hard pass

101. Next Space Rebels (X1)
Another leaving game pass games.  This one is a rocket building game, you start with like little model rockets and work your way up to the point that you can launch out of the atmosphere and into space, with the end goal of launching a satellite into orbit.  You get different endings based on certain decisions made throughout your playthrough.  Honestly it's a pretty fun game to play and kind of addicting to sit there and mess with configurations to do different things... though I will say the robotics parts I didn't get so I fudged my way through those challenges and I wound up youtubing how to solve a few different challenges and I never really got the hang of the tagging system to progress, even using a cheatsheet with all of the tags, I still didn't really get the system, especially at the end I was actively trying to leverage the system to do stuff and it still wasn't quite doing what I expected it to do.  And then with all of that, there is no good ending, all three endings are pretty bad and seem to just tell the tale that people are dumb and don't know what they are doing or something.  As fun as this game is, I have to imagine something else does it better.
Rating: Soft pass

102. Sonic Unleashed (360)
I got Sonic Frontiers on the cheap and have been hearing how good it is, so I decided to get back into my Sonic franchise run.  Slightly surprised that this is my first attempt this year (November) at continuing this run.  I honestly went into this game with higher expectations than I should have because I'd heard good things about this game, like retrospective stuff.  Obviously I hated the janky Sonic sections because the physics and everything are always broken, but I had higher expectations for the Werehog sections.  Side rant, "were" means human and "hog" would more be in reference to pigs... so he's a man-pig.  It won't ever not bother me.  Should be Hedgewolf or something.  Whatever.  Anyway, the "werehog" sections started out fine and I relatively enjoyed it... until I realized that it had Mario 64 style progression where you have to collect stupid medals to unlock levels.  So I had to make sure to start paying attention to that, which was kind of annoying... by the end of the game I had to go and replay levels to get medals so I could unlock the last level.  Then the game started its betrayal... so many levels felt like the enemies just wouldn't stop coming, I kept dying, but I kept trying and eventually they'd stop spawning, so it was okay... but then the final level/set of levels actually had multiple sections where the enemies really do infinitely spawn... I sat there through so many lives and so much time until I googled it and found out that they do spawn infinitely and you just need to find the hidden button and gtfo of there.  Like honestly, it's still the best 3D Sonic I've played, but that's a real low bar.
Rating: Soft pass

103. Sonic Rush (NDS)
I started this one I long while back, but being on DS it was hard to keep going for some stupid reason.  Anyway, found my DS and picked this back up, beat it pretty quick.  Not too long of a game, solid 2D sonic experience.  I honestly don't have a ton to say about this one as it went by real fast, but by the numbers 2D Sonic from what I recall. 
Rating: Soft pass

104. Sonic Rush Adventure (NDS)
I started this one immediately after Rush, expecting more of the same, but it's like a cross between Rush and like an adventure game.  The game obviously relies too much on DS mechanics like they are shoehorned in, but they do that shit for DS and Wii a lot.  Gameplay is pretty good, but I didn't realize that the game is one of those games where you have to manually save, so when the game crashed towards the end I had to start over, so I said fuck it, went and found a save online, put it on my cart and continued where I left off at, but like the save file had obviously beaten the game, so I had to kind of figure out where to go and what to do on my own.  Honestly it ruined the entire experience for me, had I not been able to find a save file as quickly as I did, I would've abandoned the game and just honestly I might have stopped the entire franchise run of this.  I get a lot of shit for this opinion, because it's a common staple of RPGs, but like games should just fucking have autosave, don't tell me it's my fault for not saving often, I know that, it isn't helpful, and autosave isn't that complex of a feature when you already have a save system, you are just automatically initiating a manual save.
Rating: Hard pass

105. Sonic Riders (PS2)
Hooked up my PS2 and started this one.  Reminded me of Rivals at first because of how bad I was doing and how I didn't know what the fuck to do with this game.  So I went and grabbed the instruction manual and read through.  That helped a little, but gawd this game really requires you to get your shit together to get through it.  Honestly, this game is tough as nails and doesn't give you much leeway to work with if you fuck up.  Plus the rubber banding is real.  That seems to be a thing in these competitive Sonic games, the rubber banding works for the bots but not for you.  I worked pretty hard to get to the final set of races, and the final race was just fucking tough as nails that I had to do the race over and over and watch what the bots were doing and kind of piece everything together until I managed to get a perfect run together.
Rating: Hard pass

Next List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197608.html#msg197608)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on May 19, 2022, 01:18:34 pm
07. Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion || PlayStation 4 || 05.17.22

Almost a year ago to the day, I began playing Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion (PotE.) For some reason, I stepped away from it and never came back until recently. I hadn't realized that, when I stopped playing, I was over halfway finished. While the game isn't anything groundbreaking and even offers a less-than-average experience, I'm glad I finally finished my playthrough.

As the fifth and likely final game based on the Adventure Time TV series, PotE offers a new narrative that the new cast is introduced to and is tasked with solving the problem at-hand just as they do with any other typical adventure they're faced with. Easily, the plot offered is one that fits well within the context of the show's later seasons and its overall themes. PotE's story could be compared to some of the longer episodic format mini-series that the show featured at times. In this regard, for the story alone, I think that most fans of the show would be pleased.

Offering a light RPG experience, PotE is the most successful video game entry to-date within the series by allowing players to explore its world and to experience first-hand the lore that had been crafted for a decade. While there is still much to be desired in these regards, the world of Ooo feels more alive than ever in a video game format, as the 3D exploratory nature aids players in feeling that they're a part of it. However, the battle mechanics of the game do need to be addressed. As mentioned before, the RPG elements are simple and do not yield a challenging experience. For those familiar to the genre, combat provides little difficulty as most enemies are low-leveled while items are plentiful. Unlike many other RPGs with a traditional level-up system and stat progression, PotE allows players to upgrade their individual stats and abilities at any given time by way of in-game currency. Throughout the entire time playing as I finished my playthrough, enemies were lower-leveled than my party members, so battles seemed already in my favor. Battles have more depth to them in theory, as there are status effects, multi-hit attacks, and AoE attacks, but they are limited in occurring against the player's party; when they do occur, there is little consequence.

One of the game's chief gameplay elements is traversing across the overworld in a boat, as the majority of the world is currently flooded. While traveling, there are items to find in addition to a small amount of events to discover, such as enemy pirate ships. Unlike other games, there is no fast-travel system, although this is fine since this is not an open-world game and defeats part of the exploratory design choice. While the overworld is not large, it is large enough. With that said, the game could hugely benefit from greater UX design, as there are no map markers nor mini-map. Often, I would be forced to open the map system from the game's main menu to see the route I was needing to take. This issue became more problematic, as the boat comes to a complete halt during this time. So, while only a second or two was added after each time the map was opening, it accumulates to a high amount quickly. During one story element, an area you're needing to explore is surrounded by a wide radius of overworld barricades that are only appear when nearing and not present at all on the map. Since the game offers open exploration, I did not confine myself to this one area exclusively during this time. I repeatedly found myself trapped and unsure of how to successfully travel to and from this section and quickly became irritated.

To comment briefly on character movement when on land, it is clunky and not designed well. Characters feel heavy while moving about while the player is limited to a walking pace. I should note that there is a faster means of travel by way of a scooter of sorts, but it is not reliable as there are many ledges to climb and small platforming elements while being on land. When exploring a confined area, there are also a small number of environment interactions that relate to character abilities, but these are largely focused on one character whose abilities allow the party to cross wide gaps or vertical travel. For both overworld and environment travel, the mechanics feel clunky and would ave greatly benefited from more development.

As someone who has now played and finished all five of the series games, I can say that, while PotE isn't the best entry in the series, it isn't the worst. The game doesn't offer a lot of substance and may have been designed with a younger demographic in mind, but, as a fan of the Adventure Time series, I still enjoyed my time playing. With that said, if you aren't a fan of the TV series, then there isn't any reason at all to consider playing.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on May 20, 2022, 09:50:26 pm
21. Uncharted: Lost Legacy (PS5) 5/20/22

And with that I am finished with the Uncharted series once again. I know this isn’t everyone’s favorite simply because Nathan’s not in it, but I honestly think is actually one of the best in the franchise; just another example of how Naughty Dog gets shit right.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzV7d0tAG7/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on May 22, 2022, 08:58:49 pm
22. Mario Golf: Super Rush (Switch)

I really used to like Hot Shots Golf back in the day so I was kinda hoping that Mario Golf have a similar feel; and while it did at first, it gradually became less and less like Hot Shots. Overall the game was just kinda meh.. some parts good, others annoying, and there were several times when the resolution would drop down so low I thought I was playing the damn game on a graphing calculator or something. It wasn’t terrible, but just not really my thing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd4ZlLAtaL1/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on May 23, 2022, 08:43:33 am
33. Shin Megami Tensei V

Great game, although I'm still a bit miffed that I missed some flags for the true neutral path. Otherwise, I had a lot of fun with this. Navigating the Da'at areas was tough at times because the minimaps weren't helpful. Otherwise, just an all around solid RPG.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on May 23, 2022, 09:38:26 am
Game 6 - Final Fantasy X (Switch) – 33 Hours


I think this is the 4th time I’ve finished this game. This time I played with my girlfriend watching so I tried to speed through this playthrough and skipped a lot of postgame stuff. Only got the hidden Aeons and did a few Jecht Spheres and some of the minigames. Had an old BradyGames strategy guide to use while playing as well which was entertaining. Playing on the Switch was a slight downgrade with only one game in the collection being on cart and there was a little slowdown as well during some busy moments. Otherwise it’s a faithful port. Still no ability to skip cutscenes which is annoying. During this playthrough I was really wishing I could move the camera and look around. Based on interviews I’ve read I think there were a lot of technical challenges regarding making a partially 3D game for the PS2 so I think for the time it’s excusable.

Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot to add to my review of the game a few years ago. I still love this game and it’s one of my favorites.

old review (http://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg162909.html#msg162909)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on May 25, 2022, 03:52:50 pm
08. Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien || PlayStation 4 || 05.20.22

Having played a few of the previous Bit.Trip entries, I was looking forward to playing Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Runner2) soon after it initially released. Five years ago, I started playing but got busy about halfway through and never picked it back up. I'm glad I finally re-visited it with a brand new playthrough after all this time.

Without much narrative and focused solely on providing an arcade-like gameplay experience, Runner2 is a side-scrolling platform game with auto-run mechanics offering hi-score mechanics for those interested in leaderboard aspects. Controlling the player-character, the player must dodge an array of obstacles in order to reach a stage's end goal. Throughout each of the 100 stages, level designs are interesting while maintaining a sense of busyness due to fast-paced gameplay that requires quick reactions and visual reading capability. While Runner2 does not have formal ties to the rhythm genre, it borrows heavily from the genre by way of an interactive soundtrack and audio cues for the player to rely upon in addition to visuals.

Throughout the first three areas spanning 60 stages, new gameplay mechanics are routinely introduced as new stages become playable. Over time as each new element becomes integrated alongside others, nearly every button of the controller becomes a reaction input. In this regard, Runner2 greatly reminds me of PlayStation classic Vib-Ribbon. These additional elements provide a gameplay experience that never comes close to becoming monotonous, as it seems if if there is always something new to become accustomed to the player's visual learning.

However, unlike Vib-Ribbon, the chief difference in Runner2 is regarding when a player faults. Instead of a Life or Health system, once the player faults, they are set back to either the stage beginning or stage checkpoint. I found this design decision welcome and most ideal, considering the average 2-minute stage length. The Restart system grants easier capability for the player to master stages segment by segment. At the same time, this design choice's success is elevated further as there is no load screen in-between faulting and restarting; it is a function that absolutely would have been detrimental to a player's experience had not been implemented.

In addition to the basic objective to reach the stage goal, Runner2 offers a variety of other elements in each stage that warrants numerous replays. Across stages, the player will periodically come across entrances to retro-like 16-bit stages, alternate paths revealing new stages, and treasures to collect that unlock other playable characters and outfits. These aspects coincide with the basic stage collectible of a gold bar that also allows the player to advance further along the overworld map. The latter collectible is not something that the majority of players will need to worry about, as nearly every one can be collected without much difficulty. On that note, three difficulty options are available for players to select from which do provide a substantial difference for how stages play. Having played on Normal difficulty, I thought there was a healthy amount of a challenge offered for completitionists.

Overall, Runner2 is an excellent entry in the expansive Bit.Trip series. If you're a fan of side-scrolling platformers, you'll have a lot of fun.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on May 29, 2022, 01:45:09 pm
09. Creature in the Well || Nintendo Switch || 05.25.22

I'm not quite sure how exactly I became aware of Creature in the Well, but I'm definitely glad that it's a part of my collection and that I've completed it. Many projects which combine genres together to create an unusual play style is something I'm routinely drawn to, and this game exemplifies that notion.

Taking control of an unnamed robot awakening in in the rotting rubble of a lonely desert plagued by a storm, the player slowly begins to uncover exactly who the player-character is, where they are, and what they are to accomplish. Being informed early on that you are but one of many—and presumably the final remaining—BOT-C engineer who was built to save the nearby town Mirage. As the surrounding land has been encompassed by a never-ending sandstorm, the town has existed for centuries in the eye of the storm, with its townspeople being unable to leave. While exploring Mirage, its citizens remain within the safety of their homes, spreading rumors and information about the old world from all those hundreds of years ago that now exist as innocent folktales.

Moving forward with an internal drive to carry out their goal, the Engineer travels to the mountain which was the base of operations for a weather machine that was designed to end the storm. Almost immediately as you enter the mountain, an unknown entity simply referred to as the Creature observes you from the depths below although is never to be seen properly aside from its grotesque, long arms reaching toward you out of the darkness and its lit eyes from the lonely shadows. For reasons unknown, the Creature has personal goals in having the land lay desolate, plagued by nature's threats. The Creature has no reserves in telling the Engineer that their goals of revitalizing the Mirage will be thwarted by him, just as the countless other BOT-C engineers had been.

Inside the mountain, the player's goal is to collect energy power from the eight separate reserve sectors in order to regain control of the weather machine that has become obsolete. This is accomplished by redirecting energy from energy bumpers to locked gates, which allows for the Engineer to reach each sector's main hub where specialized machinery sits idle. However, this is not a straightforward task. In these hundreds of years in solitude after sabotaging the people's efforts in remedying nature's plight, the Creature has hijacked existing sector components which now serve as a security system toward any intruders. Combating these threats, the Engineer engages in what is described by the developers as "pinbrawler" gameplay, or "pinball hack-and-slash" mechanics. In short, the Engineer is needing to deflect enemy attacks timely and at specific angles to disengage enemy weaponry while simultaneously collecting energy from energy bumpers. With two distinguished weapon types known as charge weapons and strike weapons, the player must find a balance in utilizing these tools while dodging both aimed and AoE attacks. In a way, each room serves as a small, enclosed pinball board that unlocks new paths.

On that note, Creature in the Well does offer a degree of exploration and secrets to uncover. In some areas, disengaging the room's threat entirely reveals hidden paths which contain new types of weaponry, upgrade tools, and cosmetic items. With that said, each room varies in how it is to be disabled. While some rooms are designed with brute force in mind, other require the use of puzzle-solving by way of timed inputs. Each sector seems to have trap encounters that are best overcome by relying on specific weapon effects, so seeking out these secrets is in the player's interest. In late-game battle sequences, having the full array of weapons at-hand greatly benefits the player's chances of winning. In the final boss encounter specifically, I lost repeatedly no less than ten times—it was after I realized my current setup was leaving me at a disadvantage that I readjusted my equipment and finally had success.

As a final note, I would like to comment briefly on the game's visual style and soundtrack. Alongside the desert landscape outside, each sector features a standout color palette that utilizes textured patterns that really help differentiate each area from another while feeling vibrant. For example, the outside environment is given bright earth tones of yellow, orange, red, and brown with scratchy layered textures that illustrate how damaged the world has become. These textured effects are a reoccurring design choice that take on a new effect alongside each area's varying colors. The stylized textures may convey so many effects, such as cracks, scratches, mold, rust, decay, growth, and erosion which I found quite successful.

With all that said, I had a lot of fun playing Creature in the Well. Offering a short campaign of six hours to fully complete, the game offered a unique experience paired with an impressionable style that delivered its goals strongly.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 01, 2022, 01:30:14 am
It's been a month and a half since I beat a game which is completely understandable since in that time I closed on a house, moved myself including my multiple massive collections and all my other crap, and set it all up in my new house, which is also in a different state than the one I moved out of. So yeah, there has been nearly no time for video games which recently has had been itching to play something as things are finally starting to settle down. I am in the middle of playing a longer game at the moment, but not wanting May to be a gameless month I decided to spend my evening with several games that are very near and dear to my heart, and ones I've played for many hours prior to this evening. Of course, I'm referring to the classic Tekken trilogy, specifically the original arcade versions. Funny enough, I've barely played the arcade versions of the original three Tekken games, but like most I played the hell out of their PS1 ports. So it was pretty fun going back and replaying them the way they were originally released. But anyhow, here are my reviews on each of them.


26. Tekken (Arcade)

While I have played the original Tekken in the arcade many years ago, it wasn't a game I really remember seeing. But playing the original Tekken is really a trip for me back to a very fun, exciting time in arcade games when 3D was becoming more common and it really made me feel like I was entering the future. Unfortunately these early 3D game graphics haven't aged the best and Tekken is no exception, although I must say I appreciate the zeitgeist they represent and for the time most people thought they looked pretty cool. One other memorable thing about the visuals were the 3D platforms that you fight on with static 2D backgrounds, which while primitive actually look pretty cool most of the time, especially when the right lighting is applied. The OST is also pretty good with some really chill and techno tracks playing as you combat your foes. And then there's the gameplay which while not bad, in fact it's slightly above average, does have some blaring balancing issues and is also very basic when compared to later entries. Still, the original Tekken was an excellent templet to improve upon, which is precisely what Namco did with its sequel a year later. (5/31/22) [33/50]

27. Tekken 2 (Arcade)

Tekken 2 literally took everything from the original and improved on it and then some. The graphics and visuals look noticeable better in every way. The OST and sound effects are slightly better. But what really steals the show in regards to improvements is the gameplay. Tekken 2 really feels more like the Tekken gameplay that people have come to love and appreciate over the years, albeit pretty crude compared to later entries. But for a start and compared to its predecessor the gameplay is not bad by any means, and in fact is actually pretty damn good. I really enjoyed playing this one, especially since it gives you WAY more characters to select and some of my absolute favorite Tekken stages to this day such as the 90s New York City level with the World Trade Center building in the background as well as the amazing Hong Kong Sky Scraper level. Tekken 2 is an absolute classic if there ever was one. (5/31/22) [35/50]

28. Tekken 3 (Arcade)

If I had played Tekken 3 in the arcade ever back in the day I'd completely forgot how much better it looks over the PS1 port. While I'd say the first two Tekken game look pretty close to the arcade versions on the PS1, the Arcade version of Tekken 3 looks way better than the PS1 port. In fact, I'd say Tekken 3 in the arcade is one of the best looking games of its time. This game felt like a big leap forward compared to Tekken 2, and in the same way that game improved upon the original Tekken, so does 3 compared to 2. My favorite improvement is definitely the gameplay which is definitely where you'd want to see improvements to a fighting game. The controls and balancing feel so good in Tekken 3, and it's such a joy to learn how to do the many techniques in this game that have made it a favorite amongst the hardcore fighting game crowd for decades now. While it's personally not my favorite Tekken game it is certainly understandable why its widely considered the best game in the franchise. It's definitely a must for fighting game fans. (5/31/22) [37/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on June 01, 2022, 09:28:04 am
34. Chocobo GP

I finished the story, did some trials, unlocked some course, and I'm already going through Extra Story Mode to get more tickets. I'm really enjoying this more than I thought I would. I love being able to play as Vivi and a lot of my favorite Espers.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on June 01, 2022, 04:32:21 pm
May Update

I played a lot more World of Warcraft!

But then, I beat Elden Ring 2 more times to get that sweet, sweet platinum trophy.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 02, 2022, 02:16:20 am
29. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)

This one almost goes up there with Sonic Adventure as a game from my past that I returned to and wish I hadn't. Most of my retro GTA nostalgia is with 3, however I was hyped to the max for Vice City when it was announced. I went to a local mall with a friend so he could pick up his copy and we promptly drove back to his house and played it until his parents essentially kicked me out of the house. I too acquired my own copy of Vice City shortly after and remember enjoying the game for the most part. However, it never had the specialness of memorability of 3 for me or even San Andreas. Well...going back and beating it again for the first time in about 20-years I've been shown why this is probably the case.


First and foremost, let's get GTA: Vice City's presentation out of the way. The game oozes 80s charm in a very 6th console gen sort of way. There is tons of neon, the NPCs and main characters are all wearing period appropriate clothing, the cars look like real ones from the 80s, and overall it's impossible to mistake where and when this game takes place. And then there's the OST which holy freakin god man! I literally drove around Vice City just to listen to the games excellent catalog of 80s music. On top of the excellent 80s OST of hits from the time, the voice acting is also excellent with many big name actors and actresses providing the character vocals. While I have overwhelming praise for these aspects of Vice City, the rest of what I have to say about it isn't so nice.


I hear a lot of people praise Vice City's story, however I found it to be one of the weakest parts of the game. It follows the plot of Scarface pretty close in a lot of ways, and as for where it differs it mostly comes across as very generic and even poorly written. This is no more evident than one characters motivation for betraying you which will probably have you scratching your head since it comes out of nowhere for pretty much no reason more or less. But what plagues GTA: Vice City above all else is its gameplay. The gameplay was ripped right out of GTA3, however the mission design in that game seemed to take into account the limitations of its gameplay and lay the missions out accordingly for the most part. Vice City's missions range from okay to rage inducing since the crap controls will provide more of a challenge to the player then the bad guys or objectives in the missions themselves. Driving is difficult, running around in an area is difficult, and shooting is difficult, all because the poor controls and gameplay of Vice City. Combine all this with the aforementioned boring Miami gangster story and it becomes pretty hard to have fun when you keep dying over and over again due to partially broken controls and you know nothing terribly interesting is on the other side of succeeding at the mission. All things considered I am saddened that Vice City will join a infamous list of older games from my childhood and teens that I've become disenchanted with to where I can't even pretend to speak highly of the game anymore. And look, I wasn't some massive Vice City fanboy before, but I at least could have said that Vice City was a really good game. Now I struggle to say it's even an okay game. However, if you're looking for an excellent throwback to the 80s from a game made in the 2000s its definitely hard to beat Vice City. (6/1/22) [32/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 03, 2022, 01:49:07 am
30. Tekken 4 (PS2)

Yeah, I'm on a Tekken kick right now lol. But after Tekken Tag Tournament I sort of checked out of the franchise for a while and never played any of the later Tekken games, at least not until years after their initial release. Tekken 4 was unfortunately one of those games that completely flew under my radar at the time it came out and I never even remember seeing it in the arcades in the early 2000s. But anyhow, now that I have played Tekken 4 quite a bit and beat it several times, Tekken 4 isn't amazing, but it's certainly not a bad game either. Gameplay is pretty good with some additional mechanics introduced which don't really add much to the gameplay beyond more realistic stages that can be interacted with minimally. The controls work great as you'd expect, but don't really feel as good as either Tag Tournament or 3 which is a shame. Graphics are decent, however this game is undeniably an early PS2 game given the lack of fidelity in the 3D models that is more common in later PS2 titles. Still, the characters look pretty good for the most part as do the stages. Finally, the OST is okay for the most part, but characters are also fully voice acted which definitely adds to the quality of Tekken 4. Overall this game feels like a small step back from a few of the previous entries, but for what it is, Tekken 4 is still pretty damn fun. (6/2/22) [34/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 04, 2022, 11:17:20 am
31. Tekken 5 (PS2)

As far as modern-ish Tekken games go, 5 is the one I've played the most, however I figured it was high time I took a deeper look at it and decided where it stood compared to the other games in the franchise I've played. Tekken 5 is an amazing fighting game! Replaying all the previous Tekken titles has really made me appreciate how much this series has evolved over time and with while I do believe Tag Tournament was the peak of the series and 4 was a bit of a slump, 5 is an amazing return to form and it shows with how well crafted and enjoyable this game is to play. On top of that I'd forgotten how good Tekken 5 looked; the character models and plentiful stages almost look next gen for the time and it amazes me how much better it looks than 4 which was released just 3 years prior. OST is also an improvement as is the increase in voice acting and dialogue between characters. Unfortunately some of Tekken 5's alternate modes aren't as good as in previous games, however one massive bonus this game has on the PS2 is the inclusion of Tekken 1-3 as well as an unlockable version of the underrated arcade gem Starblade. I haven't decided if I'm going to continue this Tekken kick I've been on and play 6, 7, and Tag Tournament 2, but for what it's worth 5 is an outstanding title in the series! (6/3/22) [39/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 05, 2022, 02:32:48 am
32. Starblade (PS2)

While playing Tekken 5 on the PS2 I discovered an amazing bit of information that not only are the first three Tekken games included on the Tekken 5 disc, but so is an arcade classic that I've wanted to play for a very long time, but have never seen the cabinet in the wild and unfortunately have been unable to get it working in MAME. That game is Starblade. To this day Starblade has an appealing aesthetic; I couldn't help, but think that Starblade looks like a modern indie game that someone made to mimic the look and feel of early 3D rail shooters like Star Fox or this game. But nope, this is an OG 1991 release and it still looks so vibrant, blocky, and very retro. Unfortunately the audio in the game leaves a decent amount to be desired. Throughout most of the game there will be no music, just the sound of your fighters laser blasts, explosions of enemy ships, and the pilot communicating with allied forces. When music does come on, usually during boss battles it carries with it some ambiance and a very retro sound that I would have loved to hear throughout the entire game. But when the OST does kick in, oh boy is it awesome! And then finally the gameplay of Starblade while nothing incredible is definitely serviceable minus some balancing issues with enemy ships and projectiles coming at you full force. You can see why this game inspired so many rail shooters during the 90s, which Starblade itself is inspired heavily by Star Wars (play it and you will immediately see what I mean). But for a rail shooter I was pleasantly surprised not only how much fun Starblade is, but how it still holds up in a lot of ways despite being a shining example of very early 3D gaming. (6/5/22) [35/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on June 06, 2022, 09:11:10 am
Game 7 - Zombies Ate My Neighbors (Switch) - 12 hours

I feel pretty mixed about this game. On the one hand, the gameplay is super fun and addicting, there are a ton of levels, you get a wide variety of weapons and special items to use, the graphics and animations are fantastic, there's a lot of witty humor and a plethora of secrets, encouraging replayability, and the music is  quirky and fun. On the other hand, ZAMN is an extremely frustrating game with some programming and design quirks that pushed my tolerance level in terms of difficulty.

For one, there's no continue option. You get a password system, but you don't have any of the items you would normally be picking up along the way. These items are mandatory to progress in some stages, particularly keys and the bazooka. So the original game's password system is mostly useless. I was able to get to level 42 before getting my first game over. During that run, I was using this version's save states to save the game whenever the password screen came up so it made the passwords a little "better" than in the original. Some of the enemies have very weird hit boxes which is annoying given the games difficulty. In addition, there's no post-hit invincibility so it's easy to get overwhelmed and take a lot of damage. Lastly, the rescue neighbors mechanic is fun, but if you lose all of them you get an automatic game over regardless of how many lives you had. Just losing a life instead would have been a lot more forgiving.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on June 07, 2022, 07:57:23 am
35. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

I finished mostly everything. All that's left is to get the platinum. I've had a lot of fun (and frustration - as expected) with this one. More than I thought I would. Doesn't hurt that Jack is easy on the eyes, too.

EDIT: platinum trophy acquired!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on June 16, 2022, 10:19:42 am
Game 8 - Battalion Wars (GC) - 10 Hours

I've never played any of the Advance Wars games, so my experience playing this spinoff was uninfluenced by the originals. I thought this game was going to be something more akin to Valkyria Chronicles where you have direct control over a series of units, but I was mistaken. This game plays more like Pikmin, where you really only can control one unit at a time and your other units are just kind of left to fend for themselves. Unlike Pikmin, however, you can't A) choose what units you want to bring with you at any given time, or B) make more units if your current ones fall in battle.

Subsequently, I felt like this game dumps a lot of useless units for you and most of them go unused and die over the course of any given mission. This is partly because tanks and other vehicles are very overpowered and you can use them pretty much exclusively until something in the air threatens you. The other half is that being a console game, Battalion Wars lacks a lot of the refined, precise controls and expansive options that other RTS games on PC typically offer, and I as a result felt like the game was missing a lot of potential.

That isn't the only thing that felt a little lackluster. The story is super cheesy, consisting of a cliche WWII/Cold War conflict with proxies for actual world powers, but it's not very compelling. It's a very casually-told war story that treats conflicts like a game more than an actual life-or-death situation (yeah, I know it's an actual video game, but I prefer war stories that don't downplay violence). The music was also pretty generic. Some of the vehicles control like absolute ass. Particularly the light/heavy recon. Even tanks you're not controlling can get stuck on each other if you're not paying attention.

