52 Games Challenge 2024!!!!!

[kamikazekeeg]

27 - Dying Light 2 (PC 2022) - BEAT - Finally got around to this game.  It had a rough launch both in optimization and content, took awhile to get a lot of updates and I think overall it's in a decent place right now.  I liked the original game quite a lot, it was fairly stand out I think, though nowadays, so many games have big movement mechanics and a lot of what Dying Light 2 isn't as good as them.  General climbing and parkour is totally fine, but it takes awhile before you feel like you are really enjoying it as you need to up your Parkour skills.  On the other hand, some stuff has a weird delay to it, it's not snappy, like the drop kick or slide, it's obnoxious because of that at times.

Combat works, but not sure I'd say it's as good as Dead Island 2.  It's also quite easy on normal depending on what you fight.  I leveled up fairly fast and had good strong weapons and it got to a point that I think the weapon I had beaten the game with, I had on me for like...hours, probably 5+ hours despite getting lots of other weapons I just didn't need which isn't the best for a looter game.  I also kinda hated the whole clothing system thing, like you can sorta pick a "class", focusing on clothes that offer certain bonuses towards a playstyle, but honestly don't feel like it was worthwhile, but maybe that was just me.  I think I remember to check what clothes I could upgrade every like 5 hours when I remembered lol

Story is solid, Aiden is a good character, Jonah Scott is great as him, particularly Scott and Rosario Dawson as Lawan are the highlight characters, with a few other standouts, but at the same time, there was some kinda weak voice acting direction for others, like sidequest types, it was more noticeable in the early game than later for some reason.  You can make story choices that I think affects the general plot, or at least who you involve yourself with to get to the next part of the story, but I'm not sure on that.

Overall, decent time, it has some issues here and there, but I would recommend it if you are someone who likes a solid open world action game to roam around in.  I think I'd say I liked Dead Island 2 more, even if it's more scaled down than Dying Light 2, but I remember having more fun with that, but this isn't bad at all.

[bikingjahuty]

48. Extreme G (N64)

I don't like to throw around the term "hidden gem" very often because of how overused and cliche its become when it comes to talking about retro games. However, I feel like Extreme G is a textbook hidden gem for the most part. While the game did get several sequels, meaning it at least sold well enough to warrant these, it seems to get left out when discussing the best racing games not just on the N64, but of that entire generation of gaming. I haven't played Extreme G in a long, long time. However, I go way back with this game, having received it for Xmas in 1997. I thoroughly enjoyed unlocking all the stages and vehicles, as well as playing some of the other modes beyond just the race mode. However, it's been at least 25-years since I last played Extreme G so I was a bit worried I'd find the game not a interesting or fun as I once did. Luckily that was not the case.


Extreme G is a very impressive game in that it shows off very cool, dynamic visuals all while maintaining a pretty high, consistent frame rate. There are so many N64 games that shit the bed when it comes to FPS, especially when there's a lot more action going on. With how chaotic this game can become and also how fast the obstacles and turns ahead come at you, you'd think this game would frequently stutter, but it holds its own almost through every stage, which there are quite a few. All of the stages have this awesome futuristic look to them which perfectly nails the aesthetic the game is going for. As for as track design, some are far better than others, but overall they're all pretty good. While racing through each stage, you'll be able to pick up power ups to use against your opponents similar to Mario Kart, and also regenerate your shields and laser gun you can use when you don't have a picked up weapon equipped. There are also a lot of branching paths in each stage which make them fresh and dynamic as you race through each one. I'm just blown away by how enjoyable and good this game still is. It's far from perfect, but for what it is, it's a very enjoyable late 90s racing game experience and one I'd highly recommend to someone looking for something in the genre a bit more fun and different. (11/10/24) [37/50]

[dhaabi]

39. The Contrarian Press || Browser || 11.10.24



While watching a video highlighting some of the top-rated games from a specific game jam, The Contrarian Press caught my attention. A lot of interesting ideas can be explored through short development time, so I was curious to see how well its gimmick was actually implemented.

In short, The Contrarian Press is a puzzle game of sorts which tasks players with censoring newspaper headlines to spread propaganda throughout fictional country Wyzkonzyn that's experiencing wartime turmoil. It's a simple job to complete, though how it's completed is dependent on the player. Players can either reinforce nationalism among readers or bolster foreign support, though a third choice which draws out the game's humor and absurdity is also an option.

For each article, publication notes along the gutter help guide players to alter headlines in the particular way to accomplish the paper's own nationalist agenda. However, players can decide whether or not to follow them or only to follow them when they see fit. The option to rewrite headlines before committing to them is available as well, so being able to explore what sort of outlandish editing options are recognized is fun even during a single playthrough. With that said, though, there are multiple endings to reach, which I found worth seeing, considering the game's short length of a few minutes. The game's itch.io page also provides a short walkthrough to reach its three endings, though I don't think players will find it difficult to obtain them naturally.

