Games Completed 2024

[Scrustle]

26/10 - Rain

Not the first time playing through this one. Still liked it a lot this time around too. I love the aesthetic of this game. It has a very dreamlike and cosy feel to it, despite the somewhat dark and gloomy visuals. The constant rainfall creates a sort of calming effect with the sound of it perpetually trickling down on to the roofs and streets of an old European town with its characterful architecture. The spots of light implying a warm and welcoming retreat from the weather. The effects of the rain look great as well, with the reflections bouncing off the wet streets and the run-off pouring down off the edges of awnings and such. Later on it gets a bit surreal and starts getting in to some cool Escher-esque stuff that is great as well. The understated piano-focused soundtrack is fantastic too.

The gameplay is very simple but it’s pretty enjoyable. The way it makes use of the conceit of you being invisible, but with the falling rain giving you away is a neat trick that is also very visually appealing. It gets used pretty well for exploring the idea, with a mix of light puzzle platforming and stealth. Sometimes there is the odd sequence that can be a bit annoying with trial and error design, but generally it’s pretty clever and novel.

It has a nice little story too. A humble tale with a storybook style tone. Although it could seem somewhat undercooked from a certain perspective. There are very obvious themes about confronting the fear of the unknown, but it also feels like it wants to imply more than that with its use of symbolism and certain plot elements. It’s unclear what it’s going for though. Maybe it was left intentionally ambiguous for people to interpret what they wanted out of it. But in a way where some stuff just feels haphazardly thrown in there.

---

28/10 - Figment 2: Creed Valley

A great and charming little game. It is very similar to the first, but also has some fun new ideas of its own too. The art design is really nice, full of colourful and surreal worlds representing the inner metaphysical world of the mind once again. The way background details bounce around to the beat of the music remains a great little detail too. The musical boss fights return as another highlight. It nails the heartfelt and comedic tone again as well.

In terms of new stuff, this time around each level has two different states to it that you can switch between, representing whether the mind is in an open or closed state, which has implications for how the how certain objects and characters behave. And while the general gameplay of simple combat and puzzles still make up most of it, this time around there are a few levels that explore new styles of gameplay that put it in to more adventure game territory that make for a fun change of pace that fits the themes of the story too.

The story also has an additional layer to it now as well, where you get to see glimpses outside this fantastical mental realm to see the problems of the person who this mind belongs to. I’m a bit mixed on this idea. On one hand it makes sense to give more context and relatability to what’s going on, but also I feel like removing that layer of abstraction makes it lose a bit of charm. Not that it’s lacking any of that more metaphorical playfulness overall, but still there was something fun about imagining this mental world like its own isolated reality that only gives you information about the outside world through non-explicit means that are represented more literally for comedic effect, or where you have to interpret what the real world issues are yourself. But that’s more of a hypothetical issue than something that actually bothered me when playing.

[Alex79]

JAN - Strider (Arcade on Evercade)
JAN - Strider (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - God Of War (PS5)
JAN - Universal Paperclips (Android)
FEB - Alwa's Awakening (Evercade)
FEB - Little Inferno (Android)
FEB - Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall Of The Foot Clan (Gameboy on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Mario Golf (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Duke Nukem Remastered (Evercade)
APR - Castlevania Legends (Gameboy on Switch)
APR - The Combatribes (Arcade on Evercade)
APR - Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen (Switch)
APR - Bioshock (Switch)
MAY - Tinykin (Switch)
MAY - Elden Ring (Xbox)
JUN - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade on Switch)
JUN - EAFC 24: Euros 2024 Mode (PS5)
JUN - Policenauts (PS1 on Vita)
JUN - Nyghtmare: The Ninth King (Evercade)
JUN - Cocoon (Switch)
JUN - Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch)
JUL - Atari 50 (Switch)
JUL - U.N. Squadron (Arcade on Vita)
JUL - The Legend Of Silkroad (Arcade on Evercade)
JUL - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty (Switch)
AUG - Ninja Gaiden (NES on Switch)
SEP - Balatro (Android)
OCT - Balatro (again!) (Android)
OCT - South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Switch)

OCT - Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (Arcade on Evercade)

"I'M BAD...!"

I've always liked this game but never seen it through to the end before as with most arcade brawlers it does get a bit repetitive and unless you're playing to finish it you do tend to just turn it off before the end.

