Board 8 > Mac Ranks 72 Games Played in 2022

(+) Yeah! (+)

40. N++ (2015)

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This is one I never actually beat, but it never really felt like I had to? N++ has a buttload of levels, and it's not a game that feels like it wants you to beat every level. You can play as much or as little as you want and be satisfied with the experience. This is one I played in small doses for a month or two - it's so intense that I couldn't play too much at a time without my hands hurting/getting kinda sweaty. The 2D platforming gameplay is basically perfect. Jumping around and doing wall jumps feels awesome. It's crazy how far you can go flying when you do so, and doing a huge jump is pure bliss. Every level has optional objectives you can collect to make it more fun - I often just skipped these, but it was fun trying to get the ones I could get without dying a ton. Some of the obstacles were a bit frustrating and I did die a ton, but they were more mostly satisfying to clear. Though the graphics are simple, they work well for the game. Everything's clear. Reminds me of something like Super Meat Boy in a lot of ways, but even more basic.

The simplicity was good, and I do love Super Meat Boy. It just didn't work perfectly for me here. It's a tiny bit too hard, and there wasn't really anything driving me forward, since there's no plot. I was satisfied with the experience I got. Sometimes it's nice to play a game that's 100% pure action, with no story filler.

Next game hint: isn't it unfair that the games are named after the villain but you always play as someone trying to take him down? (1994)

MacArrowny posted...

Next game hint: isn't it unfair that the games are named after the villain but you always play as someone trying to take him down? (1994)

Hitler's Resurrection: Top Secret

39. Donkey Kong 94 (1994)
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/6/AABKTfAAEEsy.jpg

Pretty impressive experience, especially for the Game Boy! It's neat to see a Mario platformer that tries something new and different. I wasn't really sure what this was going to be like before playing it, but I wasn't expecting what we got. It's interesting how Mario's mechanics here are more similar to Mario 64 than the other 2D Mario games. There's a backflip and a triple jump, as well as a few other mechanics we see in future 3D Marios. It's pretty fun using those to navigate levels, and you can cheese a lot of the easier levels in a fun way if you master them early (which I did not for the most part, but it was still fun). There's over 90 levels, most of which have some sort of creative or entertaining element. There's a lot more puzzle-solving focus here than in other Mario games, which was fun at times and frustrating at others. The DK fights themselves were generally a blast too. I enjoyed basically the whole thing, just... not as much as the mainline Mario games. Though there's tons of neat stuff in here and the new mechanics are cool, I don't like them as much as I like moving Mario normally. Dying from jumping on enemies isn't as fun. Still, a really neat experience overall, and one of the best original GB games for sure.

Next game hint: getting a hoverboard guarantees a platformer will be more fun (2001)

Yeah Donky Kong on the GameBoy is a crazy underrated game, possibly even the classic example of what qualifies as a Hidden Gem. I think most people if they only saw the box art would assume it was literally just a port of Donkey Kong. But after you clear the first few levels based on the Arcade/NES game there is so, so much more. And it keeps going with tons of extra levels. And then you realize how much deeper the mechanics are compared to classic Donkey Kong. I think this game would be on a lot more people's radar if it had a name like "Mario vs Donkey Kong" or just something else which made it immediately obvious to kids in the 90's that it wasn't simply a port of an NES game.

I never actually played the Mario vs DK games which are apparently sequels? Wonder how those are.

I've never played them but I liked this retrospective of the Mario v DK series (inc DK 94)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDt9_wGHFzg

38. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (2001)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/8/8/AABKTfAAEEtw.jpg

It's nice to see a sequel that's basically the same as the original in most ways, but far superior. Klonoa 2 basically plays exactly the same as the first game. The controls/feel are the same, and the level design is similar, but it does a few smart things to change the game up. While the first game had bosses at the end of every other level, 2 separates those bosses out into levels of their own. This allows the devs to make longer, more intricate bosses that are more interesting. The levels themselves are longer too, and there are more of them. There's a few new enemy types and gimmicks to keep things interesting. Probably the biggest innovation is the hoverboard levels. Basically you fly along on a hoverboard for the whole level, jumping over obstacles and such. It's not really anything I haven't seen in games before, but the levels are fun, and they add some needed variety to the experience. I think the story here's better too. It's told much more coherently, so it's simpler to tell what's going on, and the characters are pretty good too. Plus, they focus less on the weird dream gimmick. A much improved overall experience, though still not on the level of the better 2D platformers imo. Too bad they didn't make a proper third game, though I think some people like the portable Klonoa spinoffs.

Next game hint: the shortest game on the list. (2019)

Fe

I should play Klonoa

37. A Short Hike (2019)

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For some reason I figured this would be a walking simulator, and it kind of is in a way, but also not really? It's about a girl who wants to hike up a mountain, and you get the ability to climb and fly along the way to help you. It's kind of like a 3D platformer on an isometric plane (vaguely in the style of the Super Mario 3D Land/World games?), but there isn't much for challenging platforming or anything. Mostly it's about chatting with people on the mountain as you climb and performing various 'quests' for them, like helping find shells on the beach or whatever. It's a pretty relaxing/stress-free experience with a nice chill atmosphere, and just enough game mechanics to keep you interested. You find golden feathers that help you climb/fly better along the way, and you need a certain number to make it to the top. It all works together to make it fun in the same way something like Journey was, though Journey's probably the better game. Still, it was a good experience, and I'm glad I played it.

