Games Beaten 2018
Re: Games Beaten 2018
I wish I had a physical copy so that I could've sold it too. It's just sitting there stinking up my Steam library along with Velvet Assassin.
casterofdreams wrote:On PC I want MOAR FPS!!!|
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PartridgeSenpai
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 2989
- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 9:27 am
- Location: Northern Japan
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Partridge Senpai's 2018 Beaten Games:
Previously: 2016 2017
* indicates a repeat
1-20
21-40
41. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Expansion Pass DLC (Switch)
42. Battle Block Theater (Xbox 360) *
43. Magicka (Steam) *
44. La-Mulana 2 (Steam)
45. Yooka-Laylee (Steam)
46. Snipper-Clips: Cut it Out Together! (Switch)
47. Magicka: Dungeons and Gargoyles (Steam)
48. Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project (PC)
49. Timespinner (PS4)
50. Hollow Knight (PC)
51. Wuppo (PC)
52. Super Mario Party (Switch)
53. Party Hard (Steam)
54. The Final Station (Steam)
55. GARAGE: Bad Trip (Steam)
Continuing the TinyBuild bundle marathon I've been on the past couple days, I played through this today. It bills itself as a survival horror "twin-stick shooter," so naturally I broke out my usual 360 gamepad to play it with, but OH was that a mistake and a half. I'd never heard of any other survival horror twin-stick shooters, and it turns out there's a good reason for that.
In GARAGE, you play as guy with amnesia working his way through a parking garage as some kind of zombie apocalypse occurs. You have melee punches and kicks to start, and then you find stuff like an ax, a shotgun, a pistol, etc. to kill baddies with. The narrative gets pretty wild from there at its own weird pace, but at the end I was surprised at just how very grounded and thoroughly explained it all was. The game really doesn't sell itself on its narrative, and I didn't really care about it too much because the rest of the game was so frustrating mechanically, but it's actually a pretty good story that I could really never guess the next turn in.
The game sells itself a lot on its presentation and style, and not undeservedly so. The visuals are technically 3D, but it doesn't seem like that most of the time because of a scan-line set that are ever-present on the screen, as the game is going for a kind of VHS B-Movie Horror aesthetic in all kinds of ways. The colors will spasm, the screen telescopes (kinda like Hotline Miami but you don't really have control over it), and the blood and gore are EVERYWHERE as you fight increasingly crazy monsters. The only real complaint I have with the visuals is that they're sometimes a bit TOO crazy, and they can make what you can and can't walk on confusing as well as make hitboxes unclear.
Interesting presentation and premise aside, the game really starts to tank in the mechanics department, as the game's largest problems come from its survival horror meets twin-stick shooter design. Functionally it's adequate enough to complete the game, but I'd be skeptical on how long you could keep your sanity if you played through with a gamepad the whole way through. The only reason I was able to stick with it is because I switched to mouse & keyboard a couple hours in. And before I continue on, I will mention that the controls are bugged for gamepad for the Steam version of this (I believe it's also at least available on Xbox One), as you can't actually steer vehicles with the gamepad. The animation for turning happens, but you don't turn. You need to use WASD to turn the motorcycle in the earlier chapters and it's crazy awkward (but at least it's a short section).
When I think "twin-stick shooter," I think crazy arcadey action like Smash TV or Forgotten Worlds. Using one stick to keep yourself alive and the other to fire wildly at the oncoming onslaught. When I think "survival horror," I think careful, methodical playing to conserve the limited rations you have, because every enemy is dangerous and your resources for dealing with them are very limited. Why anyone though mixing these two genres would be a great idea, I have no clue, but GARAGE fails to execute this fusion well.
The simple fact is that this game plays like garbage on a gamepad (with twin-sticks) because it is unreasonably difficult to aim accurately with the right joystick compared to aiming with your mouse. Conserving ammo is basically impossible because stuff is so hard to hit in the first place, and the game is hard enough and your ammo caps are low enough that you really can't afford to mess up too many shots. You melee attacks are absolutely garbage, and this also brings me onto another important point that exemplifies all of the trouble with the lack of thought that went into crafting the mechanics of this "twin-stick shooter": Rats.
Rats are the very first enemy you meet in the game, and they'll be jumping you to try and attack you the whole way through it up to the very final boss fight. They go towards you slowly, then CHARGE at you, almost faster than you can move, and they also do tons of damage, so they can't just be ignored or gone past. Your choices to deal with rats are two: You can either use a precious bullet of the few you have to shoot the rat and hope you hit that tiny target, or you can kick it. Kicking is a special melee attack that you can do no matter what weapon you're holding. You can't kick while moving, it has a very short range, and the range isn't even the width of your already thin character. If the enemy isn't within about the middle third of the front of you (and nearly on top of you already), you aren't gonna land that kick. Add on top of that that rats take not one but TWO kick to kill, and you have an insanely infuriating enemy that is present throughout the whole game, whose main design flaw would've been dealt with had rats been melee-able just like any other enemy in the game.
And the list of problems with the genre mash-up absolutely doesn't stop there.
