2023 Ranking
Ranking the games I played in 2023
See the all time list here: https://www.backloggd.com/u/COMPOSTCOMEFORTH/list/the-list-2/
I also wrote a little blurb of my thoughts on each game, if you care to read them (you don't)
See the all time list here: https://www.backloggd.com/u/COMPOSTCOMEFORTH/list/the-list-2/
I also wrote a little blurb of my thoughts on each game, if you care to read them (you don't)
52 Games
4.5 stars
The sequel to my favourite game of all time has finally arrived.
Did it manage to live up to the hype?
I have said before that all I needed from a Breath of the Wild sequel was the same game but with a new map to explore.
While it's true that this game uses the same basic overworld as its predecessor, I feel Tears of the Kingdom still has delivered on my request, as there have been enough changes made to it that I rarely ever noticed, outside of recognizing certain landmarks. The addition of brand-new sky islands and underground sections also helps keep things fresh.
The other major change from Breath of the Wild is the new suite of abilities that Link has this time around.
In my opinion, like those in the previous game, the new abilities are kind of a mixed bag.
Ascend and Rewind both feel weirdly situational for things that are considered main abilities, similar to how Cryonis used to be.
Fuse, on the other hand, was a much more regular part of my repertoire, and probably my favourite of the four.
Simultaneously improving weapon durability while also making enemy drops actually worth something was a great addition to the Breath of the Wild formula.
Last, but certainly not least, there is Multihand.
Going into the game, this is the thing that I (and probably most other people) were most excited to try.
And while making strange contraptions was fun for a while, it quickly lost its luster.
This is due to a number of factors, chief of which being the fact that whatever you built with Ultrahand does not persist when going through any sort of loading zone, including most notably, any shrine.
While there are ways to get around this, I was very disheartened when I discovered this was the case, because it meant taking the time to build something cool usually just ended up being a waste.
Playing the game you also quickly discover a number of optimal designs for things, at which point you rarely ever have any need to build anything else.
I feel like Nintendo expected Ultrahand to have a lot more longevity that it did, because it felt like a large chunk of the puzzles in this game consisted of building a device which could move some object from point A to point B.
This variation of puzzle was so frequent that eventually I just stopped doing them, unless I absolutely had to in order to proceed.
Overall, while I did sometimes wish I still had the previous game's abilities, my gripes with the ones found in Tears of the Kingdom were not too major.
Additionally, while not a major component of Zelda games for me, I was pleased to find the story in Tears of the Kingdom was better than its predecessor.
More interesting plot threads, more direct involvement in the events that occur, and just more plot threads in general all contributed to this.
Unfortunately, Tears of the Kingdom did not actually improve upon the quality of the writing, which holds things back from being truly spectacular.
Nevertheless, it was an improvement over Breath of the Wild's story, and I give it credit for that.
To wrap things up, if you were to ask me if this game lived up to the hype, I would say yes.
I would go so far as to say that Tears of the Kingdom is actually a better game than Breath of the Wild.
However, with regard to my personal enjoyment of the game, I would say that I still have to give the edge to Breath of the Wild.
The jump from traditional Zelda games to Breath of the Wild is simply way bigger than the one between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and for that reason, I don't think it was able to reach the same highs.
The sequel to my favourite game of all time has finally arrived.
Did it manage to live up to the hype?
I have said before that all I needed from a Breath of the Wild sequel was the same game but with a new map to explore.
While it's true that this game uses the same basic overworld as its predecessor, I feel Tears of the Kingdom still has delivered on my request, as there have been enough changes made to it that I rarely ever noticed, outside of recognizing certain landmarks. The addition of brand-new sky islands and underground sections also helps keep things fresh.
The other major change from Breath of the Wild is the new suite of abilities that Link has this time around.
In my opinion, like those in the previous game, the new abilities are kind of a mixed bag.
Ascend and Rewind both feel weirdly situational for things that are considered main abilities, similar to how Cryonis used to be.
Fuse, on the other hand, was a much more regular part of my repertoire, and probably my favourite of the four.
Simultaneously improving weapon durability while also making enemy drops actually worth something was a great addition to the Breath of the Wild formula.
Last, but certainly not least, there is Multihand.
Going into the game, this is the thing that I (and probably most other people) were most excited to try.
And while making strange contraptions was fun for a while, it quickly lost its luster.
This is due to a number of factors, chief of which being the fact that whatever you built with Ultrahand does not persist when going through any sort of loading zone, including most notably, any shrine.
While there are ways to get around this, I was very disheartened when I discovered this was the case, because it meant taking the time to build something cool usually just ended up being a waste.
Playing the game you also quickly discover a number of optimal designs for things, at which point you rarely ever have any need to build anything else.
I feel like Nintendo expected Ultrahand to have a lot more longevity that it did, because it felt like a large chunk of the puzzles in this game consisted of building a device which could move some object from point A to point B.
This variation of puzzle was so frequent that eventually I just stopped doing them, unless I absolutely had to in order to proceed.
Overall, while I did sometimes wish I still had the previous game's abilities, my gripes with the ones found in Tears of the Kingdom were not too major.
Additionally, while not a major component of Zelda games for me, I was pleased to find the story in Tears of the Kingdom was better than its predecessor.
More interesting plot threads, more direct involvement in the events that occur, and just more plot threads in general all contributed to this.
Unfortunately, Tears of the Kingdom did not actually improve upon the quality of the writing, which holds things back from being truly spectacular.
Nevertheless, it was an improvement over Breath of the Wild's story, and I give it credit for that.
To wrap things up, if you were to ask me if this game lived up to the hype, I would say yes.
I would go so far as to say that Tears of the Kingdom is actually a better game than Breath of the Wild.
However, with regard to my personal enjoyment of the game, I would say that I still have to give the edge to Breath of the Wild.
The jump from traditional Zelda games to Breath of the Wild is simply way bigger than the one between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and for that reason, I don't think it was able to reach the same highs.
REPLAY
4.5 stars (Score unchanged)
While I did replay the base game this year, this will mainly be a review of the DLC, both of which were released this year.
The Teal Mask was a strong start, especially compared to the similar midgame DLC, Isle of Armor, released for Sword and Shield.
While the new map was overall smaller and less interesting than the main game's one, the new Pokémon are great (with Ogerpon quickly becoming one of my all-time favourites), and the story, despite being self-contained, set up a lot of good character bits that I was excited to see expanded upon in the next DLC.
However, despite sharing the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero name, the Teal Mask had very little to do with the Area Zero plotline.
While at the time this was understandable, looking back now, I feel as if this may have been a mistake, as it put quite a great deal of pressure on the Indigo Disk to wrap up both the Area Zero plot from the main game and the character setup from the Teal Mask.
This is exactly where the Indigo Disk flounders a bit.
While it is a great follow-up to the Teal Mask, the conclusion to the Area Zero plot feels more like an afterthought, with it not even including the characters from the base game.
Thankfully, the second DLC makes up for fumbling in the story department with its fantastic gameplay.
The return of doubles, featuring semi-competitive strategies and held item usage, provides some of the most difficult gameplay in any of the mainline games, and I am here for it.
The selection of new and returning Pokémon and the new map to explore are both excellent as well.
Overall, I would say the DLC content offered in Scarlet and Violet outshines that of Sword and Shield.
Even if the story stumbled a bit in the end, the DLC still provided a ton of great content on top of an already great game, so I was a success in my books.
4.5 stars (Score unchanged)
While I did replay the base game this year, this will mainly be a review of the DLC, both of which were released this year.
The Teal Mask was a strong start, especially compared to the similar midgame DLC, Isle of Armor, released for Sword and Shield.
While the new map was overall smaller and less interesting than the main game's one, the new Pokémon are great (with Ogerpon quickly becoming one of my all-time favourites), and the story, despite being self-contained, set up a lot of good character bits that I was excited to see expanded upon in the next DLC.
However, despite sharing the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero name, the Teal Mask had very little to do with the Area Zero plotline.
While at the time this was understandable, looking back now, I feel as if this may have been a mistake, as it put quite a great deal of pressure on the Indigo Disk to wrap up both the Area Zero plot from the main game and the character setup from the Teal Mask.
This is exactly where the Indigo Disk flounders a bit.
While it is a great follow-up to the Teal Mask, the conclusion to the Area Zero plot feels more like an afterthought, with it not even including the characters from the base game.
Thankfully, the second DLC makes up for fumbling in the story department with its fantastic gameplay.
