What Games Are You Playing?

thanks for the backwards compatibility Sony...

Laughs in Xbox backwards compatibility. /s

(It's not much of a boast as that program ended years ago. Hopefully because of the Activision deal, we may get some more games added. I can dream at least. 🤞🤞)

Sucks that the backwards compatibility isn't the best on PlayStation. At least its slowly getting there with the premium sub.
 
Laughs in Xbox backwards compatibility. /s

(It's not much of a boast as that program ended years ago. Hopefully because of the Activision deal, we may get some more games added. I can dream at least. 🤞🤞)

Sucks that the backwards compatibility isn't the best on PlayStation. At least its slowly getting there with the premium sub.
Ah I didn't realise Xbox ended backwards compatibility, I had always rated them for that. That's a shame... At least the few original Xbox games I have I can still play on my 360 but even that's a relic now heh.

My biggest irritation is that all these manufacturers have a lot of the older games available in digital format for the newer consoles. Would it really kill them to have some way of verifying previous purchases and allowing users to download digital copies? Surely the revenue from happy and loyal customers willing to fork out with reassurance and out of loyalty will make them as much if not more money than expecting the odd nostalgic buffoon to pay premium to download their old school favourites...
 
I played the Unicorn Overlord demo right to the end basically but am def hyped for it, I'd encourage anyone who likes RPG/Tactical Strategy to give it a go, the demo is essentially a 5 hour trial of the game so quite a good tester to see if you'd like it.

Very true, I was playing Zelda BotW ages ago, almost finished it but got bored of slogging for currency and finishing side quests being a completionist

Every game is longer if you're a completionist to be fair! I am not one, so I tend to try and do the main quests and as much of the side stuff as I can be bothered with. If it's too grindy I'll usually just stop there, so this really depends on the game in question.

If the side quests are good I don't mind doing them, but if they're just fetch quests or kill quests with no real interaction I am much less inclined to bother.

Absolutely agree, but my issue is the opposite and the same I have with anime - I want to constantly go back to the classics that I adored that it's a struggle to get to all the newer ones I've bought🤦‍♂️. I really wanted to play the remastered chrono cross (adored that game when it first came out) and FF VIII (my first and still personal favourite of the series). To add to my headache I've also bought all the xenoblade chronicles games on the switch to play, even though I only partially played the second one before getting bored of the gameplay😂. At least they'll be easier to play on the switch than the drakengard ones which need old consoles to be dug out, thanks for the backwards compatibility Sony...

Play the shorter ones first, I get bogged down when my list of options is too long, and then I can pick nothing at all :p

It helps that I very rarely re-play something I've already played, or re-watch something I've already watched when it comes to anime, always looking for new stuff here or things I've missed.
 
FYI for anyone who hasn't yet got pre-orders for things, and in the absence of a better place to put this really, Ebay are running another 20% off code until 29/02, anything sold by TGC outlet is usually pretty well priced after taking off the 20%.


I've pre-ordered Rise of the Ronin for £55.96 and Unicorn Overlord for £39.19 which I think are both fairly decent, though Rise of the Ronin I will keep an eye out because I'd like it for a bit less.
 
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So I played at least a good hour of the Unicorn Overlord demo and I’m sold, though I was already looking forward to it anyway, getting to try it out has convinced me that I’m gonna have a blast with it most likely; despite the fact that a lot of strategy RPG’s tend to have really obscure mechanics that require a university degree to play, I found that what I played of Unicorn Overlord was pretty intuitive and did a good job of explaining itself where it needed to; also I found the game to be quite a lot of fun for what I played, though I actually plan on starting over after getting the full game so I didn’t want to dig too deep into it before then but this demo has convinced me to get the full game; especially seeing as I don’t think the character I wanted to recruit above all others is in the demo from what I’ve read so that’s yet another reason to look forward to the full game, overall, this is very much on my to play list.
 
Yep I'm really hyped for it and I can't stop thinking about it lol!

I know I'm going to play through it at least twice I think, going for different options each time on the choices.

The strategy stuff isn't too insane but in general (and without spoilers here) you want to make sure some of your squads have leaders that are useful for support. For example if you have one squad where the archer/ranger is leader, then you can use fire support from them during battles if they are nearby, and likewise for mages/healers (remote magic barrage or remote healing).

Using these actions often consumes some of their stamina as well, but they get XP for helping out, and it can be the difference between winning battles or not :)
 
Yep I'm really hyped for it and I can't stop thinking about it lol!

I know I'm going to play through it at least twice I think, going for different options each time on the choices.