Next game hint: a game that's more likely to make you squeal with revulsion than delight. (2019)

36. A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019)

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I played this game immediately after RE8, continuing on a sort of horror kick (the game's not totally horror, but it feels fairly horror-y to me, especially with the swarms of rats...). Plague Tale's mostly a stealth game, where you die to any attack in one hit, but they give you a lot of tools as you go along to make the stealth fun. Beforehand I thought it was going to be something of a walking simulator (something it has in common with A Short Hike, haha), so I was pretty shocked the first time I got to take the offensive. It's really fun using the tools you get to take down enemies and open paths by manipulating the rats and setting traps for your enemies. One of the highlights of the game for me was the journey of the protagonists down a more morally dubious path where they found themselves doing evil things for good reasons. Amicia, the protagonist, gets downright vicious at times, which is delightful. The cast has good interactions in general, but Hugo, the younger brother, can be pretty annoying and makes stupid decisions that drag the plot in annoying directions sometimes (he's 5, so it's hard to blame him, but still). This leads to the last few chapters of the game, which were a step down for me. The story goes some interesting places, but it goes some bad places too, like a crappy dream sequence chapter. It gets a lot harder as well, for whatever reason, and this isn't the type of game where I enjoy difficult parts. I would've ranked it at least 7 spots higher before those parts started.

Finally, the game was pretty excellent on the technical front. Looks absolutely beautiful. I played the PS5 version, however, which has one big flaw: it uses the resistive trigger for running, which means you have to press down extra hard to run. I'm sure they're going for an immersion thing where you get tired from running the same way Amicia does, but for me it just hurt. I'm not looking forward to more games using stuff like this in the future. Since then I've learned that turning off resistive triggers is the way to go in a lot of these situations, heh.

Next game hint: I skipped the last couple games in the series, but the reviews for this one were out of the stratosphere compared to them, so I decided to return to an old series I liked. (2022)

Kirby and the Forgotten Land?

35. Star Ocean: The Divine Force (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/1/2/AABKTfAAEE0Y.jpg

It's interesting to compare this to something like Valkyrie Elysium, as both are tri-Ace revivals (though VE was done by another dev). SO6 feels like a fully fledged RPG in comparison, with a big cast, a big world, lots of systems, lots to do, and an epic story. Yet, I think I had more fun with VE's combat. SO6's battle system is still pretty enjoyable, but I found it somewhat repetitive. There doesn't seem to be as much incentive to use a wide variety of moves as some other games, so I found myself using a lot of the same moves the whole game, with a few exceptions. I think there's somewhat less combat here than previous games in the series though, and it's easy to avoid battles if you want. Having the fights take place directly on the world map is great and well executed.

The world map in general is a pretty fun place to be. Early on, I found myself lamenting the lack of mobility for such large environments, but you get DUMA, an awesome movement option, early on. It functions kind of like a grappling hook in battles, and lets you air-dash and float all over the place in the world, even getting a cool upgrade later in the game. There's some hidden materials you can find in maps to get more upgrades, so flying around with DUMA is both fun and rewarding. Made getting to new towns and areas thrilling in general. I think dungeons could've tried a little harder to take advantage of it too - it might be weird to want more platforming in a JRPG, but here we are. Some dungeons have fun secrets you can fly to at least.

Storywise, the game's fairly competent. I like the intertwining of sci-fi and fantasy elements, which seems very well done here. The game is well-paced, never sticking too long on one particular plot point. The cast is solid too, with me liking most of the PCs, though there aren't any big standouts. I wasn't a fan of the cutscene pacing, though. Really makes me feel like every cutscene in a game should have manually advanceable dialogue, unless it's an action cutscene or whatever. Otherwise they just feel too slow.

Lastly, possibly the best part of the game is the awesome minigame, Esowa. It's kinda similar to card games like Triple Triad or Tetra Master, but you play it with miniatures instead. It's not a huge part of the game, but it's super fun, and I was always excited to play everyone when I got to a new town.

Next game hint: the only game in a series with multiple entries on the list where I preferred the earlier game in the series (I think, don't quote me if I messed this up) (1997/2013)

34. Shin Megami Tensei: Soul Hackers (1997/2013)

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This was pretty close to being a really fun game! Its strongest aspect is the pacing - I beat it in around 20 hours, which is pretty freaking brisk for a JRPG. It felt like something was always happening, and there was no real downtime. The plot/gameplay aren't amazing, but they're pretty fun? Like I was always interested to see what would happen, the dialogue's good, and the characters have fun interactions, plus the plot has a lot of solid twists. The cyberpunk atmosphere is neat too. Navigating the dungeons to fill out the map is mostly enjoyable, especially since you can strafe - strafing is the ultimate mode of movement in first person games. The combat's a bit light for SMT, but it does have some interesting aspects with the frontline/backline stuff, and some bosses have nifty attacks to plan around, like an attack that hits all the characters in slots 2/4/6, or the one that gave me a game over, which turned my characters into bombs that detonate when hit by fire attacks. Fusing demons works as well as you'd expect from an SMT game. Talking to demons was one of the main weak points the game had - it's almost always frustrating and nonsensical which answer is the way to go (it can randomly change within the same battle even - the wrong answer earlier becomes the right answer if you talk to the demon again).

