List items
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Completed on January 6th
Hard difficulty
I wanted to replay the game before the sequel comes out and maybe go for the platinum tophy, completing the end game side quests I hadn't touched the first time around.
I was able to pay more attention to the story and lore this time around and enjoyed the side conversations a lot more. I'm looking forward to the next game to see how to story unfolds.
The combat system is still great, especially when you try to find the right weapon and attack against each enemy type. After the completing the game and playing around with the optional areas, I felt like I had my fill of the game.
9/10
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Completed on January 10th
Normal difficulty with Ninja using continues
This was an awesome way to experience an older game. I never played the Ninja Warriors back in the SNES days and I think I would have enjoyed it quite a lot. It reminded me of the Power Rangers: The Movie game.
[+] All characters felt very different to play
[Â+] Wide array of moves, fun to figure out what to use when
[+] Difficulty is just right (on normal)
[+] Enemy and boss variety
[-] Most stages have a similar visual look
9/10
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Completed on January 28th
Normal difficulty with ending B
Valkyrie Profile has always been a mystical game for me. I had seen a friend of mine playing it very briefly at his house when I was about twelve. Even if I had only seen the game for a couple of minutes, I always remembered the amazing look of combat.
Fast forward to today, I decided to emulate the game in order to finally go back and experience the game for myself. While it wasn't as magical as I remembered the game to be, it was still a good experience. The structure of the game got a little repetitive for me, and the ending B is quite anti-climactic, but the combat system and the progression mechanics were a fun twist on the genre.
I'll probably go back and try to get ending A in the future in the PSP version.
[+] Very dynamic combat system
[+] Melancholic music fits well the tone of the game
[+] Character stories are tragic and touching
[-] Ending B seems to cut a lot of ending content
[-] Repetitive structure for every chapter
[-] No good reason to visit towns during the chapters
7/10
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Completed on Februrary 13th
Platinum Trophy
I had heard a lot of good things about Control in 2019 but never felt compelled to play it, especially with the performance issues on console. When I heard that a PS5 version was coming out and that it would be free, I knew I had to play it.
I don't how I could have enjoyed this game at anything lower than 60 FPS. The third person action is fast and the guns feel so satifying to fire with the Dual Sense controller.
The story is a big appeal of the game and it's well told for the most part. The Oldest House in a clever setting and the FBC is both mysterious and mundane. Some parts of the story went over my head, but I'm looking forward to watching some YouTube videos explaining the finer details of the lore.
[+] Controlling Jesse is fun and combat is very responsive
[+] Very believable cast of side characters
[+] The side quests are for the most part as good as the main quests
[-] Too many codex entries and audio logs break the momentum
[-] DLC isn't as good as the main game
9/10
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Completed on March 8th
I've always been aware of this game, but strangely didn't know a lot about it before playing it. I knew that it was revered but didn't really know why. I can see why people like this RPG, but I wouldn't put it in my top 10.
I enjoyed my time with the game, but in the end it never really surprised me. It's a very competent JRPG, but the plot felt a little generic. The ship combat was very engaging and felt as important as the regular combat.
[+] Excellent world map navigation and exploration
[+] Endearing characters and world
[+] Recruiting characters and building your base rewards exploration
[+] Ship battles require you to be strategic and pay attention
[-] Story is a little repetitive
[-] Paper thin motivation for the bad guys
8/10
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Completed on March 9th
Journey and marathon modes, normal difficulty
[+] A truly meditative experience
[+] Amazing blend of sights and sounds
[+] Sound design in genius, feels like you're making the music by playing the game
[-] Some of the visual effects can throw you off balance
[-] I wished the journey levels were a little longer
9/10
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Completed on March 15th
I tried Cyber Shadow without having heard a whole lot about the game. The few videos I saw reminded me of Ninja Gaiden on the NES and it was enought to sell me.
