What Games Are You Playing?

[DragoStark]

So I finished up Cyberpunk 2077 & Phantom Liberty last month (fantastic experience yet again; got instantly hooked. One day I'll do another playthrough of this brilliant game) and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands with my friend (we're just achievement hunting now). I've also just finished up Tales of Zestiria (not as good as Tales of Berseria. I couldn't put Berseria down, whereas Zestiria was a bit of a slog to get through).
I got myself a couple of fishing games in the steam sale; Dave the Diver and Dredge (I love fishing mini games in general) So I've been playing Dave the Diver for now and really been enjoying that.
I'm also going into the New Year with the aim of tackling Elden Ring. A buddy got it for me for xmas despite me being absolutely awful at the souls games, but he has faith I can do it so I'm gonna give it a real go (and die a lot)

I finished 25 games this year. I'm hoping with the recent acquisition of a steam deck, I can get through more (especially the indie games). Slowly slowly chipping away at that horrendous backlog.

 

[NormanicGrav]

For December, I had accepted the fact that I won't hit my target of 40 video games. In fact I didn't even beat last year's record if I got my notes right. But what I did decide to do was go for the ones that I had wanted to play immediately and that was the classic PlayStation games that were available on PlayStation 5. These are all short in length but still proper games at the end of the day and I had a good time with each one.

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#22 - Jet Moto (Jet Racer) (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: November 2023 (via PS3)

Spoiler

The first PlayStation classic that I decided to play is Jet Moto, also known as Jet Racer in Europe. This is a racing game released in 1996 by developer SingleTrac, the folks behind Twisted Metal 1 & 2, where you drive a floating jet and it's an intriguing title.

The concept is pretty simple, you race to reach the finish line but this is no easy game in all honestly. Jet Moto has some complicated controls and gameplay as your bike is rather sensitive, so if you don't angle your vehicle correctly you will swerve off the edge and even hit the various obstacles that are in your way, like trees or props. You can even hit the checkpoint header in one of the maps which is pretty funny to see.

The game offers different modes, from a regular race and tutorials, to tournaments and elimination rounds. As you race the tournaments you do unlock more maps to play and add more variety to the repetitiveness of the game. The maps even have hidden paths which I found one by accident. Also on the maps are a lot of steep curves which sounds like a challenging but your vehicle can grapple onto a pole so you can swerve around the corner and maintain your speed which is a good feature for a game like this.

For a short game I did like what the game provides. The rag doll when your character hits an object was entertaining even if its annoying but the emulator's rewind feature does help for situations like this. While I don't necessarily enjoy every single map, the level design was pretty solid and the grapple concept was cool.

The trophies for this game are pretty simple. Race every map, win each type of mode and play a certain number of races. I got the Platinum trophy after about 2 hours of playtime. Because the game does make you swerve numerous times I did take breaks here and there to avoid any form of motion sickness.

Also a bonus mention - normally when it comes to re-releases onto emulators that sometimes licensing and banners tend to get updated due to expirations but this release on PlayStation 5 has kept the advertisements which is a surprise.

Overall Jet Moto was a fun little game and I recommend giving it a shot on the PlayStation Plus service if you have that. I bought the game on the PlayStation 3 store to get the PS5 version for free.

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#23 - Jumping Flash! (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: June 2022 (April 2021 via PS3)

Spoiler

The second PlayStation classic is an early launch game from 1995 with Jumping Flash! by Japanese developers Exact and Ultra, with some assistance from Japan Studio. This is a platformer where your goal is to find some carrots on each stage before proceeding to the next, and along the way you can even find a special stage to play around with.

Despite being a launch game, the visuals look pretty good and runs fairly well. The controls for the camera is my only major issue because it's not aged well, and part of that is due to how this came before the analog sticks were introduced. I did enjoy the first-person perspective and when you jump around your shadow helps with guiding you to where you are at on the map.

The enemies have a good variety but I tend to avoid them as it's easy to dodge. That said you do have the option to shoot them when needed. They do respawn though from what I have seen. The boss fights were neat and one of them I did have an issue with at first until I realised that jumping and falling can do tons of damage to them. The final boss was a challenge as they tend to run away and hit you at various angles but overall it was a good time.

For a short game Jumping Flash! was pretty fun, and they did patch it to include trophy support which is completing the game and getting all of the collectibles and extra stages completed. I bought the game on the PlayStation 3 store back when the store was planned to be closed, so the PS5 version was available for free.

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#24 - I.Q.: Intelligent Qube (Kurushi) (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: June 2023 (via PS3)

Spoiler

Next is a game that I am very familiar with but never managed to play and that was I.Q.: Intelligent Qube, also known as Kurushi in Europe. Developed by G-Artists Inc. (PoPoLoCrois) in 1997, the game is a very fun puzzle experience.

