Games Completed 2020

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duskvstweak
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by duskvstweak »

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The Witcher
Mirror's Edge
Axiom Verge
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Kingdom Hearts II
DOOM 2016 (Ultra-Violence)
Sleeping Dogs
DOOM 2016 (Nightmare)
Florence
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Super Meat Boy
Mega Man X
Finished Mega Man X on the SNES Mini. Having never played the X series before, I gotta say, it was a lot of fun. Fun music, decent boss fights and that 90s 'tude! Fun time, will definitely be checking out the rest of the series.
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Sinclair Gregstrum
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Sinclair Gregstrum »

Jan - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (XOX)
Feb - The Last Of Us - Left Behind (PS4 Pro)
Feb - God Of War (PS4 Pro)
Mar - The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening (Switch)
Apr - Panzer Dragoon (Switch)
Apr - Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure (Vita)
Apr - Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (XOX)

Apr - Moss (PSVR)

Completed this towards the end of last month but forgot to add to my list.

Looking back at my previous completed games lists this is actually the first PSVR title I've completed in ages! I'm a big fan of the hardware but I definitely go through phases with it, and when I do plug it in I tend to dabble with a few things rather than play anything to completion. Moss, however, did compel me to see the game through, and what a lovely time I had with it!

Moss is a magical little puzzle platformer that makes excellent use of VR. Each level is a series of what are effectively little dioramas, with the player having direct control over the cute mouse protagonist Quill and needing to get her from the point of entry to the point of exit and on to the next area. This generally involves environmental puzzle solving, some platform jumping, and the occasional bit of fairly simple combat. An extra dimension is added by the player - you - being an actual part of the game, and referred to as 'the reader'. You are 'in' the world, and can reach in to move objects, pull levers, and grab enemies to help Quill along the way. You can even give the mouse a wee tickle and a high five. It's all rather lovely!

The story is not much more than a bit of fantastical whimsy, but the developers have done a nice job of imbuing the world with a sense of place and history that gives the game some weight and intrigue it might otherwise have lacked. And while it doesn't end on a cliffhanger as such, they are very much signposting a sequel, and if that comes to fruition I'll certainly be picking it up.
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Magical_Isopod »

#10 - Trials of Mana (2020)

Oh my god, this game... I LOVED it. This is exactly what a remake should be - something that respects and reverse the source material enough to leave many of the original ideas in tact, but recreated with modern technology in mind.

The original Seiken Densetsu 3 has always been a game I loved, but never managed to finish. I think I tried 3 times, most recently with last year's attempt, where I got roughly 80% of the way through. But man, what a difference pacing and presentation makes!

The core gameplay loop is much the same as the original, but because you're on a true 3D plane with full freedom of movement, battles are faster. Whipping through the menus is easy, and stopping to cast a spell no longer halts the momentum of battle quite like they did in the original. The pacing, too, is greatly improved. I'm not sure how much the layout of these dungeons resembles the Super Famicom originals, but even the longer ones felt like they just flew by - not once in this game did I feel like my time was wasted. Everything is tightly paced, which lends itself to the urgency of the plot.

The story isn't EXCEPTIONAL, but I enjoyed it. It's stock standard fantasy fare for the most part, with a few really creative twists thrown in. And even cooler - if I decide to play through this a second time, with the 3 characters I didn't select, the story will actually be different in several meaningful ways; the final dungeon, the boss rush section, and the main antagonist are all different depending on who your lead is. And the simplicity of the story lends well to this. But despite the simplicity, it was very well presented. The cutscenes were VERY well-made, although signs of a low budget were certainly there. I didn't mind though - I was thoroughly engaged.

But what really sells this game for me is just... The "art" of it all. The art direction, the AMAZING soundtrack that keeps the composition of the original while replacing SNES chipsets with real instruments... Even the flashy combat animations. No word of a lie, I actually cried during the end. Everything is wrapped up with a nice little bow, and everything fades to silence over a still shot of the wilderness... Then the camera starts panning up to showcase the larger world map, while an orchestral rendition of the main theme starts revving up... Absolutely beautiful.

But yeah, I do have some small complaints, mostly in the localization... But as a complete package, this game is *phenomenal*, and I'm really glad it was made (and brought to the west!).

It's my GOTY frontrunner, and you should absolutely pick it up. Download the demo, your progress carries over to the real game.

&Iso2020
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dezm0nd
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by dezm0nd »

Sopranos Road to Respect

I was expecting a stinker and it somehow went below that low bar.

