A Winner Is You 2017 Edition

14. Final Fantasy XIII - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/NrMlIij.jpg?1

Fantastic game! :D Never a dull moment. Even as I played through the first half of the game, which bears most of the criticism for being too linear, I just couldn't get enough of it. A true page turner. That is not to say that this game doesn't offer an open world experience as well; the last three chapters (which entails more than half the game) are fully open world. You get to travel back and forth; do missions and grind at your heart's content.

The way I see it, "you can't have the cake and eat it, too". "Open world" does not necessarily mean you get an instant dynamicity that removes all layers of boredom. In fact, "Open World" can get repetitive and boring very fast (even the most recent installment, FFXV, suffers from this at times; albeit a very good game at the end of the day). FFXIII makes up for its linearity with fast-paced, turn-based strategic combat and a new setting at every single save point (of which there are plenty). Even as linear as some would find it, it gives the impression of a very, very vast game and world.

I really enjoyed this game. The graphics were stupendous. I can't believe this was a 2009 title. 'Looks amazing even by today's standards. The gameplay is fantastic from the get-go. Like I already mentioned, never a dull moment :).

15. The Legend of Kage 2 - DS
http://i.imgur.com/fUNjnCB.jpg?1

An excellent game. It's like a fast-paced Shinobi. It does not hold any punches (albeit a newer 2D sidescroller with save features). You can dilly dally and play it like a Shinobi game, trying to kill off every enemy on screen before scrolling onwards; but the true essence of this game lies in the boss fights. I even read a review also giving it a comparison to the oldschool Sonic games. And this is true as well. You pretty much want to rush through the levels until you get to each boss. And, boy, are there some great boss fights in this game. None of them are a breeze, but right about halfway into the game, they start getting really tough. I kept remembering how hard Circle of the Moon was. This is perhaps just one tier lower than Circle of the Moon, but still tough, though. But the patterns are there, and they are fun to put to short term memory and finally beat. Even the final boss; but that one did take me more than just a couple of tries. And this game also has a lot of replayability. Not my thing to do nowadays, but always neat to have as a side order. :)

Oh, and that soundtrack :rock:

16. Monster Tale - DS
http://i.imgur.com/G0Jomtq.png?1

I've heard nothing but good things about this game, and it is with reason. The game is a true "MetroidVania" style title, complete with block-style maps (not like some games that are termed "MetroidVania" and don't have the same easy-to-follow map sense). You need 2 basic things, I figure: 1. Power Ups to reach your next goal or get stronger against enemies and bosses, and 2. A map that "fills-in" as you go forth or backtrack your way to gather said power-ups and get to the next boss. It sounds very basic, but there're not that many games out there that fulfill these two points perfectly. And that is why in, both, gameplay and graphical style, I consider it a true MetroidVania style game. This game was fun and had a great dynamic. The RPG element is in that you get to level-up your monster (which comes in various forms varying between baby, teenage or adult). Each form has a specific strength/weakness following the usual elemental formula, this time just earth, water and fire. I liked it.

17. Shantae: Half Genie Hero - PS4
http://i.imgur.com/h3cv7w3.jpg?1

Fantastic game. For a minute there I thought it was going to be hard as nails (something akin to Rayman Origins), but, once I got a few power-ups and increased my hit points, it turned out to be a lot easier than I initially thought. A real joy to play. The graphics are fantastic. Always upbeat. Super cute. And excellent gameplay mechanics! I can't believe all three standard first prints were $30 collector's editions at launch. What a deal. Not only does it come with the soundtrack, but a real manual! In today's day and age, that is saying a lot. Now, this, is how you release a video game. On my first playthrough: 8:56:46 with 92% item collection. A couple of items are keeping me from attempting a platinum, but I may yet pick this baby up for a second round some time in the future. :D

8 56 46 92

Dark Souls 3

http://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.co...e_dks3-dlc.jpg

Does hard locking up the game count for beating it? And this was like 3-4 days ago. Was too lazy to write it then, but DS2 SotfS servers are currently down, so what the hey.


Alright, I actually wasn't disappointed in the game not dropping me a key item to progress to last stage. Because in all honesty, I just about to take a peak at it and quit. Yes, I was let down. The stages felt too be big, open and/or flat. Reminding me more of those massive long haul walks in the weaker sections of Dark Souls 1. As if this whole game was going for bigger areas and quantity over quality. Because it sure felt like the dev's chewed on more they could handle.

At first I was enjoying myself, but then it just started to drag on for me personally. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset or something. I will give this another go again very soon just to verify. But going on with what disappointed me, I will say many of the advancements from DS2 are sorely missed;

- no small soapstone from DS2 is especially missed in these bigger areas. As it limited the time spent in other players worlds. Because I didn't have this soapstone, I really didn't like putting a summon sign down all that much unless it was right near a boss or something. (2nd great feature of smaller soapstone is bigger soul level range to connect to player)

- DS2 had a feature added via patch where it would highlight the players closer to your level so you would know the best spots to connect with other players. But DS3 is a heck of a lot more linear then DS2 (like really linear), so there's that, but it still would have helped players to know the pace they should be leveling up at. As is, I was using on online suggestion guide for what level players generally are at as they progress through areas.

