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REPO Man
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by REPO Man Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:40 am

Borderlands: Zombie Island of Dr. Ned on Switch, Playthrough 1 as Brick.
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MrPopo
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by MrPopo Wed Oct 13, 2021 1:33 am

Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

First 50:
1. EYE: Divine Cybermancy - PC
2. Legend of Grimrock - PC
3. Legend of Grimrock 2 - PC
4. Shovel Knight - Wii U
5. Yakuza: Like a Dragon - PS4
6. Yoshi's Island - SNES
7. Vectorman 2 - Genesis
8. Super Mario Sunshine - GC
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest - GC
10. Bomberman '93 - TG-16
11. Cannon Fodder - PC
12. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - Saturn
13. Dragonborne - Game Boy
14. Rock n' Roll Racing - PC
15. The Lost Vikings - PC
16. Blackthorne - PC
17. Contra III: The Alien Wars - SNES
18. Bravely Default II - Switch
19. Axelay - SNES
20. Ryse: Son of Rome - XBOne
21. Killer Instinct (2013) - XBOne
22. Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition - PC
23. Thief: The Dark Project - PC
24. Killer Instinct - XBOne
25. Killer instinct 2 - XBOne
26. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth - PC
27. Thief 2: The Metal Age - PC
28. Wing Commander II - PC
29. Wing Commander III - PC
30. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV - Switch
31. Shadow Man Remastered - PC
32. Wing Commander: Privateer - PC
33. Salt and Sanctuary - Switch
34. The Elder Scrolls: Arena - PC
35. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall - PC
36. Resident Evil Village - PC
37. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Switch
38. Metaloid: Origin - Switch
39. SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions - Switch
40. Metro Exodus: The Two Colonels - PC
41. Metro Exodus: Sam's Story - PC
42. Panzer Paladin - Switch
43. Returnal - PS5
44. Dark Void Zero - DSiWare
45. Panzer Dragoon Saga - Saturn
46. Magic Knight Rayearth - Saturn
47. Cathedral - Switch
48. Final Fantasy VII Remake: INTERmission - PS5
49. Eterium - PC
50. A Street Cat's Tale - Switch

51. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling - Switch
52. Banner of the Maid - Switch
53. CrossCode - Switch
54. Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency - PC
55. Ultima Underworld - PC
56. Betrayal at Krondor - PC
57. Assassin's Creed: Origins - PC
58. Axiom Verge 2 - Switch
59. Elderborn - PC
60. Hellbound - PC
61. Wargroove - Switch
62. Eye of the Beholder - PC
63. Quake: Dimension of the Past - PC
64. Quake: Dimension of the Machine - PC
65. Legends of Amberland: The Forgotten Crown - Switch
66. Anopek - PC
67. Baten Kaitos - Gamecube
68. No More Heroes 3 - Switch
69. Eye of the Beholder II - PC
70. Eye of the Beholder III - PC
71. Hedon II - PC
72. Deathloop - PC
73. Tales of Arise - PS5
74. Mechwarrior 5: Legend of the Kestrel Lancers - PC
75. Maneater: Truth Quest - PC
76. G String - PC
77. Thief (2014) - PC
78. Metroid Dread - Switch
79. Vomitoreum - PC
80. Severed Steel - PC
81. Syndicate - PC

Syndicate is a real time tactics game set in a cyberpunk future where you are a mover and shaker in one of the syndicates trying to take over the world. You have several agents at your disposal you can upgrade with cybertech and big guns to assassinate troublemakers, persuade key people to join your company, and take out enemy agents. It's one of the more straightforward Bullfrog games but still emphasizes taking advantage of the built in AI.

The game is split into two views. In between missions you're given a Risk-style map to select the next territory to attack; this is constrained by the territories you've claimed and it's not just "everything connected"; clicking on a territory you have claimed will show which ones can be attacked from it. You can set a tax rate for each territory you control, important for doing research and setting up your agents. Be careful; you set the taxes too high and the territory will go into revolt, taking away your taxes (though you can do the mission all over again to bring them back into the fold). You only start with a handful of weapons and basic cybermods available, so you'll need to spend money to research better stuff. And you'll definitely need better stuff as the missions get harder. One interesting thing is that time does pass on this screen, which means you can sit there and let your taxes and research accumulate. It's slow, though.

