Games You've Beat in 2016

[TheMightyEthan]

Too bad the other two didn't have full cutscenes, I probably would have had a better time.

 

I came here because I just finished Mad Max.  It definitely feels like a game in the Arkham/Shadow of Mordor lineage, and honestly I may have even liked it more than Shadow of Mordor.  It obviously doesn't get as many points for the universe as SoM does, but the game world felt much more like a real place than SoM.  I don't mean that in the sense that it was more realistic, because obviously the LotR is fantasy and inherently less realistic in that way, but more in the sense of scale.  SoM had that thing that some open world games have where the world seems packed together, like the theme park version, but in this game everything was big and open and seemed like an actual huge area.  Obviously some of that's down to the cars, so they can spread things apart without it taking forever to get anywhere, but it really helped the world seem more real.  The only other game I can think of that pulled off the sense of scale as well was Assassin's Creed: Black Flag.  Red Dead Redemption is close, but even in that game things felt too close together for how far apart they're supposed to be in the world.

 

It also didn't create quite as bad a feeling of busywork.  There was some, but not nearly as bad as other open world games I've played.  Other than the minefields, which I resorted to looking up the locations of, all the objectives in the world are big and obvious and easy to find just going about your business, and most types only take a few seconds to deal with so it's easy to hit them while you're driving past for some other objective.  The camps and convoys are the only ones that really take much time (and the minefields, those are really the only side objectives that bothered me), and there's not so many of them that they get tedious.

 

Overall I thought it was really good, and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for something in that vein.

 

*Edit - I just read a piece about how the game is actively anti-fun (which surprised me which is why I clicked on it) and it was written based on the first couple of hours (early enough that the reviewer still could have gotten a Steam refund).  It was 41 game hours ago so I'd forgotten but yeah, the first hour or so is oddly paced and I can understand why someone wouldn't want to keep playing at that point.  I'm glad I did though, because it get so so much better.

 

Also, the reviewer seems to have just wanted a completely different type of game, which I think is kind of on them.  They wanted another Just Cause.  One of their complaints was that after clearing an enemy camp it killed them to just jump off they side, instead they had to go down the stairs.

Edited July 6, 2016 by TheMightyEthan

[Mister Jack]

I bought and just beat the story mode for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven.  Obviously, this is a fanservice game that only manga readers can fully appreciate, but for a fanservice game the story was surprisingly well thought out.  It helps that it was written by the series creator, I'm sure, but unlike most anime based games the plot here isn't just some lame excuse to get the characters together like it was in Jump Stars.  It actually makes sense within the rules of the series.  Depending on how you look at it, you might even consider it canon, though that may be a stretch.  Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised.  I'd like to go for the platinum trophy now, but half the trophies are hidden and nobody has translated the full list yet.

[toxicitizen]

The Room.

 

Really neat little puzzle game. It's very short but who cares at that price. The second one just came out on Steam and I'm really tempted to grab it right away. Especially since the flavor text (can't really call it a story since it's so minimal) was actually pretty intriguing.

[TheMightyEthan]

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak.

 

I liked it.  I enjoyed each moment of it as I was playing, but the game as a whole felt too shallow.  I don't just mean in the gameplay, although it did devolve into just building a large fleet and throwing it (or slowly inching it) at the enemy.  It had a neat rock paper scissors mechanic that I felt worked better than most strategy games, but ultimately that meant I just built a large diverse fleet instead of a ton of one unit.  The arc of the campaign also felt hollow it didn't feel like it really built the tension in any way, it was just a series of loosely connected missions without one being any more or less demanding than the next.

 

There were a few points throughout the game though where I felt like it really called for an actual strategy rather than just rolling your fleet through or exploiting the AI, and those points were amazing.  They also did a good job of keeping the missions varied, both with map layouts and objectives.