- fan service galore. This is why listening too much to your fans is a bad idea. I will just leave it at "many trades, master of none." Just feels so unfocused and sure helped make it feel like it had no true identity of it's own.

- I really didn't care for this game's lore or characters (except for Sire Onion, who doesn't love him), so I always hammered on skipping their dialog or not talking to them anymore. And the hub area, while it tried so hard to please Demon Souls fans, failed miserably. Worst hub area in the series. That, and it sucks to have to do everything in a hub, as we have extra load screen to deal with instead of being able to handle most things via bonfire as in DS1.

- buggy. That game breaking glitch I ran into is apparently common. So is assisting summoned players sometimes not able to walk through the fog to help with the boss. Leaving you alone with a boss with 3x or so more health, while your buddies are chilling from the of the other side rooting for you by making some noise while hitting the fog door.

- again, back to level design. It felt too flat. Not enough or any vertical levels like Blightown and such. Or areas involving risks of death from hights and such, or enemies working well together with level design. Here is just felt more like a beat 'em fighting hordes of enemies on a flat empty plane. Boring.


Not sure what I'm forgetting, but this should be enough to express my disappointment as a fan of series and having been looking forward to this one since it was released.

Clock Tower (SNES)

I was watching old Jontron videos on YouTube and saw him review this game and thought it looked way too interesting to spoil. I had to play it myself! Thank goodness there was an English translation patch available, because this game was awesome! The difficulty was a little easier than I was expecting and the controls were a little hard to get used to, but its amazing how much atmosphere is in this little gem. I was never really scared by anything, but I loved the uneasy feeling I got from how the game did not shy away from being gory and just plain strange. I don't think there's anything else like this on the SNES. A true early horror gem. 8/10

Sonic R (PC)

After failing many times to get my legit PC version running on Windows 10, I decided to get the Sonic Gems Collection ISO and the Dolphin emulator and play the game that way. I don't know why this never occurred to me before. Playing this for the first time in probably a decade felt so good! I think my original CD was one of those ones with the music error, as I don't remember the music being so good! Some might think its cheesy, but I loved every track! Its a pretty bare-bones game with only 5 racing courses available, and we can only dream of what other courses could have been available, but I don't care. Sure, the controls could be better, but I don't care. I love this game and had a great time 100% clearing it in about an hour. I remembered where almost all of the coins were and I remembered the shortcuts! For what it is, Sonic R is fun! 9/10

Sonic CD (PC)

I also decided to run through Sonic CD again. Again, the music here is amazing! Some of the levels get a little too labyrinthine and cluttered for their own good, but they look gorgeous! A complete blast to play and experience. I didn't get all the chaos emeralds or do any of the special stages, so I got the "bad" ending, but whatever. Amazing game. 9/10

18. Horizon: Zero Dawn - PS4
http://i.imgur.com/ewxNFNj.jpg?1

Fantastic game! A true 10/10 experience. It is everything I expected it to be. It was as beautiful and inventive as The Witcher III, which was a 10/10, IMO, as well. The combat in Horizon is extremely rewarding. I love the fact that you could go full frontal assault, snipe, or stealth kill your foes without penalty to the flow of your gameplay. The graphics are outstanding. The story was excellently-written. The dialogue was even more amazingly written. There were so many subtleties that you could catch on the dialogue alone that would keep you right on the story; reminding you exactly what was done or said in a previous part of it. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but I was super stoked to see a very familiar face in film and TV show up as a very important character. Which, prompts me to say, the acting was also superb. And, going back to the graphics: boy did they take their time drawing-up and imagining every single little detail. Just like the subtleties in the story's dialogue, you could find these neat subtleties in the amount of detail that went in designing this world. Heck, I could go as far as saying that, even in the gameplay, these welcome subtleties could also be found. One example is in terms of the climbing mechanics. Everywhere you climbed (or descended), you had a minimum of two options on how to reach that top. It gave such a dynamic flow to the gameplay, that kept you wanting to go back on that awesome descend (or climb) after each mission. Just to experience it anew.

With all that said, though, I do have one huge gripe with the dev team. For a 3rd person game, who in the world inverts the Y-axis? That was a thing back when the OG Halo came out when folks wanted to follow the same control mechanics on a FPS as with aviation games. That, somwhat, would have made sense back then. But you don't have a first person, "cockpit" view. Who in their right mind inverts only the Y-axis? And, if there is indeed one person out there in the world who does (strictly speaking about 3rd person games here), then I can assure you that the number would be vastly smaller than those who actually invert both camera axes (such as myself). So why in the world would they, in 2017, for a huge production value, AAA title, not include a measly "X-AXIS" inversion option. That was a huge misstep, IMO, as I had to deal with a vast number of issues trying to invert that X-axis using the only marketed option right now; which is the Cronusmax Plus. It works wonders with the PS3. But it is extremely buggy with the PS4 (and even the Xbox 360). I have to say that, for every play session, it would de-sync from my controller, or, worse, give me huge controller lag. No, it's not the game. It's the Cronusmax that did that. So I am not complaining about the techonology of the Cronusmax here. I am complaining at the lack of care on behalf of the dev team towards folks such as myself and millions others who just cannot play 3rd person view games without inverting both camera axes (not just "Y").

