10) What the Golf
9) Gears of War 5
8) Spider-Man
7) Luigis Mansion 3
6) Super Smash Bros Ultimate
5) Mario Maker 2
4) Apex Legends
3) Overcooked
2) Astro Bot
1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Thursday, 9 January 2020
Top 10 of 2019
I played far fewer games this year, 23 to be exact, here are my top 10.
10) What the Golf
9) Gears of War 5
8) Spider-Man
7) Luigis Mansion 3
6) Super Smash Bros Ultimate
5) Mario Maker 2
4) Apex Legends
3) Overcooked
2) Astro Bot
1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
10) What the Golf
9) Gears of War 5
8) Spider-Man
7) Luigis Mansion 3
6) Super Smash Bros Ultimate
5) Mario Maker 2
4) Apex Legends
3) Overcooked
2) Astro Bot
1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Saturday, 4 January 2020
Luigis Mansion 3 (Switch)
Date Purchased: December 23, 2019
Date Completed: January 3, 2019
Price: Free (Christmas Gift)
My kids had been clamoring for this game for a long time, I wasn't going to put down the money for it though, not even as a gift. I told them to ask Grandma for it, that was a mistake and a brilliant idea at the same time. I love this game. I'd never played a Luigis Mansion before this other than renting the GameCube gaming and pretty much dismissing it immediately. This is a great game with some rather light puzzle solving, brilliant co-op , and all that Nintendo charm you've come to expect. The co-op is so good, my son Eli (6 years old) and I played about 90% of the time together and only a couple occasions did he "get in the way". There were a few encounters where the controls felt a bit cumbersome, but overall I can't help but recommend this game, ESPECIALLY if you have someone to play co-op with.
Date Completed: January 3, 2019
Price: Free (Christmas Gift)
My kids had been clamoring for this game for a long time, I wasn't going to put down the money for it though, not even as a gift. I told them to ask Grandma for it, that was a mistake and a brilliant idea at the same time. I love this game. I'd never played a Luigis Mansion before this other than renting the GameCube gaming and pretty much dismissing it immediately. This is a great game with some rather light puzzle solving, brilliant co-op , and all that Nintendo charm you've come to expect. The co-op is so good, my son Eli (6 years old) and I played about 90% of the time together and only a couple occasions did he "get in the way". There were a few encounters where the controls felt a bit cumbersome, but overall I can't help but recommend this game, ESPECIALLY if you have someone to play co-op with.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (PS4)
Date Purchased: October 28, 2019
Date Completed: January 4, 2020
Price: $79.99 (PSN)
I had no intentions on buying this game despite them playing Metallica in the ad campaign. Then I buckled, like I often do. I scraped together all the loose change in the house, drove to no frills and bought $50 in PSN credit and footed the rest myself. I'm glad I did. I haven't been this hooked on a game since the original Overwatch. There are just SO MANY UNLOCKABLES. The thing is, I don't care about any of the unlocks, I just care about unlocking them. The gunplay is good, I enjoy almost every map and game mode. I played the campaign, enjoyed it, but the meat and potatoes is in the multiplayer. I can't stop, it's that good. I hook up with friends and family, I get my daily challenges every day. There's just always so much to do and I can't recommend it enough.
Date Completed: January 4, 2020
Price: $79.99 (PSN)
I had no intentions on buying this game despite them playing Metallica in the ad campaign. Then I buckled, like I often do. I scraped together all the loose change in the house, drove to no frills and bought $50 in PSN credit and footed the rest myself. I'm glad I did. I haven't been this hooked on a game since the original Overwatch. There are just SO MANY UNLOCKABLES. The thing is, I don't care about any of the unlocks, I just care about unlocking them. The gunplay is good, I enjoy almost every map and game mode. I played the campaign, enjoyed it, but the meat and potatoes is in the multiplayer. I can't stop, it's that good. I hook up with friends and family, I get my daily challenges every day. There's just always so much to do and I can't recommend it enough.
Tuesday, 3 December 2019
What the golf (iOS)
Date Purchased: Nov 4, 2019
Date Completed: Dec 1, 2019
Price: Free (Apple Arcade Trial)
I don't review many phone games, I was hoping that Apple Arcade might change that but in all honestly, gaming on a phone is just not something I want to do. What the golf though, WHAT THE GOLF?!
This is a fantastic little iOS game, it's barely golf, it's more like a sketch comedy of video games. It plays great, looks great and is a fun little distraction. My only gripe with the game is that the overworld can be a little tough to navigate sometimes. If you try Apple Arcade, make sure you give this one a swing. It's a hole in one! (ugh)
Date Completed: Dec 1, 2019
Price: Free (Apple Arcade Trial)
I don't review many phone games, I was hoping that Apple Arcade might change that but in all honestly, gaming on a phone is just not something I want to do. What the golf though, WHAT THE GOLF?!
