What Games Are You Playing?

[Gemsy-chan]

Been playing the demo for Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes...the opening is instead of merc Byleth being a teacher, its merc Shez being a student.

I am liking it and can't wait for the LE to arrive.

 

[Dai]

Ghostwire: Tokyo
For a game about exorcising yurei and yokai, the gameplay was a lot more conventional than I'd hoped when I saw the reveal trailer. You use magical abilities for the most part, but they just act like regular weapons in practice: magic handgun (literally a finger gun), magic shotgun, and magic grenade launcher. Combat is serviceable, but nothing special. It's possible that something more distinct was originally planned and ditched when they couldn't get it to work properly, since some non-combat tasks do require gesture-based inputs to perform hand seals, but it's awkward and imprecise.

The real star of Ghostwire is its abandoned, monster-infested Tokyo. It's an atmospheric environment built with a Shenmue level of obsessive attention to detail, and has a surprising amount of verticality with plenty of opportunities to climb up to roof level. It's lucky that the environment encourages exploration because the game places an unusually large emphasis on hunting for collectables. You only gain a little experience from completing missions and none from combat, so if you want to level up and unlock more abilities you need to hunt every nook and cranny for lost spirits that grant XP, cat statues that drop money, Jizo statues that increase your ammo limit, and a bunch of others. There are literally thousands of things scattered around to find.

The main plot is the same save-the-woman-from-the-bad-guy fare that games have been trotting out since the original Donkey Kong, and it doesn't really pick up until its surprisingly heartfelt conclusion. The sidequests tend to be more interesting, since you're usually granting the last request of a lost spirit who needs help before they can cross over. The overall tone is unusually sombre for a big budget game, being mainly about loss, regret and finding peace. The sidequests are also where you encounter some mind-bending haunted environments and a host of traditional yokai.

Ghostwire ends up as a good game that never quite manages to break through to greatness. It's full of ambition, but it feels like compromises were made along the way. I paid £30 for it, and I'd say that's about what it's worth.

 

[HWR]

I’ve been replaying Bioshock and asides from the slightly clunky gunplay it’s still a superb piece of storytelling thanks to the deep levels of lore found in Rapture. I’ve also found that my choice of upgrades has been better this time around.

 

[DragoStark]

Finished up the first Uncharted game. I enjoyed it! I absolutely understand what Dai was talking about with the staggering though. Very irritating, especially because I find it hard enough to aim with a controller (I am a PC gamer first and foremost after all)
I also finished up Unchartered 2, and it's a bit better with the staggering. I had a better time with the shooting. Some of the dialogue is really cheesy but it's all fun. Not gonna lie, I died more times to falling than the enemies. Sometimes it wasn't very clear where to go so I was experimenting!

Next up on the PS4 will be the Uncharted 3 even though I do really want to play Judgement. I'll finish up the trilogy first though, especially as I will no doubt forget the controls as I always do if I skip the third game and play it later.

I've also started up Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot on the PC (thanks to the steam sale. I also nabbed Muse Dash which is a ton of fun). I've had my eye on it for a while and I've been wanting to rewatch DBZ so I figured playing through the story will be just as good as a rewatch.

 

[NormanicGrav]

While work and the anime simulcasts were taking up a lot of my time, I did manage to play a few games.

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Game: 15 - Spirit Hunter: Death Mark (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: October 2021

Spoiler

Last year I acquired two of the three games in Experience's J-Horror visual novel trilogy called Spirit Hunter, dedicated to Japanese yokai-type monsters and spirits. The game is also a hybrid type similar to Zero Escape with visual novel dialogue combined with segments that rely on dungeon type exploration and point & click elements.

Starting off with Death Mark, the first one in the series. Death Mark starts off out of the door with a great premise - you're cursed, you have no idea who you are and you're only hope is going to a mansion with a talking doll who can help guide you and others who are stuck in a similar situation. The curse also has a time limit and your goal is to try and get out of this curse by facing these spirits. The story is presented in chapters, as you eventually encounter different spirits and characters throughout your journey, and each of them have great backgrounds and attitudes. The detective character in particular is pretty cool and plays an intriguing role in the story.

The story also provides different dialogue choices that may change the story progression, and when you get into the main gameplay aspect, the decision to who you pick to assist you in your investigation can impact the ending and outcome of that situation. For instance, the wrong character could lead to your death, while the wrong choices could lead to your assist character's demise in the most gruesome way possible. The game does have to provide a balance in terms of tone and violence in order to avoid Japan's CERO Z rating, but the horror aspect is there and done well.

Speaking of horror, the game isn't scary in terms of jump scares but rather its atmosphere and tone. The spirit designs are creepy and what they do certainly makes you want to go 'nope' if you were in that situation. The solution to surviving these spirits is a great homage to the J-Horror genre because it's not done with the western mindset that physical items and guns can solve the problem - what Death Mark does is different by having you solve why the spirit is in their state and how you can use that knowledge to defeat them or save them. A random item you may find in one room could hold the key to protecting you in that moment. There will be dialogue choices or decision that are timed, and you should not waste these moments otherwise you will die sooner than later, so the emphasis of having to make a quick decision in seconds plays a big role in this series.

Death Mark is a short length story, with 9 hours of content to get through all of the chapters, their good & bad outcomes for each arc and the overall two main ending routes in the end. The length is just about right as it provides good pacing to tell its story without dragging each arc for the sake of it. There's also an additional story chapter that was not included in the Vita release at launch which is a pretty solid arc that helps provide a good idea on where the franchise would go from there. I also really liked the ending of the story which has a nice resolution that wraps up our main character's journey from start to finish.

Also, the artwork and character designs by Rui Tomono and Fumiya Sumio are perfect. Not only do they provide a different representation to the game but it also captures that horror aspect for the spirit designs really well. It's unique and would love to see more of their work on other projects.

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark is a pretty solid visual novel experience, and it's available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, and PC (as well as Xbox One in Japan).

---

Game: 16 - Spirit Hunter: NG (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: October 2021

Spoiler

Following the success of Death Mark, Experience released a follow-up called NG which features a new cast of characters, setting, spirits and a whole new story altogether.

NG shares the same structure as Death Mark. Your character is cursed and is forced to play a game that results in your death if you don't deal with the spirits that are around in the city. You meet various characters along the way, and there's some added plot points that differentiates itself from Death Mark - for instance your character can use an ability that lets you view visions of spirits or other people based on the bloodstains laid around.