Didn't quite 1cc this but I don't think it would actually be too difficult as it's not an overly challenging game aside from the boss fights. Playing on one plane you just have to manage the enemies coming at you from left and right. One of my favourite things about the game is the sound when you hit enemies, don't know why, it's not especially weighty but it's a really satisfying noise.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Battlefield 3 - Series X.
(Jan) Hi-Fi Rush - Series X.
(Jan) Daymare 1998 - Series X.
(Jan) The Beast Inside - Series X.
(Feb) XIII - Series X.
(Feb) Close to the Sun - Series X.
(Feb) Atomic Heart - Series X.
(Feb) Return to Grace - Series X.
(Feb) MADiSON - PS5.
(Mar) TDPA: House of Ashes - PS5.
(Mar) RE Village: Shadows of Rose - PS5.
(Mar) Those Who Remain - Series X.
(Mar) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun - Series X.
(Mar) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - PS5.
(Mar) Control: Ultimate Edition - Series X.
(Mar) DREDGE - Series X.
(Apr) Little Nightmares - Series X.
(Apr) Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - Series X.
(Apr) Robocop: Rogue City - PS5.
(Apr) Little Nightmares II - Series X.
(May) Fallout 4 - PS5.
(May) The Maw - Xbox 360.
(May) Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Series X.
(June) Alan Wake II: Night Springs dlc - Series X
(June) Castlestorm: Definitive Edition - Series X
(July) Still Wakes the Deep - Series X.
(July) The Quarry - PS5.
(July) Bright Memory Infinite - Series X.
(July) Diablo IV - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Duty: MWIII - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - Xbox 360.
(Aug) No More Heroes III - Series X.
(Aug) Trepang 2 - Series X.
(Sept) Deliver Us Mars - PS5.
(Sept) Black Myth: Wukong(True Ending) - PS5.
(Sept) Age of Mythology: Retold - Series X.
(Oct) Lies Of P - Series X.
(Oct) Alone in the Dark(2024) - PS5.
(Oct) Operation: Polygon Storm - PS5.

[Jobobonobo]

Spoiler: show

Jan 7: New Super Lucky’s Tale
Jan 7: Super Mario Land
Jan 9: Tetris Attack
Mar 2: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Mar 17: Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Apr 6: Stray
Apr 18: Pac-Man World: Re-Pac
May 1: Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shōgun Magginesu
Jun 6: Code of Princess
Jun 30: Pokemon Radical Red (ver 4.0)
July 14: Sonic Advance 2
July 26: Sonic Advance 3
Aug 2: Trials of Mana
Aug 24: Kirby Power Paintbrush
Aug 30: Final Fantasy IV Advance
Sep 11: Ape Escape 2
Sep 23: Pac-Pix
Sep 23: Tinykin
Sep 29: Mail Time
Sep 30: Drill Dozer
Oct 4: The Wonderful One: After School Hero

Oct 30: Beyond Good and Evil

This was the 20th Anniversary Remaster that was released back in the summer. Seeing as I never played this back in the day and always wanted to check it out, this remaster was a nice opportunity to try this beloved title out. I quite enjoyed my time with this. The art direction is really distinctive and enables it to age quite well and Hillys is definitely a locale that feels like a lived-in world with its diverse mix of humans and sapient animal species. The world is big enough with lots to do but also not so sprawling that you are just wandering empty space. This game’s big strength is definitely exploration, finding out all the little secrets of this world like caves with lots of pearls inside to snatch from vicious monsters, sneaking past the Alpha Sections hideouts or hovercraft races, I felt like a teenager experiencing the new and exciting possibilities that 3D could bring to gaming all over again. The dungeons themselves were also quite old school in their design with plenty of tricky puzzles that really made you stop and think on how to proceed. Only one puzzle stumped me enough to go online and it was one of those where if I just paid attention to my surroundings and tried out a few more things I would have solved it myself. This is how video game puzzles should be, little brain teasers that if you pay attention should be able to figure out and not hair pulling nonsense like the kind of shenanigans some point and click adventures pulled. In this era of yellow paint put everywhere to guide the player, it is honestly refreshing having to figure these intricate environments out yourself and it is a great feeling when you finally do.

So, for the most part, this game does a whole lot right: exploration, puzzle solving, minigames and stealth. But sadly, it is combat where it does falter a bit. Your only weapon is a fancy stick and whoever your companion happens to be and your options when dealing with enemies are pretty much just hit with big stick. It does not even have a targeting system which would have made certain encounters a lot easier to handle. However, combat is a really minor part of the game (which was a very wise decision!) so it does little to affect the overall experience of the game. I also loved the wildlife photography mechanic and would instantly search out any area to see if a new species was to be found and get their shot. However, it was disappointing that you can not get a list of all the species you shot, Pokemon-style, and the science centre that you send them to rarely say much except good job. Some little tid bits about their biology or ecology would have made me even more invested in this neat little mechanic. I love when games have bestiaries or something similar that catalogues the creatures you come across and they could have done even more with this. A the very least I now want to try the Pokemon Snap games because of how addictive I found the photography here.

The only other big issue I had with this edition of the game is Ubisoft shoving their “Connect” service into this title which has its own version of achievements/trophies. When you get a notification when you complete an in-game achievement, instead of just being a small notification that is on the top left of the screen and is relatively unobtrusive you will get a large box that covers most of the right side of the centre of the screen which obscures a much larger part of the screen and takes ages relatively to disappear. This is utter poison to becoming immersed in a game’s world and really sums up modern Ubisoft in that they are all too willing to tamper with even beloved classics like this if it will allow them to advertise their services. Just absolute soulless corporate bollocks. Not to mention, sometimes when I go into sub menus at the beginning of the game, and I cancel out into the main menu it just freezes and I need to restart the game again to get it to run. Not game ruining but can certainly be annoying if you want to mess around with options or the like.

