Games Completed 2021

[ThirdDrawing]

Finish #21 - Radical Dreamers (SNES)

Very interesting to go back and compare this to Chrono Cross. Neat to hear Chrono Cross music done in an SNES style too.

[Alex79]

JAN - 80 Days (Android)
JAN - What Remains Of Edith Finch (PS4)
JAN - Judgment (PS4)
JAN - Donut County (Android)
FEB - Gorogoa (Android)
FEB - Horace (Switch)
FEB - Castlevania (NES on Switch)
FEB - Akumajō Dracula (Famicom on Switch)
MAR - Pinball FX3: Back To The Future (Switch)
MAR - Pinball FX3: E.T. (Switch)
APR - Fantasy Zone (1cc) (Arcade on Switch)
APR - Assassin's Creed: Unity (PS4)
APR - There Is No Game: Game Jam Edition (Android)
MAY - Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Switch)
JUN - Super Mario 64 (Switch)

JUL - Silent Bomber JP (PS1 on Vita)

Phew, after over 20 years I finally managed to finish this game! This is one of the unsung heroes of the last days of the PS1. Released only months before the PS2 launched, this plays like a mixture of Bomberman and a Platinum action game, with Metal Gear Solid looking graphics and cutscenes. I've still got my PS1 disc, but wanted to play it handheld, and it's only available on the Japanese PSN store, so I downloaded that one but then felt like I was missing out on story, so downloaded a hooky copy of the English version. However, the English version suffered, for some reason, terrible slowdown on a couple of stages, so I ended up going back to the Japenese version to finish it. The game is a challenge throughout, but the final boss is ridiculous. Just unrelentingly unfair, no checkpoints, getting stunlocked so you literally can't do anything - a lot of nonsense that wouldn't fly these days. The game is incredible overall though, an all time favorite and easily recommendable even 20+ years later.

[seansthomas]

January 15th - Spiderman (PS4)
January 17th - Labo VR goggles and camera (Switch)
March 19th - Labo VR blaster (Switch)
March 19th - Bowser's Fury (Switch)
April 12th - Bloodborne + Old Hunters DLC (PS4)
April 18th - Star Wars: Battlefront 2 campaign (PS4)
April 19th - Journey (PS4)
May 24th - Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20th anniversary edition
June 23rd - Vanquish (PS4)
July 15th - Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4)

July 24th - Alba: a wildlife adventure (Switch)

Lovely little game to play for 5 or so hours with the kids from the makers of Monument Valley. Walk around an island, fix up a nature reserve, photograph some birds and galvanise a local island community.

Nothing taxing or particularly innovative but so stylish and wholesome I loved every minute. So did the kids.

[ironedflemming]

20 - AC Brotherhood: Ezio Collection (PS5)

Mixed bag this one, world, combat and general gameplay felt better than II but the story and pacing were pretty lacklustre - i'm still confused whether or not the baddy actually died or just had a bit of fall

[Tolkientaters]

July 29- Yakuza Kiwami 2

This is the 3rd Yakuza game I finished after 7 and 0. It's my favorite so far, it's just a fantastic game. I have some issues with plot reveals, but it's so snappy and fast paced and full of ridiculous plot details that I can't help but love it.

[Simonsloth]

July 29- Yakuza Kiwami 2

This is the 3rd Yakuza game I finished after 7 and 0. It's my favorite so far, it's just a fantastic game. I have some issues with plot reveals, but it's so snappy and fast paced and full of ridiculous plot details that I can't help but love it.

Did you not finish Kiwami (1)? I know there’s less affection for it than 0 and 2 but it’s still a good game.

[markfm007]

Spoiler: show

Jan 22nd - Jedi Fallen Order
Feb 21st - Little Nightmares
Mar 30th - Final Fantasy X
April 21st - Dark Souls 3
May 14th - Dark Souls 3 + DLC
May 23rd - Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition
July 12th - Horizon Zero Dawn

July 30th - Mass Effect 2 Legendary Edition

Ran through this one fairly quickly as I've played it so many times before. It's been a few years though and there was a nice mix of things I'd forgotten and plenty of 'oh yeah I remember this' moments. While 1 is my personal favourite, 2 is my pick for best overall game of the trilogy, which is a fairly common opinion.

