VideoGame_Discussion

Ghostwire: Tokyo

After 'Yakuza 6' being shorter than I anticipated, I was still in a Japanese culture-centric mood, and I was actually excited for 'Ghostwire' despite the lukewarm reception. That said, it earns that lukewarm reception.

From a story standpoint, some guy wants spirits and the protagonist, Akito, gets caught up in it while trying to retrieve his sister from the hospital. Honestly, the story wasn't anything until the very end, but by that point, it was the end. The game is steeped in Japanese traditions dealing with the afterlife, and it's interesting, but only scratches the surface. Most things aren't explained, and it's just "magic" basically. I look at "ok" games as either being carried by their story if the gameplay isn't great, or by the gameplay if the story isn't great. Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't great either.

Acting like a first person shooter, Akito uses elemental spells of the soul possessing him, KK, to ward off enemies. There's a standard shot (wind), spread shot (water), and heavy shot (fire). The elements don't actually come into play in any way other than to distinguish the types of shots. There's also a bow, but outside certain, forced sections, the elementals are far better. Each shot can be upgraded (so can the bow) as well as a slew of basic skills Akito gains, but nothing really changes. After everything is introduced early on, that's all there is to see. Same goes for the enemies. Their designs are really cool, but they're the same handful the whole game through. This would be okay, and indeed it works in other games, if the world was interesting to explore, but it isn't.

'Ghostwire' would've been much better served as a linear game. Instead, there's a good chunk of Tokyo to run around in, but for story reasons, it's empty. Buildings and entire areas can repeat, and besides convenience stores and specific story moments, the buildings are completely closed off. What's there is a barren, lifeless neighborhood that, while looking cool, large and accurate, isn't much fun. This might be the first open world game with "towers" that I just didn't bother with unlocking the whole map, collecting most if not all things or doing all the side quests. Speaking off, the side quests can be interesting, but most are about entering an apartment (every apartment has the same floorplan) or battling in the same arenas. The latter is especially a bummer. Like 'No More Heroes III,' outside of on-street, in-the-moment conflicts, battles take place in separate arenas. Mostly the same gray arena actually. Even boss fights are pulled into separate, empty arenas. So what little charm the open world has, can't even be exploited for most story or battle moments.

When sticking to the main story, the game is pretty short. Given the lack of story, this is a good thing, though the rest of the map is available to those that want to do more. There's a short glide ability that can be upgraded to last longer and creatures near roofs to zip to, but it's not enough to make exploring exciting. Much of this I surmise came down to budget. Things like certain character actions, even for story purposes, are not seen because the game fades to black so time and money wasn't spent on the animation. The characters looks good enough (and Akito has a lot of wardrobe options), but there are very few. I already mentioned the lack of enemy variety, but the overall repetition of the game world screams we needed more budget.

As a Game Pass game, it's worth a playthrough. Tokyo fans will enjoy the setting, but the gameplay leaves a lot of be desired. If 'Ghostwire' was designed more like their next release, 'Hi-Fi Rush,' it would've been a much better game.

The Darkness on via PS+ Premium. I'm glad I decided to revisit this, and I'm glad I stuck with it until the end. There was so much of this game I didn't remember from 15 years ago, I'm starting to wonder if I even did finish my original playthrough when it first released. Most of the voice acting (especially "The Darkness" creature) was really good, and so is the soundtrack. The music gets you hyped and kept me going through some parts where I'd die a lot. I probably was dying a lot in some parts because I was being stubborn and not wanting to switch from my pistols to a better gun, I think I used the pistols for 90% of the playthrough and that's no exaggeration.

Muramasa Rebirth

I actually started this on Wii shortly after its release. I didn't get a handle of the blade system then, but the map traversal was what really made me lose interest. I've had the Vita version for years and finally cracked it open.

Yes, the game is gorgeous. The parallax scrolling, the art style, it's really like running through a painting. And running you will be, because there's a good amount of backtracking and the environments repeat over and over. And that's kind of the downfall of this game. It isn't long (both campaigns took me about 12 hours), but the areas repeat, the enemies repeat (and usually only one type of enemy is on the screen at a time), and the combat isn't terribly deep. It has its uniqueness, but everything is done with one button, including blocking, and maybe an analog stick direction. So while the game is gorgeous, repetition sets in pretty quickly. The two campaigns are interesting though, and the music is likewise gorgeous, but I'm glad it's on the short side.

I also bought the Vita exclusive DLC the last time (maybe only time?) it was on sale. I started the first DLC campaign, all of which are more like 2-3 hours long, and while the environments and much of the combat system remain the same, the DLC does mix up the playable characters. It's more for looks, though, as they fight the same as the main game's characters.

One thing that's interesting is that the game's director went on record saying he chose the Vita for its OLED screen. So it baffles me that this game hasn't been ported to the Switch with its DLC for a complete package. Other Vanillaware games have been ported, so maybe this is on the list, but it feels like the perfect fit for the Switch.