Once you attack a territory you're given a mission briefing; they generally fall into a few categories; kill specific targets, kill all agents, capture a piece of equipment, or persuade key targets. You may or may not have to evac at the end. You can pay money for more intel and a better look at the map. Once in mission you control things in real time; you can have one agent selected or all of them at once and move them around with a fairly standard mouse driven interface. It actually ends up playing pretty similar to Cannon Fodder (though that game came out later in the year). One key thing is that each agent has three levels for combat stims. One increases your move speed, one increases your accuracy, and one increases your independence; cranking the third one up will have your agents automatically fire at threats and is incredibly useful as tech levels increase, enemies get harder, and ranges get longer. However, you build up a tolerance to the drugs over time, so you can't just keep juiced forever (at least not until you're fully upgraded).

One of the cool features is the Persuadertron; it lets you bring people to your side. At the start you can only hit civilians, but as you collect people you can pull guards, police, or even enemy agents to your side. Aside from immediately removing a threat you gain cash for people who survive to the end, and agents get put in your cryobank. This is key, as you have no other way of getting agents. This item is required for certain missions, so check that briefing (it's always very clear what to bring).

The game does have some problems. Pathfinding is rough, especially the vehicle pathfinding, which is restricted to streets and driving on the correct side of the road and can get confused at intersections, sending you on a long journey. The isometric layout frequently leaves enemies obscured, and anything inside a building is completely out of view, just on your radar. So those assassination missions usually involve you randomly clicking to get them dead. And the final map is a major ramp up in bullshit intensity; you basically have two seconds at the start to not just immediately die (and you probably need to cheese it) and it has a single "boss" enemy hiding in a building that is extremely difficult to take out normally (due to knockback from his minigun). Fortunately it can also be cheesed with a weapon you probably never used.

Overall Syndicate is a pretty fun game, not too difficult for the most part (with the occasional trick mission). It's definitely one of Bullfrog's more straightforward games, but still has that little bit of experimentation they liked to do.
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Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
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Gunstar Green
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by Gunstar Green Wed Oct 13, 2021 11:22 am

1. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch Remake)
2. Super Mario Maker 2
3. Super Mario Odyssey
4. New Super Mario Bros. U DELUXE
5. Daemon X Machina
6. Turrican
7. Turrican 2: The Final Fight
8. SUPERHOT
9. Untitled Geese Game
10. Mega Turrican
11. Super Turrican (SNES)
12. Haven
13. Gunlord X
14. Super Mario 3D World
15. Bowser's Fury
16. Cathedral
17. Super Robot Wars T
18. Ninja Saviors - Return of the Warriors
19. Raiden V
20. Quake: Dimension of the Past
21. Quake: Dimension of the Machine
22. Supercharged Robot Vulkaiser
23. Streets of Rage 4 Anniversary Edition
24. Metroid Dread

Today I look at two games that for many, many years were nothing more than myths and cancelled dreams, both finally a reality in this messed up timeline we live in. Were they worth the wait?

Streets of Rage 4 Anniversary Edition

If I were just talking about Streets of Rage 4 I'd give it a solid "pretty good." It's a nice modern update to the classic Streets of Rage formula that doesn't take any risks but executes on its simple beat'em up gameplay exceptionally well. The fighting is smooth and feels good, the 2D graphics are beautiful and animate fluidly and the music is as killer as you'd hope.

But the DLC comes along which includes the survival mode "Mr. X Nightmare" and really elevates the package. Not only do you get more characters as three of the game's bosses become playable and they're all really awesome but the survival mode is more than the typical see how many waves of enemies you can get through before you die.

At the end of each round you're given a choice of upgrades, some coming at a cost, and it proceeds in sort of a rogue-lite fashion where you're building up your character until you die and lose everything. It's super addictive and me and my partner are playing a ton of it.

So with the Anniversary Edition and its inclusion of the excellent DLC I give this one a high recommendation for beat'em up fans. It's one of the most fun games in the genre I've played in a very long time and I'll probably be playing it for a long time to come.

Metroid Dread

Wooo boy do I ever love being wrong.

When I first saw the trailer for Metroid Dread and saw it was being made by MercurySteam, I was both excited (because Metroid DREAD holy shit) and upset because I really did not enjoy my time with Samus Returns, I didn't even manage to finish it. The controls were too awkward, the graphics were frankly ugly and it lacked the eerie atmosphere that makes Metroid games so immersive for me.