The game was pretty enjoyable, the level design was mostly good and the abilities all felt useful. The bosses were certainly a highlight for me, stricking the perfect balance between challenging and fair.
The levels could have used a bit more visual diversity, but the music alone always kept me engaged. The soundtrack is somewhere between Axiom Verge, Terminator and Far Cry Blood Dragon (it's great).
[+] Very satisfying bosses
[+] Abilities feel great to use outside of combat
[+] Awesome soundtrack
[-] Story is a bit too present for its own good
[-] Could use a bit more variety in terms of visual design
8/10
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Completed on March 31st
I was never a big fan of beat em ups outside of the TMNT games. I usually find them lacking in terms of fight mechanics and combat options.
Streets of Rage 4 is exactly what I wanted a beat em up to be. You are really in control of your character and always have multiple options when fighting. The special move mechanic where it costs HP that you can then recover by hitting enemies is genius.
I never had much interest in the first games in the series, but I might go back to see if they are anything like this most recent entry.
[+] Combat is rewarding to master, encounters are balanced and challenging
[+] Diverse cast of characters that truly play differently from one another
[+] Amazing soundtrack that fits perfectly with the vibe of the game
[-] As with all beat em ups, sometimes hard to align vertically with enemies
9/10
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Completed on April 5th
Used save states to get infinite tries of final boss
Being a Nintendo/Sony household, I was never exposed to very little Sega games before the Dreamcast. In the past couple of month, I've been wanting to go back and play all those games that I missed in the 80s and 90s.
Ristar was a very good example of a game that I would have liked as a kid but had never played before now. I think it is the first Genesis game I've ever completed.
[+] Beautiful colorful graphics
[+] Varied levels in visual design and plah mechanics
[+] Fun boss fights
[+] Awesome upbeat soundtrack
[-] Some excessively precise grabbing mechanic timing required
8/10
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Completed on April 13th
I savored this playing this game the past couple of nights. Every time I would get a little farther while consolidating my run for the earlier levels. And tonight, I was able to complete the game, start to finish without using a continue and with seven lives to spare.
It reminded me of playing and mastering the same games over and over when I was a kid because I had nothing else to play.
[+] Beautiful sprites, both characters and environments
[+] One of the best sountrack of the 16-bit era
[+] Love the combat mechanic where you sword is short by powerful
[+] The rocket is never required, encourages creative play
[-] Lots of slowdown in busy parts
10/10
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Completed on 15 April 15th
I didn't have a gaming PC growing up, so I never played most of the classic point and click adventure games. Having played Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and Grim Fandango at my friends, the LucasArts games always held a mystical place in my mind.
I tried Full Throttle a little randomly on Game Pass and at first I was amazed at how it reminded me of playing my first point and click games many years ago. In the latter half of the game, I was reminded of how poor action sequences and random puzzle are also part of the genre ...
[+] Good characters, focused story
[+] A few good puzzles
[-] Not enough dialogue with NPCs
[-] Action sequences are hard to control
[-] A couple of trial and error puzzles near the end
7/10
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Completed on April 18th
I had a friend who had Devil May Cry 2 when it came out and even then we knew it was a bad shallow sequel.
This game is still bad today, but at least I've completed it and will feel comfortable moving on to DMC 3.
[+] It's short.
[-] Too easy and unbalanced.
[-] Shallow story
[-] Almost every aspect of the game is a step back from the original
5/10
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Completed on May 2nd
I did it. I finally beat the Quintet trilogy. I had a great time playing all three games, but I think Terranigma might have been a little too hyped for me. I really liked the game, but it didn't blow my mind like I thought it would.
The story is clearly the highlight of this game. It felt both grandiose and intimate at the same time. The world felt alive and your actions really felt like they impacted the future.
The gameplay was competent and nicely fleshed out, but the combat lacked depth and challenge.
