Games Completed 2021

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
User avatar
Jon Cheetham
Member
Posts: 524
Joined: October 29th, 2019, 12:49 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Jon Cheetham »

Spoiler: show
8th Jan - Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4)
10th Jan - Donut County (Android)
20th Jan - Dark Souls Remastered (Switch)
23 Jan - Bastion (Switch)
30 Jan - Hitman 3 (PS4)
15 Feb - Loco Motive (Itch)
21 Feb - The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt (Switch)

Years behind with this one but I am happy to add my voice to the chorus. On the strength of the world, characters and story it's easily one of the best games I've ever played.

Geralt as voiced by Doug Cockle is the perfect lead for this sort of low fantasy, wartorn setting. He's seen it all, done it all and got paid for most of it, and nothing surprises him any more. But for all that there's a seam of real warmth and humour to him that gets more endearing the longer you spend in his company. Many of the supporting cast would be worthy of an inclusion in "greatest video game characters" lists. Ciri, Yennefer, Zoltan Chivay, Dijkstra, Dandelion, Cerys, Hjalmar and many more were so well written and performed.

I loved exploring the world, from the Skellige Isles to Novigrad's bustle, where I must have spent 15-20 hours alone questing and meddling in the city's politics. Knowing there were these fascinating, funny or sad short stories waiting under so many of those little exclamation marks meant the map always promised memorable moments rather than just seeming cluttered as many open world games are criticised for.

I particularly liked Oxenfurt, which seemed to be more a city of philosophers and academics, largely because it has some of the most beautiful background music. I often put that track on before sleep. The music throughout is amazing, the exploration music always being a highlight but also some of the battle themes for the Wild Hunt and of course the barnstorming jigs for Gwent.

Gwent is a brilliant distraction too. I love the fact that Geralt, on the trail of his surrogate daughter or hunting some mythological monstrosity, is just always fiending for a hand of his favourite card game. It being a minigame within this huge open world RPG is a big plus - it can stay as simple fun, never getting complicated enough to become cumbersome, and secondly you build your deck through getting to know NPCs and helping them out (or defeating them). It means there's a really exciting reward for a lot of quests - a new Gwent card might be one of the most valuable items to you. It also got me into deck building games - since starting The Witcher 3 I've played Slay the Spire, Steamworld Quest, Deep Sky Derelicts, the Meteorfall games and more.

Without spoiling anything, the ending to this game, or rather its climactic, kinetic final act, is probably the best in any RPG I've played. The way the places you've been and the characters you've spent time with in this vast, free roaming world become the setting and cast for this swashbuckling finale is nothing short of masterful. I did barely any side stuff in this section of the game as I was just gripped.

Credits rolled at about 100 hours in, 60 of which was last year when I first got it. I still have the DLCs to do but am finishing up some Witcher contracts and finding some better gear first.

Played on Switch the whole way, recently grabbed the complete edition on Steam for the equivalent of about a fiver as well. I am so glad I played it on this platform - especially as we're halfway through two weeks of quarantine in a hotel right now and it's the perfect thing to have on the go. Having this entire world on a handheld device is really something. There are visual compromises, obviously, to get this game onto a cartridge and playing on the Nintendo Switch. The thing is that the narrative, characters, performances, dialogue, music, quest design, game world, lore, systems from alchemy to crafting to builds and so on, all of that is intact. And that's enough for me. But if you are even a little bit precious about graphics and frames then I strongly recommend you read up on how this runs and take a look at YouTube comparisons as you may find it's a deal breaker.

Personally I'm going to load up my cross save on PC some time and have a gallop about in Velen and a sail round Skellige to take in the scenery in more detail.
Spoiler: show
Also playing as Ciri was always brilliant. If they do a Witcher 4 with her as the lead I'm well up for it.
User avatar
Miririn
Member
Posts: 207
Joined: December 28th, 2020, 10:06 pm

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Miririn »

It was really great to hear someone praising "The Witcher 3" on Switch. I've tried and failed (but I will try again) to get into the game a few times on PS4 and on Switch (I had it on Switch for full price but nabbed it in a sale on PS4 later because I heard the graphics were better - but I think I have whatever the visual equivalent of a tin ear is for FPS rates etc because I couldn't see much of a difference). Maybe if I treated it more like a portable beforw-bed novel and cranked the combat level down I might get into it more because I know the story is meant to be something really special. Thank you for the really interesting review!
User avatar
Jon Cheetham
Member
Posts: 524
Joined: October 29th, 2019, 12:49 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Jon Cheetham »

That's much how I played it and I really recommend it. These last few days it's been sprog on one arm, cup of tea to the other side and some of the finest storytelling I could hope for to enjoy. You could take everything else out of this game and it would be an astonishingly good visual novel or narrative game. It's so worth it just to get this story.