In summary, Battalion Wars is a fun experience with some good bones behind it, but a lot of control and design issues that hold back the experience considerably. Perhaps the sequel irons some of those things out, would be interested in playing it someday.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 16, 2022, 12:56:32 pm
33. Alien 3: The Gun (Arcade)

I discovered Alien 3: The Gun several years ago when I was trying to find fun lightgun games. I'd never seen this machine in an arcade growing up, which is odd to me since it's based off a very popular film franchise and lightgun games were all the rage in the 90s. But playing it now I can't say I feel a deep sense of loss that I didn't discover this one sooner. Alien 3: The Gun is an okay, maybe slightly above average lightgun shooter from 1993 that employs a similar gun cool down gauge similar to what was in T2 The Arcade Game; you can't just rapid fire your way through the game with the trigger pulled the whole time. Doing so will weaken your shot allowing the games enemies to quickly swarm and overwhelm you. In addition to your mostly automatic machine gun there is also a flamethrower you can pick up and health pickups too. The game takes place during the events of Alien 3, which is ironic since there was only one alien in that movie, however in this game you play a marine who lands on the planet and is greeted by more aliens than what's seen in pretty much all other alien movies combined. Liberties with the source material aside you have a decent spread of xenomorph aliens to kill also also man made enemies such as turrets, killer robots, and mini tanks. Unfortunately there ware only two grown alien types, the dog alien from Alien 3 and then the standard Xenomorph that we all know and love. There are also boss enemies at the end of each stage, but before you get all excited and think you're going up against queen aliens or some other mutated version of the Xenomorph like in AvP the game, you're instead just fighting versions of the standards enemies with larger sprites and a different color pallet. The final boss, which I was certain would be a queen alien was unfortunately just Bishop from the end of Alien 3 and he is laughably easy. Aside from these issues the visuals are overall pretty good and there are some cool stages and environmental effects. Finally the OST and sound effects are nothing amazing and there was a missed opportunity to incorporate music from the movies into the game. Overall, there are certainly worse lightgun games from the 90s, but there are also way better ones too. I'd say if you're a big fan of the Aliens franchise or lightgun games check it out, but it's really just a pretty mediocre game overall no matter how you look at it. (6/15/22) [30/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on June 16, 2022, 02:38:00 pm
16 - TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (PC 2022) - BEAT - Just what I wanted from this game.  Great nods to the old show, top notch gameplay, great visuals, it's pretty fun stuff.  I haven't done absolutely everything yet, you can level each character, so that's a completion thing, and each character has their own ending panel from the story, which is more along with some basic achievements.  There's an arcade mode, multiplayer, it's a dang good time.  Hopefully it does well enough for them to add DLC characters or skins for characters or really just about everything as I'll take it lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 17, 2022, 02:07:31 am
34. Sunset Riders (Arcade)

My experience with Sunset Riders has been limited to the SNES port. While pretty fun, I've always found that game overly frustrating in that I felt like the gameplay seemed to set me up for failure. This wasn't helped by the limited continues that essentially require you to get very, very good at this game to see the final boss. I had the chance to play the original arcade version and what's crazy if my experience with that version was noticeably different than it was with the SNES port.


For one, I absolutely prefer the arcade version 100%. Not only does it look and sound better, but the gameplay actually feels noticeably better too. While it still is a but clunky and certain sections and bosses can be kinda cheap and poorly designed, overall the game just feels better to play. As I mentioned the graphics are also an improvement which is understandable since the arcade hardware is superior to the SNES. In the end I loved getting through this game and was surprised it actually has somewhat of a story. Sunset Riders is just such a charming game, not only its cartoonish wild west setting, but it just captures how fun, lighthearted, and interesting old arcade games used to be. I'm really happy I got to experience Sunset Riders the way it was meant to be played. (6/16/22) [37/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 20, 2022, 10:37:21 pm
35. Harmful Park (PS1)

Since catching the SHMUP bug years ago, Harmful Park has been a bucket list game for me to play, mostly due to it being incredibly Japanese and weird, but also because I've heard it's a pretty good game too. Well, I'm here to say it was very weird, very Japanese, but only pretty good overall. The game's greatest strength are its vibrant, colorful graphics and its incredibly varied enemies which are rarely recycled from stage to stage. Unfortunately everything else about the game isn't nearly as impressive. The gameplay, while pretty good, especially the ability to change weapons on the fly is definitely a plus, but other than that the gameplay is pretty generic for a SHMUP and lacks anything amazing, innovative, or well polished. But it's definitely more than just playable and is pretty enjoyable to control your ship and take down the plethora of enemies and bosses. Finally the OST is nothing to write home about, but it is certainly appropriate given the quarkiness of the game and everything going on. Harmful Park is definitely one of the better PS1 exclusive SHMUPS I've played, but overall the game is only pretty good, albeit pretty memorable and entertaining. (6/20/22) [35/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on June 21, 2022, 08:54:51 am
36. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (sp)

A friend on another forum mentioned that the platinum for this wasn't too bad. So, I decided to do a quick replay with that as my focus. I skipped the majority of the story events so I could get through it quicker. As of now, I only have one trophy left.

EDIT: Platinum acquired!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on June 22, 2022, 12:18:10 am
36. In the Hunt (PS1)

Occasionally a play a game where I feel very conflicted over what genre it belongs to. My whole gamer life, well at least since I know of this game's existance, I've been told this is a SHMUP. However, playing the game feels way closer to games like Metal Slug, Contra, or Gunstar Heroes. This is mostly because there is no auto scrolling like in virtually all other SHMUPS and you are allowed to progress at your leasure (mostly). I just feel like I'm playing a Run N' Gun most of the time I'm playing save a few boss battles where there is auto scrolling. But regardless of where you'd place this game, it's a pretty good side scroller with decent gameplay, a fun OST and sound effects, but most of all the graphics in this game are AMAZING! And true to typical Run N' Gun (or SHMUP) fashion its hard as hell and definitely kicked my ass continually until I was finally able to beat it. While I'd say there are plenty of better SHMUPS (or Run N' Gun??) games out there, I'd say try this one out if you can. (6/21/22) [34/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on June 22, 2022, 03:13:48 am
26. Twin Mirror (PS4 on PS5) 18/06/2022
A lesser received game from DONTNOD - Life Is Strange creators. I personally thought the game was ok, it lacks the trendiness of LIS and can feel a little stale at times but if you like these type of interactive narratives you can still have a good time.

27. Draugen (PS4 on PS5) 21/06/2022

I'm very vigilant of walking simulators. The hurdles are as follows:
- The game needs to have a speaking main character that interacts with what is happening
- The game needs to have current events not just interacting with documents.
- The game needs to have a character model which actually picks up items in the world with their hands - No floaty objects.

This game passes the test on all that and you even have a companion with you similar to Bishock Infinite so it never feels boring. The game is set around two mysteries, one about your sister who has vanished on this island and the other finding out what happened to the village you end up on. It's well paced and genuinely quite tense at points. The story sadly doesn't quite deliver and leaves it up to the players to decide on what really happened to the village with the clues you gather... which isn't satisfying. But the experience was still decetn adn I'm glad to see the genre is getting better as a whole. If you liked Firewatch try it if it is on sale.

28. Resident Evil: Code Veronica X-HD (Xbox One X) 21/03/2022

I'm not a hardcore RE player but I like the series a lot more as a whole recently. I enjoyed replaying this game more than before but damn is it hard at points. I feel this is the point in the series where things got a little oot - certain characters getting superpowers which become comic-book silly. I did like the story regarding the Ashford family, it's quite compelling throughout and nice to have a human villian for the duration of the game. I still feel the game should have been remade next instead of RE4, it is hugely important to the RE series as a whole and could really benefit from being updated - And changing how annoying Steve is :P Glad we have the XBOX HD Port at the very least.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on June 26, 2022, 08:22:17 pm
23. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (XSX) 6/26/22

Talk about an absolute fucking blast! I’m not the biggest beat’em ups fan, but after seeing all the hype, it was hard not to give it a shot. And after finishing I can see why everyone is talking about it; it’s pure nostalgia mixed with near perfect gameplay. I kinda want to try some other beat’em ups but somehow, I’m guessing it’s going to be hard to find one as good as this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfSdLPktom6/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on June 26, 2022, 11:08:56 pm
9: Lego Batman: The Videogame Completed 6/26/2022


This one took longer then expected this. I've played both this and Lego Batman Two on and off for a while now, having gotten 100% on neither. Until now. I also wanted to get every achievement (played the 360 version) which was a pain in the rear. I'm glad to have finally completed it. It's kind of primitive, as Lego games go, but it still provides a fun experience with an unexplainable level of eeriness and darkness to it. I also want to try the Arkham games in the future to see how they compare to this series.
Also, at this point I'm happy with reaching 26 instead of 52 because of how cramped my schedule is. Plus I'll be on a retreat from July 2nd through the 12th (no opportunities for gaming, or interacting with this site) and that'll also kind of be another blow to the backlog. Let's hope I'll finish all three by the end of this year!

Side note: I have 100%'d Lego Batman 3, but I've never gotten all the achievements. Plus I might as well play three if I'm doing one and two.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on June 27, 2022, 10:09:53 am
9. Minecraft: Story Mode (abandoned)

Figured I should make a post about this game. Unlike previous abandonments, this one wasn't due to running into some bug or unfairly coded situation. This time it was because I didn't have any want to actually play it. And it wasn't due to mechanics or anything, it plays like any other Telltale game and it works fine. It was not what I was expecting. I had presumed it was some prequel to Minecraft and perhaps it is (it does give a clue to how Endermen got to the Overworld from The End) and I did not know it took so much license. The story was not interesting to me at all. I didn't care about any of the characters and they were all unknown to me going in.

I had just stopped playing this and even more, I had stopped playing other games also besides MLM and the two Flash games I play that I don't track on here. I had then just been playing pinball this entire time and didn't play an actual video game until 2 days ago when I fired up regular Minecraft. It has been over a month now. But I have uninstalled this Telltale Minecraft game and won't revisit it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on June 29, 2022, 06:50:07 pm
24. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) 6/29/2022

I know I was going to love this game the moment I saw it’s first trailer and after finally playing through it I can say I was totally right. It felt like @emberlab pulled elements from some of my all-time favorite games and wrapped them up in a nice Pixar looking package. For this being the studios first game, I’d have to say they did an amazing job and I honestly cant wait to see what they do next; if they do a sequel it’d be pretty cool to see if they expand on the village restoration element. I’d love to see something like the town building in Dark Cloud..

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfaA_Dlu1UN/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on June 30, 2022, 07:26:40 pm
17 - Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (Capcom Fighting Game Collection Switch 2022) - BEAT - There be some hard games in this collection, but I think this and Gem Fighter are probably on the easier side of things, but I had some good fun with Puzzle Fighter.  I beat a run on normal for it and I could not tell you my strategy, it was pure luck lol Like I understand the basic idea of it, but I didn't understand how the "Counter Gems" thing worked, they seemed to have a certain layout or something for each character, but I couldn't tell you how that factored in.  I just tried to build for bigger colored blocks for bigger damage and hoped for the best.  It's a chill time, but I had fun with it, I can see coming back to this one every once in awhile for some quick games.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on July 03, 2022, 10:33:29 pm
37. NHL 2001 (PS2)

I've been pretty much a lifelong Colorado Avalanche fan since they first came to Colorado in 1995, so them winning the Stanley Cup this year has got me craving hockey more than usual. I decided to try playing a game I got with my PS2 back in the day, and one that could hopefully satisfy me until the next Hockey season starts.


For its time NHL 2001 is a decent game; it looks pretty good for the time, the announcer commentary is pretty varied, save a few commonly reused expressions, and the sound effects definitely make you feel like you're viewing a hockey game. The real bummer with NHL 2001 is its gameplay, which while not bad is just very imbalanced and way too easy. I tried adjusting the difficulty, playing as different teams, and any change to difficulty was minimal. I was consistently breaking 5 goals per game, which is very rare in an actual NHL hockey game. Meanwhile the opposing team was lucky to get one goal on me, even if they were one of the better teams of the time like the Wings or Devils. But overall it was worth a couple hours of fun before I gort kinda board with it for being so easy. (7/3/22) [33/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on July 04, 2022, 11:52:44 am
30. Dino Crisis (PS1) 04/07/2022

Hit 30 games! Didn't think I'd make it even close to this figure at the end of the year!

As for the game... I think people who have the recent nostalgia really need to sit back and play it - It's far more archaic then any RE game. The game has far to much emphasis on finding keypasses to unlock doors, while this is the RE formula it's just to overwhelming in this game - You acually need 2 keypasses to unlock most doors and then figure out a word puzzle too proceed. Ontop of that there are also parts where you have to  scan dead bodies for their ID to forge their ID onto an ID Card - This gets confusing quick as you also need to know their ID Code... Most of the game just feels like this intrusive busy work gets in the way of the core selling point of the game THE DINOSAURS!

The dinosuars in-game are decent with a few varieties but the game lacks any real Oomph, there isn't really any true boss encounter until the end game - which is actually pretty underwhelming. Combat feels good at least and I like how you can move and shoot this time. The inventory managment is once again too complicated for its own good. The game has a MIX function in the menu to where you can mix items to get improvements but many items are simply parts to add on to main items and it once again gets a bit complicated adding '+' functionality to Med Kits or syringes which really could functon fine without all that added faffing.

The story is decent enough, One part I did like was the multiple decision points in the game, even if the last one is where the Endings take affect I still appreciated the different scenarios.

But sadly for me, this game is just interupted by far too much needless confussion and intrusive key items for navigation, it takes the RE formular to far and simply becomes less about the survival horror and more about the item management. I remember DC2 Is more action passed so I do look forward to trying that and hope for improvements.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on July 07, 2022, 12:49:07 am
38. G-Darius (PS2)

I used to go on the System 11 SHMUP forums fairly often to get a lot of my SHMUP recommendations back when I first really started dipping my toes into the genre. Most of the shmups recommended on the site are spot on and really good games. However, I'd occasionally play a game that was generally well regarded on that forum and wonder afterwards if Id missed something or just wasn't playing the game right. Most of the time, despite my best efforts, I just could not get into the game and found it to be kinda shitty in certain circumstances. One of those games is G-Darius.


G-Darius is probably the most imbalanced shmup I've ever played. When a shmup has good balancing it allows the player to succeed given the parameters and limitations of its gameplay. Occasionally these things do not match up ideally, creating balancing issues. G-Darius pretty much checks all the boxes when it comes to gameplay imbalancing, and no I am not exaggerating. I pretty much wanted the game to be over halfway through and no matter what I did the game literally just murders you almost the second your respawn invincibility wares off, and that's only the beginning. There are too many projectiles given your limited hitbox, you are power up marooned hard in this game, The capture mechanic is cumbersome and inconsistent, I could literally go on and on. The only saving grace this game has which does go a long way is its great 3D visuals and very unique, catchy OST. Other than that I could not recommend this game and at least on a personal level this is probably one of the least enjoyable shumps I've played in recent memory. (7/6/22) [22/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 09, 2022, 06:03:03 pm
37. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

70 hours of classic (for better or worse) RPG adventuring. I'm not going to play through the third act - the game's ending after the second act was fine. It was a solid adventure from start to finish. If not for the tedious inventory management, then this would be near perfect.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on July 10, 2022, 02:43:27 pm
6. Disneyland Adventures (Xbox One)

Finally just completed! Overall, I do not think it is a bad game. I just wish it had a little more to offer. A lot of the attractions were repeats and a lot of quests seemed more like busy work. However, some of the secrets were fun to find.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on July 10, 2022, 10:25:23 pm
25. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Gen) 7/10/2022


Close to 27 years ago I played my very first RPG and it totally blew my mind. That RPG was Phantasy Star IV. This game single handedly started my obsession with JPRGs, so it’s a little weird to think that the first time I played it was also the last… It’s been 27 years... 27 years! And I still remember almost every moment of this game; that right there should give you an idea of the kind of impact it had on me. It really was so refreshing playing through this game after all that time; it’s renewed my interest in RPGS and I can’t wait to dive into some more!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2uW6ENi9v/
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 12, 2022, 09:03:58 am
I wish there were a chef's kiss emoji on here. Phantasy Star IV is just that. *chef's kiss* So good - glad you enjoyed it again after all these years.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on July 12, 2022, 12:31:30 pm
I wish there were a chef's kiss emoji on here. Phantasy Star IV is just that. *chef's kiss* So good - glad you enjoyed it again after all these years.

Dude totally agree. I really cant believe I didnt play it sooner. It was such a fun trip down memory lane. I was starting to feel like i was getting burnt out with RPGs to be honest and then this comes along and just reignited the fire.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on July 12, 2022, 07:03:52 pm
31. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (PS3 on PS5) 12/07/22
This game really surprised me! Had a lot of fun playing it with my friend the last week but what i loved most was how it completely revitallised all of Code Veronica's awkwardness - No annoying Steve, or Super Human Wesker! The 8 levels within the game were a great presentation of VC and we might go back and play the other game too - Didn't expect the story to be so thorough within a light-gun game! The new story with Leon and Krauser was decent enough too. The weapon upgrade system was also engaging and we had fun maxing out the base pistol :P If you like RE and haven't bothered with this one due toit being an on rails shooter certainly reconsider it!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 15, 2022, 03:11:18 pm
38. Yurukill: The Calumniation Games

This has been the biggest surprise of the year. I didn't think I would like this as much as I did. I zoomed through the VN parts because I wanted to see what happened next. I sped through the puzzles because they were simple and fun, but also so I could get to the shmup action. It all came together really nicely.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 18, 2022, 08:10:25 am
39. Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE (aka Yuffie's Episode)

Yuffie's DLC was a lot of fun; more fun than I expected to have with a character I never really cared for in the original. The ending moments actually got me hyped for the next iteration. I just hope it's not years upon years before it gets released.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on July 18, 2022, 01:01:48 pm
Game 9 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii, 2-player co-op) – 10 hours

I will always have a soft spot for the New Super Mario Bros. games even though they’re far from perfect. At least the Wii version brought back the Koopalings as mini bosses and added 4-player consecutive co-op for the first time. Playing this game makes it even more obvious how derivative and lazy the Wii U version is, including the music! I still like playing these games though, they’re a guilty pleasure for me, and we always have a good time stumbling over each other and causing each other’s demise in co-op.

Certainly this game plays just like all the other Mario games with good controls, fun (if not predictable) worlds and a competent difficulty curve. We really enjoyed the final boss fight however, in particular the music. Some of the gameplay additions in the Wii game are great, like the penguin suit, fire flower and propeller shroom. The equivalent propeller block that you have to hold to achieve the same effect (along with the light block), were not that fun to use. The motion controls for this most part can be ignored, except for twirling and spinning, which you don’t really need to finish the game. Using the bubble in co-op, however, requires furious shaking of the Wii mote which can be very tiresome. All told, it’s a fun experience, comparable to every other modern 2D Mario game with a few unique aspects.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 19, 2022, 09:23:21 am
40. Mega Man 3

Still a classic. Is it still my favorite, though? I'm not sure. I need to replay Mega Man 8 to find out.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on July 19, 2022, 10:39:58 pm
18 - Stray (PS5 2022) - BEAT - One of those games I've been curious about for awhile, never excited for it, but you get to play the game as an actual cat and that's just a nifty little idea.  The setting does make for something more unique than if it was some modern day thing.  It's not a long game, 5 or 6 hours I think, and it's not some big gameplay heavy experience, it's more on the side of a puzzle game/platformer, but very light on both.  Very easy game in general, but it's just a nice, charming, experience where you get to be a kitty that sometimes pushes things over, or takes a nap, or does other cute cat things.  There's a dedicated meow button!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on July 21, 2022, 11:59:12 am
36. Dino Crisis 2 (PS1) 21/07/2022

A MUCH better game than the previous game, no more 2-keycard solutions for ever door or fingerprint scanning nonsense! This game ramps up the action to 11 and it benefits so much from it! I was surprised by the variety of extra mini-games involved which acted as a better mechanic to puzzles. The sotry was also much more compelling and I liked how the setting was thrown into the mix of time travel. The combat is very gun-ho and I killed more dinosaurs in the 1st couple of maps than the entire previous games. I did find that the increase of enemy encounters lead to being attacked by off screen enemies that would respawn quickly. But beyond that, combat was great and much more engaging. The ending was a bit of a let down, I reckon it could have done with a better epilogue sequence - As I heard neither 3 nor 'Dino Stalker' address the ending of this game.

Overall very positive though and I think if they remade DC 1 & 2 A proper follow up to DC 2's ending would be a great idea! But a lot of work still needs to be put on the predecessor and it's overbearing puzzle mechanics.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on July 24, 2022, 12:43:55 am
10: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (360) 7/22/22

I'm really fulfilled now that I've completed this game. This was the very first Lego video game I ever played, and gave me my completionist mentality with games in general. I think it's more condensed and a better experience then Lego Batman One. The hub world was the first truly open world in a Lego video game, and the first with voice acting. A really pleasant experience, and one I recommend highly. Especially of you like DC or Lego.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on July 25, 2022, 12:47:30 am
19 - Holocure (PC 2022) - ENDLESS - I decided to take some time away from Vampire Survivors to let it get more updates and then ended up playing Vampire Survivors, but with vtubers lol It's good though, it's a fan game, but it does everything Vampire Survivors does, but I think the art is abit nicer in general and it has some of its own gimmicks (It's based abit on another game too, but I don't know anything about that).  I think I put like 5 to 10 hours into it and I'll put more in as things are eventually added.  Definitely recommend if you want more of what Vampire Survivors does.

20 - Hell Let Loose (PC 2021) - ENDLESS - Needed a decent shooter as I'm just barely managing to scrape by with Battlefield 2042 and with the recent sale on it and it playing decent on my PC, seemed like the right time.  Very solid shooter, more hardcore than I tend to play more often than not, but it's not so hardcore that it feels tedious like Squad could feel like to me. I tried playing back before it release, but it had some real rough optimization, but plays very decent now.  I'm still very much learning the game as there's a lot of depth and I'm just focusing purely on the infantry game as there is a lot to learn for squad leaders, dealing with the supply system, running a tank, etc...
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 25, 2022, 01:48:57 pm
41. Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs Darkdeath Evilman

I almost gave up after seeing how the last boss was insanely overpowered. I tried again, making sure to leave my equipment off and killing every enemy I came across so I could arrive to the tenth floor with a boost. When I got to the final floor, I equipped my gear, took down the enemies with remaining throwable items, got to the last boss, activated the speed boost, and went to town. Thank the gaming gods I had an auto-revive chip. Overall, cool game. While forgiving for a rogue-like, it still pulls the usual NISA bulls*** with it expecting the player to grind.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on July 29, 2022, 04:00:26 pm
42. Omori

Too pretentious and artsy-fartsy to be enjoyable. I should have known that I wasn't going to like this. Combat was neat after a few hours, but the game just wouldn't get to the damn point - dangling the big reveal in front of me at every chance only to snatch it away and make me go through more BS. Oh well. It's always good to try new things.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on August 01, 2022, 10:00:28 am
10. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Something I actually was looking forward to play each day even if I couldn't. I liked it better than SoTN for sure. Got stuck a few times and had to go do side quests or try to get materials to make things or rank up shards. So basically had to level up and I think maybe each time I ran into one of those tough bosses I ended up beating them later being overleveled. I had to use walkthroughs and the steam forums a bit to figure out some things, where to go and especially how to get something other than the bad ending. I only got the first bad ending (game over) where you kill Gebel but not the second bad ending. I'm not sure I can get that one now without starting over. I beat this and got credits and resumed the save. I still have to beat the OD boss but I will need to work on some other grinding first because he destroys me easily. Maybe I will try to get all of the achievements, maybe except the complete the monster or shard list because I'm not sure I can win the Ninja race to get his shard.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on August 01, 2022, 02:24:04 pm
Finally hit credits on Assassin's Creed Valhalla yesterday.  My most disliked game in that series in a while.  It's too long and too bland.  Odyssey was too long, but it had interesting mission and story variety.  Eivor is pretty solid as far as protagonists in AC go, but they are surrounded by total snoozes.  I also love they they absolutely do not care about the Templar / Assassin conflict, but the game doesn't do anything interesting with it.  All the optional side activates are lame, and the cities are crushingly samey.  A shame, because I thought Origins and Odyssey did a lot to liven up the franchise.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on August 03, 2022, 12:08:40 am
21 - Mega Man Zero 1 (Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection 2020) - BEAT - Kind of a mixed bag with this game.  The gameplay is generally fine, I like that since it's not about taking stuff from bosses, Zero has his blaster that will upgrade with use, along with three melee weapons that do the same.  The Cyber-Elves are pretty awful though, I hate how they are designed.  You get ones that are single use or ones that you have to feed, which unlocks them, and they give permanent boost from what I've gathered, but the issue is that you earn very little crystals to feed them doing missions, which forces you to grind in a farming spot to get the crystals you need. 

I think I only ever upgrade two Cyber-Elves because it's such a boring process and I only did one of them because it boosted my health bar as there's no pickups in the game that boost you otherwise.  I wouldn't have beaten the last boss without it.  In the scheme of things, farming the spot for an hour would probably give me what I need, I just hate that.  Grinding doesn't bother me in some games, but in a game that's meant to be like a snappy 3 hour experience roughly, a grind is just boring padding. 

Also thank goodness for the save assist in this collection, it made the game more tolerable as it's so easy to die.  I actually wasn't liking the game at the start because it felt like I was dying way quicker than in previous Mega Man game, not that I think it's particularly harder.  I used save states in previous Mega Man games, usually before boss fights, and the save assist system might be a tad lenient, but I enjoy the games more this way as they can be very unforgiving at times.

Not the best start to this series, but I'm hoping they get better.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on August 03, 2022, 11:51:19 am
10. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Something I actually was looking forward to play each day even if I couldn't. I liked it better than SoTN for sure. Got stuck a few times and had to go do side quests or try to get materials to make things or rank up shards. So basically had to level up and I think maybe each time I ran into one of those tough bosses I ended up beating them later being overleveled. I had to use walkthroughs and the steam forums a bit to figure out some things, where to go and especially how to get something other than the bad ending. I only got the first bad ending (game over) where you kill Gebel but not the second bad ending. I'm not sure I can get that one now without starting over. I beat this and got credits and resumed the save. I still have to beat the OD boss but I will need to work on some other grinding first because he destroys me easily. Maybe I will try to get all of the achievements, maybe except the complete the monster or shard list because I'm not sure I can win the Ninja race to get his shard.

Bloodstained helped get me through recovery from heart surgery, and it’s the only game I’ve been motivated to platinum. After recently replaying Symphony of the Night, I find myself debating which I like better. It really was worth the extra time Iga took to polish it.

Just keep trying, you’ll win the ninja race eventually. Try using your shards in creative ways…for example, you can use the Reflector Ray shard to constantly teleport ahead.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on August 03, 2022, 10:17:57 pm
Finally got around to playing a Kirby game.  Can't say that I cared for Kirby's Adventure.  Imprecise slippery controls, bland simple level design.  Maybe they've gotten better with time.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 05, 2022, 08:07:37 am
43. .hack//G.U. Vol. 1//Rebirth

A really cool game and the start of what looks like will be a neat tale. The end of the game was indeed a cliffhanger, but I'm good holding off on the next volume for a few weeks while I play other things. I started the second volume just to convert my data, get a save file, etc. but I won't fully commit until later.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on August 05, 2022, 09:40:50 am
12. Batman: Arkham Origins (abandoned)

I knew by just looking at the option after I launched the game that this was going to be a problem. But before getting to why it was abandoned after 5.3 hours, I can talk about some positive things.

First thing to note is that the game has defaulted to home theater for audio setting and it actually worked properly. A lot of games either don't support a true surround setting, have the sounds done correctly and/or it runs in software mode. The presentation was good and I did really like that you could just go around the city basically anywhere you wanted. I liked the idea of the collectibles and the extra content.

Middling things... the game does not necessarily tell you how to do everything. Or in reality it uses a tutorial system and will only tell you how to go about certain things until the point in the story where the developers decide, aka some thing you have to do to advance the story. This is an issue because after the tutorial area, the game immediately puts you into the open world where you can find these things and when you do encounter them, either an option won't be present or it doesn't have any hint as to what to do. Such as being able to throw the batarang through electricity and have it hit a box to open a door or container. There are also things that you find that I had found you couldn't do anything with until you get an upgrade, but there is no notification that you can't do whatever. I can hear you say about how games don't need to tell you anything, but this game tells you everything else and certainly it would be putting up prompts had I gotten to those tutorial segments in the MQ. Also, Batman can't go into water, ever. And Gotham has no people in it besides gang members.

Despite being open world, the game does not actually offer you the ability to be creative in solving situations. There are some fights where it is just not possible to full stealth it. Maybe it is because there is an enemy with a gun and the game wants to tell you how to use some mechanic. And then what happens is that most of the fights against enemies that are not low tier are actually scripted. You have to defeat them in a certain way and not any other way. And for a game with a stealth mechanic, not actually being able to stealth 100% of the time seems like a waste, especially since most fights are annoying to begin with. The first real boss fight against Deathstroke showed my fears from looking at the options menu at the beginning. You have to fight that boss the way the game wants you do, and then it becomes a quick-time event simulator. And with all of the different skills you can unlock, you get more and more options for button combinations you can do making things even more tedious.

I was willing to push forward only with one answer: cheats. And unlike a lot of games there are cheats available BUT only if you have DLC. I didn't have any and I looked and found there was one DLC for $2 I could get. Then I read that you pretty much needed the Season Pass for the cheats to work and I wasn't willing to even try to see if the $2 DLC would have been enough.

There was one good glitch I encountered. There is a part where you have to go onto Penguin's boat and when you get there, Batman says to himself that he needs to take out the two snipers. Only the back half of the boat has enemies on it. One sniper is in a tower and the other is at the middle of the boat on a container. In between them are 6 others with machine guns. I took out the one on the tower with stealth. Then I snuck around to the middle of the boat and took out the guy on the container. Then I saw a pickup on the front half of the boat and went to pick it up. On my way to there I hear "I'm OK!" and this was the sniper on the container waking up. Then I pick up the intel item. Then I hear a bunch of screams. Looking on the detective vision I see that all of the enemies on the deck of the ship (including the container guy) all suddenly clipped through the ship and fell into the bottom of the map and died. Sure made that section easy.

Next I will retry getting Wolfenstein The New Order to run on my computer.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 05, 2022, 06:25:16 pm
44. DDR Max: Dance Dance Revolution

Today was a good day. So, I decided to dance about it. After going through nine songs it's clear that I'm very, VERY out of practice. Or my dance pad is janked. Or a combination of the two. Either way, it was fun to cut a rug for an hour.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 07, 2022, 09:19:50 am
45. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

The game is adorable as can be, but man. Something about the controls just feels off. I feel like I need a second player at all times for the boost jump since, even with Klonoa's "double jump" he has the hardest time getting any air. I hope I have more fun with Klonoa 2. That was the first one I ever played.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on August 07, 2022, 04:51:17 pm
After beating the remake of Battle for Bikini Bottom (which is a solid 3D collectathon platformer) I popped in the remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater thinking I was just gonna cruise through the campaign, and I just found the short time limit goal oriented levels kind of insufferable.  It's fun to do a free play and just skate around, but I couldn't do the strict limitations of the campaign.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on August 07, 2022, 05:23:09 pm
39. Jet Set Radio HD(Xbox One X) 07/08/2022
I want to like this game, as far as art direction and style goes this game is a 10/10 and looks phenominal for 20+ years. But sadly the controls for the game are a hinderance every chance it can get - Almost everytime I would try grind on a rail or jump over a ledge, I'd fall flat on my face. This is post Tony Hawks so there is no excuse for the controls to be this awful, it's a shame they didn't try tweak the controls or just make the rails more clingy.