Unfortunately the dungeons get wayyyyyy bigger later in the game. The last 3 or so are frustratingly large. They're not that big compared to really big JRPG dungeons - I don't think any took me much more than an hour - but considering how brisk the whole game was before that, they felt like slogs. One of them sends you all the way back to the start if you go the wrong way, and there's no way to tell what the right way is... it's just kinda annoying. I was hoping SH2 would recapture the good parts of SH1, while adding some new fun stuff, but I don't really think it did. Plus, it doubled down on the slog dungeons - the longest ones in SH2 took multiple hours to complete.

Next game hint: even space is not safe from family drama (2020)

I've never played Soul Hackers but I remember seeing that character on the cover and thinking her design is great, and it has still stuck with me even to this day.

She (Nemissa) is the best. Great character, great design.

33. Returnal (2020)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/6/7/AABKTfAAEE57.jpg

A game with a ton of ups and downs! And it's not entirely the game's fault, either. I mostly found the difficulty of Returnal to be fair and balanced. I died a fair amount, but I could usually get past any obstacle after trying a couple times. I didn't get a game over from any boss (I died against one who I had a respawn for, but got it when I came back from that. I also technically died fighting some bosses a second time, but I wasn't really trying to win in those cases, since beating bosses again oddly doesn't really get you anything). Most of my deaths were early in runs before I picked up a decent weapon. But there was one point at which I hated this game and would've given it a much lower score if I'd quit then, which I was tempted to (like, bottom five on this list even). I was stuck at the third level for a couple days and felt like I was making absolutely zero progress. It was incredibly frustrating and I wasn't having very much fun. I decided to keep playing for one more day before giving up, and thankfully that was enough for me to do it. I beat the third level easily on that run, and didn't have too much trouble with the rest of the game (other than the squid assholes on level 6), and would even say I quite like it overall now!

One of the best things about the game is how good it feels. Movement, jumping, and shooting all feel great. Probably better than any third person shooter I've played (I don't generally like third person shooters much). Most of the weapons feel good, with some exceptions (not a fan of the shotgun in particular). The enemies are well designed, and the focus on dodging is neat. It's just plain fun. Once I realized that unlocking weapon traits was the key to getting stronger, that aspect of the game became enjoyableas well. Adding portable turrets to your gun or making it so bullets home into other targets after hitting the first one is fun as heck. The bosses are a joy to fight too - the third boss was damn epic in particular. The levels are expansive and a blast to explore.

Maybe the biggest problem with the game is that it doesn't make sense for it to be a roguelike. There's not a huge amount of variation between runs - lots of levels are reused, and you end up getting most of the guns on every run. Some of the artifacts are very useful, but none of them change the way you play like some powers do in other roguelikes. And runs are LONG - sometimes I'd be playing for 3+ hours, which makes dying feel way worse than other roguelikes where runs max out around 40 minutes. Storywise the looping is integrated pretty well, but I wasn't huge on the story. I was always more interested in the alien planet than Selene's story, but the game was more interested in the latter. And unfortunately, once you've gotten the true ending, it doesn't feel like there's much replay value. It's not like new characters unlock or anything. Considering that I was having most of my fun towards the end of my playtime with the game, I would've been down to keep going, but I wasn't really motivated to. I even briefly considered going for the plat, but the trophies I was missing seemed like they'd be unfun to get.

Overall I definitely had a good time with the game, and really enjoyed myself once I had everything figured out. It's just a shame about the bumps along the way.

Next game hint: who knew that combining multiple maps into one would make for a great Metroidvania? (2022)

32. Islets (2022)

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2D Metroidvanias are pretty hard to mess up in my experience (though there are some exceptions, like the earlier games on this list...), and Islets is no exception. For the most part, it's a perfectly competent game. Solid visual style, beautiful backgrounds, good area design, fluid controls. What makes it a bit special is its gimmick. The MC's quest is to unite five islands in the sky that were separated long ago. Traveling to the different islands makes the game feel less Metroidvania-y at first, since there's no connection between them, but then you actually DO bring the islands together, and it's magical. Each island you join unlocks new areas that can be accessed through other islands. The first time I made it happen was pretty mind-blowing. I'm not sure I've seen a Metroidvania grant access to new areas like this before.

