What Games Are You Playing?

There is a twitter thread here showing what I mean about the localisation of Eiyuden Chronicles:


Whilst I understand that localisation does need to change things as a direct/literal translation may not carry across well, they've completely changed the meaning of some of those lines vs their more direct translations.

If I was the studio who made this game, I would be incredibly annoyed right now, they've warped the original intent and attempted to re-write parts of the story for their own agenda, it's ultimately disrespecting the works the original writers put into it.
 
I’ve been playing Bayonetta 3 and am reminded why I put it off for a while as I suck at landing combos - not a fan of the non-Bayonetta sections either but I’ll see this through as I’m halfway done.

Luckily it's not that long so you can sort of power through it, I was just playing on normal. I didn't really bother with finding all of the verses or side bits though.

Watch this when you're done, I found it pretty hilarious after just experiencing exactly what they were talking about! Spoiler tag as it contains spoilers:

 
Ratchet & Clank (2016) (PS4)

This was a really solid, fun game. This is actually the first time I've beaten a R&C game. When I was a kid I did play the original trilogy but I never beat them though playing through this it seemed I at least got half-way through the first game as I surprisingly remembered a lot from it.

I do know though that this game is an adaptation of the animated movie that came out at the time with a lot of the cut-scenes being clips from the movie itself. I haven't seen the movie and as mentioned I haven't beaten the original on PS2 so I'm not sure how faithful it is to the original.

I have played a bit of Rift Apart over at a friend's prior to me getting a PS5 and really enjoyed that so I'll have to pick that up soon enough. It is a shame the rest of the series isn't available on modern systems (I don't count cloud streaming as a viable option) but I still have my PS3 so I can play them at least whenever I want to get them.

But would definitely recommend the 2016 game if you want a short 3D platformer or relive the original with modern graphics and the like.
 
Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster
I've always been quite dismissive of FFV. Between its okay story, its okay characters and a one-dimensional villain who pretty much just says "Mwahaha!!" a lot, it doesn't measure up to IV or VI. I think the real killing blow when I played through the PS1 port 20+ years ago was how grindy it is compared to those games. IV and VI require some serious grinding before facing the final dungeon, but V calls for it earlier and more frequently. All those elements combined are why I've never got more than 5-10 hours into it during the handful of times I've revisited the PS1 version over the years.

Thankfully, the pixel remaster saves the day in the same way it has for all the early FF games, due to its experience-boosting option that takes the grind out of it. Stripped of that aggravation, I was able to start appreciating FFV's good side. Levelling job classes quicker makes it more fun to experiment with different party builds. The characters may not be as compelling or memorable as those in IV or VI, but V might be the funniest Final Fantasy game. The sprite animation brims with personality and goofy, slapstick humour, and quirky secondary antagonist Gilgamesh is far more entertaining than his "Mwahaha!!"-spewing boss Exdeath. It also benefits from the music receiving the same lush orchestral treatment as the other pixel remasters, bringing out the potential of Uematsu's original MIDI arrangements.

The pixel remaster has turned V from a borderline-skippable entry to one that I'm likely to revisit.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered
We desperately need some industry standard on when the term remaster is used. The PS5 version of TLOU2 isn't a remaster, it's a port, plain and simple. Digital Foundry's analysis found no changes other than extended draw distance for foliage and faster load times.

So is the PS5 port a waste of the £10 upgrade cost for owners of the PS4 version? That depends entirely on how you feel about No Return, the new roguelike mode. If you only like TLOU for the story and worldbuilding, don't bother with the upgrade. But if you enjoy it as one of the best stealth/cover shooters out there, it's definitely worth buying.

I appreciated that the original version of TLOU2 included a mode for revisiting the combat encounters separately, since sometimes I just want the gameplay, not the misery. I was always reluctant to play it that way though, in case I got burnt out on the campaign's combat encounters. No Return avoids that problem by remixing the encounters in arenas cut down from existing game locations, adding various objectives and gameplay modifiers, and having a large roster of unlockable characters with different initial loadouts and abilities. Combined with the improved loading times, it makes for a near seamless flow back and forth between combat and upgrading your character back at base.