The story is also darker than Death Mark in terms of the character's situation, where anywhere he goes is pretty much not safe and your choices do impact the situation more than before, for instance how well you react to your friends and their fates. If you decide for whatever reasons to pursue the bad ending then you're going into one of the more depressing outcomes you can have. I do think that Death Mark is scarier in terms of the gameplay but NG does a great job with the storylines, more specifically one about the Screaming Author arc which is truly ****** up when you learn more about its backstory.

The gameplay is also modified in various areas. The user interface has been changed, but the general concepts still remain such as pointing at which parts you want to interact, acquiring items and which partner to choose during the investigations. Spirit battles are pretty much the same, with the main difference being the UI redesigns.

NG also introduces a subplot involving D-Mail which are text messages requesting you find a card from time to time that provide extra background information for the world building. Also introduced are some branching paths that change the story and conversations, for instance you have to choose who's more important to you between some individuals at a certain point. There are also moments where you can choose how to react to a conversion, which can range between being angry or happy, but they don't make much of a difference outside of additional extra items in the background lore.

Death Mark is also referenced heavily throughout the story which is a nice added touch but you don't need to play the previous game to understand the full story for this one.

Overall I found NG to be another great addition to the Spirit Hunter franchise. The story is interesting, the characters are likeable, and the art style continues to shine. The game also has a 'Scary Mode' which introduces more jump scares but I focused on the default mode for the story. The game's length is roughly the same as Death Mark but if you want to get the Platinum trophy you'll need to get all three endings that require making some save slots at a few certain points in the story.

Spirit Hunter: NG is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

---

Game: 17 - Sisters Royale (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: October 2021

Spoiler

This is a short one but a nice addition to the mix. Sisters Royale, also known as Sisters Royale: I’m Being Harassed by 5 Sisters and It Sucks (Sisters Royale: 5 Shimai ni Iyagarase o Ukete Komatteimasu), is a shoot em up that consists of you controlling one of each sister as they battle their own to grab their love interest. There are five stages in total, with a different theme for each, and there's a boss fight at the end.

Much like other console versions, you have the option to keep continuing when you get a game over but the high score total will reset back to 0. That said, the game offers a solid challenge for the content that it has, with different difficulty modes available to change the pace. In addition each sister (which there are 5 in total), has their own style of combat against the obstacles on the screen.

Overall it's a fun short game, and I've tried out each of the sister characters at each difficulty to change up the pace. Sisters Royale is available digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC with a physical version available in Japan that has English support.

---

My backlog so far:

Spoiler

#​	PC/Steam Backlog - Game Name:​	Genre:
1​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	Turn-Based RPG
2​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC	Turn-Based RPG

#​	PlayStation 3 Backlog - Game Name:​	Genre:
1​	3D Dot Game Heroes	Action RPG
2​	Castlevania: Lords of Shadow	Action, Hack n Slash
3​	Catherine	Puzzle
4​	Drakengard 3	Action RPG
5​	Eternal Sonata	Turn-Based RPG
6​	Folklore	Action RPG
7​	inFAMOUS	Action
8​	inFAMOUS 2	Action
9​	Katamari Forever	Puzzle
10​	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time HD	Action, Hack n Slash
11​	Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HD	Action, Hack n Slash
12​	Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD	Action, Hack n Slash
13​	Puppeteer	Platformer
14​	Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles HD	On-Rails Shooter
15​	Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles HD	On-Rails Shooter
16​	Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time	Action, Platformer
17​	Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
18​	Way of the Samurai 4	Action

#​	PlayStation 4 Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
2​	AI: The Somnium Files	Adventure, Visual Novel
3​	Black Clover: Quartet Knights	Action, Fighting
4​	Bullet Girls Phantasia	Action, Shooter
5​	The Caligula Effect: Overdose	Turn-Based RPG
6​	Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions	Sports
7​	Chaos;Child	Visual Novel
8​	Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve Stars	Turn-Based RPG
9​	Cyberdimension Neptunia: Four Goddesses Online	Action RPG
10​	Danganronpa 1 Reload	Visual Novel
11​	Danganronpa 2 Reload	Visual Novel
12​	Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony	Visual Novel
13​	Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 1: Rinne Utopia	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
14​	Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 2: Ars Install	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
15​	Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 3: Twin Edition: Rio Reincarnation	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
17​	Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories	Adventure, Simulation
18​	Dragon's Crown Pro	Action RPG
19​	Fate/Extella Link	Musou
20​	Final Fantasy VIII Remastered	Turn-Based RPG
21​	Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares Win	Tactical RPG
22​	Gal*Gun 2	On-Rails Shooter
23​	Gintama Rumble	Action, Musou
24​	Gravity Rush 2	Action, Platformer
25​	Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite Combate	Action RPG
26​	JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven	Fighting
27​	Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa	Puzzle, Visual Novel
28​	Langrisser	Tactical RPG
29​	Langrisser II	Tactical RPG
30​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel	Turn-Based RPG
31​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II	Turn-Based RPG
32​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III	Turn-Based RPG
33​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	Turn-Based RPG
34​	Megadimension Neptunia VII	Turn-Based RPG
35​	Megadimension Neptunia VIIR	Turn-Based RPG
36​	MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA	Fighting
37​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm	Action, Fighting
38​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2	Action, Fighting
39​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3	Action, Fighting
40​	Neptunia Virtual Stars	Action
41​	Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars	Action
42​	Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered	Turn-Based RPG
43​	Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom	Action RPG
44​	Nights of Azure	Action RPG
45​	Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon	Action RPG
46​	One Piece Unlimited World Red	Action
47​	One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3	Musou
48​	Our World Is Ended	Visual Novel
49​	Persona 5 Royal	Turn-Based RPG
50​	Persona 5 Strikers	Action RPG, Musou
51​	Punch Line	Visual Novel
52​	Raging Loop	Visual Novel
53​	Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-: Prophecy of the Throne	Visual Novel
54​	Resident Evil	Survival Horror
55​	Resident Evil 0	Survival Horror
56​	Resident Evil 4	Action Horror
57​	Robotics;Notes DaSH	Visual Novel
58​	Robotics;Notes ELITE	Visual Novel
59​	SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays	Tactical RPG
60​	SD Gundam G Generation Genesis	Tactical RPG
61​	Secret of Mana	Action RPG
62​	Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi	Musou
63​	Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal	Action
64​	Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster	Turn-Based RPG
65​	Shining Resonance: Refrain	Action RPG
66​	Steins;Gate Elite	Visual Novel
67​	Super Neptunia RPG	Turn-Based RPG
68​	Super Robot Wars 30	Tactical RPG
69​	Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers	Tactical RPG
70​	Super Robot Wars T	Tactical RPG
71​	Super Robot Wars X	Tactical RPG
72​	Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet	Action RPG
73​	Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions!	Music, Rhythm
74​	Tales of Berseria	Action RPG
75​	Tales of Vesperia	Action RPG
76​	Tales of Zestiria	Action RPG
77​	Tokyo Xanadu eX+	Action RPG
78​	Trials of Mana	Action RPG
79​	Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
80​	Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
81​	Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
82​	Utawarerumono: Zan	Action, Musou
83​	Valkyria Chronicles 4	Tactical RPG
84​	Valkyria Revolution	Action RPG
85​	Wing of Darkness	Action, Arcade
86​	The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival Edition	Action RPG
87​	WORLDEND SYNDROME	Visual Novel
88​	Yakuza 3 Remastered	Action Beat em up
89​	Yakuza 4 Remastered	Action Beat em up
90​	Yakuza 5 Remastered	Action Beat em up
91​	YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World	Visual Novel
92​	Ys IX: Monstrum Nox	Action RPG

