Games Completed 2019
- Michiel K
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Re: Games Completed 2019
I wasn't above using guides, but I'm pretty sure I worked out everything in A Link to the Past by myself... or together with my brother. We did randomly experiment with items like the magic powder to get to some discoveries, but in comparison to the NES games there was a lot of added signposting.
Oh, hold up! I remember looking up a guide to make that one dungeon boss appear and slapping myself for not being able to have worked the solution out by myself, as it was actually quite logical.
Not trying to flex a superior puzzle solving mind here, as there are plenty of other puzzles that have had me completely stumped, as my Resi 3 stream of last week demonstrates, but on the whole, I was kind of in sync with "Zelda III".
Oh, hold up! I remember looking up a guide to make that one dungeon boss appear and slapping myself for not being able to have worked the solution out by myself, as it was actually quite logical.
Not trying to flex a superior puzzle solving mind here, as there are plenty of other puzzles that have had me completely stumped, as my Resi 3 stream of last week demonstrates, but on the whole, I was kind of in sync with "Zelda III".
- Suits
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Re: Games Completed 2019
I’m fairly sure I called the Nintendo hotline for the clue to get the Wind Fish Egg’s Maze nailed down.
- Flabyo
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Re: Games Completed 2019
Random trivia about the gameboy version of links awakening: if you never read the hint book, the path through the final maze is always the same one. As soon as you read the book it randomises it before showing you what it’s chosen.
No idea if the remake does that, not got around to it yet.
No idea if the remake does that, not got around to it yet.
- Alex79
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Re: Games Completed 2019
How does the game know if you've read a book!?Flabyo wrote: November 22nd, 2019, 7:51 pm Random trivia about the gameboy version of links awakening: if you never read the hint book, the path through the final maze is always the same one. As soon as you read the book it randomises it before showing you what it’s chosen.
No idea if the remake does that, not got around to it yet.
- KSubzero1000
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Re: Games Completed 2019
I think he's talking about the (virtual) books you can find in the game's library.Alex79uk wrote: November 23rd, 2019, 7:12 amHow does the game know if you've read a book!?Flabyo wrote: November 22nd, 2019, 7:51 pm Random trivia about the gameboy version of links awakening: if you never read the hint book, the path through the final maze is always the same one. As soon as you read the book it randomises it before showing you what it’s chosen.
No idea if the remake does that, not got around to it yet.
https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Mabe_Village_Library
- Suits
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Re: Games Completed 2019
Actually, it may not have been this, it may have been the puzzle before it, where you find the Mermaids Scale.Suits wrote: November 22nd, 2019, 4:10 pm I’m fairly sure I called the Nintendo hotline for the clue to get the Wind Fish Egg’s Maze nailed down.
- Hunter30
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Re: Games Completed 2019
January - Tomb Raider: Underworld (PS3)
February - Lego The Lord of the Rings (PS3)
July - Dead Space (PS3)
November - The Darkness (PS3)
November - Orcs Must Die! (PC)
February - Lego The Lord of the Rings (PS3)
July - Dead Space (PS3)
November - The Darkness (PS3)
November - Orcs Must Die! (PC)
- ColinAlonso
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- Alex79
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Re: Games Completed 2019
I'm still interested in playing that, and your write up made me more so. I just wish the full version was available on Switch rather than the pocket edition. I've got too many 'big' games on PS4 to get through at the moment.
- Scrustle
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Re: Games Completed 2019
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Previous thoughts here and here.
I really enjoyed this game, despite its many technical flaws. While I would recommend it, it's more for being surprisingly good compared to expectations rather than being something extraordinary.
But still, a solid RPG that had a lot of good points. The world and setting are pretty unique, tackling a colonial period setting rather than Medieval fantasy. The quest writing is compelling throughout, and the way each faction worked as a stand-in for the various different (mostly ugly) facets of colonialism was pretty well done. But the thing that I was consistently impressed by was the visual and environment design. It's got a really nice rustic, autumnal look to it, with some fantastic scenery. By separating the world in to smaller zones, it's able to have a really tight presentation of the scene, helping every part of the world look great, and like a lot of care and thought went in to its composition.
But there were some bad points to that were impossible to ignore. Thankfully the good parts made up for it enough that I was able to not let it phase me, but there's no denying that this game has some serious flaws. While the quest writing is strong, the character writing is not. It's pretty dull and doesn't have much emotion or character growth to it. While there are maybe one or two characters that are somewhat entertaining, none of them really stand out as being memorable in any way. The central plot is also not amazing, fairly humdrum. Not bad, just kind of meh. The story works much better in the short term than long. Also the level of jank is extreme. I can't even remember the last time I played a non-indie game that was this rough. It's mostly shoddiness in graphics though, which thankfully doesn't ruin the overall aesthetic. But there's oversights everywhere. Clipping issues, poor character animation, etc. It's very clear that this game was made on a low budget.
