Original post


59. Gemcraft: Chasing Shadows (PC)
Fields X5 and Y6 completed. Wizard level 305.

Having played previous versions of Gemcraft in their Flash game incarnations, I've learned over the years that Gemcraft is a tower defense game for the obsessive. It has so many mechanics that play off one another, the truly dedicated write Steam guides with a wall of algebraic formulas just to explain how you should build your skills in the endgame. And dear lord, does this game have an endgame. Between multiple difficulty levels you unlock during play, an endurance mode, and hard-as-nails "vision" levels, you could theoretically play Gemcraft for hours beyond the supposed end of the game, which for me came a whopping 40 hours after I started.

There's a definite joy in mastering a game as mechanically dense as Gemcraft, but the road is perhaps too long. You're highly encouraged by the game to go back to previous levels and re-run them in endurance mode in order to squeeze out more experience, which in turn powers up your skills and your talisman. While this means you get to enjoy walloping old enemies with new skills (and make them tougher with battle traits that increase your XP multiplier), there is a definite grind to it all. Thankfully, because you often get rewarded for taking a new approach to an old map thanks to your increased power, it's not as monotonous as it could be.

That said, I'm done with Gemcraft for now. Considering what I paid for it, it's easily the best bargain of the year, but I'm going to need a rest before the inevitable next Gemcraft chapter.

Original Post

Update to the above since then, and again this is not including any DLC or episodic content from unfinished series I have completed.

Game 53: Binary Domain - 4th November
Honestly, I'm not sure why gaf has such a love for this one? It's fairly average with a crap conversation/team relationship gimmick, that at least has impressive destruction effects. Other than though it's really generic and gets repetitive quick

Game 54: Halo 5: Guardians - 7th November
More of the same really, enjoyable enough, but my god that plot is hot shite

Game 55: The Room Three - 11th November
Much like its two predecessors, a simple and short but satisfying and tactile puzzle game, that this time around introduces multiple endings so it encourages some replayability now

Game 56: Fallout 4 - 15th November
My disappointment of the year by far (for context, I really enjoyed FO3 and NV, haven't played the old ones), whose only improvement I can fathom over 3/NV is the better combat, everything else feels worse. I don't care about crafting and building, the main questline's story is horrible and filled with plot holes, less choice in how you impact the world and handle quests, male VA sounds bored, dumbed down skills/perk system, and the god awful step back that is the new dialogue system

Game 57: Game of Thrones - 17th November
Worst of the TT series I've played, its just plain dull

Game 58: Higurashi: Chapter 2 - Watanagashi - 27th November
(I've included it here as like the 1st it's a separate purchase and is 10+ hours long)
Much like the first episode has the same strengths and weaknesses, takes forever to get going but it is genuinely creepy when it does

Game 59: Call of Duty: Black Ops III - 29th November
The worst CoD campaign? The worst CoD campaign.
Design the game around co-op play and make it unbalanced as all hell for solo play (why can no developer ever get this right!?), largely consisting of bullet spongey enemies. Most levels either have these respawn infinitely or in waves a la horde mode.
On top of this shitcake is a horrible story that makes no sense, and before anyone says it, no the twist does not redeem it, if anything it makes it worse.

Game 60: Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist - 04th December
I didn't get it, was a waste of time to me; and I like both Stanley Parable and Beginner's Guide

Game 61: Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell - 11th December
Eh, it largely is just a side mission grind for new story points. Satisfying enough admittedly, but definitely hollow

Game 62: Driver: San Francisco - 14th December
It's quite a fun and novel racing game, even if it also commits the cardinal sin of gating off story content behind side missions. Plus Tanner's VA is terrible =/

Game 63: Monument Valley - 18th December
Similar to The Room Three mentioned above, a short and simple yet highly satisfying and enjoyable puzzle game

Game 64: Contradiction - 20th December
A late but assured entry to my top 10 of the year here! Loved this, a well paced murder mystery that hooked me to the end, with a cast of characters that are just so engaging to watch, with many trying to out-ham each other and it's glorious. Imagine if Deadly Premonition was set in country England and was a 90s FMV game.
Fortunately, the puzzles aren't downright terrible as per the era either, with plenty of hints and help systems to guide you along, which helped me greatly as I'm terrible at these kinds of games.

Game 65: Malebolgia - 24th December
Kind of like a much smaller in scale Dark Souls, that takes place in a mansion. Gorgeous art style, simple yet effective enough combat system that still emphasises the timing and careful nature of Souls, and just like Souls a more subtle story that went totally over my head
Only criticism I have is the game really emphasises a sense of exploration due to how little it tells you, which is great, however it's very easy to lose track of what you're to do or where to go next at times, and the in game map isn't sufficient enough.

Game 66: Among The Sleep - 28th December
A great premise but with disappointing execution. The opening is really the best part that sold many people on the title at the time, as you explore the empty house as the toddler; the following levels don't live up to the idea though.
It's ultimately quite short, rote and not scary.

Azriell


Mman235


Pellegri Testament


rybrad


RoaringMdog


Ceallach

Nice work everyone

If I start a game in the last week of 2015 and finish it in the first few weeks of 2016 which year does it count for?

2016, I would think. That's when you beat it, after all.

Yep, 2016.

Games 1-20
Games 21-40
Games 41-

Game 57: King's Quest: A Knight to Remember - 6 hours
PS4
I actually like this adventure game more than the TellTale ones because there is actually more focus on controlling your character and doing stuff. It doesn't feel like an interactive movie. I liked this episode but I probably would not have played it if it wasn't offered via PS+. Nice soundtrack, good voice acting and very beautiful world. The puzzles aren't overly complicated and you get to restart from close to where you died if you fail.

Game 58: Pixel Puzzles 2: Birds 18 hours
PC
My least Pixel Puzzle game. They made everything more intrusive and the puzzles were a bit boring. I still completed all the puzzles becuase I like that they are actual jigsaw puzzles, but I was disappointed.

Game 59: Dragon Quest: Heroes - 47 hours
PS4
I beat that game a couple of hours ago (47 hours). It was an enjoyable experience, but I do think I would have burned myself out if I had not played it in short bursts. The final boss was a cakewalk, imo. My main complaint is one that could easily be fixed if the developers cared. Again, the menus killed me. Everything that does not include combat is slow and takes forever. Music, art and everything else is great. Superb presentation. The story got too silly in the end. I actually didn't mind it at first,

I managed to get around 90% completion in all categories. Might go back some day, but I'm not really in a hurry to do so.

If the second game gets localized, I'll buy it.

Triggerhappytel said:

Games 27 through 52 (updated)

Click to expand...

52. 80 Days (Android) - 21st December - approx 1.5-2 hours, completed the circumference in 101 days
This won a few GotY awards and nominations last year, and while I wouldn't rate it quite that highly, it was a very well-written and clever game with a nice amount of history and education seeded in. Like Lara Croft GO, it felt like the principals of a board game cleverly and effectively applied to a mobile game, and it has really excellent production values. 8/10

Full list

Click to expand...

Game 42 : Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood - 1 hour and 10 minutes - 12/22/15
Horde mode. Playable but not really fun. 3 types of enemies, annoying sounds and weird shooting. 2/5

Click to expand...

Game 43 : Luxor : Evolved - 2 hours 55 - 12/22/15
Really flashy version of Luxor with some Atari games secret levels. Pretty fun and relaxing to see stuff explode all around 3/5

Click to expand...

Game 44 : Samorost 2 - 1 hour - 12/23/15
Cute short adventure game in Flash about a man looking for his dog. 3/5

Click to expand...

Game 45 : Axiom Verge - 11:40:18 - 12/24/15
Metroidvania that is a lot like Super Metroid in design. A lot of stuff to find and a lot of choices of items. 5/5

Click to expand...

Game 46 : Undertale - 11 hours - 12/27/15
Did the "real" ending. Really fun game with a lot of emotions and great music. 4/5

Click to expand...

Game 47 : The Beginner's Guide - 86 minutes - 12/28/15
Well, that's different from Stanley Parable. Weird game. 3/5

Click to expand...

Game 48 : Super Mario Maker - 11:45 -12/28/15
Super Mario Bros with an editing software. Great for the creative minds or for infinite Mario levels. 3/5
I finished the solo mode and a bunch of events and 100 lives.

I really need to finish writing mine out. I'm not even writing as much as a lot of you are but I've been done with the 52 games for a bit, writing just reminds me how dumb I am. I'll finish it soon.

I might try and prove my worth for 2016, 2015 was an odd year as 2 whole months were accounted for by just 2 games (Witcher 3 & MGSV)

i've set up a special backlog category in my steam library, though there may be too many long RPGs in there.

Reserving this post I guess.

I'm slightly aggravated right now. I made it to 42 in 2014 but only got to 44 in 2015. I've only got 4 days at home left before I travel for the holidays, so I guess it's a bust for me. Ugh.

Khrae said:

I might try and prove my worth for 2016, 2015 was an odd year as 2 whole months were accounted for by just 2 games (Witcher 3 & MGSV)

i've set up a special backlog category in my steam library, though there may be too many long RPGs in there.

Reserving this post I guess.

Click to expand...

The 2016 thread will be separate. It will "require" a slightly lower number of games too. (Edit from the future : maybe not)

orthodoxy1095 said:

I'm slightly aggravated right now. I made it to 42 in 2014 but only got to 44 in 2015. I've only got 4 days at home left before I travel for the holidays, so I guess it's a bust for me. Ugh.

Click to expand...

Don't feel that bad. At least you finished some stuff!

VisceralBowl said:

The 2016 thread will be separate. It will "require" a slightly lower number of games too.

Click to expand...

I shall pretend to be disappointed that 1 game a week is no longer required.

VisceralBowl said:

Don't feel that bad. At least you finished some stuff!

Click to expand...

Thanks

Finished #52 today. Never focused on the goal which probably made it easier rather than getting burned out thinking about needing to complete a certain amount of games before the end of the year.

01 Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (360) 01/01/15
+ Safe, mindless fun.
02 Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (360) 01/04/15
+ Fun but outstayed it's welcome towards the end.
03 Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (360) 01/06/15
+ Yeah it's not a traditional AC game but it was fun.
04 God of War Ascension (PS3) 01/10/15
+ Not as good as GOW3.
05 Halo: Reach (360) 01/11/15
+ Fun. Current Objective: Survive.
06 Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor (Wii) 01/15/15
+ Not my genre.
07 Okami (Wii) 02/01/15
+ So long, so good.
08 Metroid: Other M (Wii) 02/05/15
+ Didn't get all the hate.
09 Little King's Story (Wii) 02/14/15
+ Frustrating at times.
10 Crackdown 2 (360) 02/17/15
+ Why do these keep getting made.
11 Dead Rising (360) 02/22/15
+ It was alright.
12 Space Marine (PC) 04/30/15
+ Good fun, tough boss.
13 Oblivion: Knights of the Nine (PC) 05/13/15
+ Replayed Oblivion and the add-ons.
14 Oblivion: Shivering Isles (PC) 05/16/15
+ Done with Oblivion at this point.
15 Homefront (PC) 05/17/15
+ Goddamn this was short.
16 Spec Ops: The Line (PC) 05/18/15
+ Goddamn this was also short.
17 Red Alert 3 05/23/15
+ Bad Red Alert, Good RTS.
18 Wolfenstein (PC) 05/24/15
+ Surprisingly good.
19 Alpha Protocol (PC) 05/29/15
+ Too easy.
20 Rage (PC) 06/03/15
+ Underrated and pretty.
21 Dragon Age Origins (PC) 06/18/15
+ Not a fan.
22 Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (PC) 06/23/15
+ Average.
23 Dawn of Discovery (PC) 07/14/15
+ Wish I figured out the fast forward button sooner.
24 Mass Effect (PC) 07/19/15
+ Better than DA:O.
25 Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (PC) 07/22/15
+ Below average.
26 Bulletstorm (PC) 07/26/15
+ Short, Fun, but clearly a console game.
27 Blueberry Garden (Steam) 07/26/15
+ Complete argument for steam refunds right here.
28 Command & Conquer 3 (PC) 08/05/15
+ Unmemorable.
29 Call of Duty World at War (PC) 08/07/15
+ Unmemorable.
30 Red Faction (Steam) 08/19/15
+ Geomod needs to come back.
31 Red Faction 2 (Steam) 08/20/15
+ Wtf did they do to Red Faction.
32 Sonic Generations (PS3) 09/16/15
+ Discovered I'm not a fan of sonic games.
33 Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor (Steam) 09/20/15
+ Really low amount of content for a standalone release.
34 WH40k: DoW Dark Crusade (Steam) 09/28/15
+ Play Necrons, win every match.
35 Ni No Kuni (PS3) 09/29/15
+ So, so good.
36 WH40k: DoW Soulstorm (Steam) 10/06/15
+ Worse than Dark Crusade in every possible way.
37 WH40k: Dow2 Chaos Rising (PC) 10/12/15
+ Twirling mustache chaos marines.
38 WH40k: Dow2 Retribution (PC) 10/18/15
+ They shouldn't sell this anymore it's so buggy.
39 Half Life: Opposing Force (Steam) 10/20/15
+ Good fun.
40 Half Life: Blue Shift (Steam) 10/23/15
+ More good.
41 Star Wars: Dark Forces (Steam) 10/25/15
+ Retro fun. Shame DF2 doesn't work.
42 Rayman Origins (PS3) 10/27/15
+ Sublime.
43 The Ball (Steam) 11/07/15
+ Great atmosphere.
44 Hamilton's Great Adventure (Steam) 11/11/15
+ Decent puzzler.
45 Bob Came in Pieces (Steam) 11/18/15
+ Another argument for steam refunds.
46 Heroes V (Steam) 11/27/15
+ Hey Heroes is kinda fun.
47 Gratuitous Space Battles (Steam) 11/28/15
+ Surprisingly addictive.
48 Greed Corp 12/01/15
+ Good foundation but it's shallowness came through by the end.
49 Heroes V: Hammers of Fate (Steam) 12/06/15
+ Ok, getting a bit tired of Heroes V.
50 Heroes V: Tribes of the East (Steam) 12/12/15
+ Never playing Heroes V again.
51 Defense Grid: the Awakening (Steam) 12/20/15
+ Decent fun.
52 Breath of Death VII (Steam) 12/23/15
+ Good fun.

