What Games Are You Playing?

Next up on the PS4 is another visit to Nier:Automata. I finished the first route but never did the rest so I think it's time to complete the game fully.
Nier does some nice trickery with the so called endings, given that the first ending is actually less than halfway through the full story. Very nicely scratches that itch of wanting to carry on experiencing the story and playing a game you've enjoyed, without having to resort to buying separate DLCs.
 
Nier does some nice trickery with the so called endings, given that the first ending is actually less than halfway through the full story. Very nicely scratches that itch of wanting to carry on experiencing the story and playing a game you've enjoyed, without having to resort to buying separate DLCs.
You're right about that. The second route was a bit too similar to retain my attention the first time round, but I have heard it deviates eventually. I'll stick with the game until the actual "end" this time!
 
I started Metroid Dread today. I've never been a big fan of Metroidvania type games, but I'm having fun with this so far.

There have been some really hard parts early on and I seem to be permanently lost, but it's fun!
 
Been playing some Soul Calibur IV in the past few days, trying to get 1,000,000 Gold for the secret achivement, then I'm going to buy Soul Edge, Soul Calibur and complete Chain of Souls and buy all weapons for five characters. BAM. Kill five birds with one stone.

I also completed Lost Odyssey about 30 minutes ago... so sad, I didn't want it to end, but it did, great RPG, far from the best but it was really fun. I liked the drama and intensity towards the end, it was pulled off quite well and obviously there's no sequal getting done and it ended well with all things tyed together. Great music by Uematsu, brilliant dream sequences, epic story-telling with an interesting world. Sakaguchi is the master. Lost Odyssey is everything Final Fanatasy: XII SHOULD have been. Now I only hope that since Square Enix has targeted the 360 for possible RPG investments they don't drive Mistwalker out of business, because that'd be quite bad.
 
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Completed Langrisser 1 HD. I'd never played a Langrisser game before, but I really enjoyed it. I would have liked to have seen some unique boss themes instead of the same one every time, and the new art felt generic but that's probably because of budget constraints.
 
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I’ve been playing the Demon Slayer game.

It’s pretty much a reskinned version of the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm games (it even uses the same font) - so if you like them (I do), you’ll probably like this too
 
I knew I preferred Replicant immediately after finishing Automata, but now that I think so fondly about it, I'm not sure anymore. I gotta finish the replicant remaster myself, didn't even do the first route.
So after reading of your admiration for Replicant, I got that a lot earlier than planned off the back of Automata (even got the White Snow edition imported from Amazon JP but people should be wary that despite the descriptions & photos on the website they will generally not include the bloody Steelbook.... Can't even be bothered to return now given the cost of importing..).

Played about an hour of that and it's fascinating playing it after Automata. By knowing the world in the latter, what would have come across as a standard action RPG actually comes across as an incredibly tragic look at a still beautifully alive post-apocalyptic world, before it becomes the post-post-apocalyptic world! Seeing Popola, Devola and the actual library, which was the basis of Automata's copied library, was particularly heartbreaking. Going to have to pause my Automata replay and do Replicant first. I'm quite glad I didn't play the original Nier, which I bought ages ago for the Xbox 360, before Automata now.
 
Even though this month would usually be dedicated to my anime Blu-ray backlog I decided to shift things around, especially as I now have a full-time job.


Completed Game #28: Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3)

Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank's Future saga and was one of the earlier games released for the PlayStation 3. I initially was not going to acquire these instalments but after the PS3 store fiasco earlier in the year I decided to pick them all up when they were cheap.

Tools of Destruction is an interesting game for me because the gameplay is still as enjoyable as the previous games, with tons of different weapon options and big large areas to explore for metal objects and any hidden collectibles you can find. The gameplay structure is pretty simple, you visit a world and you go through one or more linear paths and find an object before leaving the world for another. Sometimes you may have a boss but the general concept is still the same.