This is a fantastic little iOS game, it's barely golf, it's more like a sketch comedy of video games. It plays great, looks great and is a fun little distraction. My only gripe with the game is that the overworld can be a little tough to navigate sometimes. If you try Apple Arcade, make sure you give this one a swing. It's a hole in one! (ugh)
Tuesday, 15 October 2019
MLB The Show 19 (PS4)
Date Purchased: October 1, 2019
Date Completed: October 15, 2019
Price: Free (PS+)
I'm no stranger to this series, and while I may have never reviewed one on this blog before, I've played plenty of "The Show" over the years. It's been a while however, so when this was announced as a free game for PS+ I was pretty excited. I've fallen in and out and back in love with Super Mega Baseball over the last few years and thought maybe it was time I played a real game of hardball. Nope. The same issues I've always had with this series is still prevalent today, the biggest offender is that it just takes too damn long to play. I play NHL with 5 minute periods, I play Madden with 5 minute quarters and NBA with 4 minutes quarters, but something about playing an MLB game with less than 9 innings just feels wrong. I've tried, got bored, came back, tried again and again, this game is just boring. It's a beautiful game, it's amazing to just look at, and while the announcing team is feeling a little tired at this point, the presentation is second to none. The camera angles, the broadcast presentation, it's all there and it's perfect. The game is simply no fun to play. I tried the "arcade" or "retro" mode and it's a joke, so don't even bother. I wish I could like this game, I want to like it. I love baseball, I just feel in this case, it's better to be a spectator than holding a controller. Hard pass.
Date Completed: October 15, 2019
Price: Free (PS+)
I'm no stranger to this series, and while I may have never reviewed one on this blog before, I've played plenty of "The Show" over the years. It's been a while however, so when this was announced as a free game for PS+ I was pretty excited. I've fallen in and out and back in love with Super Mega Baseball over the last few years and thought maybe it was time I played a real game of hardball. Nope. The same issues I've always had with this series is still prevalent today, the biggest offender is that it just takes too damn long to play. I play NHL with 5 minute periods, I play Madden with 5 minute quarters and NBA with 4 minutes quarters, but something about playing an MLB game with less than 9 innings just feels wrong. I've tried, got bored, came back, tried again and again, this game is just boring. It's a beautiful game, it's amazing to just look at, and while the announcing team is feeling a little tired at this point, the presentation is second to none. The camera angles, the broadcast presentation, it's all there and it's perfect. The game is simply no fun to play. I tried the "arcade" or "retro" mode and it's a joke, so don't even bother. I wish I could like this game, I want to like it. I love baseball, I just feel in this case, it's better to be a spectator than holding a controller. Hard pass.
Sunday, 6 October 2019
Links Awakening Remastered (Switch)
Date Completed: October 6, 2019
Price: $69.99
I should have read my review for this game, the one I wrote just under 4 years ago. I should have waited for some reviews to come out, but no, this time I was blind. Blind to Nintendo's charm. Here's what I had to say in 2015.
"Almost 4 months to complete this game, would have been much, MUCH longer had I not used a guide. This game would have been amazing back in 1993. A portable game of this size and scope could have kept you busy for many hours, but after playing “A Link Between Worlds”, another great top down Zelda game, it’s really hard to go back, no fast travel, pausing to change items, I could go on ... Regardless, this is a really fine game, an incredible accomplishment for its time, I can appreciate it for that, but trying to play it in 2015 is just that, trying. Pass?"
The reviews started coming out advising how this was a faithful remake and I knew. I was hoping it was going to be a "re-imagining" of sorts. A modern take on a classic game. Nope. I played a game I didn't like in the first place a second time, paid almost full retail for an experience I didn't want. I feel used, but in the end, it's my fault. I pre-ordered digitally, paid it all up front.
My feelings on the game haven't changed much. I enjoyed the dungeons a lot, but exploring the over world has always felt like a chore to me in top down Zelda games. A link between worlds is the only exception. I loved THAT game. Lesson learned.
My kid really enjoyed it, so that takes away some of the sting. But I watched him play, he mirrored an "Austin John Plays" from start to finish. Oh well.
Hard pass.
 |
| It's a good thing I could play this at work, or I might have never finished it. |
Wolfenstein 2 (Xbox One)
Date Purchased: n/a
Date Completed: October 4
Price: GamePass
Wolfenstein The New Colossus was my "Game of the Year" a few years back, I was really looking forward to playing this I kept waiting for a sale. I was excited it was on GamePass so I wouldn't have to "pay" for it. Let's just say, I'm glad I didn't put any money down for this. The story is cool, I liked it, that's about all it has going for it. Now, let me get this out of the way, I played the game on easy as that's how it was recommended to me on the Giant Bombcast. I'm glad I did. The shooting feels "poor" normal human enemies are bullet sponges and don't seem to react to getting shot. They just soak up clips of bullets. My main beef with the game was the level design. The objectives of the game are unclear and a lot of the time I was just wondering where to go next. Not the point of an FPS in my opinion. By the end I was only playing it to finish it. Glad that's over. What a disappointment. Pass.
Date Completed: October 4
Price: GamePass
Wolfenstein The New Colossus was my "Game of the Year" a few years back, I was really looking forward to playing this I kept waiting for a sale. I was excited it was on GamePass so I wouldn't have to "pay" for it. Let's just say, I'm glad I didn't put any money down for this. The story is cool, I liked it, that's about all it has going for it. Now, let me get this out of the way, I played the game on easy as that's how it was recommended to me on the Giant Bombcast. I'm glad I did. The shooting feels "poor" normal human enemies are bullet sponges and don't seem to react to getting shot. They just soak up clips of bullets. My main beef with the game was the level design. The objectives of the game are unclear and a lot of the time I was just wondering where to go next. Not the point of an FPS in my opinion. By the end I was only playing it to finish it. Glad that's over. What a disappointment. Pass.
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