Board 8 > November Game of the Month Club ft. Star Fox, Grim Fandango, and Kentucky

(+) Yeah! (+)

In Year 3 of Grim Fandango. Will definitely have it and KY Route Zero finished before the drawing.

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TheArkOfTurus posted...

It's looking increasingly unlikely I'll end up replaying Grim Fandango (I dunno why my brain decided I needed to replay a ~50 hour RPG that I just played late last year, but here we are.)

What game did you start?

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ViolentAbacus posted...

What game did you start?

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass.

(Really good game, btw. I recommend it, especially to anyone who bought that huge itch.io bundle that it was in.)

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I've been playing KRZ, but it hasn't hooked me yet as of the middle of Act 2. It looks and sounds fantastic, but there's little beyond that that has appealed to me thus far.
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Definitely not going to beat Star Fox by the deadline, so I'll nominate Outer Wilds
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Abacus has beaten Grim Fandango

So, overall I enjoyed the writing and the characters, but I really dislike how the game is basically really obscure/hidden puzzle after another with no real idea on where to go or what to do. As it was I ended up using a guide for the majority just because I got tired of wandering around. Some of them I'm not sure I would have ever thought about the right way to do it.


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Gameking has beaten Grim Fandango.

The story was a lot of fun, but I have to agree, some of the solutions were pretty far out there. That's usually how these games go. Had to use a guide for help occasionally, but I still enjoyed my time with it.

Making my way through Kentucky Route Zero. On Act IV right now. I really like the David Lynch feel of it, but it can get exhausting sometimes. I've been taking my time with it.

For next month I'll nominate Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

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Monthly Progress
Star Fox - darkx
Grim - KCF, Abacus, gameking
Kentucky - Ark

Nominations
Ark - Dicey Dungeons, Ys Origin
Cody - Outer Wilds
darkx - Super Mario Galaxy 2, Punch-Out (2009), Simpson's Hit and Run
Fake - Mercenaries Saga
gameking - Crash 4, FE: Three Houses
KCF - Get Even, Republique
MMX - Hypnospace Outlaw
Wickle - Assassin's Creed II

Drawing Wednesday
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Abacus has beaten Kentucky Route Zero

I really liked the beginning of the game. The atmosphere, the characters, the exploration, and the melancholy. Around the end of Act III and beginning of Act IV though my enjoyment took a deep dive. I didn't like anything really to do with Conway's character as he was slowly phased out. I was hoping to see him deliver the goods. The thing with the house in Act V was pretty odd. I feel like there was some meaning behind it, but I never really get the hidden stuff from games or books.

Anyway

Nominating:

Final Fantasy Tactics
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
and since we're allowing renominations
Earthbound

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I guess I should nominate something.

Nominates - Flower, Sun, and Rain

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I finished Act IV in KRZ. I'm going to see it through to the end, but I've lost basically all interest in the overarching events and am just interested in what they can surprise me with scene-to-scene. I kept playing because it felt like the game was on the cusp of turning the corner many times, but it just never did.
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Nominate Murasaki

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Act III of KRZ beated, even though I swear it was as long as the first two combined. Well, my thoughts sure wandered to some interesting places in the course of it. Unfortunately, that Act I rapture, that warm and tingly feeling of investment, is all gone now.

Nominate Super Mario 64 because I might as well take advantage of the potential chance to tackle an already-covered game again.

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Last call for nominations and changes
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Uh... Let me see.

Nom Spelunky 2

And sorry about never replying about my birthday month when it came to it. I dunno what kept me.
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Nominations are now closed. I will draw soon
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Your December Games of the Month are...