And of course there's the issue of the subject matter of the game too. Once all is said done, I think it covered the touchy subject of colonialism... passably. On the one hand, it doesn't shy away from showing how awful and destructive it can be, and it clearly has an awareness of the topics it's dealing with. And it portrays the natives sympathetically, like actual thinking people that get to give their side of the whole thing and presents you with a lot of interactions with them. It even at one point does let you side with the natives against the colonisers in a pretty major way. But at the same time, it feels like it walks right up to the edge of definitively condemning the idea of colonialism, but is then afraid to actually commit to it. None of the main characters outside of the natives ever questions whether colonising the island is justified. And when there are quests that involve uncovering some kind of atrocity done by the colonising factions, their leaders always seem to mysteriously be not involved, claiming ignorance. But the way the game deals with all this didn't inspire a significant amount of frustration or disappointment in me or anything. I think it did honestly try to say something, and had its heart in the right place, but it just didn't quite hit the nail squarely on the head. It held back a bit.
- Suits
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Re: Games Completed 2019
I just beat Luigi’s Mansion 3, got a B grade.
Very good game.
People should play it.
Very good game.
People should play it.
- Indiana747
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Re: Games Completed 2019
(Jan) Starlink :Battle for Atlas - PS4.
(Jan) Far Cry 5 - PS4.
(Jan) Resident Evil 2(2019) - PS4.
(Jan) Shadow of the Tomb Raider - XB1X.
(Feb) Metro Exodus - XB1X.
(Mar) Marvel's Spiderman - PS4.
(Apr) The Division 2 - XB1X.
(Apr) Dead Rising 3 - XB1X.
(Apr) World War Z - XB1X.
(Apr) Earthfall: Invasion - XB1X.
(May) RYSE: Son of Rome - XB1X.
(May) Tacoma - XB1X.
(May) Abzu - XB1X.
(May) Mortal Kombat X - XB1X.
(May) The Walking Dead:A New Frontier - XB1X.
(May) The Gardens Between - XB1X.
(June) Crackdown 3: Campaign -XB1X.
(June) Days Gone(platinum) - PS4.
(Aug) Wolfenstein: Youngblood - XB1X.
(Aug) Detroit: Become Human - PS4.
(Aug) Devil May Cry 5 - XB1X.
(Sept) Gears 5 - XB1X.
(Oct) Rage 2 - XB1X.
(Oct) Anthem - XB1X.
(Oct) Battlefield V - XB1X.
(Oct) Blair Witch - XB1X.
(Oct) Half Life 2 - Xbox 360.
(Nov) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - XB1X.
(Nov) The Outer Worlds - XB1X.
(Nov) Jedi: Fallen Order - XB1X.
(Jan) Far Cry 5 - PS4.
(Jan) Resident Evil 2(2019) - PS4.
(Jan) Shadow of the Tomb Raider - XB1X.
(Feb) Metro Exodus - XB1X.
(Mar) Marvel's Spiderman - PS4.
(Apr) The Division 2 - XB1X.
(Apr) Dead Rising 3 - XB1X.
(Apr) World War Z - XB1X.
(Apr) Earthfall: Invasion - XB1X.
(May) RYSE: Son of Rome - XB1X.
(May) Tacoma - XB1X.
(May) Abzu - XB1X.
(May) Mortal Kombat X - XB1X.
(May) The Walking Dead:A New Frontier - XB1X.
(May) The Gardens Between - XB1X.
(June) Crackdown 3: Campaign -XB1X.
(June) Days Gone(platinum) - PS4.
(Aug) Wolfenstein: Youngblood - XB1X.
(Aug) Detroit: Become Human - PS4.
(Aug) Devil May Cry 5 - XB1X.
(Sept) Gears 5 - XB1X.
(Oct) Rage 2 - XB1X.
(Oct) Anthem - XB1X.
(Oct) Battlefield V - XB1X.
(Oct) Blair Witch - XB1X.
(Oct) Half Life 2 - Xbox 360.
(Nov) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - XB1X.
(Nov) The Outer Worlds - XB1X.
(Nov) Jedi: Fallen Order - XB1X.
- Pitwar
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Re: Games Completed 2019
27th Jan - Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (Switch)
1st Feb - New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (Switch)
9th Mar - Crackdown 3 (Xbox One X)
6th May - Mortal Kombat 11: Story Mode (PS4 Pro)
12th May - God Of War '18 (PS4 Pro)
19th May - Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4 Pro)
23rd May - Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4 Pro)
26th May - Devil May Cry 5 (PS4 Pro)
1st Jun - Days Gone (PS4 Pro)
8th Jun - Blood & Truth (PS4 Pro)
8th Aug - Resident Evil 2 (PS4 Pro)
6th Sep - Man of Medan (PS4 Pro)
12th Oct - A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS4 Pro)
27th Oct - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare '19 (PS4 Pro)
23rd Nov - Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order (PS4 Pro)
Fallen Order is the perfect example of an average game to me. It was fine, but unremarkable. It takes cues from Uncharted and Dark Souls, but doesn't quite hit the mark for either.