Other than the gimmick, the upgrade system is pretty solid. You get the standard 'movement/progression upgrade after a boss' and you also collect little hidden items that give you a choice from three power-ups every time you get one. Those power-ups are generally QoL or combat related, like increasing your damage/health slightly, making enemies drop more currency, or giving your attacks more range. You're basically getting a constant drip of minor upgrades (you can buy minor combat upgrades as well) between the big ones, so progression feels good. Bosses are solid, usually being tough the first time and easy once you figure out their patterns, though I struggled with the first or second boss for a while, since I hadn't really figured out the dodge roll (it feels good and makes you invincible). There's some story stuff, which is pretty alright, and can be extremely funny. There's some excellent comedy with henchmen for the bad guys, like the tour guide who keeps trying to sacrifice you to the evil spirits, or the guy who gets laid off so he decides to become an assistant to the three dark gods. The biggest flaw of the game was the bad music. It's mostly alright atmospheric stuff, but the boss music is ass. Strangely cheerful.

Lastly, the game has some parts where you fly around exploring and fighting bosses in a flying ship. The bosses are like shmup bosses, but you have a homing shot so you can attack them from all directions as you dodge. One of these was a bit tough for me, but they were a fun way to mix it up, and the last two felt amazing, since you get an ability that lets you dodge their attacks in a super fun way. Solid game overall.

Next game hint: a classes franchise finally goes 3D open world... in 2022!?

Sonic Frontiers, ey?

Nay.

31. Pokemon Legends: Arceus (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/7/7/AABKTfAAEE-x.jpg

What an interesting/strange game! The thing that makes PLA stand out is how singular its focus is. It's based pretty much entirely on catching Pokemon, which, whaddya know, is extremely fun. 40 hours of gameplay and I never got tired of it. Sneaking up on Pokemon, or throwing rocks at them to confuse them, or covering them with goo, or whatever never got old. Of course, a 40 hour game can't work with a single game mechanic, but the surrounding aspects were mostly well-done as well. Battles are mostly pretty smooth, and I love that you can just move around in battle (and run away if you want) despite them being regular JRPG turn-based battles. Just starting to run as your Pokemon does their final attack feels so damn good.

They nailed a lot of the open world/exploration aspects in general. Transitions from running around to battle are seamless, and your movement options (riding Pokemon) are seamless as well. You just click a button and you're instantly on a Pokemon, and you can transition between the different Pokemon smoothly too. The one aspect they didn't quite nail there is that the world isn't super interesting to explore in itself? Looking for Pokemon is fun, but it's not like this game has much for beautiful vistas or unique environments. Not that they're horrible, but they're not exciting.

I wasn't really thrilled by any of the non-gameplay aspects, honestly. The sidequests are solid, but I didn't love them - some of the late game ones are more fun, but they're mostly fairly slight. One of the neat parts is how a bunch of characters are terrified of Pokemon, so it's fun helping them deal with that early on. The story's fairly simple too, though it works as a vehicle to drive your interest. Interacting with the different factions is compelling at least. Oddly enough, some of the most interesting aspects of the story are in the post-game... The music and graphics are also not too exciting. The game performs fine, but again, the environments aren't exciting. And most of the music (other than some of the boss battle songs at the end) is extremely mediocre.

It does have the X-Factor of the Pokemon themselves being great, but I often found myself not being excited to pick the game up. Still, I had fun with the game. It's cool when experiments like this work out.

Next game hint: this isn't a new game, despite the publisher putting a 2 in the title (2022)

MacArrowny posted...

But there was one point at which I hated this game and would've given it a much lower score if I'd quit then, which I was tempted to (like, bottom five on this list even). I was stuck at the third level for a couple days and felt like I was making absolutely zero progress. It was incredibly frustrating and I wasn't having very much fun. I decided to keep playing for one more day before giving up, and thankfully that was enough for me to do it. I beat the third level easily on that run, and didn't have too much trouble with the rest of the game (other than the squid assholes on level 6), and would even say I quite like it overall now!

Haha, I one-shot areas 3 and 6 without much trouble. But I was stuck for a long time on areas 1 and 5.

I agree with you about the story being better when it was about the alien planet rather than Selene. Kinda ended up hating the story by the end. Oh well.

30. Overwatch 2 (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/3/5/AABKTfAAEFBP.jpg

If they pulled OW2 off as they should've this would be much higher. OW1 is my most played game ever, and I still play OW2 a good amount. I like the change to 5 heroes rather than 6. The new characters have been pretty fun. And yet, this is basically just a patch. This is all content that should've been in OW1 a year or two ago, but they delayed it to call it a new game. The monetization sucks, and the rewards for free players are incredibly slim. The new mode is the least fun mode in the game - worse than the mode they took out from OW1 because a lot of people disliked it. This was supposed to launch with a whole campaign mode, but didn't because Blizzard's a mess and management wanted something to release this year. Still, I like playing it with friends quite a bit, so here it is. I could go on about it more, but as I said, this isn't a new game, not really. Maybe they'll put in some improvements next year that fix the problems the game has now, but with the current state of Blizzard, I'm not particularly optimistic.

Next game hint: not quite a game, not quite a DLC, but a mode in an RPG that I played in preparation for a game coming out this year. (2020)

stalker anamoly?

