It's been a while since I wrote on here, and I admittedly forgot to cover September but that only had 1 title.
Game: 28 - Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: July 2022
Game: 29 - Nioh Remastered (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: February 2021
My backlog so far:
52 Games Goal:
Game: 28 - Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: July 2022
In addition to the original, Bandai Namco also brought back wahoo's second game which debuted on PlayStation 2. Klonoa 2 plays pretty much the same as the original, with a new story, different map design and a few more branching paths like choosing which level to start next.
Just like the previous game's remaster, the PS5 version runs at 4K 60fps which is great, and the difficulty is just as good a before. I don't have much to say about this one as the gameplay is pretty much identical as before, but I do think the characters are better this time around. The playtime for the story was also just a couple of hours and the final world provided more challenges to get those collectibles.
Overall, Klonoa 2 was a fun time and with the rest of the trophies acquired for finishing the story and collecting the residents throughout, I now own the Platinum trophy.
Just like the previous game's remaster, the PS5 version runs at 4K 60fps which is great, and the difficulty is just as good a before. I don't have much to say about this one as the gameplay is pretty much identical as before, but I do think the characters are better this time around. The playtime for the story was also just a couple of hours and the final world provided more challenges to get those collectibles.
Overall, Klonoa 2 was a fun time and with the rest of the trophies acquired for finishing the story and collecting the residents throughout, I now own the Platinum trophy.
Game: 29 - Nioh Remastered (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: February 2021
With the critical and commercial success of FROM SOFTWARE's Soulsbourne games during the 7th & early 8th generation, many developers attempted their own version of the genre. Koei Tecmo & Team Ninja's Nioh, a Japanese historical themed action game, was actually in development hell for many years since the 6th generation era. The original idea was supposed to have been based on Akira Kurosawa's Oni which never came to fruition. Eventually, elements of the original concept, like a foreign blonde character as the MC and the samurai period, did carry over to the final product as well as other elements like inspirations of Kurosawa's other titles and then taking elements of the real-life figure William Adams. After switching from a traditional RPG to Dynasty Warriors style, Team Ninja stepped in and settled with Action Souls RPG gameplay.
Nioh is not an easy game by all means. The Souls gameplay is all about three things - patience, skill and practice. You can't rush your fights because you will be smacked over like a ragdoll. You need to learn how to defeat your opponent in the best way possible and overcome that brick wall which is in front of you (in this case, a boss fight or a larger-sized enemy). Practicing your move set and how to fight is also important, as the game teaches you different methods of combat.
Nioh stands out from Souls by being much faster in pacing. The gameplay relies on different weapon options, like a sword, dual-wielding swords, spears, bows, and more that are available. There's also difference stances - a low stance delivers great dodging but less power for offence, mid-stance is a good balance of the two, and high stance which delivers strong offence, but you will be left vulnerable if you time it incorrectly. My weapon preferences are sword and dual swords as I found them effective for a solid combat experience, especially as you can do special attacks when you level up your combat skills, like one move that splashes some Ki energy into the air which can hurt the enemy's health and stamina which is handy to do some strong attacks if their stamina ends up in the red.
In addition to the main weapons there's also slots for some sub-weapons like guns and bows. These are actually pretty useful as you can take out an enemy with one hit if you have the right level equipment and aim for their head. Sometimes they may survive but it will still help you with the combat that comes after. I don't recommend this with the bigger enemies though, as they are still strong and have tons of health.
You can equip up to 8 items that are tied to the D-Pad. These are pretty handy and can cover various items like more health, more Amrita (this game's souls equivalent) to use up, attack and defence items, and items that can made from Onmyo and Ninja abilities. Ninja is about stealth and special attack items that you throw against enemies, while Onmyo is about magic and talismans.
Onmyo believe it or not, will be your best friend during the game's latter half because the talismans can slow your enemies down and reduce their defences/attacks, which can make bigger fights easier to manage. The best part is that, because these talismans were created at the shrines, they will refill the amount each time you die or visit the shrine, so you don't have to worry about losing them after each defeat.
