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]

Game 21 - 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 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.

[telly]

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?

Yes I've heard a lot about them and my friends have been playing them quite a bit! I'm intending to check them out!

[kamikazekeeg]

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.

That is what stopped me from getting further into Persona 5.  Visually, musically, lots of cool stuff going on, story was interesting, I was enjoying myself enough, but I got somewhere into the 20 to 30 hour range and I was kinda feeling the grind, seeing what I was going to be doing for the rest of the game, and then I went to see what the general base time to beat it, and it said around a 100 hours on average and that was just too much for me to see continuing on.  I'll dump dozens to hundreds of hours into a game if I'm enjoying the gameplay loop enough, but if it's not pulling me in hard enough, I just won't continue on.

[dhaabi]

41. Creature Packets || PC || 11.15.24



Still browsing itch.io for games which seem worthwhile to play, I found interest in Creature Packets that's tagged as horror. After glancing over the plentiful amount of positive feedback it's received, I figured I'd try it out.

Like the other recent games I've played, Creature Packets offers a strange premise where players assume the role of an employee fulfilling orders that are created from ready-made food packets. Packets are obtained from an out-of-place vending machine in a lab-type setting where they're then blended together to form new packet types and then microwaved individually to create various live creatures including aphids, butterflies, and scorpions. It's a bizarre premise yet is one that's never explained in-game or questioned by the player-character. Nevertheless, there is a three-strike system present which results in a game over, though I imagine most players would have to willfully fail by shipping incomplete or incorrect orders in order to trigger such event.

Once a new packet type is created, it becomes a permanent option in the vending machine to select. Additionally, there isn't any reason for the player to waste time with trial-and-error experiments as recipe pages are pinned on the wall. While these aspects prevent a lot of tediousness, the game loop itself is still monotonous. In a few words, players must find the correct recipe, order the required packets, combine them to create a new packet type, order more packets to active, then complete the order once all parts are accounted for. It's a straightforward chain of events that never feels rewarding. Once the initial awe over what this sort of reality even is has passed, there is nothing else to keep the player engaged. As such, there is no strategy, problem-solving, or time management involved which severely minimizes the game's appeal and would have greatly benefited it.

Both endings—game complete and game failure—are lackluster and underdeveloped, though I can't fault the game too much as it was made in a few days. Still, players never learn the details regarding what we're doing exactly and for what purpose. For a game advertised as horror, I was expected something more aligned to the tone. In regards to the game's horror elements, the atmosphere is off-putting and perhaps creepy to some as the game takes place in a dimly-lit, backrooms-type break-room complemented by ambient sounds, but I'd argue that there's never anything even subjectively scary.

Ultimately, Creature Packets is a game that isn't developed beyond the outlandish idea that prepackaged meal packets can become creatures in some elementary school-type science experiment. I don't find fault with peculiar ideas being explored, but it's disappointing when the execution is so poor that everything becomes a chore. I'm genuinely confused at the positive reception it's garnered.

[kamikazekeeg]

28 - Death Stranding (PC 2020) - BEAT - It's not often I can track how many times I've beat a game, but currently this is the 4th time for this game and I'm still loving it.  I beat it when it first released on console, and then I doubled-dipped on the PC version.  Then when the Director's Cut came out on PS5, I beat that, and then just now, finally got around to grabbing the Director's Cut on PC, as I had some extra credit saved on Epic and with another deal for the upgrade, I practically got it free.

This game is still in my Top 20 of all times games, but is also one of the few games I can say I'd not recommend to most people.  It's one of those games where if you can't get into the gameplay loop, you will not have fun.  It's a game so focused on it's "realism", the idea of all these mechanics built into delivering items, a lot of not action going on, and I can see that as being very boring to folks, I remember a number of people originally didn't get to Episode 3, which is the ACTUAL main game, the previous area you start in being more of a warmup, but 2/3rds of the game is spent there.  It's a game where if someone says they hate it, I perfectly understand why, but for me, I just get addicted to the gameplay loop so much, I'll lose hours doing side deliveries to try and get S ranks, to build the roads, to eventually building zip line paths, all while getting into this weird ass story going on that I would have trouble explaining to people lol

There's very little I dislike about the game, anything I do have is very small and nitpicky, mostly just clunky elements to the gameplay here and there that are hopefully improved on in the sequel.

I'm even more excited for the sequel than I was before, this playthrough reminded me so much of what I love about the game and it was already one of my most anticipated games of next year alongside Monster Hunter Wilds and I really hope it can continue to be just this amazingly unique experience that no other game does.