The strategy stuff isn't too insane but in general (and without spoilers here) you want to make sure some of your squads have leaders that are useful for support. For example if you have one squad where the archer/ranger is leader, then you can use fire support from them during battles if they are nearby, and likewise for mages/healers (remote magic barrage or remote healing).

Using these actions often consumes some of their stamina as well, but they get XP for helping out, and it can be the difference between winning battles or not :)
It also helps that Vanillaware has a genuinely excellent track record with titles such as Odin Sphere and the excellent Dragon’s Crown; regarding the strategy, I just put the OP knight guy (can’t remember his name) at the front during the first couple of missions as I’m planning on starting over after getting the game so exp sharing didn’t matter so much for the demo though I will approach it differently during the full game as I doubt the game will let me cheese it like I did in the demo much longer lol.
 
1st play on the demo I used OP knight, 2nd one I skipped OP knight entirely, was playing on expert from the 1st moment I could select it. Feels like the right kind of challenge as you can't just steamroll all the fights and positioning/unit management matters more.

Perfectly doable without the OP knight (or even his gear as I didn't use it on anyone else either).
 
We continue the journey to finish more games! I started off with a rather lengthy but integral game to sort out to complete one physical game collection and then we replay an older title remastered in preparation for the latest anticipated release.



#04 - Nioh 2 Remastered (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: February 2021

When it comes to challenging games I pretty much never bother to check them out primarily because of time. I don't mind taking on tough boss fights but I also don't want to spend endless hours just to get through them each time. When I first played Nioh I was impressed that I was able to manage my way through the game's soulslike gameplay and eventually I would finally get my hands on a physical copy of The Nioh Collection, which consists of both Nioh games with their expansion content and remastered additions for PS5.

In 2022 I played and finished the main story of Nioh. I really enjoyed the game, managed to progress through each mission and successfully defeat the bosses throughout. I did make use of some sneaky tactics that would be considered cheating like Onmyo magic talismans but I like to think it balances out on the difficulty. In 2023 I felt like I wanted to try and complete Nioh Remastered as a whole with the expansion content and while I was able to get more trophies for the main game, I was unable to progress onto the expansions due to the game's high level requirement to progress which essentially means you need to replay the entire game on higher difficulties to get the correct gear to proceed which I didn't want to do.

So here we are with Nioh 2 Remastered. This is a prequel and continuation of the first game in itself, following a character who has the ability to turn themselves into a Yokai from time to time. In the first game, William used Guardian Spirits to add elemental abilities to their swords/weapons but in this game, you instead have Guardian Spirits to transform into a Yokai type and Yokai from Soul Cores as assistants for your battles. This does change the gameplay aspect a lot because you have new ways to combat bosses and enemies a like.

A new addition to the combat are burst counters, which allows you to counter the enemies' special red attacks that can deal tons of damage against you if you fail to dodge. This game allows you instead change the tide which is very useful but it is a risk and reward approach. I do like it a lot, however it does depend on which Guardian Spirit you are using because of the timings. I found the red burst types are much easier to use compared to the blue or yellow but it does depend on your personal combat routine.

A lot of enemies from the first game do make their return, however the game is very sneaky in which they have added new attack moves to throw you off guard so you still need to be more careful when fighting because it's not the same as before. New enemies also make their appearances and there are some annoying ones but also some neat battles.

View attachment Nioh 2 Sukuna Fight 1.mp4

The boss battles themselves are pretty solid. You will likely struggle with the snake boss in the third story mission as it is an absolute pain to defeat but as long as you receive new gear that improves your stats and spend your Amrita on higher levels, you will make it through the fight. Talismans are just as useful as before, but they have toned it down a bit to probably avoid exploiting the battles too much. That being said your Yokai Soul Cores, which is the new addition to the game, does make up for the talisman part because they can help you a lot in boss fights.

To explain soul cores I will also need to recap the UI of the combat. In addition to your health bar and stamina (also known as Ki), there's a third bar that's purple which is dedicated to your Yokai abilities. You can fill this up by attacking your enemies and it is used for burst counters and using your yokai assistant powers i.e. soul cores. These soul cores are from the enemies that you defeat which are randomised, but the higher the level the better the stats against your foes.

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My favourite has been the Kasha Soul Core, from one of the main bosses of the later missions, who gives you an umbrella that targets your enemy and adds fire attacks and even helps restore bits of your health. Using that soul core and hitting the enemy at the same time absolutely makes boss battles much easier to fight, but you will need to use them wisely otherwise the enemy can dodge it. Successful burst counters or finding new soul cores can automatically refill the purple bar.

