Games Beaten 2015

[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)
30. System Shock 2 (PC)(Survival Horror FPS)
31. Final Fantasy V (SNES)(RPG)
32. Descent (PC)(FPS)
33. Mortal Kombat 2 (SNES)(Fighting)
34. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
35. Alien Shooter (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
36. Alien Shooter: Fight for Life (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
37. Alien Shooter: The Experiment (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
38. F.E.A.R. Extraction Point (PC)(FPS)
39. F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate (PC)(FPS)
40. Among the Sleep (PC)(Survival Horror)
41. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PC)(FPS/RPG)
42. Alien Shooter 2: Reloaded (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
43. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (SNES via Super Mario All-Stars/Super Mario World)(Platformer)
44. Star Wars Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast (PC)(FPS)
45. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: Claptastic Voyage (PC)(FPS/RPG)
46. Risen (PC)(RPG)

Hrmm...mixed feelings on this one. Let me start this off by saying I had fun with Risen, the second series from developer Piranha Bytes(the first being Gothic). Risen is an open world action RPG set on an island where the player finds themselves shipwrecked. Unknown to the inhabitants of the island, the Gods are dead, and Titans now walk the earth laying waste to everything in their path. But the island is protected by something hidden deep within its bowels, and the one faction which knows what has happened to the mainland, the Inquisition, refuses to divulge that information. Instead they have taken over the one town on the island and shut its doors to lock out the monsters which now spew forth out of temples which are rising from the ground. Anyone caught outside by the Inquisition is pressed into service, though the criminal empire of Don Esteban is alive and functioning out of a swamp a ways away. Ultimately the thieves and the inquisitors will have to bump heads, but it is up to the player to decide which side they will ally with.

Ultimately though it just doesn't matter. Both sides offer similar equipment rewards, though I feel the Inquisition offers juicier options because they have access to magic. Eventually both sides ally anyway, but for the purposes of gaining experience, it is really worth it to start doing the Don's quests and then switch over to the Inquisition before making your decision on who to join(as opposed to vice versa, because once you start doing quests for the Inquisition, they will not let you leave). Getting experience is vital because it earns you learning points, which are used to buy skills and stat upgrades. You need combat skills to survive, especially against the tougher monsters that you will encounter later, and at one point the game basically throws a wall where you have to buy the Create Scrolls ability or else you won't be able to proceed. I lost a day where I was forced to grind out a level for this...not fun.

Also, monsters don't respawn, so there is a hard limit to the experience you will be able to acquire over the course of the game. The level limit is 50, but the real cap is around 29, because at that point there simply isn't anything left to fight or quests to finish by the time you get there. Certain abilities are also far more useful than others, so anybody who takes an interest in playing this, take note: focus in 1 melee combat skill and max it out(there are three: sword, axe, and staff. I went with sword). Get lockpick to level 2 but not 3, because there are few enough level 3 locks, and they contain nice enough loot that Open Lock scrolls are far better choices anyway. Max out alchemy, because it lets you make potions which permanently upgrade your attributes. And above all else, do NOT consume a Strength or Agility stat upgrade plant or potion until after you have gotten the stat to 100 through a trainer. Trainers cannot train Strength or Agility beyond 100, but the absolute max for these is 200, so use your items to get there(also note, having a stat boosting item equipped will cause this, so unequip stat boosting items before training). Beyond that...eh, have fun. I put a few points into mining and smithing to make better rings and amulets, but armor and weapon choices are actually quite limited, so you might not find it worth it.

From a technical standpoint, this game has a LOT of issues. I repeatedly had to kill the game because it would bug out when I would climb something or jump off a ledge. I fell through a floor at one point, and I had a few enemies I killed fly through walls and vanish. Perhaps the funniest bug I saw involved the Levitate spell, which for some reason slingshotted me high into the air so I could then fall to my death. And for some reason trapdoors in particular never seemed to work right. I tended to fall a foot into the open hole and then would hang there; I could either jump out or move around and slowly fall until I hit the ground.

I appreciate the music that goes along with the game, but I wouldn't buy the soundtrack. For some reason it was decided that music within ruins and dungeons needed monster growls and hisses mixed in, so I often wondered if I had really killed all the enemies or if something was waiting around the corner for me. This also detracted from the songs themselves, because I felt I could no longer listen to them. The overworld theme is nice and whimsical though, and it was a pleasant background to the lush foliage I found myself often running through. There is a hut on the eastern side of the island next to a small pond that was the prettiest place in the game in my opinion; the music fit this perfectly.