The game's story is pretty interesting, as William sets out to Japan from England to rescue his spirit and meets a bunch of people and yokai along the way. The storyline spans about 20 missions, 19 are the main ones while the final 20th is an epilogue of sorts. The difficulty recommendations are pretty high at Level 135 for the main story mission, but you can finish it at about Level 120 if you have the right equipment and extra items like talismans to help you out. I finished the 20th mission at Level 124 in the end. Along the way you can also do sub-missions which are mini levels that require you to take out a yokai or defeat an opponent, and twilight missions which are randomised but super hard rehashs of the main missions which can give you stronger weapons if you manage to finish them.
Other notes about the gameplay - you do lose Amrita (this game's equivalent of souls) if you die twice without recovering them from where you first died, so do be warned about that. You also lose the spirit ability until you recover it which can be tedious during boss fights. If you die a second time, it will return back to you. You can use items to bring it back if you die the first time, but it won't recover the Amrita. You also can't leave the mission unless you use an item that will also wipe out your Amrita. Throughout each mission there's also a secret hot spring which can heal your health. You will also encounter red swords stuck to the ground which are mini fights against an individual that basically acts like dead players from other parts of the world similar to other Soulslike games.
In-between missions on the world map you can visit the Dojo to build your weapon, ninja and onmyo skills which can be completed if you level up your weapon efficiency, ninja and magic skills. You will also unlock more spirits if you complete missions across your playthrough. There also skills and prestige points that can be earned which will help build your character's skills and earn some extra % increases like luck, damage, amrita acquired and more.
I spent 56 hours 40 minutes playtime with all 20 story missions completed and a lot of the sub-missions completed as well. Now I have yet to play the Expansion content and I decided to save them for later because those have difficulty spikes from my understanding and wanted to take a break from this genre in the meantime, because Nioh is a very challenging game and is brutal if you mess up or not prepared for some fights.
Despite the challenge, I do think Nioh is an overall fantastic package, and I went with the PlayStation 5 Remastered version which is also played using the 120fps performance mode for the best gameplay experience possible. My physical copy of the Nioh Collection also includes the Expansion content as well as Nioh 2 Remastered, so I am ready to check out the rest at any point. Considering I went from Code Vein to Nioh without bothering with the FROM SOFTWARE games is a weird experience but a nice way to get into the genre properly.
Nioh is not an easy game by all means. The Souls gameplay is all about three things - patience, skill and practice. You can't rush your fights because you will be smacked over like a ragdoll. You need to learn how to defeat your opponent in the best way possible and overcome that brick wall which is in front of you (in this case, a boss fight or a larger-sized enemy). Practicing your move set and how to fight is also important, as the game teaches you different methods of combat.
Nioh stands out from Souls by being much faster in pacing. The gameplay relies on different weapon options, like a sword, dual-wielding swords, spears, bows, and more that are available. There's also difference stances - a low stance delivers great dodging but less power for offence, mid-stance is a good balance of the two, and high stance which delivers strong offence, but you will be left vulnerable if you time it incorrectly. My weapon preferences are sword and dual swords as I found them effective for a solid combat experience, especially as you can do special attacks when you level up your combat skills, like one move that splashes some Ki energy into the air which can hurt the enemy's health and stamina which is handy to do some strong attacks if their stamina ends up in the red.
In addition to the main weapons there's also slots for some sub-weapons like guns and bows. These are actually pretty useful as you can take out an enemy with one hit if you have the right level equipment and aim for their head. Sometimes they may survive but it will still help you with the combat that comes after. I don't recommend this with the bigger enemies though, as they are still strong and have tons of health.
You can equip up to 8 items that are tied to the D-Pad. These are pretty handy and can cover various items like more health, more Amrita (this game's souls equivalent) to use up, attack and defence items, and items that can made from Onmyo and Ninja abilities. Ninja is about stealth and special attack items that you throw against enemies, while Onmyo is about magic and talismans.