As much as I have enjoyed Nioh 2 I do have some second thoughts on whether I prefer this over the original. The story is pretty solid and the characters are likeable but I found William and his rival throughout the first game to be a much more interesting storyline than what we have here, plus the final few missions does feel thrown in. There's also inconsistencies with the character designs because time goes through fast in the story and everyone looks the same as if they haven't aged at all.

Other than the story, the enemies introduce a new zone called Dark Realm which turns everything black and white and adds more challenges to the fight especially with how it impacts your stamina. The best way to describe this is how the characters in Jujutsu Kaisen use their domain expansion abilities, it's a bitch when it happens but there are ways to survive them, only barely. I'm not a massive fan of the dark realm during the big boss fights but I suppose its the developer's solution to countering your new advantages in the combat. From what I have seen, using your Guardian Spirits and Yokai Soul Cores will help turn off the realm much faster but it is tough so I often focus on defence and dodging when I can.

I finished the main story after 47 hours 47 minutes, with each story mission completed per day outside of some days on the weekend where I was able to finish more than one. Considering the challenge and how long this game can be, I am very happy with how I was able to progress throughout this journey. Nioh 2 is a solid continuation to the first and while there's a lot of similarities to the first game, it is essentially one of those 'if it isn't broken, don't change it for the sake of it'. I very much recommend both games in The Nioh Collection as it's worth the investment.



#05 - Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (PlayStation 5)
Acquired: February 2024

With the arrival of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I wanted to take this opportunity to refresh myself on the remake's storyline and be more prepped for what's to come for the second game in the Remake trilogy.

Four years ago I played Final Fantasy VII Remake for the first time as a newcomer to this part of the mainline series. My first interaction with Final Fantasy VII was in fact the CG anime film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children which I watched like 30-40 times when I was younger but the DVD did include a retrospective of the original Final Fantasy VII which was cool to see. So while I was aware of the surprises throughout I mostly didn't know what to expect when it came to going into the games.

Final Fantasy VII Remake adapts the first disc of the original PlayStation story which covers the introduction and Midgar portion of the game. Remake takes those four to six hours of content and expands it drastically with new ideas, more context and interesting elements that make for a well done package. Yes it's just the start of the long journey ahead but it felt complete for Part 1 of the story.

I have already written up my thoughts on the PS4 version for Final Fantasy VII Remake in general in the past so you can view my initial experiences here if you want to take a look. But I do think it's worth revisiting parts that I enjoyed and disliked, because as much as I have loved replaying this game it is not perfect by any means.

Let's start with the good things that I have enjoyed. I still think the story itself is really solid and well in-depth. It's pretty much like playing a visual novel in a way with more dialogue, more interactions and side characters expanded into having more to do than just appear for a bit here and there. The side quests are decent too. I also really enjoyed the combat which is a mix between classic turn-based with the game's ATB system but also action oriented. It did take a while to get used to it, but once I figured it out it became way more enjoyable. I actually think Barret's gameplay is underrated because he can be pretty useful in a lot of fights for his chaingun skills.

The gameplay was updated to 60 frames per second for the PS5 version which is well done and had no major issues on that part, and the presentation of the characters and buildings are well-detailed too. Music is strong and the theme that appears when Sephiroth appears is chilling and epic.

In terms of mixed thoughts, the remake introduced shadowy beings that show up here and there. This is a great concept but I have found myself torn over how the game progresses with these ideas because in reality - this remake shares the same problem that God of War 2018 had in terms of accessibility. Yes, you can jump into this without playing the previous game, but the way it unravels itself will make you feel like you have missed out on the best way to experience a lot of what's to offer. Long story short, this is a sequel to the original PlayStation game in disguise. Now this perspective can definitely change when I start playing Rebirth but because of how I felt about my time playing the Remake, I actually went straight into the original PlayStation version (via the PlayStation 4 release) straight after.

Other negatives that I have is that the middle portion of the game does have pacing issues, especially when you are going through the town where the Don is, and the journey back to Sector 7. I feel they could have made this portion shorter, now for clarity I have nothing against the town storyline because that was a lot of fun to watch - my issue is everything before and after that. Another negative is the skybox is badly designed and easily noticeable which is a shame as it feels like a demo at times. This issue is mainly during the part where the group climb up a sector. The final boss is epic but it does feel thrown in and out of place.

