Topic: Games you've recently beat

@JohnnyShoulder @DerMeister One annoyance I had with the game is that the systems are very opaque and I had to read about them online to find out how to use them (or find out they even existed!)

I really enjoyed the combat and actually found the game easier solo. Enemies’ health scales with more people so it made it harder but also one useless person can end up using all your tries. The paleos (the little cat helpers) help distract enemies when you play solo and new skills etc can be unlocked as you play, plus you can unlock new ones you can recruit to help out which I found much more useful than other people weirdly.

So... I finished The Council a couple of days ago. I'd been interested in the game ever since it first came out and bought the full season earlier this year, but only got to it now. The allure of this game for me was it's mix of political intrigue with my ever so beloved choice/consequence system, and luckily. It didn't quite disappoint. The choice/consequence system was really well done, and I love the RPG aspects they added to the concept. Tying it to in-game Effort Points was clever as well, since it made you think a bit more strategically about what dialogue you should go for when. Luckily the mansion had more than enough Royal jellies and Carmelite water lying around to keep filling your bar up again. There's lots of different variations that can happen in the game based on your choices, and even about 7 or 8 different endings. It's not quite Detroit: Become Human-level of intense path plotting, but certainly a step above Telltale's efforts with their system.

As I said, the political intrigue was also a reason I was very interested in trying this game, and up to about episode 3, it was so far so good. Lots of plotting and scheming from all the characters, and it was a lot of fun to navigate that. Then... a certain plot twist happens in episode 4 that almost comes out of nowhere and completely changes the direction of the entire story. I won't spoil anything, but it's easily one of the best "so bad it's good" things I've ever seen in a story. The game continues to go absolutely insane, and while it's all just hilariously cheesy and not very well done, it's still thoroughly entertaining and is probably the most fun I've had throughout the entirety of the game. It's B-movie enjoyable, except not a good B-movie. It's so conflicting, but I can't say I hated it.

The game looked surprisingly good with it's animations, character models and whatnot. It's definitely a lot of Eurojank, but it's all still quite impressive for a studio's first effort. I mean, sure, some character models look like they're not fully grown fetuses (looking at you Washington and Napoleon), but others look great. The animations are also hit or miss, but there's quite a lot of them and I appreciate the effort. It was very apparent when they just weren't bothered to make an animation for an action though, as they'd just make the game fade black for a second. Speaking of hit or miss, the voice acting was the same way. I wasn't actually that bothered by most of the voice acting, despite people saying it's awful. I thought some of it was actually quite good, but it certainly was mediocre for the most part. The way the main character says "amber" any time you pick it up is hilariously horrible though, with the emphasis on hilarious.

My biggest frustration with this entire game is that it would occasionally have entire chapters just be puzzle after puzzle. Most of the puzzles in this game weren't fun to do, since there was a lot of exposition to go throuth before you could logically even start thinking about a possible solution. Even then, it wouldn't always be quite clear what to do, even while using skillchecks. Those chapters were absolute slogs, but luckily the brunt of it was in episode 2, and it calmed down a bit afterwards. I used walkthroughs a lot just to get through puzzles as quickly as possible, as I really could not be bothered to even try and figure them out myself. The biggest offender there was in the final episode, where you're tasked with trying to put together a story of 6 pieces, but they give you another 6 of red herrings. Add a large environment where you're just slowly walking around, and even with a walkthrough it felt like it took far too long.

I was somewhat disappointed with the very, very end. Not the ending I personally got or anything of that sort, but after you receive your personal ending it pretty much immediately goes into screens writing about what the characters did after the game. It functions as an epilogue, but it happens so abruptly. I was disappointed I didnt get to talk with any of the characters post-fiasco, most of all Emily. There was A LOT to go over there, yet I didn't get the opportunity! It felt odd. They also don't specify what happened with your own character after the game, which is a bit of a shame. I'll just imagine he went back to his detective job and started a family or something.

