Games Beaten 2020

[MrPopo]

1. Elite Dangerous - PC
2. Soldier of Fortune - PC
3. Star Wars: TIE Fighter: Defender of the Empire - PC
4. Star Wars: TIE Fighter: Enemies of the Empire - PC
5. Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power - PC
6. Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance - PC
7. Phoenix Point - PC
8. Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter - PC
9. Descent II - PC
10. Inbento - Switch
11. Ori and the Will of the Wisps - XB1
12. Doom Eternal - PC
13. Serious Sam 2 - PC
14. Black Mesa - PC
15. Descent 3 - PC

So you might notice that the second game uses Roman numerals while the third game uses Arabic. That's only the first of many missteps that make up Descent 3. The game was created after Parallax Software split into two companies (because they found having two remote offices wasn't working well). Half formed Volition, the other half formed Outrage. Outrage was the "remote" office of Parallax, and apparently all the talent was in the "home" office, as Freespace is considered a great space game and meanwhile Descent 3 just utterly lacks every bit of magic of the first two games.

Descent 3 picks up from where Descent II's cliffhanger ending leaves off; your ship misjumps close to the Sun and you're set to be crispy. But you get rescued by an anti-PTMC group who suspect the PTMC is up to evil, instead of just normal corporate shenanigans. Since you owe them you agree to help them find evidence that points out that Dravis (the guy who hired you for the first two games) was weaponizing the virus that made the robots evil. Then you deliver that evidence to the CEO, but the CEO is bombed by Dravis and you have to go on the run. So now you engage in the other 2/3 of the game, where you try to prove your innocence and stop Dravis's plan.

The game plays basically the same as the previous two; you have a ship, with guns and missiles, most of the guns use energy, you can move in any direction. The two big changes are related to the environment design. The first is that the game supports both the cramped tunnels as well as surface areas (which require different technical optimizations, so this was a technical feat at the time). So you might be in a tunnel, then burst onto the surface to find another tunnel entrance. The surface sections are mostly filler, as the bulk of the gameplay is still in the tunnels. The second big change is that the environments are much more "grounded". That's the best term I can think of, but the goal is they try and represent real places that humans might have intentionally built, whereas the previous games were the result of robots autonomously mining, so they didn't have to make any real sense. This ends up making the level design much less inspired, and ironically makes the game harder to navigate, as you no longer have these landmark rooms that you can use to easily orient yourself. The first half of the game also has much more linear levels, though the later levels are a bit more of the expected mazelike functionality.

The game also expands the mission goals; whereas previously it was always "destroy the reactor/boss and escape", now you have to accomplish a bunch of things. Maybe it's flipping switches to open gates and collect an item, maybe it's defending a bunch of reactors. Sometimes the final objective is to escape, but many times the level ends when you do the last goal (such as turning on a vital machine). This ends up being a mixed bag; on the one hand it fits in with the actual story the game is telling, but on the other hand the simplicity of "visit all the places to get the colored keys to get to the end" hearkened back to Doom, and it is fun with good level design.

The biggest problem with the game is that everything just feels off. Your ship isn't quite as agile, your weapons aren't as powerful, your shots don't travel as fast, and enemies move a bit too fast. This is why it's a good thing the surface parts are small diversions; these are always the worst places to fight bots because they are just too evasive and your shots have such an egregious travel time. Everything just feels like someone cribbed off of Descent II without actually understanding why the game worked so well. It's like a Descent fan game, in that sense.

And then there's a bunch of specific problems in levels. There's a mechanic where certain glass windows can be broken, but only by physical weapons. Which is your vauss cannon and missiles. This is used exactly twice in game for progression, once in the first level or two and once midway through. And by the time you get to the second one you've forgotten it was even a thing. The penultimate level requires you to use the guided missiles to hit a switch you can't get to and then have to hunt down random robots through a large ship in the most mazelike level in the game (and it seems to arbitrarily pick which ones you have to kill); this last objective takes AGES. The final boss is once again bullshit, but ironically gets easier as the fight goes on. First phase he just spams a fuckton of area damage you can't avoid, second phase he does a linear laser sweep that will hit you a couple times each cycle, but doesn't do a lot of damage, and then third phase he does homing missile spam, but you can literally just get in his face and he can't hit you (so you get a free win at the end). A previous boss moves at the same speed as you and likes to melee, so he gets on your ass and you can't shake him.

There's two things I will say I enjoyed. The first was that the guide bot is quite advanced (moment to moment pathfinding issues aside), so in addition to getting you from objective to objective it can do things like take you to where you died so you can get your powerups back, put out flames on you (from fire or lava), and shoot things in a pinch. And the second is that a late game level on the moon has a section which is the opening room of the first Descent, and that made me smile.