Xenoblade: Future Connected?

But Dels... I played Chao Garden in SA2 just last year...

29. Xenoblade: Future Connected (2020)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/4/0/AABKTfAAEFEc.jpg

I kinda regret not replaying XBC before this, though I didn't really want to spend the time on that. It mostly works fine on its own, but there are some things I didn't remember super well about the gameplay and a couple characters. I did have fun with it at least. Xenoblade has the best world design of any series, and while this area isn't huge, it's still a pleasure to explore. Running around doing stuff is always enjoyable, even when nothing's going on. Some of the side quest design is still poor, unfortunately. XBC had the worst sidequests in the series, and I hoped these would be better after the superior ones in XB2 and X, but there's a mix of boring and good ones. The combat's pretty solid, though it probably would've been more interesting if I didn't just play Melia all the time :p.

The characters and story are a bit of a mixed bag, but more on the positive side. For some reason I thought Melia was the only character back from the original game, and she's the best character so I was okay with that, but Shulk's here too! So that was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, Monolith insists on giving the Nopons focus again and again, so for some reason we get two Nopon party members here to go with them, neither of whom are interesting at all. They're not terrible, but they don't contribute anything to the game. The story is interesting at least, and Melia gets more good development. The ending is fantastic too. Pretty satisfying overall, if not on Torna's level. Lastly, it turned out that this didn't really give us anything important for XB3, so uh, don't play it expecting that...

Next game hint: it's dumb when a game spoils its biggest twist in the trailer, leading to it becoming a meme before the game even comes out... (2022)

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope?

Future Connected turning out to have like nothing to do with XB3 was a disappointment, yeah.

28. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/4/5/AABKTfAAEFGF.jpg

I dunno, maybe I'm overrating the game a bit, but I basically had fun with it the whole way through. When it was announced, it didn't really appeal to me. The plot/characters looked dumb, and it being a soulslike seemed like a bad thing, since the genre had more misses than hits for me. But then it came out and a few people seemed pretty into it (plus I played FF1 in the meantime to prepare myself :p), so I figured it'd be worth trying out. Turns out it's a fun game! The combat isn't really as soulsy as was said at first - it's much more fast-paced and you can be a lot more casual about it. Having two AI companions makes a big difference here, since they can draw the enemies' attention from your mistakes. At the level I played it at, the combat wasn't that deep, but it was enjoyable. It's kinda funny that I played this right after Xenoblade 3, since both games benefit from having job systems with a bunch of jobs to keep combat varied throughout the game. Each job has different special abilities and weapons, and swapping after mastering jobs kept fighting from getting old. I love an RPG with good systems/menu management, and SoP has that in spades. Managing equipment can be a little much, since you get so much of it and the auto-equip function isn't very smart, but it was still fun to manage when I cared to.

Of course, that's just the gameplay. The story was as dumb as I expected, but it's also pretty entertaining? Jack's responses to everything are generally over the top and hilarious. The rest of the party can be pretty matter of fact when dealing with stuff too. Some of the line delivery still isn't great, but it mostly works when it counts. The system of talking to NPCs is pretty silly (all from a menu rather than walking around talking to actual people), but the dialogue with them generally ties into the plot of the game well enough, and it's nice that there isn't a ton of it. The ending was quite good, too. These five feel like better friends than, say, the FFXV crew ever did. One weird thing is that Jack's last name was mentioned in a lot of trailers and pre-release content, but in the game itself it's treated like a plot twist. Very strange.

The final cool thing about the game is that the levels are based on areas from other FF games, from a Mako reactor to the Floating Continent. The music for those locations is good too. Sometimes I found myself getting lost (there was no map), which was annoying, but otherwise I enjoyed the level designs. Lastly, the game's use of Frank Sinatra's My Way had me laughing a lot. Cannot believe Nomura loves the song so much that he decided to create a whole game based on it, and this is what we got.

Next game hint: gamers only want one thing and it's disgusting (2022)

MacArrowny posted...

Next game hint: gamers only want one thing and it's disgusting (2022)

Gamers only want cats so must be stray

DragonGargoyle posted...

Also I have an irrational amount of love for Midbus. Everybody talks about Fawful, but I'm just here like only thinking about the completely secondary antagonist

I've heard that the 3DS version has some slower animations compared to the original. Don't know if it's significant enough to change people's opinions on the game tho, never played it myself

Midbus is definitely funnier than Fawful!

And yeah if the animations are slower that would've made me like it less.

27. Stray (2022)
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/5/1/AABKTfAAEFHv.jpg

Being a cat in Stray feels good. Jumping is awesome. Moving around feels like you're a cat who's walking/running. There's a meow button, which I pressed all the time. You can run into people's legs and trip them. You can go to sleep in random places. You look adorable when you carry things in your mouth. Just playing as a cat is the highlight of the game, and it might've been a better game if it were just a big open area where you got to just run around being a cat and doing cat things. The game's a bit hit or miss when you're not being a cat, unfortunately. Most of the game functions like an adventure game - you walk around talking to people and finding items, which you use to solve puzzles and help people in various ways. I'm not a big fan of adventure game puzzles, and while these are competent enough, I found some of them frustrating. For example, one task was to disable a security camera, which was easy, but I couldn't see the camera so it took me forever to complete.