Well MercurySteam showed me. The game is beautiful, the atmosphere (while maybe a little too clean at times) is there and the gameplay, good lord the gameplay. Samus moves better than she ever has, even the exquisite controls of Zero Mission have in my opinion been improved upon. The boss fights which have never particularly been a strength in Metroid are phenomenal here. They start hard but train you to use your abilities to their fullest so after a few deaths you'll end up completely wrecking them in an incredibly satisfying fashion.

While not a perfect game by any means, one new mechanic was a bit more annoying than fun but I eventually adjusted to it and it became a non-issue, I'm both pleased and shocked to say that Dread has instantly become one of my favorite games in the entire franchise, if not my favorite. They absolutely nailed this one and the finale has to be seen to be believed as the series reaches an inevitable climax that opens up infinite possibilities for future titles.

I don't want to risk spoiling anything so I'll stop here. In an era where we've been flooded by excellent "Metroidvania" style games I wasn't sure if Metroid could still manage to be among the top dogs. Metroid Dread proved all of my doubts wrong and has earned its prestigious place as the long awaited Metroid 5.
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by ElkinFencer10 Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:29 pm

Games Beaten in 2021 - 97
* denotes a replay

January (12 Games Beaten)
1. God of War - PlayStation 3 - January 1
2. God of War II - PlayStation 3 - January 2
3. God of War: Chains of Olympus - PlayStation 3 - January 3
4. God of War: Ghost of Sparta - PlayStation 3 - January 4
5. God of War III - PlayStation 4 - January 6
6. God of War: Ascension - PlayStation 3 - January 9
7. God of War [2018] - PlayStation 4 - January 16
8. Epic Dumpster Bear 2: He Who Bears Wins - PlayStation 4 - January 16
9. God of War: Betrayal - Mobile - January 17
10. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Switch - January 18
11. Muv-Luv photonflowers* - Steam - January 22
12. Muv-Luv photonmelodies♮ - Steam - January 27


February (5 Games Beaten)
13. Gun Gun Pixies - Switch - February 1
14. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - PS4 - February 8*
15. Pantsu Hunter: Back to the 90s - Vita - February 13
16. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II - PS4 - February 17*
17. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Steam - February 23


March (3 Games Beaten)
18. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - Steam - March 4
19. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd - Steam - March 7
20. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - PS4 - March 21


April (7 Games Beaten)
21. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV - PS4 - April 5
22. Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After 00 - Steam - April 7
23. Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After 01 - Steam - April 10
24. Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After 02 - Steam - April 11
25. Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After 03 - Steam - April 13
26. Neptunia Virtual Stars - PS4 - April 18
27. Before Your Eyes - Steam - April 18


May (9 Games Beaten)
28. New Pokemon Snap - Switch - May 2
29. Resident Evil 8: Village - PS5 - May 8
30. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Switch - May 15
31. Torment: Tides of Numenera - Xbox One - May 18
32. Pepsiman - PS1 - May 20
33. Super Blackjack Battle II Turbo: The Card Fighters - Switch - May 20
34. Reel Fishing: Road Trip Adventure - Switch - May 23
35. Planetscape: Torment - Steam - May 26
36. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne - Switch - May 31


June (17 Games Beaten)
37. Hentai vs Evil - Switch - June 1
38. Troll and I - Switch - June 2
39. Zombie Army 4: Dead War - PlayStation 4 - June 5
40. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Switch - June 6
41. Military Madness - TurboGrafx-16 - June 7
42. Puyo Puyo 2 - Game Gear - June 17
43. Yakuza 0 - Playstation 4 - June 19
44. Neptunia Shooter - Playstation 5 - June 20
45. Little Samson - NES - June 22
46. Tiger-Heli - NES - June 23
47. Blaster Master - NES - June 23
48. Gun-Nac - NES - June 24
49. Rollerblade Racer - NES - June 25
50. Marble Madness - NES - June 25
51. Metroid - NES - June 25
52. Mario Golf: Super Rush - Switch - June 26
53. Metroid: Zero Mission - GBA - June 28
54. Metroid II: Return of Samus - Game Boy - June 29


