S-tier of 2024
Minor adjustment here cause rather than racing through the remaining games in my backlog like in past years, I've taken it upon myself to replay some of my old favourites. Any of these will be marked with a NEW ROUND sticker in their notes. If not, they're new (to me anyway). All rankings are objective and can't be rebuked, blah, blah, blah, you get the gist by now...
11 Games
(NEW ROUND)
Playing through this game for the hundredth time, I'd say I know this game fairly well by now. However, I found myself second-guessing what the HD Project had added. I don't mean that as an insult, the seamless nature of this update is its greatest strength. And believe me, this mod is a notable upgrade over the original and to learn this you need only check out the file size. But the fact of the matter is that I believed the game always looked this good, even if in the back of my head I knew that wasn't the truth. Update aside though, it's still Resident Evil 4 so, yeah, I'm gonna be surprised if I play anything this year that is able to dethrone it.
Playing through this game for the hundredth time, I'd say I know this game fairly well by now. However, I found myself second-guessing what the HD Project had added. I don't mean that as an insult, the seamless nature of this update is its greatest strength. And believe me, this mod is a notable upgrade over the original and to learn this you need only check out the file size. But the fact of the matter is that I believed the game always looked this good, even if in the back of my head I knew that wasn't the truth. Update aside though, it's still Resident Evil 4 so, yeah, I'm gonna be surprised if I play anything this year that is able to dethrone it.
1
(NEW ROUND)
I was more than sceptical about this remake, I was prepared to rip it to shreds when I started my playthrough but they actually did it. In fact, there is a lot of stuff in this remake I believe to be objectively better, the story for one, which retains some of the camp of the original, made me care about Ashely as a person. Good thing too, cause I think gameplay-wise, the escourting parts might be one of the few hiccups in this version. God bless the armoured costume.
I was more than sceptical about this remake, I was prepared to rip it to shreds when I started my playthrough but they actually did it. In fact, there is a lot of stuff in this remake I believe to be objectively better, the story for one, which retains some of the camp of the original, made me care about Ashely as a person. Good thing too, cause I think gameplay-wise, the escourting parts might be one of the few hiccups in this version. God bless the armoured costume.
2
(NEW ROUND)
It's not groundbreaking by todays standards but fuck me does this game still carry a lot of charm. The shooting and all that is fine, but personally I love spamming E on everything to see if it's interactable. In most cases, it's a yes and for someone as easily entertained as me, that's something I wish modern games included more.
It's not groundbreaking by todays standards but fuck me does this game still carry a lot of charm. The shooting and all that is fine, but personally I love spamming E on everything to see if it's interactable. In most cases, it's a yes and for someone as easily entertained as me, that's something I wish modern games included more.
3
Finally gave this game another go, after failing to pick it back up again for over a year. Now that I've ascended, I must say. It's pretty good.
4
(NEW ROUND)
Still unmistakably a great game, Max Payne 2 didn't draw me in quite as much as the original. It feels like the Home Alone 2 to Max Payne's Home Alone 1, if that means anything to anyone. I still love Home Alone 2 though, oh and, yeah, this game too.
Still unmistakably a great game, Max Payne 2 didn't draw me in quite as much as the original. It feels like the Home Alone 2 to Max Payne's Home Alone 1, if that means anything to anyone. I still love Home Alone 2 though, oh and, yeah, this game too.
5
HROT isn't a groundbreaking take on the shooter genre, but it's a very special game nonetheless. Made mostly by a singular developer, it has an almost handmade feel.
6
(NEW ROUND)
Playing the RE4 Remake got me wanting to revisit Racoon City. This was the first good Resident Evil in years when it came out and it remains that way. Even if it's not as faithful as I'd like. The Resident Evil 2 Remake is at its best in the RPD, and after that, it becomes an entirely different game that can't hold a candle to the original. The removal of the zapping system is also a tough pill to swallow as well, but after playing the follow-up to this game, I realise it could've been a lot worse.
Playing the RE4 Remake got me wanting to revisit Racoon City. This was the first good Resident Evil in years when it came out and it remains that way. Even if it's not as faithful as I'd like. The Resident Evil 2 Remake is at its best in the RPD, and after that, it becomes an entirely different game that can't hold a candle to the original. The removal of the zapping system is also a tough pill to swallow as well, but after playing the follow-up to this game, I realise it could've been a lot worse.
7
This version of Separate Ways is a better addition to the base game than the original ever was. The gameplay is still fun here and for its price (which matches that of a bundle of 5 upgrade tickets god damn it capcom), whilst it obviously can't compete with the game it accompanies, it's more than worth it. My only real gripe here is despite its attempts to tie itself into the main narrative, it feels so disconnected. Remake did a great job of connecting the story to the newer entries and I wish they continued this with the DLC, but oh well.
8
(NEW ROUND)
Experienced in a void, Max Payne 3 is an excellent game. But as the third entry to a trilogy, I think it's a step down in some key areas. The story for one, is the weakest and does away with the previous game's ending and the majority of its charm as well. The levels here are suffocating in their linearity and whilst I remember enjoying it during my first playthrough, this wasn't the case this time around. The music by HEALTH still fucks though.
Experienced in a void, Max Payne 3 is an excellent game. But as the third entry to a trilogy, I think it's a step down in some key areas. The story for one, is the weakest and does away with the previous game's ending and the majority of its charm as well. The levels here are suffocating in their linearity and whilst I remember enjoying it during my first playthrough, this wasn't the case this time around. The music by HEALTH still fucks though.
9
I don't really know what to say about Control. I had fun with it. The graphics are nice and the throwing shit around a "living?" office complex is cool, but like by the end I was just, bored. Which sucks, cause I was super hyped for this game before it came out. There's also like clearly a lot of love put into this and there's still that goofy remedy charm here and there. I think my biggest issue, was despite the cool way it presents it throughout, the actual story kinda sucks, to be honest. And then it just ends and by that point, I was just pretty deflated anyway. I'll get around to Alan Wake 2 at some point as well, but I'm kinda worried now to be honest if I'll like it or not...
10
(NEW ROUND)
I adored this game when it first came out, but playing through it again that's kinda embarrassing to admit. It's not bad, don't get me wrong. But it pales in comparison to most of Capcom's output these past few years. Claire and Barry deserve better. Much better.
I adored this game when it first came out, but playing through it again that's kinda embarrassing to admit. It's not bad, don't get me wrong. But it pales in comparison to most of Capcom's output these past few years. Claire and Barry deserve better. Much better.
11