So yeah, overall it's a bit of a mixed bag. I think it's definitely worth trying it you're into choice and consequences like I am, or if you very much enjoy getting to laugh at cheesy B-movies. It's by no means perfect, and those puzzles really do put a damper on the experience. I can't really condone a sudden plot change like presenged here either, despite me thoroughly enjoying the madness it brought with it. I'd say it's a 6/10 experience. I think it's a very solid first effort for the studio, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what they do next. With some better writing, a bigger budget and less puzzles, I think they have the potential to make something genuinely great.

Tagging @Th3solution for good measure.

@Tjuz Awesome review! I haven’t picked it back up yet but I will definitely finish it eventually to see this crazy twist you speak of.
In my experience of 3/5 of the game, I completely agree with your assessment. Well, except I think you like the voice acting a little more than I do. But yes — “Amber!” 😂

@Tjuz Puzzles are almost always the downfall of adventure-type games, unfortunately. Still, this seems interesting. I'd never even heard of this title before!

Thanks for putting this on my radar.

Well finished the Fight for Sanctuary DLC for Borderlands 2 in order to get ready for Borderlands 3 and I will say it was really good. The story is a good Pre-sequel to BL3 and it's nice to be able to see why things are the way they are in BL3.

As for the story it's one of the better DLC stories if not the best but that's to be expected since it's to connect two and three. The villian is good (I am a bit biased for Handsome Jack so it's hard for me to say the villian this time was as good as Jack) and definitely memorible. I'd say he ranks up there with Commandant Steele from Borderlands 1. Gameplay wise it's just more BL2 nothing more to say. Still this is definitely worth playing if you are a BL2 fan or as an appetizer for BL3.

@Tasuki I enjoyed what I little played of it, I was just not ready for more Borderlands when I was playing it.

Super Mario World

SNES (via Nintendo Switch SNES app)

So, after years of starting and stopping this game on various systems, I FINALLY beat it. And I didn't just beat it, I completed Star World and the unlockable Special world as well (the one with hilariously dated level names like "Gnarly," "Tubular," and "Mondo"). I think there might be a secret level or two that I didn't complete, but I'm not really bothered about that, especially since I never consulted an online FAQ for this game even one time (which was a huge temptation in the irritating Forest of Illusion).

I've stated for years that I just don't like this game. Has that opinion changed after fully experiencing what it has to offer? ...not really. I don't understand the acclaim this receives. Most of the worlds feel very samey and don't do enough to distinguish themselves from one-another (which wasn't an issue in SMB3, which featured very creative and distinct worlds).

The available power-ups are incredibly disappointing (the only really new one you'll use with any regularity is the cape, which is, frankly, a nuisance, and a massive downgrade from the Tanooki suit in SMB3; stuff like the balloon powerup, which strikes me as someone's bizarre inflation fetish that was somehow worked into the game, and the wings that attach to Yoshi and turn him into a blue Yoshi are so incredibly rare that they're little more than occasional level gimmicks).

The music is weird and very limited. You'll hear the same couple of tracks over and over.

Yoshi and a number of new enemies are introduced, but Yoshi feels very nerfed without the wonderful flutter jump that was later added into Yoshi's Island. Swallowing enemies is useful, but otherwise he just feels like an extra layer of armor to protect Mario from hits or, occasionally, a pawn to sacrifice when large jumps are needed and you're not wearing a cape.

The difficulty is all over the place in this game. I understand some people will find some things more challenging than others, but why do some of the random levels from the main game feel so much more brutal at times than the Secret levels, or the Star World levels? There's no rhyme or reason to it. Boss fights follow this trend as well, with several of the Koopalings being far more challenging than the actual final boss encounter against Bowser, which was pretty disappointing.

A lot is made about the number of secret exits in this game, and the interconnected world map. But, honestly, the focus on hidden content feels like it comes at the expense of the regular level design, and the connected world map really does nothing for me. SMB3 had actual minigames and item houses on its map, so, if anything, that game felt like it benefitted more from the somewhat open map design, despite the worlds not all being interconnected like they are here.

Probably the worst addition to the series via this game are the ghost houses, which slow down the momentum of the platforming to a crawl and force you to engage in irritating trial-and-error puzzle design until you happen to chance upon the correct path that'll take you to the end of the level. The design of these levels are improved in several subsequent Mario games, but they're almost intolerable here, and I groaned in frustration everytime I came across one, because I knew any semblance of fun I was having was about to end.

