#but I still like it and it’s a bioshock game so I’ve included it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 8 months

Text

About Me: Favorite Video Games

So you may not know this, but I’m a gamer. Shocking, right? Who’d ever have guessed it? But to be totally fair here, I rarely talk about video games on Tumblr. I talk about movies, and there have been a handful of times where I reviewed video games, but I focused more on the story, characters, and all that then I did on whether or not the gameplay was good. In my earliest days, before I found my niche, I talked about games a fair deal, but that fell by the wayside so I could focus on films (my true passion).

So hey, look at this! You’re all going to get to see what my favorite video games are now! Remember, everything here is just my personal opinions; I'm not trying to give actual reviews of each of these games in a couple of sentences or trying to sell you on them, I'm talking about the stuff in them that makes me love them. All of this is my subjective opinion, and I'm not asking you to agree with me here, I'm just trying to talk about stuff that I love.

Oh, and here are some honorable mentions: Super Mario Bros. 3, Banjo-Kazooie (I still haven’t finished it and I don’t want to include games I haven’t played through), Kid Icarus: Uprising, Bayonetta 2, Injustice 2, BioShock, Doom Eternal, Super Metroid, Dragon Age II, God of War II, Castlevania: Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, The Wolf Among Us, The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Up Your Arsenal, and Heritage for the Future. Also a shout out to Tell Me Why and Life is Strange, games I watched my wife play and loved the story of but that I didn’t actually play myself; the former in particular has all sorts of elements I love in my stories.

Now, without further ado, here’s my top 50! Oh, and only the top 30 have pictures because there's image limits on posts! What a load of BS!

50. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Ok, maybe this game is lacking in a few areas at the expense of its massive customization system… but boy howdy what a system it is! I cannot tell you how much time I’ve sunk into decorating my island, reorganizing my villagers, and just making all sorts of weird themed areas. It’s a lot of fun, and I get to do all this work while hanging with a bunch of weird, cute animals.

49. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R

The original game was a lot of fun, but even I’ll admit it felt like it was missing something. That something was probably Foo Fighter, but guess what? She’s in the updated rerelease, along with aslew of other new characters like my favorite minor antagonist Mariah and the bane of Heritage for the Future players, Pet Shop! Add onto that a much better campaign mode with some fun little AU shenanigan matches and you have the most loving fighting game tribute to JJBA imaginable! Now if only they’d give Part 8 a little more love...

48. Batman: Arkham Origins

This is the redheaded stepchild of the Arkham series, and on some level I get why. It is very much aping City, right down to the map despite their being some expansions here and there, and the combat is much more of the same with little in the way of evolution, and don’t get me started on the fucking Joker showing up again. But this game also features some of the best bosses in the series such as Firefly and especially Deathstroke, a Bane who isn’t just a mindless mass of muscles like in the other games, and some interesting sidequests that make this early look at Batman’s superheroics a worthwhile entry in my eyes.

47. Miitopia

This is one of the easiest games out there, what with the autopilot combat and minimal difficulty (though there is a big spike late in the game). But the sheer vastness of the facial customization means that literally anyone from all of art or history can take part in a wacky, cliché RPG adventure. Hank Hill can fight the evil overlord Seth MacFarlane with a crew consisting of Chowder, Thor, and Japanese comedian/director/actor Beat Takeshi. If that’s not worth the price of admission, I don’t know what is.

46. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

The DS is where Castlevania truly shined, and my favorite of all the handheld entries is this portrait-hopping journey to defeat a mad artist and his evil vampire children. The locations are pretty great, there’s tons of sidequests and alternate game modes (my favorite is the one where you play as the Old Axe Armor), and there’s an awesome brutal bonus dungeon where you get to fight the bosses from Dawn of Sorrow without the stupid drawing bullshit!

45. Maximo vs. Army of Zin

The original game was a fun, yet very flawed action platformer. This game veers more into the hack-and-slash genre to great effect; it’s not the deepest combat ever, but it’s a lot of fun, with much better platform, bosses, and story than the first game. There’s just something cool about a world that mixes Gothic horror, steampunk, and other fantasy elements together all in one place.

44. God Hand

This is one of the most deceptive games you’ll ever come across. On the surface, it might seem like an ugly beat-em-up, but it’s so much more than that. The bosses are brutal yet fantastic, the music is fucking incredible, and the humor is just the right level of absurd to be incredibly charming. It’s ball-bustingly difficult, but let me tell you, when you finally overcome a fight or a boss battle that’s been giving you trouble? It is literally the best feeling in the world.

43. South Park: The Stick of Truth

‘Member when South Park was funny? I ‘member. And The Stick of Truth really brings back all those memories because this is a hilarious and loving tribute to the series made with the help of Trey Parker and Matt Stone to deliver the playable South Park experience of your dreams. It’s gross, immature, raunchy, and funny, and best of all it doesn’t get too preachy or up its own ass with messages—no, it gets up Mr. Slave’s ass to defuse a bomb. Peak South Park right here, though the gameplay is kind of basic. It’s all carried by that stellar writing.

42. Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity

This game mainly scores a spot on my list for being fucking hilarious. This is the funniest Crash Bandicoot ever got, with all sorts of wacky gags and clever dialogue. Cortex really is the MVP here, with the constant slapstick that befalls him combined with his snarky dialogue making him a standout. It’s a bummer so much was cut from the game, and it does feel a bit incomplete in some areas, but for what it is it’s a damn fun time.

41. Pokemon White/White 2

It was genuinely hard to pick a single game from the series to go on here considering how much I loved Gens III – V. Emerald perfected the generation I first got into the series, LeafGreen is the definitive Kanto experience to me, Platinum polished up Gen IV’s uneven debut and made it incredible, and SoulSilver is a fantastic remake of the first Pokemon game I ever played (Crystal). But I think I have to go with the Gen V games I played as my favorites. They’re fun and challenging, and while the first game has a ridiculously restrictive regional dex and the second has an overreliance on defunct wi-fi features, the fantastic story and fun new Pokemon make up for it. Can’t be too mad at the games that let me make trashy cult classic B-movies with my boy Garbodor, can I?

40. Batman: Arkham Knight

I put off playing this for years, because I wasn’t happy with some of the things I heard about it, such as a lack of traditional boss battles and an overreliance on the Batmobile. These are still problems, but not near as bad as I feared (obviously, since it’s on this list); everything about the gameplay is the series at its peak. The main story is a bit lacking and ends up being a tad too predictable for me to love it as much as the other entries in the series, but the fact it has Professor Pyg and Man-Bat really helps make up for its shortcomings.

39. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

This game is just as silly and clunky as I imagined an older Bethesda game would be, but to my surprise I think it holds up incredibly well even compared to Skyrim. It’s a bit more complex in a lot of areas, but it’s not too daunting. What really strikes me is how this game actually has a really good story; it’s nothing groundbreaking, but when you look at how bad the Civil War plot in Skyrim was it feels like Shakespeare in comparison. Throw in a ton of unique sidequests with interesting plotlines, a gruesome Dark Brotherhood plot, an interesting villain, and Patrick Stewart for all of about five minutes, and I’d almost say I like this more than Skyrim. Almost.

38. Wolfenstein: The New Order

Sure, it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to FPS games, but does it need to? All I want from a Wolfenstein game is a horde of Nazi motherfuckers to mow down, and guess what this game gives me? What really surprised me was how genuinely cool and likable BJ was. He might be one of my favorite heroes ever after this game. It’s a shame they couldn’t keep this level of polish up in the sequel.

37. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

In a lot of ways, this game is objectively worse than its predecessor. Like the story is ass for sure; I could not give less of a fuck about the Stormcloaks and the Imperials and their stupid civil war if I tried. But the vast world filled with things to do is so much fun to explore, and there’s all sorts of sidequests and shenanigans to get into. This game is pure, stupid fun, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve restarted it just to play as a different race or class. Maybe someday I’ll make it to the final boss. Maybe.

36. Psychonauts

The original Psychonauts is one of the last great platformers, and among them it’s a lot more unique than many of its peers as you’re platforming through the minds of all sorts of wacky characters to help them overcome their issues. Bouncing through the conspiracy theory-addled brain of a disturbed milkman or decimating a city kaiju style inside the mind of a hyper-intelligent mutant lungfish are the kind of off-the-wall ideas this game throws at you, and in my opinion the only thing that could hold it back is if it had a really janky final level that combines meat, circuses, escort missions, and an underwhelming final boss… Oops. Still a great game in my eyes, one that’s 95% perfect.

35. Final Fantasy VI

For a lot of people, this is the best Final Fantasy game, and I definitely see why. It has a truly massive playable roster of unique characters with their own special gimmicks (of which only a handful are actually useful, mind you) and one of the greatest video game villains ever conceived in the mad clown Kefka, plus it is so focused and tightly plotted for the first half of the game. I think that after Kefka takes over the story becomes a lot more aimless and unfocused, but that’s also where the game becomes a lot more fun and challenging too. It’s a bit uneven, but after how hard the opera house scene goes I think it’s allowed to trip a little bit.

34. Dragon Age: Origins

A lot more praise is thrown at this series’ sci-fi sibling Mass Effect, probably because that series is a lot more consistent with how good it is across the board (Andromeda notwithstanding), but I’m much more fond of fantasy settings myself and this game delivers a fantastic one in ways its sequels couldn’t quite manage. This is the only game in the series where I genuinely loved every single party member (especially Leliana) and actively tried to get them the happiest endings possible—yes, even the douchebag anti-villain who joins you if you play your cards right), and the plot is just the right level of epic fantasy cheese seasoned with some delicious side quests. If the dwarf plotline wasn’t such a slog and if Varric was in the game, this would be a lot higher on the list, but this game still holds a special place in my heart.

33. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Our first trip into the Asylum really did kill the notion that licensed games had to be the most obnoxious shovelware schlock imaginable by making a Batman game that actually makes you feel like Batman. Sure, the detective part is a bit minimal here compared to the sequels, but the combat is so fun and refreshing that I’m not too bothered by the lack of crime scene investigations. There’s a clear love for the entire mythos here, and best of all a clear love for the animated series—Hamill and Conroy reprise their roles as Joker and Batman respectively, and Arleen Sorkin gives Harley one last ride before her retirement. It’s a real love letter to the Dark Knight, and it spawned one of the most consistently good video game series around, so I’ll forgive it for having the lamest final boss I’ve ever fought just this once.

32. Kingdom Hearts

What I like about the original game is how it struck such a nice balance in its absurd premise, with it never feeling like the Final Fantasy or Disney elements are really overpowering each other. We have the grandiose, convoluted plots of the former and the magic, whimsy, and awesome villains of the latter combining together into one impressive package. Yeah, a lot of the level designs are dogshit (looking at you, Deep Jungle and Monstro), and some of the stunt casting is really bizarre (Lance Bass as Sephiroth?!) but overall this is a game way better than you’d think by hearing that it’s a game where Mickey Mouse and Cloud Strife exist side by side.

31. Super Mario 64

Mamma mia! It is genuinely impossible for me to not feel nostalgic for this game. So many 3D platformers that came out in its wake took what it did and polished it to absurd degrees, but there’s still something so special about diving back into one of the portraits in Peach’s castle and going through those levels again and again. The music and atmosphere of the game add onto it; every time I play it, I feel like a kid again. It’s just such a charming game.

30. MediEvil

If Tim Burton made a Gothic horror fantasy movie, I imagine it would be something like this game. It really uses the limitations of the PS1’s graphics to the fullest extent, with the jagged polygonal looks of the characters enhancing the experience, and it has such a crazy variety of levels and enemies, from a phantom pirate ship to a crystal cave with a dragon to a village of posessed villagers to an ant hill. Sir Daniel Fortesque is one of my favorite video game protagonists around because of his posthumous journey to live up to the legend fabricated around him.

29. God of War III

Every single one of these games just escalates from the previous one. Oh, you fight the hydra in the opening of the first game? How about you fight through Rhodes and then battle the animated colossus that once stood in its port in the second? And how do you top that for the third game? Beat the ever-loving shit out of Poseidon and gouge his eyes out from his POV. And this game only gets more brutal from there! Titans and gods all fall to Kratos in epic and gory boss battles, but honestly even without that I’d put the game on this list for the simple reason that you get to fucking murder Kevin Sorbo as Hercules.

28. EarthBound

Nintendo’s quirkiest RPG makes the cut, mostly on the basis of how weird and charming it is. At this point I’ve essentially memorized everything you need to do in this game, which is good because if it’s your first time you desperately need a guide or you’ll be fucked. There are points where things get a little too grindy (mostly for Poo’s weapons) but it’s genuinely a game whose charms outweigh any negatives there are. Plus, that final boss battle is something else entirely.

27. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Rebirth and all of its DLC updates took everything great about the original game and polished it into absolute perfection, with so many different item combos you could potentially get and so many bosses and endgames you could encounter. No two runs ever really feel the same, and it’s so satisfying to become so overpowered you nuke the screen every time you attack. The fact there’s a thriving modding community to continually generate new and crazier content also adds to why I have a ridiculous number of hours dumped into this game.

26. Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

This is the first Resident Evil game I ever played and, wow, I sure was missing out all those years! This is one of the most tense survival horror experiences I’ve played through, with a creepy family of hillbilly horrors to avoid as I creep through their ramshackle domicile. It’s fun, creepy, and even a little campy, and it has raised my interest in the rest of the series. Hopefully the game with the giant vampire mommy will live up to how good this one is when I finally get around to playing it.

25. Portal 2

Yes, the puzzles are great, but this game really soars due to its writing. The first game was fun and all, but it was mostly just GLaDOS insulting you the whole time with Chell being an entirely silent protagonist. In this game, we get the lovable idiot Wheatley and the greatest mad scientist ever conceived Cave Johnson to listen to as well, and the way GLaDOS bounces off the former and reacts to the latter help make this game a fun and engaging puzzle-solving adventure.

24. Doom

The legendary FPS series got revitalized after years on the edge of relevancy, and its return is one of the most metal games imaginable. Slaughtering your way through the forces of Hell while heavy metal blares in the background? It really doesn’t get much better than this. While I do think Eternal improved the formula and gameplay in a lot of ways (particularly with the addition of an awesome hub level), I find the original to be way more fun and balanced in terms of difficulty. The lack of Marauders is really what gives it the slightest of edges.

23. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nobody got left behind for this one. Everyone across the series came back, and then they went and added even more to give us the most ambitious crossover of all time. Ridley, Simon Belmont, Sora, Sephiroth, Kazuya, and more all get to duke it out on the best stages of the series as well as some fresh new ones, and every character plays even better and more balanced than they ever have before. While the single player campaign isn’t quite as exciting as Subspace Emissary from Brawl, it still manages to be a pretty epic quest with fun boss battles. This is just the definitive Smash experience in my opinion.

22. Red Dead Redemption

My daughter has affectionately labeled this game “Horse Movie,” and she’s not wrong. This is a true cowboy experience right here, with lots of gunfights and horse wrangling, and it’s all a blast. The story in particular is really well done, and there’s plenty of fun side quests too. Maybe the gunfights get a bit samey after a while, but it’s an enjoyable open world to explore and is filled with oddities and mysteries galore.

21. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The first Metal Gear game to make the list, and easily the most underrated of the bunch. It gets a lot of flak for the missing final episode that would have had Venom fight the young Liquid Snake, and while it does suck that that moment isn’t in the game, the story still feels plenty complete and well-done without it. Venom might be one of the most fascinating characters in the series, and the game has some of the most brutal gutpunches and tearjerking moments in the franchise. Maybe it’s just because I’m predisposed to love Metal Gear, but I loved this game even though I was well aware of what it didn’t have.

20. Final Fantasy VII

Not to be a basic bitch, but this is my favorite Final Fantasy. I mean, the cast is all so cool and fun, the story is great, Sephiroth is an amazing villain, and there’s plenty of obscure and obtuse ways of finding secrets that make a strategy guide practically mandatory if you want the most out of the game. What’s not to love? I think I was mostly surprised by how good the game actually was; it’s always high on lists of the best games ever, and it definitely earns that. The fact that Aerith’s death still made me tear up despite being common knowledge is a testament to just how amazing this Fantasy is.

19. Mother 3

EarthBound coasts by on its fun, lighthearted quirkiness… but what if you took that and applied heaping helpings of darkness and a more solid story? That’s Mother 3, a beautiful tale filled with the same out there humor as its predecessor as well as a lot of more mature and deeper themes than even the original tackled (mind you, Earthbound wasn’t devoid of deeper themes to begin with, so this is saying something). The ending is one of the few times I have openly sobbed while playing a video game. They need to officially release this in the West, because I will buy it day one. Fuck, I’ll pre-order it!

18. Yoshi’s Island

If this game was only one of the most charmingly animated games ever made, that would be enough to earn it at least some respect. But it’s also one of the best platformers in a series that invented the genre, centered around a truly inspired baby-carrying gimmick and featuring all manner of creative boss battles and one of the most earwormy soundtracks ever made. That’s enough to get it a spot on this list, but the fact it solidified Shy Guys as a Mario mainstay and not just a one-shot enemy? That gets it into my top 20.

17. Spyro Reignited Trilogy

It’s kind of cheating since it’s all three games in one package, but it’s my list, I make the rules. I view this as the definitive way to play Spyro; the redesigns are all fantastic (especially Elora) and the fact Tom Kenny is now the lovable purple scamp across all three games is wonderful. They even made the first game more enjoyable and even visually interesting, even though it’s still the weakest link in the series! And as much of a Crash Bandicoot stan as I am, the fact this game allows you to switch between the newly composed arrangements of the songs and the original Copeland tracks is a big W over the Bandicoot remakes only having the new versions of the songs.

16. Metal Gear Rising

This is perhaps the most badass game ever made. The first level has Raiden battling through a war zone and then fighting a RAY singlehandedly, leaping across missiles and slicing it in half while the most fucking awesome metal music blares in the background. The game just decides to get even more insane from there. People have argued against it being canon for years, but these people are stupid. This game is just as insane and politically-charged as the rest of the series, so in my book, it’s fucking canon.

15. Undertale

This game’s time in the spotlight has faded a bit, but that only makes it easier for me to look back on it and say, “Damn, that’s one of the finest games ever made.” It has all the quirkiness of the Mother series with unique combat and a stellar story, a cast of likable characters, and some of the best boss fights I’ve ever been through. Best of all, it’s a game that practically encourages and even rewards you for being nice! I still love it, even after all the discourse and skyrocketing popularity, and nothing will make me budge on that love.

14. Hades

I’m a big fan of Greek mythology, so this is yet another game that would have had to try really hard to make me hate it. Thankfully, all its efforts were put into areas that made me love it instead. While the roguelike gameplay is well done, the writing and story are really the stars here, with fantastic character interactions between desperate god Zagreus, the gods of Olympus, and the various denizens of the underworld really making this game something truly special.

13. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Sometimes this game feels like the designers saw all those articles and reviews comparing the first game to Dark Souls and took it to heart, because some of the levels in this game are absolutely brutal—especially if you’re going for 100% completion. But that same difficulty makes playing through the levels a lot of fun as well; it’s probably the most challenging Crash outing to date. It really polishes and updates the Crash formula for the modern age, and hopefully they expand on this in a future game. If nothing else, it finally lets you play as Dingodile, which is a dream come true.