Anyways. After playing this game, I'm going to DEFINITELY have to hard-mod half my controllers with right analog stick inversion. I swear that at least 1/2 to 2/3 (that's 50%-67%) of the game, I had controller lag issues or de-sync issues. And, again, I dare not blame the Cronusmax for this. This fault lies entirely on the dev team for leaving out such a minute but quintessential gameplay detail.

[EDIT]
About a week after I finished the game (just a couple of weeks after the game's release), the devs added X-axis camera inversion. Just in case anyone is still worried that this may become an issue for those of us who require it in 3rd person games.

5. Vanguard Bandits - PS1

All in all, not a bad game. I enjoy the genre but hadn't played a game in it for quite a while, and this was a good game to ease me back into it. There were also some interesting gameplay mechanics that I don't remember seeing in this kind of game very often. The translation was hit and miss - there were some things that felt very forced that I thought were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the game, but there were some slick and effective things as well. Some things were actually funny (and placed in good spots)! Still, the storyline was very generic and predictable. I intentionally chose some options to see if everything would play out as anyone would guess, and it did.

6. Grid Runner - PS1

I'm usually not a fan of capture the flag or tag games, but I actually found this game to be fun. Very frustrating at times, but I liked this one.

Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the first Sin

http://cdn2.expertreviews.co.uk/site...-sin-one_0.jpg

Well, I was at last boss and was about to beat him, but then decided to play dlc areas more first. But then my pc shutdown for some reason during gameplay of a dlc area and I after that decided it was long overdue for clean windows reinstall. Only since this was an online game, I thought it had cloud saving. Lol, just no luck with dark souls these days. Pity, as I had a really good run setup for second loop. Even murdered 100 other players trespassing for bell covenant for final rank and bonus ore farming that comes with it. Never done second loop of ds2 and I hear there are some cool actual differences in it then standard enemy hp and attack buffs. Anyway, I'm probably going to come back to it again after I finish ds1 and demon souls. Currently playing through ds1 now. Yes, I have to play them all before I can stop. Its how it is.

Anyway, this was my first playthrough of the SotfS major update to DS2, since this update is only available to ps4, bone and steam. Not ps3 and 360 of which I own ds2 for, because graphical and amount of enemies and other players on screen now possible. So I was really hyped for it. I really like the changes and extra challenge since I'm so familiar with DS2 having replayed it a few times already, but I still wish there were more changes. Only areas I wasn't familiar with were dlc areas since I only played them once before, so I couldn't notice enemy, enemy placement and enemy ai differences there.

Oh and the graphical update plus solid 60fps are great. Still not up to the quality of original ds2 preview trailers, but still really loved it and greatly added to the overall experience.

Only thing that really sucks is playing on steam since you can't send pm msgs to other players not on your friend list. Ie. On Xbox 360 I hooked up with some cool players playing this series thanks to the awesome online environment Microsoft provides for their consoles. So yeah, steam really blows for online gaming. Master race my butt. Next chance I'm in Toronto, I'm picking my copy ds3 for ps4 now that I have a ps4, and buying this game for ps4 too. Steam can suck on a bag of dicks. :p

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (with DSfix, hi-res textures pack, 60fps and Wulf's Dark Souls Connectivity Mod connectivity mods)

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3KB...rk_souls.0.jpg

So finished this yesterday or the day before on PC for the first time. The guy who did the hi-res texture packs did such a great job. And without the DSfix, the game only runs at 30 console fps, with further console frame drops. Yeah, it's a bare bone lazy PC port, so the fans really picked up the slack. I also highly recommend Wulf's Dark Souls Connectivity Mod because before it I wasn't getting any nodes for some reason, like I was playing in offline mode. That mod fixed the issue plus has a separate window tab that shows you other players within you level range, if human/hollow form, and area they're in. Something that's really nice because this gives you a better idea at what pace to level up to stay within range of most players to connect with for some jolly co-operation.

What's to say about the first Dark Souls, aka spiritual sequel to Demon Souls? Well, I think it's a better introduction to series then Demon Souls, for sure. Because Demons Souls is definitely more Nintendo obscure in it's mechanics and what not of the two. And it's harder to connect to other player in that one because of one mechanic forcing people to play less in human form & because it's way more non-linear adding to making it harder to stay within level range of other players. As to which is better, well, it doesn't matter. I might give an all series overview is not to lazy one of these days.