[+] Good variety in the quests (main and side)
[+] The music gave me goosebumps
[+] The substories are touching and heartfelt
[-] The magic system is poorly explained and can be completely ignored
[-] Combat is too easy
8/10
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Completed on May 10th
I'm replaying Hitman 1 and 2 before playing the third game. I had already played Hitman 1 before playing the sequel for the first time.
I took the time to explore a couple of levels more in depth, and found it really rewarding. It's amazing to know the level by heart and be able to plan out the perfect plan in advance.
Not all levels are the same amount of fun though. I still hated the Colorado level.
9/10
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Completed on May 16th
Having played a few levels of the third game, I think I can safely say that Hitman 2 was the high point of the trilogy. The levels huge and dense, Miami being my favorite of the series so far.
The story picks up the pace in the second half and switches gears, which is much appreciated. Even though we lost the CGI cutscenes in favor of animated stills, the voice acting is still top notch and it doesn't really detract from the plot.
9/10
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Completed on May 19th
After replaying Hitman 2, I was really hyped to finish the trilogy in Hitman 3. It's too bad that it ended up beign my least favorite of the three games.
The game feels like it was made by a different team than the first two. The levels have less content, are more linear and divert from the established Hitman formula.
The story was also somewhat disapointing after the stakes got progressively higher in the first two games. The cutscenes were fully animated this time, but seemed to use lower poly models that made it look like a PS2-PS3 era game.
I still think this trilogy of Hitman games is genius game design, even if the third game fails at trying to do something different.
[+] Beautiful levels and environments
[-] Cheap looking cutscenes
[-] Not enough classic levels
[-] Less mission stories per level
[-] The last level to this trilogy is a literral corridor shooter?
7/10
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Completed on May 26th
Played on Ultra Violence with Crispy Doom mod
Growing up, I played more Doom 64 than the original. We didn't have a good gaming PC and even when I was 7-8 years old I knew that the SNES port was barely playable. I decided to finally go back and play through the original four episodes to witness this game as an adult.
Doom is timeless. Its design is so elegant and so integral to its technology that it doesn't feel at all like an old game. Each part of the game is in perfect synergy with the rest.
I look forward to playing Doom II. I don't think I every spent any significant time with the sequel, so it's going to be fun to go basically blind.
[+] Movement is like dancing with the demons
[+] Every weapon has a purpose, every enemy is different
[+] Some of the best level design in video games
[+] Music was way more atmospheric than I remembered
[-] Episode 4 has some mean designed levels
10/10
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Completed on June 12th
The game was very fun to play, but the story felt like it didn't live up to its own potential. Until the second half of the game, every character you meet (including the protagonists) are annoying and dislikable.
The gameplay however is great. The game ran great and the mechanics switched regularly enough that you never felt tired of the formula. The mini-games encouraged exploration and were a nice distraction and a change of pace from collaboration to competition.
The visuals were very good for the most part, the second half of the game being the most impressive. I think this was a better game than A Way Out, but I feel that the game's developer still hasn't produced the co-op masterpiece that it is capable of creating.
7/10
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Completed on July 25th
I really didn't know a lot about this game going in. I had only played (and loved) BoF III and knew that his one was supposed to be pretty good also.
The game never pulled me in like the third one did. The story was okay, but I felt like it didn't do a great job connecting the lore of the game with the events the characters were going through. The characters were also mostly one dimensional, or hinted at depth but never explored it.
The combat system was had some refreshing mechanics. I had a great time planning simple strategies involving 5-6 characters for tougher encounters. I almost didn't engage with some of the advanced systems like masters, dragon form upgrade and enemy skills and never had a problem.
The graphics were absolutely stunning. The pixel art and the UI design complimented perfectly the art style of the game. The more melancholic songs of the soundtrack were also a highlight, playing just at the right time to enhance parts of the storytelling.
A pretty good RPG, but nothing memorable for me.
7/10
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Completed Dragon Warrior I on August 1st
Even though I own almost every mainline Dragon Quest game, this is the first game in the series that I have completed. This was an amazing experience, I'm hooked.