I played on "story and sword" and pretty much mashed through most fights, paid little attention to my build, alchemy or crafting, and generally got along fine while still finding the endgame bosses pretty fun. At least in the case of the base game, it is very permissive in that regard and lets you just go along for a ride with it if you want to.

Hope you enjoy it, if you do go for it!
User avatar
Magical_Isopod
Member
Posts: 993
Joined: May 29th, 2018, 11:57 pm
Location: London, ON, Canada

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Magical_Isopod »

#6 - Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Madness

Okay, so I know it's not called "Melody of Madness" but I kept thinking it was called that so... I'm sticking with it.

Kingdom Hearts is a weird series. I played the first one way back before we even knew sequels or spin-offs existed, and I loved it. Still do! Mostly. Since then, the series has become a convoluted mess of very obviously unplanned story arcs that often spend more time inventing contrived ways to explain and include past lore than advancing the story in any meaningful way. KH3 fell victim to this, and I was kinda turned off the series after that.

However, I recently watched a VERY funny summary of the series' events up to this point - probably not the one you're thinking of, but definitely similar tone. The series lore is so bloody insane the comedy writes itself. And honestly, I've done a 180 - I'm no longer interested in taking the story seriously at this point... But I kinda just wanna see how utterly absurd it gets. And this rhythm game spin-off is no exception.

So you need to approach this game differently than you might expect. Until the final level - which is like 40 minutes of game - it's literally just a bog-standard music game similar to Theatrhythm, with absolutely no indication it advances the lore whatsoever. And mechanically, it's REALLY strong. Where the game falters, however, is in the reality that Kingdom Hearts simply does not have nearly as strong a soundtrack as a collective series as Final Fantasy does. In general, I'd say the spinoffs have much stronger music than the core series, but that's kind of the problem... The side games are mostly optional, where the core games are mandatory playthroughs. It's difficult to contain the utter :| :| :| emotion of having to play the entirety of Frozen's "Let It Go" when you're close enough to your front door for neighbours to hear. But all in all, it's a really fun game to play, and despite the overall weakness of the track selection, there are definitely some bangers in here.

But it's the ending sequence of this game that's really the show stealer here, and I'm going deep into spoilers. If you don't care about this series or spoilers, I ENCOURAGE you to read just how utterly bonkers this shit is. I can't even make this up.
Spoiler: show
Right, so the whole game was Kairi's memories, because a recap game based in a central character's memories is something the series has only done two (three?) times before. Why not do another? Apparently she's looking for a memory or something? Which one? Why? Who the hell knows? I don't think the game does, either. So she fights the bad guy from the main series who I thought died at the end of KH3, and he did, but this is a version of him created by her memories...?????????????

So he dies again and she sees a glimpse of a past version of the bad guy, who is sealing baby Kairi in a test tube and he tells her... Something really vague. I forget what it was. And then the memory version of the bad guy tells her that's not the memory she's looking for? Except later the side characters in a computer lab medical clinic(?????) tell her that this memory is important. So then Riku comes into the room, and the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella appears. Just out of fucking nowhere. The wizard guy who's basically Obi-Wan from Star Wars sent her (the godmother) I guess because.... ??????

They're looking for Sora or something. Sora went to look for Kairi at the end of the 3rd game? Except Kairi is here. Sora's an idiot, basically. This is a running theme in the series. So Riku says he found more clues on where Sora's at in his dreams or something. So then the Fairy Godmother teleports Riku and Kairi to an etheral space in Kairi's memories (?????) and they talk to a translucent star on the ground who I think is supposed to be a main character in the next game? And then there's some nonsense about like.... Sora's not in the world or light, or darkness, or in-between, but rather, he's in another reality, and this reality is... Fiction? Kingdom Hearts is fiction though. But Sora is now in a fictional world within a fictional world? Does that mean he's in OUR world? Cuz the end of KH3 suggests maybe.

