Gemsy-chan
Shrine Maiden
And that’s the post game stuff done.
What Games Are You Playing?
- Thread starter Unit 0
- Start date
Dai
Death Scythe
Soma
As Alien Isolation clones go, this one is a mixed bag. I'm a few hours in and the story and setting are interesting, but the controls for manipulating objects are awkward and the stealth sections are tedious. I didn't need a reason to hide from the xenomorph in Isolation because the damn thing was terrifying, but in the part of Soma I'm up to at the moment I'm just left thinking, "Why am I hiding from a dude in a gimp suit with a disco ball for a head? I could probably take it down if I had a crowbar." Wandering aimlessly around the ocean floor in the dark is boring too. I'm not sure if I'll bother finishing this one.
As Alien Isolation clones go, this one is a mixed bag. I'm a few hours in and the story and setting are interesting, but the controls for manipulating objects are awkward and the stealth sections are tedious. I didn't need a reason to hide from the xenomorph in Isolation because the damn thing was terrifying, but in the part of Soma I'm up to at the moment I'm just left thinking, "Why am I hiding from a dude in a gimp suit with a disco ball for a head? I could probably take it down if I had a crowbar." Wandering aimlessly around the ocean floor in the dark is boring too. I'm not sure if I'll bother finishing this one.
João Gomes
Thousand Master
Do it Dai, it's easily one of the best stories in videogames. Yeah, maybe the game part is questionable but I promise you will not forget that ending.
Isn't there a safe mode where the monster wanders around but it doesn't attack you? At least you won't have to pretend the stealth works.
Dai
Death Scythe
I'd completely forgotten that mode was there. Thanks, I'll give it a go.
João Gomes
Thousand Master
That sucks - I hope the gameplay doesn't sour you on the story. It has some very memorable moments of existentialist dread.
The setting is just incredibly well realized.
The setting is just incredibly well realized.
ayase
State Alchemist
I won't repeat myself (and please don't read that post until you're finished, Dai) but I think it is perhaps a little unfair to call it an "Alien Isolation clone" given that Frictional pretty much pioneered the run-and-hide first person survival horror genre with the Penumbra series back in 2007, then refined it with Amnesia in 2010 a full four years before Isolation's release. I've hugely enjoyed everything Frictional have produced and keep meaning to check out the newest Amnesia, but I just have to be in the mood.
Although perhaps now is the time, given that I just finished creepy walk-a-thons The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The Town of Light which I played through in a single 5 hour sitting.
Vanishing has an absolutely beautiful world to explore although I found the story little disjointed, split as it is into very clear and different sections which made the ending "twist" obvious a mile off and I was often frustrated by the fact there were so many occasions in the game world where it allowed me to walk to remote sections of the map only to find there was nothing there. It feels like a pretty major design flaw to not reward the player for exploring and investigating in an exploration and investigation game. Also I didn't think the mechanic by which you have to discern the order of events was particularly good given that this was usually very obvious, so much so that I sometimes thought "It can't possibly be this easy, it's trying to trick me" and chose a different order, only to find the obvious one was in fact the correct one. Still, it was a fairly original idea and not a bad way to pass a couple of slow evenings.
I've mentioned before that I'm not particularly fond of horror that relies too heavily on gore or jump-scares, and if I were to imagine a perfect horror game it would just subject the player to absolute human misery and leave them with the desire to reach for a bottle of scotch. The Town of Light is probably the closest a game has come to being exactly the kind of thing I was imagining. [MASSIVE SPOILER] I don't think I can imagine many things more horrifying than to be forced into the POV of a doctor as he clinically and unceremoniously hammers an ice-pick up through the eye socket of the player character I had grown to feel so much sympathy for and been trying to help. But in the end I was helpless, my freedom and ability to do anything about the situation taken away, just like Renée. Bravo. I'm not surprised to find it has mixed reviews and a lot of people don't seem to like it much, particularly those who want to feel some sense of achievement, but this is absolutely my bag. No imagined horror can ever be worse than the actual horrors humanity inflicts on each other. I wish it had been longer and had more things to find, and perhaps opening the world up so it was possible to explore and put the pieces together in a different order rather than keeping the player more-or-less on rails might have been more immersive, but for such a small studio's first game I think it's very impressive. That said, I did have to switch the audio language from English to the original Italian very quickly. The English VA for the player character seemed to be putting on a rather stereotypical cutesy-crazy-girl voice that was a bit jarring against the very dark subject matter.
