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This game’s story alone cements it as my number 1 this year, and probably somewhere in my top 10-15 games of all time if I really put some thought into it. However, the complete package is more than just story. The soundtrack is great on its own, but the way it’s used throughout the game is something else entirely. There are multiple memorable characters (Pascal especially) and sidequests. The gameplay shifts all over the place, mixing Platinum-lite combat with bullet hell style flight sections and weird ass hacking minigames. While none of those combat styles are extraordinary on their own, the way they are used only serve to enhance those sequences. Combat is my biggest problem with the game, and yet it still found ways to surprise me.
Honestly, there’s only so much I feel I can say about the game, and I still don’t feel like I can do it justice. It’s unconventional, it’s weird, it goes against so much of what I normally expect from a videogame, and I love it for that. Playing all the way through Route E was an experience. After I beat it, I immediately fired up a fresh game, something I never feel motivated to do. It’s been a few months and I’m already thinking about replaying it. This game was not on my radar even for a little while after launch, and yet it blew me away like no game has in a long time. I’ll be paying close attention to what Yoko Taro does next.
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I was cautiously optimistic about this game. I’ve never been a big Zelda fan, and have had a horrible time trying to get into Nintendo games for over ten years now. Somehow, Nintendo goes and makes a Zelda game that raised the bar for open world games that are so popular on other platforms. For as little story as there is, and as average as the divine beast “dungeons” felt, the game is truly remarkable for the giant map they created and how fun it is to explore it. It’ll be hard to look at other open world games with more restrictive movement, or with less detailed environments, and be willing to accept it because Breath of the Wild was that impressive. I have my doubts that Nintendo can keep putting out stuff both of this quality and that appeals to more than just Nintendo fans. Regardless, Breath of the Wild is a remarkable achievement, a wonderful game that deserves the praise.
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I don’t even know. I don’t like anime, I don’t like JRPGs, and I don’t really care about coming of age stories. Yet this game hooked me for 115 hours in just over two weeks. Many of the characters don’t seem that interesting at first, but spending time with them really opened things up. All these personal stories pay off in rewarding ways, and it feels like you’re really making a difference in these people’s lives. I can’t say I’m huge into the social sim side of things, but it was entertaining enough that it didn’t scare me away. This game is really memorable for its style, especially the music. I like turn based combat, and Persona 5’s is fast, fluid, and just fun. The game was just incredible to look at. Luckily, it’s enteratining too. It’s rare that I get this absorbed in a game, and it still shocks me that a JRPG about Japanese teenagers was the game to do it. I can safely say Persona 5 has changed my perception of the genre.
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I really struggled to figure out how to be play this game competently, but man it was so rewarding when I finally got it down. The story never quite lives up to the promise of those initial few hours, but exploring Talos I was awesome enough that I’m not too mad about it. I’ve never grasped the immersive sim type of game before Prey, but now that I do, I’ve developed an immense amount of respect and appreciation for these systems and level designs that give the player such a large amount of freedom. It was a great ride, memorable for a few reasons, and I’m so glad I figured it out. I’m definitely keeping my eye on Arkane now.
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Somehow became a phenomenon while working through an unpolished early access phase. There’s only so much to say – I’ve just never felt the same kind of adrenaline rush as I’ve felt multiple times during tense moments or sequences in this game. I didn’t know any sort of game could elicit that response, but PUBG absolutely earned it. It’s hilarious and fun, or tense and competitive, depending on what you want.
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I really struggled to like this game at first. I haven't played much Mario in my life, even though I owned an N64 at launch and have owned a plethora of Nintendo systems over the years. I just never saw the appeal of the series and never had much interest in trying to understand it. 10 hours into Odyssey, I was ready to be done for good. It was simple, and I didn't understand what was fun about getting a bunch of easy moons just to move on to the next kingdom.
Over the weekend, I happened to jump into the game while looking to play something else. Over the last two days, I became engrossed enough to pour in 15 hours, bringing me almost to 30 total. The Luncheon Kingdom somehow saved this game for me. Now I'm just over 300 moons, which means I have a fair bit more to see, but I can confidently say this was one of my favorite games of 2017. I finally see what's so fun. There's stuff jam packed into these levels - moons, coins, and secret areas hidden all over the place. Everything is extremely polished - the levels, the movement, the music, the sounds, everything. It's a wonderful game to to play in short bursts or long sessions. I'm very glad it finally clicked with me, and I'm excited to play more of these in the future.
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I’m not into “Metroidvania” style games normally, and I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan after this, but it’s a step in the right direction. A game with fantastic art, music, and level design with plenty of secrets, Hollow Knight was a pleasant surprise for me. I admire the game, and loved being in it, even if I wasn’t able to finish. I can’t say I enjoy backtracking or feeling lost, and apparently that’s a big part of this style of game. For what I did play though, it’s a very good package, especially for a cheap game.
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I sunk 50 hours between two playthroughs, and yet feel like I barely scratched the surface. It’s dense, with tons of quests and interesting characters. It’s smart, allowing the player to do things their own way and accommodating them along the way. For all it does well, it has overwhelmed me twice. I can see how well done it is, it just might not be for me.
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This game is fucking crazy. It has some issues, it didn’t blow me away, but holy shit does it go places. I wish I had spent more time talking to characters and doing some of the side missions, because I feel like I missed out on things that probably would have pushed this game up a few spots. What I did play, however, was a great continuation of The New Order, and I’m excited to see where the series goes from here.
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