Author Topic: 52 Games Challenge 2021  (Read 30989 times)

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #270 on: December 01, 2021, 11:37:26 am »
I beat game 156 last night to meet my supplemental goal for the year.  I don't think I'll extend that goal any further as for the entire month of November I beat maybe 3 games total and I'm just not sure how many, if any I'll beat in December either.


dhaabi

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #271 on: December 01, 2021, 04:17:12 pm »
42. PaRappa the Rapper || PlayStation || 11.30.21

As a pioneer to the rhythm genre, PaRappa the Rapper is a wonderful demonstration for early adopters to the PlayStation brand for what the console and its continued success has to offer. Having first played the game long after its debut around 2012, I quickly understood PaRappa to be something quite special.

Unlike many other rhythm games that succeeded it, PaRappa is not simply a rhythm game. Instead, it presents its music in the form of a story about titular PaRappa, a teenage dog who, over the course of the game, wishes to win the heart of his love interest Sunny Funny, a bubbly and fun flower girl. Easily, PaRappa seems to find himself in wacky situations while meeting even wackier characters, ranging from taking karate lessons to selling possessions at a flea market, in his pursuit to impress Sunny.

Set in a contemporary 1990s city, PaRappa's world is bright and eccentric while home to a variety of inhabitants, from humans to animals and anthropomorphic persons. It is a world familiar to players but, at the same time, is quite cartoon-like. While colorful, the world is simple with little to no shadows or depth, with its overall presentation looking similar to an image made in MS Paint. However, that early 90s 3D polygonal look is also present yet strongly contrasts to the characters who are fully 2D, even when viewed from a side profile.

On the topic of the gameplay itself, it is perhaps the weakest element to the game. Stages are set up in a call-and-response type fashion with PaRappa rapping in-tune with the music's flow. However, the gameplay is not that simple. While the call-and-response available, it does not guarantee success, which is especially true for later stages. At times, the player is required to experiment with inputted controls which can easily result in a spastic sound that heavily perverts the song. With a vague scoring system, PaRappa needs to maintain a Good score by the end of the final verse to clear the stage, but the vague experimentation that is sometimes necessary is by no means clear in what is acceptable or not. Fortunately, tracks are short—in addition to all sounding catchy—which allows for quick follow-up attempts. On that note, when elevating to a Cool score, PaRappa is given control to freestyle rap. I have rarely been able to reach this status, but watching videos online of others doing illustrates again how unsteady and broken freestyling is.

While not a perfect game, PaRappa the Rapper is one that I imagine many consider to be recognized positively for its entire presentation and its accomplishments. With the actual gameplay not being consistent and reliable in terms of how scoring functions, it may seem unusual to still consider PaRappa a fantastic title. The game's success is highly supported by its style and music that I'm sure many here would enjoy.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 08:26:46 pm by dhaabi »

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #272 on: December 02, 2021, 07:38:58 pm »
21. Gears of War 2 (360) 11/28
 
I'm hoping to get one more in before the end of the year here, but its a big one so well see.

dhaabi

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #273 on: December 02, 2021, 07:51:30 pm »
43. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope || PlayStation 4 || 12.01.21

As the second formal entry of Supermassive Games' anthology series, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope continues the line of gameplay elements, themes, and tropes that its predecessor Man of Medan and earlier studio title Until Dawn established as an interactive adventure game.

Taking place in another modern day setting, the game revolves around a group of individuals surviving a bus accident in the late hours. Seeking refuge, their only means to success is to travel through the desolate town of Little Hope, which has been abandoned some decades ago. However, they soon realize that there is more to this town than meets the eye, as a mysterious fog prevails them from turning away from town while deadly forces and past demons pursue them. With the town of Little Hope's history steeped rich in history regarding witch trials of the late 17th century, the cast repeatedly comes in contact with these haunting moments of the past face-to-face.

Unlike Man of Medan which featured a cast with little personality, character development, or group interaction, Little Hope tackles these issues directly by improving upon these faults to various degrees. Gameplay feels much more balanced with cutscenes appearing regularly that showcase how each character and the group altogether address their immediate problems. As far as its narrative, the story is more interesting as more detail is given, the pacing has been improved, and the forces to overcome are more threatening. As far as quality-of-life improvements, the fixed camera positions of Man of Medan have been replaced with player camera control, which allows for improved exploration throughout a more fulfilling environment. This last change is not necessarily good or bad, but its execution was successful and better suited for Little Hope.