It's only intriguing to me due to seeing the tv locations in a 3d interactive space.

Some of the dialogue is fun, too but the mission structure is dull and repetitive
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Suits
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Suits »

dezm0nd wrote: May 7th, 2020, 9:44 amI was expecting a stinker and it somehow went below that low bar.
You're well prepared to get back into football then.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Magical_Isopod »

Suits wrote: May 7th, 2020, 10:18 am
dezm0nd wrote: May 7th, 2020, 9:44 amI was expecting a stinker and it somehow went below that low bar.
You're well prepared to get back into football then.
I'm just sitting here waiting for Bolton to get back in the EPL.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by dezm0nd »

As a retired Watford FC fan I doubt i'll ever get back into Club Football.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

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Not loving football and supporting Brighton for me is about as likely as not liking videogames (or music, or films) any more.
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Beck
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Beck »

Spoiler: show
March
Pokemon Shield

April
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Persona 5
May

Resident Evil 3 (Remake) - My wife surprised me with RE3 as a gift. I really enjoyed it but it is far too short in comparison to RE2 with a completion time of 4-5 hours and I was going relatively slow. I also don't feel like there is much need to replay as I did with RE2. It's worth a play but I wouldn't have been happy if I have paid full whack for it.

Ace Combat 7 - I downloaded this with Game Pass after remembering spending a huge amount of time with the original Ace Combat that I got on a demo disc for the original playstation. It looks ace... and is a huge amount of fun to play, even if I'm not that good at it. Word of warning though, the story is absolute garbage, I just couldn't get into it and by chapter 3 of 20 I was skipping it but there is something about this game that I couldn't put it down.

Ace Combat 7 would be up there for GotY for me which makes me really thankful for Game Pass because without it I probably wouldn't have played it as it isn't one I'd normally look into.

Streets of Rage 4 - I just love this game. I found it a little difficult to begin with but I'm now getting the hang of the special move / health recovery mechanic which has really opened up the replayability and strategic side of the game.

Animal Crossing - can you even complete this game? No, probably not but I've put 40ish hours into and feel like it's time to move on. I really enjoyed my time with it and glad I did pick it up because it has been ideal for destressing is such a stressful time.
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Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Jon Cheetham »

13th Jan - Dishonored 2
19th Jan - Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
23rd Jan - Sayonara Wild Hearts
4th Feb - Wolfenstein: The New Order
18th Feb - Titanfall 2
28th Feb - What Remains of Edith Finch
2nd Mar - Gone Home
2nd Mar - Florence
21st Mar - Hitman (2016)
21st Mar - Thief 2
22nd Mar - BioShock Remastered
25th Mar - Dishonored
3rd Apr - Resident Evil 2 Remake
4th Apr - Hitman 2
18th Apr - Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen
25th Apr - Monument Valley
1st May - Uncharted 4
6th May - The Last of Us

Another PS Plus freebie, and Uncharted 4 had me in the mood to explore more modern Naughty Dog.

The world, the visual design, Joel, Ellie, the astonishing vocal performances, I was completely hooked already by the time Joel and Tess first pick Ellie up. Caned it in a few days. My wife would end up watching and getting invested in the cutscenes and the little conversations between the characters - currently she's keen to see what happens at the end of the Left Behind DLC which I am now halfway through.

I knew the reputation where the story and the game's cinematic qualities are concerned but somehow hadn't realised that the cover shooter combat encounters would be so much fun. These were always highlights, pretty tense with great sounds and lots of ways to tackle the enemy mix-ups. I also didn't feel like there was too much of the combat to slog through.

Which brings me onto the pacing. For me it was perfect. The stately first few hours, the way you soak in it for the middle act and get to know more characters in this world, and the momentum as it built towards the ending was terrific. Loved the rhythm of exploration, gearing up, a battle and then more story to enjoy too. The box-pushing and ladder carrying tasks cropped up quite a bit, but I was so bought in I just didn't mind.

As occasionally happens, my getting into things years after everyone else has ended up being very fortunate - I only have to wait until next month for Part II! As a skinflint I almost never buy stuff on launch, as can be seen by the fact this and the Uncharted games had to be actually free before I tried them out. But I've loved this game so much I think I'll want to spring for a day one copy of the sequel!