In fact knowing about the series I was worried it would be too complicated but in reality it is a lot simpler than it looks and the video tutorials were handy to learn how the game's mechanics works. The idea is that you need to get rid of the cubes in front of you before they crush you or they fall off the edge behind you. You highlight a block and when the cube lands on it, you press a button to make it disappear.

There are three types of cubes. The regular grey cubes are the ones you can remove as per normal, then there's colourful ones where if you highlight and remove it it will also highlight all of the squares around it which extends even further if another colourful cube is caught in the mix. Then you have the black cubes which are the ones you want to avoid highlighting and capturing. You can highlight a cube and let the cube go past it, but capturing black cubes will result in your path behind you losing space which is what you want to avoid.

And to mention again, when you highlight blocks, it will stay there for as long as you want it to be before pressing the button to remove it, even if its going to take about 5-10 more seconds to get the right cubes. This tactic is useful for situations where the black cubes are in the way before getting the right combination.

The game adds more challenge to the mix for each stage as it adds more columns to the mix. I was able to get through roughly 80-85% of the game without having to use the rewind feature just so that I don't end up getting any rows behind me removed. The trophies for this game is essentially finish the stages which is fine, and if you want more challenge the second game is also available on PlayStation 5 (which is PAL only as it wasn't released in North America).

Overall Kurushi was a lot of fun and took a few hours to finish. I highly recommend playing this game if you like to try out a classic PS1 puzzle to play next.

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#25 - Ape Escape (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: June 2023 (via PS3)

Spoiler

I've played an Ape Escape game before when I was younger and I believe it was Ape Escape 2, but I never owned it, only rented it. The closest that I got to owning an Ape Escape game was with Eye Toy: Monkey Mania on the PlayStation 2. So being able to play the original Ape Escape was a treat and its neat to see Sony bringing it back as a Classic title for PlayStation 5 was appreciated especially as the first three games were not added onto the Classics line-up on PlayStation 3 in the west (Japan got them at least). The second game is on PlayStation 4 via the PS2 on PS4 line-up but is only the PAL version.

So how do I feel about the original 1999 Ape Escape game from Japan Studio after all of these years. I felt the game held up pretty well and had a fun time going through each level. The game uses the analog sticks a lot and part of that is to showcase PlayStation's DualShock controller and in most cases it works really well, except that I had struggled a lot with the boats.

I have been told that I wasn't controlling the boats properly but I do think they are messy regardless (I also kept spinning in circles which is funny not going to lie), and while the idea works the execution I felt doesn't age well. Controlling the tank later in the game weren't too bad though. Besides those two, the rest of the controls works fairly well and I got used to how the mechanics work.

The game has a ton of gadget variety to capture the apes, from an RC Car, slingshot, dash hoop and the most powerful one which isn't available until you finish the normal ending of the story - the magic punch. Each gadget has a tutorial stage before you are able to use them in the levels which is handy to learn how they work. Much like a lot of platformer games, you won't be able to 100% the levels as soon as you enter them because a lot of apes are not accessible due to not having the right gadget available. Alongside the apes in each level are gold coins which you can collect to unlock some mini-games which involve ski racing and even a punch-out.

I didn't go for 100% completion in this game but I was able to get over 100 apes and over 40 gold coins that qualify for the Platinum trophy. If you want to get the best ending in the game you'll need to find all of the apes in each level. It's fairly lengthy at about 8 hours spent on the normal route in general so there's enough value here to enjoy.

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#26 - Twisted Metal (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: November 2023

Spoiler

After a brief break I started Twisted Metal, the second SingleTrac game in this backlog to play, released in 1995. The Twisted Metal franchise is one that I am familiar with but much like Ape Escape I never played them. I did consider the PlayStation 3 instalment but decided to focus on the classics that Sony added earlier in the year. I did attempt to get the games on PlayStation 3 but when they were added onto modern platforms it corrupted the listing on PS3's store so I had to go to support to fix that and rebuy them from PS5.

Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat game where you control a vehicle and destroy every enemy vehicle in your map across multiple stages. Each stage adds an extra vehicle enemy to battle and eventually you'll land on the final stage which has a big enemy type that is challenging to beat.

Despite its concept and age, Twisted Metal is actually really surprisingly challenging to play because of how much damage you can take, which carries over into the next stage adding more difficulty to the mix. The benefit of this game however, is that it does not punish you for using password codes to continue where you left off. For me this is essentially like restarting a stage with full health than making the enemies easier to beat. Heck the game does provide difficulty levels but the only difference is how many lives you receive which doesn't add much.

Twisted Metal does have credit for having different variety of designs and stats for each vehicle that's available for you to control. Some deal better damage, some have better pacing and some use specific weapons that can be close-range or easy to use. In addition each vehicle's stages has different enemies to fight which makes each experience different and better paced. I also loved how some cars just fall off the edge at random though.

I used the password method for the trophies so that I can replay the final stage for each character which can take ages as there's a lot of vehicles to use. The progress was roughly about almost 3 hours get the Platinum trophy, but overall I found Twisted Metal to be a solid start to a franchise for Sony. I have heard the second game is a big improvement so I'm curious to see how that's done.