The return of doubles, featuring semi-competitive strategies and held item usage, provides some of the most difficult gameplay in any of the mainline games, and I am here for it.
The selection of new and returning Pokémon and the new map to explore are both excellent as well.
Overall, I would say the DLC content offered in Scarlet and Violet outshines that of Sword and Shield.
Even if the story stumbled a bit in the end, the DLC still provided a ton of great content on top of an already great game, so I was a success in my books.
4.5 stars
Disco Elysium has some of the best writing I've seen in a game.
It's fantastically witty, with great characters, an engaging mystery, a fleshed-out setting - basically anything you could want from a story.
If this was a book or a TV series, it would probably be one of my favourites.
However, Disco Elysium is neither of those things, but instead, a video game.
And that is where most of my problems stem from.
The majority of the gameplay is picking dialog options and walking around, which just isn't that engaging.
My least favourite part of the gameplay are the four base stats you choose at the start of the game, which provide hard caps to the levels which you can raise the skills in that category.
This was obviously intended to encourage different playstyles, but the level caps felt more like annoying restrictions to me, especially considering I really did not have a good understanding of what each of the skills did at the start, and thus was not really able to make an informed decision on how to allocate my points.
In the end though, the writing is so good that it makes any gameplay gripes more than worth it.
Disco Elysium has some of the best writing I've seen in a game.
It's fantastically witty, with great characters, an engaging mystery, a fleshed-out setting - basically anything you could want from a story.
If this was a book or a TV series, it would probably be one of my favourites.
However, Disco Elysium is neither of those things, but instead, a video game.
And that is where most of my problems stem from.
The majority of the gameplay is picking dialog options and walking around, which just isn't that engaging.
My least favourite part of the gameplay are the four base stats you choose at the start of the game, which provide hard caps to the levels which you can raise the skills in that category.
This was obviously intended to encourage different playstyles, but the level caps felt more like annoying restrictions to me, especially considering I really did not have a good understanding of what each of the skills did at the start, and thus was not really able to make an informed decision on how to allocate my points.
In the end though, the writing is so good that it makes any gameplay gripes more than worth it.
4.5 stars
The announcement of a definitive edition of Lisa, one of my favourite indie games, was quite a welcome surprise.
Who wouldn't want more content in a game they enjoyed, especially at the low cost of free?
Unfortunately, while the new content is very good, the definitive edition seems to be having quite a few issues with its release.
There are quite a few glitches, including a major one that I myself experienced, in which the definitive edition of the main game simply refused to download.
Normally, with glitches this bad, I would probably write the game off entirely.
However, since this is a free update to an existing game, and the original, non-definitive version of the game is still available and completely untouched, I am willing to give it a pass this time.
And with the new additions, I feel this truly will be the definitive way to play the game, once the bugs are ironed out.
The announcement of a definitive edition of Lisa, one of my favourite indie games, was quite a welcome surprise.
Who wouldn't want more content in a game they enjoyed, especially at the low cost of free?
Unfortunately, while the new content is very good, the definitive edition seems to be having quite a few issues with its release.
There are quite a few glitches, including a major one that I myself experienced, in which the definitive edition of the main game simply refused to download.
Normally, with glitches this bad, I would probably write the game off entirely.
However, since this is a free update to an existing game, and the original, non-definitive version of the game is still available and completely untouched, I am willing to give it a pass this time.
And with the new additions, I feel this truly will be the definitive way to play the game, once the bugs are ironed out.
4.5 stars
Half-Life: Alyx is often considered to be the single best VR game on the market, and having finally played it, I can confirm that those claims are justified.
Other VR games, while fun, feel more like expanded minigames than full gameplay experiences.
Half-Life: Alyx is (as far as I can tell) the first full game built from the ground up specifically for VR.
It's immersive in a way that no other game I've seen can be, to the point where it can get a bit intense sometimes.
If you have the means to play Half-Life: Alyx, you'd be doing a disservice to yourself not to.
Half-Life: Alyx is often considered to be the single best VR game on the market, and having finally played it, I can confirm that those claims are justified.
Other VR games, while fun, feel more like expanded minigames than full gameplay experiences.
Half-Life: Alyx is (as far as I can tell) the first full game built from the ground up specifically for VR.
It's immersive in a way that no other game I've seen can be, to the point where it can get a bit intense sometimes.
If you have the means to play Half-Life: Alyx, you'd be doing a disservice to yourself not to.
REPLAY
4.5 stars (Score unchanged)
Since the DLC for Elden Ring still seems quite far out from now, I decided to replay the game in advance.
This time around, I went for a melee-focused build, instead of the usual wizard-y build I gravitate toward while playing Souls games.
In doing so, I saw just how unbalanced this game really is.
The kind of damage output that would require a spellcaster to have a long windup and spend a ton of FP can be easily matched by a melee character simply walking up and hitting R1 a couple of times, with no cost other than stamina (which spells require too).
It's a bit sad that the most boring way to play also seems to be the most effective, as even the cooler weapon skills fall into the same trap as the spells, being too long and costly to make good use of.
That being said, I still greatly enjoyed playing Elden RIng in more of a completionist manner.
It was nice to see the NPC questlines and unique gear that I missed on my blind playthrough, and going through the game again reminded me of how much I loved the world this game has built.
Elden Ring is still a fantastic game, and I can't wait for the DLC.
4.5 stars (Score unchanged)
Since the DLC for Elden Ring still seems quite far out from now, I decided to replay the game in advance.
This time around, I went for a melee-focused build, instead of the usual wizard-y build I gravitate toward while playing Souls games.
In doing so, I saw just how unbalanced this game really is.
The kind of damage output that would require a spellcaster to have a long windup and spend a ton of FP can be easily matched by a melee character simply walking up and hitting R1 a couple of times, with no cost other than stamina (which spells require too).
It's a bit sad that the most boring way to play also seems to be the most effective, as even the cooler weapon skills fall into the same trap as the spells, being too long and costly to make good use of.
That being said, I still greatly enjoyed playing Elden RIng in more of a completionist manner.
It was nice to see the NPC questlines and unique gear that I missed on my blind playthrough, and going through the game again reminded me of how much I loved the world this game has built.
Elden Ring is still a fantastic game, and I can't wait for the DLC.
4.5 stars
As someone who really enjoys SRPGs conceptually, I have not actually played that many different entries in the genre.
Which is why I picked up Tactics Ogre: Reborn, as it was one which I had heard many good things about.
Having played it now I can see why it has been so praised.
Tactics Ogre has the winning combination of fun gameplay and an engaging story, which is all I really ask for in a game.
Of course, the game is not without its flaws.
The most notable one being that the game is exceedingly ugly.
Whoever thought that applying a terrible filter to the existing sprites was an ok thing to do for a remake should be fired.
It is made even more jarring when it stands in direct contrast to the gorgeous character artwork.
If I cared about graphics even slightly more, this would probably be enough to put me off the game entirely.
The other issues I had are much more minor in comparison, mainly consisting of strange gameplay quirks like a weird level cap system, and some seemingly superficial character customization options.
However, I hear that each of the three versions of this game have very different mechanics, so these may also just be Reborn specific.
I may end up trying the other versions when I inevitably revisit the game to do the other routes.
Regardless, Tactics Ogre: Reborn has still become one of my favourite SRPGs.
As someone who really enjoys SRPGs conceptually, I have not actually played that many different entries in the genre.
Which is why I picked up Tactics Ogre: Reborn, as it was one which I had heard many good things about.
Having played it now I can see why it has been so praised.
Tactics Ogre has the winning combination of fun gameplay and an engaging story, which is all I really ask for in a game.
Of course, the game is not without its flaws.
The most notable one being that the game is exceedingly ugly.
Whoever thought that applying a terrible filter to the existing sprites was an ok thing to do for a remake should be fired.
It is made even more jarring when it stands in direct contrast to the gorgeous character artwork.
If I cared about graphics even slightly more, this would probably be enough to put me off the game entirely.
The other issues I had are much more minor in comparison, mainly consisting of strange gameplay quirks like a weird level cap system, and some seemingly superficial character customization options.
However, I hear that each of the three versions of this game have very different mechanics, so these may also just be Reborn specific.
I may end up trying the other versions when I inevitably revisit the game to do the other routes.
Regardless, Tactics Ogre: Reborn has still become one of my favourite SRPGs.
ONGOING
4.5 stars
The most addicting rhythm game I've played, and probably the number one contributor to my decision to get a VR headset.
