Games Completed 2023

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ColinAlonso
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by ColinAlonso »

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Jan 22 - Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (Switch)
Feb 8 - Live A Live (Switch)
I played a fan translation of this more than 15 years ago and what's odd is how much I did remember, it really did leave an impression on me at the time. The game still has charm and entering a new era with new characters and story every 2-3 hours is fun. The battle system is simple but that might make sense given all the jumping around. It's not earth shattering but its fun and quite an easy game to play for a 30 year old JRPG. Maybe there were some quality of life updates after all.
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Truk_Kurt
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Truk_Kurt »

Question on Elden Ring. It seems that a big appeal of it is the discoverability of the open world. So I was wondering whether people thought if the game would be as popular if it had the same open world discovery aspects but say with totally different combat mechanics? Just as an example, say if a new dev team made the Elden Ring open world before FromSoft did but with the combat style of something like Horizon FW. Do you think the game would be as popular or is the combat a big appeal too as reading the above it seems like there's some cheesing which can take place and that the difficulty isn't quite as balanced as previous From games.
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Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Jon Cheetham »

I think the density of meaningful encounters and discoverability in its world means the open world itself would be good paired with plenty of control schemes.

The combat is a huge part of the appeal of these games and why they’re so much fun though, including all the different builds and play style variety, which is stronger than ever in Elden Ring.
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Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Jon Cheetham »

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Weird West (Series X, Game Pass) - 8th January
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Series X) - 5th February

Terrific. Prague is the immersive sim dream, a sprawling but densely designed group of open areas with plenty of ups, downs and throughs. The side quests are some of the best I’ve played in a while, and the cover system makes both the stealth and the shoot outs incredibly tactical and fun.

Add me to the lobby of people hoping they get to finish Jensen’s story.
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Seph
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Seph »

Will Marley wrote: February 8th, 2023, 7:30 pm The issue is that I have no meaningful grasp of it in my mind. It's too big and overwhelming in its details. I have very little idea of how the lore comes together, even after listening to all of the Bonfireside Chat podcast so far. I've actually unsubbed because while I like the hosts, it was like listening to a lot of disjointed info about a game I wasn't particularly familiar with or invested in. That's strange after 100 hours. Beyond that, what I did learn and where the puzzle pieces completed a picture, I wasn't really affected or excited about any of it. Kind of like Dark Souls 3, yeah, I get what's going on and the various key players and factions but none of it affected me like Dark Souls 1&2 or Bloodborne. If I started to get a grasp of the ER lore and it grabbed me, I would have gone all in but it didn't.

I accept that the DLC historically ties things together and recontextualises their games very very well, so I'll be in for that Day One whenever it comes, but I have very little interest in ever revisiting the game as it is, while I've gone back to Demon's, Dark and Dark 2 since I finished it and found them as rich as ever.
I agree with this to some level, as while I think Elden Ring is the closest From have come to approaching the story and world progression like a standard AAA game (the grace arrows, the detailed tutorial, the fact there is a character called All-Knowing who tells you everything about the main bosses) it still falls flat in some areas. In particular,
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Ranni
is shown in their questline and through the backstory to be possibly the most important character in the game after Marika, you can completely miss this detail unless you have to time to follow maybe the longest sidequest I've ever seen in a game (as incredible as it was).

I'm not saying everything should be spoonfed, but a lot of people will likely finish the game not knowing why things are how they are and who is responsible. This isn't helped by the boilerplate endings, which are almost all the same bar a few words. It's a shame because they can make amazing cinematics. The opening is incredible and possibly the best narrative thing From have ever done. I don't need cutscenes after every quest, but it would be nice to see characters interact with each other rather than everything going through the player.
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MattL
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Re: Games Completed 2023

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Truk_Kurt wrote: February 9th, 2023, 9:50 am Question on Elden Ring. It seems that a big appeal of it is the discoverability of the open world. So I was wondering whether people thought if the game would be as popular if it had the same open world discovery aspects but say with totally different combat mechanics? Just as an example, say if a new dev team made the Elden Ring open world before FromSoft did but with the combat style of something like Horizon FW. Do you think the game would be as popular or is the combat a big appeal too as reading the above it seems like there's some cheesing which can take place and that the difficulty isn't quite as balanced as previous From games.
I can tell you it would not be as popular as it was with me. Souls combat is really what set Elden Ring apart from all other open world games for me, because in most open world games, the combat just seems like a bland, serviceable afterthought.

