Gotta Play' Em All! Lengray’s profile

My backlog-killing strategy

Stay away from games deals websites. Play new games right away. Start on easy difficulty if available.
Ignore achievements on the first playthrough. Drop a game if playing it has become a chore.

Tag Challenge #1

Spring 2024

Temporary post

Jusant

6 hours
Action-Adventure Game Pass Beaten

Much more than a climbing game, Jusant feels like a long poem. It's being alone (well, almost), pushing through, piecing information together and weighing the meaning of everything you see. An ode to companionship and resilience.

Cat Quest II

? hours
Action-Adventure Steam In-progress

REVIEW

Highway Blossoms

? hours
Visual Novel Steam In-progress

REVIEW

Long Gone Days

? hours
itch.io Steam In-progress

REVIEW

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

? hours
Platformer Switch In-progress

REVIEW

Fire Emblem Awakening

? hours
Tactical RPG 3DS In-progress

REVIEW

Tyranny

? hours
RPG Steam Tag Challenge #1 Not started

REVIEW

Sea of Stars

? hours
RPG Game Pass Not started

REVIEW

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

? hours
Action RPG Steam Not Started

REVIEW

GRID Autosport

? hours
Racing Steam In-progress

REVIEW

Winter 2024

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

≥ 25 hours
Action-Adventure Switch Beaten

While very different from the main Bayonetta series, this prequel is a charming experience. The storybook-like tale is very well written, combat requires both strategy and skill and the colorful intricate game world is a pleasure to explore.

Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition

26 hours
RPG Steam Tag Challenge #1 Beaten

This game is superb in every way. The story was interesting all the way through and the ending quite unexpected. I think the devs stretched the RPG Maker engine to its limits with this title!

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

8 hours
Adventure Steam Beaten

A dark, dark tale. You probably have already heard about the stunning visuals but the audio work is also second to none. The combat mechanics are pretty good but fighting the same enemies ended up being tedious.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood

12 hours
Action Steam Beaten

A very enjoyable title reminiscent of those late 2000s games like Prototype. Very straightforward, it's a combination of stealth and all-out combat which both require thinking and precise execution. I wanted action and this game delivered.

Bound By Flame

16 hours
Action-RPG Steam Beaten

Despite the high difficulty even on easy, I had an nice time with this underrated game. Combat and gear offer many options, the story is pretty entertaining (but short) and the dialogues have some great one-liners.

Venba

2 hours
Cooking Steam Beaten

A short but uplifting game. The central theme being the delicate balance between cultural preservation and integration, it's quite sad at times but the delicious cooking sections will leave you with a smile and an appetite!

Twin Mirror

6 hours
Adventure Steam Beaten

Meh all over. I didn't like the main character, the pacing is off and the story is mostly boring. I absolutely loved Life Is Strange (by the same devs) and maybe making this game episodic would have worked out better.

King's Heir: Rise to the Throne

3 hours
Hidden object Steam Beaten

Pretty much a run-of-the-mill HOG, average on all levels. The story and the graphics are alright for this type of game and the puzzles are very simple. Sticking two broken pieces together with honey though ...

2023 Wrap-up

First, I wish you all a happy new year. I hope you get to play great games and make a nice big long slash into your backlog.
Here are the five games I loved the most in 2023.

Minecraft Dungeons gets gold. I didn't expect much from this game to begin with but it quickly became very addictive.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter on DS gets silver. I really really like Layton games and can't wait to play the 3DS ones.
Coffee Talk Episode 2 gets bronze. Just as cosy and warm as the first game, it's always hard to make good sequels.
Lacuna and Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion get honorable mentions. While very different, there's something about them I won't forget.

2024 Objectives
I didn't set any objectives for 2023 so it was a pretty laidback year. Regarding my backlog, I didn't add that many games until the end-of-year bundles.
In 2024, I'm going to play what I already have and what piques my interested from Humble Choice and Game Pass. I'll try not to add anything else to my library.
I also intend to finish the Tag Challenge I started almost 3 years ago. Wish me luck!

Fall 2023

Minecraft Dungeons

≥ 25 hours
Dungeon Crawler Switch Beaten

A really neat diablo-like set in the Minecraft universe. The loot system is very simple and it's really all about gear characteristics and upgrades. The levels are very extensive and replaying them for better loot is a pleasure.