The game offers a variety of puzzles, from using rails with gaps to avoid by jumping, pressing buttons on the ground before it explodes, and using helipads to unlock more platforms before it disappears. The puzzles in the franchise have always been pretty fun, but what caught my eye the most were the ones that involved using the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS motion controls. Those puzzles include moving a ball in a techy grid to allow the electric current to hit one point to another, shooting a lazer and guiding it to break down a wall, and my least favourite but for those who love it a mini rhythm segment with pirate dancing.

The difficulty in this game is apparently dynamic and the final boss is pretty tedious since most of your weapons are effectively pointless to use even when they are fully charged. The checkpoints are quite spaced out so you will be frustrated more than once in various areas. The Clank segments are pretty good and enjoyable but the checkpoint setup tampers with the experience.

The story is alright but it's setting up for big things that feels rather different to the previous games in the series, though the comedic humour tone of the franchise is still there. I personally didn't mind the story but the villain was pretty forgettable. Overall I would say that Tools of Destruction is a pretty fun game and worth playing if you have a PS3 and find copies for cheap. Since this is an older game there are no trophies so there's no need to worry about that either. Playtime was about 12 hours total.


Completed Game #29: Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty (PS3)

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty is a short 4 hour game that is pretty much a prologue or standalone demo for the next game A Crack in Time, and despite that the game does enough to offer some interesting elements to the mix. The game re-uses the same assets, weapons and concepts from Tools of Destruction with a few differences to the mix - Clank is not around and there are extra unique abilites that are pretty fun and works well with the game's mechanics which involves using your wrench to move platforms around on the screen.

There's not much to say for this game because it's short, and the story is simple and does the job. The only importance is the ending which ties directly into A Crack in Time. Overall, I would say that the game is good fun but only get it for a cheap price if you want a physical copy because of its length. Like Tools of Destruction, there are no trophies for this game either.


Completed Game #30 + Platinum #74: Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (PS3)

In 2009 came the second major instalment in the Ratchet & Clank Future saga with A Crack in Time, and... this is a really damn good game, probably one of the best instalments in the whole franchise.

I had so much fun playing through this game and not only was the gameplay really fun but the story was way better than the previous games. The game brings back Dr. Nefarious from Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal and honestly I'm glad because he's pretty memorable with his attitude and appearance. Even though it continues from the events of Quest for Booty and Tools of Destruction, you can honestly skip those two if you really need to as the only major thing you need to know was that Ratchet & Clank got separated at some point.

The game is shorter than Tools of Destruction, but pacing-wise is just about right because it has enough content to keep you occupied without overstaying its welcome, and the extra stuff is really good such as navigating from one planet to another in your spaceship. The coliseum returns as per usual as well as a variety of weapons including the RYNO V which does the job in destroying everything in your path. Personally, I found the game to be compared with the LEGO franchise due to its structure and collectibles. The puzzles don't use the motion controls from the PS3 controller this time, but Clank's puzzles are top tier and have a good balance between challenging and not overdoing it.

Graphics look great, the level design is very good, and the story is among one of my favourites in the franchise with a really interesting backstory for both of our main leads. The ending I found to be pretty satisfying so I'm curious to see how Nexus handles the end of the saga.

Overall, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time in my opinion is a fantastic addition to the franchise and worthy of your 9 hour playtime (Almost 16 hour playtime for the Platinum trophy). The checkpoints is very reasonable and there's enough post-game content to keep you occupied like finding the collectibles, a post-game boss fight and New Game Plus for more upgraded weapons.


Completed Game #31 + Platinum #75: Ratchet & Clank: Nexus (PS3)

Just before the release of the PlayStation 4 and after a few spin-off instalments, Ratchet & Clank's Future saga wraps up with Nexus (also known as Into the Nexus in North America). This is another short game but a few hours longer than Quest for Booty was, but has enough content to make up for it.

Nexus feels like a step-down in various ways. For starters there are only four major worlds plus an Arena world in general and the story itself is an epilogue but not the best that the franchise has to offer. The villains are okay but are not fleshed out enough to be as memorable as the others before them. Pacing is decent but considering the game's length I can let it slide. Graphics feels like a stepdown despite the impressive space segment at the intro, and the performance feels worse than its predecessors.