On the other hand, in my one playthrough, I did find negativity in how decision-making affects the outcomes of characters. While it can be praised that player choices have a huge weight regarding how later events unfold, it can not be overlooked how the endgame seems to wholly rely on the player having not only made specific choices prior but to play the entire story a certain way. During the final scene, I had no control over some characters and how they handled their threats—instead, their fates simply happened on their own as a result of these characters not having reached certain character traits. I did not enjoy this aspect, as I feel as if the player should be able to make the decisions they are wanting to make while having to confront whatever possible outcomes, however difficult they may or may not be, on their own and not be sentenced to an automatic fate.

Admittedly, fans of the series have polarizing opinions regarding this title largely relating to the ending and the variety in final character outcomes. Nevertheless, I am one who greatly enjoyed my time playing and understand the story's conclusion differently than some and not at face value which some others choose to believe. Overall, I find Little Hope to be more successful as a follow-up title.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 08:26:00 pm by dhaabi »

dhaabi

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #274 on: December 03, 2021, 09:01:18 pm »
44. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes || PlayStation 5 || 12.02.21

As the third title in Supermassive Game's horror anthology series, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes should, by now, be something fans are familiar with while knowing what to expect. By far and large, the established mechanics and trends return.

Honestly, I remember watching the initial teaser trailer for this entry when it was shown in 2020, and I was not at all interested in the plot. A story about the U.S. military invasion of Iraq set in 2003? I don't know.... However, the story in House of Ashes was much better than I expected, as the entry removes itself from the psychological horror aspects presented in the former two entries and Until Dawn and instead delves into supernatural horror. Trapped underground in unknown territory, both U.S. and Iraqi forces must survive by working together to overcome their shared adversaries. As the narrative reminds us time and time again, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Remaining true to feature a playable cast of five, House of Ashes also reserves plenty of screen time for NPCs that are crucial for plot development which was a nice addition. With the extended cast, so many different types of characters were designed that showcase their varying methods in not only handling their immediate danger but also handling the war at-large. In particular, two members of the main cast see tremendous growth in their stories as the largely interact with one another. On the other hand, the remaining three members and their stories focus on a failing marriage and love affair. There are some other issues touched upon with these three characters, but the attention is given to this aspect which is something I found disappointing. Knowing this to be a life-or-death situation, I would have rather seen these characters face a different direction for the writing to have taken.

Having seen extensive gameplay of roughly four separate shared playthroughs prior to my solo playthrough, I can say confidently that the game excels in how character traits and relationships were built as this is, by far, the most successful entry in the series to rely upon these mechanics and how they relate to character outcomes. Having never seen a shared experience before for previous series entries, the weight in player decisions was paramount in a solo playthrough compared to a shared one which I believe is a development decision made right and have read that has been improved for this entry. When reading a developer Q&A segment, I learned that over 60 deaths for the main cast were implemented which shows the depth and changes the narrative offers.

After playing through each of the three available anthology entries to date, I'm definitely looking forward to what future entries offer. A teaser for the fourth entry was shown, and the content has again shifted to focus on body horror/escape horror similar to the Saw movie franchise. Going back to that developer Q&A, it was said that the team has identified 30 unique horror sub-genres that they can pull from for ideas. At the same time, they are more than interested in growing beyond the originally-planned eight entry anthology if consumer interest remains high. Building off of player feedback and growing more comfortable with what their series exists as, Supermassive Games continues to publish quality titles that horror fans of any genre will love.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2021, 12:15:44 pm by dhaabi »

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #275 on: December 09, 2021, 02:54:31 am »

I definitely had my doubts as to whether I'd make 52, but I did it yet again this year! Not only that, but I feel like my 52 is very appropriate for setting me up for my plan next year to replay a bunch of games I've played and beat before, but not for a long time. This is also true of Pokemon Red Version, which despite my lifelong love of the franchise I haven't actually beat since the Pokemon hype of the late 90s.
 