I also almost wanted to scrap this playthrough pretty late through and start over because I messed up this one questline with a super rare Titanite Slab reward. That and I also messed up elsewhere by losing ability to rejoin Dark Wraith covenant so that for loop 2 I start with this covenant before I can reach covenant location again (which is past halfway through the game, by the way). Oh well, guess I'll mess with the Gravelord covenant on loop 2 when I decide to start that instead. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this playthrough outside of these two hiccups.

So what playthrough of Dark Souls 1 is this for me? Well, I re-played the X-Box one the most (and still the best version experience I've had thanks to the players I've hooked up with). The PS3 version I'm not sure if I played twice, but definitely at once. And now the steam version. But the steam version had one massive flaw. You can't send private messages to other players. So... X-Box 360 version wins because it also has party chat and now with X-Bone backward compatibility it's total online user base shouldn't take as much of a dive as the PS3 version.


Conclusion. I wouldn't have bought this game 3 times across 3 platforms if I didn't like (and yes, I also bought DS2 3 times across 3 platforms too). So play it. Play it loud... wait. Welcome to the next level!

19. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Wii U
http://i.imgur.com/VniPNya.jpg?1

After 71 hours of gameplay, I can attest this game is definitely a masterpiece. I felt all throughout like I last did with A Link to the Past; my favorite Zelda game. After beating BotW, I can safely say it instantly rose among the top of my favorite Zelda games. The game was obviously optimized for the Wii U GamePad. The motion-aided aiming controls were as excellent as I found them to be in games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss on the PS Vita. You don't have to aim all the way via motion controls. You do your usual aiming via the right analog stick, bring the crosshairs within range of your target, then use the motion controls for that final pinpoint precision aim. It was flawless, IMO. Now, this, is the proper use of motion controls. I cannot imagine having this same flow when playing in handheld format on the Switch, though; as it is exactly what playing on the Wii U GamePad screen is like. You have to tilt the screen when aiming to at least 45 degrees at times; which took me away from the visual dynamic slightly. But the most important reason why it just won't play with motion controls as beautifully as it did with the Wii U GamePad on the Switch is during some of the shrine puzzles; which are so easy to do with motion controls; but would prompt you to use that tablet like a literal plank, twisting it upside down and sideways to balance one or several rolling balls, etc.

I will admit, it took me a while to get into the gameplay; primarily because I went into it right after finishing-up with Horizon: Zero Dawn on the PS4. At this point, tbh, I don't consider one game to be superior to the other. They are their own entity, each offering as polished an experience as any gamer could ask for (lack of camera axes inversion excluded, of course). But, as I said, I will go on to admit that it did take me a while to really get into BotW. It may have been just a couple of hours out of the whole 71+ hours I invested into it, but those were 2 solid hours that kept taking me away from the experience from not fully grasping the textures and solid sharp colors I got so used to seeing in games like, even, Mario Kart 8; or the funny climbing mechanics of BotW (akin to Spider-Man) that I found downright unimaginative at first glance. But all of these and more managed to quickly find their way into a very congruent gameplay experience, shock-full of what I now consider awe-inspiring graphics. In the end, the textures were there when they needed to be; and so did the sharpness in graphics as well as solid colors. It is an art style akin to a waterpainting; which I absolutely love. It reminded so much of J.R.R. Tolkien's personal illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; for which he used watercolors. He, too, had a predilection for depicting flora and landscapes with inlaid ruins and fantastic characters. Tolkien is my favorite writer. Needless to say, I was right at home. :)

I will take this final paragraph, however, to even the odds in the most unbiased way I've yet seen written about this game online. Without me personally giving it any scores, I can say that I agree that this game is a masterpiece without a doubt. But, guess what? So was Horizon: Zero Dawn. And, although I have yet to play the rest of the lineup for 2017 with so many months still left, I can already see many more amazing titles coming-up to keep our gaming hands busy and the passion well-entertained. But when I see like 99% of commentators already ranking this so early on as "Game of the Year", it just takes so much away from the artwork that has transpired since last year (and beyond) to bring us all these other amazing titles this year (one of which I consider at the very minimum to be equally as good, if not better). Not to mention the continued effort for games that haven't even yet been released for the rest of the year. I'm not saying BotW shouldn't be a top contender. But, damn it reviewers, hold your horses. It ain't over till the fat lady sings. And that ain't happening for another 9 months.

20. Dead or Alive 4 - Xbox 360
http://i.imgur.com/GWmOzZe.jpg?1

This is one of those Xbox 360 exclusives I figured I should pick up. It didn't feel as fluid as 2 on the Dreamcast or 3 on the OG Xbox, but it still provided for the usual DoA button mashing array of combos I've always enjoyed on the series. I prefer 2 and 3, but this one was ok, I guess. I beat story mode with Kasumi and Ayane. Still giving it a go with other characters, but will call this one beaten for now.

21. Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/fdF4CKS.jpg?1

Definitely a step up from 4. A solid single player experience, gameplay-wise, imo. I didn't really care for the story itself, but the back-to-back fights as I skipped through the cutscenes made for a very satisfying experience. Sure, it's not much more than a button masher (punch, kick and the occasional grab/throw), but it is a satisfying one at that.