Onmyo believe it or not, will be your best friend during the game's latter half because the talismans can slow your enemies down and reduce their defences/attacks, which can make bigger fights easier to manage. The best part is that, because these talismans were created at the shrines, they will refill the amount each time you die or visit the shrine, so you don't have to worry about losing them after each defeat.
The game's story is pretty interesting, as William sets out to Japan from England to rescue his spirit and meets a bunch of people and yokai along the way. The storyline spans about 20 missions, 19 are the main ones while the final 20th is an epilogue of sorts. The difficulty recommendations are pretty high at Level 135 for the main story mission, but you can finish it at about Level 120 if you have the right equipment and extra items like talismans to help you out. I finished the 20th mission at Level 124 in the end. Along the way you can also do sub-missions which are mini levels that require you to take out a yokai or defeat an opponent, and twilight missions which are randomised but super hard rehashs of the main missions which can give you stronger weapons if you manage to finish them.
Other notes about the gameplay - you do lose Amrita (this game's equivalent of souls) if you die twice without recovering them from where you first died, so do be warned about that. You also lose the spirit ability until you recover it which can be tedious during boss fights. If you die a second time, it will return back to you. You can use items to bring it back if you die the first time, but it won't recover the Amrita. You also can't leave the mission unless you use an item that will also wipe out your Amrita. Throughout each mission there's also a secret hot spring which can heal your health. You will also encounter red swords stuck to the ground which are mini fights against an individual that basically acts like dead players from other parts of the world similar to other Soulslike games.
In-between missions on the world map you can visit the Dojo to build your weapon, ninja and onmyo skills which can be completed if you level up your weapon efficiency, ninja and magic skills. You will also unlock more spirits if you complete missions across your playthrough. There also skills and prestige points that can be earned which will help build your character's skills and earn some extra % increases like luck, damage, amrita acquired and more.
I spent 56 hours 40 minutes playtime with all 20 story missions completed and a lot of the sub-missions completed as well. Now I have yet to play the Expansion content and I decided to save them for later because those have difficulty spikes from my understanding and wanted to take a break from this genre in the meantime, because Nioh is a very challenging game and is brutal if you mess up or not prepared for some fights.
Despite the challenge, I do think Nioh is an overall fantastic package, and I went with the PlayStation 5 Remastered version which is also played using the 120fps performance mode for the best gameplay experience possible. My physical copy of the Nioh Collection also includes the Expansion content as well as Nioh 2 Remastered, so I am ready to check out the rest at any point. Considering I went from Code Vein to Nioh without bothering with the FROM SOFTWARE games is a weird experience but a nice way to get into the genre properly.
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 Quest Heroes II | Action RPG, Musou |
19 | Dragon's Crown Pro | Action RPG |
20 | Fairy Tail | Turn-Based RPG |
21 | Fate/Extella Link | Musou |
22 | Final Fantasy VIII Remastered | Turn-Based RPG |
23 | Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares Win | Tactical RPG |
24 | Gal*Gun 2 | On-Rails Shooter |
25 | Gintama Rumble | Action, Musou |
26 | GOD EATER 3 | Action Hunter RPG |
27 | Gravity Rush 2 | Action, Platformer |
28 | The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures | Visual Novel |
29 | The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve | Visual Novel |
30 | Gundam Breaker 3 BREAK EDITION | Action, Arcade |
31 | Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite Combate | Action RPG |
32 | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven | Fighting |
33 | Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa | Puzzle, Visual Novel |
34 | Langrisser | Tactical RPG |
35 | Langrisser II | Tactical RPG |
36 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel | Turn-Based RPG |
37 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II | Turn-Based RPG |
38 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III | Turn-Based RPG |
39 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV | Turn-Based RPG |