52. Pokemon Red Version (Gameboy)


Where it all began for me. I was in 6th grade when Pokemon came out in the US and I was among the first people to start playing it at my middle school after a friend had successfully got me hyped about it while he was playing it. We used to play our games constantly, trade Pokemon and battle at lunch, and of course watched the cartoon every morning before school and discuss it in the hallway before class started. When Pokemon's popularity did explode in the west I was front and center for it. While playing this game back then, I also became OBSESSED with the trading card game, watched the anime religiously, and got my hands on any and all Pokemon merchandise I could get my hands on. It was an awesome time to be alive. For whatever reason though I never remembered Pokemon Red being one of my favorite games of all time despite it being my gateway drug into Pokemon back in the day. After replaying it for the first time in 22-years I kind of understand why. Make no mistake, the game is fun as hell as you journey from town to town, getting gym badges, battling trainers, and of course, catching Pokemon. The narrative and story is very basic, but it hardly matters as all you want to do is catch more Pokemon and beef up your favorites so they evolve and become stronger. Just like back then and later on when I've played most other main Pokemon installment I became addicted to this fairly simple gameplay. Sadly, there are very frustrating aspects to the gameplay such as the limited and some times very inconvenient item and Pokemon storage management system. On top of that some of the dungeons/caves in this game are the definition of annoying and tedious as you'll barely be able to walk 4 steps before another random Pokemon encounter. Likewise, there are various other gripes I have with this game, albeit minor ones. This game was really the template that set up the best generation of Pokemon (gen 2), as well as a foundation that the franchise still follows to this day. Beyond just my enjoyment of the game, it actually inspired me to get heavily back into Pokemon like I used to be when I was 12. I just wanted to go through my Pokemon cards and buy new ones, I started watching the anime again, and while I'm still debating it, I may play Gold version next. This game really sucks you into this franchise. While some of Pokemon Red's gameplay is undeniably outdated and tedious, it's still a very fun RPG on the Gameboy and at least for me a massive hit of nostalgia involving simpler times. (12/9/21) [37/50]

dhaabi

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #276 on: December 13, 2021, 05:59:45 pm »
45. South Park: The Stick of Truth || PlayStation 4 || 12.10.21

Well, South Park: The Stick of Truth is definitely a game I had no expectations to play. As someone who is not all too familiar with the South Park TV series but has seen a fair amount of its content in recent years, I still wouldn't really consider myself as a fan and definitely not an avid viewer. That being said, it's a show I can watch for some degree of entertainment, which led me to accept playing the game when someone else wanted to watch me play through it.

Laced with adult humor, South Park is probably a franchise that many will, at the very least, be somewhat familiar with and its brand of content and the tones it takes, with The Stick of Truth being no different as the show creators worked directly on the project. Despite relying upon a new medium, the format and direction of the franchise easily adapt into being a game. More or less, The Stick of Truth can be thought of as an extended series of episodes with gameplay elements interlaced between story segments. Throughout the game, the dozens if not hundreds of references to the show's extensive history are littered about which makes it feel as if this game's narrative fits right in with the show's lore.

Relying on RPG mechanics, The Stick of Truth certainly is designed around a casual play experience. By adopting a lower difficulty threshold with fewer challenges, the game allows for all fans of the show—no matter if they're opposed to traditional RPGs or if they don't typically play games—to experience this new story. With a detailed environment, the game offers an effective means of exploration that allows for players to actually feel as if they're experiencing what it's like to be as a resident of South Park. In a sense, the focus of the game is on simply exploring the environment in what is arguably the first worthy game adaption to the series. Instead of fetch quests that many RPGs tend to utilize, most of The Stick of Truth's quests task you with gaining entrance to new parts of town after unlocking abilities and story sequences.

Taking the role as the new kid in town who embodies the silent protagonist trope, the player-character is immediately thrust into the make-believe war the main cast has begun. With the story elements referencing both Lord of the Rings and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, The Stick of Truth effectively spoofs on both as it adopts itself into a turn-based action RPG. With four classes to choose alongside a two-person battle system, the gameplay is fulfilling and fun. Without a doubt, there are plenty of side quests to accomplish and collectibles to gather. Throughout the game, there are dozens of equipment and accessory items to collect, and a big focus is on constantly updating one's current wear. Generous with items of all kind, the core gameplay is not focused on character development or progression but instead to enjoy the setting and story for what it has to offer.

As a final note, The Stick of Truth is not going to be a game that just anyone can play, even if they're a fan of the RPG genre. However, I believe that any fan of the show would absolutely enjoy the game as a new medium instead of the typical TV viewing experience. I really don't think there is any in-between on the matter, unfortunately.

tripredacus

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #277 on: December 20, 2021, 10:48:31 am »
It has been two months but I have finally (The last game I had played before this was on 9/28 when I beat Banner Saga) completed a playthrough of Europa Universalis IV! Easily the most complicated game I have ever played. I knew this was going to be a possibility, as I had once tried to play Europa Universalis III years ago.