But overall, Descent 3 is just a poor way for the series to end. It superficially is a sequel, but it loses everything that made the previous games fun and special.

[BoneSnapDeez]

So you might notice that the second game uses Roman numerals while the third game uses Arabic. That's only the first of many missteps that make up Descent 3.

This type of thing always irritates me. Don't even get me started on "Ys Seven."

[pook99]

@Note: there is 99 life cheat that I use whenever i play through the x-men 2, it just makes the game far more fun IMO

@prfnsl_gamer: bird king is a fun game, I bought it a while back, I played through a few levels and have been meaning to get back to it for some time now.

Games Beaten:

47. Metroid: Other M (wii)

The metroid series is one of the more interesting among Nintendo franchises, it is definitely top tier franchise held in high regard among gamers, but there are definitely less entries in the series than flagship titles like Mario and Zelda. The series basically falls into one of 2 categories, the original games; Metroid, Super Metroid, Metroid 2, fusion which put the Metroid in Metroidvania and have inspired an entire genre and countless classics including the legendary symphony of the night as well as modern masterpieces like guacamelee and Ori. The more modern metroid games are all in the prime series and are deep, amazing, first person adventure games that retain the feel of classic series but in a different perspective. (or so I've heard, I've only played the first one but it was a great game)

And then there is Other M. Other M is the Zelda 2 or Mario Sunshine of the series, it is a game that plays far different than any other game in the series and although it is a good game in its own right, many fans of the series don't consider it a proper metroid game

A couple of things make this game stand out, first off there is a much larger emphasis on the story. WHere as in every other game, Samus is a mostly silent protaganist in mostly empty and barren worlds, this game has a heavy emphasis on cutscenes. You get an awesome cutscene retelling the ending of Super Metroid in glorious CG and you get a glimpse into Samus backstory as a federation soldier. You meet her old squad and learn of a galactic conspiracy to bio engineer invincible metroids to use as weapons. The story is a contentious part for some, but I really enjoyed it, there definitely are pretty long cut scenes but they are spaced out enough to not get in the way of gameplay.

The gameplay of this game is similar to the 2d metroids but in a 3dish space. The best way I can describe the perspective is to call this game the Super Mario 3d world of the metroid series. It is laid out like the old school games but you have free range of motion to move around as you please. There is some exploration and upgrades to be found that open up new areas, but the game is definitely more linear and structured than other games in the series.

There is a large emphasis on action in this game, with regular enemies requiring quick moves and dodges and some really awesome boss fights. Other M has a handy auto lock feature where Samus automatically shoots the nearest enemy, in additon there is a really cool dodge mechanic, basically tapping any direction right before you get hit causes samus to leap out of the way and if you are holding down the fire button it instantly charges your charge shot.

There is also a first person aiming mode that you can use to lock onto enemies and look around the environment. This game is played with just the wiimote held like a classic NES controller, by pointing the wiimote at the screen Samus enters into first person mode, it works really well to help explore and look around the environments, and you will need to quickly switch back and forth between modes in combat.

I get why hardcore Metroid purists may not like this game, but I absolutely loved it. It is definitely more of an action platformer than a typical metroid but is is a ton of fun to play, and worth checking out for fans of the genre or those looking to find a little more about the backstory and character of one of Nintendo's most famous heroines.

[Note]

@Note: there is 99 life cheat that I use whenever i play through the x-men 2, it just makes the game far more fun IMO

Thanks for the tip. Looked up some of the other cheats as well, these are good to know for the next time I fire up the game.

[Flake]

January
Shovel Knight: King of Cards (Switch)
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (Switch)
Super Metroid (Switch)

February
Megaman X (Switch)
Nekketsu Highschool Dodgeball Club (Switch)
Super Dodgeball (Switch)

March

Garou: Mark of the Wolves (SNK Pro Stick)
Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)

XBC2 is as pretty as it is long. And holy crap, this game took me 89 hours to beat. I barely did any of the side-quests and dropped the difficulty in the last two chapters and it still took 89 hours.

There are a lot of things about XBC2 that I really liked - the setting, the artstyle, the diverse voice acting. Nopons. I really, really likeypon Nopons.

There are a lot of things that feel like unforced errors, too. The combast system is initially confusing AF but then once you figure it out, battle becomes formulaic and boring. It's a question of what is faster? Sitting back and letting my characters auto-attack these guys to death or pushing A every now and then. The story is so full of anime tropes that the charm of the rest of the game is seriously impacted. It wore me out, how tired and cliche things were. It felt like incredibly lazy writing and felt out of place given how beautiful everything else is.

And that's about it - XBC2 is definitely worth playing and a fantastic show-case of how powerful the Nintendo Switch is when the artstyle drives the visuals instead of a sense of photo-realism. I just wish that the combat was more involved and the story had a pay-off that wasn't taken away from you at the last moment.