Overall, 'Muramasa' is still a great game, but marathon sessions will produce fatigue because of the lack of variety across the board. Either way, this is a game to be played for the art and graphics alone.

@dcgx I enjoyed Muramasa - I, too, have the DLC. It's repetitious but fun to feel more empowered as you get more swords and level them up, and I was motivated by the story tidbits and finding various secrets, like the sea monster. Leveling up skills in the DLC (and getting different story endings) was fun - the different characters had some unique abilities that differentiated them.

Alaisiagae wrote:

Yeah everything is very solid, just the repeat environments and enemies got to me. Especially the flying enemies. Those are a pain. At least if they had you fight more than one type of enemy at a time on the world map would go a long way. I'm not sure why they stuck to one at a time. 20 basic ninjas of the same color is bland. I'll get back to the DLC, but I need a break lol

Pretty much every Vanillaware game is extremely repetitive, but still somehow fun in spite of it.

Finally beat The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild! (Wii U)

Ive been on and off playing this for like 5 years. While I do think this game should be a 10/10 game, if I have to compare it to all the previous Zelda games I would personally give this like a 9/10. Its awesome, I just prefer the traditional formula and Im tired of open world games.

Octopath Traveler II - 9.5/10

One of the best JRPGs I have ever played. And I have played a ton of them. It's everything a sequel should be. It's the perfect example of how a game can feel like a love letter to those classic 16-bit era JRPGs while still feeling fresh and modern because of the design choices and QOL improvements.

Graphically, OT2 is absolutely stunning. I honestly can't say enough about the lighting, the animations, and the overall attention to detail. The gameplay and the soundtrack are my two favorite things about the first game and they are even better here in the sequel. Gameplay wise it's what you expect from a traditional JRPG. It's got a great job system that gives you a lot of freedom and great side quests some of which have multiple solutions. Again, the attention to detail is just so impressive. The gameplay is simple enough that it doesn't alienate newcomers, but it is varied and nuanced enough to satisfy longtime fans of the genre. There is also a day/night component that adds depth and variety to the gameplay. You can change from day to night and vice versa at any time with a click of a button and the lighting, the overall mood, the music, the NPC placement, the enemies, buffs/debuffs...it all changes depending on the time of day. Again, attention to detail!

My only real gripe is that the 8 characters don't interact at all outside of a few "travel banter" segments. Their stories are fragmented and it can feel a little jarring at times. Luckily, the stories are all really well told and you end up connecting with each character so it wasn't as big of an issue for me. I wouldn't say all 8 stories are phenomenal. Some are definitely better than others. But even my least favorite was still very good so again, no real complaints there but I can see the fragmented nature of the storytelling being an issue for others. Once you complete all 8 stories, the characters actually come together and you journey towards the true ending. This entire section of the game and the epilogue that follows are phenomenal. I can't say more without really spoiling things, but it's always important to get to the end of a 100-hour game like this and feel like the journey was worthwhile. And I definitely felt that way at the end of OT2.

As I mentioned, this is a 100-hour game (I did everything in the game so maybe closer to 80 hours for most). That's probably an immediate turn-off to most people and I totally get that. I came so close to skipping this altogether for that very reason. I just don't have the time. But here we have a 100-hour game that feels epic and also feels respectful of your time as a player. It never felt like a grind and the way the game is designed means you can pop in and out at any time. Especially if you play it on the Switch because I believe it's the perfect portable experience.

So all in all, this is one of the truly special modern JRPGs, in my opinion. Loved every second of my time with it and it's a game I can't recommend enough to fans of the genre.

Manticore - Galaxy On Fire on which I completed 100%

So I originally bought this because I was in the mood for a Star Fox style game, and this delivered on that. Truthfully I wouldn't consider myself a big fan of the Star Fox series, I don't even know why I was in the mood for something like them. But I at least picked a good one.
So why I decided to 100% complete this, is because I felt like since the start of the year I was starting too many games and not finishing them. I knew that would be a problem with the Game Catalog on PS+ Premium, which is also why I try to stay away from GamePass. So I decided the next game I start, regardless if it is a good or bad game, I will go for 100% on, and it wound up being this game and I really enjoyed it.

I finally finished Mii Trek, the terrible 3DS Streetpass game.

Got the credit roll but it looks like there is still some post game stuff to do.

When I hear the phrase "walking simulator," this is what I will always think of. Not a focused narrative driven experience that makes you want to keep going a bit longer, but just counting steps (steps that OTHER people have taken walking with their 3ds, your own steps don't even count) and moving around a map, occasionally choosing a direction, finding an item, or dealing with a brief quick time event. Run out of steps (which happens very quickly), and you have to wait until you get more streetpasses to continue.

It's pretty much rubbish.

kevolones wrote:
Good job! How many hours did you put in?

Based on your comment about other Zelda games, what are your favorite Zelda games?