But gripes with Ubisoft aside, I would highly recommend Beyond Good and Evil for anyone who likes action-adventures and world building. The Anniversary edition is also nice in that it has a lot of behind-the-scenes content that go into the whole design process and seeing how the game evolves throughout its creation is really fascinating and something remasters should do more of especially for titles that are cult classics like this. Oh, and the soundtrack is fantastic, Christophe Héral really brings together a wide and eclectic mix of genres that range from head boppers to evocative scene setters. The added pump given by orchestration in the remaster certainly helps elevate the music even further. Apparently, the sequel (or prequel, I guess?) is still in production, and I have to say I am interested to see how it turns out. Clearly this game’s universe has a lot more stories to tell and I definitely want to explore more of Hillys and know more about its inhabitants. My big concern is that it has been in production for so long that I fear this could turn into a Duke Nukem Forever situation and the end product ends up being lackluster or that Ubisoft try to mess things up with some awful monetisation practice. Would love to be proven wrong because if done right, another game in this universe could be really something special.

[Scrustle]

01/11 - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

This one was okay. I didn’t love it, but I ended up having a better time with it than I was expecting. I know this entry has a reputation for being arguably the best of the post-Team Silent games for trying something different, but that actually made me a bit apprehensive about this one as I still sort of wanted to experience something that could recapture what made SH2 and 3 so good. But after playing it, those more original ideas are in fact the stronger parts of what this game has going for it, and that stands out after Origins as well which was aiming for that old style and missed the mark.

I appreciate the effort to re-interpret the core ideas of this series in to something fresh, in theory. Even though it feels very different to what came before, it makes sense to have this framing of a psychiatric evaluation considering the psychological themes these games deal with. But in practice it feels rather gimmicky and blunt. I did try to take it seriously and play along with it, but it didn’t really feel like it actually affected the game itself much. Although I have heard certain parts of this story can change significantly depending on what answers you give in the therapy sections, it didn’t really come across to me like anything thematically substantial actually happened. But I at least have to give it credit for taking a swing at something different.

This is also another game in this series that I knew the twist of going in. Unlike SH2 I think that harms the story, rather than giving you extra context to find a new layer of meaning. I can perhaps see how that reveal at the end might have been a cool surprise on a first time experience when you didn’t see it coming, but for me it did nothing. It explained why certain things in the plot don’t make sense when you first play it, but it doesn’t make it any more interesting.

I do quite like some of the aesthetic touches of this game though. Taking the incidental line about snow in the first game and expanding that out to re-imagine the otherworld sections in to a frozen over nightmare dreamscape is pretty cool, and gives this game a bit of a unique character. The moments when you get to see the transition in to that version of the world look impressive at times too.

I don’t have much strong feelings either way on the gameplay design here though. Even though I played the PS2 version, the object manipulation mechanics in the more exploratory parts were still relatively entertaining for their novelty. I like being able to interact with things on that smaller more physical level. The otherworld chase sequences left me a bit nonplussed. I don’t have a big problem with the game ditching combat mechanics, and it’s another quality of this game’s more distinct identity, but I didn’t find these parts to be especially engaging. The monster design isn’t very interesting either.

In a way this game is sort of similar to SH4. Trying to re-invent this series by attempting new ways of looking at its old core elements, resulting in something that has qualities that are interesting on a conceptual level, but don’t really come together as a whole. Even though SH4 was more similar to the games that came before it than this one is, I think it came up with ideas that were more compelling on paper. But on the other hand, Shattered Memories was a whole lot less frustrating and annoying than SH4.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Battlefield 3 - Series X.
(Jan) Hi-Fi Rush - Series X.
(Jan) Daymare 1998 - Series X.
(Jan) The Beast Inside - Series X.
(Feb) XIII - Series X.
(Feb) Close to the Sun - Series X.
(Feb) Atomic Heart - Series X.
(Feb) Return to Grace - Series X.
(Feb) MADiSON - PS5.
(Mar) TDPA: House of Ashes - PS5.
(Mar) RE Village: Shadows of Rose - PS5.
(Mar) Those Who Remain - Series X.
(Mar) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun - Series X.
(Mar) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - PS5.
(Mar) Control: Ultimate Edition - Series X.
(Mar) DREDGE - Series X.
(Apr) Little Nightmares - Series X.
(Apr) Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - Series X.
(Apr) Robocop: Rogue City - PS5.
(Apr) Little Nightmares II - Series X.
(May) Fallout 4 - PS5.
(May) The Maw - Xbox 360.
(May) Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Series X.
(June) Alan Wake II: Night Springs dlc - Series X
(June) Castlestorm: Definitive Edition - Series X
(July) Still Wakes the Deep - Series X.
(July) The Quarry - PS5.
(July) Bright Memory Infinite - Series X.
(July) Diablo IV - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Duty: MWIII - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - Xbox 360.
(Aug) No More Heroes III - Series X.
(Aug) Trepang 2 - Series X.
(Sept) Deliver Us Mars - PS5.
(Sept) Black Myth: Wukong(True Ending) - PS5.
(Sept) Age of Mythology: Retold - Series X.
(Oct) Lies Of P - Series X.
(Oct) Alone in the Dark(2024) - PS5.
(Oct) Operation: Polygon Storm - PS5.
(Nov) Elden Ring - Series X.

