Games Beaten 2015

[MrPopo]

1. Painkiller - PC
2. Front Mission 4 - PS2
3. Wasteland 2 - PC
4. Arcanum - PC
5. X-COM Terror from the Deep - PC
6. Military Madness - TurboGrafx-16
7. Unreal - PC
8. Shadowrun - SNES
9. Warcraft III - PC
10. Dungeon Keeper - PC
11. Final Fantasy X-2 HD - PS3
12. Descent - PC
13. Quake Mission Pack 2 - Dissolution of Eternity - PC
14. Quake 2 Mission Pack 2 - Ground Zero - PC
15. Sokobond - PC
16. Hybrid Heaven - N64
17. Sonic the Hedgehog - Genesis
18. Castlevania - NES
19. Super Castlevania IV - SNES
20. Castlevania III - NES
21. Castlevania II - NES
22. Castlevania Rondo of Blood - Turbo CD
23. Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders - PC
24. Fractal - PC
25. Kirby's Adventure - NES
26. Pillars of Eternity - PC
27. Bioshock 2: Minerva's Den - PC
28. Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour - PC
29. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - NES
30. Punch-Out!! - NES
31. Doom 3 - PC
32. The Even More Incredible Machine - PC
33. Contra - NES
34. Dark Forces - PC
35. Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II - PC
36. X-Wing - PC
37. TIE Fighter - PC
38. Bloodborne - PS4

Prey Slaughtered!

I finished the game at level 90 and had done about half of the preset chalice dungeons. I ended up going with a level 10 Threaded Cane as my primary weapon and a Blade of Mercy with rapid poison gems as my alt weapons. I ended up using the Blade of Mercy on the One Reborn with Beast Pellets (so much damage so fast) and Mergo's Wet Nurse (so many poison procs), but everything else was Threaded Cane in whip mode. When I get around to doing a NG+ playthrough I'm planning on doing a Burial Blade primary and a Chigake as my secondary as I slowly build up my bloodtinge.

I found that the further I got in the game the more I enjoyed it, as I got used to being aggressive and dodging and interrupting rather than sitting behind my shield and waiting for openings. I still think I prefer the gameplay of the previous games, though, as I feel like it rewards understanding your enemies more. The interrupts against enemies that could be staggered always felt a bit cheap, since on many enemies you could stun, visceral, stun, visceral, and there was most of the enemy HP.

The game has fantastic aesthetics, and this is the best incarnation of the "little guys who run away and drop crafting materials the first time", as they are all pretty easy to take down if you know they're there, rather than the crystal geckos before that bolted way too fast and you really needed to use ranged weaponry on.

And man, that feeling of accomplishment when you take stuff down.

[Jmustang1968]

1. Wasteland 2
2. Pillars of Eternity

So far it has been the year of Kickstarter games for me. My progress is especially slow this year due to playing WoW and my perpetual Madden online franchise.

But on to Pillars... Most of what I will say has been echoed in media reviews. An ode to the class PC Infinity Engine RPGs, and it does them justice. While maybe not quite as epic and good as Baldur's Gate 2, it does a lot of things right or even better. Pillars holds its own with those classics while offering in some modern gaming conveniences. Some purists may not like some of the combat conventions that are different than D&D, but I didn't mind it and found most of it refreshing.

I have a hard time determining the actual time spent playing as I left my PC and game on overnight or for a few hours a few times, but I am guessing 60-70ish and that was doing all side quests. The writing and dialogue is excellent, though I was a bit disappointed in some the characters who join you. They weren't as engaged or intertwined with the plot as I would like them, and felt kind of optional. I realize this was perhaps by design, as you can hire on customizable characters, but I felt it held the game back from further greatness. I also felt the stronghold building aspect of the game didn't really do anything meaningful and it ended up being more like just something to do.

Other than that, I loved the game and it gives them some room to improve with expansions and/or sequels that I hope Obsidian will release.

[GSZX1337]

17. Toren (PC)

Pretty game. Interesting game. Flawed game.

So, a pretty interesting flawed game?

[prfsnl_gmr]

1. Cut the Rope (3DS)
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
3. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (XBOX)
4. Jewel Link Chronicles: Mountains of Madness (NDS)
5. Super Mario 3D World (WIIU)
6. Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
7. Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS)
8. Gunman Clive (3DS)
9. Child of Light (WIIU)
10. Gunman Clive 2 (3DS)
11. Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition (WIIU)
12. Shifting World (3DS)
13. VVVVVV (3DS)
14. Mega Man 9 (PS3)
15. Mighty Switch Force 2 (WIIU)
16. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (PS3)
17. Castle Crashers (PS3)
18. Pushmo (3DS)
19. Steamworld Dig (3DS)
20. The Unfinished Swan (PS3)
21. Blaster Master (NES)
22. Samurai Shodown II (NEOGEO/PS2)
23. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (2600)

One of these ranks among the best fighting games of the 1990s, and the other - shockingly! - does not rank among the worst games on the Atari 2600. Regardless, I wrote about them both at length in the Summer Gaming Challenge Thread.