 

Solid 4/5

[TheMightyEthan]

Tropico 5 (campaign)

 

It was really more like a standalone expansion for Tropico 4 than a full sequel, but I knew that when I got it so it didn't bother me.  It was good, I really only have two complaints and they're both structural regarding the campaign and not anything about the actual gameplay loop.  The first is that the campaign has persistence from one mission to the next, but in this one it keeps making you switch back and forth between two islands, so I'd spend a mission getting one island all upgraded and running nice and then I'd have to switch to the other island which was an era behind, not as strong an economy, etc, so that was a little frustrating, but I got used to it.

 

Throughout the campaign you're advancing through eras (from colonial times to modern day), and my other complaint is that halfway through the campaign it sends you back to colonial times and gives you two new islands to start over with from scratch.  It really kills the flow and since of progression (though it does let them do a neat thing with the story, which I never thought I'd say about Tropico).

 

All in all it's a good game, solid follow-up to 4.

 

*Edit - Something I want to add about Deserts of Kharak that I forgot to mention is that while mechanically it was good-not-great, they completely nailed the aesthetic.  It feels Homeworld to the core.  I also super dig how they treat the desert like an ocean, it's really cool.

Edited July 10, 2016 by TheMightyEthan

[MetalCaveman]

Dark Souls Artorias of the Abyss.

 

Stone Greatshield OP.

 

 

Artorias: None of his attacks can break your guard (40 endurance mind ), and because of this, it's easy to stay close to him and interrupt his powerup stuff.

 

Manus: Again, stay close, all it can do is close range melee attacks which the SGS jut laughs at, if you have the silver pendant, his dark attacks can be blocked and that helps a ton.

 

Kalameet: OK, this one was tougher but still, SGS can even withstand its dark/fire breath thing, got killed once because I kept trying to get the tail weapon, did end up requiring help for that one mostly because of how it keeps flying/jumping/running/being annoying.

 

On another note, seeing Sif again, learning what went on with Artorias and actually being able to summon Sif for the fight against Manus was a thing, right in the feels!

 

Apparently there's a special scene if you complete this DLC before fighting Sif so I'll try to get hat on NG+.

 

 

Online is fairly active considering it's the PS3 version, and most of the invaders I ran into were friendly invaders, got a ton of upgrade materials including several titanite slabs! \m/ \m/

[toxicitizen]

Inside.

 

I liked Limbo and the trailers for this looked pretty cool, so naturally it was on my radar. Unfortunately, it came out at a time when I was busy with other stuff and simply couldn't justify the impulse purchase. Fast forward to last night, I notice a friend of mine is playing it on Steam. A few hours later, I receive a gift copy and my friend's all "Holy shit! Holy shit! You gotta play this!" This fucking game kept me up until like 4h30AM to finish it and then until 6AM to get the secret ending. I woke up at 4PM because of this fucking game.

 

For the most part, it plays exactly like Limbo. You play a little boy going through a weird and sometimes creepy world doing simple puzzle platforming. Limbo's greatest strength was it's incredible atmosphere and Inside somehow manages to blow it out of the water in that regard. The puzzles are a little easier but it also does a few more unique and interesting things, which balances it out very well. Then there's the last section of the game. I haven't talked to my friend since shortly after starting the game but I have to assume his "Holy shit! Holy shit!" was in reference to that. It's fucking crazy and amazing and one of the weirdest and most creative thing I've ever seen in a puzzle platformer. That section alone makes it worth playing the game. It's just that fucking good.

[Hot Heart]

The Witcher 3.

 

I actually made myself sit down and finish it without getting sidetracked. Fantastic game and a great ending.

 

 

For me, Ciri survived and I lied to Emyhr about it. She has taken up witchering with a sword I got for her. Because I killed Radovid and Dijkstra (idiot), Nilfgard took over the Northern Kingdoms but he left the sorceresses alone and Temeria got its own kingdom again. My helping Cerys win the throne in Skellige has made it more peaceful and prosperous. Meanwhile, I retired to Kovir with Triss.

