Mea Culpa - Pile of Shame April 2021

Sorry for the delay. Don't fire me, boss.

3 months down, 9 to go... Let's keep up the steady work and be a role model for my ability to focus on something older than a few months (hello, Monster Hunter Rise).

Let's see what we're playing this month.

Some housekeeping notes.

If you're interested, trueheart78, has the 12 month 2021 pile plan thread over here.

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

Batman: The Enemy Within


IMAGE(https://www.jeuxvideo-live.com/screens/batman-the-enemy-within-the-telltale-series/riddler1920x1080-1500584081.jpg)
"In this latest chapter from the award-winning studio behind Batman – The Telltale Series, both Bruce Wayne and Batman will be forced into precarious new roles. The Riddler has returned to terrorize Gotham City, but his gruesome puzzles merely foreshadow an even greater crisis. With the arrival of a ruthless federal agent and the return of a still nascent Joker, Batman must navigate uneasy alliances while Bruce Wayne undertakes a perilous series of deceptions. Which of Batman’s new allies will you choose to trust? And how deep into the darkness will you let Bruce descend?" (Official Site)

Multi-Platform
Assassin's Creed Valhalla - jdzappa
The Banner Saga - benign1
Batman: The Enemy Within - AUs_TBirD
Disco Elysium - benign1
Dragon Quest XI S - bobbywatson
Final Fantasy X HD - Stele
Hades - jdzappa
Halo CE - Hemi
Heaven's Vault - benign1
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - bobbywatson
Littlewood - charlemagne
Mafia II: The Betrayal of Jimmy - AUs_TBirD
Maneater - Stele
Star Wars Squadrons - Stele
Trine 4 - iaintgotnopants
Whispers of a Machine - Eleima, benign1
Wolfenstein 2: Subtitle I Can't Remember - iaintgotnopants
Yakuza 0 - Forlorn Hope

PC
Black Mesa - Forlorn Hope
Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns - jdzappa
Imperator Rome - jdzappa
The Longing - jdzappa
Tyranny - brokenclavicle, jdzappa
XCOM Chimera Squad - Stele

PS4
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - AUs_TBirD

PS3
inFamous - bobbywatson
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - brokenclavicle

Nintendo Switch
Super Mario 3D World - iaintgotnopants

NES
Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse - AUs_TBirD
Super Spike V'Ball - AUs_TBirD

Hmmm.... We'll have to think about it...

In the meantime, sign me up for Whispers of a Machine (Multi) for now. Or, in other terms:

Multi-Platform
Whispers of a Machine - Eleima

Thanks a bunch!

So, only carrying over one of the games I declared last month as my focus is shifting toward clearing some of my PS3 pile. Might add a couple of titles more depending on my progress. Got slammed with a project and tons of work, so my output might be severely limited.


Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
Tyranny (PC)

Finally.

I probably should have finished a game this weekend with extra time but instead started a new one.

XCOM Chimera Squad (PC)

Carrying over but almost done:
Star Wars Squadrons (PS4, multi)
Final Fantasy X HD (Switch, multi)

I started Trine 3 this weekend. I also gave up on Trine 3 this weekend. I don’t remember the last time I gave up on a game, particularly a 5 hour game, but it’s real bad.

I’m going to move on to Trine 4 next weekend which is supposed to be a return to the style of the first two games.

Still working on Super Mario 3D World (Switch) from last month. I’m at about a world a week pace.

Formatted shortlist:

Spoiler:

Multi-Platform
Batman: The Enemy Within - AUs_TBirD

Playstation 4
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - AUs_TBirD

NES
Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse - AUs_TBirD

As usual, everything took longer than expected last month, even if I did wrap up all pledges except for my stretch goal hours before the cutoff. Going to take it a bit easier this time around.

Batman: The Enemy Within (PC/multi) - already finished the first episode. Had a real "F* YEAH!" moment near the end.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) - Looking to wrap up the Uncharted series with this one.

Stretch goal:
Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse (NES) - started and stopped this multiple times over the decades. Time to finish the fight.
Whatever other undeclared game I managed to finish.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

I started Trine 3 this weekend. I also gave up on Trine 3 this weekend. I don’t remember the last time I gave up on a game, particularly a 5 hour game, but it’s real bad.

I’m going to move on to Trine 4 next weekend which is supposed to be a return to the style of the first two games.

Yep. I skipped buying the whole collection on Switch and just went for 4, even though it was really cheap, and I liked the first 2 on PC. Unlikely to replay them just for portable, and did not want 3 in my collection at all, based on many many reviews.