There are also some action/stealth sequences, where you have to avoid being caught by various enemies. These are generally solid, if not exceptional. Running at full speed as a cat feels good, and figuring out your way around enemies can be fun. Meowing to attract attention is a neat trick. The best part of the game (other than just being a cat) is the world. The backstory of everything is pretty good, the characters you encounter are interesting, and the post-apocalyptic society that's evolved is mostly unique and compelling. The city's designed to be fun to traverse as a cat, too. Early on you get a companion who spends most of the game with you, and that companion adds some fun spice to the game. There are some solid emotional scenes too, though nothing hit me as hard as the incredible intro sequence, which threatened to make me cry.

The graphics are also excellent, and the music is great. The creators clearly felt that greater fidelity would enhance the sensation of feeling like a cat, and I think they were right. I've seen some people complain that the game is too short, but I definitely didn't feel that way at all. In fact, it could've benefited from being even shorter - less adventure game stuff would enhance the 'being a cat' part of the game even further. Still, I enjoyed the experience. I wonder how future cat games like Little Kitty, Big City will match up?

Next game hint: this game was a nice reversal after all those Touhou games I played ten years ago.

26. Vampire Survivors (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/4/0/AABKTfAAEFKs.jpg

Still have this installed and never quite finished it, but I'm probably done with it. I did end up with 107/142 achievements, so I made some good progress, but I got kinda tired of doing the same thing over and over again. Still, it was fun while it lasted. The basic simplicity of the game makes it quite fun, and the premise of destroying everything that comes at you was entertaining. There's a huge variety of characters and stuff to unlock to keep it interesting. Figuring out the optimal strategy was a neat process, as was going from sucking at the game to being able to easily get through most runs. All the weapons are interesting in their own way, with various pluses and minuses, and the game does a good job of encouraging you to try all of them by tying their use to unlocks. Excellent design all around.

In the end, though, it gets to be the same. You always want to evolve weapons, and I got into a routine of generally going with the same ones, since they were the ones I liked best/found most effective. It's not like there's a ton of stages either. I tried using the Hurry Mode, which seems like double speed at first, but it only increases the speed of a few elements, resulting in your character being much less powerful by the end than normal. I wish it had actually been a full 2x speed mode - then I might've kept playing. As it is, I dunno if I'll go back to it, but at least it was a fun diversion for a while.

Next game hint: had to play the Japanese version of this game because they made American version too hard (1994)

HARD CORPs

25. Contra: Hard Corps (1994)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/7/4/AABKTfAAEFOW.jpg

Bit of a rollercoaster with this one. Initially I tried it out and found it to be way too hard. I'm not usually that into hard games, and even with save states I didn't find this one to be too fun, since I was using them way too often. However, my friend tazzy was kind enough to inform me that the Japanese version was much easier, and how right he was! In the western version, you lose a life every time you get hit, while you have to get hit three times to lose a life in the Japanese version. It's insane how much more difficult the western version is, especially since you lose your current weapon whenever you get hit. Apparently they made the changes as an anti-rental scheme? They also cut the Konami code, presumably for the same reason. It's absolutely ridiculous.

Anyway, once I went to the Japanese version I actually had fun with the game. It's a short game, but every level is packed with action. Fighting enemies and bosses alike is fun. They come at you relentlessly, so you're always fighting or dodging. There's a slide that's like a modern dodge roll, where you're invincible while using it, and it feels awesome to use well once you figure it out (I didn't really understand it until close to the end of my first playthrough). There are four characters you can play as, all of whom have some unique traits as well as unique weapons, so there's a lot of replay value, especially since the game has branching paths and four endings (plus a secret ending). I played through with three characters and got all the endings (I used save states for the last two since their branches are the shortest), and enjoyed every level. Browny (the robot) felt a little worse than the other two, but even he gave some unique options, like a double jump and a ton of homing weapons.

The game has some brief story cutscenes between missions, which aren't major, but they're generally pretty entertaining for the 30 seconds they last (helicopter pilot who calls you brother best character). The game's a very good experience overall, so long as you play the Japanese version. I think you can find translated versions of the JP version as well, so that's what I'd recommend if you're interested in the game. It's a real classic, much better than Contra 3. I'm pretty sure it's my favorite Sega Genesis game, and I probably should've put it a few spots higher...

Next game hint: the only game on the list not controlled with a controller, mouse, or keyboard. (2021)

Monopoly

24. Before Your Eyes (2021)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/4/6/AABKTfAAEFSm.jpg

Very unique! I was unsure about the 'play the game by blinking' aspect, but the game integrated it fairly well. Only being able to see a scene until you blink and go to the next one made for an interesting tension, and also kept the game's pace brisk. I gamed this system a few times (hiding your eyes isn't hard), but mostly went with it. The story itself was solid, especially the second half. The characters had good development. There were a couple choices that I accidentally made since it was a bit misleading what they were, but apparently the choices don't have much impact in this game, so it wasn't a big deal, I guess. There were some good scenes, especially near the end, where I almost cried (though nothing that really made me break down). The main annoying part was that I had to calibrate my webcam several times. The game would work fine for a while, then it would suddenly stop recognizing my blinks. Calibrating could take a few minutes, too. Still, it was a neat experience to have that's a bit different from any other game.

