Game 01:
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Wii U - 152 hours - Beaten 12/01/16 - ★★★★★
I was initially down on this because it was so vastly different to its predecessor, but once I got used to it I fell in love. The story is much more focused on the more fleshed out side quests, and it has a more slice of life anime feel to it than an epic, and well, I loved the side content enough to beat the game 100%.
The world of Mira was incredible to explore, and I'd play this game forever if the content kept up. Just a breathtaking and beautiful game.
Game 02:
Axiom Verge
PS4 - 13 hours - Beaten 17/01/16 - ★★★★
This was a really fun Metroidvania and the one that comes closest to the overall feel of Super Metroid that I've played. Fun boss fights, great exploration, and some really cool powerups.
Game 03:
Hatoful Boyfriend
PSV - 10-15 hours - Beaten 21/01/16 - ★★★
Visual novel with the best premise, I've always wanted to date pigeons. Once you get past the initial premise, the game actually has a really dark backstory to it and the finale is fantastic, I'd recommend it. Vita version was a bit glitchy though.
Game 04:
Shovel Knight
PSV - 8 hours - Beaten 24/01/16 - ★★★★★
Damn, this game is great. I actually bought it when it came out on Wii U but never finished it for some reason, so bought it again in a recent PSN sale and restarted on Vita, and have now just beaten it with all collectables found. Just a really well made retro platformer in the vein of Mega Man and the like. It never gets too difficult which is something I like, it just stays fun throughout and never gets to the point of being frustrating.
I'll do the (free) DLC campaign at some point soon too.
Game 05:
Katamari Damacy
PS2 (via PS3) - ~10 hours - Beaten 03/02/16 - ★★★★
This game was super fun and the soundtrack was fantastic. Really simple gameplay of just rolling around collecting stuff, but you need to strategise a bit about what path to take to reach your goal within the time limit.
I feel it could have used more maps (you visit the same places over and over again in different missions), and more objective variety, but overall I really enjoyed it and have a copy of the sequel ready to play later on.
Game 06:
Life Is Strange
PS4 - 18 hours - Beaten 07/02/16 - ★★★★★
Oh man this game was hella awesome. It's a massive step forward in the whole 'point and click adventure' genre. Exploring the world, interacting with everything, talking to people, making choices, taking photos, it all worked so well, and I fell in love with everyone in Arcadia Bay, and Chloe is the best, best friend ever.
Also, I legit cried. I love this game. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to listen to the soundtrack because this had some great tunes in it.
Game 07:
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
PS4 - 50 hours - Beaten 12/02/16 - ★★★★
My first experience with Dark Souls II.
Overall, it was a good game that I had a lot of fun with, but compared to its predecessors, it was a massive step back. The combat feels wonkier, the world isn't connected (and areas don't even fit together regardless), the bosses were boring and easy, and the lore was uninteresting.
But still, the core Souls gameplay is still there, so it was a worthwhile experience, and there was some nice areas in the game.
I still have the DLC areas to go, as well as NG+ and onwards, but I decided to list it here now as it'll be a slow burn between other games for the rest.
Game 08:
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
PS4 - 118 hours - Beaten 08/03/16 - ★★★★
There we go, another game that ate up nearly an entire month, but I have no regrets. Game was super fun and it rekindled my love of Digimon seeing I've ignored the franchise since I was a kid. Started rewatching the anime as well and am almost done with season 1.
Anyway, the game is really a really cool SMT-lite, raising Digimon is fun and satisfying and you can do it super quick with the right setup. Story was nothing to write home about but it got the job done and provided enough motivation. Went all the way to the platinum trophy and 242/242 Digimon.
Biggest disappointment is the shit-tier localisation, they clearly did not spend much money on it and some parts are almost incomprehensible, so here's hoping that Next Order gets a better one seeing this seems to have sold well.
Game 09:
Rhythm Tengoku
GBA - ~10 hours - Beaten 09/03/16 - ★★★★
Had a couple hiccups starting this game, but once I got it going it was bliss. This is one of my favourite franchises right now, and each game is fantastic.
I've played the other two games already, and I'm not sure if it's just age, but this one felt the weakest. It didn't have as good music, or as fun games (though it had a few I loved, Night Walk is the best), but it gets a free pass for creating this franchise.
All ready for Megamix now!
Game 10:
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie
DS - 48 hours - Beaten 27/03/16 - ★★★★
My third Dragon Quest game after playing 4 and 5 on DS last year, and well, I think it was definitely the weakest of the 'trilogy'.