Some may consider this game to be of the "endless" variety, and indeed you can technically play a single scenario forever. However I had determined that there was a victory screen, as the game will show this screen when you get to January 1821. I had used the random country selector and had gone through around 15 different countries before I managed to figure some things out. I'm still not an expert in the slightest. I may have been able to complete this sooner as I had managed to get into the late 1600s using Oirat but that save got nuked when the game updated.

In the end I ran this on "Very Easy" as the aggression of CPU players on Normal is at a level where you need to have a good build order down in order to make it past a year from the start. Game start was the default 1444. Ironman disabled, no achievements yet in Epic.

This run that I managed to survive I was only able to complete just under half of the goals. The country was Brandenberg and for the last 200 years I was Emperor of the HRE and Papal controller twice including at the end of the game. This playthrough I had come up with some sort of system to generating ducats without being in debt constantly or having 60 loans. There is a breakpoint in the game when you can generate enough money to never worry about it again and always keep army at full maintenance. I think with this I was getting over 30/month with max maintenance, and if I lowered it it would be double.

The Epic launcher says I had 92 hours played. Here is the victory screen:

kashell

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #278 on: December 22, 2021, 11:37:14 am »
It was a great year for games. Here's what I finished. I had this post on an RPG forum hence the separation.

RPG:
1. Azure Dreams - Game Boy Color
2. Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
3. Chocobo's Dungeon 2
4. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
5. The Banner Saga
6. SaGa Frontier 2
7. Langrisser I - H Route
8. Langrisser II - B Route
9. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
10. Unlimited Saga - Kurt
11. Unlimited Saga - Laura
12. Unlimited Saga - Judy
13. SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions - Urpina
14. Zanki Zero: Last Beginning
15. Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
16. Adventures of Mana - platinum'd
17. Brigandine: Legend of Runersia - Eliza Uzala
18. Final Fantasy IX
19. Poison Control - platinum'd
20. Final Fantasy VI - PlayStation/Final Fantasy Anthology version
21. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Lute
22. SaGa Frontier Remastered - T260G
23. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Red
24. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Riki
25. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Blue
26. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
27. Live A Live
28. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Emilia
29. Dragon Quest VIII - 3DS version
30. Legend of Mana Remastered
31. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Asellus
32. Tales of Arise - platinum'd
33. Ys I - Ys I & II Chronicles Version
34. Breath of Fire IV
35. Mary Skelter 2
36. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
37. Blue Reflection: Second Light
38. Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi

Non-RPG:
1. Mega Man Powered Up
2. Mega Man X
3. Mega Man 8 - PlayStation version
4. Mighty Gunvolt Burst
5. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - bad ending
7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - true ending
8. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Richter playthrough
9. Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood - Shizumaru Hisame
10. Samurai Shodown II - Ukyo Tachibana
11. Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge - Shizumaru Hisame
12. Samurai Shodown V - Shizumaru Hisame
13. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
14. Samurai Shodown V Special - Shizumaru Hisame
15. Tail Concerto
16. New Samurai Shodown - Shizumaru Hisame
17. Call of Cthulhu
18. New Samurai Shodown - Basara
19. New Samurai Shodown - Sogetsu Kazama
20. Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X - X
21. Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
22. New Samurai Shodown - Baiken
23. The House in Fata Morgana
24. Castlevania
25. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
26. The Castlevania Adventure
27. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
28. Castlevania: Bloodlines - John Morris
29. Mega Man X4 - Saturn Version - Zero
30. Mega Man X4 - PlayStation Version - X

Dropped:
1. Rabi Ribi
2. Knights in the Nightmare - DS version
3. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
4. Hades

Demos:
1. Fallen Legion: Revenants
2. Project Triangle Strategy
3. Tales of Arise

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #279 on: December 23, 2021, 12:54:14 am »
I'm trying to squeak out one more game before the end of the year, maybe two if shit with work would slow down a little lol

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #280 on: December 23, 2021, 01:41:33 am »
Another low year for me, just not a whole lot for me to play in particular, though I have a few things on the backlog at this point that'll start my year off.  I'll probably only finish Skyward Sword HD last, mostly so I can jump into Link's Awakening next month.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2021, 01:45:32 am by kamikazekeeg »

dhaabi

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #281 on: December 23, 2021, 05:56:24 pm »
46. Hexceed || Nintendo Switch || 12.20.21

Now, Minesweeper is a game that I'm sure many here have at least played once. Personally, I enjoy Minesweeper a lot, but it has been many years since I've last played it or any other similar logic puzzle game. That is, until I decided to play Hexceed.