12. Grand Theft Auto V

It’s wacky. It’s cartoonish. It has a surprisingly good story about three criminals from different walks of life becoming fire-forged friends as they violently work out their emotional issues. There’s just so much to do and so much to see, all sorts of collectibles and side missions, and more black comedy than you can shake a stick at, and all of it is made all the more enjoyable because the main villain protagonists are a likable bunch of nutjobs. Hell, sometimes I just like to hop into a car, put on some tunes, and cruise around until I can cause some mayhem, and the fact that’s just as valid as doing a bunch of story missions really makes me love the game.

11. Silent Hill 2

While the first and third games are good in their own rights, I vastly prefer the psychological horror and the monsters manifesting as living allegories for trauma with heavy and dark symbolism as opposed to the evil cult narrative. Plus, you know, this one has Pyramid Head in it, and his presence makes sense instead of simply being there cuz he’s cool.

10. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials & Tribulations

The Ace Attorney series is one of my favorites, and I love just about all the games in it and even the ones I don’t love always have one or two solid cases that keep me coming back. But pound for pound my favorite game in the series is the third one, the one that lets you play as Mia Fey, introduces the callous murderer Dahlia Hawthorne, and has you match wits with the coffee-guzzling prosecutor Godot. Even the filler cases are entertaining, with the one where Phoenix has to get to the bottom of a murder involving his evil doppleganger being wildly amusing (which is more than can be said for that circus case in the second game or cases two through three in the fourth).

9. Live A Live

Few games can boast the sheer variety this game has on display, with levels changing up their style to give everything from standard RPG fair to a prolonged timed puzzle to a fighting game pastiche to an incredibly tense survival horror experience. We also have the precursor to Undertale here in a ninja-themed level where you can spare everyone you come across or otherwise brutally murder them. And while the stories remain relatively simple in every time period you visit, it doesn’t stop them from hitting hard when they need to, like with the fantasy RPG deconstruction that is Oersted’s chapter. This game would easily have switched places with the next game if the final level played a bit more to the game’s strengths, but hey, it’s still good enough to be in the top 10.

8. Chrono Trigger

Square’s other time travel story is definitely the superior one even if it’s a traditional JRPG through and through. Of course, that is because it completely and fully takes advantage of its premise, with actions you take in one time period affecting others in turn, not to mention the vast amount of bonus bosses and sidequests there are to keep the multiple playthroughs to acquire all the endings fresh and fun. I’ve sunk so much time into getting all the endings on the DS version, and I’ve never once been bored even after visiting the Middle Ages or the ruined future world a dozen times.

7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

There are few games that I love revisiting more than this one. This is Metroidvania at its peak, a perfect blend of action, platforming, and RPG elements into one glorious Gothic horror monster mash package. What’s truly fun with this one is the myriad ways there are to bust the game right open. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve grinded for hours so that I could dual-wield Crissaegrims and trivialize the Dracula and Galamoth battles.

6. Psychonauts 2

The original Psychonauts is fun and quirky, and is only really held back by a pretty sloppy final level. This game, though? This game is damn near perfect. Nearly every level here is fun and memorable, and the ways Raz has to help each person deal with their mental trauma is a lot more nuanced and tasteful than the original game’s fair-for-its-time takes on dealing with mental illness. The minds of Ford’s old crew as well as Ford himself provide some of the best Psychonauts content to date, and really, who can hate a level that ends with Jack Black as a gay psychic rock star viking performing a musical number to obliterate his own insecurities?

5. Kingdom Hearts II

This is where the Kingdom Hearts franchise peaked, and it’s a high note they’ve yet to reach again. Sure, the tutorial prologue level drags on for quite a long while, but once you get to play as Sora again, ooh boy is this basically the perfect meeting of the worlds of Disney and Square. The Disney worlds are a lot more fleshed out and have twice the plot due to midgame return visits, the combat is more exciting with fun little reaction commands to let you pull off crazy maneuvers, and you get to hang out with Tron and the most based of all Disney heroes, Chicken Little. Best of all, the story manages to strike the perfect balance between being complex and silly without disappearing all the way up its own ass like later entries would.

4. Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

In my house, there was a legend that I had beaten this game to completion one hundred times. I’m not entirely sure how accurate that is, but considering how often I replayed this growing up it can’t be too far off. This is one of the most gorgeous platformers around, and Naughty Dog’s final shot at a genre they’d perfected with their Crash Bandicoot games. Even all these years later the visuals are breathtaking; I still am in awe at how you can see the entire world from atop Snowy Mountain. Every day I cry because they decided to turn the series into GTA clones instead of continuing to explore the gorgeous fantasy world they created in this game.

3. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

The original Crash Bandicoot was the first game I ever played, and the rest of the series were cornerstones of my childhood. Imagine how elated I was when they not only remade the games, but they created the single definitive way to play them! Sure, the soundtrack being redone can be a little hit or miss, but they completely unfucked the brutal difficulty of the first game (and this is even with adding back the ball-bustingly hard “Stormy Ascent” level) and for the most part left the latter two games entirely untouched save a graphical boost and the ability to play as my girl Coco. Playable Coco alone makes this a dream come true.

2. Batman: Arkham City

The Arkham series is one of the most consistently great series, and this is its greatest entry. The titular city is massive, with so many things to do, and the combat and puzzles are polished to perfection. Add in some actual detective work, some truly epic boss battles against iconic Batman villains like Clayface and Mr. Freeze (and also Solomon Grundy, because why the fuck not?), the ability to play as Catwoman, and one of the most shocking and tragic tales the Dark Knight has ever been in, and I’m more than happy to call it my second favorite game ever.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Of course, there was no hope Arkham City had at overcoming this game. This is Kojima’s magnum opus, not least because the entire rest of the Metal Gear series revolves around the events that transpire in this story. After the mindfuck that was the second game, it’s nice to return to a more coherent story, one detailing how Big Boss came to be the man that Snake fought in Zanzibar Land. Everything in the series sprang forth because of the actions the characters take here, and each subsequent game just makes this one better and better. Every single boss battle is unique and engaging, and the final battle is one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of gaming. I still cry every single time I get to the ending. It's such an amazing game, with a relatively simple yet still strong and convoluted story populated with a Russian madman with inexplicable lightning powers, a spirit medium's ghost, and a man who controls bees. God bless Hideo Kojima, that absolute madman.

#about me #video games

15 notes · View notes

jutsei · 11 months

Text

Finished Burial at Sea Episode 2, and with that, my time with Bioshock Infinite

I thought it was interesting to play as Elizabeth, who plays differently from Booker in that you’re basically playing Thief: The Dark Project, which is at least interesting and neat.

The Rapture locals are at least interesting and aren’t extremely obvious combat arenas, and the other new features are neat.

I did like how we got actual models for Atlas, that was neat.

It was also funny they had to introduce a retcon for Daisy Fitzroy given how much people hated that plot thread (Me included), it’s still stupid

But other than that? The story was just. ok. Both parts were just ok.

They’re too short to really explore what they wanted to go for, yeah AU Comstock surviving was interesting but he’s killed off, then for whatever reason they completely depower Elizabeth and trap her in Rapture Prime, they introduce all these weird plot threads (DRINKABLE PLASMIDS? Couldn’t you just go through the trouble of modelling a hypo!? Come on!) that only serve to complicate Bioshock 1

In particular the whole thread of Elizabeth finding out the code phrase felt so forced to connect it to the first game and create a closed loop, the scene with the Big Daddy was sweet though.

Overall it was pretty mediocre, it only served to make both Bioshock 1 and Infinite less special and cohesive, Infinite’s tonics are now revealed to just be bootleg plasmids (which sucks!), and the whole thing about Columbia inspiring parts of Rapture was also pretty dumb. I also am not sure how I feel about the Imprinting process for Big Daddies being that.

Seeing the famous Big Daddy killing Suchong scene in person was nice though

Overall, pretty mediocre DLC, least it gave us Rapture again

I think overall Bioshock Infinite is like? A 6.5/10, it’s so average and disappointing compared to the first two games, and the DLCs don’t help, in some ways, they even hinder it.

Episode 2 of Burial at Sea feels like Kevin Levine trying to complete a circle and make Bioshock 1 and Infinite absolutely impenetrable to sequels not made by him, which to me feels petty. If it’s to make sure no one can “Ruin it”, that’s fine, but in this case it just felt extremely petty because Bioshock 2 was pretty good!

And that ends my Bioshock retrospective, walked away with a greater appreciation for Bioshock 1, 2, and Minerva’s den, while also compartmentalizing that Infinite wasn’t as good as I remember, it helps me realize what’s good about games and what’s not, so! It was fun either way!

Not sure what I’ll play next, I’ve been playing this collection for roughly 11 days so. Might need a break

#shin plays bioshock

2 notes · View notes

sunrisetune · 5 months

Note

Tag! If you would like, please tell me about your Courier and F:NV run decisions -- and DLCs as well, if you'd like! Did you have a favored home base in the game? Creepiest location?

Thank you Syrup from the past whose question I definitely didn't never actually answer publicly hahaaaaaa sorry friend! I appreciate it <3

My courier is actually a repurposed Killjoy OC of mine from several thousand internet years ago; she isn't my only courier but she was the first one I played, & only one I’ve finished the game as so far Her name is Violet! her hair’s blue and she does have pronouns.

