Games Completed 2019

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

Jan – Streets of Rage 2 - Sega Mega Drive Classics (Switch)
Jan - Detroit: Become Human - (PS4 Pro)
Feb - Quarantine Circular (Switch)
Feb - Yoku's Island Express (Switch)

Feb - Shenmue (PS4 Pro)

My opinions on this game really have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

They are through the lense of a self-confessed Sega fan, a passionate launch day Dreamcast owner, and day-one Shenmue devotee who absorbed every morsel about ‘Project Berkley’ right up to its release. To this day an indescribable, unique aura surrounds the game and washes over me whenever I go anywhere near it. It is nostalgia at its most potent, meaning that while I recognise this game has huge flaws by today’s standards (some of which may completely drive away players coming it to fresh), I can’t help but cut the game a huge amount of slack.

To me Shenmue still possesses one of the most lovingly crafted, authentic environments in games. I feel that way because I know it was created from genuine exploration of the real world locations and based on mountains of photographs and sketches when it was originally made. If you don’t have that background knowledge or experience and just boot up the game and start running about, you’ll probably just think it feels like a pretty small semi-open world full of weird looking folk and not much to do.

To me the story and characters are by turns intriguing, compelling, genuine and endearing. I feel that way because I remember the effect and impact the game had on me when first playing through it 18 years ago, when compared to the standard of the time Shenmue was a narrative and character-driven experience of a scale rarely seen before. Again if you weren’t there back in the day, you might now find the game a campy, poorly paced, and tonally all-over-the-place mess, lurching between gritty revenge tale to high school romance to forklift truck driving sim and more besides.

I could go on and on – there are so many things here that to me are full of wonder and brilliance, that to others will be mediocre at best, and complete rubbish at worst. Shenmue is equal parts a revolutionary trailblazer loved by many until the day they die, and a creaking museum piece that while an important bit of gaming history should be approached with caution by those coming to it today.

All that said, I’d encourage those with a decent tolerance for the obtuse to give Shenmue a try. You might find yourself bewitched, befuddled, bored or blown away by it, but whatever your reaction you’ll have experienced a game with more love, care and commitment put into it than almost anything else you’ve ever played, and that’s worth something in my book.

[DomsBeard]

Jan – Streets of Rage 2 - Sega Mega Drive Classics (Switch)
Jan - Detroit: Become Human - (PS4 Pro)
Feb - Quarantine Circular (Switch)
Feb - Yoku's Island Express (Switch)

Feb - Shenmue (PS4 Pro)

My opinions on this game really have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

They are through the lense of a self-confessed Sega fan, a passionate launch day Dreamcast owner, and day-one Shenmue devotee who absorbed every morsel about ‘Project Berkley’ right up to its release. To this day an indescribable, unique aura surrounds the game and washes over me whenever I go anywhere near it. It is nostalgia at its most potent, meaning that while I recognise this game has huge flaws by today’s standards (some of which may completely drive away players coming it to fresh), I can’t help but cut the game a huge amount of slack.

To me Shenmue still possesses one of the most lovingly crafted, authentic environments in games. I feel that way because I know it was created from genuine exploration of the real world locations and based on mountains of photographs and sketches when it was originally made. If you don’t have that background knowledge or experience and just boot up the game and start running about, you’ll probably just think it feels like a pretty small semi-open world full of weird looking folk and not much to do.

To me the story and characters are by turns intriguing, compelling, genuine and endearing. I feel that way because I remember the effect and impact the game had on me when first playing through it 18 years ago, when compared to the standard of the time Shenmue was a narrative and character-driven experience of a scale rarely seen before. Again if you weren’t there back in the day, you might now find the game a campy, poorly paced, and tonally all-over-the-place mess, lurching between gritty revenge tale to high school romance to forklift truck driving sim and more besides.

I could go on and on – there are so many things here that to me are full of wonder and brilliance, that to others will be mediocre at best, and complete rubbish at worst. Shenmue is equal parts a revolutionary trailblazer loved by many until the day they die, and a creaking museum piece that while an important bit of gaming history should be approached with caution by those coming to it today.

All that said, I’d encourage those with a decent tolerance for the obtuse to give Shenmue a try. You might find yourself bewitched, befuddled, bored or blown away by it, but whatever your reaction you’ll have experienced a game with more love, care and commitment put into it than almost anything else you’ve ever played, and that’s worth something in my book.

Could not have put it better myself. I have held off going back to this since its re-release through a bit a fear and I want to play them closer to 3's release.

I would recommend Yakuza 0 now wholeheartedly if you have not played it. It evoked similar emotions in me that Shenmue did back in 2000.

[Simonsloth]

26-02 Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (SNES)

My attempt last week to finally get the 2 loop clear was destroyed by the second to last boss duo of Astaroth and Nebiroth, who proved to be a steep wall to climb when needing to use the goddess bracelet.

But now... YATTA!