[Scrustle]

05/11 - Gran Turismo 4 Spec II

Deciding on a point where to call this game “complete” is a bit ambiguous. Apart from going for the full 100%, which would take forever, the most appropriate point seems to be upon completing the Gran Turismo World Championship. That is the point where the credits normally roll, so I’m going with that, although that didn’t actually happen on this version of the game. I’m not sure if that has something to do with this mod since they moved where this event takes place, or whether it’s because of the online beta version of the game that this mod is based on. Either way, this point seems to be what is generally considered the end goal of the single player content, with stuff that comes after being post-game bonus stuff. Getting to this point can be done comparatively quickly though, with the unlock requirement being little more than just reaching 20% completion and passing the right license tests. I decided to take things a bit slower and more thoroughly, and by the time I had finished the championship I was at 37.5% complete at around 53 hours play time.

I had a really good time going through it. The handling model is great, and the tweaks this mod makes to it do a lot to help bring out its best qualities. Having the finer control over throttle with a trigger that actually gives you the range of inputs needed to make the most out of it improves the driving feel by a big margin. Overall it feels really rewarding to get to grips with. Although the twitchy steering can be an issue at times, the driving mechanics in general are better than a lot of much newer games.

The career mode is very enjoyable too, although what exactly counts as that isn’t particularly clear cut. Even though it is a loosely organised collection of events, it still has a good sense of momentum to it that works like a tour through various different realms of the world of cars. It feels like an interactive car museum, where events are grouped together like an exhibit around a certain theme, which has a gradual escalation of speed and difficulty as you go down the list of events in a single category. It manages to feel like a wide buffet that you can approach at your own pace, while still keeping a good sense of progression that gives you something to work up to. The variety is excellent as well.

Playing this mod made me wish that it existed way sooner. It allowed me to tap in to a dormant appreciation of this game that I couldn’t get out of it before, when all it took was a few tweaks to how the controls worked. The improved sound effects definitely make a difference, and the added/remixed content is cool too, but the thing that impresses me the most is simply how it allowed me to just enjoy the game itself. If this is how the game played way back on launch I could have had a very different relationship with this game over the past two decades. Either way, I’m glad I got to play it now and have fun with it.

[oni-link]

Three more for me over the last month:

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

I continued my journey through the Like a Dragon games with 6. I rarely hear much discussion around this game so wasn't sure what to expect.

I think some of the changes to combat are mixed. The group combat is now much worse than it was in the PS3 games, but the 1 on 1 combat is much better. On the whole though, as you fight groups more often than bosses, it's probably a negative change. That said, on the whole, the brawler combat is still a lot of fun.

I also didn't like that the substories are not really highlighted on the map anymore (until they're started) so unless you stumble upon them, you don't really have a reliable way of finding them outside of using a guide.

I finished the game with 18/52 completed, and I'd have liked to do more, but I didn't want to use a guide or just aimlessly run around town hoping to trigger them. This is made worse as the 2 maps have 5 timezones between them (night and day in one, and day, dusk and night in the new map) and some substories are tied to one time zone.

The story and plot in the game are great, even when they're extremely dumb, and the last 90mins of the game are incredible. I've not played 7 and 8 but had I not known a few things about those games from trailers, the ending of 6 would have left me bawling.

Overall another unique and really good game in this fantastic series.

Dungeons of Hinterberg

This game really surprised me, and it's one of my favourite games of the year. It's mix between Persona and traditional 3D Zelda.

You spend your day exploring 4 open maps looking for dungeons (these are like more expansive shrines from BOTW or smaller traditional dungeons from older 3D Zelda games). There are 25 of these in total and each of them has their own theme or gimmick or idea. Most only take 15-30 mins to complete as well.

The evening time is then spent in town, speaking to people, upgrading your magic and gear and then spending time with someone to increase your bond with them. These "social links" then level up and unlock new gear or stats or armour slots or even plot events in some cases.

The overall story comes together in a really cool way as well, and the atmosphere and overall vibes of the game are just really comfy, which is complemented really well by the chill and relaxing soundtrack.

Highly recommended if you like old school 3D Zelda dungeon design.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

I'm mostly going to be talking about the campaign here, and while it's has some quite high highs, the lows are some of the worst I've come across in a Call of Duty campaign.

The overall plot is silly fun, but with a weak ending, though It is goofy and engaging enough to keep you amused, if not interested.