She worked out an Independent Vegas with no treaty between the NCR and the Vegas gangs. (It annoys both my storytelling sensibilities and my like 'interpreting political messages in video games' sensibilities that the "best" ending is the 'Annex everything to the sci fi-US government" one but ANYWAY) Tried to solve problems diplomatically, but when she can’t, shoot them with a multiplasma rifle and cause chain reactions until they melt down into radioactive goo. As one does

In the DLCs: she tends towards the choices that kept the most people alive. Example: I flat-out didn’t know that we could talk Ulyesses out of the whole ‘nuke half the desert from orbit’ plan, if I could I would’ve spared him. As it was, decided to shut the facility down & let our brave robot friend make his sacrifice honourably. And I only cried about it a little bit! Ignoring ‘Honest Hearts’ bc it is both bad and stupid; I still haven’t played Old World Blues, but I’d like to! Whenever I hear something about that one I think, “Okay, this has to be the weirdest and horniest thing in the add-on” but somehow I have been wrong every time so far. x)

- I had two (2) favourite home bases actually! The first one was our hotel room in Novac. The second was the luxury suite in the Lucky 38, both bc I’m a sucker for The Drama and bc I can fit all of our friends in there with things I gave them. I liked setting up the ‘canteen’-type area in the kitchen and, like, isolate different parts of my inventory in different fridges. Like, “This is where the soda and street food goes! And this one’s for the medicine and the bombs c: “ We had at least three coffee tins and pots at a time, everyone got their own cups. And one (1) teddy bear per friend, bc I’m not a monster

- Creepiest location in the general game for me is Searchlight, for sure. It’s so avoidable and so fucking sad. And, like, one of the ways that the game used toxic waste as not just a backdrop or funny status effect but part of the plot, and how horrifying it is as a weapon. The soldier we meet there who’s ghoulified?? I’ve said this somewhere before but man I love when the game remembers it’s a sci-fi story. - Creepiest place including the DLCs would be the Sierra Madre! Dead Money is my favourite for a reason. The sheer body horror & regular horror of the ghosts. Some of the same as Searchlight as well; the place itself, the air, is hostile to us; we’re absolutely surrounded by dead; and (stealing a line from a Bioshock post I’ll link w/ I find it), the plot knows what it’s point is. The whole resort was metaphorically and literally broken, from the very beginning and the ground up, and that was what doomed everyone in it.

Also about Dead Money: I appreciated how the reason for the setting made sense. Like w/ playing it I was thinking ’’Oh, vending machines that can print whatever’s needed’’; and then Elijah is like ’’vENDING MACHINES THAT CAN PRINT WHATEVER IS NEEDED!’’ Also Pt II: stuck a grenade in the creepy-ass ghoul singer’s pocket. Arguably most satisfying kaboom in the game. Get smithereened douchebag

#Thank you!!#syrupwit #answers #Goose’s original post tag #Good game. Game good #Fallout NV #long post /

1 note · View note

m39 · 8 months

Text

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2007): Introduction

click

Ladies. Gentlemen and Others, welcome, to the Doom WADs’ Roulette, where I review the best WADs according to Doomworld’s Top 100 WADs of All Times and (now) Cacowards. Today, we are starting to check out the “Cacowards” BEEP “2007” BEEP roster. Here are the rules:

#1 We are playing on GZDoom (ver. 4.10.0).

#2 We are playing on Hurt Me Plenty.

#3 Vertical aiming is on.

#4 No infinitely tall monsters.

#5 The WAD will be downloaded from the archives unless it’s not there among other reasons.

#6 We are playing WADs shown on a Doomworld roster from top to bottom in that order.

#7 Lighting is set on Legacy.

#8 Deathmatch WADs and the winners of the Worst WAD award do not count.

click

We are now in 2007. The first iPhone was presented to the dumb masses. Transformers finally got their live-action movie (before it started to suck), the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy has finally concluded (then it got resurrected in 2011), and there were also movies about Will Smith talking to Mannequins and a big bunch of dudes wearing nothing but speedos and being gay with each other... the latter was probably told by some one-eyed mad man or something. Still prefer the cartoony rat over that one.

Video games were thriving in that year, with Mass Effect, God of War II, BioShock, and, of course, Assassin’s Creed being released back then. There was also CoD 4: Modern Warfare, a game in the series that would be considered a masterpiece but also the first step of this franchise becoming the generic filth we know today.

As for the Doom franchise, GabeN decided to give the community an early Christmas present, so Valve allowed all of the Doom games to be sold on Steam, including other games that were created on Id Tech Engines. John Carmack even confirmed that id Software had Doom 4 in their future plans.

Now, for the Cacowards 2007 roster, without counting other awards, we will be having the same roster as we had with 2005 and 2006 rosters; AKA ten best WADs and two runners-up. Unlike the previous year (2006), however, none of the ten golden boys is a deathmatch-exclusive WAD (at least from what I’ve noticed). But like the previous year, we will be skipping the Mordeth Award winner but this time due to winning one of the Cacowards.

Buckle up, cowboys! The 2007 season of WADs has begun!

#doom #doom wad #introduction #doom mod #doom wads’ roulette #cacowards #doom 2007 #2007

0 notes

they2aproblem · 8 months

Text

Post #004: E3 2006 vs 2023

This seems to be a pattern that I’m going to implement in these ramblings. I’ll mention something in a post and then make it the main topic in the next post. I mentioned E3 in the previous post and how I would make a list on what games I’m interested in. E3 is an event in the spring/early summer where developers would announce games for the upcoming holiday season. In recent years, E3 has been falling off as of late and developers have been releasing pre-recorded videos instead of full-on press conferences. So I went back to IGN to see what games were announced at E3 2006. I have compiled a list of games that I eventually bought that were announced at that event, some of which I’ve eventually sold.

Baten Kaitos Origins

Bioshock

Dawn of Mana

Dead Rising

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast

Elite Beat Agents

Final Fantasy XII

Guitar Hero 2

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Madden 07

Mario Hoops 3 on 3

Metal Gear Solid 4

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Metroid Prime 3

New Super Mario Bros

Quantum of Solace

Red Steel

Star Fox Command

Super Paper Mario

Super Smash Bros Brawl

Tales of the Abyss

Tony Hawk Downhill Jam

Tony Hawk Project 8

Wii Sports(packed in with Wii)

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2007

Xenosaga 3

Not including the various Virtual Console games that were announced on the Wii, there are 27 games. From this year’s pre-recorded videos, I saw only 3 games that I am interested in not including DLC; Mythforce, Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Wonder.

I am not upset by this. My wallet is thankful that developers aren’t making games that I want. I feel like this is less to do with developers trying to advertise to me and more to do with them lacking the creativity that they had over a decade and a half ago. I once described the lack of creativity and innovation in games as developers designing a motorcycle without the motor not realizing that that’s a bicycle or a bicycle with a motor not realizing that it’s a motorcycle. Mythfocce is a game based on Saturday Morning cartoons that was released in 2022 and is going to get a console release later this year. Mythforce is something else, it’s something new, it’s a new setting and it has my full attention. Super Mario Wonder is the exact opposite. It’s a Mario game. I know what I’m getting with it and I’m not going to expect anything new. But it’s still a Mario game and I gots to play it. Super Mario RPG is a remaster of my favorite video game of all time. It can play the exact same way that it did in the 1997 release, I don’t care, it’s Super Mario RPG. While Mythforce seems to be its own thing, the two Mario games seem to fall into the motorcycle/bicycle analogy. I don’t have the solution to solve this problem, the well of innovation seems to be dried up right now. The games I am having the most fun with now are JackBox type games that are popular with Twitch streamers. I’m only one person and the type of console games that I want to play are multiplayer co-op games like Borderlands. If developers went back to a co-op centric gameplay, I would be all in for that.

0 notes

liugeaux · 11 months

Text

Repost Vol. 58: In The Year 2000….Liugeaux’s Top 10 of the Decade

I found this today and thought it would make a good remixed repost. 14 years ago I was writing a lot of video game stuff for Techpedition.com. I’m sure no one ever read it, but it was fun putting my opinion out there, much like its fun doing it here. The only difference is, here, I KNOW no one is reading it. So there’s a bit more of a laissez-faire attitude to how weird I get. Hence, these re-visited “articles”. As I’ve done in the past, I’m posting the original article from Techpedition, warts and all, and I’ll be inserting commentary with my current opinion throughout. As always, this should be fun.

Originally shared via Techpedition.com on December 24, 2009. Commentary will be in Bold.

In The Year 2000….Liugeaux’s Top 10 of the Decade

Right from the start, the presumption that my internet name is important enough to include in the article title is hilarious. Also, the “In the year 2000...″ was a reference to a 10 year old Conan O’Brien bit. I don’t know if it played well in 2009, but it definitely doesn’t play well in 2023.

We are 10 years into the new millennium and I don’t have hoover boards, flying cars, or food in pill form, but what we do have are some kick ass games to play. I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 games of 2000-2009. Now before throwing the inevitable “How can you exclude game x?”, remember that I am only one man and can only play so many games. Actually I can tell you exactly how many games I’ve played, lol. The games I’m listing here are games that have either had a profound impact on my gaming habits, consumed ridiculous amounts of my life or left an imprint so strong they cannot go unmentioned. Let’s see what I’ve chosen. I still had a real problem with using a double space after periods. Clearly a hold-over from college research papers.

10. Burnout Paradise Burnout has always been the critics favorite arcade-style racing game, but it never sold as well as it’s (that’s the wrong its) EA stablemate Need For Speed (probably because of the licensed cars). Paradise brings much needed open world gameplay to the series and its (that’s the right its) year’s worth of DLC updates makes it a compelling purchase to this day. It’s seemingly never-ending list of online content is what made it the the only racing game to get my attention in almost a decade. I guess I’m not counting Mario Kart.

9. Bioshock I have gushed about Bioshock before (That’s a link to a Bioshock review I did 2 years after the game came out, as part of my short-lived review series GST-Gamer Savings Time, where I reviewed games that were newly cheap. It was a bad idea.), and with good reason. Bioshock’s gameplay may not be perfect, but what it lacks is more than made up for in the story, atmosphere, and characters. Such an uncomfortably written sentence. To this day, Bioshock’s plot twist is something that I refuse to spoil for anyone and it holds the distinction of being one of the games I simply could not put down.

