What games did you play this year and what would you rate them?

I played a bunch this year!

• FF7 Rebirth: 9.5/10. This is my GOAT. What makes this game special is that it has heart. Compelling story, characters, writing, and the gameplay is awesome. They put their all into this one, that I'm not sure if they can top it lol.
• Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth: 8.5/10 I wanted to talk this game more than I did. The mini games were fun, but it seemed like the story wasn't as interesting or compelling as Rebirth. It was also very long, and I don't get benefitted the game.
• Dragon's Dogma 2: I'm about halfway through the game, but I think it will be an 8.5 or 9. I like the emergent gameplay that keeps you hooked.
• Stellar Blade: 8/10.. this was a great first start to the franchise. If they can make it more fluid and add more variety to the combat, I think it can be up there with Nier Automata and Bayonetta. It also needs better story/writing and world building.
• Hell Blade 2: 5/10. It had its moments, and I did love the tense encounters, but other than, it was pretty forgettable.
• Astro Bot: 9/10.. really awesome platformer, and I almost dislike the comparisons to Mario, because the game does have its own ideas as well. Super charming and great music too. The best 3d Platformer ins at least 10 years. My only knock on it was there parts that felt repetitive.
• Silent Hill 2: 9/10 incredible remake. I had no faith in Bloober until this game lol. They really nailed what made the original so great. It was a little bit overlong, but still loved it.
• Metaphor Refantazio: 60 hours in, it's a 9/10 so far. The gameplay mechanics is amazing, particularly the turned based combat. Super addicting. My only fault with this game is I don't particularly care about the story or characters, but the plot twist is interesting tho. Also, the world and environments are lacking.

How about you, SW? What games did you play this year and what would you rate them?

Rebirth was a 9.5

Armored Core 7.5

Elden DLC 11

Doom Eternal 7.5

MGS5 8

Last of Us 2 9

A plagues tale 9 ( love these games).

Red Dead Redemption 2 a 2

Tormented Souls was freaking good. And Silent Hill 2 remake, minus David Duchovny.

@nod_eclipse_: Was hoping to nab silent hill 2 for 30 bucks today. But deal ran out for Walmart + members and I wasn't joining just for that.

@Chutebox: it's worth it full price imo, but especially on sale. Playing it on hard combat first time through is true survival horror, surprisingly

My fav game this year unlikely to change is the Tomb Raider Remaster Collection.

Quake 2: Remaster is the overall best Remaster, but this comes in a close second.

Just the stuff released this year:

- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 10/10

- Persona 3 Reload 8/10

- Astro Bot 9/10

- Dragon’s Dogma 2 8/10

- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree 9/10

- Another Crab’s Treasure 8/10

- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 9/10

• World of Goo 2 - 7.5
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - 9
• Doom + Doom II - 8.5

• Space Marine 2 - 8/10
• STALKER 2 - 9/10 (STALKER 1 is 10/10 game)
• Silent hill 2 Remake - 9/10

Too many to list here.

Was a really amazing year for games, like every year.

• Helldivers 9.5
• Banishers 9
• Space Marine 8
• Age of Mythology 8
• Star Wars 7.5
• Veilguard 7.5
• Silent Hill 6 (would've rated much higher if it wasn't such a technical mess)
• Kvark 6

This year

• KH2 HD - 8/10
• Life is Strange true colors 7/10
• KH Birth By Sleep - 6/10
• Sakuna of rice and ruin 8.5/10
• Dave the diver 8/10
• Granblue Fantasy - 8.5/10
• FF7 Rebirth - 10/10
• Last of Us Part 1 - 9/10
• Tales of Symphonia - 6/10
• Anno 1800 - 8/10
• Trails to Azure 7/10
• Trails through Daybreak - 8.5/10
• Metaphor - 9/10
• Eiyuden Chronicles - 7.5/10
• Days gone 7.5
• Red Dead Redemption 2 - 8.5/10 (only around 4 hours)
• Crisis Core Reunion - 8/10 (current game)

I have backlog of unicorn overlord for this year's batch of games so hopefully I can finish during winter holidays.