I haven't played the sequel, I can play it on my 360 I think and would be eager to do so if the controls are fixed because I really do consider them a problem - This isn't someone complaining at a game that has aged poorly either! I had the original Drreamcast version back in the day and felt the same way but I was determined to beat it once and for all! I'm glad I have but gosh did I suffer with every second of gameplay on this one.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 10, 2022, 04:50:58 pm
46. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil

This is better than DtP. The enemy and level variety, plus the adorable cast of Lolo and Poka make this a lot more enjoyable. There were still moments of frustration when trying to get 150 gems in certain stages, of course. My biggest issue was that Klonoa could only take three hits before losing a life and extras were really scarce.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on August 12, 2022, 09:48:52 am
13. Batman: The Telltale Series

I guess I am done with this game. I played all the chapters and there is nothing left. It is just Season 1, on the Steam page there is DLC for a Shadows Mode and it has screenshots showing Harley Quinn and Bane but I am not sure if those are from this game or the separate Batman Telltale game. Oh well, it is enough for me to do at the moment.

Plays like any other Telltale game I've played so far. Only issues I ran into was that turning down the volume slider for Music did not actually turn down the music volume. Also, do not try to use keyboard/mouse and gamepad. First the gamepad is extremely slow for the actions where you need to use the analog stick. Otherwise is is fine except that I am still not used to where the buttons are on an Xbox 360 pad without looking, which does not work well for the quick-time events. There are some controls that work better on gamepad than with kb/m but in the end I had to stop using the gamepad entirely. It happened when it gave me a prompt to hold Shift key on the keyboard and A button on the gamepad.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 14, 2022, 06:01:10 pm
47. .hack//G.U. Vol. 2//Reminisce

I can't remember the last time I've been so thrilled to see credits roll on a screen. Goddamn that game was a slog. I skipped a ton of cut scenes because a. they went on for too long not getting to the point and b. I couldn't fast forward through the text half the time. It'll be a good few months before I decide to bother with the third game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on August 20, 2022, 06:22:28 pm
22 - Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (Nintendo Switch Online) - BEAT - Random play with this, never played it before, and it's just okay.  It didn't take me long to beat of course and I did use the rewind feature with NSO just to save me the tedium of constantly replaying because there are spots where you are gonna die a lot, but I didn't really love the game as much as the original because of the challenge.  Particularly I hated the sections that you have to take the right path or find the secret exit, because it's more obnoxious than clever I felt.  Like it's okay to once or twice, but they do it like 4 or 5 times throughout the game.  I've done challenging Mario stuff before and it can be fun, but here, for some reason it doesn't work as well.  I'll probably never replay this again and if I'm gonna play NES Mario, it'll either be the first or third one.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 20, 2022, 07:15:53 pm
48. Princess Debut

Real men wear pink. And, real men play games like this. It was an adorable game. Sometimes, the translation got a bit murky and it takes a while until you get more dance/accessory options. But overall this was super cute, easy to pick up, and filled with heart. I'm glad I took a random chance on it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 22, 2022, 03:44:59 pm
49. Aragami 2

Ultimately, this was a major letdown the more I played. It had a strong start and some really cool concepts, but none of them made up for its problems. And I hate to use the term, but the Euro Jank was real. The only reason I bothered with the platinum was because the last trophy to make it up didn't take very long.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 22, 2022, 09:39:50 pm
50. Radical Dreamers

I went into this blind and ended up getting super lost. I started a new file with a map by my side. This was quite a journey, despite being only an hour or so. The writing was solid and just filled the screen with atmosphere. I never thought I would put the words "eerie" and "disturbing" into the same setting as Chrono, but Radical Dreamer managed to do so. All of the blanks filled in between Trigger and Cross were appreciated. I'm glad I finished this.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on August 23, 2022, 01:59:31 am
23 - Pokemon Unite (Switch 2021) - Endless - Had family who got into the game recently and it had me a little curious to check it out.  Normally I'm not super into MOBA's, I've dabbled in a number of them, I mostly liked Smite the most because of its Third Person perspective rather than a top down aspect, but generally it's not a genre I'm into.  That being said, I'm liking the game.  Its a very simplified MOBA, where the structure is there, but it's much less complicated, with the general gameplay loop being about knocked out Pokemon and other players to get points to then sink into their goal (Compared to pushing mobs forward so you can attack their towers) and there's no final win aspect in terms of taking out the final goal, it's purely about having the most points you can gather before the timer runs out.  There's no store ingame to buy stuff and kinda build up a certain character, you just level up, and get the option for a couple different moves, eventually capping out with those moves and if a character can evolve, they will evolve as you play.

The negative aspect of the game is basically the entire menu system.  The game itself actually runs fine at a pretty steady and clean 30 fps.  The 8,000 menu's you have to navigate to unlock all your event and mission stuff chug, like it's hilariously bad and it's such a mobile feeling experience, but even a mobile game would run their menu's better than this.  I know the Switch is pretty underpowered, but this is ridiculous.  And while I'm exaggerating on the menu amount, it's really a lot, and I feel like I wouldn't be annoyed as much if all the menu's were quick and snappy, it can be abit tedious to claim everything after you've played a few rounds.  The F2P aspect isn't super bad, at least starting out, could be worse later on maybe, but I'm not really having much trouble earning coins to unlock Pokemon to play, as I've grabbed one already, they are giving me some others slowly, and I almost have enough to buy a recently added one, along with some clothes for my character.  I know the costumes for Pokemon are egregious if you want to buy them outright with the gems, and there aren't a lot of good costumes in particular (Some kinda neat traditional Japanese looks, but a lot are just kinda dumb.  No I don't want to put my Tyranitar in a tuxedo.  Come back to me when I can make him a mecha or something lol), but after getting up to rank 10, it's fine so far.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on August 26, 2022, 11:39:14 am
Numbers on previous posts might be wrong since I condensed my main post.

18. Wolfenstein: The New Order
This is a game that was free from Epic Games a couple months ago. I had previously checked the requirements and it said it supported Windows 7 as a minimum requirement, but this turned out to be false. It took me about a week to get it running, not because it was difficult to do, but rather I was in a busy couple of weeks there in August which included a big pinball tournament.
I had posted about the incompatibility starting here (https://msfn.org/board/topic/181987-list-of-software-that-doesnt-support-windows-7/page/14/#comment-1223607) if you want any details on how to get it working on Windows 7 yourself.

As far as the gameplay goes, I played it on the default difficulty and it was just fine. The story wasn't that amazing really and my only real gripe is in regards to the limited weapon roster and the weapons that do exist have poor iron sights. There is not a sniper rifle like in most FPS, but some levels let you use a "marksman" rifle. I ended up using the energy weapons near to the end just because I didn't care for anything else besides the pistol. The part I really got into later was trying to find the collectibles and I am glad you can go back and replay old missions with your upgrades to find the things you missed.

The only annoyance I found in the gameplay is that there are some areas where you aren't allowed to stealth. There isn't any indication as to why that is, even if you don't break stealth you can come across areas later where the enemy knows you are there.

Only unanswered questions are:
- How to get to the ladders in the first area in the third level.
- If it is even possible to destroy the large mech on the beach with the shore cannons.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on August 27, 2022, 01:34:36 am
25 - Slime Rancher (PC 2017) - BEAT - I jumped back into this game as I heard there was a sequel coming up and I couldn't remember if I had completely finished my last time through the game.  After awhile I did remember getting to the general end, but I don't think I technically "finished" the game, end credits, because that's actually something you get through reading the mail that Casey sends, which I think missed when I last played.  Game is still a chill and enjoyable time though, capturing them slimes, harvesting their little plorts, it's a charming game and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on August 27, 2022, 07:17:25 pm
11: Super Mario Odyssey Completed August 26th

-This one kind of came out of nowhere. I had wanted to own it for a while and my grandmother got it for me as a birthday gift last month. And after that month I got 100%! All 880 Power Moons, and the 119 extra bought from the shops to go to the max 999 (Luigi's Balloon World is a ridiculously broken coin farming strategy). The best Mario game? I'd say it's my fourth favorite behind 64 and Galaxy 1 and 2. There's a lot to do, and it's incredibly creative. Some of the moons are really hard and annoying, but every Mario game has those stupid hard missions. I hope a sequel gets announced eventually.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on August 27, 2022, 11:00:45 pm
39. Pokemon Pinball (Gameboy)

Pokemon is a perfect example of a fun game that isn't very good, well to a degree. I used to play the hell out of this game as a kid and was able to get a large portion of the Pokedex completed. I still find the game pretty enjoyable despite the pretty bad pinball physics which is the core of the gameplay. It is certainly serviceable, but it can be very frustrating to get the ball where you want it to go when it feels like it should be going in that direction. Aside from that there are only two playfields with slightly different layouts, but more or less they are almost interchangeable minus superficial differences. Still, the gameplay element that will keep you going is catching and evolving your pokemon which you accomplish by sending the ball around the outer loop of each table in a specific direction. There are also cool minigames as well as a feeling of adventure as you work towards traveling to new areas so you can find new pokemon. The audio is decent as are the visuals, but more than anything this game captures the magic and specialness that only OG, late 90s Pokemon can possess. (8/25/22) [33/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on August 28, 2022, 09:10:22 am
Great/similar minds!

51. Kirby's Pinball Land

This was a good way to kill an hour or so after playing more involved stuff. It's not a traditional Kirby (obvz) but it was still a nice distraction.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on August 29, 2022, 09:17:54 am
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)
Previous List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg196344.html#msg196344)

Quote from: Legend
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.

106. Sonic Rivals (PSP)
I sort of expected for me to Riders 2 next, but on my list the next racer games were Rivals 1 and 2, so I hopped back into Rivals.  When I first played this game, I legitimately could not beat the very first level, just absolutely getting demolished constantly.  So I read some guides and stuff for the game like I did for Riders and once I figured it out the game wasn't so bad.  It still has the rubber banding issues, so if the bot is ahead of you, you aren't catching up, but if they mess up and you get far ahead of them, they will rubber band snap at you so fast.  And it's not just that, I had a race where I was ahead by a bit and right at the end, the bot literally threw 6 items at me at once, something that should not be fucking possible, I still won, but like holy fuck there were 2 fireballs, 3 lightning clouds, and an ice block that all hovered on me after I crossed the finish line, had I been a second slower he would've won because I would've been stuck dead for like 30 seconds from all of those power ups.
Rating: Hard pass

107. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (XBLA)
Started this one up and beat it pretty quick.  It's a pretty short game and very by the numbers Sonic... except the game seems to take a lot of inspiration from Mega Man, it's got a lot of bullshit instant death mechanics towards the back half of the game, a lot of bullshit sections where you've got to remember things in order to get through (trial and error) and the game ends with the Mega Man trope of fighting every boss you've already fought before fighting the final boss.  There are reasons folks didn't enjoy this game aside from the weird graphics
Rating: Hard pass.

108. Turnip boy commits tax evasion (X1)
Didn't even realize that I already beat this game once this year (on Switch), but I have been trying to earn achievements daily, so this is a great game to earn achievements daily because of how quick the game is and how short time is between achievements.  I finally reached the point where I got the achievement for beating the game and the credits rolling.  I've still got a handful of achievements left to get for this game, including the title update they released after I had beaten the game earlier this year, so I'll be doing the train stuff real soon.
Rating: Soft recommendation

109. Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
I thought about the first one that it was a pretty good representation of what a competitive Sonic game would be like, but this game is so much more, it does the races better, it adds in combat levels, and even levels that are just about collecting the most coins.  I will say the CPU is much more aggressive in this game to the point that sometimes the bots aren't even worrying about winning so much as just kicking your ass.  Not sure how I feel about them bringing back the individual story modes, as I won't be taking part, I'm just doing Sonic and calling it a day I think.  The game is much harder than the first one and I'm not planning on playing more than I have to even though this game is solid and quite acceptable.  Better than the first but still not quite worth playing.
Rating: Hard pass

110. Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (PS2)
I really wasn't looking forward to this one after the first game, and again I started it up, tried to play and realized that they completely changed things up so I had to re-learn another game.  That said, this game is so much better than the first, and the systems in place aren't a huge burden to overcome.  I managed to have no issue with this game and quite enjoyed my time with it.  It does things differently than your average arcade racer, so it's different and fresh, but it's also not impossible and frustrating to overcome.  Honestly a breath of fresh air in terms of arcade racers.  I still don't imagine it's really worth anyone's time, but it wasn't bad and honestly I'd consider coming back to it one day.  I could also go on a little side rant about how much of an ordeal it was to get this running on my PS3, but I won't.
Rating: Soft pass

111. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (360)
Had to go dig out a 360 and hook that up to play this.  Part way through playing my 360 froze, probably due to poor ventilation, but who knows.  Anyway, standard arcade kart racing kinda stuff.  I've played too many different Sonic racers lately so they are all melding in my mind so I don't really know that I have much to write about this one.  It's okay, but I'm expecting Transformed to live up better.  The Sega miles stuff is interesting to buy stuff and I played mission mode for a bit, and honestly, if I felt inclined I'd maybe go further in and do more, but gots stuff to do.  The inclusion of Banjo and Kazooie is really interesting and the sole reason I insisted on the 360 version over steam, really for no good reason.  It's not like Banjo and Kazooie are really special in the game, they do have their own car and special move, which is neat that they put in the time for that, but it is the Nuts and Bolts version which is sad.
Rating: Soft pass

112. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (XBLA)
This one seems to do a lot to fix the things they did wrong in the first episode, the bosses aren't by the numbers old Sonic bosses, the levels are inspired by previous sonic games but a mish mash of multiple zones to give it a fresh feeling... however it still is keeping with the Mega Man inspiration as I'm sure I'm not even halfway through the game and I am already hitting Mega Man bullshit trial and error instant death stuff.  It's been a few days so I don't really remember, but I don't recall much in the way of issues with this game except right at the end, the final boss fight, if you lose, you have to go through 40 seconds of cutscene stuff every single time since you can't skip.  It makes it obnoxious.  This is one of those unforgivable things that I hate with games.
Rating: Hard pass

113. Sonic Colors: Ultimate (X1)
I started up this game on Wii a year or so back, but my disc was so fucked that I couldn't get through maybe half of the game overall and through a level or two without the game freezing up to disc read errors, so I straight up abandoned my run until Ultimate came out, got my copy, and still waited a year to get around to playing it.  Overall a great game, it plays well, it controls much better than previous 3D sonic games and I feel like this is the game that really started the 2D/3D hybrid stuff, but I might be wrong.  I need to see if I can find which game introduced the hybrid stuff... looks like maybe Unleashed introduced it.  Game was good and fun until the Aquarium Park zone, one of the levels in there fucked me up hard.  I reached a point where I couldn't progress without ring dash, well I don't know how to ring dash.  I google for the better part of an hour, can't find shit, can't find control info, can't find an explanation, can't find a video showing how to get past it folks either skip the section somehow or they fucking ring dash, using a powerup I don't have.  Every time I die, tails just drops me back to where I fell.  So I keep trying with every permutation of input until I run out of lives and go back to the checkpoint... 10 feet back... where there is a powerup I need to ring dash.  So I wasted like all 50 lives I had built up, because a) it didn't just spawn me at the checkpoint a few feet back like it's done on other levels saving me lives, b) let me fucking know how to ring dash in the first place, and c)give me some other fucking option.  Whatever, I finally did it.  Rest of the game is relatively fine until Terminal Velocity Act 1... You have to beat the entire level in one go, no checkpoints, no tails.  At this point I don't even know if I beat the level or if the level said fuck it and just let me by.  I ended the level with a score of 0.  What. the. fuck.  Apparently, even though I start the entire level over again, the time still keeps going, so it took me an hour to beat the level that actually took like 5 minutes to beat in entirety.  Final boss fight was fine though, it had frustrating aspects, but like perfectly acceptable toughness, well balanced, only took a couple of tries.  Not wasting my lives and maybe giving me a hint...  plus some fucking checkpoints on Terminal Velocity Act 1 and I'd be willing to call this the first soft recommendation, but with those two fuck ups, I still can't.  It honestly ruined the game for me.
Rating: Soft pass

114. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (NDS)
I thought about skipping this one and coming back to it, but I decided to just go ahead with it and start it anyway.  Again, I always have issues with forced gimmick controls, like touchscreen stuff just because it's available.  Just because it's available doesn't mean it's the best thing to be done.  I'd be pretty ecstatic for this game to get re-released without the touch controls, this game really didn't need it.  I get it, I do, but I hate that all of the special moves in this game revolve around what is essentially a rhythm minigame without music to go along with it, it plays music sure, but the music isn't in sync so like fuck.  I think without the annoying touch controls, I might've been more willing to do more of the side content, but also the game doesn't have a traditional fast travel system, so even moving between zones is kind of a pain that would also preclude me from doing some of the side content.  Combat was mostly fine, but I didn't really understand the elements system and once it got to the point that enemies did a shield thing that auto countered attacks and healed themselves, the game got real annoying.  The last area of the game changed up the encounters on the map, because in all other areas enemies went about a pre-defined route so you could skip battles pretty easily if you wanted, but in the last area the enemies had AI so they would chase you down.  There were also a lot of instances of getting attacked, but the enemy immediately running away which seemed kind of counter productive.  I didn't want to battle, you don't want to battle, then why did you chase after me? Overall not a terrible game, but the ending was an obvious cliffhanger that was supposed to setup a sequel that never happened, so I've got to knock it points for that as well because games should never do that, you should always expect that there won't be a sequel, leave some little things sure, but don't flat out make the ending a cliffhanger.  I was going to soft pass the game, but the ending being a cliff hanger really solidifies that this game isn't worth the time.
Rating: Hard pass

115. Sonic Generations (360)
I went into this one with lowered expectations after Unleashed, but honestly I was pleasantly surprised by this game.  The 2D classic sections were pretty good and I can't decided if I liked not having the 3D homing for the 2D sections or not because sometimes the homing is useful and other times it's really annoying... honestly just makes me wish there was B for jump and A for homing jump type of thing so I can choose when to leverage homing.  3D sections improved on what Colors did, which Colors was already a wild improvement over Unleashed, and Unleashed was an improvement over the Adventure/Heroes games.  It has the 2D sections in the 3D sections still and the 3D sections in the 3D sections are pretty smooth and don't have much issues whatsoever, honestly this game is the best 3D Sonic game to date by far.  I'd argue this game is worth playing, I won't go so far as to call it a solid recommendation, but I'd definitely recommend it.  That said, if you are playing on XS at least, the OG Sonic game built in doesn't work, so don't waste the 7,777 points on the purchase in the in-game shop.  I will also say, it bums me out that classic Sonic doesn't talk, if classic Tails also didn't talk I could be fine, but he talks, so why doesn't classic Sonic, it would have blown my mind if they had gotten Jaleel White to voice classic Sonic, like I'd be willing to push this game into solid recommendation had they done that, but they didn't and it makes me sad, but by no means a deal breaker.
Rating: Soft recommendation

116. Sonic Jump (Android)
I really hadn't intended on playing any of the mobile games because a) they are mobile games, b) they are probably not available, and c) they probably aren't really beatable.  I had google credit built up that was expiring soon so I spent it on Sonic Jump Pro, because why not.  Well to my surprise the game, being a paid game, actually has a story mode and it's beatable.  So I started up the game and played through it.  It's not very Sonic to be honest in that it's just upward jumping, but it plays well.  The story is quite non-existent and honestly not worth playing.  The game is also relatively short with little to no replay value, so honestly, really wish I hadn't wasted my time, but I didn't really waste money as I was just going to let that money expire.  Interestingly, the game has a little ad in the top corner suggesting you to play the sequel Sonic Jump Fever, but the game was delisted years ago and isn't available, because the game is terrible, has no story mode, and isn't worth playing probably.
Rating: Hard pass

117. Sonic Dash (Android)
I went into this expecting it to be normal mobile trash and boy was I right.  The game has no story mode, it's really just the one endless runner with no real end goal.  Plus the game has the normal mobile trash of being slammed with ads constantly.  I get a popup when I lose that says hey, watch and ad and you can keep playing.  I say no I'm good, I don't want to watch an ad, so it plays an ad and sends me back to the home screen.  What. The. Fuck.  I thought that was weird, I'll chalk it up to something goofy.  Nope.  It does it every single time.  Fuck that noise.  I'm marking it as beat though because there is no end game.
Rating: Hardest of passes

118. Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom (Android)
Knowing how bad the last one was, I really didn't want to play this one either, but I figured in for a pound in for a pounding.  So I launched this one, it plays better, but it's worse than the previous game.  The previous one at least had a thing where you freed animals and built stuff, this one you literally level up to level up and unlock more characters, that is it.  Nothing else.  Plus it does the same ad bullshit.
Rating: HArdest of passes

119. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (360)
Honestly, I can't believe I went this long without writing up updates.  This game was much more enjoyable than the previous Racing game.. however, I did the grand prix in this one thinking it would roll the credits like the first game, but this one, mission modes rolls the credits not grand prix.  So I did grand prix and mission mode for this game.  Honestly, didn't even make me that upset as this was a genuinely good game that I enjoyed playing.  Mission mode is broken into different little paths where you pick different types of races to complete and attempt to get 3-4 stars on them, stars unlock content and further races.  Mostly everything is good, but there are a few race types that sucked.  The transform mechanic is very interesting.  I'd honestly say that this game, if it had a little open world to explore for a story mode, plays like how I would expect a successor to Diddy Kong Racing to be, this game is great, but it could've been better.  The more BS challenges and the fact that you don't even unlock the ability to get a 4th star on events until after you beat the game was the only thing that precluded me from unlocking all of the stars, because I really had no interest in essentially playing through everything all over again, especially when there were a few races that were an absolute pain just to get 1 or 2 stars.  I do consider going back to this though, I probably won't, but I consider it.
Rating: Soft pass

120. Sonic: Lost World (Wii U)
Some up front complaints about this game... forced wii U game pad, no ability to do pro controller; Some levels required the TV for some reason; I throughout the majority of the playthrough couldn't figure out how to get sonic to actually move fast... I'm watching a video right now and I never managed to move as fast as these folks, so maybe something I missed.  That said, this game also seems to take huge steps back to some of the older 3D Sonic games unfortunately and it also seems like Sega was trying to copy Super Mario Galaxy's concepts with a lot of stuff and it just doesn't apply well to Sonic.  The inclusion of the need to free so many animals to unlock further levels was annoying, but they do provide you with some levels to farm animals real quick, but you have to collect red coins I think to unlock them, I'm really not sure because I collected some in earlier areas and the levels are still locked even though I had collected 5 or so across multiple levels in the zone.  Game is relatively short though, so it wasn't the worst experience, but it was definitely a struggle to push myself through it... though iirc the last two zones were a real slog to get through with a lot of instant death mechanics.
Rating: Hard pass

121. Team Sonic Racing (PS4)
I had higher expectations for this game after Transformed, but this game is honestly a huge disappointment in comparison.  Gone are straight forward pickups and special moves, in their place is non descript pickups based on Sonic Colors Wisps and the game heavily relies on slipstream mechanics that only work with teammates and essentially never using pickups yourself and giving them to the AI so you can do your team boost thing.  Game has a story mode though with what feels like a semi legitimate story.  The story mode itself follows the same paradigm as the Transformed mission mode, there are several maps with paths that branch with races that have different requirements, but either they are bullshit or they are basic races, not nearly as special as transformed was.  In general this game just isn't nearly as fun as the previous racing game.
Rating: Hard pass.

Next List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg198819.html#msg198819)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on August 29, 2022, 12:23:09 pm
Game 10 - Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3) – 45 Hours

The first Tales of Xillia is probably my favorite Tales game I’ve played so far, followed closely by Tales of Berseria. Unfortunately, I found the sequel to be pretty dissapointing.

Unlike the first game, Tales of Xillia 2 takes a very episodic nature with contained, short storylines that all add up to a larger narrative. The main plot in this game deals with alternate dimensions which you must travel to and destroy to keep the world in balance. At first glance, I thought this could be an interesting story mechanic with the potential to explore some wacky or entertaining “what ifs?” regarding the Tales of Xillia universe. However, these alternate dimensions provide few changes from the original game’s setting; other than some superficial visual differences, the only aspects of the characters or scenarios that change is whatever’s directly tied to the objective of the mission. I think there was only one fractured dimension that provided any real variety. It was kind of disappointing.

The game’s episodic story, however, is unfortunately gutted by this outrageously huge debt that you get clubbed over the head with at the beginning of the game. It felt like a painfully jerry-rigged way of pacing the game’s story, and it leads to a very herky-jerky experience. Once you finish the main story episode, everything grinds to a screeching halt and you cannot progress until you provide a minimum payment on your debt, which sometimes led to an hour of grinding between story missions. The literal exact moment you complete your next debt payment, you get a call that allows you to progress in the story. It’s like they didn’t even try to make it less obvious. Not to mention that the person calling you about your debt, Nora, was incredibly obnoxious. I suppose that parallels a debt in real life, but certainly it doesn’t make for a fun game. I don’t know what they were thinking.

I really liked that all the characters from the first game are back. However, I personally felt like only real development consists of whatever happened to the characters between the first game and this game. All character development that does exist is delegated to side-quests, so if you don’t do those, these characters won’t provide you with much. Ludger in particular is very bland because he’s a silent protagonist. I’ve come to dislike silent protagonists in modern JRPGs because they have a really hard time showing any emotion or character. This game was particularly hard because Ludger has some interesting relationships with other main characters like Julius and Elle, and he just doesn’t provide enough of a connection with these characters for me to care all that much. This game also gives you unique choices to pick with your dialogue, but they almost never matter unless you're trying to increase your affinity with someone. This kind of gameplay mechanic is one of my least favorite to be honest, right up there with quick-time-events. Two of the villains from the first game (Gaius and Muzét) join you in this game, which is a little strange, but it’s fine. I thought Muzét was pretty unlikable, while Gaius was pretty entertaining. I also liked that the side quests use certain characters which means you’ll get to spend plenty of time with everyone.

Tales of Xillia 2 pretty much re-uses of all the maps and towns from the first game. This sequel adds some more of Elympios to explore, which was an absolute delight given how little you get to see in the first game. However, you’re mostly travelling through the same areas from the first game, plus a possible third or fourth time in the fractured dimensions and side storylines. It gets fatiguing very quickly, which is why I mentioned I wish some of the environments in the different dimensions would have had a little more flair to them. Not even the enemies are changed.
As far as the combat goes, it was a very enjoyable experience, just like the first game. Not a whole lot has been added, with the main gimmick being able to switch between three different types of weapons that have unique strengths and weaknesses. I liked that mechanic quite a bit, though it does become cumbersome managing multiple weapons.

Overall I found Tales of Xillia 2, while a decent game with a lot of potential, suffers from some bad gameplay decisions and really lazy game, character and story design.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on August 29, 2022, 12:34:38 pm
Game 11 - Stardew Valley (co-op, Switch) - 55 Hours

Two games finished over the weekend! Stardew Valley is one of my favorite games of all time and it was really fun to play through it again. Like last time, I counted the main story finished after Grandpa's evaluation, but we'll probably keep playing for a good while after. This game is one that my partner (now fiancé) and I have played a ton ever since we started dating, and there's not a whole lot more I can add to my previous review on the site. It's a delightfully simple yet endlessly complex experience that centers around some amazing core concepts like community, connection with nature, appreciating the simple things, and also the joys of discovery, planning and critical thinking, and goalsetting. I don't really have much to say, so I'll focus on the new things that I experienced on this playthrough.

Ginger Island: This huge DLC pack adds a whole new area with some different things to do compared to the main valley. I haven't spent a ton of time there yet but I've been enjoying exploring the island for all of it's secrets and looking for golden walnuts. I'm not sure if I really like the tropical setting though, it does feel a little out of place.

Two Player: My partner and I played on both Steam and split-screen on the Switch, and each had its fair share of issues. On Steam, we had constant trouble trying to load the game and connect with each other to play. The Switch version had constant hitching and jittering about every 2 minutes or so which is really distracting and sometimes messes up your gameplay. Playing on split-screen isn't really optimized either. Cutscenes for both of you play out doubled on each screen rather than connected as one. Some in town experiences that move characters around like friend-related storylines don't apply for the other player and you can just walk through people's cutscenes. You can only give a player one item at a time, so if you want to give someone multiple items you have to dump them all in a chest first. Just some quirks that could be ironed out.

Overall, this game is a very special experience for me and I will always treasure playing it for the first time and really every time I boot it up. Plus, check out the board game too! :)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on August 29, 2022, 10:53:01 pm
40. Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire (GBA)

Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire is an improvement over the original in nearly every way. Obviously being on a more advanced system the graphics and audio are better, but that's just the beginning. The biggest and most obvious improvement is the gameplay where you can actually control the ball and it goes where it should when you hit it with your flippers. The playfields are also a big improvement over the original in terms of layout, rules, and various other elements that make them more enjoyable. Perhaps the only aspect of Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire that isn't a noticeable improvement over the original is the music; I don't really feel like one game is better than the other in terms of the OST, sound effects, or other noises that come from the game. I also don't have the same nostalgia for the GBA sequel either which diminishing my enjoyment slightly, but put these two games next to each other and I'll choose Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire almost every time. (8/29/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on August 30, 2022, 09:47:23 am
21. Left 4 Dead (abandoned/endless?)

I had no experience with this series at all. I had believed the Steam page that said it had a single player, but it turns out it really doesn't. It is online only and the single player is just local with bots. This is also not a game you can easily jump into the first time. My first attempt I spawn and am immediately killed. Perhaps this is just a thing that can happen. I had not a chance to set up controls properly, so this wasn't an ideal start. The mouse settings were really off, initially too slow. Using the slider in options wasn't very helpful and I ended up having to turn it all the way down and use the dpi button on my mouse to get something useful.

Weapons were boring. Has a sniper but it has toggle ADS instead of hold. Ended up just using the pistols and hipfire the rifle when I was in the clear. There didn't seem to be any sort of progression. Interesting when the matchmaking starts, it says finding a match for my skill level. Well IDK who is left playing this game after all these years but it put me into a hard mode game. It was fine, I made it through to the end. Maybe there were more levels, maybe there were more weapons, idk but the gameplay wasn't enough to keep the game around as something to just fool around with. It reminded me of a low-tier Killing Floor and I have no time for that game either.