Heavyd814life wrote:
A 9.5/10 catches my attention more than a 10/10. When someone says 10/10, I'm skeptical. When someone says 9.5/10, I view it as, woah, that game sounds really good. Sounds like the rater wasn't swept away by opinions of others/hype. 9.5 ounds like a very calculated rating.

You got my attention.

So now I have to ask. If I were to choose to play just one of the games, do I play the first one or the second

@nonamesleft Definitely OT2. I think OT1 has the slightly stronger soundtrack and OT1 also has a couple of really memorable characters, but as I mentioned in my review, OT2 is everything a sequel should be and improves on the original in every imaginable way. The games are standalone experiences so you can jump straight into OT2. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Heavyd814life wrote:
Thanks. Then maybe I'll play the second and also listen to the soundtrack of the first.

nonamesleft wrote:

I would think not that many really. (Actually checked. Only 54 hours, played 39 times.)



All of them are amazing, really. But A Link to the Past is easily my favorite of all the Zelda games.

Tbh I say all but I have yet to play a couple of them. Mostly the 3DS and Switch games since I never bought those consoles.

kevolones wrote:
Did you play Minish Cap?

nonamesleft wrote:

Yes, its great! Also played Links' Awakening and the 2 Oracle games.

kevolones wrote:
Link's Awakening was fun. I played Oracle of Ages ages ago. Actually just started Seasons this week. Been meaning to play it for a long long time.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Classic Edition
I was glad this was such a short game because that's the main reason I kept playing when I realized I wasn't enjoying it very much. Not saying it was a bad game, but I just enjoyed vanilla Far Cry 3 more.

After beating Kirby Return to Dreamland Deluxe on Switch with my Little, 2D Kirby games are a PG version of Elden Ring with all the Mini and Major Boss fights. The levels simple then Boss fights of varying difficulty. Most of the time Multiple per stage.

Kirby kinda a Nintendo Badass.

Solid 8 out of 10.

@PizzaTheHutt I remember trying to play Blood Dragon right after beating FC3 and feeling similar. I ended up giving up on it as it just wasn't that enjoyable and it felt like a step backwards some how from the main game.
I have thought about trying to give it another shot now that it's been a few years and I know it is short, so maybe I'll do that.

Need for Speed: Unbound

I had a long write-up about this game, but the good and bad are each too long. So it's list time!

Good
- map and city/track design; the world feels lived in
- variety of cars, tweaking if you want to
- events like hot laps and some drifting are just on the map and not separate so it doesn't force events a player doesn't like on the player
- graphics and overall aesthetic; the realistic world looks great and the graffiti accents work really well
- overall story, while minimal, can be investing and works with the game design

Bad
- actual writing, especially dialogue, can be just plain bad; calling music from 2003 moldy-oldies doesn't even make sense. They try GTA-style talk radio/ads but they have no subtly for satire
- while races are well designed, they're forced to be run over and over leading to horrible repetition. It's especially bad for players going for certain cars, fully upgrading them, etc. where money is so much more necessary
- cars still drive like boats, especially early on, but it's adaptable. They don't feel as good to drive like in games like Forza. Also, oddly, sometimes the e-brake wouldn't activate no matter the car
- the map is great, but rather small, which hurts that repetition
- sense of speed; going 100 mph feels more like 55 mph. Only the very highest speeds feel fast
- cops, they need a rest. It's integrated into the story, sorta, but sometimes the eagle-eyes of cops looking through buildings or up/down hills out of sight is ridiculous on higher wanted levels. They also have a tendency spawn directly in front of the player at high wanted levels too. There's no options, even post game, to turn them off or reduce them
- Anything that happens in the prologue is pointless, where you finish, how much money is gained, but the game doesn't tell the player it's a prologue. I restarted so much because I'm the type of player in racing games that always has to finish first, but it didn't matter in the end

Subjective
- Money vs. race finishes; winning money is top, so finishing in a certain place in an event, outside of getting more money or a car for better placement, doesn't matter. It does take some stress off races, but can make them less compelling
- Music: it definitely fits the game, but I only liked a few tracks. This severely negatively impacts a game where music is so important
- character design - I think they either should've gone more realistic to fit the city and cars, or more exaggerated to fit the graffiti accents. The weird, flat shaded middle ground doesn't fit well
- A$AP Rocky - I don't know much about him, so I learned something, and he seems cool, but at one point the player has to drive him somewhere and the devs shoehorned an interview they did with him in, which sounds like he's defending himself from detractors for some reason. Just, why?

I played this on Game Pass and at times was having such a good time with it. GameFly did have the Xbox Series X version for $15 with free shipping (it has since gone up), and I almost bought it. With the right car, I genuinely enjoyed running around the map, and the world feels so great. But it's so repetitive, even for a racer, and the cops can completely ruin things either trying to shake them off or wait them out. If the game drops that low again, I might pick it up. It's a solid game for racing fans, but I still feel like 'Need for Speed' would benefit more from a straight race to race design versus the open world, cop drama sometimes.