8. Metroid Prime Trilogy I know that putting the “trilogy” on this list is a kinda cheating, but I felt that I had to put one of the Prime games on the list, so why not make it the best package. My purchase of Metroid Prime was done as “why not” purchase. The game was $4.99 and I had run out of games to play. I wasn’t playing FPSs and I wasn’t too familiar with Metroid. By the time I was done, I found myself wanting to play more FPSs and being disappointed with many that I would pick up and play later. As good as the original Gamecube titles were, I highly recommend you pick up the full proper experience and grab the Trilogy. The point and shoot controls are near perfect and you get all three fantastic games. Not mentioned here is how Metroid went on to be one of my favorite gaming franchises, with Super Metroid being one of my favorite games ever.

7. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2 is the newest game on my list, but its no less deserving than any other. By blending cinema quality cut scenes with an extremely solid single player campaign, Uncharted creates an experience that is more like an interactive movie than a video game. Its big in scale, with action set pieces that Indiana Jones, John McClane and Jason Bourne would kill for. So far its one of the only games that has proven that the PS3 has significantly more horsepower than its competitors. I really had no grasp on the English language, or I just refused to properly proofread. That paragraph, while accurate, is so full of grammatical errors, even I can’t take myself seriously.

6. Super Mario Galaxy As almost a joke, the idea of Super Mario Galaxy, seemed ludicrous. It was almost like Miyamoto said, “we’re out of ideas, let’s send his ass to space.” What came of this decision is the most engaging Mario adventure since Super Mario 64. Adding almost a 4th dimension to the adventure, Galaxy’s puzzles and gameplay mechanics are truly revolutionary and left me blown away. Two too many “almost”s and one too many “adventure”s, but again, what I’m saying isn’t wrong.

5. Shadow of the Colossus Team Ico’s second outing on the PS2, was one of the most interesting games ever released and truly a marvel for its time period. Released towards the end of the PS2’s hey day Shadow, threw all gaming conventions out the window and gave players exactly what they wanted, Boss Fights. As simply a series of elaborately well orchestrated puzzle-like boss fights your character, Wander, must find the weakness of each colossus in the game and exploit it to defeat it. This combined with a brilliant art style and a hauntingly vague story makes Shadow an absolute must-play on the PS2. Was I drunk when I wrote this? I sound like a 15 year old.

4. The Orange Box Again, I’m kind of cheating by putting The Orange Box in this list, but its inclusion is more of a symbol for the roll (it’s role, you dumbass) that Value (it’s Valve, yeah I definitely didn’t proof this at all) has had in gaming since the turn of the century. With the release nearly half a dozen critically acclaimed and eqaully fantatic (equally fantastic, sigh) games (many of which are included in The Orange Box) Valve has cemented themselves as one of the few publishers that can find success on the PC, and with the advent of Steam, Valve has revolutionize digital distribution and helped numerous smaller developers become overnight hits. Oh, and on top of that, The Orange Box is hands down the Best Deal in Gaming History.

3. Super Smash Bros. Melee Two Smash Bros games were released in the past ten years, but only one kept my attention for a solid five of those, and that would be Melee. Melee is easily one of the most balanced fighting games to ever be released and its equally as exciting as it is pure fan service. Even if you are not that good at it, buying SSBM is still a good idea for all Nintendo-philes.

2. Lumines 2 Not since Dr. Mario, and Tetris has a pure puzzle game been so effective at destroying my time. Lumines 2 improved on much of the problems that Lumines had and took the puzzle genre on a much needed acid trip. Its deceptively simple gameplay, mixed with music and atmosphere creates an experience that even after sinking 60+ hours into it I regret not having played more. To this day Lumines 2 is the only PSP game I take on every single road trip. In retrospect, putting Lumines so high is a bold choice. Personally, it DID have a profound effect on my gaming habits, but at #2, that might have been a bit too much.

1. Rock Band 2 What can I say about Harmonix and Rock Band 2 that I haven’t already said. As the creators of Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution, Harmonix had already established themselves as the leading rhythm game developer, but Rock Band and its infinitely improved sequel combined everything they have learned and brought the genre to levels not previously seen. So much so, that even with RB2 being over a year old, their competitors, with 6 games released since RB2, haven’t even come close to eclipsing the sheer quality of the Rock Band product. I still play a decent amount of Rock Band 4 and the disc exports from previous games added value on top of value. Since this is a personal list, RB2 being at the top makes perfect sense, but I might have to go back and redo this with an updated opinion. Something just doesn’t sit right with how some of these landed.

I know that the last one there was pretty predictable, but again, this is my list. I encourage anyone else to share their 10 below and lets start a new decade with some strong titles. Tony Hawk Ride, we’ll try to forget about you…okay. Wow, Tony Hawk Ride, just sitting there, catching strays. I throw it in like it was some landmark of bad game design. What a dick move.

Yeah, I’ll probably redo this list, and while I’m at it, I’ve got the ‘10s I can dive into. See you next time!

Cheers

#rock band 2 #uncharted 2 #lumines 2 #bioshock #super mario galaxy #shadow of the colossus #burnout paradise #super smash bros melee #the orange box #metroid prime trilogy

0 notes

chronicas · 3 years

Text

actually i’m not done bitching about the skyward sword port. i mean no disrespect to the devs who worked on porting it for switch, but also it’s worth acknowledging that a port job is way different from creating a new game from scratch.

the thing is, nintendo has gotten tons of backlash for their lack of support for their older games. i really think the skyward sword port was just an attempt to silence the fans on the matter. most remastered games i’ve played come in a bundle. like the bioshock and uncharted collections, both include ports of games that were almost or were over a decade old. both bundles included games that had been remastered for newer consoles.

if this was really about preserving one of nintendo’s most successful franchises they could’ve followed suit with how other remastered games have gone. a remastered ten year old ported game is not worth a full price game, and developers know this. hence the collections, you still charge $60 for it but your consumers are actually getting what they paid for.

nintendo doesn’t give a shit about it’s consumers or it’s old games. i really do think they just want people to hop off their ass about how shitty they are at preserving their games while filing lawsuits against people making emulators.

there are people who have been emulating this game and providing it for free, the only other way to get a hold of skyward sword was buying a used copy. either way nintendo doesn’t get any money from it, so instead of just putting better effort into preserving their games they pick one (1) game to shine up and sell as if it was new. this isn’t the right way to preserve games.

anyways..

pirating from nintendo is always morally correct!!

#i would’ve soooo bought a $60 bundle of loz wii games but noooo they had to sell just one (1) game #nintendo #ophidian lore

86 notes · View notes

geekgemsspooksandtoons · 2 years

Text

So after seeing on Twitter, checking out @something-in-the-seas blog, and searching up Bioshock isolation.

Turns out there was no Bioshock 4/Bioshock Isolation announcement...damn. My fear came true...I had hoped when I wasn’t in my room. That possibly the trailer or something would pop up. But genuinely nothing.

In all seriousness, I think it was awesome to have that Sonic Movie 2 trailer be showed there. That to me was the highlight. Yet I will admit, I didn’t watch the stream. I was mainly checking out my Twitter for any sort of news.

I’m just getting sad and tired of there being no announcement. Including I’ve been getting back into a Bioshock mood. And me wanting to start over/revamp Bioshock Rebirth. I did try to keep my expectations realistic. But I genuinely thought with 2021 being nearly over...and the possibility the game will come out...God damn. I just want to see it.

Hey, at least during this, I got to remember more of my enjoyment of the first two Home Alone movies. Also, while making this post. I had thought of this meme earlier. I just made this meme to use if the game ever gets officially announced.

This is gonna be me when the day ever comes. I guess it’s good I didn’t watch the stream. And honestly...the fact it’s still not announced yet to me feels like THEY REALLY DON’T WANNA FUCK THIS UP. That’s just my thinking. But the fact 2K aren’t saying anything even still amazes me.

Still, that Sonic movie 2 trailer was awesome.

#GeekGem Rambles #bioshock #bioshock 4 #bioshock isolation #GeekGem's memes

13 notes · View notes

fury-brand · 3 years

Note

top 10 villains

my brain hurts so this is video games only and the order is whatever and I’ve picked villains that I like rather than ones that are good at making me hate them

1. Kreia - Knights of the Old Republic 2

A cunning manipulator with a fairly excellent point who will forever be the pinnacle of what Star Wars can be when no one’s being a fucking coward about it. Also, the drama? The lies? The being my overbearing mom who can’t love me properly and just wants to drive me to greater and greater heights? All so good

2. Delita Hieral - Final Fantasy Tactics

Delita’s such an impressive villain because like you’re on his side, really, except that he is slipping so far that suddenly you are not. Some people see Delita as a second hero of this story, and that is because he is good enough at what he does to convince you

3. The Practical Incarnation - Planescape Torment

Planescape Torment is just excellent at showing you up-close the fucking horrifying amount of damage you’ve done to people as the Practical Incarnation, and calling him “the practical incarnation” is itself just so choice, what an evasive way to put it. Anyway, Justice 4 Deionarra

4. Sephiroth - FFVII

I am Contractually Obligated to include him on any such list, please peruse my tags on this blog or @cryoftheplanet for rationale

5. Emet-Selch - FFXIV

The latest addition to my catalogue, he’s got RANGE. I don’t usually go in for affably evil because it can get old quickly but he feels very naturally relaxed when he’s dicking around with you, yet still overflowing with pathos and human failure when he’s not. Honourable mention to Emet-Selch for being the most likely to call you and ask what you’d like from McDonalds

6. Sydney Losstarot - Vagrant Story

The inverse of Delita in the sense that he’s got all the trappings of villainy but is mostly... on your side? And mostly has the right of it in what he’s trying to do? Except of course that he’ll step on anyone and do absolutely anything in order to do that. It’s ok, I respect his conviction

8. Elizabeth - Bioshock Infinite

OKAY HEAR ME OUT, I know she’s NOT a villain as we get to know her, but Bioshock Infinite is basically just a time loop AU where we try to stop Elizabeth from becoming a villain and EVERYTHING we know about the Lutece’s suggests that this, as her end, is nigh-inevitable! And boy she’s got all the shit I love, from the tragic backstory to the unbridled rage to the sorrowful too-late realization that perhaps another way was available to the willingness to walk over who she has to walk over in order to save herself in the end. Fuck Burial at Sea and I’m happy she avoided her fate but we do stan regardless

9. Loewe/Leonhardt - Trails in the Sky

Staying as light on spoilers as I can here but Loewe’s like the epitome of the villain who knows what he’s doing is wrong and stupid but just cannot turn away from it because of his own darkness, rooted in heinous injustice, absolutely will not allow him to move on and heal. What kills me about him is that it still doesn’t stop him from seeing better paths for OTHER people!!!! I think he’s probably the least villainous on this list if we measure by harm done, a little closer to Sydney, but still going to count him.

