Topic: Games you've recently beat

Cyberpunk 2077 is done, at least my playthrough as Corp V. Overall I really liked this game, borderline nuts and brilliant at times but the world isn't as much of a fun sandbox as what Rockstar created all the way back in 2013. Some really memorable characters and missions and very few bugs!

Going into it, I thought Keanu as Johnny Silverhand would prove to be a bit of a gimmick but I couldn't be more wrong. Definitely a very interesting character and it seems as if Keanu had a lot of fun playing him.

I wish the game had third person mode, even if it was only in cutscenes. The menu and crafting and everything else can be a bit complicated but it was the same with The Witcher 3.

I know it was awful upon release and some people are upset that it wasn't as good as it was hyped to be, but I can definitely recommend this game. It's a good game, combat can be fun but not dazzling and the more time I spent in the world, the more sucked into it I become. Slightly sad that it's all over but time to move on.

8/10

@Col_McCafferty I didn't expect Keanu to be in the game anywhere near as much as he was either. I was obviously glad to be wrong.

I'm also obviously very glad I waited until the PS5 version came out as I highly enjoyed it as well when I played in a couple of months ago. They did a really good job with the characters and the world as well. I've never been a huge GTA fan, so I never really compared the two as far as the sandboxes go. I just know that CD Projekt Red did a good job with the world and most of the side missions.

I did basically totally skip Wakako's gig side missions though, as I plan on playing it over again as the Female V as I played as Male Nomad V the first time. That'll give me something new to do during my second playthrough someday.

@Col_McCafferty Glad you enjoyed Cyberpunk. For some reason I couldn’t get into it. The first person perspective was a big part of that, but it’s just a personal preference. I think CDPR pulled off a good setting and backdrop, but something just didn’t gel for me about the characters and storyline. Having not played a GTA game since GTA3, I have a hard time comparing, but to me Cyberpunk did feel a little like it was trying for that epic feel but just didn’t quite deliver.

Just finished Shadow Warrior 3
It's not very long but tbh with this kind of level and encounter design, I thought it was just about the right length.
That also makes it a perfect to play on a subscription service and one I probably wouldn't have played otherwise - but I'm glad I did because it's a solid game overall. Not trying to hide its Doom Eternal inspirations at all, it might not be as good in the shooting department but I thought level design was pretty good, story and characters were good enough and it just works.

I did encounter a couple bugs - one that wouldn't let me redeem skill points from completed challenges and another one that was pretty frustrating until I figured out it wasn't supposed to happen - a moving platform in one of the levels wouldn't appear and I would fall to my death not knowing where I went wrong. Turns out I didn't.
Both were resolved by exiting to menu and reloading.

Edit: I'm only 3 trophies away from platinum, so I might as well do it 🤷‍♂️

Just finished Concrete Genie on PS4. Absolutely brilliant game! It's been quite some time since I've experienced such a unique and creative exclusive on PlayStation. From beginning to end, it managed to keep my interest up by continuously introducing new gameplay mechanics, switching up the level design and upholding a good pacing. It definitely doesn't overstay its welcome, which is nice to see.

I also really liked the level of creativity the developers showcased here. I'm not a big fan of customising stuff in games (in this case the painting mechanic), but they managed to make it simple and fun in this game.

It was also nice to see them switch things up towards the end of the game, which I believe you @sorteddan mentioned didn't sit quite right with you. Personally, I thought it added some fun variety and considering you fundamentally do the same stuff for the majority of the game, it was quite refreshing to do something else for a change. It definitely enhanced the overall experience for me.

All in all, great story with likeable characters, fun and varied gameplay, and a very unique and creative game overall. I'm so glad that I got to experience it!

I finally strung enough hours together to put the finishing touches on Kena: Bridge of Spirits. I’m leaning toward writing an official review because there is a lot I have to say and a myriad of emotional responses I’ve had to the game, so I’ll refrain from any detail here. Suffice it to say I really enjoyed it.

I did wonder at the end after defeating the corrupt Rot God, when all the rot leave you and merge into the original form of the Rot God, do you get that ending regardless of whether you collect all the rot? I had already made sure to collect them all before I went into the final battle, so I was just wondering if people who didn’t go through the trouble of finding all of them got the same ending. Best I can tell from searching online is that there is only one ending, but it just seemed narratively to be dependent on finding all of them.

@Th3solution Took you long enough...

I wish I could remember if I collected them all or not, but it's been a while and I play a lot of games these days, like actually enjoying Cyberpunk....

@ThereThere I've played Sea of Solitude but didn't like it that much. I'll keep The Last Campfire in mind though, thanks for the tip!

@KilloWertz KBoS was actually a lot meatier than I expected. I probably spent 20 hours on it, which is about an ideal length for a game like that actually. But unfortunately I just didn’t have much free time in recent weeks so it took me a while. And I ended up getting all collectibles and all the trophies minus the Master playthrough, so that took some time. Definitely got my $20 worth!

Speaking of getting my money’s worth, I definitely got my value out of Cyberpunk because I sold it back at a profit, but I just never got into it. Glad you’re enjoying it though. I can see objectively what people like about it but the whole thing was just not for me.

Jut got 100% on Far Cry 6 and all it's DLC's. Best entry in the series since Far Cry 3. Especially since the Far Cry games are all 'played one and you've played them all' series.

@Th3solution It's all good. I was just messing with you of course. I beat the game without worrying about extra trophies, but I usually don't go out of my way to try to platinum (or close to) games. Even though I got it on release day ($40 I believe), I still feel I got my money's worth out of it too. Really good debut for the company.