- You have a dodge roll, but you already normal-walk faster than most any can run and the walls are lined with deadly fire and pits that can kill you so it's totally useless or worse almost the entire game.
- The telescoping screen and crazy lights don't just make you sick, they can also hide enemies with guns off-screen who can see you but you can't see them, and they deal SO much damage that you may as well trial-and-error your way through a section to see where all the hidden gun-guys are so you don't just die a bunch just from not being psychic.
- To add icing on the cake of cheap enemies with guns, they also have guns with much higher accuracy then you, so they'll routinely empty an entire clip into you while you literally can't hit them that many times from the same distance away with (supposedly) the exact same weapon.
That's about everything, but I'm sure I've forgotten something. Regardless, I hope I've made it evident that the mechanics in this game REALLY needed some rebalancing and re-thinking before launch, because they make an already annoying genre mash-up even less bearable.
Verdict: Not Recommended. For the most part, GARAGE really nails it on the presentation (I mean the trailer certainly sold me on it), but it completely shits the bed mechanically. While playable, a litany of ill-thought out mechanical design choices make the game a challenge that is consistently more frustrating than genuinely enjoyable or fun. Despite getting more fun when you start getting to less crazy-tight corridors (with less, but not absent, rats) in the last 3 or so chapters, it really wears out its welcome at 6 hours, and for a $15 asking price you can do a lot better.
Previously: 2016 2017
* indicates a repeat
1-20
21-40
41. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Expansion Pass DLC (Switch)
42. Battle Block Theater (Xbox 360) *
43. Magicka (Steam) *
44. La-Mulana 2 (Steam)
45. Yooka-Laylee (Steam)
46. Snipper-Clips: Cut it Out Together! (Switch)
47. Magicka: Dungeons and Gargoyles (Steam)
48. Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project (PC)
49. Timespinner (PS4)
50. Hollow Knight (PC)
51. Wuppo (PC)
52. Super Mario Party (Switch)
53. Party Hard (Steam)
54. The Final Station (Steam)
55. GARAGE: Bad Trip (Steam)
Continuing the TinyBuild bundle marathon I've been on the past couple days, I played through this today. It bills itself as a survival horror "twin-stick shooter," so naturally I broke out my usual 360 gamepad to play it with, but OH was that a mistake and a half. I'd never heard of any other survival horror twin-stick shooters, and it turns out there's a good reason for that.
In GARAGE, you play as guy with amnesia working his way through a parking garage as some kind of zombie apocalypse occurs. You have melee punches and kicks to start, and then you find stuff like an ax, a shotgun, a pistol, etc. to kill baddies with. The narrative gets pretty wild from there at its own weird pace, but at the end I was surprised at just how very grounded and thoroughly explained it all was. The game really doesn't sell itself on its narrative, and I didn't really care about it too much because the rest of the game was so frustrating mechanically, but it's actually a pretty good story that I could really never guess the next turn in.
The game sells itself a lot on its presentation and style, and not undeservedly so. The visuals are technically 3D, but it doesn't seem like that most of the time because of a scan-line set that are ever-present on the screen, as the game is going for a kind of VHS B-Movie Horror aesthetic in all kinds of ways. The colors will spasm, the screen telescopes (kinda like Hotline Miami but you don't really have control over it), and the blood and gore are EVERYWHERE as you fight increasingly crazy monsters. The only real complaint I have with the visuals is that they're sometimes a bit TOO crazy, and they can make what you can and can't walk on confusing as well as make hitboxes unclear.
Interesting presentation and premise aside, the game really starts to tank in the mechanics department, as the game's largest problems come from its survival horror meets twin-stick shooter design. Functionally it's adequate enough to complete the game, but I'd be skeptical on how long you could keep your sanity if you played through with a gamepad the whole way through. The only reason I was able to stick with it is because I switched to mouse & keyboard a couple hours in. And before I continue on, I will mention that the controls are bugged for gamepad for the Steam version of this (I believe it's also at least available on Xbox One), as you can't actually steer vehicles with the gamepad. The animation for turning happens, but you don't turn. You need to use WASD to turn the motorcycle in the earlier chapters and it's crazy awkward (but at least it's a short section).
When I think "twin-stick shooter," I think crazy arcadey action like Smash TV or Forgotten Worlds. Using one stick to keep yourself alive and the other to fire wildly at the oncoming onslaught. When I think "survival horror," I think careful, methodical playing to conserve the limited rations you have, because every enemy is dangerous and your resources for dealing with them are very limited. Why anyone though mixing these two genres would be a great idea, I have no clue, but GARAGE fails to execute this fusion well.
The simple fact is that this game plays like garbage on a gamepad (with twin-sticks) because it is unreasonably difficult to aim accurately with the right joystick compared to aiming with your mouse. Conserving ammo is basically impossible because stuff is so hard to hit in the first place, and the game is hard enough and your ammo caps are low enough that you really can't afford to mess up too many shots. You melee attacks are absolutely garbage, and this also brings me onto another important point that exemplifies all of the trouble with the lack of thought that went into crafting the mechanics of this "twin-stick shooter": Rats.