I decided to play the game with a notebook at my side and take tons of notes. I'm very glad that I did, because the game pretty much requires it. I had so much fun creating my own quest log and crossing a note about how to reach a far away town when I finally got there.
I loved the music, even though it was pretty repetitive and of course enjoyed the monster's designs of Akira Toriyama.
I'm very much looking forward to playing the second game, which seems to be much expanded in scope and mechanics.
10/10
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Completed Dragon Warrior II on August 14th
Dragon Warrior II was exactly the sequel I would have wanted from the original. It took the barebones mechanics of the first game and added features from there.
I took more than 4 pages of notes during the course of the game and even drew my own world map to be able the locate towns. It was super fun to figure out some of the obscure riddle and hints given by NPC. There were a couple of point towards the end where I had to look at a guide because I couldn't see how I was supposed to know what to do next.
The combat was still fast paced and enjoyable and the three characters offered a few more possibilities for strategy, especially in the last few dungeons.
I can't wait to go back to this world for Dragon Warrior III. I'm tempted to play the GBC port, but I'll try to wait for the remake instead ...
9/10
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Completed on September 14th
I didn't expect Shadow Heart's sequel to be this much of a step up over the original. The graphics and animations were better, the story was more robust, the voice acting was surprisingly good and the combat system had a lot of improvements.
Every character was unique and interesting, including the villains. Everybody had motivations that made sense and fitted their personality. The game mostly stayed clear of clichés and offered a nuanced perspective on its cast.
I loved how the combat system had specific mechanics for every character. The wheel of destiny system was also improved to give more choice to the player. There were enough options to approach most encounters with a different strategy.
Even if the game dropped the horror theme for the most part, the music stayed atmospheric and set the mood of the game perfectly.
9/10
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Completed on October 9th
I remember being totally absorbed by Tales of Symphonia when it came out on the GameCube in the summer of 2004. I don't remember much about the story, but the journey definitively stayed with me.
I was hoping to get the same kind of experience with Tales of Arise. While it was certainly nice to play a big budget JRPG in 2021, it didn't do quite enough with its story and gameplay to make it rise to the rank of classic.
For me, the Tales has always been more about character development than overall plot. This is certainly true here, but I feel like both areas of storytelling were nicely fleshed out, even if I would have liked to go a little further knowing some of the characters.
The combat system was very active and nicely streamlined, but the AI characters never felt like they were a part of your strategy. The strategy tab of the menu lacked options to really optimize your party's actions depending on the situation.
The graphics were simply gorgeous and the game ran great on PS5. The music had a couple of memorable tracks and complimented nicely the various settings.
8/10
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Completed on October 17th
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom was a perfect palette cleanser after the 5 back-to-back JRPGs I've played in the last few months. I loved the simple yet charming story and the gorgeous 2D graphics.
The levels were varied and always engaging. The developers switched the mechanics regularly I never grew tired of being in one specific area. The puzzles and enemy encounters that were specifically tailored for the special character forms were great.
I think what I enjoyed the most was finding all of the different equipment pieces. Every weapon, armor and accessory had its own useful ability with upgrades available.
This was a blast to play and it made me curious to go back and play earlier Monster World games. If this game is any indication, they should be very enjoyable.
10/10
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Completed on October 23rd
Like many people, I had played a demo for the original MediEvil on PS1 back in the late 90s. The game seemed interesting at the time, but I don't think I ever felt the need to play the full game.
Playing the remake in 2021 made me feel like I was playing a PS1 game, in a good sense. Even though the graphics were obviously upgraded to today's standards, the simplicity of the story, level design and gameplay was surprisingly refreshing.
While MediEvil is not an absolute classic, it's still a fun Halloween treat.
7/10
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Completed on November 15th
The game crashed while I was watching the end credits ... what a perfect way to close the book on this messy unfinished game.
I came into Cyberpunk 2077 open minded and the game completely lost me by the end. During the story I made multiple path altering decisions by accident and they piled up to give me what must be the worst ending.