Space Marine 2 - 7/10
Sons of the Forest - 7/10
Streets of Rage 4 - 9/10
Helldivers 2 - 9/10
Resident Evil 4 Remake - 7/10
Fall Guys - 6/10
Phasmophobia - 6/10
Hunt: Showdown - 9/10
Ziggurat 2 - 7/10
PoP: The Lost Crown - 8/10
Gunfire Reborn - 7/10
Crawl - 8/10
Castlevania IV - 10/10
DOOM and its sequels - 9/10
Deep Rock Galactic - 8/10

And many more.

I'm currently playing Days Gone and i'm about to tell you an amazing sequence I just encountered, and by amazing I don't mean good.

So have a cutscene, then a ride with me while we talk segment, followed by another cutscene, then a riding section while some horrible cowboy song played in the background, got to a cutscene, then finally some gameplay, killed a bear that took 30secs then another cutscene, followed by another ride while we talk segment, then another cutscene, followed by a walk and talk segment, another gameplay segments, look in 3 tents another cutscene, followed by another ride and talk segment, tiny gameplay pre-determined segment, hollowed by more walking and talking segment leading to another cutscene, oh a bit of a change, a running and talking segment, another cutscene, finally its allowing to play the game, beat the mission which was killing about 12 guys and another cutscene where the women I was trying to save is stabbing her attacker in the balls over & over again, now a walking and talking segment again, now another cutscene, back to a riding and talking segment, another cutscene, loading screen, and another cutscene. another LONG walking and talking segment, another cutscene, loading screen, another cut scene, back to riding and talking segment, another cutscene, another cutscene, another walking and talking segment, another cutscene, another walking and talking segment, another cutscene, another walking and talking segment, another cutscene, another walking and talking segment, another cutscene, after all that i'm finally free to play the fucking game, over an hour later and that's after I skipped almost all the cutscenes.

On a side note I apologise for that monstrosity of word salad, but I was typing it as it happened, so it's been well over an hour since I started this post 🤦‍♂️

Now I challenge anyone who's played this game to say that all that BS is fun, and it's not the first time this has happenedand if anyone wants to challenge what i've posted, well the first cutscene in that entire sequence is when you talk to the leader of the lake house region to where he rides with you to the new area at the bottom of the map and ends when Deacon finds his missus

4/10 this dev should only be allowed to make indie games for Sony from now on.

@last_lap: for a 4/10 game with that much gameplay hours I do respect your patience.

I've only played one new game this year:

• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble (Switch) – 9/10

However, I've played (or re-played) a number of classics from previous years:

• Safari Hunt (Master System) – 6/10
• Golden Axe (Mega Drive) – 7/10
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive) – 10/10
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Saturn) – 8/10
• The House of the Dead 2 (Dreamcast) – 9/10
• Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube) – 10/10
• Halo 3 (Xbox 360) – 8/10
• Enter the Gungeon (Xbox One) – 8/10
• Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (Arcade) – 8/10
• House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn (Arcade) – 8/10
• Streets of Rage 2 (Mega Drive Mini) – 10/10
• Streets of Rage 4 (Steam) – 10/10
• Sonic Origins Plus (Steam) – 10/10

Glowing recommendation, I need to try that one on my RG35XX Sp.

What is the trick to nail Sonic gameplay, besides just "going fast" ^^

you only played 1 game this year? I thought you were the veteran gamer who plays all these great games?

@SolidGame_basic:

• Dragon's Dogma 2: 9/10
• Hellblade 2: 4/10
• Space Marine 2 (just started it, so "so far") 9/10
• Black Ops 6 (I have gone full Bro on this one) 9/10
• Dragon Age Veilguard: 7/10
• Robocop Rogue City: 8/10
• Diablo IV (and Vessel of Hatred): 8/10

What's the RG35XX?

Haven't you played Sonic 2 before?

@Jag85: I've only played few sonic games, but I do think I've played Sonic 2 if that's the first game with tails in it.