40 | Megadimension Neptunia VII | Turn-Based RPG |
41 | Megadimension Neptunia VIIR | Turn-Based RPG |
42 | MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA | Fighting |
43 | Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm | Action, Fighting |
44 | Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 | Action, Fighting |
45 | Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 | Action, Fighting |
46 | NEO: The World Ends With You | Action RPG |
47 | Neptunia Virtual Stars | Action |
48 | Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars | Action |
49 | Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered | Turn-Based RPG |
50 | Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom | Action RPG |
51 | Nights of Azure | Action RPG |
52 | Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon | Action RPG |
53 | One Piece Burning Blood | Fighting |
54 | One Piece Unlimited World Red | Action |
55 | One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 | Musou |
56 | Our World Is Ended | Visual Novel |
57 | Persona 5 Royal | Turn-Based RPG |
58 | Persona 5 Strikers | Action RPG, Musou |
59 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | Visual Novel |
60 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All | Visual Novel |
61 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations | Visual Novel |
62 | Punch Line | Visual Novel |
63 | Raging Loop | Visual Novel |
64 | Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-: Prophecy of the Throne | Visual Novel |
65 | Resident Evil 6 | Action Horror |
66 | Resident Evil: Revelations | Action Horror |
67 | Resident Evil: Revelations 2 | Action Horror |
68 | Robotics;Notes DaSH | Visual Novel |
69 | Robotics;Notes ELITE | Visual Novel |
70 | SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays | Tactical RPG |
71 | SD Gundam G Generation Genesis | Tactical RPG |
72 | Secret of Mana | Action RPG |
73 | Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi | Musou |
74 | Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal | Action |
75 | Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster | Turn-Based RPG |
76 | Shining Resonance: Refrain | Action RPG |
77 | Steins;Gate Elite | Visual Novel |
78 | Super Neptunia RPG | Turn-Based RPG |
79 | Super Robot Wars 30 | Tactical RPG |
80 | Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers | Tactical RPG |
81 | Super Robot Wars T | Tactical RPG |
82 | Super Robot Wars X | Tactical RPG |
83 | Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet | Action RPG |
84 | Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions! | Music, Rhythm |
85 | Tales of Berseria | Action RPG |
86 | Tales of Vesperia | Action RPG |
87 | Tales of Zestiria | Action RPG |
88 | Tokyo Xanadu eX+ | Action RPG |
89 | Trials of Mana | Action RPG |
90 | Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
91 | Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
92 | Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen | Tactical RPG, Visual Novel |
93 | Utawarerumono: Zan | Action, Musou |
94 | Valkyria Chronicles 4 | Tactical RPG |
95 | Valkyria Revolution | Action RPG |
96 | Wing of Darkness | Action, Arcade |
97 | The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival Edition | Action RPG |
98 | WORLDEND SYNDROME | Visual Novel |
99 | Yakuza 3 Remastered | Action Beat em up |
100 | Yakuza 4 Remastered | Action Beat em up |
101 | Yakuza 5 Remastered | Action Beat em up |
102 | YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World | Visual Novel |
103 | Ys IX: Monstrum Nox | Action RPG |
| # | PlayStation 5 Backlog - Game Name: | Genre: |
|---|---|---|
1 | Cyberpunk 2077 | Action |
2 | Judgment | Action, Beat em up |
3 | Lost Judgment | Action, Beat em up |
4 | Neptunia ReVerse | Turn-Based 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 | Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania | Puzzle |
9 | 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 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero | Turn-Based RPG |
3 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Racing |
4 | New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe | Platformer |
5 | Senran Kagura Reflexions | Simulation |
6 | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | Action, Platformer |
7 | Super Mario 64 | Action, Platformer |
8 | Super Mario Galaxy | Action, Platformer |
9 | Super Mario Sunshine | Action, Platformer |
10 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Fighting |
11 | Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition | Action RPG |
12 | 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 |
28 | Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (Remake) | PS5 | 2022 | Platformer |
29 | Nioh Remastered | PS5 | 2022 | Action Souls RPG |