It's simple, it's fun, and thanks to custom songs it has near-infinite amounts of content.
A must-have game, if you have the means to actually play it.
4.5 stars
The most addicting rhythm game I've played, and probably the number one contributor to my decision to get a VR headset.
It's simple, it's fun, and thanks to custom songs it has near-infinite amounts of content.
A must-have game, if you have the means to actually play it.
9
4 stars
I have not played Silent Hill or any of the earlier Resident Evil games which Signalis draws inspiration from, so I really do not have anything to draw comparisons from.
So, taking the game purely at face value, I enjoyed Signalis quite a bit.
The survival-horror gameplay kept things tense, without devolving into the cheap scares so common in horror that I despise, and the story, while cryptic, had a nice emotional core that made it easier to care about.
The game is not without its flaws, however.
The inventory almost always felt too small, as every single type of item all took up an entire item slot, of which you only have 6 and cannot expand (at least, not in any way I could see).
This greatly limited the amount of gear I could carry, as you need to leave several slots open just to be able to pick up new items, especially since the game has an overabundance of "find X keys to open the big door" type puzzles.
Additionally, in one section of the game you lose access to your map, making it very miserable trying to backtrack to previously locked areas when you find new keys or the like in order to open them.
Overall though, the issues I had did not detract too much from my experience.
I have not played Silent Hill or any of the earlier Resident Evil games which Signalis draws inspiration from, so I really do not have anything to draw comparisons from.
So, taking the game purely at face value, I enjoyed Signalis quite a bit.
The survival-horror gameplay kept things tense, without devolving into the cheap scares so common in horror that I despise, and the story, while cryptic, had a nice emotional core that made it easier to care about.
The game is not without its flaws, however.
The inventory almost always felt too small, as every single type of item all took up an entire item slot, of which you only have 6 and cannot expand (at least, not in any way I could see).
This greatly limited the amount of gear I could carry, as you need to leave several slots open just to be able to pick up new items, especially since the game has an overabundance of "find X keys to open the big door" type puzzles.
Additionally, in one section of the game you lose access to your map, making it very miserable trying to backtrack to previously locked areas when you find new keys or the like in order to open them.
Overall though, the issues I had did not detract too much from my experience.
10
ONGOING
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Whenever I feel too smart, I boot up Baba is You to humble myself a little.
After slamming my head against the wall, I inevitably manage to complete a handful of levels, before putting the game back on the shelf.
At this rate I will 100% the game on my deathbed, but it's still an enjoyable experience.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Whenever I feel too smart, I boot up Baba is You to humble myself a little.
After slamming my head against the wall, I inevitably manage to complete a handful of levels, before putting the game back on the shelf.
At this rate I will 100% the game on my deathbed, but it's still an enjoyable experience.
REPLAY
4 stars (Up from 3.5 stars)
Final Fantasy XV is a very strange game.
While it claims to be "a Final Fantasy for Fans and First Timers" every time you boot up the game, I imagine any long-time fan of the series going into XV would just end up disappointed.
This is because the Final Fantasy part of XV is the worst part of the game.
Anything strategic about the combat in previous games has been replaced with mind-numbing action combat, where you simply hold down the attack button and moves just happen.
This has been improved slightly since I originally played the game, as the addition of swapping between party members to use each of there unique DLC moveset provides some much-needed variety, but it still feels more style than substance.
The overarching plot, which is usually a main draw of RPGs, is also lacking, famously requiring you to watch a separate movie to fully understand what is even happening (this too has been partially fixed, by literally just sticking scenes from the movie in the game as cutscenes)
The real draw of this Final Fantasy game is instead the things that do not play into the traditional formula, what I am calling the "roadtrip simulator" elements.
Driving around, stopping to look at whatever random thing you see that catches your eye, and minding things like how much gas you have and where you're gonna stay the night all contribute to making the game feel like four friends going on a roadtrip.
Of course, much like a real roadtrip, this leaves you with a lot of downtime, where you are just sitting in a car waiting to get to your destination.
Some people may rightfully find this tedious, but I personally found it oddly relaxing.
My personal favourite of the roadtrip sim elements is the random pictures Prompto will take throughout the trip, which you can go through any time you stay the night somewhere and save your favourites, making a sort of unique scrapbook for your playthrough.
Ultimately, I think how you approach Final Fantasy XV will determine what you get out of it.
Blitzing through the game like a normal RPG will probably leave you disappointed, but taking the time to really soak in the character interactions will give you a much more positive experience.
4 stars (Up from 3.5 stars)
Final Fantasy XV is a very strange game.
While it claims to be "a Final Fantasy for Fans and First Timers" every time you boot up the game, I imagine any long-time fan of the series going into XV would just end up disappointed.
This is because the Final Fantasy part of XV is the worst part of the game.
Anything strategic about the combat in previous games has been replaced with mind-numbing action combat, where you simply hold down the attack button and moves just happen.
This has been improved slightly since I originally played the game, as the addition of swapping between party members to use each of there unique DLC moveset provides some much-needed variety, but it still feels more style than substance.
The overarching plot, which is usually a main draw of RPGs, is also lacking, famously requiring you to watch a separate movie to fully understand what is even happening (this too has been partially fixed, by literally just sticking scenes from the movie in the game as cutscenes)
The real draw of this Final Fantasy game is instead the things that do not play into the traditional formula, what I am calling the "roadtrip simulator" elements.
Driving around, stopping to look at whatever random thing you see that catches your eye, and minding things like how much gas you have and where you're gonna stay the night all contribute to making the game feel like four friends going on a roadtrip.
Of course, much like a real roadtrip, this leaves you with a lot of downtime, where you are just sitting in a car waiting to get to your destination.
Some people may rightfully find this tedious, but I personally found it oddly relaxing.
My personal favourite of the roadtrip sim elements is the random pictures Prompto will take throughout the trip, which you can go through any time you stay the night somewhere and save your favourites, making a sort of unique scrapbook for your playthrough.
Ultimately, I think how you approach Final Fantasy XV will determine what you get out of it.
Blitzing through the game like a normal RPG will probably leave you disappointed, but taking the time to really soak in the character interactions will give you a much more positive experience.
12
FULL GAME UPGRADE
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Ultrakill is still the high-octane shooter I remember from the demo, which is of course exactly what I wanted.
It is a blast to fly all over the place, blasting enemies with the various unique weapons the game has to offer.
My one complaint with the game is its focus on the scoring system.
Setting high scores has never been something that drives me in games, and while in most instances I have been able to ignore scoring and just enjoy the game, Ultrakill forces you to engage with it, as entire levels are locked behind obtaining perfect ranks in the various chapters.
This made me like I needed to grind out perfect ranks on every level, just to be able to see all the content the game had to offer, which led to burnout fast.
Perhaps in the future there will be an easier way to unlock these stages, so that I will be able to return to the game and play it at my own pace, but for now it will remain shelved.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Ultrakill is still the high-octane shooter I remember from the demo, which is of course exactly what I wanted.
It is a blast to fly all over the place, blasting enemies with the various unique weapons the game has to offer.
My one complaint with the game is its focus on the scoring system.
Setting high scores has never been something that drives me in games, and while in most instances I have been able to ignore scoring and just enjoy the game, Ultrakill forces you to engage with it, as entire levels are locked behind obtaining perfect ranks in the various chapters.
This made me like I needed to grind out perfect ranks on every level, just to be able to see all the content the game had to offer, which led to burnout fast.
Perhaps in the future there will be an easier way to unlock these stages, so that I will be able to return to the game and play it at my own pace, but for now it will remain shelved.
REPLAY
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is arguably the best Monster Hunter game, so when a friend asked me to play Monster Hunter with him, that was one of my first choices.
The pool of new monsters are some of the best in the series, and the addition of verticality to the maps adds a lot to the combat.
Unfortunately, the game is held back quite a bit by being a 3DS exclusive, which led us to stop playing it and instead boot up Generations Ultimate, as I would then be able to play it on the Switch.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is arguably the best Monster Hunter game, so when a friend asked me to play Monster Hunter with him, that was one of my first choices.
The pool of new monsters are some of the best in the series, and the addition of verticality to the maps adds a lot to the combat.
Unfortunately, the game is held back quite a bit by being a 3DS exclusive, which led us to stop playing it and instead boot up Generations Ultimate, as I would then be able to play it on the Switch.
ONGOING
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Generations Ultimate was not my first choice for a Monster Hunter game to revisit.
I have always considered it one of my least favourite entries in the series, mainly due to my dislike of the arcade-y nature of additions like hunter arts and styles.
