Do You Recall Where You Left the Pile? - Pile of Shame January 2017

Welcome back! I'm sure you can manage to find the pile. It's probably pushed to the back of the closet or garage behind the Christmas decorations you just put away.

If you're interested, m0nk3yboy, has the 12 month 2017 pile plan thread over here.

SallyNasty has got a group playing Fallout 4 in January over here.

If JRPGs are more your speed, Damnable Bear has got you covered over here. This quarter they're playing Earthbound.

A quick reminder, in order to be considered "Pile of Shame" the game needs to be at least three months old. Otherwise, it's just a new game you haven't gotten to playing yet.

Also, if you are curious about some of the previous threads, Picks of the Pile, etc... Please go here and check out the spreadsheet I setup.

Let's get on to the games!

This month's Pick of the Pile is

Stardew Valley


IMAGE(http://assets.vg247.it/current/2016/04/stardew-valley.jpg)
"You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!" (Official Site)

Multi-Platform
ABZU - mrtomaytohead, Bubblefuzz
Axiom Verge - ClockworkHouse
The Banner Saga - jdzappa
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - Eleima
Dead Space - bobbywatson
Doom - kergguz, Hemi
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen - kstress71
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - AUs_TBirD
Fallout 4 - SallyNasty, jdzappa
Letter Quest - Bubblefuzz
Metro: Last Light - AUs_TBirD
Save Jesus - Eleima
Stardew Valley - Demyx, pyxistyx
Terraria - danopian
Tomb Raider (2013) - Forlorn Hope
Valkyria Chronicles - ClockworkHouse
Virginia - Eleima

PC
Candle - danopian
Regency Solitaire - Eleima
Shadow Gate 2014 - Godzilla Blitz, pyxistyx
Wasteland 2: Directors Cut - Malkroth

Xbox One
Forza 6 Porsche Expansion - m0nkeyboy
Forza Horizon 2 Presents: Fast & Furious standalone expansion - m0nkeyboy

PS4
Bloodborne - kstress71
Knack - brokenclavicle

PS3
Resistance 3 - kstress71

3DS
Dragon Quest 7 - JohnKillo
Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds - danopian
Picross-e - kstress71
Pokémon X - danopian

Happy New Year Hemi!

To make life easier, here is this little one for you.

https://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/...

I'd like you put me down for the following (for now) please.

Forza Horizon 2 Presents: Fast & Furious standalone expansion (XB1)

Please, put me down for Valkyria Chronicles (multi). Thanks!

Time to shift some pile! Please put me down for Doom (multi)!

I'm wrapping up a bunch of mostly-finished games, so I'm in for Pokemon X (3DS), Candle (PC), Terraria (PC) and might add more if I can knock those out.

I'm playing Stardew Valley. It's not really the kind of game you finish, but my goals are to restore the community center and get hitched.

Fallout 4 (multi), please!

Keeping it conservative this month, I'm calling Knack (PS4) as my pick for the new year. Should be doable.

brokenclavicle wrote:

Keeping it conservative this month, I'm calling Knack (PS4) as my pick for the new year. Should be doable.

I've almost bought this game 5 times. It's on special in the EU/AU January Sale, so I'll be looking forward to some impressions to see if it's worth finally picking up for $8.

Let's start the year with small objectives. Only one game this month: Dead Space (multi). I was going to finish this in October, then in November, and then in December, but things kept getting in the way. This might happen again, as I just received my copy of FF XV today. Only 5 chapters to go in DS though, so who knows.

So this year I'm going to stick with my plan of doing one major game and one minor game per month. So here are my objectives:

Fallout 4
Banner Saga

bobbywatson wrote:

....Dead Space (multi). I was going to finish this in October, then in November, and then in December, but things kept getting in the way. This might happen again....

In my case, that game is called Metro: Last Light (PC/multi), which I first declared in September, and will declare again now, for January!

One of the things that got in the way was me once again taking Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (ps2 ... and apparently multi nowadays) off the shelf. Been working on this one for 9 or 10 years now. My party is levels 34-36, I'm 65 hours in (30 of those within the last week), and approximately 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through, so I'm declaring it and hope I can finally see it through.

Would you also add me for Axiom Verge (Multi), please?

Carrying over Tomb Raider 2013 (Steam/Multi) from the last pile thread. I'll try my best to beat it this month

I am going to own this year, like the Mongols of ancient times.

My first mark: Shadowgate 2014 (PC). A game I love to hate. A game that has owned me for 25 years. But no more! Shadowgate, my daddy, your time has come! I declare: I will complete you this month.

Grit, don't fail me now!

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

I am going to own this year, like the Mongols of ancient times.

My first mark: Shadowgate 2014 (PC). A game I love to hate. A game that has owned me for 25 years. But no more! Shadowgate, my daddy, your time has come! I declare: I will complete you this month.

Grit, don't fail me now!

I started it a year ago but didn't play much. Didn't get very far, but I dug it a good deal... then my lappy died and I couldn't continue. It will be one I restart as soon as I can afford a gaming-worthy pc or laptop again.

m0nk3yboy wrote:
brokenclavicle wrote:

Keeping it conservative this month, I'm calling Knack (PS4) as my pick for the new year. Should be doable.

