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Post by dsparil on Jan 3, 2017 15:01:20 GMT -5
HighBoxBoxBoy - A solid sequel. Hope the Qbby amiibo gets released here even though it's basically just a white cube. Bravely Second - Great overall and the art book that came with the collector's edition is an actual good quality book instead of some short cheapie like they usually are. Chase: Cold Case Investigations - Distant Memories - A nice little mystery game by ex-Cing developers and I hope more come out. Dragon Quest VII - I was surprised by how breezy this ended up being. I didn't play the original, but it seems like much more of a slog. Kinda silly though that out of the 5 stats, Style and Wisdom are only definitely used for a side quest although Wisdom maybe effects the optional party AI. Exile's End - I ended up liking this more than Axiom Verge for some reason. Not really sure why exactly. I only bought it because it was new, and I didn't know anything about it. Kirby: Planet Robobot - Unsuprisingly excellent. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens - A change of pace from the Lego games covering multiple movies. Feels fuller than they usually are. Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice - Excellent especially after the relatively disappointing AA: Dual Destinies. Picross 3D: Round 2 - Wasn't expecting more Picross 3D so this was a nice surprise. It is a little disappointing that animations have been removed from the Picross games particularly since they added a little more personality in Picross DS and the original Picross 3D. Pokemon Sun & Moon - I got Moon. The banishment of HMs is a godsend. Drampa also learns Fly as a regular move so I think it's permanent. Outside their plot appearances, most of the battling with the Tapus and Ultra Beasts happenings in the post-game which I find a little odd. Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse - I only finished the insanely hokey ending path, but it's a solid game overall. The expanded smirk and partner systems should have been in the original. Star Fox Zero - I really don't get the hate for this at all. I picked up the controls immediately, but I also didn't endless play SF64. The screens also swap by pressing (-) so you never actually need to look at the gamepad if you don't want to. Twilight Princess HD - I played the GC and Wii versions once each, and looked forward to a third outing. I'm a little bummed out that the standard orientation is mirrored Wii version despite the lack of motion controls. AverageAxiom Verge - I'm more impressed by the fact that this was made by one person than I am by the game itself. The art is overly derivate of Giger which I found distracting. I guess it just never clicked with me. Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 - More of the same. I thought the first was overly repetitive due to material grinding, and I'm disappointed that nothing was done to lessen it. Fire Emblem: Fates - I started Birthright being excited for 3 volumes of FE, and perhaps having 3 full length campaigns was too much. By Chapter 23, I got too bored with the plot to finish Birthright. I would have liked this more if Birthright and Conquest were both half length and sold together, and Revelations being full length since I have the impression that it's able to fill that length better. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam - I liked this well enough, but I am starting to get a little tired of the formula. Having Bowser be a regular playable character and not the villain (Mario & Luigi & Bowser?) would go a long way. Metroid Prime: Federation Force - Not the Metroid game people wanted, but fun on its own merits. Monster Hunter Generations - I really just cannot get into Monster Hunter. I don't have the attention span to spend hundreds of hours on one game, and the mechanics are not quite to my taste. I did put in 50 hours, so I don't feel like I wasted my money. The new aerial style went a long way to alleviate my main issue with MH: I tend to accidentally roll into the monster rather than away. Paper Mario: Color Splash - Amazing art direction and very inventive, but RPG combat in a game with no levels breaks the flow too much. Nintendo said that this was supposed to be more like an adventure game, so maybe dropping combat entirely or switching to something in-field like SPM is a path forward. Pokken Tournament - I'm not that good at fighting games, and constantly got destroyed online particularly by Chandelure's lasers. There's a large amount of tutorials per character covering basic combos but nothing about different character match ups. I'm mostly surprised by the high learning curve although I still had fun playing single player. Project X Zone 2 - I like the crazy and non-sensical crossovers, but the maps drag on for too long because of enemy reinforcements. The Silver Case / Flower, Sun and Rain - I said this in the main thread for TSC, but my main issue is that it's too hard to know who's talking and it makes a slightly obtuse game more so. It deserves a thorough expanded remake since it was originally made on a low budget by very few people, but I doubt that'll happen. Tokyo Mirage Sessions - Pretty disappointed overall. Off screen play was one of the main reasons I got a Wii U, and I don't think the gamepad screen is used well enough to justify not supporting that. I ended up dropping it partway through mostly due to general boredom and not being able to find enough times to play it. Undertale - I went in with very few spoilers and the expectation it was overhyped and came away with the same impression. The concept itself is good and it is fun to play, but I was irritated that many quite reprehensible actions by the games antagonists were ignored. LowZero Time Dilemma I'm reserving my actual ire for only this game otherwise FE:F and TMS would have been down here. The real sequel to Virtue's Last Reward was supposed to have started development right after VLR with the same team. Sales of VLR were low compared to 999, so the third part was canceled. It is completely unsurprising that VLR didn't sell as well because it came out earlier in the life of the 3DS and Vita than 999 did for the DS. It's a huge step down just on a technical level. The 3DS version looks worse than VLR, performs poorly and doesn't even support 3D. It moves away from a standard visual novel presentation, but then doesn't do anything to justify the change since it breaks the ability to properly skip text. It doesn't skip from line to line, it skips from camera angle to camera angle i.e. it a variable number of lines making it unusable. You can already fast forward through viewed sections, so it's just a completely broken function. ZTD also has fewer puzzle sections and they aren't as good as the other games. Uchikoshi has said in the past that he comes up with the plot twists first and then creates a plot around that. This process completely blows up here. Many of the twists aren't great, but the main twist is just so stupid and relies on outright lying. I'm going to spoiler tag the rest of this although I'll try to keep actual spoilers to a minimum (middle/late game-ish spoiler for VLR first). The twist in VLR that draws the most fan ire, the player Sigma is actually an old man, is part of a larger unraveling. The player character normally isn't even visible anyway in a VN, and the contrast between Sigma's stated age and his appearance is commented on by other characters at the beginning of the game. The big twist in ZTD that Q is actually a deaf and mute man in wheelchair and not the kid with the helmet just comes out of nowhere. There are little hints here and there, but they are incredibly subtle, easy to miss and only make sense in hindsight. No one ever talks about about why this mysterious man was at DCOM in the first place. No one on Team Q ever comments on why they have to schlep around an extra fourth person even though they're supposed to be teams of 3. This fourth person is just always there, completely off camera and unmentioned. Then there's the fact that a completely improbable device that is incredibly important to the plot in several spots has almost no explanation. The most worst part, and why I said this isn't the real sequel, is that it doesn't finish the story at all. It changes gears to something else entirely at the end and punts off resolution to a fourth game that may never happen. When I say the end, I mean literally the very last scene and if not that, very close to it. I could go on and on. It's just a huge ugh the whole way through.