10. The Radiance/The Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight

Again, gonna try to stay light on spoilers here and just say... I STRONGLY appreciate the otherworldly jenova-like qualities at play here and the way they integrate so elegantly into such a sparse setting

#subdee

25 notes · View notes

beardycarrot · 3 years

Text

I, lying awake in bed because that’s how it always is the day before you have something important to do... am going to try to guess what the plot of Bioshock Infinite is, based on what I’ve seen in the first few hours and with knowledge of the other two (and a half?) games. Spoilers for the entire Bioshock series, except maybe Infinite, but I intend to knock it out of the park.

So. The first Bioshock is set in a futuristic (by 1950’s standards) city at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, created by a hardcore libertarian named Andrew Ryan as a way to once and for all live in a society free of government regulation. I won’t get into all the “sea slugs that produce a gene-altering wonder drug” and “child slaves brainwashed to drink corpse blood” stuff; very interesting, very important to the plot, but if I tried to explain the world of Bioshock I’d be lying here typing on my phone until the sun comes up. That stuff aside, the major plot points are that you’re not actually a guy who just happened to crash-land near the entrance to the city but are, in fact, Andrew Ryan’s son, and the guy who’s been guiding you through the city was actually using a Manchurian Candidate-style activation phrase to manipulate you into doing whatever he wanted. It’s a big, mind-blowing reveal (as is the realization that your character is actually about four years old... science fiction, man).

Bioshock 2 didn’t really have any big plot twists... or plot, for that matter ...but it was developed by an entirely different team, while the original’s team also did Infinite, so I’m expecting a return to form. Just as an aside, Bioshock 2 had a short DLC campaign called Minerva’s Den, which had a fantastic story, and a twist that the player can figure out on their own if they’re paying attention. Your goal is to get a very smart computer (for 1968) out of the underwater city and back to the surface so you can use it to cure all the victims of the slug-borne gene manipulation, and you’re guided over radio by the computer’s creator. At the end, you learn that the one guiding you was actually the computer itself, and that you’re its creator, slowly recovering from brainwashing. For the record, the endings to all three of these have made me cry.

So! With those kinds of twists in mind, what am I expecting from Bioshock Infinite? Well, I went into the game only knowing the names of the protagonists, that rather than underwater it was set in a floating sky city, and that there was some kind of religious theming but also a lot of old-timey Americana. As it turns out, the people of this city worship— no, have DEIFIED the founding fathers, and are lead by a man called Father Comstock. I’m pretty sure that name is a reference to the Comstock Act, similar to Andrew Ryan being named after Ayn Rand... but he could actually be called Father Cornstalk and I just haven’t been paying attention.

Anyway. Just a few minutes into the game, I noticed that a statue of Comstock looked suspiciously similar to my character... before deciding that I didn’t actually have that clear of a mental image of my character, they wouldn’t pull the “secret son” thing twice, and as much as I love it there probably isn’t going to be any time travel. Le sigh.

UNTIL!

So, your goal is to get a girl named Elizabeth out of the city, and there is some legitimately weird stuff going on with her prison. Like, they have some of her personal possessions from various points in her life in containment: a teddy bear, a diary, and a bloody cloth labeled “menarche”. Gross. Why would you keep that. Well, when an electric current (or something visually similar) is applied, the bear and diary change color, and the blood disappears from the cloth. The reason I’m not sure if it’s electricity is that there’s some kind of siphon system set up, it looks like a bunch of subwoofers, and it’s absorbing... something? When she sings, maybe? Is the energy being siphoned what changed the quantum states of those objects, or whatever was happening? There was also a chart showing that when she hit puberty... something, really spiked, which is what forced them to build the siphon. I can’t claim to know what’s happening here, but when I finally saw her she was day dreaming about Paris, and.. I guess opened some kind of portal, TO Paris? But then a bus or something barreled towards her, so she quickly closed it. In the couple seconds that the portal was open, I saw the marquee on a movie theater that... well, was in French, but I’M PRETTY SURE said “Return of the Jedi”. I should probably mention that this game is set in 1912. That smells like time travel to me, baby!

So, this is where it gets interesting, and confusing, and complicated. I think Elizabeth is Comstock’s daughter, from various signs and posters about Comstock’s seed being their salvation, and The Lamb of God being locked in the tower, and such... and signs about a “false shepherd” who would try to take her away (again, lots of weird divergent Christian sect stuff). One sign showered the false shepherd’s hand as having the initials AD branded on the back, which the protagonist Booker does indeed have. Before rescuing Elizabeth, Comstock confronts you, and seems to know all about Booker’s past, including his wife Anna (who died in childbirth), and claims to know his future as well. Being a prophet and such. Thing is, the way it’s presented, that whole thing could’ve all been in Booker’s head...? Shortly after rescuing Elizabeth, you run into someone who mistakes her for someone named Annabelle. Hmm HMMM. I’ve also run into a diary by someone named Rosalind Lutece (I think she’s one of the creepy twins who keep popping up everywhere) talking about physics and what sounded like the concept of quantum superpositioning, as well as a little informational kiosk in which she claims quantum mechanics are what enable the city to float. There were also a couple diaries that seemed to imply Elizabeth came from... somewhere else, and a part of her might still be there, or something?

SO. Finally, we get to the part where I theorize on what’s going on. In short... iunno.

Okay, well, I feel like my idea should be obvious by now. I think Comstock might be a future, or ALTERNATE REALITY FUTURE, version of Booker, and Elizabeth is... either a past version of his wife, before she went back in time and married him, or an alternate-reality version of his daughter? But then who is the Annabelle that the girl thought Elizabeth was? Did Booker’s child not die along with his wife, and was secretly wisked away to skytown? Comstock’s wife is consistently referred to as Lady Comstock, but what if her name is Annabelle too? Maybe it’s the same concept as the Heinlein story By His Bootstraps, with the protagonist only realizing that he IS now the old man from the beginning, and has to get his younger self into this weird time loop in order to live the life he’s lead?

I might be going a little off the rails; I mean, I’m pretty sure that the statue of Comstock I saw earlier actually reminded me of Handsome Jack, a character from another game I haven’t played who happens to wear an outfit similar to Booker’s. That said, there’s DEFINITELY some kind of time travel or dimension-hopping shenanigans going on here. There are good writers on this game, and I refuse to believe the Annabelle/Anna thing is a Batman v Superman-level coincidence.

The weird part is that in the tower where they were keeping Elizabeth, they have documentation of her dating back to one year old, so she was clearly exhibiting... something, unusual, even as a baby. The game also has yet to explain Vigors, its versions of the Plasmids from the first two Bioshock games, which were basically superpowers granted by the substance produced by those sea slugs. If I had to guess, Vigors are... a result of some kind of quantum something-or-other, which they made from whatever it is they were siphoning off of Elizabeth? Maybe it’s a Scarlet Witch kind of thing... you don’t actually change yourself, you just find yourself in an alternate reality where everything else is 100% the same, except you’re a version of yourself who can shoot crows out of your hands.

Right, so. My... official theory is... that... I have no idea what’s going on. Yeah, sorry, something in that mess up there is bound to be close, but when you get into time travel and/or dimension-hopping, all bets are off the table. Or all bets, a literally infinite number of bets, are on the table. Which is a lot to try to comprehend.

#bioshock #bioshock infinite #bioshock spoilers

17 notes · View notes

kaijuguy19 · 4 years

Text

My overall thoughts on the Bioshock series after completing the Bioshock Collection set.

It’s been quite an experience playing back to back every Bioshock game DLC included so here are basically my own thoughts on each game and DLC. So I hope you get to read this soon @geek-gem

Bioshock 1:

The game where it all started. This game has gotten a lot of praise and for good reason. Solid gameplay, excellent story, and amazing presentation really make this quite a package. Gives you a lot to think about too with the theme of how the idea of a utopia can actually be more damaging in the long run one way or another especially if people take advantage over people who wanted to go to Rapture to escape from mistreatment from the outside world only to met with only a different brand of mistreatment.

Bioshock 2:

I’m actually quite surprised this game got the criticism the way it did. The game honestly didn’t really do anything wrong in terms of story and gameplay. If anything it did add a lot more to the lore and history of Rapture and give us a protagonist that had a lot more to him then we thought kinda like Jack did in the first game. I guess one can make the argument that it didn’t add enough new things to it which fair enough but even then it’s not like it did anything truly offensive. Which makes Ken Levine’s utter disdain for it all the more confusion and silly which I’ll get into later on.

Minerva’s Den:

I’m shocked this hasn’t been talked about much because of surprisingly well the story for it is done. It’s a simple one but one that offered a more emotional core then I thought. I don’t want to spoil it though but for those who played it will know what I’m talking about.

