Last bunch of retro games finished for the year through RetroAchievements.
Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure - Pretty good and also nice to play a game based on the original series rather than Z
Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King - Genuinely very good Metroidvania with incredibly smooth animation for a GBA game. Highly recommend and also wish we still got tie-ins that weren’t shovelware.
Three different Who Wants to be a Millionaire games - Well they’re what you expect. Love the incredibly zoomed in Chris Tarrant badge I got though.
Donkey Kong Country 3 - Really good actually, I always bounced off this one but it’s properly pure platforming. Some horrid difficulty spikes though!
Sonic The Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure - Better than I expected, even if I would have wanted a couple more original levels rather than shrunk down versions of Genesis levels. And why bring Metropolis back of all zones?
Lego Star Wars - Well it’s Lego Star Wars. Forgot about a lot of the little differences in the original game though.
SSX Tricky - Absolutely brilliant. Loved the first one but this is like a refined version of that, same tracks with small differences and uber tricks add a lot. I really should play the third one.
Vampire: Master of Darkness - Quite impressive Castlevania 1 clone for Game Gear standards. Love the graphics and the vibes are immaculate. Pretty difficult though.
Pokémon Adventure: Red Chapter - The bits that adapt the manga are great. The dialogue the clearly 12 year old writer in 2012 has added are f**king horrid. I do not need Twilight and Glee references, stick to the brief!
@Jimmer-jammer@Th3solution@JohnnyShoulder@CJD87 Recently beat Elden Ring and acquired the title of 'Elden Lord'. Onto GTA V next, after an extended break, focusing on Guitar, Literature, Music, Art & Film. With regard to transitioning from Elden Ring to GTA V, though, talk about a case of going from the sublime, to the ridiculous! eh?
@Th3solution Thankyou, Sir Sol of Ution! Hopefully I'll be congratulating on wrapping DS2, yourself, soon!
I'd say it rivals and may even surpass the quality of DS3, which was my previous fav, probably does just edge it due to the open world/exploration aspects of the game, and the superior quality of the boss fights, that last part is dvisive though, because unless you have some NPC or Player assistance, the late-end game bosses require god-like reflexes, as a couple or more of them have the ability to kill your character in one or two hits, beyond anything in their previous games, perhaps save Sekiro, which I haven't played much of but have heard about.
@Th3solution I wasn't referring to myself as possessing those god-like reflexes, just in case that's what you believed I was implying, I definitely had to rely on NPC/Summons for the final two bosses, but, yeah, the rest of the game was pretty much just me, so, hey, maybe I do have some "newfound skillz!" probably not Sekiro, but maybe Nioh 2, I want to go out on a high with regard to FromSoft's output, now that I have all the Miyazaki-helmed Souls/Soulslike titles conquered.(Despite what others have said, Miyazaki himself has said Sekiro is not a Souls/Soulslike, and I am going to go with the man who designed it - rather than the opinion of the people who've just played it).
Edit: After doing a bit more research, it turns out there are others who don't think it's a Souls/Soulslike game either, citing stuff like level design, traversal, little to no RPGe elements, i.e no levelling system, no character creation/customisation, all valid arguments - no I think Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne and Elden Ring are the real Miyazaki Souls masterpieces.
How about you? Do you think you will play Sekiro in addition to DS3/ER?
You've already wandered off the beaten path somewhat with DS2, so why not?
@Jimmer-jammer Thank you, man! ,I was actually thinking of getting the sword you get from the final boss, but changed my mind, think I've had my fill as that's all Miyazaki's Souls/Soulslike titles wrapped for me now!
@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Lol, I was speaking with my tongue firmly in-cheek with your “skillz” 😅 but only half kidding since it does sound like you have really ‘got more gud’ at the reaction timing needed for success in the genre. 😄 Playing Rise of the Ronin seemed to help train that muscle memory.
For me, it’s all about the parry mechanic. I’m not good at it and have never forced myself to learn it. Even in DS2, there’s plenty of opportunity to do so, but I always default to dodging. Part of that is due to the fact that bosses can’t be parried, typically, and so dodging is a more reliable defense. And it’s easier to execute a successful dodge as opposed to a successful parry. But this is where maybe Rise of the Ronin or Nioh might be a good entry point to me into that playstyle to see if I could get accustomed to doing it. I’ve not ruled out ever playing Sekiro, and if I ever do, I plan on approaching it like it’s a unique game on its own, rather than a Soulslike because it definitely sounds like it’s entirely different with most of its mechanics. Although I know it borrows Souls elements too.
So my plan stays the same for now - DS2 (very close to wrapping that up), DS3, then ER and then maybe Sekiro. I definitely might mix in Nioh or RotR if the mood strikes. I also have interest in some other ‘Soulslikes’ or ‘Souls inspired’ games, so we’ll see. But I do think I have to put some distance between these games to keep from getting burned-out with the genre. My next ‘big’ main game is likely to be something different, like maybe Baldur’s Gate 3, or Horizon Forbidden West, or God of War Ragnarok. Or maybe Witcher 3 or AC Odyssey… some alternative rpg of a different color, so to speak. I still think I’ll get to RE4 in the near future also. Are you going to try Silent Hill 2 yet?