SteveSteve said:

41 Star Wars: Dark Forces (Steam) 10/25/15
+ Retro fun. Shame DF2 doesn't work.

Click to expand...

Hm? I got DF2 to run just fine for me a few months ago on Windows 8.1. Might just be something on your end. It's worth looking into, DF2 is a monumental leap over DF1. Great game.

Main Post 1-30
Second Post for games 31-52


Game #39 Tengami on Steam. 100% Completion
A calming, visually interesting, and simple adventure title that seeks to be as visually soothing as it's gameplay delivers. An interactive art exhibit of a Japanese art style combined with the mechanics of a digital pop-up book made this a welcomed experience even if it was all about the journey and the story was merely two plot points to present it.

With less than an hour to see it through, it's a worthwhile title when cheap I do recommend if one needs a break from hectic games and can appreciate playing for aesthetic rather than game play in this simple point and click.


Game #40 Xeodrifter on Steam. 100% Map and Items.

Scale down all that was Metroid and distil it to the core ideas, then break up the exploration by making it a five level stage title and the power of going in and out of the background to create what is the core of Xeodrifter. A title that is influenced by Metroid and Mutant Mudds, but does little to be unique beyond the mechanic of choosing how to power up your weapon and respec when you want.

As small titles go I had fun with it to be sure, enough to collect every item and health pick up, but I never felt like it was more than a small title for a portable experience (which it was made for on 3DS) nor an excuse to ever experiment much with the control given in power.


Game #41 Treasures Of The Deep on PS1. Story completed. All creatures captured.

An underwater submersible simulator it calls itself, but for me it was capture all the creatures and earn money so I can capture more creatures. Just as the Fulton in Metal Gear Solid V was a fan favourite for many, this title gave me great joy in using nets to grab life under the water and drag them back to my base where I would be rewarded.
Simple controls for 360 underwater movement with as nice graphics as possible for the Playstation 1, plenty of weapons to choose from and alter play style with, enemies and sealife to keep things interesting, and an atmosphere that made exploration interesting.

While the title has not aged gracefully, it's core game play mechanics of grabbing each and every creature or treasure I see so that I could buy more items to do it all over again, was more than enough to entertain me all the way through and wishing for a modern sequel.


Game #42 OverBlood for PS1. Story completed.

Presented to me as a Survival Horror, but executed as an Adventure game in 3D geometry, OverBlood is a killer b experience of poor design, weak writing, and melodramatic dialogue, that I couldn't help but love and laugh at.
As an adventure game it's puzzles was never much more than find an item A to put in/give/use on object A, and as survival it never felt like I was in danger beyond simply not understanding what it was asking of me and causing a cheap death, but I learned to root for Raz because I wanted to know where this bizarre story would take me next.

I can't recommend it unless you like bad games with ridiculous plots, but I don't regret having completed this as a break between meatier titles I played before and after this (whether I completed them or not).


Game #43 MYST on PC. Story completed.

It's MYST. A competent, classic, perhaps genre defining adventure game for many and after a huge break between buying the game on CD and never having the last disc to complete it, I finally beat the game. I don't know if I can say I enjoyed my time with it, especially as my greatest puzzle difficulty was "oh, the button was hidden behind something" and a sound based title (technical flaw on my end for sound), but I feel accomplished for having completed this game after so long.

Though I love adventure titles, this helped me realise what I love about them and what I require from them for me to enjoy them. This may not have had some of those aspects, but I still highly respect the title and the people who made this.


Game #44 Oh! Cube for iOS. All puzzles completed.

It's Picross 3D on mobile devices. While not as well made or as clever as the Nintendo title, this nonogram (or griddlers for some) in three dimension space provided a lot of casual enjoyment to me as I played off an on over the past year.
Taking a block and slowly removing squares until an object is formed, like a digital sculpting title, has always been one my simple pleasures I can play without growing tired of them especially with the ease of being with me wherever I took my mobile and easy of a touch screen.


Game #45 Globulous on iOS. All puzzles completed and best scores achieved.

It's Tetrisphere, but not, for copyright reasons. A puzzle title where one slowly removes sections of a shell away until the object hidden in the sphere can break free by sending down Tetris pieces to match up and remove all linked shapes. Good simple fun.

While it does not live up to the actual Tetrisphere by H2O Entertainment on Nintendo 64, with a lack of options, it scratches the itch just fine.


Game#46 Bloodborne on PS4. Story and DLC completed twice with two different weapon styles.

King's Field, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, now Bloodborne, it's Gothic horror where mistakes can make any enemy a killer and I love it so. Going for a more frenzied and hectic combat focus as opposed to the rest, Bloodborne made me play rather different and not care about the shield any longer.
As a From Software title it contained many of the things I loved and a new world to explore and enjoy, with a variety of bosses that made up for the "here is another human" that I complained about before but it's focus on just one combat play style and removal of some natural environments caused me to be less loving of it than Demon's Souls and Dark Souls II. Still, it gave a transformable hammer and a deadly wheel as weapons, and those make me smile and a reason to replay it someday in the future.

I feel I can't say much more to this title, for so many have described it so well in the 2015 Game of the Year voting thread, I feel I would do it an injustice beyond to say, I'm glad I bought a PS4 to experience it.


Game #47 Shadow Complex on PC (yay!). 100% Story, weapons, achievements completed.

A great sound of joy and happiness was produced by me when it was announced this title was coming out for PC and free at that. Having fond memories of time spent on it on Xbox 360, it remained one of my favourite games for side scrolling open world exploration titles that Metroid (and Zillion to a degree) has long since inspired.
Discovering new items that alter the play style with each improvement, new areas to explore or get back to easier, a large scale game world with multiple paths to travel, and a satisfying gunplay combat system on a single plane or into the background entertained me throughout my several play throughs this time around. Enough that I sought out each in-game achievement

I can't tell you much about the story other than attempted coup against the United States, but then I don't need to. It was justification for game play and that's all I needed. It's music and sound were unremarkable originally, and a bit lackluster as not improved now free from XBLA size restrictions, but the game play was a joy and that's all that mattered here.


Game #48 Squarecells for Steam. 100% Puzzles solved.

From the makers of Hexcells comes Squarecells. Taking similar mechanics from it's predecessor this Picross meets Minesweeper gave me the same sense of accomplishment when I figured out each and every puzzle with no guessing ever required (though still done until I figured it out a few times).

To puzzle fans I highly recommend Hexcells; To those seeking something smaller than Hexcells, yet still quite open to challenging set-ups, I recommend Squarecells.


Game #49 Batman Arkham Origins on Steam. Story completed.

Batman's greatest enemy is not the freaks and criminals of Gotham, nor the memories of times he failed to save a life, but rather the impossible foe we call glitches. Of the Arkham games I actually have to say this is the one whose story I appreciated the most and whose characters I felt had the most meaningful impact to the events even if they were just side characters, and yet it falters when it comes to gameplay because of those glitches.
At it's core and when everything is working fine, it does nothing worse than Arkham City, the very title it's lifted off of; The glitches that can prevent requirements from being completed to get more items (breakable walls missing for a predator section being one example), cause confusion if an enemy you've defeated is still moving about and you can't hit it (but is still a valid target for trying to attack), invisible objects or enemies, or sections of the town you can't get to for Riddler data packs, and more however cause the game to suffer and prevent me from liking the title nearly as much as past Arkham titles on PC

When it worked smoothly it was what I enjoyed. Being Batman, gliding across town, trying to do as much as I can in each combat situation and trying to avoid too much repetition in item usage or takedowns, and experiencing a unique story set in this universe. Yet even without the glitches the flaws of revisiting much of what was just Arkham City, challenge modes that never lived up to the definition of the word, a "mystery solving" system that just made me think Batman was an idiot (solve the mystery of the downed helicopter, ignore the obvious clues until we let you get to it), and a lack of overall improvement game play from the previous title made it a weaker entry into the franchise for these open world Arkham games.
So while I enjoyed the game and obviously care a lot about it, it's lack of challenge and various glitches means I'll never get a 100% in-game or achievements as I did for Asylum and City (twice for both with PS3 versions played) and I'll leave it incomplete with no desire to ever do New Game + or those left over achievements.


Game #50, #51, #52 Onimusha Trilogy on PS2. Story completed for all.

Other than Onimusha 3, these are not the last games I completed this year, but I wanted to combine the trilogy as a whole experience for the end and consider the experience like watching a movie franchise idea these were heavily inspired by.

Taken from the concept of Resident Evil, transferred to feudal Japan, and made to be unto like that of a cinematic movie with accomplished actors and feel, Onimusha has become one of my favourite franchises.
Where it's slow paced combat of precision movement, focused attack strikes and blocks, and it's ramping style of narrative has pushed some away, it made for a special experience to me with the first title. By the second I knew what to do and how to behave, and so the world itself was expanded and the enemies became more complex. With the third it had told you what needed to be built up and went straight into the action, with two different styles of combat in a faster pace style than before, to end on a high note for an action movie conclusion.

As someone just expecting Resident Evil in another time period, I was surprised by many aspects I had not heard about before that made the games come alive to me. The combat I expected at first to just be swords and spears rather than guns, was more complex with a satisfying requirement to learn how to properly block and counter. The second title with a living town, of trading and collecting, of talking to people made me care about interacting with others I would never see in Survival Horrors. The third with it's frantic pace, it's Reno action, and increased CGI budget, gave me a sense that I was as much taking part in what could easily be a fun movie as I was playing a Capcom game.

I had some issues and faults with the trilogy, be it what has not aged well or "puzzles" that did not feel like they belonged before they figured out what they wanted from the game series, but nothing to take away from the setting I fell in love with or the story I wanted to see to completion. To block and counter the deadliest foe to trading a simple jewel to making someone happy to doing what little one man can do in a major city under attack, it was grand.

Found this thread late this year, decided not to start typing until after I got out of classes which was almost two weeks ago so order of things might not be exact and I don’t have dates. Also wow seeing a lot of what I played from other people here, wasn’t expecting that.

Games I consider beaten

Game 1: God of War II – Beat the story
Comments: It was alright, started getting annoying towards the end with swarms just hitting you out of attacks.

Game 2: God of War: Chains of Olympus – Beat the story
Comments: Liked it a lot actually, felt way better than the main games in my opinion. Giant dumb fist was great.

Game 3: God of War: Ghost of Sparta – Beat the story
Comments: Also liked it, though I liked CoO a bit more. Combat seemed to have a bit less variety.

Game 4: Transistor – Beat the story
Comments: Was slightly disappointed I couldn’t have played Bastion first but someone gifted it to me so it’s fine and didn’t really matter. Ending was still pretty strong even though I knew about it.

Game 5: Dust: An Elysian Tail – Beat the story
Comments: Don’t regret it but boy it got slowly disappointing. Started great aside from some art/voice acting and then I fought the final boss which amounted to just using a bunch of the health items I had picked up over the game while the boss just parried/broke free really often.

Game 6: Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PS1) – Beat the story
Comments: Didn’t start it right after Innocent Sin in my Persona marathon because I wanted to start it when I started classes for some reason, beat it during spring break. It was great to see how things from 1 and IS concluded though the jump from IS to EP didn’t hit me like 1 to IS. I thought the ending was depressingly normal and empty which I felt really fit it.

Game 7: Freedom Wars – Beat the story, though only got one of the options at the end and didn’t grind for sentence reductions for the other two
Comments: I played this during the wait and trip to/from class during spring semester. Had a lot of fun with it though enemy variety was disappointing and final boss was a bit of a pain.

Game 8: Persona 3 FES – Beat the story
Comments: Started right after I beat EP, beat soon after starting summer vacation. The jump to modern Persona was really something, all the new ways things worked had me really hooked once I started. Needless to say it had me pretty depressed after I finished it. Probably tied with P2IS for my favorite in the series. Just watched The Answer on YouTube afterward.

Game 9: Persona 4 Golden – Got the golden ending
Comments: Just like the jump before, it was pretty cool seeing how many changes were made between games, especially since it was basically two iterations. Tonal difference was really weird for me since I was used to Persona being darker and not this goofy. Had a few issues with it such as feeling like it went on too long and fuck “Who’s There” but overall enjoyed it.

Game 10: HuniePop – Traded in all the underwear
Comments: The dialogue was enjoyably stupid with how much they would say that no one would ever say. Pretty good matching game with different mechanics as well.

Game 11: Kirby and the Amazing Mirror – Got the DMC credits
Comments: It was pretty fun but damn the map annoyed me, especially with all the running around you have to do to find bosses for the mirror shards. Gave me pretty good inspiration for a dumb vine and youtube video.

Game 12: Legend of Zelda Minish Cap – Beat the big bad
Comments: Started the game up, went through, noticed it felt a bit different from other Zeldas. Second time I’m booting it up I see “CAPCOM” and felt confused while things made sense. Got stuck in some areas and not sure whether to blame myself or actually the game, but really enjoyed it.

Game 13: Shantae (GBC) – Beat the story
Comments: This shit was running on some wizard magic. There was a bunch of cool stuff like the crazy animations, the mini games, the great music, flash kick into spiral arrow was hype. The problems I had with it like transformations taking forever and weird hit detection/priority/startup I attributed to it being the first in the series and on the GBC. Great game though.

