Games Played in the year 2015
These are the games that I either completed or put enough time into that I knew I didn't want to complete them. All were played in 2015 even if they weren't all released in 2015.
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Axiom Verge is a game that is very clearly inspired by games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: SOTN. It follows the formula of explore areas to find new items that allow you to get into areas that were previously inaccessible.
The game is differentiated from it's inspirations in ways that allow it to feel inspired by these games rather than just a clone of them. Methods of traversal that you unlock as the game progresses feel fantastic and make for some enjoyable moments of platforming.
The look of Axiom Verge is a love letter to 16-bit era games but it does not allow it's pixel art inspirations to become a crutch. I imagine this is how some games may have looked if 3D gaming had waited another generation. The style and a effects come off as an evolution of those classic games.
Story wise Axiom Verge managed to entertaining enough that I never felt like skipping any bits of story out of boredom. A tale is woven that is fun to think about and leaves room for a sequel if the games lone developer wanted to create one.
My only complaints have to go with the later sections of the game as there are points where boss fights that feel like they could have been really interesting encounters fall flat and are used as narrative devices rather than engaging game play moments.
While the game felt shorter than I would have liked I have no doubt I'll be playing it again with the inclusion of a speed-run mode as well as the fact that a good chunk of the games weapons can go undiscovered by the end leaving a whole lot to look for in a second play through of the game. I finished Axiom Verge in around 11 hours and will gladly return to explore it's alien worlds several times more.
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Not my favorite game of this style that From Software has put out but certainly the most unique. The game goes from a Victorian nightmare to a full on Lovecraft inspired horror fest and it looked fantastic doing it. This world and it's inhabitants were so wonderfully horrible that I couldn't wait to see what was next, even with the occasionally jarring drop in frame rate.
I do lament the fewer options present when it comes to play styles though. Where the Souls games could all be played in very different ways using variations of magic and melee or ranged combat, Bloodborne feels lacking as you have few options besides melee weapons. Those weapons do feel fantastic though and they all managed to feel quite unique.
Overall I am glad to have played this game finishing it in just over 30 hours. It's very likely that I'll be coming back to have a go at new game + after I've had a break from this nightmare.
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