by enigmatical
Showing 1-10 of 39 items
January 4 (75 Hours) 5 out of 5 I originally bought this game in 2003 when it was released for the PS2 after amazingly high critical reviews. At the time, I'd played -some- of Dark Cloud 1, but this game was supposed to be such an improvement on that formula that I couldn't help it. I don't even know what sort of money I had in 2003... Anyway, having finished Dark Cloud 1 at the end of December (and thoroughly hating it), I knew that Dark Cloud 2 would be better. And it is - but it still has a lot of the same problems. Dark Cloud 2 is a better game because the repetitive nature of dungeon crawling is covered by so many other activities - 4 essentially different characters (though I never touched Monster Transformation), fishing, golfing (ahem, Spheda), world-building, medal chasing, weapon building... This is a game that heralds having a "100+ Hour Adventure" as a bullet point on the back. I enjoyed my time with it; it's a very good game. When I was... 16-17, this would've been my dream game.
January 5 (4 Hours) 4 out of 5 In Gato Roboto, you play as a space captain's cat in a mech suit. It is also a homage to Metroid in not only mechanics, but also enemy and level design. While most Metroidvanias these days are sprawling multiple world adventures, this entire experience can be wrapped up in about 3 hours. This means a constant stream of exploration and upgrades until the very end.
January 18 (200+ Hours) February 8, Iceborne (200+ Hours and counting) 5 out of 5 This is probably my favorite entry in one of my favorite series of all time. In this particular case, to ready for the release of Iceborne, I played through the entirety of MHW again on the PC. After the release of Iceborne, I vanished into the game again - effectively replacing FFXIV and Destiny for easily two months (and potentially longer). At first glance, Iceborne appears to add very little to an already perfected formula - but that is entirely on purpose. In fact, Iceborne is actually larger than the base game.
March 1 (25 Hours) 2 out of 5 Plantium is famous for their action games - Bayonetta, Metal Gear Revengence, Neir Automata - with a studio built on the pedigree of Viewtiful Joe and Bayonetta. I had expectations when this game was released - a new, Switch exclusive Platinum action game. Expectations that were, unfortunately, never met. From a cast of bland characters and a plotline that goes... nowhere, I simply did not enjoy this game. I never felt in control - struggling with two radial menus, several movesets, and having to manage an AI controlled "Legion" that simply did not respond when I wanted it to. Additionally, puzzle and platforming segments that were always frustrating. I was ready for this game to be over by Chapter 6, but knew there were 5 more chapters of boring opening, fetch quests, and then a cool action sequence - only to repeat that.
March 10 (20 Hours) Warlords of New York (DLC Campaign) 4 out of 5 Like Destiny 2, I have an interesting relationship with The Division. I enjoy the campaigns - the little bits of story interwoven with (potentially) real-world events, very tactical shooting, and (for some reason) a massive amount of loot. This new campaign is very "Forsaken"-ish with the main bad guy (Agent Keener from Division 1) having a set of four lieutenants that need to be taken out. This takes place in a Spring/Summer downtown New York setting (also from Division 1) that looks spectacular. But alas, as I rounded the end of the campaign and unlocked the Diablo-esque SHADE levels and the Seasons and the endless content, I could see the "Living Game" grind and realized it was too much for me. See you in another year or so, Division 2.
March 10 (+100 Hours???) 5 out of 5 My true "Game of the Year" from 2019. I am not sure what it is about Picross that I love so much, but ever since "Picross 2 3-D" on the 3DS, I've been hooked. This has been my go-to time-filling, waiting app for over a year and I completed every puzzle.
March 29 (~124 Hours) 4 out of 5 The Nioh series is about as close to a "wet dream" as I can get for videogames. Take the exciting, unforgiving combat of Dark Souls and mix it with the loot-driven loop of Diablo. The original Nioh was a drug that I didn't stop playing until credits and continued to tinker with through the New Game+ and DLC. This sequel (which is actually a prequel) continues the same convoluted Historical Japan storyline but with a customized character, at least. It is also very hard; hard in a way that often feels completely unfair. There were probably a dozen times where I was so frustrated at myself and eventually at the game where I felt that I was being unfairly ravaged. But as the credits rolled, I felt the same sense of honor that Sekiro gave. Though, I think Sekiro is a better game.
April 15 (~45 Hours) 5 out of 5 I have such a history with Final Fantasy 7 that I'm actually not sure I can write this review. Final Fantasy 7 (and Resident Evil 2) were probably the first two "big" games I ever played... ever. In over two decades of playing video games almost daily, Final Fantasy 7 was the first - nothing can compare to that. So when the idea of a Remake was being tossed around, I had to keep my feelings in check. This wasn't going to be that strange JRPG that I tore through on Summer break back in high school. This was going to be something else. And boy... am I so damn glad they created something else. Having the original Final Fantasy 7 in my mind only made me enjoy this experience all the more.
May 10 (-140 Hours to Platinum) 4 out of 5 Hot on the heels of getting the Platinum in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, I did not want to let go of my enjoyment of Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy 12 has always been one of my favorites (if not, my all-time favorite). While the story reeks of boring "political intrigue," the combat system (and particularly the Gambit System) is something else. To a software developer, it is pure heaven. The "Zodiac Age" adds in the Job System, infinite respecs, and a staggering amount of additional content. I finished this game last year with my good friend, but I decided for this playthrough I would also chase the Platinum. I've already got my sights set on Final Fantasy X, a game I played through once back when it first came out.
May 11 (3 Hours) 5 out of 5 Every now and then, a VR experience comes around that straight up surpasses the games that came before it. I've always been a fan of "The Room" series on my phone, but I don't think I'll be able to play one of those again now that I've experienced what is possible in VR. This is a wonderful, exciting experience.