---

#27 - Hot Shots Golf (Everybody's Golf) (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: June 2023

Spoiler

From the Japanese studio that brought you the Shining Force games, Mario Golf and Golden Sun comes the first instalment in the Everybody's Golf franchise, also known in North America as Hot Shots Golf. For an old game, this was a lot of fun to play.

This game holds up pretty well on PlayStation 5, with a wide variety of characters and courses you can play and beat. The controls are pretty solid and the rewind feature from the emulator is your best friend here due to the challenge and RNG the game throws in your face.

Speaking of RNG, this is the game's biggest problem because its so random that it makes the idea of reaching a hole in one or an Albatross extremely low in chance because of the positioning of your ball but also the wind direction which changes for each time you enter the course. Despite that though, the courses themselves I appreciated its design and the AI you go up against is pretty decent as it's not annoying but not dumb either, though some do end up hitting their ball into the water from time to time.

I was able to unlock all of the characters at a steady pace and unlock the later courses via the tournament without too much grinding required. I will admit that I did use practice mode to get the Albatross and Hole in One trophies. I did try to get them both on the regular courses but the RNG made it near impossible in a lot of my shots (they were very close but wasn't doable). I managed to get the Platinum trophy after roughly 11 hours.

Much like Twisted Metal, I have heard the next game is much better on the performance so I look forward to it.

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#28-#30 - Syphon Filter, Syphon Filter 2 & Syphon Filter 3 (PlayStation via PS5)
Acquired: June 2023 (via PS3)

Spoiler

At this point I caught a bad cold which was absolutely frustrating because I had finally taken the time off work that I needed. Miraculously I was just well enough to play some more classic PlayStation games and to wrap up the year I decided to play all three games in the Syphon Filter trilogy released in 1999, 2000 & 2001 by Bend Studio (Bubsy 3D).

Again like the others in this backlog, I've been fully aware of the Syphon Filter franchise but I never understood why it was popular. After playing these games I can definitely see the appeal that it brings because it's a great addition to the PlayStation backlog even with its unique control scheme.

Syphon Filter is an action stealth third person shooter game where you control a few characters, mainly our main lead Logan, as he kills enemies, completes objectives and makes sure the job is done in his spy adventure. The first game came out after Metal Gear Solid and before more 007 games were being released so it was left under the radar by a lot of people but did well enough to keep the franchise going.

The controls is interesting because it is unusual. You have the D-Pad/Left Analog stick to move your character forward, backwards and sideways. Then you have L2 & R2 to strife side-ways as you shoot against other enemies. Then there's L1 for a first-person view to get a better accurate shot, while R1 is a lock-on which is fine but a lot of enemies tend to have armour which makes this idea rather useless. In addition to shooting, you can also perform a barrel roll and use the Select button to switch weapons. In the first game I struggled on the first mission because there's a flashlight that you needed to use which can only be accessed in the menu and not in the select section which was rather annoying. I have noticed that the lock-on is rather delayed for shooting so it does make some moments frustrating.

I do think the first mission does setup the controls and concept of the Syphon Filter games very well, and in general I had a great time with each one. Each game does have their ups and downs interestingly. I found the stealth to be decent but in a lot of cases it can be a pain in the neck. The weapon variety is really cool and I love how the weapons and armour stay on the ground on the level so you can backtrack and pick them up without having to worry about them disappearing. The enemies do respawn when backtracking which is annoying and you can easily force yourself to backtrack because you didn't fulfil an objective.

Each game has some really well done level designs. In the first game, I did find the ending missions to be very reactive (i.e you need to be quick) because you can easily get killed if you aren't careful. The second game improves on its storytelling narrative though it does fall flat in its final few missions, but I found the constant use of having to perform headshots on enemies rather annoying. The third game tries to provide a balance but there were some missions that really frustrated me especially the one in the desert where you are defending a vehicle and enemies randomly appear to which if you aren't fast enough you can get a game over immediately.
The Rewind feature is your saving grace for these games due to how ******** some of the 'mission failed/parameter failed' notices you get throughout.

The graphics hold up pretty well and I thought it was interesting how the first game had some mouth movement, the second game didn't and then the third game went for CG cutscenes. UI and everything else wasn't updated so it does feel like you're playing the same game at times. The story was intriguing. The first game felt too fast paced so it was easy to get lost, the second game improved on the pacing but it falters in its last few chapters, and the third game felt like an oddity from the others due to the direction they went with its storytelling. Despite the story, I did like Logan and Lian as characters that you follow throughout. Somewhat reminds me of Mission Impossible at times. The voice acting has aged but at least they tried.

That said, despite my issues I am still very much interested in what else the Syphon Filter franchise has to offer and I got the Platinum trophy for each game in the series. The first game took me 7 hours to finish the story, the second game was much longer at 8 hours, while the third game is shorter at about 6 hours. The trophies are mostly just finishing the story which is fine by me.