Game 14: Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut – Beat the story
Comments: Was weird seeing how much wasn’t in from the first game but still pretty cool. Map was almost useless and had issues with the saving. Dancing to change didn’t feel as fun but saved a lot of time. Overall made improvements to the fighting which helped me enjoy it more. Thought the ending was pretty sad. Strong game.

Game 15: Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse – Beat the story
Comments: Best game in the series so far, excited for the next one. Everything felt so good and the callbacks to the first game that were missing in the second made me spazz out, especially with the out of place dark humor. Special attacks still missing were disappointing though. End was great but had me sad because no more Shantae, at least for a while.

Game 16: Shovel Knight – Beat the story
Comments: Holy shit it was so Mega Man with DuckTales, felt like it had a lot of care and quality put into it. Got pretty hype at times. Wish I had bought it and didn’t get it gifted but I’ll but the next DLC anyways so it’s fine.

Game 17: Double Dragon Neon – Beat Skullmageddon
Comments: Dumb humor everywhere was great, music was fantastic, played good. I love me some exaggerated 80s.

Game 18: HotL#NiQ – Got the true end
Comments: Bought it because the LE was super cheap, $25. This was probably among the most disappointing games I played this year. I was excited because I loved the art and how it looked cute and dark at the same time, and was like “Yeah I loved Ghost Trick this looks similar.” Boy did I get into some bullshit, I almost dropped it which I don’t remember when the last time I did that was, I think it’s been a few years. Fuck those walls of death maze sections. Story was pretty cool though. Don’t regret it but don’t really recommend to people.

Game 19: Gravity Rush – Beat the story
Comments: Really enjoyed it, novelty of the gyro aiming gimmick was fun to me at least though I know it’s something that bothered people. Glad there’s a 2 coming after that end.

Game 20: Code of Princess – Beat the game with Solange
Comments: Wow did this game feel budget as fuck. Aside from Jester sometimes and Marco Neko, all VA felt really bad which seemed like it might’ve been part of the joke but probably only worked in Japanese which I wish I could’ve heard. Kinda had fun with it and glad I only paid $15 for it.

Game 21: Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance – Beat the story on Proud
Comments: I was excited since it was the last game I needed to beat in the series, another one I was disappointed by this year. I was getting frustrated since I was dumb and didn’t get Once More, so I was putting in so much work only to die in one combo so many times. My basic combo didn’t stun enough to keep enemies locked, there was so much start up and recovery on anything, no canceling, and got stun locked and gang fucked by everything. At least I got more story. Me and friend who’s also a fan of the series were laughing at that bullshit fanfiction feeling bit at the end.

Game 22: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Beat the story
Comments: Abused rolling, prioritized side missions over story until I got bored of them around the time your wallet gets stolen. Was over leveled and things were pretty easy for a bit and then they weren’t. Didn’t end where I expected it to, actual end was sadder than I thought it would be. Did a pretty good job of adding characterization to others. Showed that not everyone was as bad as you thought and they all got dicked to an extent.

Game 23: Final Fantasy Type-0 (PSP) – Beat the story
Comments: Enjoyed it quite a bit, got pretty hard at times. Was pretty interested in the story and then you suddenly win and the thing happens out of nowhere and fuck that ending.
Game 24: Rayman Origins – Beat the game
Comments: Was super fun, felt closer to 1 and 2 more than 3 did. Difficulty was a bit much in the last few levels but it was fine. Got to those and was like “Wait what’s going on?” then the twist happens. Fun times, didn’t get the Land of the Livid Dead though.

Game 25: Bastion – Beat the story
Comments: Was weird going backwards from Transistor since it was a bit less polished but was still good. Combat got a bit frustrating at times though.

Game 26: The Legend of Korra – Beat the story
Comments: A game which I consider to be Platinum on a budget, obviously not their best game but decent. I pinned most of the problems to short dev time and low budget, but still enjoyed it as a fan of their work and the series. That last boss was fucking balls hard though.

Game 27: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Beat story plus the 2 DLC (Should this count as 3 games?)
Comments: Was pretty damn great, Monsoon kicked my ass. Good game. Sam and Blade Wolf made you feel for them though I thought the BW DLC was a bit lacking, still great though.

Game 28: D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die – Finished Episode 2
Comments: Saw an LP of this game but playing through was still great. Super goofy and entertaining with some serious moments as well. Really hope there’s a season 2 some day.

Game 29: The Stanley Parable – Got a few endings
Comments: It was pretty cool. I mean not much else to say other than it was interesting and fun for a little bit.

Game 30: Relic Hunters Zero – Killed the Ducan Commander
Comments: Was thirsty for some Nuclear Throne and it was free so I checked it out. Was pretty hard early on and they’ve added a good amount of things. Fun top down rouge like shooter from dudes that made Chroma Squad.

Game 31: Lethal League – Beat challenge mode
Comments: It’s hype, would like it if people were online.

Game 32: Momodora – Beat the story
Comments: Second game this year I almost dropped. Certainly felt like someone’s first or early game, felt hard in an annoying way. Glad I beat it though, simply to say I did.

Game 33: Momodora II – Got the good end
Comments: Felt much better than the first game, pretty decent continuation of the first game. Last area was kind of dumb hard again though. Liked it.

Game 34: Momodora III – Got the good end
Comments: Probably the most well-built of the three, though I might prefer 2 better. Story is kinda separate from the first two while sorta referencing it. No difference between Momo and Isadora that I noticed which sucks. Also liked it.

Game 35: Corporate Lifestlye Simulator – Beat all chapters? Episodes? Missions.
Comments: Fucking great music, small cutscenes were goofy and fun, the whole game was pretty much the same thing the whole time but if you like killing a lot of things that don’t pose a challenge this is great.

Game 36: Finding Teddy – Got Teddy back
Comments: Neat little point and click, kinda just throws you out there and lets you figure shit without hints though. It’s not great when you have to listen for notes and replicate them and guess their positions. It gets easier after you realize they’re just letters spelling things out but it’s still not great when you haven’t actually gotten the letters yet. Played it because I was interested in 2 and it was really cheap anyways.

Game 37: Finding Teddy 2 – Got Teddy back again
Comments: Second disappointment of the year, though wasn’t bad, just not at all what the preview video on Steam would have you believe it is. You’re better off expecting a puzzle platformer than an action adventure game. But again, still liked it despite the fact.

Game 38: Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP – Beat the story
Comments: Another point and click, felt it was better than FT. Pretty cool goofy/trippy story, music wasn’t bad. One problem I have is kind of a spoiler. Was cool though.

Game 39: Cloudbuilt – Got the 4 endings
Comments: Holy shit this felt so good. It’s a free running game on crack. You go so damn fast. I felt some levels got too happy with enemies and obstacles but it was still a great time.

Game 40: Super Time Force Ultra – Beat the story
Comments: Felt real good, played real fun. Not sure what else I good say. Dumb humor was humorous.

Game 41: Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds – Beat the story as Mikoto
Comments: Really fun beat em up, thought it felt like a fighting game. Oh wow it’s a fighting game spin off what a surprise. I really liked the music too. Will probably try beating with other characters some day.

Game 42: Crypt of the Necrodancer – Beat Necrodancer as Cadence and Melody
Comments: Really fun rhythm rogue-like I’m super bad at with great music. I’m probably never beating it as Aria as I can’t even do an all zones run.

Game 43: Outland – Beat the story
Comments: Didn’t like it as much as I thought I would and thought it felt a bit stiff and not too exciting. Boss fights were really great though, were built as pretty good shmup levels and what not. Still enjoyed it overall.

Game 44: Freedom Planet – Beat as Lilac
Comments: Was really looking forward to this as I had found out about it some time last year. Got its dick sucked a bit too much for my liking while waiting to buy/play it and thought the overhype would ruin it for me but I’m glad that wasn’t the case. Music is absolutely what I’m into and game was a great mix of Sonic/Rocket Knight. Difficulty went up pretty smoothly but when it got hard I was getting my ass handed to me and I was getting salt. That’s pretty much just on me for sucking though.

Game 45: Nuclear Throne – I looked at my kingdom I was finally there, to sit on my throne as the King of the Wasteland
Comments: Really fun, really hard, really hectic top down shooter rouge-like. I was really excited for this after watching Star_ stream it so much. The only thing about it that disappointed was my skills. I still got the ending though. Now if I could just get back to 1-1 so I can get on my quest of looping with everyone at least once.

Game 46: Valdis Story: Abyssal City – Beat story as Wyatt
Comments: Slightly disappointed, overall enjoyed myself however. Was a lot of fun at first, but as I went on I realized it wasn’t the combo heavy game I expected. You could easily get overwhelmed by two enemies if they stun locked you right and seemed like enemies escaped combos all too easily, especially bosses. Though I could’ve totally been playing it wrong. Almost dropped it due to an optional boss I didn’t know was optional, and the final boss having an annoying gimmick. Might go through again as other characters but not any time soon.

Game 47: Rayman Legends – Unlocked Living Dead Party and beat those stages
Comments: Thought it felt better than Origins and had lots of fun with it. Really great platforming and the music stages were lots of fun. Only things that got me irritated were some of the much harder invasion stages and Shadow Rayman stages. Also fuck those “8-bit” music stages, I get what they were going for but it totally doesn’t work. Felt like they were actually messing with my vision.

Game 48: Abyss Odyssey – Killed Warlock as Katrien
Comments: Third disappointment of the year. Steam trailer made combat look a lot more fun. I was warned about it but still went in giving it a chance, ended up not really feeling it. Combat just didn’t feel good. Also not really much of a pull as a rouge-like.

Game 49: Persona 4 Arena – Did all stories
Comments: It was more Persona 4, I enjoyed it. Kinda don’t like that it does the “they’re all different instead of being different views of the same story” thing fighting games do but what can you do.

Game 50: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax – Did all stories
Comments: Basically same as before, more Persona 4 and best of all, more Persona 3. Enjoyed the format of the stories much more. Find it lame 4 side is the cannon one but that’s just a personal thing so not really a big deal.

Game 51: Shadow Complex Remastered – Beat the story
Comments: Wanted to jump on this ever since I heard about it years ago but never had a 360. Jumped on the free deal from earlier this month, that was super lucky for me. Just a really well done Metroid-like, love how it builds your feeling of power. Wish I were the type of person to search more for things so I could’ve gotten the last parts but oh well.

Game 52: Splatoon – Did all single player stages and beat the last boss
Comments: Started playing, sorta got the hang of it in like the first set of stages, wanted to play a lot more for some reason, probably because it just felt really good. And then yo that last boss, yo that last boss though. Totally glad I didn’t upgrade at all until I was about to fight it, made it that much better accidentally.

Games I consider beaten but will let others decide if they should go towards the count

Katawa Shoujo – Got all ends
Comments: Started after beating HuniePop. I felt really empty after this for probably obvious reasons. Enjoyed it a lot, got pulled into it pretty hard. Would probably recommend others not do what I did and marathon all the ends and stuff. Oh and for those curious, Emi’s good end was the first one I got.
Reason for letting others decide: It’s a VN. I would’ve counted it but wasn’t sure how others would’ve felt.

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows – Beat the story
Comments: Was really cool seeing how different Plague Knight played compared to Shovel Knight. Had a lot of fun like with the base game, final boss handed my ass to me really hard. Still had that goofy humor with a cute end.
Reason for letting others decide: Aside from being a replay of sorts, it’s also DLC. I would’ve counted it since it felt like a full campaign to me but wasn’t sure if others would feel the same way.

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition – Beat 3 times in a row, once as DanteNero/Vergil/LadyTrish (Should this also count as 3 games?)
Comments: Did after beating Plague of Shadows. Went through the original a few years ago, rewent through main game to relearn and get proud souls. Felt really good, even new characters, but playing it so much made the game’s flaws stand out and made me notice them when I hadn’t before. Was a fun few days.
Reason for letting others decide: It was a replay. 3 of them back to back in fact.

Starting to plan out what games to tackle in 2016. I'm up for the challenge for the third consecutive year, but I don't want to go overboard like I did this year. I want to clear a large chunk of my backlog in 2016.

Main Post

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Game #32. Pokémon X (3DS)
- Time played: 160:50 hours.
- Completion reached: Beat the main story and did a lot of postgame stuff.

160 hours! This one takes the prize for most hours played in the year. Pokémon X is an entry of the latest generation of Pokémon games. Everybody knows how those play so I won't talk much about that.

Pokémon X (and Y) finally mark the move to full 3D for the series. Instead of sprites, Pokémon are now 3D models, and pretty good looking ones at that. This adds the opportunity for cooler animations and better looking battles, among a more detailed overworld with cooler camera angles. It mostly looks pretty good (considering 3DS' limitations) but it comes at the cost of performance. Very often in battle you'll see the frame rate dip and it can become pretty annoying, especially if you attempt the Double/Triple battle challenges in the postgame.

Other main innovation is the Mega Evolution system, which allow certain Pokémon to reach an ever higher form of evolution if they're holding a particular item in battle. This new mechanic has been quite controversial but I enjoy it. It adds a new element of strategy into the game without modifying the heavily developed mechanics of the series. Some designs are a bit crappy, but some of them are so cool that I can't be mad.

Overall, I really liked the game (my playtime shows that!) and would reccomend it to Pokémon fans. Story is the weakest part since the pacing is awful but the Pokémon mechanics are so good that you'll probably enjoy the game anyway.

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Part 2
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Part 4

Game #63: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: 12.4 hours

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And so my Ace Attorney adventures for 2015 come to a close with Apollo Justice. Apollo is an interesting character, willing to start flinging accusations around the courtroom due to unwavering conviction instead of Phoenix's desperation. Trucy is a cool and competent assistant and the new prosecutor is a lot more helpful than you'd first expect.