It is good to see there are still many players who are playing this game and an active modding community.

I won't be bothering to play Left 4 Dead 2 either and moved onto Evoland II instead.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: jipsy on August 30, 2022, 05:00:14 pm
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Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on August 30, 2022, 09:36:26 pm
26 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT - This is one of those notorious NES games for me as a kid that I played off and on, but never beat.  I don't think I ever got past the area where you save Splinter.  Thankfully with the help of this collection that removes slowdown, sprite flicker, offers up a save game, and has rewind, I was able to beat it finally.  And thank god, because this game is the worst lol

This is one of those old games where the hit boxes were awful, a lot of enemies can take multiple hits, sometimes they don't, a lot of the time they do, and certain Turtles, like Raph and Mikey are at a distinct disadvantage with shorter weaponry, effectively making them useless and only used when you lose Leo or Don, but even then, you'll more often than not just take a ton of damage, because attacks are slow, and movement is floaty.  The hitboxes in particular are at their worst in the underwater level, super notorious for its awful design, and towards the end when fighting the Technodrome and dealing with the flying space suit guys.

I still have nostalgia for the game, my love for TMNT pushed me to keep on, but I'm pretty sure that since I completed it, I will never play it again, unless it's with a rewind feature I can abuse to get me through areas lol

27 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT - This was a quick one to check out as I hadn't ever played this one before.  I played the game on SNES and I think Genesis, but never played this one.  A pretty simple fighter, but I would say decent enough, like it doesn't feel bad to play, there just aren't a large variety of moves and while I dd use the rewind a little after having Raph wreck me a good half dozen times, I did start to figure out the trick, which was mostly jump in or slide, get a hit, and if getting a hit or block, throw.  Throw is what you need to do no matter what as it does the most damage lol  Overall just okay.

28 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (GB - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT - Another old TMNT game I've never played, I had a Game Boy Color, but I don't think I ever played any of the TMNT games for Game Boy.  This one is okay.  I mean, it's a Game Boy game, it's very simple, very short, but I was alright with it, especially after dealing with the nonsense of the original NES game.  Gameplay is fairly stiff and slow, but it all functions fine.  No real complaints other than some of the art looks a tad goofy, especially after seeing what the art becomes in the following games which seems like a nice upgrade.

29 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Back to the Sewers (GB - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - BEAT - Big step up from the last one.  Gone are the empty backgrounds and kinda basic art, as they now look more like the classic cartoon turtles and there are full backgrounds.  Also a notable step up in difficulty, for better and worse.  Better in that the first game is super easy, especially all the bosses and there's more variety happening in terms of what you are dealing with.  The downside is that it shows a lot of issues with the gameplay, mostly that you can't hit anything above or below, making for a lot of annoying hits.  Some sections have bad enemy spawns and a combination of that and the slow movement makes for a few real frustrating sections and getting away and to bosses to hit them and not get hit back can be frustrating.  I think if this game didn't have you waddling the entire away, it would be more tolerable.  It's annoying aspects aside, I did generally enjoy myself more here.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on September 03, 2022, 08:57:37 pm
30 - Puzzle Bobble 2 (Neo Geo - Playstation Release) - BEAT - Had a sudden nostalgic urge for Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move and found out I could grab it on Playstation.  It's just a charming as heck time, I have a lot of love for this series as I use to play it a bunch at a laundromat that had one of those multi-game Neo Geo cabinets.  It had one of these, Samurai Shodown and I think 2 other games.  It's just a good game.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on September 05, 2022, 02:21:05 am
35. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Quite simply, one of the finest action-platform games ever made. Difficult, but fair in that it gives you the tools and control to improve your skills with practice. High-end play is possible with mastery of blocking and ninja magic.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on September 05, 2022, 09:05:37 pm
7. The Quarry (PS5)

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The overall story kept me interested to see how the story turned out. On my first playthrough, I really messed up and certain characters didn't make it. This game does like to tempt you in making bad choices, and the game makes sure there is a punishment for bad choices. A great game, but I think Until Dawn is slightly better in some aspects though.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on September 09, 2022, 11:21:35 pm
52. Saviors of Sapphire Wings

It feels correct to have my 52nd game be an RPG, and an excellent one from Experience Inc. at that. This was another solid dungeon-crawler. I really enjoyed getting to know all of my squires. They all had something to contribute to the story, all had their own personal struggles and motivations, and all added a special something to the somewhat empty world. There wasn't a single, "Now I'll say 'yeah' to get my air time" moment which I really appreciated. Oh, and the dungeon crawling was fun, too. Sadly, post-game won't be getting any of my attention since I have to get two characters I neglected (Tulip and Popolog) to 7 and they're currently at 5.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on September 10, 2022, 10:53:23 pm
53. Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness - Hello Abyss mode

I knew even before popping this in that it would be a bad game. But I wasn't expecting it to be this bad. Spike Chunsoft cannot develop a decent action game to save their skin. Everything about this game screams clunkfest. And the worst thing is that you have to finish Hello Abyss mode before you can unlock Deep In Abyss mode. The problem here is twofold. First, it's silly to have to go through a small portion of Riko's journey before unlocking the original one for the game. Second, Riko starts at level 5 and with extra goods under her belt. It gives a poor sense of what you're actually up against when you begin Deep In Abyss mode in earnest. I can't picture me getting far in this. Shame, since the anime was really great.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on September 11, 2022, 02:19:52 am
41. The Last of Us: Part I (PS5)

While I'm not one of the many people that lauds The Last of Us as one of the best games ever made or a perfect 10/10 game, I do definitely love this game and sing most of its praises. So when the remake (remastered remaster???) was announced and would have TLoU2's graphics and game engine I was pretty excited. So excited in fact that I dropped $70 on a game I knew I'd played before several times on the two previous generations of Playstation consoles. And once again, TLoU did not disappoint...well for the most part.


This game looks incredible, sounds incredible, and while its gameplay felt smoother and more refined than the previous versions of this game, it wasn't dramatically different enough to make me feel like I wasn't just playing the same game I've already beat 2 or 3 times. Some of the more frustrating parts of the game were slightly less frustrating as a result, but overall my enjoyment of the game was about the same. In fact, at times I could have forgotten I wasn't playing one of the previous version of TLoU, that's just how close the two are. I think I'd recommend this game at its current price to anyone who either hasn't played TLoU or is just one of those TLoU super fans that adore this series through and through. However, if you're someone who may have played TLoU on the PS3 or PS4, I'd just wait for this game to drop in price ($40 or less) before grabbing it and re-experiencing it in modern game graphics. You will have an excellent time, you will like the story a ton, but just don't think this remake is going to dramatically make the game better, at least it certainly didn't do that for me. (9/11/22) [44/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on September 11, 2022, 12:41:41 pm
42. Outrun 2 (XBOX)

As iconic of a game as the original Outrun game has become, it's hard to imagine one of its sequels being better. But indeed Outrun 2 is. While not as visually impressive as the original relative to the periods of time these games were released, Outrun 2 has the original beat in nearly every other way. It has more cars to choose from (all licensed Ferrari models from the early 2000s and prior); the gameplay is a marked improvement, especially the super fun drift mechanic; and the audio has tons of great new tracks, as well as old ones, that fit on perfectly with the feel and vibe of this game. Speaking of the vibe of this game, it has an undeniable late 90s/early 2000s Sega charm that anyone who loved what Sega was releasing around that time will absolutely love! And as far as the XBOX version goes, there are various extra modes to choose from, although all pale in comparison to Mission Mode where you will play through a bunch of interesting, fun and unique driving missions in order to collect the games many unlockables. These unlockables come in the form of cards, some of which unlock things like new cars, new music tracks, and even the original Outrun arcade game. In all, it's a pretty addictive experience, although there is a very pronounced difficulty spike about halfway through mission mode which unfortunately bring to light some of the games shortcomings. While these shortcoming are relatively minor in terms of the overall game, they do make completing the later mission modes very frustrating at times. But otherwise Outrun 2 is an outstanding game and a must own on the original XBOX. (9/11/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on September 11, 2022, 07:32:25 pm
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)

I was pretty late to the TMNT craze of the late 80s and early 90s. For one, I was an infant when it began, however by the time I did get into it around the time I was about 5 or so, the popularity of the franchise had began to fade significantly, but more importantly I missed out on a lot of the intense nostalgia that many people born in the early 80s and late 70s got to experience with the franchise, including playing some of the beloved arcade games. Unfortunately I can't remember ever playing TMNT or Turtles in Time as a kid, much less seeing them anywhere growing up. Because of that I lack the childhood connection to them that many people have. As a result I feel like I can go into playing this game as more of a fan of retro beat em' ups and a old time fan of the franchise, rather than someone who directly has nostalgia for the TMNT arcade game released in 1989. TMNT is a decent arcade beat em' up, however it lacks a lot of he refinement in terms of gameplay that some other games in the genre had around this time. In fact, I'd say Final Fight and many other Capcom beat em' ups had TMNT beat. And more importantly, TMNT arcade doesn't even come close to being as awesome or memorable as its direct arcade sequel, Turtles in Time. Audio and visual are both great, however some questionable character voiceovers and many stages having the same city look to them hold these two things back from greatness. Overall, it's a fun game, but the inherent repetitiveness of gameplay combined with a lack of refinement really prevented me from wanting to return to this game again for a very, very long time. But I guess your mileage will vary dramatically depending on your history with this game and franchise. (9/11/22) [32/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on September 13, 2022, 11:43:51 pm
44. Doom - 1993 (PS4)

It's been a while since I played through Doom and I've never officially given it a score so I really wanted to play the original version again and see how it stacked up to more modern titles I have ranked. In short, it still holds its own very well. I literally have nothing bad to say about its presentation and audio; they're both perfect imo, especially compared to 1993 gaming standards. Doom took everything from Wolfenstein 3D and ran with it all the way out of the stadium! The gameplay is still super fun and addictive, although it does have some annoying level design in the later two chapters, especially Inferno. I know there is the fourth chapter, Thy Flesh Consumed, but considering it was designed by a completely different team and it is noticeably lower quality then the other chapters I don't consider it a part of the core game. There are also other gameplay frustrations like going back to the beginning of the stage with just your pistol and fists if you die, which is essentially a death sentence in the later levels on the medium to higher difficulties. But other than that the game still plays smoothly, the puzzles and secrets are still fun, and overall this game is one of those iconic games that's pretty much as amazing as it's reputation suggests. And while I do love the original Doom, I still prefer Doom 2016 more, but I would say the original Doom is just a hair better than Eternal. Simply put, the original Doom is timeless. (9/13/22) [42/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on September 14, 2022, 12:18:00 am
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)

I was pretty late to the TMNT craze of the late 80s and early 90s. For one, I was an infant when it began, however by the time I did get into it around the time I was about 5 or so, the popularity of the franchise had began to fade significantly, but more importantly I missed out on a lot of the intense nostalgia that many people born in the early 80s and late 70s got to experience with the franchise, including playing some of the beloved arcade games. Unfortunately I can't remember ever playing TMNT or Turtles in Time as a kid, much less seeing them anywhere growing up. Because of that I lack the childhood connection to them that many people have. As a result I feel like I can go into playing this game as more of a fan of retro beat em' ups and a old time fan of the franchise, rather than someone who directly has nostalgia for the TMNT arcade game released in 1989. TMNT is a decent arcade beat em' up, however it lacks a lot of he refinement in terms of gameplay that some other games in the genre had around this time. In fact, I'd say Final Fight and many other Capcom beat em' ups had TMNT beat. And more importantly, TMNT arcade doesn't even come close to being as awesome or memorable as its direct arcade sequel, Turtles in Time. Audio and visual are both great, however some questionable character voiceovers and many stages having the same city look to them hold these two things back from greatness. Overall, it's a fun game, but the inherent repetitiveness of gameplay combined with a lack of refinement really prevented me from wanting to return to this game again for a very, very long time. But I guess your mileage will vary dramatically depending on your history with this game and franchise. (9/11/22) [32/50]

As you said, others’ mileage may vary, and that’s the case with me :D
TMNT Arcade is my second favorite game of all time, and I’ve played it a LOT. I can regularly beat it with 2 credits (still working on a 1CC; the game’s difficulty gradually gets higher the longer you go without dying and by the end it gets REALLY hard).

The big reason I like it over other beat-em-ups, including its own sequel, is because its fighting system is deeper than it seems, and can be mastered with a combination of timing, patience, and finesse. TMNT 2 Arcade involves more randomness, including the turtles’ throws (which seem to happen at random, unlike the SNES port) which can mess me up.
I totally admit it might be the nostalgia talking, but if I go into the nuances I’ll end up writing a thesis :D
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on September 15, 2022, 08:14:50 pm
31 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Radical Rescue (GB - Cowabunga Collection 2022) - I think of the collection so far, as I've been kinda wanting to get the games I know I won't love as much as the others first, I think this might be the best one.  It's very different from the other two GB games, which were more your very simple side scrolling beat-em-ups, this one is instead much more like taking Mega Man and crossing it with abit of Castlevania.  Your "abilities" for progressing are the Turtles you save, each one having a unique movement ability that allows you to progress further into the single map.  It is a GB game, so it is still fairly basic, but I enjoyed it.  Boss fights can be a tad rough as they do so much damage and their patterns can be a little wonky to deal, and the games challenge comes from the screen size as it's really easy to take hits.  Fairly solid time though, but I absolutely used the included strategy guide they had as navigating the map can be a little rough.  You get an ingame map, but it's very basic.  Decent game for sure.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on September 16, 2022, 11:58:06 pm
8. Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (Xbox)

I had to play this! I have played this before on several other systems, and when I saw it on Xbox, I had to play it! I love this series!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on September 19, 2022, 11:23:10 am
22. Evoland II

This game has many different types of modes in it. Primarily it is a top down RPG but some missions change the gameplay style to other types of games. There are 4 different eras and they all have a different look. The oldest one (you get to it closer to the end of the game) makes everything look like a Game Boy. The one you start is like 16-bit, the past is 8-bit and the future is 3D so I guess the 64-bit or PlayStation era. Each of the different types of modes are platformer, fast platformer (like Sonic), fighting game (with SF2 moves), beat em up, vertical and horizontal shooter. No FPS mode but it is joked about in dialog. Story is neat but I ended up figuring out what was happening just before going to the ancient era.

The puzzles are good but no impossible to figure out. It is open-world type play to a point, meaning you don't necessarily have to do things in a particular order. I don't even think you can end up out-levelled by the way the game progresses, but perhaps it is possible if you don't buy new armor or weapons. There are some frustrating areas, especially if you are not good at or have played some of the modes such as the platforming areas. I don't think you can softlock even though I thought I had at one point in the Sylph forest. The card game was the most fun part for me, and I did use a guide to find out where the cards I didn't have were located. By that point I had the Dragon Radar already so I didn't really need a walkthrough.

The end boss I was not prepared for. It is a 3 stage boss and unlike in other parts of the game, it doesn't checkpoint you at the stages. So if you die then you have to do it over completely. I had not brought any potions and did not have the best armor. I didn't end up getting the best sword but I don't think it is required. The Okiron sword is the best but you have to find materials for it. I only had the Buster Sword. It was then I searched for the other cards I needed and found the Okiron I needed to make the armor.

There weren't many bugs and none were game breaking. It is just these few:
- sometimes the card art doesn't load during the card battle.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2863902836
- the player hitbox is very large in the current and future era compared to the past era. This is more of an annoyance and you may first notice this in the Sylph forest where you change eras a lot, and the bubbles can hit you without touching you. They are a low end enemy and won't kill you by that point.
- The enemy bullets in the horizontal shmup stage are the same color as the xp gems.
- Game makes a cardinal sin of shrump games by using timed (actual times, not use metered) power ups.
- Going into overlay triggers super weapon shots, just an annoyance.

One neat thing is you can name not only your character but some of the characters you meet. This name you pick shows up in all dialog and card names. You still need to find out what the original names are if you use a walkthrough.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on September 19, 2022, 04:17:31 pm
Game 12 – Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Switch) – 45 Hours

This is the second Fire Emblem game that I've ever played, the first one being Fire Emblem Awakening about 10 years ago. After finishing the very first entry on the Switch, it’s amazing to see how far the series has come, but also how much the first game was able to establish in terms of gameplay, characters, tone, lore, and story. I was shocked at how complex and deep this game is given that it originally came out on the Famicom. You have multiple characters to choose from with a deep array of stats and abilities. There are over 10 classes that have different strengths and weaknesses and can change into stronger versions with enough experience. There are multiple different weapons and support magic and items to experiment with. It’s all very impressive given the period when this game came out. Outside of the gameplay, this game has impressive graphics and animations, and 25 huge sprawling battles to play with, so you have a lot of impressive and engaging battles to keep you occupied.

So with that praise, you may think that I really enjoyed my time playing this game. Unfortunately, after finishing this and reflecting on my time with Awakening, I think that this series just isn’t for me. While this game was the forerunner to other tactical RPGs that I enjoy like Final Fantasy Tactics and Valkyria Chronicles, the one thing that this series does that I’m not a fan of is instant permadeath. It’s a very unforgiving game that I just couldn’t really get into, particularly when the combat involves heavy RNG including critical hits or the chance to miss your attacks. If you like that style of gameplay, that’s definitely fine, I can totally see how it makes you think about enemy placement and unit matchups. I just prefer a little more forgiveness when I make a mistake or try a gamble that doesn’t pay off. I tried to play it without resetting, but almost every time one of my characters died the urge to reset the game was so strong that I eventually gave up. Thankfully this game is very generous with about 4 different ways of reloading an old save state or save game.

Unfortunately, I wish some other aspects of the game were as improved as the save states. The first Fire Emblem is a very clunky and unintuitive experience. First, you have a limited inventory, which makes equipment management a nightmare. You have a convoy that you can use to swap out equipment, but you have to do it one at a time, for one character each, and it takes up that character’s entire turn. You also can’t trade items to characters unless they have a free spot remaining. You can’t do any item management in between battles either, which I think could have really helped. Second, you can’t decide where to place your characters at the beginning of a battle, which isn’t so much of a problem until the final level. I lost about 75% of my units in that fight because your team gets separated into four groups rather than one, and you can’t pick who goes in what group so they all got slaughtered. Lastly, the story just isn’t very good. For the time, it’s impressive certainly, but it’s extremely difficult to follow. It feels like this game cut all intermediary dialogue and just presents what happens during the battles. It felt fragmented and incomplete.

At the end of the day, while this series isn’t for me, I can definitely respect this game and what it did for gaming as a whole. It really is a remarkable beginning to the series and it paved the way for a lot of great tactical RPGs to come. Unfortunately, it has many dated and frustrating elements that really hold the experience back from being a great one.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: Cartagia on September 19, 2022, 05:26:34 pm
Game 12 – Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Switch) – 45 Hours
[...]
after finishing the very first entry on the Switch, it’s amazing to see how far the series has come, but also how much the first game was able to establish in terms of gameplay, characters, tone, lore, and story. I was shocked at how complex and deep this game is given that it originally came out on the Famicom. You have multiple characters to choose from with a deep array stats and abilities. There are over 10 classes that have different strengths and weaknesses and can change into stronger versions with enough experience. There are multiple different weapons and support magic and items to experiment with. It’s all very impressive given the period when this game came out. Outside of the gameplay, this game has impressive graphics and animations, and 25 huge sprawling battles to play with, so you have a lot of impressive and engaging battles to keep you occupied.

[...]
Unfortunately, I wish some other aspects of the game were as improved as the save states. The first Fire Emblem is a very clunky and unintuitive experience. First, you have a limited inventory, which makes equipment management a nightmare. You have a convoy that you can use to swap out equipment, but you have to do it one at a time, for one character each, and it takes up that character’s entire turn. You also can’t trade items to characters unless they have a free spot remaining. You can’t do any item management in between battles either, which I think could have really helped. Second, you can’t decide where to place your characters at the beginning of a battle, which isn’t so much of a problem until the final level. I lost about 75% of my units in that fight because your team gets separated into four groups rather than one, and you can’t pick who goes in what group so they all got slaughtered. Lastly, the story just isn’t very good. For the time, it’s impressive certainly, but it’s extremely difficult to follow. It feels like this game cut all intermediary dialogue and just presents what happens during the battles. It felt fragmented and incomplete.

At the end of the day, while this series isn’t for me, I can definitely respect this game and what it did for gaming as a whole. It really is a remarkable beginning to the series and it paved the way for a lot of grant tactical RPGs to come. Unfortunately, it has many dated and frustrating elements that really hold the experience back from being a great one.

This is pretty much how I felt about it when I beat it last year.  It's really cool to see how developed the ideas were even 30 years ago, but it is dated and clunky as hell.  I'm still a fan of the series, but I wouldn't really want to go back and revisit many of the older games because the QoL today is sooo much better.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on September 22, 2022, 10:35:14 pm
54. Wild Arms

Despite a high encounter rate and a few mistranslations, this game is still barrels of fun. The opening tune sets the stage for a fun adventure that has lots of content yet doesn't outstay its welcome. I have even more appreciation for late 90s/early aughts RPGs after playing this again.

It's weird seeing the word "platinum" next to a game from 1997.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on September 25, 2022, 10:05:47 pm
9. Abzu (Xbox)- I really love this game. So much to explore at your pace. I really love the music as well. I highly recommend it!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on September 26, 2022, 02:49:31 am
32 - Metal: Hellsinger (PC 2022) - BEAT - This is one of those games that feels kinda made for me.  I generally enjoy rhythm gaming, I love heavy metal, so take that, mix with what is essentially Doom 2016, and you got a really good shooter.  It's not amazing because it doesn't really do anything fresh with the style of game it is, it's pretty straightforward, the hook is the rhythm combat which can feel a little challenging with some weapons, but once you get into the groove, it can really draw you in.

One negative might be the bosses, they are all a variation of the same boss, just with some added danger each fight.  It's not the worst, but it's like Breath of the Wild where each boss fight is just a Blight Ganon with different combat features and it comes across a little boring even if the fights are handled differently, but here in Hellsinger, it's mostly the same each fight, but they add a new attack pattern or there's a stage hazard.  It's the only part that feels abit budget, because this isn't a full price game, but I don't hate it.  It's definitely worth checking out if you like any of these like Doom styled shooters and you like metal music.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on September 27, 2022, 10:42:18 am
34. Bejeweled 3
This game is technically endless but it does have a quest mode. Completing this mode is what I used to determine whether the game is beat or not. The quest mode has 5 stages and many different game modes. Some of them are unique to quest mode and it takes some time to determine the correct strategy to beat them. I think the hardest one for me is the Poker one. Interesting thing is that leaderboards are still active per each non-quest game mode, showing friends scores maybe from even years ago. Deso is the best at Butterfly mode, I can't imagine how she got that score.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on September 29, 2022, 10:07:54 pm
Alien Isolation (PS4) - ABANDONED

While I'm not a big fan of stealth games in general, I am a fan of the Alien franchise and the idea of playing a survival horror game around trying to escape a space station while being hunted by a Xenomorph sounded amazing. Unfortunately in practice I didn't enjoy this game nearly as much I thought I would. I loved the atmosphere and faithfullness to the look at feel of the original Alien movie that is present in this game. Despite being a 7th gen title originally I was blown away by how good this game still looks minus some character models that haven't aged the best. The sound quality is also pretty awesome and certainly ads to the uneasy suspense and dread in this game. However, the gameplay is what ruined my experience in Alien Isolation, so much so that I wasn't even enjoying it anymore only a few hours into the game. First off, the human enemies in this game are given bullshit accuracy and also will spot you even when logically they shouldn't. I found myself dying over and over, and over again in the same sections which got so tiresome that I nearly quit before the alien even showed up. Then when the alien finally did show up I found trying to escape and hide from it so difficult given the limitations of the gameplay that I was barely scared, and just plain annoyed. Since I wasn't having any fun I decided to cut my losses and turn the game off. I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't end up liking this game as much as I'd hoped, especially since many consider this game to be a bit of an under appreciated gem.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on September 30, 2022, 07:02:19 pm
33 - Legend of Zelda (NES Switch Online) - BEAT - Been many a year since I've beat the original game, but I it's always a nice time.  I was actually spacing on a few things and where they were as it has been awhile, but I still remember a lot of locations to bomb, fire, where stuff like the blue ring is, most of the dungeons, alot of that, with only a few moments of checking guides to remember what I needed.  Looking at it from a modern perspective, some things are abit obscure, which is why I'd love to see it get a decent remake treatment someday.  Good new sprite art and animations, some better guidance for things, it's not impossible to play, but you saw it with even Link to the Past how they improved the series.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on October 01, 2022, 07:06:45 pm
34 - Gundam Evolution (PC 2022) - ENDLESS - As someone who loves giant robots/mechs, I don't actually do a lot with Gundam.  Not that I have anything against it, but it's just a series with ALOT of series to get involved with and lots of different games that I don't think ever registered for me.  Gundam Evolution could be one of the more accessible ways of doing so as it's essentially Overwatch, but with Gundam.  It's much less strict about what units you play as, at least in casual, as while it's good to have someone that can do good healing or someone that can handle big damage, it's not required if you can make up for it with other units.  Basic gameplay modes like single point captures or attack/defend point capture or bombing stuff, but I dig the gameplay and the mobile suits are cool.  Pretty fast paced.  It is free to play and the paid stuff isn't...ideal...but it's not bothering me a ton.  I feel like improving what people can earn will keep folks around better along with decent new unit releases, but we'll see.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on October 02, 2022, 02:43:10 pm
55. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

I went through the Last Drop a couple of times so I could see the better of the two endings for Yuri. I honestly stopped caring about Ren halfway through. Miu's ending was absolutely lovely. I didn't have the heart to see the bad alternate. Overall, a solid entry in the series. It's not my favorite - that honor still goes to The Tormented. But, I'd say the wait for a proper physical release was worth it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on October 07, 2022, 07:59:54 pm
56. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2

I had a good time with this game until the final boss. As soon as the final boss started doing things tantamount to Mega Man X4's final boss, it sealed the deal. Of all the Inti games this is my favorite. Little things like that are enough to win me over. Overall, a really fun game and one I'm excited to replay often.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 07, 2022, 11:19:54 pm
45. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS4)

I was one of those people that was all aboard the Skyrim hype train before it came out in 2011. I remember distinctly preordering it, and going to pick it up from an independent game store near where I lived at the time on 11/11/11. This was followed by my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, fighting over who got to play it on our PS3. I really enjoyed Skyrim when it came out, however I remember it being very buggy and certain missions just outright wouldn't work due to said bugs. Still, I really enjoyed it, did mostly a ton of side quests, and logged probably 60+ hours on it. However, I never actually beat Skyrim, meaning I never finished the main quest of the game. I wanted to finally change that so I went back and not only completed the main quest in the game, but also a good 30 or 40 side questlines.


Skyrim is an amazing game! It's fantasy world is breathtaking, it's gameplay is very good and a massive improvement over previous ES games, and most of all it does the open world thing so well that many other open world RPGs definitely used it as a template for their games. Still, despite my glowing praise of the game it still is not without its flaws, the biggest one being the main story quest line. It certainly starts out strong, however the longer it goes on, the more it just comes off as generic fantasy with few characters, scenarios, or interesting plot elements to keep you engaged and inspired. It just felt like i was being told, "go there", "talk to that guy", "get that item", "return that other item" and it just felt like running errands that got real old, real fast. I still thought it was pretty cool at times, but overall I enjoyed exploring Skyrim, doing side quests and guild missions, and just discovering interesting stuff while off the beaten path. That's where this games real value lies, which is a shame since the main story is where it should be. And while I did enjoy my time playing Skyrim 90% of the time, towards the end I kind of was ready to stop playing. I'm not exactly sure why that is, other than maybe me not wanting to continue the main story quests. But regardless, Skyrim is an amazing WRPG and I can only hope whenever ES6 finally does come out it lives up to how cool Skyrim is. (10/7/22) [39/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 09, 2022, 08:20:36 pm
Today was a chill 90s Capcom arcade game sort of day ;)


46. Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire (PS4)

Capcom was really on top of the world during the 90s. Obviously Street Fighter 2, Mega Man X, and various other big name titles come to mind, but some of my absolutely favorite games they ever made were developed on the CPS2 Arcade platform. It's almost as if a bad game doesn't exist on the CPS2, and Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire is certainly one of the amazing games to come from that platform. The soundtrack and sound effects are excellent, the hand drawn sprites and stages are gorgeous, and the gameplay is fast, fun, and tight like most of Capcom fighting games of the time. It utilizes a regeneration system that really makes you wight risk and reward when fighting your opponent. However, while this game is pretty damn fun and Capcom's mark of quality is all over this one, it's still not as good as many of Capcom's other fighting games from this time period. Still, I played it mostly as part of getting into the halloween spirit seeing how this is a horror themed fighting game. I absolutely recommend this game to any fan of 90s Capcom fighters. (10/9/22) [36/50]

47. Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo (PS4)

This game follows an interesting concept where it takes a mostly traditional gem/block based puzzle game like Puyo Puyo or Tetris, and combines it with Street Fighter characters duking it out in the background depending on how good or bad you're performing with keeping your side of the screen clear. It pretty much plays like the aforementioned puzzle games, except you need to get these special shining orb gems to eliminate a specific color of gem. And whenever you clear gems from you side of the screen it then proceeds to dump tons of numbered blocks on your opponents side that you have to clear by making contact with those blocks a certain amount of times or completing combos. While this game is pretty fun, I still prefer many other block/gem based puzzle games like it, mostly because they just seem to play better and the rules around clearing blocks is a bit more intuitive. Otherwise, the sound, visuals, and over presentation is the same top notch quality that most other Capcom fighters were known for during this time. (10/9/22) [34/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on October 10, 2022, 08:50:42 am
Game 13 - Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (Switch) - 25 Hours

Bug Fables was a really interesting and fun experience. Having played a couple Paper Mario games in the past (TYD and Color Splash) and seeing their noticeable decline in quality, I was very curious to see what Bug Fables would provide given that it intentionally apes an older school style of Paper Mario. And that's certainly the case here. Much of what made Paper Mario good is also what makes Bug Fables good. The combat, level up system, cooking system, badges, and puzzle solving platforming gameplay all feel straight out of the older Paper Mario games, and it's very entertaining. One of the additions to this game that I liked was a party swap system that allows the character up front to deal the most damage but also be targeted more. I also felt like this game relies a lot more heavily on puzzle solving and makes constant use of all three character's unique abilities. The character design was visually very striking and unique, and the environments were colorful, vibrant, and had a lot of variety. There were also a lot of side-quests, and what I thought was perfect difficulty. Lastly, the music is fantastic. It felt very inspired from other well-loved RPGs, like FF7, Undertale, Earthbound, Pokémon, and classic Paper Mario. Really great stuff.