July (31 Games Beaten)
55. Super Metroid - SNES - July 1
56. Where's Waldo? - NES - July 1
57. Metroid Fusion - GBA - July 2
58. Neptunia ReVerse - PlayStation 5 - July 3
59. Tetris Effect: Connected - Series X - July 3
60. Battletoads - Xbox One - July 4
61. Chicken Police: Paint it Red! - Switch - July 5
62. The Falconeer - Series X - July 7
63. Astral Chain - Switch - July 10
64. Dynowarz: Destruction of Spondylus - NES - July 12
65. Skull and Crossbones - NES - July 12
66. Sky Kid - NES - July 12
67. Top Gun - NES - July 12
68. Top Gun: The Second Mission - NES - July 13
69. Mega Man 7 - SNES - July 13
70. Mega Man X - SNES - July 14
71. Mega Man X2 - SNES - July 15
72. Second Extinction - Series X - July 15
73. Mega Man X3 - SNES - July 16
74. Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge - Game Boy - July 19
75. Mega Man II - Game Boy - July 19
76. Mega Man III - Game Boy - July 19
77. Mega Man IV - Game Boy - July 20
78. Mega Man V - Game Boy - July 20
79. Mega Man Xtreme - GBC - July 21
80. Mega Man Xtreme 2 - GBC - July 21
81. Portal Runner - GBC - July 22
82. Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind - SNES - July 22
83. Mega Man and Bass - SNES - July 23
84. Cotton Reboot! - Switch - July 27
85. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - PlayStation 4 - July 29


August (2 Games Beaten)
86. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1 - Series X - August 7
87. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2 - Series X - August 7


September (6 Games Beaten)
88. Maneater: Truth Quest - PS5 - September 5
89. Empire of Angels IV - Switch - September 5
90. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - PS4 - September 19
91. Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force - GOG - September 21
92. Star Trek: Elite Force II - GOG - September 25
93. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers - Switch - September 29


October (4 Games Beaten)
94. Blair Witch - Switch - October 1
95. The Medium - Xbox Series X - October 3
96. Maid of Sker - Xbox Series X - October 3
97. Metroid Dread - Switch - October 14


97. Metroid Dread - Switch - October 14

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For four years, we Metroid fans have waited for a new game (Federation Force definitely doesn't count). For eleven years, we've waited for a new game on a home console. Finally, Nintendo has seen fit to grace us with a new game, and considering that Mercury Steam - the folks who did Samus Returns on 3DS - developed Metroid Dread, my expectations were pretty high. Not only did Dread manage to meet my expectations, but it handily surpassed every single one.

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Dread is the fifth entry in the main Metroid series following Metroid, Metroid II, Super Metroid, and Metroid Fusion; and it picks up shortly after the events of Fusion. Samus has received a video of an X parasite - the nemesis from Fusion that was thought to be extinct - and, after the Federation loses contact with the robots it sent to investigate, she must rush to the planet from which the video originated and investigate for herself this allegedly resurrected threat to galactic peace. Just like Bill Gates and vaccines, though, you should know never to trust a robot with which you mysteriously lost contact.

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A lot of folks online have complained that as a 2D game, Metroid Dread isn't worth $60. These people have clearly never actually played the game. If you do, it becomes immediately apparent why the game commands a full retail premium (in addition to the fact that the Metroid IP carries a certain inherent value). Most immediately is the fact that the game looks absolutely gorgeous. Despite being a handheld system that outputs to the TV without any HDR support and often failing to hit a native 1080p, Metroid Dread looks phenomenal especially in the cutscenes. As you get into the game itself, you'll start to notice how smooth and precise the controls are. Nothing feels janky, and you'll never find yourself frustrated at bad enemy hit detection or missing jumps you definitely should have made; the game's mechanics are polished to near perfection here. The bosses, as well, are an absolute master class in game design. At no point does any boss ever feel unfair; they can be extremely difficult, and you'll probably die a lot when you first encounter a new boss, but it's always very clear that it's your fault and not due to a cheap attack or a BS hitbox.

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With all that said, the game isn't quite perfect. The EMMIs, the robots that serve as your big scary enemy for most of the game, fail to deliver the scary impact reminiscent of Mr. X or Nemesis from Resident Evil like they feel as if they were designed to do. Instead, they just end up being frustrating. They're ridiculously annoying to navigate around without getting caught, and the last couple that you have to fight are an absolute pain in the ass to destroy. They never feel frightening, though. Just infuriating. Fortunately, that's the only real complaint I have with the game, but given how terrifying the trailer made them seem and the fact that it released in Spooptober, I was hoping for a bit of a horror-tinted Metroid.