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Post by wyrdwad on Jan 3, 2017 16:16:14 GMT -5
Here's mine. Note: I played a *lot* of MSX games this year, so apologies if this list is MSX-heavy! **HIGHS** Owlboy I don't care what anybody else says, Owlboy is fantastic. It's a 10/10 for me -- absolutely one of the best indie games I've ever played. I love the story and characters, I love the intricate setpieces, I love the optional story-developing scenes scattered throughout the endgame, I love the creative puzzles, and that soundtrack is simply amazing. I've said it before, but playing Owlboy for me was like playing a Studio Ghibli movie. I know some people complained about it being too linear, but you know what? I'm OK with that -- games don't have to be complicated to be good, they just have to be GOOD. And aside from the cannon flight minigame (which I hated), I enjoyed every second I spent with Owlboy. (Also really looking forward to Heart Forth Alicia even more now, after learning that the same guy who composed the music for Owlboy also composed the music for that game!) What I've played of FFXV I'm still in chapter 2. Yeah, I know... this barely counts for this list. But remember, I've hated every Final Fantasy game since FF9 (yes, even FFX!), so the fact that I took to FFXV so readily, and enjoyed it so much, for the 7 hours I've spent with it thus far says that Square Enix must be doing SOMETHING right! Game's certainly not flawless, but it's head and shoulders above every other Final Fantasy of the last decade+, so I count it as a win. Sector 88 The first of the MSX games I'm listing here, though I think this one is more relevant than most of the others since it is, in fact, a 2016 title. The MSX homebrew community is shockingly strong, and one of the most currently prolific names in that community is Oscar Kenneth Albero Ingles, who releases cartridge games under the name KAI Magazine. Since November 2015, he's released four new MSX titles + one compilation cartridge, all of which are fairly lengthy, polished, and technically impressive offerings. I haven't yet played his latest (I'm still waiting for it to arrive in the mail), but of the others, Sector 88 is easily my favorite -- it's a mission-based shmup with RPG elements and three endings. What sets it apart from other shmups is that you don't always just have to reach the end of the stage, but rather complete a specific mission within that stage -- and even if you fail, you still collect a bounty on every enemy ship you destroyed, which you can then redeem to power up your ship for the next go-around. It's pretty addictive, and really shows off a deep understanding of game design and flow. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Yeah, I know, it's kind of lame to list one of our own titles on here, but if it helps, I barely did anything for Half-Genie Hero -- I was working on Akiba's Beat the whole time. In fact, I'm still playing through Shantae:HGH right now! I started playing it while it was still 2016, though (right after release), and I've been having a blast with it so far. It lives up to the high standards of the rest of the series, and is just as addictive and charming as ever! I saw somebody else list the original Shantae as a low for the year, and then someone respond to that saying that the original Shantae is the worst in the series -- but actually, it's one of my favorites! I love GBC Shantae, and hold it on the same basic level as Pirate's Curse, with Risky's Revenge being my least favorite of the three (though it's still excellent!). Where does Half-Genie Hero fall on that scale? Well, I already like it better than Risky's Revenge, but the question is, can it top the other two? Only time will tell! But either way... great game! Ghost 1.0 When I saw that the Unepic guy made a new game, I immediately jumped on it -- and I was not disappointed! Unepic is the better game design-wise and balance-wise, I'd say, but Ghost 1.0 is a very worthy followup, with a better story, better characters, better music, really cool cinematic cutscenes that remind me a lot of Flashback, actually FUNNY humor (as opposed to the cringeworthy humor of Unepic), and great combat. It feels a bit more linear than Unepic, and there are fewer "puzzle rooms" that require critical thinking to complete (until the end, anyway, when you get a whole mess of them!), but there's really nothing I disliked about Ghost 1.0. It was a solid experience all around, and one I would definitely recommend, whether you liked Unepic or not. Return to PopoloCrois This one is pure ego, and I'm sure it won't show up on anyone else's list, but DAMN I love this game. Having the opportunity to translate and edit its dialogue, and assist with the voice direction for its English dub, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire career -- but even just as a game, I love Return to PopoloCrois so much. Its gameplay isn't perfect, and its dungeon designs leave a lot to be desired, but the charm and heart that PopoloCrois is known for are absolutely there in full force, and it's just so nice to play a GOOD PopoloCrois game again after all this time (I didn't care for the two PS2 titles, and I found the PSP one highly disappointing after playing the original PS1 games it was based upon). It's like reuniting with an old friend, and it sparked the Popolo fanboy in me all over again. Exile's End This one is NOT pure ego. I did a considerable amount of work on Exile's End, but most of it was background stuff (creating the Wii U digital manual, for example). The main game was basically all the work of one man, and I think he did a really nice job with it. If the game has one major flaw, it's that it doesn't really stick out in a year absolutely PACKED with Metroidvanias -- but if you take the time to play it, you'll find that it's a very solid title with excellent level designs, atmosphere, and a steady progression of weapon upgrades and items. It doesn't really have the underlying gimmicks that you find in games like Ghost 1.0 (ghost mode) and Axiom Verge (the glitch gun), but if you want a classically styled Metroidvania with a gritty atmosphere and a nice, addictive quality to it, Exile's End will have you covered. I really enjoyed playing through this one, and I think if you're in the mood for a good old-school Metroidvania experience, you will too. Higemaru Makaijima Finally had a chance to play this game this year -- it's a lost Capcom classic that was released for the Famicom and MSX2, and I won an eBay auction for the MSX2 version in October. After playing through it, I'd venture to say it's my favorite Zelda-like on the MSX so far, topping Golvellius, King Kong 2, and Borfes and the Five Devils. It has fun islands to explore, cool secrets to uncover, and a real "piratey" feel to it that just gives it a genuine sense of adventure. Also has some really creepy, atmospheric setpieces in it! Like, shockingly creepy, for the time it was made. All-in-all, a great game. Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family I also managed to snag a copy of the MSX2 version of Drasle Family this year (that's Legacy of the Wizard, for NES fans), and was really impressed with it. I knew a lot of things had been changed from the NES and MSX1 versions, but I didn't realize just HOW MUCH -- items were moved to more logical locations, and Lyll's section of the maze was basically 100% redone, completely changing the recommended strategy for completing the game. Additionally, more crown warps were added all over the place, and crown warps no longer require possessing all four crowns to use them -- at least, not all of them do. Some warps will work even after you've only acquired one crown, and others will work when you have two or three. You can even use this to skip Xemn's section of the maze altogether, by playing as Roas after collecting only one crown and using a warp to skip directly to Xemn's boss room -- which is awesome for speedrunning, but also awesome if you just don't want to deal with Xemn's awful block puzzle challenges (easily my least favorite part of the entire game). I always loved this game since I first played it, but after playing the MSX2 version, I think I now consider that to be the definitive version of the game. Metal Gear This was also the year I got to play Metal Gear for the first time -- and it was the MSX version, which is widely (and from what I've seen, rightfully) considered to be the definitive version of the game. I avoided this game like the plague when I was a kid, because I hated anything that looked too "war-like" -- if it had people in military uniforms, guns, and lots of grays and browns and dark greens in its color palette, I wasn't interested. For the most part, this has persisted into adulthood, as I've never played a single Metal Gear game in my life -- I always kind of shunned the series. But since I own an MSX, and collect for it, it was inevitable that Metal Gear would make its way into my hands sooner or later... and when it did, I decided to pop it in and see what I thought of it. And to my surprise, I actually really liked it! The enemy AI is dumb as bricks, but the stealth gameplay is a fascinating departure from what ANYBODY else was doing at the time, and the actual stage designs are really well-made and fun to explore. The feeling of covertly sneaking through an enemy base was strong, and the puzzles were clever without being impossible to solve on your own. I also appreciate that in the MSX version, the only way to save your game is by recording a save file to cassette tape via an external tape drive, which just somehow feels very apropos! Vampire Killer Was this 2016? I can't recall. Either way, while I may have initially played this in 2015, I didn't beat it until this year, so I'm going to count it. I'm using the name Vampire Killer here, but this game is also known as... Castlevania 1. Just, the MSX version. And man, I know most people prefer the NES version of this game, but I *definitely* prefer the MSX version by leaps and bounds -- it's basically a completely different game, with a greater emphasis on exploration and strategy and a lot of cruel tricks designed to kill the unobservant. I could ramble on and on about this game, but suffice it to say, it's a pretty special experience designed for just the right KIND of Castlevania fan. Basically, if you're one of the few (like me) who consider Castlevania 2 on NES to be the best of the NES trilogy, you NEED to play MSXvania. It's the game that spawned Castlevania 2, without question, and it's just... brilliantly designed. Easily one of my top five favorite MSX games I've played. The Cure Speaking of MSXvania, I played this homebrew MSX Castlevania-like for the first time this year, and it's easily the most polished homebrew experience I've had on the system to date, and VERY technically impressive for MSX1. It sort of blends the gameplay styles of NES Castlevania and MSX Castlevania together, taking elements of both to create an all-new 2D Castlevania experience that feels legitimately like something Konami themselves might have crafted back in the day. Recommended to all Castlevania fans. Caos Begins Another great MSX homebrew I played this year. It's a one-life Galious-like Metroidvania -- you need to play from the beginning to the end without dying, as there are no save points and no continues. Has my favorite PSG music track from any MSX game to date, and is also just a really well-designed experience. It's extremely simplistic, and doesn't really do anything all that innovative or new, but when it comes to Metroidvanias, it's all about stage design, and this game has a really cool set of areas that are fun and challenging to explore. Cold Blood Yet another MSX homebrew title I played this year -- I know, I went a little crazy! But this one stands out for being conceptually really cool, as well as being expertly designed and extremely replayable. It is, basically, the love child of Pac-Man and Metal Gear. You play as Pac-Man with an eyepatch, and journey through a series of interconnected mazes trying to eat all the dots without being caught by the ghosts. You can drop your own power pellets to turn blue (or "killer," as the game describes it), which you earn after eating a certain number of dots -- but there are also items you can find along the way, such as keycards, a cardboard box to hide in, and a ghost suit to let you blend in with your enemies. Additionally, there are powerup squares you can walk over, though the powerups are random and sometimes VERY undesirable -- like making you walk at half speed for a while, or making all enemies invisible for a time. I bought this game as a novelty, expecting to get a good laugh out of it, but quickly found myself genuinely enjoying it -- it's a legit good game! If you like Pac-Man and/or Metal Gear, I would definitely recommend at least emulating this one. Head Over Heels Also played the classic isometric adventure Head Over Heels this year, and I've gotta say, this game is amazing. It's hard to play on MSX with a controller, since there are just too many things you can do for the number of available buttons (shoot, pick up blocks, switch characters, jump), but it's precisely because you can do all those things that the game is so fun to play. Being a dirty American, the only isometric game from this era that I ever really knew was Solstice, which remains one of my favorite NES games of all time -- but playing Batman and Head Over Heels on MSX showed me just how Solstice came to be, and I honestly think Head Over Heels is potentially a better game than Solstice now. **AVERAGES** AM2R Probably my most controversial "average" selection, but I just... couldn't get into this game. Which is weird, because I still rank Super Metroid as one of my favorite games of all time, and Metroids Fusion and Zero Mission as my two favorite GBA titles -- but I dunno, AM2R just didn't really work for me. It's not bad by any means, and it's impressive what one indie developer was able to do with the GB version, but I almost feel like this game shows its age more than the original Metroid did when it was remade as Zero Mission. AM2R is just a little too linear and by-numbers, and the rooms are just a little TOO big, requiring a lot more mindless bombing than I ever remember doing in Zero Mission. Additionally, I... really don't care for the soundtrack arrangements here. I was excited to hear what was done to Surface of SR388, which is one of my favorite tracks in any Metroid game, but the result was just kind of... meh. I prefer the GB version, as it feels more focused -- the arrangement takes too many liberties and goes a bit