Overall I really enjoyed revisiting Final Fantasy VII Remake for this PS5 remaster. I spent a total of 32 hours 28 minutes playing through the main story on Normal difficulty from scratch and getting the side content sorted. I also managed to get some mini games and VR combat content sorted this time around as I didn't get the trophies for those in my original playthrough. It is interesting that despite doing more content in this playthrough I finished the game faster than before.

Next let's talk about Final Fantasy VII INTERmission, the new content that I haven't played before because it's exclusive to the PlayStation 5 version which stars everyone's favourite ninja girl Yuffie. I really enjoyed Yuffie as a character, I found her attitude and charisma really fresh and would work well to both Tifa and Aerith in Rebirth. Yuffie's combat is also pretty interesting because it's like a mix between Cloud, Aerith and Barret's combat with close-combat weapons and long-combat elemental skills.

This expansion also introduced Fort Condor mini-game which was a lot of fun and I got the trophy for getting all of the challenges sorted. I was also able to secure the summon Rafah which was very handy for the boss fights later in the game. And there's also the poster side quest which was short and simple.

In terms of the story, I would say it doesn't stand out much but it may bring back these elements in Rebirth because it does introduce some surprising ideas especially with characters from a different part of Final Fantasy VII making their appearances in the remake. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Yuffie and her partner who I felt had enough background to be likeable, though the Avalanche characters introduced here are mostly throwaway. What this expansion does well is also fill some gaps for the middle portion of the Remake's story which you only saw from Cloud's perspective for a while so it was nice to see how things played out.

Overall I also enjoyed the INTERmission expansion and got about 6 hours of playtime for the story and side content. I also played the box mini-game but I didn't manage to finish the SOLDIER difficulty one because it would take too long.

So with this now done. What do I think of this remaster package? I actually think it's the best way to be introduced to the Remake storyline as there's better framerate and resolution and we have extra content that adds value to the experience. Now I am ready to check out Rebirth.