There were a couple things that I thought could have been better. For all the "play-it-safe" design philosophies of modern Paper Mario games, one thing the series still retains is incredibly funny, tight writing and irreverent, sometimes slightly dark dialogue. In contrast, Bug Fables isn't very well written, and is played extremely straight with the dialogue and overall story, almost to a childish and simplistic nature. There is a lot of lore to uncover along the way that gives greater context to Bugaria, absolutely. But the main storyline felt a little flat without a lot of surprises or depth. Another nitpick that I had was that some of the special moves were very difficult to pull off correctly, and as such a lot of them I left unused during the course of my playthrough.

In summary, while Bug Fables doesn't do a whole lot that's flashy or new, it dials into a lot of already great ideas, and was very enjoyable to play. One thing that I need to do now is go through the remaining Paper Mario games that I haven't played yet (namely the first one and Super Paper Mario, both of which I own).

Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on October 13, 2022, 10:10:58 am
37. Arcana Heart 3 Love Max!!!!!
Fighting game, beat on easy but took me a few characters to get the good ending. Still don't have an arcade stick, so made do with the controller. Some of the characters are non-standard fighters and their moves are really weird. Game has a ton of unlockable artworks and things. The "extra" modes are just story book. Not really too exciting to me, at least the music is cool. It is in Japanese but with Englsh text.

38. Deep Dungeons of Doom
It is a neat concept but in the end, the inventory system is what got me down. You can only hold 1 item and you have a chest you can put items into. The issue is that you can't take something with you and also keep it. The game starts off "easy" or "easy enough" but you will hit the skill wall quite fast. I think that technically you can get through the entire game with a vanilla character since the controls are easy. The patterns and timings change as things go on. I think what is intended here is that you are supposed to grind the different dungeons until you get all the gear before moving to the next. And let the character level ups handle things before you get an item. It is not fun enough for me to continue forward.

39. Apocryph
There are bad reviews for this game but it isn't really bad. I did not try pixel mode. Also the reviews say there are three levels but there is maybe more like seven or eight. It has a Heretic/Hexen type vibe but is not as annoying as those games. There is no map that I'm aware of. The encounter music is not really annoying as I thought it would be.

There were only two issues I found. The difficulty curve is one. Even on the easiest, you can make it through without any issues until you get to the giant boss half-way through the game. It is not impossible to beat but like many other games, the boss will spawn other monsters. The issue here is that these other monsters are not pushovers. They are fast and take 3-4 hits to kill and it spawns 2 of them at once. So what happens is not only you have to avoid the boss AOE attacks but you spend all your time fighting the monsters. What happened to me is I ran out of ammo and died.

There is an issue with how the game was programmed when dealing with the Options. If you set your options just once, it is fine. But if you go into them again later, you have to re-set (or verify) all the options you did before in addition to the new ones you are changing. This doesn't effect controls but does effect sound and graphics settings, even if you are changing controls. When you go into options, it will reset those sections, so for me it changes the music volume slider and enabled motion blur and v-sync. When I changed my controls for weapon switch, it turned those back on. You can see this behaviour in the reviews for people who complain that the music is super loud all of a sudden, but this is likely the reason for it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 13, 2022, 08:53:23 pm
48. Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (PS3)

Tekken 5 DR is more or less vanilla Tekken 5 with a lot more character balancing, more stages and remixed stages, and remixed songs from the original game. Visually, Tekken 5 DR looks better than the original, which makes sense since its on more advanced hardware, however the fact that it is mostly negligible is a testimony to how good Tekken 5 looked on the PS2. Where I didn't enjoy Tekken 5 DR as much as the original were the lack of modes and unlockables. However, if you were wondering which version you'd want to play for competitively then DR is still the way to go. I'd definitely recommend getting this game off PSN on the PS3 before it's gone. (10/13/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 13, 2022, 11:30:46 pm
49. Tekken 6 (PS3)

Prior to today I've never played Tekken 6, and while not as controversial as Tekken 4, it seems like 6 has a lot of split opinions with some people loving it and others hating it. I definitely fall somewhere in between. The gameplay (mostly) and audio are top notch like most other Tekken titles, however I found the visuals to be a bit underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, Tekken 6 looks great, however Tekken 5, which was released on the PS2, looks almost as good as 6 despite being on older hardware. With that said, the stages are definitely the most polished and noteworthy visual elements to this game. And while the gameplay for most characters is smooth, fun, and mostly balanced, there are some really cheap ass bosses in this game, as well as a lack of cool modes and unlockables compared to previous Tekken games, especially 5 which was packed with extras. Overall I definitely had fun with 6, but I wasn't obsessively playing like I did with 5 or Tag Tournament. I'd definitely recommend this one though, it's an excellent fighting game overall. (10/13/22) [35/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 15, 2022, 12:25:31 pm
50. Tekken 7 (PS4)

So yeah, I'm on a Tekken kick (again!) right now lol


Tekken 7 is another excellent installment in the franchise, however compared to the other Tekken games its a tad disappointing. The gameplay bar has been set so high since Tekken 3, and Tekken 7 certainly reaches that bar, no problems there. However visually this game wasn't as impressive as some of the other games when they first came out on their respective platforms. The audio in Tekken, particularly the music is also slightly below average compared to how its been in most other Tekken games. Beyond the modes that many modern Tekken games have been known for, Tekken 7 has a fairly robust story mode, however the plot of this game isn't the most interesting, but it is appreciated that it's there at all and fairly well done from a technical standpoint. There are also a butt load of unlockables in this game which is a breath of fresh air since there are 15 characters locked behind paid DLC. Unfortunately many of these unlockables, save a few, aren't the most exciting, mainly the character accessories that you can use to customize the appearance of the games characters. Some people might see more value in this, but it didn't do anything for me personally. Tekken 7 is definitely worth playing and as the most modern Tekken game would be a great way for someone to jump into the franchise. It's just too bad that there are several other Tekken games that are way better. (10/15/22) [34/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 17, 2022, 12:21:59 am
51. Resident Evil 3 (PS4)

Being halfway through October it was about time I picked up another horror/spooky themed game again. I've wanted to try out the remake of Resident Evil 3 ever since it came out, but like most the of the games I buy, it went into the backlog and there its been for the past 2-years. Still, it was worth the wait for the most part.


The RE Engine looks incredible regardless of what game is using it and this was no exception. Like RE2 Remake I loved how it was faithful to the original, but also felt like a very different game at the same time, beyond just the gameplay. The third person shooting worked great, however I feel like certain areas and enemies didn't compliment the controls very well and created some pretty frustrating parts. There are also a few enemies that are particularly annoying, mainly a few of the new additions to the game. Also, this game was unfortunately light on puzzles that made the original so cool. And of course there is the criticism about this game being too short. While I agree with this to an extent, the original wasn't super long either and in that regard it felt appropriate. The voice actors are great as is the music which compliments the horror theme pretty well. To this games credit I also found Nemesis to be far less annoying than in the original, probably because he isn't chasing you through most of the game like in the original. Compared to RE2 remake, RE3 remake isn't as good, but honestly it wasn't far off. I will however say that I did like RE3 remake more than the original, which is also an awesome game. This definitely gets me hyped for RE4 Remake given how the other remakes (including the 2002 remake of the first game) have all trumped the originals they are based on, at least imo. (10/16/22) [38/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 17, 2022, 11:35:31 pm
AANNNNNNNND 52 games down with 2 months to spare!


This was certainly one of the least consistent years I've had when it comes to gaming; I'd be busy as hell for a month or two and then make up for lost time for binging games for a month or so. At times I was wondering if I'd be able to hit 52, but obviously any concerns I had were unfounded. For the remainder of the year I'm going to try and focus on longer games with some shorter titles mixed in here and there. But anyhow, here's game number 52.


52. Ultra Street Fighter IV (PS3)

I have a lot of great memories involving Street Fighter IV. It was one of the games I played quite a bit when I was starting to get back into gaming after a brief hiatus from in in the mid-2000s. It was also a game that my wife and I used to play a lot when we were still friends and also when we first started dating. So it's a game I have a lot of love for on a personal level. Ultra Street Fighter IV is definitely the best release for SF4 seeing how it includes everything from all the previous versions. It has an insane character roster, very refined gameplay, and definitely captures that Street Fighter magic present in the other titles. My only real gripes about USF4's gameplay are some minor balancing issues and some shallow unlockables that provide little incentive for replaying. Still, the gameplay is good enough that it is rewarding in itself to just want to play more and more. Visually I really dig the art style and the many colorful stages you get to fight in. I also really like most of the character models as well. The OST is a little disappointing compared to many other SF titles, but for what it is, it's not bad at all. The voice acting is what you'd expect as well, although I definitely recommend changing the character voices to Japanese since the English cast isn't great overall. USF4 is definitely not my favorite SF game, in fact there are easily 3 or 4 I like more, but it's still a great game and one I have a personal connection to. (10/17/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: gngtiger on October 22, 2022, 03:06:31 am
12: Jackbox Party Pack 9 (Completed 10/21/22)

I played this game through a Discord server to experience it on its launch day. I've played some of these games before, some of my favorites being Job Job from 8 and Survive the Internet from 4. We (6-8 of us) played through each minigame over the span of 2 1/2 hours and here's my ranking from worst to best:

Roomerang: Unfortunately didn't get to try this one, but it looked kind of interesting, I suppose.
Junktopia: The pricing system's a bit hard to get used to, but giving a presentation on your item is really fun.
Nonsensory: I don't think anybody took applying the percentage of the prompts to their answers, but who really takes Jackbox seriously? An all-around good time.
Quixort: Spent most of it yelling at each other to sort the blocks to what we thought was correct, but that was part of the fun.
Fibbage 4: Haven't played the other Fibbage's, and I'm surprised this one came out on top, but I loved it. It reminded me a lot of the  Balderdash board game.

I'm not sure if this counts or not, but I'm kind of desperate for games. I haven't really had much time to play following both school starting back up and working for a part-time job. My new goal is just to finish Rayman 2 by the end of the year. I have also reached the point where I need to stop buying games because my backlog is almost getting untameable.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on October 22, 2022, 11:46:52 am
57. Valkyrie Elysium

Two endings down, both of which showed the credits. I'll be playing more as I go for the platinum, but all in all this was a fun game. It doesn't fit the profile of the normal Valkyrie games I know and love but it's still enjoyable. I'd sooner recommend it to action game fans than Valkyrie Profile fans.

Update: platinum trophy acquired!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 22, 2022, 10:14:22 pm
53. Twisted Metal Black (PS2)

There are certain games and game genres that I feel for whatever reason have grown out of over the years. Some make sense, while others leave me confused as to what happened to make me enjoy them less than I used to. One of those genres is the car combat genre which seemed fairly popular in the late 90s and early 2000s. Even more unfortunate is I remember being fairly hyped about Twisted Metal Black prior to its release. When it did come out I remember renting it and really enjoyig playing through each of the weird character's story mode, unlocking the endings for each one, which seemed more "twisted" than the last. However, one thing I don't remember as well is the gameplay, which I wonder if I just tolerated it just to progress through the character stories since it's fairly crap overall. The game doesn't give you much ability to defend yourself against you enemies and also is a fan of placing you in pretty large levels with a lot of nothing going on in certain sections of the map. I found that without decreasing the difficulty I was getting pot shots on me almost constantly and was typically one of the first to die as a result. I tried finding ways to survive longer, but I simply could not devise a strategy of doing so. i quickly found myself growing bored and frustrated with Twisted Metal Black, until I pretty much just wanted it to be over with. I beat the game as Sweet Tooth and that was all i could muster. As I mentioned, the cutscenes, voice acting, and interesting story twists are pretty good, but that's pretty much where my praise of the game ends. This is one that I do not understand why it was so beloved back in the day and question whatever I saw in it back in the day. (10/22/22) [27/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on October 25, 2022, 09:54:27 am
Game 14 - Resident Evil Zero (GC) - 16 Hours

I enjoyed my time playing this game quite a bit. I wouldn't say it's the scariest game out there, but it definitely has some tense moments, and captures the action, creepiness, and atmosphere that I really enjoy about these games. The fact that it's built from the same engine as the Resident Evil GameCube Remake is a bonus, as I loved that game's look and feel. The graphics, music, and sound design are also spot-on, and helps sell the experience for me. The difficulty (I played on Normal) was perfect. I liked that the story is a prequel to the events of the original game. I'm no expert on Resident Evil, but I was able to follow along with the story pretty well and I liked the additional lore it adds to the overall plot of the series. There's a lot of background detail in notes and logs that helps tell the story without overtly telling you what happens, and it was fun to uncover.

The unique gameplay mechanic is the use of two characters simultaneously, each of whom have their own strengths and weaknesses. It wasn't as bad as I was hearing about online. Yeah, it's not the most deep of mechanics, and your AI-controlled character doesn't have enough self-preservation to not run into monsters and take a lot of damage if you aren't careful. But it was a fun way to spice up the exploration and puzzles in a way that wasn't too overbearing on the pacing and overall feel of the game. I kind of which it was a true 2-person co-op experience like RE5 though, I think that would have been interesting. Some other gameplay issues come from aiming weapons, particularly the Molotov cocktails and the grenade launcher.

My largest criticism of this game (and RE1 had the same problem) is the limited inventory. Unlike RE1 however, you don't have a nice chest to store everything in; rather, you instead just leave items scattered all over the floor in a hilariously clumsy mess. My issue is that this limitation doesn't make the game more scary or strategic, it just adds a lot of tedium because you're constantly doing cumbersome item management between characters or running back to previous areas to ferry items or grab whatever weapon or key item you need for a boss or puzzle. The only time it really works is when you're exploring a new area from a safe location, because you can't take all of your weapons with you. However, what mostly ends up happening is you die or just reset the game anyway once you know what you need to do.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on October 25, 2022, 01:27:58 pm
26. The Last of Us Part I (PS5) 10/23/22

Its Last of Us... but it looks even better. lol
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 27, 2022, 08:48:28 pm
54. Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (PS4)

I have been dying to play this since it came out this past summer, but I decided to hold out for the promised physical release. I finally got my copy and this game did not disappoint at all! While not a perfect, game it is so good that I was in a nostalgic trance the entire time I was playing this game. They absolutely nailed the look of classic TMNT without missing a beat. The colors, the levels, the characters, everything was spot on. Shredder's Revenge almost felt like some long lost sequel to Turtles in Time we were supposed to have got in arcades back in 1995 or 1996, but honestly it's still far better than anything we probably could have got even back then. My only complaints with this game, and I'm sort of reaching here, are while I appreciate the developer getting most of the classic TMNT voice cast back, nearly 40-years of aging has changed all their voices considerably and they don't sound like they did back in the late 80s and early 90s. Likewise certain voices like Shredder's just sounded way different, which I understand that the original voice actor passed away, but they could have at least tried harder to find someone that sounded more like him. My other compliant has to do with the gameplay, which being a beat em up it still suffers a bit from the repetitiveness that the genre is known for and all its games suffer from. However, TMNT is unquestionably the most deep, engaging beat em' up I've ever played and because of this, as well as a respectable roster of enemies and bosses, never made the game feel overly stale or outright boring. Quite honestly, I had really high expectations going into Shredder's Revenge, but they were somehow exceeded. This is one of the best games I've played all year and I am still floored by how authentic this game is at capturing the look and feel of the 1987 cartoon to near perfection. (10/27/22) [43/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 28, 2022, 03:56:05 am
55. Dusk (PC)

Somehow I ended up playing two modern retro throwback titles (TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and this) at the same time, and would you know it, they're both among the best games I've played all year. Dusk is pretty much every great 90s FPS rolled up into one game, however I'd say it's primarily a mix of Quake, Blood, Redneck Rampage, and Halflife, with the graphics and art direction taking a lot of influence from the first game mentioned. Visually this game feels very authentic to the time period it's attempting to emulating, and thanks to modern graphics engines, it can do things that were never visually possible in games like Quake or Unreal. The art direction, bosses, enemies, levels, and pretty much everything is fresh and never outstays its welcome (mostly). For an independent game the audio is also pretty impressive. There is a very diverse set of music in the game that like everything else pays tribute to the games that inspired Dusk; awesome metal tracks will often play when you're in an arena like level with a ton of enemies, meanwhile creepy ambient noises will play in narrow dark hallways. And then finally, the gameplay is excellent, old school projectile based combat which fortunately no hitscanning enemies are present in Dusk. My only real gripes with the gameplay have to do with certain stages being more annoying than fun, as well as poor balancing and design in certain parts of the game. Otherwise, the weapons and combat feel fast and fun mostly throughout. If you love 90s FPS games and want to play a game that not only exceeds what a lot of those titles did, but also feels like an authentic throwback to the good ol' days, definitely give Dusk a shot, it's awesome! (10/28/22) [40/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on October 28, 2022, 04:00:08 am
36 - Resident Evil: Village: Shadows of Rose (PC 2022) - BEAT - I was looking forward to this batch of DLC, but ended up being kinda mixed on it.  I'm a huge fan of Resident Evil right now as all the new games have been pretty good, with only a few lower points (Resident Evil 3 Remake, the batch of crappy multiplayer modes), so I was hoping Shadows of Rose would do a decent job of tying things up for this arc of RE7/8, but eh... it's fairly weak.  I was expecting some rehash of stuff from Village, but I was hoping it was done in a way to show more backstory or different views of what happened in Village, but without spoiling too much, it really doesn't.  It's much more self-contained.  I didn't find it terrible, just kinda alright. 

Combine that with some just bonus Mercenaries stuff and third person mode, and it's not exactly something I'd recommend for the price tag of 20 bucks at all or even to big fans of RE.  If third person and the Mercenaries stuff sounds cool, then just give it a few months, grab it on a half off sale.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 29, 2022, 01:09:29 pm
Burning Rangers (Saturn) - ABANDONED


One of the most disheartening things I've discovered over the years of being a collector is the ability of nostalgia and collectorism to bolster mediocre or even bad games into some sort of long lost masterpiece status that is completely undeserved. I've noticed this is particularly bad on the Saturn, which is a console I absolutely love, but it hands down has some of the most overhyped and overrated trophy games I've ever played. It also has a decent amount of outstanding games too that didn't necessarily sell a ton of copies either. However, Burning Rangers is not one of those hidden gems it's made out to be, in fact, it's pretty bad. The controls are clunky and difficult to use, the gameplay is mostly flat and boring, the in game audio isn't great, and just overall this is a very forgettable title when looking at the game's merits and not it's status as some collectors trophy that goes for hundreds of dollars. I'm happy I was able to play this game on a MODE because had I actually dropped $500+ on a physical copy and realized how bad it is I'd be fairly pissed right now. I made it through the first two missions, but after that I just didn't want to play anymore, which is saying something since this is a fairly short game. Throw Burning Rangers into the bin of overhyped, overrated collector nostalgia goggle games because outside a piece of rare shelf candy it's definitely not worth playing. (10/29/22)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on October 29, 2022, 03:29:27 pm
56. Final Fight Revenge (Saturn)

It's always interesting to see retro games that got their start as 2D, sprite based games make the leap to 3D, which is what happened to many franchises in the 90s. It's even more interesting when they're made into another genre. That's Final Fight Revenge which is a 3D fighting game string various well known characters from the franchise. Overall, Final Fight Revenge is decently entertaining, mostly because of how over the top and ridiculous it is at time, however for this most part this is not a good game. The controls are serviceable and it's relatively easy to pull off the game's supers, but between your opponent blocking 85% of the time and the pretty shallow gameplay, this game is little more than a mindless button masher. The audio is also pretty mediocre with no real noteworthy tracks and also each character's voice acting not being of the highest caliber. And then visually this game is decent for a late 90s 3D game on the 5th gen, but it still looks pretty terrible by modern standards. The 2D backgrounds, while kind of cool, also look very murky and ugly, save a few stages. This game is worth a one time play through if you're ever able to find this game somewhere, although I could not recommend anyone actually buy this game, at least for what it sells for online. (10/29/22) [27/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on October 29, 2022, 08:20:19 pm
37 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS5 2022) - BEAT - It's been abit since I was kinda hyped for a Call of Duty game.  I played MW2019 and it was better than usual for CoD, but on PC it ran pretty poorly, not because of the game being to high end, it was just really poorly optimized.  So with this coming around and owning a PS5, and realizing I can hook up a keyboard and mouse to my PS5, it seemed like a good idea to just play it there.  And it was! Looks and runs great.

I beat the campaign and it was fine.  It's your standard CoD experience, if you've played a CoD game, you've played this one.  Terrorists are bad and we gotta stop them.  If CoD campaigns don't interest you, this will not change your mind.  Multiplayer was the bigger draw this time as they are introducing better bigger mode stuff, so Ground War is on the verge of being Battlefield (The series I prefer) and while it'll never be Battlefield, it's a lot more enjoyable to play than Battlefield is right now.  They adjusted the movement and such so it's a lot less fast paced, tad more hardcore, like it's still very much CoD, but CoD is fine when not playing on small ass maps with less than like 10 to 20 people.  Hoping Warzone 2.0 is better also as that'll be releasing in 2 weeks.

I would say to hold off on the game for the moment, it's pretty buggy from the looks of it, I had a good 4 or 5 game crashes on console over the campaign and just now on multiplayer, I had a really annoying bug in one mission that wouldn't let me interact with anything so I couldn't progress and I had to troubleshoot stuff to make it work work (Somehow crafting in the one stealth mission was getting stuck I think).  It is a decent game though.  Feels weird to be interested in CoD while Battlefield 2042 languishes over there for another year or so at least.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on October 31, 2022, 02:01:23 pm
10. Yakuza 3 Remastered || PlayStation 4 || 07.30.22

Wanting to space out my time with the franchise, I waited about 6 months after finishing the previous entries before finally starting Yakuza 3 Remastered. I spent a lot of time playing the game after finishing the main story in the hopes of accomplishing everything I wanted to do, which explains the large time discrepancy between when I actually completed the game by reaching end credits and the time of posting my thoughts.

Featuring series protagonist Kiryu Kazuma, the story follows Kiryu's life as he begins to live a newfound life outside of the yakuza as he manages an orphanage at the beaches of Okinawa. However, with about 18 months nearly fully disconnected from the yakuza, Kiryu again becomes pulled into the yakuza life, which results in his finding a balance of sorts in living a yakuza and a non-yakuza life. Despite Kiryu having made further steps away from yakuza life as a leading figure of the Tojo clan, the inner conflict within the group continues to find ways in pulling Kiryu back into the action due to both direct involvement and his obligations to friends.

As the third entry in the series, fans should be familiar with what to expect. Following the same action-adventure gameplay formula as its predecessors, Yakuza 3 Remastered focuses on beating up any enemy that stands in the way of Kiryu's friends and family while taking a drama-filled approach with its cinematic story scenes.

Largely, the gameplay is the same as before, but I will comment on the weaknesses I believe it has. To me, fights felt lackluster in nature—they did not captivate the same energy as I Kiwami 2 had. Kiwami 2 released at a later time, so perhaps the reason lies there, but it is something to point out. A difference with 3 Remastered lies in enemy fight patterns emphasizing on skillful blocking, which led to longer fights. It didn't seem to matter whether weapons were used to overcome enemy stances, but the solution lied more in timing attack chains. Environmental battle items weren't that effective, and I did not seek out the game's weapon modding capabilities until post-game due to in-game funds. Modded weapons were clearly more effective, but I saw little use for them by the time they were acquired.

While the fights themselves felt more drawn out in a negative way, the presentation of fights and enemies in general felt pleasantly ridiculous. Unlike Kiwami 2 where enemies casually stroll about the city in a natural manner, 3 Remastered's enemies instead maintain a fixed position and wait for someone (always Kiryu) to mug. After fights, enemies look absolutely brutalized—blood-stained appearance, black eyes, cut lips, and tattered clothes—all while Kiryu's fists are completely bloodied. Truthfully, it is over-the-top to some degree, but it was always a touch of humor to enjoy.

However, the game's pacing was definitely something I felt was more unsuccessful than not. As a story-heavy game, a lot of the narrative takes form through cutscenes. The cutscenes are enjoyable, but there is an imbalance between narrative and gameplay. With Kiwami 2, there was a good division between action taking place and watching the narrative unfold. But with 3 Remastered, that ratio of back-and-forth was largely gone, with cutscenes having felt quite lengthy with multiple being strung together at once while gameplay opportunities seemed minimal. Only when the player actively seeks out non-story related content does more action become available.

Offering a surplus of mini-games and overall world-building elements, the non-story related content was pleasing, mostly. This extra content is the entire reason why I casually spent two more months playing. Wanting to check off everything from the in-game achievement and to-do lists, I mostly accomplished that goal. However, some minigames are infamously broken, such as billiards. I spent roughly 10 hours with expert rotational pool alone, and I never was able to clear it. I came close to winning a few times, but it never did seem like it was earned but instead based on luck. Other than billiards, the only other content I left unfinished was the post-game Ultimate Match mode. I cleared through some, but I didn't feel as compelled to complete its entirety. With all that said, I continue to enjoy playing riichi mahjong within Yakuza games alongside a new appreciation for koi-koi.

Overall, the Yakuza franchise continues to be an enjoyable experience. I'm greatly looking forward to playing Yakuza 4 Remastered.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on November 02, 2022, 03:18:09 am
35 - Grounded (PC 2022) - BEAT - Gotta say, this is probably my favorite survival crafting game I've played.  Before this, it was Subnautica, a really solid scifi underwater experience, but to me this games just has a whole lot to explore, do, and accomplish, all with a very decent story and really great 80's throwback setting.  I have very little to complain about, mostly just nitpicking with some performance issues it has (Certain textures and effects will tank the framerate like 80% until you move away or get rid of them, and some of the final boss/fight stuff wasn't my favorite stuff, I wasn't in love with them, but I didn't hate them.  I really hope this gets a sequel, or an expansion of some sort could work that has you doing stuff inside the house, or just do a sequel in all new setting with all sorts of new stuff, it's ripe for building off what they have here and I'd be 100% on board.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on November 02, 2022, 09:01:16 pm
11. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition || Xbox || 10.01.22

Having been mildly interested in The Elder Scrolls franchise for years, I before did not want to undertake a RPG with a scope of its size. Nevertheless, after a long time, I finally decided to try the series from somewhere, and I began with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

With the little I know about The Elder Scrolls franchise, Morrowind seems to begin just as other games (at least its successors) in that the player-character is declared the world's hero related to their heritage who must stop some force of evil. The plot isn't original by any means, but the world crafted around telling the story through story progression and simple exploration is exemplary. NPCs recall historical events or relay oral stories passed throughout time, and the information remains consistent across all corners of the game's world. Additionally, written materials further develop any history, which can be impressively depth. I opted to read little of such written material, as my long playthrough would have otherwise been much more so.

I learned that, in addition to the game's natural story, over 400 sidequests are available for the player to discover and accomplish. Morrowind provides a decent amount of player independence, but I think that my impression of this aspect is marred by time. Compared to modern games, there was not a lot of player guidance for the player to rely on, if needed, which can be a positive aspect to some, and negative for others. The player will be instructed to reach a destination or to fulfill a task, and the goal seems fairly straightforward. However, not all quest details can be fully recounted when trying to revisit information, which is an aspect I grew to dislike more and more. On the other hand, there are many instances where the player is given perfect directions for how to reach their goal. There may not be way markers or compass system, but such detailed instruction only requires either remembering or documenting. It is difficult to say whether the player is given more independence or dependence, but there is some balance of both.

Throughout the main quest, dozens of dungeons exist for the player to discover. Some were certainly personalized, but many also felt trivial and cut-and-paste. Originally, I wanted to actually explore all throughout the game's world and finish each of these areas, but that goal felt less and less important as the story was reaching its end. Truthfully, exploration is not that enjoyable, as there almost always seems to be flying enemies named Cliff Racers in the vicinity to target the player from overhead. They are easily the most annoying enemy in the game and even probably the most annoying in any open-world game I've played. Even disregarding that aspect, the Xbox port does not offer a mini-map, which results in the player frequently pausing to open the menu map.

With 20 years of UX design in mind, obviously Morrowind has aged poorly but is something to expect. Still, the one aspect I would have loved to have been given better attention to is the player's Journal. The Journal keeps track of every game event, big or small. However, even in spite of its keyword tag system, it is very easy to lose track of what the player experiences simply due to the sheer amount of events happening. I resorted to taking photos or writing notes of my own, such as which page of the Journal an active quest was last updated, to help counteract the problem. Similarly, inventory management was another issue I'll briefly mention. There is a tab system that separates types of items, but it felt more of a hassle to utilize than not. In the spell menu, the player's dozens (hundreds, possibly) of spells, enchanted items, and magic scrolls are listed, but only one of these can be active at a time. There is a out-of-menu shortcut to cycle through these items, but it is not ideal and easy to cycle through what you're actually wanting to use.

Another major negative aspect lies in the game's combat. For a long time throughout the beginning hours, many of my attacks would not connect. In this regard, combat feels very one-sided against the player. Something else to mention is the game's use of magic. Magic attacks do not indicate to the player when the attack is successful in addition to not indicating how much damage has been inflicted. For these reasons, I almost never performed offensive magic. Early on, the game's fatigue system also makes early-game combat difficult, but it is an afterthought later on. Unfortunately, the fatigue meter depletes extremely quickly while replenishing slowly. Fatigue dictates every player action: attacks, spells, lockpicking, sneaking, bartering, persuasion—everything.

With this in mind, the endgame was incredibly anticlimactic. At the time of when I actually made my way to defeat the end boss, my character's stats were nearly maxed. While equipped with a good weapon, I was able to defeat the end boss in only two attacks. At first, I wasn't sure if they had teleported elsewhere or the game had glitched, but it turned out to be that they were really just a pushover. The biggest issue regarding this aspect relates in how combat can be when encountering average field enemies. There were many times even in the final hours of my playthrough did a simple rat enemy require three attacks to kill with an average weapon. Such damage discrepancy is an issue which I believe works negatively toward maintaining a sense of player immersion.