[prfsnl_gmr]

@pook99

Finally! Someone else who appreciates Other M for what it is...a solid action game with interesting design and great boss battles. Your thoughts on the game nearly match mine completely. (I was a bit more critical of the “hidden object” puzzles at certain points in the game.)

Also, did you unlock the hidden “true” final boss? It was so, so awesome.

[MrPopo]

@pook99

Finally! Someone else who appreciates Other M for what it is...a solid action game with interesting design and great boss battles. Your thoughts on the game nearly match mine completely. (I was a bit more critical of the “hidden object” puzzles at certain points in the game.)

Also, did you unlock the hidden “true” final boss? It was so, so awesome.

<cries unrecognized in the corner>

[prfsnl_gmr]

Oh yeah...I forgot you liked it too.

[Ack]

1. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)(Adventure)
2. Final Fight [Japanese Version] (Switch)(Beat 'Em Up)
3. Ziggurat (PC)(FPS)
4. Magrunner: Dark Pulse (PC)(FPS)
5. The King of Dragons [Japanese](Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
6. Captain Commando [Japanese](Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
7. Knights of the Round [Japanese](Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
8. The Witcher (PC)(RPG)
9. Tenchi wo Kurau II(Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
10. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (PC)(RPG)
11. Lichdom: Battlemage (PC)(FPS/RPG Hybrid)
12. Star Wars: Republic Commando (PC)(FPS)
13. DOOM 64 (PC)(FPS)
14. Half Dead 2 (PC)(Adventure)
15. Powered Gear - Strategic Variant Armor Equipment (Arcade)(Beat 'Em Up)
16. Torchlight II (PC)(RPG)

Powered Gear

Powered Gear is the original name for what released in the US as Armored Warriors, the mecha beat 'em up that formed the basis for Cyberbots and offered up some characters to the Marvel vs. Capcom series. There aren't many changes between the Japan release and the US localization beyond Japanese text being translated and Jin's name changing to Rash at the time (which was later dropped, as he again became Jin in the MvC series). Beyond that, it's the same game.

What game is that? Ridiculous robot carnage is what it is! You're on a secret mission to take back an alien planet under invasion from other forces...but you're also there to covertly take the planet for Earth. Enough about the plot though, as this game is about fighting a bunch of giant robots, ripping off their limbs, and then deciding if you want to strap those limbs onto yourself to use to rip apart more robots. Oh, and stepping on people. That's important too.

There is a beauty in the mayhem of Powered Gear, but it's also not an easy experience partly because the customization options presented in different levels can become so deep. Some parts work better than others in different situations, so perfecting this title comes down heavily to understanding how to use the different parts to the best of their abilities as well as when. It can be daunting, and the enemy isn't exactly going to relent while you figure it out. If you want something with a lot of replayability, Powered Gear/Armored Warriors is a fantastic choice. It's also beautiful in its mid-90s 2D sprite glory. It makes sense, considering this is the beat 'em up Capcom made after Alien vs. Predator.

Torchlight II

If Torchlight was an attempt to build on the success of Diablo, Torchlight II is Diablo II, but in a way that builds successfully on the formula in interesting ways. That's not to say that Torchlight wasn't successfully in building off Diablo, but there was always an element of their experiment that felt...limited. The sequel refines some of these ideas, builds others, and drops things that were problems even back in the Diablo 2 era. It's not perfect, and there are still some rough areas, but the continuation of the vision from Torchlight to its sequel is sound.

In Torchlight II, one of the main heroes has now taken the heart of the first game's big bad and is on some kind of terrible journey, ravaging everything in his wake and pushing towards the center of all magic that is the gate between the realm of the living and the netherworld. The other main heroes fight against him but don't succeed, so it falls down to you as one of the new classes to try and turn the tide, warn those in his wake, and help those left behind in ruin. You generally only end up helping those survivors, as he's always a few steps ahead, but whatever. By the end of the game, you'll actually discover his intentions weren't necessarily bad either, but that's for you to learn for yourself.

Instead of the three typical archetypes of the previous game, you now have four classes: spellcaster, DPS dealer, tank, and ranged specialist. They change up how these work a bit for the most part, so three of the four classes feel fresh. And while they don't have the absurd overpowering build potential of something like the dual-classing Titan Quest, they still give enough options to let players create and focus down certain trees however they want while also encouraging the continued drive to max level by capping how far different skills can progress at times. Reach certain break points, and the skills also gain new abilities, like increased range or faster cast times, which can completely change how you use them.