My backlog so far:
#​
PC/Steam Backlog - Game Name:​
Genre:
1​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the SkyTurn-Based RPG
2​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SCTurn-Based RPG
#​
PlayStation 3 Backlog - Game Name:​
Genre:
1​
3D Dot Game HeroesAction RPG
2​
Bleach: Soul ResurrecciónFighting
3​
Castlevania: Lords of ShadowAction, Hack n Slash
4​
CatherinePuzzle
5​
Drakengard 3Action RPG
6​
Eternal SonataTurn-Based RPG
7​
FolkloreAction RPG
8​
Gran Turismo 5 Academy EditionRacing
9​
inFAMOUSAction
10​
inFAMOUS 2Action
11​
Katamari ForeverPuzzle
12​
Prince of PersiaAction, Platformer
13​
PuppeteerPlatformer
14​
SEGA RallyRacing
15​
Sly Cooper: Thieves in TimeAction, Platformer
16​
Split/Second: VelocityRacing
17​
StrangleholdAction, Shooter
18​
Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the OverlordTactical RPG, Visual Novel
19​
Way of the Samurai 4Action
#​
PlayStation 4 Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
13 Sentinels: Aegis RimTactical RPG, Visual Novel
2​
AI: The Somnium FilesAdventure, Visual Novel
3​
Black Clover: Quartet KnightsAction, Fighting
4​
Bullet Girls PhantasiaAction, Shooter
5​
Burnout Paradise RemasteredRacing
6​
The Caligula Effect: OverdoseTurn-Based RPG
7​
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New ChampionsSports
8​
Catherine Full BodyPuzzle
9​
Chaos;ChildVisual Novel
10​
Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve StarsTurn-Based RPG
11​
CRYSTARAction RPG
12​
Cyberdimension Neptunia: Four Goddesses OnlineAction RPG
13​
Danganronpa 1 ReloadVisual Novel
14​
Danganronpa 2 ReloadVisual Novel
15​
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair GirlsAction, Shooter
16​
Danganronpa V3: Killing HarmonyVisual Novel
17​
Date A Live: Rinne Utopia (Rio-Reincarnation)Visual Novel, Dating Sim
18​
Date A Live II: Ars Install (Rio-Reincarnation)Visual Novel, Dating Sim
19​
Date A Live III: Twin Edition: Rio ReincarnationVisual Novel, Dating Sim
20​
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's MemoryTurn-Based RPG
21​
Disaster Report 4: Summer MemoriesAdventure, Simulation
22​
Dissidia Final Fantasy NTArcade, Fighting
23​
Dragon Quest Heroes IIAction RPG, Musou
24​
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive EditionTurn-Based RPG
25​
Dragon's Crown ProAction RPG
26​
Fairy TailTurn-Based RPG
27​
Fate/Extella LinkMusou
28​
Final Fantasy IXTurn-Based RPG
29​
Final Fantasy VIII RemasteredTurn-Based RPG
30​
Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares WinTactical RPG
31​
Gal*Gun 2On-Rails Shooter
32​
Gintama RumbleAction, Musou
33​
GOD EATER 3Action Hunter RPG
34​
Gravity Rush 2Action, Platformer
35​
The Great Ace Attorney: AdventuresVisual Novel
36​
The Great Ace Attorney 2: ResolveVisual Novel
37​
Gundam Breaker 3 BREAK EDITIONAction, Arcade
38​
The Hong Kong MassacreTop-Down Shooter
39​
Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite CombateAction RPG
40​
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of HeavenFighting
41​
Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of FujisawaPuzzle, Visual Novel
42​
LangrisserTactical RPG
43​
Langrisser IITactical RPG
44​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold SteelTurn-Based RPG
45​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IITurn-Based RPG
46​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IIITurn-Based RPG
47​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IVTurn-Based RPG
48​
Legend of ManaAction RPG
49​
Megadimension Neptunia VIITurn-Based RPG
50​
Megadimension Neptunia VIIRTurn-Based RPG
51​
MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINAFighting
52​
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja StormAction, Fighting
53​
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2Action, Fighting
54​
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3Action, Fighting
55​
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to BorutoAction, Fighting
56​
NEO: The World Ends With YouAction RPG
57​
Neptunia Virtual StarsAction
58​
Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja WarsAction
59​
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch RemasteredTurn-Based RPG
60​
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant KingdomAction RPG
61​
Nights of AzureAction RPG
62​
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New MoonAction RPG
63​
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4Action, Musou
64​
One Piece: Unlimited World RedAction
65​
One Piece: World SeekerAction
66​
Our World Is EndedVisual Novel
67​
Persona 5 RoyalTurn-Based RPG
68​
Persona 5 StrikersAction RPG, Musou
69​
Phoenix Wright: Ace AttorneyVisual Novel
70​
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for AllVisual Novel
71​
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and TribulationsVisual Novel
72​
Punch LineVisual Novel
73​
Raging LoopVisual Novel
74​
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-: Prophecy of the ThroneVisual Novel
75​
Robotics;Notes DaSHVisual Novel
76​
Robotics;Notes ELITEVisual Novel
77​
RUINERAction, Shooter
78​
SD Gundam G Generation Cross RaysTactical RPG
79​
SD Gundam G Generation GenesisTactical RPG
80​
Secret of ManaAction RPG
81​
Sengoku Basara 4: SumeragiMusou
82​
Senran Kagura Burst Re:NewalAction
83​
Shadow of the ColossusPlatformer
84​
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD RemasterTurn-Based RPG
85​
Star Ocean: First Departure RAction RPG
86​
Star Ocean: The Last Hope HD RemasterAction RPG
87​
Steins;Gate EliteVisual Novel
88​
Super Neptunia RPGTurn-Based RPG
89​
Super Robot Wars 30Tactical RPG
90​
Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon DwellersTactical RPG
91​
Super Robot Wars TTactical RPG
92​
Super Robot Wars XTactical RPG
93​
Sword Art Online: Fatal BulletAction RPG
94​
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions!Music, Rhythm
95​
Tales of BerseriaAction RPG
96​
Tales of VesperiaAction RPG
97​
Theatrhythm Final Bar LineMusic, Rhythm
98​
Tokyo Xanadu eX+Action RPG
99​
Trials of ManaAction RPG
100​
Utawarerumono: Mask of DeceptionTactical RPG, Visual Novel
101​
Utawarerumono: Mask of TruthTactical RPG, Visual Novel
102​
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the FallenTactical RPG, Visual Novel
103​
Utawarerumono: ZanAction, Musou
104​
Valkyria Chronicles 4Tactical RPG
105​