Apart from my opinion on Morrowind's design choices, the game also has a fair share of glitches. None of these aspects were too terrible, although I did experience maybe 4 or 5 crashes. Other lesser glitches include audio issues that may occur as it's raining and NPC movement. At some point throughout my time playing, a boat guide I regularly frequented had died after falling in the water somehow, which forced me to utilize quick travel means elsewhere. It is also very common for NPCs to block doorways which usually requires jumping over them to hopefully pass them.

Games like Morrowind which are massive and are known to have set industry milestones during its release are prone to being outdated years later. Still, it maintains the high expectations that fans loved then and continue to love all this time later. With that said, I enjoyed my playthrough. I certainly have more negative remarks to report than positive ones, but that shouldn't sway anyone to believe I didn't enjoy my time playing. Morrowind is a great game, and it was a fantastic introduction to the series. I am interested in continuing forward with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but I would like to wait a considerable amount of time before doing so.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on November 06, 2022, 04:51:13 pm
We had a pub crawl in Indianapolis, IN and the first bar was a "barcade". I was able to replay some classics despite the expected jank from the alcohol soaked buttons/joysticks.

58. Street Fighter II - Ken

I'm glad everything was on on free play. This game's difficulty was either cranked up to the max, I'm just that bad at fighting games, or a combination of the two.

59. Bad Dudes

Time has not been kind to this game. The highlight was the "I'm bad!" shout at the end of a level.

60. Shinobi

This game, however, has aged quite well. It was difficult but fun. It's actually the first time I ever played this, despite seeing it all over various restaurants or hotels when I was a kid.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on November 06, 2022, 04:52:56 pm
61. Kirby Squeak Squad

This is kind of an unsung hero of the Kirby universe. There's a lot of neat stuff here. The game is easy as heck, but it's still super fun and super adorable. I was able to get 100% in only a few hours. A nice palette cleanser.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on November 06, 2022, 05:02:21 pm
62. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

I kept hearing how this was one of the best, if not the best, entry in the Dragon Quest series. I liked it. Didn't love it. The writing was even more campy and silly than others. It felt like the game never took things seriously despite how dark and depressing things got for our hero. Speaking of, this hero had to go THROUGH IT. I'm so glad that he got a happy ending. I'm also glad that the monster recruitment wasn't as vital as I thought it'd be since I barely got any of them recruited. Luckily, the ones I got more than pulled their weight.

With this game finished, I have finally finished all of the numbered games in the series except for X. My favorite is still IV, but I can understand why V is held in such high regard.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on November 07, 2022, 07:53:06 am
63. Bloody Roar 3 - Jenny

One of the game I picked up while hanging with Telly was Bloody Roar 3. Similar to how I feel about Samurai Shodown, I feel that Bloody Roar is one of those lesser talked about series. I prefer 2D to 3D, but I can appreciate good 3D action when it's done right. I'm not sure if that's the case here. But, I did have fun and will probably play through it again with a few more characters just to see if I can learn it more, and to see if it's worth picking up the rest of the games in the series. I really enjoyed the first and fourth games.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on November 07, 2022, 12:30:01 pm
We had a pub crawl in Indianapolis, IN and the first bar was a "barcade". I was able to replay some classics despite the expected jank from the alcohol soaked buttons/joysticks.

58. Street Fighter II - Ken

I'm glad everything was on on free play. This game's difficulty was either cranked up to the max, I'm just that bad at fighting games, or a combination of the two.

59. Bad Dudes

Time has not been kind to this game. The highlight was the "I'm bad!" shout at the end of a level.

60. Shinobi

This game, however, has aged quite well. It was difficult but fun. It's actually the first time I ever played this, despite seeing it all over various restaurants or hotels when I was a kid.

Which gaming bar did you go to? I live near Indy and I pass by one called 16-Bit on my way home from work. I’ve been meaning to check it out (that Q*Bert arcade machine in the doorway beckons) but I haven’t had the time yet.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on November 08, 2022, 10:07:37 am
I was under the impression that we don't count arcade games in this thread! :p (or browser games)
If we did count arcade games, then I would be over 100 every year by February instead of just games we actually own in one way or another.

For my entry, I'm pretty much done with this for the year because I set myself a new goal. In Diablo III I had already beaten the game and its expansion years ago, so the game is technically in endless phase. But one thing I never did was complete a Seasonal journey, so now I am doing that. I completed Chapter 1 of Season 27 last night and really hope to be able to finish it.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: vivigamer on November 08, 2022, 01:03:35 pm
I did it! ;D

52. Blair Witch (PS4 on PS5) 07/11/2022
I was curious to play this after the news of Bloober Team workign on the Silent Hill 2 Remake. The games setting is very well realised, the texture detail of the woodlands is very rich. The game itself was ok, I liked the PTSD themes with Ellis but I found the last act overstayed its welcome and the Bad Ending is pretty much default - To get the Good Ending you really have to go out of your way and not kill anything. The mechanics with the Dog worked really well apart from one section in the fog where he was fixated on an enemy and I needed him to search the areas to progress but overall a decent experience.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: justin8301 on November 08, 2022, 03:02:21 pm
27. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) 11/5/22

few minor complaints about the complexity of the combat system, but overall enjoyed this one.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on November 09, 2022, 10:16:39 am
We had a pub crawl in Indianapolis, IN and the first bar was a "barcade". I was able to replay some classics despite the expected jank from the alcohol soaked buttons/joysticks.

58. Street Fighter II - Ken

I'm glad everything was on on free play. This game's difficulty was either cranked up to the max, I'm just that bad at fighting games, or a combination of the two.

59. Bad Dudes

Time has not been kind to this game. The highlight was the "I'm bad!" shout at the end of a level.

60. Shinobi

This game, however, has aged quite well. It was difficult but fun. It's actually the first time I ever played this, despite seeing it all over various restaurants or hotels when I was a kid.

Which gaming bar did you go to? I live near Indy and I pass by one called 16-Bit on my way home from work. I’ve been meaning to check it out (that Q*Bert arcade machine in the doorway beckons) but I haven’t had the time yet.

That's the one!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on November 09, 2022, 10:39:28 am
This is shaping up to be my lowest year yet in terms of games finished. :'( Just very busy with a new job, and some family illness, and a wedding!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 09, 2022, 09:15:33 pm
57. Gauntlet Legends (Dreamcast)

I played Gauntlet legends a fair bit back in the 90s in the arcade, and in was certainly a game I desired to own growing up on home console. While I may have rented it back in the day once, I don't remember playing any of the home console ports of it all that much. I finally got around to playing it on the Dreamcast, probably a good 15+ years since I've last played it period, and well, it's not that great. Back in the 90s when beat em' ups and arcade hack and slashes were more of the rage I can totally understand why I thought this game was pretty fun in the arcade. However sitting at home and continuously hitting the same button over and over again gets pretty boring rather fast. It doesn't help that some of the level design and boss battles are the definition of cheap and annoying, no doubt to extract more quarters out of arcade goers. Visually the game still looks pretty good with its vibrant colors and fun fantasy aesthetic. The audio is decent too. But outside of that this is a game best played in the arcade and not so much at home. Although I feel like this game would maybe be more fun with two or more players, but it still doesn't change how repetitive and poorly designed this game is at its core. (11/9/22) [27/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on November 10, 2022, 01:57:27 am
11 - Chernobylite (PC 2021) - BEAT - As an old STALKER fan, not many games have ever actually been able to kinda fill that gap left by that series.  STALKER 2 will eventually (Delayed for obvious reasons), but there's been good games like the Metro series, a couple games that tried to be STALKER-like, but didn't really pan out, and then we have Chernobylite which I think handles things in a different way, but nails alot of the atmosphere of that.  I think it sorta drags abit with the story, combat is kinda basic, and it lacks variety in the weapons and enemies, but atmosphere is great, the story itself is fine, the light base building and team dynamic is interesting, and the overall package made for a solid enough time.  Nothing amazing, but if you are into STALKER or Metro, this one is probably worth at least checking out.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 11, 2022, 12:16:28 am
58. Jurassic World Evolution 2 (PS5)

I hesitated to get this game for a while despite liking the first one quite a bit. My main hangup was that it just looked too similar to the first game and, well, I was right. It does streamline and improve certain gameplay aspects, especially distributing power to your park, however the task of managing dinosaurs is a lot more cumbersome, but also the dinos are a lot more agreeable for the most part. Also, I know quite a few new species were added, but at the same time it never felt substantial enough from the original game. There are some other decent modes that this game introduces, but overall it just feels like an expansion for the first game more than a dedicated title. Still, I enjoyed it quite a bit. A lot of the voice cast from the movies reprise their roles in this game, while some do not, and there really isn't anything special about the OST. I'd say if you're a fan of park sims and dinos give it a try, although I'd recommend getting it for pretty cheap if you can. (11/10/22) [35/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on November 11, 2022, 03:30:03 pm
12. Touhou Gouyoku Ibun: Sunken Fossil World || Nintendo Switch || 10.30.22

For whatever reason, a friend of mine has wanted me to play Touhou spin-off fighting games on multiple occasions despite knowing nothing about the series or having any interest in it. So, I have now played two of these games which now includes Touhou Gouyoku Ibun: Sunken Fossil World.

In the game, there are 6 playable characters each with their own fighting path, motives and actions, and plot. However, as should be assumed, I know nothing about any plot or lore surrounding the Touhou franchise, so I wholly ignored this aspect to the game. To be as brief as possible regarding the game's plot, oil has begun spewing out of the ground onto the world's surface, with playable characters each acting differently in response to it.

When skimming through some of the game's wiki pages, I'm seeing how it is being officially described as a "horizontal side-scrolling bullet hell platformer action game consisting entirely of boss fights." Of course, that is one very specific way to describe the game, but the gameplay can broadly be pinned down as a gimmick 2D fighting game. Lifting elements from the main Touhou franchise, Sunken Fossil World incorporates the series' chief bullet-hell gameplay mechanics and shields. Surviving fights is completely dependent on mastering dodging capabilities, with this game's gimmick being to collect oil which can unleash special attacks one gauge is full. Apart from these elements, the game plays straightforward as anything else from the fighting genre. Although, another thing to note is that each fight has numerous stages to it, as enemies will be temporarily subdued only to quickly resume battle with increasingly complex and threatening movesets.

Sometime last year, I played through Touhou Hyouibana: Antinomy of Common Flowers which is a predecessor to Sunken Fossil World. Aside from the latter's gimmick and player life system operates, gameplay is largely similar between the two. The oil-collecting gimmick of Sunken Fossil World felt like an afterthought, and I did not utilize it at all in most of my time playing aside from a few instances. I tried using it early in my playthrough, but it felt difficult to utilize alongside the game's hyperactive gameplay. Throughout my experience, it felt as if the game's difficulty noticeably lessened as I reached the game's climax which I can't really attribute to my getting used to the controls.

For some reason, I found myself actually playing through and completing each of the 6 playable character's paths. Toward the end, it felt as if I was reaching some understanding with how the game controls, but it is difficult to say since each of the 6 characters control very differently, with one or two being much more difficult to control than one would presume. With several difficulty options, I initially played through Normal mode for my first player path, but I switched to Easy afterward. Unless you are someone greatly enjoying this game who is wanting to master it, there is certainly enough of a challenge offered with the easiest difficulty setting that will still offer fans a fulfilling experience.

There is not that much depth to the game, but there is a lot of challenge. On two separate occasions, the game crashed. One crash was actually during the sixth and final boss fight during its last segment; I actually didn't complete this path completely because of it, since it was late at night and I was ready to move on. Whether I would have actually completed the path, I don't think I would have gained any greater fulfillment from it.

From an outsider's perspective to Touhou and as someone with little fighting game experience, I still felt as if Sunken Fossil World offers a mediocre experience. Unless you are a fan of the franchise, I can't think of any reason to recommend it to someone.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on November 11, 2022, 03:43:10 pm
This is shaping up to be my lowest year yet in terms of games finished. :'(

Going into this year, my goal was to play longer games instead of shorter games. I've definitely maintained that approach with having put in dozens of hours into some games I've played—with two going over 100—but I've been able to complete fewer games than I was still expecting. My focuses have been elsewhere, though, as I've found myself not playing games as often as last year.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 11, 2022, 10:35:17 pm
Attempted two games tonight, actually finished one.


Parappa the Rapper (PS1) - ABANDONED

This is one of those games that I've spent my entire collecting life hearing about how amazing it is. And while I'm not a fan of rap or hip hop, I am a fan of funny, quirky Japanese rhythm games like Project Diva, DDR, and Gitaroo Man. I will also add that this is not my first time trying to get into Parappa; I've probably tried getting into this game at least 4 times over the past 10-years since I first added the game to my collection. However tonight I went into playing Parappa with a determination that I was going to get this game and also get past the first level for the first time. Unfortunately I didn't accomplish either after trying for over an hour. I definitely understand the basic premise of how this game works, however the game does such a poor job at conveying to you whether you're not following the beat that sometimes when I thought I nailed the beat inputs perfectly it said I missed them, while other times I was sure I missed, but to my surprise the game said I got them. I tried and tried to get the hang of Parappa the Rapper, but once again I couldn't do it. I feel like this game is not supposed to be this difficult, but after watching youtube videos and lets plays I just couldn't figure out how to play this game successfully. I've decided that this game is just not for me and will likely sell it at this point. Too bad since it seems like a lot of people really like it and if I could actually figure the game out I'd love to see why for myself. (11/11/22)

59. Rampage World Tour (PS1)

After Parappa I couldn't think of what else I wanted to play, but felt like playing something. I saw my copy of Rampage World Tour and thought, "eh, what the hell." I used to LOVE this game as a kid! I would get so excited when I'd see it in arcades and when I heard it was getting a console port I quickly traded in a ton of my N64 games to my local Software Esc for probably a fraction of what they were worth, and preordered this game. I bought it the day it came out and for the first third of it i was in heaven. However even as a kid who didn't know any better and was far more tolerant of bad games, I still got bored with it before even completing half the levels and by the end of the game I was beyond ready for it to be over. This is still my sentiment, however instead of getting through 30 or so levels and reaching my breaking point with this game, I felt tat way at around 10 levels. For the record Rampage World Tour is not a terrible game, it's actually fairly fun and pretty cathartic just destroying famous cities, eating people, smashing building and military vehicles, and doing it all as a giant 3-story tall Kaiju monster. However this game is about as repetitive as it gets and aside from special landmarks in certain cities and slightly different backgrounds, this is the same game through and through for every single level. The gameplay is fairly good for what this game is despite being pretty simplistic, which is hardly a fault since it's by design. However, this game has probably one of the laziest soundtracks and audio I've ever come across in a semi-modern game. Nearly every level has the same tock music in it, the same sound effects play constantly, and it essentially just becomes white noise you put up with. While I appreciate all the good times I had with this game in the arcade as a kid, I can't say this game is still enjoyable for me to play beyond 10-minutes tops. (11/11/22) [27/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 11, 2022, 10:39:38 pm
This is shaping up to be my lowest year yet in terms of games finished. :'( Just very busy with a new job, and some family illness, and a wedding!


I anticipate this might be me next year. I have a few things going on that I'm already aware of, but also I'm honestly just feeling a bit burned out on video games in general. I play them because it's just sort of what I do in my free time most of the time, but I've found myself wanting to get more into other hobbies and interest too recently. This could very well change by the beginning of next year, but I'm willing to give myself a break if needed and recharge my gamer batteries a little. If that means beating less than 52-games next year then so be it. I've certainly made up for it in many of the previous years I've been doing this.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on November 12, 2022, 11:03:14 am
Parappa the Rapper (PS1) - ABANDONED
I've decided that this game is just not for me and will likely sell it at this point.

PaRappa the Rapper has not aged well but still maintains its charm, which is why I think fans still enjoy the game for what it is. I noticed you also have Um Jammer Lammy as part of your collection too—before writing off the series completely, you may want to try that game too at some point. I find it to be the best of the three games in the series in terms of how gameplay functions, and you may appreciate its shift to rock music rather than hip-hop.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 12, 2022, 12:25:08 pm
Parappa the Rapper (PS1) - ABANDONED
I've decided that this game is just not for me and will likely sell it at this point.

PaRappa the Rapper has not aged well but still maintains its charm, which is why I think fans still enjoy the game for what it is. I noticed you also have Um Jammer Lammy as part of your collection too—before writing off the series completely, you may want to try that game too at some point. I find it to be the best of the three games in the series in terms of how gameplay functions, and you may appreciate its shift to rock music rather than hip-hop.


I still am holding on to Parappa 2 and Um Jammer Lammy until I have a chance to sit down and try them out. Considering I love games like Gitaroo Man I figured Parappa would be right up my ally, but more than my dislike of hip hop, it's really the gameplay I just can't seem to figure out. Like, I get what I'm supposed to do and how I need to do it, but I just can't seem to get consistent results while playing. But yes, definitely plan on trying the other two games out before adding those to the trade box too.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on November 13, 2022, 02:01:34 pm
13. Silent Hill || PlayStation || 11.05.22

As someone who has been interested in survival horror games for a long time but has nearly zero experience in actually playing them, I really wanted to gather some experience within the genre finally. While I didn't start with what many consider to be the first example of the genre (Resident Evil), I chose to start with the Silent Hill as I am less familiar with the series overall. Around ten years ago, I actually attempted a playthrough and nearly reached the end, but I was having difficulty at the time and left it.

Playing as father Harry Mason, you awake from a car crash while you were on your way to the titular town Silent Hill but unfortunately cannot find your young daughter Cheryl who was with you. Knowing very little of the area, you desperately search to reconnect with Cheryl, but the town's environment quickly beings to feel disconcerting as as you seem to be the only person throughout the entire town as a heavy fog covers all over. Soon, you realize that there is more to Silent Hill than just being abandoned, as monsters of all kind creep out from the fog and attack you. While searching, it becomes clear to the player that Harry has entered some sort of limbo, as Silent Hill appears to be closed off from the rest of the world with its roads broken off which prohibit you from leaving. At times, this limbo becomes even more threatening as the town shifts into an "other world" of sorts which distorts the environment for Harry's worse. More or less, this is the premise of the story, but as the plot progresses, the player realizes that Harry is not the main character and is unfortunately only a part of it, as the game's events revolve around a mysterious woman named Alessa who has connections to the town's cult and her relationship with Cheryl.

Throughout my playthrough, I wasn't able to fully connect all of the plot details concerning the cult together which did lead to some minor ambiguity. While exploring, Harry meets a handful of Silent Hill's strange residents, but they provide few concrete story details. While exploring, there is some optional content to find that will flesh out the story while also providing the game's true best ending as well. However, this is not necessarily a bad aspect, as the script seemed to have been written like this which allows players to form their own head canon. After reading a little about what others think and after watching the film adaptation, the story elements regarding the script and the relationship between Cheryl and Alessa became clearer.

I am not sure how the later entries may effect my opinion of how the story unfolds, but, I am of the opinion now that both the limbo and other world representations of Silent Hill and the dangers within it are physical manifestations of Alessa's ongoing psychological and physical pain and trauma she has experience for decades. On the verge of death, Alessa's inability at times to maintain control of her powers results in the environment shifting from one to the other. After reading some others' insights regarding the monsters encountered and the environments explored, they all relate to Alessa's experiences she endured as a child while being surrounded by the cult.

With all that said, the game itself translates this story into rewarding gameplay. As Harry is transported from limbo the other world while searching, the added sense of exploration was an appreciated aspect, as there are essentially two areas to navigate through for most locales. Some may be of the opinion that this design choice creates an unneeded sense of backtracking, but I believe otherwise. The sense of dread in having to uncover the game's puzzles with the heightened danger surround you with limited supplies provides the perfect horror atmosphere. While the player generally becomes acquainted with an area in its limbo form, they must have to adapt to the changes the other world environment brings. In this other world, a terrifying setting forms as the town takes on a rusted industrial shape with horror set pieces placed throughout alongside extremely low lighting, broken floors, sectioned off pathways, and higher numbers of enemies with added difficulty pursuing you in near total darkness.. Coupled with the fact that the majority of doors are either jammed or locked—and that many environments look identical—players will surely encounter some level of well-designed stress while playing.

As a game developed still within the early days of 3D gaming, there are some aspects to Silent Hill that have aged poorly. The most clear example of this idea lies within the game's tank control system. It is certainly something that modern players can adapt to and still enjoy their time playing, but Harry will frequently stop running as he nears corners or if the player slightly adjusts their path trajectory. While the tank controls were not implemented by choice but instead by necessity due to development, how it functions works well in providing player stress. Because game environments have the issue of looking the same, I found myself repeatedly using the in-game to double-check exactly where I needed to be going. However, the map system itself is designed well as Harry will routinely update it with markings and notes as he learns information. For the most part, combat works well, although one aspect of it that provided more stress than I was wanting is the aiming system. If an enemy is downed and paralyzed but not dead and another is beside it, Harry almost always aimed for the former to complete the kill. It is only a minor gripe, but taking care of the immediate threat would have been more ideal to me. On that note, I almost fully relied on ranged combat with guns. Near the end of my playthrough, I was really close to having nothing left, so finding a good balance between melee and ranged weapons is needed for new players.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time playing Silent Hill and am glad to have another game within the genre completed. Opting for a Normal difficulty playthrough, there was enough challenge. While I was more-or-less playing the game for the first time, there were some aspects of the game I missed, so I was only able to finish with a Bad+ ending which isn't ideal but left me generally satisfied. It seems as if the game really warrants more than one playthrough, as newcomers will almost certainly miss details someway or another. With all that said, I greatly enjoyed the experience and am hoping to continue the series relatively soon since I own all of the main entries.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on November 13, 2022, 03:55:25 pm
Going into this year, my goal was to play longer games instead of shorter games. I've definitely maintained that approach with having put in dozens of hours into some games I've played—with two going over 100—but I've been able to complete fewer games than I was still expecting. My focuses have been elsewhere, though, as I've found myself not playing games as often as last year.

Yeah, that applies to me too. Biggest example is Persona 5, which took me over 130 hours to beat. Depending on if I had spent that same time among some shorter games my total number could have been a lot higher. For me this yearly challenge is not so much about how many games I can beat but just a way to keep track of what I've finished and what my thoughts are.

I anticipate this might be me next year. I have a few things going on that I'm already aware of, but also I'm honestly just feeling a bit burned out on video games in general. I play them because it's just sort of what I do in my free time most of the time, but I've found myself wanting to get more into other hobbies and interest too recently. This could very well change by the beginning of next year, but I'm willing to give myself a break if needed and recharge my gamer batteries a little. If that means beating less than 52-games next year then so be it. I've certainly made up for it in many of the previous years I've been doing this.

I've been exploring a lot of different hobbies as well. Movies for one thing, which my wife is a big fan of, but also some different hobbies on my end too. Scrapbooking, vinyl, and the Pokémon TCG are three that come to mind and have vied for both my time and hobby budget. Also trying to save up money for a house so obviously that takes priority.  :P
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: undertakerprime on November 14, 2022, 08:43:23 am
I was doing ok with my list and had a shot at finishing 52 games this year, until I bought Skyrim Anniversary Edition…
Now my list is FUBAR.
Skyrim is all I’ve played over the last few weeks, and I’m not going to hurry up and finish the main quest just to add it (that takes the fun out of it). Oh well, I honestly didn’t think my list would get as long as it already is.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: tripredacus on November 23, 2022, 10:37:53 am
36. Diablo III

This is something I had played earlier this year that was a game I had previously beaten, but it is technically an "endless" game at this point. For whatever reason i wanted to try it again but this time do something different. And that was to complete a Season Journey. For Season 27 I had made one more character that I had not made yet, the male Demon Hunter. To complete the Season Journey is to finish 4 tiers of achievements, although there are additional ones possible. And despite having played this game for so long, I never really got into the mechanics or synergies of skills in this game like I had done in Diablo II. Because of the difficulty tiers, you really need to do that or else you end up hitting a progression wall, which is something that my other regular chars had run into. Unlike DII, there doesn't appear to be any real way to make any interesting build without using a synergised Set.

My regular WD was sort of on that path, using a partial set bonus and one other item to make it to Torment 9 on GRs, where I was able to see damage numbers in the billions, but his progress was quite slow. He could get the kills but would kill slow when there were large numbers on the screen. The pets were not doing any sort of damage but basically keep the enemies away. 1v1 on a boss or GR boss was easy, usually a 1-3 click kill. The primary damage for the WD is Haunt, which I could use constantly without worry of running out of mana. The combinations involve these skills, which were not (and still aren't) something I understand in regards to how the damage is calculated:
- When Haunt lands on an enemy already affected by Haunt, it instantly deals 3500 seconds worth of Haunt damage.
- Locus Swarm and Haunt now deal their damage in half of the normal duration.
The WD page is here: https://us.diablo3.blizzard.com/en-us/profile/Tripredacus-1592/hero/143229319

For the Seasonal Demon Hunter, the choice was clear. All of the GR leaderboard people were using the Marauder's Set and so I had figured I would try it as well. In addition, I was using Kanai's Cube to convert set items which I never did before, because I wasn't trying to use a set and just using whatever I ended up getting. For this, the Set Bonus says it all, as to how this works:
- You may have 2 additional Sentries, Cluster Arrow deals 153% increased damage
- Sentries cast Cluster Arrow when you do, as well as automatically cast your equipped Hatred spenders.
- Your primary skills, and Sentries deal 12,000% increased damage for every active Sentry.
And then I have my skills set up so that Cluster Arrow is my only Hatred spender (the Sentries never cast Traps or spawn other Sentries) and what ends up happening is once I put just 1 sentry out, everything on the screen gets melted even at Torment X.
This character is here (the boots do not show up on the site for me) https://us.diablo3.blizzard.com/en-us/profile/Tripredacus-1592/hero/143517569

And after completing the Season Journey, I wanted to try some ideas out with my regular Demon Hunter using up to the second bonus of Marauders and the second bonus of The Shadow's Mantle, however I ended up seeing a slowdown in progression at Torment X and I know it can't actually perform past that without that huge damage boost or without actually using a full set.

So I consider this game done (again) for now, and will change to Minecraft in an attempt to complete as much of Project Ozone 3 as I can. I considered starting over but I have already done so much that going backwards wasn't something I wanted to do at this point.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on November 24, 2022, 05:31:15 am
38 - Pokemon Violet (Switch 2022) - A lot of what happened with this game, I was sorta expecting to happen, though not to this degree.  After Sword/Shield was a pretty rough experience, and Arceus was a cool time, but not the greatest experience, I was expecting Scarlet/Violet to be a game that suffered from some clear rushed development, but it took a big hit this time.  Performance, visuals, just an absolute mess, severe downgrade from Arceus.  Features and options were cut, such as they removed all tops and bottom clothing, forcing you to wear a uniform, but this essentially removed a huge swath of customization.  A lot of the menu and battle stuff is very slow, the story isn't really that good, the open world is functional, but suffers from performance issues, it's clear they just didn't have the time to make the Sword/Shield expansion, Arceus, and this game all at once. 

I mean the only real positives are just that it's Pokemon.  If you like Pokemon, you know how strong that pull is, because Pokemon is fun, it just struggles so much.  This game should be the culmination of everything they've done so far on Switch, but where in some areas it is, others its definitely not.  I really can't recommend it, maybe if it gets some decent patches, but that's only going to fix some general performance stuff and not much else I'm expecting.  I'm just waiting to hear that they are doing the expansion of the game and they'll be charging people money for full wardrobe options.  I think I remember something similar happening with the Sword/Shield expansion pack, but I forget now what that was.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 24, 2022, 01:46:24 pm
38 - Pokemon Violet (Switch 2022) - A lot of what happened with this game, I was sorta expecting to happen, though not to this degree.  After Sword/Shield was a pretty rough experience, and Arceus was a cool time, but not the greatest experience, I was expecting Scarlet/Violet to be a game that suffered from some clear rushed development, but it took a big hit this time.  Performance, visuals, just an absolute mess, severe downgrade from Arceus.  Features and options were cut, such as they removed all tops and bottom clothing, forcing you to wear a uniform, but this essentially removed a huge swath of customization.  A lot of the menu and battle stuff is very slow, the story isn't really that good, the open world is functional, but suffers from performance issues, it's clear they just didn't have the time to make the Sword/Shield expansion, Arceus, and this game all at once. 

I mean the only real positives are just that it's Pokemon.  If you like Pokemon, you know how strong that pull is, because Pokemon is fun, it just struggles so much.  This game should be the culmination of everything they've done so far on Switch, but where in some areas it is, others its definitely not.  I really can't recommend it, maybe if it gets some decent patches, but that's only going to fix some general performance stuff and not much else I'm expecting.  I'm just waiting to hear that they are doing the expansion of the game and they'll be charging people money for full wardrobe options.  I think I remember something similar happening with the Sword/Shield expansion pack, but I forget now what that was.


The last Pokemon gen I was able to get into was X/Y, and even with those games the cracks in the franchise were not just showing, but already pretty big. I tried desperately to get into Sun/Moon, but the Aloha challenges and various other tired Pokemon game cliches had me putting it down after about 10-hours. I bought U.Sun/U.Moon played both for a few hours before losing all motivation and never picking them back up. Despite my better judgement, I picked up Sword when it first came out and while there were some welcome changes to it compared to the previous gen, I still got so bored and annoyed by the game that I don't think I even cracked 10-hours.


I've accepted that new Pokemon games stopped appealing to me a while back. They've essentially become Nintendo's Madden or Call of Duty with the same shallow retread of the same formula with mostly minor superficial changes here and there to justify it being its own game. The quality of the newer Pokemon themselves has dropped significantly to the point where I just wish I was catching Pokemon from the first three gens instead. And then there's the fact these games have become laughably easy and also do everything they can to stray away from more serious, mature themes like in the first 5 gens.


With that said, I still really enjoy Gen 1 through 3, and enjoy gens 4 through 6 for the most part. I actually replayed Red Version on the Gameboy last year and had more fun with it by far than any mainline Pokemon game released for the last 15-years. And that was despite its crude graphics and relatively simplistic gameplay. It's everything it needs to be without stupid gimmicks and it's actually pretty challenging at parts too. I'm sure nostalgia played a part in me enjoying it so much, but I've discovered that nostalgia can only carry an old game so far before its flaws start becoming a distraction from any warm fuzzies you have about a specific title.