Gameplay is not as great as A Crack in Time but the weapon selection is still solid, though they are mostly recycled from previous instalments. The new mechanics are pretty cool and Clank's puzzle segments continue to be the highlight.

I don't have much to say about this one other than the fact that overall it felt like an unnecessary addition to the series. While it is considered an epilogue it felt like one long drag to make a single point and while the gameplay was good, I don't think the game is worth acquiring at full price if you do plan to check it out.

I did manage to get the Platinum trophy which requires going through the game on Legend difficulty (which isn't hard except for the beginning parts of the game), going through New Game+ i.e. Challenge Mode, and the tedious part being upgrading every weapon to Level 6 which is a drag to say the least. There are collectibles in this game but surprisingly there are way less to collect than before.


Completed Game #32: SIREN BLOOD CURSE (PS3)

Last year I played Deadly Premonition from my backlog to coincide with Halloween, and this year I'm doing something similar by playing SIREN BLOOD CURSE, an episodic remake of the original PS2 cult classic Siren aka Forbidden Siren. I actually bought both Deadly Premonition and SIREN BLOOD CURSE by chance in CeX back in 2019 so it has taken me this long to check this one out in particular.

Horror is not something that I generally delve into when it comes to the genre but I don't mind giving it a shot from time to time. SIREN BLOOD CURSE has an interesting premise and it's gameplay fits well with the genre. The goals are presented in a newcomer friendly way but there is still some challenge presented as your characters for the most part won't have any items to protect yourself against these cursed people called Shibito. The Shibitio behave like zombies but do still have a mind of their own so they will use guns and get back on their feet when you are closeby, they are basically immortal so you can't kill them and the sense of fear is still there.

As mentioned, this is an episodic game so it was originally released as a digital download for the PlayStation Network but Japan, Asia and Europe each got a physical release on disc while United States was left out. Considering this is a Sony IP, the fact that the European and Asian copies got a physical release is quite a surprise, but then again the PS2's second game was also not released in North America which probably explains the decision. That said, the English releases came out during the early years of the PlayStation 3 so physical copies are quite rare to acquire, and if you do find a copy I do suggest picking it up especially considering the EU/UK version also comes with a 20 minute Behind the Scenes featurette that can be accessed on the PS3 dashboard. The episodes are split into 12 parts with chapters that offer a mixture of cutscenes and gameplay segments.

The goal tends to be 'reach this location' but also with specific requirements like 'keep this character safe with you' or 'grab a key to unlock the door to this goal'. The game goes through a show and tell approach so you won't be completely lost but I wouldn't say the game is super easy by all means. Sure there are checkpoints presented but the enemies do pack a punch if you aren't equipped properly. Some Shibitio are even so scary that they could kill you in an instant so you'll want to rely on being cautious as you progress through the story.

Included in the gameplay is 'sight jacking' which allows you to see from the perspective of the enemies which has its positives and negatives. One is that you can see what they are doing and whether its safe to proceed closeby without being completely detected, however the performance drops in frame rate as a result. When you don't use the sight jack you often get a mix between 30 to 60 frames per second while using it results in around 15 to 30 frames. This feature was included in the original games on PS2, but the difference here is that rather than taking up the full screen, it's actually half a screen which by design is similar to recent titles like The Medium.

The episodic structure and the way the game was laid out I thought was exclusive to SIREN BLOOD CURSE, but upon some research it came to my surprise that the PS2 originals also had a similar structure. The difference between the PS2 games and the PS3 remake is that the former was designed similar to the visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble with timeslots and branching paths, while BLOOD CURSE is linear and split by episodes. I actually don't mind this approach but after discovering how the original was presented, I can see why fans of the original would be very let down by the game.

Puzzles do exist throughout SIREN BLOOD CURSE with various tasks like finding an object or having to kill a specific Shibito to proceed to the goal. With this combined with the atmosphere that the game has adds a bit more to the horror element. The game is mostly set at nighttime so you will have to rely on your flashlight but also the sight jacking to proceed. The sound design is pretty good too as you can hear Shibito quite a lot so you'll want to rely on noise to avoid being detected. You can crouch walk to bypass enemies to avoid detection also.