Bioshock Infinite:

This games does a lot of things differently from the last two games but I don’t mean that in a bad way. People said this is the more artistic of the three and I can see why. The city of Columbia really feels like a legit type of city would exist if the tech existed for it in real life. Though like Rapture it obviously has it’s dark sides such as the obvious racism theme going on but also plenty of other of messed up things going for it like how one could be turn out dark in ways one wouldn’t think would happen at first so it gives the story a bit more dimension to it. Not to mention I can completely see the appeal of Elizabeth now. She isn’t said to be among Bioshock’s best characters for nothing.

Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea:

A lot of Bioshock fans have not said kind things about Burial at Sea and playing both chapters for myself I now get why. From how it directly cut ties with any new chances of us exploring new worlds and characters in ways that make no sense to going as far as to give both Booker and Elizabeth pretty BS endings it really feels like a slap in the face to both the developers who want to continue doing more Bioshock games and to the fans who grew to love and character for the two main characters of Infinite. I mean either you’re fans of them or not, it still feels like a crummy way to end their characters at especially with all the horrible BS they had to go through in their lives. They deserved better.

All of this from what I’ve heard was Levine’s way of not letting anyone play with his world and lore he helped built up de to both wanting to spite Bioshock 2 along with some stuck up mentality of preserving some artistic vision. I mean look I get wanting to not want to see the series crash and burn but there’s also nothing wrong with finding new ways to keep the series alive especially since doing so can help enrich the experience further and such. Yeah there’s always a chance us us getting bad ones but that’s the case with even other beloved games and they still manage to bounce back. So to just purposely sabotage that not only damages the series potential but also makes him look bad. Almost like what Andrew Ryan would do if things don’t go his way. Pretty ironic when you think about how Levine ended up turning into the very thing he criticized. some of the good things about the DLC was that we saw what Rapture was like before things went to hell thus giving you more of an idea of how horrible it was that the city fell the way it did and how the seeds for it’s ruin were planted long ago but that’s all I have to say about the good things about it.

So yeah that’s basically how I feel about the series as a whole and I really had fun with them. I’m so glad that after what Levine did we’re still getting a new Bioshock game with him not being on board this time which is honestly for the best. And who knows? Perhaps some of the things that happened in Burial at Sea could be undone in Bioshock 4 and future games. Some people said that there are things in it that can make it possible so there’s some hope thankfully.

#bioshock #bioshock 2 #minerva's den #bioshock infinite #burial at sea #dlc #2k games #ken levine #jack #jack ryan #delta #booker dewit #elizabeth comstock #atlas #andrew ryan #rapture #comlumbia

49 notes · View notes

bamitsbeth · 3 years

Text

Top Games Played in 2020

It’s that time again folks!

1) Dragon Age Inqusition : Where to start with this absolute gem… Bought this after hearing about it repeatedly on the Playstation Youtube channel and it has been my best purchase of 2020. Got my best friend into playing it too, we’re both obsessed and still playing it. I would easily put it alongside my favourite game ever - Skyrim. It has such a vast world, hundreds of different storylines which have multiple choices to have not just different outcomes for the quest but for the whole game. You can romance numerous characters of different races, including ones of the same sex (a win for the gays and has some of the best romance scenes in any video game I’ve ever seen!), you own a castle which you can decorate, kill dragons, completely customize your character and others, you have magical powers, go back in time, take part in a war - I could literally rant about this game forever! PLEASE GO BUY IT!!

2) Resident Evil 2 : Ohmygod I was so nervous this would not live up to the previous games of Resi Evil considering it is a remake but holy shit I was wrong! It is horrifyingly but absolutely incredible! Mr T please leave me alone I’m begging you. It’s even better when you unlock the missile launcher and you can say bye bye zombies BOOM. So close to the platinum!

3) Horizon Zero Dawn : Still very early in this game but it quickly climbed up this list from its graphics alone. A very beautiful looking game, the big boy robots are terrifying though - however when you unlock a specific ability you can start riding them into battle - v fun!

4) The Suicide of Rachel Foster : You’ll finish this game easily but it’ll leave you with one word - damn. A psychology horror where you spend the entire game alone in a huge resort house, but shit gets weird quick. I’m not gonna spoil it, the twists definitely make this game one to play - it would make a fantastic film! Really like the option of a second playthrough giving you a different ending. Traumatised me.

5) The Walking Dead Complete Franchise : Bloody love these games! Not counting the first season in this as I played that years ago but still incredible. My rating of the seasons is as follows (from best to worse): Final season, 1st season, 2nd season, Michonne, 400 days and season 3 (sorrynotsorry). Clem is my child and must be protected, I’m so glad she survived everything, still miss Lee. Final season hyped up the pressure by having every one of your interactions affect AJ somehow and LOUIS!! Protect him.

6) The Outer Worlds : Nearly finished this and 10/10 would recommend! Imagine Fallout and Bioshock combined, fantastic. First video game I’ve seen that not only has an asexual character but has a storyline based on it - and she ends up with a woman! (another win for the gays!)

7) Coffee Talk : Such a cute small game! You run a coffee shop and literally just make drinks for the characters. It’s very story based but if you just want something calm to pretend 2020 didn’t happen, I’d recommend.

8) Don’t Knock Twice : Okay for such a short game it ABSOLUTELY nails tension building like some longer horrors can’t manage! If you like horror, play it! I was still terrified on my 2nd playthrough

9) Sherlock Holmes The Devil’s Daughter : Loved the previous Sherlock games and it is v similar to the others except Sherlock has a kid. (well Moriarty’s kid) the final mission in particular was badass and stressful as hell, if you like crime solving games - just buy it

10) Layers of Fear 2 : Now it was not as good as the first game, and honestly the plot didn’t make much sense but just from how scary this was, especially the chase scenes it makes the list! The first two chapters were the best, for ultimate scares play with headphones on and no lights

SPECIAL MENTION: Fortnite : If I didn’t include this my best friend would kill me. This is definitely her game of the year and we’ve spent many hours playing it! We are actually pretty good too so if any of y’all want a match on Playstation hit me up - we will destroy you

That’s all folks! Happy New Years and let’s hope 2021 treats us better

13 notes · View notes

lulu2992 · 4 years

Text

Apparently, there are rumors that Vaas might return in a future Far Cry game. People started speculating about this because, on Reddit, Michael Mando recently said:

Vaas is my spirit animal - having co-created that character is something that will always be dear to me. I still get recognized as Vaas, and I still feel the outpouring of love for that character - makes me very happy. Who knows... maybe I will reprise the role very soon? :p

Okay so I’ve been following Michael Mando since 2013 and, believe me, it’s not the first time he’s said things like, “Vaas might come back soon, who knows? ;)” so it may be a teaser, yes, but maybe it’s just wishful thinking, especially since no new Far Cry game has been officially announced yet and, if he’s in it, I doubt he’s allowed to talk about it at this point.

I really love Vaas and I used to want him to return one day. The problem is this character needs to be handled with care and written with the same subtlety that made him the great antagonist he’s known to be. It’s because I love this character that, now, I’m not sure I want him to ever come back. I don’t want them to fuck him up...

That said, if they do bring him back, there are two writers I think should be involved in the project.

The first one is Jeffrey Yohalem, Far Cry 3’s lead writer. Good news: after working at Square Enix on Shadow of the Tomb Raider (!) and at 2K where he was the lead writer on... BioShock 4 (!?!?!), he’s back at Ubisoft, currently working on Gods and Monsters.

The second one is Lucien Soulban. Here’s a picture of him with Michael Mando, just because it’s cute.

And here’s what his professional profile says. On Far Cry 3, he was “responsible for creating the direction for the main villain, Vaas, and for Vaas's dialogs including the 'insanity speech'”. He also worked on Blood Dragon and was the co-lead writer on Far Cry 4.

So will Vaas be back “very soon”? Maybe, maybe not. But if they really plan on bringing him back, I think it would be cool if these two writers worked on the project.

#far cry 3 #vaas montenegro #michael mando #jeffrey yohalem #lucien soulban #the man behind the insanity monologue everyone #it’s about vaas I had to say the f-word #it’s the law #I don't know who took the picture sorry #also bioshock 4?? yesss can’t wait!#even though ken levine is not involved so... yeah

53 notes · View notes

rorykillmore · 4 years

Note

every time you mention villanelle from your rp verse, I want to know more

gfhgkfgh THANK YOU i don’t normally get to gush about her to people outside the group so lemme. pull my thoughts together.

i’ve been playing her there since late december 2018/early january 2019, so one of the unique challenges of like. Writing Villanelle Continuously Longterm is just... figuring out where her development can organically go while still feeling like her. ironically i feel i sort of ran into that question before the show even did. it’s been really interesting to tackle!

this is a panfandom setting, meaning in our case it’s kind of this like, multi-dimensional hub where people can bring in characters from virtually any fandom, which is why the characters i pair her with dynamic-wise are so seemingly random sometimes.

she has a best friend! fox mccloud, from the star fox series, played by @propheticnightwing. they worked for the same Shady Organization together, and then when things went south, fox refused to leave her behind, so. they are very important to each other. she nearly killed him recently. whoops.

she has, against absolutely all odds, bonded with a bunch of characters from rwby. namely because some early plots with ruby rose and weiss schnee (played by @mystoffelees and @transrobro) were like... super formative in teaching her basic empathy, and she kinda got involved with the rest of the cast from there. it’s probably one of the most interesting things development-wise that could have happened to her, because these girls are like. “save the world” type heroines who were fundamentally opposite of villanelle on almost EVERY moral level, at least at first, and it’s been really intriguing and insightful exploring that over the years.