By far and large, Hexceed surpasses Minesweeper throughout its gameplay. Like Minesweeper, the end goal is to identify which tiles are safe and unsafe. Requiring some minor critical thinking ability, Hexceed takes the principles from its inspiration and expands upon them foremost by being played with hexagonal tiles as opposed to square tiles while adding several new mechanics required to solve. Various rules and gameplay elements help diversity the traditional formula across stages and even throughout segments of each stages, at times.

As opposed to being fairly straight-forward, Hexceed requires more attention than one would think due to evolving gameplay elements. Early on, the game is simple and much like Minesweeper but with different shapes. Soon, though, new mechanics such as barriers that separate tiles from another and tiles that indicate how any unsafe tiles reside within a free-form zone or even a straight line are introduced. All of these elements exist across a level plane that is also free-form, unlike Minesweeper which takes place across a rectangular playing field. That being said, the rules apply across the entire playing field with indicator tiles even being able to expand across multiple different planes as long as they're within the tile's vicinity.

All this said, Hexceed has an organic progression in the challenge it presents. As new mechanics are slowly introduced, the levels ramp up in difficulty and larger playing fields are seen. Some stages require deeper problem-solving in their final tiles to clear, such as the player needing to understand which scenarios can and cannot be possible after playing out possible scenarios. However, Hexceed is not always as unforgiving as Minesweeper is. By default, clicking in error is a general warning, with subsequent clicks negating the last 7-8 solved tiles each time. While this is the default setting, it can be toggled off so that one error results in failure with the stage needing to be retried in full. My entire experience was of the former, which allowed for a more relaxing and casual experience. On many occasions, I could zone out while instinctively recognizing patterns while the game provided that feeling needing to solve "just one more stage" as lo-fi music provided background sounds.

Of course, Hexceed is not a perfect game, although my faults with it are generally minor. The last section of 36 stages were not as enjoyable to me as they felt much more gimmicky in nature, such as playing fields being purposefully shaped to represent something's likeness. However, the entire 472 stages I played were entirely free, so I cannot fault this aspect very much. Throughout each stage's end animation, there was considerable lag most of the time. While there is an option to turn off such animation entirely, I liked the animation when it transitioned smoothly; but that there was lag to this degree during these parts was surprising, as the game is not information-heavy. My final, and definitely biggest, problem was positioning the pointer from tile to tile. Sometimes, the pointer would move slowly, and other times not be steady enough to make a click. The problem frequently caused me to make errors. I'm sure that this problem was entirely due to Joy-Con drift, but I still do wonder if the game was at fault for it to some degree too.

As a free game, the core experience of 472 free stages is fantastic for those enjoying logic puzzle games. The developers have already set in motion for 12 additional sections being offered over the course of 12 months, which introduced in total over 1,000 stages and four new mechanics such as rotating tiles being added. I am interested in the bundle altogether, but I don't think that I will make that end purchase (at least for now.) If you ever enjoyed playing Minesweeper or are a fan of logic puzzle games, I highly recommend playing Hexceed as so much of the game's content is outright free.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2021, 04:40:55 pm by dhaabi »

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #282 on: December 23, 2021, 10:06:33 pm »
53. Cuphead (PC)

I've wanted to play this game for a very long time and when it went on sale on GOG I decided I'd waited long enough. TO be honest, I was hoping for a physical release, but for under $10 I figured why wait any longer. But anhow, Cuphead! This game was actually better than I thought it would be and I already imagined it would be awesome going into it. Let's address what everyone already knows; the graphics and art are incredible! Even though this is a 2D action game made in the late 2010s the art is incredible and better looking that most other 2D games ever made. The audio is also pretty good apart from a few songs that seemed like they were trying too hard to sound like they are from the 30s. But found effects, voice acting, and all the crackles and pops you'd here in old cartoons from the 30s and 40s were all present; this game absolutely looks and sounds like an old cartoon. The gameplay was also great, however certain parts of the game were better than others. The best parts were definitely the boss battles. With the exception of a few battles, the boss fights were the absolute highlight of this game. They were fun, fair, and the perfect amount of difficult, again, for the most part. Sadly I didn't enjoy the platforming stages that much, and they definitely felt lacking in design compared to the aforementioned boss fights. Unfortunately another aspect of this game that I felt wasn't up to par were the SHMUP boss fights. Some were great, other were meh, and a few were just flat out annoying. Despite these minor shortcomings, Cuphead is definitely one of the best games I've played all year, and if this is my last game of 2021 it would definitely be one hell of a note to go out on. (12/23/21) [40/50]

dhaabi

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #283 on: December 24, 2021, 05:39:38 pm »
47. South Park: The Fractured but Whole || PlayStation 4 || 12.21.21

Well, the same person wanting me to play South Park: The Stick of Truth also really wanted me to play South Park: The Fractured but Whole, so I did. While not having plans to even play the first game, I was not expecting to play its sequel so soon. That being said, I'm glad I did.