The RG35XXSP is an emulator device shaped like a Gameboy sp, I'm currently playing some Gameboy advance games on there.

@R4gn4r0k: Yeah, Sonic 2 is the game that introduced Tails. So I guess you have played it then?

What systems can this RG35XX SP device emulate?

I have gamed a ton since august or something, have no memories from spring 🤣. Anyway here it goes. These are my fall games.

• Marvel Midnight Sun (8/10): One of my favourite combat systems of all time. Soooo good. However, everything else was pretty terrible. A shame because we will probably never get a sequel. Hopefully someone smart picks up the combat system though.
• GTA V (9/10): A classic
• Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty (10/10): A superb title. My favourite game world of all times.
• Jedi Survivor (8/10): Had a good time. I liked the characters way more than in the recent movies. Combat is fun, but light saber fights are much better than fighting giant monsters imo.
• COD: Black Ops 6 campaign (7/10): Enjoyed it for what it was. Great 90s vibe, especially at the Clinton fundraiser. But a bit shallow.
• Immortals of Aveum (7/10): Basically Doom in a fantasy setting with guns replaced by colored magic balls coming out of your hands lol. Compared to Doom I don't think that movement felt as good, nor that the arsenal provided as much strategic possibilities. Not a bad effort!
• Hellblade 2 (5/10): Spectacular graphics, but there is not enough game there. Constant voices got anoying. The flow of combat wasn't fun. Every time you kiled an enemy Senua was shoved by a new one. Hard to explain, but really annoying. Overall the game was very disapointing.
• Evil West (8/10): Another game with a really fun combat system. Constant stream of upgrades. A bit one dimensional. The puzzle/exploration side of the game were very restricted. But a lower budget game. They obviously prioritized making a kick ass combatsystem, which they did.

Games that released this year:
Paper Mario TTYD Remake- 10/10
Zelda Echoes of Wisdom- 6/10

Other games I've played this year:
Pokemon Silver 9/10
Pokemon Emerald 7/10
Hollow Knight 10/10
Borderlands 7/10
Borderlands 2 6/10
South Park Stick of Truth 8/10
Alan Wake 8/10
Firewatch 8/10
Minecraft 9/10
Resident Evil 4 Remake 10/10
Valiant Hearts 8/10
Bully 7/10
Control 9/10
Elden Ring 9/10

Now that you mention it, I really haven't played a whole lot this year. Will have to try and get more game time in for December.

Bayonetta 3 - I give it an 8.5. People's criticism of this game is totally valid: it's easier than the first two, the multiverse story is not interesting, playing as summons isn't as fun as playing as Bayonetta, but it's still a great game and the beat franchise in the genre.

Rushdown Revolt - 8. It's basically Smash Bros for Blazblu fans. And it's free.

Phantasy Star Online: Episode 3 C.A.R.D. Revolution - 8. Classic Sega. PSO was one of the few third-party success stories on the GameCube, so they made a direct sequel that changed the game to an even more niche genre...

...and totally pulled it off. Seriously, PSOE3CARDR is against all odds actually quite good. Definitely made on a small budget with most assets pulled directly from the original, but the battle system is unique and a lot of fun. Kinda wish I'd given this a chance back in the day. And playing this inspired me to get back into...

Phantasy Star Online Episode 1&2 plus - 7. I'm not sure why I like this game. It's dated as hell, simplistic and slow to accommodate that 56k modem. There is a certain zen to getting the timing right on the 3-hit combos I suppose, and the art direction holds up well. There are newer games that do what it does better, and I don't like most if them. Not an MMORPG guy. But I like PSO.

I've started a few other games this year but haven't gotten very far in them. Maybe I'll update if I put some time in any over the next few weeks.

@SolidGame_basic: Where did I say that i've only played 1 game this year? I'm just rating the one im currently playing (trying to but the devs want to take the controller away from me) Days Gone.

I like to add a bit of context to the games I play, a simple number won't do, and to do that for each of the games i've played I would be here all day.

So, I know you played Days Gone what would you rate it?