I've clocked about 10 hours in No Return mode so far, so that alone has made it worth the upgrade.
 
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Recently I’ve been playing Terra Memoria, a game that I only discovered by pure chance and took a big risk in blind buying it because it looked like the game I was wanting to play and I feel that this one really deserves more attention because it’s actually pretty good, it plays like a JRPG if all the tedium and most of the grinding was removed, the combat system is pretty intuitive and the game features some exceptional soundtrack; I also love that it doesn’t force a main character on you and instead lets you pick any of the six characters to play as at any time, provided the character you want is unlocked, which doesn’t take too long overall; with that said, the game isn’t perfect, the game could do with more polish, in my playthrough, I got stuck a couple of times, though the game is aware of this and offers a safety teleport option so it’s not a massive issue but it’s still worth pointing out, despite this, I really liked this game, the good outweighs the bad and I really feel that it deserves more recognition as I wouldn’t have known about it if not for me discovering it.

Discovering Terra Memoria was like digging for gold and finding a good hidden gem instead, it would have been perfect for keeping me occupied until Eiyuden Chronicle releases but I beat the game in just over a day so now I play the waiting game, oh, what’s that? it’s out now, it has a botched localisation and isn’t all that good? oh boy I can’t wait!!!

Whilst I understand that localisation does need to change things as a direct/literal translation may not carry across well, they've completely changed the meaning of some of those lines vs their more direct translations.

If I was the studio who made this game, I would be incredibly annoyed right now, they've warped the original intent and attempted to re-write parts of the story for their own agenda, it's ultimately disrespecting the works the original writers put into it.
What annoys me about this more than anything is that the localisers picked a crowdfunded game to use as their platform, not only is it disrespectful to the original work but it also disregards the backers who funded the project in the first place, if the localisation team have a message of their own, there are plenty of other ways to get it out there that doesn’t involve piggybacking off of a project that, by the looks of things, has very little to do with said message in the first place.
 
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What annoys me about this more than anything is that the localisers picked a crowdfunded game to use as their platform, not only is it disrespectful to the original work but it also disregards the backers who funded the project in the first place, if the localisation team have a message of their own, there are plenty of other ways to get it out there that doesn’t involve piggybacking off of a project that, by the looks of things, has very little to do with said message in the first place.

100% this, it's a shame as I thought it looked interesting, it had other issue (to me) outside of the localisation quality, but it was the icing on the cake.

Still looking forward to my next decent JRPG experience!
 
Played through Resident Evil 2 (PS4) over the weekend. That was an excellent time. As someone who is bad with horror they managed to make something spooky without being overwhelming due to the charmingly comedy. And as someone who is really terrible at shooters, the lumbering zombies are cleverly slow enough that taking aim isn't too daunting, but fast enough that it encourages panic. And overall the game is short and sweet. They made something designed to be played through multiple times by ensuring nothing overstays its welcome too much. You can explore most of the rooms, solve most of the puzzles, get most of the items and get to the ending in less than 8 hours on the first try. I will definitely go back to complete Claire's story at some point and also try Resident Evil 3 someday.

Next is the HD-Remaster of Final Fantasy X-2. A direct sequel to the original Final Fantasy X that is so wildly different I'm amazed they got away with it. Final Fantasy X is a liner, tightly-structured story about 7 people on a journey. It has an underlying melancholy throughout and mechanically it's refined yet formulaic turn-based combat system featured many design innovations that are still being used to this day in Digimon Story series and the Trails of Cold Steel games. X-2 is a mission-based, open-ended game that fully embraces a pop music style for its 3 characters. With a frantic active battle system featuring mid-battle class-swapping, which has seemingly been abandoned after Final Fantasy 13 (which I have not played).

X-2 is instantly overwhelming. There is so much customisation and freedom for how to build out your characters and where to go, especially with the HD collections added game modes. I have not progressed the main story in 5 hours and have instead stumbled on side-quests and new abilities that present new possibilities and ways to play. The battles so far having been a lot of fun and because classes are so specialised you get some very powerful skills that can have appropriate downsides because you will have to give up something major. Songstress has status effects that can temporarily decimate enemies but it has no attacks. So if you are using it to counter powerful magic attacks you have to keep the pressure on with the other 2 characters who might struggle or run out of MP fast. You also master new skills independent of level and during fights, which is another interesting choice. Really looking forward to playing more soon.
 
