it's 2017 baby
so here's my 2017 games-i-played-and-liked list. like my previous years' lists, i'm gonna update this as the year goes on. the order is loose, and the takes are hot
List items
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the weapon combo system feels a bit disappointingly too much like the original nier, and the defensive interactions feel weird and loose, but the game as a whole is still pretty fantastic. the emotional highs and complexity of the story is quite impressive.
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this game is a lot to process. to say the least, it is a game with a unique voice and very well-crafted aesthetics. i'll have to come back to this later, cause i'm still not sure what to think about it
after thinking about it for like, a month, yes i'm pretty sure this is one of the best adventure games ever made. why does this year have so many games with some of the best stories ever ugghhh
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The War of the Chosen expansion is so huge that it doubled the game in file size. While that isn't exactly a good metric for, well, anything, it's somewhat indicative of how much the game has changed, fortunately for the better. The changes elevate XCOM 2's main differentiator to Enemy Within of being "bigger and better" to an extreme, by giving players even more flexibility and variance through having a ridiculous amount of interacting systems. So much is happening at all time, and it constantly feels like playing a giant tower of Jenga that shakes suspiciously at every second, but somehow stays up.
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there's something beautiful to this take of open world game design from nintendo. all the systems and their interactions with each other feel very well thought out, and the world design is also top-notch. maybe it isn't perfect, nor is it for everyone, but i'm sure it will be a very memorable and influential effort for the world.
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this is a really fucking cool take on what mythology could look like with a modern 2017 perspective. the confidence with which it carries itself, from how it's got a well produced and inventive look and sound to how punchy the story is, is also simply impressive.
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this is the first time since the original asscreed that i've loved this kind of game. it's a fresh take on an action RPG that doesn't sacrifice the presence and commitment to worldbuilding that the concept of asscreed carries. this is such a contextually detailed game that you can walk along the grain fields, one arm stretched out feeling the wheat, while you listen to the farmers work the soil and sing... not to mention the solid writing in general!
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this is my dream cooking game... it kinda launched badly, but the game is still super duper fun to play. it's satisfying in all of the ways as what is esentially an arcade-y power fantasy. i'm also liking the weird alternate history lore they've put in the food and restaurant descriptions. there is one thing i'm a little disappointed by though. the available food selection is still fairly US-centric, although it is clear that significant effort has been made to combat that since the first game. i also wish there were more vegetable/vegetarian options for the mains. (yes, i refuse to ever call mains "entrees"!)
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i honestly don't know why i'm so obsessed with this game, but i can at least say a few good things about it. it's got great variety, a fairly generous economy, a well-supported active community, and the dressing up part itself is surprisingly solid (despite being very limited to the one character). weirdly enough, it takes its own lore about previously warring states of different fashion styles and the lost-in-another-world protagonist very seriously, and it has Souls-esque storytelling through item descriptions to boot. the main loop of dressing up to grind for more clothes to dress up with is what it is, but it's fun enough. the competitive scene of dressing up to a theme well and get votes from other players is super fun and easy to get into, for a mobile game experience. my only big complaint is how unwieldy the menu interface is, which is a big minus for a game that is entirely menu-based. There's also dodgy practices with how some of the events are designed. it's common for these things, but still... anyway, i like this game a lot. by the way, join my stylist association with the ID 5972 =D
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i still haven't finished this, but this game works in a way i think Transistor didn't. the pacing upfront feels a bit awkward, but i can get past it for all the cool stuff that it does. who knew there's going to be both a nemesis system-like (in xcom2) and a valkyria profile blitzball thing in the same year?
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the return of the craz ass crpg with the crazy high flexibility and role playing potential. haven't played that much of it, but it's really easy to see that it's super good
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This has really come a long way from what it was initially... The final core game is really neat, with all the intertwining systems and various "game modes" coming together in a way that feels sensible and light. It feels simultaneously complex and easy to pick up and play a couple missions. it's also really cool how there are social features, updates, and events rolled out, making it almost feel like an unintrusive indie "games as a service" concept. I'm just not sure if it would actually rank high enough now, since I've only played it recently.
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consistently fun
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i didn't really expect to like this game so much, but so far it's been a blast. prey has fantastic gameplay systems and level design in a way that is difficult to explain. a lot of times i don't actually know which way i'm meant to be going, but i can go places anyway... it feels like i'm breaking the game, but i'm really not. what fun!