Valkyria RevolutionAction RPG
106​
WipEout Omega CollectionRacing
107​
The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival EditionAction RPG
108​
WORLDEND SYNDROMEVisual Novel
109​
Yakuza 3 RemasteredAction, Beat em up
110​
Yakuza 4 RemasteredAction, Beat em up
111​
Yakuza 5 RemasteredAction, Beat em up
112​
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this WorldVisual Novel
#​
PlayStation 5 Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
Alan Wake RemasteredAction, Shooter
2​
CONTROL Ultimate EditionAction, Shooter
3​
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII -Reunion-Action RPG
4​
Cyberpunk 2077Action
5​
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami ChroniclesFighting
6​
The DioField ChronicleTactical RPG
7​
DOOM EternalAction, Shooter
8​
FANTAVISION 202XPuzzle
9​
Final Fantasy VII RebirthAction RPG
10​
ForspokenAction RPG
11​
Ghost of TsushimaAction, Adventure
12​
Ghostwire: TokyoAction, Survival Horror
13​
GrimGrimoire OnceMoreReal-Time Strategy RPG
14​
HadesDungeon Crawler
15​
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle RFighting
16​
JudgmentAction, Beat em up
17​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into ReverieTurn-Based RPG
18​
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His NameAction, Beat 'em up
19​
Lost JudgmentAction, Beat em up
20​
Mobile Suit Gundam BATTLE OPERATION Code FairyAction
21​
MONARKTactical RPG
22​
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs ForgottenTurn-Based RPG
23​
Neptunia ReVerseTurn-Based RPG
24​
Neptunia: Sisters vs SistersAction RPG
25​
One Piece: OdysseyTurn-Based RPG
26​
Pac-Man World Re-PacPlatformer
27​
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit of Wonder LabyrinthMetroidvania RPG
28​
RelayerTactical RPG
29​
SD Gundam Battle AllianceAction RPG
30​
Soul Hackers 2Turn-Based RPG
31​
Star Ocean: The Divine ForceAction RPG
32​
Star Ocean: The Second Story RAction RPG
33​
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy OriginAction Souls RPG
34​
Tactics Ogre RebornTactical RPG
35​
Tales of AriseAction RPG
36​
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2Sports
37​
Valkyrie ElysiumAction RPG
38​
Yakuza 7: Like a DragonTurn-Based RPG
39​
Ys IX: Monstrum NoxAction RPG
40​
Yurukill: The Calumniation GamesShoot em up, Visual Novel
#​
PlayStation Classics (via PS5) Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the RescuePlatformer
2​
Everybody's Golf 2Sports
3​
GrandiaTurn-Based RPG
4​
Kurushi Final: Mental BlocksPuzzle
5​
The Legend of DragoonTurn-Based RPG
6​
Twisted Metal 2Action, Racing
7​
Valkyrie Profile: LennethTurn-Based RPG
8​
Wild ArmsTurn-Based RPG
9​
Wild Arms 2Turn-Based RPG
#​
PlayStation Vita Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
Bullet GirlsAction, Shooter
2​
Freedom WarsAction
3​
Valkyrie Drive BhikkhuniAction
#​
Nintendo Switch Backlog - Game Name:Genre:
1​
Akai Katana ShinBullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
2​
Blade Runner: Enhanced EditionAdventure, Point & Click
3​
Castlevania (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
4​
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
5​
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
6​
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
7​
Castlevania: The Adventure (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
8​
Castlevania: Bloodlines (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
9​
Contra (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
10​
Contra Hard Corps (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
11​
Contra III: The Alien Wars (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
12​
Cursed to GolfSports, Platformer
13​
Cytus AlphaMusic, Rhythm
14​
DeathsmilesBullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
15​
Deathsmiles IIBullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
16​
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical FreezeAction, Platform
17​
Final FantasyTurn-Based RPG
18​
Final Fantasy Adventure (Collection of Mana)Action RPG
19​
Final Fantasy IITurn-Based RPG
20​
Final Fantasy IIITurn-Based RPG
21​
Final Fantasy IVTurn-Based RPG
22​
Final Fantasy VTurn-Based RPG
23​
Final Fantasy VITurn-Based RPG
24​
Fire Emblem: EngageTactical RPG
25​
Fire Emblem: Three HousesTactical RPG
26​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from ZeroTurn-Based RPG
27​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to AzureTurn-Based RPG
28​
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless TrailsAction RPG
29​
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildAction RPG
30​
The Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningAction RPG
31​
Live A LiveTactical RPG
32​
Mario Kart 8 DeluxeRacing
33​
Metroid DreadMetroidvania
34​
Metroid Prime RemasteredAction, Shooter
35​
MUSYNXMusic, Rhythm
36​
New Super Mario Bros U DeluxePlatformer
37​
Octopath TravelerTurn-Based RPG
38​
Operation C (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
39​
Paper Mario: The Origami KingTurn-Based RPG
40​
Powerslave ExhumedAction, Shooter
41​
Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little PrincessTurn-Based RPG
42​
Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl KingdomTurn-Based RPG
43​
River City Girls ZeroAction, Beat 'em ups
44​
Secret of Mana (Collection of Mana)Action RPG
45​
Senran Kagura Peach BallPinball
46​
Senran Kagura ReflexionsSimulation
47​
Shadow Man RemasteredAction, Adventure
48​
Super Castlevania IV (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
49​
Super Contra (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
50​
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FuryAction, Platformer
51​
Super Mario GalaxyAction, Platformer
52​
Super Mario OdysseyAction, Platformer
53​
Super Mario SunshineAction, Platformer
54​
Super Smash Bros. UltimateFighting
55​
Syd of Valis (SD Valis)Action, Platformer
56​
Trials of Mana (Collection of Mana)Action RPG
57​
Valis: The Fantasm SoldierAction, Platformer
58​
Valis IIAction, Platformer
59​
Valis IIIAction, Platformer
60​
Valis IVAction, Platformer
61​
Witch on the Holy NightVisual Novel
62​
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive EditionAction RPG
63​
Xenoblade Chronicles 2Action RPG
64​
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden CountryAction RPG
65​
Yoshi's Crafted WorldAction, Platformer