too "trance" for my tastes. The song is supposed to be energetic and harsh, not laid-back. I dunno... AM2R just didn't do it for me. I like it, but I don't love it. Actually didn't even finish it, as I grew kind of bored of it partway through. I'll probably go back and try it again another time. Axiom Verge Another potentially controversial choice, so let me make one thing perfectly clear: I quite liked Axiom Verge. But much as with Aquaria, I also had a LOT of problems with it that detracted from the experience and kept me from 100%ing it after completion -- and will likely also keep me from ever playing it again, as I mostly feel like once was enough for this title. My biggest complaint was the story, which doesn't feel open-ended and intriguing to me like Owlboy's, but rather feels incomplete -- like the developer doesn't even know what exactly was supposed to have happened in that ending. It was just kind of a convoluted mess, and while aspects of it were interesting, I feel like the whole thing was left mostly unresolved. I also feel like a lot of the secrets in this game were a bit TOO well-hidden, to the point that you'd never be able to find them without a walkthrough of some sort -- something that usually doesn't bother me, but given the obvious Metroid influences here, and the distinct LACK of any such content in any Metroid game, it made 100%ing the game feel like a chore (which is why I didn't do it!). Overall, I actually did like this game a lot, and would recommend it to others -- and I'm very much looking forward to whatever Thomas Happ may develop next -- but like Odallus last year, I can't really justify putting this in my "highs" column. It was a great experience, but not one of the best of the year. **LOWS** ...Honestly, I'm not sure I have any lows for the year. I guess I played a lot of crappy cassette games on MSX, but considering most of them were $5 or less with shipping included, I have trouble really counting those as low points, since they made for fun experiments. If I had to pick one, it would be Spy vs. Spy II: The Island Caper, which is a game I've always wanted to play for the Famicom (I love NES Spy vs. Spy so much!), but wound up playing for the first time on MSX instead. And let me tell you, the MSX cassette version of that game is baaaaaaaaad. Like, REALLY bad. Like, don't play it even as a lark -- it's not worth it! But yeah. Overall, 2016 was a good year for games for me, even if the majority of what I played was not actually *from* 2016. -Tom
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Post by magic89 on Jan 3, 2017 17:18:55 GMT -5
Highs Mother Russia Bleeds Its long time ive played PC Beat,em up game. Time spend very well there nothing better like hard puching other faces while been under Nekro drug influence. Mount & Blade Warband Ive played M&B Warband once again(First time in 2013), game not look impressive but had great gameplay ive always wanted play that game as wandering knight without magic and other high fantasy stuff. Shin megami tensei After slaughtering dozens mons ive take step back in past SMT. oh my god...i means gods! there a lot gods and other mythological figures. Its little shame SMT series are very unknown in my country so fanbase are very small. but at least one of my friends are one fans Megaten games and he said "As fan of Atlus I MUST HAVE and play ALL THIER MEGAMI TENSEI GAMES" Mafia:City of lost heaven Ive take long hiatus on that game(Last time played 2006), ive returned and completed this game without break a sweat. Narrated Story are great. 30s influence city too, its little shame Mafia 2 ruin it all this but still Mafia 2 are not too shabby. strike force heroes 3 Its browser flash 2D shooter i gotta like it team management options because in SFH2 motly focuses only on your selected hero I cant stop laughing from another fitht with game creators avatars they hard and cheating bitches but im having fun. Robinson: The Journey The first only VR game ive played. its fun game, who knows maybe kick No man,s sky ass to black hole . Average Pony Clicker "Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of" Max Payne Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Ive won this game on some comunity gaming site as second place(First place grants this game and Shuriken styled keychain, while third place only that shuriken styled keychain) Its another Commandos/Desperados succesor this time action takes place in Edo Japan, its nice game but hard so thats why ive put as average. Borderlands Pre-Sequel Its still BL2 game but with space theme. Sadly after 2K Austriala bites the dust there no chance for another side story DLCs oh! i hate that bug with Iventory and Bank. they said its been fixed but for me still exist grrrr!!! Ive hope BL3 returns to former glory DONT SC.W THIS UP GEARBOX! Warhammer 40:000 Soulstorm Its still good RTS game, but lack of balance in factions are what i gont like it Tau on first tiers are supprior, while Necorns on last tiers are hardcore Olso dont like limit in special units and vehicles caps I mean this...As Imperial guard you can deploy one karskin squad at the time, and and only two Lemann Russ tanks If ive rymenber in Winter Assualt its possible deploy more than one of this units? At least fans made for stormstrom plugin for no unit cap, but still this mod are not perfect because its possible deploy ifninity hero units or for imperial guard more than one baneblade super heavy tank. Ride Its finally here Motorbike racing bike with doznes bikes to select like Turist Trophy or Riding Spirit games for PS2 Game feeling are great but biggest problem there not too much tracks...sigh! ive hope someday gonna game Forza like game with many bikes and tracks to play with. Lows Mafia 3 Im sorry maybe game had nice gameplay great soundtrack and 70s theme, but bugs and repetitive missions are not suits me Who knows maybe DLC save this mess. Dinner Date Its not bad game but By all accounts, it doesn't make sense Tottaly Spies:Tottaly party Because my niece said....pleeeease oh boy im glad its all over
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Post by dsparil on Jan 4, 2017 10:41:02 GMT -5
Exile's End This one is NOT pure ego. I did a considerable amount of work on Exile's End, but most of it was background stuff (creating the Wii U digital manual, for example). The main game was basically all the work of one man, and I think he did a really nice job with it. If the game has one major flaw, it's that it doesn't really stick out in a year absolutely PACKED with Metroidvanias -- but if you take the time to play it, you'll find that it's a very solid title with excellent level designs, atmosphere, and a steady progression of weapon upgrades and items. It doesn't really have the underlying gimmicks that you find in games like Ghost 1.0 (ghost mode) and Axiom Verge (the glitch gun), but if you want a classically styled Metroidvania with a gritty atmosphere and a nice, addictive quality to it, Exile's End will have you covered. I really enjoyed playing through this one, and I think if you're in the mood for a good old-school Metroidvania experience, you will too. That's so cool that you worked on it; it's a fun little game. I liked the general lack of gimmicks, although I kinda wish that you took falling damage the whole way through instead of just the beginning.