The list is getting dangerously long, even after dropping a couple of games for now. At least I'm almost done with a couple of these:

Multi-Platform
Disco Elysium
Heaven's Vault
The Banner Saga
Whispers of a Machine

Short list this month:

Dragon Quest XI S (multi)
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (multi)

Though I rolled credits in DQ last week, there is still a bit of story content I want to go through before I call it done. As for Zelda, I've just started it, but I think I can beat it this month. Since I'm going to have a lot more time on my hands soon, I might add a thing or two down the road.

No worries man! Here’s what I have

PC

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns
Tyranny
Imperator Rome
The Longing

Multi-platform

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Hades

Stele wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

I started Trine 3 this weekend. I also gave up on Trine 3 this weekend. I don’t remember the last time I gave up on a game, particularly a 5 hour game, but it’s real bad.

I’m going to move on to Trine 4 next weekend which is supposed to be a return to the style of the first two games.

Yep. I skipped buying the whole collection on Switch and just went for 4, even though it was really cheap, and I liked the first 2 on PC. Unlikely to replay them just for portable, and did not want 3 in my collection at all, based on many many reviews.

The only reason I own it is because buying the bundle was cheaper than just buying 4. I figured I would just play through it since it’s only five hours but I only got four levels in.

I will declare Littlewood (multi/switch) this month.

Final boss in Dragon Quest XI S (PC/multi) has gone down! What a great game!

Nothing else to declare for now.

Finished The Banner Saga - it was the low-hanging fruit this month, though no less weighty at that. Nice to finally get around to the fruits of my early kickstarter enthusiasm.

And XCOM Chimera Squad is down. It jumped to the top of the list and stayed there. I can even see playing it again sometime. Maybe not 3 runs for achievements, but maybe...

I loved XCOM and XCOM2. But I only finished 2 XCOM runs and 1 run of 2. Just takes too long. This was a lot quicker, but still with a cool story and some interesting mechanics.

Littlewood done! Such a cute game.

I will declare inFamous (PS3) for this month.

With the PS3 store going down soon, I wanted to test it and check if I like it enough to buy the second one and Festival of Blood before it happens. So far, so good.

Ooh I forgot to declare Maneater (PS5). It's short enough that I should finish it this month. Already 6 or 8 hours in and it's a blast.

inFamous (PS3) is done!

It was fine. I don't know that I want to play the second one though. 720p is not exactly hard to go back to, but it's definitely noticeable.

The Longing is done. Some thoughts:

Spoiler:

Very strange game in that I played it on and off the past year but I unlocked the “wait a full real time 400 days” ending. Almost feels like cheating a little but still a fun title.

Man-eater is finished and platinum! Awesome fun. 13 hours.

More open world games should be sub 20 hours so I can finish them.

Just finished Heaven's Vault. Other than being occasionally frustrated by the slow pace and finding some of the dialog awkward, it was very enjoyable. Great soundtrack as well!

Finished Trine 4. I'm amazed that Trine 3 didn't just completely kill the series but glad it didn't. Thankfully, they went back to the 2D style of 1 and 2. It's been a long time since I played the first two but 4 seemed to have a better story than I remember them having. My only real complaint is that I wish the puzzles got a little more challenging.

Not sure what I'm going to play next. Hopefully, I'll figure that out tomorrow.

I finally finished Halo CE. After numerous starts and stops, I finally said the heck with it and dropped it to easy just to get it done. Boy, those maps have not aged well. Pathfinding, repetition and general drabness made multiple levels outstay their welcome by 10-15 minutes.

I may continue to chip away at the Master Chief Collection, I've only had it since launch and Halo 3 is the only one I've completed (also purchased at launch) from the entire series.

I started Wolfenstein 2: Subtitle I Can't Remember. Based on howlongtobeat, I may be able to finish it this week.

I finished Whispers of a Machine last night! It was good!

Reviews spoilered for length.

Finished:
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Spoiler:

more Uncharted "blow up priceless historic sites by the bucketload" fun gameplay with stunning graphics, witty and at times touching banter, great music, but with a cartoonishly deranged main villain. The opening modern city scenes were the strongest part, but it was a great ride throughout. Gameplay really did feature the "greatest hits" of all four prior games, so it was a fitting way to conclude the series.

Batman: The Enemy Within

Spoiler:

I fawned over Batman: The Telltale Series last month, but The Enemy Within is better in every way! This Joker is MY Joker, and it was a great exploration of how characters became who they are, and how relationships can endure even when people change. I thought I know how things were going to turn out. I was wrong, and it was fantastic being wrong!
How far was I going to go to achieve my goals? Who would I hurt? Who would I use? What line would I ultimately not cross? And why do I feel sympathy for some of the most evil evil-do'ers Gotham has ever seen? Can I save one? Can I save more? Is anyone not beyond redemption, or will I lose myself in the process? All great questions, and at the end of the day, the boundary between good and evil...well, it got pretty darn blurry, but I'd like to think I stayed on the right side of it, misguided efforts and all.
I'm actually sad that there will be no more Telltale "Batmans", as this work is absolutely on par with that studio's best (Tales from the Borderlands, Wolf Among Us).

