List items
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-- Date Completed: 1/6/14 ;; Version: PC --
Ringing in the new year with one of 2013's most critically acclaimed games. It only took a few days to complete, but it was still a pretty good game. I really liked the control scheme too, but I know some people have trouble with it. It was also a pretty good looking game too. I recommend playing it if you get a chance. It isn't long and I think it's a great experience. 7/10
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-- Date Completed: 3/15/14 ;; Version: PS3 --
I was a big fan of the first LoS game, so I came in with high hopes for the sequel. Unfortunately, these expectations weren't met. Now this wasn't a terrible game, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as the first. The story is incomprehensible garbage, and I can only imagine how confusing it would have been had I not played the first game and Mirror of Fate. Another negative is the forced stealth sections. These sections are awful. They make no sense contextually, are frustrating to play and only serve to bog down the pace. And let's not forget the TWO boss sections they force you to endure through the stealth system. Oh, and speaking of bosses, we don't even get to fight Satan, huh? That was smart. Let's build up this guy for the entire game, and when he finally does show up you don't get to fight him, but rather someone he possesses. Fun. Anyway, not a terrible game, but not great either. Overall a disappointment. 6.5/10
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-- Date Completed: 3/31/14 ;; Version: PS4 --
Pretty good. A bit shorter then I was expecting, and Delsin is a douche, but other then that pretty good. 7.5/10
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-- Date Completed: 4/21/14 ;; Version: iOS --
What a beautiful game!! I first saw this in a Polygon review, which I never go to but I happened to be bored that day and was looking for some new game to play. It's pretty short, and not very difficult, but it was a real delight. Sure it takes some pretty obvious cues from Fez, but that's okay. I would recommend it on graphics alone. 7/10
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-- Date Completed: 4/27/14 ;; Version: PS3 --
Obviously I've played both of these games before,as SotC is one of my favorite games of all time, but I haven't played the HD version until recently. I've already finished (and plat'd) Ico when this HD collection came out, but was reluctant to start playing SotC out of fear that it might not be as great as I remembered. (Rose tinted glasses, and all that) Luckily my fears we're put to rest, as this is still a brilliant game that I adore. Now, that isn't to say it doesn't have its shortcomings. My main issues with the game can mostly be blamed on the sometime infuriating physics engine. Unfortunately the instances where the physics get to rage-inducing levels are more pronounced in the HD version then in the original; due to the fact that Bluepoint (the team responsible for handling the HD remake) decided to tweak the physics engine so that Wander loses his grip more easily and often then in the PS2 version. I have no idea why they thought this was a good idea, because all it leads to is frustration and rage. I'm not a controller-throwing kind of guy, but some of those bosses on Hard mode, and especially in Time Attacking had me screaming obscenities and coming pretty darn close to tossing my controller on the floor. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and I just rage quitted instead. Anyways, I will always love SotC, but not this version. It may look better, but it certainly doesn't play better. Let this be a lesson for future HD remakes: Just stick to the graphics. Don't go fixing stuff that isn't broken. 8/10
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-- Date Completed: 5/5/14 ;; Version: iOS --
Man, this game came out of nowhere and caught a lot of people by surprise. If you asked me to make a Hitman game specifically for mobile devices, firstly I'd tell you to ask someone else because I'm not qualified to be performing such a task, but if I were it probably wouldn't be anything like this. I mean, who would draw a line connection board game-esque puzzle game to Hitman's normal 3d Action/Stealth aesthetic? Leave it to the Canadians...Regardless of how this idea came to fruition, I'm certainly glad it did. I honestly think this is one of the best iOS games ever made. Although that isn't saying much when most of the competition is either a shameless ripoff of some other game that sold well (just look at how many game have the word "flappy" in them) or just straight up garbage, Hitman Go is one of those rare gems of the iOS market; original, fun, well designed and perfect for playing in bite-sized chunks. I don't even consider myself a fan of Hitman, but this was one of my favorite games this year so far. 8.5/10
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-- Date Completed: 5/8/14 ;; Version: iOS --
Good, but not as good as The Room 1, IMO. 6.5/10
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-- Date Completed: 5/22/14 ;; Version: SNES --
If I had to pick one word to sum up Earthbound, it would be: Charming. This game is so gad-dang charming!! It's bursting at the seams with character and wit. Although I do remember playing some SNES games as a kid, such as Super Mario World and Mortal Kombat, I wasn't really a huge gamer back then. I doubt I was even aware of the existence of Earthbound, and even if I was I certainly wouldn't have had the patience to play it; or any RPG for that matter. I actually meant to start playing this after Patrick did that article and video last year, but I guess I forgot or started playing something else instead. Since there was a lull of new game releases in late April/early May I decided to finally play it. I'm so glad I did. I think I'm a better person now having done so. I never really understood why people held Earthbound in such high regards before now; I mean, on paper it sounded like any other RPG of this era, albeit a little wackier then most. But having completed it, I totally understand now. There is some undefinable element to this game that can't be described or experienced without actually playing the game yourself. Even reading the script, or watching someone else play it isn't the same. It's such a shame not many people bought this back in the day...actually, maybe it isn't. I kind of like EarthBound having this small, but extremely loyal fanbase; a fanbase I now consider myself a part of. 9.5/10
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-- Date Completed: 6/1/14 ;; Version: SNES --
Hmm...this was a pretty good game, but I think I was expecting a bit too much out of it. The story was what I was mainly interested in; and while it was pretty cool in some places, it wasn't as good as I was hoping for. I really liked how they incorporated real world locations and how they weren't afraid to confront some mature themes- even if they did so a bit heavy-handed. All in all, it was a pretty good experience. If I had to assign a rating, I would give it a solid 7/10. Maybe even 6.5 if I'm feeling more critical.