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Post by jcrankin on Jan 5, 2017 7:05:22 GMT -5
My memory is a bit spotty on exactly which games I did play for the first time in 2016, so the list is heavily skewed towards the high points, but:
HIGH
DOOM - late to the fray (started playing mid December) but probably the single best game I have played this year. The game did so many things just right I don't even know where to begin. The gunplay, the levels, the emphasis on movement, hell, even the Doomguy - wow.
XCOM 2 - I really liked how the designers tried to do something new within the estabilished mechanics, and even though not everything was a step in the right direction, the game was fun enough, and challenging enough to warrant many, many playthroughs.
Etrian Odyssey IV - this is pretty much the game I bought my 3DS for; I have been aware of the Etrian games since forever but never had a console to play them on. EO4 is everything I hoped it would be and more. Dungeon crawling, combat, map drawing, classes and subclasses, plenty of sidequests and challenges to do and a surprisingly engaging storyline... It's so good, I have already bought Etrian Untold 1, though SMT4A still takes precedence.
Pokemon Sun - I haven't had this much fun with this franchise since my cart of Silver died (that is, the internal battery that runs the clock and save died). Moderately challenging, good looking, new mons are almost universally good-to-great, the trials are a nice change of pace...
Elite: Dangerous (:Horizons) - the quintessential Space Truck Simulator took forever to come out, but once it did, I found it to be the very best game in the series, and not just because of its graphics. The galaxy is enormous, the ships are pretty and varied, there is something to do no matter what you want to be, and the meta/multiplayer aspect is done just right. Asps in front of things!
Wolfenstein: The New Order - the game that restored my faith in the FPS genre. Ridiculously grim and enthralling storyline, characters to like and characters to hate, awesome graphics, over-the-top gunplay (two machineguns? How about two rocket machineguns?), it's a real feast.
Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter - after an entire game of setting the scene and the actors up, Second Chapter does not fail to deliver. The characters, the story, the twists, everything is top notch in this game, I'm so happy XSEED never gave up on releasing the game.
Resident Evil 4 - late to the party, yeah, I know. Still, at first I tried to play the game like a straight horror and only got annoyed. Then, something clicked, and I switched gears, figuratively speaking - instead of a serious horror, I took it as a cheeesy, hammy, self-aware action game, and had ridiculous fun with it. Leon's banters are the best.
Binary Domain (PC) - got this game from a bundle and only kept it because it looked vaguely sci-fi-ish. Was ready to drop it because of terrible keyboard control scheme, but then I gave the game one last chance: using my gamepad (something I really don't like to do in shooters). While the gameplay only got from bad to passable, the storyline made it all worth the hassle; I'm planning to replay it at some point in the future to get the golden ending (max trust with everyone).
Devil Daggers - I was aware of this game for some time, but never really bothered because I had burned myself badly with Wrack, another supposedly oldchool FPS game. Then I learned that it was made by the Dustforce guys, and that was enough to convince me and give it a try. It's fast, it's frantic, it's really complex underneath, and I'm really digging the game's visuals.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen - the plot is ech, the quests are double ech, but the combat, oh boy does the combat deliver. It's pretty much Berserk: The Game and I consider the 90 hours invested in stabbing things with HUGE swords to be time very well spent indeed.
The Solus Project - I bought the game because it seemed like a decent-looking survival game, and was mildly disappointed when it turned out to be a walking simulator with survival elements and some ridiculously obscure secrets. Still, I went as far as the second cave complex and what I found there convinced me to stick with the game to the end. Beneath the superficial and boring gather-the-journal-cards veneer lies a fascinating depth of mysterious alien races and trully frightening parts. If anyone wants to try it, I have this advice - don't strain yourself looking for secrets, ignore the "human" part of the game, focus on the ancient aliens part, and try to reach the third island, where the plot really gets going.
AVERAGE
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate - the game my 3DS came with. I can see the game can be appealing, but for whatever reason I can't really get into it
Race The Sun - just an endless runner with simplistic visuals that look far better on screenshots than they do in action.
R-Type Command - the strategy part of the game is actually pretty good, and the game is veritable R-Type fanservice, but the grinding required is frankly ridiculous and off-putting. It's especially bad how for the first 20+hours you're limited to a few basic forces because you start with a mere 100 Bydogen and can't get any more for a long, long time.
Tharsis - it's really random number god: the game, but it's not bad. Can be fun in some isolated sessions, but the highest difficulty level required for the best ending is, well, ludicrous.
Shelter 2 - game is nice and comfy, but there's really not that much to do or see.