While I do think SIREN BLOOD CURSE is pretty good on the overall gameplay side, its biggest issue is its story. The idea of having American characters in Japan is not a problem, but this game has the US horror trope of characters being over-reactive and can be a pain to deal with, though I will give props to the main character Howard Wright who is pretty good and likeable. The Japanese character Seigo Saiga is pretty nuts throughout the game also. The rest of the cast is not particularly great, and the story delves into a direction that doesn't make much sense because its first half followed quite well until the half-way point where there's a lot of missing gaps here and there.

Overall I found SIREN BLOOD CURSE to be a fun, short and pretty scary game in general. The game took me 7 hours to complete all of the episodes and there were some pretty tough goals in the latter half of the game but overall I thought it was a good time. The final boss battle is also pretty cool and its ending is a homage to the original PS2 game also.

Bonus Edit Note: Apparently SIREN BLOOD CURSE is portrayed as if this was an American film adaptation of the first Siren game, and that idea actually works in this case especially considering J-Horror has always been given American remakes over the years.

SIREN BLOOD CURSE is available physically and digitally on PlayStation 3. The original PS2 version is also available on PlayStation 4 as part of the PS2 Classics line-up.



My backlog so far:
#​
PC/Steam Backlog - Game Name:​
Genre:
1​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the SkyTurn-Based RPG
2​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SCTurn-Based RPG
#​
PlayStation 3 Backlog - Game Name:​
Genre:
1​
3D Dot Game HeroesAction RPG
2​
Castlevania: Lords of ShadowAction, Hack n Slash
3​
CatherinePuzzle
4​
Drakengard 3Action RPG
5​
Eternal SonataTurn-Based RPG
6​
FolkloreAction RPG
7​
inFAMOUSAction
8​
inFAMOUS 2Action
9​
Katamari ForeverPuzzle
10​
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White WitchTurn-Based RPG
11​
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time HDAction, Hack n Slash
12​
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HDAction, Hack n Slash
13​
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HDAction, Hack n Slash
14​
PuppeteerPlatformer
15​
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 OneAction, Platformer
16​
Ratchet & Clank: QForceAction, Platformer
17​
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles HDOn-Rails Shooter
18​
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles HDOn-Rails Shooter
19​
Sengoku Basara: Samurai HeroesAction, Musou
20​
Sly Cooper: Thieves in TimeAction, Platformer
21​
Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the OverlordTactical RPG, Visual Novel
22​
Way of the Samurai 4Action
23​
White Knight ChroniclesTurn-Based RPG
24​
White Knight Chronicles IITurn-Based RPG
#​
PlayStation 4 Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
13 Sentinels: Aegis RimTactical RPG, Visual Novel
2​
AI: The Somnium FilesAdventure, Visual Novel
3​
The Caligula Effect: OverdoseTurn-Based RPG
4​
Chaos;ChildVisual Novel
5​
Code VeinAction RPG
6​
Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve StarsTurn-Based RPG
7​
Cyberdimension Neptunia: Four Goddesses OnlineAction RPG
8​
Danganronpa 1 ReloadVisual Novel
9​
Danganronpa 2 ReloadVisual Novel
10​
Danganronpa V3: Killing HarmonyVisual Novel
11​
Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 1: Rinne UtopiaVisual Novel, Dating Sim
12​
Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 2: Ars InstallVisual Novel, Dating Sim
13​
Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 3: Twin Edition: Rio ReincarnationVisual Novel, Dating Sim
14​
Death MarkVisual Novel
15​
Dragon's Crown ProAction RPG
16​
Fate/Extella LinkMusou
17​
Final Fantasy VIII RemasteredTurn-Based RPG
18​
Fist of the North Star: Lost ParadiseAction
19​
Gal*Gun 2On-Rails Shooter
20​
Gintama RumbleAction, Musou
21​
Gravity Rush 2Action, Platformer
22​
Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite CombateAction RPG
23​
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of HeavenFighting
24​
JudgmentAction
25​
LangrisserTactical RPG
26​
Langrisser IITactical RPG
27​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold SteelTurn-Based RPG
28​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IITurn-Based RPG
29​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IIITurn-Based RPG
30​
Megadimension Neptunia VIITurn-Based RPG
31​
Megadimension Neptunia VIIRTurn-Based RPG