There is a lot of variety in the campaign, which is generally a plus, but a lot of the missions come off as a Call of Dutys take on Hitman, Far Cry, a survival horror game, a walking sim etc, and often these end up novel, but shallow. "You can complete this mission however you like" more often than not means path A or path B, which means "stealthy" or "not stealthy".

One mission deserves special mention for being visually and thematically incredible but an absolute slog to actually play. It's essentially 5 bullet sponge boss fights in a row while an endless supply of minor enemies spawn in to ruin your life. That's not what I look for in a good Call of Duty mission and it's just not fun to play (even if some of the ideas on display are extremely inventive and visually striking).

There are still a few levels that feel like the typical Call of Duty playable shooting gallery rollercoaster action movie experience, and these are really well done.
Overall, the level of variety is commendable and makes for some memorable experiences, but there are a fair few missions that are a chore to play through. A solid campaign, more so than a great one.

[Alex79]

JAN - Strider (Arcade on Evercade)
JAN - Strider (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - God Of War (PS5)
JAN - Universal Paperclips (Android)
FEB - Alwa's Awakening (Evercade)
FEB - Little Inferno (Android)
FEB - Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall Of The Foot Clan (Gameboy on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Mario Golf (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Duke Nukem Remastered (Evercade)
APR - Castlevania Legends (Gameboy on Switch)
APR - The Combatribes (Arcade on Evercade)
APR - Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen (Switch)
APR - Bioshock (Switch)
MAY - Tinykin (Switch)
MAY - Elden Ring (Xbox)
JUN - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade on Switch)
JUN - EAFC 24: Euros 2024 Mode (PS5)
JUN - Policenauts (PS1 on Vita)
JUN - Nyghtmare: The Ninth King (Evercade)
JUN - Cocoon (Switch)
JUN - Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch)
JUL - Atari 50 (Switch)
JUL - U.N. Squadron (Arcade on Vita)
JUL - The Legend Of Silkroad (Arcade on Evercade)
JUL - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty (Switch)
AUG - Ninja Gaiden (NES on Switch)
SEP - Balatro (Android)
OCT - Balatro (again!) (Android)
OCT - South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Switch)
OCT - Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (Arcade on Evercade)

NOV - The Walking Dead: Season Two (Switch)

I have played this before (only ever played seasons one and two) and I remember around the time it was released there was a general consensus that the second season was not as strong as the first, and at the time I'd have agreed with that. Playing it now, a decade later, I honestly thing the second season was even better than the first. I think it had a stronger story, more interesting and nuanced characters and more impactful choices to make. Dropping the light puzzle aspect of the first game made for a better interactive story experience, too. I do wonder if, when it came out, it was too similar to the first season and people were already tiring of the format (especially given Telltale's relentless release schedule of very similar games).

The story in season two starts of bleak and just descends from there. Whilst the first season had some lighter moments and flirted more with hope and optimism, the second just spirals further and further in to despair as everyone around you either stabs you in the back or meets a grizzly end. It's really effective storytelling, and I would urge anyone to revisit this series, because even now, all these years later, I don't think interactive story games have bettered these first two seasons of The Walking Dead.

I have the third season ready to go.

[Truk_Kurt]

I keep meaning to play the final season

[Truk_Kurt]

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (Campaign)
Just finished the BLOP6 campaign. Really good stuff, up there in my top 3 COD campaigns. There’s not one duff mission and some of the missions are the kind I’d have never expected in a million years to be in a Call of duty game, but those risk’s definitely pay off imo. Fantastic graphics and set pieces. If I would have one complaint it would be that I found some of the bosses very frustrating and not much fun to fight. As campaigns go I’d give it a 9/10

[markfm007]

Spoiler: show

January 6th - Persona 5 Royal
January 11th - Control: Ultimate Edition
January 23rd - Alan Wake 2
February 13th - Batman: Return to Arkham - Arkham Asylum
March 2nd - Cocoon
April 6th - Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition
April 20th - Persona 3 Reload
May 24th - Doom (2016)
June 11th - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
June 15th - Astro's Playroom
July 27th - Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
August 26th - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
September 13th - Astro Bot
September 20th - Super Mario 3D Land
September 28th - The Plucky Squire

November 9th - Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Been quite busy recently and this has been an oddly effective stress reliever. I think the intensity of it helped draw me in and away from my day to day. I love how strategic it is, how the map all connects together and forces you to learn the routes around it, criss cross, make plans of what to pick up and drop off, connecting the dots between rooms. Enemies also force you to be strategic in if/how you take them out, and the lickers and Mr X love to throw a spanner in the works. The game looks fantastic and everything feels very in line with RE4 remake, which I appreciated.