All three games I bought on the PlayStation 3 store to get them for cheaper as they will provide the PlayStation 5 version for free.

---

My backlog so far:

Spoiler

#​	PC/Steam Backlog - Game Name:​	Genre:
1​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky	Turn-Based RPG
2​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC	Turn-Based RPG

#​	PlayStation 3 Backlog - Game Name:​	Genre:
1​	3D Dot Game Heroes	Action RPG
2​	Bleach: Soul Resurrección	Fighting
3​	Castlevania: Lords of Shadow	Action, Hack n Slash
4​	Catherine	Puzzle
5​	Drakengard 3	Action RPG
6​	Eternal Sonata	Turn-Based RPG
7​	Folklore	Action RPG
8​	Gran Turismo 5 Academy Edition	Racing
9​	inFAMOUS	Action
10​	inFAMOUS 2	Action
11​	Katamari Forever	Puzzle
12​	Prince of Persia	Action, Platformer
13​	Puppeteer	Platformer
14​	SEGA Rally	Racing
15​	Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time	Action, Platformer
16​	Split/Second: Velocity	Racing
17​	Stranglehold	Action, Shooter
18​	Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
19​	Way of the Samurai 4	Action

#​	PlayStation 4 Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
2​	AI: The Somnium Files	Adventure, Visual Novel
3​	Black Clover: Quartet Knights	Action, Fighting
4​	Bullet Girls Phantasia	Action, Shooter
5​	Burnout Paradise Remastered	Racing
6​	The Caligula Effect: Overdose	Turn-Based RPG
7​	Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions	Sports
8​	Catherine Full Body	Puzzle
9​	Chaos;Child	Visual Novel
10​	Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve Stars	Turn-Based RPG
11​	CRYSTAR	Action RPG
12​	Cyberdimension Neptunia: Four Goddesses Online	Action RPG
13​	Danganronpa 1 Reload	Visual Novel
14​	Danganronpa 2 Reload	Visual Novel
15​	Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls	Action, Shooter
16​	Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony	Visual Novel
17​	Date A Live: Rinne Utopia (Rio-Reincarnation)	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
18​	Date A Live II: Ars Install (Rio-Reincarnation)	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
19​	Date A Live III: Twin Edition: Rio Reincarnation	Visual Novel, Dating Sim
20​	Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory	Turn-Based RPG
21​	Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories	Adventure, Simulation
22​	Dissidia Final Fantasy NT	Arcade, Fighting
23​	Dragon Quest Heroes II	Action RPG, Musou
24​	Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition	Turn-Based RPG
25​	Dragon's Crown Pro	Action RPG
26​	Fairy Tail	Turn-Based RPG
27​	Fate/Extella Link	Musou
28​	Final Fantasy IX	Turn-Based RPG
29​	Final Fantasy VIII Remastered	Turn-Based RPG
30​	Full Metal Panic! Fight! Who Dares Win	Tactical RPG
31​	Gal*Gun 2	On-Rails Shooter
32​	Gintama Rumble	Action, Musou
33​	GOD EATER 3	Action Hunter RPG
34​	Gravity Rush 2	Action, Platformer
35​	The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures	Visual Novel
36​	The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve	Visual Novel
37​	Gundam Breaker 3 BREAK EDITION	Action, Arcade
38​	The Hong Kong Massacre	Top-Down Shooter
39​	Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite Combate	Action RPG
40​	JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven	Fighting
41​	Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa	Puzzle, Visual Novel
42​	Langrisser	Tactical RPG
43​	Langrisser II	Tactical RPG
44​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel	Turn-Based RPG
45​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II	Turn-Based RPG
46​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III	Turn-Based RPG
47​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	Turn-Based RPG
48​	Legend of Mana	Action RPG
49​	Megadimension Neptunia VII	Turn-Based RPG
50​	Megadimension Neptunia VIIR	Turn-Based RPG
51​	MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA	Fighting
52​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm	Action, Fighting
53​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2	Action, Fighting
54​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3	Action, Fighting
55​	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to Boruto	Action, Fighting
56​	NEO: The World Ends With You	Action RPG
57​	Neptunia Virtual Stars	Action
58​	Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars	Action
59​	Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered	Turn-Based RPG
60​	Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom	Action RPG
61​	Nights of Azure	Action RPG
62​	Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon	Action RPG
63​	One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4	Action, Musou
64​	One Piece: Unlimited World Red	Action
65​	One Piece: World Seeker	Action
66​	Our World Is Ended	Visual Novel
67​	Persona 5 Royal	Turn-Based RPG
68​	Persona 5 Strikers	Action RPG, Musou
69​	Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney	Visual Novel
70​	Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All	Visual Novel
71​	Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations	Visual Novel
72​	Punch Line	Visual Novel
73​	Raging Loop	Visual Novel
74​	Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-: Prophecy of the Throne	Visual Novel
75​	Robotics;Notes DaSH	Visual Novel
76​	Robotics;Notes ELITE	Visual Novel
77​	RUINER	Action, Shooter
78​	SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays	Tactical RPG
79​	SD Gundam G Generation Genesis	Tactical RPG
80​	Secret of Mana	Action RPG
81​	Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi	Musou
82​	Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal	Action
83​	Shadow of the Colossus	Platformer
84​	Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster	Turn-Based RPG
85​	Star Ocean: First Departure R	Action RPG
86​	Star Ocean: The Last Hope HD Remaster	Action RPG
87​	Steins;Gate Elite	Visual Novel
88​	Super Neptunia RPG	Turn-Based RPG
89​	Super Robot Wars 30	Tactical RPG
90​	Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers	Tactical RPG
91​	Super Robot Wars T	Tactical RPG
92​	Super Robot Wars X	Tactical RPG
93​	Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet	Action RPG
94​	Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Sessions!	Music, Rhythm
95​	Tales of Berseria	Action RPG
96​	Tales of Vesperia	Action RPG
97​	Theatrhythm Final Bar Line	Music, Rhythm
98​	Tokyo Xanadu eX+	Action RPG
99​	Trials of Mana	Action RPG
100​	Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
101​	Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
102​	Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen	Tactical RPG, Visual Novel
103​	Utawarerumono: Zan	Action, Musou
104​	Valkyria Chronicles 4	Tactical RPG
105​	Valkyria Revolution	Action RPG
106​	WipEout Omega Collection	Racing
107​	The Witch and the Hundred Knight Revival Edition	Action RPG
108​	WORLDEND SYNDROME	Visual Novel
109​	Yakuza 3 Remastered	Action, Beat em up
110​	Yakuza 4 Remastered	Action, Beat em up
111​	Yakuza 5 Remastered	Action, Beat em up
112​	YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World	Visual Novel

