Finished up Tinykin last week. It's a Pikmin style combat-free exploration puzzle game with some platforming elements to it. It's fairly short and easy to get 100% achievements in, too. You don't even have to complete any of the optional race challenges for achievements. The game has a fun little story and the concept of exploring a house in the state it is in was fun. Especially the 2020 toilet paper hoarder style bathroom area. The music was surprisingly much better than expected and even would fade in and out as you transitioned from large open spaces to small compressed spaces, and approached different set pieces. Highly recommended to anyone remotely interested and it's almost certainly going to land on my top 10 for the year.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare two weeks ago, and Infinite Warfare this weekend.. I am mildly ashamed that my latest dive into the bargain bin was for two orphan Call of Duty games.
Both campaigns are rubbish and instantly forgettable. infinite Warfare is currently 'distinguishing' itself having taken a ludicrous 'everything-including-the-kitchen-sink' approach. Exosuits. Aerial dogfights in space. Zero gravity shootouts. Optional side missions. it's all there... and all implemented with the minimum degree of competence and style.
I can't help thinking of the Broccoli's response to the Star Wars phenomenon, 'Moonraker'. It feels like a similarly desperate attempt to appeal to "the kids".
I will commend Infinite Warfare for two things, however. Some of the missions are actually quite hard, even on 'Recruit'. It reminds me of Killzone Shadow Fall in that regard. The AI companions actually feel like they're pulling they're weight in most of the game and actually get some kills. I'm sure this is an illusion and it's simply scripting that I'm seeing, but it feels like they are.
One final thought: prices for PS4 games are still pretty firm two years into the PS5 era, and the availability of stock seems to be lower. I'm guessing that the supply issues with the PS5 and the general move to digital distribution are responsible for this. I suspect that the days of filling my Amazon cart with £10-£15 old stock (as I did with PS3 games a few years ago) are gone.
Completed Immortality. I played with my wife over four evenings. The first couple evenings, we kept discovering things and had an awesome time. The third evening, we really flagged. We had discovered *most* of the game at that point (maybe 2/3 of clips?), and were trying to mop things up. But the discovery mechanics are obnoxiously random, so we kept on discovering the same clips over and over. For the fourth evening, I just looked up which scenes we needed to find to complete it, and actually had a much better time.
In the end, I had a lot more fun with the idea and discussions about this game than I did with the game itself. It’s a fascinating experiment in game design. There are incredible moments in the discovery, and instances of genius in how much thought was put into the whole script to make this bizarro game actually work.
Buuuut… we just didn’t like it as much as Barlow’s previous games. The central mystery is *very* hard to follow, and we were frequently asking ourselves “are we done…?” There’s a *lot* of characters and complexity to follow. The discovery mechanics are fascinating, but the soft gating is frustrating (only unlocking certain clips after certain amounts of time or discovery) which made the game feel very tedious about 1/2 in. To finish out the achievements, for example, I basically just keep searching the same crap over and over and over until it lucks into finding the last few clips I need. Ridiculously tedious compared to how his previous games were.
I felt like our enjoyment was around a 7/10, mostly due to fascinating mechanics, excellently written script, phenomenal acting and production. But it elevated to a 8/10 after more discussions, reading and listening to spoiler casts, and sitting with it longer. Recommended if you’re into FMV games, crazy game mechanics and design, cinema and cinematography, or Barlow’s previous games (Her Story and Telling Lies).
Of note, I had been holding off on the two GWJ spoiler episodes from last year about Immortality until I could complete it, finally listening to them this week. I absolutely loved those episodes. They really added a lot to the experience. Strongly recommended, especially the interview with Manon Gage.
Finished up Tinykin last week. It's a Pikmin style combat-free exploration puzzle game with some platforming elements to it. It's fairly short and easy to get 100% achievements in, too. You don't even have to complete any of the optional race challenges for achievements. The game has a fun little story and the concept of exploring a house in the state it is in was fun. Especially the 2020 toilet paper hoarder style bathroom area. The music was surprisingly much better than expected and even would fade in and out as you transitioned from large open spaces to small compressed spaces, and approached different set pieces. Highly recommended to anyone remotely interested and it's almost certainly going to land on my top 10 for the year.
I finished it over the summer, and I thought it was fantastic. As a matter of fact, it is my Game of the Year so far. 
I polished off the main story of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. What a sloppy, yet addictive game that bites off way more than it can chew. I tried to play the post-game for a while, but it was just too frustrating for me to spend much more time with.
I polished off the main story of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. What a sloppy, yet addictive game that bites off way more than it can chew. I tried to play the post-game for a while, but it was just too frustrating for me to spend much more time with.
