I actually managed to finish two games this weekend since my Son and my wife visited my in-laws: Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, which I really liked and which even managed to top Fallen Order. Probably the best Star Wars single player series since the Jedi Knight trilogy. I really hope this will become a trilogy as well.
And the Titanfall 2 campaign which I finally came around to play and finish in two sittings and man...what a ride. So many completely different game play elements that work incredibly well (like the time shift mechanic) and such great pacing. I am also realizing that I am increasingly enjoying more linear and shorter games. Again, really hoping for a successor. Fittingly, corresponding rumors just surfaced last week.
(I just realized both games were made by Respawn...impressive track record of those guys)
I don't know about angels, but it's fear that gives men wings
The last game I beat is Avowed. Actually, I got 100% in terms of general collectibles, just not every single weapon upgraded. The upgrade system is good and flexible. The gameplay and combat are excellent. I didn't have serious issues with the difficulty that some players had. The combat is, in my opinion, the best thing in this game. It's excellent! The graphics are also beautiful, even in performance mode. I also liked the story to a certain extent. However, I didn't like and normally I don't like Obsidian's writing and the music is mediocre, like classical music composed by AI.
9/10
@NintendoByNature Did you like Avowed? I have never played any Alone in the Dark, I might play that one, the latest, right?
@oliverp Did you like Silent Hill 2 Remake? I will play it when it's available on Series X.
@Banjo- Magic in some ways.. The only reason I do not tell you more is becuse I dont want to spoil the experience if the game comes to Series X. But is one of a kind game... Many congrats on beating Avowed btw I hope you enjoyed it. You could not belive it.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black . . Wow.. Now have not done everyting in the game just yet but have beaten the story mode now after some time (becuse I did not wanted to stress with the game but take it slow). But Wow. Did find the announcement/shadow drop (very) intresting .
@HonestHick I wrote a bit about Avowed, you can find it above. Did you continue playing it or give up?
@oliverp Great choices. I played and liked Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and will play Silent Hill 2 when it comes to Xbox. Now I'm playing Gears of War Tactics..
@Banjo- i continued to grind it out and get my gear better with materials. Cooked a lot of food and once i unlocked the healer chick, i loved the game. I beat it.
@HonestHick I didn't use the healer chick, but a lot of food and focused on getting better equipment and eventually upgraded my favourite to the maximum. Nice that you didn't give up!
@Banjo- sorry for the late reply, I did like avowed. I'll admit though, it got a teenie bit repetitive after a while. It's Essentially the same loop in each new map you go to. The environment and characters, plus choices are all top notch. The combat was fun enough. It was a solid 8/10 for me. Wasn't the best game I've played, but it held my attention for 30ish hours.
As for alone in the dark, yes it was the new one..it was a short but sweet little survival horror game. Not nearly as terrifying as RE2 or RE3 is though. It's just a fun little time.
@NintendoByNature No problem at all. I played Avowed for roughly 100 hours. There was definitely a repetition pattern, but the areas are quite different and not that big, so I enjoyed the collecting part, especially because of the quality of life features, like the map telling you where you have been. It was a pleasant journey and not exhausting like other open-world games. The combat in the beginning is brutally difficult, but as I said, it's the thing I enjoyed the most, the second one is probably the graphics, and I played in performance mode!
It's harder than Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2 because it's more unpredictable. There are some interesting mechanics like overwatching and a lot of actions to discover. I don't like how the game encourages you to change characters instead of mastering the different actions of a few characters. It was Act 3, the last, but the whole game is long, when I started enjoying it more and being much more strategical because I had learnt all the mechanics. I think I'd rate it 8/10. Now, I'm free to start South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or Oblivion Remastered.
Nier: Automata (Steam)
Time to fight for humanity.