LOW
Homeworld Remastered - I like to think there aren't many things that can make me angry, especially over video games, but the game can be only really described as pissing on the series fans' hopes and dreams. The graphics are nice, but that's about the only good thing I can say because the mechanics are broken, the missions are broken, the balance is broken, and the classic editions tend to crash badly (a "feature" introduced by Gearbox because my boxed HW1 works just fine)
Macabre - an ugly RPG maker(-like) game with annoying mechanics
Kholat - the graphics are nice, but then you get to the gameplay, which boils down to following a preset path through mildly spooky locations
Resident Evil Revelations (PC!) - a really really lazy port, and the game itself lacks even half the charm RE4 has
Remember Me - let's not, okay
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Post by X-pert74 on Jan 5, 2017 8:36:42 GMT -5
Metal Gear This was also the year I got to play Metal Gear for the first time -- and it was the MSX version, which is widely (and from what I've seen, rightfully) considered to be the definitive version of the game. I avoided this game like the plague when I was a kid, because I hated anything that looked too "war-like" -- if it had people in military uniforms, guns, and lots of grays and browns and dark greens in its color palette, I wasn't interested. For the most part, this has persisted into adulthood, as I've never played a single Metal Gear game in my life -- I always kind of shunned the series. But since I own an MSX, and collect for it, it was inevitable that Metal Gear would make its way into my hands sooner or later... and when it did, I decided to pop it in and see what I thought of it. And to my surprise, I actually really liked it! The enemy AI is dumb as bricks, but the stealth gameplay is a fascinating departure from what ANYBODY else was doing at the time, and the actual stage designs are really well-made and fun to explore. The feeling of covertly sneaking through an enemy base was strong, and the puzzles were clever without being impossible to solve on your own. I also appreciate that in the MSX version, the only way to save your game is by recording a save file to cassette tape via an external tape drive, which just somehow feels very apropos! Ooh, playing the original Metal Gear on an actual MSX2. Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed it; I like the Metal Gear series in general, but the MSX2 games are sadly incredibly overlooked, with many people not even knowing they exist to this day (despite being included in the MGS HD Collection and whatnot). I know you say that you're not a big fan of war-themed games; that's understandable, but know that the Metal Gear series is far from a typical war-themed game series. It looks like a typical war setting on the outside, but when you dig into its universe, you realize there's a lot more to it than that. Some games in the series feature some really trippy, almost supernatural elements, and it's pretty mind-boggling throughout... in (usually) the best way possible. I'd recommend at the very least, also playing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake on the MSX2. It has more of a focus on story than the original Metal Gear, but also improves the gameplay, by giving the guards a 45-degree viewing field, which makes it harder to sneak around them. But on the other hand, you also gain the ability to crouch, and to crawl along the floor, which makes you harder to spot, and also prevents you from making noise (which is a more prominent element of the gameplay in MG2). All in all, it's a supremely satisfying, technically impressive sequel, that I highly recommend trying at some point or another
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Post by wyrdwad on Jan 5, 2017 12:14:40 GMT -5
Metal Gear This was also the year I got to play Metal Gear for the first time -- and it was the MSX version, which is widely (and from what I've seen, rightfully) considered to be the definitive version of the game. I avoided this game like the plague when I was a kid, because I hated anything that looked too "war-like" -- if it had people in military uniforms, guns, and lots of grays and browns and dark greens in its color palette, I wasn't interested. For the most part, this has persisted into adulthood, as I've never played a single Metal Gear game in my life -- I always kind of shunned the series. But since I own an MSX, and collect for it, it was inevitable that Metal Gear would make its way into my hands sooner or later... and when it did, I decided to pop it in and see what I thought of it. And to my surprise, I actually really liked it! The enemy AI is dumb as bricks, but the stealth gameplay is a fascinating departure from what ANYBODY else was doing at the time, and the actual stage designs are really well-made and fun to explore. The feeling of covertly sneaking through an enemy base was strong, and the puzzles were clever without being impossible to solve on your own. I also appreciate that in the MSX version, the only way to save your game is by recording a save file to cassette tape via an external tape drive, which just somehow feels very apropos! Ooh, playing the original Metal Gear on an actual MSX2. Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed it; I like the Metal Gear series in general, but the MSX2 games are sadly incredibly overlooked, with many people not even knowing they exist to this day (despite being included in the MGS HD Collection and whatnot). I know you say that you're not a big fan of war-themed games; that's understandable, but know that the Metal Gear series is far from a typical war-themed game series. It looks like a typical war setting on the outside, but when you dig into its universe, you realize there's a lot more to it than that. Some games in the series feature some really trippy, almost supernatural elements, and it's pretty mind-boggling throughout... in (usually) the best way possible. I'd recommend at the very least, also playing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake on the MSX2. It has more of a focus on story than the original Metal Gear, but also improves the gameplay, by giving the guards a 45-degree viewing field, which makes it harder to sneak around them. But on the other hand, you also gain the ability to crouch, and to crawl along the floor, which makes you harder to spot, and also prevents you from making noise (which is a more prominent element of the gameplay in MG2). All in all, it's a supremely satisfying, technically impressive sequel, that I highly recommend trying at some point or another Way ahead of you. That game goes for some serious bank on eBay, but I managed to snipe myself a copy last month, and it just arrived in the mail yesterday, so I'll likely be playing through it sometime soon. From just popping it in last night, it seems pretty cool, though I got stuck because I had absolutely NO idea how to crouch. I've since looked up a walkthrough and memorized the proper key combo for that, so I'm GTG anytime -- though I'm in the middle of like, six other MSX games right now, as well as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, so it might be a little while before I get to it. -Tom
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Post by 8 Bit Dreams on Jan 5, 2017 12:58:51 GMT -5
Ooh, playing the original Metal Gear on an actual MSX2. Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed it; I like the Metal Gear series in general, but the MSX2 games are sadly incredibly overlooked, with many people not even knowing they exist to this day (despite being included in the MGS HD Collection and whatnot). I know you say that you're not a big fan of war-themed games; that's understandable, but know that the Metal Gear series is far from a typical war-themed game series. It looks like a typical war setting on the outside, but when you dig into its universe, you realize there's a lot more to it than that. Some games in the series feature some really trippy, almost supernatural elements, and it's pretty mind-boggling throughout... in (usually) the best way possible. I'd recommend at the very least, also playing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake on the MSX2. It has more of a focus on story than the original Metal Gear, but also improves the gameplay, by giving the guards a 45-degree viewing field, which makes it harder to sneak around them. But on the other hand, you also gain the ability to crouch, and to crawl along the floor, which makes you harder to spot, and also prevents you from making noise (which is a more prominent element of the gameplay in MG2). All in all, it's a supremely satisfying, technically impressive sequel, that I highly recommend trying at some point or another Way ahead of you. That game goes for some serious bank on eBay, but I managed to snipe myself a copy last month, and it just arrived in the mail yesterday, so I'll likely be playing through it sometime soon. From just popping it in last night, it seems pretty cool, though I got stuck because I had absolutely NO idea how to crouch. I've since looked up a walkthrough and memorized the proper key combo for that, so I'm GTG anytime -- though I'm in the middle of like, six other MSX games right now, as well as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, so it might be a little while before I get to it. -Tom What are some great MSX games that can be purchased CIB on the cheap? Do you grab most of your imports off of Yahoo! Auctions Japan?