While 4 and 5 both had a really unique aspect that made them stand out, this game was really just a standard JRPG, which isn't a bad thing, but it means it wasn't really memorable. Overall I did enjoy my time with the game, though I was a little soured by the crazy difficulty spike of the final boss, I had to grind for around 8 hours which was no small feat.
Game 11:
Dark Souls II: Crown of the Sunken King
PS4 - 5.5 hours - Beaten 29/03/16 - ★★★★
Finally I decided it was time to go back and do the DLC areas of Dark Souls II before III releases.
The first was the one I found to be the weakest of the three, the bosses weren't very original (though still fun), and the level design wasn't as interesting as the latter releases.
Despite having yet another dragon boss, I found it really fun to fight, watching the dragon crash into pillars as it swooped at me and the like, was a breathtaking battle.
It was a really enjoyable experience, and better than the vast majority of the base game.
Game 12:
Dark Souls II: Crown of the Old Iron King
PS4 - 7 hours - Beaten 31/03/16 - ★★★★
This one was phenomenal. It was interesting starting a castle/tower level at the top, and working your way to ground level, and the Fume Knight boss battle that awaited down there was glorious. I love the 1v1 swordsman fights in Souls, and his devastating attacks meant you had to dodge, hiding behind a shield does not work here.
The Alonne Knight was a similar fight, but well, he's extremely easy to beat by hiding behind a shield
The Iron Passage let the DLC down, swarms of enemies in front of a recycled boss made for an unrewarding experience.
Game 13:
Dark Souls II: Crown of the Ivory King
PS4 - 7 hours - Beaten 05/04/16 - ★★★★
Ever so slightly behind Old Iron is the third release. The base area was fantastic, with two stunning boss battles, and exploring the area at first in a blizzard with various areas frozen, and again in the calm, with all paths open to you was rewarding, and the level design was masterclass, with paths interweaving and shortcuts opening all over the place.
What let this one down was again the 'challenge area' From decided to include. The Frigid Outskirts. I actually didn't find traversing the blizzard and fighting the reindeers as bad as I was lead to believe, but the boss was ridiculous. Recycling, not a boss from the base game, but a boss from this very own DLC is a baffling decision. And I ending up just quitting on it due to the sheer difficulty (and the fact it's optional of course).
Game 14:
Steins;Gate
PSV - 41 hours - Beaten 12/04/16 - ★★★★★
This game was a ride and a half. Surpassed all expectations I had upon going in. Fantastic story, great twists, respects the intelligence of the audience, phenomenal OST, gorgeous art. Has everything going for it that a visual novel could, and it's made sure I'll pay attention to any future notable VN releases in the future.
Only minor gripes I have are that the pacing was off a bit (especially earlier on), the few instances of fan service seemed out of place with the serious story being delivered, and that the sequence to unlock the true ending is a bit obtuse to do without looking it up online.
Game 15:
Dark Souls III
PS4 - 42 hours - Beaten 05/05/16 - ★★★★★
Another big game eating up all my time and making me fall behind.
But oh so worth it!
Played the game with a dexterity/pyromancy build and destroyed my foes with my flaming katana(s). The combat is a fantastic evolution from Dark Souls', with a faster pace, better controls, and plenty of QoL improvements (plus no useless stats!).
I was a little disappointed that the world wasn't interconnected like DS1, and instead is a pretty linear progression area to area (though the areas themselves are nicely designed), but I accept that they're two different games going for different things, and that's ok.
I think I'd overall put the game behind Dark 1, but above Demon's and Bloodborne, and well above Dark 2.
Still have an optional boss to go actually,
, but fuck him.
Patiently awaiting the DLC.
Game 16:
Ratchet & Clank
PS4 - 20 hours - Beaten 25/05/16 - ★★★★
I had high hopes for this game when it was initially announced, and while I enjoyed it, I felt it felt very short of what it should have been.
Practically every change from the PS2 original (outside of the base gameplay) is a downgrade. The story has been butchered, characters have become jokes of themselves, worlds and weapons have been scrapped etc.
I think the main reason for that is the whole "game based on the movie based on the game" thing. They made a children's film based around the original game, so they removed asshole-Ratchet, added a band of merry heroes, changed the villain etc to help appeal to kids, and this game is based on that. Thankfully though the movie bombed while the game did well, so the inevitable R&C2 should be able to stand on its own and be more like the original trilogy again.
But yeah, other than that, the game looks gorgeous, plays well etc, so I'm really excited for the sequel to build on this foundation, now that the series has become a success again.