32​
NGVisual Novel
33​
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant KingdomAction RPG
34​
Nights of AzureAction RPG
35​
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New MoonAction RPG
36​
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3Musou
37​
Onechanbara Z2: ChaosAction
38​
Our World Is EndedVisual Novel
39​
Persona 3: Dancing in MoonlightMusic, Rhythm
40​
Persona 5 RoyalTurn-Based RPG
41​
Persona 5: Dancing in StarlightMusic, Rhythm
42​
Punch LineVisual Novel
43​
Raging LoopVisual Novel
44​
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-: Prophecy of the ThroneVisual Novel
45​
Robotics;Notes DaSHVisual Novel
46​
Robotics;Notes ELITEVisual Novel
47​
Saint Seiya: Soldier's SoulFighting
48​
School Girl / Zombie HunterAction, Shooter
49​
SD Gundam G Generation GenesisTactical RPG
50​
Sengoku Basara 4: SumeragiMusou
51​
Senran Kagura Burst Re:NewalAction
52​
Shining Resonance: RefrainAction RPG
53​
Steins;Gate EliteVisual Novel
54​
Steins;Gate: Linear Bound PhenogramVisual Novel
55​
Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon DwellersTactical RPG
56​
Super Robot Wars TTactical RPG
57​
Super Robot Wars VTactical RPG
58​
Super Robot Wars XTactical RPG
59​
Sword Art Online: Fatal BulletAction RPG
60​
Tales of BerseriaAction RPG
61​
Tales of VesperiaAction RPG
62​
Tales of ZestiriaAction RPG
63​
Tokyo Xanadu eX+Action RPG
64​
Toukiden 2Action RPG
65​
Utawarerumono: Mask of DeceptionTactical RPG, Visual Novel
66​
Utawarerumono: Mask of TruthTactical RPG, Visual Novel
67​
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the FallenTactical RPG, Visual Novel
68​
Utawarerumono: ZanAction, Musou
69​
Valkyria Chronicles 4Tactical RPG
70​
The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival EditionAction RPG
71​
WORLDEND SYNDROMEVisual Novel
72​
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this WorldVisual Novel
73​
Ys IX: Monstrum NoxAction RPG
#​
PlayStation Vita Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
Bullet GirlsAction, Shooter
2​
Demon GazeDungeon RPG
3​
Freedom WarsAction
4​
Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black HeartTactical RPG
5​
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sister's GenerationTurn-Based RPG
6​
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V GenerationTurn-Based RPG
7​
Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action UnleashedAction
8​
MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS ZombiesAction, Musou
9​
Muv-LuvVisual Novel, Dating Sim
10​
Muv-Luv AlternativeVisual Novel
11​
Superdimension Neptune vs SEGA Hard GirlsTurn-Based RPG
12​
Valkyrie Drive BhikkhuniAction
Completed Games Collection of 2021:
#Game NamePlatformGenreMonth
1​
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
PS4​
ActionJanuary
2​
GOD EATER Resurrection
PS4​
Action RPGJanuary
3​
GOD EATER 2: Rage Burst
PS4​
Action RPGFebruary
4​
Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star
PS4​
MusouMarch
5​
Gal*Gun Double Peace
PS4​
On-Rails ShooterMarch
6​
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
PS4​
Action RPGMarch
7​
Kandagawa Jet Girls
PS4​
RacingApril
8​
Touch My Katamari
Vita​
PuzzleApril
9​
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case
PS4​
Adventure Visual NovelApril
10​
Everybody's Golf
PS4​
SportsApril
11​
428 Shibuya Scramble
PS4​
Visual NovelApril
12​
Blue Reflection
PS4​
Turn-Based RPGMay
13​
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Fortune
PS4​
Simulation, SportsMay
14​
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
PS4​
Music RhythmJune
15​
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
PS3​
On Rails ShooterJune
16​
Time Crisis 4 Arcade Ver.
PS3​
On Rails ShooterJune
17​
Deadstorm Pirates
PS3​
On Rails ShooterJune
18​
Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle
PS4​
Action, MusouAugust
19​
Sakura Wars
PS4​
Action RPG, Dating SimAugust
20​
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered
PS4​
Tactical RPGAugust
21​
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus HD
PS3​
Action, PlatformerAugust
22​
Sly 2: Band of Thieves HD
PS3​
Action, PlatformerAugust
23​
Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves HD
PS3​
Action, PlatformerAugust
24​
God of War: Chains of Olympus HD
PS3​
Action, Hack n SlashAugust
25​
God of War: Ghost of Sparta HD
PS3​
Action, Hack n SlashAugust
26​
SoulCalibur V
PS3​
FightingAugust
27​
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1
Vita​
Turn-Based RPGSeptember
28​
Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction
PS3​
Action, PlatformerOctober
