General Gaming ~*D1P's Games of 2021*~

[best3444]

On 11/19/2021 at 4:05 PM, gamer.tv said:

 

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. B

Links Awakening (Switch). A

Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope. B

South Park: The Fractured But Whole. B-

Control B+
Undertale B+
Golf Story B
Resident Evil: Village A

Final Fantasy 7: Remake B
Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes B+
Luigi’s Mansion 3 B

 

What did you play Fallen Order on? I'm going to start that up very soon. 

[gamer.tv]

12 minutes ago, best3444 said:

 

What did you play Fallen Order on? I'm going to start that up very soon. 

PS4 (base). Looked and played well - definitely worth the 15 hours I spent with it.

[Bacon]

FFXIV and ELEX my my games of 2021. 

[best3444]

5 minutes ago, gamer.tv said:

PS4 (base). Looked and played well - definitely worth the 15 hours I spent with it.

 

Cool. I'll be playing on the XSX with all the new visual upgrades. 15 hours is a perfect length for a game imo. 

[stepee]

I’m going to have to really look back and list them all but I did p good in 2021 for actually beating games, but still have a bunch I started and didn’t finish as well. 

 

Off the top of my head I beat:

 

Dying Light

New Super Luckys Tale
Rachet and Clank A rift, a fart

Tony Hawk 1+2 (100% on ps5 and working on switch version now and started the pc version lol)
Control

Cyberpunk

Hitman 1

Hitman 2

Deathloop

Psyconauts 2

Mario 3D World + Bowsers fury (both parts)

Guardians of the Galaxy

Far Cry 6

Sonic Lost World

Kena

Halo Infinite

Call of Duty Cold War

Warioware Switch

 

Edit: oh damn Last of Us 2 I played/beat this year as well. 

[Chris-]

Oh, I guess I beat WarioWare if that counts. Kind of feel like it shouldn't count.

[Brian]

5 hours ago, stepee said:

Rachet and Clank A rift, a fart

 

Wow. I don’t remember the farts. 

[stepee]

51 minutes ago, Chris- said:

Oh, I guess I beat WarioWare if that counts. Kind of feel like it shouldn't count.

 kind of feel like u shouldn’t count biiiiaaaaaa

 

Just beat NMH3 now I need to see what switch game to main next. NMH3 was a little better than I thought it would be, it’s probably better than the first one. It’s non stop bat shit crazy to the end. I dont know why the end kills even with just flicking the analog stick now feel so damn gooooood. I think in a weird way this was my favorite story in a game this year actually, really fun. 

 

 

[SaysWho?]

Just finished Great Ace Attorney 2 and it was a phenomenal game.

 

I've played Phoenix Wright 1 - 3 and Apollo Justice, and now the Great Ace games, and I'm surprised to say that I think the characters in Great Ace are as good, if not even more memorable, than the lovely characters of the original trilogy. The first Great Ace does a ton of setup, and some players felt disappointed, but every plot thread not resolved in the first gets resolved in the second. In Ace Attorney fashion, there are plenty of twists and memorable meltdowns, but I truly felt like these two games had some of the most fleshed out characters I've encountered in the series. 

 

Really loved it, and there was not one dud of a case in the second game. I hope they remaster the second trilogy next year.

 

2021 Games

 

Demon's Souls Remake (2nd playthrough)

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -- Trials and Tribulations

Days Gone

Astro's Playroom

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Ratchet & Clank (2016)

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time

Ratchet & Clank Future: Into The Nexus

Braid

Returnal

Resident Evil Village

Returnal (true ending)

Mass Effect 1

Mass Effect 2

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Mass Effect 3

Two-Point Hospital

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart NG+

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

New Super Mario Bros. U

Super Mario Odyssey

Hades

The Great Ace Attorney Adventures

Returnal (2nd playthrough)

Streets of Rage 4

Deathloop

The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve

[Phaseknox]

On 12/27/2021 at 2:28 PM, best3444 said:

15 hours is a perfect length for a game imo. 

For directed, linear and scripted games that’s a good length, but I like adventure games and RPGs to be longer than that.

[dualhunter]

Finished Chrono Trigger (Steam version). I've previously play the original and DS versions. I played through completely twice and got all the endings. The "enhanced" graphics mode looks awful so I used the original graphics and the only issues I had besides characters having delayed deaths (HP is 0 but they're still standing for a while) was that sometimes my saves would fail to load, the screen would stay black. Quitting the game and reloading (sometimes took a few times) would eventually get the save to load fine.