#​	PlayStation 5 Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Alan Wake Remastered	Action, Shooter
2​	CONTROL Ultimate Edition	Action, Shooter
3​	Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII -Reunion-	Action RPG
4​	Cyberpunk 2077	Action
5​	Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles	Fighting
6​	The DioField Chronicle	Tactical RPG
7​	DOOM Eternal	Action, Shooter
8​	Forspoken	Action RPG
9​	Ghost of Tsushima	Action, Adventure
10​	Ghostwire: Tokyo	Action, Survival Horror
11​	GrimGrimoire OnceMore	Real-Time Strategy RPG
12​	Hades	Dungeon Crawler
13​	JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R	Fighting
14​	Judgment	Action, Beat em up
15​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie	Turn-Based RPG
16​	Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name	Action, Beat 'em up
17​	Lost Judgment	Action, Beat em up
18​	Mobile Suit Gundam BATTLE OPERATION Code Fairy	Action
19​	MONARK	Tactical RPG
20​	Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten	Turn-Based RPG
21​	Neptunia ReVerse	Turn-Based RPG
22​	Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters	Action RPG
23​	Nioh 2	Action Souls RPG
24​	One Piece: Odyssey	Turn-Based RPG
25​	Pac-Man World Re-Pac	Platformer
26​	Quake	Action, Shooter
27​	Quake II	Action, Shooter
28​	Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit of Wonder Labyrinth	Metroidvania RPG
29​	Relayer	Tactical RPG
30​	SD Gundam Battle Alliance	Action RPG
31​	Soul Hackers 2	Turn-Based RPG
32​	Star Ocean: The Divine Force	Action RPG
33​	Star Ocean: The Second Story R	Action RPG
34​	Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin	Action Souls RPG
35​	Tactics Ogre Reborn	Tactical RPG
36​	Tales of Arise	Action RPG
37​	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2	Sports
38​	Valkyrie Elysium	Action RPG
39​	Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon	Turn-Based RPG
40​	Ys IX: Monstrum Nox	Action RPG
41​	Yurukill: The Calumniation Games	Shoot em up, Visual Novel

#​	PlayStation Classics (via PS5) Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue	Platformer
2​	Everybody's Golf 2	Sports
3​	Grandia	Turn-Based RPG
4​	Kurushi Final: Mental Blocks	Puzzle
5​	The Legend of Dragoon	Turn-Based RPG
6​	Twisted Metal 2	Action, Racing
7​	Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth	Turn-Based RPG
8​	Wild Arms	Turn-Based RPG
9​	Wild Arms 2	Turn-Based RPG

#​	PlayStation Vita Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Bullet Girls	Action, Shooter
2​	Freedom Wars	Action
3​	Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni	Action

