Games Beaten 2016

[Exhuminator]

Black lived up to the hype I've heard about it over all these years.

Hell yeah it does, glad you got to experience it man. Black's a one trick pony but that trick is damn good. If you're still in the mood for more Xbox FPS goodness, here's trailers for the second and third best I've played on the system (Black was #1 obviously):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPYKhh5wgSs *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs5Zw2qHGk0

*Trailer's for the PS2 version, but the Xbox version has nicer graphics.

Anyway, enough talk, go play it.

Your review made me very glad I bought ToCS. The thematic premise of the game reminds me a lot of Valkyria Chronicles II (I mean in setting and base plot). Great review man. I've definitely got to get on Celceta and Cold Steel this year.

[Xeogred]

WTF is going on in that Urban Chaos trailer? haha looks amazing, yeah man it's probably the #1 FPS priority for the Xbox now. You didn't fail me with Black at all. Almost tempted to play some more again actually. Story was hilariously transparent but it didn't even matter.

Damn, Far Cry looks excellent there for the Xbox.

[ElkinFencer10]

I just finished the last championship in Gas Guzzlers Extreme (Steam). It's definitely my all-time favorite racing game now.

[dsheinem]

Games Beaten 2016

Spirits of Xanadu - PC
Tales From the Borderlands: Episode 1 - PC
Operation C - Game Boy *new*
That Dragon, Cancer - PC *new*

Total: 4

Previously: 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Operation C is a surprisingly competent Contra game, given the limitations of the GB. Konami really knew how to make the little device shine. I won't claim to have beaten this with the stock number of lives, but that is not typically how I roll in run-n-guns anyway. I was most impressed by the size of the sprites on some of the bosses and how smooth everything ran, even if the difficulty was unfair at points.

That Dragon, Cancer is easily the most personal game I have ever played. I don't mean that in a "it touched me personally" kind of way (other games have done that better), I mean that in the sense of I have never played a game where I really felt that the game's creator(s) were laying their life bare before the player...certainly not like this. The game is basically a series of vignettes in which you follow a family through several years of dealing with a child who has cancer. The game brings together lots of surreal visuals and unusual mechanics, some traditional game ideas (kart racing and platforming, for example), and a copious amount of spoken and written text to convey a variety of emotions and experiences in a way that seems very raw and very sincere. Though I am not religious, I found the game's heavy incorporation of religious themes to be to its benefit in making it seem more personal and complex. Detractors may argue that the game is pretentious, preachy, arty, or that it doesn't really qualify as a "game," but I would instead concur with those who think that it is an interesting and vital example of how the medium can be pushed in new directions. I would like to think that this game will help people who are going through similar ordeals, that it would be recommended by various counselors and therapists to families grappling with the subject matter, and that it will encourage more personal, intimate games of its ilk.

[flash1987]

I fully intended on getting stuck in quickly and completing games this year... then I started playing Grim Dawn as my first game of the year so didn't quite go as planned.

2016 - Games Completed

1. Grim Dawn

I've put in about 45 hours into Grim Dawn and completed the narrative once solo but also playing two other characters co-op so almost half of my hours are divided between the two.

Grim Dawn is a classic ARPG in the sense that it takes everything you expect from a game like Diablo or Titan Quest and polishes it without creating anything new. It shys away from always online systems and gives you the freedom to play how you want, thankfully, as living in Vietnam with crappy internet has stopped me playing Diablo 3; and Path of Exile was always a jittery mess even when I was in the UK.

Grim Dawn has a lot of stats and skills to choose amongst and allows you to customise endlessly although I did find the Devotion system a little confusing and badly laid out.

As for the general clicking-hacking-slashing and eventual looting its pretty perfect. It has the right feel, even if it is a little too grim dark and never quite drags you into the story it doesn't need to as it's a perfectly balanced and nicely challenging ARPG.

Highly recommended if you like ARPGs and it's definitely going to get a ton more hours from me at least coop.

[noiseredux]

1. The Match Of The Millennium (NGPC)
2. Pocket Tennis Color (NGPC)

I'm calling this game "beaten," though far from done. See there's trophies you win from various tournaments. There's three of them that you can get at any time. These are the main trophies - and I've won these. But there's apparently in the neighborhood of 19 trophies total. The problem is that many of the tournaments are only available to compete in on specific DAYS of the year. For instance holidays or within certain months or milestones on the calendar. This means that you either have to wait it out or change the clock in your NGPC system. At any rate, the default three are accomplished so the "main game" is beat.

That said, I'll be playing more and aiming for further trophies. It's really a fantastic little tennis game. It took me quite a few rounds to understand strategy and when to try to slam the ball and when to just play defensively and avoid hitting into the net. I've even unlocked one of two (or more?) hidden characters - a friggin' amoeba. Seriously, I'm playing a tournament and everything seems normal and suddenly I'm facing off against an amoeba. I beat him and now he's in my roster. Unfortunately he's terrible.

