Games Beaten 2015

[Markies]

I beat Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire on the Nintendo 64 this evening!

This is one of those games that I have had since childhood. Or, well, teenage years when I first got my Nintendo 64. Everybody had this game and I was one of them. And I remember everybody enjoying the first level and then being disappointed by the rest of it. I've played this game for decades and I would always stop at certain points. First it was the train level, then the sewer level and then the Palace Level. Finally, I persevered enough and beat the damn thing.

This is one of those childhood games that I can't really decide if it is good or bad. Overall, I think it is pretty bad. The 3rd person tank controls are awful. The fogging is really noticeable. The shooting is unresponsive and the game is just frustrating to play. The best part of the game is the music and the first level. Besides that, it all goes down hill and becomes another annoying Star Wars 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)
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. Hazumi (3DS)
40. Aaru's Awakening (PS3)

Aaru's Awakening is a beautiful game, with an art style reminiscent of old Rankin-Bass films:

It is spoiled, however, by incredibly frustrating gameplay. That is, the game utilizes an interesting platform mechanic: Aaru, the main character can throw a ball with one button and teleport to its location with another. You aim the ball with the right stick, you move Aaru with the left, you throw the ball with R1, you teleport with R2, and you jump with L1. The controls are effective, but they are not always intuitive. Nonetheless, the game (which should have been focused on puzzles), amounts to a gauntlet of incredibly difficult platforming challenges. Worse, Aaru is incredibly fragile - pretty much everything kills him instantly - and these challenges are not always difficult for the right reasons (i.e., things off screen will kill you a lot). Thankfully, the game features generous checkpoints, but even with those, the last few levels result in a war of attrition between the game and the player.

The boss fights are cool, however:

And, the game is (thankfully) quite short. Nonetheless, and unless you are curious about the art direction or just love frustration, I cannot recommend it.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Looks neat. I noticed that it's on Steam, may pick up that version.

[noiseredux]

Didnt realize it was on Steam now. Nice.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Looks neat. I noticed that it's on Steam, may pick up that version.

I really can't recommend it. Despite its short length, it really does end up being a slog. It might've better with a mouse, however. (It was originally designed for the PC. )

Regardless, I wouldn't spend much on it, and I would read Gamespot's review before buying it.

[Damm64]

1- Heavenly Sword (Ps3)
2- Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3)
3- Sonic Generations (Ps3)
4- Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
5- Legend of Zelda: Link between worlds (3DS)
6- Castlevania: Mirror of Fate (3DS)
7- Pokemón Crystal (GBC)
8- Pokemón Fire Red (GBA)
9- Pokémon Y (3DS)*
10- Duke Nukem Forever (PS3)
11- New Super Mario Bros (DS)
12- Dishonored (PS3)
13- Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
14- House of the dead overkill (Ps3)
15- The Evil Within (PS3)
16- Portal 2 (PS3)
17- Ratchet & Clank (PS3)
18- Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS3)
19- Adventure Time: Hey Ice king why did you steal our garbage? (3DS)
20- Ratchet & Clank: Up your Arsenal (PS3)
21- Darksiders 2 (PS3)
22- Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation)

For a long ass time i've never touched a single MGS title because i heard stuff like "its like a movie" "amazing cinematics" etc, i tough it would be one of those games i would never get into... but somehow this managed to get into me and i find myself enjoying this game.

It has a few issues some that come from old age and other from bad design, going back and forth on the stairs of the metal gear backtracking in order to add game lengh was lame, or making you backtrack to find a sniper rifle so you can have a really awkard fight with a sniper, or going through 10 sets of stair in TWO towers with the awkard camera and endless enemies attacking you from blind spots, or when in some sections they put mines where there's no rational thinking place to be put there and they deactivate your radar so you can't see the mines.

DESPITE all of this i could enjoy the game for the story because its like people said its like a movie, a dumb over the top, cyborg ninja, giant robots kinda of dumb and i LOVE IT. I find myself laughing at the constant plot twist that the game throws at you (they even throw one AFTER the credits!) and how the main bad guy never stops chasing you and you have to kill him like three times. I swear i wanted to make some popcorn and grab a soda each time the codec talk started or when the bad guys gave you a monologue telling about their past and how tragic they are and in the end they're not so bad at all. It has cliches from american action movies and the over the top japanese anime and it works! Somehow works!

Im playing through MGS 2 now and, again, despite being annoyed at some of the design in the game im having a blast with it. Im going to try to blast my way on all the games on the legacy collection to be on time with the current games.

[Gamerforlife]

Valiant Hearts: The Great War - PS4



Aside from the obnoxious over use of a certain mini-game (someone on the design team clearly has a massive, throbbing boner for Guitar Hero), this may be one of the greatest puzzles games...well, one of the greatest games of any genre that I've ever played. In fact, this one is going on my all time favorites list.