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RadFemHedonist
Mad Scientist
ponders whether this is similar to how I feel about reading Shuzo Oshimi's manga
I'm a big fan and while I loved Happiness as much as the other more realistic stuff of his I have read I think it partly resonated with me cuz one of the worst villains was a human rather than a vampire Am curious to know if you've read any of his works or seen the Flowers of Evil anime and what you thought? 
ayase
State Alchemist
I have not, I'm not sure quite what it was that put me off Flowers of Evil - Potentially the rotoscoping, possibly the fact I find it easier to identify with mental patients than high-schoolers. But in anime & manga terms, the works of Yoshihiro Tatsumi and From the New World definitely made me feel similar. I attempted to write a review of From the New World about three times before giving up because I just found it too difficult to put into words exactly how I felt about it.
Parts of August I felt like I was in limbo on what to do but I eventually managed to play through a few games.
Game: 25 - Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HD (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2021
Game: 26 - Resident Evil HD Remaster (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: June 2022
Game: 27 - Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: July 2022
My backlog so far:
52 Games Goal:
Game: 25 - Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HD (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2021
With the Sands of Time being an enjoyable platformer adventure and Warrior Within improving on some elements while others was an honest mixed bag, The Two Thrones manages to combine the best parts of the two and provides a really solid third instalment and send off to the trilogy.
The Two Thrones continues where we left off from Warriors Within and brings back cast from the first game with a new take on the story. The story may feel like its repeated itself from the first game, but it's actually different. One part is due to the addition of Dark Prince, a persona of the Prince as a result of the Sands of Time, and also takes the storyline of Warriors Within into account for the Prince's motivations, goals and how he sees himself in front of others, whether he wants to focus on himself or his people.
The platforming was still as strong as before and even better with the new mechanics working really well for the gameplay. For instance you use your knife to hold onto parts of a wall so you can wall-run in a new way. There's also the addition of stealth combat which works pretty well once you get used to how the quick-time events work.
The collectibles are back but more simplistic as we only have health upgrades and mini portal bases, the latter of which is unmissable as it's story-related - basically you want to take out the enemies and seal the portal before they spawn more enemies into the combat.
Speaking of combat, the difficulty here actually feels more balanced than before. Enemies can be challenging but it's not ridiculous like Warriors Within was so you actually have a chance to progress without being in a silly situation for hours. That said, folks may feel disappointed by this, and personally I can see why but I was happy with how this game turned out.
Overall, The Two Thrones is a really solid action platformer for the trilogy and I recommend it a lot if you liked Sands of Time and didn't like Warriors Within. The story took about 8-10 hours of progress.
The Two Thrones continues where we left off from Warriors Within and brings back cast from the first game with a new take on the story. The story may feel like its repeated itself from the first game, but it's actually different. One part is due to the addition of Dark Prince, a persona of the Prince as a result of the Sands of Time, and also takes the storyline of Warriors Within into account for the Prince's motivations, goals and how he sees himself in front of others, whether he wants to focus on himself or his people.
The platforming was still as strong as before and even better with the new mechanics working really well for the gameplay. For instance you use your knife to hold onto parts of a wall so you can wall-run in a new way. There's also the addition of stealth combat which works pretty well once you get used to how the quick-time events work.
The collectibles are back but more simplistic as we only have health upgrades and mini portal bases, the latter of which is unmissable as it's story-related - basically you want to take out the enemies and seal the portal before they spawn more enemies into the combat.