@KilloWertz Oh yeah, no worries. I do get a slight inferiority complex when I see people tearing through games like crazy and I take a month to finish a 20 hr game 😅.
I’ve tried to be less obsessive with my playthroughs, but I’m not always successful. It depends on the game. Usually the more I like a game the more I am obsessed with seeing all of its content or shooting for trophies. …Yet, sometimes I forego trophy or collectible hunting even in games I really like, so there’s no telling. Maybe it depends on my mood.
I’ve been playing BioShock 2 off and on for a month also and howlongtobeat has a thorough playthrough estimated to take around 14 hours and a completionist playthrough 23 hours and I’m not even finished yet and my console says I’ve been playing for 25 hrs! 😅 Not sure what I’m doing wrong but I’m probably only about 2/3 through the game. Usually I’m not that far off the hltb estimates, but I way under-planned for that one. (Incidentally, I waver on whether I want to finish the game. It doesn’t call to me like other games do, but then when I start playing it I enjoy myself, so we’ll see)

@Th3solution I used to take longer than a lot of people too with games, and I still do with some people as there's no way I'm able to sit there and play a game for days straight. Nor do I want to with some games, especially ones like Horizon Forbidden West. Obviously it's hard to rush through games of that size anyways, but still, games I loved like that one I was more than happy to have it last a month. Also, even though I did do a lot of side stuff in it, it was so long that I didn't go for the platinum. It'll give me something new to do in a second playthrough, where maybe I don't do some of the side stuff I already did but clean that up and maybe end up with the platinum.

Just finish the damn game, you whiny little... I mean do whatever you want, but I'd finish it if you are close.

@JudgeDredd I’ve been on the cusp of finishing this one for a while now but got it in my head that this was one I was going to get the platinum for, as I’ve been really enjoying it…About 40 hours later and I’m wondering what I got myself into 😂 it’s a bonafide collectathon!

@Th3solution I wouldn't worry about it too much, games will take however long for you to beat them. If you are having fun, does it really matter how long it takes? One of the reasons I don't bother with sites like how long to beat, as I couldn't care less how games are supposed take to complete.

@JohnnyShoulder Yeah, that’s a good approach — I really shouldn’t worry too much about it. I mostly use the HLTB site as a planning tool for scheduling purposes and making sure I know what I’m in for before starting a game. Usually my times are roughly around the “Main + Extra” category, or between it and “Completionist.”

A good gauge to know I’m in the midst of playing a top tier game is when I don’t really care how much time I’ve spent in the playthrough and I’m not planning in anticipation of the next one. If I just lose myself in the moment and don’t really care about the backlog or the newest release then I’m really resonating with the game.

The main story on Fist of the North star is done. Still will do some after credits mini games and other stuff in the world, like usual with Yakuza gamesx but there is no more focus in it and it's a side thing now.

About the game. The game is from RGG studios, the maker of the Yakuza series and thats noticeable in every way. The story is based on a Manga from the 80s. That manga wad based on Mad Max and the protagonist on Bruce Lee. The protagonist Kenshiro is the successor of a deadly martial arts called Hokuto Shinken. It's a martial art that focuses around pressure points. Which can be used to help or kill people.

Underneath that all lies a Yakuza game. The story is cut into chapters, there are some fun and interesting mini games, like a rhythm game and a management game. Which I won't name exactly for spoiler reasons. The sub stories are also there as usual with some fun and interesting one. Like usual they range from very fun to very emotional. The biggest difference with the main line yakuza games is this game is extremely gory. In every fights enemies explode and a lot of blood flows over the screen. Combat is basically the same as in Yakuza games but with the added pressure points where you have do certain special combos to perform a secret technique which does massive damage.

The voice actors are mainly the same as in the Yakuza series and if you played those you will surely recognize most of the cast. There isn't much music in the game except for 3 tracks when you are riding your buggy in the dessert. Riding a buggy you will do regularly for parts or the story of farm materials you'll need for certain mini games or upgrading the buggy itself.

The story is a bit all over the place. It had some weird twists and isn't as strong as all the other Yakuza games.

Overall I enjoyed and still do my time with Fist of the North star and if youre a fan of how Yakuza games are setup and of the brawler type combat you will enjoy this one as well.

@ThereThere I hope you get around to playing the Yakuza series. I can't recommend them enough. Ever since I discovered them, around the time Yakuza like a dragon came out 1.5 years ago I played all 8 main line games, the spinoffs Judgment and Lost judgment and now this one. I can easily say it's my favorite game series by far. The great stories, emotional rollercoasters of stories, the open world usually in a city which never makes it feel empty with a huge amount of optional side activities make it so there is something for everyone in these games.

@Lavalera I’m still a bit undecided on Like a Dragon.

I like the overall story and characters but it does seem like I’ve rattled through sox or seven chapters with not much happening. And around 80% of the fights I just stick on auto mode with abilities disabled and I’ve won without taking a hit.

@Thrillho I can totally understand, Lad isn't for everyone. I can understand their reasoning for switching the game up in certain ways since of the new protagonist. It's now basically a jrpg. And jrpgs aren't for everyone.
For me it was my first Yakuza game so that might also be a reason why I liked it so much I wasn't used to the other games setup and combat and such yet.
But yeah for people who played it in order and aren't really jrpg players I can understand the change is to large.

I hope you will still like it in the end. For me personally it's in my top 3 favorite ones with 0 and 5 as the other 2.