Backloggin' Fool BigBlueWolf’s profile
Batch 38
Beaten: 10-Jul-2023
A short, family-friendly game from the makers of No Man's Sky that has you play a cartoony little hero who is proceeding on a journey through the afterlife (without explicitly saying so), but encounters obstacles and persons along the way that hinder progress. While dealing with these, you work to free fellow travelers from the grips of emotional traps that prevent them from moving on.
The game is simple enough, and the puzzles are very easy to solve. Many people will find it un-challenging, but it could be great for kids without having any kind of overtly religious message, just the desire to help others who are stuck. The lack of a better over-arching narrative along with the very basic puzzle-solving is why I gave it a middling score.
A short, family-friendly game from the makers of No Man's Sky that has you play a cartoony little hero who is proceeding on a journey through the afterlife (without explicitly saying so), but encounters obstacles and persons along the way that hinder progress. While dealing with these, you work to free fellow travelers from the grips of emotional traps that prevent them from moving on.
The game is simple enough, and the puzzles are very easy to solve. Many people will find it un-challenging, but it could be great for kids without having any kind of overtly religious message, just the desire to help others who are stuck. The lack of a better over-arching narrative along with the very basic puzzle-solving is why I gave it a middling score.
Beaten: 4-Aug-2023
This was my seventh and final(?) playthrough of this story, which started for me with buying the PS4 console combo that included the remastered version. I had a PS3 but decided to hold off as I was certain it would make it to the PS4 shortly after the console debuted. Six months after that, I delved into the game. And this time around I got the PC version thrown in for purchasing a new graphics card.
Everything here is so well done. It's the original but rebuilt with the same tech as Part II. So it's not exactly a remaster, but instead something more akin to the re-release and update of 2023's Dead Space. Is it worth the full price? That's a matter of debate among the gaming community, but I'd say if this is your entry point into the series, then yes. It is a full-up modern game release, not just a reskin of the original, so full price is justified in that sense. Plus you are getting the Left Behind DLC with the main game.
Fun facts about the prior releases. TLoU was the last major title to release on the PS3 console. And due to its incredibly heavy demand on the aging Cell CPU architecture the dev team had to heavily utilize the CPU's machine language into the game's code in order to make it run without crashing. This meant the source code was completely bound to the PS3 hardware, and so couldn't be recompiled for a different platform. For the PS4 remaster (AMD's Jaguar CPU architecture) they had to completely re-write the core game code from scratch while also making it look/play identical to the PS3 version. The most recent release was the third ground-up re-write the code, this time using the tools and tech from the more technically advanced Part II, replicating older models and environments that were unique to the re-branded Part I, and also porting it to work across the wide hardware base of gaming PCs -- which failed spectacularly at release but has since been patched. Hopefully porting the second half won't be as heavy a lift.
Per my own rules, I docked a half-star because it's a remake. If you haven't played this yet, you should. It's a critical title in video game history, a cinematic treat and IMHO still superior to the HBO series in many (but not all) ways.
This was my seventh and final(?) playthrough of this story, which started for me with buying the PS4 console combo that included the remastered version. I had a PS3 but decided to hold off as I was certain it would make it to the PS4 shortly after the console debuted. Six months after that, I delved into the game. And this time around I got the PC version thrown in for purchasing a new graphics card.
Everything here is so well done. It's the original but rebuilt with the same tech as Part II. So it's not exactly a remaster, but instead something more akin to the re-release and update of 2023's Dead Space. Is it worth the full price? That's a matter of debate among the gaming community, but I'd say if this is your entry point into the series, then yes. It is a full-up modern game release, not just a reskin of the original, so full price is justified in that sense. Plus you are getting the Left Behind DLC with the main game.
Fun facts about the prior releases. TLoU was the last major title to release on the PS3 console. And due to its incredibly heavy demand on the aging Cell CPU architecture the dev team had to heavily utilize the CPU's machine language into the game's code in order to make it run without crashing. This meant the source code was completely bound to the PS3 hardware, and so couldn't be recompiled for a different platform. For the PS4 remaster (AMD's Jaguar CPU architecture) they had to completely re-write the core game code from scratch while also making it look/play identical to the PS3 version. The most recent release was the third ground-up re-write the code, this time using the tools and tech from the more technically advanced Part II, replicating older models and environments that were unique to the re-branded Part I, and also porting it to work across the wide hardware base of gaming PCs -- which failed spectacularly at release but has since been patched. Hopefully porting the second half won't be as heavy a lift.
Per my own rules, I docked a half-star because it's a remake. If you haven't played this yet, you should. It's a critical title in video game history, a cinematic treat and IMHO still superior to the HBO series in many (but not all) ways.
Beaten: *
Resident Evil Village
Oct '23 ThemeBeaten
Extra Playthrough
49 hours, 8.5/10
46 of 56 achievements
Classic horror homage
Beaten: 18-Oct-2023
Had a ton of fun with this one. Also polished it off during the annual spooky theme month, which was fitting.
A lot has already been said about Village. It's definitely worth playing. The game picks up three years after RE7: Biohazard, continuing the story of Ethan Winters (played by you). But this time instead of PTSD-inducing nightmare gross-out horror encountered in the Louisiana bayou, the player gets a slightly more relaxed homage to classic works of horror fiction such as Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein.
There are still plenty of tense and frightening moments, but also a lot of pure fun. Lady Dimitrescu and Heisenberg (two of the five main bosses you encounter) are played with such campy relish by their voice actors that they are far more cool than terrifying. And as with all Resident Evil games, you start off relatively weak and at the mercy of scant resources and ammunition but by the end you're much more akin to a looter-shooter with convenient re-spawn points if an enemy takes you out. And of course New Game+ allows you to keep all your weapons and acquire better ones, with the fully-upgraded top-tier allowing you to one-shot almost anything but bosses on the highest difficulty.
Why not a higher rating? The game is fun but doesn't feel epic. Mid-game is uneven. Late-game has some really confusing level design. Some of the bosses are simply not that interesting, making you want to get through those sections as fast as possible on a second playthrough. Ethan's dialogue is laughably bad. Most of the time he's talking to himself about his current predicament, but still ... I couldn't decide if this was just weak writing or also part of the homage to classic horror films that featured the same level of eye-rolling line delivery.
Still, it's a great game and a solid recommend, especially for horror fans.
Had a ton of fun with this one. Also polished it off during the annual spooky theme month, which was fitting.
A lot has already been said about Village. It's definitely worth playing. The game picks up three years after RE7: Biohazard, continuing the story of Ethan Winters (played by you). But this time instead of PTSD-inducing nightmare gross-out horror encountered in the Louisiana bayou, the player gets a slightly more relaxed homage to classic works of horror fiction such as Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein.
There are still plenty of tense and frightening moments, but also a lot of pure fun. Lady Dimitrescu and Heisenberg (two of the five main bosses you encounter) are played with such campy relish by their voice actors that they are far more cool than terrifying. And as with all Resident Evil games, you start off relatively weak and at the mercy of scant resources and ammunition but by the end you're much more akin to a looter-shooter with convenient re-spawn points if an enemy takes you out. And of course New Game+ allows you to keep all your weapons and acquire better ones, with the fully-upgraded top-tier allowing you to one-shot almost anything but bosses on the highest difficulty.
Why not a higher rating? The game is fun but doesn't feel epic. Mid-game is uneven. Late-game has some really confusing level design. Some of the bosses are simply not that interesting, making you want to get through those sections as fast as possible on a second playthrough. Ethan's dialogue is laughably bad. Most of the time he's talking to himself about his current predicament, but still ... I couldn't decide if this was just weak writing or also part of the homage to classic horror films that featured the same level of eye-rolling line delivery.
Still, it's a great game and a solid recommend, especially for horror fans.
Batch 37: Incomplete but fun!
I don’t post batch updates very often these days, but even so this one was supposed to also have Red Dead Redemption 2, which I started around mid-January and then paused about three weeks later.
A few things happened. First, real life. Not surprising. Second, and more recently I’ve been given the opportunity to build a new gaming PC and the parts are arriving over the course of the next two weeks. I’ll pick up RDR2 on the new machine. It’s been moved to Batch 38.
Overall this was a great batch, taken a little at a time since last October until around the end of January when I stopped pursuing achievements on Wingspan.
Hope everyone had a great holiday season.
God of War: Ragnarok
PS5
Completed
lots of hours, 9.5/10
1/1 4/4 15/15 16/16 achievements
No god-killing this time, promise!
Beaten: 26-Nov-2022
If you haven't started this series yet, God of War is available on Steam. It's well worth the entry fee. The sequel is a superb and engrossing follow-on, picking up a few years after the end of the first game. Those who completed it know there were some big reveals at the end, and this is where they are all dealt with. We get to meet the heavies of the Norse pantheon and understand their history. Kratos is tested in various ways to resist killing his opponents unless necessary. Atreus is older now and you get to play as him through various sequences and story beats as his own destiny becomes clearer. Another cool improvement is that there's more secondary companions that accompany you at various times, each with their own skill set.
With an engaging main story, lots of side objectives, progression that is fun and never cumbersome, and a significant expansion of cast members that add detail and intrigue to the world, it's a great game. This one was worth the effort to 100% all the achievements.
If you haven't started this series yet, God of War is available on Steam. It's well worth the entry fee. The sequel is a superb and engrossing follow-on, picking up a few years after the end of the first game. Those who completed it know there were some big reveals at the end, and this is where they are all dealt with. We get to meet the heavies of the Norse pantheon and understand their history. Kratos is tested in various ways to resist killing his opponents unless necessary. Atreus is older now and you get to play as him through various sequences and story beats as his own destiny becomes clearer. Another cool improvement is that there's more secondary companions that accompany you at various times, each with their own skill set.
With an engaging main story, lots of side objectives, progression that is fun and never cumbersome, and a significant expansion of cast members that add detail and intrigue to the world, it's a great game. This one was worth the effort to 100% all the achievements.
Beaten: 6-Nov-2022
Another follow-on game that I played mostly through the Halloween season. The dev team solved the depth perception problem of the first game that often made it hard to gauge which direction to jump when aiming for an landing spot that was ambiguously near the front or back of the play area. The story is much more involved, and the mechanic even introduces some limited combat opportunities, but like the first you'll mostly be sneaking or running away from enemies.
I really enjoyed this one, as I thought it was in every way better than the original.
Another follow-on game that I played mostly through the Halloween season. The dev team solved the depth perception problem of the first game that often made it hard to gauge which direction to jump when aiming for an landing spot that was ambiguously near the front or back of the play area. The story is much more involved, and the mechanic even introduces some limited combat opportunities, but like the first you'll mostly be sneaking or running away from enemies.
I really enjoyed this one, as I thought it was in every way better than the original.
Beaten: *
This game is still "In Progress" because I haven't unlocked all the maps yet. I expect since I play this when I feel like, it'll take me awhile to 100%, but I've gotten enough of it finished that I can confidently recommend the game -- especially if you are a fan of Mini Metro.
The UI and graphics set up is notably re-used from the first game, but the mechanics are now more complex. The game randomly drops houses and destination buildings of matching color on different parts of the map, and it's your job to establish road connections between them that efficiently move traffic between those points. You are given a limited number of road tiles and other traffic flow control objects that get replenished at the start of each new week, so use them wisely before your commuters give up.
So far, a lot like the first game. Now the differences. Destination buildings have a fixed entry point, making the placement of roads contentious as density and traffic increases. The timers that run down and make the game end are now predicated on vehicles being able to reach their destinations within a given amount of time, made all the more difficult if cars have to sit in a lot of congested traffic. In order to help with this, a major boost item is a "highway" object that can connect any two parts of the map and provides a fast express lane for cars that use them. Placement of these is also key, as they are most useful when groups of alike-colored houses and buildings are far apart.