The remaster is excellent, some environments look fantastic now, without losing the feel of the original. Gameplay feels as sharp as it always has, and I think the shift to an action focus while still keeping some RPG elements works really well. There's still plenty to dig your teeth into with abilities, ammo types and upgrades. There's a noticeable improvement in dialogue and character building from 1, and it expands on the world nicely, with lots of interesting characters and stories sprinkled throughout the world. In this form I'd happily recommend the game to anyone, which is impressive for a now 11 year old game.

My only minor criticisms of the game are that it can feel a bit artificial, with its sometimes obvious and unexciting combat rooms, similarly paced and structured missions, and the overall quest progression

Spoiler: show

(recruit this person, do their loyalty quest, recruit this person, do their loyalty quest..) The DLC does help to break this up a bit, and the character missions fluctuate in terms of how well they distinguish themselves. Some are fantastic, others forgettable.

Where 1 has these big, sprawling main quests and areas, and cut and paste side quests, 2 sort of flattens everything to somewhere in between.

I'll probably wait to play 3, and I've left the Arrival DLC for when I do play it as a sort of prologue. I haven't done a full playthrough of 3 since its release, so I'm much less familiar with it. I also haven't played any of the DLC outside of Citadel, so it should be the most new experience for me. Overall I'm really happy with the Legendary Edition so far, with my only criticisms being some buggy behaviour and strange looking character art.

[Jobobonobo]

Spoiler: show

January 30: Celeste
February 12: Katamari Damacy Rerolled
February 28: Panzer Dragoon Remake
March 26: Donut County
April 4: Yakuza Kiwami 2
May 11: Gris
May 23: Untitled Goose Game

Been pretty busy over the last week so here is the entry for a game I finished last week.

July 24: Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling

This was a fantastic experience. It has been well over a decade since I finished the Thousand Year Door and it felt so good to be playing something in that similar vein after so long a gap. I fell in love with this as soon as it started with its calming visuals, loveable characters and cosy soundtrack. Your party is basically the insect equivalents of a knight, archer and a mage and the balance between them in battle makes for a more complex affair than its inspiration with certain characters only able to hit certain enemies after their partner makes them accessible. Other RPG annoyances such as random battles and grinding are completely absent due to the use of a medal that instantly kills weaker enemies which are present on the overworld and them giving out only 1 XP indicating that you should move on. The sidestories are many and varied and the rewards were usually well worth completing them for. The world itself had a surprising amount of lore attached to it and as you get further into the game, has some dark implications. One of my favourite aspects of the Paper Mario series was the partners who would assist you throughout your journey and here Bug Fables really shines with its trio of heroes. Kabbu is an absolute sweetheart while also being the strongest member of the team, Vi is a greedy individualist who speaks before she thinks and Leif is more wise than Vi and more cynical than Kabbu with easily the most compelling backstory. The chemistry between them was incredibly endearing and having the option to hear them comment on every location and NPC really enables the player to get to know what makes these bugs tick.

All in all, an absolute must play for anyone who misses the old school Paper Mario and/or just wants a cute adventure with some competent world building. Honestly a contender for my personal GOTY so far.

[Alex79]

All in all, an absolute must play for anyone who misses the old school Paper Mario and/or just wants a cute adventure with some competent world building. Honestly a contender for my personal GOTY so far.

Did you ever play South Park: The Stick Of Truth? Before this Bug Fables, that's the closest I've ever found to the original Paper Mario type RPG, gameplay and combat-wise.