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Metroid Dread may not be a perfect game, and I don't think it quite lives up to the high bar that Metroid Fusion set, but it's definitely a SOLID game that an absolute must-play for Switch owners. Aside from the EMMIs, there's not a single aspect of this game that I thought was poorly designed. In a sea of indie games that, while good, often show their low budgets with off-putting hit boxes and shoddy platforming mechanics, it's really refreshing to see a superb AAA 2D game that reminds people that yes, 2D platformers can absolutely be good enough to justify a full retail price. If you've got a Switch, you need to play this game.
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Ack
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by Ack Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:32 am

1. Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard (PC)(Adventure)
2. Revulsion (PC)(FPS)
3. Nonogram - Master's Legacy (PC)(Puzzle)
4. Sekiro (PC)(Action-Adventure)
5. Grim Dawn (PC)(Action RPG)
6. Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth (PC)(Action RPG)
7. Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods (PC)(Action RPG)

8. Viscera Cleanup Detail: Santa's Rampage (PC)(FPS)
9. Viscera Cleanup Detail: Shadow Warrior (PC)(FPS)
10. Shrine (PC)(FPS)
11. Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (PC)(Adventure)
12. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone (PC)(Action)
13. Red Alliance (PC)(FPS)
14. The Forest (PC)(Horror)
15. Pixel Puzzles: Japan (PC)(Puzzle)
16. 12 is Better Than 6 (PC)(Top Down Shooter)
17. Torchlight II (PC)(RPG)

18. An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire (PC)(RPG)
19. Port of Call (PC)(Walking Sim)

20. NeonCode (PC)(Walking Sim)
21. Carrion (PC)(Adventure)
22. Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (PC)(Walking Sim)
23. Helltaker (PC)(Puzzle)
24. Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr (PC)(RPG)

25. Castlevania: Bloodlines (Switch)(Platformer)
26. Treachery in Beatdown City (Switch)(RPG)
27. Zeno Clash (PC)(Action)
28. Borderlands: Enhanced Edition (PC)(FPS/RPG)
29. Ion Fury (PC)(FPS)
30. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PC)(FPS)
31. Shrine II (PC)(FPS)
32. Lycanthorn I (PC)(Action Platformer)

33. Lycanthorn II (PC)(Action Platformer)
34. DLC Quest (PC)(Adventure)
35. Live Freemium or Die (PC)(Adventure)

36. Satellite Reign (PC)(Real-Time Tactics)

Just as Popo played through Syndicate, I played through Syndicate's spiritual successor, Satellite Reign. This was developed by 5 Lives Studios, a company founded by former Bullfrog dev Mike Diskett to create an update to Syndicate after the release of the FPS in 2012. Many fans of the original as well as former devs didn't like the complete genre reworking, so instead they decided to make their own, and instead of it ending up a straight remake, they switched up and modified many of the game's systems or streamlined them to both fit with modern design ideas as well as simplify the process.

Satellite Reign is still Real-time Tactics. Instead of a global fight for domination, however, you're now battling over a single city-state, which is the headquarters to a global corporate empire, Dracogenics. Dracogenics has created a new system by which to upload the mind and download it into clones, thus creating a form of immortality. With politicians, celebrities, and the wealthy all vying for a piece, this has made the Dracogenics Corporation very powerful...and you, as agents of a small and scrappy rival corporation, are eager to steal this tech and this power. To do this, you infiltrate the city-state, work your way through various districts' security checkpoints, mess up the operations of the various corporate power players in the area, and hijack, steal, or buy new arms, gear, and tech off the black market to aid you in your mission. Of course, you're not immortal, but thankfully you start by taking over a pirate version of Dracogenics tech, so...now you are.

Unlike Syndicate, there is no world map to move around, and your four characters are given specifically designated classes which they cannot deviate from. This does encourage some specialization, though gear choices can help you when one class isn't the best for a situation, such as needed a Hacker when your Infiltrator is making a milk run through a bank vault. To get the tech you need, you do still have to acquire it via various means, though once you have it, you get some choices: use it as a one-off prototype or research it to make a mass-produced cheaper knock off for you to buy at manufacturer cost. Of course, your backing corporation doesn't exactly want to give you money to do this, so instead you'll be skimming off ATMs to earn revenue, but hey, can't have everything in life.