The end result is a quick-paced and beautifully minimalist optimization game just as captivating as its subway system predecessor, albeit much harder because of the added complexity. With tons of maps and weekly challenges, it'll keep you entertained for a long time!
This game is still "In Progress" because I haven't unlocked all the maps yet. I expect since I play this when I feel like, it'll take me awhile to 100%, but I've gotten enough of it finished that I can confidently recommend the game -- especially if you are a fan of Mini Metro.
The UI and graphics set up is notably re-used from the first game, but the mechanics are now more complex. The game randomly drops houses and destination buildings of matching color on different parts of the map, and it's your job to establish road connections between them that efficiently move traffic between those points. You are given a limited number of road tiles and other traffic flow control objects that get replenished at the start of each new week, so use them wisely before your commuters give up.
So far, a lot like the first game. Now the differences. Destination buildings have a fixed entry point, making the placement of roads contentious as density and traffic increases. The timers that run down and make the game end are now predicated on vehicles being able to reach their destinations within a given amount of time, made all the more difficult if cars have to sit in a lot of congested traffic. In order to help with this, a major boost item is a "highway" object that can connect any two parts of the map and provides a fast express lane for cars that use them. Placement of these is also key, as they are most useful when groups of alike-colored houses and buildings are far apart.
The end result is a quick-paced and beautifully minimalist optimization game just as captivating as its subway system predecessor, albeit much harder because of the added complexity. With tons of maps and weekly challenges, it'll keep you entertained for a long time!
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order
Completed
32.7 hours, 7.5/10
39/39 achievements
A story between two trilogies
Beaten: 18-Dec-2022
I started playing this without knowing a sequel was going to be available this spring. I'd heard good things about it that for the most part turned out to be true. The story is enjoyable and fun even though it breaks Star Wars canon. It has clunky combat, however. Wielding a lightsaber is fun, but often seems to rely more on button-mashing than any real skill. There are timing windows to react to enemy attacks, so you do have to learn how to not get hit. That said many, many enemies are hardy to lightsaber strikes, which seems impossible given what we know about them -- especially fleshy creatures that are defending territory or see you as a protein source.
But despite all that I will buy and eventually play Jedi: Survivor if the reviews are good enough. This was an enjoyable romp that makes me want to learn more of Kal's story and in the process (hopefully) get much-improved gameplay mechanics.
I started playing this without knowing a sequel was going to be available this spring. I'd heard good things about it that for the most part turned out to be true. The story is enjoyable and fun even though it breaks Star Wars canon. It has clunky combat, however. Wielding a lightsaber is fun, but often seems to rely more on button-mashing than any real skill. There are timing windows to react to enemy attacks, so you do have to learn how to not get hit. That said many, many enemies are hardy to lightsaber strikes, which seems impossible given what we know about them -- especially fleshy creatures that are defending territory or see you as a protein source.
But despite all that I will buy and eventually play Jedi: Survivor if the reviews are good enough. This was an enjoyable romp that makes me want to learn more of Kal's story and in the process (hopefully) get much-improved gameplay mechanics.
Beaten: (not applicable)
I'm a fan of the physical board game. And if there's one thing I can say about this game, it's an exceedingly well-done translation into a computer version. I've played several in this genre, but this is the pinnacle (so far) of how to replicate the look-and-feel of the original. And while I haven't done multi-player, there are great options for playing against several AI opponents of varying difficulty. Going after the achievements also taught me a lot about different strategies in the game that I wasn't aware of before.
The only negative? I'm a lot better at this game now than my friends, which gives me an advantage that isn't always fun to have.
I'm a fan of the physical board game. And if there's one thing I can say about this game, it's an exceedingly well-done translation into a computer version. I've played several in this genre, but this is the pinnacle (so far) of how to replicate the look-and-feel of the original. And while I haven't done multi-player, there are great options for playing against several AI opponents of varying difficulty. Going after the achievements also taught me a lot about different strategies in the game that I wasn't aware of before.
The only negative? I'm a lot better at this game now than my friends, which gives me an advantage that isn't always fun to have.
Batch 36
I originally started this batch at the beginning of the 2022, finished around early summer then forgot to post it. I haven’t been working on any games since that time. I kind of got burned out playing one in particular. (Check the hours.) I’m only now starting to dip my toe back into some spooky games for the seasonal fun.
Anyway, I hope to polish off at least one or two games for Spooktober. Though I haven’t decided which ones I’ll start first.
Beaten: 25-May-2022
Check out my review on Steam by clicking the tag!
Check out my review on Steam by clicking the tag!
Horizon: Forbidden West
PS5
Completed
120 hours, 9.5/10
1/1 1/1 7/7 50/50 achievements
Mega-machine rally!
Beaten: 30-Mar-2022
I was a massive fan of the first Horizon game, so this was a no-brainer to pre-purchase. I started playing on Day 1.
Nearly everything is an improvement over the first. There's lots of familiar things to see and do, but so much more. Combat is fluid and easy to pick up. Machines are fearsome, tough and resilient foes, but you learn very quickly how to master fighting ones at your level and with careful planning you can sometimes beat much tougher enemies, giving a great sense of accomplishment.
In the first title we learn why the machines came into existence and what had happened to humanity in the interim. In this one the Earth's ecosystem seems to be going haywire and machines are affected as well. In order to learn more about what it will take to stop the erosion, you need to travel west into unfriendly lands with even more deadly machines... and something far worse. Along the way you make allies, friends and enemies. There's a massive map to cover, more amazing sights and a tons of side quests and things to do.
I would rate the Horizon series as one of the best out there. If you haven't begun playing them, start with the first one as it is still a great play even thought it's 5 years old. It'll set you up for this one and still leave you wanting more.
I was a massive fan of the first Horizon game, so this was a no-brainer to pre-purchase. I started playing on Day 1.
Nearly everything is an improvement over the first. There's lots of familiar things to see and do, but so much more. Combat is fluid and easy to pick up. Machines are fearsome, tough and resilient foes, but you learn very quickly how to master fighting ones at your level and with careful planning you can sometimes beat much tougher enemies, giving a great sense of accomplishment.
In the first title we learn why the machines came into existence and what had happened to humanity in the interim. In this one the Earth's ecosystem seems to be going haywire and machines are affected as well. In order to learn more about what it will take to stop the erosion, you need to travel west into unfriendly lands with even more deadly machines... and something far worse. Along the way you make allies, friends and enemies. There's a massive map to cover, more amazing sights and a tons of side quests and things to do.
I would rate the Horizon series as one of the best out there. If you haven't begun playing them, start with the first one as it is still a great play even thought it's 5 years old. It'll set you up for this one and still leave you wanting more.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Beaten
22.5 hours, 8.5/10
37 of 58 achievements
They really are a scree-um, the Baker family
Beaten: 13-Feb-2022
I finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about and bought RE7 during the last Steam Winter Sale. What a trip! Scary in all the right places, at least for the first 2/3rds. I'm not super-familiar with the lore for this game, but I found it entertaining enough without it. I got the complete edition with all the extra content but haven't played through any DLC so far.
I don't know that I can add a whole lot to what's already been said about it by many other people. It was my second favorite title in this batch.
Edit: It was recently suggested to me I should try this game in VR since I have a headset. Umm... maybe. Even though I know the story now I think there are parts that would still make me shit my pants in that setting.
I finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about and bought RE7 during the last Steam Winter Sale. What a trip! Scary in all the right places, at least for the first 2/3rds. I'm not super-familiar with the lore for this game, but I found it entertaining enough without it. I got the complete edition with all the extra content but haven't played through any DLC so far.
I don't know that I can add a whole lot to what's already been said about it by many other people. It was my second favorite title in this batch.
Edit: It was recently suggested to me I should try this game in VR since I have a headset. Umm... maybe. Even though I know the story now I think there are parts that would still make me shit my pants in that setting.
Beaten: 30-Jan-2022
Seven is interesting from a story perspective. This is post-apocalypse Earth long after it reached a level of tech similar to or even beyond Cyberpunk 2077. The world has been piecing itself back together and is now a mix of cobbled together cyber-tech and magic with societal structure more like a cross between the 18th-century and Borderlands. You are thrown into this world as a thief who gets hustled into tracking down the Emperor's chief assassin who has gone missing looking for an extremely valuable piece of ancient tech.
With this setup and the open world to explore (you are sent to an island named Peh) it's hard to not admire the world-building being done here. The setting has an original feel to it and the art style builds a unique-looking world to run around in. I keep wondering what this game would feel like if it was brought up to the level of Pillars of Eternity or Divinity Original Sin II. Probably amazing.
But where the game fails to deliver is on the actual gameplay mechanics. Everything is clunky in some regard.
Seven is interesting from a story perspective. This is post-apocalypse Earth long after it reached a level of tech similar to or even beyond Cyberpunk 2077. The world has been piecing itself back together and is now a mix of cobbled together cyber-tech and magic with societal structure more like a cross between the 18th-century and Borderlands. You are thrown into this world as a thief who gets hustled into tracking down the Emperor's chief assassin who has gone missing looking for an extremely valuable piece of ancient tech.
With this setup and the open world to explore (you are sent to an island named Peh) it's hard to not admire the world-building being done here. The setting has an original feel to it and the art style builds a unique-looking world to run around in. I keep wondering what this game would feel like if it was brought up to the level of Pillars of Eternity or Divinity Original Sin II. Probably amazing.
But where the game fails to deliver is on the actual gameplay mechanics. Everything is clunky in some regard.
Batch 35 … and goodbye to 2021
Hey all, welcome to 2022. I hope this year treats you better than 2021 treated us.
I don’t have extensive reviews for this batch largely because I’ve been too tired to write any. This was a long haul as well with the first two games having been started all the way back in August. The whole lot have been drawn out considerably except once we got near the holidays.
On the video game front, I’m actually looking at moving off of video games over the course of the next year or two. I’ve been at it since 2016 doing batches on a fairly regular basis, but a lot of games fail to impress me now. Suffice to say I’ve seen most of what games have to offer, and the ones I have left are titles that mostly appeal to me for some reason or another that it merits continued work on my backlog.
So the highlights of my 2022 batches will be:
- Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West (pre-pruchased)
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Cyberpunk 2077
with the remnants of my “must play” backlog filling in around those titles.
Beyond that? Video games will be an occasional treat if I get the itch to try something. Otherwise will be focusing my attention elsewhere.
A couple of notes about this batch.
Batman was an interesting experience, but lacked compelling gameplay. Needless to say you weren’t going to be playing an Arkham game in first person, so it felt a little gimmicky.
Control was a blast. Finished the entire thing. It deserved all the praise it got. This game gets top honors in the batch, and if you like action games this is my recommendation.
Death Stranding had the weirdest plot I think I’ve ever encountered in a video game, and yet it was oddly compelling despite the gameplay loop becoming quite repetitive. There are some cool game concepts explored there with networked players. But it really focuses on third-person wilderness trekking to get your packages from point A to B and looks gorgeous doing it. This is my other recommendation for non-action game.
Disco Elysium merited another play-though after the Final Cut edition introduced a fully voice-acted script. I’m almost done but not in a hurry to rush. The game is quite a piece of art, but definitely not everyone’s thing.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider came really close to landing in my abandoned pile. It’s the worst of the trilogy. Lara is busing saving the world again, this time from a Mayan apocalypse she helps trigger. In order to accomplish this she murders her way through an incredibly contrived and cringe-inducing plot. The worst is when she is disguised as a priestess of the native tribe she’s assisting despite the fact that she’s an English-speaking white girl in a dress and mask that doesn’t do a thing to conceal her identity. But everyone is like, “Oh! Priestess!” I finally said screw the idiocy and picked it back up again after New Year’s to finish it off.