This was the first game I played on my ps4 so it was probably given a boost from me enjoying my new toy but I remember really enjoying the nemisis system. The orc who had annoyed me the most showing up as my final fight really made the game feel unique to me.
Such a shame it got protected from other devs using the idea when WB show no interest in using it themselves.
Garth wrote:I polished off the main story of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. What a sloppy, yet addictive game that bites off way more than it can chew. I tried to play the post-game for a while, but it was just too frustrating for me to spend much more time with.
This was the first game I played on my ps4 so it was probably given a boost from me enjoying my new toy but I remember really enjoying the nemisis system. The orc who had annoyed me the most showing up as my final fight really made the game feel unique to me.
Such a shame it got protected from other devs using the idea when WB show no interest in using it themselves.
I totally understand, and think I felt that more strongly with Shadow of Mordor. With that said, the Nemesis system was still the most interesting part of Shadow of War. The fortifying of your fortresses and invading other fortresses was really a cool aspect as well, however. I can't say I didn't like the game--I did, it just comes up as more of a mixed bag because I think they made certain aspects (the gems, the weapons and gear, the online aspect) more complicated than they needed to. It also felt like the controls were a downgrade from the first game. But there is a ton to like here.
I also managed to finish up TinyKin before it left Game Pass. I ended up enjoying this one a lot. Probably not on my top 10 list or anything, but a solid 8/10 collectathon. I really liked the personalities of all the bugs you encounter, the music, the platforming feel, the Tinykin abilities, the music, the world design, and that it very much did not outlast its appeal. I put in about 10 hours to 100% achievement completion, and opted not to complete all the races/outfits. I didn’t like the races that much. There’s not much else to criticize about the game though. I’m not sure why it didn’t reach a higher fun score for me… I had a good time, but rarely felt super engrossed or joy from discovering the creativity in it. It was Very Good, and I’m not even sure what it would’ve taken to become Great. Still highly recommended.
Finished Stranded: Alien Dawn. At least I complete the three scenarios. It wasn't quite a "one more turn" type of game (though not turn-based), but it always felt like 2 steps forward and 1 step back preventing from achieving your goals. My favorite was the trading post (playing on the jungle biome) and it was interesting problem to solve to get the high yield crops and parts to sell. The crash landing scenario was fun too, I would definitely recommend starting with that one, it teaches you alot that you use in the other scenarios. I may check out some mods if I decide to go back to it.
Finished Amnesia: The Bunker. It's a bit of a departure from the previous entries in the series, which were quite linear and story focused. The Bunker instead lets you roam more or less freely through the game world, while of course being stalked by a horrifying being from another realm. Kind of a cross between Gone Home and Alien: Isolation.
I enjoyed it, but it felt a bit half-baked. It was quite janky and crashed multiple times on PS5. It was also quite short and there wasn't much story which was disappointing, because Frictional Games usually have pretty good writing. It is a good direction for them to take the series in though, so hopefully the next entry will improve on this one.
I wrapped The Ascent over the weekend. I really enjoyed it, backed up by the fact we finished it,but that needs a few strong caveats. I played through fully coop with a good friend which always helps and I played it through PS Plus extra so didn't feel like I paid for it. It is an isometric shooter with some light RPG elements.
It has some big problems that I can see turning some people off most notably the map and navigation systems are really bad, we ended up taking taxi's to a lot of places just to avoid trying to slog through figuring out where places were. We encountered a few bugs randomly blacking screens out and removing the HUD too. Whilst the story was forgettable I found the world building and in particular the character and art design to be very strong, and the moment to moment gun play satisfying. If that sounds like your thing then I would recommend it but not at full price!
I finished Sokosolitaire. Great little puzzle game that slaps a solitaire theme on top of classic sokoban puzzles.
60 puzzles well take you 5-6 hours for less than five bucks.
I finished Creaks last night. Brilliant game. A tight platform puzzler with a beautiful art style. It reminded me of some of the puzzles in Braid, but not as hard. I did have to cheat for a few puzzles though.
Chants of Sennaar is a quite excellent adventure / puzzle / linguistic game. I just finished it, and it took me about 11 hours, but I did spend some time getting all the trophies. It's somewhat based on the Tower of Babel, and there are shades of Loom and Obra Dinn. If this sounds interesting, I encourage you to go in as blind as possible. There is a demo on each platform, and at least on the Playstation the save progress carried over.
Chants of Sennaar is a quite excellent adventure / puzzle / linguistic game. I just finished it, and it took me about 11 hours, but I did spend some time getting all the trophies. It's somewhat based on the Tower of Babel, and there are shades of Loom and Obra Dinn. If this sounds interesting, I encourage you to go in as blind as possible. There is a demo on each platform, and at least on the Playstation the save progress carried over.