Game 17:
Valkyria Chronicles
PS4 - 46 hours - Beaten 10/06/16 - ★★★★
Man, this game was great. The way the game was presented was really great. The SRPG map, that turns into a third person camera as you move the characters around, feels like a great step forward for the genre (cue someone telling me some game I've never heard of did it in the 90s).
The story was nothing to write home about but it had its moments. One scene in particular got me a little teary eyed.
I will say that the game balance was a little off, the maps were too large for the limited movement of most classes, so I relied upon my scouts way too much. And getting A-ranks really breaks it as the only requirement is the number of turns it takes, so buffing a scout and rushing the objective is almost always the best option. It's because of this that I'm really disappointed that we only got PSP sequels to the game, and not a big budget home console release to really fine tune the foundation. I'll try VC2 at some point though.
Going for the platinum nearly broke me though, I beat the story at 28 hours so the rest was just trophy farming.
Game 18:
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright
3DS - 25 hours - Beaten 26/06/16 - ★★★★
Alright, I'm going to say something that will upset the Fire Emblem fanbase. I played this game on normal/casual.
And had a blast! I played up until chapter 12 or so on hard/classic but all that led to was frustration, I'm just not good enough at these games. I much preferred just playing through the game, learning from my mistakes but not being permanently punished for them.
The game overall was pretty enjoyable, but the story was as mediocre as I expect from the series and the characters were mostly all bland. There was at least quite a few neat stage gimmicks which was better than Awakening's "defeat all enemies" 20 times.
My MVPs towards the end were my two snipers, Takumi and Setsuna, and my two falcon knights, Hinoka and Subaki.
I actually didn't manage to get anyone to S rank supports, so entirely missed the paralogue chapters and children. I'll uh, try harder at that in Conquest I suppose.
Game 19:
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE
Wii U - 81 hours - Beaten 22/07/16 - ★★★★
Well, this one sure surpassed my expectations.
Gameplay wise it's a pretty standard JRPG, you go through dungeons, the combat is turn based, you get new weapons, new skills, blah blah blah.
The game takes a page out of Persona's book though, with the game being set in modern day Tokyo, with the cast living two lives, one as entertainers, and one fighting the evil Mirages.
Then for the cross over part of it. TMS combat lifts heavily from SMT, it's a turn based system, and you have different damaging attacks, with enemies having weaknesses and resistances to exploit, then the very important buffs and debuffs, heals, status ailments etc.
Then from the Fire Emblem side, it's mainly just references, the allied Mirages (basically your Persona
) are all Fire Emblem characters, as well as the boss fights being Fire Emblem villains. Then rather than using the SMT slash/strike etc for physical attacks, it uses the Fire Emblem weapon triangle of sword/spear/axe which is cool.
For a game based so heavily on the entertainment industry though, the music was really disappointing, the battle and dungeon music is all pretty forgettable, and a large amount of the songs in the game are pretty bland,
but there were a few nice ones.
Overall yeah, I really liked it and if you like JRPGs you really should give it a go.
Game 20:
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
PSV - 21 hours - Beaten 02/08/16 - ★★★
Well this game disappointed. Story was dumb and lacked a great twist that the previous two set expectations for, the returning characters were lacking, puzzles were easy, all the standout music was just returning tracks from previous entries. Such a shame.
I was actually enjoying it around the middle, I felt like everything was leading somewhere and all the pieces were being put in place for a big reveal, and then just nothing.
Game 21:
Ape Escape 2
PS4 - 16 hours - Beaten 06/08/16 - ★★★★★
First time playing this since I was a kid and it was glorious. Such a charming platformer littered with wacky humour and a ton of references. Gadgets were fun, levels were entertaining, boss fights were great. Really happy I revisited this, and super excited for 3 to hit PS4 as I've never played it.
Game 22:
Dark Cloud
PS4 - 26 hours - Beaten 15/08/16 - ★★★
I loved this game at times, but at others it just frustrated the hell out of me. Extremely janky. The camera is terrible, the combat is annoying, the thirst and weapon durability makes it very tedious, enemies annoyingly block attacks (which can take off massive amounts of durability, sometimes causing your weapon to break and having to reset).
But yeah other than that, it was a cool game with nice ideas, and I really loved the town building. Listening to all the townspeoples requests and moving everything around to accomodate was nice, and it had enough freedom that you can still design a nice looking area for yourself. Really excited to try out the sequel later, hopefully it's polished up some of the gameplay.