Rats are the very first enemy you meet in the game, and they'll be jumping you to try and attack you the whole way through it up to the very final boss fight. They go towards you slowly, then CHARGE at you, almost faster than you can move, and they also do tons of damage, so they can't just be ignored or gone past. Your choices to deal with rats are two: You can either use a precious bullet of the few you have to shoot the rat and hope you hit that tiny target, or you can kick it. Kicking is a special melee attack that you can do no matter what weapon you're holding. You can't kick while moving, it has a very short range, and the range isn't even the width of your already thin character. If the enemy isn't within about the middle third of the front of you (and nearly on top of you already), you aren't gonna land that kick. Add on top of that that rats take not one but TWO kick to kill, and you have an insanely infuriating enemy that is present throughout the whole game, whose main design flaw would've been dealt with had rats been melee-able just like any other enemy in the game.
And the list of problems with the genre mash-up absolutely doesn't stop there.
- You have a dodge roll, but you already normal-walk faster than most any can run and the walls are lined with deadly fire and pits that can kill you so it's totally useless or worse almost the entire game.
- The telescoping screen and crazy lights don't just make you sick, they can also hide enemies with guns off-screen who can see you but you can't see them, and they deal SO much damage that you may as well trial-and-error your way through a section to see where all the hidden gun-guys are so you don't just die a bunch just from not being psychic.
- To add icing on the cake of cheap enemies with guns, they also have guns with much higher accuracy then you, so they'll routinely empty an entire clip into you while you literally can't hit them that many times from the same distance away with (supposedly) the exact same weapon.
That's about everything, but I'm sure I've forgotten something. Regardless, I hope I've made it evident that the mechanics in this game REALLY needed some rebalancing and re-thinking before launch, because they make an already annoying genre mash-up even less bearable.
Verdict: Not Recommended. For the most part, GARAGE really nails it on the presentation (I mean the trailer certainly sold me on it), but it completely shits the bed mechanically. While playable, a litany of ill-thought out mechanical design choices make the game a challenge that is consistently more frustrating than genuinely enjoyable or fun. Despite getting more fun when you start getting to less crazy-tight corridors (with less, but not absent, rats) in the last 3 or so chapters, it really wears out its welcome at 6 hours, and for a $15 asking price you can do a lot better.
I identify everyone via avatar, so if you change your avatar, I genuinely might completely forget who you are. -- Me
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nullPointer
- 128-bit
- Posts: 799
- Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 1:51 pm
- Location: Montana, USA
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Dudes. We've hit page 138 of the thread. In October. This is just too perfect. I hereby propose that page 138 be dedicated to some of the timeless masters of horror.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEtnKeaLZDE
Or not. Whatever works!
The List So Far:
29. Silent Hill 2 [PC/Win] [Together Retro: Golden Age of Survival Horror - 10/2018]
In my restless dreams,
I see that town.
Silent Hill.
You promised you'd take me
there again someday.
… But you never did.
Well I'm alone there now …
In our 'special place' …
Waiting for you.
If you've played Silent Hill 2 before, you know these words well. Heck, if you're a superfan you can probably recite them from memory. It is with these words that James Sunderland receives his 'call to adventure', in the form of a letter - purportedly from his dead wife, Mary. "A dead person can't write a letter," right? "Mary died of that damn disease three years ago … so then why am I looking for her?" And so it is that James (and by proxy, you the player) will spend a great deal of your time in Silent Hill pondering that very question. Silent Hill 2 absolutely shines in this aspect; it's a multilayered narrative that runs as deep as you wish to look. Nearly every aspect of the story is steeped in symbolism and metaphor. There's the literal meaning of onscreen events … and then there's the implied meaning behind those events.
The effectiveness of this multi-layered story is largely attributable to fact that James serves as an unreliable narrator in his own story. Throughout much of the game you'll hear and see James' interpretation of events. But the farther you get into it, the more you realize that you may not be able to fully trust that version of events. James may not be the person you thought he was. For that matter James might not be the person he thinks he is. This is the nature of his journey. There are certainly other games that have utilized the device of an unreliable narrator, both before and after Silent Hill 2, but I would argue that very few if any have done so with the same level of sophistication and maturity.
In light of James' role as an unreliable narrator, it is left up to the player to decide the proper interpretation of the narrative. As retro-gamers we often talk about a certain propensity in modern games to 'hold the players hand'. Everything is explicitly spelled out for the player in the form of tutorials, 'helper' characters, training segments and so forth. In some ways this robs the player of autonomy to play the game on their own terms. When we talk about this, we often talk about it in terms of gameplay elements. Silent Hill 2 makes no attempt to hold the players hand from a gameplay perspective. But crucially it also makes no attempt to hold the players hand from a narrative perspective either. It's up to you to figure out the details of the story, some of which are merely hinted at or implied. Some details only become clear upon multiple playthroughs.