Speaking of combat, the difficulty here actually feels more balanced than before. Enemies can be challenging but it's not ridiculous like Warriors Within was so you actually have a chance to progress without being in a silly situation for hours. That said, folks may feel disappointed by this, and personally I can see why but I was happy with how this game turned out.
Overall, The Two Thrones is a really solid action platformer for the trilogy and I recommend it a lot if you liked Sands of Time and didn't like Warriors Within. The story took about 8-10 hours of progress.
Game: 26 - Resident Evil HD Remaster (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: June 2022
"Enter the survival horror".
We all know the story behind Biohazard and how it got popular and influential, but for some reason I could never get into the first game because of fear. Not just from the zombies but the survival aspect of its gameplay - limited supplies, camera and controls, and worst of all - limited saves. It was something that put me off for years, but at the same time I had wanted to give it a shot.
After watching some randomisers, I finally tried this game and it does deliver on the fear - with zombies around the corner which can be hard to dodge on modern controls, all the way to knowing what to do and where to go. I played the game twice in this run - one via Jill on Normal mode, and one via Chris on Easy mode. Despite following the same structure, both characters have differences to both their gameplay and story elements.
In Jill's campaign, you have 8 inventory slots, the use of lockpicks which can open some doors, the option to use the Grenade launcher, some enemies not appearing, some puzzles not appearing, and you can insta-kill a boss fight half-way through the game as her character had scientific knowledge for one section. Jill is also considered the starting point for players, as she has more ease of entry for the gameplay. That said, she does die quicker than Chris.
In Chris' campaign, you have 6 inventory slots which means you will need to backtrack a lot to your supply room to move items in and out. There are also other challenges - you don't get access to the Grenade launcher, but you do get access to Flash grenades in return, you have to survive the Shotgun room without any assistance, you also need to find some old keys to unlock some doors because you don't get access to the lockpick, and you also don't get any assistance to fight one early boss fight. In return you also have better health, can use Flash grenades to insta-kill zombies, and have insta-access to the lighter which is integral in the remake.
The stories for both characters are in a weird canon/non-canon territory and I guess you could argue both happened at the same time but with some differences. Side characters can also die but they are easy to avoid if you acquire 3 MO Disks that appear (one early on in a tiger puzzle, and the rest in the final area) and respond with the right decision near the end game.
Now despite the original being bright, campy and a simple survival tale, Capcom went the extra mile to make the remake more dark, haunted and catch you off-guard with how it handles its zombies. In remake, when shot dead the zombies stay on the ground until a certain amount of time later to revive as Crimson Heads, which are faster, aggressive and can ruin your path if you weren't prepared. Using the lighter and Kerosone, which only has a finite amount, will burn the bodies before they revive again which will make it easier for you - however the harder the difficulty, the faster they come back.
Puzzles are also interesting, ranging from examining items to receive keys or components used to unlock something else, all the way to using a crane to change the path. There are also some fun ones like using a lighter to check lamps to determine which number matches the symbols. For items, the map does a great job telling you whether a room is fully checked as you progress, so you don't have to worry about checking constantly to see if you have the items or not.
The storage boxes throughout the game can store as many items as you would like which is very handy for going through the game. One of the difficulties available when you finish a playthrough unlocks a mode that was originally supposed to be how it would be in the original PlayStation game, before they changed it for the final product - which was having each box be separate and not inter-connected, therefore making it harder to progress as items won't move around, so you would have to take them out from one location to another.
The playthroughs will take about 6-7 hours each character and faster if you know where to go on the path and puzzles. The differences between each difficulty includes some rooms not having any zombies and more health/ammo appearing in some areas. Now the big question some will have is the save feature - which requires using Ink Ribbons.
