Games Completed 2019

[Jobobonobo]

11/05 Banjo Tooie

DK64, Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie back to back with all trinkets collected. I think I need a 3D platformer break before I tackle Nuts and Bolts but I throughly enjoyed the Banjo games. Tooie was an easier game to play but figuring out the tricks to get all the Jiggies was mentally taxing. Starting to see why Rare games were held in high regard.

Easier in relation to what? If it is compared to DK64 then definitely if only because the sheer amount of items to collect is far smaller than that game. I personally find Kazooie to be much easier with the exception of Rusty Bucket Bay and some bits of Clanker's Cavern. But yeah, the Banjo games are wonderful little adventures. And I second Leon on Nuts and Bolts being a very different beast from the N64 games. So if you want something different from running and jumping then this could be a good title to get into. Be interested to hear your thoughts on that one as it is definitely quite a divisive title for many.

[Pitwar]

27th Jan - Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (Switch)
1st Feb - New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (Switch)
9th Mar - Crackdown 3 (Xbox One X)
12th May - God Of War '18 (PS4 Pro)

I started the latest God of War when it came out last April and at the time it didn't click, even though I've played and enjoyed every game in the series.

I thought I'd go back to it this weekend and played it pretty much nonstop until I finished I the main story portion of the game, and what a game it is too, but I don't need to tell you all that.

I think I should go back and finish Horizon Zero Dawn next, but I may have to start that again due to the huge amount of time that's passed between me last playing it and now.

[Scrustle]

Spoiler: show

25/01 - Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
31/01 - Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas
01/02 - SOMA (Safe Mode)
09/02 - Shadow Warrior
18/02 - Mulaka
26/02 - NieR: Automata - 3C3C1D119440927 DLC
02/03 - Race Driver: GRID
04/03 - Bladed Fury
10/03 - Devil May Cry 5 (Devil Hunter)
13/03 - AER: Memories of Old
17/03 - Devil May Cry 5 (Son of Sparda)
20/03 - Devil May Cry 5 (Human)
05/04 - God of War III Remastered
12/04 - Devil May Cry 5 (Dante Must Die)
14/04 - Journey
15/04 - ABZU
22/04 - Journey
28/04 - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Colonies Edition
30/04 - Dangerous Driving
02/05 - Final Fantasy XV - Episode Gladiolus/Episode Prompto/Episode Ignis

12/05 - The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition

After many attempts at this game I finally managed to crack it. This is probably my fourth attempt, or something like that. The furthest I had previously got was reaching the second chapter, but not actually progressing in it at all. So this was a long time coming.

Honestly, for a game that has been a black mark on my backlog for so long, I'm left without much to say. I don't really have any strong feelings on it. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't blown away in any respect. As I mentioned in another thread the other day, I think it's because of having played The Witcher 3 first. Or at least having played that before I really managed to stick with this one properly. The whole time playing I couldn't stop thinking about how 3 does everything better. Despite being a much bigger game, it somehow manages to feel more coherent and focused, telling a more compelling story much more effectively, with far better realised characters. As well as all the mechanical and technological improvements of course.

I suppose in a way 2 feels like a stepping stone to 3. Before this I had somewhat felt that the previous games in this series might not have been getting the credit they deserve. People on the internet fawn over 3 a lot, and usually only 3, as that's the one that managed to capture such a wider audience. Felt like perhaps that was maybe ignoring the previous games simply because they weren't as widely played, and not because they didn't have the same level of quality to them. But now I have to agree that 3 is something exceptional. 2 is definitely far from bad, but it just can't compare to its successor. As for the first game, I have played it, but also not gotten very far in it. I have heard that it actually had better writing than 2, but still, I don't think it can really hold a candle to what CD Projekt achieved with 3. It's such a different type of game too.