And that's what's cool - for a "simple" tennis game, there's a lot of interesting stuff hidden here. Each character is unique. The courts are varied though basically the same outside of visuals. I appreciate the day/night cycle though. It's a neat touch. I'd recommend this game to any fans of Virtua Tennis or similar arcade style tennis games.

[CFFJR]

Anyway, enough talk, go play it.

Your review made me very glad I bought ToCS. The thematic premise of the game reminds me a lot of Valkyria Chronicles II (I mean in setting and base plot). Great review man. I've definitely got to get on Celceta and Cold Steel this year.

Thanks!

I'd probably enjoy VC 2 in that case, but I still need to play the first one...

Anyway, I'll look forward to hearing what you think of Cold Steel when you do play it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Exhuminator]

1. Mega Man ZX Advent / DS / 2007 / EXR: 7/10
2. King's Field III: Pilot Style / PS1 / 1996 / EXR: 9/10



On August 22nd, 1996 at the Tokyo Game Show, From Software gave away a promo to King's Field III. This promo was called "King's Field III: Pilot Style". It was designed to promote King's Field III obviously, and all of 8 people got a copy of it. Many years later an ISO for this long lost King's Field artifact resurrected onto an obscure Russian gaming forum. From there, John Osbourne fan translated Pilot Style into English. And that's great, because Pilot Style is not just a promo, it is an independent self contained prequel to King's Field III. That's right, Pilot Style is its own game in the series.



The plot takes place shortly before the events of King's Field III. You play as Silviera, who is searching for the Sword of Moonlight after returning to his garrison to find all his fellow soldiers dead. The Sword of Moonlight must be returned to its resting place, or the powers of darkness will once more rise across Verdite. Silviera must seek the aid of a crazy old lady, a grave robber, and a recluse dwarf if he hopes to have a chance of finding the stolen sword.



Pilot Style works quickly to show off what From Software managed to learn after King's Field I & II. Large open areas are available, rolling landscapes, a new light modeling engine, complex architecture, more detailed textures and higher poly enemies, faster combat and movement, and quite a bit more as well. All of this serves up quite a fun little adventure.



And yes it's a little adventure. I finished the game in less than an hour without dying once. However, I'm a King's Field veteran so that probably had something to do with it. There are some really devious sections in Pilot Style, traps and pits that will kill the unwary adventurer instantly. And you cannot save at all, it's a one and done deal to beat. If you die at the hands of the final boss, that's an hour you aren't getting back. And King's Field fans wouldn't have it any other way.



I would not recommend Pilot Style as anyone's first King's Field game. It assumes you know what you're doing, and frankly if you step the wrong way right from the start, you can die in less than 2 seconds (series tradition). Menu systems, items, combat, etc. none of it is explained. Do or die! But if you're already a fan of the King's Field series, you will enjoy this brisk and varied flight of fantasy that's piloted with style indeed.

[Forlorn Drifter]

1. Cubivore-GCN

2. Deadly Premonition:The Director's Cut-PS3

A pretty decent game overall. Gameplay is... rough around the edges, control wise it plays like a PS2 budget title, and certain sections *cough* dungeons *cough* aren't that great. Not the worst, not the best. Storywise and character wise, this game excels. I wasn't fully feeling it until about the second half, where it really took off in my opinion. I did have a moment or two in the game where the story seemed off, goofy, or very slightly offensive, but I'll chalk that up to cultural differences.

I'd say, 7/10, most of the takeoff being from gameplay being rough. I'd say if you aren't willing to plunge in and play it, I'd at least consider watching a playthrough or some such.

[elricorico]

1. SSX 3 (oXbox)

2. Mario Kart DS (NDS)

I am a huge Mario Kart fan, right from the start of the series. Mario Kart DS came out in a period of time when I wasn't really playing much of anything; and I didn't even own a DS until the 3DS was coming out. So after getting back into gaming with the Wii and playing then eventually going back to play Super Mario Kart time trials competitively I got a DS and started playing this game as well.

That was a couple years back now and the other day I got the urge, popped in the game and noticed that I had never beat the mirror mode Grand Prix(s). After knocking some of the rust off I remedied that over the course of a couple of evenings. With the last gold won I watched Donkey Kong drive off into the sunset.

I think for me Mario Kart DS is a mid-tier Mario Kart game (which still means it is a great game). It doesn't quite reach the heights of the original, Double Dash and 8 for my tastes. I think if I had been on board with this game when the online was active I might be more connected to it.

I like the new courses and most of the retro courses, but I do not enjoy the courses that are pulled directly from the N64 version. They just don't seem to fit in with the rest. I'm glad I beat this, but I don't foresee it working its way into being regularly played anymore, as I find it does punish my hands. I was playing on a DSLite and I don't think any other handheld I have that plays this game would be much more comfortable.