The game seems to have inspiration from point and click style, PC puzzle games yet continually surprises you with all of the interesting things it does with its gameplay that go far beyond simply pointing and clicking. In fact, this game is a fantastic example of how to properly mold that genre to console. This is a gold standard.

The graphics are gorgeous, the audio is excellent from the voice samples to the soundtrack, the story is quite good though it ends rather abruptly, and the overall design of the game not just gameplaywise but the things it does visually and with sound are just brilliant...except for those stupid Guitar Hero sequences, a minor blemish on an otherwise perfect game, like a pimple on a super model.

Just as an example of some of this game's absolutely brilliant moments, watch and listen to this video:

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

There are other great moments too that make this game feel like so much more than just a puzzle game(like actual boss fights).

On a final note, the game is actually educational, offering a wealth of info regarding World War I that would make it a perfect homework assignment for a school class. It treats its subject material (war) with maturity rarely seen in gaming. This game is as close to a 10 as a game gets. Had I played it last year, it would have been a GOTY contender for me.

After loving this and Until Dawn, I am really impressed by the various ways old PC, point and click games have evolved. I love both games.

EDIT: I turned off the hint system before starting. I think being given hints would spoil the game a bit. The puzzles are very logical. I only struggled on one. So maybe only use this feature if you're really frustrated.

[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)
47. Shadowgrounds (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
48. Shadowrun Returns (PC)(RPG)
49. Mobile Forces (PC)(FPS)
50. Tower of Guns (PC)(FPS)

Ah, at the magical 50 mark. From now on, spoiler tags!

Also, I've beaten Tower of Guns...as in, the game recorded me getting a win. I am not finished with Tower of Guns though. There is still plenty to do. According to the game I have unlocked or collected only 64% of all it has to offer, and I have yet to beat the secret final boss, though I came pretty close last night.

Tower of Guns is a roguelike twitch FPS, where you must traverse five levels to defeat the machines that lie within the heart of the tower. The only real standard to the game is that the rooms you enter are predesigned, so after playing for a while you will recognize each individual room layout. The levels also tend towards a certain order, though I've found level 3 tends to switch between either the warehouse or the battlements. But the enemies within, the items, the set of levels, the bosses, and even the story is randomized.

Yes, the story; there are actually quite a few possible stories in Tower of Guns, all of which are inconsequential and are more used as a vehicle for humor than anything else. You can even disable the story if you so wish. Instead, the game focuses on the meat and potatoes of twitch gameplay at its core. You are going to be spending your time running, jumping, and weaving through all manner of big ass bullets, lasers, and explosions while avoiding nasty hazards like bottomless pits, spikes, gears, and lava. At the end of each level, you will face a boss, but which boss at which point is randomized. Perhaps it will be the Big Ol' Wall of Turrets. Perhaps it will be Grandpa Napoleon. Perhaps it is the Longhorn, or the Pipe Organ, or Doctor Turret, or the Egg Scrambler, or the Big Ol' Spikeroom. Who knows? The only set bosses are the two final bosses: the Gumball Machine and the secret The Maw. Hell, I've played through the game a bunch of times now, and I still haven't seen all of the possible bosses.

To beat them, you have to pick a gun and a perk at the start. When you first start off, there are only a couple of guns and perks to pick from, but as you play through the game again and again, you eventually will meet the requirements for unlocking more. Each of the guns is a take on a particular archetype from FPS, though they have creative names like the Peas-n-Carrots Pistol, Portable Pizza Thrower, the Kegerator, and the 609mm Handcannon. Different guns have different playstyles with different benefits, and all can be leveled up over the course of a run from level 1 to level 5(or higher with a particular perk) which will generally make each gun more powerful or more capable. There are also many hidden guns to find, such as the Panflute, the GG 9000, the Partybringer, and the Absurditron 9000, but none of these can be kept beyond the end of a run. Certain guns also have hidden benefits, such as having enough recoil to enable the player to fly when you shoot straight down. Backing the guns, perks add some kind of change to the player from the start and must be unlocked by performing certain tasks. These do things like give the player a triple jump from the start, boost speed but drop armor, make the player immune to fall damage or environmental damage, or even make the player immune to self-inflicted damage from guns(trust me, it happens a lot with certain weapons). As of right now, I have one gun and two perks left to unlock.

To add to this, there are many badges to find over the course of a run, as well as usable items and weapon mods. All of these can be a huge boon, and the game tracks which items and weapon mods you have encountered. Unfortunately the game doesn't tell you what the items do, even in the Collection list, and you cannot ever choose an item or weapon mod to start with. If there is one thing I wish ToG did differently, it would be letting me have one of these from the start based on what I had already unlocked, as opposed to just hoping I get lucky. But then, that might make the game too easy I guess. Badges, on the other hand, are stat boosts for that particular run. They may add speed, armor, damage, an extra jump, jump height, luck, or even modify the difficulty of the game.