Next game hint: It's nice when a prequel finally lets you play as someone other than the main character of a series and delivers cast-wise (2006)

Metal Gear Solid 3

I mostly only played Hard Corps when I was younger, and I only played the hard as nail american version. I mostly remember dying a lot. I actually also did not even know about the JP version differences until I saw you and tazzy talking about it, and it did kinda make me want to play the game again since it's been a while... and I feel like I could almost definitely beat the JP version at a pretty brisk pace.

Oh, I should note the start of a new tier with #30, basically a "these are the good stuff" tier.

But overwatch 2 are not the good stuff

23. Ys Origin (2006)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/1/7/AABKTfAAEFVR.jpg

Whoa, a good pre-8 Ys game! I never thought it was possible. I played 3, Felghana, and Memories of Celceta before this, none of which were particularly good. I probably had the most fun with 3, due to playing it as a child rather than because it was good, but the others just didn't click for me at all. Despite Origin having one big flaw, I had fun with it pretty much the whole time. Uniquely for the series (I assume), basically the whole game takes place in one big tower that you spend the game ascending. Every floor adds new monsters, there's a boss every couple floors, and there are plenty of different area types. At first I was disappointed with the setup, since exploring a big world is one of the fun things about Ys, but the focus worked surprisingly well? Most normal enemies can be killed pretty weakly once you know their weaknesses, and movement's fast, so it's a brisk experience. You get several movement upgrades along the way to make exploration more fun (though none of them are particularly unique), and the new skills you get along the way keep combat fresh as well. Bad gamer that I am, I found Felghana to be more challenging than I'd like, while Origin was a good deal easier I think. There were still bosses I died a few times on, but I very rarely died against regular enemies, and I never got overly frustrated with the bosses (other than the first one, who has the annoying ability to stay invincible for long periods. Dying a bunch to a boss where you mostly have to wait was not great).

The other thing that makes Origin different from the other Ys games is that you play as three characters, none of whom are Adol. This is fabulous, since Adol's just a silent protagonist (though they did some cool stuff with him in 9), and these three actually had personalities. Origin's a little more story/character focused than the other early Ys games, and the story's good, I think. The way it works is that you play through the game with each character, and they all have their own route. Yunica's story was basic but enjoyable - weak hero gets stronger as she goes, with some good development along the way, dealing with tragedies, etc. The other two were rather stronger. The second, Hugo, was my favorite character and story - he's basically an arrogant asshole for most of the game and he does a lot of shitty/terrible things. He can be an unlikable prick, but that's what makes him interesting/entertaining. The third character is basically the 'true' route, where it explains a lot more of the backstory and gives the most complete picture. I didn't think it was as good as Hugo's story, but it was still pretty interesting, and the third character was compelling too.

The problem with this system is that you have to play through the game three times, and there's not nearly as much variety as I would've liked. The level design never changes, and your movement abilities are mostly the same with each character too. There are some different bosses, but you face several of the same bosses too. Thankfully, each character is extremely different in combat, so it's not all bad. Yunica and the third character are mainly melee attackers, and feel quite good to play, with a really fast-paced attack style. They evolve quite a bit as you get new skills, all of which are useful in different situations. Hugo's totally different, as a longer-ranged mage. He's fun in his own way, but also the easiest, and his skills are a bit more poorly thought out: his first skill makes him invincible, which is by far the best skill in the game, so I rare found myself using his other abilities...

Still, the game's not too long, so I didn't mind replaying it (2nd and 3rd runs were between 5 and 6 hours each, despite the third having the most story by far), and it's nice to be in that zone where you're just having fun going around killing things. The other aspects of the game were mostly good too. The character designs were honestly pretty poor (why does Yunica wear oven mitts???), but the sprite artwork looked nice and the enemy designs were good. The soundtrack was, of course, godly, as I'd expect from classic Ys. Origin might actually have my favorite OST in the series. It's amazing how many of the area/boss themes are hits. Makes exploring even more fun.

Next game hint: more games where you travel with a party need to have scenes where you just hang out and chat together imo (2021)

I loved Ys Origins. Not sure if it's just because low expectations but I thought the character development was way above average compared to most RPGs. Good gameplay and fantastic music too (as usual from Falcom), it's one of my top recommendations for underrated games and made it into my top 50 (of all time) last time I did rankings

Final Fantasy XV

I'm a big fan of Origin as well. Only other Ys games I've played so far are Oath and Ark, but Origin is by far my favorite and the only one I'd say is better than just okay.

It probably would've been at least ten spots higher if the replays had been filled with unique content.