#	PlayStation 5 Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Judgment	Action, Beat em up
2​	Lost Judgment	Action, Beat em up
3​	Neptunia ReVerse	Turn-Based RPG
4​	Nioh	Action Souls RPG
5​	Nioh 2	Action Souls RPG
6​	Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit of Wonder Labyrinth	Metroidvania RPG
7​	Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin	Action Souls RPG
8​	Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon	Turn-Based RPG

#​	PlayStation Vita Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Bullet Girls	Action, Shooter
2​	Freedom Wars	Action
3​	Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart	Tactical RPG
4​	Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed	Action
5​	MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies	Action, Musou
6​	Muv-Luv	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
7​	Muv-Luv Alternative	Visual Novel
8​	Superdimension Neptune vs SEGA Hard Girls	Turn-Based RPG
9​	Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni	Action

#	Nintendo Switch Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Fire Emblem: Three Houses	Tactical RPG
2​	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Racing
3​	New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe	Platformer
4​	Senran Kagura Reflexions	Simulation
5​	Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury	Action, Platformer
6​	Super Mario 64	Action, Platformer
7​	Super Mario Galaxy	Action, Platformer
8​	Super Mario Sunshine	Action, Platformer
9​	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Fighting
10​	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	Action RPG
11​	Xenoblade Chronicles 2	Action RPG

52 Games Goal:

Spoiler

No.	Game	Console​	Acquired​	Genre
1​	Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes	PS3​	2017​	Musou
2​	Toukiden 2	PS4​	2019​	Hunter RPG
3​	Fist of the Nort Star: Lost Paradise	PS4​	2019​	Action, Beat em Up
4​	JUMP FORCE	PS4​	2022​	Fighting
5​	Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul	PS4​	2020​	Fighting
6​	Code Vein	PS4​	2020​	Action Souls RPG
7​	Super Robot Wars V	PS4​	2019​	Tactical RPG
8​	Gran Turismo 7	PS5​	2022​	Racing
9​	Onechanbara Z2: Chaos	PS4​	2020​	Action, Hack n Slash
10​	SG/ZH: School Girl / Zombie Hunter	PS4​	2021​	Action, Shooter
11​	Ratchet & Clank: QForce	PS3​	2021​	Action, Platformer
12​	Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One	PS3​	2021​	Action, Platformer
13​	Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation	Vita​	2018​	Turn-Based RPG
14​	Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation	Vita​	2018​	Turn-Based RPG
15​	Spirit Hunter: Death Mark	PS4​	2021​	Visual Novel
16​	Spirit Hunter: NG	PS4​	2021​	Visual Novel
17​	Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire	PS4​	2021​	Shoot em up

 

[RadFemHedonist]

Just Wordle these days

Sooo relatable lol I deleted all the app games from my iPod and iPad recently to make sure I spend my time more constructively as I played waaaay too much sometimes and disliked how cluttered the games were making things, also the money trap element of many of them bugged me a lot... hopefully this will help fuel creativity and get me to play more of the games in my Steam library

 

[DragoStark]

Finished Uncharted 3.

Defo the weakest of the trilogy I feel. I didn't have as much fun with this as the previous two. The enemies were infuriating and the "villians" were the type I abhor: The 'We Know Everything. Your Every Move. Your Every Step. Without Explanation"
I feel like it lost the "Tomb Raiding" aspect and I get that they wanted to do something different but I think it lost its charm along with it. The puzzles were fun, the gun fights, especially in the goddamn desert, were not. There were just too many gun fights overall.

I may have not have enjoyed it as much as the first two but I don't regret playing it, it was still good despite my moaning haha. I'll keep an eye out for the 4th game. Will probably get the legacy collection on steam when it drops. I'll defo continue playing the games in this franchise.

Now I can finally move onto Judgement. I love the Yakuza series so I'm really excited for this one!

 

[João Gomes]

Finished Uncharted 3.

Defo the weakest of the trilogy I feel. I didn't have as much fun with this as the previous two. The enemies were infuriating and the "villians" were the type I abhor: The 'We Know Everything. Your Every Move. Your Every Step. Without Explanation"
I feel like it lost the "Tomb Raiding" aspect and I get that they wanted to do something different but I think it lost its charm along with it. The puzzles were fun, the gun fights, especially in the goddamn desert, were not. There were just too many gun fights overall.

I may have not have enjoyed it as much as the first two but I don't regret playing it, it was still good despite my moaning haha. I'll keep an eye out for the 4th game. Will probably get the legacy collection on steam when it drops. I'll defo continue playing the games in this franchise.

Now I can finally move onto Judgement. I love the Yakuza series so I'm really excited for this one!

Those are solid gripes to have with the game but I still think I'd put it on par with U2. The hand to hand fighting was tweaked in just the right way to make it much more fun when having to use it, I like the weapon variety, the setpieces are my favorite in the series and I love that there was no supernatural twist. And I feel like there was quite a bit of urban settings, which is when Uncharted is at its best for me, ironically.

I just wish Naughty Dog would go ahead and create a globe-trotting spy action game.

Uncharted 4 feels much more thematically rich and as having something to say. If you're married, the game hits even harder. But the pacing can be uneven. I like the open areas, but they impact the rhythm of the game quite a bit.

Even then, Naughty Dog seem to have learned from that, having placed one at the beginning of Last of Us 2 when the story still hasn't picked up steam instead of at the middle where you're more interested in moving towards the conclusion instead of doing treasure hunting.