Thronebreaker on the other hand had a great plot and lots of Gwent. If both sound appealing, pick it up. The story takes place in the period between the books and the first Witcher game. But if you are hoping for a lot more Geralt, he’s only got a brief scene to play in this one. It’s still worth the time because Queen Maeve and the supporting cast are very well done and the story is quite good with a lot of choices that affect the outcome.
Beaten: 28-Aug-2021
Control Ultimate Edition
Completed
50 hours, 9/10
67 of 67 achievements
Mulder and Scully are envious
Beaten: 18-Aug-2021
Beaten: 24-Dec-2021
Disco Elysium
Beaten
Steam Review Extra Playthrough
80 hours, 9/10
33 of 40 achievements
Hot mess master class
Beaten: 1-Feb-2020
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
Beaten
44 hours, 7/10
81 of 99 achievements
Or, "The Lara Croft Murders"
Beaten: 3-Jan-2022
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
Completed
53 hours, 9/10
39 of 39 achievements
Nilfgaardians... everywhere!
Beaten: 31-Dec-2021
Batch 34 is done… sort-of.
(because I’m STILL playing Skyrim!)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Beaten
too many hours, 9/10
54 of 75 achievements
Shout, shout, let it all out...
Beaten: 12-Jun-2021
I last played Skyrim back in 2014-15. It was time for a re-visit.
For this go-around I used one of the most complex manual modding guides created for the game: Lexy's Legacy of the Dragonborn: Special Edition. And then I added a whole bunch more stuff into it. The final product has 813 mods and patches. For all that effort, the game is incredibly stable and looks and plays a lot closer to more modern games.
Last time I completed the entire College of Winterhold questline but decided to put the game down about a third of the way through the Thieves Guild story.
For this run I decided to do the Companions questline with a sword-and-shield fighter. Virtually no magic except for health potions and the rare useful scroll. It's been a blast! More than half of the activities and places I've been were new to me. I finished the main quest line, too many smaller ones to count, and am currently making my way for the first time through Dragonborn DLC.
Speaking of which the mods included in this build add a ton of content, most of which will likely get spread through other play-throughs.
Check out some of my screeshots
You got to hand it to Bethesda -- they created an absolute marvel that continues to deliver in the hands of people who keep making mods and patches for it.
I last played Skyrim back in 2014-15. It was time for a re-visit.
For this go-around I used one of the most complex manual modding guides created for the game: Lexy's Legacy of the Dragonborn: Special Edition. And then I added a whole bunch more stuff into it. The final product has 813 mods and patches. For all that effort, the game is incredibly stable and looks and plays a lot closer to more modern games.
Last time I completed the entire College of Winterhold questline but decided to put the game down about a third of the way through the Thieves Guild story.
For this run I decided to do the Companions questline with a sword-and-shield fighter. Virtually no magic except for health potions and the rare useful scroll. It's been a blast! More than half of the activities and places I've been were new to me. I finished the main quest line, too many smaller ones to count, and am currently making my way for the first time through Dragonborn DLC.
Speaking of which the mods included in this build add a ton of content, most of which will likely get spread through other play-throughs.
- Legacy of the Dragonborn - This mod adds a museum to Solitude with thousands of displays for your travels. It also has it's own plot working with the museum staff who chase down artifacts to add to the collection.
- Helgen Reborn - Rebuild the town that was destroyed by Alduin in the game's opening sequence.
- Falskaar - Introduces and entire new island full of quests that was the sole creation of a very talented modder.
- Plus: Wyrmstooth, Clockwork, The Forgotten City, The Tools of Kargenac, and more.
Check out some of my screeshots
You got to hand it to Bethesda -- they created an absolute marvel that continues to deliver in the hands of people who keep making mods and patches for it.
Beaten: 17-Mar-2021
A cute little puzzle game that involves sliding blocks around an industrial 3D environment to move characters from one part of a room map to another. This is augmented by several other mechanics including buttons that trigger lifts, blocks that create ladders when placed along a wall, floor tiles you can only cross once, and a few other interesting challenges involving not getting caught by enemies.
All of this is set to the music and scenes from The Magic Flute as staged by Amon Miyamoto from his famous production of the opera in Tokyo. It's a nice bit of art direction on top of what is otherwise a bit of a bland game. Most levels are easy. And many of the more interesting mechanics are confines to a single group of scenes. The story only follows Act I and then the game is over.
A simple, short and somewhat fun distraction for a few hours. It's a port of a game originally developed for iOS and played on a phone.
A cute little puzzle game that involves sliding blocks around an industrial 3D environment to move characters from one part of a room map to another. This is augmented by several other mechanics including buttons that trigger lifts, blocks that create ladders when placed along a wall, floor tiles you can only cross once, and a few other interesting challenges involving not getting caught by enemies.
All of this is set to the music and scenes from The Magic Flute as staged by Amon Miyamoto from his famous production of the opera in Tokyo. It's a nice bit of art direction on top of what is otherwise a bit of a bland game. Most levels are easy. And many of the more interesting mechanics are confines to a single group of scenes. The story only follows Act I and then the game is over.
A simple, short and somewhat fun distraction for a few hours. It's a port of a game originally developed for iOS and played on a phone.
Beaten: 6-Jul-2021
I could really write a lot about this game, but most of it would be re-hashing well-deserved praise. I didn't know if I would really like it or not, but it won me over quickly. If you haven't tried it and you like survival games, this is a must-play. Also despite what some people have said I wouldn't call it particularly scary. The tension comes mostly from exploring the darkened waters well below the surface, but the game is extremely forgiving. Once you know your way around avoiding and outrunning the things that might try to bite you is pretty easy.
I could really write a lot about this game, but most of it would be re-hashing well-deserved praise. I didn't know if I would really like it or not, but it won me over quickly. If you haven't tried it and you like survival games, this is a must-play. Also despite what some people have said I wouldn't call it particularly scary. The tension comes mostly from exploring the darkened waters well below the surface, but the game is extremely forgiving. Once you know your way around avoiding and outrunning the things that might try to bite you is pretty easy.
Beaten: 29-Jun-2021
Since I started poking around with VR again I decided to try this one since I'd already played the game before. The product is not polished but there are some great moments in it, and the outdoor areas are quite beautiful!
Since I started poking around with VR again I decided to try this one since I'd already played the game before. The product is not polished but there are some great moments in it, and the outdoor areas are quite beautiful!
Batch 33 assassinated …
This has been a really SLOW batch to complete. I moved to Portland back in November and despite still being stuck inside due to Covid keeping public spaces closed, I just haven’t been playing a lot of video games lately. I slow-walked a second playthrough of The Last of Us Part II for the achievements I missed the first time.
On the other hand my library/backlog has only grown! We managed to snag a PS5 during the holidays, and if you were a Playstation Plus subscriber and PS4 owner you got a ton of games for free right out of the starting gate for buying the new console. Also have been grabbing some free stuff through Epic Game Store. And nabbed two items in the Steam winter sale. So here’s what got added since November.
Steam:
- Metro Exodus
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Playstation Plus:
- Days Gone
- Erica
- Fallout 4
- Final Fantasy XV
- The Last Guardian
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
- Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
- Persona 5
- Ratchet & Clank
- Resident Evil: Biohazard
- Until Dawn
Epic:
- Darkest Dungeon
- Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishment
That’s a lot of stuff. I won’t play all of it, but there’s a lot of titles in there that could perk my interest.
Beaten: 26-Feb-2021
This is a significant upgraded experience from the first title, which I enjoyed playing but found a lot to complain about. Nearly every aspect of the game has improved. The story is focused and interesting. The combat is a bit more fair. And the cards and gambits are well-designed and thought out.
You are a nameless adventurer who has been approached by the former Dealer from the first game, and he sets you up to take on the guy who replaced him, guiding you through 22 challenges that encompass the story. Before each challenge you get to pick cards that you have unlocked to spread throughout the encounter, mixed in with the Dealer's own cards. You can pick a companion (who joins you for combat and has special abilities you can unlock) and supplies that will be with you at the start of the encounter. You can also pick encounter and equipment cards that you will uncover as you progress through each level.
Still it IS a game based around RNG. Nearly every card has some mini-game attached to it that can go good or bad. However there is a bit more added player skill involved this time around. Some games like the pendulum and the spinning wheel are more about timing. And dice throws allow a certain number of re-rolls. There are also item cards that will give you advantages.
A worthy and better sequel. Unfortunately the game studio who made it went out of business.
This is a significant upgraded experience from the first title, which I enjoyed playing but found a lot to complain about. Nearly every aspect of the game has improved. The story is focused and interesting. The combat is a bit more fair. And the cards and gambits are well-designed and thought out.
You are a nameless adventurer who has been approached by the former Dealer from the first game, and he sets you up to take on the guy who replaced him, guiding you through 22 challenges that encompass the story. Before each challenge you get to pick cards that you have unlocked to spread throughout the encounter, mixed in with the Dealer's own cards. You can pick a companion (who joins you for combat and has special abilities you can unlock) and supplies that will be with you at the start of the encounter. You can also pick encounter and equipment cards that you will uncover as you progress through each level.
Still it IS a game based around RNG. Nearly every card has some mini-game attached to it that can go good or bad. However there is a bit more added player skill involved this time around. Some games like the pendulum and the spinning wheel are more about timing. And dice throws allow a certain number of re-rolls. There are also item cards that will give you advantages.
A worthy and better sequel. Unfortunately the game studio who made it went out of business.
Beaten: 12-Feb-2021
This is a short game that is best played with a controller. It falls into the same class as point-and-click without the clicking. All prompts are handled by button presses just being near objects you can interact with. The gameplay is simple. Watch the story unfold, move around, get to places and pick up collectibles with some light puzzle-solving to complete each story segment.
As for the story, Carl is dealing with the loss of June in an accident and he gets the opportunity to alter the past to prevent it from happening. The puzzles are usually about managing the locations of NPCs and events so that the accident never happens.
As sweet as this sounds, the game actually sets more of a dark tone. For all the cartoon-iness of the visual style and wordless script told though emotional vocalizations, there are several complex issues that pop up in the tale that would be hard for kids to process. And the framing focuses on how difficult it is for Carl to deal with loss. None of this is bad, per se, but I was not sure this aspect of the story was well-served by the style. It seemed to hint at directions that weren't fully explored because they were trying to keep it 'age-friendly' but also felt dissatisfying for the same reason, cheapening some of the harder issues in the process.
Still, it's not a bad game, and it's easy to 100% if you like achievements.
This is a short game that is best played with a controller. It falls into the same class as point-and-click without the clicking. All prompts are handled by button presses just being near objects you can interact with. The gameplay is simple. Watch the story unfold, move around, get to places and pick up collectibles with some light puzzle-solving to complete each story segment.
As for the story, Carl is dealing with the loss of June in an accident and he gets the opportunity to alter the past to prevent it from happening. The puzzles are usually about managing the locations of NPCs and events so that the accident never happens.
As sweet as this sounds, the game actually sets more of a dark tone. For all the cartoon-iness of the visual style and wordless script told though emotional vocalizations, there are several complex issues that pop up in the tale that would be hard for kids to process. And the framing focuses on how difficult it is for Carl to deal with loss. None of this is bad, per se, but I was not sure this aspect of the story was well-served by the style. It seemed to hint at directions that weren't fully explored because they were trying to keep it 'age-friendly' but also felt dissatisfying for the same reason, cheapening some of the harder issues in the process.
Still, it's not a bad game, and it's easy to 100% if you like achievements.