@DCGX You can put the A$AP Rocky part in bad lol. That interview is bizarre. I still remember it vividly. It‘s some weird bit of propaganda that feels like it’s supposed to make the guy more relatable but has the opposite effect. Why shoehorn that into the game at all? He just rambles on and on for like 20 minutes. It was probably only 5 minutes but it definitely felt like 20 minutes lol.

The marketing for the game was odd. I wonder if centering the marketing around him helped boost sales. I hope it did because it’s actually a solid NFS game and I had a good time with it. I think I enjoyed the gameplay loop a little more than you did, but I definitely agree with most of the points you made.

I bought Need For Speed: Heat and need to finally get around to playing it and then catch up on Unbound from there. I'm glad they stopped doing yearly releases for NFS games. That was one of the best decisions they made for the series.

Remember with Need For Speed: Shift they had said they were going to alternate between arcade and semi-realistic style with each years' entry? That didn't last long at all. I skipped NFS: Shift 2 completely and I must not have been the only one because they abandoned that idea.

Speaking of Need for Speed Unbound, I have a copy available if anyone wants it. Guess I should make a post

Heavyd814life wrote:

I completely missed the marketing then, because it took me multiple races with A$AP Rocky before I even knew he was in the game. I'm guessing in context what he says makes more sense. Obviously we don't hear any questions from whoever interviewed him. When the player character drives him, the monologue kind of makes sense to what the player character is going through, but I wish they had made it shorter in-game, and then not have it during the credits at all. Once it finishes during the credits, it starts over until the credits end. Just make it an extra to listen/view outside of gameplay from the main menu.

Anyway, it is a solid game. I just want more variety in the races since they repeat ad nauseum.

Immortals of Aveum is a decent 10 hourish game. You get three spell types that are akin to a rifle, smg and shotgun. You also have a ton of other spells to grab or move towards enemies, do tons of damage in various ways. I think the biggest issue was the backtracking and the story. I pretty much understood the story from the initial moments and how it was going to probably end and I was partially correct. Honestly if another game hadn't released with a similar idea, I probably wouldn't be bothered as much by it. Getting Armored Core 6 shipped today and Daymare unless Armored Core 6 lasts me to Starfield. Starfield is coming out on the 6th though.

I just finished EQQO on
Despite being a short game, I came close to giving up on this a few times during my playthrough. It's not because the puzzles were difficult, if anything the game overall is kind of on the easy side. It was more to do with the controls, it took too long to get used to them, and also multiple bugs I experienced (some quick examples: one bug where my character wouldn't enter a door, but when I restarted the level he entered it no problem, and another where my character fell through the ground and ended up somewhere in the void where I could no longer control him so I had to restart, and also several times my on-screen cursor would disappear and sometimes it would eventually come back but other times I'd have to restart the level). The graphics also are messy sometimes, lots of blurriness (that seems to happen quite a bit with Unreal Engine on Switch). The game was meant as a VR game on PC so I will assume it's better when played that way, but on Switch I don't think I'd recommend it. They had a decent little heartwarming story to tell, but it deserved a better game built around it.

There is a $1 DLC for the game which lets you plant a tree in the game, and profits from it go to WeForest who will plant a tree in real life.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

I've had this on my 3DS since it was on of the choices for Club Nintendo's annual rewards. I've played it off and on since, but never fully got into it. I finally finished the main worlds, though there is a ton to unlock. Solid, definitely, not mark remarkable.

Final Fantasy 16

Kommie wrote:

I should be close to the end of FF16. But for some reason I feel like doing all side quests

kevolones wrote:

I skipped them towards the end. All of them are still doable and not missable. Early in the game it warns you about an important quests, any side quest not finished before that is missable though. But not after.

I'm PRETTY SURE i beat Inscryption. There's nothing else like it out there. Completely blew my mind.

Simon_Belmont wrote:

Lol. After it really ends it starts all over. If that helps.

Yeah and Endless Mode starts.
I wish the live action parts were a little better acted but otherwise the game was really perfect.

Simon_Belmont wrote:

the kaycees mod mode were you add different variables etc has a different final boss- I don’t remember if there’s any new footage after that though. Think it’s just for trophy.

I did that, i had to use a walkthrough for one part.
Picked up XCom Chimera Squad and UFO Aftershock, working on those.
Chimera Squad is like XCOM-lite, i dig the graphic style and the new breach mechanics.

That game was wild.

Simon_Belmont wrote:

Bleed_DukeBlue wrote:

I loved every second of it. It was just challenging enough to not be frustrating and it was unsettling but not overly scary, if that makes sense.
Whenever people say that there aren't any great AAA games coming out, i point them to indie studios and games and Inscryption is on that list.
It wasn't just a game, it was an experience and became an obsession.