Finished Judgement not a month ago, excellent game! Great, great protagonist and once Yakuza games get their story hooks on you, they don't let ago - a very special feeling that those games nail with their mix of bombast and light melodrama. Lost Judgment is great as well.

I'm pausing and going through VII Remake on PS5 because I'm all hype for part 2 right now but I'll be getting into Yakuza 7 next.

 

[Dai]

Stray
I expected this to be like a mini open world game without the bloat, but it ended up being a more linear action adventure with some small hub areas, a lot of environmental puzzles, and some very old-school item-swapping puzzles like something out of a 90s Lucasarts adventure. Playing as a cat is novel for a while, but doesn't transform the gameplay as much as you might think, since the developers end up defaulting back to tried and tested gameplay mechanics most of the time. The cat aspect ends up feeling more like a feline simulator, since you can perform a lot of cat-like behaviours, but they rarely impact progression through the game (eg. the dedicated meow button only has a gameplay function on one specific occasion, while drinking water or napping has no gameplay function).

The story is decent, but goes through all the standard beats you would expect from an action adventure game. There are lots of characters to talk to, but most of them only have one line of dialogue like the random NPCs from a JRPG. At five hours it doesn't outstay it's welcome, and just about justifies the £25 price tag. Critics have been gushing over this game, which I can only take to mean that a lot of game reviewers are cat lovers. This was a good little game, polished, and with an interesting world to explore, but not Game of the Year material.

 

[Taihei]

Lately I've been playing maybe 5 games on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) of League of Legends but only Team Fight Tactics, I normally am not a fan of those modes games but I gotta say it's growing on me.

 

[Eternal chibi]

lol, I spent most of last friday berating the hell out of Stray whilst my friends played it and thought it was awesome

dont even care, no you arent allowed to have fun if your fun is STUPID

I have been replaying dark souls 3 with my soulsfriend and realised i failed nearly all quests in my first playthrough! I am now proceeding to fail the quests again

I have started to learn the board game dominion, and it is quite fun so far I am looking forward to playing more

 

[NormanicGrav]

More games!

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Game: 18 - Resident Evil 4 (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: June 2022

Spoiler

Resident Evil 4 was one of the first games I played in the franchise. The game had an interesting development cycle, going from a psychological paranormal type game and eventually shifting to an action horror. We also moved away from fixed cameras and tank controls for a third person shooter, though you still need to stand still in order to shoot your enemies.

Resident Evil 4 is still a classic, and has aged pretty well on both the visuals and gameplay. Despite its action approach, survival elements are still there, as you'll want to preserve your ammo and health as much as you can due to potential crowds of enemies. There's also the game's iconic cut-scenes which are known for having quick-timed events which, if unsuccessful, can result in a game over.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1543323859541180420

The story is standalone from the Resident Evil universe, which the focus on parasites rather than a virus causing the situation, but you do get returning character Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil 2 back into the mix. He offers some pretty amusing dialogue and his counters during combat is solid, for instance when an enemy is hurt in a specific way you can respond back by kicking them or even killing them. Each enemy will drop something in return, like extra ammo, health, money or special items you can use to sell to the game's merchant to buy or upgrade your weaponry.

The merchant is a new addition to the franchise, and he offers you a way to upgrade your equipment and buy new guns or health when needed. You will need to upgrade your case, as there's limited space available to begin with. Much like the earlier games, going into your equipment menu will pause the game so you can relax and carefully pick which weapon or item to use at any moment. If you feel like adding a ridiculous challenge to yourself, if you kill the merchant he won't come back for the entirety of the game so you'll want him alive to improve your combat.

The weapon selection is great, with pistols, magnum, shotgun, rifles, machine gun and the iconic rocket launcher all make a return. The knife is a super useful tool as you can use this to open up boxes for more items, and when an enemy is down you can use it to kill them to preserve your ammo.

The game is also semi-linear with some areas having you go back and forth in the area, but for the most part you will be going from point A to B. The story is also split into chapters and the typewriter returns for saving. You can return to the same area without losing too much progress thanks to the checkpoints, which will be handy for the hardest difficulty Professional (which is unlocked after finishing the game at least once).

The enemies are also great, with a variety to keep you at your toes. Alongside your usual villagers, you have the iconic chainsaw people who can instantly kill you if you're not careful, bugs who turn invisible, dogs, regenerators who can't be killed unless you find their specific weak spots using a heat sensor, and more. There's also a boulder sequence to run away from!

Included in the later releases of Resident Evil 4 are more content, and one of those is Separate Ways which is a new mini campaign focused on Ada Wong who turns up in parts of the story. Her campaign has limited equipment and re-uses a lot of areas, but her storyline does provide some missing gaps and context to the main storyline. The crossbow weapon is pretty cool too.

Overall, Resident Evil 4 is a classic and one worth playing even if the remake ends up being an improvement. The story can take about 13-14 hours and the Separate Way campaign adds another 3-4 hours. The trophy list is pretty small as it matched what Xbox 360 had with the main focus being the story and a Professional playthrough. I played the game on Normal but I have played aspects of Professional many years ago.

---

Game: 19 - Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: July 2022

Spoiler

Just like Resident Evil 4, I also played Resident Evil 5 back when it was released on Xbox 360. I remember watching the announcement trailer which had a great concept of using sunlight as a way to cause fear due to being blinded by what's ahead of you as the infected are after you. Though unfortunately the devs couldn't fully utilise the idea, but what we got was still a solid B-Movie type adventure with solid co-op gameplay.

For the PlayStation 4, I have gone for a single player approach this time but the game still holds up pretty well especially with 60FPS gameplay. Now despite how fun the game is, I actually do not recommend using this as a starting point because it directly references the other games in the franchise and personally I consider it to be the final part of the storyline (despite RE6 onwards being a thing). Resident Evil 5 looks great to with a nice artstyle and has a great final battle.

The gameplay is designed for co-op so your partner will be with you on all chapters which is a nice change of pace, and while Resident Evil 0 had a similar idea RE5 handles it much better. One of the biggest differences between Resident Evil 4 & 5 is the inventory system. In RE4 you could pause the game and expand your inventory to have as many weapons and items as possible, but in RE5 the inventory is limited to 9 slots per character and it will not pause the game if you want to change items around or switch weapons so you will need to be more tactical when that happens. That said, you can even trade items with your co-op partner which is pretty handy, and the herbs is adjusted so it relies on 1 green herb, 2 green herbs or 1 green & 1 red to get a full or half health amount compared to other games.