My current Ys ranking is 8 > 9 > Origin > 1&2 > 4 >= Oath

I liked 9 more than most though. I'd also suggest playing it on PS5/PC, since PS4/Switch performance is not great...

Tales of Arise

I should play an Ys

22. Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/5/1/AABKTfAAEFXX.jpg

Good game! Pretty consistent, too, in just about every aspect. The combat wasn't amazing, but it was generally good enough to be fun, with dodges and a lot of abilities to keep things engaging (though it suffers a little in comparison to a third person shooter like Returnal, which feels much more fun to play). The level design is consistently interesting and filled with solid collectables and puzzles that keep the game fresh without being particularly difficult. Bosses were generally a good twist on regular combat, though there weren't a ton of them. The game uses music in a fun way, and the huddle mechanic was a solid way to give you a superpower in combat without being an instant win button. GotG has a fairly likeable cast in general, though I think the voice acting was a problem. Not that the actors were bad (other than maybe Gamora's) - they just yell way too much, both in and outside of combat. Rocket suffers from this more than anyone else. I did like talking to the characters on the ship to connect with them and discover their backstory as well. The story was consistently interesting too - a lot more anime than I was expecting.

But I didn't love the game. I dunno, just felt like it was missing that extra something special for some reason? It had some specific issues, like combat encounters that went on way too long in chapters 10 and 14 - some of the later levels lose that balance between story and combat, which is unfortunate since the combat can't really carry levels. I like the whole cast, but I wouldn't say I love any of them. The mechanic where you have to find hidden items in each level to have important conversations with the Guardians is terrible. And the main plot felt like something I'd seen 100 times before, which made it less interesting (thankfully, the game doesn't focus on that part all the time, but still). I had fun with it though, and wish there were more games like this.

Next game hint: isn't it great when the MC of a game breaks bad in the sequel (2022)

21. A Plague Tale: Requiem (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/0/3/AABKTfAAEFZv.jpg

For better and for worse, Requiem is basically a direct sequel to Innocence. The unfortunate part is that it mostly reuses the original's mechanics, though there are a few that are gone now. There are some new ones, mainly in terms of using companions, but it's a little samier than I would've liked. Despite that, I think the gameplay is somewhat improved overall. It generally feels better to play, and the new mechanics they do add pretty much all feel good. One in particular - controlling rats with Hugo - feels absolutely amazing, and I loved using it every time I got the chance. Despite it being a new version of a mechanic from the first game, they totally changed it, and it's much better here. There are still some frustrating sequences though, and there's a point where you have to navigate a huge open area with no map, which was annoying for me, since I have a bad memory for figuring out where I've been in 3D areas like that...

Story-wise I think it's an improvement as well. It goes in a direction I was hoping for from the first game, focusing on Amicia's increasing bloodthirstiness, and it's executed quite well. The new characters are basically all very good too. I enjoyed talking to every single one of them. Even Hugo was less annoying! Innocence had a problem where it fell off as it went along, particularly in gameplay, though somewhat in story as well. That's certainly not the case here. The last couple chapters are the highlight of the game, with some incredible set pieces. The devs weren't lying when they said the game would have millions of rats... (spoilered but it was in the marketing). I do feel like the game would benefit from being a bit shorter, but I don't think I'd cut any of the story parts, and some of the locations we go to are truly impressive. It's a good sequel, all-in-all. Everyone who liked the first game should definitely play this.

Next game hint: 80s/90s nostalgia pays off in this high quality modern multiplayer sequel. (2022)

20. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (2022)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/5/AABKTfAAEFbp.jpg

Though I played a fair amount of Turtles in Time when I was a kid, I never loved it. It was a fun game to play co-op with friends, but I didn't think it felt that good to play. Shredder's Revenge is a tier above in that regard. Moving around and attacking feels very good, and there's a ton of different attacks you can do to keep it from just being a button masher. There's a solid variety of enemies, though not a ton, so it's not too hard to learn their movesets. The art and animations are excellent - it's always fun seeing enemies doing random stuff in the background before they jump out to attack you (there's one level where they take over a TV station, and you run into an enemy acting as a receptionist at the front desk). The character variety is nice too. I played with my friend and we each only chose one character (April and Leo), but there were quite a few differences between our attacks for a game of this style. The bosses were all fun to do as well.

The main difference between this and the old games is that it has a leveling system and challenges that give you bonus XP. Leveling gives fairly minor perks (slightly more health, more extra lives, bigger special gauges), but it's a fun little bonus. The challenges make each level a bit more interesting. We didn't go for all of them (stuff like doing the level without taking damage seems extremely difficult on a first try...), but we went for them when we could, and it was nice how doing so inspired us to figure out new moves and defeat enemies in different ways. Playing through it probably took us a bit over two hours, which is a fine length for a game of this nature, I think. If I'd had it as a kid I can see this being the kind of game I'd play with friends who were over, and we'd be able to get through the whole thing in a single session (or two, since you can actually save this, while you couldn't with the classic games IIRC). Being able to play with 1-6 players, and also play online, is the icing on the cake.

Next game hint: lesbians? in my JRPGs? how revolutionary (2021)