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The 2024 '40' Games Goal:
No.Game
Console​
Acquired​
Genre
1​
Quake
PS5​
2023​
Action, Shooter
2​
Quake II
PS5​
2023​
Action, Shooter
3​
MushimeSama
Switch​
2023​
Bullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
4​
Nioh 2 Remastered
PS5​
2022​
Action Souls RPG
5​
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
PS5​
2024​
Action RPG

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I finally finished OG FF7 the other week after various hiatuses. It was a good experience. Will definitely check out the remakes and crisis core sometime in the future. Also, while I haven't actually finished Elden Ring, I'm at the point which is good for the DLC coming out in a few months (we do not play DLC on a NG+. I made that mistake in DS3), so I've just been spending my time as a summon and helping other people. Honestly I'm enjoying it a lot more than the actual base game. I know the Haligtree like the back of my hand now 😂
For now however, my friends kindly gifted me a copy of Baldurs Gate 3 for my birthday (which is at the end of March but they wanted to give it to me sooner so we can all play together) so I will be spending the next few months playing nothing but this haha.
 
I finished Persona 3 Reload recently and platinumed it as well. The only thing I didn’t do was the secret boss, as it was just an arseache to do, but thankfully didn’t affect the trophies. Despite the music being worse off in some areas (mainly when vocals were featured) this was a great remake - a shame the FemC route wasn’t included as well though.

I’m now playing Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and have been exploring Hawaii head-to-toe.
 
I completed Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and I loved it. So good and can't wait for the final installment.

I didn't complete absolutely everything as I want to do the story first, but I can go back now on chapter selection.

Almost finished it myself though I've been doing absolutely everything though a few of the final side content bits I am really struggling with...

...which are Hard Mode Cactuar Crush and the Nightmare Survival on Queen's Blood. Apart from that I'm pretty sure I've done everything prior to going to the Northern continent.

Oh and that the final Chocobo challenge in Cosmo Canyon I'm pretty sure is bugged meaning I can't achieve Rank III on it).

There are also the final Combat Simulator challenges actually but I'm not Level 70 yet so I'm going to leave that and the other bits mentioned until post-game.

There's probably a few tiny bits I'm forgetting about as this game feels endless in content and I've loved almost every second of it (some of the mini-games can be infuriating though when going for the top scores 😅😂).
 
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I'm fairly near to the end of FF7 I think and hoping to wrap it up this week before Dragons Dogma 2 and Rise of the Ronin both arrive on the same day! Will add some of my own thoughts once I'm done with it.
 
I’ve sunk around 30 hours into Infinite Wealth and 1/3 of that feels like it was just for the Sujimon quest which I have to redo the final fight for as I was under-levelled for the events afterwards and got mullered.
 
In the last couple of weeks I've been on a mission to complete two games ahead of Dragons Dogma 2 and Rise of the Ronin both arriving on the same day.

Unicorn Overlord

This game was awesome and I highly recommend it for people who enjoy tactical RPG games. Vanillaware animations are top tier and the story and action have a good pace of delivery to ensure you're never bored. The game introduced some new systems and mechanics slowly and this allows even novice players of this genre to grasp how the game works without needing to read lots of instructions.

There is like a 6-7 hour demo you can try as well before buying it, they are that confident in the demo that they are willing to give you plenty of time to try it out.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

I've not played the OG FF7 games so hard to get nostalgic about things here, but I have played FF7 Remake part 1, the Intergrade DLC, and the Crisis Core one so I did enjoy seeing some throwbacks to events/places out of those.