The story is structured similar to Resident Evil 4 with chapters, and this time Capcom has set it up so that you can revisit other chapters offline and online. The story is paced pretty well with each chapter covering specific areas, like a town, lake, or facility. In-between chapters you can upgrade your weapons and adjust your inventory to get the best experience, and you're also ranked based on how well you've performed. There are boss battles which are decent but the latter half is unique in a good way which helps make the game stand out well on the franchise.

Now I know Resident Evil 5 had been criticised by a lot of people, but I do think it holds up pretty well with Resident Evil 4 on the action horror genre and the boulder punching scene is still amazing.

Overall I spent about 10 hours plus an additional hour for each of the DLC storylines that were bundled with the remaster; Lost in Nightmares which has references to the original Resident Evil, and Desperate Escape which is a nice action approach for those who enjoyed that. There's also mercenaries and versus mode for added content.

---

Game: 20 - Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles HD (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2021

Spoiler

When the Nintendo Wii was released, many people jumped onto the craze and so did the Japanese developers like Capcom, by bringing the Resident Evil franchise onto the motion control platform. While the console was not as technical as the others in that era, Wii had the opportunity to bring in the shooter genre thanks to the Wii Remote acting like a gun in a sense, though only a handful made full use of this idea like SEGA's Ghost Squad, Ubisoft's Red Steel and EA's Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. For Capcom, not only did we have Resident Evil 4 make use of this but they also made an on-rails shooter compiling a lot of the stories from the previous games with Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles.

Eventually Capcom decided to bring the games over to the PlayStation 3 with the Chronicles HD Selection, which included both Wii exclusive games. In Japan, the collection received a physical release under the name Biohazard: Chronicles HD Selection, which is the version I picked up, and this may surprise people because the Japanese version is about 90% in English, with all the voices dubbed and only a small portion is in Japanese.

The Umbrella Chronicles covers three of the Resident Evil games; Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil Remake, and Resident Evil 3, though the latter more loosely than the others in terms of being faithful. Each game has 3 main scenarios and a couple of bonus scenarios. These bonus scenarios are the most interesting ones of the bunch as they cover content from the other perspective of those games' situation, for instance how did Albert Wesker get through the events of Resident Evil 0 & 1, and how Rebecca Chambers ended up where she was in the mansion. There's also a fourth main scenario which is new to the story and involves Chris & Jill going to Russia to stop Umbrella.

The controls is handled with two options; the PlayStation Move (which I don't own) or the controller. The controls for the controller include R1 to shoot, R2 for using the knife, L2 + R1 to use grenades, D-Pad to change weapons and using X to pick up any items you find on the screen. Health is done automatically and a First Aid Spray is available if you lose all of your health. The game also has quick-time events which involve shaking the controller or using both sticks, or using L1, R1 or both when the icon shows up on the screen.

The length of each scenario takes a few minutes to as long as 10-20 minutes depending on the situation, and while you can continue if you get a game over, the issue does come down to how well you can manage your inventory. Your pistol has infinite ammo, but with no way to upgrade it, it does provide to be a challenge in later scenarios - where weapons like machine guns or shotguns are more handy than your standard pistol. This can also be a problem during boss fights which can be a massive nightmare if you used up most of your ammo before the battle.

Now to upgrade your weapons, these require stars which can be achieved by earning a good rank or finishing the scenario. The more stars you win in a scenario, the faster you can upgrade your weapons. Now while each weapon can reach up to Level 4, there is a 5th level available if you can get S rank on each scenario in Hard mode.

Overall, The Umbrella Chronicles is a pretty fun on-rails experience. The difficulty is frustrating at times, but this was mainly during the final few parts of the game and it's recommended that you have a PlayStation Move controller for a better aiming experience and even a co-op partner to get through the scenarios together. I spent roughly 8 hours going through the scenarios and upgrading some weapons along the way.

The Umbrella Chronicles is available to own digitally on PlayStation 3 (or for streaming as part of PlayStation Plus on PS4/5) in the west, and physically in Japan. The original Nintendo Wii version is still around if you want to go for that route, but the HD version looks great if you want cleaner visuals.

---

Game: 21 - Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles HD (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2021

Spoiler

Following the success of The Umbrella Chronicles, Capcom & Cavia then released another instalment called The Darkside Chronicles which comes with a number of tweaks to the formula whilst also offering new and old content for the stories presented.

For instance, Darkside Chronicles focuses on the storylines of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica as well as a new storyline that goes over Leon's relationship with Krauser (from Resident Evil 4). Each chapter shares the same formula as the previous game with your task of shooting everything insight to get from point A to point B. That said, the UI design is a lot different with them going for a blue/purple esque look and there's also changes to the weapon upgrade system.

There's now one gun type each and you can now upgrade your pistol which is super handy considering that was one of the biggest issues I had with the previous game due to moments where you can run out of ammo easily at the wrong moments. In addition, you can also pause the game to change your weapon setup which is pretty handy if you need to change your empty grenades to a magnum as an example. Another big difference is that you can now store first-aid herbs, so when you are running low on health you can pause the fight and use a herb in the same way you can update your weapon setup which is a plus considering how ridiculously challenging the previous game was at parts.

While the stories presented is well done, especially considering they didn't have remake footage at the time so all was done from scratch on the cutscenes etc, for some reason they decided to introduce a shaky camera approach which unfortunately ruins the experience completely. The idea is there but the execution is pretty poor altogether. The game also has two chapters that essentially repeat the final two chapters of the new scenario but done from Krauser's perspective - which is only made more tedious due to the increased difficulty as well, so you will have to spend a long while grinding money to upgrade your setup if you want to finish the story.

The controls were similar to the previous game for this HD remaster as you can use either the PlayStation Move or a controller. I went with the controller which plays fine but the shaky camera does make it unfun at times. The quick-time events are back but they feel much easier than the previous game which was interesting, they're not as common throughout but when they're there it's much easier to react. The length of each scenario takes about 7-20 minutes depending on the situation.

Overall, The Darkside Chronicles is both an improvement and a disappointment in terms of being a new instalment to the previous game. The weapon upgrade and inventory setup is much better, but the shaky camera can ruin your on-rails experience. Like before, it's recommended that you have a PlayStation Move controller for a better aiming experience and even a co-op partner to get through the scenarios together. I spent roughly 9 hours going through the scenarios as well as a bit more time to get through the final two chapters of the game.

The Darkside Chronicles is available to own digitally on PlayStation 3 (or for streaming as part of PlayStation Plus on PS4/5) in the west, and physically in Japan. The original Nintendo Wii version is still around if you want to go for that route.