While the gear can make up for the specialization of different classes, the specializations still will lead to choices on who to bring on a run and how to build them over time. There are four characters: Soldier, Support, Hacker, and Infiltrator. As you earn points while doing runs, you will use these to unlock skills and upgrades for each individual character. All of them get potential boosts to health, damage, and inventory size, but some get further benefits. For example, the Soldier can learn to carry and do more damage with explosives, can rapidly pump up damage output, or can even make themselves absurdly resistant to damage and then call attention to themselves so enemies focus fire, taking the heat off your team. The Infiltrator can cloak naturally and gets better melee abilities but also can learn to set up with a sniper rifle for massive damage output. Support can see the wiring of the world, rapidly boost healing, tell folks to focus fire on enemies for increased damage output, and even use stims to slow down time up to 90%, which because a pseudo-pause function to enable giving individual orders easier. And then there is the Hacker, who can get drones, hack systems, and hijack.

Yeah, hijacking comes back from Syndicate, only this time it serves a few more functions than before. First, it can convert civilians and later enemy troops to fight on your behalf. More importantly, it's how you get new clones. As your characters die in combat, their clones degrade in quality over time. So how do you fix this? Fresh meat; you seek new targets that will make for better up-to-date clones. While the benefits aren't as immediately apparent as, say, converting the big guy with the minigun to suddenly join your team in the middle of a fire fight, it can lead to massive upgrades in health, speed, accuracy, and so on. You want a good clone, probably a big tough corporate goon and not one of the bums sleeping on the street downtown.

Of course, none of this matters if you don't also bring firepower, and there are three main types: ballistics, lasers, and plasma. While explosives and fire are also usable, they're more specialty cases instead of a general option. All of these weapons and types are better suited towards taking down different types of damage resistance: shields, armor, and health. When an enemy runs out of health, it dies, but you first have to tear through the shields and then the armor to get to the sweet meats inside. Lasers are better at shields and flesh, though shields aren't common, even when nearing the end game. Plasma melts armor and isn't bad against flesh but suffers against shields. Ballistics is an all rounder that just doesn't hold up over time. While it's best to mix and match a few weapons across your team for sustained combat ability, truth be told you'll probably end up with a mix of laser and plasma weapons by the end. And these weapons can also get upgrades, like silencers so you don't attract attention, extended magazines, special abilities, and so on. My final loadout: Soldier with a plasma minigun and damage boosts, Support with a silenced plasma assault rifle, Hacker with a silenced laser assault rifle, and Infiltrator with a range boosted laser sniper rifle. Pick some good cover, convert an enemy or two to your side, get set up properly, and you can mow down a freaking army like this.

Yet it's not all easy street. You will have to contend with the occasional jank of the cover system. While it's usually great, and you should always send your troops between cover and look for great ambush spots, you'll find that sometimes it's tough to get that one spot you want or need. This isn't helped by the isometric viewpoint, which cannot spin but slightly sways like a security camera. Odds are you'll get used to it, but if you get seasick, well...this is an area that might have been improved with a full 360 camera spin, but maybe that wouldn't have been Syndicate enough. Usually the game isn't so bad about it and shows you enemy outlines and the like, but sometimes it is a pain in the ass trying to move into cover and not accidentally shoot out a security camera and attract unwanted attention.

Overall, I really enjoyed Satellite Reign. It takes a little to get going, but once you have some tech and a grasp of the gameplay, it becomes a hell of a lot of fun. I recommend it, both to fans of Syndicate and folks who are just curious.
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by Gunstar Green Fri Oct 15, 2021 6:53 pm

1. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch Remake)
2. Super Mario Maker 2
3. Super Mario Odyssey
4. New Super Mario Bros. U DELUXE
5. Daemon X Machina
6. Turrican
7. Turrican 2: The Final Fight
8. SUPERHOT
9. Untitled Geese Game
10. Mega Turrican
11. Super Turrican (SNES)
12. Haven
13. Gunlord X
14. Super Mario 3D World
15. Bowser's Fury
16. Cathedral
17. Super Robot Wars T
18. Ninja Saviors - Return of the Warriors
19. Raiden V
20. Quake: Dimension of the Past
21. Quake: Dimension of the Machine
22. Supercharged Robot Vulkaiser
23. Streets of Rage 4 Anniversary Edition
24. Metroid Dread
25. Metroid mOTHER


Metroid mOTHER is a rom hack of the original Metroid for NES, or rather it's a compilation of some of the best romhacks for the game providing many graphical and quality of life updates. It definitely results in a more playable experience with my favorite additions being an in-game map, stackable ice and wave beam and visual cues for destructible blocks.