[dualhunter]

Finished Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster.

[stepee]

Already starting my 2022 list as I got the Capcom Beat em Up Bundle on sale the other day and rang in the new year playing King of Dragons and beating it around 12:30pm. It’s a good Golden Axe clone, it’s kind of funny seeing Capcom so shamelessly rip off another game right when they are about to release the most ripped off game of the era.

[stepee]

1 minute ago, stepee said:

Already starting my 2022 list as I got the Capcom Beat em Up Bundle on sale the other day and rang in the new year playing King of Dragons and beating it around 12:30pm. It’s a good Golden Axe clone, it’s kind of funny seeing Capcom so shamelessly rip off another game right when they are about to release the most ripped off game of the era.

 

@SaysWho? YOU WERE LATE

[TwinIon]

I didn't really keep a log during the year, so here's a recap of what I played through this year.

 

 

PC:

 

Destiny 2 - I continue to enjoy my time in D2, which is an excellent shooter that still stumbles with its MMO aspirations.

Hearthstone Battlegrounds - I've long since given up on Standard in HS, but I return to Battlegrounds periodically since it doesn't require any deck building and is easy to play for 20min and then have that turn into 2 hours.

Dyson Sphere Program - I haven't played any of this games' progenitors (factorio and the like), but DSP consumed me for over 100 hours and there was still endless optimization to be done long after I put it down.

Nier Replicant - A very solid action game in an interesting world that unfortunately isn't great at respecting the players' time. I still need to play through Automata.

Humankind - A very worthy Civ competitor that doesn't really stray far enough from its' inspiration to feel totally unique.

Deathloop - Possibly my favorite roguelike game that avoids a potentially repetitive experience with a compelling story line and strong guidance. I only wished for a bit more genuine discovery.

 

Switch:

Metroid Dread - A very solid 2D Metroid entry that also doesn't stray too far enough its roots to feel exciting in 2021, but is overall still a worthwhile playthrough.

 

PS5:

Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart - Pixar quality visuals is not an understatement. R&C remains as it ever was, entertaining, straightforward, and zany.

Returnal - I typically stay away from "hard" games that punish the players, but I'm glad I gave Returnal a try. I think a more gradual learning curve might have been warranted, but once I got through the first biome, I was able to quickly clear the rest. The shooting and movement feel superb, and the graphics feel as modern as they are.

Spider-Man (PS4) - My first PS5 experience was one I'd already had on my PS4. I've replayed so few big open-world games that it's an incredible affirmation of the quality of Spider-Man that I was willing to replay it so soon. It really shines on the PS5.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Largely more of the same, which is (for now) more than enough. Traversal is just so joyous in these games, combat is fluid, and the story is well told.

Guardians of the Galaxy - It's a fine shooter, a meh adventure game, but a wonderful time. The characters and story make it worthwhile, even if the moment to moment gameplay isn't super compelling.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Hey, remember how long it took me to do my write-up for 2020?!?  Well, I'm ahead of schedule by a whole two months for 2021! 

 

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC - Origin)

Overall, this game was a pretty good way to start 2021 (even though I did start this game back in January 2020)!  It was quite refreshing to play a really good Star Wars single-player title after what seems like a fairly significant long-term drought.  I wouldn't say that the game necessarily did anything truly earth-shattering, but it didn't have to at all - the individual elements (combat, planetary settings, side characters, etc.) were compelling enough to elevate the game beyond what in reality is a very well-executed third- person action title with some (very) light Souls-like characteristics.  The only part of the game that just didn't resonate with me was the main character who is about as inoffensively bland a protagonist as they could possibly create (he ain't no Kyle Katarn - that's for damned sure!), but even that didn't significant detract from the overall quality of the experience at all.  Fallen Order definitely wasn't the second coming of the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight, nor did I expect it to be.  It was a solidly entertaining romp through the Star Wars universe and in the end, that's all I ever truly could ask for!  Bring on Survivor in 2023!