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Post by wyrdwad on Jan 5, 2017 13:24:58 GMT -5
What are some great MSX games that can be purchased CIB on the cheap? Do you grab most of your imports off of Yahoo! Auctions Japan? Actually gotten most of them off of eBay -- prices aren't a whole lot different between eBay and Yahoo Auctions, as long as you keep a sharp eye out and ignore all the people trying to fleece you with high Buy It Now prices. CIB MSX games are rarely cheap, though, on either site -- the majority of my MSX games are cartridge-only. I have managed to snag a surprising number of floppy disk games CIB for fairly decent prices, though, and have found that CIB is much more common to find for disk games than for cartridge games, probably because there's little value in selling just the disks for a game when people can easily download .dsk images and write their own. So I guess if you're looking for cheap CIB MSX games, focus in on disk-based titles -- particularly RPGs. Those are a dime a dozen, and while they do pretty much all require a working knowledge of Japanese, the vast majority of them that I've played so far have been quite good. If you do purchase disk games for MSX, though, one thing I've learned: be wary of mold. The platters on disks CAN get moldy, and a moldy disk can actually damage your drive. Best way to check for mold is to push the metal slider back with one hand and spin the platter with the other, checking both sides of the disk's surface for spots. If you see a bunch of them (or any, really), you might want to try cleaning the disk before popping it in. EDIT: Actually, duh. There is one way to get fairly cheap CIB MSX games that are in pristine condition: buy homebrew! As I mentioned numerous times in my list, the MSX homebrew community is extremely active, and every one of the homebrew games I listed was purchased brand new, complete in box, for (at most) $50 (and most were much cheaper). And the boxes are generally quite nice, with each game also including a full-color manual in most cases. The MSX homebrew community don't mess around! -Tom
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Post by X-pert74 on Jan 5, 2017 15:38:44 GMT -5
Ooh, playing the original Metal Gear on an actual MSX2. Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed it; I like the Metal Gear series in general, but the MSX2 games are sadly incredibly overlooked, with many people not even knowing they exist to this day (despite being included in the MGS HD Collection and whatnot). I know you say that you're not a big fan of war-themed games; that's understandable, but know that the Metal Gear series is far from a typical war-themed game series. It looks like a typical war setting on the outside, but when you dig into its universe, you realize there's a lot more to it than that. Some games in the series feature some really trippy, almost supernatural elements, and it's pretty mind-boggling throughout... in (usually) the best way possible. I'd recommend at the very least, also playing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake on the MSX2. It has more of a focus on story than the original Metal Gear, but also improves the gameplay, by giving the guards a 45-degree viewing field, which makes it harder to sneak around them. But on the other hand, you also gain the ability to crouch, and to crawl along the floor, which makes you harder to spot, and also prevents you from making noise (which is a more prominent element of the gameplay in MG2). All in all, it's a supremely satisfying, technically impressive sequel, that I highly recommend trying at some point or another Way ahead of you. That game goes for some serious bank on eBay, but I managed to snipe myself a copy last month, and it just arrived in the mail yesterday, so I'll likely be playing through it sometime soon. From just popping it in last night, it seems pretty cool, though I got stuck because I had absolutely NO idea how to crouch. I've since looked up a walkthrough and memorized the proper key combo for that, so I'm GTG anytime -- though I'm in the middle of like, six other MSX games right now, as well as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, so it might be a little while before I get to it. -Tom Oh yeah, I've heard that you need to press a combination of keys in the original version in order to be able to crouch. Thankfully the later ports mapped crouching to its own separate button. Also since you mention getting most MSX2 games with just the cartridge only, know that there's a couple points in MG2 where you need either the manual, or a FAQ to proceed. Unfortunately the necessary materials to pass said points were never officially brought out in English (usually the ports are just included with the most barebones info possible, forcing one to use a FAQ), but who knows? Maybe you might be able to get your hands on a copy of the original manual? Or at least find a scan somewhere online or something.
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Post by Purple Moss on Jan 29, 2017 11:13:06 GMT -5
Thank you guys for posting and sharing your experiences! I hope you have a great year in gaming; & see you around!
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Post by X-pert74 on Jan 30, 2017 0:45:25 GMT -5
Thank you guys for posting and sharing your experiences! I hope you have a great year in gaming; & see you around! Sure thing here's to another year of new experiences!
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Post by personman on Feb 2, 2017 3:26:58 GMT -5
A little late to the party, just been too busy to post.
Highs-
Odallus the Dark Call: Really loved this game. Its got tight level design, fair challenge, and a really neat somber atmosphere. Recommend it to anyone, its a better Demons Crest, and I find it amusing how it just straight up lifts sound effects from Symphony.
Azure Striker Gunvolt: Fantastic successor to the Megaman Zero series. Not only is it just well designed though it feels half way fresh with how the character works where you have to focus more on evasion than anything else. Definately getting the sequel sometime.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls: A real return to form after how lousy the original game was. Sure, it may be simpler and easier to get geared (things I don't feel are a bad thing) but it focuses on being fun above all and really isn't that what games are about?
Balistic NG: I was impressed with this game early on, I would have gladly paid 15 bucks for it. In the time since I first found out about it here though they've continued to refine the game immensely and its really close to a professional product with a more concrete campaign mode, over hauled tracks that are really fun and balanced and a wonderful variety in cars (with a healthy modding community too!) If you like racing check it out if you haven't already and throw them a couple bucks. They've more than earned it.
Axiom Verge: Was lukewarm on this one the first time around but after a second look it is truly exceptional. I'm still disappointed that the mood in the beginning disappears but everything else is solid enough to stand on its own. With how many Metroid likes that are flooding the indie market this one deserves to bear the name and then some.
Armello: You can scream "AHHH! FURRYS!" all you want but behind that is a very balanced and fun board game with a nice brisk pace. I love the whimsical tone and the different strategies the characters can utilize and most importantly it doesn't take ages to finish a game. I often like to just play through a game once a week or so and that's sign of something good I say.