There are 30 chances to save in your playthrough and if you can manage to save at least 6 times during the first part of the game (which is getting some masks and defeating a monster to receive a Metal/Stone Object that will let you get outside to the gardens), you won't have to worry about progression going forward as it's much easier to know what to do and can backtrack better if you die for some reason due to its linearity.
Overall Resident Evil has been a scary but fun ride, with the best endings achieved for each character and got a lot of items along the way. The remake is available across multiple platforms but for the definitive version get the PC release so you can also take advantage of the randomiser mods.
We all know the story behind Biohazard and how it got popular and influential, but for some reason I could never get into the first game because of fear. Not just from the zombies but the survival aspect of its gameplay - limited supplies, camera and controls, and worst of all - limited saves. It was something that put me off for years, but at the same time I had wanted to give it a shot.
After watching some randomisers, I finally tried this game and it does deliver on the fear - with zombies around the corner which can be hard to dodge on modern controls, all the way to knowing what to do and where to go. I played the game twice in this run - one via Jill on Normal mode, and one via Chris on Easy mode. Despite following the same structure, both characters have differences to both their gameplay and story elements.
In Jill's campaign, you have 8 inventory slots, the use of lockpicks which can open some doors, the option to use the Grenade launcher, some enemies not appearing, some puzzles not appearing, and you can insta-kill a boss fight half-way through the game as her character had scientific knowledge for one section. Jill is also considered the starting point for players, as she has more ease of entry for the gameplay. That said, she does die quicker than Chris.
In Chris' campaign, you have 6 inventory slots which means you will need to backtrack a lot to your supply room to move items in and out. There are also other challenges - you don't get access to the Grenade launcher, but you do get access to Flash grenades in return, you have to survive the Shotgun room without any assistance, you also need to find some old keys to unlock some doors because you don't get access to the lockpick, and you also don't get any assistance to fight one early boss fight. In return you also have better health, can use Flash grenades to insta-kill zombies, and have insta-access to the lighter which is integral in the remake.
The stories for both characters are in a weird canon/non-canon territory and I guess you could argue both happened at the same time but with some differences. Side characters can also die but they are easy to avoid if you acquire 3 MO Disks that appear (one early on in a tiger puzzle, and the rest in the final area) and respond with the right decision near the end game.
Now despite the original being bright, campy and a simple survival tale, Capcom went the extra mile to make the remake more dark, haunted and catch you off-guard with how it handles its zombies. In remake, when shot dead the zombies stay on the ground until a certain amount of time later to revive as Crimson Heads, which are faster, aggressive and can ruin your path if you weren't prepared. Using the lighter and Kerosone, which only has a finite amount, will burn the bodies before they revive again which will make it easier for you - however the harder the difficulty, the faster they come back.
Puzzles are also interesting, ranging from examining items to receive keys or components used to unlock something else, all the way to using a crane to change the path. There are also some fun ones like using a lighter to check lamps to determine which number matches the symbols. For items, the map does a great job telling you whether a room is fully checked as you progress, so you don't have to worry about checking constantly to see if you have the items or not.
The storage boxes throughout the game can store as many items as you would like which is very handy for going through the game. One of the difficulties available when you finish a playthrough unlocks a mode that was originally supposed to be how it would be in the original PlayStation game, before they changed it for the final product - which was having each box be separate and not inter-connected, therefore making it harder to progress as items won't move around, so you would have to take them out from one location to another.
The playthroughs will take about 6-7 hours each character and faster if you know where to go on the path and puzzles. The differences between each difficulty includes some rooms not having any zombies and more health/ammo appearing in some areas. Now the big question some will have is the save feature - which requires using Ink Ribbons.
There are 30 chances to save in your playthrough and if you can manage to save at least 6 times during the first part of the game (which is getting some masks and defeating a monster to receive a Metal/Stone Object that will let you get outside to the gardens), you won't have to worry about progression going forward as it's much easier to know what to do and can backtrack better if you die for some reason due to its linearity.