With that being said, Monster Hunter is a series in which the core gameplay between entries is so similar, so even being one of my least favourites is still fairly high praise.
Generations Ultimate does have a lot to like about it as well, such as the largest selection of monsters out of any mainline game in the series.
And of course, playing any game together with friends always makes things more enjoyable, and that is something Monster Hunter has always done well.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Generations Ultimate was not my first choice for a Monster Hunter game to revisit.
I have always considered it one of my least favourite entries in the series, mainly due to my dislike of the arcade-y nature of additions like hunter arts and styles.
With that being said, Monster Hunter is a series in which the core gameplay between entries is so similar, so even being one of my least favourites is still fairly high praise.
Generations Ultimate does have a lot to like about it as well, such as the largest selection of monsters out of any mainline game in the series.
And of course, playing any game together with friends always makes things more enjoyable, and that is something Monster Hunter has always done well.
15
4 stars
Despite not being good at rhythm or character action games, I couldn't help but enjoy Hi-Fi Rush.
Everything in the game oozes with fun, from the gameplay, to the artstyle, to the characters.
I heard the game compared to cult classics of the Gamecube era, and I certainly agree with that.
It really feels like a remnant from a time before game companies took a formulaic approach to every game.
Overall, Hi-Fi Rush had me thinking there might be hope for big game publishers yet.
Despite not being good at rhythm or character action games, I couldn't help but enjoy Hi-Fi Rush.
Everything in the game oozes with fun, from the gameplay, to the artstyle, to the characters.
I heard the game compared to cult classics of the Gamecube era, and I certainly agree with that.
It really feels like a remnant from a time before game companies took a formulaic approach to every game.
Overall, Hi-Fi Rush had me thinking there might be hope for big game publishers yet.
ONGOING
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Diehard competitive Smash fans may still think Melee is the best entry in the series, but as someone who enjoys Smash for the party game that it is, Ultimate is by far the best.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Diehard competitive Smash fans may still think Melee is the best entry in the series, but as someone who enjoys Smash for the party game that it is, Ultimate is by far the best.
REPLAY
4 stars (Up from 3 stars)
I first tried Emerald Rogue last year, and I bounced off it pretty hard.
However, seeing so many people playing it still to this day made me interested enough to give it another shot, and this time it hooked me.
If I were to wager a guess as to why, I would assume it was because this time around I managed to unlock key features, such as the ability to use any previously captured Pokémon as a starter, which opened up my options enough to make things fun.
I think any Pokémon fan should check out this impressive romhack.
4 stars (Up from 3 stars)
I first tried Emerald Rogue last year, and I bounced off it pretty hard.
However, seeing so many people playing it still to this day made me interested enough to give it another shot, and this time it hooked me.
If I were to wager a guess as to why, I would assume it was because this time around I managed to unlock key features, such as the ability to use any previously captured Pokémon as a starter, which opened up my options enough to make things fun.
I think any Pokémon fan should check out this impressive romhack.
REPLAY
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Stardew Valley is one of those games I come back to every once in a while and play obsessively for a bit before abruptly stopping.
This year; I was able to try the multiplayer with some friends.
While scheduling issues meant it never went past two sessions, it was still interesting to see how the game could be played as a full co-op experience or a more competitive one with things like individual wallets and a split farm map.
Will definitely come back to this again.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Stardew Valley is one of those games I come back to every once in a while and play obsessively for a bit before abruptly stopping.
This year; I was able to try the multiplayer with some friends.
While scheduling issues meant it never went past two sessions, it was still interesting to see how the game could be played as a full co-op experience or a more competitive one with things like individual wallets and a split farm map.
Will definitely come back to this again.
4 stars
Detroit may be more of an interactive movie than a game, and it may be an incredibly hamfisted metaphor for racism, but I still found it quite enjoyable.
The sheer amount of branching paths was admirable, and I found the characters, particularly Connor and Hank, very enjoyable.
My main complaint would be that in some scenarios I felt as if I did not have enough information to make the right decision, but these moments were few.
Additionally, while the David Cage-isms were still present, I felt that they were much more toned down than usual.
Over all, I would say this is the best of the Quantic Dream games by a long shot.
Detroit may be more of an interactive movie than a game, and it may be an incredibly hamfisted metaphor for racism, but I still found it quite enjoyable.
The sheer amount of branching paths was admirable, and I found the characters, particularly Connor and Hank, very enjoyable.
My main complaint would be that in some scenarios I felt as if I did not have enough information to make the right decision, but these moments were few.
Additionally, while the David Cage-isms were still present, I felt that they were much more toned down than usual.
Over all, I would say this is the best of the Quantic Dream games by a long shot.
20
4 stars
Combining a Persona-style time management relationship sim with card game mechanics, all under the guise of a shopkeeping game, sounds like a strange mix.
However, in the case of Potionomics, the contrasting elements work together surprisingly well.
Because potion brewing takes time, it encourages you to go hang out with other characters while you wait, which in turn allows you to get more tactics for selling the potions (in the form of new cards), as well as eventually discounts on their services.
Compared to other relationship sim-type games, where hanging out with characters feels like a completely separate thing, in Potionomics everything is directly tied into the goal of making as much profit as possible.
The only part I personally found lacking was the card minigame for haggling potion prices.
There are a lot of interesting card options to unlock, but none of them really seemed worth using when you could just brute force everything with your highest value cards.
If you are trying to scratch a card game itch, maybe look elsewhere, but otherwise Potionomics is pretty enjoyable.
Combining a Persona-style time management relationship sim with card game mechanics, all under the guise of a shopkeeping game, sounds like a strange mix.
However, in the case of Potionomics, the contrasting elements work together surprisingly well.
Because potion brewing takes time, it encourages you to go hang out with other characters while you wait, which in turn allows you to get more tactics for selling the potions (in the form of new cards), as well as eventually discounts on their services.
Compared to other relationship sim-type games, where hanging out with characters feels like a completely separate thing, in Potionomics everything is directly tied into the goal of making as much profit as possible.
The only part I personally found lacking was the card minigame for haggling potion prices.
There are a lot of interesting card options to unlock, but none of them really seemed worth using when you could just brute force everything with your highest value cards.
If you are trying to scratch a card game itch, maybe look elsewhere, but otherwise Potionomics is pretty enjoyable.
21
4 stars
If I did not know otherwise I would assume SuperHot's concept was originally made for VR.
Very fun game, and it's true that it makes you feel like some kind of badass action hero.
My one complaint is that the game is quite short.
There does seem to be some sort of endless mode to keep playing after completion, but the asking price is a bit high for what you get.
If you have the means to play it, and you can get it on sale, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
If I did not know otherwise I would assume SuperHot's concept was originally made for VR.
Very fun game, and it's true that it makes you feel like some kind of badass action hero.
My one complaint is that the game is quite short.
There does seem to be some sort of endless mode to keep playing after completion, but the asking price is a bit high for what you get.
If you have the means to play it, and you can get it on sale, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
ONGOING
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Risk of Rain 2 still remains one of my favourite rougelikes, simply due to the fact that it has co-op.
There are other things I like about it as well, such as the interesting movement options that are available, but being able to jump in with some friends and do a few runs is what keeps me coming back to this game.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
Risk of Rain 2 still remains one of my favourite rougelikes, simply due to the fact that it has co-op.
There are other things I like about it as well, such as the interesting movement options that are available, but being able to jump in with some friends and do a few runs is what keeps me coming back to this game.
REPLAY
4 stars (Score unchanged)
A classic from my childhood, I was worried it would not live up to the nostalgia.
Thankfully, I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
While the basic gameplay is fairly simple, there is enough variety in the short campaign to keep you entertained throughout.
For the asking price of under $5, it's a steal.
4 stars (Score unchanged)
A classic from my childhood, I was worried it would not live up to the nostalgia.
Thankfully, I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
While the basic gameplay is fairly simple, there is enough variety in the short campaign to keep you entertained throughout.
For the asking price of under $5, it's a steal.
24
REPLAY
3.5 stars (Down from 4 stars)
I attempted a replay of Subnautica this year, but quickly ended up putting it down.
While I still enjoy the premise and setting of the game, a replay brought to my attention some issues that I had previously looked over.
Firstly, the base building in Subnautica leaves a lot to be desired.
Positioning structures is difficult, as outside of the outermost base components, there is no way to snap things into place, and there were certain buildables, like oxygen pipes, which I could not get to work at all.