The Last of Us Part II
PS5
Completed
Extra Playthrough
? hours, 10/10
1 7 8 10 of 28 achievements
Love and hate
Beaten: 13-Feb-2021
There's already been a ton written about this game that I won't attempt to re-hash here. I am a fan of the series. The Last of Us is my all-time favorite. That's closely followed by this one because everything about the technical aspect of the game is an improved experience. The scenery and graphics design, combat and crafting -- everything is amazing.
It also has a much more mature and complex plot. Everyone is free to disagree on whether or not they liked the story. But I think many criticisms of the narrative are largely based around the fact that it doesn't make you feel good as a player/viewer.
And that's the real rub. A lot of people see video games as a pleasant distraction, something where they want to feel like heroes in an RPG or standing up against a powerful enemy in an action-based thriller. The first game delivered on that -- a lot -- while providing a moral framework on the "hero" similar to how people idolize characters like Rorshach from Watchmen. Joel, however, is a much more sympathetic figure. Still his rampage that saved Ellie's life was the controversial point that people fought over in discussing what message Part I was sending.
We got an answer in Part II... that today's win through violence can have devastating repercussions tomorrow. And in this case it's a daughter seeking revenge for Joel killing her dad. With Ellie's commitment to go after her and Joel's killers, the cycle of violence constricts, ruining them both and the people around them.
That isn't the kind of game that we sit down to intentionally enjoy any more than we sit down to enjoy an Oscar-nominated movie like House of Sand of Fog. We watch these stories to remind us that sometimes our sense of justice is anything but, and that the world will not magically intercede to stop good people from doing terrible things to each other.
In any case, this game is brilliant. I believe it also plays better the second time around after you have processed most of the discomfort of playing it through the first time. The entire cast is wonderfully complex and nuanced. There also are scares that far outstrip anything from the first game.
I hope the new series on HBO lives up to all that.
There's already been a ton written about this game that I won't attempt to re-hash here. I am a fan of the series. The Last of Us is my all-time favorite. That's closely followed by this one because everything about the technical aspect of the game is an improved experience. The scenery and graphics design, combat and crafting -- everything is amazing.
It also has a much more mature and complex plot. Everyone is free to disagree on whether or not they liked the story. But I think many criticisms of the narrative are largely based around the fact that it doesn't make you feel good as a player/viewer.
And that's the real rub. A lot of people see video games as a pleasant distraction, something where they want to feel like heroes in an RPG or standing up against a powerful enemy in an action-based thriller. The first game delivered on that -- a lot -- while providing a moral framework on the "hero" similar to how people idolize characters like Rorshach from Watchmen. Joel, however, is a much more sympathetic figure. Still his rampage that saved Ellie's life was the controversial point that people fought over in discussing what message Part I was sending.
We got an answer in Part II... that today's win through violence can have devastating repercussions tomorrow. And in this case it's a daughter seeking revenge for Joel killing her dad. With Ellie's commitment to go after her and Joel's killers, the cycle of violence constricts, ruining them both and the people around them.
That isn't the kind of game that we sit down to intentionally enjoy any more than we sit down to enjoy an Oscar-nominated movie like House of Sand of Fog. We watch these stories to remind us that sometimes our sense of justice is anything but, and that the world will not magically intercede to stop good people from doing terrible things to each other.
In any case, this game is brilliant. I believe it also plays better the second time around after you have processed most of the discomfort of playing it through the first time. The entire cast is wonderfully complex and nuanced. There also are scares that far outstrip anything from the first game.
I hope the new series on HBO lives up to all that.
Beaten: 14-Jan-2021
I probably wouldn't have played this one except for the fact that my brother was telling me how much he enjoyed Metro Exodus and I told him about the two prior games of which he was not aware. I played Metro 2033 Redux a little over two years ago (Batch 24). And since his opinion compelled me to pick up Exodus during the winter sale, I was determined to play through Last Light before I started it.
I enjoyed the game, although much of it was a rehash of the prior one. This time the story focus is on the power struggle between different political factions in light of the events that occurred in the previous title. You return as Artyom, although the game ignores your choice at the end of the last game and assumes you destroyed the Dark Ones. You mission soon uncovers intelligence that a Dark One child is alive and a part of a larger plan. Once again you take to moving through the metro tunnels and outdoors to track down and figure out what is going on. Much gunplay and horror-themed situations move you along to the final conclusion.
Overall it's a good enough game to scratch your FPS itch. It's linear structure never lets you stray far and there are no side missions. If you want those, there are several isolated missions that unlock after you finish the game that can test your combat and/or stealth skills. If you've already played any of the Metro series games the monsters are nothing new and the occasional jump scare is strategically thrown in for effect and thankfully not overused.
I probably wouldn't have played this one except for the fact that my brother was telling me how much he enjoyed Metro Exodus and I told him about the two prior games of which he was not aware. I played Metro 2033 Redux a little over two years ago (Batch 24). And since his opinion compelled me to pick up Exodus during the winter sale, I was determined to play through Last Light before I started it.
I enjoyed the game, although much of it was a rehash of the prior one. This time the story focus is on the power struggle between different political factions in light of the events that occurred in the previous title. You return as Artyom, although the game ignores your choice at the end of the last game and assumes you destroyed the Dark Ones. You mission soon uncovers intelligence that a Dark One child is alive and a part of a larger plan. Once again you take to moving through the metro tunnels and outdoors to track down and figure out what is going on. Much gunplay and horror-themed situations move you along to the final conclusion.
Overall it's a good enough game to scratch your FPS itch. It's linear structure never lets you stray far and there are no side missions. If you want those, there are several isolated missions that unlock after you finish the game that can test your combat and/or stealth skills. If you've already played any of the Metro series games the monsters are nothing new and the occasional jump scare is strategically thrown in for effect and thankfully not overused.
Abandoned: 29-Jan-2021
I don't really have a lot to say about this one. I loaded it up on my Playstation and tried it for awhile. The first thing that hit me was the quality of the graphics seemed much closer to 2014's Metro Last Light Redux than more modern games in 2018 when it was released.
I was willing to live with that but the atrocious dialogue and plot setup killed it for me. The main character constantly states his feelings and objectives out loud every couple of minutes. This was not only immersion-breaking but made me want to shout at the screen, "Yes, thank you! I know that already!" Then his first meeting with a guy named Dr. Edgar Swansea ended whatever remaining good will I had. The dialogue between these two characters was horribly written and was only to quickly establish him as knowledgeable and probably a future mission giver -- without really doing any work of establishing the relationship between them.
Maybe there's a decent game lurking in this title past the introductory stuff but with a ton of fresher, more highly rated games sitting in my backlog, I felt I should be playing those instead.
I don't really have a lot to say about this one. I loaded it up on my Playstation and tried it for awhile. The first thing that hit me was the quality of the graphics seemed much closer to 2014's Metro Last Light Redux than more modern games in 2018 when it was released.
I was willing to live with that but the atrocious dialogue and plot setup killed it for me. The main character constantly states his feelings and objectives out loud every couple of minutes. This was not only immersion-breaking but made me want to shout at the screen, "Yes, thank you! I know that already!" Then his first meeting with a guy named Dr. Edgar Swansea ended whatever remaining good will I had. The dialogue between these two characters was horribly written and was only to quickly establish him as knowledgeable and probably a future mission giver -- without really doing any work of establishing the relationship between them.
Maybe there's a decent game lurking in this title past the introductory stuff but with a ton of fresher, more highly rated games sitting in my backlog, I felt I should be playing those instead.
October Report
Not really enough games here to qualify as one of my batches, but I did meet my October challenge with them.
I thought I might play a lot more games than I did. (I had planned to play Darkwood.) But in the later half of October we had a turn of events in our housing search and then last week we signed a rental lease on a new place in Portland, OR.
So it’s bye-bye to the Bay Area and we are trekking north. My other half is leaving tomorrow to square everything with the leasing company and driving the first load of household items. I have to work this week so am staying behind to do more packing.
I might be a little while before I jump into my backlog again. We’ve got a lot other stuff to keep us busy. But when I do I’ll be in the new place, and I’ll hopefully have my Vive set up again. We both love doing the VR games, but haven’t had the space the Vive requires for about two years now.
Hope everyone had a great October. Be safe and be good!
Beaten: 12-Oct-2020
This game gets high reviews on Steam. I think this is largely based on the story rather than any game play elements. And the story is fine, but in my opinion nothing amazing. It's definitely a children's story for adults. But the adult audience is almost completely on account of the use of gore and frightening imagery instead of the plot and use of language -- which would make it a USA movie "PG" rating otherwise.
Anyway I got bored with it quickly but was curious to see how it turned out, so I got a guide and worked my way through in a few hours. I think others will find it more entertaining than I did.
This game gets high reviews on Steam. I think this is largely based on the story rather than any game play elements. And the story is fine, but in my opinion nothing amazing. It's definitely a children's story for adults. But the adult audience is almost completely on account of the use of gore and frightening imagery instead of the plot and use of language -- which would make it a USA movie "PG" rating otherwise.
Anyway I got bored with it quickly but was curious to see how it turned out, so I got a guide and worked my way through in a few hours. I think others will find it more entertaining than I did.
Outlast
Beaten
Oct '20 Theme
13.7 hours, 8.5/10
12 of 14 achievements
You can run, but you can also hide
Beaten: 31-Oct-2020
Finishing this game on Halloween I have to say it's worked its dark magic on me and deserves a lot of the praise it gets. The overall sense of terror throughout the game is nicely paced and expertly done. I'm not sure what else I can say except that its imitators -- cough, Lethe: Episode One, cough, cough -- are really poor by comparison.
Finishing this game on Halloween I have to say it's worked its dark magic on me and deserves a lot of the praise it gets. The overall sense of terror throughout the game is nicely paced and expertly done. I'm not sure what else I can say except that its imitators -- cough, Lethe: Episode One, cough, cough -- are really poor by comparison.
Batch 32 Complete
Four more games and September already gone. No monthly challenges in this batch.
Of course with October looming I intend to focus on horror games for a little while like I usually do. However I may have my backlog work interrupted. We are currently working with a rental broker to find a place to live in Portland. We have some fairly demanding needs, so it might take a bit to find a place. But once we sign a lease and start the moving process I’ll have to pause until we are settled in Oregon :D
Hope everyone is doing well and stay safe!
Beaten: 29-Sep-2020
Click the "Steam Review" button above!
Click the "Steam Review" button above!
Beaten: 1-Sep-2020
This game has utterly breath-taking graphics and amazing character acting. That's enough to make it worth playing when married to a short runtime. But it also has keenly crafted inner dialogue which breathes life into a woman who is losing her mind over tragic events that convince her to go on a quest to the "Underworld".
The combat is a different story. It's not quite as fun as you might expect, even a bit tedious. And as I got further along I found myself increasingly annoyed by it. In a way it feels tacked on, giving the player something else to do besides explore and react to emotionally charged scenery. At the end it's more of an excuse to make a point, but one that might take some players a lot of time to figure out. I think a lot of it could have been replaced with more puzzle-solving or more variety in combat objectives.
Definitely worth playing, especially because there's nothing quite like it out there.
This game has utterly breath-taking graphics and amazing character acting. That's enough to make it worth playing when married to a short runtime. But it also has keenly crafted inner dialogue which breathes life into a woman who is losing her mind over tragic events that convince her to go on a quest to the "Underworld".
The combat is a different story. It's not quite as fun as you might expect, even a bit tedious. And as I got further along I found myself increasingly annoyed by it. In a way it feels tacked on, giving the player something else to do besides explore and react to emotionally charged scenery. At the end it's more of an excuse to make a point, but one that might take some players a lot of time to figure out. I think a lot of it could have been replaced with more puzzle-solving or more variety in combat objectives.
Definitely worth playing, especially because there's nothing quite like it out there.
Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power
Won on SteamGiftsCompleted
Steam Review
9.2 hours, 6/10
28 of 28 achievements
3D threesome
Beaten: 28-Aug-2020
Click the "Steam Review" button above!
Click the "Steam Review" button above!
Beaten: 19-Sep-2020
This is is about as close to a clone of Portal as you can get. Although the story set-up is quite different, the basic game loop is reaching a room exit by manipulating buttons, switches, weighted cubes, light bridges and so forth ... just no Portal Gun. The rooms aren't nearly as challenging either. And your only companion? An AI that has nearly complete control of the facility.
So while it loses points on gameplay originality it does have some interesting banter between the characters.
I really can't think of much else to say. It's not bad. It just doesn't have anything that makes it a must-play experience.
This is is about as close to a clone of Portal as you can get. Although the story set-up is quite different, the basic game loop is reaching a room exit by manipulating buttons, switches, weighted cubes, light bridges and so forth ... just no Portal Gun. The rooms aren't nearly as challenging either. And your only companion? An AI that has nearly complete control of the facility.
So while it loses points on gameplay originality it does have some interesting banter between the characters.
I really can't think of much else to say. It's not bad. It just doesn't have anything that makes it a must-play experience.
Batch 31 completed!
This batch progress took a huge, multi-month pause in the middle of playing Dead in Vinland. I was going through my backlog, loaded up Skyrim Special Edition just for nostalgia and got sucked into modding it.
I never learn.
While I have mostly got Skyrim modded the way I want, I haven’t started seriously playing it yet. I returned to my other games because I needed a Skyrim break!
Beaten: 9-Apr-2020
I bought Black Mesa years ago based on the strength of its Early Access reviews, but I put off playing it until it reached full release. So I came to the game with no previous runs to color my perceptions. My opinion is that its a great homage to Half-Life that pulls the neat trick of using the Source engine and a lot of original game assets while updating it with newer high-resolution textures, more fleshed-out areas and a longer story -- especially the Xen levels. It's the game you wish Valve had released as an "enhanced edition" of the original. It even rivals Half-Life 2 in terms of sheer beauty, creative spaces and level design. Only NPCs don't quite live up to the same level as the sequel, but that has a lot to do with what the developers had to work with.
The Source engine of course lends itself not just to keeping the original feel of the game and its control work but also its deficiencies. Getting off a ladder is still a nightmare. Odd collisions with the random small object or enemy can still send you flying skyward. You just have to keep in mind when this happens that it's part of the nostalgic charm.
For achievements, most are do-able with minimum effort, you'll probably need a guide to get the more obscure ones. Unfortunately there's also three carry quests in the game like the Garden Gnome from HL2: Episode Two. The only tolerable one starts in Xen and concludes in the following chapter. It's difficult and a pain-in-the-ass, and I'd not recommend but for the fact that there are four achievements you can't complete without doing it. The others start near the beginning of the game and resolve at the very end. If you are a masochist, go for it. I didn't bother.
Overall a great game with plenty of action packed moments. Boss fights are intense. The pacing is excellent except for some chapters that drag out too long, but that's a minor complaint. A big thumbs up and hearty endorsement!
I bought Black Mesa years ago based on the strength of its Early Access reviews, but I put off playing it until it reached full release. So I came to the game with no previous runs to color my perceptions. My opinion is that its a great homage to Half-Life that pulls the neat trick of using the Source engine and a lot of original game assets while updating it with newer high-resolution textures, more fleshed-out areas and a longer story -- especially the Xen levels. It's the game you wish Valve had released as an "enhanced edition" of the original. It even rivals Half-Life 2 in terms of sheer beauty, creative spaces and level design. Only NPCs don't quite live up to the same level as the sequel, but that has a lot to do with what the developers had to work with.
The Source engine of course lends itself not just to keeping the original feel of the game and its control work but also its deficiencies. Getting off a ladder is still a nightmare. Odd collisions with the random small object or enemy can still send you flying skyward. You just have to keep in mind when this happens that it's part of the nostalgic charm.
For achievements, most are do-able with minimum effort, you'll probably need a guide to get the more obscure ones. Unfortunately there's also three carry quests in the game like the Garden Gnome from HL2: Episode Two. The only tolerable one starts in Xen and concludes in the following chapter. It's difficult and a pain-in-the-ass, and I'd not recommend but for the fact that there are four achievements you can't complete without doing it. The others start near the beginning of the game and resolve at the very end. If you are a masochist, go for it. I didn't bother.
Overall a great game with plenty of action packed moments. Boss fights are intense. The pacing is excellent except for some chapters that drag out too long, but that's a minor complaint. A big thumbs up and hearty endorsement!
Beaten: 1-Aug-2020
I liked many aspects about this game. The story was more filled out and explained a lot about the island, which later becomes the setting for Dead in Bermuda. As the prequel in the series it has taken great strides in game design. Beyond the original assignment of survivors to tasks there are encounters with other survivors that can be added to your camp (each offering different talents), combat sequences and more sophisticated puzzles.
And yet, I feel like this game was WAY too long. The game loop can get tedious, even if it is habit-forming. But to reach the game's true end I had to explore the entire island in order to collect the required quest items. Or maybe it was just bad RNG luck that the last 20 unexplored plots contained the last 8 items I needed? Quite literally the last unexplored spot on the map was the last puzzle to get the last item. And it took what felt like forever even when during the last quarter I had 2-3 people exploring with all the speed upgrades.
This is by no means a bad game and you'd expect it to be longer than the first one, but I finished a single run of DiB in 17 hours. Even if I took out some of the back-tracking I did and achievement hunting, I'm guessing this would have still been a 50-hour game instead of 84. And that's a really long time for a game of this style.
I was glad when it was finally done. I put it aside for several months before returning to finish.
I liked many aspects about this game. The story was more filled out and explained a lot about the island, which later becomes the setting for Dead in Bermuda. As the prequel in the series it has taken great strides in game design. Beyond the original assignment of survivors to tasks there are encounters with other survivors that can be added to your camp (each offering different talents), combat sequences and more sophisticated puzzles.
And yet, I feel like this game was WAY too long. The game loop can get tedious, even if it is habit-forming. But to reach the game's true end I had to explore the entire island in order to collect the required quest items. Or maybe it was just bad RNG luck that the last 20 unexplored plots contained the last 8 items I needed? Quite literally the last unexplored spot on the map was the last puzzle to get the last item. And it took what felt like forever even when during the last quarter I had 2-3 people exploring with all the speed upgrades.
This is by no means a bad game and you'd expect it to be longer than the first one, but I finished a single run of DiB in 17 hours. Even if I took out some of the back-tracking I did and achievement hunting, I'm guessing this would have still been a 50-hour game instead of 84. And that's a really long time for a game of this style.
I was glad when it was finally done. I put it aside for several months before returning to finish.
Beaten: 22-Aug-2020
This is a short visual novel, running around 5-6 hours and split into 7 chapters. You play as Evelyn, a computer engineer and software dev living in Seattle who has been on a professional hiatus for the last three years. I won't ruin anything by saying more her. The themes of this game deal with big tech, AI, burn-out, mental health, and the moral ramifications of what technology does to the people who create it and the people who interact with it.
The story is well written and the voice acting is top-notch. It doesn't try to be preachy or slant things in an "activist" kind of tone. It's structured as a series of scenes between Evelyn and her friends, business associates and customers. The topics are very relatable and hit very close to home for anyone familiar with this world. I found immediate resonance with a lot of the insider discussions about the business as well as several topics brought up by the counseling patients either in my own experience or those of close friends. My only criticism is that the Eliza counseling AI in the game seems very simplistic compared to what current AI chat technology is capable of (as recently demonstrated by Google). It didn't seem realistic that a company would get much sales traction with the product as presented.
If this topic interests you, I recommend buying. The quality was such that I could imagine it being adapted into a movie as a drama. The sci-fi elements are not fantastical and it's easy to imagine them being real news headlines in the next 5-15 years.
The single Steam achievement is for winning an expert level game of solitaire on Evelyn's phone when she entertains the idea. Thus it isn't connected to the story, just an extra thrown in by the game dev. It's played with a Kabufuda deck instead of standard playing cards. I breezed through easy, medium and hard, but expert took me about 2.5 hours and several attempts before I won. The only rule I don't think is explained well is that you can unlock one of the four "free-cell" spaces on the top row when you lock out a space on the normal playing field with a matched set, BUT this isn't possible except at medium and higher difficulty because easy starts with all four free-cells available.
This is a short visual novel, running around 5-6 hours and split into 7 chapters. You play as Evelyn, a computer engineer and software dev living in Seattle who has been on a professional hiatus for the last three years. I won't ruin anything by saying more her. The themes of this game deal with big tech, AI, burn-out, mental health, and the moral ramifications of what technology does to the people who create it and the people who interact with it.
The story is well written and the voice acting is top-notch. It doesn't try to be preachy or slant things in an "activist" kind of tone. It's structured as a series of scenes between Evelyn and her friends, business associates and customers. The topics are very relatable and hit very close to home for anyone familiar with this world. I found immediate resonance with a lot of the insider discussions about the business as well as several topics brought up by the counseling patients either in my own experience or those of close friends. My only criticism is that the Eliza counseling AI in the game seems very simplistic compared to what current AI chat technology is capable of (as recently demonstrated by Google). It didn't seem realistic that a company would get much sales traction with the product as presented.
If this topic interests you, I recommend buying. The quality was such that I could imagine it being adapted into a movie as a drama. The sci-fi elements are not fantastical and it's easy to imagine them being real news headlines in the next 5-15 years.
The single Steam achievement is for winning an expert level game of solitaire on Evelyn's phone when she entertains the idea. Thus it isn't connected to the story, just an extra thrown in by the game dev. It's played with a Kabufuda deck instead of standard playing cards. I breezed through easy, medium and hard, but expert took me about 2.5 hours and several attempts before I won. The only rule I don't think is explained well is that you can unlock one of the four "free-cell" spaces on the top row when you lock out a space on the normal playing field with a matched set, BUT this isn't possible except at medium and higher difficulty because easy starts with all four free-cells available.
Beaten: 25-Jul-2020
It's more Ori, so of course it was spectacular.
Everything that was fun about the first game is here along with new abilities and more locations to explore. Curiously though it didn't feel as difficult as the first one, and I think that's because you get several abilities early on that came later in Blind Forest. Most notable is the ability to stick to walls when climbing. While it's given to you here as a swap-able "shard" ability, it never left my load-out when I was exploring. Not having to repeatedly mash buttons to move upward or know where you are headed next when jumping on to a wall made getting around faster with fewer deaths.
The largest change from the previous game is the combat abilities. Whereas before you had Sen to shoot at enemies somewhat chaotically when you got close enough, now you have a variety of melee and ranged weapons to choose from that through unlocks can become massively OP in some instances. While this can make some boss fights surprisingly short, I didn't feel like it detracted too much from the game. If anything it made you feel more like Ori had grown into his abilities and was becoming ever more powerful.
The story has a lot of similarities to the first one and takes place in a new location with completely new environments to explore. These showcase many of the new game mechanics as you slowly acquire new abilities while moving along the main story line. There are also side quests this time, which makes for a lot of fun side adventures and more characters to meet.
Overall it's a great game and deserving of the high rating. If you are into platformers this is a series you shouldn't miss!
It's more Ori, so of course it was spectacular.
Everything that was fun about the first game is here along with new abilities and more locations to explore. Curiously though it didn't feel as difficult as the first one, and I think that's because you get several abilities early on that came later in Blind Forest. Most notable is the ability to stick to walls when climbing. While it's given to you here as a swap-able "shard" ability, it never left my load-out when I was exploring. Not having to repeatedly mash buttons to move upward or know where you are headed next when jumping on to a wall made getting around faster with fewer deaths.