 

DOOM Eternal and The Ancient Gods Parts I and 2 DLCs (PC - the late, great Bethesda Game Launcher)

I sung the praises of DOOM Eternal and The Ancient Gods Part 1 DLC in my 2021 write-up so I won't bother to re-hash them here, but I decided to replay both of them prior to the release of The Ancient Gods Part 2 just to get the ol' fast twitch reflexes back up to speed.  Funnily enough, that probably wasn't necessary as it genuinely appears that the overall difficulty was dialed back pretty significantly for Part 2 after being unreasonably cranked to 11 (and beyond!) for Part 1.  Part 2 was still very much DOOM Eternal, but it just wasn't nearly as punishing as the latter stages of the base game nor the entirety of Part 1.  As enjoyable as Part 2 was (because more DOOM Eternal is ALWAYS a good thing!), I really did get the sense that the developers had probably had their fill of working on the game and while they definitely weren't "phoning it in", then it was somewhat apparent that they were just ready to move on to their next project (PLEASE LET IT BE QUAKE!).  It's either that or the effects of working during the COVID-19 pandemic displayed their impact with Part 2.  Either way, I just got the sense that something was "off" with Part 2 relative to the base game and Part 1, but not to the degree that Part 2 should be skipped - not at all!  At least Part 2 kept the well-established DOOM Eternal tradition of having a final boss fight that well and truly sucks! 

 

Alien: Isolation and Crew Expendable/Last Survivor DLCs  (PC - Steam)

I'm all but certain that Alien: Isolation is in every PC gamer's Steam library with at least a couple of hours of playtime.  I have no evidence to substantiate this hypothesis other than the number of "LTTP - Alien: Isolation" threads that pop up on ResetERA once or twice a month.  Because I decided to turn 2021 into the "Year of the Backlog", it was finally time for me to move this game into the "completed" category and am I ever glad that I did!  Alien: Isolation is simply one of the most tension-filled media experiences that I've ever had, and not only because of the presence of the xenomorph!  I wouldn't necessarily call Alien: Isolation a survival-horror game as much as a "light" immersive sim in a similar vein to Prey (2017) albeit with somewhat less player agency.  For me, the absolute standout component of Alien: Isolation is the art direction which more than compensates for its relatively dated 2014-era graphics.  There were more than a few times when I just stopped to look at my monitor in absolute awe at how utterly gorgeous a particular scene or setting appeared...which usually resulted in the xenomorph dropping out of the ceiling and tearing me to pieces!  If I had one criticism of the game, it's that it maybe overstayed its welcome just a bit and probably could've had some of the later levels cut or at least condensed for an overall tighter experience, but this is a very minor quibble in the greater scheme of things.  I also played the two story-based DLCs (Crew Expendable and Last Survivor) which are set on the Nostromo.  These are "fine", but they're pretty short at probably 30 minutes each at the most and are hardly essential for the overall Alien: Isolation experience at all.  It's really kind of a shame that Alien: Isolation didn't set the world on fire commercially but at least it's repeated "rediscovery" gives me some  hope that maybe SEGA and Creative Assembly will give a sequel a shot someday!

 

Black Mesa (PC - Steam)

When it was released in 1996, the original Half-Life changed the nature of FPS gaming forever.  That's not an exaggeration - that's simply an indisputable, established fact!  Over the years, there have been a couple of attempts by Valve to update the game with more modern elements, but these efforts were of very limited scale at best.  It wasn't until a mod team known as the Crowbar Collective decided to take upon the task of completely remake the game using the Source Engine that the idea of a fully modern version of the original Half-Life became a reality.  Over seven years after its initial release in 2012, the final "Definitive Edition" of Black Mesa released in December 2020 and can truly be considered the true "definitive" version of Half-Life.  Not only does Black Mesa feature infinitely improved graphics and other quality-of-life elements, but Crowbar Collective re-worked several of Half-Life's original levels to give them tighter pacing and improved puzzle design as well as significantly expanding the Xen levels to make them feel like an organic part of the game rather than the "tacked-on" experience of the 1996 original.  As Eurogamer stated in its review, Black Mesa genuinely feels like an "evolution" of the original Half-Life rather than a straight remake.  Perhaps no higher praise for Black Mesa can be given than that from Dario Casali -- a designer at Valve who worked on all Half-Life games -- who remarked in an interview that during development on Half-Life: Alyx he attempted to play the entirety of the original Half-Life again for research, but after five hours decided to play Black Mesa instead, reasoning it was a much more enjoyable product.  You REALLY owe it to yourself to play Black Mesa if only to see what genuine commitment and passion can produce!  Overall, it was absolutely wonderful to return to Black Mesa and step back into Gordon Freeman's HEV suit for what was definitely my favorite gaming experience of 2021!  Hey, Valve - maybe you should consider contracting these guys for a remake of Half-Life 2?  Just spitballin' here...