---

Game: 22 - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time HD (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2021

Spoiler

During last year's PS3 fiasco, I decided to go through another batch of physical releases for the console and one of those was a HD remaster collection for Ubisoft's Prince of Persia trilogy from the PS2 era. When the remake was first announced I suspected demand would go up for this collection but considering it got delayed it must have stayed around, so when the console was starting to get more attention I decided to pick the set up to secure a copy.

But it took this long for me to finally start Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, released in 2003 but playing the game using the HD version. The HD transfer is pretty good with the presentation holding up pretty well, though there are some technical issues like graphics flickering, audio delay during one of the cutscenes, and multiple crashes during combat. But outside of that, I had a great time playing this classic.

The gameplay is pretty simple - you have to climb and navigate your way through each area to proceed and sometimes they are timed or filled with traps and enemies which you will need to fight your way through. The climb and navigation is great and the controls hold up very well. The only issue I had with climbing was one section in the library where it was pretty difficult to figure out where to go at times.

The combat mostly works as each enemy will have different ways to fight so you can't re-use the same combos, but I do have an issue with the enemy AI because when you get knocked down and are trying to get back up, the AI just keeps hitting you which doesn't give you enough room to recover and you end up losing a lot of health as a result. That said, you could rectify this by using the rewind feature which is there to reverse time, but as I was going for the Platinum trophy I ignored this feature entirely except for one moment near the end.

As for the story I like it but the audio issues with the game has affected the experience. For instance dialog is randomly quiet in a lot of places. I did enjoy listening to the prince's monologues throughout which adds to the fun.

Overall, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a great game and I spent 9 hours due to tackling the trophies so it will be a lot shorter when you play it normally but I had a fun time. The HD remaster is nice looking but definitely flawed. The HD collection was only released on PlayStation 3 but it was released on PC so I suggest going for that approach for a potentially better performance. The original version was released on PlayStation 2, Gamecube and Xbox.

---

Game: 23 - Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2021

Spoiler

After the success of Sands of Time, Ubisoft made a follow-up a year later with Warrior Within, which took the formula and went even further on the platforming and combat while also making the story and characters darker in-tone. This is quite literally the dark horse of the series as the game basically goes for the edgy look with some metal-esque soundtrack here and there and gore added to the mix.

Despite the tone change, Warrior Within is a pretty solid instalment in the trilogy as the story is really interesting and holds up pretty well. The idea that the Prince has to try and figure out a way to escape his fate after the events of Sand of Time is great and how the story develops was surprising. I suppose it can be considered predictable but I liked how it wrapped up in the end.

As mentioned, the gameplay has been updated - combat is better but the difficulty spikes do occur from time to time (primarily with the boss fights though) and there's a pretty cool gameplay mechanic that occurs during its third act which offers a nice balance of gameplay to the mix. I do like the second weapon pickups for dual-wielding but sometimes the game refuses to let you pick one up when you're in combat which can be annoying. I also do think some enemies basically sponge in terms of health which can also be tedious.

One addition we have with the game is the Dahaka who is basically a mini version of Nemesis in terms of hunting you down, but he isn't as frequent as you would expect due to the game's core aspect of changing between two timelines. That said it is amusing that the monster's theme song is an instrumental version of I Stand Alone.

In terms of how the HD remaster has performed, thankfully there were no game crashes but there is some graphical issues like water not looking great on the edge and being able to see through walls. The character models also look pretty off as well which is a shame, but from what I've seen the PC version is the way to go for the game.

Overall, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a solid instalment but it's hard to describe how I really feel about it as a whole as there's both good parts and bad parts throughout. The good parts stand out really well but the bad parts include backtracking which can be hard to navigate, uneven difficulty spikes at parts and graphical issues. I went with the Normal difficulty option and managed to get the Secret Ending (which is acquired by getting all 9 health upgrades and collecting the Water Sword). A total of 11 hours or so was spent going through the whole story plus the artwork and health collectibles.

---

Game: 24 - Stray (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: July 2022 via PlayStation Plus

Spoiler

Stray, dubbed by many as the 'cat game', finally released and was made available to download on PlayStation Plus so I decided to try it out this past weekend. It's a simple platformer with some puzzle and stealth elements thrown in from time to time.

Despite its relatively short length, Stray offers a really solid story from the moment you meet your companion robot and while the ending isn't what I had in mind for the cat (basically makes you question why Chapter 1 was even a thing sometimes), how that chapter was heart-warming admittedly.

The gameplay mostly consists of your cat travelling and climbing your way through various platforms while at times dodging enemies which one of them is basically rip-off facehuggers from Half-Life. There's also some collectibles available for your cat to acquire like the memories of the past, music sheets for a robot to use, and badges to add to your mini suit.

The game also has some pretty easy but can be a bit of a challenge trophies. One of which requires you to finish the game in under 2 hours, which I managed to do in 95 minutes. Overall Stray is a good time and I recommend giving it a shot, however I don't recommend buying it at full price due to its short length and some simplicity in its gameplay. Stray is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

---

My backlog so far:

Spoiler

#​	PC/Steam Backlog - Game Name:​	Genre:
1​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	Turn-Based RPG
2​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC	Turn-Based RPG

#​	PlayStation 3 Backlog - Game Name:​	Genre:
1​	3D Dot Game Heroes	Action RPG
2​	Castlevania: Lords of Shadow	Action, Hack n Slash
3​	Catherine	Puzzle
4​	Drakengard 3	Action RPG
5​	Eternal Sonata	Turn-Based RPG
6​	Folklore	Action RPG
7​	inFAMOUS	Action
8​	inFAMOUS 2	Action
9​	Katamari Forever	Puzzle
10​	Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HD	Action, Hack n Slash
11​	Puppeteer	Platformer
12​	Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time	Action, Platformer
13​	Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
14​	Way of the Samurai 4	Action