The largest change from the previous game is the combat abilities. Whereas before you had Sen to shoot at enemies somewhat chaotically when you got close enough, now you have a variety of melee and ranged weapons to choose from that through unlocks can become massively OP in some instances. While this can make some boss fights surprisingly short, I didn't feel like it detracted too much from the game. If anything it made you feel more like Ori had grown into his abilities and was becoming ever more powerful.
The story has a lot of similarities to the first one and takes place in a new location with completely new environments to explore. These showcase many of the new game mechanics as you slowly acquire new abilities while moving along the main story line. There are also side quests this time, which makes for a lot of fun side adventures and more characters to meet.
Overall it's a great game and deserving of the high rating. If you are into platformers this is a series you shouldn't miss!
Beaten: 20-Aug-2020
The Behemoth is at it again, this time with a take on turn-based strategy games. Despite the similar look to Castle Crashers (which I never played), Pit People is very loosely a sequel to Battleblock Theater, at least as told through the short mainline story. The voice of the Narrator returns also to play, well, almost everyone that isn't from the core cast of story characters. The humor is great in the same snarky way and the side quests that vastly outnumber the mainline quests poke fun at all kinds of modern topics and entertainment in typical irreverent style.
At the core of Pit People though is a game that lacks much sophistication and can be boring at times. Although it is turn-based combat, you only move your characters to positions on the board/battlefield. The characters then decide for themselves who they are going to attack. This can be modified by placing your characters so they only have one choice of target, but often this is not possible since the enemy AI is trying to jockey for position as well. You assign your positions as best you can and hope for a good outcome. The fun is in the wide variety of units you can pick from and how their abilities work as a team. The other bonus is the designers try very hard to offer battle maps that have objectives other than "kill the enemy units". These involve things like puzzles, going after specific targets, dynamic obstacles, and many other goals.
The rewards are largely hundreds of mostly cosmetic items. Armor, shields and weapons fall into broad categories giving base stats for each, but within these categories most items are just those base stats with a small number occasionally offering a different benefit (elemental damage, resistances, etc.) for trade-off with another stat. There are only a precious handful of items that don't come with a penalty, and they aren't useful in all combat situations anyway.
The game is also clearly designed for multi-player -- which is highlighted by "The Pit" offering PvP competition. I didn't try it as that had no appeal to me. If you're curious you can still gain experience playing against three waves of AI teams. There's also a mode that let's the AI play your side as well, but at the cost of good loot at the end of a round.
On the whole it's a good game. Worth playing if the idea of lightweight strategy plus Behemoth humor sounds like a good combo.
The Behemoth is at it again, this time with a take on turn-based strategy games. Despite the similar look to Castle Crashers (which I never played), Pit People is very loosely a sequel to Battleblock Theater, at least as told through the short mainline story. The voice of the Narrator returns also to play, well, almost everyone that isn't from the core cast of story characters. The humor is great in the same snarky way and the side quests that vastly outnumber the mainline quests poke fun at all kinds of modern topics and entertainment in typical irreverent style.
At the core of Pit People though is a game that lacks much sophistication and can be boring at times. Although it is turn-based combat, you only move your characters to positions on the board/battlefield. The characters then decide for themselves who they are going to attack. This can be modified by placing your characters so they only have one choice of target, but often this is not possible since the enemy AI is trying to jockey for position as well. You assign your positions as best you can and hope for a good outcome. The fun is in the wide variety of units you can pick from and how their abilities work as a team. The other bonus is the designers try very hard to offer battle maps that have objectives other than "kill the enemy units". These involve things like puzzles, going after specific targets, dynamic obstacles, and many other goals.
The rewards are largely hundreds of mostly cosmetic items. Armor, shields and weapons fall into broad categories giving base stats for each, but within these categories most items are just those base stats with a small number occasionally offering a different benefit (elemental damage, resistances, etc.) for trade-off with another stat. There are only a precious handful of items that don't come with a penalty, and they aren't useful in all combat situations anyway.
The game is also clearly designed for multi-player -- which is highlighted by "The Pit" offering PvP competition. I didn't try it as that had no appeal to me. If you're curious you can still gain experience playing against three waves of AI teams. There's also a mode that let's the AI play your side as well, but at the cost of good loot at the end of a round.
On the whole it's a good game. Worth playing if the idea of lightweight strategy plus Behemoth humor sounds like a good combo.
Abandoned: 9-Aug-2020
This is a puzzle game in a similar setting to Myst. You are dropped on an island with no explanation and work through various sections of the landscape that are divided by theme and environment. The puzzles are mazes -- usually shown on a monitor display -- and each area introduces a new set of rules or conditions that must be used to determine solutions. Harder areas combine introductory rule sets to make for more challenging mazes.
If this sounds intriguing to you, go for it. I gave this game top ratings due to beauty and technical excellence. Then why did I abandon it? Because I got bored.
It's not that the game lacks variety. I think The Witness has far better overall design and challenge than The Talos Principle (which I finished). But after 8-9 hours spread out over 1-2 hour sessions, I simply lost the desire to continue playing it.
In closing I think this is an excellent puzzle game for the right audience. It just wasn't for me.
This is a puzzle game in a similar setting to Myst. You are dropped on an island with no explanation and work through various sections of the landscape that are divided by theme and environment. The puzzles are mazes -- usually shown on a monitor display -- and each area introduces a new set of rules or conditions that must be used to determine solutions. Harder areas combine introductory rule sets to make for more challenging mazes.
If this sounds intriguing to you, go for it. I gave this game top ratings due to beauty and technical excellence. Then why did I abandon it? Because I got bored.
It's not that the game lacks variety. I think The Witness has far better overall design and challenge than The Talos Principle (which I finished). But after 8-9 hours spread out over 1-2 hour sessions, I simply lost the desire to continue playing it.
In closing I think this is an excellent puzzle game for the right audience. It just wasn't for me.
Batch 30
… the walking simulator batch.
Hope everyone is staying safe.
Dear Esther Landmark Edition
Mar '20 ThemeCompleted
3 hours, 8/10
10 of 10 achievements
THE walking sim
Beaten: 13-Mar-2020
This game needs no introduction as it was the original walking simulator -- or at least the game that inspired the label.
The game has been remade here with the Unity game engine, re-scored music and director commentary that has the team recounting the experience of making both the original and this edition. If you haven't played before, it's probably better to turn that off so you can enjoy it as it was meant to be played. For people returning to the game the commentary has some nice insights. Also, this time around you get achievements.
This game needs no introduction as it was the original walking simulator -- or at least the game that inspired the label.
The game has been remade here with the Unity game engine, re-scored music and director commentary that has the team recounting the experience of making both the original and this edition. If you haven't played before, it's probably better to turn that off so you can enjoy it as it was meant to be played. For people returning to the game the commentary has some nice insights. Also, this time around you get achievements.
Beaten: 15-Mar-2020
Some walking sims fall short in some respects. It's a bit sad that is the case with The Fidelio Incident, which follows the aftermath of a light airplane crashing in a remote area of Iceland. From the get-go you are introduced to Stanley and Leonore as they banter in the cabin. Post-crash you play Stanley and get a desperate message from her over their hand-held walkie-talkies and set out to find her in the frozen landscape. The game is eerily beautiful. There's unusual bunkers and heating pipes dotting the landscape. As Stanley makes his way closer to the smoke plume that indicates Leonore's location, you find journal notes scattered from the crash and suffer from dream-like reveries that fill in the story.
But it's the story that falls flat here. Our couple has a checkered past they are trying to escape, but the manner in which it is told isn't terribly compelling. The story is deeply personal on many levels, but exploration of the details is limited and the game often seems to fight against connecting with the characters on anything other than surface level. By the end I shrugged my shoulders because I didn't really feel that much for them. Good voice-acting though.
Some walking sims fall short in some respects. It's a bit sad that is the case with The Fidelio Incident, which follows the aftermath of a light airplane crashing in a remote area of Iceland. From the get-go you are introduced to Stanley and Leonore as they banter in the cabin. Post-crash you play Stanley and get a desperate message from her over their hand-held walkie-talkies and set out to find her in the frozen landscape. The game is eerily beautiful. There's unusual bunkers and heating pipes dotting the landscape. As Stanley makes his way closer to the smoke plume that indicates Leonore's location, you find journal notes scattered from the crash and suffer from dream-like reveries that fill in the story.
But it's the story that falls flat here. Our couple has a checkered past they are trying to escape, but the manner in which it is told isn't terribly compelling. The story is deeply personal on many levels, but exploration of the details is limited and the game often seems to fight against connecting with the characters on anything other than surface level. By the end I shrugged my shoulders because I didn't really feel that much for them. Good voice-acting though.
Lethe Episode One
Mar '20 ThemeCompleted
6 hours, 7/10
19 of 19 achievements
Terror and telekinesis
Beaten: 20-Mar-2020
This is horror walking sim in the tradition of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA. It oozes atmosphere. You start out the survivor of a boat wreck of the coast of an island. You start exploring and quickly get caught in the twisting caves, corridors and rooms of a vast underground complex while being stalked as you try to find answers and a way out. You are limited to running and/or hiding when confronted with an enemy.
There's not a lot else here to comment on except for the story. Unfortunately that's where the game falters because the letters and notes found imply human activity levels not supported by the visuals.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
You are not given a lot to start with -- namely that you discover a letter after your father's death indicating you weren't his biological child. This puts you on a boat to the aforementioned island, searching for your true family. Starting at the shore you are confronted with a rotting pier, a single rustic run-down cottage, a few utility buildings and a mine entrance. Being the survivor of a shipwreck you'd think set out trying to find a town to look for help, but of course there are no roads going anywhere. The mine is your only option. So, onward!
From that point you are uncovering clues about what happened to the island residents, who apparently hung out in the mine a lot. Some kind of disease hit. People went mad. A doctor arrived with his team and were researching properties of a substance he found on the island. There's a cult who think something from beyond Earth landed there. But whatever happened either killed everyone or made people kill each other. Based on the number of human remains you see the death toll had to be in the tens of thousands. How all that could have happened without anyone outside the island ever hearing about it is ... well, hard to imagine. And of course weird experiments on living people had to happen in a set up like this, leading to the horrific monsters that stalk your progression.
There's also these "resonator" figurines with faces that emit weird blue energy. And for reasons not explained, at the start of chapter four you gain telekinetic powers that allow you to manipulate objects you can't reach. (Throwing barrels at your pursuers doesn't help.) I can only assume the lack of answers at the end of the game is because of the "Episode One" billing. But since there doesn't seem to be a second installment coming, I'm guessing we aren't going to know the whys and hows.
In the end it's a fun game purely for tension and jump scares. Just go with it and don't make the mistake of trying to figure out what's actually happening.
This is horror walking sim in the tradition of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA. It oozes atmosphere. You start out the survivor of a boat wreck of the coast of an island. You start exploring and quickly get caught in the twisting caves, corridors and rooms of a vast underground complex while being stalked as you try to find answers and a way out. You are limited to running and/or hiding when confronted with an enemy.
There's not a lot else here to comment on except for the story. Unfortunately that's where the game falters because the letters and notes found imply human activity levels not supported by the visuals.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
You are not given a lot to start with -- namely that you discover a letter after your father's death indicating you weren't his biological child. This puts you on a boat to the aforementioned island, searching for your true family. Starting at the shore you are confronted with a rotting pier, a single rustic run-down cottage, a few utility buildings and a mine entrance. Being the survivor of a shipwreck you'd think set out trying to find a town to look for help, but of course there are no roads going anywhere. The mine is your only option. So, onward!