[Simonsloth]

11/05 Banjo Tooie

DK64, Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie back to back with all trinkets collected. I think I need a 3D platformer break before I tackle Nuts and Bolts but I throughly enjoyed the Banjo games. Tooie was an easier game to play but figuring out the tricks to get all the Jiggies was mentally taxing. Starting to see why Rare games were held in high regard.

Easier in relation to what? If it is compared to DK64 then definitely if only because the sheer amount of items to collect is far smaller than that game. I personally find Kazooie to be much easier with the exception of Rusty Bucket Bay and some bits of Clanker's Cavern. But yeah, the Banjo games are wonderful little adventures. And I second Leon on Nuts and Bolts being a very different beast from the N64 games. So if you want something different from running and jumping then this could be a good title to get into. Be interested to hear your thoughts on that one as it is definitely quite a divisive title for many.

It seemed to be that each game in the order I played them (Dk64-Kazooie-Tooie) was (at least to me) easier.

DK64 was hard because it controls poorly compared to the 360 enhanced Banjo games I played and some of the mini games were stupidly difficult. I also made it hard for myself using a cheap classic controller plugged into my WiiU wiimote.

Kazooie’s difficulty spikes were click clock wood, rusty bucket bay, quiz and final boss. I finished both the quiz and the final boss with one honeycomb with sweat beading my brow!

Tooie didn’t really have any hard bits to me gameplay wise and struck me as one part puzzle game, one part platformer whereas the others were heavier on the gameplay. I seemed to get lucky with the infamous race with the bird. After DK64 I did a google search on hardest bits in Banjo Kazooie so I was prepared for the worst parts. There was nothing in Tooie like the race through the boat to the Jiggie stuck behind the boat rotor blades in rusty bucket bay for example.

Perhaps it’s a a case of me getting incrementally better with each game and getting into the mindsight of the developers. I did play Star Fox Adventures end of last year too so I’m in the Rare zone right now.

Maybe I will give Nuts and Bolts a whirl now.

[MajorGamer]

Spoiler: show

Jan 2 - War for the Overworld (PC)
Jan 13 - Pyre (PC)
Jan 16 - Heroes of Hammerwatch (PC)
Jan 17 - Mega Man 11 (Switch)
Jan 20 - ReThink | Evolved (PC)
Jan 20 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)
Jan 22 - Ruzar - The Life Stone (PC)
Jan 27 - After Death (PC)
Feb 6 - Vikings - Wolves of Midgard (PC)
Feb 21 - Loyalty and Blood: Viktor Origins (PC)

Feb 27 - Book of Demons (PC)
Mar 4 - Vaporum (PC)
Mar 5 - Frost (Switch)
Mar 9 - DarkMaus (PC)
Mar 10 - Octopath Traveler (Switch)
Mar 31 - Final Fantasy X (PC)
Apr 5 - Treasure Adventure World (PC)
Apr 15 - Greedy Guns (PC)
Apr 23 - ChromaGun (PC)
Apr 27 - The Quest (PC)

May 1 - Skautfold: Usurper (PC)

A Dark Souls inspired 2D action/platformer/RPG. You probably know everything to expect from that description alone. It does have a rather unique system going for it. Instead of blocking, you have a focus meter. Taking hits removes from this meter first before eating into your health. It also doubles as your stamina meter. You are never stopped from attacking or rolling (a successful dodge also restores some of it) but this meter can go negative which causes the regeneration to slow down greatly. It could create a nice offense/defense back and forth for you. I say could because the game is on the easier side of things so going 100% offense and dodging attacks is more than enough to get through. It helps that as long as you have 2 HP or more, an attack can't kill you, always bringing you to 1 HP before you can take that fatal hit.

May 7 - Alwa's Awakening (PC)

An 8-bit metroidvania that could very well have been on the NES. It has a few nifty power-ups that work its way into the combat and puzzles well. There are side collectibles that let you get in extra damage to the bosses before the fight starts so it is a nice little bonus for exploring. Overall a pretty nice game.

[Jobobonobo]

It seemed to be that each game in the order I played them (Dk64-Kazooie-Tooie) was (at least to me) easier.