Riders Republic

52 hours
Sports Ubisoft Connect Beaten

Presented as a successor to Steep, they are very different games. RR is really about pulling off crazy stunts on an absolutely massive map while Steep is a lot more focused. If you only care about skiing/snowboarding, Steep is much better.

Samurai Shodown

18 hours
2D Fighting Steam Beaten

I already had the game on Switch but decided to get it again for the cheaper DLCs. The characters are varied, hit hard and the combos are pretty easy to pull off. It's a nice reboot of the franchise.

Lacuna

7 hours
Detective Steam Beaten

As you may already know, I'm a sucker for pixel-art games. I really enjoyed this one but not just for the pleasing visuals. For a change, I had to really pay attention to the info I was given and think.

Monster Prom

16 hours
Dating-sim Steam Beaten

To be honest, I'm not into the dating-sim genre at all but I was really surprised how wacky and fun this game is. The dialogues are nothing short of outstanding and doing a run every few days kept the experience fresh.

Star Wars Republic Commando

10 hours
FPS Steam Beaten

While the visuals haven't aged very well, the gameplay definitely makes for them. The tactical combat was phenomenal for the time. However, be aware that this game needs a patch for work right on modern systems.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

10 hours
Rhythm 3DS Beaten

This first entry on the 3DS is really nice. The "story" is just a pretext but three types of levels were different enough to maintain my interest. The hardest difficulty was completely of out my league though.

Starfield

169 hours
RPG Steam Beaten

Probably the disappointment of the year. It took me a while to see how shallow it is. The main quest is quite bland, most of the side ones too and so many things are awkardly implemented. Not sure patches will fix it.

Chocobo GP

14 hours
Racing Switch Beaten

SquareEnix tried to compete with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ... and failed. While this game isn't bad at all, the handling is just not as pleasant and winning relies way too much on luck.

Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?

3 hours
FMV Steam Beaten

I usually enjoy the games published by Wales Interactive but this one not so much. The main problem is that you're in charge of an investigation but to get the right clues, you must make lucky gesses over several runs.

Summer 2023

Professor Layton and the Last Specter

37 hours
Puzzle-Adventure DS Beaten

A great entry to wrap up the series of DS. The games doesn't stray much from its predecessors and the puzzles are still fantastic. The story is quite far-fetched though.

Chained Echoes

52 hours
RPG Game Pass Beaten

A very good RPG that tries a little too hard to be a reference. The visuals are really neat and the story is very entertaining but the combat is too punishing on defaults settings and gear management is overly complex.

Dordogne

5 hours
Adventure Game Pass Beaten

Colorful and heart-wrenching, it captures pretty well the slow-paced nature of the French countryside. Set near my home region, it was a little special to play.

Ghost Files 2: Memory of a Crime

6 hours
Hidden Object Steam Beaten

This one is better than most HOGs. The story holds up quite well and the puzzles are straighforward. The thumbnail picture has nothing to do with the game though.

Planet of Lana

5 hours
Action Game Pass Beaten

Maybe I'm not the right audience for this game but I found it tedious to play through. The puzzles are fine, I guess, but I just couldn't connect with the characters. Too much is left to interpretation.

Spring 2023

Ring Fit Adventure

≥ 65 hours
Sports Switch Beaten

A game that got me moving and sweating. With the funny story and the various activities, this game managed to get my attention and I stuck to it for many months. I guess playing it has now become my workout routine.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

54 hours
Action-Adventure Wii Beaten

Another Zelda game off my list! Playing with the nunchuck took a while to get used to but it makes the gameplay a little more immersive. I didn't get stuck much and the difficulty was just right.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly

12 hours
Conversation Game Pass Beaten

Just as cosy as the first game in the series, it manages to renew what made the original so interesting and cosy. If you liked CT1, you're going to love this one too.

Chorus

24 hours
Action Game Pass Beaten

Surprisingly lengthy, Chorus scratched that Descent itch. Piloting is very smooth, the visuals are nice and the story, while not gripping, keeps being interesting until the end.

Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion

11 hours
Adventure Steam Completed

Definitely a hidden gem, it ticks all the boxes a good Adventure Time game should have: colorful visuals, simple yet interesting gameplay and a low difficulty. Completing it was a pleasure.