From that point you are uncovering clues about what happened to the island residents, who apparently hung out in the mine a lot. Some kind of disease hit. People went mad. A doctor arrived with his team and were researching properties of a substance he found on the island. There's a cult who think something from beyond Earth landed there. But whatever happened either killed everyone or made people kill each other. Based on the number of human remains you see the death toll had to be in the tens of thousands. How all that could have happened without anyone outside the island ever hearing about it is ... well, hard to imagine. And of course weird experiments on living people had to happen in a set up like this, leading to the horrific monsters that stalk your progression.
There's also these "resonator" figurines with faces that emit weird blue energy. And for reasons not explained, at the start of chapter four you gain telekinetic powers that allow you to manipulate objects you can't reach. (Throwing barrels at your pursuers doesn't help.) I can only assume the lack of answers at the end of the game is because of the "Episode One" billing. But since there doesn't seem to be a second installment coming, I'm guessing we aren't going to know the whys and hows.
In the end it's a fun game purely for tension and jump scares. Just go with it and don't make the mistake of trying to figure out what's actually happening.
Beaten: 27-Mar-2020
A beautiful game that has no dialogue while telling three different stories through the on-screen action and collectibles you pick up. Despite the fact that it looks like it has platformer elements, this really is a third-person walking sim. Directional key commands take care of jumping and climbing for you, so the game is 100% exploration with no possibility of missing a jump or dying by misadventure. The maturity level is great for young children, but older players might get bored with it.
A beautiful game that has no dialogue while telling three different stories through the on-screen action and collectibles you pick up. Despite the fact that it looks like it has platformer elements, this really is a third-person walking sim. Directional key commands take care of jumping and climbing for you, so the game is 100% exploration with no possibility of missing a jump or dying by misadventure. The maturity level is great for young children, but older players might get bored with it.
Beaten: 19-Mar-2020
This is beautiful and short third-person walking sim that is presented as a Japanese pop-up story book. You guide your paper character through various settings in search of cherry blossoms to adorn the barren tree at the start of the game. The navigation leads you to hot spots where the book page can be "flipped" to reveal another beautifully stylized setting to navigate.
With some light puzzle mechanics to keep things interesting, the entire thing can be completed in about an hour. However the puzzles involved a little too much back-tracking. The whole experience came off as a great concept piece that I wished was larger, longer and more complex.
This is beautiful and short third-person walking sim that is presented as a Japanese pop-up story book. You guide your paper character through various settings in search of cherry blossoms to adorn the barren tree at the start of the game. The navigation leads you to hot spots where the book page can be "flipped" to reveal another beautifully stylized setting to navigate.
With some light puzzle mechanics to keep things interesting, the entire thing can be completed in about an hour. However the puzzles involved a little too much back-tracking. The whole experience came off as a great concept piece that I wished was larger, longer and more complex.
Batch 29 finished!
I did a lot of Steam reviews in this larger-than-normal batch, so apologies if it opens a lot of extra windows for those interested in reading.
Stay safe, everyone!
Beaten: 1-Feb-2020
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Kentucky Route Zero
Completed
Extra Playthrough
16.5 hours, 8/10
24 of 24 achievements
Take the road less traveled
Beaten: Acts I-IV -- 9-Apr-2019, Act V -- 2-Feb-2020
The final chapter is out. The game is complete.
Kentucky Route Zero is pure interactive fiction told through it's scenery and text dialogue -- a visual novel in the truest sense.
No mini-games, puzzles or multiple endings, just a point-and-click system to move around, choose dialog, a great minimalist art style, and a story to tell that's a cross between a road trip and a stream-of-consciousness poem. Like most stories, you'll either get it and be drawn in, or it won't appeal to you and you might think it's a waste of time. KRZ is not for everyone. But if the idea of a slow-simmer plot that wanders through backwoods America dotted with magical realism and dreamy overtones of how "normal" people are not so much, you might want to give it a try.
You start the game with Conroy, an older man in a truck trying to deliver antiques to an address he can't find in rural Kentucky. As he tries to gather information about where he needs to go to finish the job, he is pointed in the direction of "the Zero" by an old man at a gas station and a young woman, Weaver Márquez, who may or may not be dead. The Zero is a mysterious road winding through the caves beneath Kentucky. He's eventually joined by new characters that become a loose group of traveling companions. As the narrative focus flows between them, either directly or by filling in the blanks with your own choices, you are treated to some sublime and often strange encounters and mini-tales along the way.
I enjoyed the game. It's a welcome change of pace that doesn't really have an equal among other story-driven video game titles. Most visual novels feature simply animated characters imposed over static background locales. KYZ presents fluid, navigable locales that surprise in how striking they look not just as tableaus but as slow-moving pieces of art.
Some might not call this a game, but that's OK. It's doesn't exactly pretend to be one. It simply asks your permission to experience and hopefully enjoy.
The final chapter is out. The game is complete.
Kentucky Route Zero is pure interactive fiction told through it's scenery and text dialogue -- a visual novel in the truest sense.
No mini-games, puzzles or multiple endings, just a point-and-click system to move around, choose dialog, a great minimalist art style, and a story to tell that's a cross between a road trip and a stream-of-consciousness poem. Like most stories, you'll either get it and be drawn in, or it won't appeal to you and you might think it's a waste of time. KRZ is not for everyone. But if the idea of a slow-simmer plot that wanders through backwoods America dotted with magical realism and dreamy overtones of how "normal" people are not so much, you might want to give it a try.
You start the game with Conroy, an older man in a truck trying to deliver antiques to an address he can't find in rural Kentucky. As he tries to gather information about where he needs to go to finish the job, he is pointed in the direction of "the Zero" by an old man at a gas station and a young woman, Weaver Márquez, who may or may not be dead. The Zero is a mysterious road winding through the caves beneath Kentucky. He's eventually joined by new characters that become a loose group of traveling companions. As the narrative focus flows between them, either directly or by filling in the blanks with your own choices, you are treated to some sublime and often strange encounters and mini-tales along the way.
I enjoyed the game. It's a welcome change of pace that doesn't really have an equal among other story-driven video game titles. Most visual novels feature simply animated characters imposed over static background locales. KYZ presents fluid, navigable locales that surprise in how striking they look not just as tableaus but as slow-moving pieces of art.
Some might not call this a game, but that's OK. It's doesn't exactly pretend to be one. It simply asks your permission to experience and hopefully enjoy.
Beaten: 14-Feb-2020
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Beaten: 27-Feb-2020
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
I also created my first ever guide for getting achievements for a Steam game. Find it here.
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
I also created my first ever guide for getting achievements for a Steam game. Find it here.
LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes
Beaten
Steam Review
17.1 hours, 6/10
31 of 45 achievements
Marvelously boring
Beaten: 16-Feb-2020
Gave it a thumbs down! Click the "Steam Review" link.
Gave it a thumbs down! Click the "Steam Review" link.
Beaten: 24-Feb-2020
This is a strategy board game that riffs on RPG-style combat being reduced to simpler chess-like rules. It works and it's entertaining, but I found the draw wearing off fairly quickly.
During each match you play three boards. The goal is to knock out the enemy pieces marked as captains in a set number of rounds per board. These can be any piece type. Once they are eliminated the next board is set up. On your side you have a variety of 2-4 pieces per board that can attack directly, at a distance, move other pieces around, and allow a single piece to take more than one turn.
As you move up in difficulty level you unlock new pieces with new abilities while confronting new enemies or more difficult boards to win.
This game will appeal to people who enjoy short, strategic challenges. It's an amusing time killer.
This is a strategy board game that riffs on RPG-style combat being reduced to simpler chess-like rules. It works and it's entertaining, but I found the draw wearing off fairly quickly.
During each match you play three boards. The goal is to knock out the enemy pieces marked as captains in a set number of rounds per board. These can be any piece type. Once they are eliminated the next board is set up. On your side you have a variety of 2-4 pieces per board that can attack directly, at a distance, move other pieces around, and allow a single piece to take more than one turn.
As you move up in difficulty level you unlock new pieces with new abilities while confronting new enemies or more difficult boards to win.
This game will appeal to people who enjoy short, strategic challenges. It's an amusing time killer.
Night in the Woods
Mar '20 ThemeBeaten
Steam Review
13.6 hours, 9/10
25 of 31 achievements
Girl meets adulthood
Beaten: 8-Mar-2020
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Click the "Steam Review" link above!
Plague Inc: Evolved
Won on SteamGiftsBeaten
26 hours, 8/10
60 of 211 achievements
You are the pandemic
Beaten: 4-Jan-2020
I picked up Plague Inc shortly after Thanksgiving and played it mostly in the gap leading up to Christmas. Then in mid-January the COVID-19 outbreak happened in China. It was a bit chilling reflecting on the game's model for enabling the spread of a world-wide pandemic while seeing coronavirus news popping up. I gotta hand it to the game maker's... they did their homework.
Plague Inc is a game where you attempt to wipe out humanity with a pathogen. After choosing your basic type (virus, bacteria, bioweapon, etc.) and some unlockable starting traits, you pick a starting country on the map of the world then commence with a mini-game of collecting points that can be used to develop new mutations that allow the infection to spread and cause harm. Once the organism is discovered and develops enough bad effects, the game shifts to a race between civilization finding a cure and the disease spreading dependably and lethally enough to take down the world before it can be stopped.
It's fun, if a bid morbid. The actual controls are easy to master. It's the winning that takes learned patience and proper timing. It has a lot of educational value even though -- as its makers strongly emphasize in the midst of the current pandemic -- it can't actually model the transmission of real-world pathogens. Tell that to the idiots who've fallen for screenshots of the game thinking they were seeing projection maps of the spread of COVID-19. :/
The game also has lighter scenarios where you get to spread the zombie apocalypse, a vampire plague, and the rise of intelligent primates. Other scenarios abound. The developer has added more and more content to the game over the years. Kudos to them.
I do take issue with the achievements on this game: there are way too many that are almost impossible to get without studying a guide. The structure goes something like this: set up the possibility of getting the achievement by using the right combination of two to four variables you pick when starting your game. Then the conditions for the achievement might come up if the game progresses exactly as described -- which is either down to luck or extreme micro-management of game progression. The only way you could get all of them would be sinking hundreds of hours into the game, often playing the exact scenario multiple times to get it just right. At best, this means a huge swath of achievements are really meant to be random surprises involving no skill at all. At worst it's a time-wasting trap that preys on people who have serious OCD.
Definitely worth playing. Be prepared to fail at destroying the world quite a bit, because humans are really kinda smart and pathogens are only opportunistic.
And one last note... screw you, Greenland!
I picked up Plague Inc shortly after Thanksgiving and played it mostly in the gap leading up to Christmas. Then in mid-January the COVID-19 outbreak happened in China. It was a bit chilling reflecting on the game's model for enabling the spread of a world-wide pandemic while seeing coronavirus news popping up. I gotta hand it to the game maker's... they did their homework.
Plague Inc is a game where you attempt to wipe out humanity with a pathogen. After choosing your basic type (virus, bacteria, bioweapon, etc.) and some unlockable starting traits, you pick a starting country on the map of the world then commence with a mini-game of collecting points that can be used to develop new mutations that allow the infection to spread and cause harm. Once the organism is discovered and develops enough bad effects, the game shifts to a race between civilization finding a cure and the disease spreading dependably and lethally enough to take down the world before it can be stopped.
It's fun, if a bid morbid. The actual controls are easy to master. It's the winning that takes learned patience and proper timing. It has a lot of educational value even though -- as its makers strongly emphasize in the midst of the current pandemic -- it can't actually model the transmission of real-world pathogens. Tell that to the idiots who've fallen for screenshots of the game thinking they were seeing projection maps of the spread of COVID-19. :/
The game also has lighter scenarios where you get to spread the zombie apocalypse, a vampire plague, and the rise of intelligent primates. Other scenarios abound. The developer has added more and more content to the game over the years. Kudos to them.