Still not a fan of the bosses here, and I did have the odd moment that felt a bit unfair, enemies cornering me in frustrating ways or Mr X seemingly being in multiple places at once. Could be me though. Overall I had a great time and probably enjoyed it about as much as RE4 remake. Maybe a few more differences between Leon and Claire’s stories would have been nice too - I did Leon A/Claire B.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Battlefield 3 - Series X.
(Jan) Hi-Fi Rush - Series X.
(Jan) Daymare 1998 - Series X.
(Jan) The Beast Inside - Series X.
(Feb) XIII - Series X.
(Feb) Close to the Sun - Series X.
(Feb) Atomic Heart - Series X.
(Feb) Return to Grace - Series X.
(Feb) MADiSON - PS5.
(Mar) TDPA: House of Ashes - PS5.
(Mar) RE Village: Shadows of Rose - PS5.
(Mar) Those Who Remain - Series X.
(Mar) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun - Series X.
(Mar) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - PS5.
(Mar) Control: Ultimate Edition - Series X.
(Mar) DREDGE - Series X.
(Apr) Little Nightmares - Series X.
(Apr) Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - Series X.
(Apr) Robocop: Rogue City - PS5.
(Apr) Little Nightmares II - Series X.
(May) Fallout 4 - PS5.
(May) The Maw - Xbox 360.
(May) Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Series X.
(June) Alan Wake II: Night Springs dlc - Series X
(June) Castlestorm: Definitive Edition - Series X
(July) Still Wakes the Deep - Series X.
(July) The Quarry - PS5.
(July) Bright Memory Infinite - Series X.
(July) Diablo IV - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Duty: MWIII - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - Xbox 360.
(Aug) No More Heroes III - Series X.
(Aug) Trepang 2 - Series X.
(Sept) Deliver Us Mars - PS5.
(Sept) Black Myth: Wukong(True Ending) - PS5.
(Sept) Age of Mythology: Retold - Series X.
(Oct) Lies Of P - Series X.
(Oct) Alone in the Dark(2024) - PS5.
(Oct) Operation: Polygon Storm - PS5.
(Nov) Elden Ring - Series X.
(Nov) Dark Souls Remastered - PS5.

[Jobobonobo]

Spoiler: show

Jan 7: New Super Lucky’s Tale
Jan 7: Super Mario Land
Jan 9: Tetris Attack
Mar 2: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Mar 17: Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Apr 6: Stray
Apr 18: Pac-Man World: Re-Pac
May 1: Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shōgun Magginesu
Jun 6: Code of Princess
Jun 30: Pokemon Radical Red (ver 4.0)
July 14: Sonic Advance 2
July 26: Sonic Advance 3
Aug 2: Trials of Mana
Aug 24: Kirby Power Paintbrush
Aug 30: Final Fantasy IV Advance
Sep 11: Ape Escape 2
Sep 23: Pac-Pix
Sep 23: Tinykin
Sep 29: Mail Time
Sep 30: Drill Dozer
Oct 4: The Wonderful One: After School Hero
Oct 30: Beyond Good and Evil

Nov 14: Pepper Grinder

This was a very enjoyable 2D platformer with smooth controls and an engaging drill mechanic which allowed for fun combat, puzzle solving and navigation. It is quite short with only 4 worlds but it packs its short playtime with a lot of fun ideas and creative level design. Music was a real delight with a very mid to late 90s jungle vibe which fits the high octane action of the gameplay well. Bosses could be a real challenge, especially the final one. I died to that at least 50 times if not more. It really demands that you have mastered the art of drilling though substrate at this point as you are dodging and weaving. Was very satisfying once I finally took the bastard down though. If you want something that is short but sweet, I think Pepper Grinder is an ideal game to try out.

[Alex79]

JAN - Strider (Arcade on Evercade)
JAN - Strider (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - God Of War (PS5)
JAN - Universal Paperclips (Android)
FEB - Alwa's Awakening (Evercade)
FEB - Little Inferno (Android)
FEB - Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall Of The Foot Clan (Gameboy on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Mario Golf (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Duke Nukem Remastered (Evercade)
APR - Castlevania Legends (Gameboy on Switch)
APR - The Combatribes (Arcade on Evercade)
APR - Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen (Switch)
APR - Bioshock (Switch)
MAY - Tinykin (Switch)
MAY - Elden Ring (Xbox)
JUN - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade on Switch)
JUN - EAFC 24: Euros 2024 Mode (PS5)
JUN - Policenauts (PS1 on Vita)
JUN - Nyghtmare: The Ninth King (Evercade)
JUN - Cocoon (Switch)
JUN - Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch)
JUL - Atari 50 (Switch)
JUL - U.N. Squadron (Arcade on Vita)
JUL - The Legend Of Silkroad (Arcade on Evercade)
JUL - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty (Switch)
AUG - Ninja Gaiden (NES on Switch)
SEP - Balatro (Android)
OCT - Balatro (again!) (Android)
OCT - South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Switch)
OCT - Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (Arcade on Evercade)
NOV - The Walking Dead: Season Two (Switch)

NOV - Forgotten Worlds (Arcade on Evercade)

Pretty interesting shmup from Capcom. Fun to play with it's rotating fire mechanic, but hard as nails, I can't imagine ever being able to 1cc this (although I have absolutely no doubt there will be plenty of people on YouTube doing so).