I think I'll grab a couple of more trophies, maybe play a few online matches; but, for now, I will consider this one beaten.

22. Duck Tales: Remastered - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/gxQxH7U.jpg?2

I didn't know it was by Wayforward. I never played the OG NES version, but I really liked this one. I also remember watching this cartoon bitd. It was quick, easy fun. 2D Disney games ftw.

23. Ultimate Mortal Kombat - DS
http://i.imgur.com/z33Dsxx.jpg?1

Not a bad iteration of UMK3. You can map the controls to your liking, so that was a plus. I found it simple-enough until you get to Shao Kahn. Then it's just insanity. I had to use Sheeva to get some decent high kicks there at the end. Finished him-off with a Jump Stump. Sooo sweeet! :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BubsyFan1

I've been interested in that series for a while. Are you planning on continuing it after the second game?

---

Apologies for the super, super late reply. To answer your question, yes, I am. I picked up the lot off Amazon except for the latest, and actually planned to play game in succession.

5. Grand Theft Auto 5 (Xbox One)

http://mariio128.com/ebay/cover/gta5-xb1-asia.jpg

My favourite game of the past 5 years, hands-down. So much so, that I own the game physically across all five platforms it was released on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbone and PC.

I've been playing the online component on and off for nearly four years now, but I still prefer the single player campaign. I still don't understand people who crap on the game for being more MP focused; you don't even have to touch that side of things, and besides what those people say, the game's story mode didn't suffer because of the dev's obvious focus on the multiplayer portion.

If you like GTAIV's story, you'll like this game for it's missions and characters, as well as for it's humour. It's a solid game, even if you want to play it alone. Having my PC break down (yet again), was a godsend, as I allowed me to re-play this gem once again.

^I've been meaning to play through the main story on that one. I've just been dreading using my CronusMax Plus on my PS4 again. Too many issues. It kills me every time I see lack of x-axis inversion in high profile AAA titles; especially on the best selling game of all time. I tried it in FPS mode, but it just isn't the same. It's like playing Fallout in 3rd person. It just doesn't feel quite right.

24. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist - Sega Genesis
http://i.imgur.com/60jncmC.png?1

Amazing Beat 'Em Up and a worthy addition to anyone's gaming library. I don't know why I was struggling with it at first; the game is very straightforward. Love the colors. The gameplay was on-point. I can't wait to try this one in couch co-op one day again. :rock:

25. Family Feud - Sega Genesis
http://i.imgur.com/h8llTpz.png?1

Just your usual game show variety on the Genny; but very addictive, nonetheless. I kept coming back for more. It was actually fun. You can also turn-off the timer; which makes it very relaxing to play.

26. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - 3DS
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...psyierbq8s.jpg

I love finding these little gems at my local retail stores. Snatched-it for $15 and just couldn't put it down. It is the 3rd game in the franchise (before 1/2 Genie Hero), which confused me, storywise, a bit after having played 1/2 Genie Hero first on the PS4. This game makes excellent use of the 3D screen. I'm one of those who prefers to use the 3D mode all the way up. The game looks so beautiful, it was almost like looking at a Neo Geo AES game in 3D; but with even more textures and detail at that. I enjoy a good Metroidvania style game, and this one turned-out to be an excellent one. The gameplay was on-point and I never felt one bit hindered by the fact that I was using a handheld d-pad.

Here's to hoping the series moves forward. This game was amazing and so was Half-Genie Hero. WayForward continues to surprise me. Too bad the first one on the GBC and Risky's Revenge on the PS4 are already too expensive on eBay. I'm really enjoying this series.

27. Bioshock - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/3OghMPZ.jpg?1

Excellent gameplay. Although I don't know why I went in thinking it was going to be more "open world" like the Fallout series. Either way, it was a great FPS with super fun mechanics and a very interesting thematic. I loved it. That this game came out in 2007 blows my mind. Some of the graphics, especially the water effects, still look superb even today. Any FPS with a proper single player campaign has my vote; and this one was a great ride. :) Now off to part 2.

28. Disney's Ariel: The Little Mermaid - Sega Game Gear
http://i.imgur.com/IR9jtla.jpg?1

Got a small Game Gear haul, and decided to try this baby out. I remember not disliking it on the Genesis. The 16-bit version is sort of a cheap-man's Ecco The Dolphin. But I did give it props for not being too difficult as a children's game. Think The Berenstein Bears difficulty here. I don't mind it at all. If a game like this was even a bit challenging, I would lean more towards blaming it on poor design a la Fantasia. But luckily that's not the case. I did mention before my wife loves this game; but probably because this is her favorite Disney character and movie. As for the Game Gear version: It is atrocious. It is blocky, not fluid in the least and just a bad downport. Not every Game Gear "downport" is bad, mind you. I know that some games like Alien 3 and Hook actually have better gameplay mechanics/physics on the Game Gear. But Ariel on the GG is just bad in the worst of ways. Just about the only good thing I can say about it is that it was short and easy. Thank goodness for that.