Overall Resident Evil has been a scary but fun ride, with the best endings achieved for each character and got a lot of items along the way. The remake is available across multiple platforms but for the definitive version get the PC release so you can also take advantage of the randomiser mods.
Game: 27 - Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: July 2022
Bandai Namco's wahoo game is another one of the classics that I did not play when I was younger. Released on the original PlayStation it's a platformer that I would have enjoyed had I played it when it first came out. While I did acquire the original via the PlayStation 3 store to secure access to the game when the store was going to close, I never had the chance to start it.
And now months later I have finally tried it out, thanks to Bandai Namco remaking the first two games for modern platforms, and here we are with Klonoa: Door to Phantomile running on PlayStation 5 with 4K 60fps gameplay.
The gameplay is pretty simplistic - you jump, grab enemies to throw onto objects, and reach the exit. The original was considered 2.5D but here it's more akin to New Super Mario Bros where it's 2D side scrolling but with 3D models. There are also branching paths in the levels which is pretty cool as you may find some collectible items along the way. Upon finishing the level, you return to the world map that makes note of how many gems you acquired and how many people you have rescued.
The playtime for the story was only a couple of hours but the final world does provide some extra challenge like being careful on dodging and figuring out some of the puzzles. The boss battles weren't hard but had a nice sense of challenge as it relies on the skills you learn over the course of the story.
Overall, the game is great. It is short, but I had a great time. The trophies are also pretty simple, with the focus solely on completing the story and rescuing the residents in each level. The Platinum trophy is shared between both games so expect that to be picked up when I eventually try out the sequel.
And now months later I have finally tried it out, thanks to Bandai Namco remaking the first two games for modern platforms, and here we are with Klonoa: Door to Phantomile running on PlayStation 5 with 4K 60fps gameplay.
The gameplay is pretty simplistic - you jump, grab enemies to throw onto objects, and reach the exit. The original was considered 2.5D but here it's more akin to New Super Mario Bros where it's 2D side scrolling but with 3D models. There are also branching paths in the levels which is pretty cool as you may find some collectible items along the way. Upon finishing the level, you return to the world map that makes note of how many gems you acquired and how many people you have rescued.
The playtime for the story was only a couple of hours but the final world does provide some extra challenge like being careful on dodging and figuring out some of the puzzles. The boss battles weren't hard but had a nice sense of challenge as it relies on the skills you learn over the course of the story.
Overall, the game is great. It is short, but I had a great time. The trophies are also pretty simple, with the focus solely on completing the story and rescuing the residents in each level. The Platinum trophy is shared between both games so expect that to be picked up when I eventually try out the sequel.
My backlog so far:
# | 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 | Puppeteer | Platformer |
11 | Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time | Action, Platformer |
12 | Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
13 | 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 6 | Action Horror |
56 | Resident Evil: Revelations | Action Horror |
57 | Resident Evil: Revelations 2 | Action Horror |
58 | Robotics;Notes DaSH | Visual Novel |
59 | Robotics;Notes ELITE | Visual Novel |
60 | SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays | Tactical RPG |
61 | SD Gundam G Generation Genesis | Tactical RPG |
62 | Secret of Mana | Action RPG |
63 | Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi | Musou |
64 | Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal | Action |
65 | Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster | Turn-Based RPG |
66 | Shining Resonance: Refrain | Action RPG |
67 | Steins;Gate Elite | Visual Novel |
68 | Super Neptunia RPG | Turn-Based RPG |
69 | Super Robot Wars 30 | Tactical RPG |
70 | Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers | Tactical RPG |
71 | Super Robot Wars T | Tactical RPG |
72 | Super Robot Wars X | Tactical RPG |
73 | Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet | Action RPG |
74 | Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions! | Music, Rhythm |
75 | Tales of Berseria | Action RPG |