[Scrustle]

Spoiler: show

05/01 - Brutal Legend
07/01 - Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
13/01 - Sludge Life
17/01 - AER: Memories of Old
19/01 - Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (Human - Nero/Dante)
05/03 - CrossCode: A New Home
14/03 - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
17/03 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (100cc)
02/04 - Drakengard (Endings A-D)
14/04 - Drakengard 2 (Ending A)
28/04 - Drakengard 3 (Endings A-D)
02/05 - Rain
10/05 - God of War: Chains of Olympus HD
15/05 - God of War: Ghost of Sparta HD
24/05 - NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139... (Endings A-E)
08/06 - Final Fantasy XV (NG+)
02/07 - God of War II HD
15/07 - Scarlet Nexus (Yuito)
20/07 - TRON: Evolution
21/07 - Sky: Children of the Light

01/08 - Scarlet Nexus (Kasane, NG+)

I really enjoyed going through this a second time. It still managed to stay fresh despite playing through such a long game twice in a row. Very impressive. It was interesting to see how playing as the other main character changed things. It was mostly in ways I expected, but it’s cool to see how that changes the overall experience of the game.

The biggest thing is how the story is structured, and how things are revealed over time. In this story some of the things that only show up much later on in Yuito’s story appear way sooner. I’m not sure if I would say that it’s better or worse though. It does lose something in that it doesn’t have that gradual escalation of stakes which keeps surprising you. But at the same time, I guess you could say it’s a more honest story. The places it goes to by the end are set up much earlier on, so it doesn’t feel like it keeps dropping ideas and bringing up new ones repeatedly like in Yuito’s story. At the same time though that does sort of make a lot of the stuff it does cover feel somewhat superfluous now, since it doesn’t spend as much time pretending that those things will be important. But I wouldn’t say there’s a huge difference in the quality of each story overall.

The character interactions in Kasane’s story however are definitely better. This is something I suspected before, and that turned out to be correct. The party members you spend the most time with, and get to see side stories focusing on, definitely feel much more natural. While there are still some of the same problems in that dialogue is often more drawn out than it needs to be, and characters do a lot of plainly stating their feelings, that latter problem is at least much less of an issue here. While at the same time they actually display those emotions through the voice work and dialogue much better too. Characters feel like they have more believable sense of inner conflict, and are generally more laid back in how they present themselves. It’s still far from the best character writing in games, but I still enjoyed spending time with them and getting to know them. There’s also the case of a pair of side characters who each play a pretty big role in their relationship with the protagonists, but who aren’t party members. They both follow a similar path to each other, and again I think the one attached to Kasane is better here. Their story hits harder, and has a closer link to the themes of the central plot too.

There was also a neat little piece of symbolism that I picked up on this time around as well. Throughout the game at key moments you will see visions that resemble red spider lilies. That seemed like a clearly intentional thing, so I decided to look it up, and it turns out those flowers have a cultural symbolism that fit well with the themes of the game, and specifically the moments when they appear. They are supposedly associated with death in Buddhism, and are often used at funerals. They are also supposed to be a sign of a final passing, that these flowers appear when parting with someone you will never meet again. Explaining how that fits in to the game brings up spoilers so…

Spoiler: show

These flowers show up in relation to the time travel powers, and as a piece of aesthetic flair of the final boss. Given how the antagonist’s plan through the story is to use time travel to bring back a dead loved one, it makes sense that the flowers are used to show how the protagonists are trying to get him to let go of the past. To get him to allow her to pass, instead of constantly trying to fix things, even when it’s just causing more harm in the process. The flowers also show up as “entanglements” that appear in an area that is like a space between time that connects other moments. These entanglements are the result of jumping through time too frequently, and are what keeps the black hole that is threatening to engulf the Earth from being closed. So they are a metaphor for untangling regrets and letting go of the past in order to have a future.

Mechanically, Kasane feels almost identical to Yuito. All the same mechanics, very similar timing to attacks and such, but just with a few little quirks different here and there. It was pretty fun to go through the process of gradually gaining more power through the game though. Having more time to experiment with things, as well as going through the tutorial a second time let me learn a few new little details about how these mechanics work too. It turns out the system of using follow-up telekinesis attacks it more versatile than I thought. As long as you keep a combo string going, any TK attack in that string will count as a follow-up attack, so you have more freedom to mix and match attacks than I thought. It doesn’t have to always be alternating between just TK and one normal melee for it to work, which the early tutorials make it sound like is the case. As for which character I prefer playing as, I find it hard to pick. I suppose I still lean more towards Yuito, just because I like the look of the katana, but in terms of overall feel and how the mechanics actually work, they are more or less the same.