The Legend of Tianding

8 hours
Side Scroller Game Pass Beaten

A game I picked pretty much at random, it was a neat game all the way through. The difficulty was just right and completing the side quests didn't feel like a chore.

Bayonetta

8 hours
Action Steam Beaten

I had this game in my library for a long time and, though the levels are quite linear, it didn't disappoint. I now get the cult following Bayonetta gets. Probably the most badass female character in the history of video games.

Exo One

3 hours
Exploration Game Pass Beaten

I never guessed a game with the game play as simple as this one could be that interesting. The space visuals are absolutely stunning and I really enjoyed how cryptic the whole experience is.

Somerville

5 hours
Adventure Game Pass Beaten

I didn't like this one much. The opening is really nice and quite scary I must admit but then the gameplay never evolves significantly. And the end was bad.

Umurangi Generation

4 hours
Photography Steam Beaten

This game tries something new by making the gameplay revolve around taking pictures. However, the performance is really bad and movement is too imprecise for my taste.

Winter 2022

Wintermoor Tactics Club

17 hours
Tactical RPG Steam Beaten

A neat tactical RPG with a steamlined gameplay. The characters are very funny and the story serves the gameplay very well. I didn't find the game particularly difficult but the end was a tight victory.

The Complex

2 hours
FMV Steam Beaten

Not as nice as Night Shift, it still manages to tell a nice story. I've only played it once so I can't tell if the choices matter than much but it still was time well spent.

Adventure of a Lifetime

6 hours
Visual Novel Steam Completed

I really don't know why I enjoy VNs that much. I guess it's the slow pace and the anime style. Anyway, this one is a good one. It's very emotional but mostly caters for teens and young adults.

Five Dates

4 hours
FMV Steam Beaten

Another FMV for this month (though I played this one first). Taking place during the COVID-19 lockdown, it was a nice experiment. Since I'm married, I haven't dated in forever but it was still nice to pretend.

Endless Fables 4: Shadow Within

4 hours
Hidden Object Steam Completed

Last entry in the series, I felt it was better than the previous ones. It's a very straightforware HOG and the story will keep you entertained for a while. Easy to complete.

Gear.Club Unlimited

30 hours
Racing Steam Beaten

Not a particularly good racing game, it still kept me going until I had got first place on every race. I follows the mobile game model and the performance is questionble but I don't regret spending 30 hours on it.

Apotheon

5 hours
Action Steam Dropped

I really hate dropping a game because even if a section is bad, it may get better. With Apotheon, I just couldn't. Combat is very imprecise and while the ancient Greece art is very nice, it just isn't enough.

Fall 2022

First, I wish you all the best for 2023 when it comes and hope you'll get the upper hand over your backlog!
This fall, my gaming time was spread over a lot of games but I still managed to beat quite a few. To keep things simple, I'm not going to publish any stats for 2022 as they are dreadful (but not nearly as bad as 2021's) and I'm not going set any precise objectives for 2023 either. I'll just try to focus on the stuff I already own.

Potion Permit

38 hours
Steam Completed
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen

52 hours
Steam Beaten 85%
Kirby Star Allies

≥ 10 hours
Switch Beaten
Sumire

7 hours
Steam Beaten 79% Review
Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness

18 hours
Steam Beaten 52%
Samurai Shodown

≥ 10 hours
Switch Beaten
Dry Drowning

10 hours
itch.io Beaten
F-Zero: GP Legend

10 hours
Game Boy Advance Beaten
Super Mario Land

1 hour
Game Boy Completed
Arietta of Spirits

5 hours
Steam Beaten 93%
Airoheart

28 hours
Steam Beaten 80%
Song of Iron

2 hours
Steam Dropped Review

September 2022

Not much to report this month except that the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater remake is excellent and just as fun as the originals. About two years ago, I backed Airoheart, which was released yesterday, and I'm really excited to play it this month.

  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2

    Switch

    25+ hours

  • STAR WARS™: The Force Unleashed™ Ultimate Sith Edition

    Steam

    9 hours

  • The Journey Down: Chapter Three

    Steam

    4 hours

August 2022

True to my decision of cutting my gaming time to enjoy other activities, I don't have much to show for August. However, the game I played is the first (of two) I backed on Kickstarter and despite some slight narrative and translation issues, it was pretty good. See ya in a month!

  • One Last Crane

    Steam

    14 hours

Statistics