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Battlefield 3 - Series X.
(Jan) Hi-Fi Rush - Series X.
(Jan) Daymare 1998 - Series X.
(Jan) The Beast Inside - Series X.
(Feb) XIII - Series X.
(Feb) Close to the Sun - Series X.
(Feb) Atomic Heart - Series X.
(Feb) Return to Grace - Series X.
(Feb) MADiSON - PS5.
(Mar) TDPA: House of Ashes - PS5.
(Mar) RE Village: Shadows of Rose - PS5.
(Mar) Those Who Remain - Series X.
(Mar) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun - Series X.
(Mar) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - PS5.
(Mar) Control: Ultimate Edition - Series X.
(Mar) DREDGE - Series X.
(Apr) Little Nightmares - Series X.
(Apr) Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - Series X.
(Apr) Robocop: Rogue City - PS5.
(Apr) Little Nightmares II - Series X.
(May) Fallout 4 - PS5.
(May) The Maw - Xbox 360.
(May) Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Series X.
(June) Alan Wake II: Night Springs dlc - Series X
(June) Castlestorm: Definitive Edition - Series X
(July) Still Wakes the Deep - Series X.
(July) The Quarry - PS5.
(July) Bright Memory Infinite - Series X.
(July) Diablo IV - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Duty: MWIII - Series X.
(Aug) Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - Xbox 360.
(Aug) No More Heroes III - Series X.
(Aug) Trepang 2 - Series X.
(Sept) Deliver Us Mars - PS5.
(Sept) Black Myth: Wukong(True Ending) - PS5.
(Sept) Age of Mythology: Retold - Series X.
(Oct) Lies Of P - Series X.
(Oct) Alone in the Dark(2024) - PS5.
(Oct) Operation: Polygon Storm - PS5.
(Nov) Elden Ring - Series X.
(Nov) Dark Souls Remastered - PS5.
(Nov) Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Series X.

[markfm007]

Spoiler: show

January 6th - Persona 5 Royal
January 11th - Control: Ultimate Edition
January 23rd - Alan Wake 2
February 13th - Batman: Return to Arkham - Arkham Asylum
March 2nd - Cocoon
April 6th - Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition
April 20th - Persona 3 Reload
May 24th - Doom (2016)
June 11th - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
June 15th - Astro's Playroom
July 27th - Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
August 26th - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
September 13th - Astro Bot
September 20th - Super Mario 3D Land
September 28th - The Plucky Squire
November 9th - Resident Evil 2 (2019)

November 16th - Resident Evil 3 (2020)

Leaner, faster and more cinematic than 2 or 4. Unlike those games this is an action packed journey through the outbreak as it's occurring, rather than exploring and picking your way through the aftermath. The graphics are genuinely amazing, the best of the three for me, and there's a lot of flair and well choreographed action.

The game is overall less strategic and more action focused, sometimes to its detriment. It's easier to get overwhelmed by zombies at times, and I had more camera issues than with the other two. Nemesis is more annoying than fun at the beginning, although I did come to enjoy the persistent rivalry of sorts between him and Jill. I also liked Carlos and his falcon punch and assault rifle. While Jill has the best action moments, Carlos easily has the best levels. Definitely worth a look if you can accept its flaws.

[Alex79]

JAN - Strider (Arcade on Evercade)
JAN - Strider (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - God Of War (PS5)
JAN - Universal Paperclips (Android)
FEB - Alwa's Awakening (Evercade)
FEB - Little Inferno (Android)
FEB - Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall Of The Foot Clan (Gameboy on Switch)
FEB - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Mario Golf (Gameboy on Switch)
MAR - Duke Nukem Remastered (Evercade)
APR - Castlevania Legends (Gameboy on Switch)
APR - The Combatribes (Arcade on Evercade)
APR - Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen (Switch)
APR - Bioshock (Switch)
MAY - Tinykin (Switch)
MAY - Elden Ring (Xbox)
JUN - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade on Switch)
JUN - EAFC 24: Euros 2024 Mode (PS5)
JUN - Policenauts (PS1 on Vita)
JUN - Nyghtmare: The Ninth King (Evercade)
JUN - Cocoon (Switch)
JUN - Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch)
JUL - Atari 50 (Switch)
JUL - U.N. Squadron (Arcade on Vita)
JUL - The Legend Of Silkroad (Arcade on Evercade)
JUL - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty (Switch)
AUG - Ninja Gaiden (NES on Switch)
SEP - Balatro (Android)
OCT - Balatro (again!) (Android)
OCT - South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Switch)
OCT - Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (Arcade on Evercade)
NOV - The Walking Dead: Season Two (Switch)
NOV - Forgotten Worlds (Arcade on Evercade)

NOV - The Outer Worlds (Switch)

Bit of a mixed bag, this one. There were aspects I really enjoyed but there were also a lot of annoyances. I thought the characters, and not just the ones you can recruit to your team, were excellent. They all had depth and you really got a sense of their backstories (and Pavarti and Junlei were cute together), and the game is on the whole really well written. But I didn't really like the way the game was put together, no real big open world to explore and the awful loading times on Switch really did a lot to spoil and otherwise good port, performance-wise.