Playing this through on NG+ added a bit of weirdness to things however. Carrying over a levelled up character obviously makes the early game very easy. I ended up bumping up the difficulty and intentionally using bad weapons to try to get back some of the challenge. It didn’t really do much. Enemies still died very quickly, even if it wasn’t as instant. But those enemies also hit you really hard, even at surprisingly low levels. But with the way the XP curve works, you basically won’t level up at all until you get near the end of the game again. So eventually things caught back up to my level and that brought the challenge back again, and I bumped the difficulty back down to where it was originally.

So now I have the post-game stuff for Kasane to do. There wasn’t much for Yuito, but I suspect there might be more on a second run, since now the game is letting me switch between both characters at will on a single file, and there are a bunch of secret achievements I still haven’t got. So although I think this is probably near the end of my time with this game, there’s still a little bit yet to go. I have a pretty strong fondness for this game by this point. While it’s not quite in my top tier of favourites, it’s still pretty close to them. I would be very happy to see this become a series that continues on. It certainly seems like they intend to do that with how the story ends up in the end. And I’m on board with seeing where it goes.

[stvnorman]

4 July: Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance (Xbox Series X)
5 July: Out Run (PC-Engine)
6 July: Madden NFL 21 Franchise Mode (Xbox Series X)
7 July: Panzer Dragoon Mini (Game Gear)
13 July: Super Turrican (SNES on Switch)
17 July: Pit-Fighter (Arcade on Xbox Series X)
17 July: Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Series X)
19 July: Resident Evil 4 (PS4)
21 July: Frontline (Atari 2600)
29 July: Cotton Reboot (Switch)

Still not sure what clicked with D&D, but for all its bugs, button mashing, general mediocrity and my lack of co-op partners, I really enjoyed it! Madden was fun if not especially groundbreaking, and still not something I’d rush out and pay for (though I did happily buy Madden 94 on GameCube recently)! More versions of Out Run and Pit-Fighter rinsed, but Panzer Dragoon Mini and Frontline barely count for being a bit too easy. Super Turrican wasn’t quite as easy, except the final boss, which I loved, and that soundtrack still sounds incredible! I ran out of races on Forza Horizon 4, and gave in to the temptation of another Resident Evil 4 run. Finally this month, I made the most of my first ever review code with Cotton Reboot, though reaching the end is barely scratching the surface.

[ColinAlonso]

Spoiler: show

Jan 1 - Slay the Spire (Switch)
Jan 10 - Streets of Rage 4 (PS4) (Cherry - Normal)
Jan 24 - Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch) (True Ending)
Feb 28 - Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (Switch)
Mar 28 - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (Vita)
Jun 13 - Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS4)
Jul 11 - What The Golf? (Switch)
Jul 17 - Everything (PS4)
Jul 24 - Astro's Playroom (PS5)

Aug 2 - The Darkside Detective (Switch)

Point and click adventures aren't usually my thing and I'll even get annoyed with the well written ones like Monkey Island as I spend ages wandering around getting stuck. Darkside Detective gets around this by having six separate cases (and three post credits bonus cases which I will do later). This limits the amount of items and screens for each case and it was quite easy to breeze through. The one time I had to look something up was because I didn't realise a drawer could be opened.

