Was still hungry for more Double Fine - they’re a studio I didn’t really know much about a few years ago. Very excited to see what they’ll come up with this generation.
My favorite thing about this game was the music. However, that’s cheating…because it used real classical music. Shout out to Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony, second movement. Always a banger. The game itself was charming, if not a little janky. Fun gimmick, though.
Now that we’re firmly in spooky month, I think I’ll try to prioritize some horror games from the backlog. Looking forward to it!
Well, I finally completed one of the games I have been dreading playing for years. Doom (2016) +1.
This game has been taunting me from my hard drive for years. I’ve had it installed ever since I bought it. Every time I started my console it was there waiting for me. But I have basically been afraid to play it. I was honestly not sure if I would be able to finish it - even on one of the easier difficulties. At 55 my reflexes are not what they once were, and honestly I was never all that great at shooters in the first place - though I have always loved them. (My son thinks it’s hilarious that I can’t just dial in a head shot on every enemy all the time like he can…)
Anyway, I played it on easy and it was still a pretty good challenge. I died more than a few times, but not nonstop. A few of the bosses were a real test. I think it took me 8 or 10 attempts before beating the last one.
At the end of the day, my fears were definitely overblown. If I ever try this one again (which is not likely) I think I could probably up the difficulty a notch and make a good run at it.
Great game. I really enjoyed it. I really loved everything about this one. No complaints at all.
I have Doom Eternal installed now. I hear that one is even harder. I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but will definitely play it at some point.
Haha, same here. I have had it installed forever but it looks… intimidating for some reason. Another one of those purchases… I’ll get around to it eventually
Doom Eternal is a GOAT for me, but it’s absolutely a harder game. It’s also more prescriptive - you may feel restricted by it, but I think it’s a really intelligent game. “A thinking man’s FPS”
The DLC is incredible, too.
edit - adding to this because of the redundant post rule
I resumed a playthrough I had abandoned in chapter 6, back from 2018. A zero-g platforming section was annoying me, and the 30 FPS wasn’t helping either. Auto HDR helps a little but this game still feels pretty old and janky.
Other than that, it’s a solid game. Top tier sound design and atmosphere/art direction. Some of the puzzles and level design choices are kind of lame, but none of it felt criminally bad. The enemies have (mostly) the right amount of “you are a threat but not too annoying” for my tastes…except for the little enemies. They suck. Also, some of the weapons are not very good, especially the pulse rifle and flamethrower. Plasma Cutter and Line Gun are GOATs, though.
Overall, enjoyed my time with it. I think I’ll start DS2 soon. It has FPS Boost, which I’m glad for.
Finished the second DLC for Just Cause 3: Mech Land Assault.
Bigger than the previous one with a lot more padding, but even more crazy of course. The mechs was a fun addition, who doesn’t need even more exploding things, right? Still with the budget cutscenes unfortunately which kinda makes the story parts feel a bit meh.
This was easily my least favorite Far Cry game - though I haven’t played 6 yet. I didn’t like the antagonists, I didn’t like the mechanic of salvaging then recapturing bases, and I HATED the final two boss fights. (The bosses are basically huge bullet sponges.)
With that said, I was still enjoying the game quite a bit up to the last couple of main missions. Overall, I would rate this in the 6.5 - 7.0 range. Not terrible, but not up the standards of the rest of the series (which have all been in the 8.0-8.5 range for me).
Had some Xbox credit expiring soon, and Prey 2006 was on sale for $4. Bought it. -1 for me.
Finished it just now. +1 for me. (so, no change)
Meh. Maybe if I had I played it in 2006 I would be more positive on it, but it felt pretty forgettable and undeserving of the reputation it has earned in years since. I don’t regret my time with it but I wouldn’t really recommend someone play it unless they were VERY curious.
Planning on playing some better games soon to make up for this one.
In honor of God of War Ragnarok releasing soon, I have just completed God of War (2018). +1
Not much to say about this. It’s pretty great. I had a few minor quibbles with it (mostly the same ones I have with every Sony super-cinematic game), but none of them detracted too much from the overall experience.
Solidly in the 8.5 - 9.0 range for me. Highly recommended if you haven’t played it.
Continuing with spooky season, I’ve finished Dead Space 2. +1 for me. @PhantomFox
Certainly more bombastic than the original. FPS Boost was a big boon here. I preferred the aesthetic of the first game, and it was certainly a more intimate affair, but I still had a great time with this one.
Starting the DLC tonight/tomorrow. Should finish it quickly.
edit - thought it would be fun to share my current gamerscore: 205,380
Probably wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really hungry for more Dead Space. It’s a retread of the environments from the main game, and most of the playthrough is pretty easy. I still had fun, but it wasn’t really memorable or profound.
Probably starting Dead Space 3 today. Perhaps I’ll finish it before Plague Tale comes out next week. Very excited for that.
I have a lot of games in my backlog, lol. I spend too much time playing stuff from Game Pass, and chasing achievements in most games I play, that’s my problem.
If I focused solely on the backlog and playing through story only I could easily triple my finished games/year.
Ha. Same. I have so many games that would take about 6 hours to complete, but every time I’m about to start one I think, “there’s a reason I haven’t played this yet…” Then I go back to something that takes 15 or 50 hours.
I don’t think I’m going to catch up either, but I have been having a blast and I made a pretty good dent in my backlog. So, mission accomplished for me.
But all credit to @outrigued. He has been crushing it lately.
Yeah, for sure. All credit to them, it’s impressive.
I’ve also made a real dent in the backlog, which is nice. Best of all is that this competition keeps me from buying more shit that just gets added to the pile. Progress!
Yeah… I was just going to try out Chivalry 2 on GP. Got hooked and its all I’m playing atm, haha. I’ve finished about 20 games from Game Pass this year so far, all of them to 100%. It is what it is, I have fun and I’ve made a good dent in the backlog after all.
This has been a lot of fun. Honestly. And you guys have inspired me to go back to stuff that I had abandoned for dumb or petty reasons, and I’m really grateful that I’ve had a compelling reason to do so. Ended up playing some really great games, and that’s what this is all about! Of course, my Game Pass playtime has gone down because of it (good bye, Sable…which I had dreams of finishing) but such is the nature of a subscription service.
I hope you all will keep going, just for the thrill of playing stuff. I know I plan to.
On this topic…the SF6 beta last weekend left me hungry for more fighting games, so I bought Mortal Kombat 9, which I had forgotten is now BC. So, -1 for me. Hope to finish this weekend!
Also, I played some Chivalry 2 a few nights ago and it was silly fun. Will be coming back for more.
I implore you all to friend me on Xbox and Discord - examinedLyfe
And count on me returning for 2023’s challenge, if you’ll have me!