Game 23:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
3DS - 20 hours - Beaten 25/09/16 - ★★★★★
I really loved this game. Super charming world, quick pace getting from dungeon to dungeon, some nice puzzles, cool use of the wall merging mechanic, a neat new villain.
I enjoyed the freedom you have as well, you can tackle dungeons in whatever order you desire, which really made exploring the world worthwhile, as you never reached a dead end.
Definitely my favourite 2D Zelda, and I'd even rank it above some 3D ones.
Game 24:
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
3DS - 83 hours - Beaten 21/10/16 - ★★★★
Ooof, this ate up some time. Was excited for it after playing through 4-6 the past couple of years, and it met expectations. The job system worked really well, and the game was long enough that you could actually max out the jobs you wanted. The stories on each island were great, and gave the game an episodic feel, and the overall story was better than expected with a great final boss.
Only real downside was the amount of backtracking, you constantly have to go back and forth through caves and the like, and you have to explore every island twice (past and present).
Game 25:
Dragon Warrior
GBC - 10 hours - Beaten 23/10/16 - ★★★★
And now back to the series roots! Played this one straight away as Builders is set in the same world, and I wanted to understand all the references (and having played ch 1 of Builders, it was worth the investment).
This was a really good, simple RPG. Charming enemies, simple combat system, and just exploring the world collecting what you need to take on the final boss. It is old school though, and 90% of the game is just grinding up levels, but being a short game it didn't feel too bad at all, and was almost relaxing.
Game 26:
Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel
PS4 - 5.5 hours - Beaten 26/10/16 - ★★★★
This was a decent DLC. Only two bosses, one of which was hardly a boss, but the other was
brutal. One of the toughest fights From has created to date. The setting was cool, a snowy forest landscape, and the enemies were neat (wolves hunt in packs!).
Felt fairly short though, and I think it needed a third boss fight, but overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the second DLC.
Game 27:
Rhythm Paradise Megamix
3DS - 16 hours - Beaten 02/11/16 - ★★★★
Pretty conflicted on this game. The Rhythm Heaven gameplay is as great as it's ever been, and some of the new games are really great (Blue Bear <3), buuuuut, the story really drags it down and kills the pacing, navigating from game to game is a massive pain compared to the amazing simple menu of the previous titles, and there's way too much grinding for coins needed if you want to buy everything.
Weakest in the series easily, but I'd still recommend it.
Game 28:
Dragon Quest Builders
PS4 - ~40 hours - Beaten 13/11/16 - ★★★★★
Well this game surpassed expectations. Who knew a JRPG with Minecraft mechanics would work so well. It was a lot of fun building your base up, completing quests for villagers, upgrading your equipment etc, and I even enjoyed the boss battles. I hated the way the game was broken up into chapters when I had to leave everything behind at the end of the first, but I grew to love it by the end, it's like four little RPG campaigns which was neat.
I actually went and got the platinum, which was fairly simple. Basically just have to get the challenges for each chapter done which is good enough gameplay that you should do anyway, then the cleanup at the end took under 30 mins.
Highly recommended and am excited to see how a sequel improves on it (and I don't even want multiplayer for this kind of game).
Game 29:
Pokemon Sun
3DS - 100 hours - Beaten 10/12/16 - ★★★★★
Well this game sure was something. I can not remember the last game that made me super excited every day when I finished work and could go home to play it. Was probably another Pokemon game when I was a kid (replace work with school though).
The changes they made this generation completely reinvigorated the series, and in my opinion, gave birth to the very best entries in the 20 year history.
I had so much fun working my way through Alola, the trials were fun, the characters were great, the story was engaging, the music was phenomenal, and hunting down Pokemon and collecting all 301 in the Pokedex was thrilling.
This is a game that's going to stick with me and has made me excited for the future of this franchise on the Switch.
Game 30:
The Last Guardian
PS4 - 13 hours - Beaten 15/12/16 - ★★★★★
After a rocky development I think everyone was a little wary about this title. It definitely did not disappoint. Trico is the most impressive AI character I have seen. The way it follows you around, listens to your commands, fights to protect you, and even sometimes shows you the way to proceed is just remarkable, and I felt a genuine bond with my feathered friend.
The games puzzles and platforming were also really great. The game respects your intelligence and lets you figure things out for yourself, and the jumps are all unscripted, there's no auto-platforming or weird magnetism going on here like some big AAA titles have.
Of course there were a few minor faults, though to me it was mainly with controlling the boy rather than anything to do with Trico, but those small blemishes were not enough to really effect the game in a meaningful way and give it a rating any lower than 'masterpiece'.