As to the general public, I think it would have been slightly less popular, because it would have lost the built in Fromsoft fanbase, but I think that loss would have been partially made up for with more general audiences who are more used to your typical Horizon/Days Gone shooting and Assassin's Creed melee.
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seansthomas
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by seansthomas »

Jan 13th - Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)

Feb 7th - Hi-fi Rush (Xbox Series S)


What a little gem. Love me a surprise drop.

Honestly loved almost everything about it. Characters were endearing, it looked great, the progression was perfect, the music rocked, I had a ton of fun with the bosses, I laughed loads and it didn't outlast it's welcome. Felt like the sequel to Sunset Overdrive I always wanted but knew we'd never get.

After struggling through Bayonetta 3 lately and finding it lacking so much of the spark and zip of 1 and 2, this was a total breath of fresh air.

Can easily see it being in my top 5 of the year.
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Caligulas Horse
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Caligulas Horse »

Seph wrote: February 8th, 2023, 8:49 am I finished and platinumed that Elden Ring after 120 hours and basically doing nothing else with my free time. While it's a great game, I'm left a little disappointed due to the FromSoft excesses rearing their ugly head again; especially how they can't help themselves when it comes to ridiculous difficulty and thinking that just adding multiple versions of a particular enemy should go in place of good boss design. I find this approach lazy and if they couldn't be arsed thinking of extra bosses or enemies they shouldn't have added so many areas.

The final stretch is one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever had with a game, in that it felt like you were fighting Sekiro bosses with a Dark Souls toolset. The fact that one slight mistime or mistake that end you is unfair. The final boss, in particular, is trash. Maybe the worst designed thing they've ever done, which is a shame as the boss just before it would have been a fitting end. But, again, they can't help themselves but just adding more for no reason.

It's a shame because I really enjoyed exploring the world and the sense of discovery is amazing. This was the first time I played a FromSoft game where I wanted to follow all the questlines as I liked the characters and their situations. And I know I'm not alone is saying this but the discovery of an underground world was mindblowing and unexpected (as was finding a second, a third and then a FOURTH), especially as I found it without any guidance. I want more of this, less of the "fight another Crucible Knight or Watchdog or Asylum Demon reskin but this time there's two of them".

For me it's an 8/10 game that should be a 10. I'm not sure if I want to play another game by this company until they sort their shit out. By the end it felt like a chore and I was completing it out of spite so I never had to touch it again. Also, it's fine to disagree and I hope this community is above the git gud bullshit and dick waving that weirdly seems to follow this series around.
Whoa, you got platinum trophy in only 120 hours of playing? I hadn't even completed my first run after 120 hours lol. From my perspective, you breezed through. I'm guessing you used a save to get all of the endings rather than playing it through again for each?

I've seen a lot of people who echo your sentiments about the ending run and the re-use of enemies. The games does throw a lot at you in succession, so I can see how that really grinds people down and causes some resentment. I didn't have that experience myself, though. The Godskin Duo, for example, I'd seen a lot of people complaining about them prior, but I ended up beating them quite easily and even hung around to join games and do it again for runes. That made me realise I'd probably "over-levelled"; my Transient Moonlight was devastating. Ditto for the final boss, it only took me a few tries.