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-- Date Completed: 7/3/14 ;; Version: GCN --
Really, really good. First paper Mario game I've finished, but the third I've actually played. It was so good it almost made it on my FGoAT list, but not quite. The writing is superb, and the fighting system is really fun. A few of the chapters were kind of meh, and some sections seemed to drag on a little too long, but it's still a superb game. I'm not sure how it compares to other Paper Mario games, as I said I've only finished this one, but from what I've played of the others it seems to be slightly better then them. I was going to play Super Paper Mario next, but after learning that they completely removed the turn-based battle system I'm no longer interested. 10/10
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-- Date Completed: 7/12/14 ;; Version: Wii --
This is actually the first Vanillaware game I've finished, despite having played three others. I have found that while most all of their games are beautiful, the gameplay doesn't match this level of quality. I'm happy to say that Muramasa did achieve some balance in this regard. At first I was afraid it was going to be like so many other Vanillaware games I've played; where I play it for a few hours, marveling at the beauty but never coming back to it again because the gameplay never appealed to me. But the more I played, the more I came to appreciate the combat system. I still hate that there isn't a jump button (pressing up to jump? What is this, the NES!?) and the entire cooking system seems forced in. Regardless, it was still a great game. After I finished Momohime's story, I was reluctant to play through Kisuke's because I figured it would be the same enemies and bosses with a slightly different path through the same tale. I was happy to find that this wasn't entirely true; Yes, most of the enemies are the same, but every single boss is new and different and the it is quite interesting to experience the story from a different perspective. I probably wouldn't have given this game a fair chance if I wasn't such a fan of Japanese history and mythology, but I'm certainly glad I did. It was a great game, and playing it actually makes me kind of want to go back and finially finish Odin Sphere. From what I remember I think the combat system is pretty much the same, minus quick draws and the sword crafting system, and the Japanese mythology is replaced with Norse mythology. I just wish they would release an HD remake on a system people actually have. (I'm looking at you Vita!!) 8/10
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-- Date Completed: 7/18/14 ;; Version: PS4 --
This game seemingly came out of nowhere for me, but man am I glad I decided to play it. I've always been interested in WWI, and have been wanting to expand my knowledge of the subject for some time. I really enjoyed the historical facts they included (even if they weren't very well written, from a translation perspective) and I also really liked the extra effort and historical information added to the collectibles. It's refreshing to see a game about war focus on the personal stories and not have winning the war itself be the goal of the player. I must also make mention of the graphics, because I also liked them a lot too. I was also pleasantly surprised by the game's length; I'm glad it wasn't just another arcade title that could be finished in one sitting. This is definitely one of my favorite games of this year so far. 8/10
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-- Date Completed: 10/13/14 ;; Version: PS4 --
After another huge gap of time since my last completed game, I have finally finished another one. There was really nothing I wanted to play these past 3 months, so I was really excited when I saw all the positive reviews this game was getting. I had been keeping an eye on it for quite a bit, and was always thinking in the back of my mind "this just looks like Assassin's Creed in Middle Earth." To be fair, that's exactly what it is-- but at the same time it's so much more thanks to the Nemesis system. I think this feature is one of the greatest ideas to come along in videogameland (I just made that word up) since the Batman games introduced the Freeflow Combat system (which this game uses.) Even without the Nemesis system this game would have been perfectly enjoyable, and I probably still would have liked it; but since it is there, the game is improved tenfold. I now find myself dreaming of what other franchises would benefit from having it. Anyways, this game is great and I think a pretty darn good contender for GoTY. 9/10
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-- Date Completed: 11/1/14 ;; Version: PC --