And so it goes that Silent Hill 2 absolutely nails this feeling of 'dream logic' (or nightmare logic as the case may be). If it wasn't clear already, Silent Hill 2 often flirts with, and in some cases fully crosses the line into, the realm of surrealism. Logical progression of events and even spatial relationships are both fair game for distortion when viewed through the lens of Silent Hill. And yet Silent Hill 2 handily avoids some of the common pitfalls of 'surrealism as narrative device'. Silent Hill 2 is never 'weird for weirdness sake' (okay the 'joke endings' are debatable here, lol … but those certainly aren't considered as canon any more than they are in the other Silent Hill games). It's a game that understands the use of surrealism as a tool rather than as an end to a means.
What I'm saying is that Team Silent had a deep understanding of the story they were creating, and executed it almost without flaw. It's not uncommon in games seeking to weave a complex story that the thread of the narrative is lost or obscured over the course of a game. Large development teams, long development cycles, and corporate oversight all seem to play a part here. Silent Hill 2 is not like that. It feels like a singular vision that was executed without compromise. If you thrive on story and atmosphere in games, Silent Hill 2 is a masterpiece in this regard.
Is it a perfect game, then? Well no, Silent Hill 2 is not fully without flaws though I'd argue that the severity of those flaws will largely come down to personal preference. So I'll stop gushing about the story elements (for now!) and talk about the actual gameplay for a bit. Silent Hill 2 adheres to the 'old-school' design philosophy of survival horror. Fixed camera angles, 'tank-style' controls, and careful management of inventory all play their part here. While Team Silent were expanding upon what could be done within the framework of survival horror, they were not trying to reinvent that framework. Survival horror veterans will feel right at home in Silent Hill 2. There are no surprises, as far as that goes (though I'd contend that Silent Hill 2 is a bit more generous with resources than other games in this genre).
Graphics and sound hold up quite nicely, though I need to make a clarification at this point. Part of the reason I'm playing Silent Hill 2 this year, a game that I've played several times before, is that I was very curious to check out the Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition mod pack for PC. I had never played the PC version of the game, and I'd certainly never tried the mod pack. Long story short, I've had it installed for a few months, but had been saving it up for October which traditionally serves as my 'month of horror gaming'. At any rate, the mod pack is fantastic, and if you're playing the game in a modern setting, I'd even go so far as to say that it's the best way to play the game, outside of the original Greatest Hits release for PS2. The mod pack goes a long way towards fixing the problems found in the official HD collection, which was marred by several unfortunate compromises. This is one of those 'labor of love' mod packs, and it really shows. It's not so much that it vastly improves upon the source material, but the modern 'quality of life' improvements (HD widescreen resolution), in addition to the restorative content (full controller support, fog effects, CD quality sound) are seamlessly implemented in a way that brings out the best in the game. I need to make special mention of the sound design in Silent Hill 2. Although it was excellent to begin with, the sound quality in the mod pack really adds an extra layer of (unsettling) sheen.
As this wall of text indicates, I can rattle on at great length on the subject of Silent Hill 2. I'd say it's easily one of my top 3 favorite games of all time. So it's with an admitted lack of editorial objectivity that I give this game my highest recommendation. It's darkly meditative and occasionally depressing. There are moments that make you feel a bit uncomfortable. It's a total mindfuck. And it's glorious. In my restless dreams, I see that town …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEtnKeaLZDE
Or not. Whatever works!
The List So Far:
29. Silent Hill 2 [PC/Win] [Together Retro: Golden Age of Survival Horror - 10/2018]
In my restless dreams,
I see that town.
Silent Hill.
You promised you'd take me
there again someday.
… But you never did.
Well I'm alone there now …
In our 'special place' …
Waiting for you.
If you've played Silent Hill 2 before, you know these words well. Heck, if you're a superfan you can probably recite them from memory. It is with these words that James Sunderland receives his 'call to adventure', in the form of a letter - purportedly from his dead wife, Mary. "A dead person can't write a letter," right? "Mary died of that damn disease three years ago … so then why am I looking for her?" And so it is that James (and by proxy, you the player) will spend a great deal of your time in Silent Hill pondering that very question. Silent Hill 2 absolutely shines in this aspect; it's a multilayered narrative that runs as deep as you wish to look. Nearly every aspect of the story is steeped in symbolism and metaphor. There's the literal meaning of onscreen events … and then there's the implied meaning behind those events.
The effectiveness of this multi-layered story is largely attributable to fact that James serves as an unreliable narrator in his own story. Throughout much of the game you'll hear and see James' interpretation of events. But the farther you get into it, the more you realize that you may not be able to fully trust that version of events. James may not be the person you thought he was. For that matter James might not be the person he thinks he is. This is the nature of his journey. There are certainly other games that have utilized the device of an unreliable narrator, both before and after Silent Hill 2, but I would argue that very few if any have done so with the same level of sophistication and maturity.
In light of James' role as an unreliable narrator, it is left up to the player to decide the proper interpretation of the narrative. As retro-gamers we often talk about a certain propensity in modern games to 'hold the players hand'. Everything is explicitly spelled out for the player in the form of tutorials, 'helper' characters, training segments and so forth. In some ways this robs the player of autonomy to play the game on their own terms. When we talk about this, we often talk about it in terms of gameplay elements. Silent Hill 2 makes no attempt to hold the players hand from a gameplay perspective. But crucially it also makes no attempt to hold the players hand from a narrative perspective either. It's up to you to figure out the details of the story, some of which are merely hinted at or implied. Some details only become clear upon multiple playthroughs.
