Games of 25
Here it is... The sum total of what I consider to be a pretty good year for catching up on the backlog. Other than the Switch 2 launch there weren't too many must have titles that I jumped right into. As I write this, yes, Ghost of Yotei has released. Due to my backlog though, I've refrained from purchasing anything new just yet.
Keeping in mind just how my ADHD wanders from interest to interest... There were some gaps where I would focus more on the music and some where I focused more on gaming. Here's what I played... and what I thought...
Dragon Quest 3 Remake: What can I say? I'm a sucker for that HD2D style! As I've mentioned, I'm a huge fan of old school turn-based RPGs. This game is beautiful, and fun. The story elements are a bit dated in my opinion, but it is a pretty old game. Pacing is pretty slow due to the grind factor. Grinding is less of an option and more of a requirement in this one. Like a lot of classic games, no matter how leveled you think you are, one random encounter could just wipe out your entire party. If you're into that kind of punishment too, then check this one out.
Mario Kart World: So yeah, it's Mario Kart. This time with less characters and less 3 lap races! But hey, it's open world! That's cool right? Right? Maybe not "$80 cool" but I got mine with the Switch 2, so it was really only $50. I guess if you consider how there really weren't any other must have Nintendo games at launch, it feels more like I paid $500 for a Mario kart machine. Still... It's a fun time! I'm glad that now I can tackle the Switch backlog with higher resolutions and frame rates though. Yay optimism!
Donkey Kong Bonanza: This one is exactly why I need to stop buying into pre-launch hype. The first few hours and levels are super fun, and genuinely exciting to play. But having to do pretty much the same gameplay loop like 20 times is just lame. Repetition is the name of the game with this one. Don't get me started on that weak DLC offering either! Nintendo are really starting to lose me with all this extra cost, while being light on fun and content. The Switch 2 continues to be a Mario Kart machine. There might be a few games I'm interested in, but the fact they're on game key cards is annoying and honestly it's a deal breaker. I'm not fucking with those.
Mortal Kombat 1: As much as I loved the story in the last game, and as eager as I was to play this...I still waited until the definitive edition was on sale for 20 bucks. There's usually a lot of content for these games, so it pays to wait. This one I'm playing on the PS5 so of course it's gorgeous and runs really well! It's still mortal Kombat, just more refined than ever before. The guest characters in this iteration are a treat! Homelander, Peacemaker, Conan, T-1000, Omni Man and more, are all fun to play. The story in this one is also really well done! Can't say enough good things about the writing and voice acting!
Revisits...
No Man's Sky: Year after year, and usually several times a year, this game just keeps getting better! I've been die-hard since launch. Every time they drop a new update, it's worth revisiting! I primarily play in VR on the PS5, so as you can imagine, is beautiful and immersive. I will usually play until the VR gives me nausea, which doesn't usually take long. I love building bases and now ships! I love the expeditions! And I love the feeling of flying my ship in VR! There's really not much else like this. It's always on sale, if you haven't played, I highly recommend it!
Final Fantasy 16: Finally caught the DLC on sale this past summer. So I thought that would be a great time to jump into NG+ Final Fantasy mode. This game was my GOTY when it came out, and for good reason! The story is like the best season of Game of Thrones, that GoT never had... And the combat is probably my favorite combat system of any modern Final Fantasy game since they stopped being turn-based. Everything i loved then, still holds up. I still love this game and I'm still having fun with this playthrough.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: I slept on this one for a few years because it ran like ass on the OG Switch. They haven't patched it or anything, but the new hardware in the Switch 2 makes the whole thing run at a stable 30 now, and that makes it playable. I'm still pretty early on in this playthrough, but so far it's exactly what I hoped for, fun combat and a solid story.
On deck...
Cyberpunk DLC: Bought this DLC last year on sale and haven't had time to jump in. Hope to soon.
Ghost of Yotei: Had such a great time with Tsushima, that I've been looking forward to this for a while now! Once I've cleared out more of the backlog, I can justify this purchase.
Expedition 33: Played this on PC at launch and struggled with the timed button presses. That turned out to be some kind of bug on the PC version at the time. This is currently on my PS wishlist. I'm waiting for a sale, and, like other games, I'm waiting to clear out more of the backlog before a new purchase.
Days Gone Remaster: This game was so much fun on the PS4 pro, that when they remastered for the PS5, I had to drop the $10 for the upgrade! I put close to 100 hours into it that first time through. The upgrade makes it look and run better than ever! Can't wait to sink into this world again... But they really need to do a sequel!
Outer worlds 2: I had so much fun with the first one! I love obsidian! Might go PC with this one and play mouse and keyboard.
When I started making this list I thought I didn't really play much this year... Good thing nobody pays me to think. As you can see, there was really only ever one choice for GOTY. Sure, MK1 has a lot going for it, but Metaphor Refantazio was the total package! Hence, the clear winner.
::SM::
Comments
Post a Comment