Your 2017 in gaming – highs, averages and lows
Dec 27, 2017 14:19:11 GMT -5
Post by Snake on Dec 27, 2017 14:19:11 GMT -5
HIGHS
-Mother 3: A straight forward RPG, but I enjoyed the story much more than Earthbound. More passionate, more emotionally charged, yet quite mysterious. In Earthbound, the story is laid out from you from the get-go, but Mother 3 starts out with a lot of questions of~ "what is the nature of the enemy?" "What is their end goal?"
-Zelda:Breath of the Wild: I didn't think I would ever come across a 3-D Zelda game that would I enjoy as much as A Link to the Past... and possibly more. A Link to the Past still has a better a soundtrack, but Breath of the Wild excels in interaction. Interaction with everything. It's so profound how much actual freedom you are given. And that doesn't just mean "open world," but the freedom in how you may resolve puzzles or fight enemies. And there is just so fucking much to do in this game.
-Terranigma/Tenchi Sozo: Between the plot points of Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia, I liked Terranigma the best. It's a pretty beefy, lengthy game, with quite a bit in terms of side-quests and exploration. There is a certain twist, to when you begin to realize what is actually going on, and the nature of who you really are -- with a bittersweet ending reminiscent of Soul Blazer.
-Ace Combat 4:Shattered Skies: Such a sense of occasion to being an ace pilot. I love how the story isn't even told from your point of view, but from a the view of a civilian caught between warring states.
-Panic in Cobra City:Cobra Mission: For an old 90's ero-game PC RPG, the concept and gameplay holds up pretty well. The fighting interface is a combination of real-time battle, and Mario Paint's fly swatting game. The dialogue is crass, but fun. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking for this artistic style, but still. I played this game non-stop when I started. Any game that gives you an impulsiveness to push on to the end is a great game.
MIDS
-Gran Turismo Sport: Most gorgeous Gran Turismo game to date. The amount of detail to the cars and driving dynamics are astounding. I've easily spent have my time with this game just admiring car models and reading through the museum bits. But I dislike the changes they made... well it's hard to say, since this is not a numbered Gran Turismo game. It feels like an intermediate demo game, like Gran Turismo Geneva, or Prologue. The selection of cars is... mostly limited and disappointing. The recent update does remedy it to some degree, by bringing back the FD3S RX-7 and the R34 Skyline. But still missing the NA1/NA2 NSX. The way tuning and upgrades are handled takes getting used to. I miss the idea of getting parts. And while the ambient menu soundtrack is great, the actual racing music is horrid. I wish there was an option to custom make your own music playlist, like Gran Turismo 5 and 6, but I'll wait and see.
-Shodai Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun (story timeline seems to place it as a prequel to River City Ransom): Fun beat-em up, simultaneous 2-player action is a plus. Level-ups and experience points are also a bonus. There is more in terms of dialogue and cut scenes. You have to freedom to beat the crap out of anyone, even simple salaryman and office ladies, and Hanshin Tigers fans~~ Imagine just walking through a hotel and clocking some school girl for a cool, 2 experience points. The downside is, fights can take a repetitively LONG time if your character is too weak. And there are no store or shop interaction. You have to buy items from vending machines. I do love how the game is a kind of snapshot into 1990's Japan delinquent lifestyle and architecture.
LOWS
-Super Valis IV: I used to look so forward to this game, when I saw it on the pages of EGM. After finally playing through it after all these years, it's a solid disappointment. While the environments are colorful, the music lacks impact of previous Valis games. The cut scenes and plot are quite minimal in comparison too. The actual gameplay is on the tough/hardcore side. It took a lot of effort, for not a lot of ending or resolution.
-Castlevania:Bloodlines: Of all the Castlevanias I played this year, I just couldn't get into this one. I had to force myself to beat this game to the end. The feel of the game, from whipping, to impact, to sound effects wasn't doin' it for me. There are some catchy tunes that would later get re-used and remixed for future Castlevanias (I love the arranged version of Iron Blue Intention for Portrait of Ruin, and Sinking Old Sanctuary on Circle of the Moon). Being able to pick between two player styles is great, but not being able to switch back and forth at will like Castlevania 3, makes it feel like a step back.