#​	PlayStation 4 Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
2​	AI: The Somnium Files	Adventure, Visual Novel
3​	Black Clover: Quartet Knights	Action, Fighting
4​	Bullet Girls Phantasia	Action, Shooter
5​	The Caligula Effect: Overdose	Turn-Based RPG
6​	Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions	Sports
7​	Catherine Full Body	Puzzle
8​	Chaos;Child	Visual Novel
9​	Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve Stars	Turn-Based RPG
10​	Cyberdimension Neptunia: Four Goddesses Online	Action RPG
11​	Danganronpa 1 Reload	Visual Novel
12​	Danganronpa 2 Reload	Visual Novel
13​	Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony	Visual Novel
14​	Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 1: Rinne Utopia	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
15​	Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 2: Ars Install	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
16​	Date A Live: Rio-Reincarnation - 3: Twin Edition: Rio Reincarnation	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
17​	Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories	Adventure, Simulation
18​	Dragon's Crown Pro	Action RPG
19​	Fate/Extella Link	Musou
20​	Final Fantasy VIII Remastered	Turn-Based RPG
21​	Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares Win	Tactical RPG
22​	Gal*Gun 2	On-Rails Shooter
23​	Gintama Rumble	Action, Musou
24​	GOD EATER 3	Action Hunter RPG
25​	Gravity Rush 2	Action, Platformer
26​	Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite Combate	Action RPG
27​	JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven	Fighting
28​	Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa	Puzzle, Visual Novel
29​	Langrisser	Tactical RPG
30​	Langrisser II	Tactical RPG
31​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel	Turn-Based RPG
32​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II	Turn-Based RPG
33​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III	Turn-Based RPG
34​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	Turn-Based RPG
35​	Megadimension Neptunia VII	Turn-Based RPG
36​	Megadimension Neptunia VIIR	Turn-Based RPG
37​	MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA	Fighting
38​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm	Action, Fighting
39​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2	Action, Fighting
40​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3	Action, Fighting
41​	Neptunia Virtual Stars	Action
42​	Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars	Action
43​	Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered	Turn-Based RPG
44​	Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom	Action RPG
45​	Nights of Azure	Action RPG
46​	Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon	Action RPG
47​	One Piece Unlimited World Red	Action
48​	One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3	Musou
49​	Our World Is Ended	Visual Novel
50​	Persona 5 Royal	Turn-Based RPG
51​	Persona 5 Strikers	Action RPG, Musou
52​	Punch Line	Visual Novel
53​	Raging Loop	Visual Novel
54​	Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-: Prophecy of the Throne	Visual Novel
55​	Resident Evil	Survival Horror
56​	Resident Evil 0	Survival Horror
57​	Resident Evil 6	Action Horror
58​	Resident Evil: Revelations	Action Horror
59​	Resident Evil: Revelations 2	Action Horror
60​	Robotics;Notes DaSH	Visual Novel
61​	Robotics;Notes ELITE	Visual Novel
62​	SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays	Tactical RPG
63​	SD Gundam G Generation Genesis	Tactical RPG
64​	Secret of Mana	Action RPG
65​	Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi	Musou
66​	Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal	Action
67​	Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster	Turn-Based RPG
68​	Shining Resonance: Refrain	Action RPG
69​	Steins;Gate Elite	Visual Novel
70​	Super Neptunia RPG	Turn-Based RPG
71​	Super Robot Wars 30	Tactical RPG
72​	Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers	Tactical RPG
73​	Super Robot Wars T	Tactical RPG
74​	Super Robot Wars X	Tactical RPG
75​	Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet	Action RPG
76​	Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions!	Music, Rhythm
77​	Tales of Berseria	Action RPG
78​	Tales of Vesperia	Action RPG
79​	Tales of Zestiria	Action RPG
80​	Tokyo Xanadu eX+	Action RPG
81​	Trials of Mana	Action RPG
82​	Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
83​	Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
84​	Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
85​	Utawarerumono: Zan	Action, Musou
86​	Valkyria Chronicles 4	Tactical RPG
87​	Valkyria Revolution	Action RPG
88​	Wing of Darkness	Action, Arcade
89​	The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival Edition	Action RPG
90​	WORLDEND SYNDROME	Visual Novel
91​	Yakuza 3 Remastered	Action Beat em up
92​	Yakuza 4 Remastered	Action Beat em up
93​	Yakuza 5 Remastered	Action Beat em up
94​	YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World	Visual Novel
95​	Ys IX: Monstrum Nox	Action RPG

#	PlayStation 5 Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Judgment	Action, Beat em up
2​	Klonoa: Door to Phantomile	Platformer
3​	Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil	Platformer
4​	Lost Judgment	Action, Beat em up
5​	Neptunia ReVerse	Turn-Based RPG
6​	Nioh	Action Souls RPG
7​	Nioh 2	Action Souls RPG
8​	Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit of Wonder Labyrinth	Metroidvania RPG
9​	Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin	Action Souls RPG
10​	Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania	Puzzle
11​	Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon	Turn-Based RPG

#​	PlayStation Vita Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Bullet Girls	Action, Shooter
2​	Freedom Wars	Action
3​	Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart	Tactical RPG
4​	Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed	Action
5​	MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies	Action, Musou
6​	Muv-Luv	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
7​	Muv-Luv Alternative	Visual Novel
8​	Superdimension Neptune vs SEGA Hard Girls	Turn-Based RPG
9​	Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni	Action

#	Nintendo Switch Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Fire Emblem: Three Houses	Tactical RPG
2​	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Racing
3​	New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe	Platformer
4​	Senran Kagura Reflexions	Simulation
5​	Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury	Action, Platformer
6​	Super Mario 64	Action, Platformer
7​	Super Mario Galaxy	Action, Platformer
8​	Super Mario Sunshine	Action, Platformer
9​	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Fighting
10​	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	Action RPG
11​	Xenoblade Chronicles 2	Action RPG

52 Games Goal:

Spoiler

No.	Game	Console​	Acquired​	Genre
1​	Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes	PS3​	2017​	Musou
2​	Toukiden 2	PS4​	2019​	Hunter RPG
3​	Fist of the Nort Star: Lost Paradise	PS4​	2019​	Action, Beat em Up
4​	JUMP FORCE	PS4​	2022​	Fighting
5​	Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul	PS4​	2020​	Fighting
6​	Code Vein	PS4​	2020​	Action Souls RPG
7​	Super Robot Wars V	PS4​	2019​	Tactical RPG
8​	Gran Turismo 7	PS5​	2022​	Racing
9​	Onechanbara Z2: Chaos	PS4​	2020​	Action, Hack n Slash
10​	SG/ZH: School Girl / Zombie Hunter	PS4​	2021​	Action, Shooter
11​	Ratchet & Clank: QForce	PS3​	2021​	Action, Platformer
12​	Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One	PS3​	2021​	Action, Platformer
13​	Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation	Vita​	2018​	Turn-Based RPG
14​	Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation	Vita​	2018​	Turn-Based RPG
15​	Spirit Hunter: Death Mark	PS4​	2021​	Visual Novel
16​	Spirit Hunter: NG	PS4​	2021​	Visual Novel
17​	Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire	PS4​	2021​	Shoot em up
18​	Resident Evil 4	PS4​	2022​	Action, Horror
19​	Resident Evil 5	PS4​	2022​	Action, Horror
20​	Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles HD	PS3​	2021​	On-Rails Shooter
21​	Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles HD	PS3​	2021​	On-Rails Shooter
22​	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time HD	PS3​	2021​	Action, Platformer
23​	Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD	PS3​	2021​	Action, Platformer
24​	Stray	PS5​	2022​	Platformer

 

[SAHO]

- Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut -



Finally completed ACT II. It's been a very longtime since I've been blown away by such skillful storytelling, excellent actor's performance and magnificent soundtrack in a game. Many emotions have emerged throughout this act and am anticipating how the main story will conclude.