also a product of her rwby involvement: she’s a maiden now. rwby has these four (one for each season) super-powerful magical women called maidens, and when one maiden dies, her power transfers to the last woman she was thinking of before her death. the previous fall maiden was really horny for villanelle. so.

we’ve had a couple different people playing eve over the years. right now @mystoffelees does and they have, since january, been trying to make a relationship between them work! it’s been really really interesting to play because it brings up all kinds of questions about like. okay, so these people are and likely forever will be connected in an obsessive, consuming, indefinable, almost supernatural way that neither of them will ever really be able to understand. but what does that mean for a long term relationship? because if they only relied on that connection, i think it would consume them like wildfire, so just like... the effort both of them have actually had to put forward to love each other in a way that isn’t completely destructive, and how much being vulnerable challenges both of them in unique ways has been so completely fascinating and wonderful.

she also has a sort of love triangle happening at the moment with elizabeth comstock from bioshock, played by @spearitsandmonsters which has been so. SO constantly surprising, for me at least, because prior to that i honestly had very little idea of how to play villanelle with feelings for someone besides eve, and how that might manifest when it’s not fueled by obsession or that unique, deeply inherent connection and understanding they have. because i think that’s what drew villanelle to eve in the first place, so. what draws her to elizabeth? it’s something i could only really discover as it developed, and it’s been fantastically insightful and enlightening along the way.

we also have an absolutely wonderful konstantin played by @fizzlep0p. currently he and villanelle are kind of on the outs bc i bumped her canon point to include season 3 stuff, but they’re also starting a crime ring together, so you know. that checks out.

she is also very close with natasha romanoff (played by @firelxdykatara ) which i think everyone who knows the two characters can agree is undeniably meant to be. nat understood that villanelle had been shaped into a weapon from an early age before VILLANELLE did. villanelle also unarguably considers nat to be a Good Person which makes her hope that, maybe some day, in some life, she can be too.

this rp does monthly “glitches”, which basically means like, monthly character effects people can play with to make things more interesting. villanelle has been through a TON of them, and they’ve really shaped her development. she’s been compelled to only tell the truth, she at one point was forced to kill ruby’s tethered during the us(2019) glitch (her defining “kill that fucked villanelle up” a year BEFORE tatiana,), she got to visit other worlds (kinda, it’s complicated), she’s had a bloodlust flu that left her totally out of control of her actions, she’s been completely robbed of her memories and left a total amnesiac, she’s in in - and died in - the hunger games, which left her with the lifelong trauma you might expect.

not to be like “i did Challenging Villanelle To Feel Things Via Trauma first, suzanne”, BUT LIKE!

she’s currently building (or technically, you know, paying to have built for her) a giant, impossibly expensive private desert mansion. you know. to cope. the eventual plan is to fill it up with her ragtag found family, because me and everyone involved are absolute suckers for wacky found family living situations.

also @nikopolastree is obsessed with trying to kill her every chance he gets and it’s ironically influenced a ton of her development too. he put eve & villanelle in a saw trap one time. it was awesome.

#ill stop here from keeping this from getting Too ridiculous #but thank you. i love denny!villanelle. i am v proud of her #cuts dennys lvad wire #Anonymous

12 notes · View notes

raven-wraith · 4 years

Text

A Completely Subjective (Objective) List of Titles to Examine (Purchase), Play Through (Waste Your Life), and Enjoy (Enjoy) During Quarantine (Part 1)

We know what’s happening. It’s April 1st, but the joke has been going on for far too long. Trapped in our homes with Covid-19 actively shooting people in the streets outside, we have to find a way to pass the time. As an avid gamer and professional uncooked cookie dough eater, I have compiled a list of games, both multiplayer and singleplayer that anyone and everyone should play for an enthralling experience. These games range from the newest releases to golden classics, so be warned if, I don’t know, Halo Reach appears. By the way, Halo Reach is appearing.

Single Player Games:

Darkest Dungeon

As our first game on the list, I can only reserve it for the front so at least all of you that don’t read the whole list know about this game. On the surface, Darkest Dungeon looks to be another turn-based, number-crunching, party-building slaughter fest. That’s because it is. But, at the same time, it is so much more than that. Past the Steam reviews that just say, “This game is hard,” or “This game is dope,” nothing can even explain the absolute depth that Darkest Dungeon has to offer.

Red Hook and Klei Entertainment take a unique approach to party building and world crafting. While usual party crafter games like Final Fantasy drive their quests and dialogue to carry the story, it is far more subtle but interesting in the way it is told through Darkest Dungeon. In fact, it is so subtle, that by the time my girlfriend and I had beaten the game and watched the last few moments of the last cutscenes, I didn’t even realize I was, in fact, making all of those decisions and choices to shape the story as it was told.

Darkest Dungeon revolves around making smart but very hard choices that cannot be delayed for later. The greatest part is that these choices are not presented to you in the usual press-one-of-two-buttons-for-a-different-ending format that games of choice are so used to giving. Instead, it is on a far more personal level. Choices like thinking of inventory space for gold or supplies, whether or not to starve the party for just one more room to rest at a fire, who will be drinking and who will be gambling to forget about the horrors of the quests they’ve had to endure.

The greatest part is that the game even embellished the idea of loss after choice, emphasizing to not be torn up over a stressful situation, a difficult obstacle, or even a hero’s death because the game still has so much to go, there is no time to cry like a bitch, There is only time to look forward and time to still cry like a bitch.

I recommend this title to anyone who enjoys perfect indie games(1), those that really break through the barrier of creativity and deliver a totally unique experience.

DOOM (2016)

Doom. Baby, holy SHIT. I was reading a thread where a user simply put that “Doom is the only game where the boss music is for you.” And never in my life have I agreed so much with one singular sentence. The first entry in the Doom rebooted series is beyond comprehending complex stories and intensive strategy. Instead, it emphasizes brutal encounters and visceral gameplay mechanics.

Id has outdone themselves with this title. While the Wolfenstein games from MachineGames have been refreshing, none of them have even come close to touching the near cathartic execution of this game. Doom is a game that is centered around moving fast and hitting hard. Your character, the Doom Slayer (or Doom Guy), is not hindered by the multitude of weapons they carry. He is also an armored definition of brute force. Not a single word leaves our protagonist's mouth, but his actions speak volumes and his purpose in the game is clear right from the beginning. Rip and tear. In that order.

A first person shooter that doesn’t hold back, I was surprised to see lots of mechanics and gameplay choices from the very first Doom had made a return. Ammo and health pickups, rooms filled to the brim with demons to slaughter, and an unforgettable soundtrack produced by Mick Gordon that even pays homage to the original’s. These are the cornerstones of Doom (2016) and I wholeheartedly recommend this to gamers who don’t even enjoy first person shooters as there comes a point in the chaos where it is almost calming for the player.

Infamous Second Son

From the very first time I could even have a conscious thought, I wanted a game where I could not only be a superhero, but I could be a superhero voiced by Troy Baker. When I saw that we were in no shortage of games like that(2), I asked again, but this time specifying that I wanted a kick-ass superhero game where I would inevitably be voiced by Troy Baker. That is when Infamous Second Son was announced in 2013 and my infant child teenage brain literally melted.

Infamous Second Son released only a few months after the PS4 dropped, showing off it’s specifications and hardware to such a grand degree, I still know the very grains of sand that rendered it on the beach of Seattle. The game is exactly how I’ve asked. A superhero story of a kid that uses his powers to fight an evil villain. As the villain explains their goals and the hero becomes stronger and more powerful, Seattle only becomes that much more of a diverse playground to fly around, jump and punch, and at one point even start to level whole buildings.

Being the powerful hero only gets more fun as the game progresses as the number of abilities expand from simple smoke tricks to straight up lazers. Delsin, our main character, is also clever, witty, and likeable. I can only emphasize his features in the PS4’s rendering technologies, but you just have to play it yourself.

The game also includes moral choices. While these choices are far more linear to be bad or good, the outcomes are not only very different, but the entire balance of gameplay changes as morally exclusive powers are unlocked for your character. This game demands you play it over again just to see how the other missions, powers, and endings even feel, let alone look. A memorable title, I would recommend this to anyone with a PS4, 100%

Salt & Sanctuary

Now before we go off the deep end, I am going to stomp all questions and rumors now. Yes, this is a difficult game. Yes, it has no online support but can still be 2-player couch co-op. Yes, it is made by two people, husband and wife. Now before we turn away, I would like to share that Salt & Sanctuary is the very testament that hand-crafted games from independent companies will always be in competition with AAA titles.

The game has a massive world, sprawling with bosses and enemies that are never the same throughout the whole game. The enemies, almost immediately, take the spotlight for me, tied only to the landscapes. You go from fighting hatchet throwing bandits to fighting golems the size of buildings only one area apart. If Pyramid Head from the Silent Hill series and Mr. Krabs had a baby, it's an enemy. There are flying gremlins, evil pirates, Cthulhu daemons, skeleton wizards, lightning-breathing parrot lizards, unicorns (fuck those guys by the way), a demonic fart, short jesters, tall jesters, and more crazy amalgamations of pain.

The design of the world is to behold. It is apparent that inspiration from other titles that loop back on each other are apparent here. Things like the first Dark Souls come to mind, where the player would loop back to the main hubs by progress and exploration, shortcuts to home could be made. It seems that Salt & Sanctuary takes this on a global level, which is perfectly done. Please, I beg of you, if you find nothing else on this list, get this game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Fucking Spider-Man. Be Spider-Man. That’s the game. 10/10.

(1) *cough* *cough* Castle Crashers *cough* Bloons Tower Defense 4 *cough*

(2) Batman Arkham Knight as Robin, Resident Evil 6 as Jake, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes as fucken everyone, Bioshock Infinite as Booker, Injustice: Gods Among Us as I’m realizing that DC might own this guy, Saints Row IV as The President, and more

27 notes · View notes