Outer Wilds (PC/XB1/PS4)
Republique (PC/PS4/iOS/Android/Oculus/Stadia)
Hypnospace Outlaw (PC/XB1/PS4/Switch)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii/Wii U/)

Congrats to Cody, myself, MMX, and darkx for having their games selected!
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1. Outer Wilds
2. Republique
3. Hypnospace Outlaw
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. Assassin's Creed II
6. Punch-Out (2009)
7. Murasaki
8. Dicey Dungeons
9. Flower, Sun, and Rain
10. Super Mario 64
11. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
12. Final Fantasy Tactics
13. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
14. Get Even
15. Spelunky 2
16. Simpsons Hit and Run
17. Mercenaries Saga: Will of the White Lions
18. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
19. Earthbound
20. Ys Origin
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Outer Wilds is on Game Pass for Xbox

Outer Wilds is on sale for PC via Steam for $16.25 USD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/

Hypnospace Outlaw is on Game Pass for Xbox and PC

Hypnospace Outlaw is on sale for PC via Steam for $15 USD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/844590/Hypnospace_Outlaw/
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Outer Wilds is a game I respect immensely, but didn't like playing all that much. I watched a playthrough of it, regardless, so I feel like I wouldn't actually be beating it even if I went back and played it.

Hypnospace Outlaw is fantastic, but I replayed that three months ago, so I'll probably pass.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also fantastic, but I don't currently have access to it (sadly it isn't on the Switch.)

I'll probably play Republique, at least.

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In addition, I have two Steam keys for Republique.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/317100/Republique/

If you are interested in the game after looking at its store page/reviews/gameplay videos, then I am willing to give you a key. I only ask that you make a concerted effort to beat the game in December and to update us on your progress/thoughts/other points of discussion.
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TheArkOfTurus posted...

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also fantastic, but I don't currently have access to it (sadly it isn't on the Switch.)

Whoops. I guess it is only the first one on 3D All-Stars? I assumed that both would be on there.
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It would have been nice, but yep, only the first.

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Sweet! Third month in a row I got a pick in (first one was a default for my birthday but still, really cool).

Obviously playing SMG2 and I'll take a look at some of the others and see what they're like.

Initially misread "Outer Wilds" as "Outer Worlds" and got excited for a moment because I've been thinking of playing the latter and this would have given me the perfect excuse. Alas.

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Underleveled posted...

Initially misread "Outer Wilds" as "Outer Worlds"

People have been doing this for almost two years now. You will not be the last.
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I wish Galaxy 2 was on the Switch, I have no real desire to play it on the Wii.

I may try Outer Wilds since it's on Gamepass.

Republique seems kind of neat.

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I'm hoping this is the push I need to finally beat Outer Wilds after 18 months of playing it
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Hypnospace Outlaw (PC/XB1/PS4/Switch)

will do

Outer Wilds maybe

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KCF has beaten Kentucky Route Zero

This was pretty disappointing. It wasn't bad, just that it was style over substance with me.
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Started Grim Fandango today, quite late of a start and I'll probably expect to not actually beat it this month since I'd have to push incredibly hard, and Sunday will probably be a 'no game time' day. Guess we'll see though, I did reach Year Two in just over 3 hours. I'd check the "Time to Beat" to see how possible this'll be, but... I should sleep.

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Year 1 is the either the shortest or second shortest year with the middle two substantially longer.
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Well, that didn't exactly matter since I dirtied my run not knowing till Year 3 that if you double click a location Manny runs. Didn't have the patience to check every location 50 times to make sure I've checked every single pixel for what I'm supposed to be able to do.

Well, guided or not, Wickle has still beaten Grim Fandango. In two nights. Was fine, the humor kind of subsided but I also still missed a lot.

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November is closing down
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Cody has beaten Star Fox Adventures

It was a very OK game. Best part was the graphics, those held up amazingly. Game play was so-so, and I was not a fan of the backtracking.

I know it is a Starfox game, but after having short, uneventful flying segments, why was the final boss fight a flying section? Also the General Scales boss fight tease was a letdown, it was like a certain Legend of Zelda game but worse in the bait and switch.

I really thought Krystal would have a bigger presence as well, after the prologue she was hardly in it.
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