What I thought of it:
To a T by Uvula is even stranger than Noby Noby Boy. This time you play a T-shaped teenager. Why is she T-shaped, and what on earth is going on in this world? The dogs sense something too. A very fun sim with enjoyable gameplay elements you wouldn’t expect. Beautiful art style as well. If you have about 3 hours to spare, you should definitely play this one.
My last finished game was Sound Shapes on the PS4. I meant to play it on Vita but never got around to it. It's a fairly short, cute, artsy platformer, typical of PlayStation's "play/create/share" era, with a level editor and a now-defunct online gallery. I got all the notes in the campaign level but only a few of the postgame challenge levels.
Based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld (obviously), this point and click adventure from 1995 has been on my radar... well, since 1995. I played a demo of it from a magazine's cover CD, but never got around to buying the actual game. Some years ago I did finally get it, and the game works perfectly with ScummVM.
The main attraction here is the writing. Silly humour and stupid puns all the way, like it's supposed to be. The main character Rincewind is voiced by the legendary Eric Idle (from Monty Python) and he's done a superb job. Graphics are nice, too. Especially all the bumps with Death himself were hilarious.
Unfortunately, the game's notorious for it's obscure puzzles and moon logic. Basically, you have to almost try everything to get the proper results. I tried for hours, then decided to follow a walkthrough but still looked at and talked to anything possible, to hear Eric Idle's remarks. Enjoyable game, but be prepared to consult a guide regularly. Sadly it's not available for sale these days, so your only option is a used copy or the high seas. It's also available for Playstation and Mac. Edit: And on Saturn!
Ha ha.
My words exactly.
Death is the best side character.
The graphics are silly, nicely drawn and animated.
Arco. On PC. A tactical RPG set in 16th c (?) Central America with a story that is tragic but lovely. Very pretty pixel art and a great soundtrack. If you like Westerns, this will tick a lot of boxes.
I found the combat very hard and it took me a long while to get competent at it, but I'm glad I stuck with it.
I was actually disappointed by it. It started really well, but the more the story advanced the more boring it became, the villain was really bleh. The combat got really repetitive. Didn't help that the further you were into the game, for story reasons, the less color it had, the game became really grey looking for me.
Pokemon Legends ZA. Completed the story, it was good, not crazy but decent nonetheless. There's just so much to this game. While some players (me) will be completely distracted by all the little things to do in the game, others will be focused on things like.. the wall? I get it. It's 2d. But like, that game is built for switch 1.. I thought player's were looking out more for gameplay mechanics, addicting loops, little fun moments with your poke friends, forming bonds. Nah. Only focus on the 2d wall! (news flash, walls are literally 2d? Joking, a little.) But seriously get over the ragebait youtube videos criticizing the game, maybe try it out, and if you have a urge to do see where a game takes you, you'll have an amazing time. Music can get repetitive if you play long enough. I wasn't even into the music at first. The battles are where the game can shine because even if you have something that's way more powerful, you still must be careful. A couple wrong moves and suddenly you're scrambling to remember "what is that thing even weak to again?" This has been a little all over the place, but man. I just felt I had to say something because.. it is the last game that I completed, but the hate has been everywhere! And don't get me wrong. I think gamefreak with more time and a bigger budget, focusing strictly on switch 2 capabilities, (maybe even a bit of voice acting), could go a long way. I hate to use the word "cozy" but man. That game is so easy to pick up and play for hours. One more thing I might add is about the criticism toward the no voice acting. I find this a little ridiculous. I know a lot of visual novel games are voice acted, but even some of the best one's are not. Yes, I am comparing pokemon to a visual novel, in a sense, because the games have never even had voice acting before.. so would they even fit to begin with? Would game freak have the time to implement them? I will concede the whole cutscene situation, it does look a little ridiculous. anyways..
Mythologies is as crap as ever and I've never actually played Special Forces up until this collection. It's actually not bad, just feels unfinished. The blaxploitation aspect was an odd choice for early 2000s and it just doesn't work.
The arcade games though are as tight and lean as ever. The AI however is clearly broken in the collection. I have compared MK to an actual MK machine we own and it's not the same. Using the rewind feature seems to piss off whatever new algorithm they are using. Oddly, if you put your PS5 to sleep mid-match and then wake it up, your opponent becomes braindead.
Games completed this year include, Doom: the dark ages, Keeper, Homeworld 3 and the gunk.
I know, I know four totally different games.But i have to say i enjoyed all of them.
I rolled credits on Returnal, which doesn't seem to be quite at the point of finishing it, but I'm struggling to remember the last thing, so let's go with that.