[Ack]

1. Renegade Ops (PC)(Multidirectional Shooter)
2. Borderlands 2 (PC)(FPS/RPG)
3. Gunpoint (PC)(Puzzle Platformer)
4. Robotrek (SNES)(RPG)
5. The Tick (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
6. Alien vs Predator (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
7. X-Kaliber 2097 (SNES)(Action Platformer)
8. Metal Slug (MVS)(Run and Gun)
9. Shadowrun (SNES)(RPG)
10. Quake II (PC)(FPS)
11. The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (SNES)(RPG)
12. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PC)(Action)
13. A Story About My Uncle (PC)(Platformer)
14. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC)(FPS)
15. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith (PC)(FPS)
16. Catacomb (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
17. Catacomb Abyss (PC)(FPS)
18. Catacomb Armageddon (PC)(FPS)
19. Catacomb Apocalypse (PC)(FPS)
20. The Catacomb (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
21. Catacomb 3-D (PC)(FPS)
22. EarthBound (SNES)(RPG)
23. Quake II: Ground Zero (PC)(FPS)
24. Quake II: The Reckoning (PC)(FPS)
25. Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (PC)(RPG)
26. The 7th Guest (PC)(Puzzle)
27. Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (PC)(RPG)
28. Loom (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
29. Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)(Action Platformer)

Well, I'm not completely done with this one yet. There are several alternate paths, and I recorded my passwords so I could go and explore them all. At this point, I have a couple of bosses left to seek out. I don't think it's necessary for me to beat the game rescuing different arrangements of characters, as the only real change I know of is the splash screen behind the credits. But my actions do cause me to explore new levels and fight different bosses, so I'm looking forward to getting through those.

Hmm, what to say... Super Castlevania IV is better than Castlevania: Dracula X, hands down. That pains me to say actually, as I love the art direction and sprite work in Dracula X and prefer its soundtrack. It's pretty to look at and a joy to listen to. That said, the game doesn't really push the SNES much and definitely under-utilizes many of the aesthetic tricks that Castlevania IV used so well. And nearly everything else in Dracula X falls short of what Castlevania IV pulled off. We don't see the unique stage designs that we saw in IV; there are no giant chandeliers, no treasuries full of gold, no haunted ballrooms, and really no enemies that definitely seem tied to one particular place. Everything feels generic, even the Clock Tower. When your most interesting aesthetic choice is a giant demon dog following you in the first level...well, not so great.

Dracula X does try to make up with this via alternate level routes, which does help to extend gameplay a bit. In level 3, you can jump across pillars over a chasm to reach the boss and level 4, or you can fall down into the chasm to try level 4'. A key found in level 3 also unlocks doors in level 4, one of which leads to level 5', or you could just go to level 5 instead. Your call. There are also multiple "endings" depending on whether you rescue either of the two women you are after, but it does little more than change one boss fight from Death to Camille and switch out the background artwork during the end credits.

But how are the levels? Well...cheap. Someone thought instead of developing new enemies and getting creative with level design, he or she would instead just throw bats and medusa heads at you constantly. The end result is far more frustrating than anything else. Factor in the extremely short invincibility period after getting hit, and a single medusa head can cause you considerable pain. You can avoid some of the problem by crouching, as this is supposed to eliminate your character being knocked back, but a couple of times it seemed to fail utterly. And there are pits everywhere for you to fall into, even during the final fight with Dracula. In fact, the pits are probably the hardest part of the final boss fight. That's not a good sign in my opinion.

You are also limited in your whip attacks(the timing is very specific, so you will likely have to teach yourself when to attack to hit certain targets), and the hanging whip of Castlevania IV is completely gone. Richter does manage to hit behind and above with his whip, but the timing is tough to perfect. His jumping also sucks; you can either backflip a ways back, do a tiny hop forward, or leap forward, but you can't really control yourself in air, many of the jumps are pixel perfect, and if you screw up, you're going in a pit. Pits and getting knocked about like a pinball due to the limited invincibility time are the two things that killed me the most.