Agreed on all of the above. It’s nice to see that kind of creativity.

Simon_Belmont wrote:

Beat Star Trek Resurgence. It has an episodic format but covers only one main threat. I was hoping it would deal with more then one main antagonist over the duration but enjoyed the game nonetheless. The inclusion of three characters adds something from the past series but I don't remember one of them. It is a standard TellTale like game where you have options and combat set pieces with puzzles sprinkled in. Sometimes you get stuck trying to find the last object you need to scan to move forward though. It is around 10 hours long and is pretty enjoyable. Would prefer less cameos though.

Decided to beat The Last of Us Part 2 after dropping it and Guardians of the Galaxy. I was nearing the end and simply stopped enjoying it. I didn't enjoy The Last of Us Part 2 as much as the previous game but wanted to complete it. I didn't feel the gameplay was great, I hate forced stealth in the first game as well and the story introduction and ending wasn't as impactful as the first entry. I question the world as it seems like food would be a major issue and some other story elements.

I simply dislike the multiverse concept being splashed into a game without any reason and gave up on Guardians of the Galaxy after that scene. Beating it was an okay time as the gameplay was sastifying but the story was somewhat questionable to me, perhaps since I only know the characters from the TV show and recent movies.

Well beat Armored Core 6 Chapter 1. Going to take my time as September has Mortal Kombat 1 which I will only play for the story mode and arcade endings, Starfield and Daymare which is apparently only 6 hours long.

Both GOTG games exist in their own universe and don't take place in the MCU at all (other than having unlockable costumes from the movies). The Telltale game is more intuned with the comics and the action game creates its own universe using elements from the movies, TV shows and comics. Kind of like how the HBO Watchmen series invented its own universe using a combination of the movie, comics and original ideas.
I really dug the action game other than the repetitive (but fun) battles.

Beat Daymare Sandcastle. The good is the gameplay and combat systems. My god the clip system in the previous game nearly got me to give up on it and it being gone is great to me. The puzzles are quite a bit easier and less difficult then the previous game. The freeze mechanic is extremely important. The story is acceptable but I feel like most characters don't get enough screen time for my liking and enemy variety is extremely lacking. Basically enemies drop electric looking orbs that if not dealt with inhabit a new corpse. It has an upgrade system as well. If you like Resident Evil 2 Remake you might like this game. It is 5-7 hours long.

Quake II Remastered

I definitely liked this more than the first Quake. The levels are designed better and there's more variety. That said, there's still too much brown for me. I love how fast you run, but it can be problematic during the very little amount of platforming there is. It's really easy to walk onto a small platform and slip right off. I still have the expansions and 64 to go.

Blasphemous 2 - one of tf last bosses is a big difficulty spike compared to the rest of the game. Otherwise it was great

I’m almost finished with blasphemous 1 trophies. This whole game feels like a troll. I’ve heard 2 is much better?

2 is better from a gameplay point. No more instant death from pits/falls, aside from boss rooms. Story and atmosphere wise 1 is better but overall 2 is solid. I basically played it non stop when I could, 17 hours to just beat it. Not all achievements though

2 also shows you where to go next, I definitely liked that addition.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider. That was a hoot.
image

Shadow of the Tomb Raider to me felt like the most Tomb Raidery experience of the new trilogy. Shame it didn’t get much praise next to Rise.

Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R on
It's not a good game, but if an easy platinum trophy means anything to you, you can get it in like 3 hours. I wasn't able to get it because of one trophy that requires you to win a race in split-screen and I don't have a second DualSense controller, but in 3 hours of playing that was the only trophy left to unlock.

edit: I take that back, I did get the platinum and then even went and did it all over again in the PS4 version. Didn't take much time and there's not much challenge to the game anyway.

Finally got around to beating Strider on PS4. Really good game, wish they had a disc version but only Japan got one.

nonamesleft wrote:

I've beaten like half the Zelda's and half I haven't beaten, working on Spirit Tracks right now.

Beaten:
Ocarina of Time
BOTW
Wind Waker
Skyward Sword
Twilight Princess
Phantom Hourglass
Minish Cap
LTTP
Link's Awakening (the original)

Haven't beaten
Zelda 1
Zelda 2
Majora's Mask
Spirit Tracks (shoon hopefully)
Oracle of Ages/Seasons
Link Between Worlds
Tears of the Kingdom
Links Awakening (remake)

Simon_Belmont wrote:
It's that good? A relative of mine kept trying to convince me to buy it. He was even willing to pay for it if I didn't enjoy the game, that's how confident he was that I would.

justin_credible wrote:
Link Between Worlds was solid. One of the last (maybe the last?) 2D style Zelda games the series had.

A nice amount of games in the series I haven't played.

I haven't played Ocarina of Time. I know I should though.

Haven't played Twilight Princess either.

Although I didn't play Majora's Mask, I did read the Mana, so although it's not the same as playing it, I feel like I experienced the game's story.