It does make for an easier and quicker playing game not that anything about it is necessarily easy as it's still NES Metroid with a spit shine. Despite the improvements it's still a rough game that hasn't aged well in the shadow of the genre it would go on to spawn, but I had a decent time with it, much better than when playing the unedited original. I wouldn't recommend seeking this out over Zero Mission if you want to experience Samus Aran's first mission but it's worth it for a nostalgic revisit with minor tweaks.
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by MrPopo Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:27 pm

I think of Zero Mission as Samus's first mission as she remembers it but Metroid is as how it actually went down.
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by marurun Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:52 pm

MrPopo wrote:I think of Zero Mission as Samus's first mission as she remembers it but Metroid is as how it actually went down.


I think Zero Mission is how it actually happened and Metroid is how she reconstructs it in her memories because as a freelancer she has no mental health care support. PTSD is no joke!
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by elricorico Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:34 pm

1. Cosmic Star Heroine (NS)
2. Boom Blox (Wii)
3. Grandia (NS)
4. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS)
5. Moss (PSVR)
6. Portal 2 (PS3)

7. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (PS4)


i beat Ys VIII this morning, getting the "True" ending after about 50 hours of gameplay. I believe I started this game back in January or February, not long after beating Memories of Celceta. I was really feeling more Ys, but I think with the length of the the two games back to back and all their similarities I started to get a little worn out on it, so I took a lot of breaks over the months.

That's not to say that I didn't love this game, because I did. It probably tops Memories of Celceta as my current favourite in the series, but so far what I've played has all been good. This is a top tier action RPG with good visuals, likeable characters, great music and very good controls. I played on Normal difficulty and found it a little on the easy side, with only a few deaths throughout the whole game when I got careless.

The story of this game seems simple enough - shipwrecked on an island from which nobody returns, you gather up all the people from the ship and build a village until you can muster a new ship to escape the island. However the island's true story is full JRPG bonkers by the end.

This game has one of the most bizarre series of events early on that I've every played through in a game. I'm not usually one for getting into spoilers, but I just can't resist with this:
One of the castaways turns out to be a serial killer, who just can't resist continuing his murderous ways in the island village(despite logically having no hope of ever escaping the island if he kills off everyone). He eventually kidnaps a child and then murders the ship's captain during the rescue effort. Your team of adventurers gives chase and battles him. Once he's beaten he tries to escape, however a dinosaur appears and eats him. Gobbles him down right in front of you.


Great game, though I did wish at times it was a little shorter. That being said I still want to slip back in for another couple of hours of play time as I know there are a few trophies I could nab pretty quickly. Recommended for anyone into ARPGs.
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Re: Games Beaten 2021

by MrPopo Sat Oct 16, 2021 10:25 pm

Previous Years: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

First 50:
1. EYE: Divine Cybermancy - PC
2. Legend of Grimrock - PC
3. Legend of Grimrock 2 - PC
4. Shovel Knight - Wii U
5. Yakuza: Like a Dragon - PS4
6. Yoshi's Island - SNES
7. Vectorman 2 - Genesis
8. Super Mario Sunshine - GC
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest - GC
10. Bomberman '93 - TG-16
11. Cannon Fodder - PC
12. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - Saturn
13. Dragonborne - Game Boy
14. Rock n' Roll Racing - PC
15. The Lost Vikings - PC
16. Blackthorne - PC
17. Contra III: The Alien Wars - SNES
18. Bravely Default II - Switch
19. Axelay - SNES
20. Ryse: Son of Rome - XBOne
21. Killer Instinct (2013) - XBOne
22. Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition - PC
23. Thief: The Dark Project - PC
24. Killer Instinct - XBOne
25. Killer instinct 2 - XBOne
26. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth - PC
27. Thief 2: The Metal Age - PC
28. Wing Commander II - PC
29. Wing Commander III - PC
30. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV - Switch
31. Shadow Man Remastered - PC
32. Wing Commander: Privateer - PC
33. Salt and Sanctuary - Switch
34. The Elder Scrolls: Arena - PC
35. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall - PC
36. Resident Evil Village - PC
37. SaGa Frontier Remastered - Switch
38. Metaloid: Origin - Switch
39. SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions - Switch
40. Metro Exodus: The Two Colonels - PC
41. Metro Exodus: Sam's Story - PC
42. Panzer Paladin - Switch
43. Returnal - PS5
44. Dark Void Zero - DSiWare
45. Panzer Dragoon Saga - Saturn
46. Magic Knight Rayearth - Saturn
47. Cathedral - Switch
48. Final Fantasy VII Remake: INTERmission - PS5
49. Eterium - PC
50. A Street Cat's Tale - Switch

51. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling - Switch
52. Banner of the Maid - Switch
53. CrossCode - Switch
54. Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency - PC
55. Ultima Underworld - PC
56. Betrayal at Krondor - PC
57. Assassin's Creed: Origins - PC
58. Axiom Verge 2 - Switch
59. Elderborn - PC
60. Hellbound - PC
61. Wargroove - Switch
62. Eye of the Beholder - PC
63. Quake: Dimension of the Past - PC
64. Quake: Dimension of the Machine - PC
65. Legends of Amberland: The Forgotten Crown - Switch
66. Anopek - PC
67. Baten Kaitos - Gamecube
68. No More Heroes 3 - Switch
69. Eye of the Beholder II - PC
70. Eye of the Beholder III - PC
71. Hedon II - PC
72. Deathloop - PC
73. Tales of Arise - PS5
74. Mechwarrior 5: Legend of the Kestrel Lancers - PC
75. Maneater: Truth Quest - PC
76. G String - PC
77. Thief (2014) - PC
78. Metroid Dread - Switch
79. Vomitoreum - PC
80. Severed Steel - PC
81. Syndicate - PC
82. Alan Wake - PC

From the creators of Max Payne comes Alan Wake, a linear survival horror with a single combat mechanic that is beaten to death in the first chapter and then has you go through five more chapters of it. This is very much a game to play for the story, not the gameplay, as the gameplay is very tired very quickly.

The setup is Alan Wake is a novelist currently dealing with writers block who goes on vacation with is wife to a small town in the Pacific Northwest. His wife hopes that this can be a way to break him out of his mental lock, but then while he angerly gets some air he suddenly hears her cry out in terror. Dashing back he finds she has fallen into the lake and he dives in to save her. He wakes up at the wheel of a crashed car and soon begins to experience some supernatural phenomena; people cloaked in shadows begin to attack him. And he finds these mysterious pages of a manuscript apparently written by him and narrating events he is currently going through. Time to solve the mystery.

As a horror title Alan Wake focuses on the supernatural creepiness of the mysterious dark force that seeks to stop Alan. While there are brief daylight sections where you are safe and experience some plot items, the bulk of the game is set at night, a most dangerous time. Enemies will come out of the shadows, and even objects can be possessed by the darkness and hurl themselves at you. But the antidote to darkness is light, and finding the occasional working light is a safe refuge for you.

Light is also the focus of the combat system. Enemies are cloaked in shadowy armor that must be dispelled before you can defeat them. Shining your trusty flashlight is the most common way, though you can also bust out flares for aoe shadow repulsion, and a flare guy and flashbangs can be used to instantly defeat hordes of enemies. Otherwise you need to finish enemies off by popping them with a firearm. Your defensive options consist of a short dodge and the ability to sprint for two seconds.

And here is the fundamental problem with the game. What I described is the ENTIRETY of the game's combat. The game generally likes to spawn enemies around you and they don't really give off noise other than the initial spawn for a combat segment; if reinforcements show up the only way you know about it is when they hit you from behind. Dispelling the shadows takes a lot of time, so there's a lot of frantic dodging around. Now, if the goal was to make you feel in over your head, then mission accomplished. But if the goal was for it to be fun they failed pretty hard. Usually when a game makes you bad at combat it's to signal that enemies are supposed to be avoided when possible. That's not the case here; most of the time you HAVE to fight enemies because it either blocks your path through or because their mobility is higher than yours in a chase and you can't get to a safe spot in time. The game is also inconsistent with its supplies. You get constantly reset through the game in terms of your gear, so you're encouraged to use it. But at the same time there are segments where the amount is carefully metered and even one missed shot means you can't take down an enemy and have to book it and dodge to a safe spot (and hopefully it's just one enemy, which is doable). The game sort of doesn't know what it wants to do, other than its story, which is fairly interesting on its own. I think the story could have been married to much better gameplay.

Overall Alan Wake feels pretty disappointing. You've seen everything it has to offer by the end of the first chapter, from a gameplay perspective. The rest is just seeing where thes tory is going, and I must admit at least that part was nice. Honestly this is a better game to watch a let's play of so you can fast forward past combat areas and focus on the story bits.
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