Now back to Bioshock 2 ;) (really digging that one:rock:).

Mass Effect Andromeda

https://inthegame.nl/wp-content/uplo...6f99359abc.jpg

Shares the same fate as Stars Wars The Force Awakens. In short, Mass Effect is dead. And seems now is not good times into sci-fi.

That this game is a AAA title is mind boggling. The development of this game must have been hell because there's no signs of any cohesion anywhere. It's the biggest example of a soulless video game I've ever witnessed. I've only explored the first 3 golden world pretty thoroughly before I lost all drive to go on exploring the other 2 golden worlds and just pushed forward with the priority missions to get this game done already.

Do I recommend it? Obviously not, but it is an excellent curiosity piece for study at what happens when big non-private companies like EA gobble up another company and lucrative IPs in video games.

29. The Berenstein Bears' Camping Adventure
http://i.imgur.com/rxfKPPn.jpg?2

Funny how I used Berenstein Bears (Sega Genesis) to compare the difficulty level of the Ariel: The Little Mermaid games (Game Gear and Genesis) on that last one. But, unlike Ariel: The Little Mermaid, The Berenstein Bears is a perfectly good game. It was shorter than the Genesis version, but still managed to provide a fun gaming experience; albeit extra easy and simple. Which is excellent for its target audience. This is one game that still holds great. And, after popping-in the Genesis version to refresh my memory a bit; I even noticed that this is one of those Game Gear games where the gameplay mechanics (and usually when I say this I strictly mean jumping physics) are a lot smoother on the 8-bit counterpart (same as in Hook and in Alien 3). Is it a must own? No. Will you be disappointed to own it? Also no.

30. Bioshock 2 - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/StFjTdO.jpg?1

Excellent gameplay, once again. I read that one criticism was that it didn't stray away from the first one, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I welcome it in any franchise. The way I see it, if I'm returning to the franchise as a player, it's only because I want to enter that same universe with the same kind of gameplay and setting. I think the gameplay here is fantastic. And I enjoyed the setting. I know "Infinite" is supposed to remove you from the OG setting, but I hope it's at least as good in gamplay as the first two. Infinite, here I come.

So you're enjoying BioShock series that much that your going through them all, even the less regarded Infinite. I still haven't made it past hook in the first game to keep going last two times I've tried. Been meaning to give it a third try one of these days.

31. Bioshock: Infinite - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/OV3vcDs.jpg?1

Great gameplay. Definitely a refined version of the first two in terms of button commands. Not only do you jump with the correct button ("X"), but you also shoot with the correct trigger buttons (L1/R1) on the PS3. The PS4 controller is better designed for L2/R2 shooting, but the PS3 controller is most definitely optimized with L1/R1 mapping ergonomically, IMO (I wonder how the Bioshock Collection on the PS4 has the buttons mapped now). The game was pure fun, to put it simply. It was fluid in the same fashion as the previous two. I'm thinking of the last 3 Fallout games in terms of fluidity here. And this game delivered. I also enjoyed how much more colorful this 3rd installment was as well. Loved it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

26. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - 3DS
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...psyierbq8s.jpg

I love finding these little gems at my local retail stores. Snatched-it for $15 and just couldn't put it down. It is the 3rd game in the franchise (before 1/2 Genie Hero), which confused me, storywise, a bit after having played 1/2 Genie Hero first on the PS4. This game makes excellent use of the 3D screen. I'm one of those who prefers to use the 3D mode all the way up. The game looks so beautiful, it was almost like looking at a Neo Geo AES game in 3D; but with even more textures and detail at that. I enjoy a good Metroidvania style game, and this one turned-out to be an excellent one. The gameplay was on-point and I never felt one bit hindered by the fact that I was using a handheld d-pad.

Here's to hoping the series moves forward. This game was amazing and so was Half-Genie Hero. WayForward continues to surprise me. Too bad the first one on the GBC and Risky's Revenge on the PS4 are already too expensive on eBay. I'm really enjoying this series.

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I've yet to give this series a serious look. I downloaded the original on the 3DS e-shop and it's been stuck in backlog purgatory ever since. I like WayForward, however, and I love Jake Kaufman's soundtracks, so I hope to get to it eventually.

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

27. Bioshock - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/3OghMPZ.jpg?1

Excellent gameplay. Although I don't know why I went in thinking it was going to be more "open world" like the Fallout series. Either way, it was a great FPS with super fun mechanics and a very interesting thematic. I loved it. That this game came out in 2007 blows my mind. Some of the graphics, especially the water effects, still look superb even today. Any FPS with a proper single player campaign has my vote; and this one was a great ride. :) Now off to part 2.

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This was the first game I bought for my XBox 360 BITD and I loved it. However, when I played it years later on the PS3 I was infuriated by how buggy it was. The random texture and physics glitches didn't bother me as much as the fact that my game crashed many, many times.