Any positives? Well, the game has a bright, cheerful aesthetic, which is nice. Yoshi coins, which you collect five of in a level to get a 1-Up, I believe, are interesting. While I prefer the flagpoles of previous and subsequent games, the system here where you have to tear the tape on the goal post to collect stars so that you can play a minigame is nice, although I personally prefer the flower system that accomplishes the same thing in Yoshi's Island. I also kind of like how different Yoshis can have different abilities (the rare Blue Yoshi, for example, can fly when he's holding a koopa troopa in his mouth). Control-wise, I dig the spin jump, and wish Nintendo had elaborated on it in later games.

It's not a bad platformer, and is still far preferable to the dreadful Mario 64, but I don't think I'll ever really 'get' why this game is so beloved to so many Nintendo fans (apart from the obvious nostalgia factor, which might be the missing ingredient; I didn't first play this until it released on the Wii VC, and obviously didn't complete it until 2019).

Verdict: 6/10

@Ralizah You could chuck this in the 'Unpopular Gaming Opinions' thread too! haha

@Ralizah I have been replaying this over the last week or so on the SNES Mini and I'll be honest, it is so tightly woven into my nostalgic childhood memories, I can't be objective. I love the game and it is my favourite 2D Mario however, I agree on the difficulty. I can absolutely whizz through some levels and then randomly hit a brick. I also don't like the Ghost houses.

@Rudy_Manchego I'm the same way with FFVII. I'm not sure how much I'd actually love it if I played it as an adult for the first time, but there's so much emotion and memory mixed into my experiences with the game that just thinking about it makes me feel warm and happy.

I didn't talk about it, but I also hate how much harsher the damage penalties are in older Mario games. In newer games, if you're equipped with a power-up and get hit, you usually retain your adult form, giving you 2 more hits before you die. You only ever have 2 HP in SMW, though, unless you're riding a Yoshi, which lets you tank another hit.

@KALofKRYPTON Probably. Unlike a lot of people, I think Nintendo's games have only improved over the years. They absolutely still have their classics, of course, like Yoshi's Island, SMB3, A Link to the Past, etc., but I find that my favorite Nintendo games tend to almost universally be modern or semi-modern.

@LN78 I could write paragraphs about all the stuff I hate in that game, but suffice to say that it's probably my all-time least favorite Nintendo game.

Also another one I didn't fully finish despite trying to replay it time after time over more than a decade. Maybe I'll force my way through it on the Wii U sometime just to say I beat it, like I did with SMW.

@LN78 I'd absolutely joust with you about Mario 64! It does sound like we share a common interest in Galaxy, though, which is absolutely my favorite Mario game, and one of my all-time favorite platformers. I don't feel equally as fond about Galaxy 2, unfortunately. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way. It's missing all of the grandeur, emotion, and scale of Galaxy, and I wasn't a fan of the change to even more linear level design.

Still hate the Wii, but until we get a remaster of Galaxy that matches or exceeds the quality of the original, I'll always have something that plays Wii game plugged up where I live.

@Kidfried I get aggravated with the ghost houses in this game because, more often than not, the solutions feel like pure trial and error. There's nothing fun to me about entering a door and then finding that it just transported me back to the beginning of the level, for example. I will concede that the choco ghost house that featured ghosts that turn into blocks was clever (you have to lure the ghosts over to a certain location to access the secret exit), but most of them weren't that good.

RE: secret exits, I'm fine when the secret exits go to optional levels or open up shortcuts to later worlds, but in places like the Forest of Illusion where they hide the real exit, I just feel like my chain is being yanked.

To be completely honest @Ralizah I have no idea what Mario game you're talking about 😂

I only know of Mario Bros 1, 2 & 3 (Plus lost levels I guess) thanks to the SNES release Super Mario All-Stars (The different styles for each game (Except for lost levels) helps) never knew there was a super mario world til now!

