Games Completed 2019

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DeadpoolNegative
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by DeadpoolNegative »

XBox 360
Lost Planet 3- 1/1

PS4
Alone With You- 1/3

--Dan
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dezm0nd
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by dezm0nd »

Simonsloth wrote:
I’m looking out for hints for this year’s playlist. Celeste sounds like a good shout? Am I close?
Hah, good detective work! Celeste would make for an interesting show... but its also a bit too fresh. It could be! But also not ;)
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Magical_Isopod »

Dunno if it counts as "completed", but I first started playing Pokemon Showdown during the Gen 5 meta, and I've finally found my "niche" in random battles. I'm really bad at building competitive teams, it seems, but having a random set of Pogeys seems to be more conducive to success for me. I've learned the weakness system and played through so many different tiers that I can mostly make even crap Pokemon (not you, Unown) work despite their typical unviability in many tiers.
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seansthomas
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by seansthomas »

All this time of SOR3 is making me tempted to get that Mega Drive Collection. Anyone know if it features the good or bad version?
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by ratsoalbion »

Some of the games featured have both Japanese and US ROMs, including (I believe) SoR3.
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Chopper
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Chopper »

Yoku's Island Express (PS4)

As others have commented, very pleasant and chill, for the most part. Very mellow along the lines of Astrobot or Stardew Valley, thanks in large part to the music.

The pinball bits were really nicely implemented, and did reflect real (videogame) pinball's requirement to hit your spots repeatedly and build towards a goal. The fact that you can't die or lose your ball helped too. The exception was a couple of the boss fights, one of which I completed without knowing what I was supposed to do - I just kept putting the ball in play until the fight ended, basically - and one of which I would have had trouble figuring out without a boss guide (I just went straight to the guide after the previous boss fight).

Belated award for worst mechanic/item 2018 - Yoku's grappling hook. I seriously considered quitting and deleting the game when this was introduced. Luckily I went to another area, calmed down, and came back to the mandatory grappling later.

All in all, very enjoyable though.
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seansthomas
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by seansthomas »

ratsoalbion wrote: January 5th, 2019, 10:33 am Some of the games featured have both Japanese and US ROMs, including (I believe) SoR3.
Thanks Leon! One I'll definitely get when on sale. I'd only be buying it for Sonic 2 and the SOR games really, so may hold out...
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Flabyo »

Flabyo wrote: January 5th, 2019, 1:04 am 4th Jan - Rise of the Tomb Raider (XBO)
5th Jan - The Gardens Between (XBO)

Fun little narrative puzzle game, reminds me a bit of Monument Valley in that it’s not particularly taxing, but is a nice way to pass a couple of hours.

It’s probably more at home on iPhone or Android though, if this weren’t in Game Pass I’d suspect they’re probably asking a bit too much for it on the XBO. But if you have game pass, go for it,
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AndrewBrown
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by AndrewBrown »

01/01: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past [SNES]
04/01: Quarantine Circular [Switch]

04/01: Resident Evil 2 [GCN]

I wanted to replay this before the remake is out at the end of the month, and so I did. I did the Claire A and the Leon B scenarios, as they're commonly believed to be the "most canon."

The original-style Resident Evil games aren't known for being lengthy (and, arguably, their highly replayable brevity is a key part of their design), but I was surprised by how out of balance Resident Evil 2 felt on my revisit. The Raccoon City Police Department is rightly iconic, but the plot doesn't take off until Claire and Leon meet William Birkin, which doesn't happen until the Sewer and Lab segments which comprise what feels like the last third of the game. As the plot takes off and things finally start to happen, the areas become more linear and the puzzles more obvious, the required macguffins often located in the same room where they need to be plugged in. With a plot already taking place over the course of a few hours and a game which can be completed in an equivalent amount of time, it makes much of the later drama (especially the romance between Leon and Ada) feel particularly unearned.

Nevertheless, if the pinnacle of original-style Resident Evil game design isn't the 2002 remake of the first installment, then it's this one here. The Raccoon Police Department is perfectly sized, feeling just small enough to feel like a functioning building (despite the infamous absence of bathrooms), but large enough to feel like a suitable videogame environment. As I alluded to last year when I played Resident Evil 7, I've never been satisfied with how the series as a whole treats it item management aspect: There is simply too much ammunition available. Resident Evil 2 might be the most dire example of this in the series, as there is ample firepower available to kill every enemy in the game. Set mostly in a police station, this makes a certain amount of sense, but it defies the apparent strictures of the Survival Horror genre as I understand it. People can complain about Resident Evil 4 turning the series into an "action game," but Resident Evil has always been an action game.

Minor notes: The weapon balance between the two characters is comically off, with Claire getting the Grenade Launcher and a lot of garbage, and Leon getting the Shotgun and the Magnum and basically nothing else. The B Scenario is a cool idea but since it recycles almost all of the puzzles it feels lazy and redundant.
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delb2k
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by delb2k »

In an attempt to capture my gaming habits for the year I am going to try and keep the list up to date, and provide some slightly pointless waffle to go along with it.

Jan:

Moss - PSVR

An outstanding example of how to take a standard platformer and place it into a VR landscape. Using the idea of a diorama to provide a stage to control a very cute mouse it allowed me to fully investigate every nook and cranny of an environment by simply looking into it. It felt incredibly liberating to be able to do this, litrally gave me a new dimension and outlook on how to see an environment. Alongside this the way that it allowed me to manipulate the world through 3D space is incredibly clever. I should point out that the actual platforming and combat are incredibly basic, but that felt OK for the first attempt. It would be good to see this built upon for the next installment.

