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Beating Games

I heard there was a new resident evil out so I finally got around to playing the last one after claiming it on PS+. Village is pretty good! Rest of the game loses something after the hot vampire ladies bit but you’ve got a weird dude selling you incrementally better shotguns and that’s all I really need.
 
Beat A Tiny Sticker Tale. Short cute little game. Currently on sale on Switch for $5, normally $10. It's definitely worth $5, but at only a few hours long I dunno about $10. Still, I liked moving little guys around, helping cute animals and solving simple puzzles.
 
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Sarge said:
I did, however, do the whole questline that lets you boost your base statistics. There are spots in the game that boost your core stats, but you can "recharge" them by visiting the Clerics of the South and completing their quest to be deemed "worthy". It's repeatable, so I ended up with core stats above 40 (except Endurance, which weirdly capped at 27).
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I didn't play the NES version, but I did go through M&M 1-6 a few years back on PC. To my mind, this is what these games are. They're games about exploration to find all the ways to buff up your characters. There's often little tricks you can find in each game, to the point where it seemed to me that playing it with a guide would be near-pointless. Discovering the map is the game.
 
Nodal said:
I didn't play the NES version, but I did go through M&M 1-6 a few years back on PC. To my mind, this is what these games are. They're games about exploration to find all the ways to buff up your characters. There's often little tricks you can find in each game, to the point where it seemed to me that playing it with a guide would be near-pointless. Discovering the map is the game.
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Yeah, I think that's absolutely true. Just doing a straight-line run without exploring the world and seeing what it has to offer, including the feeling of "whoa, I just got a stat boost!", seems really contrary to the spirit of things.
 
I finished my Pokemon Platinum monotype Steel run. This was actually the first Pokemon game I played, when it released nearly 20 years ago. I had forgotten a lot of the details, but it came back to me as I played it. I really like the map and how it loops around for the first 3/4 of the game, it might be my favorite map in the first 5 gens. Good new & returning dex, too. The setting is a bit generic compared to the other regions, but overall I like the game a lot.

Steel ended up being super easy, as I expected. Empoleon and Bronzong can defend against every type of attack between them, and I was able to build them out to hit every type of weakness except for bug. Funny enough, there is a bug trainer in the elite 4, but his team is all dual-type, so I was able to target a weakness on each of them, anyway. I rounded out my team with Probopass, Steelix, Magnezone and Riolu (I did not bother evolving him because his egg hatched so late in the game).

Poison, Bug, Dark, and Steel runs down.
 
Finished off Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Imprisonment, which I will definitely say is an excellent game that I enjoyed quite a lot, but it was also probably the Nintendo-themed Musou game I wound up having the least affection for (bit of a toss up between this and the original Fire Emblem Warriors). I think a large part of that is that almost the entire cast are randos with minimal connection to any previous Zelda game (even most of the main characters pretty much only existed as faceless masked warriors in cutscene flashbacks in TotK), and the maps may have been the least interesting I've ever seen in a musou. On the other hand, the combat itself was incredibly fun and while their personalities were all non-existent, most of the characters were in fact VERY fun to bash monsters with.
 
And Pokemon ZA is done and dusted. I liked it a lot more than… most recent Pokemon games. Still feel like Arceus is the stronger game, but that’s not the one I finished, so, make of that data point as you will.

I think a lot of the appeal here is less on the catching and training of Pokemon and mostly on the back of the fact that almost every NPC is a friggin’ weirdo and I was *here for them*
 
Finished Pragmata last night. I heard a few days ago that some people refused to play another "sad dad" game and I can safely say that's not really what this game is. Hugh is a far cry from Joel in the Last of Us or Kratos in the new God of War, and his relationship to Diana (the robot kid) is very different than Atreus or Ellie and their relationships with their father/surrogate father in their respective games. (To be fair, there is a sad dad in the game whose motivations are heavily plot-related but you never interact with him, you only really see what happened to him.)

But gameplay is king and I think they do a fine job of creating a kind of meditative flow to the combat and exploration, although there are in-game challenges and post-game content if you want to test your skill. When I first saw the game I thought the hacking part might be a problem but enemies tend to either move slowly or they have openings. Eventually, strategic use of the correct hacking nodes, such as overheating or shock, are essential for handling some of the tougher encounters, like the Red Rooms. Special weapons are divided into offense, tactical, and defense categories, each of them with expected pros and cons, so most encounters can be completed in whatever style you prefer. (Some of the aforementioned challenges require more thought into what hacking nodes to use on which enemies and then which weapons to use, but I don't recall any of that being truly needed in the main game.) I can see why some folks are calling this "Dad Space" but I found a comparison to Dead Space specious at best.

I do wish we had more thoughtful moments between Hugh and Diana. The game ends on a bittersweet note but I felt some of the pathos - and I use that term loosely - wasn't entirely earned by the end of the game. There's something superficial about Hugh and Diana's relationship but maybe that's fine considering the runtime - I finished it in about 17 hours. That's forgivable considering how it sticks the landing in so many other ways. But as an actual parent whose children are grown now - my youngest is 16 in a month, my oldest is 20 - I felt like Hugh and Diana's relationship was slightly different than a parent/child relationship. Perhaps "Unc Space" would be more appropriate; their relationship felt more like the ones I have with my neices and nephews.

