#5

Valkyria Chronicles (PlayStation 3)

Change From Last Year: =

Video games have been a huge part of my life for nearly 30 years now, from the moment my uncle bought me an NES in the early 90s I've been playing video games. In all that time I've played countless great games that have left their mark on me in one way or another. However, only a select few have had the kind of emotional impact on me as Valkyria Chronicles did when I first played it over a decade ago. There's a scene in this game, which I won't spoil, that genuinely forced me to shut the game down and take a few days away from it because of how it impacted me on an emotional level.

All of this was born out of how the game builds its characters and gets the player deeply attached to them. When you add to that a wonderfully designed gameplay loop with impressive level of depth, gorgeous visuals, an excellent soundtrack, and one of my all-time favourite stories in video games, the result is a game I consider a true masterpiece on every level imaginable. Just writing about it here makes me want to go back and replay it immediately.

For a quite time Square gave us trailers and early trailer for a project codenamed Octopath Traveler, without a decision on the final name. And each time it looked sweeter and sweeter. Finally they decided to take the codename as final name and released a great turn based RPG, with many things taken from the experiences in the past and what worked so great in these games, but also with lessons learned and modernized things. This both for the gameplay mechanics and the graphic.

I think the most discussion was about the artstyle and graphics of these games. Detractors said it is old graphics. But don't be fooled: Although pixel-art is used as texture, it still is a modern 3D-engine with a lot of effects in lighting, particles, water, god-rays and many other stuff, that was simply impossible on past hardware and software. And the designers at Square combined it into something so unique, so awesome, the art-style alone makes Octopath Traveler an unforgettable game.

But that isn't it alone. The fighting system is very advanced too. With the break system and weaknesses it makes fights pretty tactical and you have to make good use of it for many bosses in the game. The game also incorporated modified elements of the Bravely Default series, with the ability to boost your attack if you had saved up the points for multiple rounds. Combined you could use it to hit foes hard after you had broken their defenses, before they could regain their stance.

Outside of battle you had many interactions with the big amount of NPCs, including character specific actions. As the name suggests you have eight different main characters with different stories that progress, as they travel together through Orsterra. And it would be an error not to mention the soundtrack, this soundtrack is awesome and I often listen to it while working.

This game is a unique and awesome experience and I am sure it will be remembered as one of the defining games of the Switch. I would really like to see remakes of the early Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games in this style. Please Square, hear me out, this is a great idea. Anyways, I think everyone with a Switch and a love for RPGs should give this game a try. I think it is also released on PC, for the folks without a Switch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmi8KrntszI

And here we have another masterpiece. Pandora's Tower was one the last big games for Wii, it was part of Project Rainfall together with Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story.

You explore long abandoned awe inspiring towers, that are now overrun with monsters. They are filled with big monuments, strange machinery and some environmental puzzles. With your chain you climb through these towers to the master beast, a being of majestic power. This all to save your loved one from the curse of the beast, which transforms her into a monster.

The game masterfully transfers a mood of sadness and mystery. The world seems to fall apart, the towers hanging by enourmous chains over a chasm that rips deeply into the world. Small hints, notebook entries, dreams help you slowly discover the mystery of what happened here. And the towers itself are filled with wonder. This all makes exploring so worthwile.

At the same time you shouldn't explore too long, because Elena will transform into a beast while you roaming the towers. Even if the timer isn't running out, she starts slowly to mutate and transform. And this makes her sad, a feeling transported both through her expressions, her dialogue and the music. If you return early though, you might find her in different activities that leave her happy and upbeat. So the game guides you to always keep Elenas well-being on the back of your mind and the will to return to her fast. So it is always a delicate balance between exploring just a bit more of the tower and to return to her early to keep her falling into depression. The interactions between your character Aeron and Elena are diverse, so it doesn't get old to be there for her.

This game is an underapreciated gem on the Wii. It came too late in the Wiis lifetime, further delayed in it's release in the West and getting way too less attention. After we now getting ports/remasters of Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Xenoblade Chronicles it is now definitely Pandora's Tower that is highest on my porting wishlist for Switch. This game deserves a second chance, it needs more exposure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgB48Bq8Rho

Nobody get the last game on the list?

#3 Guessed by The_Liquid_Laser: Katamari Damacy

#2

a) It's all an illusion.

b) Similar to my #1, this game is in a series of spin-off games of a much older gaming series. It is the second installment in this spin-off series.

c) This time you have a buddy. And he gives you high fives for a task well done.

#1 Guessed by The_Liquid_Laser: Heroes of Might and Magic III

I wanted to get this game shorty after it was released in Europe, I thought it looked cool. At one point I had the big box version in my hand but decided I didn’t want to risk paying full price for a game I wasn’t absolutely sure I would like. I was a student at the time so my money already went to Skyward Sword and I had to ration it.

I kind of regret it, I still think it could be a cool game. It’s an uncommon game now, also in Europe, if there’s a port on Switch I’ll likely give it a chance this time.

EDIT: No idea on your #2 though.

I had a lot of fun with this game.  In fact with just a little more polish it could have easily made it into my top 50.

The battle system is fantastic and some of the stories were really interesting.  (Others were so-so.)  The graphics are unique and beautiful.  And my favorite part is that this style of RPG is essentially "open-world".  You can kind of approach this game how you like.  What I liked to do was quests and caverns where I was a bit underleveled.  That made the challenge feel right to me.

The main problem I had is that for about 40ish hours of the game I was overleveled, and then the game was boring because it was too easy.  The final boss area was fun again, and in fact I had to level up a bit more because it was so much tougher than anything else in the game.  What I really wished they had done is put in some more dungeons/quests that were somewhere between Chapter 4 difficulty and endgame boss difficulty.  This is especially true since there are these 4 powerful endgame jobs that you really only need for the final boss.  It would have been cool to have some other areas to really unload with these jobs.  I think there was one quest about a wolf that was in this difficulty range, but nothing else.

Basically if they had some more optional high end content then I don't think I would have gotten bored with it for most of the second half.  That alone would have probably put this game in my top 50, because there is definitely a lot to praise about it.  I'm hoping the sequel will basically be like this game with more polish.  I'm having high hopes because we need more unique and well made games like Octopath Traveler.

It's available on the Wii U E-shop, if that's something you would consider.

I long hoped for a PS4 port but finally caved and bought this on Switch in a sale this month. Been looking forward to it for a long time as it seemed like a mix of Bravely Default and SaGa games. This might be part of my top 50 next year!

More hints:

#6
Hint 1: Snow. A lot of it. Occasionally ice as well.
Hint 2: The game is set in Vancouver.
Hint 3: Two mascots and their friends.

#5
Hint 1: Le jeu est en 3D pour la première fois.
Hint 2: You meet a 3000 year old king.
Hint 3: Same franchise as #3.

#3
Hint 1: My signature.

A word of warning though: this is run with the Wii-compatibility, so you still need a Wiimote and Nunchuk to play. In any case, if you have one of these ill-fated devices with a gamepad, you have this option to get this great game.