Bound - PS4

I like a game that uses metaphor and imagary to tell a story, that takes a graphical style and tries to use that to infer a story through actions and platforming. Bound does try this, but the actual act of moving through the environment feels so poor and frustratingly slow that it drains the message the developers want to put across. It is not too long, and from an asthetic viewpoint it truly is striking, but man is it just a slow to play. By the end I was just happy that I did not need to go through another level.
kintaris

Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by kintaris »

Well, my year of concentrating on only the significant games in my back catalogue isn't starting too strongly.

Touch My Katamari on the Vita anyone? Am I relevant yet?

In all seriousness, it's a perfectly fine premise perfectly well executed. But I have played this game far too many times in different ways at this point. Now it's just like watching reality TV, it's just there to consume without meaning or purpose. Just like a Katamari... was that the message all along?
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Chopper
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Chopper »

Hallo Kintaris, welcome back! :)

Return of the Obra Dinn (PC)

This was a marvellous bit of storytelling concerning the return of a ghost ship to port in 1807, asking the player to solve the mystery of the crew's deaths - who they are, how they died, and who, if anyone, killed them - by piecing together environmental and vocal clues from the scene of their deaths. The twist is that you don't initially know who any of the characters are, and the game requires you to solve three deaths at once before it reveals if you are correct, very elegantly solving the issue of brute forcing the answers through guesswork.

The environmental detail is pitch perfect and the mystery of the ship is gradually revealed in an entertaining and satisfying way (the puzzling isn't difficult, and there are a number of means of arriving at your answers). It took me just under nine hours, though I had to restart after an hour or so because I didn't quite grasp the mechanics of the game. Top marks. Another 2018 GOTY contender, had I played it then.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Chopper wrote: January 7th, 2019, 9:28 pm The twist is that you don't initially know who any of the characters are, and the game requires you to solve three deaths at once before it reveals if you are correct, very elegantly solving the issue of brute forcing the answers through guesswork.
Oh, that sounds intriguing! I'll be on the lookout if it ever gets a console port. :)
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Chopper
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Chopper »

KSubzero1000 wrote: January 7th, 2019, 9:43 pm Oh, that sounds intriguing! I'll be on the lookout if it ever gets a console port. :)
I actually meant to mention that the game would work very well on console, so here's hoping!
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Joshihatsumitsu »

As the calendar turns from December to January, so to does the in-game calendar in Valkyria Chronicles 2, signalling an initial play-through of the game.

As most games, there's a game-plus after the main storyline has concluded, meaning more content, more missions, characters, etc., and a calendar that stretches forever. But for the moment, I'll call it a day.

Overall, can't fault the presentation: love the art-style, and the music feels right. Voice acting is fine, though I always prefer subs over dubs. No shortage of familiar voice actors (if Nolan North wasn't credited, I wouldn't have recognised it in-game), but I don't know, very So-Cal American... if it was faux-European or Japanese, I would probably be more forgiving. But, hey, personal preferences.

The story/characters I could take or leave (preferably leave), but the reason my in-game playtime reached around 66 hours is because the core game play is solid. I could see myself picking up my Vita and playing the occasional mission down the line. It's PSP roots are very apparent, in a good way, in that the game is broken up into manageable bite-sized gameplay pieces. I kind of regret not picking this game up when it first came out, as my poor neglected PSP would have greatly appreciated the attention!

I think I would recommend this game to others, albeit with the caveat that you should approach it with tempered expectations. It's on sale quite often, and the price you pay for the amount of hours you can get out of it is ridiculous.

However, it is also the only Valkyria Chronicles game I've played, so that needs to be taken into account too regarding recommendations. I did recently downloaded the first game onto my Switch, so pump the brakes everyone, I've already purchased it!
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Indiana747
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Indiana747 »

(Jan) Starlink :Battle for Atlas - PS4.
(Jan) Far Cry 5 - PS4.
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OneCreditBen
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by OneCreditBen »

January 8th - Ninja Gaiden NES.
Very far from One Credit.
Laying down the foundations for a new clear.
I really enjoyed it.
Tough, but doable.
Very doable...
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Simonsloth
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Simonsloth »

OneCreditBen wrote: January 8th, 2019, 10:51 pm January 8th - Ninja Gaiden NES.
Very far from One Credit.
Laying down the foundations for a new clear.
I really enjoyed it.
Tough, but doable.
Very doable...
Haha. If anyone can do it you can Ben!

You’re literally like Neo when it comes to these games. I watch your videos and I am convinced you have superpowers and that time moves slower for you as some of your feats seem improbable or impossible.
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by kintaris »

Chopper wrote: January 7th, 2019, 9:44 pm
KSubzero1000 wrote: January 7th, 2019, 9:43 pm Oh, that sounds intriguing! I'll be on the lookout if it ever gets a console port. :)
I actually meant to mention that the game would work very well on console, so here's hoping!
I'm about halfway through and loving it - in my head, I think it would be brilliant for PS VR. Seeing as 80% of the game is looking around and thinking.
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Re: Games Completed 2019

Post by Magical_Isopod »

Quandary: When is a game "Complete"? When you beat the core storyline? When you do all the major side content and expansions? When you go full Gerard and do everything possible? Or is it simply when you decide you don't want to play it anymore?
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