I thought the overall story was relatively interesting, but I really liked the ending, the narration over the final section of the game, letting you know what became of all the characters and how your choices impacted the world - it was really nicely done and actually did a lot to endear the game to me.

However, overall, I think I expect a little more from an Obsidian RPG, and I ended up treating it more as an FPS with lite-RPG elements. Many of the side quests were forgettable and not particularly interesting, companion quests aside. So like I said, a mixed bag. Normally here I'd say "I'd be interested to see what they did with a sequel", but on this occasion I don't think I would. I don't think the world is interesting enough and the gameplay mechanics, including the open world, would need a bit of a shake-up to pull me back in. Glad I played it though, but I'd struggle to give it more than a 6/10.

[Truk_Kurt]

(Nov) Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Series X.

How did you find Black Ops 6?

[seansthomas]

Jan 4th - Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS5)
Jan 10th - Jusant (Xbox Series S)
Feb 6th - Resident Evil 4 (PS5)
Feb 19th - Resident Evil 4 - Hardcore (PS5)
Feb 25th - Interaction isn't explicit (PS5)
Mar 10th - The Last of Us Part II: Remastered (PS5)
Apr 16th - TLoZ: TOTK (all shrines) / Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Challenge Tombs) / Helldivers 2 (PS5) / Split Second (Xbox Series S)
May 1st - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Xbox Series S)
May 17th - Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways (PS5)
May 27th - Shadow of the Colossus (PS5)
July 23rd - Shadow of the Erdtree: Elden Ring (Xbox Series S)
July 24th - Lego Builders Journey (Switch)
July 29th - Metroid Fusion (Switch: NSOnline)
August 7th - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5)
August 13th - Thank goodness you're here! (PS5)
September 5th - Arranger: A role-puzzling adventure (Switch)
October 3rd - Astrobot (PS5)

November 18th - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS5)

Potted history of my time with this series.

Liked MGS a lot. Found 2 a bit dull. Adored 3. Never touched the others.

So I have no idea in all honesty story wise what the hell was happening here. Watched some lore stuff and a few YouTube videos and still not sure I'm any the wiser tbh. The narrative is all over the shop and I can see why, if you adored those earlier games, this feels like a mess.

The opening sequence is long, painful and a bit sadistic. Then there is barely any more story for ages. When there is, it's either a bit naff, pervy or unresolved. The bad guys are all pretty rubbish and most just exit stage left discreetly vs have some epic finale, landing a bigger political point. I dunno, maybe that's what Kojima was going for after multiple decades of making these games? But it is all a bit muted and less theatrical than you'd expect.

That sense of not quite being finished hangs over the game too, especially now that some functionality in the game is offline. And structurally, it's very weird.

The first 2/3s of the game is Chapter 1 and ends fairly abruptly. No real big boss fight, just a slightly heightened mission encounter.

And then you get a bizarre 2nd Chapter of repeats of earlier missions, made far harder. There are a handful of new ones that close out various story threads and give you one last revelation, but largely it's going over old ground.

Also, the open world is showing its age. There are only two regions and geographically they lead to similar experiences. And to move to another mission, you either need to travel large distances or more realistically call in a chopper, wait for it, take off, go to a menu, select a drop point, wait for it to load and then drop you off. I must have spent hours watching that animation sequence.

So it's not very good then?

Well actually it might be my favourite game in the series? It's certainly the one I've enjoyed the act of playing the most.

Because the gameplay is superb. Really, really top notch.

It moves from stealth to full on firefight seamlessly in a way few games manage, once the vast amount of control inputs click.

Snake feels a joy to move around. The gameplay options are so vast too. I largely played with tranquilizer guns and sniper rifles, trying to not be seen or killing anyone. But if that does go to shit, the combat is pretty damn decent.

Having to call in a new load out drop to adapt your playstyle on the fly is thrilling. And you have so much equipment at your disposal.

Decoys. C4. Mines. Water pistols. Cardboard boxes. Camo. Smoke grenades. Tanks. Horses. Sniper companions. Fulton balloons. Rocket launchers.

The bare bones of what MGS so great from day one is all here. But polished to perfection. It is criminal that older MGS games haven't been remade using this FOX Engine and gameplay mechanics.

It's a game of contradictions.

The mother base management stuff didn't do much for me. But the idea and Fulton mechanic used to staff it up is glorious.

A lot of the side missions are padding. But also they hide some of the games best missions.

The Extreme Chapter 2 Acton orientated missions are bullshit. But the Total stealth ones are some of the best things gaming has to offer when nailed.

Quiet is a problematic character in her depiction. But she is an amazing companion.

The maps are largely barren and a pain to navigate vertically. But hide some amazing areas that rival Ground Zeroes base.

The bosses are virtually non existent and fairly dull. But the minute to minute encounters never get any less thrilling.

MGSV then. An enigma. Unresolved but full of ideas. Bonkers but brilliant.

Like Kojima himself.