Forensics make a return, and while interesting they still don't really add anything to the game. The new mechanic, where you can focus on a person's tells to find a weak point to badger them on is a cool idea. In practice though it's too clunky, slow and annoying to leave that good an impression. There's usually 5 statements to check and 2 or more may seem like the one you need to perceive. Once you do that you can only really watch 20% of the person at once so you have to watch the dialogue scroll past over and over. Didn't like it but there's potential for improvement.

Last game of the year?


74. Bloodborne + The Old Hunters DLC - 33 hours 37 minutes
#FromSoftware has found the winning formula. While their games are becoming annualized, the core gameplay is so well refined that it's not losing its luster has fast as some annualized series has. Bloodborne mixes the Souls formula by exchanging shields for fast dodging, creating an almost new combat experience for those who tanked their way. A shift from medieval fantasy to Victorian horror fills the game with an even greater dread than found wandering the corridors of the Souls series. Most bosses have similar beastly forms and wails which are grating but also fit the atmosphere. I was in line to finish the main game within 20 hours, but playing the DLC took about 10. The final boss of the DLC takes a few hours to last long enough to learn his skill set in both forms, and then another few hours to act on your knowledge and finish him.
Status: Beaten - 12/26/2015

I've been keeping up with this throughout the year in a notepad, but for some reason stopped posting updates in the thread itself. Seeing as theres only a few days left, and I'm completed 53 games this year, its time to rectify that. I'm going to try really hard to post a few thoughts as I think back on the games I've completed!

Original Post

Game #9 - Rogue Legacy (PS4/PSVITA) 2/14/2015 [26 hours]]
I had originally played through this on Steam in 2014, but decided to check it out again when it came to PS Plus. 26 hours and a platinum trophy later its easily one of my favorite indie games of all time. The four new boss fights were some interesting encounters, and that music still gets the blood pumping!

Game #10 - Valkyria Chronicles (PC) 2/15/2015 [30 hours]
After all the commotion coming over to steam in 2014, I received this as a Christmas gift and dove in sometime in January. Personally I found the actual mechanics a little too easily broken(I was able to run through most missions abusing scouts and orders), but I found the characters and story quite endearing. Hopefully Sega will put the sequels on Steam so I can enjoy more.

Game #11 - Metal Gear Solid (PSVITA) 2/16/2015 [8 hours]
Arguably my favorite entry(Its either this or Snake Eater) in one of my favorite series of all time, theres not much I can say about MGS. I've been through the game over a dozen times and it still holds my attention start to finish. Truly just a master class experience all around.

Game #12 - The Order: 1886 (PS4) 2/23/2015 [10 hours]
I had high hopes for this game starting the year, despite the middling impressions that had come out of trade shows in 2014. Personally I had a good enough time with it, but it just feels so half baked, and as I think back on it now its just a frustrating game. The world and characters felt like they were setting up and building towards something interesting, only for the game to come to a sudden end. Now the game really feels like its come and gone(theres a joke to the games length there somewhere), and the chances of a sequel to build on what was seem pretty slim. It sure was pretty though and I guess I got a Platinum trophy out of it?

Game #13 - Counterspy (PSVITA) 3/7/2015 [4 hours]
Flew through this on a trip to the parents for a weekend, the premise of the game was interesting but it was a chore to play. The game just felt really clunky to play, most noticeably the shooting sections, which almost felt out of place to the rest of it. I guess I shouldn't complain, as it was an interesting game to check out(PS Plus provided quite a few I otherwise wouldn't have seen over the year) and was short.

Game #14 - DBZ Xenoverse (PS4) 3/13/2015 [40+ hours]
I'm a huge Dragon Ball fan, so I am thrilled that a solid enough DBZ game came out this year. Creating your own character and running around an online lobby with others was fun in itself, it always cracked me up to see others doing the Ginyu poses, or fusion dance together. Thats not counting just seeing some of the interesting characters others had made/dressed up, which was surprising since the create feature felt somewhat limited. Hopefully they can build on the solid foundation laid here for the sequel and make the next one even better.

Game #15 - Valiant Hearts (PS4) 3/15/2015 [7 hours]
Another PS Plus game added to the pile, my fiancee and I sat down and went through this in 2-3 sittings. I was surprised just how much I enjoyed it, as I've never been one for war stories, but I appreciated how they really showed just how terrible war could be with some of the twists and turns the game takes, as usually when I think of war my mind jumps to guns and bombs and such, never to a personal level. Just a well written game, weaving together the characters involved and leading to a great, yet sad ending.

Game #16 - Hotline Miami 2 (PSVITA) 3/16/2015 [8 hours]
When I played this in March I was initially disappointed. I felt like the original gave me a good amount of freedom in how I approached and tackled the levels through the masks and weapons found, while 2 felt so constrained. I thought it was a good game, but theres no denying I found it lacking. Reflecting back on it now though, I actually appreciate it more. While some of that freedom was gone, it was replaced by an interesting narrative, with some really great moments that I remember vividly while typing this now. Also THAT MUSIC, so many great tracks. Its hard to choose which one I like more, but both entries are fantastic games in there own right.

Game #17 - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) 3/18/2015 [40+ hours]
I entered MH4 as a complete Monster Hunter newbie, outside of maybe 10 minutes spent with an earlier entry. The GAF hype got me to check it out, and it was actually pretty good. There were some growing pains with my time spent with it, as I had to get used to all of its mechanics and systems, but I definitely had a good enough time with it and would be interested in the next one. I think for that one I'll try to actually play with other GAF members or online more, as I spent the bulk of my time in solo play(outside of a few missions).

Game #18 - DMC Definitive Edition (PS4) 3/19/2015 [8 hours]
Originally played this on Steam, but all of the changes they made got me to check this one out. They were definitely positive changes and additions in my opinion, but I don't feel like they would change anyone's mind from the initial release. Throughout all of the online arguments of those who enjoy DMC and those who wish it didn't exist, I find myself just wishing we'd get another entry at all. Capcom? Please?

Game #19 - Bloodborne (PS4) 3/29/2015 [40+ hours]
The first top to bottom fantastic 2015 game for me, my time with Bloodborne was just a treat. The souls series never drew me in, I would try but something would disengage me or grab my attention elsewhere(FF14 I'm looking at you), but this one just took me and never let me go. I loved the art style, I loved how tight the combat felt, the music, I could go on and on. Thinking now, I have two moments from my time with the game that really stick in my mind. The first would be after the first few bosses of new game +, when I realized the game had clicked with me and I had "leveled up" so to speak. I struggled my way through the game the first time, often wondering "are these games just too hard for me?" It was a great feeling when the bosses that I had to bang my head against initially were brought down with ease on a second go around. The other moment would be working on Defiled Amygdala with my friend in the chalice dungeons. While going through the game itself solo, my friend and I made it a goal to do all of the chalice dungeons in coop and we had a lot of great times(mainly watching each other blow up to traps, enemies, etc.) but Defiled Amygdala takes the cake. Insight was spent, spirits were broken("just go on without me man" lol), and lots of excited shouting could be heard throughout the house that night. It's one of my top games of the year, and I'm really happy to have worked for that Platinum trophy. I haven't had time to check out the DLC but I can't wait to return to Yharnam sometime in 2016.

Game #20 - Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies (3DS) 4/11/2015 [25 hours]
There came a time in 2015 while talking to my fiancee that I realized I had completely missed a Phoenix Wright entry, and so I set out to rectify that problem. Dual Destinies wasn't the best AA game, but I had a good time with it, and I liked some of the new characters they introduced, like Athena and Juniper. I really enjoyed the youkai/masked wrestler case, and the one involving the legal academy. The overlying plot centering around the 1st, 4th, and 5th episodes were kind of touch and go but all in all it was a good entry. I'm looking forward to AA6, even if I'm disappointed Capcom won't give us Great Ace Attorney

Game #21 - Mortal Kombat X (PS4) 4/15/2015 [15 hours]
I’m more on the casual side of fighting games, but I loved the story mode in MK9 so I was looking forward to this one. The story was alright, it held my interest but never blew me away or anything. Most of the new characters were good additions, and I did like the different styles for each fighter, a neat little twist on the formula imo.

Game #22 - Killzone Mercenary (PSVITA) 4/24/15 [4 hours]
Checked this one out when it went up on PS Plus, I feel like it was just a solid, if by the numbers FPS. Impressive graphics for the Vita though.

Game #23 - Shovel Knight (PS4/PSVITA) 4/29/15 [16 hours]
One of my favorite games of 2014 released on the Playstation platforms, I had to run through it a few times for the platinum. It controls well, has great music, and great level design with lots of fun challenges/easter eggs to find and collect. I can’t recommend it enough.

Game #24 - Megaman Maverick Hunter X (PSVITA) 5/12/15 [5 hours]
After my Shovel Knight binge, I was in the mood to revisit an old classic in Megaman X. I figured since I never checked out the PSP remake it would be a good time, and for the most part I enjoyed it. It did have a little slowdown, and felt shorter than I remember? Might just be my imagination, I’d like to play the original SNES one sometime if I can.

Game #25 - Witcher 2 (PC) 5/15/2015 [17 hours]
Just a quick run through on insanity difficulty to get in the groove for Witcher 3, and to check out some of the additions CDPR had put in since my initial few playthroughs back when the game was released.

Game #26 - Witcher 3 (PS4) 5/31/2015 [120 hours]
I’m a huge fan of the series, but the Witcher 3 blew me away despite all of my hype entering it. Thinking back to it now, there are so many great moments and quests, interesting locations to explore, monsters to hunt. For me it has set the bar on what I want from this type of game, and has come the closest to giving an open world RPG without some of the “usual suspect” drawbacks that usually accompany them. One thing I particularly loved was just how much attention was paid to crafting its world, it always felt like there was a piece of lore or other explanation for why I found treasure, or stumbled on some decaying ruins. It’s not without flaws, but the sum of its parts leave it as nothing short than my GOTY, and one of the best open world games I’ve ever played.

My final list. To be honest I was only able to do the entire 52 by most of the games being the retro.

1. Gunstar Future Heroes
2. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
3. The Stanley Parable
4. Monument Valley
5. Garfield's Escape
6. Ghostbusters
7. Sonic and the Black Knight
8. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
9. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
10. Virtua Fighter: 10th Anniversary
11. Sonic Drift 2
12.Sonic Labyrinth
13. Tails Sky Patrol
14. Tails Adventure
15. Walking Dead 400 Days
16. Sonic Rush
17.Sonic Rush Adventure
18.Cosmic Carnage
19.Sonic Blast
20. Sonic Triple Trouble
21. Sonic Drift
22. Streets of Rage
23. Streets of Rage 2
24. Moonwalker
25. Streets of Rage 3
26. Decap Attack
27. Final Fight
28. No More Heroes 2: Bitter
29. Final Fight 2
30. Final Fight 3
31. Asura’s Wrath
32. Batman Arkham City
32. GG shinobi
33. GG Shinobi 2 - Game Gear
34. The Cyber Shinobi - Game Gear
35. Shinobi master system
36.shadow dancer master system
37.shadow dancer md
38.alex Kidd in shinobi world
39. Revenge of Shinobi
40. Shinobi 3
41. Alan Wake
42. Alan Wake American Nightmare
43. Cool Spot
44. Virtua Tennis 4
45.Spot goes to Hollywood
46.Hitman Go
47.Kid Chameleon
48. Chiki Chiki Boys
49. Dynamite Headdy GG
50. Dynamite Dux GG
51. Panzer Dragoon Mini
52. Coca-Cola Kid GG
53. Lara Croft Go
54. Sonic Dash
55. Dark Echo
56. Her Story

Original post #1-52

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Game 53: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

I count Canvas Curse as one of the greatest games of all times, certainly in my top 5 games on the DS. This...wasn't quite a strong follow-up, particularly because of the 'gimmick' levels. Still, it was short and sweet and quite relaxing.

What I can't forgive is the usage of the gamepad. I've missed out on all the game's visuals because I was looking at 100% of the time. I ended up just listening to podcasts on the main screen because I knew it was going to get very little use.

Finally made it.. Got really close the last two years. Unfortunately these aren't in the order that I played them, because I put them alphabetically in a word document. I actually hit 54 since I beat Kingdom Hearts 3 times this year, but I did make it to 52 unique games as well.