Gameplay:
Combat mixes the snappy fluid dance of a CAG with Sh'mup elements of all things, and wraps everything up with a (J)RPG leveling/progression system. It's a really unique mixture I haven't seen anywhere else & it won't take long before you're swiftly weaving between foes & projectiles alike as you deal damage.
the world/exploration has a pretty typical JRPG setup to it, with you unlocking new regions to explore as the story demands. Some of them can be quite large/open while others are tiny, but in general you'll move through them in a linear fashion from a story perspective (of course there are a number of chests scattered throughout the map, and of course side quests to partake in). Oh, and a fishing mini game if you want to relax for a bit. There is a bit of an "open world" illusion as there's not usually any noticeable loading between regions (usually there'll be some sort of tightly enclosed path, like a sewer, between regions, where the outside world is probably loading in the background).
it doesn't have that many locations that I'd really refer to as a "dungeon", though it does have a couple, and it's just as likely that a chapter/region will end out in a prolonged Sh'mup segment instead.
It definitely has a bit of an auteur's touch, as gameplay systems & quirks are mixed in to make sense from a narrative perspective, and this is probably the most unique thing about the game that makes it insanely memorable. For example, the game opens with you initiating an assault deep into enemy territory, and you aren't allowed to save at all during this opening 1 ½ hour segment. If you die at any point here (or shut off the game) it's right back to the beginning to start a new game. It's tense, it's bombastic, it feels great to clear, and it'll make sense narratively once you get past it. The game has a lot of elements like this, and although to say too much would be spoilery, let's just say I saw things through to the [E]nd.
Outside of that opening gauntlet I didn't think it was all that difficult a game though (granted, I only played it on Normal, & apparently the highest difficulty is instant OHKO for any damage). Apparently it does the "Souls" thing of making you retrieve your belongings from where you last died if you want to keep them, but I never had to face this. At the end of the day it's pretty standard difficulty for a JRPG, so as long as you don't run past most enemies & keep up on doing side quests as they pop up (there are a few you can't do immediately though), as well as remember to stay up to date with your best equipment (here in the form of computer chips that boost your stats & give you other boons), before you know it you'll always be at least a few levels above what's required for the main story content. Honestly there was only one boss in the middle of my third "playthrough" that had some real bite, but by then I was so awash in restorative items (which I hadn't had to use much since the opening gauntlet) that I was just able to cheese my way through it with tons of items to spare.
Story:
the story follows 2B & 9S, androids sent from a base on the Moon to help reclaim Earth from an army of Machines that are part of an alien invasion (what's left of humanity ran to the Moon). The war has been going on for centuries with no end in sight.
It honestly has some great twists & background lore, and although I knew some were coming I rarely guessed correctly what they were going to be. Likewise I really grew attached to the characters, which was a double edged sword as this isn't a very happy game to put it mildly. That said there is the occasional moment of levity, so it's not (completely) doom.
It can be a dreary existence in this world.
Presentation:
It's not exactly cutting edge (especially today), but it has a clear vision that really holds up with a great atmosphere. It uses a lot of the typical theme tropes (desert, forest, & so on) but has enough of a personality of it's own that it infuses into them. The real standout though is the Amusement Park region. You can definitely feel the auteur touch here as well, whether it be the monochrome hues of your home base or the Gameboy inspired aesthetics of it's various digital datascapes like the world map (and more...).
Music is a real standout as well, with some beautiful theme music that really hits home with the game's melancholic vibes.
Conclusion:
This is definitely going to be a game that sticks with me a long time. I doubt whatever I play next would ever have a chance of hitting the same kinda highs as this, so I'm not even going to try (I've started up Valkyrie Drive: Bhikunni, which is very much "B-game" quality, so I don't expect too much from it, and it's also much more of a bright & preppy game, which is a nice change of pace). Anyhow, Automata is definitely in the running for the best game I've played for the first time this year, and ironically enough it's biggest competition is South Park: the Stick of Truth, which while also a top tier RPG, couldn't be more different in terms of vibe, lol.