Are you enjoying Spirit Tracks? I played Phantom Hourglass. Enjoyed it. But didn't play Spirit Tracks.

I have listened to plenty of music from many of the games though, so at least there's that :)

nonamesleft wrote:

It was one of the most interesting games I've played in years. Just go in completely blind and enjoy. Give it 3 or 4 hours before you make your decision either way. I know that's a big time commitment if you aren't enjoying it, but games like this are pretty rare. I don't even like card-based battling systems in games, but I really enjoyed this one.

nonamesleft wrote:

I am playing Spirit Tracks on an emulator on PC with a patch that allows you to use controller instead of "stylus" which is just mouse but you still have to use the mouse for half the things, so I am holding a Wii U Pro in one hand and a mouse in the other while I play. Kind of a PITA. I'm about half way done with the game. Like PH the controls make things hard more than the puzzles themselves.

I'm stuck in Link Between Worlds, no idea where I'm supposed to go next and the save is from several years ago. A guide might help but not sure.

Orlandu wrote:
I'll definitely keep it in mind. I've heard very good things about it, and I don't know much about the game. So I would be going in fresh.

I almost bought the physical version last year, but didn't. And now it's sold out. (Not surprising considering the fan base that the game was getting)

justin_credible wrote:
Interesting, using a mouse instead of a stylus. At first with Phantom Hourglass, I wasn't a big fan of stylus controls, but I didn't really mind it too much as the game progressed.

Maybe I should try Spirit Tracks sometime. I've been wanting to.

As far as Link Between Worlds, if you don't feel compelled to finish it, no reason to force it. Maybe Nintendo will one day give us another 2D Legend of Zelda game.

@nonamesleft If you have an even halfway modern PC it should run okay. I played it on an i7-3770 and a GTX 950 and had no problems. I don't think it will be a game you play more than once or twice so the cheapest route is probably the best one.

Beat Getaway Black Monday on PS2 (technically, PCSX 2 on PC) Not sure why, it was pretty crappy. I'm a sucker for GTA ripoffs.

Orlandu wrote:
Sadly, my PC specs are really not impressive. I think I have to go the Switch eShop route (unless I happen to find a physical copy for a good price)

Finished Resident Evil 4
21 hours.

Now playing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Beat Expanse Episode 3. The pacing in this game is terrible. Episode 1 had a slow startup but got rolling and episode 2 had some real impact but episode 3 was more slow and exploration based then previous episodes. It is in no means bad and episode 4 drops in two days but so far I highly recommend buying this at a discount. Chapters only take around an hour to beat so it should be a six hour game in total. I do like these interactive stories and will be getting Mortal Kombat 1. Gave up on Horizon didn't find it fun and am going to play God of War Ragnarok.

I finished Saints Row on last night.
My friend and I were playing co-op on Sunday night, the final mission warns you there is no going back once you start it. At some point during it, the game froze. We decided to just stop and retry the next day...except she could never join me last night because there was no way to completely abort the mission and restart it, so it always started me from the last checkpoint we had reached before the game had froze on us and when playing co-op the other player can't join when the host is in the middle of a mission. So she had to connect remotely to my PS5 so I could let her watch my screen while I did the final mission alone. What a bummer that was because we had already done everything else in the game as a team up to that point.

Quake II - Call of the Machine

The content in a $10 digital game with 'Quake II' is quite staggering actually. This is a new campaign from Machine Games, and like their campaign for the first 'Quake,' they at least try to mix things up. They use enemies from the expansions and the level design is a bit more vertical. The colors are also more varied, but there's still too much brown for my taste. I had to take a break and watch a Wes Anderson film to even it out.

Beat Giana Sisters DS. If you want 2D platforming, this certainly has it. With more than 80 levels it can keep you busy for a few hours. Found all the collectibles myself too.

It's not as polished as New Super Mario Bros but it's not bad. Most levels were decent fun but it didn't seem like there was any theme to each world, so not very many of them really stood out. And weirdly enough it's a euro platformer where there aren't drops of water that fall from the ceiling to hurt you!

Quake II - The Reckoning

Yup, I'm still going with this. I might push 'Starfield' back a few days to finish all the campaigns up. This was another solid one, still brown, but they tried. Enemy placement is more suspect in this game, and it's mostly in tighter corridors. I found myself running out of ammo a little more often, and health pack placement was questionable; either too much in one spot or not enough/any in others. Still worth a run.

Didn't know Mario Rabbids Spark Of Hope DLC finished dropping and I decided to play them. Tower of Doom is where you play 10 stages and has great replay value. Basically you start are with certain sparks and slowly gain more levels, sparks, heroes and other collectibles. Last Spark Hunter and Rayman Phantom of the Opera just add a bit of story and gameplay such as traversal options and combat but each DLC pack is 1.5-2.5 hours long and are fun to play. Not as repayable as the previous game and as tactical though but fun nonetheless.