1. Axelay
# First time playing this game. Resogun got me into the genre and I enjoyed this one.
2. Bloodborne
# GOTY for me. Got the platinum trophy and all DLC trophies.
3. Chrono Trigger
# I've beaten this classic before. It still holds up.
4. Crashmo
# Enjoyed it.
5. Donkey Kong Country
# Really enjoyed these games.
6. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
# This was the best one IMO.
7. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!
# First time playing and beating this game.. Enjoyed it.
8. Donkey Kong Land
# I was impressed on what they were able to do on the original game boy.
9. Dragon Quest
# First experience with this series and I'm hooked. Will definitely play more of these.
10. Dragon Quest II
# I enjoyed this one even more than the first one.
11. Final Fantasy 1
# First time playing this one, even though I've been a lifelong fan of the series. I played the iphone version and it was pretty good.
12. Final Fantasy 7
# One of my favorites.. Got the platinum.
13. Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon
# I really loved this game. Very, very charming.
14. Grim Fandango
# First time playing this one - Platinum trophy.
15. Golden Sun
# I had this game when I was younger but this was my first time beating it.
16. Grow Home
# I adored this game. One of my favorites of the year.
17. Gunman Clive 2
# I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would.. Was a big fan of the original.
18. Journey
# Amazing. Didn't have a PS3 at the time, so this was my first time through this game.
19, Kingdom Hearts (x3)
#Had to beat this one 3 times to get the platinum trophy. Really enjoyed it.
20. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
# One of the games from my childhood. It didn't hold up that well.
21. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
# Played this with my girlfriend at the time and we both liked it.
22. Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
# These games turned me into a huge Klonoa fan.
23. Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament
# Similar to the first and enjoyable.
24. Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
# Great Zelda game.
25. Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)
# One of my favorite games from my childhood.
26. Mario Kart 8
# Counted this one because I got gold in all cups and difficulties and played lots of online.
27. Mega Man & Bass
# I'm a huge Mega Man fan but this was my first time with this game. Loved the art style and music.
28. Metroid
# I owned this as a kid but didn't beat it until this year.
29. Metroid Prime
# Holy cow. This is now in my top 10 games of all time. Masterpiece.
30. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
# Great game. Didn't enjoy it as much as the first.
31. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
# I didn't mind that this was streamlined since I marathoned all 3. Was nice to have a change of pace.
32. Mother 3
# Another classic that I played for the first time this year. Have always been a huge Earthbound fan and I loved this.
33. Never Alone
# Pretty good game.. Didn't love it.
34. Paper Mario
# I never got around to playing this game when I was a kid. Really enjoyed it.
35. Persona 4: Dancing All Night
# I picked this up since I'm a big Persona 4 fan. Pretty easy platinum.
36. Pushmo
# Enjoyed it.
37. Rocket League
# Didn't like this as much as most people, but I did get the platinum trophy and all DLC trophies.
38. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
# Really enjoyed this game and I'm planning on playing the sequel.
39. Shovel Knight
# One of the highlights of the year.
40. Sin & Punishment
# Mindless fun. The Wii game is on my to-do list for 2016.
41. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
# Liked it at first, but I marathoned the platinum and got really burned out.
42. Sonic the Hedgehog
# Classic game.
43. South Park: The Stick of Truth
# This game was hilarious. Loved it.
44. Splatoon
# Another GOTY candidate for me this year. Beat the single player and have played countless hours online.
45. Sportsfriends
# Okay game - Got all the trophies and played all modes with my roommate.
46. Super Mario 64
# This was my best memory from Christmas 1997. Loved beating it again.
47. Super Mario Galaxy 2
# Honestly, I had lots of fun but didn't love it as much as the first or 3D world.
48. The Order: 1886
# zzzZzzzZZZzz
49. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
# Another one of my favorite games this year. Adore it.
50. Titan Attacks!
# Classic space invaders fun. Beat the game and got all trophies.
51. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
# Great game.
52. Wario Land II
# This is my favorite Wario Land game.

Maaaaade with just alil less time ta spare then last year! Ended on kinda a rockin' note with GGX2 and GGXXAC!


Games Beaten: 52 / 52
Total Playtime: 360 hours, 12 minutes

01 - 26
27 - 52

Final update for the year I think. Don't think I'll finish another game anytime soon. Next post I'll count my total playtime for the year.
Main post

Game 65: Ys: Memories of Celceta
Playtime: 24:32
Start/Finish: September 28th, 2015 - October 11th, 2015
// Really solid game, the story was weak but everything else was amazing.
--
Game 66: Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit!
Playtime: 8:41
Start/Finish: April 28th, 2015 - October 17th, 2015
// Pretty fun and challenging rhythm game, got tired of the fanservice real quick though. Wish you could actually just select songs instead of having them tied to the character.
--
Game 67: Tree of Savior
Playtime: 252:00
Start/Finish: October 27th, 2015 - November 26th, 2015
// This is why I don't play MMOs anymore. Over 200 hours on a beta, holy shit. It was fun though.
--
Game 68: Star Wars: Battlefront
Playtime: 55:23
Start/Finish: November 17th, 2015 - December 3rd, 2015
// Made it to max rank and then stopped. The initial shine wore off about 20 hours in maybe. Really shallow and unbalanced. Having more fun with Black Ops 3 instead.

I never intended to do this challenge, but 2 weeks ago I realized that I had beaten 45 games this year. I decided to do a sprint and see if I could finish 7 more before the end of the year, and here I am with room to spare. I didn't keep track of the order in which I played the games, so here they are alphabetically:

Game 1: A Bird Story (PC) - 1 hour
I loved To the Moon so I figured I should play this too. Super short but the story was decent. 7/10.

Game 2: Alien Isolation (PC) - 32 hours
Loved it. Picked it back up this year after dropping it on release. I feel like I could have played the game forever. Extremely failthful to the look and feel of the movies. 9/10.

Game 3: The Beginner's Guide (PC) - 1.5 hours
Unique, but ultimately boring especially when compared to The Stanley Parable. 5/10.

Game 4: Black Mesa (PC) - 12 hours
Sadly, I've never played the original Half-Life, but this remake was fantastic. Fun and varied gameplay, just like Half-Life 2. I can't wait for the rest to come out. 9/10.

Game 5: Bloodborne (PS4) - 167 hours (7? 8?-ish playthroughs)
My game of the year and my second favorite game of all time. Top-tier aesthetic, atmosphere, combat, and lore. 10/10.

Game 6: Braid (PC) - 5 hours
Good puzzles, but a little pretentious. 7/10.

Game 7: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PC) - 3 hours
A decent platformer. I liked the twin stick controls. 7/10.

Game 8: Dark Souls (PC) - 100 hours (3 or 4 playthroughs)
Just replaying my favorite game of all time for the 15th+ time(s). 11/10.

Game 9: Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (PC and PS4) - 73 hours (3 playthroughs)
DS2 is the weakest Souls game in my opinion, but is still great. I have to say though I'm not a huge fan of the changes made in Scholar. It felt like one step forward, two steps backward. 8/10.

Game 10: Dead Space (PC) - 13 hours
Really damn good survival horror/third-person shooter. Fantastic atmosphere, nice graphics, and very satisfying combat. 9/10.

Game 11: Dead Space 2 (PC) - 11 hours
If Dead Space is Alien, Dead Space 2 is Aliens. Pretty much the same game but a bit more action-focused. 9/10.

Game 12: Demon's Souls (PS3) - 20 hours (2 playthroughs)
Annual replays. 10/10.

Game 13: Disgaea (Vita) - 12 hours
After playing and not finishing this game 3-4 times since its release, I finally beat it. Fun SRGP gameplay, great characters, entertaining dialogue. 8.5/10.

Game 14: Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (PS4) - 4 hours
Not good, not bad. A pretty average walking simulator. 5/10.

Game 15: Fallout 4 (PC) - 81 hours
Like all Bethesda games, it was good for ~50 hours then got repetitive. 7.5/10.

Game 16: Final Fantasy Tactics (Vita) - 30 hours
Annual replay of one of my favorite games of all time. 10/10.

Game 17: Grand Knights History (PC emulation) - 40 hours
Since this game is only available in Japan, I had to emulate it with an English patch. I love Vanillaware games, but this one was even more repetitive than normal. The story was also mediocre. To be honest I'm surprised I was able to play this for 40 hours. 5/10.

Game 18: Grow Home (PC) - 5 hours
A pretty fun and visually appealing platformer. 7.5/10.

Game 19: IA/VT -Colorful- (Vita) - 19 hours
One of the best rhythm games I've ever played and probably one of my favorite games of the year. 9/10.

Game 20: Ico (PS3) - 8 hours
This was my first time playing the game and I loved it. A deliciously desolate atmosphere, story through showing rather than telling, and good exploration/gameplay. 9/10.

Game 21: Journey (PS4) - 3 hours
Loved it on PS3, loved it more on PS4. 8.5/10.

Game 22: The Legend of Zelda (PC emulation) - 9 hours
I played this as a kid, but never really got anywhere with it because I was terrible at video games. I figured it was time to finally play this game for real. I enjoyed it, but not as much as SNES+ era Zeldas. 7/10.

Game 23: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3DS) - 20 hours
I was pretty hyped for this game, but ultimately I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Honestly I think I'm a bit burnt out on the Zelda formula, but the time travel mechanic didn't help. 7/10.

Game 24: Metroid Prime (WiiU) - 15 hours
Masterpiece. Amazing atmosphere and exploration, fun shooting mechanics, good lore. 10/10.

Game 25: Mirror's Edge (PC) - 5 hours
I didn't like this game very much. Good visuals and a good concept, but the platforming felt inconsistent and the story and dialogue were pretty terrible. 6/10.

Game 26: The Order 1886 (PS4) - 6 hours
I liked it about as much as I expected. Short, mediocre gameplay, but really nice graphics. 5/10.

Game 27: Ori and the Blind Forest (PC) - 13 hours
Maybe the best platformer I've ever played. Amazing art style and soundtrack, tight controls, fun abilities, and a minimal but good story. 10/10.

Game 28: Resident Evil REmake HD (PC) - 12 hours
This was my first time playing the original Resident Evil. I loved it. Atmosphere you could cut with a knife, cheesy dialogue, and a huge mysterious mansion to explore. 9.5/10.

Game 29: Resident Evil 4 (PC) - 20 hours
My first time playing RE4 as well. I liked it, but I prefer 1-3. 8/10.

Game 30: Ryse: Son of Rome (PC) - 6 hours
Pretty visuals, mediocre gameplay and story. 5/10.

Game 31: Shadow of the Colossus (PS3) - 9 hours
Another masterpiece. I loved the bleak, lonely atmosphere. I loved the Colossi and figuring out how to beat each one. I loved how epic it felt to fight and take one down. And finally, I loved the subtle storytelling. 10/10.

Game 32: SOMA (PC) - 13 hours
Sci-fi Amnesia. It fell a bit short of its predecessor in my eyes. 7.5/10.

Game 33: Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void (PC) - 14 hours
A satisfying conclusion to the series. Has the dialogue always been this cheesy though? I feel like Blizzard villians get cheesier and cheesier as time goes on. 8/10.

Game 34: STASIS (PC) - 7 hours
A decent isometric horror game with an average story and pretty good atmosphere. 7/10.

Game 35: Super Mario Sunshine (PC emulation) - 15 hours
I saw my friends playing this alot in college, but never tried it myself. Pretty great. I didn't dislike Fludd as much as some people seem to. 8/10.

Game 36: Super Metroid (WiiU) - 10 hours
First time playing. It lived up to the hype. A timeless masterpiece. A great sense of scale and discovery. 10/10.

Game 37: Tales of Zestiria (PC) - 53 hours
This was only my second Tales game after Xillia. I've gotta say I liked this one a little less. I thought both the story and character progression were a little lacking. Still a fun JRPG though. 7/10.

Game 38: The Talos Principle (PC) - 33 hours
A pretty great puzzle game with some interesting and well-hidden secrets. 8/10.

Game 39: Tearaway Unfolded (PS4) - 10 hours
Maybe one of the most unique and original games I've ever played. Charming art style and fun platforming that made very good use of the PS4 controller. 9/10.

Game 40: To the Moon (PC) - 4 hours
A short but sweet little game with a story that stuck with me for a while after playing. Loved the soundtrack, too. 7.5/10.

Game 41: Trine 3 (PC) - 3 hours
Standard Trine gameplay, but very short with an abrupt ending. 8/10.

Game 42: Uncharted (PS4) - 8 hours
I wish there was less shooting and more exploration, but overall it was a fun game. 8/10.

Game 43: Uncharted 2 (PS4) - 10 hours
A bit better than the first. 9/10.

Game 44: Uncharted 3 (PS4) - 8 hours
A bit worse than the second. 8/10.

Game 45: Undertale (PC) - 7 hours
A decent game with good dialogue, characters, and replayability, but I don't think it deserves the GOAT or even the GOTY status some people seem to think it does. 7.5/10.

Game 46: Until Dawn (PS4) - 16 hours (2 playthroughs)
I liked this game more than I expected. Enough to play it twice even! Good atmosphere, decent visuals, cheesy B-movie dialogue. If I have to look at it objectively I can't say it's very good, but I still enjoyed it. 7/10.

Game 47: Valkyria Chronicles (PC) - 42 hours
A very good SRPG with an appealing art style, interesting characters, and a decent story. 8/10.

Game 48: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC) - 5 hours
A slightly above-average walking simulator, mainly thanks to the pretty visuals. 6/10.

Game 49: Wind Waker HD (WiiU) - 20 hours
This would be my 3rd time playing Wind Waker, and I appreciated the upgraded graphics. 8/10.

Game 50: The Witcher 3 (PC) - 160 hours
My second favorite game of the year. An extremely well-made game with epic scope. Great story, dialogue, characters. Average combat. 9.5/10.

Game 51: Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC) - 8 hours
It's rare for a game to scratch the single-player FPS itch, but this one did the trick. The cheesy dialogue and characters were great. 8/10.

Game 52: Yomawari (Vita) - 8 hours
A fantastic little horror game on the Vita. Short, but rich in content. 9/10.

Coming up short. Oh, well.


17. Panic Restaurant
18. Parappa the Rapper
19. Power Blade
20. Dreeps: Alarm Playing Game
21. Jackie Chan's Action Kung-Fu
22. Yoshi's Cookie
23. Puss 'N Boots: Pero's Great Adventure
24. 3D Picross 2
25. Gunman Clive HD
26. Gunman Clive 2 HD
27. Super Mario Maker ; Despite it having no end, I've played it thoroughly and will continue to do so.
28. Nintendo World Championships 1990
29. Popeye
30. Family Feud

Update:

Game #26: Metro Last Light Redux

Rating: 8.5/10 - Platform: PS4 - Developer: 4A Games
Fantastic game, I gave it half a point less than 2033 for being maybe a little too "Hollywood-like" at time but overall, it was a great follow up of Artyom's story through the desolation of post apocalyptic Moscow's metro. I also can't praise enough the work that has been done by the developer, both game look fantastic while keeping a near constant 60fps.

Game #27: Surgeon Simulator

Rating: 6.5/10 - Platform: PS4 - Developer: Bossa Studios
I'll admit that although the controls of this game almost drove me crazy, sticking scalpels into Bob's eyes and removing his rib cage with a hammer was great fun. I keep playing it only to finally practice a surgery of an Alien. Video Games <3


Conclusion :
And that will be it for me in 2015, didn't manage to finish the challenge but I had a great gaming time this year and managed to finish and enjoy many games. I'll try my best next year but I'm planing on kicking 2016 by starting The Witcher 3 which might eat a lot of my gaming time. Congratulation to everyone who completed the challenge or just enjoyed participating like me. See you all next year !