29​
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
PS3​
Action, PlatformerOctober
30​
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time
PS3​
Action, PlatformerOctober
31​
Ratchet & Clank: Nexus
PS3​
Action, PlatformerOctober
32​
SIREN BLOOD CURSE
PS3​
Action, HorrorOctober
Platinum Trophy Collection:
#Game NamePlatformGenreYear
1​
Saints Row: The Third
PS3​
Action2014
2​
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
PS3​
Fighting2015
3​
Hyperdimension Neptunia
PS3​
Turn-Based RPG2015
4​
Dekamori Senran Kagura
Vita​
Music Rhythm2015
5​
Steins;Gate
PS3​
Visual Novel2015
6​
NieR
PS3​
Action RPG2015
7​
No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise
PS3​
Action2015
8​
Asura's Wrath
PS3​
Action2015
9​
Saints Row IV
PS3​
Action2015
10​
The Darkness II
PS3​
First Person Shooter2015
11​
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2
PS3​
Turn-Based RPG2016
12​
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD
PS3​
Action2016
13​
Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus
Vita​
Action2016
14​
Gravity Rush
Vita​
Platformer2016
15​
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
PS3​
Turn-Based RPG2016
16​
Resogun
PS4​
Arcade Shooter2016
17​
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Vita​
Third Person Shooter2016
18​
Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game
PS4​
Adventure2016
19​
Miracle Girls Festival
Vita​
Music Rhythm2017
20​
Senran Kagura Estival Versus
PS4​
Action2017
21​
The Wolf Among Us
PS4​
Adventure2017
22​
Final Fantasy XV
PS4​
Action RPG2017
23​
Amplitude
PS4​
Music Rhythm2017
24​
Root Letter
PS4​
Visual Novel2017
25​
IA/VT -Colorful-
Vita​
Music Rhythm2017
26​
Persona 4: Dancing All Night
Vita​
Music Rhythm2017
27​
Gravity Rush Remastered
PS4​
Platformer2017
28​
NieR: Automata
PS4​
Action RPG2017
29​
The Silver Case
PS4​
Visual Novel2017
30​
Steins;Gate 0
PS4​
Visual Novel2017
31​
Under Defeat HD
PS3​
Arcade Shooter2017
32​
Tales from the Borderlands
PS4​
Adventure2017
33​
Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection
PS3​
Fighting2017
34​
Life is Strange
PS4​
Adventure2017
35​
Sword Art Online: Lost Song
PS4​
Action RPG2017
36​
Crash Bandicoot Remastered
PS4​
Platformer2017
37​
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Remastered
PS4​
Platformer2017
38​
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Remastered
PS4​
Platformer2017
39​
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
PS4​
Action RPG2017
40​
Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Vita​
Horror2018
41​
Persona 5
PS4​
Turn-Based RPG2018
42​
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
PS4​
Visual Novel2018
43​
Persona 4: Dancing All Night [Japanese Version]
PS4​
Music Rhythm2018
44​
Marvel's Spider-Man
PS4​
Action2018
45​
Akiba's Trip 2: Undead & Undressed
PS4​
Action RPG2019
46​
Spyro the Dragon Remastered
PS4​
Platformer2019
47​
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage Remastered
PS4​
Platfomer2019
48​
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon Remastered
PS4​
Platformer2019
49​
Tekken Tag Tournament HD
PS3​
Fighting2019
50​
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy HD
PS3​
Platformer2019
51​
Taiko no Tatsujin V Version
Vita​
Music Rhythm2019
52​
Utakumi 575
Vita​
Music Rhythm2019
53​
Jak II: Renegade HD
PS3​
Platformer2019
54​
Jak 3 HD
PS3​
Platformer2019
55​
Ratchet & Clank HD
PS3​
Platformer2019
56​
Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando HD
PS3​
Platformer2019
57​
Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal HD
PS3​
Platformer2019
58​
Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash
PS4​
Third Person Shooter2019
59​
Kingdom Hearts III
PS4​
Action RPG2020
60​
Zero Escape 3: Zero Time Dilemma
PS4​
Adventure Visual Novel2020
61​
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Gal*Gun Double Peace
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Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
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Action RPG2021
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Kandagawa Jet Girls
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The 25th Ward: The Silver Case
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428 Shibuya Scramble
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Blue Reflection
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I haven't bought any video games either physically or digitally in quite a while, but I did just start playing Stardew Valley and I really like it... I'm not very good at it tho XP
 