 

The Evil Within 2 (PC - Steam)

I've made my initial feelings about the original The Evil Within title pretty clear on this board (I used the word "sludge" repeatedly to describe just about every aspect of the game).  However, over the years, my feelings about the game changed pretty dramatically as I came to understand (or at least I think I did!) some of the design choices that were made by the developers and I'd go as far as to say that I now have a "grudging respect" for the original The Evil Within, if not exactly outright admiration.  It's with this fairly open attitude that I approached its sequel and while I have to say that I did enjoy my time with The Evil Within 2, I really do have to say that  it's a step-down from its predecessor in several respects.  Starting with the story, anyone looking for a definite continuation from the first game is going to be sorely disappointed as any narrative links are tenuous at best and the overall narrative just nearly as compelling as that of the original (and let's face it - the original didn't have that stellar of a story to begin with!).  From a mechanical perspective, apart from some quality-of-life improvements, the gameplay and character progression is practically identical to the original which in and of itself isn't necessarily a negative, but a little more mechanical evolution would definitely have been welcome.  What is perhaps the most striking downgrade from the first game involves graphics, art direction, and overall atmosphere: put simply, they're just not as good as the first game at all.  The first game had some absolutely striking visuals that were set in dirty, grim, decaying environments that really conveyed the sense that you were in trapped in an atmospheric, grotesque hellscape.  The Evil Within 2 either has none of this or they're delivered in such minor quantities that it's barely noticeable and their omission really detracts from the overall experience that the developers are aiming for.  I suppose that this was a necessary technical sacrifice in order to execute the quasi-open world/wide linear level design, but that design decision added so very little to the overall  experience that I can honestly say that it was absolutely the wrong one.  In summary, I didn't dislike my time with The Evil Within 2, but it didn't exactly leave me clamoring for a sequel either.  Perhaps, it was for the best that The Evil Within 3 did actually turn into Ghostwire: Tokyo after all.

 

To be continued...

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Little Nightmares and Secrets of the Maw DLC (PC - Steam)

This one had been a persistent temptation in my Steam Library for ages, so I figured that the "Year of the Backlog" was as good a time as any to get to it.  From at atmospheric perspective, this 2.5D  puzzle-platform horror adventure game reminds me of a Tim Burton movie aesthetically in that it's set in a world that's recognizable, but definitely isn't quite "right".  It's this atmosphere/aesthetics that really carry the game as the actual platforming gameplay itself can best be characterized as "serviceable" at best and in very rare instances can be really quite wonky.  The game also relies on stealth (or as the developers describe, "hide and seek") mechanics which again are serviceable, but in a few instances kinda/sorta "break" in a way that left me wondering exactly what the hell I had done wrong to get caught.  This was especially noticeable in a particular sequence which involves trying to escape from a maniacal chef in a kitchen where I had to hide from him behind the legs of a table where my success or failure in effectively hiding seemed somewhat random or arbitrary.  By that I mean, sometimes I'd get caught and sometimes I wouldn't, but there was no real clear way for me to discern what actions I did or didn't do which led to the different outcomes.  Fortunately, these sort of frustrations were rare enough that they didn't significantly impact my enjoyment of the game.  Did I mention that the atmosphere and visuals are nothing short of top-notch?  I thought I'd reiterate that point again! I'd definitely also recommend playing the Secrets of the Maw DLC even though you won't be visiting any areas different than those already present in the base game.  The DLC sheds some more light on the admittedly opaque story and provides a different perspective on the events of the base game.  It also ties in quite nicely with one of the more "shocking" moments of the base game as well!  I definitely recommend playing Little Nightmares if you're in the mood for something short, sweet, and hauntingly atmospheric!

 

Metro Last Light: Redux (PC - Steam)