So the translucent star apparently knows Sora and wants to help? Right, so then the star disappears and leaves a portal to... The fictional world. Like I said, you can't make this shit up. Riku dives into this portal without consulting anyone. Roll credits, then everyone he should have consulted said he should have consulted them. Riku is an idiot, but not as much as Sora. This is a running theme in this series. So then... Obi-Wan McWizard tells everyone to go do a bunch of stuff. Mickey Mouse is there. Kairi and Lea (who is Axel) continue their training with the intention of joining Riku. And then the game basically says "There's gonna be a Kingdom Hearts 4 for sure!" with gold text on a black background.

Game is over! Basically, they've set up a scenario where they can jettison the Disney licenses if necessary and focus on a "fictional" world while only licensing a handful of Disney characters. KH3's development was largely stalled by Disney more than any production issues within Square-Enix. If I were a betting man, I'd say this "fictional world" is also going to tie into the ending of FF7R, and the series is going to draft further and further away from Disney.
Overall, this is a good rental if you like music games.

&iso2021
User avatar
OneCreditBen
Member
Posts: 234
Joined: August 15th, 2017, 10:03 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by OneCreditBen »

Image



Finally.

FINALLY!

Managed to get a Max Difficulty/No Rounds Lost Clear of Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers today after a few weeks of trying it on the livestreams. The run starts at the 18:50 mark. Unreal. My head fell off. There's no other feeling in the world like this I swear.
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by ratsoalbion »

Crikey that is some going. Congrats man!
User avatar
OneCreditBen
Member
Posts: 234
Joined: August 15th, 2017, 10:03 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by OneCreditBen »

ratsoalbion wrote: February 21st, 2021, 10:12 pm Crikey that is some going. Congrats man!
Thank you my friend.

This happened yesterday. That was the only round I lost. Filleted. I won the third round with a perfect as well!
I knew I had to get straight back on the horse to get the clear while I was playing well.

Image
User avatar
OldBailey
Member
Posts: 137
Joined: December 13th, 2015, 10:37 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by OldBailey »

10,000 Bullets (PS2)

I'd forgive anyone for never having heard of this game. After all, any other approach would place my past self beyond the realm of forgiveness until about a year ago.

I've been on something of a PS2 character action odyssey in recent months, gathering together as extensive a list as the dark corners of the internet could provide me, and then deciding I WILL PLAY THEM ALL. Good and bad. Play them, and then rank them completely arbitrarily for nothing other than my own amusement.

Thus far I have been greatly amused, and the time I've spent with this game is no exception. One reviewer described this game as:

"...a cheap imitation of more successful action games that use bullet-time" He noted a faulty camera and lock-on system issues, bland environments, a tedious adventure mode, and a musical score that does not match the game's overall theme - Wikipedia

This review is accurate. What the reviewer failed to mention however is that 10,000 Bullets is also real f****ing cool. ( I haven't read the rest of the review...they may also have said this) I will now attempt to explain how each of those criticisms is both 100% correct, and also what makes this game great.

An "imitation" it may be, pulling its structure from popular character action games of the era, wholesale ripping off Max Payne's bullet time mechanic, and stealing its "leather trench coats and dudes in suits" aesthetic from The Matrix. And cheap? Certainly. This game was created on a budget from the stringiest of shoes (doesn't work but you get the idea).

But what you end up with is DMC like stylish action gameplay, complete with combo counter, only this time...with guns. Yes, I know DMC had guns but NOT LIKE THESE GUNS. Every trigger pull is a potential one hit kill, providing your timing is on point. You can mash the trigger as fast as you want, bullets will fly, but inaccurately. Mashing fire will increase your combo counter faster, restoring your special move energy, but you have to be close or your bullets will miss. Wait for your lock on cursor to flash red though, and you'll score a critical hit. Critical hits do more damage and will always hit, but won't aid your combos.

