Took me a while to post here this year... again. And it's not even a new game, but anyway (also I think I've already played through Ori and the Will of the Wisps once or twice this year, I'm gonna stop listing it here because it's kinda pointless when it's a speedrun game).

New games:
None yet

Games replayed:
- Metroid Prime Remastered (Feb. 11)

This was a worthy one to start the year, all things considered. Goated game. Goated remaster. Got 100% items, though I missed some scan logs (freaking Flaahgra's Tentacles, man). Probably gonna play hard mode soon. Everything looks so good, they put so much effort into it. I spent the whole game just being blown away by every god damn room I entered in. Enter some random room that's just there for a secret missile expansion, oh look, it's the prettiest looking room in history. They didn't need to go this hard, but they did.

Finished Games:

1. Monster Hunter World (+Iceborne) (PS4) My rating: 9/10
   • I spent roughly 150 hours playing through MHW, and I never once got tired of hunting monsters and trying to find more materials to craft new weapons and armor. I'm not sure what else I can say. Very few games can hold my interest for such a long time. An excellent game, and without question the best game in the series I've played.
2. Superhot (PS4) My rating: 8/10
   • A fun puzzle game with a unique gimmick and a clever twist to its story. 
3. Control (PS4) My rating: 9 / 10
   • Remedy's best game so far. I love the setting, story, characters, and gameplay. The developer has created a world that is wonderfully twisted in various small ways, leading to a constant sense of unease as nothing feels completely right, from the way characters act to the Oldest House itself. With two very good DLC releases as well, Control turned out to be one of the better games I've played in a while. In terms of complaints, the Hiss end up becoming slightly dull as enemies by the end of the game, and the upgrade and mod systems don't feel as impactful as I'd like. Regardless, this is an excellent game.

Currently Playing:

• Axiom Verge 2 (PS4)
• Half-Minute Hero: Second Coming (PC)

Games in Queue:

• Persona 5 Royal
• The Witcher-trilogy
• Nier: Replicant
• Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
• Tales of Vesperia
• Yakuza Kiwami
• Kingdom Hearts III
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
• Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir 
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Xenoblade Chronicles Remastered
• ...and too many others to list

Finished:

Hades
Gris
Salt and Sacrifice

FINISHED:

Castlevania: Bloodlines (1/17)
Super Paper Mario (1/29)
Hi-Fi Rush (2/11)
Metal Gear Solid 2 (2/12)

REPLAYS:

Metal Gear Solid (2/4)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2/10)

Adding Final Fantasy 9 to my list.

This is something, to me really tells about modern Ff games. It was the HD update, fine. Trophies are weird and you can just turn on cheats to make it easy and still earn trophies. I didn't however. It's the first time I've played it in over a decade.

While playing, it kinda got to me. Not only because this is clearly the best FF game, hands down (sorry everyone it just is) but the story, my god. I remember the story but some of the things behind what the characters are saying, the history of the world, what the actual villains are really doing. These events are horrific, it's pushing the idea of war and genocide. In other FFs it feels like you are just a rebel group vs a bigger nation/corp out to do 'evil', even if that evil does break the world in the end, in FF9 you aren't even that. You are a group directly involved in everything whether you want to be or not. By the end, again, even though I've played and beaten this before, I've changed, I'm older (probably not wiser) but some of the aspects of the end legit made me tear up.

Yet the game still has nice comedic moments, as certain charm. The cinematics were better than anything in FF games since, sure they are prettier but this feels like it has real story impacts. Gameplay is traditional, I certainly did not feel like it was slow or under paced, and makes sure many combat aspects are central to the plot, instead of just being there because it's FF tradition. Design and aesthetics are superb, music is award winning.

And yet, I had to think to myself, in the last decade. SquEnix have all but released 1 FF (mainline) game. FF15 and I didn't even buy it. I've played it and could not even tell you what the plot was. Something involving a boy band going around trying to stop a war of some kind? Won't be playing it again. In that time I've played FF7 once, FF12 2 or 3 times, FF8 twice. I've played FF7R (didn't buy, Sony gave it to me) but don't count that as mainline, and certainly isn't even FF7.

15 and FF7R are good games, can't deny that but honestly, I think a lot is lost in the series. FF16 on the horizon and while I think certain parts looks great, I still don't think it will capture the magic older FF games have. Especially when the main character's name is 'Clive'. :P

Sorry for the long post.

Finished Games:

1. Monster Hunter World (+Iceborne) (PS4) My rating: 9/10
   • I spent roughly 150 hours playing through MHW, and I never once got tired of hunting monsters and trying to find more materials to craft new weapons and armor. I'm not sure what else I can say. Very few games can hold my interest for such a long time. An excellent game, and without question the best game in the series I've played.
2. Superhot (PS4) My rating: 8/10
   • A fun puzzle game with a unique gimmick and a clever twist to its story. 
3. Control (PS4) My rating: 9 / 10
   • Remedy's best game so far. I love the setting, story, characters, and gameplay. The developer has created a world that is wonderfully twisted in various small ways, leading to a constant sense of unease as nothing feels completely right, from the way characters act to the Oldest House itself. With two very good DLC releases as well, Control turned out to be one of the better games I've played in a while. In terms of complaints, the Hiss end up becoming slightly dull as enemies by the end of the game, and the upgrade and mod systems don't feel as impactful as I'd like. Regardless, this is an excellent game.
4. Katamari Damacy REROLL (Switch) My rating: 8.5 / 10
   • A wonderful game to just lean back and relax for a while. Something delightfully cathartic to just roll everything in sight into a giant rolling ball of destruction. It's an utterly silly game, but the only other option would be sheer horror, so it's perfect.

Currently Playing:

• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PC)
• Axiom Verge 2 (PS4)
• Half-Minute Hero: Second Coming (PC)

Games in Queue:

• Persona 5 Royal
• The Witcher-trilogy
• Nier: Replicant
• Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
• Tales of Vesperia
• Yakuza Kiwami
• Kingdom Hearts III
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
• Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir 
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Xenoblade Chronicles Remastered
• ...and too many others to list

Completed:

The Witcher 3 Next Gen
Assassin's Creed Origins

Both were EXTREMELY satisfying to play and beat.

Currently working on

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Persona 4 Golden PS4

I’m breaking from gaming for about three months. I’m finding myself less productive than usual, and I need to reset my brain. I find the most effective way to do that is to take a break from gaming and abstain from many tech related positive feedbacks (expressing opinions that get positive responses, or arguing on the Internet in general). So, no new games until mid-late spring.

Finished:

1. Hades (PC)
2. Gris (PC)
3. Salt and Sacrifice (PC)
4. Death's Gambit: Afterlife (PC)