Speaking of atmospheric, there are few game series that are as committed to their overall visual aesthetics and atmospheric tone as the Metro series.  Within the dark, dingy, cramped confines of the post-apocalyptic Moscow Metro system, both Metro Last Light and its Metro 2033 predecessor certainly establish a sense of time and place to such a degree that it wouldn't surprise me in the least if some players themselves felt a sense of claustrophobia during their gaming sessions.  Furthermore, the game's depiction of the communities and factions that evolved within the Moscow Metro system really does a good job of illustrating the notion that "civilization/society will find a way" even within the bleakest of contexts (and this is about as bleak an overall context as you could possibly get!).  Personally, I really do recommend playing the game with the Russian language voice track paired English subtitles to really enhance the overall sense of immersion.  Now, for all of its superb atmosphere and aesthetics, there is one aspect of the Metro Last Light and its predecessor that I really do have to critique and that would be the overall agency the player has when it comes to interacting with the game world.  Simply put, there really is little-to-none to the point where the game tip-toes up to the line of being an "on-rails" shooter.  I don't know if this is a technical limitation of the 4A Engine or a deliberate design choice of the developers in order to have a more "cinematic" presentation, but unless the action involved moving and shooting, then Artyom (the player character) literally can't do anything else unless it's been pre-scripted.  For example, in order to climb a ladder, all you have to do is approach the ladder, press the appropriate key or button, and Artyom will climb the ladder automatically with no further player input required.  For me, this is quite immersion-breaking within the context of a game whose central conceit is to maintain the first-person viewpoint at all times without a break in perspective.  This is just one example, but there are several others where the game's actions essentially happen to Artyom (and by extension the player) rather than he (and the player) having agency over those actions.  I just couldn't help shaking the feeling that the developers had a story that they really, really wanted to tell and that the actual gameplay was just something that to be muddled through in service of the story, or as someone described on the Discord server, "It's telling a story and you're moving through it."  This isn't to say that what gameplay is there is bad -- far from it as many gameplay sequences can be quite tension-filled, especially if the player opts for a primarily stealth-based approach -- it's just that there could've been so much more that could've been done in terms of player agency/world interactivity to complement the already superb atmosphere and aesthetics.  My understanding is that Metro Exodus improves upon the level of player agency/world interactivity so I'm looking forward to finding out when I finally get around to playing it!

 

To be continued...

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

A Plague Tale: Innocence (PC - Steam)

I simply couldn't let the "Year of the Backlog" pass without completing this game which I had (metaphorically) picked up and put down a few times since its initial release in 2019 and continued taunt me every time I looked at my Steam Library.  Furthermore, the announcement of its "Requiem" provided the extra motivation required to finally see it through, and I'm so very glad that I did!  Let's start with the negatives: the actual gameplay of "Innocence" rarely transcends being categorized as "serviceable" or "pedestrian" at best.  The actual gameplay mechanics are fairly rudimentary and despite the presence of an upgrade system, really don't evolve significantly throughout a playthrough in the sense that you won't be doing anything significantly different by the end of the game that you weren't doing at the beginning.  This description extends to all aspects of gameplay: combat (such as it is considering that the only weapon is a sling), stealth (nothing particularly challenging as enemy AI is as dumb as rocks), and puzzle solving (none of them are particularly intellectually taxing).  I think that "Innocence" essentially suffers from a similar situation as Metro Last Light that I described in my previous post: the developers had a story that they very much wanted to tell and the gameplay merely represents a conduit to progress through that story.  And what a story it is!  I was absolutely captivated by the game's quasi-historical take on the era of the Black Death in 14th century France which involves a supernatural twist on the plague and a similar-but-not-quite version of the Roman Catholic Church and its Inquisition.  I would also be remiss if I didn't mention how absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous this game is visually - there really is practically no area of the game that isn't screenshot worthy and you can definitely tell that this is where Asobo chose to dedicate a not-insignificant portion of the development budget.  Of course, this sort of visual fidelity comes at a price in the sense that the player is funneled down clearly-defined paths from which there is little or no deviation lest they run into a wall, some of which are very much invisible.  Just like the Metro series, I really do recommend playing the game using the French language voice track paired with English subtitles for a greater sense of immersion and to appreciate the quality acting of the young cast.  Despite its "passable" gameplay mechanics, I genuinely do recommend "Innocence" for all of its other delightful qualities that I've described.  Hopefully, Asobo will expand upon those areas that were deficient for the "Requiem" sequel!

