@LtSarge hmm food for thought for sure… my original plan was to play in (sort of) release order. So basically, … Kiwame, … Kiwame 2, 3, 4, 5, … Zero and … Song of Life… but maybe I have to rethink.
I see you two chatting about Yakuza, and as someone daunted by the staggering amount of games I wanted to ask what you thought of this approach. I cannot play the whole series, it just isn't realistic for me. I keep seeing from almost every fan that Yakuza 0 is the place to jump in. So my approach may be to play: Yakuza 0, Like a Dragon, Judgement, Lost Judgement.
@TraCuz- if only I knew 🤣… yeah I have no idea sorry mate. My plan is/was … Kiwame, … Kiwame 2, 3, 4, 5, … Zero, … Song of Life, Judgement, Lost Judgement and then ‘maybe’ Like a Dragon. But I’m keen to get further input before I lock that order in.
@colonelkilgore I forgot to mention one thing about the Kiwami games and that's that the games have been remade to take into consideration what happened in 0. So for instance, you'll see substories or events that have been added due to the content in 0. There's even a short extra campaign in Kiwami 2 where you get to play as Majima based on the events in 0. So while it could be a good idea to play through the series in release order, it's still tough to justify the amount of stuff that won't have as much of an impact if you don't play 0 first.
If you do play through these games in release order though, that would make for an interesting reading for sure! I don't think I've seen anyone do that, so it would be interesting to read your thoughts on it.
@TraCuz- The thing is that I've seen a lot of people say the same thing where they believe they won't play through all of the games but once they've finished one game, they just can't stop playing this series! You just keep coming back for more. So I'd say play Yakuza 0 first and then decide how you should proceed from there. If you don't want to play the direct sequels and just want to jump straight into Like a Dragon, then hey at least you've played 0, which is the best Yakuza game in the series. And if you want to play more games, then that's great as well! But yeah, Yakuza 0 is definitely where most people start playing this series.
@LtSarge so that specific reading is my reasoning tbh. The thing that keeps coming to mind is the Darth Vader reveal in Empire…… now that monumental piece of storytelling would be completely lost if someone was to view the Star Wars movies is chronological order. Now I have absolutely no idea if there are any reveals anywhere near that level of impact in the Yakuza series but as someone who has studied script-writing at Uni, I’d have to imagine they included some beautiful story moments in Zero for fans who had played (at that point) all five of the ‘later’ instalments.
@colonelkilgore Yeah I do agree that you have to watch the Star Wars movies in release order and that there are things in 0 that appeal to people who have played the previous five Yakuza games. I'm honestly not sure how one would react to playing 0 after the first five games because it was 0 that put this series on a lot of people's radar. Perhaps you'll be the first one to discover that playing the games in chronological order has been the worst approach all this time!
@TraCuz- yes mate, I got them all done… I did plan on trying for the plat on Metal Gear Rising too but after the effort I put in for all of the ‘Solid’s’ I just didn’t have it in me (different game style that it is). Loved them though… 2, 4 & 5 may well all be in my all-time top ten tbh.
And just to weigh in on the Yakuza debate: I started with Zero then played Kiwami 1 afterwards. That approach worked well. Zero is the first chronologically, one of the best in the series, and it's good at gradually introducing the different systems to the players.
But of course, starting with Kiwami 1 is an option if someone is dead set on playing in release order, or really wants to save the best to last.
My plan is to gradually play through the series to Yakuza 6 (or until I've had enough), then perhaps check out Judgement or Yakuza Like a Dragon.
I just picked up a Switch and several Nintendo games, so I have quite a few I could mention. I’ll just stick to games I’ve finished though. The two games that come to mind first are Mass Effect: Andromeda and NierR:Automata. They are both games that make we wonder why I didn’t play them sooner.
Edit: Oh wow, didn’t realise that I played Persona 5 Royal this year. That is definitely my top pick! Persona 5 is in my top 5 games ever, so of course I was going to love an upgraded version, and love it I did!
Yeah, with apologies to the other GOTY topic, I'm gonna have to share my personal list in here. Despite playing a few "new" releases over the past twelve months, they were mostly enhanced upgrades of much older games, so I feel like they shouldn't really count alongside stuff explicitly made in 2021.
So anyway, here are my personal thoughts on games that were new to me this year.
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10) Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (PS4)
The new gold standard for remasters. I'm not including this based on the quality of the original games (although it was lovely to fall in love with Mass Effect 3 all over again) but rather the care and attention lavished upon the trilogy by EA and BioWare. They finally made the first Mass Effect playable and gave everybody one complete portal to Shepard's entire saga. I was disappointed that some outdated imbalances weren't officially corrected (those first two games remain lonely journeys for me) but there's no denying the technical achievement and incredible value for money here.
9) Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution (PS3)
Having dismissed and overlooked this game for so many years, realising my mistake was perhaps the year's most pleasant surprise. Taking part in the Ninja World Tournament was a blast, as was playing the best, most balanced and tactical version of CyberConnect2's tried-and-tested combat system, and I even enjoyed its Mecha-Naruto filler story. I thought so highly of it that I immediately purchased its PC version upon completion, just so that I could play through the whole thing again.
8) Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (PS5)
Perhaps a bit of recency bias creeping in here, as I only finished it the other day, but this random impulse purchase turned out to be one of the better examples of its type. Calming without being tranquilising, adorable without being cutesy, and puzzling without being prohibitively perplexing, this fox's journey made for a welcome change of pace, one I reckon that I'll remember fondly.