[kashell]

81. Super Mario Party Jamboree

I had a friend visiting from out of town. I picked up this to help pass some time between hangs and work. This is actually the second time I ever played a Mario Party. The first time was on the Wii, which I didn't like one bit. I went into this thinking that it's going to be more of the same: a cheating computer and a slow gameplay loop. I was right, but it was still fun. We went through three of the four boards and played a ton of mini-games. Most of them were in enjoyable. In fact, my biggest gripe with the game was the influx of tutorials that couldn't be skipped. Seeing Toad's annoying face every three seconds explaining how video games work was not grand.

80. Captain America and The Avengers - Iron Man

This was one of the games included in the X-Men arcade cabinet. I never finished it before. By my estimate, I would have spent about 10 dollars in quarters because enemies were everywhere. It was cool learning the names of some older Marvel heroes and villains.

I had the SNES version of this.  It was next to impossible.

That tracks. I'm guessing the SNES version had limited continues, too.

[Cartagia]

Beat the remake of Dead Space this morning.  It feels the way I remember the original Dead Space playing, but other than the graphical overhaul, I don't think there was much of a reason for it to exist.  It's still nice and spooky, etc, but it didn't really change anything gameplaywise (that I recall) aside from the asteroid section and maybe a couple of puzzles.  It did make the story a bit more clear, giving Isaac a bit more agency (and actual lines!), but it's still a bit silly.  If you've never played the original, this is the way to experience it for sure, but it just didn't do quite enough to distinguish itself or justify its existence.

[dhaabi]

42. Only Humans || Browser || 11.16.24



Being advertised as a "tiny horror CAPTCHA game," Only Humans immediately caught my attention. I was quite curious how something so seemingly mundane and irritating as CAPTCHA prompts can be turned into a horror experience.

Like every CAPTCHA prompt, users are tasked with solving a series of simple tests to prove they are human. Test types vary, but Only Humans focuses specifically on visual prompts which requires users to select the correct image or images. As one would expect, the tests are normal at first but slowly become off-putting. Shortly after, individual slides may blink or prompts may slightly alter themselves, and the tests grow from ordinary to concerning. Once something objectively more unnerving becomes introduced, what's being presented quickly devolves into being more sinister. Something beyond the prompt seems to be controlling it while simultaneously guiding the player down a predetermined path without escape. At no point can the player willfully defy what they're tasked with, meaning there is only one solution and ending to achieve.

The screen shakes, panels disappear from one thing to another, and images animate themselves while seeming possessed. Even the prompts themselves taunt the player. Imagery increasingly becomes dark which is made more apparent through the game's deliberate use of AI-generated images which have been modified. At the time of the game's release, generative AI images were widely recognized as menacing and just skewed enough from reality to be disturbing. The developer's choice to take advantage of this aspect highly works in the game's favor. A small section of Only Humans is even dedicated to audio CAPTCHA prompts which is jarring—especially so if electing this alternative test type before trying anything else that's more clearly revealed through visual prompts.

Upon reaching the game's ending, I'm not sure exactly what the meaning behind the CAPTCHA is, although perhaps that's irrelevant. While progressing, players can fail prompts without game failure which was a little disappointing to see. Instead, the correct images to select become highlighted after several failed attempts to signal how to advance the specific prompt. Additionally, a dedicated button is present that highlights which specific images to select, which some players may find useful. Apart from the short audio section that's entirely optional, no audio is present throughout the game. While the visuals do enough at establishing horror, some kind of ambient sounds would have reinforced the game's message.

While its length is only a few minutes long, Only Humans offers brief but thrilling experience. I'd be curious to see how the developer takes their approach to horror in an expanded project, as I found their use of suspense commendable.

[telly]

Game 22 - Pikuniku (Switch) - 4 Hours

Such a charming and silly game. Not super long or deep, but presents a fun light puzzle-platformer with hilarious writing and tone overlaid over a story with just the right amount of seriousness. The graphics, music and controls remind me a lot of LocoRoco with the goofy physics and joyful music. There are a handful of more difficult platforming challenges but overall it's pretty simple. Just a solid overall game that I really enjoyed.

[kashell]

82. Metaphor: ReFantazio - Bad Ending

I guess I technically beat this, but it was with a bad and underwhelming ending. So, I won't give my thoughts or spill tea on it just yet. I guess it's cool that there were multiple endings, though. The real ending should be happening later today or tomorrow.