Tale of Monkey Island series: I've still only played the first game (On Sega CD no less) so perhaps my opinion is clouded by how much of an ordeal that was, but aside that I thought these were really fun little adventures and found them more charming than many adventure games I've played. Will definitely get to the rest of the series... just wish I could find the third one somewhere. What happened with that one?
Darkest Dungeon: Its XCOM as a turned based rpg. Kinda. I love the art, the hammy narration and its a joy to have a turned based game that actually takes some thought and demands use of utility rather than attack, attack, heal... like you know, almost every jrpg ever.
Guacamelee!: A really charming game that doesn't just rest on the laurel of being a 'metroidvania' (getting tired of everything being called that I might add) and has a tightly crafted beat em up combat with really superb platforming levels. Another one I'd recommend to pretty much anyone. (Also, get the Sunset riders skin if you get the Steam version!)
Mediums-
Pokemon Moon: I will concede it is superior to X/Y. The campaign is much better and you can actually fairly call it an rpg... that said I liked X/Y much better because for me having a good campaign I actually have to pay attention to is a nice bonus, but I'm not really there for that. I want to catch shit, I want to catch alot of shit and X/Y had much more of that while Sun/Moon wanted to hide all the cool ones behind the most dull or annoy mons you'll run into absolutely everywhere. Combine that with end game being a horrendous chore, silly features I just can't stand (Freind Plaza) and eh, I'll hold onto it but I've pretty much moved on. Also no Noibat/Noivern, boo.
Sine Mora: An average shooter that I find interesting since its a Euroshmup with alot of japanese influence. Sadly it does have the tried and true tradition of being way harder than it really needs to be (the whole time thing is really unnecessary and hurts the game big time) but when it wants to play nice its a solid, nice looking shooter.
Starbound: I got dragged in Terraria by my roommate and I got tired of it real fast. Wasn't happy about getting pulled into this one either but it has more... for lack of a better term 'gamey' elements to it that let me enjoy it a lot better. Plus I just have this romantic idea of traveling the stars in my lone space ship so it helped me get into it quite a bit. It has a nice atmosphere and charming wit the British are so good at too which scores points with me.
LIMBO: I liked it much more in the beginning, then it get kinda dull towards the end but its still a solid platformer that was fun to think about its heavy handed symbolism.
Diablo: I think it still holds up pretty decent today. Sure, its simple and old but you know I think a lot of games can do with less 'depth' these days. But anyways, had fun with it and it served the nostalgia kick I was looking for.
Gigantic Army: Pretty cool to see a tribute to Cybernator like this. Definitely feels like its held back though. Balance is pretty bad too with the rifle and the beam weapon being the only logical choices. Solid just nothing amazing.
Gunman Clive 1&2: Pretty charming little Mega man like games. The first is a little dry but solid and the second is a marked improvement. Not the best things in the world but make nice little games for your 3ds.
Sam & Max series: I found these to be real hit and miss. Only liked one episode of the first season, didn't care much for the second at all, but then the third was pretty good all the way through. Still, think I preferred Monkey Island.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings: Its a huge improvement over the first, no doubting that but... don't see why people rave about it so much. Combat is sloppy and while the writing is far better I didn't think the plot went as far as it should have. Hell, I have a hard time remembering much of it. Good game just, amazing like everyone says? Sorry, don't see it.
Splatoon: Really fun unique shooter. Unfortunately for me though I'm just not wild about multiplayer (and I was getting trolled none stop when I tried it.). I do however think it has excellent potential to be a cool shooter/platformer kinda deal in single player. Sure hope the second one realizes it.
Freedom Planet: A lot of love for this one lately and it deserves it. I like how its started as a Sonic fan game, and the influence is undeniable but they went the extra mile to pout some touches that make it feel a little more like its own thing. Those things I don't think are executed the best but well enough to applaud. Still liked Shovel Knight better though :X
Dishonored: Really liked the setting to this one, though I found Human Revolution more to my liking. As someone told me this game is better played as a first person DMC and it does seem designed around it since the combat options are far more numerous... but that's just not my thing and as good as it feels I was awful at it, haha. Still enjoyed it quite a bit.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter: I would probably just chalk this up as another ho-hum pretty walkign simulator but the plot though actually hit me real close to home and effected me a bit. Won't go into detail and I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing but it is significant.
Lows-
StarFox Zero: I liked this a good deal at first. Much as I found the controls stupid I didn't have a problem with them. But after playing through it a couple times I found the levels neat to look at, but rather dull compared to 64 and there just didn't seem much to the game. Then a couple of the bosses were so damn stupid hard it pissed me off. Rather disappointed with it.
Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns: I hated Guild Wars 2 at first. But much later on they learned how to properly scale things and made it not a chore to play, the base game is a fun sand box to run around in and later areas don't murder you constantly. Great! Arenanet learned their lesson!.... then threw all that out and made the same exact mistakes with the expansion only three times worse. Good job guys, the new areas are nothing but frustration to be in, the new weapon classes are extremely hit and miss and the new class is flat out terrible. Goddamn.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: Yeah, you heard me. I didn't like Morrowind. No I'm not trying to be a hipster I just sincerely did not enjoy my time in that game much at all. The atmosphere was nice and different and the writing was actually really good! but getting around was an absolute chore (especially when npcs give you bad directions on multiple occasions) ALL the wild life wants you dead and if you ignore them your in for a world of hurt, combat being based on die rolls just seems really, really stupid for a game like this just, ugh. No thank you. I can see how people can still have fun with it, especially since it seems designed with the intent to exploit its systems to the point of breaking them but that is something I never really enjoyed plus I'm a firm believer that just because something is deeper does not automatically make it good (and in fact I feel can make them worse!). I'm not calling the game bad at all but if anyone ever asks me what the best Elder Scrolls is I'll say Skyrim with a straight face, then I'll be laughed at and/or punched in the gut... but that's commentary for another place.
The Fall: Not bad per say just doesn't really get going and when things get interesting it ends. Feel like there is potential but it isn't really realized.
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