I am a couple of days late on this but I did manage to play a few more during the month of April. Work got in the way so I took a break for the latter half of the month and this past week.



#07 - Puppeteer (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: August 2019

I wanted to check out a shorter game but also one that was available on the PlayStation 3 so I went with Japan Studio's Puppeteer which was released during the final years of the cycle, literally just before the PlayStation 4 launched. I first remember this game from when MetalJesusRocks recommended it in his hidden gems video and was also a lucky find in CeX in town years back, but it took until this year to finally give it a shot and it's a very entertaining experience.

Puppeteer is presented like you're watching a theatre experience, with crowd laughter and a narrator throughout. Our character has lost his head but can use objects to replace his own to ensure his survival and the game uses this setup a lot in a classic platformer style, so if you lose your head you have time to retrieve it otherwise you lose health (the more heads you have kept during the stage, the better your chances of success). Alongside your health are your attacks which are done using scissors which is a pretty cool feature in the gameplay, as he can travel on parts of the stage pretty fast or unlock secret items and stages.

There are a total of three stages per act and each one caught me off guard with its presentation, because I did not anticipate the level design to go into this direction especially given the first act is like a traditional fantasy. I am not going to spoil what each act focuses on because it was a very enjoyable surprise to find and my favourite are the few that are in the middle of the story campaign especially with how it uses the scissors to progress and quick time events.

The game features tons of collectibles if you wish to go for a completion route, and there are secrets tied to what head you have equipped. There is the classic difficulty you will encounter here but there's plenty of lives that you will stock to keep going. Also to mention, there is PlayStation Move support but I don't have the accessory to make use of it.

Overall Puppeteer is a proper hidden gem for the PlayStation 3 and a great way to close off that generation. It is a shame that it wasn't remastered for PlayStation 4. My playtime was roughly 6-7 hours I reckon which was done in a couple of sittings.



#08 - Stranglehold (PlayStation 3)
Acquired: June 2023

While also playing Puppeteer I also started playing Stranglehold by director John Woo with Chow Yun-fat in the leading role. This is technically a continuation to the Hard Boiled film but I haven't seen it prior and you can jump into this game without knowing anything about that.

Its a classic third person shooter with slow motion style gameplay and it's pretty decent. As I played the PS3 version, it is technically the worst version to play this game but honestly the performance in general was decent. There was a bug that I encountered when I unlocked Precision Aim and used it for the first time, the SFX started having a seizure effect and kept going nuts, like the bass boost meme multiplied by eleven. Apparently this is a common issue for specific games based on how they were developed for the PlayStation 3 and there was never a patch to address this. Thankfully it didn't occur repeatedly though it was worrying.

There are a couple of levels throughout and many of them are fairly long, but there's a lot of engaging fights throughout with different weapons available. I did think the second level felt out of place compared to the others, but I did like the ideas throughout the game like using a suitcase to store ammo during specific portions where you are stuck in a specific area until a number of enemies were defeated.

I did struggle with the boss fights due to the high amount of damage that they can do to you so there were a lot of trial and errors throughout, but at least checkpoints were there for some parts like the final boss fight and the section where you had to dodge a number of instakil lasers.

John Woo presents Stranglehold aka Hard Boiled II: Tequila Time is overall a pretty solid third person shooter that obviously borrows the Max Payne style of combat. Surprisingly challenging at parts but a short and entertaining experience. Sleeping Dogs is the better game if I had to pick and choose a Hong Kong action cop style adventure though. The PS3 version is better than I had expected given its technically the worst performing one but I've had no major issues on its performances as 30fps range is expected with this generation. This game came out before PlayStation trophies were introduced so I didn't have to worry about the idea of dealing with that.



