Something a bit shorter to add to the list this time.
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.
Currently Playing:
- Spiritfarer (PS4)
- Stardew Valley (PC)