The other issue which I found had more to do with the fact I was replaying the game, and was actually something I would have considered a strength previously.
Subnautica is a somewhat story-driven survival game, which makes an initial playthrough interesting, but makes replays much less engaging.
Waiting for specific events to happen, or tracking down enough pieces of some equipment to unlock the recipe to build your own is just annoying the second time around.
While this was disappointing, I did not end up considering this in my rescoring of the game, as I feel that replayability is not really that big of a deal for most games.
However, the issues with building ended up being enough for me to lower the score by half a point.
3.5 stars (Down from 4 stars)
I attempted a replay of Subnautica this year, but quickly ended up putting it down.
While I still enjoy the premise and setting of the game, a replay brought to my attention some issues that I had previously looked over.
Firstly, the base building in Subnautica leaves a lot to be desired.
Positioning structures is difficult, as outside of the outermost base components, there is no way to snap things into place, and there were certain buildables, like oxygen pipes, which I could not get to work at all.
The other issue which I found had more to do with the fact I was replaying the game, and was actually something I would have considered a strength previously.
Subnautica is a somewhat story-driven survival game, which makes an initial playthrough interesting, but makes replays much less engaging.
Waiting for specific events to happen, or tracking down enough pieces of some equipment to unlock the recipe to build your own is just annoying the second time around.
While this was disappointing, I did not end up considering this in my rescoring of the game, as I feel that replayability is not really that big of a deal for most games.
However, the issues with building ended up being enough for me to lower the score by half a point.
ONGOING
3.5 stars (Score unchanged)
World of Horror finally got a full release this year, but what does that mean for the game?
Not much it turns out.
It feels about on par with the updates the game has received previously, adding a few new characters, mysteries, and achievements.
But as for major improvements, such as the previously promised alternate game modes, are still nowhere to be found.
While this is a bit disappointing, what has been added continues to be enjoyable, so my score remains unchanged.
3.5 stars (Score unchanged)
World of Horror finally got a full release this year, but what does that mean for the game?
Not much it turns out.
It feels about on par with the updates the game has received previously, adding a few new characters, mysteries, and achievements.
But as for major improvements, such as the previously promised alternate game modes, are still nowhere to be found.
While this is a bit disappointing, what has been added continues to be enjoyable, so my score remains unchanged.
3.5 stars
I really wanted to like Skies of Arcadia more than I did.
The presentation is just so great, with excellent visuals, charming (and surprisingly expressive) characters, a cool setting, and a fun story that feels like one of the better Saturday morning cartoons.
The game even tries to take a unique approach when it comes to the RPG combat, with the switching of elements, unique skill/magic system, and ship combat, and it plays out in a way that is very dynamic and fun to watch.
All of this should lead to a game that becomes one of my favourites, but sadly, there is one fatal flaw with Skies of Arcadia: the encounter rate.
The game falls into the same trap as many older RPGs, where there is a random encounter almost every two steps.
It doesn't matter how interesting your combat is, if you are bombarded with it constantly it will get old fast, and that's exactly what happened.
There's really no break from it either, as even while flying your ship, there are still encounters constantly (regular human fights, mind you, not ship ones for whatever reason).
With the only safe haven from the constant onslaught of fodder being towns, the game quickly became exhausting.
I would like to finish this game at some point, but for now I have to shelve it.
I really wanted to like Skies of Arcadia more than I did.
The presentation is just so great, with excellent visuals, charming (and surprisingly expressive) characters, a cool setting, and a fun story that feels like one of the better Saturday morning cartoons.
The game even tries to take a unique approach when it comes to the RPG combat, with the switching of elements, unique skill/magic system, and ship combat, and it plays out in a way that is very dynamic and fun to watch.
All of this should lead to a game that becomes one of my favourites, but sadly, there is one fatal flaw with Skies of Arcadia: the encounter rate.
The game falls into the same trap as many older RPGs, where there is a random encounter almost every two steps.
It doesn't matter how interesting your combat is, if you are bombarded with it constantly it will get old fast, and that's exactly what happened.
There's really no break from it either, as even while flying your ship, there are still encounters constantly (regular human fights, mind you, not ship ones for whatever reason).
With the only safe haven from the constant onslaught of fodder being towns, the game quickly became exhausting.
I would like to finish this game at some point, but for now I have to shelve it.
REPLAY
3.5 stars (Score unchanged)
Replaying Rise on PC did not change my opinions on the game at all.
The absurd amount of tools the game gives you makes things too easy, and the oversimplification of the "hunting" elements made Rise feel more like a glorified boss rush.
That being said, the basic gameplay is still fun, and Rise, like other Monster Hunter games, remains a great co-op experience.
3.5 stars (Score unchanged)
Replaying Rise on PC did not change my opinions on the game at all.
The absurd amount of tools the game gives you makes things too easy, and the oversimplification of the "hunting" elements made Rise feel more like a glorified boss rush.
That being said, the basic gameplay is still fun, and Rise, like other Monster Hunter games, remains a great co-op experience.
REPLAY
3.5 stars (Down from 4 stars)
I had fond memories of White 2, and used to even consider it one of the better Pokémon games.
While it is true that it is an improvement over the previous generation 5 games, it is still full of mediocre Pokémon designs and way too many cutscenes for a story that just isn't very good.
And while it's not really the game's fault, going back from the modern Pokémon's quality of life back to this was pretty brutal.
That being said, it was still an enjoyable experience for the most part, so I only ended up lowering my score by half a star.
3.5 stars (Down from 4 stars)
I had fond memories of White 2, and used to even consider it one of the better Pokémon games.
While it is true that it is an improvement over the previous generation 5 games, it is still full of mediocre Pokémon designs and way too many cutscenes for a story that just isn't very good.
And while it's not really the game's fault, going back from the modern Pokémon's quality of life back to this was pretty brutal.
That being said, it was still an enjoyable experience for the most part, so I only ended up lowering my score by half a star.
3 stars
Northern Journey is a game with impeccable atmosphere, and if that alone could carry a game, it would be an instant 10/10.
Unfortunately, Northern Journey is lacking polish in most of the actual gameplay systems, something which I can only assume stems from the game having a single developer.
Janky movement, a confusing control scheme, and frankly bad menus all contribute to this unpolished feeling.
The game feels somewhat Metroidvania-esque, in which you revisit old areas with new items that allow you to access more of that area, which would be fine if it wasn't for the cryptic descriptions and lack of a functional map preventing you from actually figuring out where to go next.
I ended up putting the game down after backtracking to an old area with an item, only to find out it led to an optional power-up and no leads as to where to head next.
I will probably return to the game at some point, as the atmosphere is just that good, but for now I will be taking a break from the more frustrating aspects.
Northern Journey is a game with impeccable atmosphere, and if that alone could carry a game, it would be an instant 10/10.
Unfortunately, Northern Journey is lacking polish in most of the actual gameplay systems, something which I can only assume stems from the game having a single developer.
Janky movement, a confusing control scheme, and frankly bad menus all contribute to this unpolished feeling.
The game feels somewhat Metroidvania-esque, in which you revisit old areas with new items that allow you to access more of that area, which would be fine if it wasn't for the cryptic descriptions and lack of a functional map preventing you from actually figuring out where to go next.
I ended up putting the game down after backtracking to an old area with an item, only to find out it led to an optional power-up and no leads as to where to head next.
I will probably return to the game at some point, as the atmosphere is just that good, but for now I will be taking a break from the more frustrating aspects.
30
3 stars
With Pikmin 4 finally releasing this year, I found myself falling into the Pikmin hype as well.
Though instead of jumping directly into the new release, I opted instead to start at the beginning and work my way forwards, as I figured it would be easier than trying to go back from the quality of life of the later games.
This seems to have been a good idea, because while the DNA of what makes the series so fun can definitely be found in Pikmin 1, the game is very rough around the edges.
I often felt more like I was fighting against the controls and the AI of my pikmin rather than the hostile creatures of the planet, and the limited number of days, while more than enough to complete the game, still was a source of stress for me.
With Pikmin 4 finally releasing this year, I found myself falling into the Pikmin hype as well.
Though instead of jumping directly into the new release, I opted instead to start at the beginning and work my way forwards, as I figured it would be easier than trying to go back from the quality of life of the later games.
This seems to have been a good idea, because while the DNA of what makes the series so fun can definitely be found in Pikmin 1, the game is very rough around the edges.
I often felt more like I was fighting against the controls and the AI of my pikmin rather than the hostile creatures of the planet, and the limited number of days, while more than enough to complete the game, still was a source of stress for me.