76 | Tales of Vesperia | Action RPG |
77 | Tales of Zestiria | Action RPG |
78 | Tokyo Xanadu eX+ | Action RPG |
79 | Trials of Mana | Action RPG |
80 | Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
81 | Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
82 | Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
83 | Utawarerumono: Zan | Action, Musou |
84 | Valkyria Chronicles 4 | Tactical RPG |
85 | Valkyria Revolution | Action RPG |
86 | Wing of Darkness | Action, Arcade |
87 | The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival Edition | Action RPG |
88 | WORLDEND SYNDROME | Visual Novel |
89 | Yakuza 3 Remastered | Action Beat em up |
90 | Yakuza 4 Remastered | Action Beat em up |
91 | Yakuza 5 Remastered | Action Beat em up |
92 | YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World | Visual Novel |
93 | Ys IX: Monstrum Nox | Action RPG |
| # | PlayStation 5 Backlog - Game Name: | Genre: |
|---|---|---|
1 | Judgment | Action, Beat em up |
2 | Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil | Platformer |
3 | Lost Judgment | Action, Beat em up |
4 | Neptunia ReVerse | Turn-Based RPG |
5 | Nioh | Action Souls RPG |
6 | Nioh 2 | Action Souls RPG |
7 | Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit of Wonder Labyrinth | Metroidvania RPG |
8 | Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin | Action Souls RPG |
9 | Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania | Puzzle |
10 | 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 |
| 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 |
25 | Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HD | PS3 | 2021 | Action, Platformer |
26 | Resident Evil HD Remaster | PS4 | 2022 | Survival Horror |
27 | Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (Remake) | PS5 | 2022 | Platformer |
WMD
Guild Member
Life Is Strange True Colours: Wavelenghts
The Steph backstory chapter. God its so lonely. Now I feel weird and sad. Shouldn't have played it the day I got back from holiday lol. It was, however, very well done as an emotional look through the eyes of Steph and her state of mind at the start of True Colours. Definitely recommend, especially is you chose to romance Steph during the main game.
The Steph backstory chapter. God its so lonely. Now I feel weird and sad. Shouldn't have played it the day I got back from holiday lol. It was, however, very well done as an emotional look through the eyes of Steph and her state of mind at the start of True Colours. Definitely recommend, especially is you chose to romance Steph during the main game.
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
I'd second @João Gomes and @ayase here dude and highly recommend you persevere with this one, it is brilliant. However, I will add a caveat that I found it really good all the way through and was hooked on the story regardless of the gameplay, so maybe taper your expectations if you haven't gotten as enamoured thus far.
Thanks for the other suggestions at @ayase, duly added to my list to play. I have yet to play the Amnesia ones though, which thankfully are available on psn at least seeing as I don't even know where to get penumbra, two sets that have been on my list for years... The other two I played of a similar "walking-sim" nature are Gone Home, and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, both of which I thought were very good, albeit the latter being painful to get through at the slow "running" pace it forces on the player. Curious how I found those far more engaging than Until Dawn, which despite being much more interactive I felt dragged on a lot more. Likely down to what you say about the ineffectiveness of jump scares versus psychological horror, especially of the existential/human nature variety.
Interesting thought and from what I've read of his manga I'd say his work does have more teenage angst mixed into the horror than the existential dread of humanity. I am also reminded of my recent new favourite Inio Asano now heh.ponders whether this is similar to how I feel about reading Shuzo Oshimi's manga
That anime is absolute class. Though, unless I'm very mistaken, you'd never think that looking at the source? manga's covers... On manga, I'm happily reading your favourite one's recently released deluxe 1, after being unable to resist fomo induced by peer excitement on this forum. I am finding it utterly charming and would think the completionist in me would be getting very frustrated then having to wait for the next one to be released, but think I'll take a leaf out of that book and just chill with a cup of coffee instead.
ayase
State Alchemist
Well if you have any kind of PC (it's not at all demanding in hardware terms), the entirety of Penumbra is currently £1.69 on GOG. Looks like the Amnesias are going cheap on there as well.