And so it goes that Silent Hill 2 absolutely nails this feeling of 'dream logic' (or nightmare logic as the case may be). If it wasn't clear already, Silent Hill 2 often flirts with, and in some cases fully crosses the line into, the realm of surrealism. Logical progression of events and even spatial relationships are both fair game for distortion when viewed through the lens of Silent Hill. And yet Silent Hill 2 handily avoids some of the common pitfalls of 'surrealism as narrative device'. Silent Hill 2 is never 'weird for weirdness sake' (okay the 'joke endings' are debatable here, lol … but those certainly aren't considered as canon any more than they are in the other Silent Hill games). It's a game that understands the use of surrealism as a tool rather than as an end to a means.
What I'm saying is that Team Silent had a deep understanding of the story they were creating, and executed it almost without flaw. It's not uncommon in games seeking to weave a complex story that the thread of the narrative is lost or obscured over the course of a game. Large development teams, long development cycles, and corporate oversight all seem to play a part here. Silent Hill 2 is not like that. It feels like a singular vision that was executed without compromise. If you thrive on story and atmosphere in games, Silent Hill 2 is a masterpiece in this regard.
Is it a perfect game, then? Well no, Silent Hill 2 is not fully without flaws though I'd argue that the severity of those flaws will largely come down to personal preference. So I'll stop gushing about the story elements (for now!) and talk about the actual gameplay for a bit. Silent Hill 2 adheres to the 'old-school' design philosophy of survival horror. Fixed camera angles, 'tank-style' controls, and careful management of inventory all play their part here. While Team Silent were expanding upon what could be done within the framework of survival horror, they were not trying to reinvent that framework. Survival horror veterans will feel right at home in Silent Hill 2. There are no surprises, as far as that goes (though I'd contend that Silent Hill 2 is a bit more generous with resources than other games in this genre).
Graphics and sound hold up quite nicely, though I need to make a clarification at this point. Part of the reason I'm playing Silent Hill 2 this year, a game that I've played several times before, is that I was very curious to check out the Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition mod pack for PC. I had never played the PC version of the game, and I'd certainly never tried the mod pack. Long story short, I've had it installed for a few months, but had been saving it up for October which traditionally serves as my 'month of horror gaming'. At any rate, the mod pack is fantastic, and if you're playing the game in a modern setting, I'd even go so far as to say that it's the best way to play the game, outside of the original Greatest Hits release for PS2. The mod pack goes a long way towards fixing the problems found in the official HD collection, which was marred by several unfortunate compromises. This is one of those 'labor of love' mod packs, and it really shows. It's not so much that it vastly improves upon the source material, but the modern 'quality of life' improvements (HD widescreen resolution), in addition to the restorative content (full controller support, fog effects, CD quality sound) are seamlessly implemented in a way that brings out the best in the game. I need to make special mention of the sound design in Silent Hill 2. Although it was excellent to begin with, the sound quality in the mod pack really adds an extra layer of (unsettling) sheen.
As this wall of text indicates, I can rattle on at great length on the subject of Silent Hill 2. I'd say it's easily one of my top 3 favorite games of all time. So it's with an admitted lack of editorial objectivity that I give this game my highest recommendation. It's darkly meditative and occasionally depressing. There are moments that make you feel a bit uncomfortable. It's a total mindfuck. And it's glorious. In my restless dreams, I see that town …
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Finally tried Growl on Sega Genesis. Heard a lot about this game, but had never played it. Finally tried it Saturday morning, and managed to finish it on my first playthrough of the game. Really enjoyed this game! The graphics, music, and controls were all awesome. Especially liked the tunes. The unique concept, level design, and variety of weapons throughout the game were a plus. It was also cool that some of the animals help you against the enemies. Lol.
I can see why this game had gotten praise before. It's a bummer it's not a co-op game, but still a great time.
I can see why this game had gotten praise before. It's a bummer it's not a co-op game, but still a great time.
-
noiseredux
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 38148
- Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:09 pm
- Contact:
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Great write up, null. Thanks for that.
Also, as a HUGE Misits fan... thank you.
Also, as a HUGE Misits fan... thank you.
Last edited by noiseredux on Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PartridgeSenpai
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 2989
- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 9:27 am
- Location: Northern Japan
Re: Games Beaten 2018
Partridge Senpai's 2018 Beaten Games:
Previously: 2016 2017
* indicates a repeat
1-20
21-40
41. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Expansion Pass DLC (Switch)
42. Battle Block Theater (Xbox 360) *
43. Magicka (Steam) *
44. La-Mulana 2 (Steam)
45. Yooka-Laylee (Steam)
46. Snipper-Clips: Cut it Out Together! (Switch)
47. Magicka: Dungeons and Gargoyles (Steam)
48. Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project (PC)
49. Timespinner (PS4)
50. Hollow Knight (PC)
51. Wuppo (PC)
52. Super Mario Party (Switch)
53. Party Hard (Steam)
54. The Final Station (Steam)
55. GARAGE: Bad Trip (Steam)
56. Mr Shifty (Steam)
Next (and likely last) up on my TinyBuild marathon is Mr Shifty, a game most people have called Hotline Miami with teleportation mechanics. They're right to do that, because that's exactly what it is
. Mind you, a copycat isn't necessarily a bad thing, and this game is great fun!