Well back to God of War Ragnarök and then the wait for Mortal Kombat 1. Expanse Episode 4 drops today though and Episode 5 is coming out on the 21st. I kind of made mistakes in Episode 1-3 such as not finishing the optional quests since I don't like exploring for items and perhaps failing in a certain moment. I hate how the trophies pretty much ruin the surprise.

Diablo IV

8.5/10

After about 45-50 hours I’m finally watching the credits roll and man what an addictive journey. Diablo games never fail to disappoint in the hooking you in functionality for sure and if I didn’t have about 12 other games in my backlog I’d def start up again on a new class. I went Druid just to see how it fared and I enjoyed shapeshifting and using Thor like lightning and wind powers alike. I also loved the sense of wanderlust the overworld map gave you to discover all areas and do all those “!” Side quests that popped up. I wasn’t as compelled to finish every single dungeon though as there’s just so damn many of them so I just stuck to doing dungeons that suited my class towards the latter half of the game. But in regards to the story it probably has the most engaging and interesting tale to date. Lilith the Daughter of hatred is as eerie as she is terrifying and it only makes it more so as she speaks mostly in a calm, mothering like yet sinister tone. And I can definitely see this continuing on as a TV series somewhere after witnessing the epilogue. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this sequel and my only complaint would be that sometimes it’s a bit too big and dense for its own good and can overwhelm at times and not in a good way. Like I said the vast amount of dungeons do overstay their welcome towards the latter half of the game and become too similar to each other and offer not enough to warrant doing them all unless you change the world tier to a higher difficulty to pump out those rarer rewards and item drops. Other than that though it’s a groovy experience. While Diablo 3 still holds the crown for me in regards to both addictive gameplay and a nice balancing decently paced and not too overwhelmingly lengthy experience, Diablo 4 is still a very rich game in its own right that if it’s the only game you play can offer you countless hours of enjoyment and replay-ability if you wish to experience each of the 5 unique classes.

Life is Strange: True Colors on
My friend bought me this because she wanted to play through it and she likes when we play these types of games and then compare our choices after. I think the story was good, there were some fun parts and some sad parts. Not really sure where they will take this series next though, it's only a matter of time until it starts to feel like we've done it all.

Quake II - Ground Zero

Yeah the 'Quake II' formula was stretching thing by this second pack. Made by the same dev as 'The Reckoning,' the levels seem longer, but there's a lot of backtracking. Enemy placement is questionable; there's a lot of ambushes by the small flyers. The biggest issue I had is a few times during the campaign you have to activate something, usually calling in an air strike, and then have a limited amount of time to run. Except, it's easy to miss the on-screen cue, especially if you're fighting enemies off, and there's no timer. Once there was an audible 10 second countdown, but by then it was too late. Instant death. The compass also directs you to the point of activation, which also means certain death. It's a fine campaign for 'Quake' fans, but definitely the weakest.

Quake II 64

It was very cool of the devs to include this version in the remaster/re-release, though given its short length (about 2 hours if you know what you're doing), it should be. That said, I think it's my favorite 'Quake II' campaign. It could be because it's shorter and more linear, and therefore no level outstays its welcome, but there's a great variety in locations and, despite the ever present brown, a lot more color variation too. Enemies are fewer, but thoughtfully placed (except the last full level). It was a great campaign to finish 'Quake II' on.

I had been considering the physical release of the 'Quake II' remaster, unfortunately only available through Limited Run Games, because it'd be great to have this physically. But after playing so many FPSs like this the last two years, I just don't think this style of FPS is for me. I didn't grow up on these types of shooters, so I have no nostalgia for them, and the constant running backwards while engaging enemies is tiring. I acknowledge their contribution to the genre and games as a whole, but not pick if I have other FPSs to choose from.

Beat Expanse Episode 4. The puzzles are way to easy and like the previous episodes the parts near the end are the most important. Exploration is lowered in quantity though. Right now each episode seems to heavy on one thing or another with the ending parts being the most meaningful.

100% Mario Rabbids DLC. I am surprised you don't get to level 40 doing all the battles in The Last Spark Hunter. Rayman has a level cap of 10 and getting the gold trophies is easy minus the kraken battle but they aren't needed to 100% it.

Beat Star Ocean: Second Story R Demo which you can transfer your save data to the final game. You get to the caves and have a possible choice to go on a side quest and recruit a character. Unsure if the options really do anything though. Got max level 12 and even got the piece of armor near the mountains. There are some other chests along the side paths but the other areas aren't accessible in the demos. There is voice acting as well but not for every NPC and character dialogue.