The gameplay was fine when it wasn't bugged, but there were so many systems that seemed superfluous or straight-up useless.
I don't think CD Projekt Red could fix this game enough to make it above average for me.
6/10
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Completed on November 24th
Escaped once
I kept putting off playing Hades mostly because I was scared that the awesome narrative that I had heard so much about would interfere with the gameplay systems associated with an action roguelike game.
I was super wrong, Supergiant Games crafted a game where all aspects of the game compliment each other into something truly special.
The gameplay loop was tuned to perfection. The boons and upgrades made every run unique, while the rather short run time to complete the game made it easy to build knowledge and a strategy to improve on.
The narrative was fed to the player at just the right pace and often related to the gameplay. I loved how almost no story is presented at the beginning.
The combat was very satisfying and the different upgrades that you got along the way almost always made you feel super strong in some way.
I only completed one run, but I could see myself playing this game again in the future, I'm sure I've only scratched the surface.
10/10
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Completed on November 26th
Marvel's Spider-Man was such a good game in 2018 that Insomniac were able to make this game as basically a stand-alone expansion that stands toe-to-toe with other AAA games.
The story was what you would expect from a super hero game or movie. It didn't cover a lot of new grounds in term of story but was still very enjoyable to whole way through.
The gameplay was even better playing at 60 FPS and the graphics were simply jaw dropping (I just bought a 4K OLED TV).
The game is very short, but it was the perfect appetizer for Mavel's Spider-Man 2 and whatever more meaty story it will bring.
9/10
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Completed on December 17th
I started playing Bravely Default II back in April but dropped it after about 20 hours. At the time, the story seemed too forgettable and formulaic. I liked the combat system, but felt too often frustrated by boss fights that stomped my party.
A few weeks ago, I did what I almost never do : I picked up my old save where I left it off in April and continued my game. I took my time to really understand the intricacies of the combat system and enjoyed a lot more the puzzle-like encounters with the many different bosses in the game. I had a blast finding the perfect job combo for each encounter and tweaking my strategy each time.
Even the story evolved after the first third of the game. The middle chapters of the game explore some pretty dark themes. I also really enjoyed how the last few chapters need to be unlocked in a similar fashion to the Nier games.
I really enjoyed my time with Bravely Default II in the end and I am glad that I gave it a second chance. It reminded me of why I love JRPGs in the first place.
8/10
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Completed on December 22nd
Wow, what a showpiece for the PS5. The graphics are beyond stunning, both technically and artistically. The environments, the characters, the animations, the lighting effects, everything looks beyond what you would expect from an animated movie.
The way that the game seamlessly transitions from one world to the other is also very impressive to see in action, and it was smart to make the whole game around this concept instead of just using it as a gimmick.
The gameplay was mostly what you would expect from an action platformer, but every aspect was masterfully executed. The movement options, the large arsenal of weapons at your disposal and the scripted events all worked beautifully together.
The game didn't surprise me all that much, but I was still amazed the whole way through.
9/10
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Completed on December 29th
I was initially skeptical of Metroid Dread, mainly because the trailers hadn't sold me on the vibe of the game and I wasn't a huge fan of MercurySteam's 2017 Metroid: Samus Returns. After playing the game to completion, I can safely say that this is one of the best entries in the franchise.
The developers understand what made Super Metroid great and build from this base. They let the environments do the talking and make the player work for each inch of progress. Planet ZDR is hostile to Samus and you feel it in every encounter in the game.
The gameplay is sublime. It's the same Metroid formula but with more speed and more demanding challenges. The bosses in particular are each very fun to overcome and learn their attack patterns.
I was surprised by how engaging the story was for how little place it took in the game. It felt like just the right amount of exposure and cutscenes to complement the gameplay.
I didn't feel like exploring the whole world to get every item, but I immensely enjoyed my time with Metroid Dread.
9/10
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