#09 - Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (PlayStation 4)
Acquired: June 2021

FEEEBOOSSSS LUUUUDAAASEEHHHHH

After finishing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth I was in the mood to play another game in the franchise. I was initially going to start Dissidia Final Fantasy NT because why not, but I figured I may get spoiled on some bits since its basically protagonist vs antagonist for each game, and therefore I changed my plans and went with Final Fantasy VIII Remastered because not only is this a mainline instalment in the franchise that I had yet to play, it's also one that I know very little about outside of the game's opening music Liberi Fatali and characters Squall, Seifer and Selphie appearing in the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

What made me look forward to playing Final Fantasy VIII is that it's one of the traditional RPG games in the franchise and I wanted a classic JRPG style combat that recaptured the same feeling I had with Final Fantasy VII classic and Final Fantasy X. And let me tell you this - Final Fantasy VIII had the biggest whiplash of gameplay that I ever had for the genre, and if you are not made aware of how the game's mechanics work you are going to experience a whole level of suffering.

So what do I mean by all of this? For some strange reason in the minds of Squaresoft back in the day, they had decided to modify the mechanics so that whenever you level up a character, you also increase the difficulty of the game. That's right, the concept of levelling up to get stronger in this game basically translates to wanting to fight the battles on the hardest difficulty. Levelling up in this game is a death sentence.

To counter the levelling up problem it's best to talk about this game's main system called the Junction, which is still liked by a lot of people to this date as it's unique to this game. Junction is this game's take on the Materia idea that Final Fantasy VII had, where you can customise each character's abilities with various magic spells and add-ons. This system is rather complicated at first and while the game does its best to explain everything, it was rather overwhelming to understand. I literally had to watch a YouTube video to learn more about the mechanics. Now I did understand the premise beforehand, but the game's tutorials showed off aspects that you wouldn't technically have access to immediately which made it rather confusing to start with. Basically a YouTube video with more context provided more sense to me on how it all works.

To explain it from my perspective, here's what it is. Junction has a few things involved in the system that make the experience come together and they are the Draw command, the Guardian Forces and also the preparations on setting up your characters. The Draw command is what you can use during combat, and it somewhat replaces the MP system in a way, where you can take magic spells from your enemies and not only keep them but also use it against them if needed. This can be Fire, Dispel, Meteor and many more. You can keep up to 100 amounts of each spell and the more stocked you are, the better for both combat and your prep on each character. These spells are key to "levelling" your health, strength and defences.

But in order to level up your stats correctly, you need a Guardian Force which is this game's equivalent to summons. There's over a dozen of them in the game, many of which you will have to find yourselves through the use of the Draw command against specific boss battles and other ways during side content. Guardian Forces are there to provide you access to stats for your character but also skills, which can range from adding a good percentage of additional Strength or Health (and many others) to your character, and also abilities to convert items into other spells. The more GF you have and the right combination slotted to each character, the better equipped your team is during the latter portions of the game. You can also pass the GF and magic between each character which is great for customisation and balancing during specific portions of the game, as you will have to switch characters a lot (and you can use the Switch command to make it easier to transfer at ease).

With Drawing magic and adding Guardian Forces to your character, the next step to levelling is prep. You want to make use of the spells you draw, especially at a maximum amount of 100 (like for instance 100 Curagas, 100 Regens, 100 Meteor, 100 Full-Life etc), to improve your character's skills. The skill slots available are HP, Strength, Vitality, Magic, Spirit as well as Speed, Evasion, Hit and Luck. There's also Elemental and Strength/Defence abilities available to help reduce damage against elemental and buffer attacks and use against enemies in combat. There are guides available online to pick and choose which spell you want to slot to each type and when you do it correctly, you can be overpowered and have high level of health very early on in the game.

Also included with the command list, is Card. Card is the key to surviving enemy encounters without levelling your character too much. It basically captures your enemy and turns them into a card that you can use in a rather addictive mini-game called Triple Triad which I wouldn't say is the same as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's Queen's Blood but it is one that you do wish was available as a standalone game in a way. Now the difference between Queen's Blood and Triple Triad are the game rules that are not only often randomised but losing a game can mean you lose one or more of your cards (compared to the former where losing doesn't punish you in that regard).