Going to avoid Mortal Kombat 1 as I heard it has a thing I dislike in the story. Going to borrow Resident Evil 4 from a friend and play Separate Ways on the 21st and will beat Expanse Episode 5.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords via

9/10

It has been far too long since I replayed this one. It’s about my 3rd time finishing this wonderful game and while not as perfect as the first, it’s still a blast to play. The gameplay is dated sure but the experience is all there from the engaging dialogue options and choices to the depth of lore to the amount of memorable characters and events that transpire. My only complaint about the sequel, that remains from years past, is that the whole Kreia story felt not as fleshed out as I would have like for my tastes. But alas other than that if anyone out there has yet to experience this damn near masterpiece I beg of you to play it for you will find and encounter a smart, deep role playing adventure that doesn’t pull it’s punches in the gameplay and story department that’s for sure. Choose to become either a Jedi master of the light or Dark Sith bringer of darkness. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Mortal Kombat 1 (PS5). Storytelling is uneven but good. Not a fan of what they did towards the end because too many things have them now, but it was fun for the afternoon. I may replay it, but for now I hope they come out with story DLC soon.

Beat Expanse Episode 5. Just waiting for the DLC. It is somewhat sastifying but I feel overall the pacing is just terrible. Episode 3 had to much exploration, Episode 4 two puzzles were braindead easy and was a glorified hallway simulator for the middle half., Episode 2 and 1 had a decent amount of exploration and dialogue which struck a nice balance, Episode 5 on the other hand had a ton of choices which makes sense since it was near the end. Takes about an hour to beat and wasn't to bad overall. If I had to rate the Episodes 5, 1, 2, 3 and 4. 4 didn't have enough added story to make it worth it to me but 3 had some bits that drew me in near the end. 1 was a nice introduction and 2 had some choices and dialogue. A major issue to me is choice. You don't have choices on some sections I feel it would be interesting if you did. Example, you could try selling it instead of destroying it.

Sadly Sonic Frontiers update on September 28th might be something I avoid. I deleted my PS5 save data and don't subscribe to PS+ to back it up so ya.... Don't feel like replaying that game again to get the new ending.

Separate Ways in 4-5 hours long. It is short and they didn't lock additional areas and mercenaries with it which I found odd after Resident Evil Village. It is well worth it, has some story, additional bosses and more time with Luis. Basically if you liked the main game you will like this plus it is $9.99. It also has some replay value.

Persona 4 Golden

8.5/10

It took me about 60 hours to finally watch the credits roll, but it was such a great journey to get there. Persona games really rarely disappoint and while it isn’t as robust to me as Persona 5, it’s still almost as good with the usual rag tag group of memorable characters with the focus on immense character development through establishing and maxing out your social links and bonds with them. Also, mixing and fusing various persona spiritual beings I thought was kinda fun and unique too. The only thing that really annoyed me was the Teddie character. I just wanted him to go away most of the time. Between that and I wish the turn based combat was a little more polished like P5 was but alas this game is 12 years old at this stage and a tad dated on that front. I got the secret ending doing after completing all of the main and bonus dungeons, which were pretty cool and one or two dungeons offered some variety in tackling certain areas and boss fights such as finding keys located on different floors to progress or using different battle tactics by digging into your attained items to topple bosses that force you to think outside the normal status quo combat. I’m also looking forward to playing Persona 3 Reload when it drops early next year too since I never played the original.

Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated

Even before Sony announced the PS+ price increases I was considering not renewing. Sony just helped make my decision for me. So, I'm starting to go through the slew of PS+ titles I have downloaded, and after the drab color palettes of 'Quake II' and (mostly) 'Starfield' (which I've put on the back burner for now), 'Battle for Bikini Bottom' seemed like a colorful alternative.

I've never seen the show, and frankly the characters really annoy me (all cutscenes are thankfully skippable), so I went into this pretty blind. The story is weird, but the gameplay does live up to its reputation. Levels are laid out well and have a bit of a challenge. There are sliding sections to break-up the platforming plus multiple characters that each have special abilities, and the controls more or less are good. Yes, there's some occasional mid-ought invisible walls, platforming jank and hit-box oddities, but nothing bad. One curious thing is that the characters are able to grab onto ledges and pull themselves up, but that only happened literally a couple of times. In most cases, you either make the landing or fall to your death.

That is one sticking point, "dying" institutes a pretty long load time. Character switching is almost instant, as is the taxi service, but it seems like the whole level has to reload upon death (all enemies do respawn but items picked-up are kept).

The game itself might be the most colorful thing I ever played, and it looks great. Most of the time it's 60fps, but it can drop a frame here or there. The music is always catching, though the loops are on the short side. Voice acting from the show cast is also great, even though I didn't care about anything they were saying.

I have the remainder of the bonus world to finish, and I'm debating on getting the last handful of Patrick's socks for those golden spatulas, but I would have a ways to go collecting flowers to turn them in to Mr. Krabs for his golden spatulas. That would platinum the game for me, which I very, very rarely do for Playstation games, and I'm not sure it's worth the time and effort. Regardless, 'Battle for Bikini Bottom' is a solid platformer and I had fun playing it!

Sea of Stars