@Utimuti I really enjoyed Sound Shapes back in the day (I played on PS Vita). I was thinking about it recently as I was playing Lumines Remastered on the Steam Deck and was thinking that I really enjoy games where the music builds depending on how well you're doing.
Think my most recent game was Ball X Pit. Very addictive but taking a wee break before deciding whether to play through with all characters.
@Magnumstache same, I also liked the Bit.Trip games for that reason
Finished Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush (Kirby and the Rainbow Curse) for the Wii U yesterday, on a playthrough started when that game was still new! I dig the vibes, music, and concept but in practice I found it frustrating to control.
Just finished up A Plague Tale Requiem tonight after after a pretty short 15hr campaign, I still have mixed thoughts on the franchise. The game has some performance issues that annoy me, I kept getting transition stutter that was super annoying and ruined some moments in the game. But it also looks really good and has some good sound design. The characters in these games remain the standout feature for me still, I just love them and the relationship they have with each other.
I just wish I liked the story more. Not going to go into spoilers, but I've always been disappointed that they took the story in the direction they did. And wish it was more of a metaphor I guess for the Plague, and not what it actual is in-game.
Also have to mention the combat is far more varied in this sequel, with way more options on how to deal with each encounter. And everyone involved in your team can play a direct role in the combat this time if you wish to play it that way. All in all, I would recommend playing the franchise, and both games are short enough that they don't outstay there welcome.
What I thought of it:
Naturally, I was excited, but it fell short. It looks like Ninja Gaiden 4, yet it really plays like a PlatinumGames title, without the Itagaki formula. If you expect that, you’ll be disappointed.
The core systems don’t work: the game almost plays itself, the heavy auto-targeting kills all tactical depth, and the filler on-rails sections are dull. It feels rushed, but the core mechanics are fundamentally flawed. It may look great, but it just isn’t it.
⭐⭐
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
Played on: Xbox Series X
Year of release: 2025
Credits screen: Link to credits / ending screen
What I thought of it:
After the disappointment of part 4, I jumped straight into this one. And wow, what a relief. Ninja Gaiden 2 is one of my favorites, with Sigma right behind it. Black is a remaster of Sigma, and I’m so glad it’s a remaster and not a remake. Under the hood, it’s Sigma one to one. It’s simply polished to a shine and now looks beautiful.
Unlike part four, this one is perfect. At its core, it has some of the best systems ever made for a character action game. Everything clicks into place. Inputs register instantly, and you feel the direct impact. The triangle of counter > grab > block. I can have so much fun with this. It’s got a decent playtime, around 8 to9 hours.
And the criticism that it feels repetitive? I really don’t see it. Yes, you fight all the bosses again at the end, but treat it like a fighter as DOA and you’re more than happy to take on the same opponents again. Amazing combat, amazing tech, an amazing game. As a replay/remaster/remake, one of the best I’ve played this year.
@MetsukiR FFXVI is one of my favourite games in a long time but it's definitely a game of highs and lows. I 100% agree with your points.
When it's firing on all cylinders few games provide such a sheer sense of scale and spectacle. The cast (main villain aside) and the score is truly wonderful.
When you get to the side content however, the money dries up. While there are some nice stories to be found, they're hamstrung by both their presentation and the fact that Clive has two verbs: loot and kill. It gets very repetitive, especially in the late-game. It could've done with some dumb one-off mechanics/mini-games to mix things up a bit.
What also doesn't help is that most of the side-content is when the whole map is in that weird purple hue that makes everything look a bit flat. It's really a disservice to how nice the game can look.
Overall while it really resonated with me, I'd say it's a stellar 20 hour game stretched out to 40-50.
I finished Pokemon Scarlet recently and it was... okay at best. The core formula is still fun but it's wrapped in a lifeless world and weird technical choices. Mesagoza (the big city with the school in it) was definitely a lowlight; totally flat and ugly with nothing to do! I probably enjoyed it more than Sword/Shield but that's not saying much.
Just finished Thank Goodness You're Here! on the Steam Deck. Absolutely brilliant fun, although it's more just a collection of amusing stories rather than a game. Not sure if the humour would land outside of the U.K. but as a Scotsman I thought it was very funny (including the Billy Connolly-sounding handyman!)
RoboCop: Rogue City — Unfinished Business which was a fun blast on PS5Pro — went straight into The Invincible because I like a bit of hard sci-fi and retro-future sci-fi too.
On Steam Deck and gaming rig been playing Cleared Hot which is like a 2025 take on the Strike series (Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, etc.).
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Topic: What game did you finish last?
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