Oh, and the game has a terrible ending. You beat the final boss, and then the screen goes black for a voice over saying "Mankind has risen." I actually groaned out loud.

Despite all of this, it's an enjoyable and pretty game, and I enjoyed running around its landscape, fighting hordes of monsters, some of which were quite unique and many which posed a challenge until I learned how to fight them. By the end, I had killed off everything, but it was fun getting to that point, and I felt accomplished every time I took down a new type of enemy. I practically cheered the first time I killed an Ashbeast. Those things are nasty.

If you liked the Gothic series, give this one a shot. If you want a game that reminds you a bit of Fable, this will do. It's not perfect, but it's likable, and it definitely scratched an itch I was feeling for this kind of gameplay.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Risen is way better than "Gothic IV" - I will say that much.

Oh look the Gothic games are on GOG.

[Ack]

You mean Gothic III: Totally Not an Expansion to Gothic III?

And yes, yes they are. I may have Gothic installed on my computer because of it...

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Until Dawn

Frankly, I think the game is fucking awesome and one of the first PS4 exclusives to really mean something.

I just finished the game (saved everybody by some miracle - woo!) and I have to agree.

This game makes David Cage's stuff look like childs play. It captures that strangeness and is far more coherent and well produced than anything else like it. The game totally came out of nowhere too.

I wont expand on the story for obvious reasons but I will say I love all the clues and totems, and most of all the Butterfly Effect screen where it details every place where a decision you made changed the story - it's far more comprehensive than any other choose-your-own story game has been so far. It seems there are at least one hundred various little paths.

Seriously guys. If you have a PS4 and you think this looks interesting at all do yourself a favor and try it (Redbox has it if you want to just blow through it). There are a few other games like this but Until Dawn frankly, in my mind, represents a turning point for this interactive movie genre thing.

[MrPopo]

First 50:

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
40. Marble Madness - NES
41. The Witcher 3 - PC
42. Mega Man X5 Zero Playthrough - PSX
43. Wolfenstein The Old Blood - PC
44. Might and Magic Book 1 - PC
45. Hexen: Beyond Heretic - PC
46. Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter - PC
47. Duke Nukem - PC
48. Terminal Velocity - PC
49. Borderlands 2 - Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt - PC
50. Duke Nukem II - PC

51. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne - PC
52. Starflight - PC
53. Skies of Arcadia - Dreamcast
54. Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000 - PC
55. Super Star Wars - SNES
56. Shadowrun: Hong Kong - PC
57. Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel - PC
58. The Catacomb - PC
59. Azure Striker Gunvolt - 3DS
60. Mighty Gunvolt - 3DS
61. Catacomb Abyss - PC

The first of the Catacomb games not made by the folks who would form id, this game comes down to understanding how it indicates secret walls. If you figure that out then it's pretty easy to navigate, due to the constraints of the engine. Unfortunately, the second level is a crash course in understanding what walls are likely to be secret and it has one of the harder ones to notice. I got stuck on the second level for a depressingly long time, but once I figured it out I breezed through the rest. The main difficulty past that is in not breaking your ctrl key killing demons, since they have egregious amounts of health.

Is it just me, or is Abyss shorter than Catacomb 3D? Maybe it's just that Catacomb 3D has that maze of levels that extends things.

[Fragems]

1. Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition(PS4)(Good)
2. Infamous First Light(PS4)(Good)
3. Drakengard 3(PS3) *Endings 1-4. Ending 5 I watched online due to BS boss.(Good except for the boss of the final alternate branch ending who can go burn in a firey hell )
4. Infamous Second Son(PS4)(Good)
5. Thomas Was Alone(PS4)(Great)
6. Uncharted Drake's Fortune(PS3) *(Good)
7. Uncharted 2 Among Thieves(PS3) *(Great)
8. Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception(PS3) **(Good)
9. Deadpool(PS3)(Great)
10. Red Dead Redemption(360)(Good)
11. Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare(360)(Okay)
12. The Walking Dead Survival Instinct(360)(Shit)
13. Fuse(360)(Okay)
14. The Bureau Xcom Declassified(360)(Okay)
15. Asura's Wrath(360)(Great)
16. Beneath a Steel Sky(PC)(Good)
17. Soul Gambler(PC)(Okay)
19. Harvester(PC)(Good, but disturbing)
20. Coma: Mortuary(PC)(Shit)
21. Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure(PC)(Good)
22. Freedom Planet(PC)(Great)
23. Tropico 3 Steam Special Edition(PC)(Great)
24. Far Cry 4(PS3)(Okay kinda meh)
25. Shellshock 2 Blood Trails(360)(Shit)
26. Grand Theft Auto V(PC)(Great)
27. Shadow of Mordor(PS4)(Great)
28. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare(PS4)(Okay)
29. Fallout 3(PC)- Great
30. Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage(DLC)(PC)- Crap
31. Fallout 3: Broken Steel(DLC)(PC)- Okay
32. Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta(DLC)(PC)- Buggy Crap
33. Fallout 3: Point Lookout(DLC)(PC)- Great
34. Dying Light(Xbox One)- Great
35. Sunset Overdrive(Xbox One)- Great
36. Murdered Soul Suspect(Xbox One)- Okay
37. Ryse Son of Rome(Xbox One)- Great
38. Halo Anniversary Edition(Xbox One Master Chief Collection)- It's Halo

First time completing Halo Anniversary edition, but probably around my 20th time beating Halo . Not much to say unless you've been under a rock or really dislike first person shooters you've probably played it. Graphics upgrade is pretty nice, but I love the old graphics better which thankfully you can swap back and forth between the old and new graphic settings by simply hitting select which looks really cool if you want to see just how much graphics have moved along since it's release.

Really there are only three things I dislike about this release of Halo CE. First of all they changed the button configuration which I'm sure I could change in the settings, but didn't really feel bother enough to dig around for it. Second I thought there used to be a button to show nav points, but if there was it's gone. Finally they removed the horn from my Puma now I can't give pedestrians fair warning before running them over .

[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)
24. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS3)
25. Shining Force II (GEN)
26. Rayman Legends (WIIU)
27. Gorf (ARCADE)
28. Fairune (3DS)
29. Mighty Gunvolt (3DS)
30. Ikachan (3DS)
31. Block Boy! (3DS)
32. Legend of the Dark Witch (3DS)
33. R-Type Delta (PS1)
34. Half-Life (PS2)
35. Soul of Darkness (3DS)
36. Cubit the Hardcore Platforming Robot (3DS)
37. Alien on the Run (3DS)
38. Bit.Trip Presents...Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (WIIU)
39. Fez (PS3)

Fez is a beautiful and surreal puzzle-platformer. It has beautiful graphics and an amazing, understated score. Its puzzles are clever, and the game is full of mysteries. (It is the first game I have played in years that required me to take notes, and I still have not unlocked everything the game has to offer.) It is also incredibly player-friendly, and, perhaps most importantly, its large, interconnected game world provided a sense of exploration and wonder I have not felt since the first ime I played Symphony of the Night.

I love this game, and IMO, it ranks with Hotline Miami as one of the very best "indie" games. I am happy that, even though I have beaten the game, I still have more to discover, and I look forward to unlocking all of the game's secrets.

[Luke]

Streets of Rage 2, Genesis.

I still prefer Streets of Rage on the Sega CD, two fold. I prefer the animation, the characters, and the soundtrack.

The action is a bit quicker in SOR2, the sprites are larger, but to me it's a bit too cartoon-ish. The original SOR feels grittier, and sets a perfect tone for a b'mup.

[Ack]

Hey Popo, Catacomb Abyss is technically longer I believe, but the amount of potential back tracking and confusion in 3-D(and the awkwardness with bumping into walls) make it to feel long. Abyss is much for straightforward, as are both of its sequels.

[MrPopo]

Hey Popo, Catacomb Abyss is technically longer I believe, but the amount of potential back tracking and confusion in 3-D(and the awkwardness with bumping into walls) make it to feel long. Abyss is much for straightforward, as are both of its sequels.

Yeah, that's probably what it is. The Radar in Abyss is a neat idea, but implementation-wise it falls short, since you need to have had line of sight on a monster before it will show up on the radar, so it's mostly useful to find out when something spawns behind me since DOSbox doesn't emulate the red screen flashes on the edge of the overscan the game uses to let you know you're taking damage.