3 stars
I am what I'd call a casual Ace Attorney fan.
I like the games, but I wouldn't say I love them as much as other people.
Great Ace Attorney is widely considered by fans to be one of the better games in the series, so when I saw this collection on sale, I decided to check it out.
Having played some of it, I don't really unerstand the praise.
While the new setting (and lack of baggage that comes with the old setting) is a breath of fresh air, Great Ace Attorney did bot seem all that different from the other games in the series.
I did end up getting distracted by other things and shelving this game, so it's probably not fair to judge the game too harshly.
Perhaps when I pick up the game again, I will see what the hype is about.
I am what I'd call a casual Ace Attorney fan.
I like the games, but I wouldn't say I love them as much as other people.
Great Ace Attorney is widely considered by fans to be one of the better games in the series, so when I saw this collection on sale, I decided to check it out.
Having played some of it, I don't really unerstand the praise.
While the new setting (and lack of baggage that comes with the old setting) is a breath of fresh air, Great Ace Attorney did bot seem all that different from the other games in the series.
I did end up getting distracted by other things and shelving this game, so it's probably not fair to judge the game too harshly.
Perhaps when I pick up the game again, I will see what the hype is about.
3 stars
It's Monster Hunter, but as an MMO.
The former being a positive, while the latter is a negative.
What little I saw of the Frontier-exclusive content seemed pretty cool, but I also did not make it far enough to reach the point where it jumped the shark.
Beyond the annoying MMO trappings, my experience was also marred by the fact that the game is not fully translated.
You might think it unfair to lower the score of a game because modders have not fully translated it yet, but this is my list so I can do whatever I want.
It's Monster Hunter, but as an MMO.
The former being a positive, while the latter is a negative.
What little I saw of the Frontier-exclusive content seemed pretty cool, but I also did not make it far enough to reach the point where it jumped the shark.
Beyond the annoying MMO trappings, my experience was also marred by the fact that the game is not fully translated.
You might think it unfair to lower the score of a game because modders have not fully translated it yet, but this is my list so I can do whatever I want.
3 stars
An engaging setting and story premise had me hooked by Planescape: Torment from the get go.
However, miserable combat and gameplay systems which feel inscrutable by todays standards quickly led to me losing interest.
It is very disappoining, as the game stands out so much compared to other CRPGs, but sadly it did not stand out im the ways which matter most to me.
An engaging setting and story premise had me hooked by Planescape: Torment from the get go.
However, miserable combat and gameplay systems which feel inscrutable by todays standards quickly led to me losing interest.
It is very disappoining, as the game stands out so much compared to other CRPGs, but sadly it did not stand out im the ways which matter most to me.
3 stars
One of these days I will stop buying into the hype for games which have seemingly obtained universal praise.
Surely if everyone and their mother is saying how good Baldur's Gate 3 is, it must be something special, right?
Sadly, despite (or perhaps because of) the hype, I ended up disappointed with the game.
While it is an impressive adaptation of D&D setting and mechanics into a video game medium, this is by no means entirely a good thing.
The D&D mechanics come with an overeliance on dice rolls to determine the result of dialog options, which, without the capacity for creative interpretation that a human gamemaster provides, can be frustrating when you fail a check which should be simple and are punished for it.
Another issue stemming from the conversion to a video game is travel.
While in a tabletop setting it is simple to hand wave away uneventful travel time, in a video game with a pseudo open map, this filler is present in full force.
While there is some fast travel, too much of my playtime was spent trekking through the same forest over and over, trying to use the unhelpful map to determine what sections I had not yet scoured for the next plot hook, something which a real gamemaster would inevitably just shortcut.
These combined issues eventually led to me dropping the game, although I may consider coming back to it in the future.
One of these days I will stop buying into the hype for games which have seemingly obtained universal praise.
Surely if everyone and their mother is saying how good Baldur's Gate 3 is, it must be something special, right?
Sadly, despite (or perhaps because of) the hype, I ended up disappointed with the game.
While it is an impressive adaptation of D&D setting and mechanics into a video game medium, this is by no means entirely a good thing.
The D&D mechanics come with an overeliance on dice rolls to determine the result of dialog options, which, without the capacity for creative interpretation that a human gamemaster provides, can be frustrating when you fail a check which should be simple and are punished for it.
Another issue stemming from the conversion to a video game is travel.
While in a tabletop setting it is simple to hand wave away uneventful travel time, in a video game with a pseudo open map, this filler is present in full force.
While there is some fast travel, too much of my playtime was spent trekking through the same forest over and over, trying to use the unhelpful map to determine what sections I had not yet scoured for the next plot hook, something which a real gamemaster would inevitably just shortcut.
These combined issues eventually led to me dropping the game, although I may consider coming back to it in the future.
ONGOING
3 stars
A fun little roguelike in the vein of something like Slay the Spire.
Rolling dice instead of playing cards is an interesting mix-up to what has quickly become a formulaic genre of games, but even with them only being six-sided, there is still quite a bit of variance.
This can lead to very swingy encounters, as pure luck can have you either winning in a snap, or getting destroyed instantly, and it doesn't always feel like it is something you can control.
Still, it's a fun little game if you can get it for cheap.
3 stars
A fun little roguelike in the vein of something like Slay the Spire.
Rolling dice instead of playing cards is an interesting mix-up to what has quickly become a formulaic genre of games, but even with them only being six-sided, there is still quite a bit of variance.
This can lead to very swingy encounters, as pure luck can have you either winning in a snap, or getting destroyed instantly, and it doesn't always feel like it is something you can control.
Still, it's a fun little game if you can get it for cheap.
36
ONGOING
3 stars (Score unchanged)
I played a handful of games of Dota this year with friends.
While still probably not something I'd ever dig deep into, playing a few rounds of Dota without being super competitive can be quite enjoyable, even without custom games.
3 stars (Score unchanged)
I played a handful of games of Dota this year with friends.
While still probably not something I'd ever dig deep into, playing a few rounds of Dota without being super competitive can be quite enjoyable, even without custom games.
37
FULL GAME UPGRADE
3 stars
I first played the demo for Potion Craft back in 2021.
Sadly, the full release has been a bit disappointing.
The highlights of the game are the actual potion-creating mechanics, which are very interactive, and encourage a lot of experimentation.
Playing the demo, this was the main draw for me, and it is still the most enjoyable part, but the issues I have with the game hold it back quite a bit.
Progression is slow and repetitive, and despite the focus on experimentation, customers are often just asking for the same potions over and over again.
The game does provide a recipe book, allowing you to save potions you've created and instantly remake them, in order to help with this.
However, due to the nature of how potion ingredients are gathered in this game, there's no guarantee you will actually have all the ingredients you need to use the saved recipe, meaning you'll often have to recreate the same potion from scratch using other ingredients.
Overall, this leads to a game with starts out strong, but quickly becomes boring.
The developer is apparently working on free updates, so here's hoping they will fix these problems.
3 stars
I first played the demo for Potion Craft back in 2021.
Sadly, the full release has been a bit disappointing.
The highlights of the game are the actual potion-creating mechanics, which are very interactive, and encourage a lot of experimentation.
Playing the demo, this was the main draw for me, and it is still the most enjoyable part, but the issues I have with the game hold it back quite a bit.
Progression is slow and repetitive, and despite the focus on experimentation, customers are often just asking for the same potions over and over again.
The game does provide a recipe book, allowing you to save potions you've created and instantly remake them, in order to help with this.
However, due to the nature of how potion ingredients are gathered in this game, there's no guarantee you will actually have all the ingredients you need to use the saved recipe, meaning you'll often have to recreate the same potion from scratch using other ingredients.
Overall, this leads to a game with starts out strong, but quickly becomes boring.
The developer is apparently working on free updates, so here's hoping they will fix these problems.
3 stars
Siralim Ultimate is an interesting approach to the monster-catching genre, having a major focus on team synergy over individual creatures.
Each monster can be highly customized in order to fill whatever niche you need for the strategy you are trying to make.
You can even fuse two monsters together, although I was disappointed to find out this could only be done once.
Once you have assembled your perfect strategy, however, there's not much else left to do, as a well-made team can basically defeat any encounter, so you end up just blitzing through the game.
Occasionally you will find a new spell gem or monster ability that further improves upon your strategy, but that's really it, as the story is practically non-existent and the areas are all reskins of one another.
Perhaps a more min/max oriented person would get better enjoyment out of this, but I found myself getting bored.