Time for a nice break.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
I was surprised to see how rough the gameplay of South of Midnight can be, considering the long development time and its linearity, but I was also surprised by how incredibly beautiful the graphics are and how well it portrays a traditional tale and becomes a playable Pixar film at the same time. Mandatory playthrough on Game Pass!
I just beat Doom: The Dark Ages last night and got the platinum trophy. It was an excellent game and really became superb from Chapter 6 onwards and didn’t slow down its pace. There were a few issues I had with it, but overall, I think it’s my favorite in the modern trilogy. I also got the platinum trophy in Clair Obscur a week ago, so I’m feeling pretty good with my accomplishments.
I’m now going to chill to something less draining mentally and physically, or maybe I’ll try out Metaphor on Game Pass. I’m undecided.
Finished Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. Honestly, I've found it to be immensely better than Fallen Order. The maps were a lot easier to navigate, the combat felt smoother, and this time I actually cared about the story.
Minor complaints would be one story character being way too strong from a lore perspective, but all in all a great game.
Life is Strange 2, Great to have a game where the choices are mostly bad one way or the other and glad your actions give you multiple endings all sad in one way or the other
I have had a very fun time with Gears 4. Are so very very impressed with the single player campaign and the work the Coalition has done with it. I mean I don't want to spoil too much but I maybe can state that bosses in the game were very cool imo. Was kind of blown a way with the graphics too. Not sure how many games that implement the Unreal engine so well as this Gears 4 seem to do. Are also glad to have played and beaten Gears 4 on Xbox as I guess Gears play best on Xbox.. And while some might disagree I think this might be the best Gears game in series.
*Sorry for not posting much as of late btw. But yeah this is in fact the latest game I have beaten. And a game I have wanted to play for quite some time.
It Takes Two. I finally finished it and sadly its one that I am glad I am through with. This game was a disappoinent to be honest especially after A Way Out. I was expecting something like A Way Out and instead it was a cooperative platformer that honestly overstayed its welcome.
First of, I am not a big fan of 3D platformers and this game had everything that bugs me about them. The camera was God awful there was no way to lock on to enemies so tracking them was a pain in the ass. Why wasn't that a feature? Your are telling me that Ocarina of Time that was made 30 years can do it but a game made 2 years cant. Also the wonky camera makes platforming a pain leading to cheap deaths. Some of the levels where interesting I will give it that and I did enjoy a couple too but another night problem of this game is the cooperative game, both players need to be the same skill level or else you just cant do the objectives. Another thing that annoyed me was that the puzzles designs went the most roundabout way to solve them making the game a total slog.
The story was good at first just ended up being way to long. At one point it felt like the game should have been over but instead there was 4 more levels to go through. The levels just felt unnecessary. The characters were annoying. Of course they father they made the stereotypical ***** with no common sense while the mother was the brains of the family. The daughter Rose annoyed me the most. So her parents are getting a divorce so what? Sometimes its better for the parents to get one, but no they had to do the stereotypical oh its my fault they dont love each and I need to get them back together.
In conclusion this game is a huge let down especially after doing so well with A Way Out. Wonky cameras, cheap bosses boring level design and a dragged out story is not my idea of a fun game. One of my biggest disappointments of 2025. I am glad to be done with this game.
I'd give it a 3/10.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
Need to get into the habit of posting in these forums more often rather than permanently lurking like the silent act that I am, so here I arrive! And this seems like a nice easy thread to get me into the habit.
Atomfall
Finished a batch of the endings and have a few more to go, but can at this stage confidently say in my view the game is great. Nicely sized areas to really encourage the exploring and discovering of things without being so massive and hundreds of hours long. Kept making me want to 'see what's over there' or 'where this leads me' well past the time I was supposed to be wrapping up and sleeping before work in the morning. Appreciated the setting as a little Englander myself. Song as the credits fade in is banger as well.
Played via Gamepass but will keep an eye out for a physical copy to adorn the shelf of excellence.
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