Unlike its predecessor, The Fractured but Whole explores much more recent series content that I have seen a fair amount of before. With its story picking up immediately right after The Stick of Truth, The Fractured but Whole's narrative sees the cast of South Park moving away from games of medieval warfare to those of a superhero war to see which team can reign supreme to ensure a successful yet convoluted franchise web. On that note, the game vastly overshadows its predecessor in terms of gameplay, difficulty, and plot.

Revisiting its RPG gameplay from before, The Fractured but Whole features a new battle system alongside class customization that allows the player to create the player-character ideal to their preferred means of gameplay. With battles now taking place on a grid and featuring up to five allies on screen at once, the element of strategy is explored with action QTE sequences remaining. With that in mind, characters each have a limited moveset to traverse the playing field alongside skills having specific directions to which they have effect over much like many other games in the tactical RPG sub-genre. Relying on superpowers for their abilities, The Fractured but Whole excels is providing varied attacks, buffs, and debuffs that align to characters' specific classes.

Apart from battle mechanics, The Fractured but Whole is much like The Stick of Truth. Town exploration and interacting with townspeople is still heavily emphasized. Both of these ideas rely upon unlocking new abilities on an individual level and with a partner at-hand. However, the biggest non-battle element added to the game is its crafting system. While there isn't much depth to it, crafting items is routine but not entirely necessary despite some instances relating to the narrative. While I largely avoided using playable items in battle, crafting is the go-to source for collecting them. While purchasing items is possible, money is more scarce now with costs being much higher. Despite which route one takes, money is never an issue even for those seeking to buy everything. More than enough items will be collected to sell later for a high profit.

As someone who is not interested in superhero franchises in the slightest, The Fractured but Whole offers the right tropes to laugh at from both fans and non-fans alike. As a tactical RPG, the game does present difficulty for those unfamiliar to the genre or are looking for a more casual experience. And, while its depth in the genre isn't anything to boast about, it offers enough aspects from it while utilizing them successfully to present a fun experience. With an expanded story that is connected much more efficiently and diversely than its predecessor, The Fractured but Whole offers a lot of enjoyment for fans. And, yes, I will always feel silly when talking about a game titled The Fractured but Whole.

Re: 52 Games Challenge 2021
« Reply #284 on: December 27, 2021, 02:06:27 am »
54. Final Fight 3 (SNES)

A long time ago I found this game at a game store miss priced significantly. It was clear they thought this was the first Final Fight and I ended up picking this game up for $5 or something like that. Fast forward years later and I was unfortunately forced to sell a large part of my collection including some trophy games, one of which was Final Fight 3. I was sad I never played it when it ended up selling on ebay to some unknown gamer. However, I finally did play through Final Fight 3 tonight and good lord, I really was not missing out on much and surely the money I made from this supposed gem was way more worth it in the end.


Final Fight 3 is a very flawed, somewhat lazy beat em' up that is noticeably inferior to its previous two installments. Being the third game I'd expect this game to be better and more refined than the first and the second Final Fight game, but it was quite the opposite. Beat em' ups are not paragons on deep gameplay and they never have been, but between the extremely cheap bosses, too much enemy recycling, ineffective and infrequent weapons, and poorly implemented supers, the gameplay felt just as annoying as it did fun while I played through it. Worse than the gameplay was the music in this game which surprised me; Capcom made some incredibly good OSTs around the time Final Fight 3 was developed, including the first two games in the series. There is a particularly terrible track that plays often through the game that has a high pitched shrieking tone in it that even my wife commented in while I played this game. Final Fight 3's best quality is definitely its presentation, especially the stage presentation which is pretty good and varied overall. Enemies are recycled just like in most beat em' ups, but I felt like Final Fight 3 lacked variety even as a beat em up. One of the bosses is even recycled albeit with a final alteration to make you think its a different boss. There are also cool cut scenes between some of the stages to in order to deliver a very unremarkable, generic story. Final Fight 3 was certainly a disappointment to say the least; I've always been a Streets of Rage guy, but I still love the first Final Fight and this just feels like a very watered down, inferior version of that game. (12/26/21) [26/50]