Edit: Just noticed The Town of Light is also £2.09, and LKA's second game Martha is Dead is discounted as well. Might have to grab that, it's got things I don't think I've ever seen in a content warning before. Looking good, if a bit spoilery.
Yes, I rather thought that even from the covers of the anime. Have some unreleased bonus material from my review that never was:
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Dai
Death Scythe
Thanks for the recommendations that I persist with Soma. I've finished it and I'm glad I did. The stealth sections never stopped being boring, but at least there weren't too many of them. They really weren't necessary either since, of all the body-horror elements in the game, they were the least effective at creeping me out. The plight of the other 'people' I encountered was a lot more disturbing, as was how often the game left open the option to kill them. Euthenise? Murder? It's subjective what you'd call it in those circumstances. There were some really tough calls to make. The game as a whole would have been better as a pure walking simulator/narrative adventure.
I particularly liked that the game gave me two opportunities to fill out the Ark participation questionnaire. My answers as Simon 2 (a necro-cyborg AI trapped in an underwater body-horror nightmare) were a lot more negative than those I gave as Simon 4 (an AI living in an idyllic simulation). It's interesting that my opinion of living on as an AI was less about being an AI than about the surrounding circumstances I found myself in.
I was impressed with how the game manipulated the way that media can cheat perspective, so that the player always inhabited the most recent iteration of Simon. It was a similar feeling to Returnal, and worked to make me feel complicit in abandoning previous iterations or treating them as disposable.
I was impressed with how the game manipulated the way that media can cheat perspective, so that the player always inhabited the most recent iteration of Simon. It was a similar feeling to Returnal, and worked to make me feel complicit in abandoning previous iterations or treating them as disposable.
João Gomes
Thousand Master
SOMA is really unforgettable, a different kind of game.
When you understand what's going on in the game world, the first time you become a new Simon, encountering what is probably the last human on earth, the descent into the final area and the ending itself.
The ending in particular is pure horror, all things considered. Frictional did an amazing job at plunging the player into despair and hopelessness. An incredible climax. The fact that that they put you in the shoes of the one left behind is perfection (is it the only time they do it throughout the game? Can't remember).
THQ knew what they were doing when they slapped "by the writer of SOMA" on the promo material for the new Alone in the Dark.
When you understand what's going on in the game world, the first time you become a new Simon, encountering what is probably the last human on earth, the descent into the final area and the ending itself.
The ending in particular is pure horror, all things considered. Frictional did an amazing job at plunging the player into despair and hopelessness. An incredible climax. The fact that that they put you in the shoes of the one left behind is perfection (is it the only time they do it throughout the game? Can't remember).
THQ knew what they were doing when they slapped "by the writer of SOMA" on the promo material for the new Alone in the Dark.
ayase
State Alchemist
It's interesting, it's certainly very sad to watch Simon and Catherine argue as the lights go out but as I wrote in my old post linked above, I was totally at peace with it and in agreement with Catherine. I just wanted Simon to shut the hell up and spend his final moments being happy for Simon 4.0 who he'd essentially just granted immortality in paradise rather than whining about his own fate, which surely, surely he should have seen coming?
He needn't despair anyway, he'll be one with the WAU soon enough. You guys did leave the WAU alone, right? You didn't snuff out the future of life on Earth like bludgeoning the first fish to crawl onto land, surely?
João Gomes
Thousand Master
I couldn't help but imagine the simulation hitting space rocks or crashing on a planet and it gave me anxiety every time. It's kinda funny writing it but it's still a pitiful and depressing state of affairs, even if they don't know it, so... Yeah, maybe you're right, maybe it would be paradise. What an amazing ending whew.
I've played through it twice so I'm sure I did it both ways but I remember thinking at least the WAU could eventually adapt and evolve into something resembling real life. It's been a while though, so I don't remember the in-world limitations to that possibility!
ayase
State Alchemist
I thought I’d been playing Disco Elysium for about 6 hours. It had been 11. This game is certainly something. I picked it up in a sale a while back and never got around to starting it, but it felt like time for something new and different and on that front it’s certainly delivering. It feels like a cross between a point and click adventure and an old isometric RPG (both of which I am a huge fan of) and it’s fascinating both in terms of gameplay/mechanics and story/world building.