I'm pleased I've played it but I won't be going back to mop up the missing collectables or start another playthrough.
One other thing, they really need to patch the HDR in this game. I'm playing on a PS4 Pro through a damn nice OLED TV and everything looked so washed out. I had to turn the HDR off in the end. That's one thing I've noticed about a lot of third party games, the HDR is rarely good compared to games that are PlayStation exclusive.
1st Feb - New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (Switch)
9th Mar - Crackdown 3 (Xbox One X)
6th May - Mortal Kombat 11: Story Mode (PS4 Pro)
12th May - God Of War '18 (PS4 Pro)
19th May - Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4 Pro)
23rd May - Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4 Pro)
26th May - Devil May Cry 5 (PS4 Pro)
1st Jun - Days Gone (PS4 Pro)
8th Jun - Blood & Truth (PS4 Pro)
8th Aug - Resident Evil 2 (PS4 Pro)
6th Sep - Man of Medan (PS4 Pro)
12th Oct - A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS4 Pro)
27th Oct - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare '19 (PS4 Pro)
23rd Nov - Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order (PS4 Pro)
Fallen Order is the perfect example of an average game to me. It was fine, but unremarkable. It takes cues from Uncharted and Dark Souls, but doesn't quite hit the mark for either.
I'm pleased I've played it but I won't be going back to mop up the missing collectables or start another playthrough.
One other thing, they really need to patch the HDR in this game. I'm playing on a PS4 Pro through a damn nice OLED TV and everything looked so washed out. I had to turn the HDR off in the end. That's one thing I've noticed about a lot of third party games, the HDR is rarely good compared to games that are PlayStation exclusive.
- ColinAlonso
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- Location: Dublin
Re: Games Completed 2019
Well, I don't have any experience with that version, so I can't help there.Alex79uk wrote: November 24th, 2019, 8:24 pm I'm still interested in playing that, and your write up made me more so. I just wish the full version was available on Switch rather than the pocket edition. I've got too many 'big' games on PS4 to get through at the moment.
Like FF8 and 12, it does some interesting things while also being quite divisive. That general reaction to 15 is why I wanted to play it in the first place. Compare that to me skipping FF13 due to its reputation.
- ColinAlonso
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Re: Games Completed 2019
- Spoiler: show
Quick description time. Our hero, Ray, after being smacked on the head by top secret cargo falling from the sky is then used as a host by the alien in said cargo. This gives Ray the ability to mind-read and also a big pink hand sticking out of his head (that only he can see) which can grab things.
While the game's art style is not something I would jump at, it grew on me and I did appreciate the work put into the cardboard cutout element of it.
Gameplay-wise, its a modern point and click style adventure with light platforming elements. It keeps everything rather simple. The adventure part of the game is limited to reading minds and obtaining items from the environment, people and their thoughts and using them. The items are all grabbed by the big pink hand as stickers, which ties in nicely to the art style and the game's title. Its straightforward as far as the point and click genre goes, but its logic is good. I only got stuck once even though I am not an experienced adventure game player. The game is broken into distinct levels (or chapters) and items do not carry over.
The platforming is just some very basic jumps. I didn't miss many jumps simply because the game never tested me in that regard, good too because its a wee bit floaty. There are also enemy agents who kill Ray if they reach him. They're usually easy to avoid but you can also read their mind and grab some zzzs from sleepy agents and Ray masks from other's thoughts to use on the agents that get in the way. There are also pins(back to the cardboard aesthetic) stuck in the environment that the big pink hand can grab to help get around.
As an aside, I used the DualShock 4's trackpad as a novelty for a lot of this grabbing and it wasn't that bad.
The plot is solid. The humour rarely made me laugh but did make me smile and I didn't groan at it. The voice acting is silly but in a decent way. Ray may not be smart but he has common sense and knows everything happening to him is crazy, so I found him likeable enough.
I'd describe the whole game as very pleasant with a good bit of charm. It doesn't have any frustrating parts either. Its not particularly special but I found it to be an enjoyable 7 or 8 out of 10 game.
- Combine Hunter
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Re: Games Completed 2019
- Spoiler: show
Bad first impression, but then becomes one of the deepest combat systems Platinum has ever produced. Easily amongst my favourite games they've made.
- DomsBeard
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Re: Games Completed 2019
Death Stranding
For a game that wasn't on my radar and I only got on a whim this has ended up being my game of the year and one of my all time favourites. Also a game I feel like talking about on a podcast first since Skyrim.