 

Raji: An Ancient Epic (PC - Steam)

I backed this game's original unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign primarily for two reasons: (a) I wanted to give a small development team from a non-Western nation the opportunity to realize its ambitions and (b) anything that involves the absolutely wild, bat-shit insanity that is Hindu mythology immediately has my attention - seriously, if you think that Greek/Norse mythology has some off-the-wall stuff, you ain't seen nothing yet when compared to Hindu mythology!  Needless to say, I was terribly saddened when the Kickstarter failed...but -- against all odds -- this incredibly persistent, committed team kept plugging away at it, with the assistance Unreal Dev Grant from Epic Games.  From a narrative perspective, the game's inspiration comes from the Hindu epics known as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but isn't a direct re-telling of those tales.  Graphically, the game mimics the art style of Pahari paintings with the in-game architecture reflecting that of medieval Rajasthan.  The game's visuals are very lush, clean, and distinct so you can really appreciate the care that went into crafting the environments.  The enemy design is probably like nothing you've ever seen before in a game influenced by either Western or Japanese mythology and certainly inspired me to learn more about Hindu myth in general.  From an actual gameplay mechanics perspective, it's best to keep in mind that this was the first project from a very small development team, so keep your expectations in check when it comes to combat, puzzles, and platforming depth and sophistication.  The best way to describe Raji's "Holy Trinity of Gameplay" would be that of a very stripped-down version of the classic God of War before fatherhood turned Kratos all soft and mushy.  If you can forgive this relative "shallowness" of the gameplay experience, then I'm pretty sure that you'll have a very good time with this short delve into the mythology of the second most populated nation on Earth.  There is unquestionably a significant amount of talent present on the development team at Nodding Heads Games and I'm genuinely interested in where they go next.  Note: an Enhanced Edition of Raji was just released on Steam last Tuesday which contains many significant gameplay and quality-of-life improvements over the original release, so now is as good a time as any to check this game out!

 

Resident Evil 3 Remake (PC - Steam)

I'll start this by saying that I have absolutely no experience playing the original Resident Evil 3, so I have nothing to compare the Remake to in terms of what was added, removed, or changed from the original game and therefore won't comment on those aspects accordingly.  What I will compare it to is the Resident Evil 2 Remake that I thoroughly enjoyed when I played it in 2019 and in that particular comparison, the Resident Evil 3 Remake falls kinda short, especially in terms of overall gameplay value.  My understanding is that the original Resident Evil 3 was a more action-oriented title than its predecessor and was significantly shorter in gameplay length as well, so maybe these complaints of mine aren't particularly valid, but I really can't see how there was any real justification to release this as a full-priced title rather than as more expensive "premium" DLC for Resident Evil 2 Remake.  Overall, there's nothing particularly "bad" about the Resident Evil 3 Remake - the graphics are roughly on par with those of the Resident Evil 2 Remake (though in some instances there does appear to be noticeable downgrade), the action-oriented gameplay is solid, the storyline is delightfully cheesy and accompanied by equally as entertaining voice acting.  But despite all of these positives, there is so very little difference between this game and its predecessor -- especially when it comes to the gameplay environments and assets, many of which are straight-up re-used -- that those positives are significantly offset by the notion that this should've either been premium DLC or a more budget-priced title.  I'd say Resident Evil 3 Remake is a pretty fun (if relatively short) romp, especially if you enjoyed the Resident Evil 2 Remake - just don't pay anything even close to the full price at all.

 

To be concluded in the next post...

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and The City That Never Sleeps DLC / Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

I decided to break-in my PS5 with an overload of New York's favorite Friendly Neighborhood Webslinger which meant starting with the Remastered version of the original game, following-up with The City That Never Sleeps DLC, and closing with Miles Morales.  Needless to say, by the time I was done, I felt that I knew Insomniac's version of Manhattan better than I knew my own apartment!  If I had to use one word to describe my experience with these games, it would be "pure fun" (OK - I know that's technically two words, but you catch my drift).  Just about every aspect of these games (with the highly notable exception of the stealth sequences in the original base game) appears to have been specifically crafted/designed to hit the right receptors to keep playing despite no one particular element being a well-executed iteration rather an exceptional innovation.  For example, at its most fundamental level, combat unquestionably represents an evolution of the "flow-based" combat that was first demonstrated in Batman; Arkham Asylum back in the ancient times of 2009 and has since been a mainstay of not only the subsequent Arkham titles, but also the two Morder titles and Mad Max (I'm sure they're a few others that I'm missing).  From that perspective, the combat in these Spider-Man titles isn't particularly original, but it is certainly competent and well-executed enough to be thoroughly engaging!  When it comes to side activities and collectibles, once again these games don't break new ground in terms of originality, but the activities themselves are interesting -- or at the very least unobtrusive -- enough to not completely feel like busywork whose presence only serves to pad out game length or fill the map with more icons.  Where these titles truly shine is in making the player's traversal through the city genuinely feel they're inhabiting the Web Crawler's suit - the sense of momentum, control, fluidity, and freedom is simply something that I really can't remember experiencing in a game in quite some time and is nothing short of exhilarating/breathtaking!  My understanding is that the web-swinging in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows afforded more freedom/fluidity than is present in the Insomniac series, but having not played that game, I'm not in a position to comment on that comparison.  I will say that I'm very much interested in what Insomniac can do regarding traversal/web-slinging in the PS5-exclusive sequel!  From a story perspective, pretty much everything narratively-speaking through all of the games is extremely well-developed, well-acted comic book fare none of which is particularly memorable, but definitely not "bad" in any way, shape, or form or detracts from the overall fantastic package.  I'd even go as far as to say that The City That Never Sleeps DLC is as close to "essential" story content as could be expected from something that isn't a full-fledged sequel.  And Miles Morales is an overall better game than the original in just about every aspect, especially his powers which definitely cross into the territory of being OP! The bottom line is that if you own a PS5, then you owe it to yourself to play these games on that platform - you definitely won't regret it!