Since then, I've always wondered whether this was the PS3 port itself or if I just had a bad disc.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

I've yet to give this series a serious look. I downloaded the original on the 3DS e-shop and it's been stuck in backlog purgatory ever since. I like WayForward, however, and I love Jake Kaufman's soundtracks, so I hope to get to it eventually.

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Pirate's Curse and Half Genie Hero are definitely quick bites and loads of fun. I'd say give at least one of those a try. You will not be disappointed :).

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[Bioshock] was the first game I bought for my XBox 360 BITD and I loved it. However, when I played it years later on the PS3 I was infuriated by how buggy it was. The random texture and physics glitches didn't bother me as much as the fact that my game crashed many, many times.

Since then, I've always wondered whether this was the PS3 port itself or if I just had a bad disc.

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They must've fixed those bugs, lol. The game ran really smoothly for me. One of the perks of playing a modern game years later, you get all the DLC and patches. The three of them, actually, on the PS3, ran very smoothly. The only one that kind of cut down that fluidity a bit was the third one, but only because you can no longer save anywhere you can. So I would sometimes be forced to play through 45 minutes before I could conceive the next save point.

32. Fighting Vipers - Sega Saturn
http://i.imgur.com/kWiDjfl.jpg?1

Another Virtua Fighter clone. Only, this time, produced by Yu Suzuki himself :). I'd say, you can't go wrong with that. Music is good. Gameplay is ok. Graphics haven't aged well, but are still fun to reminisce with. I beat it with Candy on my first try without any loses; so it's safe to assume it's on the easier side of the fighting genre. But I did have fun with it, so that's what matters. I will go back and try some other characters just for kicks (pun intended ;)).

33. Borderlands - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/xWAOcdO.jpg?1

It was really frustrating to get into it at first from a single player perspective; but once you got the hang of the fact that the main story was minimal and the entire game basically consists of multiple sidequests, then that's when one starts having a lot of fun. The game was very fast-paced and filled with numerous weapons and very satisfying kills. I'm not sure if I 100%'ed this game; but I'm sure I didn't leave any quest undone. Again, I had some trouble with direction (story-wise) at first; but after some 5 or so hours of gameplay and leveling-up; the gameplay became very addictive. It is a solid title, even in single player form.

All right, though I'd share my most recent 1'cc:

Shock Troopes
created by SAURUS and released for the NEO-GEO platform in 1997;
for 1 or 2 simultaneous players.

Difficulty: MVS
Score: 10.840.500

Characters used ( Team Battle Mode ): Milky ( fastest character in the game; very powerful bomb when used at close range; best melee attack ), Loki ( good all around; excellent mobility on some rough terrains - last stage included; excellent bomb attack) and Big Mama ( boasts heavy firepower and resistance; most powerful bomb attack in the game ).
Route chosen: Stages 1 - 3 ( Mountain ) - Route Change - Stages 5 - 6 ( Jungle ) - Last Stage.

This is a game that has keeping me company for quite a while now and, for me, it's a perfect case of why I think that short/Arcade games are the best. The different routes and characters to chose from and the way how they adapt to the terrain and also give a health bonus adds a interesting element of strategy to the game. Human enemies - when killed by melee attacks - can drop weapons, health items or gems that increase your score, offering the good ole' risk versus reward element, that can lead to higher scores, save your credit when in a time of need or have a stupid death.

Shock Troopers has all the predicates of a great game, although I think that the pacing of the game suffers a bit on some stages and the boss battles could've been more varied and interesting. On a special note, I love the SFX in this game; great stuff.

34. Borderlands 2 - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/I1bZ2CD.jpg?1

This is one of the best FPS games I've ever played. Not to mention, it's also an RPG, which makes it even more awesome. This game is vast. And, unlike its predecessor, it carries a very robust story mode. The gameplay is fantastic and super smooth. And I loved the graphics, theme and music. For an extra $6, I managed to find some of the DLC in hard copy format printed on disc. I'd never seen that before. That is one of the coolest perks a game like this can offer (outside of getting a GotY edition with all DLC included, obviously). I did delve a bit into those DLCs, but it was too much to handle. The game alone is a 50+ hour game if you rush it. And closer to 70 hours, imo (and that's not even finishing everything). This is an outstanding game and a must in anyone's must-play list of all time.

[EDIT] I just finished a multiplayer co-op match of Captain Scarlett's Pirate Booty and it was just as fluid as in single player. I don't really turn on the voice-chat feature for these games anyways, but it was an awesome, straight-forward hour or so of pure fun. I gotta say, I do have the itch to return for some more of this multiplayer, but I want to move on to the rest of my backlog. Pre-Sequel! Here I come. :)

You never seen DLCs in hard copy format before? Seriously? I thought most GotYs or certain special versions (like Skyrim Legendary Edition) come with DLCs on a separate disk? Only exception I can think of is Mass Effect Trilogy, which also didn't include all DLCs to begin with.