7) Astro's Playroom (PS5)
What can I add about this delightful pre-installed PS5 bonus, that others haven't already said? Not a lot, but hey, we can't all be wrong. One of the best introductions to a new console I've ever experienced, and a wonderful retrospective gift from Sony. It may be short, but it sure is sweet.
6) Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut (PS5)
So I might've taken a long break partway through this game's core campaign, and I might've gotten a little tired of the whole map-clearing sandbox genre by the time I completed it and its new Iki Island expansion, but there's still no denying that Jin Sakai's adventure is a gorgeous, compelling and entirely immersive experience from start to finish. It also features one of the best approaches to swordplay I've ever had the pleasure of playing, and its Photo Mode helped hammer home just how mind-blowingly beautiful graphics can get nowadays. A true first-party exclusive, in every sense of the phrase.
5) Star Trek: Elite Force II (PC)
Waited years to play this, the sequel to one of my all-time favourite games, and wasn't disappointed. It doesn't quite reach the same brilliance of Voyager: Elite Force and, despite an admirable effort to maintain continuity, it's hampered by some nauseating character devolution, but the moment-to-moment gameplay remains sublime. Whether you want to explore some strange new worlds, partake in some "weaponised diplomacy" or simply soak up the authentic atmosphere, this game can make it so.
4) Terminator: Resistance Enhanced (PS5)
Proof (if proof were needed) that licenced games are long overdue a comeback. By upholding a respectful reverence for their source material, developers Teyon managed to paper over the cracks of this kinda clunky AA survival shooter, drawing in Terminator fans and old-school gamers in the process. Is it a perfect game? Is it heck, but it sure is a noble effort, and I love it for that fact alone.
3) Hitman III (PS5)
My gushing praise of the World of Assassination trilogy is a matter of public record, so I don't think I need to type out any further justification for this ranking. Bond is in safe hands.
2) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (PS4)
One of the best examples of a "Where have you been all my life?!" moment, discovering the delights of this quirky series was (and continues to be) a privilege. As somebody who usually hates reading his television, it says a lot that these visual novels should place so high on this list. I laughed, I gasped, I totally lost the plot at times, and I would absolutely buy any additional remasters in future. I'm currently working my way through The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles but, since I won't be completing that duology before midnight, you should probably expect to see it mentioned in next year's personal GOTY topic.
1) Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
Nothing, and I mean nothing, has come close to replicating the sheer elation I felt when first taking Miles for a swing around a snow-covered New York City. In terms of gameplay, his solo outing might only be an incremental improvement from Insomniac, but his characterisation (from Nadji Jeter's perfect performance to those occasional off-kilter, haphazard animations) is what made all the difference for me and, when considered alongside the game's astounding quality of presentation and performance, instantly ensured that Miles would be web-zipping straight to my end-of-year top spot, no matter what.
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Honourable Mentions Headhunter (PS2) inFAMOUS 2 (PS3) Mafia: Definitive Edition (PS4) Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - War Chest Edition (PC) Star Wars: Squadrons (PS4) Ultimate Spider-Man (PS2)
Dishonourable Mentions Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (PS4) Conflict: Desert Storm II (PS2) Ico HD Classics (PS3) Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (PS4) Sonic Colours Ultimate (PS4) Untitled Goose Game (PS4)
Special "I'm Still So Confused" Award Shenmue II (PS4)
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@LtSarge It's less that I actively disliked it, more that I just found it incredibly underwhelming and therefore, by extension, overrated. I also thought that some of the characters and gameplay sequences were pretty tone deaf, even by 2007 standards. The shooting felt fine enough; it was as smooth and responsive as I'd expect from the game's budget, but that also made it kinda clinical, and none of it really grabbed me. I'm sitting here trying to remember my playthrough and can only recall the details of maybe four levels? Considering how short the entire campaign is, that's kinda damning.
It also didn't help (and I'm only noting this for historical accuracy; I'm aware that the wider situation is far more complicated and nuanced than I'm about to make it sound) that I completed it the day before Activision's insidious and indefensible culture of abuse was exposed. Made me feel sick.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Ah, okay. Yeah I guess the story isn't really for everyone, but I do still consider this game to be a classic and one that paved forward the FPS craze during the 00s. It standardised how FPS-titles should control, which is why it still feels just as good to play today as almost 15 years ago. So I think it's good that you've at least got to experience it.
I'm guessing the sequels won't appeal to you either, but have you considered playing other Call of Duty games? I played through Black Ops a while ago and its story is vastly different compared to Modern Warfare. The game is set in the 60s during the Cold War and it's a very trippy story, so maybe that'll be more appealing to you.
@LtSarge Yeah, I recognise the achievement. I think part of the problem is that I've played quite a lot of those subsequent "control clones" over the years, so it didn't feel as revolutionary as it probably did back in the day (that, and the whole system is geared for multiplayer anyway, a mode I didn't even touch).
Might try some of the series' more outlandish campaigns someday, and I'm grateful for the recommendation, but I'm currently boycotting Activision in the wake of those aforementioned allegations. I won't buy any new Activision products, and won't talk much about any old ones already in my collection; not until the situation is satisfactorily addressed and resolved, at least.
Sorry, don't mean to bring the tone down. When the story broke, it just crossed a line with me, s'all.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
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Topic: Best Games played in 2021 (but not released in 2021)
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