Feels good to have finally persisted with this one and having cleared both loops for the proper ending.

Well done buddy!

Just out of interest did you do it for real or with save states.

[KSubzero1000]

My money is on 4realz!

[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

In light of the podcast covering this I decided to finally go back and finish the last bit of this DLC. I played almost all of it when it was first released, but wasn't that impressed with it. It's mostly just some combat challenges that aren't super interesting. But the main reason I stopped is because your success at these challenges is mostly dictated by your character level. So I just reached the last few challenges and hit a brick wall because I was getting killed in one or two hits. It basically requires you to be more or less max level to beat the last few tiers. Not that they're even particularly hard at that point either.

That said, after finally finishing all the fights I was surprised to find it does actually give you something somewhat neat for beating it. You get a little side story exploring the memory records of some faulty old Machine that tells a sad little tale that fits right in with the sort of themes the game is going for. It also doubles as a backstory for that tie-in music video that was released around the time the game came out. So I suppose it's neat that came full circle, and that song actually has some meaning and story connected to it within the universe of the game. But it feels pretty arbitrary and disconnected from what you actually do in the DLC, so I can't really say that made it "worth it" at all.

Even though it's not technically part of the story of the DLC, it also gives you that fight against the Square Enix and Platinum CEOs that they advertised in the trailers and such. It's a fun little breaking of the fourth wall I suppose, but the fight isn't anything special. At that point you're pretty over-levelled for it too, so it doesn't last long and is very easy.

But honestly, even after finding out about that little story sequence, I don't think I can recommend that people pick this up. It's pretty expensive for what it is, and you can just watch the bits worth seeing on Youtube or something. I suppose if you really want to support the game, buying it on sale could be worth it. But it's definitely not worth going out of your way for.

I was a little hesitant to count this as a completed game, especially since I had already played most of it ages ago. But it gives you a credits roll at the end, and it also gives you an extra little icon on your save file included with all the endings you've unlocked, so I guess it counts. Also the game is topical around these parts again, so having a reason to talk about it makes sense in a way.

[Michiel K]

Thanks, Simon!

4realz indeed, on a cart and actual SNES!

I did up the life count from the default 3 to 9, just because I didn't know how many attempts the final stage and bosses would take me and with the show deadline looming I was not going to be happy starting both loops from the beginning yet again... turned out I didn't need all that, though, which felt great!

[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

27th Feb
Donkey Kong

I’m putting this here as I managed to get pretty far and set a new PB although finishing would technically be hitting that infamous killscreen which is not happening in my lifetime. Managed to get onto my fourth loop which im not sure is admirable or not.

It’s a shame the NES feature on the switch doesn’t have leaderboards as I would have liked to see how I fared against other forumites.

[ratsoalbion]

Pretty sure the NES version doesn’t have the killscreen. It’s also missing one quarter of the original coin-op’s stages.

If you want the proper King of Kong coin-op experience you need to download Hamster’s Arcade Archives version - which has a dedicated score attack mode and online leaderboards.

[Simonsloth]

Very tempted if there’s an appetite for any kind of friendly competition although my best score by a country mile came this morning on a stupidly early train which I’m not sure will ever be repeated!

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

Could not have put it better myself. I have held off going back to this since its re-release through a bit a fear and I want to play them closer to 3's release.

I would recommend Yakuza 0 now wholeheartedly if you have not played it. It evoked similar emotions in me that Shenmue did back in 2000.

Thanks mate!

That's exactly what I'm doing - playing 1 & 2 ahead of 3.

I think you can jump back in without too much worry if you're an OG Shenmue fan. You will definitely pick up on lots of annoying stuff that you didn't notice first time round (that forklift truck driving section goes on waaaaay longer than I remember!) but the magic is still there for me, and hopefully it will be for you too.

I've long heard that the Yakuza series was something of a spiritual successor to Shenmue and was always keen to play, but not owning a PS2 at the time of the first two entries meant I felt I'd missed the boat a bit and never took the plunge (I did buy no.3 on PS3 but never took it out of the box!). So when I heard they were remaking the earlier entries on PS4, and even doing a brand new prequel, I was bloody delighted!

True to form I've bought Zero and Kiwami digitally on PS4 and not booted either up yet, but playing through at least one of them this year is very much on the agenda!

[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.

[Alex79]

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)


I don't know where to start.

This is the best game I have ever played.

It's just... incredible.

Everything about it. The graphics, the sound, the characters. The story, the environment, the atmosphere. It is the absolute pinnacle of triple A gaming, and I think it will be a long time before we see anything quite so glorious, as this.

I have spent almost three months in the company of the most real digital characters I have ever known. And I really do feel like I know them. Their history, their quirks, their behavior and outlook on life. They felt like... like people.

And I'm already missing them. Genuinely, sincerely, I miss them. I miss being around them. I was really there, with them, for going on 100 hours. How were these relationships any less valid than those in the real world?