Baldurs Gate 2 and and the TOB Expansion: I started it again last year but finished it this year. At the time it was a revolutionary game but it has definitely aged. Mechanically its a bit meh. Traps...soo many traps. Also a lot of spell BS in the expansion. The ending was also a bit flat both for the main game and the expansion. They did Irenicus dirty a bit in the end. Overall great characters, great setting etc. The TOB expansion was also a bit rushed. I suspect Bioware were jumping more on Neverwinter development when that was in production. 8/10 for it's legacy and there is still plenty of fun to be had: but not a game I would use to introduce newer players into that type of game. The Baalspawn saga is definitely one I would love to see get the full remake treatment though.

I finished Spiderman MM at the beginning of the year. Fun game. More Spiderman and executed well. Looking forward to part 2 next year. Will pick it up at some stage.

Ghost of Tsushima: Just finished the main game last weekend. Playing the expansion now. Overall enjoyed it. The smaller tickbox stuff can be nice to play after work during the week. Good side stories too and the gameplay is fun. Looks gorgeous too. Currently using a screenshot I took as my desktop backgroundd. I'm telling ya: PS3, 4 level tech and brute force can still look quite nice.

Zelda Minnish Cap: Nearly finished it. But typical me, I have been distracted. The GBA needed more buttons. A lot of item switching. But it's still a well made Zelda game so it's class. Good Job Capcom. New Okami please.

Baldurs Gate 3: Only just into act 2 and it's amazing. I can't see anything topping this as my GOTY. I have ruined my playthrough a little bit though as I keep checking alternates to choices I made or fallout from dice rolls. Just roll with it osan0...just roll with it and stop checking!!! Definitely strongly recommended to go in blind and just deal with whatever happens. No matter how bad things look, don't go save scumming. Usually when I finish a game I uninstall it as I'm a bit of a one and done guy. But with BG3, I think I'm just going to leave it installed and have multiple playthroughs. Lately I have been having a bit of an existential crisis around RPG mechanics in games (especially D&D type systems) but BG3 actually does an amazing job of showing how such systems can actually work well in a video game.

Edit: I forgot Pikmin 4. My concept of time is gone and I thought I played it last year. Cracking game. Pikmin is always class. I'm only about half way through but I think I'll start again when the Switch 2 arrives. Also any time I see comments around UE ruining games I just point at Pikmin 4 and say "no....just no....looksie".

@Sushiglutton: Good to see others enjoying Evil West as it's a great game, it was so nice I finished it twice, the second run all upgraded on the hardest difficulty was frustratingly good fun.

I'll add screenshot of my year when Gamespot cooperates, but the short of it is that Helldivers 2 and Alpha Protocol were my two favorite games this year followed by Cult of the Lamb, Dave the Diver... Honorable mention to Mafia Definitive Edition, Tunic and Yakuza 0. Had a great time with all.

Stinkers this year would be Enslaved... Not a great game... Gameplay as bland as rye toast... Also, Plague's Tale and Ghost of Tsushima weren't disippointing games but soon after starting them I lost interest. Think it's more that the big cinematic game has lost its luster. I just want to game.

@sakaixx: I'm just trying to finish the campaign as no matter how bad it gets (with the odd exception) I will plow through to the bitter end.

And the gameplay is functional, the button layout is atrocious though, trying to run with the left stick and heal by pushing left on the d-pad which is right below the left stick is dumb af. The frame rate drops whenever your riding the bike (except for the riding and talking segments) but I do like the gunplay, so it does some things I like about it, but the devs taking the controller away from you is just a big no, no in my book.

Have you played it?

@last_lap: yeah this year too, I actually forgot I even played the game lmao. Enjoyed it more but never finished it cause I was trying to finish some other jrpg I bought and forgot about Days gone.

@sakaixx: Did you get to the part I explained, the bottom portion of the map that locks you out of the top of the map for the rest of the game, which is stupid.

I tried the first few hours. It seemed OK. What did you think of the games biggest selling point (blasting through hordes?)