Triple Triad is presented on a 3 x 3 grid, and the way it works is there are four numbers on each of your cards, one to represent each corner (top, down, left, right). If your card has 9 for the left side of your card, and the enemy has anything below 9 on the right side of their card, the colour of their card will become yours and adds a point to your score. The goal of Triple Triad is to secure the most points. If the card's number is identical to theirs when you or the opponent places it down, no points are given. Triple Triad is optional but you can take advantage of this mini-game by securing so many cards that can be converted into items and magic using a Guardian Force's Card Mod ability. This ability is key to overpowering your team throughout the journey.

During combat you will be provided with both EXP and AP. EXP goes to levelling up your character (and also making the game harder) while AP goes to your Guardian Force to unlock more abilities and stats. You can choose which skill your GF should learn which is great. Using the Card command will not provide you with EXP but will still offer AP. Boss battles will also not give you any EXP so you don't have to worry about those.

Now I have spent way too much explaining this whole mechanic and whatnot, but it just goes to show how complicated the developers have made Final Fantasy VIII and it's also why its such a unique instalment because it's never been used ever again. To my knowledge Final Fantasy IX went back to basics with the HP, MP and AP system. Chances are the mixed reception of this game is why they reverted back for the next instalment especially given Final Fantasy VII was their biggest hit and they probably didn't want to risk the momentum. Final Fantasy VIII still did well in terms of reviews and sales, but it's not as universally liked compared to its predecessor.

And the same can be said with its characters and storyline because it's a strange one to say the least. The story can basically be summarised by an introverted Squall meeting a female rebel called Rinoa who he slowly starts to open up to whilst also dealing with his rival Seifer and a sorceress named Edea who wants to dominate the world. The story is not really memorable in a way and it feels like they threw in ideas from time to time but I suppose its all about the journey. That said, the game gets pretty wild with its direction but I'm not going to spoil any of that, though I will say the final act has some great ideas and visually stunning graphics.

Speaking of the graphics, the game does a really awesome job with its CG cutscenes and transitions between CG animation and character models because it blends really well. I know its jarring on the Remastered version because the CG hasn't been remastered properly but I can definitely see this revolutionising the gaming industry back in the way and wowing a lot of players. The character models do look pretty good with this remaster too. The music is also very well done with Liberi Fatali and The Man with the Machine Gun both being iconic tunes that have been included in various music events and video games.

In terms of my playtime, I spent 3 hours in my initial playthrough before restarting from scratch because I underestimated the difficulty that was going to be in the way. I then spent an additional 3 hours getting prepped by using the Triple Triad mini-game to secure cards that I would convert into high amounts of magic and allowing me to upgrade my characters to strong stats. Then the rest of the game, with the support of 3x speed and turning off random encounters, took me 31 hours in total from start to finish with some extra spell grinding here and there. I was able to secure most of the Guardian Force with a few that I passed on due to high difficulty or missed opportunities.

Final Fantasy VIII is an experience that I won't forget. While it's definitely not my favourite in the franchise, I do admire Squaresoft for experimenting with this concept and its got some highs and lows throughout. Though I will say I did have to use a guide for specific parts to know that I wasn't screwing myself over due to the artificial difficulty and Junction concepts but it's not a bad game at all. I do recommend people give this game a try, especially if you love a challenge for a JRPG that isn't your usual leveling up to get stronger approach. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is available to play on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC with a physical version available for PS4 in Europe and Nintendo Switch in both Europe & Asia bundled with Final Fantasy VII classic.

And to just reiterate - Liberi Fatali goes way harder than it should for an opening tune and I actually prefer it over One-Winged Angel.