Sounds good right? Well here's where it gets really good. Bullet time. 90% of this game is played in slow motion, no exaggeration. Also, every projectile is a fully physical simulated object that can be seen, dodged or sometimes shot out of the air. Dash moves, triple jumps and bunch of offensive and defensive special moves increase your ability to both avoid fire and deal damage in combat rooms swarming with enemies. It's a real bullet ballet that becomes immensely fun once you've got the hang of it.

And yes, it's undeniably low-budget. But it's a game not afforded the possibility of anything more ambitious than focusing on one mechanic, and doing that mechanic justice. It is simple, streamlined, and yes a little (a lot) janky but I'm not convinced larger scope would necessarily equal better game here.

As for the "faulty camera and lock-on system" well, yeah I don't know if I can defend that actually...or can I? In combat, you hold R1 to lock on, then tap R2 to switch targets. You never want to be not locked on in this game. The "problem" is that the target selection is inconsistent, and the switch button only moves one way. Switch past your intended target and you have to cycle through all available targets to get back there, the camera wildly swinging around as you do so. Not a problem when you're facing two or three enemies, but ten? Twenty?

The effect this has on gameplay is that you never feel fully in control of who or what you're targeting. But stop fighting it and go with the flow, and it lends each encounter a sort of manic spontaneity, making split seconds decisions and reacting to what the game decides to throw at you. It gives the game a hint of lightgun shooter flavour, but played in third person, with full control of your character and...without a lightgun. So nothing like a lightgun game then, but it has that same arcadey feel.

The designers were surely aware of this "flaw". It could have been easily solved by adding a switch back button on L2. So why didn't they? Hmm...

So, "bland environments..." then. Yup, not wrong! In fact I'm not sure I can call to mind a single one, so forgettable are they. But then, if you're looking at the backgrounds, you're already dead. This is not an easy game and there's so much going on at any one time that anything that might divert your attention would be a problem. The lack of visual clutter makes the action very readable, essential when you're trying to dodge bullets.

The "tedious adventure" must surely be referring to the story. You know how games like DMC and Bayonetta lean into their ridiculous over the top nature with an endearing self-awareness? NOT THIS GAME! It is 100% self serious, pseudo-philosophical, macho posturing nonsense. Trying to follow and make sense of this gibberish would indeed be quite tedious. But for me, successful games writing is measured by- what is it trying to achieve, and does is succeed? Does this game string together a coherent and compelling plot? Absolutely not. BUT does the writing get you hyped up for the next fight? Absolutely, and what more do you want from an action game?

Finally, a "musical score that does not match the game's overall theme". This is also correct, it doesn't. Imagine that lobby shootout scene from The Matrix but scored by Miles Davis. That's right, jazz baby! It's an odd juxtaposition, no doubt about it, but it further feeds into this game's unique feel and injects some real personality into it's presentation. It's also just...really damn good; which is no surprise at all if you check the credits. There are two names, the legendary Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger) and Konami veteran Miki Higashino (Gradius), I literally cannot think of a better musical dream team.

So there you have it, 1000 words on 10,000 Bullets. A review of a review that no one has read, about a game that nobody played. A forgotten classic then? No, not quite. But it's the pluckiest of the plucky 7/10 that deserves someone going to bat for it, and I'm more than happy to be that person.
User avatar
Gadget8Bit
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: January 23rd, 2021, 11:27 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Gadget8Bit »

22/02 - Yakuza 0

I have no idea why I loved this game. It’s mad, it makes no sense, it’s painfully Japanese, it has flawed storytelling, pacing and a lot of questionable content...

But I adored it. From start to finish, it’s one of the strangest, most brilliant games I’ve ever played.

Onto Yakuza Kiwami I guess
User avatar
OneCreditBen
Member
Posts: 234
Joined: August 15th, 2017, 10:03 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by OneCreditBen »



SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
No Rounds Lost Clear (Unplanned)
55 minutes into the stream
Amazing fun!
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by ratsoalbion »

Ha, I had to duck out so I didn't catch this live. Nice going.
User avatar
ironedflemming
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: November 15th, 2019, 4:02 pm
Location: UK

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by ironedflemming »

5. Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope - PS5: co-op playthrough

Presentation and story are both better than Man Of Medan, also quite spooky in places. That ending though........
User avatar
ironedflemming
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: November 15th, 2019, 4:02 pm
Location: UK

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by ironedflemming »

Gadget8Bit wrote: February 23rd, 2021, 10:34 am 22/02 - Yakuza 0

I have no idea why I loved this game. It’s mad, it makes no sense, it’s painfully Japanese, it has flawed storytelling, pacing and a lot of questionable content...