@SolidGame_basic: Kinda boring running around in circles shooting and throwing Molotovs until they're dead, but I found out by accident that they don't like water and won't go in it, or at least one of the hordes stopped dead when I hit the water.

You need to play it for the sequence I went through, nearly 2hrs of cutscenes and walking and talking segments with 5mins of taking down one camp in between is madness.

@last_lap i warned you lmao.

I started playing Days Gone on ps4 in 2020.

Finally beat a horde .....on ps5.... in 2023. Still haven't beaten it yet.

The game's just too up its ass with its story.

@my_user_name: Sometimes in life you just gotta experience it for yourself.

I have never played a game this bad in terms of taking the controller away from the player.

As for the story, I've skipped most of it, but your side kick in Boozer is like looking after an 8yr old kid.

I just beat my first horde the other day, making you run & gun is fine, but control layout is ridiculous, try to heal and run at the same time is the personification of frustration.

@Jag85: Huh. Didn't know you played Banana Rumble too. Feel like I was alone in this forum, trying to boost for it.

I beat the main game and unlocking the EX worlds, but taking a break and playing some MvC: Fighting Collection.

Only rating stuff I played for the first time... (and can actually remember playing)

Indies :

Blasphemous 2 - 4/5

Aeterna Noctis - 3.5/5 Metroid vania, that feels a bit like Hollow Knight and Celeste had a baby

Forgive Me Father - 3.5/5 fun Love-Craftian boomer shooter

Blazing Chrome - 3.5/5 Contra style game

AA(?):

Atlas Fallen - 3.5 Combat is clunky but if you can get used to it , it's a decent action RPG

Sifu - honestly not sure what to rate this one. I'd give it at least a 3.5, probably deserves higher I'm just not very good at it.

Big Names:

Recently started Astrobot and Space Marine 2, for now 4/5 and 3/5 respectively.

Jedi Survivor - 3/5 honestly like the first game more, this one felt kinda bloated.

Dead Space Remake - 3.75/5 Solid but unspectacular remake of a really good game

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart - probably should be a 3.5 / 5 , had probably the worst story of any main game in the series .. but I can't resist upgrading weapons and will likely start a 2nd playthrough in the near future so maybe deserves a 4.

FF16 - 3/5 shoulda had alternate weapon types, combat got stale before I dropped it like 10 hours in. Kinda blurry on PS5 while not even looking that great.

In terms of games released this year, I played:

• Marvel vs Capcom: Arcade Classics (6)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (7)
• Tetris Forever (7)
• Contra: Operation Galuga (6)

Have to give the overall edge to Tetris Forever though, very interesting, documentary type of game about the history of Tetris.

Astro Bot : 8/10 (Still playing, score may change)

Veilguard: 8/10

Metaphor: 6/10

Neva: 7/10

Little Kitty Big City: 8/10

Pepper Grinder: 9/10

Cat Quest 3 : 6/10

Kunitsu-Gami : 8/10

Cygni: 5/10

Harold Halibut: 7/10

Flintlock : 8/10

Hellblade 2: 5/10

Dragon's Dogma 2: 8/10

Outcast New Beginning: 8/10

The Lost Crown: 9/10

FVII Remake: 7/10

As good as the first one? I haven't jumped in yet. Heard it's overly repetitive.

Not gonna go through every game I played this year,but one game I'm playing now is total 💩, and it's Breath Of The Wild. This game is so boring. Bland open world with nothing to do. Horrible gyro controls on shrines. And in typical switch fashion,it looks like the devs put a Vaseline smear filter on the game.

No! It lacks enemy variety and is generally easier.