-Mother 3: A straight forward RPG, but I enjoyed the story much more than Earthbound. More passionate, more emotionally charged, yet quite mysterious. In Earthbound, the story is laid out from you from the get-go, but Mother 3 starts out with a lot of questions of~ "what is the nature of the enemy?" "What is their end goal?"
-Zelda:Breath of the Wild: I didn't think I would ever come across a 3-D Zelda game that would I enjoy as much as A Link to the Past... and possibly more. A Link to the Past still has a better a soundtrack, but Breath of the Wild excels in interaction. Interaction with everything. It's so profound how much actual freedom you are given. And that doesn't just mean "open world," but the freedom in how you may resolve puzzles or fight enemies. And there is just so fucking much to do in this game.
-Terranigma/Tenchi Sozo: Between the plot points of Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia, I liked Terranigma the best. It's a pretty beefy, lengthy game, with quite a bit in terms of side-quests and exploration. There is a certain twist, to when you begin to realize what is actually going on, and the nature of who you really are -- with a bittersweet ending reminiscent of Soul Blazer.
-Ace Combat 4:Shattered Skies: Such a sense of occasion to being an ace pilot. I love how the story isn't even told from your point of view, but from a the view of a civilian caught between warring states.
-Panic in Cobra City:Cobra Mission: For an old 90's ero-game PC RPG, the concept and gameplay holds up pretty well. The fighting interface is a combination of real-time battle, and Mario Paint's fly swatting game. The dialogue is crass, but fun. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking for this artistic style, but still. I played this game non-stop when I started. Any game that gives you an impulsiveness to push on to the end is a great game.
MIDS
-Gran Turismo Sport: Most gorgeous Gran Turismo game to date. The amount of detail to the cars and driving dynamics are astounding. I've easily spent have my time with this game just admiring car models and reading through the museum bits. But I dislike the changes they made... well it's hard to say, since this is not a numbered Gran Turismo game. It feels like an intermediate demo game, like Gran Turismo Geneva, or Prologue. The selection of cars is... mostly limited and disappointing. The recent update does remedy it to some degree, by bringing back the FD3S RX-7 and the R34 Skyline. But still missing the NA1/NA2 NSX. The way tuning and upgrades are handled takes getting used to. I miss the idea of getting parts. And while the ambient menu soundtrack is great, the actual racing music is horrid. I wish there was an option to custom make your own music playlist, like Gran Turismo 5 and 6, but I'll wait and see.
-Shodai Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun (story timeline seems to place it as a prequel to River City Ransom): Fun beat-em up, simultaneous 2-player action is a plus. Level-ups and experience points are also a bonus. There is more in terms of dialogue and cut scenes. You have to freedom to beat the crap out of anyone, even simple salaryman and office ladies, and Hanshin Tigers fans~~ Imagine just walking through a hotel and clocking some school girl for a cool, 2 experience points. The downside is, fights can take a repetitively LONG time if your character is too weak. And there are no store or shop interaction. You have to buy items from vending machines. I do love how the game is a kind of snapshot into 1990's Japan delinquent lifestyle and architecture.
LOWS
-Super Valis IV: I used to look so forward to this game, when I saw it on the pages of EGM. After finally playing through it after all these years, it's a solid disappointment. While the environments are colorful, the music lacks impact of previous Valis games. The cut scenes and plot are quite minimal in comparison too. The actual gameplay is on the tough/hardcore side. It took a lot of effort, for not a lot of ending or resolution.
-Castlevania:Bloodlines: Of all the Castlevanias I played this year, I just couldn't get into this one. I had to force myself to beat this game to the end. The feel of the game, from whipping, to impact, to sound effects wasn't doin' it for me. There are some catchy tunes that would later get re-used and remixed for future Castlevanias (I love the arranged version of Iron Blue Intention for Portrait of Ruin, and Sinking Old Sanctuary on Circle of the Moon). Being able to pick between two player styles is great, but not being able to switch back and forth at will like Castlevania 3, makes it feel like a step back.