The teleportation mechanic makes the arcadey Hotline Miami formula that much more hectic as you teleport around to get behind bad guys with guns and punch them up while trying to avoid their friends who also have guns. Tricking enemies into doing friendly fire, throwing items you find at them (or clobbering them over the head with them), and getting around/into walls are all things totally required to get through this admittedly fairly short game (it took me about 3 hours).
The story is silly and campy, with the literally silent Mr Shifty getting instructions from his female operator over his headpiece and the enigmatic and boastful Chairman Stone taunting you the entire game. There was more than one line from Stone that was just so campy it made me genuinely laugh out loud, so in my mind the story did exactly what it needed to. It's not trying to be some mysterious grandiose statement about something or other, it's just fun window dressing for a game about teleporting around bad guys and punching them.
Verdict: Highly Recommended. The $15 price tag is gonna turn some people away from a 3 hour game, but if you look at it like a $10 movie ticket, this is pretty good value in my mind. It's a fantastic arcadey brawler that's a very fun way to burn away an afternoon (or two) with.
Previously: 2016 2017
* indicates a repeat
1-20
21-40
41. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Expansion Pass DLC (Switch)
42. Battle Block Theater (Xbox 360) *
43. Magicka (Steam) *
44. La-Mulana 2 (Steam)
45. Yooka-Laylee (Steam)
46. Snipper-Clips: Cut it Out Together! (Switch)
47. Magicka: Dungeons and Gargoyles (Steam)
48. Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project (PC)
49. Timespinner (PS4)
50. Hollow Knight (PC)
51. Wuppo (PC)
52. Super Mario Party (Switch)
53. Party Hard (Steam)
54. The Final Station (Steam)
55. GARAGE: Bad Trip (Steam)
56. Mr Shifty (Steam)
Next (and likely last) up on my TinyBuild marathon is Mr Shifty, a game most people have called Hotline Miami with teleportation mechanics. They're right to do that, because that's exactly what it is
. Mind you, a copycat isn't necessarily a bad thing, and this game is great fun! The teleportation mechanic makes the arcadey Hotline Miami formula that much more hectic as you teleport around to get behind bad guys with guns and punch them up while trying to avoid their friends who also have guns. Tricking enemies into doing friendly fire, throwing items you find at them (or clobbering them over the head with them), and getting around/into walls are all things totally required to get through this admittedly fairly short game (it took me about 3 hours).
The story is silly and campy, with the literally silent Mr Shifty getting instructions from his female operator over his headpiece and the enigmatic and boastful Chairman Stone taunting you the entire game. There was more than one line from Stone that was just so campy it made me genuinely laugh out loud, so in my mind the story did exactly what it needed to. It's not trying to be some mysterious grandiose statement about something or other, it's just fun window dressing for a game about teleporting around bad guys and punching them.
Verdict: Highly Recommended. The $15 price tag is gonna turn some people away from a 3 hour game, but if you look at it like a $10 movie ticket, this is pretty good value in my mind. It's a fantastic arcadey brawler that's a very fun way to burn away an afternoon (or two) with.
I identify everyone via avatar, so if you change your avatar, I genuinely might completely forget who you are. -- Me
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nullPointer
- 128-bit
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Re: Games Beaten 2018
noiseredux wrote:Great write up, null. Thanks for that.
Also, as a HUGE Misits fan... thank you.
Thank YOU for reading my good sir! I truly appreciate anyone who takes time to read my obnoxious walls of text.
Oh noes here comes another one!
... And with that, my review backlog has finally caught up with my current gaming progress! Yay!
The List So Far:
30. Splatterhouse [TG16] [October Horror]
Ah … Splatterhouse. After the intensely cerebral 'thinking man's horror' experience of Silent Hill 2, perhaps I just needed to step into the big, dumb shoes of an unthinking brute, a primal force who solves problems by means of beating the ever-loving piss out of them with a 2x4. I recently described this game as being '80's Death Metal: The Game', and I'll be sticking with that assessment though much of this review. Because much like the savage, pounding brutality found in those early death metal albums, Splatterhouse satisfies in largely the same way. Is it a great game? Well … maybe not … but when it hits, it hits hard … with a 2x4.
So let's talk about those good aspects first. At the time of its release, Splatterhouse was rather remarkable for a horror title. Earlier horror themed games had largely skirted the horror tastes of their time. They had either focused on earlier (and by and large tamer) interpretations of horror (as seen in the gothic stylings of Castlevania), or portrayed horror elements through a cartoon styled lens (Ghosts 'n Goblins). Splatterhouse was having none of that. Instead, it explicitly drew inspiration from the slasher films that were en vogue at the time of its release and in doing so it was a very modern feeling game. It's no great secret that the character design for Rick was a shameless rip-off of Jason Voorhees to the point that the iconic mask had to be re-colored in the North American release (it was white in Japan, red in North America). So was this an example of selling shock value for its own sake? Oh, undoubtedly, but to deny that would also be to miss the point. Much like the death metal of the time (which was arguably drawing from many of the same inspirations), the brutality and shock value here were part and parcel of the experience. That part either resonated with you or it didn't.