So far, just about all of this has been pretty rough. Is there any saving grace in Dracula X? Yes, the Item Crash. Learning when to use your subweapon and when to use your Item Crash is absolutely key to surviving many of the pain-in-the-ass predicaments and boss battles you will find yourself in. My personal favorite in this game is the Cross, and it smacks the snot out of many bosses(especially Dracula), though I also had success with the Axe against the Werewolf and the Stopwatch against the Necromancer. However, for the best ending, you have to carry the Key item for about a third the game. The Key is supposed to be hard to use, and it is; your basic attack with it is a short range punch that deals decent damage but shouldn't be used too much. But the Key's Item Crash is far more important, as you jump into the air, become temporarily invincible, and hurt anything that touches you. Mastering this Item Crash is absolutely necessary to surviving the times when you are stuck carrying the Key, as it will save your ass more than once. Got a bat headed your way that you can't avoid? Item Crash. Red knight about to charge? Item Crash. Learn the timing, and you'll be just fine.

I want to like Dracula X, but I wouldn't recommend it to most folks. There is a better Castlevania game on the SNES in the form of Super Castlevania IV, and there is a better version of the game in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on the PC Engine.

[outlaw_moon]

Just finished FFXHD on the PS3.

Holly grind Batman, it was not as good as I remember it being. Provided I didn't absolutely love it at the time, but man it was barely tolerable. I pushed through it and got it out of the way for good. I know I will never be revisiting that game.

I don't know whether I want to jump on FFX2 included in the collection or not. I remember getting it back in the day but never getting around to playing it.

[MrPopo]

If you really didn't care for FFX I doubt X-2 will resonate with you.

[MrPopo]

1. Painkiller - PC
2. Front Mission 4 - PS2
3. Wasteland 2 - PC
4. Arcanum - PC
5. X-COM Terror from the Deep - PC
6. Military Madness - TurboGrafx-16
7. Unreal - PC
8. Shadowrun - SNES
9. Warcraft III - PC
10. Dungeon Keeper - PC
11. Final Fantasy X-2 HD - PS3
12. Descent - PC
13. Quake Mission Pack 2 - Dissolution of Eternity - PC
14. Quake 2 Mission Pack 2 - Ground Zero - PC
15. Sokobond - PC
16. Hybrid Heaven - N64
17. Sonic the Hedgehog - Genesis
18. Castlevania - NES
19. Super Castlevania IV - SNES
20. Castlevania III - NES
21. Castlevania II - NES
22. Castlevania Rondo of Blood - Turbo CD
23. Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders - PC
24. Fractal - PC
25. Kirby's Adventure - NES
26. Pillars of Eternity - PC
27. Bioshock 2: Minerva's Den - PC
28. Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour - PC
29. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - NES
30. Punch-Out!! - NES
31. Doom 3 - PC
32. The Even More Incredible Machine - PC
33. Contra - NES
34. Dark Forces - PC
35. Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II - PC
36. X-Wing - PC
37. TIE Fighter - PC
38. Bloodborne - PS4
39. Gradius - NES

Remember that debate we had a while back over whether shmups needed to be 1cc'd to be considered beaten? Gradius finds that concept amusingly quaint; if you don't beat it on one life you're just not going to beat it unless you're a master.

Gradius's claim to fame is its powerup system, where instead of enemies dropping a laser powerup or a shot powerup they drop generic powers. Those advance a selection on a bar of choices at the bottom of the screen, and when the powerup you want is highlighted you cash in and get it. This has some advantages and some disadvantages. The advantage is that since the powerups come at a predictable rate you can make sure you have what you want when you want it. The disadvantage is that when you die you really get set far back. But the worst is that one of the powerups is "Speed up", which you need a few of to not move like a bear stuck in molasses. That is the source of why when you die you probably aren't recovering. The game uses a checkpoint system so when you die you respawn a little behind where you died, and in every level beyond the first there's a lot of fast enemies hitting you with tons of fire and sometimes it's literally impossible to dodge at the lowest speed.

The game also has some interesting quirks. The end boss of every stage except the last two is a big core that shoots lasers, starts invulnerable, then becomes vulnerable and you need to fire down a narrow hole in it to destroy a bunch of shields and then the core, and if you don't do it in a certain amount of time it self destructs and robs you of the points. The fourth stage is essentially the first stage turned upside down. The third stage is the Maui head stage that throws a ton more fire at you than anything prior (and was one of the sticking stages for me). And the fifth stage has TONs of slowdown for reasons I don't understand.

Oh, the other complaint I have is when your shield gets hit you don't get any feedback. It's only when there's one hit left that you realize you'd been taking hits on it.

[marurun]

I think the arcade and PCE port both have a little sound to indicate a shield hit, but yeah, shields can deplete REALLY quickly and SURPRISE! You're dead!

[MrPopo]

Possibly, but the NES port certainly doesn't. I had a few runs go south because I took a hit when shields were down and I had the shield powerup highlighted, had I only noticed my shields were down. Something I would have liked would be the ability to use the shield powerup to refresh your existing shield.