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​
SEGA RallyRacing
14​
Sly Cooper: Thieves in TimeAction, Platformer
15​
Split/Second: VelocityRacing
16​
Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the OverlordTactical RPG, Visual Novel
17​
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​
Dragon's Dogma: Dark ArisenAction RPG
27​
Fairy TailTurn-Based RPG
28​
Fate/Extella LinkMusou
29​
Final Fantasy IXTurn-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​
Fate/Samurai RemnantAction RPG, Musou
10​
ForspokenAction RPG
11​
Ghost of TsushimaAction, Adventure
12​
Ghostwire: TokyoAction, Survival Horror
13​
Granblue Fantasy Re:linkAction RPG
14​
GrimGrimoire OnceMoreReal-Time Strategy RPG
15​
HadesDungeon Crawler
16​
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle RFighting
17​
JudgmentAction, Beat em up
18​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into ReverieTurn-Based RPG
19​
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His NameAction, Beat 'em up
20​
Lost JudgmentAction, Beat em up
21​
Mobile Suit Gundam BATTLE OPERATION Code FairyAction
22​
MONARKTactical RPG
23​
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs ForgottenTurn-Based RPG
24​
Neptunia ReVerseTurn-Based RPG
25​
Neptunia: Sisters vs SistersAction RPG
26​
One Piece: OdysseyTurn-Based RPG
27​
Pac-Man World Re-PacPlatformer
28​
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit of Wonder LabyrinthMetroidvania RPG
29​
RelayerTactical RPG
30​
SD Gundam Battle AllianceAction RPG
31​
Soul Hackers 2Turn-Based RPG
32​
Star Ocean: The Divine ForceAction RPG
33​
Star Ocean: The Second Story RAction RPG
34​
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy OriginAction Souls RPG
35​
Tactics Ogre RebornTactical RPG
36​
Tales of AriseAction RPG
37​
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2Sports
38​
Unicorn OverlordTactical RPG
39​
Valkyrie ElysiumAction RPG
40​
Yakuza 7: Like a DragonTurn-Based RPG
41​
Ys IX: Monstrum NoxAction RPG
42​
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​
Avenger (Telenet Shooting Collection)Arcade, Shoot 'em up
3​
Blade Runner: Enhanced EditionAdventure, Point & Click
4​
Castlevania (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
5​
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
6​
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
7​
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
8​
Castlevania: The Adventure (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
9​
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Advance Collection)Action, Platform
10​
Castlevania: Bloodlines (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
11​
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Advance Collection)Action, Platform
12​
Castlevania: Dracula X (Advance Collection)Action, Platform
13​
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Advance Collection)Action, Platform
14​
Contra (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
15​
Contra Hard Corps (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
16​
Contra III: The Alien Wars (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
17​
Cursed to GolfSports, Platformer
18​
Cytus AlphaMusic, Rhythm
19​
DeathsmilesBullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
20​
Deathsmiles IIBullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
21​
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical FreezeAction, Platform
22​
Final FantasyTurn-Based RPG
23​
Final Fantasy Adventure (Collection of Mana)Action RPG
24​
Final Fantasy IITurn-Based RPG
25​
Final Fantasy IIITurn-Based RPG
26​
Final Fantasy IVTurn-Based RPG
27​
Final Fantasy VTurn-Based RPG
28​
Final Fantasy VITurn-Based RPG
29​
Fire Emblem: EngageTactical RPG
30​
Fire Emblem: Three HousesTactical RPG
31​
Gaiares (Telenet Shooting Collection)Arcade, Shoot 'em up
32​
Granada (Telenet Shooting Collection)Arcade, Shoot 'em up
33​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from ZeroTurn-Based RPG
34​
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to AzureTurn-Based RPG
35​
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless TrailsAction RPG
36​
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildAction RPG
37​
The Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningAction RPG
38​
Live A LiveTactical RPG
39​
Mario Kart 8 DeluxeRacing
40​
Metroid DreadMetroidvania
41​
Metroid Prime RemasteredAction, Shooter
42​
MUSYNXMusic, Rhythm
43​
New Super Mario Bros U DeluxePlatformer
44​
Octopath TravelerTurn-Based RPG
45​
Operation C (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
46​
Paper Mario: The Origami KingTurn-Based RPG
47​
Powerslave ExhumedAction, Shooter
48​
Psychic Storm (Telenet Shooting Collection)Arcade, Shoot 'em up
49​
Radiant SilvergunBullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
50​
Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little PrincessTurn-Based RPG
51​
Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl KingdomTurn-Based RPG
52​
River City Girls ZeroAction, Beat 'em ups
53​
Secret of Mana (Collection of Mana)Action RPG
54​
Senran Kagura Peach BallPinball
55​
Senran Kagura ReflexionsSimulation
56​
Shadow Man RemasteredAction, Adventure
57​
Super Castlevania IV (Anniversary Collection)Action, Platform
58​
Super Contra (Anniversary Collection)Side-scrolling Shooter
59​
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FuryAction, Platformer
60​
Super Mario GalaxyAction, Platformer
61​
Super Mario OdysseyAction, Platformer
62​
Super Mario SunshineAction, Platformer
63​
Super Smash Bros. UltimateFighting
64​
Syd of Valis (SD Valis)Action, Platformer
65​
Trials of Mana (Collection of Mana)Action RPG
66​
Valis: The Fantasm SoldierAction, Platformer
67​
Valis IIAction, Platformer
68​
Valis IIIAction, Platformer
69​
Valis IVAction, Platformer
70​
Witch on the Holy NightVisual Novel
71​
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive EditionAction RPG
72​
Xenoblade Chronicles 2Action RPG
73​
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden CountryAction RPG
74​
Yoshi's Crafted WorldAction, Platformer