But I adored it. From start to finish, it’s one of the strangest, most brilliant games I’ve ever played.

Onto Yakuza Kiwami I guess
You're at the start of a weird and wonderful adventure friend :D
User avatar
Gadget8Bit
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: January 23rd, 2021, 11:27 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Gadget8Bit »

ironedflemming wrote: February 23rd, 2021, 11:28 am
Gadget8Bit wrote: February 23rd, 2021, 10:34 am 22/02 - Yakuza 0

I have no idea why I loved this game. It’s mad, it makes no sense, it’s painfully Japanese, it has flawed storytelling, pacing and a lot of questionable content...

But I adored it. From start to finish, it’s one of the strangest, most brilliant games I’ve ever played.

Onto Yakuza Kiwami I guess
You're at the start of a weird and wonderful adventure friend :D
Well 0 was absolutely batshit in places. Mostly on Majima’s side of the story which just got stranger and stranger as it went on.

What I love about it is how much drama could be wrung from such a mundane setup: a property dispute. It was a wild, wild ride.

Also, Kiryu is best boy. Lovely lad.
User avatar
Gadget8Bit
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: January 23rd, 2021, 11:27 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Gadget8Bit »

24/02 - Control

What a game.

I bounced off it when it first came out, but when it appeared on Gamepass I thought I’d give it another shot.

It’s bloody brilliant. One of the most artistic high budget games I’ve ever played. The production design is superb. I adore the brutalist architecture of The Oldest House and the shifting, twisting layout of the levels is brilliant.

The central performance of Courtney Hope as Jesse is engaging and enigmatic. The fidelity of the facial motion capture at times can fool you into thinking you’re watching live action footage.

The story is... mad. But it’s eminently comprehensible. It’s cues from stuff like Twin Peaks, The Twilight Zone and The X-Files all merge in a way that’s entertaining but manages to keep you guessing throughout.

The supplementary world building via redacted documents and in world videos is as good as Remedy has ever been. The Threshold Kids videos are as hilarious as they are terrifying.

I’m so glad I went back to it. It’s absolutely brilliant
User avatar
Michiel K
Moderator
Posts: 1295
Joined: October 13th, 2015, 9:37 pm

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Michiel K »

Totally forgot to mention, I cleared Wonder Boy III on the SEGA Master System on February 9th... on the original hardware with the pause/inventory button on the console. Convenient!

User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Alex79 »

Alex79uk wrote: January 1st, 2021, 1:25 pmJAN - 80 Days (Android)
JAN - What Remains Of Edith Finch (PS4)
JAN - Judgment (PS4)
JAN - Donut County (Android)
FEB - Gorogoa (Android)
FEB - Horace (Switch)
FEB - Castlevania (NES on Switch)

I really enjoyed this. Never played any of the pre-Symphony Of The Night CV games before, so wasn't sure how I'd get on with it, but it's great. I can see why it made such a big impact back in the day. It's held up remarkably well, and was just as fun to play as modern platform adventures. There are a few cheap tricks like getting knocked off platforms, and a few antiquated things like not jumping on stairs etc, but I really liked it. Challenging, but not overly difficult - the later stages took a few goes.

It would have been terribly tempting to save scum through the game, but I wanted some challenge, so decided to save after each boss simply due to not having the time or inclination to repeat the entire game upon running out of lives, and this seemed like a decent half measure. Looking forward to playing the rest of the games on the collection, but might have a run through the Japanese version of the original first just to see how it compares.
User avatar
Belmont03
Member
Posts: 12
Joined: October 7th, 2020, 10:49 pm

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Belmont03 »

Firewatch

What a wonderful small bite of a game. I spent 5 hours playing while screen sharing and chatting with a friend across the country. We both love how the game played with our emotions and expectations. Excellent writing and visuals and the casualness of the gameplay were a perfect match for a laid back afternoon of conversation and gaming. I won't say much more about it other than if you have 5 hours its worth your time.