Siralim Ultimate is an interesting approach to the monster-catching genre, having a major focus on team synergy over individual creatures.
Each monster can be highly customized in order to fill whatever niche you need for the strategy you are trying to make.
You can even fuse two monsters together, although I was disappointed to find out this could only be done once.
Once you have assembled your perfect strategy, however, there's not much else left to do, as a well-made team can basically defeat any encounter, so you end up just blitzing through the game.
Occasionally you will find a new spell gem or monster ability that further improves upon your strategy, but that's really it, as the story is practically non-existent and the areas are all reskins of one another.
Perhaps a more min/max oriented person would get better enjoyment out of this, but I found myself getting bored.
39
3 stars
A visually interesting puzzle game that feels pretentious at times.
The puzzles themselves are fairly same-y, but the game's short run time meant it was over before anything got too stale.
Something worth noting is I played this game for free via Xbox Gamepass, which may have coloured my opinion quote a bit.
If I had paid the full asking price for this I would've been majorly upset at what I got.
Try it if it seems interesting and you have Gamepass, otherwise I'd suggest skipping.
A visually interesting puzzle game that feels pretentious at times.
The puzzles themselves are fairly same-y, but the game's short run time meant it was over before anything got too stale.
Something worth noting is I played this game for free via Xbox Gamepass, which may have coloured my opinion quote a bit.
If I had paid the full asking price for this I would've been majorly upset at what I got.
Try it if it seems interesting and you have Gamepass, otherwise I'd suggest skipping.
40
3 stars
As someone who likes both Zelda and Dark Souls, I should be really into Tunic.
But despite enjoying both of the main inspirations for the game, I found myself bouncing off Tunic fairly hard.
If I was to guess why, I think it might have to do with the lack of a narrative.
While neither Zelda nor Dark Souls are the paragons of engaging storytelling, they usually at least tell you why you are doing the things you do, something which Tunic seems to lack.
I do want to like this game, so I may try it again in the future, but for now I have to put it down.
As someone who likes both Zelda and Dark Souls, I should be really into Tunic.
But despite enjoying both of the main inspirations for the game, I found myself bouncing off Tunic fairly hard.
If I was to guess why, I think it might have to do with the lack of a narrative.
While neither Zelda nor Dark Souls are the paragons of engaging storytelling, they usually at least tell you why you are doing the things you do, something which Tunic seems to lack.
I do want to like this game, so I may try it again in the future, but for now I have to put it down.
41
2.5 stars
Very interesting concept, but lacking in execution.
There are not a lot of sci-fi horror games that put you on the side of the horror itself, so it's pretty fun to slither around and pick off terrified humans one by one.
But the novelty quickly wears off once you realize that the rest of the game is an exceedingly barebones attempt at a Metroidvania, with very little in the way of collectibles, and repetitive puzzles mainly consisting of finding holes to slither into so that you can open a door.
Additionally, the game features some truly baffling gameplay decisions.
There were two control schemes that I tried, controller and keyboard + mouse, but both options felt lacking.
The controller allowed for more controlled movement with the stick, but lead to a lack of control with your tentacle-based grab, while the mouse made grabbing things easy, but movement difficult due to the fact that the mouse aimed both your movement and your tentacle.
While one might expect that a horrific flesh abomination would be able to tear through swathes of squishy humans with ease, in reality, anyone with a gun can be a threat, meaning to avoid unnecessary damage, you usually end up taking a stealth approach.
Taking damage can be very punishing, as the amount of health you have determines how large you are, as well as your abilities, leading to scenarios where you take too much damage in a fight to be able to use the ability you need to progress, or times when you have to actively give up half your health just to be able to proceed.
All in all, I can't help but feel disappointed with Carrion.
Very interesting concept, but lacking in execution.
There are not a lot of sci-fi horror games that put you on the side of the horror itself, so it's pretty fun to slither around and pick off terrified humans one by one.
But the novelty quickly wears off once you realize that the rest of the game is an exceedingly barebones attempt at a Metroidvania, with very little in the way of collectibles, and repetitive puzzles mainly consisting of finding holes to slither into so that you can open a door.
Additionally, the game features some truly baffling gameplay decisions.
There were two control schemes that I tried, controller and keyboard + mouse, but both options felt lacking.
The controller allowed for more controlled movement with the stick, but lead to a lack of control with your tentacle-based grab, while the mouse made grabbing things easy, but movement difficult due to the fact that the mouse aimed both your movement and your tentacle.
While one might expect that a horrific flesh abomination would be able to tear through swathes of squishy humans with ease, in reality, anyone with a gun can be a threat, meaning to avoid unnecessary damage, you usually end up taking a stealth approach.
Taking damage can be very punishing, as the amount of health you have determines how large you are, as well as your abilities, leading to scenarios where you take too much damage in a fight to be able to use the ability you need to progress, or times when you have to actively give up half your health just to be able to proceed.
All in all, I can't help but feel disappointed with Carrion.
2.5 stars
I think this sort of game just isn't for me.
Much like my experience with Dragon Age: Origins last year, I found myself quickly getting bored in Divinity and dropping the game.
I'm not sure why this is the case, as I usually enjoy the kind of strategic combat found in these games, but for some reason, if you throw it into a 3D isometric game and my eyes just glaze over.
Much like Dragon Age, I did enjoy the various party members Divinity had to offer, so I may come back to this at some point, but for now, it will stay abandoned.
I think this sort of game just isn't for me.
Much like my experience with Dragon Age: Origins last year, I found myself quickly getting bored in Divinity and dropping the game.
I'm not sure why this is the case, as I usually enjoy the kind of strategic combat found in these games, but for some reason, if you throw it into a 3D isometric game and my eyes just glaze over.
Much like Dragon Age, I did enjoy the various party members Divinity had to offer, so I may come back to this at some point, but for now, it will stay abandoned.
2.5 stars
YIIK is a game that needs no introduction.
Near universally panned by just about everyone, I would be lying if I said my original interest in this game was anything more than morbid curiosity.
And now, after 100%ing the game, I can say the game is both better and worse than I expected.
Let's get the bad out of the way first: the game is simply not fun.
The best way I could describe it is that it is like someone saw a single battle from the Mario and Luigi RPGs series and tried to replicate it form memory years later.
Almost every ability has some sort of minigame attached to it, but unlike Mario and Luigi, these minigames are stagnant throughout the entire game.
It is especially egregious with enemy attacks, as there are a total of three minigames for them in the entire game, with one of which only being used by a single boss for some reason.
Pair this with spongey enemies and the pathetic damage output for most player attacks, and you get battle that are an ungodly slog.
Apparently the combat has been updated since the game's original release, but the changes range from ineffective (simplified minigames for basic attacks) to downright makign the game worse (such as the tacked on elemental system).
The game's story unfortunately does not fair much better than the combat.
The plot is plagued with bad pacing, terrible character monologues, and some questionable at best parallels to real life murder cases, topped off with what I can only call an utterly nonsensical system of metaphysics.
With a description like this, you might think it would he easy to write off YIIK entirely.
However, there are enough crumbs of a good game hidden in the garbage that I can't bring myself to do so.
The presentation of the game is unique, and the soundtrack is genuinely good.
The basic plot outline of investigating strange happenings from an online message board and gradually piecing together a larger mystery could have been great were it for the many problems with the execution.
There is enough here that I would rather see YIIK get the (admittedly massive) amount of polish it needs, rather than it being left to rot.
Supposedly, there is another major update yet to come for YIIK, and while I am not optimistic that it will be the total overhaul the game needs, I do hope for the best.
YIIK is a game that needs no introduction.
Near universally panned by just about everyone, I would be lying if I said my original interest in this game was anything more than morbid curiosity.
And now, after 100%ing the game, I can say the game is both better and worse than I expected.
Let's get the bad out of the way first: the game is simply not fun.
The best way I could describe it is that it is like someone saw a single battle from the Mario and Luigi RPGs series and tried to replicate it form memory years later.
Almost every ability has some sort of minigame attached to it, but unlike Mario and Luigi, these minigames are stagnant throughout the entire game.
It is especially egregious with enemy attacks, as there are a total of three minigames for them in the entire game, with one of which only being used by a single boss for some reason.
Pair this with spongey enemies and the pathetic damage output for most player attacks, and you get battle that are an ungodly slog.
Apparently the combat has been updated since the game's original release, but the changes range from ineffective (simplified minigames for basic attacks) to downright makign the game worse (such as the tacked on elemental system).