DK64 was hard because it controls poorly compared to the 360 enhanced Banjo games I played and some of the mini games were stupidly difficult. I also made it hard for myself using a cheap classic controller plugged into my WiiU wiimote.

Kazooie’s difficulty spikes were click clock wood, rusty bucket bay, quiz and final boss. I finished both the quiz and the final boss with one honeycomb with sweat beading my brow!

Tooie didn’t really have any hard bits to me gameplay wise and struck me as one part puzzle game, one part platformer whereas the others were heavier on the gameplay. I seemed to get lucky with the infamous race with the bird. After DK64 I did a google search on hardest bits in Banjo Kazooie so I was prepared for the worst parts. There was nothing in Tooie like the race through the boat to the Jiggie stuck behind the boat rotor blades in rusty bucket bay for example.

Perhaps it’s a a case of me getting incrementally better with each game and getting into the mindsight of the developers. I did play Star Fox Adventures end of last year too so I’m in the Rare zone right now.

Maybe I will give Nuts and Bolts a whirl now.

Well if you beat Canary Mary with no problems then the rest of Tooie is not so difficult. Definitely nothing as stress inducing as the propeller jiggy in Rusty Bucket Bay. When I originally played Tooie I had no experience with first person shooters so the HAG 1 used to give me real problems so I always found it to be the hardest of the two.

Also might have been a blessing that you tackled DK64 first as it definitely gets better from there and it did not frighten you off 3D platformers as it has done for so many. Heavily agree with you that it is the hardest of the three. Times where I was screaming at my telly with some of the nonsense that game pulled

[Magical_Isopod]

I beat Ys VIII today. In-game clock is close to 50 hours, which is accurate to the HLTB estimate.

I gotta say, freaking phenomenal game. When it comes to JRPGs, I have this weird love/hate relationship - I LOVE the really good ones, but I have disdain for the ones that meander around for hours (Persona series) and think an RPG with no story is somehow a good idea (Star Ocean).

Retroactively, it's *probably* my GOTY 2016, but comparing a long-winded fantasy RPG with a heart of gold to *DOOM* is kind of a pointless endeavour, they are very different animals.

But yeah. Highly recommend this one. It's definitely not just another JRPG - it's definitely something very special.

[duskvstweak]

I beat Ys VIII today. In-game clock is close to 50 hours, which is accurate to the HLTB estimate.

I gotta say, freaking phenomenal game. When it comes to JRPGs, I have this weird love/hate relationship - I LOVE the really good ones, but I have disdain for the ones that meander around for hours (Persona series) and think an RPG with no story is somehow a good idea (Star Ocean).

Retroactively, it's *probably* my GOTY 2016, but comparing a long-winded fantasy RPG with a heart of gold to *DOOM* is kind of a pointless endeavour, they are very different animals.

But yeah. Highly recommend this one. It's definitely not just another JRPG - it's definitely something very special.

What did you play this on? I wanted to grab this on the PC but, last I checked, that port was still a problem.

[Magical_Isopod]

I played the PS4 version. Can't comment on the quality of the PC port, sadly.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Starlink :Battle for Atlas - PS4.
(Jan) Far Cry 5 - PS4.
(Jan) Resident Evil 2(2019) - PS4.
(Jan) Shadow of the Tomb Raider - XB1X.
(Feb) Metro Exodus - XB1X.
(Mar) Marvel's Spiderman - PS4.
(Apr) The Division 2 - XB1X.
(Apr) Dead Rising 3 - XB1X.
(Apr) World War Z - XB1X.
(Apr) Earthfall: Invasion - XB1X.
(May) RYSE: Son of Rome - XB1X.
(May) Tacoma - XB1X.

[Alex79uk]

I beat Ys VIII today. In-game clock is close to 50 hours, which is accurate to the HLTB estimate.

