My Best Games Played List
Games that I have played recently and my thoughts on them. As I don't have much free time for games anymore, this list will likely be a high level of quality in general (not going to spend time on bad games).
List items
-
I went into this expecting excellence but ultimately a follow up to Breath of the Wild. What this game contains is so much more. An incredible vision brought to reality with a much improved story, genuine surprises and a genius level of game design. This is a stunning masterpiece and one of the absolute best games I have ever played.
-
It is astonishing how authentic, lived in and fully realised the world of The WItcher 3 is. With vastly distinctive areas and regions to explore, an incredible cast of characters and stunning soundtrack and visuals, it is hard to imagine a better fantasy experience than this masterpiece.
-
I never imagined Nintendo creating a world so full of life and capable of immersing me into its fabric. A masterclass in open world game design and the new standard for the series.
-
Still incredible after all these years. So easy to just jump in and become lost in the world of Tamriel. From its music and atmosphere to its open freedom. Absolute classic.
-
Only got around to this one in November 2020 and what can I say, I was blown away. Masterpiece of the modern singleplayer story driven experience but with some damn satisfying and tight combat mechanics. Such great boss fights and moments. Can't wait for the sequel.
-
The sheer focus on one detailed and fleshed out location, the atmosphere and the sheer tightness of the whole experience make this a gold standard. Still the best Arkham game.
-
Full of colour and life, and just so much fun to play. A masterclass in level design by Nintendo, and the finest Mario game in years.
-
I love the story and character moments in this game, and while the gameplay is not quite as tight as I remembered from 2013 it is still perfectly serviceable and at its best in the more survival horror moments.
-
An unexpected masterpiece. I think this is the best game that this developer has produced so far with a great story that is delivered in a way that marries itself to the actual gameplay. The art style, the music and the actual combat are sublime and this is a game that I am simply in love with.
-
Naughty Dog do set pieces like no one else, and they are combined with an expertly paced adventure, good cast of characters and a lavish world. Still the best in a powerful series.
-
Improving boss fights and maintaining all the polish of the first game while expanding the setting to an entire city, with a truly strong narrative.
-
-
Restoring MK to its rightful place at the forefront of the fighting genre with the best story campaign in a fighting game to date. The attention to characters, stage design and gameplay is lavish.
-
Replayed this in winter 2023 and what a fantastically put together Pokemon game. The pinnacle of the DS graphics and taking the brave decision to only include new Pokemon for its initial playthrough paid off with a well paced adventure that plays so smoothly and has some challenge for a change, if you let it.
-
A dark, immersive and eminently playable game that truly rewards stealth and gives the player proper freedom of approach and choice in its structure.
-
What an interesting game. I would not describe it as a remake, far more of a reimagining, and what a fantastic redo of an old game. It is not perfect, I strongly feel to get the most out of it you need to know or preferably have played the original FF7, but this is a powerful and surprisingly satisfying standalone game. The music is glorious as well.
-
Complete emotional gutpunch of a game, and so engaging to make what feel like huge decisions. Of course there is a lot less actual player impact than what the game makes you feel like, but it is a genuinely powerful narrative and still worth experiencing.
-
Incredible game in many ways but also a significant step down from the 2018 game. It failed to make good on the potential of the story, was far too long for its own good and many of its narrative conclusions don't actually stand up to scrutiny. The gameplay is incredible well designed and the world is rich and colourful so still an immensely impressive feat.
-
Finishing out the series with the best writing for the cast to date, with meaningful interactions and pristine locations to explore. Pacing is weak at points but a great game.
-
Returning actual horror to the series while also being brave enough to introduce first person gameplay and grasp the nettle of so many modern horror games. The focus and detail of the Baker House location is fantastic while it lasts.
-
A fantastic sequel to RE7 with a healthy feeling of RE4 thrown in. The vampiric castle was probably an early peak for the story but the game does stay excellent afterwards and despite the combat getting a bit frustrating towards the latter stages this is still the best RE game of its type and one that I immensely enjoyed playing through.
-
I did not play this game till Christmas 2023, taking a long break from the series after the Black Flag, but this was much better than I expected. While its gameplay is far more of an open world RPG than a traditional AC game, its world and attention to detail in the environments elevate it. The core story is a bit tepid and I have issues with the narrative but a damn fun and impressive game.