#​	Nintendo Switch Backlog - Game Name:	Genre:
1​	Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition	Adventure, Point & Click
2​	Castlevania (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
3​	Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
4​	Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
5​	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
6​	Castlevania: The Adventure (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
7​	Castlevania: Bloodlines (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
8​	Contra (Anniversary Collection)	Side-scrolling Shooter
9​	Contra Hard Corps (Anniversary Collection)	Side-scrolling Shooter
10​	Contra III: The Alien Wars (Anniversary Collection)	Side-scrolling Shooter
11​	Cytus Alpha	Music, Rhythm
12​	Final Fantasy	Turn-Based RPG
13​	Final Fantasy Adventure (Collection of Mana)	Action RPG
14​	Final Fantasy II	Turn-Based RPG
15​	Final Fantasy III	Turn-Based RPG
16​	Final Fantasy IV	Turn-Based RPG
17​	Final Fantasy V	Turn-Based RPG
18​	Final Fantasy VI	Turn-Based RPG
19​	Fire Emblem: Three Houses	Tactical RPG
20​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero	Turn-Based RPG
21​	The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure	Turn-Based RPG
22​	The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails	Action RPG
23​	The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild	Action RPG
24​	Live A Live	Tactical RPG
25​	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Racing
26​	Metroid Dread	Metroidvania
27​	Metroid Prime Remastered	Action, Shooter
28​	Mushihimesama	Bullet Hell, Shoot 'em up
29​	MUSYNX	Music, Rhythm
30​	New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe	Platformer
31​	Octopath Traveler	Turn-Based RPG
32​	Operation C (Anniversary Collection)	Side-scrolling Shooter
33​	Powerslave Exhumed	Action, Shooter
34​	Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess	Turn-Based RPG
35​	Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom	Turn-Based RPG
36​	River City Girls Zero	Action, Beat 'em ups
37​	Secret of Mana (Collection of Mana)	Action RPG
38​	Senran Kagura Peach Ball	Pinball
39​	Senran Kagura Reflexions	Simulation
40​	Shadow Man Remastered	Action, Adventure
41​	Super Castlevania IV (Anniversary Collection)	Action, Platform
42​	Super Contra (Anniversary Collection)	Side-scrolling Shooter
43​	Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury	Action, Platformer
44​	Super Mario Galaxy	Action, Platformer
45​	Super Mario Sunshine	Action, Platformer
46​	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Fighting
47​	Syd of Valis (SD Valis)	Action, Platformer
48​	Trials of Mana (Collection of Mana)	Action RPG
49​	Valis: The Fantasm Soldier	Action, Platformer
50​	Valis II	Action, Platformer
51​	Valis III	Action, Platformer
52​	Valis IV	Action, Platformer
53​	Witch on the Holy Night	Visual Novel
54​	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	Action RPG
55​	Xenoblade Chronicles 2	Action RPG
56​	Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country	Action RPG

The 2023 '40' Games Goal:

Spoiler

No.	Game	Console​	Acquired​	Genre
1​	Shining Resonance Refrain	PS4​	2018​	Action RPG
2​	Wing of Darkness	PS4​	2022​	Action, Arcade
3​	Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania	PS4​	2022​	Puzzle
4​	Tales of Zestiria	PS4​	2018​	Action RPG
5​	RESIDENT EVIL 4	PS5​	2023​	Action, Survival Horror
6​	RESIDENT EVIL 2	PS5​	2022​	Action, Survival Horror
7​	RESIDENT EVIL 3	PS5​	2022​	Action, Survival Horror
8​	Resident Evil Revelations	PS4​	2022​	Action, Survival Horror
9​	Resident Evil Revelations 2	PS4​	2022​	Action, Survival Horror
10​	Resident Evil 6	PS4​	2022​	Action, Survival Horror
11​	Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart	Vita​	2018​	Tactical RPG
12​	FINAL FANTASY XVI	PS5​	2023​	Action RPG
13​	Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed	Vita​	2018​	Action, Musou
14​	MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies	Vita​	2018​	Action, Musou
15​	Superdimension Neptunia VS SEGA Hard Girls	Vita​	2018​	Turn-Based RPG
16​	Hot Wheels Unleashed	PS5​	2023​	Arcade Racing
17​	DoDonPachi Resurrection	Switch​	2023​	Bullet Hell, Shoot em up
18​	Espgaluda II	Switch​	2023​	Bullet Hell, Shoot em up
19​	Marvel's Spider-Man 2	PS5​	2023​	Action, Adventure
20​	One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3	PS4​	2020​	Action, Musou
21​	One Piece: Burning Blood	PS4​	2022​	Fighting
22​	Jet Moto (Jet Racer)	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Racing
23​	Jumping Flash!	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2022​	Platformer
24​	Kurushi (I.Q.: Intelligent Qube)	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Puzzle
25​	Ape Escape	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Platformer
26​	Twisted Metal	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Action
27​	Everybody's Golf (Hot Shots Golf)	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Sports
28​	Syphon Filter	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Action, Shooter
29​	Syphon Filter 2	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Action, Shooter
30​	Syphon Filter 3	PS5 (PS1 Classics)​	2023​	Action, Shooter

 

[Lordhippos]

I'm also going into the New Year with the aim of tackling Elden Ring. A buddy got it for me for xmas despite me being absolutely awful at the souls games, but he has faith I can do it so I'm gonna give it a real go (and die a lot)

I recently started this, about a week or so ago as it was on sale, what other souls games have you played/completed?