I gotta say, freaking phenomenal game. When it comes to JRPGs, I have this weird love/hate relationship - I LOVE the really good ones, but I have disdain for the ones that meander around for hours (Persona series) and think an RPG with no story is somehow a good idea (Star Ocean).

Retroactively, it's *probably* my GOTY 2016, but comparing a long-winded fantasy RPG with a heart of gold to *DOOM* is kind of a pointless endeavour, they are very different animals.

But yeah. Highly recommend this one. It's definitely not just another JRPG - it's definitely something very special.

What did you play this on? I wanted to grab this on the PC but, last I checked, that port was still a problem.

I wouldn't really class the Ys series as JRPGs any more than I would Zelda. It's a great series. Oath In Felghana and VII on the PSP are amazing especially, but they're not really RPGs. More like action adventures.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Starlink :Battle for Atlas - PS4.
(Jan) Far Cry 5 - PS4.
(Jan) Resident Evil 2(2019) - PS4.
(Jan) Shadow of the Tomb Raider - XB1X.
(Feb) Metro Exodus - XB1X.
(Mar) Marvel's Spiderman - PS4.
(Apr) The Division 2 - XB1X.
(Apr) Dead Rising 3 - XB1X.
(Apr) World War Z - XB1X.
(Apr) Earthfall: Invasion - XB1X.
(May) RYSE: Son of Rome - XB1X.
(May) Tacoma - XB1X.
(May) Abzu - XB1X.

[James]

Spoiler: show

1st Jan - Virginia (Xbox One)
13th Jan - Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)
27th Jan - Mortal Kombat (Vita)
3rd Feb - Mortal Kombat X (Xbox One)
18th Feb - Crackdown 3 (Xbox One)
12th Mar - Dark Souls 3: Ashes Of Ariandel (Xbox One)
17th Mar - Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City (Xbox One)
6th May - Guildmaster Story (iOS)

15th May - Mortal Kombat 11 (PS4)

Another thoroughly-enjoyable MK story mode. I can't pretend the stories they tell are anything special, but there's really nothing like them in fighting games, and I think they stand up to more video game stories than I'd probably like to admit. Silly, and over the top, but good fun nonetheless!

Between the Towers and the Krypt, I didn't even get around to the story until this week. And I haven't stepped online at all yet. Safe to say there's plenty to do in MK11, whatever type of fighting game you're after.

As seems to happen far too often in game development, there are allegations about working conditions at NetherRealm Studios. That obviously takes the shine off how much I've otherwise been enjoying the game. I can only hope that NetherRealm have the sense to be embarrassed by the reports and actually make some changes.

[Simonsloth]

Spoiler: show

January:
Tale of Tales Collection
Virginia
Gravity Rush 2
Nier Automata

Feb:
Wolfenstein 2
Prey (2006)
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Super Ghouls and Ghosts
Aladdin SNES
Aladdin Mega Drive
Donkey Kong

March:
Donkey King Country
Pilotwings
Dino crisis
Pony Island
Ape Escape
Donkey Kong country 2
Donkey Kong Country 3
Monkey Island 2

April:
DK 94
Inside (PS4)
Pony island
Shovel Knight plague of shadows
Dk64
Banjo Kazooie

May:
Banjo Tooie

16/05
Furi (promenade mode)

Still worthwhile even in this mode although initially it seems far too easy the later bosses were still a challenge (at least to me). The music (if it’s your jam) is phenomenal.

[Flabyo]

5th Jan - Rise of the Tomb Raider (XBO)
1st Feb - Doom (2016) (XBO)
20th Feb - Crackdown 3: Campaign (XBO)
25th Mar - Bound (PS4)
30th Mar - Shadow of the Tomb Raider (XBO)
29th April - Mortal Kombat 11 Story Mode (PS4)

17th May - Middle Earth: Shadow of War (XBO)

Pretty much more of the same, with a story that I liked but that I know will drive Tolkien purists nuts. Can’t comment on the micro transaction stuff it had at launch, that stuff was all removed from the game a while ago, long before I started it.