-
Another game that I didn't get around to till early 2024, this one surprised me with how good the main story is. The gameplay and action are solid and the open world is fine if a bit empty feeling compared to the best in the genre, but I loved the main story and seeing the machine enemies move and interact with damn impressive.
-
An unexpected masterclass in singlplayer shooting campaigns. Doom is uncompromising, focused on what it needs to be and pulls it off in complete style. Great campaign, lovely combat and looking and sounding incredible while doing it,
-
What a colourful, slick and fun launch title for the PS5 and a technical masterclass. It is such a smartly designed game with an solid story, some lovely moments and it was never dull. Punches way above its weight.
-
Lovely surprise from Telltale. Not as emotionally engaging as the Walking Dead game, but there is something about the art style, the music and the delivery of dialogue that clicks with me in this one.
-
Peak of its genre and era, and still a pleasure to play now. I really enjoyed another run-through of this gem and can appreciate all the more its quirks and fun humour. The camera angles have not aged well but the soul of what is here is just brilliant.
-
Pokemon goes open world with its main series with mixed results here. I really enjoyed the new pokemon and the overall feel of the game but the way the open world is designed and progressed through is questionable as well as the host of technical issues. It is still a really slid pokemon game at its core though and despite the tech problems I enjoyed playing through it immensely.
-
The main series' first foray onto home consoles is largely great, though a little safe. It is great to see the pokemon brought to full colour and life in a very good play experience. Perhaps too easy, and post game content is very weak.
-
What a surprisingly good game. Taking a healthy dose of learnings and gameplay from Breath of the Wild but transplanting it to Greek mythology and adding in a lot of humour and a very fun world to inhabit, Immortals was a really good surprise and a game that I really enjoyed my time with. Some excellent moments here to be had.
-
Improved fighting mechanics and an updated cast while also pushing the narrative forward, this sequel easily lives up to the legacy of its predecessor and pushes forward MK as a top tier fighting series. Hard to escape the story being slightly weaker with the MK4 arc being inherently worse.
-
A dark and foreboding 2D game that looks incredible. The story is all told through implication and really allows the player to decide what exactly is happening. Short but deep, and simply a work of art.
-
Great to see a singleplyer shooting game focused on providing a dark, difficult campaign that pulls no punches with its material. Good variety of levels, villains you want to kill, and a very fun time.
-
Great to get a faithful remake of the gen 4 pokemon games but overall I was underwhelmed with this entry. It felt like it was a step back for the series in some ways and overall just didnt click with me in the way that I expected.
-
Genuinely gripping and fun game to experience the first time through it. Packs a lot of horror stereotypes into one package intentionally, and is great fun to play with someone. Not at all scary, but I had a blast with it. No replay value though.
-
Lacks the impact or emotional power of the first game but it is as good a continuation of Clem's story as one could hope for. True to the themes of the first game and with plenty of powerful moments of its own. Still light on the actual gameplay but that is no surprise.
-
The first game of the series is action packed with a nice focused story and strong setup, but it has definitely aged poorly and is noticeably worse in all gameplay mechanics than its sequels.
-
Polished and gorgeous, but very little to this as a standalone game for me, and just felt completely unnecessary. Well worth exploring for fans of the series, but completely avoidable in the grand scheme of things. Really feel that Uncharted loses a lot of its strengths in a more open world setting. Gorgeous artistic style and setting though.
-
It looks stunning and has all the hallmark set pieces and exotic locations of the series. Great focus on the relationship between Nathan and Sully. However, it is very badly placed with weak villains and story, and the combat consistently feels off. Massive dis-improvement on its illustrious predecessor.
-
Was so impressed with this when it originally released. Replayed it in October 2020 and was left underwhelmed. It is gorgeous visually and with fantastic music and instrumentals but the game aspect of it is severely light and just lacks any real depth. Still, delighted that it exists.
-
Well made but overall a very linear experience that felt like an expansion pack to the Resident Evil 2 remake. Good but nothing remarkable here whatsoever.
-
Effective and slick campaign but lacks the impact or thrill that the best entries in the series have. Multiplayer is great by all accounts, but I am very much a campaign focused player.
-
Complete disappointment. Linear, dull, frustrating and genuinely a shadow of Dead Space in so many ways. At least the visuals are excellent.
Load Comments