And for its part, Splatterhouse does a fine job of portraying its shock and awe. Your strikes feel solid, and most enemies are dispatched in a satisfying spray of splatter and viscera. You won't find an endless variety of weapon pick-ups here, but the few that are available all feature similar levels of brutality. The enemy designs are another highlight of the game. Despite the derivative look of the player character, many of the enemies look simply superb (with Biggy Man (pictured below) being a particular standout in my mind). Of course none of these highlights would have been possible without some nice graphical execution, and I feel like that's the real star here. The shock value which Splatterhouse was banking on would not have been possible without some strong graphics to back it up, and it largely hits the mark here. Splatterhouse creates a unique look and atmosphere which would help to insure its continuation as a series. The music and sound design also do wonders to perpetuate this atmosphere. The sound effects are satisfying and the bass-y in-game music is simultaneously menacing and catchy.
It's at this point that we need to mention the elephant rotting corpse in the room ... which is the gameplay itself. You'll notice I've rather strategically avoided mentioning it up to this point. And I mean … it's fine … I guess, but in order to fully embrace it, you're going to have to take the age of the game into account. Movement is a bit sluggish. Your melee moves require a quirky sense of timing due to the frames of animation employed. The limited occurrences of platforming feel downright clumsy (though nothing approaching Double Dragon levels of jank). The game also features several instances of auto-scrolling sections that are distinctly at odds with your slow movement. And I mean … I get it … the character moves slowly just like his sole source of inspiration, Jason Voorhees. But that doesn't necessarily translate into great feeling gameplay. It's not that this makes the game feel impossible by any means (I beat it and I'm pretty middling where it comes to beat 'em ups), it's just that the gameplay can feel a bit like a slog; like it would be so much better if only it were a bit more responsive. Like I said it's a product of its time, but even then I can name a handful of other beat 'em ups from this time that feel more responsive than this.
What we're left with then is a somewhat uneven feeling game. A game in which its fantastic elements of presentation are somewhat at odds with its lackluster gameplay. If you're a diehard horror buff, and particularly if you enjoy the slasher genre, (or you're just a fan of death metal!) you should probably check out Splatterhouse. It's a lovingly brutal homage to its inspirations. If you're looking for an unbeatable beat 'em up experience, well … you might be best advised to pack up your 2x4 and look elsewhere. Thankfully the Splatterhouse franchise would continue on in titles that largely outshine this initial outing.
Last edited by nullPointer on Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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noiseredux
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Re: Games Beaten 2018
Copious use of the slide kick fixes his slow walking speed.
Dope Pope on a Rope
B/S/T thread
My Classic Games Collection
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The PC Engine Software Bible Forum, with Shoutbox chat - the new Internet home for PC Engine fandom.
B/S/T thread
My Classic Games Collection
My Steam Profile
The PC Engine Software Bible Forum, with Shoutbox chat - the new Internet home for PC Engine fandom.
Re: Games Beaten 2018
289. Mega Man 11
My hype meter for Mega Man 11 was through the roof, anyone who has been following this thread has probably noticed the amount of mega man games I played in anticipation of this games release. This year I played through all 10 megaman games, ,mega man x3 for the first time, network transmission, and a bunch of fan games including the absolutely phenomenal mega man unlimited
With my hype meter and expectations as high as they were, combined with the enromous amount of mega man games and clones I played this year, I was almost setting myself up for failure. How could any game meet the intense hype that I had for it? How could it surpass the greatness of classics like MM2 and 9? Is capcom even capable of making a game that approaches the greatness of MM unlimited?? (and just on a side note, if you love mega man and never played evolution you absolutely need to)
I tried to unhype myself and temper my expectations, knowing that no game could live up to the standards I had, but I am glad to say I was wrong. Mega Man 11 was everything I wanted it to be, I'm still too high on the game to declare it the best mm game of all time, but I could say without question, it is easily one of the best games in the series, and exceeded my expectations in every possible way.
Lets start with the graphics and feel of the game. The one concern I had was the game would not feel as smooth as the classic mm games, although I did enjoy 7, 8, and mm and bass, they all had upgraded graphics, and control that was slightly off compared to the classics. I was worried that 11 would share the same fate but it did not. Despite the awesome new graphics, this game feels like classic mega man. The controls are tight and responsive, plus they added several quality of life changes such as assigning rush to the face buttons and being able to change weapons with the analog sticks. Not only does the control feel tight, the new sound effects are all just very satisfying, the mega buster feels good and is very visually appealing. The sound effects when picking up health is new but as satisfying as picking up the energy pellets of the old game, and your shots have a real feeling of impactfulness that I really enjoyed.