gGNW84cl.png
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
6​
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
PS5​
2024​
Action RPG
7​
Puppeteer
PS3​
2019​
Action, Platformer
8​
Stranglehold
PS3​
2023​
Action, Shooter
9​
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
PS4​
2021​
Turn-Based RPG

FmtJjLOl.png
 
Completed Stellar Blade, I liked this game a lot, the OST and action were great. I'd highly recommend it, and there is a demo if anyone is on the fence. PS5 only.

If I had any complaints it's that the story had quite a few holes in it, and subsequently this holds it back a bit, but for a first run at a proper console game, the studio did a great job.

Late game difficulty spike was also a thing, I don't think it needs toning down too much, but the mid-game bosses could have been made a bit tougher so you had more of a difficulty trajectory.

I'm currently running through Sekiro which is just as good as I remember it being when I played and completed it on the PS4 about 5 years ago. Still my favorite Fromsoft souls type game, a lot of people like Elden Ring but I'm definitely more into Sekiro. Playing this on the PC this time around.

Planning to start Nioh 2 soon, curious to see how this plays. (edit - damnit you can't remap dodge on this game, so I'll need to wait, or I'll be getting confused on which buttons do what).
 
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I fell for the hype and bought Manor Lords yesterday. Definitely still in development, but it's OK so far. Reminds me a lot of Banished.
 
Started playing Animal Well today on Steam. It's a very pretty new pixel art Metroidvainia thingy. I had several online friends who wouldn't shut up about how good it was, so that piqued my interest. I'm enjoying it a lot so far.
 
I've completed my Sekiro run and did two of the endings, good and evil. Great game and my favorite FromSoft title to date including Elden Ring in the sorting hat. Great level design, hard but fair combat, smooth gameplay and the clang of parries really makes every boss fight feel like a dance.

I tried out Nioh 2 but I quit playing it, the normal enemies just seemed to be designed to be as annoying to face as possible, coming from such great game design as Sekiro, Nioh 2 just doesn't shape up. I gave a it a decent shot and got a few bosses in, but the bosses were easier than the random waves of trash on the way to them!

Tried out Surge 1 but combat felt clanky, which isn't that surprising coming from Sekiro and Stellar Blade. I realise I prefer faster paced combat for this type of game though I don't really want a button masher either.

I then completed Nier Replicant, this isn't as good as Nier Automata for sure, but nice OST, and it was on the whole pretty good, even if some areas became repetitive (game suffers from sending you to the same area multiple times). I felt a bit like I was mr. Side Quest at times as well, even the main quests felt like side quests, but eventually it pulls together into something more interesting.

My time in Nier Replicant:


Hellblade 2 comes out 21/05 so is likely my next game, though I'll mess about on the PC release of Ghost of Tsushima in the meantime.

Started playing Animal Well today on Steam. It's a very pretty new pixel art Metroidvainia thingy. I had several online friends who wouldn't shut up about how good it was, so that piqued my interest. I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

I heard good things about this one but don't tend to get on well with platformers, this looks good if you like them though!

After many times of starting and then stopping...I've finally completely Persona 5 Royal. Took me about 100 hours.