Bought an Xbox One X used a few weeks ago just for the 4K player, but then if dawned on me that there were a handful of games that either didn't get onto PC or got really horrible ports. With that in mind I bought:

Crash 4
Crash Nitro Fueled
The Bioshock Collection
Rare Replay

I've already played the hell out of Nitro Fueled and done a run of Bioshock 2 for the first time in like nine years. Currently going through Crash 4 and absolutely loving the way they've moved that series forward.

Aside from that I have too many PC games I need to play but I keep playing Binding of Isaac compulsively even though I polished off the last Repentance achievement months ago. I need to start making a dent in my backlogue because otherwise the ridiculous new rig I built will seem like a bit of a waste. Been watching too many movies lately to pay attention to it.
 
Returnal
I can't remember the last time I've had such mixed feelings about a game. For reference, I normally hate roguelike/soulsborne type games, and this is the first one I've enjoyed to any extent. The controls are tight and responsive, the bullet hell combat is exciting, the atmosphere is gripping (at first), the mysteries interesting, the procedurally-generated levels stave off boredom in repeated runs, and the gameplay loop compelling.

This game is also complete bulls***.

It tells you next to nothing about how things work, what will help you, and what will damage/kill you. It forces you to experiment, and punishes you for it by killing you off in new ways that nothing warned you about. It loves to throw lopsided risk/reward systems at you where the potential gains are usually drowned out by the risk or cost. But worst of all are the cheap-shots. Returnal's raison d'etre is to p*** you off and waste your time by throwing encounters at you that you don't stand a chance of surviving until you've learnt the attack patterns and behaviours of all the different enemies, and unless you're lucky enough to find the right combination of randomly-generated weapon and random upgrades to fit your play style or the particular mobs you encounter on any given run. It delights in throwing up to ten enemies at you at a time (including sub-bosses sometimes) and having them attack from all angles, so sometimes you die without ever seeing what blind-sided you. It has enemies that do an exploding kamikaze run at you after you've supposedly killed them. It has enemies that can kill you in one or two blows. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Despite all of that, I loved this game for the first 15 hours or so. It could get frustrating, but I played by the rules. I got a genuine rush from finally defeating a boss, where in Dark Souls or Bloodborne I'd just be left with bitter anger at how long it took. But eventually the endless grinding repetition, the length of the runs, and above all the overpowered and cheap enemies in later biomes wore me down.

So I cheated.

Save scumming has only become possible in the last few weeks, thanks to a patch that now allows you to suspend and resume the game. It deletes the file when you load it, but if you have Playstation Plus you can upload the save to the cloud and then download it as many times as you like. This is the only way I managed to complete the game. If I hadn't it probably would have sat unfinished forever because tacking an hour or two of exploration onto each of the dozen attempts it took me to beat the third boss, or the 30-ish attempts it took me to beat biome five, would have killed my interest. Seriously, what were Housemarque thinking when they put enemies that can one-hit kill you into a game where every death in certain parts means repeating the last two hours?