I don't know if you read this part correctly:

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

...(outside of getting a GotY edition with all DLC included, obviously)...

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Sold separately:

https://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq....013/02/bl2.jpg

I need to hurry up and beat one of the games I've been playing. :?

Why hurry, don't you like it?

I figured the other thread would be a more appropriate place to answer that question.

35. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/kCGOfyU.jpg?1

Another fun game in the Borderlands series. But, I gotta say, although still lots of fun, this one felt a bit clunky in terms of, both, gameplay and terrain. I'd say it's about 85% to 90% as good as the previous ones. And with Borderlands 2 being nearly flawless, this one definitely shows that lack of polish; especially when this is almost like an extension of B2. And several of the quests were very poorly-designed; oftentimes slowing-down the flow of gameplay to an irritating halt (e.g. unskipable dialogue that went on and on, imputing codes from afar by having to shoot the arrows with your gun, and that stupid 45 degree angle beam nobody would've guessed to get that last eye piece:yuck:). That being said, this one had the exact same menu system as B2, which made it very seamless to transition into. And, though not as fast-paced or seemingly flawless as part 2, I'd say I still had a lot of fun with it. 'Way better than many games I've played anyways.

I'm a few months late posting this:


Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES): I've been on a Castlevania kick lately. I spent the better part of Christmas Day (2016) playing through the original Castlevania, so after that I decided to take a break with it's much breezier sequel. I don't think I used any guides, either. By this point, the game's most obtuse secrets have been etched into the same collective memory as the Konami code.

^How difficult was the OG Castlevania to you? I know I got about 60 to 80 percent into the game. But then I stopped trying and moved on. I liked that there are unlimited continues, though. But what other game would you compare it to, difficulty-wise?

I dunno... Contra?

Edit: No, make that Super C.

It's a very challenging game, but it doesn't really get tough-as-nails until the very end. The Death boss battle at the end of the fourth stage is one of most difficult moments of the game, and the fifth and final level is a total bitch, but quite short. The Dracula battle is absolutely hair-pulling, but once you get there, you start right outside his door when you continue. So there's no reason not to bulldoze your way through to the end at that point.

To put it another way, when I played it last, I made it all the way to Dracula in less than an hour... but that last battle took me probably about two hours to eventually get through.

36. Bodycount - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/GW83kz9.jpg?1

Just your average D-lister here banking on the FPS craze. It's not undoable, and it only glitched on me once, which is better than most games like this I've played. It makes use of the L2/R2 for shooting, which is akin to earlier PS3 shooters where devs didn't quite get the ergonomics of the DualShock 3. But even the best of games have been privy to this, so I wouldn't hold it against it. I'm sure the 360 controls are much better suited for it. At the end of the day, the game is fast paced, and will grant "ok" amounts of fun, I suppose. To its benefit, the overlay/menu design is very crisp; which I liked. I also liked that it was short.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by QuickSciFi

36. Bodycount - PS3
http://i.imgur.com/GW83kz9.jpg?1

Just your average D-lister here banking on the FPS craze. It's not undoable, and it only glitched on me once, which is better than most games like this I've played. It makes use of the L2/R2 for shooting, which is akin to earlier PS3 shooters where devs didn't quite get the ergonomics of the DualShock 3. But even the best of games have been privy to this, so I wouldn't hold it against it. I'm sure the 360 controls are much better suited for it. At the end of the day, the game is fast paced, and will grant "ok" amounts of fun, I suppose. To its benefit, the overlay/menu design is very crisp; which I liked. I also liked that it was short.

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^ What's that I hear? Dual Shock ergonomic issues? :D

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Originally Posted by Thief

^ What's that I hear? Dual Shock ergonomic issues? :D

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You must've "heard" wrong. The "ergonomic issues" are on game design, not the controller. The 360 controller (the other system for which this game came out for) is better mapped for shooting with RT (bottom right analog trigger). The PS3 controller is optimized for R1 shooting (RIGHT upper trigger). You blaming this on the PS3 controller is like asking why babies can't choose their parents. Grow up.

And I'm saying gaming focus on DS3 bumper buttons is too uncomfortable due to weaker ergonomic design.

Yeah, but which button and what actions, though? Shooting, you would do constantly. I would hate to shoot with the RIGHT upper trigger button on the 360 also. It's all relative. Something like the occasional grenade, it's ok if it's a bit farther down reach (or up, in the case of the 360 controller). Like I said, it's all relative.

Yes, scoping and shooting with the 360 bumpers would uncomfortable. But that's not what I was talking about, I was just pointing an ergonomic issue on DS3.

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Originally Posted by Thief

Yes, scoping and shooting with the 360 bumpers would uncomfortable. But that's not what I was talking about, I was just pointing an ergonomic issue on DS3.

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Dude. Take a step back and contemplate on the subject at hand for once. That is the only ergonomic issue of which I spoke. And it is not the controller. Stop trying to be right all the time. This has nothing to do with you.