The game's story unfortunately does not fair much better than the combat.
The plot is plagued with bad pacing, terrible character monologues, and some questionable at best parallels to real life murder cases, topped off with what I can only call an utterly nonsensical system of metaphysics.
With a description like this, you might think it would he easy to write off YIIK entirely.
However, there are enough crumbs of a good game hidden in the garbage that I can't bring myself to do so.
The presentation of the game is unique, and the soundtrack is genuinely good.
The basic plot outline of investigating strange happenings from an online message board and gradually piecing together a larger mystery could have been great were it for the many problems with the execution.
There is enough here that I would rather see YIIK get the (admittedly massive) amount of polish it needs, rather than it being left to rot.
Supposedly, there is another major update yet to come for YIIK, and while I am not optimistic that it will be the total overhaul the game needs, I do hope for the best.
2.5 stars
A cute little roguelike monster-catching RPG.
For a first-time game dev, it is pretty impressive, however it is a bit basic.
I look forward to seeing what else this dev can do.
A cute little roguelike monster-catching RPG.
For a first-time game dev, it is pretty impressive, however it is a bit basic.
I look forward to seeing what else this dev can do.
45
DEMO
2.5 stars
A barebones roguelike shooter elevated by the fact that it is in VR.
Manually firing and reloading the guns is engaging when done with the motion controls, and the pixel artstyle is interesting to look at in virtual reality.
The demo was a bit lacking in content, but I will probably buy the full game at some point.
2.5 stars
A barebones roguelike shooter elevated by the fact that it is in VR.
Manually firing and reloading the guns is engaging when done with the motion controls, and the pixel artstyle is interesting to look at in virtual reality.
The demo was a bit lacking in content, but I will probably buy the full game at some point.
2.5 stars
Ancient Enemy stands out among other card-based RPG games by eschewing the typical deck-building approach most of these games take, instead opting to just use a simplified version of solitaire to determine which actions you can take.
While this is certainly a unique take on the genre, it is rather simplistic, and though the game introduces new mechanics at a steady pace, it can still feel quite repetitive.
Ancient Enemy also differs from its peers by being a mostly linear story-driven experience, compared to the usual roguelike approach its contemporaries take.
I can't help but feel like this was a bad decision, as the various systems (such as single-use items and the way in which you unlock new abilities) would feel much more at home in a roguelike setting.
The story told in the game is certainly nothing special, consisting mainly of repetitive prose with little narrative substance, so I am unsure why they decided to go this route.
Overall, Ancient Enemy is a game that is at least interesting for a little while, but had I not gotten the game for free, I probably never would spent money on it.
Ancient Enemy stands out among other card-based RPG games by eschewing the typical deck-building approach most of these games take, instead opting to just use a simplified version of solitaire to determine which actions you can take.
While this is certainly a unique take on the genre, it is rather simplistic, and though the game introduces new mechanics at a steady pace, it can still feel quite repetitive.
Ancient Enemy also differs from its peers by being a mostly linear story-driven experience, compared to the usual roguelike approach its contemporaries take.
I can't help but feel like this was a bad decision, as the various systems (such as single-use items and the way in which you unlock new abilities) would feel much more at home in a roguelike setting.
The story told in the game is certainly nothing special, consisting mainly of repetitive prose with little narrative substance, so I am unsure why they decided to go this route.
Overall, Ancient Enemy is a game that is at least interesting for a little while, but had I not gotten the game for free, I probably never would spent money on it.
47
2 stars
I feel like Deathloop took a bunch of ideas that were interesting on their own, but then just kind of forced them together in a way where they all conflicted.
It tries to be a stealth game with run-and-gun action, an explorative story-driven game but also a roguelike, and so on.
I really don't understand how a game this unfocused received the near-universal praise it did on release.
I feel like Deathloop took a bunch of ideas that were interesting on their own, but then just kind of forced them together in a way where they all conflicted.
It tries to be a stealth game with run-and-gun action, an explorative story-driven game but also a roguelike, and so on.
I really don't understand how a game this unfocused received the near-universal praise it did on release.
2 stars
Going into The New Order, I had a few preconceptions about what the game would be like, based on what I knew about Wolfenstein as a series.
These preconceptions did not end up being true, which I feel contributed to my dislike of the game.
I was expecting a non-stop action onslaught, but instead, I got bland story cutscenes and forced stealth sections.
When they took away my dual-wielded assault rifles for the second time, I knew this game wasn't what I was looking for.
Going into The New Order, I had a few preconceptions about what the game would be like, based on what I knew about Wolfenstein as a series.
These preconceptions did not end up being true, which I feel contributed to my dislike of the game.
I was expecting a non-stop action onslaught, but instead, I got bland story cutscenes and forced stealth sections.
When they took away my dual-wielded assault rifles for the second time, I knew this game wasn't what I was looking for.
49
2 stars
I don't have much positive to say about Pentiment, especially in comparison to Disco Elysium, a similar feeling game I also played this year.
Of the two, Pentiment somehow manages to have even less engaging gameplay, which is quite impressive as that was my number one complaint for Disco Elysium.
The story was much less interesting as well, failing to hook me at all, and I quickly realized that the 16th-century historical setting does nothing for me.
I suppose if I had to compliment something, it would be the charming presentation, but even that I have gripes with, like the annoying way the text fills in.
For some people, Pentiment is probably right up their alley, but it's a hard pass for me.
I don't have much positive to say about Pentiment, especially in comparison to Disco Elysium, a similar feeling game I also played this year.
Of the two, Pentiment somehow manages to have even less engaging gameplay, which is quite impressive as that was my number one complaint for Disco Elysium.
The story was much less interesting as well, failing to hook me at all, and I quickly realized that the 16th-century historical setting does nothing for me.
I suppose if I had to compliment something, it would be the charming presentation, but even that I have gripes with, like the annoying way the text fills in.
For some people, Pentiment is probably right up their alley, but it's a hard pass for me.
2 stars
In an attempt to make my way through the ever-growing backlog I have accumulated, I have decided to start randomly selecting games from it to play.
Abe's Oddysee was the first of the games I tried this way, and unfortunately, it was not a very good start.
While there are clearly some interesting ideas to be found here, in both gameplay and worldbuilding, the sad truth is that they are held back by the incredibly dated control scheme.
With decisions like using the arrow keys instead of WASD and having CTRL be the interact button for some reason, the game is painful to play.
And as far as I can tell, there is no way to rebind the keys.
As I would rather not feel like I am fighting the game the entire time, I had to drop it.
In an attempt to make my way through the ever-growing backlog I have accumulated, I have decided to start randomly selecting games from it to play.
Abe's Oddysee was the first of the games I tried this way, and unfortunately, it was not a very good start.
While there are clearly some interesting ideas to be found here, in both gameplay and worldbuilding, the sad truth is that they are held back by the incredibly dated control scheme.
With decisions like using the arrow keys instead of WASD and having CTRL be the interact button for some reason, the game is painful to play.
And as far as I can tell, there is no way to rebind the keys.
As I would rather not feel like I am fighting the game the entire time, I had to drop it.
51
DEMO
1.5 stars
An incredibly confusing stealth-based team game.
Tried it out with a friend, and neither of us could really figure things out.
Nor did we really want to, as despite the $20 price tag, we were quick to notice that there was still some sort of in-game currency required to unlock characters.
Personally, I think it's pretty ridiculous that a multiplayer-only title does not provide the tools for every new player to be on an even playing field with the others, especially for a pay-to-play game.
As such, I will not be purchasing the full game.
1.5 stars
An incredibly confusing stealth-based team game.
Tried it out with a friend, and neither of us could really figure things out.
Nor did we really want to, as despite the $20 price tag, we were quick to notice that there was still some sort of in-game currency required to unlock characters.
Personally, I think it's pretty ridiculous that a multiplayer-only title does not provide the tools for every new player to be on an even playing field with the others, especially for a pay-to-play game.
As such, I will not be purchasing the full game.
52
DEMO
1 star
Sounded a lot more fun on paper than it was in practice.
I feel like a game like this lives or dies based on the movement, and I just wasn't feeling it.
It also did not help that the enemy AI was dumb as hell.
I probably won't be getting the full game.
1 star
Sounded a lot more fun on paper than it was in practice.
I feel like a game like this lives or dies based on the movement, and I just wasn't feeling it.
It also did not help that the enemy AI was dumb as hell.
I probably won't be getting the full game.
COMPOSTCOMEFORTH
1 year ago