I'm playing it at the moment, and I concur: It's excellent! I'm only in the second area, and I can already tell it will end up near the top of my GOTY list.
I played some of the Chants demo last night* and wow, that's a really unique twist on a puzzle game. Then I watched the trailer for it, and OMG, what I played seems to have barely scratched the surface. Thanks for pointing out a game that had completely escaped my attention!
*along with some of the demo of Viewfinder, and the beginnings of Escape Academy, Jurassic Park Aftermath, and A Fisherman's Tale - it was an ADHD evening.
I finished Creaks last night. Brilliant game. A tight platform puzzler with a beautiful art style. It reminded me of some of the puzzles in Braid, but not as hard. I did have to cheat for a few puzzles though.
Braid is one of my favorite platformers of all time. Did you play his other game - The Witness and if so how was it?
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales
Set in a dystopian, magic-realist alternate reality, Bookwalker puts the player in the shoes of Etienne Quist, a novelist who has been sentenced to 30 years of writer's block for an initially-unspecified crime. In desperation, he teams with a criminal organization that promises to remove the shackles from his wrists in exchange for Quist literally entering novels and stealing powerful items from the pages.
It is a fantastic premise, and Bookwalker nails the atmosphere beautifully. Every book that you dive into acts as a chapter in the overarching story, and each has its own unique setting and unfolding narrative as you work through it. These isometric point-and-click chapters are punctuated by first-person scenes at Quist's apartment, where oppression looms heavy.
It is important to note that Bookwalker is very much a narrative adventure in the mold of games like Beacon Pines, Norco and Pentiment. That is to say, there is enough gameplay to lift this above a visual novel or walking simulator - but only just. In the case of Bookwalker, said gameplay consists of braindead-easy puzzles ("I've just crafted a crowbar… wonder if this might be able to get me through the door I passed earlier that couldn't be opened except with a crowbar?") and some perfunctory turn-based combat. I mention this because a lot of the criticism I have seen of this title comes from reviewers and gamers who clearly expected something more. But this is a game that is all about a journey rather than a challenge.
Do the naysayers have a point? Maybe. There were times when playing that I thought this concept might be better served as a novel itself, or even an anthology TV series. But the devs decided on a game, and there was enough here to keep me engaged and interested from start to finish.
Florence
Short, 30-minute indie darling centered around a relationship, from the excitement and highs of the early days to the anger and disillusionment of its falling apart. It's a small story told with skill and intimacy. Without giving too much away, I enjoyed how the (minimal) gameplay elements worked as an analogy to what was happening in the titular character's relationship at that time. Breezy and whimsical.
The Last of Us Part 2. I was shocked by this game even though I knew what was going to happen. I guess I wasn't spoiled in a way that made the moment obvious. I wasn't sure if the spoiler was true or how it was going to go down. But yeah, good game. Pacing was terrible. One okay new enemy and one really cool new enemy that I think only showed up once, sad.
Oddly I didn't like the main character but really liked the secondary characters. Then most of them died. Oh well. Kind of fun how the two protagonists were mirrors of each other but they took it a little to far. I mean they were in the exact same love triangles. The idea was cool but everything didn't have to be the same.
My biggest problems were the same as the ones in the first game. The characters are just unstoppable forces taking out armies single handedly and shrugging off damage like wolverine. At one point I'm looking at a character that has has been shot with arrows and shot multiple times by bullets but still going on like the hulk. I know, I know videogames. So for me I hate the game play but love the story,
I didn't get to deep into the controversy because most of it sounded stupid. For example complaining that Ellie is gay. She was gay in the first game. She kissed a girl. I can however see why people would be upset over a character focus change. You like who you like. Personally, I didn't give a F. They could follow a dog as long as the story is good.
I give the game 8 not zombies out of 10. I'm calling them zombies anyway, deal with it.
Finished Chants of Sennaar this morning.
I first heard of this game on the Triple Click podcast, and it sounded very interesting, so I looked it up. I bought it immediately after watching the trailer, and I was not disappointed. Amazing concept, great puzzles, the games has a very nice look overall, the music is great (I bought the soundtrack along with the game and I've listened to it many times in the past few weeks). There are a few places where I feel I had to brute force my way through some of the puzzles by trying a bunch of combinations for words I was not sure of. Overall though, I thought the puzzles were well designed. I liked how each of the separate area had its own design, color scheme, and very different set of glyphs. It's cool that, looking at a glyph, it's easy to understand where it came from.
This is not a game I would be able to play while listening to a podcast or something like that. It needed all of my attention, I had to observe every clue, everywhere. A map would have been nice, as there are a few places I had problems getting back to. I did not play it this way, but this could be a very good game to play with someone else.