Anyway, it's finished, and frankly it ends with a frustrating whimper. A lot of what kept me going was the sense of mystery, but the ending seems to contradict information found earlier in the game, and I'm not sure how much of it was meant to be taken literally. Considering that this game rarely dips below £60, I'd only recommend it to people with endless patience or no compunction about save scumming. Housemarque have intentionally tuned it so that only a fraction of players will ever finish it if they play by the rules.

EDIT: I looked up a guide, and it turns out the reason the ending was so underwhelming was because you have to complete the whole game a second time to get the true ending...
 
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I got Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and I absolutely love it! I spent a lot of time with the original and the new version is even better.

I love the visual style and everything else is great too. Now I want all the other generations remade in the exact same style! 😄
 
Considering that this game rarely dips below £60, I'd only recommend it to people with endless patience or no compunction about save scumming. Housemarque have intentionally tuned it so that only a fraction of players will ever finish it if they play by the rules.
Thanks for the heads up dude, this was on my list to eventually buy after hearing about it being good. I probably would've loved this in my youth, but now I have no patience for these currently on trend soul-destroying games that assume the player has endless time on their hands...
 
Thanks for the heads up dude, this was on my list to eventually buy after hearing about it being good. I probably would've loved this in my youth, but now I have no patience for these currently on trend soul-destroying games that assume the player has endless time on their hands...
Yeah, it's a shame it becomes such a frustrating time sink because the core gameplay is excellent.

A couple more things I'll add to the plus column are the memorable bosses and some of the most beautifully mesmerising bullet patterns I've ever seen in a shooter. Seriously, just look at this technicolour madness:


If the music in that video sounds familiar, it's a heavily altered rendition of Don't Fear the Reaper, which has both thematic and plot significance.
 
It pains me because I really want to find out what the story is about and I love the setting and visuals.
Despite having finished it, I still don't know what the story was about. The normal ending is confusing, the 'true' ending (which I looked up on Youtube) is even more confusing, and neither gives you any clue about how that planet ended up in its current state, or even a clear picture of Selene's story. I collected a lot of the cyphers to translate the historical tablets, but the ones I found don't give a clear idea of what happened. Just as the gameplay doesn't cut you any slack, it expects you to figure out the story for yourself too, which is difficult when it's unclear how much of what's happening is literal and how much is Selene having a Lovecraftian psychotic breakdown.
 
I’ve been playing through the GTA Trilogy The Definitive Edition and as others have noted it doesn’t especially live up to the title.

Whilst Vice City and San Andreas (the two I’ve played so far) have had some nice improvements made to the overall cities and environments, the character models and buggy gameplay are big letdowns, not to mention the radio songs that are still missing.

I am enjoying the actual storylines as these are still remasters of absolute classics, but I get the sense that more time and resource was needed for a project with such a legacy, and I hope the upcoming promised updates deliver some much-needed fixes, especially to address the random crashes which have been a real pain to deal with.
 
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Despite having finished it, I still don't know what the story was about. The normal ending is confusing, the 'true' ending (which I looked up on Youtube) is even more confusing, and neither gives you any clue about how that planet ended up in its current state, or even a clear picture of Selene's story. I collected a lot of the cyphers to translate the historical tablets, but the ones I found don't give a clear idea of what happened. Just as the gameplay doesn't cut you any slack, it expects you to figure out the story for yourself too, which is difficult when it's unclear how much of what's happening is literal and how much is Selene having a Lovecraftian psychotic breakdown.

I just assumed it was all pretty much the latter, thanks to all the out-of-place elements.

It's disappointing to hear that you at least don't get definitive information about Selene, I was creating all kinds of Silent Hill-level fantasies in my head... I really want to experience the whole thing for myself, but I don't know if I'll have the patience, even with your method!

If only they designed it so we could retain more elements from one run to the next, it would be more motivating 🤷‍♂️
 
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