The game let's you play bingo by collecting coins you can use on the card squares, and who doesn't enjoy a little bingo and coin collecting?

Anyway, solid game. Felt a little empty at times but considering that it takes place on the moon and leans into that kind of isolation, perhaps that's tonally in line. Beautiful visuals, as expected from RE Engine. I found the characters to be endearing and genuine. Having said that, I have mixed thoughts about Eight, who seemed to me like a victim of the "genius" doctor. The game doesn't really address the hubris of creating artificial life but using it as if it's simply a tool for some greater purpose, but to be fair, considering the overall tone of the game, I did not expect them to address something like that.
 
Picked up Titanium Court on it's release last week and focused on trying to play it over the weekend because I've been so curious what the heck is going on with it. Beat it (at least got credits to roll) last night. There's definitely a ton left to explore and do but I'm super busy at work this week so glad I got a main goal accomplished before I wouldn't have time to play for a few days.

In the credits the creator describes it as a "Match Three Tower Defense game for people who like to read" and that's pretty spot on, although you are gaining more skills and card unlocks each run so there's roguelike in there too. There's certainly more to it but it was just delightful and lovely. And what started out as "faeries sure are weird, aren't they, haha" added a bit more depth in the story.

If you're sold on the mechanics of the game but unclear on the reading/story/exploration, the release date trailer gives an idea of the tone. The main game is a bit sillier but this is the basic format and how the faeries react to stuff.

 
It's the kind of game where being a Post-Rock Landscaper is an incredibly powerful build.
 
I beat Cyberpunk 2077, getting one ending and then the next day going back to get another ending. I won't go into detail here, but I did Panam's ending first and Reed's ending second. The first one was kinda just OK, to be honest, but the second one hit really hard, emotionally. It pulled a really cool trick with your character's visual appearance, and also it just resonated emotionally because the theme is something that I've always had trouble with myself. Game's well-written, turns out. Who'da thunk.

Anyway I gave into the temptation that had been building for weeks and immediately started a new character for a second playthrough to get the other endings.
 
I beat R-Type III: The Third Lightning. This game rules. I was surprised, because I didn't like R-Type II or Leo as much as the first game, but III was extremely fun. The stages felt more creative, and there was a solid challenge without feeling too cheap. Also, it made good use of the SNES capabilities without feeling gimmicky.

I chose the 3rd force option. The red arrow lasers were great, and I liked the scatter ones pretty well, but I was annoyed whenever I got stuck with the yellow capsule laser. I think I'm gonna come back and play the other force options someday.

Highly recommended. I just saw there's a remake coming out soon too.
 
I know R-Type III is considered pretty tough. There's definitely a segment towards the end I had to batter through with sheer memorization and a bit of luck. By the end, I came away with a positive impression as well. Great beat!
 
Finished Pragmata again tonight on Lunatic difficulty. Vicious HP sponge slog-ass bosses aside, it wasn't as difficult as one might assume. None of the items and "treasures" are remixed, so everything is right where you found it in a prior playthrough. (You have to finish the game once to unlock Lunatic difficulty.) Enemies hit harder but they follow the same behavior as before, with some enemies moving a bit faster, and they can be managed without much effort if you are using the right loadouts.

Between this and RE: Requiem, Capcom is a 2 for 2 this year. FIngers crossed that the new Onimusha is as good as those others.
 
Beat Mixtape.

I played it through Gamepass which was nice for such a short game and can't complain about any money lost, but I did not like the characters or the overall theme. These are the kinds of kids who bullied me in school because I wasn't cool enough to hang out with. I never had time to just fuck around like these kids and one character giving up on being incredibly good at sports just because she doesn't want to be a good kid anymore was baffling.

There's also just something really uncomfortable about so much of the story being obsessed with obtaining alcohol. And I do not like that the finale is setting a fire in the woods?! Just spoiled selfish characters with an infinite safety net they'd never admit they have.

It has a lot of fun moments (I liked how much different the batting controls were once you controlled the good character, neat mechanic) and I respect any game that does something weird and unique but this specific plot just didn't work for me.
 
Saros was pretty fun, although I think I enjoyed Returnal a bit more. General shootums was probably more fun in this one but I liked the atmosphere and weirdness better in the first game. Running into your house in the middle of an alien world is just a bit more inspired than a tree that reminds you that you are an asshole.
 
jpfriction said:
Saros was pretty fun, although I think I enjoyed Returnal a bit more. General shootums was probably more fun in this one but I liked the atmosphere and weirdness better in the first game. Running into your house in the middle of an alien world is just a bit more inspired than a tree that reminds you that you are an asshole.
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That second bit sounds like it would be in Silent Hill.
 
Finished Dishonoured (I'm Canadian so this gets a U). I know I could in theory win the game without killing people but... most of these people suck so I couldn't even pretend to want to Batman this. Most of the people I spared was out of thought they were not the complete worst or simply a convenient opportunity came along. I ended in HIGH CHAOS! Frankly, I couldn't be prouder. The game wasn't quite as long as I thought. When the big very forseeable twist happens I assumed we were only at the halfway point but I was much closer to the end than I thought. A lot of fun.
 