Well, I know there are many ways to win a game in Civ, and most people would probably say you haven't "completed" the game until you've done them all (possibly with each Civ too) but I'm not one of those people. I finished a 350+ turn game and got the "Contact" victory so I'm declaring this game completed. As I was nearing the end of the match, researching the signal for 30 something turns I was thinking "man, I really don't want to play another match after this." That's never a good sign. I know you can set the game speed faster, but it seemed like it tends to drag on and on at the default speed. By the time I was finished researching the signal, there was really nothing left to do other then expand my territory and obtain more resources -- but to what end? I had no need for them as all I had to do was finish building the Beacon, which was going to take another 60 turns. Of course I could have gone to war with another civ, but once again - to what end? It may have been entertaining for a while, but there was always a chance they could destroy my beacon so I opted not to. Anyways, this game isn't great. The aliens are way too numerous and oppressive, and I think it was KVO at GameSpot who said it lacks personality, which I completely agree with. 6.5/10
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-- Date Completed: 11/15/14 ;; Version: XONE --
As I was adding the game below, I realized that I forgot to put this game up after I completed it. I like it write these mini reviews while the experience is still fresh in my mind, but I missed the boat on this one. From what I remember, I liked the game a lot. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was a solid game from beginning to end. I'm not a HUGE Souls fan, but I do enjoy them casually. I found this game to be a little on the easy side when compared to a Souls game, but not enough to detract from the game as a whole. Overall this was a really good game, and something of a pleasant surprise for 2014. My only regret is that I wish I had purchased this game for the PS4, because having to use the LB button as the primary attack button is terrible. I also realized that this is the first XONE game I've finished, so....yay? Also, in order to help with GoTY selection I'm now going to start assigning a number rating to each game I finish. So...here: 8/10
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-- Date Completed: 12/7/14 ;; Version: XONE --
What an excellent game!! When I first saw the trailer for this game, I thought it looked like a cheap Infamous imitation for Microsoft. To be fair, that's exactly what it is to Microsoft, but to player it's much more then that. The game isn't terrible original as far as open world third-person shooters go, but it definitely makes up for it with it's style; in both art direction and characterization. In a lot of ways, this game is more similar to Saints Row the Third then it is Infamous. Every character is over the top and each mission more crazy then the last. The weapons are crazy and getting around the city is a blast. A lot of the enemies spawn in huge packs, and it feels great to mow them all down. I'm glad I decided to give this game a chance, because it turned out to be one of the best new games I've played this year. In my opinion, this game is a system seller. Imagine if it had been available for launch! My only complaint is that the game has a resource problem. By the end of the game you will have more cash then you know what to do with, but you will be wishing for a better way to earn more Overcharge as it is the only currency you care about. I needed a fair bit more in order to finish buying the maps for the collectables that I had missed, and there is no good way to earn Overcharge once you have finished all the main and side missions. Other then that issue, an excellent game. 9/10
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-- Date Completed: 12/5/14 ;; Version: XONE --
I played the first game in this series way back in 2011 and enjoyed it quite a bit, so when I heard about this game I was pretty excited. Unfortunately, it isn't nearly as good as the first. Clearly this game was much more focused on co-op, which I have no interest in, but I don't think that would have made the game much better if I had played it with someone else. This game seems to be much more puzzle focused then the last, and there are very few enemy encounters inside the tombs; if there weren't boss battles, there would probably be less then ten in the entire game! Also, after you finish a tomb you are taken to these fairly large rooms that are filled with treasure chests which you can unlock using the coins you earned in the level - the contents of which improve based on how much you spend to open them; however, these areas are pointless as all the chests respawn after you open them and there are plenty of chests in the main hub area - which also respawn. These areas are also needlessly large; If they took out all of these treasure rooms from each tomb I think they could have used the time and assets to make at least two more levels - which the game needs because it's pretty darn short. Overall this game is pretty meh in my book. I also think it's a bit overpriced for what you get. In hindsight, I shouldn't have purchased it - at least not at retail price. As a side note, I actually wanted to play this game on PS4 and I went through quite a lot of hassle trying to purchase it but due to Sony's crap store, I was unable to do so. I settled on the XONE version, but now that I've completed it I know that it wouldn't have made any difference if I had gotten it on PS4. 6/10
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