At times, the player is limited in what sort of censorship changes can be made, even when following the game's rule that only two sections of text at most may be altered. Of course, headlines need to be coherent, but the game will sometimes respond that it doesn't know what to do with that sort of proposed headline. Naturally, this is an effect from the game's short development time, though there are still more than enough possibilities to discover. On that note, headlines aren't the only thing that's made, as creative collage illustrations appear to complement each article. The walkthrough mentions how each headline prompt has 4–6 outcomes, each with their own art. This aspect in particular made altering headlines again and again amusing.

Despite its straightforward execution as a single-screen game that pans across the interface, The Contrarian Press offers a considerable amount of fun throughout its short experience. There isn't any way to fail the game no matter which ending is received. In the end, players acting as the newly-hired editor are always the winner.

[telly]

Persona 4 Golden (Switch) - 68 Hours

If you had asked me 10 years ago which Persona game was the best, I would have easily said Persona 4. Nowadays, this game has been greatly overshadowed by Persona 5, which is unfortunately better in almost every way. Combat, dialogue, story, music, menus, exploration, social links, dungeon exploration, pretty much everything. And a lot of this I don't personally feel can be attributed to the fact that Persona 4 is older. I do think that what this game has over 5, is a more grounded and relatable setting since it takes place in a smaller town. And I do think the cast of characters is more grounded and enjoyable to be around. Other than that, I was constantly wishing that many of the features in 5 were available in this game, and that definitely lessened the experience.

Another point in P4's favor is that it's half as long as P5, but the game still felt really rough with the pacing. There are hours upon hours with nothing happening in the story and no need to engage in combat which are such a slog. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't believe that the Persona games are deep enough to support over 70 hours of runtime, particularly with the social aspects. On the topic of the story, I just don't find it that enjoyable. The game is so obsessed with implementing as many plot twists with regards to the murder mystery as possible that the narrative is totally lost as a result. And the stakes/setup with the main protagonist and overall story just aren't as good as with Persona 5.

I did enjoy most of the added content from Golden, particularly the adjusted gameplay mechanics. Most of it isn't super extensive, but it did give this playthrough some additional things to experience given I had already beaten the game before, which was nice.

In summary, going back to Persona 4 after 5 was a honestly pretty rough experience, and even the quality of life improvements and added content from Golden didn't help. I still think it's a good game, but my opinion of it has diminished significantly. If you're looking to get into the series I would definitely give 5 a shot first.

[dhaabi]

Persona 4 Golden (Switch) - 68 Hours

In summary, going back to Persona 4 after 5 was a honestly pretty rough experience, and even the quality of life improvements and added content from Golden didn't help. I still think it's a good game, but my opinion of it has diminished significantly. If you're looking to get into the series I would definitely give 5 a shot first.

I'm curious how well Persona 5 will maintain its reputation once the inevitable sixth entry releases. If the series continues to improve upon each previous game, then that's only a good thing. Has Metaphor: ReFantazio or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 caught your attention?

[dhaabi]

40. The Children of Clay || PC || 11.10.24



Unexpectedly, I came across the short horror game The Children of Clay that's being promoted on itch.io's homepage that caught my attention. There's seldom much information available to really know if these types of indie game jam projects are worthwhile or not beforehand, so I kept my expectations to a minimum.

In short, players are tasked with inspecting a historical clay figure that's best described as ominous in the hopes of discovering what it is and why exactly it exists. Certain parts of this process involve directly interacting with it, although a short supply of tools is available to assist. Apart from the figure itself, the player can refer to historic journals for information-gathering which I found simple in execution yet still engaging as keywords must be typed into a field to progress the story. Other tools like a magnifying glass and compass are also present, though they're less interactive and function as expected. The game presents everything in the context of Hungarian mythologies and supernatural phenomena which also sets it apart to some degree from other games with similar subject matter.

Despite its single-screen presentation which may seem limited at first, it offers everything a player would want in this sort of compressed experience. The aspect I was most curious about is the game's use of stop-motion animation which is, admittedly, also simple and straightforward, but still welcoming to see as the clay figure is an interesting item altogether. With that said, the figure can be rotated fully in 90° intervals while serving as the main centerpiece of attention. Even though there are only four sides to inspect, it may seem like there isn't much content, but I actually did get stumped for a few minutes as I wasn't aware of the input needed on my behalf. As a horror experience, it is limited and subtle while focusing more on presentation and ambiance.

Generally, The Children of Clay is light on horror and much more puzzle-focused, although I actually preferred that balance. Ideally, I'd prefer for there to be more to navigate and deduce, but these sorts of games are almost always brief experiences. For what the game offers, it's a worthwhile experience, and I enjoyed its ending that's delivered in a satisfyingly foreboding manner.