I had my hardest encounter about midway through with the Twin Gargoyles. They whooped me repeatedly across multiple evenings. Many swear words were used. But the rush when I finally beat them was something else. I literally jumped up from my bed and walked up on the TV shouting smack talk at it. It was very silly. Especially as I had work the next morning and had stayed up way past my usual bedtime.

I don't hold the super difficult parts against the game the way others, even Fromsoftware regulars, do. I think it's partly because it did always "feel fair" to me, the rush of finally winning was always a worthwhile reward, and a lot of the time I could just go somewhere else for a bit if something was winding me up too much. But the bigger help was in sharing commiseration and jokes about the losses with my friends and the wider community. Me and my flatmate both got it day 1 and basically played through at the same pace. We didn't beat that many of the main bosses together, we were usually off in different directions, but we shared tips and memes and joked at our own expense. That really helped to take the sting out of the more frustrating death loops. And I loved coming across messages from other players along those lines. I even had my life saved a good few times by people liking one of the dumb jokes or helpful messages (usually the former) I put down occasionally.

I didn't have the same annoyance with the re-use of enemies or doubles matches. I started off hating the crucible knights, but through repeatedly fighting them I really got into the rhythm of their attacks, and they were one of my favourite enemies to encounter by the end (again, taking more damage helped too). The double fights could feel insurmountable, it's chaotic trying to dodge two at once, but they were so much fun if I brought my pal in, and I could just about handle them with the mimic ash if he wasn't around.

On what you say at the end. Yeah, the "git gud' types are obnoxious. But I find there are more who get it and want to help than want to kick someone while they are down. Maybe I'm just steering clear of the worst places!
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seansthomas
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by seansthomas »

Jan 13th - Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Feb 7th - Hi-fi Rush (Xbox Series S)

Feb 10th - Goldeneye (Xbox Series S / Switch)

Well this was a delight to revisit. I wasn't sure it was going to be, despite spending 3 years at Uni solidly playing multiplayer (AKA the best thing ever) and grinding away back in the day for MONTHS to unlock those final bonus levels.

I did half the game on Switch on Secret Agent in no time at all, but then found myself playing it on Xbox to compare, and in the end polished off the whole game there (dropping the difficulty down to Agent on the Natalya escort missions).

The reactions of the guards when you shoot them are still great. The weapons still feel great. The extra mission objectives on stauncher difficulties are brilliant and make you feel more like Bond. There's huge variety in the levels. The music rocks. And much of what made this such a landmark title golds true in 2023.

I'll probably chip away on some of the levels on higher difficulties bit by bit, but I'm very glad we all got to enjoy Goldeneye once more.
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markfm007
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Re: Games Completed 2023

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Will Marley wrote: February 8th, 2023, 7:30 pm I don't mind what they do next, whatever pleases them, but I feel sated by 'what FROM do'. I don't particularly need or look forward to whatever they do next. I feel ER was a peak - even if not my favourite - and it was so rich and detailed and full of 'stuff' that I don't have any hunger or appetite for any more. Maybe in a few years I will but I still feel overly full.
I think I'm in the same boat as this. I tried to get back into Demon's Souls recently and gave up on it pretty quickly. The motivation just wasn't there, it felt like a slog. It feels a bit like when I would fall in love with a band, listen to them obsessively, then hit a point where I'd get sick of hearing them and avoid listening to them entirely. Assuming there's Elden Ring DLC I'll play that, and see how I go. I think From Software games need that extra level of enthusiasm and desire to overcome them, otherwise you're just going to bounce off the difficult parts.
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Seph
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Re: Games Completed 2023

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Caligulas Horse wrote: February 10th, 2023, 11:55 am Whoa, you got platinum trophy in only 120 hours of playing? I hadn't even completed my first run after 120 hours lol. From my perspective, you breezed through. I'm guessing you used a save to get all of the endings rather than playing it through again for each?

I had my hardest encounter about midway through with the Twin Gargoyles. They whooped me repeatedly across multiple evenings. Many swear words were used. But the rush when I finally beat them was something else. I literally jumped up from my bed and walked up on the TV shouting smack talk at it. It was very silly. Especially as I had work the next morning and had stayed up way past my usual bedtime.