So yeah, Pokemon just isn't for me anymore. I'm pretty bummed about it given how important Pokemon was to me throughout most of my life, but I guess things change and nothing can be amazing forever. I almost forgot Scarlet was coming out, and have zero intention of ever buying it. I also skipped on Arceus too.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on November 24, 2022, 06:29:44 pm
I like Pokemon, the core aspect of it, battling, catching them, that's always appealed to me ever since the beginning and still does, and I would've stuck with the series had they not been handheld as I grew to not enjoy playing handheld games.  These games though are so rough and it's primarily because they are just rushing them out.  I think this series could be great still if they weren't trying to make bigger, open world, games, in a timeframe that doesn't allow these games to be made.  From what I read, they were essentially making the expansion pack to Sword/Shield, Arceus, and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, all at the same time and released all of that in a 3 year time frame.  That's crazy.  Just Arceus and S/V alone would be a game a normal developer would spend 3 to 5 years making so that they could create a decent open world experience.  Arceus had its own problems, but it plays and looks better than this and it was released in the same year by the same company.  It's wild, but yeah...nothing will change, because they'll sell 10+ million copies.

I'm actually thinking of emulating some older Pokemon games, figure out which one is generally considered peak Pokemon before they went 3D, just to have more of that classic feel.  I would've tried the new Diamond/Pearl remake, but I hate the art style they went with and it sounds like another lackluster game for the most part.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 25, 2022, 11:41:46 pm
I like Pokemon, the core aspect of it, battling, catching them, that's always appealed to me ever since the beginning and still does, and I would've stuck with the series had they not been handheld as I grew to not enjoy playing handheld games.  These games though are so rough and it's primarily because they are just rushing them out.  I think this series could be great still if they weren't trying to make bigger, open world, games, in a timeframe that doesn't allow these games to be made.  From what I read, they were essentially making the expansion pack to Sword/Shield, Arceus, and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, all at the same time and released all of that in a 3 year time frame.  That's crazy.  Just Arceus and S/V alone would be a game a normal developer would spend 3 to 5 years making so that they could create a decent open world experience.  Arceus had its own problems, but it plays and looks better than this and it was released in the same year by the same company.  It's wild, but yeah...nothing will change, because they'll sell 10+ million copies.

I'm actually thinking of emulating some older Pokemon games, figure out which one is generally considered peak Pokemon before they went 3D, just to have more of that classic feel.  I would've tried the new Diamond/Pearl remake, but I hate the art style they went with and it sounds like another lackluster game for the most part.


They've become pretty pricy, but I'd start with Soul Silver and Heart Gold on the DS; both are excellent remakes of the originals + they have a bunch of extra features they make them even better than the GBC released. You get all of Johto and Kanto too which makes them the most expansive titles in the franchise too if I'm not mistaken. Gen 1 is best experienced via Fire Red and Leaf Green on the GBA, but you can't go wrong with the original GC games either. I also thoroughly enjoyed Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire on the 3DS, and in fact those were technically the last mainline Pokemon games I really, really enjoyed. I never played the Switch remakes of the Gen 4 games. My wife did and she said they were meh. I'd probably just play the originals on the DS. I don't remember much of it since it was over a decade ago, but I recall really liking Platinum when I played it. Hopefully that helps as a guide, but I'd say if you were going to pick any of the older ones I'd go for SS/HG on the DS.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on November 26, 2022, 01:47:16 am
I ended up going with an emulated mod version of Pokemon Black called Blaze Black, as a few folks were saying Black/Black 2 was peak Pokemon in terms of everything it offers, debatable according to some others (lol), but it's neat.  All available Pokemon are ready to catch from the start (From what I read, you can only get new Pokemon first and then once you beat the game, then you can get old gen stuff), they tweaked some other details I don't remember, and trainer fights are more challenging by giving them more Pokemon right away, so you aren't just fighting trainers with one or two Pokemon for a lot of the time.  It's neat so far, I really like the visuals. 

This game makes me want to see The Pokemon Company allow another dev like Square Enix to make a new game or remaster an old one, but create sprite art for it and put it on high detail 3D backgrounds, like Octopath Traveler.  I'd buy that game in a heartbeat compared to that super terrible looking Diamond/Pearl remake.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 26, 2022, 02:39:54 am
60. Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii)

The original Nights on the Saturn is one of my most special, cherished games for a variety of reason. Ironically I never owned it growing up and my entire nostalgic experience of that game involves playing it at friends' houses. But with how important the first game is to me I've been wanting to plat it's sequel/reboot Nights Journey of Dreams for.a very long time. Seeing how the first Nights game reminds me heavily of the holidays (no small part to the Christmas Nights expansion) I decided to finally pop Journey of Dreams in and see if it's as good as the original. Not only is it not as good as the 1996 Saturn game, but it's way, way worse.


One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of what's wrong with Journey of Dreams is how bloated this game is. The original Nights was a fairly simplistic game where you flew through eye catching interesting Dreamscapes, collected orbs, fought a boss at the end of each stage, repeat a few times, and that's it. Journey of Dreams offers stages like this, except your mostly trying to catch a bird rather than collect orbs (???), and afterwards you fight a level boss like in the original. If this is all this game had been I'd probably have enjoyed it more, but instead you have to complete 4 other mini game like missions that range from overly simplistic to extremely annoying. And then to add insult to injury you have to fight the stage boss AGAIN to complete the stage. Contributing to this game's bloated feel is its tacked on story which isn't entertaining or adds much to the game; it's just sort of there and is delivered by stiff voice acting for the most part. Speaking of audio, this game leans on the excellent OST of the first game, however most of its original tracks are not great, and some of the remakes of some of the classic Nights songs sound pretty bad. This game is a massive disappointment as someone who really loves the first game and honestly I wish I hadn't played Journey of Dream since a) it wasn't that fun, and b) it's honestly not worthy of being part of the same franchise. (11/26/22) [26/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on November 26, 2022, 11:06:06 pm
61. Ghost Squad (Wii)

It's been a while since I played something on the Wii and since I just got done with Nights I figured I'd pop another game in on that console.


I feel like I might have seen Ghost Squad at Dave and Busters back in the mid-2000s, but I honestly can't remember. Regardless I played through it tonight and while the game is pretty good overall for a lightgun arcade shooter, it's certainly nothing amazing. The game is essentially what Ghost Recon would be if it were made into a lightgun. You're given branching paths with various objectives, and to Ghost Squad's credit it attempts to push the lightgun genre forward by offering selectable weapons, an action button to do things like hand to hand combat and disarming bombs, and also branching stage paths which encourage replay value. Unfortunately I found the game far to generic for my tastes, mostly due to the theme and your objectives. I'm way more of a fan of far more ridiculous shooters like House of the Dead or Time Crisis. I guess Ghost Squad just took itself a little too seriously. Audio-wise the game is pretty solid and that compliment also goes for the visuals. One other cool visual flourish are the pretty detailed destructible environments which have things like fruit, dishes and other objection go flying whenever they're shot. While I wouldn't place Ghost Squad towards the top of the best lightgun games from the 2000s, I'd say it's definitely worth a playthrough in the arcades or on the Wii which is how I played it. (11/26/22) [33/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on November 27, 2022, 06:49:36 pm
Game 15 - The Witness (PS4) - 23 Hours

This Thanksgiving weekend was very productive for me games wise! Was able to finish two games and also beat the final boss in Hades for the first time. Here's a review of the first game, The Witness.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that The Witness was one of the hardest games I've ever finished. Not from a traditional sense in terms of combat or controls, but from a mental, problem-solving aspect. The Witness is one of the most no-holds-bard, balls-to-the-wall, hardcore puzzle games I have ever played. Most puzzle games are pretty casual, or they serve as a merely a light distraction in other games. In contrast, puzzles are the solitary focus of this game, and it subsequently forces you to really think in order to finish it, and from that perspective it was a very interesting and unique experience.

The most brilliant aspect of The Witness is how it integrates over 500 puzzle boards into the game and teaches you how to complete them. Every puzzle is structured with a simple overarching concept. You have to draw a line from a starting node to an ending node, kind of like completing a circuit. This simple premise quickly becomes more and more complicated as new mechanics are added, like drawing specific shapes with your lines, separating colors, or connecting dots. All of the rules of the game are communicated to you without any tutorials, and through perfect intuitive sequencing, the game teaches of you all of its mechanics without actually needing to sit you down and explain everything explicitly. It's incredible game design in my opinion. And like I mentioned, this game is not easy. The final area of the game will really test all of your previous knowledge about previous puzzles and force you to think outside of the box. And while I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look up a few solutions towards the end of the game, it was really satisfying trying to figure out all of them. Not only are you connecting circuits through boards, but there are also over 100 environmental puzzles that involve you connecting lines by using rock formations, trees, or rivers. Really great stuff.

Where I feel a little more mixed is the game's story and pacing. Personally, I think the game runs a little long. Once I finished the final Town area, I thought the game was over, but I was blindsided with another 4 hours of some of the most frustratingly difficult puzzles in the game. Because the game already drains you mentally, I didn't have any energy to try and figure out the puzzle of the story on top of all the other puzzles. As a result, I didn't really try to explore every nook and crany of the game and find every secret regarding the story. Like the gameplay, the story is extremely abstract and almost none of it is conveyed to the player through normal gameplay progression. What I was able to find are some audio logs with about 5 minutes of voice dumps from famous philosophers, astronauts and scientists droning about all kinds of philosophical topics. While none of what they say is trite, it really doesn't feel like it was there was an attempt to build these audio logs into the game's story.   If you look online, there's actually a lot of discussion regarding the story but a lot of it is personal interpretation of the various information presented to the player, and all of it is hidden. I'm sure I missed a lot of what was going on, but frankly this kind of story telling tends to not interest me very much. I think I probably need to jump back in and try to find more of the story for myself and my opinion would probably change.

All that being said, The Witness is a very smart, interesting and unique gameplay experience and I'm glad I gave it a shot, though it's definitely on the pretentious and artsy side of gaming. This was one of those free games that Sony gave out during the pandemic last year, so if you downloaded it from that, give it a try!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on November 27, 2022, 06:58:32 pm
Game 16 - It Takes Two (2-player co-op, PS4) - 17 Hours

Here's the second game I was able to finish! I played this game through with my wife, and overall I would say we enjoyed it for the most part! It Takes Two is a very fun, but pretty polarizing game for me. It’s a game that triumphs in some ways but falls hopelessly flat in others. Let’s talk about what didn’t work first then talk about what did.

First, the story, writing, and characters are not very good. It Takes Two centers around a divorced couple trying to reconcile their relationship, and right away some significant issues emerge with the way the narrative is delivered. For one, neither of the characters were likeable or relatable. They were both aggravatingly standoffish and selfish, and very little context is given to why they’re getting a divorce other than “we don’t get along” – well yeah, I figured that! There’s a bit around not having enough time to spend with each other and their daughter, but it’s painfully anemic and hardly explored over the course of the game. It makes the “counseling” session that you go through as part of the game’s story not only cliché as hell, but also a little insulting. The overall message that’s conveyed is that the only reason why your relationship failed is you didn’t try hard enough. The writing is also quite bad, which further sucks you out of the experience. We were left just wanting more given the massive potential a story like this COULD have had. All that being said, the game's story remains touching and sweet and I still enjoyed it despite the issues that I had with the writing and delivery.

In addition, the game is not optimized very well. We had several significant glitches including freezing, falling out of the world, collision errors, and significant framerate dips. Entertaining for sure, but also frustrating at times. I don’t know if anyone else had this problem or if it was just my TV, but the snow level was so blindingly bright at points that it was impossible to see where we were going.

All that being said, the game was still a blast to play… for the most part. It Takes Two has a ton of variety, some of which works and some of it doesn’t. What this game does well is giving you and your partner complimentary abilities which requires you to work together in clever puzzle-platforming challenges. It's a delightful experience testing out your new abilities, messing around with and trolling each other, and exploring the game's various collection of toys and mini games. The game diverges from a puzzle platformer at times, which is where some of the gameplay doesn’t really land. The worst level was the beehive level which turns into a clunky and hectic 3rd person shooter, which was very challenging for my wife to play. So while it throughs a lot at the wall in terms of gameplay, and some of it doesn’t stick, what does stick is really great.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on November 28, 2022, 01:29:31 pm
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)
Previous List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg197608.html#msg197608)

Quote from: Legend
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.

122. Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal  (3DS)
Unfortunately for this game, it has one huge flaw that makes it a terrible game.  It's the huge cost to unlock further levels and beat the game.  There are 34 tokens in the entire game across the various level types, you have to earn 30 of the 34 to beat the game, which makes 100%ing the game honestly not that much more than just beating the game in general.  It's infuriating.  There are only like 10 levels in the entire game, but in order to beat the game, you'll need to replay those levels multiple times to collect all of the collectibles in order to earn the tokens so you can unlock levels... and this is a constant struggle from the beginning of the game.  Other than that one humongous unforgivable flaw?  The game is great, it plays well, the humor matches the show (which is pretty good btw) but this one flaw makes the game unenjoyable because I can't just beat the game, no, I have to go back and collect all of the collectables in 90% of the levels in order to just beat the game, you literally have to beat the game with like 91% completion in order to even visit the final level, that's just too high a cost of entry.  With a decent rebalance this game could be recommendable, but it isn't because it's a slog.
Rating: Hard pass

123. Sonic Mania (NS)
Unfortunately I really wasn't feeling playing 2D Sonic games anymore by the time I got to this game, and I relatively enjoy... well I should say when I was playing the 2D Sonic games I was enjoying them compared to the 3D Sonic games I was familiar with, post Unleashed, the 3D sonic games are mostly good so I don't know.  The design of this game is really good in that it takes a lot of the original games and puts a spin on them with new mechanics to make the game feel fresh.  That said, I've never really been a fan of adding new mechanics to make a game feel fresh, too often I feel it over complicates and makes the gameplay convoluted.  In this case, it's a mixed bag, some areas/zones/levels are great and some are just infuriating.  Chief among the infuriating things with this game is the fact that there is no accessibility option for infinite continues or infinite lives... it's a simple thing that I get goes against the original nature of these types of games back in the day, but it's a common accessibility feature these days and kind of infuriating that it doesn't exist in any manner in this game aside from the debug mode which I guess you could use to jump to any level.  I feel like original Sonic games the levels didn't take 5-15 minutes to beat, I feel like that was kind of against the original design of Sonic games, but almost every level in this game is 6 minutes minimum and some take well over 12 minutes to beat.
Rating: Hard pass

124. Top Gear Rally (N64)
I was missing a bunch of years for my goal of a game per year, so I went and found some quick games to play... racing games are generally pretty quick so easy choices.  This game only has like 6 levels and all of the levels have 2-3 shortcuts that if you take you'll win handedly, but if you don't take them, you probably won't win at all.  Steering is a bit wonky, but this is an N64 games, so it's kind of expected I guess.  Really don't have much else to say about this game honestly.
Rating: Hard pass

125. Top Gear Overdrive (N64)
Another game to fill out a year for my goal.  This game is much more aggressive than the other game, and it seems to adapt the SF Rush concept of exploding a lot.  I think this game has the same issue that if you don't take shortcuts and leverage N2O and drifting you just can't win, especially because the 1st place dude is like a half a lap ahead of you from the start of the race.  It's like the game tried to adapt the rally concept of delayed start, but then they didn't fully implement the fact that rally doesn't go by physical position but time taken, so if you overtake a driver, you didn't beat that racer by a fraction of a second, you probably beat them by 3 seconds minimum.  Game was fun, but way too aggressive and honestly required absolute perfection in a lot of cases just to catch up to 1st place dude.
Rating: Hard pass

126. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)
I heard so many complaints about this game before I even started that I had just the lowest of expectations and was even preparing to have to abandon the game... but to be frank, this is one of the best Sonic games I've played yet.  To be fair, it's not really a good Sonic game, it's just a good game.  The game is broken into like 3 styles, open(ish) world exploration with quests and such, normal sonic 3D gameplay but on rails essentially, and 3D beat em up platformer (kinda like the later Crash games).  I heard some complaints about the humor in the game, but the humor matches the tv show (again really good) so no complaints there.  I'd maybe make the complaint that Sticks really doesn't take much part in the game which is a shame.  If I weren't in such a rush, I would have enjoyed taking more time with this game.  I don't know that I'll go back to it or anything, but it's a real enjoyable game.  That said, it also has the same Wii U issue of not letting you play with a pro controller and forcing you to play with the wii u game pad.
Rating: Soft recommendation

127. Hot Wheels Turbo Racing (N64)
Another game to fill out a year.  I needed something to play while I was waiting to get a ride home from the dealership after dropping off my car for some repairs, so I played this on my Steam Deck.  Pretty short game, managed to beat it just about by the time I got home.  Did the Hot Wheels Challenge, the Iron something challenge, and the left over final challenge.  I think I unlocked all of the cars and everything.  The only thing that's a huge bummer is that I hadn't setup Retro Achievements on my steam deck before I started playing... not that it would've mattered I think because I was playing without internet, but maybe there would've been a chance, I really don't know.  Anyway, I missed out on tons of Retro Achievements and that bums me out.  I don't think I'll play the game against for achievements or anything, but it's still a bummer.  Really nothing else to say about this game though, just a quick Hot Wheels arcade racer game, nothing really special.  The trick system is interesting and absolutely necessary to win.
Rating: Hard pass

128. Hooters Road Trip (PS1)
Another game to fill out a year.  What I find interesting, if true, is that this game released with an MSRP of $10... makes sense given how bad this game is.  I wanted to be like it's ok, it's old, but maybe I can be it's ok, the developers must have been underpaid... but even then, the steering is kind of unforgiving in this game.  It's almost like they expect you to be playing the game with old school atari paddles.  Anyway, game is dumb and isn't worth your time.
Rating: Hard pass

129. P.N. 03 (GCN)
Another game to fill out a year.  I really didn't expect this game to be so good though.  It's kind of a spiritual predecessor to Bayonetta and Vanquish, interesting also in that Jennifer Hale (Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3) voices the main character in this game.

130. MX Unleashed (Xbox)
I started playing this to fill out a year in my list and I was thinking oh, an MX game, that will be easy.  Damn, I don't know when or if it was always like that, but this game is actually quite difficult, you have to manage so much stuff with this.  The soundtrack for this game is such a throwback to my youth, I used to listen to MX/ATV/Extreme Sports type music all the time as a kid, but as I grew I listened more and more to alternative which is great but not quite extreme sports music, so while I have 0 nostalgia for this game and really didn't quite enjoy my experience with this game because of just how unforgiving this game is, I enjoyed the fuck out of listening to music I haven't heard in years.
Rating: Hard pass.

131. Aperture Desk Job (PC)
I've had this on my Steam Deck since day one because it's made to showcase the controls and such of the steam deck whilst also being Portalish.  Game is kind of a non-game and it's very short, but it's Portal funny.  Not really worth the time, but I'd definitely consider it part of the greater Portal universe.  Game is free and I think you can play it even without Steam Deck so regardless I'm going to recommend it because there's basically no good reason to not give it a try, it's free, enjoyable, and short.
Rating: Soft recommendation

132. The Pedestrian (XS)
Started this up because it was leaving Game Pass and was a game that had been interesting me for some time.  It's a simplish puzzle platformer.  I generally have the problem with puzzle platformers that early on the game is great, like fantastic, but rather than just making puzzles that just grow on the basic concepts, they add new concepts and mechanics, and for me I fall in love with the basics and when you add things that complicate it I just grow annoyed and disinterested because I don't want to learn new systems.  I get that that is all puzzle platformers always, but I wind up getting burned out before halfway through.  This game I burned through about half of the game and then I started having to do like 1 puzzle at a time because I would look at the puzzle, beat it, see the next puzzle and just think "Nah, I'm good" but then come back 30 minutes later and repeat the process.  Overall the game is enjoyable and a good puzzle game, despite my personal issues with puzzle games in general.  The end section of the game really wrinkled my brain with how it turned the puzzle platforming into story telling, like retroactively turned the game into a story and even turned that game into a completely different type of game almost.  The ending itself left me a little confused, but that's the way of these indie games.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

133. Don't Touch This Button (PS5)
I saw this game on sale and my first thought was great, someone ripped of please don't touch anything... but no, this game absolutely has nothing to do with that concept.  This game is one of those "There is no game" fight the narrator type of games.  You walk into a room and generally there is a message that is misdirecting you or lying to you.  Real simple puzzles too, mechanics barely grow, but towards the end, like the last puzzle or two, the game really required you to remember that you can run, which isn't required before then, so it's easy to forget you can do it.  Overall, it's actually quite a good game, feels like it's made by like one guy and could definitely be elevated to a great game overall I think with some good voice work and writing, but honestly still a real good game, especially for how cheap it is.
Rating: Soft recommendation.

134. Call of Duty 2 (360)
I decided I really wanted a kind of mindless game, I've been sick non-stop for weeks and just wanted something where I really didn't need to think while playing, so my thoughts immediately jumped to Call of Duty, I'd say shooters in general, but Call of Duty is the one series I haven't really touched and own tons of the games.  I had started this game like 13 years ago trying to get all 1000 achievement points which really just requires beating the game on Veteran but there was fuckery with my save file.  I went and transferred all of my 360 save files to the cloud at some point so when I launched this it should've grabbed my old save file, but I wasn't sure if I even had the original save to upload to the cloud given how many 360 systems I've gone through over the years, but I was pretty confident that I've never lost any of my save files over the years.  Anyway, launched the game and it had the option to continue, so I hit continue.  It loaded me in the middle of a 2nd campaign mission (I think British) so I beat the level, knowing I was on veteran, but it didn't pop... and when I clicked continue to next mission it loaded me into the tutorial.  So I went back to mission select and I only had that one mid campaign mission marked as beat, so I went and beat it again loading up the final section, still loaded me to the tutorial.  So I went and re-beat all of the Russian campaign (on Easy, because I already had the achievements for Veteran), reloaded the end of the first British mission and beat it again, clicked continue and it just reloaded the beginning of the first british mission.  At that point I realized that it doesn't count progress on a mission unless you beat it start to end, not loading in the middle or anything, so even though it somehow loaded my progress from my OG file, it didn't have any of my progression.  At that point I just loaded the game on Easy and beat the first mission.  At that point I was like fuck it, I'm just going to breeze through this game instead of trying to get the achievements and just played on Easy.  Really unhappy with how that turned out.  Game is good, story is nice and long if not a little disjointed, but it's telling the tale of real battles so it doesn't need a connected story.  I've personally never been a fan of World War shooters, mostly because I just don't enjoy using World War era weapons.
Rating: Hard pass

Elden Ring Randomized (PC)
I kept getting recommended videos from Bushy on Elden Ring and eventually decided to make the effort to setup a randomizer for me so I could play through with things randomized.  I've been streaming my playthrough near 100%.  I say near, because I played for like 3 minutes one time and all I did was warp from one place to another, pause the game, and decide I didn't feel like streaming so I wouldn't play.  It's been a very interesting experience to the point that I legitimately think I could play this over and over and over and almost never get bored.  Random enemies, random bosses, random loot (so no clue what equipment I'll wind up with), random starting equipment, random merchant content, etc.  It really adds a certain depth to the game when you can't really know how you'll build your character because you can't know what equipment you'll wind up with.  This build first "big" weapon I found was the blasphemous blade, so I built my character around that weapon.  That worked out extremely well and provided a new experience I never would've tried.  Another seed for the randomizer and I don't know, I'd hope I'd find a weapon like this that I could build around, but who knows, it is randomized.  I'm highly considering setting up another randomizer run just to see.
Rating:Solid Recommendation

Last Call BBS (PC)
See 52 Game Challenge 2023 game 105 (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,12127.msg202495.html#msg202495)
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on December 04, 2022, 04:13:09 pm
64. SNK Gals' Fighters - Athena

This was the first game I went through in the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1. Super cute, super snappy, and much to my surprise, not too difficult. The thought of owning a Neo Geo Pocket never crossed my mind back in the late 90s so I'm glad this collection exists.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on December 04, 2022, 07:42:53 pm
I was burning through Sonic games until I hit Sonic Boom.  Apparently my copy of Sonic Boom has disc rot, so now I'm hacking my Wii U
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on December 06, 2022, 11:19:35 am
65. Dark Arms: Beast Buster

This was another game included in the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1. It was actually the reason why I decided to buy the collection since it looked like it took the classic formulas of things like Neotopia and Crystalis, and added in a dark setting filled with ghouls, mummies, and other creatures. It was ok. The hero moves slow, and keeping up with your weapons was somewhat cumbersome. But, I really appreciated the setting and atmosphere. It's cool that a game on such an old portable can give spooky vibes.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on December 12, 2022, 02:16:32 pm
66. Wild Arms 3

This was a lot of fun. I think this might be the best game in the series. It's not my favorite, but in terms of production and quality, it might be the best. It was a lot of fun going through it again.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on December 12, 2022, 06:24:52 pm
14. Eastward || Nintendo Switch || 11.29.22

I don't remember when or how I initially came across Eastward, but once I saw that a physical copy was releasing, I knew that it was a game I'd like to add to my collection and play soon after. Unfortunately, my time playing was one of the rare instances of taking an extended break throughout my playthrough, while only finishing the game many months later after starting. Nevertheless, I finished the story and was glad to have experienced.

Throughout the story, players take control of both the silent protagonist John and his adoptive daughter Sam. While John has his rare moments of emotion, Sam is one of the best characters I've encountered in some time. As a young child, Sam was written so well as the sense of a lighthearted character full of charisma and energy while radiating wonder and a childlike innocence is achieved so perfectly. With a plot focusing on Sam's origin, what purpose she serves, and how the world's events came to be, Eastward introduces a compelling narrative that is elevated by its characters. There are deeper truths to be explored, but some of the simpler--and more crucial--objectives are overcome while traveling east to overcome the threat of miasma which is rapidly destroying the world. Throughout this journey, the father-daughter dynamic is conveyed extremely well.

While Sam shines as a character, the collective cast of characters are so full of personality. Along these lines, the character design itself excels, and it reminds me of Love-de-Lic and its branching studios. The subtle animations bring just enough life to the cast which is only deepened by their robust dialogue as characters are written full of personality that allows for the world to truly embody livelihood. Even NPCs who simply exist to flesh out the world are given a lot of characterized dialogue for the player to interact with that, while generally unimportant to the main plot, are fun to experience. One set of characters--if you argue that they are characters at all--are refrigerators which serve as save points. While exploring, refrigerators will recount some philosophical thought often regarding the complexities of memory. Visiting these spots for the first time was something I always enjoyed.

Upon beginning Eastward, players are welcomed to a world that desires attention given how detailed and characteristic each screen looks. In a post-apocalyptic setting, it is obvious that the survivors make due with what remnants they could salvage no matter how broken, non-functioning, or obsolete they may be. Buildings are carved out from the cliffside, while architecture begins to crumble to pieces. All around, remnants of the old world pervade as old advertising billboards and engines litter the environment, while decayed wood, rusted metal, and broken train cars create makeshift homes. While the story moves forward from the immediate area, this sense of living continues throughout each new locale visited. Technology is outdated by modern standards, and the sense that people utilize tools from the past becomes clear, as well as simply repurposing items to fulfill other basic means such as a wooden crate serving as a chair. A chief example of this principle if John's default and go-to weapon--his frying pan. Not only is this item his weapon of choice, but it doubles as his actual tool for cooking.

Continuing with this idea, the each and every locale throughout Eastward is so full of life even despite how the world surrounding is so devoid of it. However, when I say this, it is not in the sense of liveliness. While that is certainly contradictory, what I mean is that each area seems so inhabited by a human presence. Buildings are full of junk, but the items give a sense of individuality and feel purposeful. Dripping faucets. TV monitors displaying nothing but the sound of static. Wilted houseplants. There is such a sense of brokenness that people simply ignore and live with.

As a whole, the plot is enjoyable. While playing, I could understand the general story well, although some of the finer details, such as characters' motives or backstories, sometimes alluded me. More or less, I enjoyed the game for its general atmosphere and ambiance conveyed through environment and cast moreso than reaching a full understanding of the narrative. I am not trying to discredit the narrative as it does maintain player interest overall, but I found myself more personally invested in the world at large than the problems at hand.

In regards to gameplay, Eastward is often likened by fans to EarthBound and other quirky RPGs. While the developers Chucklefish are also on record stating the former is a strong inspiration for for their project, it is only in regards to themes and general atmosphere which I believe is apparent. Aside from these similarities, though, Eastward is comprised of top-down action-adventure gameplay accompanied by environmental puzzle-solving that routinely consists of performing actions with each character as they're separated from another. While playing, players have free control to switch between playing as either John or Sam to defeat enemies. Often, both characters are needed to easily overcome such encounters, so the balance between utilizing both characters is well achieved, as John's role focuses on brute strength whereas Sam's role serves as support. While John slowly accrues has a small collection of weapon choices while Sam develops a few unique abilities, these elements can be upgraded, although this is the extent of RPG mechanics. I largely relied on John's frying pan for general combat. But, with that said, both John's weapons and some of Sam's abilities are required for proper exploration, which I found to be a great choice for incorporating new mechanics to the gameplay, no matter the player's preferred style of combat.

Generally, I found the game to not be difficult. As long as a full inventory is maintained of consumables, players should be able to overcome each dungeon boss segments. In the event that players do perish, the game is forgiving with its auto-saving. Unfortunately, though, the only major fault I have on this topic is the game's pattern of crashing. Over the course of playing, my game crashed roughly 10 times which mainly occurred when moving to a new map screen. So, while the game offers an approachable amount of difficulty, bugs are the player's biggest concern.

Finally, I think that many will agree that Eastward's visual style is commendable. Alongside the non-gameplay element, the game's music is also an aspect I highly praise. The music greatly reflects each area while exploring, in addition to high-tension moments comprised of action.

Overall, Eastward's detailed environment and lively characters are the game's strongest attributes and are the elements which I enjoyed the most. Other aspects are also certainly achieved to a fine degree, as they complement an already interest project. Should Chucklefish pursue a similar project, I'm sure my interest would be caught.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on December 16, 2022, 07:22:37 pm
15. Silent Hill 2 || PlayStation 2 || 12.11.22

Before playing Silent Hill, I had already decided that I was strongly wanting to finally play through as many of the series entries as I could relatively soon. So, not long after finishing the first entry, I began Silent Hill 2.

While Silent Hill offered a loose plot without many details, Silent Hill 2 instead thrives on being a story-driven game. Unlike its predecessor, Silent Hill 2 provides a much more fleshed out narrative full of details and story segments, with the need for players to think critically about the game's symbolism and psychological happenings present. Similar to Silent Hill, the sequel focuses on a man drawn to the town of Silent Hill, although this time in search of his life wife Mary as players assume the role of James Sunderland. Shortly after arriving, James encounters an unknown woman Maria who James describes as someone who could be Mary's twin.