 

 

Will have to get the expansions at some point but I think I'm going to explore the main game a bit more because I'm still finding cool little quests here and there. Plus, my friend tells me one of the expansion involves spending 30k straight away and I don't have that kinda dough.

[deanb]

I'm only on the Heart of Stone atm so can't speak for the other (where I imagine given you're meant to be 34+ you should have a decent chunk of gold), and I can't think of any thing like that apart from the start up costs for the Runewright and that's in stages so no singular lump sum and certainly not required, just a nice tweak to how the glyphs n runes work.

[TheMightyEthan]

Inside.

 

[Raving]

Alright fuck it, after I finish Homeworld Remastered I'm getting Inside.

[Hot Heart]

(where I imagine given you're meant to be 34+ you should have a decent chunk of gold)

 

I'm level 35 and don't have a decent chunk... I mean, I could have around 17k but I spent loads converting a bunch of runes since I never actually need much money.

 

I'm not too worried though because I think maybe my friend meant the second DLC and I'll probably still make a load from selling more and more stuff I find while exploring.

[toxicitizen]

Alright fuck it, after I finish Homeworld Remastered I'm getting Inside.

 

If you liked Limbo, it's really a no-brainer. It's the same core game but improved in every imaginable way.

 

------------

 

Titan Souls.

 

I recently realized that I bought a few indies over the past 6 months or so and haven't really played any of them, whether due to lack of time or just because I bought them when I was already busy with other games. Decided to do Titan Souls first, mostly because I had actually been looking forward to it since way before release. 

 

It's kinda like if Shadow of the Colossus and Dark Souls had a retro baby. It's pretty great! You only have one arrow to shoot (if you miss you gotta pick it back up) but all the bosses die in one hit, so figuring out how to open them up becomes a bit of a puzzle. I ended up playing through the entire thing in one sitting, which took about 4 hours to beat the game and then another 2 to get what they're calling the "Truth Ending". That second one was some serious End of Evangelion shit. Like, wut.

 

Overall, it was pretty much as good as I hoped it would be. This is one of those "Why the hell did I wait so long to play this?!" kinda game. Hell, I'm pretty sure I got it from a Humble Bundle and now I kinda regret not buying it day one. I'd really love to keep at it and go for all the achievements, especially since the game encourages replays by unlocking a bunch of different modes when you beat it, but holy shit some of them look fucking impossible. Like, beating the game in 20 mins. There's also one for doing it in one-life mode. I mean, come the fuck on, I died like 500 times...

 

Also, since I remembered seeing this not long ago:

 

I wanted to like Titan Souls so bad, but from playing the demo I just couldn't stand how far back it set you after you died, it was tedious.  If you make a game that's going to kill you that often don't make me walk for 30 seconds each time I do before I can try again.

 

It's been a while since I played the demo but I'm pretty sure it isn't in the actual game. Like, the content is there but not in that same configuration. IIRC, it's a few bosses from the very first area but placed in what I guess you'd call the game's main hub, which is the largest open space in the entire game. I vaguely recall what you're describing and the actual game isn't like that at all. Each area has its own checkpoint and it's never more than a 5-10 seconds walk to any of the bosses. Don't know if that'll be enough to change your mind but, for what it's worth, it never felt tedious to me.

 

Anyway, think I might do Hyper Light Drifter next. That one looks pretty rad, too.

[deanb]

I beat Heart of Stone last night. Pretty solid expansion to the storyline, definitely a "post-game" expansion than anything that'd be a good idea to play during the quest line.

 

It threw me off at first cos there was a lot of talk of being shipped off to a distant land to be executed so when you end up on a beach and there's these foreign warriors I figured I was in a distant land. Anyway after wandering a bit, I was like "wait a minute". Opened up my world map and I was like right outside Novigrad So yeah this one is all set within Velen, a new part of Velen I'm pretty sure at that too since I think it's extended the map out to the east a bit and new estates n villages n such added in.