It's good but soooooo long!

P3R is about half the length and feels like P4.5 in quality, if you ever wanted something similar but more condensed, I recommend it.
 
Stellar Blade
It's hard to believe this is Shift Up's first big budget game. It's a high quality, polished experience across the board and has launched in a stable and seemingly bug-free state. The story borrows heavily from Nier Automata and telegraphs its twists too much, but the worldbuilding is good and you meet some endearing characters along the way. In some ways this ends up being a more emotional story than Automata, thanks to its less overt weirdness and a fairly satisfying conclusion (depending on which ending you get).

Combat goes toe-to-toe with the best soulslikes and action games in general, with solid fundamentals and an extensive skill tree to unlock. It takes a bit of getting used to though, since it initially seems to offer several defence options, but in practice you need to master parrying and perfect dodging to survive on the challenging normal difficulty. The standard block only absorbs a couple of hits before the slowly recharging shield depletes, while dodging without perfect timing hardly ever gets you out of the way. It's quite a tough game on normal difficulty, but having far more frequent checkpoints makes it a smoother and less frustrating experience than the typical soulslike (it certainly held my attention more than Dark Souls and Bloodborne). I only resorted to dropping the difficulty for the final two bosses. If you want more of a challenge on your first playthrough, since hard mode only unlocks after completing the game once, you can unequip your current outfit to access the hidden (and extremely skimpy) "skin suit" that disables your shield.

Stellar Blade does a good job of mixing up the gameplay to keep things interesting. While mostly a melee action game, there are times when it turns into a survival horror shooter (albeit not a scary one). There's also some platforming and a good fishing minigame (though the latter unlocks weirdly late in the game). Locations reward exploration, with plenty of optional upgrades and snippets of lore to find.

Overall, this is easily my new favourite soulslike, bearing in mind that it's a genre I usually don't like due to the difficulty. It's challenging, but rarely to the point of frustration, and has the option to lower difficulty at any time. I'm looking forward to what Shift Up make next.
 
It's hard to believe this is Shift Up's first big budget game. It's a high quality, polished experience across the board and has launched in a stable and seemingly bug-free state.

Best of all with no mtx either, which is funny as the developers are known from Nikke, which is a gacha game. I respect the fact we get a full game without these in a world where people try and monetise everything.

They've stated the only mtx there may be in the future will be for outfit collaborations, but you won't require them as the game has a good number of free outfits to pick from!
 
Best of all with no mtx either, which is funny as the developers are known from Nikke, which is a gacha game. I respect the fact we get a full game without these in a world where people try and monetise everything.

They've stated the only mtx there may be in the future will be for outfit collaborations, but you won't require them as the game has a good number of free outfits to pick from!
Yes, when you consider the amount that Capcom charge for pallette swaps or one new outfit, the 30+ unique outfits in Stellar Blade offer a good selection. I was a bit disappointed that the Raven suit only unlocks after beating the game though, considering how often Eve was shown wearing it in pre-release trailers.
 
I recently finished Danganronpa and am now finally getting into Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Have cleared all the objectives and side content for chapter 2 and am moving through 3.
 
Played some First Descendant on the weekend just gone with a friend (they had a beta up), good fun so far, it's a free to play sci-fi shooting game, reminds me a lot of The Division in how it plays. I reckon we'll play some more of that on release.

This was on the PC, but it's coming to other platforms for the final launch I think. The game looks and runs good.

Some gameplay footage and things here, looks like quite a bit to it in terms of things to do.


I've been playing Hellblade 2 here and there (not to be confused with Helldivers 2), it's amazing graphically speaking, true marvel of technology that we can have environments like this. Senua's voices in your head must be how it feels to be Gollum in Lord of the Rings. Playing this on the PC.

I've pre-ordered Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance from TGC Outlet via Ebay for the PS5, I had a £10 Ebay voucher via Nectar points and the game was on sale for £45 after the Ebay voucher was added. 15% off with code MAYPAY15. So total cost was £35 cash with the £10 voucher I had, can't complain there :)


Still milling around in Ghost of Tsushima some as well. Still great game and the PC port is really good.
 
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