I do take issue with the achievements on this game: there are way too many that are almost impossible to get without studying a guide. The structure goes something like this: set up the possibility of getting the achievement by using the right combination of two to four variables you pick when starting your game. Then the conditions for the achievement might come up if the game progresses exactly as described -- which is either down to luck or extreme micro-management of game progression. The only way you could get all of them would be sinking hundreds of hours into the game, often playing the exact scenario multiple times to get it just right. At best, this means a huge swath of achievements are really meant to be random surprises involving no skill at all. At worst it's a time-wasting trap that preys on people who have serious OCD.
Definitely worth playing. Be prepared to fail at destroying the world quite a bit, because humans are really kinda smart and pathogens are only opportunistic.
And one last note... screw you, Greenland!
Beaten: 18-Jan-2020
Once again you must master solving a sequence of puzzles involving different rooms that have complex mechanical devices and hidden surprises. It's all done with an incredible eye for detail and design like its two predecessors, and the game helpfully provides hints to point you in the right direction if you feel lost.
Picking up where The Room Two left off, this game is surprisingly short on advancing the established plot, alluding to sinister powers and creatures vaguely resembling the Cthulu mythos but never quite offering enough to give the player a coherent picture of what is going on. Of course it is an excuse for the puzzle elements, which are really what the game is all about, so whether or not you get a satisfying story is beside the point.
Another minor criticism, however, is this game felt like I needed more hand-holding than before. This time many of the puzzles pieces and interaction points are scattered across multiple rooms, making it more difficult to make connections to something you find or do in one place that allows you to proceed somewhere else. Maybe a part of it is getting older or just being more impatient these days, but I never once needed the hints to make it through the first game and the second I only remember relying on them from time-to-time. In this game there were a few occasions where even with the hints and playing with everything I could manipulate I was stumped. I hate having to go to a guide for that kind of thing, but there it is.
Fun game though. Just not quite as good as the first two.
Once again you must master solving a sequence of puzzles involving different rooms that have complex mechanical devices and hidden surprises. It's all done with an incredible eye for detail and design like its two predecessors, and the game helpfully provides hints to point you in the right direction if you feel lost.
Picking up where The Room Two left off, this game is surprisingly short on advancing the established plot, alluding to sinister powers and creatures vaguely resembling the Cthulu mythos but never quite offering enough to give the player a coherent picture of what is going on. Of course it is an excuse for the puzzle elements, which are really what the game is all about, so whether or not you get a satisfying story is beside the point.
Another minor criticism, however, is this game felt like I needed more hand-holding than before. This time many of the puzzles pieces and interaction points are scattered across multiple rooms, making it more difficult to make connections to something you find or do in one place that allows you to proceed somewhere else. Maybe a part of it is getting older or just being more impatient these days, but I never once needed the hints to make it through the first game and the second I only remember relying on them from time-to-time. In this game there were a few occasions where even with the hints and playing with everything I could manipulate I was stumped. I hate having to go to a guide for that kind of thing, but there it is.
Fun game though. Just not quite as good as the first two.
Beaten: 4-Mar-2020
Welcome to the space station, Tacoma. As an investigator tasked with figuring out what happened to the crew, you make your way from section to section examining the augmented reality recordings, electronic and personal correspondence and other miscellaneous evidence to fill in the blanks. This game is a walking simulator that tells a short story, so any discussion of the plot can quickly veer into giving away tidbits of information that's much more satisfying to discover during play.
On the technical side, Tacoma is a definite step up for the makers of Gone Home. The same exploration technique is featured but on a larger scale with more interactivity. The AR parts are particularly good as you can play, rewind and fast-forward them at will to follow some crew members then cut over and pick up other crew members who are having conversations in adjacent rooms at the same time. Everything about the controls for this is solid and quickly becomes mastered so that it's only you and the story. Nothing fiddly to interrupt the immersion.
The story, however, feels under-developed. It's got all the necessary elements for a compelling narrative with lots of great character details and some interesting background about what the year 2088 is like. But the final product is somewhat bland, delivering curiously few emotional highs or lows given the circumstances. If you are a fan of this genre it doesn't come anywhere near What Remains of Edith Finch, which set the emotional and exploratory high bar for this kind of story-telling.
At around 3 hours playtime, the game thankfully doesn't overstay its welcome. Worth a play-through if you are looking for a chill distraction for a few hours, but I'd advise getting it on sale.
Welcome to the space station, Tacoma. As an investigator tasked with figuring out what happened to the crew, you make your way from section to section examining the augmented reality recordings, electronic and personal correspondence and other miscellaneous evidence to fill in the blanks. This game is a walking simulator that tells a short story, so any discussion of the plot can quickly veer into giving away tidbits of information that's much more satisfying to discover during play.
On the technical side, Tacoma is a definite step up for the makers of Gone Home. The same exploration technique is featured but on a larger scale with more interactivity. The AR parts are particularly good as you can play, rewind and fast-forward them at will to follow some crew members then cut over and pick up other crew members who are having conversations in adjacent rooms at the same time. Everything about the controls for this is solid and quickly becomes mastered so that it's only you and the story. Nothing fiddly to interrupt the immersion.
The story, however, feels under-developed. It's got all the necessary elements for a compelling narrative with lots of great character details and some interesting background about what the year 2088 is like. But the final product is somewhat bland, delivering curiously few emotional highs or lows given the circumstances. If you are a fan of this genre it doesn't come anywhere near What Remains of Edith Finch, which set the emotional and exploratory high bar for this kind of story-telling.
At around 3 hours playtime, the game thankfully doesn't overstay its welcome. Worth a play-through if you are looking for a chill distraction for a few hours, but I'd advise getting it on sale.
This War of Mine
Beaten
Extra Playthrough
72 hours, 8.5/10
40 of 55 achievements
The anti-"Call of Duty"
Beaten: 4-Jan-2020
I returned to this game after first playing it almost four years ago when only the base content was available. Since then they have added children to the game and a mode called "stories" that tweak the play with unique plots and characters. Apart from that the game is as devastating as I remember it. You don't play this game to be happy. It's mainly about avoiding the worst possible outcomes in an already desperate situation.
The game is inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. You control a group of survivors trying to get through each day in the shell of an abandoned building in the besieged city of Porogen. During the day you manage your shelter and individual needs. At night (the only safe time to travel around the city) one of your group goes out scavenging for materials in dangerous locations while the others sleep and keep watch. In my only play-through four years ago my last survivor, Katia, died a mere two days before the end of the war. It was quite depressing.
This time around I was able to guide my group of three adults successfully through to the end. Another play-through that included a father and his daughter only had one casualty, another man who had joined them in the first week. I also played through two of the stories including another father-daughter scenario and one where you play the wife of the city's only radio operator, a disabled elderly man who can't fend for himself but is dedicated to getting life-saving information out to those trapped in the city. You help gather info for his broadcasts during your nightly forays. Each of these games were intense in their own right. I didn't play the final story which seems to center around your people trying to preserve a collection of historical and cultural artifacts from being destroyed and thus moving their base to different locales when needed.
This is a brilliant game even though it's mechanics are not difficult and the cycle of day-night activity is repetitive. The setting highlights how video games can be used to tell all kinds of stories -- even the ones that we should think about but typically avoid because they are unsettling. The night-time maps are the game's main point of diversity. I don't think I saw all of them. And some vary randomly being occupied by either good or bad people. Overall the game is challenging, because even if you avoid conflict there's the ever-present threats of illness, cold weather, lack of critical supplies and depression that will affect your group members and what you must do to help them.
Big thumbs up. And if you want to go an extra step for a good cause, purchasing the War Child Charity DLC goes to helping children from conflict zones. Highly recommended.
I returned to this game after first playing it almost four years ago when only the base content was available. Since then they have added children to the game and a mode called "stories" that tweak the play with unique plots and characters. Apart from that the game is as devastating as I remember it. You don't play this game to be happy. It's mainly about avoiding the worst possible outcomes in an already desperate situation.
The game is inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. You control a group of survivors trying to get through each day in the shell of an abandoned building in the besieged city of Porogen. During the day you manage your shelter and individual needs. At night (the only safe time to travel around the city) one of your group goes out scavenging for materials in dangerous locations while the others sleep and keep watch. In my only play-through four years ago my last survivor, Katia, died a mere two days before the end of the war. It was quite depressing.
This time around I was able to guide my group of three adults successfully through to the end. Another play-through that included a father and his daughter only had one casualty, another man who had joined them in the first week. I also played through two of the stories including another father-daughter scenario and one where you play the wife of the city's only radio operator, a disabled elderly man who can't fend for himself but is dedicated to getting life-saving information out to those trapped in the city. You help gather info for his broadcasts during your nightly forays. Each of these games were intense in their own right. I didn't play the final story which seems to center around your people trying to preserve a collection of historical and cultural artifacts from being destroyed and thus moving their base to different locales when needed.
This is a brilliant game even though it's mechanics are not difficult and the cycle of day-night activity is repetitive. The setting highlights how video games can be used to tell all kinds of stories -- even the ones that we should think about but typically avoid because they are unsettling. The night-time maps are the game's main point of diversity. I don't think I saw all of them. And some vary randomly being occupied by either good or bad people. Overall the game is challenging, because even if you avoid conflict there's the ever-present threats of illness, cold weather, lack of critical supplies and depression that will affect your group members and what you must do to help them.
Big thumbs up. And if you want to go an extra step for a good cause, purchasing the War Child Charity DLC goes to helping children from conflict zones. Highly recommended.
Beaten: 9-Jan-2020
If you loved the original Trine this is more of the same side-scrolling fantasy goodness. Once again you are in control of Zoya, Amadeus and Pontius as they are thrust into a new quest, traveling to the castle of a forgotten pair of princesses while goblins harass them along the way. I played this solo and had a great time. The sequel features most of the same powers as the original and some new ones. It's a cute, light-hearted romp of a game with gorgeous set pieces. The story is nothing special but is a serviceable back-drop to the action.
The game also comes with the Goblin Menace DLC included, but I was eager to move on to other games. May come back and complete it another time.
If you loved the original Trine this is more of the same side-scrolling fantasy goodness. Once again you are in control of Zoya, Amadeus and Pontius as they are thrust into a new quest, traveling to the castle of a forgotten pair of princesses while goblins harass them along the way. I played this solo and had a great time. The sequel features most of the same powers as the original and some new ones. It's a cute, light-hearted romp of a game with gorgeous set pieces. The story is nothing special but is a serviceable back-drop to the action.
The game also comes with the Goblin Menace DLC included, but I was eager to move on to other games. May come back and complete it another time.
Statistics
| 521 | games |
| 10% | never played |
| 1% | unfinished |
| 31% | beaten |
| 19% | completed |
| 40% | won't play |
Lists
- Batch 23 5
- Batch 24 6
- Batch 25 10
- Batch 26 7
- Batch 27 1
- Batch 28 4
- Batch 29 12
- Batch 30 5
- Batch 31 6
- Batch 32 4
- Batch 33 3
- Batch 34 3
- Batch 35 6
- Batch 36 3
- Batch 37 4
- Batch 38 4
- Batch 39 5
- Batch 40 5
- Batch 40+ 4
- 🏆 Won on SteamGifts 104
- 🎁 Gifts 12
- 🏅 SG Wins Played 53
- 🌟 Theme/Challenge Played 36
- ♻️ Extra Playthrough 21
- ❌ Abandoned 33
- 🕹️ More Playable Content 4
- 🥽 SteamVR 31
- ➕ Multi-player 44
- 🔄 No End 19