Honestly I couldn't play them for longer then half an hour before I got bored of them

In fact... aside from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart DS and Super Smash Bros Brawl (If you even count that as one) those are the only Mario games I've played! So I have no opinion on your "Blasphemous" opinion either lol

Your score of a six seems rather generous actually for a game you didn't particularly seem to enjoy :')

@Frigate It's strange because the missions are starting to get quite repetitive but oddly they're still fun. And like you say, just when you think you're getting bored of the gameplay loop, a great cut-scene comes along and you think "right well I have to keep going then"

When I've got work to do, or some household chores, I usually close whatever game I'm playing and put Spotify on. But Mafia 3 has stayed on in the background so I can listen to the soundtrack while I'm doing ironing or whatever!

@Frigate Mafia 3 was only released on this gens consoles? I got this on ps plus, still not played it as not been in the mood.

Been struck down by bad Man flu this week but managed to finished 2 games.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Played this on Switch and ended up putting a lot of time into it. I liked it (as a big South Park fan) but I had literally come off the back of The Stick Of Truth and I thought it took a step backwards. I preferred combat in SOT but I can see how the grid helped. However, the story and the world travel was more convuluted and it felt more 'Ubisoft' then the first release. I know Obsidian were contracted for the first one so that probably explains it but there felt like there was more filler in TFBW. Also, loading times on the Switch version were pretty poor and quite annoying.

Gears 5 - I have played all Gears games except Judgement (ain't nobody got time for that) and this was, in my mind, the best since Gears 2. The story was character driven largely, the combat pretty smooth and it did a good job of explaining the world and the threat in good detail. I also liked Kait as a character. Not groundbreaking, sure but a decent enough campaign.

@Rudy_Manchego Funny that as I thought the biggest improvement between the two games was the combat.

In the first game, it felt like you could just stick (no pun intended) with the same characters and just mash the same couple of attacks over and over whereas the second game was more tactical with movement, AoE attacks etc (particularly the one fight later in the game where you needed to knock enemies back to defeat them).

I did prefer the superhero theme though but the first game was set around the time I still watched the show so I knew a lot more of the references etc.

@Thrillho I agree that it made it far more tactical, in that different enemies needed you to experiment with different team members and your own moves - the knock back one being a prime example. At the same time, I missed the RPG elements where you could build up a costume and attacks etc. I also thought you could develop your own style in Stick of Truth as there felt like more point in upgrading. I also liked that consumables didn't take a turn - I guess that made it easier but just seemed to make the battles quicker.

Also, with the experiementation, I found a few situations that made things harder like the knockback boss. I didn't have any knock back attacks so found that harder without changing.

The superhero theme was very funny and I liked it a lot but I guess I enjoyed the ribbing that Skyrim took in the first one. Maybe because I never stopped laughing at Cartman doing the background singing when you were walking around the city!

However, these are the first two turn based games I have played end to end in years so hopefully I can take that further in other games!

@RogerRoger Great work there on that post! An enjoyable read on a game I actually didn’t know existed. Love the screenshots too. It’s an Indy extravaganza lately for you! (I feel the same with Marvel lately since watching the movies inspired me to play Spider-Man)

I actually finally finished Lara Croft Go today, which is also one for the relic-hunting adventure theme here. I recall it being one of your favorites, and your recommendation is one of the reasons I picked it up. I’ve said a little about it before, and I will say that I enjoyed it for what it was — a simple puzzle game within the setting of the TR Universe. The perfect portable short session palate cleanser for when I didn’t want to be bogged down by booting up a PS4 game and investing a bunch of time. The puzzles got to be very challenging toward the latter half and for me it was hard to do them all without hints. I did finally get the platinum though. 🎉 The worst thing I can say about it though is how poorly it runs on Vita. Between inaccurate input (especially with the analog stick, less of a problem with the touch screen controls) and unacceptably long load times, it dragged down a pleasant and creative experience to something of a chore at times. But overall it was definitely worth it and I’m sad to see it end — that desire for more is testament enough to the quality of the game. I considered picking up Hitman Go in the current sale, but I don’t have an invested interest in the Hitman world yet.

@RogerRoger How big are those air vents when it looks like that skeleton could be stood upright and still have a metre or two of space above it??

Some of those era tie-ins which just retold the story of the film were a little weird. I seem to remember a level in the PS1 game version of The World is Not Enough had a casino scene where you actually had to gamble to get enough money to progress.