I feel like I’m missing a lot, though this appears to be by design since what you can and can’t do is skill dependent, but I’m glad I went with my own character build rather than a pre-made. I’m not going to be doing anything physical any time soon (it’s day 3 and the dead body is still hanging from the tree, much to everyone’s disgust) but I sure get a lot of internal monologues chiming in and can talk until the cows come home. And there is a lot of talking, about pretty heavy subjects too. It’s frying my brain (which is probably a good thing since it forced me to stop for a bit, otherwise I’d probably have played it without food or sleep for 24+ hours straight) and I dare say I’m a lot more familiar with politics and philosophy than most people. I can’t imagine what effect this experience would have on anyone encountering these concepts for the first time. It might as well bring up a prompt to stop and read Das Kapital.
It’s clear the devs set out to challenge the player though, and not just with puzzles. I think it’s probably the case that this game is best played honestly and going with your own instincts rather than role-playing a character (although I am already looking forward to the second, inevitable, absolute b*stard play through I do with every RPG, even if just to beat up Cuno) since I think that has the greatest potential to make people consider their own beliefs and attitudes, which isn’t going to happen if you’re just playing to win and saying whatever you think other characters want to hear. Although perhaps doing that would say something about you as well. I’ll definitely be reporting back once I’ve finished this one.
I feel like I’m missing a lot, though this appears to be by design since what you can and can’t do is skill dependent, but I’m glad I went with my own character build rather than a pre-made. I’m not going to be doing anything physical any time soon (it’s day 3 and the dead body is still hanging from the tree, much to everyone’s disgust) but I sure get a lot of internal monologues chiming in and can talk until the cows come home. And there is a lot of talking, about pretty heavy subjects too. It’s frying my brain (which is probably a good thing since it forced me to stop for a bit, otherwise I’d probably have played it without food or sleep for 24+ hours straight) and I dare say I’m a lot more familiar with politics and philosophy than most people. I can’t imagine what effect this experience would have on anyone encountering these concepts for the first time. It might as well bring up a prompt to stop and read Das Kapital.
It’s clear the devs set out to challenge the player though, and not just with puzzles. I think it’s probably the case that this game is best played honestly and going with your own instincts rather than role-playing a character (although I am already looking forward to the second, inevitable, absolute b*stard play through I do with every RPG, even if just to beat up Cuno) since I think that has the greatest potential to make people consider their own beliefs and attitudes, which isn’t going to happen if you’re just playing to win and saying whatever you think other characters want to hear. Although perhaps doing that would say something about you as well. I’ll definitely be reporting back once I’ve finished this one.
RadFemHedonist
Mad Scientist
Even though I don't game much this has always been one of the most interesting philosophical aspects of video games where you have options and choices of this type for me so thankyou for articulating some of what I find so fascinating about it
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
Top tip, will be getting that then. I also notice I have an upcoming penumbra game in my steam wishlist having completely forgotten there even was a new upcoming penumbra one...
Eh, what now? Ark participation questionnaire?? I don't remember getting that on my PS4 version! Think I've been conned... Or, have just conveniently forgotten that heh.
Bludgeon, bludgeon!! Aaaaand, bludgeon, bludgeon, bludgeon some more!!! I'm not frustrated at all, no sir. I jest, this is another bit I can't remember, sooooo methinks a replay is in order then.
Ooooh music to my ears and I've been patiently waiting for the superduperwhachamacallit version to go on sale on the switch to pick up! Good to hear it's as good as I've been hearing.
Heheh reminds me of my jaded self, where I used to pick all the "right & good" choices in such games to now just going with my selfish human instincts the consequences be damned... Though that's probably just a reflection of my changed nature as a grumpy old git.