Doki Doki Literature Club

What a messed up visual novel. I loved it. Like Firewatch the game did an awesome job of subverting my expectations. Again this is another title I don't want to say too much about as I think its best "enjoyed" blind. I laughed, I cried, I loved how they played with the music to help sell what they were trying to do. I would have easily paid for this game so the fact that its free to play is just a win.

DOOM 2016 (Nightmare)

This game is that game that just keeps on giving. Although this playthrough was not my first Nightmare clear it was my first on PC and lord its just so much more satisfying playing with mouse and keys. I'm still working on an Ultra Nightmare clear... not sure I'll ever accomplish that but the fun is in trying with this game.
User avatar
Jon Cheetham
Member
Posts: 524
Joined: October 29th, 2019, 12:49 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by Jon Cheetham »

Spoiler: show
8th Jan - Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4)
10th Jan - Donut County (Android)
20th Jan - Dark Souls Remastered (Switch)
23 Jan - Bastion (Switch)
30 Jan - Hitman 3 (PS4)
15 Feb - Loco Motive (Itch)
21 Feb - The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt (Switch)
26 Feb - The Witcher III: Hearts of Stone (Switch)

That's the first expansion done. I'll go with the consensus again - it's brilliant. Easily worth price of admission alone considering what you pay for the game on most systems now, since it's an almost perfect 10 hour low fantasy story of Faustian pacts and tragic family histories. Bravura VO across the board. Particularly Olgierd, who is so intimidating and unpredictable but somehow sounds profoundly weary at the same time. Also the actor playing Iris put in a really heart rending performance.

Highlights, couple of lows:
Spoiler: show
Highlights include the famous Dead Man's Party which was hilarious top to bottom, the extremely entertaining heist where you can choose your crew at the start and who to betray (or not) at the end, the intense boss fights with Olgierd and the Caretaker in particular, and the haunted mansion that then turns into an actual painted world in one of the best visual surprises or rather flourishes probably ever.

I maintain the first twenty minutes is shite with those first two bosses, and solving O'Dimm's riddle is tedious - you figure out it's a mirror almost immediately then have to traipse about this samey map looking for one.
But that's the very start and very end.
Overall this is an amazing adventure that largely plays to the game's strengths - the narrative, the atmosphere, its world and cast. As an Oxenfurt fan I was happy to see it became the main hub for this story too. As I expect reviews probably said at the time, Hearts of Stone certainly benefits from being a linear story about a few people that happens to be set in a huge open world, as opposed to a sprawling narrative that needs to support as many of the locations and cast in that world as possible.

Would love to see them adapt this for the TV series as well.
User avatar
OneCreditBen
Member
Posts: 234
Joined: August 15th, 2017, 10:03 am

Re: Games Completed 2021

Post by OneCreditBen »

Alex79uk wrote: February 25th, 2021, 4:32 pm
Alex79uk wrote: January 1st, 2021, 1:25 pmJAN - 80 Days (Android)
JAN - What Remains Of Edith Finch (PS4)
JAN - Judgment (PS4)
JAN - Donut County (Android)
FEB - Gorogoa (Android)
FEB - Horace (Switch)
FEB - Castlevania (NES on Switch)

I really enjoyed this. Never played any of the pre-Symphony Of The Night CV games before, so wasn't sure how I'd get on with it, but it's great. I can see why it made such a big impact back in the day. It's held up remarkably well, and was just as fun to play as modern platform adventures. There are a few cheap tricks like getting knocked off platforms, and a few antiquated things like not jumping on stairs etc, but I really liked it. Challenging, but not overly difficult - the later stages took a few goes.

It would have been terribly tempting to save scum through the game, but I wanted some challenge, so decided to save after each boss simply due to not having the time or inclination to repeat the entire game upon running out of lives, and this seemed like a decent half measure. Looking forward to playing the rest of the games on the collection, but might have a run through the Japanese version of the original first just to see how it compares.
Well done on getting the clear. It's a fantastic run through, and once you get a few tactics down, you can get a lot of the bosses done in no time at all. Good job.
Post Reply