Main Post

Games 1 - 69
Games 70 - 76

I think that this will be my last entry of the year, to finish up at a tidy 76 games. Taking the family down to Alabama to see the relatives for a few days and will not be home until the 1st or 2nd of January. I suppose it's possible I finish off Worms: Battle Islands (PSP), Freedom Wars (Vita) or Infinite Space (DS) while on the road, but I doubt it. I really wanted to finish SMT: Nocturne before the trip to finish the year of Dreams with a bang as I'm in the last Dungeon, but I ran out of time.

Game 74: Noby Noby Boy (PS3) - December 19 - 20 hours
Quite possibly the oddest game I have ever played, and hardest to quantify. It's not the classic Katamari is, but is a very mellow time-waster that you can throw on anytime and pass the controller around with the kids. Soothing music that we have actually put the baby to sleep with. Gaming needs more of whatever this is, not less. My eldest daughter has played my account a ton, and we (largely her) are currently ranked 105th in the World, whee!

Game 75: Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together (PSP) - December 22 - 98 hours
Near-perfect gameplay from a timeless classic. Every game in the TO/FFT series is great, but this is the best of them all. Characters, art, music are top-notch, but what sets TO apart is the backstabbers' delight of a story coupled with the turn-based tactics. A 10/10 game that everyone needs to play. Why Square doesn't crank these out on handhelds every 2 years or so is a shame.

Game 76: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (PS3) - December 24 - 8 hours
I love the world of Harry Potter, and this is the game that gets that experience the most out of the game series (so far.) The transition from PS2 to PS3 along with the usage of the actors' likenesses and voices really makes the game for me. There isn't a ton to do, at all, but Phoenix gets the feel of 'walking through Hogwarts' right, and that's pretty much what I wanted all along.

Nipping in at the death just like in 2014 - finished my 52nd game today. I haven't maintained a post in this thread so will just dump the full list here:

(01) Jan 5th - Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse (Vita)
(02) Jan 19th - Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS)
(03) Jan 21st - Attack of the Friday Monsters (3DS)
(04) Jan 22nd - The Starship Damrey (3DS)
(05) Jan 28th - Killzone: Mercenary (Vita)
(06) Feb 11th - Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PS4)
(07) Feb 25th - Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS4)
(08) Feb 27th - New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)
(09) Mar 17th - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (Vita)
(10) Mar 18th - Gunman Clive 2 (3DS)
(11) Mar 25th - Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Vita)
(12) Mar 27th - The Swapper (Vita)
(13) Mar 28th - Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (NGC)
(14) Apr 27th - Dragon Age II (Xbox 360)
(15) May 14th - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3DS)
(16) May 14th - Transistor (PS4)
(17) May 15th - Murasaki Baby (Vita)
(18) May 21st - The Wolf Among Us (Vita) (May 15th)
(19) May 24th - Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PS4) (May 16th)
(20) May 26th - Jet Set Radio HD (Vita) (May 22nd)
(21) Jul 12th - Her Story (PC) (Jul 10th)
(22) Jul 18th - Gemini Rue (Android) (Aug 11th 2014)
(23) Jul 20th - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP) (May 27th)
(24) Jul 22nd - To The Moon (PC) (Jul 13th)
(25) Jul 26th - A Bird Story (PC) (Jul 23rd)
(26) Jul 29th - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (3DS / GBA) (Jul 21st)
(27) Jul 29th - Lifeline (Android) (Jul 26th)
(28) Aug 5th - Grim Fandango (Vita) (Jul 30th)
(29) Aug 9th - Super Mario Bros 3 (3DS / NES) (Aug 6th)
(30) Aug 9th - Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) (May 25th)
(31) Aug 11th - The Unfinished Swan (Vita) (Aug 10th)
(32) Aug 12th - Flower (Vita) (Aug 11th)
(33) Sep 10th - Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4) (Sep 8th)
(34) Sep 12th - Steins;Gate (Vita) (Aug 13th)
(35) Sep 29th - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (Wii U) (Aug 25th)
(36) Sep 30th - Sepia Tears: Midwinter's Reprise (Android) (Sep 23rd)
(37) Oct 9th - The Silent Age (Android)
(38) Oct 14th - Kirby's Adventure (Wii U - NES) (Sep 1st)
(39) Oct 17th - The Order: 1886 (PS4) (Oct 1st)
(40) Oct 21st - The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (3DS / GBC) (Sep 14th)
(41) Oct 24th - Year Walk (Wii U) (Sep 23rd)
(42) Oct 24th - Super Meat Boy (Vita) (Oct 19th)
(43) Oct 28th - Streets of Rage 2 3D (3DS) (Oct 26th)
(44) Nov 3rd - Fractured Soul (3DS) (Oct 27th)
(45) Nov 7th - Gunstar Heroes 3D (3DS) (Nov 4th)
(46) Nov 10th - Xeodrifter (Vita) (Oct 27th)
(47) Dec 6th - Shovel Knight: A Plague of Shadows (WiiU) (Oct 18th)
(48) Dec 9th - Sonic The Hedgehog 2 3D (3DS) (Dec 1st)
(49) Dec 19th - Bastion (Vita) (Dec 14th)
(50) Dec 23rd - The Witcher 2 (Xbox 360) (Aug 28th)
(51) Dec 27th - The Beginner's Guide (PC) (Dec 26th)
(52) Dec 28th - Lara Croft GO (Android) (Dec 23rd)

Some stats:

Platform totals (in brackets is games completed on this platform via backwards compatibility / virtual console)

VTA: 15 (1)
3DS: 10 (3)
PS4: 6
AND: 5
WiU: 4 (1)
PC: 4
360: 2
NES: 2
PSP: 1
NGC: 1
GBA: 1
GBC: 1

Handheld: 33
Home: 19

Jan: 5
Feb: 3
Mar: 5
Apr: 1
May: 6
Jun: 0
Jul: 7
Aug: 5
Sep: 4
Oct: 7
Nov: 3
Dec: 6

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 52 GAME CHALLENGE DEFEATED!

Updated my post: http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=144699142

PS: The PT in he list means PlayThrough. So 1PT means my first time playing it, and so on.

PPS: As always with me, I probably screwed up stats somewhere. But I tried to keep track as best as possible.

PPPS: my ipad 1 is showing its age from the first page. Completely crashed. Gotta pm the op too so this'll be fun.

PPPPS: Clicking new post on the first page was making me a new post ona La Maluna thread. Happened last month too lol.

2015 Games S&F
Start and Finished games for 2015 in order of completion.
Goal is to finish the 52 Game Challenge!

2015 Games S&F
Start and Finished games for 2015 in order of completion.
Goal is to finish the 52 Game Challenge!

New: 40
Replays: 13

Games Beaten by Syetem:
(All Retro games beaten via Virtual Console/PS1 Classics on 3DS/WiiU/Vita. All will be counted as original system.)
3DS: 27 (35 Including VC & DSiWare)
Vita: 7 (8 Including PSP)
WiiU: 4 (7 Including VC)
PS4: 3
---------------------
GB: 5 (5 3DS)
GBC: 0
GBA: 1 (1 3DS)
DSiWare: 2 (2 3DS)
DS: 1 (1 3DS)
NES: 1 (1 WiiU)
SNES: 1 (1 WiiU)
PS1: 0
PSP: 1 (1 PSV)
Steam: 1

Ikachan (3DS) (1PT) (1/52)
Started playing Thursday January 1st 2015 12:38 AM
Finished playing Thursday January 1st 2015 2:57 PM
Play Time: 1:21

Yoshi's Island (GBA) (3PT) (100%) (2/52)
Started playing Friday December 16th 2011
Finished playing Sunday January 4th 2015 1:38 AM
Total Play Time: 22:49
Play Time in 2015: 6:04
Play Time in 2014: 10:26
Play Time in 2013: 2:07
Play Time in 2012 & 2011: Not in Top 30 so unavailable.

Xeodrifter (3DS) (1PT) (3/52)
Started playing Thursday December 18th 2014 8:34 PM
Finished playing Saturday December 20th 2014 5:37 PM
Started 100% playthough on Tuesday January 13th 2015 7:01 PM
Finished collecing all but one thing on Wednesday January 14th 2015 5:03 PM
Playtime: 2:31
Playtime for 100% (99%) 3:41 (1:10)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (WiiU) (2PT) (4/52)
Started Friday October 4th 2013 12:08 PM
Finished playing Thursday January 15th 2015 8:33 PM
Play Time: 24:58 (11:31 in 2015)
Times Played: 38

Castlevania (NES) (1PT) (Second Attempt. First was on Wii VC) (5/52)
Started playing Friday January 30th 2015 9:07 PM
Finished playing Monday February 9th 2015 5:00 PM
Play Time: 1:15

Gunman Clive (3DS) (2PT) (6/52)
Gunman Clive - Easy
Started playing Friday February 13th 2015 11:58 PM
Finished playing Saturday Friday February 14th 2015 5:23 PM
Play Time: 0:40
Retries: 9

Gunman Clive 2 (3DS) (1PT) (7/52)
Gunman Clive - Easy
Started playing Saturday Friday February 14th 2015 5:23 PM
Finished playing Sunday February 15th 2015 10:22 PM
Play Time: 1:03
Retries: 29

Donkey Kong Country (WiiU/SNES) (1PT, but played through many times as a kid. Furthest ever gotten was Ice World.) (8/52)
Started playing Friday February 27th 2015 12:37 AM
Finished playing Sunday March 1st 2015 5:06 PM
Play Time: 3:06
Times Played 8

Persona 4: Golden (PSV) (1PT) (9/52)
Started playing Friday January 9th 2015 2:17 PM
Finished playing Wednesday March 4th 2015 8:25 PM
Play Time: 89:23

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (PSV/PSP) (1PT) (10/52)
Started playing Wednesday March 4th 2015 9:38 PM
Chapter 1 Wrong End #2 on March 6th 2015 2:27 PM
Chapter 1 Defeated on Friday March 6th 2015 2:43 PM
Chapter 2 Wrong End #3 on Sunday March 8th 2015 2:33 PM
Chapter 2 Defeated on Sunday March 8th 2015 8:10 PM
Chapter 3 Wrong End #2 on Monday March 9th 2015 5:48 PM
Chapter 3 Wrong End #1* on Monday March 9th 2015 5:52 PM
Chapter 3 Wrong End #3 on Monday March 9th 2015 7:01 PM
Chapter 3 Defeated on Monday March 9th 2015 7:40 PM
Chapter 4 Wrong End #1 on Tuesday March 10th 2015 6:44 PM
Chaoter 4 Defeated on Tuesday March 10th 2015 6:53 PM
Chapter 5 Wrong End #1* on Wednesday March 11th 2015 4:23 PM
Chapter 5 Wrong End #2 on Wednesday March 11th 2015 4:33 PM
Chapter 5 Wrong End #3 on Wednesday March 11th 2015 6:10 PM
Chapter 5 Wrong End #8** on Thursday March 12th 2015 4:01 PM
Chapter 5 Defeated on Thursday March 12th 2015 4:08 PM
Chapter 6 Defeated on Thursday March 12th 2015 9:38 PM
Chapter 7 Wrong End 1* on Friday March 13th 2015 2:02 PM
Chapter 7 Defeated on Friday March 13th 2015 2:29 PM
Chapter 8 Defeated on Friday March 13th 2015 7:10 PM
Play Time: 14:38

Invisible Apartments (Steam) (1PT) (11/52)
Started playing Wednesday March 18th 2015 9:53 PM
Finished playing Wednesday March 18th 2015 11:09 PM
Play Time: 0:36

HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 (PSV) (1PT) (12/52)
Started playing Saturday March 7th 2015 10:28 PM
Finished playing Tuesday March 24th 2015 2:48 AM
Play Time: 41:05:07

Infamous: Second Son (PS4/Vita) (1PT) (Easy) (Good End) (13/52)
Started playing Tuesday December 16th 2014 12:02 PM
Finished playing Thursday March 26th 2015 3:33 PM

10 Second Run (3DS/DSi) (1PT) (100%) (14/52)
Continuing a playthrough. Quit around 2011 or 2012. Level 38-50 + 1 Second Run Level 1-10
Restarted playing Friday March 27th 2015 1:28 AM
Finished playing Friday March 27th 2015 4:21 PM
Play Time in 2015: 1:04
Total Play Time: 2:06

Fairune (3DS) (1PT) (15/52)
Started playing Saturday March 28th 2015 3:12 AM
Finished playing Saturday March 28th 2015 6:03 PM
Play Time: 3:13
Times Played: 1

Shovel Knight (3DS) (3PT) (16/52)
3PT Started on Saturday March 21st 2015 2:28 AM
3PT Finished on Saturday March 28th 2015 9:27 PM
Play Time: 5:03

SteamWorld Dig (3DS) (1PT) (17/52)
Started playing Saturday March 28th 2015 10:34 PM
Finished playing Monday March 30th 2015 4:10 PM
Play Time: 5:03

Kerploosh (3DS) (1PT) (18/52)
Started playing Sunday April 5th 2015 3:43 AM
Finished playing Sunday April 5th 2015 4:18 AM

Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS) (1PT) (19/52)
Started playing Monday April 20th 2015 1:39 AM
Finished playing Monday April 20th 2015 8:10 PM
Play Time: 3:51 - All Episodes except 4, 5, and 6 completed.
Times Played: 1
Average Play Time: 3:51

Donkey Kong Land (3DS/GB) (1PT) (20/52)
Started playing Tuesday March 3rd 2015 10:10 PM
Finished playing Monday April 27th 2015 9:47 PM
Play Time: 2:25

Might Gunvolt + DLC (3DS) (1PT) - Beck (21/52)
Started playng Friday May 1st 2015 11:21 PM
Finished playing Saturday May 2nd 11:42 PM
Play Time: 1:28
*Didn't finish DLC Stages Bio Lab and Highway. Couldn't defeat bosses. Insane difficulty there. Maybe with a different character later. Jeez.

HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation (PSV) (1PT) (Started ASAP) (22/52)
Started playing Thursday May 7th 2015 1:13 PM
Normal End Finished on Friday May 15th 2015 7:29 PM (Fogot CPUs)
Play Time: 24:40:13
True Ending Finished playing Saturday May 16th 2015 2:52 PM
Play Time: 30:27:01

Super Mario Land (3DS/GB) (2PT) (23/52)
Started playing Sunday May 17th 2015 3:34 PM
Finished playing Sunday May 17th 2015 4:16 PM
Play Time: 0:39

Home (PS4) (1PT) (24/52)
Started playing Sunday May 24th 2015 4:33 PM
Finished playing Sundy May 24th 2015 5:41 PM
Play Time: 1:08

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (3DS/GB) (3PT) (25/52)
Started playing Friday May 29th 2015 4:40 PM
Finished playing Saturday May 30th 2015 8:18 PM

Splatoon (WiiU) (1PT) (26/52)
Started playing Monday June 1st 2015 2:15 PM
Finished playing Tuesday June 16th 2015 6:28 PM
Play Time Estimation: 4:32
*Play Time is estimation since most time was played online. Its impossible to be accurate.

Mutant Mudds (3DS) (3PT) (27/52)
3rd Playthrough Started on Friday July 3rd 2015 5:46 PM
3rd Playthrough Finished on Monday July 6th 2015 8:06 PM
Play Time: 4:59
Total: 13:43 (Doesn't include 2PT since it was on Vita)

Witch and Hero (3DS) (1PT) (28/52)
Started playing Thursday June 18th 2015 11:33 PM
Finished playing Thursday July 9th 2015 12:38 AM
Play Time: 7:04
Final Boss: 2:24

HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation (PSV) (1PT) (29/52)
Started playing Thursday July 9th 2015 1:32 PM
Finished playing Thursday July 16th 2015 4:37 PM
Play Time: 38:23:08

3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure (3DS) (5PT) (30/50)
Started playing Friday July 17th 2015 4:07 PM
Finished playing Saturday July 18th 2015 2:11 PM
Play Time: 2:19
Total Play Time for 3DS: 4:56 (Other times played are GBA, Wii, WiiU)

VVVVVV (3DS) (2PT) (31/52)
2nd Playthrough Started on Saturday July 18th 2015 10:24 PM
2nd Playthrough Finished on Sunday July 19th 2015 12:57 AM
Activity Log Play Time: 1:44
Trinkets: 10
In Game Play Time: 1:31:46
Total Flips: 2616
Total Deaths: 512
Hardest Room (with 27 deaths): Stop and Reflect

Splatoon: Rank 20 (WiiU) (Online) (32/52)
Started playing Monday June 1st 2015 2:15 PM
Finished playing Tuesday July 28th 2015 4:36 PM
Play Time: 34:26

Splatoon: Inkling Girl Amiibo Challenges (WiiU) (1PT) (33/52)
Started playing Tuesday July 28th 2015 6:31 PM
Finished playing Wednesday July 29th 2015 10:35 PM
Play Time: 2:33

Mighty Switch Force (3DS) (3PT) (34/52)
3PT Started on Wednesday August 12th 2015 2:16 PM 
3PT Finished on Thursday August 13th 2015 9:27 PM
3PT Play Time: 1:49 < Wow, so much improvement.
Total: 5:27

Mighty Switch Force 2 (3DS) (2PT) (35)/52)
2PT Started on Friday August 14th 2015 1:19 AM
2PT Finished on Saturday August 15th 2015 9:32 PM
Play Time: 2:05

The Walking Dead: 400 Days (PSV) (1PT) (36/52)
Started playing Sunday August 16th 2015 9:29 PM
Finished playing Sunday August 16th 2015 11:47 PM
Play Time: 1:30 (Estimation, no ingame counter)

Pokemon Shuffle: The Original 150 Stages (3DS) (1PT) (37/52)
Started playing Thursday February 19th 2015 12:50 PM
Finished playing Tuesday September 1st 2015 11:22 PM
Play Time: 46:56

Mega Man X (WiiU/SNES) (1PT) (38/52)
Started playing Monday March 30th 2015 7:24 PM
Finished playing Wednesday September 2nd 2015 4:31 PM
Play Time: 4:35

DanganRonpa: Ultra Despair Girls (PSV) (1PT) (39/52)
Started playing Sunday September 6th 2015 1:41 PM
Finished playing Wednesday September 9th 2015 1:15 AM
Play Time: 22:25:02 (Added 40 minutes due to Final Boss GItch)

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. (3DS) (1PT) (40/52)
Started playing Friday March 13th 2015 4:42 PM
Finished playing Friday September 11th 2015 6:05 PM
Play Time: 24:14

Super Mario Bros. 3 (3DS/NES) (5PT) (41/52)
5PT Started Thursday September 10th 2015 4:43 PM
5PT Finished Monday September 14th 2015 3:13 PM
Play Time: 3:37
Total: 7:59

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (3DS) (1PT) (All Coins) (Day One!) (42/52)
Started playing Thursday September 17th 2015 1:44 PM
Finished playing Friday September 18th 2015 4:12 PM
Play Time: 8:26
Plague Knight Deaths: 88
Times Played: 1
Total Play Time: 23:11

Senran Kagura: Burst (3DS) (1PT) (All Missions) (43/52)
Started playing Thursday September 3rd 2015 2:15 AM
Finished playing Saturday October 10th 2015 7:41 PM
In Game Play Time: 35:26:09
Activity Log Play Time: 35:47
Times Played: 10
Average Play Time: 3:34

Find Mii II (3DS) (1PT) (44/52)
Started on ??? (Launch)
Finished playing Thursday October 15th 2015 11:37 PM

Corpse Party: Blood Drive (PSV) (1PT) (45/52)
Started playing Tuesday October 20th 2015 2:50 PM
Chapter 0 Defeated on Tuesday October 20th 2015 4:23 PM
Chapter 1 Defeated on Tuesday October 20th 2015 7:09 PM
Chapter 2 Wrong End #1 on Tuesday October 20th 2015 9:55 PM
Chapter 2 Defeated on Tuesday October 20th 2015 10:10 PM
Chapter 3 Defeated on Wednesday October 21st 2015 6:06 PM
Extra Chapter 1 Defeated on Wednesday October 21st 2015 6:34 PM
Extra Chapter 2 Defeated on Wednesday October 21st 2015 6:48 PM
Chapter 4 Wrong End #2 on Wednesday October 21st 2015 10:07 PM
Chapter 4 Wrong End #4 on Thursday October 22nd 2015 4:23 PM
Chapter 4 Wrong End #5 on Thursday October 22nd 2015 6:29 PM
Chapter 4 Defeated on Thursday October 22nd 2015 6:36 PM
Extra Chapter 3 Defeated on Thursday October 22nd 2015 7:05 PM
Chapter 5 Wrong End #2 on Thursday October 22nd 2015 9:40 PM
Chapter 5 Defeated on Thursday October 22nd 2015 9:51 PM
Chapter 6 Wrong End #1 on Thursday October 22nd 2015 10:42 PM
Chapter 6 Defeated on Friday October 23rd 2015 3:14 PM
Extra Chapter 4 Defeated on Friday October 23rd 2015 5:15 PM
Chapter 7 Defeated on Friday October 23rd 2015 7:41 PM
Extra Chapter 5 Defeated on Friday October 23rd 2015 7:49 PM
Chapter 8 Defeated on Friday October 23rd 2015 8:25 PM
Extra Chapter 6 Defeated on Friday October 23rd 2015 9:41 PM
Chapter 9 Wrong End #2 on Saturday October 24th 2015 12:07 AM
Chapter 9 Defeated on Saturday October 24th 2015 2:27 PM
Chapter 10 Wrong End #3 on Saturday October 24th 2015 3:50 PM
Chapter 10 Defeated on Saturday October 24th 2015 4:26 PM
Extra Chapter 7 Defeated on Saturday October 24th 2015 4:54 PM
Extra Chapter 8 Defeated on Saturday October 24th 2015 5:02 PM
Play Time: 19:43

Escapee GO! (3DS) (1PT) (46/52)
Original Run: 08/12/11-08/14/11 - 2 Times Played - 0:16
Restarted new save of forgotten game on Monday October 26th 2015 12:04 AM
Finished Monday October 26th 2015 7:06 PM
In Game Escape Time: 31 Minutes, 6 Seconds
Activity Log Play Time: 0:47
Acivity Log Total: 1:03

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (3DS/DS) (1PT) (47/52)
Started playing Monday May 18th 2015 2:49 PM
Finished playing Thursday October 29th 2015 10:56 PM
Play Time: 19:32

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS) (1PT) (Online) (48&49/52)
Demo Started Friday October 16th 2015 7:00 PM
Demo Finished Friday October 16th 2015 7:57 PM
Full Game Started Tuesday November 3rd 2015 2:43 PM
Full Game Finished Thursday November 5th 2015 3:37 PM
Play Time: 13:31
100% Online Co-Op Finished on Sunday November 15th 2015 11:07 PM
100% Play Time: 67:41

Kirby's Dream Land (3DS/GB) (2PT) (50/52)
Started playing Monday November 16th 2015 12:36 AM
Finished playing Monday November 16th 2015 2:17 AM
Play Time: 0:30
Total Play Time: 1:23
1PT was on 06/30/11

Kirby's Dream Land 2 (3DS/GB) (1PT) (51/52)
Started playing Monday November 16th 2015 9:55 PM
Finished playing Sunday November 22nd 2015 8:00 PM
Play Time: 4:08

Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) (5PT) (100%) (52/52) (GOAL COMPLETED!)
Started playing Saturday December 5th 2015 2:25 PM
Finished playing Friday December 11th 2015 7:35 PM
Play Time: 7:05
Total Play Time: 49:29

Indivisible Prototype (PS4) (1PT) (53/52)
Started playing Saturday December 12th 3015 5:04 PM
Finished playing Tuesday December 12th 2015 7:48 PM
Play Time:...2:36:40.66?? lol playtime was counted while in sleep mode.
Play Time Estimation: 0:49

Additionally I want to try and add my total playtime for the year up but that will come after the new year.

It has been an incredible journey, and I plan to do it next year!

I haven't updated in a LONG time, so there's a lot to cover here.

Original Post

#14 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)

#15 - Mega Man V (Game Boy)

#16 - Broken Age (PC) - Part 1 was charming and a joy to play. Part 2... not so much.

#17 - Super Mario Maker (Wii U) - Unlocked all the level tools, completed all the 10-Mario Mode courses and beat the NWC levels. I don't have all the mystery mushroom costumes but considering how long that will take I consider it completed as far as single-player content.

#18 - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade)

#19 - Mega Man: The Power Battles (Arcade)

#20 - Marvel vs Capcom (Arcade)

#21 - Amiibo Taps: Nintendo's Greatest Bits (Wii U) - Unlocked all games and played every scene.

#22 - Halo: ODST (X360)

#23 - Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (PS3)

#24 - Darkstalkers Resurrection (PS3)

#25 - Transformers Devastation (PS3)

#26 - Mega Man X (Wii U) - I've beaten this game probably dozens of times, but I wanted to do a no-buster, minimal upgrade, no e-tank run on the Wii U VC version. I ended up using e-tanks on the final Sigma form (cuz damn), but otherwise a clean run.

#27 - Undertale special demo (PC) - This supposedly has original content not found in the game proper so I'm treating it as its own thing. I also don't expect to play the full game this year.

#28 - Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (PS2) - There's no real single-player content here worth noting, but I've put a lot of time into the Create-a-Wrestler mode. I have buddies that stream matches with our characters every Monday so it's a lot of fun seeing our creations go at it -- we also bet on the outcomes with fake money Salty Bet-style. I'll continue to add more characters this year probably, but I'm going to mark this completed since I've acclimated to the editor.

#29 - Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Arcade) - Beat this earlier but can't place exactly when.

#30 - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (360)

#31 - .detuned (PS3) - An "interactive" music video that doesn't really have any goals or objectives. However it does have some trophies, which I managed to collect all of.

#32 - Resident Evil 5 (360)

#33 - LIT (Mobile)

#34 - Sonic Runners (Mobile) - Played enough to know that I don't want to play anymore. Progress is far too slow and it is too difficult to unlock anything of note. A shame because I like the base gameplay and some of the unlocks are genuinely cool.

#35 - Vib-Ribbon (PSOne Classic via PS3) - Got a high score on all 3 difficulties.

#36 - Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PS4)

#37 - Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)

#38 - Life is Strange: Episode 1 (PS3)

#39 - Linger in Shadows (PS3) - A short "interactive art" piece from the PSN. Despite the interaction, I was disappointed I couldn't have any real effect on the narrative.

#40 - Ace Mathician (DSiWare on 3DS)

#41 - Dokidoki Letter Relay (Wii U) - Free downloadable game from the Nintendo Game Seminar. Only available on the Japanese eShop. Shame because it's both fun and a great use of the gamepad.

#42 - Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (SNES) - Beat story mode on hard.

#43 - Lightsaber Escape (Chrome/Mobile) - TRAITOR

Click to expand...

9 more games. 3 more days.

I think I can do this if I choose my games wisely. I'm amazed I was able to get this far considering I was 3 months late to the party and I hadn't beaten a game for a month and a half due to work. Excited to start anew in 2016 and do things "legit" next year by minimizing browser games.