I didn't have the same annoyance with the re-use of enemies or doubles matches. I started off hating the crucible knights, but through repeatedly fighting them I really got into the rhythm of their attacks, and they were one of my favourite enemies to encounter by the end (again, taking more damage helped too). The double fights could feel insurmountable, it's chaotic trying to dodge two at once, but they were so much fun if I brought my pal in, and I could just about handle them with the mimic ash if he wasn't around.
Yeah I saved scummed the endings. After I found out you could save after the last boss and just reload after getting an ending I decided to do that, mainly because I don't think this is a game I'll ever play again.

The Twin Gargoyles was the point where I almost gave up. The attack ranges are ridiculous and the poison thing is very badly designed to the point that it feels cheap. I have no idea how I beat them, but I know I was one like a pixel of health. I think I went into them too early, as I was desperate to finish the underground sections due to them being the best thing about the game.

I hated the Crucible Knights at first and while I did learn the patterns, I still think it's an annoyingly designed enemy. They seem to have infinite stamina, huge range and attacks that can track you mid combo. If it wasn't for the mimic I would have given up with this game. Life is too short.
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Truk_Kurt »

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1. Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
2. Dead Space Remake
The first horror game I’ve ever completed and what an experience this was, I can see why it’s heralded as a horror classic. The atmosphere, world building and detail of the Ishimura ship is the best I’ve experienced since maybe Bioshock 1 and it’s certainly left a last impression on me. It somehow manages to be scary but fun at the same time in the combat encounters, I’d be going in with a mixture of dread and glee for every one of them. The weapons are all really cool with them being engineering tools (what with Issac being a mechanic) but the game also lets you experiment using the environment in some cools ways, almost sandbox in nature. I’d be interested to watch a plasma cutter only play through. My only complaint would be that a dodge mechanic would’ve been nice as Issac moves really slow, but I guess that’s intentional. 9/10
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Games Completed 2023

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They added a dodge mechanic to DS3 and it wasn't great there, but some sort of Alan Wake still lurch/lunge to the side could have worked here.

I pretty much only use plasma cutter. If you focus on fully upgrading it to the max it becomes almost OP for most situations.
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Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Jon Cheetham »

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Weird West (Series X, Game Pass) - 8th January
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Series X) - 5th February
Resident Evil: Revelations (Switch) - 12th February

Corny characters, unhinged plot twists, gooey meat monsters, fun boss fights, spooky exploration, ripping action set pieces, a well used environment… it’s Resi! Good Resi! I loved this. And the Raid Mode is a terrific bonus. Going onto Revelations 2 soon.
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Magical_Isopod »

#3 - Alligator Hunt (1994, Arcade - via Evercade's Gaelco Arcade 1)

Is Wild Guns too hard for you? Want something easier to hone your crosshair shooter skills? Do you enjoy horribly translated English? Give Alligator Hunt a go.

It lasts about an hour or so, and for its time, this is a visually impressive game with no real issues with controls or mechanics. Similar to Wild Guns, you have a dodge roll to evade fire. Dissimilar to Wild Guns, you really only get the one weapon, plus missiles in limited supply. The entire game is haunted by a single guitar track that, while recorded in very high quality, has awful composition, and genuinely sounds like one of the devs freestyling in a studio. It gets annoying shortly after it becomes novel.

As a bit of a tangent, I think I strongly prefer the Evercade for arcade games, rather than console ROMs. The ability to just pop fake tokens in and play for fun is something I did not know I needed in my life so badly. In my older years (I'm 32; ancient), it's actually nice to have something I can just lay back on the recliner with and not worry about long time commitments, extreme challenge, or any of that. I still love games that offer those things, of course, but it's nice to have options.

I honestly really love the Evercade. The low price point for games, the deep cuts in the games on offer, the commitment to accuracy in ports... Gotta respect that.