Super Spike V'Ball (NES) - undeclared

Spoiler:

an oldie I can finally mark off of my pile. Gameplay is apparently much deeper than it first seemed, as the AI can still do things I don't know how to. Played through the American Cup with my team of Billy and Jimmy (yeah, THAT Billy and Jimmy - but only in the character portrait. Alternatively, I could have also gone for a pair of human-Terminator Arnolds). The last few matches were a challenge, but I persevered.
I figured I'd try the world cup next, and promptly got crushed in the first round. Apparently the American Cup is "normal", and the World Cup is "hard". I'll stick with completing "normal".

Finished, but ineligible as I bought it 6 weeks ago:
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986 (PC)

Spoiler:

I was drawn to this visual novel by the potential the trailer promised - an emotional story set in mid 80's Hong Kong, complete with all the neon that implies, great music, and a VHS-style snazzy presentation.
What I didn't expect was a barely interactive experience. In the course of almost four hours, there were no more than 20 times when I could actually make a dialog choice; all other interaction was limited to me clicking the mouse to advance to the next line. While initially disappointing, its importance faded away as I became more and more engrossed in the story. I was also a bit miffed at the lack of snazzy effects like I was expecting, but they did return over an hour in. They're not used frequently, but the VHS style interludes are neat.
I have little experience with visual novels, but A Summer's End did a good job of making me able to relate to someone I can't imagine being able to easily relate to. It put me in the shoes of a neurotic young woman who is unaware of who she truly is, and took me on her journey of discovery, ultimately making me choose if I embraced who I was or if I took the more socially acceptable route. By that time I had built up genuine emotions towards the main characters, and the choice I made had me choked up for a bit. Outstanding!
At one point there is a perspective shift - this was unexpected and excellent, and I wish it had been done more.
I don't know if the tiny amount of interactivity is normal for visual novels. I wish there had been more choice, but perhaps that would have just watered down the impactful story. In general I would highly recommend this if it at all sounds interesting, but I have to warn about the content. There may be some adult content in the base game. As far as I can tell, it stays PG-13, but there may be something I didn't see.
Even in the patched version, it's not gratuitous and only appears twice in the course of a roughly 4 hour experience, but it is definitely for adults only (moreso the text than the images).

A final warning - the soundtrack can be purchased, but does not, include the three best tracks of the game.

Good grief I played the heck out of that volleyball game on NES. Yeah you could even do quick kills if you jump before your partner sets and time it right.

Did you read the instruction manual? It explains the super spike part, b button 3 times for hand to glow, then A to spike. And the 4 teams all have different strengths. The Arnold looking guys (Al & John) spike the best, but are slow. Billy and Jimmy have best defense but little hit power. The last set of guys are fastest but not the best spike/block. First team (George?) was just all around average.

I used to play with Al & John mostly. Beat the US cup easy but the World one was tougher. Got it eventually a few times back in the early 90s. Have dabbled a few times since.

Just seeing your description makes me want to play again. It's been years but I love that game.

I eventually read the instructions. I can sometimes do the super block, but the super spike is more of an accidental thing still.
The AI sometimes spikes from midfield on the second tap. I haven't figured out how to do that; the ball always gets automatically placed up at the net for me to spike on the third touch.

Glad I randomly picked the game off of my shelf recently, and happy to read about your experiences with it, too!

Oh, look! It's another month where I don't beat any of the games I intended! Heck, I don't think I'm going to beat any games at all in April, come to think of it.

Still gonna try!

AUs_TBirD wrote:

I eventually read the instructions. I can sometimes do the super block, but the super spike is more of an accidental thing still.
The AI sometimes spikes from midfield on the second tap. I haven't figured out how to do that; the ball always gets automatically placed up at the net for me to spike on the third touch.

Glad I randomly picked the game off of my shelf recently, and happy to read about your experiences with it, too!

Haha are you sure you read it? There's a configuration option... Auto Set? or something like that. It let's you have alternate control of both your players when off. The default on is to let the CPU auto set you at the net. Control both players and you can pull off a lot more moves. Of course you can also screw up the basic bump set spike play haha.

I'm still annoyed that Super Dodge Ball is on the Switch NES Online games but Super Spike VBall isn't. IMHO it was the superior game.