There is a lot of luck involved in Tower of Guns, and a lot of skill. There is also a lot of planning involved in certain aspects. For instance, getting to the secret levels usually requires some prepping ahead of time, such as taking a particular perk or avoiding killing certain enemies. There are also many, many secrets hidden throughout the game. These are typically the same in each roomtype(so if you found a secret in a room, when you encounter that same room again later, there will still be a secret in that same spot). Generally speaking, mobility is key. And expect to die. A lot. It took me many tries to figure out the Gumball Machine before I finally beat it, despite being able to race through most of the game from the very beginning(the tutorial story was impressed I survived to the fourth level with no idea what I was doing). I have yet to beat The Maw. You also have to make a conscious decision on whether you want to face The Maw, as you have to beat the Gumball Machine to get to it and then take a secret elevator. Taking the winning elevator after the Gumball Machine records a win, while losing to The Maw records a loss, hence why I only have one win recorded; I keep going back to fight The Maw.

Bottom line: I love Tower of Guns. Twitch FPS fans, you need to try this. It is insane and amazing. Also, play it on PC; some content had to be cut in the console version.

[Damm64]

1- Heavenly Sword (Ps3)
2- Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3)
3- Sonic Generations (Ps3)
4- Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
5- Legend of Zelda: Link between worlds (3DS)
6- Castlevania: Mirror of Fate (3DS)
7- Pokemón Crystal (GBC)
8- Pokemón Fire Red (GBA)
9- Pokémon Y (3DS)*
10- Duke Nukem Forever (PS3)
11- New Super Mario Bros (DS)
12- Dishonored (PS3)
13- Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
14- House of the dead overkill (Ps3)
15- The Evil Within (PS3)
16- Portal 2 (PS3)
17- Ratchet & Clank (PS3)
18- Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS3)
19- Adventure Time: Hey Ice king why did you steal our garbage? (3DS)
20- Ratchet & Clank: Up your Arsenal (PS3)
21- Darksiders 2 (PS3)
22- Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation)
23- Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS3)

Now i already give my toughs on the game in the RGT threat so i wont go into detail.
Now im hoping that the next games go back to be silly action movies instead of this philosofical crap that they made up in the game.

[GSZX1337]

1) Cannon Spike - Dreamcast
2) I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - PC
3) Mighty Gunvolt - 3DS (as Mighty No. 9)
4) Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X - PSP (Vile Mode)
5) StarCraft - PC
6) Naughty Bear - Xbox 360
7) The Last of Us - PS3
8] Eets (100-percented) - PC
9) Gunpoint - PC
10) The Last Story - Wii
11) Papers, Please - PC (Ending 18)
12) King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (AGD VGA remake)
13) Dune 2000 - PC (easy )
14) Clock Tower: The First Fear - PC (S Ending)
15-19) Sam & Max Season 3: The Devil's Playhouse - PC
20) Dishonored - PC

21) Call of Juarez - PC

I played the demo for this back when it came out in '06, and never got around to buying it until a bit ago. And after playing the full game, I'm kinda glad I did. Overall I enjoyed the game, but there are some serious flaws here. I'll go over the good first: The chapters involving Reverend Ray (one of the two playable characters (except for the first one) rock. They're challenging, exciting, and well-crafted, has a nice Western feel, and demonstrate what FPS campaigns are all about. The dual-wielding system (similar to Halo 2) is flawed, but it in addition to the weapon degradation system lend the game a unique feel. The graphics looked good for the time, and the music while not something I'll download is a decent enough listen. Finally, Call of Juarez's story isn't deep or unpredictable, but it is entertaining enough to last 'til the end of the campaign.

Now, onto the bad. Oh boy, there's quite a bit. First, Billy's chapters fucking suck. They're bad in both concept and implementation. The first chapter has Billy carefully sliding down a steep hill. What pulse-pounding action, constantly pressing the S key to keep from falling down too fast. There's also a gameplay mechanic which involves Billy using his rope to swing like Tarzan from platform to platform. Admittedly, it is kinda cool when it works, but more often than not it is an exercise in frustration when you either can't see where you'd land or have the rope make contact with a given surface. The enemies are kinda crap as well due to them being dumbass bullet-sponges. Don't even get me started on the broke ass stealth sections.

While I was able to list more negatives than positives of Call of Juarez, I definitely enjoyed the game more than I swore at it. Even the terrible aspects reflected a positive of the game: ambition. Techland were aiming high towards an ass-kicking, bar-brawling, rope-swinging, stealthy adventure with this game, and I can commend that. Techland may have failed, but what works is rather fun and one can squint his/her eyes to see what they were going for.