The level design is fantastic. Every level was fun to play(yes, even bounce man, that level gets way too much undeserved hate), every level has a unique gimmick, and the challenge is just right. I read a lot of reviews that said the game is too hard, but I don't feel that was the case here. Although it was a challenge it was not as hard as 9 or evolution, and deaths never felt cheap. Plus the upgrade system exists and after a few deaths you should have enough bolts to buy extra lives and e-tanks that will make the levels far easier to get through.
I loved the bosses in this game, some were hard(block man is fucking nuts), some were easy(bounce man was a joke), but they all felt so much more dynamic and alive than the bosses in the old games. The graphical and sound upgrades really benefitted these guys as they yell out their moves and go into overdrive when they initiate their double gear attacks. I had a ton of fun fighting these guys and there was not a single boss in the game that I disliked fighting.
Of course beating these bosses gives you their weapons, and the weapons in this game are easily in contender for the best weapons of any game in the series. Every weapon has its uses and they all hit in different angles which gives each weapon a good deal of utility. The screen clearing tundra tornado was probably my favorite but every weapon had its moments and I was constantly switching through different weapons to deal with different scenarios. it made the levels and combat very dynamic and fun.
This of course brings me to the double gear system, which is a very welome additon to the series. Having mega man use, what is essentially bullet time, may seem like a gimmick but it adds a lot of depth to the levels and knowing when to use it will make all the difference between defeat and victory. The power gear was slighly less useful but it still comes into play a good deal of the time, especially when using powered up versions of the boss weapons.
MM 11 met and exceeded all of my expectations, which is quite a feat given how high my hopes were for this game. I literally loved everything about this game and I hope that it sells well enough for capcom to churn out a few more sequels
My hype meter for Mega Man 11 was through the roof, anyone who has been following this thread has probably noticed the amount of mega man games I played in anticipation of this games release. This year I played through all 10 megaman games, ,mega man x3 for the first time, network transmission, and a bunch of fan games including the absolutely phenomenal mega man unlimited
With my hype meter and expectations as high as they were, combined with the enromous amount of mega man games and clones I played this year, I was almost setting myself up for failure. How could any game meet the intense hype that I had for it? How could it surpass the greatness of classics like MM2 and 9? Is capcom even capable of making a game that approaches the greatness of MM unlimited?? (and just on a side note, if you love mega man and never played evolution you absolutely need to)
I tried to unhype myself and temper my expectations, knowing that no game could live up to the standards I had, but I am glad to say I was wrong. Mega Man 11 was everything I wanted it to be, I'm still too high on the game to declare it the best mm game of all time, but I could say without question, it is easily one of the best games in the series, and exceeded my expectations in every possible way.
Lets start with the graphics and feel of the game. The one concern I had was the game would not feel as smooth as the classic mm games, although I did enjoy 7, 8, and mm and bass, they all had upgraded graphics, and control that was slightly off compared to the classics. I was worried that 11 would share the same fate but it did not. Despite the awesome new graphics, this game feels like classic mega man. The controls are tight and responsive, plus they added several quality of life changes such as assigning rush to the face buttons and being able to change weapons with the analog sticks. Not only does the control feel tight, the new sound effects are all just very satisfying, the mega buster feels good and is very visually appealing. The sound effects when picking up health is new but as satisfying as picking up the energy pellets of the old game, and your shots have a real feeling of impactfulness that I really enjoyed.
The level design is fantastic. Every level was fun to play(yes, even bounce man, that level gets way too much undeserved hate), every level has a unique gimmick, and the challenge is just right. I read a lot of reviews that said the game is too hard, but I don't feel that was the case here. Although it was a challenge it was not as hard as 9 or evolution, and deaths never felt cheap. Plus the upgrade system exists and after a few deaths you should have enough bolts to buy extra lives and e-tanks that will make the levels far easier to get through.
I loved the bosses in this game, some were hard(block man is fucking nuts), some were easy(bounce man was a joke), but they all felt so much more dynamic and alive than the bosses in the old games. The graphical and sound upgrades really benefitted these guys as they yell out their moves and go into overdrive when they initiate their double gear attacks. I had a ton of fun fighting these guys and there was not a single boss in the game that I disliked fighting.
Of course beating these bosses gives you their weapons, and the weapons in this game are easily in contender for the best weapons of any game in the series. Every weapon has its uses and they all hit in different angles which gives each weapon a good deal of utility. The screen clearing tundra tornado was probably my favorite but every weapon had its moments and I was constantly switching through different weapons to deal with different scenarios. it made the levels and combat very dynamic and fun.
This of course brings me to the double gear system, which is a very welome additon to the series. Having mega man use, what is essentially bullet time, may seem like a gimmick but it adds a lot of depth to the levels and knowing when to use it will make all the difference between defeat and victory. The power gear was slighly less useful but it still comes into play a good deal of the time, especially when using powered up versions of the boss weapons.
MM 11 met and exceeded all of my expectations, which is quite a feat given how high my hopes were for this game. I literally loved everything about this game and I hope that it sells well enough for capcom to churn out a few more sequels