With that said, I think that for the most part the story elements here were very good, I'll add some comments/issues I had in spoilers here as I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't reached the end yet. I have a fair bit to add here so this will be quite long.

There are quite a few issues I had which stop this game being as good as it really should be. I could probably write more, but you guys may get the idea.

In no particular order:

Open World

Open world traversal was largely a pain and the open world locations were copy/paste objectives. Poor map design meant that there was usually only one route to get to something, and it could be that you need to traverse from elsewhere, or find a cave, or a hidden path or similar. I wish they made the map traversal a bit more open, more than one route to places to discover.

Gongaga jungle was the worst zone of them all. Nibelheim was the most fun to traverse as your chocobo could practically fly.

Chocobo bouncing off the smallest thing you bump into was meh as well, and the car driving into anything instantly stopped it dead as well. Physics engine not really at work here.

I hated how involved Chadley was as I don't like his character really, and every time you did something he'd give you a little video message and a chat. I did joke with him at the start and said I didn't remember him :D

Side Quests

A lot of side quests were kind of boring and simple. Side quests such as find ingredients for dinner, or go rescue some chickens, are simply lazy quest design. I wish they took a leaf out of Witcher 3's book and made each side quest interesting so they were always worth doing. I started skipping the later ones.

I feel like this game doesn't necessarily really respect your time, so it's happy to add filler to slow you down.

Example of a quest which just wasn't fun was the one where you had to rescue to bird in Corel. You have to visit 3 different bird cages and lay bait, and then re-visit all 3 locations again to complete the quest.

Mini Games

There are far, far too many mini games, and some of them were really not fun at all. It was almost a game of "what can become a mini game?". Highlights for worst mini games include:
  • Moogle babysitting
  • Cactuar protorelic (esp as Aerith)
  • Glide de Chocobo (which for some reason had no inverse ascend/descend control - every single flight based game I've ever played you pull down on the stick to go up!).
I quite liked Queens Blood but I had to change up my deck that I had been using to reach the end totally for the last fight.

Enemies

There were a lot of annoying enemies to fight to be honest, the combat in this game isn't that amazing to me to begin with, but when you throw in:
  • Flying enemies in general
  • Enemies that turn you into a frog
  • Enemies that petrify you
  • Enemies that become invincible (jellyfish)
  • Enemies that are hard to hit (cactuar)
  • Enemies that one shot kill you (or your whole party)
These kinds of things don't really make for fun or engaging fights.

I wish they transplanted the combat from Granblue Fantasy Relink into this because that had way more fun combat (to me).

Levelling Systems

They've turned everything into a levelling system, there is:
  • Your level
  • Your party level
  • Your crafting level
  • Your weapon level
  • Your relationship level with characters
  • Your Queens Blood level
  • Your Moogle vendor level
  • Materia levels
It felt like they just wanted to gamify everything. The weapon level/SP stuff really sucked from a visual point as well, I was mainly just putting points into whatever because trying to optimise this for all of your characters was just a chore I didn't want.

As a general note, the lack of continuation of your character from the 1st game kind of makes all of this levelling pointless as well, I suspect we'll get a brand new character set in the 3rd instalment as well.

Main Story

The main story was the best of the game really, but was probably 25% of my actual playtime, the rest was spent on sort of filler open world and quests. I completed this with an 82 hour save file, and with some stuff left not done still such as Gilgamesh island, because the thought of fighting two bosses at once instead of one was enough to put me off.

I tried to do basically everything I could though, some of the mini games I liked so I went for higher scores, some of the open world bits were OK so I didn't mind them, though it got a little zzz after the first 2-3 zones.

My least favourite main story bit was probably the Cait Sith section. I liked the boat section and the bit leading up to it where you get your own little squad of Shinra troops from the seventh.

The ending sequence was a little too long winded for it's own good I thought, with multiple phase/character Sephiroth battles, and the final move he does (the end is nigh) was a totally out of the blue thing which is a DPS check, if you fail, you have to start that bit of the fight again. I wouldn't mind but you also get no opportunity to swap gear or materia etc after this like 2 hour long battle starts, so if you get here and you can't finish it, you have to accept going quite far back or retrying this fight at least a few times.

As for the actual ending itself, honestly mostly just confusing, Aerith died, but she didn't, and then she is there helping you, but she's not there at the end, and only you can see her. As a general rule I dislike multiverse stories unless they can make it coherent enough to follow what is going on, here the "is this real?" vs "is this imaginary" played a little too often for me, this takes away impact of things as you're second guessing yourself as to whether it's a real event or not.
 
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