This will not be my game of the year (that will be Zelda TotK), but this is definitely a very close second. I don't know that anything else will come close.
Demon’s Soul’s remake I have brought this up on other threads but this is now my favourite remake ever and it’s of one of my favourite games ever, if you have any chance of playing this please do it’s perfect. My only regret is that I can’t vote it as my goty as I have played it to death before. Might ng plus this character in a month or so.
The Last of Us Part 2.
I really enjoyed it but agree with all of your points. I haven't gone back to it because the slog through the last quarter of the game with Abbey is a drag. The game should be a few hours shorter imo.
Demon’s Soul’s remake I have brought this up on other threads but this is now my favourite remake ever and it’s of one of my favourite games ever, if you have any chance of playing this please do it’s perfect. My only regret is that I can’t vote it as my goty as I have played it to death before. Might ng plus this character in a month or so.
That's good to know. How does it compare with Bloodborne? I'm wrapping that up soon and was going to jump into Sekiro but if DS it's that good I'll check out it.
bbk1980 wrote:Demon’s Soul’s remake I have brought this up on other threads but this is now my favourite remake ever and it’s of one of my favourite games ever, if you have any chance of playing this please do it’s perfect. My only regret is that I can’t vote it as my goty as I have played it to death before. Might ng plus this character in a month or so.
That's good to know. How does it compare with Bloodborne? I'm wrapping that up soon and was going to jump into Sekiro but if DS it's that good I'll check out it.
Demons is definitely my favourite Souls game. Part of that is probably due to nostalgia as I imported it on the back of the eurogamer review and it was so revelatory. It’s a shorter experience ( 20 hours for me this run but I know the game backwards) it gives you more freedom to build how you want than bloodborne or sekiro so closer to dark souls games in that way and has some of my favourite bosses. Would love to hear your thoughts if you do go back to it, not sure how the experience of other souls games before playing this will change how it feels.
Finished Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Figured it was a good time to wrap it up with the new game coming out next month.
Yeah I started my NG+ run then got distracted by Starfield. Maybe I'll get back in soon
Got to the final boss of Final Fantasy X severely under-leveled since I did virtually zero side quests. I enjoy doing that in JRPGs sometimes so that the endgame is actually challenging instead of a steamroll. That was the case with a few of the harder boss fights-- Seymour Flux, Yunalesca-- and I was having a grand old time challenging myself, and then I hit the final boss and it was a brick wall. Six tries and I couldn't do anything against him. I'd be making progress, chipping away at him, using my strategy, keeping my buffs up, and then RNG would roll the wrong way and he'd do his bullshit sword swipe move that deals insane damage to my entire party AND delays their turn three times in a row and my entire party would wipe with no possible counterplay.
I estimated the amount of grinding I'd need to do to stand a chance in the 4-5 hour range, decided that I wasn't interested in that, and turned on God Mode in the HD remake's cheat section and kicked his ass. I ain't proud of it, and I wouldn't say I "beat" the game, but I'm certainly "finished" with it.
Great story, though. I played it way back in the day when the game was new and I don't think I fully grokked all of its subtleties the first time through. It's the kind of story that actually benefits from knowing a lot of the plot twists so you can catch all the foreshadowing.
I did it.
I just finished Baldur's Gate 3.
A sentence a few years ago I thought would never be said with any honesty.
A sentence I've been waiting years, no, decades to type.
A little over 125 hours, taking my time and savoring it.
I loved it. It was wonderful. But how much do I love it, and where does it stand along my all time favorite games, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2?
I have to gather my thoughts about this one before I post about it here.
Update: I already have over 2000 words in my review draft. Just need to edit it, clean it up, reorganize, and then will post it in the next day or so.
lies of p
This was very good. Probably the best non fromsoft souls game on PC. It has its faults. It's not very flexible in how you play which makes it very hard. You have to learn to parry or you'll just fail. Similar to sekiro which I consider the hardest souls game.
Good atmosphere, story, and characters. Some clunky dialogue though. The tweak to track side quests is nice too.
Really hope they get to make a sequel.
I finished The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX on the 3DS. The last time I finished it was many years ago, and my recollection was that the lack of sidequests (especially compared to later games) held it back a bit. This time, I actually appreciated it a bit, since it turns out the game actually is well paced and keeps you moving forward. The problem I ran into was that there was a LOT more backtracking than I remembered, especially in the back 4 dungeons, to the point where I contemplated dropping the game a few times. The lack of good warping on the overworld was also a problem at times.
Beyond that complaint, I think it's still a good game (especially for the time and the hardware it was on).
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