Anyway, The Last of Us has pretty much gone straight on my all time list.
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Alex79
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Alex79 »

Jon Cheetham wrote: May 7th, 2020, 7:43 pm The Last of Us
Did you love the...
Spoiler: show
GIRAFFES!!
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ColinAlonso
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by ColinAlonso »

Magical_Isopod wrote: May 6th, 2020, 3:52 pm #10 - Trials of Mana (2020)
How was the difficulty? I've heard a few things about it being too easy.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Magical_Isopod »

ColinAlonso wrote: May 7th, 2020, 8:49 pm
Magical_Isopod wrote: May 6th, 2020, 3:52 pm #10 - Trials of Mana (2020)
How was the difficulty? I've heard a few things about it being too easy.
I felt that the difficulty on Hard should have been the Normal, and even on hard, it wasn't too taxing until like the last third of the game. But it wasn't so easy that the game completely lacked any strategy - I think it's important to understand that a lot of the people complaining the game is "too easy" have already played the original and understand the mechanics. On Hard, I felt that it was easy because I knew what I was doing; I planned in advance for an ideal class combination, because I knew that doing so was a good idea.

I definitely think they should have made "hard" their normal difficulty, and had a more challenging mode for series veterans, but the rhetoric online of it being "baby's first RPG" is unfounded. The original isn't even that difficult of a game - I played through most of it without a single death.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Jon Cheetham »

Alex79uk wrote: May 7th, 2020, 8:28 pm
Jon Cheetham wrote: May 7th, 2020, 7:43 pm The Last of Us
Did you love the...
Spoiler: show
GIRAFFES!!
I
Spoiler: show
loved them! I knew about that and a few other story beats, since the game has been out so long, but it was still a wonderful moment.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Jon Cheetham »

8th May - The Last of Us: Left Behind

This was also great. Some more of those fun combat mix-ups, some of the most tense exploration moments yet, and the walking sim type sections with Riley are extremely well done.

Also enjoyed how in this one you can use your lures to turn the Hunters and the Infected against one another, pretty satisfying.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by dezm0nd »

ratsoalbion wrote: May 7th, 2020, 5:48 pm Not loving football and supporting Brighton for me is about as likely as not liking videogames (or music, or films) any more.
I was mostly tongue in cheek but i really don't have the brain space for it lately. I would definitely go and see Norwich play if my brother offered up a ticket and have done recently.

I think the sport is fantastic at a Championship level, but much like console fanboys, I find the tribalism a little bit intimidating.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Jobobonobo »

Magical_Isopod wrote: May 6th, 2020, 3:52 pm #10 - Trials of Mana (2020)

Oh my god, this game... I LOVED it. This is exactly what a remake should be - something that respects and reverse the source material enough to leave many of the original ideas in tact, but recreated with modern technology in mind.
As someone who enjoyed the demo, this is really encouraging to hear. I really like the old school SNES vibe this gave off and its presentation is lovely. Definitely holding onto my demo data to continue this sometime in the future.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Indiana747 »

(Jan) Far Cry New Dawn - XB1X.
(Jan) Darksiders 3 - XB1X.
(Feb) Borderlands 3 - XB1X.
(Mar) Remnant: From the Ashes - XB1X.
(Mar) Farming Simulator 17 - XB1X.
(Mar) Tracks-The Train Set Game - XB1X.
(Apr) Vanquish Remastered - XB1X.
(Apr) Deliver Us The Moon - XB1X.
(May) DOOM Eternal - XB1X.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by chase210 »

Resident Evil 3 Remake - I enjoyed this quite a lot. It helps that it was a borrow from Domsbeard. My overall completion time was less than 5 hours, I think if I'd spent £45 odd on it I'd feel less positively on it.
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Re: Games Completed 2020

Post by Scrustle »

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03/01 - Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
08/01 - Need for Speed: Carbon
12/01 - Devil May Cry (Normal)
15/01 - Devil May Cry 2 (Normal/Dante)
26/01 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
08/02 - Dishonored
18/02 - Deus Ex: The Fall
23/02 - Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (Normal/Dante/Free Style)
26/02 - Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (Normal/Vergil)
28/02 - Horizon Chase Turbo
28/02 - EQQO
02/03 - Yakuza 3 Remastered
03/03 - Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (Hard/Dante/Free Style)
10/03 - Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (Very Hard/Dante/Free Style)
13/03 - Mirror's Edge Catalyst
19/03 - A Short Hike
01/04 - Doom Eternal
02/04 - Lucah: Born of a Dream (NG+, Bad Ending)
14/04 - Yakuza 4 Remastered
17/04 - Fable Anniversary
21/04 - Transistor
01/05 - The Last Guardian
11/05 - Mafia III

Previous thoughts here and here.