I've almost bought this game 5 times. It's on special in the EU/AU January Sale, so I'll be looking forward to some impressions to see if it's worth finally picking up for $8. ;)

I've gotten about halfway through it in a couple of play sessions. It's fun, but not great, so far. The characters and story remind me of a Disney Afternoon type of story, something that could be a DuckTales or Tailspin episode, easily. If you get it on sale, and don't have anything else to spend money on, go for it! For $8 it's a great deal.

brokenclavicle wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:
brokenclavicle wrote:

Keeping it conservative this month, I'm calling Knack (PS4) as my pick for the new year. Should be doable.

I've almost bought this game 5 times. It's on special in the EU/AU January Sale, so I'll be looking forward to some impressions to see if it's worth finally picking up for $8. ;)

I've gotten about halfway through it in a couple of play sessions. It's fun, but not great, so far. The characters and story remind me of a Disney Afternoon type of story, something that could be a DuckTales or Tailspin episode, easily. If you get it on sale, and don't have anything else to spend money on, go for it! For $8 it's a great deal.

Sounds like the perfect game to play with the kids (7 and 8) this school Summer Break, thanks!

Am kicking off 2017 with Fallout 4 and Earthbound, however completing those is a longer term goal, so guess they don't qualify for this thread?

As for games I'd like to complete this month, have fallen into Letter Quest (multi) on Vita. I'll give completion a crack in January. Ta.

Well, Forza Horizon 2 Presents: Fast & Furious standalone expansion (XB1) has fallen already. Amazing what you can accomplish when you have a week off work, and have your evenings back to yourself instead of moving heavy stuff!

Overall, a nice meshing of the Fast and Furious franchise with the Forizon IP. Exotic racers are already assembled, and they blend with the "TO THE MAXXXXXXXXXX" mindset of the movies.

Your task is to race, challenge and win the cars that are then taken off, and used in the movie franchise.

Kind of neat.

So, I'll continue on with my racing success for now.

Can you please add in Forza 6 Porsche Expansion XB1 thanks Hemidal? Let's see how far I get with this one before the week is through.

List should be current... I hope

Just a reminder, if the game is available on multiple platform, please list it as multi and not the platform you're playing it on. Save me some Google-Fu trying to figure things out and helps avoid having the same game listed under multiple consoles (which has happened in the past).

Pokemon X is down for the count. I'm going to mess around collecting more beasties to eventually transfer to Sun, but it's done.

brokenclavicle wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:

I am going to own this year, like the Mongols of ancient times.

My first mark: Shadowgate 2014 (PC). A game I love to hate. A game that has owned me for 25 years. But no more! Shadowgate, my daddy, your time has come! I declare: I will complete you this month.

Grit, don't fail me now!

I started it a year ago but didn't play much. Didn't get very far, but I dug it a good deal... then my lappy died and I couldn't continue. It will be one I restart as soon as I can afford a gaming-worthy pc or laptop again.

I'm glad to hear that you liked it! It's the first game I ever game up on, way back when, when I first started gaming. I got stuck at the dragon and never figured out what to do. It's bugged me ever since, like memories of a school yard bully. I started the remake once before and got stuck in pretty much the same place. I started it again this week and yes, got stuck in the same place. But ... last night I got unstuck and things clicked and now I'm moving along. At one point last night, I caught myself saying, "Heh, this is kind of fun." Go me.

It's still super aggravating and illogical in places, but I'm determined to finish this thing.

Dragon Quest 7 (3DS)

Candle (PC) is down. I complained about it in the Adventures Games Catch-All when I was halfway through, but my opinion mellowed by the end of it. It's a solid adventure game with its standard share of obscure puzzles, amplified slightly by the decision to make it keyboard-controlled, but with gorgeous, lovely art and good music to boot. I recommend it if you're into adventure games and eye candy. Steam store page.

Actually, put me down for Shadow Gate 2014 (PC) as well. I've had it installed for yonks and never really given it a fair shake (and I've never played the original version either).

Hum, haven't done this in a while, hope I remember how!
Put me down for Regency Solitaire (PC), as well as Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Multi) and Virginia (Multi), which was released in September, so that one just barely makes the cut. And how about I throw in Save Jesus (Multi) too.

First game of the new year beaten! Axiom Verge is finished.

pyxistyx wrote:

Actually, put me down for Shadow Gate 2014 (PC) as well. I've had it installed for yonks and never really given it a fair shake (and I've never played the original version either).

I'm curious what you'll think of this one.

I think I'm about half done now, maybe. From a gameplay standpoint I'd think I'm over halfway, but I've yet to trigger the "50% of locations achievement", so I'm not sure at all.

Initial impression is that it feels like a Hidden Object game without the Hidden Object puzzles. Which is good! But it lacks the art direction and polish that a lot of modern Hidden Object games have. Which is bad!

I do like the painterly look of things though.

Also I didn't realise that puzzles changed on different difficulty levels. I might need to go back and restart on the middle level, as I was just going to power through it on easy.

Regency Solitaire (PC) is down! A delightful little solitaire game.

Well, I beat ABZU (PC/Multi) with both of my children watching. I even want to return to it to explore some more. Not sure if I can declare anything else to concentrate on at this point.