 

[DragoStark]

I recently started this, about a week or so ago as it was on sale, what other souls games have you played/completed?

I've completed Dark Souls 3 with the DLCs. I usually played through it with co-op though (with the guy who got me the game, which is why he has faith I can complete ER lol). I appreciate that Elden Ring lets you play online without the fear of invaders when solo playing. I enjoy all the messages. Invaders was one of the worst things about DS3.

Oh I forgot I tried Bloodborne on PS4 too. I am useless though. I think it's because I'm not used to using a controller. I played DS3 with MnK. I'm using a controller for ER though so I can get used to it quicker (and I can play it on the deck) so maybe I'll go back to Bloodborne one day.

 

[freed232]

League of Legends.
League requires not only quick reflexes but also a deep understanding of strategy, which is a challenge that I really enjoy.
I know the game can be tough, so for anyone who is looking to level up their understanding of League of Legends, you can find tips and tactics on https://lol-script.com/blog/. Recommend!

 

[João Gomes]

Nearing the end of the year, there is a pretty decent line up of stuff coming in 2024, and probably more that I am unaware of.

Time to list some titles that are coming which I am definitely interested in playing.

What are the rest of you lot excited about for 2024 releases?

2023 was a great year for games but 2024 is lining up to be very special, too and that’s just going off your list! I’m getting a lot of what you’re getting and I’m excited for Refantazio and what it’ll bring to the table.

I’m also curious about Suicide Squad. Rocksteady have learned a lot with the Arkham series, so I’m confident the game will at least be fun.

FF VII, Unicorn Overlord, Elden Ring DLC, P3… I’m getting all of those, probably day one.

Paper Mario remake and Nintendo in general also interest me greatly. Is this the year we get Xeno X remaster ??

 

[Lordhippos]

I've completed Dark Souls 3 with the DLCs. I usually played through it with co-op though (with the guy who got me the game, which is why he has faith I can complete ER lol). I appreciate that Elden Ring lets you play online without the fear of invaders when solo playing. I enjoy all the messages. Invaders was one of the worst things about DS3.

Oh I forgot I tried Bloodborne on PS4 too. I am useless though. I think it's because I'm not used to using a controller. I played DS3 with MnK. I'm using a controller for ER though so I can get used to it quicker (and I can play it on the deck) so maybe I'll go back to Bloodborne one day.

I am playing ER offline essentially, I fully agree don't care for invaders, I have an ultrawide monitor and the flawless widescreen fix means you can't play online!

Controller for this type of game wins for me, any 3rd person or platform type games usually better with controller.

I think you'll like ER, it's a vast world to explore, and if you can't beat a boss or enemies, you can travel elsewhere and get some levels and such, returning later.

The game really rewards you for exploring with new places to go, things to see, stuff to loot, almost everywhere that looks interesting is worth checking out, the depth of the environments is very good.

What class are you going with? I went with the condemned, which is my usual pick when the game offers it, some more initial challenge but can power through it. There are lots of choices here.

 

[Lordhippos]

I’m excited for Refantazio and what it’ll bring to the table.

I thought this looked good as well, almost too many good games coming out !

Many are quite early in the year too, hy March I think I'll be swamped with stuff to do.

I haven't played the Xeno games, I'm considering delving into the trails games but it's a big commit on top of a lot of the things I mentioned.

 

[DragoStark]

What class are you going with? I went with the condemned, which is my usual pick when the game offers it, some more initial challenge but can power through it. There are lots of choices here.

Went for the classic Vagabond because sword and shield is my bread and butter for games like these. I stick to what I know haha.
I've started it, I think I'm already "lost". I'm kinda just wandering about. I panic when there's a big gap between campfires and I've cleared a lot and running low on resources. I've beaten mini bosses through sheer determination of not losing my runes lol. Haven't attempted an actual mist boss yet. I know I'm not ready.

 

[Lordhippos]

Went for the classic Vagabond because sword and shield is my bread and butter for games like these. I stick to what I know haha.
I've started it, I think I'm already "lost". I'm kinda just wandering about. I panic when there's a big gap between campfires and I've cleared a lot and running low on resources. I've beaten mini bosses through sheer determination of not losing my runes lol. Haven't attempted an actual mist boss yet. I know I'm not ready.

Sword and Board or big 2H wep is my default go to, but I think off the bat, sword and board wins on this game as you can block all incoming damage whilst you have stamina. The early 2H weps don't block out all damage.

I've morphed into sword and board as well, except my weapon is a katana that applies bleed damage, which I randomly stumbled upon, been using this one ever since. I've avoided spoilers about what weapons are where, so I'm still exploring as well.

My advice for exploring is follow the roads about to get the fast travel points, and you'll occasionally come across the flask upgrade materials as well, this allows for easier traversal later on. I definitely went off track from where you're probably meant to go early on and wound up in some very strange place where everything was ash and fire/brimstone.