 

Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island DLC (PS5)

At the end of my Ghost of Tsushima commentary for the 2020 games recap, I said that I wasn't sure unsure if I'd be "Day One" for the Iki Island DLC.  Well, as it turns out, I was "Day One" for the DLC as I really wanted to see how GoT looked on the PS5.  Well, as it turns out, GoT looks pretty damned good on the PS5 and the Iki Island DLC was simply the Further Adventures of Jin Sakai, with a few gameplay tweaks thrown in for good measure.  Where the Iki Island DLC comes into its own is when it further explores Jin's backstory as a youth and his relationship with his father, both of which play such a significant role in the narrative of the base game.  Whether or not that constitutes this DLC as "essential" really does boil down to just how invested you were in the base game's narrative and its overarching gameplay loop.  Simply put, if you enjoyed GoT, then you'll enjoy this DLC and if you didn't enjoy GoT, then this DLC sure as hell ain't gonna change that at all!

 

And that's a wrap for my recap of games that I completed in 2021!  Towards the end of the year my gaming time tailed off a bit as I decided to focus on getting my physical fitness level back to where I wanted it to be and now that it is, hopefully I can get back on track for 2022 despite getting off to a slow start.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to read these pointlessly long, rambling thoughts that have been knocking around in my skull for months, but I just had to get 'em out of there and posted on the  board before they drove me (even more) insane!  Maybe I'll even be able to post about my 2022 games within this calendar year! 

[stepee]

19 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and The City That Never Sleeps DLC / Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

I decided to break-in my PS5 with an overload of New York's favorite Friendly Neighborhood Webslinger which meant starting with the Remastered version of the original game, following-up with The City That Never Sleeps DLC, and closing with Miles Morales.  Needless to say, by the time I was done, I felt that I knew Insomniac's version of Manhattan better than I knew my own apartment!  If I had to use one word to describe my experience with these games, it would be "pure fun" (OK - I know that's technically two words, but you catch my drift).  Just about every aspect of these games (with the highly notable exception of the stealth sequences in the original base game) appears to have been specifically crafted/designed to hit the right receptors to keep playing despite no one particular element being a well-executed iteration rather an exceptional innovation.  For example, at its most fundamental level, combat unquestionably represents an evolution of the "flow-based" combat that was first demonstrated in Batman; Arkham Asylum back in the ancient times of 2009 and has since been a mainstay of not only the subsequent Arkham titles, but also the two Morder titles and Mad Max (I'm sure they're a few others that I'm missing).  From that perspective, the combat in these Spider-Man titles isn't particularly original, but it is certainly competent and well-executed enough to be thoroughly engaging!  When it comes to side activities and collectibles, once again these games don't break new ground in terms of originality, but the activities themselves are interesting -- or at the very least unobtrusive -- enough to not completely feel like busywork whose presence only serves to pad out game length or fill the map with more icons.  Where these titles truly shine is in making the player's traversal through the city genuinely feel they're inhabiting the Web Crawler's suit - the sense of momentum, control, fluidity, and freedom is simply something that I really can't remember experiencing in a game in quite some time and is nothing short of exhilarating/breathtaking!  My understanding is that the web-swinging in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows afforded more freedom/fluidity than is present in the Insomniac series, but having not played that game, I'm not in a position to comment on that comparison.  I will say that I'm very much interested in what Insomniac can do regarding traversal/web-slinging in the PS5-exclusive sequel!  From a story perspective, pretty much everything narratively-speaking through all of the games is extremely well-developed, well-acted comic book fare none of which is particularly memorable, but definitely not "bad" in any way, shape, or form or detracts from the overall fantastic package.  I'd even go as far as to say that The City That Never Sleeps DLC is as close to "essential" story content as could be expected from something that isn't a full-fledged sequel.  And Miles Morales is an overall better game than the original in just about every aspect, especially his powers which definitely cross into the territory of being OP! The bottom line is that if you own a PS5, then you owe it to yourself to play these games on that platform - you definitely won't regret it!