 

[Spark_Heal]

Started playing AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative. I enjoyed the first game and this feels like it'll be around the same quality. Although I am only on Chapter 1 at the moment. The new murder mystery this game will focus on is both less brutal and more outlandish than the New Cyclops Killings the original focused on. Which may work in this game's favour as it seems to lean into the more bizarre elements of the setting. The puzzles seem alright this time too. I was worried about how it would juggle the new cast in addition to returning favourites but so they've done a good job so far. Ryuki was not what I was expecting at all while Tama has a way with words.

 

[WMD]

Life Is Strange True Colours
Another masterpiece up there with the first one. Something I found interesting, with its focus on emotional connection, was how much more likable the whole cast was than the first one. Even with characters you don't really like you're lead to see deeper into them. It's very well done. With the first one and it's focus on time manipulation and hence manipulating people I never really connected with anyone except for Chloe. It meant the ending here was far more bittersweet even getting a "good" ending.

I'll put the rest under a spoiler tag as I'll actually discus the ending of my playthrough and other major points along the way:

Spoiler: Major story spoilers

So I managed to have Steph, Duckie and Pike defend me at the finale. I romanced Steph hard from the beginning and my ending was to stay in Haven with her which I like for them. Alex needs some time to chill and be cared for by those around her. Unfortunately I took Charlotte's anger and told Riley about Eleanor's condition at the bus stop so didn't get their support. And I'm not surprised Ryan didn't back me, I only shook his hand and never pursued him.

Some other thoughts: the end of chapter 1 really threw me. Was not expecting that to happen to Gabe. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect. Mac was an obvious initial red herring but I enjoyed what it lead to. The moments of joy in the game were so good. The LARPing and the sping festival in particular. The mind dive in chapter 5 was really well done to. To have that lead to Alex's dad being a victim in the mine was very well done.

True Colors is great. Since you're into D&D there's one part of it in particular that you'll probably get a kick out of

You were totally right. That part of the game was exceptional!

All in all I loved it but I do feel a little sad now. 10/10

 

[Dai]

Resident Evil HD
Between the original, the Director's Cut, the Gamecube REmake, and this HD remaster of the latter, I've lost count of how many times I've played various versions of this game. It never gets old. The Spencer Mansion remains one of the best locations in gaming, and the slow transition from gothic horror to SF helps keep it fresh among the franchise's many sequels.

Mario Tennis Aces
There are fundamentally solid tennis mechanics at the heart of this game. It's just a shame that they're buried under gimmicks that often make it a frustrating pain to play. Super moves are irritating to intercept at the best of times, and can become borderline impossible to return when opponents start richocheting the ball off obstacles at the net. Long matches are made annoying by the repetitive voice samples. It's bad enough with the human characters, but many of the monsters just gibber the same "Gerble, gerble" sample over and over.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
For anyone old enough to remember crowding around the 4-player TMNT arcade machines in the early 90s, this is the sequel we've been waiting for. Coming from the developer of the genre-redefining Streets of Rage 4, this is almost as good and has a massive dose of Turtles nostalgia on top.

 

[ayase]

So for the last year or so I've been playing the tutorial game of Crusader Kings III, it says something about the depth of the game when I got sucked in for 100 hours or so without even starting a new game. Thirteen Kings and one Queen later, this was the state of the border gore in 1444 after Empress Annes (the one monarch I didn't get to name and she got a weird one, I don't know if "Annes" is an actual name or if she has MPD - at least it wasn't "747-Evreux" as the AI apparently saw fit to name one noble house) had finally unified the British Isles by murdering her husband and then deposing her own son. It's all right, he lost a Kingdom but he'll gain an Empire soon enough. The Empire of Alba for some reason, despite the fact our dynasty is Irish. Alex Salmond would be happy anyway.



I managed to import the game into Europa Universalis IV without many issues (the best have got to be "Italian Italy" and the renaming of the Kingdom of "Catholic Al-Sarq" to just the Kingdom of "Catholic") but eh, I don't know if I'll ever actually continue it. Iceland would probably give me a nice jumping off point to the Americas but Paradox grand strategy games are like Star Trek movies for me, I love CK and Vicky but I can't get into EU or HOI, which sadly limits my ability to do the whole thousand-year campaign thing. But I enjoyed my 400 years of Machiavellian scheming a lot. Particularly the 14th Century, these three were as characterful as they look and managed to perfectly physically embody the rapid growth of the realm they presided over. High King Murchad indeed, he smacked England so hard it ended up in France.



Sticking with the Mediaeval theme, I've also been playing Kingdom Cutscene Come: Deliverance which is fantastic as an open world, free roam exploration of Mediaeval Europe. I'm quite content just wandering or riding my horse (all games that seek to implement horse riding take note: This is how it's done, makes it feel fast to the point of dangerous when you're galloping, no Skyrim style slo-mo here) around the fantastically immersive world that I've barely scratched the surface of and taking in the sights. The combat however, I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of. I don't know if it was made for controllers but I don't think using one would help since it has the same problem for me that all controller based combat has, namely that my hand-eye-brain co-ordination goes haywire and I just end up frantically button-mashing until something works. You want me to keep moving the character in different directions to dodge while also moving the mouse in different directions in order to attack, and also remembering to block? I can barely land a hit, I have enough trouble co-ordinating enough just to block enemy attacks. Searches suggest it's not just me and gets easier as your character levels up to represent the fact that within the game's story he wouldn't be very good with a sword to begin with, but I can think of better ways to simulate that than making the player think they're sh*t at the controls.

 

[Oldmario]

recently 100% THPS 1+2 while it was on PS+, also got Voez and Deemo from the recent VG+ reprint so those should keep me busy for a while

 

[Gemsy-chan]

Just completed the main game of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and yep, this is my favourite XB game.

Oh and it took me 111 hours.

 

[HWR]

I’m currently on the month of June within my first playthrough for the steam version of Persona 4 Golden.