This is a game with some really strong aspects, but it's dragged down by a myriad of problems. On the positive side, it does have some really fantastic characterisation, with great facial animations, voice acting, and cutscene directing that bring out some impressive character moments, and the presentation of it being a retrospective character study works well to bolster that. The setting is well done, but I don't think it fully takes advantage of what it sets up. It's interesting to have a very intentionally racially charged story, that every now and then brings up some powerful moments, but it feels like it doesn't really have much follow-through later in the game. It becomes much more of a background thing that doesn't have much relevance by the end. Aesthetically it's admirable, creating a thick atmosphere to the game, with some great lighting and colour usage. And of course the top tier character models. And the soundtrack is brilliant too. Full of so many iconic bangers from the 60s that are used well to punctuate story moments too. For as much as radio stations are a staple of open world games, it feels like their soundtrack selection is something of a lost art these days, but this game is up there with the best for the track choices.

But for every good moment the game has, there's many more where it bores or aggravates. The moment-to-moment gameplay that you spend the vast majority of the time engaging with is poor. Rote and dull third-person cover shooting with clumsy controls against dumb A.I. Excessively repetitive and uninspired gameplay structure that feels like a naked attempt to pad the game out multiple times longer than it can sustain. Bugs everywhere ranging from minor graphical issues that do hamper the aesthetic somewhat, to broken objectives that result in repeated soft locks. Poorly optimised performance meaning that it never quite feels smooth and consistent to control. The driving is at least fun enough, as the cars have a satisfying balance of weight and slipperiness, but with a good feeling of control and responsiveness too. It's not used for anything interesting though, mostly just going from place to place. So the vast majority of the time playing is alternating between driving around, sub-par boring cover shooting, and also simply waiting to draw enemies around a corner to stealth kill them. Then every handful of hours you'll get a couple of minutes of well presented cutscene.

I also played the DLC, and they were a mixed bag. Some of them had some good moments, and generally they were refreshingly free of tedious busywork, but I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend they are worth trying out. The first one I did, Faster Baby, is probably the best. Set in a small rural neighbourhood where you get involved in helping ensure the safety of some key witnesses in a trial against the local extremely racist sheriff, ironically by going on a massive chaotic automotive crime spree. It had some of the most inventive set pieces and gameplay design of the game, and some amusingly brash symbolism. The next one I did was Sign of the Times, where you investigate a strange cult that has traumatised a character you meet, leading you to uncover their twisted practised, and the dark past of the city. It has some interesting visual moments, but the gameplay is pretty by the numbers for the most part. Also I'm not sure how I feel about the portrayal of this traumatised character. They seem to have PTSD and/or some other kind of mental problems, but they are characterised in a kind of cliched way of barely being able to speak straight and not being able to grasp reality. While they're not painted in a negative light, it's not the most sympathetic portrayal either. And the last DLC was Stones Unturned, where you help your CIA friend from the main game track down an old comrade who has defected and started dealing arms with the enemy. This one again has some pretty uninteresting gameplay, being mostly shooting. In fact for most of it I didn't actually realise this was part of the DLC. But the last level does take you to a different environment which is a nice change of scenery, but by that point it feels very out of place with the rest of the game, to the point of jumping the shark somewhat.

It's interesting comparing this game to Mafia 2 though. The common comparison is that these are games with opposite flaws. 2 is well regarded for having a strong story and characters, but with shallow and scant gameplay. While 3 was criticised for over-correcting and drowning itself in too much grindy gameplay. But personally, I didn't actually connect much with Mafia 2, but I did on at least some level with 3. With 2, while I was willing to let the lack of interesting gameplay slide for a decent story and world, I found that to be lacking as well. If that was supposed to be a character study of Vito, it failed for me in that I never found him particularly interesting. But with 3, I found Lincoln and the wider cast to be far more engaging, which helped push me through all the tedium of the game. Even though I agree that it's a bloated slog that goes on for far too long, those story elements were enough to keep me going. Although I have to admit, most of the good stuff is near the start.

Also, I mentioned in an earlier post about how there were some supposed leaks of a remaster/updated version of this game, and it seems that has some truth to it. The Twitter account for the franchise has started posting again for the first time in almost two years. They're clearly building up to something.
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