For the most part it's has 4 major quest points, which are relatively hefty ones though I wouldn't say on scale with a full game. Mainly introduces Olgeird von Everec and Gaunter O'Dimm (who I'll be honest I don't remember but he's supposedly from the start of the game). Both rather interesting characters and very much the "love to hate" types. Oh the second major quest as Volgrid is fucking great too.

 

It also adds the Runesmith which I've only gotten my gear upgraded for..Evocation I think is the runeword I have.. makes people explode when they die if I've set them on fire. Which is great when a pack of lvl 5 wolves attack, pop off Igni and they just got "pop".

 

Now onwards to Toussaint.

[Saturnine Tenshi]

I thought Heart of Stone was good as DLC, but I'm expecting more of an expansion out of Blood and Wine.

[deanb]

Yeah, I started it late last night so at the super early stages but Toussant is about double the size of White Orchard I'd say. Maybe a third of Velen or so in size. Just from checking the map with that one mainly. It has its own Gwent n Horse racing tournaments too. It's a mini-Witcher 3. Also rumours of new mutagens and armour with it too. So yeah a decent expansion. Heart of Stone apart from the Runesmith is more a story DLC.

[Strangelove]

The Evil Within.

Loved it.

[toxicitizen]

If you loved it, you should definitely check out the DLC then. Well, the first two about Kidman. They're pretty good. You can skip the last one, it's kinda shit.

[Strangelove]

If you loved it, you should definitely check out the DLC then. Well, the first two about Kidman. They're pretty good. You can skip the last one, it's kinda shit.

It's already in my wishlist. Just gotta wait for it to go on sale.....whenever.

[Hot Heart]

Gaunter O'Dimm (who I'll be honest I don't remember but he's supposedly from the start of the game).

 

Turns nearly everyone missed all his appearances.

http://kotaku.com/the-witcher-3-riddle-that-players-couldn-t-quite-solve-1747185043

[deanb]

All of those are from the DLC though (and tbh a couple of them are quite overt given he's actively a guest at the wedding n there's several scenes with him chatting with guests n such).

 

He's specifically a merchant in White Orchard you ask about for Yennifer who tells you to check the Nilfgard camp. Which I guess is why he wasn't very memorable compared to like the dwarven blacksmith, gay hunter, etc

[toxicitizen]

Hitman GO: Definitive Edition.

 

Cool little puzzle game, not really much else to say about it. I bought it back when it first came out on Steam but it was pretty much unplayable due to constant crashing (like a dozen crashes with less than an hour of playtime total). So, I held off on playing hoping for a patch. The patch never happened and it didn't seem to be a widespread issue. So, thinking it might be something on my end, I started messing around and found the likely cause of the crashes. Turns out the game really doesn't like RivaTuner Statistics Server, which MSI Afterburner uses for its on-screen display. Switched back to EVGA Precision (not sure why I had switched in the first place), which no longer uses RTSS, and it stopped crashing. Oh well, at least I figured it out eventually... 

 

Anyway, I really hope they'll bring Lara Croft GO to Steam soon. From what I've heard, it's a huge improvement over this one and I'm definitely down for more of this. Likewise the upcoming Deus Ex GO, although in that case I mostly just hope they won't take two fucking years to port it like they did with Hitman.

 

But man, now I really feel like playing some proper Hitman. Ideally, I'd upgrade my intro pack for the new one and play that but it's still 60 bucks and I just can't drop that much on a game right now. Maybe I'll just reinstall Blood Money or Absolution.

Edited July 16, 2016 by FLD

[TheMightyEthan]

Homeworld Remastered.  Still just as good as I remembered it.

[Thursday Next]

Did the story of Mirror's Edge Catalyst. Now to grind through all the delivery etc. missions. Oh, Ethan, you can replay missions, just go all the way to the right on the options menu.

[TheMightyEthan]

Oh, nice.  Do they have time trial options?

[Thursday Next]

Pretty sure it has a record of your time. But not the same as the dashes et al.