While many things return in Torchlight 2 from the previous game, such as fishing, socketing gems, and enchanting items, all of these have received some makeovers. Fishing works fundamentally the same, but you now find limited-use fishing holes in the world that encourage taking a short break for potentially rare fish and items. Gems no longer get leveled up, so inserting and removing is now a regular part of gameplay. Enchanting no longer has a failure chance but now has a maximum, depending on the quality of the enchanter; you can also find different enchanters randomly throughout the world, and they can sometimes offer very specific benefits such as an elemental focus in their work. Add in the return of gambling and the overhauling of the map system for post-game mini-dungeons of your choosing, as well as phasebeasts now offering up little dungeons that feel almost like mini-games, and you have some great stuff.

Unfortunately, not all the good ideas pan out. One nice thing about Torchlight 2 is watching enemies come into the world to attack you. They might leap out of bushes or drop from the ceiling to attack, but sometimes they can take way too long to get there. The desert has these weird bat creatures which take a good five seconds to go through their full arrival animation, and there are a lot of them. It gets old fast. Compare this to werewolves later that take about as long but bound through ruined architecture of torched buildings in unique ways each time, making them fascinating to watch. One is interesting the first time but gets stale quickly, while the other continues to thrill even as I prep to kick some ass.

Overall I'm quite pleased with Torchlight 2. It offered up a lot of variation on the formula that I admire and enjoy. Which is great, because I'm probably going to continue playing it for a while; getting through all of the content will likely take beating it numerous times. That said, it took me nearly a decade to finish wrapping up Torchlight, so hopefully this won't last nearly as long.

[ElkinFencer10]

Games Beaten in 2020 - 14
* denotes a replay

January (1 Game Beaten)

1. Pokemon Sun - 3DS - January 14*

February (2 Games Beaten)

2. Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order - Xbox One - February 15
3. Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Switch - February 29*

March (10 Games Beaten)

4. Pokemon Shield - Switch - March 1*
5. Doom [1993] - Switch - March 6*
6. SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - PS4 - March 6
7. Lego DC Super Villains - Switch - March 19
8. Doom II: Hell on Earth - Switch - March 19
9. Doom 3 - Switch - March 20
10. Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil - Switch - March 22
11. Doom 3: The Lost Mission - Switch - March 23
12. Doom 64 - Switch - March 26
13. Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth - Nintendo 64 - March 28

April (1 Game Beaten)

14. Wolfenstein 3D - Steam - April 1

14. Wolfenstein 3D - Steam - April 1



Having recently played through the entire Doom series, I had the itch revisit id's FPS breakout success from 1992, the legendary Wolfenstein 3D. I had played some of the console ports of Wolfenstein 3D - mainly the horribly censored SNES port and the glorious Jaguar port - but I'd never played through all six episodes start to finish. After popo heard this and took serious offense at the prospect of my playing a console port, I had an e-mail to redeem a gift copy of Wolfenstein 3D on Steam (thanks Sugar Daddy <3). The next eight hours were filled with Nazi killing and my own screams of frustration at the massive two-dimensional mazes that make up the game.



Because I had played Wolfenstein 3D before I played Doom back as a kid, it never struck me just how different these games play. Doom had always just been "a better Wolfenstein with demons instead of Nazis," but going back as an adult and playing Wolfenstein 3D after recently playing both Doom and Doom II, the differences are FAR more stark than I realized as a child. Despite being "3D," Wolfenstein is an entirely 2D game, just from a first person perspective. There are no stairs, no elevators, no ramps, no higher or lower levels. Unlike Doom, each level is just a large maze on a single plane. Somehow this aspect of the game had faded from my memory, and that aspect leads to a VERY different gameplay experience than Doom.



The other thing that struck me about Wolfenstein 3D is how primitive the game is compared to Doom. The visuals obviously are much more primitive, but the game itself just feels and plays a lot more primitive. You've got four weapons - a knife, a pistol, a submachine gun, and a chaingun - but you've really only got two weapons - knife and gun. That gun has three different firing rates depending on what you choose, but they all use a common pool of ammo, and there's not really any point in using anything below the fastest firing because they all do the same damage per shot from what I could tell. The game just doesn't feel quite as smooth or fluid, either. Maybe that's because the version I played was the original DOS release running in Steam via DOSBOX whereas I played a Switch port of Doom that probably had some smoothing under the hood, but it felt like a more radically different experience than I was expecting. Not bad, per se, but definitely different.



In my Doom review, I said that the gameplay was still just as satisfying as ever even if the graphics hadn't aged well. I'm not sure I can say the same about Wolfenstein 3D. To be clear, I still had a blast playing Wolfenstein for the most part (Episode 5 Floor 7 can die in a fire, though), but as a whole product, it definitely hasn't retained all of the playability that Doom has. It's ABSOLUTELY still worth experiencing and playing, especially if you love to kill Nazis, but it's clear that id learned a lot and improved a lot in the year between Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.