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@HallowMoonshadow 😄 It’s looking more that way. My plans were to start BG3 before 2024 ends, and I’m on track, even though Dark Souls 2 has proven to be about twice as long as I thought it would be. I think my play clock is around 110 hours currently. I lack only about half of the last DLC and then the main game’s final boss, and maybe one or two side quests like the Dark Pilgrim areas and a couple NPC events. So I suspect I’ll end with over 120 hours, perhaps 130. If so, it might just be the largest time investment I’ve spent on one game since… ever? 😅 maybe Persona 5? I was over 100 hrs on that one I know. Also MGSV was close to 100 hr I think.
I get anxious if a game spills past 80 hr and so I’m surprised I haven’t become fully disengaged from DS2 yet. I think it’s helped to mix in other small games alongside, but that has made for a really long journey. I started it about 6 months ago! Kingdoms have risen and fallen in the timeframe that I’ve been playing Dark Souls 2! 😂
So this makes me nervous about the next ‘big’ game I start. BG3 is supposed to take over 100 hrs easily, so it has me worried. But each of those other ‘big’ games in my backlog are capable of 100 hr playthroughs also, so I might as well jump into GOTY ‘23.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@HallowMoonshadow Half the fun of these games is being able to talk about them and share experiences, so in the event that I undertake BG3 I will certainly want to swap stories about how it’s going.
The Crown of the Ivory King is pretty good, although I’ve only just now thawed the ice storm so I’ve got to go back and revisit areas and loot previously frozen. So far it’s probably my favorite of the DLC’s but I’ll have to see how it ends. Looking forward to getting the fourth and final crown for my collection. 😄
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution Not yet, but I'll clarify the order of my next few games on the last page of the 'PS4 Back Loggery and Most Wanted' Thread asap if you feel like taking a look-see at any point.
"Even in the face of death, the samurai stands unwavering, for honour is a blade sharper than steel".
Started and finished Killer Frequency last night, a fun little slasher inspired puzzler where you're a radio station DJ in a small town on the night a serial killer is stalking the citizens. Due to reasons, you also have to fill in as a 911 operator, so people in danger are calling in and you need to instruct them so that they may survive their encounter with the killer.
None of the scenarios are all that difficult, provided you do your due diligence and properly search the radio station for the pertinent information you need when prompted to do so. The voice acting is quite excellent and it is quite funny at times. It is supposedly set in 1987, yet callers are calling in from all over, including the middle of a corn maze, so a certain suspension of disbelief is required.
A fun little game that can be completed in one or two sittings (took me around six hours).
@FuriousMachine I'm glad you enjoyed it! I actually tried playing it myself back in October, but I found it hard to stay invested. The calls are fun and like you said there's some good humour in it, but everything just felt so slow. It didn't really feel like I was doing much of anything and that choices presented were usually pretty obvious as to which was the right one. Does it go any special places as it goes on or is it pretty consistent in terms of gameplay/pacing from the start? I imagine the killer might show up at your location at some point, so I'm wondering if that's a big moment that maybe switches things up a bit.
I was finally able to roll the credits on Midnight Suns a few days ago after 80 hours or so of gameplay. That was a long game! Though I also didn't play super optimally in terms of time management since I got into a specific gameplay loop I kind of forced myself to stay in. I've mentioned my thoughts before and they're pretty much unchanged, but I do think it got a bit too long in the end. I did also play all the DLC's, so maybe the pacing would've felt a bit less sloggish towards the end if I didn't have all that content mixed in. Overall, I still had a fun time and would recommend the game to anyone interested however. And while I do love the idea of the Abbey within the gameplay loop, I do think the writing ultimately let it down a bit. I don't think it was bad writing per se like many people seemingly think, but in the end I feel like I didn't really create a meaningful bond to any of the characters. I definitely liked some more than others, but I'd be hard-pressed to name a favourite or say I loved any of them. That said, I don't have a huge attachment to any particular Marvel character either, so that might have added to it as well. Certainly didn't manage to convert me into a proper fan of any of them however! In terms of the Marvel games we've gotten in recent years, I definitely think Guardians of the Galaxy was still miles ahead in quality, though definitely worse in the gameplay aspect compared to this.
@Tjuz Your points re.: Killer Frequency are absolutely spot on, and the brevity of the game was what saved it for me. When the credits rolled, I'd had my fill and was satisfied with what I got. You do touch on a small gripe I didn't go into due to slight spoiler territory, but with a SPOILER tag and a SPOILER warning (for those reading in a email update) I'll elaborate: My biggest gripe is that the game never really puts you in any sort of danger. It leads you to think it will, but when the game gets its biggest opportunity to do so and you come through the sequence without ever running into anything dangerous, you quickly realise that it probably never will either, and thus the atmosphere is broken for the rest of the game
@Tjuz I actually thought the writing in the Abbey was the best thing about Midnight Suns! It captures the spirit of the comics in a way that adaptations generally can’t, as the comics often show heroes during downtime and the shows/movies are non-stop minus a couple exceptions.
I seem to have beaten Demon’s Souls. Wow, that last boss. I get it from a lore point of view but also wow, what a letdown. The game in general never really got going, the balancing of each area means once you get on a bit of a roll level wise then you just steamroll the game. What an odd experience, it’s like a tech demo for Dark Souls 1 and Bloodborne in separate ways. Definitely more King’s Field than the following games, especially with how irritating traps and the like can be in the areas. The only boss I died to was the Maneaters and I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly good player. Very much a one and done sort of deal, I don’t see me ever returning to that game.
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