The cases follow the titular straight-laced detective and his bumbling, idiotic, conspiracy-theory loving subordinate investigating odd goings on in Twin Lakes, usually tied to the Darkside, which can be accessed by magical portals. The plots are straight forward and the jokes raise a smile rather than a laugh. So I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but I liked my time with it.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Call of the Sea - Series X.
(Jan) Remember Me - PS3.
(Jan) Ghostbusters Remastered - Series X
(Feb) Disney Infinity 2.0 - PS4 Pro.
(Feb) Batman: Arkham Knight - PS4 Pro.
(Feb) Sacred 3 - PS3.
(Feb) The Darkness II - PS3.
(Feb) The Bureau: XCOM Declassified - PS3.
(Mar) Gears 5: Hivebusters - Series X.
(Mar) Silent Hill: Downpour - PS3.
(Mar) The Medium - Series X.
(Mar) Donut County - Series X.
(Mar) Astro's Playroom - PS5.
(Apr) Outriders - Series X.
(May) Lego City Undercover - Wii U.
(May) Ghost of Tsushima - PS5.
(May) Resident Evil Village - PS5.
(May) Dantes Inferno - Series X(BC).
(May) Streets of Rage 4 - Series X.
(May) Dead Space - Series X(BC).
(June) Matterfall - PS5.
(June) Battlefield 4 - Series X.
(Aug) Metro Exodus + DLCs - Series X.

[Jobobonobo]

Did you ever play South Park: The Stick Of Truth? Before this Bug Fables, that's the closest I've ever found to the original Paper Mario type RPG, gameplay and combat-wise.

I have heard that alright and the newer South Park games look to be a big step up from the N64 FPS which was a bit rubbish. Another game to add to the pile of stuff I want to check out. Thanks for the rec though!

[Jon Cheetham]

Spoiler: show

8 Jan - Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4)
10 Jan - Donut County (Android)
20 Jan - Dark Souls Remastered (Switch)
23 Jan - Bastion (Switch)
30 Jan - Hitman 3 (PS4)
15 Feb - Loco Motive (Itch)
21 Feb - The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt (Switch)
26 Feb - The Witcher III: Hearts of Stone (Switch)
4 Mar - Quarantine Circular (Switch)
6 Mar - Bury Me, My Love (Android)
14 Mar - Dishonored Death of the Outsider (Steam)
15 Mar - The Witcher III: Blood and Wine (Switch)
18 Mar - Dishonored 2 (Steam)
26 Mar - Paradise Killer (Switch)
30 April - Monster Hunter Rise (Switch)
6 May - Monster Hunter World (PS4)
12 May - Resident Evil 3 (2020) (PS4)
17 May - Resident Evil VIII Village (PS4)
23 May - Resident Evil VII Biohazard

5th August - Steamworld Heist (Switch)

Went back and polished this off. Only had a few missions left, I think Hades might have come out while I was playing this. Final fight took a few tries but it was straightforward enough and really fun once I had my head round what was going on.

It's such a fun game that I think a lot of people would get something out of and basically always on sale for $5 on the eshop. Some of the most satisfying aiming in any game.

[Alex79]

JAN - 80 Days (Android)
JAN - What Remains Of Edith Finch (PS4)
JAN - Judgment (PS4)
JAN - Donut County (Android)
FEB - Gorogoa (Android)
FEB - Horace (Switch)
FEB - Castlevania (NES on Switch)
FEB - Akumajō Dracula (Famicom on Switch)
MAR - Pinball FX3: Back To The Future (Switch)
MAR - Pinball FX3: E.T. (Switch)
APR - Fantasy Zone (1cc) (Arcade on Switch)
APR - Assassin's Creed: Unity (PS4)
APR - There Is No Game: Game Jam Edition (Android)
MAY - Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Switch)
JUN - Super Mario 64 (Switch)
JUL - Silent Bomber JP (PS1 on Vita)

AUG - OutRun 2 (PSP on Vita)
AUG - OutRun 2 SP (PSP on Vita)

Blasted through the arcade/OutRun modes on these, both of which are included on the PSP game, OutRun 2006: Coast To Coast.

Good god, this is a great little collection. Just the most satisfying drifting in any driving game I think. Bright, colourful, amazing tunes - OutRun 2 might be the pinnacle of the arcade racer, for me. I really wish they'd release it for Switch or current gen machines. Having said that, I wonder if it's backwards compatible with the Xbox Series consoles? If so, that'll be an urgent purchase once I finally manage to get hold of one. OutRun is a classic, and all timer, and whilst OutRun 2 is actually a very different game, it really does continue the originals legacy in the most perfect way. Hmm, time for OutRun 3 perhaps....?