 

[Geriatric hedgehog]

I decided to play all three games in the Syphon Filter trilogy

Oh my goodness I absolutely loved playing the Syphon Filter games in my school days, with the taser in the second one being just complete comedy. I remember shooting paratroopers with that so that they were all nice and cooked by the time they hit the ground:

 

[D1tchd1gger]

wound up in some very strange place where everything was ash and fire/brimstone.

Is that from opening a certain chest? I saw a YouTuber open it and get a surprise, but even though it's a harder area some of enemies were still easy enough to beat for a bit of early level boosting, so I opened it myself too. That's the advantage of online, all the messages warning you or advising you.

 

[Lordhippos]

Is that from opening a certain chest? I saw a YouTuber open it and get a surprise, but even though it's a harder area some of enemies were still easy enough to beat for a bit of early level boosting, so I opened it myself too. That's the advantage of online, all the messages warning you or advising you.

I did get transported by a couple of chests, one had me fighting a giant, but no in this case I wound up in Caelid long before I was meant to be, I skipped over going to Castle Stormveil for a while and was just exploring elsewhere

 

[ActionFaust]

That's the advantage of online, all the messages warning you or advising you.

Either that or being generally unhelpful lies and memes. I remember "Dog, ahead" and "Fort, night" being pretty popular joke messages.

 

[D1tchd1gger]

Either that or being generally unhelpful lies and memes. I remember "Dog, ahead" and "Fort, night" being pretty popular joke messages.

Or the classic "try finger, but hole"

 

[Lordhippos]

Speaking personally, I prefer going in completely blind, like I don't want spoilers if there is danger ahead or whatever necessarily, as it takes away any mystery I may have on my 1st run.

 

[ActionFaust]

Speaking personally, I prefer going in completely blind, like I don't want spoilers if there is danger ahead or whatever necessarily, as it takes away any mystery I may have on my 1st run.

That's fair. Definitely recommend messages on future runs. It's a fun experience reading the messages left by other players.

 

[freed232]

Usually Mortal Kombat, Minecraft and sometimes Overcooked with a friend

 

[João Gomes]

So, I finished a bunch of stuff over the holidays.

Somerville - enjoyed it enough, but:

• movement is way too sluggish;
• I know the main influence was war of the worlds but the aliens needed to be more intimidating; the few chase scenes in the game have no sense of urgency;
• the story could’ve been about a bit more than a man finding his family.

I sequence broke the game in the beginning without really getting what was happening, but otherwise, I liked it alright. Between this and Cocoon, I found out the creator and directed of inside stayed at Playdead, so I’m quite impatient to see their next effort.

GoW Valhalla - very cohesive little package wrapped up by the next logical bit of narrative in the world built in the previous two games. Trying to redeem Kratos is a thankless task and I’m not a huge a fan of it, but kudos on them for not giving up lol.

And I was able to beat FF and FF II in less than 15 hours altogether ! Is that amazing or what ? I used boosters, I just can’t be bothered to go through the whole thing for real. I’d already played the original on GBA and really enjoyed it and it was much the same here.

The boosters have allowed me to enjoy and finish II, which I had dropped 30 min. after beginning on GBA, thanks to the absolutely unholy encounter rate. Add to that the troll level design of “find the right door among these 24!!!!” and I feel for the people who finished the OG.

I was kinda impressed with the game. While there’s no character development or depth, the body count is huge in this throughout the story even if the structure is pretty classic.

The OST is pretty remarkable, with Uematsu flexing pretty early on in his career! And this was throwing Satan-like enemies at you before SMT!! I’m pretty fired up so I’ll get straight to III and finish all of the Pixel Remasters. I think I’ll be using boosters the whole way, it’s a much more painless experience.

Out of the main ones, I have yet to play III and V, so I’m pretty curious.

Finally, I finished Life is Strange True Colors and well, I was probably not in the right mindset for this. It was alright, but it felt extremely hipster throughout lol.

I enjoyed the setting, the music and such, but it felt melodramatic at times with Alex’s ability to read people’s emotions.

I loved the first so I kinda want to play the second one, but after this I think I’ll wait for the right mood.

I’ve been eyeing Midnight Suns for a while, anyone have impressions ?

 

[Lordhippos]

Excellent list @João Gomes - I liked Somerville for what it was, a fairly short Inside a-like, but it wasn't as good as Inside for me.

I need to do GoW Valhalla at some point, I have it ready to go, I heard it was fairly short but good as well.

Life is Strange is a fun series I've liked them, you'll be pleased to hear that LiS2 is somewhat different in the type of story it tells. True Colours was good but I liked it's hipster mountaineer setting. The scenery was very nice to look at.

LiS2 s a lot more journey driven, but yeah take a break, and get back into it is a good idea

I can't say I've seen much on Midnight Suns, but anything Marvel lately has felt mostly flat, maybe with the exception of Spiderman 2 which was good (if bug ridden).