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as enjoyable and comfortable as this game is, it is aesthetically complacent in a way that i think is kinda detrimental to games at large. it takes everything and the kitchen sink and tries to put them all into this one shallow tourist-y pastiche that is completely disconnected to the world it's mirroring. i'm not going to list all the questionable decisions it has because i don't want to be a bummer, and it also could be a long list. it only works mostly because the feel and sandbox design are fantastically crafted, but i don't think it's a beautiful game as a whole, nor a game that brings positive inspiration to mainstream aesthetic choices in games. in essense, i think it's aesthetically pleasing in a way that illustrates the craft that Nintendo is capable of as always, but the authorial intent and messaging is very much questionable.
side thought: cultural tourism is pragmatically acceptable in that it could bring economic and cultural good to everyone, but isn't it inappropriate when the author and economic beneficiary is not the source of said culture?
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a simple RTS even i can play! i also love the style and theming of the game
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this has an amazing look and feel to it. scary.
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whack-a-mole's still fun as hell, as it turns out.
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argh, fuck this game. it's too spooky.
honestly though, this is a very cleverly designed and technically impressive game. the issue is just that it's too focused on the main idea, and ends up with some of the incidental flaws the thing it is trying to satirise tends to have. i get that it doesn't want to give the readers space to breathe, but i wish it at least lets the fiction have some with some detailing work or something. i can understand, given the scope, but it is what it is.
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haven't played that much of it.. but this game abstracts action JRPG interactions in a way that makes sense in a roundabout way. and it's roguelike? quite fun!
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not like there's a lot of competition on this side of the rpg world. really impressive narrative gameplay systems, though.
oops actually it totally does have competition up there
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guess what, puyo puyo and tetris are both great, and you can play whichever one you like in this thing
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the running around is not bad
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H! D! RUMBLE!
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this is exactly what i've wanted from a sports games for a long time, but it is what it is. it's a decent golf game and rpg, but it's not great at being either.
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they've made a whole bunch of changes to this. even though i can't say for sure if they're all for the better, i sure enjoy the current game a lot! as these games tend to go, a lot of it is kinda quiet busywork, but it is full of moments that generates stories worth telling.
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putting this in for all the jackbox i've played this year. super fun and silly games! them being on the switch is also great...
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fuck, this game is still great. best version yet...
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didn't really expect to like this game a lot. it's a unique fighting game that feels like a good fit for me
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wow, i'm super late on this, but this is a fantastic blend of business simulation and puzzle gameplay.
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this is still a great golf game. it is now also a great switch game!
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honorable mention for being guilty gear
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another great switch multiplayer match. single player is weirdly busted though?
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just so i can remember, this game happened
note: not as bad as the internet might make it look. but still a bit busted. pretty good, where it counts.
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i've only played the betas so far, but i still want to honour this game for 1) being something new and 2) having the company behind it really support it as much as they could. also that conqueror neck snap execution is siiiickkkk
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Ancient Doom Spire Demontower Part IV Slaughter of the Blood Thief is a very simple character-action game-within-a-game, but there's something to it... Like cooking a simple omelette, making an action game as simple as this leaves no place to hide, and Demontower succeeds where many bigger action games fail. On the player's side, the combat is reduced to two actions: attacking and dashing. These two things interact with each other, and the rest of the game, in multiple fun ways. You have a hidden "stamina" that only allows you to attack (swiping your sword) maybe twice in a row. When your stamina runs out, you move slower and cannot attack, leaving you vulnerable to enemies. The dash move, already an obviously useful defensive move, has the vital function of letting you instantly recharge your stamina. This small mechanic lets you play the game in a much more active style, and it feels good to execute this move perfectly and get many attacks in quickly. The game expects you to master the dash move as you play through the game, taking away life and giving extra dash juice after beating every level. On top of this, there are many other small design decisions that make this game great. Attacks push back enemies, dashes are invulnerable to fireballs, avoiding enemies spawns more dangerous enemies at the boss door, etc. As a whole, it's a very cleverly designed minimal character-action game that is pleasantly surprising to find inside a fairly chill adventure game.
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despite feeling very enjoyable to play, this is still a pretty darn mediocre package. some frustrating design details and abysmal storytelling holds this game back from being great
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a very good argument against putting too much QoL features in Animal Crossing
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