 

Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island DLC (PS5)

At the end of my Ghost of Tsushima commentary for the 2020 games recap, I said that I wasn't sure unsure if I'd be "Day One" for the Iki Island DLC.  Well, as it turns out, I was "Day One" for the DLC as I really wanted to see how GoT looked on the PS5.  Well, as it turns out, GoT looks pretty damned good on the PS5 and the Iki Island DLC was simply the Further Adventures of Jin Sakai, with a few gameplay tweaks thrown in for good measure.  Where the Iki Island DLC comes into its own is when it further explores Jin's backstory as a youth and his relationship with his father, both of which play such a significant role in the narrative of the base game.  Whether or not that constitutes this DLC as "essential" really does boil down to just how invested you were in the base game's narrative and its overarching gameplay loop.  Simply put, if you enjoyed GoT, then you'll enjoy this DLC and if you didn't enjoy GoT, then this DLC sure as hell ain't gonna change that at all!

 

And that's a wrap for my recap of games that I completed in 2021!  Towards the end of the year my gaming time tailed off a bit as I decided to focus on getting my physical fitness level back to where I wanted it to be and now that it is, hopefully I can get back on track for 2022 despite getting off to a slow start.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to read these pointlessly long, rambling thoughts that have been knocking around in my skull for months, but I just had to get 'em out of there and posted on the  board before they drove me (even more) insane!  Maybe I'll even be able to post about my 2022 games within this calendar year! 

 

I recall you really enjoyed Sunset Overdrive as well, yeah, nobody does movement like insomniac.

 

I think I put in 40 hours for Miles and half of that was just swinging around and taking pictures.

[Brian]

3 hours ago, stepee said:

 

I recall you really enjoyed Sunset Overdrive as well, yeah, nobody does movement like insomniac.

 

I think I put in 40 hours for Miles and half of that was just swinging around and taking pictures.

Imagine if Tango Gameworks nailed Ghostwire Tokyo traversal. 

[stepee]

10 minutes ago, ManUtdRedDevils said:

Imagine if Tango Gameworks nailed Ghostwire Tokyo traversal. 

 

Lol yeah they really didn’t did they. Exploring and collecting was still fun enough but the actual moment to moment movement is too slow and very basic. I thought when I saw you could grapple those demons it would include some swinging action or smtn but na just the slow glide.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

5 hours ago, stepee said:

I recall you really enjoyed Sunset Overdrive as well, yeah, nobody does movement like insomniac.

 

Oh yeah!  I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of my time with Sunset Overdrive!

 

Man, it's such a relief to have FINALLY completed those write-ups!  Those have been taunting me on my "To-Do" List for months! 

[Keyser_Soze]

And @GeneticBlueprint thought I was bad for finishing my music write-ups in February!

[GeneticBlueprint]

30 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

And @GeneticBlueprint thought I was bad for finishing my music write-ups in February!

 

Nah. I still owe @DPCyricmmy best of 2010s list. I'll get around to it.

[Keyser_Soze]

2 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

Nah. I still owe @DPCyricmmy best of 2010s list. I'll get around to it.

 

I'm working on mine too but it took me like a year to get through one year.

[DPCyric]

2 hours ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

 

Nah. I still owe @DPCyricmmy best of 2010s list. I'll get around to it.

 

You remember 

[Phaseknox]

@Commissar SFLUFAN
 

Good write-ups, I have a lot of the same games in my backlog that I still need to play including: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Alien: Isolation, The Evil Within 2, Little Nightmares, A Plague Tale: Innocence, Raji: An Ancient Epic, Resident Evil 3 Remake and Marvel’s Spider-Man.

 

Now I want to get the DLC for Little Nightmares and Marvel’s Spider-Man based on what you said, because I was going to pass on them but they sound like they add to the overall experiences.