I think I got what Kojima was going for early doors so stuck through it thick and thin.
The reviews are polorised because if you are not invested in this and it needs your 100% investment (I havent played a single game since launch day for it even though I've had Star Wars Fallen Order here) you can bounce off it so easily.
Will go into more detail on the thread as I have a lot to talk about and digest.
For a game that wasn't on my radar and I only got on a whim this has ended up being my game of the year and one of my all time favourites. Also a game I feel like talking about on a podcast first since Skyrim.
I think I got what Kojima was going for early doors so stuck through it thick and thin.
The reviews are polorised because if you are not invested in this and it needs your 100% investment (I havent played a single game since launch day for it even though I've had Star Wars Fallen Order here) you can bounce off it so easily.
Will go into more detail on the thread as I have a lot to talk about and digest.
- stvnorman
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Re: Games Completed 2019
- Spoiler: show
3 November: Uncharted 3 - Drake’s Deception (PS4)
5 November: Neo Cab (Apple Arcade on iPad)
7 November: Lifelike - Chapter One (Apple Arcade on iPad)
9 November: Garou - Mark of the Wolves (iPad)
12 November: Joe & Mac 2 - Lost in the Tropics (SNES on Switch)
16 November: Uncharted 4 - A Thief’s End (PS4)
17 November: Sneaky Sasquatch (Apple Arcade on iPad)
26 November: Over the Alps (Apple Arcade on iPad)
27 November: Batman - Arkham Asylum (PS4)
- OldBailey
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Re: Games Completed 2019
Onimusha PS2 - 30/11
I played this game at launch in 2001, one of the first games I remember picking up after exhausting the ps2 launch line up and remember enjoying it a great deal but being a little disappointed in it's brief run time.
In 2019 I think the game mostly holds up wonderfully. Visually the game is still striking with some stunning pre rendered backgrounds and surprisingly detailed character and enemy models for such an early ps2 title. 2D and 3D elements are blended much more convincingly too than Capcom's ps1 efforts.
Elsewhere production values are similarly impressive with a beautiful fully orchestrated soundtrack and some amazing cgi cutscenes. The overall production feels lavish, expensive and nicely polished.
Gameplay wise it's a successful action focused riff on the resi formula. Combat is weighty and rewards skillful play and the insta kill counter attack is incredibly satisfying to master, if a little tricky to pull off. Even by the end there were a couple of enemy types I just couldn't figure out the timing for.
Boss fights are a bit of a let down with the prevailing tactic seemingly to just swap between weapons and spam magic attacks. They are fun but it would have been cool to see the counter attacks worked into these fights to make them feel more tactical. It's the game's most interesting mechanic and for it to be absent in the most important encounters is disappointing.
I'd also completely forgotten that there is a second playable character. Kaede's sections feel slightly under baked however with a more limited moveset and the removal of the soul absorption mechanic making engaging enemies pointless and more risky than just running past them all. In a 6 hour game I'm not sure it needed this attempt to inject some variety. Also the unnecessary boob physics are a blemish on an otherwise classy game.
Overall I enjoyed this replay a lot and plan on diving in to it's sequel soon which I have very little memory of. I've not played entries beyond the second game so looking forward to seeing how the series evolves.
I played this game at launch in 2001, one of the first games I remember picking up after exhausting the ps2 launch line up and remember enjoying it a great deal but being a little disappointed in it's brief run time.
In 2019 I think the game mostly holds up wonderfully. Visually the game is still striking with some stunning pre rendered backgrounds and surprisingly detailed character and enemy models for such an early ps2 title. 2D and 3D elements are blended much more convincingly too than Capcom's ps1 efforts.
Elsewhere production values are similarly impressive with a beautiful fully orchestrated soundtrack and some amazing cgi cutscenes. The overall production feels lavish, expensive and nicely polished.
Gameplay wise it's a successful action focused riff on the resi formula. Combat is weighty and rewards skillful play and the insta kill counter attack is incredibly satisfying to master, if a little tricky to pull off. Even by the end there were a couple of enemy types I just couldn't figure out the timing for.
Boss fights are a bit of a let down with the prevailing tactic seemingly to just swap between weapons and spam magic attacks. They are fun but it would have been cool to see the counter attacks worked into these fights to make them feel more tactical. It's the game's most interesting mechanic and for it to be absent in the most important encounters is disappointing.
I'd also completely forgotten that there is a second playable character. Kaede's sections feel slightly under baked however with a more limited moveset and the removal of the soul absorption mechanic making engaging enemies pointless and more risky than just running past them all. In a 6 hour game I'm not sure it needed this attempt to inject some variety. Also the unnecessary boob physics are a blemish on an otherwise classy game.
Overall I enjoyed this replay a lot and plan on diving in to it's sequel soon which I have very little memory of. I've not played entries beyond the second game so looking forward to seeing how the series evolves.