I have the dlc campaigns to do as well which are apparently pretty good, as they were part of the bundle I got in the sale. But I think I’ll come back to those another time.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Starlink :Battle for Atlas - PS4.
(Jan) Far Cry 5 - PS4.
(Jan) Resident Evil 2(2019) - PS4.
(Jan) Shadow of the Tomb Raider - XB1X.
(Feb) Metro Exodus - XB1X.
(Mar) Marvel's Spiderman - PS4.
(Apr) The Division 2 - XB1X.
(Apr) Dead Rising 3 - XB1X.
(Apr) World War Z - XB1X.
(Apr) Earthfall: Invasion - XB1X.
(May) RYSE: Son of Rome - XB1X.
(May) Tacoma - XB1X.
(May) Abzu - XB1X.
(May) Mortal Kombat X - XB1X.

[Alex79uk]

JAN - Super Mario Land (Nintendo Gameboy)
JAN - Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Megadrive on PS4)
FEB - Professor Layton & The Curious Village (Android)
FEB - Donkey Kong '94 (Nintendo Gameboy)
FEB - Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
FEB - Chuchel (Android)
FEB - Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
MAR - Spider-Man (PS4)
MAR - Florence (Android)
MAR - Where On Google Earth Is Carmen Sandiego (Browser)
MAR - Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (PS4)
MAR - Final Fantasy X (PS Vita)
MAY - Söldner-X 2 (PS Vita)
MAY - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

MAY - The Punisher (Arcade on PS Vita)

I must admit I'd not even heard of this game before searching 'best arcade scrolling brawlers' but it came up multiple times, and it's a fantastic looking, very enjoyable Capcom romp based on the comic character. Big chunky graphics, good variety of weapons and moves, this was a lot of fun. Looking online it appears to have had a Megadrive port released to mixed reviews, but the arcade version is great. Give it a try if you can.

[dezm0nd]

Spoiler: show

Jan 1 - Cat Quest
Jan 3 - Nex Machina (Arcade, experienced)
Jan 4 - Celeste
Jan 10 - Yoku's Island Express
Jan 13 - Evil Within 2
Jan 14 - Pilotwings
Jan 21 - Edith Finch
Jan 26 - Resident Evil 2 (Leon A)
Jan 27 - Resident Evil 2 (Claire A)
Jan 31 - Resident Evil 2 (Leon B)

Feb 11 - Firewatch

March 19 - Donkey Kong 64
March 29 - Goldeneye 007 (00 Agent)

April 9 - Yoshi Crafted World

May 8th - Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts
May 19th - Rage 2

Rage 2. It's okay, I enjoyed it but doesn't quite live up to Bethesda's other FPS games of late.

[James]

That's a shame!
I was hoping RAGE 2 would fill the Borderlands-shaped hole in my gaming life. Sadly, from everything I've seen/heard, I get the impression that the shooting is fun, but the world and story let the side down. On that basis, I'll wait for DOOM Eternal to get my tight, fast id FPS, and look elsewhere for something looty and spacious.

[Pitwar]

27th Jan - Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (Switch)
1st Feb - New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (Switch)
9th Mar - Crackdown 3 (Xbox One X)
6th May - Mortal Kombat 11: Story Mode (PS4 Pro)
12th May - God Of War '18 (PS4 Pro)
19th May - Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4 Pro)

I'm slowly but surely working through the pile of games I started but never went back to, and Horizon Zero Dawn is the latest of those that I finished.

Not the best game in the world, but I did have a fair amount of fun with it. Taking down the larger robots is very gratifying, and the weapons at your disposal to do so gives you may options and techniques to play with.

As is standard with open world games, once done you're given the option to go back into the world and polish off all the side quests and find the hidden collectables you missed, but I can't see me doing that.

On the whole it was fun, and looked really good in 4K. Well worth a play if you enjoy your action, open world adventures.