&iso2023
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Truk_Kurt
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Truk_Kurt »

ratsoalbion wrote: February 13th, 2023, 10:02 am They added a dodge mechanic to DS3 and it wasn't great there, but some sort of Alan Wake still lurch/lunge to the side could have worked here.

I pretty much only use plasma cutter. If you focus on fully upgrading it to the max it becomes almost OP for most situations.
Yeah, I heard that was the case regarding upgrading the plasma cutter towards the end of my playthrough. Will remember that if I do new game plus in the future.
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MattL
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Re: Games Completed 2023

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Jan. 5: Streets of Rage 4 Anniversary Edition (PS4)
Jan. 22: Star Wars Jedi - Fallen Order (PS5)
Jan. 28: Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5)
Jan. 30: Disney Classic Collection (PS4)
Feb. 12: Sekiro (PS5) - After playing Jedi Fallen Order, I was inspired to replay Sekiro for the first time since playing it through two or three times after it's initial release. Consequently, this is the first time I've been able to play it using BC on my PS5 and using my brand new OLED TV. This game is stunning. Fromsoft are the kings of art direction in the gaming industry today. I'll put any of their games (except Dark Souls 2, which had a notoriously rough development) up against anything else this industry can produce.

Despite having not played the game in years, I felt right at home immediately. The 60fps meant I could see and prepare for every attack. I was deflecting, dodging, and Mikiri countering everything in sight and nearly every boss went down in one or two attempts, with Demon of Hared (5 attempts), Sword Saint Isshin (9 attempts), and the Headless in the woods (7 attempts) being the notable exceptions.

Also, can I just say that the Mikiri counter is just about the coolest defensive maneuver in any video game, ever? Oh, you're going to stab me? Let me just stomp your blade into the ground and then stab you through the back as you fall forward.

Please bring this combat system back, Fromsoft! It's too awesome to have been just a one off thing.
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Rhaegyr
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by Rhaegyr »

Agree with all the above - such a glorious combat system and my favourite FROM game because of of it.

Gutted it isn't 60FPS on the Series S.
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Pconpi
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Re: Games Completed 2023

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MattL wrote: February 15th, 2023, 2:45 pm
Please bring this combat system back, Fromsoft! It's too awesome to have been just a one off thing.
Yeah agreed I hope they bring it back. I really appreciate the combat more than the Souls stuff and also liked the Japan world. The Father Owl fight (the second one) is my all time favorite even though it took me probably 30 tries.
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markfm007
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Re: Games Completed 2023

Post by markfm007 »

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January 5th - Final Fantasy VII
January 22nd - Death's Door
January 25th - Citizen Sleeper
January 31st - Dead Space (2008)
February 5th - Dead Space 2
February 18th - Hi-Fi Rush

I had a great time with this one, and it was a nice change of pace after screaming Necromorphs. It eases you in nicely without being too handholdy. Finding the rhythm of combat took a few attempts, but ended up being easier than expected. I found it easiest to feel the beat naturally. Because the action moves in rhythm regardless, you can pick it up where you left off if you miss it, without anything screeching to a halt. Simple combos, dodges, parries, enemy attacks all sync together.

It’s very satisfying when done right. It finds a nice balance of 'easy to pick up, hard too master'. Not so technical or demanding as to feel punishing, but with a decent skill ceiling for players who want to push for high scores on harder difficulties. There’s a lot of great feedback in terms of sound and visual cues, controller rumble. It did get a little too hectic and hard to read a few times, but not very many.

I also enjoyed the characters and the humour. It’s all very familiar, but I found it more comforting than irritating. I laughed a fair bit, and the second half of the game, once you have all your abilities, things really pick up and you get some great levels, bosses and songs to kick on to. I had a big smile on my face for a lot of it, particularly the second to last level and boss. There’s plenty of opportunity for replays too so I’m going to dive back in.
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