I very rarely replay games, at least right away. But with EW I can def see myself doing that. Nice that it has a NG+ option. Not sure if I want to go all the way to Evil difficulty, I can see how the game can be very frustrating. Like dying right before one of all the cooldowns finishes 🤣

@Sushiglutton: The 3 bat/gargoyle creatures that you fight on the last level kicked my arse a dozen times on the hardest difficulty. And if the last boss didn't save after each stage of that boss it would have been near impossible ro beat.

played loads this year, most recently in terms of new games -

wukong - 9.5. incredible. it has its quirks, but they all pale into insignificance as the game progresses and evolves into something very special. it just keeps getting better and better and it has the perfect level of challenge too, goldilocks style, not too easy, not too hard, just right. nearly everything about it - combat, controls, presentation, lore, secrets etc is immaculate. i absolutely loved it. my goty hands down.

shadow of the erdtree - 9. tough one this. when it's good it's amazing. but it also some meh bits. the beginning is very underwhelming. the first legacy dungeon is as bang average as it gets. looks like shit at night. there's also a hell of a lot of empty areas, it's a big game but the content can be a bit sparse. i feel they could have vacuum packed it and shrunk the overall size down by about a third. but there's a lot of the game which is spectacular and makes up for shortcomings in other areas, so it deserves the 9.

silent hill 2- can't get into this at all. very slow start. the story and premise didn't grab me. dated puzzle and combat gameplay. i'm not going to score it because i can't get past the first few hours due to lack of interest. as the old saying goes - pea soup fog and haunting music alone doth not a scary game make. feels like a nostalgia buzz for those who played the original(s) and not newbies to the series like me.

stalker 2 - 6.5. still early days with this too. perf issues aside, there's some real balancing / economy issues and bugs to iron out. but the potential for a 9/10 is there, you can feel it. and i would much rather have a brave and different game concept like this, especially a non-hand holder, which has flaws that can be ironed out and perf issues that can be patched, than some formulaic assassin's creed wannabe that may be polished but one we've seen a million times before

Just TLOU2.......well overdue, great game......need more of it. :)

Veilguard 6/10

Shadow of the Erdtree 7/10

Dragon's Dogma 2 7/10

Stellar Blade 7/10

Metaphor 7/10

Stalker 2 8/10

Wukong 8/10

Balatro 9/10

1. Unicorn Overlord - 9.5 - This game was a shocker to me. So close to a perfect score, but I rarely if ever give those out.

2. Astrobot - 8.5 - Not Half bad... in Astrobot 2 if they add camera speed options and a couple/few quality of life features it could be in contention for a 10 as well.

3. Granblue Fantasy Relink - 8.5 - A damn fine example of what a game that looks and kind of feels like Monster Hunter mixed with a hack n slash can actually be. I'm spoiled now... too bad I don't generally like those types of games. If more do it like this however... yeah, I'm game.

4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - 7.5 - This game would score much higher, but low framerates, inconsistent times to kill, rubber banding, and archaic servers hold back the potential... which is a shame, because otherwise it's a very good game.

5. Metaphor Refantazio - 8 - I'm still stuck at the First main boss playing on hard and I need to grind up more physical class levels but feel screwed over since I decided to main magic. This could easily be a 9 or higher, but difficulty means increasing the likelihood to struggle, not to guess at what you will need and get screwed over later due to having never played the game.

6. Throne and Liberty - 7 - run of the mill MMO with some cool animal morphing abilites.

7. College Football 25 - 8.5 - What's not to like? The first NCAA football game in years, balanced gameplay, and decent online servers. It could still use some fine tuning, but I'm impressed.

8. Dragons Dogma 2 - 7 - I wanted to like this game more than I did, but it's monotonous and pretty dry from about halfway through the game.

9. Rise of the Ronin - 8.5 -

10. The Outlast Trials - 9 - I'm rating this based off mp coop horror

11. V-Rising - 6 - Such wasted potential without anytime raiding... 2 hours on the weekends only isn't enough time, and for some of us with families means although you will be playing with others in the open world they will feel lonely, barren, and littered with the same enemies everywhere while moving away from the social multiplayer aspects of gameplay.

12. MLB The Show 24

13. Mario Party Jamboree

14. Tarisland

15. Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes (Gamepass)

16. C.A.R.D.S. RPG

17. Another Crabs Treasure (Gamepass)

18. Mortal Kombat 1

19. Off the Grid

20. Wizardry

21. Helldivers 2

22. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble

23. Zenless Zone Zero