Completed, 2018
The games I completed in 2018.
List items
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January 12 (13 Hours)
4 out of 5
Terrifying setting and visuals; Interesting mix of horror and combat; Simplistic plot
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January 14 (107 Hours)
4 out of 5
Phenomenal visuals (especially in HDR); Interesting characters; Tough to follow plot with a rushed ending
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January 20 (10 Hours)
5 out of 5
Emotional, challenging, exceptional "Metroidvania" that knows when to end; Loved it!
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January 21
4 out of 5
A fantastic remaster of one of my favorite FFs; story is still full of "boring political intrigue", but the Gambit System is still as amazing as I remember
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February 15
5 out of 5 (!!!)
As a fan of the genre, this is the pinnacle - setting the bar high for the other "MonHun Clones". Easily the top GOTY contender!
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March 25
5 out of 5
Spurned by Destiny 2, this game totally fit my looter-shooter void and offers a massive amount of replayability after the story finishes.
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May 28
5 out of 5
An amazing experience; truly a feat in every aspect of the medium.
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June
4 out of 5 (Only the initial campaign)
Even in 2018, some aspects of this ancient MMO still hold up, but its obtuse complexities are more frustrating than enjoyable.
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June 16
4 out of 5
The bar to beat when it comes to Action RPGs, my only gripe is that it can be -too- random.
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June 22
5 out of 5
Easily one of the most badass, empowering games I've ever experienced. So much fun!
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July 7
4 out of 5
A fantastic JRPG with combat that puts Kingdom Hearts to shame.
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July 7
3 out of 5
A surprising combination of Platinum action with Kojima story that mostly works (though the parry system can be infuriating).
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July 8
5 out of 5
A superb puzzle game that leans heavily on its VR presentation to help it stand out.
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July 8
3 out of 5
Absolutely beautiful, the VR experience kept me hooked even when the rest of the game began to get rather boring.
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July 13
5 out of 5
One of the best Metroidvanias possibly produced. Shocking large with extremely meaningful power-ups and a grueling difficulty that almost never lets up.
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July 14
3 out of 5
A remastered version of Monster Hunter 2, it is easy to see the buds of what will become a fantastic series, but this particular game can be incredibly frustrating.
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July 21
2 out of 5
A short, action-filled romp that I enjoyed occasionally. Platinum has made better games.
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July 28
2 out of 5
A fantastic first chapter that is ruined by another 10 hours of content that was not as polished. I could see the glimmer of RE4, but ultimately, this disappointed.
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August 4
4 out of 5
Recettear, this is not. But a solid dungeon crawler with a shopkeeper half. I enjoyed a majority of this, though a few cheap enemies and a few underutilized features kept it from being amazing.
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August 4
3 out of 5
Drawing inspiration from multiple 3D platformers, the terrible camera keeps this indie darling from being exceptional.
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August 12
4 out of 5
A "traditional JRPG" that I'm really torn on. On one hand, the job system and combat is exceptional. On the other, the writing and overall plot is really bland and predictable. Bah.
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August 17
2 out of 5
I don't like post apocalyptic settings and this game has one of the most boring. Just a standard shooter with a frustrating lack of checkpoints. Not good.
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The Curse of the Pharaohs (DLC)
August 19
4 out of 5
A meaty, lengthy, really enjoyable addition to Assassin's Creed. Took me another 15 or so hours to clear. Only problem was the story was segmented in a strange way that made it tough to follow.
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August 25
4 out of 5
An unbelievable combination of Monster Hunter and Pokemon, I thoroughly enjoyed nearly every aspect of this game. I could've used a little less JRPG tropes in the storyline, but it is a wonderful experience regardless.
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August 26
3 out of 5
A very simple side-scrolling beat'em up in the vein of Dragon's Crown. Very arcade feel with a difficulty spike that ramps up to unfair levels near the end. Story is garbage.
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Initial Campaign
September 1
4 out of 5
Guild Wars 2 is a very good MMO. Unfortunately, the story seems rushed and incredibly dull - culminating in a battle against a force of zombies which is both frustrating and boring.
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September 4
4 out of 5
Of all the games in my backlog, this is my "White Whale". I purchased this purely for the FFXII demo back in 2005 and have always wanted to go back and complete it. I have probably played the first 40 or so hours about a dozen times in the 10+ years I've owned this game.
Finally, I have seen it through to the end and it stands the tests of time. It is a very traditional JRPG in both positives and negatives - a sweeping adventure with a twisted (often cruel) story, but with a battle system that remains as simple at level 1 as it does at level 40.
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Initial Campaign + Curse of Osiris, Warmind, Forsaken DLCs
September 8
5 out of 5
Try as I might, I can't quit Destiny. I love the game. It's the "better" Borderlands - a looter-shooter which scratches both itches: skillful combat, meaningful progress.
Forsaken DLC improves the base game quite a bit.
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October 28
5 out of 5
A phenomenal platformer made even better in VR. Truly a masterpiece.
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November 5 (Platinum on November 8)
5 out of 5
Potentially the greatest JRPG ever crafted with a story that continues to enchant and delight even after the credits roll.
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November 10
4 out of 5
A wonderful VR experience with some of my favorite music of the year only hampered by being depressingly short.
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November 11
3 out of 5
My first Ys game; A very solid action JRPG marred by a terribly confusing storyline despite its combat and wonderful music.
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November 24
2 out of 5
I wasn't expecting much for a $2 game. What I found was a really enjoyable Vanilla Ware-style brawler with an unfortunately poorly written unengaging story.
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November 25
3 out of 5
Before Metroid Prime and Destiny, Turok showed that FPS platforming was possible. The PC port of this is wonderful even if the game can be a bit frustrating.
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GrimValor
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grimvalor/id1369179088
November 25
4 out of 5
While the story is essentially non-existent, the Metroidvania-esque Hack & Slash of this mobile game is superb as are the graphics.
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November 26
3 out of 5
Boy, did I not laugh a single time during this "hilarious, high octane action romp!" I enjoyed the action, I enjoyed the weapons (despite never being able to afford most of them), I enjoyed the collectibles and the world, but man, this is a "Hello Fellow Kids!" meme turned AAA game. Blegh.
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December 3 (Cleared G-Rank on December 12)
5 out of 5
In a year with Monster Hunter World, you'd think I'd be MonHun'd out. But nope, this game is phenomenal, runs amazing on the Switch, and contains hundreds of hours of content!
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December 13 (Campaign & Expert for All Songs)
5 out of 5
This is, by far, my favorite VR experience and has become a staple of my workout regime. I simply cannot wait for more songs.
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December 23
4 out of 5
An absolutely incredible indie Action RPG that does so much right. The combat, the writing, the designs. It has honest emotional moments. A couple of problems with the controls and an unnecessarily long ending sequence bring it down - but only slightly.
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December 24
3 out of 5
There are so many parts about this JRPG that I love (the exploration and combat, namely) that it hurts to dislike so many parts of it as well (the voice acting and writing). Thankfully, this Standalone DLC expansion is shorter than the full game - but still suffers from the same problems.
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December 29
4 out of 5
Echoing other reviews, this high-octane action/adventure suffers from serious pacing issues, but it is an absolute spectacle and sets the bar for future "Superhero" games - I hope.
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