Even for first-time players, it is obvious from James' comments that there is some connection between the mysterious Maria and Mary. When introduced to Maria, James encounters her at the park which he believes Mary is waiting for him, even. However, who Maria actually is and the connections and parallels between her and Mary are unknown at this time, which is only exasperated by the fact that little is known about Mary at this part of the story.

Throughout James' search, it becomes apparent that Silent Hill 2 focuses on the consequences of one's actions and the aftermath of loss which, for James, devolves into grief, self-blame, and delusion. That being said, James is not the only person visiting Silent Hill. Throughout his search, James meets Angela and Eddie who are on their own individual journeys as they've been drawn to town. Like James, these characters are written with major baggage which has resulted in their own psychological issues as they come face to face with their own realities as their personal traumas are forced to be confronted.

After learning about the events of James and his late wife Mary, I couldn't view James as a likable character despite any in-game actions or motives possibly redeeming his actions prior to the game's events; however, I'm not sure if players are intended to finish the game with James being held in high regards. I do not wish to disclose the specifics regarding the relationship he and Mary shared or the time spent together during her terminal illness over her last few years alive, but it is clear to me that James is called to Silent Hill for his past actions, whether he's led to believe so or not. Throughout the game, nearly every character at some point criticizes James for his role as a a husband while Mary suffered through sickness, and James often responds in opposition.

While I'm generally not one to search extensively for deeper meanings on my own, I do regularly pursue the efforts of others, with Silent Hill 2 being no exception. With a game full of symbolism and events which rely on player interpretation, the sheer amount of detail and interconnectivity of James' imaginings of Silent Hill and its otherworld that the powers of the town force him to tackle in full force are something to applaud. Although, I will admit that the contextualization of the series established thus far were nerfed slightly, although the changes introduced are for the better and allow for the series to evolve in new ways. With that said, I did view all of the game's endings including the later-added Born From a Wish gameplay segment which has players assume the rule of Maria. In short, I appreciated the new perspective and character depth Maria is given, as the details provide even more questions to ponder over.

From a gameplay standpoint, I felt as if this element is lessened to an extent. Normal enemy encounters were simple to overcome, as there are no real strategies to form or weaknesses to exploit, with boss fights particular in mind. Unlike with the first game, I found myself able to rely on melee combat much more, with only certain situations and boss segments needing to utilize ranged attacks. Overall, there seem to be a lot more ammo to collect. Nevertheless, I realized while collecting my thoughts after finishing that, with Silent Hill 2, at the very least, Silent Hill 2 does not exhibit the typical survival horror genre characteristics. So many other aspects of the game install fear and uncertainty without the need of the more extreme survival mechanics which often require players to micromanage their supplies and strategically choose which enemies to overcome. Personally, I think I prefer this design choice, although it may leave some survival horror purists viewing Silent Hill 2 firmly outside of the survival horror genre. As a final detail regarding gameplay, I will note that James' health felt much less than Harry's from Silent Hill. Honestly, it seemed as if James just can't take a hit.

Much to my surprise, I found myself becoming a little desensitized to the atmosphere and overall gameplay experience after a short while. Although, "desensitized" may not be the best word, but I certainly felt more comfortable playing while still remaining on full alert. I think that a fair degree of this happening relates to the game controlling much more smoothly alongside less sporadic enemy movement.

As far as other non-gameplay elements, I was pleased with the final area's layout and progression, as it deviates from the standard explore fog world side, then explore otherworld side. Considering the game's map system, I greatly appreciated its updates and is actually legible. Unlike the first game's map, players can zoom and access all locale maps at any time. I'll also quickly note that the FMVs are spectacular for the game's time of release, as they truly bring a lot of depth to the characters on screen and events unfolding.

Now, in terms of Silent Hill 2's music and sound design, it is perhaps the most successful implementation across every game I've experienced. Nearly every room has its own sounds with some unsettling noises being heard outside the area they originate from. So many of these noises are genuinely creepy, and I often found myself afraid upon entering some areas. When wandering, all sorts of sounds pervade the environment, but they are not always the sounds of monsters, which is a design choice I applaud as I regularly was left on guard with unease and apprehension for some unknown, impending encounter. Just the implication that some thing could be out to attack, regardless if whether something was or wasn't really there, is achieved so well. On another note, when viewing voice acting at a surface level, some audiences may find most performances lacking. However, when analyzing performances with characters' mental instability in mind, some characters' wavering and somewhat confused tones and connotations are strongly implemented, which is only proven more when comparing their lines to mentally stable characters or even at times when the mentally unstable are stable, such as James when past events unfold.

Obviously, my experience playing Silent Hill 2 left me with so many impressions, and I easily understand why it's held with such high opinion. It is not a perfect game, but it is one I greatly enjoyed. I've already started playing Silent Hill 3, so it should be quite apparent that I'm eager to continue with the franchise.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: moonlightvalkyrie on December 17, 2022, 03:55:30 pm
10. Zero Escape: Time Dilemma (Xbox)--I admit when I first played this game on the Vita, I was disappointed in the storyline and how it was told. However, by playing this game a second time, I actually enjoyed it better. I recommend it, but only if you have played the previous two games. The story does not make much sense otherwise.

11. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection (PS5)--This was a fun collection. It really brought me back to my childhood. I actually found it fun to play the Gameboy Turtle games as I have never played them before. Also, I finished the NES version of TMNT for the first time. Of course, I have never attempted to complete it since I was a kid. I had a great time with this collection!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on December 18, 2022, 12:06:21 am
I went too long without writing up info on games played so now I'm trying to play catch up.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on December 19, 2022, 09:48:21 am
15. Silent Hill 2 || PlayStation 2 || 12.11.22

I'm happy that you enjoyed the game! It's one of my faves.  :) Although I do agree, it is pretty easy even on normal. I found that putting the game on hard at least makes a little challenging.

I'm curious what you think of SH 3. I felt like 3 was in many ways the pinnacle of the series for me in terms of pure horror gameplay and music, but not so much the story.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kamikazekeeg on December 22, 2022, 11:08:56 pm
40 - Lil Gator Game (PC 2022) - BEAT - Very cute, chill, game that is a nice nod to classic 3D platformers while being more of just a nice little non-actiony romp.  You are a lil gator fella wanting to play a game with your big sister, who is too busy with college work to do so, but you think if you play the big game you always use to and show how cool it is, she'll want to play again, so you get to run around an island, making friends, fighting cardboard cutouts, and just having a silly time.  It's just all around a very cute game, very short, I think I ended up beating the story in less than 3 hours, probably 3 to 5 to complete everything I'm guessing, but there's just a lot of fun to it as you get a nice little story about childhood and growing up.  Lots of fun references and items you earn and it's never not charming.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: kashell on December 24, 2022, 06:27:57 pm
67. The DioField Chronicle

Merry Christmas. I knocked out one more great RPG before the year comes to a close. This was one of the games I got from this year's Secret Santa. It was an all around solid tactical RPG that didn't do anything remarkable, but what it did do was good. The story and characters were excellent. Battles were quick and to the point. There were a lot of ways to customize your team. The list goes on. I started 2022 with a bang with Demon Gaze and I'm ending it with one with DioField.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on December 26, 2022, 04:38:35 pm
62. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

It's hard to believe how radically different your life can be at one point compared to another. Case in point, in 2007 when Super Mario Galaxy first came out and I originally beat it I was living in Louisiana at the time which I absolutely hated, I was in a dying relationship, and I was probably the least happy overall I'd been since I was about 13 or so. I remember playing Super Mario Galaxy at the time and enjoying it, however the game never really stuck with me like many others have over time. I decided to replay it for the first time in over 15-years and after doing so it made me realize how utterly miserable I must have been at that time if Super Mario Galaxy didn't instantly become one of the best games I'd ever played, because it certainly did after beating it in 2022.


Super Mario Galaxy is the sequel to Super Mario 64 I always wanted as a kid. And while I've never beat Super Mario Sunshine, I've at least played enough of it to know it's a pretty different game than 64. However, Galaxy feels like everything 64 did cranked all the way up and done in a way that I never knew I wanted. I love the creativity of every world and galaxy you visit, and how aside from certain standard enemies, there are very few recycled elements in this game. Everything just feels so perfectly crafted and special in this game that I never found myself getting board or thinking "oh boy, here we go again!" None of the gameplay elements are overused either making everything feel very novel when you come across it. My only real issue with the gameplay was the camera being a bit annoying at times, but this is a relatively small gripe to what is otherwise pure platforming perfection. The visuals are stunning to and you can tell the amount of time and love that went into making every world and galaxy feel distinct from the others. Perhaps the only part of Galaxy I didn't like as much as 64 was the soundtrack and audio, which was by no means bad or even mediocre. The soundtrack is magical and the various sound effects are all memorable and great too. Still, after beating Super Mario Galaxy I just couldn't say I liked it more than 64, even though my preference for 64 is marginal at best. I will fully concede that Mario Galaxy's gameplay and visuals are superior, and that's judging these games against the standards of when they were released. I am so, so happy I decided to replay Super Mario Galaxy and that I finally acknowledge it for being the incredible game it always was. (12/26/22) [45/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on December 27, 2022, 09:09:14 am
I thought about starting to build out my end of year stats post because I was expecting that I was burnt out for the rest of the year and wouldn't be playing anymore games... could be burn out from so much Sonic, could be burn out for just playing so many games, but honestly I think it's just that I've been so sick and so sick of being sick that I just don't want to do anything or think about anything... but I had the urge to finally start playing through the Call of Duty games because I had the idea that I'd play mindless instinctual games and that was the first thing that came to mind.  I started with Call of Duty 2, which in retrospect maybe I should've loaded up an old PS2 game first.  So I might wind up beating a handful more games because I know these shooter games can be pretty short and quick.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on December 27, 2022, 12:34:49 pm
63. Street Fighter V: Championship Edition (PS4)

I don't think I've yet to play a modern game where the shitty business practices of the modern video game industry actually diminished my enjoyment of that game. That is until I played Street Fighter V: Championship Edition (SFV:CE) which has the dishonor of being the most tainted, compromised game I've ever played. I originally bought vanilla SFV back when it first came out, but was quickly put off by the woeful lack of content in that game, which Capcom wasted no time in rectifying via copious amounts of DLC, session passes, and all kinds of other bullshit over the years. I waited patiently for the "ultimate" complete version to be released with all the content, and with SF6 just around the corner and from what I've read, it sounded like SFV:CE was that version. Except the US release wasn't that ultimate version I wanted, but rather the Japanese version supposedly was. And while the Japanese version does at least have all the characters available in it, there are about 8 stages that are still locked behind DLC for some strange reason. What's even more appalling is that 80% of this game is post release, paid DLC. I'm not even joking. Add in needing to be connected online to access most of the game, literal advertisements for the DLC during the load screen (which are way longer than they should be), and an EULA you have to agree to before even playing the game and I found myself already hating this game and Capcom before I even started one match. Still, once you finally do get to play, the game is actually pretty good overall.


SFV:CE is definitely up there in terms of some of the best gameplay in any fighting game I've ever played. It is insanely fun to play, combos and special moves are intuitive and relatively easy to execute, and the balancing is pretty great overall. There are also a decent amount of modes and unlockables, given you're connected to the internet. Audio and visuals are pretty good, but nothing mind blowing or even a huge leap above SF4. It's a real shame because I would have liked this game far more if not for how Capcom tainted so much about this game with their unapologetic greed. I still managed to like SFV:CE, but what's sad is I would have liked it a fair amount more had the whole experience not left a terrible taste in my mouth. (12/27/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on December 27, 2022, 09:33:13 pm
64. Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire (PCE CD)

Unless I'm mistaken, this is my first PC Engine review I've ever done. The TG16 and PC Engine have been a bit of an enigma my entire life, even well into my life as a collector. Up until very recently I never owned a TG16 or a PCE, but over the summer that changed when I found a Core Graphix PC Engine system which I recently coupled with a Super HD System 3 Pro, allowing me access to the entire PC Engine, TG16, Turbo Duo and PC Engine CD library. I've been in retro hog heaven since Christmas with all the amazing games for these systems which I've never played for the most part. One of the games I've been most excited about playing is one of the consoles most acclaimed and famously rare shmups, Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire, which I'll just call Sapphire for short.


Sapphire is probably one of the best looking, most visually impressive console SHMUPs from the mid 90s I've ever seen. It's almost unbelievable that this game is capable of running on a PC Engine, even with the aid of the CD technology. There is an amazing combo of sprite and 3D enemies which all very diverse. The stages are also excellent and varied as well despite there being only 5 of them. The anime cut scenes and transition screens are also cool as hell. The audio is commendable too, however I found it to be more on the generic side, but still a delight to listen to. Finally, Sapphire's gameplay is pretty damn good, especially for a shmup from this era. It has some moderate balancing issues, but the gameplay is fast, varied, and engaging from start to finish; there were very few times where I felt I was ill equipped to handle a certain area of boss regardless of what powerup I had. Overall, this shmup did not disappoint, however I'm glad I didn't have to hunt down a copy of this game given how expensive it is now. If you can play it for cheap (or free) definitely do so! (12/27/22) [36/50]
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on December 30, 2022, 06:35:11 pm
16. Silent Hill 3 || PlayStation 2 || 12.19.22

Beginning my playthrough of Silent Hill 3 (SH3) almost immediately after finishing Silent Hill 2 (SH2), I was greatly anticipating how the series would continue. Although, whether my high expectations were met, I'm unsure.

While the plot of SH was a little disjointed alongside relying a little too much on player investigation, and SH2 being treated opposite with a story-rich experience, SH3 relies upon a more plot-centric focus as a direct sequel to the debut title, although its success pales in comparison to SH2. Whereas the second installment employed the use of stunning FMV sequences, SH3 substitutes this design choice to instead rely directly upon in-engine cutscenes. That being said, the in-game graphics are impressive considering the game released in 2003, with the cutscenes being able to convey authentic emotions and facial and body movements which was probably just not quite achievable with the series predecessor. There is certainly more to be said regarding how effective this game's cutscenes are, though, which I will detail near the end of my thoughts.

Unfortunately, the series's cohesiveness suffers with SH3's introduction. It is not something of large concern as the plot is fine as a standalone title, but for those deeply analyzing the game to understand where it stands given the established lore and rationale of the town of Silent Hill, the narrative becomes a little difficult to make proper sense of. With the debut title, the origins and explanations for the monstrous projections are defined as being caused by Alessa's powers as a result of her trauma, whereas the follow-up entry forgoes that principle by establishing that Silent Hill itself has a mystique regarding it which affects troubled persons who enter it. However, SH3 backpedals to SH rules as the world surrounding Heather transforms into the franchise's iconic environment, with Silent Hill cult member Claudia also perhaps having some control as well, which can be theorized by her steadfast faith in the church's doctrine.

Throughout the game, players control Heather, a teenage girl with some connections to Silent Hill, unbeknownst to her. As the game's events begin, Heather initially avoids the realty she's faced with after meeting a few strangers with unknown motives. The three individuals include the private investigator Douglas who's tasked with tracking Heather, aforementioned Claudia who seeks to finally achieve the birth of their church's god, and Silent Hill cult leader Vincent who acts somewhat of a trickster while guiding Heather to accomplish his own goals while thwarting Claudia's. While Heather's first immediate concern is to simply return home which proves much more difficult than expected, her second goal is to enact revenge upon Claudia after experiencing a personal loss directly caused by Claudia and to prevent her goals from being achieved, as Heather slowly but steadily becomes enlightened about her past and identity.

Following the narrative as Heather, I initially did not find her to be an interesting or even likeable protagonist. Responding to the events unfolding, Heather exhibits a lot of early 2000s edgy teen angst which develops to her being more irritated than horrified. However, I realized after playing that Heather experiences an immense amount of stress and pressure. Beginning her journey afraid, unsure, and angry, she quickly pushes aside these feelings to instead become irritated as Silent Hill's monsters and physical manifestations devolve to simple annoyances. As she encounters one after another obstacle, Heather becomes a little numb to it all. On more than one occasion, Heather will just sigh while saying lines to the affect of "Oh, this again?" Truthfully, I still have a mixed stance regarding Heather, but I think that I can admit that, while the SH3's tone and protagonist choice is effective, this choice didn't quite satisfy what I was wanting from a Silent Hill title and could have perhaps been achieved better. One early instance that can demonstrate my mixed opinions appears as an act of breaking the fourth wall while building a humorous mood as it references SH2. To me, this small and optional moment is just a bit too self-aware, but perhaps it is moments like these which help the player feeling more connected to Heather.

On the topic of gameplay, SH3 felt quite unlike the previous two entries, as it takes a much firmer approach to survival horror in regards to item management and conserving resources. This shift is not necessarily a bad thing but instead just different. I can assume that the gameplay change relates to some other characteristics—mostly the story—which are lacking, alongside how the horrors of SH2 were largely executed from a psychological standpoint which is not evident of SH3. In this entry, enemies seem much more aggressive with their numbers also feeling higher. Combined with a much more limited resource pool unlikely the previous two entries, players are forced to act more strategically in deciding when to attack and when to avoid. An added strategic element added is the inclusion of beef jerky which distracts some types of enemies so that Heather may better flee. Some areas bombard the player the enemy density, so utilizing this resource is worthwhile. With gameplay in mind, I was much more inclined to avoid enemies when possible, and especially so toward the final hours. Only at the final boss did I encounter some difficulty due to my diminished inventory, though.

In both SH and SH2, the game would move away from high-stress, claustrophobic areas to moments of relative peace as town exploration opened up which allows for players to decompress. However, virtually no exploration is offered in SH3. While I can understand the reasons why this practice wasn't employed, that sense of imbalance felt more as a result of neglect rather than decided upon. At times, the game feels just a little bit more linear than previous entries, as puzzles even felt simple enough as collecting the necessary items to solve are easy to find. As players once again revisit Silent Hill, being forced to navigate throughout its streets would probably feel overdone somewhat, although I believe focusing on another portion of the town or making new exploratory changes would mitigate this problem. Established in SH, the town is quite foggy. This aspect is lessened to a degree in SH2, but, with SH3, the fog density is elevated to such a high degree in an effort to sway players from wandering about.

One aspect which SH3 absolutely accomplishes is its sense of environment that strongly conveys pain and fear. As with a lot of other aspects, there is a wide overlap of characteristics between SH and SH3, given their direct relationship. Just as in SH, the environment in SH3 becomes emboldened with blood and rust which successfully illustrates physical pain. Whether it's in plain view, requires a moment to pause to move the camera around to observe what visuals surround Heather, or even explore optional rooms and fully down dead end hallways, gruesome sights throughout the level design are genuinely horrific to view. Every so often, small details can be found which hint at Heather's origin which steadily become more and more apparent as Heather herself gains this knowledge. Whether it be an environment change or simple observation, discovering these details and the horrors Heather herself is forced to wade through is rewarding. Having released nearly 20 years ago, the graphics and environmental detail are visually striking while still holding up well today.

For some reason, I found myself struggling with camera controls with more regularity than with SH and SH2. It was certainly an issue before, but it really become a bother while playing SH3. Another annoyance which at times related to the camera was the decision for Heather to fall down holes or off the walkway to her death. While this issue may be seen as providing just a degree of more realism to the game, I personally disliked it. Admittedly, I fell to my death more than I'd like to admit; until I reached the final boss, it was the only time in any of the three games that I had even reached a game over. If while playing a player's death in a survival horror game is attributed more to their own struggles in character movement than enemy attacks, I find that to be an issue.

In regards to music and sound design, I was disappointed since I was playing the game directly after finishing SH2. In SH3, it is the first time which lyrics accompany songs, and I just don't find this change to be successful, as a whole. Circling back to SH3's cutscenes, there were certainly emotional moments which were designed to evoke a response from the player, but they were severely weakened by vocals. Compared to SH2's haunting sounds and compelling use of silence which were, at times, even more effective at inducing fear than relying on sound, I wasn't left with any lasting impression of the game's music and sound. To be fair, I think I just prefer for a title like this to rely upon instrumentals, and these design choices were perhaps the biggest complaints I have with SH3.

Overall, SH3 is a quality game. However, does it rival SH2? Perhaps to some, but I think there are certainly more negative aspects to mention with this entry than with its predecessor. I will admit, though, that I think I would have a more positive opinion with the game if playing it again, whenever or if ever that may be. I haven't started playing Silent Hill 4, but that's soon to happen.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: dhaabi on December 30, 2022, 06:44:47 pm
I'm curious what you think of SH 3. I felt like 3 was in many ways the pinnacle of the series for me in terms of pure horror gameplay and music, but not so much the story.

When analyzing Silent Hill 3 with the survival horror genre in mind, I definitely agree with the three entries I've played so far. However,  I wasn't left with a positive impression with the third entry's music and sound design; that being said, I am on record with my Silent Hill 2 thoughts that I believed that game's use of sound is perhaps unrivaled to any other game I've played before it. It's hard to compete with that opinion, and especially so when I started playing Silent Hill 3 about a day after finishing Silent Hill 2. Be that as it may, the noises which the Pendulum monsters (https://silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/Pendulum) make are absolutely terrifying, and I never once stopped to fight them because of it, so I consider its sound design to be quite accomplishing.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on December 31, 2022, 12:29:31 pm
I'm curious what you think of SH 3. I felt like 3 was in many ways the pinnacle of the series for me in terms of pure horror gameplay and music, but not so much the story.

When analyzing Silent Hill 3 with the survival horror genre in mind, I definitely agree with the three entries I've played so far. However,  I wasn't left with a positive impression with the third entry's music and sound design; that being said, I am on record with my Silent Hill 2 thoughts that I believed that game's use of sound is perhaps unrivaled to any other game I've played before it. It's hard to compete with that opinion, and especially so when I started playing Silent Hill 3 about a day after finishing Silent Hill 2. Be that as it may, the noises which the Pendulum monsters (https://silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/Pendulum) make are absolutely terrifying, and I never once stopped to fight them because of it, so I consider its sound design to be quite accomplishing.

Oh yeah absolutely, those monsters were downright terrifying to hear! The other sound aspect that gave me a lot of anxiety personally was the hyperventilating during certain nightmare segments of the game that don't go away even when you enter the pause menu  :o
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on December 31, 2022, 12:55:13 pm
Game 17 - Hades (Switch) - 29 Hours

I finished this game a while ago but am just now getting around to writing a review for it! This will likely be my final game finished in 2022, and what a game to go out on.

My experience with rouge likes/lites is pretty anemic. However, I do believe that Hades stands out as one of the best in the genre because of several key design elements that elevate this game above most of its competition. Many games of this type have very little story/no story at all, or provide a randomly generated story as a tradeoff to support the randomly generated gameplay, neither of which really provide much substance. That isn't bad per se, but Hades shows that you can indeed both have randomly generated endless gameplay in combination with a touching and well-developed narrative and characters.

This game's story centers around the relationship between Zagreus's struggles to escape from the underworld, in an attempt to rid himself of his cold, cruel and unforgiving father, Hades. The relationship between Zagreus and Hades is really well done, and proves to be very touching and emotional the more you progress in the story. The setting of Greek mythology provides a brilliant foundation for a rouge-like. The Underworld provides an ever changing maze of monsters to fight and always pulls you back in after you die, perfectly capturing an endless gameplay loop. Upgrades that you find during gameplay are provided by a colorful cast of gods and goddesses who are trying to help you escape, which allows for a lot of variety in each run while also staying very tight thematically and with the source material (of course the other gods would want you to thwart Hades!). The game has an endless supply of contextual dialogue that provides additional backstory and depth to all the characters in the game. This marriage of gameplay and story is honestly brilliant, and is my favorite aspect of the game.

Other things about the gameplay that I enjoyed were the carryover of different resources after each run that can be used to permanently upgrade Zagreus, which made failed runs feel less like a waste of time. The variety of weapons available felt just as fun to experiment with as it did in Bastion, and the sheer wealth of customization options for each makes each run feel different. The one thing that I didn't like about the gameplay was that you have to beat the game 10 times in order to finish the story. Once I beat the game a couple times, the remaining 8 runs felt a lot more tedious, particularly since you fight the same enemies and bosses each and every time. There are additional challenges and restrictions you can add to increase the difficulty, but they only went so far to really jazz up what became a little monotonous toward the end. That's really the only bad thing I have to say about this game, it was really really good, and definitely my favorite game played this year!
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on December 31, 2022, 12:55:29 pm
Game 18 - Castlevania (PS4) - 6 Hours

Well I thought Hades was going to be my last game of the year but I was able to squeeze in one more game - Castlevania through the collection on PS4.

There's no denying that Castlevania is a classic series and the first game represents a great first entry. I love the game's themes of horror, particularly in the monster and environmental design. Control wise there are definitely some design issues particularly with your inability to whip in multiple directions and getting knocked back when hit. The multiple items are available to extend your reach but it's annoying when you accidentally pick up a replacement that you didn't want. Navigating and attacking on stairs can also be clunky and oftentimes you drop straight to your death instead of climbing them.

So while it shows its age in some places, none of these problems are dealbreakers, and I still really enjoyed my time playing. It's still a stone cold classic.

Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: bikingjahuty on January 01, 2023, 11:54:03 am
I wasn't sure if I'd play any games on New Years Eve, but I ended up just going on my computer and hanging out with my wife instead. So 64 games beat for 2022 is my final total. Very happy with my progress this last year and I hope to do at least just as good in 2023.
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: ignition365 on January 02, 2023, 01:04:27 pm
Main List (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,11713.msg193710.html#msg193710)

It's the end of the year, so time to build that final stats post.

Top Games played released in 2022

Top Games played NOT released in 2022

Top Games played overall in 2022

Honorable Mention

Console breakdown
2600   -   22
X1   -   17
XS   -   16
NS   -   15
360   -   8
PC   -   5
SNES-   5
PS5   -   4
NES   -   4
GB   -   3
NDS   -   3
PSVR   -   3
Android   -   3
PS1   -   3
PSP   -   3
N64   -   3
5200   -   2
GBC   -   2
Wii U   -   2
PS2   -   2
GG   -   1
GEN   -   1
PS4   -   1
Xbox   -   1
GCN   -   1
ARC   -   1
3DS   -   1
32X   -   1
SCD   -   1

134 games total

Platform with the Most Beat Games: 2600 really demolished this year because of my game per year goal and starting all the way back at 1977.  But ignoring that X1/XS really dominated too, more than 2600 if you consider XS/X1 synonymous like I do.

Platform with the most unfinished titles: Again I didn't really keep track of abandoned games like last year, I really need to make an effort of keeping track of that somehow... but I think PC probably wins that.

Current v. Retro v. Mobile/Handheld v. PC: 56 - 57 - 16 - 5. (I am considering anything not PS4/X1/NS/PS5/XS to be "retro").  Again 2600's big numbers and my game per year goal really skewed things towards retro, but honestly, only barely.

Game that ate up the most time: Elden Ring for sure.  Between XS, PC, and Randomizer runs, I easily dumped nearly 1,000 hours in this game this year.  Honestly, probably my GOAT.

Quickest game beat: 100 frogs took all of 11 minutes to 100% complete the game, but also Seven of Heart is only like 7 levels long and probably took the same amount of time.


Game per year list
2022 Elden Ring
2021 Deathloop
2020 Demon's Souls
2019 Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
2018 Aquaventure
2017 Sonic Mania
2016 Dark Souls III
2015 Sonic Dash 2
2014 Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric
2013 Sonic: Lost World
2012 Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2
2011 Sonic Generations
2010 Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1
2009 Toradora
2008 Sonic Unleashed
2007 Sonic Rush Adventure
2006 Sonic Riders
2005 Sonic Rush
2004 MX Unleashed
2003 P.N.03
2002 Hooters Road Trip
2001 Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six
2000 Mega Man Legends 2
1999 Hot Wheels Turbo Racing
1998 Top Gear Overdrive
1997 Top Gear Rally
1996 The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire
1995 The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes
1994 3 Ninjas Kick Back
1993 The Amazing Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-Slayers
1992 The Amazing Spider-man 2
1991 Spider-man: The Video Game
1990 The Amazing Spider-man
1989 Off the Wall
1988 Contra
1987 Spy Hunter
1986 Balloon Fight
1985 Kung Fu
1984 Crystal Castles
1983 Mario Bros.
1982 Haunted House
1981 Super Breakout
1980 Maze Craze
1979 Superman
1978 Hangman
1977 Surround
Title: Re: 52 Games Challenge 2022
Post by: telly on January 05, 2023, 09:21:15 am
2022 was my lowest year yet for games beat :( I hope to come in really strong in 2023! As long as I'm playing great games I'll be happy! Anyways, here are my end of year stats!

Total Numbers
Total games played: 29
Total games finished: 18
New /replayed: 21/8
Games released in 2022: 1

Play Time
Longest game played: Persona 5 (PS4) - 135 Hours
Longest game beat: Persona 5 (PS4) - 135 Hours
Shortest game beat: Castlevania (PS4)/Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) - 6 hours

Average to finish a game: 28.26 hours - this was a significant increase from last year (19 hours) which could be part of the reason why I finished less games overall this year

Games Played per Platform
Switch: 11
PS4: 8
GameCube: 4
Wii U: 3
PS3: 1
Wii: 1
SNES: 1

Genres
RPG: 5
Arcade: 2
2D platformer: 4
3D platformer: 3
Exercise: 1
Racing: 1
Fighting: 1
Survival horror: 1
Adventure: 1
Action: 4
Action RPG: 2
Tactical RPG: 1
Simulation: 1
Puzzle: 1
FPS: 1

Developers
Nintendo: 9
Indie: 5
Sega: 2
Capcom: 2
Konami: 1
Rare: 1
Square Enix: 1
Bandai Namco: 1
Atlus: 1
Insomniac: 1
Naughty Dog: 1
Rare: 1
Lucas Arts: 1
From Software: 1
Id: 1

Top 5 Best Games Finished in 2022
1. Final Fantasy X (Switch)
2. Stardew Valley (Switch)
3. Hades (Switch)
4. Persona 5 (PS4)
5. It Takes Two (PS4)

Top 5 Worst Games Finished in 2022
1. Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3)
2. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Switch)
3. Battalion Wars (GC)
4. The Witness (PS4)
5. Mega Man Battle Network 2 (Wii U)

Only games 1-2 on the worst games list I would actually consider not great