The game made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. It has left me with so many memories. Planning hunting trips, rowing out to go fishing, making random connections with people across the vast world - and what a world it was. From the snow covered mountains, down to the swamps of the bayou. The forests, the desert, the lakes and rivers and waterfalls... All of it, just magnificent.

I can't leave. Not just yet. One more night, that's all I need. I just want to go and say goodbye to my old friends. Pay my respects at the graves of the fallen, and check in on the survived. Just one more night. That's all I need.

[Senorb123]

Resident Evil 2 Remake finished it up finally only my 2nd platinum trophy ever. Couldn't stop playing this masterpiece. Definitely my favorite game of the last couple of years.

On to Wolfenstein 2!

[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)

A very basic 2D action shooter. Enemies are generally limited to 1-2 at a time, most being killable before they even get an attack off. The story is really dumb when the characters' know there is a traitor, know who it is, and proceed to do nothing about it until the knife is already in their back.

[Bakers_12]

23/1/19 Baner Saga ios.
31/1/19 Life is Strange session 2 Episode 2
24/2/19 Marvals Spider-man

29/2/19 Mervals Spider-man The Hist DLC

Very high quality bit of DLC has some difficult sections but stands tall alongside the main game

[delb2k]

Jan:

Moss - PSVR
Bound - PS4
The Force Unleashed - Xbox 360 (Back Compat)
Yakuza Kiwami - PS4

Feb:

Resident Evil 2 - Leon A - PS1
Resident Evil 2 Remake - Leon A - X1
Resident Evil 2 Remake - Claire B - XB1

Bury Me My Love - Switch

Previously a mobile game that takes the concept of the mobile phone and utilises this to tell a story of a refugee escaping a conflict in Syria as a series of messages over a number of days, it is a striking choose your own adventure story with some really good and believable characters. I cannot say how much of what is written happens versus the artistic licence but it had a real impact in making me feel concerned for my fictional partner making her way from Syria into Germany via Greece. With moments of peril, setbacks, camps and working on that sense of not knowing what is happening it is a powerful work and well worth a few pounds to go through.

Yoku Island Express - XB1

A pinball metroidvania, this is just an incredibly charming title that I only had a small amount of niggles with. They have managed to find a way to make the mechanics a lot of fun and provide enough difficulty to make it rewarding while not alienating those who have never played that much pinball before. I asolutely love the art style as well, with a rich colour palette and an excellent sense of style where it moves between bright desserts, cold peaks and bright caves. My only real annoyance was with the slingshot ability, lining up each throw between flowers started to become annoying and an irritating break from the more enjoyable pinball sections. But they are only slight, and not enough to properly dampen my mood.

Crackdown 3 - X1

I really, really, really enjoyed this. There is no complexity, no large XP chains of abilities I have choose between, no involved narrative and no desire to create a huge amount of side requests for no reason. This is all about getting big guns, finding glowing orbs and causing a huge amount of explosions. And sometimes that is all I need and I have to admit the reviews of this game have confused me a little. There is a lot of ''it is fun, but'' going around and a part of me goes, if it is fun, does it need a but? I really enjoyed my deep mechanics, my involved, metaphorical storylines and deep customisations in my titles but I do not want evertything to be that either. This scratched an itch that I have had for a while. It made me think of Saints Row, sometimes you just want it all to be a bit silly, but also a ton of fun.

Azu - X1

An almost complete 180 from Crackdown, this I found to be an incredibly relaxing, peaceful and intoxicating journey. I thought the setting felt incredibly special and swimming around with nature, especially in the jetstreams, was just wonderfully touching. They really managed to make me feel like I was in the ocean and the variety of fish that I could interact with and swim with was pretty outstanding. I never thought jumping out of water with a series of whales would be quite as joyous as it turned out to be. Really recommended, it felt very much like journey in the sense of giving me a world I just liked travelling through.

[Alex79]

Yeah I enjoyed Abzu, just didn't really like the very end stage.

[delb2k]

Yeah I enjoyed Abzu, just didn't really like the very end stage.

Do you mean the stage with the increasing water level or the stage before that in the large open area with arches? Trying to be a bit vague here as I do not want to spoil too much.

[duskvstweak]

Finished Metro: Last Light. A little less impressed with this game than the first. It's a bit to similar to 2033, so much so that it felt like I was replaying the first game again. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE the core game, but Last Light didn't really improve anything, and it starting feeling way too formulaic for it's own good, which is too bad since it's formula is pretty good. I much prefer the stealth or fight levels over the mutant monster bastards. I don't know, both good games, but I think I'd only consider Metro 2033 required playing.

[Alex79]

Yeah I enjoyed Abzu, just didn't really like the very end stage.

Do you mean the stage with the increasing water level or the stage before that in the large open area with arches? Trying to be a bit vague here as I do not want to spoil too much.

My memory is fairly hazy, but...

Spoiler: show

The bit where you spend a lot of time out of the water.