Welp, I failed my task by a long shot. I've beaten more games than I've listed, but not too many more (Splatoon, Pokémon Picross, etc.). I guess I'll just have to hope that 2016 is a better year for my backlog.

A Link to the Snitch said:

Welp, I failed my task by a long shot. I've beaten more games than I've listed, but not too many more (Splatoon, Pokémon Picross, etc.). I guess I'll just have to hope that 2016 is a better year for my backlog.

Click to expand...

How far did you get?

CloakBass said:

How far did you get?

Click to expand...

Maybe halfway? Not sure, probably less than halfway though. I made big strides in early 2015 and fall 2015, but other than that, nothin' much to speak of.

Well shoot man, one game every 2 weeks is still impressive. I know it's been pretty tough for me at times too (see my post on this page, lol). I wish you well next year!

I wasn't a NeoGAF member when this kicked off earlier in the year, but even so, I tried to do it myself and horribly failed at it.

Anxious for 2016 to kick in so I can try again.

Man, I really dropped the ball this year. I'm pretty sure I finished a total of 1 game this year. I doubt I'll finish XCX in 2 days. Gonna try again in 2016.

Triggerhappytel said:

Games 27 through 53 (updated)

Click to expand...

53. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3) - 27th December - 49 hours, completed all main story quests and about half of the side quests
I didn't have much interest in this when it first launched, but got it for free via PS+, played it a couple of years later and ended up really enjoying it. The visuals and art style are excellent, the plot isn't all that interesting but the writing and lore are thoroughly excellent, the world is huge and packed with things to do, and while the combat is a bit simple, it's a lot of fun. I thought this was a really solid foundation for a sequel, but sadly that's not going to happen now. It's a shame as I'd like to see more games position themselves as competition for The Elder Scrolls, and fir a first time effort I thought this was excellent in most of the ways that mattered. 8/10

Any tips for new comers?

Wanna take a try in 2016.

Reich said:

Any tips for new comers?

Wanna take a try in 2016.

Click to expand...

Shorter games will most likely make up the bulk of your beaten list, so don't shy away from those. Try to finish at least one game a month, even when you're super busy, so that your goal is always in the back of your mind. Beyond that, all I can say is make time in your schedule to play; the deadline sneaks up faster than you would think.

Reich said:

Any tips for new comers?

Wanna take a try in 2016.

Click to expand...

Also get a user icon that way you can be framed in the hall of fame when you complete the challenge. lol.

Yeah, this year was a wash. Between work and mostly booting up FFXIV I didn't really get much completed this year in terms of gaming.

2016 should turn out much different.

Reich said:

Any tips for new comers?

Wanna take a try in 2016.

Click to expand...

I usually mix it up. If I want to play game that requires many hours to beat, I usually play shorter games in tandem.

Play long game
Play short game
Play long game
Beat short game
Play long game
Play short game
Play long game
Beat short game
...

Original Post

Update to conclude the year; made it to 53. I DID IT!

#32: Broken Age - 11hours - Aug 25 2015

With expectations low I was taken by surprise on how charmingly presented and cleverly intertwined the multiple protagonist story was implemented. As promised it's a classic point and click adventure game by Tim Schafer, and with that comes the requirement for dialogue that oozes wit and charm along with clunky puzzle design. The first half is a little easy but worth it for the concluding story twist that is just enough to carry the second half, which is twice the length, to its satisfying conclusion. Not quite enough to sit alongside the masterpiece of Grim Fandango but a worthwhile trip down memory lane. 8.0/10

#33: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - 4hours - Aug 27 2015

What a thrill. Playing this a week before The Phantom Pain is bittersweet, as I can appreciate the technical marvel and gameplay fluidity of this extremely short demo without feeling starved for more. At just over an hour the games core complain goes in a blink, but it&#8217;s so obscenely polished and executed that for the first time in the series the tactical espionage action tagline feels realized. In the span of a week I&#8217;ve replayed through the same small complex over two dozen times, approaching the games various missions in many different ways, coming in at 12 hours of non-stop entertainment. The idea of having a fully fledged campaign to this level of fidelity, detail and execution has me extremely excited. 8.0/10

#34: Far Cry 3 - 26hours - Aug 27 2015

I want to call this game a masterpiece and sing its praises but I can&#8217;t due to the feeling of despite I have for its Ubisoft open-world bloating. There&#8217;s some truly fantastic moments, typically anything associated with the games first antagonist Vaas who is brilliant, and the first third of the game is something everyone should have the pleasure of playing. It&#8217;s after this that my enjoyment turned sour and I mostly dragged myself to the games eventual conclusion. A perfectly suited quote on Ubisoft-bloat by Vaas himself; &#8220;Insanity is doing the exact... same fucking thing... over and over again&#8221;. 8.0/10

#35: Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs - 4hours - Aug 29 2015

I find myself confused and conflicted on my appreciation of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. It&#8217;s a game that is inherently flawed, maintaining the gameplay shortcomings of the original and amplifying them with an extremely slow paced first half. However there sits, somewhere buried between mediocrity, a fantastic harrowing tale that fits beautifully in the world you're inhabiting. There&#8217;s a brief moment towards the final moments that sees you escape the dark depths and typical Amnesia drudgery in favor of a more open, bright yet still atmospherically suffocating outside. It&#8217;s at this point that the tales maddening narrative driven storytelling feels extremely weighted and daunts with a terror that's beyond cheap scares. If nothing else it makes the developer interesting, proving that they&#8217;ve potential given the right platform to deliver something truly special. Though they didn&#8217;t quite manage it this time around. 6.5/10

#36: A Bird Story - 2hours - Aug 31 2015

As an adorer of To The Moon I came in with high expectations of another emotional rollercoaster and instead I felt only saddened that my time, and hope, was wasted. Safe to say the tale of a boy and his bird did little for me and I&#8217;d struggle to recommend even the mere two hour investment required. 3.0/10

#37: Rocket League - 5hours - Oct 2 2015

You&#8217;re a car, with rockets, that is locked in an arena and needs to push a big ball into a big hole&#8230; what&#8217;s not to love? In a trophy lusting haze I played the game extensively, grinding away balls into goals like a superstar football car-thing. It&#8217;s campaign is overly simplified but I don&#8217;t know quite what else you&#8217;d expect from a game of its nature; though the lack of dialogue wheels and plot twists are a shame. All around good fun! 7.0/10

#38: Grow Home - 5hours - Oct 7 2015

Taking the &#8216;get from A to B&#8217; to a whole new level, literally. The aim of the game is to control a clunky robot with awkward physics from the base of a planet to your ship a few thousand feet in the air, navigating a small plant into a giant beanstalk on the way. It&#8217;s novelty ran out far before I had reached the destination, leaving behind a rather dull if slightly charming platformer. 4.0/10

#39: Journey - 3hours - Oct 7 2015

Replaying a game I absolutely adore provided a stark experience from my first time around. Even though the game had been recently released I encountered no-one on my travels, severely limiting the game's unique impact. If anything this only cements the importance of playing this gem as soon as possible, before it&#8217;s unique mechanic that I&#8217;m hesitant to spoil is devalued further and further. 8.0/10

#40: 80 Days - 4hours - Oct 19 2015

Travel around the world in 80 days as part of a wager, and encounter a world of oddities and challenges as you go! A fun little mobile game that&#8217;s well suited to the platform. It wasn&#8217;t until halfway through my journey that I started to understand its pull, and through a engaging encounters I found myself becoming increasingly invested in succeeding on the journey within the 80 day allowance. Unfortunately at day 75, with only a 2 day journey from New York to London ahead of me, I ran out of funds. Ah bother. 6.5/10

#41: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 1 - Faith - 2hours - Oct 25 2015

Went into the series blind and refreshingly surprised by the familiarity of the characters placed in a gritty modern day world. There&#8217;s a strange brilliance to discovering familiar characters in a new light, particularly when so cleverly integrated as you&#8217;ll find here. Bigsy, the big bad wolf, is a brilliant example of this as the game&#8217;s protagonist, constantly put in scenarios where the most effective outcome comes from utilizing your intimidating persona whilst also promoted to remaining friendly and law abiding as the town&#8217;s Sheriff.

I&#8217;d never heard of the Fables series before and by the end of the first episode I&#8217;ve already thoroughly researched the comic foundations the game is built upon and fully committed to seeing the series through. 8.0/10

#42: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - 65hours - Oct 26 2015

What a thrill. The Phantom Pain can best be classified as a beautiful mess, being both a contended for both my best game and biggest disappointment of the year. It&#8217;s painfully clear throughout that the very public development hell has impacted the game's vision resulting in continual cut corners, pacing issues and an abyssal piecemeal script. That said the breadth of game systems, sublime stealth gameplay and oozing potential is hard to overlook. It&#8217;s a polar opposite of typical Metal Gear expectations, and I can&#8217;t help but consider what could have been. 8.5/10

#43: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 - Smoke and Mirrors - 2hours - Oct 28 2015

A fantastic continuation of the cliffhanger first episode and a surprisingly well paced start for the episodic installment where Telltale usually struggle. Really enjoy the world and its characters, having me already align myself with those I want to be loyal towards and others I&#8217;m eager to destroy. Concludes again with a cliffhanger high. 7.5/10

#44: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 3 - A Crooked Mile - 2hours - Oct 30 2015

And so begins the typical Telltale mid-season slump. Very little in the way of plot progression in this one, with the emphasis of the entire episode being trivialized in its final concluding moments. I was pleased to see little asset reuse and minimal location revisiting though, and time taken to flesh out the existing characters whilst also introducing a few new will hopefully springboard the last two episodes to a satisfying conclusion. 6.5/10

#45: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 - In Sheep's Clothing - 2hours - Nov 3 2015

The series is in full swing at this point and the impact of choices made should now be heavily felt; though I&#8217;m not experiencing that. The poor wolf was beaten to a pulp in the prior episode and somehow overnight seems to have recovered with minimal impact, having little influence on the storyline which is surprising given how well Telltale have handed the same scenario in the past. That said the series is still fantastic and whilst I feel less like this is my own personal story, it&#8217;s still a great story regardless set in a world that I&#8217;ve fallen in love with. The episode ends with a cliffhanger leaving me hopeful of a dramatic conclusion to come. 7.0/10

#46: Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse - Episode 2 - 4hours - Nov 7 2015

I had high hopes for the second half of Broken Sword 5, having enjoyed the initial story build up and character developments of the first episode. Instead of going on with a bang it fell to the floor with a whimper. After months of minor play sessions I've seen it through and wouldn't recommend the investment, its a far cry from its now almost decimated legacy. 3.5/10

#47: Shadowrun Returns - 12hours - Nov 8 2015

Coming highly recommended I hesitatingly began a playthough anticipating the slow paced tactical gameplay and heavy dialogue would be too much for me to bare. Instead I found I adored the formula, loved the world and even most surprisingly enjoyed the story. I am now looking to dive straight into the follow up installments so am glad of the suggestion and of my stubborn dedication to complete things on a backlog. 7.5/10

#48: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 5 - Cry Wolf - 2hours - Nov 9 2015

Slow to start but builds up to a strong finale, presenting your choices throughout the series in a way that gives them weight to tailor the conclusion to your own. My favourite part of the whole series comes in the last minute though, leaving a teaser twist for more to come. Fingers crossed Telltale start work on a second season soon. 7.5/10

#49: Mario Kart 8 - 10hours - Nov 18 2015

It&#8217;s Mario Kart; only most of the characters are on motorbikes or planes. It&#8217;s exactly what you&#8217;d expect from the latest iteration in the never ending racer. There&#8217;s a great slew of tracks and characters, taking heavily from the series past and adding the gimmick of being able to drive upside down via some strange wheel magnetic anti-gravity thingy. It&#8217;s fun, vibrant and very much Nintendo. 7.0/10

#50: Titan Souls - 2hours - Dec 3 2015

Take one copy of Shadow of the Colossus and a smidge of Dark Souls, smush them together as hard as you can to drop a dimension and you&#8217;ll have Titan Souls. It&#8217;s a series of boss fights where a single hit will mark victory or defeat and your only attack is a single arrow fired from a bow. Some of the boss designs are fantastically designed, both challenging from a puzzling and executional perspective. Being short, sweet and extremely pick-up and play it&#8217;s refreshing alongside all the open-world mammoths as of late. 7.0/10

#51: Hitman GO - 3hours - Dec 7 2015

Absolutely love the style and had high hopes coming into it, working perfectly on mobile touch. Unfortunately the gameplay becomes highly repetitive before long and the levels can&#8217;t advance much in complexity without becoming trial and error. 5.5/10

#52: Fallout 4 - 90hours - Dec 9 2015

As expected with a Bethesda open-world experience it&#8217;s a muddled bag of RPG brilliance and a bug ridden mess. Systems are many and the world is vast, but they&#8217;re typically limited in scope and flawed in execution due to the overwhelming breadth. I spent a lengthy 90hours with Fallout 4 and had such high expectations of a fantastic concluding review, even 60hours in.

The settlement, though flawed, along with the weapon and armour modding systems all felt like perfect additions that suit my gaming affections perfectly. Whilst it&#8217;s one of the least interesting Fallout worlds it managed to grip me, feeling familiar and comfortable like an old pair of slippers. It wasn&#8217;t until the turning point where the story suddenly becomes incredibly linear, forcing you down a path with a selection faction that all ultimately concludes in the same manner. The illusion of choice and branching paths fade away in crashing disappointment. 7.0/10

#53: Life is Strange: Episode 1 - 3hours - Dec 9 2015

A fantastic introduction to the series that is impressively well presented. Void of the typical episodic clunk that has become the norm, already in the first episode Life is Strange feels polished and well refined, to which I&#8217;m already engaged with the cast of characters and the initial tease of the story unraveling to come. The soundtrack and presentation is particularly fantastic, though the dialogue can be overly cringe worthy and the use of the time travel mechanic is weak so far. 8.0/10