I beat Panzer Dragoon Saga. It might have been the fourth time? There's a difference this time, though - I did it on real discs. Yes, I... uh, entered the land of fiscal irresponsibility and bought a copy. It's been one of my holy grail games for forever, going all the way back to the whole reason I got a Saturn and modded it in the first place nearly 25 years ago - it was primarily to play this game. And while I don't hold it up as perfect (boy, would a remake help address a few issues), it's still one of the most unique games I've ever played, a one-of-one experience I recommend to anyone to at least try out any way you can. (Saturn emulation has gotten quite good in recent years.)
 
Finished The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales last night. I don't want to be dismissive but in more ways than one this game is Baby's First Zelda. Outside of a few particular events, like the Hero's Trails, the game mostly plays like an introduction to console-style action RPGs, and seems to have been made by people who assume you've never played a Zelda or Mana game in your life, which is to say the combat is easy even on higher difficulties and the puzzles are never actually puzzling, even without the companion constantly opening their mouth to provide hints only a child would appreciate.

I cannot express how often the companion opens her mouth to explain to you how to complete a "puzzle" or to chide you for not using your shield. I had to completely turn off voices two hours in so that I would not lose what little sanity I have left. There's even a setting that let's you flip the companion from Talkative to Reticent and, as far as I can tell, if barely does anything. I might actually be hallucinating a difference between the two settings.

I found the game to be mildy engaging, certainly engaging enough to keep playing but hardly exciting, until about 3/4s of the way through, and then the story finally takes a turn that kicks it up several notches. Nothing mindblowing by any stretch but some characters and motivations finally click into place. It provided a kind of motivation and urgency that I did not feel for the first 20-ish hours of the game's ~25-hour completion time. A shame it takes so long to get to the good stuff.

You'd think I didn't like the game but it's not a simple as that, because on the flipside it does a lot I like. The art direction is beautiful, love me some HD-2D games, and the story is straightfoward and charming. The 8-way directional combat is snappy, and there's a decent variety of weapons - think Secret of Mana here - that let you play in a variety of ways. Just want to swing a sword around? Strategic use of bombs? Snipe enemies from afar with the bow? High risk, high reward with the hammer? All of that's available. The magicite system, which increase weapon strength and augment weapons, is the only "level-up" system in the game and it kinda just works since the shards you need to make higher levels of magicite drop pretty much everywhere. It's a resource you'll just naturally pick up as you play. Very Octopath-ish soundtrack, and while YMMV there, it worked for me.

I had my fun with AOE:TMT but I'm not sure I can recommend it unless you are simply jonesing for something in the vein of classic Zelda or Mana, where the combat is decently punchy but the puzzle solving is perfunctory at best. And even then, I'd wait for a sale. $60 for what you get here is asking a bit much and you are probably better off spending that scratch on something else.
 
It is a shame that lots of people were (somewhat understandably) put off by the barefoot robot child, as Pragmata is a really solid, fun video game that is not afraid to be a video game. It feels like a Platinum game from the five or so years where they hit a homerun with almost every release. The hacking system works well enough and offers some neat strategic options to spice up the combat, even if the shooting aspect never gets much more interesting aside from a few limited weapons that can eat entire worlds if you use them smartly.
 
Insofar that I have a GOTY contender, it's either Pragmata or Resident Evil: Requiem. Yay Capcom, I guess.

But yeah, I was surprised at how much Pragmata clicked for me. Solid game.
 
Finished Deltarune Chapter 5, genuinely loved it a lot! Think it has the potential to be my favorite game of this year for sure.

Would write more but I woke up randomly in the middle of the night and just wanted to yell to the void about how much I love Deltarune. Crazy that we’re getting yearly releases now but im so happy to see this. Maybe some of the most heartfelt and funniest writing in the medium.
 
Disco Elysium done. Very satisfying game, a great variation on the classic adventure game model with a very engaging narrative and cast of characters.
 
Finished the original Gears of War on Xbox 360 in coop with my partner though Xbox Series X backwards compatibility (running at 60fps). Was a lot of fun, never played it properly before (only 4&5 and a bit of the XB1 remake) but really enjoyed it. Definitely the first game in the series, and had faults and issues, but overall I think it was surprisingly stronger than I expected. Going to play 2 at some point but not yet.

Looking forward to seeing how 2 improves things gameplay wise as while the first game was good, it was really rough combat wise in areas, particularly that you could not really have a strong animation indication of when you hit an enemy versus a game like RE4, which meant sometimes I’d shoot an enemy but not be sure if it entirely hit or not as they wouldn’t react at all.
Johnny Unusual said:
Disco Elysium done. Very satisfying game, a great variation on the classic adventure game model with a very engaging narrative and cast of characters.
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Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I played it last year and loved it,
 
Echoes of Wisdom was a fun game. In many ways, it felt like Baby's First Action Puzzle game but not in a bad way. Simple and fun meat and potatoes adventure game. Refreshing and a joy to play.
 
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