EDIT: Eeek! Just checked the price of OutRun 2006 on Xbox. Fairly eye-watering! Didn't realise it was 'rare' to find.

[ColinAlonso]

Oooh, OutRun 2006, I couldn't believe it looked that good on a PSP when I got it back in the day.

Spoiler: show

Jan 1 - Slay the Spire (Switch)
Jan 10 - Streets of Rage 4 (PS4) (Cherry - Normal)
Jan 24 - Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch) (True Ending)
Feb 28 - Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (Switch)
Mar 28 - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (Vita)
Jun 13 - Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS4)
Jul 11 - What The Golf? (Switch)
Jul 17 - Everything (PS4)
Jul 24 - Astro's Playroom (PS5)
Aug 2 - The Darkside Detective (Switch)

Aug 5 - Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

Who wanted more of Insomniac's Spider-Man? Me, apparently.

Finished all the story and the side missions, activities, collectibles etc. Same enjoyable gameplay as the original, with tweaks for Miles. The story isn't groundbreaking but it was nicely done. Its fairly bitesize and it could have done with being a bit longer to allow the story to breathe. Really liked how they handled

Spoiler: show

the Prowler

but a bit more space and time to build the character could have helped.

[Indiana747]

(Jan) Call of the Sea - Series X.
(Jan) Remember Me - PS3.
(Jan) Ghostbusters Remastered - Series X
(Feb) Disney Infinity 2.0 - PS4 Pro.
(Feb) Batman: Arkham Knight - PS4 Pro.
(Feb) Sacred 3 - PS3.
(Feb) The Darkness II - PS3.
(Feb) The Bureau: XCOM Declassified - PS3.
(Mar) Gears 5: Hivebusters - Series X.
(Mar) Silent Hill: Downpour - PS3.
(Mar) The Medium - Series X.
(Mar) Donut County - Series X.
(Mar) Astro's Playroom - PS5.
(Apr) Outriders - Series X.
(May) Lego City Undercover - Wii U.
(May) Ghost of Tsushima - PS5.
(May) Resident Evil Village - PS5.
(May) Dantes Inferno - Series X(BC).
(May) Streets of Rage 4 - Series X.
(May) Dead Space - Series X(BC).
(June) Matterfall - PS5.
(June) Battlefield 4 - Series X.
(Aug) Metro Exodus + DLCs - Series X.
(Aug) Mafia II Definitive Edition - Series X.

[OneCreditBen]

Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival (Jap) GBA - No Rounds Lost/Akuma Clear

Really enjoyed this, and it's such a great version. If you want to play it make sure you avoid the PAL Cart/Rom, it's so buggy and more often than not it'll crash when you get to Akuma.

[Alex79]

JAN - 80 Days (Android)
JAN - What Remains Of Edith Finch (PS4)
JAN - Judgment (PS4)
JAN - Donut County (Android)
FEB - Gorogoa (Android)
FEB - Horace (Switch)
FEB - Castlevania (NES on Switch)
FEB - Akumajō Dracula (Famicom on Switch)
MAR - Pinball FX3: Back To The Future (Switch)
MAR - Pinball FX3: E.T. (Switch)
APR - Fantasy Zone (1cc) (Arcade on Switch)
APR - Assassin's Creed: Unity (PS4)
APR - There Is No Game: Game Jam Edition (Android)
MAY - Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Switch)
JUN - Super Mario 64 (Switch)
JUL - Silent Bomber JP (PS1 on Vita)
AUG - OutRun 2 (PSP on Vita)
AUG - OutRun 2 SP (PSP on Vita)

AUG - Ashen (Switch)

Enjoyed this. Its a good game, whilst probably not being a brilliant one. I can't really find fault with it, yet it never really takes that step in to greatness. Solid, is what I'd say. A solid 7.5, maybe 8 at a push out of 10.