Darashiva on 25 July 2022
Been a while since my last update. Three new games to add.
Finished Games:
- Luigi's Mansion (Switch) My Rating: 8/10
- Played through this game with my fiancée. Not sure if I would have liked it as much playing by myself, but in co-op it was a lot of fun. Not among the console's best games, but certainly enjoyable nonetheless.
- Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) My Rating: 9/10
- I actually finished this game last year, but I realized I forgot to put it in last year's list, so it's here now. It's great. Probably the best 3D Mario game ever, or at least very close to it.
- Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4) My Rating: 9/10
- An absolutely brilliant tactical RPG. Likely the first game I've beaten this year that'll end up in my top 50 list of all time at the end of the year. It's not quite as good as the first game in the series, but it's not far off.
- The Last of Us Part II (PS4) My Rating: 9/10
- Pretty much just flew through this one in less than a week, which considering my work schedule is almost unheard these days. An excellent game. Not sure whether I like this or the first game more. The rating might even go up once I've had some time to think on it, and now that I have finally played it I still have no idea what some people's problem with the game was, outside of the obvious idiots getting angry at game having a diverse cast. Regardless, this is another game that's likely going to end up in my top 50 at the end of the year.
- Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) My Rating: 9.5/10
- Because of Forbidden West's impending release I wanted to go back and replay Zero Dawn, just to remind myself of the story and characters. Since that first playthrough I've considered Zero Dawn to be the best open world game of all time, and not much changed on my second go-around. The story, world, character, gameplay, visuals and music are all still amazing, and the only issues I have with the game are minor ones, like the inventory space being a bit too small for my liking.
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (PS4) My Rating: 8/10
- Or the game that just never ends. I liked DQXI quite a lot, though it is not without its issues. The main character has about as much emotional depth as a plank of wood, which ends up hurting some otherwise very well done emotional moments with the other characters. The game also has an unfortunate tendency to stretch things needlessly to pad the run time. The music was quite forgettable as well. However, otherwise this is still a quality JRPG, but not one I'll probably be returning to in the future.
- Elden Ring (PS4) My Rating: 10/10
- An absolutely exceptional game, and unless something truly incredible comes out, likely going to end up as my game of the year and very high on my all-time favourite games list as well. The gameplay, the world itself, the story behind the events of the game, the sheer amount of engaging and interesting stuff to do and find in The Lands Between, the visual design, music, and so many other things about Elden Ring are simply impeccable. It's not quite a perfect game, not that there is such a thing, but there are a few minor negatives as well. One of the late game areas is ridiculously frustrating, couple of the optional dungeons aren't very fun, and a few of the bosses in the end-game feel a bit unfair at times. Overall, this is still without question the best open world game I've ever played.
- Ara Fell: Definitive Edition (PC) My Rating: 7.5/10
- A fun, light love letter to 16-bit JRPGs of old with a good story and characters, interesting setting, very good music, and a beautiful old-school visual style. For the roughly 16 hours I spent playing through it, I very much enjoyed Ara Fell. The normal battles do start getting a bit tiresome by the last quarter of the game once I had unlocked all the skill upgrades, but other than that I don't really have any major issues with it. Check it out if old-school JRPGs are your thing.
- Lara Croft Go (PC) My Rating: 7.5/10
- Needed something different after so many huge games and JRPGs. It had been a while since I'd played any puzzle games, and Lara Croft Go was on sale, so I bought and played through it over the last week. Just a well-designed, fairly short puzzle game with a Tomb Raider skin slapped on top. The difficulty curve is a bit all over the place, but otherwise I have no major issues with the game.
- Hue (PC) My Rating: 7/10
- A fun, fairly straightforward puzzle platformer that revolves around changing the color of the world itself to solve the puzzles. Nothing exceptional, but I enjoyed my time with it.
- Spiritfarer (PS4) My Rating: 9/10
- One of the best games I've played in recent times. An absolutely gorgeous game with wonderfully written story and characters. I played it through in co-op, and both I and my fiancée loved it. In between the heavier moments with the characters there are a lot of fun chores to do, each with their own minor variations to the gameplay loop.
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS4) My Rating: 8/10
- A beautiful action-adventure game, with a unique setting and story. The characters end up feeling a bit distant even at the end, but I still liked them. Just needed a bit more added to them. The gameplay is good, if somewhat derivative of other similar games. For a studio's first game this is an excellent title. Looking forward to what Ember Labs brings out next.
- Abzû (PS4) My Rating: 8/10
- A wonderful, relaxing, and tranquil experience. Very much like Journey in a lot of ways, though perhaps lacks some of its grandeur and beauty. Regardless, a great game that you can finish in a single sitting.
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) My Rating: 9/10
- Decided to replay The Lost Legacy for the first time, and it's still a great game. Chloe and Nadine are excellent in the main roles, the gameplay is a lot of fun, and the setting is beautiful and interesting. Perhaps a bit behind the very best games in the series, but not by a lot.
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4) My Rating: 7.5/10
- Honestly speaking, I was quite disappointed in Crash 4. I'm not sure why, but I can't recall ever having as many problems with perspective in a 3D platformer. I died so many times because I had jumped either too soon or too late and hit an obstacle, and this often happened repeatedly with the exact same obstacles. I also didn't think the levels were all that great, and the difficulty also felt very uneven. I don't remember having these issues with the original Crash games, but perhaps time has gilded those memories.
Currently Playing:
- Stardew Valley (PC)
- Code Vein (PS4)
- Command & Conquer Remastered (PC)
- Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition (PC)
